6/28-29/14. saturday 6 miles, sunday 12 miles

6/28/14 Saturday.  time was a little tight, so I ran my 6 miles from the gym to ensure I would be there for T's yoga class.  out grandview, past legion park, down marine view drive, through marina, past navy base, back up to the gym.  wasn't intending to go to fast, but ran my 6 miles in 48:48, 8:07 min/mile.  felt good, weather was nice (warmish, approx 60 degrees, overcast, not too sunny).  i really enjoy this route, lots to look at and see.  especially nice to finish a run, have about 20 minutes to recover, then do an hour of yoga.  the stretching is really good.  this was a good day.

6/29/14. Sunday. the plan called for 12 miles, my longest run in several years.  went to the centennial trail. T and E rode bikes on the trail when I ran.  they went ahead and then stopped at Machias station.  it was cool to come around the bend and see some friendly faces.  then I saw my friend adam on the trail, riding his road bike. I ran the Seattle Rock and Roll with Adam 2 years ago (I went full, he went half), and we also did the tough mudder together.  he's almost wrapped up his training for the STP (seattle to portland bike ride) which is pretty cool.  so even after a few stops to socialize, i still ran the 12 in 1:42:46 elapsed.  moving time of 1:40:28, avg moving pace of 8:22 min/mile.  this was a good pace for long run.  I used a Gu Roctaine every 30 minutes.  I took 5g of L-Glutamine prior to the run, and 1g every 30 minutes during.  refueling went well, no queasiness or discomfort.I tried some new race gear - my new "nike 2" raceday" shorts.  2", as in 2 inch inseam, split up to the waist on the sides for mobility, flat seams, laser cut edges.  sexy black shorts.  the liner was pretty tight, but i guess with a 2" inseam, its pretty important to keep everything tightly contained.    there was some sort of crazy deluge of rain at about mile 7.  it seriously dumped buckets, rained so hard i couldn't see the trail.  the rain washed sweat into my eys and it burned so bad i was cursing, shaking my fist at the heavens.  my shoes/socks soaked up so much water I could barely run.  it felt like i my shoes and socks weighted 10 pounds per foot.  but i stuck it out and kept running.  I was so glad to get this one finished.  left me stiff and sore, going into a step down recovery week.

so that's it, an 18 mile weekend is over.  my 30 mile week is wrapped up.  I am over 600 miles into my training.  I have 12 weeks and 5 days to go...

6/27/14. thursday. 3 mile run. strength 3.

woke up at 3:15am, to send A off on his class trip to the east coast.  couldn't go back to sleep, ended up going out for my run at 4am.  it was warm, about 60 degrees.  it was dark when i left, but when i hit the far end of my 3 mile loop, i could see the sky beginning to get light in the east.  it was incredibly beautiful - orange/red at the horizon, bleeding into blue, then purple, then dark, as you panned your eyes from the horizon, up and and overhead.  wow, I'm glad I could see this.

on the other hand, it was a very hard 3 miles.  less than 11 hours after yesterdays's 10K.  I'm stiff and sore.  it was a trial to force myself to run every step.  definitely not easy, and the lack of sleep will catch up with me.

hit the gym after work for strength 3. Not too bad, kbell rows, dips, calf raise, GHD situps and back extensions. I intentionally set up the 3rd of the week to not be too bad on the legs. Took a long time, but worked hard.  

Looking forward to a rest day. Then a tough weekend. Longest run in several years coming.

6/26/14. coffee. orange. almonds/cashews. spaghetti/meatballs. apple. nuts. Chicken fried meatloaf sandwich, French fries. Cheesecake.  lots of water.

6/26/14. wed. longish run.

it was hard to run 10K today.  this is a another step-up week, target of 30 miles total for the week.  I am really stiff and sore.  my gait felt so forced and unnatural that when i started to run, it felt like i was running on stilts.  but it was beautiful outside - 69 degrees, 50% humidity, very sunny.  I ran in the shade as much as possible, and it was noticeably cooler.  there was also a very nice breeze for most of the run.  i seriously wore the minimum amount of clothing you can get away with, and still be legal.  shoes, socks, running shorts (2 inch inseam, side split).  i still sweat a lot while running, but i was more comfortable.  as far as what other people think when they see me?  not my problem, I'm training.  6 miles felt long for a midweek run, but i know it will only get longer from here on out.  still managed to hold an average moving pace of 8:27 min/mile (7.1 mph).  probably running a little too hard, but i tend not to watch my pace and just run by feel.

