This morning Erin and I went out for a run. We were shooting for 4 miles, but wound up a little short. The strong north wind had us picking a route with as many buildings blocking the wind as possible. My calf pain has been getting better the past few runs. I notice it after a mile or so and it seems to fade away after I get in about 3 miles. Spraying my legs down with cold water in the shower seems to be helping too.
On Saturday the training group ran from the Fargo Running Company. 17 of us showed up for the run. The weather was perfect, a little cold with a slight breeze and we got to run on freshly fallen snow. I had a lot of fun chatting with everyone. The week prior we ran from Connie and Ray's house and had around 10 people, I forgot the exact count.
Last week I was able to run outside in shorts, I think it's going to be a few months before that happens again. When it turned really cold I had forgotten just how bad the cold can be, but after a few runs outside in the cold I think I'm starting to acclimate again.
Showing posts with label training class. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training class. Show all posts
Monday, January 16, 2012
Saturday, December 31, 2011
First run with the training group
This morning was the first run with the training group this year. There was 7 of us that ran this morning, Erik, Connie, Ray, Laura, Cassie, Penny and myself. We met up at my place around 6:30 for the run. Erin wasn't feeling well and decided to rest and not get anyone else sick. The 5 miles passed fairly quickly as we all caught up on what was going on in each others lives. There was 1 section in West Fargo where conditions were very peaceful. The dim glow of the low hanging clouds illuminated the freshly fallen snow as we glided along. I'm excited to be running with a group again and hope some more people can make it next week when we run from Connie and Ray's house.
I also put in a solid swim workout today in the pool going just a hair over a mile in about 50 minutes. I was feeling really drained after that and fell asleep almost immediately after showering when getting home.
I also put in a solid swim workout today in the pool going just a hair over a mile in about 50 minutes. I was feeling really drained after that and fell asleep almost immediately after showering when getting home.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
12 miles with the training group
Last weekend the training class ran 12 miles. Our usual group formed at the back of the pack with Rick, Erin, Chris, Maria, Erik and myself. Kristy wanted to get some extra rest and did not join us, however Lamont was with us for the first part of the run and Eric joined us the entire way. As we got going Erik and I had a chance to talk about what his plans were beyond the marathon. He had mentioned possibly working up to an ultra. I suggested trying the 25k at Afton this year and possibly looking for a fall marathon like twin cities. Rick has joked in the past that he doesn't like to see people he knows sign up for marathons because he knows how hard and unpleasant the training and the event can be. While this is said in a joking tone, I can see there's more then just a bit of truth to it. I know Erik can finish the 25k at Afton and after enough time has passed after the event he'll probably convince himself that it was fun like I've done, but while he's running those 15.5 miles up and down the hills in the heat he'll probably be cursing my name. Afton was a great learning experience and running the 25k last year helped me get through trail mix this year.
After around 4 miles we arrived at the Y and most of the group hit up the bathroom there. Heading out from the Y we kept up our pace which so far had been a bit faster then our normal long run pace. We did yet another 4 mile loop of 8th and 9th streets before getting back to the Y for another rest stop. I'm definitely looking forward to after the marathon when I won't have to run in that area again for another 6 months. The last 4 miles I worked to keep our pace constant with what we'd done already, I wanted to average 11:30 over all 12 miles, about the same pace as our last mile the previous week. With about a mile to go Erin and Eric started to pick up the pace but a held back a little. With half a mile left our group had gotten a little spread out and I decided to make my move on Erin. I picked up the pace to what felt like about a 5k effort and closed the gap on Eric and Erin quickly. Feeling good I kept this effort up until I reached the dome and finished the last mile. After the Garmin beeped with the completed lap I look and saw that my last mile was around 9:30. I feel good being able to do that at the end of a 12 mile run. The rest of the group finished shortly after I did. I felt proud of the effort everyone put in and the pace we were able to keep throughout the run. Only 1 more Saturday run left until the big day.
