1/18/09

I finally got back outside this morning. I've been itching to run outdoors after only 2 runs inside last week. Granted, the conditions were not ideal, but beggars can't be choosers, right? The temperature was low to mid 20s, which is balmy compared to sub zero, with a bit of a breeze out of the west. We had more snow overnight, a couple inches, to add to the foot or so base that's already on the ground. I was planning to get out early, before too much car traffic hit the roads, but the fresh snow had me reevaluating my intended route. With no traffic, the plan was to stick to the streets where the snow had been removed. With new snow, I was worried about me slip-sliding as well as any cars I might meet. So Plan B evolved. I would hit as many cul-de-sacs and side streets as possible, where I could stay on the street, and trudge through the deep stuff along the busier ones.

I added an extra section of residential streets to my usual route and ran most streets twice, going out and coming back. The run went fine. I did 9.7 miles with light flurries coming down. The street sections went from snowy, to slushy, to wet, allowing me to get enough traction at times to increase my pace to near normal. Otherwise I was running slow. Now the sidewalks were a completely different story. Some people cleared theirs, and some did not. Now that I think about it, MOST did not. I had long sections of high-knee drills getting through the deep stuff, making for one tough run. My time of an hour and a half broke down to 9:19 minute miles. Definitely below average pace, but great to get back outside.

1/17/09

I set a goal for swimming today, and I met it. Two miles. That's 128 laps. If you're saying to yourself, "that's a lot of laps", you would be correct. It was a lot of laps. But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. You see, I tried something new today. Instead of wearing my all-purpose swimming trunks, I wore my tri-shorts. What a difference! I felt like I was gliding through the water. I don't think I'm going to be able to wear my trunks to a training workout ever again after today. I clocked my first mile at about 52 minutes, which is pretty good for me. My two mile time was 1 hour and 50 minutes. A little slower on the second mile, but I was getting pretty tired. I look forward to some more swim workouts like this one.

Earlier today we had to run up to the Brunswick Home Depot to buy paint because the one in Medina ran out of the base we needed. We stopped for lunch at the Winking Lizard while we were up there. I had a tasty turkey and bacon wrap with lettuce and tomato and two bottles of Imperial Stout by the Thirsty Dog Brewery. What a tasty beer. And with 9.? percent alcohol, it hit me hard enough that I couldn't drive home. Now that's what I would call carbo-loading!

1/16/09, or That's REALLY Too Cold!

-12. We hit -12 at the airport. I had -8 in the car this morning. Now that's REALLY too cold! I can't wait till we get some warmer temperatures. Like something in the 20s. That would be really nice!

So I was stuck indoors yet again. Which is alright. There's plenty I can do indoors in January. One is swimming. But I wouldn't have been able to get into the pool until right about now, so I ended up running again. It turns out that the Mrs. had managed to log more running miles than me so far this week. Of course I had to do something about that. I ran 7 miles on that little 1/10th of a mile track. That would be 70 laps for the mathematically challenged. Same process as last night. My splits were: 7:45 / 7:34 / 7:18 / 7:31 / 7:17 / a 3:40 half / a 3:16 half / and an 8:28 cool down. I don't know why running in there makes me want to run intervals, but it does. I still can't wait to get back outside. Maybe Sunday.

The photo today is from the Gladstone, Michigan boat harbor. I shot it in July, 2008. There was no swimming today, but there will be some this weekend. I'd like to go for 2 miles, but I'll have to see how things work out.

Oh, one more thing. Now I'm 2 miles ahead of the Mrs. for the week.

1/15/09, or That's Too Cold

Yesterday we had -5 degrees on the car thermometer in the morning. That's cold. That's TOO cold. Going outside to run isn't even on my radar in this kind of weather. So I went up to the Rec. last night and ran on their indoor track. 6 miles. That's 60 laps in the outside lane. Hard to keep count of 60 laps. Only have 8 fingers and 2 thumbs. So I counted off each lap to a mile and took a split on my watch. That made it easier. I can't wait to get back outside again though. Maybe Sunday? We'll see.

When I arrived at the Rec. last night, the car said 8 degrees. When I left, it was 2 degrees. And the wind had started. When I stopped at Applebee's to pick up a couple burgers for dinner, I found that the window was frozen shut. That's too cold.

