March 10th- March 16th

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." - Helen Keller

Monday:   

8 AM:  50mins at the gym

Warmup: Rowing and mobility

DB Shoulder Press
5x10 @ 40

Dropset DB Laterial raises
10 @ 25
10 @ 20
10 @ 15

Dropset DB Front raises
10 @ 20
10 @ 15
10 @ 10

Straight Leg Lifts
4x10

Planks side to side
4x20

Flutter Kicks
4X30

Hip Abductor Machine
4x10 @ 175

2 PM: 5.2miles averaging 8:15pace.  Easy shakeout jog from the house. First half with Venus and also half of it on the beach.  Legs are shit today from the long run yesterday. Not surprising considering it was all on concrete and flat as hell which I am not used to. Even flat long runs at home I get 500-1000ft, here I am lucky to get 100-200ft. Anyways moving on, and something to think about for a 100 miles of that in 2 weeks.  Did see dolphins while running today though, that was cool.

Tuesday:  

8 AM:  52mins in the gym

Warmup: Rowing and mobility

Pull-ups
40 in sets of 10

V-Bar Lat Pulldowns
4x10 @ 100

Single arm DB rows
4x10 @ 55

Rope Cable Face Curls
4x10 @ 30

Ez-Bar 21's
3 rounds @ 50

Ez-Bar Bent Over Rows
4x10 @ 80

Weighted Abmat Situps
4x10 @ 25

Toes Elevated J-Curls
4x12 @ 35

11 AM: 8.2 miles averaging 7min pace.  Easy with 6x30sec strides w/ 3-4min recovery between each one. Felt like I was moving slow but not a bad pace overall. Really pondering dropping from the race next week today... Love the process but dreading racing right now.

Wednesday:

8 AM:  58mins in the gym

Warmup: Rowing and mobitlity

DB Incline Bench Press
4x10 @ 45

Chest Flies
3x10 @ 22.5

Dips
3x30secs w/ 1 min recovery

Super Set x3
10 Ez-Bar Tricep pushdown @ 60
10 EZ-Bar Reverse Tricep pushdown @ 30

Side Bends
3x12 @ 35

Pushups
3x45secs w/ 1 min recoveries

Single leg calf raises
3x10 @ 25

Planks
4x1min w/ 30sec recoveries

- Walked the 400m down to the beach to watch sunrise this morning before going to the gym, even did a time lapse video for I thought that would be cool but can't find it on my phone anywhere.  Guessing it did not save for some reason.  I will try again in the near future on a clear day.

1 PM:  8 miles averaging 6:45pace.  Easy warmup then steady state until I hit mile 8 then called it. Workout was supposed to be for an hour but hit mile 8 at 54mins and was close to the house so called it. It is taper time so figured that was the right call. Steady state was between 5:50-6:30, a lot of bouncing in that pace range, goal was to keep the HR between 140-150, did go over a few times.

Thursday:  

  -NOTE:  Weight check in:  No scale here yet.  Probably best I don't know, feeling fat as fuck.

2 PM: 8.2 miles averaging 7:30pace. Easy cruise as an out and back from the house on the bike path the race will be on. Almost skipped today for motivation is really low lately. Not much to choose from to run and getting tired of pretty much the same thing everyday. First 2 miles were a slog due to my mindset but got better as I went along.

Friday:

8 AM:  50mins at the gym

Warmup: Rowing and mobility

Wide Stance Squats on Smith Machine

4x10 @ 135

DB Double RDL

4x10 @ 55

Single Leg extend

4x10 @ 40

Single Leg Calf Raises

4x10 @ 25

Hip Abductor Machine

4x10 @ 160

Flutter Kicks

4x30

AB Wheel rollouts

3x10

1 PM: 8 miles averaging 6:50pace.  Easy miles with 6x30sec strides. First 2.5 miles with Venus, dropped her off at the house then did the strides and the rest of the run. Strides are getting faster, today they were around the 4:30pace... good sign? Anyways, another day I had to drag my ass out the door but was good once I got going.

Saturday: 

7 AM:  6.21 miles in 36:22 averaging 5:51pace.  Running of the Leprechauns 10K in Nags Head, NC. Paula and I decided to drive an hour south on the island to do a local race. She ran the 5k and I did the 10k. Put this as a hard tempo effort for the HR did not get over 155 until the last mile and half or so. Ended up 2nd overall about 25secs behind 1st and 3rd was over 6 mins behind me. 1st place guy created a large gap in the first mile for I did not go out very quickly and I kept closing it but ran out of space at the end. Never felt like I was breathing hard even at the higher heart rates, sea level is wonderful in that sense.  Had a great time!!! Needed to run something different besides from the house that I have been doing the past few weeks.

