Day 7 Napa Valley Training

The truth never lies on the track and this is the first visit by me to do a quasi-track workout in many years. UCD track. When I ran with the Interlopers in Tucson, we'd run 2*week and I eventually got pretty fit. Well I'm not fit now but I've got Interlooper workouts (http://www.u.arizona.edu/~ekatsani/page3/page8/page6/page6.html) thanks to my dear friend Manny. I adapted this workout for today: 3x2000m w/400m recovery + 1x1000m.

Splits (at 1 mile...my f*cking Garmin is crap):
2000m: 6:29 at 1600m
2000m: 6:42 at 1600m
2000m: 6:48 at 1600m
1000m: 4:10

You don't have to be a data analyst to see I got fat on the 2nd and 3rd interval. Oh well.

Goal was to run at sub-3 marathon pace (6:51 mpm) and that goal was met. 26 6:51s seem
impossible to me at this point. Still, happy to get on a track where the truth is spoken.

Oh yeah, I've determined my Garmin miscalculates a mile by about 20 feet....or more. Lovely.

But I'm happy to have done the workout.

Total mileage: 9.5 (7k "hard")

To date:

65.5 (per run average 9.36)

So now I'm gonna have a great night with my girl on which tonight marks our 14 Anniversary. How are we rolling? Steak frite, cocktails, and (at Jackson's request) the Back to the Future trilogy. I honestly had no idea there was a trilogy. Or even a second one. Oh well.

All good.

Out.

Day 6 Napa Valley Training

In terms of days-of-running, today was a little Day 6 unmotivated 10-miler. Thought for sure I was going to yet again blow it off. Haven't run since Christmas Eve (mostly by design). Ran slowly and felt fat and tired. Time: 1:18:06

Stats:
7:47
7:53
8:06
7:47
7:31
7:42
7:43
7:57
7:43
7:55

Very windy in parts. Just slogging some miles and hoping to lose weight .

The dream of a sub-3 marathon seems illusory...only a dream. I run alone, I guess by design. I drink too much. By design I suppose. It's my choice and I choose to do that but I need to work on choosing not to.

Out.

Napa Training Days 4 and 5

12/23: 9 miles--2 miles easy, 1 mile 6:59, .5 mile easy, 1 mile 6:47, .5 mile easy, 1 mile 6:46, .25 mile easy, .5 mile 3:26, .25 easy, .5 mile 3:24, 1.5 easy. Felt good to run at tempo speed. Breaking three hours means 6:51's throughout. Not sure that's a realistic possibility.

12/24: 8 miles the slow way.

Drinking is not compatible with running. I wonder how this will all play out?

I'm happy today though. Family is here. All is good. All is fine. Love is all around.

Out.

Day 3 Napa Valley Marathon Training

I spent the day pining for Global Warming but instead all I got is all this freaking rain. Gloomy day=limited motivation. Hit the road at 4:00 PM in cold, gloom, wind, and murders of crows. Managed 9 miles. Had no real goal in mind....minimum 7 I guess, 10 ideal. Was slow and low but again at this point, I don't care that much.

Napa Valley Training Day 1 and 2

Weather: rainy, dreary, gloomy.

Day 1 (12/18): 10 miles. Achilles hurts/didn't wear support band. Bad idea. Slow. Who cares? The guys in Tucson are running like 20 or 21 miles. I run alone. Less peer pressure to show up at 4:30 AM. Unfortunately, it means fitness level may never be what it was. Yes, I miss my old school running buddies. 1:20 and change. A little over 8 mpm

Day 2 (12/19): Weird-ass weather day...insane rain. Then stops. Sunshine. Hale and deluge. Sunshine. Window of opportunity opens for run: 3:30 PM. 10 miler: Target Loop. Slow. Who cares? 1:18 and change. Not sure what that works out to in mpm. I just need miles in my legs.

I have no idea what a realistic goal is for Napa. My dream: sub-three. Reality? 3:15.

Ok. I'm out. I'm boring myself.

Looking Out Forever

Long time, no post ... but no one is reading anyhow. What has happened since my last post? On the running front? Not much. Signed up for the CIM, as usual, early with good intentions. Got injured in the late summer and didn't start training until November...and the race was Dec. 6. SOOOOO...the same old story: not fit, not thin, not fast, not prepared. Ran 3:35:11 or something like that. Turns out that training runs longer than going non-stop for 6 miles seems important for marathon training. The CIM is great and going and spending the night w/Arlen and Jax is a blast...but runners, or most of them, drive me nuts. Boring fuck*ng people. It's a great event, however, and if you want to do a first marathon, this is a pretty good one.

