Which Brings Us To...

Yesterday, August 22nd.

10 miles. In the heat. Midday.

Yeah, you KNOW that was a blast. I burned 1052 calories, and averaged 8:52/mile for the run.

It wasn't the smartest run I've ever gone on. I was planning on running trails, but got sidetracked in the morning with other obligations. So, around noon, I finally went on my run, from the house. I hadn't run that far on roads in quite a while, so when I hit the 7 mile mark, it shouldn't have come as a surprise that I was feeling it. Add to that, the 85 degree heat, and a somewhat stiff headwind on the way out, and I was destined for soreness last night. This morning? I'm actually feeling pretty good.

August 20th

4.88 miles with an average speed of 8:06/mile.

August 7th

4 miles, averaging 8:07/mile. Not far. Not fast, but getting better.

August 4th

5.24 with an average pace of 8:15/mile. Feeling better

Then There Was August 1st

Ah yes, August 1st I remember it well.

I guess I ran 7 miles in 1:05. It was Westridge Canyon, and if memory serves me, I think it probably kicked my ass.

July 27th was a while ago...

I ran 5.26 miles and averaged 8:19/mile.

5.15 (well it's about f*cking time)

This morning I ran a bit over 5 miles and averaged 8:44/mile. It wasn't anything major, but it just felt good to get my ass out there.

Back to Square One

(sigh)

So, yeah, I ran today. I really did. I didn't go far mind you, but I ran.

I ran about 3.5 miles with an average of 8:50/mile.

Meh. It's a start.

1st in a Week

I went on my first run since the marathon this morning. I did an easy 4 miles and averaged 8:05/mile. I didn't feel too bad. I was pretty surprised.

Start Me Up

Yesterday, Monday, I started on my way back to getting my upper body back in shape. It's sure to be a long and painful road back. I did a light workout at the gym, (sorry, health club) and today, I've got the sore boobies to prove it. My arms aren't too bad though.

I Once Had a Bad Case of-

"Green Magma".

I got a product in my goodie bag from the LA Marathon called, "Green Magma". It's barley grass juice powder.

Eesh.

Really? Someone thought a product called Green Magma would be appetizing?

26.2

Wow. I've been bad about posting. I can't believe it's been a month, a month (!) since I posted last. Unbelievable. It's not that I hadn't been training, because I had. It was a pretty crazy couple of weeks there. We had a lot of house guests in the final couple of weeks. My final long run of 22 miles totally sucked. A real confidence shatterer. I ended up having to walk the final 2 miles due to some serious IT band issues.

Then there was the next week's 13 miler that got completely scrapped due to social engagements. Though, at the time, I didn't try too hard to get that run in because I felt the rest to my IT band would be more important than the longer run.

Which brings us to-

The LA Marathon.

First off, let me say that the new course, from Dodger Stadium to Santa Monica Pier, was pretty damn good. I believe that Frank McCourt, owner of the Dodgers, purchased the marathon. Everything from the technical t-shirts given out, to the t.v. coverage, all seem like they're headed in the right direction. Our little marathon is growing up. Now there is certainly room for improvement, don't get me wrong. The race started almost 45 minutes late, and good thing, too. We were trapped on the freeway trying to get to the start line. There were busses of runners stuck, and some people even got out of their cars on the freeway and began to run a mile or two to the start. And the expo? Sucked. It was too small. It may have been because of economy, but when you sell out a marathon (as they did) you would think that there would be a huge expo. They've always had a good expo in the past.

The weather was beautiful! Starting out at Dodger Stadium, which is inland, we ran some pretty steep hills in the first few miles. This is also where my run nearly ended. I was having sinus issues, (shocker, I know) and it began to upset my stomach. It really kind of came out of nowhere. Before I knew it, I was pulled off to the side, with the dry heaves. That woke me up in a hurry. I figured that I could easily psyche myself out if I sat there too long, so as soon as I was finished I started to run again. It took a mile or so, but the nausea went away, and I settled into about a 8:45/mile pace.

At mile 13, in the heart of West Hollywood, I ran into D, which is always a pick-me-up. Two minutes after that I ran past a friend, and a quarter mile after that I ran into another couple of friends. I don't think I've ever run by so many friends in a marathon. It was great.

I finished in 3:58:36.

Great time? Hell no. I was hoping to finish under 4 hours, and at mile 3 that seemed like a joke. I was really pleased with the fact that I just finished, period. The fact that I also met my original time goal was really icing on the cake. I'm pretty pleased with this run.

Next on the schedule: Malibu Creek Trail Challenge. A half marathon in May.

Are You Kidding Me?

"Excuse me, are you a manager here?"

The man wore a blue shirt, and was putting away a few 5 pound weights when I approached him.

"You know, you guys are all out of soap in the locker room, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. No excuse for it. We're expecting our shipment tonight around 4."

The manager, (a friendly enough guy, I suppose) went on to explain how they actually are supposed to get their shipments at the end of the month. It seemed to be a kind of, "See-how-awesome-I-am-that-was-able-to-procure-this-in-such-a-timely-manner?" type of thing. He lamented that "earlier in the week (he) had to pilfer soap from other clubs."

"You should have pilfered more."

I told him that the people working out later that evening would be really happy. Then again, maybe they wouldn't. Maybe they would be completely unaware that there had been a critical supply problem with the hand soap only hours earlier.

C'mon, dude! Are you kidding me? Tons of people, taking a leak (or worse, eesh) and not able to wash their hands? Sure, they've got hand sanitizer, but that's not soap. Hey! Asshole! You need some fucking soap in here!!! Eleven televisions weren't working at the time and a couple of machines were on the fritz. Things break down. I get it. I do. There's a part on backorder, staff layoffs, rising price of steel, shit like that. Sure. But soap? At a health club? It's a health club! It's got the word "health" in the name! One usually frequents such establishments to become healthier, not to pick up viruses and intermingle with complete stranger's feces. I suggested that he send someone to a Sam's Club or Costco, hell, let's get real crazy with the Cheez Wiz and swing by a grocery store, but to pick up some soap.

I saw a lightbulb go on. Maybe he was thinking what a brilliant idea I had! More likely, he was thinking about what a colossal prick I was.

Oh yeah, and I got a run in, too.

Due to prior commitments I wasn't able to do my 18 miler this past weekend. I was delusional when thought that I'd do it on monday. I ended up doing 13, but I did them faster than I would have if I'd done the original mileage. I averaged 8:00/mile on the treadmill and then ran home.

where I promptly washed my hands.

5 Easy

Today I finally got my ass out the door again. After monday's tough run, I took a few days off. I was going to do something last night, but then my sinuses reared their ugly head and I didn't want to risk it.

I averaged 9 minute miles and my left calf bothered me quite a bit. My back was tight and I generally felt clunky. I was glad to not have to run a marathon today. It would've really sucked.

I think I'm going start writing what I eat before I run so that I have a better idea of what to carbo-load with in March. Excitement.

With that in mind, this morning, I ran on half a green tea latte with Rice Dream, one bowl of cereal, and a small piece of blueberry crumb cake.

15 Miles on Sunday

I've been a slug this week. Due to a busy weekend, I had to move my saturday 15 miler to monday, and it was pretty tough. It's been hot out here lately, and monday, it was 85 when I finished my run. It was basically 7 1/2 miles uphill, (the last mile and a half I ran the brutal Runyan Canyon) and then 7 1/2 miles downhill. My legs got pretty beat up, especially my left calf. It's still pretty tenderoni. I'm guessing I have a muscle pull from the steep hill.

Running My Chi Off

On the last couple of shorter runs, I've been aware of trying to work on my form. I'm trying to incorporate some tenants of "Chi Running". Maybe it's not a good idea to do that when I've never really studied Chi Running or even seen it done. The basic thing I know is that it's about running with better body alignment- avoiding heel strikes, and running more on the toes and mid-foot. Yesterday, while on my easy 7 miler, I felt really light on my feet, springy even! Although it was supposed to be an easy run, I averaged 8:14/mile and felt refreshed afterwards. Sometimes, you pull a nice run out of your ass, and you've got no idea where it comes from.

On a perhaps somewhat more ominous note, the last week or so I've awakened with a tightness and general soreness in my left ankle. I'm guessing all the times I've turned it on the trails is beginning to add up. After I walk on it for a bit, it always warms up and feels fine.

Jackasses Abound

So today D and I headed to the gym. Easy one hour was on the docket for me. I ran about 4 miles at 9:00/mile, and then started to warm up and feel better, so I increased the pace to 8:30/mile and ran the last 10 minutes on the way home. I guess I covered around 6 1/2 miles. Hey, I did say it was supposed to be easy. Jeez. Well, D did some riding on the stationary bike.

She had some asshole next to her hacking up a storm, not covering her mouth, looking like death warmed over. I feel bad for people who get sick. Everyone gets sick at some time. But I do my best to stay away from people when I feel like shit. D heard this woman mention that she had just finished with having the flu. Dandy. What the hell gets into some people's heads? Did she think that to go and contaminate other people and "working out" (read: sitting on a stationary bike incapable of doing anything) was a good idea for anyone involved?

Meanwhile, El Nino continues his soggy tour of Los Angeles. I shouldn't complain. At least we don't have to shovel it...

