My Wednesday morning run

The pain just above my ankles seems to be back and it was really aggravating after the run was over. Its definitely not shin splints or the Achilles Heel, its just on the inside of my legs, halfway between my calf and the ankle bone. It's a little odd.

But here is my three kilometer run that I finished this morning. I kept a nice even pace of 5:30 throughout for an overall time of 16:30.



I ran north for a little bit along Lakeview Ave which was a change of scenery.


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I don't have the music readily available but I will add it later. Tomorrow I have another 3k run but I am not sure how this pain will hinder me tomorrow. We will see. I want to keep going.

12 hours later... another run.

This morning's run was a lot slower than the previous week and was probably a result of running twice within 12 hours. It was the only time I had today to run and I felt it was important to stay on schedule as well as test myself a little. I think that I passed the test and with the next 48 hours off will see a nice improvement in stamina as well as strength.



I ran the same route as last Monday... just not nearly as fast.

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My music for the day... I can't even remember... I must not have been paying attention and that is probably the problem with today's run!

Make up run

There has been a lot of rain in the Chicagoland area lately and I had to postpone my Saturday run until Sunday night. It was four kilometers long somehow I managed to run in a 5:16 pace in 21:10. I am not entirely sure how I did that because I didn't feel as though I was running that quickly.

Regardless, it is my longest run yet with the Nike+ system and heard Paula Radcliffe's voice congratulate me once again. I cannot tell you how great it is to hear her voice or Lance Armstrong's tell you "congratulations that was your longest workout yet." Hopefully I will hear it again on Saturday when I run five kilometers!



I ran out to the path along Lake Shore drive and made a loop coming back the way I came finishing just past the entrance to the Lincoln Park Zoo.


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"Beautiful Day" by U2
"Sleep Now in the Fire" by Rage Against the Machine
"I Stand Alone" by Godsmack
"Brain Stew" by Green Day
"Lazy Eye" by Silversun Pickups

I am running 3k tomorrow morning and should really feel the affects of running 7k in 12 hours afterwards. It will be real testament to how I am progressing and should be good times. I am doing well and feel great about this!!!

Fastest mile and kilometer yet

Another pretty good run. Today's schedule called for a 2.5 kilometer run and I had the goal of completing it in 13 minutes. I ended up doing in 13:16 and once again besting my time in the mile as well as the kilometer to 8:29 and 5:12 respectively.


The neighborhood is getting a little old to run in already and it will be nice to add some distance to my runs to get further away from the apartment. At this point I am just trying to turn on different streets to change it up a little.


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Same music as yesterday. I am going to have to make some new playlists and time them out according to the runs.

"Vitamin R" by Chevelle
"(Everything I Do) I Do it for You" by New Found Glory
"Hide Away" by Rock Kills Kid
"Not Ready to Make Nice" by Dixie Chicks

Any thoughts on songs to add? Any encouraging comments?

Best run yet

Wow, that run turned out great. My scheduled three kilometers flew by compared to previous tries.



As you can see I averaged 5:17 kilometers which was the fastest kilometer I had run yet and today I averaged that! I was aiming to finish the 3k in 16 minutes but didn't really think I would be able to do as well as I did. I am really happy with myself. Like Monday's run Paula Radcliffe told me I ran my fastest mile yet. I beat it by six full seconds in a time of 8:33. I have a lot of room for improvement yet over the coming months and I am gaining more confidence every day.


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"Vitamin R" by Chevelle
"(Everything I Do) I Do it for You" by New Found Glory
"Hide Away" by Rock Kills Kid
"Not Ready to Make Nice" by Dixie Chicks

So a very good run that beat my own expectations. Tomorrow is just 2.5 kilometers and I am going to aim for a 5:12 pace to finish in 13 minutes. Its doable and will help me build speed and stamina for the longer runs that are coming up soon.

Monday morning 3k

Three kilometers in 16:17 for an average pace of 5:24 a full six seconds faster than Saturday's run. This one was much more even as I kept a good steady pace but it also help having a pretty level area to run on and not the hills in the park.

