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.  

An Easy One

Just got in from my easy 1 hour run.  I covered almost 7 miles, (6.81 to be precise) in 58:34. That's an average of 8:45/mile, and 130 bpm heart rate.  The shnoz? Yeah, pretty much more of the same.

Progressing

Today was a Progressive Run- 4 miles long.  Starting at 8:00/mile with each successive mile run faster than the last.  It looked something like this:

Mile 1:  7:54/mile

Mile 2:  7:43/mile

Mile 3:  7:34/mile

Mile 4:  7:20/mile

Total:  30:54

It felt good to do a little speed work but, again, my sinuses were really giving me grief.  

13 Miles on the Road

Yesterday's 13 miler went all right.  I averaged about 8:10/mile.  I had a problem with my sinuses, even though I took a benadryl beforehand.  I was pretty sore afterwards, and the ice bath helped some of that.  The roads beat me up more than the trails do.  Today, I'm resting and the sinuses are giving me grief AGAIN.  It's tough to get into shape when I can't eat properly and refuel after my workouts. Frustrating.  

Sinus Trouble

It's been a rough couple of days in the sinus department.  I was having some problems on our Christmas vacation, but it wasn't affecting my running, because I wasn't running.  Now I'm back, trying to get back into it, and it's just not happening.  I have a 14 miler scheduled for tomorrow.  I'll prep my running stuff for it, and see how I feel tonight and tomorrow morning.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Lazy Bones

I've been a bad boy.  No running for nearly a week.  We went to visit family for Christmas, and though we brought running clothes, they were never used.  We did, however, get in a leisurely 4 mile hike on the famous Dipsea Trail in the Muir Woods.  So beautiful!  I'm trying to convince myself that the rest did me some good, and in reality, I'm sure it did, I'm just not sure I needed nearly a week of it... oh well.

So, today's run was an easy 1 hour (58 minutes to be precise) and I ran almost 7 miles in that time.  I averaged a 8:30/mile.  It felt good to get out and run.  It does my soul good.

10 More Miles on a Rolled Ankle

Saturday's 14 miler was tough.  From the first mile on, my quads were heavy, and I just didn't have a lot of gas in the tank.  I rolled my ankle around mile 4.  The left one.  Again.  It didn't hurt long, but it was pretty tight the next morning coming down the stairs.  I took sunday off, and was supposed to run a progressive run today, but my quads were still sore so I did an easy 4 miles on the treadmill.  

Not Gonna Bore You

Yesterday's run, intervals, went pretty well.  All total I ran for about 1/2 an hour, and averaged a 7:32/mi.  I'm pleased.  I'm not gonna go into all the splits here.  Why? Today's easy 45 minutes went well.  My GPS watch didn't help me out at all, due to a dead battery.  

10 Kilometers, and One Heavy Breather

My coach has been on me to get some racing in.  I always figured it was because it forces you to run harder than you're probably used to.  Gets those competitive juices flowing.  I'm a pretty competitive person, so it was good to run it.  I awoke at 5:30 to overcast skies and  53 degrees... perfect running weather.  Sure, it's nice when the sun is shining and it's 70 degrees, but as soon as you start running, it gets much hotter.  I had a few bowls of cereal with rice dream, (trying to cut back on dairy wherever possible, my acupuncturist thinks its wise), a cappuccino, and finished up with two pieces of toast with just a drizzle of honey.  It's nature's energy gel!  I arrived at the race with about 15 minutes to spare, parked about 1/2 mile from the start/finish line to avoid the parking mess and get my warmup in.  

I got stuck about halfway back in the pack, so my first mile was probably around an 8:15.  In retrospect it was probably a good thing to prevent me from going out too fast.  Around mile 2 I was stuck near some heavy breather.   He kept exhaling real loud-  "WHEW!  WHEW!  WHEW!!!"  I looked down to see I was running in the 7:20/mi range and worried I was going too fast, but hell, I felt good.   It was around mile 3 I decided to just not worry about my pace, and just start to race.  I tried to focus on keeping relaxed, and staying steady.  Mile 4 brought a focus on other runners ahead of me, and a need to pick them off.  It usually involved fixating on someone wearing a peculiar hat.  First there was the woman in the santa hat, then it was a guy in a Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat hat.  Finally, around mile 5  I saw some dude wearing a hat, backwards, emblazoned with a pot leaf.  I had to pick that guy off... and I did, about 30 yards from the finish line.  Does that make me a dick? Maybe. One bad thing though- I got picked off by some dude near the finish I had passed  1/2 mile earlier on a short uphill.   That sucked, but hey, it was my fault, I kicked too early.  I didn't leave enough gas in the tank.  I felt like I was gonna revisit my breakfast, but was able to keep things where they belonged.   Two runners I saw weren't so lucky.  One guy threw his groceries in the timing chip removal area.  

