Dragons

I finally went to the doctor and was perscribed an antibiotic and rest for a bacterial infection that has been plaguing me for about 2 weeks. Very unfortunate because when I was able to put forth a hard effort, I was rewarded. However, being sick and trying to run twice a day certainly hampers matters.

I was stretching out for some barefoot strides also yesterday and got stung by a bee. I havn't been stung by a bee in probably 9 years prior and it did not feel very plesent and still is quite swollen.

I feel a lot like a lemon used car right about now. It just seems like I'm waiting to blow my alternator or something.

I can't wait to get back on the horse.

Some of us may train on playgrounds like Patrick's Loop, but I train on playgrounds like the one at Mansfield Middle School. Monday morning's session consisted of a five minute warmup jog (they call it a "fiver" in the biz), a vigorous fence hop, and ten minutes of barefoot action on the grass. Shoes are for Carrie Bradshaw. I think my right Achilles is ready for action, just not yet the hill sprints that are customarily the introductory phase of my training. Things are gonna change, I can feel it.

Apparently, we are running the highest mileage week that anyone on the team can remember which means 85 miles in 7 days. Granted, I am no stranger to this kind of mileage but we are hitting 85 without a true long run and with most of the miles done relatively fast.

Today, we ran 10 miles at the River in a brisk 60:30. Coach indicated that we should run "easy" right at 6:00 pace or so. In my book, 6:00 pace is not quite easy for me and, to make matters worse, I am currently combating a slight headcold and some related or unrelated stomach problems which can create a few problems during a moderate run.

Anyways, the run started out easy which made me very content until we stopped talking causing the pace to drop. After the first two miles at 6:30 or so, we began running 6:00 pace or faster. In fact, the last five miles were completed a tad under 29:00 which was just lovely.

The rest of the week calls for some intervals tomorrow, 2 easy runs on Friday, a race Saturday in Flagstaff, and a long run Sunday morning at Flagstaff.

Well, I gotta get ready for work and take the multiple supplements I have been rocking in hopes of kicking this cold.

Bear Down!

Yesterday brought the second long run of the season. This time the venue was Patrick's loop out at Saguaro National Monument West. Because it takes forever to get out there (a good 45 minutes), we were forced to meet at 5:15 at McKale which is never fun on a Saturday morning.

Unlike the past few times we ran Patrick's loop, the run unexpectedly began right in the middle of the loop where the main road interesects with Hohokam Road. So, to run the full 13 miles, we had to first run to Ina or its equivalent, turn around and run the loop like normal.

At first, I thought this method was going to be slightly easier. However, that initial climb you encounter when typically beginning Patrick's Loop seems much steeper and longer after you have been running somewhat hard for 24 minutes.

During the "back" portion of the run (the climb after 24 minutes), the pace really began to come down. So, I hung tight with the front group and found myself with Bob, Obed, Moses, Chris, and Eric. This position made me happy as, at that point, I was not straining too much and I was running with the top guys on the team.

After we began descending for like 4 miles, the pace was easily at 5:30 or even faster. For some reason, the downhill was just kicking my ass. I never have been a great downhill runner and was beginning to feel the pace.

To make matters worse, Moses kept me in check by telling me to run stride for stride with him or even stay in front of him--no small task during a long run at 5:30 pace.

On Friday, Kenny commented that the run kind of seemed like a stage in the Tour de France as, when we approached the end of the run in a huge pack, someone was bound to launch an attack. Yesterday, however, I personally felt like I was in a break. Like most mountain stages of the Tour de France, the mountains are what make and break you. Unfortunately for me, the extremely hilly section of the last 2 miles of the loop broke me off from the front guys and I put one foot in front of the other to finish.

Anyways...

For the ~13 miles, I ran it in 1:17.24 which is right around 6:00 pace. Overall, I felt decent until the last 4 miles and then died in the hills.

I need to do some hill work.

Sorry about the long entry.

