After my wonderful day of rest – I headed out last night to do a run between 3 and 5 miles. Like many runners, this almost always means that the 5 mile mark was the goal! (Well, except after a day of drinking.. then it is going to be the lower number). I was bound and determined to NOT do it in 8 minutes/mile, as I felt I had been abusing my poor under-used muscles enough!
Read more ›
Ran 5 Miles… In a dashing new blue coat.
Tagged with: contest, free, Giveaway, road id, Road running
Posted in cardiotrainer, Contest, running
Posted in cardiotrainer, Contest, running
Rest Day!! Some days they can be the hardest…. BUT NOT THIS TIME!!!
Yesterday was a rest day! After the previous two days my calves were beyond tired and well in to the realm of “sore.” Ok.. They were into the realm of “hurts to walk”, even though I used the stick quite liberally on them. This was expected however, and it made it one of the rest days that was NOT hard to rest on.
As I didn’t run, I don’t have much to say.. So I will just leave you with some pictures of Lab Puppies sleeping. None of these are my puppy… I’m sad to say.
Eight! I did it, and other useless information about the number!
One of the goals I have been thinking about – is the “8 minute mile” for longer runs. I remember in highschool running our 5 mile course (from Seton Catholic Central down to the traffic circle and back) and doing it in under 40 minutes – much closer to 30. I was thinking how nice it would be to be able to do that IN 40 minutes (well, under would be nice too – but need to set goals to reach goals.). This is just something that has been rolling around in my mind when I look at my times overall. I see that I do a run in 8:45, and think “8 minute miles would be nice…” But I know I have some improvement to get there.. But I am getting ahead of myself..
Evolution of the Number 8 -- This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Yesterday, my legs – and specifically my calves – were quite tired from my 7 mile run. I headed out last night thinking of doing a 3 mile run, nice and slow. I thought that might be a good move for my legs – let them rest up since all I am doing lately is abusing them (3 days of running, 4 days off do NOT a runner’s legs make..) Into the balmy 54 degree weather I went (Shorts and long sleeve T-shirt in February!!! I love this winter) and felt AWESOME!!!! Even my sore/tired calves were crying “MORE! MORE!!!” So before I had hit the 1/2 mile marker, I had decided 5 miles was my distance of the day.
(Slight segue here – I got a new phone over the weekend and have not reset my Cardiotrainer settings from default. This means I get my time reminders right now. Back to your regularly scheduled blog posting now..)
The feet were flying and it all felt GREAT!!! I was concerned that I was starting to fast, but since I wasn’t worried about it I had no issues slowing down to a crawl-like jog if it was needed.. I have no one to impress right? I was moving at a good clip as my wife headed home for work – so she got a BIG hearty wave as she went by! (its silly, but I like seeing people I know as I run.. the waving brings a variety into the trip) At the 2.5 mile marker, my Cardiotrainer popped out with “19 minutes 40 seconds.” – I was thinking how cool it was that at least the first half was at an 8 minute mile pace. I kept going, and noticed that my calves were REALLY tired – so I was simply pleased at my time for the first half of the run while not being concerned at all about the second half. Read more ›
Tagged with: CardioTrainer, eight minute mile, Road running, running, seton catholic central
Posted in running
Posted in running
Weekend trend of non running? BROKEN!!!!!
So another weekend rolled around. I have, as of late – been super lazy from friday-monday. This has the obvious side effect of running always being painful since I am running for three days, and then taking 4 days off. I was bound and determined to break this unhealthy pattern I had developed.
Sunday I strapped up my running shoes (after dressing for running in the 30 degrees), and headed out! I thought to myself that a 7 mile run could be pleasant – so off I went on my loop over to Johnson City, across to Vestal, down to Binghamton, across the South Washington St. bridge and home. It was a blast! Once you get going, the chilly weather isn’t an issue as you become your own portable heater. I even had to take off my most excellent “Dead-Fish” hat that my wife had knitted me due to how warm I was getting!
