This was one of those days when I made myself run. I haven't run since Wednesday (4 days) and that's sort of a long stretch for me without a run. But I hadn't been feeling the best due to allergies and just couldn't find much motivation to run. Then, somehow, I wrenched my back yesterday morning and the back problems stretched into today. Still, there is a winter storm warning for tonight into tomorrow which could prevent me from running safely outside for a few days so I knew I'd better get out there today before the snow comes.
I didn't push it very hard because I knew that I needed to be careful with my back. The temp was around 35°F and there was a cold, brisk wind coming out of the North making it hard to breath when running that direction. Still, I did a 30 minute run and could easily have gone for another few miles but needed to get back home to fix dinner. (a dinner that no one else ended up wanting).
When I had almost finished with dinner, I glanced at the clock on the stove and couldn't see it clearly. I did a double take and realized that it was the beginning of an ocular migraine.
I get them every once in a while, usually an hour or two after I have finished running. They actually sound worse than they are. When people hear "migraine", they usually think of a headache. But with an ocular migraine, there isn't necessarily any pain. There is rarely any in my case. Instead, it's just a bit disorienting.
It begins with a little blurry vision. Then, usually a little ringing in the ears and partial loss of vision. Kind of like someone is shining a really bright light into one or both eyes. It's hard to read anything or focus on any objects. After this, it generally changes to a series of flashing lights in the periphery of my vision. Sort of like if you were seeing a carnival with flashing lights out of the corner of your eye. It usually only last 30 - 60 minutes for me and I'm thankful that there is not pain.
As I mentioned, there is a winter storm warning in store for us in KC tonight so it may be a few days before I run again. Unless, of course, I hop on the old tread mill. I just don't enjoy that as much though so that probably won't happen.
Also, it will be interesting to see how many people actually end up viewing this post. I sometimes share my blog posts to FB but for my own reasons, I won't be doing that as much. I predict that only 3-5 people will view this post. We'll see...
Until next time, thanks for viewing.
JJ
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Saturday, November 21, 2015
JJSB RunDate 15325: Jimmy just completed a run = Jimmy just took his medicine
Most of you who have read this blog are aware that I use a phone app called Runkeeper when I run. There is an option to post the run results to Facebook which I often (but not always) do. I sometimes am concerned that these posts seem conceited and are annoying to my Facebook friends and I stop sharing as often. However, every time I back off, I have people ask me why I'm not running as much. When I say that I am but am just not posting the runs to Facebook, they tell me that they like to see my runs posted along with the little maps that accompany them. Some people tell me that they are inspired by them, even those who don't run themselves. Other runners use them as a challenge to go faster (not that difficult) and/or further (a little more difficult) than me. I know there are also a few people who care about me enough to know that, when I'm regularly running, I'm in a better place mentally and emotionally.
For those of you who are friends on Facebook (which probably includes everyone who will read this), I have another reason for you to be thankful when you see my Runkeeper posts: It means that I've "taken my medicine".
Way back in January of this year, I stopped taking the medication that I had been taking every day for roughly 9 years. It was anti-anxiety medicine and a set of circumstances caused me to just be fed up with taking it. I decided that I was done.
Now, instead of taking a pill every morning that mutes all of the amplified stimuli that I feel every day, I remain aware of when I am beginning to feel overwhelmed by said stimuli and I go for a run. The anti-anxiety medicine did little to relieve the bouts of depression that I encountered and will likely continue to encounter for the remainder of my time on this earth; However, the running helps tremendously with this. When I begin to feel hopeless, overwhelmed with sadness or keyed up, I choose to run. And it helps. Sometimes more than others, but it always helps.
So, when you see my Runkeeper posts on Facebook, please think, "Jimmy took his medicine. Jimmy is going to be Okay." Feel free to even post things like, "You took your medicine! Good job!" or "I'm glad to see that you're taking your medicine." or "Thank God you are still taking your medicine!"
As I continue to list a "Song of the Run" from my current top 20 bands, I give you a band that has been a favorite since around 2007 called The Editors.
Here is their song, "Phonebook" My favorite from their album The Weight of Your Love
For those of you who are friends on Facebook (which probably includes everyone who will read this), I have another reason for you to be thankful when you see my Runkeeper posts: It means that I've "taken my medicine".
Way back in January of this year, I stopped taking the medication that I had been taking every day for roughly 9 years. It was anti-anxiety medicine and a set of circumstances caused me to just be fed up with taking it. I decided that I was done.
Now, instead of taking a pill every morning that mutes all of the amplified stimuli that I feel every day, I remain aware of when I am beginning to feel overwhelmed by said stimuli and I go for a run. The anti-anxiety medicine did little to relieve the bouts of depression that I encountered and will likely continue to encounter for the remainder of my time on this earth; However, the running helps tremendously with this. When I begin to feel hopeless, overwhelmed with sadness or keyed up, I choose to run. And it helps. Sometimes more than others, but it always helps.
So, when you see my Runkeeper posts on Facebook, please think, "Jimmy took his medicine. Jimmy is going to be Okay." Feel free to even post things like, "You took your medicine! Good job!" or "I'm glad to see that you're taking your medicine." or "Thank God you are still taking your medicine!"
As I continue to list a "Song of the Run" from my current top 20 bands, I give you a band that has been a favorite since around 2007 called The Editors.
Here is their song, "Phonebook" My favorite from their album The Weight of Your Love
"Sing me a love song
from your heart or from the phonebook
It don't matter to me
I'm an apple, you're the tree
I won't fall when you're shook"
Thursday, November 12, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15316: The Curse of Smithville Lake?
What I am now referring to as "The Curse of Smithville Lake," continues.
There is a paved running trail that goes around the lake and I've run this trail exactly three times in the last 3 years.
There is a paved running trail that goes around the lake and I've run this trail exactly three times in the last 3 years.
The first time was in late September of 2012 when I chose this location for a 20 mile run on a Saturday morning. This involved running the 8 mile trail, turning onto a highway, going across a bridge and then after hitting the 10 mile mark, turning around and going back. The first 13-14 miles of the run went pretty well but then my running app lost connection, I lost track of how many miles I had left and the temperature warmed considerably. Because of all this, I had trouble with pacing and the last 6 miles of the run were horrible.
The second time was in early November of 2013 when I attempted another 20 mile run in an effort to redeem my Smithville Lake experience. This run also began very well. The temperature was warm but not hot and the forecast was good. Unfortunately, during the last 8 miles of the run, the sky became overcast, the temperature dropped, the wind kicked up and it began to rain. The last several miles were tortuous as I ran in a cold rain, wearing a sleeveless running shirt while a cold wind blew on me off of the lake.
Not wanting to be defeated, this weekend, I decided to once again try to redeem the experience. The weather was perfect with temps in the 50's, clear skies and a nice cool breeze blowing. I was planning on running only 14 miles this time which was a considerably shorter distance so I was quite optimistic about this run.
I woke up with a little bit of a sore lower back. I'm not sure why because I couldn't remember doing anything that might have caused this. It's happened a few times before, so I just did some exercises to get my back muscles stretched out and then my wife and I headed out to the lake. The area we chose to park in was not the usual area where I park and so we had to walk about 75 yards through a mowed field to get to the trail.
When I reached the trail and began to run, each step sent a jolt of severe pain all through my lower back and after about 20 steps, I had to stop. My wife was several feet in front of me and I said aloud, "I don't think I can do this", but she had headphones in and didn't hear me.
I dropped to the trail and laid on my back, stretching and extending my body as much as possible while hoping that nobody would come racing around the corner on a bicycle and run me over. After a minute or so, I tried to get up and my back muscles cramped up, driving me back down. I laid there for a couple more minutes and then decided I would see if I could make it back to the car which my back seemed to be insisting would not be a possibility. As my back screamed in protest, I managed to turn over and get to my knees. I kept trying to get up but every time I managed to get to my feet, I couldn't straighten up all the way and remained bent over at the waist. Finally, in exasperation, I put my hand in the middle of my lower back for support and was able to straighten up. I then took a few steps and thought, maybe if I straighten up and arch my back as much as possible, I could try jogging again. I gave it a try and went a few steps and, although it was painful, I felt like I might be able to power through it. I decided I might be able to do a few miles and avoid the journey being a total waste of time, so I just kept going and I ended up going the entire 14 miles. The first several miles, I would run for 3 and a half minutes and then walk for 30 seconds while stretching and raising my hands as far as I could above my head. The pain was constant but I sort of tuned it out the further I went and eventually it became a dull background sensation.
After the run, I ended up spending the rest of the afternoon/evening in bed. My back hurt so much that I could barely change positions and couldn't get comfortable in any position.
I wonder if running the 14 miles was a good or bad idea in light of the issues I was having with my back. I'm still not sure. I suppose I did the run because I stubbornly didn't want the Smithville Lake Trail to "beat" me and "defeat" me.
My running experiences at Smithville Lake truly do seem to be cursed.
I'm also now considering whether or not I will actually continue my current running schedule which has me working my way up to 26 miles sometime in February our March. I'm just not sure at this point. The idea of spending 3-4 hours out on a run in sub-freezing temperatures at times does not seem wise. We'll see...
NO SONG OF THE RUN for this one.
Because of my back issues, I decided to run with no music and just lose myself in nature. I had planned to listen to music the last few miles, but just never ended up putting it on so, for the first time in a long time, I ran the complete distance in silence.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15302: Getting Myself Out the Door
Hello friends!
Here we are at that time of the year in KC when the running weather is ideal. Generally it's still warm enough to run with short sleeves (or maybe a light long sleeve) but cool enough to keep your body from overheating.
Still, I find sometimes that I have to push myself to get out the door for a run. With the cooler temps, I sometimes feel that autumn chill in my bones and it's much more tempting to stay indoors, warm and toasty, under a blanket.
