Well this week I had planned to put in about 60 miles and just have a great week of running, things didn't go as planned. I started off good running 13 mile on Monday (3/12) but it was on the treadmill because it was poring rain outside. Then latter that day I lifted upper body at the high School were I have been helping out with the high school football team the past two weeks. Tuesday I decided that I would lift lower body with the high schoolers and that was a big mistake as far as running goes. I ended up low squatting 300 lbs eight times (after 3 other sets leading up to that weight). Combine that with RDLs, St leg dead lift, lunges and mountain climbers (5 sets x 8 reps each exercise), I totally trashed my legs to the point were I had problems just walking for the next four days. Needless to say I didn't do much running the rest of the week. I did squeeze two miles in on Saturday but that was it. Probably not the best training protocol for running ultra-marathons, but it did feel good to have sore legs for a few days. I did lift upper body on Thursday and Saturday so it wasn't like I was just sitting around doing nothing the rest of the week. Hopefully next week I'll be able to run again and get back on track.
On a side note Vern ran the Chuckanut 50k by Bellingham, WA this weekend and had an awesome experience. He said it was a gorgeous trail that really challenged him but he ran hard despite conditions of rain and snow. He was also able to met some of the sports elite runners like Scott Jurek, Geoff Roes, Dave Mackey and Bryon Powell. In Vern's words "the whole day Rocked!"
Monday, March 19, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Week 12: Half way
3/6/12: 6 miles
Cold, wet and windy outside today and since I am on the tail end of being sick I decided to play it safe and run indoors. I could tell I wasn't 100% recovered from the cold I had this last weekend but it felt good to be running again. Ended up running 6 miles in 48 minutes.
3/7/12: 8.5 miles
Busted out my new shoes for the first time on the Syringa trail today and after 8.5 miles I still like them. I do think they will be much better summer shoe than a winter shoe. The Shoes I got are Asics's "Fuji Racer" they weigh only 9 oz and are purple, gold and black (the only color they come in). They are extremely breathable which is why they are going to make a better summer over winter shoe. The shoes also have a drainage system in the bottom of the shoe which I think will be great for stream crossings but not so sure how they will do in mud (letting water in through the bottom of the shoe that would not have gotten there otherwise). The trail was very ice for the first 1.25 miles and I didn't take the Microspikes (Dumb move which resulted in one big butt plant on the ice, yes I have a big butt ) but the backside had a lot of open ground which made the decision to not bring the spikes not as dumb, because I got to run on dirt Yeah!!! You can tell spring is just around the corner and hopefully in the next couple of weeks all of the snow will be gone on the trail. During the icy spots on the trail I went off trail dodging trees and other obstacles, which was a lot of fun. On the uphill sections the new shoes shined they are so light that my feet felt weightless (probably helped that I didn't have a pound of spikes on my feet either) which made going up much easier and faster. Overall it was a great run enjoyed running on dirt! and so far so good on the new shoes though my calves are a little sore; due to the new shoes having nearly half as much heel to toe drop than my normal shoes (6mm compared to 11mm).
3/8/12: 8 miles
Needed to get in a quick morning run so I just ran at the gym. Ran 8 miles on the treadmill, took just under 1:07 to finish.
3/9/12: 5.25 miles
Met up with Vern to run Syringa. Wore the spikes for the first 1.25 miles then took them off as we crested the top and started on the backside. Even less snow and ice today then Wednesday (3/7). Beautiful day with Temps in the upper 40's. Actually ran in shorts (no tights) and a t-shirt, it was great! Though I will say for the first 1.25 miles it felt kind of weird running in just a t-shirt and shorts and still having to wear Microspikes to deal with snow and ice. Fun run, looking forward to more good weather.
3/10/12: 10 miles
Ran from my house to the Mickinnick trail head where I met up with Vern. Started out running up the trail but slowed to a hike as we encountered deep and soft snow. Post holing happened ever couple of steps and sometimes every step As we continued higher and higher up the mountain, the snow got deeper and deeper and at one time I post holed up to my chest in the snow (yes the snow was that deep) which forced me to belly craw out of the hole I had created. So needless to say the going was slow. Despite having to hike most of the trail, it was great just to be up in the mountains with the sun shining. It took 1:44 to get to the top which was a new record; it was our slowest ascent so far. Coming down wasn't a ton better as far as post holing went until we got about 2 miles down the hill. We were then able to pick up the pace and get in some running. The weather was great the whole trip the sun was out and the wind wasn't that bad which made for a very enjoyable outing.
