So had a pretty good week of training last week. Speedwork was rough and I got pretty horrible stomach cramps just as I started the last mile. Until then I was able to run 7, 90 sec, 400s with 200m of jogging in between. Pretty exciting for a guy who hasn't run fast in a while. On Saturday we raced a local 5km and won it! Yep, the Pirate and I won our first race and got some nice little trophies for the effort. Monday we found out we won the lottery for the St. George Marathon in October. This course is a ripper, some say the fastest anywhere. As soon as we get back from Europe it looks like it'll be a long summer of running.
Last week the Pirate and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary. We couldn't be much happier and really enjoy spending as much time with each other as possible. It helps that she's wicked fast. Je t'aime mon petitie Pirate!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
It's beginning
Hmm, seems like I lost a couple posts when Google updated their stuff??? Ah well, I don't imagine there was anything too mind-blowing. So what's been going on since January. The Pirate and I trained up for the US 'Other' Half in San Francisco which starts at Fisherman's wharf and runs out to, over, and back across the Golden Gate bridge. That was the most fun I've had in a half-marathon maybe ever. It was pretty euphoric to go that far with no pain and still have enough left in the tank to spend a great afternoon in S.F. I got my wake up call two weeks later when we did the Desert R.A.T.S. half-marathon here on the Kokopelli trail system. One big climb and my knee went to shit in a hurry. The downhill was shear agony. The last mile of fire road was relative bliss and I could focus on my form and get my knee back in line. I took it easy all week except for the Weds. speedwork where my goal was to focus on form and just get some miles in. Turns out I was able to do 8 400s at 6:00 pace, which is faster than I've gone in a long time. Super proud that I was on my way back to fast, when I got home I found out that the Iron Lady had just qualified for the Olympics running that same pace for an entire marathon! So amazing for her and definitely well earned (I really hope her dad can enjoy her Olympic day). Knowing my way back to fast isn't going to happen overnight, I'm just happy I've found speed again. It's that strength and endurance part that keeps the going slow. Last night I was able to do 3 1-mile intervals at under 6:30 pace, which is my goal pace for the end of the month. Given the degradation of my form through the workout I'm thinking that might be expecting a lot. I figure for the race I'll strap on the heart rate monitor, keep the throttle on at 180 bpm and see how much gas is in the tank.
I'm feeling good enough that I've even started keeping a training log. With all the knee, heel, and tendon problems I felt so inconsistent that it wasn't worth recording anything. Now I think I can write it down and not have to worry about those blank pages. The Pirate and I put in for a marathon in the fall. If selected it'll be my first marathon since Boston in 2004! I've done three marathons: the first I never ran more than 15 miles prior and it was my fastest time. The second one I trained a little more seriously, but didn't really have any plan, never ran more than 18 miles and did no speedwork. For Boston I tried to train to have a plan and train seriously, did way too much way too fast and that's when all the knee troubles started. This time I've been doing my reading, have a plan, and have a great group to do speedwork with. Now I just need to get that diet under control.
Lastly, I hate election years. The hate just pervades everywhere. I don't have cable so at least I can avoid all the snarky, low brow, mud that get's slung, but now I can't even avoid it on the internet. A part of my ethos is that any child can identify a problem, but only mature people work directly toward finding a solution. The problem goes way beyond politics though. Its far too often, in my opinion, that the conversations I have or the TV I watch when I get the chance, devolve to horrific, judgemental bitching (Fox News, which I prefer to call the Nazi News or the Hate and Fear Channel, has got to be the worst). Bitching does not make me a better person or help me figure out how to move more efficiently through this life. Everybody's got issues and if you want help figuring out how to solve your problem, ask. Admittedly, I can't say I don't stray into that negative world because everyone needs to vent, but anymore I'm pretty good about trying to look for a solution mid-bitch. If I can do it mid-bitch, and anyone who knows me knows I'm not conversationally gifted, it seems to me that a politician, whose job anymore seems to be more about talking than anything else, should be able to at least give even time to identifying a problem and finding a solution. Unfortunately, their strategy seems to be: bitch, bitch, bitch, this ad payed for by .... It's nice to know we have such eductated and mature people vying to run the free world.
I'm feeling good enough that I've even started keeping a training log. With all the knee, heel, and tendon problems I felt so inconsistent that it wasn't worth recording anything. Now I think I can write it down and not have to worry about those blank pages. The Pirate and I put in for a marathon in the fall. If selected it'll be my first marathon since Boston in 2004! I've done three marathons: the first I never ran more than 15 miles prior and it was my fastest time. The second one I trained a little more seriously, but didn't really have any plan, never ran more than 18 miles and did no speedwork. For Boston I tried to train to have a plan and train seriously, did way too much way too fast and that's when all the knee troubles started. This time I've been doing my reading, have a plan, and have a great group to do speedwork with. Now I just need to get that diet under control.
Lastly, I hate election years. The hate just pervades everywhere. I don't have cable so at least I can avoid all the snarky, low brow, mud that get's slung, but now I can't even avoid it on the internet. A part of my ethos is that any child can identify a problem, but only mature people work directly toward finding a solution. The problem goes way beyond politics though. Its far too often, in my opinion, that the conversations I have or the TV I watch when I get the chance, devolve to horrific, judgemental bitching (Fox News, which I prefer to call the Nazi News or the Hate and Fear Channel, has got to be the worst). Bitching does not make me a better person or help me figure out how to move more efficiently through this life. Everybody's got issues and if you want help figuring out how to solve your problem, ask. Admittedly, I can't say I don't stray into that negative world because everyone needs to vent, but anymore I'm pretty good about trying to look for a solution mid-bitch. If I can do it mid-bitch, and anyone who knows me knows I'm not conversationally gifted, it seems to me that a politician, whose job anymore seems to be more about talking than anything else, should be able to at least give even time to identifying a problem and finding a solution. Unfortunately, their strategy seems to be: bitch, bitch, bitch, this ad payed for by .... It's nice to know we have such eductated and mature people vying to run the free world.
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