Easy run on tap for today. Ran in the VFFs to stretch things out. Felt good and the weather was nice. Trail run on the agenda for tomorrow, also at an easy pace. Might do hill repeats on Friday.
Ran 7.2 miles @ 8:14/mile pace.
Well groomed trails.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 70s, partly cloudy, breezy.
VFF Sprints, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Yasso 800s: Round Two
Second time doing Yasso 800s, so I tacked on an extra rep for five total with 3:00-3:30 light running in between. Tough, but necessary, workout. Felt I did pretty well today, reaching my goal of not exceeding 3:15.
Hard to imagine that I'll build up to ten reps, twice of what I did today, and hold on to these split times, perhaps even lower them a bit. But, I'll get there. In fact, today's five reps felt easier overall than the four reps I did about two weeks ago, but that's no doubt simply because the rust is shaking off.
One mile warm-up on the track: 8:10/mile pace.
#1: 3:01 (bit fast)
#2: 3:02 (bit fast again)
#3: 3:15 (consciously held back a little)
#4: 3:09 (this felt right)
#5: 3:09 (ah, done)
Upper 70s, sunny.
Asics GT-2130, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Ran a 1.3 mile cool down barefoot through the athletic fields afterwards.
Hard to imagine that I'll build up to ten reps, twice of what I did today, and hold on to these split times, perhaps even lower them a bit. But, I'll get there. In fact, today's five reps felt easier overall than the four reps I did about two weeks ago, but that's no doubt simply because the rust is shaking off.
One mile warm-up on the track: 8:10/mile pace.
#1: 3:01 (bit fast)
#2: 3:02 (bit fast again)
#3: 3:15 (consciously held back a little)
#4: 3:09 (this felt right)
#5: 3:09 (ah, done)
Upper 70s, sunny.
Asics GT-2130, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Ran a 1.3 mile cool down barefoot through the athletic fields afterwards.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Charging the Dump Loop
Ran the dump loop, a 5.6 mile loop from my house that features a decent climb for a 1.8 mile stretch and a subsequent downhill on a dirt road. It also goes by the town dump, hence the name. I want to throw in some more road running this summer for two reasons: A) I'm in marathon training mode, and should do the paved surfaces more often. B) Deer flies aren't as bad with cars going by.
Speaking of deer flies, when on the aforementioned dirt road on the downhill, they were really bad. Hardly any cars use this road, so there were no wind blasts from traffic to provide relief. They were swarming in large numbers and quickly, making them difficult to kill. Thankfully, they weren't biting though.
Goal of this run was to get average sub-8 for the overall pace, and I was well below that. Felt good!
Ran 5.6 miles @ 7:36/mile pace.
Deer flies killed: 3
Paved and dirt roads.
Very hilly.
Upper 70s, overcast, very humid.
Asics GT-2130, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Speaking of deer flies, when on the aforementioned dirt road on the downhill, they were really bad. Hardly any cars use this road, so there were no wind blasts from traffic to provide relief. They were swarming in large numbers and quickly, making them difficult to kill. Thankfully, they weren't biting though.
Goal of this run was to get average sub-8 for the overall pace, and I was well below that. Felt good!
Ran 5.6 miles @ 7:36/mile pace.
Deer flies killed: 3
Paved and dirt roads.
Very hilly.
Upper 70s, overcast, very humid.
Asics GT-2130, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Rebound Action
The trials and tribulations of shaking off rust are full of ups and downs. Saturday's 5k race was discouraging and somewhat pathetic. Today, totally different story. 11.5 miles at an average of 8:25/mile over mostly trails, with three miles of paved roads and much of it quite hilly.
I guess the legs remember the longer stuff, as the effort was only moderate and I felt terrific throughout. It felt quite easy and I was having a blast. Truly felt like a runner again.
The rust isn't the only thing coming off. Despite not being able to run much this past week because I was in Kansas City for a school competition, I stepped on the scale this morning and it showed 187, losing five pounds from a week ago. This is mostly attributed to an altered diet, with healthier foods and smaller portions. It's working which is great.
After today's run, I weighed myself again and I was 182, but that was obviously loss of water weight from sweat (and a bio break). Still, good to see the range going down. The goal is to get back in the mid-170s, but I'll be very happy when I'm back to being consistently below the 180 mark.
Ran 11.5 miles @ 8:25/mile pace.
Deer flies killed: 8
Trails, dirt roads, fire roads, paved roads.
Very hilly.
Upper 60s to lower 70s, overcast, humid.
Asics Trail Attacks, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap, Nathan double water bottle carrier with one bottle.
I guess the legs remember the longer stuff, as the effort was only moderate and I felt terrific throughout. It felt quite easy and I was having a blast. Truly felt like a runner again.
The rust isn't the only thing coming off. Despite not being able to run much this past week because I was in Kansas City for a school competition, I stepped on the scale this morning and it showed 187, losing five pounds from a week ago. This is mostly attributed to an altered diet, with healthier foods and smaller portions. It's working which is great.
After today's run, I weighed myself again and I was 182, but that was obviously loss of water weight from sweat (and a bio break). Still, good to see the range going down. The goal is to get back in the mid-170s, but I'll be very happy when I'm back to being consistently below the 180 mark.
