Rock ‘n’ Roll Stacy!

Stacy at the Rock and Roll half

One of the greatest things about running is that everyone can be a winner in a race.  Sure only one person can come in first place but all of us that run can be a winner if we hit our goal.  Maybe that goal is to beat your best previous time or maybe it’s just to finish.   

My friend Stacy was running her first half-marathon last Saturday at the Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon event.   Participating in a large running event like that can be intimidating even to seasoned runners.  And for a first-timer it can really throw you.  But Stacy was determined to reach her goal of finishing so she focused on that and ignored the noise. 

Even though I don’t think she had ever run 13.1 miles before, Stacy was in it to win it and finished strong.  So to Stacy and everyone else who meets your goal at a race this summer - ”Great job.  You are a Winner!”     

A Runner Who Can’t Run

The Disabled List.  The Injured Reserved.  Down for the count.  There are lots of ways to say it but no matter what term I use, I’m still a runner who can’t run.  At least for the next few months.  I had surgery a few days ago to repair my rotator cuff.  Dr. Kwartowitz says my shoulder wasn’t as bad as he thought so hopefully the recovery will be faster than planned.

For the next 30 days I have to use a CPM machine (Continuous Passive Motion) three times a day for one to two hours to keep the shoulder from freezing up.  Then a couple months of therapy.  Then back to running.  

I hope to keep posting while I’m in therapy but since I’m typing with my wrong hand the entries may be short.

A 3 Mile Minimum

I realized the other day that I now have a three mile minimum.  I’m not sure when it happened, but I can’t run less than three miles per run now.  On days like today when I’m not training for a race and I just want to get a “quick” run in, I automatically go out for three miles.  No effort, no planning.  Just head out and do three.  I remember years ago three miles took some thought.  For some reason three miles seems like that will stay the minimum.  I don’t see the day when it will be four or five.  But only time will tell.

What’s your minimum?

The First Race of the Season!

   Last Saturday was the 32nd Annual Oak Apple Run in Royal Oak, MI. For many years (about 32) it has been the first race I run each summer.  I’ve missed a few over the years since that first one but not many.  It’s a great, flat, interesting course and it’s close to home.

This year it fell on my 51st birthday so I set a maximum time of 51 minutes, knowing that I would blow that away.  I thought if I pushed I could get close to 48 minutes.  My best time in years was the 49:10 I ran last year so beating that was my real goal.

Race day was perfect weather – around 50 degrees and clear at the 7:30AM start.  I hit the first mile marker at 7:50 so I was right on pace.  Picking that pace up slightly the back half and a strong kick at the end gave me a 48:12 finish for 169 men out of 473 and 11th of the 25 in my age division. And a medal.  Not great but not bad for the first race of the year.

Headwinds

How is it possible to run nine miles around a city, sometimes heading north, sometimes south, and other times east or west and always be running into a head wind?  That’s what today’s run felt like.  As I started out about 3:30 this afternoon I headed north into a stiff wind.  I was actually glad because I knew that most of the return route I would have the wind at my back.  But four miles later as I was heading south it felt like the wind was stronger.  So I alerted my route and worked my way through some side streets but still couldn’t catch the wind at my back.   I’m not sure how that’s possible but I do know I had a good workout and with that wind I didn’t get hot.

What a Difference 30 degrees Makes!

In Michigan the weather can change quickly.  So when the temperature jumped to 80 degrees from the mid-50s in one day I was ready for the season’s first run in shorts and t-shirt.  As I headed out to do eight miles in the noon sun I was feeling great.  In the cloudy, cool days of late winter I can do eight miles without breaking a sweat.  In the glare of the first sunny day in months it was a different story.  About three miles up Woodward Avenue I was wet with sweat and breathing hard.  As I turned around and headed toward home I knew this warm weather running was going to take some getting used to again.  But I’m looking forward to it.

Long Sleeves and Running Shorts

There’s no better running gear than a long sleeve Cool-Max shirt and running shorts.  And at 6:15 this morning the 45 degree weather was perfect for it.  This time of year, 45 degrees feels warm but having the long sleeves was just right. 

Simple pleasures.  Enjoy them whenever you can.

Be Flexible

As an “experienced” runner (over age 50) I know it’s important to stay flexible.  Stretching before and after runs and even on rest days in critical to staying healthy.   But sometimes I forget to be flexible with my schedule.  I have a plan I follow to prepare for certain races and I’m pretty good about sticking to the plan.  If some major scheduling conflict comes up it really bothers me to miss a workout.  This week I planned to do a 6 mile tempo run on Wednesday morning.  But Wednesday was my son Sam’s 16thbirthday so I wanted to have breakfast withhim before school.  So instead of feeling bad for missing time with him or for missing my run, I made Wednesday my short two mile base run then had breakfast with Sam.  On Thursday morning I did my 6 mile tempo run.  This shifting of days may not sound like a big deal to non-runners but it is to most runners.  Fortunately Thursday morning was much nicer (and drier) than Wednesday so that was a bonus.  So, stay flexible – in more ways than one.

The Sounds of Silence?

If you usually run wearing headphones and listening to your favorite running tunes, do yourself a favor, leave them at home next time.  Now that the roads are clear and I’m running outside again, I have been using headphones and the ipod.  But the other day I decided to leave them home on my six mile run.  It was really enjoyable to hear the sounds of the city.  Cars and construction machinery as I ran up Woodward, people talking as I ran through downtown Royal Oak and kids yelling as I ran through neighborhoods.  I felt like I was part of the action not just passing through it.  Try it, you might like it.

So Happy I Could Spit!

What is one of the best things about running outside? Spitting. That’s right, spitting.  With the ice and snow covered roads of winter most of my miles have been logged on the treadmill the last few months.  Now that I’ve been able to get outside these last weeks I was reminded how great it is to spit.  (Just keep wind direction in mind.)