And Then There Were Four

Four days, that is. Race day is almost here, tapering is coming along nicely, and I'm ready to just get out there and get this one started. I feel good. Not perfect, but good. No aches or pains save one: a painful area at the front of my left heel nearest the arch. This is a new one and I'm not sure if it's my first case of plantar fasciitis or maybe just a bruise from some hard trails in the recent weeks. It mostly hurts to touch, not while standing, running, or walking. If that's my only problem this weekend, I will be thankful!

It's gotten hot recently too. REALLY hot. And humid. So I've been trying to get in some heat runs. They've not been terribly long, or comfortable, but I've felt decent, and they've given me a chance to nail down my hydration.

I've also found some new shoes in the last two weeks: Hoka One One. They're fairly new to the market and are the anti-minimalist shoe to end all shoes. These things have some cushion! And the comfort! Don't get me started about how comfortable they are! It's like riding in a Cadillac. Not one of the new one's, but one of the old boats from the 70's or 80's. My feet have been the weak point during my super long runs and I'm hoping these shoes will help me solve that problem.

My last run will most likely be tonight, just some easy miles at the track. Then it's just a matter of getting all my gear together and organized. That's a job in itself. So much stuff. I'm glad this is a summer race and I won't have to worry about cold weather. Lots more gear involved with cold weather running. But right now I'm focusing on the heat!

50 Mile Weekend

Originally, I had 4 to 5 of these really big weekends planned, but somehow I managed to miss each and every one of them. Except for this past weekend. On my last high mileage weekend before beginning my taper, I got my 50.

I was thinking of 30 Saturday and 20 Sunday, but as I was running Saturday, I was thinking about the possible routes in Hinckley, and how they are all divisible by 3 not an even number. So because of that, I modified my mileage to 29 Saturday and 21 Sunday. A mile easier one day and a mile harder the other.

For Saturday's run, I wanted to get back down onto the course and run some sections that I haven't yet. I wanted to see what the trail conditions were like and begin to fine tune my race-day strategy. Parking at the Boston Store, I headed north on the Buckeye Trail, the reverse direction of the BR course. What I noticed immediately was how dry the trails were. Completely recovered from the sloppy mess I encountered on Mother's Day.

I made my way up to the Piano Keys and made a mental note that climbing these steps is going to really suck at nearly 50 miles into the run. At least there's a handrail!

The Buckeye Trail was a busy place early on in my run. Now, granted, I did get a late start and the folks I met had been out there for a while already. My 10:00-ish start time wasn't intentional, but it would put me out there in the heat of the day. Good training.

Blue Hen Falls was relatively quiet, with no one climbing around and getting in my photo for once. The lack of rain has caused the creeks to become tiny little things. I didn't encounter any difficulty at any of the water crossings and the muddy patches were merely soft spots. No trouble at all. I could go for some softer trails for race day, but I'll take them dry over wet.

The day was hot so I carried three 16 ounce bottles with me. I had a rough plan of where I wanted to run and the route I wanted to go. I knew where I could refill my bottles. My only regret is not carrying Gatorade mix with me. I took only Nuun tablets. They worked for hydration, but I could have used the extra calories. In the heat I didn't have much of an appetite for the Clif Bars I was carrying.

I followed the BT into the Brecksville Reservation, through Ottawa Point, eventually picking up the APT. Stopping at Oak Grove I refilled a bottle before continuing on my way. I jumped back onto the BT before the last big descent along the parkway and popped out of the woods at Riverview Rd.

Passing quickly through Station Road, I was on the Towpath still heading north. This section is race course, and will be hot on race day. Fortunately for me, it was hot this day too. At the Frazee House, I turned back onto Buckeye trail and had some real peace and quiet. I didn't take the trail all the way to the Bike and Hike, but for the time I was on it I didn't see another soul. I decided to turn around when I hit an overgrown field and I didn't feel like pushing through more leaves and grass.

Reversing course, I made my way back down to the Towpath and eventually back to Station Road. There I refilled more empty bottles and had something to eat. I had a few miles of hot Towpath ahead of me and I wanted to be prepared. It was hot. And crowded. The cyclists were out in force! For the second time this year, I couldn't help but wonder how many of those bikers weren't going to ride as far that day as I was going to run.

I stayed focused and survived the heat with no problems. I even managed to notice some of the sights along the way! As I was pushing through the heat, I had two things on my mind: 1) I would need to go back out for a little bit after getting back to the Boston Store in order to get my 29 and 2) I needed the can of Coke I had in my trunk! I could taste it and I intended to down it before finishing my run.

The Coke was one of those small cans and didn't take long to empty. Then I was off for a short mile and a half out-and-back. This time I went south along the Towpath, took the left where the Valley Bridle Trail veers off, and climbed back onto the Buckeye Trail. More uphill. This section was pretty quiet with only a few others out there with me.

