Improvement

It was nice to see the temps above zero this morning, but better seeing no wind blowing. I decided to run a easy loop to see how the legs were going to hold up. Right out the door I felt good and was hoping it would last more than a couple of miles. The morning treated me well as I did most of the run feeling well and minimal soreness or achy spots. To do it two or three days in a row will show me I am ready to resume base building. (I have a long way to go)  Woodland, Martin, Vermilion home via E. St. Marie.

Totals: 56:00  ~8 miles

Monday: 0 miles (still bad attitude with the wind chills -25F)

Rest Week???

Let's just chalk up this past week to "rest". Be it mental, physical, or what ever the hell you want to call it, I took it off.

Friday: 0 miles (legs feel shitty)

Saturday: easy out and back on Skyline with Erik, legs felt terrible when done 1:03:00  8+ miles

Sunday: -41F wind chill, still bad attitude and no treadmill running. 0 miles

Weeks Mileage: 18 Whopping Miles

Years Mileage: 234.5 miles

Test Run

I finally woke up and didn't have any discomforts to talk about. Nice! I got my gear on and headed out for and easy run and hoped to make it an hour or more. The first fifteen minutes felt really good but then my lower calf started to tighten. I stopped stretched it out and continued on my way. Once I got to the turn in the run that would make it an hour I decided to make my way home and tend to the calf muscle and hopefully snuff it out, not make it worse. In the end I had a decent run that was tons better than most runs last week, and more importantly, the left hamstring was not a factor.

Totals: 43:00  6 miles

Inevitable

I could see this coming for over a week. Time off. As I posted last week, I am a bit surprised with the little mileage I have been running and having hamstring trouble to this degree. I also mentioned my feet giving me trouble, which is a bit better. The major trouble is the left hamstring and its constant tightness and pulling, even at night.

 

Monday: easy, slow (some walking) recovery  4+ miles (33:00)

Tuesday: same thing 0 miles

Wednesday: feeling better, but with the new snow why run and aggravate, so I headed to the pool and did 30 minutes swim. I may do some biking tonight?

My Not So Long Run

Today was supposed to be a bump in time for my long run of the week. That didn't happen. What did happen was a serious increase in intensity. I did a group run that was a bit faster than my usual Sunday runs, at least in early February. Once I had a flavor of the pace I immediately changed my overall run time down a bit to adjust for the increase in intensity. I thought it would be counterproductive to run both farther and much faster in the same weekend. For the most part things felt good. I really got beat up on the downhills. My left hamstring was screaming but soon after the hills all felt good and the 6:30 miles were doable. Next week will be back to the basics, and I will focus on getting my two mid-distance runs and one good longer run next weekend. Thanks for an interesting run fellas.

Totals: 1:29:00  ~13 miles

Weeks Totals: 43.5 miles

Years Totals: 259 miles

Throwin' an Old Dog a Bone

Once in a while, usually just after one does a decent amount of bichin' about something, somebody, or some type of power "throw's you a bone". That's what I call today's run. I didn't feel too much better this morning as my left hamstring continues to be tight, and my right foot (tarsals) seem to remain sore for some unknown reason. 

Instead of running right out of bed I decided to make today an afternoon workout, as much as I dislike PM workouts. Lucas and I headed out to watch the Frozen 5k at the Armory. There was just a little snowfall this morning, just enough to make you think of your foot placement. Mens Winner: Tony Meyers: 15:50ish and Women's Winner: Marlo Crosby-McGaver: 18:35ish. (complete results to be found at Northlandrunner.com) After the race, upon getting home, my wife just finished her distance run for the week and now it was my turn. I quickly decided that I should run on the treadmill just incase I had another run like yesterday.  I did my usual warmup for two miles in 15:00 and proceeded to run a little "up-tempo" workout. I use the term "up-tempo" because it isn't really true Tempo (LT) pace rather just a pace that makes me work a bit but not killin' me pace either. For today this pace ended up being 10mph or 6:00 min/mile pace. I did 5 X 2 minutes at the pace with one minute rest. This was just enough to make me feel a bit fatigued and also to introduce the legs into quicker paces that are soon to come. In the end, I had a decent workout that allowed my hamstrings and feet to participate. Like I said, someone threw me a bone. Thanks.

Totals: 43:00  6 miles

Frustrations

After this mornings run I am perplexed. I feel I have been taking it quite easy and attempting to ease into the mileage, do the proper stretches, exercises and take days off when things just don't feel right. Still no luck, I felt like shit today.

I took yesterday off, mainly because of a mental funk and I didn't want to run outside and fight the icy roads. The treadmill didn't seem any more appealing so I did some weights and ball/core exercises followed by some decent stretches. I felt quite good most of the day and my legs were appreciating the time off.

This mornings run started off very well, actually the best I have felt in some time. After thirty minutes of running everything changed. My legs slowly became heavy and lead-like, along with the pulling hamstrings. Both of them! I had to really ease off on the pace and "just finish" the run. I didn't make the time I wanted and had to cut the workout short by ten minutes. I find this quite frustrating, and quite honestly I am going to have a difficult time dragging my ass out of bed to go running and feel like complete garbage. I only hope this weekend things improve and I can gain some momentum going into next week. I need to have some good energy vibes, as the true marathon schedule starts in two weeks.

Totals: 1:12:54  ~10 miles

Sore Feet... Dead Legs

I have mentioned in past posts about the difficulty I am having with sore feet. Most recently I have been having sore ankles and sore lateral aspects of my right foot and sore medial calcaneous soreness. I had the chiropractor do some adjustments and all seems to be jivin'. 

When I woke up Tuesday I knew that running was going to be a major "chore". I watched the news for thirty minutes and decided to put on my gear and head for UMD and go for a swim. I was glad I did as swimming hits some major muscle groups that I need to be working. I also did a bit of aqua jogging to make up the time.

Tuesday's Totals: 36:30 of swim and aqua jogging.

As for this mornings workout, I needed to get my mid-week medium distance run. Not going to happen this morning, outside at least. The treadmill is oh so nice on days like this. After a warm up of two miles I set the speed at 8.5 mph and never got comfortable. I had a constant feeling of "lead legs" that never got fluid.  I wanted to make the distance but bailed out at 8.5 miles. The thing about treadmill running is when things are going bad it is too easy to bail out. Had I committed to a mid-distance loop I would have had to complete the run to get home. Now being on a treadmill I didn't "have" to finish the distance so jumping off at an hour was easy to do. ( maybe I'm just a puss, but you get the point)

Totals: 1:00:54  8.5 miles

Easy Monday

Legs felt quite good compared to past mornings as I think the stretching is paying off. I plan to see the chiropractor  this week and attempt to get a massage as well at some point. If all goes well I should have an up mileage week. This mornings run was a no-frills run... just easy running through the cemetery and UMD.

Totals: 45:00  6 miles

Pegasus

First pair of Nike Pegasus I ever owned and right out of the box I ran today's run without problems. I noticed how stiff and clunky the Nike's tend to get compared to some other shoes I have worn in the past. (I also run in the Haywards) As the temps warmed up I could tell the shoes cushioning was a bit better as well.

Kooks and I did a flat course from his house down the lakewalk to Park Point and ran to the airport and back. For the most part I felt pretty decent but overall was just a bit low on energy and my legs remain a bit flat. The left hamstring gave me no problems and I will continue to stretch and push up the mileage as my body will allow. Today was a good day to end a very up and down week.

Totals: 1:38:40  ~13 miles

Weeks Totals: 54 miles

Years Totals: 215.5 miles

Off Again, On Again

The nagging hamstring returned for Friday's run leaving me with a measly 41/2 miles. I have had this hamstring trouble in the past and it goes away without any reason, almost as quick as it shows up. I believe it is from my calves since a week ago I did the run in Hartley and had a lot of uneven surface with major slippage. I wasn't in any mood to run for an hour with nagging hamstring pulling. Friday= 4.5 miles

I woke up this morning not feeling much better and was wondering what cross training I would be doing. I thought of skiing, swimming, using the bike on the trainer but in the end and after some stretching I opted for the treadmill. After a conservative first mile I gradually eased up the speed and ended running most of the miles at 8.3 mph (7:19 pace) HR was 146-148 bpm. At the end of the run I threw in some thirty second striders at 6 min pace just to introduce some up tempo stuff and stretch out the legs. In the end I had run ten miles and was pleasantly surprised how the legs felt.

