Relentless

Stopped in at the St. George Running Center and got some new shoes from Steve - Brooks Glycerin - gave them a try this morning.

AM - 8 on treadmill - 7:30 warmup (felt hard for some reason and then I thought to check the incline and it was a 3% - must of hit that on accident) then took it to 6:58 at 1% for the next 7 as I watched Lost and Sportscenter. The new shoes felt good. I was intrigued by the way the show rolled off the forefoot. It seemed like if you were getting up on top of your feet it would roll very well, but if you were sitting back it may roll strangely and hold you back. But on the run this morning I didn't notice anything but goodness. (Glycerin)

afternoon - Winchester Run. Going up Green Springs I felt very tired and weak in my quads and thought I might be in trouble. Times continued to add up as I went up desert and onto the Turkey Farm Road - 11 miles all up hill adds up. By the Turkey Farm I was hitting 8:00 + miles. Dropping into Winchester I had to dodge around a flash flooded out dirt road. Hit the SR and dropped into town trying to hit about 6:20's. I really wanted the strong push when I was going over the Parkway and into Middleton. Times down the SR were actually closer and some below 6:00. Then after climbing Parkway I hit a couple at 6:20, but legs were just spent. Finished up last couple just above 7:00 which was the ave. 7:15. I felt very beat up and tired. The run got the best of me. Water at 5,9,...., Replenish at 7,11...., Gu at 15 (felt pretty crappy in the stomach after - watch to see if it does it again). (Glycerin)

morning - club run with Steve and Luke out into the fields. Saw Steve's lot and had a good chat with him as we went along. Never really hit a good flow, but my knees were hurting much of the run anyway so it was good to finally loosen up. (Landreth)

week went pretty well. Hopefully a week of lower miles helps me keep healthy.

Next weeks goals: Bounce back into some bigger miles 80+. Have a good mile workout on Monday. Quail run on Friday morning: make it a good run with a strong tempo at the end (weather permitting).

AM - 5x mile on Treadmill at 5:00 with 1/2 mile recovery jog. Started with 2 mile warmup at 7:30 and 1%. Then took off incline and started miles. First felt hard - knew it was going to be a long workout. 2nd and 3rd felt about the same as the first. 4th convinced myself I could make it through and last one would take care of itself. 5th Happy that I wouldn't let me talk myself into doing just a 1/2. Because I made it through and it was my best one. 1 mile cool down at 7:30. (Cumulus)

foot injury update: Plantar is feeling quite a bit better. Had been feeling great until the NB started to break down and now I am getting back into the Strassburg for the last few nights and the new shoes are helping it feel better. Left pinky toe is feeling a lot better. Still gives a little zing when it gets bumped. Finally, the weird bruising pain under my right outside ankle bone is back the last few days (it seems to corrolate with the PF pains).

PM - 4.5 Washington Loop. Started a bit tired, but I was excited to get out and run outside.  Even just a few runs on the treadmill makes you really appreciate the goodness of real running.  Run went okay, but form was off (because of fatigue).  (Glycerin)

RHR-40

AM - 10 on the Wendy's Loop. Not a good run this morning. Again good to get out, and I have been proud of myself for getting up and not allow the excuses that pop into my head to win. But I was fatigued and slow right from the start. No miles faster than 7:01 and the last few were about what I would call pathetic (7:45 +). But again this morning I was struggling with form. Legs were clompy and things just weren't smooth. Still the hangover from yesterday's repeats. I'll try to shake it out a little more with a four miler this afternoon. (Glycerin)

afternoon - 4 Dogpound from PVHS w/team. A perfect time to run with my "advanced" runners. Tried to smooth out the run a little with a recovery pace. Could have pushed it harder, but accomplished what I wanted to - run with the team and get in a few recovery miles. (Landreth)

RHR-44

AM - I was actually up, but I had to have a little more sleep. So I revised my schedule a little to go 6 and 8 instead of 10 and 4, so... 6 on Treadmill with no incline. Started out at 7:30 for a mile warmup and quickly decided that it is taking longer than planned to bounce back from my mile repeats (just not much there in the legs). So I decided on no inline today. Took miles 2 and 3 to 6:58, then miles 4 and 5 to 6:44, finally back to 6:58 for mile 6. I started to feel a little better with the quicker pace on mile 4 and 5. (Cumulus)

afternoon - 8 on River Run. 1.75 mile warm up at 6:50 pace. Then I was going to attempt a marathon + pace run for the next 4. 1-5:50 felt good, helped with a bit of a decline. 2-6:04 still a decline, thought I was actually moving harder than mile 1, but I guess not. Kind of disappointed. 3-6:03 leveled out along river, just a little incline. Felt good, but thought about slowing down pace after this one. 4-6:11 decided why should I let up and kept pushing like I had planned, a little uphill. 5-6:10 originally I didn't know if I would get this one or not and it was a good mental barrier for me to overcome and convince myself I could do it. uphill. Then 1 1/4 mile finish at 7:00 uphill. Although the times weren't quite what I wanted, I was pleased with the workout. At the start I felt a bit worn down (the times show that as I should have been 5:40 - 5:55 through the workout). But I am getting stronger mentally and not giving in to ending workouts early when I am tired. You're always tired when you're running. That's what it does. (Glycerin)

