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Nookachamps 10k

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Location:

WA,

Member Since:

Feb 10, 2007

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Local Elite

Running Accomplishments:

I was an 800/1500 runner in high school and college, with PRs of 1:55 and 4:08. I've run as fast as 16:15 for 5k and 1:20 for a half, but my bests in recent years are 17:07 5k (Dec. '11), 37:40 10k (Jan. '12), 1:23:49 half (Sept. '08), 2:53:12 marathon (September '10), and 4:45:06 50k (March '10).

Short-Term Running Goals:

Late 2015/2016 races: 

— Seattle Soltice 10k (Dec. 19)

— Nookachamps half marathon (Jan. 16)

— Toyko Marathon (Feb. 28) 

Personal:

I'm an editor at a newspaper in Bremerton, Washington and head coach of the Bremerton Jaguars youth track and field team.

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Total Distance
745.85
Total Distance
9.00

Annual New Year's Day run up Green Mountain. It was pretty cold (28) when I met Chris at the Gold Creek parking lot, and very few horse trailers. The run is up to the horse camp, where a group of riders cooks a pancake breakfast. We took it our slowly and went up the GM6 road rather than the steeper Plummer/Gold Creek trail. About 42 minutes to the horse camp, very gradual climb other than the last half mile or so. Pancakes were ready yet so we cooled our heels for 10-15 minutes (it was still pretty cold). Then ate quickly and started again. Sun was really bright by then, it was a georgeous morning as we got up on the Wildcat trail ridge. Then we summited, ran through snow at the summit parking lot and on the rocks at the top. Great view of the peninsula to start the year. Then we hustled back down Gold Creek/Plummer, past more groups of hikers and horses headed up. Packed parking lot by 10 a.m.

My hip flexors, particularly the left, were pretty fatigued for the second half of the run, a few quick breaks offered a needed rest for those. But no problems or pain since. Hopefuly that just means they are getting some needed work on the hills. 1:30 total. 

 

Total Distance
6.00

Out to Illahee State Park and down to the dock, then back up the hill and home. Cool, cloudy morning. Felt good, no hip flexor weakness or pain from Thursday, and I picked up the pace coming back on Trenton. I missed yesterday's run because I worked late, so the week wasn't quite as planned, but not a terrible start to the year. 49:20. 

Total Distance
5.00

Illahee Preserve before the rain started coming down. Legs felt good, ran pretty briskly once I got going. 38:00

Total Distance
0.00

Y basketball, 3 on 3. 

Total Distance
4.00

Evening run on the Y treadmill, easy pace. Felt fine. Did a little stretching and core afterward. 31:00 

Total Distance
4.00

Another after work run on the Y treadmill. 31:00 

Total Distance
0.00

Morning basketball. 

Total Distance
6.00

Good morning run to Lions Park then back through Evergreen-Manette-Shore Drive. Ran more briskly than I planned, felt strong other than a minor left hamstring twinge near the end. But that was just being tired, I think. 47:50 

 

Total Distance
3.00

Just a quickie before work, kind of an altered/backward Shore Drive-11th route. Everything felt good. 23:20

Total Distance
4.00

My usual Tuesday night run at the Y. 31:00 

Total Distance
0.00

Y basketball, 3-on-3. Big Kenny came back, so there was some banging. My right ankle/foot felt a twinge, minor pain when I'd cut or push off. 

Total Distance
3.00

Easy little shake out run before tomorrow's race, the short version of 11th-Shore. The pain in my right ankle that I felt yesterday came back about a mile in and lasted for about a mile, but by the end I couldn't feel it anymore. So hopefully it's something minor. 22:58

Comments
From Jon on Mon, Jan 19, 2015 at 10:02:15 from 192.88.212.49

Bet you're happy today..,

Race: Nookachamps 10k (6.2 Miles) 00:39:26, Place overall: 6, Place in age division: 2
Total Distance
9.00

Annual trip to Skagit Valley for the Nookachamps race and winter fitness check-in. Cloudy morning, but not cold (45-50), and just a little drizzle in the air. Spit just a touch in the middle of the race, but otherwise the showers held until the afternoon. 

About a mile warm-up around the college from the start, then just 5-10 minutes of stretching and out for 1-2 strides. the start came really quickly this year. Out of the gate from the front line, so it was quick, but I tried to consciously keep it light and easy. I settled in with a guy before mile 1 and we ended up running the whole race together, which was fun. (And he beat his goal by 2:30, so I must be a good pacer.) 

Ran 6:05 on the first mile, which has a slight hill, then a 5:50 on the mile with the big downhill. Very little wind in the flats of Francis Road, unlike a year ago, and having the guy alongside was helpful. Then a 6:58 back up the hill and through the dairy (smelly) to Swan; tried to go easy on the hill to stay conservative. The guy with me pulled ahead maybe 10-15 feet, but I pulled him back in once we hit Swan Road and we settled back into the pace, and ran a 6:17. The fifth mile is mostly rolling downhill, with a short, steep portion on the turn on Martin. We cruised down, kind of pushing then pace, and ended up at 6:29, which felt really good for that stage. The last mile.2 we had to weave through a lot of 5k walkers because of the timing, which was annoying, and I did feel much speed at that point. The guy alongside (Scott) led me after the 6-mile mark, but I passed him on the last loop through the woods just west of the finish line when I could tell he had no kick, and I edged him out by 5 seconds or so. 7:44 for the last 1.2. 

Overall felt really good, my foot didn't bother me at all. A little tightness in my left hamstring around mile 6, and after the race on my cool down my left hip flexor really tightened up. I ran back to my parents house, about 1.5 miles, then iced and had some Swedish pancakes. 

The good news is that last year, when I was hurt and woefully out of shape and the weather was horrendous, I ran 44 minutes here. I've off my best by nearly two minutes, so I am getting older, I suppose, and I was about 30 seconds off my goal time. But things could be worse, and it was fun. 

Total Distance
6.00

After church Sunday morning I drove over to Little Mountain to explore some trails that have been built since I moved away from Mount Vernon. Parked on the south side of the hill on a really small trailhead in a neighborhood, I can't imagine very many people use this access. 

I puttered out a logging road and back, then found a cairn leading up the hill. A steep intro got me on a really neat network of trails and I kind of picked routes hoping they'd keep heading toward the top. About 20 minutes of steady, but not intense, climbing put me back on the road that goes to the summit, which I recognized, so I rounded out the last few minutes of climb on pavement. Spent two minutes at the top enjoying the view, then headed down a different route that was fairly technical (for the PNW) in places, had a really cool north-facing viewpoint that is new, and eventually connected back to the original trail. 

