Nice and Easy

Nothing particularly special about this morning's run other than I'm glad I got it in.  Slept in a little later, rode the bike into Bethesda, and dashed off along the CCT headed north for 5 miles or so.  39:51.  Weather is cooler and noticably dryer.  Nice to go easy today.

Thursday Track

In a hurry but want to get this down while it's fresh.  Hit the track this morning with 4x1600 planned.  Last session indicated 88-second laps might be a decent target, but I awoke tired and creaky so I figured I'd be happy with 90 flat.  Long story short, I felt good after a warmup and the repeats went as follows:

5:56
5:58
5:54

I relaxed a little too much during the second repeat and couldn't make up the time in the last lap.  I was delighted that the quickest repeat came last.  Notice there's only three.  By the 2nd or 3rd lap of the third repeat, I had pretty much given up the idea of doing another.  Just not going to fit that in this cycle, and I'm OK with that.  I see my improvement over the past couple months being mainly in the form of developing consistency, and I feel like my paces have improved also.  Today I didn't feel like I was working all that hard until the last two laps of the session.

During the recovery lap after the third interval, I decided that although I wouldn't try another fast 1600, I would cruise an easy repeat, looking for some sense of what my marathon pace will be.  After some not-so-quick mental calculation I figured somewhere in the low 7s would be a good place to start.  Finished easily in 7:05, feeling pretty good despite my tired legs.

I think today will mark the final 1600 session for this buildup, as I'll be continuing to try and drill down a pace for next month's marathon.  9 miles, 1:08.

Full Crescent

Long commute this morning.  Took the Rock Creek Trail down to Georgetown, transferred to the C&O Canal trail, then to the Capital Crescent.  Got caught in a fairly heavy thunderstorm starting right around halfway that lasted for a good 20 minutes.  Got a good workout lifting my heavy, soggy shoes uphill to Bethesda.

Energy was good during the run until I had to take an emergency bathroom break with only 20 minutes remaining.  Couldn't really get back into a rhythm from there but the last mile came in around a 7-minute clip, not bad for uphill, into the wind, with rain-soaked muddy shoes.

Performed emergency surgery on the mobile phone to get the water out.  Normally I would have been better prepared but I forgot to check the weather before heading out.  13 miles, forgot to start the watch after stopping at a water fountain, calling it 1:40.  These midweek longer runs still feel like a lot to do before work.  Legs kind of beat up but improved throughout the day.

Muddy Valley Trail

Good day, not a whole lot of time to reflect on it unfortunately.  Cruising along the flatter trails in RCP this morning, went out looking for 6 miles or so, stretched it out to about an hour.  Calling it 7.5 miles though it was probably slightly more.  Moving along pretty good there for a bit, and it became somewhat of a fartlek on its own.  Valley Trail pretty muddy this morning, slight drizzle.  Can't seem to dry out lately.  Mentioned to Seebo that I've been picking up on some of his musical references, and a few weeks ago I grabbed a copy of Seasick Steve's latest album You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks (May 2011).  I can't get enough.

Two Shower Day

Don't have a whole lot of time here as I want to be off to bed soon.  Combining the run and the work commute allows me to sleep in a little later since I gain 30-45 minutes by not having to drive or metro or bike after running.  Pretty good deal, and it's one of the many reasons I've enjoyed incorporating commutes into my routine.  Extra minutes in my day are invaluable lately.

This morning's commute burned bright and hot for the first 20 minutes or so, but after that the weekend caught up to me and it was slow-moving for the rest of the run over the Chevy Chase hills.  Definitely dragging a bit but not all that bad of a Monday morning.  Didn't map it, but somewhere just north of 8 miles, 1:05.

Work dragged on just as the last few miles of my morning run did, and I almost decided to metro home but figured I'd give it a few blocks before bagging the run home.  Glad I stuck it out and wound up finding some pep, much to my surprise.  Felt like I was moving pretty quick toward the end there.  Run ended at the bodega for a chocolate-covered frozen banana.  Probably one of the best things to eat after running home in the damp heat.  6-point-something, 49 minutes.  So that gives me about 15 miles and two showers for the day.  Feeling pretty decent.

