Seeking a better country...

Slight progression run;  I started at 7 and finished at 8.  60 min.  My son wrecked my crocs and I'm missing them.  Come back to me, baby blue crocs.

10 minute warmup, then 45 min @ 7:30, brief cool down.  According to the running lab, this should be my easy run pace.  It is getting easier.  

I need to get more sleep.

Ugh.  Something is making the rounds at my house and I'm feeling it a bit.  I met Tara on Main, and headed to Legacy.  Somehow we missed Andy, probably on the pond potty detour.  Tara had to go after 12, and I wanted a few more, so I headed north on Main.  I caught Andy, and did a couple faster miles; thanks for dragging me along.  I'm sweaty and windburned and cold.  One more week down.

Treadmill tempo; warmup, then 6 @ 6:40 pace, cooldown.  I wore Kinvaras, and I don't think they are adequate for this pace running for more than a 10k.  I could feel soreness in my ankle and knee by the end of the run.  I kinda like doing these tempos-  good for my confidence.  

As a nod to the schedule and plan side of me, I'm going to figure out a number of miles and marathon pace miles to run each week until the marathon.  I've enjoyed the consistency of 50 mpw, but I know I need to do more training. 

81 minutes.  Oh, how slow.  Monday's tempo exacted a toll.  I never got things going with this workout.  

A repeat of yesterday, but in 8 fewer minutes.  I feel a lot better.  I finally printed out a marathon training plan.  I think I'll just use the weekly number of miles and the speed/tempo workouts and forget about the rest.  It's not much different than what I've been doing for 2 months.  Peak mileage is 62, which is uncharted territory.

The winter series begins tomorrow.  I'll do another 9-10 tonight, take Friday off for a taper, and run a hilly 5k on Saturday.  This week will be a planned step back week; I'll be under 50 miles on purpose, unless I decide to run quite a bit more after the race.  

My rt knee tendinitis seems to be resolved (knock on wood).  The ache hasn't decided where to settle yet, but I'm predicting a hip pointer before the marathon.   

I'm giving some thought to improving my poor diet habits.  I eat a lot of candy, and not many fruits and vegetables.   How many minutes is that worth in a marathon?  I wonder.  Or could I be the guy that runs a sub-3 with crappy eating habits?

Tonight I watched Wipeout.  That Jill Wagner, she's a real comedienne.  I think the kinvaras are going to become short mileage situation shoes only.    By the end of the run, my joints feel a bit more jarred than usual.   You feel me?

I glanced through an article about crossfit.  The writer said all the "recovery" runs just keep you tired and un-recovered.  Part of that tickles my ears, but it seems like there is a pretty tried and true formula for distance running success, and it doesn't necessarily involve kettle-bell swings and explosives bouts of intervals.  

Today is day 1 of my unpaid internship.   

Ah, Striders.  I think what happened was this.  A race director went to bed after a spicy meal and strenuous argument with his spouse.  He awoke in the night with horrible indigestion and lingering bitterness over harsh words.  In this state of mind, he brooded on a 5k course that mirrored his sour, resentment; thus the Striders 5k was born, complete with taxing uphills, too-steep descents, and an uphill finish to boot.  In a final expression of anger, he staged the race in the dead of winter.

But 400+ people show up for this thing.  I forgot how fun it is to pull up and see all the runners at a race beginning.  People pinning bibs and securing chips and stretching and pounding energy drinks and spitting and striding.  There are only a handful of runners there with a lick of talent, but the rest of us grind out our miles and come tackle the course.

The race started on time.  The first half mile was okay; it's pretty flat.  .5-1.5 is a steady climb.  My pace drifted up over 8mm, breathing was very difficult.  Running all winter on a treadmill with broken incline hasn't done my hill running any favors.  I was very close to taking a brief walking break as I neared the top of this hill, but it would be to embarrassing, so I kept running.  The downhill was a nice respite, but way too short and steep.  Minutes later the climbing resumed.  I must have gone out too fast, as I got passed 4-5 times in the last .75.   I nearly walked again (so weak in the brain) but I looked over my shoulder and saw that 5 people would have passed me so I kept going.  

When we entered the parking lot the 1st place girl passed me, but long legs on the uphill finish prevailed.  I came in at 20:30, a 1 minute improvement from last year.  I'm very excited about that.  My one day taper really did the trick.  That's a 5% improvement from last year.  If I apply that to my most recent marathon, that's 10 minutes...Encouraging.

I am missing a shoe.  I have a dozen pair of shoes lying about; some my son took to mow lawns in, some I mow lawns in, 4 pair are currently rotating and running, but one of those 8 shoes is missing.  I really want to squeeze another 100 miles out of that pair...

