2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

2019 will soon come to an end.  Time to look back at the training log and summarize the year...  but first a quick update on the last few days of training.

TRAINING UPDATE: 

Saturday I rode the stationary bike for 45 minutes.  With that ride I pushed my yearly time total to 75 hrs, 43 mins, 00 secs, narrowly eclipsing my 2018 total by 14 minutes and 24 seconds.

Then Sunday I ran an abbreviated long run of 8.10 miles.  Tried to take it easy and not over-stride and aggravate the hip injury... probably ran too fast but felt good the whole time:

8.10 miles

1:04:19

7:56 pace

8:08, 8:03, 8:09, 8:01, 8:00, 7:57 (into the wind), 7:54, 7:22 last mile.

Temps in the 50's so I could run in shorts and a t-shirt (In December!).  Harsh wind from West to East.  It's pretty much high wind every time I run this time of year.  Based on my standard routes, it mostly effects the ends of my runs where I'm running straight into the wind.  Makes me feel like I'm standing still.  I try to bear down and stay focused and build mental toughness during these stretches. The wind is pretty typical for the area and will continue til May so I guess I better learn to love it (like I did with hills).

INJURY UPDATE:

Got my symptoms pinpointed to the "rectus femoris".  Definitely a hip issue, probably from over-striding on my 15 mile run.  So far I've been able to run through it if I don't run too hard.  Doesn't bother me too much while running and seems to be slowly improving.  We'll see how stupid running a 5K tomorrow turns out to be.

RUNNING YEAR IN REVIEW:

•  801.6 miles for the year
• 110 hrs, 41 min, 40 seconds of running
• 165 total runs
• 4.86 miles per run
• 15.06 longest distance 
• 2:02:18 longest duration
• 6:20 fastest mile
• 20:25 fastest 5K
• 1st place in Age Group at goal race
• First trail race
• Max week 40.79 miles
• Max month 152.09
• 104208 estimated calories burned

Stationary Bike Update:

• 75:43:00 total time (00:14:24 more than 2018)
• 47940 estimated calories (7431 more than 2018)
• 90 rides  (23 less than 2018)
• 10.55 cal/min (1.61 cal/min more than 2018)
• 1:20:00 longest duration
• 808 most calories
• 12.975 most cal/min (30 minute minimum)
• 12.4 most cal/min (1 hr minimum)
• 384 most cal/min HR Control (37 more than 2018)
• 532.67 cal per rid (174 more than 2018)
• 0:50:29 average duration per ride (10:24 more than 2018)

Overall summary:

• 255 total workouts
• 152148 total calories burned
• 16638 avg steps per day on the year (minimum of 12500)
• 186:24:40 total hours working out (7.75 days)

Not a lot to say in summary except that I feel good about my progress but feel even better about the future.  Hoping to really bring it in 2020!

It's all in the hips

Last Sunday, I ran my longest run yet (15 miles) at a too fast pace (8:07) and now my hip flexors hurt... Seems like Deja vu... eerily similar pain to what derailed my Chicago marathon training 10 years ago.  The goal this time is to manage it better.  Strengthening, stretching, easy running, cross training and extra days off as needed... on the optimistic side, I've been able to run on it without too much discomfort and it does seem like it is getting better day by day... I'm finding it difficult to compromise on my half marathon training, but I need to remember to take the long view.

Now for a quick training update:

Monday:  45 easy minutes on the stationary bike

Tuesday:  4.11 very easy miles outside.  26:20, 8:49 pace

Wednesday: 7.03 fairly easy miles outside.  57:17, 8:09 pace... finished fast the last mile which dropped the average pace a bit... not sure how fast because my shitty Apple Watch/NRC app dropped yet another run

Thursday: 1 hour hard on the stationary bike. (12.4 calories a minute, a new 1 hour PR)…  just need 31 more minutes on the bike this year to break last years total duration of 75 hrs, 28 minutes, 36 seconds

Friday: 7.10 miles (1 hour) easy treadmill run.  1:00:01, 8:27 pace.  Hip felt good today after dynamic lung warmup and stretches.  Planned to do 5 miles but felt good so pushed it to 7 to get the 1 hour in.

Looking ahead I have a 5K scheduled next Tuesday (Dec 31) so I might move my long run to Saturday so I can have relatively fresh legs on Tuesday.  Should be a good gauge for my fitness.  I'd like to think I should be able to break 20 minutes by now, having trained 500+ miles since my previous 5K effort.  On the other hand I've been putting in a lot of miles (for me) lately, all at fairly easy effort so we'll see how well my body is ready to respond.  I'll be disappointed if I don't break 20 but I'd still give it a 50/50 shot.

2010 Chicago marathon RR

NOTE:  DUG THIS UP IN MY OLD DRAFTS AND WANTED TO GET IT OUT THERE... EVEN IF IT'S OVER 9 YEARS PAST DUE...

Well... It's been a while since I last posted; partly because I didn't really have much to post about, partly because I had been going through a personal struggle about whether or not to run the Chicago Marathon, but mostly because I knew my next post would be #100 and I wanted something significant to write about... And as luck would have it 10/10/10 provided me with the content I needed... so without further ado.

Rise of a Champion's 100th POST: How not to run the Chicago marathon race report.

Going into the weekend I hadn't run since 9/19/10 and hadn't run more than 8 miles since 7/18/10 so there was no denying I was sufficiently rested and tapered. I knew that the rest I got on Friday night would be the most important as far as being prepared on Sunday so I made sure that I drank plenty of beer at the minor league hockey game that night to ensure that I would have no trouble sleeping... Saturday morning I wake up and am prepared to eat my normal healthy breakfast of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal but when I get to the fridge I discover , to my dismay, that we’re out of milk. No problem, I’ll go with plan B… a 5 slice bacon and 2 egg English muffin. The grease from the bacon provided an excellent relief from my hangover and I after quickly throwing some stuff into a bag I was ready to head out the door and start my two-hour drive to Chicago.

I arrived at my friend Symon’s house near Chicago just in time to catch the Illini whoop up on Penn State… of course no football experience would be complete without some good football food and some good football drink… Besides, Symons has been hard at work this summer becoming an accomplished amateur brewer and I felt obligated to sample his goods. Unfortunately he had been a little too hard at work and sampling his goods entailed drinking 7 or 8 brews (one of them containing a 10% alcohol content). Fortunately, beer is full of carbs so I rationalized my imbibing as carb-loading.

