Go slow to go fast.

moderate run 10 miles - out and back up marshall road. 1:13: 30 - 7:21/avg - 250' vertical, went about 8 min pace going out up the hill and faster coming back after I was more warmed up and coming down hill, still not too hard though.  My body feels really good right now.   Better than i can recall in some time.  My glute tenderness has mostly all gone and I felt totally recovered from Saturdays long run this morning.  I felt totally recovered yesterday morning actually, but was happy to take the day off as always.  I enjoyed getting 3 solid sessions of compex active recovery per day on my glutes/quads/calves while laying around watching general conference the past 2 days.  That was really nice and I'm sure contributed to my feeling really recovered this morning.

Interesting quotes I heard today while listening to 'Outwitting the Devil' by Napoleon Hill while cranking out some mile repeats this morning.  That is a pretty fascinating book that was published this year by the author of 'think and grow rich' long after his death and after being hidden away for over 70 years.

"Faith is a state of mind wherein one recognizes and uses the power of positive thought as a medium by which one contacts and draws upon the universal store of infinite intelligence at will."

"Faith is definiteness of purpose backed by belief in the attainment of the object of that purpose."

Oh yeah...running. 

The workout this morning called for specific endurance intervals: 3 miles easy, 6 x 1 mile @ 10K pace + 5 sec/mile w/3 min. active recoveries, 3 miles easy - Here were my splits for the miles going up and down on marshall road.  The odds are up, evens are down.  Splits: 5:55, 5:47, 6:03, 5:36, 5:56, 5:39.

I wasn't too concerned about what pace I was hitting, other than just trying to keep it underneath marathon, and closer to half marathon pace.  So none of the repeats were very challenging.  But I don't think they were supposed to be.   

Easy 7 mile loop then 2 miles easy with Nan after we ran the kids over to school.  It makes me happy to see her running again, even if it is only a couple miles at this point.

Oh yeah, and I saw 4 bears cross the trail 100 feet in front of me down on S. Boulder creek.  Just before sunrise.  That was really cool.  A Mom and 3 cubs.  The jumped a fence and ran up the creek away from me. It was really surprising to see bears out in the flat lands.  Well to see bears at all, is rare, I haven't seen any yet since living here until now.  But I certainly didn't expect to see them out in the low lands.

Easy 14 miles out marshall road and then up to the top of eldorado springs and back.  Another beautiful fall morning.  With the cool 60 degrees, gorgeous sunrise, the rolling hills leading up the canyon with impressive cliff vistas, and legs that don't have any nagging issues at all, I couldn't help feeling fantastic this morning.  I'm very grateful to be healthy and able to enjoy every morning out running.

Easy running again.  3rd day of easy in a row, because tomorrow I'm going to attempt 26.2 Kilometers at marathon pace on my marathon course. Tomorrow's run will probably be pretty telling on whether I'm in over my head at 6:06 pace or not.  

Today I had a feeling that I should not run through the gulley into skunk canyon but run around a a few hundred meters and come up the sidewalk.  Interestingly as soon as I came up the sidewalk for coyotes were coming out of the gulley where I would have run through.  I stopped and watch them for a few minutes as they did their thing running around the hill side back and forth.

Then I ran up the hill and came across 4 deer who didn't want to get out of the path on enchanted mesa.  So I walked right up to them as they stared at me wide eyed.  Finally they walked off as I motioned for them to move on so I could keep running.  One of them could barely move as its back leg was clearly hurt and it limped its way across the meadow.

Pre-dawn running lately never seems to fail on the wildlife sightings. 

5 weeks out from November 12, my goal marathon date.

Today I did a 26.2K (16.3 Mile) marathon simulation workout by running two loops on my course, then adding 3.2 out and back.  Did 2 mile warmup, then 16.3 miles, then 1.7 cool down.

Splits:

• 1st Loop (6.55 miles): 40:05 (6:07/mile, pretty much right on target)
• 2nd Loop: 40:39 – slipped off goal pace slightly (1:20:44 half marathon split – 6:09/mile avg)
• 3.2 mile out and back: 22:25 (7:00/mile avg for this section, drastically fell off pace.)
• Total: 16.3 miles – 1:43:09 – 6:19/mile avg

Any thoughts on what my marathon goal pace should be at this point by anyone reading are welcomed and appreciated.  My desire is to set a realistic but stretching goal for a marathon time running this same course in 5 weeks from now.  And now that I have somewhat of a bench mark workout to go off of, I’m interested to hear other’s thoughts.

For whatever its worth, I have been running between 70-75 miles most weeks, with 6 days of running per week.  Sundays I always rest from running.  With a lower week every 3-4 weeks.  This week was 74.