I don't run many 10Ks, this was probably my 3rd or 4th, with my best time being 42:00 or around there that I ran many years ago.  Today, I ran a 43:38, and was pretty pleased.  I went into it just hoping to break 45 minutes.  

Allergies vs. Cold

I went on my run wednesday, a "Pain is Your Friend" run.   (I thought it was my buddy, hmmm, I guess it's a different kind of friendship)  It was an interval workout, 30 seconds hard, 1:30 walk, 1 minute hard, 1:30 walk, 1:30 hard, 1:30 walk... you get the idea.  Well, I ran it at night, and for some stupid reason felt the need to be all anal retentive about logging splits... what a dumb ass I am sometimes.  Anyway, it got to be too much, and really what's the point? Later that night I had some sinus problems.  Big shocker, I know.  It felt like I was catching a cold.  Due to that, I 86'd my 7 miler scheduled the next day.  I had class and was looking ahead to a 10K on saturday, which brings me to...

Memories...

Yesterday's 11 miler was tough. Within the first mile, I knew it wasn't going to be a fun one. I had a rare, (though not unheard of) saturday audition in Santa Monica. Coincidentally, I had to play the role of a marathon runner, so I was dressed in my running clothes. I ran in Santa Monica right afterwards. I ended up running the very same route where I met my wife. I remember it like it was yesterday...

(cue the harp and squiggly lines onscreen)

We were training to run a marathon in Dublin, Ireland for the Arthritis Foundation. Every saturday morning, I'd make the long drive from Eagle Rock to Brentwood to train with the group. The coaches would separate us into different groups based on our fitness level and experience. I was running in the group with two other guys, or "the advanced group" and my wife was told to join us. I wanted her to feel welcome, so I told her to set the pace. I thought I was being nice. If you ask my wife, she'll tell you that she thought I was being a wise ass. I wasn't trying to be. Honest! I really just wanted her to feel like she was being accepted. She demurred, but I persisted. Finally, she accepted the offer, put her headset on and ran ahead of us. I remember thinking that was kind of a dick move. Well, the advanced group was somewhat accustomed to finishing each run with a bit of a kick. That run was no different. We did the kick, and passed her within the last mile (after she apparently killed herself to stay ahead of us). That's how we met.

And to think she actually married me.

Anyway, I ran that same route yesterday, and enjoyed the trip down memory lane.

It was the only thing I enjoyed on that run. Sometimes, you feel like crap, but push through that feeling. You stay with it, and down the road, you're rewarded by feeling a lot better, and kickin' ass. Yesterday there was no ass kickin'. After 2 miles, I knew I just had to gut out the next 9. The first 5 1/2 miles were all uphill, and when I turned around to run downhill, the wind buffeted me.

And from the "More-Information-Than-You-Needed- File", my left nipple got pretty chafed. Ouch.

So it looked like this:

11 miles in 1:32:57

Av: 8:27/mi 151 bpm Heart Rate

1158 calories burned

Lap 1: 47:10

Lap 2: 45:46

Bonus points for making it a negative split.

The Shaved Leg Theory

My legs are hairy.

Yeah, no surprise there.  I've gone through puberty.  But I have a theory.  If my legs are hairy, I will fall on the trails, if they're relatively hairless, I'm good.  No falls.  You see, I have shaved my legs in the past.  For running.  Actually, if I'm honest, I waxed them a long time ago.  Myself. Oh yes I did.  I did it while I watched football one afternoon.  (had to counteract the girlie-ness of it I guess)  and yes, it did hurt about as much as you would expect.  Now you're probably asking yourself, "Jeff, why in the hell would you do that?"  Good question.  I have done it for the same reason that cyclists do it.  I used to think that they did it for speed, aerodynamics, crap like that.  Not so.  Cyclists do it in the event of a crash.  You see, when you hit the pavement at a high rate of speed and you've got hairy legs, it doesn't scrape your skin off, it pulls it out in nasty clumps because of the hair.  When you've got smooth legs, you get the nasty road rash, the scrape, but it's relatively clean, and when you're treating the wounds, it's much easier to do so when there isn't hair.  All the scabbing... and trying to shave the area after you've had a bad scrape? Yeah, that sucks pretty hard too.  

Great, great, Jeff.  Can we get to it already? 

