Runnin Bubbas

AM: Ran by myself.  Just kept it easy.  Trying to get my legs back under me after a slow week last week.  Hope to be back to normal now after the marathon training run from Dec. 29th.  

AM:  Easy 10 miles with Dan and Matt.  New out and back which was fun.  Roads were horrible, what else is new.  Winter running has been fun thus far.  Excited to see how I feel come Spring.  

Did a fartlick today.  First 4 miles very easy.  Then did the next six miles with 9 different intervals in the mix from 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile, 3/4 mile and one mile repeats with recovery the same in between.  Felt good to do some speed.  I kept all the intervals between 5:40 and 5:55 pace.  My right leg is still tender and sore.  Just feels heavy and exhausted.  Really fun to push through the mental battle with this scenario.  Hopefully makes me better come summer.

AM:  10 miles with Toni, Scott and Matt.  These guys are animals.  Can't wait to have 7:00 minute pace fell easier.  Getting there.  I fell again.  Imagine that... Always fun to run with our group.  Great bunch of guys.  Felt like Spring at 36 degrees.  Actually got really hot @ 8 mile mark and felt a little dehydrated.  Weird.  

PM:  5.62 @7:40 pace.  Got hungry and stopped to eat a PJ sandwich.  Always weird when you get hungry and run out of energy before you want to stop.  Legs are tired but good week so far. 

Ran first 5 miles at 7:02 pace...right leg still feels tight and tender from marathon 10 days ago.  I finished the last few miles at 7:25 pace to take it easier.  

I feel heavy and just exhausted.  I feel my nutrition over the last few weeks is better but still no drop in weight.  I have a hard time being patient and want to feel faster but learning to enjoy the journey.  This is a big lifetime goal for me as I never want to burn out again in life. I still feel like I am improving even though some days are tougher mentally than others.  

well...started what was going to be a LR, but at 4 miles felt exhausted and slower as the run progressed.  Gotta love days like these.  I decided to take the workout inside.  

Did 2.5 miles on the elyptical.  Then 100lbs. on bench 50 reps/3 sets.  Did 2.5 miles stair climbing.  Then 40 lbs. dumb bell press 12 reps/3sets.

Glad to get a good workout in even though I felt lame today.  I feel like I am recovering though and just listening to my body. 

Finally...

Lunch:  I did not hear my alarm this morning.  I was to run with Matt and Toni but just needed the sleep.  I decided to do a pace run today.  The first 13.5 miles were @ 7:10 pace(just over marathon pace was the strategy which right now I feel is 6:40 realistic).  I felt really comfortable considering the conditions were horrible.  It was snowing the whole time and the roads were covered and slippery.  Legs never really fatigued.  I purposely backed off to 7:30 pace for the last little over 2 miles to just do a shake out with my legs.  

I have been pleased with the base that I have built the last two months.  I have not logged this many miles in years.  I am excited to finally feel like I can start testing my hamstrings and do some speed work and more tempo now.  This next month is critical training for PHX.  I am learning how to connect body and mind.  Hope to be competitive by end of summer. 

Lunch:  I missed the morning group run again.  Went out and did my own workout.  First 7.5 miles were really comfortable and easy(7:40).  Conditions were snowy and slippery again.  Really pumped to be running in negative to teen weather conditions and not feel like its a big deal.  This training will be huge come spring/summer.  Just tried to get in some easy miles.  Did mile and half at HP.  Felt really good to test my hamstrings a little.  I need the confidence to start feeling lighter and try to push my mind and body to want to break down the pain barriers. Overall this was a good AM workout.  Legs felt no fatigue which is something I have been working towards building with body and mind connection.  Excited to see how this week turns out.  Lot of running to do.

PM:  Wanted to do 5 miles this evening easy, but felt really good so decided to do a progressive on the TM.  I cannot stand the TM, but the weather outside is more than frightful.  Started out at 8:20 pace and every half mile split got faster(7:50,7:20,6:58,6:30,6:05,5:53,5:30).  Then a cool down mile at 8:00 min/pace.  Good workout.  I feel like my legs are starting to benefit from the base mileage I have done over the last two months.  This is exactly what I wanted to achieve also.  I finally feel like I can start testing myself again on speed work and tempo runs and start pushing my body to do so.  My recoveries have been quicker also. 

AM:  I got up this morning.  Yeah me... Joined Matt, Toni, Reed and Mike for a good workout.  We warmed up for 3 miles at a pretty decent pace.  Did 2 mile tempo...I took last.  I did the workout knowing I just needed to stay positive and use the workout as experience and push myself to do what I could do.  My legs felt tired going fast, but it was my breathing that was tough this morning.  I am excited to feel the push though.  These guys are animals right now.  I tweaked my right hamstring.  We ran back 3 miles to cool down.  I took it very conservatively.  

