In the Water

Mon (12/27) marked 8 weeks of rest.  All along, I was planning to get back into a exercise routine at this point.  So I did.  I grabbed my goggles and headed to Stacy Pool.  It was pretty chilly outside Mon afternoon, but it was a nice 70-something degrees in the pool.  I swam 1400 ft (7 down & backs in the pool).  That shit sucked, cuz I am a terrible swimmer.  After like 3 down & backs, I was completely gassed.  Still, it was a good workout, and I know I will get better if I continue the swim routine.

Wed - I hit up the pool again.  I was a pretty sore from the Mon swim/gym and Tues gym.  After two (down & back) sets, I felt done - jello muscles and breathing like I had just raced a quarter.  I then rested for a few min and did several more sets - did not keep count.  I was completely fucking pooped after swimming today.  Good workout.

The Quintana Roo Chronicles

Coming soon... ;-)

6 weeks down

• End of today marks 6 weeks of rest
• Feeling pretty good but not there yet
• Haven't been to the gym in 4 weeks
• Been getting plenty of sleep
• Will check back in after XMas

Team Rogue represents @ the R&R San Antonio Half Marathon

Rogue had a real strong showing today:  1-3 overall on the Men's side (Scott, Darren, and Eric); 2-3 overall for the Women (Allison, Kara).

From my crew, Paul smoked a 1:14, Corey w/ 1:18, Kam w/ 1:19, Asia w/ 1:19, and Niccole w/ 1:23.

Great job out there today!.  I will be there next go round in 2011 (fingers crossed).

Feeling pretty good

With 11 rest days on the books, I am feeling pretty good.  Most of the pains I was experiencing (e.g., groin pain with any lateral movement, lower abdominal and hip flexor morning soreness, and anytime I would 'sit up'), are pretty much gone.  It is almost as if I am back to where I was before that "final straw" broke in mid-October.  Make no mistake about  it, though, I know I am nowhere near ready to run (even in the water).

I hit up the gym a couple times this week, but the exercises I did barely qualified as workout, according to the Damon standard.  Like I said before, I am being real careful to not do anything that puts undue strain on the pubic region.  This is the first time (maybe ever) that I have made a point to avoid pain at all costs.  Different experience, that's for sue.  Ok, I am bored w/ this.

Done for the Season

MRI Findings:  severe osteitis pubis (ie, inflammation of the pubic symphysis joint, between the two pubic bones ), stress fractures in each pubic bone - parallel to the pubic symphysis, and a possible labral tear on the left hip.

Clinical Treatment:  3 month break from running; in the interim, I can swim, bike, and lift.

Well, I knew I messed some things up, but had no idea the issues were bone related.  I am glad I went to the doc and got the MRI.  Taking the extended break from running and missing the races suck, but I am happy to know exactly what is wrong and that some R&R should nip this in the bud.  Now there is a chance this thing could take 6-8 months to heal, but I don't think that it is going to play out that way (at least I hope not).  To try to make sure I am on the low end of the recovery time frame, I am not going swim, bike, or do anything to put any additional pressure on my pelvic region for 4 weeks.  If all the aches and pains have gone away come December, I will check out some swimming, biking, and light leg lifts (squats, lunges, etc).  For the time being, though, the only exercises I will do are some light core stuff, upper body weights, calf raises, leg curls/extensions, and lots of stretching/foam rolling.

That's the deal.

Drs Office

• saw a doc on Tues
• got an xray (negative) - no surprise
• does not appear to be a "true hernia"
• got mri, follow up to get results tentatively scheduled for Fri
• not going to run again until then, because the 'bruising' came back after running this past weekend
• have decided to do whatever it takes to get 100% healthy (more on what exactly that means after Fri)

In no mans land

Sat:  had a decent run ~ 80 min.  Felt pretty good, except for about a 20 min stretch during the back half of the run.

Sun:  opted to skip the 10 miler race and race prep for obvious reasons (in hindsight).  I took off w/ the plan of running 2 hours and throwing in some uptempo work to see where I was.  Did fine at easy pace, but the uptempo stuff was not so great.  I did some 2000's on the trail at steady-ish effort.  Fitness wise I was ok.  But after the 2nd one, the pains started to come on.  I ran a third one and stopped after a mile, because I did not want mess myself up any worse.   Alternated walking/jogging back to the gym while I pondered what to do w/ myself (running wise).  Ended up w/ about 90 min...maybe.

So, I know I can run for the most part.  But it does not seem like I am able to train.  For now, I am going to continue down the training path.  However, I do believe it is time to go purchase an MRI to see what is really going on.  Good times.

Nothing is fucked here, Dude

Well, I did not even come close to getting up this morning to run.  The alarm went off; I laughed at it, shut that fucker off and went back to dream land .  So much for that.

This afternoon, I did manage to run...for 90 min w/ 5 strides toward the end.  I felt a lot better today.  Not out of the woods yet, but today was the first day I would say I made good progress.

Test run pt 2

Easy hour.  The groin feels much better, but I still have strange aches and pains in the hip flexor and lower ab area.  Guess that pretty much goes w/ the territory, however, these issues are more pronounced than in the past.  Not sure what to think of this.  I was trying to being optimistic the other day when I said this deal was no biggie.  Thing is, I really have a sneaking suspicion that I am in trouble.  Hopefully, I am wrong.  The plan is to peel my ass out of bed tomorrow morning to run w/ the team (likely just an easy run for me)...

Test run

Late last night (possibly while I slept), I decided that maybe going out for a LR was not the best way check out my aches & pains.  So instead I opted for a shorter run ~ 70 minutes.  Things went ok. My left groin was tender at the start but loosened up well after about 5 min.  My hip abductors and hip flexor(s) were achy throughout (due to tightness). But anyway, it seems like I am going to be good, just need to be careful in the near term.  Tomorrow, I think I will go long-ish.

Groin pains

Hmm, let's see, where to start?  In April of 2009, I hurt my lower abdominal area when running somehow.  It was weird because I did not notice any pain until later that afternoon upon waking from a nap.  I trained through this pain, ran the Boston Marathon, and kept on training after Boston.  This was a mistake, because what started out as mild lower abdominal aches eventually led to groin pain and severe abdominal pain after runs.  The funny thing about this issue is that it would not really bother me during the run, but after the fact, I could not sit up on my own for hours on end.  The next day things would have subsided for the most part and running w/ it was never an issue.  So I kept running.  Meanwhile, I did some reading and pretty much realized that I prob had a mild sports hernia.  Went to the doctor and did some PT, but never really made any progress with regard to healing.  Gave up on PT and I came up w/ my own routine based on what I read.  This seemed to work pretty well.  The aches and pains never completely went away, but were def under control.

That was until about 4 weeks ago:  we did a track workout, and after it, my groin area was on fire.  I really did not think too much of it; my groin has hurt on/off for the last 18 months (no biggie).  And just like usual, it got better for the most part within a couple days.  Last Thursday after our workout, again the groin hurt - this time it was worse, and I hobbled back to BS after our workout.  It did not bother me during the IBM race, but after the race, again, on fire.  This past Tuesday was basically the last straw:  this time I felt things sorta yank out of place in the last couple of mile of the steady run.  Still, I pushed on (deep ingrained don't give in to the pain mentality that was sunk in my head at a early age I suppose).  After we finished, I really wanted to walk it back, but hobbled it in instead.

So that's the run down basically, I was in enough pain on Tues finally realize I need to slow my role.  I have basically rested since then.  I have been focusing on stretching mainly and other activities to loosen my quads, groin, inner hamstrings, and abductors. Oh, and lots of icing.  Icing the inner thigh is the greatest!

Today, I feel much better.  The pain in my groin is pretty much gone, the lower ab pain is mostly gone (or as gone as I can hope for it to be), and the bruising where the groin muscles attach is disappearing.  I jogged for a few minutes at lunch and things seem to be much better.  Tomorrow, I will test things out for real.

Summation:  I have lost some training momentum, but I don't think this issue going to be a show stopper.  At least not if I listen to my damn body and not my crazy mind!

10 steady

Steady run today @ 1:01:37.  The last 4 miles, I was feeling the effects of the 10K.  Was very glad when this one was over...

Mon run

Easy 50 minutes - added in some form running at the end.  The form running was a good add-on.

IBM 10K

Tough day for me, the 10k whooped my ass.  That is pretty much how I felt (whooped) throughout this race.  The sustained 10k pace 'felt' like it was too much for me (mentally & physically) so I backed off after about 1.5 miles.  I was pretty miserable throughout the race until about .7 of mile to go.  Knowing I was close to the finish, I let out a good push, ended up at 36:17 (with a negative split).  I was about a minute slower than expected.  Still, I did have fun out there, and if I had  a chance to do it over, I would run it all over again.

Gremlin Splits:  534, 552, 556, 548, 606, 539, 1:20 (for .28)

Easy hour in preparation for the the 10k tomorrow.  I have pretty high expectations, but a lot of uncertainty too.

Easy watch-less run today (maybe 30 min), by the end of the run I was feeling pretty good.

I am now at a point where I like to run on Fridays rather than take the day off.  I have done this 3 out of the last 4 weeks, and I seem to 'feel' better without the rest day.  Something about getting out there and letting the legs move. There's a lot more to it, but I am not in the mood to yada yada yada on and on about it.  That is all for now. 

