Why?

Today, for the first time since beginning the training for the half-marathon, I am seriously wondering why in the world I'm doing this. Today's run was scheduled to be 12 miles at 8:47 mpm. First, I only went out because the training plan said to go out. Then, for the first 8+ miles, I was glad I did. But, after that I was dying. I finished the distance and my pace was 8:48 overall but I did walk some. Drank 8 oz of water before running, 20 oz of water during the run, and about 12 oz of instant tea and 24 oz of water after the run.

By this evening, I'll be back on target mentally but this is tough.

While I was running, I wondered about another "Why?" Why do people put their trash cans, recycle bins, piles of limbs and grass, and junk furniture right on the sidewalk? What a pain! It's their convenience but inconveniences everybody else who needs to use the sidewalk to actually (DUH!) walk.

Well, I think we're going to head to the mountains to a chapel at the YMCA Camp Greenville called Pretty Place. I worked there during college and my wife doesn't think she's ever been there.

Y'all run well,
Bob

Battles in Nature

This is absolutely, totally unrelated to running. Well, OK, the buffalo run away from the lions then the lions run away from the croc then the lions run away from the buffalo -- and I would run away from any of them.

This is an incredible video of South African wildlife, shot in Kruger National Park.



Everybody knows that lions and crocodiles are dangerous, but cape buffalo are bad animals. They have a reputation of simply being ill-tempered. They don't see well so when you get near them, you see them raising their noses into the air to smell you. Stories abound about wounded buffalo tracking down the hunter.

Run well, y'all, and watch out for wild animals,
Bob

A New PDR!

After the flop of a run last Saturday, I'm extra happy this morning. I set a new PDR (personal distance record) running just over 12 miles at a pace of 8:39.5 mpm. And, I did the run in Greenville, SC where there are some really nasty hills. Of course, I don't want to do anything else the rest of the day!

The last couple of weeks, I've had a problem I hadn't experienced before -- squishy shoes even when it's not raining. My feet felt close to getting blisters. Hopefully the humidity will be lower for the half-marathon.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Runner's Low

I've experienced a runner's high -- also, see this link -- many times but today I found out what a real runner's low feels like. I suppose it's a lot like hitting the wall in a marathon.

I'm guessing that a combination of weather (75° and 85% humidity), not sleeping really well this week, and, probably some dehydration resulted in what felt like my worst run EVER! I didn't feel great when I started -- thought about cutting it short several times even at 2.5 miles. But, I pushed on and was OK, if not great, right up to the 7.5 mile mark. At that point, I just imploded. From there, I walked about as much as I ran. Was supposed to do 11 but ended up with only 9.9 -- it would have been shorter if I had been closer to home.

Oh, well. There will be another day.

According to Weird Conversions, I weighed the same as 17,475 sheets of paper today after running the equivalent of the length of 1,945 'weinermobiles".

Run well, y'all,
Bob
Richmond

Oops! This Was Not Good

I scared Linda, my wife, half to death on Saturday -- not because I ran 11+ miles, though.

We have a small whiteboard on the fridge where, every morning, I write down the time I leave, the time I expect to be back, and a list of the streets that I'll run. Saturday, she was up earlier than normal getting ready to go to an ESL (English as a Second Language) training session and realized that I was not back even though it was 30 minutes after I said I would be back. After another 15 minutes, she hopped in the car and went to see what ditch I was lying in and trying to figure out what hospital the EMT's would have taken me to. She couldn't follow the route so came home, hoping I was back. I wasn't and, to make things worse, she had seen that I had my route up on my laptop screen when she left but, while she was gone, the screen saver had kicked in and she didn't know the password to get back to the route (gMap Pedometer). Now, in her mind I'm badly hurt or dead, she can't find me, and she can't even get into my computer. That wasn't the most comforting thought she could have had. So, she left again to try to follow my route from the end back toward the beginning.

Well, I was within about 0.4 miles of the end of my run when I see this car stop at a very odd place in the road. Now, at this point, I'm oxygen-deprived, glycogen-deprived, probably slightly dehydrated and didn't recognize the car. But, I'm thinking, "Why is this lady parking there and blocking my way? She's going to make me run around her? Come on!" About the time I got to the car, I realized it was Linda but I thought she had decided to head to the training early and was just coming by to tell me "Good-bye".

Then, when I stopped, I saw she was upset about something. She asked me if I was OK. I said, "Yes" but thought I must really look awful for her to be upset and to ask me that. Then, she held up the whiteboard, pointing to the time I said I would be back. Now, at this point, it's about 8:05 and I'm about 5 minutes earlier than I thought I might be. But, I had written 7:15. Whoa! I was in the dog box for a bit, there -- somehow my breathless and energy-less "I'm sorry" wasn't really adequate. She knew I was OK and, because I had just stopped dead, I needed get moving before something bad happened to my body, so off I went to finish the last of the run. (I'm really not completely heartless but just stopping dead still after running can do bad things to one's body.)

After her adrenaline levels went back to normal, we were able to laugh about this. But, I guarantee you that I'll double-check the times I write down. Putting down 45 minutes when I mean to put down 1 hour and 45 minutes isn't the best way to make one's wife happy. Also, she now knows my computer password (I can no longer hide the account where my million dollars are stashed). Further, she knows that I have both our house phone and **her** cell phone numbers on the Smart ID on my shoe. Hopefully there will never be a reason for her to worry again.

Run well -- and smart -- y'all,
Bob
Richmond

Long Run

After running the [equivalent of] the Golden Gate Bridge 14.1 times this morning, I weighed $78,996.00 in US$1 bills! Of course, I ran at a snail's pace -- a beam of light would have traveled 1,070,192,370.765 miles in the time it took me to run that distance (1:35:45) Talk about a strange was to think of one's run! More Weird Conversions.

Run well, y'all,
Bob
Richmond, VA

Different Ways To Think About the Distance of a Half Marathon

The McDonald's Maymont X-Country Half Marathon will commence in 43 days. Here are some interesting ways to look at the half marathon.

1 Half Marathon =

83,0016 inches

52.70612 laps around a 400 meter track

21.0825 kilometers

0.003294 the length of the Great Wall of China

0.00655 the length of the Oregon Trail

11,857.37 giraffes' necks

702,748.5 American cockroaches laid end to end

9,765 Shaquille O’Neals laid end to end

After I finish my long run tomorrow, I will likely weigh the same as:

0.33 of a baby grand piano

0.0144 of an African elephant

440,806.045 cubic inches of air at sea level

40 chickens

467 hockey pucks

During tomorrow's long run, I'll probably lose weight equivalent to:

$3,518 in US $1 bills (That's an expensive run!)

$38.50 in US quarters

9 cans of soda

Thanks to Just Your Average Joggler for the inspiration for this blog.

For more wacky and weird conversions check out the Weird Converter (NOTE: There are some crude comparisons at this site.)

Now that'll give ya' something to think about on your run. What are your strange comparisons? Leave a comment.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Now I Know Why I'm Sore

Wednesday was a day I dreaded almost like the plague. Repeats of 3 1600 meter runs at 7:00 mpm with 800 meter recoveries just didn't sound like any fun at all. The run livd up to my expectations -- I did it but it was a pain, literally. I have been so sore for the last 2 days. Today's 5 miler at a slower pace helped but, still.

Now, though, I know why I get so sore even after 4+ years of consistent running. Check out this blog:

Muscles Do Hurt More Than When You Were In High School - Here’s Why

Here's the article that gives a bit more scientific explanation. The key concept is ...as we age, the lines of communication to the stem cells of our muscles deteriorate and, without the full instructions, it takes longer for injured muscles to heal.:

ScienceDaily: Why Aging Muscles Heal Poorly

Now I know and I can complain and groan and moan with scientific justification -- it gives me some credibility. :-)

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Needed: "Swimmies"

The weather this week has been awful. Thursday was a tempo run (1 mi easy warm-up, 4 miles @ 7:29 mpm, 1 mi easy cool down). The problem -- well, besides the fact that I knew it was going to be hard -- was that it was like running in a sauna. When I stepped out the door at 4:55 AM, it was 81° and the humidity was 74%. When I finished, there was not a square millimeter of skin or clothes that was dry. That was the worst day, but the rest of the week wasn't much better. I wondered if I needed those inflatable "swimmies" or "floaties" that we used to put on our kids' upper arms when they went swimming.

I've mentioned that I'm training for the Maymont X-Country Half-Marathon at the end of September. I know it's not a marathon but this video probably shows what I'll feel like on Sunday, 30 September:



Run well, y'all,
Bob, Richmond, VA

Relationships -- When I'm OK but You're Not OK

Since following a training program is a new thing for me (I usually just pick a distance and run at whatever pace I can maintain), most of my thinking these days is on my pace -- Am I going too fast? This feels way slow! Shoot, it seemed like I was swimming upstream in molasses yet I ran at that pace?! OK, now where, exactly, does this mile end? The program is good for me, I think. Last week's tempo run was definitely better than 2 weeks previous and I actually ran the speedwork faster than planned and faster than I thought I could.