Wisdom of the Non-Running Type

I tend to reread the last post or two before jotting down a new one.  Think I've mentioned it before and not really sure why I'm feeling the need to mention it again (or at all).  Perhaps there's sometimes a desire to write with a fresh perspective, unfiltered and not influenced by past thoughts.  But then I think there's something to gain from establishing some continuity here.

Looking back, I see some foresight in my last entry that, for better or worse, was somewhat of a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Ended up having more travel woes, delays, and general work stress that pulled the rug from under me and I just wasn't able to cope with that this week.  Won't spend too much time here ruminating on events that unfortunately are sometimes unavoidable.  I'm glad I was able to see them coming and am now hoping the brunt of it has passed.

After a crappy week that only featured two runs  (4 on Monday and 12 on Wednesday) I got out onto the trails in Rock Creek Saturday morning for an hour or so with Rob.  It's amazing how much running with company can make a difference.  Calling it an 8 mile effort.

Had a show with the band Saturday night that was a blast but didn't help me wake up early for a run today.  I was probably already dehydrated when I got out to RCP again around 1pm, looking simply for up to two hours on my feet on mostly unpaved trails.  Run began somewhat precariously today as the discomfort in my right foot coupled with my hunger and sense of defeat from the week brought me pretty close to walking back to the car.  Decided to pace myself and take it easy, which today took the form of a few more water stops than usual.  I fell into a rhythm by 30 min or so but overall today was somewhat of a slog.  In retrospect, I felt much better after the run, and that feeling continues physically as well as mentally for having stuck it out.  Calling it 13 miles, 1:40.  I know it's a risky game to continue on in the midst of my foot issues, but I've been here before and this feels surmountable.  So far the best remedies are stretching, massage, and being conscientious of my shoe choices (decided that the more minimal shoes will be limited to the track and shorter runs on soft surfaces).  Otherwise it's the heavier shoes (Brooks Adrenaline) I'm more accustomed to.

Got another couple of bigger weeks ahead of me before I start winding down leading up to MCM.  At this point in the game during my buildup to Grandma's this spring, if you'd have asked me, I was almost certain I wouldn't start the race.  I'm in a similar place after this week, but I'm licking my wounds and moving forward.  Maia mentioned to me (she's often on the receiving end of much of my whining) that I should just go out and run how I feel, and reassess come taper.  Two weeks out, if I feel comfortable with the idea of running a marathon, then all I have to do is focus on recovery.  Pretty great wisdom coming from a non-runner.

Weekly total was somewhere around 37 miles.

Counting My Blessings

Greetings from Flint, Michigan.  Doing some travel for work, and along with that comes the inevitable interruption of my routine.  Hard to plan for this sometimes, no matter how prepared I think I am.  Long night of planes and automobiles and crappy hotel rooms (someone in close proximity was pulling off a fat blunt all night, and the odor and smoke were permeating my room) last night, poor sleep, and a long ass day on my feet on hard factory floors makes me glad I got any miles in at all this morning.  I'm glad, even though they were boring and slow on a treadmill.  4.1 miles, 35ish minutes.  Thought I'd run this evening.  Haha.  The dogs are barking and the guys are looking to go to happy hour.  I have no choice in the matter the way I see it.

Yesterday was a surprisingly peppy run back in DC before zipping out the door to catch a flight.  Kind of muggy, but a nice run.  6.8 miles, 52:06.  Excellent way to end the week in which I actually managed to eek out just over 70 miles.  Excellent.

I'm definitely feeling the weekend's miles especially after today, and the travel interruption is sitting in the back of my mind as an opportunity to catch up on a little rest this week.  This, coupled with the fact that I don't feel quite as tired as I have after recent big weeks makes me feel like I'm doing something right.  So I'll count my blessings and play it by ear.  Next weekend is a short-run weekend and I'm letting go of any lofty mileage goals.

