5k PR

Ran 5k on the track in 20:24. I hate when people walk in the left lane. It's the same principle as traffic in LA, slow people to the right, fast on the left.

Easy 5k

I ran an easy 5k. People on Runner's World say I should do recovery runs at a 9'/mile pace. I tried that tonight and it was WAY too slow. It feels ridiculous.
Tomorrow is some speed training for the 1500m I'm racing in. The plan is 10x400 at an 800m pace. Then Wednesday is my 1 mile record attempt.

Another 13.1 run for the books...

The weather this week has been cool and nice, which is unseasonable this early in Fall for Taiwan. I expected this Saturday morning to be the same as last night the air was still cool enough to push a hard 20 min bike sprint on my way home. I set out at 6:15am or so and knew that no matter what, I was going to hit 13.1 today. I ran out of water at mile 9 and had to ask a tea shop for a refill. The heat was killing me by 7:30am! I ran along the new and unopened highway along the river in Taiping, hugging the wall for the limited shade it provided.
I ran 13.18 miles in 1:41:21 with an average pace of 7:41/mile. I need to bring that down to 7:36 in order to hit my goal of a sub-1:40 half marathon. Two surprises happened on this run. One, I got a huge second wind just after the 10 mile mark and held a solid race pace the last 2 miles. Second, I got a blister in a spot where I've never even had a hot spot. By mile 9 I started feeling loose skin but pushed on. Surprisingly, I still had some juice at the end, so next week I think I'll do a 14+ at a slower pace.
When I got home, I opted for a nice cold soak in the bath. No ice, just cold water. I was really hoping for a long nap and some old X-Files with my wife, but we have to go to Taipei for an 8-hour commercial shoot. It sure beats teaching English!
3.5 weeks until my first 13.1.

MILE	TIME	AVG.PACE
1	7:56	7'56"/mi
2	15:30	7'34"/mi
3	23:07	7'37"/mi
4	30:37	7'30"/mi
5	38:16	7'39"/mi
6	45:56	7'40"/mi
7	53:46	7'50"/mi
8	1:01:49	8'03"/mi
9	1:09:35	7'46"/mi
10	1:17:31	7'56"/mi
11	1:25:15	7'44"/mi
12	1:32:49	7'34"/mi
13	1:40:05	7'16"/mi

Recovery Run

After my terrible 18km run Sunday night, I felt some soreness in my knee that I haven't felt before. Monday morning felt fine as did the afternoon, but when my wife and I went to Taipei, we walked a lot and did a lot of stairs. My knee felt fine walking up stairs and walking on flat ground for the most part. Walking downstairs however was a little difficult. I gave myself 48 hours to rest and was debating going for a short 5km run but decided I didn't want to hurt anything.
Today (Wednesday morning) I woke up early and enjoyed my first sub-25 Celsius morning run. It was amazing. I can't believe I started running during the 30+ C weather. It's no wonder I hated it so much!

I ran 5.21 km in 23:42. That's about 4'33" per km.

Wanted 14 miles... but...

I had a high carb dinner and was really excited to go out and hit 14 miles. More than two hours passed but no number 2 came. My runs usually follow a good poop. Going out and hitting 5-10km is not a big deal to me anymore.
I ran 18.15 km in 1:31:58. I am aware that this is only 11 miles or so. After running up the mountain and turning around at 5.58 miles, I still felt great. Mile 8 hit and things were not going so well. I had to walk every quarter mile or so so clench me cheeks. I don't know if anyone else has had experiences like this. Mile 10 came and I could not wait any longer. One short Chinese squat later, I was back on the road only to head home and immediately shower.

Recovery Run

I ran 5.06 km in 26:10. I was super sore out the gate, but warmed up after about a half-mile or so. I'm not a huge fan of recovery runs, but today I feel way better than I did yesterday. Recovery runs help so much!

