9/12 (5.5mi, 36min, 6:33/mi) In my list of standard routes that I track my PRs on is the "Redmond Streets Loop" that I haven't run in almost a year. I only had one entry in my PR list for running it CCW so I gave it a try. I came in at 36:04 which beat the previous PR by 12 seconds but I feel like I could beat it by another minute on a good day. I think it was the first time running this route where all of my splits started with a "6". I was impressed by this given the mile+ hill early in the route.
9/13 (3mi, 23min, 7:54/mi) Run #1: I ran 3 miles on the treadmill at lunch before lifting weights. 2.5 of them were in my socks before one of the employees came over and told me that I had to put my shoes on for safety reasons. He said that there was a risk that the treadmill could grab my socks and pull me down. It'll never happen but I stopped and put my shoes back on for the last half mile rather than argue.
9/13 (15.3mi, 1h 59m, 7:48/mi) Run #2: I didn't get my long run in last weekend so I made it up on a Tuesday. I ran down to Redmond from work and East through Marymoor park over to the East Lake Sammamish trail. I'd never been on this trail and had no trouble finding it. I did have to climb over/around a couple of construction fences to get there however. I ran South on a trail that goes between the road and the lakefront houses until I hit the 7.75mi point. I turned around and came back at a slightly higher pace. I felt pretty good and kept up with my nutrition. Somehow I made one 22oz bottle of water last the entire run.
9/14 (6.4mi, 55min, 8:35/mi) I ran an easy run around part of the Bridle Trails. My right heel was a little sore. I guess my Merrell Trail Glove shoes (which I just love) aren't quite padded enough for 15+ miles on hard dirt and pavement. Either that or my feet still haven't toughened up after 500 miles in those shoes.
9/15 (6.5mi, 55min, 8:33/mi) I took it easy and went down to Grass Lawn Park for nearly 4 miles of barefoot running around the track. It would have been a little more enjoyable if it weren't peak soccer season with 3 separate kids practices happening at the same time on the small field. Kids were spilling out onto the track at regular intervals. Add to this a group of adults (who sounded either Russian or Serbian) waiting to use the field who decided to stand around on the track while they warmed up causing me to have to weave around/through them for about 15 laps. Ugh.
9/16 (3mi, 26min, 8:40/mi) One more day of easy treadmill running at the gym before hitting the Kettlebells and other misc. weights.
9/17 (18.1mi, 2h 25m, 8:35/mi) I managed to get my long run on the proper day this week. I ran in the morning just as the rain was easing up. I did a few loops around different parts of Gig Harbor before heading with 18 in the bag. I didn't feel particularly good on the run despite nailing my nutrition and hydration. I fueled with 400 Kcal of CarboPro in my Nathan's Bladder along with taking a gel every 30 min. I'm not that happy with the pace but given how I felt in the morning and the mild stress that comes with doing long runs leading up to an event, I shouldn't be disappointed.
Also, I'm just shy of 58 miles for the week, which I realized is my highest (non racing) weekly mileage total ever. I thought I'd done at least 60 in the past, but not according to my spreadsheet. My highest ever was the week of the Helen Klein 50 mile race back in 2002. I managed 65.5 miles that week including finishing the race.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
The calm before the storm
9/6 (7.9mi, 58min, 7:22/mi) I headed out for a full loop of the Bridle Trails as fast as I could. I would have beat my PR, but instead I fell just over a minute short due to yet another Gingerbread man. I didn't stop my watch during the break so I'll still count the time as my 2nd fastest. I felt good and picked the hard pace right back up after my urgent pit stop.
9/7 (6mi, 44min, 7:27/mi) Run #1: At lunch I ran on the treadmill at the gym before lifting weights. I started with an 8:00/mi pace and sped up 0.1mph every half mile and then really picked it up the last half mile. Not too bad for a treadmill run.
9/7 (12.0mi, 1h 30m, 7:32/mi) Run #2: After work I headed down to the Sammamish River Trail. I ran the first half at just under 8:00/mi pace before turning around at the 6 mile mark and heading back with mile splits in the low 7's and even one in the 6's. Felt good.
9/8 (6.45mi, 59min, 9:07/mi) An easy run in the bridle trails on tired legs after the previous day's 18 mile total.
9/9 (5mi, 39min, 7:49/mi) I ran on the treadmill with socks on (no shoes) before lifting weights. It felt pretty good as long as I kept the incline on the treadmill at 1.0% or higher.
