Cursed Realm of the Faceless Ghost

More treadmill miles at 5:00 in the morning. I ran just over five miles, all at a steady pace. Mile two was on a 7 percent incline, and mile four was on an 8 percent incline. Not at all brutal, but steep enough and fast enough to make me work.

40:10

Here's an announcement that's old to me and new to you--Catherine is pregnant and we're expecting our first baby in June.

As for today's run. A quick one-mile warm up on the treadmill, followed by a 5K at a ten percent grade. The first two miles and change were at 10:00/mile, with the remainder at 9:30. According to the treadmill it was about 1650 feet, which means I didn't quite make it to the summit of Mt. Treadmill.

38:00

Class ended yesterday, but with my first final on Wednesday, there's no break yet. There's still time for running, though. Ten miles at the Cardio Cinema, alternating between one mile at 8:15 and two miles at 6:40. Clear and Present Danger was on. Good running movie.

72:33

Long run on at the gym this morning. I don't mind the treadmill, and I still like to have the option to bail out at a moment's notice from my knee, so it makes sense for now.

I mostly held a steady pace at +/- 8:30, but I ran miles 4 and 5 and 11 at 5:45, as well as the last five minutes. (It was supposed to be the last six minutes, but I botched the arithmetic.) 

2:00:00

I forgot my headphones this morning, and the Cardio Cinema was down for repairs, so I figured I'd have a chance to listen to the crappy music at Gold's Gym for a change rather than just seeing the crappy videos, but it turns out you can't really hear the music from the treadmill. This summer I weaned myself off the iPod outdoors, but I'm still not ready to be alone with my thoughts while running indoors.

After a one-mile warmup, I cranked the incline up to 15 percent. My plan was to run steadily at 13:00 mile for three miles, but I ended up slowing it down to 14:00 for the last mile (and change). I think the first two were too fast for what I'm trying to do right now, which is just build my strength for the summer. It was a good workout, though, and I ended up with a little more than 2400 feet.

49:45

Ten miles on the treadmill. All at a steady pace, other than a 5:50 near the end.

First final is tomorrow. I think I'll be okay.

70:50

I had my first final this morning, and afterward I headed up to Rock Canyon to blow off some steam. I thought I'd be charging, thanks to all the pent up energy, but instead I felt lethargic. I guess that makes sense, so I just took it easy. I though about running up Squaw Peak, but I needed to take Tigger to the vet at 2:00 and conditions were icy and sketchy on the trail, so I just ran up to Rock Canyon CG instead. It was the right choice. Maybe I'll hit Squaw Peak on Friday.

53:45

More treadmill miles today. Mostly steady, but I threw in some faster miles along the way.

48:00

I had my contracts final this morning, and that test has had me stressed out like no other test I've taken. I'm not sure why, since I feel like I've had a better command of the material in that class than in any other. Anyway, the test came and went, and I think I did pretty well, although that's not based on much. I'll know how I really did in a month or two. For now, all that matters is that there's only one "real" final left between me and Christmas vacation.

I was going to go run right after the test, but my friend said he was going bowling, so I decided to do that instead with him and another guy in my class. After that I went back to the library to study for a bit before giving up and going to the gym. I ran 8 miles steady in the Cardio Cinema, watching the end of The Rundown, which was nice, since I saw the beginning earlier this semester. It's not much of a movie, although it's good enough for running. Kind of an Unforgiven rip off, but with the Rock instead of Clint Eastwood and cheesy instead of awesome.

  60:00

Don't let the miles fool you. I was on the treadmill for nearly two hours this morning, so that counts as a long run. I ran at 8:00 for half an hour to warm up, then I cranked the incline up for an hour. I can't remember exactly how it went down, but I was on the 15 percent grade for 45 or 50 minutes and on the 10 percent grade for the last 10 or 15 minutes. Whatever it was, I wound up with 4.4 miles and just under 3200 feet. I finished up with a 21-minute cool down.

1:51:00

Catherine and I didn't have much time at the gym this morning, so I did some intervals to make my time count. After a warmup mile, I ran six half-mile repeats at around 5:25, with quarter mile recoveries at 10:00.

Busy day, but I squeezed in a run near the end. Up around campus and the temple. I'm not sure how far I went, but I think 5 miles would be a generous estimate. I'll map it out sometime and then update this.

Also, it looks like I'm in the Squaw Peak 50. I'm ranked ahead of Fritz on ultrasignup, so take that. I'm sure the results won't lie.

Also also, I finished my last real final today. All that remains is a formality on Thursday. And a move to American Fork.

We had some errands to run this morning, but I found time to squeeze in a quick three miles in 20 minutes.

I spent an hour on the treadmill this evening. Three miles on the 15 percent grade, plus a warmup and a cooldown. I think I'll be spending a lot of time running uphill this winter. I think the decreased miles will be worth the increased vert.

Five more miles on the treadmill this morning, and it did not feel good. My plan was to do essentially the same workout I did last night, but after one mile on the 15 percent grade I felt absolutely drained. Not enough sleep, not enough food, or not enough recovery, I'm sure I could blame any or all. Whatever the reason, I set the incline back to falt for a mile, then cranked it back up to 15 percent and walked a mile (a little under 18:00), then finished with a mile and change on the flat.