All, carbed up and psyched up from the Illini victory we ventured into the city to attend the expo and pick up our packets. When we arrived we cleverly decided to avoid the 19$ parking fee by parking on a side street on the opposite end of the expo instead of in the designated parking garage... surely the extra walking would be the perfect for loosening up the legs.

The expo was pretty much uneventful except for the "ridiculously thick yogurt"... I've always felt that thickness is by far the most important characteristic for a good yogurt and it was nice to see a company market their product to people like me...

After the expo we get back to the car and find that someone had broken Symon's passenger window so that they could steal his older model cell phone that he had forgotten on his seat.  Luckily for us a street cop was just walking by at the moment... we got the officers attention and he was nice enough to come over and make a call on his cell phone into the station to file a police report... however after about 2 minutes of being on hold he changed his mind and instead gave us vague directions to a nearby police station... can't really blame him though.  If I was a police officer and I had to walk a beat on the weekend I wouldn't want to do any actual work either.  Oh well, that was kind of a bummer but if you weigh the 19 dollars we saved on parking against the cost of a new car window and cell phone I'd say we broke about even.

After a quick stop by the Sprint store to pick up a new cell phone we headed back to Symon's house for a little more liquid carb loading a some more football before turning in for the night.

The next morning we rose early (4 am) so that Symon's could bottle up some additional beer for post marathon celebration and then we headed back into the city to meet up with our friends Will and Ervin (pictured on the right) who were competing in their first marathon.  

After meeting up with the rest of my friends we all head down and get into the Open start corral at around the 12 minute mile pace point.From here my plan was simple... I'd run with Will and Ervin for the first 13 or so miles...  then cut out and wait for them at the 22 mile point.  I figured with Will and Ervin's 12 minute mile pace I should be able to hang on for at least half the race despite the fact that I hadn't been training at all.

The gun goes off and we slowly start shuffling forward at a leisurely walk... in ... I spend this time reflecting on how different today could have been if I hadn't gotten injured.  It was nice to be with friends though, and it was nice be able to enjoy the atmosphere while being totally free from stress, pressure, and nerves...  On the other hand, if I had started in the B corral I had qualified for I could have been 30 minutes into the race by the time we finally reached the starting line!!!

We finally cross the starting and actually start running... the 12 minute pace is completely foreign to me; by far the slowest I've ever attempted to run.  At first I have trouble holding myself back, but I focus lagging back and not pushing the pace and gradually I fall into a rhythm. 

For the first 6 miles I just enjoy myself... Last year when I ran the marathon the only thing on my mind was pace and the only thing I focused on was the runners in the pace group directly in front of me...  This year I was actually able to look around and see the sights... The crowds were amazing and the surrounding runners were even more so.  I was simultaniously spectating and participating in the Chicago Marathon!  Somewhere soon after the 1 mile mark I saw a short Asian guy holding a sign that said "Only 24.6 miles to go" while consuming a donut.

We get to the 10K mark and we've already been running for 1:13:29...  It's 9:08 AM and the temperature and sun are steadily climbing.. This fact is exentuated as the guy in the polar bear costume who's been running in front of us for the last mile abruptly drops off to the side and removes his bear head to reveal a sweat drenched human face...  I make sure to take some extra water and gatoraid at the next stop. 

We continue on for a few more miles.  I'm still feeling pretty good.  I've been drinking plenty of fluids so I pull over and take a wiz at the next set of port-o-potties.  As I start up again I realize that I'm starting a bit stiff and a bit tired... Oh well... we were at mile 9 so I only had 4.1 more miles to go...  Symons and I decide to execute a new strategy at this point:  At each water stop we would speed up and get ahead of Will and Ervin by about 400 meters... then we would stop and walk until they caught up.  The increased pace proved a nice reprieve from the plodding of 12 minute miles and the walking breaks felt amazing... I hate to admit it but maybe Galloway is onto something?!?

Finally we reach the 13.1 point... time for Symons and I to drop out and cut a couple blocks over so that we can spectate at the 22 mile mark... except I'm still feeling pretty good except that my left foot is hurting a bit... so as Symons drops to the side I sponatiously decide that despite my better judgement I'm going to continue on... I figure at this pace I can at least make it to the 20 mile mark and then I can always run/walk it in to the finish...

As luck would have it I wouldn't even have to maintain the 12 minute mile pace...  Right around mile 14 Ervin's heart rate jumps into the 180s and he decides to walk for a bit until it slows down.  Meanwhile Will is starting to feel a slight cramp in his hamstring.  By now it's 11 AM and its really starting to get hot...  I take a moment to consider the fact that I'd probably already been finished right now if I had actually finished my training and ran the race competatively. 

By mile 16 the fun was over... Will and I had left Ervin behind as he tried to manage his hear rate. Will was cramping and beginning to wonder if his body was going to make it.  My left foot was beginning to really hurt.  Symons, the only sensable one amoung us, was presumably sitting in the shade somewhere around mile 22 leisurely waiting for us and enjoying the experience. 

Soon after mile 17 Will asks me "Only 8 more miles to go, right?"  (I was tracking distance by the quarter mile at this point with my Garmin, and he was beginning to lose the concept of distance and time)...  I didn't have the heart to tell him it was really 9...  By mile 20 we're doing more walking then running...

Then suddenly, Ervin comes jogging up to us from behind looking suprisingly refreshed... his face*******

***** Update to 2019:  this is where the race report abruptly drops off...  not sure where I was going on this.  Anyway, to wrap it up, we walked/ran the last 6 miles.  Somewhere along the way we saw Will's wife and took some pictures.  Looking at the splits it seems like we slightly picked up the pace at the end and I vaguely remember springing about full speed at the finish (like a jackass).

When we finally finished I remember my feet being really really sore being that I was right in the middle of a bad Plantar Fasciitis period that lasted for about 7 years... After that we went out to a Brazilian steakhouse and drank and eat all the calories back.

Final time was 5:50.  Even at the slowest pace we were at 15 minute miles so at least we were walking briskly.

The longest run yet (latest achievement)

Right now I'm both deep in the heart of half-marathon training as well as my latest running origin story.   The progress and self-achievement during the origin story phase of training is tantalizing.  It's like riding a wave... I'm just trying to enjoy the ride and hang on for as long as I can.  

