Santa brought me a pedometer

Even though my wakeup HR was 54, I had a great run today. Cloudy sky, temperature in the low 40s, a great day!

After 31 years of running, I decided to go high tech. Santa brought me a pedometer, a Sportsline 360. I wanted it because I'm getting ready to run my canal path instead of the city streets, and I wanted an accurate way of measuring distance along the canal. In the past I've estimated canal distances, but I don't think they were very accurate. I used the pedometer for the first time today. My 2.6 mile course in the city streets, as measured with my car odometer, came out 2.67 miles with the pedometer.

A great 2.6 mile run

I had a great 2.6 mile run today! My wakeup HR has been high for the past few days, and I've been taking extra rest days this week. Last week there were two nights when I only had 4-5 hours sleep (I get busy doing web pages and forget to go to bed when I should). Then this week I had one night of 4 hours sleep even though I was in bed for 7 hours (I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep, usually a sign that I'm under significant stress of some kind). These sleepless nights caused my wakeup HR to go up, first to 52 and then to the high 50s. As I measured my HR that morning, I could tell it was going to be very high, so I aborted the measurement. Except for the three nights just mentioned, I've been sleeping pretty good. That good sleep and my extra rest days finally had their effect, and my wakeup HR was 49 this morning.

The temperature was 23F when I left home. The sun was out and there was a faint breeze. It was nice to be out again.

No running today

I'm still tired so I'm taking today off. My wakeup HR was 52.

No running during the past week

I haven't run during the past week because my body is tired from the two nights last week that I didn't get enough sleep. I'll see how I feel in the morning.

I saw a large hawk

My wakeup HR was 49 this morning. I added 11% to bring my run up to 2.6 miles. I felt great and enjoyed the run. The sky was cloudy with a temperature of 37F -- a great running day!

I saw a large hawk on a power wire. It was in the same area as the golden eagle that I saw last spring. I walked close to it before it flew away. Beautiful sight. I also did my usual feeding of grass to the two horses that I pass.

Wow!

Wow! My wakeup HR was 46, a new low since my accident on May 19 and a tie with my pre-accident HR. My wakeup HR when I ran marathons in the early 80s was 44 (later it dropped to 40), so I'm almost at my marathon HR!

I had a good run, although I could tell I'm not quite recovered from my sleep disturbances last week. That's why it was a "good" run and not a "great" run. If I had run on Saturday, I would have had a poor run because I felt tired, and I probably would have had to take today off. By taking the rest day when I felt tired, I gave my body two extra days of good sleep to recover, and today was a nice run. I really believe that you should take a day of rest when you feel tired, and some of the running literature teaches that!

I've found that my wakeup HR is a good indicator of my body condition, but my 30 situps are a better indicator. HR is a "static" indicator (no body movement) while situps are a "dynamic" indicator.

Sleep, what's that? :(

This hasn't been a good week for sleep. During the week I only had 3 hours sleep one night and two days later 5 hours (I got my normal 7 hours the other nights). I felt pretty good during the week, but I'm tired this morning. My wakeup HR was 52 and I'm skipping my run today. I frequently have a couple of days delay between the night I don't get much sleep and the day that my wakeup HR goes up and I feel tired. That happened this week. It took about two or three days after I messed up my sleep for my wakeup HR to move up. It started moving up and the next day it peaked, and the day after that it started back down. The good news is that I got my normal sleep on the other nights during the week. Because of that, my increase in wakeup HR didn't last long. I don't take drugs to help me sleep. Instead I take a homeopathic remedy called Nux Vomica. Nux is not a drug and has no side effects. It is a catalyst that helps my body get started in recovering from the lack of sleep.

Because of this sleep disturbance, I will have run only run once this week. Some runners are hesitant to take an extra day of rest when they feel tired. They are worried their performance will go down. They have a good point since performance does go down when one is inactive. However, my experience has been that it takes about the same time to come back to my previous performance that it took lose that performance. That is, if I take an extra rest-day, my performance will be back up after one or two days of running. So, I don't worry about taking an extra rest day when I need it. I think that ones performance will be hurt more by running when your body is tired.

Increasing my mileage at a higher rate than before my auto accident

My wakeup HR was 49 again. Another beautiful day and a nice run!

This was the second time for running my increased mileage of 2.35 miles, and it went fine. Since I started running after my accident, I've been able to add 10+% every week. Before the accident I only added distance every 2-3 weeks. I think this indicates that my three months without running while I was doing the initial recovery from the accident didn't reduce my body condition as much as I expected.

Training Graphs

An almost perfect running day

Today was another great running day. My wakeup HR was 49, and I felt pretty good. I added 12% to my run for a distance of 2.35 miles. The sky was blue, almost no wind, and a temperature of 34F when I returned.

A great 2.1 miles

My wakeup HR was 50 this morning. I had a nice 2.1 mile run and felt pretty good at the end.

Running in the snow

I had a great run this morning! My wakeup HR was 47 (a new low for my post-accident HR), and I felt great. The temperature was 21F when I left for my 2.1 mile run and 26F when I returned. I wore three layers: my undershirt, a thick, long sleeved T-shirt, and my nylon jacket. Had I been running longer I would have taken the nylon jacket off. I had no problem with ice this morning, because most of the snow that fell on the street yesterday had melted--just small patches of ice here and there.

Even though it was cold this morning, the sky was clear and sunny. There are about 2 inches of snow on the ground.

I've never had a problem running in the cold. My personal-record for running in the cold is -18F (run in Massachusetts in the 80s while I was doing Marathons). I sweat when I run, even in cold temperatures. I remember having sweatcicles hanging on my neck from my hair when I finished a run in sub-zero temperatures. The most layers I used in New England was 5. The most I've used here in Utah is 3.

When I was in Marathon training in the early 80s, I found I could run in the cold for about an hour without feeling the cold. After an hour I began to feel the cold because my body was no longer able to generate enough energy to keep me warm AND propel me for the miles of my run.

Running in the rain that became snow

The extra day of rest helped! I felt better on my run today than I did on Wednesday. During the past three days I've only gotten 6 hours sleep instead of my usual 7 hours, and that could be one of the reasons why I felt tired on Wednesday and a bit tired today. My wakeup HR was 50. I've noticed there is frequently a day delay before lack of sleep affects my HR, so I won't be surprised if it goes up a bit tomorrow.

I ran during the late afternoon after my daughter and her family left for their home. The temperature was 34F when I left and 33F when I returned. The light rain when I left was a wet but light snow when I returned. I added 10% to put my mileage at 2.1 miles. It was a nice run. I've always enjoyed running in rain and snow.

No pep today :(

I felt tired all day today. I ran my 1.9 miles, but I didn't have the "pep" that I like to have. I was tired before I ran and tired after I ran. Instead of running on Friday, I'll take an extra rest day and run on Saturday. My wakeup HR was 51 again.

Training Graphs

Stopped to feed the horses

Another great run this morning! I stopped again to feed the horses some grass. When I added distance on Saturday, I added 18% instead of 10%, but so far I've felt great with that distance. My wakeup HR was 51.

The temperature when I finished the run was 49F, and it was really nice to be outside. Now, I'm going out to pull some weeds before I go to work.

Added 18% to my run -- hope I handle it

A great run today! My wakeup HR was 50 and I felt great! I added 18% to make my run 1.9 miles, followed by a nice 0.3 mile cool-down walk home. During the run I stopped to feed two horses a handful of grass. When I left the temperature was about 30F and a few snow flakes were falling. I enjoyed the crisp, cool air. It's wonderful to be alive and to have a strong body (well, it's getting stronger).