1/14/09

10 miles on the bike trainer this morning and 1 mile in the pool tonight. It took me 1:10 to do it. I don't know why I was so slow tonight. Maybe because I lifted last night. Whatever the reason, I got a swim in and that's what's important, I guess. The thermometer in the car said 16 degrees on the way home from the pool and schools are already canceling for tomorrow. There's a mushy slush all over the roads because it's too cold for salt. The car is all over the place. I'm not getting outside for a while, so I'm planning to do some running up at the Rec. soon. Now it's off for a late snack and to bed.

1/13/09

So yesterday was Tuesday which means speed work. Not this week. We have more snow and now really cold temps to go with the snow that's already on the ground. Had a very good dinner of homemade potato and sausage soup and then had to decide what to do for an evening workout. It was too late to hit the pool and get a very meaningful swim in. Could have run at the Rec. but that would mean driving over there. Could have got on the bike in the basement. But I settled for 45 minutes with the weights instead. It had been a while since I did any strength training. And it felt like it too.

1/12/09

I am not a world class athlete. I do not win races. I don't even win my age group unless I get lucky and the competition doesn't show up. But I know I'm a decent runner. I'm better than average. Tonight, however, I felt like everyone at the back of the pack. The ones just trying to reach the finish line. I went to the track to run because I thought it would be the best place (outside) to run with the amount of snow we received. I still stick by that reasoning too. I wanted to get some miles in. And I did. Just not as many as I was hoping for.

Tonight I ran 4 miles in 46:36. That's nearly a 12 minute per mile pace. And I had to work to run that fast! There was about 7 to 8 inches of pristine snow on the track. Heck, I wouldn't even call it a track. More like just a large white space surrounded by some fence. I could just make out where the track met the grass. I ran mile one in 11:45, blazing a trail of footprints along the way. Mile two passed in 11:49. Whew, I was flying. Mile three was an amazing 11:55! And that was where I was going to stop, until I decided that if I could run mile four with the fastest split I could have a beer with dinner. So I did the last mile in 11:06. And I'm finishing up my mug of Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock. MMMMMM, it's good! Of course my legs are feeling more tired the more time passes and I'm probably going to go to bed early, but it was worth it.

Last night I ended up going to the pool and swimming another 1.25 miles. (That's 80 laps for those of you counting at home.) Maybe I'll swim again tomorrow night because I don't think I'm heading back to the track for speed work. I wouldn't call busting out 5 minute 800s a speed session. Plus the weather is supposed to turn really crappy, so Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, it's indoors I go!

2008: The Year in Review

I knew this one was coming, I just thought I would have done it a little closer to the first of the year. As I'm writing I can glance out the window and see two things: snow and more snow. And a third thing: THE SUN! After a good 24 hours of solid snow, the sun is back. You've gotta love Cleveland weather. It makes me think about the run I'm supposed to do today. I think my marathon training starts this weekend. I'm going to have to check on that. The street's finally clear but the sidewalks aren't. I don't think I'm up for running in 10 inches of snow, which is about what we've got. And I don't trust drivers enough to run in the street as there aren't a lot of side streets that run into each other here. They just branch off of more heavily travelled ones. I did another 20 miles on the bike trainer this morning and should try to fit something else in this afternoon. A run is what's scheduled, but I may just hit the pool. Maybe I'll flip a coin!

And now on to the 2008 season recap. 2008 was I think, hands down, the most successful season I've had in 12 years of competing. I set 6 new personal records: 37 story stair climb (5:48), 4 miles (26:26) , 5 miles (34:31) , 10 miles (1:15:09) , the half marathon (1:33:59) , and the marathon (3:34:08). I set one PR for a new distance, 15 miles (1:58:22). I also had 3 successive PRs for the half marathon in 2008: 1:38, 1:37, and 1:33. I made two attempts at a new 5K PR but was thwarted by road conditions (ice), weather (wind, cold), a course measured too long, and getting off course. My duathlon season was successful (I placed second for the HFP sprint series), I was just weak on the bike still. Something I'm working on correcting right now. I finished the year running 601 total miles, the most I've ever run in a year. As for the bike, only 427 total miles, which is where my poor performance comes from.

As I look forward to the 2009 season I'm aware that I shouldn't expect similar success with PRs falling left and right again. But I shouldn't count out that possibility either. I'm planning on racing longer distances with 2 marathons and switching from duathlon to triathlon with my A race being a half Ironman in August. It should be an interesting season. And it all starts next month with the stair climb.  

