Thursday, January 31, 2008

Indoor Track Workout

Time: ~45 minutes of actual running
Distance: 8 miles (includes rest distance)

After class I carefully walked over to the indoor track. I had already slipped on my walk to the bus a few hours earlier and didn't want to repeat that. The sidewalks were already frozen b/c facilities management on campus isn't concerned with shoveling or salting. I got to the track and found the Grey twins were running laps. I warmed up 25:14 inside b/c it was my best option. Ran first half in reverse and then switched directions. Tom wanted me to hit some decently quick times.

Target: 200m strides. 800 in 1:59-2:02. 2 x 400 in 60ish.
Splits: 29.30, (2:22), 29.31, (3:59), 2:00.75, (5:58), 59.63, (3:00), 58.69.

I was able to measure out the marks in lane three again. I used the first couple 200s to check if they were right. My splits on the 800 were something like 28, ?, 1:29. Didn't feel great but ran solid. I was pleased with my last 400 which I ran evenly.

C/d 15 minutes on the track in reverse. Called it a night, met up with Logan and went to O'Cs and 747.

Morning Run

Time: 42:53
Distance: 6 miles

Ran in the morning from the Lodge to the Mosier Indoor Facility. I left my spikes at the track on Saturday night b/c I didn't want to cool down with them in hand. I had meant to pick them up on Sunday but forgot. Luckily they were still in the corner underneath the tarp where I left them. Last night Scotty D. and Holly agreed to meet on Pickard at 8 so I took a chance and ran over there to see if I could find them. I think I caught a glimpse of them running at the far north end of the street but they were too far off. I only wanted to get in a few miles this morning b/c I will be doing a speed session after class tonight.

The run started off in nearly perfect weather, but ended in complete shite. It was cold but not freezing. More importantly the flags were still. As the run approached 4 miles the wind started to pick up and soon it started to hail. I got back to my apartment and a few minutes later I looked outside to see snow. Not sure how the workout tonight will go.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Brookhaven Double

Time: 38:07 (w/o strides)
Distance: 5+ miles (w/o strides), 6+ (w/ strides)

I gave Scotty D. a call today to see if he wanted to go for a double run with me after work. We met up at OK Runner and went on a nice easy jog. Took him on the standard loop that goes out to Tecumseh Rd. The wind was at our backs to start so the latter stages of the run were quite windy. After getting back I thought it would be wise to get in some strides if I'm going to run a hard 800 meter effort tomorrow. I went out to Brookhaven Blvd. and ran 10 x ~140 meters with the wind at my back. It felt good to turn things over and loosened me up a bit.

Met up with the fellas at Taco C's for a Cabana Bowl and some chips. Had a good time before heading home and crawling into bed. It is suppose to be crappy tomorrow and I'm planning on working out after class.

Lloyd Noble Loop

Time: 50:47
Distance: 7 + miles

Ran in the morning on the standard loop. Nothing much to report other than that it was another windy day here in Norman, OK. The legs were feeling decent. Took it nice and easy for the most part.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Tom McArdle is the Wost Coach Ever

Time: 89:55
Distance: 13 miles

I spoke with my coach last night about this weeks training. I mentioned that it was going to be terribly windy for the next few days and that perhaps the training should be structured to accommodate the conditions. Tom gave me a call back and had a pretty good workout in mind for the GT.

Target: 3 sets of 800 hard - 400 easy - 400 hard - 400 easy - 800 hard - 400 easy. 800s in 2:30, 400s in 72. The easy sections were at my choosing. The times for the workout were already adjusted for windy weather.

As I was warming up to the GT I could tell the workout was going to be stupid. At a couple points I was almost at a standstill b/c the wind was so strong. I knew once I was out at the field that things would only be worse, so I considered bagging the workout and making it a morning run. I knew that the wind would die down in the evening, but I wouldn't have time to workout until after 9 pm. I weighed my options A) workout now when it was warm and windy or B) workout in the dark when it was cold and not windy. I chose option A. Not sure if it was the right decision after warming up for 29:33.

Splits: 2:41.54, (1:46), 72.06, (1:49), 2:32.98, (1:54)
2:35.83, (1:54), 71.82, (1:51), 2:37.07, (1:51)
2:37.25, (1:50), 73.62, (2:06), 2:33.94, (1:57) 36:15 total for 6 miles (not even 6 minute pace)

What an absolutely brutal day! At a couple points when I was running west into the wind it felt like someone had a rope tied to my back and was pulling in the other direction. The wind was probably in the 30s, maybe even gusting to 40 mph. Not a good way to get in work. I could never relax b/c I was either struggling into the wind or my stride was being blown all over the place. I'm not even sure if my heart rate got elevated b/c I averaged over 6 minute pace. Tom has clearly forgotten what a windy day in Oklahoma is really like. He's been off in Kentucky making love to his cousin or sister and not worrying about the "slight breezes" we have he in the OK state.

