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2011 Race schedule/Results
1/8 - Quicker Quaker 5K - 17:53 - 21st
2/19 - Moab Red Hot 50K - 4:59:54 - 13th
4/30 - Kohl Elementary 5K - 17:26 - 9th
6/26 - Logan Peak Trail Run (28)
8/21 - Quest for Kings peak Marathon
11/12 - Solo Free Fall Marathon
My Daily Training Log/Blog-
Category Archives: Random
5K Training and Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas! I wish anyone reading this a splendid weekend with family and friends.
We certainly aren’t experiencing the summer weather Christmas we had last year in Boulder. I like having snow on Christmas though, it feels cooler.
On the running note, lately I’ve been doing a 5K training block. Which has been enjoyable. But I have definitely felt the challenge of getting the speed work incorporated back in. I’m not at the place where doing 70 second quarters feels all that doable like I was last summer.
But I set a goal of doing a 16:30 5K sometime and so have been gearing my training around that.
Here are my workouts for the past few weeks since the Turkey Day 5K.
- week 1: I took a week of just easy running, 56 miles and no workouts.
- week 2: 65 miles
- workout 1: 5 miles easy, 13 x 400 m – between 78-76 on each, with 50-55 sec active recovery, 2 miles easy
- workout 2: 4 miles easy, 4 mile tempo in 23:53, 4.5 miles easy
- week 3: 46 miles – lower mileage, went skiing instead of running on Sat. Still had 1 good workout though.
- workout 1: 6 x 1/2 mile, plus 2 x 600m – 2:35, 2:36, 2:38, 2:38, 2:40, 2:40 for the 800′s. Hit the splits really evenly considering the last 3 were up hill. Felt good. Did the workout with Schlarb on the bike path, great to have some fast company for a workout for a change. It helped a lot.
- This week: Will end with about 65 miles after a two hour run tomorrow.
- workout 1: 4 miles easy, 2 miles @6:50 pace up hill, 1 mile easy, 3 miles @6:15 ish pace. 2 miles easy. Not feeling amazing today, was going to do a 6 mile tempo, but that’s what I had in me.
- workout 2: Snow dump Thursday = Treadmill intervals! 4 miles easy, 5 x 1000 M in 3:20 (5:21/mile – goal 5K pace) with 2 min rest, 2 miles easy. Lost 4 pounds of sweat in 10 miles of running – 1 hr 11 min total.
Who else is psyched for Christmas? My kids are 3, 5, and 7.5 and it would be impossible not to be psyched about it with them around. I think I may be more stoked than them, just to be able to soak in their joy.
Bears in the low lands
1/4 mile south of the S. Boulder Creek trailhead on Marshall road I saw 4 black bears cross the trail about 100 feet in front of me.
I was just passing a guy named Mike and was kind of startled to hear him all of a sudden yell ‘BEARS’ and stop in his tracks.
We were far enough away that it wasn’t alarming since the Mother bear was clearly intent on running away from us with her 3 young cubs in tow. They ran across the trail just across the bridge east of the trailhead by the little creek/canal. Then they jumped over the 4 foot wire fence and scampered up the canal in the brush. We moved ahead again and watched them continue up the creek and out of site.
This time of year has turned into a consistent wildlife sighting time for me. In the past month, and each time just before sunrise, I’ve seen a family of raccoons, a HUGE owl take flight from a tree 10 feet in front of me, a young Bobcat run away on the trail, and now a family of Bears. I’m enjoying it…just another enjoyable reason to get up early to run. At first I missed the incredible summer weather and just being comfortable throwing on a pair of shorts and heading out. But it didn’t take long to start enjoying the change to long sleeves and gloves which has brought with it something new.
By the way, I’m going to be attempting a 16.3 mile run at marathon (6:06) pace on my course this Saturday morning at about 7-7:30. If anyone wants to join for a loop (6.55 miles) or two, or all, I’d love the company!
Zero drop – These shoes are money
The Altra Instinct – www.altrarunning.com
Thank you Golden Harper and Brian Beckstead. For creating a shoe that fits a normal foot and doesn’t have a built in heel lift.
I mean honestly, how hard would it be for more shoe companies to just make a shoe like this? Its not that hard people. But while its not rocket science, I applaud and appreciate Brian and Golden for taking the risk to start a new shoe company to create footwear that promotes natural running form, since its obviously so hard for all the big companies to do it.
