"You don't have any calf muscle"

I heard this little sentence for most of my adult life, "Look at Dad's legs, he has no calf". So I look at my calf muscle, A LOT. I look at other runners calf muscles when I do running events and wonder what they did to have calf muscles.

I've biked, run, walked, did leg presses, stood on the edge of a step and flexed my self up and down and still "no calf".

I shouldn't really complain because these calfless legs have been really good to me ever since I got them. I would hate to think just how far they have carried me and all the things we've done together. I never could jump very high when I played basketball, I wonder if it's because I "have no calf"?

Anyway, take a look at this picture, I HAVE A CALF! I've been quite consistent since the beginning of the year with exercise, running or walking nearly every day. My legs are much stronger and I feel great. I still have my eye set on a couple of fun runs later this spring and early summer (12K and a 1/2 marathon) with several shorter runs scattered around. I've recaught the running bug. The other day Elly said, "It seems like the most important thing for you today is getting your run it", it was.

Today, I absolutely have to get a haircut and if the weather holds off the rain who knows how far my "calfless" legs will carry me today.

Can men have kankles?

Keeping track of myself

In an earlier blog I mentioned that I wanted to wear a pedometer as a tool of accountability for myself. I think it's time for a little up date.

I wear the peodmeter everyday from the time I leave the house until I go to bed. I never change the mode because I don't really care how far it thinks I go, I just want it to count steps. I have this voice in my head telling me I should do at least 10,000 steps a day. Last spring my Dr. told me I should try to do around 8,500 steps per day but that doesn't seem like enough on days that I exercise. I've had it on everyday day since Jan. 2, 2010. I got some pretty interesting numbers.

As one might expect January started "slower" and I averaged 10,154 steps per day. Thus far in February I'm averaging 11,587 steps per day. If I do the math and convert those steps into miles that's 5.76 miles per day in January and 6.58 miles per day in February. I don't know if it means much because it covers about 16 hours everyday but it must mean something. The numbers you see in the picture are for today.

Today was a wonderful day outside, middle fifties and very few clouds if any at all. We took advantage of the weather and exercised outside. Elly started walking one direction toward the Post Office and I started running another route to the Post Office. I ran past the Post Office, met my sweetie, and we walked back home. TERRIFIC!

I love the Asics running shoes. They are the most comfortable shoes I can ever remember running in. I have a nearly new pair of size 11 New Balance 1063 if anybody wants them. I don't think I'll ever run in them again. The Asics were a little expensive but worth it to me.

Tomorrow is supposed to be another wonderful day in the Great Northwest, who knows what fun we'll have!

Rained out!

I missed my first chance to get a bib number this year. I hoped to do a Sweetheart's Day 5K today and I could have if I wanted to run in the pouring rain. I did that once, it wasn't much fun. So I grabbed my new iTouch that my "sweetheart" got me, strapped on my new running shoes, and headed to the treadmill. I stopped at 5 miles and it was a pretty good run, no where near the 99:59 edge of the earth zone. Someday I'll get there.

Either running on the treadmill is starting to get boring or I'm starting to get spring fever. I hope the weather guesser have the forecast correct because, if they are right, I may get to log some miles outside Monday. The new tunes helped today.

I'm enjoying watching the Olympics, great opening ceremony. Tragic for the young Georgian Luge athlete but racers die in every sport. Kind of comes with the territory, still tragic but it's always a possibility.

My little sweetheart of a Granddaughter isn't feeling well today and she is never far from my thoughts. She called to tell us she wasn't feeling very good but was able to say a very nice "Hi, Ga-ga, hi Ye-ye" and that made a bright spot in the day.

The new running shoes are doing very well so far, no sore spots and no rubs. The balls of my feet and toes felt really good after the 5 miles today. I'll probably walk on the treadmill tomorrow in hopes of the outdoor run on Monday. I logged 20.5 miles in the past seven days. The next chance for a bib on the calendar is April 10 unless I can find another run I don't know about.

I'm glad I don't have to run through snow!

This Year's Events

I'm happy to say that the little leg muscle issue I had last weekend appears to be in the past. I did 4.25 miles yesterday and again today, no pain at all. I'm pretty happy about that since I could hardly walk last Saturday.

I've been thinking and consulting with my coach about what events I should try to do this year. Here's the tentitive schedule; Feb 13 - Sweetheart Run 5K, Apr 10 - Dolphin Dash 5K, Apr 24 - BSA 5K Run, May 16 - Rhody Run 12K, Jun 6 - Olympic Discovery Half Marathon, Jun 26 - Hot Foot 5K, Jul 24 - Whale of a Run 4 miles, Aug 8 - Run for the Light 5 miles, Aug 21 - Race for Literacy 5K, Aug 28 - Kitsap County Fair Stampede 5K, Sep 12 - Skagit Flats Half Marathon, Oct 30 - Halloween Run 5K, and Nov 20- Turkey Trot 5K. I imagine I'll miss a few of these for family activities and other sorts of fun things but here's my plan. I hope I sit down after each event and write a little race report.

Sometimes when I'm on the treadmill I wonder strange thoughts; what happens when the timer reaches 99:59 minutes? I imagine I'm Columbus and about to sail off the edge of the world. Does the treadmill stop and since you're running you fall flat on your face? I haven't gotten there yet but soon I'll break that barrier. Of course, if the weather turns nice and I can get home from work at a reasonable hour my running will move outdoors and this question will remain unanswered until next rainy season.