Bought new Pegasus today... will try them on tomorrows run. No more Haywards, and the new Skylons are not the same like they say they are.

Totals: 1:12:20  10miles

One More Morning of Ice

This seems to be the last real cold morning for a while according to the weather professionals. I didn't expect what I woke up to this morning, -16F (little wind), but I had made a mental commitment to running outside. I put on the layers and got ready to hit the road. As for my hamstring I was still unsure of what was to come.  Within first half mile I almost turned around and went home three different times. I just kept reminding myself that once I warm up all would feel well. For once I was right. After about ten minutes of running I could tell all systems "go", including the hamstring. The stretching and exercises I did for the ham plus the day off yesterday must have made the difference because I didn't feel any pulling!

As for the run, I did a short version of out and back on West Skyline with the wind on my back for the trip home. I don't think I would have liked to be out there over an hour because my face mask was complete ice and near the end of it's life for the day. They can handle only so much spit! Lovely...

Totals: 59:00  8 miles 

No-Good Hamstring

Yesterday, and on previous posts, I mentioned the left hamstring being troublesome. I really felt the tightness yesterday and this morning I was to do a medium distance run. The option of not running was in my head, but I compromised and attempted a run on the treadmill. I'm glad I didn't commit to running a loop outside because I probably would have run farther than I should. I had to cut the run quite short and will do some serious calf and glute stretches today. I think it is referred pain from extremely tight calves and/or glutes... maybe I will be able to run some this evening?

AM totals: 3.6 miles on treadmill (left ham never loosened up)

Fifty-Fifty

The run this morning started off quite well. It may have been that fact that it was a full moon (lots of light) and /or the fact it wasn't -20F! I was running strong and feeling good for near half the run. Then I fell apart. My left hamstring tightened, and both feet got sore. My toes, ankles, achilles, calves... all parts that could get sore did. I struggled for a couple miles and soon was on the last stretch home. I finished into the wind and called it a day. Temps were at 0 when I started. The wind was minimal, but when it did blow it was reported at -20F. (quite a bit better than the weekend)

Totals: 1:04:00  9 miles (woodland,martin,elk,vermlion)

Time on Feet

All I can say of today's run is it was time on my feet. Had I ran on the treadmill I may have quit after a mile or so. I felt flat, legs tired, and quite frankly didn't want to run in the cold. I did my usual Monday morning  cemetery/UMD loop and ran slow! Here's to better day's ahead. Cheers!

Totals: ~6 miles (no watch, near 45 minutes)

Warm Choice

Wake up Temperature= -20F air temp with 5-10mph winds= Run Inside.

I couldn't stand the thought of layering all the clothes and hope I could stay warm for my medium distance run today. Without the wind it is possible, but there is gusty wind most days and today it was just too much to think about. I put on a pair of shorts, shoes, headband, IPod and got my gels and fluids ready for a mental workout on the treadmill.

I did a bit of a warm up and eased the speed up to 8.5 mph for most of the run. HR=141-144. (i found it amazing that taking fluids or gels made my HR up 5 beats) As indicated by my heart rate this was quite comfortable. (i don't have a high max. upper 170's maybe) When I got to 11th mile I slowly increased the speed to 9.1 mph (6:35 pace) and ran the last 3 miles at this pace with a HR=151-153. I felt OK, but I also knew this wasn't a pace yet for me to run all 14 miles. For a treadmill workout this was more than satisfactory at this point in my training. I am just glad I didn't have to worry about poor footing or the air temps.

Tomorrow is back outside for an easy recovery day.

Totals: 1:36:30  14 miles

Weeks Totals: 55.5 miles

Years Totals: 161.5 miles

Frosty Hartley

Wake up Temperature= -16, -20 F, depending on the location in town. Winds near 5-10 mph, not that big of a deal unless the air temp is -20!(recorded wind temps -44F) It will be interesting to see what Eric was dealing with today.

I met Chris, and Erik at Hartley Nature Center at 6:40 as Chris was running a 50 minute loop x3 to get his long run in for the weekend. The trails are the best place to run on a morning like this. It takes me about 4-5 minutes to get to the trailhead and that stretch of road was colder than the entire hour on the trails. With the proper layering it wasn't that bad! I am still searching for the best shoes for these trails... I have tried grip systems and today just wore regular road shoes. I didn't have the confidence that my shoes would offer the proper grip on some of the down hills (still scared as hell of falling since last March) I'm hoping the INOV8's will fit my feet as they look like a nice low profile trail shoe. (hate the bulky one's)

Totals: 1:10:00 ~8 miles

Vermilion

My goal for this morning was to get at least an hour of running in. I just made that time cut as my loop took me just that. I had all the intentions of adding a small loop but the wind had froze my "buff" and quite honestly I'd had enough. Adjusting to the cold takes a day or so. It wasn't all that cold this morning but the wind had temps -10 or worse. My legs felt OK and the right achilles appreciated the day off yesterday. As far as the head-cold I am feeling much better today.

Totals: ~1:00:00 (no watch) 8 miles

Older, Wiser

Last night after work I noticed my energy level was super low. My son has had a runny nose lately and I could feel the "cold-like" symptoms approaching. I took an Airborne slammed some fluids and by the end of the evening I was feeling a bit better. When I woke up this morning I knew I wouldn't be running. My feet were sore, my achilles was just a bit tight, but I could feel the cold still brewing. The next best thing I thought would be to get forty five minutes in the pool and have a decent recovery day. The pool was closed when I got there because UMD isn't back in session and the hours have changed. I walked back home, brewed a strong pot of coffee and proceeded to make breakfast and enjoy a day off. I am hoping the achilles appreciates this and tomorrow I have a decent day. Mentally this day off felt really good!

Totals: 0 miles/ Good Recovery!

West Skyline

By the looks at the weather forecast this may be the last "warmer" morning for some time. It looks like -25 on Friday morning is a strong possibility! Yuk!  I got a decent run on west Skyline this morning heading out to 24th Ave. W. and back. My right Achilles continues to be in the nagging stage and needs immediate attention. I don't need a repeat of last year. I am hoping it is from the jump in mileage (30-60 in three weeks) and will level off if I take good care of it. I will see how feels tomorrow morning and may opt for a biking workout and a swim.

Totals: 1:21:25  ~11.5 miles

Vermilion

Today I did an easy loop out past the cemetery, Vermilion, Elk and back via Vermilion. This is usually a staple in my weekly mileage as it offers little traffic and decent footing. No major happenings, just basic mileage. (note to self... right achilles continues to be on edge, need to keep stretching and exercises)

Totals: 58:00   8 miles

Cooler Temps Coming

This mornings run was a just a preview of the cold temps to come later this week. At least I have a few days to get acclimated. I did an easy morning recovery run and enjoyed every step. The temps were OK, but like I said, cold is coming. My feet and legs felt pretty good and I am looking forward to another building week.

Totals: 43:00  6 miles

Lakewalk Ninety

This mornings run took me to London road, which was an icy disaster, leading onto the Lakewalk, behind the DECC, superior street, up chester and home via UMD. The early miles were easy, due to the ice, and once I hit the pavement my pace was steady. For some reason I chose to wear my I-Pod, still disgusted by the ear buds, and had some new tunes on it which made the time pass a bit better. Even though my right foot was sore from yesterday's run, it was OK today. (i had rolled it several times on the trails yesterday, plus wearing an OLD pair of racing flats was a big mistake) Not much else to say other than it was nice to approach the ninety minute mark again.