It was just me and nature. And this little guy I managed to hear rather than see. I know one of these days I'm going to run into one a little larger. After what wasn't too long it was time to turn around and head back. I was very tired and dehydrated by the time I finished. And it was nearly 5:00. That's a long time in the woods. My complete run data can be found HERE.

Sunday's run was much less adventurous, was harder, and had more company. I met up with the Sunday morning Hinckley group at 7:00. I just wasn't going to make the 5:30 start. I had no soreness or foot problems so I started out with the hopes of having a decent run. It didn't take me long to realize though, that my legs were pretty shot and I wouldn't be able to maintain a very fast pace. But that's kind of what I was hoping for. That was one of the possibilities for Rite Aid: Run Saturday and then run the race tired. Not only would Sunday's run be a physically training run, but a mental one too.

The big 9 mile loop kicked my butt and I walked the major climbs, including Effie. I really didn't want to go back out on that loop again, so for the rest I stayed in the park. Ladd ran with me for the first of my four 3 mile loops, then I was on my own. Two more loops on the APT and then I switched to the Lake Trail. 21 miles done! All the Hinckley data can be found HERE.

A big weekend for a big race. I hope it will all be enough to get me to the finish line in under 30 hours. Tapering has begun. I'm reducing mileage but maintaining intensity. As an example, we were at the track last night running 800 meter repeats in the sun and heat. I pushed hard and managed to be only a little slower than what I would have liked.

Race day is getting close. Less than 2 1/2 weeks now.

Firecracker 40 FA

Big thanks to Cyrus for forwarding the info for this run to me a week ago. I was aware of it's existence, but didn't know it was going to be this weekend. What it is, is a loosely organized group night training run on the last 40 miles of the Burning River course. Was it something I needed to do? Yes!

I was familiar with the BR course from just past Shadow Lake to the Perkins Loop with just a random hole here or there. Now I'm familiar with the entire course with the exception of the road section at the start and the trails (which I've heard are mild) leading up to Shadow Lake. And not only that, I've done the night sections in the dark. And they weren't too bad! Granted, the Perkins Loop is much more scenic and enjoyable by day, but I was expecting it to be a nightmare in the dark. And although I had company for the entire run, my concerns about what I might run into in the CVNP at night have been allayed. If it came down to it, I could push on down the trail by myself without hesitation.

Most of us met down near the finish line in a parking lot across the street from the Sheraton in Cuyahoga Falls. Thanks to Zack for offering me a lift to the start at Lock 29 in Peninsula. We had a large group, well over the 43 that were definitely attending, which made for an almost party-like atmosphere. There were a few people I knew, many faces I recognized, but mainly lots of new people to meet. We must have been some sight running down the street to 303 while everyone else was trying to either get to the Winking Lizard or returning home from a day at the Boston Mills Artfest.

On race day, there will be an aid station at the Pine Lane Trailhead, so that's were we ran to get onto the course. We take an old brick street to get there, paralleling 303, up and out of the Valley. Eventually it narrows down to a single wide path through the brush as nature reclaims another section of abandoned road in that area. A photo of the street is HERE from a previous run. Now, I've been through Pine Lane quite a few times, and I've never known there is another trail there. It's a section of the Valley Bridle Trail and it was awesome! Hilly, scenic ravines. It was great to run it with the sun still breaking through in spots. I will return there again for photos.

We followed the bridle trail until we hit an old section of Akron Peninsula Rd. Then it was some road miles until we joined up with the Bike and Hike Trial. While on the road section, I met a fellow named Mike. Our paces were very similar so we decided to stick together. From the Bike and Hike, we took a short path to join up with the Boston Run Trail, which we almost missed. Once on the Boston Run Trail, we had a decision to make: right or left. As that trail is a loop, it didn't really matter which direction we chose. We would eventually end up in the same spot. I suggested left because I had studied the map section earlier in the day and I thought we ran for a bit along 303, which would put us running clockwise.

The Happy Days aid station would be in the parking lot on race day. This night Dan B. was crewing us and had a roving aid station waiting for us. I was carrying much of what I needed on me, not wanting to have to depend on anyone else. All I would technically need was water, but I couldn't pass up a cookie or two. After Happy Days we looped around the east side of the Ledges, where the shadows were long and deep. Bats were already out and about in the darkness and I considered turning on my headlamp. We both waited on the additional light and enjoyed running in the restricted light that is sunset under a heavy tree canopy. There was one fork in the path where the Pine Grove Trail loop splits from the connector trail. Both Mike and I thought the loop was part of the course so we ran it. I'm not sure if everyone else ran it though. Once we were done and back on the main course we had a groups of runners "materialize" both in front and behind us.

