74 minute 5-mile run, March 25, using quick paces style

Wednesday March 25:

I left the footwear as it was during the previous run March 24. Footwear advice I gave to myself after the previous run:

To allow for flexibility in padding, build 4 m-wrap layer pads for: both heels, both balls of feet, and left big toe. Adjust padding so that the heels are not so high that the result is pain in the lower legs; adjust padding so that the m-wrap layer-thickness of padding on top of the molding lightweight insole under the balls of the feet, do not exceed the m-wrap layer-thickness of padding under the heels on top of the same insole, by more than 12 m-wrap layers (because: when the difference between m-wrap-layer-thickness under ball of the foot & m-wrap-layer-thickness under the heel is 16 m-wrap layers, there is pain in the arch of the foot; when the difference is 8 m-wrap-layers there is not pain in the arch of the foot). Or make no change wait to see if there is a natural adjustment, and 'tough it out' (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/74-minute-painful-5-mile-run-using-long.html ).

Results foot-comfort wise:

Left foot/leg: mile 1, some pain in heel; mile 2 some pain in calf, not as bad as March 24.

Right foot/leg: mile 2, some pain in right lower leg front-outside muscle, not as bad as March 24; mile 3, some pain in right big toe; mile 4 some pain in right lower leg front-outside muscle during last 50 yds of mile, better than March 24; mile 5, some pain in right big toe.

There appear to still be impact-pain problems using certain styles of running. As a result I now tend to see the wise course to be just patiently wait for the feet/legs to get used to increased padding, as opposed to reductions in padding.

Again I see the pattern wherein if the footwear is left the same as it was the previous run, there is significant improvement in terms of pain in arch of foot and lower leg. Yet these pains do not completely vanish simply because the footwear has been left the same for two days in a row.

Wednesday March 25:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked). My intent was to use style D, which is short quick paces not stopping to record split times, but for a few reasons, in reality I ended up not minimizing the breaks between miles.

Time after 5th mile: 74:00 (96:02 - 22:02 subtracted for break-times = 74:00).

Pauses were due to: having to return indoors to apply hydrocortisone cream to thighs (8 mins) (rubbing against shorts/underwear problem), recuperation from pain, recording of pain-problems, removing excess layers clothing, tying shoes, tightening sweatpants, talking with, yet again, police (7 mins).

The two cops in the two cop cars came by as I ended the fourth mile and was about to start the fifth mile, because some nervous resident had called them, because they had seen me walking around. The cop said that there was nervousness in the area due to break-ins into cars.

Both policemen were white, about six feet tall, clean-shaven, black haired. One of them reminded me of Roger Moore, the actor who used to play James Bond in the movies. The other one looked like you could cast him in a movie as a Mafia hit-man.

I was thinking to myself: how did this Roger Moore type end up being a Waltham Policeman?...there are these cool-looking people, the type you'd like to become acquainted with; problem is that as it turns out they are cops and it is hard to be friends with cops.

Aside from the stress of the fear of getting into trouble, I estimate that I tend to like being around cops because their infectious good cheer and energy seems to sort of rub off on me.

Cops have advantages over people. There is camaraderie to their work. Their work is not filled with as much mental stress and drudgery as alot of people's work. They are relatively well paid. They avoid drugs and alcoholism. They are physically fit.

And so to me it seems they have this infectious energetic good cheer which is a result of the advantages they enjoy over us mere mortals; I suspect their energetic good cheer infects me.

I ran the mile after talking with the cops in only 15:02, a good time, maybe my best time ever for running a mile using the short quick steps style, outdoors on the hilly uneven concrete-type-surface.

At the same time there is the problem that friendship with police, frightens the population, because unfortunately (cops may not be to blame for this who knows), the laws are such that unreasonably cruel and unusual punishments are being inflicted on persons for minor offenses.

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

'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'

I did not walk or stretch before starting the run.

Mile split times recorded: March 25 style A, March 21 style A, March 18 style D (style A & D both use shorter, quick paces)

1st, run: 15:23, 15:15, 15:05
2nd, walked: 14:12, 14:50, 14:15
3rd, run: 15:23, 15:26 15:47
4th, walked: 14:00, 14:05, 14:23
5th, run: 15:02, 15:12, 15:40

Notice the pattern & get a point on your IQ test score.

