With the snowfall yesterday, I decided to be daring and take the recently fixed treadmill out for a little jaunt. I thought it would be an interesting test (not just for the treadmill repair, but for me as well) since I could not make a full mile the last time I decided to run... which was well over a month ago.
Needless to say, I changed into some running clothes and just started running. To my surprise, I ran quite well. I completed a mile well under the expectation I had set for myself for not having run in some time. I was not even breaking a sweat (proof that running on a treadmill is vastly different from running on the road). Regardless, I was pleasantly surprise by the run.
Perhaps this will motivate me to run more. Even with my son (Braden), who passed away a while ago, I always had this vision in my head that I would be one of those parents who ran while pushing our baby in a jogging stroller or something like that. Unfortunately, I never had that opportunity with Braden. This time around, the thought is still a possibility. (And for anyone curious, our baby is named "Ori" this week... in honor of four navel oranges.) But we'll see how things go with Ori.
Anyway, yesterday Karen and I also watched the next movie in her Netflix queue: Ghost Town. Now I suck at Ghost Town.
(The video below is a trailer for Ghost Town.)
Apparently, we have been on a Ricky Gervais run of late (having watched "The Invention of Lying" not too long ago as well.) The movie is about a very unfriendly dentist who ends up being able to see dead people. Truth be told, I thought the movie was okay. It was entertaining.
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Showing posts with label running. Show all posts
Friday, March 5, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
I Suck At Home Improvement
Today was my day to unwind.
After all, the past couple of days I have been a little stressed and concerned... more for Karen and our unborn child than for me. I just have to keep telling myself that we just have to make 12 more weeks. I will be a lot more relaxed come May 2 (the due date of our child). But the thought of losing our child much like how we lost our first son (Braden)... definitely not a good feeling.
So to unwind, I began my day like any normal person: I went running. It's a very sad state that I am in. I have not gone running (or even exercised) in quite a long time. In fact, I don't even remember the last time I did anything other than type away at the computer.
Sadly, I could not even run a full mile. I am guessing the five pounds that I have gained since Karen has been pregnant has not done me any favors. I practically keeled over when I was done and had enough. Needless to say, I will need to work more on my running. And by work more, I mean... actually run consistently.
Following my little saunter, my favorite brother-in-law (PJ) came over. I had asked him for some advice about the bathroom on our first floor that I have been working on. Yes, I have been working on this bathroom for a very long time. I definitely suck at home improvement. It's no surprise.
I guess you can say I find home improvement much like a workout (like running). I don't mind doing it. It's the motivation to actually get myself to do it that is the problem. I can probably think of a bunch of excuses not to work on the house on any given day... much like I can think of a bunch of excuses not to run on any given day. I don't have anyone to blame except myself. I just simply need to do it.
Luckily for me, PJ happened to be that catalyst. With PJ's advice, the both of us started tearing up the subfloor of the first floor bathroom. For anyone curious, there was water damage to the subfloor. The water damage has been there for a while. I knew it had to be torn up and replaced. I just never wanted to do it (a.k.a. the motivation thing) because I knew it was going to be a pain.
Anyway, once PJ got me started in the right direction, I took off from there. Thanks PJ! Destroying things is a great way to relieve stress. It was actually pretty fun to remove part of the subfloor. For anyone wanting to relieve stress, I recommend destroying things. (Hulk smash!)
Needless to say, I spent much of the entire day working on the first floor bathroom. The only time I took a break was for dinner and a brief jaunt out for some grocery shopping. In case anyone is curious, Saturday nights around 8 is a great time to go food shopping. No one is shopping at that time... probably because everyone but me has a life.
When I got home after grocery shopping, Karen was still asleep. So I basically went back to the first floor bathroom and did some more work on the subfloor. And it probably should come as no surprise that the insulation under the subfloor is not the proper insulation. Truth be told, I probably would have replaced the insulation anyway in my effort to make a more greener house.
Speaking of a greener house, PJ gave Karen and I a great idea for one of our other rooms. For lack of a better word, we have a back mudroom. PJ suggested we convert it to a green house. I liked that idea. I'll have to remember to look into that... after the first floor bathroom renovation.
Anyway, I had a good day to unwind.
After all, the past couple of days I have been a little stressed and concerned... more for Karen and our unborn child than for me. I just have to keep telling myself that we just have to make 12 more weeks. I will be a lot more relaxed come May 2 (the due date of our child). But the thought of losing our child much like how we lost our first son (Braden)... definitely not a good feeling.
So to unwind, I began my day like any normal person: I went running. It's a very sad state that I am in. I have not gone running (or even exercised) in quite a long time. In fact, I don't even remember the last time I did anything other than type away at the computer.
Sadly, I could not even run a full mile. I am guessing the five pounds that I have gained since Karen has been pregnant has not done me any favors. I practically keeled over when I was done and had enough. Needless to say, I will need to work more on my running. And by work more, I mean... actually run consistently.
Following my little saunter, my favorite brother-in-law (PJ) came over. I had asked him for some advice about the bathroom on our first floor that I have been working on. Yes, I have been working on this bathroom for a very long time. I definitely suck at home improvement. It's no surprise.