So, sometimes, I have to remind myself how exhilarating a fall run is:
I step out the door and feel the cool air assault my senses. I begin my run at a casual pace. Time moves slowly. My thoughts are occupied with the heaviness of my legs and the passing of time. As I complete the first quarter mile, my body begins to warm and my mind begins to experience my surroundings. The air is crisp and the colors are captivating. My body temp continues to rise and has now spread to my limbs. My legs are now coursing with thermal energy and begin to pump faster. Meanwhile, the cool air continues blowing against my face and neck and feels invigorating. Because the air is cooling my body, I am able to steadily increase my speed with little discernible effort. My thoughts are now contemplative. Concept of time has, for the most part, deserted me. I find myself 3 miles into a 4 mile run, my legs pumping and my breathing rhythmic. I feel euphoric. Almost superhuman. Outside my body. My legs are pumping faster and faster. I almost wish it wouldn't have to end, but I cruise slowly to a walk, my run complete.
Remembering the feeling of euphoria, the tightness of my abdomen and the relaxation of my entire body afterwards gives me the incentive I need to set my foot out the door.
My most recent weekend run was a little different. A 12 mile, slower paced run on a nature trail in my area. It was absolutely beautiful and I am extremely thankful to be in an area where these types of trails are being "put aside" to conserve nature.
My "Song of the Run" for this run is by Midnight Oil. Up until 3 years ago, I had only heard three albums from this band but decided to investigate their entire catalog and I am glad that I did. Their catalog is much larger than I had thought and there are so many great songs that Midnight Oil has become one of my favorites.
So, here it is:
Forgotten Years by Midnight Oil.
Here we are at that time of the year in KC when the running weather is ideal. Generally it's still warm enough to run with short sleeves (or maybe a light long sleeve) but cool enough to keep your body from overheating.
Still, I find sometimes that I have to push myself to get out the door for a run. With the cooler temps, I sometimes feel that autumn chill in my bones and it's much more tempting to stay indoors, warm and toasty, under a blanket.
So, sometimes, I have to remind myself how exhilarating a fall run is:
I step out the door and feel the cool air assault my senses. I begin my run at a casual pace. Time moves slowly. My thoughts are occupied with the heaviness of my legs and the passing of time. As I complete the first quarter mile, my body begins to warm and my mind begins to experience my surroundings. The air is crisp and the colors are captivating. My body temp continues to rise and has now spread to my limbs. My legs are now coursing with thermal energy and begin to pump faster. Meanwhile, the cool air continues blowing against my face and neck and feels invigorating. Because the air is cooling my body, I am able to steadily increase my speed with little discernible effort. My thoughts are now contemplative. Concept of time has, for the most part, deserted me. I find myself 3 miles into a 4 mile run, my legs pumping and my breathing rhythmic. I feel euphoric. Almost superhuman. Outside my body. My legs are pumping faster and faster. I almost wish it wouldn't have to end, but I cruise slowly to a walk, my run complete.
Remembering the feeling of euphoria, the tightness of my abdomen and the relaxation of my entire body afterwards gives me the incentive I need to set my foot out the door.
My most recent weekend run was a little different. A 12 mile, slower paced run on a nature trail in my area. It was absolutely beautiful and I am extremely thankful to be in an area where these types of trails are being "put aside" to conserve nature.
My "Song of the Run" for this run is by Midnight Oil. Up until 3 years ago, I had only heard three albums from this band but decided to investigate their entire catalog and I am glad that I did. Their catalog is much larger than I had thought and there are so many great songs that Midnight Oil has become one of my favorites.
So, here it is:
"The hardest years, the darkest years, the roarin' years, the fallen years
These should not be forgotten years..."
Forgotten Years by Midnight Oil.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15279: Adrenaline Bravado
Hello Fellow Runners! Okay... Hello to all of you non-runners as well. I hope everyone's fall is off to a good start. We are entering the season here in KC when there will be dreary, cold and possibly rainy days. Those are the days when it can be difficult to make yourself get out there and run but they are also the days when (at least most of the time) you will feel so fulfilled afterwards.
When I'm out running, I do a lot of thinking. Sometimes there are fairly shallow thoughts, regarding my surroundings, etc. but the majority of the time, I am processing through issues and relationships in my life.
I've noticed that as I process relationship issues while I'm running, I'm very brave. I make seemingly firm decisions about confronting people in my life regarding disagreements, ways they have hurt me (or me them), feelings that I have (good and bad) and truths that I strongly believe. I say "seemingly firm" because the significance and urgency of these decisions seems to wane after a run fairly rapidly. Occasionally, I still take some action as a result of my running reflections, but most of the bravado that pushes me to aggressively confront people dwindles as the adrenaline rush subsides.
Adrenaline (or epinephrine) is produced by the body's adrenal glands to increase your heart rate which in turn, increases the mount of blood that is pumped to your muscles. This allows your muscles to get the larger amount of oxygen they need during exercise. This process is also commonly known as the "fight or flight" response.
I believe that this process not only provides the blood flow (and oxygen) that the body's muscles need for sustained exercise, but that the increased blood flow also provides clarity and a high level of aggressive, confrontational thought. My thoughts push me to set the "wrongs" to "right" and bring all of the unbalanced situations and relationships in my life back to even.
The thought process is quite liberating, even if I don't follow through with confrontation after the run is over. It's like a therapy session where you get to beat the crap out of a stuffed person that represents everyone and thing that has ever hurt you.
Still, I sometimes wonder if I need to push myself to follow through with some of the confrontations, relying on the wisdom of the clarity I experienced while running.
Other times, I think about the implications of my running thoughts and am near horrified at the perspective of carrying out the confrontations.
Whatever the case may be, I find this process interesting and, for the most part, therapeutic.
Now, on with the music!
As I said in a previous post, I'm working my way through my current top 20 bands.
My most recent "Song of the Run" is by one of my all time favorite bands called Echo & The Bunnymen. Chances are that you have heard at least one of their songs on the radio.
It was a tough song pick this week. I love so many songs by EATB but ultimately, I chose the song that has meant the most to me in the past several years. Life is made up of good times and not so good times. Maybe even horrible times. We all experience stormy weather but it won't last forever. The storm will break and the calm will return. As hard as it is, we just have to wait it out.
"Remember when we walked upon
clouds that never rained
but... every cloud must drain"
"Stormy Weather"
When I'm out running, I do a lot of thinking. Sometimes there are fairly shallow thoughts, regarding my surroundings, etc. but the majority of the time, I am processing through issues and relationships in my life.
I've noticed that as I process relationship issues while I'm running, I'm very brave. I make seemingly firm decisions about confronting people in my life regarding disagreements, ways they have hurt me (or me them), feelings that I have (good and bad) and truths that I strongly believe. I say "seemingly firm" because the significance and urgency of these decisions seems to wane after a run fairly rapidly. Occasionally, I still take some action as a result of my running reflections, but most of the bravado that pushes me to aggressively confront people dwindles as the adrenaline rush subsides.
Adrenaline (or epinephrine) is produced by the body's adrenal glands to increase your heart rate which in turn, increases the mount of blood that is pumped to your muscles. This allows your muscles to get the larger amount of oxygen they need during exercise. This process is also commonly known as the "fight or flight" response.
I believe that this process not only provides the blood flow (and oxygen) that the body's muscles need for sustained exercise, but that the increased blood flow also provides clarity and a high level of aggressive, confrontational thought. My thoughts push me to set the "wrongs" to "right" and bring all of the unbalanced situations and relationships in my life back to even.
The thought process is quite liberating, even if I don't follow through with confrontation after the run is over. It's like a therapy session where you get to beat the crap out of a stuffed person that represents everyone and thing that has ever hurt you.
Still, I sometimes wonder if I need to push myself to follow through with some of the confrontations, relying on the wisdom of the clarity I experienced while running.
Other times, I think about the implications of my running thoughts and am near horrified at the perspective of carrying out the confrontations.
Whatever the case may be, I find this process interesting and, for the most part, therapeutic.
Now, on with the music!
As I said in a previous post, I'm working my way through my current top 20 bands.
My most recent "Song of the Run" is by one of my all time favorite bands called Echo & The Bunnymen. Chances are that you have heard at least one of their songs on the radio.
It was a tough song pick this week. I love so many songs by EATB but ultimately, I chose the song that has meant the most to me in the past several years. Life is made up of good times and not so good times. Maybe even horrible times. We all experience stormy weather but it won't last forever. The storm will break and the calm will return. As hard as it is, we just have to wait it out.
"Remember when we walked upon
clouds that never rained
but... every cloud must drain"
"Stormy Weather"
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15259: Late Summer Hatchings and Arcade Fire.
Hello, Hello, Hello! I haven't posted for a while. I hope all you fellow runners have been doing Okay during these heat filled days of later summer. We're getting ready to enter fall which brings with it some fabulous running weather. It's such a relief when the temps begin to drop and the nice and cool mornings and evenings show up.
So, I haven't posted for a while. I ran into some mental overload type issues in the past month or so and I sort of shut down for a bit. I'm beginning to feel more like myself again so hopefully I'll be posting more regularly. My running has been the one activity that I have kept up over the past few weeks, even in the midst of backing away from pretty much everything else in life. I was reminded of what a blessing being able to run is and how therapeutic it is for me.