Ran 11.5 miles @ 8:25/mile pace.
Deer flies killed: 8
Trails, dirt roads, fire roads, paved roads.
Very hilly.
Upper 60s to lower 70s, overcast, humid.
Asics Trail Attacks, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap, Nathan double water bottle carrier with one bottle.
Friday, June 25, 2010
The Sting of a Crappy 5K Race Time
I questioned the wisdom of truly racing a 5k race just being about three weeks into post-injury training, but decided to use it as a tempo run. It went about as horrible well as I expected, finishing with a 23:07 time. It was also extremely hot (lower-mid 80s at 9am) and humid, which made it tough.
Despite the above factors and not going all out, that time of 23:07 stings. I haven't run a 5k run that slowly in at least seven years. My PR is 19:05 (and on a very hilly course), so being more than four minutes off that says something. While I wasn't going all out, I was still pressing pretty hard, so that time is pretty sucky.
But I also have only done one speed workout in the past three weeks. And for crying out loud, it's only been three weeks. I shouldn't feel bad about my time. Just got to keep working hard and getting the speed and mileage up for MDI in October. It'll get there, just got to keep working hard and keeping the diet in order (which is much better lately).
Ran 3.1 miles @ 7:22/mile pace. (23:07)
w/u - ~1.0 mile c/d - ~.5 miles
Placing: ?
Flat.
Paved trails.
Lower-mid 80s, sunny, humid.
Asics 2130, Shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Dreadmill
Kansas City is super hot. Time was short. Hotel had treadmill. It sucked.
Ran 3.1 miles @ 8:50/mile pace.
VFF Sprints, short sleeved shirt.
Ran 3.1 miles @ 8:50/mile pace.
VFF Sprints, short sleeved shirt.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Kansas City
I'm in Kansas City for a school competition (Skills USA), which is great so far. Four of my students are competing on the national level after winning the state competition in both media categories (teams of two students each). Good kids, and it's great to be out here with them along with another teacher.
So, I actually had a few hours this morning and set out to run a few miles. Wanted to take it slow and easy which was aided by several factors: 1) No idea where I was running and constantly slowed and stopped to make route decisions. 2) Was in the Vibram Five Fingers. 3) Sore quads still from the Mt. Washington speed hike. Very hot out, mid 80s and somewhat humid, but it oddly felt rather pleasant.
Also, the Skills USA national competition is a huge event. Overwhelmingly big, with a lot going on. Turns out one of the extra things they have going on is a 5K race on Friday, so I went ahead and registered. Not going to race it hard, but it'll be fun nonetheless.
Ran 4.7 miles @ 10:12/mile pace.
Paved roads and some trails.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 80s, sunny, humid.
Shorts, short sleeved shirt.
So, I actually had a few hours this morning and set out to run a few miles. Wanted to take it slow and easy which was aided by several factors: 1) No idea where I was running and constantly slowed and stopped to make route decisions. 2) Was in the Vibram Five Fingers. 3) Sore quads still from the Mt. Washington speed hike. Very hot out, mid 80s and somewhat humid, but it oddly felt rather pleasant.
Also, the Skills USA national competition is a huge event. Overwhelmingly big, with a lot going on. Turns out one of the extra things they have going on is a 5K race on Friday, so I went ahead and registered. Not going to race it hard, but it'll be fun nonetheless.
Ran 4.7 miles @ 10:12/mile pace.
Paved roads and some trails.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 80s, sunny, humid.
Shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
This Must Change
I'm pissed. Pissed at myself for letting myself go while I was injured this spring. I mountain biked quite a bit which helped keep up the cardiovascular somewhat, but I put on some serious weight. I fully realized this yesterday, after seeing photos of myself during the hike up Mt. Washington and it hit me like a ton of bricks. A gut was clearly visible:
Seeing the pictures was an eye-opener. It's unacceptable and I actually lost a lot of sleep over it last night. It hurts to look at this picture. When I'm in top running shape, I weigh around 175 lbs and am pretty ripped. Now? 192. Way too much. It's got to go, and I intend to make it happen. Code Red is in effect. I'm getting down to business... big time.
Despite doing some semi-regular mountain biking while waiting for my foot to heal up, my diet wasn't the greatest. Long story short, it's going to get much better, starting now. This includes eating much healthier. Cutting back on foods with cheese and/or breads, both of which I'm quite fond of, and also cutting back on sweets. More fruits and vegetables. Way more. And smaller portions. Also, no beer until my weight is lowered to at least 178.
I also put a big carrot in front of myself by registering for the MDI Marathon this morning. A little less than four months to go, and there's a lot of work to do between now and then.
But keeping things optimistic, I am feeling pretty good cardiovascularly, despite the weight. With the continued running (and mountain biking thrown in here and there) along with the diet, the weight should come off relatively quickly, or so I hope.
Ran this morning, with the intent of running easy to shake things loose after yesterday's hike, which I'm pretty darn sore from. Extremely humid out so it kind of sucked, but good to get out all the same.
Ran 3.0 miles @ 8:21/mile pace.
Paved roads.
Slightly hilly.
80 degrees, very humid, mostly cloudy.
Shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Speed Hike Up Mt. Washington
Great fun with Ian, Jim, George and Dora as we hiked up Mt. Washington. I'll write more later, but am pretty tired and bed awaits.
