- 10.01 miles
- 7:59/mile pace
- 0932
- From/To Home
- Double digits, woohoo! From home to Thunderbird Park, 2 loops and returned taking a shortcut to end up at almost exactly 10 miles -- didn't feel that bad actually, but not sure how much more I've got in me right now...still evaluating.
- 6.5 miles
- 8:18/mile pace
- 0900
- From/To home
- It has definitely starting to cool down, which is very welcomed, though I think I dislike running in lots of cloths more than wearing very few items of clothing and still being hot...but we're not to the cold temps yet, so...anyway, this was just a very slow effort. This is now a long run for me, man, I seriously suck.
- 18.25 miles
- 8:11/mile pace
- 0420
- From/To Home
- 4:20am has a different meaning to some people than others.
- Long runs continue to be more difficult than I believe they should be, but I finally warmed up and was able to speed up after a necessary stop in the desert etc.
- Forgetting to have Gatorade in the house is a rookie mistake that I hope I don't make again, but stopping mid-run long bike ride style was kinda nice.
- 17.2 miles
- 8:00/mile pace
- 0510
- Fountain Hills, AZ
- Glad to be done, very glad to have run with Dean again -- hard to beat a long run with someone enjoyable who also plans the run, wears the watch and brings recovery aiding food for after. That stated, this was another disappointing long run for me...I just hit the wall again and had to walk for a few minutes. Before this year I could count on one hand the times I have walked during a run, this year I'd need two hand already and it doesn't seem to be getting better, not yet at least. Anyway, still interested in trying....but not today, instead I'll just watch The Olympics again all day. I love the Olympics.
- 14.51 miles
- 8:27/mile pace
- 0625
- From/To Pat and Kathryn's -- Mt. Pleasant, SC
- Long very slow run that turned out to be MUCH tougher than I could've imagined. I'm not sure if it was a dehydration issue resulting from the shocking amount of sweat loss the humidity contributed too -- I can honestly say that I have never finished a run as through and through wet as I was, excepting runs that involved rain or sprinklers -- or if it was due to fatigue brought on by the day at the beach followed by kyacking on Saturday, but by the end of the run I was dry heaving and wondering what in the world happened to me. It was actually kind of weird, but I was happy to have finished the mileage and OK with the pace considering the last mile was painfully slow...literally. Best news was that once I had some liquid and food in me I felt just fine...the slow speed even seemed to save my legs as I didn't feel nearly as tired as I usually do after a run of 10+ miles, which is fortunate because we had quite a fun day planned with friends going out on the boat etc.
- Multi-sport: Loosely associated with this running streak, I used to kinda half consider myself a multi-sport guy in relation to endurance sports...I'll always consider myself a multi-sport guy in relaiton to appreciating/enjoying sports, but that's a different topic completely. Well, it seems that Charleston, SC brings out my interest in multi-sport endurance events in special ways...I did my very first dual sport effort in Charleston years ago, in a neighborhood called "I'on" in an event called "I'on man." I still have and wear the t-shirt regularly...the event was 3/4 of a mile swim around a lake followed by a 5k and I was barely able to move for the 3 days following the event due to exhaustion, but I was proud to be an "I'on man." So, now, fast forward about 5 or 6 years to present day and I've done a few triathlon's and then basically given up multi-sport events in favor of the much easier to schedule running streak, but having been to Charleston, SC I thought about multi-sport a little bit.
