Monday, December 26, 2011

December 25th to December 31st

Sunday
Easy Run 10.5 miles. Bumbed into two of the Runnin' Ricardis on the MSU campus. Forgot to do general mobility when I was out, so I did the dynamic circuit after getting back home. (10/10)

Monday
Fartlek workout consisting of 5 sets of 3 min on, 2 min off, 2 min on, 1 min off, 1 min on, 30 sec off. I did this workout on the 2 mile square on campus. For a warmup, I did a two mile warm up, hurdle mobility, full hurdle skips, single leg pogo jumps, and strides. The workout wasn't as bad as last week, but it still wasn't what it needs to be. The first VO2 Max workout on the track is going to be rough and a shock based on how these last couple fartlek workouts have gone. (12.5/22.5)

Tuesday
Morning easy run of 5.5 miles. Was really tired and my legs felt beat up. Hopefully will feel better in the afternoon. If not, I may need to take another easy day and not do the tempo tomorrow. In the afternoon, I ran about 7 miles. I felt much better than in the morning. (12.5/35)

Wednesday
I started the tempo in the morning at about 8am. It was cold, but not terrible. I started the tempo and felt pretty average. I wasn't hitting the times and started to get frustrated. After about two miles of tempo, I decided to call it a workout. Starting to get a little bored doing all the runs myself. Sometimes I think this stuff is supposed to feel easier than it is, but it is a grind everyday and I just have to be ready for it. (7/42)

Thursday
Short easy run in the morning. In the afternoon, I went for an easy run with the legendary MIKE FEIST! We swapped manly stories and such and checked out the new track and field stands and press box. (11/53)

Friday
In the morning, I did 10 times 30 second hill runs. I did a short warmup, so the first couple were not too fast. In the afternoon, I did about 6.5 miles of tempo. The tempo included a 3 mile and then 3 times 1 mile tempos. Quality day between the hill runs and a little over 6 miles of tempo. I went with the tempo today in order to make up for Wednesday's poor workout. Also, it is supposed to snow tonight, so I probably won't have solid footing tomorrow.(15.5/68.5)

Saturday
Long run 16.5 miles. Ran around town and then out to East Gallatin and around. It was so slippery when I started. It snowed 4 inches or so. Where it had been plowed/shoveled was the worst because it had rained before it snowed and there was a layer of ice. I ended up running a lot of the run on the snowy trails because the footing was better.  (16.5/85)

Weekly Summary
85 miles in 10 runs. Gonna try and get on the track and get in a workout or two with the MSU team next week to break the monotony of doing all the workouts by myself.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

December 18th to 24th

Sunday
Easy run 9.5 miles. Felt a bit tuckered from long run, but not too bad. It was sunny and nice out during the run. (9.5/9.5)

Monday
Ended up getting distracted by a couple of things which came up during the day. Didn't get my workout in, but did get out for about a 6.5 mile ECR late at night. (6.5/16)

Tuesday
Headed out at about 8am to do the fartlek workout I was supposed to do yesterday. For a warm up, I ran two miles, did a hurdle mobility circuit plus full hurdle skip, and 4 strides. Not sure why, but I really struggled in this workout of 10 times 3 on, 2 off. Just felt sluggish and it didn't seem like I was getting going much faster than tempo pace. At least I did the whole workout, because I really felt like quiting when I was running so slow. (12/28)

Here is my plan for ancillary training for the next little bit. Now I just need to be disciplined enough to do it.


SundayMondayTuesdayWdnsdyThursdayFridaySaturday
General Mobility, L7Hurdle Mobility, Full Hurdle Skips, Single Leg Pogo Jumps, Strides, L7Dynamic Warm up, Fab 15, Stability Core, L7Hurdle Mobility, Full Hurdle Skips, Single Leg Pogo Jumps, Strides, L7Dynamic Warm up, Fab 15, Stability Core, L7Hurdle Mobility, Full Hurdle Skips, Rudiment (Plyos), Single Leg Pogo Jumps, Strides, L7Strides (end of run), L7



Wednesday
I went ahead with the tempo workout today. It was 2 times 3 mile with 3 minutes rest. It snowed during the night so I waited to do this workout until about noon hoping the sidewalks would be cleared. Before I started the workout, I did a routine of John Sveen's which really works the hip flexors and glutes. Also, I did maybe 3 minutes of L7 sitting on each side. It was about 25 degrees out when I started and there was maybe 3 inches of snow on the ground. I ran over to MSU and the 2 mile square loop thinking it was the most likely to be cleared. I thought it was, but after running about 1 mile was surprised to see the portion of the loop along College Street was not yet cleared. So, I just went back and forth on the 1 mile section along Lincoln and 19th Streets. Kind of boring but it worked fine. The stop and turn around at the end of each mile was the worst part. For the 3 mile runs, I ran 15:07 and then 14:57. The second 3 mile had two uphill portions, based on where I finished the first section. (10.5/38.5)

Thursday
The first day of winter did not disappoint as it was 2 degrees out as I took off for my run in the morning. It did get all the way up to 7 degrees by the time I returned. The morning run was just under 9 miles. In the afternoon, I ran just over 6 miles in balmy 20 degree weather. (15/53.5)

