Where's the Donuts?

Ended up with a light week, which after two big weekends (half and a 19-miler) might have been alright. I was in Seattle, ran the Burke Gilman Trail on a warm, cloudy morning. Sluggish and heavy legs on the way out, but got into a bit of a rhythm headed back in. 57:04. 

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Since it was pouring Saturday night I made the Babcock Farms race a game-time decision. It's the first 'official'  race in the Roots Rock Trail Series circuit, connected with the 25k I did in March. But the sun was out in the morning so I headed up. 

Small crowd again, maybe 50 people. Sunday mornings just don't draw a big crowd, which is too bad because these races are well-run and use a beautiful forest. This one starts one road down from Port Gamble, by the Hood Canal Nursery. Someone forgot to unlock a cow gate, so the start had to be moved up about 200 meters. Didn't want to turn the beginning of the race into a steeplechase, I guess. 

Because of the altered start, we basically began at the base of a hill. So it was straight uphill, a pretty steep 400m or so through a grassy field. Then you wind through the backside of a farm, like an English style cross country course. Ups and downs, little ravines, etc. I was the third guy up the hill, and stayed there through the farm and into the woods. In the woods I stayed on the tail of a guy I've raced before. I was pushing him until the first single-track loop, where he missed the turn. I yelled at him and thought he followed me and another guy who had caught up. I led through that single track section, which was a blast. The other guy took over for me after we came back out on the road, and he led through the second single track section, which was mainly downhill. We were screaming through tight little turns and dips, jumping logs, etc. Pretty fun, but ankle-twisting territory. Still, we had a pretty quick pace going, I wanted to make sure to stay until 6/minute miles.

Then the race emerges back onto the logging roads toward the finish. The guy leading me made a great racing move on a big downhill. There's a long curve on the hill, and as soon as he stretched out a 20-25m lead he put on a big surge. So I was near him and tried to freewheel and keep up a good pace, thinking I'd still be there all the way down the hill. But when the road straighted again he was up 100m or so. Nice surge when I couldn't see, and after the race he told me that was his plan.

So he was a little farther ahead than I could go for at that point, but I kept a good pace to hold off what I thought was the guy we left at the single track. He never caught up, then at the end claimed he got lost (while insinuating he definitely would have been in second place. (C'mon guy, learn to follow the course.)

So I took third, which I was pretty happy with. It'll be a good start if I do the series. 29:21 overall, though it was about 200m short. So right around 30 minutes, which his what I wanted. And considering the big hill at the start and the windy route, that's pretty good.

One mile warmup and one mile plus cooldown.

pearl izumi trail

Real rainy week so far. Instead of running yesterday morning I was pumping water out of the basement. No floods today, so I went up to the YMCA for five on the treadmill. 7:40 pace. After the race Sunday my left achilles was bothering me, kind of stiffened up. I worked on it during the afternoon, massaging and stretching, and it hadn't bothered me since. A little sore today after the fourth mile, so something to watch. 39:00. 

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Calm morning for the Slugs, just about everyone did the same five mile route to Waterman Dock and back. It was a beautiful morning, mountains out and the sun off the water with the tide going out, and we ran slowly in small groups and then had a good breakfast meeting. Just felt like a break that everyone needed. I sure did, this week was wildly out of control at work and my running suffered for it. So today was to clear my head, relax, take some stress off my body. Good day to turn thing around. 38:00

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I'm bound and determined to have a good consistent week of running, whatever work and my schedule throws at me (which is a trip to LA Thursday night, meaning I'll be distracted all weekend). So I was glad Mike wanted to get a good start on the week and head out early this sunny morning (plus, it's supposed to rain the rest of the week). (Well, except in LA.) 

We met up at Evergreen-Rotary Park, which is about 1.5 from each of our houses. From there up the Warren Ave. bridge, then down and around Lions Park. Back on Old Wheaton Way to the Manette Bridge, crossed and back to the park. We split up there, and I went back over the Manette Bridge (third time, for anyone counting) and home. Easy start but, like we do when not paying attention, ended up at a good clip near 7/min miles. Felt good, though I had to rush to get to church and didn't stretch much. So my hamstrings were kind of tight at softball tonight, but jogging around in the outfield helped. We lost the softball game, and let's just say I didn't waste much energy running around the bases. 58:00

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YMCA in the morning, five on the treadmill. Cruised right through at 7:40, in the zone for a Monday. 38:55

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Quick morning run on the Y treadmill. I felt really strong today, which is odd since I've been at work 12 hours each of the past two days. I thought I'd be slogging it out. But I cruised along, 7:40 down to 7:30 pace. Which isn't that fast, but feels quick indoors for some reason.

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Vacation day today (which means I went in and worked for 1.5 hours, of course) so I did a mid-morning workout. Rained pretty hard overnight, so I was glad to let that pass and head out when there was no more than a mist in the air. 