- Flip flops: Even less associated, I thought I'd share this little story with you -- so, as mentioned above, after the long run (sorry, I'm trying to tie them together, though there will be no running in the rest of this text), the whole Phoenix Wein family went out with our friends on the Stono River in/around the Charleston, SC area. It was fantastic and helped by the fact that we have relatives in the area who could lend me stuff, like the flip flops I borrowed from my cousin's wife. They fit well and were very functional...note the past tense, which I will now explain. OK, so, our friends live in this amazing house with a view of the marshlands and river, but they also have their own pond/lake in their backyard, which looks very cool and got me thinking about how awesome it would be if I were able to swim every day as easily, potentially even more easily, than running every day -- the pond is maybe a half acre total surface space and shaped a bit like an oval, with the short side being north south from their back door (short side being about 40-45 yards across, length being 70-75 yards long/across), So, with that in mind I asked my friend "How deep is your lake?" He said he didn't know, which I thought was amazing since I was certain I would know if I lived there, but he estimated 4 to 5 feet deep because he said it was man made etc. Well, that estimate didn't really satisfy me because if it wasn't that deep then how could I swim my laps reliably, right? Anyway, I told him after we got off the boat I would wade out there and check it out for him...and to satisfy my curiousity, of course. He said that would be cool -- so, after returning from our day on the river, he and his wife went to take the boat out of the water, Becca took the boys into our friends house to get them cleaned up for the trip back to our cousins house and I put my cousin-in-laws flip flops back on to wade out into the lake, since I was concerned there would be sharp stuff on the bottom etc. and then proceeded to begin my depth charting mission. Here are the results (starting directely from the back of their house -- so, the bisecting the length of the pond/lake):
- First 5 feet from shore: 1 to 2 feet deep
- 5 to 10 fee from shore: 4-5 feet deep
- 10 yards from shore: 6 feet deep
- 20 yards from the shore: 6.5 feet deep (this is what I consider the dead center of the lake/pond)
- OK, so, obviously, at this point I'm swimming/treading water since I'm only 5'8.5" tall, but it is warm and comfortable, so I figured I'd continue to perform depth charting further along the length to make sure it was uniform depth and because dropping down under the water, letting my flip flopped feet touch the bottom and then resurfacing couldn't be any easier, so why not? -- Well, because after doing the 2nd additional depth checking decent I was treading water facing away from the house towards some marsh grass (2 feet tallish weeds) when honest to God a freakin alligator launched itself straight at me into the water from about 25 feet away resulting in me setting the world record for unaided swim speed while also firing off Hail Mary's at a clip that only priests, nuns and those of us who spent 16 years in Catholic school could possibly replicate. There is absolutely NO WAY that Michael Phelps could've beat me to the shore, I cannot be convinced otherwise. I seriously have never been so scared, for my life, in my life. Upon reaching the shore and sprinting out of the water the much smaller than I originally thought, and infinitely smaller than he will be in every retelling of this story that I author, alligator was circling my cousin-in-laws flip flops in the center of the water. Hearing my exasperated announcement of "Gator!" Becca then came out to see my adversary and estimates it to be 3 and a half feet long, which I guess technically is correct. So, obviously, I'm thinking, since I easily set the world speed record for swimming, I should get back into multi-sport endurance events again, right?!
- 11.75 millas
- 7:40/millas
- 1645
- Playa Mujeras, Mexico
- Duradero en la rueda de ardilla -- final hardish de 10 minutos
- 12.45 miles
- 7:23/mile pace
- 0750
- Prescott, AZ
- A progression long run with Dean -- the plan was to run the first 30 minutes at 7:50/mile pace, the second 30 minutes at 7:20/mile pace and then finish with 30 minutes at 6:50/mile pace. I was concerned about how much that last 30 would hurt, but I figured I'd be able to handle it even if barely. Well, it played out that Dean and I, on the strength of his perfect pacing, executed the first two segments exactly...I mean EXACTLY on pace, then he hit the last one on pace while I pathetically watched him pull away. It was weird and deflating, but even though I felt fine through 1 hour and didn't mind the initial push up to the 6:50/mile speed, it didn't take long at all for me to hit a wall and be reduced to near 8 minute/mile pace....even as it was happening I was surprised and confused. I guess it could have been the altitude, which did seem to noticably affect breathing, or maybe I was just tired from the week, but the only thing that matters is that I wasn't able to do it, which I need to be able to do. Not sure how I improve to effectively catch up to the training plan I'm trying to maintain other than to just keep going...if I don't see improved ability to accomplish the set work outs then I'll have to consider something drastic, like EPO, or going vegan.
- On a positive note, Dean is seriously strong, he seemed to handle the run with minimal effort, which is great, except that I was hoping to keep doing long runs with him and if I start falling too far behind it may cause an issue. Where does one start when considering an EPO plan? I mean, hypothetically speaking...