Friday
4.5 mile ECR in the morning. I didn't go super early, but it was still cold, maybe 10 degrees. It was sunny and generally pleasant out, though. In the afternoon/evening, I did a fartlek workout consisting of 4 sets of 30 on, 75 off, 30 on, 75 off, 120 on, 5 minutes off. This was the first time I have tried anything at mile pace lasting longer than 30 seconds since a did a little bit last spring. I was maybe running 2:08 to 2:10 pace for the 2 minute segments. However, I think it was an ok workout, considering I was doing it by myself in 20 degree weather in training flats. The lungs were burning a bit from the intensity and cold weather. For a warm up I did 2+ miles, hurdle mobility, plyos, and strides. (14.5/68)

Saturday
Long Run with loops around town and out to East Gallatin and back. The long run totaled about 17 miles. I felt a little tired so the pace was pretty easy the whole time. Did about 5 strides at the end of the run. (17/85)

Weekly Summary
This was a pretty good week of training. I wish the 3 on, 2 off workout would have been better, but the tempo and rep pace workout went pretty well. The week totalled 85 miles in 9 runs.

Here is my mileage over the past 19 weeks:



Week of:

Weekly Mileage
Week 1
8/14/11
8/20/11
81.0
Week 2
8/21/01
8/27/11
84.0
Week 3
8/29/91
9/3/11
86.0
Week 4
9/5/81
9/10/11
53.0
Week 5
9/13/71
9/17/11
73.5
Week 6
9/20/61
9/24/11
82.0
Week 7
9/28/51
10/1/11
77.5
Week 8
10/5/41
10/8/11
86.5
Week 9
10/13/31
10/15/11
69.0
Week 10
10/20/21
10/22/11
90.0
Week 11
10/28/11
10/29/11
73.0
Week 12
11/4/01
11/5/11
85.0
Week 13
11/6/11
11/12/11
91.0
Week 14
11/13/11
11/19/11
90.0
Week 15
11/20/11
11/26/11
56.5
Week 16
11/27/11
12/3/11
55.0
Week 17
12/4/11
12/10/11
85.0
Week 18
12/11/11
12/17/11
66.5
Week 19
12/18/11
12/24/11
85.0
Total


1,469.50
Weekly Average


77.34

Friday, December 16, 2011

December 11th to 17th

Here is my training plan for the rest of December:


December
SundayMondayTuesdayWdnsdyThursdayFridaySaturday
123
45678910
fartlek - 10 * 3 min on, 1 min offECRTempoECRLong Run
11121314151617
ECRfartlek - 15 sets of (2 on, 1 off)ECRTempo 3, 2, 2, 1 mile with 3, 2, 2 minute restECR6 sets of (30 sec on, 70 off, 30 on, 70 off, 60 on, 140 off)Long Run
18192021222324
ECRfartlek - 10 sets of (3 on, 2 off)ECRTempo 3, 3 mile with 3 min restECR4 sets of (30 sec on, 75 off, 30 on, 75 off, 120 on, 5 min off)Long Run
25262728293031
ECRfartlek - 5 sets of (3 on, 2 off, 2 on, 1 off, 1 on, 30 sec off)ECRTempo 3, 2, 2, 1 mile with 3, 2, 2 minute restECR6 sets of (30 sec on, 70 off, 30 on, 70 off, 60 on, 140 off)Long Run



Sunday
Easy run of 6 miles in the evening. Intended on getting more miles in, but was very busy getting everything ready for our trip to San Antonio for the USTFCCCA Convention. (6/6)

Monday
Traveled to San Antonio and headed out for a workout right after we arrived. Sierra and Rowan also made the trip. It was wonderful having them there! I went ahead with the 15 times 2 minutes with one minute rest just like what is on the schedule. The workout actually seemed to go pretty well. Based on the random pace checks my watch indicated, I was running about 4:40 to 4:45 pace overall for the 'on' portion. I did the entire workout on  the same 1/2 mile section of sidewalk, back and forth. After the workout, I attended the symposiums and had a good time at the convention. (12/18)

Tuesday
I did a 6am run with a couple people. The run was ok, but I would have felt better with a little more sleep. The rest of the day I spent in symposiums and other convention events. It was Sierra's birthday today as well, so Sierra, Rowan, and I did some hanging out! (7/25)

Wednesday
Waited until the afternoon to head out for a run. I really did not feel great, but decided to start the workout regardless. I was just really struggling and not feeling it, so I decided to just run back after a couple miles of tempo and call it a day. The fact it was 75 degrees and unbelievably humid when I tried to run, did not help.(7/32)

Thursday
Did not run today. Should have done a little run after getting back to Bozeman, but felt like it would do more harm than good because I was pretty beat.

Friday
Easy 5 mile run in the morning. In the evening, I did a mile/rep pace workout on the roads. It was 6 times 30 seconds on, 75 seconds off, 30 seconds on, 75 seconds off, 60 seconds on , 240 seconds off. My watch had me down at 4 minute mile pace for the 'on' segments. When I was going around a curve, the watch would have me at 4:10 min mile pace, but when I hit a straight stretch it had me at about 4 min mile pace. This leads me to believe the watch under measures distance on corners. Anyway, the workout went pretty well. I always feel better about in the workouts which follow a rep workout. Improvements in running economy seem to kick in pretty quick or maybe it is just in my head? Regardless, it is fun doing something faster which is not extremely hard. I was trying to get a little more knee lift after listening to symposium speakers at the convention. (15/47)

Saturday
Long Run of 19.5 miles according to my watch and a total running time of 2 hours and 15 minutes. This run ended up being a little longer than I thought. The route was from my house, over to MSU, to Rouse, then out McIllhatten, to Syphes and then back to the house. Basically over to the college and then reverse Syphes Canyon Route. I felt ok and pushed about a 15 minute uphill section of the run just a little bit. (19.5/66.5)