This morning, though, in addition to pace and mile marker, I had some folks on my mind. I have been struck by how different our perspectives on events can really be. In a recent conversation, someone told me they had worked through some issues stemming from a time when they felt unfairly treated and are OK with things -- it's behind them. Other parties honestly believe that this family way overreacted out of stress and I suspect that when these folks are face to face, the other parties aren't going to feel that things are resolved. How do we fix that?

I'm not sure I can fix this particular situation but the question did lead me to the personal conclusion that just because I've worked through something for myself, it really isn't settled until I work through it with all parties involved. If I'm OK and you're not OK, then we're not OK and I'm probably not as OK as I think.

That's pretty heavy for 5:30 AM. Maybe that's why my run didn't feel "easy" even through the training plan called for an easy run today.

Run well,
Bob -- Richmond, VA

I Did It!

Today was speedwork day on my training plan -- 5 miles total with warm-up, 2 x 1600 m @ 7:05, and cool down. I decided to warm-up by running easy to the closest high school (@1.6 miles), do my repeats on the track (measured distance and easy to monitor my pace), and then do an easy run back home to cool down. Just in case something was up with the track (the school normally leaves the track open for the community), I had a contingency -- the road in front of the school is just over 1 mile between 2 major intersections -- but really didn't want to do that because there are no easy markers for monitoring pace.

So, off I went and the track was closed for resurfacing. It was tempting to chuck the speedwork and just do an extra easy run. But, that really wouldn't help me reach my goal, would it?

So, back to the first major intersection (an extra half mile or so warm-up) to do the first segment. It was then that it hit me that the first 1600 meters was going to be basically downhill -- not steep at a net change of about 14', mind you, but still generally downhill. That meant (yeah, you are pretty sharp) that the second segment was going to be basically uphill. Well, nothing to do but go for it.

The first 1600 m was difficult but I completed it in 6:45 on the nose (not too bad for an old man). I jogged back up the road for what I estimated to be 1/4 mile and then back to the end to start the second 1600 m. The first 200 meters or so weren't too bad but then ... I knew this wasn't going to be pretty.

I ran as hard and as long as I could will myself to do then slowed down and continued that way -- hard, slow, hard, slow. That happened for what seemed like at least 5 miles. When the end finally came in sight, I checked my watch and, can you believe it, there was just the slimmest of possibilities that I could actually reach the end in the target time of 7:05 (though it seemed like 7 hours and 5 minutes, the target was actually 7 minutes and 5 seconds). Sure enough, I gutted it out to the end and stopped my watch at 7:04.75.

Then, I figured, Well, it must be less than 1600 m so I really didn't do so great. But, I plotted it on gMap Pedometer and it was actually 1644.6 meters. Hooray! I had been dreading failure for 10 days -- wasted emotional energy!

So, I've gotten past that hurdle. Maymont Half-Marathon, here I come.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

That Was Hard!

Today was day #4 on the half-marathon training program and it was definitely the hardest. The previous 3 days, I was having difficulty slowing down the pace enough -- the point being, I suppose, to get in a good workout without trashing muscles and lungs in order to get in a hard workout mid-week and a long run on the weekend.

Anyway, since I've been unwilling to fork over the money for a Garmin Forerunner or a Polar watch, the only way I have to judge the time is to know where my mile (or fraction of a mile) spots are and to check my watch at those points. In order to keep from focusing too much on time, I've chosen to check my watch at each mile. The downside is that I only know my pace after each mile and then make a subjective adjustment for the next mile.

Today, though, the goal was a tempo (supposed to be comfortably difficult) run. That included a 1 mile warm-up, a 1 mile cool-down (both defined as easy or 8:58 minutes per mile) with 3 miles in the middle at a pace of 7:30 minutes per mile. I did OK on the first mile at about 9:15 mpm. The second mile went fine at 7:31. The third mile was a bit slower at 7:38. But the fourth mile was a killer -- I really pushed but could only manage 7:46. Then the final mile was 8:56. The problem was that I was dog tired at the end of 5.1 miles.

I'm trusting Runner's World on this training plan. But, is it going to get me to my goal? I'll know at the end of September.

BTW, I'm ready for winter to come back. This business of 70°+ and 85%+ humidity at 5:30 AM is for the birds! The spot where I stretch at the end of my run always looks like a swimming hole when I finish from all the sweat that pours off me. Yeah, I know -- GROSS! Give me 45° and 60% humidity any day.

Run well y'all,
Bob

4 Years!

Today I finished my 4th consecutive year of running (and walking). That's a milestone (pun intended) for this 53 year old because, even when I ran track in high school, I only ran 3 years and didn't run year 'round. (Article related to the picture.)

I began in earnest on 9-Jul-03 by walking 2.9 miles in 45 minutes. I finished the 4 years by running 7.3 miles yesterday in just under an hour and running 4.6 miles this morning in 40 minutes (intentionally slower). In those 4 years, I have run about 4,395 miles in 7 different countries (US, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, Madagascar, Dem Republic of Congo):

2003: 557 miles (Jul-Dec)
2004: 837 miles (medial meniscectomy in Sept)
2005: 924 miles (achilles tendinitis in Feb)
2006: 1364 miles
2007: 712 miles (Jan-today)

In addition (and the reason this morning's run was intentionally slower), I ended the 4 years by beginning a 12-week training regimen for the Maymont X-Country Half-Marathon on 28-Sep-07 (there, I've committed publicly to doing it). My "that would be great" goal is 1 hour, 41 minutes -- approximately 07:45 mpm (minutes per mile), which is a pretty challenging goal for me. My "I would be happy with it" goal is just under 1 hour, 45 minutes or 08:00 mpm. Following a training program will be very different from my normal routine which has been to vary my distance and route for 4-6 runs per week but with the pace about the same for every run. So, we'll see how it goes. This is supposed to be a fun race to run because of the course.

I start year #5 tomorrow morning.

Run well, y'all,
Bob
Richmond

Anarchy

Yesterday, Linda and I spent the day at Williamsburg. It was quite interesting, especially the reenactment of select events between 1774 and 1776. One of scenes was the arrest and trial of a loyalist merchant in Williamsburg. The militia arrested him and put on a mockery of a trial.

The whole thing got me thinking about the judicial system in the US. While there is plenty to critique about our judicial system, in general we do benefit from a well-ordered legal system (my thoughts on this are certainly those of a layman and, I'm sure, are very simplistic). Our rights to competent representation in court, the requirement that findings of an investigation must be shared with the defense, our right to trial by a jury of peers approved by both defense and prosecution, etc.

The system doesn't always work; there are numerous examples of abuses; a higher judiciary that legislates rather than interprets law is not what's intended. One could also certainly point to many examples of mob justice (the KKK would be an accurate, though awful, example) that are outside the system -- essentially, that's what the reenactment portrayed yesterday. And, it was very clear why an individual who disagreed with the process would be very afraid to stand up to the crowd.

I left Williamsburg disturbed that quick justice can seem so appealing when the alternative is a seeming labourious journey through the proper system. But I am thankful for the protections that our prescribed system of justice provides.

Happy Fourth of July. Thank God for your freedoms.

Run well,
Bob

White Squirrels and High Humidity

Well, that was really interesting. I was running along Cambridge Dr. and there was a pure white squirrel in someone's yard. I suppose it must have been an albino squirrel but it was quite unique. (Image from: John Bryan State Park - White Squirrel)



I had remembered that Richmond humidity was bad but the winter's dry air had muted those memories somewhat. There have been several unreal days. Yesterday, the temperature was only 70° when I left the house at 7:30 but the humidity was 98%. I had planned to do about 8 miles but at 3 miles I decided there was no way. So, I ended up turning earlier than originally planned and doing only 5.4 miles. Even so, I was beat and absolutely soaked when I finished -- we're talking (quit reading now if sweat is gross) wring my shirt out twice after I finished running soaked. Today, the humidity was **only** 70% but I was still WET -- and this is early morning. It's just the 10th of June!

Run well,
Bob

Sights and Sounds of Kenya

Watching this brought back memories:

Maasai School Girls -- Singing and Dancing


Bob

Rain and Shine

Stepped out my front door on Friday morning, got out from under the porch and, KUMBE!, it's raining. Not bad, so I headed out. Well, about 1/4 mile into it, the bottom dropped out. I was glad I left my glasses on the porch. It's interesting running in rain in the pre-dawn. It was heavy enough that I really couldn't see very far ahead. And I couldn't see where the puddles (or were they small lakes?) were. It was a new route for me so I knew I'd "have" to run it again soon to see what I'd missed.