Well, At Least I Tried

When I last wrote, I was headed to the gym to run an endless mountain run on the treadmill. Going to an LA Fitness at 5:30 and expecting to use a treadmill, is a bad idea. Foolish me. So, instead, I did about 35 minutes on the Stairmaster. I could've done more, but really, I never do it, and I had fears that I'd pull some mystery muscle that would screw my workouts for the rest of the week, or worse.

14, Scratch That, 15 Miler

Saturday my 14 miler got extended a bit. I took a circuitous route and in doing so, added a bit of mileage. The recent rains washed out some of the single track I had to run, but most of the run was done on fire roads. I averaged around 9:30/mile and just beat the rain and wind. I also decided that hydration packs that sit on my waist really suck. My back is still sore from it. No mas. I'll be sticking with the Camelbak Mule. Now, I'm off to the gym to run an endless mountain. Good times.

Sweet Sunday 16

Last sunday I ran 16 on the roads. It was pretty brutal. I could tell after only 3 miles that I was gonna be in for a long day. Upset stomach from my allergies, and I just wasn't feeling the love. Since then I haven't run, instead, I've concentrated on finishing the studio where I'm writing right now. I missed an easy 8 miler on monday due to moving the saturday run to sunday, and then yesterday, I missed an easy 7 miler because of the studio. Today, I run! The question is, do I run an easy 7 or 8, or do I do my scheduled hill repeat workout?

Hmmm...

End(this) Mountain

Endless Mountain workout today on the treadmill. I ran at 10:20/mile (I think) and increased the incline .5 every two minutes until I was about ready to hurl. I jumped off at 40 minutes, 9.5 incline, which basically puts me where I was last year while I was training for Big Sur. Sweet.

13 Miles on Saturday

Yup. 13. On some rain-swelled trails. Can trails be "rain-swelled"? Hmmm, not sure, but I am sure that I ran pretty strong, and except for the twisted ankle crossing a stream, I emerged relatively unscathed. I don't have my running watch on me, but let's be honest- who cares how long it took me?

5 The Easy Way

Today, brought the threat of more rain, and an easy 5 miler. I averaged 8:36/mile, and finished before I got soaked.

Speed Work

Yesterday, I ran 12, 1 minute repeats on the treadmill at the gym. They began around 7:00/mile pace, and ended with a 5:45/mile repeat. All in all, I felt like I should have started with faster repeats. I don't feel like I ran hard enough, but it's tough for me to roll out of bed, and do speed work with no breakfast in me.

Shadows in the Rain

I love running in the rain. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the looks I get, or the fact that it feels like you're not "supposed to". Whatever the reason is, I love it. I really love running on trails in the rain, but today, I just had to run an easy 6, so I did so on the roads. At some point, I didn't start my running watch again, and so the distance was off. In reality, I ran close to 7 miles and averaged better around 8:15-:20/mile.

PLEASE

That's all the shirt said.

"PLEASE".

I passed the guy around mile 6 of my 10 miler.

Please, what?

I didn't feel all that great during the run. My sinuses were giving me some problems. It could be all the rain that's headed our way. I was happy with the final results, though. 10 miles in 1:18. I averaged 7:47/mile. My legs got kinda heavy in the latter stages, but I'm happy with the run.

4 Mile Negative Split

Today, I rest.

Yesterday, I ran a 4 mile negative split on the treadmill at the gym. I had caught a bit of a cold, or maybe it was allergies, I'm not sure, but I took Tuesday and Wednesday off from running. I'm glad I did. I felt good running the negative split yesterday, even though I ran it first thing in the morning. I ran a 1/2 mile warmup, then the first two miles were run at 8:00/mile pace, and the last two were run at 7:24/mile. It wasn't easy, but it was done. Tomorrow brings a 10 mile time trial run.

16, The New 15

Yesterday's 15 miler became 16 while I was trying to compensate for the earlier lack of mileage in the week. I averaged about 9:30/mile. My gps watch read "12.36" in the mileage field when I felt the cement being poured into my legs.

I was exhausted last night. That run really kicked my ass.

Rest day today.

4, The New 7

Thursday, I was supposed to do an easy 1 hour, with no less than 7 miles. Instead, I had to squeeze in 4 miles, and so, I ran them in the sub 8:00/mile zone. Tomorrow? 15 mile road run scheduled, but I may opt for the trails instead. Oooh, so rebellious!

Progressive Run

Last night, after a day full of auditions, I ran a 6 mile progressive run on the treadmill. I began with the first mile being run at 8:30/mile and dropped about 8-12 seconds per mile after that. I ended with the last mile being split up a bit. The first 3/4 mile being run at 7:45/mile, and the last quarter being run at 7:30/mile. All in all, I felt pretty good, especially given I tacked the run on the end of a busy day. Perhaps it was the chocolate turtles I ate before the run that fueled me to a good result. I would have added a bit of weights to the equation, but we had someone coming over for dinner and I had to get home.

45 Minutes

I took a few days off this weekend and ran about 5.25 today in 45 minutes. I felt good.

12 Miles on Saturday

Saturday I banged out 12 on the Sullivan Canyon/Westridge Canyon Trail. I felt pretty good. How long did it take? What was the time? Eh. Who cares. I'm lazy. I did it, I felt all right, and it's done.

6 Miles of Thatch

So yesterday was supposed to be spent running an easy 60 minutes. Instead, D and I worked in the yard, thatching the lawn with a dirt rake and over-seeding the grass. Ah yes, good times. I thought we might be able to bang it out in around an hour or two. Hahahahaha. Yeah, that was a good one. It took 5 hours and an extra 10 bags of steer manure. It would've taken even longer, but I was given a same-day audition that I had to get ready for.

So yesterday's "Easy 60 minutes" became a 5 hour work in the yard. An even trade in my mind.

5 Mile Negative Split

This one was run on Monday, and again, it was on the treadmill at the gym. Considering the 10 miler two days previous, I felt pretty damn good. Numbers? I haven't got any stinkin' numbers. But it WAS a negative split. Actually, I've got the numbers, downstairs. Is it really that important?

Yeah, not really. I think I ran the second half about 3 minutes faster than the first.

10 Mile Time Trial

This was run last week saturday. My running watch is still on the fritz, so I had to run it at the gym, on the treadmill. I gotta say, I felt great. I ran 2 miles to the gym, then ran 6 miles on the treadmill and 2 miles back home. It's always tough to run on the roads after running on the treadmill for so long. It makes my legs feel like they're filled with concrete. I don't have any numbers. I felt fast running at or faster than an 8:00/mile and the last mile was broken up into 400's getting progressively faster. I think the last 400 was run around 7:25/mile or better.

Merry Christmas

I haven't posted in a few days. I've been good about getting my runs in, but so busy that I haven't had the time to post.

(yawn)

Right. Anyway, put in an easy 5 miles on Christmas Eve, then D and I put in about 3 on Christmas morning before we opened gifts from Santa.

My Garmin running watch took a big shit this week so the 10 mile time trial I'm supposed to run today will be tough to measure. I may have to run a course I'm familiar with and figure out what's going on with the watch.

Merry Christmas everyone!

30 Chill Minutes

Last night D and I went for a nice, easy run of 30 minutes. It was supposed to be 45 minutes, but D's knee was tight and we didn't want to risk it. It was probably just as well. I didn't want to push it too much either. Surprisingly, I wasn't very sore after Sunday's 9 mile trail run. There was a bit of tightness in my quads, but really, nothing to complain about.

Today: Slow Death. Eesh.

Gotta be Smart

Today, I had hoped to run 14 miles. It's what I had in my running schedule. After waking with a sinus headache and few realistic comments from D, I decided against the 14 miler. I think it was the smart move. It would've been too much. Instead, I stuck with 9. On the way out, I took it slow, averaging 9:59/mile. On the way back, I ran 8:38/mile and actually felt pretty good. I spotted some dude in a yellow running shirt about a mile ahead of me, and dubbed him the flying banana. I tried in vain to catch him, but I'm thankful he was there to push me.

4 Progressive Miles

After a long day yesterday I stuffed 4 miles of speed work in before we went to a friend's house. It was a 4 mile progressive run, meaning, that starting at a 8:00/mile first mile, each mile thereafter was to get faster. I had some problems with my Garmin 305 finding the satellites, so the first mile was clocked at 10:21/mile. That's bullshit. Once the thing found the satellites, I was running around a 8:00/mile or better pace. The rest looked like this:

Mile 1: 10:21/mile

Mile 2: (actually it was 1.09 miles) was 8:15/mile

Mile 3: 7:32/mile

Mile 4: 7:03/mile

I'm pleased with the times, however off they may be. It had been a long day, and I really needed to kick my own ass to get it out the door. I'm glad I did.

I realized the other day that if I have any hope of having a respectable time at the LA Marathon in March, I gotta get off my dead ass and get to work. Sunday, I'm scheduled for a 14 mile trail run. GULP. That's gonna be a mess.

Run It Off

Remember when you were a kid and you'd play some sport, football, baseball, hell, maybe it was just kickball, and you'd get injured? Your coach or teammates would say, "walk it off". Well, on wednesday I had a big audition. For a t.v. show. No, really, it's true! Actually, going back a bit, I got a new theatrical agent last week, (woo hoo!) That alone, is pretty epic. So, wednesday came and this new agent got me an audition. He got me two in the span of a week, which is 2 more than my previous agent had gotten me in the last 6 months. But I digress. I went to the audition and didn't do as well as I had hoped. I didn't quite shit the bed, but I wasn't exactly Daniel Day Lewis either. I bring it up because when I got home, I was pretty upset, and I needed to go on a run. D suggested it, but I was already ahead of her. I went to Griffith Park and ran 6 miles of hills, pretty hard. I wanted to leave it out there on the trail. I figured if I came home and was still pissed off, I hadn't run hard enough.