I guess you can say I find home improvement much like a workout (like running). I don't mind doing it. It's the motivation to actually get myself to do it that is the problem. I can probably think of a bunch of excuses not to work on the house on any given day... much like I can think of a bunch of excuses not to run on any given day. I don't have anyone to blame except myself. I just simply need to do it.
Luckily for me, PJ happened to be that catalyst. With PJ's advice, the both of us started tearing up the subfloor of the first floor bathroom. For anyone curious, there was water damage to the subfloor. The water damage has been there for a while. I knew it had to be torn up and replaced. I just never wanted to do it (a.k.a. the motivation thing) because I knew it was going to be a pain.
Anyway, once PJ got me started in the right direction, I took off from there. Thanks PJ! Destroying things is a great way to relieve stress. It was actually pretty fun to remove part of the subfloor. For anyone wanting to relieve stress, I recommend destroying things. (Hulk smash!)
Needless to say, I spent much of the entire day working on the first floor bathroom. The only time I took a break was for dinner and a brief jaunt out for some grocery shopping. In case anyone is curious, Saturday nights around 8 is a great time to go food shopping. No one is shopping at that time... probably because everyone but me has a life.
When I got home after grocery shopping, Karen was still asleep. So I basically went back to the first floor bathroom and did some more work on the subfloor. And it probably should come as no surprise that the insulation under the subfloor is not the proper insulation. Truth be told, I probably would have replaced the insulation anyway in my effort to make a more greener house.
Speaking of a greener house, PJ gave Karen and I a great idea for one of our other rooms. For lack of a better word, we have a back mudroom. PJ suggested we convert it to a green house. I liked that idea. I'll have to remember to look into that... after the first floor bathroom renovation.
Anyway, I had a good day to unwind.
Monday, May 18, 2009
I Suck At Running With Andrea
on friday, i decided to do something i haven't done in a week: go running. the last time i went running was with my friend (andrea). now, i suck at running with andrea.
last week, andrea and i went running while karen finished working her part-time job at the south shore ymca in quincy. the two of us ran for quite some time last week. as a result, andrea mentioned to me about how sore her legs were for the rest of the week. consequently, andrea was quite excited to run with me again on friday while karen worked at the ymca.
unfortunately on friday, we did not get to run as long this time around which is probably a good thing because i had some tightness in my quads... an obvious result of my sitting at a desk all day, i'm sure. anyway karen had finished early at the ymca since her class participants did not show. she had waited over the normal waiting limit before deciding to leave the class.
nevertheless, with karen finishing early with her class, the three of us decided to walk a few laps around the ymca's outdoor track before calling it a day. it was actually a good walk, in part because my legs were still tight. regardless, we discussed some things like our upcoming vacation together.
our vacation is not until july, but we talking about making the necessary preparations and all of that... in terms of food... and driving... and whatnot. for anyone curious, andrea, karen, my bff (kerry) and i rented a house for one week in onset. karen is pretty excited about the vacation... in part because she needs a break from things. so hanging out with her friends for a week is probably a good thing for her.
anyway, despite not really having a running workout on friday, i thought it was a good time.
last week, andrea and i went running while karen finished working her part-time job at the south shore ymca in quincy. the two of us ran for quite some time last week. as a result, andrea mentioned to me about how sore her legs were for the rest of the week. consequently, andrea was quite excited to run with me again on friday while karen worked at the ymca.
unfortunately on friday, we did not get to run as long this time around which is probably a good thing because i had some tightness in my quads... an obvious result of my sitting at a desk all day, i'm sure. anyway karen had finished early at the ymca since her class participants did not show. she had waited over the normal waiting limit before deciding to leave the class.
nevertheless, with karen finishing early with her class, the three of us decided to walk a few laps around the ymca's outdoor track before calling it a day. it was actually a good walk, in part because my legs were still tight. regardless, we discussed some things like our upcoming vacation together.
our vacation is not until july, but we talking about making the necessary preparations and all of that... in terms of food... and driving... and whatnot. for anyone curious, andrea, karen, my bff (kerry) and i rented a house for one week in onset. karen is pretty excited about the vacation... in part because she needs a break from things. so hanging out with her friends for a week is probably a good thing for her.
anyway, despite not really having a running workout on friday, i thought it was a good time.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
I Suck At Running
every friday, karen works part-time at the south shore ymca in quincy. for the past few weeks, i have decided to at least do some sort of physical activity while i wait for karen as she finishes working at the ymca. that physical activity: running.
now, i suck at running. i don't particularly enjoy running long distances. in terms of muscle fibers, my body makeup has historically leaned more toward fast twitch(ie. sprinting) than slow twitch (ie. distance). although these days, i would be happy if my muscles twitched at all. (for a quick anatomy and physiology walkthrough on muscle fibers, see my friend about.com.)
one of the things i do, however, enjoy about running is the feeling afterwards. the feeling is not so much a feeling of "why on earth did i just put my body through this long agonizing run", but more like a clearing of the mind. this clearing of the mind is commonly referred to as a "runner's high"... or an endorphin rush.