8 miles, 67 minutes.  2 warmup, then three in the middle at 7:30 pace.  It didn't feel great.  This treadmill festival of running wasn't the greatest.  Having to stop in the middle to serve/eat dinner didn't help much.   The last three after beans, homemade french bread and meatballs were somewhat pedestrian.  Maybe tonight's Biggest Loser run will go better.  Since we already got all the romance of V-day out of the way last night by going to the tax prep lady, tonight I'll run through BL while my wife watches upstairs.

16 miler on Saturday...I hope Firebreak Road will be dry enough to do some on the hillside. 

If I was wearing $120 cvx tights on Saturday I'm sure I wouldn't have been chipped by .7 seconds by the 1st place female, and that I could have made up the 7 seconds between 3rd and 1st place in my age division.  ha ha ha 

Biggest Loser progression run, Valentines edition.  I put red hearts, white lacy and pink cupids all over the treadmill.  After grandma went home, I got the girls back to bed and fired up the machine.  I started at 7 mph and added .3 mph at every commercial break.  Top speed was a meager 8.8.  I hit my planned mileage with quite a bit of show left, so cooled down for a mile.  It's crazy how much better today felt than yesterday.  My legs were definitely a bit beat up from the steep downhills on Saturday.  61 minutes

For Valentines, I got a special present from my wife;  2 glass 9x13 pans.  Obviously, I've still got it.  Nothing says I love you quite like kitchen-ware.   

7 more, 57 minutes.  After running, I did some planking and such.  Later, I checked my physique in the mirror and couldn't see any difference.  How disappointing.  

I've been pondering a philosophical question.  If I run and don't enter it into this blog, did it really happen?   

I will be home from work tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to a mid-day, high-sun trail run.  That should get me nice and tired for a longish, little big workout on Saturday.  Tonight, however, will be the treadmill as usual.   

On the treadmill again.  I watched the mentalist for the first, and likely only time.  What a dumb show.  When I got done, my wife said, "Wow, that was fast."  What she didn't know is that I did less miles than usual.  Afterward, I did some more planking and such.  My daughter joined me.  She's a dancer with great balance and core strength.  After that, I got looking at my r2 toe.  The nail has never really been normal since I lost it a couple years ago.  It grows in 2-3 removable layers.  I decided a fresh start would be good, and just ripped it all out.  It only hurt a little bit. Out with the old and in with the new.  

Morning run outside.  We had a big lunch meeting at work, so I had to finish in time for that.  I announced "Mandatory Family Run" and got 3 of the bigger kids to run 1 mile.  The little girls rode their bikes.  The sun wasn't exactly shining, and the day wasn't exactly warm, but it was nice to be outside.  My 12 year old runs like a duck.  My 16 year old goes too fast and makes herself very uncomfortable.  I didn't get to observe my 14 year old.  My 17 year old refused to participate. 

Tomorrow is a 16-18 miler, little big workout.  I'm planning on 4 zig-zags after 10-11 miles.  These are .5 mile ascents up the switchback trail at Freedom Hills park.  Tara and Andy can attest that it's a rugged 800 meters.  

The unpaid internship continues.  Fingers crossed.  I'm too old for a job like this. 

I met up with Andy.  We looped from my house to LPT, east on Farmington State Street to Freedom Hills.  I had quick drink, and we tackled the switchbacks 4x.  It was tough; 270' of climb in .5 miles.  The final 3 miles were considerably more challenging than usual.  Total climb for the run was 2800'.

I may have crossed the line between fitness deposit into withdrawal territory today.   It was a good thing to have Andy along; sharing the mental fatigue makes a huge difference.   Total time was 2:24, we did 8 minute pace on the flat stuff, much slower on the switchbacks.  In hindsight, I wish I wore my heartrate monitor.  

Other than the workout, it was a perfect morning; cold, but not too cold, with sunshine and blue skies. 

Another week begins with a 7 mile run, very slow.    Rt. calf is locked up from Saturday, rt. knee tendonitis as well.  I don't regard either of these as very serious, just noting them in case they don't go away.  I really should go after the calf with a tennis ball, but I resist for some reason. 

So the series 10k is Saturday in Ogden, and I need to have a total run of 18.  On a scale of 1-10, how important is it that the 18 miles be run continuously?  

As a part of the marvelous holiday, I took the girls to the CROWDED rec center.  It's an okay place to visit, but I'm glad I don't live there.