After around 4 miles we arrived at the Y and most of the group hit up the bathroom there. Heading out from the Y we kept up our pace which so far had been a bit faster then our normal long run pace. We did yet another 4 mile loop of 8th and 9th streets before getting back to the Y for another rest stop. I'm definitely looking forward to after the marathon when I won't have to run in that area again for another 6 months. The last 4 miles I worked to keep our pace constant with what we'd done already, I wanted to average 11:30 over all 12 miles, about the same pace as our last mile the previous week. With about a mile to go Erin and Eric started to pick up the pace but a held back a little. With half a mile left our group had gotten a little spread out and I decided to make my move on Erin. I picked up the pace to what felt like about a 5k effort and closed the gap on Eric and Erin quickly. Feeling good I kept this effort up until I reached the dome and finished the last mile. After the Garmin beeped with the completed lap I look and saw that my last mile was around 9:30. I feel good being able to do that at the end of a 12 mile run. The rest of the group finished shortly after I did. I felt proud of the effort everyone put in and the pace we were able to keep throughout the run. Only 1 more Saturday run left until the big day.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Peak Mileage
This weekend was our last really long run before the marathon. From this point out we'll be tapering to get ready for the actual race. 20 miles were on the schedule and Rick put together a great route for it. It was an out and back route, but the course looped back so that 1 rest stop could be used 3 times. Additionally it was in a part of town that most of us don't get to do much running, so we enjoyed seeing some new sights instead of the looping courses we've been on the past few weeks. Rick was working the rest stop this week leaving Kris, Maria, Erin, Erik and myself in our familiar role of the group at the back of the pack. Pacing was great for the 20 miles. We started off at a good pace that got a bit faster as we ran and our last mile of the day was our fastest. I was thrilled at how well everyone did on this run. I remember struggling the last few miles of my longest runs last year as I got ready for the marathon and I didn't see any of that in the crew I was running with. The solid effort they put in helped me pace myself to one of the most productive 20 milers I've done. Seeing how everyone does on race day is going to be a lot of fun.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Group Run And A Hike
Saturday
This weekends group run was 12 miles. It was a step back week for the group. We ran from the downtown Y and the course was 3 loops, stopping back at the Y each time for our aid station. Kristy was manning the aid station and not running with the group this week. Heading into the run, my plan was to do 4 loops with Erin, we'd run the first 3 with the group and then do a bonus lap. Before the run we had a chance to catch up with the usual crew we run with. Erik had run the earth day half marathon the previous weekend, Kris and Maria had run their first 20 miler, and Rick and Kristy had each done a 20 miler on their own. Erik was interested in our plan to do another loop when we told him about it.
As we started running Erik and I were talking and not really paying much attention to our pace so we started off a bit fast. I pointed this out to him, but he didn't seem to mind. I figured I'd keep up with him and we could always meet up with our group on the next loop. After Trail Mix last week it felt good to cover some miles quickly again and our first loop was soon over at an average of around 11 minute miles. We headed into the Y to grab something to drink and eat a few shot bloks and quickly headed back out again. Again I figured I'd keep up with Erik and we'd meet up with the group on the next loop. About halfway around the second loop we met up with Jackie, who is running the half marathon this year. I had known Jackie from my days at NDSU and it was nice to talk with her as we ran. The second loop was even faster then our first, we improved about 30 seconds a mile. When we got back to the Y I told Erik that I wanted to wait for the group to catch up and run with them and he agreed. The third loop was our usual group of Kris, Maria, Rick, Erin, Erik and myself with Jerry joining us for his own bonus loop. He's training for the half marathon but is heading out of the country next week and wanted to get a few extra miles in this week. After the first 2 loops I was a bit tired and was really dragging the third. I think it was a combination of having a cold, recovering from Trail Mix, a fast start to the run, and poor hydration on nutrition during the run. When we got back to the Y I was done. Fortunately Erik was still interested in the bonus loop and he and Erin went out to get the extra miles in.
Sunday
On Sunday we went out to Maplewood Start Park to do some hiking with Cory and Maggie. We started off up Hallaway Hill and then left the trail for some free hiking. It was a great day to be out, warm enough for shorts and not too windy. Our legs got a little tore up from some of the brush we were going through so after a couple of miles we found the trail again and stopped by the truck for a snack. We then went looking for a geocache that was on the Ironwood Trail. It took some searching, but eventually Erin found it in a log. We left a packet of Gu there and signed our names. After the hike we enjoyed a picnic lunch before heading back to town.
This weekends group run was 12 miles. It was a step back week for the group. We ran from the downtown Y and the course was 3 loops, stopping back at the Y each time for our aid station. Kristy was manning the aid station and not running with the group this week. Heading into the run, my plan was to do 4 loops with Erin, we'd run the first 3 with the group and then do a bonus lap. Before the run we had a chance to catch up with the usual crew we run with. Erik had run the earth day half marathon the previous weekend, Kris and Maria had run their first 20 miler, and Rick and Kristy had each done a 20 miler on their own. Erik was interested in our plan to do another loop when we told him about it.