I was in a better mood when I got home.

I averaged 9:54/mile which wasn't too bad considering the terrain, although my legs did feel like lead. My average HR was 165 (kind of high) with a max HR of 182. I did 1368 feet of climbing.

3 Miles

3 miles with D. 25 minutes. 8:21/mile.

7 1/2 Mile Negative Split

This morning I finally got my ass out the door. D accompanied me for the first 2 miles and then I was on my own. I guess it was a combination of guilt and feeling great, that made me run more miles. I ran 7.5 miles and averaged a sub 8:00/mile. I was happy. Shocked, but happy.

A Few Days Off

Okay, this will be lame. Make no mistake. I have taken a few days off, and it's been hard to do so. Here is my reason, and my logic.

D wasn't feeling too hot the other day. Tightness in her chest. I booked a commercial that shoots tomorrow. It's raining in Los Angels today. Now then, it looks like something like this:

Sick(?) wife + impending commercial shoot + Rainy, cold weather = Absence of running.

Now, you could be asking yourself, "why don't you hit the gym, Red?" A fair question. The last time I was there, I felt like I was surrounded by petri dishes on feet. One dude in particular was hacking up a storm.

So, yes, I am rather worried about staying healthy for tomorrow's shoot. I love running in the rain, so it's tough to not lace 'em up and hit the trail. We're expecting a lot of rain this week, so I'm hoping I can do that next weekend. After tomorrow's shoot? As long as I'm feeling good, I'll be out there.

Oh yeah I almost forgot: D's feeling better now. No tightness.

Weight a Minute

Nothing major today. I went to the gym and lifted weights for about an hour, focusing mainly on upper body and a bit of core. My legs were still pretty stiff from the 10K on Saturday. Come to think of it, I didn't stretch very much after the race...

Oops.

Gobble Wobble

D and I ran the Santa Monica Gobble Wobble this morning with a good friend. Our friend ran the 5K, while D and I ran the 10K. I ran it in 46:21 (unofficial) which gave me a 7:27/mile. It was pretty piss-poor organization. 4 restrooms for all the runners. 4 restrooms! No porta-pottys. I stood in line for nearly 25 minutes and then I wasn't able to use the damn thing. I went to stand in line for the 8:00 start, and proceeded to wait another 25 minutes all while thinking, "Should I go back to the restrooms?" Ugh. I didn't feel too bad. I ran the first mile or so at little better than 8:00/mile. I felt all right towards the end, picking some runners off at about a 6:30/mile. Unfortunately, some dude picked me off in the last 4oo yards. Sucks!

No Heart(rate)

This morning saw D and I running in the cold. It was a nice negative split run. I write "cold" but really it was kind of nippy. Low 50's. "Don't be a wuss, Red." Okay then. I'll shutup.

First 2.5 miles were run in 22:17, the second was run in 18:44. I ended strong, and felt pretty good, once I warmed up.

I love getting that run in early!

I was also told that the Turkey Trot is Saturday, not Thursday as I first believed. It gives me another day or two to get ready.

Out of Time

Yesterday was supposed to be a 60 minute run on trails. Easy sounding enough. I had wanted to get it in before I sat down to watch the Packers/Niners game, but due to a late Saturday night, I wasn't able to get up in time to make that happen. After watching the Pack hold on to a victory at home, (are we really 6-4 now?)I geared up to rock 60 minutes in Griffith Park's hills. A quarter of a mile into the run, I looked down to check my heart rate, (yeah, I'm really that much of a running gear geek) and noticed that my watch was blank, the victim of a dead battery. So I had a decision to make. Do I continue to run referring to my ipod's clock, for 60 minutes? That would be a pain in the ass. Or, do I run the distance that I could feasibly run in an hour of comfortable running, and run it HARD. Well, I went with the latter. I pretty much ran with my foot down on the gas for the entire run. It's a hilly course, where I run my hill repeats in fact, so it really kicked my ass. But with a Turkey Trot planned for Thursday morning, I decided the fast run was more suitable than the mellow run. I may do a bit of weightlifting today, then I'll run tomorrow, and take Wednesday off in hopes of hitting the Trot hard on Turkey Day. I'm interested in seeing how much running fitness I've lost over since my last 10k I ran last December.

Today

5 miles-easy. I averaged 8:30/mile and 155 bpm heart rate. That seems kind of high. I felt pretty good though...

November 16th... Yesterday

I did a bit of a upper body workout at the gym and stretched. A lot. I think the ice bath I took the day before helped my legs. They weren't too sore.

Red Takes a Trip

November 15th...

It was my first long-ish trail run since we moved. I did 9 1/2 miles in about an hour and a half. I say "about" because at the end of my run, with less than a quarter of a mile to go, while running from the sun into a shaded area, I clipped a tree root, and ate shit. It wasn't as bad as it could've been. Until I took my header I was feeling pretty good, too. The course was hilly, (I ran at the Observatory) and it was kind of warm and windy. The second toenail on each foot really took a beating. I'll probably have to poke a hole in there to back off the pressure. Must be some blood trapped under there.

Negative Split

Last night I ran a negative split. 5 miles in 40:27. That averages to 8:00/mile. The first half was run at 8:34/mile pace in 23:07, and the split was run at 7:24/mile in 17:20. Sweet! I began the run unhappy, but soon warmed up and get 'er going. This morning I am feeling the lack of stretching last night. Well, it's my own fault. I will warm up today, and do some stretching for sure. No run scheduled for today or saturday. I will run sunday morning.

And So, It Begins

6 Miles tonight. It was supposed to be six easy miles, and I guess they were, but I'll be damned if I didn't average 8:11/mile and feel great doing it. I ended with 30 walking lunges.

I grabbed an old running schedule from last year and I'm gonna run on that for at least a month, (sorry, Coach). Gotta tighten the purse strings a bit. I'm looking forward to the LA Marathon's new course, from Dodger Stadium, to the sea.

Time for a big bowl of homemade chicken tortilla soup, and a Fat Tire Hoptober beer.

Mmmmm...

5 Miles and a Post

Hey, whaddayaknow? I ran 5 miles an hour ago AND I'm posting it's info NOW. Amazing, but true.

I'm just trying to get back on the horse. The LA Marathon is 4 1/2 months away, and I've got to get busy if I hope to approach anything resembling a respectable time.

5 miles in 42 minutes. 8:23/mile. I was feeling tight and crappy in the opening miles, but I was happy to finish strong.

I was even happier that I did a damn run.

October 29th

Um, yeah, another negligent posting...

On the 29th I ran 5.37 miles in 43.29, averaging 8:06/mile.

As I remember it, I was feeling pretty good.

October 27...

Yeah, a little late on this post.

I ran a quick (or should I say, brief?) 2.78 miles with D in about 26 minutes. I averaged 9:42/mile.

I was just happy to get my ass out the door before 9 a.m. that day.

Tempo 7

I got a quick 7 mile tempo run in today, and damn, if I didn't feel pretty good. I averaged 8:02/mile and 160 bpm heart rate. I don't know where the hell it came from, but I'll take it. I've gone on a few runs in the past week or so. I ran a 5 miler about a week ago, with an average of 8:45/mile and 164 bpm heart rate. I also managed to get a few gym workouts/runs in as well. I feel like I've got to get my mileage back up in the next few weeks, and then, starting November, I can start the actual training for the LA Marathon.

7 in the Rain

I ran today.

I'll give you a sec to take that in.

I, the Red Kenyan, ran today.

For real!

It's been so tough for me to get back on the horse, but tonight, finally, I got a run in, and wouldn't you know it, it was in the rain. I'm a big fan of running in the rain. We've got a lot of friends that wonder why I run marathons and desire to run more ultras. If you're a runner, then you know why, but if you're not, it's really hard to explain it.

When I run, I think about everything and nothing, all at once. Sometimes I run with music, sometimes without. To run in the rain is one of life's small pleasures. And to run in the rain on the trails? Even better. Sure, I've gotten stuck out there in a storm, ill- prepared and been kind of miserable, but for the most part, running in the rain, on a trail, is really something. To hear the soft hiss as the rain hits the leaves... thunder in the distance... to run in and out of rain clouds... the smell of fresh rain... the color of green and dark brown...

I ran 7 tonight. It was probably a bit early in the game to tick off 7, but I did have the added benefit of a a 1/2 hour break at the halfway mark. My legs are tightening up now. My hips ache a bit and my hamstrings will let me have it in the morning.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

One... Two...

and back to zero.

I started this week on the right foot by going on a 5 mile run on monday morning and getting in about 5 miles. I averaged about 8:45-9:00/miles. I was a bit sore, but it felt good. The last run I had gone on before that was the sunday before, when I got in a slight 2.5 miles before watching my Packers lose at home to the Bengals.

Then I caught a cold. Good times.

So, I took a week off, got rid of the cold and got back at it monday morning. 5 miles. Okay, nothing major. Scott Jurek won't be quaking in his Brooks anytime soon, but you gotta get back at it somehow, right? "The journey of a thousand miles" and all that, right?

So that brings us to tuesday. Yeah. Got up early and hit the gym with D. Did some weights. Chest, arms, back, legs...

