M'kay

5.5 miles in 42:19, 7:41/mi, HR 149.  Legs still felt leaden the first couple of uphill miles but got better.  Able to stretch things out a bit on the downhill return, but still lack a bit of the coordinated & strong feeling I'd gotten used to.  Form drills afterwards.

8 miles in 1:00:25, 7:33/mi, HR 155.  Overcast but pleasant (51F).  Felt better (running) today, so I threw in 10 x 8 sec hill sprints on the steepest parts of the run.  Non-running-wise, woke up with drainage in the back of my throat that's starting to turn into a cough.  Wonderful.  

4 miles in 31:14, 7:48/mi, HR 145.  Cooler in the late afternoon (49F).  Legs a bit stiff but kept the effort pretty light.  First double in a while...hard to get motivated for 2-a-days in the winter.

8 miles in 1:02:12, 7:46/mi, HR 147.  Better.  Legs felt a bit heavy from yesterday's core exercises; I think the hamstring/lower back routine I added really puts the hurt on the legs for the next day, possibly why last week's running was so crappy (core workouts just happened to be the day before hard runs).  Anyway, today's run went much better. HR was down in normal easy run range, effort was easy, pace was a tad slow but nothing to worry about. Better.

10 miles in 1:12:17, 7:13/mi, HR 159.  2 mile warmup, 6 miles Steady State (7:03 - up, 7:08 - up, 7:24 - up, 6:22 - down, 6:24 - down, 6:22 - down, 6:47/mi average), 2 mile cooldown.  Sunny and cold (41F) today.  Left hamstring and calf both felt a bit tired on the warmup but not too bad.  Determined to not pace-watch today and go by effort, whatever the pace that brought.  First 3 miles were tough but manageable, given the uphill.  Last 3 were good but I think I held back a bit so I didn't beat up my legs so bad on the downhills.  HR for those miles was right in the range I expected and the effort was good, so despite being about 12 seconds/mi on the slow side of my Steady State pace range, I felt pretty good about these miles.  Legs still felt pretty good on the 2 cooldown miles.  Form drills afterwards, which were a bit tough to do.

4 miles in 32:14, 8:03/mi, HR 147.  Practically crawled the first mile as my hips didn't want to stride at all.  Loosened up a little bit as time went on and managed to keep the effort nice and light.  Core exercises afterwards.

6.5 miles in 49:45, 7:39/mi, HR 151.  Sunny and cold (45F).  Legs a bit sore today, especially the hamstrings.  The core exercises were abbreviated yesterday (didn't do the hamstring killers I have been doing), so it must be leftover from 3 days ago *or* from the runs the past few days.  Either way, it didn't kill me so I must be getting stronger from it.

14 miles in 1:47:22, 7:40/mi, HR 153.  Two hills run on forest land.  Slow start, not too bad going up and down hill the first time.  Warmed up around mile 3 and gained some traction headed to the uphill turnaround point.  Cruised back down to the hill again, went up strong and finished fairly fast.  A good run effort.

5.5 miles in 42:58, 7:49/mi.  Overcast and some light rain (45F). Legs a bit sore from yesterday. 

Garmin 405 evidently decided to stop what it was doing at precisely 9:04:42 pm last evening....completely frozen and non-responsive to the soft and hard reset button pushes.  Why oh why didn't I just get my 305 repaired?

6.5 miles in 50:58, 7:50/mi, HR 151.  Cool but sunny (43F).  After yesterday's run, I cut, packed and split more firewood from our back property, giving my legs an additional workout.  Consequently, today they felt a bit worn out so easy was pretty slow, especially for the first couple of miles.  The good news is that my 405 battery finally died, essentially unfreezing it when I recharged it.  I did a hard reset hoping a good swift kick in the electrons will keep it fixed.

4 miles in 31:32, 7:53/mi.  Overcast and cool (42F).  Slow miles, especially the first one.  Just didn't feel like stretching it out any until the downhill on the way back.