My mind-frame around this training cycle has been more tempered than previous ventures into fitness.  I'm hoping that by maintaining a longer term view I can ride this wave all the way to the shore.   This half-marathon training cycle has been a good example.  At this point I really don't have a hard time goal in mind (although realistically I'd guess somewhere between 1:35 and 1:40).  My main goal for this training has been building miles and getting stronger and more resilient.  Mostly easyish miles with not too much fast pace work.  Mainly just using the half-marathon as a carrot to lead me to proper conditioning so that I can really start training once spring rolls around and really not planning on hitting peak fitness until July/August for some fast 5ks.

Right now summer is far away as we are officially into winter but go figure, yesterday was a beautiful day.  Great day for a long run outside.

15.06 miles

2:02:18 duration

8:07 pace

Just so good to run outside after 2 weeks!  Hit the first mile at 7:57 and then started to slow down.  8:15, 8:26, 8:15, 8:25, 8:27 for the next 5 miles.  At the 6 mile mark I had gotten through 2 podcasts and was ready to pick up the pace... lately I've been dabbling with some faster cadence running.  It's not clear if 180 strides per minute is really a magic number but some camps feel this way so I figured I'd try it a bit.  My natural cadence is definitely a bit slower but I don't know exactly what.  Anyway, to up my cadence I have some 180 bpm house music qued up in my watch and I decided to try that for the next 45 minutes of the run.  I hit play and picked up the turn over.

Picking up the turn over really picked up the pace (go figure)…  Mostly I felt pretty damn good, cruising along.  Definitely felt better then the first 6 miles...  

Mile 7:  7:53

Mile 8:  8:05

Mile 9:  7:52

mile 10: 8:00

mile 11: 8:00

after ~mile 11 the music was finally over and my heart rate was in the high 160s.  At this point my legs were getting tired and I was ready to ease up a bit so I put on my regular running playlist and tried to stay loose and keep my form good as I cruised in to the finish.

mile 12: 8:08

mile 13: 8:07 

mile 14: 8:05

mile 15: 7:51

Pushed the pace that last half mile for a strong finish.  I was exceptionally tired yesterday and took a couple hours to recover.  Then walked the kids to the park.  Didn't feel full energy but the walking definitely helped loosen things up.

This morning I'm still sore but talked myself into 45 easy minutes on the bike so I could chip away at the couple hours left of riding I have set for my yearly goal.

Hit some new training milestones:

• Added a mile to my farthest run
• Added 7:49 to my longest run
• took 17 seconds off my fastest half

Running with a head cold

Every morning for the last 4 days I've woken up and considered skipping my run and every morning I've wound up doing it anyway.  I bargain myself into doing 'reduced' mileage, and then once I get going I feel pretty good and wind up doing more than I bargained for.

Yesterday, 7.10 miles at 8:30 pace (1:00:21 duration).

Today, 5.5 miles, 8:22 pace. (46:00 duration).

Made it through my step back week with a total of 31.6 miles.  Plan to hit 40+ again next week as 2019 quickly comes to a close.

Seems like the easy running temporarily opens up the airways and clears out the sinuses and I feel pretty good for about an hour or so...  then the congestion returns and I'm back to feeling like crap.

Sick day part 2

The sickness continues...  really didn't want to get out of bed today.  really didn't want to run.  god I hate being sick! ...so I made myself a compromise and ran 4 miles on the treadmill.

Distance:  4.0
Duration: 31:41
Pace: 7:55

After an easy 1st mile I bumped the pace up to 8 min miles for the second mile.  Slowly worked my way down to 7:15 pace during the 3rd mile and then backed off to 7:47 pace for the final mile.

Incline was 1% to 1.5%.  1.5% seems like it feels the best with my stride, achieving the right balance of effort and power to make it feel natural.

Shortest run in about a month.  The effort never felt that hard but at the same time I still really struggle ever getting into a rhythm on the treadmill...  just need to make it a couple more months... *sigh*

On the bright side, the sickness hasn't affect my lungs (at least not yet).  Normally when I get sick it always winds up progressing to my lung and aggravating my exercise induced asthma...  instead, this is my second day in a row where I didn't even use my inhaler before the run.  Running seems to have really strengthened my lungs.

Sick day

that time of year has come once again where my snot nose little munchkins start constantly bringing home different varieties of sickness.  I've been lucky so far over the last month, as everyone else has gotten sick except for me... that luck ran out last night.  Stuffy head and sore throat and general malaise.

Despite it all I hit the treadmill for an easy 5 miles.

5 miles
41:39
8:20 pace

Started at 6.8 mph and worked up to 7.6 (7:54 pace).  Nothing special.  Just putting in work.

The great treadmill revival

I really, really, really wanted to get outside on Sunday for my long run.  Even as I acclimate to the treadmill, it's still nice to spend at least some of the week outside.  Due to my work schedule the only time I can get outside to run when it's light is on the weekends... and I'd need some serious additional light up gear if I ever venture to run in the dark lest I wind up road kill with the unlit country roads that make up the majority of my outdoor routes.

So Saturday night I lay out my tights and thermal long sleeve and have everything ready to go... Sunday morning I wake up early and get dressed, check the weather and... 13 degrees F!!!  Nope, not going to happen.  Oh well, this is exactly the reason I got a treadmill.

So after some mental readjustment and a change of cloths I get on the treadmill.

Now, the last couple runs I've done on the treadmill had ended prematurely due to the motor breaker tripping out.  After some research I was hoping the belt was just needing lubrication... Friday night I made some simple adjustments to the belt, vacuumed out the inner compartment, and applied silicon treadmill lubricant to the deck... so with fingers crossed I started out on a 10 miler.

I started the run at 6.8 MPH - 1% grade (8:49 pace).  2nd mile I bumped up to 7 mph (8:34 pace).  3rd mile I was up to 7.2 mph (8:20 pace)…  at this point treadmill was running fine and my HR was still under 140.

Mile 4, 7.4 MPH (8:06 pace).  Mile 5 7.5 MPH (8:00 pace).  Mile 6 7.7 MPH (7:48 pace).

HR was reaching 148 but still felt good and the legs were loosening up.  Treadmill seemed to be running even smoother than when I first started.

