Threshold Run

Today I went up to the club workout and warmed up with the leaders for 3 plus miles. I then strapped on my HRM and ran the 4.68 miler Farwell-Horseshoe in the 34:50's. I kept my HR at 80-85% throughout so in reality it wasn't even an AT run (90%). It was worth a low 37 minute 5 miler on the flats so all in all it wasn't too bad. It does tell me that my lactate threshold is not that good right now. The good news was that I felt good and right now, that is what I am looking for.

But for whatever reason I have declined from where I was 4 short weeks ago when I ran in the low 33's for the Triangle course. Based on that run I should have been able to run in the low 32's for the 4.68 course. I doubt very much that I could have done that today.

OK, work will get better in that there will be less of it and hopefully with less stress, I can begin to see some improvement. So patience is the BIG word for now.

Two Easy Days

Thursday I ran an easy 4 miles and came back today and ran another 5 (also easy).

My legs felt decent. Seemed to take two days to recover from Wednesday's morning 5 miler. That seems to be the way it right now.

39:56

My legs felt decent so I went out and ran a morning 5 miler in 39:56 keeping the HRM at 70% most of the way. So that is a good starting point. Yes, it is test. So what? When this comes down, then i know that i will be recovering and getting fit.

In the afternoon I ran another 5 miles but felt leg weary (or was it body weary?).
I just got through it.

Ate two dinners afterwards. Very hobbit-like.

The Day after the Titanic Sank.

I ran 4 miles easy in the morning (HRM at 130). Another 5 at lunch (HRM 130-140). No ill effects from Sunday. Not even a bruised ego. The day was mostly overcast and in the low 60's so the weather was ideal. I just enjoyed running and thought about what it will be like to be not working again.

We are close to making an offer to the VP of HR so that my "100 days" can end.
This is the last time I will go back in 5 days a week and do this sort of job. 2-3 days a week is fine but I no longer have a a desire to go into long relief. The bureaucracy of being in a public company makes it all not worth it.

I weighed myself. 141-142 pounds so despite my fears that Iput on a bunch of weight, I was actually in shouting distance of 140 pounds. I will try to get back int the 135-140 pound range gradually over the next 1-2 months. I will more than likely run more days a week in the Ed Whitlock style. Slow and easy.

9 miles total

The End of the Beginning

I went up to SF and ran Zippy's 5K. It was a mini-distaster (again) with a 21:50 something final time. I went through the mile in 6:42 and I had abosulelty nothing in my legs. I could not force myself up above 176-177 on my HRM. No big pain or deep breathing. Just no energy or will power.

After a year of training from the last Zippy's in May of 2005, I have to admit that I realize some hard truths.

The more intervals I do, the slower I have gotten. 12 weeks of speedwork really put me down for the count. When I run hard I feel like nothing is there.

I have no real will to run race-like efforts. I believe that those days are over. I just don't care about racing that much anymore. I don't mind running them at AT effort but that is about it. Today's effort was AT but unintentionally. I just think that I got out in the race today, had no energy to even push myself and then bonked. No I don't want to take 10 supplements. My body is what it is.

I always said to myself that I would get out of the racing business when it was no longer any fun. I "retired" 10 years ago from racing knowing this but then decided to see if there was still another season or two left. Well, there isn't. Physically and mentally I am no longer a racer. I am OK with it. I can still run "which I love" and let the rest of the gang go race.

I can quietly go back to just being a threshold runner and forget the rest of the crap that I have been putting myself though for the past 12 months. So I can run more days and more miles if I want to and forget the whole getting faster thing. It was my mistress for 23 years (1972-1995) but not any longer.

61*

I turned 61 yesterday. Sue bought gave a new HRM for my birthday. Now I have an HRM with a stop watch built in. The numbers are smaller but I can read them.

I took it out for a test ride and ran ran my "long 5" in 42:30 at 130-140 HRM.

I didn't feel any older. I have been feeling old for years now.

