Zack - 5.5

41:42 (7:34)

Pre's Trail at 7:30AM, pouring rain and roughly 40F. Tried to keep things slow. 1.4 mi loop in 10:59.

Last three weeks post marathon have been spotty with a slow return to training (6, 26, and 32 mi weeks). I was exceedingly tired for the first two weeks and mostly just drank more beer and took some days off. I am now feeling close to normal again and plan to resume proper mileage and build up in the near future.

Luke - 13

13mi, 1:56:16 (8:56)

The butte. Pouring rain the whole time. A lot of the trails were muddy rivers. The way out was pretty good. 9:12 up Fox Hollow. At the top stopped and had a gel, but I think I stopped for a little too long because the rest of the way was pretty bad even though my legs felt fine and I had plenty of energy...I just couldn't go, I think my muscles were frozen or something. 10:33 down Fox Hollow. 55:41 out, 60:35 back.

Luke - 9.25

9.25mi, 69:30 (7:30)

22' w/u; 3x4x400m, 200/400r: 79, 77, 76, 74 / 74, 73, 74, 74 / 73, 70, 69, 68; 17' c/d.

It started raining as I was finishing my warmup, and was windy again. Obviously it took a few repeats for me to remember how to go fast again...I'm guessing these will get better as I continue to work on the track 3x/week.

Steve - 10

82:35 (8:10)

At Manhattan Beach trail on the bark with a bud. Final mile in 6:16! I took 3 days off in a row but not on purpose. I had a bunch of errands and stuff yesterday and just never had time. I should have just run early in the morning but oh well. 2 runs last and 14.xx miles. It's not the end of the world. Back to work this week.

Luke - 2.9

2.9mi, 21:37 (7:27)

Ran home from work.

Weekly Mileage Totals, 2/20-2/26

Luke - 65.25 (10)

Steve - 14.83 (2)

Luke - 5.5

5.5mi, 42:47 (7:46)

1.4-mile loop of Pre's Trail in 11:07. Before breakfast. 24º.

Luke - 5.5

5.5mi, 39:24 (7:09)

22' w/u, 3400m@12:30, 4' c/d.

Went to the track to do yesterday's workout, a 3k TT at 3/4 effort. The weather was weird, clear and cold and windy. My leg felt better, but when I did strides I didn't feel like I had any pop. The wind was the direction that made the backstretch difficult; it was ~20mph for the first half of the TT and ~30mph for the second half. <excuses>It was windy, my hands were cold, my right foot was numb, and I had to pee.</excuses> When I started, I decided to take splits every 200m, but about 500m in I realized I didn't know when I'd started, and I wasn't really thinking clearly enough to subtract my lap+ from my overall time to figure it out, so I was thinking I'd started at like 24:30 so I figured I'd be finishing a bit over 35 minutes. I finished at 35½ minutes and realized when I got home that I'd started at 23 minutes, so I had run an extra lap. Anyway, splits (keep in mind that every other split was into the wind): 38, 46, 44, 44, 44, 45, 43, 43, 42, 45, 42, 45, 44, 47, 43, 45, 44.

Don't know how I feel about this workout. We'll see how things go when conditions are more normal.

Luke - 3.25

3.25mi, 27:44 (8:32)

Was planning on doing a 3000m TT at 75% effort, but when I started off on my warmup, my upper right leg felt really tight, and only got worse as I kept going. Did a couple Amazon loops and tried doing leg swings and some light stretching, but nothing worked so I just headed home. Pity, too, since the weather is crazy nice (it was supposed to snow 2-5 inches but instead it's really sunny).

Steve - 7.83

Track workout with the Flyers. I was pretty tired for this workout since I haven't slept much. But it was the mile TT and I had to be up for it. We did a 400 first to gauge our pace, recovered for about 30 seconds, and then we started the 1609m TT. It was a huge group and I had to move into lane 4 at about the 100m point to get into position. I probably had to work a bit too hard to hit the first lap in 83. I fell off on the second lap before coming back nicely in the final 800. My goal was to run 5:30 and I came up short in 5:35. Final 400 in 81 was nice as I outkicked two people in the final 100m. I think being well rested and not wasting time having to pass in outer lanes could have got me to 5:30 or under slightly.

