Where's the Donuts?

Beautiful cloudy and cool morning here, this is more like a Seattle summer. I changed my schedule to start a little later on Tuesdays, so I have more time for longer runs. I went out past Lions Park on Tracyton Beach Road, went to Essex and up the dead end road there, then back with a little detour through the park. Felt good though I was tired by the last mile, in a good way. The foot is the foot, about the same dull pain at the start then nothing, and I'm icing, etc. again now. I'm shoe shopping this weekend, maybe that'll make a difference. I watched Paul's WBR video last night and I'm definitely more motivated for NWP now, I think that'll get me in gear for the next few weeks.

supernova -- 374

Morning run on the 11th-Shore loop. I felt a little sluggish and tight, but with the hills on this route it's pretty normal for my legs to feel heavy starting out some days. I didn't push the pace. A little foot pain, but more in the heel. Again, nothing serious, but it's there. Going shoe shopping with my day off tomorrow, maybe that will help. 36:33. 

pearl izumi trail 

Slept in a bit for the holiday and then did the Warren-Manette Bridge loop backwards. That means the longer climb up the Warren Bridge, but it felt alright and I took it easy. Warm out though, humid. Didn't feel the foot much, that may have been because I spent an hour doing errands and puttering around, so I didn't go out cold. Still, it felt nice to be pain-free, at least for a day. Not as long as I had originally planned because I got the late start, but with a good run tomorrow it'll be my best week in awhile. Finally getting back to where I should be. 36:22. 

supernova -- 379 

Slight change from my usual Saturday schedule, but there's some method to it. I got to bed real late last night after spending the day in Seattle and watching fireworks from the ferry home, and slept fitfully because fireworks are legal here in Kitsap County and it's like Baghdad the early hours of July 5. Since I had to work a few hours this morning and then judge a mustache contest (yeah, you read that correctly -- my profile photo shows my credentials) I decided to sleep in and skip the Slug run. So tonight I did 6 miles to Illahee State Park and back, it's the hilliest route I have and was pretty warm by evening. Run went fine though I labored a bit (ate tortilla chips before leaving --dumb), but I didn't notice any foot pain. I'll get up tomorrow and do a morning run, kind of a Ragnar simulator I'll try a few times before the race. It won't be the same turnaround as two Ragnar legs, but I'll see how I feel on less rest than usual. 45:07.

supernova -- 385

I was a little sluggish this morning coming off the evening run, but took it easy and didn't run far. Wound through Manette for awhile, no route, headed back knowing it wouldn't be many miles. I may be rounding up to call it 3.5. I ended up at Manette Park and did 6x100 striders on a nice grassy field, been awhile since I've stretched my legs like that. But a good run, I'll do that Ragnar simulator exercise a few more times before the race, I think it might help teach my legs something. 25:26. 

pearl izumi trail 

Morning run on the usual 11th-Shore loop. Really nice outside, good medium pace. Nothing to report on the foot, very slight irritation mid-run. Stretched my legs out some on the way home because I was rushing to the bathroom. 36:08. 

pearl izumi trail 

Another beautiful cool and bright morning to run, I hope this holds until NWP. I did the Lions Park-Warren-Manette bridge loop, realizing in the park that I had turned too early. My brain was on cruise control. So I rambled a few other streets on the way back, little extensions in Manette to bring the run up to 7 miles. Legs felt good and I stretched them out in a few places, but no sustained up-tempo. It feels a little late to do much tempo training before Ragnar, probably some more striders over the next two weeks are my best bet at this point. My left heel was a little sore to start, but no big problems and didn't get worse. Good start to the week so far. 52:05

supernova -- 392

Skipped the morning run because I was planning to play hoops at lunch. I suppose it's a cross-training workout, but really I just felt like playing ball and didn't want to be worn out. I got in about 40 minutes of stop-and-go running with my heart rate up, so it's worth blogging. 

The highlight (depending on how you look at it) was this: A guy named Marvin Williams is from my town. He plays in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks, and apparently has nothing better to do in July than come home and play pick-up basketball. On one play a guy on my team drove baseline, pulling the guy guarding me and Marvin to double. I cut through the key and he passed to me, but me, not thinking about how quick a 6-9 NBA power forward and move four feet, tried to go to the rim. Marvin didn't think so. So I got swatted by an NBA player, my new claim to infamy.

With that, back to running.

I wanted to do another little Ragnar simulator, so saved my run until evening (to be followed by the Slug run early Saturday). I had planned for 5, but worked 30 minutes longer than I had hoped and I had to squeeze it in before they showed Top Gun on a roof in downtown Bremerton (couldn't miss that). So I sped through 3 miles in Manette, showered and got back downtown. The run was at about 8 p.m., I kept a good pace but nothing that could be called uptempo. Felt great after a long day at work, I remembered that when I lived in Chicago running late night on Fridays was the norm (1. because it's too hot in the summer to run any other times, and b. I was a loser with no better plans. Like watching Top Gun.). 22:05.

pearl izumi trail 

Early morning run on Beach Drive with Slug Club. They are ready for Ragnar, one woman is even sewing a commemorative patch for the team members. It was a great morning, cool and bright. I ran the first two then picked Mike up, but he just ran one or so with me and went back to meet another guy. I ended up taking off soon after I left him, I was feeling it and just went with the tempo for eight miles (Mike and Ernie would never have approved of this pace). Turned into a really good workout, the fastest consecutive miles I've run in awhile. And I was really comfortable once the pace sped up, no pain whatsoever in my left plantar or heel. The course is pretty true also, no big hills to aid those mile splits. I eased up on the last mile, about three miles from the finish there was an inkling in my brain to stretch the workout into a half-marathon and try to run sub-1:25. That would have been a bit much. 

