Week of 21-27OCT2019

A week in Arden Hills, a ‘burb of the MSP area.  Long days, meaning that anything I was getting for a run was pretty much early or late, or in the dark. 

MON AM – 5.7 miles
MON PM – 5.5  miles

TUE AM – 5 miles.  Nothing in the evening due to a work dinner. 

WED AM – 4.1 miles. 
WED PM – 4 miles.  Found my way into a near by park at sunset.  It was nice. 

THUR AM – dragging.  4.1 miles.  This one was rough.
THUR PM – found my way into the park nearby, worked through a couple of phone calls while jogging and got in 7 miles. 

FRI AM – 5 miles.  We got a little later start and so I was actually able to get some running in the light.  Even though it was in the 20s, the light seemed to help the pace a bit compared to the other recent mornings.  5 miles.

SAT – 4 and change moving around at the XC State meet. 

Bolted back up from CoS to the north side of town (that stretch of I25 sucks) and then played a bit with these guys and got some sound work in.

Sunday AM I forgot we put a gate at the bottom of the stairs to keep the dogs from going up stairs.  I wasn’t looking, and took a spill through, banging me up and putting a nice puncture hole in my right lower leg.  Still a klutz after all these years.   

Got in a dozen plush in the light snow.  Felt good. 

I got in city 8 this week in the so called 20 city project.

57 miles on the week.  A bit better of week of running with travel compared to some of the prior weeks.  No workouts but I am okay with that.  The Haglund-Achilles mess is still a mess but I work with it I guess. 

Week 13-20OCT2019

Another week in Draper UT.  Missed Thursday but got over 50 on the week.  The left Achilles is still less than thrilled but I only am half listening to it.  I am not doing anything of significant quality right now – I just don’t have the gumption to get up for that right now. 

I head out MSP this week, so another week of the same is expected.

 

JZ got me turned onto NF.  I am not a rap fan but I have been enjoying some of his stuff.

See we've all got somethin' that we've trapped inside
That we try to suffocate you know hoping it dies
Try to hold it under water
But it always survives
Then it comes up out of nowhere like an evil surprise
Then it hovers over you to tell you millions of lies
You don't relate to that, must not be as crazy I am

The point I'm makin is the mind is a powerful place
And what you feed it can affect you in a powerful way
It's pretty cool right? Yeah, but it's not always safe
Just hang with me this will only take a moment okay

Just think about it for a second if you look at your face
Every day when you get up and think you'll never be great
You'll never be great
Not because you're not but the hate
Will always find a way to cut you up and murder your faith

MON AM – 5 miles

TUE PM – 10 miles

WED AM – 5.1 miles
WED PM – 5 miles

THU – off

FRI – 6 miles

SAT – back in CO – 10.2 miles

SUN – 10.1 miles.  Traveled to MSP Iater in the AM.

Week of 07-13OCT2019

MON AM - 4.1 miles in the 40s and the dark in Draper.  Slow and morning dragging as expected

MON PM - 6.8 miles.


TUES AM 5.1 miles

TUES PM - 5 miles - felt pretty good

WED - zero.  Was at the plant at 4:30 AM.  Worked late.  Long day.

THU AM - colder than I was prepared for (low 20s) so it was a short one on the hotel treadmill.  3.3 miles.  Biz dinner in the evening

FRI AM - 4 more treadmill miles.  Back to CO in the evening.

SAT AM - practice with the Eagles.  Girls won the conference meet easily yesterday with 43 points.

SAT evening - worked the sound board for Spare Change.


SUN - Achilles ain't happy.  Gut is not happy (too much fun last night at the show I guess).  8.1 miles.  That will make me happier.   Back to SLC tonight.

Weekend 06OCT2019

SAT AM - 5 miles with the team, well ... actually the coaches.  Super easy as I was a bit worked from the  effort effort the day before and the Friday meet. 

SAT PM - along the ditch some, with TZ on the bike - another 5.3 miles.  Achilles is pissed but whatever.

SUN AM - 10.4 miles - actually feeling pretty good other than the throbbing of the Achilles every step.  But it was a glorious fall morning - hard not to run well in conditions like that.

63 plus miles on six days of running.  Gonna hit the skids again next few weeks again with biz travel. 

JZ ran a 5k up at CSU on Saturday and ran about his PR - pretty good given he is doing 20 miles a week, and hasn't raced a 5k in a year.   Even better is he is still interested and excited on it.  He called me just to discuss World Champ results and recent Alberto news. 

Friday 04OCT2019

AM - 10 miles.   Greg and I helped Braun through some of her marathon training.  She had 5 x 2k at marathon pace.  It was good.

PM - another 3.5 jogging around at the Pat Amato meet.

“when you start you go that way.”

Thursday 03OCT2019

AM - a bit rested yesterday from the day off yesterday.  6.1 miles and moving well once I woke up. 

PM  - easy running with the coaches as a part of pre-day of meet activities. 4.1 miles.

Wednesday 02OCT2019 … an 800 AR

Fried at the end of the day and couldn't get over the mental hump to get out.  Did some rationalization that I needed the rest and this was good for my Achilles.  Whatever.

But then there is this awesomeness:

Tuesday 01OCT2019

AM - dark and comparatively cold (like 49) and misty wet.  Actually sort of wonderful.  I jogged for a bit before my 7AM call, catching up with GW and SB as they headed out for a bit longer effort.  3.3 miles.

PM - back and forth sort of effort with the kids at practice, another 6.9 - broken up sort of thing.  Still misting, and cooler ... really felt like a fall day.

The Achilles is low level sort when I am running but then later in the evening I look like a broken old man ... which is somewhat true I guess.

Monday 30SEP2019

8.7 miles over practice. 

