Winning Back What I Lost

AM:  Lunchtime run up Shaw Mt. Rd and then 3/4 of the way up Table Rock.  Total elevation gain in the 3.1 mile climb was 858 ft., 120+ ft greater than the Les Bois 10k course coming up this Saturday.  I was feeling rather confident on the uphill, that is until a 130 lb twig of a man w/ gigantic quads and calves whizzed by me like I was standing still.  He of course went all the way to the top.  I'm gonna go out on a limb and say this guy will be running Robie next month and I'm guessing he might do quite well.

PM: 4.31 easy/slow miles on the TM this evening.  Trying to increase my mileage up near the 50 mpw mark and its definitely easier for me to get away for shorter periods of time during weekdays at least. 

Planned on running this afternoon but thanks to an afternoon hail storm I had to wait until late tonight.  Long easy slow run outside @ a conversational pace.  I fell asleep on the couch and woke up in a pissy mood b/c I knew that I hadn't run yet.  My wife's been sick and coughing all night so I'm not getting a lot of sleep.  May have to sleep on the couch tonight to get some rest.  I can't recall ever doing that, voluntarily at least. 

My hip has been bothering me since my return flight from SF.  It feels like its come out of its socket somewhat and when I place my hand there while I walk I can feel an abnormal protrusion of the bone.  It's not terribly painful, sort of a dull ache, but it affects my gait while walking and running.  I plan on visiting my chiro sometime this week.

T/M: Raining/snowing this afternoon so I had to settle for the TM after work.  My IT is really flaring up.  I gave it a good once over w/ the hand massager and the foam roller.  Seems to be a little better.  Did a hill pyramid @ an easy, slow pace (warmup mile, 1 mile @ 1.0, 1 mile @ 2.0, 1 mile @ 3.0, 1 mile @ 4.0, .5 mile @ 3.0, .2 mile @ 2.5, .2 mile @ 2.0, etc., cooldown).  

More bad weather this afternoon forced me inside for another evening TM run.  I thought the ITBS was starting to feel better until I ran again.  It's tolerable right now until I stop running when it really starts to stiffen up and ache.  I'm gonna give it a good icing tonight and see if that's more effective.  I started a new audiobook today, "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" by Haruki Murakami.  Thus far its mildly interesting.  Its basically just the random musings of a 50 yr old novelist pondering the various stages of his passion/ambivalence toward running.  Kinda like what I do here from time to time.

2 mile warmup, 4 miles @ approx. 8:08 mi, 2+ mile cooldown.  Felt pretty good- like I could have gone a bit longer and a bit faster.   

Course map: http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=189510

Woke up this morning w/ the first good night's sleep I've had in a week.  Ran about 1.5 miles at a slow jog to warmup.  Temp at the start was near 20 degrees after an overnight low in the teens.  This was actually a benefit because it froze the mud that developed on the course after a few inches of snow in the Boise Foothills began to melt yesterday.  It also froze the small stream that ran through the out and back course at roughly miles 1.8 and 4.2. 

I neglected to charge my Garmin so I had no way of tracking my pace.  As a result, I decided to just let it loose and run as strong as I could from the start.  I didn't hold back much at all- knowing that I couldn't possible run that hard through the steepest part of the course around mile 2.  Sure enough, by the time I hit the steepest portion I was spent and was forced to walk for about two minutes to catch my breath.  Nevertheless, I was not passed by anyone nor did I pass anyone the remainder of the race.  In fact, there was so much distance between the racer immediately in front of me and immediately behind me that I believe I was prevented from running the 6 seconds faster that I needed to beat my previous PR (established last year in my first and only other 10k on a pancake flat course).  When I rounded the last corner to the straightaway leading to the finish line the digital time readout revealed a time of 48 mins even.  I tried to pick up the pace but there was just too much space to cover and/or I am just too slow.  All that aside, I'm extremely pleased w/ my effort.  After running this course in training I was aiming for a 8:30 pace and ended up w/ 7:46 and just 5 seconds off my PR on a dirt and gravel trail course that averages around a 4.5 grade.  Throw in little bit of ice, snow, frozen mud and frozen creek to jump over and I should not have even flirted w/ a PR. 

This race was only the appeitizer.  Now its on to the main course- the Robie Creek 1/2 Marathon in 5 weeks- which offers a much greater endurance challenge. 

Afternoon:  Boise GB from Municipal Park to Harris Ranch and back.  1 mile warmup, 5 miles @ 8:22 pace; 1 mile cooldown.  My cardio conditioning continues to improve but my overall leg strength is still lacking.  I've known for quite some time that I will not see any significant speed gains until I drop down below 170 lbs.  I mistakenly believed that increased hill training would get me off this plateau but I've been hovering around 180 for a couple of weeks- about 5 lbs heavier than my marathon weight last year.  My main obstacle seems to be that as my weekly mileage increases, so does my appetite, which has effectively cancelled out any potential weight loss. 

