This one will be short and sweet. Just catching up on the numbers from the last two weeks. I will have a full write-up (complete with pictures!) of my experience during our Wind River Crossing last week. I'm still digesting it; such an unbelievable experience, it deserves my full, undivided attention.
Tues. August 9 - 8.5 miles in 64 min (7:31 pace). Lunchtime run in the prairie in Laramie. I recall thinking it was a little hot. Mid-80's in Laramie is pretty warm.
Thurs. August 11 - 11 miles in 79 min (7:10 pace). I decided to hit up the full Silent Trails course after work. I relaxed down Pole Creek to find myself feeling pretty decent at the base of The Bitch. I decided to work the climb pretty hard, making the ascent in 12:32, my best time on the climb in a couple of years. After that, I still felt pretty good so I decided to push it a little on Browns and Headquarters. While my fastest time on this course is 70 minutes, I think that with continued, consistent training and a few more forays on the course, I can run 68 min or so come race time in October.
Sat. August 13 - 6.5 miles in 51 min (7:50 pace). I was in western Michigan for a friend's wedding. I hit up this run with a buddy and just took it easy. We went out for about 30 minutes on some wonderful country roads through fruit orchards, then came back for about 20 minutes of barefoot running on the shores of Lake Michigan. Not a bad little run.
I feel like I slacked a little this week, but I travelled quite a bit and I was attempting a pseudo-taper for the Wind River Crossing. I didn't figure I should thrash myself a week before I thrash myself. So, it is what it is.
Week's Miles: 26
Running Time: 3:14
Year to Date: 897
Wed. August 17 - 50 miles in 21:11 (25:25 pace). Wind River Crossing 2011. Possibly the most difficult thing I have ever done. As I mentioned above, I will provide a write-up of this in the next couple of days. Short and sweet facts: after pre-run mileage estimates of 45 miles, we have all agreed that it was pretty much 50 even. Starting elevation: 7,596. Highest elevation: 12,834. Total elevation gain: 10,095. Total elevation loss: 6,904. And five beat-up, but ultimately no-worse-for-wear guys.
Sun. August 21 - 5 miles in 35 min (7:00 pace). First run out since the crossing. Quick and easy loop around north Cheyenne to loosen up some of the kinks. Other than a somewhat sore right shoulder, my body seems to have recovered quickly and well from the ordeal.
Week's Miles: 55
Running Time: 21:46
Year to Date: 952
Gear: Asics Speedstar 5 (63 miles), New Balance Trail 101 (92 miles)
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Week Ending August 7 - With Pictures!
Once again, I am posting late. Been a busy and somewhat screwed up week. I am getting this done real quick so I can get to bed so I can get up bright and early, drive to DIA, and catch a flight to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Going to a weddin'!
Mon. August 1 - 8 miles in 55 min (6:52 pace). I got out early in the morning in Cheyenne in order to avoid the high temps of the afternoon/evening. It worked. Did an old favorite course up and around the Airport Golf Course, and Lion's and Frontier Parks. Felt good to run in my old footsteps; I first started running around those parks as a 15 year-old high school sophomore in 1998. I have enjoyed that run ever since. First run with an average pace under seven minutes in quite some time.
Tues. August 2 - 9.5 miles in 71 min (7:28 pace). I stopped at the trails on my way back to Cheyenne after work. I went out Headquarters to Browns, came up Summit Loop and onto Super Secret. While on Super Secret I had an attack of the intestinal woes and actually had to stop to "take care of it." Haven't had that issue in a very long time. From there I went down the remainder of Haunted Forest to Aspen. A tree root came up and clipped my lazy right foot and sent me sprawling on the trail. While I endured no serious cuts, scrapes, or injuries, I did wake up the following morning with a sore shoulder and neck since they are what took the brunt of the fall (I tend to always fall on my right shoulder). I got up, brushed off some dirt, and continued up Pole Creek to Upper UW and back into the Summit trailhead. Despite the setbacks, I felt really fluid and fast on this run.
Wed. August 3 - 6.5 miles in 50 min (7:41 pace). I met Chris Schabron for an easy morning run along the Greenway in Cheyenne. Nice, cool morning, pleasant conversation, and a relaxed place. Not too bad.
Sat. August 6 - 5 miles in 37 min (7:24 pace). I took the previous two days off because with my planned long run for the next day, runs on those days would have pushed my mileage well into the 60s for the week; and considering I ran 34 or something last week, doubling my miles in one week seemed like a poor decision. Hence the days off. This run was a quick and easy fiver through Western Hills in Cheyenne in order to kick out some crud and loosen up for the long run tomorrow.