Additionally Paula Radcliffe came over the headphones when I was finished to tell me that I ran my fastest mile yet - 8:39. Wow do I still have some work to do!! But it is always great to hear some encouraging words when you are done.



I started off on Belden and finished near Oz Park for a nice cool down walk back to the apartment. The main roads of Halsted, Armitage and Lincoln tend to be in much better shape in terms of their sidewalks and it makes for an easier time.


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"Landslide" by The Smashing Pumpkins
"Run" by Snow Patrol
"Distraction" by Angels & Airwaves
"Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Overall, a good run after some initial hesitation this morning. I didn't want to go and felt a little nervous about it. But I went out there and go it done with some pretty good results. My next run is on Wednesday, another 3k, and I hope to be able to make some slight improvements in my time... maybe get down a few more seconds to 16:10 or something. It will all depend on the route that I take.

My goals for myself

6 weeks ago I was weighed at least 192 pounds (it could have been more but I didn’t check regularly) and looked like it. I didn’t feel good about myself and I had little energy for exercise until something kicked me in the butt.

Since then I have lost at least seven pounds to find myself at 185 and probably about two inches off my stomach – which I measured at 40 inches relaxed (disgusting I know). My goal here is to lose at least five inches off the stomach and to reach 165 pounds, an ideal weight for my height. I have a long way to go but I can achieve it with regular exercise and a healthy diet. One thing that has always gotten in the way is that I like to drink Pepsi or Coke – lately I have mostly stopped and switched to Diet Dr. Pepper but still have indulged myself too often with a Pepsi. This has to stop and I am making that commitment now. I will write about it if I break it. Hopefully you won’t be reading about it at all.

With this weight loss I will feel better about myself and look better as well. As a bonus it will help me get into shape, something sorely lacking. E and I are enjoying the time that we spend together running, typically Saturdays, and we are planning on possibly doing a few 5k events together.
In addition to that I want to plan on running a few races of my own.
Next Memorial Day weekend will be the Salute 5k that I walked in this year. I hope to do their 10k run next year as a launch for a summer full of running.

I also walked in the Des Plaines 5k and would like to do their 10k run next June or July (can’t quite remember which month).

A friend of mine has talked a lot about the Quad City Bix Challenge – a seven mile race that draws a lot of good runners from around the world. I would enjoy participating would like to set a goal of just under 50 minutes. I am quite sometime from that but it is something to work towards. This year’s winner was Edward Muge from Kenya in a time of 32:16. WOW! So a time under 50 minutes would place me in the top 700. Its 321 days away so I have time for it. (End of next July)

Then we get to the culmination. If and when (it should just be when) Nike brings back the Nike+ Human Race I am going to run in it. Seeing it this year was inspiring and I want to be apart of thousands of people with one goal – finishing a 10k race. For this race I have a goal of under 45 minutes – 4:30 kilometers, something I am still a full minute off.

And the real fantasy? The 2009 Chicago Marathon! Hey anything is possible if you put your mind into it.

My Saturday 3k

At a 5:30 pace per kilometer I finished my 3k run Saturday morning in 16:33. I have a long way to go before I will be able to finish a 5k in the 20-22 minute range but that is a long term goal.

Here is what is evident: these new shoes are going to be a great fit for me and this hobby.


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E and I ran in the park again which explains the map that seems to go every where. A day later I don't even remember which songs I listened to. My post on tomorrow's run will be more detailed. Now I am going to write a post on the goals and reasons for my running.

The New Shoes are Here!

Its been six days since my last run and boy was I missing it. As you can see in the picture on the left my new shoes are here and I am excited about it. I slipped them on and it felt great. As a friend told me they are like running on clouds.

With the new shoes I started a new training program and started a little bit back from where I was progressing. This morning's run was 2.5 kilometers as a warm up for the 3k runs that are starting tomorrow. This could get interesting real quick.