Another thing I noticed during the last few runs is the ends of my toes are sore. I think my shoes are just a little too short. I trimmed my toenails and can't figure out any other reason for this odd discomfort. I'm going to stop at the Exchange on the way home after work some day this week and take care of the shoe issue. Back to the question of an earlier blog - New Balance or Brooks, maybe I'll switch to new brand all together. I just have to be sure the shoes really feel right in the store.

Healthy and Happy, The Running Ye-Ye.

P.S. Ye-Ye is the correct spelling for the name my lovely grandaughter gave me but I had to modify it to Ya-Ya to get a blogspot.

Wintertime Training

As many of you have heard, "rains all the time" here in the Northwest. Truth be known it does rain quite a bit but not all the time. A few years ago my sweetheart got tired of seeing me return from a fall/winter run soaking wet and she bought a treadmill. It has been in various locations around our property and currently resides in our "house garage".
Training on the treadmill is okay so long as I can listen to music or do some other mindless task. I can't run and read, I'd fall off. This week I logged just over 20 miles, all but 2 on the treadmill. It's starting to stay light past 5:00 PM so if I hurry home from work and change clothes quickly I can run out the lane and back. I did that once this past week; it was a nice change from the treadmill.
It's been a crazy week with Elly not feeling well and me trying to play Big Nurse. I haven't exercised as often as I might have otherwise. Yesterday I had the opportunity to get on the treadmill and did 6.5 miles. It felt good while it was happening but shortly afterwards I got a pretty good pain in my lower right leg. I don't think it's shinsplints, it hurts sort of on the side, right at the bottom of my calf muscle where it hooks to the rest of my leg. I didn't do any running or walking today, just nursing. The leg seems to be getting better but I may not do anything again tomorrow.
I want to do the Sweetheart Run on Feb. 13th at the Bangor Submarine Base. That guy from work will be there and he'll probably kick my ass again. I wish he'd try the Discovery Half with me.
Anyway, back to the treadmill use. It's a good, necessary thing for me because I wouldn't do much running outside in the dark or rain from early November through March. You can see in the picture, I have my sweatband and my headphones and I am having a good time.
Another lesson learned by me - sweatband. I never used one until last summer, now I won't go without one. Sweatband or visor, they are wonderful for keeping stuff from getting in ones eyes.
Time to check on my patient. I hope my leg heals itself quickly so I don't lose any fitness, I don't have much and any loss would be bad news.

Counting Coup

This is my wall of little victories documenting my running over the past 3 years. It's another idea I got from my kid who has outgrown it but I haven't. The column on the left is 2007, middle 2008, and the right 2009. I see it as my modern day way of hanging scalps from a warrior's waist.

What happened in 2008, get lazy or something? If you could get close enough to read the dates on the numbers you see that the 2008 bib was dated Nov. I hurt my back early that year, I mean really screwed something up. It took me nearly 30 seconds to get into and out of my truck. I waited and waited for it to heal itself but that wasn't happening. After months of pills and practically no exercise I thought I could get back on the treadmill but that nearly floored me again. So I waited until November and did the Turkey Trot 5K at the Bangor Submiarine Base. That run was the most miserable run I done to date, 38 degrees and raining. I thought about quiting and walking back but realized it would take me longer to walk that to keep running (I know, absolutely brilliant reasoning) so I finished in a respectable time for me.

That brings the thought of "what is a respectable time" for me; anytime I cross the finish line on my own feet and they haven't taken down the finish line is a wonderful time for me. Remember in an earlier blog when I said I was never fast, that hasn't changed. At many start lines other runners have asked me how long I thought I would take to finish and my standard answer usually makes them look at me a little strange - "Sometime before sunset". That's how I really think, I'm enjoying the running events and really don't care when I finish so I do.

Except for one race.

There's this guy at work who does all the local runs just like me and he looks old and slow but he beats me in every 5K. Last fall I ran the Spooky Trails 12K. It's a trail run over some pretty good hills and through dark, dark, forest. As we were driving there I told Elly about this growing obsession to beat this guy just once, I said today might be the day. As usual, when the race started and through the first 5+K he was ahead but within sight. Then it happended, the distance between us closed and soon I was right behind him, then alongside, then I was in front. The little devil inside my head said 'you better not let this guy go back by you'. He was puffing like a steam engine but couldn't hang with this old timer. We were about 7K into the race so I kept wondering where he was and dreading that he might come zooming by. When I crossed the finish line I stood and waited...for nearly 5 minutes until he crossed the line. Today was the day!

I'm hoping I hang a few more "scalps" on my wall for 2010.

Brooks or New Balance

Decisions, decisions...should I get Brooks or New Balance shoes. Truth be told, I've had both and don't really have a preference. I've run several events in Brooks Beasts and New Balance 1063s. You probably can't tell in the picture but I wore a pair of Brooks Radius (R7) during this race, the 2009 Skagit Half. I really liked those shoes but can't find that stlye anymore.
I wonder how long (months or miles) I should use a pair of running shoes before I retire them to "around the house" shoes. I know having good, comfortable shoe is paramont to enjoying my activity so the measure I use to determine it's time for new shoes is when the balls of my feet hurt for a few hours after I finish.
The New Balance 1063s are trimmed in yellow and when I wear my yellow head band I'm sure I'm faster and look better. I haven't found any shoes that are comfortable and match my green visor. Maybe I'll just see which brand feels best and forget the vanity.
I had a pretty good mileage total for this week-good for me-just over 20 miles on the treadmill in the past 7 days.