On the cool down of 24:07 the winds changed and the front hit. Instead of blowing out of the southwest, a brisk wind from the north came in and immediately it dropped 10-15 degrees. I guess I'm happy I got a little work in before it turned cold again.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Morning Run

Time: 66:39
Distance: 9-10 miles

Ran in the morning from the Lodge toward campus. I didn't have any particular route in mind which makes for rather boring runs. I needed to get about an hour on my feet before heading off to work. I swung down
past Scotty D's house and "lo and behold" (is that not a weird expression) Mr. Scott Dizzle was outside stretching. He joined me on the run for another 20-30 minutes which was a good break from the routine. We casually made our way back toward my pad and I was able to finish up the run feeling pretty decent.

I thought about running in the evening b/c it was so nice out, but then decided not to b/c I was feeling sluggish.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Week in Review

Time: 701:30
Distance: 104 miles

A good week of training in terms of mileage. I had a few extra runs thrown in there that really bumped things up. I was able to get on the track a couple times and had a solid tempo like effort early in the week. The fitness is still coming around and the sharpness is too. I want to incorporate more strides or quicker/shorter 100s/150s into the training. I think that just getting the legs turning over at a really fast clip will help.

lOjOnes is Out Of shape

Time: 95:30
Distnace: 14 miles

Logan and I went out for a run this afternoon. It was amazing out. Temperature must have been in the high 60s. Even though it was windy, I was joyed that it wasn't colder than a motha. I didn't have a particular route in mind, but Logan wanted to get in about 40-50 minutes. We started out around Boyd St. and crossed the RR tracks. At about 18 minutes we stopped to stretch and that sexy beast ditched the shirt...literally. He tossed it on someone's "free" pile on their lawn. We continued on but by 28 minutes he was tapped. I'm calling him out here for being out of shape. I'll give him credit for working hard these last few weeks, but not being able to make it 30 minutes is rough. I hope he had a good walk back to the Lodge.

I looped back and ran Dead Presidents. I felt decent out there, but my lower legs were a bit stiff from the workout last night. It was a good day to be out running despite the wind.

I'm also calling out Owen, Hanley, Hamel and lOjOnes for not updating shit this week. What am I suppose to read during class? Scotty D. you get a lighter sentence for your post last night, but I need to see more commitment.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Three Hundos

Time: 80:15 (including rest minutes)
Distance: 11-12 miles

I got dropped off from work about 6 pm and started getting into workout mode. I changed into some tights and a warm top for the evening session. I warmed up with my Nike flats in hand to the outdoor track where I threw them over the fence. The w/u took 21:44 and then I stretched a bit, did some drills and strides. Tom wanted me to get on the track and put in a decent workout combining speed and strength.

Target: 2 sets of 6 x 300 with 2 minutes rest. 50-48-46-44-43-42 (Not exact just start relaxed and slowly crank it down).
Splits: 30.71, (3:00) [started with a 200 to get pace down]
49.30, (2:00), 48.33, (2:00), 45.32, (2:00), 44.55, (1:58), 43.94, (2:00), 43.24.
Took 5:30 minutes recovery and was able to jog about 900 meters
48.00, (2:00), 46.38, (2:00), 45.57, (2:00), 44.63, (2:00), 43.88, (2:00), 43.32.

I was jogging 300 meters in reverse on the recovery which took about 1:35-1:40 leaving me with about 20-25 seconds to get ready for the next interval. I felt pretty decent throughout each set. I'm pleased at how I was able to cut down the pace. I'm not liking how I couldn't hit a 42 to save my life. I thought for sure that I was running 41 pace on the last one. I guess I was in flats so that is comforting to know that spikes would make it smoother.

The track tonight was in top form. I was able to turn the NW stadium lights on after a little finagling of the electrical box. On the backstretch I ran from relative darkness into complete light and then it would gradually fade out as I made my way down the finishing stretch. This was a good workout considering I was at the store all day and have put in quite a few extra bits of mileage on the week.

C/d back to the lodge in 20:21. Then I got ready to go out and meet up with Aja who was in town for a Cat's bday and a wedding perhaps. It was good seeing everybody.

Morning Run

Time: 30:11
Distance: 4 miles

Same run as yesterday morning. The weather was good this morning but it will be even better this afternoon. I decided that a short run in the morning would be nice to wake things up before heading to work. This evening it is my hope that I will be able to get on the outdoor track to run some 3 hundos. The track team shouldn't be back yet and turning on the lights is a definite possibility.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Dropping a K

Time: 69:08
Distance: 11 miles

This was a bit of a different workout. Tom wanted me to run for 40 minutes (first 20 easy, next 20 steady). Then I would come to the track, stretch, do strides and run a 1k. Since I was doing this workout on the indoor track and after work I wasn't really sure how I was going to feel. It was hard getting out the door in the dark and windy weather. I ran from the Lodge with my spikes, dropped them off at the Mosier and then proceeded to run the Lloyd Noble Loop ending in 40:21. I made my way back to the indoor track and got into the right frame of mind.

Target: Strides. 1k in 2:38 (outdoor track time)
Splits: 30.09, (2:26), 30.93, (4:00), 2:37.88.

I took the time to wheel out the proper distance in lane three in order to protect my hips. I think it is about 13 paces per lap. I used the two 200s to check my marks and they seemed to be accurate. My splits for the 1k were something like 30.8, 62.4, 1:34, and 2:06. Those were taken just from glances at my watch. Not a bad workout all things considered. I was pleased. Still not excited though. I haven't really run a workout that has impressed me.

