Where's the Donuts?

Rainy out this morning so I went to the Y. Not sure if it's because I took yesterday off (other than riding the bike to work), but I was really sluggish and struggled to get going. I loosened up around 2 miles and felt more comfortable, but still stuck to an 8/min. pace just to take it easy. So, an easy day. 40:00. 

supernova red -- 310

Five quick miles at the Y during lunch. I like the mid-day run when I have a chance, and this was a day I needed the break. Doesn't happen often enough, and I've been a little lazy in the a.m. this week. 38:10

supernova red -- 315

Slug run with Mike. We caught a bit of a break when it wasn't pouring or freezing early this morning. Actually a decent temp to start. We did a few real conservative miles with this guy Brian, 7:45s, then picked up the pace a bit. Got into a clip closer to 7:05-7:10, then the rain started at the 6-mile turnaround point. For whatever reason the wind changed directions when the downpour started, so even though we were soaked we still had the wind at our back. (And the wet snow didn't start until 8, by which time we were settled in with eggs and potatoes). The wind contributed to the 6:50 miles I think, but oh well. Conversation was good and we had a good clip going, maybe we just wanted to be done. Nothing hurt or felt like a strain, so the engine appears up for that type of pace. I'm signed up for Seattle Rock 'N Roll marathon now, so this is the 15-week out mark and it feels good to have some fitness. Time to pay attention to some speed training, I suppose. 1:27:15. 

supernova red -- 322

I was up in Mount Vernon visiting friends, and dragged myself out of bed with an hour less sleep to run with Craig Romano, an outdoors writer and columnist for Northwest Runner magazine. Craig lives near the neighborhood where I grew up, so we got together at the Skagit Valley College trail, my favorite spot to run ever. Even though there was a light dusting of snow overnight, the sun had come up and everything was melting. So it was actually really pretty out, and warm enough for shorts. Craig had run a 1/2 the day before, so this was a recovery run. I was sapped from the 12 on Saturday also, and a short night of sleep. I ran a little less than a mile on my own, then together we did two laps of the SVC trail, which is about 1.5. Then we walked another lap as cool down. 35:25 total, which was in the ballpark of four miles. 

supernova red -- 326

Ran at the Y, a guy I know was on the treadmill next to me so I ran easy for 4 miles talking with him. After those 8:30 miles, I ran two more at 7:45 pace. Felt good to run after two days off, legs felt loose and rested. 49:00

supernova red -- 332

After-work run, finally taking advantage of the daylight savings time. Really cold day (for here, at least -- 40s and people complain), but the sun was out and by evening it was pretty pleasant. I went looking for some hills, not quite a 'hill workout' but a good prep for that. I did the Illahee State Park loop, which has a few good hills going out and back. I added a few side trip hills (easy to find once you're back in Manette) and came down through the neighborhood. I didn't try to make the hills a workout, but I tried to get some tempo going up each one, probably about a Tinman pace. Felt pretty good, I still feel good about my fitness, though we'll see what it's like when I start more up-tempo work. But legs are in good shape. This weekend I'm planning at least a 5k workout in a St. Patty's race. 44:48. 

supernova red -- 338

Our great week of spring running weather ended at, oh, about 7 a.m. this morning. This race started at 9 a.m. So there we were at the start, on the Jackson Park waterfront, with the wind blowing sideways and rain in sheets, and whitecaps on Dyes Inlet. Pretty nasty morning for a 5k. Small field, the Jackson Park races are truly just fun runs, most of the runners live in the Navy housing project surrounding the waterfront or work at the hospital nearby. Several of them had stupid St. Patrick's Day hats on. I was looking to get a few uptempo miles and see a few people I knew would be there. 