The pattern is, that for miles two to five, the times were better March 25 compared to March 21 or March 18.

Footwear in Left shoe:
SAME AS PREVIOUS RUN

NEW 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

NEW 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 35 degrees with wind at avg 0 mph during the run (5th mile completed at 12:11 AM 3/26):
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=25&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.

The gray lightweight sweatshirt, long-sleeved collar-less sportshirt made of t-shirt-type material, t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility-vest, sweatpants, shorts, gloves, and wool winter hat were too warm.

After the first mile I removed the sweatshirt, gloves, & wool winter hat, replacing the winter hat with a headband.

I ran/walked miles 2 to 5 wearing only the long-sleeved shirt made of t-shirt-type cloth, a t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, and the visibility vest on my upper body, shorts and sweatpants on my lower body. This felt about right in the 35 degree night. For the sixth mile walked at leisurely pace I added two sweatshirts to what I was wearing and replaced the headband with the winter hat.

Advice to myself for the next run fotwear-wise:

To allow for flexibility in padding, build 4 m-wrap layer pads for: both heels, both balls of feet, and left big toe, and (NEW today) right big toe. Adjust padding so that the heels are not so high that the result is pain in the lower legs; adjust padding so that the m-wrap layer-thickness of padding on top of the molding lightweight insole under the balls of the feet, do not exceed the m-wrap layer-thickness of padding under the heels on top of the same insole, by more than 12 m-wrap layers (because: when the difference between m-wrap-layer-thickness under ball of the foot & m-wrap-layer-thickness under the heel is 16 m-wrap layers, there is pain in the arch of the foot; when the difference is 8 m-wrap-layers there is not pain in the arch of the foot). Or make no change wait to see if there is a natural adjustment, and 'tough it out'..

The padding under the left big toe is 8 m-wrap layers greater than the padding under the right big toe; I have not been experiencing impact-pain the left big toe but I have been in the right big toe.

8 m-wrap layers is equal to approx just one millimeter. A millimeter too much padding can be a painful disaster; so also a millimeter too little padding can be a painful disaster. I am proud of the fact that I am developing a precise understanding of footwear padding, because I need to have this kind of precise understanding in order to succeed in this aerobic endurance development project.

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 using style "E Long-length-paced, emphasis on long paces, pauses to note split-times
".

Chant to use:

'Maxed/long are our strides as we streamline the sky,
Far is our distance per unit of time,
Lord of roads of magnificence am I
Lord of roads of painlessness am I'

Running tactics/strategy

Various reasons result in a run that was supposed to be done using minimized break-time becoming like a run in which break-times are not minimized: the need for info re pain during various segments of the run; having to return indoors; being stopped by police; feeling that there should be emphasis on increased speed combined with increased break-times.

@2009 David Virgil Hobbs

75 minute 5-mile run using quick paces style

Wednesday March 18:

Prior to the run footwear-wise I put into effect a recommendation I made to myself after the March 17 run. Keeping everything else the same, in the left shoe I again increased the padding behind the lower heel by 8 m-wrap layers.

The recommendations I made to myself after the March 17 run were:

"Left foot: increase padding to sides and rear of heel by 8 m-wrap layers again, again make sure the padding is vertically low enough to have heel-tightening effect...Right foot: add 8 m-wrap layer pad behind heel at base of heel; or make no change.(http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/73-minute-5-mile-run-using-long-quick.html )".

Results foot-comfort wise:

Left foot: Some numbness/tingliness in foot; some pain in middle toe. Heel situation improved, fairly tight with shoelaces loose.

Right foot: Some pain in big toe in 5th mile.

Wednesday March 18:

I ran the round the block course again (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked), using for the first five miles, the style featuring an emphasis on speed combined with a high number of steps per minute, and a de-emphasis of length of stride, without taking breaks for the purpose of recording split-times. As a result the foot hit the ground differently than it usually does during the run/walk.

Time after 5th mile: 75:10 (84:40 - 9:30 subtracted for delays = 75:10)

Pauses were due to: removing layers of clothing that were too warm; tying shoelaces. I did not stop to record split times but used the stops made for other reasons to record split times.

