Showing posts with label business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business. Show all posts

Saturday, October 3, 2015

More work could mean less workouts

Today's run (treadmill): 3.4 miles

A couple of years ago I left a long term job with thoughts of working only when I felt like it. I started consulting and found myself just as busy. Still, without a daily commute into the city, I had far more flexibility for running. After one of my consulting engagements turned into a permanent role, I found myself spending more time working and less time running. This week I accepted a promotion at my new company that greatly expands my responsibilities. The downside is that it will further restrict my workout opportunities during the week

As a result, I missed working from home this Friday. Worse, I skipped my usual Friday run that kicks off my weekend activity. Besides dealing with another long drive to and from the office, I'm feeling the guilt of going from four workouts per week to only two this week. I intend to resume my working from home on Fridays, but my new role involves a lot of interaction with people. As I transition to this position, those discussions are best done face to face.

At least I'm home on Saturdays and it was good to run regardless of what else was happening. "What else" turned out to be driving rain and I found myself on the treadmill for the first time in at least a month. I have no love for the treadmill, but it met the need. The outside temperature was 53° and the guest room felt cool and comfortable. I locked into a pace and set my mind on a time to finish.

The treadmill has a great fan and it made a big difference when set to high. The miles went by surprisingly fast. I turned off the TV after the first ten minutes because the noise was beginning to bug me. That was an improvement and before I knew it I was ready to stop. I won't have a high number of miles this week, but after five days off from any type of exercise, I felt good about today.

While my 3-something mile treadmill run was a decent workout on a rainy day, my fellow Runsketeer SIOR managed to run 26.2 miles high in the sky in St. George, UT this morning. Not only that, she did the marathon in around 3:30 on a course that required running up and down a volcano.

Friday, July 31, 2015

Short of time and business attire

 
Today's run (street): 3.25 miles

This is going to be a bad weekend for running. I'll be tied up all day tomorrow and throughout most of Sunday. I don't think I'll be able to fit in a workout during that time, but I'll be doing a lot of walking. Any chance to pick up extra miles today were dashed by a tight work schedule that limited my running time.

Not running all week and then starting up again on Friday is a bad habit that I need to break. Instead of feeling well rested at the start, I usually feel out of shape. I don't struggle through these runs because I typically keep my distance under four miles due to time. However, feeling out of shape, at least for the first half mile, usually does not motivate me to push my performance.

Just before I sprayed on sunscreen, my cellphone rang and I had to deal with a work problem. That put me further behind. By the time I left the house, I had only 40 minutes to complete my run and be back in time to shower before my call. Otherwise I'd have to do this call wearing my sweat soaked running shorts.

And that's just what I did. I tried to imagine what the people on the other end would have thought if they could have seen me rather just hearing my voice. I love working from home! Although I had to wind myself up at the start, I ended up in a good place by the end. I even pushed past my comfort zone throughout the last mile and greatly improved my pace over the prior two miles.

It turned out to be a busy day so I was glad I got in a workout. I may end up doing a late afternoon run on Sunday if I feel up to it. That could be a nice way to end a very busy weekend.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Running flat but looking cool and modern

A new outlook
Today's run (street): 3.5 miles

This week has been a commuting nightmare. It took me two hours to get home from work on Wednesday and Thursday nights. My morning drives into the office were barely shorter than that. Happily, I work from home on Fridays. Having no morning commute provides a lot more time to work in a run. I did a short treadmill workout on Tuesday, but Friday, Saturday and Sunday have become my main days for running.

I've had a lot on my mind in terms of business planning for 2015 and I looked forward to getting out for a few miles today to focus on various ideas and scenarios. When I got out on the road, I felt flat, both physically and mentally. I couldn't concentrate on my business topics, so I focused on the run. It was a decent effort, but it still felt flat. I was hoping that I'd be rewarded with an endorphin rush at the end, but no such luck.

I ended up having an interesting day - lots of calls kept me busy and I took a break in the early afternoon to pick up my new glasses. My teenage daughter pronounced them cool and modern (translation: she's no longer embarrassed to be seen with me). That made me happy.

