Where's the Donuts?

Disappointing week for running, I let myself get too caught up in work pressure. But Friday visited my parents and got out for a run on the SVC trail. One loop, then out Francis Road to 30th and back through the new development. Legs felt fine and I could feel the stress melting out of my back and shoulders as I moved along. 35:00 

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Wet, wet day. I had planned on entering the Jingle Bell 5k in Port Orchard, but I got antsy for a longer run and it wouldn't have been a great day to try and run fast anyway (not to mention all the standing around at those things). So I went to Illahee, where it was just about empty, ran a few laps of the forest. Felt great. 47:00

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Rainy afternoon run, did the usual 3 on 11th-Shore Drive, then doubled back and went up Old Wheaton Way, up the hill toward Cascade Trail across Perry and Trenton. 31:00

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Post-work run at the Y. It's so rainy and wet and dark these days. Long days at work, so I'm glad to sneak in what I can. Left achilles a little tight afterward. 31:00 

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A little 21 at the Y, about 30 minutes, and then ran two miles on the indoor track. 

Easy one in the morning rain on 11th-Shore Drive. 

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Morning run, mild and wet. The rain was light to start, a little heavy by mile 7. Out and back on Lebo Boulevard to the sharp turn before Riddell. Ran a pretty good pace, hitting around 7:15 consistently, even with the hills. Exact same time out (29:00) and back (29:08). I should back that off a bit as I add miles to the Saturday runs, but it's encouraging that the pace came so easily. Legs felt good, a little tight in the left achilles to start but that was fine by the second mile. 58:08 

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Basketball in the a.m. I planned to run a bit afterward, but I tweaked my left knee. It didn't hurt much during the day, so I went back to the Y after work and ran three easy miles. 

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YMCA treadmill after work. Nice pace. 7:40s

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I went to Krissy Moehl's book signing over at 7 Hills Running in Seattle, and before the event there was a group run. Cold run in the dark with about 15 people. Ran from the shop to Discovery Park, then kind of a weird loop route that I'd never done (plus it was dark). I'm guessing it was around 5, maybe a bit longer, the pace was very comfortable and everyone stuck together. 

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Took a little rest on Thursday, I felt kind of stiff. Easy three in the rain this morning before work, 11th-Shore Drive. 

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I went to Seattle to run a race with my cousin Alicia on her birthday. Ended up a really nice morning, finally a day without rain, the sun peeked out a bit and it wasn't as cold as forecast (rather than 30, we got maybe 45). Seward is a nice park on the water, but the course was in the interior and protected from the wind. It was a three-lap route, with one mile of each lap on a wide, packed gravel trail that was flat and downhill. The second mile was muddy single track with sharp turns, several hill climbs and four or five logs that had to be jumped. I timed each lap, but obviously the first mile of each was much faster than the second. 

14:57 -- Started with a loop of the parking lot for the 0.2, then headed onto the trail. Went out behind the lead pack and stayed with that group until the single track, which was probably a little aggressive. Once the climbs started I backed off some, stuck with a group of four or so. 

14:36 -- Paced off two guys the whole way, one of whom passed me as the loop began. Felt ok but I wasn't a speed to pass. 

14:51 -- Picked off by one guy as the loop started, stayed just behind him and one other until the single-track. But there it got tricky, becasue the 4.2-mile racers and slow 10k runners were all over the course. So every 25 yards I was asking to pass someone, or getting hung up while the slower runner crawled over a log. I didn't have the juice to sprint up the hill anyway, but the interference meant the other guys were out of reach down the stretch. 

44:24 total

Then 1.5 cool down along the waterfront. I actually felt fine at the finish, I don't have a ton of pick up right now and the course was challenging. But a good workout and a fun winter race in the mud. Snacks were a little paltry, that's my only complaint. 

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Easy Sunday morning run. My legs were tired from the 10k last night, but this morning I didn't notice fatigure at all. Ran across the Manette Bridge and ran into ultra-trail fantatic Tony Epps, who's back in town after 10 months of deployment. Good to know he's around for the occasional run again. Stopped and chatted, then did a loop of downtown and came back via Highland Ave so I could look at the new condos under construction. Then back on the bridge and Shore Drive. 32:00 

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The holiday week got out of control on me, and I ended up with an unplanned three days off. Finally found time Christmas Eve morning before the family all showed up, ran from Bryce's house through the Urban Horticulture Center, wetlands and UW athletic facilities, all the way to Montlake Cut. Then back on Burke Gilman to about the Met Market. 44:40  

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Almost missed my Christmas Day run (slept in after being up until 1 a.m.), and ended up with a shorter than planned run today. Oh well, a short week. Illahee Preserve for about 5 (39:00) at a decent clip, then Ashley showed up and we did 2.5 slowly. The benefit of an easy week is that everything feels fine! 

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Mid-morning run on the Manette-Warren bridges loop as the snow fell, felt like a Utah run. Very quiet outside and I went before the roads were too slick. 36:00 

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2-on-2 basketball for 45 minutes

After work on the Y treadmill. Everything feels fine, though sometimes when I run on the treadmill my left achilles tightens up. Good stretch afterward, and some core. 39:00

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Three on three this morning, pretty good game.