HHM Challenge - Run #18

Made it out early this morning with my dog, as I have plenty of things to do on this Halloween day. For the record, I don't usually like running early in the morning, especially on weekends as I'm not usually awake. Today, knowing I had to run early, I decided to get up early and before my alarm had a chance to go off, all 3 of my kids were already awake and in our room. Fun times. I look forward to the days where sleeping in means later than 6:30am.

Here are my numbers.

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Steady	HR Zone 3	walked a fair bit
Distance	3 Km	3 Km	total: 74km
Pace	7:19	8:16	very slow
Average HR	127-145	137	perfect
Max HR	181	157	a little high
Calories Burned		316	total: 9556

Not to make excuses, but my dog threw off my pace today. She was too excited to be running and couldn't maintain something comfortable. Add the fact that loud noises scare her, she wasn't fun to run with. Oh well, it's not like I'm a world class athlete that really needs to focus on his running pace.

Happy

I'm not exactly sure why, but on my commute to work this morning, I kept smiling for no other reason than to be smiling. Nice to see that when I'm not focusing on something, I can be found in a happy state of mind.

Keep smiling and have a good day.

HHM Challenge - Run # 17

Went out today and worked on keeping my HR within Zone 3.

Here are my numbers.

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Steady	HR Zone 31	walked a fair bit
Distance	3 Km	3 Km	total: 71km
Pace	7:19	7:58	slow
Average HR	127-145	136	perfect
Max HR	181	146	great
Calories Burned		346	total: 9240

As you can see, my pace is very slow for these type of runs. I did keep my HR lower than the last time, so the next time I try this run (saturday?) I will try to increase my pace a bit and walk a little less.

Great Site

I found this site a while back (I may have even had it sent to me by a friend, I'm not sure) and think it is awesome for planning running routes.

The site is gmap-pedometer.com and it uses Google maps. If you check it out you will see that you can add points on the map so that you can have an idea how far you are running. Since I have a Garmin watch, I don't need to plan my distances ahead of time, but sometimes I need to plan a route that matches a desired distance. The reason I like to plan it ahead is so that I don't end up short or too long on my distance when I do a big loop. Up until now, I've been able to hop on a local bike path to do my long runs, where I just do an out and back, but now that the weather is starting to change, that bike path soon won't be available for running and I will need to run on sidewalks. This means that if I want to finish at home without doing an out and back, I will need to have an idea as to where I should turn in order to achieve my distance.

Check it out, the site may surprise you as to how versatile it is.

In parting, I will leave you with a quote from a song I like.

"Wouldn't it be great, if the band just never ended
We could stay out late and we would never hear last call
We wouldn't need to worry about approval or permission,
we could - slip off the edge and never worry about the fall"

Consequence Free, Great Big Sea (Turn)

HHM Challenge - Run #16

Made it out again today. This is starting to become a habit :)

Here are my numbers.

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Tempo	6:1	should be steady
Distance	4 Km	4 Km	total: 68km
Pace	6:36	6:36	perfect
Average HR	145-163	157	perfect
Max HR	181	172	great
Calories Burned		527	total: 8794

As you can see, my numbers are almost the same as yesterday. I found another route that doesn't have as big of a hill, but this hill is longer. With this route I kinda go 1 km slowly uphill and then back down only to turn around and do it again. The first km wasn't a problem but I was feeling it heading up the hill on my way back (@ 3km). Overall, it was a good run even though it was raining for most of it.

HHM Challenge - Run #15

I did it. I signed up for the Hypodermic Half Marathon today, so I'm officially on the hook to get this thing done. It will be my 1st half marathon since May 2008. I'm actually excited about it.

I also made it out for another run today. Here are my numbers.

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Tempo	6:1	should be steady
Distance	4 Km	4 Km	total: 64km
Pace	6:36	6:30	little fast
Average HR	145-163	157	perfect
Max HR	181	168	great
Calories Burned		519	total: 8267

I went out and pushed myself for the first 2km and ended up 40s ahead of pace for the turn, so I slowed down on my way back (just a bit) and came in just little faster than what was expected. Even with pushing myself, I managed to keep my HR in the proper range for a Tempo run. As you can see I'm now up to jogging 6 mins before walking and feel that I can probably do a little more.

HHM Challenge - Run #14

Went out with a buddy of mine and did a 9k LSR today. Overall, it was a great day to run and we came in a little faster than expected.

Here are my numbers.

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	LSR	6:1	should be 10:1
Distance	9 Km	9 Km	total: 60km
Pace	7:19-8:11	7:13	little faster
Average HR	127-145	147	pretty close
Max HR	181	159	great
Calories Burned		1139	total: 7748

As you can see, my numbers are pretty close inline to what they were expected and that is good.