Here is a map of my run:


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And of course the music:

"Beautiful Day" by U2
"Sleep Now in the Fire" by Rage Against the Machine
"I Stand Alone" by Godsmack
"The Red" by Chevelle

Saying Goodbye

I am officially putting my Nike Air Max 180s into retirement. They have lived out their life as a running shoe with many miles ran and walked in them. They are worn out in the sole, the air cushioning, and their support.

I will be starting a new running relationship with a pair of Air Max 360s when they arrive later today. I will share those with you when I get the chance. As you can see to the right I have also placed a challenge of 500 miles in order to keep track of the next shoe's lifespan a little better than I did with the 180s. That all starts tomorrow. I am anxious to get running again!

Nike+ Human Race 10k

Last night E and I traveled down to Soldier Field to watch the Nike+ Human Race 10K. Really all I can say is WOW!

There were roughly 14,000 participants and it was absolutely amazing to see it in action. It was see of red shirts and people coming together to run just over six miles. Some were professional racers, some there to continue their training schedule of losing weight, and others were simply there to have fun.



A friend of mine ran in the race and I believe I heard his name called as he crossed the finish line in under 50 minutes. I wish I would have signed up for the race, trained earlier and been able to partake in the race. It was so cool to see people speed across the finish line including the winner Alex Russeau at 31:29 (a clip of about 3:09/km).

Overall, more than 3 million miles were ran around the world in the largest race ever. Simply put it was astounding.

E and I will be participating next year if they bring it back for another year... and by all accounts this one was a success so I don't see why they won't.

New Shoes Leave China

These wonderful new shoes are on their way... They have officially left China (where everything we buy is essentially made) and should hopefully be here at my apartment by the end of the week. I am getting excited and already restless because I am not able to run. So we will have to just wait patiently!

Starting over

I have to admit that I am disappointed in myself. I started off too quickly and not thinking about the old shoes I was running in. If I would have I probably would have avoided this irritation in my Achilles Heels (yes both of them). With the old 180s being retired (will have a full post on those later) I can start fresh with brand new shoes and enjoy the start of a whole new training schedule.

I will start a new training as soon as my new 360s come in the mail. This one will start off at 3k's for a couple of weeks and then progress to longer runs towards my 10k run just before Thanksgiving (I am going to have to join a gym or something).

So in the mean time I will be posting about the Human Race sponsored by Nike and a few other things that inspire me to keep running. I already miss it and I am just taking a week off to heal! This is great stuff and the Nike+ system is a fantastic way to have fun with it. In addition the health benefits are amazing. With the nearly 40 kilometers I ran in August and eating a little bit healthier I lost eight pounds and look and feel better. Its great!!!

Good News, Bad News

I was scheduled to run 4.1 kilometers today and set out this morning to do so. The bad news is that I stopped after 2.9 kilometers. I just could not keep going, it wasn't that I was tired or struggling in a cardio way. It was my Achilles and they are just hurting way too much for this much running.

Now the good news. I finally received my email from Nike that my shoes are on their way and will hopefully be here in a week. I will then be able to retire my old worn out shoes that are causing stress on my tendons and run on brand new shoes.

So here is the plan - My Achilles needs to be rested or otherwise I might cause myself serious injury. You should always listen to your body - especially when it is screaming at you! So I am listening and will take a few days off until my shoes come. Then I will start back up and pick up where I left off. I will have to adjust my training schedule or maybe start over but I am not sure.

I will end the post on some good news and the bottom line. Despite the pain that I am feeling I know that I am doing well with the running. I am feeling healthier, am losing body fat, looking toner and have more energy. This is all great news and I am certain that it will keep going with the new shoes and some rest for my Achilles Heal... literally and figuratively. Oh, the irony of it.

Thursday Stress Run

This morning's run was another stressful event but not quite like yesterdays. This move up to 3k is a little bit more difficult than I thought it would be and I am not quite sure that I am ready to do 4k on Saturday. I know that I can do it but am I ready to it.

There is some good news from today's run as I improved on the time for the third straight day to 5:30 a kilometer average. The difficulty could just be that I am pacing myself too quickly and wearing myself out in the middle of the run. But take a look and tell me what you think:



I took a totally new route to help me see different parts of the neighborhood and make sure that I could not count down blocks till I done.