RHR - 41

AM - what a night, sick and injured kids, howling dogs ... no sleep. Thought about sleeping in and figured I would still hit my miles where I want to this week. But I remember something someone said on the blog about become a top level runner requires you to do the things that are tough. So I got up and hit the treadmill. 6 miles at 7:30 with 1%. Wasn't flying by any means today. But I got up. (cumulus).

afternoon - 6 GreenSprings (Glycerin)

RHR-41

AM - 18.5 Quail Creek Loop.  Got up very early and went out on the long run for the week.  Will write more when I have my watch in front of me and I have more time.  Run went pretty well, but it took awhile to get into it.  (Glycerin)

AM - 10 Wendy's with 11th extension at end.  Up early again (but not as early as yesterday) to do the workout before the track meet.  Ran well - all miles under 7, with an average of 6:34 and negative splits.  Good moderate workout.  (Glycerin)

A good solid week of training.  A lot of good things came out of it.

Goals for next week:  Let the miles add up.  Enjoy not having to wake up too early and try and avoid the treadmill at all costs.  I think it is adding to my Plantar pain - coming back stronger the last week.  Mileage 85 or a little more.

morning - 12 on Green Springs/PowerL/WaterT extended. Just took it easy. Left calf was very tight and I had to stop and stretch it a bit.  (landreth)

morning - 9x800's.  Ran 3 miles to the track then got into 8's on the track.  Hoped I would see a little better performance on the 8's on the track then the miles on the track the other week.  1-2:32, started off well and am thinking it should go well; 2-2:35 let it slip a little but realized what splits I needed to hit (just a little quicker 1st and 2nd 200's; 3- 2:32, brought it back down about where I want to be (have been doing 2:30 on treadmill); 4-2:33, felt pretty strong until this one, now I realize its the second half of the workout that is really the workout; 5-2:31, pushing hard to make sure I am not falling off; 6-2:31, again hitting well; 7-2:35, lost my concentration on the 2nd 200 (about 42) and subsequently lost my time; 8-2:37, a pretty pathetic one, I was straining and let it get the best of me; 9-2:31 as a punishment for the two poor repeats at the end, I made myself earn the right to leave the track by doing another one, Started strong and just held on, then got a good push on the last 100 to turn in a good time.  Equal recovery jog between reps. (400 meters).  Then 3 miles home after practice.  (Cumulus)

morning - 13 on River Run from home.  Tried to keep it all under 7.  Wasn't always successful, but the idea helped me keep running harder than I would have otherwise.  Had to do 11th Ward extension plus a bit more in my neighborhood to make the full 13.  Next time I will do extension at first and last.  I think I will use this as a base timing run during the summer (the middle 6 miles or something like that).  (Glycerin)

morning - 8 on Millcreek Trail up to Powerline turn off. Took it real easy and relaxed, especially on the way up - nearly 32 minutes. 28 minutes on the way back. Ave. 7:27.  (Glycerin)

afternoon - 9.6 club run from store and Santa Clara Cemetery Loop.  Overall ave. was 6:49.  Just about where I wanted it to be, but a little quick at first.  Good running with Clyde again, he always pushes me. (Glycerin)

AM - Green Valley run - changed course by going on River Trail instead of run and then when I went under the freeway in Washington I went on down to Telegraph and up to Cottonmill East and up to home.  I thought this would get me 25, but it didn't and I didn't have the legs to get it to 25.

I am a bit ashamed to write about this run because it was so bad.  But I guess we learn a lot from the poor runs too.  So here are the depressing statistics: miles 1-4 down to the river trail 7:04, 6:54,7:16,6:56 - not bad about where they should be; miles 5 and 6 on dirt connection to trail and washed out section of trail too dark to see footing so it slowed me down 7:24,7:23; Miles 7-14.25 across St. George and up Valley View 7:24,7:13,7:15,7:23,7:34,7:38,7:56,8:07, and 7:50 pace - pretty crappy on the flat and up Valley View, I wasn't into it mentally, physically, of with any heart - a very bad combination, stopped at the gas station at the top of VV for a little break and decided I would get back into with a better attitude;  Miles14.25-16.75 up Skyline 8:28,8:05, and 9:08 pace - things went from bad to worse;  Miles 16.75-24 6:57,6:46,7:13,7:16,7:51,7:32,8:28, and 9:04 pace - tried to hit the last section at marathon like I am supposed to, but it wasn't there.  Even when I was pushing the best I could do was where my whole run should have been. (Glycerin)

Don't be too harsh with your comments, I am in a very fragile state right now.  It is just frustrating when things won't work they way you want.  Oh well... I get up and try to do better tomorrow.

