Good Start to a Saturday

Good way to start Saturday morning. While I really want to get my pace down, today's run felt better than any in a long time — 5:53AM, dark in Nairobi this morning, 61°F, 64% humidity, 6.25 miles at 9:49 mpm:



Run well, y'all,
Bob

Running Backwards

OK, not exactly backwards. I reversed my route in Jo'burg this morning. The advantage it gave me was a long (@ .7 mile) downhill before the last uphill (@ .6 mile). My overall time was faster than other runs this week -- 9:37 mpm. The Forerunner still showed a difference between the pace for total time (9:37 mpm) and for moving time (9:32 mpm). Not quite sure about that.



Run well, y'all,
Bob

Wednesday in Jo'burg

I don't get to Johannesburg, S Africa often, but when I do, I enjoy running this route. Not because it's fun, but it's quite satisfying to finish. There's a long (@.7 mile) uphill near the beginning. The next 1.75 miles are basically downhill with a few uphill segments. Then, miles 3-5 are all uphill with a **VERY** short downhill (maybe 0.1 mile) at about mile 4.25. And, this is at altitude -- 5300'-5500'.



Run well, y'all,
Bob

Running in a Daze

Flew to Johannesburg, S Africa, last night for a training conference. The only flight I could get was one that left Nairobi at 8:40PM and arrived in Jo'burg at 11:50PM (an hour behind Nairobi time), though we actually landed at 11:25PM. So, knowing that I wouldn't get to the guest house until 12:30AM or so, I had not planned to run this morning. But, at 5:30AM, I was awake -- it gets light a lot earlier here than in Nairobi! I laid in bed for another hour or so, dozing occasionally and finally got up and out.

It was intentionally short but turned out to be a faster pace than anything last week. Johannesburg is at a very slightly lower elevation than Nairobi but, at least where the guest is, there are these long hills. They are steep, just long, and they are killers. And, the guest house is at almost the highest point of the routes I run and definitely at the highest point in the neighbourhood where it's located. So, there is no way to avoid ending a run going up one of those long hills. It's a killer! But, hills are my friend, right?!



Run well, y'all,
Bob

Early Saturday Morning

Decent enough run this morning -- 61°F, 61% humidity. My legs didn't feel as tired as earlier in the week. Still slow -- I can't seem to lose the weight I need to lose. I'll just keep plugging away.

An interesting observation about the FR305 -- for some reason, there's about a 14 second difference in elapsed time and moving time even though I don't stop at all. There are a couple of places where I turn around, but I don't actually stop. So, perhaps that confuses the Forerunner.



Run well, y'all,
Bob

Thursday Run -- 4th Consecutive Day

My original plan for the week was to run Mon-Wed, rest today, then run Fri-Sat. Then, I found out that we have to meet someone at the airport for a 9:30PM arrival -- that means we won't likely get home until 11:00Pm and I'm unlikely to get to bed before midnight. That made a 6:00AM run on Friday less than optimal. So, I ran this morning.

I wasn't a really good run. It seemed harder even than other runs this week. However, at the end, my pace was faster and heartrate lower than yesterday. Of course, it was also a mile shorter than yesterday. :-D

Because of guests, I've given up the bathroom that I normally use so haven't had access to my scales for almost a week. I finally remembered to move them. Stepped on the scales this morning with great expectations that I would see some progress. Well, if moving higher is progress, then I made progress -- it's just not in the direction I'd hoped. I've never had particular trouble losing weight until the past 6 months. I'm beginning to wonder if it's an unexpected result of a medication I'm taking -- and the stubborn extra pounds could well be the reason my pace has been so disappointing. We'll see.

If you're interested, here's the Forerunner report for today:



Run well, y'all,
Bob

Slow It Down

I don't have any idea why running this week has been so hard. During all 3 runs, I've felt like I'm running the day after a long run. Just one of those weeks, I guess.

At any rate, when I headed out this morning, I decided to slow down a bit. My original goal was to keep my heartrate below 150. I actually managed that until about mile 3.25 or so. That was about when I started the final, long, uphill section. My heart rate did peak at about 161 bpm but my average for the whole run was 148 bpm. I did feel better but that meant a slow run -- better that, though, than an injury.

