Where's the Donuts?

Hot night at Jaguars practice. After the kids finished a quick workout, I ran a mile warm up then 3x800 at 2:40, 2:46, 2:48 w/400 easy between each. Probably faster than I needed but it felt good to push a little, though it was hot enough that 3 felt like plenty. Then an easy 800 cool down. 

Easy morning run on the Warren-Manette bridge loop. My hanstrings were sore from Friday and then yardwork on Saturday. Trying to get myself back into a rhythm now. I'd like to run the Whaling Days 4 mile race, and maybe the Port Gamble trails half in August. 

AM -- Y basketball, 3-on-3

PM -- 8 mi. bike ride out Tracyton Beach Road 

Easy evening run around Manette on a night that wasn't quite so hot. 21:40

lus a bicycle ride to work and back today. 

Warm evening, haze in the air from all the forest fires on the Olympic Peninsula. After Jaguars practice at the track, ran a mile warm up then a 2-mile tempo (6:06 and 6:04), then a 800m cool down. Probably had enough to do one more tempo mile, I'll bump it to that next week. But I needed to get over to the driving range, it was time to hit some golf balls! 

In Portland for the USATF Junior Olympic Regional meet, found a trail system near my hotel for a morning run. 30:30 

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3-on-3 basketball at the Y.

Ran with the kids at the track, late practice this evening. 800m warmup, then 8x400m, everywhere from 1:07 to 1:15 or so. Actually felt pretty easy, then we wrapped up and I wasted time talking to people instead of adding a few or a good cool down. 

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Illahee Preserve after work, warm evening. I ran into Simon, a guy I see up there occasionally, so we ran together just about the whole time. He wanted to go slow but we got talking a zipped along at a pretty good clip. Good to catch up and I'm going to try and run with him more often, he just moved into my neighborhood. 35:40 

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Easy run on Warren-Manette bridge loop, felt a little winded on teh last mile even. Tightness in the left hamstring. 37:00 

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Illahee Preserve, just about the same loop as Thursday. 35:04 

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After Jaguars practice (just three kids left, who qualifed for USATF nationals), I ran an easy mile, then 2x1 mile (5:30, 5:44) with a 400m jog between, then another easy mile. Really warm again, in the 80s. Left hamstring didn't bother me much at all. 

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Illahee Preserve, very quiet and peaceful in there today. The new usual double loop, from Thompson parking lot/Spotted Doe. 37:10 

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Easy run around Manette after a needed rainstorm. Pretty muggy. 23:07

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Finally back at Whale of a Run after a few years being out of town. This is probably the most competative local race, at least for the faster distances. My only goal was to run sub-6 miles, I knew there would be a few other guys I know in my age group. 

Cool morning with some light mist, which was nice. Parked at CKJH for a 1.5-mile warm up, registered and ran into Simon. The start came really quick, which was nice, though they moved the start line up on Silverdale Way (making the last mile *feel* longer because you had to run farther to finish). 

Went out behind the group of CKHS XC runners, who always dominate this run. There were a few other local XC runners and guys a year or two out of high school, plus a younger African guy who looked fast. I didn't need to keep up with them, and ran the first mile with Simon and another guy our age in 5:55. Felt really nice and easy, maybe a little too easy. 

I backed off a bit on the uphill mile, let Simon open up a 20-yard lead or so, and passed a few high school kids on Newberry Hill. I really hammered coming off the hill, which felt good, and tried to push until the 2-mile marker on Provost. I caught Simon right before that marker and pushed right past, 6:35.

I knew then the sub-6 average was in trouble, so I focused on the third mile. I felt really strong at that point and it wasn't too much to surge, and I gained ground on a few other runners heading into the final hill, for a 5:40. 

I more or less held my ground down Anderson Hill, couldn't make up much distance on the two guys in front of me before the turn back on to Silverdale Way. It's a long straight stretch to finish, and I knew the guy ahead of me was hurting (he kept looking back). I focused more on the finish chute and tried to just stay consistent throught there, and I don't think my head was in it to catch someone. It turns out I lost to the age group winner by 2 seconds; I had no idea I closed that much along Silverdale Way. I was kind of in my own world looking at the finish line instead of watching his back. The mile was a 5:43, so I hit my goal of sub-6 miles and finished 15th overall in a competative race. But I would have liked to win among the guys in their 30s. Shoot. 

Fun day though. A few Jaguars ran so I went back and cheered them in, then Simon and I did a cool down on Silverdale Way and then I got a drink and as it really started to rain I ran up Anderson Hill to the final Jaguars practice of the season. Those kids were impressed by my race, so I suppose it's a win overall. And very importantly, my left hamstring didn't tighten up or bother me at all, so perhaps that's improving as well. 

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a.m. basketball, 3s. 

Evening run around Manette, Shore Drive loop plus a bit up in the neighborhood. 36:01 

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