sunday, december 23, 2012
Long Run
Distance: 8.00 milesTime: 1:14:18
Pace: 9:17
Comments: Another uneven week with just two runs. I'm putting up with the slacking off only because it ain't gonna fly when formal marathon training starts in a few weeks.
This was a reasonably leisurely effort for a not-completely-insane distance. I started with a pretty good pace and, after mile three, slowed down every mile afterward. The last mile was more than 10 minute pace. Not a spectacular performance.
But the run felt pretty good and the legs seem to be in good shape. I'll try and get a full 20 miles in next week and see how it goes.
Conditions:
Hour: 8:30 a.m.
Surface: asphalt/concrete
Weather: partly cloudy
Temperature: 54 degrees read moresunday, december 16, 2012
Long Run
Distance: 10.00 miles
Time: 1:33:15
Pace: 9:19
Comments: I didn't really have a plan for this effort but wanted to get a substantial run in due to the amount of days I had off during the week. Getting out the door I wasn't really motivated and even a good two miles in I found it was more of a chore than I expected.
But I kept hacking at it and, eventually, decided to make a stab at my first full loop of the lake. Turns out it is, as I had seen mentioned somewhere, almost exactly 10 miles. It's actually a little less but counting the approach I use, you can nail it on the dot.
This wasn't a fancy effort by any means and most of my miles were a bit sluggish. I picked it up a bit toward the end in an effort to finish strong but still, for the most part, only got up to the recent race pace. read morefriday, december 14, 2012
Tempo Run
Distance: 5.00 miles
Time: 42:58
Pace: 8:35
Comments: Easily my best run since getting restarted. I hadn't been on the pavement since the race due to the extremely cold (for Dallas) temperatures and the chaos that ensued from that. The furnace in my new place died so I spent much of my spare time dealing with that.
When I got out today, the temperatures have gotten reasonably warm for a run but still cool enough to keep it from being a problem. I just wanted to get five miles but felt very strong when I got going so I just tried to hit a good consistent pace the whole way.
The result was a steady improvement every mile pacewise. My first one came in at 9:00 and each one after that was faster than the one before. I finished the last one at 8:14 pace even though it was uphill the whole way -- and significantly so at the last bit. read moresaturday, november 24, 2012
Recovery Run
Distance: 4.00 miles
Time: 33:48
Pace: 8:26
Comments: It was just above freezing this morning so I decided to pass on the run until it warmed up a bit. I've been a bit stiff -- understandably -- since the race and I wanted as few obstacles to getting this run in as possible. It was just under 60 degrees when I finally left the house and that turned out to be about right.
I didn't have too much trouble getting into a comfortable pace that was slightly faster than what I did for the race on Thursday. This is understandable since while there were a few hills on this course, it was nothing like the ascents from the Trinity River into Oak Cliff and downtown.
There were a number of runners on the lake trail and, I'm very happy to say, every single dog was on a leash. See idiot Arizona runners, it's not that hard to abide by the leash law. The big upshot with having a number of runners on the trail was simulating race situations and using them to keep my pace up. read morefriday, october 12, 2012
Trail Run
Distance: 6.00 miles
Time: 1:08:59
Pace: 11:29 m/mi
Comments: I've been wanting to put in a six mile/hour run for awhile now but never seemed to find the right excuse to fit it in. With the temperature dropping I figured I'd head out to South Mountain and do my six-mile loop. The time would suck but I would force myself to just get through it instead of worrying about the pace.
I decided to do it today rather than tomorrow since the weekend crowd is godawful. Good choice, it turned out. Only ran into one idiot dog owner with their animal off the leash. And the few bikers on the trail were extremely alert to hiker/runners.
At the start I kept it slow and then pretty much kept it at whatever pace my legs would allow. Since this was an endurance test I did the super steep route up Mormon Trail and, boy did I ever pay for it. My time was almost exactly where I was after my layoff in the Summer. Anyhow, the effort felt good and it was a nice run all around. read morefriday, june 08, 2012
Trail Run
Distance: 6.00 miles
Time: 1:08:55
Pace: 11:28 m/mi
Comments: So after a week back, it seemed like a good time to test the legs out on the trail and the result was less than spectacular. Easily one of the most woefully slow efforts on this route for me.