My Achilles has been a bit hot since I rolled it on the Lincoln Monument back in June, but it has seemed really more pissed the last couple of days.  I took it easy today on the run, which meant I naturally fell into turning my arms and shoulders and core into jelly post run in the weight room. 

16 pull ups for a best on the year.  Came back a little later after other work and got 10 more - felt good about that. 

Week wrap 29SEP2019

Exercise or even training took a back seat through the later half of the week while on the road.  I got back on the path a bit over the weekend but I was feeling pretty dead legged on those runs.  Just over 50 on the week.

Wednesday 25SEP2019 Schenley Park

I got into Pitt late last night, wandered down to the University of Pittsburgh area and found myself on a stool at Fuel and Fuddie.  I pinged JT via text and got a few recommendations for the couple of days I am here.

AM - tired, tired.  I find that my capacity to deal with even a 2 hour time change is not what it used to be.  Of course, with age I am naturally slower, but even my brain's desire to get up and get after it first thing in the morning has waned a bit over the years.

I didn't stay downtown this go around but am up Schenley Park.  I wandered over into that, and enjoyed some of the sunrise.

Tuesday 24SEP2019 Following the Syd train

AM - GW convinced me to get out at 6:15.  I took to the bait pretty easily as I knew I'd be tied up the rest of the day, including travel to the east coast.  Syd B was doing some work - more than I wanted given I was feeling the effort from yesterday but I agreed to jump into the middle 800 of her mile repeats.  I'd do that, then jog over to the 200 to go mark and bring her in.  It made for a nice little run of 8.2 miles.  Syd ran great. 

A little later in the morning I got another 3.4.  Rest of the week is likely to fall down a bit given the travel. 

Monday 23SEP2019

Afternoon - 5.2 miles with the kids, doing some hard pick ups - way faster than I have run in a while, and actually working pretty hard with the kids.  It felt good but I sort of shredded the legs up some.  After a bit of a break for a team stretch, and some chat I got in an additional 4.8 miles. 

Sunday 22SEP2019

AM - 12 miles.  Sort of a longer run for me these days.  I was feeling pretty good with the cooler temps and the sunny sky.  Ran into Neeraj the last couple of miles coming up out of the open space and jogged it in with him.

A 73 mile week - which is no longer a regular thing for me (only the fourth time this year, and once with a race in it over a marathon in distance - and a couple of tempo style workouts in there too.  Volume is up being home, as I have had about 105 over the last 10 days.  Most of this is coming off of two a days, but that is where I am at too.  It's good to enjoy the run, this season and being home.

I have been growing my hair back since about the end of July.  I have had it cleaned up from a hair cut perspective around the edges a couple of times.  I have never been a big fan of going to get a hair cut - it just always has felt like a bit of a waste of time, and money.  But on this go around, I have been able to feel some small enjoyment in it.  I forgot actually greatly enjoyable the part where they put the hot shaving cream on the back of your neck and shave that with a straight blade.  It is really oddly and wonderfully relaxing.

Working on adding a FF song to the mix.  I like this one.

Saturday 21SEP2019

AM - 5 miles at the Lyons XC meet.

I love these meets.  Kids have successes, kids have struggles, kids PR, kids lay an egg of a race ... it is the whole process of it that works for whole set of bigger considerations like show up everyday, put in the work, don't burn out, take care of the little things, the other 22 hours matter, focus but don't lose your mind, be a good team mate, you can do more than you think you can and you are better than you think you are.  Some are better at all of it than others, but the lessons are there for everyone with competitive running.  I love it. 

Afternoon - jogged the dogs a bit and then added on.  5.3 miles.

Friday 20SEP2019

AM - 7.1 miles with Braun and Greg.


Played Rails End last night.  I was going to do "Sailboat Captain" by Rainbow Kitten Surprise, then "All the Debts" by Caamp, then "Americano" by RCPM and then figure out what I'd do for a fourth if they allowed it.  I shifted at the last second and started with "Maybe It's Time" at the last minute - just because I am more comfortable with that tune.  I then rolled into "Sailboat" and did well with that but I botched the crap out of "Debts" but the crowd seemed to be okay with it.  I decided to ask what the crowd wanted for a last tune:  "Do you want a song about the lonesome desert or about sex?"  The answer was obvious so I played "Squeezebox" by the Who.

Maybe some video of it out there at some point. The view of the place before I went on.


A little later.


Afternoon - 4 more miles with Greg.

Thursday 19SEP2019

Busy day ... just sort of rough going all day.  AM - 3.7 miles on the ditch.  PM - 5.1 with Greg at practice. 

Wednesday 18SEP2019

AM jogging.  4.9 miles.

Got to see a pack of 8 coyotes.  That was a first.



Afternoon - another 6.5 with practice.

Tuesday 17SEP2019

I paced Eric S last year at LT100.  He has always puts up good post race video.  Here is his 8th version of it.

Afternoon - a tad tired.  8 miles.

Monday 16SEP2019

Joined Greg and Ian this AM for a run, and we did some 200, 300 meter pick ups.  6.2 miles.

Afternoon - another handful of miles plus while the kids did a workout.  Good day.  Easy to start but even rolled with a few of their reps to get eyes and ears on how they were doing.  Felt good once I was moving.  Like they say, the youth keep you young.

As a kid, I did what a lot of kids learning guitar did ... I immersed myself in the blues ... first with Page, and then Beck and Clapton. But that quickly led to guys like the Kings (Albert, Freddie, and ...) including BB.  As I dug in, the simplicity of what he did, but the tone of it, and that vibrato ... well, wow.  And that ES-335 ... still a guitar that is a someday I am thinking about.

BB King would have been 94 today.

This is an incredible version too.