I would be lying if I said I didn't get a chance to run this weekend......Sunday afternoon at about 6:30, I could have suited up and finally got in my run.......I was just plain spent and had no energy to do anything but sit and watch TV.
Not that I was a couch potato or that I didn't get any exercise, but I find the running to be taking a backseat lately and I don't like it. Like a drug addict, I need a certain amount of time on the trails to keep my prospective on the fast pace of life today......just to maintain a little sanity.
I feel like buying a gun, waving it in the air and yelling....." all right you guys now look here....I am going for a run .....and you ain't gonna do anything about it........or I'll use this thing...you see.....then shooting off a couple rounds........any questions?? ( I DIDN"T THINK SO!)
It's not that I don't enjoy all the family things, it's more that I seem to have trouble with balance lately. I used to be able to find ways to schedule in the runs I wanted. Perhaps I am just not the time manager I used to be.
I am going for a run today, ( even though the lawns desperately need to be mowed ) and I am going to put some thought into what I have been doing wrong lately. The mowing will just have to wait until tomorrow.
On the bright side, I did have a great run at Bradbury on Thursday after work. I ran the mountain side and covered pretty much all the trails up and over the mountain. It was a little wet and rainy but very enjoyable.
Also yesterday I spent a good amount of time in the pool swimming so, some cross training at least.
OH....I'm not really going to get a gun, I'm just going to cry..scream and hold my breath until I turn blue...that usually works I hear.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Falling In Love
I fantasized all day about my planned run. I wasn't really sure as to what trail I would chose until I arrived and changed clothes. I decided on the connector so I could lose myself in the run and not have to think about direction and making turns.....a good ole out and back.
I realized while running, that I seriously enjoyed this route. I thought back and out of the 10 or so times I ran the connector, I couldn't think of one time that I was disappointed. You know how sometimes it is just a bad day running? Well I have never had a bad day on this route.
I think this will be my go to route when in doubt. It seems to have a little bit of everything that makes running trails fun. Rocks..roots..breath stealing uphills, fast and dangerous downhills, twisting single track, open fields, two picturesque stream crossing and once you hit the power lines, you have endless choices of direction depending on your need for the day.
One of the best things I like when running this out and back, is the fast downhill finish that makes one feel the speed of a sprint. It was just a perfect run.....It makes me want to use "the L word"
6.8 miles @ 1:16:56
I realized while running, that I seriously enjoyed this route. I thought back and out of the 10 or so times I ran the connector, I couldn't think of one time that I was disappointed. You know how sometimes it is just a bad day running? Well I have never had a bad day on this route.
I think this will be my go to route when in doubt. It seems to have a little bit of everything that makes running trails fun. Rocks..roots..breath stealing uphills, fast and dangerous downhills, twisting single track, open fields, two picturesque stream crossing and once you hit the power lines, you have endless choices of direction depending on your need for the day.
One of the best things I like when running this out and back, is the fast downhill finish that makes one feel the speed of a sprint. It was just a perfect run.....It makes me want to use "the L word"
6.8 miles @ 1:16:56
Monday, June 13, 2011
Missing The MOJO
This has been a difficult spring for my running......I can't find my MOJO, I want to run, I plan to run.....but the interference is seemingly so severe this year. Is it really or am I just not finding the normal ways to accomplish my runs?
Is it possible that some jokester has hit the fast forward button on me? If it weren't for the pool, my base would be totally gone. I think it is time to access my duties and be a bit more adamant with my running schedule.....time to put the foot down.
I planned on running some back bay races....even have my number (71).......haven't made it there, this is the second weekend in a row that I not only didn't get in a long run, but I didn't get in a run at all (or even get the lawn mowed). I think there is some force out there plotting against me.
Not only that, but this morning was the third day in a row that I went to put on my socks and found a hole in one of them........What the ? Is some gnome sneaking into my drawer and ripping a hole in just one of my socks?
Is it possible that some jokester has hit the fast forward button on me? If it weren't for the pool, my base would be totally gone. I think it is time to access my duties and be a bit more adamant with my running schedule.....time to put the foot down.
I planned on running some back bay races....even have my number (71).......haven't made it there, this is the second weekend in a row that I not only didn't get in a long run, but I didn't get in a run at all (or even get the lawn mowed). I think there is some force out there plotting against me.