1mi wup in 9:06
400 in 92
1 mi (1609m) in 5:35 (83, 87, 84, 81)
2x1600 in 6:13, 6:17
800 in 3:00
2.5 mi cd in 22:19
3x300 recovery

Luke - 8.75

8.75mi, 72:22 (8:16)

Fox Hollow with Zack. Nasty weather, but I was bundled up all right, so my extremities didn't start freezing until the end. 9:01 up, 8:22 down. Took it fairly easy most of the run, which felt good.

Luke - 2.9

2.9mi, 24:27 (8:25)

Ran home from work. Legs were quite tight. Since it's been about a week since you guys have posted, here is a motivational video (sorry for the associated corporation, James):

Luke - 10

10mi, 75:13 (7:31)

22' w/u; 2x3x800m, 400/800r: 2:31, 2:30, 2:29 / 2:33, 2:33, 2:33; 23' c/d.

Luke - 13

13mi, 99:44 (7:40)

The butte again. 55:04 out (8:28 pace), 44:40 back (6:52 pace). Lots of people out on the trails today enjoying a great-weather day in bipolar Eugene. 9:41 up Fox Hollow, 6:29 down. This run would be so much harder if it were downhill then uphill instead of the other way around.

Luke - 2.95

2.95mi, 23:07 (7:50)

Ran home from work. Was going to go the long way but it was dark and I was tired and most of all I was hungry, so I'll do a long run this afternoon.

Luke - 10.5

10.5mi, 83:05 (7:54)

Last hill workout of the season! 30 minutes of the hill sprint circuit, 15 minutes hill bounding, and 15 more minutes of the hill sprint circuit. Just under 0:35 on the hill sprints.

Steve - 7

57:11 (8:10)

Easy run. Body doesn't feel great, just getting in the miles.

Luke - 2.9

2.9mi, 22:56 (7:54)

My bike is apparently all the way broken, so Zack drove me to work, and I ran home in the morning.

Weekly Mileage Totals, 2/13-2/19

Luke - 64.4 (8)

Steve - 30.39 (4)

James - 4.6 (2)

Zack - 26.2 (1) (Feb 5th)

Luke - 4

4mi, 30:21 (7:35)

Mile loops of 7:39 and 7:35, then six 100m strides on the track.

Steve - 7.5

63:36 (8:29)

About half on grass, half on street.

Luke - 5.25

5.25mi, 40:49 (7:46)

Mile loops of 8:00, 7:44, 7:42, and 7:36, with Zack.

Luke - 10.5

10.5mi, 81:41 (7:46)

At the cemetery, 30 minutes of the hill sprint circuit, 15 minutes of hill bounding, and 15 more minutes of the hill sprint circuit. 0:35 average on the hill sprints.

And here is an animated gif of why ankle-strengthening drills are important:

Zack - 26.2 (Feb 5th)

3:16:27 (7:29) (1:31:12/1:45:15) 15th/114
Death Valley Borax Marathon. Furnace Creek, CA. Elevation -200 feet.

Splits: 6:53, 7:09, 6:52, 6:58, 6:59, 7:02, 6:57, 6:47, 7:07, 6:49, 6:49, 7:02, 7:04, 6:52, 7:05, 6:58, 7:09, 7:17, 7:18, 7:42, 8:32, 8:13, 8:39, 9:32, 9:20, 11:09 (1.2 mi).

The story is told through the above splits in my debut marathon. Solid until about 19 miles and a serious muscular breakdown after. But let's back up..

The race starting Saturday morning at 8:00AM. My friend Joe (old roommate from Charleston, SC) flew in to Las Vegas and arrived at 9PM Friday night. I had been staying with another friend in Las Vegas and had a rental car ready to drive to the heart of the desert. Picked him up and we made the nearly 3 hour drive to Death Valley. Made it in to the DRY desert campsite that would amazingly only about ~1/4 mi from the start of the marathon. Fell asleep for roughly 6 hours and woke up ready to race.

It was a small event with a half-marathon and 10km going on at the same time but only 114 in the full marathon. I ran with my buddy Joe for the first 17 miles. We were keeping about the same effort throughout, the varying splits reflect the rolling hills. One thing that was noticeably strange was the lack of sweat that was present on my body. The humidity was down at about 7% and any moisture was simply wicked away. The temperature was excellent towards the beginning at about 55F and quickly rose to roughly 70-75F by the end. We hit the half with another guy (an ultra runner) in 1:31:12. Certainly well within range and about right on target.