9/11 (5.6mi, 51min, 9:10/mi) I ran easy after getting the kids to bed. I didn't feel very good at the start but felt better as the run went on. Easy Sunday night run before starting a big week of running.
9/7 (6mi, 44min, 7:27/mi) Run #1: At lunch I ran on the treadmill at the gym before lifting weights. I started with an 8:00/mi pace and sped up 0.1mph every half mile and then really picked it up the last half mile. Not too bad for a treadmill run.
9/7 (12.0mi, 1h 30m, 7:32/mi) Run #2: After work I headed down to the Sammamish River Trail. I ran the first half at just under 8:00/mi pace before turning around at the 6 mile mark and heading back with mile splits in the low 7's and even one in the 6's. Felt good.
9/8 (6.45mi, 59min, 9:07/mi) An easy run in the bridle trails on tired legs after the previous day's 18 mile total.
9/9 (5mi, 39min, 7:49/mi) I ran on the treadmill with socks on (no shoes) before lifting weights. It felt pretty good as long as I kept the incline on the treadmill at 1.0% or higher.
9/11 (5.6mi, 51min, 9:10/mi) I ran easy after getting the kids to bed. I didn't feel very good at the start but felt better as the run went on. Easy Sunday night run before starting a big week of running.
Picking up the totals and a disappointing kids race
8/29 (7.9mi, 57min, 7:12/mi) After recovering over the weekend with a big fat 0 miles I attacked the Bridle Trails, running just under 57 min for a full loop. This would have been a PR for me except that I had to stop twice for the Gingerbread Man and stopped my watch each time. Other than that it was a great run.
8/30 (4mi, 31min, 7:42/mi) I went to the gym at lunch for some Kettlebell swinging and plyometrics. I managed a 4mi run on the dreadmill as a warmup. Nothing special.
8/31 (7.9mi, 59min, 7:32/mi) I went for another hard run around the Bridle Trails but my legs just didn't have any pop after my session in the gym on Tuesday. Great weather and great mindset made for a very enjoyable run.
9/1 (5.0mi, 39min, 7:46/mi) Run #1: 5 easy miles on the treadmill before hitting the weight room.
9/1 (10.2mi, 1h 18m, 7:41/mi) Run #2: After work I ran a long loop around the local Redmond/Kirkland area with a couple of decent hills. I wound around the West and South perimeters of the Bridle Trails as well. I thought that I was going to bonk at some point on the run due to my efforts at lunch but I never did. I felt surprisingly good the entire run.
9/2 (6.4mi, 55min, 8:40/mi) It had been a while since I'd last done some barefoot running so I headed down to Grass Lawn Park for 3.5 miles around the track sans shoes. It felt pretty good to take a relatively slow pace.
9/3 (0.25mi, 3min, 12:00/mi) I headed over to Uptown Gig Harbor for a kids race with my daughter. Unfortunately the race was poorly organized. Despite having 3 age categories for the kids dash, the kids in the 2-4 and 5-7 groups only ran a tenth of a mile. My daughter wanted to run the longer route with the 8-10 year olds which turned out to be a paltry quarter mile. We finished dead last but the kids did have 3.5 - 5.5 years on her despite the fact that she was just as tall as the 8-10 year old girls and even a couple of the boys. The upside was that there was plenty of cheering, a bouncy castle, face painting, and balloon animals. Next year we'll have to pass on the kids race and just run the 2 mile walk or the 5KM event. She was disappointed that the race was so short.
9/4 (8.4mi, 1h 7m, 8:04/mi) The family was heading over to my wife's cousin's beach house on Fox Island so I took off 25 min ahead of them on foot and met them there. It was a nice run despite the heat and the two long hills on the way over. It felt great to be out running on such a nice day. As soon as I arrived I took off my shoes, shirt and watch and jumped into the very cold water of the Puget Sound. The rest of the afternoon was spent enjoying good food, family, and playing in / on the water with the kids. The paddle boat was in near-constant use.
I managed a 50 mile week for the first time in about a year. I feel pretty good. My Piriformis pain is slowly calming down (but far from gone) due to the exercises that I got from my PT which focus on strengthening my hips and pelvic floor muscles.
8/30 (4mi, 31min, 7:42/mi) I went to the gym at lunch for some Kettlebell swinging and plyometrics. I managed a 4mi run on the dreadmill as a warmup. Nothing special.