The other runners and walkers that were out – were ALSO fantastic! Everyone of them smiled and returned my greetings! It was truly a great day to be out there! Read more ›
ANOTHER Road ID Giveaway!!!
This went over well last time – so I thought it might be time to do another one!
YOU can win a free ROAD ID!!! What is a Road ID you ask? It is a bracelet to wear while running/cycling/whenever that should an unexpected disaster hit – will let you be identified. Personally, I think it is an essential item for ANY runner/cyclist that is out on the roads. They even come in a variety of shapes/styles – Including one you put on your shoe, or in a dog tag.
There are multiple ways to enter, and you must leave a separate comment for each entry. If a comment lists multiple entries – it will only be counted once, so be sure to do it right! You want the best chance possible right?
You MUST do 1 or 2 or any other entries will not count!
1) Subscribe to this blog. (1 entry)
2) Become a Fan on Facebook. (1 entry)
3) Tweet the contest on twitter (1 entry) -Once and Future Runner (@rneidhardt) is giving away a free @RoadID! You can enter to win at https://onceandfuturerunner.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/another-road-id-giveaway/
4) Post about the giveaway on your blog, Facebook or Google Plus account (1 entry EACH!)
Remember to leave a separate comment to this post for EACH entry do! Contest will end on Feb 17th with the winner announced on Feb 20th!
Running in the spring time air..
So I purposefully didn’t get up to run yesterday morning.. Why? Because the forecast was for the mid 50’s in the afternoon! I was anxious all day to get home and out in to that spring weather (in January… I am LOVING this winter!) The stars aligned and somehow I got out of work on time. A quick jaunt home (and a complete reset of all my running apps on my phone due to reloading it from scratch) and off I went! I decided on a nice 4 mile route, considering I had taken a long weekend off again.
It was MARVELOUS!!! I didn’t have to wait long at any red light, and saw countless numbers of friendly walkers/joggers/cyclists. It was truly a day for out door activities!
Mile 1: 9:11 (had to stop and set up my music app)
Mile 2: 8:10
Mile 3: 8:03
Mile 4: 8:21
The run felt great! That’s really the only way to sum it up! THIS was the sort of day that makes one glad to be a runner..
Posted in running
Got up again! 3 miles done, running in a winter wonderland!
So, I got myself out of bed this morning – much to the unhappiness of a previously content purring kitty. After yesterday’s experience I made sure I had everything laid out for nice and easy access in the morning. It definitely made the process of getting ready easier. It also helped to make up for extra time spent making that kitty so content!
So, got the music going, clothes on, and tossed on the Vibram Five Fingers – opened the door to a sea of white. It seems we got some snow last night! (I like snow.) This made me a bit apprehensive – as I have been wondering how my VFFs would hold up in the fluffy white stuff. Yet – at the same time, it was exciting! I get to leave TOE FOOT PRINTS!!!! (Sometimes we runners are a simple folk…) Read more ›
Tagged with: Footprint, running, Running in the snow, Vibram Five Fingers, Winter Wonderland
Posted in running, vibram five fingers
Posted in running, vibram five fingers
I got up! I GOT UP!!!!!!
So, I have spoken often of how I run at night. I enjoy running at night. But, it has the downer of being FAR to easy to derail with anything from being stuck late at work, having to pick up some groceries or a child that got ill. All of these things can make it so I can’t run until 8 or 9. I don’t like running THAT late as it means I am not sleeping until after midnight.
I have had this idea of getting up and running at 5:30ish in the morning. I know it has alot of advantages. None of the things I mentioned can derail a morning workout – as they are afternoon items. I know that if I run in the morning, I am likely to be more productive quickly – as my coffee becomes a luxury, not an item I need to get moving. It also means that the world is quiet, there is less traffic – which means I am less likely to spend time stopped on corners.
It also means that my favorite part of the day is cut short, or non-existent. I love laying in bed before I have to get up. There are no responsibilities and no one bothering me. I am as snug as a bug in a rug and often have a kitty laying next to me with a purr filled with contentment..
