July: 233mi. 20 runs.
YTD: 1136mi.
The best month in memory, and a step beyond anything that I did in 2007. Good to know, but 100 miles in 36 hours still doesn't feel like its happenin'. I'll try to ride the current fitness a little ways into fall and perhaps I'll be ready to run a nice marathon time at the fellahs reunionaj in December.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Catch Up!
Smiling ONLY because I'm finally at Sun Top -- the second major climb at the White River 50mi.Another week of library visits. Not much running. I actually felt OK on my three runs post White River, but I've pretty much decided that Wasatach is NOT a good choice for me at this point. The incentive to get out and run big miles wasn't really there.
July 20-26. 77 mi. 4 days.
My biggest week in 6-8 years. I made an eleventh hour decision to run The White River 50 Mile with a couple of friends -- literally decided on Friday morning -- and improved my 50mi PR by about 30 minutes. I didn't have quite as much left during that last 6 miles as I did 2 years ago, but I ran the second uphill much better this time around and feel like I paced it all out pretty darn well. Despite this 8:46.29 performance over 50 miles, I'm still feeling far from ready to run at Wasatch. Too many other things to accomplish in the next 5 weeks to prepare for that race properly it seems...
July 13-19. 44mi. 5 days.
Uhg. Kind of an uninspired week. 2 x 2900 ft (in about 3 miles) at Copper Glance Lake felt super hard. Nearly 10, 000 ft of climbing on the week though, and a pretty good amount the week before as well.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Enchanted
July 5-12. 60mi. 6 days.
At last, a return to the 60 mile week :) I was in the neighborhood in mid-May and have been firting again for the last two weeks. Even more importantly, I put in a solid 5 hour 10 minute effort in the hills near Leavenworth, WA on Wednesday afternoon. In each of the last three summers I have ventured further and futher into the Enchantments basin in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area - and each time I am blown away by the carrot at the end of the stick. This year in particular, I was able to get beyond the last major climb to Lake Vivianne and to check out the mix of snow and water and granite that grace this incredible spot. Quite a "hump" getting there, as folks will say, as it took 2:50 for me to cover only 11.5 miles. There is about 5600-5800 feet of elevation gain and 4000 ft of it takes place in the first 6.5 miles. All in all, an excellent run. Topping that off, I ran 11 miles on the Wenatchee "Apple Loop" -- a flat to rolling paved bike path along the Columbia river -- on the day after. My legs were tired, but I ran the loop in about 1:20 (pretty close to 7:20 pace) so it was a solid back-to-back effort. The chaffing carry-over was the worst part!
As it stands, I'm still a little on the fence about my Wasatch bid. Back in the right training mindset - I think - but I'll have to decide for certain (and log my trail work hours) in the next 2-3 weeks.
At last, a return to the 60 mile week :) I was in the neighborhood in mid-May and have been firting again for the last two weeks. Even more importantly, I put in a solid 5 hour 10 minute effort in the hills near Leavenworth, WA on Wednesday afternoon. In each of the last three summers I have ventured further and futher into the Enchantments basin in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area - and each time I am blown away by the carrot at the end of the stick. This year in particular, I was able to get beyond the last major climb to Lake Vivianne and to check out the mix of snow and water and granite that grace this incredible spot. Quite a "hump" getting there, as folks will say, as it took 2:50 for me to cover only 11.5 miles. There is about 5600-5800 feet of elevation gain and 4000 ft of it takes place in the first 6.5 miles. All in all, an excellent run. Topping that off, I ran 11 miles on the Wenatchee "Apple Loop" -- a flat to rolling paved bike path along the Columbia river -- on the day after. My legs were tired, but I ran the loop in about 1:20 (pretty close to 7:20 pace) so it was a solid back-to-back effort. The chaffing carry-over was the worst part!
As it stands, I'm still a little on the fence about my Wasatch bid. Back in the right training mindset - I think - but I'll have to decide for certain (and log my trail work hours) in the next 2-3 weeks.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Limited Speed
June 29 - July 5
55mi. 6 runs. 2 bike rides. 1 hike.