I

AM

SORE.

and, somewhere, somehow, I picked something up. A gastrointestinal bug or food poisoning or something.

Monday

Tuesday

which brings us to today. I write this post from bed. I didn't get any sleep last night. I'm hoping I've got this thing on the run...

Back to square one.

Go (Red) Go

Continuing on my sloooooooow return, I squeezed in 2.25 miles this morning before the start of the Packers - Bengals game. I averaged 8:45/mile and 150 bpm heart rate.

So far, sloppy play by our special teams.

Go Pack Go.

Back... FINALLY!

Wow. What a crazy month or two it's been.

When I last posted, (and ran) I had just returned from a few weeks fishing with friends and family in Canada. When I returned, we bought our first home. GULP.

I spent the first three weeks of our home ownership doing work on the house. We had a cousin come out from Wisconsin to help me. We put in hardwood floors, I redid the kitchen cabinets, we installed a gas fireplace, and redid the garage. In addition to all of that, we completely repainted the interior. Needless to say, I didn't have a heck of a lot of time to run. I was putting in 10 hour days on the house, 7 days a week and threw a bit of auditioning in there as well.

Today was the first run I've gone on in well over a month. It felt great to get out there, though I most certainly did not feel good. I am most assuredly out of shape. I'm just glad to be getting back out there. I think I will try and find a half marathon to train for some time this fall.

Forgotten 7

Hey! Wait just a second here...

Last saturday I ran 7 miles in an hour. I averaged 8:36/mi and 158 bpm heart rate.

5 Miles...right?

I didn't get but one block before my watch died on me. I know I ran 5 miles, but I'm not sure how long it took me.

"WHO CARES?"

Good point.

I ran first thing this morning to beat the heat. It's gonna be another scorcher out here.

Cute Little Workout

Yeah, I didn't do much today. I'm trying to get back on the morning schedule, running well before it gets hot, and, to make sure it just gets DONE. I'm a night owl by nature, but with some time and training, I can be made to get up earlier, and go to bed earlier.

Today was my first such foray into the morning abuse. I ran 2 miles on the treadmill. I wanted to run more, but there's a sign up stating that "there is a 20 minute limit on all cardio equipment when members are waiting". Although I couldn't hear it with my headphones on ("genius playlists" on the iphone are pretty cool) I gathered that one of the members took umbrage with another member's clear violation of said rule. Now I get the frustration, trying to get your workout in before you go to work, but do you have to be a dick about it?

After my 2 miles on the treadmill, I did a little core, incline bench, flies, and some curls.

Hey, I did refer to it as "cute".

85 + 5 = Hot

Sometimes it's hard to believe I've ever finished a marathon. And to think I finished one, with rolling hills and stiff headwinds only 2 months ago? Shocking.

It was a bit roasty out there today. 85 degrees. I ran 5 miles, averaged 8:46/mi. and I'm glad I'm done for the day.

My legs and hips are sore.

The Long Road Back

"I caught you a delicious bass."

-Napoleon Dynamite

One month and some 200 fish later, I've returned.

I went on a fishing excursion to Canada. Not once, but twice. TWICE!

I don't get a chance to fish very often, so when I get my butt up there, I'm usually obsessed.

The trouble with having been gone for so long, (and having that humdinger of a head cold when I left), was that I didn't run. Not once. Over a month gone with only one, very light weightlifting workout with my Dad. Granted, I did a lot of lifting of heavy objects while on the first Canada trip. (Lifting boats and motors out the of the water, hauling gear, chopping wood, etc.), but really, I don't consider any of that working out.

Since my return, I've done two workouts. Last Saturday, I ran 7 miles on the Westridge Canyon trail.

Time: 1:09

Distance: 7 Miles

Average: 9:58/mi

Av Heart Rate: 169 bpm

I felt... oh, how do I put this delicately...

like complete and utter shit.

My legs were heavy and slow, my stomach was a bit upset, and it was hot, like 85 degrees, so that didn't help. Yeah, it wasn't a terribly smart thing to do, but then again, I'm not a terribly smart person.

Monday, I ran 3 miles on the treadmill at the gym, running an 8:30/mi pace. My legs were still sore from the ill-advised "7 Mile Westridge Welcome Back Run" two days previous. I did some brief core work, and a little bench press. I've GOT to get my ass back out there again today.

A Humdinger

I've got a humdinger of a head cold. It's getting better, but of course, I gave it to D.

I don't know if my colds are any worse than anyone else's of if it's just that colds affect me more because of my messed up sniffer. In any case, I hate colds. This one, is no different.

10 Dollar Trail Run

"Ten.

"Ten dollar.

Ten dollar trail run."

Yeah, just like that uber annoying commercial for subway. That gets stuck in my head like a damn deer tick. I have a friend who is in one of the commercials. He's a construction worker. So when I see him singing that song, it makes me happy, because it means Tom is making money.

I ran at Malibu Creek State Park yesterday. When I pulled up to the window, they asked for 10 bucks. I knew I had to pay something to get in, but I don't remember it being that high. Maybe it's because the state of California is bankrupt. Maybe it's just to help keep the park open. No matter. I was just glad to see that it was open. The state budget cuts are hitting everything pretty hard.

Malibu Creek State Park is where they used to shoot the old M*A*S*H* t.v. show. It's also where the 50K I want to run in August is being held, so I wanted to get in a nice long run in on that course before I have to take a few weeks off. I started off well enough, but I had forgotten how steep the Bulldog trail is. It really kicked my ass. I did a lot of hiking uphill, and on the way back, my quads took their requisite beating. By the end, I was really suckin' wind and my tank was on empty. This morning, I awoke with what I believe to be a cold. It could be a sinus attack, or allergies, (it was pretty windy out there yesterday). Whatever it is, I'm just hoping to get rid of it before I fly home sunday.

A lizard, just sunning himself on a rock.

You can almost hear the guitars of "Suicide is Painless" being played, and the familiar whup whup whup of the helicopters from M*A*S*H*.

Here are the totals:

Time: 2:46

Distance: 14.61 miles

Calories: 1406

Average pace: 11:24/mile YUCK

Average Heart Rate: 157

I doubt I'll be running any more this week. Time to hunker down and deal with whatever this is. It sucks.

Playing Catch Up

I know what you're thinking. "Jeff Bowser, you sir, are a slacker of the highest order." True as that may be, I have been running this week. I've just been a slacker in the posting department.

Monday, I think I rested. After Saturday's 11 mile trail run and the hilly hike D and I went on Sunday evening, I took the day off.

Tuesday, I did a 5 mile negative split run on the treadmill. The sinuses were being their normal, pain-in-the-ass selves. It could've been the allergy medicine, it could've been the fact that I was pretty tired, but I felt pretty light-headed during the run. I wouldn't say it was actual faintness I was experiencing, but more of a disconnectedness during the run. For the last mile of the run, I sped up to about 7:55/mile, and that seemed to do the trick. Perhaps the lightheadedness was traveling at 8:30/mile pace and I simply outran the damn thing. Whatever it was, I was happy when I was finished with that run.

Wednesday, yesterday, got up early, and lifted weights at the gym, upper and lower body work. Today I will most likely go on a run integrating an errand or two along the way.

Fascinating!

Running in Limbo

Nearing the top of Sullivan Canyon

Yesterday, was a strange, surprising run. I emailed my running coach about how to move forward this next month with my training. I'll be headed on two fishing trips this summer up to Canada, and while up there, at least for the first trip, running won't really be an option. I'll be in a very remote area, (we're dropped off by float plane, and picked up a week later) so running in the dense forest among the moose, black bears and wolves, would be a bad idea. I will have some time between the two trips, where I will be able to log a few miles in my hometown of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, but I've found in the past when I run there, I have a tough time of it. I don't know if it's the humidity or the bratwurst-based diet, but I rarely have a good run. For the next month or so, I'll be caught in a kind of running limbo. Coach told me that in the next month I should get in a few 10-12 milers, some trail runs and speed work. Say it with me: Fartleks!

Yesterday, I killed two birds with one stone, running an 11 mile trail run. I performed the night before, got to bed pretty late, and only managed 7 hours of sleep. I know I know, those of you with kids are giving me a hearty "F*ck You" right about now (the funk soul brother), but when I'm running a lot I need at least 8 hours of sleep, and usually 9 if I can manage. I ran the Sullivan Canyon to Westridge loop and it looked like this:

10.80 miles

1:40

Averaged 9:17/mile

149/bpm heart rate

I don't know how I managed to pull that run out of my ass. On the uphill sections my legs felt heavy, but the downhills and flats I felt light on my feet, and my form felt pretty good. This morning, I'm sore, but no more than I usually would be after a long run like that. It was the first run of any significant length since the Big Sur marathon last month.

I want to get at least one more long run in before I leave town, so I don't have the pressure on me to get one in on my vacation. I'd love to log a 15 miler next weekend.

Today, D and I are planning on a short hike. Sweet!

7 Miles

I ran a 7 miler yesterday, with heavy legs. I felt really out of shape, and yet, managed 7:59/mile. This morning my IT bands were pretty sore. No run today. I just "ran" out of time...

(rimshot)

These are the jokes folks.

Feeling Left Out

The elite men, kickin' some serious ass and taking names. Wesley Korir, (in the red shorts & orange singlet), not only went on to win the race an overtake the women who had started nearly 7 minutes earlier, but also set a course record in 2:08:24. The Red Kenyan has a bit of work to do.

