From A Pack-A-Day Smoker To A Marathon Runner

Oops I have been forgetting to post here!

2013-03-23T10:00:00.001-07:00

Hey there everyone,

I'm sorry! I have been neglecting this blog, but on the bright side I haven't been neglecting my training. In fact, just the other day I pushed my long run distance up to 10 miles. Boy did I pay for that one the next day!

I am still suffering from a bit of knee pain after a run, oddly enough which knee keeps switching. As of now I'm not all that concerned with it. I think it might just be breaking in the new shoes. Oh that's right, I got a new pair of shoes when I realized I had about 600 miles on my last pair.

I stuck with what I knew and got another pair of Adidas Marathon 10's I love these shoes. They are lightweight and feel great to run in. The only problem is they were discontinued a while back and they are getting harder and harder to find in my size. So I might be in the market for a new pair before long.

I have found that making the time to run is actually my biggest hurdle. I seem to be able to adapt to new distances fairly well and I am confident that I can reach my goal of a marathon if I can continue to make time to train. With runs reaching up to an hour and a half its hard to make my free time fit with daylight and good weather.

Oh, that's another thing...WHERE IS SPRING!? I have come to detest the treadmill and just want to run outdoors. There is something so much greater about it, but with temps in the 30s its hard to will myself to go run an hour and freeze to death in the process. I don't exactly have the best cold weather running gear so it makes it difficult.

Anyway that was just a quick update, I actually have a lot of things to share in the coming days. See you soon!

211 Days until race day, and I am confident as ever I will be ready!

Training Update: 267 Days Left

2013-01-26T12:23:00.002-08:00

Another great run on the treadmill down, and another step closer to my goal of running my first marathon!

Today I am home with my 15 month old son Noah. He finally laid down for his afternoon nap so I sat down on the computer. Only to suddenly become possessed with the running spirit.

I put on my shorts and shoes and hit the treadmill considering I can't quite leave the little guy alone at home. I always run with a 3% incline on the treadmill. I think that it will help me adjust to outdoor running more quickly when spring rolls around. I planned on running a minimum of 6.25 miles to maintain my new current distance. But when I got there I still had a little "umph" left so I powered on and ended up running 7.1 miles today.

I am very happy with my progress as of now. I am nearly back to where I was over the summer (8 miles). Before I slacked off for 4 months and fell out of shape. But the part that I am happiest with is that not only am I going further each run. I am maintaining my average speed. Actually I am going faster almost every time! As of right now my potential seems to be only limited by time. I know I will hit a wall later on in my training but I am glad I don't feel anywhere close to it right now.

So, here's the stats:

Today's Run: 7.1 Miles
Time : 58:45

Total miles run this year: 35.25

I have 267 days to go and I am starting to realize how hard this will be, but up for the challenge!

Training Update: 279 Days Remaining

2013-01-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

Today was the kind of day I hope for during my training.

I had been lazy the last few days and didn't hit the treadmill like I should have. I have been consistently ahead of my own schedule though so i figured a few days off wouldn't hurt. And i am happy to say they didn't, They may have even helped.

My last run i managed to go 4.5 miles (my goal was 4.3) and i was happy with that. Today i set out to match or surpass that goal, maybe even push it up to 5 miles. Well i wont lie, those first miles were pretty rough...but after i got in the swing of things, i was unstoppable.

I hit the 5 mile mark and thought to myself "eh, I like this song, I'll just keep going until its over." And then I liked the next song too, and I didn't end up stopping until i was at 5.5 miles. A full mile further than my previous run!

My legs are a little sore, but nothing out of the ordinary. I am very pleased with how fast i am able to increase my distance without over exerting my body. I will soon be reaching my old peak distance of 8 miles, and then surpassing it.

The biggest hurdle in the coming weeks will be finding the time to run 2-3 times a week. With runs that will be longer than an hour, just finding the free time will be hard with everything else i have going. But, I will just have to make time because I am NOT backing down from this goal.

279 days to go and I feel better than ever.

Total mileage for 2013: 16.4

Training Update: Steady Climb

2013-01-08T12:31:00.002-08:00

Another day, another run.

I have been away from the blog for a little while but that doesn't mean I haven't been training. I have run twice on the treadmill since my last post. The first run was a few days back. I ran 4 miles at a slightly elevated speed than my normal run. I was happy with this due to the fact i was only shooting for 3.5 when i started.

Last night just before bed I mustered up the motivation to run again. I kind of got into the album i was listening too and ran faster than i had planned. I ended up running a little less than half my full distance of 4.3 miles at a speed of 8 MPH. But then that always lurking pain in my knee started to show up so I slowed it back down and finished out my run the slow (6.5) and steady way.

I think that is the biggest challenge for me when I run indoors. Keeping my pace. I am always playing little number games in my head and just want to get my distance over with faster. Probably out of boredom. When I run outside I dont do this as much. Sure I push myself, sometimes a little too hard. But it's just not the same. So here hoping for some warmer days in the near future!

