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)
Monday, February 20, 2012
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)
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.
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.
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)
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)
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Week Ending Jan. 29 & Yeti Chase 10K
Another solid week in the books. The next couple of weeks will be focused on building up some miles in preparation for the Trudge. I'm curious/cautious going forward from here since the mileage figures I have on the schedule the next few weeks will take me into territory I haven't been to in nearly six years. I'm very comfortable with 45-55 right now. I'm interested to see how my body reacts to 65-75 again.
I also am looking to spend the next couple of weekends up in the mountains trudging around. It seems odd to really focus and train for a free "race" in February, but given my past soul-crushing experiences at the Trudge, I really want to actually be somewhat prepared for once. And I feel the best way to do that is to simply do it. I've had my fun the last month with some shorter, faster road races, but that probably won't translate too well to trudging through the snow. I was going to find another road race sometime in the first couple of weeks in February, but I think my time (and money) will be better spent focusing on some mountain training.
I had a pretty damn good race, a fun weekend out of Laramie, and a good time with good friends, both old and new.
Mon. Jan. 23 - 4 miles in 60 min (15:00 pace). I wasn't feeling super hot all day but decided to head up the mountain after work and hike/run around a little bit. I went in on the Pilot Hill road and followed a ridge running east parallel to Highway 210. I stopped as it got dark, built a fire, made some dinner, and sat for an hour or so enjoying the evening (it was calm, no wind, WTF?). Then I packed up and hiked/ran back out. Nice way to relax after a somewhat frustrating day.
Tues. Jan. 24 - 10 miles in 75 min (7:30 pace). TUESDAY NIGHT HILLS. Three mile warm-up over to hospital hill, then 6x530m hills with jog downhill rest. We got a little excited on number one and ran it stupid fast in 1:46. We settled down and I hit 1:52, 1:51, 1:53, 1:53, 1:50. Because of the stupid fast first one, rests were longer than last week's session, and I thought it would have been a little more productive to go out in and average 1:51 and finish up with a sub-1:50. Oh well, six in one, half a dozen in the other, really. Three-mile cool down run home.
Wed. Jan. 25 - 4 miles in 27 min (6:45 pace). Morning run on the Greenbelt. I fought the wind on the latter half and was a little whooped from the hills the night before.
Thurs. Jan. 26 - 4 miles in 28 min (7:03 pace). This is the worst run I've had all year. I didn't want to run, but gave into my compulsion (like I proclaimed I wouldn't do in last week's post) and forced myself out for four miles. I was not checked in mentally and did the bare minimum. I got home and did a pretty thorough core workout to try to make up for it. That actually felt pretty good.
Fri. Jan. 27 - 5.5 miles in 39 min (7:09 pace). Form workout at the fieldhouse. I felt better this morning than I did the previous evening, even in the snow that fell during the run. Usual Friday program: 2x form drills followed by 8x180m laps with same as half lap rest. Averaged 32-33 for the first seven and came home in 28.9 on number eight. Cool down run home.
Sat. Jan. 28 - 11 miles in 71 min (6:27 pace). YETI CHASE 10K. Scooch and I made it down to Golden Friday evening where we stayed with the Delaneys. I got up Saturday and made the quick jaunt down to Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood. I met up with Evan, Kennedy, Elizabeth, and Courtney, the other Laramigos down for the race. The event marked Kennedy's first 5K. Congrats!
I did a quick couple of miles of warm-up, and made the decision to go shorts and singlet in what was a fairly chilly and breezy morning. We lined up for the start and I looked around and realized I didn't know anyone. I have been out of the racing circuit, especially in Colorado, for many a moon.
The race started and it was immediately down to a lead group of five, with two runners setting the pace and me and two others about 10 seconds back. The first mile had one nice downhill in it that set us up to hit a 5:15 split. Once down, the wind was a bit of an issue, so the other runner, a younger guy named Collier, asked if I wanted to split duties fighting the wind with him. I agreed and we made the rounds, drafting off each other for the next half mile or so. We hit mile two in a 5:33 split, which I felt was quite a bit more comfortable than 5:15.
