Survival of the fittest

Woohoo!  Sounds like our weather here for a few days, but we don't have quite that amount of snow.  Sidewalks and roads are pretty clean now so tomorrow's run will be outside again. Of course, I have speedwork to do, so that will be on the dreadmill since the track is still covered with snow and ice.

Thanks all... It was a fun run!

My Tuesday run was so much fun that I headed out again on Wednesday. I very seldom run two days in a row but the temps were up nearly 10 degrees...25 with little wind and it was Wednesday...the day the local MADras running group logs miles on facebook. I ran the safe, close to home route twice on Wednesday for a total of 6.25 miles @ 10:36. Nothing speedy but it went well. Layered again but lightened up the layers a bit. Worked well. Core Wednesday morning also.

Thursday was a swim day. I felt fine at the start but I did a new drill and started feeling a bit dizzy and not well at all. I ended up stopping at 1200 yds. My have just aggravated my vertigo or I may have caught a bit of a bug from the grandkids.

Friday - Still not feeling 100% but still unsure if I'm coming down with something or just aggravated my vertigo. Went to bed early last night and that seemed to help some. I did my core this morning. I'd like to get a run in today but I'm not sure... We're headed over to Portland later this evening to spend the weekend helping our daughter remodel and paint her new house. I could make today a rest day and run over there... Very undecided at this point.

Glad to hear you are having so much fun on the run!  But don't you go and get sick, that is not a part of the training plan after all.  But when you have grandkids, you can't help but snuggle them and they are little germ factories, aren't they?

So I'm still not sure if I'm actually sick or just tired...
My throat and lungs seemed to tighten up and feel congested so I skipped the run on Friday and intentionally left my running gear at home when I packed for the weekend. In the past I've had a tendency to panic and work harder when my body tries to tell me to slow down and take a break and I don't want to fall back into that old pattern.

We had a great weekend. Spent Friday night with my Mom and then spent the weekend helping our daughter remodel her new house. She's moving from Hillsboro to Cornelius (about 10 miles). Katie and I paint all weekend. Marty took out two doors and a wall to turn two small closets into a nice large pantry, moved one door, framed in a spice rack, and moved a couple kitchen cabinets. Our oldest son who is an electrician installed all new light fixtures , plugs, switches and fans. He replaced the old florescent fixtures with the nice new can lighting. It's going to be much nicer. Abby (age 6) came to help her Dad with the electrical work and actually did a fair bit of clean up for us. Katie's husband was the official gopher...go fer this and go fer that. We got home just in time to babysit the two grandsons...yes the ones who were spreading germs last week. It was a good family weekend.

So where I am today? I'm tired, and stiff from painting and not sleeping in my own bed. I do have a bit of a cough but I didn't end up getting really sick. I went to bed as soon as the boys went home last night and got a good nights sleep. Core went well this morning even though I'm still a bit stiff and tired. If I'm feeling OK I'm going to head out for at least a short easy run this afternoon.

Monday...felt OK as the day progressed...5 miles @ 9:45 on my regular loop on the road. Should have been a speed day but a moderate run seemed more appropriate. Felt OK but still tired.

Tuesday was a planned long swim. I was hoping for 3000 yds but my training partner was planning on 2500. The last 500 my legs started cramping off and on so I opted to stop at 2500 with her. Total yards...2575.

Wednesday...core and then 5.5 miles @ 10:57. Up and over the M hill...down into Willow Creek Canyon on the trail and then back the same way I came. The Canyon Rumble Frozen Half runs the M hill both out and back. I ran the center part of the course and the toughest part. There is a mile or so on city roads/paved trail before we hit the M hill and I didn't make it all the way to the turn around on the canyon trail but the portion I ran is the most difficult. Would have liked to do more but I was short time and I'm still more tired than I should be.

Family time...

BOOT CAMP. Not my smartest move but my daughter has been trying to talk me into going with her. I survived a special 1 hour Thanksgiving workout. It was actually a lot of fun but I found some muscles that I don't use on a regular basis.

Today I woke up sore and decided to head out for a short run to shake out my legs. I managed 3 easy miles with a few strides mixed in. Muscles are feeling better but are still pretty sore.

