Mileage reporting 15th week 2014

pretend my form is as smooth as Cucuzzella's one while violins are playing folk music in my head

I'll go back to the trails this week-end, I have to go to Granada, Spain, this friday

Roads that smooth are rare around where I live!
 
Funny, my impression is that you've been running long fairly consistently since you first got up there last summer.
I was up to distances in the low teens once a week for a couple of months before my first half marathon last spring, but not actually hitting the race distance until about a month prior. Once after that, I did about 15 miles in the desert on a memorable windy day. Then, after that race, I was concentrating on preparing for the August sprint tri, so only maintained about a 10 mile distance for my long runs, mostly due to time priorities. I did work back up to about 12 miles before Christmas, but after being sick in winter for a few weeks, plus a calf muscle that tried to twang on me, I haven't gotten the mileage back up until lately. I'm not one of those people that can run just under the race distance for their training, and then do well with the longer race distance on the day. Both my legs and my mind need to be familiar with the distance, which is why I am thinking of skipping the tri this year in order to concentrate on the marathon.
 
my wife had just found out that her maternal grandmother passed away yesterday. Living on the other side of the planet really stinks at moments like these. She was a great old gal who bore 15 kids (my mother-in-law was the sixth and the first to survive, then came nine more healthy babies). I bought her beer and cigarettes whenever she came to visit. She smoked her cigarettes inverted, with the tip in her mouth. I think it was to not waste any nicotine-carrying smoke. She will be greatly missed.

Sincerest sympathies to your wife and you.
 
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Roads that smooth are rare around where I live!
I love that kind of surface, like butter. Right now around here I'm learning to love all the debris again. That's another nice facet to early morning running. You don't see the rocks that well, so you have to land gently, but also embrace all those little painful protrusions. It'll be nice once the street sweepers are unleashed. I've been impressed by your embrace of country chipseal. You've come a long way!
I was up to distances in the low teens once a week for a couple of months before my first half marathon last spring, but not actually hitting the race distance until about a month prior. Once after that, I did about 15 miles in the desert on a memorable windy day. Then, after that race, I was concentrating on preparing for the August sprint tri, so only maintained about a 10 mile distance for my long runs, mostly due to time priorities.
Guess I was thinking about those 10-milers. For me, any run 10 miles or more kind of gets lumped together, cause I usually need to take stretching breaks for those distances.
I'm not one of those people that can run just under the race distance for their training, and then do well with the longer race distance on the day. Both my legs and my mind need to be familiar with the distance, which is why I am thinking of skipping the tri this year in order to concentrate on the marathon.
I'm not a racer, but that makes sense to me. If I were to race a half-marathon, I would want to be able to run 13-14 miles comfortably and routinely as part of my training. I don't know if it's really practical for longer distances. Are you planning on running a marathon distance before your marathon? Most people cap their training runs at 18-20 miles, right?
Sincerest sympathies to your wife and you.
Thanks, she was feeling better after the kids came home.
 
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I love that kind of surface, like butter. Right now around here I'm learning to love all the debris again. That's another nice facet to early morning running. You don't see the rocks that well, so you have to land gently, but also embrace all those little painful protrusions. It'll be nice once the street sweepers are unleashed. I've been impressed by your embrace of country chipseal. You've come a long way!
Thanks!

I'm not a racer, but that makes sense to me. If I were to race a half-marathon, I would want to be able to run 13-14 miles comfortably and routinely as part of my training. I don't know if it's really practical for longer distances. Are you planning on running a marathon distance before your marathon? Most people cap their training runs at 18-20 miles, right?


Yes, I hope to do the distance a couple of times. :)
 
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Great 8 miles at 4:45 am., 61 deg. f., cool breeze.
Spotted a coyote lurking around it acted a little curious but I moved on to let it be.
snuck in some flow where I could.
love running barefoot.
 
Unexpected time with grandson yesterday, so couldn't get the exercise in other than some weeding.

