Sunday, June 28, 2009

Sunday morning run

Up early at 5:10am for what I had hoped to be 10 miles. 71° when I started at 6am, and warmed up more once the sun came out at 7am. My run was ok though and I did 10.4 miles, ending with a good hill climb. Looks like I am ready to keep the training on for the October 3rd marathon (Triple Lakes Trail Marathon), so that means I need to start getting out to Paris Mountain State Park to run. I believe some members of my BRR team are going out there weekly, so I'll see if they'll be out there this week. Would be good to actually meet them! This week has three runs, then will add a 4th next week. May mix things up with running at work, at Paris Mtn, Oak Grove (my regular spot) and maybe even 5 days a week. Watching some updates from the Western States 100 online got me itching for an ultra. Only a 50k. Long way from there.
By the way, Mike Pastore (I see him every so often at Oak Grove and local races) from Greer finished his 3rd WS100 in 29 hrs 22 minutes...amazing, but then you see the winner finished around 16 hours. How did That guy train??

Saturday, June 27, 2009

WS100 and ultras

The Western States 100 started this morning and our local Mike Pastore (2 time finisher) is running it again. Oh to dream of running it, but I really don't ever see that in my list of accomplishments. Reading the details and what it takes to get thru it boggles the mind. They do say if you are doing 50 miles/week, that it is possible. I'm reading the live blog now for the race (and recently re-read the article on him (and others) from a past issue of Go Magazine), so that sparked me into looking back into 50k training plans. I've created a test scenario where I'll do 10 weeks of that training starting in about 5 weeks which will lead up to my trail marathon. We'll see how I feel in 5 weeks if I am able to transition to it. It would entail running 5 days a week (back to running 3 days/wk now but will increase to 4 next week). Monday would be a short run in am and yoga @ lunch. Tuesday medium length run (6-8 miles). Wed short run. Thursday off. Friday and Saturday would be long runs and Sunday off. Besides getting just a little less sleep, the added miles will be an adjustment. Back to back long runs will be interesting but certainly helpful when it comes to the trail marathon. Now I just need to start getting out to Paris Mountain State Park to run trails. Tomorrow I am hoping to do 10 miles and then I'll feel up to running trails. If I complete 10 that is. Since the Windermere Marathon 6 weeks ago: I've run 6.8 miles 4 weeks ago and only one run longer (my 13 miles lost in Ohio) a week before that. I'll postr another tomorrow and let everyone (ha!) know how it went.

Monday, June 22, 2009

5 weeks later, I finally got it! Oh wait, that's not a good thing.

Saturday's run was fine. A little warm (ok - very warm), didn't run particularly fast, same course as usual. Felt fine afterwards. Nothing special that day either - no cutting grass on my steeply sloped yard or anything of the like. So what happens at 4:30am, about 90 minutes before my alarm goes off? The cramp that was trying to appear in my right calf during the Windermere Marathon 5 weeks ago Finally showed up in full force! Didn't hang around long, but I didn't really get back to sleep. Rubbed it out and there wasn't much doubt I was going out for my 5 mile run that morning. Same shoes, outfit - the works. Probably hydrated a little bit more - but in this heat (75° on Sunday morning at 6:30am) - I have to anyway. (On that note, I read someone's blog recently about how the Sunrise 8k was a good distance because they don't need to hydrate during the race. Not me - I hydrate in a 5k!). Not sure where the cramp came from aside from running once a week for the preceding 3 weeks. Anyway, on my Sunday morning run, I got a blister on my right foot. I typically get one on my right arch when I am breaking in a new pair of shoes. I think my right arch is slightly lower than my left so it rubs on the padding a bit. It goes away/callouses over after a week or so. This blister has already healed even though it was in a different place on my arch (more towards the big toe). I blame my socks. Wore my Medium sized ones instead of the large. No issues from the cramp and yoga was fine today. Hmm, maybe it was that I haven't been doing my weekly yoga class as much? No - I'll blame the socks, but I will get to that class each week!

Saturday, June 20, 2009

I'm back!

So my third run in 3 weeks was this morning in 73° temps (even at 6:45am!). Just wanting to get a few miles in - test the waters and make sure I had no pain in my foot. It went just fine! It was hot, muggy and I have definitely lost some leg strength with this break. After averaging 28 miles/week the 7 weeks leading up to the Windermere Marathon, I've only done 30 miles the last 4 weeks. I will do another 5 tomorrow and be back on track for Tuesday. Technically - my 16 week marathon training started this past Monday, so I'll have a 15 week plan.
The Blue Ridge Relay plan is taking shape, and that's only 12 weeks away. We have 10 runners right now, and may get one or two more.
I read another running book last week: Bart Yasso's "My Life on the Run". Very interesting and I would recommend it. He is just blessed with the body to do those things - bike across the country in 20 days, do the (original) Badwater 146, lead a 3:00 pace group while battling Lyme disease. Crazy - but he has also done some fun races - well, maybe not "fun", but at least "odd". Bare Buns racing at a nudist camp (they do have 1 or 2 around here actually - I've put them on our GTC site before), racing with Burros out west, doing marathons on each continent.
Maybe one day...