Pecos Loops pt II

Today's workout was a repeat of one we did three weeks ago, Pecos Loops (3 miles at steady effort in the hills).

Loop #1:  1823
Loop #2:  1814

This go around the workout was much more manageable.  Pretty sure that is a good thing.

12 for the day

Registered for the IBM 10K just now, today is the last day to register online for $35, FYI. I can already tell I am going to get nervous leading up to this one (especially w/ the evolving aggressive race plan floating around in my head). Oh well, a lil nervousness never hurt anyone.

On the daily running front, I logged 76 min today - felt pretty good too after the taking a day off yesterday. Tomorrow, we go back to work.

Easy 40-ish min. 6 x 20 sec pick-ups during. Still recovering from saturday, but i felt much better afterward today (than yesterday ).

8 weeks out from CIM 2010

I felt pretty ragged the 1st 15-20 min today, but loosened up nicely thereafter.  I did cut the run a little short just to be on the safe side, ending up with about 9 miles.

With another day or two of easy running, I should have my legs back under me.  This Tues instead of a workout, we are doing a MLR, and I am thinking strides after that easy run.  And then on Sunday there is the IBM 10k.  I am definitely looking forward to that.  

Race Prep #2 for CIM 2010

The plan for today was 20 miles at goal pace.  Going into this thing, I felt real confident I could run 630s, but was not sure if I could run 620s.  After kicking it around in my head for most of this week, I decided to go for 620-625 range, run on effort (no gremlin).

Before we started this AM, I was kind of concerned because Sisson said mile markers would be every 2 miles.  I was expecting every mile, but now with markers every 2 miles, my ability to 'feel' the right pace was def going to be tested.

We ran two 10 mile loops, which made my goal for each loop 1:03:20 (ie, 620 pace).  Two mile split goal would then be 1240.  Here were the splits I had:

102:50 (1242, 1250, 2502, 1215) ~ 617 pace
102:26 (1237, 1257, 1219, 1212, 1221) ~ 615 pace

Needless to say, I had a good one today.  By mile 5 or 6, I knew I had this thing.  I was really relaxed and felt like I was using very little effort to maintain pace.  The last 4 miles I got a little tight, but never to the extent where maintaining pace was struggle.  The miles just really clicked off today.

So, I suppose I am in close to 245 shape.  This workout was a great confidence builder.  But I am not going to rest on my laurels, because I feel like I can still improve in the next 6 weeks of training.  I am basically 100% healthy, so it should be fun and interesting - uncharted waters!

Last thing, I gotta send a big shout out to Chris for steering me toward the right mind frame for this workout.  Thanks man!

Tempo sets

• 2 x 3 miles @ tempo pace: 604 avg and 554 avg
• 12 miles for the day
• One hour in the gym this afternoon
• 15 min in the ice bath after the gym

11 of em, easy style.  My legs felt a little tired during the last 2-3 miles.  But the weather was outstanding, so the leg issue was no biggie.  Hopefully a large helping of red meat for dinner and a good night of rest will allow for a quick recovery.

Rollers workout

Today, we did one of Steve's staple hill workouts, The Rollers in W Austin.  The wkout this time was a little diff than previous iterations:  we did a 4 mile warm-up, 4 miles of 2 min hard (10k pace)/2 min easy, 3 min rest,  4 miles at tempo/steady, and about 2 wd.  Actually, we did about 4.5 miles 2 hard/easy due to a wrong turn...oops.

The hard/easy part lasted for 30 min and the next 4 miles lasted 24 min.

About 14.5 for the day

Slow & easy

Monday is always my shortest run of the week.  I don't have any sort of goal for this run.  I go pretty slow allowing my body (legs) to dictate the pace.  Half of the time (like today), I don't even wear a watch. Actually, I guess there is a goal, to get recovered from the weekend runnings and prep the body for the upcoming week.  I guess that makes it a recovery run. 

No watch, so I am not sure how long/far I ran.  You should try it sometime...

Sunday Runday

• 90 minutes on the TL trail
• 6 x 100m strides
• 50 min in the gym
• 15 min w/ the foam roller

24er

Another good run, they continue to get easier.  Today, I ran for 257, not sure of the distance cuz I ran without the gremlin (but it had to be close to 24).  The last hour was strong, even though there were several substantial hills.

The next real test will be Saturday week when we run a bunch of miles at goal pace.   I feel a lot better about the upcoming race prep than the first.  Just have to keep the positive/strong momentum going...

10 steady

Steady state run was on tap today, Sisson had us run through the 04 to keep the pace in check (turns & hills).  We did two 5 mile loops:  628 for the first and 618 for the second.  Thirteen days on, so tomorrow the legs get a rest.

13 for the day

Easy 10, I did not feel too bad after yesterday.  I actually felt pretty spiffy, esp with a good 20 min of rolling and stretching afterward.

MGP & 10K at the track

Today, Sisson had us do one of his little pace switching runs on the track:  5 miles continuous (alternating miles at 10k and MGP).  The plan was to do 540s & 620s.  During the warm-up, Chris brought up the idea for us to alternate setting the pace every two laps.  I was with that and so were Asia & Kamran.  I could go on and on about this, but to save time, let's just say we knocked it out of the park.

Miles:
540
617
544
616
541
T = 29:40

Not bad for a workout.  The first mile was sorta tough.  After about 6 laps, though, I hit a groove.  The rest of the laps were pretty easy to me, felt like I had more miles in me when we finished.  We shall see if I am blowing smoke or not come Thurs when we hit up a 10 mile steady stater.  Stay tuned.

12 for the day

Autumn is here

The first real cool front of the season blew in yesterday afternoon & the residents of TX were treated to some cooler weather.  I heard it was in the upper 50s early in the AM.  Finally!

As for me, you know how I do it, I could not be bothered to get up early & run on a Mon morning.  So I got in some miles during the lunch hour.  It was still in the mid to upper 60s when I ran, and boy did it feel outstanding.  Easy & relaxed 50 min. 

Si Labs Relay

Got in a good run by way of the relay leg today, the gremlin told me I ran 541 pace for approx 3.25 miles.  The faster pace was certainly something diff, but I handled it well and was under control the entire time.  The 5K I ran last May was at 540 pace and hurt real bad.  Today though, the pace felt much easier...a good thing I suppose.

Everybody on the team (Asia, Chris, Kamran, Niccole, and I) ran hard, and as a result, we were able to come away w/ 1st in the "open mixed" division and 3rd overall.  We had a blast out there and managed to compete well also.  Racing season is here kid.

Drop down LR

Down (recovery) week, we ran for 16.  Good & relaxed run.  Feeling pretty good these days...

Easy 32 min today.

Sunday, me and some folks from the team are running in the Silicon Labs Marathon Relay (open mixed division).  We have strong team, and based on past results, I expect a top 3 finish.  I am running the 5K, next to last...suppose I am the slow one on the team. ;-)  Don't care where/what I am running, it should be a great time, regardless of how it plays out.  I am just looking to get out there & get the competitive juices flowing.

Pecos loops @ steady pace

Today we ran a little 3.5 mile loop - Enfield->Pecos->Scenic.  We were to run 3 miles at steady pace, recover for .5 of a mile, and then repeat (2 loops).

Loop one - 18:27
Loop two - 18:30

I was ready to call it a day after the first one: my quads felt worn out, and my mind did not want anymore.  I fought off those negative thoughts and started up the 2nd rep.  About 5 min into the 2nd loop, my quads loosened up and running at a faster pace felt easy again.  Make no mistake about it, this was a freaking tough workout.  But I was happy to push through the mental/physical barrier which tripped me up last Saturday.  Progress, that is about the best I can ask for at this point.  

12 miles for the day

Easy 48 minutes, I can confirm that is still too hot/humid to run outside during lunch time.  Yuck!  However, I have it from an unreliable source that a cool front may come in this weekend.  Let's hope it comes in on Saturday...

Hill Circuits

Ran for 1:45, which included 3 sets of hill circuits (6 uphills and 3 800s @ tempo effort).

Easy 40 min w/ 8 strides during the last 10 min

CIM 2010 is 11 weeks from today

Yep, the thon will be be here before we know it.  But there is still plenty of time left for improvement.  The way I figure it, in about 3 weeks, I should be hitting prime form (does not mean 'peaked').  Shouldn't be any mental issues at that point and I will be pretty well adjusted to the faster paced runs.  Though, I can't begin to look too far ahead, because I must take the runs/workouts one at a time.  I don't really know why, but I am starting to get excited.

On the training log front, I ran for 1:45 today.  Running w/ Muz & Sidney made the time go by pretty damn fast, even if our planned route turned in to a free run frenzy.  Good times :-)

Race Prep #1 for CIM 2010 Training

The plan for the group was 15 miles at mgp.  Before the run, we were told to get in as many miles at mgp as possible, ceiling of 15.  I really & truly did not feel I was ready for 15 miles at this type of effort, esp since quality work started a mere 1.5 weeks ago.  To the point, I basically mind fucked myself before the run even started.  Bad as that may sound, I don't think the mind-frame issue is going to be an issue going forward.  More on that shortly.

