Miles to go …

I’ve been running for many many years now and got into long distance running 4 years ago. Just love outdoor running and use treadmill for speed workouts and hills. Treadmill is a very predictable environment and allows you to focus on particular aspects of training. Most of my workouts are in the neighborhood and I generally try to run on business trips. As much as I enjoy running, I have my share of pet peeves experienced over these past years.

1. Leashed dog who are wandering multiple feet away from the owners and certainly all the unleashed dogs chasing/barking people in public areas.
2. Abreast walkers on the trail not willing to give up way for the runners coming behind. They just look behind and continue walking at 2 miles/hour.
3. All the more weird, walkers abreast on the trail not willing to give up way for runners coming from front.
4. Group runners who run abreast, love to chat and don’t yield to other runners.
5. Hikers who move to right when you say “right” coming from behind … ouch!
6. Drivers yapping on their phone, not paying any attention to oncoming traffic and especially to pedestrian/walkers/runners.
7. Another similar one, drivers unwilling to yield on unprotected right turn for walkers/runners with right of way.
8. In races, runners (more like fast walkers) who sign up for Wave 1 and 2 where as they should really be Wave 6 or 7. They just cause extra traffic for faster runners.
9. In races again, right before or after the start the runners who take a deviation start peeing off anywhere they like … yuck! Have seen it all the times in early morning races, especially San Francisco Marathon. I think one of the San Francisco Marathon photographers should shoot each runner’s photo who is spoiling the bay with their dump and then publish them.
10. Walkers/runners who just stop to fix a shoe lace or itch or something else without bothering to check if there is somebody coming fast behind them.
11. Runners who expect a return “hello/hi” from you when you are totally focused on getting that last stretch completed.

I’ve experienced each one of them multiple times. I think the world will be a better place for runners, and in general, if we try to avoid these.

Anyway, feel free to add yours!

I’m expressing these peeves in the last days before 2009 San Francisco Marathon and will see if the world is slightly better in the race. I’ll be running the first half over the Golden Gate Bridge and will see ya there. And as evident from the last point above, I don’t like talking when running so we’ll talk before/after the race

Technorati: running runsfm peeves

Continued from Q1 2009 running streak, here is a summary of Q2 (Apr 1 – Jun 30) 2009 running:

And now the details (captured from tweets):

