Recovery Run at Home

My body was a bit sore from the race yesterday so I did an easy recovery run in the neighborhood. I did my 4 mile out and back route and did it really easy. I just wanted to get the blood flowing again.

Stats - 4.1 miles/38:47/9:28 pace
AHR - 133
MHR - 166

2008 Capitol 10k

Today was the annual Capitol 10k. I missed the race last year, but can't remember why. I was supposed to leave for Europe today, but my trip got canceled so I got to race this year after all. My training has been sporadic at best so I had no idea what to expect today. It definitely wasn't PR weather with warm and humid conditions. I met the gang at RunTex at about 7:30 and then we did about a mile on the trail. We did some drills in the parking lot at Auditorium Shores and headed to the start. I lined up with Brian, Anne, Marcy, and Rachel. They were talking about paces that I didn't think I could do. There was a brief rain shower which cooled things off and then the gun went off. I shot out pretty fast and was thinking they are all going to pass me. I was able to go pretty quick out of the blue corral and didn't hit too much traffic. The Congress section wasn't too bad and I did the first mile in 7:27. The next couple of miles were the climbs. The first section on 15th wasn't too bad, but doing downhill and towards Lamar was very slick. I had to slow to make sure I didn't fall on my butt in that section. The climb up toward Mopac wasn't too bad. I covered miles 2 and 3 in 7:33 and 7:40. The climb up to the Meriden cutoff wasn't too bad and then we had a nice downhill piece to pick it up. I was starting to tire at that point and it became a mental race for me. I was just pushing and telling myself not to quit. I did mile 4 in 7:10 and mile 5 in 7:17. I was dead tired with 1.2 miles to go and the uphill on Cesar Chavez ahead of me. I broke the remaining distance into 400s and counted down. I slowed to a 7:24 for mile 6 and then kicked it up over the last .2 miles at a 6:30 pace. I ended up with a 46:03 which is 1:32 off my course PR from 2005. I haven't been mentally strong in a race since the debacle at Chicago last fall so it was nice to battle mental demons and win! Given my training and the weather I am really happy. I finished ahead of my training buds and even beat Wish by 6 seconds!

Stats - 6.2 miles/46:03/7:25 pace
AHR - 166
MHR - 179

Finish -
Overall - 453/6567
40-44 Age Group - 65/448

Mileage for the Day - 7.53

Catch up - 3/22 - 3/29

3/22 - Cap 10K Course Again

We ran the Cap 10k course again today. I ran with Brian and we went faster than last week. It was a nice run. We averaged 7:54 for 6.5 miles. We finished with a 1.5 mile cool down.

Stats - 8.1 total miles
AHR - 150
MHR- 170

3/26 - Easy Run with Carla

I did a very stupid thing on Saturday night and tried to play basketball after a couple of bevvies and I messed up my neck and right shoulder. I had to see the chiropractor on Tuesday and did some tweaks and therapy to loosen it up. I haven't been able to run for the past 3 days and had to get out today. I decided to take Carla on a tour of the Circle C trail. It was nice to run with her and take a slower than normal jog.

Stats - 4 miles/48:15/12:04 pace

3/27 - Run with Wish

Today my neck felt a lot better and I was able to do my normal Thursday run with Wish. We did the usual up north and back route and had another fun conversation.

Stats - 8.17 miles/1:11:03/8:42 pace
AHR - 139
MHR - 158

3/28 - Pre-Race Run

Today I did my pre Cap10k run at home instead of going to the trail. I was able to sleep in a little and save a little gas.

Stats - 4 miles/34:09/8:32 pace

March Madness!

Other than Christmas time, the NCAA Basketball tournament is my favorite time of the year. My Arizona Wildcats have fallen on hard times the past few years, but I love watching all the other teams and watching the "One Shining Moment" video after the championship game always brings a tear to my eye.

As for running, I met Wish for our normal route through SW Austin this morning. I really struggled last week, but today felt really good. I had a full week of work for the first time in a long time and today was just a cruise type of run and actually my longest run of this week. Since we are in 5k/10k mode there aren't any really long runs planned which is kind of nice. All of our bodies can use the break.