Time to push the next 3 miles.  Mile 7 8.1 MPH (7:24 pace), Mile 8 8.3 MPH (7:14 pace), Mile 9 started at 8.5 MPH (7:04 pace) at 8.5 miles I bumped it up to 8.7 MPH (6:54 pace) and held on for .75 miles...  HR up to 161 but felt like I could have continued to hold the pace for at least another mile.

The slowed down to 7:30 and then 8:00 pace to round out the 10th mile.

After the run I felt pretty good.  this is a step back week so I'm reducing mileage and only doing 10 miles for my long run.  After running 14 last week and 13 the week before, 10 seemed pretty manageable and I had good energy for the rest of the day.

Final stats:
10 miles
1:19:00
7:54 avg pace

54 more days until my goal 1/2 marathon as I continue to build fitness.

Another treadmill fail

Ran 5 miles at slow pace on the treadmill Thursday.

Then today planned to run 7+.  Didn't run too fast, starting at 8:57 pace and working up to 8:00 pace.  Into the 6th mile I bumped up the speed to 7:47 and the treadmill shutoff on me.

Instead of messing with it I headed straight out the door and ran a mile outside in 7:03.

Maintenance plan for the weekend:  Slightly loosen the belt, clean the belt, lube the belt... and hope for the best.

With the 7.27 miles I got in today I wound up with 40.79 for the week.  First 40+ week whoot, whoot.   That's coming off 38.3 from last week.

I'll say one thing about the treadmill... It really helps for keeping the pacing easy.  Despite the increased mileage my legs feel better than they have since I started running again.  Really hoping the treadmill holds together to get me through the winter.

TREADMILL WORKOUT FAIL

Woke up this morning with intent of running 3 X 1 Mile @ 6:40 pace with 1/4 mile recovery.

After a 2 mile warmup I bumped up the pace.  The pace felt ok but the belt of the treadmill kept stalling about every 10 steps.  Total pain but I kept at it and made it through the first mile.

After the recovery I started up again but about .65 miles into the 2nd interval the treadmill completely shut off.  Wound up tripping the internal breaker for whatever reason.

After a couple minutes I was able to get everything reset and finished up the workout running 4 X 2 minute hill intervals at 7:30 pace 5% grade with 1 minute 1% grade recoveries.

Seems like the treadmill is a fail for the fast stuff so I'm going to have to stick to slow and steady/hill workouts on the treadmill.  Seems like 7:30 is about the limit unless I can figure out how to tune the treadmill up.

The hill workout was successful though...  really felt the intensity.  was going to do 3 X 2 minutes but decided to push out the 4th one since I was feeling good.  Hard work but I don't think I overdid it.

Overall was able to get in 7 miles at an average pace of 7:48 with ~3 miles of mid-high intensity work mixed in.

7 is the new 3.

7.25 easy miles today on the treadmill.   Tried to vary my pace and incline to keep it somewhat interesting.  Still pretty much dread the treadmill but I found a groove the last couple miles.  Completed the run at 8:26 pace for an 1:01:10 total duration.

Mileage has steadily been building.  Hit 38.3 last week and aiming for 40+ this week before a step back week next week.

Lots and lots of slow base-building miles.  Really looking forward to the spring when I can get outside and start upping the intensity so I can see where my fitness is really at.

Going long

Another recent training PB yesterday with a long run of 14.02 miles.

Started out at 8:07 pace... Was running at a 8:15/8:16 near the end of the run and finished with a average pace of 8:10 after pushing mile 13 and 14. Mile 10 and 11 were straight into a strong wind and really tested my mental resolve. Really felt good for the whole run (minus the unpleasantness of the wind).

Unfortunately, my Apple Watch/Nike Run Club app crashed while saving the run data and it was completely lost.  I bought the apple watch because I thought it would be the best platform for GPS/music/podcast for a $200 price-tag.  However, the podcast app is clunky, I've had trouble transferring data between my iPhone and watch, and now it's lost several runs...  In retrospect I should have gotten a Garmin... I was never unhappy with my old forerunner 10 years ago and it seems like the newer models are nothing but improved...  maybe next year!

the training continues

After  2 days of cross training on the bike to recover from the hill climbing and descent at the Turkey trot I got back to running again.

Eased in with a Wednesday run on the treadmill with 5.52 mile at 8:09 pace.

Thursday was Thanksgiving.  Took advantage of the day off from work to get bundled up and get an outdoor run in.  It was cold and windy but still way better then the treadmill!  This turned out to be a pretty solid work out:

5.01 miles
37:01
7:25 pace

Very consistent run overall, 7:27, 7:31, 7:30, 7:24, and 7:05 last mile.

Friday I got back outside for 7.21 miles at 8:20 pace.  Really focused on keeping the pace easy and relaxed.

Felt good the next day and hit another hour on the bike.

Sunday (December 1st) got in my second half-marathon distance long run.

13.2 miles
1:49:31
8:18 pace

Started too fast with a 7:52, and 7:59 mile.  Kept slowing down after that running mile 7, 8, and 9 at 8:29, 8:41, 8:49 (into a cold strong wind)…  Picked it up at ran 8:13, 8:09, 8:03, 8:07 for the last 4 miles.  Sore and tired for the rest of the day but not bed-ridden can't keep my eyes open tired like I've felt in the past.

Biked on Monday.

6.31 easy treadmill miles on Tuesday at 8:45 pace.

Then 6.5 mile treadmill workout today.  Started at 8:49 pace and increased by .2 MPH every 1/4 mile for the first 2 miles.  Ran Mile 3 at 7:13 pace, Mile 4 at 7:03 pace, then eased back to 7:13 pace for mile 5.  Finished with 1.5 miles at 8:34 pace with addition varying incline between 1-3 degrees for a cooldown.

Wore my new Nike Zoom Fly 3's for the first time and they felt interesting.  A little wobbly on the heel but not uncomfortable.  At these point I have 3 pairs of new shoes I'm cycling.  Read some theories that alternating different shoes could help prevent repetitive movement injuries and it rings as plausible to me. With the Nike's, Hoka Bondi 6's, and my Brooks Ghosts, I have 3 shoes with significantly different feel to them.

Overall I'm feeling good.  A bit of ITB tightness and some sore knees but generally feeling better than I have for a long time.