Women's eventual winner, Tatiana Petrova (#52) runs by with camera crew in tow. Approximately 4 miles later, Wesley Korir overtook her.

The LA marathon was run yesterday. Memorial Day. I didn't run it. I couldn't. The race organizers changed the date TWICE, from it's home, the first sunday in March. They paid the price for their timing change. The amount of finishers was about 10,000 people short from years past. It felt strange to be watching from the sidelines, but I was excited to see the elites pass by. It's something I've never done before. It really was a sight to behold.

Checkin' My Guts

Today, I did my first speed work of any sort in about a month. I ran the Gut Check workout which is 1 minute hard 1 minute easy, 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy, 3 minutes hard and 3 minutes easy. I did it 3 times. I ran the "hard" repeats at 7:00/mile pace, and the "easy" portions @ 10:00/mile pace. I didn't feel like I was gonna die, but I DID feel it. I finished off with some stretching and worked my core. All in all, I was pretty pleased with the workout. I ran about 5 miles total (including my warmup).

5 Miles...

and a bit of upper body work. That's what I did on tuesday.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' with it.

A Quickie

Yesterday, after an unbelievably frustrating hour on on the phone with a credit card company, I had to jam in a quick 3 mile run, and some weights before I hurried off to class. I needed to work off some stress. It's a long, story with the credit card, but in a nutshell, they're rate jacking me, and I called to complain and have them do something about it. I spoke to 5 different people all giving me conflicting information, I was disconnected, and in the end, I cancelled my account.

"Customer service"?

Indeed.

Capital One, go f*ck yourselves.

Conservative Comeback

No, that's not a political reference, but merely how I'm trying to approach my running the last week or so. Yesterday was my first trail run in over a month. It felt great to be out there with the lizards running for cover, and the red tailed hawks soaring overhead. I only ran 7 miles. I was concerned I would overdo it on my first long-ish run since Big Sur. It was pretty hot out there, in the low to mid 80's I would guess. Ah yes, some things never change. There I was, running on a wide, well groomed fire road, when I kicked a little stone with my left foot... it traveled about 2 feet and landed squarely under my right foot.

And I rolled it.

Good times. 1.16 miles into my run, and I roll my ankle. The bad one. It wasn't a big deal, I continued on my way, but it is a little sore this morning.

My legs felt pretty heavy on the uphills, I guess that's to be somewhat expected, but I did make up for it on the way back. All in all, I ran the 7 miles in 1:10, averaging 10:00/mile. I was pretty pleased.

Today, I gotta hit the gym and do a little upper body weight lifting.

5 More Miles

I did another short 5 miler yesterday morning. Man, my hips and lower back get tight something fierce when I run first thing in the morning. In the future, I will have to get up a bit earlier, warm up, and stretch if I want to avoid injury and tightness.

On My Way Back

Well, I'm finally getting back into the swing of things, albeit, sloooowly.

Friday, I went on a 5 miler, most of which was done on a treadmill. Saturday, we headed to the beach where I ran after a frisbee all day long. This morning, we got up early and headed to the gym where I ran two miles on the treadmill, and did some weights. August 22nd seems to be right around the corner.

Still Resting

I continue my resting phase. I wanted to give myself at least 2 weeks of relaxing before I started back in on running and working out. From what I read, you're most susceptible to getting sick in the two weeks following a marathon. I felt so strong after Big Sur, but I had to fight the urge to get back to it too soon. I didn't want to get sick or injured. I did some pushups the other day, I will do so again today, just in preparation to begin working out again next week. Depending on how I feel, (and if the weather cooperates, it's ridiculously hot right now) I may start to come back this weekend.

I'm setting my sights on a 50K trail run on August 22nd. I'll have my work cut out for me.

Mission: Accomplished

Sunday, April 26th:

I was up early. Very early. We were staying in Carmel and I had to catch a shuttle to the Marathon start in Big Sur. The shuttle was leaving at 4:15. That meant I had to be up and at 'em around 3 if I wanted to get something to eat, have a bit of coffee, get ready, and give the coffee time to work it's magic. Too much information? My apologies, but it really is a part of the whole running a marathon thing. We were staying at a nice hotel. We got a ridiculous rate on the room, but man, it sure was loud. The people above sounded like they were running laps in their room all night long. Back and forth, back and forth. And when they flushed the toilet, it sounded like we were in the lavatory of a 747. I had a fitful night of sleep. I kept waking up. The last time I woke up was around 2:40 a.m., and I decided I should just stay up.

On the shuttle ride to the start, I met a very nice runner by the name of John. He was 66, and Big Sur was his 110th marthon. Damn. I enjoyed talking with him about running, the courses he's liked what he recommended etc.

I got to the start, and had about an hour and a half to kill. It was COLD, and clear. I topped off my tank with a bit of coffee and water, and used the port a potty once or twice more before the start.

The first 5 miles of the race were downhill. I had to fight the desire to run fast. I kept my pace between 8:30 and 9:00/mile. Running out of the forest and to the coast, the wind was relentless. It cut right through us. Miles 10 through 12 were all uphill. It was on this uphill that I came across John. At the top of the hill was "Hurricane Point". It was about as windy as you'd expect from a name like that, but at least it wasn't raining or hailing. In fact, besides the wind, the conditions couldn't have been more perfect; mostly overcast, with highs in the mid 50's.

Between miles 13 and 14, I had the longest & steepest hills behind me, so I started to work on my race plan. Up until that point, I had just kept thinking that IF (and that was a huge "if") I was feeling up to it, I would begin a sustained push around mile 21 or 22. I put a few more miles in, and kept feeling strong and loose. Earlier in the race, I had tucked in with a 4:00 pace group for a few miles. I left them behind at the mile 19 water station.

I hadn't realized how well prepared I was until around mile 22 when I finally let myself believe that I would finish it, and now, I just wanted to finish strong.

And finish strong, I did. I had a nice kick the last half mile or so.

Finishing time: 3:56.

Resting...Ready?

We're in Carmel, California, and I'm sitting in the hotel room. We arrived yesterday, a day early, and I'm glad we did. It's given me an opportunity to see the area, and relax a little. I don't know why I always get keyed up like this before a marathon. It's excitement, sure, but it's nervousness too. It's not like I'm expecting to win the damn thing. Hell, with these hills and the wind coming off the ocean, I'm hoping to come in around 4 hours. It's the culmination of months and months of work, and I'd like to see it come to a happy conclusion. I'm trying to remind myself it's just a long run, with 3,000 of my closest friends.

Roller Coaster

Continuing with my taper yesterday, I ran 3 miles on the treadmill @ 8:27/mi pace.

I'm only going to write this here today because I will want to refer to it this weekend before the marathon:

Yesterday, I felt AWESOME.

I felt strong.

I felt fast.

I felt like I wanted to run faster and further than I was supposed to.

I have worked hard.

I am ready.

Resting

Not much going on in my running today, (a rest day) and thank God for that. It's a hundred degrees!!!

I watched the Boston Marathon on the web today. America's hopefuls Kara Goucher and Ryan Hall both came in third in the men's and women's races. It was very exciting to watch Kara try and keep her lead at the 25 mile mark. Unfortunately, she was unable to answer a surge by Salina Kosgei of Kenya and Dire Tune (last year's woman's winner) from Ethiopia. I didn't see the beginning of the race, but apparently Hall went out at breakneck speed, only to be dropped later on. The fact that he was able to hold on and take third really was impressive. American distance running is alive and well.

Hot As Ballz

Today was a perfect simulation day for my marathon...

Perfect that is, if I was running Badwater.

Sure, I'm being dramatic. Badwater is one of the craziest ultras around; running across Death Valley up to Mount Whitney, in the heat of the summer. Good times.

I was supposed to run 13 today. I only ended up running about 11. I figured the hot conditions and the steep terrain I ran on today more than compensated for the 2 measly miles I didn't run.

Today, it was hot. Stupid hot. 95 friggin' degrees hot. And it was kind of windy. So I had a choice. I could've run on the roads and up the hills of Griffith Park and back, or I could forgo the hills and run nearer to the beach. Or I could run in Sullivan Canyon, where the first 3 miles are run under a canopy of trees, but it's basically straight uphill for 5 miles. I chose #3. I am happy to report that I did NOT roll an ankle, trip, stumble, fall, or take a header. I was nervous about running single track one week before Big Sur. I had stomach problems around mile 7. I'm sure I was dehydrated, and the long, steep, 5 miles up hill didn't help things either. I stopped in a restroom, washed some cold water on my face, and it really helped me out. My stomach problems got better, and I was able to have a strong finish.

It's still hot out.

5 Miles

Just a quick 'n easy 5 miler today. I didn't wear a watch, but I'm guessing I averaged about a 8:30-9:00/mile.

That's it.

Commence Tapering

Yesterday I ran about 3 miles on the treadmill doing the "Endless Mountain" workout, but coach told me I could only do 30 minutes. My taper has begun. I felt pretty good during the workout, and that afternoon, I had a massage. They focused on my legs mostly, they went deep, and let me tell you, I needed it! I usually get like one massage a year. I should really get them more frequently but they can be cost prohibitive, especially in this economy. The masseuse said my legs were in pretty good shape with regard to being super tight. I guess that's good news.