Weekly Summary
66.5 miles in 7 runs. This was not a great week of training in terms of mileage, but I did get in two solid workouts and a good long run. I guess all things being equal, I would rather have a week with good workouts compared to a week of mileage with no workouts. However, it would be better to have a week of training with mileage in the 80 to 90s and 2 to 3 solid workouts.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

December 4th to 10th

Sunday
Easy Run 7 miles

Monday
Easy Run 9 miles, hurdle mobility, strides (9/16)

Tuesday
Did a workout in the freezing cold. It was about 2 degrees out when I started. I warmed up about 13 minutes and realized I wasn't really "warming up" at all so I decided to get right into the workout. I did 10 times 3 minutes on, 1 minute off. The course was really hilly, back and forth on Highland Boulevard between Main Street and Kagy Boulevard. I don't think the pace was very fast between the hills and because this was my first workout in a while. I only took 1 minute rest because I thought the pace would be just faster than tempo. The purpose of this workout was to reintroduce myself to workouts without overwhelming myself. Finally feeling over one doozy of a cold. In the afternoon, I ran an easy 6 miles with the MSU XC team. (16/32)

Wednesday
Easy Run 12 miles. (12/44)

Thursday
Tempo run - 3 mile, 2 mile, 1 mile with 3 minutes and 2 minutes rest. Used my new GPS watch for this workout. It was really foggy and about 15 degrees. The tempo was ok, but I didn't run it very fast. It was my first workout in a bit so I wasn't too concerned. Ran about 5.5 easy in the evening. (16/60)

Friday:
Easy Run 7 miles (7/67)

Saturday:
Long Run 18 miles - the loop from home out S. 3rd, to Nash, Triple Tree, Bozeman Trail, Main Street, Church, Kagy, and home. Felt pretty good on this run. I ran hard from the bottom of Triple Tree to the top. This was maybe 7 to 10 minutes of hard running and almost entirely uphill. (18/85)

Monday, November 28, 2011

November 27th to December 3rd

Sunday
Long run at 7am with Matt Adams and DJ from Full House. It was good to catch up with Grizzly Adams. Also, it really helped to run with someone because I was still not feeling great from the cold. I wouldn't have gone as far without them. We did the Nash Loop and a big loop around town. After the run, Rowan, Sierra, and I went and hunted a Christmas Tree. I really had to hike a lot, but I found a bute. I was kind of worried Sierra might not like it because it wasn't the super skinny tree we typically bag. All of this was done before 12:30. As productive as the morning was, the afternoon/evening was equally unproductive! (17/17)

Monday
Easy Run in the morning of about 5 miles. In the afternoon, I ran about 8 miles with the MSU guys and then did a plyos circuit. (13/30)

Tuesday
Did a little tempo in the afternoon. I did the first 6 miles of the Huffing for Stuffing course and ran a little slower than I did in the race. I thought I would run faster than the race, but was still not feeling good from the sickness and was just in trainers. I hope to shake this cold soon so I start feeling good again. (9.5/39.5)

Wednesday

Thursday
Easy Run 9 miles (9/48.5)

Friday
Easy Run 6.5 miles (6.5/55)

Saturday

Sunday, November 20, 2011

November 20th to 26th

Sunday
Long run with Dan Jackson. Dan is so skinny he saves the team on travel because we just send him through the fax machine. Long distance rates do apply though. Anyway, we had a great long run. We talked it out and somehow killed 2 hours and a lot of miles. It was really cold when we started, about 4 degrees, but it was clear and there was no wind so it was actually kind of nice out. (16.5/16.5)

Monday
Short easy run in the morning of about 4 miles. In the afternoon, I went on for about a 9 mile easy run. Ran for a time with Jake and Grant after bumping into them. Also bumped into Scott Creel and ran with him for a bit. (13/29.5)

Tuesday
Did not run today. I was just stressed out about things and didn't go for a run even though it would have helped me to feel a little better.

Wednesday
Easy run 9+ miles. (9/38.5)

Thursday
Raced the Huffing for Stuffing 10.6K. I woke up in the Morning with a sore throat and felt zapped of energy. Because I was feeling sick, I didn't run really hard. I pretty much ran 5:20 miles the entire way. Thanksgiving Dinner was lots of fun. Once dinner was over, I felt absolutely exhausted by 8pm. (12/50.5)

Friday
Still had a sore throat this morning and the congestion was starting to kick in. Went for a short run in the afternoon. Didn't feel great on the run which was to be expected. (6/56.5)

Saturday
Didn't go for a run today. Really feeing the congestion now, but should have gone for at least a short run anyway.

