It ain't Chinese algebra!

I wish I was running the Eugene Marathon tomorrow but after having ab issues in March I had to settle for the 5K.  I drove down last night and watched the Oregon Relays at Hayward Field--there were some impressive races.

5 miles this morning to warm up.  I attempted to familiarize myself with the course but got a bit lost.  Oh well.  The gun went off and I jumped out to the lead with about 6 others behind me.  The first quarter mile was a gradual incline, next quarter was flat, followed by a steep climb and drop; all this in the first mile.  From there it was through Skinner Butte Park and relatively flat the rest of the way.  I kept the lead until just beyond the 2 mile mark but was passed by both the 2nd and 3rd place runners at the 12:30 mark.  I hung with them for a bit and just tried to keep contact with a hope they'd falter.  They didn't. :)

That put me in 3rd place and I stayed there until the finish.  I was VERY surprised to see the clock still reading 15:## as I approached the finish-line.  I've never ran a sub-16 5k and given my limited training during February and March, I'm more than happy with my time.  It's hard to be disappointed in a PR, especially on a certified, loop course.

6 miles to cool down as I waited for awards.  I looped around Eugene by first running to the U of O campus and Hayward Field and then jumped over the river and ran on Pre's trail to Autzen Stadium and eventually my car.  I love running in Eugene.

Type A (237)

Lunar (147)

AM: 6 miles on Ryan's loop in the rain.  My calfs were a bit sore but everything else felt fine.

C2 (287)

PM: 6 miles around the park in my Five Fingers.  Originally planned on just 4 but was feeling good and had the time so I extended it a few more miles.

VFF (32) 

Hospital loop for 9 miles.  My legs still feel a little sore but they felt better after I finished.  Only one run today.

Boston (350)

10 miles on the treadmill in Pendleton.  I wish I would have stayed in Hermiston--it was decent weather there as I drove through.  By the time I got to Pendleton it was very windy and rainy.  I didn't have the proper clothing so I was forced to run on the treadmill.  So is life...

Boston (360)

10.5 miles around Pendleton.  I tried to find the river trail and after 6 miles was able to do so.  Ran just a couple miles on the trail and then it was up the giant hill to the hotel.  On future visits I'll jump on it sooner and see how far it goes.

Lunar (158)

No miles today.  I've been feeling sick the past three days and don't seem to be getting any better.  Hopefully by taking today off I can put the sickness in the rearview mirror.

I'm in Medford for the weekend so I ran some of my old routes.  From the Walkers to my old house, then west on Barnett to Highway 99 and then north to Target which made for a 9 mile warm up.  I used the bathroom, got a drink and drenched my hair and then headed for home.  3 miles at tempo pace (6:12, 6:03, 5:57) and then 1.5 to cool down.  It's VERY hot here compared to Portland.

Boston (374)

AM: 7 mies on Ryans loop. Lots of rain. Actually it was more of a drizzle so not too annoying as it came down but by the end I was drenched.  I had an early start today so hopefully I can squeeze in a few more tonight after work.

Cumulus (294)

PM: Its been a week since I ran in my Five Fingers....way too long.  Or maybe it's just right because I get excited to run in them like it's my first time all over again.  I ran to the park and then thought I'd venture into Tigard's park which required about 5 minutes on concrete.  My achilles didn't love it but it was worth it once I got there.  There are a number of different trails to run on which mixes things up much better than Tualatin.  Anywho, I felt good and will rotate between Tualatin and Tigard every other week or so.

VFF (39) 

9 miles on Ryans loop. Feeling good.  My calfs were feeling it last night before bed due to the Five Fingers run but they felt fine this morning.

Lunar (167)

I ran the Desperate Housewives loop and then laps around the HS XC course.  I felt a little sluggish at the beginning but after a couple miles felt great.  Just one run today.  I'm planning on a double tomorrow with Ryan as it's supposed to be 74 degrees on Thursday.

Boston (384)

AM: 5 miles at the park in my Five Fingers.  It was another frustrating morning of running into dog owners letting their pets roam free of a leash.  Not cool.  Planning on more tonight with Ryan.

VFF (44) 

PM: 6 miles on Ryan's loop....with Ryan.  It was hot!  Not just warm but actually hot.  That's a nice change although I was worried about Ryan getting sunburned.  I suppose we weren't gone long enough for too much damage.

Cumulus (300) 

I ran through Tualatin and Tigard Parks to get to Tigard HS.  1 mile on the track and then home the same way.  It was a nice morning to be out--the weather was perfect.

Lunar (173) 

I had considered going to Forest Park this morning for a run but at 5:30 I decided I'd rather sleep another hour and not spend that time driving.

Plan B had me running into Lake Oswego on a route I hadn't tried before.  It was pretty flat for the first 5 miles and then a couple miles of steep hills with some amazing views of the Tualatin valley.  At the turn-around I had done 7 relatively easy miles so I turned around for a 6 mile tempo run on the return home (took a slightly different route).  I didn't run with my Garmin so I didn't know my overall pace until I got home and measured the course but it worked out to be a 5:45 average for 6 miles.  I was expecting somewhere around 6:00 pace so I was pleased with the 15 seconds faster/mile.

Finished off the day by running 1 mile with Ryan AND Andrea.  Good stuff!

Lunar (187)

AM: 7 miles after getting back from taking Andrea to the airport @ 5:00. It's going to be a long day...

