Never ran in Santa Cruz

Tuesday: The return of Danny. We ran 60 minutes together. I was happy to run slowly. Drizzle. No wind. Quiet morning at the college. Good recovery run.

Thursday: 70 minutes with Tom. Supposed to rain, but it never really did. Cool and drizzle. Coffee afterwards.

Drove over to Santa Cruz that afternoon.

Saturday: We had to head home from Santa Cruz because the thermostat went on the blitz yesterday afternoon and unfortunately it was pretty cold in the house. I hadn't run today so I decided to go out and do my local 3.5 mile course at 68-70% of Max. A few months ago I ran it in just over 34 minutes at the same heart rate. It's kinda rolling with a nice hill coming back towards the end. So two and half miles slight rolling and flat and one mile of down or up hill.

Today I ran it in 30:11 or a 8:37 pace. 

Look! I don't train at a 8:37 pace. At least not in recently memory and certainly not at 70%. The course has been GPS measured so it could be short. I guess the fact that it 12% faster than two months ago is significant enough. 

I was going to add in another easy calorie burning mile afterwards but then I thought. You've had a great run. Stop now!

Sunday: Very easy 70 minute run with walk breaks every ten minutes. Lucy joined me for the first 25 minutes. Cool (low 30's) windless conditions. 

I think I'm a miler

Tuesday and Thursday: 70 minutes both days running off Tom's shoulder. Both days were clear and cold.

Saturday: easy 35 minute run. Drizzle.

Sunday: 60 minutes of easy running with some strides at the end. Then ran 3 x .33 mile at 2:12-07-07. Half tennis court loop (.33) walk jog in between.

RAIN!!!!

Tuesday: Tom and I ran 70 minutes slow (Hey, I'm recovering here). We GPS measured Sunday's AT run course. Looks like 2.3 is too far. Closer to 2.21.

Thursday: Tom was headed back east. Danny was sick so I ran 65 minutes at 130-140 heart rate. Felt good throughout.

Saturday: 30 minutes job including warm down loop with the serious runners.

Sunday: rain and wind!!!☔️☔️ Dimitri and I ran 70 minutes around the gym buildings at WVC. The overhangs kept us dry. Got wet going back to the car, so no avoiding it.

Tempo flies

Tuesday and Thursday: 70 minutes each day. Clear and cold on Tuesday. Windy and warmer on Thursday. Rain was coming Thursday in. but we avoided getting wet.

Saturday: 35 minutes jogging. Ran and talked with Brian.

Sunday: Ran a 7:48 pace for a 2.3 mile tempo effort. 17:55!

It was a 85-90% heart rate run. Got off fast and tried to work my heart rate up into range quickly and then hold it. The first 3/4ths of a mile was rolling and hilly and the last half mile was gradual uphill. Gradual downhill or flat in the middle.

35 minute easy warmup before and a ten minute easy warm down. 

Cold Mornings

Tuesday: Tom and I ran several campus loops and then did Peach Hill ( the hill that never ends ). 74 minutes in all. Have to admit that I felt strong. Heart rate was in the 130-140 range going uphill. Hit 70% towards the end of the run.

Thursday: 69 minutes. Cool, crisp, slight breeze. Did double Black Berry Farm Trail with a loop around Deep Cliff's parking lot to add another five minutes. 35 minutes on the first out and back with Lucy in tow. Second out and back included Deep Cliff and totaled 34 minutes with a half mile further.
Ran naked (as in no HRM). Once again: Felt strong.

Saturday: 45 minute easy, so slow jog. High 30's. No wind. Bright sunshine.

Sunday: 84 minutes (long day). Cold morning. 20 minute jog with Lucy followed by and hour slog with Tom and Dimitri. Finale was 5 x 200 in 48 (200 walk). Kept the 200's at a very controlled effort. Did not push.

Another Douglas 9

Tuesday: Strong 70 minute run with Tom. 130-140.

Thursday: Same as Tuesday, but my heart rate was 125-135. Ran around campus and did extended Valley Vista. Felt stronger as the run progressed.

Saturday: 38 minute easy run.

Sunday: 30 minute warmup. Progressive tempo: Douglas 9 in 24:31. 10 minute jog. Several strides.

Douglas 9

Tuesday: ran 70 minutes easy with Tom. Clear, sunny, cool.

Thursday: 60 minutes of steady running. Cut trail on the new Douglas 9 course.

Saturday: 50 minutes easy running.

Sunday: 70 minutes of varied running. Tom, Dimitri and I ran the Saratoga 9 course at a good pace.  Ended up coming in strong. All out for Tom. Then Dimitri and I ran 2 x downhill 400's. 1:38-1:36.

Five day running week

Monday: Ran an easy 31 minutes this afternoon with Lucy in tow. Usually take Monday's off, but it rained this morning and Lucy and I didn't get out for our walk. We did our 55 walk in 31 minutes plus got a chance to chat with Oscar, one of the park maintenance crew who has become a friend.

Lucy was zonked. Went to her bed early.

Tuesday: Ultra slow 70 minute run with Tom. Only a few walk breaks. Did I say how slow we ran? 😃

Thursday: redux of Tuesday. Danny missed both days. Made breakfast on Thursday.

Saturday: 46 minutes naked ( no HRM ). Ran around WVC while the club did its workout.

Sunday: 75 minutes with 6 x 400 towards the end. Up and down the tennis court loop. Jog in between. Kept my effort at 80-85%.

Scottsdale

Tuesday: Ran true MAFEVA today. Started out very slowly ( MAF ) and gradually worked into EVA. Lazy but felt good. My buddy who had a minor groin pull told me he couldn't run so he was gonna walk. 