From mile two, we had some uphill that I felt comfortable on (hooray for Tuesday Night Hills) and I started to feel Collier struggle a little. Once over the hill, we dropped back down onto a flat section around a lake. We hit mile three in 5:43 (16:31 for three miles) and started a pretty challenging uphill section. I dropped Collier on that hill, and again thanked the hill workouts we have been doing. I made it over said hill and turned downhill where I did relax a little in order to recover.
I hit mile four in 5:51 (22:22 at four miles) and firmly in third place (mile four pic here). I saw second place maybe 25 seconds in front of me and thought, "let's see if I can run this guy down." I spent mile five recovering while trying to reel him in (mile five did have another small hill) and hit the split in 5:41 (28:03 for five miles). Mile six was pretty flat, but we caught the tail end of the 5Kers who had started before us. For the most part, this wasn't an issue, though I did have to dodge a couple of people, and I lost sight of second place in the crowd. I still dropped down to 5:29 for the mile six split, but by that time, things had been determined. I came home third in 34:39, with second finishing in 34:25. I was reeling him in, but not quickly enough.
Third place was good enough for $50 worth of prize money, which covered the entry fee and some of the gas cost to get down there. I ran a cool down with second place, Frank Therrian, who spent his college days running for Central Michigan. We spent a couple of miles swapping college cross country stories. Nice guy, hope to race him again soon.
After a cursory glance at some of my old mileage logs, I came to the conclusion that the 34:39 may be the fastest road 10K I've ever run. I don't believe I've ever broken 35 on the roads. My pr 31:41 was on the track at Stanford, and I've hit 32:03 on a cross country course in Arkansas. I really feel that had the course been flat, I could have run low to mid-33 minutes. That makes me feel pretty good. Maybe this old dog does have something left in the tank.
Sun. Jan. 29 - 13 miles in 98 min (7:32 pace). Jason and I met some of his fellow BRC-Adidas teammates for a wind blown run up and around North Table Mesa in Golden. A couple of the climbs up the mesa left me pretty empty, but overall it was a great group run on dry trails (what?!), even with the wind. Then we spent the day eating, drinking beer, playing with Jason's two little ones, and eating some more. Good weekend.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 52
Running Time: 6:38
Year to Date: 191 (23:45 running time)
Gear: Asics Speedstar 5 (482 miles), Saucony Peregrine (182 miles), Asics HyperSpeed 3 (92 miles)
*Linked pictures from SkiPix.com*
I also am looking to spend the next couple of weekends up in the mountains trudging around. It seems odd to really focus and train for a free "race" in February, but given my past soul-crushing experiences at the Trudge, I really want to actually be somewhat prepared for once. And I feel the best way to do that is to simply do it. I've had my fun the last month with some shorter, faster road races, but that probably won't translate too well to trudging through the snow. I was going to find another road race sometime in the first couple of weeks in February, but I think my time (and money) will be better spent focusing on some mountain training.
I had a pretty damn good race, a fun weekend out of Laramie, and a good time with good friends, both old and new.
Mon. Jan. 23 - 4 miles in 60 min (15:00 pace). I wasn't feeling super hot all day but decided to head up the mountain after work and hike/run around a little bit. I went in on the Pilot Hill road and followed a ridge running east parallel to Highway 210. I stopped as it got dark, built a fire, made some dinner, and sat for an hour or so enjoying the evening (it was calm, no wind, WTF?). Then I packed up and hiked/ran back out. Nice way to relax after a somewhat frustrating day.