Lately, as I've been running, I've been able to experience some late summer events up close and personal. It's this time of the year, when there are mass hatchings of grasshoppers. There are huge fields next to many of my running routes, and it's a unique experience to run through hundreds of grasshoppers jumping on the sidewalk in front of me. Yes, I do end up with some of them bumping into my legs and the occasional ?lucky? hopper stuck to my legs or shorts. I know that some of you are thinking, "Yikes!" It's really hard to describe just how awesome the view is running through a multitude of grasshoppers. I actually attempted to take a video of it a couple of years ago around this time of the year but it didn't come out very clear and I never did get around to trying it again. Maybe one of these days, I'll give it another shot and if it turns out, I'll post it on this blog. Maybe... Also, I recently experienced running through a type of hatching which was new to me. At least I think it was a hatching. I was running and suddenly found myself running through thirty or forty dragonflies, which were darting back and forth all around me. There were so many that I was amazed that none of them ran into me. It was a beautiful sight that will probably stick with me for a while. Of course, there are also the late summer/early fall hatchings of snakes. It's not uncommon to see several young snakes enjoying the warmth on the edge of the sidewalk. I know that freaks some folks out, but they never bother anyone and they usually don't even move and I run by.
Okay, moving along, I haven't forgotten that I was posting a "Song of the Run" from each of my current top 20 bands. I posted songs by Bloc Party and The Killers in my last two posts. For my recent weekend run, I listened to a band called Arcade Fire and for my song of the run, I chose "Crown of Love." This is a beautifully haunting song from Arcade Fire's 2004 debut album, Funeral. I'm posting a live version because Arcade Fire is definitely something to see live. Enjoy!
So, I haven't posted for a while. I ran into some mental overload type issues in the past month or so and I sort of shut down for a bit. I'm beginning to feel more like myself again so hopefully I'll be posting more regularly. My running has been the one activity that I have kept up over the past few weeks, even in the midst of backing away from pretty much everything else in life. I was reminded of what a blessing being able to run is and how therapeutic it is for me.
Lately, as I've been running, I've been able to experience some late summer events up close and personal. It's this time of the year, when there are mass hatchings of grasshoppers. There are huge fields next to many of my running routes, and it's a unique experience to run through hundreds of grasshoppers jumping on the sidewalk in front of me. Yes, I do end up with some of them bumping into my legs and the occasional ?lucky? hopper stuck to my legs or shorts. I know that some of you are thinking, "Yikes!" It's really hard to describe just how awesome the view is running through a multitude of grasshoppers. I actually attempted to take a video of it a couple of years ago around this time of the year but it didn't come out very clear and I never did get around to trying it again. Maybe one of these days, I'll give it another shot and if it turns out, I'll post it on this blog. Maybe... Also, I recently experienced running through a type of hatching which was new to me. At least I think it was a hatching. I was running and suddenly found myself running through thirty or forty dragonflies, which were darting back and forth all around me. There were so many that I was amazed that none of them ran into me. It was a beautiful sight that will probably stick with me for a while. Of course, there are also the late summer/early fall hatchings of snakes. It's not uncommon to see several young snakes enjoying the warmth on the edge of the sidewalk. I know that freaks some folks out, but they never bother anyone and they usually don't even move and I run by.
Okay, moving along, I haven't forgotten that I was posting a "Song of the Run" from each of my current top 20 bands. I posted songs by Bloc Party and The Killers in my last two posts. For my recent weekend run, I listened to a band called Arcade Fire and for my song of the run, I chose "Crown of Love." This is a beautifully haunting song from Arcade Fire's 2004 debut album, Funeral. I'm posting a live version because Arcade Fire is definitely something to see live. Enjoy!
"If you still want me
Please forgive me
The crown of love
is not upon me."
Thursday, July 30, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15210: Assholes on Wheels and The Killers
Hello fellow runners!
Recently when I was out running, I ran by a highway exit ramp and there was a car which had just exited and stopped at the stop sign there. As usual in these situations, I attempted to make eye contact with the driver to ensure that he was aware of my presence. In this case I was successful and he nodded. I continued on in front of him and gave a little thank you waive as I passed him. A few steps later, I realized that I was thanking him for doing what he is supposed to do. That is, stopping at the actual stop sign (instead of rolling past it), being aware of what (or who) is in the road in front of him and allowing a pedestrian to cross safely. In short, I had thanked this guy for not being an asshole. During my runs over the years, there have been a surprising number of drivers who have seen me, made eye contact with me, and continued to drive towards me and it never ceases to piss me off.
Now, I can understand the failure to yield if they don't make eye contact with me. I mean, let's face it, there are a lot of people who are just not great drivers. They aren't paying close attention to the roads, it doesn't even occur to them that they should yield at crosswalks and they have this embedded belief that being in a vehicle always trumps being on foot when it comes to the street hierarchy. For this reason, if I don't make eye contact, I assume that the driver doesn't see me and I either slow way down or stop so that I don't end up getting run down by someone who isn't even aware of my presence. And in these cases, I don't even hold it against the driver.
However, when someone obviously is aware of my presence and still keeps coming, either because they feel like they shouldn't have to wait on a pedestrian or because they want to try to scare me by coming as close to me as possible without hitting me, it really gets my blood boiling. In these cases, I feel that it's more than appropriate to designate the person as an asshole. And if you are ever in a situation where you are nearly run over by a driver in a pickup truck who is supposed to yield but instead drives on ahead and blares the horn when he (let's face it, it's usually a he) is right up on you then you would likely designate that person as an asshole as well. At any rate, it struck me interesting that I actually thank people for not being assholes but I'll keep on doing it because, hey, it's nice to be reminded that the non-assholes outnumber the assholes. (At least for now).
Moving on to the "Song of the Run".
On Monday of this week, I ran with The Killers. This is one of those bands that took me a little while to begin listening to because there were a few songs on their debut release that got a lot of airplay and that's typically a turnoff for me. I admit it. I'm one of those guys that likes to discover new bands that no one else is listening to. So, I was reluctant to investigate the bad that sang, "Mr. Brightside", "Smile Like You Mean It", and "Somebody Told Me".
However, when I signed up for emusic in 2005 and a short while later The Killers Second release was available for download, I decided that it was time to check them out. And, wow, am I glad I did! The second release, Sam's Town remains one of my favorites nearly a decade later.
So, it's no wonder that my Killers "Song of the Run" is the title track from that album, "Sam's Town"
"So why do you waste my time?
Is the answer to the question on your mind
And I'm sick of all my judges
They're so scared of letting me shine
But I know that I can make it
As long as somebody takes me home
Every now and then...
Well, have you ever seen the lights?"
Until next time, PEACE!
Recently when I was out running, I ran by a highway exit ramp and there was a car which had just exited and stopped at the stop sign there. As usual in these situations, I attempted to make eye contact with the driver to ensure that he was aware of my presence. In this case I was successful and he nodded. I continued on in front of him and gave a little thank you waive as I passed him. A few steps later, I realized that I was thanking him for doing what he is supposed to do. That is, stopping at the actual stop sign (instead of rolling past it), being aware of what (or who) is in the road in front of him and allowing a pedestrian to cross safely. In short, I had thanked this guy for not being an asshole. During my runs over the years, there have been a surprising number of drivers who have seen me, made eye contact with me, and continued to drive towards me and it never ceases to piss me off.
Now, I can understand the failure to yield if they don't make eye contact with me. I mean, let's face it, there are a lot of people who are just not great drivers. They aren't paying close attention to the roads, it doesn't even occur to them that they should yield at crosswalks and they have this embedded belief that being in a vehicle always trumps being on foot when it comes to the street hierarchy. For this reason, if I don't make eye contact, I assume that the driver doesn't see me and I either slow way down or stop so that I don't end up getting run down by someone who isn't even aware of my presence. And in these cases, I don't even hold it against the driver.
However, when someone obviously is aware of my presence and still keeps coming, either because they feel like they shouldn't have to wait on a pedestrian or because they want to try to scare me by coming as close to me as possible without hitting me, it really gets my blood boiling. In these cases, I feel that it's more than appropriate to designate the person as an asshole. And if you are ever in a situation where you are nearly run over by a driver in a pickup truck who is supposed to yield but instead drives on ahead and blares the horn when he (let's face it, it's usually a he) is right up on you then you would likely designate that person as an asshole as well. At any rate, it struck me interesting that I actually thank people for not being assholes but I'll keep on doing it because, hey, it's nice to be reminded that the non-assholes outnumber the assholes. (At least for now).
Moving on to the "Song of the Run".
On Monday of this week, I ran with The Killers. This is one of those bands that took me a little while to begin listening to because there were a few songs on their debut release that got a lot of airplay and that's typically a turnoff for me. I admit it. I'm one of those guys that likes to discover new bands that no one else is listening to. So, I was reluctant to investigate the bad that sang, "Mr. Brightside", "Smile Like You Mean It", and "Somebody Told Me".
However, when I signed up for emusic in 2005 and a short while later The Killers Second release was available for download, I decided that it was time to check them out. And, wow, am I glad I did! The second release, Sam's Town remains one of my favorites nearly a decade later.
So, it's no wonder that my Killers "Song of the Run" is the title track from that album, "Sam's Town"
"So why do you waste my time?
Is the answer to the question on your mind
And I'm sick of all my judges
They're so scared of letting me shine
But I know that I can make it
As long as somebody takes me home
Every now and then...
Well, have you ever seen the lights?"
Until next time, PEACE!
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15202: Happy Birthday JJSB RunDate & Cursing The Sun
Okay, first things first. JJSB's RunDate turned 1 year old on Friday, 7/12!
Go Ahead. Wish the blog happy birthday. Well, I'm waiting...
Go Ahead. Wish the blog happy birthday. Well, I'm waiting...
Finally!
Thank you!
It's hard to believe I started this blog an entire year ago. I thank those of you who have read and/or commented. This blog has been a valuable part of inspiring me over the past 12 months. Especially when so many other events in my life were working to steal that inspiration.
Now, enough of that. Onward.