Lunar (195)

PM: I ran around the Tigard and Tualatin Parks for 8 miles in just under 1 hour.  It was the longest I've ran barefoot and my legs were feeling great at the end.  No dogs off their leashes tonight which was good.

VFF (52) 

AM: 6 miles on Ryan's loop. I slept like junk last night so I can't be too upset about only 6 miles. Hopefully more miles tonight in Astoria.

Boston (390)

PM: 8 miles in Astoria.  I saw a bike path behind my hotel and decided to see where it would take me.  It was 3 miles across the town until the trail ended at the Best Western.  There was some serious wind for the first three miles which made for some slow-going.  I turned around and ran 4 miles east with the wind to my back which was nice.  Returned back to the hotel for 1 final mile into the wind.

Cumulus (308)

9 miles in Astoria. The wind wasn't as bad as yesterday which made the going easier. I ran a bit on the bike path again, then decided to run up 4th street. That may be one of the steepest roads I've ever ran. I was crawling by the time I got to the top. I ran down the other side and then made my way back to the hotel by returning over the hill again. Sheesh...I was beat by the time I finished.

Lunar (204)

Ever since moving to Portland I've wanted to run in Forest Park and today was the day to make it happen.  It fit into my schedule nicely but the weather couldn't have been much worse.  It rained off and on all day and right as I got out of my car at the bottom of Leif Erickson it started to rain.  For the next 30 minutes it rained cats and dogs (with a bit of hail for good measure).  Needless to say, the singletrack was a mess and my shoes/legs/shorts were covered in mud.

At my turnaround spot the rain stopped and the sun came out for the remainder of the run.  The colors of the forest were amazing as the green seemed to 'pop' even more after the rainfall.

Anyway, I'm glad I ran there but then it took over 1 hour to get home due to rush hour traffic.  As cool as the trails were, it's not worth the drive...

Lunar (214)

7 miles around the park in Tigard.  I managed to time it perfectly and avoid the rain.

VFF (59) 

I had considered going to Salem for a 5K this morning but decided to stay home, not pay $30, and include a tempo portion in my workout.  I started with 4 miles easy into Lake Oswego and after finding a bathroom and stretching for a bit, I began to pick up the pace.  I was shooting for sub-6:00 for the next 6-10 miles.  Surprisingly, I felt great the whole way.  The wind was a little rough at times but that's life.  

I ran past Trader Joe's to Tigard HS and then jumped on my normal loop back to Tualatin.  I ran 10 miles in 57:27, an average pace of 5:43.  My quickest mile was 5:32 (10th mile) and slowest 5:57 (1st mile); I seemed to be pretty consistent throughout.  Also, I ate 5-6 sport beans just after 5 miles (9 miles total) to remember what that's like.  Finished off the run with 1 mile easy.

Boston (405)

AM: 10 miles on the Tigard HS loop.  Felt really good this morning, which is surprising as I only got 5 hours of sleep last night.  Hopefully I can make it through the day, drive to Pendleton without falling asleep, and have time to get a few more miles tonight.

Boston (415) 

PM: No run tonight.  I didn't get to Pendleton until 7:00 and I needed some dinner.  Perhaps a double tomorrow.

AM: 14 miles in Pendleton.  The weather was perfect--that's a first for me.  Compared to Portland, usually it's 5-10 degrees colder and always windy here in Eastern Oregon.

Lunar (228)

PM: 7 miles on the treadmill at the hotel.  I passed the time by watching the first half of the USA vs Czech Republic soccer game.  World Cup action starts in 2 weeks.  I'm pretty excited.

Cumulus (315)

7 miles on the treadmill in Pendleton.  Mentally it was a challenge to get some miles this morning, especially on the treadmill.  My legs felt pretty good despite the big miles yesterday.  Home tonight.

Lunar (235)

AM: I slept in and only had time for 4 miles at the park in my Five Fingers.  It felt SO good (the sleep, not the running).  If I had to do it again I wouldn't change a thing. :)

VFF (63)

PM: 3 miles with Ryan.  Had to cut it short due to rain.  Eh...better than nothing.

Boston (418) 

10 miles around the Tigard HS loop.  Ab pain is slowly creeping back but I haven't been stretching like I should the past week.  I'll recommit to that moving forward and it should subside.

Cumulus (325) 

17 miles this morning.  I ran into Lake Oswego on Boones Ferry Dr, past the HS and into the downtown.  I ate some sport beans about mile 6 (Lake Oswego Safeway) and then continued past Foot Traffic and home through the south side of L.O.  I felt great the entire run and didn't want to finish.  I thought about extending it to 20 miles but felt like I should get back with the family and start enjoying the holiday weekend.

Lunar (252) 

AM: Started the day by sleeping in.  That felt good.  13 miles around the hospital loop and South over the 205 and West over I-5, eventually emerging at Horizon Christian HS.  I jumped on the xc course at Tualatin HS along with 1 mile on the track and then home via Boones Ferry.  More tonight?

Lunar (265)  

PM: 6 miles at the Tualatin HS track.  Goals starting out were 12 laps in 75 seconds or less but as this was my first speed workout in months (and I'd already ran 13 miles this morning), I wasn't sure how things would end up.  I ran 2 miles for a warm up and then started the repeats.  Between each was a 100-150 meter jog.

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I jogged a full 400 meters and then did 4 more.

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I was pretty spent by this point and was trying to talk myself into being done.  I managed to compromise with a final 800 (2:26) and then 2 laps barefoot before calling it a day.