Water at 5,9,13... Ultima Replenisher at 7,11,15... Gu at about 17.

morning - felt sick most of the day yesterday and last night. Then this morning, I just still felt off and decided not to run. Later in the day, around 11 I felt a bit better so I went for a jog. 6.4 on Dino Track Trail. Took it very slow and easy, stomach still turning a bit. but I made it through it. (Glycerin)

 Hit goals for the week pretty good.  Being sick kept me from hitting 90 like I wanted. 

goals for next week:  try to recover a little.  Run whatever I can, I have our track invite Fri and Sat which makes it very hard to run - so whatever I get will be good.

afternoon - 5 Mall run from PVHS.  Ran with Bake at a pretty decent pace of 6:45 ave.  felt a little sluggish at first. (Landreth)

PM - 7 Green Springs run.  Really enjoyed a nice evening run. (Cumulus) 

AM - 8 on Factory Stores run. Tired and crappy. A pretty bad run and I didn't want to do it. I am not in the correct mental state right now. I guess I'll just keep pushing through it. (Glycerin)

evening - 5 on Washington Parkway.  It was cold and windy with a hard driving rain.  I really enjoyed it.  For some reason it kind of broke up the monotony of running I am feeling right now.  I am so mentally and physically drained.  (Glycerin)

I decided that I am going to do a few things with my running to help me break out of this rut.  First, this week I am not even going to worry about running - I'll do it when I can and want.  through all this hard training, I have lost the real reason I love to run and only focused on the training/racing aspect.  Second, I am going to skip my 800's this week.  I am physically too burned out to do them.  And, I keep beating myself up because I keep putting them off.  So I resolved to allow to myself to miss them this week.  Hopefully this will get me feeling a littler fresher and stronger in the long run.  Backing down this week may cost me in the short run, but it needs to be done.  Thanks to those that responded the other day and noticed some trends in my training and running that I didn't since I was so involved personally.  I think it takes someone on the outside to notice those types of things sometimes.

afternoon - 9 on the GreenS/PowerL/Middleton trail.  No watch, just trying to enjoy running and life a little bit more than I have in the past week.  I'm continuing to struggle with both.  (Glycerin)

Today was the first day in a few that I actually wanted to run - but I couldn't.  I envied Clyde when he came to the track meet and talked about the race.  I wish I would have been there to push him a little.

I am now ready to run next week. 

Back at it!

PM - 11 on treadmill at a decline preparing for downhill running. Felt good. Took the 1st mile at 7:30 and then the next 10 at 6:58. Felt great. Time just went by nice and easy. Wasn't working hard at all, and I really just enjoyed running again. (Glycerin)

PM - 10 x 1/2 miles on the treadmill @ 1%.  Started with a 2.5 mile warmup at 7:30 pace.  Legs were a little sore from yesterday's downhill run but slowly loosened up, so I took it with no incline.  Then moved it up to 1% and hit the speed.  First few were tough, and I thought there was no way I was making 10.  So I started shooting for 8 or so.  Kept recovery and 800 time both right at 2:30.  As I kept going, it didn't get any easier, but I convinced myself I could do it and just kept pushing.  Made it all the way through them.  Cooled down with a mile back at no incline and 7:30.  

Right knee had been giving me a little problem before I took the days off last week.  Didn't seem to bug me too much, but was a little stiff.  During the last few repeats, my left knee seemed to act up a little. (Cumulus)
 

AM - back on the early morning bandwagon. 4 on treadmill at 7:30 and decline. Took it easy this morning. As I got going my right knee that was a bit achy last night seemed to lock up. There was a decent amount of pain behind my knee. Just as I thought maybe I shouldn't go today (about 1/2 mile into it) it went away - but I'll keep an eye on it. The stiffness in my left knee seems to be coming back a little. (Cumulus)

afternoon - 8 on River Run.  Went out the first 2 miles with my distance runners.  Enjoyed the coldness.  After they turned back, I continued on.  And it got quite a bit chilly with some driving rain.  I kept the run very easy paced.  Didn't Gramin it, but just timed it for my knowledge.  Time was just over 59 minutes.  A 7:30 pace would be 60 mins.  So just under 7:30.  Knees felt a lot like this morning - left knee sore throughout, right knee a bit painful until it warmed up. (Landreth)

AM - up and at early (even though I didn't want to, but there is a track meet this afternoon, so its the only time I will get).  10 on treadmill - no incline and 7:30 for 1st mile and 6:58 for the rest.  Knees weren't sore this morning! Plantar feeling good lately!  But I am a bit sore - from the downhill run Monday.  Even stopped to stretch a little here and there. (Cumulus)

afternoon - 23.05 on Green Valley Loop. Last long run before Boston. Felt good to get it done and ran a little better than last time. (I'll give a little more info when I have my watch with me). Ave. 7:20 miles. (Glycerin 191.6)

morning - Club run from DC 12.65 out into Bloomington and starting up Bulldog Road, then loop through the desert in some washes and back toward Bloomington.  Ended up jumping over and through some fences (sorry about those tights Bill!) and making our own trail for a bit.  But it was nice, helped keep it a good recovery run pace and enjoyable. Ave. 7:45. (Landreth 98.55 - still the best shoe ever, I put it on and it is like heaven)