My JND Running Log

[jamesndawson]

I've started a very capsule running log in chart form and rather than transcribe that here, I'll just give a summary Between March 10 and May 20, today, I ran 10 times. Five 2 miles, one 2.2., and four 3.3. My days between runs ranged from an entire month to 2 days. My minute-miles ranged from 18.5 to 11.2 (this last one, today). In most of these runs, there was the usual right knee pain, but strangely, none today. I'm experiencing intermittent pain, not extreme, but uncomfortable, on the right side of the arch of the right foot. As usual, my lower legs and ankles feel stiff and heavy at the beginning, but they seem to looen up into the run. With the lawn & garden season here, I hope I can find time to run at least twice a week if not three.

[jamesndawson]

May 26. 3.3 miles, 41 mins., minute-mile: 12.4, 6 day break.
June 7. 3.3 miles, 36 mins., minute-mile: 10.9, 12 day break. Little to no knee pain.
June 22, 3.3. mils, 38 mins., minute-mile 11.5. 15 day break. Knee pain set in about 1/3 to 1/2 route.
Work has interfered with my running frequency. I hope I can work it in better in the future.

[jamesndawson]

July 4, 3.3 miles, 37 mins., 11.2 min.-mile, 12 day break.
7, 3-4* miles, 49 mins. * I dug through my notes hoping I'd find a closer approximation to this route's distance, but I couldnt find anything very reliable, so it's pointless to give a min.-mile figure. Also, I'll sometimes vary the route, usually spur of the moment, though I'm guessing all the variations I've done are more or less the same distance. I'll have to get out my pedometer and measure it again, though, as I've said before on this log, I'm not very confident in the reliability of that device.
17, 3-4* miles, 46 mins. Very little right knee pain, in fact, it's been almost if not totally absent these last 6 or so runs, which is a little surprising because it's almost been a constant since I started running. I have no clue as to why it's improved so much. Started out and continued with more energy than usual, but when I did stop to rest a moment near the end of the run, I did get a little dizzy. It's hard to say how much this is strictly physiological or psychologically induced. But it wasn't anything I'm really concerned about.
20, 3-4 miles, 47 mins.Caught my reflection is a series of big dark windows of a modern building along my route and was really disappointed to see how much I ran like an old man. I thought my pace had a little more spring to it than what I saw. My left foot almost dragged, but I did feel some stiffness in my right ankle that day. I hope I can improve this, if only for vanity.
23, 3-4 miles, 44 mins. Checked my self in the window above again and I think my step had a big more spring than before, so maybe there's some hope for me.

[jamesndawson]

Sun., Aug. 3. 35 mins. I took a new route for a change, dowtown, but I don't know what the mileage is. Halfway through my run I saw that there was a race about to start, which was a bit awkward because my route brought me right through it, and I felt sort of rude running in an area where a race was going on. But I had no idea it was scheduled and when I checked the local news on the Net I couldn't find any mention of it at all.
Thurs., Sept. 25., 4 miles, time not recorded. As you can see I've slacked off for almost 2 months. I guess my only excuse is my workload, which is tapering off now. I decided I'd try a length of the Fish Lake Trail which conveniently has mile markers. I rode my bike down the mile or 2 from my home as I don't like fighting traffic through the downtown area I can't avoid to get there. Since it was my first run in so long I was going to aim for the first mile marker and turn back, but for some reason I missed it and ran on, wondering if somebody had removed it. Finally I came to the 2nd mile marker and turned around. I did see the first marker on the way back, which was in plain sight.
For some reason the bathroom was locked, I guess because it's just turned Fall. There's no need to lock it now, it's far from freezing. This city isn't very considerate of its citizens. But it wasn't terribly urgent and there was a portable a few blocks down the road I was able to use.
What I need to do now is find a good reliable watch to be able to time my runs on this route, but these days, it seems almost impossible to find anything like that.

[jamesndawson]

So, due to a cold of about 10 days to 2 weeks, plus many other life-situations, I slacked off quite a bit. I'm going to try start doing a monthly entry. This is just a very brief rundown.
I ran 13 only times from Sept. 29 to December 31, 2014. (Once so far in 2015, to be recorded next entry.) Distances ranged from 2.0 to 3,3. with break days ranging from 3 to 21. Minutes per mile range from 11.5 to 13. (Yes, I know that' slow. Don't care that much. I'm not aiming for elite class.) I hate cold weather, so that contributes to my procrastination, but I'm going to keep working on it.

[jamesndawson]

January, 2015. 6 runs, ranging from 2 to 5.3 miles. Minutes per mile ranged from 11.5 to 13.6.

Feb., 2015. 6 runs, ranging from 2 to 3.3 miles. Minutes per mile ranged from 12 to 12.5.