Saturday morning and this morning were beautiful. Headed out about 6:30 each morning just before the sun came up. I was able to see the honeysuckle that I had been smelling. Both mornings fairly humid but cool at 48° -- absolutely perfect -- just cool enough for a long-sleeved shirt but not enough to chill. I'm not sure I'll have many more mornings like this one -- looks like next week will be back in mid- to upper-50's.

I ran the new route (Friday) again this morning. There are a couple of fairly long, gentle hills which are a bit of a challenge but not killers like the shorter steep hills. I'm still running slower than usual but it ain't bad.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Hints of Summer

Well, it looks like summer's coming to Richmond -- ugh! The humidity has been pretty bad the last couple of days at 89% on Friday and 83% this morning. I'm drenched at the end of a run. One pleasant sign of summer is the sweet smell of honeysuckle. I haven't seen the flowers, yet, but I sure smelled them yesterday and today. That brought back memories of childhood -- plucking the flowers, pulling out the stamen, and licking off the nectar.

This morning I was dying. Just after mile 6, I had to walk for about 30 seconds, ran for about 1:30, then walked again for about 1:15. I haven't had to do that in a long time. Then I met up with a friend, David Miller, at about mile 6.5. He was walking but picked up and ran with me for about 0.5 miles. That was just the encouragement I needed to finish running to the end. Thanks, David -- you didn't even know you were helping me along.

Run well y'all,
Bob

How Far Does Freedom of Expression Extend?

In the last few years, I have become convinced that often my greatest strength is also my greatest weakness. The steadiness that helps me get things done can be maddening when I need to be excited. I think the same is true of America -- our greatests strengths can be our greatest weaknesses if the strengths aren't used with self-control.

My dad used to tell me, Your freedom goes only as far as the end of the other person's nose. I treasure the freedom of expression that is my right as an American but when that freedom is exercised to the extreme, it's a glaring weakness. Here is a perfect example. I'm glad we have the freedom to express dissent but where does one get off going this far?

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) - A Colorado man has been arrested for disrupting the Sunday service at a breakaway Episcopal parish by throwing a pie at the pastor. Witnesses told police that the man entered a side door of Grace Church and St. Stephen's Parish and hit the Reverend Donald Armstrong in the face as he preached a sermon on loving your enemies....Full Story

As a nation, we need to regain a sense of respect for others and learn how to dissent in appropriate ways.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

All or Nothing

DISCLAIMER: I do reserve the right to be wrong and to change my mind.

A couple of weeks ago, maybe longer, I taped a 20/20 show because they were going to talk about child molestation by Southern Baptist pastors (a topic for another day). Last night, I got around to watching it and was surprised to find that one of the segments was on Jim Karas and his campaign to ween America from cardiovascular exercise. (OK, I recognize that's a pejorative statement). I had seen most of the Good Morning America segment and wasn't impressed (I'm not the only one). He says that to lose weight, keep it off, and be fully healthy, we should stop doing cardio exercise and switch to his interval strength training routines. With a hot book and equipment.

This morning, while running, that segment kept coming to mind. I do not want to downplay the importance of strength training. I should incorporate strength training into my exercise routine -- without a doubt, I need to do something to ward of the muscle and strength loss that comes (well, OK, goes) with age. But, to eliminate all cardio exercise and sustitute only interval strength training doesn't make sense. One of Karas' arguments is that you don't see happy people in the cardio rooms of gyms but you see happy, toned people in the weight rooms. Cardio is mindless ... interval weight training is ... well, he implies it's fun and mentally stimulating but doesn't say that. Personally, as you know if you've read earlier postings, you know that I totally agree with his assessment of the dreadmill -- give me the outdoors where I'm going somewhere, seeing changing scenery. And, I've done strength training and find absolutely nothing mentally stimulating about it. It's better than the treadmill, maybe, but ....

Of course, on the other hand, if you are following my running log (see the right side of this blog), you'll see that my weight continues to hang around 178-181. To be at the right BMI for my height, I should weigh no more than 174.5. So, the running, by itself, is not getting me there.

But the details of the Cardio-Free Diet are not really what I was thinking about this morning. It seems to me that Mr. Karas' approach is a symbol of current US culture -- all or nothing. Rather than taking a moderate approach -- i.e., the best of both worlds -- we seem to feel compelled to take one or another of polar views on everything. Politics is certainly that way. It's either big business or the poor. Why else, when someone starts talking about how to control illegal immigration, they are accused of being anti-immigration of any kind -- and why must the only options for dealing with illegal immigration be building a fence or totally consequence-free amnesty? Even discussions about religion often boil down to whether one is a fundamentalist or a liberal. In general, it seems that the prevailing attitude is, if you don't completely agree with me, you are completely wrong. Is it really necessary to be in an extreme position on everything?

Well, I didn't solve anything while running (except to strengthen my heart, burn about 800 calories, hopefully raise my good cholesterol, clean out my pores, and get the lead out) but I did have some random thoughts while running. :-)

John 13:34-35 — A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (NIV)

Run well, practice big-heartedness,
Bob

Running at 53!

Well, surprise, surprise, surprise -- running at 53 years old is no different from running at 52 years, 364 days! It's still hard. :-)

When I started this blog, I thought I would be posting about random things I thought about while I was running. In the ensuing months, I've realized that my random thoughts consist mostly of:

-> Why do I do this to myself?
-> I think I'll quit and go home -- oh, wait, it would take too long to walk?
-> Who says that Richmond's West End doesn't have bad hills?
-> Am I going to die before I get home? If I do, will anybody see me at this time of the morning?
-> Just let me get home before I get struck by lightening.
-> Who stole the oxygen?
-> My shoes must be eating pound cake at night -- they're gaining weight.
-> 8 blocks to go ... 7 blocks to go ... 6 blocks to go ....

There's not a whole lot of "umph" left for thinking deep thoughts. Hivyo ndivyo mambo yalivyo. (Swahili: That's the way things are.)


Run well y'all,
Bob

Not Dead, Yet

Well, I must admit that I was a little concerned. In the last 9 runs, I had only had 2 when I ran under 8 minutes per mile. Granted, I was sick and didn't run for 8 days during that time but the time frame also coincided with using a new pair of shoes (Brooks GTS 7). Still, it's been a very long time when I had run more than one run a month that was slower than 7:59 mpm, so I couldn't figure what was going on. Was my age catching up with me -- I'm almost 53? Had my runs with others who run a bit slower reset my natural pace? Was it just taking extraordinarily long to recover from my cold? Was I over-training?

While I still don't know why and I may run more slowly tomorrow, it was reassuring today to hit 7:44 mpm.

Random thoughts today:

1. It's great to hear the birds at 5:00 am.
2. The flowering trees are pretty even in the moonlight.
3. Drivers in Richmond's West End (Short Pump) seem unusually polite. Yesterday was the first time in almost 2 years that anyone has even hooted at me. The vast majority of drivers see me and give me plenty of room.
4. There are some traffic lights that seem to get farther away the more I run toward them.
5. Why can't my wife and I get a clear word from God about a decision we're trying to make? How patient will those who are waiting for us to make the decision be? Is the lack of a clear word really a clear word that we should just continue with things as they are?
6. It's only 6° warmer today than yesterday. It's odd that it feels much warmer. (When I got home, I found out that the temperature had actually risen by 3° while I was running. In contrast to dropping 2-3°, as on the last several mornings, I guess the difference was really more like 8-9°.

Run well,
Bob

I Love the Spring

After 8 days of no running, it was so good to be out this morning. It was probably the easiest 10k run I've ever done. Yes, you can see from my log that I ran more slowly and I'm sure that was a major contributor to the ease. But, a lot of it was just being out again. A HUGE part of the joy was that it's springtime. Now, I couldn't see the evidences of spring even though there was a full moon. However, I could hear them -- the birds were serenading everybody who cared to listen. It was great. God is so good!

The only downside of running again after 8 days? I'm a bit sore but that will pass.

Live and run well,
Bob

Out of the Race

Well, I was looking forward to running the Ukrop's Monument Ave 10K tomorrow and was ready to break 50 minutes along with a friend. Then, Sunday night I started getting a cold and running a low-grade fever. Surely, the fever will go away by Wednesday or so and I can run. -- I kept telling myself. Thursday, I was still having a bit of fever so I went to the doctor. He says, Just a cold and the fever isn't unusual. But, his very strong advice is not to run. Today, Friday, I agree. Still coughing, still have and off-and-on fever. Bummer! We'll help our daughter move, but no running. After 5 straight days without a run, I am so ready. Maybe in another couple of days.

Today, I collected my t-shirt and other gear -- hey, I paid the fee -- and it was sad. Another day.

