Lookin' foxy, Bikepath.

September

I only did 11 miles for the whole month of September.

Stupid sinuses.

Trail Run

I just did a trail run over the weekend.  It was great...

...until some stupid lady wouldn't curb her boxer.

The dog was loose.  She was talking on the phone.  I was approaching them from behind.

The dog sees me coming and decides to stand his ground and grrrr at me from about 20 feet away.

I stop.  She just keeps walking and leaves the dog standing and growling at me.

"Can you call your dog?"

"Huh?"

"Can you call your dog?"

"Yeah, that's my dog."

"CAN YOU CALL YOUR DOG AND MAKE HIM COME TO YOU?!"

"Well, it wouldn't be a problem if you weren't standing there like a retard!" *

"Would you have me run right at him?"

That's good responsible dog ownership, lady.


(*her word, not mine)

10K

 My 10K last week was probably the best race I've ever run.  I felt light, fast, strong... and confident.

 

Plus... I really like that course, venue and distance.  Everything was juuuust right.

I looked at my watch at the 4 mile mark and I realized I was just crushing my year ago time. 

Four years into running, it all just feels like it's clicking.

 

And now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy a week off after 2 races in 9 days.

5K

New personal best...

...by 1 second.

A little sore the day after, but not wrecked.

PAT STRONG.

Go Ttime

I've got a 5K on 6/24 and a 10K on 7/3.

My training is done.  I'm easing up on the miles and the weights this week.

It was a good Spring.  The legs feel great.

Assuming the weather and the allergies cooperate, I should be in personal best range for both races.

Pat Report: So Long, May...

I was kicking ass in April.  I felt lean and fast.

Then May kinda sucked.

I lost a few weeks due to surgery and allergy issues.

The sinuses are OK now...  But the lungs aren't happy.  I've got this weird dry cough.

Also... It got hot.

So everything seems to be working against me and making me slower.

The one good thing I've got going for me is that my legs still feel really, really strong.  The weight lifting has been a great help to the running.

Hopefully I can pull everything together in time for my upcoming 10K.

15 day DL

I'm on the shelf for 2 - 3 weeks.  I had a lump removed from my leg last week.  It's nothing to worry about (i.e., not cancer).

The good news is that my legs will be well rested for race day.

The bad news is that I've probably lost any shot I had at getting down to an 8:30 per mile pace.

Harder and Faster

Still bummed about not doing the Buffalo Marathon this year, but I'm making the most of it.  Since I don't have nearly as much free time as last year, my training sessions have been shorter and more intense.

I'm doing the Harvard Pilgrim 10K in July.  My goal was going to be 9 minute miles. (Last year I did 9:54 per mile).

But... I'm pretty much already there. I did a 5 mile "race pace" trial run yesterday at 45:31 (9:06 per mile).

The weightlifting and higher protein diet seems to be working.

I'm just going to keep pushing and see where I end up.

By Royal Decree...

I have declared a week of rest for myself.

There shall be no running or lifting this week.

Not even a single push-up.

And it shall be good.

Late Winter / Early Spring Running

Wanna improve your pace?  Go running through a crappy neighborhood!*

Time for a walk break?  Nope.  Keep on movin'.

I did OK today on my run.  But not great. 

I'm in better shape than I was a year ago (i.e., less round), but I'm not getting nearly as many miles in.  So I'm probably not going to be setting any personal records this spring.

But if I don't get my post-nasal drip issues under control, it's going to be a looong day for my next 5K.

*Don't actually do this.

More Turkey Bacon!

For the first time since 2008, I don't have a big race planned at the end of the spring. 

My general goals over the winter have been "get faster" and "don't be a fatass".

To achieve those goals I've been lifting weights and focusing on my speed work.

Two observations:

- running the day after lifting is hard

- getting all the protein I'm supposed to get every day is a huge pain in the ass

New Toy

I got a Garmin 405 recently (with the help of Christmas gift card I had).

Holy crap, it's awesome.

I wish I had it last year when I was training for the marathon.

However, I found a critical weakness in the Garmin.*

If you don't turn it off after your run, it keeps going.

Like, if you don't turn it off after your run, and get in the car, it just thinks you're running really really fast.


*this was my fault, not the Garmin's.