This was my 9th run with the Garmin FR305. I really like it but really have to be careful not to spend too much time watching it.



Run well, y'all,
Bob

Monday, 3 January 2011

Not a bad run this morning except that my body didn't want to go out the door. But, once I got my shorts and shirt on, the body submitted to the mind and got in gear. I pushed the pace slightly this morning, though it felt like more than slightly. Mile #2 was good at 8:54 mpm -- of course, it was mostly downhill.



Temperature: 61°
Humidity: 68%

My scales decided to work today -- first time in almost 3 weeks. The 196.5# was not a pretty sight -- too much divinity, too many sugared peanuts, not enough running around Christmas. I want to lose 25# this year, would love to lose that by my birthday in May.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Sunday Morning, 2 January

Temperature: 60°
Humidity: 72%, patchy fog
Garmin data:


Run well, y'all,
Bob

CHARGED Marathon champion in the dock

I like interesting number sequences, so today is right up my alley -- January 1, 2011 or 1-1-11.

Not sure why this posted 50 times this morning. The originating site said it didn't post at all. Oh well.

This is a major blow -- Wanjiru had been phenomenal over the last couple of years. A later FB post from the Daily Nation said that Wanjiru and his wife have reconciled after the death threat. We'll see.

CHARGED Marathon champion in the dock


Olympic marathon gold medallisread more...

Wanjiru and wife reconcile after death threat charge

First run of 2011 — 6.39 miles at a slow pace of 9:42 mpm:

I would love to run 1000+ miles this year. It will take some doing to get there. Hang around and let's see how it goes.

• How has has 2011 started for you?

Run well, y'all,

Bob

Morning Runs

Amanda J left a question on my blog a couple of weeks ago about running at various times of day -- OK, make that 6 weeks ago (sorry, Amanda). She's a relatively new mom and has been running midday after her son goes down for a nap. Amanda's also like a second daughter to me -- she grew up in Tanzania and our families have been close friends for almost 25 years. This will be a bit long and a lot rambling, so hang on.

I almost always run in the early morning. In the US, I like to be on the road by 5:30AM. Yes, it's still very dark much of the year, but the roads where I've normally been are very good and traffic is light. Plus, if I run while it's dark, then I can't see how slow I'm going! Here, in Nairobi, Kenya, I head out between 5:50 and 6:30AM. Because the roads are in such bad shape, I'm hesitant to run in the dark -- even a headlamp doesn't show potholes very well and a lot of the roads where I run are not paved. If I go later than 6:30, traffic is too heavy and dangerous.

Plus, during at least half of the year, it's too hot for me midday or in the evening. God seems to have created me with a low tolerance for heat and humidity. Once the thermometer heads north of 70°F, and especially when the humidity is higher than 85%, it just saps my energy. The closer the temperature is to 50°F, the more I enjoy running. And, actually, there are studies that show a decrease in pace as temperatures increase above 55°F or so. I enjoy running the most when the temperatures are between 40° and 55°F -- above 50°F, I wear a short-sleeved running shirt; between 40° and 50°, I wear a long-sleeved running shirt (unless it's below 30°F, I wear shorts -- below 30°F and I pull on lightweight wind pants). So, mornings fit my thermostat better.

I have found that, assuming temperatures are to my liking, I actually run a bit faster later in the day. Still, though, I like running early, even if I'm a bit slower.

I also run early because I'm sure nothing will interfere with getting the run in. Not too many folks want to schedule a meeting before 7:30AM, so it's unlikely that a meeting will interfere with running at 5:30 or 6:00. And, running early gets my body started, my blood flowing, and I just feel better the rest of the day. I can be obsessive about running but it's mostly because I really like running, so that drives my getting out. Even if I don't run, I'm usually up early anyway.