- 15.23 miles
- 10:20/mile pace
- 0530
- South Mountain, AZ
- Ran the "National trail" from the end of San Juans road to the east end of South Mountain with Dean. This run was absolutely fantastic, maybe my favorite trail in Phoenix...it was just really cool, well, except for the steep uphill stretch from mile 3 to 4 when I was pathetically reduced to walking/hiking. The run across the top of the mountain was great though and worth it...as was the downhill, even though it seemed to take forever to get to it. Overall another great long run with Dean, who likes point to point runs as much as I do, which, thanks to Kim was possible. Very cool.
- Carried 40 ounces of liquid (16 h2o, 24 Gatorade)
- Ate 3 Gu's.
- No issues experienced with relation to my issue, seems I have no excuses anymore, though that issue is not yet resolved.
- 17 miles (10 miles + 7 miles)
- 8:43/mile pace
- 0600
- Reach 11, near IronChad's house
- Great way to log big mileage, meet up with IronChad and do his work out for the day...er, well, the running part of it at least. Chad and I met just before 6am, ran 10 miles, then he went off to bike for 30 minutes while I stretched and then sat in my car with my cell phone until he returned, after which we ran another 7 miles. The second leg was considerably hotter than the first, but all and all the time went by quickly, it was as fun as running 17 miles can be and I'm glad I joined him for the run portion of his day -- that stated, 17 miles may have been more than I was trained up for though...I had too much time on my feet type fatigue/aches throughout the rest of the day.
- Pace worked out to be 8:49/mile for first 10 miles then 8:35 for second leg.
- Mint chocolate Gu's are the greatest Gu's ever created.
- 13 miles
- 8:37/mile
- 0715
- From/To Home
- Got a sitter (Lauren) so Bec and I could run together, didn't feel very good/strong/spry, but managed to get the mileage in, inclusive of 1 mile of hills (over 59th, then in Thunderbird Park off road). Think maybe overall mileage caught up to me a bit as this shouldn't have been as hard as it was, but done now, streak goes on. (Also have been running in super-old shoes, so retired those after this run and bought some new Brooks today, first run with them should be tomorrow)
- 17.13 miles
- 8:30/mile pace
- 0803
- From/To Home
- Sherry came over to sit for the boys so that Bec and I could get in a run together -- it went pretty well, but was super windy. Right hip felt a little messed up for most of the run and overall didn't run real smoothly, but it wasn't too brutal.
- 10.61 miles
- 8:05/mile pace
- 1135
- From/To home (through T-Bird park and over hill at 59th)
- Ran hard, it was hard...hot day, felt like I was doing about 8:45 pace, but guess the return must've been faster than expected. First time I've hurt like that in a while, must take water with me next time, and a gu etc.
- 15 miles
- 8:50/mile pace
- 0700
- Mobile, AL -- Spring Hill, Mobile CC, USA, mutant duck park
- Long Run with Becca, felt OK, ate powerbar gels and carried Gatorade...hammies still felt a little tight, but not bad...still worried about eye swelling and itchy top of mouth, drives me insane.
- 14.03 miles
- Slow
- 0600
- From/To Mom and Dad's house
- 5 miles longer than my previous high for the year, probably not very smart -- took a digger with 2 miles to go, cut my knee, bled down leg and splattered over to other leg...just not in shape for a 14 miler, but that's what was on Becca's marathon schedule and she didn't want to do it alone. It was fun, but probably not so smart for me.
Sunday December 5, 2011
- 2 miles
- Hurt from yesterday's long run all day, was worried about being sick, felt better after run
- 9.25 miles
- Perfect overcast cool day for a long run -- ran on the canal, could've gone further...longest run since the sinus issues...still think I have lingering effects from that as I have sinus irritation that I never previously had. Anyway, good day, streak goes on.
OCTOBER 9, 2011
- 8 miles
- 9 min/mi pace (roughly, not yet wearing Garmin or any watch)
- From/to Home
- First run in a year with headphones/i-shuffle, concentrated on keeping pace slow as I feared I wouldn't be able to finish -- had resigned myself to run/walk if necessary, but didn't need to. Afternoon had slightly upset stomach, which I call the long run feeling, but still don't know if it may just be that I regularly drink too much chocolate milk after long runs, as I did this time as well. No I don't plan to stop the practice.