C/d back to the Lodge was 25:10.

Morning Run

Time: 30 minutes
Distance: 4 miles

Woke up with some cobwebs and wasn't feeling good enough to run a hard 1k effort. Instead I wanted to get out the door and put 4 miles on my feel. Jogged in to campus on Brooks, looped over to Boyd and ran back to the Lodge. It was noticeably warmer today but still a bit breezy. Getting a run in before work always makes the day go by easier.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

The Huff

Time: 30:23
Distance: 4 miles

After class this evening I went over to the Huff to meet up with JJ and Logan. I wanted to use the evening to stretch out and do some abs. I started by running for 15 minutes on the elevated track. I came downstairs and stretched out on the mats and chatted with the boys. When they left to go pump I jumped on the treadmill for another 15 minutes of running. The time on my feet was all good. Hit the abs a little bit but none of us were feeling stellar. We were all more into hitting up Texadelphia.

Freezing Morning

Time: 67:11
Distance: 10 miles

What a rough morning. I woke up to see that it was 14 degrees with a real feel of -2. What is this? A Greenbay football game? Last night I chatted with Scotty D. and he told me that he and Holly were meeting on Pickard around 8:15. I was being picked up by the Runner Mobile (Gus' car) at 9:10 so I had to get out there a bit earlier. I wore half tights, under tights, under a pair of Brooks pants. On top I had on another three layers and my orange Brooks jacket with the hood attached. The cold was fine, but the wind was brutal.

I was just interested in putting about 45 minutes on my feet before meeting up with the boys. I made a loop out by Irving Middle School and then I headed in towards campus and out Jenkins. I looped over by Scotty D.'s house before making my way to Pickard. At this point, my face was rather cold and I couldn't see that far ahead in front of me b/c my eyes were frozen. I had hoped that meeting up with the Scotts would give me a little boost in the cold weather, but I guess it wasn't meant to be.

I finished up back at the Lodge and was able to thaw out before Gustavo came to pick me up for work.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Brookhaven Double

Time: 40:32
Distance: 6 miles

Ran in the evening b/c I had nothing else to do. Thought I might as well put some time on my feet. Took it nice as easy since I had a good sized workout this morning. Ran up to Tecumseh Rd. before turning and heading back. There was a slight breeze out of the north but it wasn't enough to freeze the hair. No hat this run too. I was feeling pretty good so I added on with a loop across the street by the bus stop. It was a long day at the store. There weren't too many customers today which always makes the time pass slowly. It's a little after 8 pm and I'm still here with some of the members looking to join Team in Training for Leukemia research.

GT Workout

Time: 79:32
Distance: 12 miles

This was the first morning in quite some time when it wasn't windy. However, it was still freezing. I think the weatherman told me it was about 20 degrees when I got out there. I put on some pretty good running tops and pants, and got out the door to warm up to the GT in 26:39. Tom wanted me to get through a tempo run but decided on this workout instead.

Target: 4 x mile in 5:20, 5:15, 5:10, 5:05 with 400 meter jog. The quicker the jog the better.
Splits: 5:11.94, (1:53), 5:11.18, (1:49), 5:13.85, (1:54), 5:08.93, (1:51) for 28:14 total.

Since it was so cold I wanted to take advantage of feeling warm at the start of the workout. I came through the first 800 meters in about 2:36 and just wanted to maintain. I figured that I might not be able to drop the pace once my muscles started to lock up under the cold, so I ran a bit harder than I was intending to in the beginning. It seemed to work out decently well. I felt a little stiff on the last 800 meters of the third mile. My right hip was lagging behind. I think on the final interval I ran splits of 2:36/2:32.

Not a bad workout. I'll definitely take this one considering the weather. The 400m recovery was key for this workout going well. I was almost able to warm up a bit before pressing into another hard effort.

C/d back to the Lodge in 24:39. Showered and hurried to catch the bus in order to meet with my academic advisor and finish an article for the Oklahoma Daily.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Dead Presidents

Time: 80:02
Distance: 12 miles

What a cold morning! I awoke to find that it was about 4 degrees with the wind chill. I guess I had gone to bed knowing this and decided I wasn't going to work out on the GT if the condition were so brutal. Instead I will get out there tomorrow when there is suppose to be no wind. This morning I ran the standard Dead Presidents' loop with an add on of Irving. It was not fun running north into the wind along the train tracks. At a certain point during the run it felt like I had beads in my hair b/c something was rattling behind me. I thought I looked something like this except with a hat on. I reached back and felt that my hair was frozen with sweat. Brutal! I'm glad I was able to get in the distance despite the wind and cold. I had to do the anal few minutes of running around the Lodge parking lot to get in full time.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Brookhaven Double

Time: 52:34
Distance: 7+ miles

Ran in the evening after work with the running crew. I ran a good portion of the run with David Wrenn. All was good in the Brookhaven Neighborhood. Nothing too interesting to report. It was quite windy out there still and the temperature was dropping. During parts it seemed like it was misting. Time on my feet was all I was looking for.

