M'kay

8 more hours of grass cutting and bagging.  Tired of yardwork.

LM warmup, 8.26 miles in 1:03:39, 7:42/mi, HR 157, w/ 10 100-250m Fartleks & stretching.

Felt pretty decent despite fasting for some tests tomorrow.  Pit stop at mile 3 but then threw in some fast short fartleks.  Those tired the legs out for a decent short workout. 

LM warmup, 8.09 miles in 1:03:14, 7:49/mi, HR 157 & stretching.

Sunny and warm (63F).  A bit labored but not too bad.  Evidently the prep for yesterday's procedure managed to reset my GI system since I made it through the run without so much as a burble. 

LM warmup, 10.07 miles in 1:15:12, 7:28/mi, HR 155 & stretching.

Late day run.  Felt like crap. 

LM warmup, 8.3 miles in 1:04:24, 7:46/mi, HR 156 & stretching.

Rainy.  GI forced pit stop at mile 3.25.  More cramping later in the run. 

LM warmup, 14 miles in 1:45:26, 7:32/mi, HR 163 & stretching.

Ran up to Forest Road 8 and back in a mix of sun, clouds and drizzle.  Pushed the effort heading uphill, especially the last two miles.  Threw in a couple of early short fartleks up the steeper sections to prime the engine.  Focused on good form, decent stride length, and push-off, so I was working.  Pit stop at the turnaround, then kept things honest headed back downhill.  Legs really started wearing out by mile 9-10 but I managed to keep the effort and pace up through the end.  Probably a good call to run 14 instead of 12 today, but doubt I could've handled much further without falling off pace.  All in all, felt like a good tiring solid workout.

LM warmup, 8.28 miles in 1:05:56, 7:58/mi, HR 144 & stretching.

Feeling the effects of digging 8 42" post holes for a minor fencing addition to the property.  It was easy keeping things easy today, although despite being tired and aching in places I don't normally, the legs felt pretty decent overall.  

LM warmup, 10.14 miles in 1:17:36, 7:39/mi, HR 154, w/ 2 mile warmup, 16 x 30 sec repeats every 1/2 mile & stretching.

Tight to start.  Left ITB and hip were the most problematic but once I started the fast repeats, they loosened up.  The last 2 miles were a real grind....repeats were short enough to stay in good form though.  Time to go mow the grass. 

LM warmup, 12.04 progression miles in 1:31:53, 7:38/mi, HR 154, w/ last 5 miles moderate & stretching.

Sunny and warm.  First several miles were a slow, stiff, uncoordinated struggle. Managed to warm up a bit and push the last 5 miles into the moderate range.  Good run on tired legs.

LM warmup, 8.08 rainy miles in 1:03:45, 7:53/mi, HR 151, w/ 6 strides & stretching.

Did I mention these were rainy miles?  Legs pretty dead tired the whole run.  Managed some pep during the strides but it didn't last long and the pace quickly slowed.  Pit stop mile 6. 

LM warmup, 12.16 miles in 1:31:53, 7:33/mi, HR 156, w/ 4 mile warmup, 6 miles @ Moderate (Steady State) effort, 2 mile cooldown and stretching.

Sunny and warm.  Pit stop at mile 2...new GI symptom today I won't disgust anyone with but I considered bagging the run.  Decided that was the tired me talking and went anyway and managed 6 decent but not great moderate miles, 3 uphill and 3 downhill.  2 mile cooldown was a trudge.  Hope this new symptom disappears quickly or it may lead to a lack of energy very quickly.

LM warmup, 8.27 miles in 1:06:51, 8:05/mi, HR 152 & stretching.

Slow and tired miles today.  Just surviving 8 miles was hard.  The blister on my right big toe is getting worse with every run, so I need to really work on protecting it. 

20.03 trail run miles in 3:17:11, 9:51/mi, HR 150, 3000+' elevation gain & stretching.

Sunny & pleasant day.  Trail run in UW Pack Forest.  Hit some very muddy horse trails, a muddy falls trail, flat & gravel Weyerhauser road, steep Hugo Peak Trail, a previously unexplored 1401 trail (very muddy and very steep downhill), Regeneration/Resevior trail uphill (steep), Windy Ridge Trail (steep and mostly hiking by now), then back out.  3 major climbs topping 3000' of climbing and descending total.  Since I'd only planned on 16 today, I definitely overachieved.  Truly not worrying about pace, dropping to hiking on the steep/muddy parts, and enjoying the day made it all possible.  Was definitely ready to be done at the end.

LM warmup, 8.25 miles in 1:07:57, 8:14/mi, HR 137 & stretching.

Rainy.  Recovery day today....actually easy to keep the pace and effort easy today, no guilt.  Starting to think about lead up races for the Cascade Crest 100.  Also starting to try to figure out where and when to do my trail work. 

