| Location: Logan,UT, Member Since: Jan 26, 2009 Gender: Male Goal Type: Marathon Finish Running Accomplishments: Finished two Big Sur Marathons (BSIM) in 1999 (3:59 I think, and I can't remember exactly what year!) and 2008 (4:25.28). Had knee problems before 2008 BSIM and so didn't train sufficiently - hoping to stay injury free for 2009 event. 95:23 in 2006 in Tilden Tough Ten (10 miles) in Berkeley, Calif.
Logan First Dam Run 2006 53 mins (can't remember exactly) - Have to take these things more seriously!
Short-Term Running Goals: Break 3:45 in 2009 Big Sur Marathon and 3:30 in 2010.
Long-Term Running Goals: Run at least 1 Marathon and 1 1/2 Marathon every year . Personal: Single; Trying to learn Spanish - listening to Spanish radio podcasts while running - dos parajos de un tiro!
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 325.93 | 6.00 | 4.00 | 0.00 | 335.93 |
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| New Balance 817 Miles: 149.50 | Vibram KSO 5 Fingers Miles: 43.60 | Nike 5 Free Miles: 36.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 | |
| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.40 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.40 |
| Finally broke the slump caused by poor air, freezing rain and lack of motivation. Ran to mouth of Green Canyon and back. Snowed all the time. |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 8.43 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.43 |
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Up 1200 E, thru N. Logan and back on 1600E. Light to moderate snow, a bit wet and started to ice up on way back but pleasant and good air quality. Mondo hill on 3400N - remembered that I should have been in a seminar - playing hooky felt good though! 85.5 mins - time not great but trying to lay in a base. Enjoyable run.
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.00 |
| USU to Substation in Green Canyon. Lovely day and the Sun even poked through the clouds - 32 degrees so it felt like summer! |
| Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 4.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.00 |
| Tired today - want to do a long run this weekend so decided to work on the premise that a short run is better than a no run - 1700 N loop - easy direction...sunny but felt cold. Decided I prefer temps above 32 than below... |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 11.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 11.00 |
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Well, easy miles is a misnomer but they didn't fit into any of the other categories. Really cold but sunny - 15 degrees - air quality not horrible but not great either. USU -> Parking Lot in Green Canyon then to end of 1600 East in N. Logan and back to USU on 1200E. 121 minutes so 11 min. miles - but reasonably happy with this week, got some consistency and today the run felt like I could have pushed for 13 but the gym closes at 5 on Saturdays and I didn't have time. Rest day tomorrow......
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 7.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.00 |
| USU to green gate in GC. |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 3.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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Well, new shoes and a new, lighter, reflective running top so was feeling psyched. But I was barely in the cemetery next to USU when I slipped on some ice - thought the knee was shot again like last year at about this time. So tried to warm it up and massage it and finally it felt OK. Then 1.5 miles in some idiot in a big Chevy Suburban makes a really fast left turn behind me while I was still in the junction - probably the reflective top draw him in like a moth. It scared the daylights out of me - from then on couldn't concentrate on the Spanish radio podcast I was trying to listen to. Put in 2 sub-9 min miles and called it a day at 5. The New Balance 817s aren't exactly the most stylish but they are really comfortable.
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.50 |
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To GC. Air quality abysmal - way worse than SLC. Why don't we have smog testing here? Why don't we have random tail pipe remote sensing? Why don't we have an emissions tax on gas guzzlers and a bigger gas tax instead of furloughs from the state...why why why... why even ask..
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| New Balance 817 Miles: 6.50 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 9.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.00 |
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Green Air Day! To GC -> NL->USU.
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| New Balance 817 Miles: 9.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 13.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 13.00 |
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Smithfield. 10 min pace average.
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.50 |
| GC. Snowed. |
| New Balance 817 Miles: 6.50 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 4.90 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.90 |
| Almost to green gate in GC from USU - too much snow and ice to make it all the way. Lovely afternoon - sun came out and spectacular views of the Wellsville mountains. |
| New Balance 817 Miles: 6.90 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 7.20 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.20 |
| 1600E o&b |
| New Balance 817 Miles: 7.20 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 10.60 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 10.60 |
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1200E -> 3400N then back on 1600E taking in side trip to gate at GC.