Short Lloyd Noble

Time: 46:12
Distance: 7 miles

Only had enough time to do SLN before Gus came by to pick me up for work. He has a meeting at Ozzie's with Tim and Craig. I will have the chance to hang out at the store and get it ready for the week. Run was fine. Pretty uneventful other than the wind that is still lashing.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Week in Review

Time: 594:29
Distance: 90.25 miles

I guess this was a pretty solid week of training. I'm not really sure how I got in so many miles. Perhaps I calculated incorrectly. Either way I had one terrible tempo run, an okay 600 meter interval and a decent 500m workout. Not sure what to think of it all but I know it is a step in the right direction. I hope next week isn't so windy and cold. I was pleased that I was able to use the Huff to work on my flexibility and strength. Meeting up with Logan and JJ is key to getting my ass into doing some of the little extras.

Dead Presidents Represent Me

Time: 110:31
Distance: ~18 miles

Woke up with a savage hangover and didn't get out the door until about 1 pm. I was unfortunately going to have to miss part of the first half of the AFC Championship game between the Pats and the Chargers. However, I planned it so that Logan would take some of my gear to JJ's house so that I could shower and change post run.

It was much warmer that I had expected and I probably didn't need the hat or windbreaker that I brought along. Regardless, I was pretty comfortable throughout the run. I started off with a loop out by Irving Middle School. Then I ran back in through campus and out Pickard b/c I wanted to run by the Bank of America and deposit some checks. After doing so, I headed north to Robinson and continued on the standard loop where Dead Presidents goes. When I made it back to Pickard I felt like getting a split between Lindsey and Imhoff which turned out being 6:06 despite the 15-20 mph breeze in my face. I finished by looping down by Scotty D's pad and out around the water treatment facility before getting back on Jenkins. Took a right on Constitution and finished up by JJ's who lives above Maggie Moo's ice cream in the lofts of Norman.

Pretty good day of running. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to handle running alone for such a long time. Last week I was accompanied by Scotty D. which made the run much more pleasant. It was good to be out there.

In honor of this run I present two versions Dead Presidents. You decide which one is better.

Jay-Z:


Nas:


Saturday, January 19, 2008

For Real This Time

Time: 87:28
Distance: ~12 miles

All day I planned to run the workout that was cut short last night. But, when I got the opportunity to go drink some beers with Gus and Tim I was persuaded in the right/wrong direction. We had a good time BSing at Louie's over some Chocs.

Woke up in the morning feeling decent. It was pretty darn cold out and I was almost relieved to be running inside for the workout. I did the same routine as yesterday of dropping my shoes off, looping through campus and finishing up inside 25:29. My legs weren't feeling great but after some drills and a couple strides I felt like I could manage the workout well.

Target: 1 x 200m. 4 sets of 2 x 500m in 1:25/1:18. 2 mins between intervals (jog 300m) and 4 minutes between sets (jog 500m). 1 fast 300m at the end.
Splits: 30.81, (3:00), 1:20.20, (2:00), 1:19.32, (4:00), 1:23.20, (2:00), 1:18.82, (4:15), 1:24.75, (2:00), 1:19.32, (3:58), 1:23.13, (2:00), 1:20.62, (4:00), 44.25 for 39:19 total.

The workout was okay. Not a great showing but certainly not bad. The track is really difficult to run on. I would run the first lap in lane 3 and then break having to run the final 300m in lane 1. I tried to remain as relaxed as possible. I was pleased that running 68s seemed slow but wasn't thrilled that running 62s seemed fast. Oh, and that 300m in 44.25. Are you serious? That felt like a 43 at the slowest. Woof! Overall, I was just happy to get some work in on the track. I wasn't really motivated to run an interval workout but since it was 25 degrees outside and windy, I made do.

The c/d of 22:40 was painfully cold as I ran north on Elm St. up to Boyd and back to the Lodge. As I ran passed the frisbee golf course some workers were clearing the fallen trees and asked, "how you doing this morning?"

I replied, "It's f'n freezing."

I could hear they had a good laugh once I ran passed them.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Trucked on the Track

Time: 47:09
Distance: ~7 miles

Some days just aren't meant to be. I woke up knowing I had a pretty decent workout on tap and that I going to have to run on the indoor track. I was feeling a little sluggish waking up but nothing major. I made my way out the door and headed on towards campus. I dropped my flats off at the track and finished my loop. Time was 25:39 by the time I ran a few laps on the indoor track. I did a little stretching and some drills.

Target: 4 x 500/500 in 1:25/1:18. Rest of 2 mins between 500s and 4 mins between sets. Then after 8th 500 run 1 x 300 in 43.
Actual: 1 x 200 in 30.97. 1 x 500 in 1:25.

Pretty pathetic right. Well, this time I have a legit excuse other than being a wuss. I got done with my first interval and an OU facilities worker starts opening the big tin door on the southwest side of the track. At first I was pissed that he was letting a bunch of cold air in. Then I was really pissed to learn that they would be working on the overhead lights of the backstretch. I didn't want to mess around with dodging a big ass truck so I decided to leave.

C/d home 21:13.