1 minute, 9 seconds added to my "longest run".

Turkey Trot 2019 Race Report

Seems like I have a knack for picking "challenging" races.

Yesterday, I decided to run the local Turkey Trot 4 mile race in Peoria.  It was my first time running this event and I couldn't find a course description on the website so I went in blind.  However, I knew it was run at Detwiler park which also hosts the state high school XC meet so I figured it would be utilizing the XC course...  not so much.  The other feature of Detwiler park that is built into the Bluffs on the West side of the Illinois River and features a very large hill...  this hill was heavily utilized for the race.

I didn't pre-register for the race because I wanted to wait to see how the weather turned out... the weather turned out beautiful:  Sunny and 52 degrees.  I got to the race about 50 minutes early and quickly signed up.  Then I warmed up with 2 miles at ~8:45 pace.  I'd been going easy since Wednesday due to some knee pain I've been feeling and my only run had been 2 not particularly inspiring miles on the treadmill on Friday evening.  During warm-ups I didn't feel great... legs weren't hurting really (partially thanks to a strategic does of Ibuprofen) but I felt pretty flat.  I just hoped things would sort out once I got into "race mode".

It wasn't really clear where the starting line was so after I finished warming up I went over to where  a bunch of runners were congregating.  Turned out to be the starting line (go figure)... We all lined up and the race official described the course.  Go left for 1/2 mile... then up the hill for a mile... then down the hill for a mile... then back around the park, through some trees, one more loop around a field and then b-line to where 2 cars were parked in the middle of the field... the timing mat for the finish was between the 2 cars.

Then with little fanfare, he said set...GO.  And we were off.  Barely had the change to start my watch. I had lined up in about the 3rd row and went out at a comfortable pace.   The first half mile was flat on the road past some soccer fields.  It was into a bit of a wind so I tried to draft a times off people but just kept passing them.  The people I was passing were breathing hard and I wasn't so I figured I was doing okay.  My watch said 6:37 pace.  By the end of the first half mile there was a group of 5 people up ahead all running together and then me by myself.  After the first mile stretch the road turned right and the uphill section began.

The next mile was pretty much all up hill (with maybe one reprieve in the middle for 100 meters or so).  My legs were burning more and more.  I contemplated walking several times.  I pictured myself being passed by everyone as I shuffled along to the finish.  I willed myself to keep running but kept slowing down.  As I climbed the last 1/4 mile of the hill I was passed by a runner.  I entertained the idea of staying with him but I couldn't pull it off.  I trailed him by ~50 feet as we crested the hill.  At this point my average pace was up to 7:45.

After another right turn it was time to head back down the hill.  I opened up my stride and bounded downward.  Occasionally I ran on the grass on the edges of the road to muffle some of the shock.  My legs pounded with each step.  I kept focused on the runner ahead of me but never really gained any ground.  At the bottom of the hill there was a TV camera from the local news.  I hammed it up for the camera sticking out my tongue and doing some hang loose signs with my hands.

By the end of the hill my heartrate was down to ~130 and aerobically I felt pretty good but my legs not so much.   At this point my average pace was down to 7:20 and I figured breaking 30 would be a decent showing. We tuned right again and repeated the starting section of the race with a flat 1/2 mile section past the soccer fields.  I kept pushing at a comfortable hard pace and the legs started feeling a bit better.  By the 3 mile mark the pace was down to 7:14 and dropping.  I kept chasing the guy who passed me but never gained ground.  At the end of the road we turned left instead of right and hit the grass to finish the last mile or so on the XC course. With about 1/2 mile left I caught up to a 18 year old.  As I passed, I surged the pace to ensure he wouldn't try to hang with me.  By now the guy who had passed me on the hill was getting farther and farther away and any hope I had for catching him was gone.

We cut through some trees and looped a field for a final 1/4 mile... after looping the field the course cut left past a field and then it was a sprint to the finish.  I pushed it to the end and finished with a time of 27:13.  At the finish line had hot chocolate but no water!  Probably appropriate for most late November Turkey Trots but not the best for a 52 degree day.  I drank two anyway as I was thirsty.

After a brief chat with the guy who had passed me I continued on for a 1.5 mile cool down feeling tired but overall pretty good.  My aerobic conditioning seems to be ahead of my leg strength/speed for now...especially with the hills.

After the cooldown it was time for the results.  I wound up 6th place overall but 3rd in my age group... total bummer.  Top 2 in each age group got a free turkey and all I got was a trophy.  Oh well, tough to be 40 I guess.

According to the results I ran 4 miles at 6:48 pace.  According to my watch I ran 3.8 at 7:10 pace.  According to Google maps it was more like 3.92 miles for a 6:57 pace... I'll split the difference and go with that.

Couldn't check my split times on my watch because the run disappeared for some reason. Not sure if I accidently deleted it at the finish line but I don't really think so.  I'm pretty disappointed in the Apple watch experience... should have got a Garmin.

Today I'm feeling it in my glutes... You'd think after all the hills and mounting climbing I did in New Caledonia I'd be better at hills but it was still killer.  Still love the hills though... Might have to try this one again next year.

The great outdoors

32 degrees with no wind felt warm today?!? Warm enough to run outdoor anyway.

5.15 miles
44:47 duration
8:40 pace

Did my general 4 mile loop but then cut down to the park.  5th mile included the 4Xstrides.

Got out at 6:30 with the sunrise and it was actually a pretty enjoyable run.  Trying to be more mindful of my surroundings and less focused internally when running easy.. enjoy the run and the scenery.

Was going for a slow/easy pace and achieved it.  Legs were fatigued and didn't really want to go faster.  Surprisingly enough the strides worked wonders for loosening me up at the end.

Back on the treadmill

Really though I might get outside today as the temperature felt bearable as I opened the back sliding glass door this morning to let my dog out.

But 30 minutes later when it finally started getting light outside it was raining!  Fuck Winter!!!

So I changed into shorts and got on the treadmill and wound up running a pretty decent session.

7.19 miles
1:00:03 duration
8:21 pace

Started off at 8:49 pace, then 8:34 pace, then 8:20 pace, and finally 8:00 pace.