Crossing Truxel Rd., we made our way around Kendall Lake and onto the Cross Country trail. I think it was along this section that we met up with the four other runners we would spend nearly the rest of the night with: Kyle, Mikaila, Suzanne, and Tim. A great group of runners! Every one's lights were on as we climbed the Sound of Music Hill on our way to Pine Hollow. Dan was there waiting for us with food, water, and Gatoraid. Good Gatoraid too! I'm usually leery of drinking sports drink that I don't mix myself, having had bad experiences doing so, but Dan did a good job mixing up something that was more than tolerable.

The Salt Run Trail loop was next on our journey. It's a hilly, rooty course by day, with long sections of steps going both up and down. By night, it really slowed us down. I could really understand how it defeated people so badly during BR as it falls around mile 70. We all made it through just fine. The Cleveland Orchestra concert (I think) at Blossom was just finishing and their fireworks going off as we wound our way through Salt Run. I'm curious if anything could be seen from up above because we could barely see the headlights of cars driving by on Akron Peninsula or Quick Rd the foliage was so thick.

After re-fueling again, we were off to find the Wetmore Trail to make our way to the Covered Bridge. I've gotten turned around on this section by day and was worried we might have problems in the dark, but Tim and Suzanne were up front leading us forward. It looked like the Lagnes Run trail was closed for re-building so that helped us have fewer decisions to make. I couldn't help but let my imagination do it's thing as we made our way back down into the Valley. My thoughts would range from what I would like to be eating, to how nice a margarita would taste, to "when will I see some coyotes", to "I wonder what would happen if a minotaur popped up in front of us". I was getting mildly delirious due to the late hour and that was just fine with me.

We reached the Covered Bridge and Dan was there, all set up. I've been around the Perkins Loop many times. It was the location of my first 50K just two years ago at Bills' Bad Ass. This would be my first time around in the dark. Surprisingly, I could recognize most of where we were, only getting disoriented in a couple spots. It definitely took longer to run at night, but we all made it through OK. Stubbed toes on tree roots being the worst injuries. When we returned to the Covered Bridge we learned the "sweeper" group had bypassed Perkins and was ahead of us. This was for the best as it allowed Dan to move on sooner and get set up for more runners. This also meant we were now the sweeper group. We would need to pick up anyone we might come upon and make sure no one got left behind. Safety first.

As we made our way down Oak Hill Rd at 2:30 in the morning, I would be on all new terrain, except for a couple sections of Towpath Trail. The road was deserted so we spread out. Mike even took his shoes off and ran barefoot, as he had done a little earlier on Akron Peninsula and Bolanz Roads. As the night wore on we took more walking breaks. Not everyone was feeling good either, so our progress slowed. The section of Buckeye Trail into O'neil Woods took it's toll. From that point we did a lot of walking. Stomachs were acting up and blisters forming. Things were really beginning to hurt.

Dan was again waiting with aid at Botzum. I had to use the restroom here. It just wasn't going to wait. I felt better but not everyone else did, so we still made slow progress. There was much humorous speculation as to why the City of Akron needed to build a barbed-wire-topped-ten-foot-tall-concrete-wall around their composting facility. Was it to keep people out or to keep something in?

As we kept moving south on the Towpath the birds began singing. 4 AM already? Sure was. And with that the sound of something moving toward us through the heavy vegetation to the side of the Towpath. My brain slowly tried to think of what it could be and decided upon a deer. I hoped it wouldn't hit one of us as runners seldom come out on the winning side of human VS. deer collisions. Fortunately or unfortunately, it was no animal. It was the sound of big ole fat rain drops beginning to fall. Just lovely. They let up but the lightning and thunder began. Something was brewing and I really began hoping we would be done before it hit. The only problem was I didn't know the remainder of the course or exactly how much further we had to go.

It was light out as we left Dan's aid station for the final time at Memorial Parkway. This is where we left the Towpath, following some streets to Cascade Valley Metropark. As the rain returned I was glad to be in the trees and on a trail. We followed the trail along the banks of a still small Cuyahoga River, making mostly correct course decisions. By this point our group had split with Mike, Tim, and Suzanne going ahead and Mikaila, Kyle, and I bringing up the rear. We missed only one turn, having to double back when the trail we were on ended.

Through slow but relentless progress we eventually made our way back to the parking lot across from the Sheraton. We had been out there for over 12 hours. Slow? Yes. But it was good training to just be on our feet for that long. We covered 43 miles by my Garmin. Data HERE. This will be the hardest part of the course due to it being the second half of the run. Hopefully I will be able to run that section at Burning River.