I kind of knew what I was in for when I got started and there just wasn't a lot of push in the legs. But this workout is more about endurance so running on weary legs is helpful too. It wasn't unreasonably hot since I got out pretty early but the sun and the humidity took their toll.
The uphill was a slog but I got my legs underneath me a lot better than I expected going downhill. I certainly didn't sent any pace records but I cruised to a respectable 9:18 final mile. So, in the end, I'll call this one a win and try and prepare myself better for the next one. read morefriday, may 11, 2012
Trail Run
Distance: 6.00 miles
Time: 58:47
Pace: 9:47 m/mi
Comments: It's been a good six weeks since the last time I was out on the South Mountain trail loop and, lordy, has my conditioning eroded quite a bit. I was almost ten minutes slower than I was in mid March. Yeesh.
Not that I was overly surprised. It's been a battle just getting the miles in the last two weeks and when you add the rising temperatures (and woeful diet) on top of that... well, excellence isn't really in the cards.Still, this was a very good run considering. I slogged my way through a lot of it but there weren't that many people on the trail and the saguaro cactus were all in bloom. There was a drencher of a storm earlier in the week so I expect it will be even greener next time I go out. read more
friday, march 23, 2012
Trail Run
Distance: 6.00 miles
Time: 58:47
Pace: 9:47 m/mi
Comments: WHOO HOO!!! Did the loop in under an hour! It's the best I've run it in more than a year and a half! Success!
I had a pretty bad week for some reason and really had zero motivation to run. Not exactly sure why but I ended up taking a three-day break. Instead of trying a normal mid-week workout, I decided to hit the South Mountain trail today and try and miss the weekend crush. That turned out to be a good call. There weren't too many folks out on the trail and everyone with their dogs had them on the leash.
I felt reasonably good going up the first portion (I guess the race two weeks ago is paying off) and decided to try the tough ascent of National Trail this time. It throws a 400 foot rise at you in the space of a little less than one mile. Brutal. read moresaturday, february 25, 2012
Trail Run
Distance: 6.00 miles
Time: 1:01:42
Pace: 10:16 m/mi
Comments: It's been a tough week. I slept a solid 12 hours after Thursday's run and wasn't too peppy yesterday either. Still, this pretty much fits my past pattern. As I start doing quality runs I'll feel worse and worse and worse and then POOF! my body will catch up. I'm really hoping that happens soon, though.
So I hit the trail today with hopes of seeing a bit of progress and while I don't seem to have turned the conditioning corner quite yet, it was a very solid and satisfactory effort.
I started about an hour later than last time and that's probably not the best idea given the number of folks that are on the trail by that time. The crowd can be a bit of a hassle but it's the idiots who refuse to put their dogs on the leash that really piss me off. The leash law doesn't mean just have one, assholes. read moresaturday, february 11, 2012
Trail Run
Distance: 6.23 miles
Time: 1:05:04
Pace: 10:27 m/mi
Comments: With the progress of the last week I figured the time had come to go after the South Mountain trail. My goal for the effort was simply to keep it a constant running effort and not worry about the time at all.
One nice thing about starting this part of training in winter is I'm only battling the 700+ foot elevation gain on the six-mile trail and not the 80+ degree starting time temperatures that are common in the summer. The temperature was only 46 degrees at the finish and that made a lot of difference.
I was working pretty hard from the start and my pace on the steep inclines of mile three were nothing to boast about. I simply kept working on keeping moving forward as best I could. Things got better on the downhill portion but I certainly never got to the point I felt I was in control and running the thing. I had a bit more in the tank on the final mile that I really expected. read moremonday, august 08, 2011
Trail Run
Distance: 6.0 miles
Time: 1:02:35
Pace: 10:25
Comments: I wanted to get a bit of hills mixed in with the trail run and this outing gave me that in spades. It turned out to be a steep 1,000-foot ascent for two miles then a drop for the next mile and then the whole damned thing in reverse.
As much as I was cursing the course under my breath, it was a pretty good sample of what I should expect if I can keep my training for the race going. The worst mile was almost exactly at the cutoff pace for the race - 13 minute pace. That means I've got a lot of work left over the next two months.