The biggest enemy of my running early is going to bed late and not getting enough sleep. I ofter kid that by running first thing in the morning, by the time my mind actually wakes up, I'm already halfway into my run and it's too late to quit. Amanda, that can be a real problem for moms with young children. I do fine with 6:30+ hours of sleep -- better with 7:00 -- so I really need to be asleep before 11:00PM. That does make me somewhat of a party-pooper and I gave up watching Sunday night, Monday night, and Thursday night football long, long ago. When in the US, I don't watch the news at night; I don't like going to movies at night; etc. -- all of those cut into my sleep, thus cut into my running.

Physiologically, I don't know if there really is an advantage to running early versus later. Unscientifically, I think it depends on the individual. It does take some "want to" to get out of bed early enough to run early. There are those who say that a lunch-time run is good for weight loss -- primarily because one tends to be less hungry right after running and because the running cuts into the time available for lunch for folks who have limited lunch breaks. For me, though, heat and sweat prevent me from running midday -- the result of my body's dislike for warm/hot weather, is that I sweat profusely. Even this morning, after 5.6 miles in 58° temps, I was soaked. If I ran at midday, I certainly would have to have a shower but even with a shower, I wouldn't stop sweating for 1-2 hours after running. That doesn't work too well in an office.

There are others who push evening runs. They say it helps one unwind from the day -- a destressor. For me, though, besides the heat, there are too many things that can and will interfere **and** I'm usually so tired at the end of the day that it's too easy to slough off the run. I much prefer to be proactive and handle the stress of the day before it happens and I stand a better chance of being more consistent in my running if I run first rather than last.

All in all I think it's better to run early. How? Good question ... here are some suggestions:

• Plan to just do it. Decide that you like running enough to do it first. Some Christians will have their quiet time first; I'm more alert for that after I run and have a shower.
• Have your stuff ready before you go to bed. I put my running kit on the counter in the bathroom before I go to bed. That way I don't have to rummage through my dresser drawers in the pre-dawn darkness and it's a reminder that I really want to run.
• Get enough sleep so that you wake up ready to run.
• Eat something before heading out. Not always necessary -- I've done 6-8 mile runs early in the morning without eating something. This also depends on how your body handles food. If I'm going to eat "real" food, I have to get up early enough to finish at least 30 minutes before running -- and I don't eat heavy -- a banana, half a toasted bagel with some peanut butter. I avoid acidy foods (oranges). Some people like caffeine -- if I'm up early enough, I might have a mug of chai with my banana. But, since lack of sleep is the enemy of my running anyway, if I'm going longer than 4.5 miles, I'll usually down a Gu (Chocolate Outrage or Mint Chocolate are my favourites) and 10-12 oz of water right before I go out the door.
• If you need the extra motivation, find someone to run with. You're less likely to leave your running partner standing around waiting on you than you are to talk yourself out of running by yourself. Plus, when you run early with someone else, there's someone to listen to you gripping about how early and dark and cold it is and how much you'd rather be back in bed. Of course, you also have to listen to them gripe.
• Be safe. If I run in the dark, I wear a reflective vest. No matter when I run, I wear a Road ID and if it's dark, I clip a Firefly Supernova blinking light onto the Road ID band. (If you buy something from Road ID after clicking on one of those links, I do get a discount from Road ID.) In very dark conditions or if the road isn't quite smooth or if I think there will be a lot of unsuspecting pre-dawn traffic, then I'll pull on my running cap and clip on a headlamp. I also, with very few exceptions, always run facing traffic and am always aware of the verges so I can step off the road if necessary. Finally, I do not listen to music when I run, especially in the dark -- I want to be absolutely sure that I hear anything coming my direction -- I actively listen to what's happen around me.

Enough from me. When do you like to run? Do you have other suggestions for getting out early?

This morning, I ran farther than I've run in Nairobi in more than 13 months -- I've only covered a longer distance twice in the past year and both were at less than 1000' above sea level and I walked some on both of those runs. It was only 5.6 miles and it wasn't nearly as fast as I wanted (9:17 mpm), but it is an accomplishment. I'll review my year at the end of December but suffice it to say at the moment, that this has been the worst year of running for me in the past 7.5 years. So, running 5.6 miles is a reason to celebrate!