As we started running Erik and I were talking and not really paying much attention to our pace so we started off a bit fast. I pointed this out to him, but he didn't seem to mind. I figured I'd keep up with him and we could always meet up with our group on the next loop. After Trail Mix last week it felt good to cover some miles quickly again and our first loop was soon over at an average of around 11 minute miles. We headed into the Y to grab something to drink and eat a few shot bloks and quickly headed back out again. Again I figured I'd keep up with Erik and we'd meet up with the group on the next loop. About halfway around the second loop we met up with Jackie, who is running the half marathon this year. I had known Jackie from my days at NDSU and it was nice to talk with her as we ran. The second loop was even faster then our first, we improved about 30 seconds a mile. When we got back to the Y I told Erik that I wanted to wait for the group to catch up and run with them and he agreed. The third loop was our usual group of Kris, Maria, Rick, Erin, Erik and myself with Jerry joining us for his own bonus loop. He's training for the half marathon but is heading out of the country next week and wanted to get a few extra miles in this week. After the first 2 loops I was a bit tired and was really dragging the third. I think it was a combination of having a cold, recovering from Trail Mix, a fast start to the run, and poor hydration on nutrition during the run. When we got back to the Y I was done. Fortunately Erik was still interested in the bonus loop and he and Erin went out to get the extra miles in.
Sunday
On Sunday we went out to Maplewood Start Park to do some hiking with Cory and Maggie. We started off up Hallaway Hill and then left the trail for some free hiking. It was a great day to be out, warm enough for shorts and not too windy. Our legs got a little tore up from some of the brush we were going through so after a couple of miles we found the trail again and stopped by the truck for a snack. We then went looking for a geocache that was on the Ironwood Trail. It took some searching, but eventually Erin found it in a log. We left a packet of Gu there and signed our names. After the hike we enjoyed a picnic lunch before heading back to town.
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| The geocache we found |
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| Cory, Maggie and Erin |
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| Our picnic lunch |
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Changing plans, solid run
Originally the plan was for the group to run 14 miles this week. It's a step back week down from 18 last week. The flood caused us to run from the store instead of the dome and the plan for the group was updated to 15 miles. The same 3x5 mile loop route we did a few weeks ago. Since Erin is a little behind due to injury we decided we'd run 4 miles to the store giving us a total of 19 for the day.
As we headed out it was in the mid forties and the air was dead calm. It was the second run of the year where I got to run in shorts. Quickly we settled into a conservative pace. A thick layer of fog blanketed the city, but didn't extend more then about 15 feet high. In many places it went up just short of the street lights making for an interesting effect. The run to the store didn't have the same feeling most training runs do. It was more about exploring the city in the dark and the fog then having to run X number of miles. I really wanted to take a longer route to the store, but we didn't allow much extra time and stuck to the 4 mile route.
When we reached the store we saw that turnout was good today. The warm temps tend to take away peoples excuses to sleep in as does the rapidly approaching date of the marathon. We had a few minutes to chat with friends and then it was time to get started. The first loop had a bunch of people all running at our pace. Rick, Kristy, Erin and myself were just ahead of Erik, Maria, Lamont and Eric and about halfway through the loop our 2 groups merged. I don't normally run in a group that large and enjoyed the opportunity. With about a mile to go Lamont had an issue with his asthma and went down on the sidewalk. He got up right away and after a short bit of walking we ran the rest of the way back to the store. The rest of the group was happy it's wasn't a more serious issue.
When we got back to the store I made a mad dash for the bathroom. We took a few minutes to grab some food and fill water bottles before heading back out. Erin and I shared a snickers and some pizza flavored combos. In the past couple of weeks I've started to really like combos for running. GUs and shot bloks tend to get a bit sweet after a while and it's nice to have something a little more savory. Lamont wasn't heading back out with us, and Eric ran ahead to catch up with some people he had seen running alone so it left the 6 of us to run the second 5 mile loop together. Rick and I had an opportunity to talk about fueling and hydration strategies for Trail Mix and talked a little about what he and Kristy's plans might be regarding the race. We changed the route up a little from the first loop which helped keep things fresh and soon found ourselves back at the store with loop 2 complete.
