"To do something well is so worthwhile that to die trying to do it better cannot be foolhardy. It would be a waste of life to do nothing with one's ability, for I feel that life is measured in achievement, not in years alone."- Bruce McLaren
Solid month... not sure when the last time I hit this many miles in a month without a 100 mile race being included in those miles, maybe 3-4 years ago? Few more weeks of moderate miles around 70 per week before the taper for Cowboy. Also sitting at 2320 miles on the year so far. 3000 is in reach this year for sure.
FYI I have been banned from the bike by Paula until after Cowboy 100. Was planning on starting Cyclocross on Wednesday night and next week but was banned. She is worried I will hurt myself again like last year before a big race. I get it but not pleased about it.
Also still looking for a pacer for Cowboy 100 on Sept 27th if interested. The A goal is under the CR of 18:48, the B goal is to podium, and the C goal is just to finish my 3rd 100 of the year which I have never done before.
"To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there." -Kofi Annan
"Without goals, training has no direction."- Natalie Coughlin
Monday:
6 AM: 8.2 miles averaging 7:45pace. Back on the Front Range to the morning grind. Monday shakeout with 2 laps of Davidson Mesa and 2 laps of Harper.
Super chill but was really surprised on how good the legs felt this
morning. Yes they were a little tired but not really sore at all. Seem
to be absorbing this training cycle well so far.
4 PM: 37mins in the garage gym
Warmup: airbike, crossover and mobility
30 pull-up broken up as needed
DB bent over Rows 3x10 @ 45
3 rounds 10 band pull downs green band 10 DB pull overs @ 45lbs
3 rounds 10 DB bicep curls @ 20 20 cross-body curls @ 20 10 DB hammer curls @ 20
Tuesday:
6 AM: 11.8 miles averaging 6:45pace. Workout Tuesday does not quite have the same ring to it as Workout
Wednesday but a day sooner this week due to a race on Saturday. Today
was 20min warmup - 30min Tempo (around 6:30pace +/- 15secs) - 3min recovery - 5x1min hard/ 1min
floats- then 20mins easy. Hell of a workout this morning and it went
super well overall. Energy and legs were good for the most part. Did
take a gel right before hitting the 30min tempo to get me through the
workout without a bonk this morning.
4 PM: 30mins lifting. Easy leg day over at VASA doing all the leg machines while Paula was on
the treadmill. Decided I needed to get out of the garage gym this
afternoon. Followed this up with 20mins in the sauna there as well.
Wednesday:
6 AM: 10.2 miles w/ 1200ft of vert averaging 8:35 pace. Easy lap of Springbrook and Gashawk from Dowdy Draw Trailhead. Did add
an extra 2 miles doing an out and back on Community Ditch as well to
round it up to 10 miles. Super chill for the most part but did speed up
the second half of the run as I loosened up and of course there was
more downhill instead of uphill.
6 AM: 9.25 miles w/ 600ft of vert averaging 7:30 pace. Easy cruise on the Dirty Biz from the Coalton Trailhead heading west up the big hill then back and then up the hill to the north towards Superior. Calling this The Gate
to Gate Run since there is a gate and the end of both of these sections.
First half super mellow then started to feel good so cranked it up just a
little bit the last 3-4 miles.
Friday:
-NOTE: Weight check in: Nope...
10 AM: 7.5 miles w/ 400ft of vert averaging 7:40pace. Costco Loop plus some extra with 4x20sec hill strides. Ran with Taylor
and Veronica. All three of us are racing tomorrow night, they are doing
the 35K and I am doing the 50K so the conversation was all about
strategy for tomorrow. Good times!!
Saturday:
6:30PM: 31 miles w/ 2000ft of vert in 4:05. Westminster Night Trail 50K put on at Standley Lake just a few miles
from the house. The race started at 6:30pm so of course was not feeling all that great at the start with all the food from the day in the belly. Decided to go out
somewhat harder for at least the first 10k to see who would go with me.