We hiked four miles to the summit in two hours. Watched Jeff Walker kick ass at the road race at the summit. Then took the longer route down Boot spur in a little less than two hours. All with much shenanigans along the way.
We hiked four miles to the summit in two hours. Watched Jeff Walker kick ass at the road race at the summit. Then took the longer route down Boot spur in a little less than two hours. All with much shenanigans along the way.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Yasso 800s
Anybody who reads this blog (and why you read it is beyond me) probably already knows what Yasso 800s are, but just briefly they are running 800 meter repeats with light jogging in between for the amount of time that you did your repeat. The recommendation is start off at doing four reps, and tack on another one each time you do the workout until you get a total of ten reps.
Many claim it's not only a great speed workout, but also an accurate predictor of marathon times WHEN you reach the point you're doing ten reps. For example, if you average your ten repeats at 3:15 (min/sec) per 800m rep, then you should run a 3:15 (hour/min) marathon.
Which leads me to why I'm doing this madness. I plan on running the MDI Marathon in October for my first real big race since my latest injury, and this time I'm training specifically for this race, as opposed to riding off ultramarathon training (i.e. barely any speed workouts). I've run it four times before, and it's a very well organized and fun race, but also one hilly mother of a tough course.
General training plan is to get in a speed workout, tempo workout and long run each week, with easy running in between. I don't do well with specific formulas that nail mileage and times to a "T", but I think this is general enough while still providing structure that it should work for me. Just need to spend time working up to the long runs again.
Back to the run: Goal for the workout was to hit between 3:10-3:15 (hint, hint). Ended up going faster more of a result of being out of practice at hitting the proper pace. Handled it okay, but if I did more than four reps, it wouldn't have gone as well at this point.
.75 mile warm-up
2:55
3:13
3:07
3:04
.6 mile cool down (barefoot).
For next time, will do a longer warm-up and cool down.
Track.
Very flat.
Upper 60s, mostly cloudy then clearing to sunny, breezy.
Asics GT-2130, shorts.
Many claim it's not only a great speed workout, but also an accurate predictor of marathon times WHEN you reach the point you're doing ten reps. For example, if you average your ten repeats at 3:15 (min/sec) per 800m rep, then you should run a 3:15 (hour/min) marathon.
Which leads me to why I'm doing this madness. I plan on running the MDI Marathon in October for my first real big race since my latest injury, and this time I'm training specifically for this race, as opposed to riding off ultramarathon training (i.e. barely any speed workouts). I've run it four times before, and it's a very well organized and fun race, but also one hilly mother of a tough course.
General training plan is to get in a speed workout, tempo workout and long run each week, with easy running in between. I don't do well with specific formulas that nail mileage and times to a "T", but I think this is general enough while still providing structure that it should work for me. Just need to spend time working up to the long runs again.
Back to the run: Goal for the workout was to hit between 3:10-3:15 (hint, hint). Ended up going faster more of a result of being out of practice at hitting the proper pace. Handled it okay, but if I did more than four reps, it wouldn't have gone as well at this point.
.75 mile warm-up
2:55
3:13
3:07
3:04
.6 mile cool down (barefoot).
For next time, will do a longer warm-up and cool down.
Track.
Very flat.
Upper 60s, mostly cloudy then clearing to sunny, breezy.
Asics GT-2130, shorts.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Nice Eight Out Back
First day off from school for the summer, and I wasn't the only teacher out enjoying it. Ran into one of the high school P.E. teachers in my district and his wife who were mountain biking on the early fire road portion of my run. Chatted with him for a couple of minutes but the deer flies were menacing so we both quickly moved on.
Climbed the fire road and once I hit the snowmobile trail into thicker tree cover, the deer flies' numbers lessened. A vengeful moment was had when I stopped to walk out on a fallen tree that goes out over a pond (a tradition that is done everytime I run this route), and I killed five deer flies within 10 seconds. Their lifeless bodies dropped into the water where they will no doubt be fish food.
Big climb, big descent, then back to another fireroad where I came across a pickup truck that had just pulled over. This is an experimental forest owned by the state, so only vehicles with special permission are allowed on the fire roads.
The guy from the truck was unloading equipment and I stopped to ask what he was up to. He was a scientist doing a study on ticks and Lyme disease. According to him, ticks over at a nature preserve in the town of Wells (about 45 minutes away and along the coast) have a higher percentage of Lyme disease compared to this area which only has a small percentage, and they were trying to find out why. He also expressed how happy he was to get out of the lab and be outside. Don't blame him. Was glad to learn that the Lyme threat must be considerably less in my area.
Very good run. Felt terrific throughout. Pace was faster than yesterday on similar terrain (about half of the trails were the same) and plus was a mile longer, and was very good for this route. Tomorrow will likely be a mountain bike day in the morning with a shorter run in the afternoon, but we'll see.
Ran 8.0 miles @ 8:40/mile.
Deer flies killed: 7
Technical trails and fire roads.
Very hilly.
Upper 60s, overcast, humid.