Here's the splits: 14:08 (first two); 7:23; 6:54; 6:55; 6:55; 6:49; 6:41; 6:26; 6:08; 6:36; 7:01.

The 6:08 required some extra effort and I was trying to push, but other than that the sub-6:50 miles came very easily, which really encourages me heading toward Ragnar. I didn't feel any sluggishness from last night's run, though I did have 9 hours rest. That's less than usual though, so maybe it helps a bit. Anyway, a great running day. 1:22 total.

pearl izumi trail  

I was a little cooked from Saturday's workout and my hamstrings asked for Sunday off. I gave it to them. This morning I ran easy on the 11th-Shore route, five miles in a bit longer than usual. I even ran the last 200m with a card table in my hand (it was on the corner with a 'Free' sign taped to it. The sign might have meant the stuff once on the table was free. But I have a new card table, and the neighbors might have learned a lesson about sign placement.) The run felt good though, by the end I was all loosened up and running free. No foot pain to speak of. 37:16.

pearl izumi trail  

Eight miles, Tracyton Beach Road through Lions Park, to the curve before Essex and back. I was pretty sluggish getting going and my left ankle was achy and stiff (weird) so the run out was slow (29:57). I picked it up a bit on the way back, got into a groove and worked some up the hills. 28:24 for the return. 58:22 overall, about 7:15/mile. 

pearl izumi trail 

11th-Shore Drive loop, cloudy morning. Easy-to-medium pace, a little soreness in the foot at times. Felt strong. 36:09. 

pearl izumi trail  

New shoe day! 

I waited until later in the day to run, just to keep my body guessing as I do whatever final prep for Ragnar is left. I didn't go real long since miles today won't make a difference next Saturday, but I figured changing up times can't hurt, maybe that'll help prepare for the strange schedule of Fri.-Sat.

Anyway, I was in Seattle so I hit the Burke-Gilman Trail around 8 p.m. I did a little more than a mile at an easy pace, then must have had some steam to blow off because I took off and was feeling it. Three tinman miles (6:30) and it felt great to get my legs going and push myself. I hit the 4-mile mark or so (I ran for 28 minutes; the mile markers were inconsistent) then turned around, soaked in sweat on a warm night. I eased up a bit on the way back, just enjoyed the evening. I had shed whatever pent-up energy needed to get out, and that felt good. I spent time focusing on Ragnar, thinking about the legs and what's in store (at least as much as you can visualize that thing). Returned in just under 30 minutes, then went and ate a calzone. 57:30.

supernova -- 8

Five on the Warren-Manette bridge loop. I ran slowly to test my leg and see how it was feeling. Sunday night at softball I slid in the dirt and tore up my right hip a bit, then that night it swelled up and was really, really painful and tender all around my upper leg. (And we lost the softball game.) Monday morning I was limping around. After ice and soaking it with peroxide it's calmed down, and just stung on the run more than anything. An annoyance, but nothing structural to worry about. In any case I ran pretty easy, just getting a few last runs in before Ragnar.  37:50. 

supernova red -- 13 

11th-Shore loop, I ran it at a fairly good pace (sub-7). Just wanted to get some brisk miles in as a Ragnar taper, and they felt good. I'll run about the same tomorrow and maybe a few miles Friday morning as the last prep. Ready to run though. We've had cool mornings the past few days, cloudy and around 55 then warming up into the 70s by afternoon. If it holds that'll make those last legs a little more comfortable Saturday morning.

supernova red -- 18 

Ragnar leg 1: I rushed out of work Friday afternoon, caught the 5:30 p.m. ferry and drove north on I-5. Not the ideal way to prepare, but after hearing that most of the team had been up since 4 a.m. catching planes, I didn't feel so bad. No traffic, and I arrived in Edison at exchange 11 about 30 minutes before Andy arrived for the handoff. Enough time to dress and jog around to get a little warm and meet my new teammates. I took the baton from Andy as the sun was getting dim and took off on a really flat route surrounded by fields. Real quiet, no traffic and long straightaways. It took four miles or so to get into a groove; sitting at a desk and then in a car all day didn't help loosen my up and I wasn't in a groove. I passed one team on that stretch, a women's ultra. But that was it, kind of a lonely road in a real rural area. I didn't want to push too much too early but I hit the first hill (at 4 miles) and started to feel comfortable. I charged up that one and hit some rollers, started passing teams. The slight downhills were great and I was able to stretch my legs. A few little up and downs and I was moving, caught two guys with under a mile and hit Padilla Bay feeling great. Perfect temperature. Handed to Dale right at dusk and walked away from the first leg ready for more. By my watch it was 6.6 miles in 42 even (I think, whoever has the bible can correct that), about 6:21 per mile.