8/31 (7.9mi, 59min, 7:32/mi) I went for another hard run around the Bridle Trails but my legs just didn't have any pop after my session in the gym on Tuesday. Great weather and great mindset made for a very enjoyable run.
9/1 (5.0mi, 39min, 7:46/mi) Run #1: 5 easy miles on the treadmill before hitting the weight room.
9/1 (10.2mi, 1h 18m, 7:41/mi) Run #2: After work I ran a long loop around the local Redmond/Kirkland area with a couple of decent hills. I wound around the West and South perimeters of the Bridle Trails as well. I thought that I was going to bonk at some point on the run due to my efforts at lunch but I never did. I felt surprisingly good the entire run.
9/2 (6.4mi, 55min, 8:40/mi) It had been a while since I'd last done some barefoot running so I headed down to Grass Lawn Park for 3.5 miles around the track sans shoes. It felt pretty good to take a relatively slow pace.
9/3 (0.25mi, 3min, 12:00/mi) I headed over to Uptown Gig Harbor for a kids race with my daughter. Unfortunately the race was poorly organized. Despite having 3 age categories for the kids dash, the kids in the 2-4 and 5-7 groups only ran a tenth of a mile. My daughter wanted to run the longer route with the 8-10 year olds which turned out to be a paltry quarter mile. We finished dead last but the kids did have 3.5 - 5.5 years on her despite the fact that she was just as tall as the 8-10 year old girls and even a couple of the boys. The upside was that there was plenty of cheering, a bouncy castle, face painting, and balloon animals. Next year we'll have to pass on the kids race and just run the 2 mile walk or the 5KM event. She was disappointed that the race was so short.
9/4 (8.4mi, 1h 7m, 8:04/mi) The family was heading over to my wife's cousin's beach house on Fox Island so I took off 25 min ahead of them on foot and met them there. It was a nice run despite the heat and the two long hills on the way over. It felt great to be out running on such a nice day. As soon as I arrived I took off my shoes, shirt and watch and jumped into the very cold water of the Puget Sound. The rest of the afternoon was spent enjoying good food, family, and playing in / on the water with the kids. The paddle boat was in near-constant use.
I managed a 50 mile week for the first time in about a year. I feel pretty good. My Piriformis pain is slowly calming down (but far from gone) due to the exercises that I got from my PT which focus on strengthening my hips and pelvic floor muscles.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
A Double double week.
8/23 (6.0mi, 40min, 6:46/min) Run #1: I ran on the treadmill at lunch, something I really didn't want to do. My company has a policy about the heavily subsidized gym membership to the really fancy gym near work. To keep the membership active, you have to go at least 4 times per month. I'm a little short on visits for August so I stopped by for a run and a little bit of free weights. The < 7:00/mi pace is deceiving, I started out at 8:00/mi with a 2.5% incline. Every half mile I lowered the incline 0.5% and raised the speed a little. For the last half mile I was running a 5:52/mi pace at a -3.0% incline. The lower the incline, the easier it is to run at a faster pace. My 5:52 was probably equivalent to a 6:30/mi pace on flat ground.
Run #2: (4.5mi, 42min, 9:20/mi) After I put the kids to bed I went out and ran the One Store Loop with my head light after dark. I didn't time the run and took it really easy. It was a wonderfully peaceful time to run with a great view of the sky full of stars. Running up the Tunnel trail was pretty much pitch black and I only thought about bears during the first half. I'm glad that I know the trail well enough that I can run it well at night.
8/24 (6.3mi, 56min, 9:00/mi) My legs were tired after my double yesterday so I kept an easy pace running around the Bridle Trails. I just tried to pick some of the less-used trails and have fun at a comfortable pace.
8/25 (4.0mi, 31min, 7:51/mi) Run #1: Another double run day which started with a treadmill run at the fancy gym followed by weights.
Run #2: (7.9mi, 1h 1m, 7:46/mi) After work I ran a full loop of the Bridle Trails CCW. I tried to run a sub-1hr time but my legs weren't feeling good enough. I just didn't have the energy to go any faster. It was good to get out for a run while it still feels like summer. I just love running shirtless.
8/26 (7.35mi, 1h 2m, 8:29/mi) I ran the long way out to Grass Lawn Park for 3mi of barefoot running on the track. Actually it was on the narrow cement strip between the track and the artificial turf which were both too hot for my feet. Almost 18 months later and I'm still enjoying the barefoot running.
