One hour

It was a perfect day for a run weatherwise. Clear, mid to high-fifties, puffy clouds. Trees are just starting to pop up here, which makes for a nice contrast of green to brown as you look up the slopes.

I got in an hour run. I figure it's around 7.5 miles. No issues. We'll see how this week goes.

30 minutes

Ran for 30 minutes this morning. No issues with the calf. This is the old injury from the March 15 half marathon. With only a couple of weeks out, I'm not optimistic that it will be strong enough to run the race, and I'm not up for reinjury. The plan is to try to get in a couple of moderately long runs over the next couple of weeks to see how they feel, then decide whether or not I have to defer the race to let the calf fully heal.

You'll see my progress here.

Back 2

5 miles, 43:41. No pain. Trying not to push it. I'll go for 3 - 5 on Tuesday. VCM is a slight possibility. (I had written it off last week, so I could just focus on getting healthy.)

Back

Ran pain free for the first time in 6 weeks today. 3 miles, 25:58 minutes. Forcing myself not to go out again tomorrow, fearing relapse on the calf.

Have to catch up on the blog, but kiddies need to go to bed first.

Catching up

This is a catch up post.

Ran 3 miles on Friday night.
Ran 5 miles on Saturday morning.
Drank 5 bottles of wine (collectively with 5 adults) on Saturday night.
Ran 25 minutes on treadmill on Monday, followed by 35 minutes on the elliptical.
Did 45 minutes on the elliptical today.
6-8 mile run is on my schedule for tomorrow, pending the calf health.

More soon. Have to go to bionicles.com now. Agricola, you'll know this site soon enough with little Ag 2 and 3.

Relliptical

Elliptical again this morning. 4 miles. Weee.

Running is on tap for Wednesday after a day of rest and hydration tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Gym 5

I hit the gym this morning for 5 miles on the eliptical. Not sure how they determine distance on a machine that turns your legs in circles, but it said, "5", and that was the goal. Calf is getting stronger every day. Targeting Wednesday for the first run.

Eliptical

20 minutes on the eliptical today. Patience...patience.

Noo Beffuhd Half

As AG mentioned, I too ran the New Bedford Half. He had a great lead in about the history and feel of the race. Great post there, so I'll stick to my performance.

(Interesting that I wore a watch and was all about my splits. AG didn't and kicked butt while soaking in the entire experience and surroundings. Accessory-driven perceptions?)

Anyway, my goal was to run this at marathon pace (around 7:30) for the first 5 or so miles then slowly drop down to half-marathon pace (7:04, derived somehow from my marathon goal time). Since we're still a ways out from the actual marathon, this was less about the goal than it was about seeing how things felt. I was told to think of this as a training run with friends, support, adrenaline, etc. For me, the goal was there to structure the event and give me an overall approach.

The day before the race, I did a relaxed three miler with about five "striders" built in to stretch things out. Striders are new to me. They are essentially 30 second intervals in which you built up to a sprint over 10 seconds, hold it for 10 - 15, then slow back down over the remaining time. It was a low-key run, but I noticed that my left calf was tight. Not a great sign. I awoke on race day with more tightness, but hydrated up and departed for the race.

Unfortunately, the tightness never really went away during the race. It did loosen a bit, but I was always thinking about it, which hampered me some. Still, I was happy with my results until mile 12 and change, when the leg tightened considerably. Despite plenty of fuel left in the tank and no other muscle issues, I couldn't complete a full stride and had to limp in to the finish. Disappointing, but only because of the injury. Overall, I still did well (10 seconds off my PR) and am happy with the result (minus the last mile). Now the challenge is to get healthy quickly and without relapse. It will happen.

Anyway, enough talk. Here are the splits, which tell it all:
mile 1: 6:43 (adrenaline)
mile 2: 7:24
mile 3: 7:16
mile 4: 7:27
mile 5: 7:13
mile 6: 7:11
mile 7: 7:13
mile 8: 7:04
mile 9: 7:35
mile 10: 7:12
mile 11: 7:09
mile 12: 7:24
mile 13: 8:43
Total: 1:35:39

Off to the races. Looking forward to the next one.

Late 8

While talking to AG yesterday around 6PM, I realized that I was not on an off-day after all. I had an 8 miler fartlek on the schedule. Thank goodness for the time change because I completely spaced it.

