Thursday 1/31/2013
25 minutes with Julie around Findlay. We nearly turned around 45 seconds into the run and went back inside due to the cold wind. So we’re lucky to have even gotten in the 25. The winter novelty is wearing off and getting out in this biting cold wind is getting harder each day.
Wednesday 1/30/2013
54 minutes with Julie out on the South end of town in Findlay. We each did 6 x 30 second strides with 60 second rests. Feeling better, glad we made ourselves do some speed work. Because of the marathon this past week (and the crappy weather) a workout wasn’t happening but getting a little speed in feels worthwhile.
Tuesday 1/29/2013
55 minute run with Julie on our loop on the South part of Findlay. We did 6 x 30 second strides with 60 second rests on our own (instead of doing a tempo workout) and then ran the rest together. It seems like a good decision given our soreness and lack of full recovery from Saturday’s race. Plus, the weather kind of sucks outside which is making it hard enough to simply get out the door to run.
Monday 1/28/13
Ran 41 minutes with Julie around Findlay on the still icy sidewalks and roads. We moved pretty slowly and were both still pretty sore from Saturday night. I loosened up a bit more than Julie and was feeling quite a bit better by the end of the run.
Sunday 1/27/13
Took the day off after traveling from Indianapolis to Findlay. It was crappy outside and I was pretty sore from the race. Easy convincing for a day off.
Saturday 1/26/13
Race night in Indiana on the snowy trails. 2nd place, 3:25.59. Click here for a race recap.
Friday 1/25/13
Julie and I ran 53 minutes from home in Cincinnati to Stanbery Park again. We did a couple laps in the cold snow and headed home. Feeling fresh and ready for a race.
Thursday 1/24/13
Unplanned day off. We broke from our schedule today and both gave in to the cold, crappy weather.
Wednesday 1/23/13
Tempo workout at the bike path today. Ran a couple mile warm up with Julie and then headed right into a 3.5 mile tempo alone. Looking for near 6 minute pace and was a bit under with 5:52, 5:51, 5:41, 2:49. I then finished with a 2.5 mile cool down with Julie. It was really cold, I wore running pants and my balaclava and actually stayed pretty cozy. Really happy with how smoothly this workout went; I feel ready to race.
Tuesday 1/22/13
Ran alone from the house over to Stanbery Park and did the trail loop three times along with another hill. Pushed as well as I could on the rough trail and the hills; felt really good. Ran for 54 minutes.
Monday 1/21/13
37 minutes with Julie from the house. Cold air outside, high 20’s and windy. I felt fine but Julie was a bit tired so we ran slowly. Ran to the nearby park and did a loop on the trails. Got in two big hills.
Sunday 1/20/13
Two hours with Julie at Mt. Airy in Cincinnati. We ran trails almost the entire time. Rough trails with lots of rocks, roots, and frozen mud. Good to be back out there. I felt good the entire time and didn’t eat anything on the run. Glad to get in the second weekend of back to back 2 hour runs.
Saturday 1/19/13
Two hour run with 10 miles of MP in the middle. Ran a two mile warm-up on the bike path with Julie and Chris Reis. Chris and I then did 10 together: 6:18, 6:15, 6:16, 6:09, 6:13, 6:06, 6:09, 6:09, 6:05, 6:07. We were targeting 6:15 to 6:20 and were both pleasantly surprised with the performance. Most impressive to me was that we were still able to carry on a conversation nearly the entire run. After the MP part of the run we met back up with Julie for 2 miles with all of us together. We then dropped off Chris at his car and finished up another 20+ minutes to get in 2 hours total.
Friday 1/18/13
54 minutes with Julie from the house. We ran to nearby Stanbery Park and did a couple loops on trails. Nice to get off pavement for a bit.
Thursday 1/17/13
Scheduled off day. Only the second day off for the year thus far. Didn’t necessarily need it but it was nice to not have to think about fitting in a run for the day for a change.
Wednesday 1/16/13
Tempo run at the bike bath in Cincinnati. It was 35 degrees out but dry and not windy. Ran about a two mile warm up with Julie and then did 5 x mile with 1 minute jog rests in between. Was aiming for 6:04 pace. Went 6:02, 5:59, 5:47, 5:54, 5:53. I then did another 2 miles with Julie on the trail back to the car for a cool down. Overall it went really well. I’ve found that on the past two workout days, it’s taken me a couple miles to get my body to a feeling of homeostasis. My head is a bit unclear, blotchy vision a little, and overall just a little sluggish. And then after a little bit of running, it all clears away and I’m suddenly running twenty seconds faster per mile than when I started and it feels smoother, easier, and better. Not sure what this means physically but if I’m racing, I know that I better get the proper warm up . I also dealt with a bit of a side stitch the last 2.5 miles of the workout which is not very common for me anymore.
Tuesday 1/15/13
Ran with Julie in Cincinnati on the neighborhood streets around her Mom’s house. We ran by her old home, high school, and old stomping grounds. It was cold out, ~30 degrees, but I’m getting used to layering appropriately to deal with this largely unpleasant climate. We ran for 54 minutes and it felt good to run with her at her pace again.