Sunday:  

9 AM: 9.5 miles averaging 7:30pace.  Easy cruise from the house. Pretty much the same route as the past few weeks with small changes here or there. Woke up and the legs felt great from yesterday moving around the house but once I started jogging I could feel the race in my legs from yesterday. Now sort of regretting doing it. I did not go all out so thought I was good. Oh well, have a week to turn it around.  Spent the rest of the day doing chores around the beach house so I don't have to do anything the rest of the week.  Replaced all the vents, replaced all the door knobs, did a Goodwill drop, replaced a bunch of blinds, and fixed a bunch of water damaged drywall in the laundry room.  Think that is about all that was on the list for this trip.  Finally done with it all I think.....

45mins in the air boots this evening.

Total Weekly Numbers

Going to be honest... I am ready to get this 100 over with next weekend.  I am honestly not that excited by it like other 100s right now for some reason.  Trying to figure out why that is, actually still pondering dropping down to the 100K instead but there is something about the 100 miles where you start on the North end and end on the South end of the islands, 100K starts in the middle, not as cool.  Anyways should hopefully get my head right this week.  Not a bad taper week overall.  Prob should not have done that 10K on Saturday but oh well, we had a blast and that is why we do this shit.  Plus I need to change where I have been running, it was getting old doing the same thing every day.  Hoping for a less stressful week at work than it has been the past 2 weeks, I need that going into the race.  Sigh.... back to work this Monday morning.

March 3rd - March 9th

"Being young isn't about age; it's about being a free spirit." - Lesley "Twiggy" Lawson

Monday:   

--  So it begins... We got about 2 hours west of Kansas City last night before noticing that the front tire was losing a lot of air quickly.  Of course everything is closed on Sunday so parked at the gas station next to an air pump so we can put air into the tire in the morning and go to the Walmart tire shop at 7am when they opened.  Well did that and found out we had a cracked rim, WTF???  No idea how that happened and of course being a Mercedes no one had a spare rim that fit in small town Kansas so we had to put the spare on and high tail it to a Kansas City Mercedes dealership where they had 1 rim left, damn lucky.  By the time that was replaced and $250 later it was after 1pm before we were on the road again.  Drove all the way to just past Louisville KY where we spent the night.  Of course it was late by the time we pulled over, we pushed it to try and make up for the time we lost, we were trying to stay in front of a storm that was sweeping across the nation which is why we left on Sunday afternoon in the first place... good times.

Tuesday:  

---  Another 12 hours worth of driving and even longer with the stops today.  Drove the rest of the way arriving at the house in OBX around 8pm and beat the storm by half a day.  Super long day and of course we were both cranky but happy to report even after over 3 years together we did not get a short fuse at all with each other.  That is a great sign.  Now just regretting all the work emails and issues I am going to return to tomorrow after being off the past few days for the drive, hate how hard it is for me to take a full day or more off work anymore.

Wednesday:

11 AM:  7.75miles averaging 8min pace.  Easy spin from the house in OBX (OBX is what locals call the Outerbanks islands). Mostly road but did find a very small trail system that had just over a mile of trails that I jumped on and also did about a mile or so on the beach. Super windy today as a storm is blowing in and is supposed to hit us later this afternoon/evening. Legs of course are shit after taking the last 2 days off to drive across the country.  The storm hit hard this evening to the point where the house was even rocking some.  Winds got up to 75mph and raining like mad.  Glad we got here when we did, guess it dropped snow across most of the country we just drove across.

--  Paula and I both put in for the New York Marathon lottery last week, drawing was today.  No luck for either of us... Someday.

Thursday:  

  -NOTE:  Weight check in:  Nope.  No scale here, might buy one to leave here but have not decided yet.

7 AM:  10.8 miles averaging 7:30pace.  Easy out and back from the house on the Blackbeard 100 course. This will most likely be the majority of my runs while I am here the next month. Not much else to run besides on the beach. Legs are still shit but better than yesterday so hopefully that will be the trend the next few days, better and better.  Of course I had to get a photo with the Shad Street sign.

--  Took Venus down to the beach finally, her first time seeing a real beach and the ocean.  Yeah, she did not care and did not want the water to touch her paws.  When the waves came in she ran away up the beach.  She is not a water dog at all.

Friday:

9 AM:  54mins at the gym... Joined a small little gym across the road from the beach house for a month.  Pricey but the best deal I could find in the area.. Hell the nice rec center was $360 per person per month... HELL NO.... This was about 150 for a month so better use it.