6/26/14. coffee. orange. almonds/cashews. greek meatballs/cucumber/tomato/roasted red pepper/feta on a pita, snap peas. lunchmeat/cheese. spaghetti/meatballs, salad. probably 3/4 of a pound of cherries.  lots of water.

6/23-24/14. mon - strength 1. tues - run and strength 2

6/23/14. monday.  hit the gym at 5:30am for strength 1.  strict presses, pull ups, bench presses, GHD situps and back extensions.  felt fine.  it was nice to have a rest day from running.  everything from about the waist down aches from the double run weekend.  regular day in the gym, just trying to keep my strength up.  kept the weights constant from last week, it was a pretty good morning.

6/24/14. tuesday. up by 4:40am, out the door before 5am for a 3 mile run.  it was pretty warm, 58 degrees, and about 90 percent humidity (it had rained lightly over night).  it was not dawn, but getting light enough to see.  the woods looked very mysterious and inviting, that specific sort of twilight lushness and dampness and dark green that the pacific northwest forest gets when the sun is gone.  i enjoy this weather.  I with i could have trail run, but there's not enough time to get that spontaneous on a day when i need to get to work.  hit the gym after work for strength 2, mostly legs.  back squats, deadlifts, front rack barbell lunges, toes 2 bars, pistol progressions.  my legs are still aching from the weekend.  working them out actually made them feel a little better, but i fear for wednesdays longish run.  it may be tough.

this is another step up week.  by the end of Sunday, I will have run 30 miles in the week (5 runs, 3-6-3-6-12).  this will be the highest mileage week I have had in several years.  I'm already sore, so it may be a long, slow, tough week.

6/21-22/14. pace run, 10K. Long Run, 11 miles

6/21/14. Saturday.  Hal called for a 6 mile pace run (desired long distance race pace).  ran practically naked - shoes, sock, 2" shorts (plus ipod and GPS watch).  felt free and easy.  my goal was to keep it to 8 min miles (6 miles in 48 minutes).  My loop was a little long, so i ended up running 10K.  I hit 6 miles in 46:30, then closed out the 10K (6.22 miles) in exactly 48:00.  avg moving pace of 7:43 min/mile - i felt like I ran this pretty hard.  I always start my runs with a steep uphill.  it winds me a little, slows me down, and stabilizes my early pace (slow).  then i have to play a little catch-up over the rest of the run to get my average pace down to what I want..  but i was glad to be able to maintain my desired pace for the average.  after the run, i did an hour of yoga over at the gym.  it helps me recovery faster, and its cool my wife does this at our gym.

6/22/14. Sunday.  11 mile Long Run, the longest I have run for well over a year.  I figured this was as a good a time as any to start re-conditioning myself to run carrying gear and hydration, etc.  So I broke out my Nathan HPL hydration pack, loaded it with 1.75 liters of water.  my plan was to maintain 9 min/mile.  I wanted to refuel every 30 minutes.  So I carried (2) Gu Roctaine and a (2) 1G L-Glutamine capsules.  I also took 5G of L-Glutamine about 20 minutes prior to running.  refueling every 30 minutes went fine - its been a few years since my last gel, and my stomach compained a bit.  about 3-5 minutes after each Gu, I got a little nauseous, but it was manageable.  drinking while running is a skill.  its like you have a choice to either breathe or drink.  so frequent small sips from the bite valve are about all i can handle.  i forgot what it was like to run bearing gear - i felt like i was headed out on safari.  ipod/headphones.  sunglasses. Nathan pack with 1.75 liters water. (2) Gu Roctaines. (2) 1G L-Glutamine caps. GPS watch. Runner's ID. I felt burdened, but i still knocked out 11 in 1:36:31 (avg moving pace 8:46 min/mile).  so i stayed on track with my goals.

all in all, it was a good weekend.

6/19/14. run and strength 3.

