Running For My Life

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 08/30/2008
• Time: 15:00:00
• Total Time: 00:22:00.00
• Distance: 4 miles
• Average Speed: 10.91 mph

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 08/30/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 2:58:37.00
• Distance: 22 miles
• Average Pace: 8:07.14/mile

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 08/29/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:04:40.00
• Distance: 8 miles
• Average Pace: 8:05.18/mile

The short version of a long story is that I got thrown into doing a 4-mile social run tonight.  The result was a 15-mile day when you take into account the 11 miles I did this morning.  I typically don’t run in the evening, but I think I am going to try to do some two-a-day workouts in the next few weeks since this worked out so well.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 08/28/2008
• Time: 18:00:00
• Total Time: 00:32:00.00
• Distance: 4 miles
• Average Pace: 8:00/mile

I admit it; I am obsessed with my running times.  I keep logs of every run, with distance and time.  And before each run, I have a time goal depending on the purpose of the run.  Aside from making the run a little more exciting, I think “racing your training run” improves your performance on race day.

This morning I did my fifth and final 10K tempo run in preparation for a 10K race in a few weeks.  My previous four practice times were as follows:

June 10 - 44:41 (7:13 pace)

July 8 - 43:05 (6:57 pace)

July 23 - 41:11 (6:39 pace)

Aug. 14 - 40:59 (6:37 pace)

So my goal for this morning was to break 40 minutes, which I thought would be a nice improvement over my past attempt and would set me up, confidence-wise, to finish the 10K race in the 38:30 to 39:00 range.  So when I crossed the “finish line” in 40:04 (6:28 pace) this morning, I was not pleased.  Despite the fact that I missed my goal by just 4 seconds, my confidence took some damage.  Hopefully I will learn a lesson and kick harder on race-day.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 08/28/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:21:35.00
• Distance: 11 miles
• Average Pace: 7:24.99/mile

Workout:

• Type: General Cardio
• Date: 08/27/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:30:00.00

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 08/26/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:24:20.00
• Distance: 10 miles
• Average Pace: 8:26.33/mile

Workout:

• Type: Walk
• Date: 08/25/2008
• Time: 20:00:00
• Total Time: 00:34:21.00
• Distance: 2 miles
• Average Pace: 17:11.52/mile

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 08/25/2008
• Time: 05:00:00
• Total Time: 1:35:10.00
• Distance: 11 miles
• Average Pace: 8:38.73/mile

While I was on a peaceful Sunday morning run around the lake this morning, two Rottweilers came out of a yard and went right at me. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the first one heading in my direction. As he lunged at me, I stepped aside and he brushed my shorts with his head and scratched my calf with his leg.  When the second one came into the street, the owner started running and screaming after them. At the time she arrived in the street, I was surrounded on both sides by growling, teeth-wielding dogs who had assumed the “attack stance”. It all happened so fast that I didn’t even have time to see my life flash before my eyes or say a prayer. Fortunately at this point the owner was able to call off the attack and then I continued on my run, not even realizing until a few miles later that my calf was bleeding from the scratch (I guess it could have been much worse!).

This is not the first time that I have been attacked by a dog while running (I have been bitten twice), but I don’t ever recall having two dogs - let alone Rottweilers - gang up on me at the same time. Thankfully I don’t run this route very often and when I do, it’s usually much earlier in the morning when Killer and Kujo are probably in a deep sleep, dreaming about their next victim.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 08/24/2008
• Time: 06:00:00
• Total Time: 1:41:20.00
• Distance: 12 miles
• Average Pace: 8:26.33/mile