Well, we started together, he walking, me running, and we were shoulder to shoulder. So he tried running at 14 minutes a mile ( YES! ) and felt no pain. After about 20 minutes we were in the 11's and gradually worked into the tens. 

We ended up going 70 minutes.

Thursday: 65 naked minutes. Naked referring to sans HRM. Did a double BB Farm loop out and back. First loop with Lucy. Second by myself. Flying to Scottsdale in several hours.

Friday: Scottsdale. Had every intention of walking but after 5 minutes of that I started to run and pretty much hit the bricks for the next 65 minutes. So back to back runs, no HRM and I felt good. However on Saturday I walked for an hour so that I recovered

Sunday: Decided to run when we got back home. I went out around 1 pm and put in 50 minutes of 140-150 work. Warmish for a guy who runs early, but only in the 70's. I ran down to the Blackberry Farm Trail, repeated the course four times and then ran back to the house.

Slow Week

Tuesday: 70 minutes progression. Started with Tom running 45 minutes easy with walks (4-1). I ran the last 25 minutes alone pushing up into the 135-145 range. Checked pace and found that I was running 9:30's which while woefully slow, age graded to under 7 minutes a mile.

Thursday: 75 minutes super slow. 115-120 heart rate. Tom and Danny rode in the posse.

Saturday: 38 minutes easy running. Tom told me he has a groin pull.

Sunday: 70 minutes very slow. Dimitri back running after tendinitis scare.

A strong week...tired at the end

Tuesday: 65 minutes running. First 20 was walk jog with Tom. The last 45 minutes was 135-145 HR effort. Warm day even in the morning.

Thursday: 70 minutes 135-145. Strong effort.

Saturday: 45 minutes easy running. 130-140.

Sunday: 65 minutes of running. 130-140 with four hill charges. Actually I didn't really charge them as much as I ran them at higher tempo. My legs were slightly tired. Thursday maybe?

My partner in Sunday running, Dimitri is out of action. Sore foot.

Getting faster

Tuesday-Thursday: 60 minutes each day. Danny ran the last half with me. Tom walked. No news is good news...I guess.

Saturday: Naked run meaning no HRM. 40 minutes moving along. Part of it with Lucy.

Sunday: 72 minutes with most of it very easy. 2 x .33 down and up. 2.12-2.16.

Lotsa traffic around west valley college. Soccer, girls softball.

First Fast

Tuesday and Thursday: 60 minute easy runs both days. Danny joined me. Tom off in Wisconsin.

Saturday: 45 minute unremarkable slow run. Pat...pat...pat...down the track.

Sunday: 70 minutes of easy running with a .33 uphill half tennis court loop in  2:22. Dimitri joined me. First Fast workout in a while. No AC issues.

A small victory week

Tuesday: sixty minute low key run. Tom back from Europe. Still walking. Danny ran most of the way with me.

Thursday: 70 minutes of harder running. In this case harder meaning higher heart rate. more in the 128-138 range. Danny joined me for the second half while Tom, back from Europe, continued to walk. He's now headed off for Wisconsin. Danny and I are headed for Saturday.

Saturday: 50 minute easy run 130-140 on the HRM. Ran with Brian Conroy. Then we did 4 x 100 with the last one in 20 flat. Good test effort. AC held up.

Sunday: 72 minutes of easy running with Dimitri. A small victory. Another week of not tweaking that tendon.

Kept it slow

Tuesday: Another sixty minute run. Danny was late but showed long enough to get in a half hour.

Thursday: Sixty ( yawn ) minutes. Danny ran late again but we still had a great time yaking and jawing.

I kept it slow both days but then what else is new. No AC problems to speak off. Achilles down south in the cord was tender. Might be the inserts or just the usual wear and tear. Capsaicin, ice and taping should help.

Saturday: 40 minutes easy while the club workout was going on.

Sunday: Dimitrios and I met a half hour early to avoid the heat (it's supposed to get to triple digits today). I ran ten minutes ahead of time. I did 68 minutes slow jogging throughout. Our pace was slower than cold pancakes.

Achilles (down south) seemed better.

Very hot week

Tuesday: Did the mini double. 25 minutes running with Lucy followed by 30 minutes without.

Thursday: 60 minutes jogging with Danny. Started earlier because of the heat.

Saturday: 30 minutes easy easy. Cooler.

Sunday: 60 minutes easy running. Dimitrios back from Canada.,

More runs

Tuesday: Wow! I ran 50 minutes with no achilles-calf problems. I celebrated by walking ten more minutes to make the workout an hour. Danny kept me company.

The inserts seems to be working well.

Thursday: 52 minutes run today.  Danny and I took it easy and slow. We walked down another 8 minutes. Achilles-calf a bit tight but more of a sensation than discomfort. It loosened up after about ten to fifteen minutes.

Saturday: 40 minute straight through run with Don.

Sunday: 50 minute run up in San Francisco with Shel.

Right leg seems to be holding up.

Building back up

I've been slowly building back up. No serious calf-achilles flares today. 40 minutes Thursday, 30 minutes Saturday and 45 minutes today (26 minutes with Lucy). At times I can feel my upper achilles. A sensation of tightness. It comes and goes. More go then come.

Superfeet inserts seem to be helping.

I feel like an old pitcher trying to get back into the rotation. Today I threw four simulated innings in the bullpen.

Superfeet

Running with inserts that normalize my foot strike. Superfeet. Yesterday was the first day of no tweak running. The workout was an hour of 1/2 running and 1/2 walking. I'm going to ease back into regular running over the next week or two and hope the inserts do their job.

The tightness in my upper achilles has lessened considerably.

Tweak!

Calf tweak again on Tuesday. Ended up walking for an hour.

Went to see a podiatrist this morning. We're working through options.