A clydesdale no more!

AM 

Started out feeling very worn out. The first loop was quite a struggle and I considered just running an easy 5 for the day. Started to feel better as I got going and was able to run the full10. It was a very slow paced run.

PM 

Had to get out so I drove up to the Parrish trail head of the BST.  Went out 4 miles then returned to the car.  It was hot but I don't feel like I struggled at all from the heat.  I really need to find a way out of this funk. 

Very, very tired this morning.  My legs are completely trashed.  Will take it easy tomorrow so I will be ready for the 5k on Friday.

Very easy recovery run because my legs feel like a ton of bricks. I'm not expecting anything spectacular tomorrow if my legs continue to feel this way.

I've been in quite a funk lately and was hoping for a big breakthrough race to help me snap out of it.  I ran 2 miles to warm up and was feeling pretty fatigued.  It was warm (80 degrees) but there was a nice cloud cover so the sun wasn't beating down on us.  As is always the case when I run 5k's I just want to hold 6:00/mile pace the entire race.  The first mile has a nice little climb so I expected the split to be around 6:15 then hoped to make up the difference the rest of the race.  Started out running with Jeremy Holt (Dave's cousin) and we stuck together for the first mile.  Started out in the top 10 (I think) and pretty much stayed in the same position the entire race.  First mile was 6:13 and felt decent.  The second mile has a nice little downhill section and I thought I would come in under 6:00.  It felt like I picked it up but the split was 6:03.  I just couldn't dig in and force myself to push the pace.  Averaged 5:58 over the last 1.1 but was passed by two runners.  One was early in the 3rd mile and the other was coming down the home stretch.  He was really moving and I knew that I didn't have the foot speed to beat him so I let him go.  Crossed the finish line in 18:50 - pretty much right on with what the course tool predicts for a 6:00/mile 5k.  I started dry heaving after I finished so I guess that means that it was a good effort.  I don't know my exact finishing place but I think it was around 10th.  I took first place for my age group (M35-39) which was a surprise because I thought a couple of the guys ahead of me were older.  I didn't stick around for the awards ceremony because I had to rush home to get the kids ready to go to the parade.  I seem to be stuck at 6:00/mile pace for 5k's.  I know that physically I have more but I just can not convince myself to deal with the discomfort.  This is most likely due to running so little at a faster pace.  So, it wasn't the break through that I was hoping for but it was still a decent run.

Started out by running 5 laps around the neighborhood totaling 10.5 miles. Pace was around 8:00/mile and I felt unmotivated. Decided that I would sneak off to meet the running club while the kids were still asleep. Ran with Jeremy and Jasmine which helped me push the pace. Averaged 7:20 for 6 miles and the last mile was in 7:00. It is amazing how much easier it is to run with others. When I am alone, I feel like I am just plugging along. When I get with others, the pace is so much more comfortable and I am able to hold a quicker pace. Came home, checked on the kids and ran 3.7 more miles around the neighborhood.

Warmed up with 3 easy miles then ran 4 miles at tempo pace.  First 2 miles felt very comfortable (6:28, 6:25) then my legs started to feel sore.  Probably from the race on Friday and 20 miler on Saturday.  Third mile was 6:27 and I started to really struggle during the 4th mile.  Kind of frustrating since I felt so good during the first 2 miles.  Fourth mile was 6:09 which explains why it felt so tough.  I guess that since it was the last mile, I subconsciously increased the effort.  Finished with 3 more miles at an easy pace.

Easy recovery run.

I just saw this commercial for New Balance and thought it was hilarious.  Some may not consider it family friendly but it is funny.
 

I am trying to fight off a cold.  It's more of an annoyance than anything else and I hope it doesn't get any worse.  I've been a little lazy about my pace lately so I tried to keep a little quicker pace today.  Felt good for the most part.

Too sick to run.  Hopefully I will be back at it tomorrow.

Still too sick to run.  