Good luck to all who do run.

Bob

4,000 Miles!

Reached a milestone this past week. I wasn't paying attention but realized today, while filling out my running log, that I had passed 4,000 miles of running since July 2003. It happened on Thursday. Whew! That's a lot of miles.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Prep Run #2 for Richmond 10K

Ran the second prep run for the Richmond 10K next week. We were slow today. My friend had been fighting a cold all week and was still not feeling great. I had run 7.3 miles yesterday and my legs were tired. Still, with all those factors, we did fine.

This was my second run in a new pair of shoes -- Brook GTS7 with MoGo. The reviews for the GTS7 have been really good, talking about how cushioned they are, etc. I would disagree. I've run in a pair of GTS5, two GTS6, a pair of ASR (based on the GTS4), and now the GTS7. The ASR are the hardest (i.e., least cushioned) but kept my feet warmer on cold days, the GTS5 were the longest lasting (we'll see about the GTS7), and the GTS6/7 had the best cushioning (still not great).


Still, I like the Etonics Jepara SC shoes that I've just quit using -- they're more cushioned than any of the Brooks, they've lasted longer than any running shoes I've had in the last 4 years (613 miles), and they have a wider toebox (I could wear a regular width and didn't have to buy 2E). So, I think I'll wear the GTS7 until they wear out (until early to mid-July) and then go back to the Etonics.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

The Real Saint Patrick

I'm not a Catholic but there is a tiny trace of Irish blood in my veins. And, yes, I did wear green today, though not while I was running. Someone clued me in on this article and I found it interesting to read the real story behind the man:

The St. Patrick You Never Knew

Run well, y'all,
Bob

PS -- Earlier today, I ran with a friend at a slightly slower pace than I normally run. Maybe it was the luck of the Irish (I don't put any stock at all in luck), but I felt like I could have run a lot longer.

Prep Run #1 for Richmond 10K

I do like running with someone else -- not all the time, mind you, but more often than I get to do. A friend and I are running the Richmond 10K together in 2 weeks. We hadn't run together before, so we decided to run a 10K+/- this morning just to see how it went. It was chilly, but I actually like that except for the fact that I don' t talk very well when my face has been exposed to 32° for several minutes -- that made communication a little tricky. You know, lots of What did you say?

We did 6.5 miles at a pace of 8.015 mpm. If gMap-Pedometer gave me a good read on the distance, we'll make our goal for the 10K of sub-50 minutes -- a PB for my friend and a PB-baseline for me (since I've never run a 10K race before, 2 hours would, technically, be a PB for me). Hey, we won't be the fastest on Monument Avenue that day, but for a couple of 50+ year olds, we'll do all right.

If you're running that race, we'll see you there.

Bob
Richmond, VA

Longest Run to Date -- Lots of Time to Think

11.938 miles -- I am tired! This is the longest I've ever run. The first 6 miles took 46:54 and the last 5.9 took 47:31 so I maintained a fairly consistent pace throughout -- averaged 7:54 mpm. I don't watch my watch while I run so I was really surprised at my pace. If someone had asked, I would have guessed about 8:15 mpm because it felt slow.

My mental song for this run was You Are God Alone. As I ran, the passage from Romans 7:14-25 where Paul talks about his own inability to follow the law kept rolling around in my mind -- I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me ... Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom 7:15-18a, 24b-25a). No matter what others see from the outside, I know that my inner self is fighting this same war. There is no reason, within me, for God to use me. But He does! He grants me righteousness, justifies me, and redeems me:

Therefore no-one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:20-24)

My prayer for myself is that the righteousness that has been declared for me would become reality in my thoughts and attitudes and actions and words.

Pretty weighty for a run -- but, 12 miles gives one a long time to think.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

High Altitude, Again

Just returned from a 2-week trip to Kenya. Didn't run as much as I would have liked but did get in 6 days -- 3 in Nairobi and 3 in Tigoni. Man, the Tigoni was hard!! 7,500 feet above sea level is pretty thin air. But, the last day, I ran 4.3 miles at 8:10 mpm but the hills made for sore hips. It was absolutely perfect weather -- about 55°, no wind, no rain, no dogs.

Tonight, I became 1 of about 22,000 to sign up for the Richmond Monument Ave 10K at the end of March. This will be only my 2nd race since high school. A friend wants to break 50 minutes, so we'll run together. Should be fun if we don't get trampled by the crowds -- last year, the Monument Ave 10K was the largest 10K in the US.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

I'm a Real Runner Now

I'm a real runner now -- I must be because I have the scars to prove it. :) I've been running regularly for just over 3 1/2 years and tripped/fell for the first time this morning.

I had to cross a 4-lane road as a part of my route. Nothing new -- it's pretty hard to run more than a short distance without crossing a road here. As I approached the road, I saw a car coming from the left. No problem because I could just turn left and run against traffic until I could cross safely. When the car passed, I headed across, had to cross the median, looked right to be sure nothing was coming from the other direction, and looked back ahead to see that I was about to tangle with another runner coming from my left (it was dark and I think each of us surprised the other). We dodged each other quite easily and I started stepping up over the curb onto the sidewalk. Suddenly, I pitched forward and my knees met the curb and my hands (gloved) met the sidewalk. As I fell, I felt that my foot had caught on something and heard whatever it was move -- it sounded like a piece of plywood.

I hopped right up and ran on -- my knees hurt but I only had a half mile remaining. Funny enough, I actually felt energized. Boy, it hurt, though. I got back and found that my running pants are now ventilated on one knee. I'll have some bruises but so far am not too sore.

Otherwise, it was a pretty decent (though cold) run.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Running Log

Somehow or another, all of the information on my Palm PDA was erased this week. Arghhh! It's certainly not a crushing blow, but I lost some information that was important to me. Because I had been lax in syncing my PDA to my computer, I lost a fair amount of my daily running log (greatest loss) as well as some calendar changes, a couple of updated contact files, some reminder notes about books I wanted to read and movies I wanted to rent, and some sermon notes that were imbedded in my Palm Bible (almost equal to the running log loss -- see below). Almost as bad, I'm having trouble restoring the information I do have back to the PDA -- I'm working on figuring out that problem.

Some of those things will be recovered in my human memory over time or they aren't important enough to expend any energy trying to remember/recover -- books and movies, for instance. While it would be the spiritual thing to say that the sermon notes are more important than the running log, I don't think there were any real faith-shaping thoughts recorded over the last 2-3 months, so the loss isn't really profound. But, the running log had details that I'll never remember -- no way I'll remember the times or the routes that I ran. I can probably recover the key elements. For instance, at the end of 2006, I did a post on this blog that summarized my running for 2006. So, I have the total miles run for the year and can recover the gross number of miles I've run since beginning in 2003.

I decided that I needed to rethink how I keep my running log. I like advancing technology and had been looking for a good use for Google's Docs and Spreadsheets. My running log seemed to be a good candidate -- while I'm in the US, I have great internet access so speed is not really an issue and Google's archives provide a fairly reasonable assurance that my log won't simply get lost. So, let's try it! Then, in the process of trying it, I wondered if, since I'm creating an online spreadsheet, it would also be possible to have that spreadsheet show up on this blog. Kumbe! (Swahili interjection of surprise -- roughly, Wow!) It is quite possible.

So, here it is -- my running log for all the world to see (including my daily weight so you can see my struggle with that -- being fully aware that at 5'10" and currently weighing in the upper-170's, that won't seem like a struggle to many people -- but, I want to be down to 170, full stop).

BTW, the mid-teens is cold for running. For me, 14° must be about the coldest for running with a long-sleeved running shirt and sweatshirt. I tried running with a fleece the other day when it was 16° and that was a tiny bit too warm. Today, at 14° and a sweatshirt, I was a tiny bit too cool.

Enough! I'm rambling now. Run well, y'all.

Bob
Richmond

Running With Friends

Normally, I run by myself. I don't know any folks around here who want to run 5-6 miles at 5:30 AM. Last week though, I flew to Ontario, California for a meeting of our mission organization's board of Trustees. Several of my co-workers who flew out are also runners. Because of our schedule, we could run at 6:00 AM. So, Tuesday, 3 of us headed out. Since we all normally run at different paces, we stayed together for the first loop and then split up -- one went back to the hotel and 2 of us did another lap.

I've found that running with others always makes the run easier. But, running the first lap about 01:15 mpm slower than normal made the whole run easier. It was great! Thanks, Bob and Lonnie.

Tuesday night, we agreed to go again Wednesday morning. Just as I pulled my shoes on, I realized it was raining. This is "sunny" Southern California -- it can't rain! I headed to the lobby where Lonnie and Matt were waiting for me -- Bob was smarter than the rest of us and stayed in his room. We decided we didn't want to pack wet shoes the next morning to go back to Richmond, so we headed to the fitness room to run on the dreadmills. Wouldn't you know it -- they were all being used. Shoot! We're dressed, it's S Calif, let's go in the rain.