I did learn some things while out there. Like, I can't wear compression tights or calf sleeves for long runs. The lower elastic band rests right on my retinaculum, causing me swelling and pain. This is probably what caused my left leg problems earlier this year. My right leg was aggravated during this run. I combined bottles of my Gatoraid/Nuun mixture with a bottle of just Nuun and my hydration was not a problem. No dehydration. I ate three Clif Bars and could have used some more. I need to learn to eat before I get hungry. I ate most of the energy chews I brought with me. Not only were they beneficial nutritionally, but they gave me something to snack on. I like to think of them as "Energy Candy"! I think I've made the decision that I can't run long in the Brooks Cascadias. I wore less constricting socks, but my feet still got beat up. I think multiple shoe changes, including road shoes, will be a necessity on race day. And I still have an unanswered question: How the hell did I get ants in my gaiters? I couldn't feel it at all, but when I changed into clean socks and shoes for the drive home I saw ants and that they had decided to bite me all over my ankles. Stupid ants.

So, a fun time and a great run. I'm glad I went as I got to meet some new people. And most everyone there will be running the race, so I will get to see them again. HUGE thanks to Dan B. for crewing everyone all night long and for his concern that every runner be accounted for. I don't know how he fit all that gear into his Honda Fit! We're less than a month out now and I think that will be my last super long training run. Now it's time to heal up and taper down.

BR100 Training - Week 21

Well, to make up for a lackluster week 20, I went and overdid things just a bit again. (I tend to do that a lot). I felt a couple things. First, I needed some miles. Second, I decided I would lay off the trails until they dry out some. There's only just so much sloshing through mud and standing water I can take. I enjoy it from time to time, but when the entire run is like that, it's not so much fun. Plus, I've been battling this poison ivy every since the Mother's Day run. My foot has just recently cleared up, the original reaction site, but it has since spread all over. Dan B. was just telling me yesterday that it can get into the bloodstream? Maybe that happened to me because I have little isolated itchy bumps located in spots that were just fine until recently.

This Tuesday marked the return to a true interval workout at the track. We had decent, though very warm and muggy, weather, and a good turnout. All folks serious about pushing it on the track. We did a ladder workout, up and back down: 200, 400, 600, 800, 1200, 1200, 800, 600, 400, and 200. The rain that was threatening, and that would have felt really good during those 1200's, finally began as we were finishing up. The second set of times weren't as fast as the first, but I gave it what I had.

Wednesday I was able to work the legs out again with Kevin. He had me add deadlifts instead of getting on the leg press machine. They were a little different and felt awkward. I have a hard time doing squats due to my back, but these didn't bother me.

Thursday I wanted to go to Hinckley, but incoming storms kept me inside. Instead, I hit the treadmill again for 5 miles. This time I added in an upper body strength training set every .25 mile. I was pretty exhausted by the time I finished.

The big run for me this week happened on Sunday. I couldn't run Saturday because we took a drive down to Dayton to visit the Air Force Museum. I've been there a few times before, but they've really done a lot of work! Perhaps I will post some pics from our visit. Anyway, I wanted to get a long, slow, long run in the week before my double marathon. Since I'm trying to avoid the trails, I decided to run on the All Purpose Trail in the Metroparks. Basically along a portion of the Green Jewel course. Starting in Strongsville at Bonnie Park, I ran north toward Rocky River. I wanted to make it at least 10 miles before turning back, but I went 15 since I felt so good. Unfortunately, by the time I turned around the clouds had cleared and the heat really cranked up. I was carrying enough supplies with me, but it was still very tough making it back. I was dehydrated and overheated when I returned to the parking lot with 30.4 miles. Of course I would make the decision to run a little bit extra so I could finish with an even 31 miles. A self-supported 50K in hot and sunny weather. That was a first, but I'm thinking it won't be the last!

As I mentioned, I'm running a double trail marathon this Saturday. It's in Michigan so hopefully it will be a little cooler there. I don't know what the course is like: how hilly it is, or muddy, or groomed. It's a 13 mile loop I get to run four times. Should be fun!

Monday - Off
Tuesday - 8.0 miles Speedwork
Wednesday - 1 hour leg strength training (PT)
Thursday - 5.0 miles treadmill with upper body sets
Friday - Off
Saturday - Off
Sunday - 31.0 mile road run

Weekly totals = 44.0 miles

BR100 Training - Week 20

Another late one. As Linus said, "I'm doomed." I need Staples to make a "pause" button like their "easy" button. I could get so much done with one of those!

Week 20 was more or less a recovery week. I had a first! Monday, the day after the marathon, I ran 3 miles on the treadmill. I've never, ever run the day after a marathon before. It didn't hurt either. My legs felt fine when running. It was while walking or climbing or descending the stairs that I could really feel them. To make things interesting, I worked in a set of pull-ups and push-ups between every mile during the run.

Tuesday at the track was a near wash-out with more rain. Michelle and I ran a very easy 5 miles and traded Rite Aid stories while trying to dodge the raindrops.

Wednesday I worked the upper body again with Kevin at the gym. At first I was worried about bulking up above the waistline, but I don't think I have to worry about that happening. It's helping, but definitely not hurting.