Asics Trail Attacks, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Climbed the fire road and once I hit the snowmobile trail into thicker tree cover, the deer flies' numbers lessened. A vengeful moment was had when I stopped to walk out on a fallen tree that goes out over a pond (a tradition that is done everytime I run this route), and I killed five deer flies within 10 seconds. Their lifeless bodies dropped into the water where they will no doubt be fish food.
Big climb, big descent, then back to another fireroad where I came across a pickup truck that had just pulled over. This is an experimental forest owned by the state, so only vehicles with special permission are allowed on the fire roads.
The guy from the truck was unloading equipment and I stopped to ask what he was up to. He was a scientist doing a study on ticks and Lyme disease. According to him, ticks over at a nature preserve in the town of Wells (about 45 minutes away and along the coast) have a higher percentage of Lyme disease compared to this area which only has a small percentage, and they were trying to find out why. He also expressed how happy he was to get out of the lab and be outside. Don't blame him. Was glad to learn that the Lyme threat must be considerably less in my area.
Very good run. Felt terrific throughout. Pace was faster than yesterday on similar terrain (about half of the trails were the same) and plus was a mile longer, and was very good for this route. Tomorrow will likely be a mountain bike day in the morning with a shorter run in the afternoon, but we'll see.
Ran 8.0 miles @ 8:40/mile.
Deer flies killed: 7
Technical trails and fire roads.
Very hilly.
Upper 60s, overcast, humid.
Asics Trail Attacks, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Last Day of School and the Pair of Barred Owls
It was the warmest part of the day, meaning deer flies were very active. At certain spots, they were swarming big time, but at least they weren't really biting. Managed to kill five of the buggers. I think a Deer Fly Experiment Part Two might be in order. I have something else I want to try, and it's pretty much guaranteed to make me look even stupider.
A real treat though about four and a half miles into the run. I came across two barred owls sitting on the trail, which was quite odd. No signs that they had prey or anything. They flew apart, both landing in nearby branches. One was about 50 feet away, but into the woods a bit and I couldn't really get closer. We stared at each other for a couple of minutes, and then I went to see if I could find the other one, which had flown along the trail.
Sure enough, the second one was perched on a branch about 20 feet over the trail. I slowly crept towards it, getting up to within 30 feet of it. Never had as good of a look at a wild barred owl like this before. He/she totally didn't seem to mind my presence, only giving me the occasional look. I sat on the trail and just watched it for several minutes, even talking to it (saying hello and what not) to see what he/she would do, but it was totally unphased. After a while, it flew up to a higher branch and I decided to continue my run. Really cool encounter.
Run itself went great! Mix of very hilly fire roads and technical trails, and the overall pace was excellent at this stage of recovery. Didn't feel like too much effort either, so the rust continues to come off nicely.
Ran 7.0 miles @ 9:00/mile pace.
Deer flies killed: 5
Technical trails and fire roads.
Very hilly.
Mid 70s, mostly sunny.
Short, short sleeved shirt, cap.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Week Recap
Just woke up from a nap and crunched some numbers: I ran 22.6 miles for the week, and mountain biked 24.6 miles. I raised my eyebrows a bit at that, as it seems a bit much for week two post injury. However, I have to factor in that I was doing a lot of mountain biking while waiting for the foot to heal, so I'm starting running again while in somewhat decent cardiovascular shape.
Also, I've been keeping the daily mileage low, but have just been consistant which helped bring up the mileage total. And also, I've been doing most of the runs slow.
How's that for rationalization?
Still, I should be careful. I'm feeling terrific though. Amazing how much difference the biking has made during the time off from running. Wish I would have done that in my other injury lay-offs.
Also, I've been keeping the daily mileage low, but have just been consistant which helped bring up the mileage total. And also, I've been doing most of the runs slow.
How's that for rationalization?
Still, I should be careful. I'm feeling terrific though. Amazing how much difference the biking has made during the time off from running. Wish I would have done that in my other injury lay-offs.
Cathance River Nature Preserve Run
Ryan and Danielle were gracious enough to host a bunch of us over at their place in Topsham for a run at the nearby Cathance River Nature Preserve, followed by a most excellent pancake breakfast. Myself along with Chuck, Katy, Mindy, Val, Rick, Linda and Jerry were in attendance.
Great run. Pace was nice and easy, which I was grateful for since that was a logical follow-up to yesterday's workouts. I also opted for the shorter route, while at least half of the group went longer. Good call on my part, as it was a nice fit for the week.
Would write more, but I'm feeling lazy and I'm quite tired. But big thanks to Ryan and Danielle for hosting a very fun morning and it was of course awesome to hang out with everyone!
Ran 4.4 miles @ 11:10/mile pace.
Trails.
Moderately hilly.
Lower 60s, overcast, muggy.
Asics Trail Attacks, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap.
Great run. Pace was nice and easy, which I was grateful for since that was a logical follow-up to yesterday's workouts. I also opted for the shorter route, while at least half of the group went longer. Good call on my part, as it was a nice fit for the week.
Would write more, but I'm feeling lazy and I'm quite tired. But big thanks to Ryan and Danielle for hosting a very fun morning and it was of course awesome to hang out with everyone!
Ran 4.4 miles @ 11:10/mile pace.
Trails.
Moderately hilly.
Lower 60s, overcast, muggy.