Training Graphs

My wakeup HR is inching up

Even though I had a great sleep last night, my wakeup PR was 54, 4 higher than the day before. Two nights ago I only had 6 hours sleep, and after a day's delay, it affected me in my wakeup HR and in my performance today. I ran my 1.6 miles but felt tired. Part of the problem of being tired is that I ran at 2:30 pm without any breakfast or lunch (having expected to run earlier in the day).

Training Graphs

Beautiful fall day

My wakeup HR was 52. During my stretches before I ran I felt a bit tired. I had an ok run but not great. I had a pretty busy day on Saturday, but yesterday was a nice rest day. We've had a lot of rain the past couple of weeks, but the coming week is forecast to be sunny days and nice temperatures. The Fall of the year is the season I enjoy most! It's great to go out running and to be glad to be alive.

Training Graphs

Three months ago -- CRASH!

I had a great run tonight. I couldn't run this morning because I left home early. Since I'll be gone all day tomorrow, I ran tonight. I added 11% to make my new distance 1.6 miles. I felt great during and after the run. Feeling that way was a good sign of my improving body condition, because two hours before, while my wife and I were shopping, I had a piece of pepperoni pizza. I expected my eating would affect my breathing, but it didn't. I ran out 0.8 miles on a slight uphill grade, and then I ran back the same course. My outdoor thermometer needs a new battery, so I don't know the temperature, but it was above freezing; probably in the 40s.

Today is my 3-month anniversary of running after the accident. Going from 1/8 mile on August 12 to 1.6 mile on November 12, an increase of 12X, is pretty good. If I could do that in the next three months, I'd be up to 19 miles. I think it will be harder to add 10% every week as my distance increases. I'm just grateful for any increase at all. After 4 1/2 weeks in intensive care I went to a different hospital for 10 days of therapy. When I made that change, I couldn't walk due to weak muscles and a loss of balance. During the 10 days I progressed from a wheel chair to a walker, then to a cane, and finally walking with no support. When I left therapy I could walk around pretty good, but I still had difficulty on stairs due to a loss of balance. In addition, moving my body weight up the stairs was still a challenge. During the next month I stayed at my sister-in-law's house, and I received physical therapy for balance and strength in my legs. In addition my wife and I began walking and worked up to 0.6 miles. A few days after coming to my own home I began running. That first day, three months ago, I did 1/8 mile and was pretty tired at the end. I did 1.6 miles tonight and felt great! To me this is all a miracle!

My wakeup HR was 52.

Training Graphs

I think I'm in a slump

Even though my wakeup HR was 50, I felt tired during the run; I considered aborting the run but decided to finish. I ran Monday evening and then Wednesday morning. So, I had less rest after the Monday run than I usually have when I go from Monday morning to Wednesday morning. I've been consistent during the past week of getting 7 hours sleep, although last night I got about 6 3/4 hours. I don't think sleep was the cause of my being tired. It's natural to have ups and downs in how a runner feels, and I may be in a slight dip.

Training Graphs

A nice evening run

Judy and I left at 6 am this morning, so I didn't run until evening. This was the first time in quite a while that I've run after dark. It was nice. Temperature was in the mid 50s (F). The streets were deserted, and it was a peaceful run.

I'm making pretty good progress in recovering from my accident. I'm adding 10% to my distance each week, which is better than I did before the accident (then, I added 10% every two or three weeks). The difference is, I believe, that I'm doing short distances now, and 10% is only 5 or 6 houses. As my distance approaches the 5 miles I was doing before the accident, I may have to allow more time for each increment in distance.

My wakeup HR was 52 again.

Training Graphs

Pulling weeds today but still ran

Today was a great running day. Temperature was in the low 50s (F) and the sun was out with no wind. I added 10% to my run to bring it up to 1 3/8 mile. My wakeup HR was 52 again.

I spent about 4 hours of hard work pulling weeds in my garden, and I'm tired now. I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day :)

Training Graphs

Went for a walk after my run

Most of our 6 inches of snow is gone, and the rest will be gone by tomorrow. The temperature was 36F when I left for my run. My wakeup HR was 52, and I had a nice 1.25 mile run. After the run, my wife, grandson, and I walked our 0.6 mile loop.

Training Graphs

6 inches of snow

Well, winter has finally come to Utah. We had 6 inches of snow yesterday. The temperature was in the high 30s (F) during the storm, and the snow melted when it hit the sidewalks and streets (the snow collected on grass and gardens). Last night the temperature was about 29F, and the sidewalks and streets were icy when I ran this morning. I usually run on the sidewalks, but I ran in the streets because the asphalt was rougher than the concrete sidewalks and gave better traction. The streets weren't solid ice, just small spots of ice mixed with small spots of dry asphalt, about equal amounts of each.

My wakeup HR was 51, and I had a nice 1.25 mile run. The temperature was 31F when I left and 37F when I returned. The ice in the streets was melting.

Rain last night

My wakeup HR was 56. I added 0.15 mile making my current distance 1.25 miles. It rained during the night but didn't rain while I was running. The temperature when I left home was 41F, a nice run.

Training Graphs

Still pulling weeds

My wakeup HR was 54, higher than yesterday even though I had a good 8 hours sleep. I think it is because I'm tired from working in my garden yesterday morning planting bulbs and pulling big weeds.

My run this morning went well. The temperature was 41F, and the sky was cloudy. It rained during the night but not while I was running. I felt fine and enjoyed the run.

Training Graphs

Autumn leaves are falling, falling, falling

I was tired yesterday, so I took an extra rest day and ran this morning. My run was nice, but I was still a bit tired. My wakeup HR was 53. It rained during the night, and the temperature was 41F when I ran. After the run, my wife and I walked our 0.6 mile loop.

Leaves are falling, a nice fall day. The Utah ski resorts have 5 feet of snow already and will be opening soon.

Training Graphs

Happy birthday to me

Today was a great running day! My wakeup HR was 49 (another new low since my accident). I felt great and had a great run. I added 0.16 miles, making my run 1.16 miles. After my run, my wife, grandson, and I walked our 0.6 mile loop.

Training Graphs

I'm recovering ok from the accident

This morning my wakeup HR was 50, a new low for my post-accident values. My lowest HR before the accident was 45, so there isn't a big difference between my pre-accident and post-accident values. This indicates that my body is doing well in its recovery. I still feel tired after a lot of physical exertion, but I'm lasting longer before I get tired. I'm currently running 1 mile (hope to add 10% tomorrow) and think I could go further, but I want to keep my increases down to 10% so my body isn't placed under great stress. Today is a rest day, and I'll see how it goes tomorrow.

Training Graphs

A nice 1 mile run

I just got back from a nice run around my 1 mile route. The temperature was 50F with a light rain and no wind. Another great running day! My wakeup HR was 51.

Training Graphs

A nice run

I had a nice run this morning around my one-mile route. I felt fine afterwards. My wakeup HR was 53.

Training Graphs

Took a walk and then ran

I felt pretty good this morning. I did my 30 situps and 10 pushups, along with my other stretches. Then, my wife, my grandson, and I walked our 0.6 mile loop. Following that I ran my 0.9 mile loop and added 0.1 mile to give me a 1 mile run. The temperature was in the low 60s with a light breeze -- a great morning for running! It's great to be alive!

