2009 Season = Over

Lots of options for how to title this post, but since I mostly talk about running 'round these parts I thought I would relate the events of this week to the effect on my training. To be honest, I have never cared about running so little as I have the past three days.

The story is long and involved so I'll just sum it up here: Katie had the baby Monday night, August 10, 12 weeks premature. Her name is Charlotte Kathleen Russell and she weighed 1lb 7oz. For the full story, pictures and updates you can look at the page we set up for Charlotte here: http://www.carepages.com/carepages/charlotterussell

Right now Katie and I plan on being in Marquette until at least early November, possibly December. Given the circumstances I really could care less that I'm not going to run a race this fall.

I had been getting back into decent shape after Grandma's. I ran two 10 mile races on back to back weekends and ran about the same time (although with very different race strategies) low-53's. This past weekend I got in two long runs, 3hrs/27.5M Saturday and 2hrs/18.5M Sunday. I was looking to travel out to South Dakota with Wynn and do Lean Horse Half Hundred later in August.

Right now I plan to take the next week or two off from running. I'll do my exerciese like the excellent general strength videos by Jay Johnson for Running Times. Then I'll work on my base and strength with long runs through the fall. I'm gunning for the US 50k/100k double in March/April of next year if all goes well.

The one item I still have to work out is whether or not to have knee surgery this fall. For approximately the last ten years I have had a cyst of varying size on the back of my left knee. After some research and a confirmation from the PT it was determined it is a Baker's Cyst - a pocket of excess synovial fluid caused by some dysfunction in my knee. I had an MRI set for this coming Monday and was looking at having the outpatient surgery sometime this fall after I ran some races, but now I'm not sure its a good idea. It doesn't effect my running much, if at all, and there is virtually no risk to doing nothing for now. The recovery time is only about four weeks. Too much to think about at the moment anyways.

So as you can see, when I come back from a blogging layoff, I make it count. Thanks to everyone that has sent along prayers and positive thoughts. The first day was the hardest for me because my mind would focus on the possibility of losing both ladies. Now, with Katie on the mend and Charlotte showing some progress, I'm settling into a routine, albeit a much different one. I know I'm not eating or sleeping as much as I should, but the days just seem to fly by around here and before you know it I haven't showered and the last meal I ate was a Nature Valley granola bar.

But it helps to have the support network of family and friends. With Katie in Marquette now, we have our little family together to face the challenges of the days ahead.

Beat the Heat

Saturday, June 20
a.m. RACE: Grandmas Marathon, 21st place

time:	2:35:56
pace:	5:57
10k:	35:08
13.1:	1:14:22
20 mile:	1:54:37
25 mile:	2:27:05
last 10k:	41:19
chip time:	2:35:55

Well, in absolute terms the race didn't go very well, but in relative terms I fared better than most and came away pleased that I gutted it out Saturday. Sometimes that is all you can do.

On the starting line I knew 2:25-2:26 was not a reasonable go. Warm temperature and high humidity made me feel sticky even at 7:00 a.m. Looking at the cloudless sky indicated that it would probably get worse, not better as we got closer to Duluth. I adjusted my goal to hit halfway in 1:15 and I came in just a under that.

I had some rough patches from 13M to 16.5M and if Katie had been at 16M like she planned I probably would have stepped off the course. I was getting that woozy feeling that precedes a big crash. I was worried that if I went to much further down the course I might do some real damage and have to carted off.

But I rallied going into mile 17 and had a resurgence until 19 miles. On the gradual climbs to miles 20 and 21 I slipped to 6:00 miles and Lemondrop hill put the final nail in the coffin. From there I struggled with 6:30 pace, then 7:00 pace, and so on. The death march was on by mile 23. On the bright side - no walking. Small victory.

I finished up in 21st place, which is more a testament to the effect of the heat on the elite field than anything. The sub-2:30 on Grandma's course still eludes me.

I would like to be back again next year. It will require coming back after the US 100k champs April 10 - a 10 week stretch. Not impossible, but difficult.

As for this year, I still feel fresh mentally and I think my legs will bounce back quickly. There wasn't a whole lot of high-quality work in this training cycle, so I think I have more improvement to come.

This week will be a zero for sure and then I'll ease back into it over the next 2-3 weeks. I think I'll be gunning for a marathon/ultra double this fall. The other option is to run the US 50 mile champs October 3. I have to see what I feel like when I get back into organized running.

Avoiding Disaster

Monday, June 8
a.m. 68 min Road
10.0M (10.0)

Tuesday, June 9
a.m. 30 min Road
4.5M (14.5)

p.m. 3x2M, 430m recovery, 2M wu/cd
5:10.8, 5:08.2
5:11.5, 5:14.0
5:11.5, 4:54.3
10M (24.5)

Wednesday, June 10
a.m. 44:30 Road
6.5M (31.0)

Thursday, June 11
a.m. 31 min Road
4.5M (35.5)

p.m. 5x1k, 2min rec, 3M wu/2M cd
2:59.02, 2:58.0, 2:55.7, 2:54.3, 2:49.9 (2:55.2 avg)
8M (43.5)

Friday, June 12
a.m. 44 min Road
6.5M (50.0)

Saturday, June 13
a.m. 1:37, 8M @MP +60, 6M@ MP, 2M @MP+60
8M: 51:31
6M: 32:47 - 5:32.0, 5:34.5, 5:16.2, 5:28.2, 5:29.6, 5:27.3 (5:28.0 avg)
2M: 12:52
16.0 (66.0)

Sunday, June 14
Off

Total Miles Week: 66.0
Total Miles Year: 1883.3

The week was pretty standard taper for the most part. I was a little sluggish for the first couple days after back-to-back hard days on the weekend. I finished strong on the tempo runs Tuesday, but I didn't feel that great throughout the workout. I had intended on doing four repeats, but I back out using the excuse that my taper had started and when in doubt I should drop the volume.

Thursday I went to the track to run some speedwork and I it seems now that I narrowly averted disaster. I decided to do some strides on the football field before undertaking the planned 5x1k. I don't know what I did, but on the last stride my left knee/lower IT band got aggravated somehow. It didn't bother me too much at the time so OF COURSE I went ahead and did the workout, which OF COURSE went well and had me feeling confident, and OF COURSE heading out for an easy run on Friday I had a stabbing pain in my knee that made running painful.

