Kenyan Lifestyle...Kinda

Total Time: 135:49
Total Distance: 19.93 miles
Part I
Time: 40:07
Distance: 6.25 miles
Pace: 6:25
Part II
Time: 64:37
Distance: 9.56 miles
Pace: 6:46
Part III
Time: 15:26
Distance: 2.01 miles
Pace: 7:41
Part IV
Time: 15:39
Distance: 2.11 miles
Pace: 7:24

This morning I watched a few races live on NBC's Universal Sports. First up was the 1/2 Marathon World Championships this morning live from Rio de Janeiro. The Eritrean Zersenay Tadese took command early and ran away with it. I think the women ran too. Next up was the Chicago Marathon which was blazed in 2:06:25 by Evans Cheruiyot. The two man battle was impressive to watch deep into the race. I saw that Boaz Cheboiywo rabbitted early on and took the leaders through 10 miles around 4:45 pace.

Part I
I was amped up on 30 ounces of French pressed/plunged coffee by the conclusion of the races and decided to go out for a run. I contemplated doing a workout on the track to get ready for the MCM Beer Mile but that wasn't to be. Instead I ran over to OK Runner and happened to see that Craig's FJ Cruiser was parked out back. I went inside and chatted with him for 10-15 minutes, drank some water, used the bathroom and gave Lance a hard time (Lance is Craig's dog).

Part II
I had the wind at my back for the majority of the first part of the run and I decided to take this next section easy. I ran back east the same as yesterday down 36th and over Lindsey. Along the way I got a brilliant idea to run straight to Scotty D's house, pick him up for a jog to The Library for happy hour and pizza, but then I realized that I didn't have my i.d. on me. I continued running along Lindsey St. and decided to go by Scotty's anyway. He was taking a nap, but was summoned to come out and play. He liked my Library idea but that meant I had to run back to Campus Lodge for me to get my driver's liscense. Scotty biked alongside as I ran to the apartment, made a change of shoes, socks, shorts and shirt, grabbed my i.d. and chugged some water. At this point I had nearly 16 miles on my feet but I was feeling good and thought a few more couldn't hurt. We'll see how this pans out tomorrow.

Part III
Scotty brought his running shoes and was willing to test out his foot on a jog from the Lodge to The Library. We kept the pace slow which I desperately needed. I still was running on 30 ounces of coffee and a lemonade Gatorade that I pinched from Dizzle's house. It's okay though because he pinched it from the OU footbal team. We arrived at The Library where I enjoyed two Brown Owl Ales and Scotty had the IPA. We put in an order for a BBQ chicken pizza that rounded things out. We were getting ready to leave but needed to put in a little McNellie's Pub Run/beer mile training. We both ordered a Coach's Stout and prepared mentally for the run home. After not being able to remember the Irish drinking toast, it was bottoms up. The beer went down smoothly, but it wasn't as thick as a Guinness so it was a bit easier to drink.

Part IV
After 3 beers and half a pizza it was time for the real running to begin. Surprisingly I felt pretty good after a few minutes. I thought I felt a cramp coming on about a mile into the run home but that subsided and I was good to go. This was a good training exercise in running with a full stomach, perhaps simulating the 3rd and 4th laps of a beer mile. I need to start getting in some quicker workouts in order to open up the longs and get the breathing labored. The hardest part in two weeks will be trying to drink a carbonated beverage out of breath.

The body held up pretty good today, but I'll be interested to see how I feel in the morning. I expect everything to be sore including my right ankle which I twisted during Part I today. I made sure to ice my left knee, left achilles, right foot and right hip before going to be tonight. Oh, almost forgot, the title of the post refers to running everywhere in town like the Kenyans, but I don't think they stop to eat pizza and enjoy sno-cones.

Back in Nompton

Part I
Time: 37:36
Distance: 5.85 miles
Pace: 6:26

OK Runner Break

Part II
Time: ~40 mins.?
Distance: 6 miles?
Pace: watch geeked out

Scotty came over this morning and we watched the OU v Texas game on television. It was a good game but OU unfortunately lost 45-35. The offense played well but the defense and special teams gave up some big plays. Shortly after the conclusion of the game we headed out the door--me running and Scotty biking--and ventured towards OK Runner.