Let it Snow

This is the kind of weather that would have been amazing to wake up to on Christmas morning. A light fluffy snowfall. 10 inches of light fluffy snow! I shoveled twice today and aside from those forays outdoors, we didn't go anywhere. I should have turned the news on at some point, but didn't. From what the evening news reported, most of the counties in the area were asking people to stay off the roads unless they absolutely had to. We didn't have to go anywhere so I was happy to stay home. I was able to get a 30 mile ride on the bike trainer in around lunch time. Had to stop half way to climb the stairs in my cleats and grab some cookies because I got a little hungry. (Don't worry Hunny, these cleats are indoor friendly as they have rubber pads to walk on. Not like the previous pair that would have permanently gouged the wood floor!) The bike ride, coupled with the shoveling has left me exhausted tonight. I crashed on the couch for a bit before making dinner. But as I sit here writing and drinking my last bottle of Great Lakes Imperial Dortmunder, I'm still a little groggy. I'm either going to bed early or will hit my second wind and have a hard time falling asleep. 

1/9/09

One new thing I would like to start doing with my blog is begin to incorporate some of my photography from time to time. Today is a photo of Penny our 11 year old Golden Retriever. It's from August of 2008. She likes to lay at the end of the sofa and on this particular afternoon I caught her basking in the afternoon sun.

As for today, I got my run in this afternoon. Nearly 5 miles in 40 minutes. Not bad for a steady snowfall and a wind out of the south. I ran around Lake Medina which is just behind where I work. It was a really nice day for a run, although no one believes me when I tell them that. Yes, it was a little cold, but not unbearable. The snow was awesome to run in. I would have stayed out longer but I had to come in and warm up. Warm up certain parts that is (no names please!) I've had this problem one other time and I need to find a way to solve it. I like my Mizuno running pants but if I can't get some insulation in certain areas, I'm just going to have to stick with my tights.

We're supposed to get up to a foot of snow overnight and into tomorrow and the Mrs. doesn't get back till Sunday, so I'm not planning any additional runs for the weekend. I'm hoping to get some miles on the bike both Saturday and Sunday. Then later on Sunday I'll see what else I can get in. I think my 18 week marathon training is supposed to start this weekend.

This week I was light at work so I was able to spend a lot of time on the logo for the running club. I don't think I've mentioned that here yet. I'm involved with designing a logo for the Medina County Road Runners. Whether something I design gets used or not, I don't know. But I'm enjoying coming up with loads of variations and different ideas. At least we'll be able to go to a printer or whoever with some artwork. And it's fun!

One other thing of note for any wine drinkers that may be reading this. Tonight I'm enjoying a 2005 Zinfandel by Seacliff Winery in Santa Rosa, CA. I think we picked it up at either Trader Joe's or World Market and it didn't cost very much. It's really good! I wholeheartedly recommend it and will put it on my list to buy again. And there's a red blend from Australia I picked up at Buehler's that had dust all over the bottle and everything. It was magnificent! I need to get back up there and buy whatever they have left.

1/8/09

Nothing to report for Thursday. The Mrs. is out of town so I decided to take a day off. It's a little overwhelming for me to get a workout in as well as take care of all the things that need to get done at night. I'm hoping to get a run in after work today as weather is supposed to move in tonight followed by some bitter temperatures early next week. Might be my last quality run for a little while. Good thing I cross train!

1/7/09, or Tri-Dreams

I don't make a habit of writing about my dreams. Not "hopes and dreams" dreams. I mean the sleepy dreams. But I had a particularly vivid one last night. I'm not a dream analyst or anything, but if I had to play one for the duration of this blog, I'd say I'm suffering from some subconscious fears about the swim portion of the triathlon. And after making this diagnosis, I would say, "You're right!"

Here's a brief telling of the dream I had: I arrived for a triathlon the day before so I could sign in and pick up my race packet. The family wasn't with me for this race. But that's not unusual as I've raced a few duathlons in the past without any support crew. As I'm trying to find my way to the check in area I find that I'm walking down a narrow path beside a narrow waterway. I wouldn't call it a creek even, though it looked deep. I couldn't see any current in it at all. The path and the water enter into a series of tunnels or very long underpasses of sorts. I begin to notice how many fish are in the water. They're everywhere. And then I notice larger things in the water. At first I thought they were baby hippos but eventually decide they are manatees. And they're everywhere too! The water, which of course is very muddy and hard to see through, is literally filled with fish and manatees. And then I see exactly what I'm now worried about. There are dudes swimming towards me from further in the tunnel. This is where the swim is going to be in the morning. I can remember hoping that I brought my wetsuit with me to give me some kind of protection from the wildlife. I did eventually make it to the check in table, but left it without being reassured of having a safe swim leg. Gulp!

