Back into it

After a week off to travel, recover, rest, and house search I am now back in to training. Motivation is low like it always is after a big event, but I do have some fun things on the horizon.

Anne and I powered through an 11 miler on the C& O Canal towpath in DC Sunday. My left ankle (anterior tibialis muscle/tendon) was stiff aching and giving me "itis" problems but that seems to have resolved. This was Anne's first LONG run in the build up for her fall marathon. Fun stuff to be a part of!

Today I went out for a longish run, got mis-oriented and wound up in a part of my neighborhood I have yet to run. So I made my way to the local highschool track and did an impromptu workout. Since I am such a wuss and can't stick to a regular track/hard workout routine when I end up at the track I like to make the most of it. after illusions of grandeur and a 5xmile workout I managed two before the legs and mind said......"Hey wait buddy...we are still not 100%"

So here it is:
25 min warm up
2 x mile 6:20, 6:07 on 3:30 recov
15 min cool down

Not to whine about what was but for reference:
7/7/2000- Hardrock- 36:16
7/16/2000- 7 miler with last mile 5:26
7/24/2000- 3 x mile 5:28, 5:22, 5:20
7/26/2000- 8,000m time trial on track by self- 28:53

ugh! I can't wait until I move to DC and get some training partners

Back on the Track in 08

Monday- 5.7 miles, speedwork 3 x mile

I went to the track today to do some running in the breezy conditions. I felt great and used a bigger recovery time between mile reps ike I talked about doing last year. 3 x mile reps with 5 minutes recovery was nice. 6:08, 6:00, 5:54 with the splits on the last one being 87, 90, 90, 87. Heartrate was returning to 105bpm 60-70 seconds post run with Ave HR during the repeats 157, 158, 161 (topped out at 170bpm)....not sure what my current max HR is but I'm guessing 185-190.

If I could get myself to do this every week or two I would be back ripping it up in the front of the ultrapack once again.

Turn them Over!

Monday & Tuesday- off, did yoga
Wednesday- 6 miles- easy no watch
Thursday 5 miles 1 up and 1 dn, turnover work in middle
10 x 30sec with 90steps per 30sec
4 x 200m- 40, 37, 39, 38, 400m-81

Wow that felt good! The legs are coming around now. Only calf soreness and extreme tightness on Monday and Tuesday. I did some yoga and tried to work it out. The quads were fantastic for post-marathon....very happy.

I was messing around a bit today having re-read and remembered that there really is something to be said for leg turnover. Jack Daniels has done some studies and found that both elite men and women runners strike the ground at an average rate of 180 steps per minute while racing and while even jogging. (90 hits with the right and 90 with left) While slower people tend to have slower cadences. by counting mine over the last week I have 160-165 steps per minute at 9:00, 8:00, and even at 6:40 pace peer mile. I am not sure if I always have had this cadence or if 9 years of running ultras has slowed me down to this. Anyway....everything is trainable...so I am planning on doing some turnover drills on a semi-regular basis.

Tonight I went to the track and ran 10 bouts of 30 seconds where I tried to have "fast feet" and strike the ground quickly.....with this focused effort my stride rate was right on 180 per minute. I rested 30 second and did it again. Then I ran some 200's with this same focus and boy, they seemed easy. Interesting huh?

Trying and trying

Monday- 4miles- 37min exploring new neighborhood
Tues- 3 miles- 26min- unmotivated run on trails by river
Wed- 4 miles- 0.5 w up, 5k on track-19:45, 0.5 c dn

Wow talk about no motivation!!!!!!! With all the changes this schedule oriented guy is hurting lately. My body is just feeling off compared to how I was prior to leaving Egypt. but, mainly it has been no will to get out and run. I have got 4 days in in a row now so maybe I can compel myself to keep it going.

I was pressed for time yesterday so I went to the track to get in something quality. I ran a 5k pretty hard getting into it ad pressing. laps the first mile were 1:39,1:39,1:38,1:38 (6:32) then I ran 1:34's for the 2nd mile (6:16) and continued that for the last mile running a bit quicker on lap 12 (6:12) and finishing it off with a 45sec-200 for a 19:45 or about 6:20per mile pace. Not wretched, but not what I had worked up to. I really really hate that running fitness/ability is so transient. Really isn't fair. If I have kids I should "push" them into a different sp0rt....one that is skill based!!!!!!!!!!

A couple options this weekend.... a 1/2 marathon here in Richmond. Nothing like a road race to wake you up! Or the VHTRC folks are running a 21 miler in shenandoah out of Charlottesville. might go up for that. Main task this weekend is to test drive cars! We need to purchase a nice sized 4 dr sedan..... any suggestions? Looking to get a used one in the $15-20,000 range.

I've been busy

Sunday- 19 Aug- 5 miles -1up, 3xmile, 1 dn

Okay it has been a while!!!!!!!! Life moves fast.... Since the last blog I drove a UHAUL to Richmond, unpacked it for 2 days (thanks for the help Quatro) then headed off to Ithaca, NY for good Friend Ian's wedding on aug 4th. Ran with a bunch of the old ICXC teammates that day and felt the blown hip flexor (psoas) muscle after a short 45min run.

We then went back to Richmond only to catch a 6am flight out the next day to The Dominican Republic! This was a reunited-celebratory vacation. Anne and I had scheduled a trip to the Caribbean last summer that had to be canceled due to me heading out to Egypt for a year... Then I come home with Anne immersed in Bar studying. So, once she took the exam and we had moved to Richmond it was time to go!!

A great time there....lots of time in the sun, on the beach, in restaurants, and being lazy. I began reading the Harry Potter series (I am 33 and male..but it okay) Got thru books one and two and now into the 3rd.

Then we got OSKAR!!!!!!! He is an 8 week old miniature Schnauzer and he is awesome. Life consuming, but awesome. Lots of pictures to follow once my internet gets back up (we had a huge storm that fried our cable modem...I'm scamming the neighbors wireless now, but it is not super great.

So finally after actually BEING in Richmond for a week... we are all unpacked and settling in. I have had some exploratory runs and like it. trails 3 miles away, and a HS track a mere 6 minute run down the road. I am ashamed to admit it took 7 whole days to discover that, but at least I utilized it on the first discovery.

I have only covered 20 miles of running since the VT 100 (that was 28 busy days ago) so I eased in with a 3 x mile run doing 100 on / 100m off stride jog miles at 7:20, a 200m on- (45sec/60sec) mile in 7:06, and a 100 on/off in 6:27. Felt pretty good then I actually ran a400m at a good clip in 78 and did not die. all a good sign. Time to get back on it training wise.

Today is my first official day of unemployment!!!!!!!!!!!!! As I am now officially out of the Army and not working. After 10 years I figure I deserve some time to relax a bit and figure things out. right now training the new 6lbs pup and keeping him from killing himself ( he wants to bite the 16lbs cats tail) is keeping me busy.

10K Tempo

Sunday- 8 miles- 1 w up, 10K-40:49, 1 c dn

Wow, getting used to humidity bites! Dry heat is definitely different. It felt like I was running with a coat on. I was feeling unmotivated and ended up at the track by default but it turned into a good workout.

I ran a 6:44 first mile (to much shock and disappointment that it felt hard to run that pace(, then I settled in at what felt like a moderately comfortable pace and ran the next 5 miles each within one second of 6:30pace. I then pushed the 25th lap (86) to get it in under 41minutes. The constant feedback of the track was great, and the soccer players and other runners offered much entertainment. But, I almost missed my Sinai 1520m loop.

I still feel off, and hope it comes around soon. Going off to do some hills today.