Landing Strip In Sight

Took it easy Wednesday with 30 minutes of cross-training followed by some brief lifting exercises. Upped the weight a little bit and things are feeling good on that front, no troublesome low back pain as I've had in the past. Even revisited single-leg deadlifts which tend to destroy my hammies but they've held up quite nicely this time.

Yesterday early morning I set out from Bethesda on a front-loaded CCT out-and-back. I felt great from the chute, but refrained from consciously putting forth the effort to make it a harder run. On the return leg I mixed in 10 strides. These are beginning to feel more fluid and between them and the weights, my legs are feeling quite resilient. I did get the sense I was riding a bit of a thin line yesterday as I'd biked to work on my fixed gear and didn't have much desire to ride home when it came time to go. Reducing the biking days is something I've been accepting I'll have to do if I want to move much beyond this point with my running. It's so damn cold on a bike this time of year anyway, I doubt I'll miss it much. 8.1 miles, 58:50.

At the 'rents' house for the weekend so I took advantage of my dad's basement hideout and kept it easy on the treadmill and elliptical. 30 min each, 3.8 miles run on the TM, followed up with some legitimate stretching (few and far between these days). My feet were sore this morning when I woke up and I got a few twinges on the treadmill today, so I'll forego a run tomorrow against my desire to hit 40 miles for the week and call it 37. Coasting on into the new year, work already done for the week. Happy 2011 everyone!

Mathewson Hill

It's good to be home. Logistics proved too challenging to fit in a run this morning before getting on a plane. Set out in the thicker east coast air as soon as I returned though. Chose a Mathewson loop with 5 repeats up Mathewson Rd. This is a pretty short and steep hill that I sometimes ride up on my way home from work. Felt pretty fluid and it was good to incorporate some harder running. Repeats went 49-53-55-57-55 so it's clear I started a little fast but was at least able to round it out in the end. I was fairly liberal with the recoveries (~90 seconds back down the hill) to give it more of a strength focus. That gives me 6.7 miles for the day, 53:55.

Relativity

Holiday time in the Rockies is winding down. Had a few hours of downtime this afternoon and with a brewery visit scheduled for this evening I took the opportunity to grab a few easy miles. I could have gone either way today but I'm glad I got out to witness the first crisp view of the divide ranges of the entire trip.

Gazing toward Mt Evans, one of Colorado's highest peaks, I thought of early explorers trekking up through the hills, likely following game trails in search of precious metals. Once, on a backpacking trek through some of southwest Colorado's very remote wilderness, I found myself contemplating the reality of a late 19th century miner. Having gauged the difficulty of my day on the number of miles I'd covered and the pounds of dried food and gear on my back and the feet of altitude I'd walked up and down, my sense of accomplishment was all but deflated when I came across a remote mine and the large machinery required to operate it. Someone had to lug that up there, miles and miles from the nearest town, well above the treeline and very exposed to the elements.

We're a bunch of pansies, compared to those folk. But it's all relative, I suppose. 6.1 miles on the same Cherry Creek out-and-back I did last Monday.

Merry Merry!

I sent a post here from my phone, but apparently it didn't come through. The extent of the message, which was authored on Friday, was happy holidays! I hope everyone has enjoyed hearty meals with friends and family. Here's the view from our cabin here in Estes Park:

As you can see in the above photo, it's fairly icy on the smallest streets. The main roads are actually fairly well maintained and they've surprisingly had very little snow for this time of year. I figured I would explore some trails on Saturday, with the help of some Microspikes I picked up back in Denver. The crampons turned out not to be entirely necessary because the trails were not very well packed. Snow shoes would have been better actually, and I took the opportunity to hop onto a road when I came to it. I ended up running up Bear Lake Rd, within Rocky Mountain National Park now, toward a small picnic area before heading back downhill. Between stomping through the snow on the lower trails and popping onto the road at an unknown point I won't attempt to map it. I'll call it a 6 mile effort, 47:29. The road miles were definitely faster than the trails, especially the uphill ones which are pretty sluggish at this altitude. I think that's about 35 for the week.

I had a 12 mile run penciled in for today and I decided to stick to the streets, as I feared the effort to trudge through the trails would have made the run less enjoyable. I headed down the hill to Estes Park and back up a long climb to Mary's Lake. I'm not sure what the elevation change was but the climb up to the lake was very tiresome. The view from atop made the effort well worth it but I felt like I was moving pretty slowly. I made up some time heading back down to Estes on a grueling, mile-long descent that made any east coast hill seem like a wrinkle in the sand. By about 70 minutes I had to make a decision to bite the bullet and focus on putting one foot in front of the other. The ups and downs mixed with the altitude put me in a painful place, and my momentum was slowly draining. I had to stop a few times on the climb back up to the cabin, which wasn't as steep or long as the climb to Marys Lake, but it was tough enough. I finished strong though, and I was ecstatic to have completed such a scenic and challenging run. 12 miles, 1:38:07. Not bad considering the altitude and hills.