Run well, y'all,

Bob

Good Saturday Run

It's been a long time since I last posted -- since I first got to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Running in West Africa -- Burkina Faso and Ghana -- was a welcome change from running in Nairobi. Even though Ouaga is the capital city of Burkina Faso, it's not nearly as large as Nairobi and there is not nearly as much traffic. So, the air was cleaner. I did have to watch out for hundreds of motor scooters and bicycles (thousands as work traffic picks up later in the morning). It turned out that the safest place to run was in the middle of the road rather than on the side.

Much of my running in both Ouaga and Ghana was on dirt roads. My shoes got filthy!! After we got home, I left my running shoes outside, next to our door, as usual. The dear lady who works for us here commented that I must have run somewhere besides Nairobi. Curious, I asked her why. "That's not dirt from here," she said. She was right, but how did she know?

This morning's run was a good one. It wasn't long -- none of my runs these days are long -- but it was a good 3.9 miles. The first part felt especially good. Maybe I'll get my endurance back some day. The weather was great -- I left before sunrise in the pre-dawn light -- the temperature was 59° and the humidity was a comfortable 59%. I almost decided not to run because I didn't get enough sleep last night. But, I'm really glad I went.

I hope your weekend run(s) is as satisfying.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Dog Runs

No, I've not acquired a dog that runs with me nor am I doing my runs in a dog run. I'm in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Where I'm currently running in the mornings there are just a lot of dogs. This morning, I must have seen 15-20. The dog in the picture under the pot looks just like the dogs I saw -- they seem to be Basenji-Schensi. (OK, for some reason, I can't get pictures to load into the blog -- I'll try later.)

Frankly, seeing dogs when I run makes me a little nervous. About 11 years ago, I was running in a small town in Tanzania. I heard dogs barking but didn't think too much about it until I looked around and saw 6 round the corner of a building heading for me -- same general type as the Basenji-Schensi. I stopped and tried to run them off by pretending to toss a rock at them. The barely broke stride but came up to me and started circling. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous but didn't want to excite them -- not with 6 of them circling. There was nobody close around at 6AM except an old man who was sitting down a block or so away. One of them apparently decided he wanted to see what white meat tasted like and I watched him clamp down on my calf.

Fortunately, he seemed to decide that white meat wasn't for him and the dogs turned and ran off. It was the strangest thing. Frankly, it was as if an angel that I couldn't see had stepped between me and the dogs and they weren't sticking around to see what might happen. I was a couple of miles from where I needed to be -- no cell phones and no one knew where I was. So, there was nothing to do but run back with pretty nice holes on both the front and back of my leg and blood dripping down my leg. I had never had a rabies vaccine and there was no vaccine or globulin in this little town and none in Nairobi. So, the meds were flown from Johannesburg, S Africa to Nairobi and one of our mission pilots flew it down to Tanzania -- he was coming anyway, so just came a couple of days early. The missionary doctor who gave me the shots said that if someone is bit by a rabid dog, the symptoms could show up anytime in the succeeding 3 years. That made me feel really good and, frankly, I did have some concern for the next 3 years. Fortunately, either the dog wasn't rabid or the vaccine/globulin combo worked.

I still have the scars on my leg. It was hard to start running again because of trepidation about dogs and I did carry a rungu for a while whenever I ran. (Well, I was going to post a picture of a rungu but I still can't upload pictures.)

At any rate, I still have some concern about dogs when I run, especially in Africa. I'm grateful that the ones around here don't seem to care that I'm around. Most haven't even looked my way.

This morning's run was 3.7 miles at a pace of 8:52 mpm. Slower than I wished but still pretty decent.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Where Am I?

A couple of days ago, I posted about my run in a new place and asked if anybody had any guesses. No surprises for me, only a few people looked at the blog and nobody guessed. Not really a fair question — you would have to know the streets to know that I'm in Ouagadougou, Bukina Faso. Well, OK, you would also have to actually care! :-D

We're here helping out with field orientation for new personnel. One of the things that I love about running is that I can do it anywhere I go. Except for the fact that my feet are so big (12D) and my shoes take up a lot of luggage space, it's nothing to carry running gear.

