Sunday Trail Run

Joined Slowrunner77, Turi and another friend for a run to Relay Peak over by Mount Rose.  I really struggled with my knee and ankle issues but still got over six miles in above 8000 ft.

Sunday Trail Run

Joined Slowrunner77 (he dropped me) and a couple others for my first Trail Run since getting hurt.  We did our normal thing in Upper Rancho San Rafael Park.  I was bad today but it always helps to rip the Band-Aid off that first technical, trail run out of the way.

Reno 5000 Red-Nosed Run

Got out in the cold for Reno 5000's Red-Nosed Run. Slowrunner77 & I left for the race with a temperature of 12 degrees (FYI, last year I punked out from the Turkey Trot because of a 16 degree temperature).  Turi and SnowLep joined us for a full-scale Team Library Dork/Gimp assault (Picture stolen from Turi). 

I say Team Library Dork/Gimp because Slowrunner77+Achilles Strain; Turi+Ankle & fell off a cliff, jacked-up shoulder; SnowLep+Bulging Disc & Handbell playing; and, HighAltDawg+Ankle = we all gotta get right.  I raced for the first time today since missing Ironman Canada and Rock-n-Roll Savannah with a destroyed ankle injury from August.  While cold, this course did me no favors.  I want to support Reno 5000 and props to new kid on the scene Reno Running Company but I think they can tweak the course.  First, make it a real 5k.  Second, use the entire Sierra Summit Shopping Center and create a course without a bunch of made up curves and turns to get the distance in.  I credit them with a tough course (a close to 400m gentle uphill to start each mile loop). I clocked a 27:26 (8:54/9:17/9:16) (slow and off from my training speeds this week) after really slowing down to pace myself and the I just felt the bad ankle in the cold.  Everyone else ran the same course but the director can make a tough course without all the turns that showcases the entire shopping center (including passing the front of their store) that doesn't play to my weaknesses.  Unfortunately, I'll consider this a niche race -- where I can't really truly measure my progress due to weather and couurse factors.  Still props to Reno Running Company for putting on the race.  I'm still an Eclipse Running guy but another quality running store in Reno is nice.

Daffodil Run

Penn Valley, CA

So long 25.

Hit 24:48 for 5k.  25 was a big barrier for me because in a 5k, breaking 25 means your runnin' 8 minute miles.  Anything under 10 means your runnin' and 8 minute miles means your gettining sorta fast.  Slowrunner77 broke the course recourd for the 5k today, so he now owns the 5K & 10K course records.  We celebrated with a Speedway Stout.

Bike Training

5:45 am Spinning Class @ St. Mary's.

Run Training

Yasso 800's

3:38/3:57/3:56/3:57

Best workout in five years!

I really dig this workout and though it's a tad early, I wanted to start throwing it in.  I plan on using it all summer for RnR Savannah.

Run Training

Regular Tuesday Lunchbreak run in Verdi.  I still feel sluggish -- I think from switching to NikeFree and Merrell True Gloves and the gale force wind in my grill didn't help.

Run Rocklin 5k

After a week of subpar training, Slowrunner77 and I cruised over to Rocklin to race.  I could tell from my warmup I was off but went at the gun.  I got it done but it was a race I'd like back.

Run Training

Tough day at the office.  I'm all jacked up from treadmill to the road for a hard race and struggled today.  Hard days make hard champions.

Nutrition Fuels Fitness 5k

After finding out Nevada City's Batwa Challenge got canceled, Slowrunner77 & I went over to Elk Grove for the Nutrition Fuels Fitness Race.  Slowrunner77 took 2nd in the 10k by a slight 3 seconds in 34:22 and I finished the 5k in 25:33.  I ended up running my fastest 5k since the comeback but walked at Mile 2 because I hadn't run 2 back-to-back sub-8:00 miles and got a little cautious.

Run Training

20:07 run in the snow on the Canal Ditch w/ Slowrunner77.  Hopped in the Prius and got to the gym in time for the Burn 60 Spinning/Strenght Training class then ran the fastest mile I could on the tread (8:13).  Earned a couple beers and sushi for supper.

*a pretty lady in the spinning class thought I was a trainer @ St. Mary's not a Librarian--pretty cool!

Gotta get back in the groove

Slacked off since the Davis Stampede 1/2 Marathon PR.   Ballooned back up to 220# and lost some footspeed -- we'll remedy that.

