Running and Bronchitis

Running and Bronchitis don't mix well. It's not exactly a Rum and Coke or anything with Pepperoni and Mozzarella. Well, my lungs were like mozzarella. Maybe a little more to the yellow side of things, but definitely gooey.

I haven't run in a couple of weeks. I went out Saturday early evening and logged an easy 2.5 miles. I wanted to see what I could handle. Would my lungs be too hard pressed for oxygen? Would my legs be jello after 2 weeks off? Not too bad really. I jogged it. I was probably doing 12 minute miles. I felt great. I did feel one of my toes get irritated during the run, but not painful. When I got home, my runner's toe was just about to fall off.

Tonight before I started another run, I pulled off the dead toenail. What's underneath is fairly hardened already, but it's black. Which means I will continue to go through this toenail on, toenail off thing. Oh well. It doesn't hurt.

I did an out and back which I had never run before. It finished raining just prior, so it was nice and cool. Probably in the mid-70s. That's cool for Florida, folks! It felt like I ran around 10 minute pace. It took 44 minutes. No warmup; no stretching. After looking up my route on gmap-pedometer.com, it appears that I ran 4.5 miles. That means my pace was 9:46 per mile. That's pretty close guessing especially considering I haven't run in 2 weeks and I haven't used a watch while running in 6 months or more.

I wish I could run 8 minute miles that effortlessly. Well, my breathing was never hampered by coughing up phlegm balls and I didn't feel asthmatic, so I think I'm on my way to healthy. I may not be ready for speed work, but I don't have any races lined up anytime soon, so steady miles will do for now.

Pre Motivation

I ripped my 1981 classic U2 album October today and loaded it onto my Sanso mp3 player. It's old music, but new to my running. I warmed up to Gloria, which isn't very long and took off on my 2.5 mile jaunt when I Fall Down started. I finished my run at 3:46 of Tomorrow, so my total time was 19:48 for the 2 and a half miles. That's a 7:55 pace.

It felt like I was running a little faster than that, but I haven't run in a week. I need to get some mile repeats in a workout to better judge my time.

Great run up until about 1.75 miles when I started getting that mid back cramp again. This time I only got it on the right side. I kept pushing through it. Here's why and how...

I just got a free poster of Steve Prefontaine from Athletes for a Cure. His quote on the poster reads, "A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts."

Quite an inspirational quotation. I wish he lived longer. It's weird. I have this vision that I would have liked to have known him as a track superstar when I was in high school. He would have been a great role model I think. I used to watch Steve Scott run the mile on TV. And Eamonn Coughlan and another Irish indoor runner that I can't recall his name now.

Anyway... I pushed through the cramp in my back and when I picked it up on the last quarter mile, I got a sticker on my right side, but in the front... so my right side is totally in pain. Glad it was over.

Feeling Good

I was pressed for time Friday afternoon, but I really wanted to squeeze in a run. I started off slow like I normally do, except the time factor crept into my mind after about 100 yards. I usually don't get up to speed until I am at least 1 mile into my run.

I just took off like I used to... back in my school days. I didn't think about my breathing, my legs being stiff, or my pace. I got about half a mile and had to slow down. My breathing couldn't keep up with the oxygen demand created by my legs. I took it slow for about 100 yards, but never stopped. I took off again for another half mile until I got slight cramps in my mid back on each side. Right around my kidneys, but figure it had to be muscle since it seemed to stop as soon as I slowed down and stretched my arms out in each direction. Still didn't stop. Slowed down, but didn't stop. Again, I did this for about 100 yards. I took off and got the cramps again, but more intense this time. I still got my half mile in, but had to slow down to a turtle's pace for 100 yards. Started to fly once more, but this time the cramps got the best of me after about a quarter mile.

I slowed down and jogged a little over a quarter mile and then walked in the last quarter. I did the whole 2.5 miles in 23 minutes. It doesn't reflect how fast I was going when I was running my fastest, but I felt so good. I felt free. Unconfined by pace. It was like a fartlek workout even though I didn't have it mind when I set out on my run.