***only 100 days until the Berlin Marathon***

not enough time, not enough time.

up at 4:40, out the door by 5am, knocked out 3 more tough miles.  was feeling pretty stiff the morning after running a fast 10K, but i ran my 3 per plan.  it was a little gray/overcast/gloomy, but i'm OK with that.  not too cold is probably better than hot, I guess.  it was pretty desolate out there this morning.  no walkers or runners, and I hardly saw any traffic.  alone on the road seems to be the norm for 5am run.  at least i don't have to get hung up at the crosswalks or stoplights, i can just cruise on through.

strength 3.  this is the extra day i have added in.  bench rows, dips, calf raises, GHD situps and back extensions.  used a 53# kettlebell for the rows, did all dips unassisted, and went a little heavier on the calf raises.  probably try to keep upping the weight on the calf raises until they start to scream.  your calf is a huge and dense muscle.  I have read you really need to get aggressive (weight and reps) if you want to see any benefit from calf work in the gym.  I took an extra 20 minutes to roll out my legs after working out.  quads, hamstrings, glutes, IT band, and calves.  I felt much better after.  seriously, if you don't use a foam roller, and don't know where to start, read this...
http://greatist.com/fitness/how-foam-roll-pro

its easy, and produces fantastic results.  I try to squeeze this in as often as possible.  so i finished up the day feeling pretty good, but very ready for a rest day.  trying not to look ahead, because the weekend will be really tough.

6/19/14. coffee. orange. almonds. sauteed sausage/onions/cabbage on pasta. peas. apple. protein shake. cottage cheese. BBQ chicken salad. cake.  lots of water.

6/18/14. longish run.

the plan called for a 6 mile run, but i ended up doing a 10K (my loop for 6 miles is just a little longer than it needs to be).  the weather was good - approx 62 degrees, sunny.  ran in just shoes, sock, shorts.  if its over 60 degrees, and the sun is shining, i cannot stand to run in a shirt.  even a singlet seems like too much.  when i have to add my hydration pack on sunday, i will be sorry.  I ran this 10K a little faster than planned.  I didn't watch the pace and ended up at 8:13 min/mile avg moving pace, 10K in 51:06 elapsed.  it was hard, I felt stiff and sore while running.  I couldn't allow myself to think about all 6 miles at once while running.  I couldn't allow myself to worry about doing 5K tomorrow morning, or 6 miles at pace on saturday, or doing 11 miles on sunday.  i couldn't dwell on the fact that this is on track to be my highest mileage week in several years. i had to push all that out of my head and just try to concentrate on the next landmark.  think about small discrete goals that were well within my scope.  think about particular upcoming intersections, or hills, or landmarks on my path.  Just worry about getting to the next small goal, then pushing past.

I was really stiff/sore after the run.  maybe if i had been able to hold a slower pace, like 8:45 min/mile, i wouldn't be as stiff?  I also should have foam-rolled after, but i just didn't have the energy/motivation.  i played a little frisbee with E, which got me moving and probably helped a bit.  I know a lot of people swear by an ice bath after a long run, but i am just not that masochistic. yet.

tomorrow - 3 more miles in the morning, the gym in the afternoon, then a day of rest!  I cannot wait.

6/18/14. coffee. granola. orange. pork tenderloin. teriyaki noodles. peas. apple. almonds. gatorade. sausage/cabbage/onion on pasta. salad. cherries. lots of water.

6/17/14. early AM run. strength 2.

up at 4:40am, out the door before 5am.  knocked out 3 miles, no problem.  it was a little chilly/damp/overcast/dark.  for whatever reason, 53 degrees and 92% humidity on a saturday afternoon feels perfect, but on a tuesday morning it is pretty discouraging.  but over the last 8 months, if i ran in the snow, and the rain, and the dark, and the fog, and the below freezing, i'm sure as shit not going to let a chilly overcast morning send me back to bed.  as much as i would have liked to go back to bed, discipline prevails.  felt fine, glad to get this one knocked out.  pretty short, but the start of a long week of increased miles.

after work, strength 2.  back squats, deadlifts, front rack barbell lunges, toes to bar, pistol progressions.  again, i felt like i was moving pretty slow, and the rests seemed to stretch a little longer.  but i maintained the same weights from last week, and I felt pretty good.  the pistol progressions (one legged squats, touch and go to a 20" box) actually felt easier than last week.  i feel stronger with my right leg than my left, which I guess is good enough reason to continue trying.  pistols were recommended as a an asymmetric strength exercise to isolate one leg at a time, and i think it is good work.  it was cool to stick around at the gym and watch my family work out.  it was nice to see both my sons working on progressions to get to toes 2 bar (one is at knees to elbows, the other is at toes to rings).  They also both did a fantastic job at their front squats.  i'm proud of them both.  and T is a monster in the gym, as always.

