Training Tip Thursday

"Running Tips: With the marathon 18 weeks away, plan the training now that will permit you success. Marathon training works best if you start easy and build gradually: A long run of 8 miles in June becomes 20 miles in September. Most important at this time is to establish a goal, whether that goal is to finish or to run fast. Once that goal is chosen, everything else will fall in place."

From Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Guide, Intermediate 1 Program, Week 1.
http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/Oint1-1.htm

Weekly Training: December 15-20 -- I'm Back!

After a week of resting my knee, I'm back!  I ran a week of reduced mileage, 24 miles total, running cautiously and at moderate pace.  Any pains were slight, and subsided shortly after running.  I'm planning a similar week for this week, and next week will begin Week 1 of my marathon training schedule. 

• Sunday, December 20 - 8.0 miles, 1:23:37, 10.45 pace.
• Saturday, December 19 - 6.2 miles, 1:06:15, 10.69 pace.
• Friday, December 18 - 2.0 miles, 20:00, 10.00 pace.
• Thursday, December 17 - 2.0 miles, 19:59, 10.00 pace.
• Wednesday, December 16 - 4 miles, 43:01, 10.75 pace.
• Tuesday, December 15 - 2.0 miles, 20:52, 10.44 pace.

Cold rain was the weather feature of the week, raining almost continuously through Thursday.  Friday through Sunday were cool and sunny, with early morning run temperatures in the 30's and 40's.

2010 Goals

• Run 1,800 1,500 miles.
• Complete a Marathon Race.
• Remain Injury-Free Avoid Serious Injury.

On November 17, I posted Running Goals for 2010.  However, I'm revising Goal #1 from 1,800 miles to 1,500 miles. 

After recent feedback from my body, I feel like 1,500 miles for Goal 1 is more consistent with ensuring I meet Goal 3, which is necessary to meet Goal 2.  Breaking it down, 1,800 miles averages about 35 miles per week.  At the beginning of 2010, I'll be on an 18-week marathon training schedule that starts me at 24 miles per week, and doesn't pass 35 miles until week 7.  It will peak at 44 miles and average about 33 miles over the 18 weeks, including the 26.2 miles for the actual marathon.  That automatically puts me behind over the first 18 weeks, and also doesn't account for several recovery weeks after the marathon.  So, I'm going with 1,500 miles, which averages about 29 per week. 

It looks like I'll finish 2009 at around 1,200 miles. My goal was 1,000.  In 2010, I'd rather exceed a more cautious goal than hurt myself trying to attain a more difficult goal.

Green Living Feature of the Week - Sending a Message to Polluters

Have you seen someone driving a car that is pouring smoke from the exhaust, or throwing trash from their car, and wanted to tell them how they are hurting the environment? 

Yesterday afternoon, on my drive home from work, I observed a car ahead of me that was billowing a huge cloud of noxious smoke.   (GASP!)  This was on a busy six-lane city street, and other cars were either staying far behind this car, or going around it as quickly as possible.  I moved over a lane, to not be directly behind the smoking car, and slowed down a little to increase the distance between us.  As the car turned right at the next intersection, I was able to note the license plate number, and later reported it online.

The state of Texas has two programs that can be used to send a message to polluters and litterers: theTexas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Smoking Vehicle Program, and the Texas Department of Transportation Report a Litterer program.   Since these are based on anonymous reports, neither of these programs result in enforcement activities, but instead encourage citizens to act in an environmentally responsible manner.

Upon observing a smoking vehicle, one can make note of the following information: Texas license plate number, date and time observed, city and location observed, and submit the information to TCEQ online, by mail, fax, or phone. TCEQ mails a notification letter to the registered owner of the vehicle. The letter notifies the owner that their vehicle was reported to be observed emitting excessive visible exhaust emissions. It also encourages them to make repairs, if needed. It also informs vehicle owners that law enforcement authorities  observing smoking vehicles on Texas roadways may issue citations for up to $350. Since the program started, the TCEQ has sent more than 160,000 letters to smoking vehicle owners. Thousands have replied saying they fixed their cars!  Repairs have ranged from minor adjustments to major engine repairs.

Upon observing litter exiting a vehicle, intentionally or accidentally, one can note the following information:  license plate number, make and color of vehicle, date and time, location, who tossed the litter and what was tossed, and submit the information online. TxDOT compares the information to the vehicle registration database and sends the litterer a "Don't Mess with Texas" litterbag along with a letter reminding them to keep their trash off of our roads.