Run #2: (4.5mi, 42min, 9:20/mi) After I put the kids to bed I went out and ran the One Store Loop with my head light after dark. I didn't time the run and took it really easy. It was a wonderfully peaceful time to run with a great view of the sky full of stars. Running up the Tunnel trail was pretty much pitch black and I only thought about bears during the first half. I'm glad that I know the trail well enough that I can run it well at night.
8/24 (6.3mi, 56min, 9:00/mi) My legs were tired after my double yesterday so I kept an easy pace running around the Bridle Trails. I just tried to pick some of the less-used trails and have fun at a comfortable pace.
8/25 (4.0mi, 31min, 7:51/mi) Run #1: Another double run day which started with a treadmill run at the fancy gym followed by weights.
Run #2: (7.9mi, 1h 1m, 7:46/mi) After work I ran a full loop of the Bridle Trails CCW. I tried to run a sub-1hr time but my legs weren't feeling good enough. I just didn't have the energy to go any faster. It was good to get out for a run while it still feels like summer. I just love running shirtless.
8/26 (7.35mi, 1h 2m, 8:29/mi) I ran the long way out to Grass Lawn Park for 3mi of barefoot running on the track. Actually it was on the narrow cement strip between the track and the artificial turf which were both too hot for my feet. Almost 18 months later and I'm still enjoying the barefoot running.
Montazuma's rebound
When I last left off, I was just starting to feel the effects of food poisoning. It lasted about 36 hours. I felt mostly better by Monday the 15th but still didn't feel like running yet.
8/16 (7.9mi, 57min, 7:14/mi) Back from the dead and right into a hard tempo run at lunch. I pushed a hard pace around a full loop of the Bridle Trails. It's great running out there in the summer when it's warm and the ground isn't muddy. The only downside is that the horse people are out in force. I had to stop three times to let horses pass. One of the times I came around a bend in the trail and startled myself and the horse. I also tried to catch another runner who passed me on the trail but I couldn't! He just pulled away effortlessly. Minutes later we were both waiting for another horse to pass and I got out ahead of him. I decided to pick up the pace and see if I could hold him off. It turned out I couldn't. He ran me down in about a quarter of a mile and kept going smoothly right past me and my sluggish 6:15/mi pace. Impressive.
8/17 (6.45mi, 58mi, 8:58/mi) After a hard effort Tuesday I took it easy (129 avg HR) just noodling around the Bridle Trails. My legs were dead and my stomach still felt bloated and gassy from the food poisoning episode. It was one of those days where I was just glad to get the miles in.
8/18 (9.0mi, 1h 16m, 8:26/mi) I was on call for work so I couldn't get out for a long run after work. Instead I did two easy runs on the treadmill at work with some weight machine sets between. As much as I dislike the treadmills I was able to keep my phone near me and if I did get called I had my computer in the locker room. Luckily I wasn't called. I felt a little better than the prior day but my calves were still dead.
8/20 (8.5mi, 1h 45m, 12:24/mi) The family and I headed to Salt Spring Island, BC for a long weekend which involved two ferries and about 3 hours of driving so I missed running on Friday. On Saturday the family went to Ruckle Park on the island. They all went for a hike while I set off for a run on my own. The trails at the park were very technical, narrow, and rocky. I started out on the SE edge of the island and then headed North along the coast before the trail headed inland. I caught my feet on rocks and nearly fell probably 5 times during the run. It was fairly hilly as well but my legs felt good after a day off so I didn't have to stop and walk any of the hills. I made a few wrong turns during the run but I had memorized enough of the park map to find my way back to the right trails.
The only part of the run that almost turned into a problem was near the end when the trail bordered a working farm. I came around a bend and stopped in my tracks when I saw a large steer with a sharp pair of horns that were about as wide as my outstretched arms. He was standing in the middle of the trail grazing. We looked at each other and he went back to grazing. I had open field (his field) to the left of the trail and dense forest to the right. I could have tried to find a path through the brush and trees to get around him and pick up the trial later but decided not to. Instead I grabbed a hand-full of small rocks and began skipping them along the ground at his feet. He seemed a little confused at the source of the noise and after about a dozen rocks came his way he slowly wandered down into his field. I never actually hit him with any of the rocks either, so win-win. I began running again but only for a few seconds before seeing two more large steers with long pointy horns standing just past where my trail turned off to the right. My plan was to jog along the trail which went up a short hill and if the steers started moving toward me I'd sprint up the trail and try to out-run them. Luckily they showed little interest in me and left me alone. Aside from all that, the run went well.