Stats - 8.55 miles/1:15:06/8:47 pace

1000s at AHS

Today I met the group for 1000s at AHS. I haven't done any track work this year so I didn't know what to expect. A cold front blew through last night so it was in the high 40s with a bit of a wind. We did our drills and then were off. I ran with Carrie, Anne, and Marcy...just like old times! I was way behind Carrie on all 5 repeats, but only a bit behind Anne. On the 5th one I was able to hang with Carrie the whole way and finished a second or two behind her. She is in her "taper" for the Iron Man in Arizona so she is in great shape. I followed the 5x1000 with 3x200 with Marcy and Anne. My splits weren't too bad and the average was actually a second faster than exactly a year ago. I guess my running at home hasn't left me too out of shape. I ran back with Larry and Alicia and caught up with them. It has been a long time and it is great to see everyone!

Splits - 4:21, 4:18, 4:22, 4:18, 4:08
Average - 4:17

Stats - 8.47 miles

Elliptical, Weights, and Abs!

Today I hit the gym for my usual Tuesday gym day. I had planned on running on the treadmill, but on the way back from Wilke yesterday I hit a rock and tweaked my right foot/ankle. It wasn't bad, but it felt weird all day yesterday. As a precaution I hopped on the elliptical trainer for 45 minutes instead of running. After I finished I did a complete weight workout...arms and legs. I also did some reps in the Roman chair. I haven't done abs in awhile and am pretty sore from my workout at home yesterday. I am also doing back raises to strengthen my lower back.

Tomorrow is a track workout at AHS. I am looking forward to it.

Back to the Gazelles

Today I ended my hard running sabbatical and rejoined the Gazelles. It's funny that the day I end my time off we head to Wilke. I haven't been there in ages. I met the gang at Robert E Lee and we jogged over to the start. G said to do 5-7 up, 3 backward, and then 3 sprints. I was thinking 5 is good for me, but I let peer pressure goad me into doing all 7 repeats. I was winded and my heart rate got up there, but it felt great! I think have some fresh legs compared to the folks coming off the ATT marathon a few weeks ago so it wasn't so bad. I am very glad to be back and to be in my routine again.

I am shooting for the Bun Run, Texas Round Up, and the Chuy's 5k for this spring. I may do some other 5ks as well if they don't conflict with Caroline's soccer games.

Stats - 6.26 Miles
MHR - 169

Short Saturday Run - Cap 10k Course

This morning I got up a little early and met the group for a run at 7AM. The choice was either the lollipop route or the Cap 10k course. I picked Cap 10k with Brian even though I won't be able to run the race because that is the day I leave for Germany. There were about 10-15 of us spread over 3 pods. We were up front for the first part, but the climb up Congress and then around to 15th street took its toll. Once we got around to the side of MoPac and hit the downhill part we picked it up a bit. We stopped for water at the Rock and continued on. Our last 3 miles were the fastest with mile 6 at 7:37 pace and the last half mile at 7:08 pace. It was nice to kick it up a notch. We did a one mile cool down and then joined the group for stretching.

Rachel showed up for a visit and Alex led the group. It was great to see everyone again. I plan to join the AM group on Monday so I can get some speed work in for a couple of 5ks in April and May.

10k Course and Trail
Stats - 6.5 Miles/53:21/8:12 pace
AHR - 140
MHR - 163

Total miles - 7.57

Quick Run at Home

Today is my usual day off, but since I rested from Sunday - Tuesday this week I decided to grab a quick run this morning. I ran an abbreviated version of what I ran yesterday for just a little over 4 miles. I ran a little more relaxed today, but it wasn't a jog. My legs felt OK, but not great.

Stats - 4.3 miles/36:29/8:29 pace
AHR - 151
MHR - 164

Run at Home

My quads felt a lot better today after a few times on the foam roller. I wish I would have used it earlier in the week. Wish suggested it yesterday and I am kicking myself for not thinking of it.

Today I ran the loop around Kiker Elementary to highway 45 and then back to the house. This route is nice and hilly and I wanted to run it harder than just a casual jog. I ran a decent pace for the first 4 miles and my last mile was my fastest. I know I am not anywhere near race ready, but I am enjoying my running and my body feels really good.

Health Note: I got my blood work back from my physical last week and my cholesterol is down to 190. It was as high as 230 during my unhealthy hears in Houston 10 years ago. It is nice to say I am better at 43 than I was at 33!

Stats - 5.1 miles/42:13/8:16 pace
AHR - 143
MHR - 163

Run at Home

I had to take the last 3 days off due to my beat up quads from my run on Saturday. My legs hurt worse than after my recent marathons. I think I went down the mountain too fast on Saturday...lesson learned!