As I completed my round of errands on this, the first day of my working vacation, I came to one undeniable conclusion: my right Achilles tendon is flaring up again. I am a weathered and wizened old man now, and I am determined not to push through a bunch of cynical, piss-drained training that will evenutally go to waste as I hobble around bitterly, grumbling about tendonitis. What's more, I greet this as a blessing, since a fundamental condition of being a runner is living a miserable life. Can't start a fire without a spark, gotta burn to shine. The Subcommittee on Budget and Appropriations convened today, broke for grocery shopping and a back waxing appointment, re-convened over dinner, and adjourned about an hour ago. They had a good day--I was happy with their production--but I will present to them tomorrow my research on the feasibility of joining the YMCA to use their pool. I want to get in better shape--pretty much solely for aesthetic purposes--and I think that getting the blood flowing around without the impact will be necessary to a speedy recovery. I also want to get myself clean and have a good meal.

Today's scheduled workout was an interval set of 6x30-60-90 seconds in the faltlek style. I have been sick since my arrival at school so I sat the interval work out and ran a nice 7 miler at just under 7 minute pace. I felt very good about the run because the first mile of the route I took was a fairly strenuous mile-long climb.

I finally feel like my body is recovering enough to put forth hard efforts. Running when sick is a bit of a double-edged sword. Some days after a run I feel like I sweat out all the ickey feelings in my body and after a shower I'm ship-shape. Conversely however are the days where you run, suck wind, get home and take medicine and just hit the hay again. The running has been making me feel better, but I am crossing the line by trying to go out twice a day and still reap the benefits.

It was also nice to get a solo run in during the season. Once the season starts it is usually all about the group run. Running solo, obviously you make youself uncomfortable/comfortable whenever you please and do not have to worry about the effect of your pace change on the group.

On a side note, my school has completely failed me as far as my housing situation goes. I have slept in 3 different beds over the past seven days and my car is still full of most of my non-running crap as they failed to adequetely house me until my building actually opens up tommorow.

During the past few runs I have finally come to the realization that I am in fairly decent shape. In the past, when I have been fairly fit, the days I did not feel so swell would still be good but not great.

Today, I guess you can say that I had a good run. The workout called for a 25 minute fartlek run of 3x2x1x3x2x1x3x2 minutes with half recovery. So, after the 3 minute portion, we would jog 1:30 and so on.

I felt decent until the second 3 minute hard section where I realized that I was actually running hard and would have to possibly experience a little aerobic debt. However, for the most part, I was right below my threshold which I am happy about as we were running about 4:40 pace or faster for the hard sections.

I noticed something about fartlek runs today. Whenever you look at your watch, you realize how much more hard running you have to do. And, it seems that every time I would glance at the watch, I would not be even close to done with the interval. So, I decided that, for the next fartlek workout I do, I will not look at my watch as to train the mind to work hard and discount external measures.

Anyways, tomorrow we have an easy day on tap followed by some moderate running on Friday. Then, in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday, we are more than likely hitting up Patrick's loop for a long and potentially fast long run.

Bear down.

I went out this morning with the intention of trying out a little more minimalism. I had no real reasoning for this and I wouldn't have been surprised if the run had ended with me hobbling three miles home with an injury that would keep me from training for three more months.

Fortunately, it didn't turn out that bad.

Still, I wasn't too impressed with my performance. Coming home down Broadway at 10 in the morning (it's alright, it was very overcast this morning) I could literally taste the exhaust. It was quite disgusting and I promtly crossed over to 10th in order to get away from the pollution.

I don't know how people eat lunch at those places on Broadway with patios. Notably, I think of that place -- I think it might be named Elle -- on the corner of Country Club and Broadway. The tables are like right on the street. It just seems like your sandwich would taste like exhaust pipe there.

Anyways, finishing up my 50+ minuter, I was starting to regret my decision to wear some orange, silver, and black DS Racers. Not because my legs were any more tired (though I did notice the show switch by the end of my run) but because I was tired and, sadly, the dude trotting through by neighborhood at like 8 min pace wearing loud racing shoes.

