Training for My 1st Marathon

Yesterday I went on my first training run as part of my training for the Twin Cities Marathon this fall.  I’m using a training plan from Runner’s World based on my results from the latest Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon.

On paper, the early training runs seem slow.  I often run my solo recreational runs at a less-than-8:30 min/mile pace, but rarely does my plan ask for easy runs faster than 9:00 min/mile.  In contrast, however, the fast runs – the pace runs and interval training runs – feel a little fast.  They require I sustain a faster pace (7:30-7:45 min/mile) for longer than I’m generally used to.  But seeing as this is the first time I’ve trained for a marathon, I’ll defer to the experts who created this training schedule.

This will be my first marathon, but not my first timed race.  I have three results over the past eight months that are representative of my improvement and the work I’ve put in to become a better runner. I’ve placed well since dusting off the shoes last summer.  My placements are in the top third of all race entrants, and don’t fare much worse when you consider only men’s times. Within my division (a combo of gender and age), I’ve been better than the average runner.

Race	Date	Chip Time	Min/Mile	Place	Gender Place	Div Place
Twin Cities 10K	Oct 2009	0:51:45	8:20	19%	33%	37%
Drumstick Dash 10K	Nov 2009	0:51:03	8:13	27%	42%	41%
Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon	May 2010	1:44:18	7:58	16%	28%	34%

And there will be more 10Ks and half marathons to come before the marathon this fall.  I look forward to running in the Time to Fly 10K at the end of June. Proceeds benefit children’s cancer research.  Then there will be the Urban Wildland half marathon in early August and the City of Lakes 25K in September.  I might register for another 10K or two as well as I’m very excited to set a sub-49:00 (or better!) 10K personal best this season.  You can follow all my training runs and races through my Garmin Connect page. See you on the trails!

Getting Ready for the Twin Cities 10K

With Friends after the Twin Cities 10K

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Big Party Tonight: Techno Karneval!

In Europe, Mardi Gras is called Karneval and is a huge party celebrated in major cities and small towns across the continent.  Costumes, music, people, laughter.  It’s all there.

In keeping with this most fun, if not grandest, of European end-of-winter traditions, the Germanic-American Institute (my employer) is hosting its annual party tonight!  In recent years the numbers have listed into the hundreds as people from around the region stream in with their crazy costumes to get their techno freak on.  You should definitely check it out!

I don’t know if you’ve ever been to a German party, but they are not to be missed!

More Calvin and Hobbes

Last week I included a Calvin and Hobbes image in my post on isolationism.  Today I wanted to include a full strip.  Happy February!

(Sorry for the fuzzy scan.)

I ❤ Running

What can I say, I am hooked.  Line, sinker, done.  I am a born-again massive fan of running.  Specifically, distance running.

I first started running in the summer of 2006 after I got sick of the back pains I was getting from sitting in an office chair all day.  I’ll never forget that first jog … I wasn’t gone 10 minutes – had only gotten into the 2nd song on my iPod, and only covered about 8 blocks in the neighborhood – when I returned to my apartment exhausted and mentally beaten up.  My roommate looked up, surprised, and said, “I thought you were going running?”

“I did!” is all I could muster back.  Man that seems like ages ago; last week alone I logged over 28 miles.

I took up the hobby again in earnest last summer.  As it was before, I have a good friend I can hit the pavement with.  It’s nice to have someone else vested in my fitness, and I enjoy the camaraderie and competition that comes from running with a peer.

Let's run!

I also enjoy listening to music.  Running provides a great time to listen to new albums and/or podcasts, both of which I am a massive fan.  And it just so happens that the general length of an album these days is about that of a good, quick run.  Someone planned this, I’m sure!

Exploring running sites has been an awesome way to discover nature around me as well.  It’s amazing how much beauty we miss when we drive by a stand of trees, but taking the time to jog through them really helps replenish an appreciation.

Then there are races.  Man those are a good time — you and a thousand others taking on a course together.  I swear the adrenaline of competition can really put a spring in your step.  Last Thanksgiving I set my personal best on a 10K track (6.22 miles).  I finished in 51:03 and set my personal best, with an average pace of 8:13 per mile.  Setting a PB is just a great feeling, and I look forward to bettering my time this coming spring!