I guess I will have to workout this evening after work. Not thrilled about this idea. It would have been so nice to get the workout in this morning and be able to go home and relax with some beeeeers. Oh well. Those will just have to wait.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

The Huff

Time: 25:57
Distance: 3.5 miles

After my 1 hour class I met up with Logan and JJ at the Huff. I ran on the elevated track for just over 10 minutes to loosen up. I was only using this session to loosen up and WRDC. After the 10 minutes I stretched downstairs concentrating on my hips that are really tight. I'm trying not to get messed up by the indoor track but I'm not sure if the elevated track is any better. Just better things to look at. I decided to get in a couple more minutes on the treadmill before doing abs with Lo and JJ.

On anOther nOte my bOy LOgan has started a running blOg abOut his return tO fitness. yOu'll see what i'm talking abOut when yOu click here:
runLorun.blOgspOt.cOm

Indoor Track Workout

Time: 55 minutes
Distance: 8 miles

This morning I got up to read on the Internet that it was 4 degrees outside. I quickly texted Tom asking him what to do. Should I wait for a warmer day or what? In the back of my mind I knew the indoor track was an option but I didn't want to use it. He called and told me to get in the Mosier Facility and just adjust the time. Originally I was planning to warm up 25 minutes, do strides, run 1 x 600 in 1:27, cool down 25 minutes. Pretty straight forward day. Since the indoor track here at OU runs foolishly slow I was shooting for 1:30-1:31. The turns are really tight and the surface is really fast. Not a great combo for your hips.

I bundled up and made my way towards campus with my Nike Ventulus spikes in hand. I threw them over the fence and onto the indoor track before finishing a loop through campus. C/d 26:22. I was sure to stretch and did some drills. I ran a couple hard 100s in trainers and then did 2 x 200 with pretty good rest before the 600s.

Target: 1 x 600 hard.
Splits: 27.73, (2:38), 27.83, (4:00), 1:27.58.

The 200s felt really fast but it felt good to get in spikes for the first time since my beer mile in May. I can't believe how awkward the track is to run on. I had forgotten how awful it feels to run smoothly on the straights and get tossed into the turn out of balance. The 600 was a success. I didn't have much confidence for the day. And still don't. But I was pleased I was able to run under 1:30. I started locking up a bit with 100m to go.

I cooled down back to the Lodge and added on around the parking lot to get 25:03.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

The Huff?

Time: 40:51
Distance: 6 miles

We are getting a storm in to night and the temperature is dropping drastically. I decided to meet Logan at the Huff and run on the elevated track or perhaps the treadmill. I'm not sure if I want to keep this in my weekly routine but it's an option. I ran for a little over 10 minutes on the 3 lane track before making my way down to a treadmill. I put it at 1.5% and gradually increased the speed to 9.8 over the course of 30 minutes. I was just looking to go easy and I accomplished that. Afterward Logan, JJ and I did abs and stretched.

Morning Run

Time: 66:01
Distance: 10 miles

This morning I ran a loop that I made up on the go. I'm trying to get off my normal routes in order to keep the pace slower. If I don't have landmarks that I know should be reached in a certain time, then I can run much more relaxed. The run was fine. Legs feel pretty good.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

An Embarrassment to the Sport

Time: 88:17
Distance: ~13.75 miles

Woke up this morning and checked the weather. I needed to get out the door pretty early if I wanted to beat the wind. Working out on the GT when it is blowing, really blows. Jogged out to the GT in 26:40 feeling pretty good. Had a couple long sleeve shirts on and some tights over a pair of shorts. I wasn't ready to workout in 30 degree weather as the workout indicates.

Target: 4 mile tempo dropping 5:20, 5:15, 5:10, 5:10. (5 mins recovery). 4 x 200/200 in 33/60.
Splits: 5:16, 7:58 (1.5 miles). Stopped. Jogged 400m. 800 in 2:40. (1 min). 800 in 2:36. (1 min). 800 in 2:35. (5 min recovery). 32.64, (58.74), 32.76, (60.74), 32.81, (63.00), 31.50, (55.94). 36.25 total of 5.75 miles.

Once the workout got tough I basically quit. I'm an embarrassment to the sport. There are workouts that you are proud to put in your log, and there are those that make you cringe. This is one from the latter category. I'm not really sure why I sucked today. I got pretty cold after 2 miles and started to struggle. My breathing wasn't relaxed and I was having a hard time finding a rhythm. After 2.5 miles I stopped and put on a second long sleever while jogging a lap. My intention was to start right back up for another 1.5 miles, but I still felt terrible. So I decided to run 800s of which I never felt great. The only time I felt fluid today was on the 200s. Ouch.

C/d back to the Lodge 25:12.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Lloyd Noble

Time: 73:15 (not including strides)
Distance: 11 miles (~12+ including strides)

Today was a little different. Tom is keeping me on my toes. Not really. I was instructed to "run easy and do strides." Instead of having to stride on pavement I designed a different run, that wasn't really different at all. I first did a loop out by Irving (one similar to what the bus does), then I ran in towards campus and ran Lloyd Nobe ending at the track. That was a total of 50:02 at a fairly easy pace. I spotted Scotty D. around the corner of Jenkins and Lindsey but he opted to not come this time.