Here's what went down (I was thinking 630s for the first set & maybe 620s if I was feeling super awesome after that):

Set 1 - 32:23 (635, 628, 624, 636, 620)
Set 2 - 32:17 (632, 624, 623, 627, 629)

So, somewhere in the middle of set 2 I decided I was going to stop at 10 miles.  My quads were feeling whacked & I made up my mind I was not going to force the issue.  I told Larry & Steve I was done; Steve though, told me to get back out there and I think Chris did too.  So I decided to start back up, but quickly changed my mind and went to weakling mode.  Third one turned out pretty ugly:

Set 3 - (724, 635, 730)

FWIW, I only really made an effort to run pace the 2nd mile, so I was able to get back in that zone.  It is just that I had already checked out mentally...

The results may look sorta ugly in print, but I am not too disappointed.  Yes, I would have liked to finish the workout, but we still have 11 weeks before the big race.  I just have to continue to improve, and as things stand, I feel like I am a good position to do that.

About 20 for the day

1st Tempo Run for CIM 2010 Training

I had a good one today.  This tempo run was the easiest feeling 'tempo' that I have ever run.  I felt smooth  & in control the entire time, a stark contrast from last week's Steady run.  I suppose I have shaken off a good portion of the rust.

Here's what the gremlin spit out:
555, 556, 558, 551

Easy Wed

My legs have been a lil tired & sore the last few days.  Today, though, they felt noticeably better.  Kamran, Asia, and I got in a good & relaxed 10. 

Tomorrow is the first 4 mile tempo run.  I'm thinking to...run a couple 6's & then up the effort level just slightly for the last 2 miles.  The last 12 min of the run should be interesting.

Hill circuits

Today, we did form running (high knees basically) up our std hill w/ a couple of loops at elevated effort added in. A set goes as such:  up the hill,  recovery jog down, up, 800m loop while up top, and back down - which equals one set.  We only did two.  Easy stuff.  I got in about 12 for the day.

ez mon

45 min - the ole legs were a lil tired today. Kept the pace super relaxed, we have a big week ahead of us.

Finished out the week on a good note

Easy 11ish - the highlight of the run was the NUUN stocked water coolers at the 0 mile marker & at Mopac.  Good shit!

22 m LR w/ an extra large side humidity

I was a little uncertain how the run would go today, cuz I was pretty sore from the gym wkout on Thurs.  It had been more than a week since I last hit the weights. And to up the difficulty a little, we were treated w/ some strong humidity in the wake of rainstorm Hermine.    So how did it go?

Pretty decent.  I decided early in the run that I was going to hang back & not try anything crazy in the last miles.  For the commander & sheriff have been regulating on the crew recently (ie, 'team' over 'me').  :-)  Seriously, the run went very well & was highly entertaining.  I felt especially strong throughout the last hour of the run.  That is not to say that I felt perfect, fresh, and did not have to expend some good effort, but I def ended on a positive note.

I do believe I'm back on track & ready get w/ these quality workouts.   Time will tell!

Fri rec run

Easy 33 min today - I decided to run on Fri in an effort to shake off the staleness I have felt the last few days.  Let us see if it helps

1st Steady run for CIM 2010 training

Hmm, what to say...well, I completed the run w/out walking.  :-)  Today was not one of my better days, FWIW.  It was by no means terrible, but I guess I was hoping to 'feel' a little beer & be a lil faster.  Really though, I know it was the first workout, & I should not make a big deal about it.  So I won't.  Here's how it played out time wise:

624
640
641
625
615
615

38:39 (627 avg) - 12 miles total for the day


I  purposely slowed up after the 1st mile cuz I felt like my effort level was a lil too high.  And I suppose I took it a lil too far w/ miles 2 & 3.  Kamran & I locked on for the back half & we cruised it in together.  The last 3 miles somehow felt a lil easier than the 1st 3...go figure.

Ain't nowhere to go but up from here...

Wed run

Back on schedule, I just barely peeled myself out of bed to meet Kamran & Asia.  We hit up their fav 10.3 route.  I felt flat & weak the second half of the run.  This makes me concerned about our first workout tomorrow:  a steady state run.  Regardless of the outcome, I def need a good dose of 'quality' to blow the pipes out.  Should be interesting...

Get ur head out of the clouds

Message to self!

I got in about 57 min today, because I did not run in the morning.  At this point, I need to get serious about practice attendance, since I ain't going to get in race shape by sleeping in.

Let's see if I can re-establish my mental focus and stay locked in for the next few months.

The week that was

Tues:
Easy 12 w/ the gang - we planned for 14 but there was a route malfunction somehow.  And at the end, no one really cared to add miles.  I think we will all be ok.

Wed:
Failure to start in the morning, so I ran for about 41 min in the afternoon on the solo tip.


Thurs: 
More of the same, I did not get up to run.  I was traveling on this day too and decided to make Thurs my rest day for the week.

Fri: 
Ran for two hours in Alpine, TX - the weather was great but the altitude (4800 ft) got with me some in the last 30 min.

Sat:
Easy hour toward Marfa & back - I was chased by dogs on two occasions.  Neither was too vicious though:)

Sun:
1.5 hours - the highlight of the run was hitting the trail behind Sul Ross St and ascending to the top of the large hill North of the University.  The trail was rocky & almost impossible to run down (the hills).  I guess I am not quite ready to call myself a trail runner.  Still, a good way to finish out the week

Std Mon easy easy run - it lasted for 48 min (outdoors this time).  The heat & humidity have returned.  So sad!

Sunday runday

Easy 10 today w/ strides afterward.  I was a little tight before as a result of yesterday, but fortunately, loosened up after about 30 min.  Felt good afterward.

This was the last real week of base training.  Next week is a down one.  The fun part is almost upon us.

Twenty pho

Boy, we lucked out today, because the temp was about 70 degrees.  What a difference.  There was a decent sized group for the run (Larry, Asia, Kamran, Jim, Brett, & Niccole).  We all pretty much hung together for the duration.  I felt fresh & strong throughout:  24 miles @ 2:58.  

Mid-week updates

Tues - failure to start - I could give a couple diff reasons why I simped it, but I won't go there.  Strike a mark in the weakling column.

Wed - easy 10 w/ Kamrasia & Chris - we took it pretty easy & I felt fresh after the run.  I suppose the off day might have done some good.

Thurs - back w/ the team for 14 miles - the route was a hilly one.  That had no bearing though, because I was feeling 100.

My legs stay like this, Saturday is going to be an epic LR (assuming I get out of bed).  I can't wait!

Easy 40 min on the treadmill. it sure was nice be in the ac cooled space for the run.

Rudisha's 800m WR Run

Gotta give props to Rudisha, he went and got it that final lap. You can see him really go for it twice - at about 450m and w/ 150 to go. Goose bumps (race starts at 3 min):

Base training is almost over

I wasn't really feeling it today either, but pushed ahead anyway.  Ran 73 min and I did 6 strides afterward.  About 75-ish for the week.  One more week of base training to go!

Had to work for it today

As the title suggests, I had a tough time out on the roads today.  I woke w/ sore/tired feeling quads & almost didn't even roll out. I was real tight during the early miles & just generally didn't feel worth a shit.  To make matters worse, I got real nauseous at about the 8 mile mark.  At that point, I really thought about calling it a day. But instead of giving in and taking the easy way out, I decided to persevere.  I basically put my head down & continued on, determined to make it to the 11 mile turn around.  Needless to say, I made it.  Somewhere between 11 & 12, my stomach settled. I finished out the 22 and headed straight for the ice bath.  That 10 min soak almost made the 2:42 of suffering worth it.  Nowhere but up to go tomorrow.

Mid week run summary

• Tues - 14 miles (did 4 pickups:  alt 2 and 4  min on - 5 off in between each 'on').  Coach is slowly warming us up for the real training which begins in Sept.
• Wed - 10 easy on the trail.  I managed to get my lazy ass up to do the run in the AM.  Hooray!
• Thurs - 14 easy on a hilly route - today, I could feel that I worked a little more than normal on Tues.  Still, it was quality run, things are coming along nicely.

About 6 @ 47 min - nice & easy

75 for the week

I finished the week out on a good note.  This was the first weekend in awhile that I went 10 miles on a Sun.  And you know what, the run was not that bad.  I was a little tired and achy during the first 20 min, but really, today was the best that I had felt on Sunday run this season.  Throughout the run I had the phrase/thought "mental toughness" in my head.  I don't really know why, but for some reason that was the theme of the run. Actually, I think I just deemed it as the theme for the season, "Mental Toughness."  Get yours! 

Coming on around

I was looking to go 22 today, but was a little unsure how it would go.  This morning the weather was pretty brutal, very still out and lots of humidity.  Other than the TX summer climate, things turned out pretty peachy.  Got in the 22 (in 241) & I felt about as good as can be expected.  Yup yup.

a good few days

Tues - 13.5ish - I felt terrible for most of the run.

Wed - 6.5 + 3 - so so on the 1st one & felt good on 2nd

Thurs - 14 - back to normal & felt strong

Lesson learned - don't skip ur mlr and lr in the same week. ;)

Heat, Obama, and Detours

I opted for the lunch run today, outside.  Not only was it hot as all get out, my normal route was blocked because Mr Pres was in town.  As I approached the Woodward/Hwy 71 overpass, a cop quickly made it clear that there was no way in hell I was crossing over it.  Maybe he was worried I might sweat on the limo...or that I was exiting the ghetto and had not slept in day(s).  Regardless, security concern noted!  So instead, I headed down to Burleson, encountered some unplanned hill action, and headed back to the office, 50 minutes.