Of the three sports, I am least confident in my swimming. But sometimes, when I'm in the water, I think that maybe, my greatest potential lies in the swim.

9:44 PM: Just got back from the pool where I squeezed in a mile and a quarter before they closed it. First half of the swim was rough. My head was too high in the water and I kept getting water leaking up my nose. Not enough to choke me. Just enough to start trickling down the back of my throat, triggering my swallow reflex. I figured it out eventually and had a strong second half. Guess I need to keep working on my form.

1/6/09

I logged another 10 miles on the bike trainer this morning, but speed work was cancelled tonight due to freezing rain. I almost didn't even go because it was already starting to freeze when I left work. Conditions deteriorated rapidly after I got to the track. Marsha and Lisa were there as well, but decided to reschedule. I managed 2 miles and that was all. From the time I started to the time I stopped, the track went from wet to very slick. Speed work was out of the question due to no traction and any additional miles were out due to wanting to get home before the roads got too bad. Unfortunately the roads WERE bad. I slid quite a ways heading towards one intersection, only to stop just before reaching it, but had no serious mishaps. I hope everyone made it home safely.

1/5/09

Nothing very interesting to report as today was more or less a recovery day. I'm just trying to keep on top of that resolution of mine to report daily if possible. I did some cross-training after work: 30 minutes of strength training and 15 minutes on the elliptical. My legs still retained some of their "jelly-ness" from yesterday's triple session.  Best to let them rest a bit as tomorrow night is time for more speed work.

Today I also found the marathon training plan I intend to use for both the spring and fall events. I'm going with the Advanced Plan from Hal Higdon, with some minor modifications. Like I don't plan to run 6 out of 7 days. And I don't plan on doing two nights of speed work a week. And I need to fit in time to swim and bike. So I'm starting with his plan but I'm going to do some customizing. But man, there's still going to be a lot of running going on. I'm interested in what my results will be if I can stick to it. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Happy New Year!

A little late, as it's currently January 4, 2009. HA! That was the first time I had to write 2009 and I didn't goof it up! I've been a bad boy. I haven't been keeping up on my blogging over the Holidays as I would have hoped. Nothing too new with training. It's still technically the off-season so I'm just plugging along with the three sports. I've been consistent in getting to the pool and putting in my time and distance. I'm actually starting to see some improvement and noticing where my form is good and not so good. Running is what it is. (I really deplore that phrase!) I've done what I could with the weather we've had. On the nice days, I've tried to go a little further than planned. The bike is a bear, but I'm putting in my mileage there too. It's not fun, but it's getting done.

I took a few days off, like 4, as we went up north to visit my grandmother over New Years. I went to the speed workout Tuesday night before we left and got in over 9 miles. That was on top of 23 miles on the bike earlier that day. That was supposed to carry me through the trip, but alas, I still managed to pack on some pounds.

Today I was exorcising the demons of my partying by doing triple sessions. It wasn't a brick workout because I took some rest time between each workout, but I did cover the three disciplines. First I did a mile and a quarter in the pool. My overall time was 1:10 but my mile split was in 55 minutes, which is about the quickest I've done it yet. Next up was the bike where I logged another 20 miles in 1:21. Nothing too hard as I knew I was going to run afterward. As for the run, I did 3.5 miles around the house in 28 and a half minutes. That's just over an 8 minute per mile pace. The weather was moist. Not raining but foggy and humid. And much warmer than I anticipated. It would have been nice to go further.

One of my many resolutions for 2009 (got it again!) is to post updates more often. I would like to post daily regarding workouts, even if it's just a few sentences. We'll just have to wait and see how that works out.

That's all for now. I have a lot of other work to do like creating my spring marathon training plan, that will morph into my summer triathlon training plan, which will morph into my half Ironman training plan, which will morph back into my fall marathon training plan. When you look at it that way, it looks like I'm going to have a lot to do this year.

Progress? Really?

If tonight's plan unfolds as planned, we'll find out tonight. (That's almost a tongue twister, or a very simple yet profound quote from someone ancient and/or famous.) Anyway, I believe I began to finally make some progress in the pool Sunday. It was my third visit back to the water and as I was wrapping up my mile I fell into a slow but comfortable pace that I was able to maintain for quite a few laps. I was still pausing for a few seconds to de-fog my goggles, but I didn't need to switch to the breaststroke to catch my breath. The funny thing was that being out of breath wasn't the problem. I was breathing TOO MUCH. I guess I was hyperventilating trying to take too much air in on each breath. What I ended up doing was concentrating on expelling the air I already had and just taking little "puffs" of breath every two strokes. I know I should be working at breathing every three strokes, but I'm just going to go with whatever works. I've done 2.75 miles on three visits and would like to get another mile in tonight.

