Category Archives: run
Another night run
Did 14 after work tonight. Very hilly. The concrete path was feeling pretty firm by mile 12 or so.
It was awesome to start the run headed west into the sunset knowing that I would still be running well after it got dark. I took my hydration pack, xtra gear, headlamp, food, etc. and treated it as a simulated ultra pace run. I dialed in the cruise-control to a HR of 140 and chugged along. I think I went a little too slow at first, I really hit rock bottom at mile 6 and felt lousy. Picked up the pace by about a minute and felt much better in another mile or so. Ended up at a 10.5 pace overall. Avg HR 142. Right where I wanted to be.
Double-Digit Run
I’m not going to be able to run for the next few days, so I decided to tackle a hilly 12 miler before my break.map of route
I started at 6:30 pm with my headlamp and a lot of warm gear on. The temperature was 8 degrees! Thankfully, there wasn’t any wind which made a huge difference. I dressed perfectly and was pretty comfortable for the whole time.
I took it really easy for the first several miles. Had some knee pain at mile four, but worked through it. Once I knew I had it in the bag, I lit it up and ran at a 7’ish pace for the last couple of miles. Finish time was 1:56. The condensation around my face combined with the cold air caused it to go numb as if I had been to the dentist. Luckily that subsided once I got in the car.
There was enough ambient light from a nearby road that I was able to run 80% of the way with my headlamp turned off. That was nice, because with my senses a little bit suppressed, I was able to concentrate a lot better on my breathing and stride. I tried really hard to stay smooth.
My previous long run was 8.5 miles back in October – before the knee troubles set in. It’s been a long road back, but I feel like I’m finally getting there. I’ll be really curious to see how the legs feel in the next day or two, kinda felt like the Tin Man getting out of the car…
HAPPY 2007!!!
Long time no post… I’m getting a fresh start for 2007.
We ZOOMED into the new year today. Went sledding at the park and enjoyed all of the snow we’ve gotten over the last couple of weeks. Natalie turned into a radical big-air monster and put us all to shame with her jumps.
I finished up the year with 5600 miles of riding, and 148 miles of running. I really liked the running I did, and want to do it a lot more. I ran three miles today, first run in almost two months because I’ve been struggling with a knee injury (ITBS). It seems to be under control now thanks to some PT and a really good massage therapist. It felt sooo good to get out and run again.
They cleared the paths around our neighborhood with some bobcat’s (small front-end loader), so the running was actually decent – though it was strange having snow piled up shoulder high on both sides… So I guess a new year means setting some goals. Eating-wise (big slacker last year), I’ve been doing great the past couple of weeks and actually lost 5 pounds over the holidays. Whew.
I think I will make running my main focus of 2007 as far as physical activity goes. Cycling has been great and I love it, but I felt like I pretty much coasted through last year – which still got me some decent results, but it’s just not the same anymore. I can’t keep fighting to stay on the razor’s edge of super-fitness like is necessary to be competing for a top finish around here. So, I will still race this year, it just won’t be the end-all for me. I think running will be better in terms of flexibility time-wise with lots of stuff going on in the family and with the kids. Plus, I feel ready for a new challenge, something that will push me like nothing else has. Another factor is that after trying to run, I could NOT believe how badly it crippled me. Doing 5000-6000 miles a year on the bike for the past 3 years did wonders for my cardio fitness, but left me pretty soft when it came to doing anything weight bearing. Gotta toughen up, boy!
It’s been a long time since I’ve feared not being able to finish a race, but now with the ideas of running an ultra-marathon that I have going around in my head, that’s exactly how I feel. I’m specifically targeting a 100k (62 mile!!) mountain race in August. It’s a monster, right in my old backyard (Utah). Tons of mountains, dirt, rocks, heat, etc.
Considering the fact that I started at 3 miles today, I have a loooong way to go. Should be fun!
The Scene Begins 