Saturday was the Judgement Day run. It was really nice to get out on some mostly dry trails for a change. I over-did things just a tad, not eating enough and heading out onto the Salt Run Trail without any calories, and paid for it the rest of the weekend. Instead of getting a Sunday run in, I was toast.

Ten weeks out from Burning River and I'm fully aware I'm not putting in the mileage I should. I'm doing a lot, but I don't know if it's going to be enough. Worries are beginning to creep in.

Monday - 3.0 mile treadmill recovery run
Tuesday - 5.0 mile easy at the track
Wednesday - 1 hour strength training - Upper body (PT)
Thursday - Off
Friday - Off
Saturday - 16.27 mile trail run
Sunday - Toast

Weekly mileage = 24.27 miles

BR100 Training - Week 19

A little late, I know, but better late than never. I know I don't have many followers so there aren't too many folks sitting on the edges of their seats awaiting my next post. My blogging is more record keeping for when I'm no longer spry enough to go out and do it any more. Hopefully this here Internet will still be around then or I'm going to be screwed!

Week 19 is a good example of how having a plan doesn't really mean much. With me missing the 50 miler the previous week, I was questioning what I wanted to do at Rite Aid. The original plan was to run it tired, simulating an ultra. More of a mental training day. A learning day. But coming off a lower mileage weekend I began contemplating racing it. Racing it at least to the constraints of my fitness level. But all week, I couldn't make up my mind what to do. It wasn't until Saturday afternoon that I decided: I would run it hard. 8:00/mile pace. That would be hard for me as I haven't been doing much fast roadwork or speedwork at the track. The week ended up being a taper week. I manage to cut running way down when approaching a race. Turns out that's a good thing for me.

Monday - Recovery
Tuesday - 6.0 miles at the track
Wednesday - Upper body strength training (PT)
Thursday - Rest/off
Friday - Rest/off
Saturday - Rest/off
Sunday - Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon - 3:29:47

Weekly Mileage = 30.2 miles

BR100 Training - Week 18

You know, from time to time, life happens. And when it does, I've learned it's best to just roll with it. We may make plans to run certain races up to a year in advance, but when a major life event happens, that doesn't matter much. I had to cancel my plans to run the 50's For Yo Mama 50 Mile Trail Run, one of my two major training runs for Burning River, on Saturday so I could instead attend my grandmother's funeral, who passed away peacefully earlier in the week. There are always other races. Other runs. We only get a finite number of family members.

I went for a long muddy trail run on Sunday to get some miles, and felt really good. I think I'm ready for 50. Although I got tired eventually, slogging through shoe-sucking mud and puddles and carrying all that extra weight on each leg would eventually take it's toll, it was nothing a Power Bar Gel wouldn't have solved. My run took me out and back along the Buckeye Trail as well as around the Brandywine Falls trail loop. Look for photos coming in another post.

Mileage for the week was down slightly, as I began the week planning a mild taper, only changing plans once I learned what day the funeral would be on. The Rite Aid Marathon is this weekend and I'm mulling some ideas over in my head which would allow me to run double that distance this weekend. I have four more weeks until the Yankee Springs Double Trail Marathon but I don't want to wait that long to run that far. I have some thinking to do on this weekend.

Monday - Rest/Recovery
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Strength Training (PT)
Thursday - Legs and Core AM / 12.65 mile trail run PM
Friday - Off
Saturday - Off
Sunday - 18.2 mile muddy trail run

Weekly mileage = 30.85 miles

BR100 Training - Week 17

Wow. Week 17 means there are only 13 more weeks till race day. That's really not much time. I mean, how much time does it take for someone to be prepared to run 100 miles? I don't know if there is an answer to that, but 13 weeks sure isn't enough. Now is the time for me to be putting in the miles. And that's what I'm trying to do.

This was my biggest week in a long time. After taking Monday as a "lazy" day (I really didn't want to go out in the rain that evening), I hit the track on Tuesday in very nice conditions for some decent 200, 400, and 800 meter repeats. An extended cool-down found Bob P. and me ratcheting up the intensity level well beyond your typical "cool-down."

Strength training went well on Wednesday with me working my legs again. I don't remember what the numbers were, but I know I was working to get in my reps.

Thursday was a soaker of a run in Hinckley. I was slammed at work, stressing and worrying all day, leaving late, that I needed to either run or do some shots. Run it was! It was just the de-stresser I needed.

Saturday was going to be the "nice" weekend day so I went long on the Towpath. Normally I don't exactly enjoy running on it. It's just so flat and crowded. I grabbed my camera and just went out to log some miles.

And today, Sunday, I went back to Hinckley to run the Lake Trail loop a few times. I thought a decent 10 mile run the day after doing 20 would be a low impact way to really tire myself out the weekend before my 50 miler. And judging by the fact that I took a two hour nap after I got back home, I think that was a correct idea!