and according to my friend wikipedia:
"The term endorphin rush has been adopted in popular speech to refer to feelings of exhilaration brought on by pain, danger, or other forms of stress, supposedly due to the influence of endorphins. When a nerve impulse reaches the spinal cord, endorphins are released which prevent nerve cells from releasing more pain signals. Immediately after injury, endorphins allow humans to feel a sense of power and control over themselves that allows them to persist with activity for an extended time."
anyway, with the upcoming commercial holiday known as mother's day... and the possible dilemma of getting a present for karen, i figured i would unwind and gather my thoughts. so like any good junkie, i turned to my endorphins and ran on friday.
i originally had plans to run with my friend (jen) in the morning. unfortunately, jen was not feeling too well. so needless to say, those plans fell through.
on the spur of the moment, i asked to see if my friend (andrea) were interested in running at the ymca. as it turned out, andrea was up for a little run.
(pictured below is andrea... and wally... at the ymca.)
anyway, i had great time running with andrea. it was good to just run and socialize... and clear my head of any thoughts or whatever about mother's day and the loss of my son (braden). andrea and i ran for quite some time too, so it was definitely a good workout. i hope andrea enjoyed the run as much as i did.
now, i suck at running. i don't particularly enjoy running long distances. in terms of muscle fibers, my body makeup has historically leaned more toward fast twitch(ie. sprinting) than slow twitch (ie. distance). although these days, i would be happy if my muscles twitched at all. (for a quick anatomy and physiology walkthrough on muscle fibers, see my friend about.com.)
one of the things i do, however, enjoy about running is the feeling afterwards. the feeling is not so much a feeling of "why on earth did i just put my body through this long agonizing run", but more like a clearing of the mind. this clearing of the mind is commonly referred to as a "runner's high"... or an endorphin rush.
and according to my friend wikipedia:
"The term endorphin rush has been adopted in popular speech to refer to feelings of exhilaration brought on by pain, danger, or other forms of stress, supposedly due to the influence of endorphins. When a nerve impulse reaches the spinal cord, endorphins are released which prevent nerve cells from releasing more pain signals. Immediately after injury, endorphins allow humans to feel a sense of power and control over themselves that allows them to persist with activity for an extended time."
anyway, with the upcoming commercial holiday known as mother's day... and the possible dilemma of getting a present for karen, i figured i would unwind and gather my thoughts. so like any good junkie, i turned to my endorphins and ran on friday.
i originally had plans to run with my friend (jen) in the morning. unfortunately, jen was not feeling too well. so needless to say, those plans fell through.
on the spur of the moment, i asked to see if my friend (andrea) were interested in running at the ymca. as it turned out, andrea was up for a little run.
(pictured below is andrea... and wally... at the ymca.)
anyway, i had great time running with andrea. it was good to just run and socialize... and clear my head of any thoughts or whatever about mother's day and the loss of my son (braden). andrea and i ran for quite some time too, so it was definitely a good workout. i hope andrea enjoyed the run as much as i did.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
I Suck At Running WIth Jen
today, i started the day off on the right foot. (the day would eventually get worse as the day progressed... but at least i started off on the right foot.)
i began my morning by visiting my friend (jen) in quincy. i feel like i have not hung out with jen in quite some time. i may have seen her once or twice recently, but it was just for something quick (like at the train station yesterday when i picked up karen).
anyway, jen had asked awhile ago if i would be interested in running with her in the morning on her day off from work after dropping karen off at the train station. naturally, i agreed. unfortunately, i suck at running with jen.
i almost did not get to run with jen today. after all, the weather was not exactly cooperating as the clouds absolutely poured yesterday. luckily, the morning proved to be much better. the only problem this morning: traffic. driving karen to the train station took quite some time. there was an unusual amount of traffic this morning on the roads. i have no idea why, but it was quite frustrating. i can understand why my favorite brother-in-law (pj) dislikes traffic so much.
eventually, i dropped karen off at the train station and made my way to jen's place. after a brief greeting from her dog (pugsley), the both of us went for our run. i wish i ran more consistently. the last time i ran was friday of last week... and that was just on a whim because i was waiting for some people to show up at the ymca in quincy. (the people never showed up.)
nonetheless, jen and i ran at wollaston beach. jen has a routine where she runs between light posts along the beach. when all was said and done, jen and i ended up running three miles together. it was quite fun. we just talked about random and silly things along the way. surprisingly, there were not even that many people running along the beach this morning... probably because it was still early in the morning.
i think jen wants to get a running club going again... which i think would be fun. after all, i do enjoy the social aspect of running (as well as the physical aspect). in fact, i was talking to jen today about how runners always seem to say hi to other runners while they are running... even though they might not even know each other. it's like a secret brotherhood or something.
anyway, i had a great time running with jen today. perhaps we can run again on her next day off.
i began my morning by visiting my friend (jen) in quincy. i feel like i have not hung out with jen in quite some time. i may have seen her once or twice recently, but it was just for something quick (like at the train station yesterday when i picked up karen).
