A Lean and Hungry Look

Well, last week was a complete loss.  Between a nasty cold, multiple nights with little sleep due to sick kids, and an all-around hectic week, I managed a grand total of 4 miles. Not good.

I started fresh with an easy run around the park today.  Maja came along and was a perfect companion on a gorgeous morning.  My sinuses are still clogged and I'm not 100%, but I felt considerably better than any day last week, and it was just nice to be out.  The rain has made everything a deep green that only lasts a few weeks, so I may as well enjoy it.

8 x short hill reps up Crestview

Warmed up by running from my house to the Emigration Canyon sign about half a mile past the zoo and back to Crestview (exactly 2 miles), then did 8 reps of the hill, starting at the Stop sign and finishing where the sidewalk on Crestview ends, with jogging in between each rep.  Effort felt pretty strong.  Cooled down for 2 miles by jogging back up to the original turnaround point and home.

Easy 7 with Maja.  Went out to the park, then continued on 13th East to Parkway, then up to Chadwick, over to Stratford, up to 20th East and home.  It was a little brisk but clear and beautiful.  Calves were a little sore from yesterday's hills, but everything seems to be working properly at the moment.

I skipped my run yesterday due to a rough night caused by what seems to be a sinus infection.  I felt like my head was going to explode all night and couldn't sleep, and the feeling continued throughout the day.  However, I tried a Mucinex inhaler before going to bed and it seems to have largely alleviated the pressure.  I'm back to about 80% today.

With the health log out of the way, I can't believe I lived in my neighborhood for almost 8 years before finally running the H Rock.  I took Maja and had one of the most enjoyable runs I've ever had in SLC.  The 21st South hill wasn't especially fun, but the short segment of the Shoreline Trail was spectacular.  When I got down to Donner Park I decided to tack on a little more distance by looping back along Wasatch through the golf course to 13th South and back.  I still had to do a couple of little loops (around the church and up to the top of my street and back) to get the full 7, but it was a glorious run.  The temp was cold but the air was clear and the views were spectacular.  This will become one of my frequent loops.

Headed up to Wasatch, across Parley's, and out to just before Churchill Jr. High and back.  I left Maja home because she tends to be kind of useless after 8 miles.  Listened to a fascinating This American Life that included a crazy story about hookworms and immune system disorders.  I did the final 3 miles at MP effort or higher, but only the final mile was actually fast enough to qualify as marathon pace (thanks to the downhill from Wasatch to Foothill).

Overall pace: 7:04

Overall AHR: 160

Last three:

10: 6:13

11: 6:04

12: 5:41

It was raining lightly this morning, so of course Maja refused to join me.  I ran out to the park, then continued on 13th to Parkway, up to Chadwick, up Stratford (like last week), but then continued on 17th East to 17th South, then down to 16th and through the neighborhood back home.  It was close enough to an even 7 that I just had to run one street over and back when I got close to home in order to complete the mileage.  It's a decent 7-mile loop to use in the future.

First speed day since last October, and I felt it.  I did four half-miles at Sugar House Park and felt every one of the hills along the way.  I warmed up for just under 1.5, including some form drills, then did the reps with 3 min rest between each.  I was going to do 6, but I was running short on time and even shorter on stamina, so I called it after 4.  Pace was 5:35 for the best and 5:56 for the worst (last) one.  Given that this is my first time turning the legs over in months and that every rep included a long hill, I'm pleased with the results.  The speed and stamina obviously need improvement, but that's the point of training, right?  I feel like I spent 3 months of my training last year trying to hit unrealistic splits on my reps instead of letting myself train into the condition necessary to hit those splits.  I'm trying not to make that mistake this time, instead focusing on consistent effort and improvement. Cooled down for about 1.25 and headed home to get Jacob off to an early morning rehearsal for a school program.

Tempo day.  I headed up Emigration, with the first 2 miles at an easy pace.  I stopped and stretched for a minute, then picked up the pace to what felt like LT effort or thereabouts for 1.5 to my turnaround point.  At the turnaround, I stopped briefly, then headed down with a goal of maintaining LT effort.  Here's what the splits looked like:

Mile 3: 7:20 (all uphill), AHR 168 (effort was a little low--should have been in low to mid-170s)

Mile 4: 6:21 (half up, half down), AHR 176 (effort good)

Mile 5: 5:48 (down), AHR 180 (still good)

Mile 6: 5:25 (down), AHR 183 (maybe a little high but okay--I probably would have lost some speed if I'd continued for another mile, but could have maintained in the 5:30-5:40 range)

Cooldown mile was 6:54 (downhill), with AHR down to 167 (I didn't stop at the end of the tempo section; otherwise the AHR would have been much lower).  Felt good about the effort and not bad about the turnover.  A few months of similar effort should bring the pace down to where it needs to be.

