Craig Hudman - Simply Live

AM - 12.25 4.5 at MP to start off the day then 6 real slow with Nikki and 1.75 to finish off the morning. I really hate the wind. If it keeps blowing like this I'll be inside again this afternoon. I'd rather do intervals on a track but due to being a pansy I'll probably be on a TM watching the trees lean out the window.

PM - 8 The hardest workout I've done 5x1000m @ 5K (5:30, not sure if this is accurate because I've never ran a 5K, all I know is it was hard as #$%%) 600m floats in between, mile warm up and some more to cool down. I was trying for 6 of these but couldn't do it. I think this weeks training program is to teach me how to run fast on trashed legs.

Recovery day so this one was soft, around 7:30 pace for entire run. Nikki didn't want to get up this morning so it was just me and the dog. The dog didn't even want to run this morning. My legs were stiff and flat, they had nothing in them after yesterday. I decided within the first mile not to push at all. The hard part was staying soft even after my legs loosened up.

Got my blood test back and I'm low in protein and triglycerides. The lab wrote a note telling me not to be on a low protein diet. I think I eat more meat than most people but now I have to get more of it into me I guess. All of the other stuff I have to look up since I have zero idea what any of them mean but they did tell me I was healthy. 

AM - 7 Woke up early then chose to go back to bed until 6 and get a little more sleep. Once I did get up I was out the door within 5 minutes and the first mile was pretty slow. Took about 3 miles to warm up but I'm still feeling Tuesday's workout a bit.

PM - 6 Unintentional progression run. 7:10, 6:59, 6:53, 6:38, 6:25, 6:06. Started feeling really good at the end and felt like I could keep dropping pace. I was surprised to feel energy and a little pep in my legs, they were heavy this morning. You have got to love the Idaho wind. My first 3 1/2 or so miles were pretty much straight in to it. Last one was straight into my side which made me feel like I was rocking back and forth with the gusts. 

Can I just say my blood test that said I was low in protein has been killing me the last few days. I eat a TON of meat, Saturday I ate 2 double cheese burgers and 4 hot dogs ....for lunch! I really don't want to add more to my diet. I may sound like a high school cheerleader but I really don't want to add protein and gain weight. Not sure what I'm supposed to do here. What about the advice to run a lot and eat like you're poor to get faster. Where can I get more protein? I drink shakes after every run, eat like a horse and take supplements. Now my wife is feeding me eggs every breakfast along with my normal food. Also low in tryglicerides don't even know where to start there. Me and google have a date tonight. I'm sure there's lots of junk out there for the semi-old man overly obsessed  runner, ha ha ha, that can break it down for me.

AM - 4 Slept in a bit ran real soft with Nikki. After I was done and the kids were off to school I climbed back in bed and fell asleep for 30 minutes.

PM - 8.14 Lunch loop plus I added the hill to work on driving through with my quads and lifting with my hamstrings (thanks Jeff) it seems sometimes I can make myself believe that a soft uphill is downhill. Pretty weird when its all going on I feel a touch light headed most of the time it happens. 

Easy, breezy 20 miler with Jeff. Great company, not so nice day. Felt pretty good throughout entire run. Tightened up a touch around 18 but was able to kick just a little last .25 or so. Went home and made sombrero pancakes for the kids. Lots of energy still. We'll see how it hold for the rest of the day. Good morning.

AM - 9.1 First 5.5 with Nikki then down to MP to finish off the run. Talk about a 180 degree turn around from Saturday. Got home a little late this morning no breakfast so it was 2 cake doughnuts and a chocolate milk from the grocery store, or should I say fun breakfast of champions.

PM - 5.58 8x600 workout. 2:07, 2:07, 2:04, 2:03, 2:04, 2:04, 2:03, 2:04 averaged out to 5:20ish pace. I could've kept going but really didn't want to push it too hard. Did most of the workout with my new 8th grade track buddy who runs track with my daughter. I was trying to keep him at 1:20 quarters then I would finish off the 600 solo. He did 5 with me and a mile cool down and 1/4 warm up. One of the coaches freaked out a little because he has districts tomorrow so I hope the 2.5 total miles he did with me doesn't hurt him. He asked me after we were done when I run at the track so he could hook up and run. I didn't know a kid that young would enjoy pain. At least I have a track buddy even if he's 14.

AM - 14.25 Went out feeling ok but leg turn over seemed good so I just tried to maintain. Was able to hold GMP or real close (within a few seconds) for almost entire run. Probably one of my last hard efforts until next weekend. I will now attempt to back off pace a bit but keep distance up. Wife was sick this morning so now I'm slightly freaked out and preloading on vitamin C and whatever else I can get my hands on. One day I will remember body lube, I swear this happens constantly.

PM - 6 Lunch loop, no shirt, awesome weather. That's where the awesomeness ends. I felt like absolute poop for this run. Leg turnover was still really good so easy ended up being slow MP. Not much of a consolation, I don't think there was another speed in my legs. I couldn't have forced myself faster or slower.  