It's been 11 months give or take since my 21:07 Zippy's 5K and tomorrow I got back again and run the same race. In one year of "training" I hammered my way down to a 20:40 equiavlent three weeks ago on a club course. I did interval workouts that said I was in 20 flat shape. But the reality is that my training has not worked out. I wanted 20 flat. I am nowhere near there yet.

• I will need more miles on a weekly basis and be able to recover from it. This means using many of Dwight's recovery tecniques. I plan to gradually go up to 40 mpw and the see what comes next.
• I will need a string of faster races.
• I will continue to do intervals and add in AT runs but at Roy Benson pace not Daniels.
• It's 1975 all over but with a 30 year older body.

Double 5

I ran 5 miles twice yesterday. Once in the morning before work and again in the late afternoon after work. The sun was out and the afternoon temp was in the 70's. Just found out that it is Jim (Howe) myself and Bob Schmidt for the 60 plus team at Zippy's. Joe is off running London (Marathon) and Dick can't make it. So a 19 minute guy, a 20 minute guy and a guy (me) who has absolutley no idea which runner will show up. Based on last Saturday I will be in the 21's. Based on two weeks before that I would be in the 20's. Not a very daunting team. Dick and Joe would have added depth. Maybe Neal will show up from Reno. He is usually under 20. No indication yet. He is always a surprise.

It will be good to get back to Wednesday intervals after this race. I am feeling very disconnected (again) from running hard and Wednesday's get me back there.

Moving On Day

The sun at last! Beautiful day.

I ran twice yesterday (Monday). 6 miles in the morning and 4 at lunch. I kept my HR down under 140 on both runs. The goal is just to recover and move on. My legs felt OK but I was running about as slow I could imagine. I could have easily broken into a walk at any moment. I looked around. Not many runners my age out there. What happens to us? To top that, no one who looked 70. I guess I have that to look forward to. We become walkers. I hope not. I at least hope to follow Keston, Foster and Turnbull and run 2-3 big days a week.

Of course like always, I had trouble getting out of work to run at lunch.

Oh Rich, do you have a moment?

Oh Rich, are you leaving?

People asking me to curtail my run. Well, not all. But it's the same old story. There are those who workout at lunch and those who pig out at lunch.

By the time I did get out I no longer had time for a 5-6 miler as planned. I hate rushing but I had to back for a 2 pm. So 4 miles it was. I got even by leaving at 5 pm today.

Yuk!

Terrible race today.

After a 2 mile warmup I ran the 2.75 in 18:50 "something" getting beat by Schmidt, Joe and others. My 4.76 of two weeks ago predicted an 18:16 on this course and that day I wasn't running all out. Today things were never right. I was behind early and just like last year did not run well at all going up the final long uphill mile.

My plan was to take a dump week before Zippys and I will follow that plan. There is nothing else to do anyway. The truth is that I have not felt right for the last several weeks and it showed today. Between work stress, my head cold of last month and other things, I was simply not in the race.

Legs Felt Good

I ran an easy 4 miles this morning. It was calm and relatively cool. One of the best weather running days in several weeks. My legs felt the way I would want them to feel the day before a hard tempo effort which will be Saturday morning.

Of course it is supposed rain tomorrow but what else is new.


Today: Cloudy with occasional showers. High 66F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tomorrow: Cloudy with occasional showers. High 61F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

41 days of rain

We have had 41 days of rain in the last 43 days. I think I spied an ark floating out in the bay the other afternoon.

Yesterday I ran 2 x 4 miles. One 4 miler in the morning before work and another after work. Bascially jog..jog..jog....It rained during both runs. Not a cold rain but rain nevertheless. It is dampening my interest in running.

In two days I race the 2.75 club run. I wonder silently about my ability to go fast. I have been training hard since January but since the 6 x 800's in 3:05, I have let up on speed work having run just one race-like effort. None of the time trials I promised myself.

