hiya! wow, not pretty, but what a World Cup Final! I could get into this sport--you get to watch people running, and unlike most of us, they also have tremendous eye-foot coordination. I'm amazed that there aren't 84 more groin injuries, given the way they change direction going full tilt.
We're in with 10 if we can be a single entry--D and I got in 5+ before church this am, so 10+ for us.
Henrun, please name that poet.
It's 6:45 here and the rain is letting up, letting us revel in a beautiful summer evening. "Big Band Spotlight is on the radio and Frank is singing. Thanks, Sarge, for getting us of on a great start to this wonderful day.
grins,
A
My DH asked me yesterday what I wanted to do today. Hike, I said. Up at 4:00am this morning to drive to the trail head of Mt. Bonaparte Lookout. This has been on "my list" for this year and I was glad to have the chance to do it. The hike is simple: up 2,600ft in 3 miles and then down again. It was a great workout. We started early enough to enjoy the coolness of the morning. The 360 view was phenomenal, the hard work getting up there was worthwhile.
While in the woods I decided to do some much needed elevation running. 6 miles total while the heat was climbing up to almost 80.
This gives me 30 miles of running for the week and some great hikes.
I hope your weekend is all what you were dreaming for.
Erika, The Mayor's marathon is on my list, but not in 2011...
Sarge, I would love to see the picture of the bald eagle. We have them around here during the winter months.
Vista, 10 miles today. WTG!!!
Divechieve, great 17 milers. When is your next marathon?
tetsujin, I love that avatar!!!! Have you done the Equinox marathon?
Ribs, great running. I thought of you while running in the heat this morning.
"Champions are everywhere; all you need is to train them properly..." ~Arthur Lydiard
Carolyn
Busy weekend at the wild household, so I'm just getting my first chance to check in. Yesterday we went to a party at a friend's house where lots of folks brought instruments - DH brought his whole drum kit! They were jammin' till late. DD and I snuck out for a while and went to see the latest cheesy teenage vampire movie - it wasn't half bad!
Today I drove DD 2 hours north to Colorado State University for a week-long music camp. She plays the clarinet, and has been to this camp the past two summers.
I ran 8 miles yesterday, and 3 today. I sure love summers in the Colorado Rockies! Cool and beautiful. It was in the high 50's both days, and the wildflowers are amazing.
Gordon, I don't remember if I heard why you were on the DL, but I wish you a joyful return to running! I know I was sure joyful when I could run after time off.
Dove, welcome! And congrats on that win!
I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.
Aamos-the poet was Mark Strand (U.S. Poet Laureate in 1990, Pulitzer prize winner, etc.
We were too tired to bike (and it was still hot & humid) so we wimped out and drove to the Longfellow Historical Site in Cambridge-it was packed, mostly with local Boston and Cambridge poets and other literati.
Aamos-the poet was Mark Strand (U.S. Poet Laureate in 1990, Pulitzer prize winner, etc. We were too tired to bike (and it was still hot & humid) so we wimped out and drove to the Longfellow Historical Site in Cambridge-it was packed, mostly with local Boston and Cambridge poets and other literati.
The two of you do such great things together.
<envy>
An event like that would be my ABSOLUTELY dream come true.
The two of you do such great things together. <envy>
Walt, I know what you mean. Marj and Henry are like the perfect couple. Love them dearly! I'll miss seeing Henry's big grin this next spring when I won't be running Boston. But other than Spareribs and the Saint, I don't know of a more compatible couple and I aspire to be like them when my DH retires. I do note that Marj is not yet retired, so there might lie some of the success.
Tetsujin, don't write off Humpy's! It's obviously changed a lot since you last were there. It now runs mainly on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, one of my favorite places to run in Anchorage. I don't think that trail was done when you were here... Although I'll admit, this year they're saying the rerouted the course to include more downtown Anchorage streets (they say that like it's a positive thing, although I disagree), but I've yet to see what they mean. I'm still thinking of doing it this year, but I'm into the late entry fee phase and still need to figure out how to get there.
Holly, don't let airfare stop you. I'd gladly do a mileage ticket for you if you'd come up here. Seriously.
