Relentless

AM - 22 River Fields Loop. Tried to keep a positive attitude going into this run, but didn't feel that great yesterday, but after a good night's sleep I felt a little better. Ran with the Circle and Steven down the river from the DC to Bloomington then to Clyde's for a quick drop off of hat and long-sleeve. Then into the Fields to startthe 10 mile tempo - which started at mile 11. The tempo miles weren't too much different from our normal miles, so it kind of gave me a pretty good idea how I was doing compared to Tuesday. We did have to continue down Riverside instead of dropping back onto the trail because they are starting to work on the new bridge, so we connected back by the car wash (which gave us a good idea for what we will do on Tuesdays as well). I felt pretty strong for about 1 1/2 miles - the rest was a battle. I can't wait for the run where I actually have some energy and don't wan to drop dead during it. By the last two miles from river rd. To DC I was having flashbacks of the 1/2 and how horribly drained I was. Hopefully a good resting weekend can move this cold and infections out the door. Ended up with splits pretty similar to Tuesday, but with 2 more miles. (Kinvara White 86)

Week was okay. Although the workouts weren't very good, at least I was running and pushing myself a bit.

Goals for next week: even if I am not at full strength, I want the workouts to show some progress.

AM - 12 DI/Mall/AC.  Had an amazing night's sleep - felt like many more hours than it actually was.  Wish that would happen every night.  Got a decent run in this morning and felt pretty good.  (F50 630)

afternoon - 6 2xHarts/laps.  Ran warm/cool with the team and laps as they did their workout.  Some good stuff from all of the team.  Did 25 minutes of the eliptical as they were in doing weights.  (Stratus black 1045.95)

AM - 15 Tempo Loop.  Pretty solid tempo this morning - especially compared to the last couple weeks.  Started off pretty chill, but then the 2nd really wore me down.  I tried to get going again on 3 and then I just sucked it up and said, "What would happen if I just push a bit more?  The worst is I die off, but I could get a decent mile or two in."  So I tried to be a bit braver and just push more and the body responded a bit.  1-5:46, 2-:54, 3-:43, 4-:44, 5-:45, 6-:42, 7-:32, 8-:36.  Clyde was more human today and off for a few miles and I pulled up on him toward the end of 7, then suddenly he took off.  But it was nice to be a bit closer to the guys today.  (Ronin 290)

afternoon - 5.5 Chuckwalla.  Nice and easy up to the point; felt like I was going to fall off (the pace of the team) because I was pretty tired, but I hanged in there.  Then on the way back, I took the lead and pushed the pace a bit and had a lot of fun with the desert single track - always love it!  (NB101 674.25)

AM - 7 Lutheran/AC.  Nice run this morning.  Just putting in the miles.  Still coughing a lot.  Can't believe how long it is hanging on.  (Landreth blue 1063.9)

AM - 7 Lutheran/AC. Kind of the same old. (HyperSpeed 442)

afternoon. - 6.5 Old Mans. Ran hills with the girls today - 800, 2x400, 4x200. It has been fun (and hopefully good for the girls) to be running with them a little more this season. 25 mins on the elliptical while the team lifted. (Connect 702)

AM - 13.5 PV/AC/Parkway. Ran over to practice and then after, I ran home via the parkway with an extension into BV. Not a whole lot of zing in the legs. (Kinvara3 587)

afternoon - 5 DI/Mr. PVHS. Just a normal run where I dominated the boys with a kick at the end. I earned the baseball today! (Mana 582)

AM - 25 Utah Hill. Up and down workout - brutal, brutal. Planned 12 up and down, but over drove the mileage. Took 1:40 up, but with good conversation. Down I planned on going 3.5 at MP effort and .5 quicker than that for three set - to break up the long tempo and to help me focus on running harder when I am tired. First set was 5:28 and 5:12 and Clyde and Logan were log gone. Then right into the next set which was 5:22 and 5:10. By now I was pretty spent, but trying to keep it positive. Got 5:23, but was slowing at the end as shown by my 5:30 final .5. My stomach was not pleased with the GU and it was super jacked from all the coughing I have been doing. Finished with a very slow and cough filled 1/2 mile. (Kinvara Silver 311.75) #Ihadawatch #supatired #coughallnightandday #CircleofSuperheroes #lookingforasponsorfromGreatValue #hitinthefacebyaSuperfly

Week was not too shabby. Workouts were tough and helped me push a bit.

Goals for next week: still looking to get better and have all the energy I want - and none of the cough. Tempo will be moved to a later date than Tuesday per request of all members of the Circle.

AM - 7 Lutheran/AC.  Legs are a little sore and nothing zippy about them.  Hopefully a few days of easy running will take it out of them and I can get the workouts I want done this week.  Still coughing like a beast.  (Free 887.2)

afternoon - 8 Parkway.  Nice afternoon run by myself.  Still some soreness going on, but it is slowly working its way out.  I would much rather trade it haning out and get rid of my cough; it has been horrid the past couple days.  (Kinvara Lime 405)

AM - 7 Lutheran/AC.  Nice morning out, but I am just spent.  I was up coughing all night and wanted to get up earlier and get a few more miles in, but needed that extra half hour.  Got more medicine from the doc today, so hopefully it can clear up my cough and ear infection.  Need to get up around 100 this week, but being sick is making it tough.  (Kinvara White 93)

afternoon - 7 2xDI/2450.  Ran the warm and cool with the team around their 1600 time trial and then added on 2450 as they lifted.  Just trying to get some miles in and trying to get feeling better.  (Landreth black 1052.95)

AM - 7 Lutheran/AC.  Got the full Lutheran in (instead of the 3 and laps) because I actually got decent sleep last night and had a little more pep in my legs this morning.  I will probably need to do my tempo this afternoon instead of tomorrow morning because of some things, so I will plan on running with the top boys today if I feel well enough.  (Boston 1061.25)

AM - 7 Lutheran/AC.  Not nearly as jacked as I thought I might be... Actually felt pretty good.  The harder run yesterday helped loosen up my legs (except this lingering tightness in the hammies that keeps wanting to give me big issues).  (HyperSpeed 449)

AM - 7 Lutheran/AC.  Started off tight again, but it worked out quickly and I had a good run.  (HyperSpeed2 423)

AM - 21 Marathon tempo loop (I think that is what Clyde calls it). Clyde had the good idea of a solid 21 instead of trying to dig out a harder tempo. That was good because the pace was enough to work without digging anything deep - which would have tough for all of us today I think. Good convo as always with The Circle and it was a good end to the week. Ave was 6:21 for the run. (Adios 145.5)

Glad to get my mileage in this week and run decent.

Goals for next week: freshen up the legs, taper a bit, finish getting rid of this cough and get my sinus/ear infection cleared up with a little more rest.

morning - 9 Lutheran/Harts/laps.  Ran a bit before practide and then warmed with the team and hit laps while they did their workout.  Finished up by pacing an Army guy to his 2 mile at just under 15:00 to hit some mark he needed.  Legs were a bit tight today so I rolled as the team lifted.  (Kinvara3 609)

AM - 15 Tempo Loop.  Well... I guess there are days like this.  Such a disappointing run.  Really wanted a good workout, but from the very first step I could tell something was off.  My breathing was all jacked, legs were bricks, and I just really felt blah.  I haven't had a workout this poor in over 2 years.  Times dropped above 6:00 and were just super ugly.  It was very hard to even keep running; while at the same time it was like, "Just go faster you idiot!"  Didn't even stop to regroup with the guys (even after they waited for who knows how long for me - sorry guys).  I just wanted to get done with running.  Hopefully I can bounce back; if not a solid 2:50 may be on the horizon.  So maddeningly frustrating.  (Kinvara White 108)

afternoon - 5 2xAC/laps.  Didn't feel much better this afternoon.  (Boston 1066.25)

AM - 7 Lutheran/AC.  Had Al beat up my legs a little last night and they feel a touch better.  Run wasn't great, but a step back toward normalcy.  (Stratus black 1059.95)

afternoon - 5.5 PV Tempo.  Ran an LT workout with Mia and ended up averaging just over 6:20 for 15 mins in a very tough wind, so I was proud of her; she did a great job.  (Hyper Speed2 429.75)

AM - 3 AC.  Got a little more sleep this morning and had an nice easy 3 for practice.  My ear infection may be breaking through... I hope.  My ear popped this morning and hurt so bad; it made me way dizzy and I about dropped.  But after a few minutes it felt better.  It still feels a bit plugged and has a little pain in it, but maybe it is on its way out (nice, since it has only been over a month and two rounds of antibiotics).  (Landreth blue 1066.9)

AM - 3 AC. Not really sleeping that great since I am not as exhausted with the taper. (Free 890.2)

afternoon - 4 Sanberg's. Team run over to the pond via Washington (some of the girls jumped in so us boys were kicked out). Finished up with 8xbarefoot striders. It was fun just running with the whole team and enjoying an easy run.. (Barefoot '14 10)(Kinvara lime 408)

AM - 14.5 DC. Riley C. joined The Circle for an early'ish run this morning. I was pretty spent from having been up since 2:30 (like I said, I just haven't been sleeping well with the lower miles; but I sure have been hungry). Anyway, we went the inner loop and then reversed it and hit it again extending into Bloomington Hills. Picked up the pace a touch and then had one quicker mile. Legs were really tight and knotty - maybe because I rolled them so hard yesterday afternoon.