A little heat training too... somewhere in the neighborhood of 97-100 degrees during my 12 mile run to Mazama on Friday afternoon. Too hot, in some respects, for that to have been a wise choice on my part, but I took plenty of water and 80% of the run is in the trees. Also a nice exploration of Buck Mt./Buck Lake this week, and a 3+ hour run again on Sunday morning coupled with a 3+ hour hike on Sunday afternoon. Off to the Leavenworth area for a solid long run next week!
55mi. 6 runs. 2 bike rides. 1 hike.
A little heat training too... somewhere in the neighborhood of 97-100 degrees during my 12 mile run to Mazama on Friday afternoon. Too hot, in some respects, for that to have been a wise choice on my part, but I took plenty of water and 80% of the run is in the trees. Also a nice exploration of Buck Mt./Buck Lake this week, and a 3+ hour run again on Sunday morning coupled with a 3+ hour hike on Sunday afternoon. Off to the Leavenworth area for a solid long run next week!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
June Totals
June: 203mi. 24 runs.
YTD: 903mi.
Pretty similar to April, and just a little more than May. I'm consistent, but need to step it up a notch. I'm on a slightly better trajectory than I was in 2007's Wasatch approach, but would love to eek out a little more.
YTD: 903mi.
Pretty similar to April, and just a little more than May. I'm consistent, but need to step it up a notch. I'm on a slightly better trajectory than I was in 2007's Wasatch approach, but would love to eek out a little more.
Almost...
June 15-28. 97mi. 11 runs.
Remember now, that's 97mi in two weeks time. An OK, but uninspired 40mi week to start things off, and then a much better 57mi week - especially considering my travels for Summer Reading. Also, a 3000ft gain in my long run on June 19, 3000 additional feet of gain one June 23, and 5-6000 feet of gain in the 22mi West Fork to Hart's Pass run on June 28 -- at least that's what Andrew was thinking. I really need to get back in the 5-6 hour range again soon, but 4:30+ on Sunday was a step in the right direction. Plus, I'm getting work done AND still getting good sleep.
I'll take it!
Remember now, that's 97mi in two weeks time. An OK, but uninspired 40mi week to start things off, and then a much better 57mi week - especially considering my travels for Summer Reading. Also, a 3000ft gain in my long run on June 19, 3000 additional feet of gain one June 23, and 5-6000 feet of gain in the 22mi West Fork to Hart's Pass run on June 28 -- at least that's what Andrew was thinking. I really need to get back in the 5-6 hour range again soon, but 4:30+ on Sunday was a step in the right direction. Plus, I'm getting work done AND still getting good sleep.
I'll take it!
Monday, June 15, 2009
50 again.
June 8 - 14. 50mi. 5 consecutive days.
Again, a return to the 50 mile week. Even better, I spent 4+ hours on a run to Gardner Meadows and beyond and I seem to have abandonded the track workouts for the more Wasatch specific trail running. Its all about time... This week was better, and I did some appropriate training. We shall see what next week brings. I'll start by getting out the door today :)
Again, a return to the 50 mile week. Even better, I spent 4+ hours on a run to Gardner Meadows and beyond and I seem to have abandonded the track workouts for the more Wasatch specific trail running. Its all about time... This week was better, and I did some appropriate training. We shall see what next week brings. I'll start by getting out the door today :)
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
2 x 40s
May 25 - May 31. 42mi. 5 days running.
MUCH better than last week... but my time is dedicated to teaching right now. Just trying to finish off the school year in the best fashion possible.
May Totals: 194 miles. 20 runs
YTD: 702 miles
I was hoping for a step up from April, but this is basically a parallel month. June steps out!
June 1 - 7. 43mi. 6 days.
Several short but fast days on the track at Liberty Bell. This isn't ideal 100 mile training, I suppose, but it hurt and my legs are tired. On Friday, I did 4 x mile with a 1 lap jog in between. 5:36 - 5:45 - 5:40 - 5:44. I also slogged around in some snow and mud for almost 3 hours on Sunday morning. The attempted run to Burch Mountain will be much better in 2-3 more weeks. Still very nice though, and we might have climbed to 7000+ feet.
