Best Treadmill Run Ever

I know I gripe a lot about the weather and having to run on the treadmill, but today was the best treadmill run ever. First, a bit of history.

Our treadmill has squeaked for the past couple of years. At various times I've tried to adjust the belt and its tension, but to no avail. Today I finally messed with the motor mount and adjusted it so that the drive belt was tight. And voila! No more squeak. Not one squeak the whole time I ran. That all by itself qualifies this as the best treadmill run ever.

I might have fixed it too good, though. To start my run I punched in 7 miles/hour and within a few minutes realized the pace was much faster than that. I lowered it to 6 miles/hour and that was still way faster than a 10-minute mile, but I left it there for the duration of the run. I may not be an expert, but after six marathons I pretty much know what a 10-minute pace feels like. This wasn't it. After running for 90 minutes the readout said I'd gone 9 miles, but I'm counting it as 11. As I was running I kept thinking that if I ran this pace during a half-marathon I would be pretty darn happy. My method might not be the most scientific, but that's what I'm going with today. Complaints may be left in the comments section, where they will be promptly ignored.

Yay, More Treadmill

6 miles on the squeaky thing. Too much snow on the sidewalk. Feeling puny the first half of the week but feeling better today. Geez, this sounds like Rorschach from the Watchmen. Must use better writing style next time.

Birthday Run

It seemed appropriate to have a long run today, both since it was my birthday and a Saturday. The temperature was right at freezing and there was ice on some stretches of sidewalk, particularly in the second half of the run. My nephew went with me for the first three miles, and it was nice to have a running partner. I took it easy with him and avoided the big hills. Previously he's done a duathlon and topped out at about three miles, so this was a good easy run for him. I went 10 miles total. It was another good run, and hopefully I can go a little bit further next week. Of course, we'll have to see what the weather brings. And this week will be tricky about getting some running in due to a couple of evenings already scheduled with activities. All in all I feel very fortunate to still enjoy running and to do relatively well at it as I get older. Maybe one of these days I'll advance to an age bracket where I can actually win something.

Therapy Run

It's been a very frustrating week at work (actually the last two have been). I didn't get to run Tuesday due to being at work late, so I really needed today's run. I ran 6 miles, at way too fast a pace, but it felt good the whole way. Pounding the pavement took out a lot of the pent-up emotion from feeling like a punching bag 9+ hours a day. This is one of those times where running actually serves as a form of therapy more than it does exercise. Now I can hardly wait until Saturday's long run.

Mid-Winter Run

I was thinking today about how I've been a runner now for over six years. I ran a little with my dad when I was a kid, and then some in college with friends in both Tulsa and New Mexico. Those were short bursts of energy, though, and usually fell victim to time or indifference. Running didn't stick until I moved to Kansas City to start work and found myself with a lot of spare time due to my family still living in Oklahoma while we attempted to sell our house. Only then did I become a runner. It's amazing to look back and see how far I've come since that first run.

I'd been riding my bike regularly, throwing it in the back of my truck and heading out to a nice trail on the eastern side of the metro area. For some reason that escapes me, probably because I grew tired of driving over half an hour each way to the bike trail, I picked up a cheap pair of running shoes at Target one day. I still remember my first run from the hotel. I ran less than half a mile and felt like I was going to die. I walked a little bit and then turned around, jogging back sporadically to the hotel. I suppose it could have ended there, but I wanted to improve. I kept doing it every day, and that was when I became a runner.

I decided that an investment in real running shoes would pay off dividends for my feet and legs. I was right. I bought New Balance shoes and the experience was totally different from the $12 pair in which I'd been running. Even on weekends back in Oklahoma I would run. I had a lot of fits and starts in getting to more mileage. I'd get to the point of running four miles and then either get sick or get too involved with work. It took a long while before I increased the mileage. I remember running a 5k at the zoo, and then the next year they increased it to a four-mile race. Those four miles almost killed me. I kept wondering where the dang finish line was. Not learning my lesson, I graduated from those kinds of races straight to marathons.

These thoughts were going through my mind this morning on my 10-miler. The day was gray and cold, but the run was a good one. Ten miles doesn't seem like a long run to me now, but as I thought back to when I became a runner, ten miles is actually a long way from that first run near the hotel.

Sudden Run

Today was one of those days at work. When I finally surfaced at 4 p.m. and headed out to my car, it was a balmy 30 degrees. On my home the idea occurred to me that this would be a good day for a run! Run out the frustration of work, run outside while I could, run and enjoy some quiet time, etc. So I did. Ran 6 miles and did my best to keep from speeding up as the events of the day kept coming to mind. Besides the obvious benefits of helping me unwind, I'm hoping that this will also give me that little extra edge of fatigue I need in order to sleep well tonight. Of course, with this cold weather I'd rather just hibernate for a few months, but that's not an option.

Global Warming Wanted

The temperature this morning was -14 degrees wind chill, and tonight it's 1 degree wind chill. Plus it's been spitting snow all day. Needless to say I stayed inside for today's run of 6 miles. I ran the first 4 miles at an 8 1/2-minute/mile pace and the last two half a minute faster. Work has been super crazy the last few days, so there was no chance of my skipping today's run.

For my indoor runs, if I haven't mentioned this before, I usually wear shorts and a sleeveless shirt I would normally wear in summer. I've gone shirtless before, but really I try to spare the family such a sight. My kids will be scarred enough without having to see that.

Icy Sidewalks

Today was my longest run outside since the marathon in December, if I remember correctly. The temperature was right at freezing, and it snowed yesterday but didn't stick too badly to the roads or sidewalks. In spots I had to run across a thin layer of snow and I kept an eye out for ice patches, avoiding them where they popped up. 10 miles was great on a day like this where the east coast is being hammered by a blizzard and we're set for 8-12 inches tomorrow and Monday. I saw about four other people out doing the same thing I was, so apparently I wasn't the only one trying to get in a good run before the storm hits.

Missing the Snow

Seriously, the weather called for snow flurries this afternoon and I thought it would be cool to run in it before it got too heavy. No snow, but plenty of cold. Tuesday I ran 2 miles on the treadmill and it did not go well. My timing was off and then I received a phone call. When I hopped back on the timing was off again. I should also add that the treadmill and the belt need to be fixed. After that I just stopped and called it a day.

Today I was determined to get outside, and I did. My right knee was hurting a bit, but I went 6 miles and never felt any pain. The wind was a little brisk but as usual, I sped up as I was running into it.

Still not sure what race I'm going to run next. I missed the Groundhog Day race in the caves, but I'm leaning toward a half in Leavenworth in May. Last year I ran a full in April and that was too tough to train for during the winter months. This year if I can maintain a pretty good base I think I'll be in a good position for the rest of the year.