Davis Stampede Half Marathon

Carpooled with Turi & Slowrunner77 over to Davis early in the morning.  Ran the Half Marathon in 2:05:39 to PR.  Unfortunately, I struggled with a cold and gambled early and lost my pace around Mile 9.  Held on for the PR but sweated the load the last mile.  Turi PR'd so Team Library Dork did well.  Celebrated with a few sips of 23yr old Pappy VanWinkle bourbon to cap a wonderful day.

Run Training

Been a little under the weather and tardy with my postings.

Tuesday:  Verdi Loop Time Trial -- took a PR scalp
Thursday:  Lunch Hour Run

Swim Training

Followed up this morning's run with my first swim of the year.  1500 yds in 28:47.  Not bad after a six mile run.

Run Training

Even though I lolly-gagged and showed up late for the carpool, I eventually joined Slowrunner77 & Kirk for some Hill Training this morning.  While we had snow in North Reno, we got down south by Huffaker Park and it was just barely raining with a few flakes.  We found a nice, weather-proof loop with a nice hill to run on.  I think will train here some more in the future.

Run Training

Lunch hour run.  Pretty lackluster but I needed to get it in.  Really felt tired

Crossfit WOD

Scaled-down

3 rounds for time:
10 Bench Dips/5 30# DB Shoulder Press/25 Air Squats

5:06

C2 Rower Workout

Interval Day on the old Rower.  3x1000m+2:00 recovery (3:51/3:55/3:56) went out a bit hard and felt yesterday's race.

Whole Foods Running School Half Marathon

Cruised over to Roseville with Slowrunner77 & Turi for a Half-Marathon.  While I didn't feel as good as last week, I felt confident in my training and diet that I might get a good run in.  One change I made -- I seeded myself to the front.  For the past two years, I've lined up in back and wasted way too much energy passing runners with mp3 players on that can't follow a straight line.  Today I got up front and held my lines without getting in any one's way.  I took off and made sure I didn't pass anybody and hit the first mile in 8:36 -- bad move.  I relaxed and ran slower but realized I had good footspeed so I let it go,  The course wasn't flat but I still hit 10k in the low 55's.  I still felt good and knew I'd make my goal of sub-2:10, so I calculated new goals.  A sub 2-hr looked possible and a sub 2:05 probable.  I focused on hydration and kept going.  Unfortunately, just past the 10 mile mark, I came to an overpass and it broke me.  I ended up walking and never got dialed back in.  I crossed the finis at 2:06:31 -- 14 seconds from a PR (set in 2002).

C2 Rower Workout

Hit the Rower for some interval training.  5x1:00+3:00 RI.  I hit 280m/281m/280m/282m/284m for the intervals.  I found this to be some violent efforts.  I followed up with yoga class.

Run Training

Got 45 minutes on the tradmill set for random.  Got 4.13 miles @ just under 11 min per.  The 6% hills wrecked me.

C2 Rower Workout

I went to the gym for a little recovery work so I hit the rowing machine for 5K.  About 3 pulls in I couldn't resist going for it and ripped a 20:47 -- a new PR, so much for taking it easy.

Rock n Roll AZ 1/2 Marathon

Joined RT and his lovely bride Gabs in Tempe for Rock n Roll Arizona.  I planned on doing the marathon but stepped-down at the last minute to do the half.  I felt good about the race as I ended up about a half minute faster than my last 1/2 marathon.  The course started rolling in the last four miles and I faded in the last mile but felt good most of the race.


Gabs ran her first marathon and rocked it sub-5 hrs so we all felt thrilled and celebrated @ La Bocca in Tempe later in the evening.

Pre-Race:  they started the race by a Memorial Park in Phoenix and I snapped this as a motivational tool.

Starting Line

A KISS Dance Team -- better & cooler than any band along the course

Goofing along the course

RT & Gabs post-race

Gabs: Marathon Queen for the Day!  (my staff created a fitting tiara)

Run Training

Hit the Verdi Loop for a lunch hour run.

2011 Preview?

JWT: 100 Things to Watch in 2011

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Cobweb Chaser 5k

Visited San Antonio, a DiamondDave recommended destination, over New Year's with family and got to run SARR's Cobweb Chaser to start the year.  I got race with my Stepfather Lamar and my Stepbrother Brad, so just toeing the line with them made the race special.  I got to enjoy a flat course for once in my life and crossed a long (3.19 mile) 5k finish in 26:18 for my fastest 5k since the "comeback in Feb. '09," although I ran a negative split for the second 5k in the '09 Rock 'n River 10k in 26:06.  I wanted the course to be dead-on because I quietly thought I had a mid 25 in the legs but I guess I'll just have to work until my next fast course, no wait, I'll cry like a little girl because the big mean race wnt too long.  Even cooler I got a race in Texas under my belt.