In terms of scenery on my Oregon adventure, it might be tough to top this effort. Robust forests, spectacular lookout points and bright open grassy patches. The route was actually a logging road so I even passed a work site where they were clearing the big trees for lumber. read morewednesday, august 03, 2011
Trail Run
Distance: 6.0 miles
Time: 58:57
Pace: 9:49
Comments: This was a bit of an adventure. Since I just wanted to get in about an hour run I decided to do a bit of trail work near here. I ended up at the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge which proved to be a pretty good little spot with a few notable qualifiers.
Basically, it's a pair of pretty large, tree-topped hills and some surrounding wetlands. The refuge also has some farming and a number of trails are simply cleared areas on the edge of the fields.
I started off along the main trail and tried to head out on the three-mile loop but couldn't quite figure out which was the right direction. I ended up in a little maze of routes cleared by bushhogs that went nowhere. Eventually I just gave up and headed cross country praying I wouldn't find a rabbit hole in high grass. read moresaturday, july 02, 2011
Trail Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 1:00:39
Pace: 10:29 m/mi
Comments: After the afternoon trail run a week ago, it has become completely clear I can't keep pretending this heat isn't whipping my ass. Every workout since then has been a disaster since I've been trying to bull my way through these godawful temperatures. So, today, I did the one thing I could to make it easier on myself - I got up at 4:30 a.m. to do my trail run.
When I got out to the trailhead it was a somewhat reasonable 82 degrees and, better still, the sun was just coming up so it wasn't beating down on me full force. I got out and got going and could finally feel a bit of the conditioning in my legs. I wasn't huffing and puffing at the first incline on the route like before. read morewednesday, june 22, 2011
Trail Run
Distance: 5 miles
Time: 46:06
Pace: 9:12 m/mi
Comments:Since I have a 10K planned for this weekend and Coach Dean urging me to put in four workouts this week, it seemed logical to take on Rob's mid-week trail run. I did these in the past and know from experience they are kind of brutal. Not much has changed.
The route isn't particularly terrible. It's the Desert Classic trail which throws some up and down at you but not the ascents like National Trail on the other side of the ridge. The killer here is the heat. It was 111 degrees when we pulled up to the guard shack and you could feel every bit of it.
I started off very well running the first two miles in sub-8:45 pace. Mile three was a slog and came in just under 10:00 pace. We took a long mid-run rest and I started off the return reasonably well, a sliver under 9:00 pace for mile four, but my legs evaporated on mile five. I somehow kept it to 10:08 but there wasn't anything left. read moresaturday, june 18, 2011
Trail Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 1:02:56
Pace: 10:29 m/mi
Comments: The goal on these trail runs is to try and do better each week. To finish the six miles faster than I did seven days prior. I succeeded this week - by one single second.
I actually got out to South Mountain a little bit earlier today but the difference was minimal. The temperature and humidity were pretty much identical to last week. I felt pretty good starting out, huffing a bit more than I wanted but keeping the pace down to a reasonable amount.
On the first big ascent - the first half of mile three - I just had nothing. I was slowed to a crawl and really couldn't power through the thing. Then, when the trail leveled out, I recovered more than I expected.
I tried to make up time on the descent but simply didn't have anything in the tank. It seems that lassitude from Thursday is still with me for some reason. I'm hoping it resolves itself pretty quickly because this ain't no fun. read moresaturday, june 11, 2011
Trail Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 1:02:57
Pace: 10:29 m/mi
Comments: There is no way around it, the speed/strength workout on Thursday whipped my butt. I was achy yesterday and downright sore this morning. Weirdly, I was more motivated to get the run in today than last week... just not as quick to get up and at 'em.
I rolled up to South Mountain a bit before 8:00 a.m. and, once again, it seemed to be about the perfect time. The early birds were coming off the trail and while it was pretty warm, it wasn't the unbearable hot of the afternoon.
The stiffness was an issue for the first half mile or so but then it was the regular battle with the incline. While I clearly was stronger in the ascent, it was by no means pleasant.
I did have more control over the course of the run and noticeably more energy on the final few miles. The six-minute improvement over last week was even better than I had hoped for. read moresaturday, june 04, 2011
Trail Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 1:09:00
Pace: 11:29 m/mi
Comments: When I woke up I really considered pushing this one back to Sunday. I actually enjoy this particular run but it's been a long time since the last time I've done it. I had no doubts about how tough it would be. After an hour or two of silent mental debate I finally just said "screw it" and put on the shoes.