Tues. Jan. 24 - 10 miles in 75 min (7:30 pace). TUESDAY NIGHT HILLS. Three mile warm-up over to hospital hill, then 6x530m hills with jog downhill rest. We got a little excited on number one and ran it stupid fast in 1:46. We settled down and I hit 1:52, 1:51, 1:53, 1:53, 1:50. Because of the stupid fast first one, rests were longer than last week's session, and I thought it would have been a little more productive to go out in and average 1:51 and finish up with a sub-1:50. Oh well, six in one, half a dozen in the other, really. Three-mile cool down run home.
Wed. Jan. 25 - 4 miles in 27 min (6:45 pace). Morning run on the Greenbelt. I fought the wind on the latter half and was a little whooped from the hills the night before.
Thurs. Jan. 26 - 4 miles in 28 min (7:03 pace). This is the worst run I've had all year. I didn't want to run, but gave into my compulsion (like I proclaimed I wouldn't do in last week's post) and forced myself out for four miles. I was not checked in mentally and did the bare minimum. I got home and did a pretty thorough core workout to try to make up for it. That actually felt pretty good.
Fri. Jan. 27 - 5.5 miles in 39 min (7:09 pace). Form workout at the fieldhouse. I felt better this morning than I did the previous evening, even in the snow that fell during the run. Usual Friday program: 2x form drills followed by 8x180m laps with same as half lap rest. Averaged 32-33 for the first seven and came home in 28.9 on number eight. Cool down run home.
Sat. Jan. 28 - 11 miles in 71 min (6:27 pace). YETI CHASE 10K. Scooch and I made it down to Golden Friday evening where we stayed with the Delaneys. I got up Saturday and made the quick jaunt down to Bear Creek Lake Park in Lakewood. I met up with Evan, Kennedy, Elizabeth, and Courtney, the other Laramigos down for the race. The event marked Kennedy's first 5K. Congrats!
 |
| L to R: Me, Kennedy, Elizabeth, Yeti, Evan, Courtney |
The race started and it was immediately down to a lead group of five, with two runners setting the pace and me and two others about 10 seconds back. The first mile had one nice downhill in it that set us up to hit a 5:15 split. Once down, the wind was a bit of an issue, so the other runner, a younger guy named Collier, asked if I wanted to split duties fighting the wind with him. I agreed and we made the rounds, drafting off each other for the next half mile or so. We hit mile two in a 5:33 split, which I felt was quite a bit more comfortable than 5:15.
From mile two, we had some uphill that I felt comfortable on (hooray for Tuesday Night Hills) and I started to feel Collier struggle a little. Once over the hill, we dropped back down onto a flat section around a lake. We hit mile three in 5:43 (16:31 for three miles) and started a pretty challenging uphill section. I dropped Collier on that hill, and again thanked the hill workouts we have been doing. I made it over said hill and turned downhill where I did relax a little in order to recover.
I hit mile four in 5:51 (22:22 at four miles) and firmly in third place (mile four pic here). I saw second place maybe 25 seconds in front of me and thought, "let's see if I can run this guy down." I spent mile five recovering while trying to reel him in (mile five did have another small hill) and hit the split in 5:41 (28:03 for five miles). Mile six was pretty flat, but we caught the tail end of the 5Kers who had started before us. For the most part, this wasn't an issue, though I did have to dodge a couple of people, and I lost sight of second place in the crowd. I still dropped down to 5:29 for the mile six split, but by that time, things had been determined. I came home third in 34:39, with second finishing in 34:25. I was reeling him in, but not quickly enough.
Third place was good enough for $50 worth of prize money, which covered the entry fee and some of the gas cost to get down there. I ran a cool down with second place, Frank Therrian, who spent his college days running for Central Michigan. We spent a couple of miles swapping college cross country stories. Nice guy, hope to race him again soon.
After a cursory glance at some of my old mileage logs, I came to the conclusion that the 34:39 may be the fastest road 10K I've ever run. I don't believe I've ever broken 35 on the roads. My pr 31:41 was on the track at Stanford, and I've hit 32:03 on a cross country course in Arkansas. I really feel that had the course been flat, I could have run low to mid-33 minutes. That makes me feel pretty good. Maybe this old dog does have something left in the tank.