As usual, a pack of high school kids darted out ahead, then either turned around or faded at the half-mile mark. A pack of five of us settled in together, separated by 8-12 seconds or so. I sat back in fifth, just watching the young guys. There's a decent little climb about 3/4 of a mile in, followed by flat and another slight uphill, so I just stuck a consistent pace. At about the halfway point (I'm guessing, the course isn't marked and I forgot my watch), I picked it up a bit and pulled the pack closer together. Four of us stayed right together, with the leader maybe 5-8 seconds ahead, until a little past the two-mile mark. I left the pack pretty easily at that point, and kept the leader in sight. I had no idea of the course, and didn't want to do anything stupid. There were a few small up and downs, we were basically running laps of this housing development. We got to an intersection and the route took a right, heading back downhill toward where we could see the finish. It's a steep finish onto a park that's out on a point, and totally logical that the hill would just continue straight ahead to the chute. So I figured to go for it and make a run at the kid. The problem was that at the base of the steep downhill there was an arrow pointing back up another small hill to the right. They had to tag an extra 600m or so on to the race, and sent everybody around another small loop. That kind of killed some momentum, I slogged up the hill and then got into rhythm again. But I had lost a few steps on the leader, and couldn't get the kick back over the last 300m to catch him. Ended up 11 seconds back, 19:00 overall.

Not too bad considering I ran without a watch or any knowledge of the course, and without the intent to do anything but a few tempo miles. And the lousy weather. So it was a good time. The kid ahead of me turned out to be a 9th grader, and the guy behind me was 15. I was standing by the board and this group of high school kids was reading the results, and one goes "That old guy took second." Ouch. Half mile cool down and that was it, the weather was awful and I have 15 on trails planned for tomorrow.

Craziest race I've ever run this morning. Mike, Brian and I went up early to the North Kitsap OPG logging trails, where the Poulsbo Running people put on their trail race series. This is the first one of the year, it's a 25k fundraiser for a food bank (so it's free). You just park your car on the side of the road, sign in on a sheet, take off with everybody else (the start is a guy saying 'Um, alright, let's go') and record your own time when you finish. If you want, do another lap for 50k. So pretty relaxed. The great thing about those trails (in a way) is that they just wind all around, from gravel roads to dirt paths to technical single-track. And every Roots Rock course is different, so you don't really know the course. They mark turns with flour and orange ties on the trees. 

So we take off in a pretty decent rain at 7:30, when it's still kind of dark. Kind of a nasty way to start Sunday morning. By mile two the rain is real light snow, which was kind of peaceful and not as bad for the footing. By 40 minutes in the snow was heavy, huge flakes in our faces, and it didn't let up at all. We were just sloshing through the course, hoping not to miss the turns. Mike and I were a few back of the leaders and just watching their footprints to see where to go. It was an adventure, especially the uphill portions (and there were a lot in the first 2/3 of the course, pretty much solid up and down).

At the 1:40 mark I was feeling good, and we could see two guys ahead on long stretches. I had a gu and left Mike to go after those guys, not quite knowing how many miles we had left. I caught the first guy pretty quickly, then the other guy five minutes later. After that I could only see one set of footprints, but the snow was a good 3 inches deep everywhere, and the rutted parts of trail were swamps. But the course was on a little plateau by then, and had flattened out. Even though I was cold my legs felt outstanding, and I still had plenty of energy. I started to pour it on a bit more, sensing the finish. I ended up taking one wrong turn (noticed when there were no more footprints), which luckily met up with the correct route. The race director took the same mistake (huh?) and told me we ran an extra 100m or so. The guy behind gained a bit of ground, so that inspired me to hammer in the last 800m or so. Came in at a pretty good clip, felt great but soaked and cold. I figured I was second, but two guys had signed the book. One guy really was flying, 1:48. The other was four minutes ahead of me. Grabbed a cup of coffee, cookie and lukewarm bowl of soup, then ran to the truck to change into dry clothes. I couldn't feel my right middle finger for 45 minutes after the race, I think that might be a problem. It was the weirdest race finish, no one waited around at all. People hit the finish, wrote their time, caught their breath for 15 seconds and split. It was dumping snow by then, and everyone was getting out of there. Cool down was sitting in the truck waiting for the other guys, and walking into Starbucks. Naturally, the sun is out now and the snow's melted away. Great timing for those two races this weekend, I hope the weather gods notice my dedication. I'm taking tomorrow off and sleeping in. 2:04:59 total.