Monday - Lazy day off
Tuesday - 10.3 miles, track and cool-down
Wednesday - Leg strength (PT)
Thursday - 9.3 miles, trails
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 20.5 miles, Towpath
Sunday - 10.0 miles, trail

Weekly total = 50.1 miles

BR100 Training - Week 16

Water. Water everywhere. That has been the theme for April and Week 16 lived up to that moniker. I've been hesitant to get back out on the pavement since coming back from my injury, fearing the pavment may have helped to cause it in the first place, but I returned to the hard stuff this week in the hopes that a good pounding would help with strength and conditioning. Not to mention I have the Rite Aid Marathon coming up in two weeks and need some road miles.

Having taken Sunday off due to the high winds (I really didn't want to go run in that), I ran roads Monday after work. I was pushing, but not going very fast. I just don't have any speed right now.

Tuesday was nearly a complete washout at the track. A sizable thunderstorm came through canceling the track meet and literally flooding one end of the track. I waited for the lightning to pass the the rain to lighten somewhat and headed out for some wet miles in my raincoat. Eventually Dan H. joined me and the rain stopped, giving us quite a nice evening to run.

Wednesday strength training continued this week, moving to the legs where I need it most. It was a good workout that left me mildly sore. That soreness would grow considerably both during and after our Thursday night Hinckley trail run. But that's a very good hurt! We had a long run and finished in near dark. It was almost time to turn the headlamps on.

Saturday I stayed close to home, running the Chippewa Inlet and Rail Trails as well as around Buckeye Woods. I'll write more about this "2 Snake Run" in a separate post. Sunday, being Easter, was an off day. But after another decent week, I needed it.

Monday - 6 mile run, road
Tuesday - Elliptical and core work AM / 6 mile run at the track
Wednesday - Strength Training (PT) Legs
Thursday - 12.77 mile trail run
Friday - Off
Saturday - 20 mile run, road (some trail)
Sunday - Happy Easter!

Weekly totals = 44.77 miles

BR100 Training - Week 15

Half way. Half way there and finally feeling GOOD! There was running and more this week. My long run has reappeared as well as some mid-week runs including speedwork. And in addition to the miles I began a weekly meeting with a personal trainer for some strength training. Stuff I have the ability to do at home (in the basement) but never will. Getting out in a real gym with someone telling me what to do next makes the difference.

I'm relieved to be running pain free and to be able to get my mileage back up somewhere near where it needs to be. In response to a question I recieved regarding weekday mileage VS long weekend runs: my mileage is low on both counts. The plan I was hoping to follow calls for more mileage during the week than I'm doing, with runs T,W,T. Monday and Friday are rest days. I'm good at running one long day each weekend but the plan calls for long runs both days. My problems are time, motivation, and rest. I don't have enough time to do everything I need to do as it is, let alone running one more day during the week and both days on the weekend. I also suffer from lack of motivation from time to time that I can't shake. I'm hoping to have kicked that now that I'm healthy again. The rest is self-explanatory. There was a time when I couldn't run back-to-back days. I can, and do, now, but with mileage creeping higher I worry about over-training. There is an old addage: It's better to be under-trained than over-trained. Honestly though, if I was able to run more I would.

It was nice to be back on the track this week for some speedwork. There were quite a few people either recovering from a race or preparing for a race, so we took it easy with 3 miles worth of 100 meter striders. Wednesday I had a great upper body strength workout. Thursday was a nice run around the Hinckley trails. But the big day of the week belonged to Saturday, when I joined a few others for 27 miles on the Burning River course. We ran north from Station Road along the course to near Shadow Lake, where we turned around. This was all in the wind and rain that dogged us that day. The water crossings were all deeper on the way back. So much so that I didn't recognize them. Patches of blue sky and sunlight were few and far between but it was an enjoyable run.

So far Week 16 is plugging right along and I am pleased. We'll see how Easter affects my mileage this weekend.

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 6.12 mile run - Track
Wedesnday - Strength Training (PT)
Thursday - 11.22 mile trail run
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 27 mile trail run
Sunday - Strength Training

Weekly mileage = 44.34 miles

BR100 Training - Week 14

With more miles during Week 13 than I've had in a long time, and no pain, it's time to start ramping up my long runs and weekly mileage again. Not only am I counting down to the 100 miles of Burning River, but I have a 50 mile training race in about a month and a double trail marathon to run in early June. Gots to get my runnin' on!

Monday - 15 minutes Elliptical + 10 minutes ab work
Tuesday - 5 mile run
Wednesday - off
Thursday - 12 mile trail run
Friday - off
Saturday - Really busy
Sunday - 20 mile trail run

Weekly mileage = 37.0 miles

BR100 Training - Week 13

Well, that last post worked out somehow. I switched to Edit Html mode from Compose and it seemed to keep my spacing. Guess I'll continue that way.