Sun. Jan. 29 - 13 miles in 98 min (7:32 pace). Jason and I met some of his fellow BRC-Adidas teammates for a wind blown run up and around North Table Mesa in Golden. A couple of the climbs up the mesa left me pretty empty, but overall it was a great group run on dry trails (what?!), even with the wind. Then we spent the day eating, drinking beer, playing with Jason's two little ones, and eating some more. Good weekend.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 52
Running Time: 6:38
Year to Date: 191 (23:45 running time)
Gear: Asics Speedstar 5 (482 miles), Saucony Peregrine (182 miles), Asics HyperSpeed 3 (92 miles)
*Linked pictures from SkiPix.com*
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Week Ending Jan. 22
I had a down week scheduled since I had gone up each of the three previous weeks. However, thanks to the fantastic (note: sarcasm) weather we've had recently in the Laramie Basin (and southeastern Wyoming as a whole), it became more of a down week than I planned. The weekend in particular was terrible; beginning with the unruly winds on Saturday and continuing into a "flash" whiteout blizzard with 50-60mph winds on Sunday.
My former self would have obsessed about days missed and miles not run, and would have forced myself out into those miserable conditions, risking potential injury for no reason other than to satisfy my own compulsion. I feel now, in what maybe isn't as tough a body but what I hope is a slightly wiser mind, that fighting those conditions in January is not worth the few miles I had on the schedule. The thing that I have been most concerned about since I started training seriously again is injury. I have been derailed by injuries too frequently in the past. Tweaking my achilles while fighting the wind months out from my goal race would be extremely counterproductive. Not to mention, forcing myself out in that kind of weather to prove my "toughness" is actually nothing more than vain stupidity. It's not worth it. I'd much rather stay healthy now, worry about more miles later when the weather gets better, and not spend weeks on the sidelines nursing an injury.
In other news, we had the High Plains Harriers officer elections Sunday evening. I was unable to attend thanks to the aforementioned weather that stranded me in Cheyenne. In what I can only assume was an uncontested election, I was elected vice-president to Jeff French's president. I really look forward to getting more involved with the club and the local running community as a whole. I think we are cultivating a great group of runners and building a solid running/fitness atmosphere up here in Laramie. We seem to be stirring interest in the club and its going-ons as well as putting out a good product, fostering connections and putting on fantastic events. I hope to see more good things in 2012.
Also, the new HPH website went live a couple of days ago, here.
Mon. Jan. 16 - 3 miles in 21 min (7:00 pace). Easy recovery day.
Tues. Jan. 17 - 10 miles in 75 min (7:30 pace). The return of Tuesday Night Hills! I picked up Rachel on the three mile warm-up over to hospital hill. The program was 6x530m hills with jog downhill rest. Horsecow and I paired up and hit what I felt was a pretty damn good workout. Splits were: 1:56, 1:52, 1:52, 1:51, 1:52, 1:51. Rests averaged around 3:00. Three mile jog home.
Wed. Jan. 18 - DAY OFF. This was the first day I took off since Dec. 29. I had flirted with the idea of trying to run everyday of the year, like my good buddy Chris Schabron did last year. However, I decided that, again, my ultimate goal for the next six months is preparing for the Big Horn 50M. I'm not going to sacrifice my race there to satisfy the compulsion of squeezing in a run everyday. It is okay, even intelligent, to rest once in awhile. Let the body recover a bit. Oftentimes, it comes back even stronger. So, again, getting away from my past compulsive behavior, I took a day off. And it was excellent.
Thurs. Jan. 19 - A.M. 3 miles in 21 min (7:00 pace). Quick morning run to complement the pub run later.