Started off with the plan to run 4...  Then I kind of got in a zone and my treadmill stat addiction took over.  As I got to 4 I decided why not 5.  Which then was why not 6.  Which then became why not a 10K...  at which point I figured a even 7 could work which then lead to might as well make it an hour long run.

Was still feeling the 13 on Sunday slightly but worked it off once I got moving.  Feel like my legs are really starting to absorb the miles better.

Do have some ITB tightness on the right side also my knees have been sore/creaky for the last month.  Kind of worried about the knees but they're mostly just a nuisance.  I'm thinking it's time for new shoes though.

My first 1/2 marathon (length long run)

On Sunday I added another 1.14 miles to my farthest rung and 5:45 seconds to my longest run.

Also, recorded my first 1/2 marathon length run which resulted in a 1:46:24 training PR.

It was 32 degrees on Sunday morning but I convinced myself to bundle up and hit the road at 8AM for a long run.  With the gear I was wearing I felt pretty good for the first mile... I worried that I was going to overheat but I never really did, in fact on one of the later miles into the wind I was quite glad to have it.  

I had 13.1 miles in the crosshairs.  Took off at a 8:13 first mile that felt easy.  Slowed down to 8:20 on the 4th mile which was my slowest mile of the run... not sure why that 4th mile is always slowest... starting to think it might be mental… or maybe its a gradual/hard to perceive uphill stretch?

Cruised along the rest of the run feeling pretty good.  Knees have been a bit wonky but they came around after a couple miles.  

Started feeling the fatigue the last 3 miles but stayed focused on my form and finished fast with a 8:07, 7:55, 7:49.  

13.29 miles

1:48:22 duration

8:09 pace

Was pretty wiped out after the run and spent the rest of the day lounging.  Still fatigued on Monday so I did a easy 45 minute bike ride to loosen up.  Hope to hit the treadmill/run tomorrow for some more mileage.

My longest long run, some treadmill work, and a treadmill workout

Sunday was nice (39 degrees!) so I got off the treadmill and back on the road.

Added 1.11 miles to my farthest distance and 10:25 to my longest run time.


Total distance: 12.15 miles
Time: 1:42:37
Pace: 8:26

Started off slower than typical (by intent) with a 8:41 mile and hovered around that pace for the first 6 miles.  Slowest mile was mile 4 at 8:58.  Started picking it up at mile 7 with a 8:27 and ran in the 8:20s for miles 7-10.  Closed strong with a 8:11 mile followed by a 7:33 last mile.

Started with my "typical" 8 mile loop but turned by the high school track and did the hilly section of my 4 mile loop.  Mile 9 was the hills and straight into the wind... things got easier after that.  Besides the distance record, nothing particular exciting about the run.  Pretty much felt good the whole way and was happy I was able to control my pacing properly.

Monday I hit the treadmill for 4.02 miles at 8:46 pace.

Tuesday I was at a hotel in Blytheville so hit the hotel treadmill for 4.25 miles at 8:34 pace.  I feel great for this run and my left hamstring starting cramping a bit at the end but it seemed to quiet down once I stopped running.

Wednesday I was back home and decided to try to up my treadmill game with a tempo workout.  Ran 5.53 miles at a 7:35 average pace.  First mile was at 8:49 pace to start and gradually worked to 8:00 pace.  2nd mile I gradually worked down to 7:20 pace.  Mile 3 I ran at 6:59 pace and mile 4 I started at 6:49 pace for the first half and then 6:40 for the 2nd half.  Then backed the pace off to 8:00 for the last 1.53.  

The quick pace felt pretty good and I never got breathing too hard.  I listened to music for the tempo part and focused form and staying tall and loose.  Took more focus by the end to hold form but was mostly ok.  Lots of concentration to keep from falling off the treadmill!  8 minute pace felt like a slow jog after.

Adapting to the treadmill

There's only one thing I hate more than running on the treadmill and that's running in the cold! Actually, I don't hate running on the treadmill... it's just so boring and unnatural!  It's tolerable but not enjoyable... feels more like work then fun.  But it was 14 degrees when I woke up this morning so treadmill it is!

This was my 7th run on my home treadmill since I bought it, but the first treadmill run I'd categorize as good (i.e. quality).

7.40 miles
1.0 incline
1:00:09
8:08 pace

Miles 4-6 were ran at 7:30 pace...  Found I was able to hold this effort pretty well and running faster made it at least a little more fun.

Today's workout brought the weekly mileage total over 30 miles (30.74).  May try to get in a few miles tomorrow as well but we'll see before my long run on Sunday.

Looking to be a long winter but I'm hoping I can persevere so that I can really excel next spring.

A training post

A big reason I started reposting on this blog was to document my resurgence of training so I could look back at it in the future (I also have an excel spreadsheet but that just seems less personal).  

After traveling for 3 weeks, I've fallen away from my training post updates so here's a brief recap:

I took the weekend off after my trip to recover a bit from the jet lag and then started working back into my training:

3 back-to back-to back runs of ~5K.  The first at 8:04 pace, the next at 7:56, and the third at 8:56 pace (which also happened to be my first treadmill run of the impending winter season). 

Followed that up with 2 more treadmill runs:  7.01 miles at 8:53 pace and 4.25 miles at 8:34 pace...  we'll see how things progress as I get adjusted to treadmill running but for now it seems like I'm going to be slower on the treadmill.  Maybe not a bad thing because even though the slow pace feels equivalent to a faster pace on the road, my heart rate is lower and my legs feel pretty fresh after the run is over.  Could be a good opportunity to increase mileage and build aerobic capacity without wearing down or getting injured.

Sunday I was able to get out on the road.  Temp was 40 degrees with a wind.  I didn't exactly enjoy it but it was tolerable.  Coming back from a pacific island climate probably doesn't help so maybe I'll adjust a bit but I've never enjoyed running in the cold and probably never will.  I wound up doing 9.09 miles on Sunday at 8:10 and it felt good.  Longest run I'd done in over a month!  Hit the first two miles in 8:09, 8:14... then slowed down on the back stretch 8:29, 8:25... before picking it up 8:09, 8:11.  At mile 6 I decided I was feeling good and would run 9 miles instead of 8.  Hit mile 7 at 8:04.  Mile 8 was straight into a strong chilling wind.  Felt like I was running into a wall but still hit it in 8:03.  Strong last mile at 7:50 and felt good at the end.

