Winning Back What I Lost

10PM: Late evening easy run to start off July. Very hot so I waited for sun to go down. Shooting for 200+ miles this month. This is in line with the 20%ish increase per month since I began running again in late April. The plan is to get up to 250-270 miles in September (60+mpw) right before the marathon

930PM: Easy medium long run on a hot & windless evening. These midweek longer runs really build my aerobic base. The speed will lag and come little by little w/ every lb. I lose and interval I complete.

Noon: Short GB run w/ Dave from Muni Park. Super hot out this afternoon. Felt a little queezy til we crossed over to the north side of the river. Think I might be done w/ these midday lunchtime runs until September.

1030PM:,Spent the evening at my bro's for a BBQ and fireworks. Highlight of the evening was 1 of a string of m-80s shot out and landed underneath my moms lawn chair, she barely reacted. Brought my running clothes and ran home after a day of sun and gluttony. It was enjoyable however. Ran down Cloverdale w/ no ear buds and just watched the airal fireworks go to east west and south. List of people visiting Nevada and/or Fat City just outside of city limits.

930PM: Had a weekend that started well but ended w/ me in bed w/ the cold sweats. Stayed in bed most of Sat, Sun, and Mon but finally felt guilty enough to drag myself outta bed to hit the road again. Hydrated like crazy and was able to do some light intervals 2x (4 x 800m). Hopefully the worst is behind me.

930PM: easy run on a hot and humid evening. It's only gonna get hotter. I'm probably not going to run Fit for a life on Saturday. I thought I'd be ready by now but I'm just too heavy and slow for it to do much, if any, good. I'll just keep putting in the miles and hopefully I'll be in race shape by late August/early September.

930PM: medium long run. Hit the Bear Creek Hill midway thru. Finally getting back to normal post-flu and I get a cold sore for the first time in forever. Ugh, worst thing ever!

930PM: Easy run. Still hotter than hell.

10PM: easy 5+ miles.

930PM: Still unbelievably hot. Drank plenty of water but my calves were still on fire and cramping the last 4-5 miles. Probably shoulda raced today like I planned but didn't wanna waste $ on a horrible time because I'm still 30+ lbs over my normal racing weight, but dropping steadily.

930PM: So very hot, even at night. Warm + 2x (4 x 800m) w/ 90 secs rest.

930PM: Progression run.

930PM: The heat never ends. Still 90+ when I started out. Hamstring cramped up on me the last 4 miles. After reading maybe a thousand reviews, professional and non-professional, I finally ordered some Hoka One One Rapa Nui's. A big guy like me just needs more cushion for these long runs. I'm dropping weight consistently, 2-3 lbs/week, but even at my typical racing weight of 170 I find that my legs get beat up on the longer distances on the road. We'll see if this is a game changer as far as recovery and being able to safely add more miles w/o injury. BTW, I found the shoes at Boulder Running Co. for $99 & zero shipping, $30 less than normal retail. Never ordered from them before but so far the cust service has been great. They shipped out that day which I thought was impressive. Should be here on Monday.

930PM: Not as warm tonight. Felt pretty good and my easy pace was almost 1 min faster than it has been during this heat wave. Need to transition to working out in the cooler AM but I've been saying that for weeks.

945PM: Not as warm as it has been. First run in my new Hoka's that arrived on my doorstep this afternoon. I only have one thing to say- I wish I would have purchased these shoes a long time ago. They are a little more pricey then most trainers, although I bought them for $30 under retail w/ no shipping, but the fit and cushioning is next level.

They obviously don't make you run quicker but they do make it more enjoyable. Soft enough to eliminate the fatigue that I've grown accustomed to with my other trainers but firm enough awhere I can still push off. As I sit here immediately after a 6 mile run I really don't feel as if I've run tonight. My Kinvara's are certainly much lighter, about 4 oz. lighter, but my legs begin to feel the onset of fatigue after 4-5 miles. I've learned to work through that fatigue over time but now I feel like I won't have to. If I can just get to my normal racing weight I'm sure this effect will be felt over much longer distances. All that and Hoka is releasing a new model next month, the Clifton, which weighs 2 oz. lighter than my Rapa Nui's. I already know I'll be purchasing a pair in a few weeks.

And that is the impression I got straight out of the box! How good will they feel once they've broken in?

6PM: Wow, it's been a busy weekend+ in the Price household. I can't be sure but I think we've either attended or hosted every single event that's taken place in SW Idaho the last 3 days. 

I finally told the wife that I needed to get a long run in. Left right after work for the greenbelt. The first 1.5 miles were horrible because I had inadvertently pulled the lacing system too tight on my Hoka's. Once I loosened them it was easy and pleasurable until mile 13 when I just ran out of fuel. I hadn't brought anything to eat so it was to be expected. 

My wife's sister and her 6 kids are at the house this week so running will be a challenge. It's either risk pizzing the wife off or miss some training. I'll have to pick my spots carefully. Maybe I'll actually get up early in the morning.......nah, who am I kidding? I'll never do that. That would make too much sense.

930PM: Snuck away from yet another family event we were hosting at the house. The BBQ was long over with but my wife's family really loves to linger. I've decided I'm not going to let that come between me and my running schedule. I quietly slipped away for an easy run that turned nasty when massive lightning bolts and a sheet of rain started up when I was about a mile from home. Had planned to go 8 mi but caution and a shortcut seemed like the better option. 

1030PM: Coaxed my wife to finally leave here sister in law's house where we had dinner so I'd have enough for a short midnight run. If things don't settle down soon I may lose it. This just heightens the rationale for running in the morning. Nobody schedules BBQs, reunions, dinners, etc. at 6am in the morning.

1030PM: Yet another late night for the zombie runner. 

10PM: Another late night run just as soon as we got home. Only 2 days til the in-laws leave.

635AM: Finally got the energy and will to rise in the AM for a workout. Wanted to get up at 6AM for a longer run but this is a start. Have to say that I really enjoyed the much cooler temps. A LOT more people out running/walking in the AM so plenty of company out pounding the pavement.

Missed another Saturday long run. I sprained my ankle playing in a family softball game. Ugh. Not as bad a sprain as I've had in the past and I was able to ice it immediately and repeatedly on Saturday and Sunday for 10 min intervals. Feels relatively good now.

6AM: Day 2 of morning workouts. I forgot how much I enjoy having my nights free. A little bit warmer and more humid this morning. Discovered some new running paths to the south which was nice.

630AM: So tired. Getting the workout out of the way in the morning is great. It's less great when you fail to adjust your sleep pattern. Working on about 6 hours of sleep debt so far this week that finally caught up to me. Felt sluggish & near comatose on a really muggy early morning. Hoping to get to bed much sooner tonight.

6AM: Got a little bit more sleep. I actually went to bed earlier than normal. Imagine that, go to bed earlier and get more sleep. Six hours instead of five. Next stop is getting a solid 7 hours. How would that be?

Felt nauseous and weak the entire run but I plowed through it. Should have eaten a little something beforehand. Will start experimenting w/ various foods to see what works.