| Location: Erie,CO, Member Since: Jan 01, 2008 Gender: Male Goal Type: Unknown Running Accomplishments: Pikes Ascent: 2:37.x
Pikes Marathon 4:32:x
Do PRs count if they are older than 10 years? Short-Term Running Goals: Preparing for Pikes 08 Long-Term Running Goals: Run lots of mountains and passes, the Grand Canyon, and the Burro Race World Championships Personal: I have nine toes for the same reason Paul McMullen has eight |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 75.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 75.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | |
| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 19.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 19.00 |
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10 miles this AM on the treadmill. First five "MAF"ing it (see test results - it went poorly but I am not sure that reflects anything really). Last five, abandoning HR electronica and running, upping the pace for strides. Legs are wood, lungs are fine. 91 on the week.
PM - came back and did nine more (+) on the mill in the evening to round out the week. |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
| forgot to mention yesterday that while I ran on the treadmill in the AM, and I found it hard to keep my HR down at even slow paces, I had a different experience in the evening. I found that I could get to 7:30 pretty easily and still be well beneath 150. In fact, at the 8 and change paces, my HR was below 140. And I also found that I could push the pace up quite a bit (6:30s) and the HR would hover in the mid 150 range (although as it was a post dinner run, my gut was pretty angry, but that did not seem to effect HR). So this raises a couple of questions. 1.) Could it be that I can MAF at a higher HR (say 155) and still get good results? 2.) Why did I have issues in the AM in keeping my HR low? I am less concerned about the second question however, as a case study of one does not make for a good case. I realize that could be concerned about it: such conditions could reflect a body that is tired, and bordering on being overtrained. I think if I continued to see it, I'd have been really concerned - but the evening session seemed to put that to rest. It could have been that I was dehydrated, was still asleep, or heck, just a bit off. I am going to have to check with some of the MAF-mavens on the topic of the first.
 It snowed here last night. We keep getting "whiffs" of Spring but then Winter let's know that it is not done yet. Ah well, better to get the water and avoid an early summer drought. I really appreciate the title of Kerrie's blog - How To Do It All. I am not sure I am ready to write that chapter, but I am trying to figure it out: family, work, training, sleep, diet, live for today, plan for tomorrow ... Our daughter was barfing again today, so that added another challenge that ... well, you just need to roll with (poor kid, she had the flu, got over it and seems to have gotten nailed with it again). In any case, I decided to go easy and short in light of my recent miles. I did an easy six with some short strides. Aerobically, I feel fine. I am definitely dealing with a higher degree of mechanical stress as of late that makes my ability to tap into some of that aerobic power difficult. In other words, my economy sucks right now. I think a combination of the higher miles, my abdominal issue and my lawn mower foot have added up to create a small storm of structural woe for me. In other words, I can feel it. Don't get me wrong - I wanted to dance on the edge a bit. I just wish that went I got to this edge, I did not feel like my wheels were coming off. I want to get back to a point now where I feel like I can jump over buildings, run up walls, and explode off that start line. And to that end, I am going to go find my jump rope now. |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 13.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 13.00 |
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AM - easy five. Dark. Cold. Starry sky. Felt pretty decent. Legs are still a bit heavy, but not too bad.
PM - easy eight. Warmer and windy. Legs were pretty heavy but I was not feeling any soreness or structural concerns.
Dave M has started a blog. For folks who have never heard of Dave, he is a regular super hero between what he does on roads, trails, ice, rock ... in addition to Dave giving Matt a run for his money in the downhill race last year (literally), I personally have seen Dave run from Chautauqua Ranger Cottage to the base of the Second Flatiron, free scramble up the Flatiron, run to near the base of the third, free scramble up that and then run back down to the cottage. Under 40 minutes! Those Minions are nuts!
I did a little experiment at work today - I tried to avoid sitting down at all. In other words, I tried to stay on my feet as much as possible. I did this to see if it would make me feel any better with my general stiffness I have had in my hammie / glute and abdominal issue. I know it made me more aware of how I was ... being ... and so it made me drink more water, do some light stretching periodically, calf raises, etc. My co-workers, who were not aware of this experiment, were wondering why I stood in all their meetings, but I am a bit used to odd looks ("nice shorts!", "You ran how far?", "why do you shave your head?" "why are you standing up?"). I think I sat for about a half an hour all day, whereas I normally sit for close to seven hours all day. So day one results? My butt did not hurt. My feet did. Seriously, it seems to have stretched my hamstrings out a but more, made me more aware of how I am moving. I will look to repeat this experiment some more.