A quick search online showed me that most states have similar programs.  If you are interested in sending a message to polluters, there are probably versions of these programs in your area.

Weekly Training: December 7 - 14

This week, I continued to nurse a sore knee, resulting almost no running mileage.  Monday morning, I set out to try an easy 2 to 4 mile run.  The soreness returned before I completed the second mile, so I ended the run at 2 miles.  I rested Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  Friday morning, I decided to resume with easy cross training and no running, and allow plenty of recovery time.  I walked 2 miles, and then bicycled 1/2 hour.  A little soreness returned, and remained the rest of the day.  Saturday morning, I walked 4 miles, with less soreness than Thursday.  By Sunday morning, the soreness was further reduced.  I went for another 4-mile walk, and felt good enough that I couldn't resist testing myself with several short jogging intervals mixed in, followed by very little soreness.  Monday morning, my leg and knee felt pretty strong, but I rested again anyway. 

I feel like I'm about ready to gradually ease back into a regular running routine. :-)

Marathon Training Calendar

I've been running for quite a while using bits and pieces of various different training programs.  After registering for a May 1 marathon, I decided it was time to find a formal, structured program to follow through to race day.  After reading the details of a few training schedules, I decided to use one of Hal Higdon's marathon training programs.  Hal has 6 programs published on the Hal Higdon's Marathon Training Guide website, two each in the Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced levels.  He recommends the Novice programs for first-time marathoners, but I wanted a slight additional challenge and selected the Intermediate I schedule because I think it gives better preparation for the 26-mile distance by using a weekly medium-distance run  on the day before the weekly long-distance run.

Of course, the schedule is written in terms of "Week 1," "Week 2," etc., not in terms of an actual calendar or dates.  After plugging my race day into the end of the schedule and working backward for a day-by-day schedule, I looked for a convenient way to set up and follow a daily schedule.

During this process, I discovered Google Calendar.  This turned out to be a pretty good tool for the purpose.  I was able to set up a custom calendar for the 18-week progam.  The header on each date tells me exactly what is on the schedule, i.e., the miles and the pace.  The Description field let me copy and paste the full detailed workout description from Hal's website.  So, I can see at a glance what is scheduled for the date, and a single click on the header title brings up the full description.  A second click returns it to the header view.  It also let me embed the calendar in this blog, which is a very convenient place for me to keep up with it.  Pretty cool.

The calendar is completely filled in now, and is at the bottom of this page. 

Green Living Feature of the Week - Wasted Food

I recently came across an enlightening blog, "Wasted Food," by way of Sharon Astyk's blog, "Casaubon's Book."  The author, Jonathan Bloom, has researched this topic for almost 5 years, and is currently writing a book on wasted food in America.  On some level, I'm sure we all realize that a significant amount of food is wasted.  However, after seeing the details, it's the magnitude of the waste that is so shocking. 

Bloom cites a study that shows that in America, we waste around 40% of the food that is produced for consumption.  WOW!  The percentage may seem unbelievably high, until considering that it refers to a broader picture than just consumer waste.  In addition to the food we waste as consumers, the figure also includes waste in production and distribution chains, stores and restaurants.  A portion of crops raised never even gets out of the fields.  In stores and restaurants, items that are perfectly usable go into dumpsters when they reach a use-by-date, or develop the slightest blemish, or just to make space for new stock.  Since consumers are picky, it is understandable that retailers want to maintain stock that is the freshest and most attractive.  However, usable items could be donated, rather than wasted. 

Our culture is accustomed to relatively cheap, abundant food, making the significance of large-scale waste easier to overlook.  However, on closer examination, the effects are far-reaching.  If anything near 40% of the potential food supply is wasted, the ecological impact is huge.  Fuel and other resources are wasted to grow, package and transport food that is never consumed.  Additional pollution results from the needless consumption of these resources.  The wasted food ends up in landfills, further generating greenhouse gases.

Not the least of the issues related to waste is that the cost of raising food that is thrown away is included in the cost of all food, raising prices.  Inflated price may not have huge effect on all consumers, but it is a big deal to the poor.  And in the poorest nations, a slight cost difference may mean the difference between living and starving.

Personally, I try to minimize waste.  My family eats leftovers and makes every effort to use ingredients before they have time to spoil.  Looking at this issue more closely, I resolve to be even more careful about personal waste, and to support organizations that donate and participate in the "rescue" and use of surplus food.

I'm just scratching the surface of the information.  For more detail, check out this blog!

Physical Activity Is Better than Medicine

Want to avoid getting a cold this Winter?  Keep active!