Totals: 1:26:18  12 miles

Weeks Totals: 60 miles

Years Totals: 106 miles

Hartley Loops

Recovery day on the trails. Amazing, the trails are at their best of the year! I did a series of loops in Hartley and felt quite good. I actually had to keep myself slow and keep reminded that this was a recovery run, not speed/hill workout. I wore an old pair of Adidas Concerto's along with get-a-grips and that offered decent traction. Another good day on the build-up of mileage.

Totals: 1:02:18   8 miles

Running Tired

The run today was supposed to be another medium distance run. I headed out and for the first two miles I was taking it easy making sure not to slip on ice and also to give me some time to get the Achilles warmed up. Once I crested the Woodland Ave. hill I hit the pavement and started to push the pace a bit. For the remainder of the loop I was able to run mostly on pavement. I was either running a bit too fast or my legs are still adjusting to the increase in volume. (probably a bit of both) I had a good nights sleep and thought I was rested up for this run. It was one of those runs where you think you have the amount of time completed. (it felt like I had ran for 1:10-1:-15) I didn't want to look at my watch and it was a good thing I didn't. When I got back to the house I stopped and was shocked to see the numbers. I hadn't ran quite as far in terms of time, but I felt like I had enough. I look at this as a good workout, even though the distance wasn't what I was looking for. I forgot to add a small loop that would have made this loop the time I needed. No big deal.

Totals: 1:01:07  9 miles

Hartley Singletrack

Today's schedule called for an easy recovery day. I wanted to get off of the roads and Hartley was calling my name. My wife ran there yesterday and mentioned the trails were in good running shape. I wore a pair of Brooks flats and added a pair of "get-a-grips" and that seemed to work quite well. My legs felt pretty decent. My right achilles was a bit tight at first, just a reminder how fragile that old injury is and how I need to monitor it day by day. My path actually crossed with fellow DRC teammate and Duluth trail/ultra stud Chris. (he won the Superior Trail 50 and was runner-up at the Voyageur 50 in 2007) It is quite rare to meet another person in this trail cluster, especially at 0545. We chatted a bit and continued on our own agenda for the morning. In the end I covered about 45 minutes and was happy how I felt. Possibly more snow today or tonight.

Totals: 45:00 ~ 6 miles

Damn Nickleback

Most runners have had this happen. A song gets stuck in your head and you most likely don't like the song all that much. Santana and Chad Kroeger (Into the Night) have that song and it kept going on in my head! I guess it could be worse.

I finally made it out for an entry mid-distance run this morning. My legs felt a bit fatigued, I am guessing from all the slippage lately, but they worked into it and ended pretty decent. I did the west Skyline out and back to the Enger golf clubhouse and back. I went out in 38:46/back in 38:24. Happy to get this run in as it looks like more slick roads are coming with the potential snow tonight.

Totals: 1:17:11  11 miles 

Slick and Soupy

The decision between running outside or on the treadmill wasn't an easy one this morning. I ultimately made the decision to run outside and take my chances. When the roads offered some packed snow the footing was excellent. Most of the roads didn't have snow cover so the bare roads had a lot of black ice. This made for a relatively easy pace once again. The fog was thick as well, so thick I'm not too sure how effective my headlamp was at certain points. My legs felt the ice... all the muscles firing at one time to stabilize my body from falling. At the end I had pretty fatigued hamstrings but for the most part all is well.

Totals: 59:00 ~ 8 miles

Good Thing It's Recovery

Monday's are recovery days. I don't have a lot to "recover" from the prior week but it is nice to take it easy on Monday mornings. It's probably best, as the roads were quite slick with ice... my worst nightmare. I took it easy on the corners, and for the most part, I had decent footing on the course I chose. I did the cemetery/UMD loop in the usual time and was happy with this run.

Totals: 43:00 6 miles

W.P. Fitness Center... It's the Shizzle!

I had an opportunity to use a new fitness center in my home town by accompanying my dad. A brand new facility with all state of the art machines...LANDICE treadmills! I don't think I have ever been as content running on a treadmill, but the Landice is one smooth, quiet machine. (Near 5 Grand for a model like this as well)

As for my workout, I had the opportunity to share conversation with my father for near forty minutes as he worked out on an elliptical machine while I ran. The run was better than average for a treadmill workout, probably due to the newness, but I had no pains to complain about and my stride felt fluid. I didn't want to push too much but managed close to an hour at 7:03 pace. A decent workout nonetheless.

Totals: 57:30 8 miles
Weeks Totals: 52.5 miles
Years Totals: 46 miles

Michigan Run with Kari

Kari, Lucas and I made a trip to Michigan for the weekend to celebrate Lucas's 3rd birthday. Kari and I got to run together while grandma watched Lucas for us.

Our run was an easy run down the road from my parents to Lake Superior in Silver City. We added a short distance from there to get approximately 7.5 for the morning. I am wishing to snowshoe this evening as well. My legs are feeling much better than they did earlier in the week...hopefully a sign of improvement.

Totals: 53:37 7.5 miles

Black Ice

Since we have not received much snow lately the roads are beginning to clear. Not all of them, as there seems to be a lot of black ice and when you run at O-dark thirty you can't tell what is good and what is ice. The good news is I didn't fall today, just seemed like the opportunity was waiting.

I did the extended Pig's loop out to Martin road and back via Vermilion road. My legs are beginning to adjust to the daily running and if all goes as planned I will have a decent "jump" week in mileage. Easy running with not much thinking.

Totals: 58:00 ~8 miles

Clomping in the AM

I wore a pair of Saucony Sinisters this morning and wow were they stiff. At times when I would hit the occasional patch of pavement it sounded like horse hooves hitting the road. Not the ideal shoe for winter running. (Grade=D)

My course took me down the Tischer creek trail to London Road and the Lake walk to 14th ave. After running by the DRC, I hit the Chester creek trails and made my way up to Skyline, then home via UMD. This is a nice loop that offers plenty of variety and for the most part, free of traffic. My hamstrings are screaming the last couple of days, hopefully some good stretches will help calm them down.

Totals: 1:03:00 8.5 miles

Not Today!...

I woke up a bit late this morning. As I stumbled down the stairs and into the dining room I stood by our sliding glass door staring at the smoke from the neighbors chimney's. I didn't actually have to see the smoke, I could hear the wind. (I actually stood at the window for close to ten minutes before making the decision to just go get it done.) That was enough proof the run outside would be one of the " I'm tougher than you" type runs.

Well, thanks to our purchase three years ago I didn't have to go outside. I put on a pair of shorts, shoes, and tee shirt and put on the I-pod and hit the treadmill for a yet to be determined run. I kind of made it up as time passed. After two miles of warm up I decided to play with the incline a bit. I decided that two minutes of hill would be a good stressor and something I could repeat more than once. For everyday running I add a 2% hill, just to make up for the loss of wind resistance. My hills were at 8% with the same running speed. Intervals of 2 minutes with 90 seconds of rest in between X 4 repeats. After the repeats I added two miles of easy running to get in my total for the morning.

My only other challenge is the I-Pod ear buds. They don't fit, and keep falling out after I get a sweat on. Does anybody know if the "rubber-tip" type ear buds work any better???

Totals: 44:22 6 miles with 4X hill repeats at 8% grade. 8.2 mph.

*Lucas picture at bath... wanted a beard like Santa.

2007 Wrap Up

I should be able to wrap up 2007 within a couple of statements. It started off very exciting by being in decent shape in January because of the lack of snow. I had ran several 2 hour runs in December and was looking to bump up the mileage and get some decent workouts in Feb./March. Just as things were looking up, I had quite a fall on some ice and basically that is where my season and ultimately my year fell apart. The injury I sustained from the ice accident was a long one to rehab and as I was returning to longer runs I developed Achilles tendinitis in the opposite foot. July through October was waiting to get back to training without pain. November was a bit better, and December allowed me to run pain free. Going into the new year I am trying to be patient and get the mileage up as safe as possible. I will attempt to up the mileage to 80-90 miles a week and see how I adjust. I have some exciting new adventures planned for the new year and day by day will be my focus.