Like a Dog in the Dark

Somehow I managed to wake up and get out the door before sunrise this morning. My parents are dog people, and one of the things that goes along with that is that one can never find practical items in their customary locations. For example, I spent 20 minutes looking everywhere for some kind of light I could carry for safety, as I wasn't quite comfortable running on the windy exurban streets in the dark. Couldn't find it anywhere until I looked in the dog closet, where there are literally tens of clip on collar lights for the dogs, who have a tendency of running off into the dark woods. I clipped one to my cap and one to my shorts. Off I went into the morning dew. It was in the 40s to start!

I stashed a gallon jug of water on the side of the road and began the first of three 6.7-mile loops. I focused on staying within an easy effort zone for the first lap, with the expectation that I might pick things up later on. First lap went by in just over 54 minutes.

Second lap was a little quicker and came in at 53 minutes flat. Part of the way into the last loop, which is brutally hilly in some spots, I figured I wouldn't squeeze much more out of my legs. But on the flat final few miles, I must have been cruising along at a low or sub-7 minute clip. Got the final lap down to 52:40. 

So just like a dog in the dark, I got my long run ya ya's out. 21 miles, 2:44:26. 

The Weather!

Great little run around horse-country-ville where I'm spending the day off from work.  Had to remind myself that it's an easy day a couple times.  Nice hills out here.  And the weather!  5 miles, 38:52.  I was in a band once called The Weather.  Or was it The Whether?

That Damn Zeal

This morning began in a blur, and it lasted well into my run.  Somehow I missed the turnoff for the Roosevelt track at Crittenden St and didn't realize it for a good mile or so.  Back tracked for what turned out to be 15 minutes out of my way and loosened up with some strides on the grass. While I had intended to do 4x1600, I was already 40 minutes deep and the kids were showing up already so I settled for 3.

90 seconds.  That was my mental benchmark as I had done this workout a couple weeks ago and averaged 92-93 seconds per lap.  Figured if these miles were worth anything that I would have at least improved by a couple seconds.  If I could average 6-minute repeats, I'd be happy.

With the typical zeal I bring into these workouts, the first lap blew by in 82 seconds.  I focused on relaxing and the remaining laps came in around 90 seconds, first repeat 5:51.  Three weeks ago I hit a 5:50 in the first mile of a 3 x mile workout and the rest of the run was a disaster.  I knew it would be tough to bring things under control today.

Surprisingly, I still had pep on the first lap of the second repeat, and I relaxed a bit but the first lap still passed in 85 seconds.  Second repeat, 5:56.  OK, this is a downhill slide now for sure.

I started the last repeat tired, and with heavy legs I knew it would be hard to hit sub-6.  3rd lap time was 4:34 or so and I thought for sure there was no way I'd come close to the first two laps.  With 200m to go, I mentally let go of the oxygen debt and cruised in as fast as I could while still under control.  5:58.  84-second last lap?  Not bad.

Probably not the smartest workout, but I realized my mistake and dug myself out of a hole without incurring too much damage in terms of lost time.  Pretty thrilled at my ability to bounce back today.  I would aim to hit 5:56-57 laps next time I do this, which is probably the fastest I've ever done these things.  Awesome.  Calling it 10 miles, 1:14ish door-to-door.

Highways

A little hungry, a little cranky.  Wanted to go to the gym afterward but I ran out of time and bargained my way out of it.  5 miles, 40:30 along the CCT in Bethesda.

Been driving these highways
Been doing things my way
It's been making me lonesome, on'ry and mean
-Steve Young, as performed by Waylon

Hillyer

Double run commute day, and I knew I wanted to work a tempo into the mix somewhere.  Originally thought I would do it on the way home, but decided it made more sense to go hard in the AM and relax on the run home.  Worked out for the better in retrospect.