8/21 (10.1mi, 1h 18m, 7:43/mi) I had time for a run on Sunday on the island so I just started from the place we were staying (Salt Spring Spa along the NE perimeter) and followed the road SE for 5 somewhat hilly miles before turning around and heading back. I started with 8+ min miles on the way out and picked up the pace to the high-6 min range on the way back. It was a great run except that I forgot to tape up my pinky toes and got a large blister on one of them. Sadly this happens when I run longer than 5mi in my New Balance MT101s. New Balance announced that the next model (MT110) will have a wider toe box. Being a running shoe geek, this excites me quite a bit.
8/16 (7.9mi, 57min, 7:14/mi) Back from the dead and right into a hard tempo run at lunch. I pushed a hard pace around a full loop of the Bridle Trails. It's great running out there in the summer when it's warm and the ground isn't muddy. The only downside is that the horse people are out in force. I had to stop three times to let horses pass. One of the times I came around a bend in the trail and startled myself and the horse. I also tried to catch another runner who passed me on the trail but I couldn't! He just pulled away effortlessly. Minutes later we were both waiting for another horse to pass and I got out ahead of him. I decided to pick up the pace and see if I could hold him off. It turned out I couldn't. He ran me down in about a quarter of a mile and kept going smoothly right past me and my sluggish 6:15/mi pace. Impressive.
8/17 (6.45mi, 58mi, 8:58/mi) After a hard effort Tuesday I took it easy (129 avg HR) just noodling around the Bridle Trails. My legs were dead and my stomach still felt bloated and gassy from the food poisoning episode. It was one of those days where I was just glad to get the miles in.
8/18 (9.0mi, 1h 16m, 8:26/mi) I was on call for work so I couldn't get out for a long run after work. Instead I did two easy runs on the treadmill at work with some weight machine sets between. As much as I dislike the treadmills I was able to keep my phone near me and if I did get called I had my computer in the locker room. Luckily I wasn't called. I felt a little better than the prior day but my calves were still dead.
8/20 (8.5mi, 1h 45m, 12:24/mi) The family and I headed to Salt Spring Island, BC for a long weekend which involved two ferries and about 3 hours of driving so I missed running on Friday. On Saturday the family went to Ruckle Park on the island. They all went for a hike while I set off for a run on my own. The trails at the park were very technical, narrow, and rocky. I started out on the SE edge of the island and then headed North along the coast before the trail headed inland. I caught my feet on rocks and nearly fell probably 5 times during the run. It was fairly hilly as well but my legs felt good after a day off so I didn't have to stop and walk any of the hills. I made a few wrong turns during the run but I had memorized enough of the park map to find my way back to the right trails.
The only part of the run that almost turned into a problem was near the end when the trail bordered a working farm. I came around a bend and stopped in my tracks when I saw a large steer with a sharp pair of horns that were about as wide as my outstretched arms. He was standing in the middle of the trail grazing. We looked at each other and he went back to grazing. I had open field (his field) to the left of the trail and dense forest to the right. I could have tried to find a path through the brush and trees to get around him and pick up the trial later but decided not to. Instead I grabbed a hand-full of small rocks and began skipping them along the ground at his feet. He seemed a little confused at the source of the noise and after about a dozen rocks came his way he slowly wandered down into his field. I never actually hit him with any of the rocks either, so win-win. I began running again but only for a few seconds before seeing two more large steers with long pointy horns standing just past where my trail turned off to the right. My plan was to jog along the trail which went up a short hill and if the steers started moving toward me I'd sprint up the trail and try to out-run them. Luckily they showed little interest in me and left me alone. Aside from all that, the run went well.
8/21 (10.1mi, 1h 18m, 7:43/mi) I had time for a run on Sunday on the island so I just started from the place we were staying (Salt Spring Spa along the NE perimeter) and followed the road SE for 5 somewhat hilly miles before turning around and heading back. I started with 8+ min miles on the way out and picked up the pace to the high-6 min range on the way back. It was a great run except that I forgot to tape up my pinky toes and got a large blister on one of them. Sadly this happens when I run longer than 5mi in my New Balance MT101s. New Balance announced that the next model (MT110) will have a wider toe box. Being a running shoe geek, this excites me quite a bit.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Running and a little bit of riding before salad strikes back.