Unfortunately, this weekend's weather is supposed to be very wet. Tomorrow morning's planned group run is being postponed until next week. I'm really looking forward to that as it's been far too long since we've gotten together. I may end up doing some longish runs on the treadmill this weekend, a possibility that does not excite me. But at least I'll look cool and modern while I'm doing my workout.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Run interrupted, for a very good reason

You just can't escape it
Today's run (street): 6.25 total

This morning I planned to go out for six miles, but circumstances caused me to break the run into two parts. I've been trying to run at least 6 miles mid-week to reinforce my base. The news was reporting 40 MPH winds so I went with running pants and two top layers, including a heavier weight half-zip. It turned out that the winds weren't anywhere as bad as reported.

I started off well and I was looking forward to covering my distance at a comfortable pace. I was almost at my first mile when my cell phone rang. I always check to see who's calling, in case it's an emergency. I recognized the number as a big client, but I couldn't answer the phone in time. I listened to the voicemail and headed home to call them back.

Although my run was interrupted, it was worth it. I'm keeping my consulting practice, but now I'll also be taking on a full time position. This will be the first time I'll be commuting to an outside office since I left my old company in 2013. I'm very excited about this new opportunity, but I am concerned about how it will affect my training over the next few weeks. In order to be ready for the Brooklyn Half, I'll need to maintain my current mix of speed and base running.

Once all the paperwork was signed, I went out to complete the balance of my run. In between the first and second part of today's run I had lunch and I wondered how I'd do running on full stomach. The weather had turned cloudy and it looked like it might rain. I was grateful that my distance dropped to five miles, since I'd already done a mile earlier in the day.

There was more wind the second time I went out, but I appreciated it because I thought it might help simulate the effort needed to take on the first big hill at the Marcie Mazzola 5K on Sunday. I moved along fairly well, but the Garmin was showing paces that were at least 30 seconds slower than perceived effort. After calculating true distance, it turned out that I was running about 15 seconds per mile faster than what the display said.

Overall, I met my distance target, although not all at once. I recently read that two-a-days are actually a good training strategy, but I can't remember why. I'm supposed to taper at some point for Sunday's race although I'm not sure I can afford to reduce volume at this point. Maybe I'll rest tomorrow and go long again on Friday.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Ten hours late for my run

I would have preferred AM to PM
Today's run (street): 3.3 miles

As I made my way up the road to start today's workout, I thought about how much I prefer to run in the morning. Too bad it was 5:00 PM and the sun was high in the sky. I had a lot going on today and missed my morning window for running. I had a schedule change right after lunch that opened up some time. I thought about going out for a few miles, but I was concerned about being back home in time for a meeting. I was almost at the point when I'd write off today as a rest day and resume my schedule tomorrow.

Once I finished up at 4:30, I needed to decide whether to run or start work on a new project. I stepped out to the deck and saw that the humidity had dropped since morning. I figured that I could pound out three miles fairly quickly and still make the rest of the afternoon productive. It took a long time to acquire a signal on the Garmin, surprising on such a clear day.

It may have been due to running later in the day, but I was experiencing some soreness in my right quad. I was concerned that if I pushed too hard I could pull a muscle, so I didn't. Not that I have that much horsepower late in the day. Holding back a little helped get me through the route and the time went by quickly. Tomorrow's schedule is more manageable than today's, but I plan to get on the road as early as possible.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Running, thinking, creating, implementing

This week's obsession
Today's run (street): 3.4 miles

I've always been interested in media and technology. In fact, my whole career has been focused on those two things. Among the benefits of being "retired when convenient" is that I can focus on things that really interest me. I recently created a Drupal CMS that I'm developing as an XML publishing system. In the past, I would have had to do this late at night or on weekends, but now I can work on it whenever I feel like taking a break from other things.

One of the reasons I enjoy working with technology is that it combines creativity with functionality. The creative process can be based on design, problem solving or building something cool. I had reached the point on a Drupal technical challenge that was monopolizing my focus. I needed to take a break, so I went for a mid-morning run.

The temperature was around 70 degrees when I went outside, but the sun was harsh and the humidity was high. I wasn't concerned about going fast today and that helped me deal with the hot weather. I found a pace that allowed me to move along without thinking. I was thinking, but just not about running. As I moved along, I thought about different options for addressing my technical challenge. By the time I reached home, I had my answer.