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| New Balance 817 Miles: 10.60 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 16.10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 16.10 |
| Berkeley - trails muddy so did Inspiration Point rather than Strawberry canyon. In parts it was like heavy footing with so much mud on the shoes, a sport I'd never heard of until I saw it on the TV in the airport on the way here. Spectacular views of San Francisco and Golden Gate Bridge. Rained and was windy. |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 9.20 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.20 |
| Inspiration point - asphalt trail except for the last 1/2 mile and back at the half-way mark - so avoided the 7 mile muddy ups and downs of yesterday. Rained hard and lots of very strong wind. Good fun. 10.5 min miles. |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 9.20 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.20 |
| Last Bay Area run for a while! |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 8.40 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.40 |
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Back to Paradise with a vengeance. I failed the redneck test miserably - two 350 lb (+) guys roll up to the mouth of Green Canyon in giant pickups hauling Snow Kats replete with king size caterpillar tracks. One guy is so big he is oozing out of the window of his Kat. They then proceed to zoom up Green Canyon in a flurry of snow and fumes. I have no idea why or where they were going but try as I might I couldn't generate any sense of envy for their rigs...what's wrong with me? It just shows how 4 days in Berkeley can totally trash one's values....
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| New Balance 817 Miles: 8.40 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 9.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.00 |
| 1200 E -> 3700N and back on 1600E. Trying to string together back-to-back 60 mile weeks - hard going this week. Have a 17 miler scheduled for Saturday - so we'll see. |
| New Balance 817 Miles: 9.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 4.25 | 0.00 | 3.00 | 0.00 | 7.25 |
| USU -> Green Gate in Green Canyon and back - really hard to motivate myself to go but had a good run with 3 sub-9 min miles on the way back [admittedly 1.5 were downhill :-)].... |
| New Balance 817 Miles: 7.25 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Well, got side-swiped by a red air day alert which I wasn't expecting on a weekend - don't have time to spare today to go to Bear Lake and so the 60 mile week plan bites the dust. |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 8.60 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.60 |
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USU -> 3400N and back on 1600 East. Good air and warm; so warm, in fact, that I started to overheat a bit coming back. Great day for running - at last.
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| New Balance 817 Miles: 8.60 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.71 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.71 |
| Was shooting for 9 but tried a slightly different configuration of the same old routes, just for variety and it came out a bit short. Did manage a couple of 8:30 - 8:45 miles, I like the NB817s but today I kicked the inside ankle bone of the right foot at least 4 times with the back of the left shoe and now the skin is off. No idea why I've started to do this.
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| New Balance 817 Miles: 8.71 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 7.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.00 |
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| New Balance 817 Miles: 7.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 15.84 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 15.84 |
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Left from USU and went to Smithfield on 1200E; past 5000N to Pebble Creek Road and then back. Got lost in Smithfield and so had some backtracking to do. Then a friendly Golden Labrador adopted me for 1.5 miles and so had to stop at a house in N. Hyde Park and call owner - was waiting outside for him for 15 mins, so was stopped for 20 mins. Got really cold - in fact it felt brutally cold all the time. Then a couple stopped me to ask for directions - I thought of begging them to let me sit in their car to warm up. It's been a disappointing week mileage wise. In part due to (i) poor air at the start of the week and (ii) spending all afternoon yesterday trying to unblock a drain at home which meant I didn't run. But the real problem is the psychological trauma from pounding the long, cold, bleak Cache Valley highways. In Smithfield I had fantasies of dropping down into town, getting a Big Mac and Fries, and then the bus home. I'm really fed up. At least Jan. and Feb. are over....writing this in my office with a down parka on that's how cold I got.
