Training Log – June 5, 2008

SCHEDULE: Run, Stretch

RUN:
      Length: 10.82 miles
       Time: 1:23:00
       Pace: 7:41 per mile
       Calories Burned: 1,735

CONDITIONS: Chilly, rainy

NOTES: Like yesterday, it wasn’t what I would call ideal weather. There was a lot of drizzle and it was pretty raw again. However, I am beginning to think that this kind of weather is good for when I run, because I have had two very good runs in a row in what would normally be considered lowsy weather.

This was the longest run that I have taken by about 2.5 miles. My previous high was like 8.45 miles or something thereabouts. Like yesterday, I ran on the Minuteman National Park dirt bike path today. While I didn’t make it all the way from Lexington to Concord (I had intended to, but I started to cut it close with my schools’ end of the year award ceremony that I had to be at), but I made it pretty darn close. I was still running hard well past mile 6, which is very encouraging for this upcoming weekends’ Newton 10K. I slowed down significantly in the last mile and a half of the run, but I expected that since it was all uphill.

One slightly concerning note from the day was the development of a fairly large blister on the bridge of my right foot. It didn’t really bother me at all during the run, but I could definitely feel it later on in the day. If it is really bothersome tomorrow, I will probably lay off that final run and just let it rest and heal so that I will be all set for the race on Sunday.

On another note, I am pretty happy with my Nike+ SportBand, although I am beginning to question the timer that it has. I felt like I was running faster than 7:41 for a very large majority of the run. Maybe that was just because I felt so good while I was out on the trail today. I will hopefully run about five miles tomorrow as a tune up for the Newton 10K…and then…IT’S OFF TO GRADUATION!!! It’ll be bittersweet, but I am looking forward to it!

Training Log – June 4, 2008

SCHEDULE: Run, Stretch

RUN:
      Length: 6.45 miles
       Time: 47:44
       Pace: 7:23
       Calories Burned: 1,004

CONDITIONS: Rainy, chilly

NOTES: After taking several days off after the Foxboro Against Diabetes 5K (unintentionally, the hustle and bustle of graduation week interfered with a lot of stuff) I finally got out for a run this afternoon. It was pretty raw outside, at times it drizzled, but for the most part, it was just a really cold dampness that hung in the air. I decided to change my route a bit, and instead of hitting the roads I ran down a dirt trail near my house in the Minuteman National Park (in Lexington). This was pretty cool – I think that I will run the entire length of it tomorrow for my weekly long run.

While the extra day off may have been annoying to me, there is no doubt in my mind that it probably benfited me. After warming up, my legs felt fresher and looser than they normally do. When I was running I felt great. I think the little extra rest was very much needed, possibly more so than I originally thought. I felt so good that I was able to run the whole way without my iPod (my headphones broke). Usually I either need the thrill of competition or my pump up songs to get me through a run.

I calibrated my Nike+ SportBand after the race last weekend and it seemed to be better this time around. I will wait to put out my final verdict until after the Newton 10K this weekend so that I can have an official time and distance to compare it to.

Training Log – May 29, 2008

SCHEDULE: Run, Stretch

RUN:
      Length: 8.45 miles
       Time: 1:09:00
       Pace: 8:10 per mile
       Calories Burned: 1,294

CONDITIONS: Sunny, mild, breezy

NOTES: A pretty good run today. I got close to my longest run ever (8.53 miles last Wednesday) and maintained a similar pace (about five seconds slower – but that is factoring in that I had to stop several times for almost 15 seconds before I could cross a couple roads on my route – possibly 30-45 seconds in total). I went off the roads today and hit the bike path that runs through my town. I made it all the way to one end of it (the shorter direction) and I hope to tackle the longer way next week on my long run.

I have come to the conclusion that my new Nike+ SportBand is about a quarter of a mile off (too short) and that the pace per mile times are pretty inaccurate. When they are averaged together, it isn’t that far off, but when you look down hoping to get a good idea of what your pace during mid-run, the thing is all over the place. I had mile times ranging from 7:02 all the way up to 10:30, and that was over the course of the first two miles! After that I just turned it to the overall distance. Hopefully, when I get a chance to calibrate it, these will be fixed.

Tomorrow is an off-day, and then it is off to Foxboro for the Foxboro Against Diabetes 5K! On a related note to the race, I convinced my dad to wait a couple weeks before actively beginning to race again, and he will not be racing this Saturday. As much as he would love to, he just can’t at this point. He ran a half-mile without stopping today, so that was good to hear! I can’t wait for race day!

Training Log – May 28, 2008

SCHEDULE: Run, Stretch

RUN (from Nike+ SportBand):
      Length: 3.93 miles
       Time: 31:30
       Pace: 8:00
       Calories Burned: 609

CONDITIONS: Mild, sunny

NOTES: Not a great run today. Due to some unforseen difficulties (like my term paper being corrupted – long story), I was unable to go for my long run today. So I settled for about 4 miles. I chose a moderately hilly course, with a couple gradual climbs rather than some of the steep brutal ones that I have been encountering on some of my runs lately. I wish my pace was a bit better, but I was not able to warm up as well, and, as usual, the hills gave me some issues.

Today was the first day that I ran with my new Nike+ SportBand. I have been looking for a slightly more reliable way to calculate all of my stats, and I read some good reviews about it so I thought that it was worth the investment. For the first day, it seemed to operate pretty well. I entered in the information just to see what my old system (MapMyRun) said, and this is what I got: 4.17 miles run, a pace of 7:33, and 638 calories burned. I will reserve final judgement on it until after this weekends’ race, where I will know the distance and my time, then I will be able to see how accurate it really is. While I may not be certain how accurate it really is, I will still use the stats from the Nike+ SportBand this week.