HHM Challenge - Run #13

Lucky 13 was ok. Went out with my dog again and tried to keep my HR inside Zone 3.

Here are my numbers.

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Steady	HR Zone 3	walked more than usual
Distance	4 Km	4 Km	total: 51km
Pace	7:19	8:16	very slow
Average HR	127-145	133	perfect
Max HR	181	150	great
Calories Burned		435	total: 6609

As you can see, my pace is too slow when trying to keep my HR inside the zone. I guess I need to get into better shape before continuing with this type of training.

HHM Challenge - Run #12

Today was the first day of bad weather training and I still made it out in the cool rain. Thankfully I didn't wait any longer as it really started to pour once I was done my run. Also, I tried training in my HR Zone 3, which is between 127 and 145 and for the most part it wasn't too difficult.

Here are my numbers.

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Steady	HR Zone 3	walked more than usual
Distance	3 Km	3 Km	total: 47km
Pace	7:19	8:00	very slow
Average HR	127-145	137	perfect
Max HR	181	148	great
Calories Burned		388	total: 6174

The only major problem with this training is that since I'm not in great physical shape, my HR goes up fairly quickly. If you disagree, check out all my previous posts to see that my average HR is always higher than expected. Because of this, my pace was very slow due to walking way more than I would have had I done 5:1s, but I did manage to keep my HR right where it was needed.

HHM Challenge - Run #11

Another Tempo run and this time I ran on a much flatter path. There was a decent hill during the first 5 minutes, but the rest was mostly flat. Overall I felt like I was pushing myself and I managed to get through it without needing to walk any extra.

Here are my numbers

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Tempo	5:1	should be steady
Distance	4 Km	4 Km	total: 44km
Pace	6:36	6:34	better
Average HR	145-163	157	perfect
Max HR	181	183	little high
Calories Burned		510	total: 5786

As you can see, the numbers are really starting to fall in line. Looking forward to increasing my distance so that I can keep getting faster and into better shape.

HHM Challenge - Run #10

Made it to run #10, only 68 more to go. Today's run was suppose to be a Tempo run, where speed is the key, and running at or around 80% of your Max HR. The key to Tempo runs is that they should be run on a flat area with little problems with the weather (ie. rain, snow, wind). Unfortunately for me, where I work does not have any real flat areas. My usual weekday run starts off at one point and continues slowly downwards for 1.5km then flattens out for 1.5km. If I take that route, I'd have to walk 1.5km before running or do 1.5km downhill then 1.5km uphill. Another route starts off going up then drops down until 1.5km goes flat for 1km then goes back uphill for the next 0.5km (and that hill is a good one). This is the route I took today and boy did that last hill hurt me. I had to cut my 5:1 short at 4min to walk part way up the hill in order to catch my breath and not let my HR get too high. There may be another option that has a good hill at the beginning but flat the rest of the way. I'm going to check it out tomorrow.

Here are my numbers

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Tempo	5:1	should be steady
Distance	3 Km	3 Km	total: 40km
Pace	6:36	6:38	close
Average HR	145-163	156	perfect
Max HR	181	176	good
Calories Burned		388	total: 5276

As you can see, even with not making it up the hill in time, my pace was almost perfect.

Meet the kids

A couple of weeks ago, the family went out to get pictures done so that we can give them out at Christmas. This is something my wife started many years ago and has now become a tradition. This year, instead of going to the typical studio, we asked my buddy to take our pictures at a nice scenic spot. Now don't get me wrong, my buddy is an excellent photographer and has aspirations of doing this semi-professionally. You can check out his work on his website and judge for yourself.

Over the course of about 45 minutes, he managed to take well over 300 pictures, and then sorted through them, giving us the top 75. Here is one of just my kids that I really like, as my son's expression (while he is trying to catch the falling leaves) is priceless.

A juice full of vegetables and fruits

I haven't blogged recently about the juice's I've been drinking so I thought I would write out the list of ingredients in today's 2 juices.

Vegetable juice
Romain Lettuce (2 heads)
3 Carrots
4 Celery stalks
1 Parsnip
1 Green Pepper
2 cloves of Garlic
1 English Cucumber
1 Zucchini
1 Tomato
1 Jalapeno pepper
3 Green Onions
1 head of Broccoli
Handful of Parsley
Handful of Spinach
Handful of Cilantro
1 inch piece of Gingeroot

Fruit Juice
1 Apple
1 Pear
1 Orange
1 Peach
1 Plum
1 Mango
1 Kiwi

My vegetable juice made 2 liters, which I'm splitting between today and tomorrow, while my fruit juice made just under 1 liter. Both of them taste very good and I am enjoying them.