8 miles in 1:01:13, 7:39/mi, HR 159.  Felt inversely proportional to how I felt waking up this morning on this run (tired, miserable wakeup --> great run).  Legs felt some pep (finally) and I noticed that my left adductors weren't sore, something that evidently hasn't happened for a long time because it was/felt noteworthy.  So the easy run went well and the 10 short hill sprints sprinkled into the first half felt even better.  Nice to have runs like these every now and then.

4 miles in 30:30, 7:37/mi, HR 152.  Took about a mile to work thru some stiffness from earlier but warmed up nicely and had a good strong second run.

8 miles in 1:00:26, 7:33/mi, HR 156.  First mile was a bit rough with some residual leg fatigue but shook that off and settled into a good pace.  Concentrated on belly breathing and fuller strides after noticing issues with both items recently.  Wound up with a nice moderate paced run.

6 x Yasso 800 Workout.  12.94 miles in 1:35:11, 7:21/mi, HR 152.  30 minute warmup, 3.88 mi, 7:43/mi, HR 145.  6 x 800m repeats, w/ ~2:55 rest.  30 minute cooldown, 3.87 mi, 7:44/mi, HR 149.

Only goals for these repeats was to keep them under 3:00 and ideally under 2:55 each.  First real speedwork in a while so I didn't expect to do very well.  Repeat 2 hurt pretty badly but the others just hurt....normally.  Was tired by the end and glad I only had to do 6.

6.5 miles in 51:24, 7:54/mi, HR 151.  Nasty weather today.  Managed to catch a storm moving through, so faced horizontal rain, wind gusts that stopped me in my tracks, and cooler (37F) temps.  Combined with some soreness in both adductors/hip flexors from yesterday's workout, today was about keeping things easy.

4 miles in 31:48, 7:57/mi, HR 146.  Wet but a bit warmer (39F) and no more winds.  Legs tired and dragging them uphill was tough, but stretched out a bit headed back downhill.  Tomorrows long run will be interesting.

16 miles in 2:14:51, 8:25/mi, HR 145.  Snow and cold (33F).  First run with Stabilicers cleats to help with traction in the slush on the 2 road miles and the snow/slush/mud on the 14 trail miles.  Most of the running was on snow with a depth ranging from 1-6", and the cleats really helped with traction.  My only gripe is that the toe portion kept shifting on my right shoe to the left so every mile or two I'd have to pause to adjust the fit.....the wide toe-box on the ASICS shoes seemed to prevent a more stable fit.  

Today's run was slow but very tiring....between the hills (several) and the snow, I was pretty zapped by the time I made it back to dry land (i.e. the last road mile) and even with good footing I only managed a 7:49 final mile.  Definitely a strength run, but a good time in some very scenic countryside.

5.5 miles in 43:53, 7:58/mi, HR 141.  Cold (28F) and icy.  Even with the Stabilicers on, icy roads made the going slower than normal.  Legs a bit tired and feeling beat up from yesterday.  Supposed to get even colder the next few days....ugh.

6.5 miles in 50:55, 7:50/mi, HR 150.  Cold (15F) and icy this morning.  Power went out early this morning so I went for my first run early in the day.  Tough going the first couple of miles but managed to pick up the pace on the return.  Supposed to be below freezing all week....not what I signed up for when I moved to western WA.

4 miles in 30:25, 7:36/mi, HR 149.  Somehow I can't bring myself to call 24F warmer.  Still icy on the roads and likely here to stay through the weekend.  Been getting depressed over the slow paces recently so I pushed to get a respectible time in on this one....felt a bit reckless on the icier spots and like I was definitely working, but examining the data afterwards shows a HR not too high and a pace decent but not overly fast.  Feels like my leg muscles are just atrophying right off my legs. 

8 miles in 59:28, 7:26/mi, HR 151.  Cold (14F start, 22F finish) & icy.  Considered logging about 1 mile as skating vice running.  Nonetheless, a good run today....none of the lethargy (once I got out the door) that's been plaguing me lately.  I felt strong, worked moderately to keep the pace, and glided back home on the downhill.  Much better.

4 miles in  29:42, 7:25/mi, HR 149.  Cold (22F) & icy.  Sun was hidden by the hills so it felt colder.  Aside from forgetting to turn the GPS on until 1/2 mile into the run, a grand time.  Only ice skated a few times.  Some form drills and core exercises afterwards.

