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Big Sur 1/2 Marathon

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Location:

Tucson,AZ,USA

Member Since:

Aug 30, 2007

Gender:

Female

Goal Type:

Age Division Winner

Running Accomplishments:

PR's

5K: 21:26 (2005)

4 mile: 28:10 (2005)

10K: 43:33 (2010)

10 mile: 1:13:35 (2009) (1:12:15 split in 1/2 marathon, 2011)

1/2 marathon: 1:34:31 (2011)

marathon: 3:19:15 (2013)

Short-Term Running Goals:

 

3:20 marathon - Eugene Marathon, April 28, 2013 (can I say I really want a sub 3:20? but I will be happy with 3:20-3:23) -- whoohoo!

Some good intermediate races 15K - 1/2 marathon, to gauge my fitness level (done this, hit a 1:34:35 1/2 marathon in March 2013, on a hilly course)

Going after my 10 mile PR in Fall 2013

Maybe some good 10K races after the infernal Arizona summer is over! 




Long-Term Running Goals:

I want to be one of those runners who is still running in their 80s (or 90s?).  You know the ones, who look all grisley and fit?  That is what I would like!  Until then, I just want to work hard and be as fast as I can, for as long as I can.


Personal:

50 year old, trying to defy gravity and time

Used to be faculty at the University of Arizona (biostatistics).  Currently manager of the statistics and data management group for companion diagnostics (biomarkers) at Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. (Roche diagnostics).  We evaluate protein biomarkers that can be used to direct drug therapy that would be most effective based on individual characteristics (personalized medicine).

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
709.007.0024.1026.504.50771.10
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
9.000.000.000.000.009.00

10 x :25 w/1` recovery

30` wu 30` cd

Beautiful morning (as usual!) - clear and perfect weather (about 71F).  Haven't been sleeping well because I have been staying up late watching the World Championships -- TeamUSA is fairing very well - All 3 guys made it to the 5000m final - Yea!  (although the Russians did well in the W's steeple -- I am pointing this out for Maria and Sasha's benefit ;-) ).

Slightly uphill on really nice service road near Red Butte Garden, decided to run a couple slightly downhill too since Big Sur has both uphill and downhill parts ... felt pretty nice on the faster bits, tried to work hard without making them feel too hard. Next week starts the stamina/speed portion of my training ... this week is going to be lower on the mileage side. My past training has suggested that I need to ramp up pretty quickly on speed, I can't handle it for too long without burning out. Although, I have been consistent with higher mileage for longer than I have ever done before, so I am hoping that it will make me stronger for the speed part of the training. Am hoping the hills and altitude are compensating for the fact that I am running much slower than I was when I left Tennessee ...

Comments
From Kerry on Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 11:44:19

Welcome to the blog! I have the same 5 and 10K goals so I'm anxious to see how your training goes.

From Randy on Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 13:46:00

Bonnie,

Welcome to the blog! And congrats on your appointment to the U. It is an awesome place. Where were you in TN? My folks live in Nashville. There's a great race there on Thanksgiving -- the Boulevard Bolt 8k.

Big Sur is at the same time one of the most beautiful and one of the most challenging courses in the country. Sounds like your training is going well. Keep up the good work.

With regards to altitude training, make sure you are still able to do your reps at race pace. So, take the needed rest and/or shorten the rep to make sure you can hit the pace. I've made the mistake of assuming that I'll be given a free 10 sec per mile at sea level after training at altitude, and it just doesn't happen automatically.

Yeah, Worlds has been incredible. Here's to Lagat! In fairness to Webb, an inside source told me that he's been sick lately.

Happy training.

Randy

From Bonnie on Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 14:11:52

Hi Randy - thank you for the welcome. Lagat's 1500m race was amazing!

I just moved from Nashville, the Boulevard Bolt is one of the most competitive races in Nashville! Interestingly, I lived in DC before I moved to Nashville and I visit there for work and friends quite a bit (my 10K pr is the Sallie Mae), I know many of the places you write about in your blog. I guess your inside source would know what Alan is up to. Andrew Bumbalough is at Georgetown from Nashville, I am hoping he has a great year this year.

Interesting about the race pace idea, I will definately keep that in mind. My thought is that it will actually be more an issue while training for the 1/2 than 5K-10K since the intervals are longer (and generally a little slower anyway), but it will be interesting to see.

The big sur 1/2 is actually not the same course as the marathon -- it is hilly but not a bad, in general people have been known to get decent times there - my understanding is that there are hills in first 7 miles and then it is downhill back to the finish (it is an out-and-back course). I do hate racing super hilly courses, but I think that training here is going to help a lot.

From Sasha Pachev on Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 14:28:07

Welcome to the blog! Adjust about 10 seconds per mile or so, possibly more at first for the altitude in your speed/tempo paces. My son Benjamin is challenging you to a race in Payson Onion Days this Labor Day. He is about your level in a 5 K. This would also give you a chance to meet our family as well as Ted's. See http://www.runnercard.com/e/runner.Main?meet=1145

From Bonnie on Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 14:47:27

ha ha ha -- your son is calling me out! I would love to come to the 5K but I already have plans for that day --and I am not sure I am ready for a 5K race right now (Unlike Benjamin, I don't recover as easily as I would like from racing!!). But I will definately bookmark the runnercard site - I am sure Benjamin and I will meet up sometime soon!! I will have to talk to my coach about strategies, since I am sure you and Benjamin will be discussing them before we race as well ;-) ).

Bonnie

From ArmyRunner on Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 18:17:23

Bonnie,

Welcome to the blog.

It is good to hear from someone from the past. Yes, I made it home safe in JAN of 2006. I was 20lbs heavier and had not run for 18 months but other than that things went well for me. Do you like it in Utah and at the U? It looks like your running is going pretty well also. I suppose I will see you in some local races this year and possibly at a marathon next year. I guess it is a small world we live in especially if you narrow it down to a running community.

From Kate on Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 19:13:25

Hi Bonnie! Glad to see you online (Maria tipped me off). I'm betting the great running in Utah will make you very strong.

Kate (remember me from Flagstaff Running Getaway 2006?)

From Bonnie on Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 20:48:48

Kate!! how wonderful to hear you! Are you still being coached by jonas? Are you still doing the ultra-thing?? How are the goats?

I actually have thought about you (especially when I read about you ultra runners who run on trails at night, yikes! I fell last week and cracked my wrist in broad daylight).

I am so glad to see you!

I am going to read your blog now.

Bonnie

From sarah on Thu, Aug 30, 2007 at 22:55:39

Hi..I'm Sasha's wife...welcome to the blog...looks like you'll fit in fine as it seems you already have lots of friends here. We hope you love it.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

43:47, very easy recovery run.  many weeks my recovery runs are actually pretty painful because they follow tough workouts or high mileage weeks.  today was really not bad, and my legs felt really good.  I did concentrate on making it easy though, I am pretty sure that my coach wants an easy week, and I really do *try* to follow the plan for possible rewards down the road.  Though my legs felt really good, my body is super tired ... lack of sleep and a more-than-usual stressful work week is starting to take its toll.

I estimate (most of the time underestimate, I think) my miles ... I actually run by time not miles and have adopted the idea of "Bonnie miles" -- this is stolen from the U of Wisconsin team that runs "Badger miles" -- the rumor is that they basically run for time (on their non-track workout days) and then divide the time by 7 min/miles to estimate mileage.  Obviously, I don't divide by 7 min pace (though I wish) - but rather just estimate how I feel and guess miles by that (e.g., recovery days I try keep my heart rate/breathing nice and easy and estimate that to be somewhere between 8:45 and 9 min pace -- long runs and easy days I try to drop down to 8:30 - 8:45, adjusting for hills, heat, etc.).  I follow the concepts of the fast runners, and adjust it for my pace/level of training -- or at least try.  I am not sure that this translates into faster times yet, but I certainly feel stronger than when I ran all of my mileage the same pace, and mostly too fast, all of the time. 

Mixed news on the track front -- Tyson Gay and Allison Felix had great runs!!  Both Nick Symmonds and Khadevis Robinson did not make it out of the semi's ... I haven't seen the race yet but the heat that Symmonds was in looked to be pretty tactical, it wasn't like it was unheard of fast (unlike the womans 800 final -- that was impressive).

Happy Friday!

 

 


Comments
From Randy on Fri, Aug 31, 2007 at 12:07:27

Bonnie, I follow your philosophy on logging miles.

From Maria on Fri, Aug 31, 2007 at 14:10:16

Bonnie, it's funny how I see your workouts and recognize my own :). It's the same footprint, although I get them from Jonas. I actually run with Garmin, but I hardly need it anymore since I run on measured loops and know exactly how long they are. Half of the time Garmin doesn't pick up the signal until 2-3 miles into my run, probably due to cloudy London weather. But I also run for time, whatever mileage will fit into the time range for the day.

From sarah on Fri, Aug 31, 2007 at 17:11:03

Thanks for your sweet message on my blog the other day. We are excited to have you on the blog and are delighted that you know so many people already.

From Kate on Fri, Aug 31, 2007 at 23:48:41

I also run "Kate miles" because there's no really go way to measure the trails I run on. And there are too many hills to figure it out by pure effort so I always estimate approximately 10 min/mile and call it good. It took a while for me to relax enough to just guesstimate. Now I only run by time, except when I'm doing certain types of speed work. Although most of the time that entails hill intervals with the odd strides workout once in a while.

Yup, I'm still with Jonas. Still running ultras with a few marathons thrown in.

Say "hi" to Dean for me.

From Bonnie on Sat, Sep 01, 2007 at 13:57:46

Maria -- I am glad to see you are still working with Jonas, I am relieved to see he can still coach with his new job ...

Kate -- I hope you have recovered from your scary ultra ... wow what a story!!

Dean says Hello!

Sarah - it is nice to be here, this is the first time I have tried blogging!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
3.500.000.000.000.003.50

somewhere between 3.5 and 4 miles (certainly wasn't running sub 8 min pace but probably faster than 9 min pace) 31:34 -- really easy run. Last of the "down week" -- about 44/45 miles this week.

Next week marks the beginning of my race specific speed training ... cruise intervals, more tempo runs, and some fast finish long runs. I am both excited and somewhat nervous about what these workouts will show in terms of fitness. September is going to be tricky, a little more intense running and a whole lot of work travel (with early mornings and all day meetings).

Tomorrow we are planning to run in Mill Creek and then on Monday do a hiking/running combo somewhere near East Canyon - it is time to really enjoy our new home!



Comments
From Michael on Sat, Sep 01, 2007 at 23:06:25

For Mill Creek, you can run on the road, but you have to be very careful of traffic at times like from party goers and people not paying much attention. Id run early morning on weekday if you run it now as it can have heavy traffic. A good time to run the road is the upper part of the road at Maple Grove picnic area where it is gated The road is closed from about Nov 1 to July 1 each year. Now in the winter it is used for XC skiing, but depending on winter snowfall it is a place my son and I sometimes run in May and June as you can run on the road and dont have traffic (except a little summer home and Forest Service traffic. It is about 9 miles RT from gate and about 1500 elevation gain I believe. Alot of trails in Mill Creek or anywhere on the Forest can be steep, rocky in places, rutted in places (I know as I work for the Forest Service). The best trails that are generally flatter is the Pipeline Trail which is on the north side of the canyon and can be reached by 4 side trails from the road - it is generally flat as it follows a old pipeline halfway up the mountain slope. It can be fairly warm as it is mainly open or brush country, but has good views, spring and fall are good times to run it. Another is the Great Western Trail - Bigwater at the end of the road heading towards ridge over Park City - its nice grade until you get the last mile before ridge and has good shade.You might want to get a Wasatch Mountain Club map at REI of the local trails.

Jeremy Ranch is a good run too now for morning or evening as the other guy mentioned. It is on north side of that exit, there is a dirt road that is gated. My son ran there some last fall with his XC team

City Creek above the State Capitol is a nice run again mornings, evenings, spring/fall - you can run on road through Memory Grove and then up the upper road which is closed every other day to motorized traffic

Good luck in your running and welcome to Utah

From Bonnie on Mon, Sep 03, 2007 at 12:43:42

Thank you for the information Michael, and the welcome to Utah. Running dry creek canyon to city creek canyon is one of my favorite weekday runs. the trails are hazardous though, especially for clutzy people like me!! I have fallen twice and the last time I actually broke my wrist (well, cracked it actually)! I now have to run with a wrist splint when I do the trails, because I am sure if fall again it will be a major break!!

See you on the roads!

Bonnie

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.000.000.000.000.0012.00

1:47:28 - ran on Jeremy Ranch Road -- what a great place to do a long run. Reminded me a lot of Magnolia Road in Boulder (except that it is downhill on the way out and uphill on the way back - and Magnolia road is the opposite).