The rain wasn't bad but the street drainage was awful and we had some monster puddles. The first one I stepped in was a shocker because the water was COLD! Still, a good run -- slow first 3 miles and a normal last 3 miles.
For the curious, here was my route the second day. Those who only did 3.1 miles turned back to the hotel at just before the 3 mile mark:

DoubleTree Ontario Airport Hotel

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Addicted!

Well, today I feel like I'm a confirmed running addict. I didn't sleep well at all last night -- had weird dreams and kept waking up. So, I decided I could take a day off. Wrong choice! I have been groggy all day long -- not really sleepy-groggy but just couldn't shake the sleep dust. I should have foregone the last 30 minutes of nonsleep-sleep and hit the road.

My running journey has been interesting. Of course, there were the first few weeks when I was just simply out of shape and I had to push through that. Then, I began to lose weight fairly quickly, one of my initial reasons for getting back to running. At that point and for the next year, I really liked the results of running but didn't like running.

I hurt my knee at the one year point (ran too hard, too quickly when I was too heavy and using, as I later decided, wornout shoes) and had to quit until I had a meniscectomy (arthroscopic) at 14 months. During the time when I couldn't run and then while I was building back up, I realized how much I missed running. Once I got back to running, I realized that I really liked running.

The one day last week when I didn't run, I felt groggy. Then today I felt groggy. So, I've moved from like to need! I guess that's what I get after 3.5 years and 3700 miles. If I'm going to be addicted to something, there are a whole lot of things worse than running.

Run well, y'all,
Bob
Richmond, VA

Starting Spiritual Conversations, Part 2

I wanted to do a brief follow-up on my post of 2-Dec. We did invite our closest neighbors to our house for some "getting-to-know-you" time and a time to share the story of the birth of Jesus using candles. Unfortunately, only one couple came. Well, I say "unfortunately", but I shouldn't say that because I don't, yet, know what God had in mind.

Even though there were only 5 of us, this couple readily agreed for us to go ahead with our plans. We didn't want to embarrass them because there were so few of us and telling the story this way entails singing Christmas carols -- some folks just don't like to sing (imagine?). Anyway, it went well. It is our prayer that this will open the door to further conversations about Christ and spiritual things.

Bob

Happy New Year!

Happy 2007! May it be filled with blessings.

Run well,
Bob

It's About the Cross

On Christmas Eve, I attended the evening worship service with my parents and most of my brothers, sisters and their families. We participated in the Lord's Supper as a family. It was pretty moving.

One interesting element of the service was a short worship video featuring a song by a group that was new to me, Go Fish. I don't think I fully agree with the theme of the song -- that Christmas is all about the end of the story, Christ's death on the cross. Christ's death is the most important event but His birth is extremely important. God incarnate is an incredible thing. Christ gave up His glory to accommodate himself to us -- He became one of us, He stooped to our level, He spoke our language, He lived our lives! I'm sure we could discuss that topic (the importance of the incarnation versus substitutionary death) for a long, long time. The video is thought provoking -- enjoy and think:



Happy New Year,
Bob

End of Year

In the past 2 weeks, I and my family have driven 3000+ miles. We attended a wedding in Little Rock, AR; we visited some long-time friends in Alexandria, LA; we ate supper with my brother and his family in Norcross, GA; we had Christmas Eve and day with my family in Greenville, SC; and we had Christmas night and a few days with my wife's family in Columbia, SC. It was a long trip but great fun. In those 2 weeks, I ran in 4 different states (AR, LA, SC, and VA). I had hoped to run the Big Dam Bridge in Little Rock but it rained that day.

Here is running review for 2006 -- trivia:

Miles Run: 1,364.4
Number of Runs: 218 (includes 2 elliptical workouts)
Longest Run: 10.39 miles @ 7:56 mpm, 30-Dec-06 (yesterday)
Fastest Run: Greenville, SC Candlelight Run for Hope, 24-Jun-06, 5km @ 7:12 mpm
Shoes: 1 pair Brooks Adrenaline GTS5, 1 pair Brooks Adrenaline ASR, 2 pair Brooks Adrenaline GTS6, 1 pair Etonic Jepara SC (current)
States: VA, SC, FL, TN, AR, LA, TX, NM
Countries: USA, Rep. of South Africa, Zambia, Madagascar, Kenya, Dem. Rep. of Congo
Favorite Run: Probably the trail at Harrison Bay State Park in Harrison, TN
Most Exotic Run: Toliara, Madagascar
Most Fun Run: Christmas Lights Run, 5.3 miles, Richmond, VA -- group fun run to see lights
Worst Run: 4 miles on the treadmill on 22-Dec-06!!

Enough trivia. I hope your running in 2006 was as satisfying for you as mine was for me.

Run well,
Bob A

Holiday Lights Run

Over the weekend, I found out that one of the local running shops had planned a couple of 5.3 mile night runs this week -- going through neighbourhoods to see the holiday lights. It's a runner's twist on an old Christmas tradition. I had a meeting in D.C. today but got back in plenty of time. I was glad because I can't run Thursday night for the second run.

It was cold -- somewhere close to 32°. But, it was fun to run with a group. There were about 8 of us and one dog in the front pack of 7-8 minutes per mile runners. The dog was so excited about running and showed us all up -- he looked like he was walking briskly. The sky was clear and the moon was almost full, so it was a really pretty night. And the houses were decorated nicely.

The distraction of running with and talking to others while running was good. I ran faster than I've run in months -- depending on exactly how long the run was, I finished in 7:20 - 7:24 minutes per mile. It was a really fun run.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Starting Spiritual Conversations

As I've said before, running is not a time, for me, when I do a lot of thinking. Mostly, I seem to be focused on whether or not I'll actually make it back home before dying.

Today, though, was a little different. It was a gorgeous morning. I slept in a bit and headed out at about 8:10 -- it was a crisp 35° and the sun was shining. Enough of a breeze to keep me cool (yes, even at 35° I needed to keep cool) I took a route (5.2 miles) that I hadn't run in a long time and it goes around a small lake.

Yesterday, while we had a prayer time with the new missionaries to our region who are in orientation, one of them prayed for us that we would find ways to do missions/minister to our neighbours. America is such a private place that we've found it hard to even get opportunities for spiritual conversations with the people whose houses we can see from our front porch.

I had been mulling over an idea for a few days and was thinking about it while running. As a way to simply open the door for these kinds of conversations, we are considering inviting the closest neighbours to the house for refreshments and a "modern" presentation of the traditional Christmas story, the birth of Christ. We would use candles to represent the characters. We would light each candle as that character comes "on stage" (Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels, Jesus, wise men) and sing a Christmas carol at each point. Then, as each character leaves the stage (wise men return home, shepherds go back to their sheep, Mary and Joseph die), their candle would be snuffed out until only Jesus, the light of the world, remains lit. It's simple yet very powerful and almost completely non-threatening to nominal or non-believers.

As I ran, I thought and prayed about that and just became convinced that it was worth trying to arrange. Linda and I talked about it when I got back and she agreed. So, we're going to try to make it happen with about 12 of our neighbours. Let's see if we can pull it off (putting it here, might be just the "pressure" we need).

Run well,
Bob

No Choice ... Gotta Run

I knew that rain was predicted for this morning but was hoping it would hold off until 6 AM or so. Headed out the door about 5:05 so I could get back before it rained. As usual, I unlocked the door, walked out, and pulled it shut behind me. Stepped off the porch and find that it's sprinkling just a bit. Decision time ... run in the rain (it's 66°, so not too bad unless the bottom drops out) or head to the dreadmill at the YMCA? As I'm pondering, the wind picks up and the rain gets a bit harder. That's makes the decision easy -- I'll go to the Y.

I turn around to go back to get my DL, Y card, and keys and ... for the first time in 18 months, I've locked myself out of the house!! Unbelievable! Everybody else is asleep. Now, what do I do -- run in the rain, sit on the porch for an hour and read the paper until somebody wakes up, or wake everybody up? The last option would have resulted in some serious moaning and groaning and I really don't want to miss my run, so off I go. Fortunately, it only sprinkled a bit. It was so warm and humid that the little bit of rain felt good.

Turned out to be a decent run -- 7.5 miles in about 59 minutes. When I got back, someone was awake to let me in. It's provided several people with a laugh today and that's a good thing. All's well that ends well.

Recent history: I managed 3 runs over the Thanksgiving holiday -- 2 of 7+ miles and another of about 5.7, so the holiday feasting didn't go to [my] waist.

