Off

I have not taken a weekend off from running in a while. I did not go into the weekend with that intention but that's how it worked out.

I'm still struggling with knowing the difference between illness and allergies. There are times when I wake up in the morning and feel like I'm coming down with something (like this weekend). Erring on the side of keeping myself healthy, I opted to skip my long run(s) and sneak them in at a later date (if that's possible). Even this morning I bailed on my run because (a) I was excessively tired and (b) I just felt off.

On the bright side, it's great to get up on the weekend and have a full day to hang with the kids and contribute to the housework, shopping and cleaning (something I know my wife would say I don't do on a regular basis).

Also, I'm travelling to Las Vegas this week for work - yes, yes...someone has to do it :)

Not the greatest place to be a couple weeks out from Zane Grey but I plan to behave, eat well and shy away from the booze (mostly).

I don't want to gamble (ba-dat-da..get it?) with my health so close to this race. It's already going to be tough enough without any sort of ailments.

Sometimes plans change

First light from Pine, AZ

Given my upcoming schedule for the next couple weeks, I really wanted to head up north to Pine, AZ for one of my long runs. It would serve a couple purposes:

1. Long run
2. Training at elevation

Pine, AZ is at about 5,400' and many of the trails extend well into the range of 6,000-7,000 feet. It is home to some of the most infamous notorious  toughest trail runs in the country...Zane Grey 50 and the Mogollon Monster 100. Both of which are on my race calendar this year.

I'm going to do my best NOT to plug Motel 6 but I thought I'd be clever and drive up to Payson on Friday night and get up early to go hit the trails. Turns out, the walls of the Payson Motel 6 are paper-thin and I could hear every sound from my less-than- thoughtful neighbors.

After ducking into the Payson Walmart at 3 am to get a blanket, I headed to the Pine trail head to try and get some sleep before the sun came up. Turns out, my Camry is not comfortable at all and I did not get any sleep while hanging out in the dark.

As a metaphor for racing, sometimes you have to change your plans and make the best of things. Starting late meant that I was even more time constrained given I needed to be home before 2.

I started up the Pine trail and it was clear within the first half mile that my ability to climb and use less oxygen was also going to hamper my distance goal for the day. After going 5 miles in 1.5 hours, I resolved to do a couple ONB's on the Pine and Arizona trails and just enjoy the time out on the trail (as you can tell from all the pictures)

To say that these trails were challenging would be an understatement. Having run the San Tan trail for so long, I can honestly say I've been pampered with the wide smooth trails and easy climbs. The Pine trail was covered in rocks, treacherous elk tracks and overgrown with thorny bushes that scraped the arms and legs at every turn.

I was truly enjoying the views and the varying terrain of this area. One minute you're on rocky trails, the next you're on a forest trail covered in pine needles. I may have taken more pictures during the first couple hours than I did running :)

After bumping into JeremyD (RD for the MOG100), I headed back to the trail head to refuel and get stocked up for the next 10 miles. I crossed over Highway 87 and headed up the Arizona Trail.

After covering a couple miles on the Arizona Trail, I realized that the Pine Trail was only a warm up for the feet-bashing and knee-knocking rocks and boulder-hopping. It's been a long time since I've felt this beat up from a 20-mile run.

The sweeping views and amazing sights from many of the climbs almost make the harsh trail conditions worth it.

With my water bottles slowly draining and the heat of the day bearing down on my, the pressure I felt in my chest and the thumping in my ears made it clear to me that the altitude, trail and heat were a combination that was going to be a tough to overcome for Zane Grey and MOG.

I had a great time up north and really enjoyed this run even though my ankles, feet and knees still hurt today. Here are a few more pictures from the run.

Rough grade and rocks on the Arizona Trail

Critters

Looking east toward Highline from the Arizona Trail

In bloom

Oak Spring

Gaining strength

It's been a good week so far and I have kept up with my schedule. I am wrapping up this week with a 2.5 hour trail run tomorrow which should put me close to 45 miles for the week. This is up about 30% over last week and I've cut out a day from my schedule. I've decided to only run 4 days a week. Last week was just a good reminder that there is only so much time during the week. Training 5 days a week was just too much if I actually want to keep a cheery disposition and not have my wife and children hate me.

The cool part about this week is that even with less running, I feel stronger than ever. I was dreading my long run yesterday (planned for 16 miles) only because it's been so long since I've run that distance. Turns out, even while lugging 2 liters of water on my back (trying to run more with the Camelbak), I managed to keep a pretty good pace (1 L = 1 kg = 2.2 lbs, by the way). I cut this run down to 14 miles due to my 2-hour time limit (have to be home before the kids get up!) but I felt like I could have done the other two miles if I'd had the time.