As we were fueling up for our third loop I could feel some tightness start to creep into my legs. I was feeling tired and didn't really want to go back out. I reminded myself that after running 14 miles this was a normal feeling and focused on keeping up with my hydration. I remember having a similar conversation with Rick a little over a year ago after doing 10 miles, it was nice to see the progress I've made since then. The 6 of us headed back out on loop number 3 which we decided to run backwards. The first half of the loop went well, but I was struggling mentally on the way back to the store. My 30 miler a couple of weeks ago really helped get me through the low points because I remembered how much worse I felt at that point in the 30 mile run and how I still made it through the whole thing. Erin started to push the pace and Erik and I let her go ahead. He had decided that since he was missing the group run next week he was going to do another 5 mile loop and get a 20 miler in. I remember my first 20 miler and how grateful I was to have Rick at my side. Erik's decision to run the last 5 by himself impressed me, I'm sure he's going to do great in May. Erin finished her longest run ever with a last mile time just a few seconds off from her first mile of speedwork just 2 days prior. Looking at my heart rate data I also had a great day. We steadily increased our pace the entire 19 miles and my heart rate responded well to that, never really getting that high during the 4 hours we were out. It was good to see so many people having success at the same time. We spent a little time at the store relaxing and chatting with people before heading out. Since Erin and I both ran to the store Rick was kind enough to drive us home.
The tenderness I felt in my foot last week is gone. A combination of rest, compression socks, stretching, and icing seemed to do the trick for me. I had made the comment to Rick that my birthday run was the first long run that I really needed time to recover from. I've been lucky so far in that after both marathons I've run I've recovered very quickly and could get back to running almost right away. We'll have to see how the recovery after Trail Mix goes. Hopefully I can learn from the past few weeks and have a quicker recovery.
As we headed out it was in the mid forties and the air was dead calm. It was the second run of the year where I got to run in shorts. Quickly we settled into a conservative pace. A thick layer of fog blanketed the city, but didn't extend more then about 15 feet high. In many places it went up just short of the street lights making for an interesting effect. The run to the store didn't have the same feeling most training runs do. It was more about exploring the city in the dark and the fog then having to run X number of miles. I really wanted to take a longer route to the store, but we didn't allow much extra time and stuck to the 4 mile route.
When we reached the store we saw that turnout was good today. The warm temps tend to take away peoples excuses to sleep in as does the rapidly approaching date of the marathon. We had a few minutes to chat with friends and then it was time to get started. The first loop had a bunch of people all running at our pace. Rick, Kristy, Erin and myself were just ahead of Erik, Maria, Lamont and Eric and about halfway through the loop our 2 groups merged. I don't normally run in a group that large and enjoyed the opportunity. With about a mile to go Lamont had an issue with his asthma and went down on the sidewalk. He got up right away and after a short bit of walking we ran the rest of the way back to the store. The rest of the group was happy it's wasn't a more serious issue.
When we got back to the store I made a mad dash for the bathroom. We took a few minutes to grab some food and fill water bottles before heading back out. Erin and I shared a snickers and some pizza flavored combos. In the past couple of weeks I've started to really like combos for running. GUs and shot bloks tend to get a bit sweet after a while and it's nice to have something a little more savory. Lamont wasn't heading back out with us, and Eric ran ahead to catch up with some people he had seen running alone so it left the 6 of us to run the second 5 mile loop together. Rick and I had an opportunity to talk about fueling and hydration strategies for Trail Mix and talked a little about what he and Kristy's plans might be regarding the race. We changed the route up a little from the first loop which helped keep things fresh and soon found ourselves back at the store with loop 2 complete.
As we were fueling up for our third loop I could feel some tightness start to creep into my legs. I was feeling tired and didn't really want to go back out. I reminded myself that after running 14 miles this was a normal feeling and focused on keeping up with my hydration. I remember having a similar conversation with Rick a little over a year ago after doing 10 miles, it was nice to see the progress I've made since then. The 6 of us headed back out on loop number 3 which we decided to run backwards. The first half of the loop went well, but I was struggling mentally on the way back to the store. My 30 miler a couple of weeks ago really helped get me through the low points because I remembered how much worse I felt at that point in the 30 mile run and how I still made it through the whole thing. Erin started to push the pace and Erik and I let her go ahead. He had decided that since he was missing the group run next week he was going to do another 5 mile loop and get a 20 miler in. I remember my first 20 miler and how grateful I was to have Rick at my side. Erik's decision to run the last 5 by himself impressed me, I'm sure he's going to do great in May. Erin finished her longest run ever with a last mile time just a few seconds off from her first mile of speedwork just 2 days prior. Looking at my heart rate data I also had a great day. We steadily increased our pace the entire 19 miles and my heart rate responded well to that, never really getting that high during the 4 hours we were out. It was good to see so many people having success at the same time. We spent a little time at the store relaxing and chatting with people before heading out. Since Erin and I both ran to the store Rick was kind enough to drive us home.