Up until now my pie in the sky goal has been 2:40 (6:07 pace).  Hence the goal pace today of 40 minutes per lap to see how I managed at that pace on a simulation run.

Today I was wearing tights, a jacket, beanie, and gloves because it was high 30′s and drizzling this morning.  I self-supported it and was wearing my nathan pack with 30 oz. of water and 2 10 oz. flasks of half dilluted EFS liquid shot.  I only used 1 and a quarter of the 2 flasks, perhaps 250 calories for the 1:43 of running.  Enough/not enough?  Energy felt fine, but perhaps another 100-150 calories would have given my legs more the last 3 miles.  I didn’t drink a ton of the water.  Probably only 12 ounces of the 30.  It wasn’t hot at all of course, but my clothes were still soaked with sweat under my light jacket.  Including the EFS flasks a total of about 24 ounces of fluid was taken in.

As far as heart rate and breath rate are concerned the run was never that challenging.  My legs just got tired and started feeling less strong the last few miles.  My hips/gluts started feeling pretty worked at mile 15.1 so I backed off quite a bit for a minute or two, then picked it up slowly again, but my last mile split was really slow due to that, 7:40 something.  Plus I allowed myself to bail mentally on the pace at mile 15.1.  I didn’t want to drive it so hard so as to hurt myself…I figured I should save the hard driving for the actual marathon attempt.  I’m sure I’m going to have to push through a similar point of growing weakness somewhere in the last 7-10 of the marathon.  I’m willing to push through that necessary pain in my race attempt, in a workout I don’t feel that it’s in my best interest to go there.

PS - just noticed I just cracked 2000 miles on the year...cool.  Only hit 1438 last year, I may come close to doubling that it this year, we'll see. I don't really care and don't have a yearly 'goal', but its interesting to see how quick the miles stack up with consistency of running.

Easy, slow, flat, recovery

Easy, slow, recovery.  Legs feel really good actually.  But i'm taking it easy this week until probably Thursday when I'll do a 10X 1K workout at half to 10K pace.

10 miles easy.  Ran with Patrick Hunt for a few miles when we bumped into each other.  Feeling pretty good, I think its time for a workout tomorrow.

13 on the 13th.  Not on purpose, just noticed that.

Today I did specific endurance intervals - 3 miles easy, 10 X 1K @ half-marathon to 10K pace w/1 min. active recoveries, 3 miles easy

My Splits for the 10K's: 3:49,3:43,3:40,3:33,3:30,3:34,3:34,3:35,3:35,3:37 

Half pace for me is ~3:43 and 10K pace is ~3:31.

This workout felt really good.  I eased into it nicely, didn't ever force anything, and it just felt like one of those zen runs where it just flows smoothly.  Probably partially because I was caught up in an audio I was listening to the whole time by Wayne Dyer - "The power of intention" which is simply a phenomenal listen.   But also because I was detached from expectations or feeling it necessary to hit splits, I was just enjoying the rhythm of running.  

I really enjoy marathon type training in a lot of ways.  Short distance, like mile training, really hurts the lungs, heart, legs, everything.  And I like that at times also, its a good and satisfying pain.  But I find marathon training enjoyable in a different way.  Longer slower intervals don't present the acute pain that shorter ones do.

easy - skunk canyon w/eric, mesa to baseline, home up bear creak path - 1:04 or something.

Easy long run - 26 miles - ~700' vert - ~3:40  Didn't ever stop my watch, and I was taking it easy, stopped a bunch to eat, take off clothes, just taking it really easy and enjoying being out running all morning -

Ran from South Teller farm entrance off Arapahoe, to boulder res, around once, back and forth once with George Zack during his 100 miler, ran with Dave Blaylock a bit who was my home teacher growing up, he was randomly out here from Utah doing the 100 miler also at age 68, what a stud.  Then I ran back on 51st, jay road, trails over to arapahoe and had Nan come get me since I didn't want to run 31 miles for the day all that badly.

It was pretty random that the one time I decided to run around Boulder res for the year, they happened to be doing the 100 miler around it.  And so it was cool to be able to run part of the first loop with George and Dave.

Such a beautiful fall day for a run.  Absolutely gorgeous sunrise over Teller farms.   

Easy and slow 12 (1:48) to start the week off right. Legs felt great.

On the schedule for today was a Progression run , 2 miles easy, 6 miles accelerating from mar. to half mar. pace, 2 miles easy.

paces for the 6 miles: 6:46, 6:50, 6:31, 6:21, 6:29, 6:29.

I didn't start at marathon pace, nor ever get to half marathon pace...oh well. It felt fine, the speed in the legs was just not really there today and I didn't really feel like forcing it.