285 days until the Detroit Marathon and I am still going strong!

Mileage in 2013: 11.85

Training Log: 291 Days To Go

2013-01-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

All of yesterday I was trying to get on the treadmill to get a good run in. I didn't get that chance until just after midnight.

With a kid, chores and a working wife it can be tough to make the time to run, even a short distance some days. But I did make it work and I am proud of the progress I made as well.

I started off just shooting for 3.1 miles (or 5K) at 7MPH but when I got there I still had a little bit left in me so i pushed on to 3.5 miles. So far I seem to be climbing in mileage faster than my last little bout of training. Maybe my body remembers how to do this stuff a little more than I gave it credit for.

I still have a lot of work to do before I can claim the title of a marathon runner, but as of now i see myself getting closer and closer every time my foot hits the ground.

291 days to go, and I still feel good about my goal.

Mileage for 2013: 3.5 miles

Back Up To 5K Runs!

2012-12-30T19:25:00.000-08:00

Well i just got off the treadmill and I am happy to say that I exceeded my goal and pushed myself back up to 3.1 miles, or 5K.

This was my old "go to" distance for a quick run and I am glad that i can still pull it off without too much effort. I did however get a strange sensation during this run. I think it was due to not eating too much throughout the day.

My arms became sort of tingly towards the last leg of the run...not really sure what this means but i can imagine that it means I didn't have enough oxygen in my system to keep everything going as normal. This has happened before to me but only in more intense runs.

Either way, i survived this run and will survive many more like it in the future. I think i will stick with this distance for a week or so before i bump it up again.

293 days to go and as of now, I am excited for each of them.

Reboot, Let The Countdown Begin

2012-12-30T12:14:00.000-08:00

Hello, I am Ryan Reid and I am training for my first Marathon this year. I will be running in the Detroit Marathon on October 20th. Registration starts on January 1st and i will be signing up right then so i cant back out when i get lazy down the road. I am a pretty cheap individual so that registration cost will keep me on task.

So, that also gives me a date to count down to. I have 294 days until the marathon. Which gives me a pretty good challenge to get my most recent distance of 2.6 miles up to a whopping 26.1 miles...

I know it sounds nearly impossible from where I stand now. But I have learned how quickly I can train my body. In just over a month last summer I went from 1 mile to 8. running 2-3 times a week at my current distance goal. So with over 9 months to prepare i really hope i am able to not only complete my first marathon, but break into the middle of the pack as well. I have no lofty goals of actually competing with the professionals that will undoubtedly be there, but average would suit me just fine.

For now I will be running on my treadmill on a 3-3.5% incline to simulate actual outdoor running. Maybe I will even step it up so on the days i can run outside it isn't such a shock. I am taking it slow as to prevent injury to my knees. I have been known to hurt them if I try to push myself too far too fast. So easy does it this time around.

And while my distance suffered after my couple month hiatus, I am happy to say that my cardio and all that is just fine with getting back to running. I don't find myself out of breath quickly or anything like that. And my leg muscles are not sore at all after a run. So really it's just my knee that i am working with.

So, wish me luck! 294 days and hundreds of miles to go.

First 8 Mile Run!

2012-09-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

Today after sleeping in a bit too long i decided to run off last nights drinks. I wasn't so sure how far i planned on running, so i just ran. I ended up following my previously biked out course to complete my first 8 mile run!

So I didn't break any world records, not even a personal best. But I did finish my new longest distance with a decent final time to boot! I think I am going to hang at this distance for a little while and try to work my time down a bit. I think if I could get closer to the one hour mark I would be close to where I want to be.

I also decided that I should probably start bringing water along with me on runs. The last couple miles are tough on me and I think a short walking / water break would really recharge me for those last miles.

Onward!

Small Steps Forward 9-2-12

2012-09-02T09:52:00.001-07:00

Today I didn't even feel like running. But i got my butt out there and I am now glad I did!

I was feeling this run more than normal but when I heard my lap times over my music I knew why. I was on course to run my best run today, and in most ways I did. Even if it was only by a couple seconds.

Today I set a new personal best for 1 mile, 1 km, And 10K. This run was something for me to be proud of. Though I didn't up my distance any, I still feel I did pretty good. I will probably up my distance to 8 miles sometime next weekend. I tested out a course on my bike the other day and I think that will be the way I go.

I have also made some observations about my body when it comes to running. The first mile or two are always the hardest for me. And the third mile seems to wear me down. But if I can just get past those marks somewhere around mile 5 I just hit a stride and can keep going much longer. My biggest hurdle is probably going to be my constant need to compete with my past time. While this is good for improving my times, it doesn't help my distance training much if I am always burning myself out early in the run. I think I need more mental tempering before I can even hope to compete in a marathon! But luckily I still have about a year before that is an issue.