Sun. August 7 - 22 miles in 3:05 (8:24 pace). Chris joined me for a Double Trudge Loop adventure at Happy Jack. This was a run planned to be a training run for the epic Wind River Crossing week after next. I did it with a 15-pound pack full of all the items I plan to carry on the crossing. The pack changed the game a little. It forced me to take the first loop conservatively. About 2/3 the way around the first loop, I had an equipment failure when the CamelBack bladder I had sprung a leak. Good-bye 100oz. of water. I had a 20oz. bottle back in Chris's car, so I grabbed it and threw it in the pack for the second loop. It would not be quite enough water, but I survived.
We did the first loop in 90 minutes and took off for the second. Chris was having quite the time; he was continually amazed at how great a morning it was and how surprised he was about how good he felt on a 22-mile trail run. I was a little less enthusiastic over the last couple of miles since I was a little dehydrated and tired from the pack.
We finished up the second loop in 95 minutes for a total running time of 3:05. I thought that was pretty damn good considering back in January I did one loop (during the actual Trudge) in 3:15. Guess knee-deep snow makes a difference.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 51
Running Time: 6:38
August's Miles: 51
Year to Date: 871
Gear: Asics Speedstar 5 (51 miles), New Balance Trail 100 (retired at 445 miles), New Balance Trail 101 (22 miles)
Mon. August 1 - 8 miles in 55 min (6:52 pace). I got out early in the morning in Cheyenne in order to avoid the high temps of the afternoon/evening. It worked. Did an old favorite course up and around the Airport Golf Course, and Lion's and Frontier Parks. Felt good to run in my old footsteps; I first started running around those parks as a 15 year-old high school sophomore in 1998. I have enjoyed that run ever since. First run with an average pace under seven minutes in quite some time.
Tues. August 2 - 9.5 miles in 71 min (7:28 pace). I stopped at the trails on my way back to Cheyenne after work. I went out Headquarters to Browns, came up Summit Loop and onto Super Secret. While on Super Secret I had an attack of the intestinal woes and actually had to stop to "take care of it." Haven't had that issue in a very long time. From there I went down the remainder of Haunted Forest to Aspen. A tree root came up and clipped my lazy right foot and sent me sprawling on the trail. While I endured no serious cuts, scrapes, or injuries, I did wake up the following morning with a sore shoulder and neck since they are what took the brunt of the fall (I tend to always fall on my right shoulder). I got up, brushed off some dirt, and continued up Pole Creek to Upper UW and back into the Summit trailhead. Despite the setbacks, I felt really fluid and fast on this run.
Wed. August 3 - 6.5 miles in 50 min (7:41 pace). I met Chris Schabron for an easy morning run along the Greenway in Cheyenne. Nice, cool morning, pleasant conversation, and a relaxed place. Not too bad.
Sat. August 6 - 5 miles in 37 min (7:24 pace). I took the previous two days off because with my planned long run for the next day, runs on those days would have pushed my mileage well into the 60s for the week; and considering I ran 34 or something last week, doubling my miles in one week seemed like a poor decision. Hence the days off. This run was a quick and easy fiver through Western Hills in Cheyenne in order to kick out some crud and loosen up for the long run tomorrow.
Sun. August 7 - 22 miles in 3:05 (8:24 pace). Chris joined me for a Double Trudge Loop adventure at Happy Jack. This was a run planned to be a training run for the epic Wind River Crossing week after next. I did it with a 15-pound pack full of all the items I plan to carry on the crossing. The pack changed the game a little. It forced me to take the first loop conservatively. About 2/3 the way around the first loop, I had an equipment failure when the CamelBack bladder I had sprung a leak. Good-bye 100oz. of water. I had a 20oz. bottle back in Chris's car, so I grabbed it and threw it in the pack for the second loop. It would not be quite enough water, but I survived.
We did the first loop in 90 minutes and took off for the second. Chris was having quite the time; he was continually amazed at how great a morning it was and how surprised he was about how good he felt on a 22-mile trail run. I was a little less enthusiastic over the last couple of miles since I was a little dehydrated and tired from the pack.