It looks like the story has a happy ending however. I stretched, iced, and all that jazz Friday. Being in the middle of a taper helped as well since I didn't have a p.m. run to do Friday. Saturday I went ahead with the MP workout even though I was still somewhat sore, knowing I could always take Sunday off, which I was probably going to do anyways. I got through Saturday's workout without too much trouble and the rest on Sunday seems to have alleviated some of the pain. Heading out the door today felt better and its gotten better throughout the day. It only really hurts when I have a high knee lift - like sprinting, for instance - so it shouldn't be too hard to avoid that this week. Fingers crossed it clears up even more by Saturday.

As far as the race pace goes, I'm leaving it open, but I might go out more conservatively than previously planned. I had intended to go out on PR pace (~1:12:30), but something about the last few workouts has me feeling like that might be too aggressive. I know its probably lack of confidence at this point and I just need to get in the race and see how I feel, but I've never had a good race at Grandma's and I feel like this year I just want to get into town around 19-20 and feel like I'm picking up steam instead of fading. I'd settle for holding steady even. So now I think 1:14 might be better at halfway. Of course, if by some chance there is a pack that is running right at that 5:30-5:35/mile pace I might stick my nose in there, but that is usually a very lonely range at Grandma's and probably even more so this year since it looks like everybody is running the 1/2 marathon. But my number is 49 so that means there could be a good chunk of guys ahead of me. Or not. Seed numbers never really the whole story.

Weather looks fair at the moment, but as always, it will change many times between now and 7:30 a.m. Saturday. As long as we avoid SW winds (2006?) it should be alright. Even rain doesn't scare me at this point.

Making Due

Monday, June 1
p.m. 70 min Road
10.7M (10.7)

Tuesday, June 2
a.m. 1:22 Road
12.1M (22.8)

Wednesday, June 3
Off

Thursday, June 4
a.m. 42:30 Road
6.2M (29.0)

p.m. 10x1k, 60 sec rec, 3M wu/2M cd (windy)
3:06.9, 3:09.6, 3:09.2, 3:08.3, 3:08.7, 3:10.3, 3:10.2, 3:08.0, 3:07.3, 3:07.7 (3:08.7 avg)
11.0M (40.0)

Friday, June 5
a.m. 42:30 Road
6.0M (46.0)

p.m. 68 min Road
10.0M (56.0)

Saturday, June 6
a.m. Breakers to Bay 5M (Oskar, MI), 25:53, 1st, 4.5M wu/5.5M cd
5:24.8, 5:26.2, 4:55.7, 5:00.3, 5:07.0
15.0M (71.0)

Sunday, June 7
a.m. 2:07 Road
last 3 miles (5:31.5, 5:14.3, 4:59.1)
20.0M (91.0)

Total Miles Week: 91.0
Total Miles Year: 1817.3

I spent the first three days of this week in Petoskey, MI at a library conference so it became challenging to stay on schedule with training. Actually the running was great in Petoskey, which is situated on the shores of Lake Michigan. Monday I ran the bike trail from Petoskey to Bay City and Tuesday I had a great run out on the country roads. It was of those mornings where the fog lingered close to the road, but it was kind of sunny out. But after sitting in a conference room from 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. for a couple days, I wasn't exactly eager to go out and do the planned workout Wednesday morning. In fact I just pulled the covers up and went back to bed. Live to fight another day.

I pushed the workout back to Thursday, and with the exception of ridiculous wind (the theme for this spring) it went very well. I actually felt stronger as the workout progressed and I managed to keep a fairly even pace despite the weather.

Saturday I hopped in a small 5M race that runs from the Lake Superior breakers into the town of Oskar. I had originally thought I would do a 5M tempo before the race and then do the race at about the same pace, but with all the logisitics of doing that with a point to point course and what not, I just decided to run out to the start and add on a bit to the cooldown. For a first year race they did a really good job with organization and the course was fun. As one could surmise from the splits, the first two miles are kind of brutal due to a pretty significant climb, but almost immediately after passing the two mile mark the course drops hard for the next mile. I felt really good during the run - relaxed and smooth. On the cooldown I hardly felt fatigued so I figure I hit this workout just right.

Today was my last long run and really built on the Saturday's race/workout. I ran a particularly hilly course, but I pushed up them with ease it seemed like. When I switched to the faster pace the last three miles, it felt very natural. Of course, I'd say the last 2.5 miles were downhill so that certainly helped!

So with two weeks to go until race day I would say I feeling better than ever. Not necessarily faster, but strong and relaxed. I plan to do tempo runs/intervals Tuesday and Thursday this week and a shorter marathon pace workout Saturday. Then the last workout of 2x2M tempo on the Tuesday before the race. Everything else will be 5-10 miles easy and no doubles except for the workout days.

Building Momentum

Monday, May 25
Race: Brian Kraft 5k, 15:17, 7th?, 3Mwu, 2.5cd
(4:47.2, 4:48.7, 5:05.6, 35.4)
8.0M (8.0)

Tuesday, May 26
a.m. 48 min Road
7.0M (15.0)

p.m. 70 min Trail
9.2M (24.2)

Wednesday, May 27
a.m. 42:30 Road
6.1M (30.3)

p.m. 4x1 mile, 3min rec, 3M wu/cd
4:46.1, 4:47.8, 4:46.8, 4:43.1 (4:45.9 avg)
10.0M (40.3)

Thursday, May 28
a.m. 47:30 Road
7.0M (47.3)

p.m. 43:30 Trail
5.6M (52.9)

Friday, May 29
a.m. 35:30 Road
5.1M (58.0)

p.m. 3x3M, 800 rec, 2M wu/1M cd
5:13.2, 5:14.8, 5:13.5 (15:41.5)
5:15.1, 5:11.0, 5:11.2 (15:37.3)
5:13.4, 5:13.8, 1:34.7 (11:51.9) *2.3M
11.3M (69.3)

Saturday, May 30
a.m. 67min Road
10.0M (79.3)

Sunday, May 31
a.m. 2:21:20, 10M@ MP+60 sec, 10M@ MP, 4M@ MP+60 sec
10M: 63:59
10M: 53:52.1 (5:28.5, 5:27.9, 5:27.5, 5:18.7, 5:22.3, 5:25.6, 5:23.3, 5:20.7, 5:18.0, 5:19.4) 5:23.2 avg
4M: 23:26.6 (6:02.8, 5:48.0, 5:49.4, 5:46.4)
24.0M (103.3)

Total Miles Week: 103.3
Total Miles Year: 1726.3

After reviewing my results from previous years at Brian Kraft I realized that maybe this years result wasn't so far off. 15:15, 14:36, 15:25, 15:02 - up and down. I still don't quite know what happened the last mile. It just seems like I should be strong, but not necessarily fast. Did I overextend myself the first two miles? It didn't feel like it, but time to move on.