Weekly Summary
56.5 miles in 6 runs. This was good week to take it easy, especially with getting sick. Need to pick it up next week.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

November 13th to 19th

Sunday
Long run in the afternoon. Ran from my house out Story Hill to Syphes Canyon Road and back. Since I didn't get a workout in yesterday, I ran the uphills hard and the downhills easy. I started running the uphills at the corner of McIllhattan and Story Hill. I just did the out and back instead of the loop so I had hills on the way back too. The first 33 minutes was easy, then 2:56 h, 1:16 e, :41 h, 1:21 e, 1:06 h, 1:38 e, 1:09 h, 1:01 e, 2:35 h, 1:06 e, :18 h, 1:07 e, 3:15 h, 2:23 e, 4:25 h, 7:23 e, 1:09 h, :41 e, 1:04 h, 4:06 e, 2:20 h (this was a flat section, but threw in a hard flat section), and then 29:30 easy to get the rest of the way home. There was a total of 19 or so minutes of hard mostly uphill running. (15.5/15.5)

Monday
Easy run 12 miles in the evening. (12/27.5)

Tuesday
10 times 150 meter hill sprints with jog back recovery, in the morning. In the afternoon, I ran a 25 minute tempo. It was cold and pretty windy all day. It was 20 degrees when I ran in the morning and about 26 degrees in the afternoon. (16/43.5)

Wednesday
Easy run in the morning of about six miles. It was very cold out, somewhere between 0 and 5 degrees. However, it was sunny and there was a fresh layer of 1-2 inches of snow on the ground. As crazy as it sounds, it was actually a nice little run. In the afternoon, I ran an easy 7 miles. (13/56.5)

Thursday
Tempo workout in the morning on the 2 mile loop near/on campus. The workout was 3 mile tempo, 2 mile tempo, 2 mile tempo, 1 mile tempo with 3 minutes, 2 minutes, 2 minutes rest. I was just a little more aggressive with the workout today, especially for a tempo and doing it completely by myself. My times were 14:58, 9:58, 9:58, 4:58. The 3 mile tempo had the downhill section of the two mile loop twice, while the mile was on the uphill section. There was a lot of foot traffic on the mile interval which made it a little more difficult. This was one of my better solo workouts in a while, especially for a solo tempo. (12/68.5)

Friday
It snowed a lot last night, maybe 8 inches. I woke up this morning and immediately started shoveling. It took over an hour to get everything shoveled. After shoveling, I headed out on a little run. It was slippery where it had been plowed or shoveled and the snow was deep where it hadn't been. I ran for 42 minutes, but probably ran not too much more than 5 miles. Hopefully the footing will be a little better this afternoon and tomorrow morning, but it sounds like we are gonna get more snow. In the evening, the footing was a little better, but it was cold and very windy. It was pretty aweful out, but for some reason it was fun being out there in the storm. I ran around town and then did a loop around the cemetery. (12.5/81)

Saturday
Easy run in the morning of about 9 miles. If it was halfway descent out, I would have done a fartlek workout. It was pretty cold out and the footing was horrible everywhere. I had some thoughts about doing a workout on the 200 meter track in the Fieldhouse, but just wasn't ready to do a workout indoors. Worked selling 50/50 tickets at Cat-Griz game. What a disappointment that game was. Maybe the loss will help them play well in the playoffs this year. Cross country and track are where its at anyway:) (9/90)

Weekly Summary
90 miles in 10 runs. Training isn't too structured right now. I need to decide what I am training for for sure and then follow a more focused training plan.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

November 6th to 12th

Sunday
Long Run at 7:30 with XC team. We ran up to Story Hill and back and then Dan and I added on a little bit. I really did not enjoy this long run. My back was still hurting a little bit and there was a couple of inches of snow on the ground which made my back feel worse. The whole run I was dreading the coming of the snow season and generally not having the time of my life. Anyway, the run totalled 2 hours. I am going to call it 17 miles because it was so horrible even though we probably only ran 16 miles. (17/17)

Monday
Easy run in the morning of about 5 miles. In the evening, I ran 8 or 9 miles. My back is now feeling much better and I am no longer as upset about the cold weather and snow. Most areas are pretty clear of snow which makes running much more enjoyable. (13/30)

Tuesday:
In the morning, I ran 8 200 meter hill sprints with Carl, Dan, and Pat. In the evening, I ran a twenty minute tempo with the rest of the XC team and then did 4 times 200 on the track. The tempo felt really comfortable and averaged 5:10 to 5:15 pace. Between the two workouts I covered some different energy systems. (13/43)

Wednesday
Easy run with the MSU team including running home and back. (10/53)

Thursday
Headed out at about 7:20 this morning to meet up with Carl, Pat, and Dan for a tempo workout. We have somewhat limited options now that there is snow on the ground so we ended up doing the same tempo mile loop over and over. I actually really like doing repetitive loops for tempo runs because it is more accurate to compare times. I did 8 times mile tempos with 60 seconds rest between. I don't know how accurate the loop is, but I averaged maybe 5:02 or so for the 8 overall. Felt pretty good overall, except for the 1st one which felt a little rough. Running from the house to the Fieldhouse and then out to the course was a long warm up, but I did that because I won't get another chance to run today because we are traveling to Pocatello on our war to Provo for Regionals. (14/67)

Friday
Easy run in Pocatello. I ran up to the water tower and around some neighborhoods. In the afternoon, I ran the course preview in Provo for the Mountain Region Championships. (13/80)

Saturday
Wanted to do a workout today, but it didn't end up work out. I went over to the course meaning to meet up with Zachery Barrett, but ended up being late. I ran into an old friend Rob Parish and we did an easy run. Zack finally showed up, but I had already run 7 to 8 miles, so I decided to just do an easy run and maybe do a workout tomorrow. (11/91)

Weekly Summary
91 miles in 10 runs. Would have been a great week if I did the workout Saturday. Oh well, I should have planned a bit better and been more disciplined.