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Unfortunately I ran by the Alderman's office where it looked like they were taping some show/movie on the same corner and I got in their way. Oops!

Here is my playlist as well:

"Sick & Tired" by Default
"Vitamin R" by Chevelle
"Out of Control" by Hoobastank
"Rock Star" by Nickelback
"Born of a Broken Man" Rage Against the Machine

And an update on my new shoes. Evidently there is a delay on Nike's end because they didn't have the materials and it is going to take longer. It could be after Sept. 8th before I get them. I was hoping to have them this week... no longer the case!

Tough run this morning

Wow, was that run tougher than normal to get through. I thought that I did a very good job on Monday's 3k but today's 3k felt very labored. There were certainly times that I wanted to quit and start walking.



But as you can see I pushed through it and finished the run out two seconds faster than Monday. It was quite rewarding as I tied my longest run and Lance Armstrong's voice came over the headphones once again. I get to hear it tomorrow with my 3.1k run (that just might be pretty damn difficult if today is any indication).

I am now just 6.75 kilometers from my goal and will surpass it as expected Saturday during my 4k run.


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I started on Belden just west of Lincoln and basically made a nice loop back with some good music blaring. With a great morning song to get started!!!

"Beautiful Day" by U2
"Lazy Eye" by Silversun Pickups
"Anthem of Our Dying Day" by Story of the Year
"Stuck in America" by Sugarcult

Lots of "s" bands in that playlist. But I made it regardless and I am very proud of that fact. I have finished 14 runs in 22 days and am keeping pace with my training schedule. You can't do much better than that.

Hey a 3K

My first three kilometer run is done and over with. Take a look...



Not too bad of a run as I did it in just over 16:30 for an average kilometer of 5:32 burning over 250 calories. It certainly had its bursts of speeds because of some uphill parts as well as downhills and stop signs.

But now I am over 30 kilometers for the month and plan on finishing the rest of week strong. My route was a longer version of some of my two kilometer runs but I reached North Ave which was something new to see.


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Playlist:

"Shine" by Collective Soul
"There is" by Box Car Racer
"Last Train Home" by Lostprophets
"Doesn't Remind Me" by Audioslave

Now I am taking care of a stiff Achilles once again. New shoes where are you??

Looking back and looking ahead

There is just a week left in the month of August and I am 12.78 kilometers short of my goal for the month. Over the last 18 days I have ran 12 times ranging from 2k to 2.6k and burning a total of 2339 calories just from the workouts. I am confident that my metabolism is rising and I am really seeing results by dropping just over two pounds during the same span.

As September rolls around the corner my goal for the month will dramatically increase to 88 kilometers with much longer runs and sustained schedule of essentially five days a week. To gear up for September I will be ending August with four runs this week: Monday a 3k, Wednesday another 3k, Thursday is 3.1k and Saturday a jump to 4.1k.

I know that I can personally do this by taking the right steps and preparing myself, which is exactly what I am doing with the short 2k runs. The training will help me to effectively be able to run a standard 10k race while at the same time losing the extra weight I have been carrying around.

There is one that I am concerned about. My calf muscles or more likely, my Achilles' heal is consistently stiff and it takes at least a kilometer to work it out but I do not feel it should be doing this. Its my old running shoes not giving me the proper support and placing too much strain on the tendons and somewhat on my shins. As my distances increase I am worried that so will the stiffness and stress on the Achilles. I am patiently (read with sarcasm) awaiting my new Nike Air Max 360s. I hear that they are like running on air - that would be bliss right now.

Lance Armstrong Spoke to me

This morning I ran 2.66 kilometers and triggered Lance Armstrong's voice on the Nike+ system telling me that I just had my longest workout yet besting myself from the other day. I just really enjoy hearing that I ran my longest distance yet. Its such a great motivational tool and I plan on hearing it a lot more in the coming weeks.



