Craig Hudman - Simply Live

"The mind is always selling the body" 

The Perfect Mile.

Getting out has been tough this week. Seems like I have a million reasons not to run but once I get out I feel better. Slept through my alarm today, again. I swear 90 miles a week is easier than this. You just get in a groove and run but this is tough. 

Started out real easy then as I went along I just went by feel and slowly started picking up the pace until I was around MP for the entire last half of the run. Felt pretty strong throughout but I guess I should by now. The big dilemma for me right now is which shoes do I wear? The ones I was planning on, hurt my feet pretty bad last week and I'm not so sure about my ST5's which is why I've wore them the last two days. I'm leaning heavily towards them but still not sure. I think my PureFlow's are a bit too light and there's no way I'm wearing the Triumph's. This would be a whole lot easier if I only owned one pair of shoes

2 miles alone then back to pick up Nikki for 5. Easy run. Nikki was having some issues this morning. So I got to hear about calf, foot, knee and thigh pain the whole way. I'm taking her to get new shoes today.

I was sick all day yesterday and I'm marginal today. Loaded up on drugs and vitamin C. 

5.5 @ 6:58 , 2@6:22, .5@6:00. Easy run.

This week is starting much better than the last time I was preparing for a marathon. I might just sleep in every day this week and just run at lunch. Starting to feel better but still have a lot of mucus in my lungs.   

Couldn't have asked for a more perfect day, dead calm, sunny and cool. Started out soft and made myself stay that way. At the end the legs started to roll just a touch faster but I kept them in check. Focused on stride and relaxing this morning.

Got to Provo a little later than planned so I went right to sleep at the hotel without much thought of anything else. I was able to talk my wife into driving me to the bus and the going back to her pick up point at the mall which was right across from the hotel (she was very nice). I got on the bus shoved in my headphones and tried to get more sleep. The same was had at the starting line, just trying to relax, I did notice the wind but didn't think much of it. Now at the starting line, I could tell there were a bunch of really good runners. Someone asked Jon Kotter (last year's St George winner) what he was trying to run. He said he was planning on winning it but didn't know since three Kenyans had showed up (He ended up 3rd behind 2 of them). I thought it was pretty funny.

Miles 1-4 (6:07, 6:10, 6:14, 6:10) These miles seemed really easy. I had to hold myself back quite a bit here but I kept thinking these are a little too fast for me I need to slow down.

Miles 5-7 (6:22, 6:24, 6:21) Didn't need to worry about slowing down because I got a 20mph headwind right here. I tried to tuck in with a group and draft as much as possible for the next little while. Took a Gu at 7.

Miles 8-11 (6:45, 7:15, 6:30, 6:32) Headwind and hills. Still trading off drafting with the group. My stomach was really turning and I knew I couldn't last much longer.

Mile 12 (8:28) Pit stop. Dropped the group I knew I would be on my own from here on out.

Mile 13-13.1 (6:54, 1:24 --  1:28:04) I'm thinking here just hang on. I was feeling so weak from the stomach issue. I knew with the wind there was no way I would run what I was hoping for and decided to try and maintain 6:30-6:40 miles. Didn't think much more than this, just started hoping I would feel better at some point.

Miles 13.1 - 26.2 (6:41, 6:40 , 7:06, 6:51, 6:33, 6:37, 6:35, 6:38, 6:45, 6:45, 7:23, 6:44, 6:37, 1:01 -- 1:28:29) Started feeling better around 18 and knew I would need to take another Gu or probably run out of steam. Sucked it down around 20 and at 24 I had to walk through a water station and hoped to get a hold of my stomach. It worked and I was able to finish strong. The last couple of miles I was right behind the women's overall leader and there was a police escort for her. I just kind of hung back for a bit they were doing a pretty good job clearing the way. With about a mile left she started dying so I kicked it up and passed her. I talked to her afterwards and she looked dead. She said the whole thing was hard. I don't think I pushed myself that hard so I might have left some out there today. Came within 25 seconds of an even split. Take out the pit stop and it was a 2 minute positive split not too good.

Overall I felt ok. The wind took a lot out of me and stomach problems didn't help much. I'm learning more and more with each race. Today I learned a bunch. I can run a marathon and hold pace for this long. Need to work harder on tempo and speed workouts. The top 3 in my age group were a lot faster than me so I need to work hard if I'm going to be competitive in future races.

First couple miles around a 10:30 pace with Nikki, then she turned back and I went a few solo. I took some kind of wrong turn and ended up going farther than I wanted.

Back from vacation. Easy morning run with Nikki. Legs are feeling better. Nikki's calf is still really bugging her, wish we could figure it out.

UVM Race Report Finally have it entered.

PM - 6 lunch loop. Harder than I expected. Haven't done doubles in a couple of weeks and the body still is not recovered very well. Got down to 6:30 pace for a couple but I just couldn't hold it. Had to back off and finish slow. 

5.5 Took it easy this morning. Still having a hard time breathing (lungs burn). I've now had a nasal infection for a couple of weeks that just won't get better so I'm not feeling real well overall, still achey.

Reading in Runner's World a SLC man thinks he can break 2:00 in the marathon if the has time to train for 1 1/2 years. I'm guessing he just saw the advertisement for the Big Cottonwood Marathon 4000'+  drop.

