SimpleSoleProject

So obviously, I have been too busy to keep the content on here fresh.  However, I haven’t had much to say as I have not had the time to muse and blabber on.  But for the sake of keeping things going here are some images to get you (me?) through the next two weeks of high school track season and school.  Back to the profoundish thoughts in good time

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Whew…thank God the month of April is over.  As you can see below the inconsistencies continue. There were a few improvements made along the way, but not the continuous running I need to have those major breakthroughs.  This month my body really told me that recovery was needed.  When I gave it time, it was evident that I needed more.  Two rounds of antibiotics for a sinus/ear infection and a glute/hamstring issue that I’m working through were just a few of the main issues.  Combine that with the fact I had another bachelor party to go to and I’m getting married in a few short days and you can see how my schedule has been a bit hectic and recovery time has been slow.  On the positive side of things, it gave me a chance to recover mentally and physically for the upcoming marathon cycle.  I’m still weighing a few options but hope to have a decision in the coming weeks.

Needless to say I’m excited to be feeling back to 100%. As it is Tuesday, this current week will not be included, but I’m starting to get back into form.  After Saturday’s nuptials (WOO HOO!!!) we are headed to Italy for 10 days.  Being that the wine, desserts, and pasta will be flowing like…well, wine, I’ll be sure to get some miles in as well.

I’m always looking to make improvements to my running. Whether it’s form, core work, diet or anything else that I pick up on, striving to get better in all areas of running are key to being as complete as possible. Right now, I’m focused on getting my cadence (number of times my feet hit the ground in a given minute). Most professional marathon runners hover around 180 steps per minute.  After testing myself for a week or so, I was consistantly around 170.  I’m hoping that I can subconsciously do this within a month or so.

Upon my return I look forward to embracing the coming months and making some significant improvements.    Until then, thanks for reading!

Here is an aritcle that I thought you may appreciate:  http://m.runnersworld.com/race-training/elite-state-mind?page=1

March 18^th-24^th

March 18^th: 12 total. 7.5 warm up. Drills. 5:48, 5:51, 5:46.  1 mile cool down

March 19^th: 14 total. Am – 10. 2 x 3 miles (16:23, 16:19). Workout was supposed to be 1000 at 3:07 (5:00 mile pace) with the remaining 600 (5:57 pace).  Was supposed to do this for 4-7 miles but it wasn’t happening. Readjusted the work out to do 2 x 3 miles. PM  4 miles in 31:15 on the soccer field.

March 20^th: 9 miles in 1:03:24. 7:03 avg.

March 21^st: 21 miles. 1 mile warm up. 20 miles in 2:04:25. 6:13 avg. (see below for mile splits)

March 22^nd: 6.5 miles. No watch as it was a recovery run.

March 23^rd: 8 progression. 49:21. 6:10 avg.  Splits were:  7:16, 6:40, 6:30, 6:13 , 6:01, 5:49, 5:37, 5:13

March 24^th: Rest

Mileage Total: 72.5

Long run. 6:15, 6:19, 6:19, 6:20, 6:23 (5 mile total 31:38), 6:19, 6:16, 6:16, 6:11, 6:14 (10 mile total in 1:02:57), 6:16, 6:15, 6:13, 6:16, 6:17, (15 mile total in 1:34:17), 6:02, 6:07, 6:04, 6:02, 5:39 (20 mile total in 2:04:23)

March 25^th-31^st

March 25^th: 12 Total. 7.5 warm up, Drills, 5:45, 5:46, 5:48. 1 mile cool down.

March 26^th: 15.5 Total. 11.5 AM. 1:18:55 – 6:52 average.  16 x 300 meters in the street in my regular trainging shoes. 52-54 seconds. 100 meters in between each interval.

March 27^th: 9 recovery in 1:03:48. 7:05 average

March 28^th: 11 Total.  5 x 2000 on the track in my racing flats. 6:28, 6:29, 6:31, 6:30, 6:30

March 29^th: 21 Totoal. 2:17:01. 6:31 Average Mile pace. Newport Beach – Hilly. Fairly tired. 1 minute hard every 6 minutes. Continue reading →

Just imagine how much easier life would be if you didn’t run.  I didn’t say better, I just said easier.  I had this thought Sunday morning before my long run.  I was standing in my kitchen, in the dark, alone, eating a newly toasted/recently frozen blueberry waffle.  On Saturday we had our first outdoor track meet of the season and I was exhausted.  My wife was sleeping, the bed was warm, the sun was still down, and there I was munching on a mediocre and slightly under-warmed breakfast treat.

I don’t mean to come across as complaining, it is just an interesting element of our lifestyles as endurance athletes.  Think about all of the parts of life that we “miss” out on, that non-runners embrace.  Obviously this list is dependent upon the person and I would never presume to create a collection of these that applies to everyone, or anyone for that matter.  I can’t count the number of times people have tried to convince me to stay out later or have said just don’ run, one day is not going to kill you.  I have no idea what is in my (our?) personality that compels runners to make these sacrifices in life.  Because in the process of recovering from an injury or peaking for a big race, we DO miss out on some things that are very enjoyable in the brief time that we have available to us.