Monday 1/14/13
Ran on my own in Findlay at the Reservoir; Julie was there but we purposefully ran on our own so I could get in some faster paced training. I didn’t push it but was running sub-8 minute miles at least compared to our normal 8:30’s. Ran for 35 minutes and felt awful! Not only was the weather nasty with cold and wind, but my body felt all off. After 10 minutes or so of running, everything physiologically felt off. My head was off most as I felt a little dizzy and had some blotchy vision. I wasn’t pushing hard or running out of my normal comfort zone, and it didn’t seem to matter much if I slowed down. However, as expected, after 25 minutes or so into the run, things started clearing and I felt better, except for dealing with the cold wind on my face. Simply glad we got out and ran though because today would have been a nice day to stay home and be cozy.
Sunday 1/13/13
2:01 with Julie around Findlay. We did a figure 8 loop around the city of Findlay covering much of the city. Comfortable run and pace. I felt pretty good, legs not sore or tired. Had I had some food, I would have probably been able to go for quite awhile longer. Good to have two days of back to back two hour runs in.
Saturday 1/12/13
15 minute easy warm up jog with Julie out to the country loop in Findlay. Then did 8 miles at MP pace alone on the three mile loop. Target was 6:25, splits were: 6:18, 6:19, 6:13, 6:06, 6:06, 5:43, 5:53, 6:09. It was windy on a one mile stretch of the loop and on miles 6 and 7 I found myself chasing some other guys that were out running on the loop too. I was motivated to catch them and hence, the faster splits. Felt good overall though the first couple miles were a bit of a challenge to get acclimated to. We then ran for 57 more minutes together in order to get in the two hour total run.
Friday 1/11/13
Ran 44 minutes alone around Findlay. I was really sore when I first started. Had a slow shuffle but after a few minutes, the legs and butt loosened up a bit so I could actually run. P90x is good for me but it is not fun, nor is it fun being sore from it. Glad I’m getting some runs in on my own; I think it’ll really help come race time in a couple weeks.
Did the second half of the P90x yoga with Julie and my Dad. Mainly stretching and balance exercises with a few minutes of focused abdominal work towards the end.
Thursday 1/10/13
Ran 50 minutes together with Julie around Findlay on the south end of town. We did the entire run together except for strides in the middle. We did 4×30 second strides with 60 second jog rests in between.
In the evening we did P90x Core Synergistics with my Dad. I actually made it through the entire workout though I struggled with a few of the exercises, particularly push ups.
Wednesday 1/9/13
Ran 47 minutes alone in Findlay this morning at 8:15 am. Ran alone in order to get some time on my legs at closer to a 7 minute pace in order to better prepare for the upcoming races on our calendar. Legs are fresh and it felt good to get rolling a little. Right knee and right arch aren’t feeling perfect but they also aren’t debilitating.
Weighed in this morning for the first time in awhile, 138.8. Not ideal, but not horrible either. Need to trim down a little prior to the upcoming races.
Did Legs and Back P90x workout later in the day. First time I’ve done this workout since August and I can definitely tell. Did a bunch of pull ups but no where near what I used to be able to do. Ugh.
Tuesday 1/8/13
Ran 57 minutes with Julie around Findlay on the roads, some of which were still under snow and icy. Comfortable pace and simply glad to be getting out running. Back and abs a little sore from P90x and from the long drive.
Monday 1/7/13
Julie and I ran for 40 minutes after sleeping in late to catch up on sleep from the road trip. The body was a little creaky and it took a couple miles to loosen up but I’m really glad we got out. Snow and ice on the roads. Because we ran for only 40 minutes around Findlay, we decided to do Ab Ripper X as well. My core is the worst it’s been, possibly in my entire life.
Sunday 1/6/13
35 hour road trip where the only time we weren’t sitting was to get gas and go to the bathroom. Needless to say, no running today.
Saturday 1/5/13
Pretty run in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, north of San Diego. We ran for 92 minutes on trails and on the roads. Cold in the early morning but the sun warmed us up nicely as we went along. We then picked up our cousin Chris Rooney for another 30 minutes or so of running on the roads and then on the beach. Really good time and good experience.
Friday 1/4/13
Julie and I ran in Will Rogers State Park north of Santa Monica this morning. Gorgeous run; I should have brought my camera. We ran for 70 minutes on trails with a lot of climbing. The way out was tough but coming back was much easier. While I ran with Julie at her pace, I focused on my downhill running and foot placement. It was warm enough to run without my shirt! Absolutely fabulous run.
Thursday 1/3/13
Julie and I basically repeated the run we did yesterday but did not do the strides; we also went a little further (57 minutes). Glad we got the run in before heading down the coast to LA.
Wednesday 1/2/13
Julie and I ran for 50 minutes this morning. We headed down to the water again so we could avoid traffic lights and then did 4×30 second strides with a 60 second jog rest. Felt good to get the wheels going a bit. We also came up with a bit of a training plan to get ourselves reading to race in a few weeks.
Tuesday 1/1/13
Julie and I got out a little after 10 am in San Francisco and started the New Year off well with a 2:18 run around the city. We ran from the Financial District down to the Embarcaderro and then followed the water by all the piers and wharfs, down to Crissy Field and the Marina, and finally to the Golden Gate Bridge. We then ran the bridge over to the North side where we turned around and came back. We went back more through town coming up through North Beach and skirting along Chinatown before finishing up. I can definitely tell a difference doing a long run on pavement opposed to trails as my knees were much more achy, even then the ~5 hours of running I did on Saturday on the trails in Portland.