Warmup: Rowing and Mobility

DB Chest Press
4x10 @ 55

DB Chest Flies
3x10 @ 20

DB Shoulder Press
4x10 @ 30

DB Laterial Raises
3x10 @ 20

DB Bentover rows
4x10 @ 35

Lat Pulldowns
4x10 @ 100

Ez-bar tricep pushdowns
3x10 @ 60

DB Bicep curls
3x12 @ 20

Plank side to side
3x20

Hip Abduction Machine
4x10 @ 145

11:30 AM:  11.5miles averaging 6:55pace.  Easy from the house with 8x30sec strides w/ 3min recoveries in the middle of the run. Felt so much better than yesterday and think I am turning a corner from the travel to here.

Saturday: 

7 AM:  50 mins at the gym

Warmup: Rowing and mobility

Wide Stance Squats on Smith Machine
4x10 @ 135

DB Double RDL
4x10 @ 50

Single Leg extend
4x10 @ 40

Single Leg Calf Raises
4x10 @ 25

Hip Abductor Machine
4x10 @ 160

Planks
4x1min w/ 30sec recoveries

Flutter Kicks
4x30

AB Wheel rollouts
3x10

9 AM: 10.2miles averaging 7:30pace.  Easy run from the house. Was supposed to do 4x4mins at marathon pace but did not have it in me today to push at all so just jogged out the required time on the plan. Lifted legs before hand which I should have known better.

Sunday:  

8 AM: 20miles averaging 7:45pace. Easy long run from the house. Took Venus out for the first 3 miles of the run before dropping her off and jogging the rest of it out. Last long run before the taper. Tried to keep it around what I think the effort will be in 2 weeks at the race, HR around 120 or less most of the time.

Total Weekly Numbers

LONG WEEK!!!!  Feels like it was just a damn long week with the drive, all the issues during the drive then trying to get settled in here in OBX for the next month.  Considering I missed a bunch of training at the beginning of this week still not a bad week going into the taper, not ideal but not bad.  Hopefully we start to find somewhat of a routine this week and are a little bit more productive.  Also need to get back to reading, have not picked up a book in almost 2 weeks now.

February 24th - March 2nd

"Be a yardstick of quality.  Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected."     -Steve Jobs

Monday:   

8 AM:  6.4 miles averaging 7:20pace.  Two easy laps of Davidson Mesa. Kept the HR under 130 which is why I call it easy even though the pace is in the low 7s... Interesting to me how much the HR can vary day to day for the same paces.

10 AM: 55mins at the gym

Warmup: Treadmill walk and mobility

Wide Stance Back Squat
4x10 @ 95 -- light to work on mobility

Leg Press Machine
10 @ 190
10 @ 200
10 @ 200
10 @ 210

Single leg quad extend
4x10 @ 45

Lying Leg Curls
4x10 @ 105

Machine seated calf raises
4x15 @ 180

Hip Adduction machine
4x10 @ 145

Machine standing calf raises
3x15 @ 190

Machine sitting hamstring curls
3x10 @ 70

Barbell RDLs
4x10 @125

1:30 PM: 2.5 mile dog walk around the open space adding 4 more laps to the count on the year followed by 20mins in the hot tub.  Interesting how much harder the 20mins is in the hot tub when it is 70 degrees outside verses 40 degrees like it has been.

Tuesday:  

9 AM:  10.6 miles averaging 7:10pace.  Easy laps of the open space by the house with 8x30sec strides in the middle of the run with 2-3 mins easy between. Knocked out another 19 laps so only 849 left... only...

4 PM: 1 hour at the gym.

Warmup: elliptical

4 Supersets
Pullups to failure
12 Lat Pulldowns @ 100lbs

Circuit x3
10/10 single arm cable row @ 35lbs
10/10 single arm reverse bicep curls @ 20lbs

Reverse Flys Machine
4x15 @ 55lbs

DB Bicep Curls
4x15 @20lbs

EMOM
30sec back extends @ 35lbs
30sec Plate Gun Hold @ 35lbs
30sec Plate Situps @ 35lbs

Torso Rotations
3x10 each way @ 150lbs

Wednesday:

8 AM:  11.1 miles averaging 6:45pace.  Laps over at Davidson Mesa. 3 mile easy warmup followed with about 50mins at steady state pace which is just a little bit slower than marathon pace. I clocked this around 6:30-6:40. Basically just kept the HR around 140 give or take 5 beats. This was one of my better runs in the past 2 weeks. Felt like I got in strong work without putting myself into the ground like I normally do. Making progress.

5:30 PM:  1 hour at Deep Stretch class at VASA.  Just holding stretching positions from 2-3mins each.  