Y'all run well,
Bob

Run With Perseverance

Tomorrow, I've been asked to teach our adult Bible study class at Gayton Baptist Church. It's my favourite passage, Hebrews 12:1-29 -- OK, my favourite passage is verses 1-3:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. [Hebrews 12:1-3, NIV]

If I have internet access during the class, I plan to use this YouTube video clip:



Speaking of running, my run this morning was really nice. I finally got to run a route I've wanted to run for a month or more. I thought it was 9.3 miles but it turned out to be 9.6. At mile 6, I suddenly realized that I felt great. It was one of those in the zone times when I could have kept going. It took me 1:15:08 -- 07:47 mpm.

Run with perseverance,
Bob

A Father's Love; A Son's Joy

If you haven't heard about Dick and Rick Hoyt, their's is a great story -- click the link below to read the story and see the YouTube video:

---> Dick and Rick Hoyt <---

I first read about them a few months back in Runner's World. Even then, I had to wonder if I could or would do that for my son or daughter -- if not marathons and triathlons, I certainly hope I would do something similar.

So, this is dedicated to the world's two greatest kids, Stacey and Stephen -- I love you.

Run life well,
Dad (Bob)

Hebrews 12:1-2

Hair-Raising Experience

... or, as my wife quipped, Bugs in Your Teeth!.

Totally not running related just cool (for me). Prior to heading to Ft. Worth last week, I had our travel people reserve a compact rental car for me. When I got to Ft. Worth around midnight Central Time, I was a bit out of it and not really paying attention to the Thrifty Car Rental attendant. Finally, what she was saying broke through "... soft top ..." That perked me up -- I get to drive a convertible.

Yes, a small thing but I've never driven or ridden in a convertible. Midnight-thirty, driving from DFW to Southwestern Seminary with the top down!! Then, Wednesday and Thursday were absolutely perfect weather for a convertible -- mid-80's. Every chance I got, I had the top down. I wouldn't want a convertible as my main car, but if I were stinking wealthy and were to get a fun car, it just might be a convertible.

Over the weekend, this Pluggers cartoon got me chuckling:

Pluggers and Convertibles

Running? Oh, yeah ... I didn't run between Thursday (Flat Land post) and today. Ran 7.2 great miles today -- 55:41.98 minutes -- 07:43.23 mpm.

Run well, y'all,
Bob
Richmond

Flat Land

I just returned from a trip to Ft. Worth, Tx -- I was talking to prospective missionaries at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. It was a moderately successful trip but no banner headlines.

Of course, I took my running gear. I couldn't run Wednesday morning because I didn't get into my room until about 1:00 am and had an 8:00 appointment. So, I postponed until Wednesday morning and ran 5.7 miles in the area of the campus (click here to see my route -- there are, contrary to my preferences, some overlaps). I knew Ft. Worth and the seminary were flat, but I think over my entire run the maximum elevation change was no more than 22 feet. Now, some folks like flat land running saying that they can run faster. I find that it's harder, overall, than moderately hilly areas because you have to push yourself the whole way. So, I wasn't overly surprised when I was feeling really tired.

Ah, but it seems that those who like flat land may well be right. It turns out that I was tired because I ran faster than normal -- 07:30.59 minutes per mile. I haven't run that fast in 2-3 months. I didn't know my time until after I ran because I refuse to watch my watch while I run. So, "Wa-hooo!"

One of the really nice things about running for exercise is the relative ease of exercising no matter where I am -- pack my shoes, shorts, and shirt and I'm set to go.

Run well,
Bob

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.... (Hebrews 12:1-2a -- NIV)

Not for Wimps

Tuesday I had a bit of knee-twinge so took Wednesday off. Thursday and Friday I tried the elliptical machines at the YMCA. I have to confess that my impression of the elliptical machine -- from the perspective of someone who had never tried one but only watched others -- was that it was easy. "They" say that confession is good for the soul, right? Well, here's my confession: The elliptical machine is not for wimps. It was hard and I am sore. I apologize to all the ellipticalites out there.

Friday, when I finished 30 +/- minutes on the elliptical, I had to stretch out those muscles so I hopped on the treadmill for a quick mile. My legs went, "Ahhhhhh! We know this motion." The nice discovery was that my knee seemed fine so I can go back to running.

The second nice discovery is that the elliptical is an excellent cross-training device as it works different muscles and can provide some balance to running.

Slept in on Saturday. That may have been smarter than I thought since the low Friday night was about 24°. I ran 6.8 miles this morning in 30° weather. The leaves are just past their peak here but were still pretty. And, what a beautiful sunrise as I finished at 6:30!

Run well,
Bob

What a Pain

Sunday morning I just decided not to run. It was the right decision and I really didn't miss it. But Monday, I was ready to hit the road and did a longer run.

Then, yesterday, my loose plan called for 5.3 miles. Off I went but right at 4 miles, I had this sudden sharp pain in my right knee. I slowed way down, thinking that walking the last 1.3 miles with a painful knee was not going to be fun. But, it eased off and I moved my pace back to normal and finished. The rest of the day, my knee didn't hurt but it just felt weird -- like it was going to buckle. Today became an unplanned rest day. It felt strange until about mid-day but then felt normal. I think I'll take at least one more day off and see. I might go to the "Y" and hit the elliptical machine. That will be a new experience but it's supposed to be good aerobic exercise without the pounding.

Bob

Runner's World Fast Fact: I'm among 63% of runners who run in the morning and 19% who run before dawn.

Saturday Fireworks

All week I had anticipated a long run on Saturday. I had a new route I wanted to try and it had been a couple of weeks since I had done more than my normal, so I was planning 9-10 miles. The only problem was that the weather prediction was rain. I woke up earlier than necessary but that was OK -- I like pre-dawn. It was cloudy but wasn't raining. Off I went and was feeling pretty good.

Then around 3 miles out, a few drops of rain. Not good but it's warm and I really don't mind, too much, running in the rain. Still ... rain equals wet feet and wet feet and long don't go well together. I'm already considering cutting back to about 6.6 miles.

Whoa! Lightning? Hmmmm. There it is again and, yes, it is lightning. Decision's made -- I'm heading home. Uh-oh -- I'm a long way from home -- it's at least as far back the way I came as continuing on the 6.6 miles. Nothing to do but push on and pray that the lightning stays a long way off (if every second's delay between the lightning and the thunder equals a mile, then the bad storm is still 5-7 miles away).

Just after making a turn, I realize that I can cut through a neighbourhood up ahead and shave a few more tenths of a mile off. However, now it's pouring down rain -- we're talking stinging rain, so much rain that I can't see through my glasses, dense enough of a downpour that I have to run right up to the street signs to read them. I ended up doing the last 2.5 miles with my glasses in my hand, every step feeling like I've just stepped into a water-filled pothole, and wondering what stranger's porch I'm going to stand on if the storm catches me. (Can you imagine coming out of your house to get the paper early Saturday morning and finding a dripping wet stranger on your porch? That's definitely a last resort option.)

Finally, I'm home and stretching and ... wouldn't you know it ... the rain stops. Still, it was a good run and a good time -- lightning is a great motivator!

Run well,
Bob

Long Saturday Run

Oh, it was COLD this morning! I slept in a bit and didn't leave until 7:30 but it was 33º and about 85% humidity -- it was only 35º when I finished at 8:40. First time in the season to wear a sweatshirt and gloves. While I most definitely prefer 33º to 75º, my favourite running temperatures are 45-55º.

I decided to run a little longer today -- no particular reason, just to do it. And, then, I went even longer than planned. It turned out to be my longest run in a year -- almost 8.6 miles. It's satisfying but it wore me out. Even in cold weather, I learned today that I need to rehydrate well after that much running. I didn't and really felt it around midday.

I need new shoes. My Brooks Adrenaline ASR's still have a couple hundred miles left in them but they are for cold weather -- too warm for anything above about 45º. The Brooks Adrenaline GTS 6's have 410 miles on them and my knee is telling me the cushioning is compacted. Because I can only get about 400 miles out of the GTS 6's, I considered looking for a different brand/style. But, except for the wear, the Brooks have worked for me, so maybe I'll just be conservative and stick with them.

Run well and stay warm,
Bob

Mud, Sore Muscles, and Clean Shoes

Saturday morning -- it's still raining. Since it's cooler than what I want to run in (yeah, I know, don't end a phrase with a preposition -- how would you say that otherwise?), I decided to wait and either hit the dreadmill again when the Y opens at 8 or wait 'til it quits raining. Well, at 8, I'm upgrading the operating system software on my wife's computer so I don't go anywhere and it kept raining for a long time.

