When the Training Runs Out

Time: 51:56
Distance: 7.07
Pace: 7:20
Map

This morning was the first day in quite some time that I didn't have a scheduled/recommended distance or workout to run. The training cycle ran out yesterday and I was left to my own choices as to how far to go this morning. I talked with Jailhouse a few days ago and suggested that we take another down week in terms of intensity and miles so that I could just run without too many worries. Sometimes when I see what is coming up on the schedule that's all I can think about during the run. I love stepping on the track and hitting splits but at the same time it takes away the joy of the simple act of running. No thoughts, no worries, just 60 minutes of time on the feet.

Meagan and I decided to run in Sutton this morning. We did two loops around the park and then ventured home. My legs felt pretty good despite the long effort yesterday.

Sutton Slog

Time: 50:58
Distance: 7.10 miles
Pace: 7:10
Map

This morning I ran up to Sutton with Meagan for some easy miles. The pace was gentle and the legs were feeling fine. I didn't feel so great at the start of the run, just really sluggish and dead legged. As the run progressed the spirits lifted and by the end I was feeling more chipper. I have a big workout that I will probably do Saturday morning east of town on the hills.

Hotter than Hades

Time: 94:12
Distance: 14.23 miles
Pace: 6:37
Map

I had a pretty solid night out with Meagan, Scotty, Kristi, Coleman and Spenis. It's that last guy that always gets me into trouble. We started the night out at Blu and ended up at Benvenutti's. Good times all around but it left me driving the white bus later in the evening. In the morning I wasn't about to be disturbed from my slumber to join Meagan and Kristi on their run. I opted for sleep and then more sleep when Meagan returned from the run.

It wasn't until 2:00 pm when I got out the door for my run. Let me just say that it was 100 to 104 degrees when I started. Brutally hot. No joke. My sweat response started about 3 minutes into the run with some tingling sensations and things didn't get much better. I ran several loops around Sutton and then Meagan arrived with some water and gatorade. I was only 4.5 miles into the run and I was ready to be done. She returned at 10 miles with more liquid that kept me fueled. The pace dropped fairly well over the course of the run but I was ready to finish this thing up at Main St. I was supposed to run 6 x 1.5 mins hard, 4.5 mins easy but that wasn't going to be on this hellish day.

Sutton's Shade

Time: 61:59
Distance: 8.74 miles
Pace: 7:05
Map

Meagan and I ran to Sutton Woods this morning in search of some shade. It's going to be over 100 degrees again for the nth straight day. My legs felt pretty solid this morning but I'm glad I decided to postpone my workout until tomorrow morning.

Back to Sutton

Time: 57:13
Distance: 8.01 miles
Pace: 7:09
Map

This run took Meagan and I to Sutton Woods for some loops on the dirt. It was exceptionally nice to get some shade from the trees. Thanks trees. Nothing else to report.

Meagan's New Friends

Time: 84:31
Distance: 12.23 miles
Pace: 6:54
Map

A few days ago I texted Jenny Graef about the possibility of her doing a long run with Meagan. We were able to set up a play date at Sutton this morning. Scotty, Meagan and I left the house and jogged over to the parking lot where we met Jenny and Andrea Larabee. The girls were going to put in about 90 minutes which was perfect for Meagan's (our) training cycle. Scotty and I ran off on the trail and the girls went a separate way. We didn't see eachother until time was nearly up close to Main St.

I ended up running out in some of the newer developments north and east of Sutton. Scotty and I got in some light hills in the process which felt harder than they should have. The wind was blowing out of the south which is just about right for this time of the year. The weather has heated up to so by the time we came back to the parking lot at Sutton it was good to have a bottle of Gatorade stashed.

I think in the next 2 or 3 days some heat adaptation training will be in order. Perhaps running when it's around 80 degrees (similar conditions to today) will help get ready for potential conditions in Joplin. However, after Weds. it will be time to recover so that the heat hasn't taken too much out of the body.

Sutton (Not Bretton) Woods

Time: 59:32
Distance: 8.18 miles
Pace: 7:17
Map

Scotty, Meagan and I ran from the apartment to Sutton Woods for a few loops on the trail. Nothing too big to report here. Legs are feeling good but the intensity from this week has taken its toll. At times during the run I felt great and at others I wanted to stop early.

DeCoste is Getting Cranky

Time: 59:27
Distance: 8.01 miles
Pace: 7:25
Map

This was an easy jog from Main St. up and over to Sutton Woods to find some dirt. The legs were relatively recovered and the pace was casual throughout. We have a pretty good workout tomorrow so it was good to keep things fresh.

After the run I got back and checked the schedule and saw that we had 3 x 10 sec. hill sprints in the middle of the run. Instead, Scotty and I took to the streets and ran 3 x ~100 meters to shake out the legs.

Sutton's Goods

Time: 60:04
Distance: ~8 miles

Scotty met us over at Main St. for a jog that took us to Sutton Woods. We ran a few loops around the trail before heading back to the house. We made a brief stop at the Splash Pad in Andrews Park to cool off.