Not much of a running week

Well, I had sorta planned a down week, but not quite like the one that I ended up taking. I skipped two runs: the MLR and the LR. Whoops. Nothing is really wrong mentally or health-wise, I just kind of let up I suppose. On the bright side, I am nice & rested. :-)

Today I ran from SOCO Gym to Koening Lane and back. I forgot my watch & guessed that that would be far enough to cover 12 miles total. I was wrong; it was about 11 once I mapped it, still a decent run.

It is now time to hunker down for the rest of the month, no more slacking (hopefully).

lil change up

Today we had the option add in some 60 sec pickups during the run, what a welcome surprise. I believe we got in 5 of them. Next time maybe we can do 10. About 12 miles for the day

Back at it

I skipped running entirely yesterday.  I was feeling a little beat up and worn down.  Today, I was back to feeling brand new.  Met up w/ Asia & we ran for almost 1:14.  Thx to her crack mapping skills (not to be confused w/ nun-chuck or bow staff skills), I now know we ran a little over 10 miles, which included 6 strides in the last 1.5 miles.  A great way to start off the day...

Mid morning run

With a couple vacation days in effect, I was able to sleep in and run a little later today.  I started around 945.  Yes, it was warm, but it was definitely less humid.  I ran for 68 minutes, and my shorts were not even drenched afterward.  I'll be damned.  Marking that one as 8.5

Another week done

Saturday, I got in the first 20 miler of the season (actually, closer to 21).  Pretty tough route, but I hung in there ok.  The distance covered was not an issue.  I am now ready to pick up the pace.  Yes, I know it is not time for that yet.  Patience.

Sunday, I was sore all over when I got up:  butt, calves, feet, and quads.  Amazingly, my hammies did not seem sore.  Weirdness.  I felt much better after a 66 min run & 6 x 100m striders.  I piddled around in the gym for about an hour & called it a day.  One more month of boring ass base training!

Thurs Run

We ran for 1:32.  I felt pretty lazy on the run.  My quads were a little sore/tired, from Tuesday I presume. Could also be that this is my second week in a row at 70+, a good rest day should get things back in working order.  Until next time...

Lazy bum

I couldn't make myself get up when the alarm went off this AM.  Thus, I was relegated to a lunch run.  That worked out okay because I have a buddy at work who is trying get into running.  We ran through the rain (my fav) for about 20 min, and I then added on an extra 50.  Marked it as 8 in the log

Did some good today

MLR @14+, today was the first time I have felt good throughout a Tues run.  I don't believe I did anything different.  The legs just seem to have adapted to the longer runs.  Saturday, I will find out what's really going on -  20 miles through the Bonnell, Mesa, & Far West neighborhoods.  It should be fun, in a masochistic sort of way.

Short one

Time was sparse today, so I did not get in much of a run.  40 minutes at a very very easy pace.

A good mileage week in the books

I opted to sleep in today and didn't make it out to run until a quarter til 9.  It was a little warm, but I have adjusted to the summer conditions.  Still, I was pretty much drenched after 40 min.  The heat, though, had no impact on the run.  Full disclosure - I moseyed at what seemed like a snail's pace at times.  72 min - I marked the run as 9.

Afterward, I ran 4x 200 on the track.  Call them extended strides, between 30 & 35 sec.    Looking at the ole running log, it looks like I just barely eclipsed the 70 mile mark for the week.  Great success!

LR

I had planned to drop down a little for the LR today ( 2 hrs), but as luck would have it, I ended up running a little farther.  The run lasted 2:15.  This week has turned out to be a pretty decent week mileage wise.  I'm looking to end it on a good note tomorrow.

Power of the pack

This season there is a pretty solid sub 3 hr group within the training group.  Several of us (Kamran, Asia, Chris, Larry, Corey, Niccole, Brent, and Jim) will all likely run somewhere between 238 & 255.  If everyone is able make it through the season relatively unscathed, we will all push & support one another and the results should be pretty strong.  Ain't nothing quite like some good ole fashioned team camaraderie...

Got in about 12 miles this morning, I felt slightly better than Tues.  This afternoon, I did a 23 min warm-up, followed by some form running, 4 x 100 strides, and a 4 min barefoot cool down on the grass.  After that, I hit up 40 min in the gym w/ the weights & resistance.

Rest is in order tomorrow.   

Easy 61 min.  That is all.

2 x Tues

This morning the MLR was on tap, to the tune of 14.  It was esp still outside with no breeze/wind at all.  I was moving along as normal until about the 8 mile mark, then things got a lil difficult.  The last 40 min or so it just felt like I was working a little too hard.  I did not fade or anything, but was ready to fade on the inside.  I suppose my endurance is not quite to where I thought it was.  But now that I think more about it, I felt pretty much the same last Tues.  Hmm, will have to ponder this some more...

This afternoon I ran for 23 min just to shake things out.  After about 10 min, I felt pretty good.  After I stopped running, I felt a little lighted headed.  Thus, I headed to get on some drink & food.  All better 30 min after the run.

adding an extra day

Now that i'm a few weeks into training, it's time to add an extra day of running. I got in about 43 min during the the lunch hour with some coworkers. The company made the time fly & I barely noticed the 90+ temp. No shit!

Weekend runnings II

Saturday - LR, 18 miles - I ran pretty much the whole time w/ Kamran & Chris.  It was a good run, and I was very glad to get a for real LR on the books.  I had about 2:11 - so I suppose the route was likely a lil short, cuz I don't believe we ran that fast. 

Sun - Took it real easy, I ran about 40 min to get to AHS track.  Once there, I got in five 100m strides.  Then I cooled it down for 20 min back to the gym.  One hour in the gym & I called it a day.

Thurs Run

Managed about 12.85 miles according to Corey's gremlin.  There were some pretty good hills on the run.  I was pooped afterward.  Hopefully I can whip the legs back into form for the Sat LR. 

Fall races

• IBM 10K - 10/17
• Run 4 the water 10 miler - 10/31
• SA half -11/14
• CIM - 12/5

I'd like to also run a 5k in the fall, but that may not fit the schedule. We shall see.

Dreadmill run

Couldn't make myself roll-out this morning, so I opted for a lunch run, on the treadmill. Ugh, but that's what I get for being lazy. I got in 45 min (5 min warm-up followed by 40 min of one min "on"/one-two min "off") - doing the run that way seemed to make it less boring.  Better than nada...

MLR

Got in my first real MLR - approx 14 miles & 105 min.  I would like to say it was easy & felt good, but that would be a lie.  Today was an on/off struggle, mostly mental, but there was some physical hurt too.  Nothing inj related, just some Weakness trying to creep in.  But in the end, I kicked that 'Weakness' in the ass and told it to go elsewhere.  As Dustin once said, "the Weakness is a terrible thing" -- so you gotta fight that shit off whenever it tries to wreak havoc.  Lesson of the day. :-)

Reg for a race

The San Antonio Half on 11/14.  It should serve as a great tune-up/prep for CIM three weeks later. 

• AM run = 1 hr
• 5 x 100m strides on the track
• 1 hr in the gym (reg routine)
• PM run = 31 min

L Rizzity

Day by day, waking up early in the morning to run is getting easier & easier.

We had some hills on tap today, which I tend to relish. The group ran westward from Rogue Equipment and eventually hit Exposition, 35th st, and Mt Bonnell. Several of the reg folks were out today, so I ran pretty much the entire route w/ Asia. Don't be jealous Kamran. :-) I had 2:00 flat for the total run. Curious about how far we ran afterward, I decided to map it & came up with approx 16.3. I'll take it, cuz we really backed off the last 30 min. Feeling good!

Double up kid

Grabbed an easy 12 this morning w/ the team. I took it pretty easy throughout. The run took 1.5 hrs. Added on 4 strides afterward. Good run.

This afternoon, I ran for about three miles. Hit up the gym afterward (about an hour).

Yeah boy!

After 7 days of consecutive running, I could tell I needed a rest day by Mon evening. Bad planning (or lack of planning?) on my part cuz taking Tues off meant I would miss a group run. Not the end of the world i don't think. And I ended up all the better for coming to my senses. Though, I must say, it did not take me long to get into "more, more, more" base training mode. I can see already it is going to be a challenge to hold myself back over the next 8 weeks. Note to self.

After a day of rest, I felt pretty awesome throughout a 9 mile/68 min run this morning. Monday I felt god awful, so it was great to feel sharp again after a day off. I expect to feel good tomorrow too, might even add a lil close the last 2-3 miles. That would be a first for me this season. Talk about restraint! :-)

54 min - I've had much better days. These shitty runs happen. I took a long nap afterward and felt much better. Capped the day with an hour in the gym.

weekend runnings

Saturday, I met up w/ the team for a LR.  I had no idea how I was going to do, cuz my legs were a little sore/heavy from the form running and strides the previous day. Everything turned out pretty well; though, it took about 35 minutes to shake off the rust from the previous day.  There was a good pack (Kamran, Asia, Niccole, Larry, Jason, and Brent) & the pace was pretty honest (but not too fast) throughout.  I clocked 104 min of running (20-25 min more than I have ran in a single run for the last several weeks).  Good progress.

Sunday, I felt whopped when the alarm went off in the morning, so I cut off the alarm & rolled over.  Next thing I knew, it was three hours later.  Guess I needed the rest.  Still feeling a little ragged once I got up, I decided keep the running to a minimum today.  I ran approx 6 miles & ended the week at 50 miles.   