I really need my new shoes to come soon because my Achilles heal is really becoming my weakness on these runs. They are sore and stiff after these short distances (I realize that I am not actually running all that far) and my current shoes are the reason. Besides the stiffness this was a great run.


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With another great but yet heavier playlist that kept me going the entire time.

"Beautiful Day" by U2
"Sleep Now in the Fire" by Rage Against the Machine
"I Stand Alone" by Godsmack
"The Red" by Chevelle

The rock music really helped me push along but I also had two other reasons for pushing myself at a faster pace (5:25/km). As you all know, I am sure, Barack Obama picked Joe Biden as his VP. I was not happy with that and wanted Kathleen Sebelius or someone who reinforced Obama's message. Second, someone who I had not seen in while told me that I had gained weight... THANKS!!! While I know its true that I have, there are nicer ways to tell someone that they look different or that you didn't recognize them. Plus, its not like I gained 100 pounds. I put on 20-25 pounds and have lost 8 of them. Oh well... just more motivation to keep running and eating healthy.

An Amboy Friday run

I am in my hometown for a wedding this weekend and woke up for a nice run this morning that was basically to our town's park and back. Just a simple 2 kilometer run:


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I had little bit more of an inspirational / motivating playlist for this run as well to gear my self up for the weekend.



"Beautiful Day" by U2
"Brain Stew" by Green Day
"How Far We've Come" by Matchbox Twenty

And now I am off to bed because I am going to wake up and do my 2.5 kilometers.

Furthest run yet

Alright I know that 2.63 kilometers is not all that impressive but when you achieve your longest run on the Nike+ system Lance Armstrong comes on and tells you "Congratulations that was your longest workout yet." It's pretty cool and I knew that I wanted to hear it last night so I ran the extra 30 meters. Its a good motivational tool. Oh and it helps to run with a partner as E and I ran together as well. She finished her goal of two kilometers in fine shape as well.

Here is my run from last night:



It is much steadier until near the end when I drop off and speed back up to finish the run out. I am glad that it was more consistent albeit a little slower pace than usual.

It was also a normal route starting on Belden and the final stretch on Clark.


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I changed up the playlist with slower music to slow the pace and be a little steadier. I also didn't want something too loud while running at night.

"9 Crimes" by Damien Rice
"Fix You Up" by Tegan and Sara
"Falling Awake" by Gary Jules
"Breathe" by Anna Nalick

9 runs in two weeks

Today is my 14th day of this training as well as my 9th run. In these two weeks I have focused primarily on running between 2 and 2.5 kilometers as a way to get myself used to running again. Its next week when I move up to 3 kilometers and then steadily move myself up further in the following weeks. Should be good times. Here is my run from today:



Another sporadic effort but an accomplished one at that. Here is the route I took as well as my playlist.


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Playlist:
"Sleep Now in the Fire" by Rage Against the Machine
"The Red" by Chevelle
"Post Script" by Finch

Not too shabby of a run or a playlist for the quick workout.

Any suggestions on which song I should definitely listen to in tomorrow's run?

My Monday run

Last night I went out for my eighth run in 12 days and am noticing some a difference in the way I feel and look. I am losing weight and have more energy. The running is well worth it and I encourage you do do some yourself. Here's my run from last night.



E and I ran together with her pulling in about 2 kilometers and myself finishing my goal of 2.5 kilometers. Earlier in the day I bought new soles for my shoes to buy me some time before my new running shoes are delivered. This really improved the impact on my shins and calf muscles. The soreness was not as bad as it had been on previous runs. But as you can see there is still some sporadic patterns in the running and not all of it is because of stop lights or signs. I still need to improve on that.

Here is my 2.5km route from last night:


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And my playlist:

"Walken" by Wilco
"Shadow of the Day" by Linkin Park
"Demons" by Guster
"Seein Red" by Unwritten Law
In the future I will include links so you can purchase the songs that I am listening to as well. I usually try to change up the flow of the songs to create a variety and not get bored while I am running. Never a good idea.

Oh and I have another two kilometer run tonight. I am already excited by it. See you then.