Last year in June I bonked running an 18:29 which was the equivalent of a 20:55, 5K. I ran with Joe and Schmidt most of the way and then at the end they just pulled away from me over the last mile gaping me by 20 seconds. My 33:02 traingle (4.76) of a few weeks ago is worth a 20:40, 5K and I held back so I should be faster.

It doesn't have to be a race but I would like to be close. Under 18:20 would be nice. Maybe under 18:15. Eleven years ago I ran 16:24 as a fifty year old on this same course. The age graded equivalent is 18:08 at age 61. What a difference 11 years makes.

Another Rain Day

It has rained almost continuously since Sunday. The sky has been the color of lead.

Monday was mostly steady, light rain but I decided not to let it stop me and I went out and ran 70 minutes easy along the San Thomas Aquino, Saratoga Creek Trail. The good news was that the wind was mild as was the temperature so at least I didn't get blown around.

About 10 minutes from the finish, the rain let up and by the time I had cooled down I actually wasn't that wet. You have to love those moisture wicking fibers.

Motivation 1.0

Next week is the 2.75 miler. Since there are no other competitve club races or Pacific Association Races on Sunday, it means that the club run should be competitve. I sat next to Dimitri (my most excellent but now injured pacer) at breakfast yesterday. He is excited about the prospect of my laying back of Schmidt and Hurtado (the 4th and 5th ranked runners in the Pacific Association Short Race Super Senior category in 2005) and then kicking by them at the very end as we come into the college.

He seems to have it all worked out in his mind.

It is too bad because he may be disappointed. That is not the way I have it worked out in my mind. Yes, I would like to be there at the end. Close at least. I am OK with that. If he were not injured I would plant myself behind his shoulder and he would carry me mindlessly to this goal. He would place me right there so I could just sprint past them. The funny thing is that they will be looking for each other and basing their strategy on beating one another, not me.
One can see and feel the pull between the two of them in workouts or races. Schmidt with his surging, looking over the shoulder, style and Hurtado with his relentless pacing.

Being there is ok for me. I did not come back to dominate anyone but to simply enjoy the feeling of running fast again. After this race and Zippy's the following week I will climb the ladder again on Wednesday evenings and Saturday's to get to a faster place.

Shoes

Since the demise of the Brooks Chariot, I have been running in the Adidas Supernova Classic. No feet or leg problems but not as much room as in the Chariot's toe box.

Then I bought a pair of Supernova's with EE width. They felt great when I slipped them on until I began to run in them. After one week I had sharp knee pain and hip soreness. I had been holding back one last pair of Chariots just in case and today I put them on and ran. One hour give or take and immediately (as in right from the first step) the pain was gone.

I have ordered two more pairs of the Supernova Classic's. D width. The Chariots will carry me alomg until I get the new shoes.

My best guess is that that the EE width allowed my foot too much motion movement and stressed my knee and hip. One thing I learbed many years ago: You can't force a shoe to work for you. It either does or doesn't. The EE's will make fine walking shoes.

The Perfect Mile

Email to my friend Derek:

I stayed up late last night re-reading The Perfect Mile by Neal Bascomb. If you haven't read it, you should.

It recounts the struggles of Santee, Landy and Bannister to be the first to run the sub 4 minute mile and how Bannister does it but after Landy crushes his record, he realizes that he will have to beat him head to head.

It was after a 11 pm and there I was reading the excellent account of the Mile of the Century. The race between Bannister and Landy at the Empire Games in the summer of 1954. There have been a hundreds of great mile races over the years but this had to the best because it was the first. The only two men to date to run inder 4 minutes dueling in front of millions of TV watchers and thousands of people in the stands (I have stood on the track at BC Stadium outside Vancouver in the very spot they stood).

It was that last race between Affirmed and Alydar in the triple crown where Affirmed won by a nose (if that). It was Liquori and Ryan in 1971 at Franklin Field running shoulder to shoulder and Liqiouri winning by no more than a blink. It was my 1995 victory over Dick Chementi where I came from behind and beat him on the very last lap, gaining a slight lead, shocking him with my kick (he had more speed).