The tenderness I felt in my foot last week is gone. A combination of rest, compression socks, stretching, and icing seemed to do the trick for me. I had made the comment to Rick that my birthday run was the first long run that I really needed time to recover from. I've been lucky so far in that after both marathons I've run I've recovered very quickly and could get back to running almost right away. We'll have to see how the recovery after Trail Mix goes. Hopefully I can learn from the past few weeks and have a quicker recovery.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Road Trip: Detroit Lakes
This past Saturday our training group ran in Detroit Lakes. The day started early with Rick and Kristy picking Erin and I up shortly after 5:00 and on our way out of town we met up with Erik and Maria. We enjoyed chatting on the drive down and catching up on each others long run from the week before. As we neared Detroit Lakes a thick fog started to creep in. After a quick bathroom stop we arrived at Washington park just before everyone else started to show up. Rick was kind enough to setup a rest stop at mile 4.5 and would not be running with us. The temp was in the upper 20s and the wind was dead calm as we started off around the lake. Kristy ran head with some of our other friends, while Kris, Maria, Erik, Lamont and myself stuck together at the back of the pack. Erin didn't plan on running the entire 18 miles so she got a ride with Rick to the rest stop and then ran back a little to join us.
The first few miles I was a bit nervous about how my foot would hold up. Since last Saturdays 30 miler I had only run once because it's been giving me some problems. I consciously slowed my pace down and things seemed to go well. The route was almost the same as the Dick Beardsley half marathon and was somewhat familiar to me. Before I knew it Erin had met up with us and shortly thereafter Lamont made his turn around leaving Kris, Maria, Erik, Erin and myself playing catchup with Kristy. We saw her as we pulled into the first rest stop, but she was heading out as we were getting there. We filled water bottles, said hello to Rick, got some calories down and headed off again into the fog. The middle of the run was a lot of fun for me. The road is right next to the lake in a few spots and with the thick fog we could not see across. it's like the world ended just a few feet away from where we were.
We met up with Kristy at the rest stop that marked the turn around point. She was waiting for us as we again filled bottles and tried to eat what we could. She showed us one of her shoes which had gotten muddy when she stopped to use the bathroom. As we ran we noticed that the mud had spread all the way up the back of her pants. With a couple of miles to go before getting back to Rick's rest stop I started to feel something in my foot. I made the decision to stop my run when we got to Rick and get a ride back.
The rest of the group headed off as I changed clothes and then Rick and I drove back to the park to wait for everyone. After I stopped the foot quickly felt better and even though I could have toughed it out I know I made the right decision. As the rest of the group arrived at the park Rick and I congratulated them on what was the longest run most of them had ever done. Rick asked if anyone was in a hurry to get back to town or if we wanted to stop and eat. It might have been because I'd been waiting for the others to finish and had time to get hungry, but I was the only one who spoke up about wanting to grab some food. Fortunately when I suggested heading to Perkins everyone agreed. The ladies changed clothes in the bathroom there and we all enjoyed a leisurely brunch before heading back to town. This was a great start to the weekend
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| Getting ready to run |
We met up with Kristy at the rest stop that marked the turn around point. She was waiting for us as we again filled bottles and tried to eat what we could. She showed us one of her shoes which had gotten muddy when she stopped to use the bathroom. As we ran we noticed that the mud had spread all the way up the back of her pants. With a couple of miles to go before getting back to Rick's rest stop I started to feel something in my foot. I made the decision to stop my run when we got to Rick and get a ride back.