P.M. - 5 miles in 40 min (8:00 pace). Pub Run. Started at Front Street, then over to The Library, back across campus to The Ranger, over the tracks to Bud's, then to Lovejoy's for dinner. Then we decided to get out of hand and had a long night cap at 3rd Street. The crowd this run was particularly rowdy; shirts were optional for stretches of the run, and it felt like more beers than usual were consumed in route. I didn't "run" back over the tracks for home until 1:30am. Good times!
Fri. Jan. 20 - 4 miles in 28 min (6:52 pace). Was feeling the pub run a little, but managed to squeeze in a quick post-work run on the Greenbelt before going out to dinner with my dad, who, since my mom was out in Virginia visiting my sister, was bored and lonely and came over. And we ate bbq. Awesome.
Sat. Jan. 21 - 6.5 miles in 43 min (6:36 pace). I had planned a four mile tempo that I was hoping to get done in under 24 minutes. After a two mile warm-up, I hopped on the Greenbelt at Curtis St. and ran south. I went through two miles in a comfortable 11:50, and then I made the mistake of turning into what had become a 40mph wind. I hit mile three in 18 minutes and shut it down. Fighting the wind had negated the point of the tempo part of the run. Again, not worth forcing something in that wind. I was pretty pissed about it and spent my two mile cool down cursing to myself, yelling at the wind, and generally being a mopey little pissant.
I thought about it later and decided that hey, I got a couple of good miles in and still kept up close to six-minute pace into that wind for another mile, so maybe it's not all bad. Again, it's January. The objective is to stay active, stay healthy, and get in shape to run more miles later in what will hopefully be improving weather.
Sun. Jan. 22 - Unintended day off. I, like my father, got bored and lonely on Saturday and went over to Cheyenne to hang out with him. My plan was to stay Saturday night and head back over to Laramie in the morning, stopping at Happy Jack on the way to do 11-12 miles of trudging. When I awoke on Sunday morning, I found a raging blizzard outside. 50-60mph winds, blowing snow, whiteout conditions, and closed highways. While I debated going out for a few miles in Cheyenne, I decided, again, that fighting the wind just wasn't freaking worth it. So I was a bum and drank some beer and watched football. Ultimately, that was a much better decision than running.
So, I ended up a few miles short of what I had on the schedule (40-45 miles). I'm not going to lose sleep over it.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 32
Running Time: 3:48
Year to Date: 139 (17:07 running time)
My former self would have obsessed about days missed and miles not run, and would have forced myself out into those miserable conditions, risking potential injury for no reason other than to satisfy my own compulsion. I feel now, in what maybe isn't as tough a body but what I hope is a slightly wiser mind, that fighting those conditions in January is not worth the few miles I had on the schedule. The thing that I have been most concerned about since I started training seriously again is injury. I have been derailed by injuries too frequently in the past. Tweaking my achilles while fighting the wind months out from my goal race would be extremely counterproductive. Not to mention, forcing myself out in that kind of weather to prove my "toughness" is actually nothing more than vain stupidity. It's not worth it. I'd much rather stay healthy now, worry about more miles later when the weather gets better, and not spend weeks on the sidelines nursing an injury.
In other news, we had the High Plains Harriers officer elections Sunday evening. I was unable to attend thanks to the aforementioned weather that stranded me in Cheyenne. In what I can only assume was an uncontested election, I was elected vice-president to Jeff French's president. I really look forward to getting more involved with the club and the local running community as a whole. I think we are cultivating a great group of runners and building a solid running/fitness atmosphere up here in Laramie. We seem to be stirring interest in the club and its going-ons as well as putting out a good product, fostering connections and putting on fantastic events. I hope to see more good things in 2012.
Also, the new HPH website went live a couple of days ago, here.
Mon. Jan. 16 - 3 miles in 21 min (7:00 pace). Easy recovery day.
Tues. Jan. 17 - 10 miles in 75 min (7:30 pace). The return of Tuesday Night Hills! I picked up Rachel on the three mile warm-up over to hospital hill. The program was 6x530m hills with jog downhill rest. Horsecow and I paired up and hit what I felt was a pretty damn good workout. Splits were: 1:56, 1:52, 1:52, 1:51, 1:52, 1:51. Rests averaged around 3:00. Three mile jog home.