I did manage to come back with a pretty solid week of workouts and volume. The mile repeats were uncomfortable, but I still managed to finish strong. I cut the workout short on Friday because I was going over the edge a bit. Also I kind of did a stupid thing the week before. Katie is on a softball team and I jumped in to play, realizing I needed to be careful that I didn't hurt myself. I was managing pretty well, but I stepped funny while rounding a base and my foot came up sore. Its right in the arch/ball area, but its starting to get better - no harm done. But it was still bothering a bit during the 3x3 so I figured I had enough work in.

Sunday I turned in a really strong marathon pace workout - actually a bit faster than marathon pace. We finally had a day up here that wasn't gale force winds so the effort felt more even. The most surprising part of the workout was how comfortable I felt during the 4 mile "cooldown". I was really easing up, but still running ~5:50/mile. A great way to end the week.

This was the easiest feeling 100 mile week I've done yet so I'm hopeful that I've timed my fitness right for Grandmas. 3 weeks to go.

Like Reading Tea Leaves

Monday, May 18
Off

Tuesday, May 19
a.m. 45 min Road
6.5M (6.5)

p.m. 69 min Road + 6xHill Sprints
10.3M (16.8)

Wednesday, May 20
a.m. 34:30 Road
5.0M (23.8)

p.m. 2x1M, 3 min rec, 3M wu/2M cd
4:51.2, 4:58.9
7.0M (30.8)

Thursday, May 21
a.m. 49 min Road
7.3M (38.1)

p.m. 69 min Trail
9.0M (47.1)

Friday, May 22
a.m. 45 min Road
6.5M (53.6)

p.m. 16x400, 30 sec rec, 3M wu/cd
70.6 avg, 62.7 last
10.0M (63.6)

Saturday, May 23
a.m. 62 min Road
10.0M (73.6)

Sunday, May 24
a.m. 36 min Road + 6xstrides
5.5M (79.1)

Total Miles Week: 79.1
Total Miles Year: 1623.0

The week turned out to be rough "psyche" wise culminating with a sub par race this past Monday. On Wednesday I experienced pretty much what every runner in the upper midwest did - heat and wind. I did my morning run in 37 degrees wearing pants, a long sleeve and a winter hat. When I went out to do 5x1 mile in the afternoon it was 90 degrees and 20-30mph winds out of the south. Then I compounded my mistake by overcompensating and running 2:19 for the first 800m of the first interval - pretty much putting me in the hurt locker for good. Fail.

I came back Friday and had a solid, if unspectacular workout. I had a hard time finding a good rhythm as the pace jumped around a bit - 73 one interval, 70 the next. It felt good to finish in 62 though.

Of course I thought with that fast finish and a couple easy days of running in Minneapolis I would come into Monday's Brian Kraft 5k ready for a solid race. I thought 14:50-15:00 was reasonable given my recent workouts and just generally how I've been feeling. I even felt, given the right conditions and competition (i.e. some people to suck off of) I could go faster. What I got was a very disappointing 15:17 that saw me split 4:46:XX, 4:48:XX, 5:10:ughhhhhhhhh.....

I've always been the "long guy" dropping down to the 5k and have had some reasonable success (14:36 PR). Over the years most of my 5ks have played out the same - 1st mile = shock, 2nd mile = slightly less shock, 3rd mile = get in the groove and pass people. This time around it played out very differently. I led most of the first 1.5 miles feeling very strong and smooth. Then, as we crossed Cedar Ave the second time, things started to get a little rough. No worries I thought, I'll just hang on to the back of this lead pack (running 8 strong at that point, very fast this year) and get pulled in. Maybe I won't pass anyone, but I'll hang around. Well, that plan went up in smoke as the pack steadily pulled away over the last mile and I found myself floundering. Once I lost contact, I have to admit the mental struggle overtook me and I became focused on "just finishing". Weak sauce as Andy would say.

I'm oscillating between frustration, worry and indifference about my race. Initially I was embarrassed because I got absolutely routed over the last mile after leading early on. Then my thoughts turned to Grandmas and what this "meant", but quickly realized that I have run some fast shorter races just before running slow Grandmas. Obviously the 5k as a predictor of marathon success doesn't work in general. In the end I think the situation came down to a lack of race-readiness. I've only one really balls-out race (Human Race in March) since taking most of last year off. Workouts have been going well, but the mental aspect of racing is impossible to tap into in a workout. So in the end I'm going to put the 2009 Brian Kraft 5k behind me, get back to my marathon workouts and hope for the best (and a NE tailwind) at Grandmas. I feel like I've set the bar pretty low for myself at Grandmas so there is no need to push the envelope at this point.

I also want to put in a plug for Eric's new website: 2012 Olympic Trials Marathon It is a much needed information/networking resource for those of us weekend warriors reaching for glory. Pass the word.

Also - we're pregnant (due November 9). And I got into Grad school. So life will be changing drastically this fall. Of course one of my first thoughts was how will this affecting training (much to the chagrin of my very loving, patient, and supportive wife) and I've come to the conclusion that not much will change. Doubles will mostly become singles, but since I've run 90-100+ miles a week for the past decade, I'm probably pretty peaked out on mileage anyway. I figure if I can get in one long run, one long workout and another shorter workout each week I'll be fine doing 45-75 minutes the other days. Honestly, I could probably benefit from the rest. We'll see how that pans out when sleep deprivation sets in.

The Next Level?