Might have found some good trainers

I've struggled in the shoe dept for awhile now. None of the 3-4 pair of shoes that I regularly wear work that well for me. They aren't terrible, but my feet don't really like any of them as "everyday trainers." Today, that may have changed. After hearing good reviews from folks whose opinions I trust, I decided to go check out the Saucony Kinvara. The shoes felt pretty damn good from the moment I slipped them on. I really like the level feel of the shoe (ie, pretty much equal heel to forefoot offset).

Feeling good in the store is great and all, but how are they on a run? Well, I can't say they are going to be the "silver bullet" to some of my past running woes, but teh shoes felt awesome for a 20 min jog, some running drills (high knees, side to side, butt kicks, karaoke, backwards running, and bounding), and 6 x 100m strides. The thing that really stuck out to me was how the shoes felt like one w/ my foot. I'm going to test them out tomorrow on my quasi-LR, and hopefully my opinion remains as is, A+.

Wed - 51 min, cut the run short cuz the IT was very tight. Put the ball to my hip afterward and that seemed to release it some.

Thurs - no watch, but i prolly ran 80-85 min. The IT was much better today. Strangeness.

Prefontaine Classic this weekend

The 5000 (Solinsky vs E Africans), mile (stacked field), 100M (Women), and 200 (Tyson Gay returns) should be esp great events to watch. Set your dvr, NBC.

PREFONTAINE CLASSIC DIAMOND LEAGUE EVENTS 2010
SATURDAY, JULY 3RD
SCHEDULE
11:00 Hammer Throw (W)*
12:03 Interview Program
12:10 National Anthem
12:14 Discus Throw (M)
12:16 Triple Jump (W) West Outer Runway
12:18 International Mile (M)
12:30 Pole Vault (W) East Outer Runway
12:38 5000 Meters (W)*
1:03 400 Hurdles (W) [Live International TV]
1:09 1000 Meters (M)*
1:16 Shot Put (M) West Ring
1:19 Steeplechase (W)
1:31 Javelin Throw (W)
1:35 800 Meters (W)
1:43 Long Jump (M) West Outer Runway
1:45 110 Hurdles (M)
1:55 100 Meters (W)
2:02 5000 Meters (M)
2:26 200 Meters (M)
2:36 400 Meters (W)
2:47 Bowerman Mile

http://www.runnerspace.com/eprofile.php?do=title&title_id=358&event_id=120

Run w/ the team

Made it to practice - great success! I opted for the 10 mile route. The run felt good the entire time. Oh boy do I like that feeling. Now the challenge to gtfo of bed tomorrow morning. I've got a good feeling about this one.

Finished the week on a good note

78 min today - I am beginning to get my legs under me again (re longer dist runs). I know, that amt of time running is not a long run per se, but today was the first day I had that feeling of "this dist isn't shit" and felt like going faster the last 20 min. A few more weeks, and I should have my marathon legs back.

For the week, I did not run quite as many miles as I would have liked, but I did run 4 days (as planned). The IT band tweak put a slight damper on things, though, it appears to be a very minor deal. Let's hope that issue stays in check. Next week I plan to run 5 days. Whoa!

Hanging in there

Ran for 65 min today - everything held up okay, but is not 100. I may have figured out what is going on w/ the IT, thanks to my crack massage therapist. I have a lot of tension & tightness in my hamstring and the accompanying lower (by the knee) tendon attachment was pretty cranky when it was worked. Hopefully a little TLC for both my hammmies clears this lil annoyance up. Tomorrow, I plan to go a little farther & see what happens.

Easy 50 min. 1 hr in the gym afterward. Seems I have some mild IT which has crept up out of nowhere. Wtf. Suppose I have to now get serious with the stretching and rolling. Also, i'm going to head to the massage table asap. Good times!

2010 T&F Championships

Note to self:

Source - http://www.usatf.org/events/2010/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/

Marathon Training with Team Rogue for CIM

I'll be training the next several months with Team Rogue for a Dec marathon (most likely CIM).  The team officially started 2 weeks ago, though, this is my first week.  Being my first day, I decided to run the 10 mile route since I knew that distance was easily doable.  Didn't wear a watch, so I can't report any of those stats.  I can, however, report that the heat/humidity did not affect me nearly as much. Either my body has adapted or the humidity/dew point has decreased.  Don't know which, who knows, maybe both.

Weekend Running

Saturday - I was too lazy to wake up early and run.  Once I got up and around, I headed to the track around 1030.  I did a short warm-up, lots of form running, and 6x 150m (50 accel, 50 hard, 50 coast).  Called it a day after that.

Sunday - Easy 10 w/ Kamran and Asia.  We grabbed 4 strides at AHS toward the end of the run.  I wrapped it up w/ an hour in the gym.  My hammies are hella-tight, and I need to get on my job as it pertains to stretching and rolling em.

Hurtin in the Humidity

I met Kamrasia at the UT intramural fields today to do a few mile repeats on the soft grass.  We knocked out a 3.5 mile warm-up and then got to the good stuff.  The plan was to do 3 sets, just trying continue a little turnover work.  Ran them in 612, 555, and 601.  Those sum bitches were tough.  My legs were ok for the most part, but the humidity/dew point made the cardio piece shitty (to put it nicely).  Afterward, none of us wanted to run the warm-up route as a cool down.   I did however want to take advantage of the soft and nearly perfect grass one more time, so I decided to get in a little barefoot cool down.  I ran for about 13 min.  Decent day I suppose.

The Dell Streak is pretty cool

About 3.5 weeks ago I ran in the Congress Ave Mile in Austin, TX.  The first 1000 people to register were to receive a Dell beta test product.  That item (which turned out to be a Dell Streak) arrived last Fri.  During the next 4 weeks I am to use the product and provide feedback via surveys.  After the test period concludes, I get to keep the product.  Hmm.

What is the Dell Streak?  I'm not a super duper smart phone techster, but it appears to be a hybrid smart phone/tablet.  Perfect timing, because I had finally decided to acquire such a device (after purposefully resisting the last few years). Obviously, my curiosity has been piqued.

So I have sorta played around w/ the device some over the last few days and have determined:

• The 5in screen is bad ass
• AT&T network device
• Android 1.6 OS (downer cuz I understand there is a newer version)
• Android 1.6 does not work w/ Flash  :-(
• The newer Android OS is supposed to be avail later in the year
• 5 megapixel camera (lots of settings I haven't messed w/ yet)
• Can take pics on display side too
• Display side pics aren't very clear (but I have not messed w/ the settings)
• my existing ATT sim card works in this thing (very nice)
• Device/OS is super snappy (responds very quickly)
• Small 2 GB HD (but has 16 GB SD card)
• The phone works fine, but is a little big
• It still fits in ur pockets (unless you wear tight/skinny jeans, which means you have "other issues":)
• Did I mention it is lightning fast?

That's about all I can think of now.  I may have more once I have used the device more.  Two thumbs up for the time being.

 Additional images (fortunately mine is all black):  http://www.engadget.com/photos/dell-slate-secret-hands-on/2593089#2593097

Time to change it up

Track season is over for me I'm 95% sure.  Nothing is wrong, but I do want to be sure to quit while I'm ahead.  At the meet on Fri I only ran the 200M (in 26 sec).  Not a real good performance.  My hammies locked up with about 40m to go, and I faded pretty bad after that.  I know, I was not in shape or prepared to sprint (should have known better).  No harm, no foul.

Here's how the meet went:  3000m (only 3 people showed up to run, so I scratched that one), 200m (see above), and then I waited around about 1.5 hours for the 1500.  With two more sprint events to go after the wait, I decided to call it a night.  Just sorta lost my motivation w/ all the waiting.  I would really like to run a 1500, but at this meet, that would mean sticking around until after 9pm.  So I suppose that race will have to wait until another time.

All that said, the Summer Twilight Track Series in Austin is a great event for the youth.  It is great to see all those kids and teenagers out there having fun, competing, and learning to run/race.  Cool deal.  There are some grownups that run too, but that is not the focus of the meet.  It's all about the kids.

Next up, base training begins for the fall racing season, and gasp, a December marathon.  I am going to take it real slow though.  Ain't in no rush, and there is plenty of time.  That's all I got for now.

Through a straw

Well, our planned morning run was nixed due to rain and lightning.  Boo!  Thus, I had to decide if I would take the day off entirely or try to run in the evening.  After mulling it over, I opted for the latter.  I had no desire to destroy myself today with the track meet about 48 hours away, so this is what I decided to go w/:  4 mile warm-up, 4x400 (w/ 200m rec), and 6x200m (200m rec).

Let me tell you, it was fucking humid this evening.  Breathing was quite the chore the first couple miles around the trail. I got somewhat used to it after about 20 min, but it still sucked.  The track part was not bad.  Running 1500/3000m pace could have felt easier, but let's be real, does it ever really feel "good" to run those paces?  Not to me.

Here's to some magical weather anomaly knocking the humidity down below 80% on Friday!

Easy 40 min during the lunch break - it does not count for much, but was still a run.

It was a rough one out there today (heat, humidity, and dead ass legs) .  I shut it down at 72 min.  Had planned for more, but my body was begging for mercy.  So I relented.  Most likely for the best. 

