Been a while

As the title says, it's been awhile.  To the many (2-3) faithful followers of this blog, don't worry.  I was busy at work, then in Florida looking for a house for when we move in 2 months.  So, don't call it a comeback, I was here to begin with.

I'm still in Florida, always beautiful in April, where it is 55 and sunny in the mornings.  Perfect running weather?  I think so.

I've had some nice workouts this week, and done a lot of thinking about training and my goals for the next year or so.  I've been having a lot of fun running but not feeling so good about the upcoming marathon or the long runs.  My distance training was going fairly well up until six weeks ago, but I haven't really done a long run since then.  I meant to go 20 yesterday but ended up at 13.1.  It was great run, through a rural road shaded by old oak trees, and I just stopped while I was still having fun, not wanting the solitary slog-fest that usually comes in the last third of the run.  So, I am going to put the marathon on hold for now until I get my head right (because don't get me wrong, this is purely a head issue -- sometimes I choose to push through the slog-fest and sometimes I don't).  I like the idea of doing 10-15 mile runs regularly for six months or so, mixed in with speed work, cycling, and a variety of strength and power training; then with a stronger base and overall fitness ramping up more quickly for a marathon or so in early 2011.  I think I peaked too early this time, mentally that is, spending all of my energy and joy fighting the snow and cold.  I may run the marathon for the fun of it but I'm not going to sweat the final long run.  Mixed feelings as it's been a while since I've planned on doing a race and then changed my mind, but it feels right.

Here's what I've been up to this week:
Sunday: 14 hours flying (and boy are my arms tired!)
Monday: run 4.5 miles
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: run 13.1 miles
Thursday (TODAY): yoga 40 minutes, core workout, 120 pushups (3 sets each of 10 wide, 10 std, 10 military).
Friday (TOMORROW): run ~5 miles

Rainy day workout

 Cancelled plans for long run this weekend given the weather (forecasted and actual).  Not that I haven't run in near freezing rain/snow before, but I'm afraid I just don't have the wherewithal this weekend.

Instead, I did a neat little anaerobic and strength focused workout from the garage:

Today -PT back exercises, then
3 sets of:
     7 minute running sprint intervals (1:30 warmup, 2:00 sprint, 1:30 easy, 2:00 sprint)
     5 pull ups
     10 wide pushups
     10 standard pushups
     10 military pushups
     5 chin ups

Next time I'll add more core work hanging from the pull up bar (knee to elbow, etc)

Yesterday and the day before both rest days.

Feelin' Groovy (and tired)

Sometimes my body feels tired and sore in an altogether good way.  Now is one of those times.  This is as opposed to those times when I feel tired and sore in an over-trained or injured way, which has been my mode of operation all too frequently recently.  I may also be breaking my morning curse and opening the door to more early training, but we'll see if it takes.

I plan to rest tomorrow and then run 20 miles on Friday at a good pace.  How successful I am should give a good sense of how realistic my marathon goals are for this May.

2 days ago: run 4 miles
yesterday: yoga 90 minutes (with quadruple-pushup vinyasas)
today: run 4.5 miles.

Most Memorable Runs

Originally this was going to be a short "top ten" list, but looking back through my training logs got me thinking about some memorable runs (or series of runs) in the last decade or so.

Dec 2001 - Hawthorne Trail, Gainesville FL - 10 miles
     A half finished 20 mile run with yin and yang: some of the fastest and smoothest running I've ever done-- it felt effortless at < 8:00 pace, but was abruptly ended by excruciating right knee pain.

Feb 2002 - Gulf Beaches Marathon, FL - 26.2 miles
     You always remember your first.  I took a friend's advice and didn't even try to work for the first half,  and despite a knee injury had an incredible first 18 miles.  The wall was real though, my friends.

Training runs 2000-2003, Gainesville, FL
     Pure running, and building up my base for life.

June 2002 - Hood River, OR - 7 miles
     This was a great run on a fantastic vacation.  I took a left out of the motel, found a road up a mountain, and followed it to a trail with an incredible view, and a water fountain at the end!

Feb 2003 - Gulf Beaches Marathon, FL - 26.2 miles (PR)
     Training paid off with a PR that I'm still trying to beat (3:49) and a time 23 minutes faster than my first.

May 2003 - to Horseshoe Beach, FL  - bike 75 miles / run 10 miles
     Memorable for the 90-95 degree weather in extreme humidity.  After this workout I felt so bad that I had to go dip in a cold spring afterwards, which I think prevented some form of heat illness.

Oct 2003 - Great Floridian Triathlon - swim 2.4 mi / bike 112 mi / run 26.2 miles
     This was a challenging but fantastic race, the run in particular was a milestone because I willed myself to keep running without walk breaks, so this was the first time I managed a marathon that way.

Feb 2004 - Camp Wesley Woods, GA - multiple runs
     Egg salad for lunch then daily runs up a 750 foot slope and onto a half-finished road on a Smoky mountain ridge.  Iron stomach.