Asics Trail Attacks, shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Bumbling Around Bradbury and The Back Cove Run
The Ride
The Trail Monster Running gang was meeting up at Bradbury Mountain for a run this morning. Running with them was tempting, but I don't think I'm ready to try and keep up with everyone yet until I shake off some more rust. However, it was a great excuse to go there to see everyone and get in some mountain biking.
Saw Ian, Jim and Nate in the parking lot and was chatting with them for a bit but more and more mountain bikers were showing up, so I scurried out to have the trails a bit more to myself (a.k.a. the freedom to wipe out with less chance of others being around). That being said, mountain bikers are an extremely friendly and helpful bunch, much like trail runners, so I really shouldn't be so self-conscience.
I hit the ridiculously technical O-Trail first. Only fully fell twice, which tells me I wasn't going fast enough or taking enough risks. But though my overall speed was slightly up for the entire ride, I think I was being a bit more conservative on this trail due to many wet roots that really made things tough.
Finished the O-trail, then hit the Lanzo and Island trails, then the Ragan and Fox West Trails. I really like the Fox West Trail a lot. Fun downhill ride. However, on one sharp turn I spooked a ruffed grouse. Because of the turn, it's line of flight ended up being right in front of me and I slammed on the brakes and literally missed it by inches.
While braking (and fishtailing a bit) I hit a rock which loosened my back wheel. I stopped to check it out, listening to the grouse making whimpering noises not unlike a whiny puppy. I hoped it wasn't hurt or something. I'm certain I didn't hit it, so maybe that's just a noise they make, but it was still quite odd. Anyway, fixing the wheel was easy. It was just a loose bolt so after tightening it up I finished up the ride, reaching the parking lot and finding the Trail Monsters had just finished their run. Stopped and chatted for a while, before taking off to the Back Cove for my own run.
Mountain biked 7.5 miles @ 5.1 mph/avg (13.9 mph/max).
Very technical trails.
Moderately hilly.
Lower 60s, overcast, very humid.
Shorts, short sleeved shirt.
The Run
Pretty uneventful, other than I had planned on two laps around the cove, but ended up doing just one. I didn't want to overdue things, as my legs were quite sore from the bike ride as well as yesterday's run. Definitely the right call, as after the drive home my legs felt quite stiff walking from the car to my front door. However, the run itself was great and no issues.
Ran 3.6 miles @ 8:17/mile pace.
Well groomed trails.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 60s, overcast, humid.
VFF Sprints, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
The Trail Monster Running gang was meeting up at Bradbury Mountain for a run this morning. Running with them was tempting, but I don't think I'm ready to try and keep up with everyone yet until I shake off some more rust. However, it was a great excuse to go there to see everyone and get in some mountain biking.
Saw Ian, Jim and Nate in the parking lot and was chatting with them for a bit but more and more mountain bikers were showing up, so I scurried out to have the trails a bit more to myself (a.k.a. the freedom to wipe out with less chance of others being around). That being said, mountain bikers are an extremely friendly and helpful bunch, much like trail runners, so I really shouldn't be so self-conscience.
I hit the ridiculously technical O-Trail first. Only fully fell twice, which tells me I wasn't going fast enough or taking enough risks. But though my overall speed was slightly up for the entire ride, I think I was being a bit more conservative on this trail due to many wet roots that really made things tough.
Finished the O-trail, then hit the Lanzo and Island trails, then the Ragan and Fox West Trails. I really like the Fox West Trail a lot. Fun downhill ride. However, on one sharp turn I spooked a ruffed grouse. Because of the turn, it's line of flight ended up being right in front of me and I slammed on the brakes and literally missed it by inches.
While braking (and fishtailing a bit) I hit a rock which loosened my back wheel. I stopped to check it out, listening to the grouse making whimpering noises not unlike a whiny puppy. I hoped it wasn't hurt or something. I'm certain I didn't hit it, so maybe that's just a noise they make, but it was still quite odd. Anyway, fixing the wheel was easy. It was just a loose bolt so after tightening it up I finished up the ride, reaching the parking lot and finding the Trail Monsters had just finished their run. Stopped and chatted for a while, before taking off to the Back Cove for my own run.
Mountain biked 7.5 miles @ 5.1 mph/avg (13.9 mph/max).
Very technical trails.
Moderately hilly.
Lower 60s, overcast, very humid.
Shorts, short sleeved shirt.
The Run
Pretty uneventful, other than I had planned on two laps around the cove, but ended up doing just one. I didn't want to overdue things, as my legs were quite sore from the bike ride as well as yesterday's run. Definitely the right call, as after the drive home my legs felt quite stiff walking from the car to my front door. However, the run itself was great and no issues.
Ran 3.6 miles @ 8:17/mile pace.
Well groomed trails.
Slightly hilly.
Mid 60s, overcast, humid.
VFF Sprints, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Six on the Railroad Bed
Great run today. Hit the old railroad bed from the school and got in six quality miles, but things didn't start off so easy. I discovered before the run that the Garmin's battery was dead. This didn't help matters, as I was already really very tired and the allure of simply going home, watching the World Cup and taking a nap was tempting.
I quickly shook that all off though and just ran. Weather was great and I turned on to the trail that led to the converted railroad bed. Running under the thick tree cover that allowed only small, scattered rays of light through the thick, overhead branches instantly helped put me into running mode.