Update:  Running helps beat cabin fever – a great cure for the winter blues!

New Mixes

I’ve had some fun lately putting together some new music mixes. What do you think of them?

Zombieland
I started this mix after seeing the movie. It’s a collection of the best of what I listened to in the fall of 2009. Links go to the song’s Last.FM page.

1. The Born Ruffians – I Need a Life
2. The Avett Brothers – Kick Drum Heart
3. Cloud Cult – Journey of the Featherless
4. The Envy Corps – Rhinemaidens
5. The Tough Alliance – Something Special
6. Glas Vegas – Go Square Go
7. The Magnetic Fields – California Girls
8. David Byrne and Brian Eno – Strange Overtones
9. My Morning Jacket – Dancefloors
10. The Last Shadow Puppets – Age of the Understatement
11. The Dodos – Fables
12. Julian Casablancas – 4 Chords of the Apocalypse

Update: I replaced songs 6 and 7 with Raphael Saadiq’s Never Give You Up and Elbow’s An Audience with the Pope, respectively. No knock on the previous songs, I just like the inclusion of these artists.

Slow Ride to the Digital Age
I started this mix a couple years ago when a friend asked for some recommendations for low-fi and downtempo electronic music. I’ve recently updated it.

1. Radiohead – Palo Alto
2. The Notwist – Pick Up the Phone
3. Lali Puna – Bi-Pet
4. Yazoo (or Yaz) – Mr Blue
5. Datarock – Computer Camp Love
6. The Notwist – One With the Freaks
7. Hot Chip – The Warning
8. Imogen Heap – Hide and Seek
9. Q Lazzarus – Goodbye Horses
10. The xx – Islands
11. Boards of Canada – Dayvan Cowboy
12. Air – Alone in Kyoto

50,000th Page View

I caught word of a local jazz trio playing last night in Minneapolis so I thought I’d check out their sound on their MySpace page.  (It’s good.)  When the page opened it said I was the 50,000th person to see the page.

Thinking there was a mistake I reloaded the page.  Sure enough, 50,000+1.

I wonder if I win anything?

Epic Music During a Post Office Showdown

The strip includes the caveat, That song (“Fight Without Honor or Humanity”) — like “Ride of the Valkyries” — improves *any* situation.  Which is true. 🙂

Can’t remember the songs? Here are some memorable performances of each.

Happy Friday everyone!

Fight Without Honor or Humanity

Flight of the Valkyries (turn your volume up)

Original comic published here.

Muppets

I’ve been watching old Muppet videos online today and had to throw up links to some of their new stuff. I love how they’re staying current (esp the Rowlf videos) while sticking to their roots – music, slapstick and sarcasm.  And Statler and Waldorf.

First, some music:

Muppets take on an Internet meme:

Is there a way we can put this on just the American part?

Peanut Butter and Bananas

I eat peanut butter and bananas
as the kids come home from school.
A spoontip of butter
takes a small slice from the fruit
and the novel turns its pages by itself.

I welcome the geckos
that climb my wall
and wish them, “Bon appetite.”
A teapot boils the water
is done when I hear
the gurgle over the shuffling tunes.

The fan blows white noise
across the room
as the bicycle waits for tomorrow’s ride
and the dishes lay stacked in the sink.

Fresh lime makes everything better
and crickets give the beat to every night’s song.

This poem is dedicated to black tea, Campari and lime.

Posted via email from Peder Hanson [dot] com

Just Another Office Day

Today is what I would call my first regular "office day" since my arrival here in Belize.  I got up this morning, came to work and just knocked items off my To Do list all day.  Nothing to memorable … except that's it's my first regular old boring office day in six months!  It feels good to be working again.

Far from every day will be memorable, so I might as well write down what I've done today.  I wrote a blog post about our advocacy work, and responded to positive blog comments by our UNDP financier and one of the local political parties.  I ate a decent chicken burrito at the snack stand just around the corner from the office.  And I've spent the afternoon chronicling potential funders for future project proposals.

Is it 5:00 yet?

Posted via email from Peder Hanson [dot] com