Not only that, but this morning was the third day in a row that I went to put on my socks and found a hole in one of them........What the ? Is some gnome sneaking into my drawer and ripping a hole in just one of my socks?
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
What Was I Thinking? Sprints and Distance Do Not mix..or Do They?
Thought pattern......run the barefoot 5K the day before the 25K as an easy warm up and because it is a new adventure. Couldn't possibly hurt my 25K performance too much as long as I get the training runs in during the months preceding, right?
My original plan was to train for the 50 miler, which was whittled down to the 50k when I realized that my schedule was not going to allow me the time to train properly for the 50m. As the months flew by and I not only didn't get in my normal long runs, but I realized that my training was suffering severely. My longest run one month before was only 18 slow grueling miles at Mt A.
So.......running the 25K seemed the best option and it left more room for the addition of the barefoot 5K.
New plan in place so why did it feel like a cop-out? The thought of the 50K rolled around in my head for weeks before I finally convinced myself that I really would not be able to pull it off.
It is so hard to tell one's self that a certain thing can not be done .......well of course I could attempt it and perhaps even find a way to finish, but at what cost and with nothing to prove it was a mute thought anyway.
My best bet was to PR the 25K, which I had no doubt I could do.
Don't you hate when the mind makes promises that the body can't deliver? I spent the whole week before the 5K thinking and planning the best way to enjoy the new event without compromising the 25K Pr. Seemed so simple......just running not racing .... yeah just a 5k warm up in the Minimus shoes.
It made sense as I had not trained for a 5k and my fastest run at the campus course was somewhere in the 9:50 pace area and that surely was not racing speed. A few years ago, when I was training and racing mostly 5ks, I ran a Pr on this course of 25:32 ......so my goal for the barefoot was around 30 minutes (around 9:30 pace)
It was fun telling people I was doubling up, running a race both days of the festival, but at the same time some little voice in my head kept telling me that it was not as simple as I made it sound. Who listens to those little voices anyway?
The start of the 5K was exciting and everyone took off real fast. I found myself sucked right into the excitement and ran the first mile at 7:20 (not as fast as it sounds as the first mile is mostly down hill)
I settled down some in mile two but still pulled off an 8:23 ......I was a bit winded and the hills of mile three were wearing on my mind. Had I gone out too fast, would the hills take their toll?
Actually mile three was tough but also the most fun. My paced slowed to about 9:18, which is still moving pretty good for me on the Campus hills. I was passing bunches of runners, it felt so good.
Now I don't want to lead you astray, some of the these runners were from the 5k group that started ten minutes before us, so I wasn't actually racing them ........at this point, my mind did not know nor care the difference.
The last half mile I really picked things up and finish with probably the best kick I can remember on trails. I used everything I had and actually peaked at 14.8 mph. It was exciting and fun and stupid. After the finish, the realization of what I had done hit me hard. Limping with a sore left archilles and a sore right ankle loomed heavy on the thought of running the 25K the next day.
I kept asking myself, was it worth it and answering....hell yeah. I am a believer that you race the race in front of you and worry about the next race tomorrow. OK.....so I was starting to worry but that didn't diminish the excitement of my 5k finish.
Day two at the Pineland Challenge Festival was just as electric as the first day. 50K and 50 mile runners were already plastering the trails when I arrived and the crowds were enjoying excitement. I knew my 25K race was going to be a struggle but was determined to at least finish it.
The first three miles were pretty bad (I thought). The legs were heavy, breathing labored, the archilles and ankle hurt with every step.....yet somehow I averaged 10:30 mile pace, partly because I ran the whole way.
Walking was not going to be an option.
As bad as I felt in the first three miles, they did not compare to the next two. Mile four and Five were just plain energy slapping as my pace dropped to 14:30 and running was the exception to the rule. I settled in after mile five and started enjoying the difficulty of the run much more. I guess mainly because I gave in to the failed concept of Pr-ing this race and just enjoying it instead.
The aid stations were energetic and very helpful, arguably the best of any race I have done. I did get a surprise at one station, after offering some water to dump over my head, I was soaked with a full gallon instead of the normal cup full.........that sure cooled me off.
In the end, I did exactly what I promised, I ran the race that was in me on that particular day and found a way to enjoy the experience. I ran fairly even splits with a pretty good kick at the end. I didn't PR the 25K, but that's Ok. It seems I tend to forget the reason for running the trails in the first place .....to just have fun.