Crisp First Day

The temps fell last night making the first run of the new year quite crisp. We ran when the temps were right at 0 degrees. As I said before, this makes for pretty good footing. Kooks and I did my loop out to Martin road and home via the Vermilion road. My legs didn't feel fresh at all, and my left hamstring was pulling a bit. Nothing too major, just annoying. Overall, a good way to start the new year.

Totals: ~8miles

Final Workout

I managed to get out nice and early this morning for my final workout of 2007. My wife had to work at 7:00, and I have the day with our son, so I needed to get out early and finish by 6:30. I did one of my easy loops that doesn't require much thinking. I used a pair of "get a grips" and they seemed to help a bit. My legs are just a bit fatigued from yesterday's snowshoe. It is amazing how much of a workout that is. Nothing special for today's run, just another cemetery/extended UMD loop. I actually saw 11 other runners this morning on my loop.

Totals: 46:40 6.5 miles

YEARS TOTAL: 1840.5 miles

Finishing Strong on Snowshoes

The week of training started off very brutal as I missed M,T,and W. The rest of the week I got out and did some form of decent training, however it is quite far off where I need to be, I'll take it.

I didn't run today until the afternoon. I woke up with a stiff back and hungry, so Kari, Lucas, and I headed for Luce' for a wake up breakfast. Yummy! By the time I decided to run I was feeling much better and headed to Hartley for a snowshoe. The trails are incredible right now! I did the same loop as Thursday's run plus more milage in 10 minutes less time. Amazing what packed trails will do for you. My legs and groin/psoas are doing quite well. I hope to carry the energy of this weekend into next week and get a solid week of training.

Totals: 1:12:00 ~8.5 miles
Weeks Totals: 28 miles
Years Totals: 1834 miles

Hawks Ridge Snowmobile Trail

My buddy Erik and I decided it was a day to attempt to run on the snowmobile tails this morning. For those of you who have never done this before, there is an ideal temperature to have this work. Today was not the day. We both wanted an easy recovery type day and that is what we did. The footing was quite soft but very manageable. Overall a decent day.

Totals: 45:00 5.5 miles?

Fatigue

I was definately feeling the snowshoe run from yesterday as my legs were a bit heavy this morning. To add to the fatigue, the footing was terrible. I did an easy loop that had mostly crappy footing and just a bit of decent footing. I did the extended cemetery/UMD loop with daylight just starting to break.

Totals: 45:00 6 miles

Guardrail Loop in Hartley

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday no running.

I woke up this morning and after getting about 4-5 inches of snow yesterday and last night I figured the roads would be brutal. I was right, as I ran to the trailhead of Hartley the roads were messy. I put on my snowshoes at the trail head and figured I had enough time to do a longer loop, often referred to as the "guardrail loop". I was the second snowshoer for most of the upper loop. This made for tough going but a really great heart rate workout. As I worked my way down the trial I noticed increased traffic and the footing was much better. My psoas was tight but it warmed up and felt pretty decent most of the way.

Overall a good workout that will leave me a bit tired this morning at work. That's what a good cup of coffee is for!

Totals: 1:20:00 (run/snowshoe ~7.5 miles)

STORM!!!!

OK. Yesterday I thought we were getting snow. Wrong. Today we got snow. On top of having a major storm, I got a major head-cold brewing and will not be exercising at all today. By the end of today we will have over 10 inches of snow to deal with. I think I will take some day's off until I feel better and can put forth a good effort. I should help my groin too.

Totals: 0 miles sick and snowy
weeks total: 28 miles
years total: 1806 miles

Snow Again

We are heading into another snow-type weekend and I will more than likely have difficulty getting the miles in. I got out a bit late today and paid the price. The streets were covered with 2-3 inches of fresh snow and that made for some slippery strides. Since I am running low milage anyway, I didn't want to pull and hammy's or groins and cut the run short. I did feel pretty good for the time I was out there.

Totals: 42:00 6 miles

December?

Hard to believe it is December when the morning temps are near 40 degrees. Our house had mid 30's but down on the harbor it was 39 when I left for my run this morning. Weird! The nice thing this morning was that most of the roads are now clear of snow which make for decent footing. It looks like this may last one more day at the most as we are to get up to 5" of snow late tonight and tomorrow.

The run went well. I'd have to say near one of the best since I restarted my training cycle. I believe this is a result of two things. One, I went to the chiropractor (CHC) and got a really good adjustment as well as some pressure point work done on the psoas. Secondly, I think that the treadmill run on Wednesday was very beneficial as it allowed my tempo to pick up a bit and stretch out the legs. Today's pace felt easy and smooth. I did the extended Pig's loop out to Martin road and Elk back to the house via Vermilion. I hope the coming snow doesn't mess with me too bad, as I would really like to get a couple nice runs in this weekend. (last week Wed. this run was 5 min. slower)

Totals: 1:00:00 9 miles

Off

Woke up with a sore throat after sleeping for 9 hours. No running this morning.

Just Say No to Slippage

I wanted to run on solid ground. Not possible outside in December in Duluth Minnesota. This is where the treadmill comes in handy. My wife and I bought a nice treadmill (Pacemaster Gold Elite) a couple of years ago just for mornings like today. Having my groin a bit flared up I didn't want to slip and aggravate it any more. Once I had my warmup mile of 8:00 I dialed the speed to 7 min. pace and held it there until 5 miles. I did the 6th mile in 6:40 and the 7th in 6:27 followed by one cool down mile.(all at 2% grade) It was nice to step down and feel pretty good. As I stated, the most beneficial aspect was the footing. I think I will continue to do this run once a week over the next month and twice a week once the program gets under way. I will also be focusing on building this run to 14 miles. A good day for a treadmill workout.

Totals: 1:00:00 8.5 miles

Easy Miles

After taking yesterday off I really needed to get out the door and run some mileage. Heading out the door I had some slow miles but ended up with an easy cemetery/UMD loop. The roads are terrible with the warmer weather but I slowed down to make it runnable. Overall, my legs feel better and I should be able to jump back into the running schedule.

Totals: 37:00 ~5 miles

Poor Decisions

Why would 37 year old skinny runner guy decide to start playing hockey? I haven't actually skated since about age twelve. A group of friends, all endurance athletes, none of which play hockey, decided it would be nice to pass the winter by playing some pick up hockey. We went to our first skate Sunday night. It took me half an hour or so to get the skating memory back but in the end I was feeling much better. Too good actually. I ended the night with two bruised ankles and one pulled/aggravated right groin muscle. Just what a person needs when they are attempting to get back at marathon training. Stupid! All this nonsense resulted in me taking Monday off of running. Much to sore.

Totals: 0
Sunday's skate 2+ hours.

Enger Loop

Today's run consisted of running west on skyline to Enger Tower and back. I will have to map this out but I believe this is just under ten from our house. I added a nice loop as I made my way back to the house in order to call it ten. My legs felt ok and I was a bit tired. I think all of this is just from getting more "regular" running in again. My goal is to get two more weeks of consistent milage in and then start working on the long run and hill work.

Totals: 1:11:21 10 miles
Weeks Totals: 45 miles
Years Totals: 1778 miles

AHHH, Running in Daylight

What a mood lifter. Running under the daylight sun. Better not get used to it though, come Monday I go back to the darkness. I had a wonderful run on roads and trails. There is a very nice spur trail of the SHT. Click here to see this beautiful trail as it meanders the "northern" Minnesota woods. Over the last year it has made it's way through the inner woods of Duluth. I love to run this spur trail as it is nice connector for some great running loops. Anyway, the trail was packed and the footing was as good or better than summer running. I didn't see another runner for the entire loop, although I did manage to see my share of pissed off Christmas shoppers. If it makes you so mad, why do you do it? People look at me like I am the bad guy just for running along the edge of the road. Oh well, I guess that will never end, as there will always be those insecure people.

A great run!

Totals: 50:00+ 7 miles

Desire

Ever sleep so deep it hurts getting up? I have an almost three year old, so that feeling hasn't hit me in some time. Since I started getting up early more consistently I seem to be sleeping deeply. I guess that is a good thing.