Lunch:  Only had time for an easy 4.2 30 minute run.  Felt pretty good though all things considering.  I love where my endurance and stamina is at right now.  I am really focused on body and mind connection right now.  I always want running to be fun.  The better shape I am in, the more fun I am going to have.  I am too competitive to sit back any longer and not compete.  Enjoying the journey though... 

Lunch:  Very Comfortable and Easy Recovery Run today.  Kept it @7:30 pace chop stepping the whole time.  Two good inclines in the course I ran where I focused on incline fundamentals.  I still am not comfortable with incline and climbing like I want yet, but I think this will come easier with more weight loss.  I finally feel pretty normal as far as physically speaking.  If normal even exist, then this is as close to feeling pain free in a while now.  My right leg feels a lot better which has been killing me for two weeks now.  A little twinge at about mile 6 during the run today in my right hammy, but did not feel too bad or slow me down at all.  I never felt like my legs were tight or heavy during this recovery run which is a great sign since I have purposely tried to test my legs more now with some tempo and more miles this week.  May run 4 more this evening.  Excited to head south and play some golf.

PM:  4 miles very easy on TM.  Little twinge in my right hammy still.  Pretty tired, but overall good spirits.  Core workout also. 

AM:  4.25 miles at a snails pace.  Cold, boring and headed south.  

Really fun time with everyone today down south in St. George.  I got to experience another good day of WU, tempo and CD.  I need to create some better habits and today was a good practice run for exactly this.  I warmed up with Scott, Matt, Toni, Mike and Brandon for two miles.  These guys have been fun to train with.  A very good team with much more to come through 2013.  I did a another mile and some strides on my own after.  I took to long to get ready after the WU.  This is something I need to do better down the road.  

Got to pace the 1:25 group today.  It was really a good opportunity for me to just get a good tempo run in and experience a real race for MP tune up.  I want to average at least 6:30 pace in Phoenix.  That was our target goal for today.  At mile 11 though, my hamstring locked up and once it tightens it does not let go.  I had to back off and just jog myself into the finish.  Overall I was pleased with the workout.  I wanted to focus on pace fundamentals which I have not done a lot of this since the last two months has been focused primarily on base mileage.  I now feel ready to do more pace work, tempo and interval training.  Looking forward to training harder the next month and get my body ready for the marathon.  

After the race, I met up with Scott and Mike and we did a 4 mile CD.  Felt pretty good after words.

Really enjoyed the advice and experience from a lot of really cool and great runners this weekend.  It was like a mini running camp.  Hope to take what I learned this weekend and continue to stay consistent and steady with my training.  I feel ready to break out and do some fun things this year.  This race should be a tradition if possible as the first race of the year.  Next year I look forward to racing this course.  A very honest and tough course to say is this half marathon.  Loved the turn at about 8.5 miles coming back into the city on the high trail.  Unbelievable view and very surreal.   

AM:  Fun run this morning in another balmy 8 degrees with Matt and Reed.  Tried to focus on pace and keeping my body relaxed.  Felt like I was able to do so the whole time.  Only felt like I labored for a half mile on the climb back.  Was able to stride out in a lot of the run.  This to me is a good sign that my body is ready to push to the next level.  I still need to get my right leg 100%.  Still not feeling normal.  I am loving the consistency thus far and another good workout this morning.  Will we ever see warmth again?!

 PM:  I wanted to do a steady progressive tonight.  I got on the TM with the intent to do 5 more miles.  I wanted to do get faster every 1/2 mile.  I got 2 miles into the pace of 6:30 and knew I was in trouble.  My right calf was tight and tender and it was not letting me relax like I needed.  At 2.25 I shut it down.  I decided to work on some core exercises.  Back at it in the morning. 

AM:  Did not feel good today when I woke up.  I know days like this unmotivated to want to do anything, but knew I had too much to do the whole day to not get this morning group run in.  So with that in mind and even at 6 degrees, I met Matt and Mike and off we went.  They were pretty tired too it seemed like so we went easy.  Problem was I was going to easy, but I felt really great yesterday.  I just told myself to go easy and get the miles in.  Good course even though it was easy miles.  I had not done this loop before and it has some good hills to it.  Some days are like this.  Hope to get in an evening workout too, we shall see how long everything takes today.  

AM:  Got to do 10 mile fun run with Scott, Matt and Mike this morning.  Pace felt good.  Just felt like cruise mode for a little over 8 miles and then CD the last bit.  Scott looks like he will break his HS 5k PR.  He is back.  Mike and Matt are only getting faster.  Should be scary the carnage they lay this year.  A very hot 22 degrees this morning.  Did not even need gloves.  

Lunch:  Went to the gym with my dad. Always a good time to run and do core with my former HS coach.  61 yrs old and he can still throw down for a little man.  I did 3.5 miles pretty easy with a 1200 surge in between at 5:57 pace.  Legs feel good.  Mind was pretty gone today. :)  Make It Happen... 