8/1 (6.7mi, 56.5 min, 8:30/mi) Another lunch run at the Bridle Trails. I felt pretty good after riding the long way in to work and before riding the short way home. I wasn't paying full attention to my footing and took another digger on the trails. No damage luckily, just dirty. I wore my heart rate monitor chest strap and found that my average HR for the run was only 136. That seems low to me based on the last set of %HR numbers I calculated. Maybe it's time to test them out again.
8/2 (6.9mi, 58.5 min, 8:28/mi) I ran hill repeats up the hill next to Hwy 520. It's about a mile long so I ran down and back up 3x. I ran backwards for 1/10th of a mile in the middle flat section of each repeat. As it happened a podcast I was listening to had an interview with a pro triathlete who mentioned that he incorporated some backwards running into his training so I thought I'd try it out. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary from / after it. It's supposed to be good for your quads and your form. I should try to get a little bit in 2 - 3 times a week and see if I notice anything.
8/4 (8mi, 59min, 7:25/mi) I ran the full Bridle Trails loop at lunch. I had some gas and stomach bloat but felt relatively okay otherwise.
8/5 (6.1mi, 54min, 8:52/mi) I ran out to Grass Lawn Park for a little over 3 miles of barefoot running. The track there is a little rough for a rubber track so I tried to run on the grass and cement border where I could.
8/7 (2.3mi, 30min, 13:00/mi) I went for a slow out-and-back run with my daughter around the neighborhood. She burned through her energy in the first mile and we jog-walked the next half mile and walked most of the way back home. I'm happy that she wants to go for a run with me now and then.
8/8 (6.4mi, 51.5min, 8:03/mi) I took an easy run after work around the East half of the Bridle Trails, It felt pretty good.
8/9 (7.9mi, 1h, 7:37/mi) I ran around the Bridle Trails at lunch and kept almost a tempo pace. I just missed breaking an hour (by 14 seconds!). My legs were pretty tired.
8/10 (2mi, 16min, 8:10/mi) Two moderate miles on the treadmill before lifting weights. Rode my bike to work and back the long way (44mi R/T)
8/11 (6mi, 51min, 8:30/mi) An easy run in the Bridle trails after riding in to work the long way. My legs were pretty tired from the cycling and not drinking enough water during the day didn't help matters.
I was planning to run on Friday the 12th but left work before noon feeling awful. It turned out that I'd picked up a case of food poisoning that kept me down for the next 48 hours. Ugh.
8/2 (6.9mi, 58.5 min, 8:28/mi) I ran hill repeats up the hill next to Hwy 520. It's about a mile long so I ran down and back up 3x. I ran backwards for 1/10th of a mile in the middle flat section of each repeat. As it happened a podcast I was listening to had an interview with a pro triathlete who mentioned that he incorporated some backwards running into his training so I thought I'd try it out. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary from / after it. It's supposed to be good for your quads and your form. I should try to get a little bit in 2 - 3 times a week and see if I notice anything.
8/4 (8mi, 59min, 7:25/mi) I ran the full Bridle Trails loop at lunch. I had some gas and stomach bloat but felt relatively okay otherwise.
8/5 (6.1mi, 54min, 8:52/mi) I ran out to Grass Lawn Park for a little over 3 miles of barefoot running. The track there is a little rough for a rubber track so I tried to run on the grass and cement border where I could.
8/7 (2.3mi, 30min, 13:00/mi) I went for a slow out-and-back run with my daughter around the neighborhood. She burned through her energy in the first mile and we jog-walked the next half mile and walked most of the way back home. I'm happy that she wants to go for a run with me now and then.
8/8 (6.4mi, 51.5min, 8:03/mi) I took an easy run after work around the East half of the Bridle Trails, It felt pretty good.
8/9 (7.9mi, 1h, 7:37/mi) I ran around the Bridle Trails at lunch and kept almost a tempo pace. I just missed breaking an hour (by 14 seconds!). My legs were pretty tired.
8/10 (2mi, 16min, 8:10/mi) Two moderate miles on the treadmill before lifting weights. Rode my bike to work and back the long way (44mi R/T)
8/11 (6mi, 51min, 8:30/mi) An easy run in the Bridle trails after riding in to work the long way. My legs were pretty tired from the cycling and not drinking enough water during the day didn't help matters.