Monday, October 31, 2011

October 30th to November 5th

Sunday
Long run up Sourdough Canyon with MSU XC team. Went all the way to Mystic Lake on an out and back of the single track trail. I actually felt good on the long run after really feeling poor the last two long runs. The fam and I drove down to and around Yellowstone after the long run. Rowan did great on the car trip and slept quite a bit. We really only had to stop for Rowan once in the 5 to 6 hour trip. After getting home, I was excited to watch the Eagles-Cowboys game. However, for some reason, NBC was the only station that was completely out. Oh well, at least the Eagles won. (16/16)

Monday
Easy run of 7 miles in the morning and 6 miles in the evening. Sierra made really good soup. It was a Yam soup, but tasted like a really good squash soup. (13/29)

Tuesday
Workout in the morning started at about 8:20. I was late getting out the door and needed to be back to grab Rowan at about 9:30, so this workout was seriously rushed. I did a short warm up jog and then went into a little hill workout. I did 3 * 100 meter hill sprints, 3 * 200 meter hill sprints, and 3* 300 meter hill runs. I was in such a hurry that I cut down the time way too much. I was pretty gassed by the time I got to the 300 meter hill runs. For recovery, I just jogged back to the bottom of the hill to start the next. My times for the hills were about 15 seconds for the 100s, 33 or 34 for the 200s, and the 300s were pretty slow 55, 58, and 60. After the hills, I intended to to a progressive tempo, but it ended up being pretty slow and I never picked it up as much as I wanted. The tempo or rather the slower than tempo portion had a duration of 33 minutes. I was late getting back to the house, but Sierra wasn't too upset with me. In the evening, I ran an easy 4.5 miles. (15/44)

Wednesday
Easy run 9 miles in the afternoon. Earlier in the day, Rowan and I mowed the lawn together. It was fun, but it messed up my back a little bit having him in the baby bjorn. I was just moving, pulling, pushing, lifting a litttle differently than usual. My back isn't too bad, just a little uncomfortable. (9/53)

Thursday
Tempo work at 8am with Carl, Pat, and Dan. My back was pretty tight and sore and I was not feeling great. I am glad and fortunate to have these three gentlemen to do the workout with. They were all not looking forward to the workout, but still got after it. We ran tempo miles with 60 seconds rest between. I did 6 and my times were about 5:20, 5:20, 5:10, 5:00, 5:20, and 5:00. It was pretty cold out, a little under 30 degrees. This course that we ran always seems to be slow, so I actually think our times were good, even if they don't seem fast. (10/63)

Friday
Short easy run of 4 miles in the morning and easy run of 8 miles in the afternoon. My back is still pretty sore, but better than yesterday. (12/75)

Saturday
Workout in the morning with Grant, Pat, and Dan. We had our first snow of the year today. There was 1 to 2 inches of snow on the ground when we started and it continued to slowly snow for the entire workout. Dan and I did 16 times 2 minutes on and 1 minute off. The footing was ok, but not great. My back was ok, but still a little uncomfortable. This was another 'get through' workout similar to Thursday. Hopefully, my back will loosen up and I will really get back after it. I was lucky to have these three guys to run with today. With the snow, my sore back, and generally feeling sluggish, I may not have gotten much of a workout in today. After the workout, I ran the sprinters' workout because the other coaches were out of town. They did a good job considering they had to do the workout in Shroyer Gym. Not up to much the rest of the day. I changed Sierra's tires from regular tires to snow tires which took about an hour and wasn't too hard on my back. The rest of the day is gonna be for hanging out wither Rowan, Sierra, and the dogs. (10/85)

Weekly Summary
85 miles in 10 runs. This was an ok week and I made it through it.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

October 23rd to October 29th

Sunday:
Long run up Cottonwood Creek Trailhead. Drove to and back to Missoula for Montana State Cross Country meet yesterday. It was an early morning and lots of time in the car. Anyway, I felt horrible on today's run. I was going to go two plus hours, but I was feeling horrible. The pace was slow and I turned back at 55 minutes for a total run of just under 110 minutes total. (15/15)

Monday:
Easy run in the afternoon. Feeling much better. (12/27)

Tuesday:
8am workout. I did 4 times 200 meter hill sprints with a walk back recovery. Then I did a 21 minute tempo and then 4 times 30 seconds at rep pace. I was going to do the last 200s I tried to do them on the track, bit it was freezing out and there was a frozen frost on the track and it was too slippery. I just did 30 second segments on the flat trail system. The tempo was at 5:15 to 5:20 pace. (10/37)

Wednesday:
Easy run 7 miles, felt fine. (7/44)

Thursday:
Progressive 5 mile tempo with Carl and Dan in the morning. We started too slow the first mile. Here were the splits as best as I can remember 5:55, 5:35, 5:15, 5:15, 5:00. I felt pretty good and the run felt relatively easy. In the evening, I ran an easy 6. (15/59)

Friday:
Easy run 5 miles. Course preview at Idaho State. (5/64)

Saturday:
Did a time trial of the ISU cross country course the morning before the race. It ended up being just Carl, Dan, and me. We started as soon as it was semi light out, about 7:45am. I ended up running a pretty quick time. The course is very hilly and tough. It is two 3k loops and then a 2k loop. I was quite a ways out front and didn't run quite as well as I wanted to on the last loop, the 2k. My finishing time was 25 flat or so. If I had run a little harder on the 2k, I would have been 24:40 or so. Anyway, it was a pretty good effort and my fitness is getting better. (9/73)

Weekly Summary:
An average week of training. I wanted to run more mileage, but was really busy with things this week. Oh well, at least I got in some workouts and a time trial. 73 miles in 8 runs.