22 Miles

"Brrrrrrrrrrr"

You know, the worst part about the post run ice bath is the first 2 minutes. After that, the legs go numb. In the summer, it's a pretty good way to get your core temperature down while you pamper the gams.

Saturday, I ran 22 miles, and it wasn't horrible. It was the last, biggest, long run 'til the 26th. I hit a bit of the infamous Wall at about mile 18. I was probably dehydrated a bit, and I should've loaded a few more carbs into me in the days leading up to the run. I only ate a muffin with coffee for my breakfast. I've read many sources that say anything you eat the morning of the marathon doesn't really help you in the race. I wasn't 100% satisfied with the run, but I should really just focus on the positive: My sinuses were generally well-behaved, (even considering the wind I encountered) therefore, my stomach was stellar(!!) I also ran it with 7 lbs of Gatorade strapped to my back, and I had about 5,000 feet of altitude gain (and loss). It looked like this:

22 miles

Time: 3:21

Av pace: 9:09/mi

Av heart rate: 160 bpm

Calories burned: 2336

Ascent/Descent: 4834 feet

Easter Sunday, my legs were stiff a bit, but really, they felt pretty good. Today is a rest day, my back is tight, I will stretch, but it's manageable. All in all, I'd say, I'm feeling pretty good about where I'm at.

With this saturday's 13 miler, I will try and get to bed super early, so that I can get up super early, and do a dry run of my morning routine- the eating, getting up and ready in darkness, there's a 4 a.m. shuttle ride to consider and then I'll try and start the run close to 6:45 a.m. wearing the new long sleeve top I bought for the marathon.

Awww, It's So Cute!

Yesterday, I went on a brief, easy, 3 mile run. I felt pretty tight at the outset, but by the end, I felt fine. In the interest of taking it even easier, and avoiding the dust outside, (my allergies had been giving me trouble) I did the run on the treadmill.

Today, a rest day.

Tomorrow, the big one. A 22 mile dress rehearsal for Big Sur. They're predicting rain. My guess is, they'll be wrong again. I've increased my carb intake in preparation. I'd like to run it early in the morning, but I perform tonight and won't be in bed until probably midnight. I'd rather be well rested for tomorrow, and then work on the early morning aspect of the run during next weekend's 13 miler. Because of having to take a shuttle to the start line at the marathon, and the early start, I will most likely be up around 3 in the morning for it. Yikes. Gotta get ready for that.

Hybrid Run

Yeah, that's right, Coach. How you like that? I'm kickin' such ass that I'm making up my own workouts!

In reality, I missed an easy 45 minute run, and so I added a few extra miles to yesterday's "Slow Death" repeats. I ran to the gym (about 3/4 of a mile) then ran my 10 repeats on the treadmill (and ran them at nearly 6:00/mile pace), then ran to the store to get some steaks for dinner, and ran home.

All in all, I ran about 5 1/2 miles, 2 of which were those deadly repeats. I'm risking the big fat jinx here, but I gotta tell ya-

It felt pretty damn good.

Feel better, Ruth.

Neuroses & Cramps

Yesterday I did 15 miles and, if I say so myself, ran a perfect split. 15 miles in 2:02. 1:01 the first half, 1:01 for the second. I must confess the second half wasn't too easy. I took a different route, running almost to Santa Monica via Wilshire Blvd. before turning around. The hills I ran were not nearly as steep as the hills I've been running in Griffith Park, and probably lead to the quicker pace. It was hot yesterday, with highs in the 80's and there was some wind too. As always, it brought about the fun with my sinuses, feeling like hot pokers were being shoved in my eye sockets.

The neuroses came about a day earlier when I went to see a couple of movies. It seemed like everywhere around me people were coughing, hacking or sneezing. It's at this stage of the game, the last couple of weeks before a marathon, that I want to be like John Travolta, circa 1976 and live in a plastic bubble. I can't get sick...

Last night, in bed, I suffered from leg cramps and soreness. I guess I need more potassium. Bring on the bananas!

Beastly

Yesterday's run ended up being around 4 miles (including the warmup and cool down). I ran repeats of 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 & 1 mile @ 7:28/mi.

I gotta tell ya, I felt pretty good doing it too.

Today I've got an "optional" run scheduled. Due to being up super late this morning, (3 a.m. Huzzah!) I'll be opting out of this run.

Easy One Hour

One hour and about 7 1/2 miles later, I'm finished for the day. I averaged 8:08/mi which may be a bit brisk, for a recovery run, but it sure felt good. No lingering soreness from Saturday's 19 miler, and that's always a good thing.

Surprise, Surprise

Today's roller-coaster workout was short 'n sweet. About 3 miles on the treadmill, running @ 8.5/mile pace, up and down, ending at a 6 % grade. It took me about 26 minutes to do it. Then I stretched like crazy. I guess I was feeling guilty about not stretching enough after Saturday's 19 miler. Surprisingly, today, I'm not sore at all. Sure, I was stiff coming down the stairs this morning, but after that, nothing. Sometimes when you run really hard, or work out really hard, it's not the day after you work out that you really get sore, but the second day. I was expecting that, and was pleasantly surprised.

I've probably jinxed myself for tomorrow.

Saturday = 19 Miles

I did my long run on Saturday, and all in all, I was somewhat pleased with the results. It was an out-and-back run that was supposed to be 18 miles, but because of the indirect route I took on the way out, it became 19 when all was said and done. Again, I ran to Griffith Park, and ran the hills in preparation for Big Sur, but this time, I wasn't nearly as aggressive with the downhills. It seemed to help, but this time, I was fighting the heat, and some dehydration. The last couple of long runs I've done, I've experimented with taking two Benadryls to dry up my sinuses. It seems to help somewhat, and I don't seem to suffer too many side effects, though one could be a quickening of dehydration. Saturday, it was pretty hot, with highs in the low 80's, and it was sunny, so I'm sure that added to the problem. I ran with a water bottle filled with Gatorade, and I refilled it at Griffith park. The added weight in my hands added to some tension and fatigue I experienced in my back, and arms. I was trying to avoid running with a small Camelbak that tends to really squeeze my guts. I think on next week's long run, I may run with the large 100 ounce Camelbak, but just fill it about halfway to avoid having too much weight on my back during the run.

The run ended up like this:

19.01 miles in 2:57

Averaged 9:22/mile 156 bpm Heart Rate

Today, it's a run on the treadmill.

Tight Hips

Today is a day of rest, and my hips can use it. Man they're tight. I had a knot in my lower back yesterday on the right side. This morning, I awoke to the same kind of pain on the left side. It's on the move. I guess I've got to get better about stretching.

Yesterday I ran 3, 1/2 mile repeats @ 7:30/mi then 1 @ 7:24/mi and the last @ 7:16/mi. Sure Paul Tergat isn't quaking in his shoes, but at least I felt stronger than I did the last time I ran repeats. Tomorrow, Big Sur will be only one month away.

Simulation

Today's run:  13.50 miles.  

I had D drop me off 6 miles from home,  on the outskirts of Griffith Park so that I could run 7 miles of hills and then run home from there.  The conditions were perfect for a simulation of Big Sur.  It was 60 degrees, partly cloudy, and WINDY.  At times, the sky threatened rain, but it never happened.  I purposely ran the down hill miles aggressively (sub 7:00/mi).  Rightly, or wrongly, I thought it would be a good idea to hit my legs hard and fill them up with lactic acid.  I wanted to work on running on tired/sore legs.  Of course I regretted that decision around mile 10.  The wheels pretty much came off around mile 11, and I was relegated to 9 minute miles.  I might not have done the right thing by running those down hills so hard, but I wanted to be able to gain a little confidence.  

All in all, I think I averaged around a sub 9:00/mi. 

Now, I'm sore.

7 Miler

Yesterday I ran an easy 7 miler. It felt pretty good, and helped me regain a bit of confidence from the crap 1/4 & 1/4 workout earlier in the week.

Today is a rest day. I'm supposed to run 18 tomorrow, but that'll have to get pushed to sunday for scheduling problems.

I'm beginning to slowly work on waking up earlier and earlier in the morning. I'm a night owl by default, but with training, I can become more of an early riser. It's the transition time that sucks. Big Sur has a start time of 6:45!!! Hey, that's A.M.! I've also begun to train with Gatorade instead of the Hammer products I normally train with. I'm pretty sure Big Sur will be handing out Gatorade at the aid stations so I should let my stomach get used to having that again. I would like to avoid as many surprises come April 26th, as I can.

"Your ass, sir..."

I had my ass handed to me today. I ran a "1/4 & 1/4" workout on the treadmill. I was supposed to run 1/4 mile easy @ 10:00/mi pace, then a 1/4 mile hard @ 7:00-7:15/mi pace. The treadmill was set at 3.0% grade. I was barely able to hold onto running the easy portions @ 10:20/mi, and the hard repeats @ 7:16/mi. By the end of it, I had run 4 miles in about 34:00 minutes, I was drenched in sweat, and seriously suckin' wind. Yuck. The crap run could be a couple of things. It could be the weather. The heat has been turned up the past few days. It's in the low 80's. Whenever the weather changes drastically like this, I can expect it to affect my sinuses. It could also be the lack of lunch today. Because of the way my day was structured, I ran without lunch. I'm sure that didn't help. It could also be that I'm just not in shape.

All I need is one piss-poor run like this today, and it shakes me a bit. Big Sur is little over one month away. These runs happen. They just do.

Right?

Have a Pint

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone.