LM warmup, 11.02 miles in 1:27:44, 7:58/mi, HR 149, w/ 3+ mile warmup, 8 x 1/4 mile Hill Repeats (~1:35-1:40) w/ walk/jog down recovery, 3+ mile cooldown & stretching.

Day turned sunny and nice.  Been a while since I've done hill repeats and still had some soreness in my legs from Saturday.....but they went pretty well.  Focused on maintaining good form throughout, even when the legs got tired and the air in my lungs ran out.  Not the fastest set I've ever done, but maybe the most productive?  Good workout. 

LM warmup, 14.13 miles in 1:51:44, 7:55/mi, HR 150 & stretching.

Sunny and warm (60F+).  Ran up into Elbe Hills and back.  Slow going uphill and legs felt pretty wasted by the halfway point.  Managed to beat the 8 minute guy back but not without pushing.

Cardio is feeling good.  Leg strength and endurance needs a bit of time to catch up.  The leap back into 70-80 mile week(s) is putting a load on that's slowing my easy run paces down a bit (and probably my hard workout days too for that matter), but despite a twinge here or there, everything feels good and tired and I know they'll come around stronger for it.  All I need to do is hang in there.

LM warmup, 8.23 miles in 1:05:11, 7:55/mi, HR 153 w/ 10 Strides & stretching.

Sunny and warm again (63F).  Legs still pretty dead but the strides came out okay.  The "heat" is taking a toll, but at least I'll acclimate now.  Hope I've got a real workout in me tomorrow.  Another marathon teleconference at work tomorrow.

GI issues have settled the last few days.  Hate to declare victory too early, but the antibiotic seems to be working.  Wonder what kind of a nasty bug I've had growing in me for months now? 

LM warmup, 12.09 miles in 1:32:23, 7:38/mi, HR 156 & stretching.

Sunny and warm (67F).  4 miles easy, 6 miles moderate (~ marathon effort, 3 uphill, 1 rolling, 2 downhill w/ 10 sec pauses every 2 miles), 2 miles easy.  The heat was something of a factor today.  More of a factor was the nice cooling breeze.....it was also a headwind that seemed to shift directions anytime I did.  Always a headwind.  Surprised this run went as well as it did, considering the poor quality and quantity of sleep last night.

LM warmup, 8.27 miles in 1:08:11, 8:15/mi, HR 149 & stretching.

Sunny and warm (68F).  Slow and easy today, not much more than a jog which was tough enough.  Unless something goes awry tomorrow, topping 80 miles this week.

LM warmup, 24.03 miles in 3:35:31, 8:58/mi, HR 143 & stretching.

Cloudy & intermittent drizzle (52F).  Ran into Elbe Hills and explored some trails.  Memorial to Memorial East to Upper Elkspur (E) to Anvil Loop and back out on FR 8.  Trails ranged from good condition to muddy to downright gnarly....found myself backtracking to pickup the trail more than once, climbing over or crawling underblown down fir trees, crossing streams, avoiding roots and logging debris.  The 4 measley trail miles took quite a while but made the 9 road miles and the 11 fire road miles worth it.  Definitely overachieved on the mileage this week....that is good.

Cross Training.  Set and cemented 7 4x4 fence posts about 40" deep in the holes I dug last week.  Ran out of time on #8.  

Ran out of time to run today.  That and GI distress back in full force.

LM warmup, 8.31 miles in 1:06:10, 7:58/mi, HR 152.  

Felt like starting all over again.  Not feeling too great. 

LM warmup, 14.41 miles in 1:52:15, 7:48/mi, HR 144 & stretching.

First 3.5 miles felt uncoordinated and just plain lousy.  After that started feeling better, so much better that instead of turning around for 8 as planned, I kept going.  Aside from the cold, windy rainstorm I ran thru at miles 11 & 12, finished off feeling good.  One of those runs where you get the runner's high going and don't want to quit.  Much better than yesterday. 

LM warmup, 12.04 miles in 1:28:27, 7:21/mi, HR 157, w/ 4 mile warmup, 8 miles marathon effort & stretching.

Cloudy and cool w/ some light rain.  Decent effort today....2 GI pit-stops.  Hurried the faster portion, especially the downhill return miles needing to get home by a certain time to make a meeting.  Can't complain, especially after yesterday's long-ish run.

LM warmup, 8.27 miles in 1:05:14, 7:53/mi, HR 150 & stretching.

Just okay.  GI issues thoroughout the day and I can't find my meds.  That strange uncoordinated leg muscle contraction thing happened the entire run. 

Yardwork cross-training again.  A real butt kicker.

Decided a few days ago to jump into this trail 50K in Portland, OR.  Figured with Cascade Crest 100 a mere 13 weeks away, I really need to get my climbing and trail legs quickly.  Heck, I needed a race to give my training a swift kick in the pants.  I also wanted to try out some of the new gear and food I'd received the other day....the TPL-028 vest, some shot blocs and honey stinger gels....everything you're not supposed to do (i.e. try for the first time on race day).

