1972 to 2012....40 years of The Olympics and Running!!!!!!!!!

In late July into August the London Olympics will be held.    The olympics are special for me because in Sept of 1972 (40 years ago) ABC sports decided to show the entire mens marathon on live TV.  As an impressenable 14 year old I sat in amazement as Frank Shorter ran 5 min mile after 5min mile.  He surged at mile 9 and never looked back, winning the gold medal.....Frank Shorter, because of the TV exposure and being from the USA, brought forth the running boom that started me running and thousands of others.  Although it was 4 years before I ever ran a race, I ran every day in the fall, spring and summer....I thought that winter was too cold to run outside so it was not until 1976 that I ran year round.  I ran in long blue jeans w/ no shirt and black chuck taylor converse basketball shoes.  My first run in shorts was summer 1976 1 month before my first race.

Running was something I loved from day one, and still love to this day.  I can honestly say I've never had a boring run.  I feel like the luckiest guy in the world, being able to do what I love to do every day.  What else could someone wish for.  In 2005 I had my first very bad injury where I could not run.  I remember the first Buffalo run of the year I thought I would just walk , at least I could see everyone and talk.  Well, I felt out of place, and as the "buffalo" ran off down the trail I walked from behind quickly and it hit me, I could not run, and I missed something that I had taken for granted.  I stopped and watched them go...I walked over to my car and drove home, and had myself a little cry.

Well, in the 7 years since I have learned to value movement, whether it running, walking or hiking.  As I celebrate my 40th year of running, may some impressable kids somewhere watch the 2012 olympics and find there own love of running.

Weekly summary - 5/20 to 5/26/12

5/20  Sunday - 6 miles/ 3 running


5/21  Monday - 4.7 miles/ 3.8 running , hilly route at trails

5/22  Tuesday -  9.4 miles/ 7 running, AM runabout on trailsw/ Greggfor60 m + 3x1min &4 x 3m fast in PM..a  little tired today

5/23  Wednesday - 9.6 miles/ 4.2 running...AM hilly trail route all walk except run up all hills

5/24  Thur -  6.5  miles/ 4.2 running, AM run on BP 10:50 to 10:00 pace


5/25  Friday - 7  miles/ 4.3 running

5/26  Saturday - 7 miles/ 4.8 running - 85 deg, planned 5W/10R- home to trails hilly route back home + ball field...90 min total...very hot weekend is herer....drive to S.IL back Sunday PM

Weekly totals = 50.2 miles/ 31.3 running

Hot week, a little tired, toomuch harder runs on TuesdayAM/PM and Thurs AM.....Tues fast runs were too much for left foot shin/tibila tendonitos, sorerest of the week
The heat was okay w/low humidity but very draining....it reminds me of how heat effects the body

Weekly Summary - 5/13 to 5/19/12

5/13  Sunday - 9 miles/ 0 running -2 hour "just walking"  in AM

5/14  Monday - 6.7 miles/ 3.8 running , hilly route at  trails

5/15  Tuesday - 11.2 miles/ 5.8 running, AM w/ Gregg + 10x1min fast in PM

5/16  Wednesday - 7 miles/ 3.7 running

5/17  Thur - 8 miles/ 4 running, AM run on BP 11:33 to 10:55 pace


5/18  Friday - 4.4  miles/ 2.5 running


5/19  Saturday - 11 miles/ 0 running - AM hiking w/ Tommy at land between the lakes in KY  (canal loop  trail)....hot day, steady good hike , 3h 16m @ 105 HR

Weekly totals = 57 miles/ 20 running

Less running this week...foot sore early but good therapy session helped....in-step not as sore....r. knee still ache/pain sometimes but mostly good

Respecting the value of "Just Walking"

Yesterday, I woke up sore and little tired from working on the roof , cleaning the gutters and from a little harder running.  So I decided to just walk for 2 hours instead of a run/walk.  The morning was nice not cold,not hot as I walked from home to the trails.  I walked steady,not hard or super fast and not slow.....just good and steady.  I got to thinking "Is this training??"