Thursday:  

-- Gave up today trying to get in anything.  Every time I stepped away from my desk work would blow up.  Made it about 15mins only in the garage gym but that was it.  Not even worth logging since all I did was a warmup... Guess I will run more miles tomorrow.

Friday:

  -NOTE:  Weight check in:  Forgot... prob won't weigh myself again until we get back from NC.

7 AM:  35mins in the garage gym

Warmup: Rowing, Crossover, and mobility

Seated Barbell Shoulder Press
2x12 @80
2x10 @80

DB Lateral Raises
4x10 @25

DB Front Raises
4x10 @15

DB Rear Raises
4x10 @15

GHD Situps
3x15

J-Curls w/ toes elevated
3x10 @35

9:30 AM:  11miles averaging 7:20 pace.  Easy laps around the open space by the house again. Figured since we are going to be gone the next 3-4 weeks I should get as many laps as I can so I am not as far behind in my yearly goal when we get back.  19 more laps in the bank, 830 laps to go.

Saturday: 

8 AM:  15.75miles w/ 600ft of vert averaging 7:25pace.  Easy run around Louisville. First half of the run was solo then Taylor joined me for the second half. Good to have some company for some of it. Went a few miles farther than planned because most likely will be shorting tomorrow's a little bit to get on the road and due to the faster paces which takes a little bit of a toll.

1 PM: 35mins in the garage gym

Warmup: Rowing, Crossover, and Mobility

Crossbody DB Hammer curls
4x10 @ 25

Ez-bar Skull Crushers
4x10 @ 57

Ez-bar Bicep Curls
4x10 @ 47

Single arm DB French Press
3x10 @ 20

Ab Wheel Rollouts
3x12

DB Side Bends
3x10 @ 35

Sunday:  

8 AM: 20.25miles w/ 1000ft of vert averaging 6:50pace.  16 with the Boulder Track Club and the rest solo with half before joining them and half afterwards. Got dropped from the front group in the last few miles of the 16 with BTC, legs are tired from the past few weeks and they started going sub 6 pace on the back half of the 16 miles. I dropped back to the next group where we brought it in at 6:30ish pace, Hammerfest today which does not surprise me, every time we run on the dirt roads out by the Boulder Rez it turns into a hammerfest. 

Went home, finished packing the van and was on the road by 12:45.  Drove to about 2 hours from Kansas City where we started to have tire issues so spent the night there so we could hit the tire shop in the morning.  More on that on next weeks post, it was a cluster fuck.

Total Weekly Numbers

Okay week overall, did fuck up on Thursday due to work training wise but that is life.  I should have gotten out the door sooner or hit the garage gym sooner.  One more week of a little higher mileage around 60-70 then taper time.  Almost there assuming we survive the 28 hour drive to the Outerbanks, NC this week.

February 17th- February 23rd

"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw

Monday:   

9 AM:  58mins at the gym

Warmup: Walking on the treadmill and mobility

Dips
3x30secs w/ 1min recoveries

Barbell Incline Press
5@ 115lbs
5@ 125lbs
5@ 125lbs
5@ 135lbs
5@ 145lbs

4 Rounds
10 EZbar tricep pushdown @ 65lbs
10 EZbar reverse grip tricip pushdown @ 42.5lbs

Stand Cable Flies (High to low)
4x12 @ 20lbs

Pushups
3x60sec w/ 1min recoveries

Farmers Carries
3x50meters with 80lbs in each hand.

Single leg calf raises
3x10 w/ 26lbs each leg

Torso Rotations
3x10 w/ 150lbs

3 PM:  6.1 miles w/ 870ft of vert averaging 7:25pace.  Easy miles on the treadmill on the rolling hills program. Going to be another few days of treadmill runs so I can keep getting in some turnover in this shitty weather outside this week. Over it.

Tuesday:  

Took the day off... in a really bad mind space today to the point that it is good I am not home alone.  Paula is in FL for her race this week (dropped her off at DIA early this morning) but Venus is here with me, so not alone.  Just going to leave it at that and not expand on it right now.  Hopefully I get out of this funk tomorrow.  Fuck this cold weather and fuck the treadmill....

Wednesday:

2 PM:  11.3 miles w/ 800ft of vert averaging 7:05pace.  Another sub 0 windchill day with ice and snow on the ground. Guess it is back to the treadmill for the speedwork again. Workout was: 15 min easy WU, 4x10 min at Steady State w/ 3 min AeT float, cool down at AeT. The 10min intervals were done at 6:30pace. Felt really good on this one today, prob due to taking yesterday off.

