Last day of August 2007... and no run

I have not been running for the last two days. Did I mean to take it easy... hell no. but the best laid plans of mice and men got waylaid by that most wondrous of all things - family (read wife :o) )

Yesterday I was still aching from my leg exercise escapade and decided not to run. Wanted to do breakfast with the wife, but logistics, early morning meetings intervened.

Today I togged up hoping to run after attending a PTA meeting at my kid's school, only to realize that the wondrous expected to be dropped afterwards to work. Well, to make a long story short, we went to Vaishali instead (must write about the cult of Vaishali one of these days), had breakfast with the aforementioned wondrous and that was that. Had a great time, see the usual faces, and swap notes about the cult of Vaishali.

Aches and Pains.....

First of all, my great idea of going to the gym and doing leg exercises, put paid to the smooth running I expected to have in the following days.

My quads and glutes hurt to the point where walking is a strain. I did run 3.84 KM today (6 laps) in some pain. First lap was bad... 4.37 min and then as the muscles warmed up, the lap time got a bit better ending my 6th lap in 3:45 min. Overall time 24:37 min. My leg still hurts and I may end up taking a Tylenol for the pain (I disagree with taking pain killers as a philosophy). I suspect I did not cool down/stretch well after my leg exercises on Monday

Yesterday was more of the same. I ran 4K in about 30 minutes on 2 tread mills ( had to give up my treadmill to other folks). Timing was off, pain was on ...

Surprisingly my calf pain I complained about earlier is gone (probably masked under all the other pain/ache points I have discovered) :o)

I checked my weight yesterday and it was 99.18. This definitely points to a bad measurement earlier, must get a better scale or something. I am happy to be back below 100 Kg ...whopppppppppppeeeeeeeeeee

Injuries or... excuses not to run

Over the past few days, I have had a niggling ache in my left calf that just won't go away. On Saturday, I decided enough was enough and went running anyway. After 6 laps (3.84K) in 21:46, I was in pain.. also from a stitch.. I hobbled and then stopped ..gasping for breath, holding onto my side.. I think that was what prompted a grandmotherly type to ask if I was OK and if I had any chest pain.

That was the last straw and I walked the next laps. Sunday was on off day on account of the calf ache (which no amount of stretching or massaging seems to relieve)

Today (Monday) I decided not to strain my legs and went to the gym instead. Weighed in at 101.38 KG (gasp..........wasn't it only a few days ago that I was sub 100 :o( ..)

Anyway, did weights and leg exercises (go figure). Squats with 40 lbs, Power Lunges with 35 lbs, forward and reverse leg curls with 50 lbs.

I will abstain from rice and potatoes for the next little while as well as go back to the gym to do legs and back exercises twice a week. That only leaves 5 days to work on the mileage. (waaaaaaaaaaaaa...)

Hate machines... arrrgh

Today I decided to go to the gym instead of my usual KNP runs. I have decided to go to the gym so I can do some weights, leg, back and abdomen exercises.

Finding a treadmill free, I couldn't resist a run. The machine only permits either 2.25 KM or 13 minutes per session. I finished 1. 8 K in my first 13 minute session. I tried started another session for 2.25 KM at which time, the machine went into a cool down mode and only let me run 2 minutes......... damn, double damn. Hate treadmills ..................arrrgh.

Did 10 minutes on the elliptical/stairmaster and decided to throw in the towel.
Weighed myself ....um hum....ok 99.30KG... need to track this. I was hoping for a much lower figure, what with running for almost 2 months and all that, but alas......

66 days to 21K and counting.

Signed up for the Delhi Half Marathon :-)

Today's run (August 21st 2007) was um......satisfactory .. 7.04KM (11 laps) in 43:27. I am satisfied that I still managed to keep it under 44 minutes which is my target time, and dissappointed that I took almost two minutes more than yesterday.

