Chaire Herodikos Selymbriaios!

Biked 52.5 mi 18,2 mph avg, 4x 2 mi sprints at 23 mph.

Was planning to resume routine today, but heel felt pretty tender. Give it another day.

Back in the saddle! The hiatus has been killing me, not least because spring has really sprung out here on Puget Sound, the weather is comestible, and everyone from the herons to the sea lions to the babes in bikini tops is letting it all hang out. But no sense in picking a chronic ailment a few months before the race. So--two weeks on the elliptical. Ugh.

Didn't want to overdo it, ran around the track for half an hour at (Garmin enforced) 8-8:30 pace, except for the second-to-last lap, which I took in 6:45. A few minor complaints from the foot along the way (mostly the heel, now and again something like a cramp in the arch), more tenderness from the newly-healed tissue I think than anything serious. We'll see how it feels this evening, but I think we're back in business. Let's try 4 mi a day five days this week and see where that leaves us.

Foot only a little sore this morning, but discretion-is-the-better-part and so forth. So I hopped on the bike instead & chugged out to the aptly named Scenic Beach State Park by Seabeck, where I lounged on the shore and read Dickens. To spice things up--as if the most spectacular scenery in Washington State wasn't enough--wore my new Garmin with the heart rate monitor. That thing is flipping fun! Took it up to 185 bpm at the summit of Anderson Hill, otherwise was mostly cruising in the 140s and 150s. 61.2 miles round trip, avg 14.8 mph, flagging a bit on the return (until Snicker bar no. 2 just past Poulsbo). Pretty satisfied with that, as the hills were vicious and trafficky.

Z1 12:51

Z2 33:24

Z3 1:22:35

Z4 1:37:03

Z5 19:44

Note to Highway Department: two separate flats from road trash. Please improve shoulder maintenence (or my vision, whichever seems easiest).

Back to the track tomorrow.

On the track. Messed up the laps, but averaged 7:40 pace, Started at 8:30, took it up to 7:30 for a mile, then to 6:30 for the last mile with a sprint to the finish then a cooldown lap. Everything felt aok: a bit of soreness in the heel when I stretched the achilles afterwards, but nothing too bad. Doing the frozen water bottle thing as I type; we'll see how it is this evening.

Z1 0:04

Z2 0:35

Z3 8:10

Z4 17:18

Z5 6:47

Biked 16 mi.153 bpm avg 186 bpm max.

Biked 13.5 miles. Commute-level effort.

Z1	3:00
Z2	6:14
Z3	11:46
Z4	6:58
Z5	1:16

Biked 69 mi around Lake Washington. 15 mph headwind coming through Lake Sammamish corridor slowed us down quite a bit causing both me and DG to bonk at the end (climbed Ravenna at about 7mph!), but all in all a nice workout.

Fun race. With the foot acting up I can only run about once or twice a week--can't very well train until it improves, so the S.F. Marathon in July has turned into a pumpkin (i.e., a half). By the time that became clear though I'd already signed up for the Rhody, and was kind of looking it as my last hurrah before an extended period of non-running. Didn't want to go all out and hurt anything else, but thought I'd give a decent effort. Took the first mile at 7:15, and the course's only real incline didn't slow me down much - finally settled in at just about 7:00/mi. A guy from Tacoma liked the pace, and we yakked all the way to mile 7, where I broke away and finished at a 6-minute clip. Broke the tape still accelerating at 12mph according to Garmin. All in all, left a nice taste in my mouth.

Splits:

1	7:14
2	7:01
3	7:40
4	7:03
5	6:53
6	6:55
7	7:03
.53	3:12

HR was mostly in the 160s and low 170s and topped out at 190; averaged 186 on the last half mi.

Postscript: Sped to the car for a quick getaway, hoping to get in a tub of hot water before the heel tightened, but no such luck: ended up hitting the accelerator with my left foot all the way home. So it's crosstraining for a few weeks, then hopefully start working on October's Portland Marathon. And this time train smarter. Errors to avoid: 1) should have dialed down the week after the Whidbey half, rather than up; 2) shouldn't have done intervals and difficult long run on consecutive days; 3) was stretching achilles too hard and calves not enough; 4) ignored aching in arches--could have nipped it in the bud; 5) shoes with more control and less cushioning probably a good idea.

Biked 20.24 mi 17.4 mph avg. Total ascent 2121'.

Z1	2:42
Z2	7:51
Z3	21:57
Z4	49:06
Z5	3:46

Sticking to my resolution to rest the foot for a few weeks is hard. The first 24 hours after the race was pretty bad, then the pain subsided and my body started trying to trick me again into thinking it's better. Went for a long brisk walk yesterday evening to see how that would feel and had to almost physically stop myself from breaking into a trot. But this morning it was sore. So if I want to be running more than once a week looks like this is what I've gotta do.

One thing for sure, when I get back on the horse I'm going to take it a lot slower while I build a mileage base. 9:00 miles feel ugly, but it looks like I wasn't ready for faster times at the higher frequency.

Biked 14.55 mi, avg speed 16.7 mph total ascent 2897 ft avg hr 138 max hr 180.

Had a chat with Julia, who's been rehabbing a strained glute. Misery loves company--but on the other hand she says she was only on the shelf for two weeks (from a 45-50 mi base) and is down an hour on her long runs, so that part was kind of depressing.

Heel inflammation has apparently migrated from the PF to the cruciate crural ligament, I guess from all the abnormal stresses. The lateral edge of the dorsal foot aches from below the ankle on back, but the medial side seems fine. Not too bad, but I have to make sure I'm totally in alignment when I stretch or it seems to get irritated.

Biked to Leschi and straight back over the hill to the ferry. Worked up a pretty good sweat, but stop and go mileage doesn't really count. Dropped by Seattle Running Company for new shoes (Waverider 10s). The Nikes were pretty much dust after little more than a hundred miles--me and Phil Knight are so over, man.

Had an interesting experience in the afternoon. Morning meeting, left a paycheck in a pile of papers. Dawned on me about lunchtime, about had a heart attack (had spent months finagling it out of HMS). Mounted my bike with a running leap and headed back over to the meeting site. Light turned green, rode from a dead stop up the hill past Safeway, about a 4 or 5 percent grade. Looked at my speedometer and I was going 20!

Conclusion: there's power to be had in those muscles. It would be great to be able to harness the adrenaline a bit more consciously, whether on foot or bicycle.

Postscript: they unlocked the door and it was right where I'd left it.

We were planning on bike camping out at Hurricane Ridge but weather canceled. Then rode into Seattle this morning to do the lake Washington Loop, but by the time the 7:05 ferry pulled in at Colman Dock monsoon conditions had ensued. Right hammy was a bit sore from all the calf stretches, and I'm paranoid about screwing something else up at this point: riding around in the cold and wet seemed like a recipe for disaster. Ended up tootling out to DG's place and back, 20 miles total. Blech. Definitely short on endorphins this afternoon.

Ah, much better. 34.2 mi ride out to Kingston. Light rain, then clear with a pearly mist covered sunset at Agate Passage. 16.8 mph avg, HR avg 154. Nice.