Saturday, June 13, 2009

broken chain; tired; PR!

So my biking did not continue very well. Wednesday morning was all set and started out at 6am for 8+ miles, 2 loops at the ICAR campus. Got to the 1st turn around and my chain breaks. Had never had that happen before and had to walk my bike back to work. Very lucky I wasn't biking to work! Could have been a longer walk. Thursday biked at the gym which was good - not the same as biking outside, but I needed something. Friday was a day off form work - but many many hours on my feet. Played 18 holes of Par 3 golf in Charlotte, played 9 holes of regular golf, then went to a concert (NIN, general admission standing, in the "pit", then drove home and got to bed just before 1am. So this morning, alarm goes off at 5:15am to get ready for the Sunrise 8k race in Simpsonville. I knew from past races this year (7:37 pace for 10k) that I could have a new PR. I run 1 or 2 8k's a year (Green Valley & Sunrise) and my PR is from 2002 when I ran 38:32, which is a 7:46 pace. Was pretty tired, only ran once the last 2 weeks, but still thought I could break 38 minutes. Started out right on pace (7:24) but it felt even then that I could not maintain that for another 4 miles. I was right, but it wasn't too bad. Followed that up with 7:32 and 7:36. 4th mile has more uphill I think, but I still managed a 7:46, knowing I was a good deal ahead of my PR pace and was satisfied knowing that. Finished out with a 7:30 for a new PR of 37:50!!
Race notes: a bit warm for me of course. Good volunteers, nice neighborhood people with their sprinkler on for the runners, my rabbit was injured, so I stayed ahead of him from the beginning. He's still my rabbit though (LM).
Random notes - I know not many people read this (at least I don't think many, if any, do, but I am continuing for my own running history. That's really why I started anyway - I'm not a writer (obviously), but if someone else decides they want to read occasionally or more often - thanks and hope you enjoy!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Biking

So I started biking before work instead of running before work. Same hilly course at the ICAR campus that I run during the winter/fall months. Did 2 laps this morning - about 8.4 miles. Will do that again tomorrow, then maybe add a 3rd loop on Thursday. Doing this on my road bike. My mountain bike (that I've never had on a mountain) I used to ride to work on has a flat tire after being unused since last summer. The road bike hasn't been ridden in 2 yrs, but did get an overhaul then. Hills are tough, but riding for 36 minutes was a good start to the day - and my birthday, so it was especially nice! Wishing now there were duathlons in the area with road courses for the bike part...oh well. Planning on running the Sunrise Run Saturday even with the foot issue. I still think a PR is very possible, considering my last 5k pace (7:07) and my last 10k pace (7:37). My 8k PR is 38:32, which is a pace of 7:46! Realistically - I should be able to take a minute off that, even with running just once the 2 weeks beforehand. We will see!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Not ready yet and more questions.

So after doing just a little x-training on the stationary bike last week and no running, I went out carefully this morning at 6am with the hope I could run injury free. Got through 3.5 laps (or about 3 miles) and the slight pain started up again. Hmmm, do I assume it is a bone issue and just give it some more time to heal? Do I try to run Sunrise next Saturday as planned? If I do, will that just set me back another week? How many weeks will it take? Will I be able to still do the BRR and fall marathon?? Is that enough questions? Yes...at least for this blog, but more are certainly present.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

A Race found me! - Do Not Resuscitate

So I've been ambivalent about a fall marathon...nothing has really excited me yet. The fact that I haven't run all week trying to let my foot heal/rest hasn't helped. (Been doing a stationary bike 3 days this week plus yoga - will run on Sunday and see how it feels).
Anyway - Two different people both proposed I do a race with them in September. One is a Mud Run in Columbia. I always have plans during the one in Greenville, and I'd like to do it one day, groups of 4 running an obstacle course in the mud! But then the other offer appeared...a week later, Sept 11-12 to be a part of the Blue Ridge Relay...a 208 mile relay with up to 12 people, 3 legs each ranging from 2-10 miles, 12-24 miles total per person. Running in the mountains, overnight and spending the non-running times in a van with 5 other people. OK - some parts may not sound exciting, and I only know 2 of the people right now, but it will still be fun and I am already looking forward to it. We do have a team name already: Do Not Resuscitate! I will have to marathon train to be ready for it I imagine. Now if only my foot will be healed! I still don't feel any pain, but it had only appeared when I would run, so that is not unexpected. Sunrise 8k is a week away, and if my foot is healed, I should be close to my PR fro2002. I was only 13 seconds off last year, and my time thru 5 miles of the Reedy River Run 10k was actually 50 seconds faster than my 8k PR. Hope it's not too soon after my marathon to have that pace back!
(PS - I've finally started spellchecking my posts before I post them - I am so picky about other things I read, but I never re-read mine after I write)