Total miles: 37.75
Good week, still not 100% after being sick last weekend and the beginning of this week so I cut off 24% of my planned mileage for the week just so I wouldn't overdo it and remain sick (or get worse). The weather was great towards the end of the week which was much appreciated. The forecast for next week looks like a lot of rain so we'll see how that goes.
Cold, wet and windy outside today and since I am on the tail end of being sick I decided to play it safe and run indoors. I could tell I wasn't 100% recovered from the cold I had this last weekend but it felt good to be running again. Ended up running 6 miles in 48 minutes.
3/7/12: 8.5 miles
Busted out my new shoes for the first time on the Syringa trail today and after 8.5 miles I still like them. I do think they will be much better summer shoe than a winter shoe. The Shoes I got are Asics's "Fuji Racer" they weigh only 9 oz and are purple, gold and black (the only color they come in). They are extremely breathable which is why they are going to make a better summer over winter shoe. The shoes also have a drainage system in the bottom of the shoe which I think will be great for stream crossings but not so sure how they will do in mud (letting water in through the bottom of the shoe that would not have gotten there otherwise). The trail was very ice for the first 1.25 miles and I didn't take the Microspikes (Dumb move which resulted in one big butt plant on the ice, yes I have a big butt ) but the backside had a lot of open ground which made the decision to not bring the spikes not as dumb, because I got to run on dirt Yeah!!! You can tell spring is just around the corner and hopefully in the next couple of weeks all of the snow will be gone on the trail. During the icy spots on the trail I went off trail dodging trees and other obstacles, which was a lot of fun. On the uphill sections the new shoes shined they are so light that my feet felt weightless (probably helped that I didn't have a pound of spikes on my feet either) which made going up much easier and faster. Overall it was a great run enjoyed running on dirt! and so far so good on the new shoes though my calves are a little sore; due to the new shoes having nearly half as much heel to toe drop than my normal shoes (6mm compared to 11mm).
3/8/12: 8 miles
Needed to get in a quick morning run so I just ran at the gym. Ran 8 miles on the treadmill, took just under 1:07 to finish.
3/9/12: 5.25 miles
Met up with Vern to run Syringa. Wore the spikes for the first 1.25 miles then took them off as we crested the top and started on the backside. Even less snow and ice today then Wednesday (3/7). Beautiful day with Temps in the upper 40's. Actually ran in shorts (no tights) and a t-shirt, it was great! Though I will say for the first 1.25 miles it felt kind of weird running in just a t-shirt and shorts and still having to wear Microspikes to deal with snow and ice. Fun run, looking forward to more good weather.
3/10/12: 10 miles
Ran from my house to the Mickinnick trail head where I met up with Vern. Started out running up the trail but slowed to a hike as we encountered deep and soft snow. Post holing happened ever couple of steps and sometimes every step As we continued higher and higher up the mountain, the snow got deeper and deeper and at one time I post holed up to my chest in the snow (yes the snow was that deep) which forced me to belly craw out of the hole I had created. So needless to say the going was slow. Despite having to hike most of the trail, it was great just to be up in the mountains with the sun shining. It took 1:44 to get to the top which was a new record; it was our slowest ascent so far. Coming down wasn't a ton better as far as post holing went until we got about 2 miles down the hill. We were then able to pick up the pace and get in some running. The weather was great the whole trip the sun was out and the wind wasn't that bad which made for a very enjoyable outing.
Total miles: 37.75
Good week, still not 100% after being sick last weekend and the beginning of this week so I cut off 24% of my planned mileage for the week just so I wouldn't overdo it and remain sick (or get worse). The weather was great towards the end of the week which was much appreciated. The forecast for next week looks like a lot of rain so we'll see how that goes.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Pocatello Course Update
The official course for the Pocatello 50 is out. The full course is 52.3 miles long with 12,600'of vertical gain and 12,600' of vertical loss. The lowest point is 4,500' and the highest point is over 8,500' in elevation. There are two climbs where you ascend over 1,200' per mile, sounds like fun. Below are the course map and profile. The 50+ miler runs all three legs and if you got to pocatello50.com/course-info/ you can find a link to view the course with google earth so you can the course in 3D. I'm looking forward to the challenge, just 3 months left till race day.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Week 10 & 11: Falling short of expectations, depression, sickness
Week 10:
2/21/12: 12 miles
Needed to squeeze in a run between an early morning meeting and an evening shift at work. I decided to run on the treadmill so I could control how fast I was going without the challenge of snow and ice due to limited time. I ended up running the 12 miles in 1:38. It felt like a good effort but had more in the tank when the run was all said and done, which is a good thing.