DogTown 5K. 30:11

Then got home in time to get the family over to the DogTown races. Like last year, it felt wierd not to be running my hometown half, but everyone but Elin was signed up in the other races! I was able to run with Laney. We started off good and I prepped her a little about how she would have to have a good attitude and work hard to beat her time from the last 5K we ran together (the Turkey Trot), and she said she would really try. She is a lot of fun to run with and really works hard. We walked a little as she got a drink at the aid station at just over a mile. Then two other short times. But other than that, she was really pushing. I tried to distract her by telling stories and encouraging her, but she was felling a little sick and later said she thought she was going to puke. We ended up running just over 30 minutes (it would have been fun to break 30, but it was still like 4 or 5 minutes better than last time - and she will get there soon enough). It was also fun to see everyone else racing. We saw Ally twice on her 9K course and Rylee and Pyper twice also. I was proud of both of them. Pyper isn't in very good shape, but is super competitive and ran tough - next year, we'll get her with middle school XC team and she will really blossom into something special. And Rylee really is on her way there already. I told her she needed to know the course because she might be able to win the ladies race. And sure enough, a few minutes into the run, I could see her up in the lead with her friend. She was passed around mile 2 by Skylar Abel, but she held on strong and took second overall and first woman (not too shabby for a 12 year old). We aren't sure of her time because at the awards, they announced some of the guys behind her in the 18:00's, but said she was in the 19:00's, so...? (I don't think raceday timing does that great of a job, and they are always slow to get results on the web too.). She did great though and a 5K pr; and she was pretty happy that she beat Lily a girl that she has raced often, but always beaten her (she is a very good runner, but I told Ry that as she ran more and as the races got longer she would start beating her soon).

After cheering for Allyson to finish, I ran to meet the HS team doing the half. Cheered on Aaron M. And Ben V. And then got Abel as he was battling for 3rd. Paced him for two very solid miles and got him set up to take 3rd and slipped back to Byron who wasn't far back, and helped him for another good mile. Then cheered for James and the rest of the kidsi and paced Mia for the last two. Made for a fun morning with so many kids, family and friends running well. (Ronin 323)

Not how I would really hope to start off my taper and be feeling getting ready for a marathon, but the week is over.

Goals for next week: number 1) stay positive, about how I am feeling, about how I will do in the race, etc... 2) execute. 3) have fun doing it!

AM - 3 AC.  Just stretching out the legs with the team.  Needed it too.  Although I thought I would feel good today, my left quads were just really bugging.  Stretched out decent throughout the run though.  (Kinvara white 111)

afternoon - 3 HotNails.  Just an easy run with the team - maybe a little quicker than usual, but it was nice to go just a touch quicker.  (Oregon 748.75)

AM - 13.25 Tempo Loop.  Hit the old tempo loop (without the Stucki Farms extension) for a five miler.  Felt much better than last week, and went 5:22, :34, :39, :40, :34.  Just wish I had another month to get back into shape... but it is what it is.  When the workout finished, it was kind of weird.  I was just like, "I guess that is it."  A lot of hard work and training and sickness.  Hopefully it can come together and I can do decent for what I have this weekend.  (HyperSpeed 2 443)

AM - 3 AC.  Got up a little earlier and did a round of yoga to try and work out the hips and hammies/glutes (and even quads).  It helped a ton and my legs felt way better.  I should have taken the time to do that a week ago and a few times in between then and now... but oh well.  After the run, I spent 15 more minutes on yoga to keep it loose.  Weight was a solid 147 when I woke up this morning (right in the range of where I want it for the race - 146-148.  (Kinvara3 612)

afternoon - 3 laps.  Just got some laps in before practice.  (Stratus black 1062.95)

AM - 6 PV/AC.  Ran over to school and then regular morning run.  Felt good this morning.  Come together... Last weigh in, at 147 again; pleased with that.  (Kinvara white 117)

morning - 5 Canal trail. Ran from the hotel with The Circle on this cool dirt trail on the sides of a canal down in Phoenix. Things are feeling good and hopefully I am in decent enough shape to do well... I mean, I AM in decent enough shape to do well! (Kinvara lime 413)