This morning I made the Zoey-kitty unhappy and got out of bed at 5:30. I swear whatever powers that be were trying to make me get back in bed. I went to grab my compression shirt/pants and they weren’t there. Found another set. Went to grab my sweat shirt- it wasn’t there. Found another one. Went to grab my jacket….you guessed it. Found it – my wife had washed it (she is so awesome.). I found my spare set of gloves (my normal ones fell out of the coat in the wash.). Finally at 6, I was actually ready to go!
I headed out with my new Angry Birds hat to do five miles. Boy my legs didn’t want to go! They strongly to running twelve hours earlier then normal running time. They succeeded in catching up with today’s plan fairly quickly. Overall the run wasn’t too bad and was done at an acceptable pace considering the schedule change.
Here is to hoping I can keep it up!
The belt on the dreadmill goes round and round…
So last night my wife headed out to girl scouts with Elspeth while Bryce and I stayed home. He wasn’t feeling very well (like clutching a bucket sort of not feeling well.) With that being the case, it was time to dust off the frenemy of mine – the DREADMILL!!!! (boooooo hisssss!)
I hadn’t used it in a while, so I was pleased to hear it wind up when I plugged it in and inserted the little red thing. You know the one that is supposed to be plugged in, and the other goes attached to you in some way? So that if you fall it shuts off? Well, we just leave 
ours dangling. I’m not sure if anyone actually “wears” that thing. I don’t. But anyway, I turned it on and headed out at 7 mph. Well, I can’t really say “headed out.” I suppose I started up like a hamster on its wheel. at the 1 mile marker, I knocked it up to 9 mph for half a lap (200 meters), and then back down to 7 mph. I repeated this at the 2 mile marker.
At the 3 mile marker? I shut it off. I couldn’t take it anymore. I felt like I hadn’t done enough though, so I did a 1 mile walk at 3 mph, with an incline of 10. It’s the maximum that I can set it to. Why was walking less boring? Because I can read while I do it.
So at least a work out got done, even if I did have to use the dreadmill.
Posted in treadmill run
The Stick saved my legs.
Ok, so my posts here are a very accurate representation of my exercising. No post = No exercising. I will admit that sometimes there is a delay in getting that post up, but if you look at my daily mile account and compare it to here, it is rare that they don’t match.
That means I have not been running much in the last couple of weeks. I am having a huge problem with motivation. It is way to easy to have things come up – and let them knock out my exercising. It can be anything from kid’s events (understandable, but I am almost always capable of planning around it), to lack of sleep (I need to suck it up, buttercup) to a new video game (talk about a lame, lame excuse.)
I want to be in shape. I want to be running regularly. But all to often its difficult. I somehow don’t doubt that this reflects most people’s attitudes toward exercise. They want the results, but are having problems putting the work in – for whatever reason.
Well, last night (40 degrees again!) I headed out the door, and decided to do “the loop.” – this loop goes down to the South Washington St. Walking Bridge downtown, over to the south side, up to old vestal road, back across the river to the Johnson City Traffic Circle – and on home. All in all, Cardio trainer lists it as 7.25 miles. This has been a very consistent measurement, so I believe it. Well, taking time off and going to six miles did concern me but I just ran at the speed I felt like running while jamming to I Heart Radio. (I love that app.)
It felt good, and my splits were better than I might have thought they would be. I averaged just around a 9 minute mile the whole way.
Mile 1: 8:36
Mile 2: 9:31 <– 2 major traffic lights.
Mile 3: 8:30
Mile 4: 9:00
Mile 5: 8:47
Mile 6: 9:14
Mile 7: 9:12
I’m pretty pleased with that. If I maintain a 9 minute mile for the Boilermaker It would have me crossing at 1:23:53 – 6 minutes faster than last year. I am hoping by then – I will be down to an 8 minute mile (1:15)
As for the title.. I used my “The Stick” very well after my run. Today? My legs are tired – but NOT sore. I would have expected to be near agony when I woke up this morning. Sometimes its nice to be wrong!
2013 Was an amazing year, for me, So I am really looking forward to 2014!
Once and Future Runner 