Overall, I'd say I'm getting my daily requirements for fruits and vegetables.

HHM Challenge - Run #9

Did another LSR today and all went well. Took Bailey with me for half of it as I didn't want to push her too much after her operation.

Here are my numbers.

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Steady	5:1	pretty close
Distance	7 Km	7 Km	total: 37km
Pace	7:19	7:16	pretty close
Average HR	127-145	149	very close
Max HR	181	163	much better
Calories Burned		902	total: 4888

As you can see, the numbers are almost right on for the type of run I did. Overall, it felt awesome. I'm glad I'm getting back into running.

HHM Challenge - Run #8

Another day, another run. This is starting to become a habit, which is a good thing.

Here are my numbers.

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Steady	4:1	pretty close
Distance	3 Km	3 Km	total: 30km
Pace	7:19	7:02	faster but not trying to be
Average HR	127-145	146	very close
Max HR	181	163	much better
Calories Burned		396	total: 3986

With the exception of my pace being faster than what I'm suppose to be at, everything was right inline for a good run. As for my pace, I was really trying to slow down, but when the music is a playing, I lose sense of how fast I am going and just go with the flow. No big deal as I knew I wasn't pushing myself.

HHM Challenge - Run #7

First off, I ran. Secondly, I should be dead! Read on to see why.

I was suppose to do this run yesterday but had other obligations to get to at lunch yesterday, so I pushed it to today.

Here are my numbers

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Steady	4:1	pretty close
Distance	4 Km	4 Km	total: 27km
Pace	7:19	7:16	pretty close
Average HR	127-145	150	could be lower
Max HR	181	223	WHAT!
Calories Burned		545	total: 3590

So as you can see, my Max HR is incredibly higher than what it should be. Actually it is higher than the number that you use to start off calculating your HR zones (221). Not sure why this number is so high, as I never felt like I pushed myself throughout the entire run, so I'm guessing that my Garmin was having some issues calculating it. Either way, I will continue to monitor this. Other than that, my run was almost bang on. My pace was 3sec per km faster than what it should be, which amounts to no big deal and my Average HR was slightly higher than the range it should be in. I think in the coming weeks, for my steady runs, I may try to train using the HR zones and see how that goes.

HHM Challenge - Run #6

Went out for a run today at lunch and managed to pick up the Km I lost yesterday. Although it was cold out, it was still a very good run.

Here are my numbers

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Tempo	4:1	a bit slower
Distance	3 Km	4 Km	total: 23km
Pace	6:36	6:47	close
Average HR	145-163	155	perfect
Max HR	181	170	good
Calories Burned		535	total: 3045

I managed to get my average pace to be very close to what is expected for a tempo run, even though I walked 4 mins total. My HR was also inline with what is expected, so I'm very happy about this run.

HHM Challenge - Run #5

Although it was raining out today, I still managed to make it out for a little run. I was suppose to do a 4k Tempo run, but I had no energy so I cut it short. My dog Bailey came out with me again, but this will be her last for a while as she gets operated on in a few days and should be getting rest afterwards.

Here are my numbers.

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Tempo	8 min walking	should be steady
Distance	4 Km	3 Km	total: 19km
Pace	6:36	7:32	slow due to walking
Average HR	145-163	144	lower
Max HR	181	164	lower
Calories Burned		375	total: 2510

As you can see, because I walked so much, my HR was below what it was suppose to be and my total distance was less than expected. Hopefully I can get back on track before tomorrow's run.

HHM Challenge - Run #4

Did my first Long Slow Run (LSR) today in over 1 year. It was the longest I have run and it felt really good. Again I took my dog with Bailey and she did fine. It was the longest she'd ever been out. She is also starting to know that when I get my running stuff on, she's going out and she gets excited.

Here are my numbers.

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	LSR	4:1s	should be 10:1
Distance	7 Km	7 Km	total: 16km
Pace	7:19-8:12	7:26	could be slower
Average HR	127-145	156	higher
Max HR	181	173	better
Calories Burned		983	total: 2135

 I've decided to now include my total km's run and total calories burned to get an idea how much I burn and far I go during this training. Overall, very happy with this run.

HHM Challenge - Run #3

Made it out today for another run in my challenge and again I took my dog Bailey along.

Here are my numbers.

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Steady	3:1s	slower
Distance	3 Km	3 Km
Pace	7:19	7:22	very close
Average HR	127-145	156	higher
Max HR	181	195	very high
Calories Burned		396

As you can see, my pace was almost bang on. To me that is a good sign when I can run, with some walking mixed in, and be very close to where I need to be. My Max HR was high again and it could be due to my resting HR being higher than usual today. See my previous post for more details. Tomorrow is suppose to be my LSR (Long Slow Run) of 7km, but since it is Thanksgiving here, I will push that run to Monday (holiday).