9 miles in 1:09:56, 7:46/mi, HR 154.  Snowy miles today but the temps were above freezing (35F)...yah!  Okay, so what's the factor you get to apply to your miles to account for slippage?  Surely I get credit for at least 1 inch/foot-plant, which over the course of a run is around an extra 3 miles, right?  Okay, at least 2?  When I hit the rare spots where traction was good, I was moving out pretty good.  Then wham, my stride length gets shorter as momentum slows and I'm at my "running with poor traction" speed.  The stabilicers didn't really cut it on snow....on ice they're good, but on snow & slush, your still moving the ground as much as it's moving you.  I guess one benefit was not worrying about a bad slip and fall....they did "stabilize" me more than just shoes would. 

To add to the ignominy of it all, Garmin decided that 9 miles would take about 9.2 to run today....okay, so I'm a slave to the little song it plays when the custom workout is finished so I ran around my driveway a couple of times and back out onto the road to get the full (extra) 9 mile distance according to garmin today.  Interestingly, Garmin did give me credit for climbing 1200' in 3/4 mile to nearly 3000' at the apex of my run today, at which point I must've jumped off a cliff to land back at the 1650' mark.  Maybe that's why he made me run the extra .2.  Either that or there was a whole lot more snow than I remember.  Tomorrow's Steady State run is going to be interesting...

10 miles on the treadmill in 1:10:37, 7:03/mi, HR 159.  2 mile warmup, 6 miles Steady State (6:35, 6:40, 6:34, 6:34, 6:33, 6:25 - avg 6:33.5/mi, 2 mile cooldown. 

Ye old treadmill run today, after we got dumped on with another several inches of snow yesterday and overnight.  Nice & cold in the garage where it resides (31F).  Broke out the garmin footpod to give me pace/time/distance feedback since the treadmill's digital display is not functional (cheapo treadmill, but it's lasted 10 years now?).  Since I haven't calibrated the footpod with the 405, I went by feel and HR to get a good idea if it was close, keeping in mind that the treadmill usually feels *much* harder for me than the roads.

First couple of miles warmup miles were tough, but my HR said otherwise.  Okay, so I guess I was sandbagging.  Gradually worked down into my easy pace range and after 2 miles warmup, moved into my prescribed Steady State range.  Felt pretty good the first couple of miles, then gradually started getting tougher.  Most was probably mental.  Despite the cold temps, the lack of airflow phenomena that comes with treadmill running had me flinging sweat everywhere, so I know I was working.  My average pace was actually within my optimal SS range, so I'm pretty happy with the workout.  And I didn't even die of boredom!

4 miles on the treadmill in 31:18, 7:49/mi, HR 151.  Quads/hip flexors stiff for the first mile, warmed into a decent pace, which the footpod recorded as getting faster and faster through the run, despite the treadmill speed not changing?  Think I need to invest in a new footpod pocket, so it stays stable on the shoe.  Plus, it definitely needs calibrated....I think I ran faster/further that it showed.

Took an unscheduled off day today.  Had my annual physical today and for the first time in years, all my cholesterol values were in the appropriate ranges (yah!).  I later spent quite a bit of time cutting and splitting wood (preparing for a forecast storm that was supposed to knock out power for days) and wound up having a tree roll on my foot and had to cut myself loose.  So to be safe and because I was exhausted, I skipped today's run.

11 miles in ~ 1:40.  Ran outside today and the miles were hard.  Cold (high teens F) and very slippery with a layer of snow & ice on the roads and more coming down.  Legs felt tired at the start and things just got worse.  I originally intended to run 16 but felt like I was running through quicksand the whole way.  Felt lousy the remainder of the day....sore and tired and just not right.

6.5 treadmill miles in 49:57, 7:41/mi, HR 149.  Aside from being tough just because it was on a treadmill, uneventful.  Quads/hip flexors felt a bit sore and took a couple of miles to loosen up.