I was planning to run on Friday the 12th but left work before noon feeling awful. It turned out that I'd picked up a case of food poisoning that kept me down for the next 48 hours. Ugh.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Still falling behind on the blogging
Mon 7/18, 6.2mi, 42:13. I had a PT appointment on Tuesday 7/19 for my Piriformis issue so I wanted it to be nice and sore when I got there. I ran the standard "work loop" CCW and pushed the pace. I don't feel that I'm in top form but comparing this to previous times, it's pretty good. 6:48/mi avg.
Tue 7/19, 6.2mi, 41:51. The PT appointment wasn't until after work so why not just drive that soreness home with another hard tempo run. I ran the same route as Monday but in the opposite (CW) direction. I thought I'd be worn out from Monday's tempo but I managed to run it 22 seconds faster. It's possible the CW is faster though not historically the case. My 6:45/mi avg was the 3rd fastest average pace I've run for this route since I started running it a few years ago.
The PT appt. went okay. The guy is just a regular PT, not a sports medicine PT or someone with experience dealing with endurance athletes. I hope to get something good out of it no less. So far I have a couple of feet of surgical tubing and a sheet of exercises to do while concentrating on contracting my Pelvic Floor muscles with a goal of learning to engage them while running.
Wed 7/20, 2mi, 17min. Just an easy 2 mile warmup on the treadmill before lifting weights.
Wed 7/20, 7.9mi, 1h 7m. I ran a slow steady run around the Bridle Trails after work. My legs were sore from the two tempo runs so I kept an easy pace.
Thu 7/21, 5.8mi, 50min? I ran out to Grass Lawn Park to run 3 barefoot miles. The battery on my watch died early into the run so I don't know the time for sure or what kind of pace the BF miles were run at. Sometimes it's good to unplug.
Sat 7/23, 5.5mi, 46min. It was sunny and warm out (rare this summer) so I went for a run with shorts, shoes and sunglasses. I soaked up the Vitamin D and enjoyed being outdoors.
Mon 7/25 8.35mi, 1h 2m. I didn't think I'd get a chance to run on Tuesday so I took on the Work Hour Loop (148th -> Old Redmond rd -> Powerline trail -> Bridle Trails -> 132nd -> 24th -> 148th). Again the watch died early on so I'd estimate that I wasn't quite able to break an hour. Hard run for me.
Tue 7/26 6.1mi, 50min?. A good friend (Chris) and his family were visiting. I used to train for and run marathons with Chris and then he got me into road cycling and endurance events. Predictably he wanted to go for a run after the kids went to bed. We got some flashlights and went for a run just after sundown. We ran the One Store Loop but popped out to Kopachuck State Park and back in the middle. It was great to run with him again. We had great conversation the whole time at a faster than expected pace. He said that it was only his 3rd run of the year (he's ridden 4000+ road miles though) yet he's in really good shape so we were holding a good pace. It caught me by surprise as I was just expecting a casual pace. He even wanted to test our power running up the final climb on the route. Overall a great visit and great run. I hope that I can take him on a few more runs next time he comes to visit. He probably feels the same way when I visit him in CA and borrow his road bike.
Wed 7/27, 7.95, 58:44. I ran a full loop of the Bridle Trails after work on Wed. I was still a little tired from Tuesday's run so my attempt at a fast loop didn't go as well as I'd hoped. I was still "on the rivet" the whole time but I thought I'd be able to finish about 3-4 min. faster. It felt good to see <8 min left with a mile to go and know that I could break an hour.
Thu 7/28, 2mi, 17min. I ran a couple of miles on the treadmill at the gym before lifting weights. I picked a random program (pace and elevation) and after a mile started to bonk really badly. I'm not sure what happened but I was having trouble holding a 7:00/mi pace. As soon as I hit 2 miles (of a planned 3) I stopped, ate a gel, chugged some water and headed down to the weight room where I recovered as I lifted weights. No idea what happened there.
Friday 7/29 8mi, 1h 4min. I ran another full loop of the Bridle trails. I started off strong with high hopes on a fast time but my stomach started to rebel about 3 miles into the run. I got confirmation that I wouldn't finish in under an hour in the form of two gingerbread man stops. I still pushed the pace the best I could but my heart and stomach just weren't in it.