Still struggling with the sickness but wanted to get a few miles in anyway.  It was slow and painful.  I was really low on energy.  Hopefully I will feel well enough to get a long run in tomorrow.

Decided to take Josse's advice and take one more day off (she and my mom have the same name so I feel extra guilty if I don't do what she says).  I'm not sure if this illness has hit me harder or if I just lost some of my die-hardedness.

My energy level is still very low.  I just can't seem to shake this bug.  I did feel a little better than Saturday but the run was still a struggle.

I'm starting to feel a little better. Still not 100% but am getting there.

Very, very, very sleepy this morning.  I struggled during the run but it was a different kind of struggle than it has been the past week so I know that I am getting better. 

Feel better but the pace is still slow.

Almost there.  Legs are still a little heavy but I am getting close to full strength.

Just plugging away.  Nothing too exciting.

Warmed up with 3 miles then ran 5 miles at tempo pace.  Averaged 6:30/mile and felt decent.  Cooled down with 2 more miles.

Recovery run along the LHT until I got kicked off.  I guess it really isn't open yet.  I didn't think that the "Trail Closed - No Trespassing" signs applied to me.

Sore at the start but felt better towards the end of the run.

Lower mileage in preparation for the relay.  Felt good so I think I'm ready to roll.

I needed a get away and some “me time” so when Paul sent out the call for people to run the Northwest Passage Relay I jumped at the opportunity. After running the Wasatch Back Relay I started to question my decision. Relays definitely are not my strength. After the team was put together it looked like we had a really good shot at winning. Unfortunately, a few drop outs left us short handed (or is that short footed) and while we were still competitive, the win was less certain.

We were originally scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m. but moved our start time to 2:00 because we were in jeopardy of coming into the first two major exchanges (6 and 12) after the cutoff times. The only issue with moving the start time up was that Dave was going to meet us along the route and this left little room for error. An ultra team from runningshoes.com was the only team to start after us (3:30) and we figured would be our stiffest competition.

I met Craig at SeaTac and we waited for Mark to get in. Once he arrived, we picked up the van, grabbed a bite to eat then drove to Bellingham. We did a little grocery shopping in Bellingham and bought way too much food. We hardly ate any of the food that we bought. We had a couple of hours to kill until it was our time to run so we just hung out at the park. It was a really beautiful area.

Since we only had 4 runners in our van, two people were going to run 4 legs and 2 would have to run 5. Dave had to be runner 12 since we were picking him up along the route. I was originally penciled in as runner 11 but it made more sense logistically for me to be runner 7 and leave runners 10 and 11 as the open slots. In hindsight, since I was the slowest runner in the van, I probably shouldn’t have been running the leg with the most miles.

I warmed up with a 1.5 miles and was ready to go. A guy from an ultra team came stumbling in while I was waiting for Cody and he was not looking good. They got him to a stretcher and started an IV and he was completely unresponsive. This isn’t something that I wanted to see before starting my run. Cody came flying in and passed me the baton. My first leg was 3.95 miles (according to my Garmin) and started at 6:12 p.m. The first mile was rolling then there was about a 50 foot gain over the next ½ mile then another mile of slight elevation gain. The last mile climbed 425 feet and I was not looking forward to it. My biggest concern was that there were about a million turns and I knew that I was going to get lost. There weren’t many teams around us so I was on my own. Right before the big climb, I was sure that I was lost but could see somebody ahead so I assumed I was alright. The climb absolutely killed my legs. It’s one of those hills where walking is probably as fast as running (I promise that I ran the entire thing). Eventually got to the top and passed off to Craig. Total time was 29:07 (7:22/mile) which was 1 minute ahead of schedule.