It was a great weekend, the beer was fantastic, Ian and Erik out did themselves...again, and I spent some quality time with some great people......what more could I ask for.
My original plan was to train for the 50 miler, which was whittled down to the 50k when I realized that my schedule was not going to allow me the time to train properly for the 50m. As the months flew by and I not only didn't get in my normal long runs, but I realized that my training was suffering severely. My longest run one month before was only 18 slow grueling miles at Mt A.
So.......running the 25K seemed the best option and it left more room for the addition of the barefoot 5K.
New plan in place so why did it feel like a cop-out? The thought of the 50K rolled around in my head for weeks before I finally convinced myself that I really would not be able to pull it off.
It is so hard to tell one's self that a certain thing can not be done .......well of course I could attempt it and perhaps even find a way to finish, but at what cost and with nothing to prove it was a mute thought anyway.
My best bet was to PR the 25K, which I had no doubt I could do.
Don't you hate when the mind makes promises that the body can't deliver? I spent the whole week before the 5K thinking and planning the best way to enjoy the new event without compromising the 25K Pr. Seemed so simple......just running not racing .... yeah just a 5k warm up in the Minimus shoes.
It made sense as I had not trained for a 5k and my fastest run at the campus course was somewhere in the 9:50 pace area and that surely was not racing speed. A few years ago, when I was training and racing mostly 5ks, I ran a Pr on this course of 25:32 ......so my goal for the barefoot was around 30 minutes (around 9:30 pace)
It was fun telling people I was doubling up, running a race both days of the festival, but at the same time some little voice in my head kept telling me that it was not as simple as I made it sound. Who listens to those little voices anyway?
The start of the 5K was exciting and everyone took off real fast. I found myself sucked right into the excitement and ran the first mile at 7:20 (not as fast as it sounds as the first mile is mostly down hill)
I settled down some in mile two but still pulled off an 8:23 ......I was a bit winded and the hills of mile three were wearing on my mind. Had I gone out too fast, would the hills take their toll?
Actually mile three was tough but also the most fun. My paced slowed to about 9:18, which is still moving pretty good for me on the Campus hills. I was passing bunches of runners, it felt so good.
Now I don't want to lead you astray, some of the these runners were from the 5k group that started ten minutes before us, so I wasn't actually racing them ........at this point, my mind did not know nor care the difference.
The last half mile I really picked things up and finish with probably the best kick I can remember on trails. I used everything I had and actually peaked at 14.8 mph. It was exciting and fun and stupid. After the finish, the realization of what I had done hit me hard. Limping with a sore left archilles and a sore right ankle loomed heavy on the thought of running the 25K the next day.
I kept asking myself, was it worth it and answering....hell yeah. I am a believer that you race the race in front of you and worry about the next race tomorrow. OK.....so I was starting to worry but that didn't diminish the excitement of my 5k finish.
Day two at the Pineland Challenge Festival was just as electric as the first day. 50K and 50 mile runners were already plastering the trails when I arrived and the crowds were enjoying excitement. I knew my 25K race was going to be a struggle but was determined to at least finish it.
The first three miles were pretty bad (I thought). The legs were heavy, breathing labored, the archilles and ankle hurt with every step.....yet somehow I averaged 10:30 mile pace, partly because I ran the whole way.
Walking was not going to be an option.
As bad as I felt in the first three miles, they did not compare to the next two. Mile four and Five were just plain energy slapping as my pace dropped to 14:30 and running was the exception to the rule. I settled in after mile five and started enjoying the difficulty of the run much more. I guess mainly because I gave in to the failed concept of Pr-ing this race and just enjoying it instead.
The aid stations were energetic and very helpful, arguably the best of any race I have done. I did get a surprise at one station, after offering some water to dump over my head, I was soaked with a full gallon instead of the normal cup full.........that sure cooled me off.
In the end, I did exactly what I promised, I ran the race that was in me on that particular day and found a way to enjoy the experience. I ran fairly even splits with a pretty good kick at the end. I didn't PR the 25K, but that's Ok. It seems I tend to forget the reason for running the trails in the first place .....to just have fun.
It was a great weekend, the beer was fantastic, Ian and Erik out did themselves...again, and I spent some quality time with some great people......what more could I ask for.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Running for Cover
After two days off I decided to try an easy run on Sunday to see how the Achilles would react. I ran what I call the pit loop near my house with my son. The pit loop is combination road / trail and is 3.1 miles long.