I knew that once I was going this morning I would have made my goal of running every day this week. The temps were once again in the negatives. The wind wasn't all that strong, but when it gusted it sure had bite! I did another variation of my cemetery loop and added some distance on the west side of UMD. It makes for a nice add on and getting me home closer to forty five minutes. The legs were feeling ok. I am a bit worried of the tight calves and overall sore lower legs. I know it is from all the slipping and uneven surfaces, I just hope I can adjust, keep loose, and avoid injury.

Totals: 43:00 ~6miles

There's Money to be Made

This morning I decided to run on the packed single track trails in Hartley. These trails are great running in the winter because they get a ton of traffic from snowshoes as well as winter mountain bikers. I decided to wear a pair of racing flats (Brooks) and also add the "get a grip" slip on grip system. The get-a-grips work pretty well but they still have flaws, much like all the rest of the traction systems out there. Yak traks just don't seem to be effective ever. The get a grips seem to slip to one side or the other as you meander through the snow. Ice Bugs suck, unless you are one of the few that fits the shoe. I had a pair and used them on and off for a few seasons but always have sore feet and/or blisters when I am done. (they do work for traction though) So, I am telling some creative minds out there, there is money to make in the "winter running shoe traction" arena.

The run was pretty good, although I am getting tight calves after running for a few days in a row now on the winter streets. I must pay attention to stretching the legs to keep things loose and hopefully not have a return of the Achilles tendinitis.
No new snow yet this morning, but I guess there is some on the way.

Totals: ~ 5 miles 35+ minutes

Underdressed?

I took a look at the temperature before I got dressed this morning and it appeared like a comfortable morning. I didn't wear my cold weather jacket and I didn't wear my buff (aka. face warmer). The early miles are always a bit brisk until you warm up, but this morning I had a few hills early and then some flats for a while and man was I chilled. My arms and hands, despite wearing "choppers" got cold. ( i am learning that choppers are not all they were built up to be as I was growing up, I need to buy some decent mitts that will keep my hands warm) I ran the last thirty minutes actually running cold and attempting to pick up the pace just to warm up. My hamstrings were a bit tight from all the slipping, so my up tempo wasn't all that "up". I was happy that I finally cracked an hour for a morning run and will hope to build on it.

Totals: 1:05:00 9 miles

The Right Direction

I made it past the two hardest days of the week and managed to get out of bed and get in a run. My goal for the week was to attempt to run all seven days this week and get my ass going in order to make this a habit not a goal. This weekends goal is to get a decent medium distance run in. (10-12 miles will do)

This morning I really had to get up at the crack because of a mandatory work meeting at 7:00. That made for a bit of a shorter run than I wanted but none the less a good run. I did the out and back on west skyline. A good thing this was at 5:00 am because the streets were slick with snow as the temps rose to the mid 20's this morning causing me to literally run in the middle of the road. (i only saw 3 cars on my run) I must have had a decent pace going, as I hit the turn in less than 19:00, and I was thinking it would be close to 20:00. Legs felt fresh and hopefully I will carry this momentum towards the rest of the week.

Totals: 38:00 ~5.5 miles

Two Beeps

I managed to snooze my alarm only twice this morning and made it out for an easy loop. Another cold morning, the mercury read no better than 0.

I did the old standbye route of cemetery and extended to UMD. Nothing special except I finally made it out of bed on a Monday morning.

Totals: 5 miles 34:00

It's The Holiday's

Our family fetched our "Holiday" tree last night and got all the glitter and glam on it today. The photo attached is my son goofing around and trying not to grab the balls and stuff and pitch the across the room.

The run was another cool one today. I have read a lot of other blogs and most people at one point have mentioned they have to "acclimate" to the cold weather as of late. I believe this, as my face wasn't covered on today's run and it was a balmy 2+ degrees F. I did a short loop down from our house and up 4th street past East High school and up Chester Bowl river trails. Overall, an easy run that met my goal of "time on my feet". My legs and groin felt pretty good today. The goal going into next week is to run all seven days.

Totals: 45:00 6.5 miles
Totals Week: 33 miles
Totals Year: 1733 miles

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Today is my fathers birthday. His first birthday as a retiree. Have a Happy birthday dad and many more to come.

The run today was delayed until the temps rose to 0. That's right, 0! A couple buddies, Dave S. and Kooks, met me at the Hartley trailhead and we decided to attempt to run the single track and see how far in the park we could make it. The first mile or two were in pretty good shape but from there the trail had some decent snowshoe traffic but not enough to run with just running shoes. After a few small loops we headed out to the roads and finished the hour. Overall a good run for me. No major pains, but just tightness in the groin. I gave it a good stretch once I got home and that seemed to help.

Totals: 1:00:00 trails and roads. ~7.5 miles

Ending The Workweek

Getting out for a Friday morning run is a wonderful feeling. After work you can get home and kick off the shoes, put on the sweat pants and have a beer if you like. This mornings run was another cool one that required my face mask. I didn't have to pull it up over my nose but at times I covered the lower part of my face. The footing sure is good when it is this cold, I guess that is one benefit when running on the streets in sub zero weather.

My route was the extended Pig's loop that brings me out to Martin road and home via the Vermilion road. A nice loop that offers a few decent climbs. My groin/lower right abdomen remains to be sore from time to time and I am going to give it the weekend and then possibly see someone next week and get it checked out. (i sure hope it is just a tight/pulled muscle.)

Totals: 57:00 7.5+ miles

Make That Two!

Time to celebrate...made it two days in a row out the door. I do feel this new energy since I have a semi-plan heading into the new year. I have to say, I am a bit excited to see what kind of times I will run if all goes well.

This morning was another cold one...just a bit over 0 and little to no wind. I managed a nice easy loop through the cemetery and umd back to the house. My right groin continues to get tight and give me a little grief once in awhile but I seem to keep it at bay with stretching.

Totals: 5 miles ~36:00

It's Cold But It's Nice to be Running

Monday= no running, no work, had a virus that gave me terrible "butt pee"

Tuesday= no running, feel better but still agitated stomach

That brings me to today. I woke up and had all the best motivation to get out the door and get a decent run in. I looked at the temp and seeing the big 0 was not of help. I looked outside and saw the smoke from the neighbors roof moving horizontal off the roof, that makes for a decent headwind. I have been doing a lot of reading lately and included in the latest TrailRunner issue are several quotes and words of wisdom from the top ultra/trail runners. I like Eric Blakes the best. Titled "No Excuses" he is quoted as saying, "there's always time to run. if you don't think so, just get up earlier. stop feeling sorry for yourself, and just get out the door." This is exactly what I needed. I thought, "quit being such a puss and go run". I will keep reading this issue until I get into my routine if I have to. The other motivation is all the other blogger out there. Eric in Fargo particularly was of motivation with his good running lately. Keep up the good work Eric!

I wrote up a basic plan for myself by the month. I didn't get too specific for the individual weeks, but I have an idea what each month will focus on from now until the month of June, aka. Grandma's Marathon. The biggest change for me will be the addition of at least one ultra trail run. Looking at the "local" spring schedule I am thinking of the Trial Mix 50k, and possibly the Ice Age 50k. I have some more research to do before making my final decisions but both of those runs will fit into the 2008 schedule very well. (it is interesting how I go from not running to thinking of Ultra's...)

The nice thing I have going is the change in weather. It is now true winter. Not technically by date, but where I live, it is winter. I know my "winter routes" and snowshoe running is now in full force.

Getting back to this morning, I made it out the door and headed into the wind and finally making the turn at 25 minutes or so. It sure was nice to be running with the wind. I did a version of my Pig's Loop and the footing was wonderful. I didn't wear a watch and don't plan to much this month, as time on my feet will be this months focus.