My wakeup HR was 52.

Training Graphs

My wakeup HR was high today

Even though I had a good eight hours sleep last night, my wakeup HR was 56. My body is still recovering from my lack of sleep earlier this week. I'm taking another rest day today.

When I ran marathons in the early '80s, my experience was that a night or two of insufficient sleep required about two weeks of good sleep to get my HR back down. Now, it takes less time since I'm not subjecting my body to the stress of long distance running.

Training Graphs

My grandson woke me up...

I was in a sound, great sleep this morning when my grandson came in and woke us up. As I result I only had six hours sleep again and am taking an extra rest day today. My wakeup HR, though, is 53, down one beat from yesterday.

It's a good sign of my recovery that my wakeup HR and my body condition is beginning to be affected by lack of sleep. This shows that the influence of the accident is diminishing. A month ago, I could get six hours of sleep and my wakeup HR wouldn't change, and I would feel about the same as I would have felt with more sleep.

Training Graphs

Not sleeping well

I didn't sleep very well last night. I woke up after six hours. My wakeup HR was 54. I worked in my yard for seven hours last Saturday, and was very tired at the end of the day. Perhaps my body is still tired from that. I may have some nervous tension in my life that I'm not aware of. At any rate, I'll see how I feel in the morning after my rest day today.

Training Graphs

A good 0.9 mile run

My wakeup HR was 52, the lowest I've had since my accident. My wife, my grandson Ichiro, and I walked the 0.9 mile loop and then I jogged the loop. I felt good today and had a good energy level.

Training Graphs

Eight great hours!

I had a great sleep last night, eight great hours! My wake up HR was 53 and I felt great. I did 30 sit ups and 10 pushups (my pre-accident normal for those) during my stretches. My wife and I walked the 0.8 mile loop, and then I ran the loop and added 0.1 mile for a 0.9 mile run. I felt great during the run and afterwards.

During the past month I've been adding 20-25% increases to my runs instead of the recommended 10%, and that may have been the primary reason why my body needed more rest.

Training Graphs

I listened to my body

My wakeup HR was 57. I didn't sleep very well last night. My body signaled me earlier in the week (being tired) that it needed some extra rest. I ignored those signals, so it used less sleep as another signal to give it more rest. I finally heeded those signals and took today as an extra rest day.

Training Graphs

Sleep problems

I only got six hours of sleep last night (instead of my normal seven hours), but my wakeup HR was still 53. This indicates that the major stress on my body is still the accident. Before the accident, if I got six hours sleep my HR would increase. The time will come when my HR will increase due to lack of sleep, and that will be another indicator that I'm recovering from the accident.

Training Graphs

Ran a tired 0.8 miles

My wakeup HR was 53. I ran my 0.8 mile loop and felt a bit tired during the run. I had planned on adding some distance on Friday, but being tired means my body needs more time to adjust. We'll see how I feel on Friday.

Training Graphs

Wakeup HR inching down

My wakeup HR was 54, a new PB low for my post-accident statistics. I ran my 0.8 mile loop again and felt a bit tired but not bad.

Training Graphs

I think I'm getting stronger

My wakeup HR was 57. I added some distance and jogged my 0.8 mile loop, feeling fine at the end.

Rest day

My wakeup HR was 56 again. Hopefully, in a few days it will drop again.

Training Graphs

A nice 0.6 mile jog

Another day with my wakeup HR being 56 and a nice jog around my 0.6 mile loop. Felt fine at the end. We had rain during the night, and it was cloudy and cool and nice as I ran.

Training Graphs

Up to 20 situps

My wakeup HR was 56. I felt really good during my stretches and sit ups, and I enjoyed the 0.6 mile run, feeling fine at the end. I did 20 sit ups, using the "Runner's World" method instead of the "army" method. See http://www.leigh.org/running/stretching.html for pictures of the RW method. Before my accident I was doing 30-35 sit ups. When I first started running after the accident, I did 3 sit ups. So, doing 20 is a big step. That, plus my wake HR, shows that I am gaining strength.

Training Graphs

A nice jog

My wakeup HR was 57 today. I felt great, so I added about 0.1 mile and jogged around the 0.6 mile loop that my wife and I walk. I felt fine at the end. Getting past the 0.5 mile marker is an important event for me, because it takes me about half a mile to warm up. Once I'm past that point, I run better and, I assume, get more enjoyment and benefit from the run.

Training Graphs

Added two houses

My wife and I walked our 0.6 miles and I then jogged 0.5 miles (I added two houses). My wakeup HR was 60. I felt pretty good at the end.

Training Graphs

Wakeup HR inching down to 56

I walked/jogged my course today and felt fine at the end. My wakeup HR was 56. This is a new low for my post-accident HR, and it will be interesting to see if it stays at this value.

Training Graphs

Feeling a little better

My wakeup HR was 59 again this morning. I walked/jogged and felt better at the end than I have in previous days.

An ok 0.4 miles

My wakeup HR was 59 today; it has been that for the past week. I added another 1/8 mile to my jogging (6 houses). My total jog is approximately 0.4 miles. I felt ok at the end of the jog. I'm walking about 0.6 miles before I jog.

Before my accident, my wakeup HR was sensitive to the amount of sleep I got. If I didn't get enough sleep (e.g. 5 hours instead of my normal 7 hours) for just one night, my wakeup HR would jump up 6 or 7 beats. However, since the accident, my wakeup HR doesn't change at all if I get insufficient sleep. This means that the stress from the accident and my recovery is still the primary stress in my life. Stress from lack of sleep is less than that stress and doesn't affect my wakeup HR. Interesting!

Wakeup HR was 61 again

During my walk/jog today I felt the same as on Saturday. My wakeup HR was 61 again.

Training Graphs

A little faster but not much improvement

My wakeup HR was 61 this morning. I completed my walk/jog at a slightly faster pace. I'm still not ready for an increase in the jogging.

Training Graphs

A good 0.3 miles

My wakeup HR was 61 this morning, and it was the same for Monday & Tuesday. I walked the 0.6 miles and jogged the 0.3 miles today and Monday and felt pretty good at the end. However, I could tell I'm not ready for another increase in jogging. Before the accident I needed about two weeks (6 runs) to adjust to an increase, and, since my body is weaker now, I'm expecting I'll need more time than that. We'll see. The temperature today was in the low 60s with a 10-15 mph wind from the south.

Training Graphs

Wakeup HR down to 67

Before the accident my wakeup HR was in the mid to high 40s. After the accident it has been in the high 70s. However, today it was 67. I walked about 0.6 miles with my wife (normal course) and then I jogged 0.3 miles to finish my workout. I've been jogging about 0.15 mile, so this doubled my jogging. I felt good at the end and would have like to have kept on going. That is how I like to finish a run, feeling good and wanting to continue. I'll see during the next week if I can keep the 0.3 mile jog three times a week.

Training Graphs

Goodbye to Kings Peak

Earlier in the spring I had planned to climb Kings Peak (highest peak in Utah) in August.. The elevation change from the trail head to the top is about 4300 feet, and the peak is 13,500+ feet. To help me train for the climb, I planned to be running 7 miles three times per week and 1 mile the other two days. Here it is August, and I'm doing 1 mile three times per week, including an 1/8 mile jog (the rest is walking). Oh well, someone said plans were made so they could be broken :) That's ok. I have my whole life ahead of me to reach my goals! Patience is a great virtue in life.

