Monday 050613

If I am reading Strava right, Canaday broke 30 on the Gregory Ranger route.  Nobody else I know of has been within 3 minutes of that.  And I am not sure I could come down that fast.
 

Why you suck at running.  No really, why you are not improving. 

Thought I was going to be in Pittsburgh this week but that got pushed. 

Registered for the BTMR today.   Last run in 2011 because of the 2012 fires.  I ran about a minute faster for the Kohl 5k in 2011, and only 1:58 at Barr in 2011.  Soooo … makes me thinking I might have an issue getting under 2.  Thinking about the Leadville Trail Marathon as it will give me another excuse on top of burro racing to get to the top of Mosquito Pass.

Afternoon 10.1 miles.  Started as a slog but then I started to feel a bit better after 5 miles. 

Friday 042613

Part 2 of the Matt Carpenter interview.  Some nuggets.

That's where people mess up. They do this one week, and something else the next week. I kind of have a five-week rule. I won't change something, unless it goes bad, for five weeks. Then I know I've hit a plateau, or that I need to change to one on and one off, to tempo runs, or move up in altitude.

I train for what I hate. Speed was always my issue. Like I said, I was a 1:01 guy (61 seconds in the quarter mile), but I got to where I could do 24 quarters in 1:06 (66 seconds each) at altitude, with 54 seconds rest. My weakness was speed so I trained to fix that.

I learned that I have to go just hard enough to get better, but still be able to recover for the run that's coming up in two days. You can't go so hard on your long run, or so long, that it prevents you from having a good Tuesday (speed work). You get the balance right with consistency, you can't help but improve. Running is simple and people make it far too complex.

Lot of touching stuff in there on a personal level too.

Read on altitude training.

Animals by Muse.

I have groused about company heath programs here before.  Here is a more intelligent read on it.  That said, I had a bunch of points, or dollars in my company’s program that I transferred into Itunes gift cards today. 

Back and forth a couple of times on the Ridgeview Trail here near the house.   12.1 miles.

Wednesday 100913

What Green looked like Monday

(that is the Ranger Gregory route up, and the Greenman, Saddle, Amp theatre route down).

Clearly an instant hit in CO.  Alternatively a little later in the year, the UROC event … registration opens up next week.  200 bucks for a 100k.  Hmmm.

Had the biometrics test that gets me a good amount off my insurance premiums for the year this AM.  That meant a fast starting around 9 last night – which is not a big deal, but my appointment was not until 9:40.  That too was not a big deal, but my morning routine – or rather habit – is the cup of coffee.  Or two.  Or three.  Not doing that took a bit more thought.  Good experiment.  Not doing that tomorrow though.

My BP measured high on this again, as it did last year.  136/80.  I have measured on my in-laws home cuff (which is arguably not super accurate) and it comes in fine, perhaps even low.  I don’t feel an angst when taking it here, but I wonder if a.) I am actually pre-hypertension or b.) the fasting situation puts me a bit high.  Need to explore this a bit.

Looks like I may not be running a ton this weekend as I am heading out with JZ’s scout group.  It is winter cabin camping, but there is the chance that we can go tents if it drops below 0 (to earn the coveted Polar Bear Camping Badge). 

Good watch on the “fat pandemic.”  (sets up for a series of videos).  Some of the research proposed in this by Lustig are contraversial.

My nickel on the UROY … I still sort of think it does not matter, but I have been told that to the folks at that pointy end of the stick, it matters.  Okay.  Glad to see Morton got it as I thought his performances over the year shut the door on that (although I think they are wrong in their press release because I think he had one DNF).   Masters runners get it on the guys side the last two years.  That is interesting to me.  And the fact that Max’s JFK did not get a single first place vote for POY is interesting to me as well.  Keep in mind, that record being broken last year by Riddle was the POY … and it was further put down by King this year.  Jay Aldus popping sub 19 at Leadville at the age of 51 seems insane to me.  Finally, the Grand Slam gets votes for POY (look in the “also receiving votes section).  That seems a little weird to me as it is not an event.  It is four.

Mind felt good but body felt like crap from the get go today.  Training?  Giving blood?  Fasting?  All of the above?  Eh, just took it.  Decided if I was going to go slow, I might as well take on ASG on the way up, and then I came down RG.  SLOW.  Just felt sluggish all around.  Whatever – some days like that.  Messed up the start of the watch, so I missed like the first mile of running (hiking).  Actually ended up taking some calls that came in.  Most of the snow has melted but there are some sections in the shade that are icy that can be a bit surprising.  Supposed to get some more snow this weekend.

Related a bit to my work, but an article on corporate taxes some of you might dig. Or, given some its tone that you might not.  Or the simple picture version.

Saturday 120812

“It took me 17 minutes to complete my one mile running loop.  4 months ago I ran a one mile race in 4 minutes and 37 seconds.”  I think I would be hard pressed to find anyone that I know more positive than Aaron.

Decalibron in the winter via Sage.  Brrr.  Still pretty amazing as to how little of the white stuff there is up there.

135 miler in CO eh?

WS100 lottery results up …

On the topic of that distance, rumor is that NMP bet someone (can’t disclose who) that he’d either run 130 miles in his 24 hour attempt next week or he’d have a Facebook page that he’d actually friend people with.

Got to agree with GT that the turning off of electronic devices at take off and landing is craptastic.

How does marijuana effect MAF if ingested?

Brett put up this video in the comments yesterday.  Yeah, consider that “nutty” training another type of event I would never do.

More seriously, Lucho has a good question, back and forth on altitude acclimatization.

10 miles.  Meh.  I thought that maybe I felt good enough to do a workout today, but as I ran I felt like a slug today.  No benefit to the run today except sort of slogging through miles to think about training, what I ought to be doing, race schedule.  Did some jump rope (including single leg) post and was fairly beat.

Wednesday 112812

Got out in the evening for a run.  I thought I’d get a good couple of hours in as I had a longer window.  I cut it short (10 miles).  I have run in a fair number of cities, but I think this one (Buckhead) has to be one of the most frustrating to navigate as a runner.  I try to look at every run as something positive (better than not going) but this one was pretty trying.  This concrete jungle is some of the least inspiring locale I have ever seen.  I might look for a more residential area that I can hide in and do loops, as it would be more productive and sane than getting around anywhere else.  The traffic is so bad that they have cops at all the traffic light intersections to enforce the traffic light activity.

FKT on Middle Route of Green

Sage C shared this video on twitter (below).

A little comparison … So he is reaching the first bridge in 4:35, when I get there more than a minute after that.  13:35 to the Ranger Cottage and I get there 3 minutes something later.  He gets to the Greenman split in 16:40 and I get there in about 21.  At that point, he is already to the Saddle Rock junction (21:30 for him) and I get there … 27 minutesish.

It was good to see a little power hiking in there before the stairs. 

34:15.  I have yet to break 40 on this route.

And damn it he did it with snow on the trail.  That is the difference between an OT qualifier and a middle aged old man. 

I measure it at closer to 5k (3.1 miles) but no matter.  FKT on this route by a good amount. (like a over a minute)