Figured I had a chance to cover the 3.5 miles between Piney Branch and Western Ave in 24 minutes.  Gave myself some leeway because of the net uphill course, and I honestly thought I was being even a little conservative.  Felt good from the chute and took off on the tempo segment smoothly.  Pace varied with the terrain and I slowed down as expected once Broad Branch turned upward.  What came as a surprise, though, was how steep 27th street is leading up to Military Rd.  I don't think I've ever seen that road other than on a map, so I had no idea how steep it would be going into the run.  Turns out it was hillier than expected.  That hill broke my heart this morning as I huffed and puffed and tried my best to maintain momentum.  Got stopped at the Military Rd traffic light and I immediately thought 'alright if I'm gonna sit here for 30 seconds waiting for the light to change there's no reason I can't still come in under my goal of 24 min.'

I regrouped and focused on cruising over the rolling terrain (which is much easier for me than long, steep hills) and found myself within sight of the 3.5-mile split with 40 seconds to go.  I tried not to sprint but lost control a bit and even felt a tiny twinge in my left hammy as I made it to the turn off in 24:04.  So close!  Given that I'd never run the course before and had no idea what to expect, I'm pretty satisfied that I came within seconds of hitting what was almost a wild guess.  But I now have a benchmark, we'll see if I can work up enough courage to try that again next week.  7 miles total, 52:24.

Got my days mixed up, so I unexpectedly found myself in Arlington for a work function until after 6 this evening.  Didn't show up without my pack though, and as soon as I had the chance I stuffed my clothes and fancy shoes into the tiny compartments and headed off along the Custis Trail back north and east.  Tired, and hot, but not a bad commute.  Nice to revisit a trail I haven't seen in a while.  6.7 miles, 52:00.  The sign for Hillyer St down in Dupont caught my attention just as I was reminiscing on this morning.

Back Roads

Glad I resisted the urge to sleep in this morning.  By the time I got down to Broad Branch Rd I was cruising, having to hold myself back a bit.  Just about every time I attempt to explore the back roads of Chevy Chase and Martin's Addition I get lost.  It doesn't matter how much I think I know the route.  Today was no different.

33rd Street headed north is a rolling course, and I found myself chugging right up the rises and drifting down the dips.  Took a wrong turn somewhere, and I got a nice lesson in the (lack of) thruway planning in this small part of the world.  It's likely intentional, a means of traffic control.  Doctor and lawyer version of Port Richmond or Fishtown, back in Philadelphia.

In the end I wound up with a few extra hills, covered some new ground, and exceeded the day's goal by a mere 528 feet.  9.1 miles, 1:12:14.  Almost the same time I ran yesterday, but today was more fun.

Consistency

Drawing a blank here today so I'll just stick to the basics.  Yesterday morning was the typical scenario of late where I drove down to the Military Rd parking lot in Rock Creek Park.  Mixed it up by heading clockwise around a loop I've done a few times before, augmenting the 15 miles slightly with a few spurs for water fountains and sights.  I was feeling a little heavy, and it turned out Rob was too.  We jokingly mentioned the stars and wondered if there was an astrological significance behind our lack of oomph.  He dropped way off our mid-7s pace with about 5 miles to go.  I was more interested in slowing down to cruise the final stretch easily than leaving Rob in the dust, and it was very refreshing to finish off at an easy pace.  While I fear the worst when I start a long run tired, I finished feeling stronger and was glad to have another one in the books.  15.9 miles, 2:09:21.

This morning I was looking for an easy hour-and-change on the trails.  Stuck to the flats, again running with Rob, along the Valley Trail.  Went past the frog conservation area along this particular trail, which was completely bogged out after the recent rain.  Rock Creek was flowing heavily, and one could easily take a canoe from upstream all the way down into the Potomac (it's not usually deep enough).  Not easily mapped, but I'll call it 8.5 miles, 1:12:42.  Followed up with a barefoot mile.  Heels (right especially) feeling a little beat up after this week.