anyway, jen had asked awhile ago if i would be interested in running with her in the morning on her day off from work after dropping karen off at the train station. naturally, i agreed. unfortunately, i suck at running with jen.
i almost did not get to run with jen today. after all, the weather was not exactly cooperating as the clouds absolutely poured yesterday. luckily, the morning proved to be much better. the only problem this morning: traffic. driving karen to the train station took quite some time. there was an unusual amount of traffic this morning on the roads. i have no idea why, but it was quite frustrating. i can understand why my favorite brother-in-law (pj) dislikes traffic so much.
eventually, i dropped karen off at the train station and made my way to jen's place. after a brief greeting from her dog (pugsley), the both of us went for our run. i wish i ran more consistently. the last time i ran was friday of last week... and that was just on a whim because i was waiting for some people to show up at the ymca in quincy. (the people never showed up.)
nonetheless, jen and i ran at wollaston beach. jen has a routine where she runs between light posts along the beach. when all was said and done, jen and i ended up running three miles together. it was quite fun. we just talked about random and silly things along the way. surprisingly, there were not even that many people running along the beach this morning... probably because it was still early in the morning.
i think jen wants to get a running club going again... which i think would be fun. after all, i do enjoy the social aspect of running (as well as the physical aspect). in fact, i was talking to jen today about how runners always seem to say hi to other runners while they are running... even though they might not even know each other. it's like a secret brotherhood or something.
anyway, i had a great time running with jen today. perhaps we can run again on her next day off.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
I Suck At The John Carson 2 Mile Road Race
yesterday was the fourth of july. happy independence day america!
naturally, like any good american, i celebrated america's independence by... of all things... running a 2 mile road race. more specifically, i ran the 20th annual john carson 2 mile road race in chelmsford.
for anyone curious, john carson is not the comedian and former host of the tonight show, johnny carson. (insert ed mcmahon's "yes!") this john carson was a chelmsford high star runner who was struck and killed by a train during a training run on december 30, 1987. thus, the proceeds from the race go to the scholarship fund bearing his name.
now, i suck at the john carson 2 mile road race. i probably would not have ran the race had it not been for my favorite sister-in-law (janine). janine had heard about the race some time ago and was very much interested in running the road race in her bid to become more fit. so to support my favorite sister-in-law, karen and i agreed to run the race with her.
when the three of us had decided to run, we had also hoped that karen and janine's cousin (karlene) would also be interested in running the race with us. karlene used to be a distance running freak. since college, however, karlene has had some setbacks and has been quite hesitant to run distance. (i would say karlene is quite competitive, and the reason for her hesitation is that she would be extremely dissatisfied and upset with her current running ability as she would be comparing it with her "glory days". but, that's just my opinion. if i compared my own abilities of today with my "glory days"... i'd be quite upset with a lot of things too... like my diminishing video gaming skills. a man needs his video games!)
needless to say, the idea of a "cousin's race" was not enough to tempt karlene to run again. it did, however, get her husband (tommy) to run the race (even though he left us in the dust with his friend, kevin, during the actual race).
so with no "cousin's race", things were looking pretty grim from the get-go. in addition, the rain was just coming down... and down... and down. (from past experiences, the road race is usually hot and sunny... not yesterday.) the temperature was cold. as all of us took shelter by the local liquor store waiting for the race to start, i dreaded the idea of running with wet boxers, wet socks, and wet sneakers. (i was even tempted to skip the race altogether and just hang out at the liquor store... it could have been more fun.) then all of a sudden... the rain stopped! (apparently mother nature does occasionally feel bad for me.)
(pictured below are janine and karen before the start of the road race.)
with the weather lightening up, we were able to run the two mile road race. the race was full of runners... men... women... children... young... old. there was just a fun atmosphere during the race. i think the most interesting part of the race for me was when everyone went under the bridge near the beginning of the race. everyone was hooting, hollering and cheering, and the sounds were just echoing off the walls. it was fantastic!
the race itself was not so bad either. there were people throughout the course cheering everyone on (in part because they were getting ready for the parade directly afterwards). karen and janine's aunt and uncle (denise and paul) cheered for us, as did karlene, and janine's family (pj, kaleigh and little pj) and kevin's family. it was nice.
anyway, the three of us finished the race together. according to the official results, janine finished 1556 out of 1645 runners. with her time of 27:41, she was 99 out of 111 for her age category. (that basically works out to a mile pace of 13:51.) that's pretty good! she did very well.
all in all, the race was a good time. (of course, getting free food afterwards and a free t-shirt also makes the road race seem all the much better.) i think janine enjoyed it as well (and that really is all that matters).
naturally, like any good american, i celebrated america's independence by... of all things... running a 2 mile road race. more specifically, i ran the 20th annual john carson 2 mile road race in chelmsford.
for anyone curious, john carson is not the comedian and former host of the tonight show, johnny carson. (insert ed mcmahon's "yes!") this john carson was a chelmsford high star runner who was struck and killed by a train during a training run on december 30, 1987. thus, the proceeds from the race go to the scholarship fund bearing his name.