Today's run was supposed to be 15, but that doesn't consider all the miles I'd already run this week. I don't remember the last time I was at 40 miles after Saturday's run... But this week I was, thanks to a longer run on my day off on Tuesday. But I set out with great hopes of making the full 15, and then met the strong wind I'd first noticed early this morning taking DS2 to the airport (soccer camp in OR this week). The wind was stronger, with gusts up to 35 mph and oh man, was that hard. Miles 1-8 were headwind with hard gusts... mostly downhill trend but that didn't help much. I made it to my parents' house (mile 7) and used the bathroom and got water. Then continued on for 3 more miles of headwind. By the time I made it to the bikepath heading east (tailwind), it didn't much matter anymore. I was out of gas and my legs felt dead. Still, with the tailwind, I managed just under 8 m/m for the next 4 miles, but quit at the McDonalds (13.6 miles) where I'd asked DS1 to pick me up. I gladly got in the car and turned off the Garmin. I'm thinking a rest day is in order tomorrow, but I might hit the gym after work (since I don't have to take DS2 home) and do some weights or something.
My concern is this: my last few weeks' long runs have pretty much sucked. My overall pace is too fast (for a long run) and I'm more often than not cutting the distance short because I hit the wall. Maybe I'm doing too much during the week, and/or maybe I need to rest more on Friday and Saturday for Sunday's long run. But I only have so much time to get the long list of "to do's" done, and part of that is a MLR on Saturday. I've always done a MLR run on Wednesdays and Saturdays, with the long run on Sunday. This year, I don't seem to have the energy for all that. Is it just aging? At 50, I've PR'd in every distance so far this year, but my training feels sub-par. Any ideas out there?
.....evan//........add HandWeights??
WARNING-
totally non-marathoner advise
..nothing takes the place of persistence.....
Erika,
With the great running and all the PR's you've had lately, don't be discouraged that you may be at a temporary plateau. Running is not a constant straight line upward improvement activity. One tends to train, improve, plateau, ease off, pick back up the training, and start to improve again. We humans are not built to go hard all the time (looking squarely in the mirror on this one!)
I see a lot of reasons why this particular run may have been a tough one. You put in 53 miles or so this week if I read your post properly. More than you've had in a good while. And most people can't run an MLR the day before an LR. It sounds like you do this consistently and are strong because of it. But it will take a toll on you once in a while.
And clearly that serious 35 mph headwind made you work harder than you would normally at the same pace. I wouldn't be surprised if you (in essence) were running tempo as far as the effort was concerned. And "hitting the wall" but still running 4 miles at sub 8 pace shows that you were trying to push through the wall - another tough effort. It is no surprise you would be wore out. That is a beast of a workout.
Age can be a factor but I don't think it is for you. I'm beginning to feel my age a little I think. But I don't think this applies to you yet.
Don't fret this. Ease off this week - a cutback week would do you good. Run when you want. Don't run if you're tired. The body gets stronger when it is resting as it adapts to the recent stresses put on it. You will come back from this strong and happy. (Again, looking in the mirror.)
Bill
"Some are the strong, silent type. You can't put your finger on exactly what it is they bring to the table until you run without them and then you realize that their steadiness fills a hole that leaks energy in their absence." - Kristin Armstrong
Trails are hard!
Need a fast half for late fall. Then I need to actually train for it.
Marathon Maniac #957
Wow...that is an incredibly generous offer...okay, we'll leave it on the table as a possibility....
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."
But other than Spareribs and the Saint, I don't know of a more compatible couple and I aspire to be like them when my DH retires. I do note that Marj is not yet retired, so there might lie some of the success.
Erica, you win the grand prize. How did you ever guess???
Thanks, Bill (and Kevin). I needed to hear that. I was beating myself up a bit last night, but in the rearview mirror it was a pretty good training week, all in all. I don't run well in wind anyway, and with the hills and the wind, combined with the fact I was trying to get done before an event we had last night... it was a miracle I made it almost 14 miles. This week will be a cutback week leading up to that 8k race, then next week will be almost like taper getting ready for the 16.5 mile race on the 25th.
I don't think I'll be adding hand weights anytime soon, but thanks for the suggestion, tw.
Marj.