Of course one dude did, and we pushed the pace for the first half
marathon. As we were coming into the turn around at mile 13 he as me if I was
playing mind games with him by going out so hard, LOL... Told him my
plan as to do a tempo half marathon then cruise it in which I sorta did but I did push
the pace for another 2-3 miles to keep the pressure on him after he left the turn around before me and he broke,
started walking and cramping around mile 17 grabbing his hamstrings. I knew he would, he was only using aid
stations, no handhelds or anything, and he was only drinking like a cup
at a time since I was not giving him time to refuel by pushing the pace. I was carrying a
handheld and my gels in my waist belt so I did not stop at most aid
stations, just once per lap at the start/finish to refill the bottle. Needless to say I put
30 plus minutes on him by the finish and I just cruised it in after
mile 17ish or so. I did break somewhat around mile 27 where I thought I
was going to puke but was good, just slowed it down and jogged it in.
PR for me in the 50K tonight.. 1st place... and Taylor won the 35K and Veronica won the women's 35K and Melisa got 2nd woman in the 35K. Deathmarch crew had a good night.
Sunday:
2PM: 4.2miles averaging 8:10pace. Easy lap of Davidson Mesa and Harper Lake. Super chill, first 2 miles
were rough but okay after that. Sure it is all due to the lack of sleep
this weekend.
Total Weekly Numbers
Another solid week of over 80 miles, 3rd week in a row over 80 and 4th week over 70, capped off with a fun race that I was able to pull out the win and course record. Looking forward to the coming down week, need it I think even though I am feeling pretty good this Monday morning as I am typing this. Should be in the 60-70 mile range this week, then 2 more bigger weeks before the taper for Cowboy.
Still looking for a pacer for Cowboy 100 on Sept 27 if interested!! Just need to be able to do 9-10 min or so miles for 20ish miles.
"Either you deal with what is the reality, or you can be sure that the reality is going to deal with you." - Alex Haley
“It’s time to kind of dig myself in a hole the next four weeks, and then dig myself out of it with two weeks to go.” - Clayton Young
The second quote by Clayton Young is exactly what I have been thinking the past few days.... so timely coming across this quote.
Monday:
10 AM: 7.6 miles averaging 8min pace. Took an hour break mid-morning from work since I got here early for a
quick shakeout jog around the Tech Center. Legs really had no turn over
today, just damn tired which is expected. Foot and groin issues feel
better afterwards, for now, guess we will see later today if it helped
or not. Super chill of course.
Tuesday:
6 AM: 9.4 miles averaging 7:15pace. Easy 3 laps of Davidson with some strides thrown in during the second
and third lap. Finally starting to feel like myself again, still got
some niggles but they are much better than they were Sunday afternoon.
This was in one of my morning news letters this morning from Mario Fraioli. SO GOOD and SO TRUE!
"A
topic I’ve been thinking a lot about recently is the difference between
being interested in something versus being committed to it. This is top
of mind right now as I have athletes preparing for the fall marathon
season and I’ve been kicking off a few conversations of late with some
version of the following question: Are you committed to this pursuit, or
are you merely interested in it?
It’s
a jarring inquiry that sometimes leads to an awkward silence. But more
often than not, however, I get a follow-up along the lines of, “What do
you mean by that?”
Well,
here’s what I mean by that. The person who is interested in hitting the
PR, or getting the BQ, or crossing the finish line, whatever it is,
will put effort in when motivation is high and/or it’s convenient to do
so. This means the occasional heroic effort but also inconsistency and
insecurity along with it. When the ride gets bumpy things tend to go off
the rails and getting back on can be a challenge, if not impossible.
With these folks dedication often falls by the wayside when that initial
burst of motivation fades away, the work starts getting hard, life gets
busy, or some combination of those things. They can take it or leave
it.
The
committed ones, however, prioritize the pursuit and decide from the
outset to follow through no matter what comes up along the way. The
effort is consistent but never crazy. They carry a quiet confidence that
it’s all going to work out. This involves showing up on days they don’t
feel like it, making adjustments when plans go sideways, and keeping
the main thing the main thing when distractions threaten to derail them.
They’re in it for the long haul.
So
be honest with yourself, whether it’s a race, a project you’d like to
get off the ground, one of your relationships, or something else you’ve
told yourself that’s important: Are you committed, or are you merely
interested in it?"
6AM: 12.4 miles averaging 6:55pace. Workout Wednesday... 20min warmup/ 20min at steady state (6:30-6:45 pace)/ 3mins easy/ 6x2mins w/ 2min floats @ 10K effort (6min pace)/ 20mins cooldown...