Ended up running way too fast on the way out (when I realized there were some mile markers it was between mile 3 1/2 and 4 and I was running about 8 min pace) -- this was not good as I died on the last 2 miles -- it got hot and I was a little oxygen deprived (it is about 1500 ft higher than what I am barely "used" to in Salt Lake City). My return portion was nearly 2 mins slower than the going out and I felt really sick to my stomach (I think I was a little dehydrated). I really was not able to judge my pace well, despite Randy warning me that it was slightly downhill, I think it was in part because I LOVED the surface and got carried away and in part because there was a really strong headwind on the way out and I thought *that* was the reason I was breathing harder than I should have!

Anyway, I think next time we will drop water at the turn around point, and I will be more careful. All and all I really like the run and am trying not to judge my fitness level too much on one lousy run.  Very appreciative of Randy for pointing this place out to me!!!




Comments
From Randy on Mon, Sep 03, 2007 at 21:59:48

Bonnie,

Sorry. I should have been more explicit :). I made the same mistake, even after knowing the road! The first time (I guess only time) I was lucky enough to run with Terren Jameson I thought I was pretty hot stuff because I could hang with him on the way out. But he toasted me on the way back.

Anyway, glad you "enjoyed" it.

Cheers,

R

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.500.000.000.000.005.50

ran for 50:17 -- probably a long 5.5 miles, but not quite 6 miles.  Ran to Liberty park did 1.5 laps on the grass (outside perimeter of the park). 

Legs felt suprisingly good after my horrid run yesterday.  I think I am losing my heat adaptation after leaving Nashville and running so early in the morning during the week.

Dean and I decided not to go hiking today - I really have too much work to do ...





 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
10.000.000.000.000.0010.00

1:28:37.

Ran Bonneville Shoreline Trail to Dry Creek Canyon up to just above the water tower/Terrace Hills trailhead. Felt pretty good, but it was pretty warm today -- I have gotten spoiled by the cooler mornings of last week, the past few days have been on the warm side. It is made even warmer by the fact that I am still wearing a brace on my wrist - I fell on this same route 2 weeks ago and cracked my wrist.  The swelling in my hand has gone down, and my arm is no longer black&blue, but my arm is still a little deformed.  The wrist brace feels weird and I hate to wear it, but until this heals I can't take the risk of falling on it ... so I am just going to have to live with it. 

Funny tidbit, upon reflection of my blog from Sunday - where I compared the Jeremy Ranch Road to Magnolia Road in Boulder -- well, not only is Magnolia road more uphill going out and downhill coming back, it is also much steeper, and at 8000ft versus 6000ft -- I guess really the only way that these two courses are the "same" are the fact that they are both dirt roads!

I am having track withdrawals ... after 9 wonderful days of 2 hours (or more when I had time to watch my wcsn coverage) of track per day ... alas, no more track on TV.  The womans marathon was pretty cool -- they said it was over 80F and "humidity through the roof" at the start!!  I guess it was cooler than the mens marathon though. 

On another note, the USATF 20K championships this weekend saw the debute for Greg McMillan's new post-collegiate running team (http://www.mcmillanelite.com/) --  with two of the athletes on the team coming in 11th and 14th; congrats to them and the champions Dan Browne and Alicia Shay (formerly Craig)!

Results can be found here: http://www.newhavenroadrace.org/NH20K07.htm and the USATF write-up here: http://www.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?duid=USATF_2007_09_03_10_17_59.

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
0.000.000.000.000.000.00

Today is my standard day off ... I used to run every day with sporatic days off, I did not get faster, all I got was more tired.  So, now I take a day off every week ... my body generally appreciates it (and I can schedule really early morning meetings!!). 

I am battling plantar facitiis  ... a soft night splint (when I remember to wear it) works wonders, as does the painful tennis ball self massage ... but sometimes after I have been sitting at my computer for a while and I get up, I can't even put my foot on the ground.  I can't really tell if there is a specific shoe (running-wise) that seems to be worse than the others.  I rotate 3 pairs of shoes, going  from really low/lightweight trainers to moderate pronation control (Mizuno Inspire - for roads/sidewalks and after long runs when my legs are tired and lazy!).  I am a bit nervous to go back to my racing flats tomorrow - when I go to the track for my first speedwork in over a year!  I have done hill repeats and fartlek work, but I have not done anything faster than tempo pace in so long!  I can't seem to find any good articles that talk about what type of shoes might be "worse" (e.g., low profile versus more cushy) in terms of inflammation ... I am hoping someone on the blog might have some experience they would like to share.

Comments
From Sasha Pachev on Fri, Sep 07, 2007 at 15:48:54

Paul Petersen and Mike Kirk are our PF experts.

From Paul Petersen on Fri, Sep 07, 2007 at 16:05:15

I work at a computer all day, so experienced the same "computer syndrome" you describe with PF. The solution is to get a crate or some sort of "foot platform" to prop your feet up on. The idea is to keep your heels under your toes while you sit, which keeps your achilles and calves in a passive stretch while you sit (like a night split). Just keep your toes on the prop and let your heels dangle. This helped me quite a bit.

Regarding shoes, it's hard to say. Some people say you should only wear big beefy motion-control shoes to protect the feet and let the fascia heal. Others say do the exact opposite: run barefoot or wear minimalist shoes in order to strengthen the feet and calves. You'll have to research and experiment and find what works for you. Personally, I split the middle by avoiding flats for over a year, wearing a motion-control shoe with orthotic for most of my running, and doing some barefoot strides in grass about 3x per week.

From Bonnie on Fri, Sep 07, 2007 at 16:29:45

Thank you Paul, I appreciate your experience -- I will definately try to come up with a way to keep my foot in the correct position during the day -the night splint helps a lot so more often will likely work even better ...

Regarding shoes -- I really don't like the motion-control shoes, I had so many biomechanical issues when using them that although I pronate on one foot (pretty badly, but only one foot!) I have found I am more "efficient" if I keep my feet in neutral, lighter shoes. But I could be making this up - Dean (my boyfriend) is convinced that minimal shoes help him run more efficiently and keep injury free - I might be biasing my own results based on his.

I ended up not using my racing flats yesterday and just wore my wave riders -it was fine, though my achilles is super tight today.

From Randy on Fri, Sep 07, 2007 at 18:53:07

Hi Bonnie. My two cents... I am very pleased to see that you are familiar with the wonders of tennis ball massage. Since I learned how to use a foam roller and a tennis ball, I have not had any tendinitis injuries. This is going on about 5 years now. I attribute this to spending about an hour a night on the tennis ball probably 3-4 days a week. Since you have already tried this, it may not be the total answer, but I just wanted to share a couple of variations on the theme that I think work wonders. First, for my calves I consider three general areas: the gastroc, the soleus, and right on or to the side of the Achilles tendon. Then I elevate the tennis ball by placing it on top of my yoga block. I think this is key! You can get various heights by rotating the block. Just use the weight of your leg... no rolling around. Find the spot, balance your leg on top of it, and let the knot dissolve. Another modification that I sometimes use if the knot is really tough is to use a golf ball instead of a tennis ball, again placed on top of the yoga block. My theory is that in pretty much any tendinitis issue, there is a knot somewhere that is responsible. I don't buy the "over use" theory. Invariably I feel closer to being injured on very low mileage... i.e., NOT in use.

Good luck. -- R

From Bonnie on Sat, Sep 08, 2007 at 15:41:46

Hello Randy,

I really do agree with you on the "overuse" theory -- I have had ART therapy in the past, and within one or two sessions have had "-itis" issues dissipate.

I haven't been very consistent with my tennis ball, or foam roller, usage ... work has just been a little overwhelming - which is not really a good excuse! Have you ever had to replace your foam roller? Ours is getting a little "soft" in the middle!

Thank you for the ideas, I am going to try putting on a block, I can see how this would be a good way to increase the pressure.

Have a good weekend.

Bonnie

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.004.000.000.000.0011.00

1:30:13

  6 x 1000 w/200 recovery
(4:34, 4:30, 4:31, 4:31, 4:28, 4:31)
(average 7:12 pace)

3 x 200 w/200 recovery
(:52, :53, :49)

26:10 wu (my office to East High track)
23:38 cd (this was uphill mileage, very slow - took a slightly different route back to the office, evidently the shorter route!)

Not sure if the speed was threshold or speed -- somewhere in between I imagine (Greg calls these cruise intervals).  First time I have run faster than 1/2 marathon pace in over a year!!  Was a little nervous this morning, mainly because I did  not know what to expect. 

My schedule called for 6 - 8 x 1000 + 3 x 200, I wanted to do 7, but gave myself the option to do 6 if I felt like I was red-lining.  The pace was supposed to be around 10K pace (or a little slower 4:25-4:31 wo altitude adjustment) -- I was shooting for 4:37 high (adding in a little altitude adjustment - more like 3 sec/lap, working out to ~ 2%/mile based on NCAA altitude adjustment tables)  - somehow forgot what the final 1K split was supposed to be by the time I was on the track and thought 4:34 was slow (I did have my first 100, 200 and 400m splits right but did not do the math past that - I am a statistician not an accountant!!!) ... whoops. Ended up with 6 x 1K and then 3 x 200

 On my way to the track I was telling myself, "it is ok if you don't run fast, you don't have to race, you can just run to stay in shape - it is not as though you are headed for the olympics or anything" ... As I was finishing up my last K a PE class came out to the track.  The teacher/coach told me he had a class that was going to do 50m's - I asked if I could finish my last K and he said no problem.  I finished and was doing my 200's on the opposite side of the track from where the class was sitting ... I would run 200 and then jog back to my start.  Well, on my last one the class started doing their "warm up" lap -- the were about 30-40m's on me when I started my last 200.  I did not see it, but I was bound and determined not to let any of them pass me -- so here I am an woman with 34 years on most of them (at least) running like heck not to let them pass me, even though my legs felt like lead.  I am happy to say that: 1) they did not pass me - I still had about 20 meters on the closest kid, and 2) I guess my competatitve nature is not gone yet ;-).  silly, but I am sure it was funny to see the stupid determination on my face!

Anyway - I feel ok about the workout.  I am happy that I was able to run that fast for the first time in over a year, but I realize that it was probably a little faster than I should have been running (for this workout) -- I need to focus on slower pace for more time, next time!!

 

Comments
From Lybi on Fri, Sep 07, 2007 at 00:56:38

Great work-out! You are AWESOME! You've got that attitude of a champion.

Running for speed is so much more rewarding to me than running for health. Not sure why, but running for health makes me want to just go back to bed! Or maybe get those things they sell in infomercials that shock your muscles so that they get a workout by involuntary spasms while you lie around. He he.

From Maria on Fri, Sep 07, 2007 at 04:50:51

I'm the same way! I have a real hard time just running for health and fitness. I need to train for something, otherwise I lose all motivation. I've always been competitive, and trying to improve my times and placing in races is the primary driver in my running.

From Bonnie on Fri, Sep 07, 2007 at 14:34:07

Lybi -- you are way too sweet, it really is nothing compared to the really fast runners on the board, but it was definately work!! I don't know, if muscle shocks would make me look like Angelina Jolie I would give up running ... well, I don't know if that is true or not, maybe I could have both that way! ;-)

Maria, I know what you mean, I used to do aerobics every day (I was actually thinner than I am now, but not nearly in as good of shape). In the end it got boring - and I knew I either needed to take a martial art or some other activity that would allow me to compete somehow - either with others, or myself. Running was cheaper!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
4.500.000.000.000.004.50

40:17 easy -- probably a little more than 4.5 miles, but certainly not 5.  Super slow and easy run on Bonneville Shoreline Trail towards Emmigration Canyon.  Fell again -- wasn't wearing my wrist splint because this trail is generally so easy -- but today I was scouting out new "trails" and somehow got on a steeper slope than I have been on, somehow my ankle turned and down I went.  I was so scared about protecting my wrist that I almost fell off of the trail and down the side of the hill!!   I think I successfully protected my wrist, but my hand is messed up (again!).  I really feel like a klutz ...

Work has been pretty tough the past couple of days, I am mentally exhausted ...

Have a great weekend everyone!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

1:03:07

Ran down to Liberty Park and did 2.5 laps on the outside of the park.  Kept it really really easy.  I am very excited - this is the first week I have hit 50 miles with some "faster" miles.  It took about 1.5 miles to loosen up, my legs are a little tight.   All in all, feeling pretty good.  My hip hurts from my fall yesterday - and so does my arm - I might have to go in and see someone, just to make sure I did not do much more damage to it yesterday -- I am still kind of mad about it (the fall).  

 Have a lot of work to do today -- but my hope is if I get a lot done today I can take tomorrow off from work, enjoy my run and relax!!

 Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

 

Comments
From crumpyb1 on Sat, Sep 08, 2007 at 21:19:37

I just wanted to say I think you are amazing. And I am wondering how did you get so fast in three years? You must have done tons of very intense areobics. However, I think you did more than just areobics.

