Great Grandpa

Saw one of my idol’s this week. He is an amazing man. 89 this year, born in 1916. Tony Capizzi. Mom’s dad. He loves Stephanie - that makes me happy. He loves my kids, that makes him happy. He is strong for where he is in life. Takes the steps, picks up my kids, bright mind and spirit.

that made my heart jump

Funny how my speed goes down and my heart-rate goes up! Well next time you are at a stoplight and ready to make a “right turn on red” remember the part about “after stop” and “after looking both ways!!!”
This moron at the light, ready to race is looking left at the light, I’m crossing his path with a green light, coming from his right. I even looked and saw a car coming so I figured I had time. The minute that car passed I am right in front of this guy and he guns the engine - I smak his hood and he slams on the breaks looking at me like the moron he is.

I have to say, I hate running at rush hour - but there just isn’t time in the day to take off. Not more then this time people ignored right of way - idiots rolling through stop signs, rush rush rush.

Here is something to think about. I wouldn’t have to run to keep healthy if I didn’t have to drive everywhere.

Dad Phone Call

Dad and I talked on the phone - he is doing well; just finished FDR book about his political dirty tricks. He did a lot to hide stuff from the world and he created the monster that is social security today. Dad and I talked a lot about how much money would 1. be poured into capital industry and 2. be available for retired folks had they invested in the S&P rather then FICA. In fact - including the depression and various crashes it would be “compounded” 11-12% - that is amazing. But then the congress wouldn’t have the money they borrowed from the fund for pork barrel spending. Little do they know that the money collected from the increase in profits from all that capital in the market would have more then funded enough federal programs. But the past is the past - politicians are politicians.

LSD and Kids in the house

I had a great day this Sunday. The kids had many friends over; its always nice to be the neighborhood place. I think one of my son’s friends really wanted to watch Star Wars on our TV (HDTV/Surround Sound) but they had fun playing anyway.
Grandpa’s Iris’s are blooming this year - it has taken about three years for them to go - I’m real happy with them. I’ll post a picture when I can - these plants are from Mom’s house and she got them from his house in Brooklyn; they are probably 40 years old, minimum.

I ran long slow distance (LSD) - 8 miles at 70-75% - it took me just under an hour and a half. Averaging 10′53″ isn’t great for 75% but I’m getting better.

Triax ERROR

My wonderful Nike Triax SDM/HRM had an ERROR today. Three miles into the six mile run I started pressing the buttons to check my distance and BEEP - ERROR - it crashed. What is worse - it like reset the watch and time back three years. So when I synched up the workouts for the next two days were recorded in 2003. Not sure - maybe an electrical zap from the sky… its working now.

What is a blog?

Why are you doing this, what is this?

I know when my family finds this many will wonder what is a blog? Its a Web-log - A blog is your easy-to-use web site, where you can quickly post thoughts, interact with people, and more. You can set one up if you like at a site like : Blogger: Create your Blog Now — FREE

It is basically a regularly updated website. Most often some sort of journal. Teens and other people with unlimited energy and angst put all of thier thoughts out on thier blogs - other techies and the like put importing facts and links. I just put whatever is on my mind - so often I search the web and so I decided to start recording what I have found here to help save people time or whatever. I’m going to probably drop the Discussion Boards (Forum) I have created since I couldn’t convice my email lists to shift there and I’m not getting a lot of posting.

Why do I have such an extensive website and why am I doing this. Like so much of what I do in my personal life - its is for fun and to learn. I can say, I know how to do that now! And the website is a great way to get info to my realitives in places like Baltimore and Hilton Head.

The way this works is like a Journal. The last page posted is the at the top - the oldest is either at the bottom or look to the right hand column and pick a month to go way back in time. Best way to find something specific is to do a search. Have fun and please leave comments, they make me happy

Good night.

I ran..