Training Graphs

First jog since the accident

On May 19, my wife and I were in a serious auto accident. She was in the hospital for 2 1/2 weeks, and I was in the hospital for about four weeks, being unconscious for the first two weeks. After leaving the hospital, I was at the home of my sister-in-law for a month receiving home therapy. During that time, my wife and I walked about 0.6 mile each day.

Tonight I did my first jogging since the accident. I mixed into my walking distance a very slow jog for 1/8 mile (a city block). It felt good to run again. Because of the short distance and slow pace I didn't put my running shorts on. I wore my running shoes and ran in my jeans and polo shirt. Tomorrow is a rest day, and I'll try it again on Saturday.

This accident really screwed up my heart rate (HR). Before the accident, my wakeup HR was in the mid to high 40s and my HR during the day was in the mid to high 50s. Now, my HR during the day is in the mid to high 70s. Hopefully, as I gain strength my HR will come down. I haven't been measuring my wakeup HR, but I'll start doing that so I can see how it behaves.

This high HR indicates my body is still stressed out and hasn't recovered from the accident. That fits in with my low energy level. I'm getting tired after a relatively short time of physical activity. I lost 20 pounds while in the hospital and have only gained back 5 pounds.

Starting to recover from the accident

On the evening of May 19, I was in a serious auto accident. For the next three weeks I was in intensive care; I was mostly unconscious during the first two weeks and don't remember much during that time. After leaving the ICU, I was in rehab at another hospital for 10 days. When I first began rehab, my leg muscles wouldn't support my body, and I had to learn to walk again, first with a wheel chair, then with a walker, then with a cane, and finally with no supporting aids. I'm doing fine now, although I get tired after just a few minutes of physical activity.

My post-accident personal record is 1/3 mile of walking. After I get up to a mile, I'll mix in a small amount of jogging. I expect it will take me about a year to get back to my performance before the accident.

Little did I know what would happen tonight...

My wakeup HR was 47. I feel more energetic this morning than I have for several days. I think my body is recovering from last Saturday's reduced sleep and increased mileage.

Training Graphs

A good 5 miles

My wakeup HR was 48. I ran my five miles and felt pretty good. I was a bit tired during the first half but felt fine on the way home -- not peppy but not overly tired. I ate a banana before I left.

Training Graphs

Wakeup holding at 49

My wakeup HR was 49 again. This increase in HR is due to my not getting enough sleep Friday night. I didn't sleep well that night (nervous tension) and I was up early. I've slept well since then. Also, I added 10% to my run on Saturday.

Training Graphs

Forgot to measure my wakeup HR

I didn't measure my wakeup HR today because I was up early to to help clean a girls camp in the Wasatch mountains (my group cleaned a large restroom). After I returned I added 1/2 mile to my run (5 miles) and had a nice run.

Training Graphs

Wakeup HR is low :)

My wakeup HR was 47. I had a nice run. I wasn't as tired as I was on Tuesday. I saw quite a few wild ducks and one mother with 10 or so ducklings.

Training Graphs

A nice run

I had a nice run this morning, although I was starting to get a bit tired towards the end. My wakeup HR was 48.

Training Graphs

A tired run

My wakeup HR was 48. I was tired during the run. Water came into the canal from Utah Lake at the first of the week. There are lots of wild ducks on the canal, and I saw a mother duck with two ducklings during my run. It's nice to have a running trail away from city traffic.

Training Graphs

Feeling stronger

I felt stronger this morning. My wakeup HR was 48, and I had a nice run.

Training Graphs

A rest day today

My wakeup HR was 49 again. I'm taking another rest day and hope to run tomorrow.

Training Graphs

Pooped out toward the end

My wakeup HR was 48. I felt fine during the first half of the run but became tired and did small amounts of walking on the way back.

Training Graphs

Reduced the run a bit

My wakeup HR was 47 again. I had a nice run. I reduced my mileage from the 5 miles I ran last Saturday to 4.5 miles, a 12% decrease from what I had been running.

Feeling better

My wakeup HR was 47. I feel a lot better than I did earlier in the week.

Training Graphs

I didn't listen to my body

It was a big mistake when I added 25% on Saturday. I'm more tired that I realized. It was also a big mistake to have run yesterday. My wakeup HR this morning ranged from 51-53; it wasn't consistent in the readings. I'll rest for a few days, and when I feel more energetic, I'll drop the mileage to what would have been a 10% or so increase.

Training Graphs

I know better, why did I add so much?

On Sunday and Monday my wakeup HR was up at 53. Today it came down to 50, and I did a 2 1/2 mile "light" run. I felt tired during the last half of the run and did some walking. I've had pretty good sleep since I added 25% on Saturday, so I think the increase in HR was due to adding too much distance. Thursday is my next day for running, so I'll see how I feel then.

Training Graphs

May be heading for a peak!

My wakeup HR was 48. I felt pretty good during my run, so I added a mile (25%), making the run 5 miles. I've felt all week that I might be on a new plateau of body condition. Last Saturday I was on my feet all day and was quite tired when evening came, but I ran my 4 miles and felt pretty good during the run. On Monday and Wednesday I again had good runs. All of this with less sleep than I'd like. I've been getting 6-6 1/4 hours instead of 7-71/2 hours. I've been struggling for the past year to raise my mileage from 1 mile 3 times per week to 4 miles three times per week. I've been waiting for my body to "kick in" and adapt to higher mileage, and that may have happened this week. We'll see.

Training Graphs

Nice run down the canal

I wasn't able to measure my HR this morning before I started moving around. I had another nice run down the canal. Water from Utah lake isn't in the canal yet, but there are large puddles in it from the rain we're having. I saw three wild ducks in the canal. I felt pretty good at the turn-around point, so maybe on Saturday I'll add more distance if I feel good then.

Training Graphs

A nice run in the rain

My wakeup HR was 47. I had to leave home soon after I was up, so I didn't run until evening. I left home about 7 pm during a slight sprinkle of a rain. However, by the time I had gone 1/4 mile, it was raining pretty good (at least by desert standards :) I didn't check my thermometer before I left, but I would guess the temperature was in the 50s. All I was wearing was a thick long sleeved T-shirt, my running shorts, and my running hat, and I was worried about losing body heat due to wet clothes. However the heavy rain only lasted for about 15 minutes, and the T-shirt was thick enough that the rain didn't soak in until after my body was at running temperature. By the time I reached my turn around point, the rain was down to a light sprinkle, and by the time I reached home, the rain had stopped. I felt fine during the run and didn't feel cold at all. A nice run!

Training Graphs

I like morning runs but evening runs are ok, too

I was gone all day and didn't run until 7:30 pm. I had a nice run and got back just as it was getting dark. My wakeup HR was 50.

Training Graphs

Less sleep yields a higher heart rate

Thanks to staying up too late, my wakeup HR has gone up. It was 51. My normal sleep is 7 hours. If I get 5-5 1/2 hours, my HR shoots up. Some of this might be due to my age, but I had the same pattern 21 years ago when I ran marathons. It would be interesting to see similar data from people in each decade of age, from say 20 up to the 80s or 90s.

Training Graphs

Go 47, go!

47 seems to be my lucky number. Another 47 for my wakeup HR.