I am sorry to hear about your fall. I hope your hip feels better.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.000.000.000.000.0012.00

1:47:40  Jeremy Ranch Road.

 

Felt much better than last week.  First of all, I told myself I wanted to negative split the route, so I wanted to go so slow on the way out that there was no way I couldn't negative split, and secondly it was much cooler!  We dropped water today, which also helped a lot.  I did not negative split, but it was mainly because the first uphill section on the way back had a serious headwind ... I am talking a serious headwind, odd really because there was a headwind at the start but it kind of turned into a tailwind as the road went out ... luckily, I was feeling good and it did not really hurt me much (except for time ... 52:30 out, 55:01 back with last 3 miles nice and strong).

 


 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.500.000.000.000.005.50

48:20 probably longer than 5.5, but not quite 6. 

It was almost cold this morning!  because of the weather I had to really concentrate on taking it easy so I wouldn't run too fast.  Legs were a little tired, but overall things were great!

Comments
From Michelle on Mon, Sep 10, 2007 at 21:54:01

Where do you get that speed, you are amazing!

From Bonnie on Tue, Sep 11, 2007 at 11:32:36

You are so sweet -- I am not that fast, our own "running in circles" is quite the speed demon!!

I have to say that I am "faster" because I have a great coach who has taught me how to take it easy on my easy days so I can work really hard on days I have to ... but if I mess up it is not his fault!!!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
9.000.000.000.000.009.00

1:15:57 (might have been a little shorter than 9 did wu and cd on the trails, some of which were pretty steep)

28:34 wu

12 x :25 about 3K race pace w/1` recovery

29:24 cd

Had a choice to run 60`-75` easy or do this workout -- decided that my legs felt pretty fresh and decided to do the workout - for next couple of months I can choose between some very short bursts of speed on Tuesday or easy runs -- I plan to do as many of these as possible.  These workouts are supposed to help leg turnover lactic acid tolerance ... so they are really good training for just about any training distance (Greg wrote an article about this in Running Times last year) - they sound pretty easy, and for the most part they are, unless you do the first few too fast, in which the last ones are pretty hard!!  The best part is they are short enough that there is no real penalty for doing them, they don't really trash your legs.  When you do them in the middle of the run they also seem to give you the added stimulus of running when your legs are a little fatigued.

It was so BEAUTIFUL today - perfect weather! Dean saw a tarantula yesterday afternoon on the trail!! yuck! he even poked it with a stick to see if it was alive!!!  I guess it would be cool to see, but I am afraid it would scare me -- and then I would fall off the trail!!

 

 

 

Comments
From Michelle on Wed, Sep 12, 2007 at 09:24:02

It's good to see another lady breaking into the Mileage Board!

My husband is a faculty at BYU in Information Systems. What are you a professor of? I considered getting my PhD in Accounting at the U, but in the end decided public accounting is the place for me.

How did you find a running coach as a mature adult? The blog is my coach for now (yeah that's you Sasha and all other faithful posters).

From Bonnie on Wed, Sep 12, 2007 at 09:37:12

Hi Michelle,

Actually, my boyfriend was my coach for the first year I was running and then for my 40th birthday he bought me 3 months with Greg McMillan. He did a lot of research on the philosophy of available coaches, and even interviewed them!! In the end, he went with Greg and I have been with Greg since then. I am very lucky!

I have a PhD in biostatistics, we work closely with informations systems/bioinformatics people. I would imagine that public accounting would be more interesting than academic accounting -- but that might be because I don't know too much about what types of things that academic accountants do besides teach ... and I don't teach much.

This blog is a great coach and is a very supportive place.

Happy running!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
6.000.000.000.002.508.50

probably a little longer than 8.5, but not quite 9.

 

8 x :60-:65 sec hill repeats (~10% grade) up Federal Point Dr (?) -- about 200-225 m long

pretty hard, did first 2/3 way too fast and it made the last 2 hurt way bad.  first time I had done hill repeats since moving here ... feel so-so about the workout, much harder than I wanted it to be, but I finished and had a nice cool down (30` wu 22` cd).

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

45:00 ... a little longer than 5 (I had to add a little to make a bathroom stop). 

my "run up hills" muscles are pretty sore.  I have to say I dread seeing "recovery day" on my schedule, it usually means the run will be both slow and unpleasant - today was no exception to this rule.  In hindsite, yesterday I should have looked for a lower percent grade hill  (5-6%)and run for a longer time (90s) ... these short bursts of speed up a higher grade (~10% for 65s) are really more for 5K training ... but, with my general lack of speed right now I guess any increase in speed will be helpful. 

I believe that Lydiard used hill repeats as a way to transition from base training to speed/stamina training, and I had done a month of these in Nashville just before I moved here ... but yesterday I had the option of doing hill repeats or doing an aerobic capacity workout on the track - and I chose the hills because I thought it would help me measure where I am versus where I was 2 months ago.  But, the hill I used yesterday was quite a bit steeper (and Dean pointed out to me last night) so it really is not a fair comparison.  During the workout (especially the very painful last few meters of the hill) I wondered why I had chosen this workout !!  Anyway -- despite the pain, both physical and emotional ;-) -- I am hoping to eek some benefit from it down the line. Today was about recovery so that is what I tried to focus on ...

I will be traveling a lot over the next couple of weeks (including the fair city that is the home to Randy) -- this will be a challenge for training and in health - as the stress of travel, lack of sleep and dietary challenges is always difficult for me ... so the focus will be on staying healthy.  I have uploaded a picture (though a couple years old it is all I have right now) so if Randy sees me on the Rock Creek or C&O trail sometime the week after next he will say "hey Bonnie" ...

Have a good weekend -- good luck to all that are racing!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

1:03:45 - long 7

 Legs are feeling a little tired today, might be because we slept in and I was hungry even when I started ... also, started out a little fast because I had to chase down the mailperson!


 

Comments
From Michelle on Sat, Sep 15, 2007 at 16:30:42

Thanks for the comment, I don't know what is wrong with the dang hip, yesterday the running caused it, today it helped some??? It's something that I have been fighting for the last couple of months, but I thought it was on the mend (darn). I have looked on your blog a time or two you are so inspiring, were do you get that speed? It's awesome!! I am convinced there are bodies that were meant to run and then those like mine that are forced too!

From crumpyb1 on Sat, Sep 15, 2007 at 21:20:16

Hello, Bonnie! To answer your question from a week ago, my husband is working on a MBA here at U of I. He is planning doing an emphasis in Investment Management. We are enjoying Iowa. It's beautiful. I love the trees, the river, and the rolling hills.

Enjoy your weekend.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.000.000.000.000.0012.00

added on about 1/4 mile today, so it was a long 12 - 1:49:13

 Ran at Jeremy Ranch Road again -- had one of those runs that really tested myself -- winds were gusting (weather.com said 24-32 from the SW) the whole way after the turn-around.  This meant that not only was I running mainly uphill -- it was uphill into a headwind.  My legs got really tired!!  I did forge ahead and was happy - time was not really the important thing today - although since I added on it was a little faster than last week.  Mainly, I was glad the run was over!

 



 

Comments
From Michelle on Tue, Sep 18, 2007 at 22:48:15

Those are bad running conditions! Good job getting the runs in and with a faster time too.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.500.000.000.000.005.50

48:51 ... 1.5 laps on the perimeter of Liberty Park, felt suprisingly good for the first 30 mins ... was a little tired the last couple of miles, but really not too bad for a Monday - particularly after yesterdays run.

 
 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
9.000.000.000.000.009.00

1:18:47

Had to run the afternoon because of early morning meetings.  Ran on the Stone mountain bike trail -- very nice once you get to it, but running downtown Atlanta is pretty hairy, worse than NY city, these drivers are crazy and seem pretty oblivious to runners.  Can't complain though, I got my run in!!

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.008.000.0013.00

Got home from Atlanta about 9:30 last night -- was not looking forward to this workout this morning!

1:52:11

5 x 2000 w/2:30 recovery (9:27, 9:25, 9:29, 9:33, 9:29) + 3 x 200 w/200 recovery (51, 53, 52)

This was a tempo interval workout (supposed to be about 10-15K pace), my interpretation of how fast they should be are comfortably hard - a little faster than a tempo run, but not by a whole lot.  The pace was a little slower than I have done in the past (averaged about 7:35/mile pace versus 7:29/mile pace) but I had never done 5 before, only 4, and if I add the 3% altitude correction (about 3 secs/lap for me) then it is about in the same ballpark. 

I am pretty happy, even though it was not quite as fast as I would like, because these longer stamina workouts are really tough for me (mentally).  I also was pretty excited about the overall mileage, though the last 2 1/2 miles uphill back to my office was a little hard (my legs were tired).  Being that this was only my second workout on the track in over a year, I am mildly encouraged.

Comments
From Maria on Thu, Sep 20, 2007 at 17:49:38

Good job! This is a tough workout, I always have trouble with it. For some reason, this in-between pace is hard to maintain mentally. I've never done more than 3 reps, though. I think you're in very good shape, especially at altitude!

From Bonnie on Thu, Sep 20, 2007 at 17:59:37

Hi Maria, you are so right about the mental aspect! I found myself "falling asleep" somewhere between 800-1600 on the first couple, and then at the end I couldn't really judge pace by how my legs felt (because they were tired) - but my cardiovascular system felt pretty good.

I go back and forth about my fitness level. Mainly, I just want to focus on running "well" which may not translate into running "fast" right now ... I think too many times in the past I have focused too much on pace and not on getting benefit from my workouts, and this has not always helped me come race day (e.g., both leaving it on the track and not being prepared to adjust for race conditions).

How are you doing?

From ashman on Thu, Sep 20, 2007 at 20:45:05

Yes, 2 mile repeats are never easy but they are necessary and effective especially if run at 10k effort. You see, you get a nice AT workout, but at a faster pace than say a 5 mile tempo. This is because the repeat is over before you accumulate too much lactate. Your 2000m splits look really good as they are still strong at the end. Good luck at Big Sur and most of all, have fun.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

44:13

Long 5 on Bonneville Shoreline Trail.  Felt suprisingly good today - uphills were a little hard, but in general I felt fine.  The travel and training has made me pretty tired, but I am working hard to eat well, stay hydrated and this weekend I will try to sleep.   

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.500.000.000.000.007.50

1:10:45

ran to liberty park (~ 1.5 miles) and then did 2 outer loops on the grass (~ slightly longer than 1.5 each) and 1 inner (~ 1 mile? - a little longer I would guess) and then home

 

Ran pretty easy, probably about 8:50 pace, sometimes a little faster when the grass was short!  Legs felt ok ... a little tight.  Have a pretty hard run tomorrow - so today I need to focus on rest and stretching.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.000.002.000.000.0014.00

2:01:14 (14 mile fast finish run, last 2 miles @ 7:30 or a bit faster)

actually 1/2 marathon pace.  Ran on the Jordan River Trail.  Started in Redwood Park and ran to Waldon Park and back.  Pretty strong headwind on the way out, but nice tailwind on most of the way back.  Very nice run.  I was a little hesitant about this workout after Thursday's run, so I had an alternate plan of running 12 miles with 2 miles at 1/2 marathon pace if I felt like it.  But I felt good, and was pretty happy with the effort today.  I did have a little blood sugar problem after my run last Sunday - today I actually used a cliff shot at about 1:15 into the run (something I think I have actually only done 1 or 2 times before ever, and then usually when I was running 16 miles or more).  I don't know if it actually helped during the run - but I felt a lot better after the run and I think it might have just been maintaining glycogen levels ...

Now I have to pack, I am leaving for DC very early in the morning on Monday and will be there all week.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

45:42

Ran to Liberty Park and then did an outside loop.  Felt remarkably good today - despite the fact that it was rainy and dark during my run.  Ran pretty slow, mainly because I was nervous about crossing streets and such -- even with my reflective vest I don't trust these drivers in the light, let alone in the dark!!  

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

definately a long 7 in 1:04:19

Ran in DC with a woman I work with.  She has a 2:59 marathon under her belt, and although she hasn't been training consistently for a while, and I told I was going to be slow, she still pushed the pace somewhat.  A lot of city running to get the bike trail which is a pain, but slowed her down ;-).

All and all, feeling really good today, despite not getting much sleep last night.

 

Comments
From MichelleL on Tue, Sep 25, 2007 at 21:49:06

Is Big Sur your next race? It would be good to try a 10K before it to help you gauge where you are for the 1/2 marathon.

Are you close to the mall so you can run that? I ran through the memorials and stopped at each one when I visited there. It is nice and safe and highly unique.

From Bonnie on Tue, Sep 25, 2007 at 23:41:42

I was thinking about finding a 10K before November, I haven't actually found one that is the right timing (ideally mid-October) ... but I am still looking. I am both nervous and interested to see how I will do racing again -- I feel like I am pretty strong, but after not racing in so long, I am just not sure where I am at ... certainly the racing at altitude is pretty intimidating.