Day 72	4 miles, 28:29 mins, switching between 0/5% grade every min. 286.5 miles in Q1, 2009: http://tinyurl.com/cffk3x #fb
Day 73	3.5 miles, 27:09 mins … a good outdoor run with 110 crunches … feels good & hungry! #fb
Day 74	3 miles, 19:21 mins, fastest 3 miler so far. Ran 10 mph for 1/4mile, that was fast & good! Ready to board for Portland. #fb
Day 75	45 mins walk + 7 miles, 54:54 mins = healthy start to this weekend, honey-do list rest of the day #fb
Day 76	6-7 miles flat + hills in Rancho with @igorminar. 1 hr, 6 mins … went uphill on my typical downhill trail #fb
Day 77	3 miles, 21:41 mins, switching between 0-5% grade every minute
Day 78	2 miles, 13:25 mins, a short fast paced run
Day 79	4 miles, 33:15 mins – an easy pace outdoor run this morning #fb
Day 80	4 miles, 31:09 mins … well paced outdoor run #fb
Day 81	4 miles, 27:23 mins … 0.5 miles at 6 minute pace … loving it!
Day 82	6 miles, 51:30 mins: nice hilly run in Thousand Oaks: http://www.gmap-pedometer.c… … Time to hit easter egg hunting
Day 83	6 miles, 50:59 mins … it was really hot to run at 9am in Simi Valley Hills
Day 84	6 miles in the hills, 49:49 mins … enjoyed running hills for past 3 days.
Day 85	3 miles at 3% grade in 21:08 mins. Past 4 runs have been hilly so will try some easy- and fast-paced runs in the next few days. #fb
Day 86	2 miles in 14:22 mins, 2/4/6/4/2 % ladder for 1 min/grade … am hooked to hills! #fb
Day 87	7 miles, 57:29 mins … it was pretty hot even at 9am in the morning. Wonder what it’s going to be tomorrow! #fb
Day 88	3 miles, 19:51 mins … plain flat run with no hills at all.
Day 89	2 miles, 13:51 mins with 0.5 miles on 10 mph … am planning to bump up 6 min pace to 1 mile now.
Day 90	2 miles, 13:51 mins. Ran 1 mile at 6 min pace … first time ever …. woot! Goal is to sustain 6 min pace for 5 miles. #fb
Day 91	3.5 miles, 26:25 mins … a good outdoor run this morning! #fb
Day 92	4.5 miles, 33:43 mins … need to squeeze 0.5 miles in 1:17 mins for a 7 min outdoor pace.
Day 93	10 miles, 1 hr, 19:43 mins … thoroughly enjoyed a decent paced outdoor run this morning! #fb
Day 94	5 miles, 39:43 mins, yet another outdoor run this morning … and weekend is over!
Day 95	3 miles, 21:03 mins with 1 mile at 4% grade
Day 96	3 miles in 18:29 mins, 2 miles and 0.5 mile at 10 mph pace … slowly building up! #fb
Day 97	3 miles, 23:33 mins – lap running in the school ground today!
Day 98	3 miles, 21:29 mins, alternating between 0/5% grade every minute
Day 99	3 miles, 22:46 mins (from yesterday)
Day 100	5 miles, 44 mins at http://tinyurl.com/dl9dq5 Attending Stanford meet as press: http://tinyurl.com/cj898f in 45 mins
Day 101	8-9 miles, 1 hr 23:08 mins at rancho this morning
Day 102	6.4 miles, 57:04 mins (from yesterday): http://tinyurl.com/chyqov
Day 103	5.2 miles, 43:18 mins (from yday), more details at http://tinyurl.com/cdu6ke see you at Hilton lobby
Day 104	4.8 miles, 40:38 mins at #railsconf, join @railsConfRunner if interested in running together.