Anyone who runs in Kansas City, knows that running here during the summer months involves heat and humidity and a lot of it. The best way to deal with these less than ideal running conditions is to run early in the morning (best choice) or run late in the evening (second best choice). Also, as I've said before, hydration and slowing your pace are key to preventing your run from being relative torture or possibly even leading to heat exhaustion. For myself, I find it best to prehydrate, slow the pace way down, keep the run to 60 minutes or less and contemplate how much faster I will be when fall arrives and the temps drop down into the 50's. Since I hate getting up early to run, I choose to run in the evening, preferably after the sun has descended below the horizon. I forget about my pace, start off very slowly and insert strategic walk breaks throughout the run. Since we have had a lot (and I mean A LOT) of rain this year, there have been several days during which I head out to run when it is cloudy, only to get a mile or two into the run and have the clouds dissipate and the sun blast down mercilessly upon me. And, as we all know, when the summer sun comes out after a rain, everything is going to be exponentially more hot and sticky.
So, I was out on one of these "rainy turned to hot and sticky" runs a few weeks ago and I found myself, once again, doing something I do when I've reached a heightened point of fatigue but must continue. I begin to curse the sun in all of its heinous radiance. And when I say cursing, I mean, literally cursing the sun. I won't tell you the exact words I direct at that inanimate, fiery sphere of gas, but suffice to say, I clearly communicate my distaste using quite "colorful" language. Only, on this particular run, I started to question myself. Why am I so mad at the sun? (Besides me being crazy). Should I be mad at the sun? After all, the sun is the sun. It does what it does. And it doesn't care who it does it to. Furthermore, was the sun really doing something to me? Or was the sun actually doing something for me? (Yeah, I know. I get into some pretty odd train of thoughts, especially when I'm running). It occurred to me that, rather than cursing the sun, I should be praising it. The sun was making me stronger. The sun was conditioning me to have more endurance. The sun was reminding me of that old Nietzscheism, "what does not kill me, makes me stronger."
Once again, as with many things in life, perspective is everything. When we are confronted with circumstances that are less (sometimes FAR less) than ideal, it's important to be able to slow down our racing minds and reflect on the situation. Sometimes, it's hard to see the potential positives that can come from pain, discomfort, sadness or loss. I'm definitely not going to sit here and say that it's as simple as processing things mentally and everything will become clear in every situation. But I do think that we often react quite reflexively to things we don't like without even considering what we might be gaining. So, the next time that you find yourself facing difficult circumstances, try to stop and spend some time reflecting. Maybe there are some positives.
As I mentioned in my previous post, for the next 20 posts, I'll be listing a "Song of the Run" for my current 20 favorite bands. And I'm not just grabbing songs out of the air for this, lest anyone think I'm "cheating". When I head out to a run, I pick one of my favorites, put their entire library on shuffle and pick the "Song of the Run" from what I hear. The bands are in no particular order of likedom. Just what I am in the mood for when I step out the door.
So, on my most recent run, I chose a band that I discovered a decade ago when I signed up for "emusic" which is an online music subscription store. Although I only kept the subscription for a few months, I discovered, and caught up on, a lot of bands I still love today.
One of the first albums that I downloaded was Silent Alarm by Bloc Party and I was blown away. Do you have those bands you listen to and you love every song? Well, Bloc Party is one of those for me.
So, here is the most recent "Song of the Run," from Bloc Party's most latest release Four:
"It was the truth
That fell from these lips
It blinded us
And then the darkness left"
So, on my most recent run, I chose a band that I discovered a decade ago when I signed up for "emusic" which is an online music subscription store. Although I only kept the subscription for a few months, I discovered, and caught up on, a lot of bands I still love today.
One of the first albums that I downloaded was Silent Alarm by Bloc Party and I was blown away. Do you have those bands you listen to and you love every song? Well, Bloc Party is one of those for me.
So, here is the most recent "Song of the Run," from Bloc Party's most latest release Four:
"It was the truth
That fell from these lips
It blinded us
And then the darkness left"
Monday, July 6, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15187: Compelling Myself Back to Blogdom
Wow! It's been over a month since I last posted on this blog. I'm a little disappointed in myself as one of the private resolutions I made for myself this year was to post at least once a week on one of my blogs. I was doing a reasonably good job until this past month, and this blog is one of the reasons. It is by far the most comfortable of my blogs for me to post on at this time in my life. Still, I feel like I need a fresh incentive to keep me regularly posting. You know, a reason to kick my son off of my laptop, plop down and embark on a solo finger pecking mission.
With that in mind, I plan to start a new series of dual posts in which I will be making some observations on running that illustrate and/or commentate on life and also listing my "Song of the Run" for each of the top 20 bands I'm currently listening to. That's right, this series will carry on for 20 blog posts! That could be 20 weeks but I'm kind of starting to feel "it" so I will likely end up posting twice a week. Just imagine! 10 - 20 weeks of insightful running blog posts from JJSB! Is your mouth watering yet? Yes? Well, If so, I think that you may need help.
At any rate, hopefully this will give me the impetus I need to carry all of the thoughts and insights from my brain to the page. And hey, after you are released from the inpatient psychiatric care that you so desperately need for being so mouth watering excited about my upcoming blog posts, check back in and see what's going on. Just keep your salivary glands in check and we should all be Okay.
Once again, thanks to all of you who follow this. It means a lot to me just to be heard (read).
With that in mind, I plan to start a new series of dual posts in which I will be making some observations on running that illustrate and/or commentate on life and also listing my "Song of the Run" for each of the top 20 bands I'm currently listening to. That's right, this series will carry on for 20 blog posts! That could be 20 weeks but I'm kind of starting to feel "it" so I will likely end up posting twice a week. Just imagine! 10 - 20 weeks of insightful running blog posts from JJSB! Is your mouth watering yet? Yes? Well, If so, I think that you may need help.
At any rate, hopefully this will give me the impetus I need to carry all of the thoughts and insights from my brain to the page. And hey, after you are released from the inpatient psychiatric care that you so desperately need for being so mouth watering excited about my upcoming blog posts, check back in and see what's going on. Just keep your salivary glands in check and we should all be Okay.
Once again, thanks to all of you who follow this. It means a lot to me just to be heard (read).
Monday, May 25, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15145: Week 12: It's over... NOW WHAT?!?
Well, I completed the 12th week of my half marathon training plan which means that I completed my unofficial half marathon. All this and I only missed one day of training which I made up for the next day so I really didn't miss any of the training runs. I was considering doing the official marathon right up until the night before but ultimately, I just didn't want to spend the money or get up early and run with a bunch of other people. Instead, I ran on a nice trail nearby which I've run on a few times before called Line Creek Trail: Line Creek Trail I knew that the trail had been extended last year, but didn't look into how far it now goes so I just stuck to the northernmost 5 miles and then incorporated some of the surrounding areas into the run and doubled back on part of the trail to get the full 13.1 miles in.
The temps were a bit warm (upper 70's) and the timing of the clouds vs. sun didn't work out to well in my favor, but I still enjoyed the run and was satisfied for the most part. I ran what I would consider to be a slow half marathon with a final average pace of 10:25 min/mile. I was pacing pretty well until around mile 9-10 in which I cam out of the wooded cover and into the blaring sun. There had been some nice cloud cover earlier and a bit of rain sprinklings, but that lasted only a few miles while I was in the shady, wooded area and when I came out into the open, the sun burst out in full force. It was also about this point that I had a steep uphill mile and a half or so and this leg sort of wiped me out. It was mostly the heat that just took it out of me. Still, it wasn't a bad pace for the heat that I was running in. I decided at around the 9-10 mile range that if I made it below 10:30 min/mile, I would be satisfied so I was. This also included a stop or two to avoid and/or take photos of snakes so, all in all, it was a nice finish to the training.
The temps were a bit warm (upper 70's) and the timing of the clouds vs. sun didn't work out to well in my favor, but I still enjoyed the run and was satisfied for the most part. I ran what I would consider to be a slow half marathon with a final average pace of 10:25 min/mile. I was pacing pretty well until around mile 9-10 in which I cam out of the wooded cover and into the blaring sun. There had been some nice cloud cover earlier and a bit of rain sprinklings, but that lasted only a few miles while I was in the shady, wooded area and when I came out into the open, the sun burst out in full force. It was also about this point that I had a steep uphill mile and a half or so and this leg sort of wiped me out. It was mostly the heat that just took it out of me. Still, it wasn't a bad pace for the heat that I was running in. I decided at around the 9-10 mile range that if I made it below 10:30 min/mile, I would be satisfied so I was. This also included a stop or two to avoid and/or take photos of snakes so, all in all, it was a nice finish to the training.
So, what's next? I don't know. I have so many projects to take care of at home, I'm thinking that maybe tapering back on my running distances may be a good plan. I have made one training decision which is to run with my wife once a week.
This will be a good for at least a few reasons:
- It gives us a chance to talk. And the talks are in relative privacy. That means away from the ever prying ears of children. Okay, it's mostly me talking but still...
- It gives us a chance just to be with each other out in nature which we both love.
- It gives us an opportunity to support each other in doing something we both enjoy.
- It strengthens our sense of unity.
So, that's the once per week plan.
But, what about the plan for the rest of the week?
I think maybe I'll work my way back up to a 10 mile run and then run the full Line Creek trail which I believe is currently 8-9 miles long. My plan is to have my wife drop me at the southernmost trail head and run back north. Sound like a good summer training/running plan? I think so.
Unfortunately, right now, at this very moment, no running sounds like a good plan. I tweaked my lower back (stupid story) in the last couple of days and I am giving it a couple of days to heal up a bit. I was also already having a few lower back issues in the past couple of months that I think is attributable to my running shoes so I'm looking into getting some new shoes that will help with that. We shall see.
So, you all know that the only thing left now is the... "Song of the Run" for that last 13.1 mile run in this training plan.
