This has been an interesting week for running. Since running my marathon last week I thought I would cool it down and maybe even take a low mileage week to recover. However, for some reason when I get something in my head it gets stuck there and the only way to get it out is to complete it. I did an amazing 18 mile on Monday from my house all the way up to Millcreek Canyon and up to the Pipeline Trailhead. From there I ran all the way out to the point, the 1 mile back to Rattlesnake Gulch, down to the canyon road and back home. That, in and of itself, was a monster day and had the feeling of a marathon considering I did so much climbing (1500 ft in 7 miles).
But I couldn't/didn't stop there. On Thursday, after only two rest days I decided to go out for another long run in the morning. I was awake at 3:20am and out the door by 3:40am. I ran the roads through Holladay and Cottonwood, then north along Wasatch all the way to Parley's canyon and then back home. 21+ miles in total. When I am that close to running a full marathon I just have to go for the rest of the miles. So later in the day I went back out and hit the Jordan River Parkway for what I thought would be 5 more miles. Turns out I felt pretty good and went for a total of seven, making for an ultra-marathon day at 28+ miles. Huge day.
Yesterday I was invited to go hike/run a peak this morning. I wasn't sure how well I'd be recovered from running 28 miles on pavement, but I figured if I felt up to it that I would give it a try. I met up with Scott W and his friend Matt at the Bonneville Shoreline Trailhead at 7am and we headed straight up the ridgeline to Wire Peak, 2.4 miles and 2200 vertical feet of elevation gain away. We hiked the whole thing, even though there were some parts lower down that could have been run. Once on top Matt turned around and went back down while Scott and I turned north and headed over to Red Butte Peak. From there it was a pretty technical downhill back to the BST, but then cruiser back to the car for a total of 6 miles.
This week I ran three days totaling 52.15 miles and climbing more than 4,500 vertical feet. Not too shabby. I actually think I'll take it easy next week. Time to recover.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
February Marathon Day
On February 10th I decided to go out early in the morning for a long run. Limited only by time I decided to see just how far I could go before I had to be home and get ready for work. Unlike my last marathon day attempt this time I was much better prepared, having eaten before my run and was pretty well stocked just in case I needed something out on the road. I even took my debit card with me, just in case.
This time I made it 17.25 miles before I hit my deadline and had to get home. I felt great this time, averaging an 8:30ish pace. That is pretty fast considering the number of hills I had to climb during the run. I figured I could get the other 9 during a long lunch, but as the day wore on I found I just couldn't slip away from work. Instead, I fit in 5 as quickly as possible towards the end of my workday. I was pretty tired from the morning run, hadn't recovered well, and didn't eat very well throughout the day, so I was pretty sluggish. The top of my right foot also hurt from the morning run. And I was still 4 miles short of my goal.
The problem was that I still have a full night ahead of me. Scouts at 6:30 till 8 and then I had to take Tyler home. Em talked me into doing my run near the house, so that meant I wouldn't even be able to start my last four miles until after 9pm. Not to be deterred, I committed to going out and I did. I felt better run the last 4 miles than the previous 5. Although, with one mile left the lack of calorie intake took its toll and I basically turned numb. It was rough, but I still ended around a 9 min/mile pace, capping off a 26.25 mile day. Hurray.
I learned a lot about running on depleted energy and sleep deprivation. I can take these things and apply them to real adventures in the coming months.
This time I made it 17.25 miles before I hit my deadline and had to get home. I felt great this time, averaging an 8:30ish pace. That is pretty fast considering the number of hills I had to climb during the run. I figured I could get the other 9 during a long lunch, but as the day wore on I found I just couldn't slip away from work. Instead, I fit in 5 as quickly as possible towards the end of my workday. I was pretty tired from the morning run, hadn't recovered well, and didn't eat very well throughout the day, so I was pretty sluggish. The top of my right foot also hurt from the morning run. And I was still 4 miles short of my goal.
The problem was that I still have a full night ahead of me. Scouts at 6:30 till 8 and then I had to take Tyler home. Em talked me into doing my run near the house, so that meant I wouldn't even be able to start my last four miles until after 9pm. Not to be deterred, I committed to going out and I did. I felt better run the last 4 miles than the previous 5. Although, with one mile left the lack of calorie intake took its toll and I basically turned numb. It was rough, but I still ended around a 9 min/mile pace, capping off a 26.25 mile day. Hurray.
I learned a lot about running on depleted energy and sleep deprivation. I can take these things and apply them to real adventures in the coming months.
Monday, February 8, 2010
New Training Program
A few weeks ago I decided to start a new training program. I've actually been planning on doing for some time, but was unable to implement it due to my injured knee. But now that things have been feeling better I have really gotten into it and it seems to be working better than any program I've used to day.
My plan is to run twice a day on Monday and Wednesday. Then a very short run to recover on Friday and a long run on Saturday. My two-a-day runs have been amazing. The first week I averaged 12 miles between the two runs each day; last week I averaged 15 miles a day between the two runs, and today I did 8 this morning and 10 this afternoon. The great thing is that I'm pretty worked by the end of my afternoon run, but because I always get the next day off I have plenty of time to recover before I do it again. Friday's run really doesn't do much more than work out some tired muscles for Saturday. I've been doing it for a few weeks now and I'm seeing some real improvement in my miles and strength. I really believe this is the best program for me and will prepare me to reach my goals this year.
Read more about my workouts at jun.fastrunningblog.com.
My plan is to run twice a day on Monday and Wednesday. Then a very short run to recover on Friday and a long run on Saturday. My two-a-day runs have been amazing. The first week I averaged 12 miles between the two runs each day; last week I averaged 15 miles a day between the two runs, and today I did 8 this morning and 10 this afternoon. The great thing is that I'm pretty worked by the end of my afternoon run, but because I always get the next day off I have plenty of time to recover before I do it again. Friday's run really doesn't do much more than work out some tired muscles for Saturday. I've been doing it for a few weeks now and I'm seeing some real improvement in my miles and strength. I really believe this is the best program for me and will prepare me to reach my goals this year.
Read more about my workouts at jun.fastrunningblog.com.
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