Monday, October 17, 2011

October 16th to 22nd

Sunday:
7am long run with MSU team after getting back from Penn State yesterday. This was the worst I have ever felt on a run. I guess it must have been from the travel, but I felt so sore and bound up, especially in my knees. My knees throbbed a bit and were even a little warm to the touch after the run. The plan for today had been to run for 2:05 to 2:10, bit it was just a struggle so called it good at 105 minutes (1:45). This is one run I don't regret calling early. (15.5/15.5)

Monday:
I ran on my own in the evening after the sprinters' practice and felt 100 times better than yesterday. My knees both feel a little warm after the run, but still much better. I got a great night's sleep last night which really helped. (12/27.5)

Tuesday:
I stared out this morning with the intention of doing a mix workout. Things did not go very well. The workout was going to be 4 tempo miles, 3 1200s, and 4 200s. I did the first tempo mile and it was way, way, way slower than I thought it was. The second mile felt the same. I started a third tempo mile and realized it was going to be slow too so I got frustrated and quit the workout. Still not feeling great, I decided to do 5 30 second segments at mile pace. They felt ok but not great. I headed for home and decided to see if I was feeling good enough to do a workout in the afternoon. I did the workout in the afternoon with the MSU XC team. The workout was 1200s with 3 minutes rest. It was the same loop as we used 2 weeks ago 400 meters of slight downhill on an asphalt paved trail then 800 meters of a serious climb. During the recovery period we jogged downhill to the start. The first 400 meters of downhill felt pretty easy and I probably averaged 68 seconds to it, then the climb started. I did 6 of the 1200s and averaged 3:50 for the difficult course. This was one of my better workouts in a while. I felt good and wondered how I was so off just this morning? (17/44.5)

Wednesday:
Easy Run of 6 miles in the morning. Easy run of 7 miles and hurdle mobility in the afternoon. (13/57.5)

Thursday:
6:15am tempo with the team. Went for 25 minutes total and through the 4 mile mark in 20:55. 4 times 200 meters on the track after the workout. (9.5/67)

Friday:
Easy runs of 7 miles in morning and 6 miles at night. My mom met Baby Rowan for the first time tonight. It was pretty exciting! (13/80)

Saturday:
Drove to Missoula for the state XC meet. I left at about 6:30 and arrived in Missoula at 9:30 where I ran a workout with Garbet and Turner. I did 10 sets of 2 min on, 1 minute off, 1 minute on, 30 seconds off, 30 on, 30 off and then right into the next 2 minute segment. There was 33 minutes of total on pace. The on pace was a bit faster than 8k race pace. I felt pretty good. Starting to feel more and mote fit. The state XC races were great to watch and there were so many great performances! (10/90)

Weekly Summary:
90 miles in 10 runs. Good week. Getting faster.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

October 9th to 15th

Sunday:
Long run with MSU Team. I met the team at the turnout for Spanish Creek. We ran along the secondary road. We went out for an hour and almost made it to the trailhead. We did the back of the out and back run in 54 minutes. I felt ok on the run but was definitely a little low on energy. I didn't get much sleep last night which combined with yesterday's training left me a little tuckered. This run totaled about 16.5 miles I would guess. (16.5/16.5)

Monday:
My sister and niece were in town this morning! Rowan met his cousin for the first time! I ran in the evening after the sprinters' practice. The run totaled 9.5 miles. (9.5/26)

Tuesday:
Ran the workout with the MSU XC team. We did 3 times tempo miles with 60 seconds rest, 2 times 1k at race pace, with 3 minutes rest between the 2 1Ks, and 4 times 200 with 75 seconds rest. It was wet and soggy and the times were slow. (9/35)

Wednesday:
Ran 6.5 miles in the morning before flying out to Harrisburg, PA. I planned on running when getting to PA, but it was to late and I was too tired. (6.5/41.5)

Thursday:
I ran in the morning in Harrisburg and then in the afternoon during the course preview at Penn State. The Penn State course is really beautiful. A really great course although it is not spectator friendly. The team seemed pretty excited for the meet. (12.5/54)

Friday:
Today was a really unusual day of running. I woke and did a super short shake out with the team. Then I drove over to the Penn State Course and did a little workout on the course. I ran about 4.5 miles of the XC course. I ran about 5 flat for the first mile and then about 5:20 per mile for the next 3.5 miles. It seemed like I was picking the pace up at times, but it was so wet and soggy, it didn't show up in the times. I didn't run the whole course because I had to head over to meet Luke Watson, Brian Sell, and their friend for a run at 8am. I also probably ran 5-6 miles running around the course during the meet, but won't count that in the weekly mileage. It rained most of the day and it was pouring during the meet, especially during the women's race. (15/69)

Saturday:
Traveled back from Pennsylvania today. It was an early morning. When we arrived back I was pretty darn tired and just didn't feel like running. I should have headed out, but just didn't get it done. I really did not sleep well on the trip. I couldn't adjust to the time change. I didn't fall asleep any of the 3 nights before 1am and we were up by 5:30 at the latest each morning. It feels great to be home! (0/69)

Weekly Summary:
69 miles in 7 runs. This wasn't a great week of training and I really need to start getting more miles under my belt. I am going to begin doing more of my workouts on my own. I need more volume in the workouts and more volume in the training overall if I need to continue to improve my fitness.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