I hit the heavily rutted, potholed, muddy road from my house at about 6:40. The run consisted of a 2 mile warm up, 5 X 3 minute "sprints" (again, loosely defined sprints) with one minute warm down between each one, followed by an easy run in for the remaining miles.

This run was tough going mainly because of the light. The interesting thing was that I was less impaired by the poor visibility and footing than I was by worrying about the poor visibility and footing. I just couldn't concentrate or get any steam going because my head was not in the game. Yet another reminder of the power of the mind in training. In the end, I got my satisfaction from the fact that I went out and got the miles in, not from the act of running. Still, I'll take it.

New Bedford Half Marathon is on Sunday, and I'll be there along with AG. Apparently this is a great race where lots of records have been set. Looking forward to the rush of the start.

Later boys.

Back with five

I'm back in VT, and it feels good to be running on a familiar road again. I got in a five miler today after work -- nice to have a chance to take advantage of the longer days, though I don't want to make the post-work run a habit. It's too easy to blow off after a tough day.

Everyone ok out there? Quiet on the blog lately.

Six at altitude

I was happy to get a run in this morning after a hard day of skiing yesterday. I started at about 8700' above sea level, ran down to about 7700' and back up. I felt the burn, but I'm not sure if it was from the altitude, hills or skiing yesterday, which was hard work.

It's snowing again today in Alta, UT. We got 14" yesterday, which made for some fun skiing. As much as I'm ready for spring, fresh snow out here is a whole different story.

Later boys.

Seven "Sprints"

I did my sprint workout today, and it went like this:
2 mile warm up
7 x 2 minute sprints followed by 60 second cool down after each one
Cool down for the remaining miles.
Seven miles in total.

I was glad to get this one in, even though I didn't set any speed records. I felt very slow and sluggish for all except maybe the last sprint and the cool down. Coincidentally, that's when the wind was at my back. Wind's a killer when it's in your face.

Check it off, punch it in, done for another day.

Not dead yet

I haven't been able to carve out time to post, but I have been running this week. I felt under the weather Tuesday - Wednesday, so I took a breather. I got back on track with a five miler on Thursday, a seven mile hill workout on Friday, three on Saturday, and the biggy, a 16 miler today.

Here are some random thoughts about the runs and the week...
- Running is good for sinus issues. Gets things flowing and to FA's point on lungies, you can just expectorate them out as they show themselves
- If you feel like crap on the run, keep at it for a bit and give your body a chance to rebound. I thought I was going to hurl on my hill workout (and not due to exceptional efforts). I was really slow and felt weird through the first three reps. Reps four through six were a different story altogether, with number six being the best of the day. I'm glad I gave my body the chance to work itself out, so I could feel the satisfaction of the workout.
- Running with people is more than a good thing, it's necessary if you're going to run a lot. It mixes things up and reminds us of the connections to be made through being active. I've run on my own for the past two weeks, but had a friend join me for nine of the 16 this morning. It made a big difference both in terms of adding variety and the camaraderie.
- Gear! I went out and bought two (yes, two) new pairs of shoes this week. I realized that my training pair usually expires about a week before the marathon, which stresses me out. Coach recommended getting the two pair, so I have two to train in (in case one gets wet, muddy, etc.) and one to break in with about 50 miles right before the race, so their perfect on race day. I got two pairs of Ascics Gel Nimbus to go with my other pair of Brooks. The Ascics were simply cushier. Gear is fun.
- I'm going to invest in a Garmin GPS watch thingy. I'll let you know how that goes. Again, gear is fun.
- GMAA -- I joined the Green Mountain Athletic Association this week to get a discount on my shoes. Not sure what the GMAA is all about, but it feels kind of cool to officially be part of a larger VT contingent of runners.
- Repetition brings strength. I'm no longer paranoid about injury. I have some tightness here and there, but nothing like my first couple of weeks on the program when I thought each step would bring a tear or strain. I'm getting stronger which is neat to feel.
- Do bears poop in the woods? Not sure, but Berry's do.

We're heading to Alta this week, which means my posts will consist of stories about skiing and short runs. I get back next Monday and have my first training race, the New Bedford Half Marathon on March 15. I'm curious about this race. Don't know at all what to expect, although the coach says she and I will come up with a plan/goal for it. Imagine that, a structured goal beyond finish time.

