Week of May 9th...

May 9th: Since I put off my run on Saturday, I had to pay for it today. I kept telling myself I was going to experiment with the Wave Precision shoes on a long run and somehow seemed to put it off constantly. I also told myself that I was going to experiment with a CamelBak while running and see if it was too cumbersome on the trails. Today seemed like a good opportunity for both. When I first got the Wave Precision shoes, I was a little apprehensive, especially after the first few weeks. My calves were consistently sore and it was taking me longer and longer to warm up. I've since realized that this is probably due to the frequently switch between the minimal sole MT-101s and the Precisions. Even when I was running consistently on trails with the MT-101s, I was still experiencing some soreness and tightness in my legs following a run. They were still a blast to run in and I didn't want to give them up so easily. However, running in the Precisions on a more frequent basis has correlated with stronger long runs. I also gave the Camelbak a try and after getting over the initial annoyance with the constant sloshing (the pack is a little bigger than I would like) it was actually good to run with. It's difficult to get used to drawing water from the tube, but I can't imagine I'll be tapping into anaerobic stores too frequently during the 50K. Game time decision on whether I'll use this or not.

The run itself was great. I did an identical run yesterday in about 1:44 and shaved off about 12 minutes during the run today. At several points in the run I came across mountain bikers and other runners, all headed down the same trails for sizable portions of the run, which gave me a little more motivation to crank my pace up. I felt good at the end too, turning it up an extra notch for the last 3/4 mile down Forbidden Drive.

May 10: My legs felt better than expected, although still a bit sluggish after the run yesterday. Paul and I tackled a quarry/Nature preserve loop. The rain over the past several weeks, along with the increase in temperature, has squeezed most of the running trails from all sides. Trail blazing becomes a key part of every run, at least for the leader. I'm always amazed at how fast these areas can grow in a week given the proper conditions. Paul said he was feeling slow today because of his recent spinal injection to help repair a lower herniated disc, but of course this still means that he was striding along 100 or so yards ahead of me. I wonder if this is a sign of his increased fitness, or the lack of mine. Bad thoughts to have during taper week.

May 11: Just an easy run at lunch with Becky and Raph. Raph is getting ready for the Pittsburgh marathon this weekend, following a self-devised training program that mirrors what Crossfit Endurance preaches. Intervals and moderate long runs done at tempo pace. I think his longest run was the week before the marathon at 16 miles. Last year he almost broke 3 hours with this type of training. If it works out for him, I might consider working more of this into a regular program. I think the harder effort during the longer run trains muscles not usually worked and leads to stronger finishes at the end of the effort.

4 mile Aegon loop. Untimed.

May 12: Decided to finally take part in one of those Wissahickon Wanderers informal trail races. It's funny how Thursdays in May can get so quickly overrun with things to do. And September Thursdays for that matter. I've got class tonight, somebody wants to play basketball, go to happy hour, etc. I've gotten use to the act of crossing running off my list of things to do by lunch time, because something always comes up to throw me off track by the time I get home. But not today. Their website says these races are 3-5 miles in length and I've gotten pretty adept in the past few months at navigating my way through the Wissahickon. For once, I won't be wondering how much farther it will take to cross the finish line...

I was wondering how much farther it would take to cross the finish line after the first mile. I must have some inability to pace myself during the early section of ANY race. The gun goes off, the faster runners shoot out towards the front and I foster some disillusioned notion that I can hang with the front runners. Happens most every time. The race started from Valley Green and immediately crossed the bridge and headed southeast. A steep hill or two on this section and the creek crossing in valley between the two. Some of the faster runners were tip-toe-ing through the creek, looking for the good rocks to land on and it made me chuckle. 3-4 inches deep at best, I plunged right through and some people stared at me like I had violated some trail runner etiquette, although I did hear several splashes from the several people behind me. The route crossed down over the bridge about a mile south of Valley Green and made the slow and steady way up the western side of the creek. It was a torturous climb as I was not fully recovered from the downhill yet. I stopped briefly at the top and a female runner behind me encouragingly urged me to keep my legs moving, which invoked a mixed response. On the one hand, I wanted to heed her advice. On the other hand, I wanted to tell her to mind her own business, if I could stop sucking air long enough to regurgitate any understandable words. I guess this is what I get for not having raced in such a long time. The remaining portion of the race carried me across the top of the trails thankfully, with some moderate climbs on routes I was not all too familiar with. But soon I came to the steep downhill I knew would bring me to the finish and almost instantaneously, my lungs opened up again. I caught another runner who had passed me on the previously mentioned climb, but gave way to a younger runner (maybe 15?) who was downright flying through this latter portion of the course. Good for him.

At the end of the day, it measured maybe 3.3 miles and I finished in 27:15. Not lightning fast, but I think it's as good as you're going to get with the climbs included today. I could lie to myself and say that the course was a bit long, but that's why they have races. Everyone is running the same distance. Next week I'll be tapering for the 50K, but hopefully I can squeeze in another of these races on the last Thursday of the month.

May 13: Just a strength day today. I fell off the Pullup regimen I was on a while back and wanted to get back into the swing of things. I kept the workout easy on the legs since this is supposed to be a taper week.

Bench Press 5 X 4 (195)
Pullups 7, 10, 6, 6, 10

Clean and Press 4 X 3 (120, 140, 140, 140)
Incline DB Press 4 X 5 (120)

Bicep Curls 3 X 10 (30)
Dips 3 X 10

May 14: An easy 5 mile loop through Conshohocken on a cloudy morning. Untimed, but I think it felt pretty fast. The decrease in mileage is definitely having a positive effect on the constant "heaviness" in my legs. Recently, I complained about the difficulty of running in Conshohocken if you hate running on congested streets and jagged, pedestrian filled sidewalks. I've managed to string together a few portions of a run together that allow me to get almost 3.5 out of the miles on grass or unpaved trail. Starting with a small loop around Sutcliffe Park, I can make my way down the SRT, with a mildly worn dirt path next to the main bike path, which stretches for about 1.5 miles. I could always lengthen this in either direction. A few weeks ago I managed to fore go instinct and venture up the tall hill under the Peco power lines that stretch from the river and almost up to Fayette Street. I hope anyone that catches me realizes I'm not causing any damage and not looking to vandalize anything. I worry about any effect of running under power lines, but I guess there is no real way to avoid them in today's society, short of moving to Maine. Untimed run and felt good. A wedding tonight for my high school friend Carrie. Probably the first time in years that all of my high school friends have been together. Should be a good time.