I've been sluggish and uninspired these last 2 months. I hope I can get some energy and discipline back.

[jamesndawson]

March. 4 runs. 3.3, 36 mins., 10.9 min/mile. 3-8, 26,30, 2 miles each, 11. 12, 11.5 min./mile. These past 2 months have been terrible with colds. I still have one lingering, still in the third week. This may be my third this winter. It's going away slowly, but the congestion is still there, and I can feel it in my right throat & inner ear and still have a layer of malaise. I don't know if it's just me, or there's some particularly resistant strain go around.
It's strange, on the 4th, I thought I'd barely be able to make two miles, but for some reason, my energy picked up, and even though I had a side ache, I did one of my best times ever.

[jamesndawson]

April, 2015. 9 runs. 2 to 3.3 miles. Minute-Mile range: 10.3 to 14.7. Break range: 2 to 6 days.

I'm not sure how that 14.7 happened. I thought I was really trying harder to keep my feet up. Looking back over the last two years, my speed doesn't seem to have reached any breaking point, but since the distance measurements are so crude, I could be running a fair amount faster, or a fair amount slower. I just check the clock as I go out and it could be just about to turn to the next minute or have just turned, and the same when I check the moment I return, so there's a potential two minute differential in the time recorded. How much difference that would make in the minute-mile calculation, I don't know.

What I need to do is get a stop watch and find a track to get an accurate time. A school yard maybe, but I'm afraid of "looking creepy" using one. Maybe I'll check around a little. I wish they sold mechanical stop watches these days. Those are so much simpler to use.

[jamesndawson]

May, 2015. 11 runs. 3.3 miles. Minute-Mile Range 10 to 11.2, most 10.3 to 10.6. I'm making a more conscious effort to pick up my feet and run faster, and I think my more frequent runs may be helping.

[silver]

daft logics distance calculator will let you measure up a specific route with pretty good accuracy, i tested it on our local 400m cycle track and got exactly 400m. Then you just need an accurate clock...

[jamesndawson]

Thanks. I played around with it for a while, but I couldn't get it to work. I'm sure I'm just not understanding something. I'll see about getting some help with it from a tech-savvier person.

[jamesndawson]

June, 2015. 7 runs: 5, 3.3 miles, 1, 3+, 1, 2.0. Minute-Mile range: 10 to 10.6, most 10.3.

[jamesndawson]

[quote="silver"]daft logics distance calculator will let you measure up a specific route with pretty good accuracy, i tested it on our local 400m cycle track and got exactly 400m. Then you just need an accurate clock...

[jamesndawson]

July, 2015.
5 runs.
Distances: 2 x. 2 miles, 1 x 3 miles, 4 x 3.3 miles.
Minute/Mile: High 10.6, Low: 10, Average: 10.25

[jamesndawson]

August, 2015.
10 runs. Slowest: 11.5, Fastest: 10
Miles/Time/Minute-Miles:
3.55/41/11.5
3.3/33/10
2.0/23/11.5
3.3/29???/8.7??? I'm pretty sure there was some kind of mis-measurement in this figure.
3.3/34/10.3
2.0/23/11.5
3.3/34/10.3
3.3/33/10
4+/no watch, not timed.

Sept., 2015
9 runs. Slowest time: 13.4, Fastest: 9.7
Miles/Time/Minute-Mile
3.3/38 This doesn't reflect my speed because I had to stop to use the lavatory.
4.0/40/10
3.3/34/10.3
4.1/54/13.2
4.1/55/13.4
4.1/52/12.6
3.3/32/9.7
4.1/52/12.6
4.1/55/13.4

The 4.0 distance is 2 miles and back along the Fish Lake Trail. I was quite pleased and surprised with my speed here, as it was faster than my usual on my 3.3 mile route. The 4.1 mile route is through Riverfront Park and Gonzaga U and a little beyond (12.6 to 13.4), but from the speed I got on the Fish Lake trail (10) I have doubts my measurement of that distance is accurate. Also it just seems quite a bit further than .55 miles from the previous 3.55 mile route I'd measured earlier. But the dollar store pedometer I used to measure it seems to have proved very accurate with my 3.3 mile route.
I think my 9.7 on my 3.3. mile route may be a record for me.

I've been taking swimming classes off and on for about 2 years and I've discovered how stiff I am compared to my teachers and most other swimming students. I've found and printed out some swimmer stretches but have only been concentrating on 2 or the 14 total (http://www.coreconcepts.com.sg/mcr/more ... -swimmers/). I wonder if these will be helpful for not only swimming, but running too. I'd like to have as basic but as complete and effective a stretching routine as possible, because I don't really care much for stretching, but I realize I've got to get a lot more flexible than I am now. Hopefully, that'll help with my persistent joint discomfort.