February 10th - February 16th

"We forget: In life, it doesn't matter what happens to you or where you came from.  It matters what you do with what happens and what you've been given.  Each obstacle we overcome makes us stronger for the next one." - Ryan Holiday

Monday:   

11 AM:  50mins at Studio Red at VASA with Paula.  Knee did not like any of the squatting or lunging movements.  Really need to get it looked at but since it does not bother me when running I will after Western States.

5 PM: 5.3 miles w/ 750ft of vert averaging 7:20pace.  Was going to take the day off from any cardio but started to feel guilty so went and hit up the treadmill for some easy miles. Set it on the rolling hills program to get some vertical.

Tuesday:  

-- Book number 8 of the year down... Saguaro Sanction,  Need to go visit this National Park outside of Tucson, AZ.  Have never been there even with all the trips to AZ the past few years.

10 AM:  11.1 miles averaging 7:15pace.  On the treadmill at VASA. Windchill was under 0 degrees so stayed inside today. The workout was:

15 min easy WU, Then strong aerobic effort (RPE 3-4) w/ 10 x [30 sec strides (RPE 8-9) w/ 3-5 min strong aerobic float (RPE 3-4) in between each]. AeT Finish (RPE 4-5) w/ last few min easy at RPE 2-3.

Always sweat like a madman when I do any sort of efforts inside, I  also get all kinds of looks from others on the treadmill anytime I go under 7min pace. Guessing tomorrow will be a treadmill day as well based on the forecast.

4:30 PM: 50 mins Garage gym

Warmup: Rowing, Crossover, and mobility

Standing DB Shoulder Press
4x12 @ 40lbs

Laterial Raise Drop Sets x 3
10 heavy @ 25lbs
10 med @ 20lbs
10 lighter @ 15lbs

Front Raise Drop Sets x3
10 heavy @ 20lbs
10 med @ 15lbs
10 lighter @ 10lbs

Circuit x 3 rounds
20 V-Ups to Knee Tuck
10 Feet on bench Pike Pushups
20 Bench Up Downs
10 Leg Raises plus Hip Lift

Flutter Kicks
4x30

Plank Side to Side
3x20

Wednesday:

3 PM:  11 miles averaging 7:10pace.  To cold and icy out today to do this workout outside so I moved it inside. Did not want to risk falling on ice with only 5 weeks until Blackbeard. Seems easier on the mill than outside but that is okay.  Tempo part was at 6:30pace, could have gone faster but was told to run it at 10 mile effort.

15 min WU, 4x6 min tempo with 2 min float at AeT, cool down at AeT.

Thursday:  

9:30 AM:  50 mins at VASA

Warmup: Walk on the mill followed by some mobility work.

Barbell wide stance back squat
12 @ 95
10 @ 115
8 @ 135
6 @ 145
4 @ 165

4 rounds
10 KB sumo squats @ 70lbs
10 KB sumo deadlifts @ 70lbs
20 Russian KB swings @ 70lbs

Hack Squats
3x10 @ 90lbs plus sled - cut weight due to knee

Standing Calf Raises
3x15 @ 150lbs

Single leg Knee extensions free weight machine
3x10 @ 35lbs each leg

Hamstring curls
4x10 @ 100lbs

3 PM: 10.1 miles averaging 7:45pace.  Easy laps around the open space, took Venus with me for the first 5 miles then dropped her off to finish out the time. Added 17 more laps to the total for the year. Only 895 laps to go, never ending... lol...

Followed this up right away with 20mins in the hot tub for a little heat training.  

Friday:

  -NOTE:  Weight check in:  171.2lbs at 8.2% bodyfat.   Where I expect to be. Last week at 167 was a fluke.

-- Took the day off work to get in my a longer hilly run this morning and head up by Bailey to help put on Running Up For Air 24 hour race this afternoon until early tomorrow morning.  Spent the morning finishing up book #9 of the year, Death Valley Duel.  This one had ultrarunning as part of the theme.  Now I am all caught up in that National Parks Mystery series until the next book comes out.  Now I have to figure out what to read next. 

10 AM:  13.6 miles w/ 2200ft of vert averaging 7:45pace.  From King Soopers at Tablemesa & Broadway up to NCAR then back down to the start of the neighborhood and back up 3 more times for a total of 4 times total. Exactly the same run as last week but a little quicker without trying, progress.  Chilled out for a bit after getting home then headed up to Stauton State Park to help with Running Up For Air overnight.  Worked from 4pm to midnight helping runners and got my first night in the van in 2025.  This gives me my volunteer hours for Hardrock.  Yes I know I am to far down the waitlist for it to matter but I am doing everything I can to be ready just in case my number gets called.

Saturday: 

10 AM:  10.8 miles w/ 800ft of vert averaging 8:15pace.  Easy jog with Don, Darian, and Brandon at Bear Creek Lake staying on the bike paths on my way home from Stauton. Super chill and great to catch up some with the boys.  Went over to Morrison right after the run to grab lunch.  When we walked in it was like the first photo below outside, when we got done with lunch 45mins later it was like the second photo below.  It took me over an hour to get home in what should have taken 25mins.  

Sunday:  

8 AM:  17.25 miles w/ 800ft of vert averaging 7:20pace.  Joined the Boulder Track Club in Louisville for the long run this morning on all roads.  Little slower average pace due to the ice and snow today.  The original plan was Coal Creek but that got changed to road due to the snow and moved to the roads. Great turn out this morning of over 20 people in the 8 degree weather. Did the 11 mile route then added on a few more with some other members, yes I am now a member. Think it will be good for my running to help me with my speed as I get older. Just have to be careful not to do to much speed work with them and burn out. I am not in my 20s or 30s anymore like they are.

Total Weekly Numbers

Great week this week.  Did miss one gym session and did cut the mileage a little bit on the Sunday run but went way over on Saturday so that at least evened out.  Paula is leaving tomorrow for Florida to do that adventure race across Florida again called Sea to Sea.  They go all the way across the state in 3 days.  They start on Thursday and the cut off is Sunday morning.  Needless to say Thursday through Sunday I will be glued on the tracker which I will post the link on Facebook once I find it.  Two more bigger mileage weeks then we taper.