Sat AM- 6.6miles -53min
PM- 11 miles- 1:30
Lots of laps in the sun today. The summer has come to the Sinai...temps hit 97 today in the shade. Hot. I worked on my farmer tan....getting the backs of my legs, posterior arm/elbow, and neck nice and tanned up. I wear a hat these days. Too many sunburns on my face...and too much skin cancer in my family.
A pretty quiet day today. I slept in late and thus ran in above 90 degree temps from 10-11 AM then waited until 4:30 to do the second run. That was nice as a good breeze always blows as the afternoon passes and the sun dips behind the mountains here at the southcamp. We don't set our clocks ahead until April 27th so sun sets at 5:40 or so here.
Why two runs? Well two runs is a lot less stress on the body than one longer one. Two runs allows a quicker pace than one, and allows recovery between runs. I can maintain a higher weekly mileage off two a days than singles. Currently I am trying to bank as many miles as possible while re-incorporating speed work again after a 5 year lay off. Thus long runs would add too much stress ......so there won't be any for a while. As the weeks roll by, and I hopefully get faster, I'll put long runs back in and gear up for July's 100 miler. I plan on doing a couple of runs of 35 or so and a couple at 45-50 miles come late May-early June. The weeks 7 to 5 weeks prior to July 21st should exciting! But, lots of work to get done before then.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
Back In My Montrails!
Thurs- 6.6miles- 54:15
Friday- 11miles- 1:28
Ah Yes! Back on the dirt/crushed coral/sand of the southcamp base and thus back in my trusty Montrails. I have a bunch of Montrails here that are a bit older that I am attempting to kill off before they are retired for good in June when I leave. I'll donate them to the locals who often wear pretty old beat downl shoes. I still love the Leona Divide's and this pair must have 800-1000 miles on them. I also have a pair of highline's here with me that handled the 2005 Haliburton 100 and MMT Ring 71 miler. I look forward to being back in the states running trails most every day and running in some of the newer Montrail models that I have not ried yet.
I am going to be here at the southcamp for a good 9 days and plan to really BINGE run a bit. I will run doubles most everyday and hope to get in a solid triple digit mileage week. I will only run one speed workout and that will not be for a few days. I'll take advantage of the hills here and do some repeats on Tuesday. All the other runs will be easy ones just circling the 2.2mile loop. 3 laps in the morning before work and 5 in the afternoon.
March is just about over, therefore, I want to send a happy birthday out to my brother Jeff and my Dad who were both born on March 30th. Enjoy guys!!
I googled (loomdog ultra) to find the page for my blog today as I am away from my computer where I have it bookmarked. Found this blast from the past about MMT 100 2001, fun!
Friday- 11miles- 1:28
Ah Yes! Back on the dirt/crushed coral/sand of the southcamp base and thus back in my trusty Montrails. I have a bunch of Montrails here that are a bit older that I am attempting to kill off before they are retired for good in June when I leave. I'll donate them to the locals who often wear pretty old beat downl shoes. I still love the Leona Divide's and this pair must have 800-1000 miles on them. I also have a pair of highline's here with me that handled the 2005 Haliburton 100 and MMT Ring 71 miler. I look forward to being back in the states running trails most every day and running in some of the newer Montrail models that I have not ried yet.
I am going to be here at the southcamp for a good 9 days and plan to really BINGE run a bit. I will run doubles most everyday and hope to get in a solid triple digit mileage week. I will only run one speed workout and that will not be for a few days. I'll take advantage of the hills here and do some repeats on Tuesday. All the other runs will be easy ones just circling the 2.2mile loop. 3 laps in the morning before work and 5 in the afternoon.
March is just about over, therefore, I want to send a happy birthday out to my brother Jeff and my Dad who were both born on March 30th. Enjoy guys!!