AM:  I wasn't sure whether I would get some time this afternoon or evening so I got up for an early run.  I should say, after hitting the alarm clock twice I eventually stumbled out of bed for a run.  5+ easy, slow miles on the TM @ 1% incline. Crossing my fingers for a hill workout this afternoon or evening as well.

PM: 4+ miles of hill intervals w/ 1 mile cooldown.  Weight = 178.5 lbs

At work today I decided that I need to ratchet up my hill training w/ just over a month until Robie.  After last night's hill training on the TM, I ran from where the pavement ends on Shaw Mt Rd to where the road is snow packed and back.  This is about 2 miles from the summit.  I felt very lethargic and kind of nauseous.  I was barely crawling along by the time I hit the cattle guard which is as far up as I ventured last month when the road was still ice/snow packed lower on the road.  I was delighted to learn that about a 1/3 mile above that the grade flattens somewhat before it begins its final assault on the summit the last 1.5 miles before Aldape Summit.  At least I was able to catch my breath a little at that point and I even planned on climbing higher but the snowpacked road after 2.5 miles was a good enough excuse for me to turn around.  Probably won't do any more hills til Saturday when I plan on running from Ft. Boise Park to the summit and back.

Seven easy, slow miles along the GB from Veteran's Park to half mile past Glenwood Bridge and back.  I'm listening to "Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini (author of Kite Runner) right now and it is truly depressing and captivating at the same time.  Hosseini is an extraordinarily gifted writer but I don't think I could listen to his work if I were doing a tempo or hill run- it leaves me too melancholy.   

Late PM:  4.91 slow, easy miles w/ a half dozen pickups in the last mile cuz that's how I roll.  Need to get close to fifty miles this week.  So far, so good.

Lunch hour run on the GB.  Felt very strong today running on flat terrain, in shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt.  Sunny w/ a temp in the 50's and a slight breeze.  Short warmup, 5+ miles @ 8:17 pace, and cooldown. On Sunday, I helped the kids build a snowman.  Today I passed by Bronco Stadium and got a glimpse of some of the big uglies doing blocking drills.  BSU spring football is here already. 

Long hill run today; ran from the first cattle guard at the bottom of Shaw Mtn Rd to within a 1/2 mile of Aldape Summit; the road got extremely icy and snowpacked from about 2 miles from the Summit on; I had to pick and choose the best route from that point which made the already steep grade that much more difficult to navigate; coming down was even worse and I had a few slips where I was certain that I would fall on my arse but I was somehow able to keep my feet; quite a few people running and one group of three actually went higher than I did but they ended up walking as the slush that had developed the day before was frozen solid w/ overnight temps down in the low 20's last night; 

I felt much stronger than any of my previous runs on the Robie course and this is as far up as I've been able or willing to venture this year; I ran at a tolerable pace from the start, not wanting to push it at all and just focused on proper breathing and extending the run; this was my longest hill run thus far in my training, not the hardest but the longest; hopefully we'll get some nights w/ temps above freezing to clear the last couple of miles to the top.   

Late evening TM run at the IAC; warmup 10 mins, 4.75 mi @ 8:30, 10 mins cooldown.  Not feeling real great; I think I might finally be getting what my kids and wife have already had; sore throat and slight fever had me sweating like I was Jim Cramer on the Daily Show. 

TM hill workout: 2 miles warmup, then 4 miles w/ half mile intervals varying from 2% to 6%, and cooldown. Weight down to 176 lbs.

I felt like crap warmed over and up until the moment I actually exited the front door of my house, it was extremely doubtful that I would do any training today. I'm not trying to take any credit as being superhuman or anything but running has just sort of become something that I HAVE to do. It's like brushing my teeth or combing my hair- sure I can skip doing those things on a given day but it just wouldn't feel right.

Late evening run outside. I ran in a long sleeve technical shirt and shorts at 10pm. I was duped into overestimating how cold it got once the sun went down (mid 30's) b/c the temp rose into the 60's during the day. That said, I would have been OK if I would have just worn gloves- my hands were freezing.

Warmup, 6 mi @ 8:27 pace, cooldown.

More hill training this afternoon. Ran an out and back from the base of Shaw Mt Rd toward Table Rock (750 ft elev gain, 4.7% avg grade). Felt surprisingly good despite a sore throat. First mile or so was tough b/c I'm spraying my throat regularly w/ Zicam which dries it out. Felt like I had cotton balls in my mouth. Looked around for some gutter water to sip but there was none to be had.

I've gotten a lot better at downhill running. One would think that this would be easy but it really is a challenge. I'm learning to avoid slapping my heels on the pavement and instead landing more softly on the midsole area to avoid braking. Ran the uphill 3 miles in 9:40 avg pace (last mile was much slower) and the downhill 3 in 7:08 avg (1st downhill mile at 6:45 which is excellent for me). Most encouraging thing about the run today was that I didn't really have to exert too much.