Training Graphs

The farmer removed his gate

The canal road is now open to the south, so I ran that direction this morning. I prefer the south road because there are fewer houses along the canal and fewer dogs to bark. In addition there are more fields, more birds, more horses and goats. The problem is that the land for the canal road is owned by farmers (the canal company just has a right-of-way), and one farmer shuts off the road during the winter so his cattle can graze on both sides of the canal. The canal is fed by Utah Lake, so I can run as far south as I want to, because the canal road is probably 20 something miles to the lake. In the past I've run the canal road as far as 6 miles down and 6 miles back (right now I'm doing 2 down and 2 back). My wakeup HR this morning was 47.

Training Graphs

My wakeup HR was 47

My resting HR was 47 again. When I left home the temperature was 42 with wind gusts (according to Yahoo! Weather) of 15-25 mph. I'm running out and back, and I had a head wind on the out portion. It was hard to run against 20-25 mph gusts. I was looking forward to a tail wind on the way back, but the wind died down and the gusts were about the same speed I was running. My time was only 30 seconds longer than on Monday, so the small tail wind helped some.

Training Graphs

Getting more rest this week

Getting more rest this week is bringing my resting HR down. This morning it was 47.

Training Graphs

Still have a low wakeup HR

My wakeup HR was 48 again this morning. During my run I felt pretty good, and I enjoyed it.

Training Graphs

Wakeup HR was 48, but I was tired

I slept pretty good last night but I feel a little tired this morning. I added slightly more than 10% to my run yesterday, and that has put additional stress on my body. My wakeup HR was 48, 1 higher than yesterday. Dr. George Sheehan, in his book Runner's Repair Manual, said it takes 48 hours to recover from a hard run. Based on that, my feeling a little tired this morning is ok. It will be interesting to see how I feel tomorrow morning.

Training Graphs

Wakeup HR down to 47!

It's amazing what two nights of good sleep will do for a runner! My wakeup HR was 47, down in the range where it should be. I had a great run and added 0.4 miles to boost my run up to 4.0 miles. Spring is here in Utah. New leaves are coming out, trees are full of blossoms, robins are drinking out of my wife's fountain, and my lawn mower needs to be checked out for the new season :) It was a great morning to be out.

Training Graphs

Wakeup HR was 48 but I aborted my run

I was quite tired today and aborted my run after a mile out and walked jogged back. My wakeup HR was 48. I haven't been sleeping well all week due to waking up early.

Training Graphs

Nice run but not ready for more distance

I had a nice run today. I felt pretty good during the run, but not good enough that I'm ready to add more distance. My wakeup HR was 50.

Pretty good run today!

My wakeup HR was 48. I had a pretty good run. I could tell I was starting to get tired towards the end, but nothing like Saturday.

Training Graphs

Too much stress

My wakeup HR was 49. I completed my 3.6 mile run but was tired on the last half, indicating my body is still adjusting to my stress of the past two weeks.

Training Graphs

Wakeup HR was 48

Another night of good rest. My waking HR was 48.

Training Graphs

Wakeup HR was 49

I slept well last night, and my waking HR was 49.

Training Graphs

High stress :(

My wakeup HR was 50. I'm still not sleeping well, and that is keeping my HR high. Stress factors are high right now in my life, and I wake up after 5-51/2 hours sleep and don't go back to sleep. I just got up, but I feel like I have just finished a marathon.

Training Graphs

Aborted the run

My wakeup HR was 48. I felt tired when I woke up, and my run confirmed it. I cut the run short (2+ miles) and walk/jogged back, picking up some litter along the way. Wind gusts of 10-20 mph didn't help, either.

Training Graphs

Taking a rest this weekend

My wakeup HR was 48. I still feel tired, so I'm resting over the weekend and will run on Monday.

Training Graphs

It's as simple as that!

My wakeup HR was 54, indicating my body is still reacting to Tuesday night. Younger runners might have a bit less reaction, but the principle is the same: insufficient sleep puts a stress on your body!

Training Graphs

Not sleeping well

My wakeup HR was 52 today (I didn't sleep very well Tuesday night due to some stress I was under). I slept well last night, but I need a few days to recover. My next run will be Saturday.

Training Graphs

My hamstring was tight

Even though I slept well last night, my wakeup HR was 48, indicating my body is still adjusting to normal sleep. After about a mile into my run, my left ham tightened up. I stopped and stretched it, but it was tight for another 8/10 mile. I stretched it again at my turn-around point, and it felt fine for the rest of the run. I slowed my pace a bit on the way back.

Finally sleeping better

My wake up HR was 46. I slept better, and my body is starting to adjust to normal sleep.

Training Graphs

Still under stress

I'm not sure what my problem has been this week, but I haven't slept well at all, and that has boosted my HR and left me feeling tired. I've been going to bed at a reasonable time but have been waking up early, a sign of stress. I'm taking a rest day today (Sunday is always a rest day). My waking HR was 48, not a significant drop from yesterday.

Training Graphs

Slowed down

My wake up HR was 49. My "comfortable" pace during the run was slower than normal because I was tired. I walked/jogged the last half mile.

Training Graphs

Wakeup HR was 46 -- a great day for running!

Spring has finally come! Almost all of our snow is gone. My canal trail is free of snow and was dried out enough that I ran it this morning. I timed myself to verify that it is about the same distance as the city-street route I've been using while the canal road was snowed in. It was a great day for running! My wake up HR was 46 this morning.

Training Graphs

Too busy to run :(

My wake up HR was 49. I was gone all day and didn't run today. I'll run on Monday.

Training Graphs

Amazing how one feels after sleep

I got a lot more sleep last night, and I felt fine this morning. My wake up HR was 48. I had a nice run, although I was a bit tired at the end; my endurance hasn't fully recovered from Monday night. It's good I took a rest day yesterday and ran today. If I had run yesterday, I would have had a poor run, probably not finishing it, and today would have been a rest day. It pays to rest when one is tired and to run when one feels good.

Training Graphs

Still tired

My body is still reacting to my lack of sleep on Monday night. I woke up after 5 hours sleep and didn't go back to sleep. I stayed in bed for the next two hours to help my body adjust. My wake up HR is still 50, and my body feels tired., so I'm taking another rest day today. I went to bed last night at a reasonable time, but my body needs several days to return to its normal sleep patterns. I normally wouldn't go into this much detail about my sleep patterns, but since this is a tutorial log, I thought it would be educational to illustrate how stress increases with lack of sleep.

Training Graphs

Seems like I never learn

I made the mistake of staying up late last night and only got 5 hours sleep (I got home from work about 11 pm and started writing, and once I do that it's hard to stop until I finish). Because of this, my wake up HR was 50, and I can tell my body is tired. I'm glad today is a rest day. It will be interesting to see how I feel tomorrow morning...

Training Graphs

Wow, wakeup HR down to 47

I did better in getting sleep over the weekend, and I woke up with a HR of 47. I added about 1/3 mile to my run for a distance of about 3.6 miles. I felt good before and after the run. Temperature was 35 when I left with a slight breeze of about 6 mph. We had a foot of snow over the weekend, but the sun is out this morning, and it looks like a great day.

Gonna try a simple pulse rate monitor

My sleep patterns still haven't recovered from last weekend when I only got 4 hours sleep. I went to bed earlier last night but woke up after 4+ hours and couldn't get back to sleep for quite a while. Even with a loss of sleep last night, my wake up HR was 48. I can tell, though, that my body is tired. Since I ran yesterday, today is a rest day.

