All posts by Greg McElhatton

Below Freezing

10mi

Start time: 1/22/11, 7:15am
Location: Rosslyn, National Mall, Capitol
Distance: 10 miles
Average pace: 10:06min/mile
Total Miles For January: 43 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 43 miles

Met up with Jim, Michael, and Steve for a crack-of-dawn run (no really, the sun was just coming up). When we started, it was 18 degrees, but by the time it was over it’d gone up to a whopping… 19 degrees. Brrrr. Actually, after the first mile it really wasn’t too bad. I need a new balaclava, though; it’s not a technical fabric (or at least not a very good one) and ice actually formed on the part that goes over the mouth from me breathing through it. Ugh.

Other than that, not a bad run. Two of the guys needed a bathroom break right at the start of mile 8, and the extra walking there cooled me down a bit (which is not good) and the last half mile or so (as we went back up the hills around the Iwo Jima Memorial) my left quad was not pleased with me. I need to pick up the spinning classes to strengthen my quads back up.

(9:49, 10:13, 9:55, 10:25, 10:03, 9:53, 9:44, 10:31, 10:05, 10:14)

If There Be Thorns

05mi, custis

Start time: 1/20/11, 4:50pm
Location: Custis Trail
Distance: 5 miles
Average pace: 9:12min/mile
Total Miles For January: 33 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 33 miles

What’s that? A weekday run that was outside? Craziness! (Gee, the last one was… um… December 31st. At least I’ve had some weekend runs since then.) I figured it was time to take advantage of this 40 degree weather while I could, and since it was quiet at work I took some stuff home to tackle later, and ran the Custis (just in case it started to get too dark by the end). Not my fastest run, probably not helping that early on in mile 2 I hit a hill and lost some faith and slowed way the hell down, but later rallied a bit.

Also, somewhere in mile 4 on the way back, there was a huge dead vine coming over the fence and I swatted it with my hand… turns out, it was a thorny vine. Ow. Ow. Ow. I actually ended up briefly stopping to try and pull the thorns out of my glove and thumb. Yeesh. Next time, run around.

Anyway, I need to start tackling this more often. I always say that, but I do mean it. Let’s see if I can stick with that goal. It sure beats the indoor track.

(9:03, 9:22, 9:19, 9:15, 8:58)

Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell…

05mi, hell, indoor track

Start time: 1/18/11, 4:00pm
Location: TJ Community Center
Distance: 2 miles & ~3.25 miles
Average pace: 9:42min/mile & ~8:45min/mile
Total Miles For January: 28 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 28 miles

Has it really been 2 years since I’ve done this workout? Yeesh. Anyway, you open and close with a 1-mile warm-up/cool-down, but the main part of it is:

2 min (fast)
2 min (jog/recover)
1 min (faster)
1 min (jog/recover)
30 sec (fastest)
30 sec (jog/recover)

…for four cycles, totaling 28 minutes. Now, I’m guessing on the pace and distance; I lost track of how many times I went around the indoor track but I know that the fast parts were either at 8min/mile or (usually) less, and the jogging was around the 9:30-9:40 pace. So… a guess. Once it’s nice outside I’ll strap on the GPS as well and get a better read on how far/fast I went. (Or get better at counting.)

Sans everything

04mi, indoor track

Start time: 1/16/11, 5:00pm
Location: TJ Community Center
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:19min/mile
Total Miles For January: 28 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 28 miles

Plan 1 was to run with my group Saturday morning. It was going to be just four of us, but then one by one everyone else dropped out (sudden family-related departure the day before, injury, sickness) and since it was just me I decided I would rather just go back to bed.

Plan 2 was to run in the afternoon after an SPX planning meeting, but it came down to needing a mental stress break instead involving cleaning my cluttered living room before I went berserk.

Plan 3 was to finally run an interval workout at the gym this afternoon, except I realized once I got there that I’d left my watch at home. And if I went back to get it, by the time I returned I wouldn’t have enough to run the workout (including its warm-up and cooldown miles) before the gym closed. Whoops.

So! Plan 4 was to just run a four miler on the track and to track my overall time using how far I made it into a Wait Wait! Don’t Tell Me… episode. Good enough.