now, i suck at the john carson 2 mile road race. i probably would not have ran the race had it not been for my favorite sister-in-law (janine). janine had heard about the race some time ago and was very much interested in running the road race in her bid to become more fit. so to support my favorite sister-in-law, karen and i agreed to run the race with her.
when the three of us had decided to run, we had also hoped that karen and janine's cousin (karlene) would also be interested in running the race with us. karlene used to be a distance running freak. since college, however, karlene has had some setbacks and has been quite hesitant to run distance. (i would say karlene is quite competitive, and the reason for her hesitation is that she would be extremely dissatisfied and upset with her current running ability as she would be comparing it with her "glory days". but, that's just my opinion. if i compared my own abilities of today with my "glory days"... i'd be quite upset with a lot of things too... like my diminishing video gaming skills. a man needs his video games!)
needless to say, the idea of a "cousin's race" was not enough to tempt karlene to run again. it did, however, get her husband (tommy) to run the race (even though he left us in the dust with his friend, kevin, during the actual race).
so with no "cousin's race", things were looking pretty grim from the get-go. in addition, the rain was just coming down... and down... and down. (from past experiences, the road race is usually hot and sunny... not yesterday.) the temperature was cold. as all of us took shelter by the local liquor store waiting for the race to start, i dreaded the idea of running with wet boxers, wet socks, and wet sneakers. (i was even tempted to skip the race altogether and just hang out at the liquor store... it could have been more fun.) then all of a sudden... the rain stopped! (apparently mother nature does occasionally feel bad for me.)
(pictured below are janine and karen before the start of the road race.)
with the weather lightening up, we were able to run the two mile road race. the race was full of runners... men... women... children... young... old. there was just a fun atmosphere during the race. i think the most interesting part of the race for me was when everyone went under the bridge near the beginning of the race. everyone was hooting, hollering and cheering, and the sounds were just echoing off the walls. it was fantastic!
the race itself was not so bad either. there were people throughout the course cheering everyone on (in part because they were getting ready for the parade directly afterwards). karen and janine's aunt and uncle (denise and paul) cheered for us, as did karlene, and janine's family (pj, kaleigh and little pj) and kevin's family. it was nice.
anyway, the three of us finished the race together. according to the official results, janine finished 1556 out of 1645 runners. with her time of 27:41, she was 99 out of 111 for her age category. (that basically works out to a mile pace of 13:51.) that's pretty good! she did very well.
all in all, the race was a good time. (of course, getting free food afterwards and a free t-shirt also makes the road race seem all the much better.) i think janine enjoyed it as well (and that really is all that matters).
Monday, June 30, 2008
I Suck At Running
today, i had a slight bout of insanity.
karen was working late tonight, so i had some time to kill before picking her up at the subway station. you'd think with the extra free time today, i would decide to do something fun or possibly take a nap or something. nope, i decided to go running today.
i haven't gone running in quite some time. because i have not run in quite some time, i figured today would be a good time to start. after all, i am apparently running a road race in four days. my favorite sister-in-law (janine) heard about a two mile road race in chelmsford on the fourth of july. the road race is known as the john carson road race (not to be confused with johnny carson... insert ed mcmahon's "yes!").
anyway, karen and i ran the john carson two mile road race several years ago. the race is actually pretty fun because 1) it's not that long (only two miles) and 2) people are all lined up along the course cheering you on. (there is a parade immediately following the road race so people line up early to get seats.) plus, there is always food after the race. food is always good.
needless to say, after hearing about the race, janine was excited to run the road race. i'm quite proud of janine. she seems to have made working out/losing weight a lifestyle change (and not a cyclical activity that most others fall prey to). so in support, karen and i said we'd run with her on the fourth of july.
so naturally, with the road race approaching in four days, i figured i had to start some sort of distance running. as i was in quincy and in need of a course to practice running on, there was only one course that i knew of... the degan road race course. unfortunately, the degan road race course that i know is 5k (which is a little over 3 miles).
thinking nothing about the distance, i started running the 5k course. i suck at running. of course, the heat and humidity did not help. i could never run in the humidity. add to the humidity, the fact that i was wearing flannel boxers... and you can imagine how dreadful today's run was. (don't ask me why i was wearing flannel boxers... they were the first things i grabbed this morning.)
all in all, my run today was downright awful. i had sweat pouring off of me; i was dehydrated; my knee started hurting with every stride midway through the course; my right quadriceps started tightening (from my dehydration i imagine). the only good news is that i finished the course. i actually think the degan 5k course is short of 5k as i had made a complete loop well within half an hour.
when all was said and done though, i'm glad i ran today. i just hope i'm not too sore (or injured) tomorrow.
karen was working late tonight, so i had some time to kill before picking her up at the subway station. you'd think with the extra free time today, i would decide to do something fun or possibly take a nap or something. nope, i decided to go running today.
i haven't gone running in quite some time. because i have not run in quite some time, i figured today would be a good time to start. after all, i am apparently running a road race in four days. my favorite sister-in-law (janine) heard about a two mile road race in chelmsford on the fourth of july. the road race is known as the john carson road race (not to be confused with johnny carson... insert ed mcmahon's "yes!").