Today capped off a pretty heavy stretch with about 66 miles in the bank for the week.  The increase in volume came at a planned reduction in intensity (no track or tempo work) and that was probably more a mental relief than anything.  It seems volume beats me up more than intensity lately, something to pay attention to as I move forward.  Looking to keep mileage more or less steady for a couple weeks as I bring the intensity back up.  Feeling good about the consistency I've had lately despite having somewhat of a mediocre week in terms of the way I feel.

Friday Short

Trying to keep up with this daily, although it feels futile at times like now when all I'm looking to do is update before moving on to the next thing.  In this case the next thing is hitting the sack, where I expect to fall into a deep slumber and maybe make up for less restful nights earlier this week.

After work, 4ish miles with 6x20 second pickups on minute cycles toward the end.  Really dig the shorter run on Fridays.

Mobiling

Update from the stage at Sova, where the boys are getting rowdy tonight. 

6+ miles at lunch in 49:38. 

Grey and Stormy

Started this post this morning but got distracted.  I'll splice in some thoughts now that it's 10:30 pm, with my morning draft between the asterisks.

***

Grey and stormy, more or less in tandem with my mood today.  Taking it in stride, as Lee will surely pass and maybe it'll be a little cooler and dryer at the other end.  Hanging on to the fact that despite the bad weather I've somehow managed to get 3 more or less dry runs in the past 24 hrs.

Yesterday morning, double branch commute in 54:34.  Felt slow and turned out to be slow.  Romanticized the fact that I had three letters in my pack.  One for New York City, one for Wisconsin, one for Colorado.  Followed up with a mile of barefoot and some light strength work at the gym.

Took a more direct route on the way home for 6 miles in 49:00.  Pretty blah run.

***

I suspected this morning's commute would be work, and it was.  This coincided with the mid-run thought this is no longer utility, or fun, or exercise.  Feeling creaky, and took me a good half of the run to get into a rhythm.  Found a second wind at halfway and motored the 5 uphill CCT miles in a negative split.  Can't help but wonder if I'm in a little over my head this time around.  I know these thoughts are a product of my gloomy mindset, so I'm taking this with a grain of salt.

11 miles, 1:28:28.  Looking forward to a couple of low key days before the weekend.

Unmappable

Have a lot on my mind today but unfortunately not a whole lot of time to write about it here.  Had a pretty great run with Rob in the park this morning along some trails that are becoming more familiar with each pass.  Had today not been a holiday I would have done the run commute both ways, but I've opted to save that for tomorrow.  Feel good enough to want to go out again this afternoon but I'm redirecting my desire for more work into a few other things I've needed to get done.

One of the themes of the conversation this morning was social perceptions of authority, along with expectations of the behaviors and attitudes that go along with persons in positions of power.  Kind of a vague summary but the talk was spurred in part by mention of some family and acquaintances in the law enforcement and corrections fields.  The Stanford prison experiment was referenced.  Not sure where we ended up besides agreeing that individual behaviors are often not simply a reflection of one's character (although that's an important part), but a product of many personal and social factors that are fairly interwoven.  Life's complicated, in other words.

Ran into Stewart and his gang briefly.  Only know him from the few times I've crossed paths with him on the trails, and he's a pretty amicable guy.  Frequently wears gaiters and talks about 50 mile training runs.  I'll save that kind of run for life and death, thank you.  Today he joined us for a mile or so before splitting off.  The Rock Creek trails are unmappable, but I'm calling the 1:05 effort 8 miles today.

Go Grandma's!

Just a quick one this morning.  Refreshing, nice morning although muggy.  Lots of folks out there today.  Was wearing my Grandma's finishing tee, which is one of those fitted synthetic types.  Decided I don't care much to run in it, as I'd rather have something looser fitting.  5 separate people said "Go Grandma's!" to me as I passed, which was strange.  4 of them were on bikes.  Weird.  DC does have a disproportionate number of Minnesotans, but otherwise I can't explain it.