I spent the afternoon snow-shoeing up in the national park, and it was the most fun I've had in a long time. I could totally get into this in a big way. The dearth of majestic scenery out east would make it somewhat of a different experience, but I'm glad I tried it today. Headed back to Denver tomorrow, then back to DC on Tuesday.

Untitled

This morning I decided I would head north on the Cherry Creek Trail, which eventually turns into the High Line Canal trail. Before ultimately deciding on an out-and-back run I contemplated heading to this irregular track loop that's about 460 meters in length and less than a quarter-mile from the front door. The desire to work in some higher intensity running is there. I've got my foot down that this won't be a spur of the moment thing however, as it would have been this morning. I want to plan for it, and perhaps I'll pencil it in next Tuesday before I head to the airport to fly back east.

For today I kept it simple. 6.3 miles, 47:44. 7 strides on the return leg. Followed up with some strength work at the "fitness room." I don't hurt, but I'll be pretty ready for a nap in a couple hours.

Easy Wednesday

I'm finding it much easier to blog now that I have absolutely no daily obligations. Even so, I feel as if a cat has nipped my tongue. Or my fingertips.

The weather in Denver is dry, so that when you sweat, it evaporates almost immediately. I guess sweating is much more effective as a means of cooling than on the east coast, where you get soggy and never reap the endothermic benefits of evaporation. But all of this doesn't really matter when it's 18 degrees outside. The temps have swung wildly from upper 50s on Monday to teens today, and apparently they're measuring snow in the feet just north and west of us.

Gonna check out Fort Collins and Greeley today. Friday we're off to Estes Park to stay in a cabin there for a few nights. Should be picturesque, and hopefully I'll get in a couple runs if the snow doesn't preclude it.

Today was a planned easy day, which meant 3.5 miles (30:00) on the treadmill after 30 minutes on the elliptical. Funny I should come across this post this morning, which got my mind in recovery mode. Felt good to go easy.

Cherry Creek Loop

Cold morning loop around Cherry Creek Lake followed by a soak in the hot tub. If I had one of these things I would be in it twice a day. I make sure to take advantage of them every chance I get. Which is mostly when I visit my or Maia's parents.

Legs feeling heavy after the weights yesterday, not surprisingly, and the thin air got to me just a little more than days prior. After 45 minutes or so it was more of a mental run than anything. This type of run, to me, seems an important aspect of training to run long distances. 9.3 miles, 1:12:31.

Fresh Air

First time I was in Denver was back in 2007 when I ran a 5k on New Year's Eve. I'd never run at this altitude before and I was surprised at how much I was affected by the thinner air. Running wasn't really any more difficult, but I remember gasping at the end of the race, feeling like I just couldn't fill my lungs with enough air. Don't have this issue this time around. Not sure if it's because I've been coming here once or twice a year since then, or that I'm in better shape.

Yesterday night I went for a late evening treadmill run to shake out my flying legs. Just 4 easy miles, 33:20.

Today I found it easy to get up well before the sunrise. I waited til the sun came up, poking around running websites as I sipped my coffee. By the time I headed out I was pretty psyched on some old footage of Rodgers and Shorter. Kept the effort mostly easy along the Cherry Creek canal trail. Threw in 5 strides on the return leg. Stopped at the "fitness room" in the apartment complex here for some core and light lifting exercises. This fresh air feels so good. 6.1 miles, 46:23.

Saturday Switchup

I've been doing longer runs on Sundays, but this week I switched it up to take advantage of some company. Joined Rob in Rock Creek for a jaunt along some snowy trails. A few lung-searing climbs, but the lack of pavement made these more pleasant than usual. It was 23 degrees out at the start but I was OK in shorts. The absence of wind makes a big difference here. No attempt to map it as the trails are not visible on gmaps. Conservatively calling it 10.5 miles, 1:23:20.

This puts me over 40 for the week, but next week will be appropriately less given that I'll be keeping things shorter tomorrow. Speaking of next week, I'm getting on a plane to Denver tomorrow evening and I'll be in the Denver area for 9 days or so, hopefully sipping on Scotch and cracking pistachios in front of the fireplace. Looking forward to the crisp air and change of scenery. Weather forecast looks like sunny mid-40s for most of the time I'll be there.

Friday Motivation

No run today. Instead, I registered for the 2011 Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN. It's a long way off, and now the challenge will be to budget my efforts toward this goal. My dad plans to register as well and it promises to be a memorable weekend even if both of us show up sick and limping.

So now I've made a $116 investment (including a pasta dinner for Maia and me). Will that be enough to keep me in line?

Satisfied

Slept through my alarm this morning. Still had time to run though. Almost 6 miles on a Bethesda neighborhood loop in 43:39. Great energy, left foot got a little stiff. By now I'm mostly certain this isn't a stress fracture as I once feared. It seems to happen on the more pounding routes I do. Today's featured lots of ups and downs. The downs seem especially hard on the feet. But my lower legs in general seem to be handling this pounding better each week that goes by so I think it's only a matter of time til the foot woes are past. The calf exercises seem to be helping although I've slacked on them a little this week.