My right ankle/foot really started to hurt on the way down, it wasn't something from Saturday's race but another nagging thing I noticed at basketball last Thursday. Nothing hurts while climbing up, but the pounding on the downhill really was beating it up. I'll want to watch it. 

55:00 overall, not really sure on the distance so I'll ballpark it. 

Total Distance
5.00

Y treadmill after work, took one more day off than planned. My right foot/ankle (though it's more in the foot, far outside) started to hurt during the first mile. But not painful enough to stop me, so I kept going a bit. By mile two the pain went away and it felt fine through the rest of the run. So I'm hopeful this is more some type of strain than anything structural. Iced it at home, and I'll watch it carefully. 39:00 

Total Distance
0.00

Basketball at the Y, 3-on-3. 

Total Distance
4.00

Snuck out of work early and got in a quick one at Illahee Preserve before some other plans. Still a little pain in my right ankle, I think it's definitely some kind of strain that is also connected to my arch and possibly a tight Achilles. Ran into Jon Buesch in the woods, so I broke for 2 minutes or so to talk with him. 31:47

Total Distance
8.00

Not quite as long as planned, but I ended up staying in Seattle Friday night so it threw off my day a bit. From Bryce's house out Burke-Gilman to Matthews Beach and back. Comfortable pace out, but I admit I turned it into a tempo run on the return. I was feeling good, maybe a little inspired by seeing a lot of runners out there, and I wasn't getting longer trail miles as hoped, so I decided I may as well get a good workout for the day. My ankle bugged me a bit, but not too terrible. Left hamstring/glute very tight on the return though, which has come up a few times when I get runs nearing an hour. I think I need a massage. 57:15 

Total Distance
5.00

Morning run on a warm winter day (55 or so). Home to Evergreen Park, then Warren Bridge (extending up to Callahan) then down to Lebo and back through Manette-Shore Drive. Ankle definitely not as sore. 42:30 

Total Distance
0.00

Lazy 2-on-2 basketball. Basically a rest day, but at least I was up early. 

Total Distance
5.00

Y treadmill after work. Easy pace, just ran 8/min miles the whole time. No pain in the ankle whatsoever, which was really encouraging. 40:00 

Total Distance
0.00

Bball, 2s but a better game than Monday. I think our game is dwindling, which is probably ok because I can add back a day of running. 

Total Distance
3.00

Odd day, but I got out of work while it was still daylight and had time to sneak in a run before another activity. Just ran from my house, stopped at Bachmann Park, where people were looking for some orca whales that showed up in the afternoon, then continued down Shore Drive and wound back home by going up Wheaton and then across the top of Manette. Felt really nice after two very stressful days, even if it was a little short. Legs felt great, no pain in ankle. 21:00 

Total Distance
12.00

Big trail training run at Green Mountain. Started in pretty thick fog, no one else out there. From Wildcat parking lot, where they've rerouted some trails, up to the Horse Camp in 22 minutes. Felt fine. Then on Beaver Dam, where a team of 8 guys was doing some trail work. Ankle starting bugging me through here on the downhill, about 35 minutes in. 

Down to the junction and I hopped on Plummer, then took a new cut-through I'd never seen before called Tisi's or something like that. Ended up on Gold Creek and took that up to the summit, where the sun had come up. Just beat two other hikers to the top. Ankle had loosened some, and going uphill doens't hurt as much. But still felt great at a little over an hour. 

Then back down, kind of pushing the pace a bit and making myself hurt. The ankle was definitely bugging me after passing the horse camp, then my left hip flexor starting feeling tired too. Nothing painful, but pretty worked after not running this far for awhile. So I slogged it in through some serious fatigue, which is good for me. Took 40 minutes to come from the summit, total of 1:47:19. 

brooks cascadia 

Total Distance
5.00

I was really sore last night from the Green Mountain run, enough that I had trouble getting to sleep. So I started out from home very slowly this morning, and at the Lower Wheaton/Homer Jones intersection I ran into Josh Farley, one of my favorite people to talk to. So we ran very easily together up the hill and past the YMCA, then up another few blocks to Callahan, then turned around and went down to his house. He invited me in for coffee, so there was an extended break at 25 minutes in. Stood around talking with him and his father-in-law for 30-40 minutes, then I left to complete the run, winding through Manette past the school and down to 11th, then home. The second half felt great, I definitely worked the soreness out of my legs and was refreshed by the finish. And no pain in my ankle or hip flexor, which was great. 41:20. 

Total Distance
4.00

Y treadmill. Felt great, no pain in ankle. Cut it a little short becasue it was late and it's been a long week already. 31:00

Total Distance
3.00

A.M.: 4-on-4 hoops, a few new guys and actually the best run we've had in awhile. Wore me out. 

P.M.: Legs still a little tired, but a nice three on the treadmill to shake out because I moved the big run to tomorrow. No ankle pain, which is good. 

Total Distance
7.00

I had planned to take the day off and get a long run on Green Mountain. But there was work left undone, so I planned to work until noon, then go run Green Mountain. But that never works, and so I was hopeful to get out by 2. At just after 3 I was still at my desk when the rain stopped and the sun came out. For the next hour I sat there, waiting on someone to finish one easy task for me, staring at the sun and completely mentally checked out other than the thought I wanted to go run. I think this is how drug addicts feel, the frustration was that intense. 

I finally left, a few sprinkles had returned but no shower, and I got in almost an hour at Illahee Preserve. It was very neccessary for me physically and mentally, the week at work really taxed my emotions and I'm finally getting hooked on a few more weekly miles. And the run felt good, I could feel the stress melting away after a half hour and I ran light and easy the rest of the way. A wonderful accomplishment to end the week. I won't get a Green Mountain run, but I hope to get a longer road run in tomorrow after a trail work party in the morning to round out a good week. 56:30 

Total Distance
6.00

Manette Hills loop, absolute downpour. I have some ideas on how to alter this route to get a little more distance and add two short urban trails. 

Total Distance
5.00

Frustrating to have missed three days, Sunday was intentional but Monday-Tuesday work just got completely out of control and overwhelmed everything. (Actually one day i forgot my shoes, so it was my brain's fault too.) 

Anyway, back to it today, Y treadmill after another 12-hour work marathon. But I felt good, my ankle isn't having any problems. Left hamstring is still a little tight and i feel the occasional pinch. 39:00

Total Distance
3.00

A few easy miles before work. Maybe a touch over three, but ultimately a disappointing week. 