Everything continued to be fine until about mile 16 where the legs started to get a little more heavy. Joe and the other guy were feeling great and kept the ~7 min/mi pace throughout the rest of the race. I knew that I was going to have to grit it out for a very long time. (~8 miles of nearly isolated running on the unforgiving HWY 190 in Death Valley!)

As you can see by the splits, I did everything in my power to hang on. Despite the time that quickly went above the Boston qualifier (3:10), I was extremely happy with my ability to weather the storm and stay calm as my legs started to tighten up exceedingly and my strides were reduced to a fraction of their original length. There was a long gradual hill at mile 24 and once I crested this, I knew I could grind it out and maintain my shuffle to the finish. I was awarded a cool medal at the end and a T-shirt. I felt absolutely terrible but also very happy to have went through such an insanely tough mental and physical experience. My hip adductors, IT bands, and quads were toast. I am glad I picked the Death Valley Borax Marathon for my first. It was a pure running experience without buildings or even spectators! The course offered vast views of a salty, mountainous, and seemingly endless desert. The route wound around enough and features some hills to make it less monotonous.

Eventually Joe and I ate at the Furnace Creek Ranch, a nice Buffalo burger and pint of beer hit the spot. We meandered back to Las Vegas on a sunny insanely nice day and crashed at the MGM Grand. The next morning I could hardly walk but hit it big on the slot machines and turned $20 into $1350 with a $1000 jackpot!! An unreal end to a whirlwind of a weekend. Trip and more paid for and a humbling first 26.2 mi race. I was able to learn so much and when I give another go at this distance, I feel it will be a much better result!

James - 1.5

19:23

Went a bit slower this time to give my feet a rest.

Steve - 7.72

Flyers track workout. Cold and rainy out here. I guess this is the final parting shot from Winter before 9 months of sunnyness. I decided to do a 4 mile tempo run. The group was doing a bunch of 400 repeats that I didnt feel like doing. I ran it in 26:56, averaging about 6:44 per mile. Nice and smooth, didnt push but ran the final 400 in 1:34 or so.


1.22 mi 11:34 wup
4mi tempo in 26:56 (6:50, 6:48, 6:40, 6:38)
2.5 mi cd 22:07 cd

Luke - 8.75

8.75mi, 69:58 (7:59)

Fox Hollow. 9:37 up, 7:51 down. My most painful run of the year. It was pouring rain when I started, and I was drenched by a half a mile in...then it started snowing. I don't have competent gloves, so my hands froze rather quickly. It continued to rain/snow/sleet the rest of the way out. Then on the way back it warmed up just enough to rapidly thaw my hands, and I was about ready to throw up from the pain. Anyway, made it, and I don't think I'll need to have any of my fingertips amputated.

Luke - 2.9

2.9mi, 23:05 (7:57)

My bike fell apart on the way to work so I had to run home in the morning. I took the opportunity to wear my new Adidas Adizero Rocket Ekidens. They were a bit rigid, but the fit was okay. We'll see how they work out as I break them in.

Luke - 10

10mi, 78:18 (7:49)

Back to the cemetery for hills. 27:30 of the hill sprint circuit, 14 minutes of hill springing, and 15 more minutes of the hill sprint circuit. 0:35+ average on the hill sprints, not too bad but a few of them were slow.

Steve - 4.92

41:17 (8:23)

Crammed this run into my day somehow. Got up early and worked for a few hours, went on this run, then drove into work, then went to class at night. Long day. The run was on grass and street near my house.

James - 3.1

30:55

I thought I did 10 miles this week, but I got my runs mixed up. It's still a huge improvement. I did this increasing in speed from 5mph to 8mph, but it still averaged at 6mph (10 minute miles). I not only need new shoes because I am getting blisters on both feet but because I stepped in a puddle that also appeared to have petrol/gas in it on the way home last week. Talk about deadly, smelly shoes.

