My runs the last few days

6/6/15 Run

So I have managed to get a few decent runs in, in the last few days. Neither of them felt great, my legs have felt sluggish. All that tells me is that I need to get out a little more often and to be drinking more water throughout the day rather then right before my run. I have enjoyed making friends with all the wildlife along the trail in the forest preserve.

As you can see my mile times aren't as good as they have been in the past. Let's hope the next few runs start seeing some improvement. I'm planning on trying to get out one of these morning before work. My thought is that my legs might be a little fresher in the morning without having the long work day wear down my legs before I go. 

I have been lacking at doing other workouts besides running. I haven't done any yoga for awhile, which I know will help my flexibility and soreness in my hips and hamstrings. 

With lots of possibilities this summer, I have to make sure I stay focused and put time aside for my runs. I'm also hoping to try to rework my nutrition. I don't nearly watch what I eat, when I know I should. Still looking for a race to do soon, I'll post as soon as I sign up. Happy Running!

6/8/15 Run

So far this month:

Yesterday's Run

My run yesterday was very short and I took it fairly easy. Still managed to run 7:39 pace, but it fely much slower than that. My legs have felt heavy recently, but I think I just need to get out a little more and need to watch what I'm eating. I've realized lately how important my nutrition is to my running. Its very hard since I love to eat, but I don't want it costing me run days. 

I'm happy that at least I put some mileage in here at the beginning of the month, so hopefully my stats later in the month will be better than last month. 

Today the search for a race starts hot and heavy, I'll be looking for a 5K to run before the end of June. Let me know if you have any suggestions, I'd be up for running any race as long as it has a good cause and is located in the Chicagoland area. It would also be cool if it wasn't over $35. Happy Running Everyone!

A Look At Week #3 Running

When looking back at Week 3, all I can see are cold runs. Of the four runs I went on. I was snowed on three times. The temps ranged from 19-45 degrees, while my pace averaged out to around 8:17ppm for all my runs. Not great, but not bad after taking a few months off. I'm trying my best to keep up with the mileage while making sure I keep a close eye on any aches or pains that don't go away. I've started slowly lifting again, only in 3 exercise grouping each time I go. I don't want too many muscle area to be sore when I run.




My best run was on Wednesday, in which I set multiple PRs for 1K & 5K.







On Monday when it was 45, I decided to wear shorts and it felt great. The only problem was that the Commissioners Park was full of melted sloppy snow all over the trail.




On my last run on Saturday it was snowing, so I decided to get a short video of the conditions. Here it is:

Meanwhile, on the same run I took pictures of myself at each mile marker to see if there was any snow accumulation, and there was.


Mile 1:


















Mile 2:

















Mile 3:

















Mile 4:



















Here are the maps of the runs this week, with the temp.

A Look Back At Week 3



















A Look Ahead To Week 4

Nike+ Pics:

The Past Few Runs

Here's a look at the start of my 24 Week Marathon training through the Nike+ app. The training lines up with a Race date of the weekend of June 14-15. If you get the app add me as a friend and we can help motivate each other.

My Runs To Date:

My Earlier Runs in the Neighborhood

Running With High Schoolers - 1.9.14

When running on a weekday around

 2:30pm you are bound to find kids out on the roads.

 I think I ran past a couple different
 track teams getting ready for the indoor season. You can see the greenest part of my run on the back half after I past a group of 5 young men and I took off refusing to let any of them to come close to catching up to me. Once I realized I wasn't being followed anymore my pace quickly declined. Longest run of the year so far.

Saturday Night Run - 1.11.14

  Another fun night run down Heritage Meadows Drive, you can see the green sprint runs I had at the begining of the third mile and again near the 3.5 mile mark. The roads were very clear and the temp was just above freezing so what snow was left after the rains hadn't iced over yet.  And as you can see below this was my best 5K, 1mile, & 1K.

                   

Balmy Sunday Sunset Run - 1.12.14

With the conditions finally giving some relief with temps in the 40s I ventured out for my 5 mile run. I headed west and ran in neighborhoods that I haven't investigated. Since the roads were finally dry I decided on breaking in my Race Blue Asics. It was a welcome relief not having to deal with slush under my toes.

Weekly Stats:

My Instagram Pics:

Here's week 3 so far: