Where's Winter?

I have had a good time getting back after the sickness. I started lifting again to build some strength, which I think will pay off in some of the longer stuff. Multisport Ministries asked me to run again at the SuperFrog Triathlon in San Diego, so I will be training for that in April. I will be racing prior to that time, but who knows when and in what race. I will add some speed to the training soon, which should be a welcome change from the post-sickness base building. It has been rather dry winter here in CO. There is very little snow in the mountains, and there is not a lot in the forecast. That is a little sad, since I love to get up and snowboard. I started skiing this year, and it has been a blast. I bought some skis from http://www.powder7.com/. Jordan and Amy have a great business selling skis, and Adrienne and I have had a great time so far this year. We have been out about 8 times, and are looking forward to some good snow.

I will throw some updates out sooner than later on the training and race schedule. It should be fun to get back out there this year and do some races. We have been gearing up for a big year with the non-profit we work with. http://www.hands4others.org/ It is a great organization providing clean water to villages around the world. Check it out! We are starting a CO chapter and are looking forward to raising funds to provide the first taste of clean, parasite-free water these villages have ever tasted. H4O is Santa Barbara had a great 1st year in 2009, and we are looking for greater things in 2010.

Merry Christmas!

Finch

Sickness and Soreness

Man. Running is going well, but there was a bit of a glich. I rarely get sick. I came down with something that I thought was going to be a head cold. Then I figured it was going to be a sinus problem. I don't really know anything about these things. It ended up being awful. I was racked out for a couple of day, but still have the crap in my lungs over two weeks later. I have been trying to run it out, which I believe is the greatest cure for most illnesses, but it just hurts when I am done running. I know it will leave, but it took its tole on my training over the past couple of weeks. I started back this week and was sore! I have not been sore like that for a long time, but it was fun to feel it again. I thought I was going easy on the first run back, but it ended up being six minute pace. That might have something to do with the soreness. I think that two weeks of easy running will get me back in the swing of things and I can reintroduce the speed and hills. It should be a quick recovery, if I can just quit coughing up green stuff. Ugh!

I did try skiing the other day. It was surprisingly easy. I have boarded most of my life and this was a nice addition to the mix. I am looking forward to getting into it this year, mixing it up a bit. I will give my friend Jordan Jones a call over at www.powder7.com and get some skis. They run a great business and it has been way too long since I have seen them.

Back to it!

Ready to Race

I am looking forward to racing soon. It has been a long and sometimes frustrating road to get fit again. I have had quite a few good training sessions and am looking forward to testing the fitness out as well as getting some races in to get the legs ready to go fast. I had a nice tempo this week at 5:30 pace. It was a low-tempo effort and I was surprised at how well I felt. The speed work is paying off and the short hill repeats have given me more speed than I expected to have at this point in the training. There is a winter series coming up here in Denver, and I will register for those races to get a feel of how I am doing before next year's track season starts up.
Right now it is all about consistency and a gradual build. I feel strong, the legs are healthy, and the hardest thing I am going to have to battle in the near future is the weather. We got over 2' of fresh snow yesterday. I'm going to throw the snowshoes on today and take Guinness out for a run. Should be fun!

Finch

Good Times

I don't know why, but I continue to find it amazing that I am able to run reasonably fast after some training. I know that is how it works, but I had been dealing with injuries, lack of motivation, etc, for quite awhile, and now it has been nice to train, and train hard. Tuesday I did 11miles at lunch, out to Wash park, around, and back. I was cruising under 6:30 pace for the entire run. Real easy, and smooth. I hit 8 yesterday in the freezing rain at around 7 min pace. Today was on the treadmill where I did 4x400 at 72, 1xmile at 5:30, 2x400 at 72. Got in 7 miles. The legs are tired, but the workout was pretty relaxed. The treadmill only goes 72/400 pace so that is what I have to deal with right now. I have been adding in some strides and that is making 72/400 feel very very easy. I still don't have a lot of endurance to hold a fast pace like that for over 1 mile, but the 5:30 in the middle of the workout was reasonably comfortable. My legs were tired, and it was good to get some more work in. I have been feeling fasater and more comfortable each week. The training is paying off. :)

Finch

San Diego

I had a good run down in San Diego when I was there this weekend. Ran up the Bernardo Mountain Summit Trail. It was a beautiful view from the top and had a little sign-in book. Left a small note, appreciated the view, and was off down the mountain. It was 90 something degrees, so that was a bit difference, but I was surprised to find out that I could climb well. I have not been climbing at all, but I have been puting in a good amount of speedwork . It was nice to have good fitness and be able to hit a long hill hard and finish strong. That has been missing for quite a while. I tried to find a race while I was out there, but no luck. Just walking events over the weekend.

Back up to altitude, and back to training. Should be nice. I had a problem in my hamstring last week while doing some short hill repeats and I can still feel it. I will make sure I am watching that while building back up in the speed. I have felt good doing repeats under 5 min pace, tempos around 530 and some solid long runs. It is feeling like the fitness is coming back! Finally!

Finch

Coming Together

I have been running more consistently. I need be more consistent on the weekends and then I think that I will be going pretty well! I have been running every Monday with Peter Vail, and we talk about life and running. He was right in what he said a couple weeks ago. Just keep running, going to the fast Niketown run, and getting in some workouts. The motivation will most likely follow the effort. I am excited to be more motivated than I have felt in a long time. I have been doing a longer tempo run each week (6ish) and then hitting the 400m repeats. They have come along nicely as well. I do 8-12 at 72secs. That is as fast as the treadmill will go and that is what I have to work with at lunch. Probably putting in 50-60 miles in a good week and take 10 or so off when I suck on the weekends (more often than not). All in all, it has been fun. 6 min pace was easy the other day, and that has been a long time coming. I will do some racing this winter, and then get ready for Westmont's new track facility opening. I would like to race a mile and then maybe a steeple or 5k. So, I will be running. It is nice to have some fitness back!

Finch

Enjoying Running

I have really been enjoying my runs lately. I started up with the running group at the downtown Nike Town, and they are quite fast. We have run 10miles in an hour, and then 5.5 last week in under 30. That was really moving for me right now, but shows that there is some speed/endurance in the legs despite not focussing on training. I would like to say it is easy to get out there each day and make the necessary sacrifices to become "fast" again, but it is not. I still am lacking motivation and some commitment. The biggest difference since I joined the running group has been that I have enjoyed my runs a lot more. I have something to work for and I think that may lead to wanting to sacrifice some things to run faster. I think the cooler weather has helped out a lot and I am actually looking forward to the winter. Weird!

We have been out hunting with Guinness a lot this year, and I am looking forward to phaesant season. He should learn a lot this year on wild birds and the goal is to have him steady on his point by the end of winter. I will go home today and run with him after work. I love running with him, but he has gotten so confident and just takes off. I think he knows where I am at all times, but I have no clue where he is. That does not usually work out here in suburbia. Adrienne and I have really been thinking about building a log home in the hills. It better suits our passions and lifestyle, so we will see how that turns out.

There is a cross country race in Lakewood next Tuesday that I might jump in. I don't have too much speed yet, but why not go out and race. I am sure a good butt kicking will get me more motivated. I still do not like losing. That will probably never change. It should be a good time.

Finch

Too Long

It has been awhile since I have posted. It is not that I have been lazy, or not running; just that there has been nothing noteworty to write about. I started training some speed again, and will just jump in some races here in a few weeks. I have never been one to be bored running, and I still am not bored, but it would be nice to have some goals and some test of my current ability. Amazingly I have not lost a lot of speed, just the ability to hold it for a prolonged period of time. I have no problem running 4:40 pace, just a problem holing it for more than a mile. So, I will do some tempos and repeats. Probably get in two good stress workouts a week, and supplement that with long runs and easy runs at lunch. I averaged around 30-40 miles a week over the past couple months. No focus, no ambitions, just good 'ol running.

I will look at what races are around in the next month or so, and sign on up. To the pain!

Finch

Golden Gate Dirty Thirty

The race went well. I was a bit surprised how well it went, but then again, I didn't know what to expect.

Adrienne and I got up at 4:30 in the morning, ate a bit and made some coffee. Got our stuff together, loaded up Guinness, and headed out to Golden Gate Canyon State Park. The drive was nice, and we arrived at around 6:00. My race took off at 7 and Adrienne's at 8, so we had some time to get our stuff together, drop off my drop bag, and mill around for a short time. Come race time, I lined up and took off. I wore a Nathan backpack, and it was a good idea. It had all the nutrition I needed for the race packed in it, including, a Cliffbar (I will not bring this again), 12 Gu's, and 2 liters of Gatorade. The race started out and I thought, "What the hell, I'm going for broke." I decided then and there that I would do my best to win the thing, knowing that I would probably have to deal with a good amount of suffering. There were about 4 of us that took off up front, and we started climbing. We crossed this beautiful little creek about 10-11 times and each time was over a little log, or a quasi-bridge made out of fallen trees and branches. It was pretty neat. I was feeling the climbing already! I have noticed that I do not do well racing over 7000' and this race shot up above 8000'-8500' right away. I wore my HR monitor so that I had some accountability, but it didn't really matter. I was at 165 HR the whole first climb and I walked most of it. I let a few people go, and tried to keep the HR below 165. We finally crested the first climb and I took off down the hill. I looked down one time and was going 5:15 pace :) Needless to say, I caught the group quickly and decided to keep up the pace down the hills and pulled a little gap. We hit the next climb (around 2 miles long) and I walked/jogged most of it trying to keep the HR down. Two people caught me at the top of the hill, but then I pulled some distance on the next downhill. This was the strategy that I would keep for the rest of the day. There were many hills that I was walking up with a HR over 170!!!! Geeze! I was good on the nutrition taking a Gu about every 30-40 mins and keeping the hydration going. I was passed going up a hill around mile 8, and just kept true to my new strategy. We hit a very technical trail at about mile 10-12 and I went off trail many times. Interestingly enough, I came out of the trail in the lead. I guess the guy that passed me leading into the trail got lost worse than I did. I came to the drop bag check point (mile 17) in the lead and was feeling pretty good. I did not take anything from my drop back and just kept on going. There was an 1100' climb out of this aid station and I felt this hill. I started cramping a good amount while going up. First my quads, then my calves, and finally my hamstrings. I downed a Gu, and it took care of the cramping. I decided to slow my walking down up the hills and maintain a good pace on the flats and downs. I was passed at the top of the hill after the aid station and wished the guy good luck. He was climbing strong and I did not think that I could keep up for the remaining 10 miles. Surprisingly, around mile 22 I started feeling pretty good again. I was cruising at 7min pace on the flats and downs, running at around 160HR, and just walking the hills. I got to the final aid station somewhere around mile 25 and they said I was a few minutes behind. I thought, what the heck, I will keep the strategy and hit the downhills a little harder. You never know, right!?! I actually climbed the next hill fairly efficiently and started a screaming downhill!!! I was moving well and feeling smooth. Next thing I knew there was the finish line. The only problem, I had only run about 28 miles :( I missed a turnoff at the top of the last hill and missed the final climb. I headed back up the last mile I descended (around 800' gain)! and saw the trail I missed. I was hurting at this point. I decided to call it a day, disappointed, but also very pleased. It was a great learning experience, and a beautiful day. I was told that I was about 1 minute back right around the trail head that I missed. Either way I would have been happy with the finish. This was the first time I have run over 20 miles in as long as I can remember, and it was a pretty comfortable run. I think I will train specifically for the distance for awhile and see what I can do. If my aerobic fitness was a bit better, I think that I could have held a much more efficient pace up the hills. I still got in 30 good miles of running and over 12,000' of climbing with the addition of my detour. I have to look at my watch readout, but I was on pace for around 5:30. That is a long time running, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The hills took up most of that time, and the elevation was another nice challenge. I think I averaged 164HR! That was the biggest surprise of the day. I am on the edge of aerobic at this HR and probably a bit over the line, but it did not seem to have too much of a negative effect. I felt really good from mile 22 on, and with a bit different nutrition, I think I could have minimized or negated the cramping. I think the hills were the biggest culprit of the cramping, but some more electrolytes could have made the difference.

