Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Summer Time and the Living is Easy

It is a sunny day (It’s an easy day!) and I can’t wait for my run after work. The marathon training is on track. I’ve been steadily adding mileage and haven’t missed any planned runs, or hadn’t until last week when I took most of the week off to coddle and injury that I don’t anticipate being a problem in the future. I was a little disappointed not to be able to get my runs in but looking at pretty much every plan out there, they specify down weeks. When I got out there again after work yesterday I felt good and ran well, so no worries I guess.

This week: Tuesday 3.57, Wednesday 4.46, Thursday 5.6, Saturday 2, Sunday 12

Monday, June 08, 2009

Weekly Run Down

Monday: --
Tuesday: 3.57
Wednesday: 4.46
Thursday: 3.57
Friday: --
Saturday: 2
Sunday: 10

I realize this is almost the same mileage as the week before but it was such a different week. The week before a couple of my runs were pretty crappy, I was sore a lot and my long run was a trial. I really had to push myself not to walk. This week, all the short runs were fairly effortless and I didn't hurt at all. I finished the 10 miles and could have kept going but I know enough not to do that - stick to the plan and don't get hurt. I think my body is getting used to running five times a week. This coming week I'm adding a mile on Sunday and converting one of the 3.57s to a 4.46 but other than that am doing the same workout as last week - amazing how having a plan again makes me want to blog.

Fathers Day Right Around the Corner...

Unfortunately at some point in the past couple of years I lost my Forerunner 201. I am pretty much resigned to the fact that it is gone as I haven't seen it in over a year. For now, I'm going along fine in training without it but I'm going to need (read in needy voice) one when I get to intervals and as my long runs get longer and more complicated.

Looking at the various options on the Garmin website, I fairly quickly narrowed my search to being between the 205 and the 305. The 405 looks super cool but it has less battery life in training mode and doesn't have the Courses feature that the 305 does. The wireless data transfer to your PC looks neat but, I'm not sure about the feature of being able to beam your routes to other 405 owners so they can compete against runs you have done - a little too geeky for me (never thought I'd say that).

Anyway, here is the feature comparison I came up with:
Model Price Wireless Transfer Multi Sport Heart Beat Courses
405 $300 Y Y
N
305 $300 N Y Y Y
205 $200 N Y N Y
201 $150 N N N N

I also found this rubric, which I thought was good.

So, the only feature the 305 has that the 205 is lacking is the heart rate monitor, which would be nice but I'm not sure worth the extra 100 bucks. Does anyone reading this have experience with the 405, 305, or 205 that you would be willing to share? Also, have you used something besides a Garmin product that you liked better? Help me Dear Internet....

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Don't Call It a Come Back

I have been in a long, well, running slumber for some time now. I’d get out and jog a few times a week.. or less, with no goal and not much enjoyment. Then a few weeks ago, on our way back from running Bloomsday in Spokane, my wife and I were talking and decided to run the Seattle marathon this coming November – her the half and me the whole. Since then, the part of my brain that thinks racing has started to fire again. I have a goal. I’m eating better, sleeping more, and I’ve lost weight. I still have eight weeks before formally starting the Higdon plan that I’ve selected. In the mean time I’m retraining my body and brain to be used to running five times a week and slowly inching my weekly mileage and long run distances up;

Week Ending: Total:
May 3 7
May 10th 7
May 17th 14
May 24th 26.5
May 31st 19.95

I should have 23.6 this week with my long run breaking 10 for the first time.
I had been thinking I’d just run the Higdon plan, but with my long runs peaking earlier and staying higher than the plan calls for but on advice from Jeff I’m now thinking I’ll working in more interval and hill work. It’s good to be back.

This may be my first post of many as I take this training blog out of deep freeze or there may be a link here soon to a new blog. Stay tuned.