An article published by the American College for Sports Medicine cites studies that show that there is a 25 to 50 percent reduction in illness among active people who complete 45 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week.

“This reduction in illness far exceeds anything a drug or pill can offer...All is takes is a pair of walking shoes to help prevent becoming one of the thousands predicted to suffer from the common cold this winter.”

Weekly Training: November 30 - December 6

This week I nursed a sore knee, resulting in a week of reduced mileage, 22 miles total.  After two days of running very short distances (2 miles Monday and 4 miles Tuesday), followed by two days of rest, I tested the knee with a slow and easy 2-mile run Friday morning at 11.5 pace.  It still felt fairly good Saturday after I ran 6 miles at 10.0 pace.  Sunday, I followed with an 8-mile run at 10.33 pace.  The last mile of this run brought some returning knee pain.

I will continue for now with reduced mileage and additonal rest, and build the distance back gradually.

Overtraining?

After my first two consecutive 40+ mile weeks, and running hard in a race, I still have a little pain and stiffness around my right knee area.  I feel it just left of my right kneecap, and on the back of my right leg, opposite the kneecap.  My waking heart rate Tuesday morning was 57 instead of the typical 47 to 51.  Maybe I overtrained a little.  I took it easy Monday and Tuesday, only running two and 4 miles respectively, and didn't run at all today.  I'll continue to be cautious for a few days, rest as appropriate, and see how it feels.

Have you ever had these symptoms?  Does this sound like Runner's Knee?

Green Living Feature of the Week - CFL Lighting

One of the easiest ways for environmentally conscious people to make a difference is by using Compact Flourescent (CFL) bulbs for lighting.  I've used them exclusively in place of incandescent bulbs for about 5 years now, and love them.  They are more expensive, but they last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.  More significantly, they consume about 75% less electricity.  An incandescent bulb is very inefficient; it is essentially a heating element in a vacuum tube.  Most of the energy is converted to heat; light is almost a by-product.  CFL's run much cooler, converting more energy to light.  Not only do they help the environment, they save the consumer a lot of money.

I saw an impressive statistic, that every household in the U.S. replacing one incandescent bulb with a CFL would result in the same emission reduction as taking 1 million cars off the road. 
Wow-- think of the effect of replacing ALL incandescents with CFL's! 

CFL's do contain some mercury, so they should be recycled rather than thrown in the trash.  I'm taking them to the local Home Depot; all of their stores accept CFL's.   If there is not a store locally, the Earth911.com website shows nationwide recycling locations for almost all recyclables.

The next generation of energy efficient lighting is LED (light emitting diode) lighting.  The LED runs even cooler and uses even less power than the CFL, but is more expensive.  Recent improvements in LED technology should reduce prices as production increases.

November Running Milestones

Most miles in a month: 137.8
Most miles in a week: 41.1, week ending November 22.

Training Update - November 23-29

It was a good week of running, a good race and a second consectutive 40+ mile week.  It was a bit of a push to get the total above 40, after taking two days off to rest for Thursday's race.  I didn't get a really long-distance run in; the longest was 12 miles.  I picked up the mileage a little differently; instead of alternating shorter and longer distances, I increased by two miles each day.  The last four were 6.2 (at race pace), 8.0, 10.0, and 12.0 on consecutive days.  The result was a little more "burn" each day than I'm used to, from adding miles each day while still a little fatigued from the day before.  

The week's stats:
Sunday, November 29 - 12.0 miles, 2:15:57, 11.33 pace, 60°, increasing humidity.
Saturday, November 28 - 10.0 miles, 1:47:59, 10.80 pace, 49°.
Friday, November 27 - 8.0 miles, 1:27:33, 10.94 pace, 38°.
Thursday, November 26 - Turkey Trot 10K Race - 6.2 miles, 54:29, 8.79 pace, 40°.
Tuesday and Wednesday - Rest for Thursday's race.
Monday, November 23 - 4.0 miles, 46:30, 11.63 pace, 51°.

Race Review - 19th Annual Turkey Trot 10K in Tyrell Park - Beaumont, TX - Thanksgiving Morning

This was an enjoyable event.  The race was well-organized and well-managed.  Race day lines were reduced because many runners used the option to pick up packets at designated locations in the two days prior to the race.  I like that they gave a tech shirt instead of a cotton T-shirt.  Race morning chip pick-up was quick and efficient. 