6/17/14. run. strength 2. coffee. apple. almonds/cashews. pork tenderloin. tomato pie. sugar snap peas. apple. nuts. protein shake. rotisserie chicken. asparagus. salad. peaches/strawberries. chococate chip cookie.  lots of water.

6/16/14. Monday. Strength 1

hit the gym at 5:30am.  I don't think i got enough sleep last night, i was feeling a little listless and unmotivated.  hit all with the same weights as last week, but it was hard.  so nothing special, some days it's just taking care of business.  this is a step-up week in miles, I need to watch my energy and disposition.  I can't afford another over-training/recovery episode, and I cannot risk an injury.

6/16/14. strict press. pull ups. bench presses. GHD situps/back extentions. protein shake. coffee. apple. almonds/cashews. marinated/grilled hanger steak. loaded baked potato. fresh sugar snap peas. apple. dinner.  lots of water.

6/14-15/14. sat. sun. 5 mile pace run. yoga. 6 mile sunday.

6/14/14. Saturday. Hal called for a 5 mile pace run.  in a pace run, you try to maintain the pace you want to be able to hold for your longest distance run, someday.  My goal was to run my 5 miles at a steady pace of 8 min/mile.  but i also wanted to run it without watching the pace on my GPS watch.  i wanted to just see if i could hold a steady faster pace without constant input/reinforcement.  i just wanted to go out, run 5 miles at what felt like a pretty hard pace (but not as fast a 5 mile race pace), and see what I held.  when i wrapped it up, my average moving pace was actually 7:32 min/mile.  a little faster than my goal, but not too bad and I didn't feel horrible afterwards.  so i can call the 5 mile pace run a success.  It was absolutely perfect weather for a fast run.  52 degrees, 93% humidity, cool steady mist that kept you from overheating.  just a good run.  then i followed it up with about 20 minutes of foam rolling and an hour of yoga at the gym.  nice class, 5 of us, just right.  yoga really helps me with my recovery time.


6/15/14. sunday.  father's day.  Hal called for a 6 mile run.  T rode her mountain bike and kept me company.  i kept my pace slow enough so i could talk while running.  this is exactly what Hal says to do (maintain a training pace where you can comfortably have a conversation while running) but i never have anyone to talk to.  so this was really nice.  I dropped 5 mg of L Glutamine about 30 minutes prior to the run . I wasn't expecting the run to be traumatic, so I didn't really expect the L Glutamine to really help my recovery much, but i was more interested in whether my body could handle it with no issues.  everything was fine.  I think next sunday's run is long enough to carry water and gu and an L Glutamine capsule.  i guess its about time to start practicing the techniques I will need in Berlin.  use my long run days to prepare for actual hydration/supplementation while running.

so this wrapped up a decent weekend, but these were still short runs.  this is a big step up week coming - next calls for a 6 mile saturday and an 11 mile sunday.  I fear for the worst.

6/12/14. run and strength 3.

up at 4:40am or so, on the street by 4:50am, knocked out 3 miles in about 25 minutes.  acceptable pace.  still feeling those pistols, though.  in the dark, wearing a t-shirt without my nike flash jacket, here is what the NB armbands look like, side by side with the nike flash.  not nearly as visible, but i can't run in the jacket once its over about 50 degrees...

hit the gym for a third time this week.  trying an extra day/routine.  did bench rows with a 53# kettlebell, matador dips, free-standing barbell calf raises (only 95#, but it was a little trial/error this week figuring out how to set this one up), GHD situps and GHD back extensions.  dips were tough.  by the middle of the second set, I could only hit them one at a time.  slow going.  but it was good to get a little extra gym time in this week.  I have a little bit of a mileage step-up starting next week.  going from approx low 20s to about 30 miles per week.  we'll see what the energy level is like by the end of next week.