The song of the run comes from one of my current top 5 bands: Kashmir
This particular song is called "The Cynic" and features none other than Mr. David Bowie. So it has to be awesome!
"Play with me, play with me.
Don't tell me how it feels.
Don't let it be for real.
Don't tell me how you feel."
"The Cynic" by Kashmir
Sunday, May 10, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15130: Weeks 10 & 11, When The Heat is On... SLOW the pace.
Since my last post, I have completed the 10th and 11th weeks of my 12 week half marathon training plan so I'll quickly recap those. The runs throughout the work week have gone quite well. I'm getting faster on the short runs without feeling like I'm having to push myself too much so that's a great feeling. I'm having no trouble keeping up with the pace runs. I did have to force myself out a couple of times this past week because I just didn't feel like going but once I was out there, it was worth it and I was glad. As usual. The long Saturday runs have become a little more difficult. It's beginning to get warmer outside, and when running long, the temperatures really play into things. But, I did a pretty good job of just pacing myself a little slower and just concentrating on completing the distance. I also had to keep in mind that I cleaned, scrubbed and pressure washed most of my deck prior to running this Saturday, so I had already expended quite a bit of energy before I even got out there.
So, this is my last week of the training plan. There is a half marathon right down the highway from me that takes place next Saturday, May 16th. I had started this plan with that being the target, but I've said throughout this training, that I may or may not do an official half marathon. I'm just not really big on official races. That's not the reason that I run and focusing on that sometimes can take away from my enjoyment of running. On top of that, my finances are finite, to say the least, and I can always think of so many things that I'd rather do with the money than pay to run in a race with a bunch of other people. I know that I'm in the minority among runners on this one but here I am. So, unless I get a wild hair this week, I'm fairly certain that I won't be plopping down the $75 to register. I'd rather use that money to go out to eat with my wife, or take my family to the movies, etc. etc. So, my plan right now is to get up early next Saturday morning while it's still cool and run, yet another, unofficial half marathon.
So, as I've blogged throughout this training over the past 12 weeks, I've written about some of the things I've learned or experienced since started running. Some have been insights. Some have been tips. Today, I want to talk about a tip for novice runners. This is one that I still have to remind myself of regularly because it's easy to forget.
When the temperature increases and your on a long run, your pace will be slower. Now, I'm sure that there are a few elite runners out there who don't lose a step when the temps rise but for the majority of us, this is not the case. Remember, the human body is a complex machine and just like any machine, if it gets too hot, problems arise. Of course, hydration is important, but even staying hydrated can't completely make up for the energy deficit created when running at higher temps.
Trust me: As an afternoon/evening runner, I've had a lot of experience running in elevated temperatures. I've even done a couple of extended runs on sunny, humid days in temperatures above 90°F and it can totally ZAP your energy. It goes something like this: You start off your run feeling really great because it's nice and warm and your muscles are feeling loose and so you cruise right along at your normal pace, thinking that running in the heat isn't so bad after all. Cut to 3-5 miles into the run and all of a sudden, your energy is plummeting and you're cursing the sun and it's thermal rays. (By the way, don't run in 90°F+ temperatures if you can help it and certainly don't run a long run in those kind of temps).
Even the professional runners will tell you that you need to lower your pace when the temps are higher. Jeff Galloway, an Olympic runner and the author of a book on running, says that the best temps to run in are below 60°F and I agree. That may sound cool to some of you, but after you get moving, those temps will feel wonderful to your body and you'll be able to maintain the energy you need to whittle down that pace throughout the run. If you will be running at temps above 60°F, then Jeff suggest the following: "When the temperature rises above 60°F, runners slow down by 30 seconds a mile for every 5 degrees above 60°F." So, that means that if your running out in 75°F temps, then you should plan on running 90 seconds slower per mile than your normal pace. For me, this is one of the hardest things to remember and force myself to do when I'm running. It's just so hard, because you don't feel the fatigue when you begin. You really have to mentally force yourself to slow the pace at the beginning. The good news is that when you slow the pace, several miles into the run, you will feel like you have a lot of energy to finish the distance.
Okay, so that's it for this post. Except, of course, the "Song of the Run"
This is an oft overlooked band called Remy Zero. Many know of them only from their song "Save Me" which is the theme song from the TV show Smallville.
While, "Save Me" is a fine song, it's nowhere near as amazing as the rest of their music in my humble opinion.
My "Song of the Run" is a track by them called, "Prophecy" and was featured in a few movies/TV shows in the 90's so it may even sound familiar. Enjoy!
"Look into the sun and see your soul is dying
Used to feel the faith but now you're tired of trying
Should have left alone what you have stolen from everyone
How are you feeling?
Seems a little sick to me now."
"Prophecy" by Remy Zero
So, this is my last week of the training plan. There is a half marathon right down the highway from me that takes place next Saturday, May 16th. I had started this plan with that being the target, but I've said throughout this training, that I may or may not do an official half marathon. I'm just not really big on official races. That's not the reason that I run and focusing on that sometimes can take away from my enjoyment of running. On top of that, my finances are finite, to say the least, and I can always think of so many things that I'd rather do with the money than pay to run in a race with a bunch of other people. I know that I'm in the minority among runners on this one but here I am. So, unless I get a wild hair this week, I'm fairly certain that I won't be plopping down the $75 to register. I'd rather use that money to go out to eat with my wife, or take my family to the movies, etc. etc. So, my plan right now is to get up early next Saturday morning while it's still cool and run, yet another, unofficial half marathon.
So, as I've blogged throughout this training over the past 12 weeks, I've written about some of the things I've learned or experienced since started running. Some have been insights. Some have been tips. Today, I want to talk about a tip for novice runners. This is one that I still have to remind myself of regularly because it's easy to forget.
When the temperature increases and your on a long run, your pace will be slower. Now, I'm sure that there are a few elite runners out there who don't lose a step when the temps rise but for the majority of us, this is not the case. Remember, the human body is a complex machine and just like any machine, if it gets too hot, problems arise. Of course, hydration is important, but even staying hydrated can't completely make up for the energy deficit created when running at higher temps.
Trust me: As an afternoon/evening runner, I've had a lot of experience running in elevated temperatures. I've even done a couple of extended runs on sunny, humid days in temperatures above 90°F and it can totally ZAP your energy. It goes something like this: You start off your run feeling really great because it's nice and warm and your muscles are feeling loose and so you cruise right along at your normal pace, thinking that running in the heat isn't so bad after all. Cut to 3-5 miles into the run and all of a sudden, your energy is plummeting and you're cursing the sun and it's thermal rays. (By the way, don't run in 90°F+ temperatures if you can help it and certainly don't run a long run in those kind of temps).
Even the professional runners will tell you that you need to lower your pace when the temps are higher. Jeff Galloway, an Olympic runner and the author of a book on running, says that the best temps to run in are below 60°F and I agree. That may sound cool to some of you, but after you get moving, those temps will feel wonderful to your body and you'll be able to maintain the energy you need to whittle down that pace throughout the run. If you will be running at temps above 60°F, then Jeff suggest the following: "When the temperature rises above 60°F, runners slow down by 30 seconds a mile for every 5 degrees above 60°F." So, that means that if your running out in 75°F temps, then you should plan on running 90 seconds slower per mile than your normal pace. For me, this is one of the hardest things to remember and force myself to do when I'm running. It's just so hard, because you don't feel the fatigue when you begin. You really have to mentally force yourself to slow the pace at the beginning. The good news is that when you slow the pace, several miles into the run, you will feel like you have a lot of energy to finish the distance.
Okay, so that's it for this post. Except, of course, the "Song of the Run"
This is an oft overlooked band called Remy Zero. Many know of them only from their song "Save Me" which is the theme song from the TV show Smallville.
While, "Save Me" is a fine song, it's nowhere near as amazing as the rest of their music in my humble opinion.
My "Song of the Run" is a track by them called, "Prophecy" and was featured in a few movies/TV shows in the 90's so it may even sound familiar. Enjoy!
"Look into the sun and see your soul is dying
Used to feel the faith but now you're tired of trying
Should have left alone what you have stolen from everyone
How are you feeling?
Seems a little sick to me now."
"Prophecy" by Remy Zero
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15117: Weeks 8 & 9, Steady Improvement and Counter Intuitiveness
The days slipped away from me a little bit and so I missed a week of posting. So, here I'm recapping weeks 8 & 9.
If you've read my last couple of posts, then you know that I was in somewhat of an extended runnner's slump, culminating with a horrible (at least horrible feeling) 9 mile run. Luckily, after my Sunday & Monday break between runs, things began to get better. I had a 3 mile Tuesday run (4/14) which felt decent and then I had a 5 mile pace run the next day which went very well. I was a little worried about it but I just got out there and started off at a fairly quick pace and had no problems. I was very encouraged because I didn't have to force myself to get out and get started. That feeling of having to force myself was getting pretty old. The week then ended with a Saturday (4/18) long run of 10 miles and it was much easier that the previous Saturday 9 mile run. It was just what I needed. I ran the first half or so in fairly steady rainfall, but I really don't mind the rain like some people do. I commented to my wife afterwards that I can't remember ever having a bad run while running in the rain. It always keeps your body nice and cool so you don't get overheated. It's also very surreal running in the rain. Your senses are telling you that your not supposed to be out running in the rain so it feels a little like you're living an adventure.
Week 9 continued much the same. The weather was nice and cool and I didn't feel like I was forcing myself to get out and run. This week was a step back week, which means that the long run mileage was lower than the previous two weeks. The Saturday (4/25) long run was a 10k distance and I made pretty good time without feeling like I was pushing myself. My pace was 8:41 per mile and afterwards, I looked back through all of my runs and this is a personal record for me for the 10k distance. This is very encouraging as I always run a somewhat hilly course and I could have done it faster if I had paced it a bit better and pushed a little harder. Still, I'm very happy with it as it shows that I'm continuing to steadily lower my average pace per mile. You can see from my mile splits that I ran the 6th mile at a pace below 8min/mile and this is what I want to see: Starting out at a pace and then gradually increasing throughout the run.