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After looking over my past few posts, I realized I have not been the most positive of souls lately. Truth is, my training has been going okay.  It could be going a lot worse but the tricky thing about running is that you develop extremely high expectations for yourself.  When things go right, it is what you are supposed to do. When they go wrong, things can snowball quickly and one workout can have a multiple day or workout hangover.  Vegas reminded me of this as I spent 5 days there last week. Yes, 5 very long, hot, dry days in Sin City. While this was a dramatically different trip than a few weeks ago as I was there for work – the town has the ability to suck your soul right from your body. A bit dramatic? I don’t think so.

As a former avid gambler, I can only remember a handful of times that I won. And while I did lose more than I lost, I should certainly be able to recall more victories against the sports book or local bookies.  On the flipside, I can remember the tiniest of details in the games that I lost or lack of blackjacks that were dealt my way.  Where I was at. What I was wearing. What happened in the game. From conversations I’ve had with other degenerates..errr gamblers, this is very common. Why do you remember the losses so much more? Maybe losing is exponentially more negative than winning is positive. Exactly the reason I have essentially quit this nasty habit.

Reflecting over my running career, my successes are not as vague, but like gambling, I can specifically remember runs that didn’t go well or workouts that I really struggled through.  One of the benefits of being a more seasoned individual (older) is having the perspective that every work out or race is not going to go as planned – for better or worse.  I continue to follow along the Kenyan adage that says, “You are as good as your best day, even if you haven’t had it yet.”

With that being said, I’m going to look at this past week in a positive fashion.  I ran all 7 days and put in some solid miles. I’m still having difficulty with my longer tempos which is evident by my Tuesday workout. Hoping this eventually comes around.  I have from now until May 4^th (my wedding!) to focus on training. Because of the lost time and inconsistencies over the past few weeks/months, I’m scratching the Hollywood half so I can get my training back on schedule. 

Lastly, pick up your April issue of Running Times Magazine.  Apparently my picture (see above) is in it with some quotes about the Chicago marathon. I had to re-up my subscription, but Brian received his the other day and found it on page 3. 

March 11-17

March 11: 4 Miles, 29:15 (7:15 avg.) recovery run

March 12: 10 miles, 6.5 miles warm up, Drills, 3 miles in: 5:39, 5:51, 5:49

March 13:  9 miles, 3 mile warm up, 3 miles on track in 16:00, 3 miles on track in 5:45

March 14: 9  miles, 1:00:33 (6:44 Average)

March 15: 4 miles, No watch

March 16: 15.5 Miles, 1:38:00 (6:19 Avg).  6:42, 6:29, 6:29, 6:21, 6:22, 6:24, 6:27, 6:21, 6:17, 6:07, 6:12, 6:09, 6:09, 6:05, 6:11

March 17: 6 Miles, No watch

Total Miles: 57.5

We instituted a new policy last week on the North Star Track and Field team.  Athletes will need to wear their sweats to at least warm-up in.  After that, do what you will.  Anyone who has EVER participated in, been involved with, or seen high school sports will recognize that awesome, cotton garment seen above.  Now this policy is not unique to our team, but it is a change and is meant to build some collectivism among the group.  As is the case with any teenager, there was some rough going.

When the policy went into effect, there was a two day grace period for these teens to get their collective acts together.  The sprinters were all over it.  The throwers could have gave a damn.  The jumpers just went along with the sprinters.  But you know who had the hardest time?  My freaking long distance runners.  They were as ticked off as something (fill in your own old timey or farming metaphor).  Their team sweats seemed to be the only thing that they DIDN’T want to wear.  Most have come around by now, but there are some stubborn hold-outs.  The point being, is that this reaction got me to thinking about one of the many oddities of runners in general.  A lot of “true” runners consider running to be the “purest” sport.  Let’s be honest, it is.  But do you LOOK the runner life or do you LIVE the runner life?

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Before recapping my last couple of weeks of training, let me preface this post by saying my recent hiatus has definitely not been due to forgetfulness or lack of motivation/wittiness – well, maybe some lost wittiness.  It has in fact, been due to lack of performance and training.  While I’m not going to hide my efforts and just post the good times, I didn’t think it was very constructive to post each week when I was putting in 3-4 days of running and barely cracking the 40 mile mark. I mean, you can only write, “8 miles and should have worn a diaper” in so many ways! 

My weekly mileage is really not close to where I want it to be.  Whether it has been marriage prep stuff, illness, traveling, or work, I just have either been too exhausted to get my runs in – especially the “junk” mileage — or have not recovered as quickly as I would hope.  This was especially true after the Huntington Beach Half. Although I have run faster in training runs, it took me close to 2 weeks to fully recover and be able to do anything substantial.  I think the cumulative fatigue got the best of me as I had two great workouts within a week of the race and it just overloaded my body.  For two weeks after the race, I was forced to take a few days off and even got checked for some anemic issues, which came back free and clear.  Now, while my mileage has been lower than I hoped, my workouts have been right on point – which I am thrilled about. Although the progress happens in little chunks, it’s exciting to see the hard work pay off.

