WalkBlogRun - After My First Marathon

30 miles short with 2 days left

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 09:32:00 -0600

Yet I'm still 4 miles ahead of my target. I'm going to send Nike a screenshot of my goal from the Nike+ site to let them know there may be a bug with their goal calculations. I certainly don't think I'll be running 15 miles comfortably each day for the next 2 days :-) This morning Melissa and I completed 4.26 miles in 39:38 or a 9:18 pace according to my newly calibrated iPod Nano so I suspect it is still a little out as far as accuracy by about 50 yards per mile now compared to 200 yards per mile but it is good enough for me.
It occurred to me as we ran this morning that a great new feature for the Sport Kit would be a pacer or pace advisor that you either set before your workout begins or can control as you run. Basically you could not only set the distance but select pace segments or minimally a pace for the whole run. Then, as you run, the voice would give you feedback every 30 seconds or so if you were over a certain threshold above or below your target pace for the last 30 seconds. For example, your target pace is 9:00 per mile so if you were running 9:30 it would let you know that you were 30 seconds slower than your target pace. I think this would be a huge advantage for new runners who may not have the experience to gauge their pace. As it stands you can still do this with the Sport Kit now but it means checking the display over and over which could be dangerous on a busy street. You can also hit the button to hear the announcement but until the kit allows you to customize the announcements to just report pace it is a little long winded when you hear total time, total distance, pace and calories every time.

Calibrating the iPod Nano Sport Kit

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 11:36:00 -0600

I finally made a point of calibrating the Sport Kit this morning after over 5 weeks of threatening to do it! I decided to run downtown to the track at Lake Shore Park where it is rumored Oprah trains. According to my math on WalkJogRun it should be 4.21 miles each way. I reached the track in 34:25 but the Sport Kit expectedly overreported the distance at 4.57 miles. It was 85% humidity for the run according t the weather channel before I left so I made sure to stop and grab water at the fountains every mile or so. At one point I ran towards a fountain but I misjudged the rough ground at the side of the path and turned my ankle. After a couple o stretches I was able to begin running again without pain. When I reachd the track I was suprised to discover that the fountain by the track was pumping out hot water for some reason. After catching my breath I started the calibration process. To calibrate

select "Nike+iPod" from the main menu on the iPod
select "settings"
select "sensor"
select "calibrate"
You see some instructions about how to set your natural running and walking pace for calibration purposes
click the center button to continue
You see an option to calibrate your walk or run pace
select "Run"
You can either run 400m if you are at a standard track or select Custom to select your own distance
select "400m"
select a playlist and then when you are ready it prompts you hit the center button to begin calibration.
at the end of your 400m track hit the menu button then select end calibration to finish

I double checked the run I had completed on the way to the track but it still showed the same distance and pace so it must only work for runs completed after calibration. I would like Nike to add a feature to their Nike+ website to allow you to apply your calibration to a selection of runs in your history. For example, I don't imagine that if I had alibrated the unit when I bought it and then again today, I don't imagine there would be a significant difference so I would actually prefer the site to update selected runs to reflect a correct pace and distance. Since I know I tend to walk at the pace of the terminator I decided to calibrate my walking pace too - I'm not sure if it helps tune the unit even further but I doubt I'll be back at the track in the next 5 weeks so I thought it was worthwhile. After heading inside the Park District Office on site for water from a cold fountain I walked back to the lakefront path. I stood and watched some of the people training for a triathlon swimming up and down from North Beach and then ran back at a deliberate 9 minute mile pace. Immediately I noticed that the pace reported by the iPod Sport Kit seemed far more plausible and it was easy to hold up and stick to 9:00 per mile. Taking in water at each fountain to accomodate for the humidity I felt great heading home to the point that when I saw my building as I turned the corner by the dog beach I hit the "power song" button to boost my speed for the remainder of the run. Bounding along to Outkast's "B.O.B" I upped my pace from 9 minutes per mile to 8 minutes per mile and finished in 38:12. The iPod reported 4.3 miles - much closer to the 4.21 miles than before so it seems the calibration really does improve the accuracy. I've just finished my breakfast as I write this and taken 2 advil to help with any swelling caused by twisting my ankle. Hopefully I'll be able to get out tomorrow morning too and see if I can creep closer to my 80 mile goal before the deadline next Friday. Basically I have 5 days left to run 35 miles or 7 miles per day. Hmmmm. Like I said yesterday - it's a little disappointing not to hit the target but 80 miles in 4 weeks was always going to be an aggressive target so close after my first marathon.