Of course.  In the past, when I've gone on long runs on the trails, I fall down occasionally.  Could be a turned ankle, could be tired legs letting me down, just your basic stumble bum scenario, but whatever the reason, I have fallen on the trail too many times to mention and have the scars to prove it.  That's when I started to get rid of most of the hair on my legs.  I don't shave them.  Sometimes I'd knock it back a bit, get the majority of it off, and it was like an insurance policy.  If the legs were relatively hairless, then the trail gods would smile down upon me and let me pass unimpeded.  But, when I have hair on them, and I start running longer distances on the trails, you can bet your butt that I'll find myself with blood running down a knee, or two...  

My trail runs are getting to be in the 12-14 mile range, and my legs? Hairy.  

You do the math.  

Today's run:  4 mile negative split looked something like this:

4.08 miles

Total time 30:46

Average 7:32/mile

153 bpm heart rate

lap 1:  

2.04 miles

16:06 

7:54/mile 

145/bpm heart rate

lap 2:

2.04 miles  

14:40

Average 7:10/mile 

163/bpm heart rate

ON YOUR RIGHT!!!!!!

Man, if I had a dollar for every time I had to scream that at the top of my lungs during a road run... well, let's just say I could bail out the big 3 automakers and still have enough for a new pair of Mizuno's.  I had to scream it 3 times yesterday, along with a few other choice expletives.  Always, it's the same thing.  Someone, usually on their phone, with a dumb "Who, me?" look on their face as they nearly run me over.   It usually happens when people are trying to beat oncoming traffic to make a left turn.  Sometimes they're rolling through a stop sign to make a right turn.  How do you miss a guy wearing a highlighter colored running jacket, reflective patches on the shoes, the jacket, the shorts... the flashing red light on my arm.  No, really, I have it.  I look like I f*&$#ing  belong on the Las Vegas Strip.   

Last night's run, 5, 3/4 mile repeats with a 1/4 recovery  between each... I gotta tell ya, I was flyin'!  At least it felt that way.  It wasn't until the 4th repeat that I was starting to feel it, but still, I just felt strong.  I felt fast.  Could I be, (have a seat, this could be big) getting stronger?!  

(cue the 2001 Space Odyssey theme)

Last night, I took my life into my own hands and ran on the road, in the fog, and ran 5 miles in 37:24.  It averages out to 7:29/mile with an average heart rate of 156/bpm.  

Say whaaaa?

Now for those of you who run, and run like the wind, those numbers will be, less than impressive.  But for me? The Red Kenyan? The guy with cheeto legs? Those numbers represent not the next great thing in marathoning but something smaller, less perceptible.  It's there if you look closely... little closer still.  There it is:  Progress.  BOOYA!  Yup, it's not big, it doesn't have Haile Gebrselassie (world record holder in the marathon) shaking in his skips or anything, but it does prove to me that hard work and patience will be rewarded.   

Update:  

I just returned from my easy One Hour Run this morning, and damn if I didn't feel good, again. I'm probably jinxing myself on this, but I did feel good.  I ran 7.30 miles with an average of 8:28/mile, and 148/bpm heart rate.

12 miler Saturday... and Feeling Kinda Good

There's a strange bump on the instep of my left foot.

How's that for a teaser at the beginning of a post? 

I don't know if it's a bone spur, or just a natural bump on the bone of my foot, but when I press on it, it hurts.  Solution:  Don't press on it.  Nice.  I only bring this up because it seems as though my trail runs bother it more often than my road runs.  Coincidence? Perhaps.  In any event, it doesn't seem to really bother my running much.  It aches usually only after a run, not during.  Well, not yet anyway.  I should probably have Dr. Schwartz, my podiatrist check it out in the new year.  

The 12 miler on saturday felt pretty damn good, if I do say so myself.  The 2 mile downhill on pavement to finish the run, however, did not feel so damn good.  It beat the shit out of my little chicken quads.  Bawk bawk bawk!  

No Trottin', but lots of Turkey

Well, as expected, my Turkey Trot never happened.  I just couldn't swing it.  Not with 12 people coming over for Thanksgiving dinner last thursday.  And really, let's be honest, the idea of getting up at the crack of ass just to drive all the way to Long Beach to run a 6 miler with a couple thousand of my closest friends, and then race home to help set up, cook and clean for Thanksgiving? Um, no.  Or rather, no thank you.  My wife and I ran a nice 3 miler together, so that was good.  

On another note, the football on Thanksgiving? Terrible.  Really.  What a joke.

Bang Bang Bang

Are you sitting down? You may want to.  This is big.