Around 3:30, the rain lets up. It's still too close to lunch so I wait until 4:40 and head out. It's cool and very cloudy but no rain -- until I've walked .25 miles and then run .25 miles. It was just barely sprinkling so, do I leave my glasses on the porch or take a chance and run with them on? The problem with glasses is that when it rains, it's harder to see with them on that without them. But, I took the chance -- wrong decision because, within another .25 miles, the bottom drops out. I'm not going to run .5 miles out of my way to leave the glasses on the porch, so off I go. Fortunately, after a couple of miles, there was no more than just a sprinkle every now and then.

What a hard run but I was determined to run at least 6.2 miles. It's rained so much in the last 48 hours, though, that the grass verges are really soggy and traffic is a bit too heavy for me to feel completely comfortable running on the road itself. I really think the reason the run felt so hard was that my shoes were soaked and heavier than normal -- they made my legs feel like lead. At one point, I was in soil so soft that I sank -- now my shoes are covered with mud and the water actually poured over the top of my shoes. Now my legs are really heavy.

I did finish. It was a longer route than I remembered. In addition, because of traffic, I had to run a bit extra at some intersections to go behind the cars. So, rather than 6.2 miles, it was 6.7 miles (no wonder I was tired). A side "benefit" -- my shoes really needed washing anyway but running through the mud made that mandatory. Yesterday was a good day to do that since today is a rest day and they have time (hopefully) to dry.

Because, I guess, of the extra weight in my shoes and running against a fairly stiff breeze for at least half the run, I was dead tired when I finished. And, my quads were really sore. I was glad to get to bed last night -- got 8 hours of sleep which also tells me that the run was harder than normal.

I'm glad I ran yesterday (28 miles for the week) but even more glad for a day off today.

Run well,
Bob

Back to the Dreadmill

Friday morning -- wake up at 4:45 -- hear the rain -- hard rain. It's days like this when I'm glad we have a YMCA membership. So, I'm off to the Y to put in some miles on the dreadmill. I managed 4.5 miles of running (plus .2 miles of warmup walking and 8+/- minutes of cool-down.

I still don't know why the treadmill is so much harder than running outside. But, I found out about a kindred spirit. The current Runner's World cover story is Lance Armstrong's debut NY Marathon. In the interview he says more than 30 minutes on the treadmill is really hard. I ran 34:30 and it was hard!

Oh, well. I got my miles in.

Run well,
Bob

Trails Are Interesting

We're in Chattanooga, TN, staying with some long-time friends. Because of where they live, running on the roads is not a great option -- the roads are fairly narrow and very curvy. But, our friends live near Harrison State Park and there is a 4.5 mile trail that goes through the woods and along the shoreline of the lake. It's a nice trail for running but, because Chattanooga is on the western edge of the Eastern Time Zone, it's too dark to run on the trail until about 7:10 am (I wasn't interested in tripping over the tree roots) -- even then, the first 10-15 minutes are a little tedious.

I could get used to running on trails. No worries about traffic, great scenery (once it was light enough), great variety of environment. A great big THANK YOU to the state of Tennessee for providing this trail and for measuring it for the runners/walkers.

Run well,
Bob

Tigoni Trails

Though it's about the hardest running I've ever done, I'm enjoying running in Tigoni, Kenya -- about 30 minutes NW of and 2000' higher than Nairobi. There's just something special about running in that cold, thin air in the dawn fog. The altitude is not bothering me nearly as much as I thought -- I guess 3 years of steady running have put me in shape.

This morning, I was later going out. We didn't have to leave for church until 10:30, so I hit the road at about 6:30. Kenya roads are dirty and there's a permanent film of dirt and stuff on the roads around Tigoni. When it's wet, it's not really slick but I'm aware that I don't have perfect traction. Of course, my shoes also have 300+ miles on them so they are beginning to wear.

After about 3.5 km (2.1 miles), I've just come through a small valley where the air is always a bit cooler and am heading up a short, but steep, hill. At the top is a dog! Looked like a Collie/Alsatian mix. It wasn't barking at anything and didn't seem particularly stirred up and looked like it had a collar on, still ... after getting bit while running about 6 years ago, I'm pretty dog-shy. But, turning around would have been just as hard (physically) as going on, so, I headed to the far side of the 1.5 lane road and kept going. My heartrate increased significantly. But, the dog just watched me go by -- turned as I passed him but never barked or made a move toward me. Whew!

I added a bit of extra mileage this morning. At one point, took a left up a hill rather than right down. When I turned around for the final 2-3 km, I heard someone running behind me at a faster pace than I. I had seen a friend when I first started out -- he was about 75 yards ahead of me and took a different route, so I figured he was ending his run in the same general vicinity as I and was just catching up to me. In a minute, though, a young Kenyan man passed me -- I greeted him, with no response. Fine -- he's one of the famed Kenyan runners getting in his mileage and he's just focused. Well, after a few dozen yards, he slowed and let me catch up to him. Turned out that "he" was a "she". I almost ran off the road because in all my years of living in Kenya (since 1987), I have NEVER seen a Kenyan female running on the roads -- obviously, with their stars rising in the world of distance racing, they're running somewhere but I've not seen them in that area at all. I tried to ask her where she had started and where she was headed, but I couldn't get a response out of her. Language was not the issue -- maybe the hoovering (anybody reading this old enough to remember Hoover vacuum cleaners?) of my 52-year old lungs was the problem; maybe she just wanted some company for a few hundred metres; maybe she wanted to be sure this old man didn't die on the road; who knows. After a few minutes, though, she asked me where I was heading. So, I told her. She said she was going on. Kwa heri and off she went.

Anyway, 2 kinda' neat experiences this morning. Never a dull moment when living in Kenya.

Got to attend the worship service of a church that we had helped start 8-9 years ago. That was fun. We saw lots of long-time friends and came into Nairobi with some of them for the best Indian (Asian) food I have ever had. There may be excellent Indian food in Richmond, VA, but we haven't found anything to rival the Open House in Nairobi. Good food; good friends.

We're going to hate having to leave and head back to the US on Thursday, but we go where God calls and Richmond is that place for now.

Run well,
Bob

High Altitude Running

It was with mixed emotions that I anticipated running today. A bit of background. Until mid-2002, we lived in Tigoni, Kenya. Tigoni is in the highlands of Kenya and sits at about 7500' above sea level. Back in 1999, I had run fairly regularly in Tigoni but there was one hill that I had never conquered -- always had to walk a bit on it -- and another that I had never tried because it is a 0.75 km steep uphill. Around that time, I was running in Tanzania one morning and was surrounded by a pack of garbage heap village dogs, one of whom decided my leg might be a great protein supplement for his daily fare. He took a bite and, fortunately, decided he didn't like my taste. But, that experience sort of dampened my enthusiasm for running and a couple of months later, I quit running in East Africa until I took it back up in Nairobi in 2003.

We're about halfway through a 3 week trip to Kenya and DR Congo and staying at the Baptist Conference Centre in Tigoni (Brackenhurst Baptist International Centre) -- at the top of the hill that I had never tried. So, this morning, my plan was to run down that hill, run my old route which includes the hill I had never conquered, and then back up the hill to the conference centre. I was excited about trying but a little afraid that I couldn't do it.

So, about 5:40 this morning, I headed out and 35 minutes later I had conquered BOTH hills! I felt good about that. Without being too philosophical, this morning helped me realize that in many, many cases, the anticipation of a difficult task is worse than the task itself.

I'll do it again tomorrow. It is really good to be "home" and to be running in very cool weather -- it was probably around 52º this morning.

Live well,
Bob

Running in DR Congo

Well, I've run in my 5th African country in 2006. Got in about 4.25 miles in Kinshasa, DR Congo this morning. Interesting run. A lot more hills than I expected -- long and fairly steep and the downhills aren't just an easy jaunt. So, I was pretty tired by the time I finished.

At one point, I was running along a ridge, overlooking downtown Kinshasa, the Congo river, and Congo-Brazzaville. That was pretty neat. It's a huge city of about 10 million people but it feels more like a lot of moderate-sized African towns just crammed together. I just pray that the gospel will penetrate this whole city.

The really interesting thing was the reaction of the people on the street to me while I was running. The only people who initiated any kind of greeting with me were young men and they invariably greeted me with Bonjour. It's assumed that white folks here speak French -- I don't, except for a few phrases excavated from high school memories. I also don't speak Lingala except for the single word of greeting, Mbote. Anyway, other people would generally respond to me if I greeted them first with either Bonjour or Mbote. The look on the faces of a lot of people was one of amused confusion -- Why is this white guy running?

All in all, a good run.

Yesterday, we spent the day with a new missionary couple (one year) and a group of pastors with whom they are working. One of the pastors had just returned from a trip, with another pastor and a layman, to the "interior" and gave a report. A 3 week trip turned into about 3 months and they had clothes and other things stolen at one point, but he was excited because a number of people had given their lives to Christ and several churches had started. I had been asked to share a devotional thought, so I chose Hebrews 12:1-2 which uses a running metaphor to talk about being a follower of Christ. It was a good day.

