68 minute 5-mile run, March 29, new personal record, using quick long paces style

Friday March 27, I felt like I was coming down with a cold after the run in the rain the previous day. Saturday March 28, I got absorbed in studying the economy and did not run.

Sunday March 29:

I left the footwear as it was during the previous runs of March 26, 25, & 24. Footwear advice I gave to myself after the previous run March 26, was that the advice is the same as described after the March 25 run (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/74-minute-5-mile-run-march-25-using.html ).

Results foot-comfort wise:

Left foot/leg: some relatively mild pain in front outside muscle of right lower leg, in second halfs of miles 2 and 4, which were walked.

Right foot/leg: Nothing significant.

Seems this continues the pattern wherein if the footwear is left the same as it was the previous run, there is improvement in terms of pain in arch of foot and lower leg.

Sunday March 29:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked). Style used: C, long & quick paces, stopping to record split-times (I had scheduled myself to use style F, long & quick paces not stopping to record split-times).

Time after 5th mile: 67:55 (102:00 - 34:05 subtracted for break-times = 67:55).

Pauses were due to: having to retreat indoors to pee, get a towel (it was raining during miles 3 and 4), get another sweatshirt after the first sweatshirt became wet; removal of layers of clothing; recording of split times & pains; tying shoes & sweatpant waistband.

For the entire 5 miles, I used the following chant (chanted in my mind not with my mouth/tongue):

'Long are our strides as we streamline the sky
Far is our distance per unit of time
(NEW) Our greatness of speed is famed in rhyme
Lord of Roads of Magnificence am I
Lord of Roads of Painlessness am I'

Before going out to run, for this first time since starting the running project that these runs are part of in Nov 2008, I stretched my legs using various stretching exercises. I did not walk around as a way of loosening up before starting the run.

Mile split times recorded: March 29 style A (long quick paces, pauses to rec split times), March 19 style E (long paces with pauses to rec split times, the day previous personal record set):

1st, run: 13:58, 15:27
2nd, walked: 13:03, 13:15
3rd, run: 13:57, 14:59
4th, walked: 12:57, 13:22
5th, run: 14:00, 14:32

Comparing March 29 to March 19, the run times declined much more than the walked times. March 15, I started tinkering around with a rotation involving different styles of running because I was frustrated by the lack of improvement in the run miles.

The amount of break-time was high at 33 minutes. But the first mile was my fastest ever since I returned to practicing long distance running in November 2008; there were only 3 minutes break-time in between the 4th and the 5th mile which was run in 14:00, 32 seconds faster than my previous fastest mile ever (not counting my fast miles of years ago); I did not feel as if the breaks had speeded me up.

Footwear in Left shoe:
SAME AS PREVIOUS RUN

8 m-wrap layers pad under heel +
lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
16 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
16 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
12 layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes & ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
8 layers m-wrap pad under middle & index toes +
40 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.
'Pretaping' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: medium tight on top shoelace, loose on other shoelaces

Footwear in Right shoe:
SAME AS PREVIOUS RUN

8 m-wrap layers pad under heel +
Lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
16 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
8 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
12-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes and ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
'Multipurpose' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: tight on top shoelaces, loose on others

The temp was on average 40 degrees with wind at avg 1 mph, rain at avg 0.1 inches per hour during the run (5th mile completed at 1:06 AM 3/27):
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=29&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1 )

'Twas a night-time run.

It was not raining when I started the run. I started wearing the lighter gray sweatshirt, long sleeved shirt made of t-shirt type material, t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility vest, sweatpants, shorts, underwear, gloves, baseball hat.

This was too warm. After the first half-mile, I removed the baseball hat, and gloves. After the 2nd mile I removed the long-sleeved shirt made of t-shirt type material. For mile 4 that was walked, I put on a sweatshirt.

I ran miles 3 & 5 wearing only a t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility vest, sweatpants, shorts, underpants; for mile 4 which was walked I added the heavier black sweatshirt. This was about right for the avg 0.04 inches-per-hour rainfall rate in the 41 degrees 3 mph wind in the night-time; but for the 6th mile walked at a leisurely pace, I put on the sweatshirt; I would have been too cold walking the 6th mile at a slow pace without the sweatshirt.

Advice to myself for the next run fotwear-wise: Same as that listed in the March 25 post (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/74-minute-5-mile-run-march-25-using.html )

In accordance with the rotation entered into the blog-record March 15 (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/76-minute-5-mile-long-length-paced-run.html ), run the next run, using style "A Medium-length-paced, emphasis on paces per minute, pauses to note split-times".