Also, I got that damn collarbone cramp thing again today. So annoying.

Today: 54 mins in one run. I still have no endurance or speed.

I don't do enough core work. Hell, I don't do enough running. So this morning as I got up from my seat I noticed that my midsection was quite sore. I was pretty surprised given that I haven't done any worthwhile running since last Friday and no core work since prolly a week before that.

I thought about my 25 minute trot this morning and, as I walked to my second class, concluded that I was finally starting to make some worthwhile *tweaks* to my form.

You see, I run pretty much completely with my legs. My shoulders scrunch up, my head kinda drops to a side or back, and I pretty much just let my legs to the trick. This is something I have been trying to work on but having weakass arms and legs willing to compensate, well, after a couple focused miles, I just end up feeling goofy and then getting that collarbone pain thing.

I swear that shit is the worst. It will stop me dead in my tracks sometimes.

Anyways, my soreness today is kinda focused to around -- what I understand are called -- obliques (and a little bit to the back). I supposed an increase (rather, introduction) in arm drive in recent runs has just finally added up. I was feeling pretty confident about my accomplishments as I walked home poking at my sore spots.

Then I stepped in the front door and noticed my golf clubs were sitting in the living room. I came back down from this cloud.

I had gone to the driving range last night. After not swinging a club for probably over a year, the soreness was most definitely due to the golf practice and not my running.

Back to the drawing board I suppose.

This morning I celebrated my birthday with a moderate 9 mile run at the riverpath. Apparently, moderate was misconstrued to mean "hard" today as the pace was right at or below 6:00 for the duration. So, when we got to the last 3 miles, the point at which we were supposed to pick it up, I was already fairly tired from the early pace but managed to drop the pace slightly.

I finished the 9 miles in 52:00 bringing me to a solid 5:45 pace or so. Overall, I was pleased with the effort especially considering my stomach felt funky for most of the last 5 miles.

Anyways, this post is short and I don't really have much to say.

peace

This morning the team planned on meeting at the coach's place which is extremely close to Golden Gate Park. I made the idiot mistake of choosing to ride with a younger teammate and we promptly lost the trail upon entering The City. Being lost in downtown San Fran is neat and exciting.

Golden Gate Park is a fantastic place to run. USF's home course is in the park along with a herd of buffalo, many Tai Chi groups, a lot of bikers and a plethora of running clubs/groups. The park consists of mostly rolling hills and both asphalt and hard-pack trails.

The legs are tired needless to say. 2-a-day practice seems to have the same effect on me as having my calves bitten off by a smaller Great White Shark.

The team knocked off 3 2 mile loop-repeats of a significant portion of USF's course, which we run on in a few weeks.

Well, I'd say my days of running around/through the University campus are over for another 18 weeks or so.

Some mornings I like to run around campus because it's about an easy 4 mile loop. It's not much for softness but it really is good for mornings that I'd like to knock out the mileage kinda quickly.

Not that those days have been around recently...

I do pass through campus a lot though. When Omni used to live near UMC, I would run to his place and it was quicker to pass through campus (plus I didn't have to breathe in the exhaust from afternoon traffic) without having to travel on a busy Euclid or Campbell Aves.

I don't like people watching me when I'm running. It's just a personal thing but I actively try to not be running on the sidewalks or anything if it is avoidable. Obviously workouts are an exception...but for day to day mileage, I would just prefer to stay on back routes to get miles in.

For me, campus is just THE WORST place to run during the year. Not only am I being watched, but I am being watched by people who may know me. I am being watched by chicks that I don't need looking at my hairy-ass shoulders and farmer-ass tan. I'm also still quite soft and probably not doing enough about it. Today we baked chocolate chip cookies out of bordom (Not to be confused with BODOM). So when I go through campus, I can't help but book it. In the spring I ran over to the Running Shop to meet up for the group run. On what was supposed to be a day of 7-min pace miles, I went through campus in about 5:15 and didn't even notice until I was safely on Mountain.

It's a form of anxiety I guess. Probably low self-esteem coupled with poor self-image and insecurity with how fast I train.

Boo-hoo, right? I think I need to stop being such a faggot. I'm in the back seat!

Tonight was alright though. I did 54 mins. It didn't up being as far as I had hoped but at least I am getting the enduance -- the speed can always come later.

Yesterday was 'fast' for me so I feel pretty torn up. This likely means tomorrow will be a couple easy runs and a Sidewinders game.

After a nice drive up through california with a few stops to visit friends, I am finally back at school. With the return to school comes the return of running for good ole' SMC again. A light 5 yesterday followed another 5 mid-day followed by a moderate 50 minutes. In the swing of things indeed. The running has been fun. The change of scenery from the 520 to the 925 has been welcome. Although I enjoy my time in the desert, going from desert heat to a marginally more temperate climate is nice. Granted it was still warm and humid today but less than Tucson. There are a bunch of nice trails very close to campus which the team will be visiting in the following weeks.

The nice part of running with a team is firstly the company of a regular running group. Second, the worthless banter between a group of mostly immature 18-21 year old men. Whatever you think we talk about on a run, what is said is probably worse.

3-mile time trial tommorow...yeah about that...

Over the past 37 days, the exact point I started tracking my mileage this summer, I have run 416 miles and have take exactly one day off. So, I have averaged 11.5 miles per day or approximately 80.5 miles per week. I certainly contribute my increased productivity (in terms of running) to relocating to my new abode adjacent to the Riverpath. Granted, running on a flat dirt trail becomes monotonous, but, you must remember, finding such an expanse of soft packed trails in an urban environment is next to impossible so I really shouldn't complain.

Anyways, yesterday, Dylan and I did a morning run in the rain of 4.5 miles on, of course, the Riverpath. Because the eastside received 2.5 inches of rain an hour before we began the run, the river was flowing in a torrential fashion which made the run enjoyable.

In the evening, Dylan and I met Eric and Kenny for a moderate run in and around Reid Park. Much to my dismay, the pace slowly picked up during the course of the run to a very comfortable 6:00 pace. This was not what I wanted to run today as I had just blasted the Yetman loop 24 hours previous so recovery was on the mind. Although, I stuck it out and felt decent most of the run. According to google maps, we covered 10.4 miles in 64 minutes to bring us to about 6:09 pace for the duration.

Today, I passed on a morning run and will opt to do an easy 8 in the afternoon with the team. This is my last real day of summer as our first official practice is tomorrow. So, I guess this training blog will evolve into look inside Arizona Athletics.

How special.

Yetman Trail in the scenic Tucson Mountains has always been a special place for me. The trail was part of a 14 mile loop C. Dye and I would run once a week my freshman year and I contribute it to developing me as a runner.

You see, Rudy, every time we ran Yetman, it would quickly evolve into a tempo run as we would often run the last 5 miles of the course under 6:00 pace. I certainly believe the course over Yetman greatly developed my mental and physical strength.

This summer, I have not been using Yetman as a launch pad for a long run but rather Yetman has become merely portion of a moderate to hard 10 miler. Well, I would say moderate is rarely the pace I run on the trail--for this summer at least.

Anyways, while I always enjoy runs on the trail, during the past few weeks, my life has been threatened enroute. Last week, for instance, Dylan and I were caught in the middle of a huge thunderstorm in the middle of run and had to be rescued by Chris. Then, yesterday, we encountered not one, not two, not three, but four rattlesnakes all within a mile and a half of each other.

I came up with two reasons why we came across these snakes on the run:

1. Yetman does not want us on his trail
2. It was a sign that we need to see Snakes On A Plane this Friday

I will let you all decide.

Today was the second day in the last four that I yogged on down to Himmel Park, yogged around with no shoes on, and yogged home.

It was really something wild.

Running around in the grass is really something else. I haven't really been training in flats or spikes this year. Partially because I'll run to like WOG -- for example -- and it's not reasonable to carry shoes with me. But lately (the past few months), it's been because I am trying to keep this knee injury/recovery in check and just don't care to risk it.