I am more than two months in now and I must say that my whole outlook on running has changed. Pushing past the point where you want to walk is more mental for me than physical. Running a paced 13.1 miles two nights ago did not get my heart pumping as much as my fast 5k's. However, knowing that my 5k will be over in 20 mins makes it easier. I prefer running in a Point A to Point B, then back to A type of fashion. I set out with the determination to hit a distance. As I approach the halfway point, I know in my head that I must run all the way back. Knowing my ending distance gives me a huge boost. When I turned around at 6.58 miles, I knew that when I returned home I would pass the half-marathon distance. It was an amazing feeling.

Half-Marathon Practice

21.92km in 1:51:58. I ate crap all day and didn't drink enough water, so the run was really tough. I pushed through it and finished the distance. My first half-marathon is November 19, just 5+ weeks away.

6am run...

Woke up at 5:45, sipped some water, ate a banana, put on my shoes, and ran.
5.56km in 25:39. I wasn't tired, but have to get ready for work. Long run on Monday...?

Short 5-miler

I was too busy tonight to run before 11, so at midnight I forced myself out the door and ran. My first 2 miles were quicker as I was feeling really good. The first half of my run was at a 4:15/km pace and that was going uphill. There were two people riding bikes (abnormally slow) and I made it a goal to keep them within a short distance from me. Every red light was an opportunity for me to pass them.
The way back was downhill, but I took it slow to give my joints a break at about 4:50/km. I had a lot of juice left on the last km so I pushed hard and sprinted the last 150m.
Total distance was 8.45km or 5.2 miles with a time of 38:26.

One Mile Short of Half Mara

After a long day at school and a nice big dinner, I rode my bike home and relaxed for about 2 hours waiting for my wife to come home. I new I had to go for a longer run so I set out at around 10pm. After deciding to head for the mountains, I picked a nice slow pace that I could carry for an hour+. My average pace was 5:03/km.
Wenxin Road was crowded as always and I couldn't wait to get out of the city. Wenxin Road turns into Dongshan Road and crosses the Caohu River six times. It was a beautiful evening and I left my mind go a I held the pace and enjoyed the scenery. 2.5 miles in is when the scenery changes, the cars disappear, and slowly but surely, you are surrounded by mountains. The elevation climb is pretty steep in some areas but I was feeling great so I pushed on. Both sides of the street leading up to Daken Mountain are full of think green trees and the occasional rice field. Wild dogs only looked up when they heard my foot steps but would immediately rest their heads again as I passed. The river didn't smell like feces (like it does in the city) and the sky was really clear, the moonlight giving me more than what I need to see. I turned around at 5.08 miles and headed back down. My pace quickened for the first few km but going downhill is still pretty hard on my knees so I slowed it down.
After reaching the city again, my legs felt like they weighed 40lbs each. Going down and back up the stairs that go under the train tracks was a killer. I took a detour to add a little extra distance to my night's run and ended up with...

19.69km in 1:39:26. With my half marathon three months away, I'm pretty sure i'll be able to hit my goal of a sub-1:40 half. Perhaps i'll even set my goal to sub-1:30....

5k PR

I set out to break my 5k record. It wasn't an official race, but I ran 5km nonetheless. My 5k point was 20:42 and I ended up running 5.24km in 21:43. I've now been running for two months and although I've already see a lot of progress, I'd like to see more.
I have just under 3 months left to prepare for my half-marathon. My goal as of now is to run a sub-two hour. I'm pretty sure I can do it. I'm off for a longer run in an hour!

Bike and Run

Last night I got off late, which meant I had to go to Taichung Train Station instead of Taiyuan Station. I rode my bike down there during the afternoon and brought my running gear along. After work, I changed into my running clothes/shoes on the train and prepared for my 7 km bike sprint home and then for a 5k run immediately after. I wanted to see how it felt to run right after a bike sprint. My legs burned and felt SUPER heavy for the first km or so, but they eventually adjusted.
I ran 5.52km in 26:25. My run ended at McD's where my wife and I shared a delicious and well-deserved meal.