The 5K and 10K runners ran mostly the same route, but from different starting points, which reduced congestion.  The only improvement I could ask for would be additional mile markers.  I think I saw markers at mile 1, mile 3, and mile 6.  To get a better feel for pace, I'd like to see them at each mile. 

I halfway expected some turkey suits, but didn't see many outlandish costumes at this event.  However, this runner wore yellow boxer shorts with red chili peppers!

(Click photos to enlarge.)





This runner must have started a good running program and lost a lot of weight in the past year. 

Written on his shirt: "These are the pants I wore LAST Thanksgiving."  He was quite trim, but was wearing very large pants.

Conditions were very good, sunny and about 40°.  I probably started out a little fast, but settled down after a couple of miles.  I tried to set pace behind a couple of runners that passed me, but couldn't quite keep up.





At about 4 1/2 miles, a runner passed me that was going just slightly faster, and I was able to match his pace the rest of the way.  We traded positions 3 or 4 times coming up toward mile 6.

Thanks, anonymous runner, for helping me set a good pace!
Before turning this corner into the last quarter-mile, I had enough energy left to leave my pacer behind and sprint hard the rest of the way to the finish. 

My goals were:
To try to run <56 minutes, or 9 minute pace, to enjoy the race, and have a great time.

Why 56 minutes? I plugged my 5K PR time into the McMillan Running Calculator, and it gave me an equivalent 10K time of just under 56 minutes; I felt that was a reasonable guideline for what I should be capable of.

My actual time was 54:28.6; 8:47 pace.  And, I did enjoy the race, and had a great time!

Green Living Feature of the Week - Home Organic Gardening

A key concept for sustainable living is the effort to eat locally as much as possible.  The ecological benefit of eating foods grown locally or regionally, rather than transported thousands of miles, is obvious: less waste of precious fuel resources, and reduced pollution from burning of the fuel. Additionally, large-scale industrial farming is also heavily dependent on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.  Negative effects of chemical fertilizers include the consumption of energy and other resouces and resulting pollution from the manufacture and transport of fertilizers, and chemical runoff into water tables.  Pesticide use has negative effects on species other than the targeted pests, and there are many natural, organic pest control methods.  While there is no guarantee that all locally-grown food is organically produced, in general, small local farmers tend to be better conservators of the land.

Other benefits:  locally-grown food is fresher, and purchase of locally-grown food keeps community  resources close to home, benefitting local farmers instead of large agri-business.

Organic home gardening is the ultimate in sustainable, local growing.  One's own yard is the closest possible source of  fresh foods. No transportation is required.  The home gardener can assure that pesticides are not used, and home-produced compost can replace chemical fertilizers.

Urban Homesteading is a growing trend (no pun intended).  Many home gardeners are devoting their entire yards to producing their own food.  There are a multitude of resources out there on the web.  Check out Path to Freedom.  It is one of my favorites.

Two Challenges: Environmental and Fitness

I recently came across two interesting challenges: one Eco-challenge, to conserve fuel or energy this Winter, and one Fitness challenge, to complete 100 pushups.

Reading The Crunchy Chicken Eco-blog, the 2009 annual Freeze Yer Buns Lower the Thermostat challenge has been underway since October 19, with 65 pledges so far to lower thermostat settings this Winter.  I'll accept this challenge; in recent years, we've only heated on a few of the coldest days.  Most days we get by with no heat, dressing more warmly and letting the indoor temperature fall into the 50's.  In our mild Winters, only a handful of days get colder than this.

Here is the fitness challenge, the One Hundred Pushups challenge.  It's a six-week conditioning program, three sessions per week, about 10 minutes each.  I'll give it a shot.   For fitness, running is my primary focus.  However, a runner shouldn't neglect the upper body, since arm swing is so important to running mechanics.  Arm swing counterbalances leg motion, reducing workload on the legs, and plays a major role in running efficiency.  An experienced marathon runner once told me, "When your legs get really tired, pay more attention to just keeping your arms moving.  Your legs will follow."  Push-ups and running complement each other on another level; they both fit well with a sustainable lifestyle.  They are free, can be done anywhere, and don't require special equipment or consumption of resources.

Training Update - November 16-22

I tried a new venue for Sunday's run, Lefler Park, another of the Beaumont city parks.  (click to expand photos)

It looked like the perfect setup for a great run, a perfect, chilly morning, a beautiful wooded park with nice scenery, the rising sun just visible through the trees, but the trails were a big disappoinment.  The trails were asphalt surface, which would have been OK, except that they were badly in need of maintenance.  The asphalt layer had cracked and crumbled to the point that there were chunks laying all over, creating poor footing. 