Now I find myself running in these Asics Nimbuses and it takes a couple minutes to get total balance and groove after taking those off and beginning to run in the grass. It's the same story when I head home on the roads -- after about a half-mile, I still find that my stride isn't smooth. Maybe it just isn't as smooth as running barefoot on grass so it just feels clunky.

Of course, this is all pretty relative given that my pace is prolly at about 7 mins (give or take 15 seconds...I hope). I should really start trying to drop the pace but, I don't know, I just haven't had the motivation. I feel like I should get the miles up first then worry about it -- even though I know I should be working on both (even if in seperate sessions).

Oh well, on the way home I was about half-mile from my house and some guy was jogging down the street all tired, his shirt draped over his hunched body like a wet towel. I took this as prime time to test my own, personal, number one rule of running.

And I passed with authority.

50 mins. 20 on grass. All man.

This past week of training certainly has had it ups and its downs. I felt like garbage for most of the week but did gut it out to have a 7 day cumulative total of 92 miles. However, mixed in the 92 miles was a botched tempo run and a day hindered by some food poisoning thanks to the folks at Los Betos.

Anyways, after morning run of 4.5 miles and a 11 mile effort yesterday evening, I arrived at Mike's early this morning to join the usual suspects for a run of 2 hours. Granted, I was tired from the run I completed a mere 9 hours past but was definitely ready to end the week as well. So, after some initial stomach issues, I settled into a manageable pace and really did not hit the wall until gut check alley at mile 12 or so. Then, I decided to pick up the pace the last 3 miles of the run which required more effort than expected.

Once I rolled up to Mike's subdivision, I began to cramp up forcing me to jog it in. I think I was slightly dehydrated and, thus, cramped.

When all was said and done, the run took 1:49 for 16.2 miles or so which, according to my calculations, is right around 6:45 pace.

I am tired.

Its time for a nap.

As of late, my running has been OK but I have felt pretty shitty health wise. I am pretty sure that I am getting a little sick which I contribute to the high mileage week of last and the minimal sleep I got in the preceding days. Anyways, I think I can rebound with some quality sleep and alot of vitamin C.

Yesterday, Dylan and I did a tempo run at Reid Park much like last week. My entire day was spent prepping for this run so I expected much more. However, my body did not deliver at all. I knew that I was fucked when, right before the run, I was incredibly drowsing and I felt a sinus headache coming on.

The effort started with a 5:13 mile followed by a 5:19 mile. Then, after 2.5 miles, I felt like I was going beyond my threshold. So, I made a conscious decision to run the entire 3 miles and stop. So, I pulled out a 5:20 mile and called it quits. Then, 30 seconds later, Dylan came by which made me feel like a pussy. So, I decided to not listen to my body and keep going which lead me to a 5:30 mile.

After the run, I felt like I had wimped out (which I had) and, at the same time, was upset that I didn't listen to what my body prescribed.

Today, I got in 4.5 miles as a morning run and still didn't feel too great. Hopefully, a relaxing day at work followed by an easy 8 miles will improve my health and gear me up for next week when practice starts.

By the end of the day, I will be at 41.5 miles for the week which started on Tuesday. So, I figure I will put in about 80 miles for the 7 day span.

I need to get ready for work.

Yesterday I was supposed to do 30 mins in the morning and 30 in the pm. However, due to my snoozing, I didn't hit the road until late and decided to cut short the morning run.

This meant I would have to do 35 in the afternoon. Which was all fine in theory but then the monsoon storm came. I waited for about an hour and finally decided that I had to get out. The rain had died down some (which is never saying a lot because it still stings a little) and I do appreciate Tucson storms because they are still warm.

As I laced up, Train came in and asked if I was planning on running so we went out together. My little back-desert route to Reid Park was dark and quite flooded in places but it was nearly a joy to run through it all.

At Reid Park I noticed that the ditch which runs parellel to Country Club was waist deep. So I made sure to run through it a couple times. That was fun.