I googled (loomdog ultra) to find the page for my blog today as I am away from my computer where I have it bookmarked. Found this blast from the past about MMT 100 2001, fun!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Cruise Intervals
Wed PM- 9miles- 2 w.u. -6xmile on 1min recov (6:28-6:42)-1 mile cool down
Since I am traveling to the southcamp base today I bumped the above workout forward one day. My legs have been recovering well and Mondays Rep workout was cut short due to the treadmill incident so I figured I'd be okay. The plan was to do all the threshold runs on the treadmill until I learned the pace, but I really felt like seeing if I could do it outside last night. So I ran my "mile loop" the 1520m one, in 6:14, 6:14, 6:19, 6:08, 6:22, and 6:18. I figure at my threshold pace of 6:35 per MILE (remember my loop is 18-20sec short) I did pretty good. The forth one was quick as a good Static X song came on, and then on the fifth I backed off more to compensate. In all I am pretty impressed at how easy It felt. The human body is an amazing machine! I was able to run the first two repeats within 2 tenths of a second of each other, and I am not even super comfortable with speed/threshold runs yet. Going in to the workout I thought the short 60sec rest would be tough, but it was not bad. My pulse dropped to 90-100bpm by the time it was time to start the next interval.
This completes the 5th week that I have been doing speed workouts. I feel much more comfortable and coordinated now and can handle the leg turnover. Improvement is fun! I still feel like a slow poke but at least I now fully realize what kind of shape I am in and am not delusional anymore.
Out of curiosity last night I went through my running log to see how many times I have completed the marathon or further distance. First count turned up 109. I have completed 18 official marathons, 51 ultras, 10 ultras where I went beyond 26 miles but DNF'd, and the remainder were long training runs. In the last 5 years I have gone out for 26 or longer on 59 occasions; or one a month. In my best year, 2001, I notched 21. This is certainly not as many as others, but it was interesting for me to look up.
Since I am traveling to the southcamp base today I bumped the above workout forward one day. My legs have been recovering well and Mondays Rep workout was cut short due to the treadmill incident so I figured I'd be okay. The plan was to do all the threshold runs on the treadmill until I learned the pace, but I really felt like seeing if I could do it outside last night. So I ran my "mile loop" the 1520m one, in 6:14, 6:14, 6:19, 6:08, 6:22, and 6:18. I figure at my threshold pace of 6:35 per MILE (remember my loop is 18-20sec short) I did pretty good. The forth one was quick as a good Static X song came on, and then on the fifth I backed off more to compensate. In all I am pretty impressed at how easy It felt. The human body is an amazing machine! I was able to run the first two repeats within 2 tenths of a second of each other, and I am not even super comfortable with speed/threshold runs yet. Going in to the workout I thought the short 60sec rest would be tough, but it was not bad. My pulse dropped to 90-100bpm by the time it was time to start the next interval.
This completes the 5th week that I have been doing speed workouts. I feel much more comfortable and coordinated now and can handle the leg turnover. Improvement is fun! I still feel like a slow poke but at least I now fully realize what kind of shape I am in and am not delusional anymore.
Out of curiosity last night I went through my running log to see how many times I have completed the marathon or further distance. First count turned up 109. I have completed 18 official marathons, 51 ultras, 10 ultras where I went beyond 26 miles but DNF'd, and the remainder were long training runs. In the last 5 years I have gone out for 26 or longer on 59 occasions; or one a month. In my best year, 2001, I notched 21. This is certainly not as many as others, but it was interesting for me to look up.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Not Your Average Patient
Tues PM- 8miles 64min
Wed AM- 5 miles- jog
Today has been an interesting day. It started off early as I was out at 5AM to Cheer on and motivate two of my fellow medical soldiers (one Doc, one Medic) as they attempted to and then completed the final task in a week long competition to earn the Army's EFMB. Their task today was a 12 mile ruck march in under 3 hours while carrying all their gear and a 40lbs ruck sack (or backpack for you non-military folks). They both did so, but were surprised just how hard it got after 2 hours. I have found that 2 hours of anything non-stop is hard. Even walking!
Then this afternoon we had a meet and greet with some pro football cheerleaders as a morale and welfare thing. Unfortunately one of them had twisted her knee in a show on their tour two days ago. (thus no show for us!) But, I did get to do a knee exam and dole out some medical advice on and to someone that is about a million times hotter than my normal patients. Sorry no photos...but it seems my Internet access is too poor to upload anything anyway. Bummer!