Ran outside again on Monday and got in 4 miles at 8:13 pace.

Back on the treadmill Tuesday for 5 miles at 8:40 pace.

Back outside today for 5 miles at 7:57 average pace.  8:19, 8:09, 8:04, 7:59 and 7:16 for the last mile.  Again, not too cold today but not exactly enjoyable either.  Could be one of my last days outside for a while as the temperature is poised to dip into the 20s. 

Time to adapt to the treadmill. 

Raid de Hienghene Race Report

Saturday October 12th I got the opportunity to run my first ever trail race.  I was traveling in New Caledonia for work and happened to notice in a brochure I read on the plane ride over that there was a "adventure" race near where I was staying.

Ready for adventure, I woke up at 4am on that Saturday morning and began the 2 hour drive across the island, over winding mounting roads, to the city of Hienghene was the race was scheduled.  I made the drive with no issues with just a few brief pit stops to admire the raising sun.

Upon arrival, I quickly found parking and made my way over to the registration area to retrieve my number... this happened seamlessly which gave me an extra 2 hours to warm up and survey the area before the 8AM starting time.  The race took place at a local tribal community (Tribu de Werap) and there was a big congregation area in the middle of the village with a pavilion.  Many of the racers had camped out the night before and the locals were already preparing the food for a post race feast (grilled fish and meats and local delicacies wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in the ground over coals).  The land scape was beautiful with streams, mountains, and forests in all directions.

There were two race distance options a 7.5 km "mini raid" and a 17.8 km "grand raid".  I was very tempted to sign up for the grand raid but ultimately decided it would be better overall to run the shorter distance so that I'd reserve so energy to spend the rest of the day doing other activities. The "grand raid" started at 7:30 so I was able to observe the start.  I then spend the last 30 minutes warming up.

10 minutes before the race was scheduled to begin I made my way to the starting line, but when trying to enter the corral I was stopped by one of the race attendants.  He was speaking in French so I could not understand what the issue was... luckily someone nearby spoke enough English to translate and explained that I could not participate in the race unless I was carrying water.  I looked around and realized that every other participant had a camel pack on...  I tried to argue that it was only 7.5 km (I figured even at 8 min/mile pace it would take less than 40 minutes) but they weren't having it so I quickly went to my car and retrieved a 1.5 L bottle of water.  After a shrug from the official it was determine that this was sufficient to let me enter into the corral.  There were 236 total participants and I decided to line up in the middle not knowing what to expect...  then an announcer commanded the start and we were off.

Most people were jogging slow and I started passing everyone.  About 600 meter in I got fed up with carrying my water bottle and tossed it to the side... haha, jokes on them 😏😏😏!!!  The race took a quick right and we started down the trail...  another 200 m down the trail we encountered the first signs of incline.  People really started slowing down now with some walking.  I thought to myself "what is this shit, walking in a race?!?" and I started passing even more people.  This went on for a quick bit and then suddenly we were running straight up a mountain.  At this point everyone in front of me was walking and guess what... I was walking too!  I just latched on to the guy in front of me and tried to keep pace with him as we hiked up the mountain as fast as possible... by the 2km I was feeling it and was wondering how much climbing was left...  turned out to be another 1 km and the path got steeper and steeper.  

As we finally crested the mountain the sun was beating down, the temperature was 90F, and I was seriously regretting my decision to ditch my water... haha jokes on me 😖😖😖!!!  Luckily there was a checkpoint at the very peak of the hill (422 meters of climbing).  They had a big jug of questionable looking water and some reusable questionable looking cups on a table, along with some orange slices.  Well, I didn't question the water long and quickly dumped the water down my throat.  I set the cup down on the table to be refilled for the next victim and then grabbed a couple orange slices before taking off down the trail.

At the top of the mountain, things flattened out a bit (relatively speaking) and the course continued along single track rolling terrain along the ridge of the mountain for the next 1 km.  Being unaccustomed to trail running, I found myself missing the trail and stumbling a few times and really had to focus to keep my feet landing on the trail to prevent a tumble down the side of the mountain.  Near the end of the ridge, the trail entered a wooded area and I got a dose of much needed shade accompanied by some much unneeded additional climbing... as we completed the final ascent, the trail broke out of the woods and I could see the steep descent before me. 

The next 1km was all downhill...  400+ meters over 1000 meters turns out to be quite steep!!!  At first the downhill was welcome after all that climbing but my elation didn't last for long as I skipped, hopped, stumbled, and slid down the steep, loose, and narrow trail.  Each step was pure concentration as I tried to a) not lose my step on the loose dirt and break my body,  b) not blow out my knee as I fought to maintain balance and c) avoid breaking my ankle on the numerous roots and rocks.  Being less adapt at downhill running than some of the other more experienced trail runners I started to get passed by people.  Halfway down I attempted to step to the side to let someone pass and found that my quads were so fatigued I couldn't stand in one place without wobbling.  I steadied myself on a tree and then continued onward.

Farther down the descent the trail entered the woods again and there were two race attendants waiting there with a stretcher...  these are the moments when you really start questioning your own mortality.  Also, questioning "what the hell did I get myself into?!?"  Further yet, the trail got even steeper and I began to wonder if I was actually going to be able to make it all the way down before my legs completely gave out.  A couple more people passed me and they were sliding down some of the steeper sections on their butts... EUREKA!!! I followed suit and was able to complete the final few steep areas.  Finally I was all the way down the mountain and the trail opened up to a road crossing with a race attendant pointing the way.  I was so fucking happy!  I gave him the biggest shit eating grin... crossed the road and hit a 5 foot decline into the woods again and that grin dropped right off my face.  I somehow made it down that last drop and onto the trail and it was flat going for the last 2 km.    

The trail wound through lush treescapes.  Now on flat ground my legs started loosening up and I started picking up speed.  I passed a few people who had passed me on the downhill.  We ran through a creek and I didn't even try to avoid the water... just reached down and splashed it on myself in an attempt to cool off.  The race continued past the parking lot where my car was parked.  I ran to my car and quickly chugged a bunch of water...  also grabbed my phone so I could take some photos at the finish.  Probably cost me 20-30 seconds but it was worth it... after the brief respite I continued on through one more creek and then onto the final road to the finish line. 