Health Numbers Update

Took the time this AM to get my measurements and I was happy to see that I dropped another 3 pounds. My Blood Pressure numbers were also a bit lower this time around, which is good as I haven't been taking my pills consistently. The only surprise with my numbers was that my resting HR was very close to 100. This is within 30mins of waking up, so I hadn't done anything strenuous to that point, so I really don't know why it could be so high. I am at the tale end of a cold, so that may be affecting it. I will continue to monitor this.

HHM Challenge - Run #2

I managed to make it out for a run tonight after supper. I decided to take my dog along, which surprisingly went fine.

Here is the breakdown of the run.

		My results	Comments
Type of Run	Steady	3:1s	slower
Distance	3 Km	3 Km
Pace	7:19	7:45	slower
Average HR	127-145	156	higher
Max HR	181	169	better
Calories Burned		388

Since this was my first run in over a week and I've been sick since then, I'm not going to worry about my pace being slower or that my Average HR is higher than what it should have been. The fact that I got out is a good thing.

HHM Challenge - No Run #5

Today is suppose to be run #6, but I'm still not 100%, so I didn't bring my stuff to run. Tomorrow I have a work lunch function, so unless I make it out after supper (rarely happens) I won't make that run either. I'm hoping to make that run up on Friday. We will see then.

So far, this challenge hasn't been going to well. Hopefully I can turn it around soon.

NY Giants First Quarter Report Card

Since I haven't posted much about the NY Giants this season, I thought I'd give my opinion on how they have done so far, one quarter into the season.

At the moment they currently sit on top of the toughest division in football, NFC East, at 4-0, 2 games ahead of their nearest competitor. This record has also put them at or near the top of some power rankings (CBS, ESPN to name a few). They have played hurt and with injuries, but to this point haven't been challenged, other than the Dallas game. Given their record, if they can win 1 more than 50% of their remaining games, they will make the playoffs at 11-5. The bad news is that their schedule gets much tougher after this week (Oakland at home) with games against New Orleans (4-0), Philadelphia (2-1), Arizona (1-2), San Diego (2-2) before reaching their bye week. They need to be somewhere around 7-2 to guarantee themselves a playoff spots. New Orleans high powered offense should be the deciding factor. If they can beat them then there shouldn't be a problem beating the other 3 teams. A loss there and things get interesting as Philadelphia always plays tough against NY.

Offense
Eli has played very well and the passing game is keeping teams on their guard. The running backs haven't had that breakout game, but it hasn't been needed. The amount that they do run has opened up the passing game. The offensive line has protected Eli nicely and are mostly healthy, so that should continue. The only negative side to the offense is the fact that they are having problems scoring in the "red" zone (inside the opponents 20 yard line) only converting touchdowns on 2 out of 11 attempts. This will need to change if they plan on making a run to the Superbowl.

Defense
To this point, the defense hasn't been stellar, but other than the Dallas game, haven't really been challenged. They have kept their opponents to minimal yards, which has made it easier for the offense. With only 7 sacks to this point, the absence of Coach Spagnolo is being felt and with a few injuries in the secondary, it will be crucial to see how they fare against New Orleans and Arizona who like to throw plenty. If they can pressure these teams and get a few more sacks, then the secondary should be fine. The coming weeks will be the real test for this defense.

Special Teams and kicking
I would have to say that kick defense is probably their weakest point as they seem to give more yards back than they should. Although no team has run back a touchdown on kickoffs, they are starting at better than their 20 yard line on average. Punts have been great, as Jeff Feagles is a master as pinning teams deep in their end zone . Field goals haven't been awesome as Lawrence Tynes has missed a few inside the 20 yard line. I will give him the benefit of the doubt as he is coming off an injury season.

Overall I would give the Giants an A-. They haven't been perfect and there are areas that need to improve, but they are 4-0 and are winning easily.

Check back in a few weeks to see my mid-season report card.

HHM Challenge - No Runs #2, #3, & #4

Well I've been sick since last week and haven't the energy to run, so I've missed all my runs to this point and will be missing today's run (#5) as well. I'm hoping to get back into it tomorrow (sick feeling permitting) and make up for the lost time/runs. The only good thing is that the date I have set for the run may be off by 1 week, which means that I would only be starting my training this week. Once I know more, I will update it all here.

HHM Challenge - No Run #1

Today is suppose to be my 2nd run for the HHM Challenge, but I'm feeling like crap. My head is all congested and my nose won't stop running, so I won't be heading out anytime soon. I'm hoping that I feel better tomorrow and will try to make it up then.