This ends up being a nice loop for 5k training. My fastest time on this run is 21:29 .....That was a few years ago. last year my fastest was a much slower 23:49. This is still a pretty good speed on a loop that is more than half single track and the 2nd mile is a pretty good hill.
The nice thing about this loop is a flat road finish which is about 7 tenths of a mile long ....makes for some good finishing sprints. This run though would end with no sprint or kick of any kind ( Achilles)
We started out and the rain came down hard enough to send most recreational runner for cover......be we actually enjoy the coolness of a run in the rain. I did have a problem with my glasses fogging up...hate that.
The run was the perfect length, the perfect pace and a great way to see how the Achilles was feeling. The splits really surprised me because the hill in the second mile was our fastest and the run felt pretty easy to me.
In the end, the Achilles was only slightly sore, so I think things are progressing quite well.
3.1 miles @ 26:44 (8:40 pace)
splits
8:42
8:39
8:44
(7:45 for the last .1 ........OK, a Little speed up but still not a kick)
This ends up being a nice loop for 5k training. My fastest time on this run is 21:29 .....That was a few years ago. last year my fastest was a much slower 23:49. This is still a pretty good speed on a loop that is more than half single track and the 2nd mile is a pretty good hill.
The nice thing about this loop is a flat road finish which is about 7 tenths of a mile long ....makes for some good finishing sprints. This run though would end with no sprint or kick of any kind ( Achilles)
We started out and the rain came down hard enough to send most recreational runner for cover......be we actually enjoy the coolness of a run in the rain. I did have a problem with my glasses fogging up...hate that.
The run was the perfect length, the perfect pace and a great way to see how the Achilles was feeling. The splits really surprised me because the hill in the second mile was our fastest and the run felt pretty easy to me.
In the end, the Achilles was only slightly sore, so I think things are progressing quite well.
3.1 miles @ 26:44 (8:40 pace)
splits
8:42
8:39
8:44
(7:45 for the last .1 ........OK, a Little speed up but still not a kick)
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Picking Up The Pace But Suffering
Ran Pineland last night, trying to pick up the pace to get a decent finish at the Barefoot 5K. I think I am pushing too hard or perhaps the combination of the Minimus shoes and the X-talon 212s are catching up to me. I suspect i will have to take things a bit easier for the next two weeks......not what I planned.
Last Thursday I ran a "race pace" time trial on the 5K Pineland course (which continues to measure 3.4 miles) and ended with a Strong kick. After I ran a cool down of sorts and realized my left Achilles was a bit sore. I suspect a combination of the Minimus shoes and the sprinting.
I didn't think too much of it and most of the rest of the week it didn't bother too much, which was helped by a minmal weekend (running wise)
Monday I did my upper body/ gazelle workout and last night hit Pineland for another speed run. This time I ran on the east side and pushed the pace with progressively faster splits even though the second half of the run was more uphill.
I finished with a great kick but was hit with a nasty reminder in my left Achilles again. This time I was wearing the 212s instead of the Minimus hoping to guard against pushing the Achilles more. I felt the discomfort after the kick but instead of stopping I decided to continue for a couple miles at a somewhat slower pace to try and work out the kinks.
I am suffering a bit this morning and decided I need to scale things back a bit which is disappointing because I really felt strong running. the pace and kicks were starting to look pretty good.
Thursdays 3.4 (9:05 pace) pineland Campus loop
9:45
8:56
9:33
6:43
Yesterdays run Pineland Oakhill loop
4 miles @8:59 pace
10:13
9:53
9:31
8:45 (6:00 kick)
2 miles @9:41 pace
.5 mile cool down.
Today......very sore Archilles
Last Thursday I ran a "race pace" time trial on the 5K Pineland course (which continues to measure 3.4 miles) and ended with a Strong kick. After I ran a cool down of sorts and realized my left Achilles was a bit sore. I suspect a combination of the Minimus shoes and the sprinting.
I didn't think too much of it and most of the rest of the week it didn't bother too much, which was helped by a minmal weekend (running wise)
Monday I did my upper body/ gazelle workout and last night hit Pineland for another speed run. This time I ran on the east side and pushed the pace with progressively faster splits even though the second half of the run was more uphill.