During today's easy one hour run I ran 7.07 miles averaging 8:30/mile.

Hope you all have good craic today. Raise a few Arthurs, or pints o' plain if you please.

"May misfortune follow you the rest of your life, and never catch up."

Slainte!

Kickin' Ass & Takin' Names

It's a funny thing about running, sometimes you feel awesome, like you're gonna kick some serious asphalt, (and you can't), and sometimes you're dreading it. Yesterday, I was dreading my "Endless Mountain" workout on the treadmill. I got to the gym late in the day, I was a bit tired, my allergies were giving me some trouble, but when all was said and done, I had completed 5 miles in 46 minutes, and ended on 11.5% grade... So, I felt like crap, but bettered my last Endless Mountain workout by 6 minutes and 1.5%. Yeah, I didn't break any world records, but I did surprise myself on a day I really didn't want to be running.

Now, it's time to run an easy hour.

Pain in the Neck

I haven't posted in a bit. I was in a mild fender-bender last week. Nothing too serious, but I had to take a few days off to make sure I hadn't suffered any whiplash. I ran my hill repeats on Thursday, running 5 miles in about 51 minutes. I added two repeats due to missing the workout the day before.

Saturday, I did my long run, it ended up being 16.71 miles in 2:29. I averaged 8:56/mi. The long run included about 4 miles of really steep hills. I ended up running a negative split, which is always good. I ran the first 8.25 miles in 1:21, averaging 9:52/mile. (The steep uphills really killed my pace) The second half, I ran 8.46 miles in 1:07, averaging 8:01/mile.

All in all, not bad.

Hair Today...

I did it.

Under advisement from D, I bit the bullet yesterday, and I got the legs waxed.

I'll give you a second to ponder what i just wrote.

...

Yes, it DID hurt. But I got high marks from the masochist, um, waxer, for "not moving around or even flinching". So, you know, at least I had that going for me.

It feels kinda creepy. I'm sure it looks that way too.

Anyway, after having to take about 5 days off to shoot a short film, (woo hoo!) I got back at it this week.

Monday: I ran an easy 6 or 7 miles then did weights on my legs.

Tuesday: I did a 4 X 1 mile workout

Mile 1: 7:30/mile

Mile 2: 7:15/mile

Mile 3: 7:00/mile

Mile 4: 6:45/mile

all done on the treadmill at the gym, 1.0 % incline, with a 3 minute walk between repeats.

Endless Mountain

Today brought with it, an Endless Mountain workout on a treadmill. I put the speed at 5.8, and increased the incline 0.5% every 2 minutes. I was supposed to do it "until exhaustion".

I ran for 40 minutes, ended on 10.0 incline, and ran nearly 4 miles in 40 minutes.

It was very hard.

Some W(h)ine for that Chese

Last Friday, I had an "optional" upper body workout scheduled. The fact that I actually did it, tells me that I may be getting in better shape. Many times, if I have the option to not work out I choose it to give myself the benefit of extra rest. Now, let's be honest, I didn't have a HUGE workout, but I tried to compensate for its lack of intensity by going to a different gym, and using different equipment. As I suspected, I was quite sore the next day, which is, after all, a good thing.

Saturday, I was supposed to go on my long run, but I had to push it to Sunday (yesterday), because of class that I had. It was a 13 miler on trails. I felt pretty damn good starting off. I ran in Cheseboro Canyon and hadn't run there in over a year, so it was good to be back out there.

The run began good enough, I felt strong, I enjoyed the scenery, (though the wildlife sightings were a bit disappointing), but around the 7 mile mark, I got pretty nauseous. It was probably a combination of hard running, and taking some supplements. I took some time near the top, before I turned around to head back. Once I started back up, I felt fine. I didn't drink as much on the way back, and around mile 10 or 11, I really bonked. I think I was dehydrated.

With less than 2 miles to go, with my legs tired and sloppy, on a flat stretch, to boot, I took a spill:

Ooh la la!

"I've seen better legs in a bucket of chicken."

Indeed.

But see what I mean, how the hair on my knee gets all scraped off? I was lucky this time around. My hand got the worst of it, but really, it wasn't bad at all.

(sigh)

I'm afraid, it may be time to get rid of the hair on my legs. Next time, I may not be quite so lucky.

The run ended up looking like this:

13.56 miles in 2:25

Av: 10:43/mile (yuck)

2319 feet of ascent

Calories burned: 1395

What Goes Up

...must come down.

And up.

And down.

And up...

I headed to the trailhead about 11 this morning, and as soon as I got in the car, I was beset with hunger, my breakfast having been incinerated quickly in the two hours since breakfast. Half an hour later, waist deep in my hill repeat workout, my heart rate up past 170, I was thankful that I was unable to find food in the car. In all likelihood, had I been able to locate some snack, I would've seen it on the hills I was running.

All in all, I ran 9 hill repeats, on a pretty steep hill in Griffith Park. This was done on rubbery legs from last night's 5 miler and leg workout.

I feel like I'm finally getting in shape, (knock wood), but I'm a bit worried about Big Sur coming up.

Sore

Today was an easy 5 miler and a leg workout afterwards. My hamstrings are pretty tight, and my hips are pretty sore.

Catching Up

I'm sore. Every morning I wake up, my first few steps are stiff and painful. I'm guessing everyone who trains for marathons or hell, just pushes themselves out of their comfort zone with their training, suffers the same fate. Joggers, not so much.

Sunday I did a light workout, I biked a mile or so just to warm up, then did some chest and a little arm workout (Little being the operative word. I just can't seem to get them any bigger. I am, for better or for worse, completely built like a runner now). Monday, I did an easy 6 miler that I finished at the gym, then did leg work and some core. I always walk like a cowboy after that. Tuesday, brought me "Slow Death" 12 times. That's one minute VERY hard, one minute recovery, 12 times. I did the repeats on the treadmill, and ran 9 of the repeats at level 10 which worked out to a 6:00/mile pace. I then finished up with a 1/2 mile cool down, stretched, and walked home.

Today is an easy 5 miler, with no watch, and then more legs and core.

Dr. Scholl's Modeling Contract

I hope you weren't eating while you read this.  If so, I apologize for the nasty photo of my feet. Hell, even if you're not eating, I should apologize.   If you can believe it, my sister has even worse looking feet... and she's not even a runner.  She's got these talons... gross.  However, in her defense, she also doesn't have black toenails on each foot.  

Morton's Toe is when the second toe is longer than the big toe.  It causes the person with it to toe off on the second toe.  Sometimes it might rub on the front of the shoe, or it just fires constantly, flexing, hundreds of time during a run and irritating the nail.  It's hereditary, and when you run, it usually brings on this condition:

NASTY!

Actually, this isn't nearly as bad as it gets.  I've got photos of my feet after marathons where the toes are black, and there are blood blisters as well.  Why does one have photos of their messed up feet? I guess it's just a silly badge of honor thing between me and a buddy of mine.  A "check-out-these-hamburger-feet" kind of thing.  The remedy for such a problem involves a safety pin, the tip heated up over a flame, and then screwed into the nail, being careful not to totally pierce the nail bed underneath.  The heated pin melts the nail, and the pin leaves a little hole in it to lessen the pressure and release the blood that's trapped under the nail.  I should probably do this today, as the one on my right foot is especially sensitive after yesterday's 10 mile time trial run.

Speaking of which, it looked like this:

10 miles

1:17:07

1056 calories

Average 7:43/mile

Heart rate 168/bpm

It was a negative split run, so I was happy about that.  The first half of the run I ran in 39:29 and averaged 7:54/mile and the second half I ran in 37:37 and averaged 7:31/mile.  

All things considered, the cold I caught and the last two weeks off I had, I felt pretty good about this run, but it also showed me how much work I've got ahead of me before Big Sur in two months time.

Welcome Back!

"Hey, Red, where ya been? We've missed you.  C'mere for a second... I wanna talk to you."  

And then,

WAMMO!  

I had basically taken 2 weeks off for that cold I had caught.  I could've come back sooner, but honestly, with all the crap thats going around, (seems like people are hacking, sneezing and looking like crap everywhere I go these days), I just wanted to make sure I got rid of the damn thing.  So, I slowly worked my way into this past week.  Over the weekend, I had a short, light workout at the gym.  Monday, I did upper body and stomach, again, at the gym, only worked out for like 40 minutes, tops.  Then, tuesday came and brought with it, the first REAL running workout I'd had in two weeks.  It was my 800's workout.  1/2 mile repeats, run at 7:00/mile pace, or faster.  I might also add, it's the last workout I did before I caught The Cold.  

Surprisingly enough, I felt pretty damn good, in fact, I felt better running it this time than I did two weeks ago when I ran it... I guess it was because I had that cold.  I finished the run with a leg workout:  squats, leg extensions, leg curls, and walking lunges.  And then, for some stupid, inexplicable reason, (probably "in the interest of time"), I didn't stretch.  How stupid AM I? 

Due to scheduling conflicts and permeating soreness south of the equator, I blew off wednesday's easy 6 miler, but ran thursday's 4 mile negative split on the treadmill at the gym, and followed it up with more leg weights... and then, AGAIN, neglected any semblance of a REAL stretching routine afterwards.  Needless to say, my back is pretty tight today, and I deserve all the pain I'm in right now.  Every ounce of it.  Stupidity.  Plain and simple.  I'm headed out the door in a few minutes for my 10 mile time trial.  I'm sure it will be an adventure.  