Total Distance
11.50

Green Mountain to cap off the week. I ended up playing bump w/Josh at the YMCA for about an hour in the morning, then did yard work a bit before heading to the trailhead. By then the sun was out and it was very comfortable, probably 55 degrees. A little cloudy up there, but still nice. Ran in shirtsleeves. 

I started faster than 2 weeks ago on the same run, made it to the horse camp at 20:35 (22:00 last time out). So feeling a little gassed there was understandable. But I got my wind back when I hit Beaver Dam and ran a nice, comfortable pace until the junction with Plummer. In fact, I was breezing along so well that I missed the switch to Plummer and ended up heading up Beaver Dam. It's steeper that way, but shorter, that's why I figure this run was less than 12. I was a little tired on this uphill, but then ran into a group of runnes coming down and that was energizing, ran really strong from the Gold Creek junction to the vista, rested quickly at the summit (1:00 exactly) and then headed down on Wildcat.

Started to push the pace on the way back, although around 1:12 I started feeling my left hip flexor. That's later in the run than I felt it last time, but this is an issue to keep an eye on. I definitely felt better fitness-wise over the last 40 minutes of the run than two weeks ago and was able to keep the pace up all the way through the end (ended up passing that group of runners too). I arrived at the parking lot about 7 minutes faster than last time out, and contemplated hitting the road for another few miles. But then the hip flexor pain really hit me, along with a very tight left hamstring. So I decided to play it safe (and I had played bball already today, for what that's worth). 1:39:40 

This was not what I expected, miles-wise, out of the week, which I'm a little disappointed in. But I'll draw some confidence from feeling a fitness improvement compared to two weeks ago, and hopefully playing it safe helps this minor injury improve. 

Total Distance
5.00

Shake-out run after feeling pretty fatigued last night. Absolutely beautiful morning for it, saw a lot of runners on the bridge-to-bridge route. Started plenty slow and my legs warmed up within a few miles, but the hip flexor/hammy pain was pretty good this morning after two miles or so. Stopped twice to stretch and try to loosen it up, then did plenty of stretching/icing and a few exercises when I got home. 

No watch. 

Total Distance
5.00

Another beautiful day, but despite that and a holiday I worked the majority of it. I was determined to mow the lawn and get a run, however, and I got out around 3. Mowed the lawn and headed out sometime after 4, it was really quiet and peaceful outside, like everyone was just basking in a slow, sunny holiday. I wound around Shore Drive, people were finishing their yardwork or taking walks. I stopped and stretched at the park that faces downtown, and kind of watched the sun descend behind the city skyline. Then up a part of Lower Wheaton Way to add a little hill to the run, then down Trenton and home on Jacobson. 37:10 

No hip flexor pain while running, but during stretching it was getting "caught," for lack of a better word. I haven't felt that since therapy last fall, so I'm not happy to feel it. I finished out the stretching and a few hip exercises without pain, then iced 20 minutes. Keeping this healthy is the main goal right now. 

Total Distance
4.00

Two very long days at work getting ready for a trip to Utah, fortunately left Wednesday with enough time to visit the Y. Four easy miles (7:50) on the treadmill, watching Duke-UNC. I finished the entire run during only 9 minutes of basketball. Everything feels good, a little pain on the point of my hip while stretching and walking afterward though. Not the hip flexor. 

31:45

Total Distance
3.00

Good run of 4-on-4 this morning at the Y. Felt a little tired even getting up and down the court! 

After flying to Salt Lake I had a little time before dinner, and since it's already late spring in Utah I put the shorts and t-shirt on at dusk for a few. From Jeremy's house around 700 East up the hill to the UofU, then north through the Avenues to a cemetary, and ran the border back down to 700 East-ish and back south to his house. Probably a bit longer than 3, but whatever. Felt good to start a ski weekend with that. 

Total Distance
5.00

Back to Bremerton after two days of skiing and one day of rest/travel. Didn't get hurt, so it's a success. 

Evening run at the Y, 5 nice miles at 7:47 pace, everything felt great. Stretching and some core afterward. 

Total Distance
9.00

Not a good week, and there's nothing I can do about it now. I'm frustrated becasue work took over my life, and six days of 11 to 13-hour shifts stripped my energy to run. By last night, leaving at 8 p.m. again, I was very frustrated with myself. I put too much pressure on myself as well by signing up for Chuckanut, a race I know I'm not ready to run. 

So today I went out and tried to run just to enjoy it. Not to stress about whether it's long enough, or what my mileage will be, or anything else. I needed to run to remind myself that I liked it, and clear my head, and, well, figure it out. 

It was a beautiful sunny morning, and I ran through Manette, into downtown, through Evergreen Park and across the bridge to Lions Park, then up through Stephenson Canyon to Callahan and then through the Madrona trails, which are actually a little more extensive than I thought. I need to explore in there some more. Then back through Manette, sat at the Hill Climb for a bit to watch a ferry go through the inlet, then home. My left hip flexor still gets painful after an hour or so, and my glute/hip is not completely healthy. But at least I ran, and felt good about that. 1:09:02 

I'm not sure what I'll do for Chuckanut. I'm not ready for it, I know that. And as much as I say that next week will be more in control at work, there's simply too much going on and too many demands on me there. So I can't promise I'll be more consistent in running, though I'll try, because it's so much more important to my physical and mental health than I realize. The other idea is that there's supposed to be an inaugural Bremerton marathon in late April. I don't need to win it, but I'd like to run it if that happens. I could run 22-25 miles at Chuckanut more as a training run and fellowship time, drop at that point and save some of that wear and tear and see if I can get a good month before that marathon. I'm not sure, and I don't like going into something thinking about a drop, but that may be the answer. 

Total Distance
5.00

Morning run, cold and sunny outside. Warren-Manette bridge loop. Felt good. 37:50 

Total Distance
0.00

Morning basketball.

Total Distance
5.00

Evening YMCA run, moderate place, plenty of stretching. 

Total Distance
0.00

Morning basketball. We seem to be stuck on 2-on-2, unfortunately. 

Total Distance
6.50

A little less than an hour in Illahee Preserve on a wonderful spring day. Left hamstring got sore and tight though. Not as much the hip, more the hammy. 53:50 

Total Distance
17.00

Practice run on the Chuckanut 50k course. Beautiful spring Sunday, plenty of folks out on the mountain, ran with Krissy from Clayton Beach parking lot (which is now being called Lost Lake, apparently). We planned on the middle 30k of the race from that parking lot, which is everything but the 10k out and back portions to Fairhaven. 