I finished with a great kick but was hit with a nasty reminder in my left Achilles again. This time I was wearing the 212s instead of the Minimus hoping to guard against pushing the Achilles more. I felt the discomfort after the kick but instead of stopping I decided to continue for a couple miles at a somewhat slower pace to try and work out the kinks.
I am suffering a bit this morning and decided I need to scale things back a bit which is disappointing because I really felt strong running. the pace and kicks were starting to look pretty good.
Thursdays 3.4 (9:05 pace) pineland Campus loop
9:45
8:56
9:33
6:43
Yesterdays run Pineland Oakhill loop
4 miles @8:59 pace
10:13
9:53
9:31
8:45 (6:00 kick)
2 miles @9:41 pace
.5 mile cool down.
Today......very sore Archilles
Friday, May 6, 2011
Big A at Mt A
When I mistakenly signed up for the Big A 50K, I knew I would probably not be able to complete the whole 50k. But I had this vision in my head, like the Gods would smile on me and somehow I would find it within myself to actually finish.
Of course my training told me in bold print that it could never be.......hey my longest run in the last two months was 10 miles and only an 8 miler in the last 4 weeks. I knew deep down that 31 miles would never happen so my realistic stretch goal was three laps(23 miles).
It seemed possible, I figured I could pull off three laps in about 5 1/2 hours plus. Taking into account my strong winter base of snowshoeing and my recent "faster" pace runs, it was plausible. So...23 or so miles would be a pretty good accomplishment for the day.
When I arrived at Mt Agamenticus, I stepped out of the truck, sucked in a deep breath of fresh cool air and felt confident that I was as prepared as I could be considering the level of fitness I was at. I had everything in order and couldn't think of one thing that would deter me from my goal.
After helping Bob and the New balance guys carry their gear up the trail, I settled into getting my stuff ready. I had everything I needed to run a 50K all I had to hope for was some extra energy, a bit of drive and a little luck to do it.
I brought three pairs of shoes not knowing the terrain at all and decided to start with my Cascadia 3s as they are a good all around trail shoe. This made sense because the start was about a mile on tar and dirt road.
I was comfortable right from the start and until we actually hit the trail I felt the cascadias were the best choice. As we climbed the first hill, I could feel a big difference .....I noticed right away the traction and push off loss compared to the 212s, I also felt a loss of traction on the smooth rock outcropping and the down hills.
I held my own in the first mile and actually passed some runners in the second and third. In the fourth mile I was leading a small bunch of runners and even though I had already missed a few turns, I felt confident because I could see the fresh prints of the runners in front of us.
One of the guys behind me yelled and said I missed a turn. I went back and followed the group. Soon we we bushwhacking up a hill and honestly I knew we were off track (even though we were following pink ribbons)
They looked old to me and come to find out they were. We stopped at the top of a hill next to a five gallon bucket upside down ( apparently a hunters perch)
We studied the map at least 3 times and all disagreed as to the direction we should go.....suddenly I saw a glimpse of two runners at the bottom of the hill and we high tailed it to them. We reached the trail they were on and caught up to them at an opening to a tar road......Hmnnn....a tar road?
About this time we figured we must have missed a turn, a bunch of runners came up the road, returning to the trail because they realized they were wrong too. By now our little group had grown to about 15 runners. They were talking and discussing(arguing) about where to go.
I just took off back down the trail because we were wasting so much time. A few of them followed me and I am not sure what happened to the rest of them. At this point I was expending way too much energy for the first loop as I was the leader and a small pack of runners kept pushing me faster. I suppose I could have let them pass but I was anxious and kind of pissed that we lost so much time.
Finally after back tracking a mile, I came to the turn off......it was so visible I am not sure how we all missed it. I turned and only five runners followed, I didn't see the others.....perhaps they were still back at the road "discussing" which way to go.
At about 8 miles I started fading and two of the guys behind me passed. I was able to stay close to them but could not actually catch up. It suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't been fueling every 45 minutes like I planned. Don't know how I let that happen but it explained my bonk.
I finally finished this lap (which ended up being 10 miles total) I was much more fatigued by now but decided to keep going after changing into the X-talon 212s. I knew there was no way to catch back up on the fueling and figured I would just see how the next lap felt.
The 212s did not bother me on the road portion (like I thought they would) and I could feel so much more traction in the woods. The first mountain hill sucked the life out of me and it was then that I wasn't sure if I would do another lap.