Monday, May 11
a.m. 44 min Road
6.5M (6.5)

p.m. 65 min Road + 6xHill Sprints
10.1M (16.6)

Tuesday, May 12
a.m. 33:30 Road
5.0M (21.6)

p.m. 8x1k, 2 min rec, 3mi wu/3mi cd
3:00.2, 3:02.7, 3:01.9, 3:00.3,
3:01.6, 3:01.1, 2:56.9, 2:50.7 (2:59.4 avg)
11.0M (32.6)

Wednesday, May 13
a.m. 45 min Road
6.5M (39.1)

p.m. 67 min Road + 6xstrides
10.0M (49.1)

Thursday, May 14
a.m. 42 min Road
6.1M (55.2)

p.m. 66:30 Road
10.0M (65.2)

Friday, May 15
a.m. 3x3M, 800m rec, 2.5 wu/cd
15:32.9 (5:09.4, 5:13.0, 5:10.5)
15:29.4 (5:11.0, 5:10.4, 5:08.0)
15:17.2 (5:07.0, 5:07.4, 5:02.8)
14.0 (79.2)

Saturday, May 16
a.m. 70 min Road
10.3M (89.5)

Sunday, May 17
a.m. 2:25, 10M @MP +60sec, 10M @MP, 4M @MP +60 sec
10M: 64:00
10M: 55:47, 5:34.7 avg (5:38.5, 5:30.7, 5:34.5, 5:36.6, 5:35.0, 5:34.7, 5:38.7, 5:34.0, 5:27.8, 5:36.5)
4M: 25:19
24M (113.5)

Total Miles Week: 113.5
Total Miles Year: 1543.9

I'm still scratching my head about Sunday's workout. I averaged 2 seconds per mile slower than I did a couple weeks ago and felt a little worse. I was a little surprised, although maybe I shouldn't have been, after the way the two mid-week workouts went, that 5:30 pace didn't feel easier (or possible for that matter).

The extenuating circumstances would be the wind, as I did this workout from the start line on Grandmas Marathon course and ran into what I thought was a substantial headwind for the whole workout. Weather.com reports said it was only 7-10mph, but it felt stronger to me. So was it my legs or the wind or both, I don't know. I wish I would have been able to gain a little more confidence from this workout, but I'll have to settle with a hard effort.

In retrospect, 5:32-5:34 pace for a marathon puts me right around my PR, so it seems naive to expect more, but once I start to feel good in training I get greedy. Energy levels fluctuate from workout to workout, week to week, so finishing Tuesday's workout with a 2:50 1k doesn't mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. One repeat. One workout. One day. The good news is that I'm remaining consistent and things are trending faster. If I come back with a strong workout this week and race well at Brian Kraft a week from today, Sunday's workout will blend in with it all.

After Further Review

Monday, May 4
a.m. 38 min Trail
5.0M (5.0)

p.m. 60 min Trail
8.1M (13.1)

Tuesday, May 5
a.m. 49 min Road
7M (20.1)

p.m. 70 min Road + 5xstrides
10.2M (30.3)

Wednesday, May 6
a.m. 33 min Road
5.0M (35.3)

p.m. 6x1k, 2:00 min rec, 3 mi wu/cd
3:00.3, 3:02.6, 3:03.1, 3:02.0, 3:02.7, 2:57.2 (3:01.3 avg)
10M (45.3)

Thursday, May 7
a.m. 48 min Road
7.0M (52.3)

p.m. 64 min Road + 6xHill Sprints
10.0M (62.3)

Friday, May 8
a.m. 35 min Road
5.1M (67.4)

p.m. 2x3M, 800m rec, 2M wu/2M cd + 4xstrides
15:35.6 (5:11.7, 5:13.7, 5:10.1)
15:20.5 (5:12.1, 5:05.2, 5:03.2)
10.0M (77.4)

Saturday, May 9
a.m. 2:08 Road
20.0M (97.4)

Sunday, May 10
a.m. 66:30 Road
10.0M (107.4)

Total Miles Week: 107.4
Total Miles Year: 1430.4

Monday I got out on trails for the first time this spring. I took it pretty easy for a day after a marathon, but I forgot how tough an hour on trails can be. I'm sure it will just take some time to adjust, but I won't really get after that until post-Grandmas. For now it serves as a nice break here and there.

The legs were a little heavy post-marathon Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday I would say I was back and ready to hit the hard stuff again. I intended to do 8x1k, but after getting out at 3:00 for the first repeat, I could not find the correct pace (3:03-3:04). After #5, I had a feeling that attempting 8 repeats would be too much. Still this was an improvement over the workout I did three weeks ago (3:01 avg versus 3:03 avg). Try again next week I suppose.

I was initially happy with Friday's workout, but after reconsidering I came to the conclusion that I felt TOO good and should have backed off a bit on #2 and added a #3. I didn't feel like I was pushing it though, my legs just seemed to slip into the pace. Again, try again next week.

Hometown Run

Monday, April 27
a.m. 47 min Road + 5xstrides
6.6M (6.6)

p.m. 74 min Road + 6xhill sprints
11.0M (17.6)

Tuesday, April 28
a.m. 48:30 Road
7M (24.6)

p.m. 4x1 Mile, 3:15 rec, 3M wu/cd
4:53.5, 4:53.7, 4:50.7, 4:45.0
10M (34.6)

Wednesday, April 29
p.m. 2:12 Road
20.7 (55.3)

Thursday, April 30
a.m. 37:30 Road
5.2M (60.5)

p.m. 69 min Road + 5xstrides
10.3 (70.8)

Friday, May 1
a.m. 35:30 Road
5.1 (75.9)

p.m. 3x2M, 430m Rec, 2M wu/2M cd+4 strides
10:27.6, 10:24.6, 10:22.5 (10:24.9 avg) windy
10M (85.9)

Saturday, May 2
a.m. 39 min Road
5.7M (91.6)

Sunday, May 3
a.m. 2:34:03 marathon/workout, 1st
Eau Claire Marathon
1:19:16/1:14:47
26.2 (117.8)

Total Week Miles: 117.8
Total Year Miles: 1323.0

Another solid week that showed a lot of progress. The mile repeats on Tuesday were hard, but manageable. Its been a year and a half since I've run that kind of pace in workouts. Wednesday was not intended to be that long of a day, but I zigged when I should have zagged out on the country roads so 16 miles turned into 20. And Friday's workout was really encouraging because I remained relaxed during the intervals and recovered very well during the short rests. The pace and effort were just right despite the gale force crosswind I was bucking.