Additionally, I am trying to drop my refined sugar take. Generally speaking, I think it is not bad, but I hardly think it is great. Being a coffee drinker, I have often loaded up my java with the white stuff. This past week I have gone to artificial sweetners - yeah, I know, hardly much better but a small step forward. I am also going to try to back off the PB and J ... that stuff seems a bit loaded with refined sugars. |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 13.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 13.00 |
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AM - got out early for some easy miles with Lucy.
PM - met up with JV for some running. Gorgeous day for running. We ran the so called "Father, Son, Holy Ghost" route over Red Rocks, the lower Sanitas trail and then the connector over to Lee Hill. We ran it easy but my HR jumped up a few times. I had to not care. It was great to be outside, on a great day, running some hills with a great guy, shooting the breeze on training, our dreams on Pikes, our fears on Pikes, what people are doing for training, MAF, crazy runs we want to do, seeing that guy who runs around in Boulder in a fur bikini (seriously, that was one of the most jacked things Jeff and I ever saw on a run) and the like. It was great. My legs turned heavy towards the end of this run when we circled back on the Wonderlake Trail but not too bad. I had a little time in before I met Jeff and so I was out there for about 90 minutes. With the climbs, I am guesstimating it at 10 miles but I will double check on a map site later. Jeff - thanks man - you are right we do need to do that more often than once a month! 
I continued my experiment today of doing more standing than sitting. My co-workers are starting to question me about it. I have put one of my monitors on a bookshelf (so that it is more eye level) and my laptop on a milk crate (so essentially raising my desk by a foot). I was not as aggressive about it as yesterday, but still erring more on the side of standing that sitting. I know this: sitting for long periods of time makes me pretty uncomfortable these days - mostly in my glute - hammie on my right side (piriformis perhaps). I have a bar stool at my desk that I have used as a second chair for guests that I have been leaning back on when I want to get off my feet a bit. Again, this is a ridiculous experiment, but ... then again running up and down mountains is ridiculous.
I realize that I have been running easy now for a couple of weeks. In fact, I am pretty certain the last "hard" running I did was back on February 28 (treadmill, 2 miles in 10 followed by sets of minute on and minute off). In this stretch of mileage building, and MAF training, I have often felt like poop. Tired. Slow. Heavy legged. There have been, I confess, multiple times where my motivation has come into question, and I wonder if I am going to do that race in August after all. But I have, more or less have worked through. While my legs are still a bit heavy I think I am begining to come out of that a bit. There have been a couple of times where I can feel, underneath this shell of dead legs that I can begin to rip it. And then I get tired again. Ah well, soon enough.
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 9.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.00 |
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I did not get out until the later afternoon, and by then the winds had picked up (they were 22mph on the Davidson Mesa). Oh well. I finally felt like I was getting some of my bounce back today. I almost had that float feeling again while running rather than that trudge feeling. Almost. Not quite but almost. I ran for about 3.5 before I got to a park, jumped rope for about five minutes and then took off my shoes and did some grass strides (so barefoot running for about a mile). These were really short, just quick little bursts at maybe five minute pace but only for 10-20 seconds. If fresh, I know I can dig a heck of a lot more than that but I am still just getting my legs back from last week. Another five of jumping rope and then ran back for another 4.5.
Various other tidbits ... I picked up a pair of Brooks Adrenaline yesterday (and so now they have 17 miles)... as of today I have 900 miles on the year. Just a number I realize, and not a large one for some folks who probably had that amount before the end of February. For me, there is a bit of significance. In HS, we had a summer club called the 750 club. If you could run 750 miles between June 1 and August 31 you got your name on some plaque on the gym wall (that is supposedly still there). There were something like 15-20 guys on it. I never got on it. Putting together 60+ mile weeks for an entire summer seemed like something I could do but would take a lot of effort and concentration. And at that time, it probably would. Now, in about a similar period, I am looking to join the 1000 mile club (by the end of March). It only took me 20 years past high school to do it (and my HS reunion is next week, 20 years, although it is closer to 21 years ... I won't be there). |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 10.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 10.00 |
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If memory serves me correct, today is the first day of Spring. Even if it is not, there was significant evidence that  Spring had arrived given that my office represented a morgue today (hardly one there due to basketball games, the holiday, and that spring break starts for a lot of folks next week), there were 20+ mph winds on the Davidson, and the temps were in the 60s. I got out with Lucy in the AM. Again, cold, dark, starry sky. As the sun rose, we got to see a horned owl sitting on a telephone pole. I have seen this owl dozens of times over the years. Well, maybe not this owl, but it does appear to be a place where I see an owl a lot. This picture is not mine, but it is essentially what we saw. The owl was much more interested in Lucy than me and Lucy had absolutely no clue that it was being sized up (I'd take Lucy in a match if went there though).