Once on the railroad bed, it was easy to naturally pick up the pace. The trail is hardly technical and the grades are slight, making it easy to go faster.
Though I didn't know my exact pace, it was pretty obvious to me that I was going well under 8:00/mile after a couple of miles. I'm sure my splits would have shown a true progression run. Verified the sub-8 pace though by looking at the time afterwards. Will call it 7:50/mile mile, which might be a bit conservative. Nothing flashy, but at this stage it's great. And what's even better is that it came pretty easily. The mountain biking while waiting for the foot to heal definitely has helped.
Ran 6.0 miles @ ~7:50/mile.
Trails, mostly converted railroad beds.
Slightly hilly.
70 degrees, partly cloudy.
Shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap.
I quickly shook that all off though and just ran. Weather was great and I turned on to the trail that led to the converted railroad bed. Running under the thick tree cover that allowed only small, scattered rays of light through the thick, overhead branches instantly helped put me into running mode.
Once on the railroad bed, it was easy to naturally pick up the pace. The trail is hardly technical and the grades are slight, making it easy to go faster.
Though I didn't know my exact pace, it was pretty obvious to me that I was going well under 8:00/mile after a couple of miles. I'm sure my splits would have shown a true progression run. Verified the sub-8 pace though by looking at the time afterwards. Will call it 7:50/mile mile, which might be a bit conservative. Nothing flashy, but at this stage it's great. And what's even better is that it came pretty easily. The mountain biking while waiting for the foot to heal definitely has helped.
Ran 6.0 miles @ ~7:50/mile.
Trails, mostly converted railroad beds.
Slightly hilly.
70 degrees, partly cloudy.
Shorts, short sleeved shirt, cap.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Bike and a Run
Got home from work, changed clothes, and did some last minute adjustments on the bum rear wheel on my bike before taking it out. I think I have it to where it'll survive for at least a few more weeks, but I plan on getting a new one before then.
Did the eight mile loop in the woods behind my house. Ride went well. Didn't really hammer too hard as my legs are pretty sore from the workouts this week, but I hardly made the ride a cakewalk at the same time. Some grueling climbs on this course, and some fun technical downhills. Also had fun launching off roots and rocks when I wasn't bunnyhopping over them.
Mountain biked 8.1 miles @ ~9.0 mph/avg (~25.0 mph/max) Forgot to restart the Garmin at one point, and lost a few miles of data.
Trails, fire roads.
Very hilly.
Mid 60s, overcast, breezy.
Shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Came home, changed and headed down to the local high school for a barefoot run on the athletic fields. Not gonna lie, legs felt pretty heavy, especially at first, but it did get better as the run went on. Got in four miles and was satisfied with that.
Muscles are quite sore, but it's a good sore. Rest day tomorrow though. Happy with how the workouts are progressing. Rust is coming off nicely. Good to be injury free again.
Ran 4.1 miles @ 8:47/mile pace.
Grassy fields.
Very flat.
Mid 60s, overcast, breezy.
Barefoot, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Did the eight mile loop in the woods behind my house. Ride went well. Didn't really hammer too hard as my legs are pretty sore from the workouts this week, but I hardly made the ride a cakewalk at the same time. Some grueling climbs on this course, and some fun technical downhills. Also had fun launching off roots and rocks when I wasn't bunnyhopping over them.
Mountain biked 8.1 miles @ ~9.0 mph/avg (~25.0 mph/max) Forgot to restart the Garmin at one point, and lost a few miles of data.
Trails, fire roads.
Very hilly.
Mid 60s, overcast, breezy.
Shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Came home, changed and headed down to the local high school for a barefoot run on the athletic fields. Not gonna lie, legs felt pretty heavy, especially at first, but it did get better as the run went on. Got in four miles and was satisfied with that.
Muscles are quite sore, but it's a good sore. Rest day tomorrow though. Happy with how the workouts are progressing. Rust is coming off nicely. Good to be injury free again.
Ran 4.1 miles @ 8:47/mile pace.
Grassy fields.
Very flat.
Mid 60s, overcast, breezy.
Barefoot, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Another Step Up
Ran the trail route this afternoon that goes up past my town's transfer station. This was the longest distance run post-injury so far, and by far the hilliest. It wasn't easy, but I thought it would feel tougher than it did.
The pace was also excellent at this stage, and that wasn't even pushing it, just running at what felt comfortable. All very good signs, and the foot continues to feel great. The mountain biking has definitely helped keep a lot of cobwebs off, but of course there is still a reacclimation period. But everything is going great, so I'm quite happy!
Ran 4.8 miles @ 8:51/mile pace.
Deer flies killed: 7.
Trails, some dirt roads.
Very hilly.
Upper 60s, partly cloudy.
Asics Trail Attacks, shorts, sleeveless shirt.
The pace was also excellent at this stage, and that wasn't even pushing it, just running at what felt comfortable. All very good signs, and the foot continues to feel great. The mountain biking has definitely helped keep a lot of cobwebs off, but of course there is still a reacclimation period. But everything is going great, so I'm quite happy!
Ran 4.8 miles @ 8:51/mile pace.
Deer flies killed: 7.
Trails, some dirt roads.
Very hilly.
