The Plan V; Less Plan, More Fun

Alrighty kids, as stated in my last carefully-crafted word salad known in blogger circles as a "post", I've gotten myself into a couple races: The Los Gatos Jungle Run 10k in mid-July and the San Jose Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in October.

I've really been enjoying doing this casual Quest for Sub-30:00 5k thing, but I wanted to get into races, too. So, I reckon, I'm going to continue running mostly 5ks during the week, with gradually increasing longer runs on Sundays in preparation for the 10k. Once I'm there I'm going to start my buddy Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Training Program. It looks like a winner, and very doable.

I've adjusted my training calendar so I know what to do on which days. Funny how that works. My priorities are basically:

1. Continue to lose weight
2. Build up an adequate base
3. Prepare correctly for 10k
4. Prepare correctly for Half Marathon

I'll leave my other 2 goals ("5. Becoming King of Scotland" and "6. Perfecting the art of the cheese fry") for a later date.

Wish me luck!

The Calendar

Late Afternoon Run, Nonsense, Looking Towards the Future™

Having recently met up with some very cool runners that do some very cool blogs (a post on Hella Sound to come), I feel obligated to make this post more than the usual "I ran here, I did X, it was fine."

Obligated, but also inspired.

I'm not wholly sure how I'm going to do that, really.

I could include cute pictures of my cats, I guess. Those always go over well.

Darcy.

Georgie.

Jeff.

Or I could include a picture of someone twirling glowsticks but give absolutely no explanation for its inclusion in this post:(...although some of you may be able to divine a reason, or read your own meaning into it...)

Alas, I will do neither of those things, even though I just did both of those things.

Sorry, discussion over. That's final.

On to the "I ran here, I did X, it was fine" segment of the post:

Somehow I managed to make it all the way to 5pm without eating (whoops!). I'm a food person—an eater—so this is unusual. I reckon I may have been preoccupied, but regardless, when I went for my run it was pretty much on an empty gastank.

Nonetheless, I made a decent go of it. Not sub-30:00, but pretty damn close.

Also, as the day wore on I found myself signed up for not one (1) but two (2) races:
The Los Gatos Jungle Run 10k in mid-July
and the San Jose Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in October.

You may remember that the San Jose Rock 'n' Roll Half beat me like I stole something from it last year. I pretty much have 4 solid months to make sure it doesn't do that to me again.

The main trick will be finding enough warm sunny days in San Francisco to prepare myself for running in San Jose. It's quite a bit warmer down there. Maybe I'll do some runs in the East Bay as prep.

So, I've been enjoying my preoccupation with the sub-30:00 5k, but I have some races on the horizon. If there were more 5ks (that didn't cost way too much for a 5k) then I'd probably be running those. Also, someone (I'm not naming any names) pretty much goaded me into doing the SJ RnR, and I never back down from a challenge. Well, except all those times I backed down from challenges.

I think a month is definitely time enough to prep for the 10k, and I think 4 months is plenty of time to get into half marathon shape. Soon I'll formalize my ease-into-it plan and post it up on this here site.

Reckon.

Total Weight: -12lbs

5-ish k in About 30-ish Minutes

My battery died! I got to about the 3.5k mark and then my iPod crapped out.

Weak!

Looks like I was going at a slightly-under-6min/k pace, which means I might have been able to crack the 30:00 mark.

So, I ended up finishing my out-and-back 5k distance, but I don't really know what my time was.

Que sera, sera, right?

PS: I hate this gloomy weather. HATE.

Total Weight: ~-12.5lbs. Today is all about guesswork, isn't it?

Nipping at Its Heels

5k in 30:05.

I'm getting getting mighty close to the sub-30:00.

It was COLD out there, son! Friggen COLD! I think I cut holes in my shirt with my diamond-hard nipples. In addition, apparently they turn the sprinklers on Crissy Field in the evening. They lazily spray their way over the running paths, casting a fine mist of delicious reclaimed water *everywhere*.

Did I mention it was cold?

30:05. I probably could have broke 30:00 if I was looking at my timer, but I was just focused on my general pacing and only wanted to see the time once I was done. I'd like to know what it feels like to do it first before I try to overtly manage my pace to achieve it, if that makes any sense.

I'm about 12 pounds lighter than when I started up a few weeks ago, which I'm certain is having a positive effect on my running. I have to rededicate myself to doing my active range of motion exercises and ab stuff, and then I think I'll be firing on all cylinders.

Very happy, y'all. :)

Total Weight: -12lbs

Foggy-ass photo courtesy -Jérôme- on Flickr.

Another :30 Down, Another :30 to Go

Came within 35 seconds of my sub-30:00 5k goal. It felt good!

I think the weight loss is definitely working in my favor—it's definitely nice to have less baggage to drag along with me as I go. And I'm also getting more focused on better form (from reading the ChiRunning book) and increasing my stride rate.

The stride rate (or cadence) thing is a major underpinning of the whole Hella Sound Running Music concept, and I've found it to be an incredibly useful tool for helping me increase the speed of my turnovers.

Soon I'll roll out The Plan V, but in the meantime I'm enjoying the results I'm getting!

Total Weight: -11lbs