It's only Thursday and I've already tallied over 30 miles. If the week were over today I'd still be satisfied with this number, so it's a good enough reason to take tomorrow off and go easy on Saturday.

My dad called me today to ask if I'd signed up for Grandma's in June 2011. I'm back and forth about it because at the rate I'm building mileage I'm afraid I won't be able to hit the long runs required. But that's where I'm at, and I'm coming to terms with that. Worst case is that I register, decide not to run, and spend the weekend in Duluth spectating and visiting with my grandfather. Doesn't seem so bad if you ask me.

For the Record

Don't have a whole lot of time so this will be strictly record keeping.

Enjoyed a beautiful, if cold, jaunt around Pittsburgh yesterday morning. Was there for work and I always enjoy getting out for a run with Rob (my boss). Pretty unique situation to be in where I can go out and shoot the shit for an hour with my direct supervisor. It's like work therapy. 8.5 miles, 1:07:44. 13 degrees, snowing, -10 degree wind chill. I was actually perfectly dressed for the conditions with some thermal tights and shirt, wind breaker, and knit mittens. The snow (less than 2 or 3 inches) was like padding at first but then got kind of annoying for the lack of traction.

Didn't get home from work til late last night so I decided to sleep in a little bit. I brought my shorts to work in case I found myself with some extra time in the afternoon. I did, and I got out for 5.8 miles on a CCT out-and-back. 41:42. Threw in 5 strides at about the 20 min mark. Felt good.

Mud Bath

Thought I'd have somewhat of a cleansing run in the rain this evening. Turned out to be the opposite and I sit here now caked in mud. Pretty fun revisit of the Rock Creek loop I did last Sunday. Heroically dodged many a mud puddle, but not all of them. This distance feels about right for a longer run for now, and I'll build upon this over the next few months. Legs were feeling pretty creaky toward the end. 10 and a quarter miles, 1:21:08.

Yesterday morning I took a scenic trip through cow pastures and old iron mill country down in Virginia. Nice, rejuvenating run, and I threw in a handful of strides toward the end. I've decided to keep my distance from the track for just a little longer, but opening up into a stride feels OK as long as I'm not pushing myself to hit a certain time. To my surprise, not as many big hills as I'd expected. 5.7 miles, 45:50.

Total for last week was just over 26 miles in four runs. Slightly lower number than average for the past few weeks and I noted more pep in my stride today. Looking for a fifth run to net me just a hair more next week.

The Question

So it seems I just haven't really been into posting here lately. Work is stealing all my mental livelihood and I find myself sitting here in front of a blank field digging for creative ways to say what I always say here: I ran today, or I ran yesterday, or I will bike tomorrow.

I guess I'm also questioning the purpose of this, which corresponds to my mental blahness and indeed is probably the result of such.

Tuesday was a short treadmill run (3.5 in 29:45) before yoga. I also biked around town for what felt like all day getting to various appointments. Slept well that night.

Wednesday was some stuff at the gym and yesterday I got out to Bethesda extra early for 7.1 miles (56:38) all before the sun came up. Cold and sleepy. Checking out some Bela Fleck albums, the artist of which I've never been entirely fond of, for various reasons. In general I have a hard time digesting what feels like overly intellectual or academic music. Had a couple albums, don't remember their names, and wasn't all that impressed. "Polka on the Banjo" stuck out to me as a pretty fun number. Will continue to listen for a while to see if it grows on me. Headed to a cabin in Shenandoah tonight and won't be back till Sunday. Hoping to get in a few runs while I'm there.

Respite

Struggled to hold onto momentum after the short Thanksgiving break as my mind and body sunk into "rest" mode. Last Sunday I started off on a 9-miler but turned around after a mile when I decided to heed the discomfort in my left foot and give it some time to calm down. No sharp pain really but I've been paranoid that this could be a stress fracture in the works. So I did the logical thing and decided to shelve the running for a few days and see what happened.

Foot felt fine after a couple days but I gave it till Saturday for good measure. Swam, biked, and lifted a few times during the week to quell the jitters. For the past couple weeks I've also been doing some PT type exercises for my ankles and calves as I feel they are somewhat of the weakest link right now. Hopped on a treadmill Saturday for 3.8 miles in 30 min and decided things were OK. Not sure what's going on with the foot but I'll just have to stay tuned for signals.

Yesterday traipsed around this Rock Creek loop. No spectacular run by my standards as I ran out of juice around the 40-minute mark and just kind of slogged it home for the remainder of the run. Left myself a couple of options in case things turned south but things never did with the exception of feeling pretty glycogen depleted early on. I blame this on poor diet (aka busy schedule) in the days prior, leaving me falling asleep hungry for a couple nights in a row. 10 miles, 1:18:11, and a lesson in mental tenacity. Also timed the Matthewson hill in 6:43 which is about where I've been with this stretch. I'm thinking I'll keep it to 4 runs this week and mix it up with some more cross training.