Upper 60s, partly cloudy.
Asics Trail Attacks, shorts, sleeveless shirt.
Monday, June 07, 2010
Bike Maintenance and The Yellow Dart
After some complications in rebuilding my front wheel, the bike shop recommended to just order a new one so I went that route. It finally came in and was ready to go over the weekend, so I picked it up yesterday.
One complication: the disc brake rotor was sitting a millimeter or so too far to the outside causing it to rub against the outer pad. The pads couldn't really be adjusted, so I used a washer to space out the hub and that worked absolutely, 100% perfectly. No rub at all. I was quite stoked to get that working and patted myself on the back for what (to me) was a somewhat ingenious solution.
Another complication: the rear wheel is following a similar fate as the old front wheel. The wheel wiggles ever so slightly from within the hub (not as bad as the old front wheel, at least not yet) and the bike shop alerted me to this, so I overhauled it yesterday, taking the hub apart, cleaning things out, and regreasing the bearings and axle.
In doing so, I found out the axle is bent. As a result, to eliminate the wiggle, tightening the bolts does so, but hinders the free spin. There was no happy medium. It was either have the slight wiggle or reduce the spin capacity... no way to eliminate both. However, I got it pretty close. Rode today with the bolts a bit on the tight side but decided afterwards to go ahead and loosen them and opt for the slight wiggle. Will order a new wheel very soon, but the current one should hopefully hold out okay until then.
The more I'm learning about bike maintenance, the more I'm really enjoying it. Tinkering with my bike with the Red Sox game on and having a beer nearby is very enjoyable. I like the challenge of fixing and tweaking my bike, and at the same time feel much of it is in my grasp and realm of understanding. I've been doing a lot of research on it which has helped. It's quite rewarding.
So, today's ride... Went well. Did the nine mile loop from my house. Felt good, albeit a bit rusty. Knowing the rear wheel was a bit tight and not free spinning as much as it could played some mind games with me at times, but I think the slower speed was more the result of rust. A bit muddy at spots with the weekend rain. Nice to finish the ride covered in it though:
The Yellow Dart
One complication: the disc brake rotor was sitting a millimeter or so too far to the outside causing it to rub against the outer pad. The pads couldn't really be adjusted, so I used a washer to space out the hub and that worked absolutely, 100% perfectly. No rub at all. I was quite stoked to get that working and patted myself on the back for what (to me) was a somewhat ingenious solution.
Another complication: the rear wheel is following a similar fate as the old front wheel. The wheel wiggles ever so slightly from within the hub (not as bad as the old front wheel, at least not yet) and the bike shop alerted me to this, so I overhauled it yesterday, taking the hub apart, cleaning things out, and regreasing the bearings and axle.
In doing so, I found out the axle is bent. As a result, to eliminate the wiggle, tightening the bolts does so, but hinders the free spin. There was no happy medium. It was either have the slight wiggle or reduce the spin capacity... no way to eliminate both. However, I got it pretty close. Rode today with the bolts a bit on the tight side but decided afterwards to go ahead and loosen them and opt for the slight wiggle. Will order a new wheel very soon, but the current one should hopefully hold out okay until then.
The more I'm learning about bike maintenance, the more I'm really enjoying it. Tinkering with my bike with the Red Sox game on and having a beer nearby is very enjoyable. I like the challenge of fixing and tweaking my bike, and at the same time feel much of it is in my grasp and realm of understanding. I've been doing a lot of research on it which has helped. It's quite rewarding.
So, today's ride... Went well. Did the nine mile loop from my house. Felt good, albeit a bit rusty. Knowing the rear wheel was a bit tight and not free spinning as much as it could played some mind games with me at times, but I think the slower speed was more the result of rust. A bit muddy at spots with the weekend rain. Nice to finish the ride covered in it though:
Mountain biked 9.0 miles @ 9.5 mph/avg (25.1 mph/max)
Trails, some dirt roads, some paved roads.
Very hilly.
Lower 70s, partly cloudy.
Shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Back Cove
Wasn't sure if I'd get today's run off. A rest day probably would do some good, but I had to go to Portland to pick up the new front wheel for my mountain bike and if there was a break in the weather, I'd consider hitting the Back Cove for a run.
Just a light rain after I got the wheel, and I was also itching to run, so the plan was a go. Ran in the Vibram Five Finger Sprints. I told myself to take it easy, but the pace somehow crept up a little higher than it should have. I ended up going 8:12/mile overall. However, it felt fine.
Will not run tomorrow. Though each run the past several days has been short, it's probably a good idea to still give the foot a rest, even if there are no red or yellow flags. However, may bike commute to work tomorrow.
Ran 3.6 miles @ 8:12/mile pace.
Well groomed trails.
Slightly hilly.
Lower 60s, overcast, light rain.
VFF Sprints, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Just a light rain after I got the wheel, and I was also itching to run, so the plan was a go. Ran in the Vibram Five Finger Sprints. I told myself to take it easy, but the pace somehow crept up a little higher than it should have. I ended up going 8:12/mile overall. However, it felt fine.
Will not run tomorrow. Though each run the past several days has been short, it's probably a good idea to still give the foot a rest, even if there are no red or yellow flags. However, may bike commute to work tomorrow.
