Midweek update 05-07MAR2018

I am in the Chicago area this week for work.  I got to see some of this stuff up close.

While not a true picture of what I was looking at, it is fairly close.  Cobalt blue, or the Cherenkov effect.  Pretty amazing stuff.

Regarding running – it has been less than great.  I am trapped in the clover leaf of highways, hotels with little to no sidewalks, and few street lights.  Add in 30 mile an hour winds and rain or snow.  And add in that my times to get out have been either early in the AM, or in the evening (as I am at work throughout the day) … and it has been mostly a treadmill week.  Frankly I am just not going to risk running on some state highway shoulder in the dark in those sort of crappy conditions. 

On the flip side, doing the treadmill does provide for some fair heat training.  The hotel exercise room is locked in at 72 degrees and there is not a fan in site.  This is what that looks like at 35 minutes of running. 

It ain’t pretty.  TZ thinks I ought to never put myself on one of these devices in a public setting because it is scary to other people.  She might be right.  As I finished a five miler Monday AM – even before I got off the mill – the woman on the one next to oh so politely pointe out where the wet wipes were for me.  I thanked her and did the wipe down as she did her run and provided an eyeball of oversight. 

Maybe it is the Beck thing.  Maybe it is that we are not that pretty in the movement anyway.  Not that I care exactly as he does because I think the alternative is a much greater problem. 

I think somewhere on the run that I had this AM … which was an outside run (not snowing, and I found enough of a road to work with in rising lite of the dawn) … that I nearly came to a 95% conclusion that I am not going to do the Pikes Peak Marathon.  While I am getting some 9 miles and change on average a day, and getting in some workouts, and I have plenty of time before Pikes … I just can’t see how I am going to effectively put in the training that I think is necessary with the other life choices I am making right now to set up for the proper preparation for that race.  Again, I am not bemoaning that or feeling bad about that … it is just what it is. 

I recognize there are some who might say “hey run it anyway” but that does not feel right.  I don’t want to run it just because I can.  I understand that is a bit taking something for granted but I can go run the hill anytime.  It is a race and when it is a race, especially that one, I feel a need to properly address that. 

I still have to Saturday to figure that out but that is about where I am with that.

Monday AM – 5.1 miles treadmill
PM – 5.1 miles treadmill
Tuesday PM – 10 miles treadmill
Wednesday AM 5.3 miles (OUTSIDE!!!)
PM – 5.2 miles treadmill

Weekend 03-04MAR2018

Saturday – laid an egg at the coaches mile.  We got out in 78-79 and I knew that was a bit quick but it was already out there.  Greg had a few yards on me at this point but he started to come back and I was in his hip pocket from 400 to 600.  At 600 though he pulled away and I’d never recover.  I came through 800 in 2:41 and it got worse from there.  4:05 at 1200 and 5:35 for the finish.  Greg finished nearly a full straight away ahead of me at 5:15. 

Ugh.  It was fun to race and have the kids get into the coaches competition but getting walloped like that was an eye opener.  I thought I’d be under 5:30 for sure, but I had nothing in the second half.  Back to work.

The race is one of several points that has me thinking if Pikes is a smart thing for me to sign up for.  I recognize my fitness, but more importantly I recognize what I can / am willing to do to prepare for that event given my life choices right now.  And when I look at that, I am of the mind that I’d only be signing up for a 5 plus hour shelling that I am not well prepared for.  It might be better for me to truly take the shorter focus for a bit (mile, 5k) as it might just all fit a bit better at this point.  This is not a “woe is me” sort of thing, rather it is a practical look at where I am at, what I’d need to do, the likelihood of me doing that and assessing that all.

Obviously I need to figure that out this week.

JZ had a nice opener at the time trial.  Really looking forward to seeing how his season plays out.

Saturday ended up as a 12.3 mile day with the race and a longer slow jog.

Sunday AM – a mile with TZ and then 8 on the loop before heading off to the airport.

Mid week check in

Goofy week so far.  Work has been hip deep and so I have not got out as much as I like.

M – 8.6 in the AM with Greg, moving pretty well.
2.6 in the afternoon as the kids started their warm up for a workout.  First official day of track season.


T – I got this crazy pain in my neck now … right side starting on the shoulder and coming up behind my right ear.  Meh.
8 miles, again moving pretty well

W – did some track work with Greg in the morning at mile pace.  He and I have talked up racing in front of the kids on Saturday.  Saturday is an “scrimmage” where we will have the kids do some events to get an idea of where they truly are for the track season.  The kids have got pretty into the idea of Greg and I going against each other in a mile.  Four weeks ago I’d have easily beaten Greg but he has amazingly come on quick.  When not smack talking each other we both think we are in 5:20 to 5:40 shape.  If it comes to a kick he will have a step on my for sure.  Doing sub 40 second 200 today seemed okay but stringing 8 of them together seems to be a lot more than what I am capable of right now.  8 miles in the AM and then 2.2 with the kids on their warm up in the afternoon.

Th – I felt like C-R-A-P and I could not stop doing that.  My guts fell outside of me for most of the afternoon.  7.5 miles with Greg on the Ridgeview Lac Amora loop in under an hour.