Lastly, here is an article that was sent to me and I highly recommend you reading: http://m.runnersworld.com/race-training/elite-state-mind?page=1  When competitively running, no matter what level you are at, it is important to draw inspiration from every runner that is trying to give it their best.  Times don’t define what type of person you are.  In fact, when I ran my track workout this past Saturday, I met a woman who said a few months prior, she couldn’t even run 400 meters. She is slated to run the OC half marathon in May….that is what this sport is all about.  

Weekly Recaps

Still felt terrible. This is the when I went to see the doctor as I would get to 4 or 5 miles and literally feel like it was the end of a marathon.  And yes, on February 14^th I went to spin class.  Lindsay was teaching and we thought it was a very romantic way to spend the holiday. Shameless plug, check out Hustle & Flow if you are ever in Venice, CA – she’ll have you dry-heaving 25 minutes into the class…it’s great!

Feb 11-17

Feb 11:  11, drills

Feb 12: 4  felt terrible

Feb 13: 0

Feb 14:  45 Minute spin class

Feb 15:  0

Feb 16:  11.5

Feb 17:   7

Total: 33.5

 Finally felt closer to my old self. Did my speed workout on the roads in my regular training shoes and felt smooth.  Came back later in the week and had one of my best workouts ever.  3 x 5k with splits of 16:42, 16:43, 16:42.  This was my last interval session of this particular cycle. I’ll starting over from the beginning with 10 x 1k and dropping my time down.  The end of the week was capped with my bachelor party in Las Vegas. With 22 guys.  No way I was going to fit running into the trip.  I’m just hoping it doesn’t take me too long to recover from.

 Feb 18-24

Feb. 18 :  11.5 miles 15 x 400, on the road in regular training shoes, felt good. 72-75 seconds

Feb. 19:  10, Recovery

Feb. 20:  13, 3 mile warm up, 3x5k on the track in my racing flats. Bit of a wind. Didn’t feel strong going into it but was very happy with the outcome.  400 meter jogging rest.  Splits were:  16:42, 16:43, 16:42

Feb. 21:  6 AM   4 PM   Didn’t time either of them as I was more focused on recovery.

Feb. 22: Vegas

Feb. 23: Vegas

Feb. 24:  Vegas

Total:  44.5

Let’s just say 3 days in Vegas when you rarely party any more, can have some consequences in regards to your physical health.  Didn’t really feel normal all week.  Feb 26^th was one of the worst runs of my life.  I actually felt okay on Monday and tried to come back to do a tempo run. Let’s just say it unfortunately (and that is being EXTREMELY kind) went something like this:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIZU_NZRfjA  Apparently the $3.75 lobster I had on Saturday night didn’t digest properly.  My long runs continued to struggle so I’m really hoping next week can bring some more normalcy to my schedule/life/butt.

Feb 25-March 3

Feb. 25:  10 miles. 5.5 warm up, Drills, 3 miles at 5:44, 5:51, 5:51, 1 cool down

Feb. 26:  5 miles. 3 warm up. 1 mile at 5:20 – couldn’t move after that

Feb. 27:  0

Feb. 28:  8 miles with brother in law. 7:30-7:45 pace

March 1:  10 miles. 1:05:04 – 6:30 Avg. Attempted progression:  7:00, 6:41, 6:33, 6:13, 6:16, 6:05, 5:55, 5:54 (2 mile cool down).

March 2:  14, 1 minute hard on the 6 minute marks. 1:30:56 (6:29 Avg)    1 minute hard on the 6’s. Went at 10 AM and it was about 80 degrees. Was trying to go 16-18 but wasn’t happening

March 3:  6 miles recovery, 40:11, 6:42 average

Total:  53

Wooo hooooo – finally back.  Had a little cold in the middle of the week and was forced to take two days off, but overall had a great week.  Because I missed my Thursday workout, I decided to put it into the middle of my long run on Saturday.  It was definitely tough and brought back some marathon training memories.  Basically I did 9 x 1k (3:12-3:15—which is 5:14 mile pace) with a 6.5 mile warm up and 6.5 mile cool down…both of which were extremely hilly.  Very tired on Sunday, but was glad to see I have that type of fitness right now.

March 4-10

March 4:  11 miles – 6.5 warm up, drills, 5:44, 5:44, 5:50, 1 cool down

March 5:  11.5 – 4.5 warm up, 15 x 500 @ 1:34. On the roads with my regular training shoes.  Felt tired from beginning but got through it. 1 cool down

March 6: 7 AM recovery run, 49:01 – 7 Min average

March 7: Sick
March 8:  Sick

March 9:  20.5 Miles. 2:12:49 – 6:28 average. 6.5 Hilly warm up. 9 x 1k on the track with 400 meter jogging rest. Each K was 3:12-3:15 (target was 3:15). 6.5 Hilly cool down.

March 10: 9.5 miles. 1:06:15 – 6:58 average. Hilly recovery run

Total: 59.5