Monday, February 20, 2012

Week Ending February 19

Had a pretty darn good week.  I seem to have recovered a bit from whatever was ailing me, and I was able to get in some good, solid miles.  Other than that, I've been doing this, that, and the other thing during the week.  My parents bought a new house, and I've been helping them out on the weekends with getting the old one ready to put on the market.  This weekend saw me ripping up carpet, patching dry wall, and painting a utility room.  That, along with my Sunday long run, has made me a sore lad this Monday morning.

We had our first High Plains Harriers committee meeting last night.  I think we have a lot of good things planned out and lined up.  It should be great year for HPH events (September in particular is going to be frenetic), and I think we have some good ideas in place for promoting the club that will hopefully lead to it becoming bigger and better.

I also have a decision or two to make regarding the future.  Scary.

Here's my training week:

Mon. Feb 13 - A.M. 3 miles in 26 min (8:39 pace).  It snowed nearly half a foot overnight, making for some trudging on the Greenbelt.  Slow going.

P.M. - 4 miles in 28 min (7:00 pace).  Greenbelt again, only the snow had been cleared.  That made for some quicker movement.  Core workout after.

Tues. Feb. 14 - A.M. 3 miles in 20 min (6:40 pace).  Quick morning run on the Greenbelt.

P.M. - 10 miles in 70 min (7:00 pace).  Tuesday Night Hills.  Spent my Valentine's Day evening running.  No better way to have spent it.  This was my best feeling and most productive hills workout in several weeks.  Warm-up from home to hospital, then six reps in 1:55, 1:56, 1:57, 1:57, 1:56, and hammered the last one in 1:46.  My main concentration was to get my rest time down a little.  For a workout like this, I've been taking too long of rests the last few weeks.  I made myself get down the hill tonight, taking 2:45 rests between reps.  Gotta work that O2 system!  Cool down home.

Wed. Feb. 15 - 4 miles in 29 min (7:09 pace).  Quick, relaxed run on the Greenbelt after work.  Nothing special.  Core workout after.

Thurs. Feb. 16 - 8 miles in 54 min (6:41 pace).  I went out at lunch on what turned into a sun-filled, somewhat warm (hey, I wore shorts!) day.  That vitamin D sure feels good!  I went out on my old West Laramie loop, and about four miles in I was feeling so good that I decided to kick the pace down for an impromptu tempo run.  Hit the next three miles in a little under 18 min (averaging a 5:53-5:54 mile pace), and then slowed down for one last mile before heading home.  Very nice run.

Fri. Feb. 17 - 7 miles in 48 min (6:52 pace).  I met El Jefe and Patrick for some early morning indoor track form workout fun!  2x form drills followed by 5x 2-lappers on the inside lane (160m) with one lap jog rest.  Averaged between 61-63 seconds on the two lap intervals with 50 seconds on the rest laps.  Felt pretty smooth and loose.  Cool down run home.

Sat. Feb. 18 - 6.5 miles in 45 min (6:55 pace).  I got over to Cheyenne about mid-day, and after having been put to work ripping up carpet from my parents' downstairs, I decided to get out for a few miles.  I wasn't excited about it, and I forced myself out the door, but once out and running, I felt pretty good.  Another case of being glad I made myself get outside and run.

Sun. Feb. 19 - 16 miles in 106 min (6:37 pace).  Sunday morning long run in Cheyenne.  Did my Mustang Ridge loop with some miles on the Greenway.  First nine miles or so are fairly rolling hilly.  Nice morning, no wind (what?!) and another fine run of feeling good.  Very productive.  Then I spent the rest of the day painting.  Now I am sore.

Next week:  The dreaded TWIN MOUNTAIN TRUDGE!!!!!!!

Totals:
Week's Miles: 62
Running Time: 7:05
Year to Date: 349 (42:14 running time)

Gear: Asics Sky Speed (114 miles) Saucony Peregrine (188 miles)

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Week Ending Feb. 12

I got really physically run down last week.  I was exhausted and feared I had some sickness coming on, but some rest and, yes, a couple of days off from running seem to have perked me up again.  A lot of times, instead of having the physical manifestations of a cold or flu, my body just gets really run down trying to fight it off.  I've always had a pretty good immune system, but sometimes between fighting off a bug and running a lot, I just crash. 