Ladder workout

10 min warm-up
form running & light stretching

2000m in 642 (81, 81, 81, 80, 78)
2x 800:  228, 226
2x 300:  49, 48
2x 200:  29, 29
2x 100m strides

4 laps barefoot on the football field to cool down

My  legs were freaking done after this workout, but it was much, much easier than the ladder I did 4 to 5 weeks ago.  Progress.

Recruiting run

About 10.25 miles in 74 min.  Good run w/ a decent sized group.  Team manager had a 5 * recruit in house today.  The chatter was both lively and informative, and the prospect seemed somewhat intrigued.  Now it's up to TM to close the deal.  No pressure.  

Scenic Loops

1 mile loop: go hard for about .4 of a mile uphill, rec jog for about .2, steady pace for the rest of the loop x 4

Loops:

Hill, Split total
216, 601
215, 559
214, 558
208, 551

Slightly diff events for track meet #2

http://austinsummertwilightseries.com/

Order of events:

• 3000m run
• 300m hurdles
• 200m run
• 800m run
• Long Jump – 7pm
• 50m run
• 400m run
• 1500m run
• 4×400 relay

Some slight changes for the track meet next Fri. It does not look like can do the 400/1600 double any longer. Am thinking either 3000/1500 or 800/1500. Will have to think on it a bit.

Rest->Strides->Ready to Race?

I opted out of a tentatively planned AM track workout. Needed some additional sleep and i still felt like I wasn't totally recovered from Fri. Later in the day, I went to the neighborhood track, which turned out to be a 200m track in my estimate. I ran a few warm-up laps, stretched, did some form running, and then did 6 laps at a stride-ish sort of pace. It felt good to move the legs. Tonight (hours later), my legs feel damn near tip top. Now I'm ready for a good week of running. And I am going to look for a 5K to run this coming weekend if a decent one is available. TBD.

Super sore Sun

Legs also felt super dead for the first 35 min. Otherwise, all was good. 10 miles, 1:14

Shakiner out

Easy 65 min this morning starting at 9am. My legs were decently sore, I felt poky, and was drenched afterward. In Austin, it has pretty much hit the point to where it is best to finish running by 9am (at the latest).

Austin Summer Twilight Track Meet #1

It was pretty damn hot on this sunny afternoon - 95 degrees for those scoring at home. A few hours before the meet, I decided my approach for the day was - don't let your first track meet be your last. Translation, I was not going to go out there & try to be a super star. I was aiming to get in some uptempo work and have fun while doing so. I decided to for sure run the 3200, the quarter, and maybe the 1600 (depending on how I was feeling after two races).

There wasn't a huge crowd for the 3200, could have been folks were at the NCAA regional meet (who knows for sure). I believe there were 11 total in the race. My plan was to run 80-82s and no faster until 800m to go. However, I was not going to go out and take the lead. I wanted to sit back and get a feel for things. And that's what I did. The pace was freaking slow at the start: 87 for the first lap, and I had about 545 at the mile mark. With a mile left there was one guy ahead of me (about 30 meters if I had to guess). The pace was sorta fucking with me (mentally) and at 2000m I had no desire to speed up. I just sorta crept along until there were 400m left. I picked up the pace some with a lap to go, but dude was still at least 30m ahead. I didn't think I was going to be able to catch him, but w/ 150 to go, I began to find that other gear. I made up about 20-25m (if I had to guess) in the last 80m. I passed the leader w/ approx 5m to go. First place -11:13 - nothing to really brag about, but I still won. :-)

The 400m came up quickly after the 3200m. About 20 min if I had to guess. I was very, very close to throwing in the towel and calling it a day. But I walked over to the starting line anyway. The goal was to run a relaxed quarter, maybe 63-65. But then the 20 yo's ran in the heat before us. They hauled ass. All of em but one were 58 or better, and the leader came in at 51 sec. Uh oh, I thought. My heat only had 4 people, but one of them, I could tell was going fly. Starting line final plan, I decided I was going to take off at a good clip, but nothing too crazy. At the 200m mark (after starting in lane 4), I saw 28 sec on the watch (holy shit, I thought), so I dug deep and tried to maintain speed. I held on good and ended up at 59 sec for the quarter mile. Nice!

After the quarter, I called it a day, feeling it would be good to end on a high note. No 1600m on this day, next time! I am thinking one or 2 more meets at the max this summer. Then I will take a one week break and start the real base training in July/August. Could change, but that's the plan as of now.

List of events for tomorrow's track meet

http://austinsummertwilightseries.com/

Order of events:

• 3200m Run
• 300 hurdles Dash
• 400m Dash
• 800m Run
• 100m Dash
• 1600m Run
• 4×400 Co-Ed Relay
• Long Jump – 7:00 p.m.

The plan is to do the 3200m unless I chicken out due to the heat. I'm also eyeballing the 400. I don't see the 200m on there, but I am pretty sure it will be run also. Will decide on what events to run for sure in the next 24 hours. Any suggestions?

Tr day

2 up/down. 4 x 600 (158, 156, 155, 152) and 4x100 strides. The legs felt sorta wacked from the weights (I suppose). Maybe doing them the day before a track workout was not such a good idea. Learn something new everyday...

Afternoon save

Chose not to get up this morning and run today - I was tossing and turning last night something serious. So around 3am I sent the email of shame informing my compatriots. Got some extra sleep, but that meant facing the afternoon heat in all its brutality. Fortunately, a brief storm came through, and I was treated to mid 80s and overcast skies. Damn, it was cold out. I ran for about 70 min. The legs felt much better today. Squats & lunges were served afterward as the cherry on top. Now I am hungry.

Ugh, ouch

Ran for 31 min today, my legs were very sore and dead from the Sunday running shenanigans. I may have overdone it just a bit this weekend. Gots to be more careful...

Back to work

Warm-up/cooldown - 16 minutes of easy running

Meat & potatoes - 7 mile trail loop in 46:30 @ between steady & easy pace. Steasy?

The steady run sorta sucked toward the end cuz it got pretty hot. I was drenched and my shoes were completely soaked- good preamble to summer base training which I am not looking forward to. I can't wait.

Refinement - 5 100m strides

The first 100m strider I did felt a little funky cuz I wasn't loose, but nothing like 6 weeks ago when I started this experiment, and I felt like an 84 Caprice Classic navigating the dirt roads of SE Texas at 70 mph. That ain't a good thing.

The last 4 strides felt just great. I felt smooth, relaxed, and like a real runner. Mind you this was after the steady run. The 100s & 200s I have done over the last 6 weeks have done wonders for my overall running economy.

Foundation work - squats, lunges, single leg hip extension w/ swiss ball, crunches, v-ups, side leg lifts (hip/groin), on teh stomach leg lifts, lower back ext, hanging pike leg lifts, bent rows w/ bar, and military press w/ bar & weight. That is all.

Congress Ave Mile Road Race

I had a good race today - 444. It couldn't have gone much better. Well, I did make a mistake. I was feeling good between the half mile mark and 3/4 of a mile mark - which came as much of a surprise to me. I was also passing some folks and creeping up on others. So, between 3rd and 2nd street, I started my kick. All was well until I approached the 100m to go mark. Right as I came to it, I began to tighten up and could feel my stride shortening. "Aw fuck!" I did my best to pick up my knees the rest of the way, but have a feeling I probably looked a little funny down the final stretch. Next time I should be able to capitalize on this learning experience. (Broken record) I can't wait race one mile again. I love this short & fast stuff.

Race pace 200s

Today I ran over to AHS from Rogue to hit up some 200s. The plan was to run race pace on feel (200 at pace/200 easy x 8). Well, race pace felt hard as hell. Throughout the reps, it seemed like I was having to expend too much effort to hit pace. Not real encouraging - thank goodness the race wasn't today. I may have run 520 if so.

Kidding! I'm sure I will be fine. I'm healthy, and that's about all I can ask for at this point. Can't wait to run in my debut mile race...

Congress Ave Mile Heats

8:00am – Females 40 and Over
8:10am – Males 40 and Over (Texercise Heat)
8:20am – Females 39 and Under
8:30am – Males 39 and Under
9:00am – Born to Run Family Fun Run (Untimed)
9:30am – Boys and Girls Elementary School (Ages 10 and Under)
9:40am – Boys and Girls Middle School (11-13 years old)
9:55am – Girls High School Open (14-17 years old)
10:05am – Boys High School Open (14-17 years old)
10:15am – Open Elite Females (Sub 5:00 minutes per mile)
10:25am – Open Elite Males (Sub 4:25 minutes per mile)
10:35am – Texas State High School Girls Mile Championship (By invite only)
10:45am – Texas State High School Boys Mile Championship (By invite only)


Looks like I will be taking off around 8:30am. Should be a good sized heat...

AM run

78 min w/ part of the gang (Chris, Asia, and Kamran) this morning. Man it feels good to get up and run in the morning. I should do this more often.

Easy 4 miles. Then felt good, but I was more than a little sore from the Sunday workout.

Bannister mile workout

The plan was 10 quarters at mile pace w/ 60 sec rest in between. Toward the end of this workout I was closer to 90 sec at times. I guess I wasn't quite ready for the 60 sec recovery - next time!

75
73
72
74
74
72
73
73
72
72

The last three were pretty tough. I was able to stay relaxed and maintain good form, but my legs definitely were a hurtin. I'm sure that is pretty close to how it will feel next Saturday from the 1/2 mile point on. I seem to be ready, just have stay focused mentally before/during the race and then execute. Pretty simple really.