Sure they have been coming around slowly over the last number of years, but as I look around I still can’t find a shoe like this anywhere else. Even the new balance minimus shoes still have a slight heel to toe drop and the shape of the shoe still isn’t ideal in my opinion. And it doesn’t have to have a pocket for each toe and require odd looks and stares from all passers by in order to allow the foot to move like it should. Its really quite simple:
A – make the shoe conform to the shape of a foot and not a foot to the shape of the shoe. (granted, not all feet are created equal, I get that, so perhaps this is just the shoe that fits my foot best. But I have a hunch a lot of people would like this shoe)
B – Make it the same thickness under the forefoot as at the heel. I mean seriously…why rob the body of its natural propulsive power and efficiency by sticking a wedge under the heel? That doesn’t make any sense at all to me.
This is the first shoe I have ever worn that truly fits my foot and allows my foot to ‘feel free to move about the cabin’, freely and comfortably.
After testing it on an 8.5 mile hour long run this morning, I am definitely digging it.
I’m very glad to finally have a shoe that fits and doesn’t have a built in heel lift. Soooo glad. Its quite refreshing and still making my day.
The shoes arrived yesterday and though I already had a nice road bike ride up to the top of flagstaff with Nan this morning, I had to get out and break them in afterward. And they did not disappoint.
Also, they are in stock in South Boulder now at Instep now I believe if you have the hankering to try some on.
Tasmania and some 200 Meter aftermath
Ouch.
I obviously over-cooked the legs yesterday doing all those sub 30 second 200′s.
I guess I should have stayed focused on 32-33 second 200′s allowing me to do them all with less recovery in between. Because from the stiffness in my hips, groin, and other areas today, I think I was pushing too hard. I don’t think its necessary or necessarily the best idea to be running sub 4:00 mile pace when my goal pace is 4:40. I think I just allowed myself to get caught up in the fast splits since I was running with fast dudes who legitimately should be running that fast.
Oh well…I don’t think one session is going to injure me as long as I allow myself a number of easy days to fully recover. But I will be more careful next time. I was pretty stiff starting out my run this morning. I loosened up though, and felt decent most of the run after the first couple miles.
1:03 – seven-ish miles pretty flat and slow.
Oh and I crossed paths and ran with a dude named David from Tasmania who was really cool. I learned that he’s just here for a couple months doing some altitude training. He reminded me of something of a mohican warrior, covered head to toe in tattoos, wearing virtually a loin cloth and shoes, with a shaved head, and a long dreadlock pony tail coming just off the base of his head. Unique appearance for sure. But ladies, don’t let that scare you off, he was a super nice dude, and seems like a pretty stout runner as well. I never know who I’m going to meet when I head out the door to run in Boulder. Though we both spoke a form of English, some of our conversation was a little out of sync, here’s an example:
Me: How do you like it here?
David: I miss Tasmania, the Tracks are a lot better mate.
Me: What could be so much better about the tracks there, are they super soft or something?
David: Na mate, a lot more hilly than here.
Me: They make hilly tracks in Tasmania??
Apparently tracks means trails in Tasmania. And apparently the tracks are pretty epic over there. He couldn’t stop raving about them. But when I inquired further, I learned that thus far he had not ventured into the foothills above Boulder, but had been sticking to the valley trails. So the jury is still out, because the tracks around here are pretty nice in my opinion.
David said he was running the Freeman Myre 5K tonight. I decided to stop by to check out the last 5 minutes of the race. Jason Hartmann won in 15 flat I believe. David was 5th, somewhere in the 15 minute range. A solid runner indeed. Especially being his first race at altitude possibly ever. Adriana Pirtea won for the ladies in 16:59. Wasn’t as fast of a year as last year. Benita Willis won last year in 16:21.
Oh…I guess I didn’t need to describe David’s look in such detail, since you can judge for yourself as he is racing here in 5th. But he definitely appeared more warrior-esque without his shirt on.
“See you on the tracks mate!”
Do I live in a cave?
It’s a good thing I hung out with my buddy Zach on Saturday or I would have remained completely in the dark on these two important happenings in 2010.
How did I not hear about Antoine Dobson until now? Hilarious!
Original footage:
A remake:
73 million views? Man, I don’t get out (on the WWW) much.
And now the much more worthwhile thing I missed in 2010:
Mumford and Sons. Very cool music. Their album ‘Sigh no more’ is simply fantastic in my opinion. The song above, ‘Feel the tide’ doesn’t seem to be available for purchase. Bummer because its among my favorite of their tunes. Go out for a run in the sun with some of these tunes, I dare you!