So why was boot camp not a smart move you ask. The last race in the 10K series is tomorrow morning. This will be a run...not a race for me. It's pretty much the same course that kicked my butt in October and I don't expect to do any better. But it's the long term goals that are more important and this will be fine if I keep that in mind.

Oh...I checked and the M hill is 202' high. The run to the top is 4.1 miles. It's going to be tough especially the 2nd time but that's next weekend not this weekend.

Glad you're feeling better and that the boot camp session didn't take you out completely. It's amazing how poorly adapted we runners are when they have to do calisthenics all the sudden.

Good luck on the 10K. You ought to have some interesting weather for it!

Mark B wrote:Glad you're feeling better and that the boot camp session didn't take you out completely. It's amazing how poorly adapted we runners are when they have to do calisthenics all the sudden.

Good luck on the 10K. You ought to have some interesting weather for it!

Well Mark, it was definitely an interesting 10K.  More details in my report but the short story is I woke up very sore, started conservatively and ended up doing slightly better than I did on a similar course in October.  Pretty happy with this effort.  It was a great training run.

AND I placed 2nd in the series!  Didn't expect that!!!!  It pays to be old I guess.

I'm really sore and not quite sure what I should/shouldn't do this week as I have a very tough half next Saturday.

nkrichards wrote:It pays to be old I guess.

Let me know when you get there.

Nice work on the series award!

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:It pays to be old I guess.

Let me know when you get there.

Nice work on the series award!

Thanks Mark. There are definitely days when I feel old...but there are still days when I feel young at heart.

Sunday was a rest day as usual.  I was pretty sore!

Monday we did our core and then I intended to run outside.  The weather switched from COLD but sunny to COLDER with sleet every few minutes.  I nearly jumped on the treadmill but took my chances and headed out during one of the calm sunny periods.  It was in the mid-20's but there was little wind.  I started out chilly but was sweating pretty good by the time I finished.  I'm still fine tuning this dressing for the winter weather thing.  It was also drizzling freezing rain on me for the last mile.  My GPS died but based on the readings I got I'm pretty sure I got in my 5 miles at about a 10:20-10:25 pace.  My legs were tired afterwards but the soreness was pretty much gone.  Was happy with the run and glad I went outside.

Today was a swim day.  I probably would have stayed in bed had I know how slick the roads were.  We got freezing rain/fog last night and today.  I was already out so I just kept driving...slowly.  We were all tired so we kept our yardage down but we did get in a nice set of 10x50 intervals after an easy warm up.  We finished up with a total of 1200yds and a soak in the hot tub before heading back out to the frozen tundra.

Not sure what tomorrow's weather will bring.  Looks like a chance of more rain and freezing temps.  The forecast for Saturday's half is looking OK (low/mid 30's with only a 20% chance of rain) at this point but...

Dressing for cold is a huge challenge, especially when it starts getting cold. It's such a big shock from warm summer running. It gets easier come February, though that means the first warm runs of the new year hit you like sunlight on a vampire.

Hope the weather is good for your half!

Our weather seems rather similar lately (although a bit warmer here - in the low 30s right now).  I have been dealing with timing too due to the thin film of ice we seem to get on the sidewalks (not much of a country gal).  I've also been dealing with crazy old lady stuff that is a real annoyance!  Looks like we will get to the starting line anyway in April - and we can share our lousy weather stories along the way!

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Our weather seems rather similar lately (although a bit warmer here - in the low 30s right now).  I have been dealing with timing too due to the thin film of ice we seem to get on the sidewalks (not much of a country gal).  I've also been dealing with crazy old lady stuff that is a real annoyance!  Looks like we will get to the starting line anyway in April - and we can share our lousy weather stories along the way!

Don't get me started on the crazy old lady stuff...that's much more of an annoyance than the weather!! In the past I've always just sat in front of the fireplace when the weather got like this...no wonder my family thinks I'm crazy. I am starting to feel a bit more comfortable in the conditions though and starting to look forward to my outings. I may feel differently when my runs get longer.

Today was another experiment. My previous cold weather runs were on primarily dry pavement. Not today! We had freezing rain yesterday and the roads were treacherous. We got a light dusting of snow overnight that improved things somewhat. During my trip to town a couple weeks ago to purchase cold weather gear I asked them to install screws in my old running shoes. I tried them out today....cautiously...they worked great. 3 miles at a very easy 10:56 pace. I have time to do my core work before heading up to have dinner with the grandsons.

