Here’s the Hamster’s morning. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ <alarm rings>, the Hamster hits snooze, intends to get up and run 6 miles…ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ <alarm rings>, the Hamster hits snooze, intends to get up and run 6, er, maybe 5 miles…ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ <alarm rings>…you get the idea. The hamster only got in four miles today. On the bright side, I got to run the first mile with Abby.
Mile | Pace |
1 | 0:09:27 |
2 | 0:07:35 |
3 | 0:07:15 |
4 | 0:06:46 |
This run sucked! I ran from Los Altos Hills almost to the garnet gates of Stanford University. As you can see by the map, I spent most of my time on the foothill expressway: a four lane boulevard with HUGE bike lanes (8' wide). The reason the run sucked is because the final score had Bikes @ 150+ and Runners @ 4 (including the Hamster). The bicyclists did little dispell the bad reputation they have for being rude and arrogant. I got yelled at twice while doing everything I could to stay out of the way of their packs. It got so bad that I ran to the median of the boulevard whenever I saw them coming. Note to Bicycle Guy: get over yourself! My taxes pay for the same road you use. I'm willing to share it with you, show me the same courtesy!
Run 2 - Land Park 5
Distance: 5
Time: 0:37:50
Pace: 7:33/mi
Link: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/653428
This was a great run. I started out feeling a little flat, but quickly got into the groove. The best part of this run was seeing Abby on the run. She's training for the CIM Relay and decided to get in a few miles this morning around Land Park too.
Here are my splits.
Mile Split
The downside of this run is that I was sweating until about 10:30 this morning! It's a good thing I don't smell.
So we arrived in Los Altos hills on Thursday night to spend the weekend at Abby's mom's house. We arrived at 10:30 pm and she had a selection of Satura cakes waiting for us. I couldn't resist, they're my favorite...not exactly good food the night before a tough run, but the run forgave me.
About the run. Los Altos Hills is Spanglish for "the tall hills" and it doesn't disappoint. The run takes me to an old quarry (now dotted with McMansions). The last time Iwas here I found a trail-head to the Mount San Antonio Open Space Preserve. It's basically a fire road that leads up behind Los Altos Hills. Here are some pics and explanations.
Pi1 - The Trailhead
I have a client who needed to set up a space where researchers from around the world could collaborate on what else, research topics. I thought MySpace and Facebook might lack credibility with this crowd so I sought a viable alternative. It turns out that the former founder of Netscape, Marc Andreessen created a social networking space on the Internet called Ning. Ning hopes to compete with large social sites like MySpace and Facebook, by appealing to users who want to create networks around specific interests or have limited technical skills. The unique feature of Ning is that anyone can create their own custom social network for a particular topic or need, catering to specific audiences…that, and it’s not blocked by my clients firewall. <evil grin> So, as a proof of concept, I created a Sacramento Running “social network”. It will probably go nowhere, but here it is.
Here’s info on my morning 4.44 mile run. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/596478
Lap | Total Time | Distance | Pace | Calories |
1 | 0:07:53 | 1 | 7:53 | 98 |
2 | 0:07:47 | 1 | 7:47 | 110 |
3 | 0:07:32 | 1 | 7:32 | 111 |
4 | 0:07:02 | 1 | 7:02 | 108 |
5 | 0:02:55 | 0.44 | 6:40 | 47 |
Okay, so I’m a little proud about the splits…At least I admit it. Of course, I need 7:38 per mile for 26.2 in order to go sub 3:20:00, so 7:28 per mile for 4.44 is nothing to get too excited about.
I almost named this blog “Marathons on 3 Days A Week” because I only get to train three days a week. You won’t find this as a recommended marathon training regimen from Runners World, but it’s all I got and I’ll take what I get without complaining. Being a three-day-a-week marathoner, missing a run is a BIG, BIG deal. As I mentioned earlier, I’m watching the girls full-time this week which will make it difficult to get in my runs. So, I dropped off the girls at care this morning and decided get in a quick run before going into the office a wee bit later than I should (feeling guilty). That’s why my splits were faster than usual, I really wanted to crank this one out to minimize my tardiness to the office.
The splits felt great, but I finished the run and the ball of my left foot started talking to me. In fact, it’s downright cranky right now. Now that I’m a runner counting down the days to turning 40, any tweak or twinge makes me want to run for the panic button. My internal dialog screams, “OH GREAT! That’s it Norton, you’re out of the game.” I’m going to let the calmer internal voice prevail today...I know it's in there telling me to breathe and reminding me not to pile onto what it really is...just a sore foot. I’m hoping that a little ibuprofen and ice will mend the ills by the morning. If not, my panic voice will dominate the next post. :)
Garmin Report: Per the info from John Blue (see post from this weekend) I modified my pace settings on the watch and got exactly what I was looking for. Also, 405 is connecting perfectly with my PC and uploading the info to Garmin Connect has been a breeze. I like the 405 more and more every day.
Okay, I consider myself to be more than somewhat tech savvy, but I’ve been having more than my fair share of technical difficulties getting my Garmin Connect set up. Here’s how it’s supposed to work in a perfect world: Go for a run, plug in your Garmin 405 USB antenna, watch it sync, share your reports from Garmin Connect. Piece of cake, right? Wrong! My journey to “sharing” involved staying up until 2:00 AM on Sunday and an additional two hours on the line with Garmin Tech Support from 6:00 – 8:00 AM today. However, I do have to give credit to the Flo and Austin at Garmin. They were knowledgeable, patient, and persistent. Without them, I never, ever, would have gotten my 405 to work. Thank you Flo and Austin!!!!