pearl izumi trail

Just an easy three miles on the treadmill. I didn't eat dinner last night after a long, rough day at work, and just didn't have anything in me this morning. So I stretched my legs out and called it quits. I'll try to rest up for tomorrow and get a better run in. 24:00

Finally a weekly workout, and I did it at the Y so I could watch basketball mid-day. 1.5 warm up at 7:53 pace, then 3 miles of tinman tempo (6:58). Then 1 mile cool down at 7:45. Felt really good. I could have kept up the tempo at least another mile, which is a positive sign for this time of the year. 

supernova red --  351

I worked until 12:15 a.m. this morning, a 15-hour Friday (though I snuck home for two hours in the after learning how late I'd be staying there, to at least give my feeble brain a rest). So I was glad that Mike wanted to skip the early Slug run and meet this group in Silverdale at 7:30 (what a concept, leave when the sun has come up). It was a cold morning, really foggy at my house but clear up there on Dyes Inlet. 30 degrees at the start but we chanced it and dressed lightly, and it warmed up once the sun was up. 

We took the Clear Creek Trial out to Trigger Avenue, then crossed Highway 3. I usually loop back on the trail. From Trigger we went toward the Bangor gate, then hung a left on Clear Creek Road and turned south. There's a decent little hill right at the turn, then you cruise mostly downhill. We went past Anderson and Newberry, dropped this other guy off at Newberry, then turned again at El Dorado and came back to the Silverdale Waterfront on Silverdale Way. Traffic was picking up by then, it was nice to be done. 

Different people in that group estimated the distance between 10.3 to 10.6, so I'm not totally sure. No mile markers. We ran for 1:19:00, which would be 7:31 miles (assuming it's 10.5, which is my best estimate). The one mile that we could clock on the course was 7:15 (at about the halfway point), so I'm not sure where the slow miles would have been. It felt consistent, and Mike and I usually run faster than 7:30s. Felt pretty good, I was kind of sluggish from work but my legs were alright until closer to the end. Good mileage week, finally up over 30, which makes up for the past two. I'll stay above that for a few weeks and creep towards 40/50 as the marathon gets closer.

supernova red -- 361

Stayed the night in Seattle Saturday so I could get up and run the Burke-Gilman Trail (among other things I needed to do). Nice out-and-back to Matthews Beach Park, I ran on the soft side trail to the asphalt path, which was nice on the legs. Felt really relaxed and loose for a morning run. Nicer weather than I expected, no rain and fairly warm for this time of year. Kept a steady, easy pace and just enjoyed the morning. 58:46

supernova red -- 

Five easy morning miles at the Y, I'm real sluggish this week. Too much work right now. 39:40. 

supernova red -- 374

Quick post-work run at the Y, watching some NCAAs. Getting to work early to spend 11 hours in a chair isn't the best run prep, but it does make the miles enjoyable as an outlet. Nothing fast, 7:50 miles or so. 33:30. 

supernova red --  378

Long run with Mike on Beach Drive. The best part of the morning was that it wasn't raining at 6 a.m. (90 percent chance today). At the start we hoped it would hold off until at least the mid-way point, which it did. But when the rain came, it really came. Soaked to the skin by the end. 

We paced fairly well today, hit between 7:20 and 7:40 miles most of the way out. Only one outlier under 7, though the last few were 7:05 to 7:10 (I think we just wanted to be done by then). I'd still like the long distance weekend runs to be a touch slower, especially as we close in on 20 miles.

Legs were a little heavy by the end, but nothing hurts or is giving me too much trouble. Definitely faster than the long trails run two weeks ago. 2:05:00.

supernova red -- 394

Morning miles at the Y, my right knee had a little twinge in it last night, but no problems this morning. Time for new shoes though, my feet are talking to me a bit. Two at 8:00/mile, then three at 7:45. 39:25

supernova red -- 399