One reason was the rather temperate morning. It was dry, without a doubt, but the temperatures weren't overly insane. And doing the run in warmer conditions isn't a bad idea given what I expect to contend with later in the Arizona summer.
I figured it would be crowded and that was certainly the case. Heading out to the hill I was stopped by a guard at the gate warning the place was packed and there was another parking area on the other side of the hill. I decided to try it anyway and found a spot pretty close to my usual starting point. read morefriday, october 01, 2010
Trail Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 1:02:43
Pace: 10:26 m/mi
Comments: Yeesh. Not my finest hour. I got up early and felt fine. No lingering ache or nagging aversion to the run or anything but not quite "into it" either.
The intent was to get the distance up to eight miles and it started off well enough. There was the usual disagreeable feeling of starting off on the uphill but usually this passes quickly enough and I can get down to the work of the run. But today it just wouldn't go away. I kept struggling.
About halfway up the big steep uphill I found myself doing the hesitation step on the harsh ascents -- something I haven't had to do since my first day back on South Mountain six weeks ago. And it was increasingly apparent the situation wasn't going to improve. read morefriday, september 17, 2010
Trail Run
Distance: 7 miles
Time: 1:07:21
Pace: 9:37 m/mi
Comments: This one was a bit less impressive an effort as my last time out on South Mountain but there were a couple of good reasons for that.
First is that this got turned into a short week since I didn't want to do this run before heading down the road to Tuscon for the UA v Iowa game. Second is that Coach Dean and I decided to up the distance of this run by a mile.
I headed out to the trail really early and it was still twilight as I got going. Since it was a weekday, there wasn't nearly as many folks as I have been used to on my Saturday runs. Starting out I felt pretty fatigued and had a hard time getting into my usual groove. My pace for Mile 1 was pretty much my usual but it felt like I was working harder for some reason. read moresaturday, september 04, 2010
Trail Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 55:41
Pace: 9:16 m/mi
Comments: Man, I ate this one up! I matched my fastest time on this circuit from way back last March.
I woke up really early this morning, like 3:15 a.m. early but knew going back to sleep would mean just running this later in the day when it would be more difficult.
So I got up and took care of a few things and got out to the trail and running by 6:00 a.m. Which turns out to be the right time. The parking was decent and while there were a number of folks on the trail, almost all of them knew what they were doing.
I knew I wanted to try and get a solid time today so concentrated on holding a strong pace on the front end and keeping the intensity up on the inclines. Since I didn't bring the camera, I didn't have the handfull of quick stops to shoot pictures for the blog entry. read moresaturday, august 28, 2010
Trail Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 59:10
Pace: 9:51 m/mi
Comments: The week turned out a bit crazier than I expected and with some intermittent thunderstorms I wound up with a two-day layoff. Given how hard the first week of work had affected me, I didn't feel overly guilty but I was determined to get this run in this morning.
I woke up a bit later than I thought and got out to South Mountain at just about the same time as last week. And with the slightly cooler weather it was even more crowded. But still folks were pretty understanding of each other on the trail, which has been really nice.
I took the Mormon Trail route first this week. The start felt really good and I kept expecting it to turn into a slog but other than a few moments on the extreme ascents, it never did. Which is a nice testament to my improving conditioning. Also, saw a havalina snorting it's way up the hill when I got into the hills. That was a little bit unusual. read moresaturday, august 21, 2010
Trail Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 1:01:21
Pace: 10:13 m/mi
Comments: I felt pretty good with the run yesterday and really wanted to get a decent workout in so I decided to start the long runs for strength early. So I got up really early and headed down to South Mountain to hit the trail.
As I got started it was pretty evident pretty fast that I'm starting all over again on this. I was feeling the incline in the first half mile and it didn't get any easier from there.
I decided to just go all in and take on the National Trail incline at the start. The whole way up I just kept reminding myself of how much worse the hike in the Abancay Valley on the way to Choquequirao was over the summer.
On the ascent I had pretty good focus and strength but two thirds of the way in I was just doing what I could to finish. Mind wandering and pace all over the place. I never had to stop and rest but I wasn't setting the world on fire either. I ended up finishing more than six minutes slower than the last time I did this run. Ooof. read moresaturday, march 13, 2010
Running Log/Trail Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 55:41
Comments: Not a very good week of running. In fact, I pretty much took the week off. Monday turned into an unending battle with the forces of darkness and the bozo nightmare. Thursday I just felt beat both physically and emotionally. I had a chat with Coach Dean on Friday that didn't do much to pick my spirits up.