Happy to run

04mi, indoor track

Start time: 1/12/11, 4:00pm
Location: TJ Community Center
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:31min/mile
Total Miles For January: 24 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 24 miles

Didn’t get much sleep last night (had to get some work done last night and this morning too) so I’ve been dragging all day. With that in mind, my thoughts of doing an interval workout were quickly scuppered. Glad to just get four miles done and not collapse into a pile of tiredness. Maybe intervals next week.

(9:05, 8:30, 8:09, 8:18)

I Hate You, Indoor Track

04mi, indoor track

Start time: 1/10/11, 6:30pm
Location: TJ Community Center
Distance: 4 miles
Average pace: 8:28min/mile
Total Miles For January: 20 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 20 miles

I hate the indoor track. I hate running after dark in the winter. I am still not sure which is worse. But at any rate, I am determined to get two weekday runs in a week (among other exercising) once more, and since I have a meeting in the morning and dinner plans after work, I shifted Tuesday’s run to today. (Hopefully I can still get some gym time or a swim in tomorrow, but we’ll see.)

Anyway, felt as unmotivated as ever when it came to that stupid track. I think next time to mix things up I might try go to back to some of Fred’s old speed workouts (like the “28 minutes of hell” or the sequels involving 48 and 72 minutes), or something, because it blows. Also, several stupid people walking or stopping in the middle of the lanes marked for running. One of whom I almost ran into and I kind of wish I did. I really should’ve complained the management but oh well. I will be glad when newbie season is over.

(8:30, 8:24, 8:21, 8:36)

Snowy run

08mi

Start time: 1/8/11, 8:40am
Location: National Mall area
Distance: 8.48 miles
Average pace: 10:17min/mile
Total Miles For January: 16 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 16 miles

Well, the plan was to run during the week… except Tuesday morning I came down with a cold and ended up leaving work early on Tuesday and staying home on Wednesday sick as well. Aside from my Monday workout I ended up grounded for the week, but yesterday I decided I was feeling well enough to give a run a whirl. Met Steve for 2 miles, then picked up John and Ben for another 6. It snowed a little bit this morning, but nothing too bad; just enough to have to be careful. (It started around 8am, began letting up right as Steve and I began at 8:40, and by 9am it was gone.) Ended up running a little extra due to some detours (including a requested bathroom break) and it’s all good.

Determined to get out there this upcoming week though and get back on schedule!

(9:31, 10:14, 9:52, 10:14, 10:34, 11:03, 10:32, 10:25, 4:47)

First Run of the Year

08mi

Start time: 1/2/11, 8:40am
Location: National Mall area
Distance: 8 miles
Average pace: 9:58min/mile
Total Miles For January: 8 miles
Total Miles For 2011: 8 miles

It was a little drizzly at first this morning, but it quickly stopped for a pleasant run with the gang. Did the first two by myself, then swung around and picked up Jim, Michael, Ben, and Steve for another 6. (Not entirely sure what happened with the 6th mile, although I suspect it was us losing track of time on the walk break.) Good way to start the morning.

(9:16, 9:21, 9:50, 9:56, 10:05, 10:51, 10:01, 10:17)

Last of the Year

06mi

Start time: 12/31/10, 11:00am
Location: North Arlington
Distance: 6 miles
Average pace: 8:57min/mile
Total Miles For December: 50 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 635 miles

One last run for the year. It’s been a strange year in many ways; less mileage, some slowing down, a bit of a loss of focus. But 635 miles for the year is still a hell of a lot better than 0 miles. In some ways I feel like this was a transitional year, although to what I’m not entirely sure. Guess I’ll find out in 2011.

(And fittingly, I accidentally hit the lap button during mile 4, so all my splits are at strange points in the run from that point on. Oh well.)

Hiding from the Wind

02mi, 04mi, indoor track

Start time: 12/27/10, 4:30pm
Location: TJ Community Center
Distance: 2×2 miles
Average pace: 8:18min/mile
Total Miles For December: 44 miles
Total Miles For 2010: 629 miles

Heavy winds knocked out the power lines at work, so I ended up working at home this afternoon, and decided to take a short break and go for a run. Well, the idea was to go outside, but it’s so ludicrously windy (up to 40-50mph) that I decided perhaps inside was a better option. Brrrrrrr.

My left foot was a little crampy so after the second mile I stopped and walked a quarter mile before deciding it was all right and did two more. Overall, it seems I was at least consistent.

(8:21 & 8:18, 8:16 & 8:18)