Totals: 6.5 miles+ ~50:00

24 Hours of Enthusiasm

Yesterday I blogged about "getting a new start" and being all hyped-up on starting my base phase. Today was just another day of downers and "who cares" attitudes. I guess I am glad this is December and not April, otherwise I might be going to see my doctor tomorrow. I think most of this funk, if that's what you want to call it, has to do with all the change this time of the season. First off, the darkness. It is dark when I run in the morning, and dark when I get home from work. Second, the uncertainty of the weather. Just because I go to bed and it is clear and calm doesn't mean it will be like that in the morning. Now that true winter has set in, I think it will be easier to have the mindset of winter training. I will be on the roads, and on the trails with snowshoes starting next week and when I can, I will be skiing (skiing is my least favorite thing to do of all the cross training but I will do it occasionally) as soon as tracks are set.

There is 29 weeks until Grandma's Marathon 2008. It is sad that this is what motivates me, but I can't help it. It is my hometown marathon and I have so much unfinished business to do in the marathon that I don't really care what lies before then. Once I get some milage under my belt maybe I will be fired up to do something sooner, but right now, I just need base.

Totals: 18 miles Week
Totals: Year 1700 miles

New Start...TM Style

I didn't run Friday. 0 miles AGAIN!

We are getting snow like mad. By the time I decided I would go out and run there was complete blizzard conditions and hitting the roads with a fragile groin was not in my plans. Good thing we have a nice TM to hop on. I didn't quite know what I would feel like but I managed to get a decent run while listening to some good tunes on the I-Pod. I continue to have groin soreness and low back pain all on the same side. I hope this disappears soon, I don't need another reason to stay in bed when my alarm goes off next week.
Since it is the first of the month, I am going to try to "start over" with the motivation and hope I can get a weeks worth of running straight.
Totals: 47:39 6.6 miles

Headlamp in Hartley

This morning was another cool one with a wind I wasn't ready to battle. I headed for Hartley trails in hopes that some people yesterday used the trails to make the footing tolerable. As soon as I got to the trailhead I realized this was probably my best decision of the morning. The bikers that ride the "clown bikes" had been on the trails and they were packed pretty well. Being out of the wind was the biggest bonus, but having trail-time is always better than the roads in my opinioin. Overall a decent run that was at an easy general aerobic pace.

Totals: 48:10 6 miles

Frigid!

I didn't run yesterday...Another unsuccessful monday morning of getting out of bed. I really need to work on this, as I need to be running SEVEN days a week. 0 miles for monday.

This morning was a shocker. I woke up and looked at the temp to only see the mercury at 2 F. Not exactly motivating. I put on an extra layer and headed out for a run. I managed to run into the wind for 16 minutes and decided I needed to attempt to get out of the wind. No luck. As I turned around, a headwind again. Made it home and called it an easy day.

Totals: 35:56 5 miles (cemetery/umd loop)

Down and Out

I am not sure the cause of it all, but I had a miserable run today. My overall energy was poor, I chose a terrible route that was quite muddy, and I had very tight groin that just wouldn't release. The groin remained tight all day and make me think I may need to get some massage or the like soon. I did manage to stretch pretty well after the run and hopefully things will be better tomorrow. The last time I had a tight groin like this, any time I did hills it got aggravated. Our run yesterday was mostly hills, so I guess it makes sense. Today I did the a short section of SHT and roads back to the house. I even walked for about 1 minute just to do some lunges.

Totals: 52:11 7 miles
Weeks Totals: 40 miles
Years Totals: 1682 miles

"Hello Darlin"

This old country song by Conway Twitty was in my head this morning and it fits my run as well. My parents are in town for the Thanksgiving holiday and they were able to watch Lucas for a bit allowing my wife and I to get a rare run together. We did one of our favorite loops through the parks near our house. Rock Hill, the SHT over to Hartley where we did the complete "guardrail" loop and back home. A super day with just a dusting of snow on the ground and decent temperatures.

Totals: 1:09:00 8.5 miles

The Next Day

I wasn't sure what my legs would feel like the day after a "harder" race-like effort. It has been a while. After a few steps the only ailment was a left tight calf. Not too bad. I got out the door nice and early and did an easy loop nice and slow. I managed not to see anybody on the run. This black friday means a lot of shopping, and little work or exercise for some people. Not me. This is just another Friday.
I did the cemetery/UMD loop.
Totals: 35:58 ~5 miles

Gobble Gallop 5k (I did it!)

Woke up this morning to temps of 12 degrees F. Not exactlly what you might want when getting ready for a 5k. I wouldn't let it derail me from my original goal of dipping under the 17:00 mark. It was quite a surprise as we have not had temps this low yet this year. I did my warmup and lots of jump-n-jacks and any type of movement for 45:00 before the race started.

As the race started I knew the first mile was fast. It is slightly downhill, usually a tailwind (as it did today) and all of the adrenaline pouring out. I held back as much as I could and hit the mile in 5:13. A little fast for my overall goal pace of 5:28. I did slow a bit in the second mile as my 2 mile split was something like 10:43. I was running with a masters man that had some credible times to his name and knew that I would have to get going if I didn't want "our" race to come down to a sprint. I decided to start pushing a bit harder at 2.5 miles and it seemed to work. I gapped him and just needed to hold on to the finish. I think my split at 3 was near 16:20 and it was then I realized I would make my goal. The finish was something like 16:50 and I was quite pleased. I think I was mostly pleased with running the middle/late miles a bit more aggressive and actually not having anything hurt. My achilles was good. My groing was good. I need to take this positive energy with me and start my journey for Grandma's Marathon 2008.

Totals: 45:00 warmup of several activites.
5k race/ 5k cooldown.
6-7 miles running

I Can Smell Turkey

Tomorrow will be another feast of Turkey and all the sides. I usually don't like these holiday meals because I am not a big eater and tend to over stuff myself easily.
Today's run was a good one and I did the Pig's loop. No snow and decent footing made for a wonderful late fall run. I will have tomorrow off and will be running the 2nd Gobble Gallop 5k in Duluth. I told my wife that it may be the first time since high school that I will run over 17:00 for a 5k. My running hasn't been going the best so I shouldn't be too surprised, but I am willing to put up one hell of a fight trying. We will see.

Totals: 46:27 6.5 miles

Back at It!

I took Monday off. It seems like monday's are the hardest day of the week to get up and out the door. I have to get over this if I am going to get the milage up before the serious snow fall.

This morning I had new energy and got up pretty easily and headed out for an out and back on west skyline. I made out to the Copper Top church and added a small loop on the way back. Overall a good run and I am starting to feel more like my old self again. Nothing much to report on the run...just another day on the roads.

Totals: 43:11 6 miles

Hawks Loop with Kooks

We did one of my hour loops to Hawks Ridge via the SHT. It is a nice loop with trails for close to half of the run, if not more. Near perfect weather today for running. My right groin remains to tighten on runs but is getting better. I don't think this is a hernia. My goal for the upcoming week is to run six days and shooting for all seven.

Totals: 56:41 7.5 miles
Weeks Totals: 28 miles
Years Totals: 1642 miles

Tough Day

I didn't get much of a chance to get a decent workout in today, even when I did have a chance I was taking a break myself. My wife was sick in bed with the flu and I had be spending the day with my son. I finally gave it a shot on the treadmill in the late afternoon but that didn't work out the way I wanted. Anyway, I got a little run in, which is better than nothing.

Totals: 30:00 4 miles

(200th post today)

Every Other Day

Thursday was 0 miles
Lucas was sick again and needed a trip to Urgent Care and I just didn't want to run in the dark, cold, after work. There is something about running in the morning dark, but the evening dark is no good!

This morning I had a little extra time and headed out just as the day light was approaching. I did the Pig's loop and had a good run. I had to hold back several times and just need to stay focused on easy running until I get a few weeks under me. There was a few snow flakes falling on the loop, not like last Friday though. My groin feels pretty good, I am doubting the hernia thing for now, and I realize I need some serious strength training to get at. Both from a weights and hill work standpoint. That's what I will focus on durning December. At about the first of the year is nearing the 24-25 weeks to go for Grandma's Marathon 2008. I am more determined than ever of getting my goal and busting out a good one.

