I Ran 5 km In Under 27 Minutes! June 26, 2006
This morning the front light wasn’t on at A’s house (our signal to each other when one of us is not running this morning), so I ran alone.
This was not a bad thing, as I had a few podcasts I wanted to listen to (Tips From The Top Floor (photography), Up To The Top Floor (digital media business), and Part II of a great interview by Yaro Starak with an Australian eBook writer named Daryl Grant).
Maybe it’s because I was distracted by the great podcasts, or maybe it was because I’d had a couple of days of no running and was rested up, but I felt great running this morning and broke my old personal best for 5 km (3 miles) by about a minute! I ran it in 26:45, which is an average pace of around 5:21 per km. I had a lot of energy left towards the end, and was able to really push hard for the last few hundred metres, shaving valuable seconds off my time.
I need to start increasing my distance a bit now, especially if I’m going to run in the 14 km Sydney City To Surf race in mid-August. I don’t expect to be able to run the whole thing non-stop, but I figure if I approach it in stages of 2 to 3 km each, with a walking rest in between each stage, I should be able to put in a respectable time.
Technorati Tags: jogging, running, exercise, Yaro Starak, Tips From The Top Floor, Up To The Top Floor, Daryl Grant, podcasts
Photography Podcast - Tips From The Top Floor February 17, 2006
Here’s a great podcast for anyone that’s into photography (especially digital photography):
The host, Chris Marquardt, is a sound professional (see Top Floor Productions), so this show has high production values and is very easy to listen to. He’s also a quirky and fun guy, providing great entertainment.
In Chris’ own words:
And here it is: the tips from the top floor are my way of trying to share helpful information around digital photography without overwhelming the listener. I’m trying to make this helpful for the beginners, but I have also received feedback from professionals who said they did find some good information in my show.
iPod - My Smallest Piece of Exercise Equipment December 13, 2005
I walked again this morning, and actually enjoyed it.
Finding Time
Getting up at 5:30am seems to solve my Time- and Guilt-based aversions to exercise. I’ve found the extra half-hour in my day by simply getting up earlier, and so far it doesn’t seem to require me going to bed earlier at night. And I don’t feel guilty about leaving my wife at home to get the kids ready without help, since they’re all still in bed at that time (including her!).
Dealing With Boredom
But the big killer for me in the past has been Boredom. There just isn’t enough interest in plain old walking to keep me motivated day after day, week after week. Sure, you can vary your route on different days, but it’s still pretty uninteresting.
I’ve found a solution that’s working for me, though, and it might also work for you.
Audio Books
I have a half-hour drive to work every day, which is normally pretty much dead time. There’s not a lot you can do in a car to use that time productively, so you end up just listening to mindless radio. Then a couple of years ago I discovered the audio book section in my local library, and tried listening to books on the way to work. It turns out to be a great use of that time! I was getting through a full book every week or two.
Podcasts
About a year ago I started downloading and listening to podcasts, which were even better as they were directly related to my own interests - most of the books on tape were targeted to the older residents of our town, and I’d already been through most of the ones that really interested me.
So, I’m taking my iPod out with me in the mornings and listening to podcasts that I’m really interested in. Walking is no longer boring - it’s like I’m getting up half an hour early to listen to podcasts while my body goes for a walk.
Banish Laziness Too!
As an unexpected side effect, listening to podcasts also helps me with my Laziness problem. Each episode of a podcast is usually 10 minutes to an hour long, so it’s pretty rare that I finish an episode just as I get home (whether driving or walking). Each morning, I’m keen to get up and get out walking because I’m interested to hear the rest of the episode. Today I even kept walking for about 10 minutes longer because I wanted to keep listening.
Finding Podcasts
To find podcasts, just install Apple’s iTunes (available for Windows or Mac) and click on the Podcasts tab. You can learn more about using iTunes for listening to podcasts at the Apple web site. Or if you don’t want to use iTunes, read about podcasting at Wikipedia, download an alternative podcatching client, and search for podcasts at Podcast Alley.
Other Sources of Audio
If you can’t find any podcasts you’re interested in, or you don’t have broadband and so can’t download them, try audio books. Most libraries have them tucked away somewhere, and it really isn’t hard to rip the CDs into your iPod so you can listen to them more easily. You can purchase audio books online via the iTunes Music Store or somewhere like Audible.com. You could also purchase used audio books on CD from eBay, and then sell them again after you’ve listened to them.
Steve Pavlina’s Podcast December 12, 2005
I listened to some podcasts by Steve Pavlina on the iPod while out walking this morning - highly recommended if you’re interested in personal development. There are quite a few audio files already there on Steve’s site, so as well as subscribing for updates you can download all the past shows. They should keep me going for the next week or so!