MUCH better than last week... but my time is dedicated to teaching right now. Just trying to finish off the school year in the best fashion possible.
May Totals: 194 miles. 20 runs
YTD: 702 miles
I was hoping for a step up from April, but this is basically a parallel month. June steps out!
June 1 - 7. 43mi. 6 days.
Several short but fast days on the track at Liberty Bell. This isn't ideal 100 mile training, I suppose, but it hurt and my legs are tired. On Friday, I did 4 x mile with a 1 lap jog in between. 5:36 - 5:45 - 5:40 - 5:44. I also slogged around in some snow and mud for almost 3 hours on Sunday morning. The attempted run to Burch Mountain will be much better in 2-3 more weeks. Still very nice though, and we might have climbed to 7000+ feet.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Yup.
May 18-24. 17mi. 3 days running.
As I suspected. See previous post...
I did do one nice workout on Sunday after dinner. About 1:04 of run time, but in the middle I did 7 x 2min. hard tempo with 1min. recovery. A fine release.
As I suspected. See previous post...
I did do one nice workout on Sunday after dinner. About 1:04 of run time, but in the middle I did 7 x 2min. hard tempo with 1min. recovery. A fine release.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Twisp River 60k AND the TVR!
May 11-17. 63mi. 5 days.
A big week that consisted mostly of a BIG weekend. Given that I wasn't feeling all that great last week, I'm very pleased. The first 3 days were not unlike the previous seven: relaxed. However, on Saturday morning the week ramped up with The 11th Annual TVR Classic!
The Titus Contingent, 2009.
In this year's Winthrop installment, 11 contestants traveled almost 85 total miles on the Liberty Bell High School track. Personally, I ran 39 laps, 365 meters, which adds up to about 9.9 miles (or around 6:03 pace) for the 1 hour contest. Definitely, this was a little bit better than expected, but I think the easy week or so leading in was a major factor.
Preparing for the descent. A rest atop Lookout Mountain.
On Sunday DAY I slowed down considerably, but ran about 37 miles along a potential 60k course in the Twisp River/Lookout Mountain area west of Twisp. This Rainshadow Running coordinated event was, not unlike the TVR, a pretty good effort for me. We logged about 8:15 minutes of running time, and my legs still felt pretty darn good at the end of the run. Not time to linger over snacks etc. though. The "all day" run is not so convenient for the rest of the family back at home and I was anxious to be there myself.
Going forward... we shall see. I was pretty psyched by the way that I felt this week, and especially on the weekend. However, I am stepping in to the local high school art teaching position for the rest of the year (until June 11) and I know that it will seriously limit my running. Priorities are easy to level in this instance, so the longer running can roll again in June.
A big week that consisted mostly of a BIG weekend. Given that I wasn't feeling all that great last week, I'm very pleased. The first 3 days were not unlike the previous seven: relaxed. However, on Saturday morning the week ramped up with The 11th Annual TVR Classic!
The Titus Contingent, 2009.In this year's Winthrop installment, 11 contestants traveled almost 85 total miles on the Liberty Bell High School track. Personally, I ran 39 laps, 365 meters, which adds up to about 9.9 miles (or around 6:03 pace) for the 1 hour contest. Definitely, this was a little bit better than expected, but I think the easy week or so leading in was a major factor.
Preparing for the descent. A rest atop Lookout Mountain.On Sunday DAY I slowed down considerably, but ran about 37 miles along a potential 60k course in the Twisp River/Lookout Mountain area west of Twisp. This Rainshadow Running coordinated event was, not unlike the TVR, a pretty good effort for me. We logged about 8:15 minutes of running time, and my legs still felt pretty darn good at the end of the run. Not time to linger over snacks etc. though. The "all day" run is not so convenient for the rest of the family back at home and I was anxious to be there myself.
Going forward... we shall see. I was pretty psyched by the way that I felt this week, and especially on the weekend. However, I am stepping in to the local high school art teaching position for the rest of the year (until June 11) and I know that it will seriously limit my running. Priorities are easy to level in this instance, so the longer running can roll again in June.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Tired...
