Rosswog Running Blog

Woke up early this morning (5:30 am) in Seaside and headed out for a beach run.  As I ran though town down to Broadway, I noticed a man out take some pictures of the sunrise.  When he saw me, he yelled out, “you are one dedicated runner.”  These kind words got me going for the morning.  I turned left on Broadway and toward the Lewis and Clark statue and the beach.  The crew was just arriving to take down all the tents and the stage at the Hood to Coast finish line as I jogged on by.  I headed south on the beach all the way to a wilderness trail.  After heading a half-mile up, I turned around and ran to the north end of the beach.  Then I ran almost all the way back down to the south end before returning to my hotel.  The waves of the Pacific Ocean crashing against the shoreline while running on flat sand that gave just a little bit was so neat.  The total distance of this run was 10.2 miles at an easy pace.

After the drive to Portland with my team, I stayed overnight before heading off to Bend.  I temporally held off the need to crash and get caught up on my sleep, by going out for a mid-afternoon jog from my hotel (the Double Tree) across the Willamette River to the Northwest Fit Right running store just to check out the gear before heading back.  The total distance of this run was 6.1 miles at a very easy pace.  I then got something to eat then I was completely out until the next day. 

My daily non-running workout consisted of just 300 sit-ups.

Five-Minute Plank Challenge: 30 second plank and side planks

Trying-To-Go-Out-Of-My-Way-To-Eat-Healthy Challenge:  a protein bar (not that healthy today)

After over ten hours of sleep, I head out just after 6:00 am for some a bridge workout in downtown Portland.  Figuring I need all the bridge training I could use before the NYC Marathon, I ran down to the Steel bridge and crossed the Willamette River then ran along the waterfront and past Union Station to the Broadway Bridge where I cross the Willamette again the head past the Rose Garden and back to the Steel Bridge.  I completed this 1.8-mile lap seven times (with lap times between 13-15 minutes) before heading back to the Double Tree.  The total distance of this run was 14.8 miles at a relatively easy pace.

Before heading down to Bend where I’ll spend a week on vacation, I completed my daily non-running workout of 300 sit-ups.

Five-Minute Plank Challenge: 30 second plank and side planks

Trying-To-Go-Out-Of-My-Way-To-Eat-Healthy Challenge:  a whole wheat muffin

I slept in this morning then did a lot of unpacking, laundry, and studying today before getting in my evening run through Drake Park and over to my Aunt Iris and Uncle George’s house and back.  The total distance of this run was 5.2 miles at an easy pace.

In regards to my daily non-running workout, I was able to complete 300 sit-ups.

Five-Minute Plank Challenge: 30 second plank and side planks

Trying-To-Go-Out-Of-My-Way-To-Eat-Healthy Challenge: a blueberry fruit smoothie

Okay, it was Ground-Hog running day for me; that is, I slept in again (still trying to shake off the tiredness of the Hood to Coast relay, so I’ll count my sleeping in as essential recovery time) this morning then studied most of the day before going out for an evening run through Drake Park and over to my Aunt Iris and Uncle George’s house and back.  The same total distance and pace as yesterday, 5.2 miles at an easy pace.

For my daily non-running workout, I was able to get in 300 sit-ups.

Five-Minute Plank Challenge: 30 second plank and side planks

Trying-To-Go-Out-Of-My-Way-To-Eat-Healthy Challenge:  a mango fruit smoothie

Another day of sleeping in!  Actually, I really need 8-hours of sleep to go at full strength.  The good thing is that I’m almost over my sleep deprivation from the Hood to Coast Relay.  Anyway, while my father paced me on his bike, I ran 4.2 miles at an easy pace across town to visit my dear Aunt Iris who is in a physical rehabilitation recovering from a stroke.  It was great to see her in good spirits and she is absolutely a fighter and making tremendous progress over the past few days.  My prayers are with her and it was neat to hear the physical therapist tell us that she has had such a positive attitude that it’s picking up the spirits of the other patients.  I have always and will always look up to my Aunt Iris.  Running back around Pilot Butte, I stopped off to visit with my Uncle George before heading back to my Great Uncle George’s for the day. 

In regards to my daily non-running workout, I was able to get in 300 sit-ups and 20 metronomes.

Five-Minute Plank Challenge: 30 second plank and side planks

Trying-To-Go-Out-Of-My-Way-To-Eat-Healthy Challenge:  a serving of peaches and a separate serving of green beans

This morning I headed out for a really long run.  My aim was to run from Bend to Mt. Bachelor to the summit and back thinking this would be around 36 miles.  However, I did not map out the actual mileage, so this was just an estimate that I soon realized was way off way off when I started seeing road signed indicating that Mt. Bachelor was 20 miles away.  Consequently, I figured I would not be running to summit, but set my sights on making it up to the Sunrise Lodge. 

With the exception of a few short downhills, it was all up hill.  After 20.6 miles of almost a continuous uphill run, I arrived at the Sunrise Lodge to find it was all closed up.  Since I needed to refill on water, a jogged another mile around the mountain to The West Village Lodge which thankfully was open for business.  I made sure to get a couple of waters and a Gatorade before starting my long descent back in to Bend.  Prior to starting out, I looked up at the top of Mt. Bachelor which is roughly a 5k straight up and thought to myself, "maybe next year."  The first 12 miles of my downhill run went well I was able to get both of the short uphill sections out of the way.  Then the things started to unravel.  First it was my left knee locking up a bit, then my back was twitching out a little bit, then I started to feel extremely empty and my stomach could not even bear the thought of downing a GU.  I was in trouble.  I staggered to the 7th Mountain Resort before being done.  I was just a downhill 10k from Bend, that is, I ran the Big Foot 10k last year which starts at the the 7th Mountain Resort and ends in Bend,  so I knew it was all downhill.  However, I was depleted (my Garmin said I burned over 5,000 calories in 5:32:17 and this was on no breakfast) and I could not go any further; 37.15 miles (second longest run for me ever) was as far as I would make it.  The forty-mile run will have to wait.  Luckily, my father came and picked me up and I spent the rest of the day refueling, trying to regain my body heat, and resting.  It was one heck of a workout and I want to finish it one of these days.

Before taking off in the morning on my adventurous run, I was able to get in 300 sit-ups.

Five-Minute Plank Challenge: 30 second plank and side planks

Trying-To-Go-Out-Of-My-Way-To-Eat-Healthy Challenge:  a mango smoothie

This morning I jogged across town while my father paced my on his bike to the south side of Pilot Butte where we visited my Aunt Iris in the rehab she is staying in.  After helping my Aunt check her e-mail on my new iPad, I jogged over to the library and spent  the day studying before jogging back to the rehab center for an evening visit with my Aunt Iris.  Then I went on a late evening jog back across town before calling it a day.  In total I was I able to get in 9.2 miles at an easy pace and my legs did not feel that tired after yesterday's long run.

My daily non-running workout consisted of of just 300 sit-ups.

Five-Minute Plank Challenge: 30 second plank and side planks

Trying-To-Go-Out-Of-My-Way-To-Eat-Healthy Challenge:  a cup of orange juice