It wasn't a particularly impressive workout in terms of metrics, but the heat kept my efforts in check. I liked that I was able to combine running, technology, creativity and business in a way that resulted in a win, win win, win situation.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

An eight mile workout on top of another

Supremely lucky
Today's workout (elliptical): 30 minutes + 8 mile walk

It's another beautiful day in NYC, but I ended up doing my workout indoors this morning. No matter what, time always seems to influence action. I needed to make a mid-morning train and I'd squandered the early morning hours putting the final touches on my new business website. The elliptical made the most sense in terms of time efficiency, so I picked that over the road and the treadmill. If I'd known how much walking I would do today, I may have skipped my workout altogether.

My travels took me all around NYC today. With exception of a subway ride from Penn Station to Chamber Street, I walked up, down and all around. When I got back to Penn at the end of the day, my Fitbit showed 18K steps and 8 miles walked. My feet were fairly sore, but that's what recovery shoes are for. I put on a pair the second I got home.

The purpose of my trip downtown was to visit the Manhattan County Clerk's office at 60 Centre Street. I needed to do some legal work related to my new business. The Clerk's office is located in the basement of the Supreme Court building, and it looks like it hasn't been renovated since the 19th century. Seriously, go there and see for yourself.

It turned out that the filing (and its sizable fee) was unnecessary. Except for the cost of a subway ride, I came out well ahead. I walked from Centre Street to midtown, and eventually, back to Penn Station. Today showed that not every workout needs to involve aerobic intensity to make an impact. Sometimes it's a matter of taking some steps - maybe eighteen thousand or so.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Spring running is great, so the laptop can wait

Such that it is
Today's run (street): 3.4 miles

Yesterday was my scheduled rest day and I spent a good part of it in front of my laptop. Consequently, I  "achieved" a pathetically low step and distance count. If my Fitbit could talk to me right now, it would probably wouldn't. I'm under the gun with business related tasks, but I have been making great progress. After all that intense work, I needed to run today. The beautiful weather certainly helped get me out the door.

My treadmill workout on Sunday was short but extremely difficult. I thought this morning about the fact that the Marcie Mazzola 5K was scheduled for next Sunday. Sadly that race has been postponed due to the death of a Mazzola family member. The way I've been running lately, I don't think I would have been very competitive. I prepared to struggle as I took my first steps on today's run, and was surprised to find that I felt great.

It was a beautiful early spring morning and I'd taken the chance of wearing running shorts and a short sleeved jersey. Sunny skies and low humidity powered me through one of my fastest runs in weeks. I wasn't sure at the time how I was pacing, but I took advantage of my energy level and threw in some "speed play" a few times every mile. I covered the last mile at 10K race pace and finished feeling refreshed and energized. That was a good thing, because before long, it was back to the laptop for the rest of the day.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Business exhaustion + run exhaustion = redemption

Wheel of redemption
Today's run (treadmill): 3.1 miles

I thought that leaving my job might profoundly change my life. Actually, it has, but not exactly in the way that I expected. I'd imagined myself taking leisurely runs on the trail each morning, followed by a variety of activities that I've put off for years. Despite those expectations, my running schedule hasn't really changed. Highly anticipated activities, like returning to playing my classical guitar, have been put on hold. I may not be getting up at 3:30 AM anymore, but I'm working harder than ever.

Much of my attention has been diverted to a consulting practice that I recently started. Creating a business requires many steps, ranging from setting up legal and business resources, to selling services to clients. So far it's been energizing, but all the meetings, calls and proposals can wear you out. That became evident this morning when some work I was doing distracted me past my scheduled run time. After forcing myself to stop, I realized staring at web code for hours had given me a pounding headache. Instead of a run I felt like I needed a nap.

We were up late last night, but I'd found it impossible to sleep past 6:00 AM. I'd planned to go to Stillwell for a trail run. Soon enough, I started self-negotiating to shorter distances on local roads. The wind was blowing hard outside, further eroding my motivation to do my run. I started thinking about forgoing my workout altogether.

In the meantime, my wife who was similarly tired from our late night, had completed her workout and taken a shower. She said it made her feel better, although she felt her run was harder than usual. Inspired by her, I made my way to the guestroom to face the treadmill. I made no pretense that I'd make it a speedy run. This workout was far more about maintaining commitment than improving fitness and conditioning.