So, as I come down to the final few weeks of this training plan, I wanted to talk about the counter intuitiveness of long distance running. Natural thinking tells you that if you want to run a race with the fastest time possible, that you will run as fast and as hard as you can at the beginning. This is common sense thinking as you don't want to "waste" time and energy at the beginning of a race and then not be able to catch up.
But, in reality, it's important to begin more slowly than you intend to finish. It doesn't make sense to the mind that if you start out at a slower pace, you will end up finishing sooner than if you start out at a faster pace. For some reason, when you start out at a slower pace and then slowly increase your speed over the miles, you will end up finishing more quickly because you will have more energy reserves at the end of the race. Most of the time, the pace increase will come naturally. Your body will feel like it's going the same pace, yet it will be gradually moving faster. I'm sure there are clear scientific explanations why this is the case if you care to research the subject. As for me, I love counter intuitive things like this so I choose not to put too much thought into the whys and hows and just accept it. Remember, start at a fairly slow, comfortable pace and you will get faster over the course of the run,
Ok, time for the "Song of the Run"
Way back in 1992 this album came out and I remember it distinctly because I had just graduated from college and was looking for a job. I remember driving around in my care, listening to a cassette that I recorded from the CD. There were no CD players in cars in those days. At any rate, I remember the first time I put this CD into the player and the first song came on. I still love it to this day. Enjoy!
"Someone finally told me
That you'd wasted eight of your nine lives
Oh, give yourself a break before you break down
You're gonna need someone on your side
And here I am, and here I am
Well, you don't need to look so pleased."
Morrissey "You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side"
Friday, April 17, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15107: Week 7: The Slump Continues and More Running = Less Sickness
Well, If you read last week's post, then you know I was in a runner's slump. That was week 7 of my training plan and the long run for that week was a 9 mile run last Saturday. Well, it was pretty miserable. I didn't feel good at all that week and it seemed to be the worst on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I didn't feel horribly sick or anything. Just a little off. I'm not sure if it was allergies or what, but I was extremely nauseous for most of that 9 mile run. I ended up averaging 10:00 minutes/mile which is about 30 seconds more than I had wanted. And, I was just totally spent after I finished. Some of it might have had to do with the slightly warmer temps but it wasn't warm enough for it to have made that much of a difference. It was one of the worst running experiences that I've ever had and I've had several pretty bad ones. Afterwards, I was so disappointed that I was nearly ready to quit running. At least for a while. I was so discouraged. I also spent my entire Sunday not feeling quite right. I'm not sure what's going on but I hope it lifts soon. Maybe I have some type of little virus or something.
Through all this (and still) the main thing that has kept me going is that I have been posting every week throughout this training and thinking about how it would look to the few people who read this blog if I quit now. How would it affect the people who are encouraged and motivated by what I'm doing. I can't let myself down or all of you who are watching. This is good, because this is one of the reasons that I do this blog. So, thank you to those of you who follow this blog or even check in every so often and show your support. I truly appreciate it.
One of the things that I've thought about while going through this past weekend and not feeling very well, is the health benefits that I've gained while running. I realize that this varies greatly from person to person, so I know that my experience won't be guaranteed for anyone else, but I have definitely had better overall health since I started running regularly. I rarely get colds or the flu and when I do, it's usually a milder version (at least symptom wise) than I see those around me experiencing. I'm not sure why this is. Maybe something to do with better circulation, breathing capacity, etc.??? Like I said, I'm not sure why, but the difference has been quite noticeable. Another benefit has been with allergies. My allergy symptoms have been greatly reduced while I've been running. I see the noticeable effects of running on the clarity of my breathing. Running helps clear the sinuses so I don't experience nearly the amount of congestion that I used to.
Anyway, better overall health is another benefit I've found from running.
Okay, so it's time for the "Song of the Run"
This is my favorite band over the past decade. I love every single one of their songs.
"We've got crosses on our eyes
Been walking into the walls again
We've got crosses on our eyes
Been walking into the furniture
We've got crosses on our eyes
For richer, for poorer, for better, for worse
We've got crosses on our eyes
We've been walking into the furniture"
"Eating Glass" by Bloc Party
Through all this (and still) the main thing that has kept me going is that I have been posting every week throughout this training and thinking about how it would look to the few people who read this blog if I quit now. How would it affect the people who are encouraged and motivated by what I'm doing. I can't let myself down or all of you who are watching. This is good, because this is one of the reasons that I do this blog. So, thank you to those of you who follow this blog or even check in every so often and show your support. I truly appreciate it.
One of the things that I've thought about while going through this past weekend and not feeling very well, is the health benefits that I've gained while running. I realize that this varies greatly from person to person, so I know that my experience won't be guaranteed for anyone else, but I have definitely had better overall health since I started running regularly. I rarely get colds or the flu and when I do, it's usually a milder version (at least symptom wise) than I see those around me experiencing. I'm not sure why this is. Maybe something to do with better circulation, breathing capacity, etc.??? Like I said, I'm not sure why, but the difference has been quite noticeable. Another benefit has been with allergies. My allergy symptoms have been greatly reduced while I've been running. I see the noticeable effects of running on the clarity of my breathing. Running helps clear the sinuses so I don't experience nearly the amount of congestion that I used to.
Anyway, better overall health is another benefit I've found from running.
Okay, so it's time for the "Song of the Run"
This is my favorite band over the past decade. I love every single one of their songs.
"We've got crosses on our eyes
Been walking into the walls again
We've got crosses on our eyes
Been walking into the furniture
We've got crosses on our eyes
For richer, for poorer, for better, for worse
We've got crosses on our eyes
We've been walking into the furniture"
"Eating Glass" by Bloc Party
Saturday, April 11, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15099: Training Week 6, The slumps will come...
So, I'm currently in the 7th week of this training plan which means that I've completed 6 weeks and am half way through. The past week and a half has been a bit rough as I have been uninspired about pretty much everything in life, including running. In most of the training plans that I follow, there are "step back" weeks, in which the mileage for the long run is decreased from the previous few weeks. This past week was a major step back week. The long run was only 3.1 miles (5k) and I looked forward to it throughout the week, expecting to blow it away. But when I got to Saturday, I was feeling so blah and lacking so much energy that I had to force myself just to get out to run. My time wasn't horrible by any means (average pace of 8:49 min/mile) but I have done much faster and it was just a let down overall. I've done two runs since then and they have both been total chores. I almost didn't even do the Thursday night 5 mile run because I just wasn't feeling it at all.
At any rate, hopefully the rest of the week will be better, culminating with a satisfying 9 mile run this coming Saturday.
At any rate, hopefully the rest of the week will be better, culminating with a satisfying 9 mile run this coming Saturday.
If you've followed this blog recently, then you know I've been posting regarding how I got started running and things I've learned throughout the years. This week, appropriately, I wanted to talk about the running slumps that can and will come to every runner. There are so many things that can cause them: Lack of quality sleep, poor nutrition/hydration, changes in outside temperatures, allergy issues, other activities that compete for time and energy, etc. The important thing to know is that they will come. They will. I know that it's important in long distance running to keep going no matter what. That's a lot of what it comes down to. And when you are in a slump, this axiom is more important than ever to remember.
But, although you have to stick with it and keep going, you don't have to do it in the same way. If you are feeling sluggish, the most important thing is to get out there and start. Starting is always the hardest part. And once you get out there and start, if you still feel the energy depleting slump just owning you, then don't be afraid (or to proud) to slow it down a little. It's okay to have off days, or even a string of them, in which you slow your pace considerably. The important thing is to complete the run. I't even okay to take walk breaks if you feel like you need one. Surprisingly, walk breaks sometimes actually improve your overall pace for the run. Especially on long runs.
So, I guess what I'm saying is that you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. You will go through valleys and peaks just like with anything else in life. Sure, sometimes you have to push yourself a little when you're feeling sluggish, but don't become to obsessed about making a certain pace or failing to do so. Just persevere and you will eventually (probably sooner rather than later) leave that slump behind.
So, that's it for this entry.
Well, except of course, for the "Song of the Run".
One of my favorite bands of the past decade is Arcade Fire and in 2010, they released a spectacular album called The Suburbs. There are a bunch of great songs on this one so I encourage you to check it out when you get a chance.
For now, here is "Empty Room"
"When I'm by myself
I can be myself
When my life is calm
But I don't know when"
"Empty Room" Arcade Fire
Thursday, April 2, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15090: Training Week 5, Solitude & Persevering Through Pain
So, during this 12 week training program, I've been reviewing how I got started running and what I've learned through the past few years. There were a number of things that occurred to me to write about this week, but I decided on a couple.
First, I wanted to talk a little about the solitude of long distance running. I guess there are people who run with other folks, but for me, it's a very meditative and solitudinous activity. Sometime around or after my first 10 mile run, I began to really feel the meditative power of running. It's like entering an altered state where your mind and body are completely in "the now" but it also feels as though you have entered into another dimension, away from all the trouble and baggage of life. At least that's what it feels like to me. This has become one of the main reasons that I continue to run.
