Ramp-Up Failure (More of a Delay)

Even though my milage had been low the last couple of weeks I felt I was turning the corner to better fitness and really getting ready to start the ramp-up of base milage. Last week, following my Sunday longer effort and easy Monday jog, I was feeling great and my energy was ready to tackle some bigger weekly miles. Then, half way through my work shift on Monday, my lateral side of my right foot which radiated to my lateral heel started to give me some serious pains. Pain to the point where I couldn't put weight on it. The bugger waxed and waned for the remainder of the day and two more to follow.
I finally made my way to the chiropractor and he found this massive ball of spasmed muscle in my lateral hip/glute. After some serious work on his part and some serious clenching of my teeth the wussy worm finally released. For the rest of the day I kept at stretching and woke up the next morning ready to tackle a run. And so I did, a modest 100 minute run would find me ready to resume my training. Hopefully I am good to go now.

We received some snow and that has helped the single track trails a bunch but another three or so inches of snow would help. I like to run those trails as easy days and it makes it really effortless to get in the allotted time.

Here is the week of:

December 24th-30th

M: 41:00/5 miles easy w/ 3 X 1 min hills (weights)
T: 0 foot ailment?
W: 0 same
TH: 0 foot better/ exercises help!
F: 0 Chiro/Massage/exercises--Feeling better!
SA: 1:38:00/ 12.5 mi  Lakewalk miles
SU: 38:00 Hartley single track
~23 miles

*not the week I wanted but sometimes you don't get what you want.

press on!

YEARS TOTAL: 1966 miles
(first time in 5 years of being under 2000 miles. i had a decent year but not running a marathon kept my milage down a bit. all is well, need health going into '13)

National CC Champs and Fitness Plan

The week of National Cross Country Championships had me giddy and ready to go race against a field I didn't realize would be as tightly packed as it turned our being. Then again, it's cross country and that's how it usually is, I just haven't raced CC in approximately a dozen years or so. One main lesson learned was one cannot be "kind of in shape" to run cross country. Any weakness will quickly be shown. That was my case. I planned on going out fairly quick to gain good position and try to settle in a decent pace as the first three quarters of a mile after the initial hill were fairly flat. That didn't matter because the first two series of hills set me up for what was going to be a long day of racing. I had it in my mind that I would be able to cruise the downhills and maintain position and pass some more men on the uphills. That didn't happen. I did manage to pass runners on all the uphills only to be passed by a few more on the downhills. Hmmm. My method to racing this race was failing big time! By 5K I was in the same position as my final placing. A side-stitch at 2.5 miles stayed with me and faded as I faded but returned as soon as I pushed the pace, so I found the threshold and that was how I would finish. My teammates would race to a great day and we finished up 3rd Masters team! What a great time had by all. I want to thank Kelly and Team Run and Fun for allowing me to race and have yet another racing experience I will never forget. Matt W. you can thank me later...

As for my training since, it has been focused on gaining some overall volume (I need to focus a bit more, its taking a bit longer than I had hoped) and also to keep one run a week a bit quicker and build on that. It's a much slower process now compared to when I was 20 or 30 but if I take it easy and slowly build I should be sitting in pretty decent shape come April 15th 2013. The next week or so may be a bit of a low week but as soon as the first of the year hits its all business!

Here is a quick look at the last three weeks:

December 3rd-9th
M: 40:00 easy
T: 32:00 easy with strides
W: 40:00 with 6 X 1 min at 5:25 pace
Th: 0
Fri: 40:00 preview course
Sa: USATF CC CHAMPS  35:59, 46th place, team 3rd Masters
Su: 0 travel
~30 miles

December 10th-16th
M: 0 recovery/stretch
T: 34:00 treadmill easy
W: 0 lazy
Th: 37:00 trails/road
Fr: 1:00:00 Skyline
Sa: 1:30:00 trails/ rain!
Su: 45:00 easy roads
~33 miles

December 17th-23rd
M: 45:00 treadmill easy
T: 0
W: 55:00 Kenwood
Th: 1:01:00  treadmill 3X1 mile at SState 6:10-5:50
Fr: 32:00
Sa: 1:00:00 woodland country roads
Su: 1:43:00 skyline
~47 miles

Years Total: 1943 miles

Race Week for CC Nationals

I feel like a college kid again. Excited yet nervous. On Saturday I will be running the USATF Club Cross Country Championships in Lexington KY as a member of a mens Master team. Running in a Masters division may not have all perks and glam, as little is there is in USA distance running, but the competition remains stiff regardless what's waiting at the finish line. I plan to put myself out there and compete to the best of my ability and see how I rank among the field. The team Kelly has assembled looks to be very tough and just being a part of it is a true honor. I will post results as soon as I can once I get back but the quickest links will be off the USATF site or my Twitter or Facebook page.

Building up to this race the last two weeks has been enjoyable and I really haven't done any mind blowing workouts, and rather, I just wanted to make it to the start line healthy and fit, and I figured I would be able to hold my own. Lets hope it works! Most of my nagging injuries I had this fall have cleared up and it seems like I have settled into a nice training phase, a phase the should help me transition into base-phase for marathon training once I get back from this weekends race.

Here is a brief summary of the past two weeks:

Nov. 19th-25th
M: 32:40 easy running
Tu: 52:30 10 X 1 min. at 5:40/mi pace
We: 0 *patellar pain, do exercises
Th: 0 *same as yesterday
Fr: 40:00 7:30 pace plus 2 weight circuits
Sa: 54:00 snow, 5 X Baldy Hill in Hartley
Su: 1:35:00 skyline on slippery snow. Low back took a hit!
~36 miles

Nov. 26th-Dec. 2nd
M: 47:00 trails in Lester, sore from slipping yesterday
Tu: 0, exercises plus trip to Chiropractor
We: 57:00, Snap! treadmill workout 4 x .25@LT, .25@5K, .25 recovery
Th: 53:00 Hartley, last 20min. at LT
Fr: 37:00, tested spikes in Hartley, 5 X 100 meter pick ups
Sa: 59:00 Martin, Jean Duluth, 4 X 4 min @ 5:25-5:30 pace (windy)
Su: 1:28:00, neg split out and back by 2 minutes
~49 miles

Years Total: 1833 miles