There's water falling from the sky in Los Angeles.  What's the name for that again? Umm, oh, crap, it's on the tip of my tongue... 

Rain.  Ah yes, that's what it is.

 That's pretty epic.  Of course, any time there is a mild change in atmospheric pressure, or the planets are not properly aligned, it affects me and my oh-so-sensitive sinuses.  Today is no exception.  

I did an easy 50 minute run last night, which actually ended up being a 48 minute negative split run.  I think last night I subconsciously realized, (or decided), that tomorrow's Turkey Trot just wasn't going to happen.  We're hosting Thanksgiving this year so it probably isn't a great idea.  I'll just do a 10K by myself tomorrow, maybe do it on a trail somewhere, (it is a bit of tradition, after all) or I'll just run it from our front door.  In any case, I will go for a run and come home and do the dutiful husband routine of cleaning the house, helping with cooking and watching football.  That sounds like I'm feeling put upon.  I'm not.  It will be great to see everyone.  There will be 11 of us.  I just think that due to the hosting duties, I should make that the priority, and not a silly 10K that I'll have to pay for anyway.   

Last night's run, even though run too fast, or not easy enough, felt pretty good, but it may have contributed to the hammer vs. anvil party I've got raging inside my skull right now.  I hope I can shake this thing before tomorrow.  For a guy who likes to eat, Thanksgiving is like Christmas.  

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  

"Slow"?!

My online coach has clever names for my speed workouts.  Things like, "Killer 400's" or "Negative Split" are pretty self-explanatory.  Killer 400's are just that, difficult 1/4 mile repeats, and Negative Split just means the second half of the distance is run faster than the first.  But then, there are the other workouts;  "The Beast", "Gut Check" or "Pain is Your Buddy", all with varying degrees of discomfort and unhappiness attached to them.  Last night I ran a little something coach likes to call "Slow Death".  We'll come up with a more accurate name for it, because, as far as I'm concerned, there was nothing too slow about it.  That's not to say my pace was fast, no, far from it.  It's just that I descended into running hell at a pretty fast rate.  Slow Death involves a 1/2 mile warm up, then running very hard for 1 minute, then a one minute recovery, and so on... 10 times.  I had to run in the dark last night which was a pain in the ass, (and the legs and lungs if I'm honest).  I had to keep tripping the light on my running watch every minute or so to time the repeats.  It's much easier when you've got a coach, or just a friend watching you run around a track and they shout out to you your split times, or some arbitrary phrase like "Move your ass!"  Well, I got through about 4 or 5 repeats, and felt like I was gonna barf.  I didn't, so I guess that was a small victory, but it was not my favorite run.  I must say, however, that I'm kinda diggin' on the speed work in my workouts.  It's nice to know that if I'm not into training on a specific day, I just have to bust my ass for a shorter amount of time, as opposed to, say, having a 15 miler where I know I'm gonna be out there for a while, I have to gear up for the trail, get to trail, etc. etc.  

So last night's run looked something like this:

I covered less than 3 1/2 miles, 3.33 to be exact, in 25:47.  I averaged 7:44/mile and a heart rate of 146/bpm.  I don't have the  info for each individual split, again, punching the buttons on my watch and trying to read it in the dark was getting to me.  Every minute, on the minute, and watching the rush hour traffic got to be a bit much.  Oh yeah, and I burned 351 calories.

Today's run:  an easy 50 minutes.  I'm guessing I'll cover about 6 miles in that time.  I was set to run a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, but I didn't register in time, and so the price will now go up.  I will go for a run on Turkey Day, that's for sure, it's just looking more and more like it'll be in a race situation.  

The Sweet Smell of Success

So, it's sunday.  The day of rest. Well, for me, anyway.  I do my long run on saturdays during the football season.  Gotta watch the Packers when I can.  Yesterday's 10 miler was strange.  It was run on the streets.  I'm beginning to alternate my long runs between trails and the roads.  When I started, my legs felt rubbery, and my lungs felt a bit heavy.  I looked at my watch to discover I was running nearly an 8 minute mile, which is a bit brisk for my long run.  I kept on it, and gradually,  around mile 6 or 7 I finally felt warmed up and like I was hitting my stride. So much so in fact, that I ran the last mile or so around 7:15/mile.  Picture it:  chugging along I've got 8 miles under my belt, I'm suckin' wind and I run through a neighborhood where they've put manure on their lawns.  I was able to avoid a curtain call by my breakfast, but it was pretty gross.  I could kind of taste it.  A sweet smell.  Eeesh.  

