track fan

2:04:29.  Ran on the trails down below the pass. I have no idea how far this was, it could have been anywhere between 14-15 miles.  I am underestimating because it is my preference.

I kind of wanted to run on the Rillito trail, but I really had to get to work as early as possible (the drive would add an hour to my day) and I wanted to run as easy as possible -- Dean cautioned me not to overdo it when feeling "great" (he is a smart guy, and reminded me that it is how I have tended to overdo it in the past).  Anyway, there is no way I can overdo it on these trails, although it is not nearly as tough as my everyday hills, the footing is not great and they chew up your legs.  I was pretty tired by mile 10, but pulled it together and ran strong (not super fast but strong) on the way back.  I ran a different trail than last weekend, this was is as difficult (uphill the last 3 miles) - but the footing is much better, unfortunately, it is also a little shorter -- I am pretty sure I was not running a min/mile slower than last week.  Anyway ... nice 2 hour run done ... back to work I go, hi ho hi ho.

Great racing today by Jeff and Marathon Dreamer!! MD pr'd by 13 mins!! yippee!

Great cross-country race today too - the first Bay Area Cross-Country race... super studs Molly Huddle and Ben Bruce (boyfriend of Stephanie Rothstein of McMillan Elite) won ... the men's race was super close ... would have loved to be there for it!  Awesome pics here -- note that Nan's teammate Renee Baille (nee Metevier -- a CU standout) was second (yea Renee)!

Happy Sunday Bloggers, next weekend, indoor track on TV!!!! 

AM: (8 miles, 1:08:37).   DUSA (discovery USA) progression run.  Ran pretty easy for the first 5 miles (hit my just over 2 mile landmark in 18:13 -- I generally hit this in 18:30-18:50), ran my loop and then ran the last 20` moderately hard (it is uphill so not hard to run it moderately hard even when running easy ;-) ).  I ran the last 'just over 2 miles' in 16:08 ... felt pretty good, especially considering my lack of sleep and eating over the past few days.  Things are just really over the top busy right now.  I have not been home from work before about 9PM all week (last night I got home at 10).  I am actually too busy to eat (and can't eat dinner that late anyway) -- so I am stocking up on the vitamin c to try to keep my immune system strong.  I really am going to try harder to make time to eat this week -- if I don't forget like I usually do ;-).  Thing is, it is not going to get much easier anytime soon, I am teaching, I have to get at least 2 papers published by March, I have an NIH grant review in two weeks (a trip to DC - and I will miss a whole week of "office work"), plus another trip to DC for a board meeting two weeks after that!  oh man.  I am tired just thinking about it.  Oh well, this is why I spent 12 years in college, because I thought this all sounded so exciting ;-)  - enough bitching, time to get back to work.

PM: 4 miles easy. 

I hope you are all having a wonderful week so far!! 

? how long ... 1:03-1:04.  Ran up the trail, nice morning 48F (not sunny because it was too early - but I am sure it was on its way to sunny).  Wednesdays are tough because my class is in the morning ... and I usually have last minute things to do before class.

So, I know I talk about coyotes a lot - but it is because there are so many of them in the mountains by our house -- I see at least one just about every day.  Anyway, this morning I am coming down the mountain, the closest house is about 2 miles away.  I am in my own thoughts, thinking about my lecture for today ... AND ... all of a sudden I hear a dog "bark" about 10ft away -well, it wasn't actually like a dog bark, it was different, more like a coyote bark.  It startled me (both because I was lost in thought and it was so close) ... and I stopped and looked through the brush. He was sitting right there, and he "barked" again.  Then, from about 3 miles away to the west there was a howl as in answer ... he did not move, and neither did I.  Then he barked a third time (this is really loud, in part because there are nothing but mountains around us and part because it echoes in the valley) ... and then, from about 1/4 mile or less away comes a chorus of howls in return (from about 5-10 coyotes in the same place) ... "my" coyote then barks one more time and heads off in their direction -- which happens to be the same direction as I am running, by the way.  So, about 1/4 mile (or a little more because the trail has some switchbacks and meanders a bit) down the way *right beside me* (again - about 10 ft or so away) I hear the whole pack making their "yip yip yip" noise (it sounds like a bunch of kids screaming/playing) ... my first thought was, "wow, is that cool or what" -- and then ... I thought, "oh crud (or something close), what if they think I am prey?" (I have heard that the yip usually signals hunting, but I don't know this for sure).  So, I yelled out, "I know I look like a plump meal, but really I am old and stringy, take my word for it" ;-)

It was SO cool though ... I still can't get over how cool it was ... just me and "the pack"

Have a good day bloggers! 

AM: (12.5, 1:42:53).  ~ 3.5 mile wu/3.5 mile cd. Even Steven Fartlek workout 10`, 8`, 6`, 4`, 2` @ MP, 1/2MP, 10K, 5K, mile w/ 2`,4`,6,`8`  recovery.   Very fun workout - it is harder than it may look, by the time the mile came around my legs were shot!  It was effort based, but at least through the 5K I was pretty sure I was on pace.  I ran to the flattest place I knew of, I ran a 1.3 or so mile loop (it was hilly, just not as steep as most of the places nearer to my house).  Nice morning for a hard workout, the last 3.5 miles were super tough, very steep  hills and very tired legs, good times.  I got passed by the 3rd fastest guy in town (besides Lagat and Abdi) - Craig Curley (he qualified for the trials recently with a 1:03 1/2 marathon).   He is a nice guy, he has run with me a couple times on the track - very hard for him to do since for him it is like walking to run that slow ;-).

PM: 4 miles easy.

I hope you are all having great week!!  And I hope you are warm and dry! 

Very s-l-o-w recovery run up Yeatman trail.  Did not see any wildlife, except for a few Pategonia Erectus ... (I heard this on the backpacking bus that takes you out into Denali -- the ride takes quite a while and the whole way we are seeing wildlife, from bears to carbou to "little white dots" (dal sheep) -- so we are driving along and someone says, "hey is that a grizzly?" and another person looks through their camera lens and says, "no, just a Pategonia Erectus" -- I thought it was so funny).

Have a wonderful Friday bloggers!! 

AM: (8 miles, 1:04:xx).  My watch did not start and I did not notice until my ~ 2mile landmark.  So, I just added on how long it took me to run from the landmark home on the way back and added the time.  I got a new set of exercises from the Egoscue clinic last night, it is helping a lot with my hamstring stress.  Even so, it took me 3 miles to feel warmed up today ... I am just super tired.  I wish I could take a day off from work and take a nap -- I haven't had a day off since Thanksgiving, and it is really starting to wear me down.  Maybe in February I will be able to take a day off from work and recharge a little ... but I don't see that happening for a few more weeks.

PM:  4 miles.

Have a great Saturday bloggers!  Tomorrow is the New Balance Armory meet in New York!  GO Lagat!!