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| New Balance 817 Miles: 15.84 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 8.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 |
| Poor air - mild temp. |
| New Balance 817 Miles: 8.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.40 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.40 |
| Token run... |
| New Balance 817 Miles: 6.40 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 8.60 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.60 |
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Shameful week last week! I had some sort of low level bug which I put down to getting chilled to the bone a week ago yesterday while rescuing the dog. It came and went all week but on Thursday and Friday I could hardly walk the 1 mile from home to work without breaking out into a sweat.
Gorgeous day - finally could run in shorts and the DEER TRAIL IS OPEN!!!! I don't think I could run the roads to Smithfield again if I got paid by the yard - at least not until next winter. I really hit a wall psychologically. Ran from USU to the power station in Green Canyon then along the Bonneville Trail to 1st Dam, then more or less along second stage of the 1st Dam 10 route and then back to USU. The deer trail had some snow but it was definitely runnable with outstanding views of the Wellsvilles. So.... Warm! Good air!
Shorts! No roads! Furlough next week - but even though it means losing money campus will be closed and so I can get some work done in peace and concentrate on the running too.
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| New Balance 817 Miles: 8.60 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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Obviously it was bad karma to get so excited yesterday. More than 1 foot of snow. Trails closed: roads impassable almost....oh well
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 7.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.00 |
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Couldn't stomach Smithfield
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| New Balance 817 Miles: 7.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 8.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.00 |
| Well, it seems like injuries kick in more or less 2/3rds though a marathon training schedule. Everyone I know personally who's training for a spring marathon was out injured last week. Rooster with his foot, another friend with a heel, another with her knee and last week my left knee started playing up again. Rested it and today it felt good. Up GC and back along deer trail. I won't comment on how good it felt to run on trails, in shorts, in a T-shirt, in the sun because last time I did we got a foot of snow the next day.
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| New Balance 817 Miles: 8.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.50 |
| The 5 finger experiment in Madrid officially begins! So far I have 75 miles on the 5 fingers, mainly with injinji socks. So far so good. Redrooster has a good summary of the barefooting experience. |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.50 |
| Today ran without the socks. It keeps one honest, much less cushioning and so have to run even more carefully on the ball of the foot. Felt great though. The worst surface is gravel where there are pieces of gravel that are roughly foot or toe sized. Fine gravel is fine - but it seems that you get used to whatever the ground throws at the KSOs. |
| Vibram KSO 5 Fingers Miles: 6.50 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.50 |
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I'm staying in the Residencia of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid which is about 15 miles N of Madrid. It's surrounded by a fairly large forest which has a series of trails - the outer loop is about 7 miles. To get there is about 3/4 mile on asphalt, then follows about 1.5 miles of gravel road and then trails. The gravel road had lots of toe sized stones which made running in the Fives a bit challenging in places - but this morning I encountered a road crew who are putting down a surface of fine gravel!!! It's a perfect surface for the Fives but I got to thinking - why not try actual barefoot, at least on that approx. 1 mile section? No reason not to try especially since the Fives are so light you can carry them. My running feels much springier, I'm much lighter on my feet and am really enjoying running a lot more - the time flies and it is starting to feel almost effortless. I now look forward to going to run which, in the past, I didn't always. As in the Born to Run book, the first challenge is "Easy"! Rooster - help me out, I don't have the book with me - what are the next stages before Fast?
Anyway, here are some random thoughts on the advantage of the Fives in no particular order:
(i) Improve running posture and if the barefooters are to be believed, which I think they are, this will cut back on injuries.
(ii) Light - it's like losing a kilo overnight.
(iii) Easy to transport - no more lugging bulky running shoes all over when travelling.
(iv) The experience of feeling the ground, being able to use one's toes while running, etc. is liberating.
(v) Legs feel (and look) much more toned. At first the calves were extremely sore but that has passed. Now I can actually see the improvement in the musculature of the entire leg. They are pretty ugly and at first it was hard to put them on but now the toes know their places!