Chant to use:

'Great is our speed as we streamline the sky,
Many are our steps per unit of time,
Lord of roads of magnificence am I
Lord of roads of painlessness am I'

Running tactics/strategy

The previous run March 26, was according to my post-run notes, "my biggest step backwards in a long time". Strangely enough, this run was my biggest step forwards in a long time.

Possible causes of the superior performance March 29: stretching the legs before the run--for the first time since I got back into running around November 2008 I stretched my legs the way I was taught to in high school; two days of rest prior the day of the run; the new line added to the chant.

Looking at the improvement from March 19 when I set a personal record of 71:35 to March 29 when I set a personal record of 67:55, I will be at my goal of 55.2 minutes for the five miles, around May 8. This indicates an acceleration in the rate of improvement.

The rate of improvement March 29 to March 19 was about five times better than what 10k runners consider to be an excellent rate of improvement.

Things have not been what they have seemed to have been: the last few days, I felt as if I had stagnated and was not going to get any faster, but the rate of improvement March 19-29 turned out to be good; March 29 running using a high rate of steps per minute I did not feel like I was going as fast as I actually was.

Possible tactical innovation: stop every half mile for a four minute break, as a way of teaching the body to get out of the habit of running at a slow pace and to develop the habit of running at a faster pace.

77 minute five mile run; only 10 seconds of breaks during entire run

Thursday March 12:

Prior to the run footwear-wise I put into effect one of the recommendations I made to myself after the March 11 run. Keeping everything else the same, in the left shoe, I increased the padding in the heel area (behind and to sides of heel not under heel) from 24 to 32 layers of Mueller brand 'm-wrap', and tied the shoe-laces very loosely.

The recommendations I made to myself after the Wednesday March 11 run were:

"Left foot: increase padding in heel area from 24 to 32 m-wrap layers, continue with tube over big toe, tie shoelaces loosely. Also possible--replace toe tube over big toe with increase in padding under big toe from 20 to 28 m-wrap layers."
(http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/79-minute-five-mile-runs-couple-of.html )".

Results foot-comfort wise:

Left foot: During a minority of the total time of the run, certain discomforts were experienced: foot felt cramped; some insole pain; some calf pain. On the positive side: the heel was not loose despite the shoe-laces being tied very loosely; there was no numbness/tingliness in the foot; I did not have to stop to tighten the shoelaces; I did not feel sensory illusions of unevenness under the forefoot; there was no discomfort aside from what I've described.

Right foot: Almost perfect. Slight pain in line between toes and ball of foot and in ball of foot for about a mile out of the total six miles.

Thursday March 12:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked). Time after 5th mile: 76:57, 117 seconds faster than previous run (77:07 - 10 subtracted for delay = 76:57). There was only one ten second pause over the entire six miles.

One could argue that this run was superior to the run of Sunday March 8 for which the time was my current personal record of 76:15 (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/7615-for-5-miles-i-break-my-personal.html ), because Sunday March 8, the total amount of time spent during the run on breaks during which I did not run was six minutes compared to only ten seconds for the Thursday March 12 run.

The footwear during the run was:

Left shoe:

foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
CVS toe tube on big toe +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
12 layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes & ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
32 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.
'Pretaping' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: very loose

Right shoe:

foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
12-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes and ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
'Multipurpose' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: medium tightness

Note: on all the runs the shoes have contained the heel-to-toe lightweight soles that came with the shoes when I bought them. I wear these over the padded sole to which I attach the m-wrap and the forefoot pad.

The temp was 40 degrees with wind at 12 mph during the run (5th mile completed at 5:13 PM):
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=12&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1 ).

A sweatshirt, long-sleeved sportshirt, t-shirt, visibility-vest, sweatpants, & shorts, were slightly too warm. I wanted to get rid of the sweatshirt after the 2nd mile, but I realize the importance of doing the entire six miles with minimal breaks so I did not pause to get rid of the sweatshirt.

Advice to myself for the next run:

Left foot: leave things the same; or, remove tube over big toe & increase padding under big toe from 20 to 28 layers; or, simply remove tube over big toe; or, create new toe-tube with sides and top cut away, held in place with m-wrap. Continue to tie shoelaces very loosely.

Right foot: no change in footwear.

Running tactics

I enjoy jogging using long steps or paces; just as people enjoy dancing this or that type of dance, I enjoy, and feel relaxed and energized by, jogging using long steps. I find jogging using long steps to be graceful, majestic, like a ship sailing on the sea. Seems long-stepped jogging teaches the body how to maximize momentum, similar to a wheel's maximization of momentum.