Tonight I'll do a 6xmile at threshold workout. I'm actually excited. I love that feeling of joyful anticipation I get when awaiting a workout. It only happens when I am training well and really INTO running again. I like it.
Tomorrow I'm off to the southcamp base for 8 days of treating patients there and running in the DIRT....or Egypt's crushed coral/sand equivalent.
Wed AM- 5 miles- jog
Today has been an interesting day. It started off early as I was out at 5AM to Cheer on and motivate two of my fellow medical soldiers (one Doc, one Medic) as they attempted to and then completed the final task in a week long competition to earn the Army's EFMB. Their task today was a 12 mile ruck march in under 3 hours while carrying all their gear and a 40lbs ruck sack (or backpack for you non-military folks). They both did so, but were surprised just how hard it got after 2 hours. I have found that 2 hours of anything non-stop is hard. Even walking!
Then this afternoon we had a meet and greet with some pro football cheerleaders as a morale and welfare thing. Unfortunately one of them had twisted her knee in a show on their tour two days ago. (thus no show for us!) But, I did get to do a knee exam and dole out some medical advice on and to someone that is about a million times hotter than my normal patients. Sorry no photos...but it seems my Internet access is too poor to upload anything anyway. Bummer!
Tonight I'll do a 6xmile at threshold workout. I'm actually excited. I love that feeling of joyful anticipation I get when awaiting a workout. It only happens when I am training well and really INTO running again. I like it.
Tomorrow I'm off to the southcamp base for 8 days of treating patients there and running in the DIRT....or Egypt's crushed coral/sand equivalent.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Impressive Running
Tues- AM 4miles easy 33min
Some pretty impressive running in March by former Montrail team member Michael Wardian of my hometown Arlington, VA. He won the March 4th B& A Trail Marathon in 2:25. Then two weeks later finished 3rd with an Olympic Trails qualifying marathon time of 2:21 at the Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach March 18th. To complete the hat trick he came back to win the National Marathon in Wash DC on March 24th in 2:26. Not a bad month at all!
His ultra career is perhaps best known for what "could have been" as he was leading or got lost in several races including the 2001 Old Dominion 100- where he won but was DQ'd for going off course in the last 3 miles.
Some pretty impressive running in March by former Montrail team member Michael Wardian of my hometown Arlington, VA. He won the March 4th B& A Trail Marathon in 2:25. Then two weeks later finished 3rd with an Olympic Trails qualifying marathon time of 2:21 at the Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach March 18th. To complete the hat trick he came back to win the National Marathon in Wash DC on March 24th in 2:26. Not a bad month at all!
His ultra career is perhaps best known for what "could have been" as he was leading or got lost in several races including the 2001 Old Dominion 100- where he won but was DQ'd for going off course in the last 3 miles.
First Rep Workout
Monday PM- 6 miles 2wu 4x200-42, 4x400-85 on 2-3min recov
This was going to be a longer workout, but I broke the treadmill, then had to take the motherboard out, clean it, re attach it and fix it. so I stopped the run.
This was going to be a longer workout, but I broke the treadmill, then had to take the motherboard out, clean it, re attach it and fix it. so I stopped the run.
Monday, March 26, 2007
100 Days
Sunday Am- 3 miles Jog, PM- 8 miles 64min
Monday Am- slept in like a bum, PM- I will do Jack Daniels Rep workout
Today is an historic one in that I now have 100 days left in the Army (assuming things go as there are supposed to). I'd be more excited if I had more concrete things such as orders. None the less it is an exciting thought. I look forward to the little freedoms one gains by not serving in the military. Like: 1) I can get in my car and drive more than 200 miles away for my base without getting someone who out ranks me permission. 2) No one will tell me that I need to cut my hair, and 3) If I want to (or forget to) shave my face in the morning, no one is going to give me a hard time....except my wife...and I'm gonna work on you babe! :-)
Honestly I have had a clean shaven face and the same haircut for the last 10 years. I'm not sure if I know how to (or want to) do anything different. But, it is nice to have an option.