In August I am planning on walking part of the Camino de Santiago again - this time the Camino Primitivo (last year it was 190 miles of the Camino del Norte) and, if I can stay injury free with the Fives, I will consider walking at least part of the Camino in them. Here is a link to a set of excellent reviews on the various minimalist shoes that currently exist.
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| Vibram KSO 5 Fingers Miles: 6.50 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.50 |
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Got up a little late this morning and so didn't have time to do the longer run that I'd planned - also, I didn't do the barefoot trial mainly because of time constraints. Will try that in the next few days - unfortunately the road crew put some coarser gravel on top of the perfect surface I saw yesterday...should have grabbed my chance then.
Fives holding up well. Am wearing the injinji socks during the day since I no longer use them to run in. Have a pair of Nike Free 5.0s which I wouldn't recommend for running - at least not as a substitute for the Fives or barefoot - I've removed the insoles and have run in them a couple of times, and, while they are very nice they still running shoes with all the usual problems associated with too much support and padding. But they are light and with the injinji socks are very comfortable for walking around in. No tengo el coraje ir andando descalzo en el Metro de Madrid! Autonoma
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| Vibram KSO 5 Fingers Miles: 6.50 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.50 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.50 |
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Autónoma loop again. I'm starting to feel a noticeable improvement in my running. Today a group of runners entered the main trail just ahead of me and were going at more or less my pace. Decided to try to pass them by upping the cadence on the Fives and blew by them with no problems on a hill. A bit later there is a bit you have to walk - basically there are steps down to a small bridge over a stream and then up again. After I had just reentered the trail a runner blasted past me so decided to chase him. Kept up with no effort but he lost me after about a mile when I had to slow down for a very gravelly patch. It literally felt like having another gear to switch up into.
I'm starting to think that the barefoot/fivefinger thing is 50% mental . Although the physical side - improved running form etc. is clearly important - I also feel much more in touch with the running and am not getting bored which has been a big problem for me in the past. I didn't have the GPS with me today so I have no idea if I actually have improved my pace, or what it was during the two roughly 3/4 mile sprints...but it certainly felt much better and if not much faster, I felt a lot stronger. With conventional running shoes I have never really been able to improve my performance significantly, even without injuries. This type of "pose" running seems to be the key.
It might all be wishful thinking but at least it's fun! On another note - I managed to hold a conversation with the Portero in the Residencia about cleaning schedules, when the sheets and towels get changed, and how to connect to the internet entirely in Spanish. Not great Spanish but they didn't try to switch into English - maybe they didn't speak English but in any case it felt like a minor victory. Then I had to go to the bank because my Caja Madrid ATM card stopped working yesterday - again, the transaction was conducted entirely in Spanish. I am thinking that I have the Fives to thank for that too but maybe that's a step too far :-)
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| Vibram KSO 5 Fingers Miles: 6.50 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 6.70 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 7.70 |
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Very tired this morning. Yesterday was the election for the Rector (President) of the Autónoma. Why don't we have a system like that instead of the hierarchical dictatorship we "enjoy" all the way up from the DH to the President. Anyway, each candidate has a team and my collaborator here was part of one of them - he was running for Vice Rector of Research. The idea was to go out for dinner to celebrate or commiserate depending on the results, which were supposed to come in around 9:30 pm. Well, "our team" made a reasonable showing but didn't make the next stage - since no one candidate got 50% the two top teams are in a runoff. The percentages were something like 35, 30, 28, 7. So, this being Madrid, we got to the restaurant at 10:30 pm and we were early. Hamilton's in Logan is usually closed by 9:30 - places here are barely open so early. We finally sat down around 11:30 and the food started arriving around midnight. It was a great place, typically Spanish, everyone squeezed together with lots of noise, smoking, wine, etc. The Spanish can hold 5 or 6 different conversations simultaneously and a lot of them are also on their cell phones at the same time. My Spanish simply shuts down completely under such circumstances. Being a vegetarian here is not easy - even the vegetarian looking things like beans have industrial quantities of chorizo in them. Some Spanish vegetarians consider jamón to be a vegetable. Anyway, I settled for bread and some very nice roasted veggies (which is what you always get if you're a veggie here, except in actual vegetarian restaurants). Ended up leaving at 2 pm and got to bed just a bit before 3. So when the alarm went off at 7 it was hard to get up but I imagined that empty entry in the blog and bit the bullet. Took the GPS and managed to do 1 mile at 8:30 pace with 1/2 of that at 8:00 (it was slightly downhill). Overall pace just below 10 but that included a couple of stops and there was a strong headwind for the first couple of miles.
