Another Bagel run without bagels

Today is special day for me. Twenty years and one day ago I decided to finish my career as a speed-skater and start running on the next day. Therefore, today is my 20th anniversary of running. It has had its peaks and lows, but I'm still rolling! Enjoying the opportunity if nothing else. And to celebrate this occasion I ran 20 miles (6.40/mile, thanks Bob and Brian for the company). It was also a good run for Boston.

February 299.99 miles (where is my 0.01 miles).

Rolling Friday

Last night I had a hard time get some sleep. My stomach was burning from tempo run, brain was still enthusiastic on Satyricon's charismatic performance and legs were hurting while resting. Not good. But I got a good change to continue reading "Running with the Buffaloes". However, 3,5 hours sleep is not enough at all.

In the morning we ran with sweetie ~9 miles and what a joy it was. I couldn't believe that legs were this co-operative, weather was suprisingly warm and sun was coloring the sky with orange. Oh man I like this...

Workout Thursday

BWI trail and tempo run. That should be an easy and enjoyable combination. Partly it was, but when the "hills" started after 6-7 km my legs started to shut down. As I expected they are still really tired from Sunday's race. Anyway I'm satisfied with today's run mainly because after the meltdown I was able to gain some speed again for the last two kilometers. However, instead of 15km (9.3 miles) tempo run I chose do to 7.5 miles (5.47/mile). Just because.

In all, afternoon's adventure was ~12 miles (6.17/mile).

Not dead yet

Morning jog - 5.5 miles (7.25/mile). Hamstrings are feeling better, lightly looser at least. I like that. In the evening it's time for some type of group run, and tomorrow I'm hoping to get to back to routines with moderate tempo run.

Evening's group run was not at all any good effort (on my behalf), 10.5 miles (6.58/mile). Company was great - of course - but otherwise I was suffering. I'm not sure if my legs have recovered from Sunday after all. In addition, I had minor stomach problems. Tired legs, however, is THE sign of getting old and that's the way it is. But I'll try to get back on the road tomorrow.

Crawling

Hamstrings - their hollowness is back. I dislike that feeling from my guts. At the same time I feel afraid that last August-September -downturn comes around again. But in reality it's all about recovery, and thus, I'll have to push the brakes just one more day. A 6-miler and some tired strides.

Slow and aching

Monday's only athletic effort was an easy 5-miler with aching legs. But no worries - the ache is only temporary.

Club Challenge

Today we had the annual RRCA 10M Club Challenge here in Columbia. I got a bit too nervous before the race. Maybe that's because of I haven't raced so much lately. My aim was to run faster than last year. Thinking at this point it was too low goal, since I improved my time by 2 minutes. I ran 55.20 (5.32/mile) which means that I IMPROVED my PR from Broadstreet by 5 seconds(!). The margin between I and Izzy was less than 0.5 seconds... He did it again, but I'm happy for him. He's surely coming back!

Carlos ended up with 2nd place, Tom was 3rd and we were on 5th and 6th place. In all, I'm happy with the race, the cruising pace and with the feeling on hills. Maybe the eight mile was too slow, but ... I don't care. The course is not fastest, but it's a course. Weekly mileage was only 58 with one active rest day.

Saturday without a bagel

Just a sissy tune-up. 3 miles and some strides.

Another easy Friday

No morning run due to work related reasons. In the afternoon I crawled through a tired 6-miler (7.00/mile). Now I gotta gather myself together and get ready for some Meshuggah!

Workout Thursday

This is more like it. I cruised to HCC and headed to the paved pathway that goes around the track. It was time for fartlek. I decided to run 6x3min. + 4x1min. which turned out to be a nice choice. Legs were still out there from yesterday but I was able to roll relaxed and with decent pace (3mins: 5.17-5.08 and minutes sub 4.50 pace). In all this workout was ~12 miles (6.45/mile). I'm hungry.

Workout Wednesday

I rolled an easy 8 miler this morning (7.40/mile). Added some strides and drills and now my butt hurts even more. This evening it's time for group run and pizza! Go Striders!

Yesterday evening we visited an indoor meet (MD State Champs) at Landover. Seemingly a huge number of spectators does not affect negatively to the performances on track. That many PRs were produced...

Okay. Wednesday is not really a workout day for me. Junk mileage if nothing else. Or maybe I was just done due to morning drills. Group run was for me 8 miles (7.10/mile).

P.I.t.A

Easy week continues with serious butt pain due to yesterdays hike. If you have ever been hiking to the Old Rag, you surely know that trail sets some requirements for elasticity. And I don't have any. Todays only run, ez 5 miles, is done and I'm ready for whatever - for work for starters.

Old Rag

No running for this engine today. Just a day hike (5hrs) at Shenandoah. What a nice start for an easy week.

Easy on a Sunday morning

We ran about 8 miles of which 6 was done at Pat's 50th birthday run. Congrats Pat! Weekly dosage 86 miles. And sun is shining again.

Long run

Saturday morning and long run. The usual that is. I did 17.5 miles (6.57/mile) accompanied with Jason and the Beast (well, he continued for 2.5 more miles). This short run means also that I did NOT hit 80 miles in six days. Only 78.5 is done (last 7 days is 93), but I have one day to go...

In your face DS!

I think that I kicked that Downward Spiral to the future. I really think so. Hitting the brakes helped for sure, and today morning an ez 8.5 miler felt pretty okay. At least it made me smile, but it could also be sweetie's funny restlessness.