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| The 5 first timers heading back out into the fog |
Saturday, March 19, 2011
21 Miles
When I stepped outside this morning the moon was shining brilliantly. I could easily see my shadow as I started to run to the store. The plan was to run to the store, meet up with the Saturday morning running group, and then possibly run back home with Rick. I chose the 6 mile route to the store and started to make my way around our neighborhood. The temperature was 26°, but the wind was at a brisk 16 miles per hour. As I headed west I watched a cloud appear to move in and glide past the moon and I wondered, was the cloud really moving, or had I just moved underneath it as I ran. A bit later I heard an odd noise off in the distance, I wasn't sure if it was the wind whipping through the trees or maybe a dog. A couple minutes later I heard it again and thought it might be geese honking. At this point I looked up and over the city and saw a pale yellow color in the sky. The reflected light of the city looks nothing the colors of a sunrise. Turning back to look at the moon I thought it looked much more like a sunrise. Running down Veterans I saw a number of mice that had lost their hiding places as the snow melted this past week, as I approached them they would scurry off into the dark. The last mile to the store was fairly uneventful, some ice had built up on this sidewalk since Thursday when I last ran this route and I had to slow down occasionally.
Reaching the store with 6 miles already done I could see that we had a great turnout today, the store was mostly filled and we still had about 15 minutes before we'd head out. I waited to use the bathroom, ate a few shot blocks, and talked with a few people before heading back out with the group. This weeks route was a little odd, the full marathoners ran a 5 mile loop 3 times, the half marathoners would run a 4 mile loop twice, and the 10k runners would just do an out and back. Us back of the pack runners quickly formed our group consisting of Rick, Kristy, Kris, Maria, Erik, and myself. We ran the first loop as the course was marked and arrived back at the store for the first rest stop. I had decided this would be where I would take in the majority of my calories and had brought a snickers along, but it had partially frozen in my pocket. It took longer then I thought it would to eat it, and down a 5 hour energy and I had to catch back up to my group. The second loop I modified so that we wouldn't run as much on the sidewalk on 13th Avenue where it was icy and out on road on 17th Avenue where traffic was starting to pick up. The consensus when we got back to the store was to repeat the route we took the second loop but on the third loop we'd run it backwards. Kris and Maria had headed out about a minute before the rest of us and Kristy pushed to catch up with them leaving Erik, Rick and I slowing playing catch up ourselves. We had an interesting conversation about the importance of doing things to alleviate chaffing and different strategies to avoid it over the mile or so it took us to catch up to the women. The third loop passed quickly and soon we were on the home stretch. Erik and Kristy started to push the pace and I felt good enough to want to keep up with them but I decided to hold back to be able to run home with Rick. When we got back to the store I talked with Rick and we decided that 21 miles would be enough for me today if I was going to get another run in on Sunday. We hung out at the store for a bit chatting before Erin dropped by to pick me up and the mornings adventure was over.
Reaching the store with 6 miles already done I could see that we had a great turnout today, the store was mostly filled and we still had about 15 minutes before we'd head out. I waited to use the bathroom, ate a few shot blocks, and talked with a few people before heading back out with the group. This weeks route was a little odd, the full marathoners ran a 5 mile loop 3 times, the half marathoners would run a 4 mile loop twice, and the 10k runners would just do an out and back. Us back of the pack runners quickly formed our group consisting of Rick, Kristy, Kris, Maria, Erik, and myself. We ran the first loop as the course was marked and arrived back at the store for the first rest stop. I had decided this would be where I would take in the majority of my calories and had brought a snickers along, but it had partially frozen in my pocket. It took longer then I thought it would to eat it, and down a 5 hour energy and I had to catch back up to my group. The second loop I modified so that we wouldn't run as much on the sidewalk on 13th Avenue where it was icy and out on road on 17th Avenue where traffic was starting to pick up. The consensus when we got back to the store was to repeat the route we took the second loop but on the third loop we'd run it backwards. Kris and Maria had headed out about a minute before the rest of us and Kristy pushed to catch up with them leaving Erik, Rick and I slowing playing catch up ourselves. We had an interesting conversation about the importance of doing things to alleviate chaffing and different strategies to avoid it over the mile or so it took us to catch up to the women. The third loop passed quickly and soon we were on the home stretch. Erik and Kristy started to push the pace and I felt good enough to want to keep up with them but I decided to hold back to be able to run home with Rick. When we got back to the store I talked with Rick and we decided that 21 miles would be enough for me today if I was going to get another run in on Sunday. We hung out at the store for a bit chatting before Erin dropped by to pick me up and the mornings adventure was over.