My back is tight again.  It's my hips.  I think the road running is harder on my hips than the trails are.

Marathon, in Days of Yore

I came across this photo today and decided to post it.  It sits on the inside of the my closet door, along with bib numbers from past marathons, photos of running greats, and quotes. It helps to inspire me on those days that I'm not feelin' it.

This photo is 8 years old.  It was taken moments after I finished the Dublin Marathon.  The same marathon I was training for when I met my wife.  In the picture I'm clutching my finisher's plaque.  They gave them out in lieu of a medal.  

Notice the cobblestones? Oh yeah.  BAD idea.  Whoever designed this course was a sadistic mofo.  What's the one surface you don't want to run on after having run 23 miles? Cobblestone.  There's no give!  Unsteady surface.  The race began by the River Liffey in Dublin, on cobblestone.    While we waited for the beginning of the race,  it rained sideways, so those cobblestones get pretty slick.   You could see your breath.  I'm pretty sure it was close to 40 degrees.  Eventually the sun came out, warmed up a bit... I remember running by  swans in a canal, and spectators under umbrellas, smoking, and offering up the occasional "Good job.  Well done."  

Then there was the post-race shower.  Normally this is something so incredible, it borders on the orgasmic.  You think about it during the race, along with what you're going to eat.  Well, I had forgotten to pack band aids for my nipples.  Most men wear them to prevent chaffing.  Well, of all the races to forget them, that was the worst one possible.  With the hours of rain, and cold weather, by the time I hit the hot shower back in my hotel room, my nipples felt like they had been hit by a belt sander.  

Ah, memories.  

Not Bad

Well, after a long-winded post yesterday, I received a last minute audition and had to squeeze my workout in.  I went to the gym, ran an easy 3 miles on the treadmill, averaging about a 8:30/mile and then did my upper body weight training.  Although it's still early in process, I'm seeing a bit of progress.  

Today is a rest day.  Tomorrow, 10 miler on the roads.  

No Excuses!

I'm a lazy shit.  Let's just say it.  

I've been meaning to sit down and put a post on this blog for f*&king EVER, and yet, it's been over a month.

"Wow, you haven't been running for a month? You haven't been working out?"

No, far from it in fact.  I have been working out, I just haven't been writing about it.

Fascinating, Jeff.  No, really.  Do tell us all about it.  

Perhaps the problem is, this blog isn't really defined yet.  The painting blog is, well, just a place where I paint stuff, take a photo, write about how much I dislike the finished product, and then proceed to ask someone to buy it.  A perfect business model.  But here? Yeah, I don't know.  I guess I try to run a lot, or quickly, or both, and then I, um, write about it? Yeah, not really hashed out very well.   

Moving on.

I've been running pretty steadily the past month, and finally seeing some progress.  It's been slow and steady progress, the kind you want when running.  Too much too fast, and you're asking for injury.  The problem is, it's not very rewarding.  There are no lightbulb-going-on moments.  I would compare it to slowly slogging up a long hill.  While you're doing it, head down, breathing heavy, concentrating on the 24 inches directly in front of you, you have no idea of how you're doing.  Get to the top, however, and look back, you get that moment of accomplishment just in time for you to look up, and see the next hill in front of you.

Today's run is a short, easy 3 miler.  I'll follow it up with a few hours hitting the weights.  It's something I'm finally getting back to;  weight training.

When I was younger, say, 10-15 years ago, I was able to bench  more than twice my body weight.  I'm a little guy, so it's not like I was pushing 300 lbs. or anything,  and it was only one time.  I won't lie to you, it wasn't pretty, lots of grunting, veins-a-poppin' arms-a-jigglin', but I did it.  Then I ran my first marathon, fell in love and started pursuing that with the passion of the newly converted.  

My point? I had a lot more strength back then.  I want that back.  No, not all of it, just a bit.  Just want my shirts to fit a bit snugger, and not resemble a pre-pubescent Harry Potter fan.  That's not wrong of me, is it?  I've noticed that during the last couple of months, the added mileage and strength has given me more size south of the border, (unfortunately, no, not there) but my pants are fitting more snug in the waist.  Hell, it could be from the tightness of my IT bands.  Can you swell in your hip joints? I wonder.  

Today's run, like the runs of the past week, will be done indoors, on the treadmill.  We've had fires that have devastated entire communities.  They are miles away, and the ash and smoke are carried on Santa Anna winds.  For someone with sinuses such as mine, or with, say, asthma (M.E.  I'm talking to you now) it's horrible.  Dangerous even.  But I'm not comparing my woes to those who have lost everything.  For them, my heart breaks.