This was a doozy... I really enjoyed this workout and the legs felt good
today. Foot was good this morning before the workout but sore
afterwards. Good that I wake up in the morning and the foot is a little
bit better everyday even though it gets sore after running.
Progress...
Really starting to notice that sunrise is getting later and later in the mornings now.
-- Dirt Circus that Donnie and I went to last Saturday just sent out a bunch of photos they took. It was a good time, sign up next year. I won about $200 worth of Smartwool socks. Most people win something.
4 PM: 31mins in the garage gym-light leg day
Warmup: Airbike, Crossover and mobility
Box Barbell Back Squats 3x10 @ 135lbs
Barbell RDL 3x10 @ 115lbs
Single Leg Calf Raises 3x10 @ 25lbs each leg
J-Curls on a slant board 3x10 @ 45lbs
-- Venus does not seem to be a fan of ice bandannas.. yes it is filled with ice and wet, Paula just used it on her run in 98 degree weather.
Thursday:
6 AM: 8.1 miles w/ 600ft of vert averaging 8min pace. Easy from the Coalton Trailhead up the hill and back then up the other
hill to the north and back. Super chill for it was a very high gravity
morning. Took most of the run for things to flow. Just one of
those days.
4 PM: Garage Gym 40mins
Warmup: Airbike, Crossover, Mobility
Seated DB Shoulder Press 3x10 w/ 45lbs
3 Rounds 10 DB Lateral Raises w/ 25lbs 10 DB Front Raises w/ 15lbs
3 Rounds 20 Single leg v-ups 20 Bicycles 20 Ball Russian Twist 25lbs 20 High Plank knee to elbow
Friday:
6 AM: 5 miles w/ 1300ft of vert averaging 11min pace. Mostly an easy lap of Santias. Did kind of push up the ridge a little
bit hard hitting the summit in just over 22mins which I think is the 2nd
fastest I have done it. Opps.... Super chill coming down.
Had coffee with a good friend and picked up
about a 50 pairs of ASICS trail shoes for the Boulder Track Club afterwards to take up and give
away at camp this weekend in Granby. Each person is getting 2 pairs, BTC hooked us up! Always
cool to compare to my Speedlands. Leaving around noon to head up to Granby.
10AM: Walk 1.8 miles in 30mins. Quick dog walk with Venus before hitting the road.
Saturday:
7 AM: 27miles w/ 3200ft of vert averaging 9min pace. At Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby at 9000ft. Cut it a little short (was supposed to do 5 hours, this was 4 hours) but
longer than last week… getting there! Ran 1 hour before the group run,
then joined them for about 8ish miles then finished it out solo on some
un-maintained trail with some bushwhacking involved. 200g of
carbs, 5g of fat, 15g of protein during the run. Need to be better, even got
dehydrated even though it was only 65 at the hottest, I know better at
altitude, just been a while since I have gone long above 8000ft. The rest of the day was spent recovering and napping in the van before the group dinner this evening. And yes, I am the old guy of the group... sigh....
Meanwhile at home... I am jealous... LOL
Sunday:
9 AM: 14.5 miles w/ 1700ft of vert averaging 8:50pace. Last day in Granby. Ran the Frazer to Granby trail with the group
hanging back verses going out with the front 3 guys like usual, of course
they only did 8 miles yesterday verses my 27. lol. Good week!!! Super
pleased!!
Total Weekly Numbers
Another solid week of over 80 miles with some good effort in there as well. Still managing the plantar fasciitis on the right foot. Not getting worse and seems a little bit better every morning when I get out of bed. Just hoping to get through the next 2-3 weeks without a flare up then hopefully it heals some more during the taper before the 100.
"Self-esteem comes from what you think of you, not what other people think of you." - Gloria Gayor
Monday:
6 AM: 7.5miles w/ 400ft of vert averaging 8min pace. Easy mid-morning jog from work. HR strap was being wonky the first 4ish
miles then it started reading correctly. Legs are tired from the
weekend but they do feel better after the run then they did before.
Ready for another solid week!