I'm not worried. We're in the middle of moving, and we'll be on the road to California on Saturday, so this week is kind of a wash anyway.

I spent the entire day in Provo cleaning up the old apartment and moving out the final odds and ends, so there ended up being no time for a run, as I was busy from 9:00 in the morning till almost midnight. The good news is that we're now completely out of Provo.

I did get one mile in when I lost my car keys and had to get back to the U-Haul place within 15 minutes or pay for an extra day. I probably looked pretty strange running through town in jeans and a down jacket, but I made it with time to spare.

Goose egg.

We were up at 5:30 and in Salt Lake at 7:00 for breakfast with Catherine's family, and after that we drove straight through to LA. Other than a few rough spots, the drive went well, and we arrived at about 7:00. Unfortunately, it's raining biblically around here and it has been for a few days, so after a full day in the car Catherine and I decided to stay in. (True story--the Gold;s Gyms around here close at 7:00. Weird).

Anyways, we'll be in Mammoth for the next few days, where the biggest storm of the past 10 years is in progress (five feet in the last 24 hours, and no sign of stopping), so it doesn't look like I'll do much running for the next few days. At first I was worried about it, but the Squaw 50 isn't for six months, so I'll be fine. For now the thing to do is run as much as I can, but qorry about spending tome with my family for the holidays first. Once we get home, training starts for real. I figure with 6 months I can run two three-month cycles. One for the Buffalo Run, and a second for the Squaw 50. I should be in good shape by June, assuming my knee holds up.

We drove up in a wild snow storm yesterday, and it continued overnight, leaving us snowed in by this morning. So, instead of skiing we spent the morning shoveling snow. By the time we were ready to ski, I decided it didn't make any sense to buy a lift ticket. It turned out to be a good choice, as my brother and sister went over, only to come back because of ridiculously long lift lines.

Instead of skiing, I went snowshoeing with Catherine, my mom, and my brother in law. It was wet and windy, and the snow was deep, but we had a good time. I think I may have to do it again sometime.

No running today, but my legs are worked.

About half of the mountain is closed, so the entire crowd is concentrated in a pretty tight space. That meant we spent almost two hours waiting in different lines before things got going. At first I thought it would be a wasted day, but by mid-morning my brother and I found a groove running laps on Lincoln Mountain. My quads were fried by lunch, but we still got out for a few more hours in the afternoon. Not a bad day, especially considering the crappy start.

More snow last night, more skiing this morning, and more fried quads tonight.

After we got home in the evening, Catherine and I went down to my old high school to put in a few soggy miles on the track just to get the legs moving. The lower altitude must make a huge difference, because my easy pace was much quicker than it is in Utah.

20:00

This morning I ran the roads down into the valley, then up a fire road to the top of the mountain on the other side, then back home for a total of 3,000 feet. It's been a while since I've been up the fire road, so I made several wrong turns before finding it, adding about 3.5 miles to my run. And that's fine, because if I hadn't gotten lost the route would have been shorter than expected.

Anyways, it was a good run. The top of the mountain was buried in a cloud, so I couldn't enjoy the view, but the weather was great and it felt good to be out running again. On the way back down, my legs reminded me that i haven't run down a hill in a long time. I'll have to remember not to do all my miles on a treadmill this winter.

For those who are interested, the actual climb was 1,700 feet over 2.8 miles, and I covered it in 32:20. Tomorrow, Catherine, my sister, and I are going out for the traditional Sacred Heart run. Stay tuned for details.

2:04:05

Today was the traditional Sacred Heart run, so named only because the route goes up a hill past the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. The tradition started years ago, when my sister and I ran the route over Christmas break one year (I was not a runner back then) and then the next, and the pattern was formed. Unfortunately, I haven't joined her for the past couple of years, being too busy on my bike, so this year was something of a return for me. Also, it was Catherine's first time coming along.

The pace was nice and relaxed, which suited me fine, because my lower legs are insanely sore after yesterday's run, and I couldn't manage much more than a stiff hobble. But the run is more about spending time together (and avoiding oncoming cars) than it is about training, and I'd say it was a success.

I was going to run 3-6 miles on the track. Six sounded nice so that I could get 30 miles for the week, but I felt tired, stiff, and hungry as I started (mostly just kind of out of it in general), so I decided that 30 miles didn't matter. I felt better as I went on, but I stopped at 5. 

Later we found out that my sister's 6-month lab doesn't like water. We knew Tigger doesn't, but we also found out that somehow he's kind of forgotten how to swim. I almost had to jump into the lake for him after I threw him in. 

The holidays are over, our stuff is moved into the new house, and school is about to start again. That means it's time for me to get back to a regular schedule, and that means it's time for me to start preparing for the Squaw 50. I've got a plan loosely prepared, but I won't commit it to writing just yet as I haven't completely thought it through yet. For now, all that matters is consistency. Consistency and hills.

Today was just a simple run on the flats. Seven miles on a treadmill in 50 minutes. My legs are no longer feeling destroyed, so I hope to run up Grove Creek tomorrow morning, weather permitting. 