I would have much rather found trails of dirt or crushed stone.  After running 3 or 4 minutes, the trail condition was getting worse instead of better.  Visualizing a sprained ankle from stepping on one of the chunks, I gave up and turned back.  I returned to the track I ran last week, the Gulf Terrace Hike and Bike Trail, and completed my run.

Other than the disappointment with the Lefler Park trail, it was another good training week, with a good Sunday 13.1-miler following Saturday's 6-miler.  I have not yet repeated my longest single run of 18.2 miles from a month ago; however 41.1 total miles for the week is a second consecutive milestone for  total weekly miles, following last week's 36 miles.  I've been looking at one of the Hal Higdon marathon training schedules, which puts a  medium-long run and long-distance run on consecutive days.  This is a tougher approach than I'm used to.  I tried consecutive longer runs several months ago, and really struggled.  Lately, I've been taking a day off before the weekly long run, resulting in a lot stronger long runs.  However, the well-rested longer runs aren't preparing me as well for the difficult marathon miles between 20 and 26.  The back-to-backs culminate in a 10 miler followed by a 20 miler, and should better help build the necessary endurance.  Sunday, I definitely felt the rigor of this approach, struggling a little to finish 13. 

The week's stats:
Sunday, November 22 - 13.1 miles, 2:25:15, 11.09 pace, 48° and very pleasant.
Saturday, November 21 - 6.0 miles, 58:59, 9.83 (3 miles easy pace, 2 miles tempo, and the last mile at race finish pace). 50°, drizzling rain.  You know you're hopelessly hooked on running when a 6-miler in cold drizzling rain is the highlight of your Saturday!
Friday, November 20 - 4.0 miles, 40:15, 10.06 (3 miles @easy pace; 1 mile @tempo pace). 59°, with light sprinkling rain from the approach of the next cool front.
Thursday, November 19 - 6.0 miles, 1:04:33, easy pace @10.76. 42°!
Wednesday, November 18 - 4.0 miles, 39:59, 10.00 pace. 43°!
Tuesday, November 17 - 4.0 miles, 38:31, tempo pace @9.63. Cool front! 40°!
Monday, November 16 - 4.0 miles, 44:26, easy pace @11.11.  63°.

For the coming week, I plan to run Monday, and rest Tuesday and Wednesday in preparation for Thursday's Turkey Trot 10K race.  My 10K goals are to try for <56 minutes, or 9 minute pace, to enjoy the race, and have a great time.

Green Living Feature of the Week - Composting

Composting household scrap/waste organic matter is a great Earth-friendly, sustainable living activity.  It is beneficial because:

• Composting prevents organic materials from going to landfills, where they contribute to landfill volume and generate methane gas.  Reduction of volume going to landfills also reduces the amount of vehicle fuel burned transporting waste to landfills and the pollutant generation associated with burning the fuel.
• Compost replaces chemical fertilizers.  Gardeners can grow great organic vegetables using compost to add nutrients to the soil.  Eliminating chemical fertilizers also reduces the pollution generated in the fertilizer production process, and conserves the raw materials used for fertilizer production.  It also reduces fertilizer run-off into our watersheds.
• Compost builds better soil for gardening.  In addition to adding nutrients, it loosens the soil and helps moisture retention.
• If you don't garden, compost makes a great mulch to use around trees and bushes.

I keep a covered compost pail under the kitchen sink to hold compostables between trips outside to the compost bins.  Compostable ingredients are generally classified as "green" (nitrogen-rich) and "brown" (carbon-rich).  It's good to use a mixture of the two. Examples of "green" materials are vegetable/fruit scraps and peelings from the kitchen.  Examples of "brown" materials are leaves and grass clippings.  Here are some of the types of things I compost:

• Vegetable and fruit peelings and scraps.
• Coffee grounds.
• Tea bags.
• Egg shells.
• Leaves.
• Grass trimmings.
• Garden plant & house plant debris.
• Yard trimmings.
• Sawdust.
• Paper (in small quantities).

2010 Running Goals

I did not begin 2009 with any clear running goals; I kind of adopted a couple as the year unfolded: to run 1,000 miles, and to train for a marathon.  In general, goals are good, as long as they are reasonable and achievable. 

Nearing the end of 2009, it's not too early to set some goals for 2010.  After giving it some thought during the last couple of weeks, I like these:

• Run 1,800 miles.
• Complete a Marathon Race.
• Remain Injury-Free.