My philosophy is that it is better to pause and discard an excess layer of clothing, compared to not pausing and pressing ahead while overheating in the excess layer of clothing.

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

'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'

This is a chant designed to emphasize a high number of steps per minute and speed, while de-emphasizing length of strides.

Mile split times recorded:

1st, run: 15:05
2nd, walked: 14:15
3rd, run: 15:47
4th, walked: 14:23
5th, run: 15:40

This style of running apparently simply cannot compete with styles involving an emphasis on long strides, when it comes to the walked miles. It appears to be a tiring style fur the miles that are run. Nevertheless practicing this style, I now estimate, will produce increased speed in whichever style produces the fastest time for the five miles.

The footwear during the run was:

Left shoe:

lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
8 layers m-wrap pad under big toe +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
8 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 +
NEW TODAY 16 m-wrap layer pad behind heel at base of heel+
40 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.
'Pretaping' type m-wrap used.
SHOELACES: medium to tight on top shoelace, loose on other shoelaces

Right shoe:
SAME AS PREVIOUS RUN

Lightweight removable sole that came with shoe +
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
8 layers m-wrap under ball of foot +
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 49 degrees with wind at avg 2 mph during the run (5th mile completed at 11:57 PM):
(http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=18&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1 ).

This was a night-time run, no sunhine.

A sweatshirt, long-sleeved collar-less sportshirt made of t-shirt type material, t-shirt, second t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt, visibility-vest, gloves, sweatpants, shorts, and baseball hat were too warm.

During breaks prior to the 3rd mile I removed the sweatshirt, baseball hat, gloves, long-sleeved shirt made of t-shirt material, and one t-shirt. Most of the run I wore only a t-shirt, a sleeveless t-shirt, visibility vest, shorts, sweatpants, which were about right for the 49 degree night-time run.

I was all layered up excessively in clothes, because it felly chilly outside when I went to Walgreens to pick up some stuff befor I started the run. Prior to the run I felt unusually gloomy, tired, cold, hungry. For the first day in many days the run got off to a late start, was a late-night-time run.

Advice to myself for the next run:

Left foot: possibly increase padding to rear of lower heel by 8 m-wrap layers again, making sure the padding is vertically low enough to have heel-tightening effect; possibly increase padding under middle and index toes by 8 m-wrap layers.

Right foot: possibly add 8 m-wrap layer pad behind heel at base of heel; possibly add 8 m-wrap layer pad under big toe.

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 using style "E Long-length-paced, emphasis on long paces, pauses to note split-times".

Chant to use:

'Long are our strides as we streamline the sky,
Far is our distance per unit of time
Lord of roads of magnificence am I
Lord of roads of painlessness am I'

This chant emphasizes speed combined with long strides, and de-emphasizes number of paces per minute.

Running tactics/strategy

Looks like contrary to what I expressed in the previous blog-post (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/73-minute-5-mile-run-using-long-quick.html ), my fastest style is not the style employed during the latest run March 18 involving emphasis on number of paces per minute, but is rather the style involving emphasis on BOTH high number of paces per minute AND length of stride.

I now believe that the style of running I used when I set my current personal record (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/73-minute-five-mile-run-new-personal.html ) was not the style involving emphasis on number of steps per minute (as I had previously believed), but rather the style involving emphasis on BOTH steps per minute AND length of stride.

March 14 when I set the record, I was not chanting; I believe this lack of chant resulted in the style implemented being a combo of length of stride and quick paces, as opposed to emphasis on quick paces alone as intended.

Style D, which was implemented March 18 during the latest run, is the same as style A, except that D does not allow for breaks simply to record split-times, but A does.

Style D produced today a speed 3.2% slower than my personal best regardless of style. This tells me that I can do runs while concentrating on high number of paces per minute, while decreasing my speed overall by only three percent.
Meaning in other words, I can still get a good workout if I run concentrating on high number of paces per minute while de-emphasizing length of strides.

Despite the unusual level of depression, fatigue, chilliness, and hungriness I felt during the day prior to the run, I was able to finish a productive workout. This indicates to me that it is a myth that if we happen to feel unusually low on a given day, we will be unable to perform a productive workout.


@2009 David Virgil Hobbs