AM: I went to the gym with Catherine before she went to work. Four miles on the treadmill in 30 minutes while watching Dreamgirls. I like the AF gym's system of running the same movie all day in the Cardio Cinema, but not when the movie isn't a great one for the treadmill, which has been the case for the last couple of days. not bad movies, just not good treadmill movies.

PM: I took a break from the unpacking and headed to Grove Creek for a run up the canyon. Down low the trail was great, and where there was snow it was well packed. But the further up I went, the fewer footprints there were and the sketchier the footing became. It was never treacherous, however.

After a while, I was following a lone pair of footprints (Brooks Cascadias), and the person who had made them passed me on his way back down at about 1.6 miles. It turns out he had turned around almost immediately before that, and soon I was breaking fresh trail.

Here things got tricky, because the trail had been traveled by others, but since the last time it had been covered by a couple of inches of snow. The result was that the ground was uneven, but I couldn't see the unevenness--I could only feel it as my feet broke through the snow.

I reached the bench at exactly two miles and decided to sit and enjoy the view. After a while I decided to follow through with my original plan and try to reach Indian Spring. I left my jacket and my beanie on the bench and headed up the trail, but it seems as through few people have traveled past the bench this winter. Soon, I was running on about a foot of soft snow covered by an inch or less of icy crust. That meant that with every step the snow would support me for a fraction of a second before I would break through.

This was annoying, and it slowed me down, but it caused a bigger, unexpected problem. Because tall-size tights aren't, and because I was wearing low-cut socks (a poor winter choice when your tights are too short), I had several inches of exposed skin on my lower leg. As I would break through the crusty snow on the surface, it would scrape my legs, and it wasn't long before it broke the skin and my ankles were bleeding. So, I decided to turn around a little more than a quarter mile past the bench. (Also, I saw some large paw prints that may or may not have belonged to something man-eating. Yikes).

The run back down was fun but uneventful. The end.

It's soggy out there today. Fortunately, I was planning to run on the treadmill, so the weather did nothing to interfere with my plans. After a one-mile warmup, I alternated between half miles at 6:00 and half miles at 8:00. I've learned that any sort of interval is better than a steady pace on the treadmill, at least for making the time go by.

51:11

AM: Quick, easy run at the gym with Catherine before she went to work. 3.6 miles

30:00

PM: We were in Salt Lake for one of Catherine's prenatal visits, so I planned to run the BST afterward, for old time sake. But the weather made that impossible, at least for me--I'm just not that tough. And the appointment went longer than either of us expected, so I didn't have enough time, either. (You can read about the visit at puffyrunner.blogspot.com.) Instead, I went to the gym in Sugarhouse for some treadmill miles. It's a bit of a meathead gym. After a quick warmup, I ran for 30 minutes on the 15 percent grade. most of it was at 4.5 mph, but I sped up to 5 mph for the last five minutes. After finishing on the flat, I wound up with 4.4 miles

45:44

AM: Just an early morning treadmill run at the gym. Early as in 11:00 AM. Ouch. Anyways, I knew we were running the Beat the New Year 5K later, but I still wanted a few extra miles for the day. I did a short warmup, then my little half-mile-on-half-mile-off workout until I hit 5.5 miles.

37:50

PM: Beat the New Year 5K. First of all, it was freaking cold. Second of all, the roads were snow-packed. These factors combined to mostly kill my and Catherine's motivation, and if we hadn't pre-registered we might not have gone (Catherine's note: we definitely would not have gone). But we went, if for the T-shirt more than anything, and I think we're glad we did. At least now we can say we've done it.

For a while I've thought it would be cool to tick off the sub-17 goal minutes before the year ended. But then I got injured, and then I stopped doing anything that remotely resembles 5K training, so I knew it would take a miracle for that to happen. And when we heard about the snowy roads, I knew sub-17 was absolutely impossible for me at the time. So I decided to just run with Catherine, but she would have none of that, so when they said go I found myself charging off the front with the lead group.

Almost immediately we were running down a slippery hill on the east side of Sugarhouse Park (I wore trail shoes--great idea), and I found myself in a group of eight or nine. But as we started up the hill on the other side I started coming off the back and even if I had the ability to push harder, I didn't have the motivation. Halfway through our first lap, I found myself as first straggler, running alone behind a group of five. I settled into my groove, and halfway through the second lap I caught and passed one of the lead group who had had a moderate blowup. As far as I can tell, he's the only runner I caught.

I crossed the line in about 18:41, according to my watch (they were only taking time for the winners), which I believe was good for fifth, then I wiped the snot and drool of my face and turned around to jog the course backward until I found Catherine. I met up with her at the start of the out-and-back, and we ran in together. Understandably, Catherine was not in race mode, and we enjoyed a pleasant conversation together as we ran. She beat the new year, too, with a minute to spare.

My family always celebrates the new year with donuts, which apparently is some sort of Scandinavian tradition, so after the race we went to Krispy Kreme for donuts and hot chocolate. The dining room was closed, but the drive-through was open, so my first "meal" of the year was a hot chocolate (not too bad) and a custard donut (pretty freaking good).