It was a great experience with a bummer of an ending. I was not too disappointed, but it would have been nice to see how the day would have ended had I taken the right path. I think I will have fun training for this distance and I think it is a good fit physiologically.

Adrienne ran a great 12 mile race with 5,000' of climbing! She took it out conservative, and ended up passing a lot of people over the second half of the race. She has only been training for 4-6 week consistently, and has come a long way. I have not seen her result yet, but she had a great time and is really loving the new challenge. She is training for a 50k in December, but we may find one before that. It is great to be able to train and race these races "together". It is fun to be able to relate to the highs and lows together as well. We are enjoying it quite a bit. I think it is great for Adrienne because she was a very competitive sprinter, jumper, and soccer player. It is great for her to have something new to be competitive in, set goals for, and to have fun doing. I am excited to see how far she is going to come and I know she is going to enjoy the journey!

Until next time...

~Finch

50k-12,000' gain, Why Not?

So, I am going to jump in the Golden Gate Dirty Thrity this weekend. It is a 50k race out here in CO that I came across last Thursday. I don't think I have ever run 31 miles before, but I think I can get through it alright. I will take it easy and see what happens. There is 12000' of climbing and 12000' of descending. I am not a big fan of downhills, but I will have to deal in this race. I assume I will just go out with whoever is willing to lead and see how I feel at 20. I know I can run 20 and fell alright, so that should be a good place to take stock. Then we will see what happens. Until then, I will be thinking about the race and figuring out what I am going to eat. I assume I need to eat, and I saw something that said I have to carry 40oz of water. That sounds heavy, but I will make it work. I'm going to have to wear one of those silly belts :( I am sure that thing will be of great importance during the race. I will probably eat gels, Cliff Bars, and gummy worms (if they sound good)! They sound good right now and I assume they will sound good 25 miles into the race :) I love climbing and I love Golden Gate Canyon State Park. It is very pretty!!! I'll let you know how it goes!

Racers or trainers? Hmmmmm...

Finch

Miles and Pools in my Basement

This weekend was alright. Had a nice 14 miler at Bear Creek on Saturday, took Sunday off from running and planted the garden with Adrienne, and then got in 20 on Monday. The 20 was a nice loop. Mt. Falcon parking lot, Morrison, up the highway to Lair O' the Bear, up to Parmalee Gulch Rd., climb up to Mt. Falcon, and then down the hill to finish up. Lots of up, and a long down at the end. I felt good and all that I felt this morning were my knees. I think they just need to get used to the pounding for that distance. I had a nice 5.5 miler at lunch today and will take it easy for the rest of the day.

On another note, our basement flooded last night! Damn! As far as I can tell, the water came up from under the foundation, and found whatever cracks it could between the foundation and the walls to come up into our house :( We are so close to finishing up our house and this is such a bummer! If insurance does not cover it, I will have to tear out the drywall in the room downstairs, and all the wood flooring that we installed. I am rather depressed about the whole situation! Well, that is part of owning an old house, I guess?!

Ugh!!!

Finch

A New Challenge?

So, I am still a bit bummed about 9 Trails, but I know it is not happening, and I have to consider what I want to focus on. I have a hard time getting amped about running 5ks, 10ks, half marathons, etc... I know I can run well, but not fast enough to be pleased with the sacrifice it takes to get there. Talking with Adrienne and others, it seems I can go fast, but a bit slower than many of the elite and pro racers. This lack of desire to run for second will most likely change as I continue to get older and slower, but it has not yet changed. So, what's the answer?

A New Challenge!

I am curious how I will do over 50 miles. Once upon a time I ran 30 at about 6:10 pace. I would not have made it one more mile, but I did not have food or water on that run. I crawled into my bed and slept for 14 hours. It seems that I am genetically predisposed to handle a good pace for a long long distance, but I am not sure my body will hold up to the miles. I think it is time to find out! I am going to build from now until August and get my miles up up up! Then I will jump into a 50k (I am thinking about doing the 50k championships in San Francisco). After that, if I am healthy, racing well, and not back on the mile train :), I will enter The North Face 50 Mile Championship race in San Francisco in December. I will race throughout this time, but focus on the miles, and training that will support fat burning and energy conservation over that distance.

I had a nice run today with Peter Vail, and we were discussing the difference in a 50k and a 50 mile race. It is clear in the results that they are far from the same thing (much much slower)!, but I think a new challenge is in order, and it is something that feels a bit over my head. There are few things in life that I love more than running! I am looking forward to slowing the pace down, and running a lot more. I think Adrienne is in as well! I believe she will handle the distance better than I will, and it will be a fun challenge to embark upon together.