After the workout Friday, Katie and I hopped in the car and drove down to Eau Claire for the weekend. Sunday was the Eau Claire Marathon, the first marathon in EC since the mid-80's. I had originally signed up in November with the intention of peaking for this race after a shorter buildup. At that time I was a little more pessimistic about what kind of shape I could get into by the spring. I thought Eau Claire would be lower key with lower expectations.

As the spring progressed, my workouts revealed that I'm stronger than I anticipated, so in March I decided to go for broke at Grandmas where there would be a faster field - but also more in the way of goals/expectations. However, being from Eau Claire originally, I still wanted to be a part of the marathon this weekend, so I decided to run it as a long run/workout, with pace depending on how I felt. I figured at the Mad City 50k I ran through 26.2 miles right around 2:38 and that had felt pretty easy. Friend, former roommate and coworker, Tony was running as well with approximately the same plan so it felt kind of like a Sunday long run, with water stops.

Of course Tony has never been good at conservative pacing and I acted as enabler for much of the race. The agreed upon 6:10-6:15 pace never materialized as we ran mostly 6:00s, give or take for the first half of the race (1:19:16). The course was set up very well. There were some roads closed to traffic and it was fairly light on the rest. Temps were perfect for about 2 hours, but the last stretch the temps got a little toasty....along with the pace.

Around mile 17 we met back up with the half-marathoners and Tony got a little carried away with the pace. I believe there was a progression from 17-20 of 5:51, 5:42, 5:35, 5:30...and that was just me. By that point Tony was a good 50 meters ahead of me. I wasn't in severe distress, but I was a little wary of going below 5:30/mile as that is what I'm considering the outer fringe of my goal marathon pace. Tony stayed out front until mile 24 when the heavy pace started to take a toll. He hung on much better than I expected given how hard he had been running the last hour. I managed to stay strong until the final hill back into Carson Park, which is just ridiculous for that point in a marathon. Still I managed approximately 6:00 pace up and over and then enjoyed the last ~.2 miles into the finish line.

So many positives came out of the race. I ran a controlled effort, but still managed my goal marathon pace for much of the last 10 miles. I wasn't sore or beat up at all. I think I actually felt a little worse after last Saturday's workout. Even so, I might consider pushing this coming Tuesday's intervals to Wednesday and cut out Thursdays workout. I'll wait and see how I feel. There is still a ways to go until Grandmas.

Down With the Sickness

Monday, April 20
p.m. 66:30 Road
10.1M (10.1)

Tuesday, April 21
a.m. 45 min Treadmill
6.4M (16.5)

Wednesday, April 22
OFF/Sick

Thursday, April 23
a.m. 45 min Road
6.5M (23)

p.m. 16x400 w/ 25 sec rec 3M wu/cd
73.37 avg, 71.9 last (wind)
10M (33)

Friday, April 24
a.m. 46 min Road
6.6M (39.6)

p.m. 68 min Road
10.0M (49.6)

Saturday, April 25
a.m. 10M@ MP+60 sec, 8M@ MP, 4M@ MP+60 sec
10M: 64:39
8M: 5:37, 5:33, 5:34, 5:33, 5:31, 5:30, 5:26, 5:34 (avg 5:32)
4M: 25:48
22.0M (71.6)

Sunday, April 26
a.m. 70 min Road
10M (81.6)

Total Miles: 81.6

The head cold stayed with me most of the week, but I was still able to manage a couple solid workouts. Katie crewed for me during the MP run, handing me water bottles. The pace felt relatively comfortable, I was just hoping it would be few clicks per mile faster. However, it was right in line with the level of fitness I've been showing.

Going Back To Cali, Cali, Cali

Monday, April 13
a.m. 45 min Road
6.7M (6.7)

p.m. 62 min Road incl 6xHill Sprints
9.5M (16.2)

Tuesday, April 14
a.m. 46 min Road
6.7M (22.9)

p.m. 6x1k w/ 2 min rec 3mi wu/3mi cd+4xstrides

3:04, 3:06, 3:07, 3:04, 3:01, 2:57 (3:03.2 avg)

10M (32.9)

Wednesday, April 15
a.m. 1:57 Road

18.5 (51.4)

Thursday, April 16
a.m. 68 min Road

10M (61.4)

Friday, April 17
a.m. 65 min Road + strides

10M (71.4)

Saturday, April 18
a.m. 10M race/workout 53:07, 1st Place

(Santa Barbara Chardonnay 10M, CA)

30min wu/30 min cd

18.8M (90.2)

Sunday, April 19

OFF/Travel

Total Miles: 90.2

Our time in California was a pleasant respite from "spring" in the UP. Now we've been in the midst of a snow/wind storm since Sunday.

Tuesday was my first interval workout in a long, long time. I would have to say that it went about as well as it could have. I was never in severe distress and I felt like I could have gone a couple more at the same pace (3:04-3:07).

Thursday and Friday I had good runs along the ocean in Oxnard, CA. It was surprisingly cool in the morning and I ended up wearing the one long sleeve I packed both days.

Saturday we headed up to Santa Barbara to go to the farmer's market and sight-see. When we were planning the trip I knew it would be hard to find a track (that I would be allowed on) or a safe road route to do a workout on, so I searched around for a road race nearby. The Santa Barbara Chardonnay 10M worked out perfectly as a marathon/tempo pace workout and the course was beautiful. We ran out and back along the ocean with a few hills in the middle miles. I ended up running most of the race with another runner, averaging around 5:22-5:24 for most of the miles - a little faster than the 5:30's I had planned on. But I felt really good and was able to run 5:11-5:20 over the last three miles. I ended up finishing first and winning a $100 gift certificate to Outfooters, a local running store, which I used to buy a new pair of trail running shoes (Adidas Adistar Trail), although I wonder when I'll actually be able wear them up here.

The only downside to the vacation was that I woke up with a sore throat Sunday morning as we were leaving. Its got progressively worse through Monday evening, but I seem to be on the downside now.

