Final long run

Today was my final long run prior to the 25k. My plan today was to run somewhere between a half-marathon and fourteen miles. The run ended up being 13.2. This was such a difficult run. The first 9 miles were rather enjoyable. However, the entire 6.6 back home was into a fairly stiff breeze, so for the remaining 4 plus miles I had to zone out and forget about fighting the wind and knee pain. When I finally made it home I thought I was going to black out; I don't think I took enough water and GU with me. At least it happened this time and not during the race. Thankfully there will be a couple stations to refuel. Well, I guess I just log mid-range runs from here to March 28.

2 weeks away

So, it is now down to the final two weeks before the 25k. I have stuck with my plan fairly well thus far, and by the end of Sunday my mileage for the year should be around 220. Tomorrow will be my longest, and final long run before the race; 14 miles. I'm hoping it's not going to be as windy as predicted. Last weekend I ran in the wind, and was amazed at the difference my pace is when I have a headwind vs. a tailwind. I think I averaged 1:15 per mile faster with the tailwind. If only I could run the 25k with the wind at my back the entire time. How great would that be? My guess is that there will be wind, since the island is in the middle of nowhere. Oh well, I'll just grit my teeth, put my head down, and chug along. Well, I guess I better get ready for work. "Waddle on", as the great John Bingham states.

Retiring my 1223s

After my long run yesterday, the IT band in my left leg was sore. This was a little concerning because my left leg has been fine for months. Then, I relized my shoes had 366 miles on them, and their life is probably over. So, Stacy, Coly and I went to the New Balance store to purchase a new pair of 1223s for me, since they are being discontinued, and are on sale. But, of course, they were sold out of my size. I decided to try to on their successor, the 1224s. They felt great! Unfortuneately, they cost as much as a small country. Damn flat feet. You see, with my flat feet, there are only a few shoes that feel good, and can handle the high mileage running, and they all seem to be in the upper price range of running shoes. So, we bought the 1224s, hopefully they'll last as long as their predecessor, then I won't feel like I got screwed. Additionally, we ended up buying Coly some NB too, the little N's on the side light up when he walks- he loves 'em! When he's sitting in his carseat he shakes his feet to watch them glow. Ahh, the little things.

Longest run to date.

So, Saturday I set out for my run with a goal in mind, to find the end of the Jordan River Parkway trail running north from my house. I run until I hit the end at the south regularly, but never to the north. Well, I hate to say it, but I still don't know where it ends. I ran 12 2/3 miles on Saturday, and could not find any end in sight. I did however find a few dentention facilities I never new existed. Additionally, while jaunting past a particular area I remembered a story that a co-worker of mine read to me. The newspaper article was published back in October, and it stated that the police had arrested 8 men there for ludeness; yes they were all naked. All I could think about is what would I do if I ran into a group like this. Well, the only logical thing I could think of was, keep running; only faster. The only problem would have been is that it was near the 4 or 8 mile mark, respectively. So, I don't think I would have had enough fuel to out run someone that wasn't weighed down by woven fabrics. Another interesting thing occured on the run. When I neared my turn-around point I did not know where I was, so I wanted to keep running until I reached a landmark or address. So, I found this square shaped building with a bronze dome, and a 1/4 crescent sticking out of the top of the dome. Now I am not a religion expert, but I recalled the crescent being a symbol for Muslims. It turned out, I was correct. When I returned home Stacy found it online, it was located near 2400 south. So, it was a good day, since I wasn't chased by any fig and berries, and I found something I did not know existed. Good Times. It's amazing what you can see when you explore on your feet.

Less than 6 weeks to go.

So, six weeks from yesterday I will be running the 25k. For the last month, my long runs have been near or above double digits in miles. This was not one of my better weeks. I only ran three times, and came up .75 miles short of my weekly goal total of 19.25. I figure there is not point of dwelling on it though. However, what really concerns me about the 25k are the two 700 foot hill climbs and decents. I run minor hills on every run, but 700 feet, I went on hikes last summer that had the same elevation gain. Thus, to combat my anxiety about the hills I have decided to go running near my father-in-law's home the next couple of weeks. He lives next to Bountiful Ridge Golf Course, and if you have been there you know that the entire area is made up of hills. I'm not sure there is a flat spot. As for today's run, it was my long one for the week, since I did not run yesterday due to snow. The run was my proverbial out-n-back. Today's out was into a 15 mile an hour wind, which I believe caused the temperature to dip into the low twenties. At one point I was wondering if my man appendage was going to freeze off. Which caused me to recall an article I read which stated that the weener is one of the most likely body parts to develop frost bite, OUCH!!! This thought conjured another. Those in the family I'm sure remember the infamous furry jock that was a white elephant gift one year at Christmas. However, instead of it being used to keep the boys toasty, it was termed, "Grandma's Hand Warmer." What a visual!! Anyway, that's probably a good enough thought to part with. -ciao-

What a great day to run!!

I could not have asked for better conditions for running today - the ground was moist, air temperature was in the mid forties....PERFECT. Today, I got back to my Saturday long run routine. My goal was to run 11 miles, no matter how sore my knees and legs would get. Thankfully, all the stretching and long runs must be paying off because I felt much better with this run than I did with the 9 1/2 mile jaunt two weeks ago. One main reason may be that I didn't feel the need to vomit the entire run, like I had prior. The reason being is that I did not drink any Ensure. You see, my boss, whom is training for the 50 miler told me that he drinks Ensure when he runs because it is a quick way to consume calories. So, I figured I would give it a try. Well, I don't know how he does it. That liquid meal replacement takes FOREVER to digest, not to mention the privilege of having the runner's trots afterward. Hence, this week I decided to forgo the milky beverage and stick to GU and Gatorade. What a difference. I think I could have kept running, if I wasn't afraid of stepping up my mileage too quickly. Well, to date, I have logged almost 112 miles, which equates to roughly 2.95 miles per day. At this pace I should reach my goal with room to spare. HOORAY!!!

One month down!

So, after the first month of the year I am still on pace to reach 1000. For January, I logged 85.7 miles, which equals approximately two miles more than I need to average per month. However, I intend to increase my mileage over the next eight weeks, so my legs are acclimated for the 25k. Then, if all goes well in the 25k, I will likely begin training to run a full marathon at the end of the year. This weekend I tried something new with my training, instead of one long run, I logged two runs of seven miles. While seven miles is not very far, considering the 25k will be more than twice the distance, I wanted to see how my body would respond to a shortened recovery time. The results were very encouraging. I ran Sunday's seven two seconds per mile faster than Saturday's. While two seconds does not seem like much, I feel it is a sign that my long runs are finally paying off.