I am pretty near the mall, today we ran a sort of loop course down the end of the rock creek parkway and then up the memorials. On Thursday I have a tempo run, and I think I will test out the mall area - unfortunately I really don't like running on concrete -- so I would prefer alsphalt or dirt if possible ... but I will take what I can get.

How are you feeling after your 5K? you did great!!

Bonnie

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.503.000.000.000.008.50

1:07:20

3.xx mile tempo run on the Mall!  My friend from work had a Garmin -- I wanted to do somewhere between a 3 and 4 mile tempo run @ 7:17-7:35 pace.  We did longer than 3 miles, maybe 3.5 but since I wasn't sure exactly how much more than 3 miles I just am calling it 3 miles.  The pace was not as consistent as I thought it would be -- I have never used a Garmin before - but it was pretty cool have her call my pace out to me!  The first mile averaged about 7:30-7:35, the second mile was right on 7:30 and the third mile was between 7:00 - 7:12 ... I did not mean to do that and the 7:00 min part made me feel really sick ;-) ... but I was pretty happy overall, I could have run another mile if I had the time ... but we had to get back to pack up and get to our meetings.

Tonight I am staying with some friends - they live up in Maryland near Rock Creek Park, it will be a nice run tomorrow and I can't wait to spend some time with my friends here. 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

long 5 in 43:42

Ran on the Rock Creek Trail -- very very pleasant run -- even though it was a little humid.  It rained here last night and so even though the temperature was much more comfortable (probably in the high 70's) the humidity made it a little hot, especially since I have become acclimated to the dry air of Utah and am sort of wimpy now in the humidity.  But, the run went well, I felt pretty good.

Lost my wallet yesterday and had to get my passport FedEx'd to me so I can get on the plane to come home today ... and I had to spend the day cancelling my credit cards yesterday.  The worst thing is that I lost my driver's license that is expiring next week -- and now I have to try to get my Utah license without another license to turn in ... so I think I need to go through the whole driving part of the driving test ...

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.500.000.000.000.007.50

1:13:26    -  long 7.5 in Liberty park (2 outer loops + 1 inner loop + 3 miles to and from my house).

 Wore tights since wet and 42 is colder than 42 ;-)  ran the whole time.  Legs felt ok ... not great, but not horrible.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
17.000.000.000.000.0017.00

2:21:52

short 17 (for this run I am rounding up, because I think was easily running 8:30s for much of the run, I ran with Dean for a couple of miles and it took me a while to slow down) -- I meant to go 16, but took a wrong turn!!

Ran on Jordan River Trail from Redwood Park to 215 (1:07) and back -- ended up racing some not-very-fast guy for about 2 miles past the turn-around. I did not mean to race him, but I passed him and he just would not stay off my shoulder (he kept speeding up), so I dropped him. Felt good actually ;-) - of course, I still had 7 miles to run so it probably wasn't the smartest thing, but I don't think I suffered much because of it. I was pretty tired at the end of the run (my longest run pretty much ever) but still pretty steady pace. I had about a mile left and I took a wrong turn (probably would have finished in about 2:13/2:14 without my wrong turn) ... feeling pretty good today!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

44:10

Beautiful morning for a run.  Legs were a little tired today -- felt pretty good for the first 3 miles, but the long uphill home was struggle -- tried to focus on recovery ...


 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
9.500.000.000.000.009.50

1:30:12 -- long 9.5, but not quite 10.

very hilly run on BST to 11th to City Creek - up the canyon road to the bathroom ;-) - and back. 

I swear it felt like we were running 8:30's up Bonneville Drive from the canyon!!!  But, the darn garmin-mile-thingybob said we were closer to 8:50's!! 

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.002.009.00

1:25:11 probably a little bit longer than 9 miles

Today I change age groups (45-49), I am not sure how I feel about it - both glad to be the youngest in the bracket and completely shocked that I am in this age group! I think I have a bug of some kind. Tuesday I struggled much more than I should have (if Anna's garmin-thingy was right) and today I had a rough start, I just felt like I was working harder than I should have been for the pace I felt I was running -- maybe it was just because it was a steep uphill up Virginia, but I am going to stock-up on the vitamin C just in case.

I had a hard time finding a hill with the right grade I was supposed to run 8 x 60-90 secs up a 6-10% grade. I ran up to Poppington Park and tried the Virginia Street behind the park, but that felt way too steep (there was no way I could run for more than 40-50 secs up that hill) -- so, I tried a little farther down, and still it felt a little too much (even though I was able to run for 63 secs pretty fast). Finally, I decided to run over on 11th towards the U (where I ran them last time -- but this time I started farther down the hill). Mapmyrun still has this at a 20% grade, but I doubt that is right ... but I am pretty sure it is 10% or more. Anyway - I ran 6 more @ 62-63 secs ... I feel ok about the workout, though not sure, if I am not sick, how I am feeling right now about my chances for a good race. I guess I will see how the track workout goes next week.

Comments
From Lybi on Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 12:18:56

Happy Birthday Bonnie! You are going to womp all over your new age group!

6010% grade? Sounds REALLY steep.

From Bonnie on Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 12:26:08

Thank you Lybi, you are very kind, I don't feel like there will be much womping going on from my side! Yes, 6010% would be steep!! See, now I can blame it on age ;-)

From Randy on Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 15:02:21

Bonnie,

Happy b-day! It is a great age group. Dennis Simonaitis is still pretty much destroying everyone else in the country with no signs of letting up.

It seems like everyone in UT is getting sick! In addition to the vitamin C, don't neglect the Zinc!!

Take care,

R

From Bonnie on Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 15:14:35

Thank you Randy, I had forgotten about the zinc (but have some at home) ... I have been lucky enough to ward off stuff like this in the past.

Both Dennis and Michelle are incredible!

I was up near you last weekend, but I was in the district. You know, I used to consult with a company in Gaithersburg and my usual running route there crossed your Clopper 10!

Happy running!

Bonnie

From Maria on Thu, Oct 04, 2007 at 15:38:12

Happy Birthday, Bonnie! I think you can be very competitive in your new age group. Your training is going great, and you're in awesome shape. It seems like this week the Blog has been attacked with some illness - maybe people are getting sick just from reading other blogs. Or maybe it's some bug going around in Utah. In any case, feel better soon, you'll need to be on top of your game in a few weeks!

Have you run in Big Sur before? I hiked there - the scenery is absolutely breathtaking, but from what I understand,the course is very challenging, at least the marathon course. If you don't run your planned time, don't be disappointed. Pick a faster half afterwards, if you want to know your true potential.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

44:28 - one loop at Liberty Park.

Felt better than yesterday -- I am thinking I have been successful at fighting the "blog bug".

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.500.000.000.000.007.50

1:15:36  -- longer than 7.5 (because I had to make little detour to the restroom).

 Pretty chilly today (about 39F and raining like crazy, I got a late start).  I was thinking about all you bloggers running in St. George today - I hope it wasn't too windy there, it was pretty windy here, but by the time I started my run all of you were finished with the marathon ... I hope  you all did well!

 


 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.500.002.000.000.0014.50

2:06:21 fast finish long run (last 2 miles @ 1/2 marathon pace -- actually 1/2 marathon pace effort since this was a hilly run on the grass)

Ran 7 laps in Sugarhouse Park (outside on the grass) + approx 1 1/4 mile inside to make it a little more than 14.  Ran much faster than when I ran this as a long run in August.  Splits were (16:34, 16:26, 11:22 (inside loop to bathroom),16:28, 16:24, 16:11, 16:31, 15:02 + :31).

 Legs are shot ... the grass and hills really takes a toll, my reasoning is that this is a really good workout, works on strength and mental fortitude ... I hope I am right otherwise it just is a lot of pain ;-).

Some great races this weekend, congratulations to all the bloggers!


Comments
From Randy on Mon, Oct 08, 2007 at 11:26:51

Bonnie, Nice work. That was my standard tempo loop in SLC. Definitely makes you tough!

From Maria on Mon, Oct 08, 2007 at 15:07:04

Great workout, Bonnie! You ran 7:00 pace for the last 2 miles after already running 12 miles on hills? Wow. You're in great shape. I predict good things for you in Big Sur (unless it's a ridicilously hilly course).

From Bonnie on Mon, Oct 08, 2007 at 15:29:19

thanks Maria, I think it was closer to 7:50's for the last two miles (I had to add on 100 meters to make it 2 miles!). It was hard. The big sur half is hilly, but it is not the same level of difficulty as the marathon (the course is actually around Monteray Bay). I think the course has some pretty big hills on the out portion, and a nice downhill at to the finish. It is not a PR course although my PR is on a challenging course into a headwind -- so who knows!

I do feel like I am in pretty good shape, but I have gotten "head injuries" in the past ;-).

How are you Maria? I hope all is well.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.500.000.000.000.005.50

49:09 -- maybe a little longer than 5.5, but not quite 6.

 ran in Liberty Park  - felt pretty good today, a little tired but better than I had anticipated!
 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
8.500.000.000.000.008.50

1:15:55 -- long 8.5

So, today I could have either done a 75` easy run or a fartlek workout (10 x 1` w/1` recovery). I was set on the easy run, so I decided to run to City Creek Park and then up 11th and around the cemetery. Well, after I had run about 20 mins I realized that I felt pretty good and was going to do the fartek instead!

Ran a few 1` sprints up Bonneville Drive and then a few on 11th. Ended up stopping at 8, instead of 10, because I was going uphill (not steep but pretty steady) and after Sunday I really wanted to guard my legs a bit. I have a workout on Thursday that I am dreading  (3 x 3000m) -- and I did not want jeopardize that workout at all ... and, I was happy with any neuromuscular conditioning that I can do ... these short fartlek's aren't supposed to take much out of your legs, and can really help with finishing speed ... so, some are probably better than none!!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.007.000.0012.00

1:44:20 tempo interval workout

YEA!!!  Thanks to my friend Anna I had one of the most encouraging workouts I have had in a long time, if not ever.  It felt pretty easy -- the last 800 was a struggle to concentrate, but not difficult.  I could have (uncomfortably) run one more. 

3 x 3000 w/3:30 recovery (14:16, 14:07, 13:59 -- pace: 7:36, 7:32, 7:28) + 3 x 200 w/200 recovery (48, 51, 50) 

2.5 mile wu and 2.5 uphill cd

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

43:12  - very easy run to Liberty park and home.  Suprised at how well I felt, but got pretty tired on the uphill run home (I think I ran too fast to the park -- the downhill, the cold, and the suprise at my legs all pushed me a little to much!!).

Feel suprisingly good today - I guess I should have run faster yesterday in my workout ;-).

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.500.000.000.000.007.50

1:08:44 -- easy 2 outer loops and 1 inner loop at Liberty park -- whoops, I ran a little faster than I meant to ... despite the fact that my legs actually were a bit more sore today than yesterday.  I need to really take it easy tomorrow because I only have 3 more key workouts left in this phase of training (then I am in "sharpening") -yipee.  I am still fighting this darn "cold-thing" - I am ahead but it is ever lurking.

 

Hope everyone is good in bloggerland. 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
14.000.000.000.000.0014.00

2:03:32    

Jeremy Ranch Road.  Still have not negative split this run - today was 2 mins slower back than out -- even with a headwind I was a bit disappointed.  The only good thing was it was a good effort and I finished pretty strong.  The extra 2 miles added 3 more hills so it was a good training run.  Weather was beautiful!


 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.500.000.000.000.005.50

48:21 - easy run at liberty park.  I feel horrible today.  Fatigued like crazy.  Not just running hard and tired, or lack of sleep and tired, but deeply fatigued.  I am hoping that it is just a caloric deficit - we ran late in the day yesterday and since I took Dean out to dinner last night for his birthday we skipped our usual fairly large post-long-run meal.  I am going to try to eat lots of fruit today ... I do not want to get sick right now!!

 Happy Monday everyone!
 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
9.500.000.000.000.009.50

1:32:37 (according to Anna's Garmin whatchamajiggy it was 9.7 miles) ... ran from our office to City Creek Canyon (partly on the Shoreline Trail) and back.  Felt much better than a couple of weeks ago on the same course.  I think I am on the tail end of the "blog virus".  My nose is running a little today, but I don't feel nearly as tired as I have lately. 

 

Comments
From Adam RW on Thu, Oct 18, 2007 at 15:17:02

What department are you in at The U. Just curiuos, I'm a post-doc in Dale Abel's lab. Nice mileage.

From Bonnie on Thu, Oct 18, 2007 at 17:37:53

Hi Adam - my academic home is in pediatrics, though my training is as a biostatistician. So you work in molecular biology/genetics ... cool. Where did you get your PhD?