As Arthur Newton, 1920-30's distance runner observed, walking does not make one a better runner.  However, it does make one a better walker...AND if I am ever going to do another ultra race I will walk ALOT.  In fact, in a 100 miler I will need to walk at least 60% of the time, probably more.  The pace does not need to be fast, 15:30 to 16:30 pace is good.

So I walked a course going up as many hills as we got on the trails course.  My heartrate was low, in the 80's, and my feet felt good.  I finished my estimated 7.2 miles in just under 2 hours w/ avg. HR of 87.  This equals 1450 heart  beats per mile, which is good for me.

I did not run at all yesterday.....probably a good thing for my legs.  Just walking is okay with me now.  I used to never walk or at least run/walk.  With being basicly injured for the past 7 years I've learned to enjoy walking.  Now I respect the "walk".....there is a place in "training" for walking.  (Of cousre, hiking in the mountains would be nice to do everyday, but that's for another post).  

Maybe, I'll extend my "just walking" to 3 to 4 hours but I need to be creative in my route unless I want to drive to a nicer course/trail.....we will see but I need to watch my running totals and maybe "just walking" will do the treat and along the way help me to a new level of fitness.

Weekly summary - 5/6 to 5/12/12

5/6  Sunday - 9 miles/ 6 running -AM & PM ran to top of LOW tower, 50 min loop is shortest route

5/7  Monday - 7.4 miles/ 5.8 running , 11:30 pace in PM on Komen loop

5/8  Tuesday -  10.8 miles/ 6.1 running, AM w/ Gregg

5/9  Wednesday - 10.8  miles/ 6.7 running, AM road loop to LOW tower (locked, so could not go up) in newton shoes, left shin very sore at end,  it appears my foot has changed biomechanics enough that low heeldrop shoes are exposing weak dorsflex muscles and posterior tibila tendon soreness
PM run better in 10mm brooks 7

5/10  Thur -  8  miles/ 5 running, AM run on BP w/ Gregg good-11:00 pace
PM deep muscle massage, hitting the right calf!!!!..it is really helping my r. knee pain go away

5/11  Friday - 6.6  miles/ 3.6 running,AM trails w/ gregg...ran a route going up Goat Mt. 3 times

5/12  Saturday - 10.4 miles/6.7 running - AM ran 6M + road loop up LOW tower then back on BP,some pace under 11:00, then drove to Fittek for a try at treadmill  speedwork  10 x 1 min faster (6mph  up  to 6.7mph) w/ 1 min walk/rest between.  felt smooth and easy, good.....I need these type of easy speedwork to work on my turnover rate.

Weekly totals = 62 miles/40 running

Good week, getting a bit high in my miles but alot of this is walking the dogs in the PM.  The 40 miles running may be the most in a long time.....as my weight goes down the pace of the runs should go down and the speedwork will get faster.  of course, my ablity to do speedwork is related to my foot/knee aches and pains and I do not want to hurt every step anymore.

Weekly Summary 4/29 to 5/5/12

4/29  Sunday - 7 miles/ 6 running

4/30 Monday - 4.8 miles/ 3.9 running

5/1  Tuesday - bike to work day 15 miles(convert to 5 miles)  + 2 miles walking
t-storms in afternoon, so did not ride home

5/2  Wednesday - 9.2 miles/ 4.8 running

5/3  Thur - 9.3 miles/ 3.5 running

5/4  Friday - 4.8 miles/ 3.9 running

5/5  Saturday - 12 miles/7.5 running
am run was a runabout approx. 9 miles out/back to top of Lake of the Woods (LOW) Observation Tower..why I have not been to the top in 20+ years is I thought it was closed and locked. But recent reading noted the tower so I went to see it was open and is open daily.....100' up....very nice 360 views of Mahomet area.  Could see top of Goat Mountain on trails and I-74 crowley road bridge.   Need to see what is shortest route to tower from home and shortest loop.  route also includes the approach grass sled hill.
weight - 218lbs
Weekly totals = 55 miles/30 running

April monthly totals = 246 miles/ 126 running
Year to date totals thru April = 738 miles/ 393 running