4 PM: 40mins in the garage gym.
Warmup: Airbike, Crossover, Mobility
Seated DB Shoulder Press 3x10 w/ 40lbs
3 Rounds 10 DB Lateral Raises w/ 20lbs 10 DB Front Raises w/ 15lbs
3 Rounds 20 Single leg v-ups 20 Bicycles 20 Ball Russian Twist 10lbs 20 High Plank knee to elbow
3 rounds 20sec calf raises 10sec hold up 20sec calf raises 10sec hold up 30sec recovery
Tuesday:
6 AM: 9.6miles averaging 7:20pace. Easy 3 laps of Davidson Mesa with a few strides thrown in after the first lap as I felt like doing them. Legs feel so much better than they have the past 3 days only for me to make them sore again tomorrow.
-- Was stuck at work much later today than normal in an all day meeting and did not get home until after 5pm. Bailed on lifting and instead started making dinner so that it was ready when Paula got home from her run instead.
Wednesday:
6 AM: 13.6 miles averaging 6:55pace. Done over at Davidson Mesa again this morning before work. Warmup followed by 3x15mins at 6:30pace or faster w/ 5min jog recoveries between followed by a cooldown. Felt slow but the paces where right on usually hovering around the 6:15-6:20 pace. Last 5 mins of the third interval the HR got higher than all the other intervals at a little bit of a slower pace than the others, guessing cardiac drift was starting to happen.
"Tabata" - 8 x 20 secs / 10 secs : 272 reps | 62 + 55 + 95 + 60 Tabata GHD Sit-up Tabata Echo Bike Calorie Tabata GHD Hip Extension Tabata Echo Bike Calorie
--Went out to dinner this evening with a bunch of friends at Acreage to celebrate Arturo's 74th birthday. Happy Birthday buddy!!!
Thursday:
6 AM: 8.4 miles w/ 600ft of vert averaging 7:50pace. Easy out and backs from the Coalton Trailhead on the Dirty Biz trails.
Switched the with Friday's run because I was pressed for time this
morning before work. Still was a little late for work, priorities,
lol... Figured they were both at an easy effort so should not be an
issue. I usually work "remote" on Fridays so a little easier to be out
there longer and have time to drive to the Boulder hills tomorrow for
the 1.5-2 hours easy run.
Friday:
-NOTE: Weight check in: 173.4 lbs @ 8.2% bodyfat.... up a pound but think it is mostly water since I have upped my carb intake as the miles increase. I say that because bodyfat went down a little bit.
6 AM: 9 miles w/ 2200ft of vert averaging 10:30pace. Mount Sanitas and Anemone trails at an easy effort, well as easy as can be going up
that steep ridge. Super chill especially on the downhills though. Great
morning out there!
-- Got a surprise in the mail today as well... Thanks JT! If you haven't been to the Mint Bar in Wy then you haven't lived yet. Last time I was there when Donnie ran Bighorn 100 about 4 years ago we almost got into a fight. Good times!
Saturday:
6 AM: 10.75 miles w/ 1300ft of vert averaging 8min pace. Switched Saturday and Sunday. The raffle and post run stuff at Dirt
Circus took 1.5 hours and I stiffened up so just decided to switch them
instead of running more today. Did win $250 gift card to Smartwool so
that was cool! Super chill today and feeling good.
Sunday:
7 AM: 23 miles w/ 700ft of vert averaging 7:20pace. Mile and half or so before joining the Boulder Track Club for 14 miles
at a faster clip then a few more afterwards. Tired on this run but did
okay but was pretty wiped, actually cut the run short by an hour due to
my right foot and hip starting to bother me. Did not think it was worth
pushing through. If I would have pushed through it I would have been around 30 miles on the day.
11 AM: Walk 2 miles with the dog.. much needed, helped loosen me up some.
Total Weekly Numbers
Solid week this week on the running front. Did cut weights back a little bit due to energy and not to over do it but that did not seem to help. After Sunday's run I am starting to deal with some plantar fasciitis in my right foot, my right groin also is bother me along with my left calf locking up now and again. Falling apart a little bit over here but it is my biggest week in about 8-9 weeks and my second week in a row over 70 so I guess I should not be surprised. Hopefully a few easy days will get rid of these niggles and we are back on track for the running camp this coming weekend in Granby.