Interlude

Monday, April 6
Off

Tuesday, April 7
p.m. 36:30 Road
5M (5)

Wednesday, April 8
a.m. 45 min Treadmill
6.3M (11.3)

p.m. 30 min Pool Running

Thursday, April 9
a.m. 45 min Treadmill
6.4M (17.7)

p.m. 47 min Road + 6xHill Sprints
7M (24.7)

Friday, April 10
a.m. 35 min Road
5M (29.7)

p.m. 70 min Road + 8xstrides
10.5M (40.2)

Saturday, April 11
a.m. 1:43 Road incl 3 x 1.4M Hill Climb
16.2M (56.4)

Sunday, April 12
OFF

Total Miles: 56.4

Even with the relative ease with which I ran the 50k, I had a little soreness the first couple days this week. Being a planned rest week, I had no problem taking a couple days off and a couple shorter days. By the end of the week I was feeling like new and well prepared going into the last 10 weeks of workouts for Grandmas.

The weather around here is changing just in time. We still have a good deal of snow, but the roads are clear which will allow for quality workouts. Katie and I are headed to Oxnard, CA Wednesday, so by the time we get back things should really be cleared out. While in CA I'm going to squeeze in a marathon-pace workout by running a 10M race up in Santa Barbara.

When Things Go Well

Monday, March 30
a.m. 45 min Treadmill
6.5M (6.5)

p.m. 68 min Road
10.3M (16.8)

Tuesday, March 31
a.m. 45 min Treadmill
6.5M (23.3)

p.m. 50 min Road + 6xHill Sprints
7.5M (30.8)

Wednesday, April 1
a.m. 35 min Treadmill
5.2M (36.0)

p.m. 1 hr 46 min Road incl 3 x 1.4M Hill Climb
16M (52.0)

Thursday, April 2
a.m. 37 min Treadmill
5M (57.0)

p.m. 69 min Road
10M (67.0)

Friday, April 3
a.m. 35 min Treadmill
5.1M (72.1)

Saturday, April 4
a.m. 50k race/workout 3:08:28 (PR), 1st
Lap 1 - 39:02
Lap 2 - 38:32
Lap 3 - 37:34
Lap 4 - 36:51
Lap 5 - 36:27
31M (103.1)

Sunday, April 5
p.m. 20 min Road
2.4M (105.5)

Total Miles 105.5

And that concludes the "base/pre-season/learn to run again" phase of my training and I'd be hard-pressed to find anything negative about how I've progressed the last three months, considering that this was the first week I logged on the blog for 2009.

Now I'm going to take a rest week and then its 10 weeks of workouts and a couple races until Grandmas.

As for this past weekend, it was one of those I'm going to tuck away to relive in the future. I had a pleasant drive back to civilization - which I consider anywhere with a Noodles and Co., Chipotle, Best Buy, and/or Target. Also four-lane highways.

My original plan for the race was to treat this as a long run, shooting for 3:20 - 3:30. It may seem a long ways to go for a long run, but the weather was beautiful, I didn't have to carry any aid, and Katie was in Evansville, IN for a conference this weekend, so I was flying solo anyway.

Race morning was amazing weather, completely opposite from the 2007 100k debacle. It was right around 30 degrees at the start, but the sun was shining and very little wind. By the end of the race temps were in the upper 40s. Race director Tim Yanachek only went with a 50k this year because the World Cup is in June, making a spring 100k US champs impossible. Turnout was good - 30+ solo runners and 40+ relay teams.

Right from the start I knew I was feeling not just good, but phenomenal. I had put in some good miles earlier in the week, but went very easy on Thursday and short on Friday so as to feel rested. When I saw that was running 6:20s with ease early on (thanks Garmin 405) I decided to test the waters a little bit and see what I was capable of comfortably. I felt it was a safe situation because I had a scheduled easy week coming up so as long as I didn't go to the well I would be fine coming back to the marathon-specific training the following week.

My aid was working out great as well. I made a race-day decision not to carry a water bottle the whole way. Instead I bought a bunch of 20 oz bottled waters and mixed my Cytomax in. I picked up a bottle and a gel each lap starting with #2, carried it for about 1.5 miles and then dumped it.

All in all it was one of those days where everything is clicking and you just have to roll with it. I ran very relaxed through 4 laps, pressed a little bit the first half of lap #5 and then, after grabbing one last cup of water at the mid-lap aid station, I kicked it in comfortably hard over the last 4k.

But the best part of the weekend was getting to hang with Andy the rest of the weekend. Our first stop was Chipotle were I enjoyed the sweet ambrosia that is the steak burrito with black beans. Then, after cleaning up and watching some golf, we headed to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the Final Four and eat chicken wings. I tried Guinness for the first time (I know, I know). And then we topped the night off with some bowling where I managed to bowl 2 really good games (for me) out of three.

It might just be that this weekend was some sort of karma payback for all the crap I've been dealing with at work. If thats the case, then I need a few more of them.

Plugging Away

Monday
OFF

Tuesday
p.m. 67 min Road
10.1M (10.1)

Wednesday
a.m. 45 min Treadmill
6.5M (16.6)

p.m. 1hr 44 min Road (incl 4M@ 5:44)
16M (32.6)

Thursday
a.m. 45 min Treadmill
6.5M (39.1)

p.m. 68 min Road
10.1M (49.2)

Friday
a.m. 30 min Treadmill
4.25M (53.5)

p.m. 60 min + 6xHill Sprints
9M (62.5)

Saturday
a.m. Progression Run (6:00, 5:50, 5:40, 5:30, 5:20, 5:10)
12M (74.5)

Sunday
a.m. 2hr 11 min Road incl 8M@5:53/mile
20.5M (95)

Total Miles: 95

I've been turning in solid, but not spectacular weeks so far. As long a I'm feeling healthy and improving I'll take it. Hopefully those spectacular weeks will be happening in June this time around.

Monday was an unplanned day off, but Sunday, with the Human Race a 1:20 p.m. start time I didn't get out of the Cities until 4:45. A seven hour drive plus losing an hour crossing the time zone put me back in Houghton just before 1 a.m. In the old days of my youth I would have had very little problem getting a run in the next day, but Monday I chose to sleep-in and I was dragging most of the rest of the day. I rationalized that it was better to take a day off in March rather than closer to the race. Today I turned a year older, so its only going to get worse.

