Decent week for the start of 2012 training.  Wanted 60-65 miles and got that.  Will probably stay there for a couple of weeks before moving that up a little.  Happy with the two workouts, but didn’t go as long on the weekend as I was hoping.  Pretty tough conditions on that one.

Monday
Run – 10.7 miles
Merrell Trail Glove

Very good run. Actually felt like I was ‘training’. Don’t know what for, but that will come soon enough. Hit the boneyard for some hot laps on the twisting, climbing, lumpy and overgrown singletrack. It’s an ugly place to run, but effective for getting some dirt time while in the city. Kind of like a Crossfit gym in a rented storage unit.

Did an easy 3 mile warmup, followed by 5 hard laps with 2 min rest. Each lap is 1.2 miles. The first four were like an old-time duel. Controlled, gentlemanly. I pushed hard on the last one and hit 178 on the heart rate which is up there for me. That lap was more like a knife fight in a dark alley. Happy with the workout.

Tuesday
Run – 10.2 miles
New Balance Minimus

Easy but steady. Tired from yesterday, but not too jacked up. Saw 13 mallards in one little pond.

Wednesday
Run – 10.3 miles
Merrell Trail Glove

Warmed up easy for 3 miles, then cranked it up for 6 at a medium-hard effort with a 164 average heart rate.

Thursday
Run – 7.5 miles
La Sportiva Crosslite

Ran like a snail. A tired, frozen snail. Shuffled along through several inches of new powder.

Friday
Run – 9.2 miles
Merrell Trail Glove

Nice steady cruise. Felt a lot better than yesterday.

Saturday
Run – 12.2 miles
New Balance MT101

Out early in the dark and cold to shuffle through several inches of new snow again. Not the most pleasant run, but hopefully I’ll get some benefit out of it?

Sunday
Run – 4 miles
Nike Free, barefoot

Easy jog on the treadmill.

Total: 64 miles / 10:20 / 608 TSS

Pic of the week – I’ve always wanted to go to Pencilvania:

Party’s over! This week wraps up my “off” season.  It has been 7 weeks since the Slickrock 100 and I have been keeping the training pretty low key in that time.  Unlike previous years, I have continued running consistently during the downtime, just at a reduced volume – averaging 38 miles per week (two weeks in the 60s, two in the 40s, two in the 20s, and a dinky little two miler the week after Slickrock).  Hopefully that little bit of maintenance will set me up well for 2012.

I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.  Put on a few pounds.  Did some fun running with family and friends.  Now it’s time to get serious about next year.

Monday
Run – 7.1 miles
Saucony Kinvara

I treated this run as an experiment. I certainly would have felt justified in taking the day off to let my calves recover. They are very sore and tight from Saturday’s 20 miler in the Trail Gloves. I felt like getting out for a few slow miles today, as uncomfortable as it was, would set me up for feeling better later on in the week. Rather than dragging it out. We’ll see how that pans out… The run was slow and uncomfortable, I even had to walk up a couple of small hills because my calves were so blown. Everything else felt great, and I was jogging along nicely by the end.

Tuesday
Run – 7.2 miles
Merrell Trail Glove

Another slow day. Jogged around the boneyard. Had to stop 4x to let the calves settle down.

Wednesday
Run – 13.4 miles
Merrell Trail Glove

Calves still very tight, but I was back to running today instead of jogging along. Sort of a medium tempo with 150 average heart rate.

Thursday
Run – 3.1 miles
VFF KSO

Turkey Trot in Castle Rock. Jogged and walked with my daughter as she zipped along in her wheelchair.

Friday
Run – 10.1 miles
Merrell Trail Glove

Solid run at the boneyard. Ran steady (147 avg), not too hard, but not easy. Stopped one time to let the calves relax. They are doing much better.

Saturday

OFF

Painting and working around the house from sunup until late at night.

Sunday

OFF

Ditto Saturday

Total: 41 miles / 6:48 / 402 TSS

Pic of the week – Artist’s rendering, since I didn’t actually take a picture:

While we were painting, I put this on the wall.  Stumped the kids – they needed a hint to figure it out.