I have been trying really hard to put in as many miles as by body and my professional life will allow!! If I decide to do a marathon in the near future I would like to get in the high 60's ... but my fear is I might break down or get too hungry during the day to get any work done ;-)

From Adam RW on Thu, Oct 18, 2007 at 21:45:51

I did my thesis work with Dan Kelly at Wash U in St. Louis. A cardiology lab but I mostly did transcriptional biology. Now with Dale I'm trying to learn signaling and more about endocrinology and physiology.

I'm sure you would do well in a marathon. My first marathon my highest mileage week was only 56 miles. I followed Hal Higdon's advanced training. It no longer works for me but at the time it was great. A lot of spare time for a busy schedule and it still took me to a sub-3:00 marathon. Maybe I'll run into you in the halls...

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.500.005.000.000.0010.50

1:28:43 tempo run

I am resigned to having "not so good" workouts every once in a while ... today was one of those.  Anna and I ran from the office to Wakara Way to do the tempo run.  Ran fine for 4 miles, right on pace (about 7:34 - 7:40 pace) even up the hills.  Then I started feeling pretty bad - I thought it was just that I was tired, and then Anna told me we were running 7:14 pace, ouch.  Well, I thought that maybe I could finish strong and hold on ... instead, my wheels came off as we ran up the last hill ... and I trudged up the last 1/4 mile -- it was not so much my cardiovascular system that gave out (though I was hurting), my legs just wouldn't carry me up the hill.  So, basically I ran a 4.75 tempo run at or below my target pace, which is not 5 miles -- that 20 secs/mile too fast on the last mile really killed me.  Not to make any excuses, but I did have a massage last night which made my legs a little less responsive than I would have liked. 

I guess I will look forward, and hope I got some benefit from it, despite not being an "ideal" workout.  And, I will learn to listen to my body more -- I knew I should have backed off the hills a little bit -- I could have made up ground on the downhills.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

44:45 recovery run    

 
I fought the temptation to push my run today -- as is often the case after a disappointing workout I felt like I need to work harder than usual (punishment or redemption?) ... when in reality, it is a time that one should really take it even easier than usual. 

Apparently the sinus/cold that I have been fighting against, and blaming on the blog (the blog virus) is actually going around work ... a much more logical place to lay blame ;-).

 Have a nice weekend, I am on my way to Deer Valley for a work retreat (what an oxymoron).

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

1:03:12  -- well they were slow miles, but really not that easy ... hilly loop around deer valley - 4 x around + a bit to make it about 7 ...  Snowing, windy and a little chilly.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
14.000.002.000.000.0016.00

2:09:52

Tried to run at Jeremy Ranch Road on our way back from Deer Valley retreat but the road was a muddy bog ... so we drove down to the Jordan River Trail -- started at Redwood park and ran to 215 and then back.  Last 2 miles were at 1/2 marathon - marathon pace -- felt bad.  I think I ran too fast on the way out (1:06:11/1:03:41; 8:16/7:57 -- but only the last 2 miles were fast, the other miles after the turnaround were more likely 8:45 pace) so the last 2 miles hurt more than they were supposed to ... was glad when I was finished.
 

Comments
From sarah on Mon, Oct 22, 2007 at 09:26:19

wow...you are so fast....Sasha had a HILARIOUS dream last night that I was with him on a run and he thought I was on a bike because we were going 5:50 pace. Turns out in the dream I was actually running. Funny thing about Sasha though is that he was looking at me this morning telling it to me and since I know him so well...I KNOW that man was imagining a way he could make that really happen for me. Not on your life honey...I don't want to run that fast but I would like to be able to keep up with you some day on a long workout. Keep up the good work.

From Bonnie on Mon, Oct 22, 2007 at 09:39:47

ha ha ha ha -- I am sure Sasha had an entire program planned out for you -- and most likely it would be painful ;-). That said, I am absolutely sure if you had the time you could easily keep up with me - you just have bigger/more important commitments right now. Thank you for your kind words, I am pretty tired these days!

Bonnie

From Michael on Tue, Oct 23, 2007 at 16:28:53

Often Jeremy Ranch road gets better when the temps get consistently below freezing and fewer cars are using it, the base is more solid and less muddy them

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.500.000.000.000.005.50

48:18 - easy run around liberty park.  Was not nearly as bad of a run as I was worried it was going to be ... took it easy and enjoyed the morning, the mountains were snow-topped, it was cold (which I like) and was actually a very pleasant run.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
8.000.000.000.000.008.00

1:12:45

Nice run up dry creek canyon ... beautiful weather.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.004.000.0011.00

1:35:28 (11.3 miles by Anna's forrunner-thingamajig)

4 x 1 mile w/800 recovery (7:17, 7:15, 7:13, 7:15) + 3 x 200 w/200 recovery

Pace at sea level for these is supposed to be 6:53 - 7:08, Greg said to give myself 6-8 secs for altitude so I did ... all and all I felt pretty good, I could have gone faster on the first couple but I wanted to make sure I finished feeling strong, so I guess I feel vindicated from my less-than-stellar workout last Thursday.  One more "key" workout to go and then I am ready to race ... I think.  I have been tired lately, and my calves are absolutely killing me ... so I am hoping I can hold out my fitness for another couple of weeks, I have been worried that I peaked too soon, I felt so strong until last week ... I did finally find an elevation profile for the 1/2 marathon -- it looks like a rolling course with a small overall gain of 118 feet with only one major hill (at about mile 4) -- so it could actually be a fast course if run smart. 

It was beautiful today - I couldn't feel my legs at the start, but once the sun came up (and I got warmed up) it was really nice!

Comments
From jtshad on Thu, Oct 25, 2007 at 15:57:09

Great workout, you are running strong. Stretch and massage the calves to help with the pain. It sounds like you training is coming together just right...you are heading it your "taper" so your body will respond well to the lower mileage the next week or two.

Good luck at Big Sur!

From Bonnie on Thu, Oct 25, 2007 at 16:52:28

Thank you Jeff, I needed that!

Bonnie

From Maria on Thu, Oct 25, 2007 at 18:57:51

You're doing great! These are good splits for 4x 1mi. workout. You should be able to dip under 1:40 in the half. Sounds like a decent course profile for Big Sur. If you start a bit conservatively and kick in last 3 miles, you'll have a great race. Remember, you're at altitude now!

From Bonnie on Thu, Oct 25, 2007 at 19:26:32

I am actually hoping to dip a couple of minutes below 1:40 for this 1/2 ... if I do then I will train for Berlin next year, if not, I will most likely run for fun in the future (which is nice too). I am actually in much better shape (and have been running about 20 miles more/week) than when I ran my 1:39:23 ... but, of course, I am almost 3 years older!

How are you doing? Traveling a lot, but adjusting?

Bonnie

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
4.000.000.000.000.004.00

43:02  recovery run up BST ... took it slow, felt pretty good!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

64:13  long 7 -- did 2 laps in liberty park (about 3.6 miles?) + added 4 mins on to get it closer to 7.  Felt pretty good, although I was thinking today, running - in general - does not feel as "easy" as I would like it to ... no matter how slowly I run.  

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.500.000.000.000.0012.50

1:46:05 -- Jordan River trail - according to the bicycling salt lake city book it was about 12.8 miles.  Ran from redwood park trailhead to germania park and then back (53:56/52:08; 8:26/8:08) - goal today was to run so slowly that at the end of the run I would feel like I was cheating to stop -- I can't say that is exactly how it felt, but I did enjoy the run and unintentionally ran the last few miles faster than it felt ... one more hard workout this week, a fast finish long run and then a peak/pace workout and then the race!  I am planning on really concentrating on rest/recovery/and eating well the next couple of weeks - it can't hurt ;-)

 

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.500.000.000.000.005.50

48:48 - easy run around Liberty park .... played a game, "how slow can I go" -- I was suprised to see it was about the same time as last week, it felt a lot slower!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

1:01:46  10 x 1` w/1` recovery +wu and cd

ran on the Ute's practice fields (2 football fields laid end to end) -- very nice place for a fartlek run - wasn't really "fast-fast" just a little leg turnover workout.  Still not feeling as "rested" as I would like ... trying to focus on getting sleep and eating well.  Wish work was a little less stress right now, but somethings just never change! 

 

Nice weather!! 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
6.500.000.003.500.0010.00

Happy November everyone!

1:29:39 (probably a long 10).  Today was my last workout until the race - yea!

6 x 800 w/400 recovery (3:30, 3:31, 3:32, 3:31, 3:31, 3:29)  + 3 x 200 w/200 recovery. 

Pretty stuck on 3:31, even though I really was focusing on 3:30's!  This week and last weeks workouts were the first speed work (5 - 10K pace work versus 15K and higher) I have done in almost 12 months and my very first ever at altitude, so I guess I am happy with it.  In the past I have run these too fast and really struggled the last couple, this time was the first time that I felt like I could have done few more (if I had too ... that is not to say I wasn't happy to finish ;-) ) -- so all and all, I am happy with the effort today!

A fast finish long run this weekend, a few 1000's on Tuesday and then race time, I am nervous and excited ...

I wanted to share a paragraph from the Big Sur 1/2 Marathon instruction sheet. It is cool there are corrals in this race -- though the range is pretty large, it is not often that Dean and I are in the same corral!!  I think the "A" corral are estimated finish times of 1:15 - 1:45 - but apparently they take this corral thing very seriously!

SEEDING AND CORRALS:  Half Marathon runners will be in designated corrals A through D based on predicted finish times.   Your corral letter is printed on the lower left hand corner of your bib.  All participants in the Team Competition will be in Corral       A.  All Half Marathon Walkers and 10-Mile Walkers will be in Corral E.  Look for the signs indicating the area of your corrals.  Except for Corral A these are loosely formed corrals, so please line up accordingly.  You may elect to move back to a different  corral but please don’t move forward.  Corral A will be a “hard” corral; only those with a Corral A bib will be permitted entry.       Be   sure to fill out the emergency information on the back of your bib.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

43:28  -- really easy run around Liberty Park.  Nice morning -- crisp and clean, grass was covered in frost.  Was not as tired as I had anticipated, but was not easy either (from a neuromuscular level, cardiovascularly was great).

 

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
3.500.000.000.000.003.50

31:20 easy run down S Temple and back up ...

After a morning of many emotions, I got my run started late today, I did not feel as "fresh" as I had wanted ... luckily it was a very short run.

Congratulations to all the FRB participants in the Olympic Trials Marathon today -- great job getting there and running well.

It was an incredible race today ... stunning victory on the part of Ryan Hall (I was happy to have picked 5 out of the top 10 with 2 in the "right" spots, yea Brian Sell!).

I was so saddened by the death of Ryan Shay.  I was a fan of his when he ran the 10K for ND and also of his wife while she ran for Stanford.  My heart goes out to his family and friends.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.500.000.000.000.0012.50

1:44:20 - same run as last week except I ran the last two miles at 1/2 marathon pace.  Slower on the way out compared to last week (by about 10 secs), faster on the way back (54:02/50:18; 8:26/7:51) - really do not feel as "zippy" as I would like, I feel sluggish and my legs feel heavy.  The fast part did not actually feel hard, but it wasn't easy either - and I was really tired starting out.


Comments
From Aaron on Sun, Nov 04, 2007 at 17:58:19

I'm finding a very light run or none on Saturday plus attention to electrolytes does wonders for the "zippy" factor. What do you think the variables are for you?

From Bonnie on Sun, Nov 04, 2007 at 18:59:28

Hmmmm... well, I would "like" to believe it is because I am "peaking" for my race next Sunday -- but honestly I don't know. I did feel much better last weekend - and I did hydrate better last Saturday so you might be right! I ran much much easier yesterday (30 mins instead of my usual 60-70) -- so I don't think that was it. I also did not sleep well last night so that could have been it too.

I did enjoy my run today (despite the lack of zippiness) because I was thinking of Ryan Shay (the runner who died yesterday at the trials) - and knew I was lucky to be running.

How are things going there? I used to hate when people would ask me, "so how are things going with your paper?" ;-)

Bonnie

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.500.000.000.000.005.50

47:43 - same Monday run as usual -- was going to complain about how hard this run was -- I just felt like I was slogging along - until I got home and saw that this was faster than usual (by about 30-45 secs) - it still felt slow!

Comments
From jtshad on Mon, Nov 05, 2007 at 11:26:45

Have a good taper week...don't let a run like this bother you...you are ready and this is just the "jitters" of taper week trying to play tricks on your mind.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.004.000.009.00

1:17:00

5 x 1000 w/200 recovery (4:34, 4:35, 4:35, 4:31, 4:36) + 3 x 200 w/200 recovery (51, 52, 51)  -- sea level pace should be 4:25 - 4:31 pace so I planned to add 5 secs for altitude (these were about 7:20 pace).

did not feel as easy as I would have liked - until the last one, because the 4th one was too fast and when I dialed in the appropriate pace it felt pretty easy ;-).  