This coming week I'm headed back to Madison for the Mad City 50k. Tim is going with a 50k this year because with the WC 100k in June there won't be a US 100k championship in the spring and a 50k is just easier logistically. My original plan was to go down there to get in a long run in warmer weather and hang out with Andy, but now it looks like I'm going to get weather only slightly better than here. Oh well, it will be good to have a positive experience on that course since next year WILL be the 100k champs (April 10). Positive mental imagery will be the name of the game.

Meeting Expecations

Monday, March 16
p.m. 40 min Pool

Tuesday, March 17
a.m. 70min Road
10.1M (map)

p.m. 30min Road + Hill Sprints
4.5M (14.6)

Wednesday, March 18
p.m. 1hr 45min Treadmill
16.3M (30.9)

Thursday, March 19
p.m. 64 min Road
10.1M (41) (map)

Friday, March 20
p.m. 39 min Treadmill
6M (47)

Saturday, March 21
a.m. 30 min Treadmill
4+M (51)

Sunday, March 22
a.m. 21 min Road
3M (54)

p.m. 8k Race 25:25 14th place + 20min Warmup, 60 min Cooldown
16M (70)

Total Miles: 70

Quite an up and down week. I felt pretty good the first part of the week, especially considering the 3 hour run last Sunday. But Friday a 60-75 min run turned into a rough 45 mins. Then I struggled through a 30 min run Saturday before heading back to Eau Claire/Twin Cities for the Human Race. My legs felt pretty good, but my heart rate was higher than normal and I was sweating profusely on the treadmill (more than usual). I briefly considered not traveling for the race, but I had been looking forward to it and I hoped that seeing bare/snow free ground and warmer temps would give me a boost.

Sunday, race-day, I felt so-so, but just warming up with Kurt, Paul and Sonya and doing a long cooldown with Pete, Jason, and Josh made the trip worth it, regardless of the race result.

As for the race itself, I don't know if I've ever had a day where I ran the exact time I though I would and felt exactly how I thought I would feel, no better, no worse. That was the story Sunday. Considering prior to the race I had not run a single 5:07 mile, and then to go out and run five of them, helped me feel pretty good about my training thus far. The conditions worked in my favor as we had a pretty stiff headwind on the way out. That meant I got to spend a little more time in the lead pack then I would have normally - going through the mile in 5:12-5:13. Mile 2 has quite a bit of downhill and the pack started to string out. I came through in 10:11 and somewhere around 10th place. Coming around William Mitchell and picking up the wind at our back (mostly) I was feeling alright, but knew the pace I was running was all I was going to be able to muster through the finish. No kick today. I could run about 5:05 but any faster and I started to rig up a bit. Fast-paced workouts needed. I pretty much held my position getting passed by 1 or 2 people into the finish, but overall I can't complain.

According to Daniels 25:25 puts me in about 1:10 half/2:28 full marathon shape with essentially no workouts under my belt. I hope once I start the marathon cycle in April I'll be able to bring that down a few minutes.

First Marathon Of 2009

Monday, March 9
p.m. 60 min Treadmill
8.5M (8.5)

Tuesday, March 10
a.m. 60 min Treadmill
8.8M (17.3)

p.m. 30 min Treadmill + 8x200m 32-34 sec (200m jog)
5.5M (22.8)

Wednesday, March 11
a.m. 2 hrs Treadmill incl 4x10min @ 7% incline 6:40/mi pace (5 min easy pace recovery)
18.05 (40.85)

Thursday, March 12
a.m. 45 min Treadmill
6.5M (47.35)

p.m. 60 min Treadmill
9.35 (56.7)

Friday, March 13
p.m. 50 min Treadmill + 8x200 31-33sec (200m jog)
8.5M (64.7)

Saturday, March 14
a.m. Progression Run (6:00, 5:50, 5:40, 5:30, 5:20, .5M@5:10)
12M (76.7)

Sunday, March 15
a.m. 3 hr Treadmill (26.2M in 2:51)
27.7M (104.5)

Total Miles: 104.5M


The change in weather presented somewhat of a conundrum for my weekend runs. Temps in the high 30s - mid 40s made it seem like running outside was a no brainer. However I've done less outside running this winter than in years past so to jump in with a workout and a 3 hr run would probably be a little aggressive. Runnersworld online just had an article up on this very topic. While I don't think its necessary to be as conservative as they advise, it is probably a good idea if I ease into it over the next couple weeks - 60 min here and there, some hill workouts, etc before I get too crazy.

That said, it seemed pretty insane to do a 3 hour run on the treadmill today while it was 46 degrees outside. And while last week I felt like I was gaining strength as I approached 2:40, this week the 2:40-3:00 segment was getting pretty rough. I was pushing 5:56-6:03 pace so it could have more to do with the aggressive pace than the run time. Nevertheless, I had a good look at what my top end of time and pace is right now. I will probably only do one more run longer than today during this training cycle, so for the most part I should be staying well in my comfort zone from here on out.

So with my first "real" race in almost 20 months coming up a week from today I'm starting to feel like a runner again. As for goals, I'm breaking it down thusly:

< 25:00 = Wow, where the hell did that come from?
25:00-26:00 = Very pleased, right where I want to be.
26:00-27:00 = Not bad, but got some work to do
27:00+ = Uh-oh, time to re-evaluate goals for the spring.

I got to catch some of the NCAA championships on the internet this weekend and I have to say its got very exciting lately. Being one of those "slow" distance runners in college I never got to compete on a DMR and after watching the excitement of those races at this years meet I have to say I feel like I missed out.

Gel-lin'

The past six weeks I've seen some great progress. For the most part I'm feeling like my old self again. Unlike most of the 2008 where I felt broken down as my mileage/intensity got higher, I now feeling like I'm getting stronger. Of course I'm following the more traditional and safer method of building a strong base before getting into any interval or marathon pace workouts. Amazing how conventional wisdom can be so......wise? The weekdays have progressed to 60-90 min most days plus a couple 2xdays a week. I've done a couple sessions of hill sprints, but I've had to be cautious as there is very little clear pavement around here and my knee came up sore after the last session, probably due to the slipping. The weekends have been where the real work has been getting done. I plan to continue the same pattern for a few more weeks and then move into a marathon cycle (Grandmas) once the calendar hits April.