Day 105	7 miles, 54:32 mins … a good outdoor run this morning. Now helping wifey in her jewelry show at her work #fb
Day 106	3.5 miles, 21:46 mins with 2.5 miles at 6 min pace. Slowly getting to 5 miles in 30 minutes goal #fb
Day 107	13.3 miles, 1 hr, 46:18 mins #fb
Day 108	4 miles, 27:28 mins
Day 109	1 miles, 6:36 mins … got up late and so could squeeze only a very short run.
Day 110	2.6 miles, 19:39 mins and route is: http://www.gmap-pedometer.c… Gotta run more tomorrow!
Day 111	4 miles lap running in 31:05 mins
Day 112	4 miles in 24:30 mins, 3.5 miles at 10mph. Just 1.5 more miles at this pace for the first goal #fb
Day 113	3 miles, 19:15 mins at 2% grade
Day 114	3 miles in 18:52 mins (from yday) + 5k walk/run at http://bit.ly/HKYfl
Day 115	5 miles in 39:40 mins
Day 116	5 miles in 39:24 mins
Day 117	5 miles in 30:45 mins on TM, 4 miles at 10 mph pace
Day 118	1 mile in 6:17 mins (from yesterday)
Day 119	5 miles in 30:17 mins .. finally 6 min pace (after 20 sec TM warmup) for 5 miles … w00t! #fb
Day 120	2.6 miles, 19:10 mins
Day 121	7-8 miles, 1:14 mins (from 2 days back). No running for the past 2 days, will start tomorrow after recovery from weekend camping.
Day 122	2 miles in 19 mins (1 mile at 9.5 mph and 1 mile at 7%) – from yday.
Day 123	2 miles in 14:14 mins at 5% elevation. Need to try longer distance on that level now.
Day 124	3 miles in 20:14 mins with 2 and 4% elevation (from yday)
Day 125	7 miles in 52:55 mins – one of the fastest 7 miler on road #fb
Day 126	1 mile, 6:55 mins
Day 127	2 miles (3 days ago) in 13:13 mins
Day 128	3 miles in 17:54 mins (fastest 3 miler so far) #fb
Day 129	3 miles, 17:45 mins, heading to park with boys & dad while wife/mom are in the gem/beads show
Day 130	5 miles in 35:32 mins, tried the new wrist weights (6.33 lbs) and sure feel the tension.
Day 131	5 miles in 34:15 mins with 6.33 lbs wrist weights.
Day 132	3 miles in 21:25 mins (from yesterday) with 6.33 lbs ankle weights, definitely much harder than wrist weights
Day 133	3 miles in 21:25 mins with 5 lbs ankle weights
Day 134	13.2 miles in 1 hr, 46:45 mins (missed posting from 2 days ago, strange)
Day 135	10 miles in 1 hr, 18:23 mins
Day 136	3 miles in 17:57 mins on TM, 42 miles total from Sun-Sat, plan to bump up mileage for next week #fb
Day 137	10 miles in 1 hr 16:07 mins … fastest run ever for that distance, that’s a 7:31 pace. #fb
Day 138	10 miles in 1 hr 19:04 mins … 2nd consecutive 10 miler. #fb
Day 139	7 miles in 53:10 mins
Day 140	8.5 1 hr, 6:13 mins
Day 141	8-9 miles in 1 hr 18:14 mins … solid running week with 43 miles in 5 days!
Day 142	1 miles 6:15 mins (from 7 days ago)
Day 143	3.5 miles in approx 30 mins (3 days ago)
Day 144	7 miles in approx 1 hour (2 days ago)
Day 145	3.5 miles in approx 30 mins (yesterday)
Day 146	Solid 14.5 miles in approx 1 hr, 55 mins, now heading to POA, then Chicago and so ready to reach home #fb
Day 147	3 miles in 18:41 mins on TM (from yesterday)
Day 148	7 miles in 51:49 mins. Today is the last day of Jun 2009, quarterly report coming out tomorrow.