Comments
From jtshad on Tue, Nov 06, 2007 at 17:15:48

Good running today, now sounds like it is time to just dial it back, keep the legs "warm" and ready to go...kick some butt at Big Sur!

From Bonnie on Tue, Nov 06, 2007 at 17:21:22

Thanks Jeff -- I am trying to believe I am ready for this race!! Mainly I just need to relax, one thing about 1/2 marathons (that is completely different from 5-10K's) is that you can feel pretty good until 10 miles! Well, unless you go out too fast.

Bonnie

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

44:04 

easy run to liberty park 6 x :25 w/1` recovery.

the downhill felt great (to the park) - the uphill felt ok too -- I just took it easy.  I had to go later in the day because of some things that came up at work ... my legs actually feel better when they get a chance to wake up rather than roll out of bed and run!

So, I have no chance of winning this race, it is competitive enough that I will be lucky to be in the top 5 in my age group (I think the age group winner last year was a 47 year old who ran a 1:31:xx) - and still I am excited and nervous, I am writing this down for my own edification more than anything!  I have to realize, at this point, that I have done all I could have done - I was patient when I needed to be, I worked hard when I was supposed to, and I took it easy when it was time ... so, now, I just need to know that I can do is get some rest, eat well (and not trip over anything and break my arm or something stupid like that) and see where I am ... sigh.  The good news, it is only 13.1 miles - and even though I have had some spectacular race "meltdowns" it is not as long to the finish line as you guys who run marathons!


 

Comments
From jtshad on Thu, Nov 08, 2007 at 16:24:18

Bonnie, you will do great! Remember, you are only really racing against your own expectations and the distance...the other runners are just motivation to keep going! Run your race and you will do fine. If you place (age group, overall) look at this as the icing on the cake!

As many have indicated, go into the race with three goals: 1) Optimal and ideal race; 2) Target or very realistic;, 3) Sastisfactory or "I will live with it."

From Maria on Thu, Nov 08, 2007 at 17:40:04

Bonnie, I'm sure you'll have a good race! Your training has been solid and you are very well prepared. Run your own race and finish strong. Are you going to take any Gatorade or gels?

From Bonnie on Thu, Nov 08, 2007 at 17:49:18

Thank you Maria - from your lips to God's ear!

You know, I just started doing gels on my long run the last couple of months (after I got really sick one Sunday after a run -- man, it was pretty scary). So, I guess my plan was to take a vanilla clif shot at the 8 mile turn-around - I don't think I will do gatorade (since I don't generally use it in training).

I hope all is going well for you!

From MichelleL on Fri, Nov 09, 2007 at 23:08:09

Good luck Bonnie! You have put in the work. Now is the fun part. Remember that in the race, it is supposed to hurt, but it is a good hurt. I look forward to seeing how you do.

From Bonnie on Sat, Nov 10, 2007 at 11:09:38

Thank you Michelle, I appreciate the encouragement -- you had a spectacular run today! relish your day off tomorrow!

Bonnie

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
4.000.000.000.000.004.00

36:28

short run along the finish of the course. Looks like the last mile or two is pretty flat to downhill -- and beautiful, right along the coastline. We saw two deer! pretty interesting seeing we were basically in the city with the beach on one side and the deer on the other side of the coast highway.

Ran a little hard, as I was running with Dean, but not too hard as he was running pretty slow.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
3.500.000.000.000.003.50

on my way out to jog for about 30 mins ... might not get a chance to update the blog until after the race as we are meeting up with some friends today -- the plan is to hang out - sit around and get caught up with our friends!

 

Race: Big Sur 1/2 Marathon (13.1 Miles) 01:42:01, Place overall: 355, Place in age division: 3
Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
2.000.0013.100.000.0015.10

well, I am a little disappointed, despite being 3rd in my age group . The wind was really bad, and I had an unfortunate emergency pit stop at mile 6 (probably cost me almost 2 minutes as I had to jog to a tree) ... but, I finished. It was hilly, but that did not really hurt as bad as the wind ... at about mile 8.5 or so it turned into a tailwind, but man oh man the first 8 miles hurt bad!

The GREAT news was that Dean ran a 1:19:52 and won 2nd masters (and $300 - so dinner is on him!)! Pretty good for a guy who was complaining about his knee this morning (and almost didn't start) - he looked really strong on the back part of the course!


Splits:

7:46, 7:43, 7:26, 7:42, 7:40, 8:57 (bathroom), 7:46, 15:14 (mile markers missing -- turnaround was at 7.5 miles -- was still windy and uphill until mile 9, which was where the mile markers seemed to be in place again) 7:51, 7:29, 8:13 (up hill again, but thankfully no wind!), 7:31, :43


Comments
From MichelleL on Sun, Nov 11, 2007 at 14:27:24

Congratulations on your race! It's a nice solid race time, if not exactly what you were shooting for. The last two miles were strong. Gotta love those pit stops. So what's next? It would be great if you could come down to Painter's 1/2 in January so we can meet face to face...

From Bonnie on Sun, Nov 11, 2007 at 15:29:32

hmmmmm...that sounds interesting -- I was thinking about doing the winter series in Salt Lake (5K, 10K, 15K) -- but a chance to actually run another half might be nice, and meeting you fact to face would be great!

From Dale on Sun, Nov 11, 2007 at 18:47:47

Congratulations on a well run race. The tough ones are always worth more than the easy ones, and strong winds always push races into the hard category in my book. Way to push on through given the circumstances, and an age group award is nothing to sneeze at.

I noticed you are being coached by Greg McMillan. I've been seriously considering his online personal coaching program for a while now, but have been hesitating since I haven't seen any feedback from folks using his program apart from his website. If you wouldn't mind, could you give some feedback on what you think of his services?

Last, I'm pretty sure dogs and cats count as "kids". I know our dogs and ferrets certainly do!

From jtshad on Sun, Nov 11, 2007 at 21:16:20

Congratulations on a race in tough conditions. You are laying a solid base for a outstanding year next year as well.

From Lybi on Mon, Nov 12, 2007 at 09:00:58

Great Job Bonnie! Sorry you didn't get the time you wanted, but I'm sure the wind is to blame. Too bad I don't have the expertise to give you a big ol' technical response about what your effort would've been worth on an ideal course. I say just take off 10 min. for the wind! ;)

From Bonnie on Mon, Nov 12, 2007 at 11:19:05

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your kind words!

Dale - I really can't say enough positive things about Greg. He really works hard with his athletes to find what works best for them in training optimally without injury. He is smart and a very nice guy to boot. He treats all of his athletes the same, whether they are elites or beginners or anywhere in between. If you would like to discuss anything by phone I would be happy to talk to you more about it, it is an investment, but in my opinion well worth it.

Jeff, thank you -- I agree. My first thought (when I realized I wasn't going to PR or even run close to what I wanted) was that I was not going to race again -- still run, but more for fitness. I since have decided not to give up quite yet - Dean said the course was not a PR course, but rather a good racers course - taken in that light I did ok. And now I am determined to race a little more and see what happens. Funny, my age graded performance for this race is better than my PR - but I still think on an ideal day I could beat my old PR, and I do feel I am in the best shape of my life (despite being a bit older!). I did have a better time on the hills than many I was running with, so I am pretty sure if I hadn't been in good shape it would have been far worse ;-).

Lybi, I love your idea, when I read your post to Dean, he said that it was clear that I should use the "Lybi adjustment" for this race! You are so sweet!

Bonnie

From Christi on Mon, Nov 12, 2007 at 17:19:58

Good job on the 3rd! Sorry it wasn't all you wanted it to be, but I'd take that time anyday- (wink!) Is this that beautiful CA coastal run? Obviously the weather didn't cooperate, but otherwise did you like the course?

From Sasha Pachev on Tue, Nov 13, 2007 at 12:23:11

Bonnie - you are welcome to come and run the Uneventful Half-Marathon with us. We do it Mondays and Fridays at 6:30 AM starting at my house in Provo (339 N 1120 W). That might be hard with your work schedule, but we might be able to adjust the time and the day a bit on our end. Let me know.

From Bonnie on Tue, Nov 13, 2007 at 13:00:11

Hey Sasha,

thank you for your invitation ... I thought your group was a little fast for me! I will definately keep it in mind, I can be somewhat flexible with my work hours some days and it sounds like a great idea. I need to sit down with Greg and figure out a plan for the next few months - but I will put one of these on the schedule - maybe I can make it the uneventful 10 miler for me!

Bonnie

From Bonnie on Tue, Nov 13, 2007 at 13:06:17

Christi -- I don't really know if I liked the course, I didn't really see it except as a blur. The turnaround was on this penisula - probably was very pretty but with a uphill headwind I did not appreciate it to its best ;-).

I did do a warm-up and a few easy runs before the race on the course and thought it was stunning scenery.

I would definately recommend this race though, they did a really nice job with handling 5000 runners, it was small enough that the start and finish was controlled and well managed. It was pricey - both the race and staying in Monterey - but you can get cheap airfare into San Jose from SLC. It was not a flat course, but although there were plenty of hills, none of them were very steep.

Bonnie

From Sasha Pachev on Tue, Nov 13, 2007 at 13:11:12

Bonnie - we can go as slow as you need to as long as we break 1:45.

From Maria on Tue, Nov 13, 2007 at 19:11:47

Bonnie, you did a good job on a not so easy course. I think you can still go sub 1:40 on a flat course without the wind. Congrats on the 3rd in age group - it's a great accomplishment in a field of 5000 runners! Just try to pick a flatter half next time if you want to see your true potential.

From Brent on Tue, Nov 13, 2007 at 19:31:48

Bonnie, congrads on a tough course. 100 commando points, great effort.

From Bonnie on Tue, Nov 13, 2007 at 21:01:12

Sasha - I am pretty sure I can do that so I will definately let you know, thank you again for inviting me. I am kind of debating about training for the winter running series, either the one down here in SL or maybe the Ogden (I really like the fact that the Ogden one has a 10 mile race, I really like that distance). Have you done them both?

Maria - Thanks for your vote of confidence -- I am going to lay out some more races soon to keep the momentum and see how things go. I might actually work some more on some shorter distances (even though I really dread the speedwork for them ;-) ).

Brent - Cool -- commando points I like them!!

From MichelleL on Tue, Nov 13, 2007 at 21:15:05

Bonnie-I cannot say strongly enough how great the Uneventful Half is. Rubbing shoulders with Sasha and Ted is a real treat. I had to do special planning to make it work for my schedule, but I treated it like a free race and Sasha and Ted ended up being my dedicated pacers. Two thumbs up! Can I point up my two big toes too?!

From Craig on Wed, Nov 14, 2007 at 17:15:41

Bonnie- Nice solid performance on that half marathon. Any time someone says "Big Sur", I immediately think of Highway 1, wind, and plenty of hills!

Question- is there a website or some additional information out there on the SL and Ogden winter running series you mentioned?

From Bonnie on Wed, Nov 14, 2007 at 17:23:21

Hi Craig,

Well, the 1/2 marathon is not nearly as hilly as the marathon -- but certainly the wind was there! I would point out that despite the wind many people ran really well!! I am just a little wimpy ;-).

The Salt Lake Running Company has information on the two series races. The first one is "sponsored" by the SL track club (http://www.saltlakerunningco.com/event533.htm) and the second is called the winter racing circut (http://www.saltlakerunningco.com/event1129.htm) and is in Ogden. Technically, one could do both of them if you are like Sasha and can tolerate that much racing (which, unfortunately, I can't).

I wish they would have the races go from long to short (15K down to 5K) - but I guess especially for the Ogden one (that culminates to the 30K) it makes sense that they don't.

Happy running,

Bonnie

From Sasha Pachev on Thu, Nov 15, 2007 at 17:33:21

For the SLC races, the info will be at

http://www.slctrackclub.org/

For Ogden,

http://www.stridersrunning.com/2008_winter_racing_circuit

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
4.500.000.000.000.004.50

40:25

Nice trail run outside of my office (had to sneak a run in between many meetings today) it has been a while since I have done much trail running, but it was a beautiful day and I enjoyed it a lot.  Legs felt really good (I guess I did not run hard enough on Sunday!) -- I have a couple weeks of easy jogging before I start doing anything "serious" again -- so I plan to enjoy the time! 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
4.000.000.000.000.004.00

33:10

Ran to Liberty Park and home -- nice day, I love 30F weather!

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

43:09

 Nice morning - a little cold at the start but really nice near the end.  I actually almost slipped on some ice!  Thank goodness I was running so slowly!


 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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about 43:00 -- ran 2 laps in Sugarhouse Park (31:25) and then helped my friend with a workout at Highland track -- she is getting ready for the Atlanta 1/2 marathon on Thursday and I was calling her splits for a 5 x 1000 workout in preparation.  Ran back and forth on the infield lots of times and ran her 200 recoveries with her.  Maybe longer than 5, but it not by much.