Wanted to go nice and easy, since I'm not confident of my mileage right now. So we started out slow, hiked a bit here and there up to Frangrance Lake, then ran the whole way to Cleator Road. Walked maybe the first half up Cleator, when it leveled out we ran again, and hiked the final steep stretch. Stopped at the top to talk with some folks doing the same thing, then ran the ridge (beautiful view of Mount Baker; best I've ever seen), then after dropping down to Lost Lake we more or less hiked or ran slowly up all the hills you climb out. I was a little low on energy and water, but other than that we probably *could* have run a little harder. But no reason too, really. This was just covering some distance. 

My legs were a little tired there, but really none of the tightness or pain that has been bothering me. Very, very encouraging. Finally up Lost Lake and then the big downhill to Chinscraper. There my left hip flexor started barking (more fatigue than anything; its just not real strong yet), so we skipped Chinscraper and ran up the road to where the split to Frangrance Lake is, then took that route back in (which is the same as the new course map). My legs actually responded really well at that point, I thought I was cooked but found energy and ran a nice pace in (helps that it's downhill). But I finished well, not too beat up, tired but not entirely spent. A very positive sign for two weeks from now, and I have some confidence I can finish this bad boy. I won't go fast, but I'll go. 3:33 total on our feet. 

Total Distance
3.00

Real easy run around Manette as a recovery, nice and slow in the evening twilight. No pain from yesterday, and not even that much fatigue. A little tight in both hips, so it was nice to loosen up some and then stretch awhile. No watch. 

Total Distance
2.00

2-on-2 for 40 minutes, then I ran two miles on the treadmill. Left hip kind of hurt afteward and was tight during the day.

Total Distance
4.00

Came down with a fever and upset stomach late last night, so I had to skipped the planned run at Banner Forest with Lemke. I slept in, then took another nap, then finally went to Illahee for an easy lap. Starting to feel better now after sweating a bit. Legs felt fine. 30:57 

Total Distance
4.00

Y treadmill

Race: Chuckanut 50k (31.1 Miles) 06:15:00
Total Distance
31.10

A much different experience than in the past at Chuckanut, and I'm keeping this brief on the race details because journaling this run for the record will be of little help in the future. This is more a reminder of where my mind was in 2015. 

Mild morning, though it had rained heavily the day before and opened up again just as we got underway at 8. Interesting story to the start was that I was the last person in line for potty, the last to enter and exit the stall, and I made it to the start line with 10 seconds to spare. Never cut it that closely before. 

Three weeks ago I didn't know if I'd run the whole thing, let alone race. As I've been writing, there hasn't been enough time in life to run as I should. That's the way it's been. But the practice run with Krissy encouraged me, so I started with a good mindset. About 59 minutes for 10k on Interurban; 42 minutes to Cleator Road; 35:50 to the Ridge; 1:28 to Chinscraper. This was the 3:45 mark, if my math is right. I had really enjoyed the run up to this point, and felt very good about it. Nice pacing, kept my cool and fueling, chatted with a few people as the miles went by. But the course was very, very muddy, more than I'd ever seen it, and the downhill portions just tore my knees apart. So I was pretty tired, and knew from my trainig that this was the outer limit already. 

So I completely hiked Chinscraper, which isn't too much different than what I'd do under "normal" circumstances. Just tried to conserve what I could and enjoy it rather than suffer. Only passed by 2 guys, I think. 

But after Chinscraper there wasn't much left. I was passed by a few on the descent to Frangrance Lake, though I kept a respectable pace, but after that point I slowed more, took some hike breaks, especially where things were steep. Many people passed me. 

By the time I was on the Interurban again, I had had enough. But not in a discouraging way, which was interesting and hopefully alright, in the competative sense. I didn't *need* to suffer on the way in, as you always do on Chuckanut's final 10k. I was ok with walking/jogging, looking up at the trees or out at the water when the view opened, and I focused on simply enjoying moving ahead easily. A few people asked "Are you ok?" and I smiled back. "Yes, this is what I want to do." I wasn't forced into a walk by an injury, it was just admitting to myself that's where I was, and forcing a jog, while good for mental toughness, would have saved 20 minutes on what was by far my slowest time anyway. So I let them pass, and cheered people on as they cleared the 6-hour mark. Good for them. I wanted to finish with a smile, which I did as I slowly jogged it in. 

And Saturday night I was fatigued by not broken, I made it to a birthday part and enjoyed eating a lot; Sunday morning my knees were as painful as I've ever felt -- but that pain was gone by Monday mid-day. Those are good things, I still covered the distance and supported a race I really enjoy and love, and that's that. I'll be back. 

Comments
From Jon on Mon, May 04, 2015 at 21:05:42 from 107.203.52.135

Sometimes it's good to switch things up, relax a bit. Even if it's not really a decision, but a result of life getting in the way of running. Sounds like you had a different experience than usual, memorable in a different way.

I can't believe it was 2 years ago I was out there. Somehow it seems not that long ago, and somehow it seems much longer.

Total Distance
7.00

Distance is a guess in Banner Forest, with all its twists and turns. But an hour exactly with Lemke on a perfect spring morning, sun just coming up as we took off. I jogged a bit Monday and played hoops Thursday, so I knew I'd recovered from the 50k. Just a bit of pain in the right knee, otherwise legs feel fine. Surprisingly fine in the hip flexors, I did not expect that. 

Total Distance
1.50

Basketball in the a.m., then 1.5 after Jaguars practice becuase the sun was still out and it was a pleasant evening. 

Total Distance
4.00

Rainy night, four on the Y treadmill. 

Total Distance
3.00

Squeezed in an evening run on a really busy day, just around Manette. 

Total Distance
5.00

Finally took an aftenoon off, and ran the bridge-to-bridge loop after the rain stopped. Turned out to be a wonderful later afternoon for a run, and I kept a brisk pace though probably started a little too quickly. 37:00

Total Distance
3.00

Easy Sunday run around the neighborhood. Left hip tightened up later in the day.

Total Distance
3.00

Morning run to loosen up that hip, still kind of tight but stretched awhile afterward. 

Total Distance
3.00

Ran at track practice with the Jaguars, a nice night and we had enough coaches so i didn't have to cover anything. I warmed up 800m, then ran the 1200-1600-1200-800 workout with one of my 11-year-old distance kids. Medium pace to pace Sam along, it was fun and felt great. 