Back on Track - Good Long Run and Recovery Run

After missing my long-distance run for two weekends in a row, I was really anxious to get back on track with a good long run, followed by a recovery run. On Saturday morning, I tried the Gulf Terrace Hike and Bike Trail, part of the Beaumont, Texas city park system.
(click on photos to enlarge)

This isn't a wooded dirt trail like I'm used to, but it's well thought out and well done. The complete trail is a measured 3.5 miles, part of which is a 2.0 mile loop.  This lets one add 2-mile multiples to the base mileage to build different totals.   

It is a concrete trail through field areas, wide enough for both foot and bicycle traffic, and has some nice features for runners. 

There are signs marking each mile, and markers on the trail at each quarter mile, making it easy to track pace. 






There is even a mileage sign at 3.1 miles, which is nice if one is training for 5K/10K. 

My last long run was 18.2 miles. After missing my long run for two weekends in a row, I decided to resume a little lower, at 13-15 miles.

I felt good after a few miles, and decided to try doing the 3.5 miles twice, with two additional 2-mile loops added to each, for a total of 15 miles.

Although not the wooded park I'm used to, it has it's own natural beauty (despite some oil drilling on adjacent property).  There are a few trees, and a lot of native grasses and wildflowers to be observed.  There is no shade, so it won't be my favorite venue in the Summer; in Texas, shade is your best friend in the Summer.  However, for Fall, Winter and Spring, it should be a good option.  It's only 2.25 miles from my house, so it's convenient.


I got on the trail at about 7:30 AM Saturday.  At 60 degrees, it was a little warmer than I like.  It was getting close to 80 by the time I finished.  However, compared to some of my long Summer runs (80+ degrees and 98 % humidity at sunrise), not too bad.   After two weeks of reduced mileage, I didn't care about pace, just logging good distance and running hours.  I finished the 15 miles fairly comfortably, 2:40:38, 10.71 pace.

Sunday, I followed with a recovery run.  It always feels good to lightly warm up again while still a little achy from the long-distance run.  I returned to the same location and just ran the 3.5 miler, at 38:44, 11.07 pace.  It was 65 degrees at 7 AM, a little warmer yet than Saturday.  I'm looking forward to the cool front on the way for Monday or Tuesday!

My last good week had been 32 miles total.  My most recent two weeks had fallen to 23 and 18.5 miles.  So, this got me back on track; a good  base mileage week of 36 miles, and a good long run.

Eco-Run:
I was pleased to see that there was less litter along the trail than I normally saw in the Baytown parks, although on the way out I found a few plastic bottles on the adjoining soccer field, and  a couple of cans by the road leading in.  Total Eco-run pickup for the two days: 2 aluminum cans, 14 plastic bottles, 1 32-ounce plastic cup, 1 empty mint box, and 1 empty GU package.

No Impact Week - Beginning November 15

Today, I signed up for the No Impact Week program, beginning November 15.

Last month, I posted information on the organized No Impact Week that ran from October 18 through October 25.  Looking at the No Impact website after yesterday's eco-post, I found that a November No Impact Week event has been organized, and will begin November 15, 2009.  Interested participants may register for the program through the website, or just choose some favorite Earth-friendly activites on their own to privately observe the week. 

The No Impact How-To-Manual is a very good collection of ideas, to use either for the week, or from which to adopt appropriate activities permanently.  Here are the daily areas of focus in the program:    

•      Sunday:  Consumption
•      Monday:  Trash
•      Tuesday:  Transportation
•      Wednesday:  Food
•      Thursday:  Energy
•      Friday:  Water
•      Saturday:  Giving Back
•      Sunday:  Eco-Sabbath

In October, I looked through the program for additional ideas, and tried to go a little beyond my typical eco-activities.  This week, I plan to follow the daily program as closely as I can.

New Sidebar Feature - Green Living

I added a new sidebar feature, "I Live Green By:" to kind of keep track of the things I'm doing to try to achieve an Earth-friendly, sustainable lifestyle.  I'm inspired by things like Colin Beavan's No Impact Project, where he experimented with "zero-waste" living.  I'm not sure I could ever reach the same level, but I want to do what I can.

So, I started a list.  I'm not sure I listed everything that I currently do, but if I think of some I forgot, I'll add them.  If I begin additional activities, I'll add them also.  A few of the listed items are linked to blogs I've already posted about the listed activity.  Maybe I'll use the rest of the list to post about one item per week until the list is completely populated with links.  Or, I could link them to good external references. 

This is a new experiment; we'll see where it goes.