Sluggish but running

Fri, 25 Aug 2006 07:38:00 -0600

This week I feel like I've been drugged every morning when I get up so the whole day has been spent in a daze. This morning is no exception and so it was a sluggish 3 mile run this morning at 30:26. Yawn. I hope something changes today and I start to feel a little more awake all day. Tomorrow I want to squeeze a long run in so hopefully the cobwebs will be gone. I must admit I've been skipping breakfast but I can't imagine that would have such a huge impact on my day. I've got 6 days left on my 80 mile challenge and I'm only half way there at 36.2 miles in the preceeding 3 weeks. I have at least used the challenge as a motivator to get out and run a little further each week, with this week at 15 miles. I think that once I am done with the 80 miles per week challenge next Friday I'll start a set training plan rather than my ad hoc approach I've been doing since the marathon. Maybe a marathon in late November is doable...

Sunrise in bed

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 07:35:00 -0600

After 5 consecutive days it caught up with me and I took the morning off from my 3-5 mile runs to enjoy the sunrise from my bed. I love watching the cat bound around the bedroom chasing the light as it peeks through the cracks in the vertical blinds and scatters across the floor. Tomorrow it's back to 3 miles again, probably with Melissa.

Easy 4 miles puts me back on track

Tue, 22 Aug 2006 07:13:00 -0600

I've been breaking the rest rules and have just returned from my 5th consecutive day of running. I've not been pounding out long miles though - just 3 or 4 mile runs. Today was a slow 4 mile run with Melissa at 39:59 but it felt good to take it back down after a fast one yesterday. Since I bored a hole in my shoe to house the iPod sensor I've seen much more consistent results compared to the shoe wallet approach. No, I still haven't calibrated it. If anyone knows any tracks closer to Addison and Lake Shoe than the one near Michigan avenue please let me know.

Lance Armstrong on my iPod Nano

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 06:58:00 -0600

This morning Lance Armstrong was on my iPod after the Sport Kit reported my run statistics to inform me that I had reached a personal best for the mile of 6:31. It's fun to hear a famous athlete's voice announce your success. Today I ran a 5k at 7:01 per mile but for the 3rd km I decided to run flat out, hence the fast time. I want to incorporate speed more into these short runs and I have read that switching up your pace like this is a great way to get faster. I'm going to be doing something a little more structured soon but until I work out what I will throw in a fast km somewhere in each run to see how that works. As I finished today I was completely spent and can't remember running as hard since my rugby days over 10 years ago.

Chicago Air and Water show part 2

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 09:29:00 -0600

I should have known better than to run towards the mayhem of the Air and Water show given my irritable disposition when it comes to pedestrians. The crowds were flocking early to get a seat so there was the usual trouble of people walking along the path clueless that there are people exercising who risk injury trying to duck and weave around them. This was my first run with Melissa since she came back from Boston and we made 4.01 miles at 39:12 or 9:45 per mile. The weather was perfect at about 75 degrees and a strong breeze pushing us south for the first half and then holding us back for the second half.