Sutton Woods

Time: 49:16
Distance: 7.14 miles
Pace: 6:54
Map

Not a lot to report about this run. I took a spin up to Sutton Woods and ran a couple loops on the softer dirt trail. The shins might be a little sore but nothing that I'm too concerned with. I ended the run at the gym where I was able to stretch a bit more than in days past.

We Run in Circles

Time: 47:50
Distance: 6.92 miles
Pace: 6:55
Map

This run was conducted up at Sutton Woods with my man Scotty D. We started really easy with some splits around the dirt loop in 8:09, 7:19, 6:58, 6:57, and 6:46. The body was feeling pretty warmed up and I think both of us wanted to do something to turn the legs over on the soccer fields. We jogged the straights and sprinted the diagonals. I think the cross-section of the field ranged between 380 ft and 400 ft and we were hitting paces hovering around 4:30. We did 10 good, hard strides that got the lungs and legs opened up before calling it a day.

The title of the blog doesn't refer to the loops around Sutton Woods but rather that Barry Switzer was at our workout. This is twice in the last couple of weeks that Barry, Scotty and I have been in the same place at the same time. It could be assumed that we run in the same circles. When we got done with the jog we watched a bit of a soccer scrimmage that was going on a middle field. It was guy vs. girls around the 10 year old age category. The guys were controlling the match but had not managed to hit the back of the net. While we were watching I was checking out the soccer moms and dads and noticed an older dude with an OU jacket on. He had silver hair and a really pale face. Yup, that's what Mr. Switzer looks like these days. He must have been out watching one of his grandchildren kick the ball around. Who would have thought that the King of Norman would let his kin play such a communist sport.

Hiding from the Spring Winds

Time: 53:18
Distance: 8.06 miles
Pace: 6:37
Splits: 7:42, 7:11, 6:44, 6:25, 6:19, 6:21, 6:13, 6:02
Map

I got blown up to Sutton Woods only to find that the trail was a little sloppy and I didn't feel like working my achilles more than necessary. The legs are feeling good but I don't want to risk it. The spin through town and campus was quiet. I finished up at the gym and tried to stretch but found myself watching Sportcenter's Top Ten.

Sutton Woods Workout

Total Time: 72:38
W/u: 23:14 for 3.19 miles
W/o: 34:52 for 6.17 miles
C/d: 14:32 for 2.00 miles
Total Distance: 11.36 miles

I headed out in the direction for Sutton Woods this morning with a 4 x 1.5 mile workout staring me in the face. I haven't run in Sutton at sub-5:45 pace in a really long time, if ever. On the jog over I knew that having some blockage from the wind would be helpful. I wanted to make sure the distance of the loop was close to 1.5 miles before starting the workout so I toured the course a final time before plunging into the splits. I was glad to learn that the full loop is roughly 1.55 miles.

Just as I was about to start the workout in the standard counter-clockwise direction a group of 5 half-way housed adolescents came strolling through. They were going to be in one of the narrowest sections of the course so I opted to run in the opposite direction. This meant that the wind would be at my back for the first 400-600m.

Interval #1: 5:10, 2:36 (1:00). I went out too hard for the first 800-1200m as the watch was reading 4:50 pace at the start. This was due to me wanting to have a good workout and the wind at my back. I started to feel heavy by 1.25 miles. Not good considering this was the first interval.
Interval #2: 5:13, 2:37 (1:00). Again, I went out too hard for the first section and started to feel heavy in the arms before I hit the mile. I was trying to relax but it was difficult with all of the turns. This was the closest I would come to hitting the right pace.
Interval #3: 5:20, 2:42 (1:00). On this interval I tried to run controlled the first 800m knowing the wheels were about to fall off. This was going to be the reverse hammer interval as I hoped I could finish things off well.
Interval #4: 5:25, 2:41. I was feeling pretty terrible by 800m and considered stopping but I knew even if I wasn't hitting the pace I was still running faster than goal marathon pace. The breathing wasn't too terrible but the upper body was heavy.

This wasn't the best workout but I will gain some fitness from it. Anything sub-2:30 pace will give me some benefit at this point. The legs are feeling healthy and I was glad to be on dirt today.

Light and Easy

Time: 45:xx
Distance: ~6 miles

This morning I ran easy out in Sutton Woods. I took the quickest way possible to the trial and ran a few loops. The body isn't feeling too sluggish this morning. Some good time on the feet.

Mr. Garmin is Back

Time: 59:51
Distance: 7.80 miles
Pace: 7:41
Map

The Garmin is back in action after a bit of a holiday in the British sense. Meagan and I set off for Sutton Woods a few hours after our "morning" run. We spent the time in between at a laundr-o-mat getting our clothes smelling minty fresh. I don't have a washer or dryer now that I live in the slums which means I will do some of my laundry in the sink when things get bad. Meagan thought that I wouldn't be able to get the stench out of her clothes with a hand wash so she made me go pay to have the clothes washed and dried. I haven't been to such a facility in many years and they all seem the same. A little old couple owns the place and they have let the quality run amok with all thte dirty clothes, cigarette butts and the class of society. Anyway, point being that there wasn't much rest time between the runs, but D-Jacobs wanted to put in some minutes.