anyway, karen and i ran the john carson two mile road race several years ago. the race is actually pretty fun because 1) it's not that long (only two miles) and 2) people are all lined up along the course cheering you on. (there is a parade immediately following the road race so people line up early to get seats.) plus, there is always food after the race. food is always good.
needless to say, after hearing about the race, janine was excited to run the road race. i'm quite proud of janine. she seems to have made working out/losing weight a lifestyle change (and not a cyclical activity that most others fall prey to). so in support, karen and i said we'd run with her on the fourth of july.
so naturally, with the road race approaching in four days, i figured i had to start some sort of distance running. as i was in quincy and in need of a course to practice running on, there was only one course that i knew of... the degan road race course. unfortunately, the degan road race course that i know is 5k (which is a little over 3 miles).
thinking nothing about the distance, i started running the 5k course. i suck at running. of course, the heat and humidity did not help. i could never run in the humidity. add to the humidity, the fact that i was wearing flannel boxers... and you can imagine how dreadful today's run was. (don't ask me why i was wearing flannel boxers... they were the first things i grabbed this morning.)
all in all, my run today was downright awful. i had sweat pouring off of me; i was dehydrated; my knee started hurting with every stride midway through the course; my right quadriceps started tightening (from my dehydration i imagine). the only good news is that i finished the course. i actually think the degan 5k course is short of 5k as i had made a complete loop well within half an hour.
when all was said and done though, i'm glad i ran today. i just hope i'm not too sore (or injured) tomorrow.
Monday, May 5, 2008
I Still Suck At Personal Training
apparently after watching iron man in the theaters, my personal training duties were not completely finished yesterday.
my friend (hot amy) came over to finalize the grades for the class that her and karen were teaching. after grading, karen and hot amy went shopping to celebrate. i had arrived back from the movie just in time to celebrate the dinner aspect. shortly afterwards, we did a quick workout... we ran.
for any of you who are wondering, this running with hot amy yesterday did not come completely out of the blue. she had actually asked me about running some time ago. believe me, i was surprised when she had first asked because it was well known that hot amy does not like to sweat. naturally, i agreed to show her how to run.
i had envisioned hot amy to run like phoebe in that friends episode where phoebe and rachel begin running together in the park. thus, i pictured hot amy to run with her arms flailing. i was quite surprised to find out that she's not bad at running... apparently because she used to do quincy track club way back when. she even had some ribbons from races. who knew?
anyway, i think one of the reasons why hot amy wants to learn how to run is not necessarily the getting in shape aspect of it, but more of the competitiveness of it. awhile ago, i thought it would be interesting to see hot amy race against her bff (andrea) who also never ran before. thus, i had imagined two women sprinting down a race track with their arms flailing around. soon, that got the gears in my head turning and thinking about the possibility of having a race between karen, kerry, jen, hot amy, andrea, janine, terri, etc.
and with the olympics coming this year, i immediately thought of the 100 meter dash (because i associate that event with the olympics... which is also one of the reasons why i even began running track and field in high school. yes, i had such aspirations growing up.) anyway, as 100 meters would be too long for non-runners, i decided to shorten the possible race to 50 meters. thus, i proposed the idea to some friends and for the most part, all of them were on board.
so needless to say, i think hot amy is more concerned about winning this 50 meter race than actually running per se. (i was actually tempted to add a video clip of her running to this blog post to show how hot amy was actually a decent runner, but thought against doing so because i didn't want other competitors to get an edge... you know... level playing field.)
anyway, i hope hot amy enjoyed the quick running lesson. perhaps this will spark her interest to run more, in which case she can join the friday night running club (which has been on hiatus for a little while). just kidding. that may be too much to ask...
my friend (hot amy) came over to finalize the grades for the class that her and karen were teaching. after grading, karen and hot amy went shopping to celebrate. i had arrived back from the movie just in time to celebrate the dinner aspect. shortly afterwards, we did a quick workout... we ran.
for any of you who are wondering, this running with hot amy yesterday did not come completely out of the blue. she had actually asked me about running some time ago. believe me, i was surprised when she had first asked because it was well known that hot amy does not like to sweat. naturally, i agreed to show her how to run.
i had envisioned hot amy to run like phoebe in that friends episode where phoebe and rachel begin running together in the park. thus, i pictured hot amy to run with her arms flailing. i was quite surprised to find out that she's not bad at running... apparently because she used to do quincy track club way back when. she even had some ribbons from races. who knew?
anyway, i think one of the reasons why hot amy wants to learn how to run is not necessarily the getting in shape aspect of it, but more of the competitiveness of it. awhile ago, i thought it would be interesting to see hot amy race against her bff (andrea) who also never ran before. thus, i had imagined two women sprinting down a race track with their arms flailing around. soon, that got the gears in my head turning and thinking about the possibility of having a race between karen, kerry, jen, hot amy, andrea, janine, terri, etc.
and with the olympics coming this year, i immediately thought of the 100 meter dash (because i associate that event with the olympics... which is also one of the reasons why i even began running track and field in high school. yes, i had such aspirations growing up.) anyway, as 100 meters would be too long for non-runners, i decided to shorten the possible race to 50 meters. thus, i proposed the idea to some friends and for the most part, all of them were on board.
so needless to say, i think hot amy is more concerned about winning this 50 meter race than actually running per se. (i was actually tempted to add a video clip of her running to this blog post to show how hot amy was actually a decent runner, but thought against doing so because i didn't want other competitors to get an edge... you know... level playing field.)
anyway, i hope hot amy enjoyed the quick running lesson. perhaps this will spark her interest to run more, in which case she can join the friday night running club (which has been on hiatus for a little while). just kidding. that may be too much to ask...