Wed. Jan. 18 - DAY OFF. This was the first day I took off since Dec. 29. I had flirted with the idea of trying to run everyday of the year, like my good buddy Chris Schabron did last year. However, I decided that, again, my ultimate goal for the next six months is preparing for the Big Horn 50M. I'm not going to sacrifice my race there to satisfy the compulsion of squeezing in a run everyday. It is okay, even intelligent, to rest once in awhile. Let the body recover a bit. Oftentimes, it comes back even stronger. So, again, getting away from my past compulsive behavior, I took a day off. And it was excellent.
Thurs. Jan. 19 - A.M. 3 miles in 21 min (7:00 pace). Quick morning run to complement the pub run later.
P.M. - 5 miles in 40 min (8:00 pace). Pub Run. Started at Front Street, then over to The Library, back across campus to The Ranger, over the tracks to Bud's, then to Lovejoy's for dinner. Then we decided to get out of hand and had a long night cap at 3rd Street. The crowd this run was particularly rowdy; shirts were optional for stretches of the run, and it felt like more beers than usual were consumed in route. I didn't "run" back over the tracks for home until 1:30am. Good times!
Fri. Jan. 20 - 4 miles in 28 min (6:52 pace). Was feeling the pub run a little, but managed to squeeze in a quick post-work run on the Greenbelt before going out to dinner with my dad, who, since my mom was out in Virginia visiting my sister, was bored and lonely and came over. And we ate bbq. Awesome.
Sat. Jan. 21 - 6.5 miles in 43 min (6:36 pace). I had planned a four mile tempo that I was hoping to get done in under 24 minutes. After a two mile warm-up, I hopped on the Greenbelt at Curtis St. and ran south. I went through two miles in a comfortable 11:50, and then I made the mistake of turning into what had become a 40mph wind. I hit mile three in 18 minutes and shut it down. Fighting the wind had negated the point of the tempo part of the run. Again, not worth forcing something in that wind. I was pretty pissed about it and spent my two mile cool down cursing to myself, yelling at the wind, and generally being a mopey little pissant.
I thought about it later and decided that hey, I got a couple of good miles in and still kept up close to six-minute pace into that wind for another mile, so maybe it's not all bad. Again, it's January. The objective is to stay active, stay healthy, and get in shape to run more miles later in what will hopefully be improving weather.
Sun. Jan. 22 - Unintended day off. I, like my father, got bored and lonely on Saturday and went over to Cheyenne to hang out with him. My plan was to stay Saturday night and head back over to Laramie in the morning, stopping at Happy Jack on the way to do 11-12 miles of trudging. When I awoke on Sunday morning, I found a raging blizzard outside. 50-60mph winds, blowing snow, whiteout conditions, and closed highways. While I debated going out for a few miles in Cheyenne, I decided, again, that fighting the wind just wasn't freaking worth it. So I was a bum and drank some beer and watched football. Ultimately, that was a much better decision than running.
So, I ended up a few miles short of what I had on the schedule (40-45 miles). I'm not going to lose sleep over it.
Totals:
Week's Miles: 32
Running Time: 3:48
Year to Date: 139 (17:07 running time)
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Mastodon - The Sparrow
This week's song is from another of my absolute favorite bands, Mastodon. I've admired this band and their phenomenal musicianship for years now. I listen to their songs and simply wonder, "how the hell did they think of that riff?" Anyway, this is the last song on their latest album, The Hunter, and it is predominately an instrumental with a four-word lyrical refrain, "Pursue happiness with diligence." I've had those words floating around in my head for some time now...and I find they accurately describe my attitude toward life at the moment. I spent the last couple of years concerned with the happiness of others at the detriment of my own. I've earned the right to be a little selfish, and to pursue my own happiness with diligence.
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