The first couple of days here, I was in downtown Ouaga. Night before last, I moved to a different guest house in a different part of town. Yesterday, since I didn't really know where I was in Ouaga, I decided to run up the major road (limiting my turns) for about 15 minutes and then come back -- about 3.5 miles. Easy enough -- no chance of getting lost or turned around, right? Wrong!

Coming back, I realized that there was nothing that identified my turn back to the guest house. And, as it turns out, I was already past the turn when I started looking. So, I kept thinking that it would be the next light. Finally, I knew I had missed badly, so I turned around and headed back -- uphill, of course. I found the turn and got back. When I finally got to an internet connection to check the route, I had run 6.1 miles rather than 3 and change.

That's also one of the great things about running -- sometimes I get to explore!! ... whether I intended to do so or not. I was bushed -- that's the longest I've gone in a year and in the heat and humidity of Ouaga to boot.

This morning -- I carefully noted my turn and managed to get directly back with a planned 4.2 mile run. One challenge of running in Ouaga, even at 5:45AM, is that there are thousands of people riding bicycles and motor bikes -- far more of those than cars. So, it turns out to be safer to run in the middle of a 4-lane major road in the city than on the edge of the road!! That's a first.

Running -- rarely a dull moment.

A shout out to Ryan and Sara Hall. They have resigned from the Mammoth Track Club and are striking out in a different direction to try to move to the next step in their running. Both are great runners and really, really fine people of faith.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Run on 20102010

Today's another of those unique number days. In places where the international date format is used, it's 20-10-2010 -- twenty-ten-twenty-10. I notice that while running this morning and for a second, couldn't figure out what that number was.

It was 25° and the humidity must have been around 92%. Oh, yes, that is 25°C -- about 78°F. So, coming from Nairobi where morning temperatures have been closer to 60°, I was pretty warm. Fairly short run -- 2.9753 miles at a pace of 8:49 mpm -- slower than I hoped given the low altitude.

The picture on the left was my route. Any guesses as to where I am?

One really great thing about running is that I can explore a new place at ground level.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Turn the Corner

At least in my experience, the phrase turn the corner is used when one has been through difficult circumstances but has come to the end of the difficulties and things have improved. Well, turning the corner was a good thing during my run this morning.

I did the same run in Colorado Springs that I had done on Sunday -- a relatively easy 0.8 mile start, then 1.8 miles that went up 300 feet (starting at 6453' above sea level). The uphill ended at a corner (Chapel Hills and Research) and when I literally turned the corner, the next 1.8 miles was all downhill and the last 0.2 miles was only a very slight upward incline. Turning the corner today was actually fun!

Stats for the day:

• 41° F
• 65% humidity
• 4.65 miles
• 9:36 mpm pace

Have you had a turn the corner running experience?

Run well, y'all,

Bob

Up in the Air...

Well, this morning, I had hoped to run on the US Air Force Academy compound a ways -- past the airfield and then back. Headed out and then realized that those plans meant running through the security gate. Rats! Figured it wouldn't hurt to ask, so I crossed to the median toward the MP's and stopped and asked one of them if I could run the road. Very politely he informed me that one had to have military ID to get in before 8AM when visiting hours started. "All right ... no problem ... thank you, sir" and I headed back the other way.

I was disappointed but not surprised. While I knew I was not a national security threat, there are probably all kinds of scenarios where a lone runner on a military base in the early, pre-dawn hours is a really bad idea.

Still, I had a great, though hard, run this morning. My pace for the 4 miles was almost exactly 9:00 mpm -- 9:00.76, to be exact. That's certainly my fastest run at altitude (I'm currently at 6448') in a very long time.

I hope you have a great run today or whenever you next run.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

Hill Training (Sort of)

Now, this hill will not only strengthen your legs, it will rock your lungs. This was my run this morning (Colorado Springs, Academy Hotel-->Research loop) -- I altered the beginning and end slightly and it ended up being 4.278 rather than 4.177 miles. Click on the Elevation link (large) on the left to see the elevation change. Starting at 6448, dropping a bit, then climbing 300'+ from about 0.67 miles to 2.5 miles, it was tough. The last 1.7 miles was GREAT, though! Pace was 9:26 mpm, even with about 3 walking breaks going up the hill -- probably due to the last 1.7 miles.