Total Distance
4.00

Really interesting times at work, turns out I'll be critized on the channel 4 news tonight after a family angry with us (who I've met wiht this week), went to social media and the tv to get us. Needless to say, I needed a run to shake it off. YMCA loop on a wonderful spring evening, finished on Shore Drive as the sun went down. Whew. Will probably need another tomorrow. 

Total Distance
4.50

Ran around Illahee Forest awhile after track practice, surprisingly not another person in there even though it was a nice (if windy) spring day. Medium pace, felt fine. 35:30

Total Distance
0.00

morning basketball, just two on two

Total Distance
3.00

Easy morning run before work. 22 minutes or so. 

Total Distance
0.00

morning basketball, threes and a little rougher than usual. 

Total Distance
5.00

Morning run on bridge-to-bridge loop. 

Total Distance
6.50

The inaugural Bremerton Marathon ran today. I didn't do it because we had track practice at 10, so I just ran part of the course and cheered for people. Did my Illahee State Park route, stopped on the way back and hung out a bit, then ran opposite the race and clapped as the slower folks went by. Perfect day for it. 50:30 

Total Distance
4.50

Worked out on the track tonight after Jaguars practice. Warm, sunny evening. Warmed up a little more than half a mile, then ran 3x1 mile (5:47, 5:47, 5:52) w/one lap easy run (1:55ish) between, then a cool down. Felt pretty good, actually. I'm running the Beat the Bridge 8k in a few weeks, so it was encouraging to run some up tempo miles. 

Total Distance
3.00

Easy morning run around Manette. Late at work or meetings every night this week, I've been off my routine. 22:50

Total Distance
7.00

Early run at Banner Forest with Lemke, nice and easy pace, good conversation and the rain had stopped, giving us a nice spring morning. Everything felt fine. 57:11 

Total Distance
5.00

Morning run on the bridges loop, done backward. Nice brisk pace, cool day. 

Total Distance
0.00

basketball, 3-on-3

Total Distance
3.00

Around 3 in the Illahee Preserve after track practice, really ran a quick pace on a sunny but breezy evening. 24:10 

Total Distance
0.00

Basketball, 2s.

Total Distance
4.00

Evening run around Illahee Forest. Just about had the entire place to myself. Nice night. 32:25

Total Distance
3.00

Easy morning run around Manette. 23:30

Total Distance
0.00

Basketball at the Silverdale Y, where there is a good Monday morning game. Ran 5-on-5 with a good group of guys. 

Total Distance
5.00

Morning run on Warren-Manette bridges route, very quiet and nice outside. My legs were very stiff, but that's what you get after a week of almost no running and a lot of standing at the track yesterday. Left hamstring and hip still bothering me tonight, after some yardwork. No watch. 

Total Distance
4.00

Basketball in the a.m., we played really hard for 3-on-3 today. 

Met with Mike after track practice, he's back from Japan for a short time. Really great to run with him again, it's been more than a year. We ran from the high school and did the bridges loop backward, plus through downtown and Evergreen. 32 minutes or so. 

Race: Beat the Bridge 8k (4.97 Miles) 00:38:07
Total Distance
6.00

I intended to race this one, not because I could PR but because it would have been interesting to see where I'm at. But I decided to pace my cousin Alicia instead, since I had kind of talked her into running anyway. That made for an easier run (at times I wished I was racing) but a fun run. We ran slowly for the first mile, missed the split but it was probably over 9 minutes due to crowds (seriously, it's the worst at the back of a fun run with thousands. I could go on and on, it kind of made me not like running). Then we came back with a better second mile, hit the 2-mile mark just over 16 minutes. Then a 7:45, over the bridge (uphill) and toward the hospital, then a great 6:53, when it was fun to see Alicia push as the crowds thinned (though I passed a guy texting around mile 4 -- seriously, he was texting). Then another quick mile to finish on the Husky Stadium field, which was a little longer than the usual finish. Anyway, good day to stretch the legs, plus a mile warmup to the stadium.  

Total Distance
3.00

After Jaguars practice I ran around the track for three miles on a warm, sunny evening. Very peaceful. 21:55 

new supernova glides (white) — 3

Total Distance
4.00

Ran with Timm after work in Illahee Preserve. Warm, sunny evening. 

I'm going to try and start blogging again, which would also require running consistently. May was a mismash of occasionally runs, laps with the Jaguars kids here and there, and basketball. Nothing really worth blogging. But life is easing off some now, so we'll see if I can get a rhythm again. 

supernova boost

Total Distance
5.00

Nice sunny evening, five on the Manette-Warren bridge loop, reverse direction from usual. No watch. 

supernova boost

Total Distance
2.00

Tonight a workout that isn't neccesarily smart or helpful for a 37-year-old who's not in great shape, but whatever. We'll see what tomorrow feels like.

It was our last full team practice of the season (which 1/3 of the team showed up for) and I promised they could race the coaches. So we arranged relays, and in the first Coach Seth and I (a 2x200 team) beat three teams of 4x100 runners and two individuals running 400s. Not too bad, a little pep in my legs and I jogged back 200m.

For the second the kids organized a sprint medley (1-1-2-4), and I was chosen to run the 400 for a team with me, Seth, Malcolm (our top 100 runner) and his little step brother Javion, who is s-l-ooooooo-w. Even for a 7-year-old, he's slow. He's a defensive tackle in the making. So I get the baton about 100m behind our top girls distance runner, who really is pretty fast for a 13-year-old. I go out as usual and after 100 get a thought that I might could catch Maya. So I pick it up, and get a little closer, so pick it up some more, and down the stretch I actually had a shot at catching her, so I pour it all out. Maybe 10-15 more meters and I would have passed her. Fun times! Except that I couldn't get my heart rate back down for 20 minutes, I was dizzy and wobbly, and my calves started cramping every step I took. Woof, it has been awhile. But the split was sub-60, which I am amazed by. Didn't think I still had that. I sat on th grass for awhile gasping, we got some popsicles, threw the football around and everyone finally went home. I got my wits about me finally and jogged a mile on the grass, and hopefully I'll be able to get out of bed tomorrow. 

Total Distance
5.00

Manette-Warren bridge loop. Warm, sunny morning. 37:00

supernova boost white

Total Distance
2.00

An hour of basketball in the morning, 2-on-2. 

