Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Behind and trying to Run.
I am so far behind on reading blogs at this point. I haven't read anyone's blog since last week and just have been swamped at work. I will make my best effort to get caught up by the end of the week.
Last week ran 45.5 miles, did speedwork on Tuesday and Thursday with only limited hamstring issues. Knee still bothers me once I do my long run and go over 12 miles but is tolerable.
This week will cut back some, I was in Pittsburgh Monday and Tuesday and took both days off to rest. Only one day of track session scheduled this week and probably will end up with a very modest 35 miles of running.
I will start doing more and more hill work in preparation for the Cincinnati Flying Pig Half Marathon. Try Piggy has promised me a free trip to London if I win hardware.
Enjoy the day everyone.
I am so far behind on reading blogs at this point. I haven't read anyone's blog since last week and just have been swamped at work. I will make my best effort to get caught up by the end of the week.
Last week ran 45.5 miles, did speedwork on Tuesday and Thursday with only limited hamstring issues. Knee still bothers me once I do my long run and go over 12 miles but is tolerable.
This week will cut back some, I was in Pittsburgh Monday and Tuesday and took both days off to rest. Only one day of track session scheduled this week and probably will end up with a very modest 35 miles of running.
I will start doing more and more hill work in preparation for the Cincinnati Flying Pig Half Marathon. Try Piggy has promised me a free trip to London if I win hardware.
Enjoy the day everyone.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Back to normal running.
Last week I manage to get 47.5 miles of running in. This despite the rain and freezing rain we had. The speed work sort of sucked, could barely keep the pace going for the intervals of running 5:30 pace with 8:00 pace for 4 miles. Sunday I did do 16 mile run at an easy 8:10 pace as my knee, hamstring and heel are all still tender. Nothing to serious but didn't want to push it to hard.
This week I still plan on running somewhere between 42-50 miles and do some 800 meter work at the track on Thursday along with double runs on Tue and Thur.
Feels good to finally be past the slug stage and moving up to snail stage. Still a lot of work to do to get ready for the Flying Pig and running a decent half marathon.
Enjoy the day everyone!
Last week I manage to get 47.5 miles of running in. This despite the rain and freezing rain we had. The speed work sort of sucked, could barely keep the pace going for the intervals of running 5:30 pace with 8:00 pace for 4 miles. Sunday I did do 16 mile run at an easy 8:10 pace as my knee, hamstring and heel are all still tender. Nothing to serious but didn't want to push it to hard.
This week I still plan on running somewhere between 42-50 miles and do some 800 meter work at the track on Thursday along with double runs on Tue and Thur.
Feels good to finally be past the slug stage and moving up to snail stage. Still a lot of work to do to get ready for the Flying Pig and running a decent half marathon.
Enjoy the day everyone!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Training for Flying Pig half Marathon (Sunday May 6th) is underway.
Despite my feeling like a slug lately and running slower than I would like, I have started my Pig training. Of course this means Try Piggy needs to come across the pond and run it with me (he can be the Pace Piggy). I suspect Running Rabbit (she can be the pace bunny) will run that race not sure who else will though.
Goal for this week is just get my mileage back into the 40+ mile for the week as I start pushing it closer to 45-50 mile weeks. Tuesday did my first 2 x day for the year, will do it again on Thursday with some attempt at track work on the second session. Hopefully will be able to do 6 x 800 meters at a 3 min pace. Goal for the race is to break 1:30:00 on a rolling hill course. Should be challenging and fun to try.
It finally became cold (it was 35 and windy) and will stay that way for a few days. I actually had to wear gloves and a long sleeve shirt for a change.
Despite my feeling like a slug lately and running slower than I would like, I have started my Pig training. Of course this means Try Piggy needs to come across the pond and run it with me (he can be the Pace Piggy). I suspect Running Rabbit (she can be the pace bunny) will run that race not sure who else will though.
Goal for this week is just get my mileage back into the 40+ mile for the week as I start pushing it closer to 45-50 mile weeks. Tuesday did my first 2 x day for the year, will do it again on Thursday with some attempt at track work on the second session. Hopefully will be able to do 6 x 800 meters at a 3 min pace. Goal for the race is to break 1:30:00 on a rolling hill course. Should be challenging and fun to try.
It finally became cold (it was 35 and windy) and will stay that way for a few days. I actually had to wear gloves and a long sleeve shirt for a change.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
I feel like a slug.
Yes I have officially hit slug status. No speed, to much craving for chocolate and not enough runs. Sure I could blame the marathon last month or other such physical issues. They no doubt have contributed to them.
The real reason is I am just not focused right now. To distracted by things going on in life (ah the attempt to find balance is always a struggle). With my body recovering faster than my mental focus I need to start getting into the groove again. I have cancelled going to any races for the next month and will not run another race until early March. That will be a 5K and I am going to target as close to 19 minutes as I can achieve. This will require focus and actually doing my speed work.
I have always considered myself an average runner who trys hard. Now is the time to start trying hard again. Time to build up the mileage, do the Thursday track work outs and 2 x a day on Tuesday and Thursday.
Focus is what I have to find again.
Yes I have officially hit slug status. No speed, to much craving for chocolate and not enough runs. Sure I could blame the marathon last month or other such physical issues. They no doubt have contributed to them.
The real reason is I am just not focused right now. To distracted by things going on in life (ah the attempt to find balance is always a struggle). With my body recovering faster than my mental focus I need to start getting into the groove again. I have cancelled going to any races for the next month and will not run another race until early March. That will be a 5K and I am going to target as close to 19 minutes as I can achieve. This will require focus and actually doing my speed work.