It is funny how our minds look at time. Now that the days left number is getting small it seems even harder. waaaaaaaaaaaaaah, 100 days!!!!!!!!!!!!! My gosh that is soooooooooo long. Yet, when I "only" had 7 months left it seemed more manageable. Not sure why that is.
New thought, after reading about The Trail Mule's exercise regimen of trying to do push ups/pull ups/ and sit ups. I was inspired to get my own self on a bit more of a regimen. I've been doing ab crunches on a swiss ball for a month now, but decided to switch to the supine bicycle. In scientific studies the supine bicycle (SB) exercise has been shown to be the best abdominal exercise in terms of muscle recruitment. A full 250% better than the standard Army sit up. So here is your challenge...perform the SB for 3 x 30sec bouts and see if the next day you are not sore.
Monday Am- slept in like a bum, PM- I will do Jack Daniels Rep workout
Today is an historic one in that I now have 100 days left in the Army (assuming things go as there are supposed to). I'd be more excited if I had more concrete things such as orders. None the less it is an exciting thought. I look forward to the little freedoms one gains by not serving in the military. Like: 1) I can get in my car and drive more than 200 miles away for my base without getting someone who out ranks me permission. 2) No one will tell me that I need to cut my hair, and 3) If I want to (or forget to) shave my face in the morning, no one is going to give me a hard time....except my wife...and I'm gonna work on you babe! :-)
Honestly I have had a clean shaven face and the same haircut for the last 10 years. I'm not sure if I know how to (or want to) do anything different. But, it is nice to have an option.
It is funny how our minds look at time. Now that the days left number is getting small it seems even harder. waaaaaaaaaaaaaah, 100 days!!!!!!!!!!!!! My gosh that is soooooooooo long. Yet, when I "only" had 7 months left it seemed more manageable. Not sure why that is.
New thought, after reading about The Trail Mule's exercise regimen of trying to do push ups/pull ups/ and sit ups. I was inspired to get my own self on a bit more of a regimen. I've been doing ab crunches on a swiss ball for a month now, but decided to switch to the supine bicycle. In scientific studies the supine bicycle (SB) exercise has been shown to be the best abdominal exercise in terms of muscle recruitment. A full 250% better than the standard Army sit up. So here is your challenge...perform the SB for 3 x 30sec bouts and see if the next day you are not sore.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Running In The Dirt
Sat- 6 miles- 47:25
Sun AM- 3 miles- jog
Wow, I just spent some time reading and looking at photos of the World XC championships held this year in Kenya. Looks like FUN, and I remember all the good times I have had running XC in high school and College. I think trail running and ultras is merely an extension of that fun sport. It is just fun to run on dirt, over the earth, and through the woods! I miss that here. I am sure a huge part of the soreness and aches I feel most days is because all my miles are on concrete, roads, and sun scorched backed sand that has been pounded into concrete-like firmness. Well only 90 some days and I'll be running in North Carolina for a brief period. Then on to Virginia, upstate New York, and finally in Vermont. July is going to be busy.....but at least I get to run on DIRT! as Montrail's logo so correctly states...Dirt IS GOOD!
Entertainment this weekend included the Indiana Jones series, the 2nd Pirates of the Caribbean, and the movie Blood Diamond. If you ever wanted to do something for the soldiers deployed in Iraq, send DVD's! Without TV, and having lots of time to kill, DVD's are great. I am fortunate to be on an established base (the MFO has been here for 25 years) so we actually have a lending library with all kinds of DVD's. They along with my laptop and IPOD are the best.
Sun AM- 3 miles- jog
Wow, I just spent some time reading and looking at photos of the World XC championships held this year in Kenya. Looks like FUN, and I remember all the good times I have had running XC in high school and College. I think trail running and ultras is merely an extension of that fun sport. It is just fun to run on dirt, over the earth, and through the woods! I miss that here. I am sure a huge part of the soreness and aches I feel most days is because all my miles are on concrete, roads, and sun scorched backed sand that has been pounded into concrete-like firmness. Well only 90 some days and I'll be running in North Carolina for a brief period. Then on to Virginia, upstate New York, and finally in Vermont. July is going to be busy.....but at least I get to run on DIRT! as Montrail's logo so correctly states...Dirt IS GOOD!