Friday, March 14, 2008
I Suck At Running Drills
i suck at running drills.
as i was working out with my friend (andrea), i started to think of some of the running drills that i used to do when i was running track.
here are some of the drills as detailed by runnersworld:
"Over years of running, inefficiencies can creep into your stride. Often, an injury changes the way you run. Or maybe one leg has become stronger than the other for some reason, or you've started swinging your arms across your chest too much.
Stride drills can help. Most world-class runners do some sort of stride drills after their daily workouts. They know these simple exercises optimize their stride by searing proper mechanics into muscle memory. Niggling flaws work themselves out, posture improves, forward movement is accentuated. Following are four excellent stride drills to incorporate into your running program (a level grass field is the best place for them). Aim for two to four of each drill per session and cover at least 50 meters when you do each one.
High knees
Just like it sounds. Drive your knees skyward with each stride, like a drill major in a marching band. Don't worry about forward speed. Simply lift those knees high. This drill strengthens your hip flexor muscles and improves your push-off power.
Butt kicks
Almost the opposite of high knees in that you're doing an exaggerated back kick. Literally, you should be "kicking your butt" with the heel with each stride. This drill stretches and strengthens your quadriceps muscles.
Skipping
Yep, just like you used to do in grade school. Use a slightly exaggerated arm motion to propel yourself upward and forward. Skipping improves your coordination and push-off power.
Bounding
As if you were jumping from one rock to another, exaggerate your normal running stride's height and length. Run in slow motion, alternately letting each foot do all the work of absorbing impact, then pushing off. This drill improves coordination and strengthens glutes and calves."
as i was working out with my friend (andrea), i started to think of some of the running drills that i used to do when i was running track.
here are some of the drills as detailed by runnersworld:
"Over years of running, inefficiencies can creep into your stride. Often, an injury changes the way you run. Or maybe one leg has become stronger than the other for some reason, or you've started swinging your arms across your chest too much.
Stride drills can help. Most world-class runners do some sort of stride drills after their daily workouts. They know these simple exercises optimize their stride by searing proper mechanics into muscle memory. Niggling flaws work themselves out, posture improves, forward movement is accentuated. Following are four excellent stride drills to incorporate into your running program (a level grass field is the best place for them). Aim for two to four of each drill per session and cover at least 50 meters when you do each one.
High knees
Just like it sounds. Drive your knees skyward with each stride, like a drill major in a marching band. Don't worry about forward speed. Simply lift those knees high. This drill strengthens your hip flexor muscles and improves your push-off power.
Butt kicks
Almost the opposite of high knees in that you're doing an exaggerated back kick. Literally, you should be "kicking your butt" with the heel with each stride. This drill stretches and strengthens your quadriceps muscles.
Skipping
Yep, just like you used to do in grade school. Use a slightly exaggerated arm motion to propel yourself upward and forward. Skipping improves your coordination and push-off power.
Bounding
As if you were jumping from one rock to another, exaggerate your normal running stride's height and length. Run in slow motion, alternately letting each foot do all the work of absorbing impact, then pushing off. This drill improves coordination and strengthens glutes and calves."
I Suck At Coaching
karen is away at newport this weekend for st. patrick's day. i hope she is enjoying the women's weekend because she seemed like she needed a little break from things (including me). so while she is gone... i am going to party it up like a rock star with the sluts and the booze... not necessarily in that order... just kidding.
today, i actually went to workout with my friend (andrea) who did not attend the st. patrick's day weekend with the ladies. (pictured below is andrea at the ymca track, which is where we worked out.)
anyway, today was the first time i got to work out with andrea since we started the high intensity interval training together. as i had already did my workout during lunch at work, i attempted to help andrea with her workout because she was unfamiliar with certain aspects of running. as it turns out, i suck at coaching.
coaching runners is nothing new to me. i was an assistant track coach for notre dame academy for a season (notre dame academy is an all women's catholic high school.) granted, that was a long time ago. so i was a bit rusty when i attempted to help andrea.
anyway, we ended up primarily doing running drills until the rain came down. i hope andrea was not disappointed that she did not really get to workout. i thought it would be better in the long run for andrea to develop better running form, than to possibly hurt herself by running with improper form.
regardless, she did very well today.
today, i actually went to workout with my friend (andrea) who did not attend the st. patrick's day weekend with the ladies. (pictured below is andrea at the ymca track, which is where we worked out.)