PM 6 Lunch loop. Much better than yesterday. I actually enjoyed running for the first time in quite awhile. It didn't hurt or feel like I had to do it. I was giving myself the option of not going but am glad I did.

Decided to change things up and run in the hills today. Drove to the mouth of Wolverine Canyon and run up 7 miles and then back. Ended up being around a 1700' climb and then back down. Beautiful morning. Body is feeling OK. Hamstrings and ankle feeling a little weak. Not much energy. Still feeling pretty flat.

8 Mile progression run (6:27 avg) starting at slow MP and working down to fast MP 2 Mile cd. Would've like to have done all 10 in progression but legs just didn't have it today and HR was sky high during last couple miles so I shut it down. Calves are pretty sore but it felt good to run at a little faster pace again. Overall 10/1:05:36/6:34

AM - 5 Woke up late which is becoming a reoccurring theme. I just can't seem to get enough sleep. Last night when I got home I was just blasted, my whole body was just weak. Avg. pace 6:25 had to run faster so I could make it to work and still get in a short run. 

PM - 13 More or less an even paced effort with a pick up to MP the last 4.5. Ran at the gym today because I really hate the wind right now and I wanted to watch soccer. I figured this was the best way to accomplish both a medium long run and stay happy. I never thought running on a TM could achieve happiness but today it just worked. 

Easier pace today. Ran about half with Nikki and the rest solo. Good to just get out and talk. I'm lucky to have a wife who likes to run as well. Had a friend fall rock climbing on Saturday and he's pretty messed up. His heels are shattered and is pretty much guaranteed to have pain in them for the rest of his life. I was visiting him last night and the Doctor told him he wasn't ever going to be a runner. Made me think how really fragile and luck we are to be able to run and put in the miles we do.

AM - 6.1 1 mile warmup and then just naturally fell into a 6:27-6:30 pace. Didn't seem like much work so I just kept with it.

PM - 6 Lunch loop. I would never want to race on this route because no matter what I do I run it within 30 seconds of the same time almost always. I can start fast or slow. Today I got a nice break a 1/4 mile from ending by a train I had to wait for to cross the tracks. It was a little hotter than I'm used to, but a beautiful day. 

Didn't feel like running yesterday or this morning so I didn't. I can honestly say this is the first time in awhile I haven't felt guilty for not running. This is a huge step on my part. I know I need somewhat of a break but haven't been able to do it. I'm sure I'll run next week and start gearing up a bit but for right now I really just want to go fishing.

Quit running after three, almost puked. I just don't have any energy or desire to run.....

Well, I still hate running but my brother-in-law has been bugging me to do a track workout with him. I think it's going to be a once a week type of a deal for the next little while. He wants to get faster, so I met him at the track this morning. 2 mile warm up. I think he thought this was a little long for a warm up. 10 x 400 @ 5K pace 1:20 avg. Low lap was 1:19, high was 1:21 most were dead on 1:20. Then a 2 mile cool down at around slow MP. It did feel good to get in a workout this morning before the wind really came up. I might do a medium long run this afternoon. We'll see how I feel and motivation/energy level around lunch time. Trying to work out a quick fishing trip either Friday or Saturday night.

PM - 13.5 Just doing a little better. It was still a difficult run mentally. Really wanted to quit around 10 but was able to finish what I wanted to run. Slow progression run starting at 6:57 and finishing around 6:27. I think I'll push through a bit of this crap if I can so I don't lose much fitness. I can tell speed is already down a bit. Not real worried about that.

AM - 7 I'm a little erratic lately. I owe this morning's ambition to my wife who got me up and going. We went out a little late. I was figuring 4 was all we'd get but she coaxed me to 5 and then I started feeling better so I finished off 2 more with just the dog along the canal road. My motivation towards running is sooo low right now. I do feel better when I go but it's been real difficult.

 PM - 10.6 and 1 almost heart attack. Ran a loop I haven't done in awhile and wasn't paying attention when a red heeler almost took me out. Other animal news, kicked a wiener dog that was at my ankles for more than a few steps right in front of his owner but the wild animals seem like they've had a bit of bad luck dead skunk, porcupine and squirrel all within a couple mile stretch. Vanilla Bean Gu messes me up. I took it today and I was looking for a restroom 2 miles later. Lucky for me North Bingham County park was right there. I also took these at UVM so I think I've solved my stomach problem. Super hot day.

I finally did make it fishing (dry fly). Ended up at the family ranch pond. This is about the average sized fish in it. There are much, much bigger.

Here's the main jogging partner who made laps around the pond while I fished. I think he had the most fun of anyone. 

AM - 8.6 I finally had a bit of motivation this morning and was able to get up a bit earlier and run. Yesterday I just felt so much better after running early I knew I needed to do it again today. Hill route and canal loop all solo not even my dog (Nikki took him) very peaceful morning run.

PM - 6.1 Energy levels are getting better. My right knee is starting to feel a little "loose" not sure I like how it's feeling. I little worrisome. Eating Hershey's chocolate. It's pretty good stuff. Best of all I'm hitting the river tonight hopefully I'll get a few fish on dries.