Speed work last night was fun. Kind of. Frank and I were running with Patrick and one of his friends from school. Both good runners. Both fast runners. Both young runners. After a nice long warm-up we did 4 X 200 meter relays. It was all I could do not to get left in the dust. I'm just not a sprinter anymore. Give me some 800s any day over 200s. Yuck! And it was just too cold to be pushing that hard. I was having trouble breathing and my hamstring was bothering me afterward. Just too cold. We did eventually move onto some 800s. I held back a bit from what I did last week. Frank and I averaged around 3:24 or so for 3. It was mildly unpleasant weather to run in. We had tiny little snowflakes or pellets that stung when they hit you in the eyes. There was a wind that made the 28 degrees feel a little bit chillier. With a nice cool-down I had 6.75 miles in for the evening.

I've been trying to get on the bike as much as possible lately. I managed to get in 10 miles this morning in 40 minutes. Is there a secret to riding a bike on a stationary trainer? It's so boring. And it hurts. The lactic acid builds up so quickly for me. I'm just glad that when I get out on the road it's so much easier to ride than it is indoors. Give me hills. Give me a headwind. Just let me outside!

But inside is what I've got for the next few months. And it's what I'm using to burn off all the additional Holiday calories I've been consuming lately. The cookies. The fudge. The truffles. Not to mention sampling Christmas/Winter/Holiday beers from an assortment of brewers. Great Lakes Christmas Ale is by far the best. Sam Adams Winter Lager isn't doing much for me this year. Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale is good, but be sure to pour it into a glass. It's bottle conditioned, leaving a layer of yeast on the bottom. I still have some Sam Adams Cranberry Lambics to get into as well as an Old Fezziwig. (I don't want to "get into" old Fezziwig. I don't swing that way. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's another Sam Adams brew named after the character from A Christmas Carol.)

All for now. Be on the lookout for a 2008 season re-cap, my take on this year's Ironman Triathlon World Championships, as well as the usual training updates.

Peaking in December?

Usually, December is not the month of choice for peaking. Not in the Northern Hemisphere at least. But that's what I began suspecting at last night's track workout. We had a foursome show up on a rainy 48 degree December evening. After a two mile warm-up we decided on running 800s. How many? That wasn't determined at the start.

My first 800 came in at 2:54. 2:54? I've only had a couple sub 3 minute splits for 800s this year. And those came during the height of my speed training. Surely, it must have been a lucky first attempt.

My second 800 clocked in at 2:56. "Crap!", I remember saying as I checked my time. I wasn't upset. I just didn't know where this was coming from.

My third 800 was in 2:57. OK, what's going on here? How am I doing this in December when I couldn't do it in September or October? Granted, it was a nice night for running. But there was a nasty headwind coming down the final straight.

My fourth and final 800 was back at 2:54. I knew I wanted to make sure I got under 3:00. And I did. I don't know what happened last night. Maybe I'm climbing up to another level. Maybe I just had a good night. Hopefully it will continue next year. Another 2.25 miles for a cool-down and I was done.

In other news: Sunday I hit the pool for the first time in over a year. I just wanted to get in the water and do some laps. I had no goal for time or distance. Once I reached half a mile, Mrs. P suggested I do an entire mile. So I did. 64 laps = 1 mile. That's a lot of swimming. Especially for someone who has horrible form and horribly uncoordinated breathing. Lots of work to do this winter.

This morning I jumped on the bike for 10 miles. Oh, how I dislike the trainer. But, like swimming, I need to put in the time in the hope of having success next season. At least with the bike, if I stop pedaling, I won't sink!

2008 Tour de Ashland Half Marathon...

Or as I have come to call it, The Run From Hell! (If and when Hell freezes over, that is.)

