Again, another hour (plus a couple of minutes)

I drove to the trail head at 100th South and went south and back, for an hour plus a couple of minutes. The temperature was in the low 50s (F), and the sky was a mixture of clouds and sun. However, as my run progressed, the sky became more cloudy, and I felt a few drops of rain during the run.  We're supposed to get some snow tonight. I used a run:walk of about 40 seconds running and 60 seconds walking.

Ran/walked another hour

My wife, Judy, and I drove to the South Jordan East Pavilion and went north. I ran/walked for half an hour and then turned around and went back to my car. Judy walked the same route. She goes faster than I go, and she went about 100 yards farther than I went. The temperature was in the high 40s (F) while we were out. There was a lot of sun, and it was a great day. Quite a few people were on the path. The temperature last night was about 20, and we waited until mid-morning to go out so the temperature would be warmer. I had to take off my windbreaker on the way back because it was too warm for the jacket. I took three short rest breaks on the way back. Since this was a rest run, I didn't want to push myself.

Ran/walked 1 hour 2 minutes

My wife and I drove to the trail-head at 100th South, and we went north. I ran/walked for 1 hour 2 minutes, going about the same distance (2.8 miles) that I've been going. I want to run this time several more times before I increase the time.

There were quite a few runners, walkers, and cyclists on the path. The temperature was in the mid 40s (F), the sky was sunny with no clouds, and it was another nice day to be out (no wind). I added 5 seconds to my walking and running, giving me 40 seconds running and 60 seconds walking. While I'm getting used to the total time, as mentioned above, I will also be getting used to the longer phases of running and walking. It's good for runners, especially older runners like me, to make small changes in distance and/or pace so our bodies can get used to the higher levels of activity.

I've been careless in not stretching very much before and after I run. I'm trying to get back to my practice of stretching, and I feel pretty good. I'm also getting 7 hours of sleep each night, and that helps, too.

Increased distance to 2.8 miles or 1 hour of running/walking

My wife and I drove to the parking lot at 100th South and went south. She walked 2.9 miles and I ran/walked 2.8 miles. The temperature was in the mid 30s (F), not much sun, and there were south-wind gusts of 15-25 mph. It was nice having the gusts push me on the way back. I made the distance with no rest stops.

My distance is long enough that I need to change from distance to time. My weekly goals for time are 1 hour, 1.33 hours, and 1.66 hours, representing a rest run, a medium run, and a long run. It takes me about an hour to do the 2.8 miles, so I think I'm ready to start using time instead of distance. The advantage of time is that for the same time, the distance covered varies according to how the runner feels, and this change is automatic. I'll start using time and then increase the mid and long runs a bit as I get stronger, until I reach my goal for the three times. I'll keep the rest run the same time as today. I run 3 times per week, and that allows me to do all three times each week.

I've been running 30 seconds and walking 50 seconds, but I changed to 35 seconds and 55 seconds earlier this week. These changes are small, especially for younger runners, but they work fine for older runners like me. I like Jeff Galloway's run/walk method. It allows me to go further than I would go if I did no walking. When I was younger, though, I would do only running. I later learned about the run/walk method and changed to it.

 

Ran/walked 2.7 miles on a different route

My wife and I drove to the South Jordan East Pavilion, and went south. She walked 2.2 miles and I ran/walked 2.7 miles. The sky was overcast, and the temperature was in the mid 30s (F). There was no wind, but it seemed cold. I saw a few other runners and cyclists on the path, but there weren't many out. I took no rest stops and felt pretty good!

Ran 2.7 miles again

I parked at the 100th South trail head and went south. I didn't have a lot of energy, but with the help of one rest stop going out (at the 0.8 mile mark) and four rest stops coming back (at the 1.7 mile mark and 2.2 and later markers), I made it. The sky was clear and sunny, and the temperature was in the mid 40s (F). There were a few people on the path, but not as many as I usually see.

