Pushing, training and falling

I feel like I'm pushing more than ever before. I can't really say why, but the difference in my abilities from last year to this year is noticeable.

To me, noticeable means:

• I'm running faster (avg. 8:15 pace) over short-to-mid-range distances (8-10 miles)
• I'm running longer without stopping/walking
• I'm running more hills/elevation without maxing my heart rate

I'm extremely positive about these improvements and it gives me a little more mojo to keep pushing even more!

I have been keeping a food journal since Monday and trying to be more conscientious of the calories I eat (I'm up 10 pounds since Leanhorse back in August). My feeling is that it will be much easier to run if I can drop a few pounds over the next month or so (...and NO, it's not a diet! It's called watching what you eat...)

I'm excited to see the improvements I can make once I've lost some weight...

Ragnar is coming up next week...I'm getting pretty excited about that. We have an ultra team so the pace, dynamic and distance will be very different than last time (with 2 vans and 12 people). 

It's a little over 50k in 24 hours...though, I'd rather just run it and get it over with. But that is the uniqueness of Ragnar. Run 13 miles, get in the van and wait. Run 15 miles, get in the van and wait....you get the idea.

Run, eat, sleep (if you can) and repeat (is their motto).

We have a good group of folks and I'm looking forward to the usual race-day stuff. Ragnar is fun, crazy and visually cuckoo given all the costumes and freaked-out runners.

One final note. I fell yesterday during my morning run. Embarrassed and humbled to be sure...then again, it's 5:30 am, dark (yes, I had my head lamp) but those rocks just jump out of no where :) Only my left knee, forearm and pride were dinged up...

[graphic photo below]

Gear head - lamp (top) and Contour camera (side)

It looks worse than it is...

When it rains, it pours

For the last couple of weeks, my schedule has looked like this:

Monday - off
Tuesday - Run 8 (or sleep in)
Wednesday - cycle
Thursday - off
Friday - Run 10 (or sleep in)
Saturday - sleep in (or recover from too much wine)
Sunday - sleep in

I've got a pretty bad case of the lazies...while I'm trying to get out at least once a week, even that is proving tough. I have the best intentions but this sleep thing beckons me back to my pillow if I get up too early. While the mornings are starting to cool down nicely, sunrise isn't until at least 6:15. This puts a serious damper on the duration of my workouts (my boy starts rustling around about at 6:30 and is ultimately up by 7). My wife usually works late so I hate asking her to get up early with him while I'm out frolicking on the trails.

I'll figure it out.

So I just signed up for Zane Grey yesterday. It's supposed to be the toughest 50-mile race in the US. We'll find out in April. As I marked this on my training calendar, I realized that I've already got quite a few things coming up and should probably get serious about logging some miles.

I committed to pace for the Javelina Jundred here in 3 weeks. I also just got asked to be on an ultra team for Ragnar Del Sol. Oh, and I'm signed up to run the PF Chang Marathon in January.

Damn. I got busy in a hurry.