Ran/walked 3 miles

My wife and I went south from 100th South on the Jordan River Parkway. She walked her two miles, and I ran/walked 3 miles. The temperature was in the 50s (F), and it was a nice day. Not much wind and no rain. The sky was cloudy, though. The run was uneventful, although I took several short rest breaks on the way back; I'm not used, yet, to the 3-mile distance. It's interesting how much recovery ones body makes with a short, 60 second, rest. I ran today, because of a bad day (running wise) tomorrow, my usual day to end the running-week.

Ran/walked 2.8 miles around my neighborhood

We had rain during the day, and we didn't go running and walking until just before sundown. I wanted to go to the Jordan River, like we've been doing, but my wife suggested we stay in our neighborhood, because she expected it would be dark before we finished. She was also worried about rain while we were out.

It wasn't raining when we left home, but it start to rain while we were out, and the rain lasted for about 15 minutes. There was no wind when we left home, but just before the rain came, the wind started to blow, and the wind lasted until the rain stopped, and then there was no wind. The wind signified that a low-pressure was passing through and was bringing rain. After the low-pressure passed, the rain and wind stopped. The air temperature was in the mid 40s (F), so the rain wasn't very cold. My body felt warm while I was out, but my arms were cold. I got home after the sun was down but it wasn't dark, yet. I need to spray my nylon jacket and pants with Silicone to make them resistant to water.

My left leg still felt tired when I did a running segment, compared with my right leg, but not as tired as it was last week.

Did another 2 miles

Today, my wife and I went north from 100th South and did 2 miles (she walking and me running and walking). My left leg did the same thing it did on Tuesday, needing the first mile to warm up. My energy level was low, and I did a lot of walking during the second mile. I only had five hours of sleep last night, and that might have caused my energy level to be low. I had hoped to go 2.5 miles, but I was glad to get the two miles in. One thing I like about out-back is that once you're "out" you have no choice but to go the same distance "back", One secret is to walk when you're having problems running.

Ran/walked 2 miles

I didn't run yesterday, because we had two grandchildren with us all day. Normally, I would run on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. This week I'm running on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

After my first minute of running, my left leg was really tired (no pain, just tired), and I thought to myself, "Oh Oh, I'm in trouble". However, after one minute of walking, my leg felt fine, so I did a second minute of running and my leg felt tired again. Again, after a minute of walking, my leg felt fine. Fortunately, my leg felt fine after one mile, and I finished my run/walk with no problems. Apparently, my leg needed to get warmed up, and that required a mile of run/walk.

I went south from 100th South to the tunnel under 106th South and back. My wife wasn't with me today.

Did a 3-mile run today

My wife and I drove to the Riverton playground, and she walked 1 mile south and returned, and I ran/walked 1.5 miles south and returned. I hadn't planned on going quite that far, but it has been over a year since I was on that part of the Jordan River Parkway, and I enjoyed the run so much that I kept going and going. I felt fine during the run, and I've felt fine since I returned home. Even though the temperature was a bit cooler than previous days (high 40s(F)), a lot of people were on the path. One couple had a giant-sized dog, and I stopped and asked them the type of a dog. They said a Labrador. It was only 1 1/2 years old, but it was big. The following picture, taken from the web, shows a labrador dog and a small child. The dog I saw today was black and very friendly.

Ran 2.1 miles again on a cooler but nice running day

I ran the same route I used on Monday. Uneventful run but nice day to be out with all the others who were using the Parkway. I ran in my LOCO Carumba shoes, and they felt nice. Haven't used them at all in the past 18 months, and it was nice to wear them again. They are now my regular running shoes for the next 900 miles.

Ran 2 miles plus a couple hundred yards extra

I ran the Jordan River Parkway today, going south from 100th South. I ran my 2-mile route plus a little bit extra before I turned around. My goal is to get back to 3 miles and then head to 5 miles. The sky was cloudy (expecting snow tonight), but the temperature was in the high 50s (F), and it was a nice running day. Lots of people were out enjoying themselves.

Today was my last run in my PI iZUMI shoes. They've served me well for 500 miles, and I'm retiring them to be my walking shoes, and for the next 400 miles I'll be running in my LOCO Carumba shoes. I have one more pair of Carumbas to use after my current ones reach 500 miles (they're currently at 112 miles). So, 900 miles from now, I'll be shopping for new shoes, since LOCO shoes aren't sold anymore. I used to run 900 miles in less than a year, but now, with my age, I'll probably take 3 years for that many miles.

Ran 1 mile and then walked for almost 3 hours

My wife and I did a short run/walk along the Jordan River (1 mile) and then drove to the Home and Garden Show and walked for almost 3 hours looking at various displays and talking with store reps. We were both tired when we got home, but we had a fun time. A great day to be outside, and a lot of people were using the Parkway.

Back into running with 2 miles today

I mentioned in my February 26 post that I was experimenting with a new supplement that is supposed to give me greater energy. The supplement contains two enzymes that are used by our bodies in the generation of energy. I began with the recommended dose of two capsules per day and discovered that my left leg swelled and I had some minor pain just above the knee. I discontinued the supplement for a few days while the swelling  subsided. Then, I tried one capsule per day and found that my left leg swelled again and was sore again. I discontinued the supplement and haven't run during the past week. This morning, the swelling and soreness were gone, and my wife and I went to the Jordan River Parkway and went south from the 100th South parking lot. We each did 2 miles.

There are showers forecast for this afternoon, after 3 pm, with a 40+% chance of rain. We left home about 1 pm so we would be back home before the showers. We just got back and had no rain during our workout. The temperature was in the low 50s (F), the sky was cloudy, and there was no wind. All in all, it was a nice day for running.

Yesterday I had some soreness in my left leg, and I put Arnica Gel on my leg, and the soreness was gone in about 30 seconds. However, the soreness came back about an hour later, and I put the Gel on again. Same results. Prior to going to bed, I put Arnica on again, and when I woke up this morning, I had no soreness or stiffness in my left leg. I've used Arnica for over 40 years, and it does wonders. It's the best thing I've found for muscle soreness or injury. Arnica is a flower, and the Gel is made from that. My leg feels fine after my 2-mile run today.

Should you do stressful workouts?

When I grew up in running in the 1970s and 1980s, the emphasis was on Long Slow Distance plus occasional intervals and hills. Today, however, there is more emphasis on shorter but intense workouts, as often as twice a week. This leads us to the question, should I do intense workouts more often?

I think the answer to that question depends on your goals for running or walking. If you are primarily interested in racing, then you should follow modern recommends for relatively short but intense workouts a couple of times per week. These workouts should continue through ones taper to a race. At least, the intensity should exist although the distance or time of the workouts might be tapered.

However, if your primary interest in running or walking is because you enjoy it, or because you're concerned about your health, forget about intense workouts; such workouts increase the risk of injury.  Run LSD and enjoy it. When I first started running in 1973, medical and sports doctors recommended 1/2 hour three times per week for physical health. I don't know what they recommend today, but doing more than 1/2 hour three times per week is fine, as long as you enjoy it.

So, going back to the question asked in the subject of this post, should you do stressful workouts? The answer is ... it depends on your goals. Do what is appropriate for your goals. Do what is appropriate for your body makeup and condition. Do what is appropriate for your age. But, what ever you do, do it because you enjoy it and because you really want to do it.