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!