6/12/14. run. strength 3.  coffee. orange. almonds/cashews. ham/cheese sandwich. cole slaw. sugar snap peas. protein shake.  12 ounce top sirloin. loaded baked potato. fancy ass salad.  2 dinner rolls.  bowls of peanuts.  lots of water.

so I'm not really a runner. seriously.

last week, when i was sitting waiting for Mike Allsop to start his presentation about his climbing/adventuring/running/piloting, i was talking to a guy sitting at my table.  he asked "are you are a runner?"  to which I immediately replied, without thinking, "no, of course not".

seriously.  I'm not a runner.  i'm not an athlete.  i'm not into sports. i'm not a fitness enthusiast.  i'm definitely not a jock.  never have been, never will be.

then he asked me a few more questions...

"well, do you run at all?" to which I said, yeah, maybe a little bit. like 5-6 times a week. but only 20-30 miles a week.
"have you run a marathon?" full or half I asked?  then i said, well, i've run both i guess.  yeah, actually i once ran 2 fulls in one month, two summers ago.  set my PR on the 2nd one.
"are you training right now?" kind of, yeah, a little bit.  I'm going to run the Berlin Marathon in September.  yeah, that's right, Berlin Germany.  No, I wasn't already going there, the trip is specifically for the marathon.
"do you go to the gym?"  not really. well, maybe a little, but definitely not more than 4 times a week, counting 1 day of yoga.  in fact, usually only 3 times a week right now.

at which the conversation kind of died down.  I still don't feel comfortable telling people i'm a runner.  i have no training.  I don't have a degree or a certificate.  or a license.  I'm not particularly good.  i'll never qualify for boston.  i'm not ELITE.  but i wonder what it takes to be a real runner.

I put my training ahead of most everything else.  I follow The Plan like its engraved stone.  i run in the shittiest weather imaginable.  i go to the gym at 5:30am when i want to sleep.  I run in the dark when the rest of the world is sleeping.  some days i run in an elevation mask to restrict my breathing.  i run when my legs hurt.  i lift when my shoulders ache.  i eat to perform.  i read autobiographies of ultra-marathoners.  i watch documentaries about strongman competitions.  i actually got a copy of Trailrunner magazine in the mail this week.  and i read it cover to cover.  i make my family work out with me.  i track my runs with a GPS watch and i post it on-line.  then i analyze the data.

I guess i 'm a little bit a runner.  only for a little while.  don't hold it against me.

6/11/14. wed. longish run.

whew.  was really feeling those pistols from tuesday.  its not that out of the ordinary that i have to run on sore/stiff legs.  running 5 miles the day after strength 2, i kind of expect some of that in the quads and calfs.  but after those pistols - wow, I have never felt my hamstrings like that while running.  brutal.  plus it was hotter than hell - at least 70 degrees and sunny.  and i hit every stop light along the way.  but enough complaining, the good news is that i was able to hit that zen run, the one where you finish and you don't really remember anything about it.  you did it, and you maintained a reasonable pace, but you have no real recollection of it and you don't remember the difficulty. its not that it wasn't hard.  far from it.  i know that every step of the way was a mental decision to keep going, and it was difficult as always.  but when it was over, it was over and gone.  like it hadn't happened.  its really nice when this happens.

6/11/14. coffee. almonds/cashews. orange. chicken bog. peas/corn.  ham and cheese.  teriyaki pineapple turkey burger. cole slaw. sweet potato fries. cherries with a shortbread cookie.  reese's peanut butter eggs (found some easter candy hidden in the freezer).

6/10/14. run. strength 2.

up at at 4:35am, on the street by 4:50 am, knocked 3 early am miles.  it was a little chilly, so I wore a long sleeve shirt.  didn't see hardly anybody out on the street - a walker or 2, only one other runner.  maybe the enthusiasm of summer has worn off already?  the first run of the week (after a rest day) is always the easiest.  avg'd an 8:17 min/mile pace, but i didn't really feel like I was pushing too hard. 

hit the gym after work.  Strength 2: back squats, deadlifts, front rack barbell lunges, and toes 2 bar.  same weights as last week, didn't feel too terrible.  added pistol progressions.  I read the one legged squats a a good leg workout for runners to have in their arsenal - isolate one leg at a time instead of the more isometric type of lifting.  pistols are hard - i can't do them.  i started my progressions by doing the one legged squat, lowering down to a 20 inch box, touch and go.  10 per leg, 3 sets.  by the time i had 30 per leg, my glutes and hips were wailing.  I think I am going to keep these in my workout.  the gym was crowded but that was cool - it was nice seeing a lot of people around.

christmas in June - box of supplements came in the mail.  I am going to start with the Gu on the long runs (in about 2 weeks) and I saw I was down to 4 or 5 packs.  trying a new flavor - cherry lime.  hope its good.  got the bottle of L Glutamine caps, also going to give those a shot on long runs.  T wanted another flavor of NOxplode (she hates my blue razz) so picked up a jug of lemonade.