2/22/12: 6 miles
I didn't find time to run till 10pm tonight. So I found myself back at the gym on the treadmill. It took 48 minutes to run the 6 miles. I will say one nice thing about running indoors at this time of year is that I can wear a t-shirt and shorts and not have to pack a backpack full of emergency gear in case something goes wrong out in the wintery weather.
2/23/12: 7 miles
Headed up Mickinnick with Vern, the first 1.5 miles was fairly hard packed but the last 2 miles to the top we found ourselves trudging through 6-10 inches of new snow. The hardest part of navigating the snow was that the hard packed snow under the new snow had turned soft so when you tried to push off you would sink up the your knees and sometimes crouch. Due the trail conditions we did very little running after the 1.5 mark. About a mile from the top we ran into a hiker coming down. As soon as I was him I could tell he was in pretty bad shape. His jeans were completely soaked and his face was pale and you could just sense that he was completely exhausted. We stopped and talked with him for a little bit, it had taken him 3 hours to reach the top and he hadn't brought anything to eat or drink. I pulled a energy bar from my pack and gave him my water bottle and Vern gave him an electrolyte drink. After he got some food and water in him he continued down the mountain as we maintained our journey to the top. Our conversations consisted of the situation of the young man, being prepared for winter outings, and wilderness survival. Coming down the trail was frustrating and fun at the same time. Frustrating because you really couldn't run or you would post-hole up to your waste yet fun because you could ski around the steep corners. Towards the bottom we caught up with Nick the young man we meet earlier on the trail. He looked a ton better, the color had returned to his face and he seemed to be doing ok. We found out that he had never been on the Mickinick trail before and the it took him over 5 hrs to go up and back. He thanked us for the help and said whatever we gave him to eat and drink really saved him. I'll give him props for making it to the top especially in those conditions but it could have ended up really bad for him. You never know, but I have a feeling that if we hadn't ran into him up there and offered him help he may never have come off the mountain, alive.
Total miles: 25
I didn't run the rest of the week due to a combination of scheduling, snow and lack of motivation. I worked morning shifts during the later part of the week which is normally the time that I run. I had every intention to run at night but for whatever reason I just couldn't get myself out the door at 10pm. It has been tough dealing with the days I didn't run. I don't think it has hurt me as much physically as mentally. For the first time since starting my trainning I feel like I have fallen short of the expectations I have set for myself, and the only one to blame is me. This realization has made me question why I am even attempting to run an ultra marathon, because its much easier not to (no more early morning runs or late night ones). What is the driving force that compels me to want to run 50+ miles in the mountains? I guess what am I'm trying to say here is that the "natural man" (lazy) in me is fighting with the one who wants to see just how far I can go. I know which one I want to win (how far I can go), but the other is not giving up with out giving everything its got.
Week 11:
2/28/12: 8 miles
The weekend brought more snow about 10" in town and a couple feet in the mountains. So I have had a slight bit of depression the last few days because I was really hoping for an early spring. I did make it out to run the Syringa trail today despite all the snow it was a gorgeous day the sun was out and absolutely everything was covered in pure white snow. The trail was in OK shape, the first mile or so was hard packed due to some snowshoers and the rest was 6-10" of new snow. I took a slow pace while I was cutting fresh tracks and just enjoyed being out in the woods.
2/29/12: 3 miles
Ran three miles on the treadmill before a 1hr long lifting session.
3/1/12: 14 miles + 6 mile biking
Ran 14 miles on the treadmill because I didn't want to run in the slushy conditions outside. I was planing on running at least 20 miles but about 12 miles in I just started feeling worn out and my throat started hurting. I toughed it out for another 2 miles before I decide to try biking to see if that would knock me out of my funk. It didn't so after biking 6 miles I called it a day. A few hours latter my sinuses were clogged my throat hurt and I developed a cough. So I know why I was feeling so bad on my run, I was getting SICK.
Total miles: 25
Started the week off depressed over all the new snow, I just can't wait to run on dirt again. The snow has been fun and challenging but I can't wait till its gone. I did order a par of snowshoes so I'm looking forward to using them to get up into the mountains but still can't wait for spring. Getting sick was defiantly not on the menu and as much as I wanted to run more this week after last weeks dismal performance I'm trying to play it smart and get better so I don't get worse.