Fall 2005 - Tabeguache Trail, Grand Jct. CO - multiple runs
     Beautiful runs up on to a high desert ridge.

Nov 2005 - Gemini Bridge, Moab, CO - 16 miles
     Planned as a 12 miler but felt so good I kept going.  Camped with friends afterward.

Winter 2006 - somewhere along I-70, CO
     Driving back from Denver to Grand Junction, stopped on a whim and ran on a trail I saw from the road.  Turned out to be a great and memorable run.

Feb 2006 - Five Points of Life marathon, Gainesville, FL - 26.2 miles
     Most fun marathon I've done, though not the fastest.

May 2007 - Essex, VT to Mt. Mansfield and back - 31 miles
     Training run for the Vermont 50.  Smooth first 10 miles, challenging run up the mountain to an alpine zone where I felt like I was flying from rock to rock, then an excruciating and difficult return.   Well worth it.

Sep 2007 - Vermont 50 - ~51 miles, ~8000 feet of elevation gain
     Hard.

Oct 2008 - Burlington, VT - 10 miles
     A great fall run in Vermont, representative of many I've had.  In this case running through the cool dry air with leaves falling around me was so fun I kept going and going and going, extending my lunch break a little too long.

May 2009 - VT City marathon (1/2 marathon) - 13.1 miles
    Negative splits for every mile - got me re-energized and excited to run after a long dry spell.

Winter 2010 - training runs in the cold
     Memorable for the mental challenge of getting of the door, and the physical challenge of keeping my face warm.

Thanksgiving Weekend 2010 - 16 miler on McQueen Island Trail, GA [added Dec 2010]
    Clear and cool, reminded me of  run in the same place 9 years prior!  Slower now but still love the long run.

February 2011 - Five Points of Life Marathon - personal record (3:44)
    Memorable forthe experience of starting out fairly hard and being able to keep it up for the whole time.  Does this mark a change in my approach to long races or simply a lucky day?

Training log

I wrote a separate post on some memorable runs in the last decade.

For workouts (or lack thereof, since I just finished a more-or-less rest week):
Two days ago: rest
Yesterday: back PT exercises, biceps lifting
Today: yoga

Not so good at resting

I've never been that good at the "rest" or "easy" portion of training cycles.  I swore up and down that this week would be a rest week, with a few days off (check), physical therapy, light yoga, and one or two easy runs.  Absolutely no lifting, especially pull-ups.  So what did I do yesterday, after my physical therapy work?  A core/pull-up/pushup workout.  Fortunately, or unfortunately, it felt great, so it will reinforce my tendency to ignore training plans and do what I feel like.  I ran today and felt light-footed (though not lightheaded).  So I hope I got enough rest, because it's over now.  Today's unplanned resistance workout was only slightly less strenuous: flipping the girls over my head after they got a running start.  For some reason the 30 pounder feels fine but the 40 pounder is a bit of a strain...

Next blogging task: list of top 10 runs ever

2 days ago: yoga 25 minutes

Yesterday: PT back exercises, core workout ("ab ripper X" + 5 knees to elbows + 20x3 leg lifts from dip bar), 10 pushups with side arm raise, 2 x 10 wide pushup, 2 x 10 std pushup, 2 x 10 military pushup; 25 pullups (15 standard, 10 chinups)

Today: Ran 4 miles

Rest week

My body felt beat up after this weekend, which was a beautiful Easter weekend with family.  I feel like I haven't been training as much as I want, but looking back the burpees were relentless and my legs felt like jello.  I quit the burpee war, which is unfortunate since I was really enjoying it, but I need to put the focus on running right now.   The other thing I did this weekend was swing, carry, lift, and otherwise play with four 30-40 pound kids clamoring for more.  So I overdid it in general, and felt it on Monday.  At some point the goal will be to be able to do the burpees and swinging of children without feeling like I overdid it, but I'm clearly not there yet.  Another goal!

This is actually a good week to take it easy, since I am working a lot and wouldn't have been able to work out properly anyways.  So, I'll do some stretching and yoga, and come back strong the following week.

3 days ago: 20 burpees, run 4.5 miles
2 days ago: 21 burpees, run 4 miles
yesterday: rest
today: rest / stretch

low mileage

Looking back on my training so far this winter and spring, I am not quite at the point I'd like to be in terms of weekly mileage.  Some of this is because I took it easy for a few weeks after my neck injury, but mostly I can't quite figure it out.  Having too much fun with "cross-training?".  I think I'll shoot for one extra run per week over the next month or so.  I'm also curious, and perhaps a little nervous, to see how the burpees affect my running performance as they become a more substantial daily activity.

2 days ago: run 4 miles (fartlek), 17 burpees
yesterday: PT back exercises, 18 burpees
today: yoga 45 minutes (intense), 19 burpees