Finch

Bummer!

9 Trails is cancelled for this year :( I completely understand! Due to the fires in Santa Barbara, the trails are wrecked and they are going to have some serious errosion issues this Winter. Hopefully the trail crews can set up some structure to help prevent some of this. Two years and no 9 Trails is a bit of a bummer, but it forces me to find something else to look forward to. I do not know what that will be yet, but I will find some race that is way over my head.

Enjoying the miles lately. Took a bit of a break last week because we completely redid our yard. Tore out over 30 tons of stuff and put in new sod after grading both the back and front yards. It was a lot of work. I am currently building a walk-in closet in our master bedroom, and should have that done this weekend. I will get in a long run this weekend and I have a couple of nice runs with Peter Vail and Steve Cavalli today and tomorrow.

What to race?

Finch

Very Nice!

The running has been going great. The leg seems much stronger after an easy week, and I am now dealing with tird legs. It is interesting how fast you can get used to miles, but it does not mean that the legs will not be heavy. Last week was a nice week with three days in a row with 14, 16, and 13. That was a good amount of miles considering what I have been doing, and most of them were under 6:30 pace. So, I am trying to take it easier on the normal runs, but my HR is very low cruising around 6:45. I will have to see if my legs can handle that pace, and then go from there. I have been enjoying the miles, and am looking forward to getting used to the hot weather. It was about 80 out today when I was running, and it felt HOT. It takes a few runs to get used to the heat. The key right now is to not let the speed work slip away. That is the difference maker in my running, and what makes me smooth and fast. So, this week has been two 7 milers so far, and I have been feeling a bit heavy. I am sure it is from the long week last week, but I felt better today than yesterday. It is a busy week, and will be difficult to get in 2x days, but we will see. Guinness has his first hunt test this weekend, and he is being a bit weird in the field right now. So, we will see how he competes :)

Finch

Enjoying the Miles

I have learned many lessons through my time running, and that does not appear to be stopping any time soon. I think I bumped my miles too quickly. My soleus started cramping on runs and it was difficult to run. It was fine until about 6-8 miles in, and it would just say, "enough is enough." So, I backed off the miles for a week logging somewhere around 35, and am upped it 10-15 the following week. I decided to run twice a day, most days, and get in runs ranging from 5-8 miles each run. This allows me to keep up speed a bit better and get in great miles that will pay off later!!! I think the main problem is accepting the altitue. I can run around 6:15 -6:30 pace right now and (last time I checked) be running around 145HR. That is a very easy, reasonable effort, but it does not seem that my muscles recover as well as I would hope. So, I can go 5-6 miles at lunch now, run 5:45-6:00 pace and hold a more honest effort while not needing as much recovery. I don't yet know if it equates to cheating the system, but I'll take it! The bummer for me is that I HAVE to slow down on the long runs. I love getting out there and just going how I feel. 6min pace, 6:30 pace, whatever. Now, if I am going over 10 or so, it seems I need to slow it down a bit and just get the distance in the legs. This is a bummer!!! I can run 20 right now at that pace and feel like I was just out for a casual jaunt. The hope is that I will continue to get stronger and the pace can come down for the longer runs.

Adrienne is training well and will be upping her long run here in a couple weeks. It is nice that we have a lot of time before our long race, and I think it will benefit her body to be on this longer slower training schedule. She is enjoying the running and we have already been on some fun adventures together. Crossing Bear Creek on the 3 creek run in the middle of run-off season can get a bit crazy!!! :)

I feel it is easier to take the lessons I have learned in running and apply them to other people's schedules. That is probably where pride comes into the equation for me. I have learned that lesson quite a few times, it just never sticks :/

Finch

Aw yeah!

The miles are fun. I miss running this much and I am feeling pretty good. I needed to take a bit of a break yesterday due to overuse, but I feel great today and will get in a nice run after work with my dog. It is amazing to me how fast the miles help and how smooth the runs start to feel. I need to continue to be careful and a bit conservative for my calves, but other than that, I feel great. I think that after a couple of months in this routine, there will be a noticeable difference in my fitness and racing ability. I will get in a long run this weekend and then a moderate run on the following day. I will have a weekly total around 70 and that will be good for the first week of "mileage focused running". I will up the mileage about 10% each week and stay consistent with the speed-work and tempos. I considered jumping in the California 100 mile race, but I am not sure I would even make it (I would make it, but it could and would most likely be very very ugly!!!). It is in my old stomping grounds and has something like 14,600' elevation gain throughout the run. I will stay away from this one for now, and think about something more reasonable (like a 5k)! I know, big difference, but so what. Racing is racing, and I miss it! I have noticed that the competitive edge comes back pretty naturally when the training gets more serious. I use to dislike losing to Adrienne at Cribbage, but now it is all I can do to not tip the board over :) I don't, but I think about it.

I am looking forward to getting up into the mountains and finding lost lakes and seeing all the wild animals soon. I still have a few months before the snow clears, but until then, I will continue on with what I have been doing.

Adrienne is running great as well. She did 10.5 last weekend, and that was her longest run by quite a bit for quite a while. I think she will hit somewhere around 10-13 this weekend as well, and that will be where she stays for another week or so. She is working up to doing a comfortable 20miler, and then we will take a weekend and both go LONG! Everything else is moderate and just a little speed added in. The training is reminicent of Marty Liquori's trainiing back in the day (save the fact that he was fast as a cheetah, and did consistent 30 milers after races). But if the body can take it, and there are good results coming from it all, then more power to the system. I do not see any need to go over 70-80 considering the goals that I have, but if I can, I will. I love being out there running!

Finch

Miles and Miles

The return of the Trials of Miles. I really do enjoy running good miles and a good pace. I have been very healthy and, although it may be a tactical error in getting race-ready, I think the potential benefits outweigh the potential costs. I am going to put in a slew of miles here in the next few months and see how my body reacts. I have had some of the best racing of my life off 80-100 miles per week. I do believe that I can run strong and fast at 50 miles a week, and race very competitively, but if I want to race a a top-level, I need to put in some big miles to compliment and help with the speed. I will take it easy and make sure that my legs are responding well. So far, so good. I did a 16.5 miler, and I do 10 most days at lunch, and then go home and run with my dog. The hope is to keep the 400 repeats going once a week, and pick a day that I feel good and get some good tempo work in. I will write more in a bit about it all and the progress, but for now, I must go run.

Finch

Dreadmill

Well, it is pretty crappy weather out today, and I brought running shorts and a microfiber short-sleeve shirt to work with me. Time to hit the treadmill. I did 10 on the damn thing. Hit a 2 mile warm-up and then went into a nice session of 14x400 @ 5min pace with an easy 9min pace recovery. 1 mile cool down and I was done. Just boring!!! It is nice to feel very very easy at 5min pace and get through the workout very relaxed. It will be nice to get out on the track and get some work in at 4:40 pace and see how that works. It should be fine, and I like this gradual progression. My legs are healthy and I have some decent speed.

I still need to figure out what I want to race next, but I am looking forward to jumping into something. I have a bit to go before I have the ability to hold 5min pace over a 5k at altitude, but it is on its way.

I think it will be useful to up my miles a bit, but I am going to go at it slowly and see how everything responds. I am not able to get the rest I need to do the stress work and hold 100 miles a week, and I am not sure that is necessary, but I want to find somewhere near an optimal accumulation, and speed work mix. Heck, it may be 60miles a week. Who know!?

Finch

Back to It

I am not sure what I am going to do next, but I will pick something out soon. I have had a good week and I find myself running around 6:20 quite comfortably on my 6-8 mile runs. That is a good improvement from what I was doing, and it shows some pretty good progress. It would nice to have that down at 6:00, but that is probably still some time away. I will probably get going on some workouts again this week, and see how my body responds. I am sure it won't be a problem, and it should be fun to stretch the legs out. I was snowboarding this past weekend from Thursday to Sunday. There was 20" of new snow!!! It was pretty awesome. I spent some time on the rails in the terrain park, and got them down pretty well and even developed a bit of style on them. Scary though! I am looking forward to consistently warmer weather and getting some color on this white boy body! Once I decide what I am racing, I will be sure to let you know! Until then, I will be running :)

Finch

Oh Yeah...

Adrienne has been itching to get back into some running and I think I have her convinced that Santa Barbara 9 Trails is the way to go. It is a 35 mile race that has somewhere around 11000' - 12000' of climbing in it. I know it sounds crazy to some, but in many ways training for this race is much easier than training for a fast 5k. The race is not until November and (assuming that we can get in this year), she will have plenty of time to build a base, race some fun races, do some long long runs and get ready. I am excited for her. I will do the race as well, and it will be fun to test some limits. I will continue training the same way, but getting that long run up there come summer time. My goal is to be able to build that 7min pace running efficiency while I increase the long run. Hopefully I can race a long race at that training pace. Who knows. It is really a side goal, but one that I will put some attention toward come late summer. Adrienne should love the experience. :)

Finch

The Race

Well, it was a nice day out in San Diego. Heat was not an issue as it was overcast and windy. I felt good going into the race and had some nice runs the previous two days. On race day, our relay team was just outclassed. There were some very good teams racing and we did not have a shot at winning. It was a great day for the group that flew me out there, Multisport Ministries. There was a lot of interest in the group, and the group will grow from the exposure. Cutting to the chase...

I did not get the chip, formerly a baton in track relays:), until around 36 minutes after the leaders left. We were in 9th or 11th at that time, and the run was almost all on sand! Bummer! I took off well and was holding 5:20s on the hard packed/mushy sand. It was at the peak of high tide, and the hard packed sand was mostly covered in ocean. I felt good and smooth at 5:20s and figured I could hold it and maybe pick it up in the last few miles. Little did I know that when we reached the SEAL base, we had to run on very very soft sand for a good distance (over a mile). This was easily the worst part of the run. Especially the second time around! I got through the soft sand and had a bit on dirt road and gravel road. That was a nice time to attempt and make some time back. I felt good throughout the run, and even coming in, I was feeling strong and relaxed. I ended up with the second fastest run time on the day with a good group of runners out there. Two of the guys are about 1:10 guys and both have gone under to hit 68 minutes on road courses. I assume that with a bit more work, I will have that ability back in my legs. Save the sand, I was comfortable at 5:20s on the hard packed, and that would be a good time given I have really only put in 4 good weeks of training. I am looking forward to training more and seeing how it all turns out. Our team ended up in 3rd or 4th, as most people were running 1:25-1:30 something out there. I came in with a 1:19, a minute behind a pro Kenyan runner. I'll take it!

The real surprise of the trip was the following day. I went out to my old high school and did a 7 mile run. When I came back, the team was doing 400m repeats, and I decided to join in. I was only there in time to do 6 with them, but I was comfortable at 63-66. I don't know where the speed came from, but I could jog out of a 63 and hardley felt anything. That was a good feeling and gets me curious to know what I could do in a mile with a bit more work. We'll see...