Holy Low Flying Aircraft

Sat, 19 Aug 2006 12:10:00 -0600

I thought I was going to hit 6 today but a last minute change of plans due to the failure of the Holiday Inn to block off rooms for our wedding in 5 weeks had me frantically calling around hotels. After the calls I decided to address the problem of my Nike iPod Sport Kit and the inconsistent readings. Specifically, the shoe pocket I had been using appears to have allowed the sensor to flop around too much so I suspect it was missing steps as I ran. The result was that over the same measured 3 mile route I have been training on for months it represented the distance anywhere between 2.6 miles and 3.2 miles. First I tried some velcro to attach the sensor to my shoe but the velcro was in no way good enough to hold the sensor firm as I run so I went to the alternate plan. Using a craft knife I carved a sensor size hole underneath the innersole of my left Nike Air Triax 9 shoe. Interestingly enough there appeared to be a chamber in the middle of my arch just wide enough to house the sensor at the right depth so that when I placed the sensor in there and replaced the inner sole it was impossible to detect. I'm not sure if I've ruined my shoes by destroying the scientifically created tension or balance of my shoe but the ensuing 3 mile run measured about 100 yards longer than the 3 miles it was supposed to register so I'm satisfied with the solution. I'm going to calibrate it this weekend (yes, I know, I have said that before) and then see how it goes. My feet feel fine incidentally so we shall see if there are any longer term effects after a few weeks and many more miles. Today I clocked 23:45 for the 3.1 miles or a pace of 7:39 per mile and I feel pretty good. After the ring shopping today if I have enough energy, I may head down to the track near Michigan Avenue and calibrate the sensor there since it's the only track I know of near here. Oh, and the low flying aircraft title was meant to be a post about how, during the run, an American Airlines 767 flew just a few hundred feet in the air over the lake as I was running. This weekend is the Air and Water show in Chicago and I guess it marks the start of the event. In a post 9/11 world, it freaked me out to see a passenger plane running parallel to Lake Shore drive towards the John Hancock building and the Sears Tower. Since then I've watched a stealth bomber, a refuelling aircraft and what looked like a Tornado come whizzing past our lounge window which looks out over the lake from the 9th floor.

Exhausted but still running

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 08:11:00 -0600

After my commitment yesterday to running today I managed to get up and run 3 this morning for an average of 8:12 per mile. This week I've only been out twice so far as things have been crazy at work but next week should finally bring some relief. Melissa is home from Boston today too and she usually helps motivate me to run in the mornings. I'm behind on my 80 miles in 4 weeks challenge at 17.2 miles complete with 13 days left! The Nike+ goal monitor suggests that I am 8.5 miles behind my target but I'm not sure how that works since 13 days is over halfway. To catch up I'm going to have to run 63 miles in 13 days or just under 5 miles per day. An alternative would be 6 miles a day for 6 days a week so I at least get 1 day off. It's a crazy challenge but now I'm feeling a little more energy I may just give it a try.

Lots of excuses

Thu, 17 Aug 2006 07:42:00 -0600

I could tell you it's the 6 mile Kayak paddle I did last night to see the fireworks at Navy Pier here in Chicago. I could tell you it was the knock on effect of working until nearly 1am the day before and then waking up at 6am as the company I work for moved offices. Either way I haven't run since Tuesday and with a busy night tonight wrapping up some projects I don't expect to get out today either. Tomorrow morning I'm definitely going out for 3 miles.

Back from New Hampshire

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 07:11:00 -0600

Yesterday was a long day as I woke up at 3am ET/ 2am CT to get to Logan for my 6am flight back home to Chicago. After trying to get standby on a direct flight requiring a second trip through security and a slow blue line train back from the airport, I made it to the office at 11am. My concentration gave way around 4.30 so I joined the rest of the team packing up ahead of today's move to our new office. After some laundry, some baseball and some quality time with the cat I was in bed by 10pm. In Franconia New Hampshire I was able to get out and run without hitting too many hills or running into any bears! The scenery was just incredible as I chugged along at 7:12 per mile for 3 miles. I was suprised how the temperature dropped on the drive up from Boston. By the time we hit Franconia notch it was time to put the roof up and pull on a sweater. This morning I made it out of bed at 6am as the sun blazed through my windows off Lake Michigan. In a change from my regular route I let my iPod Nano find the half way point of my 3 mile run as I ran along the lake front and around Montrose Harbor. The Sport Kit still isn't calibrated so it reported 0.08 miles further than the run measured on WalkJogRun (of course that is on the assumption that WJR is the definitive answer to running distances :-) ). It felt good and the pace of 7:48 per mile was pretty good. My legs are recovered from the marathon now so I think it's time to start building up my runs again but I need to pick a race to train for. I get married 6 weeks from now so something in 5 weeks is probably a good stopping point to make sure my honeymoon doesn't interrupt the training!

Go to bed!