I started by running a pace that was 15% slower than usual, and stuck with it until the display showed one mile. From there, I began to increase the treadmill speed every couple of minutes. By the time I'd reached two miles, it was feeling like five. The experience of watching the readout slowly tick toward three miles was torturous, especially since I'd increased my speed to a relatively brisk pace by then.

Considering the short duration, I haven't had many runs that felt as hard. I was thrilled to kick down the speed after 3.1 miles for cool-down. Although I was wiped out, I was also energized, and my headache was gone. This workout felt like redemption and I was very pleased that I didn't skip my workout. On the downside, I realized that I'd failed to transfer my Fitbit to my running shorts so I didn't capture all those steps and distance. I may have lost all that data but I gained back some self esteem. 

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Spinning companies and flywheels

Getting dizzy
Today's workout (elliptical): 35 minutes

There is a (supposedly) ancient Chinese curse that goes, "May you live in interesting times." Interesting is usually considered a positive word, but the curse implies otherwise. 2013 has already turned out to be an interesting year for me and for many of my ex-colleagues. Yesterday, Time Warner announced that it was spinning off its publishing division into a separate company. I worry about my friends who remain at this division and may be affected by this change. I am merely a spectator at this point, but I'm happily watching the stock's price rise.

Speaking of things both interesting and spinning, I decided to use the ProForm elliptical machine for only the third time since we've got it. My wife and kids use it all the time, but I've preferred to use the treadmill for most of my indoor workouts. The biggest reason I've neglected the elliptical is that I haven't liked the ProForm's user experience compared to the prior unit (BH Fitness X1). As disappointed as I was when the X1 broke a main part (and couldn't be fixed), the unit itself had been solid as a rock.

Today, I found no issues with the ProForm. I started at light resistance and increased that every few minutes until I reached my targeted heart rate. I liked the relative quiet compared to the treadmill that allowed me to focus on other distractions, like the television. The ProForm reports distance as revolutions, so you don't get a great sense of progress. I was primarily concerned with getting my time in and, by the 35th minute, I was satisfied with my workout.

Today has turned out to be an interesting day. Between company spin-offs and spinning flywheels I had plenty to think about. The snowstorm, part 1, has been a non-event. We're supposed to see 2"-4" inches overnight and into morning. If it's on the low side, I may go for an outdoor run tomorrow. If there's any accumulation, I'll want to avoid contention with snowplows. That would make things just a little too interesting.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Goodbye office, hello treadmill

See ya
Wednesday's run (treadmill): 2.4 miles
Friday's run (treadmill): 3.25 miles

Although I have been only intermittently engaged with my company in the last two weeks, I was still going in the office a few days to finish up business. Yesterday was the culmination of that. I boxed up my personal items and bubble wrapped the artwork that had hung on the walls of the ten offices I've occupied since joining the company in 1992. It wasn't a dramatic exit, much more, "See ya soon" than "goodbye." But, a day later, I'm already missing my co-workers.

The night before I was graciously treated to dinner by some industry friends who took me to an excellent and very trendy restaurant not far from my office. It had already been a long day by the time I met up with them. The conversation flowed and the evening went long. I didn't get home until nearly midnight. I had to to go into the office early on Thursday morning, so I skipped my workout to allow me to sleep an extra hour.

Wednesday morning I got up at 4:30 AM and did a treadmill run. I knew the day would be long and that I'd be covering a number of sections of the city on foot. That said, I still wanted to get in a workout. I don't remember much about Wednesday's treadmill run except that I had trouble maintaining an aggressive pace. I did manage to get to targeted speed in the final few minutes, but it wasn't a high performance run.

This morning my wife and I had to run an early morning errand and when we returned home, I headed upstairs for a treadmill run. I'm only a week away from the Snowball race so I didn't hesitate to set a fast pace from the start. I was running in my optimal time window and that helped me sustain speeds that were a little too tough on Wednesday morning. I increased the pace until I'd reached my initial heart rate target.

It's funny how runs can vary from day to day. Today everything went smoothly and I was pleased with my performance. It would be great to get to Bethpage this weekend to take advantage of all the hills. You'd think that in 2013, technology would allow me to know if the gates to Bethpage State Park are open before I drive all the way over there. I suppose the best way to confirm that is to use a technology that was invented in 1876, the telephone, and call the park's maintenance office.
 

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