Luke - 13

13mi, 97:29 (7:29)

Killed the butte. 9:01 up Fox Hollow. 6:50 down, then sub-7 pace home. 53:18 out, 44:11 back, so 6:47 pace for the whole second half. Rained the whole way back, but I felt great.

Luke - 10

10mi, 76:44 (7:40)

At the cemetery, 27:30 of the hill sprint circuit, 14 minutes of hill springing, and 14 more minutes of the hill sprint circuit. Just under 0:34 average on the hill sprints, very good.

Steve - 10.25

91:35 (8:56)

Run up at Griffith Park with a few other guys. We did some solid hills. My calf is a hurting a bit cuz I haven't done real hills for a long time. Great run to start the week. I beat Luke again in mileage on this day.

Weekly Mileage Totals, 2/6-2/12

Luke - 57 (7)

Steve - 28.1 (4)

Chris - 8.3 (2)

James - 5.8 (2)

Luke - 4

4mi, 29:39 (7:24)

Mile loops of 7:41 and 7:16, then six 100m strides with 100m jog between each.

Steve - 6

49:02 (8:10)

Ran on the MB bark. I cut this a bit short cuz I was feeling kind of weak. I worked out in the gym last night for the first time in ages. Final mile in 7:16.

Luke - 8

8mi, 58:09 (7:16)

1.6-mile loop in 11:47, 1.4-mile loop in 10:16. 14:50 last 2.25mi (6:35 pace).

Luke - 5.5

5.5mi, 45:01 (8:11)

21:46 of the hill sprint circuit, then bounded up one hill. Felt dizzy so I came home.

Chris - 4.5

35:44 - 7:56 pace

Got out on another run before the whole family showed up at my grandparents. I did a loop around where they live, past some golf courses and condos. I ran the first 3 miles or so at a little slower pace, partly because my achilles was bothering me. Then when I turned a corner and knew where the finish was, I picked it up a lot and really pushed myself. After I finished and walked for a little to catch my breath, I did a couple sprints for the hell of it.

Unfortunately, I think my right calf might be strained. It's been being really finicky and tight and gives me a weird sharp pain when I try to stretch it or my achilles. Hope that heals up quick!

Steve - 7.6

Track workout with Flyers. I got there a bit early and did a longer warmup. The workout was 6x800. We were supposed to do 400 recovery but the group I was running with was doing a lazy 100m out, 100m back slow ass recovery that I started doing too. Workout went really well. I was shooting for about 3:00 for each 800 and I was right on. On the last one me and another guy decided to get under 3 if we could and we nailed a 2:53. I busted out my Brooks T4 flats that I haven't worn for ages for this workout. I think I'm ready to start wearing flats for some workouts. It certainly helps me run them a bit faster. I also ordered some Asics GT 1150s today for 56 bucks from Zappos. One day VIP shipping because I'm awesome so maybe they will come tomorrow. They are the cheaper and lighter version of the 2150s. I got about 450 miles out of a pair of those before they got totally messed up by a really muddy run I did in them.

2.28 miles in 20:47 wup
6x800m in 2:59, 3:00, 3:01, 3:03, 3:00, 2:53 (about 1000 m in recovery)
1.7 miles in 16:02 cd

Luke - 8.75

8.75mi, 64:05 (7:19)

Fox Hollow. 8:52 up, 5:50 down, 7:05 pace last 3.25 miles. It all felt pretty easy today for some reason...I wasn't pushing particularly hard, but the times were faster than normal. Probably has something to do with the training I've been doing, hmm...

Luke - 9.75

9.75mi, 75:55 (7:47)

At the cemetery, 28 minutes of the hill sprint circuit, 13:30 hill springing, and 12:30 more of the hill sprint circuit. 35- or 36-second average on the hill sprints.

Steve - 4.4

40

Got in a quick run in my neighborhood before my class.  Nothing exciting.

Chris/James - 3.8

33:43

It's another USA record for me and all I had to do was team up with the MIGHTY Chris Breen. Okay, we stopped a few times, in particular for a couple of minutes at the 20-minute mark, but still. He came up from Venice to St. Pete on Tuesday evening, and after greetings we went for this run along the trail and round the nearby park. Later on, Alison came in from work and we went to Tijuana Flats, where I got myself two AmeriMex meals but it turned out to be too much. Farttastic. Then we went to The Globe and had drinks. Throw in some Gamecube and Lord of the Rings talk and that about sums up our evening. Alison and I agree that Chris is super.