6/10/14. run. strength 2. coffee. almonds/cashews. stuffed poblano peppers. peas. protein shake. BBQ chicken taco salad. strawberries and shortbread. lots of water.

6/9/14. monday. strength 1.

Hal calls this "crosstraining" day, so i call it a day to get in the gym.  same as last week: strict presses, pull ups, bench presses, GHD sit ups, GHD back extensions. same weights as last week, felt good.  lower body still feels fairly stiff from the weekends running, but this day off should go a long ways towards fixing that.

I'm going to try a new supplement on long run days (anything over 10 miles).  Mike Allsop recommended to me that I give L Glutamine a try.  he talked about using L glutamine during his marathon runs to aid in recovery.  he also feels that it helped to keep him from hitting the wall during distance. i did some online research.  may help, may not.  its a non-essential amino acid.  some people think it may aid in recovery and tissue re-building.  some think it helps in endurance, and converting glycogen to energy, and help prolong your body's energy stores.

either way, its pretty cheap, so i'm going to give it a try on some long runs.  5g before the run, then 1g every 30 minutes while running.  as my long runs get over 10 miles (in about 2 weeks), I will begin to re-introduce Gu packs every 30 minutes while running, and also try out the L Glutamine.  Which neccessarily means hydration, so I will need to start wearing the nathan hydation back pack again.  For the runs of 10-15 miles, I could probably just get away with my belt/bottles, but i may as well just dive in and start wearing hte pack again.  it will be training for Berlin.

6/9/14. strength 1. protein shake. coffee. orange. almonds/sunflower seeds. cashew chicken. peas. white rice. apple. nuts. chicken bog. sauteed kale/bacon. spinach salad. apple pie.

6/6-8/14. rest/stretch. 3 miles and yoga. 9 miles.

Friday.  my rest day, but i hit the gym at 5:30am for some mobility work.  T will go the gym by herself any hour of any day, but she seems to love dragging me out of bed on my Friday rest day to go to the 5:30am class.  Must be revenge for when I used to drag her with me to the 5:30am friday class on her day off from work.  So I foam-rolled and band stretched and worked some mobility issues while she WOD'd.  it was nice to loosen up a bit, but i sure could have used the sleep.  at lunch hour at work, Mike Allsop gave a presentation.  Mike is an ANZ pilot and an adventurer.  He summitted Everest.  He ran the highest elevation marathon ever.  He ran 7 marathons on 7 continents, in 7 days. He gave an interesting presentation with a lot of pictures and video.  the primary message consisted of 3 points: 1. set a goal, 2. develop a reasonable plan, in bite size pieces, that will get you to your goal, and 3. never give up.  even if injury or fate causes a set back, get back up and try again.  He was a pretty cool guy.  His tales of Everest scared the shit out of me, though.  Not going to be on my list of goals, for sure!  But I won an autographed copy of his book, which I am looking forward to reading.

Sat.  early morning 5K trail run.  T's yoga class.  the trail run was awesome, as usual. since my last trip into Japanese Gulch, the ferns and plants and leaves have really exploded in growth.  i didn't recognize my way very often, ended up running some extra distance.  no problem, though, it was worth it.  and yoga, as usual, stretched me out, relaxed me, and aided in reducing my recovery time. 

Sun.  9 mile run.  this was my longest run in over a year, maybe longer.  really was a tough mental challenge to keep running past all my usual loop turn backs.  maintained an avg pace of 8:27 min/mile, which was exactly what i was shooting for on this run.  funny thing is, conventional wisdom says that you don't really see the true physiological benefits of a long run (endurance building) until after the first hour in. so basically I burned an hour on the streets, then had 16 minutes of productive running. that's truly discouraging.  some days its hard to envision that I will ever run a full marathon again, let alone in 15 weeks and 6 days...

6/5/14. thurs. run. strength 2.