Monday, February 21, 2011
My Weekend
Saturdays Group Run
This weeks group run was 10 miles from the downtown Y. The route took us north along the marathon route and a bit past the dome to get our distance in. This week Rick was kind enough to mark the route ahead of time so we wouldn't get lost like the previous week. A couple of miles into the run a pack formed with Kris, Maria, Rick, Erin and myself. Our pack held together for the rest of the run and we were joined on the way back by Eric and Mark. I love when a good sized pack forms. As you run you tend to speed up and slow down periodically. The natural pace variations within the group causes people to drift within the group, giving you the opportunity to talk with different people as you run. The conditions were cold but the roads were mainly dry after the warm up the week before. When we got back to the Y I stopped to use the bathroom and headed out for my bonus miles. Erin drove home from the Y, but I had planned to run the 8.5 miles home to get in a little extra. Starting out on my own I quickly found a comfortable pace and headed in the general direction of home. I hadn't really thought about what route I would take until now so I passed the time by thinking of different ways to get home. I had managed to stay on top of fueling and hydration so far and was feeling good 13 miles into my run. I decided I'd head over to the Old Milwaukee Trail again as that route worked well last week. As I neared mile 15 I began to feel fatigued. I focused on drinking more and had a few shot blocks and some endurolytes. I let myself do some walking, but tried to limit it to short periods. The run was starting to get unpleasant, but my goal was to push through the ugliness and finish strong. I felt like my pace was slowing down, but in reality it was speeding up as I went. I started to think of what I wanted to eat when I was done and remembered Stewarts Deli had beer cheese soup today. I decided that we'd hit up the deli and I'd get soup and my normal sandwich with a few additions; bacon, pepper jack cheese, and more bacon. Thinking about the upcoming meal I finished the run very strong. Without digging into my past logs too much I'm confident this is the fastest I'd ever covered this particular distance. I was tired and a little sore, but the sandwich afterward made it all worth while.
Sundays Gear Test
Friday night Erin and I went shopping for some new gear. I had one a few challenges on The Daily Mile and had some Visa gift cards to use up. We wound up each getting a Sugoi jacket made with their firewall fabric. We were both excited to try them out, but thought Saturdays long run would be a poor time to try out something new. Sunday morning was 8° with the wind around 20 mph out of the N. Not the most fun to be running in, but great weather to test out gear in. Leaving the house I didn't have a route or goal distance in mind. I figured I'd see how things went after doing 18 the previous day and how warm I was able to stay. After a mile or two I decided that I'd shoot for a 10 mile run. That would get me to 51 miles for the week, the same amount as the previous 2 weeks. The route I chose had me running into the wind for the first half of the run. The wind was strong enough that I could feel it slow my pace, it felt like running up a hill all the way until the turn around point. The jacket was supposed to be wind proof, but it felt like some of the wind was making it through. I was a little under dressed, but still in the range where things were tolerable. After I turned around I warmed up somewhat and went a little faster. I fell behind on fueling and hydration and started to drag with 3 miles left, it wasn't unpleasant, but I could tell the legs didn't have as much in them as on my way out. At that point I drank what I could and pushed through the remaining distance. When I got home I passed on sitting in the snowbank, I was cold enough already and was eager to get out of the wind. The morning ended with a hot shower, a nap, and then brunch at WF Maxwells. Not a bad way to end the weekend.
This weeks group run was 10 miles from the downtown Y. The route took us north along the marathon route and a bit past the dome to get our distance in. This week Rick was kind enough to mark the route ahead of time so we wouldn't get lost like the previous week. A couple of miles into the run a pack formed with Kris, Maria, Rick, Erin and myself. Our pack held together for the rest of the run and we were joined on the way back by Eric and Mark. I love when a good sized pack forms. As you run you tend to speed up and slow down periodically. The natural pace variations within the group causes people to drift within the group, giving you the opportunity to talk with different people as you run. The conditions were cold but the roads were mainly dry after the warm up the week before. When we got back to the Y I stopped to use the bathroom and headed out for my bonus miles. Erin drove home from the Y, but I had planned to run the 8.5 miles home to get in a little extra. Starting out on my own I quickly found a comfortable pace and headed in the general direction of home. I hadn't really thought about what route I would take until now so I passed the time by thinking of different ways to get home. I had managed to stay on top of fueling and hydration so far and was feeling good 13 miles into my run. I decided I'd head over to the Old Milwaukee Trail again as that route worked well last week. As I neared mile 15 I began to feel fatigued. I focused on drinking more and had a few shot blocks and some endurolytes. I let myself do some walking, but tried to limit it to short periods. The run was starting to get unpleasant, but my goal was to push through the ugliness and finish strong. I felt like my pace was slowing down, but in reality it was speeding up as I went. I started to think of what I wanted to eat when I was done and remembered Stewarts Deli had beer cheese soup today. I decided that we'd hit up the deli and I'd get soup and my normal sandwich with a few additions; bacon, pepper jack cheese, and more bacon. Thinking about the upcoming meal I finished the run very strong. Without digging into my past logs too much I'm confident this is the fastest I'd ever covered this particular distance. I was tired and a little sore, but the sandwich afterward made it all worth while.