Easy day. Legs weary from yesterday, really no punch felt like I was wearing cement shoes.

One good thing about a TM you can just set the pace and control yourself. Wind had me all flustered so I end to the gym. Legs still feeling flat. Not feeling real well today. 

AM - 7 Finally ran with Nikki which I haven't done it what seems like a while. My legs needed the easy pace and they're starting to come around. Nice hard sprint to finish which felt so good and smooth.

I was thinking today how most runners are either getting slower from running track in high school / college and moving on to longer distances or trying to get faster because they've never really ran but somehow both are meeting somewhere in the middle. I started running just last year and when I run with the younger kids it seems like their speed is just so easy and then us old guys talk of mile splits in a whole different reality. Ok, enough babbling, Bench route, rolling hills, I pushed flat and down hill tempo a bit more, took it way easy on the climbs. Overall good run. 18.6/2:06/6:45

 This is also my attempt at a lower week. It was a little  hard to lay off a couple afternoon runs but my body needed it. I went home from work last night and just crashed. I slept 9-10 hours for the first time in a long time. My wife was a little upset I didn't do anything but I just couldn't my body just gave up.

Track workout alternated 1:30 and 1:42 8 times warm up and cool down 2.2. It was hot today. I guess I deserved it for not get myself out of bed this morning but it worked out better because I needed a break from work. A lot of stress today. Tons of work, whining salesman and just plain too much to do in any one day and I was attempting to get caught up from Saturday. So I now sit behind a endless pile of paper work, titles and credit apps hoping to maybe get caught up by Wednesday....probably won't happen ...even if I sleep here.

AM - 10.25 Wonderful morning run. Nice and easy other than a couple miles at HMP on some slight down hills to test out the legs there was not much effort put forth. Bad day at work yesterday translated into bad evening at home. I was short with the kids and wife. Not a real good evening at the Hudman house. Today has to be better.

PM - 5.4 Today is much better so far. Easy run on a hot afternoon. 5.4/6:50 avg Starting to go through race paces in my head during every run. Hope my body can do this.

I'm putting down "easy miles" because of pace but they were not "easy". If there was a category for hard, mentally taxing, exhausting, wanting to quit miles they would fall under that category. Worst run I've had this year, my "strong" to borrow a Saucony term went and hid under a rock today. Legs felt like iron cement sticks. Tried to push a bit at the end to see if it would feel better but it felt worse and the pace was still miserably slow so I backed off in a hurry.

Good news, it happened today and not later in the week. I can't imagine any run being worse than this so at least its over. Still, not a great mentally boosting run. Now I'm wondering if I've overtrained a bit. 

Day off. Eat, rest, run tomorrow. Feeling better and have a little too much spunk today.

Would've liked to get out this morning but I slept in on accident. Legs feeling better did 5x100 to make sure legs had something. Getting nervous for tomorrow.

Coming into this race I was really nervous because I had a horrible week of running. Legs just never seemed to come around. Arrived in Ogden around 11PM last night to stay at my sister's friends house. They were very nice to leave the house unlocked and a blow up mattress on the floor for me. Slept great, got around 5:30 to get ready. Then the friends husband gave us aride to the starting line. Got there about 15 minutes before start time so I did a little warm up and got to the line.

Starting line

Now I've had problems here in the past because slow people tend to go where they shouldn't so I figured right on the line ought to be good. WELL a girl in some Vibram 5 Fingers and her friend step almost on top of me to get in front of me. HAD it been a girl that actually looked like she hadn't read Born to Run one to many times I might not have been upset. Within 5 yards of the starting line I just about threw her and her friend out of the way. Side note she didn't palce anywhere close to the top because she wasn't with anyone that did as I watched the finishers.

Miles 1-4

I was a little worried about starting out right and getting to the right pace fast, but a little group formed and hit first four 5:57, 6:04 (touch of an uphill), 5:58, 6:03. Group broke up around 3ish and a couple dropped pace a little faster and the rest dropped so I was in no man's land by myself for the rest of the race. Pace was feeling good at this point.

Miles 5-8

I knew I would need to get in a few faster miles here in case I had some trouble holding on. 5:41, 5:58, 6:00, 5:59. Turns out I was pretty locked into a pace and recovering on some of the down hill.

Miles 9-10

Last fast part of course and I needed to push it a bit, feeling the fatigue a little here. 5:42, 5:53

Mile 11

Blackest part of any run I've ever been on. It was really hard to get through this. I felt pace just sink here. Had to fight through it. 6:30

Miles 12-13.1

Holding on here just telling myself it would be over soon and to keep driving the legs.

6:12, 6:14, 1:23

Overall extremely happy with the results. I kept telling myself an A+ day would be anything under 1:20. I did it!! 

AM - 7 Easy run with Nikki. Legs are feeling much better. Nikki and I had a conversation about how most people feel like they should've run faster in their races. I reflected a little on that and I am still in a little shock that I ran that time. I might be able to argue over a few seconds here and there but I also ran a lot of miles faster than I had anticipated, so with that I think I put forth my best time based on where I am right now, which makes me pretty happy.