Track practice in the afternoon, high 80s. Very few kids around, but one of our 13-year-old middle distance kids showed up. So I ran 3x800 w/400 easy between with him, at a little over 3 minute pace. Nice and easy, though he was cooked after that. It was pretty hot and he hadn't run in more than a week. I planned to do a few more but the coaches wanted to sit around talking. Silly adults. 

supernova boost white

Total Distance
3.00

Another little track workout with the kids on a warm evening. Sam was the only mid-distance kid who showed up, so I ran 10x300m @60 seconds and 60-second walk between each with him, plus a warm up and cool down. It was pretty nice, and Sam handled the workout really well. 

supernova boost white

Total Distance
4.00

Timm and I hiked around 8 miles along the Elwha River and then up the Lillian Ridge from Obstruction Point, in the Olympics. Maybe half of it was trail running, we were stopped in places by overgrowth along the trail and rocky parts. But it was great to be out in the Olympics for an afternoon, we would have kept going but we had dinner plans to get to. 

Total Distance
4.00

Quick morning loop at Illahee Preserve with Timm. He slows the pace a bit, but not too much, which is actually good for me. 

supernova boost white

Total Distance
4.50

Ran with the Jaguars on a warm, sunny evening. 800m warmup, then 3x800 @ 2:50 with our two best girl distance runners. I think it challenged them a bit, which is good. Our state meet is this weekend. Then a high school kid who runs the 800 showed up, so I did a taper workout with him -- 2.5 miles of fartlek, with 2 harder 150s in the middle. 

supernova boost 

Total Distance
3.50

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. 

Total Distance
5.00

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. 

Total Distance
0.00

AM -- Y basketball, 3-on-3

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

Total Distance
3.00

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. 

 

Total Distance
3.50

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! 

Total Distance
4.00

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

supernova glide white

Total Distance
0.00

3-on-3 basketball at the Y.

Total Distance
2.50

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. 

supernova glide boost

Total Distance
4.50

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 

supernova glide white

Total Distance
5.00

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

supernova glide white

Total Distance
4.50

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

supernova glide white -- 65

Total Distance
4.25

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. 

supernova boost -- 69 

Total Distance
4.50

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

supernova boost white -- 74

Total Distance
3.00

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

supernova boost white -- 77

Race: Whale of a Run (4 Miles) 00:23:53, Place overall: 15, Place in age division: 2
Total Distance
7.00

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. 

adistar flats

 

Total Distance
0.00

a.m. basketball, 3s. 

Total Distance
4.50

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

supernova boost white

Total Distance
6.00

Early morning run at Banner Forest with Chris Lemki. Beautiful weather, easy pace on the trails. 1:01:30

supernova boost white -- 87

Total Distance
4.00

Morning run from Bryce and Bonnie's, down past Urban Horticulture Center and across the new Montlake pedestrian bridge, then back on Burke-Gilman. My calves were very sore, never loosened up after yesterday. And a little tightness in the left hamstring before I stopped a stretched a bit. No watch. 

supernova boost white

Total Distance
0.00

Morning basketball

Total Distance
3.00

Easy morning miles around Manette. Everything felt fine. 24:03

supernova boost

Total Distance
4.00

Nice trail run at Illahee Preserve after work. Almost no one else in the forest, a little cool compared to recent weather. Felt great. Easy pace, but maybe a smidge more than 4 miles. 33:30 

supernova boost 

Total Distance
0.00

Basketball at the Y, really intense 3-on-3 today. It was fun. 

Total Distance
6.00

After work run to Lions Park, spectacular evening, stopped and looked at the mountain and the sunset over Port Washington Narrows for awhile. Really pretty out. Ran a good clip but felt a little ragged and sore in the left hamstring about 28 minutes in. Maybe a little worn out from work, and the lack of runs this length. 44:20 

supernova boost blue

Total Distance
0.00

Basketball, 2s.

Total Distance
5.50

Evening track workout at Bremerton High, warm night (80s). 1.5m warmup, stretched a bit, then 6x800 w/200m jog after each (2:54, 2:59, 2:51, 2:57, 2:55, 2:58). Then 800m cool down. Felt really good throughout, actually, though the paces weren't quite as consistent as I'd like. 40:05 

supernova boost 

Total Distance
5.00

Not enough running this week, because things like swimming and golf took up my time. But in a good way. So I was active, but not so many miles. 

Warren-Manette bridge loop on a cool, damp morning. Really quiet outside. Easy pace, felt fine. 37:50 

supernova boost 

Total Distance
3.00

Short evening run from Bryce and Bonnie's after a long day in Seattle. Two loops at the Urban Horticulture Center. 23:00

supernova boost 

Total Distance
4.50

Evening track workout, a little hot out tonight. 1.5 mile warmup, then 2x1 mile at 5:43 each. I was a little wobbly after the second, so I jogged an 800, then ran an 800 in 2:50, and called it a night after another cool down. 31:25 

supernova boost 

Total Distance
3.00

No one showed for basketball, so I ran around the indoor track for 22 minutes. 

supernova boost

Total Distance
3.00

Little evening run around Manette, breaking in some new trail shoes. Legs a little heavy to start, but loosened up quickly. 24:45 

brooks cascadia blue -- 3

Total Distance
0.00

basketball, 2 on 2

Total Distance
3.00

Slow run at Newberry Hill Heritage Park after work. 

supernova boost -- 128

Total Distance
3.00

No one showed up for basketball, so I headed out for a brisk run instead. Nice morning. 20:30 

supernova boost -- 131

Total Distance
4.00

After the afternoon Illahee Preserve work party ended, I changed my clothes and did a loop of the forest. Ran a pretty brisk pace, which felt nice. 30:20 

brooks cascadia 10 -- 7

Total Distance
7.50

Kind of a race, but not a race report race because it wasn't really official and I'm not convinced the course was accurate. I was the 'run' leg on an Olympic-distance triathalon team this morning in Hansville at the Wilder Hare Tri. 

Up early, got there with tons of time to spare (but the rain stopped and held off, so I'm not complaining). Chris Henry did the swim (1 mile/25 minutes), Andy Binion did the bike (28 miles/1:40), I warmed up about 1.5 miles, stretched, then it started to get warm, then I did some strides and just stayed loose for 20 minutes waiting for Andy. 

Course was hilly and it's a little odd starting completely alone and competing with folks who've already done the swim and bike. There were probably 10 other relays or so, but the top two were well out ahead of me (one had a Olympic trials marathon qualifier running, and she was finishing when I was starting). So I was chasing folks who were on their last legs, which is a little different feeling when you pass. 