I still had one more run in this set of legs before I could rest. At 8:07 I started my next run (leg 11) and it was supposed to be easy. It started with a 200 foot drop over the first mile then was completely flat for 3.6 more miles (4.6 total miles). The first mile went really well (6:06) then my legs started to rebel. I averaged 6:45 over the flat miles which was 15 seconds/mile slower than I wanted. Total time for the run was 30:15 (6:37/mile) and I gave back 1 minute. I figured that I was alright since I came out even for the 2 runs. I was happy to see Dave at the exchange because there was some question as to whether or not he could make it in time. There was some confusion since I didn’t know what he looked like and I wasn’t sure who I was supposed to be handing off to.

We talked with van 1 for a bit at the exchange and we decided that it made more sense for Dave to run the extra leg during the next set instead of me since leg 19 was so long. I’m glad that Dave was still on the road while we were discussing this. This is also where Cody offered up his services for an extra leg during the last set in case we needed the help. After Dave finished his run, we drove to Mt. Vernon and stopped at Denny’s for some food. I decided that I was more tired than I was hungry so I made a sandwich and took about a 45 minute nap while they ate. I was happy that I did this but the decision may have hurt me later in the race.

My next run (leg 19) started at 11:53 p.m. and it was going to be a tough one. It was 8.5 miles and had a couple of nice climbs in the middle. The exchange zone was really weird and it seems that nobody knew how to use it correctly. The runner coming in was supposed to come in on one side of the cones and pass to the runner on the other side. We all thought that there were 2 staging areas and when Cody came in we collided. I guess it was a good way to jump start my heart. A funny side note: as I headed out I passed a couple of bars and there were a couple of drunk ladies stumbling down the side walk. One of them yelled out “I love you” and I thought it was kind of funny. I started running in a forest on an Indian reservation and it was completely pitch black. It was a little spooky. I kept expecting Jason Voorhees to jump out of the trees. I was able to pass a few runners during this leg which made it a little more entertaining. My pace was a little slow but I consciously held back because I wanted to conserve energy for subsequent legs. My total time was 1:02:18 (7:09/mile) which was 19 seconds behind the projection for this leg. The only problem is that the projection was based on an open slot which we put at 7:00/mile. My pace should have been closer to 6:45/mile. I was a little disappointed.

I have to mention that during this set of legs both Mark and Dave ran back to back legs and did incredible. They weren’t easy legs either. Hooked up with van 1 (with about 2 seconds to spare) and sent them on their way. Craig’s achilles were really causing him problems so we asked Cody if he could join us for our last set of legs. We went to the next major exchange to try to get some sleep. Just as I was falling asleep in the high school gym the fire alarm went off. It was going for 10 minutes and we finally decided to drive somewhere a little more quiet. Just as we were pulling out, they turned it off so we went back into the gym. I was able to get about an hour of sleep before I woke up. I tried to freshen up and get ready for my next run. I ate a banana and a piece of bread and was feeling alright. I was looking forward to getting my last run in (or so I thought).

My fourth run started at 6:56 a.m. and was 6.6 miles. The first 2 miles were slightly down then I climbed 150 feet over ½ mile. After a short drop I had another steady climb for a mile. There was a decent drop for a mile then it was flat for 2 miles. The first mile was alright (6:29) but then the wheels completely fell off. My pace slowed and I was hurting. I was completely glycogen depleted. I thought that I could hear a runner behind me and my only motivation for the rest of the run was that I was not going to be the only person on the team to get passed by somebody. I continued to plug along but it was a death march. Total time was 44:41 (7:03/mile) and was exactly what was projected (once again based on the 7:00/mile open slot pace). After passing the baton to Craig I got really light headed and almost passed out.

Since Dave already ran back to back legs during the last set of runs, I knew that it would be too much to ask for him to do it again. I refueled the best I could (a bottle of apple juice, a bottle of Gatorade and a jolly rancher) and got ready for another run.