May 4-10. 40mi. 5 days.
Not a hard week, but I'm tired. I've been sleeping - staying on top of that - but I think the two races in the last month kind of snuck up on me after Sunflower. Looking at my pre-Sunflower week, I also crammed in a little too much "speed" (including a a frantic lactate loading bike ride into town). My 14+ into Twisp this past Tuesday (also too quick because I was late) probably sapped me as well. Hoping that I feel a little better going into this next week. I'd like to give a go at 3 hard weeks followed by an easy week for at least a cycle or two. "Hard" right now will be defined as ramping up my miles and some purposeful hill/strength work. No more races for a while.
Not a hard week, but I'm tired. I've been sleeping - staying on top of that - but I think the two races in the last month kind of snuck up on me after Sunflower. Looking at my pre-Sunflower week, I also crammed in a little too much "speed" (including a a frantic lactate loading bike ride into town). My 14+ into Twisp this past Tuesday (also too quick because I was late) probably sapped me as well. Hoping that I feel a little better going into this next week. I'd like to give a go at 3 hard weeks followed by an easy week for at least a cycle or two. "Hard" right now will be defined as ramping up my miles and some purposeful hill/strength work. No more races for a while.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Sunflower Iron
April 27-May 3: 50mi. 5 days. My 4th 5o mile week of the year, and this one ended with a race on Saturday. Despite feeling good, and pushing the pace a little more than usual at the start, I still finished in second place for the 3rd year in a row. Not a big deal, but kind of funny. I really felt good in the first half, but didn't have any fight in my legs when I finally got passed in the final 5 miles. I felt good enough to have gone out for an easy recovery run on Sunday, but we had friends visiting from the coast. I didn't bother and went for a very nice hike on Patterson Mountain instead. The sunflowers - arrowleaf balsmroot, that is - are in very fine form right now!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
April 20-26
54mi. 6 days. My longest run was 14+ on Saturday evening. I was out for about 2:10. My biggest week in a long time, but it was nice to spread things out over 6 days. Even still, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday runs were all 10+ and 1:25+ with respect to time - so I was a little bit tired toward the end of Sunday's run. On Friday, I ran 2x10min at threshold/tempo pace with 5 minute rest inbetween. Hopefully, that little dash of "speed" (plus a shorter effort this week) will make the Sunflower Iron race feel a little bit better for this coming weekend. Then, I'll need to start conciously slowing down on the longer runs.
Monday, April 20, 2009
At Rest
April 13-19
40mi. Another 5 day week. I took it pretty easy for two days after Sun Mountain and then started running again with a 3mi day :) The next four runs were all in the 8-12 range, inluding an very nice run on Saturday morning the Andrew and Eric, and a nice late day jaunt on the community trail last night. Still lots of snow on Rader Creek, but its packed down and very runnable - for now. Its supposed to be close to 80 degrees today.
Also a great 4-6mile hike in Pipestone Canyon on Saturday afternoon with the Bondis. LOTS of outside time this past weekend!
The Sunflower Iron (22mi) is in another two weeks. I'll aim for around 50mpw until after that, and then I guess we'll start to go longer. I should get my Wasatch trail work date figured out pretty soon as well...
40mi. Another 5 day week. I took it pretty easy for two days after Sun Mountain and then started running again with a 3mi day :) The next four runs were all in the 8-12 range, inluding an very nice run on Saturday morning the Andrew and Eric, and a nice late day jaunt on the community trail last night. Still lots of snow on Rader Creek, but its packed down and very runnable - for now. Its supposed to be close to 80 degrees today.
Also a great 4-6mile hike in Pipestone Canyon on Saturday afternoon with the Bondis. LOTS of outside time this past weekend!
The Sunflower Iron (22mi) is in another two weeks. I'll aim for around 50mpw until after that, and then I guess we'll start to go longer. I should get my Wasatch trail work date figured out pretty soon as well...