I wasn't entirely aware of the course details but knew I had to be getting close.   Maybe 1 more kilometer?  The final section was on pavement and I felt in my element again.  I surged forward passing several more runners.  I caught up to one last runner and heard music and people up ahead. We turned the corner and I could see the finish line about 100 meters ahead.  The guy I had caught tried to make a move but I turned on the kick and blasted past him...  it was fun and nice to know I still had some speed left in my legs after all the punishment I had subjected them to.  

As I ran through the chute they took my number and handed me a big hand-weaved reed basket of fresh island fruits and raw sugar cane.  I greedily sucked down a post race soda and stuffed my face with fresh fruit.  Then walked to my car to change out of my wet shoes and to retrieve my ill-advised cast-off bottle of water.

I hung out at the finishing area cheering on some of the other finishers.  Finishers trickled in for the next few hours.  Some of them had run the "Grand raid"... thank god I had the foresight and maturity not to sign up for that... I might still be out there on the course if I had!

Eventually they began posting the results... I was 19th out of 236 people...  Not bad for my first trail race especially since my normal training routes are surround my corn fields not mountains!!!  

After most of the people had finished, the post race feast began.  I stacked my plate high with meat, rice, vegis, and fish...  and quickly ate it all.  It was amazing and tasted better since I felt I earned it...  Belly full and legs wasted I made my way back to the car and began my journey back to the hotel.  At this point I was rethinking my asperations for the rest of the day...  my desire for kayaking on the bay seemed ridiculous and was replaced for desire for laying around...  I did stop at a couple beaches to check out the ocean wildlife and swam in a cool mountain stream as I made my way back so the rest of the day wasn't a total waste.  

My legs on the other hand were a total waste.  My quads were completely destroyed.  I woke up Sunday morning super sore and by Monday I could barely walk.  I hobbled around for most of the work week and was finally able to get out for a recovery run of 3.6 miles on Friday (6 days later).

Oh well, it was a well needed break even if it was forced and I had a blast.  Hope I get the chance to do it again some day!  Trail races are suddenly on my radar.

Race elevation profile below:

New Caledonia training update

Just got back from a 3 week work trip to New Caledonia (a tropical island in Pacific).   It was just going into summer there and the weather couldn't have been more beautiful.

I couldn't find a flat area on the whole island so I wound up running a ton of hills and although it slowed me down a bit it never really became unmanageable.

My running highlights of the trip included a 7.5K trail race (my first) that went up and down a mountain.  This was my first ever trail race and the downhill was much more brutal than anticipated, resulting in trashed quads that limited my ability to walk for almost a week (much less run)…. race report to follow.

Besides that, there was an awesome bike path that ran near my hotel out into the country side that included rolling hills, spectacular views, and little to no traffic (a couple photos from the path below).

I used this trip to begin my offseason.  Got plenty of base pace miles in but nothing too long or fast.

Ran about 40 miles including the trail race...  The reduced mileage was much needed so I'm glad this trip (and trail race) helped force this reduction.

Besides running I got plenty of exercise, hiking up several mountains.  Wound up with an all time step count record of 160,355 for one week and climbed 760 floors that same week... to top it off I lost 3 lbs during the trip.  Considering my general problem of never being able to lose any weight this was a much appreciated bonus.

On last one for the road

Hit the road today for my last run before a long work trip.  Hope to get some runs in on my trip but I'm assuming my mileage will be reduced.  Probably good timing for some rest and recovery.

For today though:

6.01 miles

45:52

7:38 pace

This was a slightly over easy run.  Never pushed too hard but just tried to keep a good pace.

Temp this morning was 42F!  This was huge.  I actually felt cold but after the first mile it really helped the perceived effort.

Mile Splits, 7:55, 7:47, 7:46, 7:27, 7:30, 7:15

Tried to keep the same effort the whole way but the pace just kept creeping down as I warmed up.  

Last mile included some hard surges...  kind of built in strides really except I never stopped running.  

Adding in a 4.26 mile recovery run yesterday made for another 30+ mile week...  back to back on the 30 mile weeks!

5 mile fartlet/interval benchmark run

I had a break though fartlek workout July 31st.  I really enjoy the workout so I repeated it for a benchmark workout today.  (2 months later)

The plan:  1 Mile Warmup... .25 Hard... .25 Recovery... .50 Hard... .50 Recovery... 1 Mile Hard… .50 Recovery... .50 Hard... .25 Recovery... .25 Hard

Here's the results:

                                                                            July 31                                     Diff

Mile 1:  7:24 pace                                              7:56 pace                                     -32 sec 

.25 Hard:   90sec (6:00 pace)                             96sec (6:24 pace)                       -6 sec

.25 Easy: 117 sec (7:48 pace)                             114 sec (7:36 pace)                    +3 sec                         

.50 Hard: 3:18 (6:36 pace)                                  3:30 (7:00 pace)                         -12 sec  

.50 Easy: 4:08 (8:16 pace)                                   4:01 (8:02 pace)                         +7 sec

 1 mile HARD:  (6:43 pace)                                 6:26 pace                                   +17 sec

   

 .50 Easy: 4:04 (8:08 pace)                                  4:07 (8:14 pace)                         -3 sec                          

.50 Hard: 3:21 (6:42 pace)                                 3:10 (6:20 pace)                          +11 sec

.25 Easy:  124 sec (8:16 pace)                            120 sec (8:00 pace)                      +4 sec                    

.25 Hard: 83 sec (5:32 pace)                                84 sec (5:36 pace)                      -1 sec

Overall:

5.01 miles in 36:03                                              5.01 miles in 36:15                       -12 sec

7:11 Average Pace                                               7:14 Average Pace                        -3 sec

2.51  miles easy at 7:49 pace                               2.51 miles easy at 8:11 pace         -22 sec

2.5  miles hard at 6:30 pace                                 2.5 miles hard at 6:26 pace           +4 sec  

Overall there was possibly a small gain.  I ran the recovery faster but the hard slightly slower.  Probably would be better off running the recovery slower so I could run faster during the hard... but I guess that depends on what the workout is specifically targeting.  

I did run 5 yesterday at 8:00 pace plus ran some hill repeats with Maya last night so my legs may have not been quite as fresh either.  

Not a huge improvement I would say but not much lost... might have hit an initial plateau but I'll just keep putting in the miles and building the aerobic system and hopefully I'll break through.