Where's the Donuts?

11th-Shore Drive loop, legs felt very heavy. But I'm healthy and just capped off a really good February, so I'll take the fatigue as a good sign. 34:53

supernova glide blue -- 454

Long run on Beach Drive, Mike and I went out to Manchester and back. A pretty warm morning actually, in the 50s, though there was a good headwind on the return. We saw Doug out around mile 6 and stopped to chat for a bit, but otherwise kept a good pace, probably a little fast. Most miles were around 7:05. I didn't feel too bad, but Mike was complaining about dead legs the whole time. I had a gel, a Clif shot and one Enduralyte, and felt fine with that. We'll head to Green Mountain tomorrow and see how much energy is left for our last long trail run, two weeks until Chuckanut now. 2:01:12

supernova glide blue

Second half of the big weekend double, our last heavy work before Chuckanut. Mike and I and a new guy we met named John met at Wildcat Lake trailhead under partly clear skies and a nice morning sun. I was tired from yesterday because it turned into a long day without a nap, but my legs felt good to begin. 

We somehow lost John about 1.5 miles into the run. We tracked back, took the two partial trails he possibly could have split on to, but there was no sign of him. So we decided that he's a big boy, and took off for the horse camp. We ran the Beaver Pond loop, then split on to Plummer and took Gold Creek to the vista, running the opposite direction of the last time we did the loop. I felt good until we got to Gold Creek, it's a much longer uphill than I was expected and started to feel dead legs there (about 1:25 in). We walked part of that section, then ran through the slush after the interchange to the vista. Then we cruised down to Beaver Pond again and ran a good pace back in, picking up a second wind as we headed back. Mike fell in one puddle, but other than that we didn't get too soaked although the trails were pretty messy.

I'm feeling drilled now, but the back-to-back big days will be helpful. We replicated the race, more or less, and felt tired legs but ran good distance and pace after the fatigue started to hit. I took one shot block, two Clif gels and a few Enduralytes. When we finished today I was ready to be done, but not completely spent or gasping for energy. I figure that's a good sign. 2:55:00

brooks cascadia green

A little lazier taper than I planned this week, but I got back to it today. Monday was planned off, Tuesday snowed and then I worked 12 hours, then another 12 on Wednesday. Today the sun shone so I did an early morning 5 on the Warren-Manette bridge loop then stretched well. 35:42 

supernova glide 4 -- 5

Beach Drive with Mike, the rain held off enough to get the run in. Lots of Slugs on the course today, which is good to see. I ended up with a light week because of all the hours at work, but at least it was during taper. I head to New Orleans on Tuesday morning, and return the afternoon before Chuckanut. So maybe I'll get a few warm weather runs in next week as race prep. 59:57

supernova glide 4 -- 13

Four easy miles in the Illahee Preserve. Windy day but the trees provided nice cover. My legs were sluggish the first half, then seemed to relax and loosen up. 30:00

brooks cascadia red

I spent two and a half days in New Orleans but only managed one run (thank the corporate boys for scheduling meetings from 7:30 a.m. until 9, without breaks). But Wednesday morning I hauled myself up at 5:30 a.m. (3:30 to my West Coast body) and ran with a few Scripps co-workers. The city was eerily foggy that early, exactly what I expected from the Deep South. We ran along the edge of the French Quarter, then along the Mississippi, then on a main road through downtown to the Superdome. We were standing across the street and couldn't even see the thing through the fog. I really, really, really, really would have liked to run around more of that city.

But anyway, it turned out to be my last run before Chuckanut. I felt really good actually, but running 8:30 miles helps with that. If only the rest of the week was so restful. 

supernova glide

I didn't sleep more than seven hours any night of the week, spent Wednesday and Thursday more or less in a chair for 10 hours, drank too much hotel coffee, spent Friday in an airport/airplanes then touched base at home for an hour, picked Mike up and drove north for Chuckanut. I was exhausted before even putting my running shoes on. 

We woke up to driving rain, and knew we were in for it. We arrived at the start and things were a mess (not to mention that the new starting area was a mud pit). But I was in the first wave, and once we got on the Interurban Trail things were ok. (And we were nowhere near the leaders, that field took off quickly and I'm blown away at what some of those guys and girls ran in on a lousy course.)

The rain actually held off from that point on, though things were a mess. Mike and I ran conservatively through the first aid station at 10k, then got in a good pack for the second section around Fragrance Lake. Steady pace, a little walking on steep portions and mucking through wet parts, and we hit Cleator Road in pretty good shape and in a good mood.

That's where the snow started, of course. It snowed most of the run up Cleator and we walked more than I even have. That was partly to save energy and partly because footing was a struggle when the snow was piling up to one or two inches. I ran the ridge much stronger than a year ago, but we still weren't moving too quickly because the course was so muddy and slick, particularly the downhills.

Mike and I hooked up with a guy through Lost Lake who pulled the pace along, and I left Mike on the hill out of there. I hit the Chinscraper aid station feeling really good, actually. My splits were lagging, I knew, but I was proud to be "in control" at that point. No cramping, no problems with fueling, which brought me to my knees a year ago and I swore to avoid. I caught three or four people up Chinscraper and hooked in with a guy from Eugene for the 3-mile descent. We ran a good pace but I hit the bottom without too much quad damage, and thought I had an outside chance at 5 hours if I could get any sort of good pace on the 10k.

But that plan lasted a mile and I knew it wasn't in the cards. I could get moving but just couldn't sustain a pace close to 8 minutes. Nothing was broken, but the reserve just wasn't there. And I have to admit that when I realized 5 hours was out of the question I kind of lost it mentally and was lazy on the last 3 miles. I didn't fall apart or anything, but I knew I wasn't giving it everything I had. Oh well. After the week I had it was actually nice just to relax my mind and enjoy the running. Mike came in about 11 minutes after me, called me a rotten name for talking him into such a mistake, then four hours later he was my friend again.

So despite my slowest time and weather that could be a complaint, I actually wasn't too upset. Looking at the results now makes me a little sore because I see names I should have been with, but I ended the race happy. And I woke up the next day without anything harmed, or even much soreness. A few days off anyway, but that's as much to accommodate everything else that needs to be done after a week away.

So we'll see what's next, and whether I'll ever get back to my rookie Chuckanut time. I'll be back though, it's a habit now. Y'all bloggers from the warm parts of the country are welcome to experience a Pacific Northwest spring anytime, it's a joy. Just remember your jacket.

Beach Drive with Mike, wish we had this kind of a morning last Saturday. Little headwind on the way out, but sunny and dry. We ran faster than I thought we would have, but other than some soreness in my right glute/hamstring, I'm recovered. Feels good to get moving again. 58:28 

supernova glide 4 -- 26

Easy afternoon jog in the sun after mowing the lawn. Shore Drive. Slowly getting a start to the week. 22:30 

supernova glide 4 -- 29

Four on the treadmill at the Y. I was going to run after Jaguars practice, but a monsoon hit and I didn't feel like being soaked that thoroughly. So I went inside. 31:40

supernova glide 4

Another week got away from me; safe to say I'm well-rested. Mike and I planned on 12, decided on 8 when we arrived at Annapolis in a pre-dawn downpour, then changed again to 6 once we started running into a brutal headwind. We struggled today, it was absolutely lousy outside. But we did it. 50:40

 supernova glide blue 4 -- 39