At 9:35 a.m. I found myself in the chute again waiting for Cody. What was I doing? Cody handed off after running a very tough 6.08 miles and I was on my way. This leg was only 3.7 miles and had a few ups and downs (338 feet going up, 298 coming down). I actually felt pretty good. I started out with some gradual uphills and my legs were still holding up. I was cheered on but a big group of cyclists which was nice. About halfway into the run, I could say a lady running ahead. My goal for the rest of the run was to catch her. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t reel her in as fast as I thought I could. She was getting closer but not very quickly. With 1 mile to go I finally convinced myself to push into puke pace. I was hurting but didn’t want Dave to get the pleasure of passing the runner that I worked so hard to get close to. Finally, with about 0.1 to go, I was able to get by her. Handed off to Dave and I was finally done! Ended up running the leg in 25:37 (7:00/mile) and was 3 seconds slower than the projection. What made me feel better was that this projection was based on 6:30/mile.

After Dave finished the final leg it became a waiting game. We finished at 10:31 a.m. – 20 hours and 31 minutes after starting. Only 1 team finished ahead of us which means that the only we would be beat is if the team that started at 3:30 finished before noon. We were at the van getting some things when the runningshoes.com van came rolling in. They said their runner was 1 mile out. It was 11:47 so he had 13 minutes to run the last mile. They knew our exact finishing time so they were keeping tabs on us somehow. We considered sending our van back out to take out their last runner but instead we were gracious and cheered them in as they crossed the finish line. Running the time they did as an ultra team was very impressive.

I had a great time and really enjoyed being part of this. It was hard and I was miserable at times but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

**The results are posted and apparently the runningshoes.com team was a lot faster than we thought. They are listed as finishing in 11:41:17 (3:42/mile).

After spending the day in Seattle yesterday doing touristy stuff then flying home I was looking forward to a good nights sleep in my own bed.  Unfortunately my daughter had an ear ache and we had a really rough night.  I wished so badly that I could take the pain away from her but I sat helplessly.  I finally decided to go to the grocery store at 3:00 a.m. to get some Motrin for her.  It seemed to help but I only had an hour before I had to wake up.  I ended up getting 2 hours of sleep (just a little more than during the relay).  

The run was alright.  I seemed to have aggravated my left hamstring.  It usually flares up after I have a race or run hard.  It actually felt better as I got towards the end of the run. 

I was able to make up for some of the lost sleep last night.  I took a decent nap then had a full night's sleep.  My legs feel really heavy.  They are not sore but there is just not a lot of pep to them.

I'm starting to have doubts about my training.  I get in decent mileage but it is not really focused training.  I try to get in a tempo run each week then have races here and there for my speed training.  I'm not sure how much this is going to hurt me going into the last 3 marathons of the grand slam.  I'm starting to feel like I should stop worrying about results and placement and just enjoy the experience.  It's just running, after all.

My legs are starting to wake up. My left achilles has been a little sore after each run. I think that it is from running on dead shoes.

I've been doing some post race analysis of the Northwest Passage Relay and discovered some depressing things.  I knew that I didn't hit my "true" targets.  Three of the legs that I ran had the open slot projected pace in them so even though I was coming in close to the projected time, it really was slower than what I thought I was capable of.  If I plug in a reasonable projected pace for the 5 legs (6:45/mile), I cost the team 4 minutes 12 seconds.  I'm not sure if I just over estimated my running ability and a more reasonable pace was closer to 7:00/mile or if I just had a bad weekend.  Maybe putting in miles without focusing on speed work cost me more than I expected.  I know that 60-70 miles/week isn't super high mileage but I feel as though I would be getting a better return on my investment.  Maybe cutting back to 40-50 with some quality speed work would generate a better overall fitness level.

Felt really good this morning.  I had the normal aches and pains but I finally had a little energy in my legs.

I have figured out that one of my biggest obstacles that I have to overcome is envy.  I sometimes get jealous when I see runners who were once at my level doing very well.  I have to be better about focusing on me and not worrying about those things (this is an issue that goes beyond running as well).  I know that I work hard and given the constraints that I operate under, I put in as much running as possible.

Finished the month with 274 miles which is exactly my average monthly rate this year.