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.