I am getting antsy to run again -- but Greg has me taking 2 weeks of down time ...


 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

41:45

Same run as Thursday - with one loop around Liberty Park.  A little more than 1:15 faster ... I pushed it a little since my mileage is low right now and I figured a little stimulus wouldn't hurt anything.  Felt pretty good. 


 

Comments
From Jeannine on Mon, Nov 19, 2007 at 17:10:25

I found your blog. You're running crazy. Have a great Thanksgiving. I'm running a new 5K in H'ville that day. Hope I feel better by then and can slide in a sub 23.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
3.500.000.000.000.003.50

32:08 - easy run to Liberty Park and back (ran about 1/2 mile in the park).

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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46:23 -- BST run - did two very  hilly mile loops in the middle of the run -- felt pretty good after an initial warm-up.  I don't know if it was the cold air, this "virus-cold-thing-whatever" I have been fighting for two months or that I went out too fast, but the first mile I was sucking air like noone's business ...

Nice day though, can't complain.

Comments
From MichelleL on Wed, Nov 21, 2007 at 11:44:39

Hey Bonnie - I don't understand the first line of your blog. Perhaps a word is missing? You look tall in your picture, dare I guess 5'9"?

From Bonnie on Wed, Nov 21, 2007 at 11:57:04

Nope - I am about 5'6" - and not thin at all (despite being a fairly healthy vegetarian for 15 years!). I am pretty frustrated with my weight lately, I don't know if it is age or what but I just can't lose this last 5-10 lbs that have snuck up on me over the past 5 years!!

I just turned 45 in October, I should probably change my blog now, since I wrote it months ago.

Your training is going great Michelle! keep healthy and enjoy your family tomorrow (don't stress about the food!!).

Bonnie

From Bonnie on Wed, Nov 21, 2007 at 13:37:28

Michelle - I just figured out what you did not understand from my blog (my brain was frozen I think) -- I ran two very HILLY 1 mile loops in the middle of the run!

Bonnie

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
3.500.000.000.000.003.50

31:20 -- long 3.5 trying to take it easy because this is the last of my recovery weeks, but since I am not running as much I tend to run much harder! Felt really good! Tomorrow starts the beginning of real mileage again.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
6.000.000.000.000.006.00

53:03 -- nice run on the BST.  I did 3 of the same loops I did on Wednesday.  I actually kept track of my "splits" (segments actually).  The whole run is a trail run, lots of up and down hills and the footing (though not as bad as some trail runs) is very uneven.  Despite the uneven footing making the run generally slow I really do think these trail runs help strengthen my ankle and foot stabalizer muscles.  I don't have nearly the PF and achilles problems when I run on the trails as I do when I run most of my runs on roads and even worse sidewalks.  But, I do fall and break bones on trails so I guess there is a trade-off ;-).

So, the little loop I do is less than a mile long, sort of down hill on the first part, then flat to very steep at the end (so steep that it is really impossible for me to run up it fast at all) - the last 600 - 800 meters are a gradual to steep incline. However, I do try to use these uphill sections as a "weight" workout, focusing on form and body carriage so that I am using muscles effectively.  A type of mini-hill repeat.  Once at the top, it is a nice downhill recovery and generally feels pretty good (except after doing 2 or 3 of them!).  One thing about being in "recovery" mode the past two weeks, I really do feel I can push myself a little on some of my runs, because I don't have to worry about recoverying from difficult stimulus during the week - and how this would affect my key workouts.

Anyway - I hope to use these little "segment" splits to test my fitness over the next few months.  It took me 15:00  to get to the loop trail then I ran 3 of them in 8:12, 8:15, 8:12, and back to the office in 13:36 (the last mile is a very nice gradual downhill). I am not as concerned with pace per mile, because the trail runs are just so much slower in general for the effort required.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I did, although being alone at work today is not much fun (no one else seemed to come in!).

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

40:58 - well, after all that "blog talk" yesterday about trail running, I hurt my knee yesterday!  It hurt all day and all night - luckily, it does not hurt much when I run ... so maybe I should just run all day ;-).  I am icing and using arnica gel ... I think it is from my achilles/PF - the bane of my running these days.   Despite the complaining, my legs feel good because of the low mileage and I am zipping right along these days (for me!).

 
 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

1:02:31 - ran with Dean -- lots of hills up to 11th and then to City Creek Canyon and back.  Nice day!

 

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

45:13 easy run on BST (before snow starts falling - actually before the rain/snow mixture starts which is going to be worse!).  Two of the hilly loops.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

43:02 -- took it pretty slow today because the roads were icy!  I even wore my wrist splint (that I generally reserve for the trails).  The wrist that I broke in September (on the trails!) has been really sore and swollen the last few days, I wonder if I will forever be able to predict the weather now??

 I hope everyone stays safe on the roads and warm!
 

Comments
From KIm on Wed, Nov 28, 2007 at 17:42:09

I want to be like you! I am 41 and started running in August. (I've ran off and on a few different times.) I would love to have those PR's on my running accomplishments sometime. You said you've been running for 4 years. What did your beginning times start out as? Looking at your picture I see that toning of the tummy will have to happen if I'm going to be like you.

From Bonnie on Wed, Nov 28, 2007 at 17:52:25

Thank you Kim, you are too kind.

Well, my first 5K was a 23:32 and 3 months later I got it to a 22:46 (running about 30 mpw), and a year later I was down to 21:48 (running 35 mpw with speedwork).

It is much more difficult now (sorry to say). Improvement is pretty big as your mileage increases the first year - and then add in some race-specific speed training and it is even a bigger jump. I seemed to have hit a plateau though as of late ... but I am not giving up!

My tummy is not quite as flat anymore, I had some health issues last year and the surgery cost me a few months of running. I am working on it though so maybe both of us will see big results this year!!

Do you have any upcoming races picked out?

From Sasha Pachev on Wed, Nov 28, 2007 at 18:01:13

Kim - some of it is in the genetics/natural disposition, but a lot of the genetic/natural disposition disadvantage can be compensated with proper training and nutrition overtime. Women are particularly affected by inactive lifestyle with bad nutrition. E.g. if you take a brother and a sister of equal running talent, and both are running 90 miles a week, the brother will be only 15 minutes faster in the marathon. If they both cut down to 40 miles a week, the gap will increase to 30 minutes. At 20 miles a week for both the difference will be about an hour. Sedentary and eating junk food, both of them will probably struggle just to finish, but he will be able to run a 5 K at around 9:00 pace, while she will be running 14:00.

On the positive side, if you take a sedentary improperly nourished woman and start training her, she will make much more progress overtime and with properly increased training loads if she is consistent than an equally matched man.

From KIm on Wed, Nov 28, 2007 at 18:03:50

TRAIN ME!

From Bonnie on Wed, Nov 28, 2007 at 18:17:28

I am probably not the best person to train you (since I pay someone else to train me). But I do think you will see a lot of benefit from your current plan of increasing your mileage. Once you can run 5 or 6 days a week with 4/5 lasting about 30 - 45 mins/day (I usually base my runs on "time" not "miles") you will be ready for more specific training. I got the minimum of 30 mins from a coach/physiologist named Jack Daniels, who proposed that 30 mins was a minimum for "benefit" - but he also said that sometime something is better than nothing - this is especially true for us who don't run at a world class level.

For your half you will also need to get a long run (try to get up to 1 or 1.5 hours) once a week.

The main thing is to make these changes gradually - and only as you feel good (if you get too tired or feel like you are getting sick more than you usually do you are increasing too much) - it is MUCH better (physically and mentally) to take your time and not get sick/injured!

Coming to the blog will help a lot, you get encouragement and advise!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
6.000.000.000.000.006.00

48:47

Ran pretty easily to Liberty Park, did 2 3/4 loops and then came home.  I have been trying to run the same time from the park (uphill) as to the park and have been pretty successful lately.  It generally just means I take it easier the 1/2 of the run and then work harder (not too much, but  not back off) on the second 1/2.  It is nice to be able to do!  I hope I can keep it up once the mileage picks back up.  I am hoping to hit in the 60s as I rebuild base over the next couple of months.

 Have a great Thursday everyone!



 

Comments
From Michelle on Thu, Nov 29, 2007 at 11:15:40

I was eavesdropping on the comments from Kim, you and Sasha yesterday. I feel like that I am where you mention to Kim ( she is porbably there too) and have been doing 6 days a week mostly 5 miles and 6's. I feel like I am at a platea and am not sure where to go? I have been a little gun shy with hip pain (probably bursitis) and some mild PF in my left foot. Although there is pain they really don't seem to be slowing my progress. I just don't feel like I am gaining any increased speed or endurance? Any thoughts? ( Just trying to gleam info from others experience!)

From Bonnie on Thu, Nov 29, 2007 at 11:30:44

Hi Michelle,

Well, I am not a coach - though I did stay in a Holiday Inn last night ;-) - but I am a scientist and I have read a lot (and am a track fan so I am obsessed with the training of many elite athletes!) - so here is my opinion.

If you have not been doing any long runs (lasting up to say 1.5 hours) then that is where I would start first if I were you. Mix it up a little in the week, shorter days and then longer days, and one long run on the weekend. How long you run depends on how fast you are running your 5/6 miles - if you are running close to an hour on your 6 mile days then try to get one day a week of 70 mins (could take 2 weeks or more at first) then 75 mins, then 80 mins, until you can run 1.5 hours pretty comfortably, while still running 4-5 days during the week somewhere between 30 mins and 45-50 mins. Once you build to a base like this then you can start adding some "strides" to you runs (25 sec bursts of speed with 1` cool downs start with 4-5 and work up to 10-12 -- again, slowly). Some people advocate doing these strides no matter how much you run, but personally, I would focus on adding volume first then adding speed. Being on your feet for 1.5 hours for a long run, while still maintaining your other runs, might take a little getting used to, and you don't want to change too many things at one time.

You are doing great and I am sure we will see many more PR's from you this year. In my opinion, running is a process, and if you can enjoy the process and be patient (as in life) you can't help but succeed!

Bonnie

From Bonnie on Thu, Nov 29, 2007 at 11:33:43

Michelle -- I just read your blog more closely, I thought you had run a race recently -- what you need is to pick a race soon to train for!! That will help you with your plateau!

Let us know what one you pick!

Bonnie

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

44:58

pretty nice run up Emmigration Canyon -- hilly and tough, but slow enough to be nice.

I am having some issues with my quads ... they are way too tight and it is causing me to have pretty severe knee pain at the end of the day (after I have been sitting for a long time).  I need to use my foam roller and stretch more ... I am writing to embed the idea in my conscience mind!!

Have a nice weekend everyone.

Comments
From betty031 on Fri, Nov 30, 2007 at 14:03:01

Hey Bonnie,

Look here for a blog about knee pain. http://marathonmoms.blogspot.com/

Hope it helps.

From Bonnie on Fri, Nov 30, 2007 at 16:00:04

Awesome! Thank you so much.

Bonnie

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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44:54 tough 5 miles - much of it in 5-6 inches of snow - well when it wasn't in about the same amount of cold slush! Loved it though, really pretty and fairly peaceful except on the main streets. Only slipped and fell once on 400 S -- it was pretty funny, I hit hard but only on my knee and was thankfully wearing my wrist splint!

After the run I shoveled snow ... how many cross-training miles do I get for shoveling snow for 45 mins ;-)

Drive and run carefully everyone!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
8.500.000.000.000.008.50

1:18:00

Nice run with Dean.  I was feeling pretty tired today -- so I slowed him down a lot - even so, he did not drop me on the hills - he is a nice guy. 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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51:35 - long 5.5 but not quite 6.  Ran to Liberty Park and then tried to find an ice-free zone -- not easy.  Pretty slow going because of the slippery sidewalks and deep snow, but still a very nice day!!

On my way to Nashville for a few days.  I am on a dissertation committee - and our student is defending on Friday, yea!  Also trying to finish up some papers with some colleagues and a concentrated couple of days working will help us a lot!

 

Comments
From MichelleL on Thu, Dec 06, 2007 at 23:01:25

Did you pack your running shoes?

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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40:59 - long 4.5 

nice day in Nashville - ran in shorts and long sleeve shirt! 

Comments
From MichelleL on Sat, Dec 08, 2007 at 11:21:25

That would be so nice to run without 10 pounds of clothes on! Hope you are enjoying your trip.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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45:38 - long 5 (am not sure how long these runs actually are - but with the extra O2 (and less mileage as of late) I might have been running about 8:30's or so)

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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50:35 - another longer than estimated day -- felt really good despite the hills!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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41:08 

 Last run here in Nashville, probably have run almost 1.5 miles or so more than I have estimated, but it really doesn't matter! 