I bought a Tanita pulse rate monitor. It's a simple device that does only pulse rate; I put my finger over the sensor. I'm hoping this will save me a bit of time. I've been measuring my pulse rate using the pressure point by my right ear and my watch, measuring it for one minute. I would measure it two or three times to be sure I had a stable reading. The Tanita does it in about seven seconds; I can take several readings in the one minute that I needed for my first reading the "old fashioned" way. The wake up HR number I report in this blog will be the average of several readings. For the first few days, I'll also use my watch as a sanity check on the Tanita.

Before I bought the Tanita, I took about a dozen readings of my pulse in the store. Then, I sat in my car and took about 20 more readings. After I got home, I've taking another dozen readings. The accuracy of the Tanita is about +- 1 (at best; accuracy may be worse).

Ordinarily when I run I'm not concerned about measuring my pulse, because I run at my "comfortable" pace. However, when I start to to do speed work, I will be interested in measuring my pulse so see how much stress I'm putting on my body. Anyway, as a software engineer, I like to play with numbers and draw graphs of them :)

Running in the snow, well, almost

My wake up HR was 49, and the temperature was 33 when I ran. There was a slight trace of snow on the ground. I felt pretty good and enjoyed the run. I'm still not getting quite enough sleep, though -- about 6 1/2 hours instead of 7.

Rest day today

My wake up HR was 50 today. It rained during the night, and there were rain/snow drizzles during the day and the evening. The storm is expected to last the weekend. So, the canal trail may be muddy, and I'll probably wait until Monday to use it. Today was a rest day.

The snow is melting

My wake up HR was 50 and I felt pretty good while I ran my 3 1/4 mile route. Our snow is pretty much gone, so I may try the canal road on Friday. We'll see. We're supposed to have rain or snow tomorrow, and that might make the trail muddy. Some of the trail is covered with fine gravel and some is just dirt.

Only four hours sleep -- stayed awake preparing Sunday School lesson

I only had 4 hours sleep Saturday night with a 1/2 hour nap on Sunday. I taught a Sunday School lesson on Sunday, and I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about the class. While lying awake, I thought through the lesson, and after an hour I knew how I should teach the class. I got up, made teaching notes, got ready, and left for church. I had 7 1/2 hours sleep last night. As a result of this lack of sleep, my waking HR this morning was 51. My body feels tired this morning.

Getting sleep depraved

My wake up HR was 50. I haven't had enough sleep the past few nights, and my HR is slightly higher. I did have a good sleep last night, though. I felt stronger during my run this morning. If can get more sleep this weekend and feel good on Monday, I'll add more distance to my run.

We've had warm days this past week, and most of or snow has melted. My running path along the canal still has some snow, but there are large patches of dirt showing. If the warm days continue, I may be back on the canal trail towards the end of next week.

Running in a drizzle, yes running in a drizzle

When I left on my run, there was a drizzle of rain and snow, but I had a nice run. The temperature was 33F. My wake up HR was 49.

Great sleep last night :)

I woke up well rested and with a resting HR of 48. Today should be a great rest day!

Nice run today -- rain forecast for tomorrow

I had a nice run today. My wake up HR was 49, and my feet felt normal. The temperature was 37, and there was a gusty wind of about 6 - 12 mph. There is a storm front coming through, and we'll be getting rain tomorrow.

Feet still sore

My wake up HR was 49. I went out to run but aborted the run because my feet are still a bit sore from Saturday. I'll give them another day of rest and run tomorrow.

Feet really stiff

When I got up this morning, my wake up HR was 52. Because I was on my feet a lot yesterday, I could hardly walk this morning. The muscles in my feet were stiff as if each foot was a solid piece of concrete. This is a problem I've had all my life. It's called the "squeaky door" syndrome. Consider an old door that has hinges that are all rusty. The door will be hard to open, and you will have to push and push to get it to move. However, once it moves, it moves more freely, usually squeaking. So it is with my feet. If I over use them, as I did yesterday, my foot muscles tighten up, and I can hardly walk when I first get up the next morning. This morning, I took a homeopathic remedy called Rhus Tox (made from poison ivy), and as I walked around my feet muscles started to loosen up. I've been up for about seven hours, and my feet are still tender, but I can walk around and do my activities.

Many years ago when I lived in Phoenix, I would spend seven or eight hours on Saturday on my feet doing yard work. On Sunday morning I wouldn't be able to walk due to the pain in my feet, and I would crawl into the bathroom. However, as I hobbled around the house, the pain and stiffness in my feet would go down. It would be Tuesday morning before the pain was gone and I could walk normally. I went to a foot doctor to find out why I was having such pain in my feet, and he said the muscles in my feet were weak, and I needed to do something to strengthen them. I began running and have been running ever since. The running didn't completely remove the pain, but it helped a lot. I still had some squeaky-door stiffness and pain, but not nearly as severe as it had been.

Later, after moving to Massachusetts, and while I was a Scoutmaster, I was planning to take a week-long backpacking trip with my scouts. We were planning to backpack 50 miles during the week. Because of my condition with my feet, my wife told me I was crazy to carry a 40# pack for 50 miles. Fortunately a friend told me about Rhus Tox, and I took it with me on the trip. I had no problems with my feet until Saturday, the last day of the trip. During the week, we hiked hilly trails and climbed Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, the highest point in New England. On Thursday, I ran out or Rhus Tox, and on Saturday, as we hiked seven miles back to our cars, my feet started to hurt.

During the two years I ran marathons, I don't remember having many problems with my feet. Now, since I'm running low mileage, I have some stiffness and pain when I'm on my feet a lot, but it isn't very bad. I only take Rhus Tox when I abuse my feet as I did yesterday.

Tired so took a rest day

My wakeup HR was 49, but I didn't run today. I only had six hours sleep (my normal is
7 - 7 1/2) and was on my feet for most of the day, including two hours carrying heavy boxes.

Wakeup HR down to 47 -- no colds yet

My wake up HR was 47 today. Last fall it was around 55 due to my not getting enough sleep. Also, I was increasing my distance too fast last fall, and I had two or three colds. I normally don't get colds, but if I get insufficient sleep and/or train too heavy for my current condition, I get a cold as a sign from my body to back off and give it more rest.

Training Graphs

Nice run today

My wake up HR was 48 today. When I left for my run, the temperature was 23F and a 5-6 mph breeze was blowing (chill factor was about 17F). I ran my 2.8-mile measured course in 28:14:32 for a pace of 10:05. I'll measure my pace on this course about once a month so I can see how much it comes down as I increase my distance. After I get a number of data points, I'll put them into Excel and make a plot of my pace vs. my training-run distance. The pace should come down, and it will be interesting to see how much it changes. Another interesting plot will be my wake up HR vs. the training distance.

Maybe I'll measure my pace each month

I usually don't measure my pace very often since I run my "comfortable" pace and don't worry about the numbers. However, I've been thinking that I would measure my pace once a month so I can document in this blog how my pace varies with my training, distance, body condition, etc. Many runners, including myself, believe that speed will increase as distance is added, and measuring my pace on a regular basis will give evidence about this. Later on, after I've leveled off my distance, I'll do speed training, and my pace measurements will give me an idea of the effect of my speed training. I used my automobile this morning to measure a particular route for the recording of my pace. It is 2.8 miles. I'll try it tomorrow.

My wake up HR was 50 this morning.

Another great run

My wake up HR was 49. The temperature was 24F with a slight breeze. The sun was out, and it was a nice run. My body felt rested and I think my "comfortable" pace may have been a bit faster today.