Here is the readout from my run, the little trophies next to the times if you click "Best distances" mean it was a new personal best for me.

Endomondo Running Workout

2012-08-29T18:17:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone, i just got back from a run. I didnt think i was going to get to run today like i havent the past few days. It was starting to get to me...but as it turned out Katies schedule got flip flopped and i got my chance so i took it and ran (snort)

It wasn't a great run, in fact around miles 2-4 i thought about just giving up. But with a few well placed walking breaks i was able to recover and even finish my 7.2 mile run in just under (like 2 seconds under) an hour. Which isn't my best time by any means, but its not really all that bad for my average either.

So i am a little over 7 miles closer to my goal of 3000, still nowhere close but closer none the less.

Never could have done this back when i was smoking a pack a day!

A Personal Best Kind Of Day!

2012-08-25T12:00:00.002-07:00

Today was the kind of run you always hope for. I was kicking my normal pace's butt on every mile and felt great doing it.

Not only was today my longest run this year. It was also my new personal best in basically every way. I upped my one mile time, my 5K and my 10K time as well! And all before breakfast. Here is the Endomondo readout of today's run.

(click on best distances to see my new bests)

I love when a run comes together like this!

I am one step closer to my goal of running a marathon for the first time. But not just that, I am more confident I can find it inside myself to actually pull it off after today.

Gotta love the good runs!

Back At It And Better Than Ever!

2012-08-25T11:47:00.001-07:00

It has been a year since I last posted to this blog, but here i am again.

Last year quickly went to crap not long after I started this blog. My son was born and had some issues at birth that quickly consumed all of my free time. It was months before I even stepped foot on my treadmill again. Let alone getting outside and running. Then after about 6 months I started running again and quickly (as in a week) I injured myself.

After almost 6 months of basically no training i decided I could jump right back into running at the same pace I had been at before. Quickly leading to knee pain that got worse over time. So i ended up giving up for months longer. It wasn't until this summer that I felt well enough to start running again.

This time I was keeping myself safe! I started at about a mile and a half and slowly increased my mileage every week or two. I have been at it for about 3 months now and I am very proud of my progress thus far!

I usually only find time to run twice a week. Sometimes 3 or 4, but with work and my special needs child time is hard to come by. But in the past month alone I have increased my "normal" run from 3.75 miles to just over 7 miles. But its not just my distance that is improving. my speed is getting a little better and i am able to maintain my running for the large majority of each run. I only really stop for cars or stoplights. And those are pretty few in my area.

I wish I had gotten back on track sooner in the year so i could compete in a Marathon this year. But the two marathons I am interested in (Detroit and Chicago) are in less than 2 months and there is no way i will be ready by then. So 2013 it is! If i can keep up my current pace there is no reason I shouldn't be able to not only complete a marathon by then, but i should be able to compete to a reasonable degree. I don't plan on winning...or being even close, but somewhere in the middle of the pack would be awesome for a first timer if you ask me.

So you can expect to see more of me around this corner of the internet in coming months...

I'M BACK!

My First Hurdle: Shin Splints. Any Advice?

2011-08-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I set out to continue my running. I planned on taking it a bit easier than I had been in the past few days but I didn't expect needing to walk my way home.

From the moment I set out from my home I could feel something just wasn't normal. My legs were sore and heavy, and i just couldn't keep up my regular pace. But no worries, I would just slow it down a bit. After all, any run is better than none!

My plan was to run to my brothers house (1.4 Miles) and get him to run back to my house with me. We have done this a few times and it serves as a great motivational tool. Which keeping up with a running schedule can always use some good motivation! By the time I got to his house I was in pain. My legs felt like they were breaking out from under me. And on top of it all, my brother decided not to run with me. So after a few minutes of calming down and stretching, I headed home. Only to find myself walking about half the way home because my shins hurt so bad I couldn't bring myself to even jog.

I have dealt with this sort of pain before. When I first started running it was something I learned to deal with. But then it usually went away after a day or two and didn't really hurt until after I was done running. Yesterday's pain was a bit different than that.

So I turn to you, the running community. What are some ways to prevent and deal with shin splints? I already stretch before and after (sometimes during) my runs.

Any help or advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated!

My First (Recorded) Run!

2011-08-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

Well here we are, my first run.

Today I repeated the track that I have been doing for the past week or so. It is a pretty easy run. The only part of it i don't like is the crossing of a bunch of roads, one of them a pretty major one. But hey, why try to explain it to you when i can just show you?

Brought to you by Cardio Trainer

As you can see I ran 3.74 miles in just under 30 minutes. I know i'm not breaking any records with that time, but it makes me happy knowing that not even 3 months ago a single mile at a slower pace would have had me on the ground!

I am trying to map out a new path that will be a little bit longer and just as easy to navigate. But until then i will just keep at it with this path and try to bring my time down. I will probably step it up next week or near the end of this one.