Slow and easy recovery run. 3.5 miles of it were with Nan while pushing Ali in the jogger. Its so nice to see her back out running.

Easy running -  3.5 with Nan.  Then 7 more at a slightly faster pace, probably about 7-7:15 that was just easy and smooth.  Mentally I was not feeling it today and I bailed on doing the 4x10 min half marathon pace stuff I had on the written plan.  I'm over it.  I don't like forcing workouts when I'm not feeling it mentally or physically.  Today I was just not mentally into it.

Slow and easy and enjoyable miles.  The last couple I pushed Ali in the jogger because I needed to get back and run the kids to school while Nan got to her workout.

Hard long run today, that I was pretty psyched about.  I really enjoy the long fast runs, something motivating about getting out and getting after it.  Today called for 1 mile easy, 18 miles @marathon pace + 20 sec/mile, 1 mile easy.  

I felt great going in, I started out a bit conservative, and just progressively felt stronger and faster throughout the run.  Did the 18 miles in 1:58:30 - 6:35/mile pace and only had 2 or 3 brief moments where it even felt very challenging.  My new marathon goal pace is about 6:15-6:20 so I hit the goal for the workout right on.  It was a great feeling run.  And I'm really loving how well my body is responding and recovering from long harder runs these days.  I am noticing a difference in general strength and resilience.

Funny to think back to Bolder Boulder 1.5 years ago when I was happy to break 40 min and run 39:5x.  Today I ran that pace for three 10K's in a row and could have kept going.  Its cool to see what consistent mileage will do over time. 

Easy 4 with Nan and pushing Ali in the chariot.  Then another 4.5 with 10x10 second hill sprints up in skunk canyon. Nice morning. 

2 warmup.

2 x 2 min at 6:00 pace.  4 x 3 min with the guys from the Boulder Track Club on the sobo creek path.  5:25, 5:15, 5:35, 5:40 were the paces for the 3 minute sets.  first two down hill, 2nd two uphill.  It was kind of cool to do some faster repeats for a change.  It has been a while since I've gone down to 5K pace, and it felt surprisingly easy.  I guess when you get accustomed to 1 to 2 hour intervals, 3 minutes has a much different perspective.

Cooled down for a couple to get home and then ran 4 easy with Nan and pushing Ali in the chariot

12 miles - 1:30 something total. 

FAIL.

12-14 miles easy on the plan for the day.

30 Degree blizzard conditions outside with close to a foot of snow over night.

No mental motivation to slog through that...body and mind still in summer mode, dreaming of shirtless summer morning running all night.

Got out and ran it in anyway after bundling up.

Turned around after 3/4 mile, just couldn't muster up the motivation to want to push through the slush and sleet. 

Today's workout called for a marathon pace run.

2 miles easy, 10 miles @ marathon pace, 2 miles easy.

I did the 10 miles at level 1 incline in 1:02:20 (6:14 avg) on the treadmill at the Flatiron Athletic Club because A) the new treadmill my buddy Eric hooked us up with was delivered without bolts to connect it and B) after my experience with running in the snow yesterday I wasn't interested in braving the elements again yet....I've grown soft apparently.  

I did the first 7 miles in 6:18 pace since that is my newer more conservative marathon pace (2:45 marathon pace).  Then I notched it down each mile for the remainder ending up at 6:05 pace because the 6:18 just felt too easy and I was kind of getting bored with it.  I didn't mind running on the treadmill, it was nicer than dealing with the cold and ice, although today was much more beautiful since the sun was out.  But I lost 5 pounds of liquid on the run, 2.5 of it being in my clothes still afterward.  I put my shirt and shorts in the swimming suit strainer and all my sweat poured out onto the floor and down the drain like I was emptying a water bottle. 

The workout felt almost too easy though.  I guess that's a good thing.  My body is feeling really good and I don't have any signs of pains or injuries at all.  Apparently the preventative stuff I do each day is working, or my body is just adapting, or both.  Because I'm running more mileage and faster than ever before, and yet feeling better than ever before. 

7 easy on the treadmill at the FAC because I'm a solo Dad this weekend and needed a babysitter for my 3 year old, with some core afterward.

Altra lone peaks are finally available!  Just placed an order.  Now I just have to wait a couple weeks since it seems to take them that long to actually process orders and get them shipped all the way over here one state away (the only fault with that company that I know of, the shoes are absolutely awesome for my foot type/shape). 

The Basic Boulder Mountain Marathon was today.  My first time out at the annual event.  I was glad I could make it this year, it was a lot of fun.

Easy 11 mile loop around south boulder creek trail with 10 X 10 seconds of hill sprints at the end.  Feeling good.