That was all I managed to run for July. My stats for the month were:
Runs: 21
Miles: 122.5
Time: 16h 12m
Avg Pace: 7:56/mi
I'm on pace to break 1500 miles for the year if I can keep my momentum through the fall. I hope that I can find time to train for another 50K race later this year as well. My Piriformis issue is still bothering me a little bit but it's a little less painful these days. I've been doing the exercises recommended by the Physical Therapist and I think that they've been helping.
Tue 7/19, 6.2mi, 41:51. The PT appointment wasn't until after work so why not just drive that soreness home with another hard tempo run. I ran the same route as Monday but in the opposite (CW) direction. I thought I'd be worn out from Monday's tempo but I managed to run it 22 seconds faster. It's possible the CW is faster though not historically the case. My 6:45/mi avg was the 3rd fastest average pace I've run for this route since I started running it a few years ago.
The PT appt. went okay. The guy is just a regular PT, not a sports medicine PT or someone with experience dealing with endurance athletes. I hope to get something good out of it no less. So far I have a couple of feet of surgical tubing and a sheet of exercises to do while concentrating on contracting my Pelvic Floor muscles with a goal of learning to engage them while running.
Wed 7/20, 2mi, 17min. Just an easy 2 mile warmup on the treadmill before lifting weights.
Wed 7/20, 7.9mi, 1h 7m. I ran a slow steady run around the Bridle Trails after work. My legs were sore from the two tempo runs so I kept an easy pace.
Thu 7/21, 5.8mi, 50min? I ran out to Grass Lawn Park to run 3 barefoot miles. The battery on my watch died early into the run so I don't know the time for sure or what kind of pace the BF miles were run at. Sometimes it's good to unplug.
Sat 7/23, 5.5mi, 46min. It was sunny and warm out (rare this summer) so I went for a run with shorts, shoes and sunglasses. I soaked up the Vitamin D and enjoyed being outdoors.
Mon 7/25 8.35mi, 1h 2m. I didn't think I'd get a chance to run on Tuesday so I took on the Work Hour Loop (148th -> Old Redmond rd -> Powerline trail -> Bridle Trails -> 132nd -> 24th -> 148th). Again the watch died early on so I'd estimate that I wasn't quite able to break an hour. Hard run for me.
Tue 7/26 6.1mi, 50min?. A good friend (Chris) and his family were visiting. I used to train for and run marathons with Chris and then he got me into road cycling and endurance events. Predictably he wanted to go for a run after the kids went to bed. We got some flashlights and went for a run just after sundown. We ran the One Store Loop but popped out to Kopachuck State Park and back in the middle. It was great to run with him again. We had great conversation the whole time at a faster than expected pace. He said that it was only his 3rd run of the year (he's ridden 4000+ road miles though) yet he's in really good shape so we were holding a good pace. It caught me by surprise as I was just expecting a casual pace. He even wanted to test our power running up the final climb on the route. Overall a great visit and great run. I hope that I can take him on a few more runs next time he comes to visit. He probably feels the same way when I visit him in CA and borrow his road bike.
Wed 7/27, 7.95, 58:44. I ran a full loop of the Bridle Trails after work on Wed. I was still a little tired from Tuesday's run so my attempt at a fast loop didn't go as well as I'd hoped. I was still "on the rivet" the whole time but I thought I'd be able to finish about 3-4 min. faster. It felt good to see <8 min left with a mile to go and know that I could break an hour.
Thu 7/28, 2mi, 17min. I ran a couple of miles on the treadmill at the gym before lifting weights. I picked a random program (pace and elevation) and after a mile started to bonk really badly. I'm not sure what happened but I was having trouble holding a 7:00/mi pace. As soon as I hit 2 miles (of a planned 3) I stopped, ate a gel, chugged some water and headed down to the weight room where I recovered as I lifted weights. No idea what happened there.
Friday 7/29 8mi, 1h 4min. I ran another full loop of the Bridle trails. I started off strong with high hopes on a fast time but my stomach started to rebel about 3 miles into the run. I got confirmation that I wouldn't finish in under an hour in the form of two gingerbread man stops. I still pushed the pace the best I could but my heart and stomach just weren't in it.
That was all I managed to run for July. My stats for the month were:
Runs: 21
Miles: 122.5
Time: 16h 12m
Avg Pace: 7:56/mi
I'm on pace to break 1500 miles for the year if I can keep my momentum through the fall. I hope that I can find time to train for another 50K race later this year as well. My Piriformis issue is still bothering me a little bit but it's a little less painful these days. I've been doing the exercises recommended by the Physical Therapist and I think that they've been helping.
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