Entertainment this weekend included the Indiana Jones series, the 2nd Pirates of the Caribbean, and the movie Blood Diamond. If you ever wanted to do something for the soldiers deployed in Iraq, send DVD's! Without TV, and having lots of time to kill, DVD's are great. I am fortunate to be on an established base (the MFO has been here for 25 years) so we actually have a lending library with all kinds of DVD's. They along with my laptop and IPOD are the best.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Its All About The Pace
Thur- 8miles- 64min
Fri- 14 total- 2w.u. 3xmile at 6:35 45min at 8:00, 2xmile at 6:35 w/ 1min recov
Its all about the PACE! Lots of consulting with my old teammates, Jack Daniels great book J. D.'s Running Formula, and looking more seriously at my past running logs. I am a chronic over runner in workouts.....meaning if I am in 4:28 mile shape rather than doing repeat 400's at 67, I ran them at 63 and would fade to 68's by the end of the workout. If I had 16:20- 5k speed I'd run a 3xmile workout at 5:01, 5:02, and fade to 5:14 on the last one. This over working lead too me needing more recover time than I should have, and often more than I got. Thus I never progressed during the course of many of my competitive seasons in high school and college. I was always too beat up from the workouts to race well, and many seasons when it came time to peak I was in worse shape than when I started the season. There is something to be said about trying to hard. Or more correctly not training SMART enough.
So this year I begin speed work for the first time in 5 years and what do I do? I'm trying to run repeat mile workouts 15-20 seconds per mile faster than I should and instead of getting stronger from them I got beat up. Well no more. I have to accept the shape that I am currently in and embrace the fact that nothing but smart running and time is going to improve it. Running my guts out in a workout is not going to give me the result I want. Smarter running means better recovery, which allows more workouts and better performance. It seems so simple now looking back on it.
Using one of these fine calculators: Runbayou or runworks You can see what physiological shape you are in and also what PACE you should be running Intervals, Thresholds, Marathon pace runs and easy/long runst.
I am currently at a VDOT of 52-53. Hopefully I can improve on this (one level every 4-6 weeks) and be in shape by September to run a PR in the marathon.
Until then I am following some sound Jack Daniels (The PHD coach) principles and trying to train smarter. Today's run was one of those. A marathon designed tempo run using my current threshold pace of 6:35/mile. I ran on the treadmill as a way of keeping me in tune to the correct pace until I can learn it. Goodness knows my internal pacer would have had me running TOO HARD and needing 3 days off to recover.
Fri- 14 total- 2w.u. 3xmile at 6:35 45min at 8:00, 2xmile at 6:35 w/ 1min recov
Its all about the PACE! Lots of consulting with my old teammates, Jack Daniels great book J. D.'s Running Formula, and looking more seriously at my past running logs. I am a chronic over runner in workouts.....meaning if I am in 4:28 mile shape rather than doing repeat 400's at 67, I ran them at 63 and would fade to 68's by the end of the workout. If I had 16:20- 5k speed I'd run a 3xmile workout at 5:01, 5:02, and fade to 5:14 on the last one. This over working lead too me needing more recover time than I should have, and often more than I got. Thus I never progressed during the course of many of my competitive seasons in high school and college. I was always too beat up from the workouts to race well, and many seasons when it came time to peak I was in worse shape than when I started the season. There is something to be said about trying to hard. Or more correctly not training SMART enough.
So this year I begin speed work for the first time in 5 years and what do I do? I'm trying to run repeat mile workouts 15-20 seconds per mile faster than I should and instead of getting stronger from them I got beat up. Well no more. I have to accept the shape that I am currently in and embrace the fact that nothing but smart running and time is going to improve it. Running my guts out in a workout is not going to give me the result I want. Smarter running means better recovery, which allows more workouts and better performance. It seems so simple now looking back on it.