The defense went well, we have let another PhD loose in the world!  Got a lot of work done this week, made real progress on a few papers that will be submitted in the next couple of months ... concentrated time really helps things get finished.

 Pretty sure the weather will make today a difficult travel day (raining here in the Southeast and snow there in the West)! Luckily, I have lots to do to keep occupied, now that I am on a roll work-wise!

Can't wait to see how Randy and Sean are doing at Nationals!

 

Comments
From Stacy on Sat, Dec 08, 2007 at 20:02:18

Congratulations on your defense! That is a huge accomplishment.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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1:14:02  -- longer route than last week (by a few blocks, probably 1/4 mile or less).  Felt much better than last week - took the hills stronger and no notable pains.

This is my last "down" week, next week I am back in base ... hopefully in about 3 weeks I will be much closer to 50 miles/week again.

Beautiful day today -- Hope everyone has a nice Sunday.


 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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1:00:31 - nice day, cold but very pleasant in the sun.  Hilly run up Wasatch Road from my office.

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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48:24 ran to Liberty Park + 8 x 100 w/1` recovery.

Sloppy mess in the park, especially the north side, mainly ice ... the only clear part was the sidewalk, which is a bummer - I hate running on the sidewalk!  But, at least most of the sidewalks were melted, where it wasn't it was simply treacherous.  It was a bit nippy today (about 17F when I finally got out the door - I took my time on my abs and weight workout this morning trying to let it warm up ;-) -- it never did).

Have a good day everyone.
 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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1:02:04 -- I think it was the same distance as Tuesdays run (I couldn't remember where we turned around then!) - I was by myself this time, I either went a bit farther or 1:30 secs slower ... doesn't really matter much, that is the beauty of base!

It was much much colder than Tuesday, temp was probably the same, but the storm is blowing in and the air was frigid! Looks like it is going to start snowing any minute now!

Drive carefully everyone.

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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15 mins @ steady state pace (~ 7:47 - pretty cool since this has about 1 mile uphill, some parts pretty steep, others just a grind).  This was a "workout" (not really a workout, just a way to get in shape during base without peaking too early) described by Greg McMillan in Running Times this month.  I wasn't sure how fast I was planning to go - I just went by feel, working hard, but not so much that it was a "workout".  I have to say, I was pleasantly suprised ... but then again, it is pretty easy on "fresh" legs, we will see what happens once I am running more than 50 miles/week again.

Nice day today -- sun was out so it felt warmer than 22!!

Happy weekend everyone.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
4.500.000.000.000.004.50

41:01 ... easy run to Liberty Park.  Still plenty of ice, and it felt really cold today ...

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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1:30:46  -- probably longer than 10, but not quite 10.5 (I was running about 8:45-8:50).  Nice run, up to 11th to City Creek Canyon and then up the canyon about 1.5 mile and home ... lots hills to make me strong!!!  

Nice day, about 30F and sunny!

 

Comments
From Michelle on Sun, Dec 16, 2007 at 21:15:50

You are awesome!! You know how to push yourself and it pays off!!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
8.000.000.000.000.008.00

1:11:45 --  up Wasatch Drive -- according to Anna's garmin it was 8.4 miles ... but sometimes "Bonnie's miles" calculations work for me, and sometimes against me ;-).  Anyway -- we averaged 8:35 pace which felt fast for an easy run for me (especially a hilly run), but I succumbed to peer-pressure, and felt pretty self-satisfied when we were finished!

Definately feels like snow!

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.000.000.000.000.005.00

42:06 with 8 x 100 w/1` recovery.

Note to self: "slush is pretty slippery"

not as bad as I had thought - 36F and raining/sleeting ... wasn't really that cold until I stopped running!

legs were a little tired from yesterday, but all and all feels pretty much like base training usually does.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
7.000.000.000.000.007.00

1:00:45 - run up Emmigration Canyon (ouch) - a little bit shorter than 7 (6.9 according to Anna).  The Garmin-thingy said we averaged 8:52 pace, which is pretty good for a run that has a general incline of 512 ft over 3.5 miles ... I made Anna slow down a few times, but I don't think she minded too much!

 

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.500.000.000.000.005.50

48:38 - as good of a 20 min steady state run as I could do under adverse weather conditions. There was about 7-8 inches here in the valley and it was still snowing when I got out this morning. I did 4 laps at Sugarhouse (plus about 800 meters to a snowbank for a pit stop) -- according to what I have read each lap was 1.4 mile (so my run was probably a little more than 5.7). My lap paces were 8:54, 8:42, 8:27, 8:00. With hills! The worst part about the hills today were the downhills - very slick. I really did not think I would be able to do a steady state run, and was just hoping I could find a place to run at all!

What made this incredible was sugarhouse and liberty parks were probably the ONLY places that you could run this morning. Salt Lake City does a great job keeping the roads clear and WOW, the park roads are plowed by 7AM ... honestly, I have never lived anywhere (and I have lived in many places) that did such a good job in municiple areas. I had a breakfast meeting in Sugarhouse and all week had planned on running there. I was not about to let a snowstorm interfer with my plans (though it did take me 15 mins to get out of my driveway - and I was pretty nervous on the back roads). Anyway, it was snowing pretty heavy when I started and I had to wear my new "get a grip" (kind of like Yaxtracs but with spikes that can be replaced) over my running shoes. It was very cool (both literally and figuratively). I was the first runner out there and the snowplow and I did laps together, I did not really look at my splits until after the run, and was very suprised when I found out that the laps were 1.4 miles! yea!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
4.500.000.000.000.004.50

41:21 - to Liberty park one loop + a bit (run is probably about 4.8 or so) - pretty good, sidewalks were slick, but roads were good.

 We are leaving for San Diego today -- I had to dig out my shorts!  I hope we don't get "sunned in" and not make it back!

Merry Christmas everyone - in case I don't write until after the holiday.
 

Comments
From Kim on Sat, Dec 22, 2007 at 17:15:13

That would be a shame if you were to get "sunned in"! Have a great holiday in San Diego!

From jtshad on Sun, Dec 23, 2007 at 10:08:34

Have fun running in the sunny weather!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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Nice run with Dean on Fiesta Island. I did not think Dean and I would run the whole run together, but it was great that it worked out that we did! He is still getting over his weird knee "pop" before the Big Sur 1/2 marathon - and I am getting stronger again (from my down time - I felt like I lost a lot of endurance, but I seem to have gotten it back pretty well - which is cool.

Anyway - the run was really nice, it was on this man-made "island" - dirt/desert - the whole thing is a little more than 4 miles around, and we did 2 loops but 5 mins out-and-back and added on about a mile at the beginning to get to the "runners bathroom". Very nice. Dean estimated we did not quite run 11 miles - so I am calling it 10.5. It was about 60F and sunny.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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No running, but I did 6 miles on the exercise bike (20 mins - about 18 mph average) + abs and weights ... nice! Usually I can only squeeze in 20 mins of weights in the morning - it is nice to have time to cross-train a little on my rest day!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
9.000.000.000.000.009.00

Great Christmas Day run with Dean -- a little fast, but I was able to talk most of the way. The last 2 miles were pretty fast!!

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you are having a wonderful day.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
5.500.000.000.000.005.50

Nice, easy run (sans Dean!) on Harbor Drive, 10 x 100m w/1` recovery

legs are tired today -- am debating on jumping a race tommorrow - could be fast - but kind of would rather put in some miles instead.

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
9.000.000.000.000.009.00

1:20:42 Ran with my friend Lynn (also coached by Greg) -- we chatted like magpies the whole way -- really fun. Then we had a nice lunch/breakfast at a wonderful Mexican restaurant afterward.

This afternoon is a work afternoon for Dean and I - we are both a little behind in work and starting to get stressed about it; so we decided to spend some time working (while still enjoying the laid back atmosphere).

Comments
From Randy on Thu, Dec 27, 2007 at 19:01:47

Hey Bonnie,

Happy Holidays! I am a little behind on blogging. I just started running again yesterday. I am so sore!! Are you guys on vaca somewhere?? Cheers...

From Bonnie on Sat, Dec 29, 2007 at 12:31:15

Hello Randy - Happy holidays to you too. I was in San Diego for the past week -- it was nice. Today will be my first run under about 55F in a week. I am not really looking forward to it, although it is pretty out today (albeit cold).

I hope you had a nice Christmas and have some fun planned for New Years ... did you go back to TN for Christmas?

I hope the training is going well for you -

Bonnie

From Randy on Sat, Dec 29, 2007 at 12:56:16

I was back in TN for a few days to see the nieces. I am enjoying 60F weather in DC right now! :)

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
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54:13 - 25' steady state run. I am typing this from my Blackberry so it will be short. Hope all is well!

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
6.500.000.000.000.006.50

57:41 -- nice run to Liberty Park 2.5 loops and back.  I wasn't sure how the altitude and hills would be after all those nice O2 filled flat runs, but all and all I was pleased.  I managed to run only 2 secs slower on the way home, despite the hills.  Quite sloppy out there today - with more snow on the way tonight.  

 

Comments
From Michelle on Sun, Dec 30, 2007 at 11:12:05

Thanks Bonnie,

I figured that I would have to order it online, any suggestions as to where is a good place!

From Bonnie on Sun, Dec 30, 2007 at 11:52:25

I have always liked REI - at least with Clifshot they give a 20% discount when you buy 12 or more (they are about $1 each without the discount). There might be cheaper websites, but most likely not too much cheaper.

Bonnie

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
12.000.000.000.000.0012.00

1:48:59 - yes, I know it is slow, but I earned every mile ;-).  Before I whine, let me share the good things about todays run.  Once I was running in City Creek Canyon it was simply beautiful, a complete winter wonderland, I did finally see some other people as I was leaving, but by and large it was me and the quiet.

Holy cow -- this run was not as bad as Nashville in the summer, but a close second.  I waited until about 11 thinking that the snow would let up, it didn't so I finally just went out.  It was pretty warm (34F), but I was not really prepared for how miserable it was going to be.  There was a 15-20 mph (I guessed here, I don't know exactly) wind that blew the snow so hard it was blinding (headwind, of course).  The roads were horrid, not many had been plowed yet so they were slippery.  Both of those coupled with the uphill nature of the run made for some pretty painful miles.  And, I did have to stop my run twice to help push some cars out of the snow.  Once I got to the canyon it was a little better, still slippery, but since I did not have to watch for cars, I could put my head down and keep my eyes out of the blowing snow, plus it was probably not as windy in the canyon anyway.  It was an adventure and I was happy just to run today -- although I did feel pretty bad by the end (my legs were really sore from the uphill slip-and-slide).  The only other thing that was annoying - there is one thing that hurts my plantar facitiis more than running - that is running with lumps of ice in the heel of my shoe -- mizuno's have a little cavity in the heel that is perfect for slush and snow to get caught in, and it hits perfectly in the painful part of tendon ... ouch!  Ok -- enough already with the whining -- it is beautiful now, from the comfort of my house - and heck, I had the nicest running weather last week and really shouldn't complain.

After I cooled down I shoveled snow - only one days worth, since Dean had done the hard job (last weeks) yesterday.  I also dug out my car so I can go to work in the morning ... I am tired now.

Stay warm, drive safely.

Comments
From Michelle on Sun, Dec 30, 2007 at 22:50:50

Whoa!! Sounds like you did earn those miles! And then a litte upper body work while shoveling snow, good job! Hope you took a nap or something later!

Another question I have for you is that you mentioned that you have Plantar Facitis..? How are treating that? I have it in my foot too and have been wearing "the sock" at night that seems to help a lot but I hate sleeping in it, because I don't sleep good at all... but if I don't wear it I feel it the next day when I wake up then it hurts a lot... any other suggestions? I have been wearing it for a couple of months how long does it take?

From Bonnie on Mon, Dec 31, 2007 at 00:36:04

I use the sock too ... it is tricky, you have to have it tight enough that it keeps your foot in the right position, but too much it will keep you up at night. I have a water bottle (16oz) that I keep frozen and use it to ice my foot (rolling on it) - but it is hard during the winter; I have tried Arnica gel and "freeze it" at night ... most of these help - but I have not gotten rid of it yet. I just try to keep it under control. Stretching your calves will help, and while I am at work I try to keep my foot flexed by pushing against the wall.

It is really a "pain" and I have not found the perfect fix yet. I have not been good at keeping up with my "tennis ball massage" - but that really helps (it hurts a lot) -- just roll the tennis ball with the arch of your foot, it will bring tears to your eyes, but helps.

Good luck!!

Bonnie

From Michelle on Mon, Dec 31, 2007 at 04:21:14

Thanks again, I just wanted to know if I was doing all that I can for it and it sounds like I am. I guess I'm just impatient and want it to go away faster!! Hope we both get rid of it SOON! :)

Easy MilesThreshold MilesMarathon Pace MilesTrack speed mileageHill mileageTotal
709.007.0024.1026.504.50771.10
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