Totals: 46:48 6.5 miles

Better Today

I took Tuesday off, paranoid I may have a sports hernia, or a redo of my inguinal hernia from 19 years ago. At any rate, I ran this morning and felt much better as far as my groin goes. I tried to stay relaxed and run nice and easy, but that only worked for half the run, as the out and back course gave me a tail wind coming home. Out and back on skyline, hit the turn at 17:30 and back in 16:25 or so. A good run to test the groin.

Totals: 33:55 5 miles

I Made It!

The alarm went off and I made it out of bed after one snooze. I kept thinking, "if I don't get up now, i will not make a run today" as it is near impossible to get a decent run in after work. The weather was good and I felt pretty good right from the gate. I did the cemetery-UMD loop with most body parts feeling well. Every time my groin gets tight and I feel it in my lower right area I get paranoid I will be joining the group of runners lately that have undergone "sports hernia" repair. I hope I am not next!

Totals: 35:18 5 miles

Solid Day...Solid Week

I was planning on running a benefit 5K today but decided against it because I shouldn't be racing right now. The day was replaced by doing a nice run in Hartley park with Rocket! The trails right now are quite slick and muddy given the recent snowfall. Having two days in a row over or at an hour felt good and staying on trails helped a ton.
Overall, I am happy with the progress this week and hope to build on it going into the next couple of weeks.

Totals: 57:10 ~7.5 miles
Weeks Totals: 31 miles (5 runs) with 48:00 swim
Years Totals: 1614 miles

The Missing Piece to the Puzzle

It may be a coincidence, but I found out today that a nice controlled effort on trails feels really good. I ran with a couple of Duluth's and Minnesota's faster masters runners this morning on the wood chip trails behind UMD, the trails I refer to as Rock Hill. I found out that coming back from injury and being out of running shape takes more than just "getting out the door". Today's run was slower than I am used to training and this was a good thing. After a hour I called it quits and headed home so my wife could get out for her Saturday run. A great day for running!

Totals: 1:02:44 ~7.5 miles

Instant Winter

After a small cup of coffee and a glass of water I was out the door for my morning run. I got out the door and noticed a little wetness on the driveway and didn't pay much attention to it. I was eight minutes into the run and I noticed it. Snow. And lots of it coming down at a quick, steady pace. By the time I had passed twenty minutes, the roads were covered and it was accumulating on the grass. Usually I would welcome a snowfall like that but not today. It was back in March (20th to be exact) that I was headed out for a run and hit a patch of ice under fresh fallen powder and it was this fall that completely ruined my running for 2007! I realized right away that the roads were pretty "grippy" and the amount of snow didn't made a big change in the traction yet. The Piggly Wiggly loop has little car traffic in the early morning hours so I had the whole road to find the sweet spot. I managed to feel pretty good and even "holding back" I ran the loop in a respectable time. It is amazing how much better I feel after the thirty minute mark. As far as snow fall, I believe we accumulated about 2 inches durning my run. A good run on the first wintery day.

Totals: 47:59 ~6.5 miles

Morning Swim

My original plan was to get out of bed early and do at least thirty minutes of running followed by swimming. I was up a bit later than usual last night and didn't get out of bed until three snoozes of the alarm. I did however make it to the pool and did my longest swim to date. After a few laps of drills I started swimming 50 yards at a time with 15-30 seconds of rest at the 50 then start for another 50. I managed to do this for close to 50 minutes without any difficulty. I left the pool feeling quite refreshed and ready for an evening run if time permits.

Totals AM: 48:00 swim/drills

Bits of Discomfort

I ran after work today because I just couldn't get out of bed this morning. (I am not used to the schedule yet, but will) I actually had pretty good energy and the desire was there. As I headed out my achilles didn't feel the best but slowly loosened up. I had both of my feet bothering me as well as parts of my back and right groin. Wow what a wreck! I managed to run a loop pretty quick with little effort, which I guess is promising in itself. The night (eve.) was cold and had a little snow flake or two in the air hitting me in the face. My goal is to get out everyday for the rest of the week.

Totals: 34:05 ~5 miles

Buddy Run

An early morning run with the dog. I did the cemetery loop which had a lot of ice on it. This was a run that actually felt like winter running. Not much to say...I just need my motivation and hopefully good health to get me through the next three weeks.

Totals: 31:45 4.5 miles

Pine Valley- Final NMTC race of 2007

Not sure why I felt compelled to running/racing a 5.5k trail run this afternoon but I did. My buddy Kooks turned 40 last night and we had one hell of a kicker! Needless to say, this was a slow morning to get going, thanks to the extra hour of sleep things weren't too bad.

I pushed the run just about as hard as I could and all it showed was how out of shape I am in...

I guess the course is 5.5k and I did it in 20:50. Good for 4th place. (18:37 won)

Totals: 5.5k 20:50
Weeks total: 13.5 miles
Years Total: 1583 miles

No More Sickness!!!

I can't possibly imagine getting any more sickness. I mean, beginning of the month I had this so-called virus that had my head back and neck so sore I almost ran out of options. Finally thing started coming around and then I got another bug from my son. The bug that gives you yummy, thick, green drainage from your nose for a week. Well, for me...two weeks.

This morning I felt a little better and decided to get a run of somesort on the books. I did an old loop that I ran back when building up my running. A nice flat, downhill followed by some up tempo flats and finally a 10+ minute climb up the chester bowl creek trails. Overall, this is a fairly short loop but a good one to get the legs going again with a little strength builder too.

Totals: 38:00 or so 5.5 miles

Roller Coaster Illness

I have been on this roller coaster of a virus illness for over a month! I felt great all weekend and Monday morning felt like shit and thought I was going to use a sick day off work. Today was like a totally different person. I actually made it up out of bed and made a nice loop out to the cemetery and UMD campus. (I will call this loop the Cemetery-UMD loop) creative heh?
Felt great with no majors hitches.

Totals: 34:45 5+ miles

Monday no running or swimming.

weeks review

I had good intentions but bad luck with health this week. I ended the week feeling much better. Let's hope the energy will carry into this next week.

Totals Week: 21 miles (4 runs)
Totals Year: 1570 miles

It's Tough Staying Away

Today was the second to last Fall NMTC trail race and I decided I needed to do it. If not as a 'race' than just as a run to be involved at a group setting. I had all the intentions of "just running up-tempo", that lasted all of 5 minutes and then I had to pass the next person in front of me and the next, next and so on. It was a three lap race and I wanted to run strong enough to pick up the pace the last loop. The trail was demanding in a couple of ways. It was wet. It was hard. These trails offer little for flats. It was running up the steeps or down the other side. By the middle of the second lap I knew I wasn't going to pick it up. I had a nice effort going and I would be happy keeping that pace and not allowing too many people pass me back. I made it in without anybody passing me back and had a blast. I am out of shape for racing, but my foot felt great, and I got to taste blood for just $1.00. You can check out the results at the 'Norhland Runner' web page link from my homepage.

Totals: 6.6 miles (2 people had GPS that showed this) 42:42

*does anybody else have trouble including links in text the is using a MAC?

Near Perfect!

I didn't run yesterday, bummed me out.

The run today was just wonderful, sunny, 50 degrees and almost dry trails. I did thirty minutes on the SHT and thirty on the roads which was a nice mix. I still have some form of a "bug" that has me blowing my yellow, mucousy, nose every other minute but I managed to feel pretty good while running. When I was in "good" marathon shape I did this similar out and back in 58 minutes. I added a small loop today and seemed to be running around the same pace as back then. I hit the turn around at 29:44, and added at the end. Overall a good run!

Totals: 1:02:09 8.5 miles

Just Get Out the Door

I went to a conference today instead of work and didn't get a workout in prior to it so I had to run after my wife in the pm. I called one of my buds and he was just getting ready to go himself. We did a nice rolling road loop that I miscalculated a bit short but I didn't mind, I just needed to get out the door and get a decent effort in.