At the track I stretched a little, mainly the larger muscles. Did a few drills that I'm working into the routine. Then I ran 10 x 100 meter strides with the wind at my back. I wanted to feel as fluid as possible, so I ran down the home stretched and jogged back to the start. I wasn't pressing, simply working on turnover and form.

After the strides I looped back out onto Brooks and finished the run with 23:15 of easy jogging back to Campus Lodge. I ran in the normal route but turned just before the elementary school and ran the bus route in reverse. I stretched out a bit and did some abs.

Later in the day I got a chance to speak with Mr. Neil Hamel about his struggles of getting back into shape. I urged him to write about it and he has put together a blog for all of us to enjoy:
http://neilhamelbackontrack.blogspot.com/

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Week in Review

Time: 509:39
Distance: 76 miles

Not a bad week. Not a good week. I had more miles that I originally thought I was going to have. I enjoyed running with Owen, Graddy and Scotty D. on various runs. I'll be looking to hit some people up on some of my easy days this semester. The drive back to Norman was a good non-planned rest day. I'll be interested to see how my training comes along in the coming weeks. Hopefully the weather stays decent and I become a little more motivated. I'm trying to do the little things at this point. A big goal of mine is to start the semester off right in terms or academic work and running related activities.

Long Run on Dead Presidents

Time: 110:50
Distance: 17 miles

I met Scotty D. for a run this morning around Norman. We had a little mix up at the start of the rut but were able to work things out. I took him on what is now being called Dead Presidents for the majority of our run. Once we got back onto Pickard the route deviated and headed across Lindsey so that more time could be added on. I felt pretty good out there. Tom wanted me to run the first 5-6 miles easy and then gradually pick up the pace. I tried to do that as much as possible while still running with a friend. The pace didn't get as swift as it would have if I were alone, but I will take company on a run any day. Scotty D. dropped me off back at Campus Lodge before swinging around to his place. He was trying to get in a good 20 miles.

Former teammate "Ridiculous" Nicholas Neely competed in the P.F. Chang's Rock 'N Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon today. Isn't that a mouthful of a name. Kind of like a mouthful of General Tsao's chicken. Nick competed well in his first 13.1 mile race finishing in 3rd place with a time of 1:10:28. Congrats to him. Results can be found here.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Track Workout

Time: 92:17 total time, ~90 actual running
Distance: ~12.5 miles

Last night Owen informed me while we were having a drink at Logan's that he was not going to be working out with me. I was a little less motivated to do this workout but I still wanted to get it in. I woke up and had planned on taking the bus in to campus along with a bag of extra clothes for a meeting I had to go to. The bus didn't come b/c the route was on a reduced schedule so I had to run in to campus with a backpack. The pace was considerably slower but I just wanted to take my time and start the warm up properly. It took 12:18 to get to the locker room where I dropped my stuff.

I proceeded to w/u on my standard loop that goes out Jenkins, over Imhoff and back Timberdell in 23:43. I quickly listened to the workout one more time. I did a few light drills and some strides to loosen up. I was feeling pretty decent at that point. It was a little cold (30's) and a touch windier than the internet indicated.

Target: 4 sets of 4 x 800 - 300 w/ 90 seconds after the 800 and 4 mins. between sets, and then a 400 after the final 300.
Splits: 2:20.68, (90), 45.88, (3:58). 2:18.38, (90), 46.64, (3:59). 2:18.20, (90), 45.43, (4:00). 2:17.39, (90), 46.75, (2:00). 62.24.

I felt pretty good all things considered. Owen came out to cheer me on which was helpful and kept me in check. I stayed relaxed as possible on the 800s and felt pretty fluid on the 300s. I thought I would have run a touch faster on the final 400 but running into the wind the first 150m was a bit rough. The rest was pretty substantial but I was recovering nicely. I would jog a little over 100m after the 800, and would get in 750m between sets.

C/d on the same loop I warmed up on 22:57.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Dead Presidents

Time: 85:10
Distance: 13 miles
Map

Owen and I ran from each of our respective sleeping locations. I jogged over from Campus Lodge and he came from Jilane's house. We met up around the corner of Jenkins and Timberdell and then headed north on Jenkins. We wanted to get in about 80 minutes and I knew a loop that was about 10 miles. It is a pretty standard loop that I have been doing when it is windy out. The map shows the traditional loop that is now being called Dead Presidents because it goes past a number of elementary schools. All are named after former Potus greats and not so greats like Kennedy, McKinley, and Jackson. Owen and I were chatting on the run about how none of the runs we do have names. At Brown every run was called something. There was Skank, Little Snake, St. Rays, McCoy, Double Headed Cobra, and Dragon just to name a few. Here in Norman the only one that has a creative name is Bobcat. Owen forced me to come up with a name with this run and Dead Prez is what I felt was appropriate. I had to make up a few short loops around the campus neighborhoods in order to get us to a point where we could depart and roughly get in a little over 80 minutes.