Then I got whistled at on my return trip.

But I think my Nike air pocket might have broken. If felt wierd when I was coming in. I need to check it out though.

Am: 25 mins; PM: 44 mins. All easy (just like everything I do these days)

I capped off my 88 mile week on Monday morning after a 16 mile run in and around Midtown. The night before I planned on running to Dan's new home, meeting up with him and running around Reid Park, and then running home which I accomplished. I also planned on sleeping 8 hours. This, however, did not happen.

I suffered insomnia for most of the nigh until I fell asleep a little after 3 AM only to wake up 2 hours later for the run. Surprisingly, I felt great during the run and only really suffered the last 10 minutes of the run. I managed 6:35 pace for the duration which is not cruising but I will take it.

Yesterday, for the run, Chris, Dylan, and I decided to run the Pima West loop after I got off work. So, we rolled into the Pima campus around 6:35 and got right down to business. There was some cloud buildup to the Southeast and I, for one, did not want to get caught in a huge thunderstorm. However, once I crested the summit of the climb on Yetman trail, I realized that evading the storm may not be in the books. So, adrenaline got the best of me and I began to hammer.

Based on my memory, I think I made it through the Yetman portion of the loop far quicker than I ever have. Then, once I made it on to Speedway, I really dropped the hammer and was running an estimated 5:20 pace.

At this point, the storm was just heading straight toward me and Dylan which was quite intimidating as there was a strike of lightning every few seconds. After 54:00 of hard running, Chris who fortunately did a 7 mile out and back came to our rescue a mile from Campus as we hopped in to the safety of the Expedition.

A run in a thunderstorm is certainly a great way to began a week of training.

This has never happened before. I went out for a late stroll and figured I'd do an easy half-hour or something. So after I finised ordering Any Given Sunday on Amazon Marketplace, I took off for my stroll.

Admittedly, I haven't run since last Thursday. I know -- but that's my thing. I like to start off the week solid then fade out like 3 - 5 days in. And by 'fade out', I mean 'Quit'. I like to repeat this, starting my weeks every Monday with high hopes.

So I made it from my house to 3rd & Campbell (about 10 mins from my house) feeling sluggish but alright. Most of the jog was just trying to get some kinks out of my back and neck. But as I approached the light I reall had to piss. So I jogged over to a planter.

And I did my business in the darkness. But when I stepped back to take off I was suddenly lightheaded. This had never happened before. I sat down on the planter ledge and felt even worse as I put my head in my hands.

I thought I was going to vomit. Then I thought things were spinning. Then I thought I was sleeping so I yanked my head up because I thought I might pass out if I stayed as I was.

So I stood up, stumbled a couple steps and, the next thing I knew, I was trotting again. I took it extra-easy on the way home.

Such a waste.

I think I speak on behalf of all the Dragons when I say that the Big Lebowski is a favorite movie. I indulged in a little mediocre bowling with my dad last night which pushed the run back a little today. I went out at 5:30 and it was 96 degrees. Yikes. I pressed on for a quick, intense 5 miles. Surprisingly, the heat really wasn't incredibly painful. When I compete, I find that my performances fall off when it is pretty cold. I need to start coming up with some cold weather strategies, until then, I'll enjoy the heat.

I got a pair of Nike Free's about 3 weeks ago and have been kicking around the house wearing them. In High School, I pronated severely due to my extremely flat feet. I can say that in the few weeks of wearing the Free's around combined with just not wearing shoes around the house that often, my feet and lower legs feel stronger. They are incredibly comfortable just for daily use and surprisingly nice to run in. I guess the barefoot-running principle comes from the fact that the sole is cushioned, but the way it is broken up forces the "pop" of a running stride on actual foot rather than the stiffness of the sole of a regular running shoe.

On a side note, I hope I don't catch West Nile as a result of the 98364324 mosquito bites on my feet and ankles.