On the down hills I felt much more stable and was able to run faster then the first lap, slower on the up hills though ( no fault of the shoes). I did however manage to loose the trail a few times but not at the critical point this time. The last two miles I really had to push to keep running and just wanted to get back to the start.
I quit at 18 miles, not quite the 23 I wanted but these were tougher miles than I planned and I just didn't know the terrain enough to do a few miles then find a loop back. The truth was, I was just plain beat and didn't have the desire to attempt a third lap.
I really enjoyed this run and the terrain. I felt more competitive ( kinda mid range rather than back of the pack)
First lap I ran 29th and second lap 26th. I was only passed by 6 runners 4 of which were Trail monsters lapping me and the other two I was able to stay with after.
Overall I felt really good about my performance here.
Stats:
1st lap 9.89 @2:16:00 (ascent 1834--descent1695)
2nd lap 8:10@2:07:09 (ascent 1524- descent 1426)
I did have a bit of difficulty following the trail, it seems we could have used a bit of Trail monster style trail markings at critical turns.
Of course my training told me in bold print that it could never be.......hey my longest run in the last two months was 10 miles and only an 8 miler in the last 4 weeks. I knew deep down that 31 miles would never happen so my realistic stretch goal was three laps(23 miles).
It seemed possible, I figured I could pull off three laps in about 5 1/2 hours plus. Taking into account my strong winter base of snowshoeing and my recent "faster" pace runs, it was plausible. So...23 or so miles would be a pretty good accomplishment for the day.
When I arrived at Mt Agamenticus, I stepped out of the truck, sucked in a deep breath of fresh cool air and felt confident that I was as prepared as I could be considering the level of fitness I was at. I had everything in order and couldn't think of one thing that would deter me from my goal.
After helping Bob and the New balance guys carry their gear up the trail, I settled into getting my stuff ready. I had everything I needed to run a 50K all I had to hope for was some extra energy, a bit of drive and a little luck to do it.
I brought three pairs of shoes not knowing the terrain at all and decided to start with my Cascadia 3s as they are a good all around trail shoe. This made sense because the start was about a mile on tar and dirt road.
I was comfortable right from the start and until we actually hit the trail I felt the cascadias were the best choice. As we climbed the first hill, I could feel a big difference .....I noticed right away the traction and push off loss compared to the 212s, I also felt a loss of traction on the smooth rock outcropping and the down hills.
I held my own in the first mile and actually passed some runners in the second and third. In the fourth mile I was leading a small bunch of runners and even though I had already missed a few turns, I felt confident because I could see the fresh prints of the runners in front of us.
One of the guys behind me yelled and said I missed a turn. I went back and followed the group. Soon we we bushwhacking up a hill and honestly I knew we were off track (even though we were following pink ribbons)
They looked old to me and come to find out they were. We stopped at the top of a hill next to a five gallon bucket upside down ( apparently a hunters perch)
We studied the map at least 3 times and all disagreed as to the direction we should go.....suddenly I saw a glimpse of two runners at the bottom of the hill and we high tailed it to them. We reached the trail they were on and caught up to them at an opening to a tar road......Hmnnn....a tar road?
About this time we figured we must have missed a turn, a bunch of runners came up the road, returning to the trail because they realized they were wrong too. By now our little group had grown to about 15 runners. They were talking and discussing(arguing) about where to go.
I just took off back down the trail because we were wasting so much time. A few of them followed me and I am not sure what happened to the rest of them. At this point I was expending way too much energy for the first loop as I was the leader and a small pack of runners kept pushing me faster. I suppose I could have let them pass but I was anxious and kind of pissed that we lost so much time.
Finally after back tracking a mile, I came to the turn off......it was so visible I am not sure how we all missed it. I turned and only five runners followed, I didn't see the others.....perhaps they were still back at the road "discussing" which way to go.
At about 8 miles I started fading and two of the guys behind me passed. I was able to stay close to them but could not actually catch up. It suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't been fueling every 45 minutes like I planned. Don't know how I let that happen but it explained my bonk.
I finally finished this lap (which ended up being 10 miles total) I was much more fatigued by now but decided to keep going after changing into the X-talon 212s. I knew there was no way to catch back up on the fueling and figured I would just see how the next lap felt.
