Where's the Donuts?

Easy trail run in Illahee Preserve with Mike. We waited until the sun was up, but that didn't do us much good. Still cold and dark in the forest. But there's an advantage -- all the mud is frozen. Good to get out for a second day in the dry, crisp air, and start the year off right. 40:05

brooks cascadia IV

Another cold morning run, this time in Seattle. Forty minute on the Burke Gilman Trail, I clocked one at 7:30 and probably ran close to that pace the whole time. Not many out on a chilly morning, but it was nice. Also good to run three consecutive days, it's been awhile since I could say that. 40:04

brooks cascadia IV

Evening run at the Y on the treadmill. 7:30 pace throughout, felt fine but I don't like to go much further than that on the treadmill. 40:00

supernova glide -- 400+

Simply put, I hit the wall at work. It's been the busiest and most stressful work week of my career, and my brain was full by 3 p.m. Even though there's still a good day's worth of work left to do, I couldn't do anything but run. So I walked out (easier done when you're the boss), drove home and put my stuff on. Four refreshing miles on the YMCA loop during a wonderful break in the rain, probably 45 or 50 degrees, and a double-rainbow at the finish before the sky opened up again. I think I can go finish the day in front of a computer now. 31:05

supernova glide -- 420 or so? (New pair is waiting to be picked up at Poulsbo Running.)

Surprisingly nice weather for the morning run on Beach Drive, let's hope it gets progressive lousier until the 'Hawks kick off against the Saints. Show those NOLA boys what it's like to play outdoors in January. (I'm rooting for the Seahawks because they are the home team, but also so there can be a Bears-Packers rematch in the divisional round.) 

Met Mike early, eight miles on the usual Slug route. We got going at a good pace and kept it brisk, hit a few miles at 7/min pace. Felt good and healthy in the legs and lungs; good sign for January and capped off a consistent, if low mileage, week. Back on track, updating the 2011 race calender and goals soon. 58:27

supernova glide -- 430ish

I talked my friend and former ex-Loganite Brita into registering for Chuckanut 50k, so now when she asks to meet up for a trail run I'm more or less obligated. So this afternoon I skipped watching football and we went to Cougar Mountain, east of Seattle, for a few hours. The weather was cold at the start, but no rain or snow. We hit the snowline pretty quickly (from the Red Town Trailhead the path really just heads straight up to a plateau) and it was really pretty and nice with the snow-covered trees but non-snow-covered trail. Kept the pace easy and relaxed, and just kind of ran without a route. There's plenty of criss-cross in there, so we twisted and turned and eventually started heading downhill, and made it back to the parking lot in 90 minutes. Legs felt good, I'm tired now but not worked over. Good early season training run. 1:30:05

brooks cascadia IV -- 50

A quick three on the YMCA treadmill after a very long day at work. This week was another busy one (hopefully the last for awhile) and the running schedule suffered. 23:00

supernova glide

Got out with Mike this morning. We didn't run as far as I would have liked to go, but we were both in a hurry. Caught a nice morning though, no rain and it was pretty warm. A little tailwind on the way out even, and we ended up with some quick miles (7-minute range) and we were about a minute faster this week for the same run as last Saturday. I'm a little tired in the legs now, still getting that pace back to my system. 57:05

supernova glide

Turned out to be a wonderful morning to head up Green Mountain. I was alone at the start, and the weather was the usual: 45 and cloudy. I made it up to the road to the Green Mountain campground and took the Beaver Pond trail, then stuck to the correct trail (I missed a turn the last time out) and followed that for what must have been a six-mile loop (I need to check maps, this one is a 'timed' rather than 'distance' run. I'm guessing at the 11.). Really fun to discover a new trail, and by the then I was seeing some blue sky. I hooked back with the Wildcat/Gold Creek trails, took the vista route up to a point on Gold Mountain (which was socked in with clouds). But back on the Green Mountain ridge things opened up, I had a wonderful sunny view of Dyes Inlet, etc., and I cruised downhill at a great pace past all the slugs who had slept in. Warm, sunny, and a new trail. Legs felt a little low on energy, but otherwise everything's intact after the longest run of the year. 1:39:46

brooks cascadia IV -- 61

Too much working, not enough running today. Last night I left the newsroom at 1, and had to be back at 5 this morning. After a meeting I came home, took a nap, then a quick 3 on the Shore Drive short route. Felt amazing, and the new shoes didn't hurt. 23:04

supernova glide blue -- 3

Skipped the Slug gathering to sleep in, and Mike and I met at Evergreen Park after the sun came up. Pleasant morning to run, a little damp but no rain. We crossed the Manette Bridge, ran over to Lebo, through Lions Park and out Tracyton to Riddell, then back. Nine miles is the ballpark, but I'm sure it was close. Easy pace, though we pushed on the hills a bit. Then we sat at the bakery for an hour, which was great. Fewer miles than I planned this week, but I'm glad to even have this much energy right now. I'll rest up and get back to a normal routine next week. 1:05

supernova glide blue -- 12

Manette Hills route, up around the hospital, loop around the Y, and back on 11th. Steady pace once I woke up and got loose, felt healthy on the hills. 45:13

supernova glide blue -- 18

Mixed trail and road run. I took the day off and went to Seattle, picked up a new pair of Brooks Cascadia from Krissy, then we ran to Discovery Park from her house. One loop around the park, then we doubled-back, headed out the south entrance and ran the road ridge around Magnolia, then cut back up to Dravus. Not up-tempo, but we ran a really good, steady pace, especially once we hit the road. Shoes felt great other than a minor foot cramp (left) halfway through, and despite having a few cold symptoms my body felt fine once I got running. 1:24:00

brooks cascadia red -- 11

I'm headed in for a late shift tonight at work, which may be the case for awhile as we sort out editor schedules in our new set-up. But that means I can run mid-morning, which is nice. The rain had tapered off by the time I left the Illahee Forest parking lot, but it looks like I could have waited another hour and had sun. So it goes. 

Feeling a little sluggish getting going because of this lingering cold, but after 20 minutes I was in rhythm and could breath, etc. Kept an easy pace, didn't charge the hills or anything. Shoes felt good again on the soft trails, and I think the miles this week will show that I'm finally back in the groove. Time to start adding tempo and hill workouts next week, Chuckanut will come quickly. 40:00

brooks cascadia red -- 16

Ten with Mike down on Beach Drive, a good cap to the week. Only six hours of sleep didn't help, and I'm still working out a lingering cold, so I felt a little sluggish all the way through. But maybe that held our pace back, most miles were in the 7:10 to 7:15 range, with just two quick ones (7s) when we had a tailwind. 1:12:50 

supernova glide blue

Afternoon trail run w/Brita at St. Edwards Park in Kirkland. My first time there. Not a huge park, but a good trail network to get some moderate elevation work and technical downhill running. Legs were tired from the previous three days, so it was good to do some trails that weren't overly demanding. On a cool, gray day the park was really full and the trails pretty muddy and thrased. Kind of fun to stomp around in the mud. We went down to the beach, then up a longer climb on the north edge back to the seminary, then another loop down to the beach and back up on a different route, then a flat loop out to the road. 1:05:01

brooks cascadia IV — 68