Now I'm going to sign up for the Napa Valley Marathon (March 6, 2011) as peer pressure from my former running mates in Tucson has prompted this newly formed bad idea.

Slow Ride

Horn blasted at 8:13 AM for Davis Stampede 10K. I ran it merely as a tempo run...good thing...I'm nowhere near racing shape. Went out too fast. Splits:

1: 6:22
2: 6:39
3: 6:56
4: 7:03
5: 7:04
6: 6:53
.2: 1:27

Strangely enough, this 10K, the slowest I've run in God knows how long earned me some hardware! Believe it or not, I won my age division (40-44) thus garnering: a New Balance hat; a medal; and a free burrito.

I'll take it, smirkingly. In Nov., 2 weeks prior to the CIM, I ran 41:40. Today's effort is only 46 seconds slower. I say "only" because I think I've run fewer than 12 times since Dec. 6. If I ever manage to get serious, I may be able to compete again. We'll see.

The rest of the day is Super Bowl day (basking in the glory and the knowledge that I'm the best 40-44 male Davis has to offer).

Out.

The week that was and still is.

I've been wondering when a week begins and ends. Oddly enough, I've (in recent years) have always summed up weekly miles beginning on Saturday. This was a function of some on-line site I started using in Oct. 2000 (winningstats.com)...wonder if the site is still there.

But the weekend is the END right? So should I sum from Monday? In the end, who gives a
damn; we're not talking about big numbers here and nobody is going to get hurt.

So summing from Saturday:
7-Sat (Davis Ag roads)
10-Sun (Davis Ag roads)
7-Tues. (Davis Ag roads)
7-Thurs. (N. Davis/Central)
4-Friday (ran the first two w/Arlen; S. Davis)

35 for week. All slow miles except for some non-slow stuff here and there.

On Thursday, signed up for a 10K that I'll run tomorrow. Why? Hell if I know.

I like races though oddly, I'm in no shape to race. So I guess I'll jog it....me and my
boiler bouncing along the way. It's the Davis Stampede 5k/10K/Half. Thought originally I'd sign up for the half but then said: wtf. Glad I didn't. So here I'm sitting next to my lovely wife (who...conincidentally cooked the best salmon meal I've ever had tonight) writing
these hollow words (hollow because no one reads this shit). But that's ok. Right now, I feel at peace for some reason. No worries about the 10K. I have a prediction though. I think that at best can run 6:56 mpm. More realistic is 7 mpm. That's kind of sad. If I ever really ran seriously again, I know I can still do sub-6 for 10K.

But that's irrelevant thinking...now isn't it?

Wish me luck readers.

Window Shopping

I am searching for a marathon to run. My original idea of the Newport Marathon won't work out it seems. I'm not in shape to run anything before June and July is kind of all booked up. Wonder if my erstwhile Interloopers are running St. George again(?).

Did it (almost)

I promised a 5:30 awakening; it was closer to 5:52. I'm not ready for track workouts or intervals. Just too tired. Had about 1.5 hours sleep prior to run. Not good. Ran 7.25@7:41 pace or so. Last 3 miles were under 7:20 pace. Slow...I know. But at least I'm out the door.

Listened to Beatles/GH. Wondered about running alone and thought about where my old friends have gone. Early in the morning, in the dark, and without sleep, makes things clearer sometimes.

Then again, I might just be bitter for waking up so freaking early.

My friend Manny Katsanis had this posted on The Interloopers' site. It
seems fitting to me. I need to get back to that place. Not drinking tonight with a goal of
awaking at 5:30 for a run (5:30 AM)!


“Nous igeiis en somati igeis” (Greek)
(prerequisite for a healthy mind is a healthy body)

Sunday Run

Yesterday: first "double-digit" run since CIM. 10 the slow-way through the Davis farm fields. Enjoyable to be out on a beautiful January day but am worried about a mass on my knee that hurts. Can I run through it?

Listened to the Beatles/George Harrison during run. Thought a lot about the song "Blow Away" by George.

Drinking martinis the night before these runs is not conducive to being a runner. Makes me wonder who I want to be: drinker or runner.

Seven Today

Reluctantly getting my ass out on the roads. A slow and uninspired 7 miler. Pace: 7:30. Thoughts that went through my head: what songs will The Who not play at the Superbowl next week.

First run of New Year

Slow 7 miler in the books. Not happy w/it...not happy generally. What will turn this around? Maybe tomorrow will be better. Out.