So, with that in mind, I think some augmentation to my training plan is in order.  When I initially started planning this year's schedule last fall, I had planned to do a two up, one down cycle.  For some reason I decided to switch to a three up, one down cycle at the beginning of the year.  Given past experience, I should have stuck with the two up, one down.  My body, since the very beginning of my running days, has always seemed to function on a two week cycle.  I'd train well for two weeks and then have a couple of days of not feeling great before I'd perk up and have another good two weeks.

That explains why I crashed about the middle of last week.  And another cursory look back through some old training logs show that back when I first started running under Sanchez, he had me doing a two up, one down mileage build-up on six days a week.  I've been trying to get three full weeks in before I back off and take one day off.  That may not be enough rest for me.  So, the crash last week sets me up to start anew with a two up, one down cycle with a little more rest built in.  I think that will work better.

Mon. Feb. 6 - 4 miles in 28 min (7:05 pace).  I was really worn out from the previous day's 18-miler.  I went out in the afternoon for an easy run.  Core work after.

Tues. Feb. 7 - A.M. 3 miles in 23 min (7:30 pace).  A dusting of snow during the night made the Greenbelt pretty slick.  Feeling better than yesterday, but still pretty tired.

P.M. 10 miles in 72 min (7:12 pace).  Tuesday Night Hills.  Warm-up to hospital hill.  Focused on taking less rest since I took too much last week.  Jeff and I averaged between 3:00 and 3:10 on the rests.  I hit the reps in 1:53, 1:57, 1:57, 1:57, 1:58, and 1:55.  Cool down run home.

Wed. Feb. 8 - 6.5 miles in 50 min (7:41 pace).  Met Jeff and Patrick for a lunch run.  I felt like 10 pounds of shit in a five pound bag.  It was nice and windy, I was really tired, I was pissed about stupid things, and generally in a bad mood.  Glad Jeff and Patrick put up with my bitching.  Those guys are cool.

Thurs. Feb. 9 - A.M. 3 miles in 21 min (6:55 pace).  Quick morning run on the Greenbelt.  Felt much better than yesterday.

P.M. 4 miles in 27 min (6:38 pace).  Quick post-work run on the Greenbelt.  Core work after before heading to the Eastmans' for a wonderful dinner, followed by dessert and drinks at the Frenchs'.  Just what I needed.

Fri. Feb. 10 - 6.5 miles in 44 min (6:44 pace).  Warm-up to the fieldhouse for the Friday usual.  Form drills with 8x one laps.  Averaged 36 on the laps with 30 sec rest.  Not much in the way of speed this morning.  Cool down home.

Totals:
Week's Miles: 37
Running Time: 4:24
Year to Date: 287 (35:09 running time)

I left for Cheyenne Friday afternoon in order to beat the brunt of a storm rolling through the area.  It snowed 5 inches or so overnight in Cheyenne, making for some slick roads Saturday.  It also didn't get above single digits temperature wise, so I, much like Walter Sobchak, said "%&*$ it, Dude."  I went to the Kevin Salverson Memorial indoor track meet at Central, visited with the Salverson/Johnson clan as well as the Central coaching staff, and generally relaxed.  That felt so good that on Sunday I thought I'd go ahead and do the same thing.

Gear: Asics Sky Speed (80 miles) Saucony Peregrine (185 miles)

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Metallica - Hate Train

This week's song is from my favorite band.  Been a die hard fan since I first heard Enter Sandman as a little guy back in the early '90s.  This is a song from their latest 4-song EP consisting of songs "leftover" from Death Magnetic.  For the life of me, I can't figure out how this song was left off that album.

No one plays rhythm guitar like Hetfield.  Best right hand in metal, period.  That guy drives the train, and produces one amazing riff after another.