This morning I headed out with Wish for a tour of SW Austin. We ran our normal north course out of Circle C and into surrounding neighborhoods. It was still kind of dark at 7:30 due to DST, but it turned out to be a beautiful morning and the temps were perfect for running. My legs hurt right out of the chute especially on any downhill areas. Wish took it easy on me since he has run the trails I ran many times. I was glad to get home in one piece. I did the full stretch routine and then got out the foam roller for my quads...it hurt like hell, but they feel a lot better now.

Stats - 8.52 miles/1:15:45/8:53 pace

Hard, Beautiful Run in Rancho San Antonio Preserve

I am in California this weekend on the tail end of a business trip and for a wedding this afternoon for a good friend of mine. I slept in a bit and then drove from Los Gatos west just past Cupertino and into the foothills of the south bay area. I went to a preserve called Rancho San Antonio which is a beautiful park with many running and hiking trails into the foothills. I would highly recommend a visit if you have some time out there. I talked to Wish and one of my running friends at Sun about the park and was given some recommendations for a good 10 mile run. I chose to go up the mountain on the PGE trail which is the steepest climb on the preserve. It is about 4.25 miles to the top and I started out running, but had to start walking some of the climbs about halfway up. I know I am not in top shape, but don't know if I could have run the whole way in marathon shape. Either way I enjoyed the climb and all of the views of the south bay I was getting. The trail was in really good shape and I passed a lot of walkers, but no runners. I guess that is why they were looking at me like I was crazy. My first 4 mile splits were 9:53, 9:19, 11:31, and 12:37. I finally got to the top and was really tired. According to my Garmin the climb was over 1200 feet. To me it felt like running circles up and down Mt. Bonnell for 4 miles. My 16.9 oz. bottle of water was half gone and I still had about 6 miles to go. Fortunately for me the rest was all down hill. With about 4 miles to go I ran into a guy who joined me for the rest of the way down. We had a great political conversation about Obama and Clinton and it really helped pass the time.

Overall a really fun day and a new running experience for me. I need to revisit this run on one of my return business trips to the bay area.

Stats - 9.75 miles/1:35:11/9:45 pace

Gym Run in California

Today I checked out the Sun workout facility in Menlo Park. It is a really nice place with free lockers, towel service and not crowded at all. The machines were different from 24 hour fitness, but still good. I started with 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer, rotating front and back every 5 minutes. I then jumped on the treadmill for 45 minutes. The treadmill was smaller and not as sturdy as what I am used to so I had to concentrate a bit more than usual. I felt tired, but pushed through the workout. I did some stretching afterward and then headed into the office.

Tomorrow will be an off day and then I will head to the Rancho San Antonio Preserve on Saturday for my longer run before my friend Allison's wedding. I hear it is beautiful with some challenging hills along the way.

Stats - 5.25 miles/45:00

Run at Home

Today is a travel day so I ran at home so I could see the kids before I took off. I dropped the girls at school and then met Wish for a couple of loops around the neighborhood. We ran out and around the soccer park and then did a looop around the girl's school. It was a nice run and good to be out.

Stats - 6.81 Miles

Gym Run

I took an extra day off yesterday due to some really bad weather. It was raining hard early and then it got really cold and windy so I said no way! It is the time of year I can say that and am enjoying it. Today I hit the gym for 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer and a 45:00 run. I picked up the pace today and felt really good. I followed that up with a quick run through my leg weight routine because I had to get to my doctor for my annual physical. Like I mentioned in my February blog summary I haven't been feeling solid, but he said all systems were good and I am in great shape for a 43 year old man (as of Sunday, 3/2). I am actually 5 pounds lighter than a year ago which is a good thing for my down training period. I still have to wait and see how I did on the cholesterol scale, but things should be fine there as well.

Once I return from California this weekend I can make some Gazelle workouts to get ready for some 5ks and the Texas Round Up 10k. I have to fly to Munich the morning of the Cap 10k so I have to miss that race for the second year in a row, but no biggie. It will be my first trip over the "pond" and I am looking forward to it. I will definitely be doing some running in Munich while I am over there.

Stats - 5.5 miles/46:00/8:22 pace

Longish Run with Friends

Today I met Brian, Marcy, and Anne for a run at 6AM. There were a few course choices and due to time, Brian's recovery and etc., we decided to just run 10 miles on the trail. It was a lot of fun to be with my running buds again. I have had the "blahs" since after Christmas and I think part of it is because I haven't been getting up to see my running friends in the AM. We had a great run with lots of catching up and marathon stories. I had to leave early for soccer and volleyball so I wasn't able to stick around for stretching.

Stats - 10.16 miles/130:28/8:54 pace
AHR - 135
MHR - 168