Wed, 09 Aug 2006 22:36:00 -0600

I am determined to get in bed before 11pm tonight after the last 5 nights of late nights through work and a hectic weekend. I ran this morning again despite the late night but it feels almost like I'm having an out of body experience. My body runs and by mile 3 as I reach the end I feel like I am starting to wake up. Today the iPod under-reported the mileage again so I'm determined to calibrate it now. It's no fun running a 7:40 mile to be told by your mis-calibrated iPod that you ran 8:51 mile pace and just 2.6 miles. And, before you ask, yes I'm certain the distance is 3 miles. Actually it's just a touch over 3 miles and having run 26.2 miles at a 9:25 pace I can comfortably say that today was faster than 8:51! I'm probably sounding grouchy but I'm tired. I was going to get the house clean tonight for my trip to New Hampshire tomorrow night and pack my bags but some continued trouble with a website at work has kept me in front of the computer til 10:40pm again. Arg. So that means instead of a run in the morning I now have to tidy the house and pack. You may see a post tomorrow but if not expect something from Saturday when I try to run somewhere in New Hampshire. I'm staying at an Inn in Franconia NH. It looks really hilly and I'm not sure where to run since Google Maps (and hence WalkJogRun) have no map resolution for that region. What is more interesting is that Google Maps and the Google Maps API version used for WalkJogRun have two different names for the same road! Is it Profile Road or Franconia Road? Enough now - I'm off to bed.

Late nights and late mornings

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 08:07:00 -0600

I'm already 2.5 miles behind my goal of 80 miles in the next month after a weekend of debauchery. This last week I've not been able to get myself in bed before midnight so the 6am rises have been pushed back to 7am and I've been dragging my heels when it comes to getting out to run. I'm a little confused about my iPod Sport Kit. The run I usually do which I measured at 3 miles showed up on Friday as just under 3 miles (consistent with the marathon difference) but today it reported 2.62 miles which is much further off. I tried a different setting today by selecting a 3km by accident instead of the 5k I wanted to try so I just carried on running. The only other variable was that the sensor may not have been correctly aligned in the shoe pocket. Besides that, the run was identical so it seems wierd it would have changed. My time was 24:57 so by my traditional measurements that is 8:19 per mile. If nothing else, the discrepancy will get me out of bed early tomorrow morning to run again so I can try to track down the problem. I will also try and head to a 400m track tonight to recalibrate for my own stride. Time for work...

Tight Hamstrings and a new release of WalkJogRun

Sun, 06 Aug 2006 16:21:00 -0600

Since my 3 mile run on Friday morning my the top of my hamstrings near my glutes have been a little tight. I'm sure I overdid it running so fast so soon after the marathon. It's not unbearable but a little uncomfortable. I took the opportunity to rest yesterday and today so I'll get back on track tomorrow. I've just updated WalkJogRun with the code I've had in development for some time. Here are the highlights:

Create a route button - allows you to clear the points off the map so you no longer need to avoid starting a route at the exact starting point of a previous route.
Find a route link - once you are clicking around the tabs you can lose the place where you search for routes so I created a link permanently on the screen.
New logo - Jeff refined the logo and added the tagline from the competition winner "Putting runners on the map"
Powered by BlueDragon logo - I wanted to acknowledge the folks at New Atlanta for the donation of a license to power the site.
Elevation - I've added elevation lookups and created a way to summarize the elevation change from gentle to severe. This information now appears as you click on the finish pin while you are creating a route and on the route pin when you are viewing the route overview.
Distances are now shown in both Miles and KM for the route overview.
Saucy icons from FamFamFam for most of the operations and a simplified layout should make the interface a little cleaner. Route overviews also include a clickable link to view more routes by the person who created the route.

Let me know what you think and, as always, let me know if there is anything you would like to see on the site.

Sleep when I'm dead

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 08:53:00 -0600

Last night I was pottering around online and completely lost track of time so when I got into bed at 12.30 and set my alarm for 6.20 I knew I would be tired today. I left the house at 6.45 and managed an 8:03 pace for the 3 mile run. Good temperature today but tomorrow when I intend to run a 10 miler, it looks like we have a 90+ degree day so I had better start early again. Bah. I need some coffee and some breakfast...