A Cold...Still

I haven't worked out in nearly a week.  Turns out it was a cold, and I gave it to my wife.  I'm feeling so much better today, but I'm seeing a lot of sick people at the grocery store, on auditions, etc., I just want to make sure I shake this damn thing before I get back to running hard again.  I'll probably go to the gym for some bicycle riding tomorrow, and slowly work back into it over the weekend, provided, of course, that I continue to feel better.  Perhaps next week monday I'll get back on the schedule.

Ya Gotta Love Them Sinuses

Yup, it's been a few days.  On Monday I rode about 3 miles on the recumbent bike, and finished with weights on my upper body.  (still no evident progress on that, but it hasn't been too long) On Tuesday, with a scratchy throat, I ran 1/2 mile repeats, 5 times at about 7:00/mi to 6:40/mi.  I then finished up the workout with squats, hamstring curls, leg extensions and 40 walking lunges.  

I then went home, ate dinner, and proceeded to watch my sinuses implode.  I was up all night.  It was not pretty.  I'm not sure if it's a cold or not.  I'm not sure if it even matters.  I've lost the last few workouts.  I'll probably wait until next week to pick the workouts back up.  It sucks, but if I AM sick, and it's not just sinusitis, then I want to make sure I am well before I pick the workouts back up.  (sigh)  

New Skips

I haven't posted in a few days.  

Thursday, I ran 7 miles on the treadmill, and finished with leg work and abs, friday brought an easy 5 miler and upper body work.  Saturday was a rest day, which brings us to yesterday's long run.

It was a 15 miler on the road in new shoes.  I gotta tell ya, I felt pretty good, with no problems from the sinuses or stomach.  I forgot to turn my watch on after a stop at a stoplight, and missed close to a mile, so in reality, it was closer to a 16 miler.  

I finished the day with a Superbowl party, lots of guacamole, wings, dips, beer, and cookies.  

Progressing & Pressing

This morning, I "enjoyed" a 6 mile progressive run followed with upper body weightlifting.  I ran on the treadmill, with a 0.5 % incline (to simulate the wind resistance of running outside) and these are the splits:

8:26/mi

8:06/mi

7:53/mi

7:47/mi

7:41/mi

I split the last mile into two halves and ran them as such:

7:35/1/2 mile

7:30/1/2 mile

I then did 3 sets of shoulder presses, lat pulldowns, shoulder raises,  tricep extensions and core exercises.  

Changing Gears

My coach has got me changing gears a bit.  My marathon is in April and starting this week, I'll be doing twice-a-days, (or longer once-a-days) by running and then finishing up at the gym, lifting weights.  The marathon I'm running in  April is in Big Sur, and it's run along the coast.  It will be hilly, and windy, so I've got to prepare for those two big factors.  Today was my first day doing the running/lifting thing.  I've done it before in the past, just never on a super-regular basis.  I find that running and weightlifting are two entirely different entities and they both tire my ass out in different ways.  It feels as though the two work against each other, so it will take me some time to get used to them.  Today's deal looked something like this:

An easy 5.23 miles in 44:05 

Averaged 8:26/mi and 151 bpm heart rate

Then I finished things off with some core exercises, decline bench press, fly machine, and some curls.  

Strong 16

What a difference a week makes.

Today I ran 16 miles on the trail and felt really strong.  It looked like this:

16 miles in 2:36

Averaged 9:47/mile 150 beats per minute heart rate

1672 calories

I don't know why I felt so good.  I went to bed late last night after a performance, felt tired this morning, forgot most of the food I was supposed to bring on the run.  I just don't get it.  I ended up eating a mocha cliff shot gel, two really stale pretzels that I found in my Camelbak, and a couple of Powerade gel blocks.  

My favorite part of the run was when I tripped on a rock with less than 100 yards to go.  I landed on my knee, and rolled.  It wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.  I guess it might be time to consider getting rid of the hair on my legs again.  (sigh)

Yesterday & Today

Yesterday:  I ran 8, 1/4 mile repeats on the treadmill at 6:56/mile with walking break between them.  I felt pretty good.  I felt strong enough to run two of the repeats back-to-back as a 1/2 mile repeat.  (A good song came on and I felt inspired.)  I finished the nearly 3 mile workout and then did some squats,  walking lunges and core strengthening.  My coach told me that next month's workout schedule will have a lot of leg weight lifting in it, and core work as well, and I wanted to get the jump on it.  My legs are sore today.  And my ass.  

Today:  A 7 mile easy run that I did in the sprinkling rain.  I ran it in 56:44 and averaged 8:05/mile and 147 bpm heart rate.  I don't know why I felt strong today, it defies logic really when you consider how sore my legs are after yesterday's workout.  I didn't question it too much but instead picked up the pace since I was feeling good.  Tomorrow's a rest day, saturday too, since I perform saturday night.  Sunday, it's a 16 mile trail run.  Wish me luck.

Nothing Negative About That Split

On such a historic day, filled with excitement, trepidation, and expectations, with the world watching the U.S.,  I feel rather idiotic writing how my 5 mile negative split run.  I'm not a good enough writer to capture what a moment this morning was.  Nor am I in the slight bit embarrassed when I confess that watching our 44th President take the Oath of Office, I shed more than a few tears.  

Moving on.

Perhaps it was the morning's celebrations, maybe I just got some much needed rest, or perhaps it was because I finally ponied up the dough for the Big Sur Marathon,  but I felt fresh as a daisy out there today.  It looked like this: 

5.01 miles

Lap 1:  19:59  Av:  7:59/mi  264 calories burned

Lap 2:  18:52 Av:  7:33/mi  270 calories burned 

Delusional

So the other day I emailed my online running coach about a 50K that I found out here, being run in mountains in March.  A 50K.  In March.  That's about 31 miles... and I was thinking, "yeah, I could do that".  Sure, it would be something big to tackle, but I've never shied away from a challenge.  My coach reminded me that I basically had 5 weeks to get ready for it, and that in that time, my long run would be going from 16 miles to a 25 miler 2 weeks before the event.  I mulled that information over in my brain a few days and was still feeling like it could happen.

And then the funny part of the story comes.

On sunday I ran my 10 Mile Time Trial.  It was not pretty.  In fact, it was the kind of run where you swear that  you're smoking a pack of Camels in your sleep, or you're running with corn syrup in your lungs, or that you're running in water...  well, you get the idea.  

I felt like complete and utter SHIT.  I was less than one mile into it when I knew I just didn't have it.  Not only did I not have it, I felt like I never had it to begin with.  I was suckin' wind, my eyes were watering from something in the air and felt like they were gonna pop out of my skull. Sometimes I'll go on a run, and feel like crap, only to warm up, and end up having a good, (sometimes great) run.  Sunday, was not like that.  

31 miles in 5 weeks?  It would actually be funny if it wasn't so sad...

Posting... finally

It's a been a few days since I posted anything.  I had an easy 5 mile run on thursday which I did on the treadmill at the gym.  I finished that workout with a few weights, then friday I did weights as well.  Today I was supposed to run a 10 mile time trial, but because I perform tonight, I'm pushing it until tomorrow morning.  I squeeze it in before watching football.

Slow Death

Yup, that's the name of today's workout.  1/2 mile warm up, then 1 minute VERY hard, 1 minute recovery, 10 times.  I did it first thing this morning, right outta the gate, on a treadmill at the gym.  I gotta tell ya, it felt pretty good.  I was running the repeats @ 6"18/mile and when I finished I felt like I could've/should've been running them faster.  Ah well, there's always next time, right?

Runnin' With ZZ Top

"New (shorts), new shoes, and I don't know where I am going to..."

You remember that song by the bearded boys back in the 80's? That pretty much summed up my long run yesterday.  I decided to run something new yesterday, in a new pair of running shorts and new trail shoes.   I consulted my trail running book, picked a new trail to run, and I was off. 

Things didn't start very well for me.  Upon turning on my gps enabled running watch at the trail head, I was warned that the battery was low.  Frustrating, "but really", I thought, "how low could it be?" I had just charged it days earlier.  Turns out, it could be, and was, very low.  It was so low in fact, that  it couldn't find any satellites and died within the first 1/4 mile of my run.  "Well screw it", I thought.  I tried to focus on the relaxing aspect of not being tethered to an electronic device telling me all about how slow I was running, how my heart rate was sky rocketing, and how the incline was killing me.  I put a positive spin on it, and kept on running.

The trail, yeah, let's get into that a little... it was kind of brutal.  It let me warm up for like 1/2 a mile, (I guess) and then it had a pretty steep grade going up hill.  It had dirt steps, for God's sake!  I had written some notes down on  piece of paper, telling me where to turn at which mile, landmarks at mile whatever, things like that.  Well, when your gps is down, you've got no idea how far you're going.  Hell, I didn't even have any idea of how LONG I had been running.  All this is to say, the inevitable came to be:  I got lost.  Now lost makes it sound like I was stumbling around babbling like an idiot, scratching my head and saying "oh shit, now where do I go?"  It wasn't quite like that.  It was more like I saw a trail thought it looked right, and went that way.  About an hour (maybe) later, I came to a trail hub where I did know where I was. That was good.  I continued on my way fighting the wind every step of the way.  All in all, that run really kicked my ass.  I'm guessing I ran somewhere around 11-14 miles.  It was a beautiful run, and I'll be certain to do it again in the future.