Perhaps more later about the rest of today. For now, run or waddle well.

Bob

Ahh. Back Home

If I don't post more regularly, I'll never have anyone reading this. But, then, this is more for me than anything else.

It is soooo good to be back in Africa. I got to run in my old haunts in Nairobi on Wednesday. After 15 months of running at about 250' above sea level, I was dreading the "hoovering" at 5700'. What a pleasant surprise to run 5 miles and be tired but not gasping for breath. I think it hurts my legs more than my lungs. The same thing happened in Johannesburg in March. My theory is that once someone is in good aerobic shape, the lower concentration of oxygen affects muscles more than lungs.

Tomorrow, Saturday, I hope to run in Kinshasa, Dem Rep of Congo. That will be my 5th African country to run in this year.

Live well, y'all.

Bob

A Taste of Fall?

It won't last, but the last two mornings have been great! Sunday morning, it was 59º and 90% humidity; this morning, it was 63º and 75% humidity. How could you not run?

My runs these two days seem to confirm my theory about the heat and humidity. Sunday, I ran 7.2 miles at 07:40 mpm. This morning I ran 4 miles at 07:30 mpm. So, I endure the remainder of the dog days and look forward to Fall and Winter.

Yesterday, the theme of the worship service at our church, Gayton Baptist Church, was the holiness of God. My head-song this morning was Holy, Holy, Holy. Strange song to sing while running, I know, but it kept me focused on the right thing.

Live well,
Bob

Hills

Hills are my friend. No, hills will kill me! That was the basic content of my self-conversation this morning as I ran a new route. It was up and down all the way. It was a really nice neighbourhood -- lots of oak trees. If we have the right weather this fall, it will be a beautiful route to run in October. See the route by clicking here.

This was actually the most profitable run of my life. :) I found a one-dollar bill on the road. Wahoo!!

Bob

Summer Running

I like running and I like running in the early morning. I really liked running this winter and saw my times improve. All of a sudden, though, I slowed up. It's one thing to do that with intention. But, I didn't decide to slow down -- I just did. Up to May or early June, I could count on regularly getting in a daily 4-6 mile run that was between 07:20 and 07:40 minutes per mile; sometimes 07:10-07:15 if I felt extra good. Now, 07:40 mpm is a good run with 07:45-07:59 being the norm.

My first thought was that it was just age suddenly catching up with me. I really didn't get serious about running until 3 years ago. I was 49 and needed to lose weight and get in decent physical shape -- too much family medical history to risk any other state of being. So, now I'm 52. But I don't think age-related slowness comes on suddenly. That just doesn't make sense.

My definitely non-professional opinion is that it must be the humidity. For the last several weeks, early morning temps have been 62-75. That's not too bad (I prefer about 50). However, the humidity in Short Pump has been 90-96%. Five minutes after finishing any run, there is not a single dry spot on my body or clothes. That pretty well correlates with my slower times.

So, I endure this for a season and look forward to Fall and speedier times. Now, if that doesn't happen, it's back to the drawing board.

Bob

"First Lady of CBS News"

Not running related at all. But still random thoughts.

First Lady of CBS News ready to work
By GLENN GARVIN
Miami Herald
PASADENA, Calif.
(Click here for the full Miami Herald/Mercury News article.)

SNIPPET OF THE ARTICLE:

``We heard from many people that the news is just too depressing,'' Couric said. ``Now, obviously, we can't sugarcoat what's going on in the world, but there are cases where I believe we can be a little more solution-oriented.''

Oh, and, a few less shouting heads, please.

Viewers ``didn't feel that the country was as polarized as was being illustrated in the media in the various forms of news they were watching. One woman in Minneapolis said, `Whatever happened to critical thinking?' '' Couric said.

``Some people felt as if the media in general had abdicated its role of really talking about facts and information rather than just points of view. They also wanted more civil discourse. You know, they want more thinking and less spewing, as one man said.''

END OF ARTICLE SNIPPET

BOB'S COMMENTS

I'm not a Katie Couric fan -- not a naysayer, either. I guess I'm somewhat neutral. However, in a Miami Herald interview, published by Mercury News, in which she talks about CBS News' process of finding out what people think about the current state of news broadcasting, Couric has made two points with which I agree:

1. News media focus on the negative and ignore the good (at least, that's how I interpret her first statement).

... and ...

2. I detest the shouting matches that CNN seems to have started several years ago with its Crossfire program and which many news shows have adopted -- that seems to be all I can catch on Fox News and MSNBC. Rather than providing an environment for exploring (key word) opposing perspectives on the news, it seems to lead to shallow opinion-sharing, staunch defensiveness, and denigration of other points of view ("Aw, come on ... how can you possibly say that?!" type of statements). Some networks seem to go out of their way to find news people with the loudest, most obnoxious voices to deliver the news -- even when they are the only one on the set.

Now, can Katie Couric deliver the solution-oriented, critically thought out news that she says is needed? That remains to be seen. She has a huge barrier to cross with her background on fluff-news (morning "news" talk shows). Charlie Gibson has the same barrier in his move from Good Morning America to ABC Nightly News (not sure if that's the right name).

It would be great if Couric can pull this off. I guess we'll see in the Fall.

Bob

Free!

I ran 4.5 miles this morning in just under 35 minutes. While doing that, I both contemplated and exercised my unalienable rights:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Life: This is one of the reasons I started running 3 years ago. At that point, I was technically obese (BMI of just over 30) and, with family history of high BP, high cholesterol, Type II diabetes, and heart disease, I wanted to do what I could to extend both the quality and length of my life.

Liberty: OK, this is stretching it a bit, but I am free to choose whether or not to do something about my health. So, today I chose to do something positive about it -- I ran. But, at least where I live, I'm also simply free to run without worrying about harrassment from some petty, tyrannical government official. Working with and around folks who live in some 140 countries around the world, I don't take that freedom for granted as much as I might under other circumstances.

Pursuit of Happiness: I like the fact that the founding fathers recognized and stated that Happiness is not the right but the pursuit of Happiness is. There are lots of ways to be happy. I'm grateful to be a part of a family in which I'm happy. While I would be glad to get rid of some of the facets of my job, I am involved in something that has eternal significance and that brings a great deal of satisfaction, which is at least one part of happiness. In a physical and mental sense, running is another way that I pursue happiness -- good health, relief of stress, the chance to think through stuff are all contributors to happiness.

Wouldn't it be great if every government recognized those rights? All men (read, humans) are created equal and so deserve to enjoy those rights.

Bob
...even young people tire and drop out ... but those who wait upon God get fresh strength ... they run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind. Isaiah 40:30-31 (The Message)

Candle Light Run for Hope

In my last post, 2 1/2 months ago, I mentioned that I was getting ready for the Candle Light Run for Hope. It was my first race since high school. I had hoped to do the race in about 21:42, or just under 07:00 mpm. Yeah, I said 20:00-21:00 in my last post but I realized that 20 was unrealistic and 21 would be a stretch.

It worked out for us to go to Greenville on Wednesday night before the race on Saturday. I ran the course on Thursday and Friday mornings. That was good -- I was concerned because Greenville is more hilly than Richmond, so the trial runs gave me some idea what I was up against. It wasn't going to be too bad.

However, I realized on Friday that I really had no way to judge my pace. I didn't know anybody else who was running so didn't have anybody with whom I could compare myself. It didn't look like there were going to be markers on the route. In high school, while none of the runners were equal, we were all close enough so that we could pace ourselves against each other. In this race, there were going to be all ages and all skill levels. If I ended up pacing myself by someone 20-25 years younger than me, I would end up killing myself.



The night of the race (9 pm start), figuring I would finish in the top 1/3, I was able to get to start in the lead pack (I'm the yellow shirt just right of center). That kept me from getting tangled up in the mass. For the first 3/4 of a mile, my mouth was dry -- I guess it was the nervousness. Several times during the race, I was pretty much running by myself and that was a little strange. At the second water station, I grabbed a cup of water to wet my mouth (poured most of it over my head) and someone was standing there calling out times. Turned out to be the 2 mile mark and I was at about 14:05.

However, the last 1.1 miles was mostly uphill and I slowed down. I ended up running the 5k in 22:46 (a pace of 07:20 mpm). I'll admit to some initial disappointment as I crossed the finish mat but quickly realized that I didn't do badly at all for my first race. When the results were posted, I was 76th overall and 5th in my age group (50-54) -- click on the title for this posting (or here) to see the complete results.



I don't know how many more races I'll run -- I'm not willing to shell out a lot of money to run. If I run again, I would really like to run with somebody else who is shooting for roughly the same pace. That would help me run better but would also be more fun!


Run well, y'all,
Bob