Then, today, 6.2 mile run with some non- stressful Fartleks. Trouble spot on foot felt fine up until the last mile. Still can't tell if it is just tender or has something small in it. Garden yoga/moderate strength training for about an hour after that.
 
thursday:
late am: trail run at the local nature center. My first for real trail "run" of the year (whew, some of the uphills looked more like hiking than running---not in shape fr that). I miss the way on trails you really need to be attentive to where your feet are going. Heard lots of birds, frogs.

lunch: 45 min swim
 
For the week so far, a mile here a couple of miles there. No plan in place for running this year so far. Still dealing with runs in the winter challenge range. Only one run this week was out of winter challenge range. This morning was 2 miles in -7C, I actually prefer running in the sub zero temperatures, feet are less sensitive to the road grit. This morning as I was passing a dog walker she said that "I must have feet of steel to be able to run barefoot with all that crap on the road". She was referring to all of winters sand and grit left over from the sanding trucks, although most of it has now been pushed over to the side of the road by traffic. Temperatures are expected to stay below 0C for next week so as long we get no snow I'll be happy. :)
 
Thurs - 45 minutes of wood chopping/yard work then 30 minutes trail running local woods. Went slow and walked the steeper uphills mostly just checking out the ground cover to see if it is thin enough to see the rocks/sticks.

Friday - 59 minute run local roads, walked a bit on the 2 biggest uphills. A bit warmer today with the Pine tree pollen up in full swing now. Did 30 minutes of yard work as a cooldown from running.

Today - Finished up the week with a bit of yard work for a warmup then 30 minutes of running on the local trails and some walking after that. First shirtless run of the year as it was in the hi 70's.

Waterfall.jpg
 
Today - Finished up the week with a bit of yard work for a warmup then 30 minutes of running on the local trails and some walking after that. First shirtless run of the year as it was in the hi 70's.

View attachment 3731
Wow, that tropical compared to the snow that's falling here today. I hope summer gets here before fall. :(
 
Oh, yeah, so Wed pm: one-mile run-commute at 69F! But no ST because my wife had just found out that her maternal grandmother passed away yesterday. Living on the other side of the planet really stinks at moments like these. She was a great old gal who bore 15 kids (my mother-in-law was the sixth and the first to survive, then came nine more healthy babies). I bought her beer and cigarettes whenever she came to visit. She smoked her cigarettes inverted, with the tip in her mouth. I think it was to not waste any nicotine-carrying smoke. She will be greatly missed.

Deepest sympathies. Distance makes it all the more difficult.
Those anecdotes paint quite the picture. Impressive lady.
 
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Yesterday did 5km power walking with my wife, first time in months we had time to do that again.
Today went for a 19.3km/12mi light trail run (not too many up/downhills). It was wet, some parts very slippery, but a great and enjoyable run in under 2hours. 4 weeks to go to the half marathon !
 
Friday - swam 30 minutes, some weeding after that.

Saturday - 60 bike ride in the open air. Wind on the way back tried to knock me off my bike! Then, about 10 minutes after getting home from that, I was at my pond loop and ran about 3.7 miles. Then, a fair amount of time on my feet getting the house and yard ready for my son-in-laws birthday party here beginning mid afternoon. I might be tired now, but the party is still going. But they are all barefoot in the backyard playing volley ball, so that's fun to see.
 
am: 5 mi. Legs fine. Lungs still not totally cleared from the most recent cooties, so slow going, which was ok because it was warm (40s and warming) and humid and the countryside was a big almost-spring party. Best sighting was a close up of a red-headed woodpecker. This was my second run where I went down to a tank top (first was thursday's trail run).
then 1.5 mi around the block with kids.

midday: a few weights, abs

evening: swimming with kids. short intervals. at the pool over an hour but took things very easy. Backstroked with the kiddos. Kicked. Let the water loosen my legs and foot muscles.

Tired, in the good way. Tomorrow the rain comes in and then Monday the temps are back down to highs in the 40F range. Blech.