H-rock loop with Maja.  No walking up the hill today, but my pace wasn't exactly impressive, either.  Temperature and weather couldn't have been better.  Left calf is a little knotted up, so I need to remember to give it The Stick.  Left AT was also tight when I woke up, though it didn't give me any pain on the run.  I need to be better about stretching it and doing my exercises as I start to increase my mileage.

Missed my early run because I headed up early to watch some friends and family run Ogden.  It was a gorgeous day up there and made me wish I'd been able to get trained for the marathon in time.  I headed out when I got home around noon.  First warm run of the year.  It always kills me to transition to warm-weather running, but it's probably good to get a few midday runs under my belt before Ragnar, where the heat always destroys me on my first leg.

Today was the first time that I've been able to run in shorts and short sleeves without even feeling a chill at the beginning of my run.  I headed out to Sugar House, continued past the park into the neighborhood just past 27th South, then worked my way over to Zenith, up to Imperial, eventually making it to the playground at Highland Park, up Atkin Ave to 20th and back home.  Maja did great until about 7 miles, where she started to crash.  Fortunately, it wasn't too bad and we made it home without me having to drag her more than a couple of times.  What a beautiful morning.

Pace: 7:28

AHR: 150

Hill repeats.  Ran up to Wasatch and over to 21st South like I do for the H-rock run, then did reps up the hill between Wasatch and Scenic View Circle.  I thought my lungs were going to explode, but fortunately that didn't happen.  Between reps, I walked briefly, then jogged back down the hill and a little on the flatter road.  After 5 reps, I ran up to the H-rock trail (with several walking breaks along the way, since I had already blown up), ran past the rock (didn't climb it) to Devonshire and eventually down through Donner Park and over to Sunnyside and home.

For future reference, it's a great hill workout, but hard to maintain a decent turnover due to the ridiculous grade.

Easy loop out to Sugar House, then through the neighborhood south of 27th, eventually to Imperial and out to 33rd and back.  Took Maja out for her longest run ever (previous record was 8).  She did well until 7.5 or so, but only had a few slow patches after that.  Left AT was tight when I got out of bed but didn't give me any trouble on the run and doesn't hurt now (two hours later).

Relaxed loop with Maja down 21st East through Country Club, down to the park, returning along 16th East route.

Ran up Emigration to about a quarter mile past the Pinecrest turn and back.  There was a large group from a running club that was doing a supported run in the canyon, so I spent much of my time passing them in small clumps.  They were all super friendly and offered me refreshment each time I passed their support vehicle.  For better or worse, having people to chase probably kept my pace faster than it would have otherwise been.  I had planned to do 5 miles at MP effort in the final 5 or 6 miles of the run, but I ended up hitting the gas as soon as I turned around.  I pushed hard until the 13-mile mark, where I slowed for my cooldown, but the pace was still just slower than 6-minute miles for the final 2, so I'm counting that as MP effort lite.  My hard MP effort miles ranged from 5:43 to 5:54.  That effort felt more like a 5:20-5:35 pace felt at the peak of my training last summer, so I still have plenty of work to do to get myself back in shape.

Easy loop through Highland Park and back (turned east on Edward St from Imperial) with Maja.  Left calf is unusually tight, but tendinitis in 4th metatarsal on right foot is feeling better.

Same route as yesterday.  Maja had three potty breaks and lost her steam by mile 6.  Not the best running partner today, but I'm sure there was some benefit to my being tethered to an anchor dragging behind me.

Ran the neighborhood 5k with Jacob (my son who turns 11 tomorrow).  He only stopped to walk once, when his buddy started having trouble about 1 mile in.  After that, he made it the rest of the way and had a great kick to finish.  He was wheezing by about 1.5 miles, though, so he seems to have inherited some mild asthma from me.  Probably time to get him an inhaler.

I was supposed to run 9 today, but didn't get to bed until way too late and spent the rest of the day moving for my parents.

Despite having run only twice last week, the 4th metatarsal on my right foot is still tender.