Biggest Loser progression run.  I was lazy and increased in .2 mph increments.  I made it to 7:11 pace by the end, so that was okay.  The only bad thing was getting such a late start; we were busy with kid commitments till 9:30.  It's hard to wind down and get to sleep after a run; luckily my son was working on scholarship applications and definitely needed some help and input.  It's a good thing for the last minute, or nothing would get done.  Oh yeah, post-run I did some planks and such. 

New crocs for $10 at a podiatrist office.  It is nice to have them back.  Other than that, this run was pretty blah.  Afterward, I was sneaking a chocolate shake around so I didn't have to make 6 more and run out of ice cream.  I was stunned at the temperature, and felt very sheepish that the run took place inside instead of out in the warm wind.  Oh yeah, a couple more planks.  2:30 and 2:00 after the run.  I perspired more in the 2.5 minute plank than in the 57 minute run.    

My feet feel really hot.  Another 7, quite uninspired miles.  I warmed up, did three or 2 at 7:30 pace, and loafed the rest.  I'm trying to work out a plan for the weekend.  One of the neighbor boys suddenly decided to work on an Eagle project, so I have to push the long run to Sunday.  I'll still be racing, but racing only.  This isn't my preference, but it'll have to do this week.  I'm already dreading the 18 miler the day after a hard 10k.  Oh well.  If I don't beat myself up too much, it should be helpful.

Jack sat in his excer-saucer for 5 miles, and we watched Big Bang Theory.  Then he got mad, but was content to sit on the rug for the remaining mile.  I got to work by 11 a.m., but since I'm working for free at this point, who really cares?  

I fell asleep last night around 9:30, so it wasn't surprising when I started waking up in the 4's.  My alarm was set for 6:30, so I stayed in bed sleeping off and on until then.  Only one nightmare visitor to crowd the bed.  I had a single bowl of oatmeal.  Spencer and I got to the race in time for a brief warmup.  I thought I'd like more than a little, since it's been taking me 4-5 miles to feel like I'm going lately.  I got almost 2.  I saw Tara just before the start; she had a killer's eye.  She asked me my goal, which was modest; stay under a 7 minute pace.  The siren sounded, and we were off.  Immediately I rebelled against the pace.  People were passing me left and right while I faded in mile 1.  Oh well.  I needed some hard tempo miles for this week, and I was going to get them.  After an initial hill, the first 1/2 of this race is downhill or flat.  At the turnaround I was at 20:20, and the fun was over.  We were headwinding all the way back, and had to climb back up the hills we dashed down.  I passed 7 or 8 people in the second half, including a brief walk after the steepest up. (I can't believe I walked.  I felt like I broke the code.  Someone needs to revoke my runner card)  My breathing was horrible.  I had been following a lady the whole race, and thought, "I might catch her.  She's got to be feeling about as lousy as me."  We arrived at the final downhill, and I couldn't close on her, but when we turned into the parking lot, I found a little more, and caught up.  She probably chipped me anyway, but this is a series, so all the seconds count.  After the 5k, I'm 8 seconds out of first place for my age; I hope I made up some time.

Splits:  6:45, 6:18, 6:41, 7:00, 7:45, 7:14.  .2 was around 45 seconds.  

Spencer came in under 48, which was great.  I had to rush home to help with an Eagle project, so no cooldown.  18 miles tomorrow.  Dread.

This was 2 minutes faster than last year, another good harbinger.  (this may be the only time "harbinger" appears on the blog)

Sunday afternoon run in the windy cold.  My daughter came along on her bike, thank goodness.  I've been spoiled doing all my long runs with Andy, Tara and larger groups.  I really struggled, courtesy of Saturday's 10k, and nearly quit after 12, but gutted out another three that should have been six.  

So I'm long run deficient.  I gotta get some 20+ runs soon.   

At 8 p.m., my wife found me in the closet staring at my training plan.  Then she talked me out of going for a 7 miler.  I designed built-in cabinets and played with Jack instead.  I'm still recovering from Sunday's long run.  So there it is; my first dropped workout.

I started feeling a tickle in my throat last night.  It was worse in the morning, so I took homeopathic remedies all day;  peanut M&M's and Mtn. Dew.  Strangely, I noted no improvement in my symptoms.  After my regular job, some  snow customers called, so I spent an hour+ on core and upper body, and actually earned some $$$ for the day.  

As for the run,  8 miles, peak pace was 8.2 mph, 62 minutes, felt pretty good.  A lot of these "easy" miles I'm doing are at last year's marathon pace, so that's encouraging.  Finally, a decent episode of Biggest Loser.  18 days off the ranch seemed to help the contestants and producers find their humanity. 

7 more, 61 minutes.  Very slow.  This cold is getting to me, plus a trip to the dentist.  Snow to shovel tomorrow...I hope the truck will start.