A hair under 4 miles in 31:46.  Pretty much exactly what I was looking for.  Followed up with a 1/2-mile of barefoot on the trail.

15 minute rule

I've instituted a 15 minute rule for this post.  More on that in a minute (or 13).

Late night yesterday, and I didn't sleep very well (humidity does that to me) so it was a little tougher than usual to pop out of bed early this morning.  Met Rob down in RCP for some company on my long run.  This is somewhat of a weekend routine now, and it's nice to have someone to consistently run with.

Started out on what we call the Zoo Loop, which heads down Beach Drive (Rock Creek Trail) and cuts out of the valley through the zoo.  That means the zoo path (which is conveniently open beginning pretty early in the morning, when there's no crowd) is uphill the whole way.  The hill doesn't stop there, but continues up Connecticut Ave up to Chevy Chase Circle.  At that point it becomes a rolling course until you ultimately drop back downhill into the park and back to the start.

It's exactly 10 miles, which is great because you can do a loop during the week and be satisfied.  Or, like I did back in May, you could string two of the loops together for a Double Zoo Loop and get all you ever wanted out of a long run.

Today I peeled off as Rob called it a day at 10 miles.  That's where his training runs end these days, on account of not really needing to run any further and also some knee issues.  The stretch went by at about a 7:40 clip, which was tough to start but felt great after a couple miles.

I half-heartedly said before the 10-mile loop ended that I would "see how fast I could cruise the last 8 miles."  I'm not really one to go back on a dare, so of course I picked up the pace a little for the rest of the run.  Started the same zoo loop, but turned back at Connecticut Ave and retraced my steps.

I lost a little bit of momentum with a couple miles left to go, but I solidly maintained my pace and feel pretty good about the way the run turned out.  I guess it was one of those "fast finish long runs" I read about.  Covered the final 8.8 miles at a 7:12 clip.

All in all, 18.8 miles in 2:19:56.  Great long run, definitely a harder effort, but feeling good.

And now I'm left with one minute to explain my first sentence.  Sometimes I feel like I take too much time and filter too many of my thoughts before getting them out here.  It's easy to spend needless time pondering what to write when really I should just be reflecting, or that's what I want anyway.  So now it'll be a race against the clock, as my running, to lay it down.  Gotta go, outta time.

Sleeping In

Not a whole lot to report today.  Planned easy day where I even let myself sleep in.  I also happened to fall asleep a bit earlier than usual last night.  The net result was a long, hard night of restful sleep.  I don't know how I convince myself it's OK to do this only once in a while.  What a difference.
Hopped on the treadmill for a short 3 miles in 25 minutes after the bike commute.  Catch you on the flip.

Beach Drive Tempo

Short quick one this morning.  Warmed up, then had a goal of splitting the 3 miles between the Zoo and Taylor St on this route in 20-21 minutes.  Hit the split in exactly 20 minutes, which surprised me as I had no pace feedback along the tempo course.  My pace varied with the terrain, and the feared Mathewson hill, where I've done hill repeats in the past, definitely made me burn.  Happy with the effort, and it was nice to run short.  5.9 miles in 43:22.

My right forefoot was bugging me again and I suspect it's related to my footwear, which has gone from supportive to fairly minimal in a short amount of time over the summer.  Yesterday seemed better and I was wearing some more traditional padded shoes.  I'll continue to sub in the beefier shoes and maybe try a metatarsal pad (had luck with them in the past) and see what happens.  I'm definitely into the lighter shoes but there is a transition rate that I'm probably slightly exceeding.

In other news, it seems I may have the opportunity to do some international travel for work in October.  It's unclear how this will affect my marathon plans, but it's likely that if the dates conflict (MCM is Oct 30) I'll probably take the work opportunity.  Sort of highlights my lack of true commitment to this marathon in that I could go either way, and I'm not sure what that means.  It definitely makes me less apt to push through any nagging injury issues should they fail to improve, and that's kind of a good thing, but it still feels like a cop out.  For now I'll continue to build up the longer runs and just wait and see.