8 miles in 1:00:34, 7:34/mi, HR 144.  Cold, outdoor miles on bare wet roads (finally).  Aside from some slushy areas, none of the recent traction issues outside.  Felt pretty good throughout but a tad underdressed as I never got warm.  Not a whole lot of sleep last night, as I wound up spending the night in Seattle after driving a ferret to the vet ER in a snowstorm, but at least the roads cleared for the return trip.

4 treadmill miles in 31:51, 7:57/mi, HR 151.  Inside on the treadmill since it was late.

9 miles in 1:09:30, 7:43/mi, HR 147.  Rearranged my running schedule a

bit this week for the holidays, so Wednesday's run is today.  Felt okay.

10.57 miles in 1:23:06, 7:51/mi, HR 148.  28:13 min warmup, 3.38 miles, 8:21/mi, HR 146.  8 x 90 sec hill repeats with downhill jog recovery.  25 min cooldown, 3.4 miles, 7:20/mi, HR 145.

Hill repeat workout, moved from Thursday.  6:34/mi avg pace is well off my best and probably my worst for this workout.  Weather a bit unfriendly....a unfriendly crosswind turned into a stiff headwind on the later repeats.  Nonetheless, I still just don't have "it" and this workout proves it.  Guess I'm just trying to survive winter here this year.

Took an unscheduled off day.  Merry Xmas.

Thirds progression run, 11.81 miles in 1:30:00, 7:37/mi, HR 150.  First third, rolling with some uphill, 3.58 mi, 8:23/mi, HR 139, very easy effort.  Second third, nearly all uphill with some rolling & downhill last mile, 3.67 mi, 8:10/mi, HR 151.  Last third, mostly downhill with some rolling at the end, 4.56 mi, 6:34/mi, HR 160.  

Saturday's scheduled run to work around appointments tomorrow.  Some slush, snow & ice back on the roads for the middle half of the run (unexpectedly), but kept decent footing most of the way.  Goal was to run by effort so instead of normal out & back thirds over essentially the same course, I ran my normal road route, started very easy and slowly doled out the effort over the course of 90 minutes.  Looking at the results in terms of pace is deceiving, but the average HRs tells a more consistent story, so I feel like I hit my goal.  I also needed a good run where I closed fairly fast and felt good while doing it (for confidence purposes) and I did that today.  

Now, are cold turkey sandwiches good post-workout fuel?  Guess they'll need to be....plus, they're one of my favorite things I wait all year long for!

6.5 miles in 49:38, 7:38/mi, HR 147.  Sunday's run today.  Warmer (39F) and rainy.  Kept the effort easy headed uphill (legs felt tired and didn't want to go) and reaped the benefits of downhill.

8 miles in 1:01:25, 7:41/mi, HR 153.  Last Tuesday's scheduled run today.  Late barn Xmas party last night had me up late and eating poorly, so the fact that today's run went without too much extra effort was nice.

8 miles in 1:00:02, 7:30/mi, HR 155.  A good slightly faster paced easy run that other recent runs, but I didn't feel like I was pushing.  Cool (37F) and some flurries but some sun must've energized my legs.

4 treadmill miles in 30:26, 7:36/mi, HR 155.  Snowed again this afternoon so stuck with the treadmill tonite.  Not bad for treadmill miles.

8 miles in 1:00:55, 7:37/mi, HR 152.  Cool (36F) but some sunbreaks.  Snow and slush on the roads but enough traction that it didn't matter much today.  Hopefully, it'll melt by Thursday.

9 miles in 1:07:58, 7:33/mi, HR 152.  Cool (34F) & snowing.  Slippery snow-covered & slushy roads for the middle half of the run.  

A late gift that UPS was supposed to delivery on 12/19 finally made it today.  I discovered that the company I bought it from (Backcountry.com) sent it UPS Ground while charging me for 2-day delivery as I'd requested.  The deception is made worse by the fact that their agent told me on the phone a few days ago that UPS had "screwed up" the shipment and that they had sent it 2-day, but the original label on the item doesn't lie...it's not UPS's fault.  They did refund my shipping costs, but the deception is a bit more than I can take so they're off the "buy-from" list unless something changes and they manage to write me a convincing apology to the pointed email I just sent them.  Mistakes I can handle, but intentionally deceptive business practices is another.