October 2nd to October 8th

Sunday:
Long Run at 7am with MSU XC team starting from Fieldhouse. We ran the Triple Tree Loop and then Dan Jackson and I added on a bit for a total run of 2 hours. Felt ok on the run, but felt sluggish to start. (17.5/17.5)

Monday:
Easy run in the afternoon. The run totaled about 11 miles. I did a combination of hurdle mobility and some hurdle skill on the grass fields mostly for flexibility and functional strength work. I plan on doing a lot of dynamic and core exercises to help me feel a little more comfortable while I run and improve my running posture. I have been feeling pretty tired from lack of sleep. Hopefully I will get a lot of sleep tonight. (11/28.5)

Tuesday:
I slept a lot last night. There were still lots of interruptions, but I slept in until 9:30 or something. I haven't slept in that much for a long time. I ran a workout with the MSU XC team in the afternoon. The workout was 3 times tempo miles, 2 times 1200, and 4 times 200 meters. The tempo miles were on a flat course, but the 1200s and 200s were up steep hills. This workout was much more difficult than I thought it would be. The 1200s were pretty tough. The first 400 meters was on a slight downhill and the last 800 was a serious climb. The 200s were up Peet's Hill and I actually struggled a little on them. I have worked more on max speed this late summer and it has felt good. However, it seems like I am struggling a little with the speed endurance. It will come around pretty quickly though. (9/37.5)

Wednesday:
Ran a little over 5 miles easy in the morning. I actually felt pretty good compared to how I thought I would feel after yesterday's hill workout. In the afternoon, I ran 7 miles with the MSU XC team. We did hurdle mobility, 8 times 100 yard strides, and then 10 times 40 yard flyins on the grass. (12/49.5)

Thursday:
Four times tempo miles with 60 seconds rest (4:57, 5:07, 5:01, 5:15). 6:15am practice. I did not fall asleep until maybe 1am or something for some reason. The I woke up turned off my alarm and got all ready to head to practice. The only problem was I must have had a dream my alarm because right before I took off for practice, I realized it was 2:30am. It was the widest thing ever. I was able to get back to sleep after a while. Then I woke up right before 6am and headed to practice. The tempo miles felt ok. It was a pretty light workout this morning. Coach Kennedy and I went to the 7 on 7 meet in Helena. The races were really great. It was worth the trip. Some great things happening this year in Montana High School Cross Country. (8/57.5)

Friday:
Easy run with the MSU team - about 9 miles. I did two times butt blaster #1 and two times stability core after running. (9/66.5)

Saturday:
Race simulation workout with MSU XC with 9am start. The workout was 1200 on the track, 1.1 mile tempo on trail loop, 1200 on the track, 1.1 mile tempo on trail loop, 1200 on the track. I ran 22:08 for the whole thing. My 1200s were something like 3:35, 3:40, 3:32. Looking back on the workout, I should have pushed for a longer simulation for the whole team. I was thinking of running another tempo loop and 1200 during the workout. I should have gone ahead and done that. Don't feel like this was a great workout for me. Oh well I will move on and look toward the next workout! The guys team did ok, except there was quite a gap between our runners. The women really seemed to do pretty well. The top 3 girls really did well.

Saturday continued:
So after the simulation something ate at me about the workout. I spent some time with the family and we even went for a drive and had a big cup of coffee. When we got back, I decided I had to go do the workout over again. I headed out at about 6pm. I ran from the house over to the track, did 4 * 100 meter strides and then went right into it. Same exact workout as in the morning. I ran 3:37, 5:39, 3:40, 5:50, 3:36 for a total time of 22:24. The time was a bit slower than this morning, but it just seemed like a solid effort to run by myself. I felt like my posture was much better than it has been. I haven't ever done anything like this before. Not sure if it was a break through or a breakdown, but I think it may have been a break through. It has seemed like I am not really attacking the workout, because I haven't been able to accept the discomfort. This evening, it felt like I was attacking the workout. Hopefully this lead to bigger and better things. (20/86.5)

Weekly Summary/Thoughts on Training:
This week I ran 86.5 miles in 9 runs. This was really a pretty good week with challenging workouts on Tuesday and Saturday. I am thinking of running a fast half marathon in December. We will see how it goes and if it works out.


I have been thinking about my training and racing. I am really pretty happy with where I am at right now. Midway through the summer, I may have been in the worst shape of my life, but as of now I am actually relatively fit. Right now, I am no where near as fit as I have ever been, but I am still able to train at a pretty high level and may get back there with more months of consistent training. It is very fortunate I am able to still run well so many years after college. It is a fun outlet and I continue to enjoy it.

Monday, September 26, 2011

September 25th to October 1st

Sunday:
Went for a long run with the team up Sourdough Canyon. We took the single track up to Mystic Lake and the ran down on the access road. I think the run was a bit over 18 miles. Trevor's watch said it was 18, but those watches tend to under measure on windy trail runs so I am going to call it 18.5. The pace on the way up and the way back felt fast and I felt a little tired. I think I was physically tired and tired from lack a lack of sleep. After the run, Sierra and I were talking about doing something fun, but we just stayed inside and did some hanging out with Rowan. (18.5/18.5)

Monday:
I watched Rowan in the morning so I ran later in the day. I made some additional marks with paint to the course we are going to run for a workout tomorrow, so I carried a can of paint while I ran. I felt pretty good on the run. The run probably covered about 10.5 miles. (10.5/29)