Thursday:  

6:30 AM:  48 mins at the gym

Warmup: Treadmill walk and mobility

Leg Press Machine
10 @ 110
10 @ 190
10 @ 190
10 @ 200

Single leg quad extend
4x10 @ 40

Lying Leg Curls
4x10 @ 100

Machine seated calf raises
4x15 @ 175

Hip Adduction machine
4x10 @ 130

Machine standing calf raises
3x15 @ 190

Machine sitting hamstring curls
3x10 @ 70

Barbell RDLs
4x10 @115

1 PM:  Walk 2.5 miles in 35mins.  Dog walk around the open space next to the house.  4 more laps added to the total for the year.

2:30 PM:  11 miles averaging 7:15pace.  Knock another easy 19 laps of the open space next to the house plus the 4 laps on the dog walk today for a total of 23 today. Works for me. Much quicker pace than I thought it would be, I was just trying to keep the HR between 120-130.

-- Paula started her race in Florida this morning.  Same one that she has done before where they race across the state from the Tampa area to the Orlando area using a combo of trekking, biking, swimming, and paddling aka an Expedition Adventure Race.  They have 72 hours to get it all done.  Here is the first photo I was able to find from check in.

-- And one where she is still smiling.  As I find these on different Facebook pages and groups I will post them here for a record for her.

Friday:

 -NOTE:  Weight check in: 172.4 pounds w/ 8.1% bodyfat... up a pound but prob just some inflammation which would not surprise me. 

Finished book 10 of the year.  At this pace I will be done with my 24 book goal on the year by June, of course I don't expect that to happen.  

Found a few more photos late last night of Paula during the race on Facebook.  She was dreading this river swim but at least now it is over.  We were even over at the pool at the gym practicing this with her hauling her gear in the pool just like the photo below.  Of course we got all sorts of weird looks at the gym.

11 AM:  1 hour at Studio Red HITT class at VASA.  Followed by a 2 mile dog walk.  Got bogged down with work all afternoon and did not make it out to run.  Ended up working until about 7pm on a Friday night. Sigh.....

Saturday: 

7 AM:  12.1 miles averaging 7:50pace.  Easy run with Don on the Clear Creek Path in Golden. My first time heading east on this path. Really liked it. Very similar to the Boulder Creek Path but without all the people that you see in Boulder. Might be coming here more often for path running.

10:45 AM:  Deep Stretch class at VASA in the new red light therapy room, this was the first class they offered. I am going to try to do this 1-2 times a week going forward. Really enjoyed this, you basically get into a stretch and hold it for 2-3 mins.  Followed this up with a 2 mile dog walk again.

Sunday:  

8 AM: 18.5 miles w/ 1000ft of vert averaging 7min pace.  Combo of Boulder Track Club run and some solo miles. Started at the Lefthand Trailhead and ran boulder backroads. First 5 miles were warmup with the group then we ran at a tempo pace 5:45-6min pace back to the start (video below). Hung on better than I thought I would. They went on to go do mile repeats (most are training for Boston) while I grabbed a new bottle and just put in another 8 miles solo, running over to the Eagle Trailhead and back to Lefthand trailhead. Was going to do a few more but the legs were hurting a little bit so pulled the plug to be on the safe side. Took in about 150g of carbs in these 2 hours. Working a little bit on what I am going to try and take in during the run next month. Thinking 50-70g of carbs per hour for me.

2 PM: 3 mile dog walk with Venus to finish out the mileage for the day, plus it was over 60 degrees out and sunny.  Perfect afternoon.

--  Paula finished her race across Florida this morning!!!  They rocked it and ended up 3rd in the co-ed open division.   If they would have done the masters division (they are all over 50) they would have won it but they signed up to race the youngsters.  Below are a few more photos I either found online this afternoon or that Paula texted me.  Can't wait to hear the stories of the 3 days across Florida when I go to pick her up from DIA tonight.

Total Weekly Numbers

Not the best of weeks overall.  Missed about 15 miles or so of running this week between Tuesday and Friday.  Not the end of the world but it is what it is and I am disappointed in myself to breakdown mentally like I did on Tuesday.  I am pleased on how the long run on Sunday went especially after doing 14 miles total the day before.  Planning on a bigger week this week so lets hope the body and mind hold together.  We are also planning on leaving to drive to NC sometime in the next week to week and half depending on weather across the country.  Really excited for a change of scenery for a month or so.  FYI-- Still looking for one or two pacers for my 100 March 22nd if anyone is interested on checking out the Outerbanks, NC.  Here is a cool little short clip on the Outerbanks.  The road and bridges you see in this short clip below is what the race runs on and the museum they are in is where the race ends.  https://youtu.be/uTEKnCojBAU?si=rVz3EpbTEOMJuk3C