So up at 4:45 so I could drive down to Portland for an 8:30 start.   Took a couple of "preventative" immodium on the drive down hoping to prevent one of "those" runs (and it worked).  Laced up my one and only pair of trail shoes (which are in dire need of replacement as the outsole nubs are nearly worn away, which I would pay for later) and was off with a large group.

The course was an out and back on mostly single-track trails, with a 10K loop at the far end.  What wasn't advertised was the level of mud on the trails.  The first/last 10K were okay, but the middle 30K were fields of mud in many places.  Glad I didn't decided to just wear some road shoes or I'd still be out there.

First 10K passed reasonably quickly......about 900' of climbing if the race materials were to be believed.  I settled into a decent gear and ran the whole stretch to the first aid station, passing a few folks but content not to exert too much effort.  I wasn't feeling great and was worried about the amount of yard-work I'd put in yesterday.  Downed some of the one handheld bottle I was carrying but not the entire thing, took a gel (mmmm, I like the honey gels!), and chewed on the shot bloc thingies.  The hardest part was getting the package open.

The second 10K was much nicer people-wise.....not nearly as crowded as many were running the 20K and made the turn.  More (mostly) gradual climbing but very muddy and slick in spots.  The trail was a bit more overgrown in areas and I've got the stinging nettles itches to prove it.  Put away the entire bottle, took an S cap, and more shot blocs.  Arrived at the 2nd aid station at the 20K mark, refueled and headed out on the "loop".

Up to now I'd been feeling pretty bleh.  Felt really crappy for the first few minutes out of the aid station due to over-salting a boiled potato.  After I got enough water in my stomach so it was happy again, my legs started feeling better.  This loop was pretty tough.  The downs were pretty steep and the ups likewise.  And they had a mud-slide for us to navigate.  Probably a 40-60 deg slope down that was all mud.  Needless to say I went down 3 times on the descent, and I wasn't alone.  Glenn Tachiyama was at the bottom taking pictures....I sure they were good ones while the mud was still fresh.  Fortunately for me, despite the difficulty of this leg, this is where I started really picking people off.  Leaving the 20K aid station, someone announced I was in 19th place.  I think by the time I made it back to that aid station (now the 30K aid station), I was in 14th or 15th, and I took down 3 more people in the next mile.

The last 20K was mostly downhill....hadn't realized how much climbing we'd done in the 10-20K section, but it was nice not to climb, because by this time my climbing gears were pretty well shot.  The mud wasn't so bad on the way down, aside from the steep stretches, but my hips were really tiring and my feet started really twisting in the mud.  Somewhere in here, my left knee started singing occasionally.....nothing too bad but it was letting he know I'd done something.  More blocs and stingers and water....I was really going thru the water now, as well as popping S-caps every hour.  

At the last (40K aid station), I marked the next 2 runners to pick off.  One was pretty easy...he was close and I nabbed him just as we made the turn from the brief section of fire-road back onto the single-track, but the other had a sizable (4-5 minute) lead.  I spent the last 8.5K or so just keeping up the turnover and trying to hold a decent pace in hopes of catching him.  As I hit the mile-to-go mark, I was just about to concede that I wasn't going to catch him when I looked down a switchback below me and spotted him (finally).  So the last mile was a 6:47 mile on some really rocky downhill stretches where if I'd wiped out it would've done me in good.  I pass him with about 1/2 mile to go but didn't dare let off the accelerator since when I passed I could tell he tried to hang on.  I kept my foot on the floor thru the last 1/4 mile at the end too, and as it turns out wound up a minute or so ahead of him (but it felt like he was on my heels).  4:40:18, good enough for 6th place.

Automatic PR, since this was my first 50K.  Race info said the elevation gain was around 3100'.  Sure felt like more than that.  Garmin said 6438' (I know, unrealistic) but Garmin Connect said 5129', which sure felt more accurate.  In any event, I definitely got some climbing, descending, rollers, and single track running in.  Even got to bomb down about a mile of fire road.  I'm happy with the effort and the result.  A fun race, even if it was a bit muddy at times.  I'm sure I'll be feeling the effects for the next few days.  Since their computer went down sometime during the day, I didn't find out about age group placings before I left, so maybe I'll win or place in my age group.  In any event, a nice training run for my summer buildup. 

More yardwork cross-training, this time cutting grass and planting 2 trees.  Tree #2 was a royal pain, since it was over what was originally gravel driveway.  Whoever laid the driveway base is to be commended....it took about 4 hours to break thru 8" of a 2' x 2' square with a breaker bar.  Yes, I was literally breaking rocks.

LM warmup, 15.19 miles in 2:00:54, 7:58/mi, HR 143 & stretching.

Cloudy with some sunbreaks, a bit humid.  Left for an 8 mile run and wound up with over 15....guess that about says it all.  Took about 5.5 miles to warmup but then just felt like going and going.