Oh I hope you stay safe in the ice!

You make me just look forward to the crazy old lady stuff so much! Like pregnancy, breastfeeding, PMS and all that isn't enough. hahahhahahaha....

Julie wrote:Oh I hope you stay safe in the ice!

You make me just look forward to the crazy old lady stuff so much! Like pregnancy, breastfeeding, PMS and all that isn't enough. hahahhahahaha....

Growing old is not for sissys! But it beats the alternative...

The ice was even worse yesterday so I skipped swimming...just not worth the driving risk.

The weather is looking iffy for our trail half tomorrow. If it's to icy they will detour around the M hill as it's just to dangerous. I'm not sure what they'll do if the ice makes the trail to dangerous as well...hopefully it will warm up and just be muddy. The forecast showed it warming up just in time but real life isn't responding as forecast. I guess I'll find out in the morning.

Canyon Rumble Frozen Half is in the bag...it was...interesting.  Overall I was happy with the outcome. 2:20:28

I'll post a short race report.

Boston training started today!

Read the report. Nice work! Glad the ice didn't cause too many problems.

Good luck on your Boston training!

Thanks Mark. The ice did make the race interesting...I found a few muscles that I don't normally use during runs on dry pavement. I think I may have found those side butt muscles you mentioned in our blog.

I've been off the grid for a couple days. We had to make a long distance run for mint planter parts. 6 hours in the car on Sunday and another 6 on Monday were not the most comfortable way to recover from my half. Oh well...we got our parts and also priced a new bale wagon...ouch!

I spent a few minutes in the pool at the hotel on Sunday night just to get the muscles moving.
Late home on Monday and things were a zoo around here!
Tuesday easy swim...starting to feel much closer to normal.
Wednesday 5 mi @ 10:22. upper 50's with 25 mph wind and gusts to 35!!! I kept thinking how difficult it would have been to run in the NTC marathon this year! Run felt a bit clunky but OK.
Thursday...nice swim this morning. 1625 yds

Wasn't able to make it out for a run on Friday....pretty frustrated. But we did get packed up for an annual event we call family bonding and that the kid's affectionately call family bondage. We all get together for a weekend at a vacation rental. We stayed close to home this year...in a house in the foothills of Mt. Hood. My Mom took the kids and Moms all on a Cinnamon Bear cruise in Portland. The kids really enjoyed it! The boys stayed back at the house to put the Prime Rib in to cook. We enjoyed a meal together...4 generations...and exchanged a few gifts. The next morning we met extended family at my Mom's to make swags and then distribute them to all the graves...it's a family tradition. It was a good weekend complicated by a bit of a bug going around...so far I've managed to stay healthy.

Got home from our extended family weekend just in time to get 5 miles in before it got to dark. It felt pretty clunky at first but I felt better as the run progressed and I managed to run each mile a few seconds faster than the previous. Averaged 10:05 overall with the last mile under 10:00. Then it was early to bed.

We had snow overnight so my swim partners didn't show. I planned a very conservative 1500yd swim but felt good so I did some sprints at the end. Finished up with 2150yds including 10 x 50 @ :55. Pretty happy with that.

Glad you got some family time! Sounds like fun, and glad you came out germ-free!

Wow...it's been awhile...I need to update.

The pre-holiday time period was tough.  Between family obligations and the weather the runs just weren't happening.  I was pretty frustrated.  Oddly enough once the holidays officially arrived things settled down and I managed to get in some nice runs.

Wed 24th - 8mi w/6 @ 9:37.  Not quite marathon pace but I'll take it.  36 degrees and breezy

Fri 26th - 11mi @10:49  This should have been an easy day but the sun was shining and the winds were nonexistent so the mid 30's felt fantastic.  I just couldn't waste the fantastic conditions so I went longer than planned.

Sat 27th - Freeze Your Fanny  A fun local fund raiser that I do every year.  Temps were right at freezing.  They marked out a hilly 3 mile course on the streets around the pool.  On our return to the pool we had the option to swim 500 yds which of course I did.  Times weren't stellar, 26:37 for the run and 10:27 for the swim, but more than acceptable for the conditions.  My legs were screaming at me...I never ask them to run hard two days in a row!  This is more a social event than a competitive event and I had fun.