Easy 11 - ole skool st eds loop. I felt slow and weak. Hopefully tomorrow is better.

Most expensive race EVAR

I officially registered for the CAM the other day; the cost was $40. Pretty steep for just one mile.

I am going to have to make this one worth it, if that is even possible.

1:21 - the running gods showed mercy on me and provided some cloud cover during this afternoon run. The humidity, however, was still > 80% I suspect. Good times.

Road .50s

I have really been dreading this 800m workout. So much so I skipped it two mornings in a row. Wednesday afternoon, though, I could dodge it no more. I opted to run the 1/2 mile repeats on the road for a couple reasons: a) 20 mile per hour wind; b) the Congress Ave Mile is on the road.

These things hurt. After the first one, I immediately decided 4 was enough. Somehow with all my tiredness, I forgot to start my watch on the third one. The last one I was able to pick it up some and finish strong so that was a good sign I suppose. Without further ado...

2miles up
2:30
2:38
? (somewhere between set two and four)
2:35
2 miles down

Maybe the toughest 2 miles I have ever run. :)

Mon shakeout

Easy 4 miles. My legs were still pretty sore, specifically my right calf. Weird. It felt good to move the legs some though.

Mile workouts

These are the workouts I'm thinking to do over in the next 10 days in final preparation for the Congress Ave Mile:

Tues: 800 repeats (4-6) - 1.5 min rest in between
Thurs: 4 mile temp run
Sat: 10x 400m (60 sec rest)
Mon: mile repeats (4) - 2 min rest/rec jog in between
Wed: 8-10 x 200m intervals

Of course this could change or I could be lazy and miss a day, but I'm going to try to stay focused the next 2 weeks to get it done.

Feel free to join me. :-)

Longest run off the week

12 miles with Muz...Kamran and Asia tagged along for about half of the trip. I was a little sore at the beginning of the run today from the race. Also, my quads were a little ragged at the end. Thirty min of weights afterward helped work out some of the kinks. I need to stretch and roll this evening - we shall see about that though.

Chuys 5K

I made it out to the race today, quite unsure what to expect. I knew race pace was going to be uncomfortable, but had forgotten exactly how running at that intensity level felt. It was very uncomfortable. I wanted to stop on 2 occasions during the race. Of course I didn't though.

The race - I looked at my watch about half way into the first mile - 505. "Holy shit, I need to slow down." The next 3/4 of a mile was uphill, hit the one mile mark in 538. I looked at my watch again about half way through mile 2 - 605. "Damn it!" I rallied the the second half and ended Mile 2 with a 547 split. This was very disappointing in hindsight because at least 1/2 of Mile 2 was downhill. Oh well. I stayed steady in the third mile - 537. The official time was 1740.

Pain and discomfort aside, I really want to run another 5K (not next weekend, but in like 4-6 weeks). But I don't know that I will be able to find a good one w/ the TX summer looming. I suppose the Congress Ave Mile and some summer track meets will have to do instead.

Morning run - the hunt for racing flats is over

Getting up to run was no issue this morning - funny how a run in >95 degree temperatures will motivate one to roll out of bed. After much staring at the shoes, walking around the apartment, smelling them, and other highly scientific shoe examination procedures - I decided to go for the planned 8 mile run in the Mizuno Ronins. Upon arrival at Rogue, the shoes (which are bright yellow) immediately caught the eye of both Kamran & Asia. Neither seemed too impressed, as they both gave them the curdled milk look. -1 point - didn't gain peer approval.

The shoes felt awesome on the run. Although they are much different than the Brooks Launch, I didn't feel like there was less cushioning. Call me crazy if you like. The Ronins are much more firm than the Launch, and in the same vein, they are also more responsive. All that said, I will only use them for uptempo workouts and races - no training.

Lastly, I felt pretty damn good on the run also. We got in just about 8 miles in a little over 58 minutes. A great day of running & stuff.

A hot one

My streak of failed morning wake-ups continued today. Thus, I had to get in a run in the 96 degree afternoon sunshine. It felt pretty good in the shade during my jog over, but was quite the scorcher at the not so shaded ASID track. All in all, the heat wasn't that bad, though, I did amend my workout and made it esp short/easy. I got in 10 x 200 at 5K effort; each set included a 200m recovery jog. The first one was in 39, second in 41, then the 7 in a row were 40 on the dot, and finished up w/ one at mile effort -- 35. A good day.

On a side note, I do believe I finally found a pair of racing flats - Mizuno Ronin. Going to test them out in the morning - that is assuming I can get my ass out of bed.

2nd time a charm?

No run today. Didn't want to wake up in the morning, and Ididn't want to suffer in the heat this afternoon. Wed is a new day. It should be a good one if I can pry myself out of the bed. Track day.

I went ahead and registered for the Chuys 5K this Saturday. Looking forward to the competition...

Easy 46 minutes. Ho hum.

1 hr in the gym (let's see if I can recall my freestyle routine):

squats ( warm-up + 2 sets of 10 @ 95 lb)
stability ball single leg hip extensions ( 2x20)
lunges w/ 10 lb dumbell ( 2x 20)
clams ( 2 x 30 sec), side leg lifts ( 2 x 12), leg raises lying on the stomach ( 2 x 10)
step-ups w/ 10 lb dumbell (2x20)
sideways step ups no weight ( 2 x 10 on each side)
sideways walk w/ resistance band ( 2 x 10 on each side)
crunches ( 1x20), v-ups ( 2 x 12), leg push aways ( 2 x 20)
lower back extensions ( 2 x 16)
dumbbell military press 20 lb (2 x 12)
single leg calf raises ( 2 x 10 on each leg)
hanging leg raises ( 2 x 12)
the pull down machine that works your lats and upper back ( 2x 10)

When was the last time you ran 530 for 1600m?

Dustin asked me that question the other day when I was in Boston, and we were discussing 5K pace. After thinking about it, I responded that it must have been around last summer when training for Portland (ie, for a race prep). Our conversation concluded with me agreeing that it would probably be better to be conservative when running the first 5K out the box.

Anyway, this afternoon I was progressively feeling better as time passed, so I decided to go get in a run. I did not look at the temp, but just left the house. The initial plan was to do mile intervals at 6 min pace (ie, lactate threshold work). Once I got to the track at around 330pm, I realized it was pretty warm out. And thus I did not want to do the intervals.

I don't know that what I decided to do (vo2 max work) was any easier: 1600m @ 525, 800m @ 234, 400m@ 70, 4x 200m (37, 32, 34, 29). I felt really good on the mile muscularly, but my cardio system was working overtime. I wimped out on the 800 - was thinking to go under 230, but that shit hurt muscularly. I cruised and stayed relaxed on the 400, but I still have some deep ingrained mental thing against the quarter. The 200s were a breeze...

Tomorrow I hope to get in an easy run.

DNS today

Yesterday evening I came down w/ some sort of stomach bug/food poisoning. I did not sleep worth a damn and was in the restroom constantly. Thus, it was a pretty easy call to skip the race.

Now, having slept several more hours (up around 11ish), I am feeling a little better. Guess I may have to just eye the Chuys 5K next Saturday. We shall see.

Seem to be ready

I did an easy 4 miles from the gym down along tomorrow's race route. The first half of it is gradual downhill and the 2nd half is the opposite. During the run, I did four pickups of approx 200m at race pace. Was quite fast on the 200s. I am going to run w/ the Garmin tomorrow, because the last thing I want to do is run a 515 first mile. Doing that would likely spell disaster.

Overall, I feel good and am ready to go. Today, I declare that my injury area is 100% healed. Only took 7 weeks...

Getting back in the groove of things

I managed get up in the morning to run today. That makes twice this week. Great success! Kamran, Asia, Chris, and I ran for about an hour. I felt a little tired at the start (due to the quick turnaround ~ workout yesterday evening), but did much better the last 35 minutes.

Tomorrow is a rest day, Saturday is a shakeout, and Sunday is make it hurt day. It's gonna hurt real bad, but it should be over quickly (less than 18 minutes).

Quotas

Track workout today (an easy one) -- I started off w/ a 2 mile warm-up, then did 10x 400m with 200m recovery in between, and finished w/ 2 down.

Splits: 86, 82, 87, 85, 83, 85, 82, 83, 82, 80

The 400's were supposed to be at 5K pace. No telling if that was or not. I didn't look at my watch while running, just tried to go off what felt like 3.1 miles pace.

I'm still not in shape like I was before I was injured, so guessing what I might run is really a crap shoot. If I have a good day on Sunday, I think I could go just below 17:30. Regardless, it should be fun.

Change of plans

I was thinking to do a workout this morning (tempo or steady), but turns out my workout running partner showed up and no longer needed the workout. Once I found out, we quickly agreed to just run easy. Kamran, Asia, and I got in about 7 easy paced miles on a nice cool/crisp spring morning.

Tomorrow, I will do a workout instead, but of a diff variety. Tune in then to see what's in store.

Ok, I'm in

No turning back now...

LR &Stuff

Ran 14 miles this morning. Ugh, it was tough. My legs were whooped. But there were not any issues w/ the injury, so I couldn't be happier. Capped the session off with some form running, strides, and gym. Tired now but ain't complaining...

