It's all about training for Chicago. And it's about beating breast cancer. Since I forgot to take a picture on my run this morning, you get a photo of a glass representing the best team in the history of professional football (and the venue for the marathon in October), and a couple tidbits representing the cause.
About those tidbits . . . earlier this week, I ordered some bandanas to protect my newly shaved head. Amazon had a few good deals, so I ordered a mixed batch of twelve regular bandanas, a pink camouflage bandana (not sure where I'd need to be for a pink camouflage bandana to help), and of course a bandana of the Mexican flag. Or so I thought.
My mixed batch and the Mexican flag should arrive early next week, according to Amazon shipment tracking. The pink camo bandana arrived yesterday. I opened the package to find I didn't order one pink camo bandana. I ordered twelve. I gave one each to my two youngest kids, and one to my wife. For the rest, I'm thinking I'll have a nine bandana rotation for my runs, and then I can auction them off after the marathon. All proceeds will benefit Susan G. Komen. I should be able to raise at least $3 or $4. What'll likely happen is I'll lose eight, and keep one ratty bandana as a souvenier representing the fun times training for the little October run in the heat of a Florida summer.
Florida summers. The stereotype of the south is the pace is much slower than the north. Having lived here since 2002, I now know why. It's the result of generations having lived here without the benefit of AC. If you're a bit warm up north, you get up and move. The breeze created by movement gives a little relief. Here in the south, movement just causes more sweat to form because the air is so full of water. No help at all, thankyouverymuch. So, people just didn't move unless they needed to move.
Today found me challenging myself in the Florida summer, having awakened an hour late. The temperature wasn't much higher, but the difference between ten miles in the sun, or not in the sun, is big. Not that I would know. I've never run ten miles before. I just assume so because running ten miles in the sun on the 13th of July in Central Florida was no fun.
What did I learn today (other than to get up earlier to avoid the sun)? Under the heart rate strategy, I can keep my heart rate where it should be (180 bpm less age) at a decent pace for about three miles. Between the third and fourth mile, I kept the pace and my heart rate popped up 15 bpm. From that point on, it was a challenge keeping the rate down. For the five miles out, things went well - with the sun in my eyes, and a little tightness in my right calf (previous problem had been my left calf, which was perfectly fine). When I made the turn at five miles, I had renewed energy and my pace quickened for about a mile. My heart rate shot 25 bpm higher than my target, and I struggled the rest of the return keeping it where it should be.
What else did I learn? Music is magic. That's not news. The musical selection on my iPhone is eclectic. The workout playlist for the gym injects a bit too much adrenaline into running when when trying to keep the heart rate down - but that's what was played. The Beastie Boys got in my head yelling, "Because you can't, you won't, and you don't stop" at just the right time. Doctor P assured me "It's gonna get, it's gonna get, it's gonna get louder / We're gonna get, we're gonna get, we're gonna get stronger / I gonna feel, gonna feel, gonna feel better". Rob Bailey kept the edge on things with "Hungry", reminding to "Focus on my own / Every day will test me / Nobody will ever fucking catch me / I live to be the best / This is all I got, this is all I got / I ignore the pain 'cause the pain will never stop / You're better than this, I'm better than this / You're bigger than this, I'm better than this."
Tomorrow is a cross training day. It'll be spent with my son on our tandem kayak catching big bass. Kayaking on a windy day in the summer is a workout, whether you want it to be or not. Next week is a "step-back" week. While the mid-week run will stay at 3-5-3 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Saturday's run will be 7 miles. The Saturday on the 27th jumps up to 12 miles. Just need to keep things loose. And keep the pink camo bandanas clean.
About those tidbits . . . earlier this week, I ordered some bandanas to protect my newly shaved head. Amazon had a few good deals, so I ordered a mixed batch of twelve regular bandanas, a pink camouflage bandana (not sure where I'd need to be for a pink camouflage bandana to help), and of course a bandana of the Mexican flag. Or so I thought.
My mixed batch and the Mexican flag should arrive early next week, according to Amazon shipment tracking. The pink camo bandana arrived yesterday. I opened the package to find I didn't order one pink camo bandana. I ordered twelve. I gave one each to my two youngest kids, and one to my wife. For the rest, I'm thinking I'll have a nine bandana rotation for my runs, and then I can auction them off after the marathon. All proceeds will benefit Susan G. Komen. I should be able to raise at least $3 or $4. What'll likely happen is I'll lose eight, and keep one ratty bandana as a souvenier representing the fun times training for the little October run in the heat of a Florida summer.
Florida summers. The stereotype of the south is the pace is much slower than the north. Having lived here since 2002, I now know why. It's the result of generations having lived here without the benefit of AC. If you're a bit warm up north, you get up and move. The breeze created by movement gives a little relief. Here in the south, movement just causes more sweat to form because the air is so full of water. No help at all, thankyouverymuch. So, people just didn't move unless they needed to move.
Today found me challenging myself in the Florida summer, having awakened an hour late. The temperature wasn't much higher, but the difference between ten miles in the sun, or not in the sun, is big. Not that I would know. I've never run ten miles before. I just assume so because running ten miles in the sun on the 13th of July in Central Florida was no fun.
What did I learn today (other than to get up earlier to avoid the sun)? Under the heart rate strategy, I can keep my heart rate where it should be (180 bpm less age) at a decent pace for about three miles. Between the third and fourth mile, I kept the pace and my heart rate popped up 15 bpm. From that point on, it was a challenge keeping the rate down. For the five miles out, things went well - with the sun in my eyes, and a little tightness in my right calf (previous problem had been my left calf, which was perfectly fine). When I made the turn at five miles, I had renewed energy and my pace quickened for about a mile. My heart rate shot 25 bpm higher than my target, and I struggled the rest of the return keeping it where it should be.
What else did I learn? Music is magic. That's not news. The musical selection on my iPhone is eclectic. The workout playlist for the gym injects a bit too much adrenaline into running when when trying to keep the heart rate down - but that's what was played. The Beastie Boys got in my head yelling, "Because you can't, you won't, and you don't stop" at just the right time. Doctor P assured me "It's gonna get, it's gonna get, it's gonna get louder / We're gonna get, we're gonna get, we're gonna get stronger / I gonna feel, gonna feel, gonna feel better". Rob Bailey kept the edge on things with "Hungry", reminding to "Focus on my own / Every day will test me / Nobody will ever fucking catch me / I live to be the best / This is all I got, this is all I got / I ignore the pain 'cause the pain will never stop / You're better than this, I'm better than this / You're bigger than this, I'm better than this."
Tomorrow is a cross training day. It'll be spent with my son on our tandem kayak catching big bass. Kayaking on a windy day in the summer is a workout, whether you want it to be or not. Next week is a "step-back" week. While the mid-week run will stay at 3-5-3 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Saturday's run will be 7 miles. The Saturday on the 27th jumps up to 12 miles. Just need to keep things loose. And keep the pink camo bandanas clean.
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