Lyrically, this song describes my week.  Been extremely frustrating and my anger has been close to the surface all week.  It's recently dawned on me that I may have some anger management issues.  I know the root cause of it.  Drama and craziness all wrapped up into one package.  A package I didn't order and have absolutely no use for.  A package that needs to just go away.


Sunday, February 5, 2012

Week Ending February 5

Nothing super exciting to report this week.  Just a week full of work and some running.  Mileage build-up continues as I begin to focus on getting my butt-kicked at the Trudge and looking forward to what I need to do to prepare for Big Horn.  I'm getting impatient with the weather.  I'm very much looking forward to being able to run trails again.  Only three or four more months...

Mon. Jan. 30 - 5 miles in 37 min (7:24 pace).  Early morning run (5:30am) with Jason on the bike paths in Golden before he went to work and I drove back to Laramie.

Tues. Jan. 31 - 10 miles in 80 min (8:00 pace).  Tuesday Night Hills.  I let Rachel set the pace on the warm-up over to the hospital since I was feeling a little stoved up and wasn't looking for anything super stimulating.  I sandbagged the first four reps up the hill in 1:56, 1:57, 1:58, 1:57, taking my sweet-ass time getting back down the hill to start the next rep.  I woke up and loosened up a bit for five and six in 1:54 and 1:49.  Cooldown run home.

January Miles: 206 (25:42 running time)

Wed. Feb. 1 - 7 miles in 47 min (6:42 pace).  Lunchtime run on the Greenbelt.  Enjoyed some sunny, fairly warm, and most surprisingly not windy weather.  I took advantage by running a good pace that felt pretty good.

Thurs. Feb. 2 - 3 miles in 21 min (7:00 pace).  Quick morning run.  I was going to go out after work and put in another 4-5 miles, but the weather turned, and I decided that partaking in some dinner and Second City with Elizabeth (whom fame suits) was a better idea.

Fri. Feb. 3 - 5.5 miles in 39 min (7:05 pace).  Friday form workout.  I took the warm-up and cool down to and fro the fieldhouse easy because of the slick snow on the roads.  Usual Friday: form drills with 8x180m averaged in 33 high with number eight in 31.  Wasn't feeling the turnover this morning.


Potluck at Alec's.  Jelm Mtn. sweatshirt theme.

Sat. Feb. 4 - 10 miles in 76 min (7:35 pace).  HPH Coffee Run.  Met the crew at 17th St. Cafe for some morning fun.  Stayed out a little late and drank one or two too many beers at Alec's potluck the night before, and about 50 min in the run I paid for it by having to stop at a construction site port-a-john.  Haven't done that for awhile.  Oh well.  Felt way freaking better after.  Finished the run back to 17th St. where they served me a stack of uber-delicious pancakes.  

Sun. Feb. 5 - 18 miles in 120 min (6:40 pace).  While I maybe should have been trudging in the mountains, since I was in Cheyenne, and the weather was pretty fantastic, I went out for a long run.  I wanted to get in two hours (which I did) and I was thinking I'd get 15, maybe 16 miles in.  When I got home and mapped the circuitous route I took around Cheyenne (I saw Monterrey Heights, Western Hills, both Lions and Frontier parks, the Capital, the Greenway, and Buffalo Ridge) I was very surprised to see I covered 18 miles.  I was feeling pretty darn good for about 1:40, and then struggled a little on the last 20 minutes, but obviously I was still keeping a pretty good pace.  Long runs at this pace a very productive.

My new shoes didn't hurt, either.  FOTR was out of my size in the SpeedStar, so I picked up Jeff's favorite shoe, the Sky Speed, which is basically the DS Trainer minus the medial post.  Quick review: I like them.  They are an ounce or two heavier than the SpeedStar, but the midsole appears and, more importantly, feels like it's the same height which is important to me not getting plantar fasciitis.

Next week, 65 miles on the schdule.  Then a down week (50 or so), then the next build-up phase and THE TRUDGE!

Totals:
Week's Miles: 59
Running Time: 7:00
Year to Date: 250 (30:45 running time)

Gear: Asics SpeedStar 5 (retired at 512 miles) Saucony Peregrine (185 miles) Asics Sky Speed (18 miles)