Later boys. Thanks for indulging me as I catch up.

Mind games

I ran 15 miles today. Solo. 2:20. In a snowstorm. I'm proud of that.

I almost turned back about three times in the first three minutes because running on unplowed roads in a snowstorm seemed ridiculous. I felt like I should be skiing or doing something fun. Then I convinced myself that running in the snow really isn't that different from snowshoeing or cross country skiing. All are great workouts that take place outdoors in the snow. Once I made the mental shift, the run got way easier. I didn't give the tough footing a second thought, took the wind in stride, and went with it. It was actually fun on those stretches when the endorphins kicked in. Plus, I knew this run would be tucked away as "what are you made of" material for the marathon. I am glad I stuck with the plan and got it in.

One other note on this run. I ate a huge biwl of oatmeal with bananas and strawberries and drank a big mug of coffee about an hour before starting. I felt the energy from that meal through most of the run, and I supplemented along the way with almost a full package of Shotblocks. It's all about the fuel, and I'm sticking with oatmeal for long runs from here on out.

Still snowing up here, by the way. We got about 8 inches already today, and it's supposed to snow throughout the night. And that's on top of about 10 inches a day at the ski resorts from Thursday - Saturday. Bring on the spring skiing...in about a month!

Hill run

I ran 7 with a hill workout today. The hill workout was the same drill as last week -- 2 mile warm up, 6 x 90 second hill sprints, cool down with the rest of the mileage. It felt good.

This week, I've seen a lot of the tightness from the last few weeks go by the wayside. I think it's a combination of my body getting used to the workouts and my focus on eating and drinking more on run days. I'm more and more convinced that fuel is key to preventing injury and feeling good out there.

Have a good weekend!

Rest and sprints

Today was a good run. I was supposed to go yesterday, but took the day off because I got in the way of a slapshot on Monday night and took a puck to the calf. I was still a bit tender there (and overall really), so I got in an extra day of rest, and it really did me some good.

My task today was a 6 miler with a 2 mile warm up, followed by 5 x 2 minutes of sprints with one minute rest in between, and ending with a cool down for the remaining miles. For the first time in a while, I didn't feel like I was on the verge of a muscle strain. I felt stronger and that was a first. Like Agricola, I think the benefits of the mileage are starting to kick in to the point that I'm feeling them during the shorter runs. That's satisfying.

Here's to equal parts mileage and rest -- both are important if we're going to get there on Memorial Day Weekend, right A?

Long Morning Run

I got in a 12.75 miler at 7:00AM this morning. I ran with a friend, which made time go by relatively quickly. We ran it in about 2 hours for somewhere north of a 9 minute/mile pace. No speed records, but this was about getting the distance in. I had some tightness, so I think that slowed me a bit -- that and the fact that it was 12 miles! I'm starting to feel like a hypochondriac with the tightness, but I'd rather be slightly paranoid than regretful after a muscle pull.

Not much else to report. Have a good one.

Another run

I got a 5.5 miler in today at lunch. This was my easy day, and it felt good to just cruise.

I met with my coach today and learned that I'll probably have to up my food intake as the miles progress. I'd bet we all underestimate the amount of energy we burn as we run, and I know very little about what I should be eating and when. I've always subscribed to the everything in moderation philosophy of eating, which has served me fine. It will be cool to look a little more closely at food as fuel as I get into the training.

The one great tip for today was that I (we) should eat something immediately after finishing a run, like before cool down. The coach suggested a banana, energy bar or a big glass of chocolate or regular milk. I chomped a bunch of almond (the only thing I could find at the moment), and they were the best tasting almonds I had ever had, so my body must've appreciated the protein. Anyway, passing along a good tip for the group in case you hadn't heard that one before.

Otherwise, the run was uneventful.

Have a good weekend, boys.

10 with friends

I braved the -2 degree temps to get in a 10.7 miler this morning with a couple of buddies. The weather actually wasn't bad. I layered up, and there was no wind. I'm finding that the wind is the real killer, not the temp. Not much to report. We did the run in 1:31. It was good to get out and keep on track.

Looking forward to two days off to recuperate.