I zipped down the hill from Buck Lake, settled into a pace on the flat stretch into Hansville, then backed off some going up the "devil's triple" of hills, including a downhill towards Foulweather Bluff than you turn around and climb out of. Pretty hilly out there. I hit the turn back to Buck Lake at 31 minutes or something, and that's less than a mile from the finish. So either the course was short or I was moving downhill a lot faster than expected. I felt great the whole time, zipped right along and pushed but not really a race mentality. I backed of a little for the climb, then finished strong. 37:40 overall. 

adidas adizero

Total Distance
3.00

Not totally sure of the distance, I was at work and took a break for a run without a watch. From downtown to Evergreen Park, across the bridge to Lions Park, loop there and back. 

brooks cascadia 10

Total Distance
3.50

Evening run around Manette, Shore Drive then back up 11th. 24:50

supernova boost

Total Distance
3.00

Morning run around Manette. 23:00

supernova boost -- 134

Race: Manette Fest 5k (3.1 Miles) 00:18:11, Place overall: 1, Place in age division: 1
Total Distance
5.00

FASTEST MAN IN MANETTE

Not the flashiest title in the world, but I'll take it. I won the neighborhood race this morning that is the start of our little street festival. Start line is one mile from my doorstep, free entry, and a donut shop 40 yards from the finish line. Perfecto. Maybe 50 people showed, only two other guys really running competatively, and I was three minutes ahead of them. Kind of ran my usual loop on Shore Drive and then to Whitey Domstad Park, then across the bridge, Washington (on the new sidewalks, whoo-hoo!) to Burwell, then up Pacific to Fourth, then back on Washington and across the bridge. I was giving high fives to everyone as I pass them on their way up the bridge. 

Felt fine, kind of took it easy on the long incline of the bridge heading over, and didn't exactly sprint in at the finish. It probably could have been under 18, but I liked doing the high-five thing too. I won a little piece of wood from a maple someone cut down in their yard, with a little plaque on it. The prize was supposed to be a huge pumpkin, but the organizer's friend decided not to donate it. A little disappoining not to win a pumpkin, but I can't complain about the easiest 5k logistically on earth for me. I bought a donut, walked through the street fest and talked to some people I know, then jogged home. 

supernova boost -- 139

Total Distance
4.00

In Seattle, easy morning run around UW bird santuary and back on the B-G trail. 30:00

supernova glide boost

 

Total Distance
3.00

Easy morning run, 11th-Shore. 22:00

supernova glide boost

Total Distance
4.00

YMCA hills loop, beautiful quiet morning. 33:10

supernova glide boost

Total Distance
0.00

Basketball at the Y. Near the end of the first game I stepped awkwardly, not a fast play or collision or anything, and I felt a shiver go through my back. I stretched, then played another game, but by the time I was home it was really locked up. Really painful through the day, I had trouble going from sitting to standing, had to move really slowly. Tried to walk regularly and slowly stretch to try and loosen things up.

Total Distance
0.00

Back improved quite a bit overnight, so it must have been just some muscle tightness that was aggravated someone. Still a little ginger though, so no running. 

Total Distance
5.00

Pretty morning run as the fog lifted over town, a bunch of sailboats were headed out of Sinclair Inlet as I ran by. Started slowly just to be sure my back muscles were alright (I was a little sore after the UW game yesterday), but everything loosened up and was fine. A little left hip flexor soreness right as I finished up Jacobson, which could be related since everything in my hip/hamstring area felt really tight through the day Thursday. But encouraging to feel ok a few days after that little scare. 36:40 

supernova glide boost -- 156

Total Distance
3.00

Evening run around Manette, including a climb up the long hill on Nipsic. Back now feels fine again, so I'm breathing a sigh of relief there. 23:45

supernova glide boost -- 159

Total Distance
3.00

Really easy miles at Illahee Preserve. 

brooks cascadia 

Total Distance
0.00

Back at the gym to play early morning hoops. Really good game this morning, 3s. Been awhile since we've run like that. 

Total Distance
7.00

Beautiful morning to run, came up with a new urban trails loop (and had an idea to make it better the next time). Through Manette to the Madrona Trail, up that hill for about a mile to the exit at the water tower. (There was a guy in there running shirtless -- yeah, it's nice, but before 8 a.m. in October?) Then up to Callahan and to Warren, cross Warren and down to Stephenson Canyon. Downhill across the ravine, then climbed back up to the nursery and back down to Lebo. Took a minute to enjoy the morning view at Lent Landing, then home via Manette/Shore Drive. 53:40 

Left hamstring got a little sore about 3/4 mile from home, so I'll be careful. 

brooks cascadia 

Total Distance
4.00

Wonderful fall day for running, I waited until the afternoon so I could enjoy a warm run (topped 70). Illahee Forest Preserve, everything felt great. Probably a little farther than 4, I was running a pretty brisk pace in there after I got going. 32:30 

brooks cascadia 10

Total Distance
0.00

Morning basketball, just three of us so we played 21 and bump

Total Distance
3.00

Easy run on Shore Dr-11th, but didn't go well because of GI issues. Hurried home early.

Total Distance
5.00

Stress hit me like a ton of bricks this week, and affected my runs. Way too many hours in the office Wed/Thu after the news that our company was abruptly sold, then Friday just drained me and I didn't have the energy to do anything. Really wasn't feeling healthy, mentally or physically. 

Saturday we got hit with a monsoon here, but there was enough of a window in the late morning to get a nice 5-mile run in. It was very humid, actually, I dressed warmer than neccesssary. Everything felt good, especially good to be cleansing the week out of my system. 37:42

supernova boost

Total Distance
5.00

Much nicer weather this morning, rain storm blew through and left a little sunshine. Illahee Preserve during the Seahawks game, which meant the forest was empty. Felt good, relaxing pace. 38:12 

brooks cascadia blue

Total Distance
3.50

A.M.: Basketball at the Y, 3s. 

P.M.: After flying to SFO and taking the train to Palo Alto, where I had a work conference, I snuck in a quick run around the Stanford campus as the sun was setting. Wound my way through the arboretum there as football fans were arriving and tailgating for the game against UCLA. Ended up running through the crowds right outside the stadium, which was pretty fun too. 28:00

brooks cascadia 

Total Distance
4.00

Another run around Stanford, after the afternoon session of our company meeting ended a little early. Beautiful place, and this time I found the track, where the Cardinal men were in the middle of a workout. I didn't jump in. 

brooks cascadia 10

Total Distance
10.00

Long run in San Francisco, where I spent a day and a half relaxing after the conference. I stayed at a little hostel/B&B in a place called Hayes Valley, which is a great neighborhood. It's easy to run up the hill to Golden Gate Park, and then I crisscrossed that huge park all the way out to the Pacific Ocean. About 40 minutes on the way out. Stood and contemplated life there for awhile, then ran back through the north side of the park. At about 55 minutes, as I was coming up to the park's bigger structures, I got a second win and threw in a fast mile (the SF State XC team ran by, so maybe I'm a little competative). But it came naturally and felt good, which is pretty encouraging for not running that far very often. Then up this hill to Alamo Park some guy kind and I had this unspoken little race, it was funny. He surged to beat me, then quit running a block later as I cruised back into Hayes Valley. 