PM:  Did not get a chance to do this run in the AM like I would normally do, but I was glad I got to put in a few miles knowing I am going to do a LR in the morning.  I started the run at 7:20 pace and finished at 6:20 pace.  Felt easy actually.  Starting to feel like my base is really helping my legs feel better and more in shape.  We shall see how my LR goes tomorrow.  This will be a good sign to go on.  

AM to Afternoon:  Another weird night of sleeping.  For those of you that know me, my mental toughness has been challenged lately.  Thankful I run with some studs to support this mental toughness that also comes with consistent training.  Did not know if I was running on my own or with Mike.  I am glad that Mike waited for me to drag my way to his house to start the LR with him.  An LR is rough enough and I have done the last 4 on my own it seems like.  It was a good sign to me when at the 9 mile mark I wanted to pick it up a bit and start some pace work.  5:50 pace felt good for about a mile and there was no laboring, so I told Mike lets do that again at the 11 mile mark.  At a 11, Mike told me to set the pace and so for about a little over a 1/2 mile we did the same pace.  Felt like 70% which is an exciting sign.  At the mouth of AF Canyon we hit 13 miles and I wanted til mile 16 to run MP @ 6:30 which I felt fine and no signs of fatigue or laboring.  At mile 18 I started to feel the exhaustion from lack of nutrition on purpose.  The next 5 miles were a little tougher especially throwing in the "Mother" at mile 20.5  Not an ideal location for that hill in a course that was already rolling enough.  Avg. 7:20 pace for the whole run and even had a little at the end where I could stride out at 5:30 pace.  All in all a very good LR and sign that my training has gone well and I am starting to feel like my legs really do see the light at the end of the tunnel.  It was 39 degrees when we ran so in conversion winter terms it felt like a cool 65 degrees.  Cannot beat that.  Roads were pretty nice too.  Very enjoyable LR and look forward to a good next week...

AM:  Weather and roads prevented the group workout this morning, but I think we were all on the same page as to what we wanted to do.  I am still on the uphill climb in trying to get my speed back, but its coming and today there a lot of positives for where I am at a month away from PHX.  I want to point out that I cannot stand the TM.  I like a lot of the descriptions used my other runners on here for running TM.  Did a 4 mile easy warmup and then proceeded to do tempo.  First mile (5:47), Second mile (5:35) As I got to the two mile mark,  I felt like I was at 75% which was a really cool test for me mentally.  I actually felt like I was pacing.  My breathing was awesome, but I started to feel the fatigue in my legs from Sat. LR which is ok and normal for where I am at in my training cycle.  I feel like I am actually a year behind the guys I train with, so patience is a virtue at this point.  After 2 miles I felt I was pushing it a bit and backed off for 5 minutes and then decided to go at it again.  I got to 1/2 mile at 5:25 pace and then just felt a little tweak in my right hammy so I shut it down.  I cooled down and felt really positive about the workout.  I focused on deposits today.  I feel like I made a productive deposit.  My legs feel good and my recovery from Sat. seems to feel normal rather than I need a few days.  For me, this is a great sign.  I am pumped.  Looking to do 4-5 miles this evening again as a shakeout run.  

Evening:  I felt as though I needed a little more recovery time from yesterday so I opted to run a little this evening so that I could give myself more recovery time needed.  My problem is that I should have taken the time yesterday afternoon to foam roll but did not.  My bad.  I felt better towards the later part of the morning and decided to do a fun workout to test my stamina.  Since the weather is so gorgeous it was on the TM for this workout again.  Have I said how much I have enjoyed this winter?!  Seriously though I am pretty pumped at how tough this winter training will make spring/summer/fall that much more enjoyable.  

WU - 4 miles easy; 4 miles at MP(6:25avg) CD - 4 miles 

Good workout.  The past 3 workouts have been a great test for my stamina and endurance.  The speed is starting to come back bc my sense of pace is there and becoming easier at faster pace for longer distance.  I am definitely confident with my training thus far just need to do a lot better with recovery and mental toughness... 

AM:  Another boring TM run.  Seriously I am glad this machine exists, but the TM is not my friend.  Going from 10 degree avg. temps to 72 room temp is a little weird in some aspects.  I just took the run very easy.  Felt good to feel just focus on form and not even have to breathe.  

Lunch:  Another exciting easy run on the TM.  Just burning rubber.  5.25 just a shake out run.   

AM:  Went out to do a 10 mile loop this morning around my house and felt like my left quad was weird.  Sure enough when I stopped I felt it get a little sorer.  Just feels a little tender. Probably from the fun TM miles this week.  I cannot get into a TM workout and feel like its fun for some reason.  Oh well, I will try to see how I feel later...