What comes to yesterday and Wednesday, I have to "learn" - once again - that I should not mess with my engine too much. Ten years ago it was a different thing, younger man in his peak. Then it just did not slow down, and I could hit daily dose of 20 miles with no regrets. Nowadays, I'll have concentrate more on what to do and not to do. That's boring, since I haven't yet found my way. So I usually just do. That's better than nothing? But if I only would remember that the next goal is to do better in Boston than in Chicago and proceed accordingly. Then I might think that being this slow with this effort is not that bad after all. I'm still running. Dude, don't think too much. A little less conversation, little more action, please?

Losing it...

It catched me after all, the downward spiral. The alarm is now on. Todays tempos sucked. And I sucked. Carlos and I did 4x6min.'2 min. (5.40-5.38/mile) + 3x1min.'2min. (sub 5.00/mile) tempo runs. Carlos went his pace and I struggled with slower pace (shown in brackets) than I did my long tempo on Monday. This means that I lost the "rendo" and I'm sort of overdoing this - again. During the last 3.5 days I have done 53 miles, and now it's time for pay the dues. Monday I was flying and today.... not so much.

Workout Wednesday

Morning included an easy 5-miler. In the evening it's time for another group run. Hopefully, we'll hit the club challenge course today.

And we did. We ran our group run on the club challenge course. I added some kms in order to gather 12.5 miles for the evening (6.40/mile), and did again a couple of strides at the end. Today was in all 17.5 miles.

Another day

I was dead tired this morning, but I was able to crawl through a 6-miler. Suprisingly, I did not have the usual day-after-feeling fulfilled with hurting hamstrings and beaten legs. Today I was just tired and smiling.

In the evening I did another easy 6-miler (6.55/mile) and some strides. Stomach wasn't too co-operative.

Monday tempo

I really don't what happened. Is it the XC nationals, is it that I met Fam on Saturday, I dunno. Today I rolled - I mean ROLLED - the most enjoyable tempo run of 8 miles (@ 5.42 pace, last 2ks were 5.30/mile).

The tricky issue is that I planned to run 12k instead of 13k. The difference is not that huge, but the idea that I felt so loose that I did not even realize of running "too much" hits me. Usually this kind of easiness means that in a week or two I'm meeting a M.D. and discuss about the length of the non-running period at hand (of course caused by whatever injury). Hopefully this scenario does not happen now. I've been there way too many times. The problem is that every single time it has been up to me. Am I man enough to take it easy???

Today was in all ~12 miles (6.10/mile). Nice!

Here you have some photos from Saturday.

Sunny long run

Ooooh what a weather, almost 65 F!!! We ran long run on the BWI trail which turned out to be my next base for long tempo runs. Sun was also out and did not leave us without noticing. Nice. 15 miles (8.10/mile) + some strides. I'm still jazzed up of yesterday (meeting Fam and watching US XC nationals through lense). Weekly total 77 miles.

It is something

I'm still delighted. Today I met Fam, took several photos of talented runners, met new people, walked around in sunshine, enjoyed morning 6-miler with sweetie and met an old colleague of mine. What a day!

Easy Friday

I just rolled an easy 10-miler + 4*100m strides. We got to watch an awesome sunrise. Spring is just around the corner. I feel it! In the evening we heading to Chevy Chase to see Fam and Nate Jenkings!!! And tomorrow I'm following USA XC nationals behind my Canon. That's neat!

Thursday tempo

What a crispy morning we had. Some 13 degrees with a brisk wind from north, I think. It felt like home again. We did with Carlos a tempo run consisting of 4*4 min. + 2*1 min. My engine and legs were not some much into morning tempos, and I had a hard time to keep up with Carlos (but of course the fact that he's faster than me might have something to do with this). Pace (5.33-5.23/mile) was around there where I was hoping it to be. Faster would always be better, but that's for the next time then. However, it was a decent workout for Boston. During the fast session of 2*1 min. I once again sucked pretty bad in running among school buses. Yeah, I know, another sad excuse...

In all, morning workout wasn't that bad and it produced 9+ miles @ 6.30 pace.

Workout wednesday

No morning run today due to work-related occasion. In the evening we had a nice group run. I did ~12miles (6.50/mile). Slightly too fast, but felt loose. Hopefully I have enough energy for tomorrow's tempo runs with Captain Carlos.

Tuesday tempo

I woke up a little later (6.15) in order to make morning's (moderate) tempo run easier. It helped, since I rolled 10k @ 5.54 pace (36.40, last km was 3.25) rather effortless. Remembering that nowaways this pace is not so everyday issue as it used be, I'm even more satisfied with it. Due to unstable conditions on pavements I chose - again - to run around the mall. In all, morning was +9 miles (6.31/mile).


In the evening I enjoyed these roads with decent grip altogether of 5.5 miles (7.30/mile). Suprisingly hamstrings were bit sore from the morning.

Pepsi Max?

This morning running felt loose, easy and just great. In addition, sun was shining. 6-miler (7.00/mile). Maybe it's because of this. Afternoon is dedicated for rest.

Penguin Pace

Penguin Pace 5k here in Columbia. I aimed at 16.30 (at least) but ended up with not-too-satisfying 16.45 and took second place. Carlos was 25 seconds faster today. I'm slightly disappointed because I ran that same time alone in the dark in the early December, so training is going well...? Only thing that eases the pain is that Dec test run was not on this course.... this course is not the PR course. So should I stop whining and just be happy. Oooooh what a joy! No really, I'm feeling just okay with this one. Good tune-up for something. Weekly mileage 77.