Run Buffs Run!

I ran a 10k this morning at the Boulder Reservoir. I finished with a time of 34:23 (fourth place), which I am decently pleased with for two reasons. First, this course was completely flat (rolling hills), unlike the course that I set my PR on (it dropped approx. 400 ft). This course was also almost all dirt and gravel, which for me, seems much harder to run on than asphalt. So, considering these factors, I think that my performance today was better than that a month ago (my last 10k). At the 5k mark my time was 16:20. I know that I could have set a new 5k PR if I were running that distance, but because I had to pace myself I let it go. At the end of the race, a finisher in front of me, which works at Boulder Running Co., told me that my stride was not matching my shoes at all, causing me to be inefficient and lose energy. He thinks that if I get some shoes that cause my step to line up the right way, that I can greaty improve efficiency and reduce time. I won a $50.00 gift card to the store from this race, so I may go talk to him and test out some different shoes. I had to bike to the reservoir which is 8 miles away because I did not have any other mode of transportation. After biking the eight miles back, I played a soccer game, which was pretty hard. In all, I am satisfied with my effort today. My time might not be stellar, but I can see that I am definitely improving as time goes on.

Ran a total of 12 miles today at fairly easy pace. I ran the first eight at 6:45 pace, followed by four miles at 6:25 pace. I am surprised because I am not sore from yesterday, so I decided to go ahead a get a decent run in. In all, I felt like I held up well considerig I ran a 10k yesterday.

Ran a total of 8.75 miles today, but ran 5 of which at 5:30 mile pace. I ran 1x3 miles, an easy mile at 7:15 pace, followed by two more miles at 5:30 pace and finished with 2.75 miles at easy pace. I think I may have isolated my problem. This workout seemed to just kill me. I had no trouble for the first two miles at 5:30 pace, but the third began to get tough. The last set of 2 miles at 5:30 pace was increasingly difficult, leaving me to believe that this may be the factor that is holding me back. Once I get this under control, I think that I could definitely decrease my 10k time. In all, a good workout. Oh, the next CU race is a week from Saturday. I am not feeling particularly nervous this time, but I definitely want to show the coach that my previous effort was a fluke. I feel more determined than scared this time around. I have quietly waited and put my money in the bank, now it is time to show the coach that I have what it takes to be part of the team. I am going to shoot, once again, for 26:30, or top twenty out of the 100 people that run it. If I can pull that off, I will most likely beat five or six of the existing cross country team members.

Ran nine and a half miles total today. I ran two intervals of three miles at 5:30 pace to get some good tempo running in. For the first three I ran 16:32 (slight uphill the whole way), then ran two easy miles in between, and ran the last three in 16:00 flat (slightly downhill).This is definitely my weakness as of now. I can do the workout, but find myself very short of breath at the end. I think the only way to correct this is to do more of it, so that is exactly what I am going to do. I got new shoes, too. I won $50 gift certificate to Boulder Runnign Co. for winning my age division in my last race, so I went and checked it out. When they watched me run on a treadmill, it was obvious that I over-pronate (meaning that my foot rools in too far), which can cause knee problems if not corrected. They set me up with the Saucony Omni 5, which corrects this problem. I ran with them for the first time this morning, and I have to say that I can feel a substancial difference. They seem to force my ankle to align perpendicularly to the ground, which feels better when running. In all, however, a good run this morning.

Ran approximately 10 miles today. I ran with a friend who likes to trail run, so we headed up to red rock canyon. Man, was the climb intense. We gained nearly 1,100 ft in two miles. It was really more of rock climbing than running. when we reached the summit, we decided to attempt to reach a road we saw far out in the distance, which turned out to be a bad idea. We "bushwacked" (meaning that we did not take any trail) all the out to the road, nearly falling with every step taken. After the ordeal, it was smooth sailing back to the dorm with the exception of my stomach. Some days it seems to just never comply with running, and hassles you with every step you take. Slowly but surely throughout the run a storm brewed up, causing me to really hurt the last couple miles. In all, a very eventful, but interesting run.

Ran 12.1 miles today at decently easy pace today. I felt good and got into a groove about 1/2 of the way through, allowing me to just coast through the finish. I ran two miles at a little faster than comfortable pace to from getting too relaxed. T-minus one week for the next CU race. I also ran my first 60 mile week, and I feel great!