Up by 4:45am, on the street by 4:55am, knocked out 3 early am miles.  its really been getting light earlier, and it felt pretty warm (just over 50 degrees).  ran in a t-shirt and shorts, felt pretty good.  i have read that if you feel pretty comfortable when you first set out (temperature wise), then you are probably over-dressed and you are going to get really hot/sweaty.  I tend to agree.  wore the New Balance LED armbands again, had a little sleeve/armband interference.  funny how the little things irritate you on a run.   but they are really visible and I feel better wearing them.  the miles went by without too much effort, time was consistent with a 3 mile training run pace.

in the afternoon, a funny thing happened in the gym - I felt good lifting weights. not stiff, not sore.  the weight didn't seem terrible.  there were a hell of a lot of people in the gym, lots going on, a lot of friendly faces.  I really enjoy that when i can get it, because the road is a solitary place.  it took me a little longer than normal to get my sets in, but mostly that was due to talking to others.  and I'm OK with that.  back squats, deadlifts, front rack barbell lunges, russian twists, toes to bar. 

6/5/14. coffee. orange. almonds/sunflower seeds. thai soup. pad kee mao. protein shake. spaghetti/meatballs. salad. more cherries than a human should eat in one sitting.  lots of water.

6/5/14. wed. 5 mile, mid-week "longish" run

was very pressed for time, had to get E to a little league game by 4:30.  stressful trying to get up early, work all day, hurry home, run 5 miles, get him to the game on time.  wasn't an easy day.  my GPS watch died after about a mile.  I must have left it on after tues morning run, and 36 hrs later it was dead.  i know my 5 mile route, and i know when i started and finished.  so although i couldn't watch my pace or track my miles, I know I ran more than 5 miles in about 43 minutes.  avg pace of 8:36 min/mile, which is pretty much what i was shooting for.  i probably over-ran by about a tenth of a mile, because depending on the route my run finishes at slightly different point in my neighborhood.  so in all likelihood, i probably had a slightly lower pace (a little more than 5 miles in the same 43 minutes).  got all my requirements done in the day, but i am told i may have been a little grumpy and snappy.  i doubt it though.  i'm pretty sure it was everyone else.

6/5/14. run. coffee. orange. nuts. pasta/sausage/peppers/asparagus.  apple. granola. salami/cheese sandwich. nuts. chicken teriyaki, rice.  lots of water.

6/3/14. tues. 3 miles at 5am.

i knew it was going to be a busy day, so I got up early and ran before work.  woke up at about 4:00am, tried to sleep on and off until 4:30, procrastinated getting up until 4:45, then on the streets by 5am for a 3 mile run.  it was actually warm enough to run in just a t-shirt and shorts.  i felt bad not wearing my nike flash jacket, but I wore my 2 New Balance flashing LED armbands.  they are nice armbands and the flashing LED is a wrap around surface.  they are very visible and eye-catching.  but i don't care for the attachment straps.  they loop back in a slot to shorten, like a strap for backpack, but they slide until they are played out.  there is enough adjustment with the other end doubled over (velcro to hold it shut), but i don't think its a good design.  when i got those armbands (christmas) i was also given a New Balance LED "stirrup".  it clips onto the back of your running shoe and is a really bright flashing LED strap.  unfortunately, the stirrup design sucks and it pops off your shoe.  i have tried to run with it twice, and it popped off within half a mile each time.  I cannot recommend the stirrup.  the armbands at least stay on, and are really good functionally.  just a crappy strap design.

very visible, not too bad design, but not a great strap: http://www.newbalance.com/Safety-Armband/52016,default,pd.html?dwvar_52016_color=Black_with_Red&start=3&cgid=116500

very visible, seems cool, but really poor design and probably not tested at all (popped off my shoe after half a mile, every time): http://www.newbalance.com/Visto-Shoe-Light/52025,default,pd.html?dwvar_52025_color=Black_with_Red&start=2&cgid=116500

got the run out of the way before work, so I could attend family business after (dinner with parents, orchestra concert, etc).

6/3/14. run. coffee. orange. almonds/peanuts/cashews.  pork roast. corn. ramen. apple. tea. a "special" burrito the size of my forearm from wrist to elbow. nachos. lots of water.