Used odometer to measure course

After my run today, I drove the course to get a better estimate of the distance. My estimates were about 0.3 mile high, so my 3 1/4 mile course has really been about 3 miles. Most odometers have an error of about 1%, so the true distance should be close to what I measured.

I added another 1/4 mile to my course today, making the course 3 1/4 miles. I ran it in 33 minutes for a pace of about 10. I don't check my pace very often, because I run at my "comfortable" pace, but I like to check it once in a while. I can't explain what my "comfortable" pace is, but I recognize it when I reach it. It's the pace that feels "just right", like I'm able to run forever. On days that I feel good my "comfortable" pace is faster, on days that I'm tired, had insufficient sleep, or running against wind, it is slower. If you'd like to read about running the "comfortable" pace, click on the Training link and then on the Basics of Jogging link. Read the essay by George Sheehan. That essay was the first article I read in the running literature, and it has been my guide for the past 30 years.

My wake up HR was 49 this morning. The temperature was 34 when I left and 39 when I returned. My course is basically out and back, but the back has some zig zags to get extra distance. The elevation change from home to the turn around is about 40 - 50 feet. Not a big amount, but it is a steady climb.

My LSD is about 58% max

I woke up with a HR of 49. After a couple of hours of doing things around the house, including going up and down stairs, I measured my HR just before I started my stretches that include 33 sit ups and 10 push ups. It was 50. After my stretches it was 52. After my 3 1/4 mile run at my long slow distance (LSD) pace of about 10 minutes/mile, my HR was 88. Using the traditional formula for max HR, my max is 220 - 68 = 152. My HR at the beginning of my run was 34% max, and my HR at the end was 58% max. That's about right for my LSD goal at this stage in my training. Later on after I have my weekly distance up to 33 miles, I'll start doing speed training, and during those bursts, I'd like to get my HR up to about 85% max or 129 or so. These numbers are interesting, but to me it's more important how I feel. During a LSD I should feel rested and should enjoy the run, and I do. I'm a firm believer in LSD while increasing distance!

Wakeup HR has been consistent

Today is a rest day. My wake up HR was 50. My wake up HR has been pretty consistent during the past week. I think that's because I've been consistent in getting close to my seven hours of sleep. I've been measuring my wake up HR for almost the full 30 years that I've been running, and HR is very sensitive to sleep. Last fall I was only getting 5-6 hours of sleep, and my wake up HR was 55 or higher. As my HR goes up, my endurance and energy level go down. This is probably to be expected considering my age (68), but the same thing happened when I ran marathons at age 45-46.

I'm currently running 3 1/4 miles of long slow distance (LSD) at 9 or 10 minute miles, and my HR doesn't vary much during the run. I'm working up to 6 miles three times a week, and I'm not doing any speed work while I'm increasing my distance. Both increases in distance and speed increase the stress on my body, and I'm controlling the amount of stress by changing distance or speed but not both together. After I get up to the 6x3 distance and run it for a couple of months, I'll add a fourth day starting at 1/2 mile. When that day gets up to 3 miles, I'll add a fifth day and take it from 1/2 mile to 3 miles. At that point, I'll be running 6, 3, 6, 3, 6 (heavy/light) for 24 miles/week. At that point, I'll begin my marathon training and slowly increase my 5th day up to 15 miles. After I reach that point (33 miles/week) I'll level off and run that year around. After a year or so then I'll begin training for the St. George marathon and work during the spring and summer to get up to 45-50 miles per week, extending the 6 miles to 10 miles, the 3 miles to 5 miles, and the 15 miles to 20 miles (just one time for the 20 miler about a month before the race).
When I level off at 33 miles per week, I'll begin to do speed work, but I'll only do heavy speed training once a week (now that I'm older, maybe once every two weeks. It depends on how fast I recover).

This plan for marathon training may not seem very exciting to you younger runners, but It's the plan I used in running marathons back in '81 and '82, and it's my way of running pain and injury free. It's a slow plan, but it works for me.

Three inches of snow last night

I had a nice 3 1/4 mile run this morning. My wake up HR was 50, and I felt pretty good. We had about four inches of fluffy snow during the night, and there was a mist of snow falling during my run. The temperature when I left was 30F. The wind was about 3 mph and caused the snow flakes to come down at about a 60 degree angle. The streets had been plowed, so I didn't have to run in deep snow.

Even though I only had two layers and was wearing shorts, I started to sweat during the last half mile, and when I got in the house and took off my breaker, my long sleeved T-shirt was damp around the neck. After my run on Thursday, I will have run my increased mileage for two weeks. If I feel good on Monday I'll add another quarter mile.

Windy and cold wind-chill during run

My wake up HR was 50 this morning. When I left on my run the temperature was 31F with a 10 mph wind (17F wind chill). I had a nice run but felt tired at the end of the run. I ran in shorts again, but because of the wind, I kept my breaker on for the full run.

I can think of two reasons why I've felt tired at the end of my last two runs. It could be the increase in distance that I did on the 24th, or it could be that I didn't get quite as much sleep this week as I need. Additional distance (or speed) and lack of sleep put a greater stress on my body, and this reduces my endurance. If the lack of sleep is up to half an hour, it may not affect my waking HR much, but if it is more than that, it does increase my HR.

Tired yesterday, great run today

I didn't run yesterday because I woke up with a HR of 55 and I was very tired. I had heartburn during the night and lost about an hour of sleep (I finally got out of bed and drank some aloe vera, and then I went to sleep). I've had mild heartburn for the past three or four years, but once I started drinking aloe vera and extra water, my heartburn has pretty much gone away.

Today was different. My wake up HR was 50, I felt pretty good and had a nice run, although I was starting to feel tired towards the end of the run. Temperature was 36 when I left and 38 when I returned. There was a slight wind. Yesterday's high was 46, and today will probably be similar.

I run in shorts until the temperature goes below freezing, so today I wore shorts, a T-shirt, and my wind breaker. About half way through I removed the breaker because I was starting to sweat.

Saw a Golden Eagle

My wake up HR was 49 when I woke up. The temperature is 23, but the sun is out for a while and it may warm up a bit. For the past month, our daytime temperatures have mostly been below freezing.

Since today is a rest day and I won't be running, I thought I would relate a nice experience I had a couple of weeks ago while running. There is a section of my 3-mile route that doesn't have houses around it. I was running down that section and a Golden Eagle flew over me and landed on the telephone pole just in front of me. It had been perched on the pole that I had just passed. As I neared the pole, I walked slowly toward it and got within about 20 feet of the pole before the bird flew to the next pole. When it flew over me, and then when it flew away as I walked toward it; it was about 22 feet in the air. I have a good estimate of the height, because I used to work part time as an outdoor tech for the phone company, and the telephone cable on the poles is 18 feet in the air. The top of the pole is around 26 feet high, and the bird dipped a bit as it flew from pole to pole. A beautiful sight!

There were a few times, when I was running in Shrewsbury, MA, that I saw a Golden Eagle. The bird was perched in a particular tree along a rural stretch of road, and it would fly away as I approached. I only got within about a hundred feet of it, but it was beautiful to see and watch as it flew away.

Massachusetts, because of all the trees, has many wild animals, and I've seen, while running, foxes, skunks, porcupines, opossums, and, of course, lots of gray squirrels, along with a variety of birds. While running here in Utah, I saw a coyote and now the eagle. Oh, yes, I've seen lots of Canadian Geese in both Massachusetts and Utah. In Massachusetts they were usually flying overhead in their V formation, but in Utah they are in the fields foraging for food; I walk slowly past the fields and get within 50 feet or so of them before they fly away. One day they flew right over me and were only about 15 feet in the air -- that was exciting!

