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April 2006 Training Log

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I realize how out-of-shape I am for this upcoming triathlon relay I'm signed up to do with my family. 4 miles of running after not running in forever... Well, today is March 31st and, although not yet April, I thought I would start running and logging my time. I could use my fancy athlete logs, but they can sometimes take the fun out of working out. Besides, knowing that the world could read about my progress, I might as well live up to my past as a "good" triathlete by getting back in the game with the pressure of everyone watching.

April 16

I ran 4 miles at target race pace today and realized something suprising... I could do it faster! I ran at 9 minutes per mile, which for my lack of training is fantastic, but, based on my history is pathetic. After my previous runs, I made it my goal to run the 4 mile race in less than 35 minutes... I now realize this that I should set my expectations even higher and my time lower. So, I'm shooting for less than 34 minutes, or 8:30 (mm:ss) per mile. 1 minute may not seem like much, until you try to cut it off of an already fast pace (for your personal level of fitness). I've already proved that I could run 3 miles at 8:00 pace with 1/8 mile jogging rests in between. So, I think this may be doable. We'll see how training continues to progress...

April 09

Well, I've come to realize that a detailed, daily entry in my online training log just isn't going to happen. However, I will attempt to write a weekly update.

I played a lot of basketball with my son and his friends over the weekend and quickly came to terms with the fact that my muscles are only familiar with endurance events. The quick bursts of energy dragged me down faster than a mob dock drop. I walked about 3 miles on Saturday morning for the Cave Creek Fiesta Days Rodeo Parade. Then, the family topped it off with a few hours of walking around our community-sponsored weekend festivities "Anthem Days". Finally, I had to re-visit "Anthem Days" to sing a free concert with the ProMusica choir (lots of standing).

8-Minute Mile

Despite the sore muscles Sunday night, I knew I had to get some running in. So, at 8:45 PM, I drove down to Boulder Creek High School track only to read 2 conflicting signs on the same gate... "Use of the facilities is allowed while school is not in session and when school events are using them." and "No Trespassing!" What?! I had no idea which they were referring to, so I crawled under a lifted gate (they were all locked) and started my workout.

That's right! Two miles at 8 minute pace! I am pretty excited about that, because I should be able to run all 4 miles at the end of the month under a 9-minute mile pace. So, at this point, my goal is to run the 4 miles in less than 35 minutes, or at an average of 8:45 (mm:ss) per mile.

Total workout: 1 mile of warmup + 2 miles of 8-minute mile pace + 1 mile of restful jogging + 1/8 mile cool-down = 4.125 miles.

March 31

Today was my first day "on the job"... working towards that 4-mile triathlon relay goal with my sister and dad on April 30. I have one month to get ready, so let's see what the human body can do!

It was a little chilly this morning and overcast, but, by the end of the run, the vest was unzipped and gloves were off. I haven't run in a long, long time, so I jogged with brief, brisk walking intervals every 10 minutes, for no longer than 2:30. A newer runner would have run for a shorter duration on their first time out (20 minutes) with a lot of walking, but I took it easy and I know (knew) my body's capabilities.

Nutrition Log (lots o' water throughout the day)

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