PM - 6.1 Picked tempo up a bit legs still sore but held pace pretty good finished up last mile at MP. Nice hot day. 6.1/41:20/6:47

The wind and all around nasty weather put me at the gym today. I decided to try and do a MP run and see how it went. It ended up being a touch difficult but manageable. Isn't that how it really will be?? Anyways I'm feeling pretty strong still after the half and with the reduction in miles I wanted to make sure I'm running some good quality runs. Warm up 1 mile at 7 min, MP 13 miles / 6:27 overall 14/1:31:01/6:30

Just the faithful running companion Hutch this morning. Nikki wouldn't get up so I probably ran this recovery run a touch too fast. 1 mile at HMP going down hill because the dog was acting like he was on crack this morning. I guess he was "feeling" it and so I had to ran faster than I wanted.

Didn't want to run today so I figured out I'd do a work out I wouldn't like anyways. Warm up / Cool Down to and from track, couldn't see the point driving. I also some how ended up wearing the heaviest shoes I have to the track. It felt like I was running in cement boots. I really don't like my Triumphs that much. They do provide good support but are just heavy and stiff. I know it wasn't that smart. Guess it was just the day.

Track workout

4x1200 4:34, 4:34, 4:35, 4:33 (1:00 rest)

4x800   2:58, 3:01, 3:02, 3:02 (1:15 rest)

4x400   1:26, 1:26, 1:25, 1:24  (1:30 rest) 

Yesterday was a rough one. I think I tried to sleep as much as I could. Just plain wore out. 

Ok, so this morning didn't go so well. The plan was to run with my wife. It ended up being my wife, her friend and two dogs. From the start the dogs were driving my crazy and then by mile 4 the pace fell so slow I was coming out of my skin. So I did what anyone else would do... I left them around mile 5. Now at this pint I was pretty ticked off so I ran fairly hard. I'm figuring by effort I was MP or below, might have even been HMP but since my garmin stopped (lost satellite signal) 1 mile into the run I'm not sure. As soon as I walked in the door the phone rang. It was my wife, asking me to run back and meet her to make sure the new neighbor great dane puppy, who's becoming increasingly aggressive, didn't bug her. So I put on a smile and ran back. Now this is where it gets a little bad. They started asking me why I left them and my mouth said (I think my brain just gave into it at this point) "because you guys slowed down so much I couldn't handle it, you're normally not that slow ". Now I'm in trouble and my wife is mad at me because I'm always grumpy. I'm thinking hey that will never happen again. If friends show up I'll go one way and let them go the other. Nikki runs soooo much better with out her friends. She's really a lot tougher and faster than she thinks but you get her with another woman and it just gets ridiculous for some one like me to run with in a group.

Early morning run with Jeff. The group was pretty much out in full force, except for Gray who wanted to meet at 6:30, guess he needed his beauty sleep this morning. I've had those days. Jeff and I needed a bit faster pace this morning so we left the group from the start. Started out good then started rolling along. Pace was pretty good, middle miles we were hitting a solid aerobic pace then we backed off a touch to see how we could finish the last three. So, we turned around and took off. 1st mile seemed pretty fast and I had to dial the second down (Jeff kept going strong) quite a bit and finished with a decent last mile. Jeff was really strong throughout. It was great to have someone to run this with. Good run and effort a couple weeks out.

AM - 5 Woke up a little late this morning so I only got in 5 with Nikki. Easy relaxed pace for me but Nikki was really struggling. I think she ran her high mileage week of the year last week and her legs have been hurting. I've been silently chuckling to myself each time she talks about it.

PM - 2 with Brytan 

Ran my Shelley half loop from my work. Figured this route out a while ago and it is almost a perfect half marathon. Went a little late so it was hotter than planned. Hit a few miles at pace but that was about it. Feeling fairly fatigued after the run.

Easy recovery day. Hill loop with Hutch. Legs tired and pace was a bit slower than normal but I'm now becoming a bit used to this after harder days/weeks. I was going to run last night but ended up shoveling and raking rocks for two hours so I figure that ought to count as cross training. Now more hard yard work today and some time with the family.

AM - Didn't sleep at all last night. Went from bed to sofa to bed, then I just got up and ran. Didn't know how it would go. First mile warm up ended up being almost at target pace then I kicked in a touch of speed work in the run. Next two miles at HMP then I backed off to MP and threw in fast and slow surges for the rest of the run. Overall 7.2/46:37/6:28

Feeling a bit drained from running right now. I think this 18 week schedule is a bit tough. More so mentally than physically. I'm breaking down a bit right now, body is feeling strong but having a tough time staying there mentally. The schedule is wearing my wife out and she's starting to get really short with me. I'm looking forward to a good race and a good break afterwards. Fishing, hiking and playing and still running but without any pressure. I seem to put too much of that on myself.

PM - Short run with the kids who now think it's fun to run a mile like Dad. It's becoming a daily thing.