Headed out toward Tracyton Beach Road, pretty tight and tired those first two miles. Legs just felt heavy getting going, although the warmup pace was pretty good (7:20, but that was probably the morning's coffee talking). Hit the bridge on Lebo and started the usual Tinman course. First mile was fast (always is, with the downhill), at 5:40, then hit 6:06, 6:03, 6:08. The third mile was the toughest, oxygen debt started about then. But I was pleased with the strong finish, and actually felt pretty light by the last half mile.

Three mile cool down back to the house, went via Shore Drive and the little 100-foot trail that's become a nice little moment of Zen on that repetative run. For feeling so behind on speedwork training, it was a good run. Six weeks until the marathon (and Paul is coming up now, hurrah!), so hopefully I have time for a few more meaningful workouts like this one. Now I drive to the airport and fly to LA, where it's 90 and I'll melt if I head out. Plus my friends there want to play golf. Golf. Maybe I'll do intervals to where I hit my ball out of bounds. Now that will be a workout! 1:01:38

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Early morning run in the hot, smoggy suburb of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. My friend Brian lives at the base of a mountain range, essentially, in a sprawling housing development. So I just went out and ran around the streets, creeping up the neighborhood to the top. Up there are empty lots and you can look out across the haze. It was all really surreal. But a nice morning run, I didn't take it too hard because it was uphill and hot out (even at 7 a.m.), which I'm not used to. Would turn out to be the only run of the trip. 30 minutes or so. 

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Whew, a busy, hot trip to Calif. followed by a few long days at work. I was sapped, and got lazy for a few days. So now I'm back. 

Five on the 11th-Shore Drive route, on a sunny, pleasant evening. No watch (because I've misplaced it).

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After a disappointing week for running, despite the good weather, I hauled myself up early to hit Beach Drive. I started alone, Mike ran a marathon last weekend and didn't need another long run. Beautiful dawn before 6 a.m. 

Still haven't found the watch, so I was running blank. Started out at what felt comfortable, but the pace was quicker than what I'd call easy, I knew that much. Mike met me at mile 5 and we went out to Manchester (mile 8) together and then back to his truck. We started hitting 7/min miles, so there was almost a workout portion to the run. Felt alright though, other than being a little stiff. After I finished I was really stiff, didn't stretch much this week and I felt it. A lot of time in an office chair as well.

Decent end to the week, but that was one I won't get back and I felt like I dropped the ball with only six weeks before Seattle RnR. The day off Monday hopefully means I can get the miles up next week, and I'll do 18 and then 20 the next two Saturdays.

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Holiday morning run, I met Mike at Evergreen Park around 8, which is nice because the park is between our houses and 8 a.m. means some sleeping in. It was still overcast, perfect way to start what is becoming a sunny day. It's about two miles from my house, probably a bit farther from his but not much. 

We ran from the park through downtown to the new shipyard park and the marina, then out on the breakwater. The marina is packed full of boats for a festival, so it was cool to run through. Then back through downtown on Washington, across the Manette Bridge and up to Warren. Back down Warren to the park, then we parted ways.

We tried to take it slow, Saturday's pace plus working in the yard all day yesterday had me pooped. I'm a little stiff also, haven't been stretching well. But everything is in order otherwise. 

Now, back to my regularly scheduled yardwork.

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Evening run, decent pace on the old 11th-Shore loop. Windy night out, but otherwise really pleasant. Still no watch, it's time to go shopping. 

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Morning run on the Warren-Manette bridges loop. Beautiful and sunny outside, light traffic until I hit the Manette bridge. Legs felt good, kept a decent pace throughout and just stretched out my legs. An extended stretching period Tuesday night and a day off yesterday helped, I felt more relaxed than I have in a few weeks. A great morning to be up and running. Would be a better morning if I was going to watch the state track meet instead of work, but I'll survive. 

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What a morning, we just don't get enough of these. On a day like today there aren't many better runs than the Beach Drive route. Sun rising over the water and reflecting off the inlet, some shady spots in the cedars, a clear view of Seattle's skyline from Manchester, and a bathroom convienently located at mile 11. I met Mike around mile 3, he did 12. We held a little better pace than a week ago, more in the 7:15-7:20 range, with just one at 7. We were both tired by mile 12 or so, nothing hurts but I felt more worn down than I expected. But I finished strong, legs feel healthy but pretty stiff. 

Marathon is four weeks from today, so I'm more or less on track with where I should be. We'll do 20 next Saturday and maybe the following week as well, and look for two solid weeks here before tapering a bit. If the weather holds, shouldn't be a problem. We talked about setting a pace for 3:05-3:10, since it doesn't look like an easy course. I think that's realistic, Mike had some trouble in his marathon three weeks ago so I don't want to get overly ambitious.  

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I must have still had the adrenaline going when I wrote yesterday's entry on those 18 miles. A few hours later I was zonked, crashed for a few hours before struggling through a lawn mowing, and it took me until evening to feel like I had some energy again. 

Woke up today pretty sore in the legs, and went out for four miles on the Burke Gilman trail and bird sanctuary near UW. I cut it back from my usual five-mile route, and tried to really take it slow. Stretching felt great, and hopefully tomorrow I'm more up to speed. 

Also, I went and bought a new watch.

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