I had high hopes for running during our week at Disney. We were staying at the WDW Swan Resort which is in the Epcot resort area directly behind the park. With walkways to both Epcot and the Disney Studios, there are plenty of places to run. Alas, I only took advantage of our location twice during our stay. With early park openings requiring me to get up even earlier and late nights to recover from, it's definitely not a training location. We did walk a lot though!

Monday - Walk @ 5 miles
Tuesday - 4.1 mile run / @ 6 miles walking (in the rain)
Wednesday - Walk @ 6 miles
Thursday - Walk @ 5 miles (in the rain)
Friday - Walk @ 3 miles / pack and travel
Saturday - Travel
Sunday - 9.2 mile train run (in the mud)

Weekly mileage = 38.3 miles!

BR100 Training - Week 12

This is getting annoying now. This will be my fifth attempt to recap week 12 and Blogger is screwing up my formatting. It's running everything together as one paragraph, deleting my returns and spaces.

Monday - Dr. Joe
Tuesday - zero
Wednesday - zip
Thursday - Dr. Joe
Friday - Pack and travel
Saturday - Travel
Sunday - 3.44 mile run / @ 4 miles walking at Disney

Weekly mileage = 7.44 miles

BR100 Training - Week 11

I felt like I was starting over this week. And, in a sense, maybe I was. I had reached the end of my rope. Completely flustered with the lack of recovery in my shin, I went to see the expert, Dr. Joe. My running up until that point was dwindling to nothing. Walking hurt. I had to try something different. And so far, it seems to be doing the trick! Whatever was going on in my leg required some serious work and that is what it is getting.

Hand in hand with the injury is a lack of motivation. I've made my way into the vicious cycle of skimping on my training. It began in Week 10 when I was sick, developed last week, has continued this week, and won't change next week. April holds my chance to leap from this revolving door and get back on track. Hopefully after a little spring break vacation I'll be able to make that leap firing on both mental and physical cylinders.

Monday - 1.0 mile walk
Tuesday - off
Wednesday - 2.0 mile walk
Thursday - Shoulders and Arms / Dr. Joe
Friday - off
Saturday - 3.0 miles, track
Sunday - 10.13 miles, trails

Weekly totals = 16.13 miles

BR 100 Training - Week 10

What is there to say about Week 10? Let me think. Recovery. Sick. Injured still. That about sums it up! Sunday was a recovery day from Green Jewel. I wasn't planning on doing much of anything that day. I began Monday with a morning strength workout, but fizzled out in the evening. Tuesday I went to the track to test out my leg, now referred to as shin. It hurt so I cut my run short at 2.5 miles. Wednesday I woke up not feeling well and that has carried through to today. My congestion is just now beginning to break up and I can breathe through both nostrils. I'm hoping for a better week this week.

Regarding my shin. I'm on the verge of having a professional look at it, but I'm still pretty sure it's just an overuse injury. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a type of shin splint that I haven't been afflicted with before. I used to get them on the upper inside of my shins, both legs. This is one leg, down low on the front side. I can feel the tendons and muscles moving when I flex my foot. On the right leg it's nice and smooth, while on the left I can feel a creaking from inside. Like a door hinge that needs some oil. The swelling has been down for a couple days now, but the pain is still there, although slightly less in intensity.

Monday - Chest and Back AM
Tuesday - 2.5 miles at the track
Wednesday - Sick
Thursday - Sick
Friday - Sick
Saturday - Sick
Sunday - Sick, but feeling good for Monday

Weekly mileage = 2.5 miles

BR100 Training - Week 9

Week 9 turned out to be a better week than others I've had recently. I was still nursing my leg injury over the previous weekend, but felt good enough to head to the track on Tuesday to try it out in some action. After a mile warm-up, which felt really good in my new pair of Brooks Launch, I rolled right into a timed 5K to see how things really felt. Not running all out, but pushing things, I finished with a 21:46. Not bad at all! Splits were: 7:05 / 6:59 / and 7:42 for the final 1.125.

With that run under my belt, I was comfortable making the decision to run the Green Jewel on Saturday. Up until that run, it was really a 50/50 decision. Surprisingly, weather didn't play a role in me deciding to run or not. As it was going to be a soaker of a day, it easily could have been. I'll get into much more detail in a separate race report, but I finished, tired and in not too little pain, in 5:47 for 31 miles. That is a road 50K PR for me and a PR of nearly an hour compared to my first 50K, the 2009 Bills' Bad Ass Trail 50K.

More details on my rainy day in the Cleveland Metroparks to come soon...