Long-stepped jogging teaches the body how to jog using long steps, which ultimately could prove important in terms of speed. Speed is produced through a combination of length of pace and number of paces per minute.

I do not intend to completely cease from long-stepped jogging--however, I estimate that long-stepped jogging slows my speed down by about ten percent on the miles that are jogged.

I've noticed that when I have to speed up to quickly cross a street or something like that, I shorten the paces and speed up the number of paces per minute or per second or per whatever.

When I set my personal record of 76:15, I noted that the fourth mile was walked in 14:00, and the 5th mile was run in 15:20.

If I somewhat reduce the length of the steps/paces during the miles that are jogged, I should be able to get my time for the three miles run down to 46 minutes total. This combined with 28 minutes for the two walked miles would give me a total time of 74 minutes, 2.25 minutes faster than my current personal best.

Another major factor slowing me down, is that I tend to be 'lazy', slower than what is average for me, during the first 3 miles. This in part because, I go outside and just start running right away without loosening up.

I do not intend to begin to devote time to stretching exercises before the start of the run--I I want to treat time like a precious commodity. As far as I am concerned the first couple of miles in and of themselves, ARE the stretch/warmup.

My approach to the lazy-first-three-miles problem will simply be to remind myself to be perky during the first three miles.


@2009 David Virgil Hobbs

79 minute five mile runs a couple of times

Monday March 9, the area was hit with cold and snow, so I skipped the run, and instead spent time finishing up the testing of the three different microphones I have for recording on the PC. But that is another topic you can read about at: http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/pc-microphones-judgement-day-for-my.html .

Tuesday March 10:

Prior to the run footwear-wise I put into effect one of the recommendations I made to myself after the March 8 run. I wore my CVS toe tube on the big toe of the left foot. Footwear-wise, everything else remained the same as the previous run of March 8. The shoelaces in the left foot were again tied very loosely.

The recommendations I made to myself after the Sunday March 8 run were:

"Left foot: increase padding in heel area from 24 to 32 m-wrap layers, or wear tube over big toe...Right foot: no change in footwear (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/7615-for-5-miles-i-break-my-personal.html )".

Results foot-comfort wise:

Left foot: equal to or a little better than previous run. Heel tighter (due to use of toe tube on big toe), but still a little loose. Slight pain in middle and index toes during 1st & 6th miles. Foot slightly cramped in 5th mile. All parts of foot that did not feel discomfort, felt very comfortable. No feeling of bump under big toe. No numbness or tingliness in foot.

Right foot: Almost perfect. Slight heel pain in 1st mile.

Tuesday March 10:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked). Time after 5th mile: 79:30, 3:15 minutes:seconds slower than previous run. Only 10 seconds were subtracted for delays during the run to get the time of 79:30.

The footwear during the run was:

Left shoe:

foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
CVS toe tube on big toe +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
12 layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes & ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
24 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.
'Pretaping' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: very loose

Right shoe:

foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
12-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes and ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
'Multipurpose' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: medium tightness

The temp was an average 39 degrees during the run (5th mile completed at 6:55 PM):
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=10&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1 ).

A sweatshirt, long-sleeved sportshirt, t-shirt, visibility-vest, sweatpants, shorts, were slightly too warm.

Wednesday March 11:

Footwear-wise everything was the same as the previous run on March 10, except the shoelaces in the left foot were tied more tightly, at about average tightness as opposed to very loose tightness.

Results foot-comfort wise:

Left foot: some arch pain, some big toe pain, very slight numbness/tingliness a minority of the time, slight feeling of bump under big toe.

Right foot: No complaints.

Wednesday March 11:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked). Time after 5th mile: 78:54, 36 seconds faster than previous run. 165 seconds were subtracted due to various delays, result the 78:54 time.

The footwear during the run was:

Left shoe:

foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
CVS toe tube on big toe +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
12 layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes & ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
24 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.
'Pretaping' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: medium tightness instead of very loose tightness used previous run.

Right shoe:

foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
12-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes and ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
'Multipurpose' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: medium tightness.

The temp was an average 52 degrees during the run (5th mile completed at 5:23 PM):
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=11&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1 ). A sweatshirt, long-sleeved sportshirt, t-shirt, visibility-vest, sweatpants, shorts, were worn for the first two miles of the run. This proved to be unbearably warm; the sweatshirt was discarded after the 2nd mile--this accounted for most of the 165 seconds subtracted from the time for delays.