Using one of these fine calculators: Runbayou or runworks You can see what physiological shape you are in and also what PACE you should be running Intervals, Thresholds, Marathon pace runs and easy/long runst.
I am currently at a VDOT of 52-53. Hopefully I can improve on this (one level every 4-6 weeks) and be in shape by September to run a PR in the marathon.
Until then I am following some sound Jack Daniels (The PHD coach) principles and trying to train smarter. Today's run was one of those. A marathon designed tempo run using my current threshold pace of 6:35/mile. I ran on the treadmill as a way of keeping me in tune to the correct pace until I can learn it. Goodness knows my internal pacer would have had me running TOO HARD and needing 3 days off to recover.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
A Day Off
Wed- ZERO!
Yes that is right, a day completely off, not even an hour walk. First time since I have been back in Egypt that I have done that. Hopefully it will be good for me! I miss the spring in my step, feeling strong, and being EAGER for the days run.
I just lost the entire post I wrote and thus this is a re-write...that has happened 3-4 times now since I started the blog. Sucks, cause now I don't feel like retyping everything.
Anyway, I am excited about the Mad City 100k coming up that will be the USATF 100K national championships. It has a loaded men's field of former 100k national team members Chad Ricklefs, Greg crowther, Patrick Russell, and recent trail ultra superstar Phil Kochik, and not to be left out, Ultra legend Scott Jurek. Scott has won every "focus" ultra he has entered in the last 9 years including 7 Western states 100s, two Badwater 135's, and the Spartathon in 2006. But, I am not betting on him in this race. The other guys are faster! And 100K is pretty short for Scott. Should be great competition and I guarantee who ever is leading at the 50K mark WILL NOT WIN!
The 100k is an interesting distance and I hope the Mad City run goes well and continues as an annual event. I hope to run it next year as I have never raced the 100k distance in the 8 years I have been doing ultras. I also want to branch out and run a 24hour event and believe it or not, I am planning on going after the Loomis family record of 2:34 in the marathon. I debuted at the Wineglass marathon 10 years ago this year and am seriously considering going back in September. I came in to that race in great shape and went through 19 miles on 6:02 mile pace before cramping in the hamstrings and slowing miserably. My final 10K took over 52minutes and I finished in a pathetic 2:54:31. Even more pathetic is I have never seriously run a marathon since then. I am more afraid of the marathon than I am of ultras!
Yes that is right, a day completely off, not even an hour walk. First time since I have been back in Egypt that I have done that. Hopefully it will be good for me! I miss the spring in my step, feeling strong, and being EAGER for the days run.
I just lost the entire post I wrote and thus this is a re-write...that has happened 3-4 times now since I started the blog. Sucks, cause now I don't feel like retyping everything.
Anyway, I am excited about the Mad City 100k coming up that will be the USATF 100K national championships. It has a loaded men's field of former 100k national team members Chad Ricklefs, Greg crowther, Patrick Russell, and recent trail ultra superstar Phil Kochik, and not to be left out, Ultra legend Scott Jurek. Scott has won every "focus" ultra he has entered in the last 9 years including 7 Western states 100s, two Badwater 135's, and the Spartathon in 2006. But, I am not betting on him in this race. The other guys are faster! And 100K is pretty short for Scott. Should be great competition and I guarantee who ever is leading at the 50K mark WILL NOT WIN!
The 100k is an interesting distance and I hope the Mad City run goes well and continues as an annual event. I hope to run it next year as I have never raced the 100k distance in the 8 years I have been doing ultras. I also want to branch out and run a 24hour event and believe it or not, I am planning on going after the Loomis family record of 2:34 in the marathon. I debuted at the Wineglass marathon 10 years ago this year and am seriously considering going back in September. I came in to that race in great shape and went through 19 miles on 6:02 mile pace before cramping in the hamstrings and slowing miserably. My final 10K took over 52minutes and I finished in a pathetic 2:54:31. Even more pathetic is I have never seriously run a marathon since then. I am more afraid of the marathon than I am of ultras!
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