Anyhow, I was determined to get this run in but, due to the layoff, there was a bit more anxiety than I expected. But I got up to the park by 7:00 a.m. and jumped into it before I could think about it too much.
As usual, I was huffin' and puffin' that first mile but tried to focus on keeping my leg turnover constant instead of aiming for speed. When I got to the hill itself - I did the Mormon Trail today - I felt pretty good and ready to hit the ascent. read moresaturday, march 06, 2010
Running Log/Trail Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 56:25
Comments: Given the progress on the track, Dean suggested making this run a bit longer. I kinda balked at that, both because I like this routine right now and I'm getting a little worried about injury. The compromise was to aim to bring this one in faster than before.
I got out to South Mountain a little late. By 8:30 a.m. the place is full of folks and finding a parking space is more about luck than anything. Another plus is that my parallel parking skills are still pretty sharp.
I headed up the hill. The first mile had me breathing hard as usual and I took the left at the fork in the trail instead of heading down my usual route up Mormon Trail. The last time I did National Trail as the ascent it was my first time out and it pretty much sucked. read moresaturday, february 27, 2010
Running Log/Trail Run
Distance: 6 miles
Time: 57:12
Comments: With another front coming through I had to get this one done early or miss out. I got got out to the trailhead at almost 7 p.m. on the dot and discovered this is about the optimum time to arrive. There are just a few folks out there at that time and most are just getting ready to head out as well.
I felt pretty good going into this one and the run lived up to the expectation. That first mile had me winded as usual but I did it half-a-minute faster than last week and on par with the solid effort two weeks ago. But, instead of flagging completely when the path got gnarly I kept up the effort much better. The ascent was, by far, the fastest I've been able to manage.
Coming down I felt much more in control as well. That's partially due to the new footwear, I think, but certainly a testament to my improved quad strength. I even got down to marathon-pace for a bit on the last mile - a first for this run. read moresaturday, february 20, 2010
Running Log/Trail Run
Distance: 5.96 miles
Time: 1:01:59
Comments: I woke up really early and very groggy. I was considering putting this off till mid-morning but when I checked the weather it looked like rain would be in the offing if I waited. So out the door...
I knew starting out this one was going to be tough. I've been on a screwy schedule this week and not eating worth a damn. Sure enough, that first long incline had me breathing hard and wondering how the hell I was going to get through the whole circuit.
Once I got on the trail itself things went a little better. By drag ass didn't affect my improving muscle strength which is what is the key for the steeper up/down hill sections. The blisters were certainly still there but didn't ever seem to get into critical stage so I kept going. read moresaturday, february 13, 2010
Running Log/Trail Run
Distance: 5.94 miles
Time: 59:15
Comments: I felt much better after Thursday's workout than I could have possibly expected. There was soreness but no hint of the piercing hip pain I was dreading.
So I got in the core work yesterday and felt downright excited about my trail run this morning. Despite the snow blanketing much of the country, conditions were absolutely perfect out at South Mountain for running.
I was a little stiff starting and the uphill had me a bit winded to start. I felt pretty good when I got past the road section and onto the real trail when things got serious. I also took the right one, Mormon Loop, this time as well.
While this was certainly tough work it wasn't pushing the envelope of my endurance like last week. Part of that is a more reasonable uphill on this route but I clearly had better control over the effort as well. read moresaturday, february 06, 2010
Running Log/Trail Run
Distance: 5.62 miles
Time: 58:20
Comments: As part of the back-to-basics effort, Coach Dean wants me doing trail running again. The idea being that it will help strength; partially due to elevations and partly due to variation in how my feet hit the terrain.
I initially planned to get up real early and knock this one out but, when I woke up my right hip was very uncomfortable. I shelved the run till later... if I felt better.
But, by noon I felt alright and decided to make a stab at it and headed up to South Mountain. Of course by then folks out to enjoy the weekend had taken over the place but oh well...
I didn't do any preparation, I just headed out. I didn't intend on setting any speed records with this effort so doing the first mile at warm up pace wasn't going to matter. read more