The Some Running network coalesces! Hope we can all run together sometime!

James - 2

20.00

It was actually 2.01 miles, in order for it to be minutely faster than a 10-minute mile pace, but I let it go.

This was a Sunday morning run! Alison worked out just as hard on other machines (as she has done on every occasion that I have made a post lately). It made us feel good the rest of the day, where we saw The Odd Couple on stage and I fumbled through my first superbowl. Could this be a fruitful new routine or not? Stay tuned!

Luke - 12

12mi, 97:00 (8:05)

The long hilly way home from work. Gave it some effort in order to stay reasonably close to 8-minute pace overall. Last 3 miles @ 22:02.

Luke - 9

25 minutes of the hill sprint circuit, 12 minutes hill bounding, and 12:30 more on the hill sprint circuit. A little better than 0:35 average on the hill sprints. Did a slightly longer warmup than previously, which definitely helped.

Steve - 10.1

81:33 (8:04)

Probably my best run of the year so far. 10 miles out on the bark at Manhattan Beach. Ran with my fast friend who helped me to close it out with a sick 6:36 mile. I am starting to feel I'm in sub 19 5k shape. I'm running a 5k on February 26 on a military base in Los Alamitos that should be a fast course. The winner of the race ran 17:25 last year. I think I can be close to the lead pack. We'll see.

Weekly Mileage Totals, 1/30-2/5

Luke - 60.5 (8)

Steve - 26.69 (4)

James - 4.1 (2)

Luke - 4.25

4.25mi, 34:46 (8:10)

Mile loops of 8:14, 7:59, and 8:06.

Steve - 6.04

50:55 (8:25)

Easy run near my house. Did 3 hill loops down to the beach.

James - 3.1

31:15

Almost exactly 10 minute miles!

I went back through the blog all the way through last year. I didn't find a single run as long as this one, meaning it's the longest since I moved here in December 2009. JESUS THIS IS TERRIBLE. At least I did it, this was hard work!

This coming week Alison and I meet the MIGHTY Chris Breen!

Luke - 6.5

6.5mi, 48:12 (7:24)

Pre's Trail, around the pond, two fast laps of the BMX course (1:31 each).

Luke - 8.25

8.25mi, 65:03 (7:53)

25 minutes of the hill sprint circuit, 12 minutes of hill springing, and 12:30 more of the hill sprint circuit. ~0:39 average on the hill sprints.

Luke's 2010

2387.3 miles

330 runs

282 days with at least one run

47 ascents of Fox Hollow, at 8:23 average

55 descents of Fox Hollow

238 1-mile loops on Amazon, at 7:34 average

Weekly mileage:

(Click for bigger)

Steve - 7.15

Track workout with the Flyers. The workout was a ladder. 400, 800, 1200, 1200, 800, 400 with 400 recovery in between each except for after the first 400. I slowed down a bit in the second half of the ladder besides the final 400 where everyone ran really fast. 

1.8 mi wup in 16:16
 400 in 85, 100 rec
800 in 2:57, 400 rec
2x1200 (4:42, 4:45), 2x400 rec
800 in 3:05
400 in 79.4
1.75 mi cd in 15:58

Luke - 8.75

8.75mi, 60:07 (6:52)

Fox Hollow. 7:58 up, 6:39 down. Thought I might have a chance at sub-60; I needed 6-flat pace the last three miles...got 6:02 pace.

On my way back three UO women's track runners were ahead of me--Jordan Hasay, Alex Kosinski, and the crazy-hot girl I need to marry. As I came up behind them I said "On your left," then said, "Thanks" as I passed them, and crazy-hot girl said, and I'll never forget this, "Uh-huh."

She totally wants me.

Luke - 7.75

7.75mi, 60:18 (7:46)

25 minutes of the hill sprint circuit, 10 minutes of hill springing, and 10 more minutes of the hill sprint circuit. ~0:38 average on the sprints, not great but not terrible.

Steve - 6

50:36 (8:26)

6 miles in the dark at Griffith Park. I forgot my lamp again. For the final 2 miles I ran with some guy that I caught up with. We struck up a conversation and finished strong. Good times.