This morning, my calves are a bit tight but otherwise I feel great. I'm looking forward to hitting the trails tomorrow at dawn. Mornings are perfect right now in the desert and I can't wait to climb some hills.

Blog ya later...

Taper in sight

Folks in the other parts of the world are going to think I'm whining again but this damn heat has GOT TO GO. It's a perpetual summer around here in Phoenix. The uncanny part is that it seems that the hottest day of the week just happens to be on the day I'm doing my long run. Another 90-degree day today and I have the tan lines to prove it. I certainly hope it has cooled down by race-day.

Compared to last week's ill-prepared long run, I was not going to let the heat, sweat or my aloof attitude wither away what would be my final long-run before tapering. I set out around 8:30 am figuring that things would heat up nicely toward the end of the 3-hours/20 miles (whichever came first).

The first 2 hours of the run were as expected - holding a reasonable pace (9:15-9:30) with the clear recognition that I was sacrificing speed for distance today. Then the wind kicked up. If the idea of running into a 20 mph headwind doesn't dampen your spirits, the cloud of dust blowing into your eyes most certainly will. See, Arizona is a dessert and there's dirt - lots of dirt. I'm still picking it out of my teeth.

For whatever reason - conditioning, the wind, the heat or all the above, the last hour of my run seemed to take an eternity. While my mind was still in a good place, my quads were on fire. I had stopped and stretched throughout the run just to keep things loose but I was at a place where my muscles just felt like they had reached their limit.

So while I'm happy with the run I am still a little unsure about my stamina and ability to muscle through 26.2 after a huge bike ride.

This weekend I'll be doing my last large brick - 112 on the bike followed by an hour run. I realize it's a little late to be doing a huge brick, but I'm a week behind the curve due to my sinus infection last month. After this weekend though, it's all about the taper, baby.

Disappointingly educational

I am still stewing over my run today. I try never to be too hard on myself when things don't work out the way I expect because, well, not only could it happen in a race but also, that's life!

Today was one of those (for lack of a better word) incidents where perhaps a little over confidence and lack-of-preparation got the best of me. Though I am slightly disappointed with how the run went, it was very beneficial to come to grips with the reality that running in warm (dare I say hot?) weather is very different than running in cooler weather. Though that might seem slightly obvious, it is most relevant to having (and adjusting) your hydration strategy come race-day.

Having switched over to afternoon runs as of last week, I took today off to ensure I got my long run in under the Arizona sun. Of course, today just happened to be the hottest day of Fall thus far (high of 92).

(Queue lack-of-preparation)

Having dismissed the 'heat' I would be running in, I obliviously thought that preparing my water bottles and Perpetuem a few hours in advance would make them cold enough to withstand the Arizona sun. Wrong.

(Queue over-confidence)

Having performed quite well in my last couple (shorter) runs, I started this run like I was attacking a shorter run in cooler weather. Starting my run at 9:30 should be cool enough to keep an even pace for 3 hours. Wrong again.

When you put those two together, nothing but bad ju-ju happens - just like it did today. When you don't respect the heat, it will take you down in a big ball of scratchy salt.

So while the run itself was disappointing, it was a great reminder that long-runs - whether in the desert heat or not - must be respected.

Lesson learned.

Respect the run, respect the heat.

Check.

A great time in AZ

For those of you following that don't live in Arizona, you should know that as of last week, summer has finally 'turned off' and the temperatures are hovering around 80 pretty consistently. It really is a fantastic place to be this time of year. Close to what Arizonans call chilly. Laugh if you want but after 3.5 months of 110+ temperatures, 75 feels cool. In fact today was the first day the kids wore jeans and long-sleeved shirts to school.

This last week has seen a slight shift in training given the change in temperatures as well as my glorious rebound from a sinus infection that plagued me last week. For the past 4 months, long-runs were done in the morning well before the sun had come up - and even then, by the time you were done, the temperature bordered on 90+. Between now and race-day, all runs will be done in the afternoon under the warm and glorious Arizona sun. I'll leave the swimming for the early mornings...

Though last week looked pretty dark relative to the time left until race-day, I have successfully pulled out of the funk and focused on the quality of my workouts rather than the volume...I have to say, damn I feel good.

I was supposed to hit my long-run this morning but guess what? It was raining. Hard. I resolved to find time during the day to get in my 2 hours of running. I managed to break free of the desk around 11:30 knowing there were calls pending back at the office around 1. Although I accepted the fact that I would not get in a 2-hour run, I resolved to sacrifice the distance for speed.