I heard today that Aldape Summit is clear of snow and ice all the way to the top. I may have to hit it again on Saturday morning depending on how I feel.

Afternoon out and back run on the GB from Parkcenter Bridge past Warm Springs Golf Course. Today is the first day of Spring and it was probably the warmest day of the year thus far. Still bothered by sore throat and cough but I'm warming to the idea that its just my allergies. Lots of plants and trees coming to life this past week.

Started reading/listening to Malcolm Gladwell's book 'Outliers: The Story of Success.' My buddy (stat geek) and my brother have been raving about this book and I finally got around to it. Gladwell makes a rather compelling argument that successful people aren't defined simply by their inherent genius or talent, rather they're often the beneficiary of seemingly benign environmental factors which grant them certain advantages over their rivals. Thus far, the book has made me ashamed of being born on August 1, perhaps the most fortuitous b-day for any aspiring MLB player. Why? The youth baseball cut-off date in most of the US is July 31. I am Exhibit A for the case that enjoying a physical advantage over other players cannot supersede an utter lack of proficiency.

Avg pace= 8:15 mi.

I was planning on running to the Aldape Summit now that it is clear of snow.  The skies looked pretty ominous and the forecast was not encouraging so I settled for 12 easy/slow miles on the TM- which is about 5 miles more than I can usually stand.  Disappointed that I couldn't keep up the trend of increasing my weekly mileage.  It was a combination of things that prevented me from getting out enough.  Next week is spring break and I'll be at my parents place in Oregon starting Wednesday.  I'm gonna have to get creative if I hope to get the miles in that I need.

Afternoon out and back run on the greenbelt (6.01 mi); easy pace for 4 miles then some half mile pickups of 7:25 mi pace; 8:28 overall pace.  Need to run again tonight because I'll be travelling all day on Wednesday to visit parents in Oregon for Spring Break; I need to bank some miles in case the inevitable happens.

Late night hill training on the TM (6.45 mi): 1 min intervals of 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, and 6.4%. 

Late evening run on the TM: warmup, 6 miles at 8:18 avg pace w/ the last mile @ 7:30 pace, cooldown.  Started listening to A Mighty Heart: The Life and Death of Daniel Pearle by Marianne Pearle.  Daniel Pearle is the WSJ reporter who was kidnapped in Pakistan by Al Qeada forces while tracking down Richard Reid's (shoe bomber) ties to the organization in late '01.  Thus far, not a bad listen although the author/narrator's French accent takes a little getting used to. 

Heading to Oregon w/ the fam for the rest of the week so I'm gonna have to get creative if I'm to get my mileage back up to 50 miles.

Lebanon, OR

Visiting my parents for Spring Break week w/ the kids; snuck away early before everyone got up and ran and out and back along the highway leading to Corvalis; Felt really good to be running on flat terrain at near sea level; 6 miles @ 8:06 and cooldown.

Lebanon, OR

Had an idea to run along the South Santiam River which runs right through the north part of town; crossed over the bridge ready to follow the river toward Sweet Home, OR and had second thoughts once I saw the narrow shoulders.  I ended up continuing north for a few miles before turning back and running a slightly different path back to my folks' house.  This route wasn't nearly as scenic but it some nice rollers that tested my legs a bit.  Still feeling very strong but for the lower back pain I got from being on my dad's roof all day scrubbing moss of the shingles and cleaning gutters.....so nice to visit the old man, he always has a few chores for me when I come around. :)  8 miles @ 8:16 and cooldown.  My wife wants to head my sisters house in Portland early tomorrow for a brief visit and then hit the road back to Portland.  It's 11 o'clock right now and I'm not optimistic that I'll get up early enough tomorrow morning to get my long Saturday run in before my wife tells me where I need to be. :(

Back to the grind w/ more hill training.  Ran an out and back from Les Bois Park to Table Rock.  Legs felt good but my heart rate was racing from the get-go.  Not sure what that was about.  Nice easy pace, 9:27 on the way up and 8:32 overall.  I plan to run again this evening.  I was travelling on Saturday so I wasn't able to get a long run in again this past week.   

Late PM:  TM run; 1 mile warmup, 6 mi @ 8:28 pace w/ 1% incline, .3 cooldown.  Eclipsed my previous PR for monthly mileage that I achieved in February.  I'm hoping go over 200 miles tomorrow.

Afternoon:  Lunchtime GB run cut short by rain; 4 miles @ 8:13 pace; Started listening to An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography by Paul Rusesabagina.  Rusesabagina was a hotel manager in Rwanda during the mid-90's Hutu genocide of the minority Tutsis and the inspiration for the academy award winning movie Hotel Rwanda.  He used his connections to shelter Tutsis and moderate Hutus sympathyzing w/ Tutsis.  The first part of the book attempts to clarify the idiocy behind the dutch colonial distinction between the two tribes/races.  From what I gather it was based mostly upon such critical factors as one's heighth and the length of one's nose.