Anyway, really good long run and I'd love to live in SF. Very sore/tight calves afterward. 1:15:00

brooks cascadia 10 

Total Distance
4.00

Meant to just be a little shake out run (calves really tired and tight this morning, though I did spend the rest of Monday walking mile around SF), but I kind of got lost and made it a little longer than planned. But I had time and it's fun to explore cities that way. 30:00 

brooks cascadia 10 -- 48

Total Distance
0.00

Basketball, actually got to run 4-on-4 this time.

Total Distance
3.00

Evening run around 11th-Shore. 22:30

supernova glide boost -- 167

Total Distance
5.00

Warren-Manette bridges loop, cool and cloudy morning. Everything felt fine once I warmed up. 

supernova glide boost -- 172

Total Distance
4.00

In Skagit Valley to visit Mom and Dad. Easy morning run around the SVC trail and campus. 30:15 

Then walked 18 holes of golf, so my legs still got tired today. 

brooks cascadia 

Total Distance
4.00

Early morning run around UW from Bryce's, after the late UW/Arizona game. Caught a dry spell before a soaking rain storm hit. 

Total Distance
3.00

Easy run before work. 

Total Distance
4.00

Traveled to Marysville, Kansas for my cousin Andy's wedding. I arrived about 3, saw my relatives quickly and checked in, then decided to explore with a run. Our motel was about a mile outside the "downtown" (it's a 3,000-person town), with no options other than running on the wide shoulder. So I took that into the town maybe a mile and a half, then ran some side streets in the quiant little residential area. Plenty of elm trees losing fall leaves, few people outside. It was very nice. Started slowly because I felt a little stiff from the flying/driving, and kept it a quick run because I needed to get back and prepare for the rehearsal. 30:10

brooks cascadia 10

Total Distance
5.50

Another run around Marysville, at mid-day once it had warmed up a bit. From the motel to a country road on the north side of the highway, then around a golf course and by the church, to another park (saw two black squirrels) and then back through the downtown to the south side of the highway. Went through a park and then hopped on the Marysville High track for a lap, wound through town as far as I could go on side roads, then a mile on the highway back to the motel. Felt good, really perfect weather. Then changed and went to the wedding. 42:50

brooks cascadia 10

Total Distance
3.00

Real easy in the early morning around the neighborhood, I'm feeling like I caught a little cold so it was good to sweat and run slowly. 24:00

supernova glide boost

Total Distance
3.00

Morning run on Shore Drive. No watch.

Total Distance
0.00

Had to leave the house early to help empty my late grandmother's apartment on Mercer Island. The first item I helped with was a pull out couch, and I felt a twinge/pop in my lower back immediately. It tightened up right away and I was in pain the rest of the two hours, and I didn't touch anything else heavy. So no running during the day, just some laying flat and light stretching. 

Total Distance
4.00

Illahee Forest in the afternoon, after my back had loosened up some. Started slowly and once I started striding I really didn't have any pain. So hopefully that's a good sign. Stretched thoroughly afterward, and while my back was tight the rest of the evening, the area of pain is considerably smaller. 31:21

brooks cascadia 10

Total Distance
3.00

Short one before work around Shore Drive, coldest run of the year. Back was fine for the most part, though when I'm stretching/walking/sitting there's still discomfort. But while running I don't feel pain. 22:00

supernova glide boost

Total Distance
4.00

Morning run across the Manette Bridge and a loop downtown. 28:00

 adidas glide boost -- 192

Total Distance
5.00

Cold and clear morning, Warren-Manette bridge loop. Back feels fine again, ibuprofen calmed down the inflammation and I didn't feel it at all. 38:00

supernova glide -- 197

Total Distance
4.00

Hamstrings (especially the right one) really tight and it's a little chilly these days, so I ran on the Y treadmill to try and loosen it up a bit. Four comfortable miles. I don't feel like I have the wind or endurance I need, but my legs feel pretty strong. 31:30

supernova glide -- 201

Total Distance
3.00

Just a quick one around the neighborhood before heading out for the weekend's events. 23:00

supernova glide -- 204

Total Distance
3.00

Cold but clear early morning in Mount Vernon, one lap at SVC before driving to Seattle for the Apple Cup. No watch. 

supernova glide -- 207

Total Distance
6.00

Beautiful post-Apple Cup morning in the U District. Ran w/Timm through the Urban Horticulture Center and past Husky Stadium at a easy pace, then left Timm to go out the Burke Gilman for a bit at a little faster clip. Felt good to get a little longer run in, though my hamstrings and back tightened up a bit afterward. 47:00 

supernova glide -- 213

Total Distance
4.00

Y treadmill, easy pace around 7:45. Everything felt fine. 

supernova glide -- 217

Total Distance
4.50

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 

supernova glide 

Total Distance
6.00

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

brooks cascadia 10

Total Distance
4.00

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

supernova glide -- 225 

Total Distance
4.00

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 

supernova glide 

Total Distance
2.00

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

Total Distance
3.00

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

supernova glide

Total Distance
8.00

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 

supernova glide -- 242

Total Distance
3.00

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. 

supenova glide

Total Distance
4.00

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

supernova glide 

Total Distance
5.00

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. 

supernova glide -- 254

Total Distance
3.00

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

brooks cascadia 10 -- 75

Race: Seward Solstice Trail 10k (6.2 Miles) 00:44:00, Place overall: 9, Place in age division: 3
Total Distance
9.00

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. 

brooks cascadia 10 -- 84

Total Distance
4.00

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 

supernova glide -- 258

Total Distance
5.50

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  

supernova glide 

Total Distance
7.50

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! 

brooks cascadia 10 

Total Distance
5.00

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 

brooks cascadia 10 -- 83

Total Distance
0.00

2-on-2 basketball for 45 minutes

Total Distance
5.00

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

supernova glide -- 268

Total Distance
0.00

Three on three this morning, pretty good game.

Total Distance
745.85
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