I'll be the first to tell you - this is not my race pace. In fact, not even close. But again, quality not quantity right? I ran a solid hour at a pace that was challenging but not drop-dead hard. Check it out. It even felt like I was flying around the neighborhood. I can only imagine what Ryan Hall feels like running a 5-minute mile.

I'm looking forward to amping up my mileage on the bike this weekend. I may even throw in a short run after the bike just to make up for the distance lost today. The way I feel right now, I could take on the world.

Look out. I'm back. Ironman Arizona is going to be glorious.

Eureka!

After 2 weeks of trying to figure out what he heck is going on with my knee, it dawned on me this morning as I embarked on my long run (13 miles) that symptomatically, pain is not necessarily the location of the 'problem'. The body is funny that way - such a complex machine of muscles that extend and contract, it is no wonder the inside of both knees were hurting.

All the distance running and cycling has taken a toll on my IT band - something I'm not very good at 'stretching' (if there is such a thing). I have a foam roller at the house but it's not something I use very often. It was just a side-comment from my chiropractor the other day ("geez your IT band is really tight") that prompted me to really grind out the lactic acid and tension on/around my IT band last night.

Guess what? An amazing thing happened this morning - I ran 13.1 miles pain-free (negative splits as well). Hind-sight being 20/20, it is obvious to me that if the IT band is tight, it is causing tension on the outer part of my lower leg - which in turn is causing a different angle at the knee. An angle that creates additional pressure and swelling on the inside of my leg under the knee-cap. Duh.

So note to self - use foam roller more. Stretch IT band real good. Prevent knee pain.

Check, check and check. I'm back and ready to rock this mutha.

Setting 'em up, knocking 'em down

Today was another banner training day both mentally and physically. Given that last week's long run was 17, I had a sneaky suspicion that going 20 was going to be a stretch goal but still a milestone I needed to hit.

In case you don't want to read any further, here are the stats for the run.

On top of the distance, I tried a different nutrition plan for today's run. I've been having GI issues with longer runs lately so I figured it was time to devise at least a skeleton strategy I could live with knowing how I've performed at other distances. I won't bore you with the details but suffice it to say, it worked out really well and I'm excited at the prospect of not only finishing strong but not wanting to toss my cookies at the end of the run.

Miles 1-10 felt good. I was able to keep at race pace through that distance. I remember feeling pretty good between miles 11 and 14 too - I recall thinking, "This second half feels much better than the first half. Maybe I can have a negative split."

Psshh. Crazy talk.

The effects of my over-confidence showed itself on mile 14. I got some cramps in my calves that needed to be walked off. After that however, I was able to loosen up an bit and continue on my way.

Miles 14-17 didn't feel so good. For some reason, those miles just felt like they took a long time. Not to mention that during this swath of mileage, I could feel the bowels churning. The combination of a poor lunch selection the day before, Roctane and Perpetuem were just the right combination to induce a "pit spot" on mile 17.

If you've ever run [this kind of] distance before, you know that stops or pauses in the upper 1/4 of your workout is almost like death. Pausing to go to the bathroom allows things to settle, relax and get comfortable with the idea that your body is no longer in motion. It was either stop and take care of business or clench for the next 30 minutes. I opted to stop. Yes, starting again hurt like hell.

Miles 17-20 were all gut - nothing more. My water was warm, the Roctane was gone and all I had left was the commitment to get the miles done no matter what. I won't lie. The last 3 miles hurt too. Less so than miles 14-17 but they were still hard.

It's still hard to believe that I'm able to put in this many miles a week. It doesn't seem like very long ago I struggled to run 100 yards while recovering from plantar faciitis. Each week, each goal and each success brings more and more strength, determination and mental power to my training. Setting 'em up and knocking 'em down - traithlon training at its best.

Thanks for reading.

Artful negotiation

I remember thinking about a really good blog topic on my long (17 mile) run yesterday morning but I can't for the life of me remember what the heck it was. I'm sure it would have been nostalgic, insightful and a pure joy to behold...if only my mind was focused on blogging and not the pain in my legs and calves.

I was scheduled to do 19 but around mile 15 I really wanted to stop and walk a bit. My mind was telling me to keep going but my legs and hips we're screaming at me to walk. Now I don't mind walking during a run, but experience has shown that after mile 13, the likelihood that my mind and body will both agree to continue moving  at the same pace is pretty unlikely.

So I resorted to some clever negotiation - I told myself that I could stop and walk a bit, BUT I had to finish the entire 19 miles. Option #2, was to keep running (even though I wanted to stop) and knock out 17 miles.

Monte, I'll take door #2.

I mean, really - will 2 miles make a difference in my overall training this week? Not likely. Do I feel any worse completing 17 miles rather than 19? Not really. My quads and calves ache just the same.