2/21/12: 12 miles
Needed to squeeze in a run between an early morning meeting and an evening shift at work. I decided to run on the treadmill so I could control how fast I was going without the challenge of snow and ice due to limited time. I ended up running the 12 miles in 1:38. It felt like a good effort but had more in the tank when the run was all said and done, which is a good thing.
2/22/12: 6 miles
I didn't find time to run till 10pm tonight. So I found myself back at the gym on the treadmill. It took 48 minutes to run the 6 miles. I will say one nice thing about running indoors at this time of year is that I can wear a t-shirt and shorts and not have to pack a backpack full of emergency gear in case something goes wrong out in the wintery weather.
2/23/12: 7 miles
Headed up Mickinnick with Vern, the first 1.5 miles was fairly hard packed but the last 2 miles to the top we found ourselves trudging through 6-10 inches of new snow. The hardest part of navigating the snow was that the hard packed snow under the new snow had turned soft so when you tried to push off you would sink up the your knees and sometimes crouch. Due the trail conditions we did very little running after the 1.5 mark. About a mile from the top we ran into a hiker coming down. As soon as I was him I could tell he was in pretty bad shape. His jeans were completely soaked and his face was pale and you could just sense that he was completely exhausted. We stopped and talked with him for a little bit, it had taken him 3 hours to reach the top and he hadn't brought anything to eat or drink. I pulled a energy bar from my pack and gave him my water bottle and Vern gave him an electrolyte drink. After he got some food and water in him he continued down the mountain as we maintained our journey to the top. Our conversations consisted of the situation of the young man, being prepared for winter outings, and wilderness survival. Coming down the trail was frustrating and fun at the same time. Frustrating because you really couldn't run or you would post-hole up to your waste yet fun because you could ski around the steep corners. Towards the bottom we caught up with Nick the young man we meet earlier on the trail. He looked a ton better, the color had returned to his face and he seemed to be doing ok. We found out that he had never been on the Mickinick trail before and the it took him over 5 hrs to go up and back. He thanked us for the help and said whatever we gave him to eat and drink really saved him. I'll give him props for making it to the top especially in those conditions but it could have ended up really bad for him. You never know, but I have a feeling that if we hadn't ran into him up there and offered him help he may never have come off the mountain, alive.
Total miles: 25
I didn't run the rest of the week due to a combination of scheduling, snow and lack of motivation. I worked morning shifts during the later part of the week which is normally the time that I run. I had every intention to run at night but for whatever reason I just couldn't get myself out the door at 10pm. It has been tough dealing with the days I didn't run. I don't think it has hurt me as much physically as mentally. For the first time since starting my trainning I feel like I have fallen short of the expectations I have set for myself, and the only one to blame is me. This realization has made me question why I am even attempting to run an ultra marathon, because its much easier not to (no more early morning runs or late night ones). What is the driving force that compels me to want to run 50+ miles in the mountains? I guess what am I'm trying to say here is that the "natural man" (lazy) in me is fighting with the one who wants to see just how far I can go. I know which one I want to win (how far I can go), but the other is not giving up with out giving everything its got.
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| Vern fighting through the snow |
2/28/12: 8 miles
The weekend brought more snow about 10" in town and a couple feet in the mountains. So I have had a slight bit of depression the last few days because I was really hoping for an early spring. I did make it out to run the Syringa trail today despite all the snow it was a gorgeous day the sun was out and absolutely everything was covered in pure white snow. The trail was in OK shape, the first mile or so was hard packed due to some snowshoers and the rest was 6-10" of new snow. I took a slow pace while I was cutting fresh tracks and just enjoyed being out in the woods.
2/29/12: 3 miles
Ran three miles on the treadmill before a 1hr long lifting session.
3/1/12: 14 miles + 6 mile biking
Ran 14 miles on the treadmill because I didn't want to run in the slushy conditions outside. I was planing on running at least 20 miles but about 12 miles in I just started feeling worn out and my throat started hurting. I toughed it out for another 2 miles before I decide to try biking to see if that would knock me out of my funk. It didn't so after biking 6 miles I called it a day. A few hours latter my sinuses were clogged my throat hurt and I developed a cough. So I know why I was feeling so bad on my run, I was getting SICK.
Total miles: 25
Started the week off depressed over all the new snow, I just can't wait to run on dirt again. The snow has been fun and challenging but I can't wait till its gone. I did order a par of snowshoes so I'm looking forward to using them to get up into the mountains but still can't wait for spring. Getting sick was defiantly not on the menu and as much as I wanted to run more this week after last weeks dismal performance I'm trying to play it smart and get better so I don't get worse.
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| Syringa trail head |
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| Syringa trail |
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