Second, something else occurred to me as I was running this past week. The thought was a result of my current general state of mind. I have not been very happy. I have wanted to be. I'm trying to be. But it just is not so right now. (That's another longer story, the details of which belong in other blogs). So, while I was running, I was thinking back to a time when I got my first pair of decent running shoes. I had been running in some New Balance cross training shoes which were fine, but had been around for a while. So, I went to the Running Well Store and did the whole running on the treadmill routine to check my gate. I ended up getting some Brooks Adrenaline and wore them a few days to break them in. I then went on a 12 mile run in them which was a bit long for a first run in a new pair of shoes. About 2 miles in, I began to feel like something was in my shoe, poking the inside of my left foot. It felt like a little sharp piece of wood. I continued to run. The sharp, poking pain continued to grow. I continued to run. Eventually, the pain increased to the point during which I felt it pretty intensely with each step. Still, I ran. After I finished, I checked inside my shoe and found a huge blister on the side of my left foot. It was about the size of a half dollar.
This was my first experience with something that I would encounter many times in my future running: Running through the pain. Persevering until the journey is complete. As I thought about this on one of my recent runs, it reminded me of how life is sometimes like that and running is a lesson. Sometimes there is hurt. A deep wound. Pain. But, you have to keep on running. You have to keep on persevering; Stubbornly refusing to give up or give in to the pain and let it dictate when you end your journey. That's one of the things that I think about during difficult periods of my life: I can make it through. If I can run through the pain and just somehow keep going, I can make it through the pain the comes in life. I can somehow keep going.
And, on that uplifting note (sarcasm, Sheldon) that's it for this entry.
Oh, don't worry, I didn't forget the "Song of the Run"
For some reason, out of the thousands of songs on my phone, this one has come on a few times lately during runs. It's by Longwave which is really a find band, although a bit "produced" and "poppy" compared to the music that I typically like. They just have a lot of songs that I enjoy. Very well written songs that hit those melancholy heart strings. They remind a little of Death Cab For Cutie but a little more "rocky". At any rate...
I'm posting the album version and a beautiful little in studio acoustic version which I came across. You're choice. :)
"Sirens in the Deep Sea" - by Longwave:
"I've been trying to reach you, oh
I've been trying to get through, oh
It's so hard to let you know
I've been trying, yes it's true, oh"
Album version
In studio acoustic version with ukulele!
Monday, March 23, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15080: Training Weeks 3 & 4 & My first 7 miler
Well, I've gotten a bit behind on this blog. I intended to blog once every week during this 12 week training plan but with everything else, just fell behind a bit. Still, I'm pretty please with myself as I've kept up with the blog pretty well so far this year. At any rate, I'm taking advantage of this post to catch up so to speak as I just finished week 4 of the training plan.
Week #3 went well with some quite decent weather for this time of the year. My long run for that week was a 6 miler and I was quite satisfied as my pace was 9:37/minute. Still, I didn't pace the entire run quite as well as I would have liked. I can feel myself constantly improving in strength and endurance and that's a great feeling.
Week #4 started out OK with a fairly warm Tuesday 3 mile run but then our temps dropped and I had to bundle up for the Thursday and Friday runs. Thursday was a 4 mile pace run which means that you run at the pace that you intend to run the race in. I'm targeting somewhere between 8:45 - 9:00 minutes/mile. I actually ran my 5 mile long run on Saturday 3/7 at a faster pace than I intended to. It's a little more difficult to hold back on the pace as I still have a difficult time considering a 5 mile run as a long run. Still, I think my pace was in line with the plan to run 30 to 90 seconds/mile slower than my race pace goal. My 4 mile was around 9:30 min/mile and my race pace goal is between 8:45-9:00 min/mile. I ran Wednesday's pace run at 9:00 min/mile which is on the high end so I wasn't terribly happy about it but I ran a bit faster at the beginning, I think because it was cold, dreary and rainy and I just wanted to get it over with so that probably slowed me a bit in the second half of the run. Still, not so bad. Today's long run was a 7 miler and it was great weather to run in. Somewhere near 70 degrees and a nice breeze. I'm supposed to target 30 - 90 seconds per mile over the pace that I plan to run in the race and my 7 mile run today was at 9:00 min/mile and I paced it very well so I was extremely happy with it.
In other running news, my heel pain was virtually gone this week and definitely did not show up at all on my long run today so the Brooks Adrenaline are doing the trick. I think that they are forcing me to land more on the forefoot and that is what is helping. Plus, there is just so much spring to these shoes. But that's a subject for a separate post.
Week #3 went well with some quite decent weather for this time of the year. My long run for that week was a 6 miler and I was quite satisfied as my pace was 9:37/minute. Still, I didn't pace the entire run quite as well as I would have liked. I can feel myself constantly improving in strength and endurance and that's a great feeling.
Week #4 started out OK with a fairly warm Tuesday 3 mile run but then our temps dropped and I had to bundle up for the Thursday and Friday runs. Thursday was a 4 mile pace run which means that you run at the pace that you intend to run the race in. I'm targeting somewhere between 8:45 - 9:00 minutes/mile. I actually ran my 5 mile long run on Saturday 3/7 at a faster pace than I intended to. It's a little more difficult to hold back on the pace as I still have a difficult time considering a 5 mile run as a long run. Still, I think my pace was in line with the plan to run 30 to 90 seconds/mile slower than my race pace goal. My 4 mile was around 9:30 min/mile and my race pace goal is between 8:45-9:00 min/mile. I ran Wednesday's pace run at 9:00 min/mile which is on the high end so I wasn't terribly happy about it but I ran a bit faster at the beginning, I think because it was cold, dreary and rainy and I just wanted to get it over with so that probably slowed me a bit in the second half of the run. Still, not so bad. Today's long run was a 7 miler and it was great weather to run in. Somewhere near 70 degrees and a nice breeze. I'm supposed to target 30 - 90 seconds per mile over the pace that I plan to run in the race and my 7 mile run today was at 9:00 min/mile and I paced it very well so I was extremely happy with it.
In other running news, my heel pain was virtually gone this week and definitely did not show up at all on my long run today so the Brooks Adrenaline are doing the trick. I think that they are forcing me to land more on the forefoot and that is what is helping. Plus, there is just so much spring to these shoes. But that's a subject for a separate post.
Now, to continue with a review of how I got started running and what I've learned through the past few years. In the last blog post, I talked about the importance of just getting started. Once you get started, no matter how slow you start, stay consistent and the improvement will be rapid.
In this post, I want to talk about hitting mental milestones and how it bolsters not only your running confidence but also your confidence about life in general.
During my marathon training in the summer of 2012, I remember looking at some of the distances on the training schedule and thinking, "That's crazy. I can't even imagine running that far." When you've never done that before, it's kind of in the back of your mind that maybe it's not even really possible. You think, "Sure, many other people have done it, but can I really do it? The long distances seem so monumental when you haven't been there before. I had run off an on (mostly off) over the previous 20 years but it had been since 1996 that I had run any distance longer than 2 miles. I had run between 5 & 6 milers back then but the memory of that experience seemed almost unreal to me 17 years later in 2012.
So, on June 30, 2012, I was somewhat nervous about the 7 mile run that was on the training schedule for that day. This would be the longest distance that I had ever run in a single outing. Nevertheless, I got out there, went slow, and completed 7.31 miles that day. I remember being so elated that I had run 7 miles. I had a huge feeling of accomplishment and felt like if I could do this thing that had seemed virtually impossible to me, then I could do so many other things in life that had previously seemed far beyond my capabilities. That's part of what long distance running does for you: It teaches you that you are capable of far more than you ever thought you were. I can't overstate how greatly this affected my outlook on the other endeavors in my life. I mean, that's what a lot of life is about, right? Just putting one foot in front of the other. Repeat, repeat, repeat, etc. Just focusing on one step at a time and believing that you can make it.
After that first 7 miler, every time I hit another mental milestone, it bolstered my confidence a little bit more. 10 miles. 12 miles. Half marathon (13.1 miles), 15 miles. 20 miles! Etc. It definitely psychologically changed my outlook on life.
Okay, so that's it for this entry.
Except for the "Song of the Run"
My phone has "chosen" a lot of slow tempo songs lately while I'm running so there were a lot of slower songs on Saturday's 7 mile run.
Here is one that I hadn't heard in a while but love:
"Paranoid Android" by Radiohead:
More to come next week in my Training Week 5 entry.
Peace My Fellow Runners!
Thursday, March 12, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15071: Training Week 2 & My Running Journey Continued
Week #2 of the 12 week half-marathon plan is now complete. Actually, it was complete several days ago but I've been busy with so many other things that I haven't gotten a chance to blog it out until now. All this running is getting me back to my former running shape fairly quickly. I actually ran my 5 mile long run on Saturday 3/7 at a faster pace than I intended to. It's a little more difficult to hold back on the pace as I still have a difficult time considering a 5 mile run as a long run. Still, I think my pace was in line with the plan to run 30 to 90 seconds/mile slower than my race pace goal. My 4 mile was around 9:30/minute and my race pace goal is between 8:45-9:00/minute.
In other running training news, my right heel which I had so much trouble with after picking the wrong new running shoes is doing much better now. I switched back to the Brooks Adrenaline which is the shoe I used the year that I first started seriously running and those that I ran the 2012 marathon in. They have reduced my heel pain to the point where it's barely present and will probably soon disappear entirely.
In other running training news, my right heel which I had so much trouble with after picking the wrong new running shoes is doing much better now. I switched back to the Brooks Adrenaline which is the shoe I used the year that I first started seriously running and those that I ran the 2012 marathon in. They have reduced my heel pain to the point where it's barely present and will probably soon disappear entirely.
Now, to continue with a review of how I got started running and what I've learned through the past few years. In the last blog post, I talked about how I started by using the Myfitnesspal app to lose some weight in the late winter/spring of 2011/2012. After I had dropped nearly 30 Lbs over the course of a few month, I just kept using MFP and kind of stabilized around 155 Lbs and started thinking about what was next.