Totals: 38:00 5.5 miles

A New Week/ Same Plan

Things regarding the virus didn't get any better Mon. and Tuesday, and I told my wife that I would be calling the doctor Wed. if things weren't getting better. Well they did. I actually felt much better last night and had a good day today. My appetite is better and I had a real good run. That virus must have been with me for some time because my run today was better than any workout of the last three weeks! I didn't go that far but I wanted to test myself out and had a nice trail run in Hartley. When I got back on the roads for a bit I had good turn-over and felt strong in my stride. I am hoping this is the turning point!?

Totals: 32:30 4.5 miles trails

end of week

What was supposed to be a "build up" week turned into a spiraled disaster with some new virus that once again kicked my butt. I had a good start to the week with some good runs and doubles counting swimming. Let's hope next week is better.

Totals: week 16 miles running/ 65 minutes swimming
Totals Year: 1549 miles

Harvest Run

This morning I helped set up the inaugural Harvest Run which took place on the lake walk behind the Fitger's Brewery Complex. With all the rain we have been receiving it was a nice break to have clear, cool temps for the 5k, 1k kids, and tot's triathalon. For a first year event there were over 300 participants, exact numbers will be on the Northland Runner website off my homepage.
No running for me today, as I need another day to recover from the bug I had.
Totals: none today

There is A Reason

It wasn't in my head that I felt sluggish yesterday. I was battling a "bug" of some kind. I didn't get an afternoon run in because of the same tiredness, and I went to meet an old work partner for a happy hour beer and proceeded to get "sick". Not the kind of sick from too many beers, but the bone chilling, nauseated sick you feel with the flu or the like. My night at home consisted of running temps and bone chilling shivers. Now that I am up and had a cup of coffee or two, I do feel a bit better but still stuffed up and a slight headache. Not that anybody needs a discertation on my health, I guess I just need to write it down to justify a couple of days off.
Totals: None for today!

Not Quite Right

Over the past week or so I have been waking up around 3am or so and lying in bed staring at the ceiling. I did this again last night and finally fell asleep at 4:30 just to have my alarm go off at 5:00. Anyway, I did't wake up until 6am and wanted to be in the pool at this time. I managed to get up and make it in the water by 6:25. I did the usual drills and swam laps for the remainder of the time. The whole time I just felt blahhh. The plan is to run a bit later.
Totals AM: 35:00 swim/drills

Bitter Sweet

I had the chance to run with my wife today, something that doesn't happen very often these days. The run was a bit bitter sweet because we don't get to run together often and I felt a bit off. We did a wet, muddy loop on the trails through Rock Hill, SHT, and Hartley. I had this overall feeling of being tired, not sore per say. In the end I got what I wanted...another run of over thirty minutes.

Totals: 42:43 ~ 5.5 miles

Pretending to Swim

I made it to the pool this morning for an early morning workout other than running. I have little skill when it comes to the pool but I like it anyway. The pool makes me feel tired in other ways than running, obviously right, but I think most runners can relate to that. Right now I don't allow myself to swim over half an hour to prevent any shoulder injuries...I don't need that.
If the day works out, I will run for half an hour this afternoon. My achilles feels really good right now. I am keeping my fingers crossed!
Totals AM: 30:00 drills and swimming

I had one chance to get an afternoon workout in and siezed the opportunity. I had just made Lucas some late lunch and gave him a nice handful of cheetos and jumped on the TM. It felt good right from the start and got better from there. I did a nice warm up mile and turned up the speed to 8.5 mph and grade of 1.5% (never run flat) for the remainder of the run. Just a short thirty minutes but very beneficial as I want to run a little everyday this week in addition to any cross training I do. After the run I did 3X 15 second striders at 5:30 pace. Overall I was satisfied with this effort. No achilles pain.

Total PM= 30:11 4.2 miles

Humbling Once Again

I posted yesterday that I haven't run over an hour since June. I managed to do that run quite easily but today I feel a bit different. The run was with Kooks and we went up to do the "Piggly Wiggly" loop. A nice ~6.5 mile loop that has some nice rolliing hills combined with flats. There is a point in this loop where it allows you to cut early and make it 4.5 but we decided to make the full loop. I didn't really get sore or totally fatigued but I was feeling yesterday's little hour run! I mentioned how amazing it is to loose "running" fitness. I have been "working out" 4-5 days a week through most of my rehab but nothing like I do when I am training for a race. We got back to the house and I was happy we got through the loop but quite disappointed in my fitness. What can I expect right?

Totals: 48:21 ~6.5 miles (a year or so ago we were doing this loop in 50:00 durning a long run so I guess I shouldn't be too pissed off)

Breaking an Hour

Unbelievable! I haven't ran over an hour since June if I remember correctly. I woke up this morning and my achilles felt really good so I decided to go for an hour. Erik and I did a nice trail loop through Rock Hill and hit the LSHT to Hartley trails and did the outer loop. Even with all the uneven surfaces of rocks and roots my foot felt really good!

My legs got a bit of the tired, heavy feeling the last 10 minutes or so, but that is expected. I am looking forward to this next week as I am on Vacation and will have a good oppportunity to up the running one more notch.

Totals: 8.5 miles 1:05:39
Weeks Totals: 26 miles running plus 30:00 swim
Years Totals: 1533 miles

Dangle The Carrot

There are times during a runners life when things are not going too well, due to a number of variables may it be injury, lack of motivation, sickness, or just resuming training after a big event. I have been stuck in one of those "ruts" since the mid summer due to an achilles injury. Just when you are ready to throw in the towel and call it quits, ( "it's just not worth it anymore") , you have one of those days that allows you to get out the door one more day.

I had one of those days today and I am thankful. Having three months of complete shit for training, I may be turning the corner and "chasing the carrot" for a little longer. That "carrot" for me remains to be my marathon breakthrough. I know I haven't had that day yet, I am just hoping it comes before my body looses the battle with age. It's inevitable that those days are nearing but I am not going down without a fight. As far a marathon running goes, my body has not been subjected to years and years of super high, pounding milage. To this day, my highest milage week is 93 miles, and that was in 1999. I think it would be safe to say that for my last three serious marathon attempts I may have averaged 65 miles per week, (i just need to dig out the old journals to do the math), and that produced the 2:41:43 at Grandma's 2006. So, having days like today I can keep the motivation up and get out the door another day. My legs felt light and fluid, and the achilles was good, and the breathing was swell too!

My plan for the rest of the fall is to SLOWLY creep up the milage and do some hill work in November, December. Take it easy for a couple of weeks and then ramp it up for the build up for Grandma's. Yes, I am doing Grandma's again despite the weather and all the chatter going around on other blogs. I don't like it either, but what are you going to do when you live in the town hosting such an event.

Totals: 35:10 ~ 5 miles

Progression in Baby Steps

Lying in bed I could feel that my right achilles was tight this morning. This made me feel like staying put right where I was. After a 45 minute snooze fest of the alarm I decided it was best to get up and evaluate the achilles and see if running was an option. Doing some stretches helped a lot and I made the decision to go out for a short loop. After a five minute warm up things started to feel a bit better, but far from "great". The cemetery loop is always a nice loop as it offers some decent altering terrain and minimal traffic. When I returned home my achilles wasn't noticable for any discomfort. NICE! Maybe I need to progress very slowly and keep up the exercises. My hopes are that as I progress in running the achilles will follow???

Tonight will be a first since I moved to Duluth in 1996. I am going to a UMD Bulldog vs. LSSU Lakers Hockey game. The only reason I am attending the game is the LSSU part. My alumnus from Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Go Lakers!

Totals: 28:47 4+ miles

Back on The Road...Kinda

I made it up this morning and headed out the door for an easy half hour or so. I did an out and back on West skyline. This was a very easy run as it stays flat with the exception of one hill. I continue to feel very tired with all my running, not sure if it's related to the long time off or something else. I will press on...

Reading Chad's blog I too was a bit energized by the sucess of some Minnesota runners and hope to carry that excitement into the winter. I am not too sure if I can stretch myself out to 100mpw but I am willing to try.

As a side note, I managed to walk about 5 miles last night measuring a course for next weekends St. Mary's Children Hospital 5k/1k runs.

Totals: 31:09 4.5 miles