I decided to test out the NB 800MF on this run and remembered why I don't train in New Balance shoes. They are worse than Brooks. The MF'er really felt like an mf'er. The shoe is designed for someone who lands midfoot/forefoot, but some 'tard at New Balance decided that forefoot cushioning was a luxury they could forget. I've had racing flats with more cushioning than the 800MF. The upper fits like the 992 and the shoe itself looks like the 1123. Dr. Caniglione would be happy with how stiff the MF'er is. (Dr. Caniglione is an internal medicine guy who has become the "running doc" in the metro area. He shows up to local club runs and offers his services. The only advice he ever gives a runner is that they need a "stiffer" shoe. His favorite shoe is the NB1123, it's one of the few that are posted on the medial and lateral sides. Check out this douchnozzle's review of them. What was he thinking?! Anyway, whenever a customer comes into the store who says they have been to see Dr. C, we can rightfully guess that they need "a stiffer shoe.")

The pace was clipping along by the time Scotty turned off to go home along Berry. I continued on to the store and greeted Gus and Craig. I was told that there was going to be a party over at Gustavo's house for the OSU v Mizzou game. I stuck around for about 30 mins. and then Adam Cohen showed up asking about marathon shoes. He was dressed for a run, so I decided to run back near campus with him. At some point along the way my watched messed up and it didn't record a good portion of the run. The pace was very easy as Adam's latest marathon left him with an upper-respiratory infection. He was still running though. Respect.

Scotty and I headed over to Gus' home, El Cerrito, to watch the Cowboys take down #3 ranked Mizzou Tigers. It was a good time, with some good people. In attendance were: Tim and his daughter, Allie, Jerry, Craig and Carolyn, Tracy Shirley and his wife, of course Gus and his dog, Molly.

Palm Springs Farewell

Time: 66:49
Distance: 10.35 miles
Pace: 6:28
Map

I finished up my running in California with a final run in Palm Springs following the same loop that Meagan and I did on her marathon simulation. I kept the pace pretty easy but picked things up the last couple of miles. The legs were feeling good by the time I crested the top of the hill near the 6 mile mark. My last 8 half-mile splits were: 3:07, 3:04, 2:56, 2:52, 2:55, 2:59, 2:51, 2:59.

Balboa Park Farewell

Time: 89:47
Distance: 11.76 miles
Pace: 7:38

Meagan and I ran to Balboa Park one last time this morning to explore. She was aiming to get in 12 miles and I thought that I would tag along and just continue the trend. We ran along 6th and jumped into the park heading down to see the Haunted Trail which was locked up. After a loop up top we crossed Hwy 163 over the Prado pass and ran down the trails looking for somewhere new to go. I thought I had seen on a map that the trails continue near downtown but across from Park Rd./Ave./St. but all we could find were short steep trails that went nowhere.

Footlocker XC Course

The run took us near the golf course, velodrome and an xc course near the Morley Field Sports Complex which is also where the Footlocker Championships take place but I don't know the course. The only map I could find of the course is terrible so that doesn't help much. However, I did find a video that shows some familiar areas like the dog park and "the trail heading past the tennis courts."

Partial Video of Footlocker Course. (I recognize very little).

Overall the run was good. The legs felt fine and weren't too sore. My hip continues to do well. Parts of the run were really slow as we were running up steep trails on hillsides, but at least we got to run down.

SDHS Hates Track

Time: 72:07
Distance: 9.63 miles

W/u: 2.11 miles in 18:39
Workout Summary: 6.14 miles in 41:37. 6:47 pace.
C/d: 1.38 miles in 11:51.

Meagan and I got out the door a little later than what would have been ideal and drove around looking for the track that is located near Balboa Park, San Diego City College and, unfortunately, San Diego High School. I was able to find a parking lot that was free near the track, but it involved crossing one of those graffiti covered pedestrian walkways that goes over an interstate. The track itself was sunken down about three stories and was only accessible after descending a series of ramps or steps. (If we had Owen's skills on descending steps, this wouldn't have been a problem). Anyway, we started the warmup and tried to scout out the best possible loop for the two three-mile tempos.

The workout was: mile (5:40), 3-mile tempo (6:40s), 1200 (4:15), 3-mile tempo (6:40s), 800 all out. Everything was supposed to be continuous.

Meagan ran well on the opening mile and hit a split of 5:37 that was run really evenly. We ran up the steps and started the first 3-mile tempo which is a bit all over the place according to the splits: 3:23, 2:56 (not sure if this was accurate), 3:35 (mostly uphill), 3:24, 3:08, 3:37. I'm not sure what that totals but I think it's decent. We returned to the track and Meagan managed to run a 1200 in 4:25 while dodging the PE class full of delinquents. This is where the workout turned into a cluster and completely fell apart.