Ran 3.6 miles @ 8:12/mile pace.
Well groomed trails.
Slightly hilly.
Lower 60s, overcast, light rain.
VFF Sprints, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Small Step Up
Increased yesterday's total by half a mile, running 2.5 miles barefoot today. Like yesterday, I did the run on grassy soccer fields, which is in my opinion the best surface to run on when starting out barefoot.
Though the shoes will come on at some point, I think doing a lot of barefoot runs is great at this juncture. For one, I can reacclimate to running barefoot and just running in general at the same time, as I come back from injury. Killing two birds with one stone, as the cliche goes. Perhaps three birds, when you consider how barefoot running increases foot strength.
I'm also a bit apprehensive to run on trails or roads at this point. With trails, I have a fear of stepping on a rock or root and tweaking my foot again. But perhaps that's irrational, as if the foot is handling these shorter barefoot runs fine, I should be okay with standard trail shoes on the trails. But still, the fear lingers. As for the fear of running on roads... well roads just suck.
Ran 2.5 miles @ 8:58/mile pace.
Grassy fields.
Very flat.
Upper 70s, partly cloudy.
Barefoot, shorts, sleeveless shirt.
Though the shoes will come on at some point, I think doing a lot of barefoot runs is great at this juncture. For one, I can reacclimate to running barefoot and just running in general at the same time, as I come back from injury. Killing two birds with one stone, as the cliche goes. Perhaps three birds, when you consider how barefoot running increases foot strength.
I'm also a bit apprehensive to run on trails or roads at this point. With trails, I have a fear of stepping on a rock or root and tweaking my foot again. But perhaps that's irrational, as if the foot is handling these shorter barefoot runs fine, I should be okay with standard trail shoes on the trails. But still, the fear lingers. As for the fear of running on roads... well roads just suck.
Ran 2.5 miles @ 8:58/mile pace.
Grassy fields.
Very flat.
Upper 70s, partly cloudy.
Barefoot, shorts, sleeveless shirt.
Friday, June 04, 2010
Two Miles Barefoot
No real after effects from the 1.3 mile run two days ago. That was a great sign. Took an intentional day off yesterday, and decided to go for two miles today if it felt okay. Had planned to run in the Vibram Five Fingers but opted to run barefoot at the last minute.
Run went great. Foot felt fine. Onward and upward, but carefully. Nice to be running again.
Ran 2.0 miles @ 8:58/mile pace.
Grassy field.
Very flat.
Mid 80s, partly cloudy.
Barefoot, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Run went great. Foot felt fine. Onward and upward, but carefully. Nice to be running again.
Grassy field.
Very flat.
Mid 80s, partly cloudy.
Barefoot, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Pineland Farms Barefoot 5k Video
Here's the video I edited. Turned out okay, just not happy that the opening animation didn't export properly (not centered) out of the software. Otherwise, more or less happy with it:
What A Long, Strange Trip on the DL It's Been
Wow, where to start? How about on Saturday. It was then that I filmed the 5K barefoot race at Pineland Farms (will post the video soon). I knew I would be moving around a lot to get the footage, but what I naively didn't expect was how much running I'd end up doing.
I decided on a whim that I wanted some action shots running with the barefoot guys so I could get them in motion for a cool point of view. This resulted in me doing a lot of start and stop running. Perhaps a mile or a mile and a half worth, and the foot felt great! Good sign.
Sunday, I biked around 25 miles on the course (on a borrowed bike, as I'm still waiting for a new wheel to come in) for the 50M/50K/25K race, checking up on runners. That was fun. Especially the wipeout I had in front of about a hundred people.
So, with that run on Saturday, I was encouraged to try a run in the Vibram Five Fingers today. I wanted to run in the VFF's as opposed to standard shoes as it'd be a real test... giving the foot pretty much full flexibility. But with that, I'd have to keep it slow, the run short, and not do anything stupid.
Ended up running 1.3 miles on a grassy field and I felt fine! Very encouraged by this. I didn't feel any aggravation which was great. Really stoked to return to running!
Ran 1.3 miles @ 9:21/mile pace.
Grassy field.
Very flat.
Lower 70s, sunny, humid.
VFF Sprints, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
I decided on a whim that I wanted some action shots running with the barefoot guys so I could get them in motion for a cool point of view. This resulted in me doing a lot of start and stop running. Perhaps a mile or a mile and a half worth, and the foot felt great! Good sign.
Sunday, I biked around 25 miles on the course (on a borrowed bike, as I'm still waiting for a new wheel to come in) for the 50M/50K/25K race, checking up on runners. That was fun. Especially the wipeout I had in front of about a hundred people.
So, with that run on Saturday, I was encouraged to try a run in the Vibram Five Fingers today. I wanted to run in the VFF's as opposed to standard shoes as it'd be a real test... giving the foot pretty much full flexibility. But with that, I'd have to keep it slow, the run short, and not do anything stupid.
Ended up running 1.3 miles on a grassy field and I felt fine! Very encouraged by this. I didn't feel any aggravation which was great. Really stoked to return to running!
Ran 1.3 miles @ 9:21/mile pace.
Grassy field.
Very flat.
Lower 70s, sunny, humid.
VFF Sprints, shorts, short sleeved shirt.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)