On to Q3 … the target is to reach 400 miles

Technorati: running training 2009

I ran 10 laps in Parque Moinhos de Vento and it felt good

After strength training for past 2 days at the hotel, felt nice to run outside.

Anybody interested in running together until Sunday ?

Technorati: conf fisl running portoalegre

Eight of us started at 6:15am this morning from the Hilton Lobby, looped around Las Vegas Country Club and another short loop in the neighborhood for a total of 5.2 miles in 43:18 mins.

Interested in running together while attending Rails Conf ? Follow @railsConfRunner and meet us at 6:15am in the Hilton lobby.

And don’t forget your Tequilas – it’s Cinco de Mayo!

Technorati: conf railsconf lasvegas running hilton

Six of us from @railsConfRunner ran together around Las Vegas Hilton this morning.

6.4 miles, 57:04 minutes.

Interested in running together ?

Join us at 6:15am in the Hilton lobby tomorrow morning! Here is a picture of the running group from this morning:

Thanks to Jed (2nd from right) for organizing the run, and of course all the running buddies to make it a fun run

Technorati: conf railsconf lasvegas hilton running

Did you know walking can help underprivileged children ? Read on …

Small Steps Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization that helps under privileged children by raising funds in the US.  They are organizing a 5K/10K walk on May 17th, 10am at Coyote Hills Regional Park.

I’m walking 10K along with my family and so are bunch of my family members and friends. There are multiple ways you can participate in this cause:

• Register now for a 5K/10K walk
• Donate, any amount, even $5 is good. Help us reach our goal of $500.
• Forward this to your friends who live in the neighborhood and interested in participating

When: May 17th, 10am
Where: Coyote Hills Regional Park
What: 5K/10K walk

Small Steps is a 501c3 non-profit organization so all your contributions are tax deductible. Read about their involvement with different organizations to fulfill this noble cause. It involves formal schooling to children from neighboring slum clusters, computers for about 300 children in a local village, and education to the children of migrant project workers.