The run was during the long dawn -- it was cool at 42° but really nice for running. It was nice to have to wear a long-sleeved shirt and gloves for a change. According to weather.com, the sun was due up at 6:50 -- I started about 6:10 but it was quite light the whole time. Seeing the Rockies getting that early morning light was something else!

Run well, y'all,
Bob

A 57⁴ Run

Nothing spectacular today — just another run in Nairobi. Kind of a neat coincidence, though: 57°F, 57% humidity, 5765' above sea level, 5.78 minutes per kilometre. Now, if I'd just run 5.7 mile! :-D

As it was, I ran 4.5 miles at a pace of 9:18 mpm or 7.29 kilometres at a pace of 5:46 mpk. For now, that's good. It's not where I want to be. I want 4.5 miles to be my short runs and a 9:18 mpm pace should be my easy runs -- I'd like to get back to 8:00-8:15 mpm on a daily basis. But, patience, grasshopper.

Run well, y'all,
Bob

A Cure for Smelly Shoes

I have an incredible gift! No, it's not the speed to run faster than (or anywhere near as fast) as a speeding bullet; it's not the endurance to run long distances and finish wanting more; it's not even something as exciting or desirable as the gift to make money hand over fist. No, I am an effective heating machine -- I have the gift of sweat! Yes, I know, GROSS! I can head out for a 3-5 mile run when the temperature is 51°, wearing shorts and a short-sleeved shirt and come back looking like I have stood under a waterfall for the past 25-50 minutes. One good friend saw me after a run one day and commented, "You sure do have an efficient internal heater!"

One downside of that "gift" is that my shoes are wet at the end of a run. Wet shoes lead to stinky shoes and that always happened. I tried Lysol spray; I tried Fabreeze spray; I tried newspapers stuck in the shoes; I kept them outside at all times; and nothing helped. Then, one day I listened to Ashland Dave's podcast on StuffItts. He said they had worked for him -- you know, the kind of worked like playing country music backwards -- your wife comes back, you get your pickup back, the bank doesn't foreclose on your home, your dog becomes your best friend again -- that kind of worked. So, I decided to try them. I went to the StuffItts' web site and ordered 4 pair of "Speed Demon Black with Neon Yellow Strap" StuffItts. At the time, they were having a closeout on an older model -- the inserts are not replaceable but they were only $9.95 each.

I live in Kenya, so I had the StuffItts sent to my daughter who gave them to someone else who was coming to Kenya for a meeting. Granted, the StuffItts caused quite the stir -- "What in the world...?" When I finally got them, I put them to immediate use. What a difference!! ... I got my pickup back, my dog liked me ... oh, wait, that's the country song! Almost immediately, my running shoes quit smelling like something that had stayed out of the refrigerator for way too long. Now, I have to tell you, they don't destink my shoes to the point where I want to drape them around my neck but I no longer pass out when I get within 20 yards of them and I no longer have to defumigate my suitcase when I travel. They are great and I would heartily recommend them to anyone who has sweaty feet (no, don't get anything for telling you that ... though, if StuffItts wants to compensate me for the endorsement, I wouldn't refuse -- LOL). I keep a pair in my morning running shoes (the worst offenders), a pair in my afternoon walking shoes, and another pair rotates among the shoes I wear for work -- one pair is still in reserve.

Funny thing. The other day, after our afternoon 3+ mile walk, I sat down to take off my shoes and insert my StuffItts and had this overwhelming flashback to my childhood. Do you ever hear or smell something that transports you to another time and place? Well, all of a sudden I had the sensation of opening a fresh bag of cedar shavings to put in my hamster cage. Now that's a great smell and that's what the StuffItts smelled like (and no, I wasn't holding them up to my nose), even after living inside my shoes for 6 months.

Running? Oh, yes, I still do that. This morning, my body did not want to go but my mind overruled for once. It wasn't a pretty sight but I managed a slow 4.4 miler. It was really slow and it didn't really wake me up and I'm stiff all over -- but it was a run and for that I'm extremely grateful.

Run well, y'all,
Bob