Started out well with a lap of 3:35, and then slowed down to laps of 4 minutes each despite trying to push my time below 4 minutes. I slowed down even more in one lap taking 4:35 minutes ... the low point of today's run

Conditions:Dry
Warm up: 10 minutes, 1 lap walk
Cool down: 5 minutes with water (I remembered to take my water bottle today :o) )

On Sunday, I paid my registration fees and signed up for the Hutch Delhi Half Marathon. 67 days to 21K

Two good runs

Saturday August 18th
I wanted to start early, it being a Saturday and all that (i.e. no dropping the kids to school or other such chores). I even woke up early only to end up at KNP at 7:54 AM which is more or less the usual time :o)

Started out well and went on even better to complete 7.04 KM in 41:31:56, my best time so far.
Rounded off the week well with around 35KM

Warmup: 10 minutes: stretches, 1 Lap walk

Sunday was another day off - felt truly lazy. Woke up late and went through my usual kilo of newspapers with a quarter litre cup of great tea.

Monday August 20th
Had only one kid to drop off this morning so went to run at 7:44 AM. Did the ritual one lap of walking/ambling. Am starting a sort of a new warm-up routine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwlgnsg7nPQ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyEF12KAlm8 ), which starts with neck rotations, arms and upper chest, pelvis, legs, ankles, situps/squats, stretches ... the works.. Took a little longer than usual.

Started out with a lap of 3:44 and maintained that time more or less till 5 laps. At the 6th or 7th lap (can't remember which) I got overtaken by a guy who normally walks. The good old competitive spirit fired and I ran the lap in 3:10/3:15 overtaking the guy and not letting up. That felt good, but I paid the price in the next laps running 4:30 and 4:00
Regardless I finished 11 laps (7.04 KM) in 41:58:11. For about 30 minutes after, I belaboured under the misapprehension that I had run about 18 seconds better than my Saturday time, only to come home and realise I ran 22 seconds over. Chal koi nahi yaar, aur kabhi.

Have started a cooldown routine (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNxClAlcaNg); one lap walk + stretches and other stuff. Should take a bottle of water to hydrate right there.

Overall two good runs; timings better than 42:15 which was my previous PB :o)

Runner's Log August 17th 2007

Haven't posted my regular running log in the last couple of days

August 15th was my day off

On August 16th, I ran 7.04 KM (11 laps) in 43:23. Started off very well with a first lap of 3:14 and then tapered off still coming in under my target time of 44 minutes (4 minutes per lap is the outer limit I allow myself). Felt good to get back in the plus 5 KM range.

Warmup: 10 minutes, stretches, 1 lap walk
Mileage so far: 14.64 KM

August 17th (today)
I ran 7.04 KM (11 laps) in 42:15. I couldn't believe my timing ...it's almost a full minute off yesterday's time. Started off with a slow lap of 4 minutes, the next two were also the same time more or less, then started shaving off seconds off the 4 minute mark. The 5th lap was at 19:28, and then I accelerated running lap 6 in 3:45, lap 7 in 3:30. At the end of my run, felt really awesome.

Warmup: 10 minutes, stretches, 1 lap walk
Mileage so far: 21:68 KM

I read somewhere that you should pace yourself and start slow to reap benefits later; today sort off proved that point. Does not mean I won't sprint off when I have fresh legs :o)

Runner's Log August 14th 2007

Ran 3.84 K in 21.05 minutes, a full minute and 17 seconds better than yesterday.
Conditions: Dry with some wet patches
Warmup: 10 minutes, stretches mostly.
Weekly mileage: 7.6K

Today was a good run. Started out feeling really lazy and didn't want to run too much. (I guess it shows in my mileage) . Anyway, my first lap was 3:40 and I set myself a goal of shaving some time off that first lap. The next lap was 3:38 and I got into my rhythm. In the final analysis, I think I averaged 3:35 per lap which is great.

Pat on the back.

Runner's Log August 13th 2007

I run as often as I can. Of late, I have been regular -- running 4-5 days every week. I run at Kamala Nehru Park in Pune.

It has a loop of 640m and running laps helps me keep a good measure on distance as well as time.
Yesterday, Sunday August 13th, I ran 7.04 KM in 43:54 minutes. Today, I ran 3.84KM in 22:22 minutes.

Conditions: slightly wet and somewhat slippery.
Warm Up: around 9 minutes. - stretches mostly

Weekly target: TBD