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| Vibram KSO 5 Fingers Miles: 7.70 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 9.90 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.90 |
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Well, I had planned to do 10 today but 3 miles in an old injury suddenly reocurred which was a major disappointment - basically it's a pain on the top of the right foot. I was really surprised because yesterday all felt really good and strong - in fact I was walking up and down the steep steps in the Madrid Metro more or less on my toes for extra practice. So, I decided to cut to the usual 6.5 loop short and take a short cut that I had never done before and which I was sure would cut an extra mile or so out of that - it would have but it ended at a chain link fence at the local shooting club. Obviously it would be a mistake to bushwhack through that given that they were shooting in full force. So I backtracked and, like an idiot, took a wrong turn. So it ended up being almost 10 anyway. I was hoping to have a more positive report after a 50 mile week. Usually this thing just lasts a day or so and tomorrow is a rest day anyway - I'm off to El Escorial for paella with a friend. I think I've overdone it but we'll see. Also, I took a leaf out of Sasha's book and cut the front off some socks to help with the blister on my left heel. That worked great and left the toes freer than in the injinjis.
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| Vibram KSO 5 Fingers Miles: 9.90 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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Well, the paella was good but the foot was quite sore. I probably walked about 5 miles yesterday, including some steepish hills. Today it feels better but it isn't runnable. It could be a stress fracture - I have had this before, a number of years ago, and so maybe running in the KSOs brought it out because there was a weakness there already. The left foot is fine. I did edge into the KSOs relatively slowly (I thought) but maybe last week was just too big of a jump up in distance in them - but it was just so much fun.
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 2.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2.00 |
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Well, three weeks later and a shadow of my former self, I managed to put in a full 2 miles. Three weeks off takes its toll, especially while being daily tempted by the food and fun of Madrid. Anyway, decided to run around the playing field next to the Residencia in case things went wrong - for example, foot giving out half way through a 10 miler while getting also getting lost (see previous run entry). I wore the Nike 5 Frees - I don't really recommend them but I couldn't face going in my "Asics Gel Care Foot Coffins" which, incidentally, I bought here as walking shoes - they have at least helped the foot to heal and allowed me to walk quite a bit. So far so good - tocar madera.
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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Managed 5 around the "short bosque loop" with a couple on the field. Foot feels a bit sore today but I nursed it and am hoping that it has bottomed out.
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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In the UK this week - managed a few rubs last week - was at a conference in Lalin but didn't really keep track. Foot feeling much better but still aches a bit.
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 7.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.00 |
| To the "folly" in Lytham and back along the beach. | |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
| Easy 5 on beach. Ran into a razorfish along the way who expressed interest in being our dear leader. Looks pretty good - lacks a spine and, having no eyes, a sense of vision and so is a perfect fit. Have a phone call in to put its name forward but all I get is the recording "don't cry for me ...." (can't quite make out the last word...) | |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 7.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 5.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 |
| Well, back to reality. Walked 230 miles on the Camino de Santiago with a net 29,000 foot elevation gain (and more or less the same loss) in 13 days. But that meant no runs and so today's was hard but at least it's a start. Signed up for the Mesquite Marathon - 12 weeks to go - it's mainly for motivation and an excuse for a weekend in the south desert in November.
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Threshold Miles | VO2 Max Miles | Total Distance | | 325.93 | 6.00 | 4.00 | 0.00 | 335.93 |
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| New Balance 817 Miles: 149.50 | Vibram KSO 5 Fingers Miles: 43.60 | Nike 5 Free Miles: 36.00 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 | |
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