If not us, then who ? If not now, then when ?

Donate/Walk a few miles for a million smiles …

And remember your company may be giving matching $$$ so that doubles the effect!

Technorati: running walk charity smallsteps children

Here is a summary of my running streak in Q1 (Jan 1 – Mar 31) 2009:

A couple of targets in Q2: increase the total mileage and reduce the number of missed days.

And now the details (captured from tweets):

Day 1	3 miles in 23:40 mins
Day 2	3 miles in 22:13 mins, lets see how many consecutive days of running
Day 3	3.5 miles, 28:44 mins, first outdoor running of the year
Day 4	3.5 miles, 28:39 mins
Day 5	3 miles, 22:09 mins
Day 6	3 miles, 22:55 mins, 3% grade for 4 mins, 5%/3, and 7%/2. Need to include more hills in my runs.
Day 7	4 miles, 29:44 mins, 3% grade for 5min, 5%/3, and 7%/2 … loving the hills.
Day 8	3 miles, 21:20 mins, nice good run with 1 mile at 6:40 pace
Day 9	2.5 miles, 18:20 mins, 2%/5 mins, 4%/5, 6%/5 – 9 consecutive days of running so far, feeling good so far!
Day 10	10 miles, 84:06 minutes, need to improve outdoor timings for upcoming 1/2 marathon
Day 11	5 miles, 36:26 mins – good pace and feeling nice
Day 12	2 miles, 15:16 mins, 2%/14:30 mins
Day 13	4 miles, 29:37, 2%/12 mins, 3%/5, 5%/3, 7%/2 – 13 consecutive days of running so far!
Day 14	5 miles, 40:26 mins – great outdoor run at 6am in the morning
Day 15	7 miles, 56:43 mins, nice outdoor run – definite scope of improvement because was running slow some spots
Day 16	7 miles, 55:12 mins – 2 7 milers in as many days and loving it. 16/16 days running so far – 100%. Travel starting tomorrow though!
Day 17	5 miles, 40:48 minutes, good outdoor run @ 6:30 in the morning
Day 18	5 miles/39:54 mins, 10 mile bike/29:54 mins – fitness center at Swissotel is nice
Day 19	5 miles, 41:10 mins on treadmill with lots of hill
Day 20	7 miles, 54:55 mins, lots of hills (again) and burned 950 calories, heading to breakfast now
Day 21	4-5 miles running, 44 mins and 5K climbing on Mt Kilimanjaro (OK, not literally but on Elliptical
Day 22	4 miles, 28:33 mins, 3%/10 mins … lost one day of running because of travel, may be catch up over the weekend
Day 23	4 miles, 28:02 minutes, 1 + 1.25 miles at 6:40 pace, still one day to catch up
Day 24	2 miles, 16:30 mins outdoor run, very windy morning
Day 25	3.5 miles, 31:39 minutes … slow and easy run today.
Day 26	3.5 miles, 30:25 mins – another nice and easy run … and was running in 38F
Day 27	5 miles, 34:45 mins, 2 miles at 6:40 pace. TM runs are always much faster than outside.
Day 28	1 mile, 7:44 mins, 5%/7 min, tapering down for 1/2 marathon this weekend
Day 29	1 mile, 5% grade/1 mile, 7:44 mins … KP 1/2 marathon on Sunday
Day 30	1 mile, 7:44 min and then 1/2 marathon tomorrow. Also a 5K fun run if you want to participate.
Day 31	13.1 miles, 1:41:30 hrs, little bit of indulgence is fine today
Day 32	2 miles, 15:44 mins … little bit sore but not too bad.
Day 33	3 miles, 21:54 mins, 2% gradient all along (1 missed day so far this year)
Day 34	3.5 miles, 28:03 mins a great outdoor run this morning
Day 35	4 miles, 27:55 min … wondering if the rhythym will continue during the upcoming 2 weeks international trip
Day 36	3 miles, 22:11 mins, 2%/1 mile, 4%/1 mile
Day 37	7 miles, 58:03 mins, nice outdoor run this morning
Day 38	10 miles, 1:24:48 mins, another nice outdoor run … no longer guilty of sharing Fries burger with my son yday night
Day 39	3.5 miles, 27:45 minutes … enjoying outdoor runs before I’m confined within the hotel gyms for next couple of weeks.
Day 40	2.5 miles, 18:47 mins, 4%/1.5 miles
Day 41	5.5 miles, 44 mins – treadmills in hotel’s fitness center were all occupied, still running in PT zone
Day 42	3 miles rowing/20:53 mins, 1.9 miles run/15 mins, 2 miles elliptical hill/18 mins – my own Triathlon
Day 43	3 miles rowing/20:18 mins, 10 mile bike/29:40 mins, 1.8 mile run/15 mins … yet another triathlon and good cross-training.
Day 44	4 miles, 30:48 mins, 15 mins on elliptical
Day 45	5 miles, 38:10 mins … good pace indoor run earlier today.
Day 46	5K rowing/21:40 mins, 3k run/13:40 mins
Day 47	Another triathlon: 5k rowing/20:49 mins, 5k run/ 21:48 mins, 5k bike/10:49 mins
Day 48	30 minutes brisk walk this morning, it’s good to get a day break from running
Day 49	3 miles, 20:53 mins
Day 50	2 miles, 16:15 mins …. starting again after a break of 10 days because of cough/cold.
Day 51	2 miles, 16:13 mins, 2% grade … will try to increase the pace 0.1 mile / day and see how much can be stretched.
Day 52	3 miles, 23:56 mins, 1.5 miles at 2% grade
Day 53	2 miles, 2% grade, 15:47 mins
Day 54	3.5 miles, 29:12 mins … an outdoor run this morning after quite a few days.
Day 55	2 miles, 14:38 mins, 2% grade
Day 56	3 miles, 2% grade, 20:38 mins, will attempt a 10 miler over the weekend
Day 57	5 miles, 34:32 mins – good fast paced run with 3 miles @ 2% grade
Day 58	7 miles, 58:28 mins … nice outdoor run this morning.
Day 59	10 miles, 1 hr, 28:48 mins … good slow paced outdoor run this morning … where did the weekend go ???
Day 60	2 miles, 13:25 mins … nice fast paced run this morning.
Day 61	5 miles, 33:43 mins … my fastest 5 miler this morning!
Day 62	3 miles, 21:25 mins, 4% grade … lots of calories burned
Day 63	3 miles run in 20:03 mins, 5 mile bike n 14:43 mins. Fastest 3 miler so far. Now heading out to University of Wisconsin
Day 64	3 miles, 19:39 mins … fastest 3 miler so far … lets see if I can break the 6 min barrier!
Day 65	3 miles, 21:35 mins, 2%-6% grade and so lots of calories burned
Day 66	3 miles, 20:25 mins .. will shoot for an outdoor run tomorrow
Day 67	5 miles, 40:06 mins … first outdoor run this week … hopefully tomorrow as well.
Day 68	3.5 miles, 28:09 mins … yet another outdoor run … will attempt a steep uphill run at #rancho tomorrow morning
Day 69	10.13 miles, 1 hr, 22:05 mins … beautiful day for a run: http://www.gmap-pedometer.c…
Day 70	2 miles, 14:22 mins and 100 crunches .. feel good!
Day 71	4 miles, 27:32 mins, 2-4% grade and 100 crunches … brownie points to eat a brownie

On to Q2 …

Technorati: running training 2009