I should not read this stuff in the late evening. Oh you Elizabethans!

Motivation

I ran 7 miles Monday morning just beating the rain. I was hoping to out again at noon but it was pouring and I felt myself drawn to staying inside in a very dry place. In this case my office. Of course I felt like a coward for not going out byt part of me, deep inside knew that it would make no difference whether I stayed or went. So I stayed (dry).

Wednesday (today) I ran an easy 4 miles in the morning in the drizzle and another 6 plus miles in the late afternoon with my club. I was dragging from a poor night's sleep.

Overall, I seem to have lost some headway in my comeback plan. The weather and work is getting to me. Zippy's is two and half weeks away. A month ago I would have said I was ready but I seem to be losing momentum. Climbing the ladder each week on Wednesday's helped to focus me but I broke the string with my cold and now I am just trying to land the plane and have a decent race. Down deep I know the fault lies within myself. Down deep I will have to pull myself out of this funk.

"We have not journeyed across the centuries, across the oceans, across the mountains, across the prairies, because we are made of sugar candy."

Churchill, 1941

I Am A Long Way

I am a long way from where I want to be. It is hard to dust off ten years of really not working hard or racing. Ten years of LT and AT and never stringing together a racing season. I know this was by choice. I figure it will take me at least a year to get back to where I am competitive in my age group. Competitive for me is the 19's for 5K.

I also recognize that I am no longer at the age where I get faster. Not like my 20's and 30's.

What do I need to do:

Run more miles. Not more days. I figure at least 35-40 miles per week. This will be a sizeable improvement on my present 25-30 miles per week. I can do this in 4 days if I run doubles.

Something like this:

Monday: 10-12 miles in two runs
Wednesday: Same as Monday but with some sort of interval or rep workout
Friday: 5-6 miles
Saturday: 3-4 mile AT one week, 10-12 miles the next week.


Run an every other week longer run. 8-9 miles isn't enough. I need to go to 12 miles. It will help me carry my speed through to longer events.

Alternate true AT runs (85-90% of max) with the long runs on weeks when I am not racing.

Do two types of faster work. When I am in the pre-racing season phase (generally mid-winter, early spring) run VO2 max workouts but once I am racing, run less reps, faster on weeks I am not racing.

Race more during the Spring and Summer and very early fall. Then rebuild.

Not be working full time. Right now I am interim VP of HR at a company. I need to find the person who backfills my role so I have more flexibility to train. Nice money but it is going on wasy too long. If it goes into May, I will go to 4 days a week.

I hate this last one but I wonder if I would race better in the low 130's versus the high 130/l;ow 140's I presently weigh. I will have to decide if I want to gradually lose weight.

Triangle

Saturday. Cool but little or no wind and finally no rain.

I made an on the spot decision to run the club Triangle Run which is 4.76 miles with a long, long uphill between 2 miles and roughly 3.5 miles. It seems to go up forever. Even the mile before the big hill is gradual uphill.

I ran with Joe starting behind him and gradually catching up at about a mile and half. Then I just hung with him staying in a relatively comfortable tempo run-like zone the whole way. With about a half mile to go Joe, who was breathing hard throughout, began to make it a race and I declined letting him pull away to an 8 second gap at the finish.

He ran 32:54 and I ran 33:02. It was a faster per mile pace than my Xmas Relay 4.46 mile leg back in December run on a much easier and shorter course. I was much closer to Joe in this workout than I was on my Xmas Relay leg (he ran his leg about 40 seconds faster than I did).

So I guess I am getting close to being there with the faster 60 plus runners on the club. I wouldn't say I am there yet but I am close. I might have caught Joe if I had sprinted the last 400 meters but I just decided this wasn't the day to reach down. I wanted something else. A hard steady run to test my endurance, something that told me I can eventually hang with the club big boys and a decent age group time.

I got all three.

It is step.

This is not the end. It is not the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. Winston Churchill

3 plus miles warmup: 4.76 mile club workout. About 8 miles total.