As I mentioned in the previous post, my weekly mileage is going to be the highest of the summer. If I put in 8 or 9 this evening, and at least 15 in the morning tomorrow, I will hit right around 88 miles for the week.

This morning, I had planned on meeting up with Mike and Lucas to do my long run but after running 75 hard minutes with Dylan yesterday afternoon plus a morning run of 4 miles, I pulled the plug on the run. For some reason, my legs felt super trashed during and after the run yesterday afternoon. It more than likely had something to do 15.5 cumulative miles for the day or the long afternoon at work. Either way, I think it was the appropriate decision.

So, instead of getting to bed early, I went to a few drinking establishments last night, decided I was super tired, came home and slept till 9:15 and then did my run.

Some terrible idea.

It was pretty hot out but I trudged through 4.5 miles.

Alrighty, Dave, Alex, Dylan, and I are heading up to Mt. Lemmon for some mountain views and pie.

Dragons!

After a much needed day off on Monday, I got down to serious business on Tuesday with 4 miles in the AM with Dylan and then 11 hard, hilly miles on Yetman Trail/Speedway with both Chris and Dylan.

The run started at Pima West with a 7:00 mile on the track. This was by far the slowest of the day as the pace dropped drastically throughout the run. For some reason, I always hammer on this course. I think it may have something to do with freshman year of college when Craig Dye and I would head out to Pima West early Saturday morning and run a 14 mile loop on a similar course as hard as we could.

Anyways, On Tuesday, I was not able to run as hard I as would have wanted based on the fact my stomach hurt and it was dark out. Running on trails when dusk is in full swing can not be considered a good idea. Either way, I still managed to run the last 5 or so miles about 6:00 pace.

On Wednesday, the schedule called for a recovery run so Craig, Dylan, and I ran east on the path to Ft. Lowell park to do a few loops on the Salpointe cross country course. Ft. Lowell park certainly has become a hangout for everything that is strange in Tucson. Basically, every time we are at the back part of the course, we see someone doing something unusual--most of the time under the influence of drugs.

Overall, the run went well for a refreshing 8.5 miles.

Yesterday, Dylan and I once again did a morning run on the path for 4 humid miles but that would be the worst weather we encountered all day. When it was time to do the workout for the day, we arrived at Reid Park, stepped out of the car, and realized the weather was absolutely amazing--a brisk 70 degrees.

It was so cold, apparently, that Ben Eid was spotted wearing a long sleeve top and track pants during his run. According to Ben, the extra layers were to slow the pace allowing him to recover more efficiently.

After a 3 mile warmup with Ben, Dylan and I were ready to run a 4 mile tempo on the bike path. We decided that running between 5:20 and 5:30 pace would lead to a good effort but, subconsciously, I knew that I was not going to hit anywhere near 5:30 pace.

5:20 or bust!

So, the first mile felt incredibly easy and we passed the mile mark at 5:19. The next mile came at 5:20.00 according to my watch. My pace setting abilities are just impeccable. Then, at mile 3, I hit 5:19 and immediately began to cramp slightly. This was more than likely due to the fact I have not been putting in solid ab time and my core is a little weak. However, I still battled and ran 5:19 for the last mile (which was probably a little long). So, according to my watch I was at 21:20 for the 4 miles which was quite encouraging as this was my first "real" hard effort in a very long time.

Alrighty, I have made this post far too long so I am done.

Oh, 37 miles in 3 days so far...this is going to be a huge week.

Getting up this morning proved difficult as usual. I don't know why I hit snooze as often as I do. Its probably because I am lazy. Regardless, I woke up eventually and set out for 45 minutes on River Parkway. Having been turned away from my usual stomping grounds due to the recent storming, I was a bit anxious to see the conditions of the path. Firstly, I took initiative to park in the lot on the north side of the river on Swan as this was the very location where I was turned away from on Tuesday when I tried to simply get a drink of water while running on River Road. I was turned away by a sheriff who asked me if I could read the yellow tape that was impedeing my progress, I wanted to ask her if she knew where the nearest Dunkin' Donuts was as it looked like she knew her way around the powdered and jellied variety. My attempt to explain that I was not going to try and go swimming, and that I did not want to drink out of the river itself, but the fountain, was put down and I was sent angrily on my way.