Training Update - November 7-12

I'm finally back into a regular routine after missing a few days of running while completing my move from Baytown to Beaumont.  The best part is being so close to work.  I can get up a half-hour later, and still run an extra mile in the morning.  In addition to my weekend long-distance run, I'd like be able to do a medium-distance, maybe 6 to 10 miler once a week in the middle of my weekday morning routine.  Before moving, I just didn't have time, so I settled for a quick 5K on weekdays.  Now, I can occasionally get up as early as I did in Baytown, and do the medium-distance run.  That would let me vary my routine more, which is good, and also pad my base mileage.  To be completely ready for the marathon, I feel like I need to get my weekly total up into at least the mid 40's, in addition to building the long run into the 20's.

So, I've had a pretty good running week.  The weather has continued to be great, with morning run temps mostly in the 50 to 60 degree range.  I missed two weekend long-distance runs in a row, and tried to compensate by getting a little more mileage during the week.  I also compensated by running 9 days in a row, although I know my body really needs to rest one day per week.  And I got greedy and tried to push Tempo pace 4 days in a row instead of alternating with easier pace.  On the 4th day, Tuesday, I finished by running full sprint for the final 3/4 mile of a 4-mile run.  The result was development of a little knee pain.  So, since the advice I always give other runners is: "Listen to your body," what did I do?  Take the next day off?  WRONG.  I followed with a 5.5 mile run on Wednesday and another 4-miler this morning.  Am I just too stubborn for my own good?  Maybe.  At least, I had enough sense to run the last two nice and easy, and the knee feels a lot better now.  The pain must be more from pushing pace than from the miles.

Anyway, I'm determined to take Friday OFF, and run long on Saturday with fresh legs.  My last long run, 3 weeks ago, was 18.2 miles, but after the layoff, I'm thinking maybe 13-15 range for Saturday, slow and easy.

The boring stats:
Thursday, November 12 - 4.0 miles, 40:29, 10.12 pace.  49° this morning (sweet!)
Wednesday, November 11 - 5.5 miles, slow and easy, 59:44, 10.86 pace. 61°
Tuesday, November 10 - 4.0 miles, 38:36, 9.65 pace. 61°
Monday, November 9 - 4.0 miles, 38:26, 9.61 pace. 65°
Sunday, November 8 - 4.0 miles, 38:58, 9.74 pace. 63°
Saturday, November 7 - 3.5 miles, 31:43, 9.06 pace. 54°

1,000 Miles

At 6:45 this morning, I passed the 1,000 mile mark for 2009 running. 

Logically, 1,000 is just another number.  However, psychologically, it feels like a major event.  I wonder why our minds make distinctions like this.  A numerical boundary is just an arbitrary mental construct; the values immediately on each side of the line are virtually the same.  Somehow, we see 1,000 as significant compared to 999, but 1,001 as insignificant compared to 1,000.

I won't further wonder why; I guess it's just human nature.  Yesterday, I noticed that my total was 996.2 miles.  I ran 3.5 miles on each of the previous two days.  Mentally, I couldn't accept the concept of finishing today's run at 999.7 miles, so I added an extra half-mile to my route.

It was a pleasant run, easy pace, 4.0 miles, 43:06, 10.77 minutes/mile. The weather continues to be perfect, 52° as I started out.

October Running Milestones

Most miles in a month: 137.6
Most miles in a week: 32.3, week ending October 11.
Longest run to date: 18.4 miles, October 24.

Move to Beaumont and Training Update

I've completed the 60-mile move from Baytown to Beaumont; I'm back online after almost a week out of touch, and am recovering from the ordeal of loading, transporting and unloading a household of belongings.  It's great to trade my 1-hour commute twice per day for <10 minutes.  I'm also excited about looking for new routes, parks and trails for running.  Life is beginning to assume a slight semblance of normality again; I even found time to run again the last two mornings:

Thursday, November 5 - 3.5 miles @ Tempo pace, 32:28, 9.27 pace.
Wednesday, November 4 - 3.5 miles @ Tempo pace, 32:36, 9.31 pace.

The weather was extremely pleasant for morning runs, with low temperatures around 50°, and highs in the mid-70s.  50° is my PERFECT temperature for running, cool enough to run hard without too much perspiration, and warm enough to still wear shorts and not feel cold. 

