faster with age

My back was feeling pretty good this morning so I went out running for 6 1/2  miles at a very easy pace. It felt ok throughout the run and I just hope it feels ok tonight and tommorrow. If  it keeps feeling good I plan to keep my running miles under 30 this week and add in enough cross training to keep the total over 50. Hopfully I can get back to where I was within the next two weeks.

This morning I went for 40 min. on the eliptical. I counted that for 3.5 mi.

Afternoon I went for a 24 mile mountainbike ride offroad in 1:37.  HR 150. Had a strong headwind coming back that continued to get stronger then started raining hard enough that it was a struggle to keep my eyes open. Fun fun. Back feels great today after running yesterday and that's good news. I'll try another run tomorrow.

This morning I went for an 8 mile run.I ran most of my miles at 8:30 to 8:40 pace with a couple just under 8 min. Average pace was 8:25. I tried 1/4 at a 6:45 pace and it felt pretty good but I don"t think I could have maintained it very long. I haven"t run any miles at under an 8:00 pace in about 7 weeks [other than a few steep downhill miles] . I've only run about 6 or 8 miles at under 8 min. pace [ not counting the painter 1/2] in 4 1/2 months while battling this hamstring injury. This morning I hardly felt a thing from the hamstring and my back feels pretty good also. I think I may finally be past this hamstring thing as long as I'm carefull  about  how I bring back the faster miles. I was hoping to run the half at the Ogden marathon this year and go for under 1:30 but I'm running out of time. It's going to be tough to be patient with reintroducing faster miles and it's probably best if I don't get to focused on time goals for Ogden.

Went for a 20 mile mountain bike ride this morning. It was 25 degrees with a very stiff wind. I rode twice a week all winter and ran the other days with temeratures as low as -17. I don't think any felt any colder than today other than maybe one running day when I got caught in an extreme blowing snow storm. I'd take the colder temps without wind any day. It was blowing hard enough that I think I could have almost walked as fast when going directly into the wind luckily most of it was crosswind. It took 1:34 with 133 HR. Today was supposed to be easy but it didn't feel that way.

I went for 4 1/2 easy miles this morning at about an 8:30 pace. My back felt great but I wanted to keep it plenty easy. My back was a little sore wed. night after my 8 mile run wed. morning so I wanted to keep the rest of this week very easy. This is the hardest part of recovery for me when my back and hamstring feel fine I feel like running faster and farther.  Then when I find out I overdid it it's to late. I might do a couple more easy miles later today.

My back was a little sore again after yesterdays easy run. I was planning to run 10 miles today but decided to not run at all. maybe with today and tomorrow off from running I can be ready for a little more next week. I went on a bike ride with my son. We went  4 1/2 miles in about 25 minutes. After I dropped him off I went for another 20 miles in 1:30. I was able to take my favorite running and riding route today for the first time this year. It has been snowed in. I still had to get through a few drifts that are left and a lot of mud. Luckily it was cold enough this  morning that the mud was mostly frozen. With this road open I can make a 20 mile loop all offroad except for 2 miles of highway.