The mercury is no longer at a muggy 80 and has now settled in at 35 with a nasty windchill which meant getting to Sutton sucked. Dwight was shocked at how windy Oklahoma is and I was happy to help him calous in the elements. We three took a few loops on the dirt before heading back to downtown. The legs felt solid and the achilles was not a factor.

Rompin' Through Sutton Woods

Time: 45:58
Distance: 6 miles

Meagan and I ran from my apartment up to Sutton Woods for a look at the dead bodies. We didn't find any bodies today but there is always some hope for a "Stand by Me" moment. The weather was nice and legs were rockin'. I wanted to drop the pace and leave Meagan in my wake but I didn't want her to be the next body found in the woods. I'm always looking out for her well-being you know.

Run Over by a Dog

Time: 48:09
Distance: ~7 miles?
Gym: morning

This morning I was up early and off to the gym to meet Kristi. She gave me shite yesterday for not being present on the elliptical machine. This morning I kicked her ass in terms of arrival time and claimed I had already been on the machine for 30 minutes before she had joined. Too bad the timer on the elliptical proved that I had only been there 8 minutes. The 45 minutes went rather quickly having someone to chat with.

In the afternoon Scotty and I headed to Sutton Woods to get out of the windy weather. We took a few spins around and around the dirt trail. There wasn't too much action out there and we didn't come across any dead bodies. A few couples were out walking their pups enjoying the warmer temps. Unfortunately, one couple was being truly rebellious and took their dog off the leash. The black mutt seemed to be having a great time bounding in the weeds until Scotty and I came running through. From the woods it charged in our direction in a friendly manner attempting to get back to it's master. The dog ran directly at me giving me two options: (a) hold my ground and hope/figure the dog would move as it wouldn't make sense to run into an object (me) or (b) dodge the dog and hope the mutt doesn't choose to move in the same direction as myself with the end result being a collision. I chose (a) and the dog didn't cooperate as it plowed into my left knee knocking me down. Little bastard.

Sutton Woods Tester

Time: 64:09
Distance: 9.23 miles
Pace: 6:57
Splits: 7:47, 7:27, 7:01, 6:59, 6:50, 6:51, 6:54, 6:30, 6:22, 1:28 (for .23 miles at 6:32 pace)
Map & Data

I spent a leisurely morning at Cafe Plaid and then ran home (untimed). I got a quick meal at my place and them spent some more caffeined hours at Winan's. Scotty joined me in the afternoon for a jog in Sutton Woods. I was still testing out the achilles and wanted to keep things slow. We toured the woods for a few laps and things were feeling pretty comfortable until the last 10 minutes when the slow creeping burn to the lower leg came back. Since I felt a bit more discomfort than I would have liked in today's run I might take the next few days off.

When the Drums Beat Slow

Time: 60:10
Distance: 9.01 miles
Pace: 6:41
Splits: 7:54, 7:12, 6:49, 6:40, 6:41, 6:33, 6:16, 6:07, 5:57
Map & Data

Sometimes the drums beat fast, sometimes the drums beat slow. I think that's like an ancient Chinese proverb or something like that. I'm not sure if Gabe Jennings said those exact words but it was close enough for people to conclude he was a bit off his rocker. I ran up to Sutton this morning and took a few spins around the dirt loop to keep things lite (in the calorie sense). I heard the wind pick up last night and I didn't know that was going to happen so when I woke up I didn't want to fight the wind most of the run. Sutton provided a little bit of shelter during the run. The body felt pretty good, but I can tell my right hamstring is a bit fatigued. I'm going to make sure to stretch throughout the day while I'm at work in hopes of loosening the sucker up.

It Could Be Worse

Time: 55:20
Distance: 8.01 miles
Pace: 6:54
Splits: 8:10, 7:27, 7:07, 6:54, 6:46, 6:27, 6:18, 6:06
Map & Data

It was not warm out there this morning, but I had to get out there because I didn't run last night. Most of yesterday was spent building shelves for shoes in the back office. A cold front moved in from the north and by the time it was time to run last night, I didn't feel like it.

I woke up and saw that it was 21 degrees with a "real feel" of 5. Five! That's ridiculous. It was a miserable, cold, windy run that took me to Sutton Woods for a few loops. I was really surprised to see at least 4 different people out walking their dogs around the 1.5 mile loop. I was really surprised when I saw a high schooler walking to school without a jacket. What a dumbass! It's 5 freakin' degrees and this moron doesn't have a jacket on. I think he was also wearing makeup or eye shadow. Not sure where that puts him on the wu wu/wee wee debate.

I was cold for most of the run and was glad to be done at 8 miles. This evening after Scotty's ART appointment up in OKC I will run at Lake Hefner again. Perhaps it will be another one lap evening. Scotty also told me that in some places up north, temperatures have been in the -30's. That's brutal. Good luck running with that DeCoste.