So, I posted my run from Saturday. Let me know if you can see it. The interface is fairly rudimentary at the moment, I will update it as I learn more about the features of Garmin Connect.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/589868
No running today. I had good intentions to do push-ups and sit-ups but they never came to life. I wonder how good intentions will feel at mile 20 on the CIM. (Rhetorical question)
My physical activity consisted of a 500 yard swim during adult swim at the Cabana Club South, followed by repeats of Kid tosses. This is where I throw one of my kids as far as I can and then the next, and the next...you get the idea. I feel like a human water park at times. Now you know why I cherish the 20 minutes every hour dedicated to adult swim (AKA Sanctuary). Seriously, I over did the kid toss today, I feel like I was in a car wreck.
Mike asked me to snap some shots of the Forerunner 405 and post them on the blog so he could see what it looks like on. The bottom shot is of the 405 acquiring a satellite signal and it gives you the view from the top. The other shot is a profile shot on the wrist. It's WAY smaller than the 205, but it still looks like a parole bracelet.
Distance: 5 (Land Park loop)
Time: Lost my watch
Pace: See above
Temp: a whole lot cooler than Las Vegas!!
Quality: 6/10
You may note a format change to my block. I’m going to echo the format of my brother’s blog from now on. I’m not above imitating him, heck, we’re twins!
Okay, so I’m back from Vegas and the combination of oppressive heat, bad stomach, late hours, and $25 fitness room fees at the Bellagio sidelined my well-intentioned training plan. After a good night of sleep I got back into my shoes this AM for a modest-paced 5 (lost the watch).
I think I got some meat in my vegetarian entree last night. I was up most of the night with an upset stomach, so I fanned the run this morning. I spent most of the day at the pool trying to recouperate. Mid-day I discovered a swimming lane and swam laps for about 20 to get my blood flowing. It felt good. Tomorrow I will try to run, but if my stomach isn't much better, I may just use the fitness center again.
I didn't want to run in the heat today...that's my official story. Unofficially, I think the Potato Vodka sampler at Red Square may have tempered me a bit. :) Anyhow, I went to the Bellagio spa/fitness center this morning instead. I gagged at the $25 per day fee. But I needed a workout and choked the fee down hoping to recoup it a the tables later in the day...which I did.
In addition to a total upper body workout that left my arms shaking, I started with 12 minutes on the treadmill and proceeded with squats and leg extensions. I also hoped to get in some laps at the pool, but the pools at the Bellagio are for drinking and floating around. Swimming in them would be more of an obstacle course than a measured workout.
I plan to run tomorrow and use the fitness center on Wednesday.
$ update. I won another $25 at the Bellagio Pai Gow tables plus an additional $160 from Blackjack at Planet Hollywood.
Celebrity update: met Pete Rose today. After his lifetime ban from baseball for gambling I would think he might avoid Las Vegas. Also, we saw the cast from Prison Break shooting at Planet Hollywood.
I was supposed to run 10 yesterday, but stomach problems ended the run early. I stopped after 6.2 and could have gone back out but I ran late in the day because I had the girls. I also needed to get some work done and pack for my vacation in Las Vegas. So, I called it quits for the run. I don't feel like a total sloth though, I swam 450 yards earlier in the day during adult swim at the cabana club.
A little about swimming. I've been taking advantage of adult swim and can honestly say that up until yesterday, it has been a drag. I have never been much of a swimmer so I committed to giving it an honest effort this summer. It finally clicked yesterday and I had a great swim...followed by a bad run.
I'm in Vegas today and committed to getting in my runs, a few workouts, and a couple of swims. Stay tuned.
Oh, on a side note. I'm up $90 on Pai Gow and staying on the ninth floor of the Bellagio with Abby overlooking the fountains and the strip.
Here’s a list of some of my favorite running toys:
· Route Mapping: Until I get a GPS, the USATF has a great site that helps you map your routes.
· Hydration: I use the CamelBak Siren for hydration. It’s a 1.5 liter backpack (not too big and not too small) that allows me to carry some necessities and I barely know it’s there. This is not the Siren, but it’s close enough. And a sternum strap.
· Fueling: Anything from Hammer Nutrition. These guys got it right!!! Here are the products I use:
o Hammer Gel: I water it down in a flask. Raspberry is my choice.
o HEED: You’ll never touch Gatorade again! Lemon Lime.
o Perpetuem: I use this on longer runs. It really helped get me through the AR50. I find it’s best consumed from the hydration pack. When I had it out of a water bottle, it tended to foam a little too much for my tummy’s liking. Because there’s no air space in the hydration pack, it stays as it should.
o Endurolytes: I found myself getting POUNDING headaches after my long runs. It turns out they were caused by dehydration. I added Endurolytes to the mix and righted more than my headaches. Good stuff!
o Recoverite: I don’t know what they put in this little powder,
o Supplements: I’m a vegetarian (much to my foodie girlfriend’s chagrin…sorry Abby). I use the Hammer supplements and soy protein to keep everything in balance.
· Shoes: The Mizuno Wave Rider.
· Socks: I like loud, fun socks. So anything from the Sock Guy. I was turned on to the Sock Guy by Abby. Here was my first pair from her, the Addict. They're still my favorite.
That’s all for now.
I ran 6 in land park this morning. Weather was perfect and there was hardly a soul on the run. Sometimes I get out there and I feel like I have the park to myself.