Human Race is coming up in a couple weeks. I'm curious to see where I'll end up. I've fluctuated in my confidence with my turnover the past few weeks, but there are so many people running so fast there is a good chance I'll get sucked into a faster time than I would normally expect. I'm a far cry from the shape I was in when I've actually won this race in the past, but then again those two years I flamed out at Grandmas one year and came up lame in a 100k the other year. So if that is any indication I'll gladly take a slower time if it means I'm hitting my stride June 20.

Jan 26 - Feb 1
Sat: 60 min
Sun: 2 hr (16.6M)
Mileage for the week: 56M

Feb 2 - Feb 8
Sat: 80 min
Sun: 2 hr (16.8M)
Mileage for the week: 65M

Feb 9 - Feb 15
Sat: 1 hr 40 min
Sun: 2 hr (17.3M)
Mileage for the week: 78M

Feb 16 - Feb 22
Sat: 2 hr (17.5M)
Sun: 2 hr (18M)
Mileage for the week: 93M

Feb 23 - Mar 1
Sat: Progression Run (6:00, 5:50, 5:40 5:30) 10M total
Sun: 2 hr 20 min (21M)
Mileage for the week: 60M

Mar 2 - Mar 8
Sat: Progression Run (6:00, 5:50, 5:40, 5:30, .5M@5:20, .5M easy, .5M@5:10-5:15) 11M Total
Sun: 2 hr 4o min (24.5M)
Mileage for the week: 98M

Step One.

Week of Jan 19 - 25

Mon: 30:00, 4M

Tue: 60:00, 8M

Wed: 30:00, 4M

Thu: 60:00, 8M

Fri: 30:00, 4M + weights

Sat: 45:00, 6.5M

Sun: 2:00:00, 16.4M + strides and leg drills

Total: 50M

After so many years of running and (unfortunately) so many comeback attempts, I have some established landmarks for monitoring how things are going. The first 2 hr run is one of them. Normally my goal would be to increase that run all the way up to 3 hrs over the next couple months, but this time around, given how the last year went, I'm going to be content with 2 hrs for awhile. Instead I'm going to work on increasing the run the day before up to 2:00 as well and work on overall mileage. Besides I'm sure I'll be confined to the treadmill for the most part and while I have done 3 hours on the treadmill before, it is not exactly something I would like to do on a regular basis.

Another blizzard today. Not a lot of snow, but a lot of wind. A lot of snow makes winter more enjoyable, but it does make running a bit more challenging.

Over the Hump for the New Year

Training for 1/12/09 - 1/18/09

Monday: Off

Tuesday: 45 min, 5.5M+

Wednesday: 30+min, 4M

Thursday: 45 min, 5.5M+

Friday: 30+min, 4M + weight circuit

Saturday: 45 minutes, incl 1-2-3-2-1 fartlek @5:52 pace with equal rest

Sunday: 90 minutes, 12M + 5xstrides and leg drills

Total: 37M

So I've been delinquent in regards to posting lately, but I'm back on track now. Running through the holidays was alright, but really for the last month of 2008 I floundered quite at bit. It wasn't necessarily a lack of motivation, but perhaps direction? So when the calendar turned over to 2009 I got serious about laying out some goals for the coming year and that has done the trick so far. Just being consistent (6-7 days per week) for that short of time has helped.

Of course there is a ways to go. Right now I'm working in the 7:30 - 8:00/mile pace for most runs on the treadmill, but at least I'm feeling better doing it. Small steps.

As far as goals for the year, I think its going to be a marathon year, but don't hold me to it. I lower key May marathon run off base mileage and a few workouts, a full build-up October marathon, and then a November ultra (JFK?).

All that sounds great, but I really would settle for a healthy, consistent year of training.

Oh and we're at 150" of snow in Houghton so far this season. Welcome to the UP!

Improvements

July 7 - July 13 (2008)

Monday, 7/7
am: Run - 1:20:01
pm: Run - 43:35

Tuesday, 7/8
am: Run - 8x1k on 5 minutes (avg. 3:12.2, avg HR 154)
pm: Run - 47:12
I was not all that chipper on the warm-up today, but once the workout started I managed to find a rhythm.

03:14.7 148
03:13.7 153
03:14.6 154
03:14.0 155
03:13.8 155
03:12.9 155
03:10.2 157
03:04.1 157

Wednesday, 7/9
am: Run - 2:04:28 (avg HR 137)
Ran the same course as two weeks ago (2:10:35).

Thursday, 7/10
am: Run - 1:07:38 (avg HR 123)
pm: Run - 45:22
Feeling a little rough after the past two hard days I made a promise to myself to go as easy as possible. I managed to keep the pace over 7:00 and was rewarded with a good run in the afternoon.

Friday, 7/11
am: Run - 2M warmup, 6.5M progression run, 1.5M cooldown (avg 5:31.2, HR 158)
05:51.8 146
05:46.5 150
05:36.0 153
05:38.5 159
05:18.3 165
05:09.9 169
02:31.9 162

I was supposed to start out at 6:00, but as usual, I got out too fast. I corrected it a little bit over the next two miles, but mile 4 I just lost focus. I wasn't able to smoothly drop the pace. I got back on pace for miles 5 and 6, but going into mile 7 I started to feel a little nauseous. After running for about 30 seconds I had to stop and dry heave a little bit. I don't know what caused it, but since my last mile was supposed to be 5:00 and there was no chance I was going to hit that, I didn't feel too bad about pulling the plug. After jogging for a few minutes I decided to close it out with a faster half-mile and managed to hit the approximate pace.

Saturday, 7/12
am: Run - 1:00:32
Got up early for a Saturday so I could get my run in and Katie and I could go watch the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon.

Sunday, 7/13
am: Run - 3:16:53 (50k, avg HR 146)
Same run as two weeks ago, with a little extra added on to make an official 50k. In contrast to the first two long runs I did out here, I tried to push the pace this time around in order to get some fatigue in my legs and force myself to push through it. I managed that with pretty good results.


No I just have to manage to run that 10-15 minutes slower and repeat.
http://www.4shared.com/dir/8246983/ecd0dcce/sharing.html

If anyone wants more information or to help out feel free to email me.

Total miles for the week: 120