Regardless, it was nice to run alongside some moving, although dirty water in relatively nice weather. There were a few points on the path that had been heavily littered with brush and shrub due to the overflow, but nothing too intense. I was mostly worried about the cactus on the path and tried to keep a careful eye out as not to become a pincushion.

So all in all after a moderate 45 minutes, the legs felt fine, I had no problems with the troubled ankle and things are lookin up.

I indeed capped off my 82 mile week with a long run this past Sunday in the presence of Lucas and Mike. When I woke up at 4:28 AM in Midtown, I stepped outside and was greeted by a steady drizzle and no means a downpour. Although, as I drove to Mike's Foothills neighborhood, the rainfall became progressively heavier. Finally, as I made my way down Sunrise past Kolb, visibility was very limited.

We started the run after 10 minutes of waiting for the rain to let up which was just not happenining. So, Mike took the initiative or at least the "fuck this" stance and began the run.

The first mile of the run took us to Sunrise Rd. where we were greeted by a river flowing over the road 200 meters to our left. Our plan was to head west on Sunrise but immediately ditched that plan after the river was deemed uncrossable by all three of us. What we didn't know was that this river was going to haunt us 16 miles later.

So, 17 miles into the run, I am in the middle of a weak attempt at a tempo run when I am stopped by not only flowing water but also a police officer. He was preventing traffic from crossing the river as to avoid enforcing the Stupid Motorist Law. I, however, am not a motorist nor stupid so I wanted to cross this body of water. The officer had none of this.

5 minutes later, Mike and Lucas roll up and I tell them the news. Instead of finding a method of escape, we all chill waiting for the officer to let us cross which according to the cop would "cost me my job".

Even when one of Mike's clients, a libertarian, who enjoys riding around on his expensive bike while carrying a handgun in the bladder of his Camelback could not cross after much discussion, we realized we had to take matters into our own hands.

So, when Mike's client returned and told us the bad news and explained how he doesn't like the government making decisions for him regarding his safety or at all, we were off to a downstream location which, according to Lucas, would allow us to cross the mighty river quite easily.

Our decision to cross the river downstream may have been foolish but at least we made it home. Granted, walking through a fast flowing stream fraught with rocks and fallen trees may not have been the best way to end a run, but, shit, it ended the run and that is all that mattered to me.

After our adventure, we all enjoyed the antics of Mike's children and some delicious chocolate chip scones baked by Kiera, Mike's wife.

Just some great way to end a morning on the road.

Dragons!

Today I gave one of the worst runs possible. No, I am not talking about that 'next-day' trot out that door that sometimes makes you want to pack up and go home. It also wasn't one of those days where you check your watch every 2 minutes and at every half-mile marker to remind yourself that, thank goodness, you are that much closer to the end of the run that the start.

No, in fact, the saddest part of today's run was that it felt good. It was comfortable. I even felt like I was 'pushing' it for portions of the way back. I would say that during no part of my run did I feel like I was doggin it. It was only after stepping onto my front porch after had I finished that I looked at my watch. It was then that my lively, sweaty smile turned to a frown.

A regular old downside-down frown.

I realized it was a terrible day because the facts -- the distance, the times, the speed -- was the exact inverse of what I felt.

Instead of being winded from a solid effort after a pretty unappealing Monday run, I found myself tired from a trot.

Like all good runners, I recalculated the route in my head. Perhaps the distance was longer than I had measured in my car, online, and with a Garmon. Maybe my watch was off. Perhaps it was fast.

Because the only way I could justify my situation was if this route had somehow gotten a couple miles longer and/or my watch was running from 10 minutes before I woke up until I stopped it at the porch.

I've concluded that, sadly, today was just a bad performance that felt like a good one.


41 mins, out-and-back (optimism-to-pessimism).