Anyway. It was fun to race again, and I am looking forward to getting on a more reasonable course and see what I can run. My legs feel great and as healthy as ever. I will stick to the good ol' Lydiard way, and just keep on truckin'. I am going to start adding some more miles to the mix, but that will be the only change for now.

Back again soon!

Finch

Man...

I miss Santa Barbara.

High Tides and Soft Sands

Well, it looks like 7 miles of the half is on the sand. Leave it to the SEALS! I usually love running on the hard packed sand along the beach, and it is one of the things I miss most about living in Santa Barbara. So, initially I thought, GREAT! Then, I looked up the tide chart and saw that right around 9:45am is the peak of the high tide at +4.85ft. That may cause some complications. Usually when the tide is that high, there is not very much hard packed sand left. Just spongey, soft sand. So, time might not be the priority in this race. It is a bit disappointing because my training has gone so well, and I think I am capable of a fast time. On the other hand, it will be a great challenge and I think, although it may be frustrating, it will be fun to run wet. It is good to know these things going in because you can prepare yourself for a different kind of suffering.

Yesterday was a good day and the legs are feeling strong. I ran an easy 5 miles, with 3 of them at 6min pace. The pace felt so easy and relaxed. I thought I was running 7min pace. So, I am ready for a good race, and looking forward to setting something up after this race. I am still a bit away from being able to race at 5min pace here in Denver, but it is around the corner. I think that if I keep on the same plan, that a couple of months from now, I should be pretty solid at 5min pace. Right now, I can run that pace at threshhold for a mile at a time. That means a 5k is probable at 15ish, but nothing farther yet.

This will be a good test. I leave for San Diego Friday and hang with the family for a couple of days prior to the race. It should be nice!

Finch

The Time is Near

Today was a good day. I went out with the intention of running a broken tempo to shake the legs out and get a bit of work in. I ended up doing 8 at 6min pace. I was comfortable throughout an was never near pushing. That is a good thing with a race a little more than a week away. I would not want to run every day at that pace, but it was fairly reasonable, and I could have gone awhile at that effort. So, I will get in a speed session this week, and maybe a more focussed tempo this weekend. That will lead me into a nice easy week with mostly 5-6 milers and some pick-ups. Then off to race with the Multisport Ministries group. Hopefully everyone has been training. I think I should have a pretty good run. I will know soon enough!

Finch

Cold Hills!

Last night I headed out to Chatfield Res to do some hill repeats with the Practical Coaching and Elite Coaching groups. I did a nice easy run a lunch at about 7min pace. Decided I would head on down and get some anaerobic work in. The speed has been coming along, so I thouhgt hills would be a nice change. I ran in a couple of miles and then met up with the group. We headed to the hills, which is .6mi long. We started the first one really easily, and I picked it up a bit at the end. After that, I ran alone and hit the hills in 3:30 each time. I felt good through the seven I decided to do. I was feeling the downhill recovery a bit and decided it was a good long day with the earlier miles and the tempo the day before still sitting in the legs. With the hill being .6, I was at about 5:50 pace and that is fine for now. I was pushing near the top each time, but never too hard. Always more there, and it is a good place to be right now. Everyone was looking pretty good up the hills, and it was a good workout. I was having stomach issues as well, so I found a bathroom, and then headed back to my car. I was tired last night, but feel strong today. The legs are feeling another long week, but are healthy and ready to go. I did a Pilates class today that was pretty weak. I like Pilates, and it is a constant in my training. The class was just a bit soft. I will get in a few tonight for an easy day, and then a long run tomorrow. I will see how I feel on Sunday and do whatever suits my fancy. Anyway, the race is here soon, and it is nice to feel like I have some fitness behind me. It has been a long time since I have been able to run with this efficiency. There is a long way to go, but it is nice to know that I can go out and race well!

Finch

To the Pain!

The training is continuing to come along nicely. I do not run with a HR monitor, but it would have been interesting to see the effort today. I have been logging between 60-70 miles and feeling great. No pains, no problems, and I feel smooth on most runs. Today was 10 probably a nice shake-out later, but 10 for now. In the 10 was a 7 mile tempo. I ran just that, tempo, nice hard effort without too much exertion. I felt it most in the first 3 miles, but the remaining four were smooth and a nice effort. I ran a bit under 6 min pace (5:50ish), and did the 10 miles in 63 minutes. It was a good day because I am confident that I can hold that pace, at altitude, for a half. That should transfer nicely to sea-level, and I still have a couple of good weeks of work. I am not sure if I will get at it tomorrow or the following day, but I have 16 or 20 400's at 75 with a brisk 200 recover (1:00 or so). It is nice to feel better, not fast yet, but better. It is coming around and this race has been a great motivator. I will find something after this and keep it up. It has been fun to mix up the running again and to start to feel fast again. Other than that, I swam an easy 2 miles yesterday. I did 1500 straight and relaxed in 25:00. So, nothing fast, but good enough just cruising. I really don't have any goals in the pool, and I just get in when I want to get off the legs.

This week looks like it will be around 65-70 miles with a day off. Not too bad, and it feels pretty good. I'm not a zombie at work anymore!

Finch

Miles...