I have always considered myself an average runner who trys hard. Now is the time to start trying hard again. Time to build up the mileage, do the Thursday track work outs and 2 x a day on Tuesday and Thursday.
Focus is what I have to find again.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Yesterday I ran the Half marathon and it has been 4 weeks to the date since the Vegas Marathon. I was not expecting a PR but thought I would produce acceptable results for myself.
Unfortunately the body felt otherwise, legs are still beat up and with the warm temps (it was 70 degrees for the race) creating asthma issues I ran my 2nd worse half marathon. Final time was 1:36:17 and finished 3rd in age group (M 45-49). It is a small race and not as competitive so that allowed me to win some hardware.
I am still sore from the effort of yesterday and realize I need to take some more time off to fully recover. Lower legs just don't feel good and I am probably 4 weeks away from getting the "fire in the belly" again. Goal is still to run a 40 min 10K at Oak Island and break 1:30:00 at the Flying Pig half marathon.
Enjoy the day everyone.
Kurt
Unfortunately the body felt otherwise, legs are still beat up and with the warm temps (it was 70 degrees for the race) creating asthma issues I ran my 2nd worse half marathon. Final time was 1:36:17 and finished 3rd in age group (M 45-49). It is a small race and not as competitive so that allowed me to win some hardware.
I am still sore from the effort of yesterday and realize I need to take some more time off to fully recover. Lower legs just don't feel good and I am probably 4 weeks away from getting the "fire in the belly" again. Goal is still to run a 40 min 10K at Oak Island and break 1:30:00 at the Flying Pig half marathon.
Enjoy the day everyone.
Kurt
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
In our local running club we have the Grand Prix races that some of us compete in each year. Typically it is 10 races and had not changed much in 3 years. After this season some of us more competitive runners (anything for hardware) approach the Board Race director and recommended we change the races up and spread them out. The GP typically had 3 races in November (a 10K, half and then a 5K) in consecutive weeks and by the time of the 5K we usually tired and not at our peak to excel in the 5K.
So after the group discussed this issue we dropped two races and added two races. The two that were dropped were the two biggest in town (Tri Span 10K in July and I hate that one) and the Battleship half marathon in November. Now we have everyone bitching and complaining about it. The kicker is nothing stops them from running it, it will just not be part of the GP series this year and many of them just participate in a few of the races with no opportunity to win an age group or overall awards.
The result is at the next board meeting (January 10th) the GP races will be debated again even though the first event is this Saturday and the schedule has been published.
It is interesting how little things tend to rile up runners when most of them will not even participate in the events. Should be a very interesting board meeting next Wednesday.
Enjoy the day everyone.
So after the group discussed this issue we dropped two races and added two races. The two that were dropped were the two biggest in town (Tri Span 10K in July and I hate that one) and the Battleship half marathon in November. Now we have everyone bitching and complaining about it. The kicker is nothing stops them from running it, it will just not be part of the GP series this year and many of them just participate in a few of the races with no opportunity to win an age group or overall awards.
The result is at the next board meeting (January 10th) the GP races will be debated again even though the first event is this Saturday and the schedule has been published.
It is interesting how little things tend to rile up runners when most of them will not even participate in the events. Should be a very interesting board meeting next Wednesday.
Enjoy the day everyone.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Here are the basics of my last year and comparisions to the previous years:
Year # of Runs Total Miles Avg Run Distance
2006 313 1,853.10 5.920447284
2005 329 1,825.15 5.547568389
2004 285 1,683.90 5.908421053
Overall 2006 I ran around 25 or so races (I lost count) and placed in the age group in almost all of them. My hightlight of the year was Gasparilla where I won 2nd place male master out of the 400 or so who competed in the 3 races for the Jeep Challenge.
Other highlights included setting course PR's on several courses and a new Master's PR in the half marathon. I also won the overall Grand Prix series this year after struggling with some illness earlier in the year.
I met several new people this year. The Reliable Leslie and her husband, Coach Tammy, Bill the slow twin and his brother the fast twin, and Bruce The How in Chicago. I met Matt and several others in Las Vegas for dinner for a large group meeting the night before the race.
I have enjoyed getting to know the circle of blog friends and look forward to watching the progress of everyone as they continue to run and face new challenges.
Overall it was a good year but now it is time for me to focus on running faster for 2007. I will also have to break down and buy me new favorite racing socks as they are still somewhere either in Seattle (being held hostage by Jessi no doubt)
Enjoy the day and the year everyone.
Kurt
Year # of Runs Total Miles Avg Run Distance
2006 313 1,853.10 5.920447284
2005 329 1,825.15 5.547568389
2004 285 1,683.90 5.908421053
Overall 2006 I ran around 25 or so races (I lost count) and placed in the age group in almost all of them. My hightlight of the year was Gasparilla where I won 2nd place male master out of the 400 or so who competed in the 3 races for the Jeep Challenge.
Other highlights included setting course PR's on several courses and a new Master's PR in the half marathon. I also won the overall Grand Prix series this year after struggling with some illness earlier in the year.
I met several new people this year. The Reliable Leslie and her husband, Coach Tammy, Bill the slow twin and his brother the fast twin, and Bruce The How in Chicago. I met Matt and several others in Las Vegas for dinner for a large group meeting the night before the race.
I have enjoyed getting to know the circle of blog friends and look forward to watching the progress of everyone as they continue to run and face new challenges.
Overall it was a good year but now it is time for me to focus on running faster for 2007. I will also have to break down and buy me new favorite racing socks as they are still somewhere either in Seattle (being held hostage by Jessi no doubt)
Enjoy the day and the year everyone.
Kurt