Sundays Gear Test
Friday night Erin and I went shopping for some new gear. I had one a few challenges on The Daily Mile and had some Visa gift cards to use up. We wound up each getting a Sugoi jacket made with their firewall fabric. We were both excited to try them out, but thought Saturdays long run would be a poor time to try out something new. Sunday morning was 8° with the wind around 20 mph out of the N. Not the most fun to be running in, but great weather to test out gear in. Leaving the house I didn't have a route or goal distance in mind. I figured I'd see how things went after doing 18 the previous day and how warm I was able to stay. After a mile or two I decided that I'd shoot for a 10 mile run. That would get me to 51 miles for the week, the same amount as the previous 2 weeks. The route I chose had me running into the wind for the first half of the run. The wind was strong enough that I could feel it slow my pace, it felt like running up a hill all the way until the turn around point. The jacket was supposed to be wind proof, but it felt like some of the wind was making it through. I was a little under dressed, but still in the range where things were tolerable. After I turned around I warmed up somewhat and went a little faster. I fell behind on fueling and hydration and started to drag with 3 miles left, it wasn't unpleasant, but I could tell the legs didn't have as much in them as on my way out. At that point I drank what I could and pushed through the remaining distance. When I got home I passed on sitting in the snowbank, I was cold enough already and was eager to get out of the wind. The morning ended with a hot shower, a nap, and then brunch at WF Maxwells. Not a bad way to end the weekend.
Biggest Loser
Today is the end of the third week of my biggest loser competition. I've been making steady progress and I'm down a total of 11 pounds so far. It hasn't been easy, but I've also been able to be a indulge a few times a week because of the large amount of running I've been doing. This week I'd like to really focus on eating well and see if I can make it without having any "bad" meals. I'm not necessarily cutting down on calories from previous weeks, just looking to avoid the feeling of 'I could have done better' when I'm done eating a meal.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Pancakes
Todays long run with the group was 11 miles. Since the run was from the store I opted to get in 4 bonus miles by running to the store. The weather was great. Lower 20s with a light wind out of the East, much warmer then the 17 below Thursday morning when I last ran to the store. After the run was the annual pancake feed at the dome. The past few years I've enjoyed doing our Saturday group run and then going for pancakes afterwards. This year was no exception. After almost 16 miles I really enjoyed hanging out with Rick and his family and chowing down on the pancakes.
This weeks training was fairly uneventful. Monday was a rest day as normal. Tuesday morning I did half mile intervals on the treadmill at the gym for a total of 6 miles. Average speed wasn't quite as fast a tempo run, but the workout felt good. I snuck in a hard 45 minute ride on the bike at the gym that night before my company christmas party that night. Wednesday morning was a cold windy run with Erin. We headed Northwest into the wind and got in a little over 6.5 miles. Wednesday night was a hard hour on the bike and 15 minutes on the rowing machine. Thursday morning was an 8 mile run, 4 to the store and 4 with Erin, and that afternoon I mixed it up at the gym with the rowing machine, biking, and the elliptical. Friday Erin and I crossed trained at the gym so I was on the elliptical again and a machine that sort of mimics the motion of skating. It's a lot of time spent training, but I think all of the cross training helps keep things balanced and injury free.
This weeks training was fairly uneventful. Monday was a rest day as normal. Tuesday morning I did half mile intervals on the treadmill at the gym for a total of 6 miles. Average speed wasn't quite as fast a tempo run, but the workout felt good. I snuck in a hard 45 minute ride on the bike at the gym that night before my company christmas party that night. Wednesday morning was a cold windy run with Erin. We headed Northwest into the wind and got in a little over 6.5 miles. Wednesday night was a hard hour on the bike and 15 minutes on the rowing machine. Thursday morning was an 8 mile run, 4 to the store and 4 with Erin, and that afternoon I mixed it up at the gym with the rowing machine, biking, and the elliptical. Friday Erin and I crossed trained at the gym so I was on the elliptical again and a machine that sort of mimics the motion of skating. It's a lot of time spent training, but I think all of the cross training helps keep things balanced and injury free.
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