Well, the miles are coming along. If I continue to feel good this week, and all goes according to plan, I will hit 60-65 miles. A pretty big jump, but done with a good amount of easy days, and some longer days with hard work. Yesterday's workout went well. Ended up doing 6x400 2x800 6x400. I did the 400s in 75 with a brisk 200 recovery (around 1 minute). That is pretty close to my anaerobic threshold right now. I did the 800s in 2:36, which is not that much slower, but I felt fine at that pace. So, I think I can develop 75s and get them to 72s or so before the race, and hopefully feel good at 5:30. I felt great yesterday at 5:12 pace, but not great enough to hold it for 13 miles. Maybe 6... It is nice to be getting in consistent miles, and to feel fluid out the door. It has been awhile, and I have awhile to go before I feel "fast", but I can tell it is coming along. It has been a patient journey thus far, and I will continue on with the same philosophy.

A couple of easy days totaling 8miles, and then 11 miles. Followed by either a day off or an easy 6. Then a nice 14 miler with a tempo in the middle at 6ish pace. Should be a nice week. Next week will be similar with a back to back day tempo-repeats. Less than four weeks to the race. Nothing like a crash course in quick fitness!

Finch

Maybe, Just Maybe

Well, training is going well, and I am healthy. The legs feel great and I have had some nice workouts, without pushing too hard and taking the appropriate rest. Last week I got in a tempo, I felt like total crap during the whole thing! Then two days later I hit 12x400 at 75 with full recovery. It was nice to be able to hold the pace (even though it is pretty slow). It is not slow right now, and that has me a bit nervous. It is some of the first speed work I have done, but at least I am feeling a lot more comfortable at 5:00 pace. This last weekend was a nice 12 with Guinness, and a lot of work on the house. I think I got in somewhere around 50 last week, and I am going to put in a few more miles this week and next (60something). Tomorrow is going to be 4x400, 4x800, 4x400 all at around 5min pace. We'll see how everything feels at that pace. I hit a nice 8 today out along the river during my lunch break at a comfortable 6:45 pace. It was nice and easy and even, so I think that bodes well for the training, and some improvement. I think that I should have a good race in me if I stay healthy and follow the schedule leading into March 29. I would like to feel good at 5:30pace, but I am not sure if I can make it in three more weeks or not. Time will tell. It is fun to train again, and I can remember the feelings of getting fast. I remember it used to come along in a few weeks, so here's to hoping!

Finch

Ugh!

I just got back from an awesome long weekend in Beaver Creek snowboarding in beautiful snow (over knee deep in the trees)!!! It was awesome! We met the Dusebout's and the Schurmer's up there and hung out for the weekend. It is always great seeing them and having fun.

Today was WINDY!!! Rafael, a good runner I met through Steve Cavalli, called me and asked if I wanted to do a track workout with him. Of course I said yes, and I ran over and met him on an old dirt track at a ghetto high school. He asked what I wanted to do when I arrived, and I decided upon 2x400, 2x800, 1600, 2x800, 2x400. 200 rest except for the rest before and after the 1600.

The wind caused a much slower average, but I ran 75-80 on the 400's, 2:40-2:50 on the 800s, and 5:50 on the mile. It was more of a fartlek with the lack of recovery. Under a minute on most the 200's and under 3 for the 400s. Being one of the first harder workouts, I was happy with the outcome. It is slow as heck, but that is okay for now. I have not worked the system very much and I feel comfortable at 6:00 min pace for a long while. The wind was unbelievable on the back straight! I felt like I wasn't moving at all! I am looking forward to progressing through this and I don't want to run much faster before this half. I want healthy legs and a lot of efficiency at 5:30 or so.

I will hit a nice tempo later in the week at around 6:00 pace, and that will be a nice stretch out from this run. The miles are coming easily, and I think the race will be fun once I get a bit more efficiency. It is hard to do these workouts at lunch and then come back and work another 4-5 hours. Blah!

Back soon!
Finch

Back to Training For Real

I am loving it. I am just excited to be healthy again!!! I did my first tempo on my lunch break the other day. I warmed up a couple of miles, and then just set the pace at 6:00/mi and cruised. It felt fine, and I was rather surprised. It used to be (in CA), that I would leave the door at 6:00/mi pace and come back the same way 10-20 miles later. It is a bit different up here at 5280 feet above sea level. If you train that way all the time, it seems that injuries come around more often (at least for me). So, a first tempo there is alright. I was cruising yesterday at 6:30-6:40 and could have run forever. So, there is efficiency building already, and I feel strong and smooth. I am looking forward to getting some 400's in and getting the legs used to turning over more quickly. I think goals are important, and I will have a better grasp on what I am capable of once I get a few weeks under my belt, but it would be nice to run 5:30s for the race. That leaves me somewhere around 71mins. I hear there is some deep sand running on the beach, so that may put a few minutes on the time. We will see.

Swim went well the other day. I was waiting for a friend and swam 1200 straight through at 1:30/100m pace. So, that is quick improvement seeing as how I was doing that for repeats last week. I will be running more now, but swimming when the legs are aching.

Finch

Snow Shoe Race?

Man, I should have learned my lesson at last year's Teva Mountain Games 10k. I don't know why I think I should be good at high altitude races, because I am clearly not! Adrienne and I were up in Beaver Creek for the weekend and we decided to enter the snowshoe race they put on. This was our first snowshoe race, and I think it just about lived up to our expectations. Completely anaerobic for most the race, and definitely up every hill. To say the least, I did not really enjoy it. I kept hitting my ankles with my snowshoes, and they are now all cut up, swollen, and bruised like crazy! Well, it was an experience. One I do not really want to relive, but an experience.