I felt pretty good on this run today. The wind wasn't too bad at any point. It was also a warm 40 degrees if that is possible.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Brookhaven Double

Time: 36:49
Distance: 5 miles

Ran with Owen from OK Runner out to Rock Creek Rd. The pace was pretty easy and neither one of use felt particularly good. Though, I think we felt better than we had in the morning on each of our respective runs. The wind was not a significant factor, but it was a tad chilly. Owen definitely made fun of me for running with a headlamp. I had to tell him it's like running with music. The first time you're a little embarrassed, but ultimately you can justify its usage.

Campus Loop

Time: 31:05
Distance: 4 miles

I ran from Campus Lodge to campus and made my way to Elm and back Boyd. I wasn't sure how far I wanted to go, but considering it was windy in the air and from my ass, I cut the run short. Thankfully, I had checked the wind gauge for later in the day and saw that it was suppose to die off later in the evening. I figured Owen might be interested in doubling sometime later in the day. Eating a month's worth of junk food doesn't make for a great run in the morning. Despite arriving at 4:30 am, I was decently alert at 8:30 am when I decided to get up and run.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Dayoff for Travel

Time: 0
Distance: 0 miles

Owen, Jilane and I woke up a little before 6 am PST in San Diego and started our drive to Norman, OK. After leaving Graddy's house and enjoying a great meal at Fidel's a famed Mexican restaurant we ventured out into the MOFN (middle of fucking nowhere). We met up with Jilane's friend from high school that we all know as Craig's Lauren. She lives and works out at a wolf preserve near Alpine, CA which is east of San Diego. It was going to be a long day and running just wasn't in the cards. On our trip Owen and I were able to put down:
  • sun chips
  • king size candy bars
  • tear and share m&ms
  • subway sandwiches
  • cheeze its
  • coffee
  • sobe
  • pringles
  • and probably more junk food i've forgotten about
The only healthy thing I remember eating was an apple. Yay! The drive was definitely rough mentally. Physically it was nice to have a day off and allowed for a day to recover from my cold/cough. To see a visual representation of our trip see Owen's blog post. We finally got to Norman, OK around 4:30 am CST. The trip was a total of 20.5 hours (we lost a couple hours to time zones).

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Touch the Balls

Time: 85:07
Distance: 13 miles

Owen and Jilane came to pick me up in Palm Springs this morning and we drove to sunny San Diego. I guess you could call this the first leg of our marathon trip from California to Oklahoma. Our first destination was to the house of a former teammate Ryan Graddy. Once we arrived in Torrey Pines/Del Mar/some other random place Graddy calls home, our friend was kind enough to drive us down the monster hill to the beach. We started our run from near the Torrey Pines State Reserve. See Owen's blog post for more information b/c he's all fancy with pictures and such
Our run took us along the coast a bit and eventually ended up on the UCSD campus. We ran to "the balls" which were outside one of the buildings near Dr. Seuss' spaceship. The final stretch before the turn around point was through what looked to be the frat/sorority recruitment day. Students were handing out fliers while other tents were serving food. They most certainly enjoyed our shirtless hot bods glistening with sweat. We took a slightly different way back that took us to the track. I attempted to get Owen to "cut a few shapes" with me but he didn't bite. We got back to the parking lot around 70 minutes, dropped Graddy off at the car and then added on in the opposite direction along some railroad tracks. Owen wanted to touch the Pacific Ocean so we traversed down a cliff and ran back along the beach.

Overall it was a great run. I enjoyed running with former teammates from Brown. We always have a great time talking about the coming seasons and who is going to run well. My legs felt pretty good and the cold is coming along.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Palm Springs Finale

Time: 68:21
Distance: 11+ miles
Map

Got out the door a little after 11:00 am on a run that took me out toward Indian Canyon. I ran as far as I could until they wanted $8 for entering the sacred grounds. I was trying to keep the pace as easy as possible in hopes of feeling good enough to do strides at the end of the run. Running out toward the canyon was a nice diversion b/c when I headed in to Palm Canyon it felt as if I had only been running for a couple miles. I decided to loop back in on Camino Real because it was familiar and I was feeling good. I continued on and finished like a did a few days ago. Overall the run was pleasant.

Got back to Deepwell Rd. and decided to do some drills and strides. I went through some basic stretches and exercises to loosen up. Then I ran 4 x ~150 meters. Not exactly sure on the distance but just chose a couple points on the street. I tried to mix things up by running various sections hard. On the first one I ran the last third hard, on the second the middle section, the third I focused on the first section, and the last stride I pressed the middle one. Went to the gym for some weights and abs.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Week in Review

Time: 530:46
Distance: 81-82 miles

Not what I wanted this week, but I'll take it. I was severely restricted by this lingering cold. I was hoping to start off the year with a good track workout and another one on the hills. That didn't happen, but I was able to get in a good amount of volume. I guess I'm hopeful that the pace of the runs is a good indication of my fitness. I'm still not sure how I will be able to respond to some faster/harder workouts.

Palm Springs Run

Time: 63:54
Distance: 10.4 miles
Map

Went out the door and had not particular route in mind. I wanted to get in around 60 minutes b/c I needed about 8 miles to finish out the week. The pace started a little quick and by about mile 4 I wasn't feeling great. I tried to relax as much as possible and just loop through Old Las Palmas. I started feeling better once I crested the hill on Stevens Rd.