I was going to go nice on this race, until this morning. This morning, when I checked to see if the results had been posted yet, I found that my name was missing. It is missing from the age group results. It is missing from the overall results. The race was chip timed and they pulled tags from the bibs. That means they should have two records of me actually finishing the event, but no mention. It's like I drove for an hour and paid $35 for a glorified training run in weather conditions that I wouldn't run around the block in. There was minimal course support with cars zipping by on all the main streets. The weather sucked. It was around 20 degrees at the start with winds gusting to who-knows-what. It was colder than the 12 degree race before Thanksgiving! And then there were the hills. It was all uphill. I'm convinced of it. I don't care what the elevation chart shows. A downhill with a stiff headwind is no longer a downhill. At best it's flat.

So let's summarize: I drove for an hour, during which my service engine soon light came on, paid $35 to run uphill for an hour and forty-one minutes in the cold. Yeah, that's exactly my idea of fun. There's a reason I have NEVER run a race in December and unless it's a race somewhere far to the south and/or west of Cleveland, I never will again. Rant over.

Aside from all that, I had a not-to-bad run. I knew the course would be hilly, although having never been to Ashland, I didn't know how hilly it would be. If they could get a secure handle on the traffic issue, this would be a SWEET fall half to do. On a sunny morning with temps in the 40s to 50s, no wind, and the trees full of color, this has the potential to be one of the more scenic runs around. I like the challenge of the course, just not under December conditions.

I did have a funny moment yesterday after arriving home. I thought I had lost my two gel packs because I had forgotten to zip the pocket in my windbreaker vest I had put them in. As it turns out, I had zipped them into a pocket i didn't even knew was on there. It was all the way around on the back. I kept hearing something bouncing and just thought it was my car keys. (They were in a back pocket of another shirt I was wearing.) When I went to put my clothes in the washing machine, I felt something in my vest, but I couldn't find the pocket! Eventually I was able to locate and extract the gels. Man I could have used them during the run! Those hills and that wind really took a toll on me.

Today we're heading to the Rec. Center. I'm going to be hitting the pool for the first time in well over a year. I'm also going to be calling the race director to find out where I am. 

My Big Three

I was a little bored after lunch today, so I went ahead and made it official regarding my other two "A" races for 2009. I'm pleased to announce that the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon and the Nationwide Better Health Columbus Marathon will be joining my half Ironman triathlon attempt at Steelhead to form my Big Three races next year. Who needs an off-season? I've got some work to do!

A Hill Workout?

I haven't done one of those in a while. But that's exactly what we ended up doing last night. The conditions on the track were not that great. Three quarters was crunchy snow and the home straight was ice. I was planning to do 300 meter repeats with 100 meter recovery down the icy stretch when I heard crunchy footsteps that weren't coming from me. I was surprised to see that Dan and Patrick were making their way onto the track for some speed work. I honestly didn't expect to see anyone else last night. It was about 28 degrees with a bit of a breeze which was chilly, but it wasn't snowing or anything. A not too unpleasant night to run.

After doing about a mile and a half of warm-up laps it was decided that we head over to Reagan Park to do some hill training. After a short drive, an icy parking lot crossing, and an equally icy trail descent, we arrived at the main road which was miraculously clear and dry. Dan and I decided to head one direction looking for Patrick, who had run over from the track. Up one hill without seeing him yet we head back the other direction and up the other hill. As we were heading back the other direction yet again, we see him.

He suggests 10 times the hill we had just done. Now these hills aren't the largest around, but they're decent for sprinting up. And that's exactly what we did. I've done hill work this year, but not all out sprinting. It was fun, until a point. On about the third repetition, my legs were noticeably more Jello-like. And that transition continued through the rest of the sprints. I'd be OK up to a certain point on the hill and then it would just hit me. My breathing would become very labored, my legs would get very heavy, my feet became impossibly to move quickly. So I would just push as hard as I could to the top.

And before I knew it, we were done. Not a long workout, but a hard one. I plan on returning there in the next couple months to prepare for the stair climb in February. After a short cool-down, I was off for home and a hot shower.

Some other recent training highlights include getting my 30 miles in on the bike trainer on Friday. Which I think is WAY too long to ride indoors. I think I'll end up doing shorter but more intense rides from now on. On Sunday I was able to get in nearly 15 miles running, doing two laps of my 7.4 mile loop around the house. The weather was right around freezing with occasional raindrops, icy patches on the ground, and a stiff breeze that continued to grow the longer I was out. I was cold at times and hot at times. It all depended upon which direction I was running.

That's all for today. We're all either sick or fighting off becoming sick, so I'm not sure what Saturday is going to hold. We're either going to Lakewood to run a 5K together or I'm going to Ashland to run one last half marathon for 2008. I think it will be a Friday decision.