Ran again today - missed that interval workout so I’ll do it tomorrow on my block while the kids play. Did 6 miles LSD at 75% and felt pretty good. It took me 1:06 so 11min/mile. I have shaved 2 minutes per mile off my 75% run rate in just two weeks. I hope my pace continues or I’ll suffer during the peachtree on July 4th.
Worked in the yard after with the kids hovering around and Stephanie and Maia out Brownie Camping. Good to be gardening - I’ll post some pictures later, progress and all.

HR <70% MAX - Is SLOW

OK - almost one week doing the program and it isn’t as easy to follow as I had hoped. Challeng is to stay under the target rate on slow days.

I’m working the Heart Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot book’s 12 week
program for Advanced running towards a 10K called the Peachtree here in Atlanta.

I’m not sure I should have gone with Advanced - I picked it based on my latest 10K time of 46:34 in the Cartersville 10K. Problem is, I injured myself just after that race and took a 4 months off, really 5 in total. So I’m starting this with a resting HR of 55 but my slow days are unbearable.

For example: Today was a recovery day 5 Miles LSD - really slow distance. In order to keep my HR below 70% MAX (Avg 131BPM) I had to practally walk on the hills and jog really slow on the flats. So I ran 13 minute miles. This not only is frustrating but it takes forever. It also shows how out of shape I am.

BPM is brown, Pace is blue.

Parker’s philosopy is that runners don’t get enough rest on recovery days so they don’t benefit enough from the hard ones. Further - running more LSD gives you a better base and better oxygen uptake (maximal aerobic power, VO2max). So I’m going to stick with this for at least the next 4 weeks and hopefully these slow days will be a little "less slow".

Tomorrow should be a fun run -

I’ll report back later.

JimmyC

life is good .. good night.

Easy night - kids have each other..

Build - a - bear fun; Daniel has a turtle (Go Terps)

Nice to see them play with one another.
oh, and I’ve got HDTV Baskeball. All is good..

Heart Monitor Training Book..

Heart Monitor Training for the Compleat Idiot

This is a pretty good book. I don’t know what the author was thinking about though by giving it that title. I didn’t want to read it or buy it because… well, I don’t consider myself to be a complete or compleat idiot.
The fact is, he is a good author and a great trainer. The basic premise of the book is to remember to 1. RECOVER and 2. Use the right fuel.

I have found training with my heart rate monitor watch to be critical. I had a polar and recently switched to a Nike. When I used to use it I went for Zone training exclusively and found that the best thing about it was that I didn’t “cheat” on hard runs. When I found myself going down hill and therefore my heart rate going down as well - I had no choice but to speed up.

I was missing something….

I was running TOO hard on my easy days. Or not running easy days at all. If you know anything about training, weight training, running, whatever - the body needs a day of rest. This book takes it further by explaining why. He cleared up a few things about the kind of “fuel” we use when we run. With hard sprints taking you to burning the sugar in your muscles and therefore creating the lactic acid that cramps you up. To the long slow distance (slow - below 70% of MAX) that burn FAT and allow you to rebuild those glycogen levels.

The hard slap of reality was when I ran a “slow day” after taking 5 months off for injury. I couldn’t keep my heart rate down. Every hill I had to walk. It was pathetic. but it tells you I have been running on sugar not the base I need. So I’m back to basics running longer and slower on my recovery days until my heart catches up and my muscles get more efficient.
For you fast runners - without a base you will have a bear on your back before you finish the race - lactic acid in your muscles they don’t know how to get rid of it. Run some intervals and don’t forget to give them a day to rebuild.
For you marathon runners - The wall is lack of glycogen - if you aren’t burning fat but burning your sugar too early - you will hit that wall at mile 20. Build your base with LSD (not the drug, dude).

Here are some quotes that take you there
Lactic acid and its effects
Fast twitch red cells
The Bear is lactic acid build-up
The Wall is lack of glycogen
The secret about breathing (hint - winded isn’t lack of oxygen - its that their muscle cells can’t use it).
Duration of training is key to fat burning
Running longer then two hours is counter productive
Training increases blood supply
It takes time to grow capillaries (Be patient)

buy this book if you are training -