Breakthrough...Or Not

Today's Workout:
Ran 6.3 miles
Time: 58 minutes, 39 seconds

New Year's Eve was sunny and 40 degrees out.  A great day for a run outside.  I decided to wear a stopwatch and check my speed.  Amazingly, I shaved over six minutes off my time for 6+ miles.  I was shocked.  For years, I've run a ten minute mile.  Since I've hit 50, I've gotten even slower (if you can imagine that).  So what's happened?

Back in November (the 19th), I blogged about a treadmill workout I had started doing.  I walk for 2 minutes and run for 4 minutes (at a faster than normal pace) and repeat it 10 times for a total of 60 minutes.  My pace when I do this is 7.3 mph or just over 8 minute miles.  I can maintain that pace because I know it's for only 4 minutes.  I do this workout about once a week.  I thought it might help me increase my speed, but I didn't think it would make that big of a difference.  Surprise!

I'm going to keep it up and see how I do this summer.  It's one thing to do it when it's cool outside.  Heat and humidity are another animal.

Of course, it could be an illusion.  My watch batteries could be low, making the stopwatch slow.  I should probably check that out.

Tolerable Treadmill Workout

I loathe running on the treadmill.  Monotonous and so boring.  So today, I decided to do something different.  I did intervals, which totally made a difference with the boredom factor.  And bonus--interval training is great for improving aerobic capacity and speed.  I ran for four minutes at a faster than normal pace (a 17-18 on the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale) and walked for two minutes at a moderate pace (about 3.8-4.0 mph).  I repeated that nine times for a total of 60 minutes.

Of course, I still needed a diversion to make the time go faster.  So I did this workout while watching the Michigan Wolverines obliterate the Nebraska Cornhuskers.  The only real difficulty was singing the Michigan fight song while running, but I managed.  I even did the fist thrust during "Hail, Hail to Michigan...".  It turned out to be a great workout.

Workout Summary
Treadmill time: 62 minutes
Distance: 6.2 miles
Calories burned:  639
Maximum heart rate: 184 bpm
Weight training: 40 minutes

Memory Lapse

We are in the middle of a gorgeous weather pattern.  After a week of off and on rain, the clouds have finally cleared out and we are experiencing clear blue skies with temps in the 60's.  So after hitting the Farmers' Market this morning, I decided to go for a run.  I'm tired of my usual route, so I opted to run out to Lake Michigan.  It's been a few years since I've run out there and I had forgotten exactly how far it is.  I was thinking it was 10 miles from the house.  That was more than I wanted to bite off, so I decided to drive and park a couple of miles from home to lessen the distance by four miles.

It was so nice outside and the route was bringing back lots of memories.  For starters, I ran past the elementary school my children went to.  It seems like eons since the kids were there.  (About a year ago, a study was done on the quality of air on playgrounds in the Muskegon area.  Lincoln Park Elementary had the worst due to the foundries that are a couple of blocks away.  I hope my kids don't end up with COPD some day.)

My favorite part of the route is along the lakes.  There is a bike path along Muskegon Lake.  It's wide and shady with a great view.

I stopped to take a picture of this Buster Keaton sign.  I've never stopped to read it before today.  It doesn't say a whole lot, so I had to "google" it.  As it turns out, Buster Keaton's parents had a home near the lake when he was growing up.  They spent their summers in Muskegon every year.  Who knew?  I've lived here most of my life and never knew that until now.

First glimpse of Lake Michigan

You know it's the end of summer when the fences go up on the beach.

They help keep the sand from blowing too much.

Lake Michigan is beautiful to run along, of course.  There are houses across the street from the beach.  The only negative about living there would be that, between the snow and the sand, you'd have to shovel year round.

Only a few boats were out this late in the season. 

This boardwalk was built about 10 years ago. 