My winter running apparel is three layers

Another great run. My wake up HR was 50, I had a good eight hours of sleep (I've been getting 6 1/2 to 7), and I felt good. The temperature was 27F but there was a slight wind. I couldn't feel the wind when I ran with it, so I would guess it was about 7 mph. That would give a chill factor of 17F. When I ran against the wind, the effective wind was about 14 mph and a chill factor of 6. I could feel the difference on my face when I ran against or with the wind. I ran past several houses with flags and noticed how much they were waving in the wind, so I could use them in the future to gage wind velocity. I'm still wearing just my normal three layers and my old running hat (nothing on my face or ears). I sweat a lot, and I'd rather be cool at the beginning and comfortable at the end than comfortable at the beginning and too warm at the end. I don't wear gloves; I just pull my hands up in the sleeves of my nylon breaker.

We had 4 - 5 inches of fluffy snow over the weekend with more coming later in the week. It may be a while before I get back to the canal road. The ski resorts are happy! Snowbird has had 328 inches of snow this season with 93 inches on the ground half way up the mountain from the lodge.

Tonight after we got home from work, my wife and I took a short walk of 3/4 mile. The temperature was 23, and the wind was stronger that it was this morning. I would guess maybe 10 mph, giving a chill factor of 7. We were walking at a fast pace (15 minute miles) and that helped keep us warm.

Temperature was 27 F

I had a great run today! The temperature was 23F (shade temperature, no direct sun on the thermometer). My wake up HR was 51, and I felt great! No wind, and nice sunshine. It was a beautiful day to be out. About half way through I removed the wind breaker (two T shirts remaining), and by the time I reached home, I was sweating.

I mentioned earlier that because of snow on the ground, I'm running a 3 mile alternate route instead of my normal 4 mile route along a canal road. I've been running the 3 miles for three weeks, so today I added 1/4 mile. I'll do that for a couple of weeks and then add another 1/4 mile. I'd like to work up close to 4 miles before the snow melts so I'll be ready for the 4 mile route when the snow is gone.

I don't check my weight very often, but I did check it before I ran today. 163 #, which has been my normal for the past year. When I was married 40 years ago, I weighed 149. Twenty years later when I was running marathons in Massachusetts I was 157. Twenty years after than, I'm now up to 163. My weight should come down a bit as I get into longer distances, but I'm ok as is. I've never drunk much soda, but I've completely given it up for nutritional reasons. I've never eaten a lot of candy, but baked goods and ice cream have been my weakness. I'm cutting way back on the baked stuff and ice cream, and I'm eating moderately as I always have done. I also take Juice Plus+ and aloe vera to insure that I have proper nutrition. During the past two years, I've noticed I don't need as much food, an aspect of getting old I guess. That is probably the reason for my gain from 157 to 162. One of the reasons I like to run is that it has made me more health conscious.

My wakeup HR hasn't risen much as I've gotten older

I normally would have run this morning, but my wife and I are leaving for an early morning church activity, and we'll go directly to our work. I'll run tomorrow. My wakeup HR this morning was 52. When I started running marathons about 22 years ago, my wake up HR was 44. After my first year of marathons (two marathons that year) my HR dropped to 40 and remained there during the next year (two more marathons). So, after 20 years of short distance running, my HR is still pretty low for an old guy my age.

Here is my running strategy

My HR this morning was 49. Today is a rest day. I'm running three times per week. When I get up to about six miles, I'll level off at that distance and run it for a couple of months to build a base. Then I'll add a fourth day, starting at half a mile, and I'll slowly build up the fourth day to three miles. After a couple of months I'll add a fifth day and build it from half a mile to three miles. That will give me three six milers and two three milers per week (24 miles). After three months of building a good 24 mile base, I'll start my marathon training by extending one of the six mile days to a long run of 15 miles (33 miles per week).

After a year of 33 miles, I'll sign up for the St. George(Utah) marathon in the fall of the year. During the preceding summer I'll extend the 15 mile long run up to 20 miles and the other distances up a couple of miles, peaking about a month before the marathon. I'll just run the 20 miler one time. During that last month I'll taper back to 15 miles for the long run but will keep the other distances at their extended values. After the marathon I'll go back to the 33 mile base and will keep it during the winter. When spring comes, I'll start to work up to another marathon that fall.

This is the plan I used for my four marathons in New England and it worked well for me. I'm older now (68) and need more time for increases in distance and for recovery periods. Also, I'm running at a 5000 foot elevation instead of the 300 foot elevation of my former home in Massachusetts, and that means I need more time to build up endurance. The good news is that St. George is only 3000 feet. That decrease of 2000 feet means I'll be running the marathon with more oxygen than I'm getting now. Elevation does make a difference. A few years ago my wife and I visited our kids in New England and I ran a few miles in Connecticut. I could tell that I was running better than I did in Utah.

I'll probably be 70 or 71 when I do another marathon. Years ago when I finished my third marathon, I was happy that I'd finished it a few seconds less than four hours. While I was walking around recovering from the run, I saw an old man standing nearby. I asked him what his time was, and he said 3 hours 59 minutes and 50 something seconds. That was my time almost to the second! I asked him his age and he said 83. Ever since then I've had a goal to run a marathon under four hours at age 83. Right now I'm running four miles at age 68. That means I have fifteen years to pick up another 22.2 miles :-) A great goal to keep me going.

I don't plan to do any speed training while I'm preparing for my next marathon. It's risky, especially for an older person, to mix increases in distance with increases in speed. However, after I've done the marathon I'll do some speed work to bring down my time. I'm hoping to do one marathon per year. Maybe I'll get the world record for a marathon at age 100...

Ran 3 miles through the town

I work afternoons and evenings, so I do my running in the mornings. My wake up heart rate (HR) today was 50 so I was rested and was ready to run (had a good seven hours of sleep last night, my normal amount).

After doing my routine of stretches, I left home about 10 am and ran 3 miles through the streets of my town. I usually run along a canal to get away from houses and cars, but we have about 6 inches of snow on the ground and I'm running the streets until the snow melts. I don't know how fast I ran or how long the run took because I never look at my watch. I just run and enjoy it. The temperature was a few degrees below freezing during the run. I started with two T-shirts and a wind breaker, but about half way through I removed the breaker. I felt good at the beginning but was starting to get cold by the end of the run.

Dogs bark because they want to play with you

There are some dogs that live by the canal, and they come out and bark. I stop and make friends with them by talking with them, and they were starting to not bark as much. Then the snow came. When I go back to the canal road, I'll probably have to start over making friends with them. In my 30 years of running, I've never had dog problems; rather, I've always enjoyed seeing them. When I lived in Massachusetts, there was a big dog that would come out and run with me for about five miles. This went on for several months. Then one day, he stopped coming; I never learned what happened to him. It was sad to not see him any more!

Horses need to eat too

I run past three pastures with horses, and I've been thinking I should bring some carrots to feed them, but I keep forgetting to bring the carrots. Oh well, maybe next time. Before the snow came, I was running four miles along the canal, and I'll go back to that distance when the snow is gone.

Welcome to my running blog!

I'm teaching the basics of running injury-free through my postings in this blog. Feel free to respond to my postings with your experiences!

I have graphs of my wakeup pulse rate and my distances at
http://runninginjuryfree.org/2008/09/my-training-graphs.htm


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