Just as we were about to run up the stairs I was called over by an older gentleman and he asked if I was from the City College. Hoping for leniency to remain on the track I responded "yes," but that only brought him to tell me that "adults" aren't allowed on the track while high schoolers are present. Okay. Fine. He told me something about the dangers of mixing adults and students during school hours. At that point the convo was getting ridiculous so I asked ask "if he liked track" knowing that any track fan would allow a cute blonde to complete her workout. He said that he loved track and that he was actually the track coach at the high school. Okay. Fine. If he were really clever he could have used Meagan as a recruiting tool for his team saying she is the type of athlete that frequents meets. At the very least he could have used our presence as a teaching tool to show the 150 students what track is all about. But, instead we had to leave. Okay. Fine.

Lady, Coach Ed Ramos, Meb, Dude

Turns out the teacher that asked us to leave was Meb Keflezighi's high school coach, Ed Ramos. He was also Marc Davis' high school coach. Initially, I found this to be a curiosity worth forgiving the guy, but then I did a little more research and realized he's a terrible coach. A Mexican sea horse could have probably guided Meb and Davis to high school glory. I discovered that in the 2006 CIF San Diego Section Finals his boy's team placed 13th while his girls were 19th. The best boy ran 17:09 for 5k while the best girl ran 19:27. Last year the boy's team improved to 11th place at the state meet qualifier while the girls were 21st. The best boy ran 17:15 for 3.05 miles while the best girl blazed 20:02 for 2.75 miles. I'm no shit shiner, but one would think that out of a population of 3,000 students a coach could field a team capable of averaging 17:15 for 5k and 20:02 for 2.75 miles.

After leaving the track we ran back into Balboa Park and I was hoping to get Meagan to do the second 3-mile tempo but it wasn't to be. She was shot and we stopped shortly after cresting the hill. We jogged in the park before heading back to the car.

Balboa Park Exploration

Time: 44:06
Distance: 5.61
Pace: 7:52

The new 'hood.

We left Palm Springs this morning around 10 am and were in San Diego around noon. Our hopes for cooler temperatures were not fulfilled but the change of pace was nice. San Diego has a lot more going on than Palm Springs and Meagan and I took full advantage of the action. We spent the afternoon walking around Hillcrest visiting used clothing and Vespa stores. Later we took a walk down 6th to Balboa Park and ventured into the Museum of Man. After a lot of walking we returned home and got ready for our run that took us back to Balboa Park. I'm not sure where the Footlocker Cross Country course is run, and we certainly didn't find it. The run was solid and involved the crossing of several canyons. I managed to navigate the park fairly well and found Upas St. with ease. Unfortunately, the map I glanced at before leaving on the run was only an overhead Google map that didn't show elevation changes. I figured once we found Upas it would take us back near the house, but I didn't realize that it would also involve a pretty real hill. After charging up the hill I spent the rest of the run wheezing while Meagan ran in comfort because she decided to walk up it.

Deserting the Desert

Time: 38:12
Distance: 5.01 miles
Pace: 7:37

Meagan and I ventured out for one last run in the desert before departing for San Diego. We kept the pace easy while running in the neighborhood just south of E. Palm Canyon. There were a few runners out and some walkers that were enjoying the early morning sunshine.

Wedding Bells Run

Time: 65:39
Distance: 8.69 miles
Pace: 7:33

Ran in the morning with Meagan from the house around Palm Springs. This was another wandering run that took us to familiar sites: Ruth Hardy, Old Las Palmas, Avenida Caballeros, etc. We had to get back to the house in time for the wedding which was at 11 am. The legs still feel good but my left knee is a bit inflamed from when I ran into the table in my living room in Norman.

Looking official.

Week in Review

Time: 432:50
Distance: 62.58

Got in some solid mileage this week and the body seems to be holding up well. I would like to do a better job post run with stretching and strengthening, but I have needed to do other things. My hip is doing well but I will need to monitor other parts of the body as they make the adjustment back to running.

I was able to test out a new shoe this week and found it to be a great. The Nike Lunatrainer is pretty different from what I'm used to and is a little radical in terms of shoe design. The shoe fits good and has a lot of surface contact with the road which disperses the energy upon landing. I'm interested in seeing how this shoe holds up over the weeks of training I hope to be doing shortly.

She's Gettin' After It

Palm Springs Lifestyle

Time: 104:55/92:02

Distance: 15.38/13.86 miles
Pace: ~6:48/6:38

Meagan and I got out for her marathon simulation this morning around 7:30 am. She was instructed to run a mile warmup, start the simulation at 6:50 and start clipping off 6:40s for the remaining ~12 miles. We were looking to get in about 15 miles total. I looked back to the last time I was in town to find a course that was roughly 10-11 miles which would serve as our first loop and then I had another 4 miles mapped out across the street. This is the loop I glanced at before heading out the door for one of Meagan's more important workouts during this training cycle.