 Heading Inland

Muskegon Country Club

I knew when I looked down at my watch at this point and had been running for 65 minutes, that I had remembered the distance to the lake incorrectly.  Oops.  Oh well, I was glad to get in a little longer workout.  I clocked my run with the car afterwards and it ended up 8.4 miles.  I ran it in just over 84 minutes, which I was pleased with.  Tomorrow, I will probably be a bit sore, but it feels good in that I know I stretched myself.

Motivation

Workout:  Ran 6.2 miles

We've had the longest stretch of cloudy, rainy weather here in West Michigan.
The forecast for today: Rain with SW wind at 20-30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph.
Definitely an indoor workout day.
I was all set to do strength training and workout on the elliptical when the sun came out.  I checked the Weather Channel and the temperature was 64 degrees with winds at only 6 mph.  I decided to run.

There are days that I like to push myself and days that I don't.  Today was the latter so I didn't wear a watch. I wanted a more relaxing workout.  So, off I went.  I enjoyed about 15 minutes of sunshine and then the clouds moved in.  About one mile from home, it started to sprinkle.  Drats!  So much for a relaxing run.  Rain is definitely a motivator to pick up the pace.

My Daughter's First

As a mom, we get to witness our children's first everything---first breath, first tooth, first steps---and now first race.  This morning, my daughter Anne and I ran a 5k race.  I'm so proud of her.  Here are some of the pictures:

Ready for the race.
Can someone please tell me why one of my potted plants is growing
and the other is dying a slow death?

 We ran into Anne's preschool friend, Brooke and her fiance, Chris.

They are getting married later today.

 Lining up at the back of the pack

 Feeling optimistic

 On your mark....

Dental Hygienists 

I knew I should have flossed.

You go girl! 

The Hill

It smells like garlic bread as you run by Coles bakery. 

My son-in-law ran ahead to get action shots. 

 Someone at the front must be speeding.

Still Happy 

The feeling has changed.

 The "hare" passes us for the umpteenth time.

The tortoises pass the hare. 

There he goes again. 

We're back. 

 Yay Annie!

There he goes yet again. 

View of Muskegon Lake 

This is where we left him in our slow-rising dust. 

One of the many sprinklers the residents put out. 

I can't go anywhere without running into one of my patients. 

My Aunt Carolyn and cousin Kent 

Aaah, the finish line. 

We did it! 

The hare finished the race. 

 Sweet Reward

I think Anne just got bit by the running bug.  Next year, we're doing the 15k.  

Roadkill

Today's Workout:
       25 minutes Strength Training - Upper body only.
       Push-up update: Five sets - 71 total
       Ran 6.3 miles   Time: 65 minutes, 41 seconds, including photo-ops

Perfect running weather today - 70 degrees, winds E @ 16 mph

I took pictures so you could see the difference in foliage (from my running post in April) now that it's summer.  Amazingly, there wasn't a lot of roadkill today.  I did see a dead crow, which was a first.  He obviously never heard the saying, "You are what you eat."  He must have been a glutton and couldn't pull himself away from the roadkill table.  He met his demise.

This poor squirrel has seen better days.

I had a few obstacles today - the people who decided to sprinkle the road and the road construction guys.

I was surprised the golden retriever on my route wasn't out in the driveway.  He's always there.  I'm a little worried about him.

 My favorite house.

 I love the guest house.

My least favorite portion of my running route is "Grasshopper Alley" (my term for it).  This used to be a corn field but now it's a condominium complex.  During the dog days of summer, grasshoppers sun themselves on the sidewalk and as I run by, they jump up and hit my legs.  It's really annoying.

 Grasshopper Alley

 The fire station

 School must be out for the summer.  The young anglers are out.

 This fat little squirrel decided to have a picnic today.

My neighbor's gorgeous clematis.

Favorite songs on my playlist today:

     David Crowder Band - Everything Glorious

     Genesis - Tonight, Tonight, Tonight

     Genesis - That's All

     Mercy Me - All of Creation