I was pretty sore this morning as a result of yesterday's workout. Thus, I decided to sleep in; once I got up, took some time to loosen up before I went for a run. I got in 64 painful but easy minutes. Getting back in the groove.

Boston Marathon Pics

Female Winner

Male Winner

Mini track workout

Apparently, I didn't learn my lesson about running in the middle of the day on Wednesday, because I put myself in the same position today. This workout was done at 2pm. Oh well, what doesn't kill you...

4 mile warm-up, 3 x 1000 (331, 329, 329), 4 x 200(38, 38, 37, 36), 4 x 100m strides, and 1 mile cool down.

The idea today was to run 5K pace for the 1000s and a little faster for the 200s. This workout was tougher than I thought it should have been. As it stands, I may have a rough go of it at the Bun Run.

Inj update, my gluteus muscles have done great the last couple of days. I'd say damn near healed, but let's mark it at 95% due to some on/off aches I get ever once in a while. But I could not be happier with where I am health wise. Now I just need to stay free of major injury for the rest of the year. I think I can do it! :-)

Easy 62 minutes in the Golden Triangle. The humidity here is brutal. Humidity aside, my legs felt better today than yesterday. That is a pretty good sign I think.

Temp -> Steady -> UGH

The plan was to get in a tempo run on the trail today. I went to run shortly after arriving in Austin from BOS around 2pm CDT. It was a little warmer at home than in the NE, and the results of my run certainly reflected the diff in temp. I had thought I would be able to run 605s no problem. Boy was I wrong. I got in like a 4 mile warm-up, 4 miles at temp/steady pace, and a 1 mile cool down. I wanted to stop after each mile of the the tempo run, but forced myself to keep going. My splits were something like this: 622, 632, 615, and 624. I guess the good thing is there is nowhere to go but up from here...I hope. :-)

Switching gears at the track

The sun first came out right after noon here in Mission Hill. Upon seeing it clear up, I decided I wanted to run again. After all, 30 minutes isn't much of a run. Dustin told me there was a track about 3/4 of mile away in Back Bay Fens. So with finding that out, the decision was made.

Dustin guided me to the track later in the afternoon by way of his bike. Once there, it was time to go to work. I was thinking 8-10 400s (@/near mile to 5K pace - 75-80 sec), but had it set in my mind to stop when I got relatively fatigued (didn't want to mess things up trying to be super star doing the first real 5K/mile track wkout).

They went like this: 76, 77, 74, 78, 75, 72, and one 200 (33) to grow on. I shuther down early mainly due to needing the RR, but was also pleasantly tired, so I figured I was good for the day.

This was a whole new type of running, I tell ya. Definitely a bit of a shock to the system, but I figure after a couple weeks of running like this, I should be good. Here we go.

Shake out and stuff

Escorted Dustin on a 30 min shake out this AM. I was thinking to go to the track, but decided to pass due to the light rain. I felt pretty damn good (call it 90%). Dustin seems like he is more than ready too. Tomorrow should be fun to watch!

Predictions:
Dustin - 252
Muz - 248
Kamran - 247-248
Mike - 256

JP/Aboretum Gaunlet

Dustin took me on this loop today in Boston. We ran through Jamaica Plains (JP) and all through the Arboretum. I didn't know it when we took off, but we basically ran 50% of the time on trails. Some were quite gentle, but some were a little rough. All told, we ran for 1:10 - not too bad.

5ks & miles

That is what I'm going to race in the not too distant future. I'm thinking (at a minimum) to run the Bun Run (on 5-2) and the Congress Ave Mile (5-22). I think both should be lots of fun. I won't be in optimal shape for the Bun Run, but if I do some quality speed work over the next month, I should be able to run a pretty solid civilian mile.

Today, I ran for 1:33 (at least 12 miles) and did pretty damn good. I might have some mild tendinitis as a result of the pull, but the muscles seemed to work well. Continuing to heal...

Team wkout

I got up early this morning & ran w/ the team. They were doing mile repeats at tempo pace. I wasn't confident about doing multiple miles at sub-6 pace so I made sure to hold back just a bit throughout. The reps were 607, 611, 607, and 602. Not bad. I got in about 8 miles total.

much better

I didn't run far today, but got in a good paced run (7.5-8 miles maybe). Muz, Niccole, Jim, Mike and I took off from Rogue, ran to Cap 10K course, and after a couple more min of easy running, we picked it up some. The plan was to run mgp-ish w/ Muz. I was a little worried cuz I was sorta sore/tender from the workout yesterday, but after a couple miles, things were great. My butt loosened up almost completely, and it was not an issue at any time during the run. My aerobic fitness, on the other hand, is another story. We ran in between 620-630, and it was work for me to keep up. The first couple of miles were really a shock to the system (ie, breathing) and then later on my legs were a little weak. But I made through it ok, and could not have done much better (all things considered).

Change up

Went to the track this morning. Not to run hard, but to do some form running and strides. I started off with a couple laps to warm up. Then some form running (two sets of each):

side to side
butt kicks
karaoke
high knee skips
high knees
backwards run
backwards skip
bounding

Then I did 6 100m strides (80-85%), a two lap cool down, and some stretching. I haven't done anything like this in a long time, but it felt good, and I'm thinking to make this part of my normal Sunday routine going forward.

Easy 25 minutes on Thurs and 67 minutes this morning. Can't decide if I should run on Saturday or not....am leaning toward not running. :-(

Better than the last one

I keep doing better. That's about all I can ask for at this point. Broken record?

Anyway, I ran for about 62 minutes today. The first 4-5 minutes were a quite painful, but a different kind of pain. I could really feel exactly where the tear had been; there was a painful pull, but as I went it pretty much loosened up. Now that is not to say the pain completely went way, though, it did subside after 5 minutes max and never got any worse. I finished feeling pretty good about where I am in the recovery process. That was a first.

Well

Ran for 43 min today. Did pretty good for the most part. Though, I still have a way to go.

Today marks 4 weeks since the inj (I think).

Happy Easter!

Hard head tendencies

Today, I went to a Dr of sorts at Advanced Rehab inside Rogue Equipment. When I got up this morning I had no intention of going. However, I went to bfast with some folks from the Team, mainly to offset any rumors that I was not alive & in one piece. Seriously, it was very good to see everyone. Somehow during the bfast conversation the topic came about whether any sort of Pro had checked out my inj. Short answer is no. Anyway, after some in-person prodding and encouragement, I decided to head to see the Doc Mike has been seeing. I just had the quick/free eval today, so no official treatment, but I came away impressed with Dr.....(i forget his name)'s feedback. First, he was pretty surprised with the size of the knot in my upper butt (went so far as to ask if I did this sprinting). He then said I had definitely pulled a muscle, but didn't believe there to be back, disc, bone, or joint issues. From there, he told me I could probably just deal with it and the knot will work itself out eventually or I could get some release work/treatment done by them to try to speed up the process. I opted for the latter -- going in Monday to see what's up.

Mike, thanks for the rec & nudging. Prolly should have done this 1-2 weeks ago when others recommended it. Guess I hadn't wallowed in enough misery at that point. :-)

Speaking of hard hardheadedness, I am planning a short easy run tomorrow...somewhere between 30 & 45 min. If things get sketchy, I will stop. But I don' think that's going to happen cuz the rest over the last few days seems to have really helped. We shall see tomorrow.

Out for Boston

Decision made. Going to take at least the next 7 days off to get healthy. Will check back in then at the latest.

5er

Ran for 35 min today. Two relatively good days in a row, but two very short runs. Tomorrow the plan is to approx double the distance & see how things go. Hopefully, it is my fitness level i'm whining about tomorrow and not the state of glut muscles/tendons...

30 for the week

Yep, 30 miles. I guess that's a lot better than 0 miles. Today, I felt much better than yesterday, though, i only ran for about 30 min. I did three 1/4 mile pickups during the run and was slightly encouraged that I'm on the right track. I am not however anywhere close to being able race a marathon. The odds that I run Boston are lower than I initially thought several days ago. If I don't run, that's ok, because there will be plenty of chances in the future to run as fast or faster than I had planned to run at Boston 2010.

Not a good running day

I decided to stop after 14 minutes today. Actually, I first stopped around 8 min. But then I pushed on a bit further. I could tell I wasn't doing any good, so I decided not to try to fight a losing battle. No physical damage was done. Just some added head frustration.

Got some nice release work done today and feel much looser as a result. Tomorrow I will hit up the gym and likely go for a short short run. I don't think running until the muscle locks up and pushing through it is the right thing to do. Just a guess. :-)

Fri run & gym

Easy short run today -- 31 min. Was able to extend the stride a little without too much fear of ripping something. Still, felt a little funky w/ a side order of pain after the run. Hit up the gym afterward and actually felt much better then. Squats & lunges w/ some real (but not too heavy) weight are going be my good friend going forward.

Speaking of cross-training & gym work, I need to adjust what/how I workout. I feel like I have gotten weaker in all areas over the last few months. This is mostly my fault for not taking the gym seriously...somewhat strange because I always have in the past. Also, I need to narrow my focus some; what I have done is find 8-10 lifts/exercises that I really need to do & will focus on doing them all twice a week. I don't have list in front of me, but the routine consists mainly of core, glut, leg exercises.

Not sure what I'm going to do tomorrow. Would like to run for 2 hours, but haven't decided from where. TBD.