Ragnar leg two: After my hand-off I directed the van into Mount Vernon, where I grew up. Here's where being a local paid off: I knew where Denny's was. We skipped sleep, Mark and Craig grabbed some food there, I jogged five minutes in a parking lot then stuffed a bunch of snacks down my throat and we drove out to the major exchange. I dozed for 20 minutes on the grass until van 1 showed up. My leg picked up at Washington Park in Anacortes. After Andy and Craig ran long legs in this set Mark and I both pulled doubles. When Mark handed it to me we had stretched out under our prediction again, so things were going well. It had cooled down but was warm enough for short sleeves. The double of 23-24 put together a very hilly 6.3-mile leg with a 3.6-mile leg that was mostly downhill. I started 23 knowing it would be the bear of my race, so I pulled a little mental trick and ran blind, no looking at the watch. I didn't want to focus too much on "how much longer," at least that was the theory. I tried to maintain a solid pace up the hills, since there were a few major ones to start the leg. Again, I felt really strong on them and was passing a lot of teams (This was my training -- and where my house happens to be located -- finally coming through. I run hills every day, I have no choice.) I must have went by 20 teams this leg. There were some lonely parts though, which were exhilirating in a way. Middle of the night, trees so tall and near the road I couldn't see the moon, and just bombing along the downhills with no teams or cars in sight. It kept my mind busy, although the drivers using their brights on a skinny road gave me something else to think about. Jerks. I worked a few more hills, then with what I though was 1.5 to go glanced at the watch. I was right on target and still feeling pretty strong. I went through the exchange in good spirits -- and good time, 42:30 for a tough 6.3 (6:42) -- actually kind of excited to ultra the leg. One more climb and I was at Deception Pass, with the downhill lurking. I was smelling it. The bridge was tricky, it's a tight running path up really high, you're right on the edge of the bridge. I looked right at the start and almost lost my balance, really weird. I had to slow my stride down because the sidewalk was really inconsistent with little step-downs and slight turns, didn't want to sprain an ankle. But it was good -- when else will I run that thing at 3 a.m. and not be on LSD? (I'm kidding.) When I stepped off the bridge I got going again. I was pulling runners in pretty fast at that point, which had me jazzed and pulled me to the finish. There was a small hand-off snafu (see Dale's entry) but it only cost us a few seconds. 22:38 by my watch for 3.6 (6:17) . I was glad to be done, but fairly pumped for 3 a.m. or whatever. Total for the leg was 65:08, about 6:35.

Ragnar leg three:  We drove to Coupeville, the exchange was at the high school. I showered and the other guys crashed. When I was showering the fire alarm went off. Awesome. Since it's 4 a.m. there's no janitor there to turn it off (or firefighter, I suppose, if something was burning) so the thing blared for like 20 minutes. The four of us left and were driving to a quiet field when the alarm shut off. So we went back in and got about an hour and a half of sleep. Woke up to the sunrise, I drank a little coffee and ate a granola bar and then Andy took off on our last set. The last legs were nice, we had some good scenic stopping places. But people were feeling worn down. Andy doubled again and took 35 so I could just focus on the last one. I appreciated that. I got the baton after we'd watched two teams go through the exchange, we figured there were four ahead of us. I started off quickly, trying to pour it on for the last four miles. I was moving alright but could feel the fatigue. There was a hill from 1-2 miles and I did my best to keep the pace up. I passed a girl headed up, which helped for a little confidence boost. At the crest I knew I was within 2.5 and tried to get a good clip going. The downhill was very slight, but it helped. I caught the other guy with 1.5 left or so and moved past him. I was pretty cooked and just trying to stick the pace. I got into Langley and looked at my watch, hoping I could get 28 minutes for the leg. I thought I had it, but that last hill (starts at the 4 mile mark) was a pretty steady climb and I just couldn't hurry up it, the incline lasts until the chute. I was pushing for that finish line and was really, really excited to see the guys waiting. Got under 30 minutes for the leg (29:30/6:42 pace) which was good enough at that point.

Overall, Ragnar NWP was a wonderful time. Different than other Ragnars I've run but with some other benefits like a moderate overnight temperature and some beautiful hilly and wooded terrain that was fun to run through. And great teammates, in the end I think we enjoyed the challenge of running short a few people. Makes it memorable. We were a little disappointed when the ultra team showed up just before noon to knock us into second, but we got over it pretty quickly. It would be cool to have the first place, but I'll take what we did with the guys we did it with. I figure I ran about 2:16 total for 20.9 miles, a 6:32 pace overall, and I'm excited about that. I feel great today and my legs aren't sore at all, 11 hours of sleep last night and two great meals -- Mexican food in Mount Vernon on the way back and breakfast with Cody today -- took care of that. So that's it.

Nice and easy run on the 11th-Shore loop. My brother's in town and he helped keep the pace restrained. My legs felt fine, maybe a little tired but not sore. Muggy outside though, we caught a break with the weekend's weather. 39:16.

supernova red -- 43