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Sun Mt. 50k
April 6-12 51mi. 5 days and one looong race.Again, all's well that ends well. I patiently paced myself though 50k on Saturday, finished without crashing, and got out for a short run again on Tuesday. The two days off was over cautious (and subject to work schedules) even. 5:06ish and a 9th place finish for the first ever Sun Mountain 50k. James Varner and friends did an excellent job making last minute adjustments to pull this thing off. The course held up well on soft ground and was perhaps even more challenging than the original route. James estimated about 6000ft of climb, so it also qualifies as an excellent hill workout at this point in the spring :)
I'll hope to keep similar weekly totals between now and the Sunflower Rely on May 2nd. After that, maybe I'll finally get in a few long runs with my Wasatch cohorts.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Grounded
March 30 - April 5
40mi. 5 days. After getting ahead of myself last weekend, I put things back in good order by getting two solid days of rest followed by 5 moderate days of running. A longish but slow 14-15mi. on Sunday to keep me in the 40 mpw range, and things have recovered pretty well from the blow-up on Cougar Mountain. Steady as she goes. I also went for a nice family hike at Riser Lake on Sunday morning. Sweet striding in the finally springtime!
40mi. 5 days. After getting ahead of myself last weekend, I put things back in good order by getting two solid days of rest followed by 5 moderate days of running. A longish but slow 14-15mi. on Sunday to keep me in the 40 mpw range, and things have recovered pretty well from the blow-up on Cougar Mountain. Steady as she goes. I also went for a nice family hike at Riser Lake on Sunday morning. Sweet striding in the finally springtime!
Out Like a Lion
50mi. 5 days of running. The highlight/lowlight of the week was a west-side run at Cougar/Squawk Mountain. My family and I took a spring break trip to the big city, so it seemed like a good idea to do my long run with some other people. Indeed, a fine idea. The first four hours were great :) I had excellent company and pretty ideal 40-50 degree running temps. It had snowed overnight, so the trails were a little rough, but it was still very possible to run, and much better than any trail options back in Winthrop at this time of year. The main problem with the run: it was too far. Alas, I had only managed about 2:15 for 14-15 miles on the roads at home. This run was 22mi, and I really started to feel it at about 4:15. Actually, it became a little scary after that. It took me around 1:15 to cover the last 2 miles, and I could not prevent myself from sitting down to rest every 5-10 minutes - even though I knew that I should keep moving. I was wet, cold, and wanting for calories. A couple of hikers heroically ushered me in over those last two miles, even though it certainly interrupted their afternoon of walking in the woods. I'm not sure what I would have done without their help, and that of the woman who eventually drove me back to Seattle Running Co. - and bought me a sandwhich, some pringles, and something to drink along the way. Thank you Julie! (I thought I had missed my ride. Turns out I hadn't, but didn't have the presence of mind to accurately place them in the parking lot upon my tardy return). Live and learn :)March Totals: 173mi. 21 days of running
YTD: 303mi.
Monday, March 23, 2009
On
March 16-2240mi. 4 days o' running. One long run in the 14-15mi vicinity, and a second 1:45 minute run in the 12mi range. Obviously, most of my running came in two big chunks. Next week I'll be sure to spread it around more. I finished a major book illustration project early in the week, hence the compacted running schedule. Phew! And I didn't hurt myself. A nice 6 x marmot hill natural interval session on Saturday as well. Getting easier.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Big Eyes. Full Tummy.
March 9-15
43mi. 6 days of running. About 15mi LSD. 2 days of skiing (1 hr+ skating each). A fine week. More miles than I'd really wanted, but no harm done. Regarding the caption, this weeks long run occured late Sunday afternoon. My family and I watched "The Little Prince" at the Merc Theater in Twisp, and I decided to run home. In the summer, when I can take a few shortcuts via trails & dirt roads, this is about 13 miles. On Sunday... it was farther... I think. After the first 40 minutes to Elbow Coulee, I knew that it was to far. And then it started snowing :) I took it slow. Stopped a few times to admire the scenery AND to keep it sane. My hoped-for 1:30-1:45 run took 2:12. I'm happy to have gotten in a 2hr+ run, but even so, I stopped about 1mi short of home and called for a ride! Like I said, it was farther than I'd wanted to go. There was no real point in being out for even another 8-10 minutes. So it goes.