Tuesday:
Practice was moved to 6:15am and I did the workout with the team. The workout was a mix workout. I did 3 times tempo miles, 3 - 1200s at i pace, and 4 - 200s at mile pace. I felt like I was running fast, but between the turns and soft surface the times didn't show a fast pace. Still think it was a good workout and I felt good during it. The team seemed to do well with their workouts. It was pretty dark when we started so the women's team missed some of the painted marks. (10/39)

Wednesday:
Two 6.5 mile easy runs. Felt a bit tired today, but not too bad. (13/52)

Thursday:
Course preview at University of Montana Open. Traveled to Missoula and then did a 5 mile easy run, general mobility, and some strides. Felt ok. Went to Johnny Carino's for dinner with the team. Decided on running in the race tomorrow, so we will see how it goes. (5/57)

Friday:
MSU men's and women's teams both placed first in the UM Open XC meet. I ran myself and finished in 2nd place overall in 24:46 for the 8k course. I didn't sleep very well the night before the meet, but I felt ok in the race. My splits were 4:52, 10:03, 15:05, 20:10, 24:46. The second mile includes a significant uphill. I took the lead on the uphill and held it until getting caught with about 1/2 a mile to go. I stuck with the person who passed me but could not quite get back in front. Considering where my fitness is right now, I was really surprised that I ran somewhat fast. I wore spikes for the first time and I developed some big blisters on my heel. They were really bothering me the last 1.5 miles or so, especially on the down hills. I had planned on dropping out just before the finish line if I was in 1st place so I didn't take a win away from a college athlete, so it wasn't too bad getting 2nd so I didn't have to drop out. All in all, I am pretty pleased with my performance. I haven't really done any core strengthening exercises since last winter or something and I feel it cost me today. I just didn't feel comfortable running and was 'sitting' while running. I have heard the saying about feeling uncomfortable while running that it 'felt like I was trying to hump a turtle' . I am not sure what that means, but I think that is what I felt like out there??? Haha. If I remedy that and improve my fitness, I should be able to run fast. Did an easy run when we got back to Bozeman of about 4.5 miles. It was great to get back home, even after just one day. I missed my little family. (14.5/71.5)

Saturday:
Easy Run 6 miles. After practice with the team, Sierra and I sold 50/50 tickets at the football game and then lounged around the house the rest of the day. (6/77.5)

Weekly Summary:
It was fun running in a XC race again. Again, I am surprised I ran as fast as I did. Hopefully with weeks and months of consistent training ahead, I will continue to feel better and get faster. 77.5 miles in 8 runs with one race and one workout.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

September 18th to 24th

Sunday:
Long Run with MSU team up Story Hill and back. We don't have the vans available to use anymore so we ran in town. For some reason, most of the guys on the team went a little shorter on this run. We ran maybe 14.5 miles. I should have added on a bit, but didn't. (14.5/14.5)

Monday:
Did not run today. Not sure why just a little distracted and unmotivated today.

Tuesday:
Ran 6 miles on my own in the morning. In the afternoon I ran a workout with the MSU team. We did a total of 6 - 1200s. We switched back and fourth between doing 3*400 with 30 seconds rest and straight 1200s. There was 3 minutes rest after the last 400 and after each 1200. The venue was on the grass practice fields. I had a really low energy level going into this workout and I struggled a bit in the workout. I am pretty sure my fitness is better than I showed on this workout. (15/29.5)

Wednesday:
Had planned on running in the morning, but Rowan was up quite a bit at night so I watched Rowan in the morning while Sierra caught some extra Zs. In the afternoon, I did a 33 minute easy run then met up with the team and ran for 57 minutes for a run of a total length of 90 minutes. After the run we did a round of hurdle mobility, 9 times 100 yard strides, and then 8 times 40 yard flyins barefoot on the grass. Felt much better today than yesterday. (13/42.5)

Thursday:
6:15am practice in which I did 3 times 2 mile tempos with 2 minutes rest between with the team. The first 2 mile tempo was slightly uphill and was slow as we warmed up. During the second tempo I got a little fired up because I just let everyone lead the first one and it was super slow. On the second one, I seriously dropped the pace and one of the guys was trying to pass me just to be in front I guess. I wondered why they hadn't gone faster on the first one instead of passing me when I was out front with an honest pace on the second. I have to be careful when I run with the team. I try to hone my competitiveness and do so for the most part, but deep down I am always ready for any and all challengers so to speak. The third two mile tempo was a pretty honest pace so I just tucked in and cruised it home with the guys. All together this workout totaled 10 miles. In the afternoon, I ran 6 miles easy. (16/58.5)

Friday:
Sierra, Rowan, and did some serious hanging out in the morning, so I went for a longer run in the afternoon. I ran for 63 minutes with the MSU team and then added on another 20 minutes for a total run of about 12 miles. (12/70.5)

Saturday:
8am workout with the MSU team in the Lindley Center Softball Complex area. It was a fartlek workout of 3 min on, 2 minutes easy, 2 minutes on, 1 minute easy, 1 minute on, 30 seconds easy. The short rest before the 3 minute segment was kind of tough. I felt pretty good and comfortable during this workout. We did 5 sets for a total of 30 minutes on. Dan Jackson took some crazy turns when he was leading to keep all of us on our toes I guess:). This workout totaled about 11.5 miles. (11.5/82)

Weekly Summary:
This was a pretty good week of training, but missing Monday caused the mileage to be lower. The week totaled 82 miles in 8 runs. The Tuesday workout was a bit of a struggle, but just getting through it probably did some good.