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| Trudge Loop - Second Loop - View from the top of Skeleton Trail |
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| Chris enjoying his Sunday morning. |
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| Sweating profusely under the weight of my pack (and body hair). |
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| Hungry Dogs! |
Totals:
Week's Miles: 51
Running Time: 6:38
August's Miles: 51
Year to Date: 871
Gear: Asics Speedstar 5 (51 miles), New Balance Trail 100 (retired at 445 miles), New Balance Trail 101 (22 miles)
Monday, August 1, 2011
Week Ending July 31
Another not so successful week. I was really burned out by the end of it. Seems the stress of all the other things in my life (latest addition to the list is a pick-up that is having mechanical issues) has caught up to me. Last couple of runs this week were not great; I was very tired and sluggish. Anyway, here's what I did.
Wed. July 27 - 8 miles in 64 min (8 min pace). I went for a lunch time run in the prairie in Laramie. It felt okay. It was pretty hot for Laramie standards (the heat would be an issue for me all week) and I took it easy pace-wise.
Thurs. July 28 - 7.5 miles in 53 min (7:03 pace). I decided it was time to return to the track, and in keeping with my desire to run a sub-five mile by the end of the summer, I figured a 400m interval workout was in order. I wanted to start conservatively and build into it, reaching five-minute pace or faster toward the end of the workout. I did 12x400m with 200m jog rest (those were between 60-70sec.). Here's the splits: 76.6, 80.8, 80.8, 80.5 (5:17.7), 81.5, 80.4, 77.4, 79.6 (5:18.9), 76.6, 76.7, 75.6, 72.3 (5:01.2). I was happy that I was around five-flat pace on the last set of four. All in all, I felt it was a good workout.
Fri. July 29 - 9 miles in 71 min (7:53 pace). I wanted to run the Silent Trails course, so I hit the trails after work to do just that. Again, it was pretty damn hot, and again I did not handle it well. I got half-way up the Bitch when I decided I just didn't have the entire loop in my legs. Instead of heading out Browns Landing and Headquarters, I just came in on Summit. Guess something is better than nothing.
Sat. July 30 - 7 miles in 56 min (8:08 pace). After lazing around the house in the morning when it was cool, I, for some really stupid reason, decided to head out into the Cheyenne mid-day heat. It was 90 degrees when I started the run, and I would venture a guess that the temps on the road were triple digits. It was way too hot, and I paid for it. I ran my old Mustang Ridge route in north Cheyenne (an old favorite from high school) and made it half-way around before I had to stop and try to cool-down for a minute. I would stop and walk several more times on this run. I didn't run Sunday because I was still messed up from that heat.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 32
Running Time: 4:06
July's Miles: 135
Year to Date: 820
Gear: Asics Speedstar 5 (32 miles) New Balance Trail 100 (415 miles)
Wed. July 27 - 8 miles in 64 min (8 min pace). I went for a lunch time run in the prairie in Laramie. It felt okay. It was pretty hot for Laramie standards (the heat would be an issue for me all week) and I took it easy pace-wise.
Thurs. July 28 - 7.5 miles in 53 min (7:03 pace). I decided it was time to return to the track, and in keeping with my desire to run a sub-five mile by the end of the summer, I figured a 400m interval workout was in order. I wanted to start conservatively and build into it, reaching five-minute pace or faster toward the end of the workout. I did 12x400m with 200m jog rest (those were between 60-70sec.). Here's the splits: 76.6, 80.8, 80.8, 80.5 (5:17.7), 81.5, 80.4, 77.4, 79.6 (5:18.9), 76.6, 76.7, 75.6, 72.3 (5:01.2). I was happy that I was around five-flat pace on the last set of four. All in all, I felt it was a good workout.
Fri. July 29 - 9 miles in 71 min (7:53 pace). I wanted to run the Silent Trails course, so I hit the trails after work to do just that. Again, it was pretty damn hot, and again I did not handle it well. I got half-way up the Bitch when I decided I just didn't have the entire loop in my legs. Instead of heading out Browns Landing and Headquarters, I just came in on Summit. Guess something is better than nothing.
Sat. July 30 - 7 miles in 56 min (8:08 pace). After lazing around the house in the morning when it was cool, I, for some really stupid reason, decided to head out into the Cheyenne mid-day heat. It was 90 degrees when I started the run, and I would venture a guess that the temps on the road were triple digits. It was way too hot, and I paid for it. I ran my old Mustang Ridge route in north Cheyenne (an old favorite from high school) and made it half-way around before I had to stop and try to cool-down for a minute. I would stop and walk several more times on this run. I didn't run Sunday because I was still messed up from that heat.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 32
Running Time: 4:06
July's Miles: 135
Year to Date: 820
Gear: Asics Speedstar 5 (32 miles) New Balance Trail 100 (415 miles)
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