MUSIC

So training run #4 was also not according to book. I woke up early enough for a cool-ish run, but knew instantly I'd not be doing 4 miles. Perhaps I pushed too hard yesterday at the gym, perhaps I still couldn't handle the humidity, which was about 60% when I ran. It has since dropped to a more comfortable 40%, though the day has gotten hotter.

Anyway, I determined to do 2 miles and not push it. I could not believe how hard these two miles felt - I'm a marathoner? It wasn't so much legs or lungs specifically, just a lack of energy all around. So either yesterday's workout was indeed too hard, or something else was off. I realized after I finished and was taking some Novolog so I could go have a coffee & muffin that I'd forgotten my Lantus last night. And, in fact, my blood sugars rose from 98 before my run (OK) to 165 after my run (still in normal range, but a little high for post-workout readings). So perhaps I was simply not equipped to use the glucose in my bloodstream this morning. Right, mistake noted.

I am re-testing the Nike+ system. My old sensor had bitten the dust - or at least once I found it, I couldn't get it to wake up and be read by either my nano or my iPhone, so while getting my iPhone replaced at the Apple Store on Monday, I picked up a new sensor. My old holster fits the new 3G form factor nicely and the new iPhones don't require a little dongle to pick up the accelerometer signal. Still with me? So I synced the new accelerometer to my iPhone and off I went. Out of the box, with a confusing mix of running and walking, my iPhone thought I did 2.25 miles. Not bad, since I did, I believe, exactly 2.0 -- so I set the calibration and we'll see how it goes next time.

But I also want to test a free iPhone App I found called RunKeeper. I tested it out on my walk from DD to Costco and back home and really like that it uses the GPS to keep track of where you are and can upload the run to the company website, where you can then log in and see times, distances, and maps.



So which one will I use tomorrow, when I get up at the butt-crack of dawn to go do 6.7 miles?? Tune in tomorrow and find out!

IN THE MEANTIME -- I haven't seen any threads or blog posts in a long while on running music - so let's get some lists going! I want to add to my collection. I'll tell you that yesterday, my entire workout at the gym was to a CD of Saturday morning cartoon covers by various bands. Most of them hi uptempo stuff. I'll post some specifics when I get back from Niketown, where I'm going to attempt to drop off non-Nike kicks for recycling.

Third workout

4 easy miles according to the schedule. But I've got this thing about air I can see: I don't breathe it well. With today's humidity in the 90% range, I took my workout indoors. At the gym, I substitued some of the miles for the bicycle of torture. 20 minutes bike, and almost that running. I did 1.5 miles on the treadmill at steadily increasing incline and pace, with a brief walk break for coughing. Stretches and foam roller afterwards. Though not 4 miles on roads, it was a quality workout for lungs, legs, and heart, so I'm pleased enough.

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One flag!

Second training run. Supposed to be six miles of hills - became 4 miles on a hilly route (one lap around the cemetary the "hard" direction). Not bad in the first mile with the big hills, but things got worse. Difficult to run after work. Was coughing a lot - a LOT. To the point that some fatass sitting in his van asked ME if I was all right! This could have been a lot better...

Training plan calls for 6-7 miles of hills every Wednesday for the first seven weeks, but I'm going to have to work up to that. Starting with 4 is reasonable, I think. Eventually, I'll go directly to Central Park from Spaeth and do a loop, for a very hilly 7-mile Wednesday run.

Well, I'm only two days into training - can't expect miracles at this point.

Here's dinner, though; looks good, yes?

First official training run

Distance: 4 miles
Result: not so great, actually
What went wrong: forgot albuterol! couldn't breathe!!