Sat/Sun - We left right after the race and headed to Portland to help our daughter work on her house remodel.  She's moving on Friday.

Mon 29th - Pretty proud of this run.  I wanted to run outside but the winds were howling and the snow was blowing and drifting across the road.  I finally decided that the treadmill was my only option.  I was not confident at all!  After a half mile warm up I started my intervals...and they actually went OK.  They were hard but very doable.  I ended up with 7 miles total including 12 x 400 @2:08.  Longest treadmill run ever and also fastest treadmill running ever.

Tues 30th - Swim 825 yds.  I was exhausted and so was my swim partner.  We made it an easy day.  I needed the rest.

Wed 31st - 7mi w/5 @ 10:11.  The 5 were supposed to be at MP...I haven't actually set a goal pace yet but it's not 10:11!!  It was 15 degrees but sunny and calm.  I did great with clothing.  I wore my shoes with screws in them but the roads were very icy and I just never felt confident enough to go much faster.  My legs are trashed!!  Not sure if I'm still not fully recovered from the intervals on the treadmill or if it's the icy conditions.  My husband thinks that running on the ice is probably much harder than running on dry roads with good traction.  I'm hoping that's the case.  This Boston training could be tough!!

So I'm not where I'd like to be as I dive into Boston training but I'm OK I think.  I still haven't decided exactly what my goal will be.  My PR is 4:04:01.  I'd be absolutely ecstatic if I could run a BQ (4:10).  I don't think that's realistic.  I'd be happy if I could finish under 4:15.  (My first marathon was 4:14:59)  So I'll train for something in the 4:10-4:15 range and see how things go.  The most important thing is to pick an appropriate goal so that I can enjoy this.  A friend said her Boston runs have been her slowest ever...she advised me to get my money's worth and make the experience last as long as possible.

Warmer weather on the way...

Sounds like the holidays were very nice for you and your family. Well done!

Well done, also, on your Ice Station Zebra runs! Running on icy surfaces is a LOT like running on trails -- you end up working your stability and support muscles about 5,000 times more than you could on dry, bare pavement. It's totally okay to run those slower (to avoid doing the splits, if for nothing else), because they help build strength and coordination. You'll have plenty of chances to fly along roads between now and race day.

Happy new year!

Thanks Mark...I sure hope it was the ice as this is going to be a tough training cycle and a tough Boston run if not!

The pool was closed Thursday and Friday morning so no swimming yet this year. But I did enjoy an outing at the pool on Saturday with all 5 grandkids. Not much exercise but fun anyway.

I slipped into my running shoes after our outing at the pool and got in 13 miles just before dark. It was warm...that's a relative term...low 40's dropping to upper 30's. Took it fairly easy as it was a longer run and there were still a few spots of ice lurking. Finished up with a 10:49 pace and a lower heart rate than normal. My splits were very consistent. My legs were really feeling it afterwards and I was expecting the worst when I woke up on Sunday but they didn't feel to bad. Happy with that run.

Today was another first for me!!!! I ran on the brand new high school track. I haven't been on a track since my senior year of high school and I was a shot putter not a runner during that phase in my life. AND I ran with a partner. She's a couple years younger than me and is an ultra runner and triathlete but has been offering to run with me for quite some time. She's super nice and very supportive even though she's a much better athlete than I am. I'll admit I'm a bit intimidated by her accomplishments but she's very modest and a neat lady.

So our run. The plan was a mile warm up then 6 x 800 @4:15-4:20 with 400 jog in between each and then a cool down. She jogged to the track and I'd already done a 1.8 mile warm up so we got right down to business. First 400 was 3:57...oooops. We scaled back a bit. 4:08, 4:08, 4:06, 4:09, 4:10. Her last interval was 4:04 but I couldn't stick with her. As you can see I struggled a bit but it wasn't enough of a fade to concern me. I am glad we weren't doing any more!!! I did push myself a lot harder than I would have had I been running alone. Total including warm up and cool down was 7.15 miles. I'm going to have to be careful not to overdo it if we run together but if I can survive these workouts they should be good for me.

More big changes coming...details as they become reality.

Looks like a couple of good runs to start out 2015. The interval workouts will be good for your fast twitch, but don't do them too fast or often at the beginning. It is better to ease into them. 105 days until Boston (but who's counting)