anyway, today was the first time i got to work out with andrea since we started the high intensity interval training together. as i had already did my workout during lunch at work, i attempted to help andrea with her workout because she was unfamiliar with certain aspects of running. as it turns out, i suck at coaching.
coaching runners is nothing new to me. i was an assistant track coach for notre dame academy for a season (notre dame academy is an all women's catholic high school.) granted, that was a long time ago. so i was a bit rusty when i attempted to help andrea.
anyway, we ended up primarily doing running drills until the rain came down. i hope andrea was not disappointed that she did not really get to workout. i thought it would be better in the long run for andrea to develop better running form, than to possibly hurt herself by running with improper form.
regardless, she did very well today.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
I Suck At Running
i forgot, today i was talking with a friend of mine (andrea) and the subject of running came up. andrea's "bff", who is known in some circles as "hot" amy does not like to sweat... which is a reasonable dislike i suppose. in fact, hot amy really does not like to run (i'm thinking because it would probably cause her to sweat).
naturally, i joked that the reason why hot amy does not like to run is because she probably runs like phoebe in that friends episode (season 6 episode 7). the synopsis of the episode is that rachel and phoebe decide to run together in the park every day, whereby rachel becomes embarrassed by phoebe's flailing running style. andrea, the good bff that she is, said that she ran more like phoebe than amy.
anyway, that got me thinking about proper running form. so here is an article detailing proper running form according to runner's world:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267-268-8210-0,00.html
PUBLISHED 06/16/2005
naturally, i joked that the reason why hot amy does not like to run is because she probably runs like phoebe in that friends episode (season 6 episode 7). the synopsis of the episode is that rachel and phoebe decide to run together in the park every day, whereby rachel becomes embarrassed by phoebe's flailing running style. andrea, the good bff that she is, said that she ran more like phoebe than amy.
anyway, that got me thinking about proper running form. so here is an article detailing proper running form according to runner's world:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267-268-8210-0,00.html
PUBLISHED 06/16/2005
Head Tilt How you hold your head is key to overall posture, which determines how efficiently you run. Let your gaze guide you. Look ahead naturally, not down at your feet, and scan the horizon. This will straighten your neck and back, and bring them into alignment. Don't allow your chin to jut out.
Shoulders Shoulders play an important role in keeping your upper body relaxed while you run, which is critical to maintaining efficient running posture. For optimum performance, your shoulders should be low and loose, not high and tight. As you tire on a run, don't let them creep up toward your ears. If they do, shake them out to release the tension. Your shoulders also need to remain level and shouldn't dip from side to side with each stride.
Arms Even though running is primarily a lower-body activity, your arms aren't just along for the ride. Your hands control the tension in your upper body, while your arm swing works in conjunction with your leg stride to drive you forward. Keep your hands in an unclenched fist, with your fingers lightly touching your palms. Imagine yourself trying to carry a potato chip in each hand without crushing it. Your arms should swing mostly forward and back, not across your body,between waist and lower-chest level. Your elbows should be bent at about a 90-degree angle. When you feel your fists clenching or your forearms tensing, drop your arms to your sides and shake them out for a few seconds to release the tension.
Torso The position of your torso while running is affected by the position of your head and shoulders. With your head up and looking ahead and your shoulders low and loose, your torso and back naturally straighten to allow you to run in an efficient, upright position that promotes optimal lung capacity and stride length. Many track coaches describe this ideal torso position as "running tall" and it means you need to stretch yourself up to your full height with your back comfortably straight. If you start to slouch during a run take a deep breath and feel yourself naturally straighten. As you exhale simply maintain that upright position.
Hips Your hips are your center of gravity, so they're key to good running posture. The proper position of your torso while running helps to ensure your hips will also be in the ideal position. With your torso and back comfortably upright and straight, your hips naturally fall into proper alignment--pointing you straight ahead. If you allow your torso to hunch over or lean too far forward during a run, your pelvis will tilt forward as well, which can put pressure on your lower back and throw the rest of your lower body out of alignment. When trying to gauge the position of your hips, think of your pelvis as a bowl filled with marbles, then try not to spill the marbles by tilting the bowl.
Legs/Stride While sprinters need to lift their knees high to achieve maximum leg power, distance runners don't need such an exaggerated knee lift--it's simply too hard to sustain for any length of time. Instead, efficient endurance running requires just a slight knee lift, a quick leg turnover, and a short stride. Together, these will facilitate fluid forward movement instead of diverting (and wasting) energy. When running with the proper stride length, your feet should land directly underneath your body. As your foot strikes the ground, your knee should be slightly flexed so that it can bend naturally on impact. If your lower leg (below the knee) extends out in front of your body, your stride is too long.
Ankles/Feet To run well, you need to push off the ground with maximum force. With each step, your foot should hit the ground lightly--landing between your heel and midfoot--then quickly roll forward. Keep your ankle flexed as your foot rolls forward to create more force for push-off. As you roll onto your toes, try to spring off the ground. You should feel your calf muscles propelling you forward on each step. Your feet should not slap loudly as they hit the ground. Good running is springy and quiet.
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