I didn't run at all Saturday through Tuesday, four full days of moving.  Rationally, I know that the exertions of those days were harder workouts than running, but I still really missed my runs.  Running so gets in your blood; the concept of excercise comes from one's rational side, but the desire to run comes from the heart. I especially missed my weekly long-distance run.  However, I added a few extra miles to some of my preceding runs as I could:

Friday, October 30 - Tempo run, 3.1 miles, 27:17, 8.80 pace, 55°. First sub-9 minute pace in a while!
Thursday, October 29 - Easy run, 4.0  miles, 39:52, 9.96 pace, 78° and extremely muggy. Ugh!
Wednesday, October 28 - Tempo run, 7.4 miles, 1:08:48, 9.30 pace, 51° and extremely pleasant!
Tuesday, October 27 - Tempo run, 5.4 miles, 49:28, 9.16 pace, 55°.
Monday, October 26 - Tempo run, 3.1 miles, 29:13, 9.42 pace, 72°.

Registered for a First Marathon...

It's official;  I'm now registered for my first marathon race.  The race is The Gusher Marathon, Beaumont, Texas, on May 1, 2010. 
A smaller-city race like this should be a good first marathon for me.  It shouldn't be too crowded, and the course is pretty flat.  It's just a little late in the season; by May 1, it may be getting pretty warm.  However, May allows plenty of time to get ready.  I just need to stretch my long runs into the 20s and continue to build my base mileage.

A Recommended Post

Runners, check out this post: I Dreaded Meeting You, on the blog "Justtoday."  It puts a really interesting perspective on the relationship a runner has with his or her sport.  One of the best running posts I've read...

Recovery Run/Eco-Run and Cool New Gadget

I ran my recovery run in the park this morning, 3.2 miles, even slower and easier than usual.  I started out a bit sore from Saturday's long run, and running hurt a bit until I warmed up completely.  I experienced a somewhat unusual sensation after yesterday's 18 miler; immediately after I finished the run, when I first stood still, I had such a burning feeling in my calves like I've never felt before.  It was like they were on fire for a minute or two, and then the sensation subsided.  It was just a little different from a normal workout burn; it's hard to describe...

A recovery run is a perfect pace to combine with an Eco-Run.  The slower pace allows a better view into the underbrush and a little more time to look.  I took advantage of the easy run to look farther beyond the edge of the trail for litter, and bagged a lot of plastic and aluminum for recyling as I passed by.  One last Eco-Run in this park before I move.

Don't you hate litter?

I also found an interesting new gadget for the blog, a moon phase indicator (see sidebar).  I sometimes look up moon phase information to get an idea of how much natural light to expect on pre-dawn runs.  This gadget will put it at my fingertips on the blog...

A Poignant Last Long Run in a Wonderful Park? (And a New Distance Milestone: 18.2 Miles)

I had mixed emotions while running my weekly Long Run in the park.  It was another great run, on a perfect morning for running, crisp and cool, 49° at 6:30 AM. I'm moving to Beaumont, TX next week, 60 miles away, so this is probably my last Long Run in this park.  I like Beaumont, and there are some nice parks there, but running today in this park brought back so many memories.  In this park, I was born as a runner.  Here, I evolved from a walker/hiker to an occasional runner, to a dedicated runner.  In this park, I ran my first continuous 2 miles in 2005.  I remembered how good I felt completing my first 6 mile run here on July 2, 2008.  I run the streets in my neighborhood on weekday mornings before work, and run in the park on weekend mornings.  However, the weekday runs are mostly for routine base mileage, while my distance runs, my milestone runs, my long, sweltering summer runs, and my great, inspiring runs have been in this park.  My original schedule was to repeat at 16 miles a third week today before increasing again, but decided to try for 18 miles today to leave this park on a new distance milestone.

I ran with these thoughts through about 9 miles, and as I lapped the start of the trail, Mike was just starting his run.  I've run with Mike occasionally, when we happen to get on the same part of the trail at the same time.  Mike's a strong runner and a quick runner (compared to me); he's an experienced multi-marathoner and races at or under 8 minute pace.  He's currently building his mileage back up to run the Houston Marathon again in January.  I told Mike I was trying to finish up at 18, and he paced me the rest of the way.  That was really nice, because he wasn't going to run that far today; he's been doing his long runs on Sundays.  We talked as we ran, and Mike always has a lot of good training tips.  Having someone to pace against helped me stay in a good rythmn for the rest of the run, and amazingly, I didn't struggle too much in the latter miles.  The only negative:  I got a little side stitch in the last half mile that really slowed me down.  I don't know where that came from;  I never get a stitch!

A good run, a new personal distance milestone, 18.2 miles, 3:14:28, 10.68 pace. Hollaway Park, I will miss you.