I have set out a schedule for my upcoming race. I feel pretty good about my fitness on the road, and I think I will be in pretty good shape heading into the race. I will be doing about 50-70 miles a week leading up to the race. The next three weeks are around 55miles, and then I have a bit longer week, and we will see from there. I need to get some efficiency in the legs at about 5:30 pace, and then just take it easy going into the event. I am going old school on the training: Lydiard style! I have 400s and tempos. I have a pretty good base behind me, and it is time to get those legs turning over nicely. Granted it is a half marathon, so I will not be doing anything very fast (around 5min pace max), but I would like to be efficient in that range. There are a couple of good groups that I will hook up with to get some tempos in. Jordan Jones has been doing a good, moderate tempo on the weekend, and that would be a perfect fit for me.

Anyway, today is the first tempo and I expect it will be rough. :)

Jason

An Upcoming Race

Well, I guess the time has come to jump into something again. I received a call from a Non-profit group called Multisport Ministries. I have known about the group for awhile because they asked me to race on their pro team right when I stopped doing triathlons. They have grown a good deal and it is great to see how they are developing as a company. They called and asked if I would do the run leg on a half ironman distance relay. I thought about it for a night and said what the heck. I have been running a lot better lately since my achilles has not hurt, and I really need to get back out there and do something. I ran a sub 1:20 13 mile training run nice and relaxed last time I was in San Diego, so I assume I can run an alright time. There is some soft sand and hard pack sand on the course, so that will be a bit slower. I have always loved the hard packed sand, but despise the soft beach sand. I have started doing some repeats and a couple of tempos out here. I am surprised how fast stuff comes back when I am not limping along with a hurt achilles. I still have a ways to go to get to the half distance, but I feel comfortable with it. We should have a strong team and the winning prize is $1k. That is a nice incentive. It is always fun to win something. The race is put on by the Navy SEALS and it is called the SuperFrog triathlon. I know a good number of SEALS, and I am looking forward to hopefully seeing some of them out there! So, I will keep an update on how the training is going, and how things are progressing.

On a side note, I had a nice swim session today: 12x100m coming in on the 1:30 and leaving on the 1:45. It is progress, and I am alright with that. It actually felt pretty comforable; I just don't have an extra gear yet. Maybe with time (if I keep in the water). It is good cross training!

Until next time!
Finch

Crazy Winter

This winter has actually been alright. The past two winters here in Denver have sucked. I think it snowed every damn day! Slipping on ice while both riding and running, and freezing for three months is not my idea of enjoyable training. Last week I ran in shorts. Yep, that's it, just shorts. AND, I was hot the whole time! I loved it. Those are the weeks that get me through until summer spings into action.

I have been running well. I get in around 40-50 a week, and even feel pretty comfortable on my repeats. The speed is still a month or so out, but I can run pretty comfortably at 5:20 pace for awhlie. Not in race shape yet, but it is closer than I have been in some time. I have been taking it easy, the achilles is feeling strong, and I am as patient as I have ever been; not rushing anything and actually holding back many days.

I started lifting and have been doing so for about three weeks now. I don't enjoy lifting, but I also do not think it is a coincidence that my achilles is better and I am running stronger since I have been hitting the weights. I am not surprised, but I have always avoided the weight room like the flu, and I can readily admit that it was probably not the right way to go about things. I have only lost weight since I have been lifting (which I am surprised about), and it gets me away from work during the day! All good things!

Still swimming a bit. I did not swim from Thanksgiving until the New Year, but jumped back in the pool and hit an alright set the first day back. 10x100 on the 1:50, coming in around 1:35. That is alright for no swimming and a short course meters pool. It brings me in around 1:25 yards, which don't get me wrong, is far from fast, but also a good ways from poking. I was about 5 seconds faster yesterday, but only did 5. I have no speed and little motivation, but it is fun to get in and have some good cross training.

I don't really have any race plans. I would like to beat the Practical Coaching group in an Ultra, but I don't run them. I might jump in one and see if I survive (if they are racing another one this year). I promise one thing: No 17 hour training day for me:) I will run 30 or 40 one day to prove to myself I can hold a good pace for a long ways, and then go for it! I better give Steve a call and start talking some serious trash! I might jump in a 12 hour Adventure race. If I can stay achilles pain-free, I will get on the track and see what I can do. Other than that, I am going to shoot birds with my dog, and fish all summer:) Not bad. My personal agreement with fishing is that I have to run first. There are some beautiful lakes and streams up in the mountains here that are hard to get to, unless you are running. Then it is just another day of training with a nice bonus: Rainbow Trout!

Until next time!

Um, Ouch!

I am sore. I decided to start lifting and see how it is different than not lifting for my entire life. I am so sore right now, but I think it will be a good thing. A bit more support for the joints and smaller muscles. Time will tell! I have been pretty consistent over the past few months, and am starting to get into some alright shape. Took a small break over the holidays and snowboarded and did some snowshoeing (mostly running). It is nice out here in Denver this winter. It is around 60 both today and tomorrow, and I can deal with that. Adrienne, Guinness, and I had a graet Chrstmas and a wonderful New Year up in Beaver Creek with the Dusebouts. It is always great to see them. We took Guinness out to St. Mary's Glacier on Christmas day and it was a bit too windy and cold for him. We cut the hike short. He had some great snowshoe adventures up in Beaver Creek. We are still taking it very easy on him since his growth plates do not close for another half a year or so. I started some short repeats running yesterday, and I am a long way aways from being able to go fast. I think I have a good strong base under me, and my achilles is feeling much better due to the slow consistency. We have been training Guinness on birds lately as well. It is fun and he is doing a great job for his age. He has a beautiful point and even stays steady if he doesn't get too excited. It was fun to shoot again, and I am looking forward to doing more of that! Well, hopefully I will jump in a race here soon and get my butt handed to me, but it will be a fun experience. There's a jumbled post for you:)