In the PM, I wanted to duck the wind so I headed to Chautauqua. As you border up against the Flatirons, you can often hide in the lee of the hills and the trees and avoid the winds. I went over Flagstaff easy (actually keeping HR below 153). The trail up was clear of snow nearly the entire way, except near the end. There was some mud, but hardly anything to be concerned about. I took the backside down (Rangeview) down to Gregory and then started the climb up Green. This trail, on the northside of Green, was much more packed in with snow and ice. It was okay footing on the way up. I was not using studs, and I really did not need them ... on the way up! I cut over onto the Greenman trail as that looked to be a little more clear. Through here was scattered packed snow, ice and mud but not really a big deal. I swung back west towards Green at the connector. After a few minutes of climbing the gentle grade, it was all snow. Normally, I would have trudged on up to the top, but I decided I did not want to fight the psuedo-packed, psuedo melted snow, pseudo ice conditions and turned back. And then, it started snowing on me! It only lasted a few minutes but the white stuff was definitely falling for a few minutes there. I came back down the Saddle. This was all packed ice. I even took the full on digger on a sheet of ice (just below where the old social trail heads up the NW ridge) where my feet went straight out in front of me and I landed right on my back / butt. I laid there for a minute taking stock to determine if anything was in disarray but as it turned out, I was fine. I finished the trudge back to Chautauqua, carefully, and it actually got pretty clear again at the lower elevations.
There is a lot I have been reading in Noakes book that I don't like. Last night I stumbled on several passages about the potential length of a competitive runner's career. I will try to explain it briefly here, but realize I am trying sum up in a quick paragraph what he covers in several pages over different chapters. We all understand that we all slow with time, but he went further than - providing both some degree of scientific and anecdotal evidence that the body can only handle competitive stresses for so many years (15-20). Furthermore, he provided examples where folks who trained competitively at a younger age (and hence through such a length window) were less competitive  than those who took up endurance sport at an older age. So a person who takes up marathoning at the age of 40 is more likely to be competitive than the guy who started at 20 when they both reach 50. In fact, there was evidence that even though the longer lived competitive athlete could increase his training volume significantly, he would begin to realize lesser results at a more accelerated rate than than the athlete who was new to the sport and training less ... there are various scientific theories as to why this occurs. Okay, so why does that irk me? This is harder to explain ... and comes across in a series of non objective, organized thoughts ... In short, I want to play, run, jump, swim, do freaking handstands the rest of my life. Unsolicited, I have wondered if training to be competitive will actually hinder this in my later years. Part of me does not want to think about this - how my actions today effect my actions not just tomorrow but in the years and decades to come. And hence, my thoughts on it now are scattered, and hardly articulate. Will all this training make it so that I cannot walk straight in 40 years? (yeah, stupid paranoid thought but it has come to mind). It appears that while heavy training now may not hinder my ability to do those things outright, it might hinder my ability to do those things competitively. And so I have to ask myself if I really give a crap about what Noakes proposes in this regard. He also addresses this issue on several non scientific fronts ... including if it makes sense for older folks to chase the dreams of children when they are no longer children. I don't know the answers for me yet, and for my training for right now it really does not matter. |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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I got out for a jaunt with Lucy in the AM, doing the typical 3 mile out and back. The plan at that point was to get out in the afternoon and get another hour in to round the day out. I started the second run with KZ on the bike next to me. All day I had felt tired, blah ... heck, I even took a nap mid day. I hardly ever take naps. My tiredness showed again on this PM run. I gave it the two mile rule to see if it would shake out and it didn't, so and I called it. Headed back to the house, hit the showers, had a beer and made dinner.
A lot of my runs over the last couple of weeks have been like this. I have chalked it up to bouncing back from some of the mileage I have been doing. I might just need to get my head around a small break for a bit. The in my head issue is that I feel I need to be doing something everyday to improve - and I need to realize that rest days, particularly when I am 20+ weeks out from my peak event, are part of that improvement. Once I get to rationalizing that, I don't feel bad for taking time off, but more for taking so damn long to figure it out. I had intended to make the trek for the MAF test with TL tomorrow, but in light of how I am feeling, and the expected craziness of tomorrow AM - I am now not expecting to go.
For dinner, I made "Pan Dos" in the bread machine (I am a bit crazy about making bread machine breads). This is a recipie that I got from a college buddy's Mom. She was first generation Portugese and made this bread all the time. It is a sweet bread, but it is a bread - not a cake. I modified the recipie so that it could fit into my bread machine (her recipie would make about 3 bread machine double batches!). TZ liked it enough that she had me make another batch that we stopped after the kneading - so that we could make braids out if it instead. Also made a broch-ricot pasta (one of KZ's favorites). Topped it off with a Hazed and Infused (for me, not the kiddos).
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 75.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 75.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | |
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