My guess as to why there appears to be a pattern of lagging back for a few days after setting a new personal record: setting a new personal record is tiring and result in a few days of recuperation.

Advice to myself for the next run:

Left foot: increase padding in heel area from 24 to 32 m-wrap layers, continue with tube over big toe, tie shoelaces loosely. Also possible--replace toe tube over big toe with increase in padding under big toe from 20 to 28 m-wrap layers. Has to do with how much I will feel like tinkering and tailoring.

Right foot: no change in footwear.

76:15 for 5 miles--I break my personal record by 3 minutes

Sunday March 8:

Prior to the run footwear-wise I put into effect the recommendations I made to myself after the March 7 run. These were:

"Left foot: increase padding in heel area from 16 layers to 24 layers; loosen shoelaces...Right foot: no change in footwear, be careful re soreness on outside front area of pinkie toe.
(http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/around-block-for-five-miles-in-eight.html )".

Results foot-comfort wise:

Left foot: slight pain under middle and index toes in first mile; numbness and tingliness almost completely gone for entire 6 miles; sensory illusions of unevenness beneath forefoot greatly diminished; sensory illusion of bump under right toe second half of run; heel a little loose throughout run.

Right foot: almost perfect no complaints.

Sunday March 8:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked). Time after 5th mile: 76:15, new personal record, beating old personal record of 79 minutes (rounded off to nearest minute) set February 25.

First 3 miles run/walked in 46:55 (47:15 - 20 sec break for tightening right shoe). Prior to 4th mile, 5:45 length urination-break; 4th mile, walked: 14:00; 5th mile, run: 15:20. Perhaps the 'urination-break' energized me for the 4th & 5th miles a little.

When I set my previous personal record Feb 25,
I noted that "I was forced to take an 11 minute break after the 1st mile, and an 8 minute break after the 4th mile" (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/running-and-footwear-most-recent.html ). The amount of time subtracted for breaks was 6 minutes March 8, 19 minutes Feb 25.

I estimate that I would be 15% faster on a 'quality' indoor track such as Harvard's Gordon Indoor track center due to: being able to wear lighter shoes/foot-wear; the flat as opposed to hilly terrain; the trampoline-like nature of the track; the cleaner air; the way the pebbly surface of the track catches the shoes.

The goal I have set for myself is to get down to 48 minutes for the five mile course with the 1st 3rd & 5th miles run and the 2nd & 4th miles walked.

Accounting for the 15%, my goal could be said to be 48 X 1.15 = 55.2 minutes, for run/walking the outdoors road course on the very hard sidewalk and road surfaces.

At the rate (exponential not geometric) I have been improving since Feb 25, I will be down to 55.2 minutes outdoors on the road in 3 months. That would be June 4, just in time to render my services to the world's greatest baseball and soccer teams, and to begin to impress the world's greatest basketball and tackle football teams, prior to chickening out of playing tackle football due to the risk of injury. And that's not even taking into account that Feb 25 there were 19 minutes of breaks, whereas March 8 there were only 6 minutes breaks.

At the current rate of progress (exponential),
I will be setting the world record for my age group in 10 months, during January 2010, if I have enough food to keep me running that is. (see http://www.arrs.net/SA_O10K.htm ). To do this of course I would have to change from walking the 2nd and 4th miles to running them.

Seems like jealous people are out to get me. Looks like at the exact time when everything comes together for me, with me being on top of the world in a million different categories, everything will collapse on me as the economy collapses.

I don't see how I can survive and become a great athlete unless I morph into some kind of concrete-eating bacteria that is impervious to freezing cold temperatures. Then again were I to morph into a cold-resistant concrete-eating bacteria, I suppose I would no longer have the bodily structure that allows me to become a great athlete.

Survival of the fittest I suppose: the people in the cities starve and freeze to death, to be replaced by the superior cold-resistant concrete-eating bacteriummmies.

Advice to myself for the next run:

Left foot: increase padding in heel area from 24 to 32 m-wrap layers, or wear tube over big toe.

Right foot: no change in footwear.

The footwear during the run was:

Left shoe:

foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
12 layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes & ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
24 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.
'Pretaping' type m-wrap used.

Right shoe:

foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
12-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot & line between toes and ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
'Multipurpose' type m-wrap used.

The temp was 55-60 degrees during the run
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=8&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1 ). A t-shirt, visibility-vest, sweatpants, shorts, was slightly too warm, seems doing without sweatpants would be better.


@2009 David Virgil Hobbs