The 212s did not bother me on the road portion (like I thought they would) and I could feel so much more traction in the woods. The first mountain hill sucked the life out of me and it was then that I wasn't sure if I would do another lap.
On the down hills I felt much more stable and was able to run faster then the first lap, slower on the up hills though ( no fault of the shoes). I did however manage to loose the trail a few times but not at the critical point this time. The last two miles I really had to push to keep running and just wanted to get back to the start.
I quit at 18 miles, not quite the 23 I wanted but these were tougher miles than I planned and I just didn't know the terrain enough to do a few miles then find a loop back. The truth was, I was just plain beat and didn't have the desire to attempt a third lap.
I really enjoyed this run and the terrain. I felt more competitive ( kinda mid range rather than back of the pack)
First lap I ran 29th and second lap 26th. I was only passed by 6 runners 4 of which were Trail monsters lapping me and the other two I was able to stay with after.
Overall I felt really good about my performance here.
Stats:
1st lap 9.89 @2:16:00 (ascent 1834--descent1695)
2nd lap 8:10@2:07:09 (ascent 1524- descent 1426)
I did have a bit of difficulty following the trail, it seems we could have used a bit of Trail monster style trail markings at critical turns.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
I Came This .... Close
Last night was the first track session. I planned this spring to run track to hopefully increase my speed a bit this year. I totally planned on track last year and I honestly don't remember why I didn't get there. I figured the first one is the most important as it sets the stage for continuing. So, it was on my schedule and I planned for it. First night was a mile time trial and I was pretty anxious to see where my mile time would be.
All day I labored with the thought of running around in a circle for miles and miles. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it really isn't that enjoyable. Yeah I want to run faster but there are other ways to increase speed than track intervals.
By the time 4:30 rolled around I had convinced myself to run something enjoyable. I scrapped the track plan and headed to Bradbury. I decided to run the connector trail from The brad to the power lines and see how the trail maintenance worked out.
This run was so perfect and the trail was fantastic. The volunteers did a great job which made it very easy to follow. I also found the few stumps and roots that remained were quite easy to see and I actually didn't trip once.
I worked every hill to spike the heart rate and simulate a speed workout. I felt strong right to the end and finished with a very good kick. I did notice that the return trip seemed to have more up hill and I worked much harder at times to maintain my pace.
Even with me speeding up the last mile (which is mostly down hill grade) and kicking down to the 6 minute pace for the last tenth, I ran a slower time on the return. This tells me the return is more difficult.
I am not sure about the mileage though. When I ran this winter, I thought it was about 4 miles from the parking lot to the power lines. This trip came in at 3.4 miles one way (6.8 for the round trip) My Garmen is not very accurate at Bradbury and usually reads short so the 3.4 is an estimate (garmen actually read 1.34 over and 2.86 back)
Bradbury run
6.8 miles @1:14:17 (10:55 pace)
splits:
36:51 (10:51 pace)
37:26 (11:01 pace)
All day I labored with the thought of running around in a circle for miles and miles. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it really isn't that enjoyable. Yeah I want to run faster but there are other ways to increase speed than track intervals.
By the time 4:30 rolled around I had convinced myself to run something enjoyable. I scrapped the track plan and headed to Bradbury. I decided to run the connector trail from The brad to the power lines and see how the trail maintenance worked out.
This run was so perfect and the trail was fantastic. The volunteers did a great job which made it very easy to follow. I also found the few stumps and roots that remained were quite easy to see and I actually didn't trip once.
I worked every hill to spike the heart rate and simulate a speed workout. I felt strong right to the end and finished with a very good kick. I did notice that the return trip seemed to have more up hill and I worked much harder at times to maintain my pace.
Even with me speeding up the last mile (which is mostly down hill grade) and kicking down to the 6 minute pace for the last tenth, I ran a slower time on the return. This tells me the return is more difficult.
I am not sure about the mileage though. When I ran this winter, I thought it was about 4 miles from the parking lot to the power lines. This trip came in at 3.4 miles one way (6.8 for the round trip) My Garmen is not very accurate at Bradbury and usually reads short so the 3.4 is an estimate (garmen actually read 1.34 over and 2.86 back)
Bradbury run
6.8 miles @1:14:17 (10:55 pace)
splits:
36:51 (10:51 pace)
37:26 (11:01 pace)
Monday, April 25, 2011
Excellent (and they didn't even know it)
Saturday was trail maintenance with the Trail Monsters and they decided an early run at Pineland before would work well. Normally I don't make these runs for a couple reasons. One I have severe scheduling issues that cause me to end up running at times that are usually much different than the pack. Two, most times the average group is much faster than me and I don't like slowing them down.