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 4.5 miles at the track
Wednesday - Back and Biceps
Thursday - Off
Friday - Off
Saturday - Green Jewel 50K
Sunday - Rest/Recovery

Weekly Mileage = 35.5 miles

BR 100 Training - Week 8

Move along, folks. Nothing to see here. Seriously. No running miles, just 2 miles walking on the treadmill this week that hurt a bit. Rest, rest, rest. But cross-training. Now that's something I could still do. Green Jewel is one week out and it's 50/50 if I'll be running it at this point. Only time will tell.

Update: Went to the track this past Tuesday and felt great! Will definitely be starting the Green Jewel in the rain and mud. Finishing is another story. Stay tuned...

Monday - Chest, Shoulders and Triceps AM / 30 minutes elliptical PM
Tuesday - 30 minutes shovelling snow
Wednesday - 2 miles walking on the treadmill
Thursday - Legs and Back
Friday - 60 minutes shovelling heavy wet snow / Labored in the basement all day
Saturday - Basement work
Sunday - Basement work

BR100 - Week 7

And week 7 is where everything fell apart. The tendon pain in my lower left leg recurs whenever I run or walk. Elliptical too. I took the week off from running until Sunday, then went out to do some fairly flat easy trails. No better. I ended up running the entire distance up on the balls of my feet, which is completely foreign to me. No pain, but lots of stress elsewhere. Switching my running style is not something I'm interested in doing nor something I'll be able to pull off for longer runs. I think I would end up straining something else and making the whole problem worse.

Green Jewel is very questionable at this point. I'm not worried about running 31 miles having not run much in the three weeks prior. That would be just a long taper. I'm worried about the course being point-to-point without any SAG support. If I need to drop, there's no one to give me a ride. It's all pavement. At this point, I hate pavement. Give me my trails back already, snow! The Buckeye Woods trails were extremely treacherous in spots. Very slick ice. I'm so tired of this winter.

Beyond the GJ, I'm re-evaluating my entire 2011 schedule. Fortunately for me, I haven't registered for a ton of events yet. Unfortunately for me, only one event offers a refund, and that's the one event I want to do the most. I suppose I will take a wait and see attitude and just take each race one at a time and hope for the best.

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Shoulders and Arms AM / Elliptical 60 minutes PM
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - 2.5 mile walk
Friday - Off
Saturday - Off
Sunday - Yoga AM / 5 mile trail run PM

Weekly mileage = 7.5 miles

BR100 Training - Week 6

Six weeks was all it took. Injury. I went and aggravated a tendon in the front of the left ankle. Same injury as a year ago. Everything was going fine until Saturday, when I ran 18 in the new Saucony's. Whether it was the new shoes, the ice and snow we were running in, or a combination of the two, I don't know. The pain was minor after Saturday's run but had me limping around after 12 in Hinckley on Sunday. That's when the swelling was most noticeable too. Still is, actually. It's an overuse injury and rest is the only option at this point. So no running for a while. Which is hard because we're finally getting some spring-like weather this week. I will have to cut my mileage down for a while and reduce the number of runs I've been doing and see what happens. Three weeks out from Green Jewel means I need to make sure I'm in good enough shape to finish. There won't be any sag wagon support available. I missed the GJ last year because of injury and I don't plan on doing that again.



Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Chest and Back AM / Run 3 miles treadmill PM
Wednesday - Run 2 miles treadmill
Thursday - Run 4 miles treadmill
Friday - Off
Saturday - Run 18 miles road
Sunday - Run 12 miles road

Weekly total = 39 miles

BR100 Training - Week 5

Week 5 already? This is going fast! The fifth week was a scheduled "recovery" week with less mileage on tap. That's not to say I didn't entertain thoughts of putting in another 40 mile week, nor to say I wasn't on the verge of doing just that. I made the mistake of wearing VERY worn shoes for yesterday's run and was really starting to feel it. So... I let my experience take over and I shut the run down short, running 10 shushy miles instead of 14 or so. I wore my trail shoes thinking the extra tread would give me superior tread over my road shoes. While that may have been the case, the lack of cushioning left in the shoe after 660 miles really beat me up. I would have been better off slipping and sliding more than I ended up doing anyway.

I may still need new trail shoes, but I took care of the new road shoes problem on Friday. New Saucony Ride 3's and trying out Mizuno Wave Rider 14's. I feel like I need to break each pair in a bit before taking them out for a long run, but I'm excited to have some new soles between my feet and the road!

Monday - 20 min elliptical PM
Tuesday - 2 mile treadmill run PM
Wednesday - Scraped thick ice from driveway, 1 hr AM
Thursday - 6 mile treadmill run PM
Friday - Scraped thick ice at work, 1 hr AM
Saturday - 17.01 mile run AM / 90 min yoga PM
Sunday - 10 mile run AM

Weekly mileage = 35.01 miles

CONGRATULATIONS PACKERS!