6/2/14. monday. strength 1.

nothing special today.  back in the gym for strength 1.  no run planned today.  this was just one of those days when you just get into the gym and follow the plan.  nothing spectacular, wasn't too enthused, just staying on plan and trying to do some lifting.  this was my first set of pull-ups since Murph.  seemed especially tough, but this must have just been mental.  its been a week, so I am sure I am recovered physically.  Strict Presses, pull ups, bench presses, GHD sit ups, GHD back ext.

read an interesting article linked by crossfit everett this morning.  my main take away from this was a nice summary of the "basics" that need representation in your regular training plan. (from http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=5795651 )

1. Look for Gaps.  In programming, I keep my eye on two basic concepts that open the way for a third. First, I'm all about looking for gaps in training. Gaps consist of anything you should be doing, but aren't doing. Here's my list of the fundamental human movements: Push, Pull, Hinge, Squat, Loaded Carry, (Everything Else).

So I think I am hitting the Push (strict presses, bench presses, push ups), the Pull (pull ups), the Hinge (deadlifts), the Squat (back squats), Everything else (weighted lunges, sit ups, back ext, toes to bars, russian twists).  I think I would like to work in some farmer carries to cover the Loaded Carry.  I also want to work in some bench rows (another Pull).  Seems reasonable to me.  I also want to learn how to use the Rogue Reverse Hyper we have in the gym.  I think it might help my hamstrings.  I am really feeling like I need that 3rd day in the gym.  things are too busy this week with the family (orchestra concert, little league games).  Starting next week I'm going to add the 3rd day and keep it up for as long as i have energy (maybe until the miles really start to add up on a weekly basis).

6/2/14. Strength 1. protein shake. coffee. orange. almonds/peanuts/cashews. shishkabob (beef, peppers, onions, mushrooms) and noodles. apple. nuts. shrimp/tomatoes/orzo. salad. cherry pie. lots of water.

on the move challenge update...

well, as i mentioned, i appointed myself the captain of my work group's "On the Move" Team.  As in, i created a team, and i invited the group to join it.  I have 11 people on the team. i have been giving updates in our group meetings.  i plan to expand into fitness/health/nutrition info in my presentations.

the guy i challenged to run his first 5K?  he has run approx 40 miles since I created his plan.  he is on track for a 5K, and has signed up to run the Everett Yankee Doodle Dash on 7/4/14.  So far, 2 other people on my team have signed up for the 5K.  I'm going to sign up my whole family(T, A, and E).  We'll all run it together.  Nice, yeah?

I talk about crossfit at work, to anybody that seems remotely interested.  and to some that don't seem interested.  its hard not to proselytize, or to sound like a zealot.  but its so hard, when something is such a big part of your life, and such a big part of your family's life.  when you see the incredible positive results you have made in fitness and health, and when you have made such incredible friends, its hard not to want to share it.  so one of my co-workers on my team expressed interest.  i gave him a business card, got his assessment set up (and he completed it last friday) and he's staring the foundations class this week.  he seems interested in it, and I think he'll stick with it.  I'm excited to have someone else at work to be able to talk working out with.

so chalk up 2 successes for me so far...

5/31/14-6/1/14 5 mile pace run. 8 mile longish run.

saturday Hal called for a 5 mile pace run.  so this would be trying to hold the pace you think you would like to be able to run for a long distance.  I wanted to maintain 8 min/mile for my 5 mile run, which would have been a 40 min run.  it was hard.  I felt like i was working, not taking it easy.  i'm sure my HR was up, i know i was breathing heavy.  i finished my 5 miles in 39:04, for an avg pace of 7:49/mile.  I was pretty happy with that.  It will be hard to try and maintain that pace on longer pace runs, but that's what training is for.  I managed to hit T's yoga class in the afternoon.  this was really good for me.  I know I like to bust on the yoga class, but i really feel it helps shorten my recovery time after the long runs and I am hoping it is another tool in my box that is helping to keep me injury free.

Sunday's long run was 8 miles.  it was little league day at the mariners game, so i needed to get up early and knock my miles out so we could have the day downtown.  i was up at 6am, and on the streets by 7:30am.  coming the day after the pace run, this felt like a long run on tired legs.  good training.  I really allowed myself to go slow, and take it at whatever pace felt right, not pushing it at all.  ended up running the 8 miles in 1:09:57, so just under an hour and ten.  felt fine, held an average pace of 8:45 min/mile.

all in all, it was a good running weekend.  the weather was fantastic, i managed to get it all down and still spend some time with my family.  this was a good one.