I thought about this when contemplating a run on Saturday morning and because my schedule allowed I elected to join. I had a bright idea to use this run as a race pace sort of time trial. I figured if I could tag onto the groups faster pace and use it as a time trail for the Pineland 5k, I would have a better idea of my potential race day performance.
The idea couldn't have worked better for me. I ran 10k race pace for the first two miles and was able to stay fairly close to the group. The third mile I turned it on to more like 5k pace transcending to fast finishing kick.
From that point I continued at about 10K pace to round it off to 5 miles.
I then stopped back at the parking lot and switched over to the New Balance Minimus and ran another 2.5 miles to see how they felt on the Pineland trails (felt great). I ran this at more of a 10K pace then ended with a half mile cooldown, all this before the rain started.
5 mile run 45:16 (9:04 av pace) X-Talon 212
Stats:
9:14......141-158
9:46......150-157
7:16......149-154 (kicking third mile of the 5k race pace ----time 27:20 and an av pace of 8:49)
10:51....152-160
8:38.....155-159 (second kick)
2.5 mile run 24:56 (9:58 pace)
10:35.....142-148
10:11.....143-157
9:38.....147-157
I thought about this when contemplating a run on Saturday morning and because my schedule allowed I elected to join. I had a bright idea to use this run as a race pace sort of time trial. I figured if I could tag onto the groups faster pace and use it as a time trail for the Pineland 5k, I would have a better idea of my potential race day performance.
The idea couldn't have worked better for me. I ran 10k race pace for the first two miles and was able to stay fairly close to the group. The third mile I turned it on to more like 5k pace transcending to fast finishing kick.
From that point I continued at about 10K pace to round it off to 5 miles.
I then stopped back at the parking lot and switched over to the New Balance Minimus and ran another 2.5 miles to see how they felt on the Pineland trails (felt great). I ran this at more of a 10K pace then ended with a half mile cooldown, all this before the rain started.
5 mile run 45:16 (9:04 av pace) X-Talon 212
Stats:
9:14......141-158
9:46......150-157
7:16......149-154 (kicking third mile of the 5k race pace ----time 27:20 and an av pace of 8:49)
10:51....152-160
8:38.....155-159 (second kick)
2.5 mile run 24:56 (9:58 pace)
10:35.....142-148
10:11.....143-157
9:38.....147-157
Friday, April 22, 2011
Feeling Spring In My Step
Ran Pineland (back trails) after work and other than the damn wind, it was very enjoyable. I didn't mind the wet fields and the spongy soft trails though I ended up running bare naked........not what you are thinking.
The garmen quit, somehow I guess I neglected to charge it ( very unusual for me) but it turned out good in a way because I had the Nano running which was in my pocket so I couldn't monitor things as I ran.
Running without the constant checking to see if I was on my expected pace was uplifting and felt quit free.
In the end my pace was right where I figured and expected it to be.....go figure.
Not worrying about my heart rate and pace gave me the opportunity to actually look around and enjoy the run. I should do that more often.
This morning I made sure I got the Garmen on the charger......what? I thought I was going to run more bare naked......sorry, can't change overnight now can I.
Did I say the wind sucked? Well it did, especially in the open fields.
6.4 miles @ 1:05:59 (10:19 pace) I noticed a distinct cow field smell on the way home....it seems they have been spreading lately, this will really break in the 212s
The garmen quit, somehow I guess I neglected to charge it ( very unusual for me) but it turned out good in a way because I had the Nano running which was in my pocket so I couldn't monitor things as I ran.
Running without the constant checking to see if I was on my expected pace was uplifting and felt quit free.
In the end my pace was right where I figured and expected it to be.....go figure.
Not worrying about my heart rate and pace gave me the opportunity to actually look around and enjoy the run. I should do that more often.
This morning I made sure I got the Garmen on the charger......what? I thought I was going to run more bare naked......sorry, can't change overnight now can I.
Did I say the wind sucked? Well it did, especially in the open fields.
6.4 miles @ 1:05:59 (10:19 pace) I noticed a distinct cow field smell on the way home....it seems they have been spreading lately, this will really break in the 212s
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