How fast can I run a mile?

If the individual time trial is the race of truth in cycling, then the track is the place of truth in running.  You can be in any city and in any country, but a 400M track is a 400M track no matter where you are.  Before I started cycling I used to go to the Kezar track at least 2 times a week for interval workouts, but I had not been there in nearly 2 years when I showed up today.

Since I began running again during the off season, I've only been doing lunch runs twice a week along the Embarcadero with no sense pace, but I guess that I've been running between 7 min and 7:30 miles.  

This morning I was going to go for a ride, but it was raining, so I decided to go for a run instead and ended up at Kezar.  I was reluctant to step inside the gates, but it looked pretty deserted except for the groundskeeper getting the field ready for the next HS football game, so I went in and jogged down to the track.  The plan was to try and run a 6 min mile, starting with a 90 and if I felt good I would pick it up on the last lap.  I was sure to start on the mile start line that is about 9.5M behind the start line since this is a 400M track.

On the first lap I surprised myself and ran a 79, but about 200M later really started to tighten up and I could feel myself slowing down.  I came through the half mile in 2:42, then slowed down a little more, coming through 3/4 in 4:06.  The last lap really hurt.  I hadn't felt this flavor of pain in quite some time and just pushed on through the line in 5:27.  

Not as far from Sub 5 shape as I thought, I think I can get back there with a few interval workouts.

After my run, Karin and I finally went to the Academy of Sciences and had a lot of fun.

USA DOMINATES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS!!

of baseball.

Yes, the baseball world championships (aka the World Series) is over and the USA has once again dominated!

1st - Philadelphia (USA)

2nd - Tampa Bay (USA)

3rd - Boston (USA)

4th - Los Angeles (USA)

5th - Chicago (USA)

Way to go USA!

I believe that's 31 in a row for the USA and 105 of the last 106!

Training Week October 20 - 26, 2008

On the Chileno Valley Loop

Monday – 35 min run
Tuesday – 1:10 Polo field ride
Wednesday – 25 min run
Thursday – Noon – 45 min run (6.5M), PM – 1:20 Polo field ride with tempo
Friday – Off
Saturday – 6.5 hrs (about 112 miles) SF to Chileno Valley loop & back
Sunday – 1 Hr easy ride

Total – 11:45 (10 hrs cycling, 1:45 running)

Training Week October 13 - 19, 2008

Monday - Easy 35 min run w/ Dan to Aquatic Park (a little smoky from Angel Island fire)
Tuesday - Park ride - Polo fields - 1:10
Wednesday - Easy 30 min run
Thursday - Park ride - Polo fields - 1:15
Friday - 30 min spin class
Satuday - Bikes for Tots Ride - around 3:30 total ride - 16:25 up Ink Grade.

It was a really great ride for a great cause with lots of friends.

Though, unfortunately not without incident. Luckily Dan is doing much better than his bike and I hear Roger is healing up well too.

After the ride there was lots of good food and wine (and one too many Klondike bars - thanks Craig!)

Paul, you gonna eat that?

Sunday - OFF

Weekly Total: 7.5 hours

You Knew it Would Happen!

http://palinandplumber2012.com/

Talk about scary! Just in time for Halloween!

Training Week October 6 - 13, 2008

Monday - 30 min lunch run
Tuesday - Off
Wednesday - 30 min easy ride
Thursday - 30 min lunch run
Friday - Off
Saturday - South bay ride with John & Eric 3:30
Sunday - Nephew Christopher's 11th birthday party. Why is this squid not wearing pants?

Weekly total: 5 hours

Mt. Diablo Challenge

Today was the Mt. Diablo Challenge, a non USAC race up to the summit.  They get about 1,000 riders and it's a very well run event.  It didn't take long for things to sort out with Zteam's Nate English putting the hammer down early.  His teammate Justin Laue and I were only able to stay on his wheel for about 8 minutes before we had to let him go and settle into our own pace.  Justin and I traded pulls until we were abut 15 minutes from the top when I ran out of steam and had to let him go too.  I slowed to my own pace and was able to hold off yet another Zteamer, Steve O'Mara for 3rd.  At least I was the first somewhat old guy.

Nate rode 43:33, and destroyed Greg Drake's course record by 1:25.   Someone has already made the change on Wikipedia!  Way to go Nate!

Also, congratulations to Jody & Steve Archer for destroying the tandem record, riding 55 min and change!

I downloaded a neat little app for my iPhone called trailguru that tracks distance, speed, route & elevation.  Maybe not as accurate or as detailed as the Garmin or other similar devices, but it's not bad for something on a phone that I carry anyway.

Here's the link.

I started it a few minutes early and stopped it a few minutes late, so the time is off by 6 minutes.

Now it really is the off season.  Nothing hard for a while, at least until I have to race Hutch up Ink Grade at the Bikes for Tots ride on October 18.

Training Week September 29 - October 5, 2008

Monday - Off

Tuesday - Polo field ride, a few short intervals - 1:30

Wednesday - 35 min run

Thursday - Polo field ride easy - 1 Hr

Friday - Off

Saturday -  1:45 ride over to rodeo beach & back.

Sunday - Mt. Diablo Challenge - 47:07 up. About 1:10 total riding

Weekly total - 6 hours

Time for a few more easy weeks

Running Hurts!

I ran almost every day from July of 1985 until July 2005 when I bought a road bike. After a couple rides I thought, "dang, this is a much better way to get around". I just about quit running cold turkey, but still do a few runs in the off season to remind myself how much it hurts. Also, I have to get back in running shape for the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot at Crystal Springs, a race I've been going to for 18 years straight on that classic XC course that I've raced on over 50 times.

I went for a 35 minute run yesterday, my first real run this year. I felt great for the first 10 minutes, then a little less great for the next 15 minutes, then pretty crappy for the last 10 minutes. But the worst thing about it is how I feel today. My quads, calves, shins, and hamstrings are totally sore!

Running is evil!

I think I'll go 2 or 3 times next week.

If I stop hurting so much I may even try a duathlon.