The cold is feeling better each day. I slept pretty well last night. I still cough a bit in the morning before I'm ready to get out the door for a run. I think that by the time I'm back in Oklahoma next week I'll be good to start some more serious stuff. I'll just have to worry about the other kind of cold.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Long Run

Time: 90:14
Distance: ~13.5 miles
Map


Ran with Owen in the morning from the condo. I tried to keep telling him that it wasn't really raining b/c it never rains in sunny Palm Springs. The weather actually wasn't that bad as it was more like a drizzle. I took him on a loop that ran along the perimeter of the base of the mountain. Both of us felt a little sluggish the first part of the run, but the pace gradually got respectable. It was great running with someone out there.

I came up with a way to classify rain. It's not really raining unless your shirt gets wetter than it would have from your sweat. Rain precipitation on shirt > sweat on shirt = rain.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Double Run

Time: 51:37
Distance: 7.75 miles
Map


Owen arrived this afternoon without a run under his belt. We headed out the door just as the clouds started moving in over the mountain. I took him on a brief tour of the city which highlighted Ruth Hardy Park's doorless bathrooms and Palm Canyon Dr. The pace was easy as both of us are fighting colds. I ended back at the condo and he added on a few extra minutes. Great to run with someone again.

Morning Run

Time: 43:17
Distance: 6-7 miles
Map

Ran in the morning from the house on a loop through Palm Springs. Had no particular loop in mind. Just wanted to get in about 40 minutes. Owen is coming this afternoon and hopefully he didn't run in Phoenix so that we can get out the door for a jog. Tried to keep the pace easy. Still didn't feel great, but I put some time on the legs.

Went to the gym to do abs and the running motion with weights.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Easy Run

Time: 55:04
Distance: 8-9 miles
Map


Ran from the house on a loop that didn't go more than a few miles from the house in any direction. It was reminiscent of my old coach Johnny G and Mark Coogan on the loops they would do in East Providence. According to John, the two of them would just make loops in the neighborhood down by the Brown University track. It seemed pretty boring at the time to hear about running multiple loops to get in 10+ miles, but now I see how it would make sense.

Afterwards I did an abridged version of my drills routine. Then I ran 4 x ~150 meters. Felt good to turn the legs over. Ran hard enough to get near my max speed, but didn't press. No need to strain a muscle. Went to the gym and did abs and some light strength work.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Mistake of a Long Run

Time: 88:49
Distance: 13 miles? Really 14+
Map

I'll need to map this run to figure out how far I actually went. I wasn't feeling great to begin with and I ended up having to run around the Palm Springs Airport. I had the option of turning left at the corner of Gene Autry Trail and Ramon or continue going straight. I went straight. Big mistake. I was only at 55 minutes before I started feeling like ass and I had already committed to going around the airport. It wasn't even that long of a run but I had planned on going closer to 75-80 minutes. The cold needs to start getting better. It just has to... right?

Went to the gym and lifted a bit. Abs.

Just got finished mapping this motha. Maybe I was running faster than I thought I was. Also, the run shows it was 14+ but b/c parts of the run were done on a walking path that had slight curves to them the run was actually longer. It is already tedious to map out runs on gmap-pedometer, no need to make it incredibly difficult on myself.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Double Run

Time: 35:36
Distance: 5 miles

Ran in the evening from the Villa Hermosa condo. I was feeling a touch better from this morning's disastrous workout. I just wanted to get out the door and put in some time on the legs. I ran around the Old Las Palmas neighborhood in Palm Springs. It was terribly dark so I ran with my nerdy headlamp. It was a grand time. Afterwards I ended up walking back into town, got a hot chocolate with Roger and we walked back to the pad. I spent too much time on my feet today, but at least I got out of the house.

Track Workout

Time: ~42:43
Distance: 6 miles

Yesterday I got a Facebook message from Coach Tom and he wanted me to run a 300 meter workout this week. Apparently, he forgot that we weren't going to hit the track until after returning to Oklahoma. Anyway, to break up the training I decided that it would be fun. I tried to ignore the fact that I was sick and still producing a good amount of phlegm. Bad choice.

Target: 6 x 300 in 45 secs with 2 mins rest. 4 minute break. 1 x 600 in sub 1:30.
Splits: 45.69, 45.62, 45.25, 45.50, 45.37, 45.30

I warmed up to the Palm Springs HS track which is about 2 miles from the house. Ran 4 laps in lane 6 to bring the time to 22:16. Stretched a bit. Did some drills that I'm trying to incorporate back into my routine. Was feeling okay and thought that I would give things a shot. I couldn't really figure out where the finish mark was on the track. They had all of these random lines for various relays. For instance, in Palm Springs the 4000m relay is an event, as is the 6400m relay. There were also lines for the 1600 F and 800 F races which were both at different locations. Anyway, the workout got underway and I was not going to have a good one. I tried jogging 300m after the first one to take a jogging recovery, then I decided that a standing one would be best. I never felt great and by halfway I decided that the 600 at the end was not a possibility. I was having a tough time relaxing despite the legs feeling pretty good. A bit of a disappointing way to start off the year.

C/d back to the house 15:57. I then went to the gym that is in the complex and did abs for the first time since... um... May.