One of my friends had begun a long distance running plan and I began to think about becoming a runner myself. In June 2012, I decided to join my friend and train to run the 2012 KC Marathon. I would basically be going from no running to running 26.2 miles in a period of approximately 4 1/2 months. Looking back, I'm still kind of surprised that I actually achieved this goal. At any rate, on June 5, 2012, I went on my first run which turned out to be a 2.12 mile run at a paced of 13:29 min/mile. I just ran at a "comfortable" pace and if I got to winded, I took a walk break. I remember feeling very slow. VERY SLOW! But guess what? My next run was the very next day and I ran for 2.41 miles at a pace of 12:08 min/mile. A vast improvement in only one day. One short week and only three runs after that first one and I was running 2.5 miles at a pace of 10:50 min/mile.
All this to say that if you just get started, start slow and stay consistent, the improvement will be rapid. You'll probably be surprised how quickly you improve, especially at the beginning. A pace that once made it hard to catch your breath, will eventually seem fairly easy to keep up with. It's very encouraging.
So, that it for this blog entry.
Except, of course, for the "Song of the Run" for this past Saturday's long run.
There were a bunch of great songs, but the definite standout came on as I was wrapping up my fifth and final mile.
One of my favorite bands, British Sea Power with "Lights out for Darker Skies"
"And
we were lit by kerosene
And we were lit by acetylene
And we walked under neon skies
You know it made me wonder why
And we were lit by acetylene
And we walked under neon skies
You know it made me wonder why
Why
all the frequencies combine
And form a cleaner, brighter light
And we filled our florescent sails
It led to sodium-scarred wailing weeks"
And form a cleaner, brighter light
And we filled our florescent sails
It led to sodium-scarred wailing weeks"
More to come next week in my Training Week 3 entry.
Peace My Fellow Runners!
Monday, March 2, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15061: Training Week 1 & How My Running Journey Began
Well, Week #1 of the 12 week half-marathon plan is complete. I decided to go with the Novice 2 plan because the three days of rest has given me much better results than the more advanced plans in which you only get two. Plus, I didn't care for all the speed/strength work that was on the advanced plans.
This first week went pretty well, except for the snow that we had on Saturday. It started snowing earlier than I thought so I was stuck inside. I don't really like doing the treadmill, so I kind of put it off on Saturday until I could finish getting a TV set up in front of the treadmill. I was so busy painting nearly all afternoon on Saturday, that I didn't get a chance to get it set up.
So, I set it up on Sunday and did the 4 mile (long run) for the week on that day. No big deal.
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This first week went pretty well, except for the snow that we had on Saturday. It started snowing earlier than I thought so I was stuck inside. I don't really like doing the treadmill, so I kind of put it off on Saturday until I could finish getting a TV set up in front of the treadmill. I was so busy painting nearly all afternoon on Saturday, that I didn't get a chance to get it set up.
So, I set it up on Sunday and did the 4 mile (long run) for the week on that day. No big deal.
This is a 12 week training plan, so I thought that over the next 12 weeks or so, I would talk a little bit about how I got started running and what I've learned through the past few years.
So, back in the fall of 2011, I went to a health fair at the hospital that my wife works for. They did various testing which included cholesterol, triglycerides, etc. I was very surprised to find out that my cholesterol along with various other results were high. I should not have been surprised. I had gone from being a skinny lean (twiggy?) 17 year old, 129 pound, extremely active high school graduate to being a 42 year old, 182 pound, relatively inactive husband and father of four. Fifty pounds heavier. Experiencing way more stress. Getting little to no cardio exercise. Bad allergy issues all year round. These and a host of other factors made for a fairly unhealthy JimmyJames.
The nurse that gave me my results, said that the only way I would be able to get the cholesterol, etc. under control would be to severely alter my diet. I don't remember all the specific foods she mentioned, but I do remember her listing off a bunch of stuff and I particularly remember her mentioning cutting cheese out of my diet. Cheese? Really? Not going to happen.
I've always been an "everything in moderation" type of person, at least in perspective, so I rejected this cutting out of cheese, etc. entirely.
Instead, I began to eat oatmeal everyday because I heard that it was like a miracle reducer of cholesterol. I didn't really change much else because the holidays were upon us and we all know how eating goes along with Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Enter 2012!
I began to think more about a game plan on getting healthier. I decided that a good place to start would be to lose a little weight, with the outlook that once a little weight came off, I would have more energy and a better outlook to begin exercising on a consistent basis. I had heard about the Myfitnesspal (MFP) program and that it had an app for smartphones, so I decided to give it a shot. https://www.myfitnesspal.com/
I didn't want to try to do a radical diet because, again, I've always had the "everything in moderation" perspective. I just began using MFP because I knew from past experience that just knowing how many calories I'm taking in each day is eye opening. And it was! I realize that the program may not work for everyone, but for me, it was key. For one thing, if you have a smart phone, just being able to scan bar codes and/or simply search for meals and quickly add the calories to your daily eating diary makes it so easy to keep on track. Another thing I really liked was the recommended goal of losing approximately one pound per week. Taking the weight down slow and steady is the way to go. Of course, many (like me) find that the weight comes off a bit more quickly. I was about 28lbs lighter after only a couple of months of using MFP.
I can't stress enough, how important losing this weight was for me in regards to becoming a runner. I know that many people don't need to lose the weight first or can do the weight loss and running programs simultaneously, but from my perspective, if you're above your target weight range, it's best to take off at least 10 pounds, prior to beginning a consistent running training program. I just think that it gives you that extra edge of confidence and good vibes to get you going on a training plan.
One other thing to mention is that if you're going to use a plan like MFP, you can't go overboard. That will only make you want to quit. There were times when I just didn't even bother to track calories. For instance, if I was at a gathering where there were a lot of snack type foods and a large group of friends, I just didn't get all caught up in tracking every single thing I ate. These times typically fell on the weekends, so I usually just carefully entered all of my caloric intake during the week and then didn't obsess about it on the weekends. I still tracked the calories, but if it felt at all tedious, then I just stopped tracking for that day and didn't worry about it. Anyway, there is that piece of advice for whatever it's worth.
So, that's how my running journey began. Not with running, or even walking, but with a plan to lose some weight and improve my overall health.
More to come next week in my Training Week 2 entry.
Peace My Fellow Runners!
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
JJSB Rundate 15054: Midwest, February running = BLECH!
So, I haven't posted in a few weeks. Not that there have been that many runs to post about. This is possibly the worst time of the year in KC for outside runners. It's dreary, sometimes icy, bitterly cold and the teasing spring is just close enough to drive an outside runner batty.
I'll have to check my run history to be sure, but I think that this is probably my least active February since I began regularly running in 2011. I only ran 3 times this month: Every Saturday. Of course, it hasn't helped that I've been working late hours at my job while trying to keep up on other projects at home and still spend time with my family. Often, I plan on running during the work day and then, by the time I roll into the garage at 7:00pm, heading out into a dark, cold night is the last thing I want to do.
Another thing that hasn't helped, is that the nerve pain that was in my right arm in the fall, returned to plague me once again, only in my left arm. All I can chalk it up to is stress, which I've had plenty of. Still, it did worry me a bit. There were some days when I couldn't run without searing pain shooting through my arm. We're talking a really weird and horrible pain like someone is ripping nerves out of your body. After running for a half mile or so with the shooting pain every time I took a stride, it would slowly fade until there was no pain at all. Eventually, it began to go away and I currently see no sign of the pain. But will it return? I don't know.
At any rate, this past Saturday, I was not only able to run, but was able to run in shorts. This, in spite of a forecast for that day of rain, ice then snow. It only rained a bit the night before in our neck of the woods and then the sun popped out Saturday morning and it actually warmed up quite a bit. I don't think that it quite hit 50° but it was well into the upper 40's. I could have swung a T-shirt as well, but I didn't get out to run until late afternoon and by that time, the sun was low in the sky, behind the clouds. So, I wore shorts and a long sleeve running shirt. The cold wind ended up being pretty tough as it seemed for most of the run that I was going against it no matter which direction I turned. Due to the wind, gloves would have been a good idea but I wore none, so my hands ended up like ice cubes. Still, it was a great run and I am thankful for it.
Now, as the days slowly begin to get longer and we are blessed with more light in the evenings, my hope is that I'll be able to get off of work earlier and actually be able to get some runs in during daylight hours, Either way, I'm starting a 12 week training plan for a half marathon here in the Northland in May. The schedule is pretty much running Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday every week so I've got that schedule to keep my focus going. I'll decide if I'm actually going to do the half marathon before April which is the next cost increase for registration.
Here is the event: Race for Hope KC: Half Marathon
I'm really hoping to run this and I'm sure I can be ready physically. It'll just come down to whether or not I want to spend the money to register or be around that many people. I'll probably do it. I would really like to run in the area that they are having it because I've never run there but have always thought that it would make for a nice run and it would be something new. We shall see.
Oh, and there were a number of great songs during Saturday's run including The Cure, Longwave, Concrete Blonde and this obscure and underrated band of Christians called The Throes:
"Song of the Run":
The Throes - Reckless Feeling
" 'To feel or not to feel' is the nature of my ways
The tangled stimulation casting rings outside my head."
Beautifully poetic lyrics just the way I like them!
Peace My Fellow Runners!
I'm really hoping to run this and I'm sure I can be ready physically. It'll just come down to whether or not I want to spend the money to register or be around that many people. I'll probably do it. I would really like to run in the area that they are having it because I've never run there but have always thought that it would make for a nice run and it would be something new. We shall see.
Oh, and there were a number of great songs during Saturday's run including The Cure, Longwave, Concrete Blonde and this obscure and underrated band of Christians called The Throes:
"Song of the Run":
The Throes - Reckless Feeling
" 'To feel or not to feel' is the nature of my ways
The tangled stimulation casting rings outside my head."
Beautifully poetic lyrics just the way I like them!
Peace My Fellow Runners!
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