Go slow to go fast.

After taking 2 full days of rest from running my feet and legs were feeling pretty well recovered today.  I ran for 50-55 minutes, about 6 miles, at about 8:40 pace around the track at the gym.  I just felt like taking it really easy and enjoying a slow run.  It was on the other end of the extreme spectrum from my last two runs which were in the snow, and it felt good to give my feet and mind a break.  Its a lot different running in the elements without shoes, you're forced to think a lot more about what you're doing.  Today I was listening to the end of the book Born to Run and just enjoying it for the second time.  I heard some good stuff the second time around that I must have missed when the kids must have been screaming in the back of the car the first time I listened to it.

6 miles - 46:17 - 7:43/mile avg - On the treadmill for 5 and then 1 around the track.

warmed up for only a mile (too short I found out) - then did 3 x 800 meter repeats at 6:30/mile pace with 200 meters at 8 min.pace in between.  After the last one my heart rate was in the high 170's.  I scaled back to 8:34 pace for 3/4 mile to try to get my heart rate down but it wouldn't go lower than 169.  I didn't warm up long enough apparently.  So I figured if my heart rate was going to be that high anyway I might as well run fast.  So I did another repeat at 6:30, except I stopped after 400 meters because it hurt my heart and I was kind of done with that.  Then I kind of suffered through the last mile at 8 min pace.

After 5 miles I got off and sat down, I was drenched in sweat.  After 4-5 minutes of sitting there my heart rate was down close to 100, so I went to the track and did another easy mile at 8:12.  That felt good, I didn't want to end my run on a painful slug-it-out note, because those notes aren't all that enjoyable necessarily...and I like to enjoy running.

Nan and I are in Steamboat Springs for the weekend.  It has been a really nice, relaxing morning.  We got up at 8 and ate something light and went to the fitness center.  I did 9 easy miles in 1:15.  That felt great.  Nan did 12.  We stretched and rolled our legs for a while, then went outside and relaxed in the natural hot springs that happen to be connected to the fitness center.  Ahhhh.  That felt good.  Breakfast at noon.  

It was -9 degrees this morning but really beautiful.  We're going snowboarding now for the rest of the afternoon, its a lot warmer now, its really sunny. 

Nan and I are super hard core when it comes to snowboarding.  It's nearly 1 in the afternoon and we just got done eating lunch/breakfast after sleeping in until 8, working out at the steamboat springs fitness center, and relaxing in hot springs all morning.  Oh yeah...and I guess we should sneak some snowboarding in this afternoon since we already have the free pass anyway right?

 Today's treadmill run was surprisingly enjoyable again.  I just warmed up really slow (9 something pace) for the first couple miles.  Then increased the speed for the 3rd mile to 8:40.  Mile 4 I increased the incline to 2.  Mile 5 increased incline to 4 - HR up to about 160 at this point.  Mile 6 decreased it to 2.  Then I just finished the last 1.5 at about 8 min pace with no incline.  It felt great.  Total time was just about 1:03 to 1:04. 

** I just noticed after posting this that today I ran my 100th mile in my FiveFingers...that was fast...they don't show any real wear yet, but my feet are certainly a lot stronger than they were 100 miles ago...I wonder how the ff's will be holding up at 1000 miles.

Today marks the end of my 6th week of running since I bailed on the running shoe scene, changed my form, and started running only barefoot or in Vibram FiveFingers.  My legs and feet have worked through many different pains and sorenesses in lots of different areas over the last 6 weeks.  I feel like I have come a long way and my body is feeling really great.  I think it is due to the combination of rest days frequently, massage therapy and personally stretching and massaging with a roller and with my hands, getting out there consistently, and especially focusing on and continuously working on my form during each run.

I currently have some minor stiffness in my right foot around my broken pinky toe, but I have noticed significant and almost immediate improvement there when I have done my own combination of rolfing/push therapy to my foot (which is simply trigger pointing sensitive spots and moving my foot and toes all around).