Gayle's Trails - Panama City Beach - 8 miles!

Running is so funny. I have been feeling great after runs of 5 miles, 3 miles, and 3 miles this week. I was looking forward to a long run this Sunday morning. Didn’t go anything like I expected. First, my legs were shot. I had plenty of aerobic capacity - really not even breathing that hard - but hips, knees and feet hurt. I didn’t have any zip, if you know what I mean. Then, my stomach started to be upset. Normally, you can fight through something like that, but when you are running for an hour and a half straight, things like that come up. So I had to fight through stomach pain and actually had to stop for a bit. Finally, my shoulders, back, and arms were hurting. Just not a fun morning.


But . . I did it. I finished 8 miles. It was the longest run of my life. It took over 2 hours if you include the stop. So, i should be happy and prod of myself. One thing is clear. This half-marathon thing won’t be easy. 

Plan on taking an easy week this week and finishing it off with a timed 5K on Saturday.

Bailey Bridge - Friday Night Run

Another three at sunset. Third day of running in a row. Eleven miles with eight more to go this weekend. Starting to get into a grove. Gotta keep pressing. I am starting to think i can do this thing. Eight miles this weekend will be a real confidence booster.

Dogs!!! and Longest Run Ever

I hope that this is the first of many “Longest Runs Ever.” Took off early on a Saturday morning for a long run. Was going to go to Panama City Beach, but the weather was iffy. So I stayed close to home and ran. Was going really well until I was almost eaten by a roving pack of dogs. Some idiot let his dogs run free early on a Saturday morning. I had my headphones blasting, so by the time I heard the barking, there was on me. He was about 3 feet away, barking his head off. I had to stop and slowly back away. For a second there, I actually thought he was going to bite me. Wished I actually had some mace or something. There were 2 other dogs just behind him, both i the 50 pound range. I have no sympathy for people who let their dogs run free. Anyway, the whole incident stole my running mojo. I slowly got it back, but it was not easy. Came into the house almost dead from the long run. Light-headed and panting like a dog . . .such fun!

Week Seven - Almost done

Finished my 4th workout of the week. I have been mixing it up more - added stationary bike to the routine to save some of the wear and tear on my legs. Seems to be working. My last 2 runs of this week were my fastest of this training cycle.

Week’s stats:

  • Biked 8 on Monday
  • Ran 3 on Tues
  • Biked 8 and Ran 2 on Weds (indoors)
  • Ran 3 on Thurs

So, I am all set up fro my long run on Saturday. I plan on doing 7 miles, which will be almost my longest run ever. I ran a little over 7 (about 7.25) a year ago getting ready for my first 10K.

Staty tuned.

Running Lets You Live Forever

Well. . . not exactly.

But, a recently long term study of exercise determined that moderate exercise, especially running, leads to lower death rates and better health. And you don't have to do a lot of running to live longer.


“We can say with certainty that regular jogging increases longevity,” Dr. Peter Schnorr, a cardiologist and an author of the study, said in presenting the findings at a clinical meeting organized last month by the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation. “The good news is that you don’t actually need to do that much to reap the benefits.”

In fact, the study concluded that the "sweet spot" for the best benefit was relatively low.  “Twenty miles a week or less of jogging at a 10- or 11-minute-mile pace can add years to your life span," according to Dr. O’Keefe. a cardiologist cited in the article.  This is exactly what I do!  YEAH!!

You can find the complete article  about the study in the NY Times here.

On a personal note, I started running because I wanted to be healthy again and live longer.  I didn't want to be one of those people who work themselves to death. So far so good.  No regrets.