Gym 15 minutes

Let's try again to introduce a bit of cross-training on the days between running. The two or three times I've tried before, even the briefest gym sessions made me too tired. But all the experts say cross-training is an excellent way to improve running, so I'll give it another shot.

Conveniently, there is a small gym in the basement of our condominium building.
6:25:05 PM    

Walk/Run 40 minutes

Boy, oh, boy! Nothing feels as good as a good run. Well, OK, sex feels better. But good sex often concludes with a nice nap, whereas, after a good run, the high and the energy last for hours.

My old friend, JH, recently rekindled thoughts of some special run in 2007 when we both turn 65. I think he's still hot on running from the Pacific to the Atlantic across the isthmus of Panama. Me, I still dream of running the Pangnirtung Pass. I must tell him my latest wild idea: We do both!

That's the kind of trouble one can get into during a great run.

http://www.canadatrails.ca/hiking/nw/ayuittuq.html http://home.earthlink.net/~studio1photo/baffin1.htm http://www.jovial.on.ca/vica/Arctic/Auyuittuq/Auyuittuq.html

Aside to dear reader: The reason there are so many posts for each date right now is that I began to blog 3.5 months after I started my comeback; thus, catch-up is needed over April 23-27, at the rate of one month per day.
9:55:59 AM    

Walk 41 minutes to loosen up for the week ahead

Crossed paths with a ratty red fox on the Waterfront Trail between Pickering and Ajax. Saw a pair of Mallards and lots of birds. That has to be the nicest stretch of lakefront in these parts. (The fox looked ratty because of remnants of winter fur.)

TOTALS WEEK 16: Walk/Run 149 minutes Weight 236.5 lb

NEXT WEEK: Time to push the long run again, but only by 1 mile or 15 minutes, which is increase enough.
9:35:21 AM    

Walk/Run 74 minutes Distance about 5 miles

Thinking about running the Golden Horsehoe, or all the way around Lake Ontario. Hah!

Let's see . . . Pickering to Niagara Falls is about 107 miles . . . around the lake, that's about 540 miles . . .

http://www.canadatrails.ca/tct/on/waterfrontw.html http://www.pec.on.ca/conservation/trail.html http://www.seawaytrail.com/
9:21:11 AM    

Walk/Run 35 minutes

Drove 10-minutes to the nearest track to see what my pace is. Quickest was 14:15, slowest, 14:45, so using 15 mins per to calculate distance on the long runs is just fine.

At this pace, I might be able to run a marathon in 6 hours 30 minutes, which means I would squeeze in under the wire at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in September.

http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/en/news/June_30_03.htm
9:18:03 AM    

Walk/Run 40 minutes

Who needs hill work? It was so windy on the spit today that the windsurfers and kiteboarders gave it up.
9:12:43 AM    

Walk/Run 93 minutes Distances about 6 miles

With Hammer Gel, without a problem.

TOTALS WEEK 15: Walk/Run 183 minutes Weight 236.7 lb

NEXT WEEK: Be sure to rest and recover!
9:09:38 AM    

No gym again. It's pretty obvious, now, that the days in-between W/R, are simply going to be rest days during this stage of my return to running.
9:06:24 AM    

Walk/Run 45 minutes

In shorts, so spring must be here.
9:03:49 AM    

Saw my GP to renew a prescription, and took him a recap of my BP readings for last while. He's not concerned and urges me to also not be concerned.
9:01:21 AM    

Walk/Run 45 minutes
8:59:35 AM    

Walk 35 minutes

TOTALS WEEK 14: Walk/Run 180 minutes Weight 236.5 lb Hey, hey. hey!
8:07:05 AM    

Walk/Run 90 minutes Distance 6 miles or so, longest run in many years

Would that all runs could be that nice!
8:04:17 AM    

Gym 10-15 minutes
8:02:48 AM    

Walk/Run 45 minutes

Working out on Mondays and Wednesdays on the soft sand of the spit sure does help keep the legs and feet in good shape. No more left hamstring problems that I had for several weeks. Also trying to run on center or right of crown, to compensate for so much running on left side facing traffic.
8:01:24 AM    

No gym again, but delighted with BP/HR readings in morning.
7:58:30 AM    

Walk/Run 45 minutes
7:57:07 AM    

Ran out of time for a walk.

TOTALS WEEK 13: Walk/Run Combined 140 minutes Weight 238.3 lb
7:48:39 AM    

Walk/Run 70 minutes

Tried Hammer Gel for first time. It may have helped, although I did go a little slower than in past long ones. All these refueling possibilities with gels and whatnot are entirely new to me. When I last took long runs, a granola bar and maybe Smarties or M&Ms were all there was.

Started feeling anxious at end of day about discomfort in left chest, so, for the first time in maybe two years, took a Lorazepam to sleep--which I did for 10 hours!
7:44:23 AM    

No gym, again. The walk/run days on Mon, Wed and Fri may be all the old bod can handle at this stage. Every time I try to add a gym workout on Tues and/or Thurs, I start feeling overly tired.
7:31:57 AM