43mi. 6 days of running. About 15mi LSD. 2 days of skiing (1 hr+ skating each). A fine week. More miles than I'd really wanted, but no harm done. Regarding the caption, this weeks long run occured late Sunday afternoon. My family and I watched "The Little Prince" at the Merc Theater in Twisp, and I decided to run home. In the summer, when I can take a few shortcuts via trails & dirt roads, this is about 13 miles. On Sunday... it was farther... I think. After the first 40 minutes to Elbow Coulee, I knew that it was to far. And then it started snowing :) I took it slow. Stopped a few times to admire the scenery AND to keep it sane. My hoped-for 1:30-1:45 run took 2:12. I'm happy to have gotten in a 2hr+ run, but even so, I stopped about 1mi short of home and called for a ride! Like I said, it was farther than I'd wanted to go. There was no real point in being out for even another 8-10 minutes. So it goes.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
March 2-8
33mi. 5 days o' running. Another good week of getting the bipedal season off to a steady start. Two runs of over an hour, but nothing longer than 8mi. I'll want to get back in the 12-15mi range for a long run next week, but was pleased none-the-less. A "speed" workout on a hotel treadmill for one of those hour runs. 4 x .5 miles at 6:15 pace. A .25 miles rest between each. Harder than a threshhold pace for my fitness right now, but not too much. I also ran 6 x marmot hills (approx. 2:25-30 up) this afternoon. Both of these workouts serve a "variety" function more than anything else right now. The hills are definitely building towards the summer running on trails, but the occassional "speed" workout is mostly about making things feel easier when I am running more (and farther) later on :) G'night!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Feb. 23-March 1
Greetings from the quickly thawing Methow Valley!30 miles in four days of running, plus another 7+ hours of xc skiing (most of it VERY easy). Fine enough. I did a long run of 12 and another short natural interval hill run. Pleased to be in the 30's, and the time on skis will be strength in the bank when I do start increasing the weekly mileage. Slow and steady.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Feb. 16-22
Posting again! A relatively easy "return to regular running" and building a base week.
21miles in 5 days of running. I threw in a very short natural interval hill workout as well. Just 3x2.5 minutes on a dirt road near my house. A great place to start some incline, and it'll help to stretch out my stride a little as I move from skiing into running. RE the skiing: I added about 8 hours of skiing to this week as well. A very nice spring-like skate ski for 3+ hours on Saturday afternoon. 40+km in that particular outing.
YTD: 107mi
21miles in 5 days of running. I threw in a very short natural interval hill workout as well. Just 3x2.5 minutes on a dirt road near my house. A great place to start some incline, and it'll help to stretch out my stride a little as I move from skiing into running. RE the skiing: I added about 8 hours of skiing to this week as well. A very nice spring-like skate ski for 3+ hours on Saturday afternoon. 40+km in that particular outing.
YTD: 107mi
Friday, February 20, 2009
Back at it!
And so it goes... I managed about 1380mi in 2008, and felt like it was a pretty good year of running for sanity - with a few decent 50ks thrown into the mix. 2009 will be a slightly more "focused" year I hope/suppose because I'll be making a second attempt at finishing the Wasatch 100. This is exciting... and daunting.
The distance itself gets due respect, of course, but the "dauntingness" lies in my inability to predict a better training cycle. I will try, by all means, to run at least as many miles as I did in 2006 - more if I'm lucky - and probably more important still, I will try to rest accordingly. Managing work-life, life-life, and running, is definitely the trick. We shall see...
Thus far, through February 15th, I've logged 86 miles. A lack luster Methow winter has kept me running just a bit more this winter. I'll pick up from here with weekly posts.
Ciao!
The distance itself gets due respect, of course, but the "dauntingness" lies in my inability to predict a better training cycle. I will try, by all means, to run at least as many miles as I did in 2006 - more if I'm lucky - and probably more important still, I will try to rest accordingly. Managing work-life, life-life, and running, is definitely the trick. We shall see...
Thus far, through February 15th, I've logged 86 miles. A lack luster Methow winter has kept me running just a bit more this winter. I'll pick up from here with weekly posts.
Ciao!
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