Training for Top of Utah 2011

TM run. Easy with speed at the end then 10 minute cooldown. Boring, Boring and more Boring in the garage.

Snow last night and rained this morning. 

Yesterday I found my next race. A 5k in Snoqualmie put on by Sean Sundwall. Find it at runsnoqualmie.com

Today is my first official workout towards that race. I'm going to use the plan from runnersworld for intermediate runners. It's a 6 week job so I will have to modify it. I'm going to work on speed for the next couple of months.

25 minute warmup then 3 5 minute hills hard.

After 1st hill HR topped out at 171 then recovered at 1 mph slower with no incline(5 mins)

After 2nd hill HR topped out at 174 then recovered at .5 mile slower with no incline(5 mins)

3rd hill was a little tougher because of less recovery. HR topped out at 176 then another 5 minute recovery; 3 at .5 less mph and 2 more at 1 mph less.

Then 10 minute cooldown.

Ice cream the last 2 nights has not helped me out in the least. Going to have to go with fruit for a late night snack after this.

TM run. Very easy. HR max was only 142. Hoping for decent weather Sat. Morn for a nice easy long run in the 'hood. Popcorn instead of Ice Cream for a late night snack last night.

TM run. 8 .1 mile sprints scattered every 5 minutes after 15 minute warm-up. Just trying to get a little speed work here and there as well as power(hill) work every week.

After workout Tori and I went to help 3 families down in Snoqualmie that were flooded. The first couple is older and there home was OK except under the house the insulation was soaked and had to come out. 2nd was a Single Mom who we helped 2 years ago. We loaded boxes and furniture that had just been soaked and was ruined into a truck for disposal. Then went to another home we helped with 2 years ago. Another older couple who said that their home was supposed to be raised two months ago but the gov't took their own sweet time getting the paperwork done so we had to move all the stuff again.

My daughter said "I'm sure glad we live on higher ground"! Carter was helping in Snoqualmie also from 9-3. It's nice to see kids willing to help others.

TM workout. Was not feeling well at all. Thought I was going to lose it at the end. May have just been getting too hot in the garage. Easy workout with no speed. Oatmeal, date, banana and craisins for breakfast.

Outside run finally! I don't like running in the afternoons or evenings as my body much prefers the morning, but not too early. Couldn't run this morning due to taking Tori to school. Got home a little early. It was sort of cold; mid to high 30's. Fog everywhere which got worse and worse. It did stay light though which really helped.

Started with a 2.5 mile warm up at 9:00 minute pace. Went to the main park at the ridge next to the elementary school. There is a nice big field there(upper one). Ran sprints diagonally to get the longest run I could there. .095 miles per sprint. Did them each around 23,24 seconds each. Not sure how fast that is because it was grass and it was wet so it was a little slow. I was getting pretty tired on the last one.

Then a cool down run back home which was a little tough after the sprints. It is definitely different running outside after being on the TM for so long.

Nova baby got her shots yesterday and was not a happy camper all day and most of the night. (not much sleep) Tori had to get to a job shadow this morning so no running today. Will hit it Friday morning and hopefully a trail run on Sat. morning.

Got up at 6:45 and looked at the thermo - 30 degrees. Then cracked the blinds - Dark and Foggy. Couldn't see much. TM morning. Easy run.

Still a little sore from Wednesdays speed work. Felt it while stretching.

Was going to do 9-10 but ended up going only 8.25 due to a lot of hills that I sought out on this run. TM running has helped my form and allowed my legs to turnover more quickly so I was able to run at a very nice 8:50 pace even on the big hill(210 ft. climb over .8 miles). Problem is that my heart rate was up to 156 avg. and hit 180 on the hill. Funny thing is that it wasn't killing me like it might have in the past so must be getting in better shape. 

Yesterday was my wife's bday and we had ribs, slaw, potato salad, and for dessert she had me whip up a mud pie. Unfortunately there were 2 extra pieces of the pie and somebody had to get rid of them before they melted. 

I earned every step of my run today. Weather was gorgeous!! Sunny, upper 40's and almost balmy. Problem was the stinking wind. It seemed like it was against me no matter which way I was running. Especially tough on the uphills.

HR avg. 151(Higher than I like)

Pace 8:45 (loved this)

Ended up doing a TM run with 4 800's at a very fast pace(for me). Tori has to be at Overlake hospital to finish up a job shadow for sports med class at 8 this morning.

Got up this morning at 6:45 and looked outside. Dark, foggy and very cold in the mid 20's so it turned into a TM morning unfortunately. Tempo run on my 5k training schedule.

Started very easy and warmed up for 20 minutes to HR of high 150's. Then 20 minutes gradually faster running with HR topping out at 171. Finished with 20 minute cooldown.

Felt very strong today and could have gone longer or faster but kept it in check. Long run on the agenda tomorrow; either trails or around the ridge.

Trail run at Cougar Mtn. with Bruce who has been sick and under the weather for a couple of weeks so it ended up being pretty slow. It took us an hour and 3 minutes. 11:3X pace.

Nice run and nice to be outside even though it was very cold. My ears and hands(even with gloves) were totally frozen the first 2 miles. This ends the 1st week of 8 in prep for the St. Patty's day 5K in Snoqualmie.

Today was supposed to be a speed day but yesterday I felt a twinge of pain in my left ankle so today became an easy peasy day. 22 degrees outside and didn't want to get out there and have to walk back if my ankle acted up.

Very easy warm-up then very easy jog. HR max was only 141 which is lower than my normal avg. HR. No pain today so tomorrow becomes the speed day.

600 X 5 speed work on the High School track. Shooting for 6:15 pace

1.85 mile warm up with 3 100 meter strides after the first mile was done.

Then Stretched

1st one in 2:20 with 2 minute jogging break in between sets

2nd in 2:24

3rd in 223

4th in 2:21

5th in 2:22 Max Hr 180

Then cool down. Another stretch(muscles). That was harder than I had hoped. May have to slow the speed work down a bit to make sure that I keep good form.

Beautiful morning. Partway thru the run the sun came up. Clear and cold at 32. Easy at the ridge with full pacing on hills(that's what kicked the HR up). The only problem today was breathing in Garbage truck exhaust, Culligan man blue smoke and school bus exhaust. Yuck!!

Pace: 8:52 happy with that

HR avg: 154 not happy with that

I was so happy that the sun is coming up earlier as the darkness is not fun to run in. But if it's light I don't care what else is happening- rain, snow, wind or cold.

Just looked up on the web a comparison to running Concrete vs. Asphalt. Here is the result.

Runner's World magazine rated running surfaces from worst (1) to best (10). Here are surfaces and their ratings: snow (2), concrete (2.5), sand (6), asphalt (6), treadmill (6.5), synthetic track (7), cinders (7.5), dirt (8), wood chips (9) and grass (9.5).

Needless to say I have been trying to avoid sidewalks as much as possible.

Issaquah Cougar Mtn. trail run with Bruce. After yesterdays run I figured that fatigue was going to get me but I felt pretty good. Pretty sloppy mud in places. 

Pace: 11:24

Avg HR: 141 (better than expected)

Nice to run on trails with minimal shock to the system. Beautiful day!!