I'll give myself a pat on the back for being able to remember the exact loop and or guiding Meagan through the intersections without a hitch. Our warmup mile was an 8:29 which put us along a street that was perfect to begin the workout. Our first two splits were 7:02 (1) and 6:59 (2) which were run north on a slightly uphill section of Palm Springs. When we started heading west towards the mountain and Ruth Hardy Park the pace dropped significantly to 6:35 (3) and 6:40 (4). I agreed with Jeff that it would be smart for her to run at the pace she felt comfortable so after the first two miles she was on her own to run the correct pace.

Ruth Hardy Park

The fifth mile was definitely the most uphill section and she split 6:49 (5) followed by a 6:30 (6) that was definitely net downhill. We wound our way back through the Old Las Palmas neighborhood, passed the Desert Museum while clicking off 6:26 (7), 6:45 (8) and 6:36 (9). When we got near the condo Meagan had to stopped and make a pitstop which took a little longer than what would be ideal. I believe we were around 9.36 miles of tempo work and my watch messed up during this 5 minute break. The .36 mile portion was run in 2:26 or 6:52 pace.

We resumed just outside of Koffi with a 6:45 (10.36 miles) and the first Clif shot with water was taken. We got things rolling shortly thereafter with a 6:29 (11.36), 6:24 (12.36) and 6:25 (13.36). Meagan wanted to pick up the pace the last half mile which she ran in 3:08 to bring us to our total of 13.86 miles. We did a short cool down of just over a half mile that brought us back to the condo. It was then time to get changed for the wedding brunch and off to the pool.

Palm Springs Living

Time: 70:55
Distance: 9.52
Pace: 7:27

Meagan and I went on an easy run through the streets of Palm Springs. Originally she was going to do her marathon simulation but she wasn't feeling good so we delayed it until tomorrow. The run was pretty uneventful but I was able to show Meagan around Palm Springs. I think she saw everything the city has to offer by the time we were done with our run.

Sunny Palm Springs

Time: 61:55
Distance: 10.02 miles
Pace: 6:11

I got up and went out for a run in the flats of Palm Springs. I made a quick tour through some familiar areas before heading down to the busier part of town where my dad was getting his hair cut. I get a good laugh every time I hear the barber/stylist/hair dresser's name which is Brian O'Brien. Hah!

A view of Palm Springs and the mountains to the west.

After a quick stop in to bug my dad I ventured out and made a spin around Ruth Hardy park. I was surprised at how good my legs were feeling and the pace was continually getting faster. My splits for the entire run were 7:01, 6:41, 6:26, 6:16, 6:12, 6:11, 6:08, 5:45, 5:31, 5:32. I was pleased with the way I felt the final 4 miles and how I responded to the change in pace. I hadn't intentionally set out to pick up the pace so drastically but I went with the flow of the run.

Morning Jaunt

Time: 41:46
Distance: 6.40 miles
Pace: 6:32

I was out the door early on a cool morning just as the sun was coming up to put in an easy jog. I ran in on Brooks and then continued through campus before hanging a left on Pickard. I didn't really have a route made up but I thought I would be able to put in about 40 minutes of running. The legs were feeling good and the streets were quiet which made for an enjoyable run. I got the pace clipping along and my splits were 7:16, 6:37, 6:35, 6:30, 6:15, 6:11. I returned to the Lodge, showered and caught the bus to the store. I had three goals for the day: (1) order two pairs of red shorts for a customer, (2) email and fill out an application for a health fair, and (3) put up every shoe in the backroom. By 10:30 am I had completed all of my goals and pretty much was ready to get out of town and head to the west coast.

Campus Loop

Time: 29:00
Distance: 4.32 miles
Pace: 6:44

Just got out the door and ran in through campus feeling decent. The legs were turning over nicely. I wimped out and opted to where a long sleeve shirt which I didn't really need after running for 10 minutes. Oh well.

As I was coming back along Boyd I neared Jenkins where I saw a bit of a commotion. An accident just had occurred involving some unlucky OU student riding his bike to campus and a rusty 1970s Ford truck. When I got there the student was still down on the edge of the street clutching his right leg. His bike had been tossed up on the sidewalk and his water bottle was displaced a few meters away. The driver was nice enough to stop and console the dude whom he hit, but I found it odd that it was necessary to bring out his two little white dogs that were ever so curious as to what just happened. The man was talking to the boy and asking him questions about where it hurt. He was clearly a little reluctant to handle the boy which I thought was smart from a legal standpoint.

There were several good samaritans on hand who offered to call the police and one gentleman was nice enough to stop and direct traffic. Take a look at Scotty's post about the bike community in Norman wanting to make it more "bike friendly." Yea, I think that is a good idea. At least when the shit does hit the fan people are willing to see the injured off to the hospital.