Weasel In The House
An uneventful weekend, so I’ll just do a quickie here for your skimming pleasure.
Saturday was a 5-mile recovery run, which I’m learning to appreciate more these days, now that my quality runs are more purposeful.
Yesterday was 16 on a perfectly beautiful afternoon. Still thinking I have a shoe issue, since my legs, feet or knees begin to feel creaky after about 10, yet said niggles disappear after the run is over. So my mission this week is to find which of the running stores in my area do a full evaluation with a treadmill. When I went to Philadelphia Runners, there was no gait analysis and the salesman was a little unenthusiastic and not very insightful.
As for today, it’s a day of rest, then hopefully a tempo tomorrow, though it’s supposed to be windy - my absolute favorite condition for a hard effort. cough.
Looking ahead to this Sunday is my first mile time-trial, ever. I need to remain ambivalent about it as a barometer of fitness or speed, classifying it only as an amusing thing to do, since a few of my forum buddies will be there. But the chance of it making me all frowny is a definite possibility, despite my good intentions.
I’ve never tried to run a mile my fastest, and have a feeling I’ll be all over the place, too fast, slowing down, speeding up, slowing down. Plus, I’m not doing myself any favors by running a tempo on Tuesday and a speed session on Thursday, but seeing as how my goal 5K is on April 15th and Broad St. is right behind it, I can’t afford to change my schedule for a one-mile jaunt.
Hmmm, come to think of it, if it wasn’t for the forumite get-together, I’d bag it.
Do you hear that Matt? Do we really have to do it?
Signed: Your Attempting-To-Weasel-Out-Of-It Friend,
Flo
(who knows it’s ridiculous to worry about something that’ll take less than 7 minutes out of my life, but here I am doing it) Ambivalent, my ass.
Tags: running shoes
March 31st, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Flo you ambivalent weasel, you! Now there is a sentence that is likely not to be uttered again in the english language! Is this mile on a track or just a straight line? I have never tried it on anything official, but a few times down to my first mile mark on a 5K run, so I know that doesn’t count.
On an up note, I thought I would tell you that I set a PR in the half marathon yesterday. I finally broke the 2 hour barrier, (by 13 seconds). My old PR was 2:21. I know it is not fast, relatively speaking, but it is one of those little mental breakthroughs in this runner’s life.
Good luck in your mile, I am sure we will all hear about it!
Tobes
March 31st, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Congratulations, Tobey!! That’s HUGE! Geez, 22 minutes off a Half? You must be on cloud 9 today. What happened?
Seriously, what do you attribute your breakthrough to? I love hearing stuff like this.
And that mile is a straight line, with the first part being a direct downhill, not to mention it’s very close to my house, so I really have no business bitching about it, but I always find a way, don’t I?
March 31st, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Flo,
For last year’s Indy mini, I trained, but not nearly as hard as I should have. I then decided to run a full in October. Again I trained, but only as much as my schedule would allow. For this HM I trained as though I were running a full, as a matter of fact, I only changed to the half right before the race. I guess you could say I fooled myself into believing I needed to run 26 miles, then I let myself off the hook. Looking at moderately hard training plans for a half, my full training was about the same level. Now I have 5 weeks to take off 2 more minutes to beat my son’s time, (he was 20 when he set the house record). After that I think I am going to concentrate on speed and form for a few months so I can be as fast as you. Sorry to steal your blog time, but you did ask
Tobey
March 31st, 2008 at 6:23 pm
no weasels allowed lol
I will be there sacrificing my long run probably for the fe and the fun of running a mile all out that i’ll probably be puking at the end of. but no guilt trip or anything. you better be there
March 31st, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Tobey, that’s fantastic! What wonderful peace of mind you must have had going into the Half, knowing you were in shape for a Full. I hope it wasn’t anything bad that made you switch, though. And you didn’t steal blog time, this is good stuff for anyone who reads it. Now get back to work and beat that kid of yours!!
Matt, hah! OK, I’m in as planned. I first wrote that it’s killing my long run, too, but I think I can still do it later that day so I edited that bit out. I so wish I was super-fast like you so afterwards I could take you on a long run through the Wissahickon trail/Forbidden Drive that I always talk about. Alas, all I can do with a speedmeister such as yourself is point you to it! Congrats again on the AG award and #9 O.A. for yesterday’s 10-miler. I’m so impressed!
March 31st, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Flo,
Last year when he knew I was only capable of running 2:20s he was very cavalier about it, “yeah you might someday”. Yesterday when I told him I switched to the half he said, rather dejectedly, “you beat my time didn’t you”? Hah, I said, no, but you are in my crosshairs. He is 30 now with 3 little ones and no time to retaliate in the near future. I have 2 more chances this spring. I have no doubt he could train for 6 mos. and smoke me, (he ran 4:52 miles in HS), but by the time he gets around to it, he will be much older.
March 31st, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Lol, I LOVE it!! I mean, one of the best things about being a Masters runner is the pleasure of beating out young whippersnappers and here you are getting to do it within your own bloodline. C’mon Tobey, make us mature folks proud and kick his ass!! (lovingly of course, not too much bloodshed…but a little’s ok)
March 31st, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I had my gait evaluated on a treadmill at a Fleet Feet in Chicago, maybe they all do them. There’s one in Marlton, NJ - I’d call first and check before making the trip. I’ll come with if you decide to go there, Singapore Noodles at Joe’s Peking Duck House a few doors down - YUM!
March 31st, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Aw, that would have been a great plan! However, with tomorrow’s blog post, you’ll see I’m up to my ears now in shoes. Actually though, I’d still go if you wanna, I want to get some racing shoes now.