My wife drove her car to the parking lot so she could run errands afterwards, and she walked 2 miles. 

Increased distance and ran/walked 2.7 miles

My wife and I went south from 100th South. She walked 2.6 miles and I ran/walked 2.7 miles. I felt fine and only took one short rest stop (on the way back) at 2.2 miles. Not many people were on the path. A couple of walkers and 2 or 3 cyclists and 7 runners (in two groups). We were out about 10:30, and the temperature was in the mid 40s (F). I think the reason I felt fine this morning was due to my getting more sleep last night. The sky was mostly clear and sunny, and the sun felt good. There were wind gusts of about 10-15 mph, but the wind was mostly gone. I wore three layers, and my outer layer, my nylon wind breaker, did a nice job of cutting the wind.

Felt stronger today and did another 2.6 miles

I ran/walked to the bench south of 10600 South and back to the parking lot at 10000 South. There was a gusty head-wind of 15-20 mph going out, which made running and walking harder, but the gusts were a tail-wind on the way back, although the gusts weren't as strong as they had been. I took one short rest stop going out (0.83 miles) and two rest stops (1.6 and 2.1 miles) on the way back. When I turned around and headed back, I immediately felt the warmth of the sun, and I started to sweat. I went about 3/4 mile and then took off my nylon windbreaker. I felt fine afterwards. The sky was cloudy but sunny, and it was a nice day to be out.

We each did 2 miles

My wife and I went north from 100th South. I felt tired, so I only did 2 miles. I took a short rest break at the turn-around point and two short breaks on the way back. After I got home I did about 1/4 mile using my lawn mower to suck up leaves, giving an equivalent distance of 2.2 miles. Improvement comes in peaks followed by a downer. Hopefully, today was a downer and I'll do better Monday after a day (Sunday) of rest and better sleep. The sky was sunny, temperature in the low 50s (F), and it was a nice day.

We all can benefit from running

This is a personal blog, and I don't include many links to stories written by others. However, I just read a story of how running has helped a woman to be a better person, and I thought I'd share that story with you.

https://www.vacationsmadeeasy.com/TheBLT/KeepMovingForward691.html

2.6 miles is the magic number this week

My wife, Judy, and I drove to the trailhead at 100th South and went south. She walked and I alternated walking and running; we each did 2.6 miles, going to the bench that is 0.3 miles south of 106th South. There were snow flurries while we traveled to the bench, but the air temperature was in the low 40s (F), and the snow melted as soon as it hit the ground. While going to the bench, we had the trail mostly to our selves; I only saw two walkers and one cyclist. On the way back, though, the snow flurries were gone, and more people were on the trail. I took no rest stops during the run.

This was the maiden run for a new pair of shoes (I will post a review of them on my training site at http://runninginjuryfree.org The shoes are the new ISO Triumph shoes from Saucony.

Ran 2.6 miles

I went running in the late afternoon and ran 2.6 miles. I didn't really increase my distance by 0.3 miles (the increase was about 0.1 miles); the numbers about distance reported in previous posts are a bit low, but the distance to the bench where I turned around is accurate, because I've checked that distance several times with my GPS. After I had gone 0.5 miles, the sun was down, but I got back to my car before it was dark. The temperature was 53 (F) when I left home and 48 when I returned. It's interesting that 48 degrees in the spring seems warm but 48 in the fall seems cold. It depends on what our bodies are used to. I ran from the trail head at 100 South and ran to the bench that is 0.3 miles past the 106th South overpass. I took no rest stops on the way out or on the way back. There was a 15 mph gusty wind during my run, the gusts coming from a cold front that is moving through the area. I wore 3 layers on my body, but I need to change to long-sleeved t-shirts.

I didn't have my two-phase timer, and I ran about 30 steps and walked about 50 steps, which corresponds to 25 seconds and 50 seconds, respectively. Some times I counted steps and sometimes I just picked out a tree or bush that was approximately that many steps in front of me.

The following picture was taken from the web.