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inspire me (4)

Saturday - April 12

Bike

1h 27m 30s
27.00 miles
18.51 Mi/hr

Two easy laps at CCREZ

Run

53m
5.70 miles
09m 18s /Mi

Easy run... some strides, but mostly just an easy F4 run.

I love music, but only listen to it in the car sporadically. Generally I listen to the talking heads and the call in shows. Yesterday, I found a CD in a thrift store as I was driving through the high country. Whiskeytown's final album, "Pneumonia" and gave it a few listens. I liked Whiskeytown back in the 90s a bit, but I preferred the alt-country stylings of bands like Uncle Tupelo better. For those of you who don't know, Whiskeytown was balladeer Ryan Adam's first band - before he broke big. Anyway, The weather was dank and I-70 was closed in both directions... At a certain point I pulled over near the top of Loveland Pass and just watched the snow fall in the headlights of the passing cars. I popped a "road soda" and waited for the traffic to move a little faster... Since I only had one CD in the car (yes, I have gazillions of cd's!), and the AM dial was not audible I just sat there and listened to "Pneumonia" over and over. Sometimes that's the only way to "get" a record. Anyway, as it turns out, my mood was primed for sad, beautiful music and a couple of songs stood out. I particularly liked the song, "Jacksonville Skyline" which finished with these aching words: "Somewhere the night sky hangs like a blanket - Shoot it with my cap gun just to make it seem like stars" I love finding music in the junk stores Sit and Listen To the Rain Sit around dream away the place i'm from Used to feel so much, now i just feel numb Could go out tonight but i ain't sure what for Call a friend or two i don't know anymore Sit and listen to the rain Sit and listen to the rain Gonna ride down to the river where it runs Gonna watch tv and pray for decent reruns Sit around and dream away what I've become (dream away what I've become) Used to feel so much now i just feel dumb Sit and listen to the rain Sit and listen to the rain I'll never understand this emptiness I'll never really try to understand i guess I'll never understand this emptiness I'll never really try and understand Try and understand, i guess Sit around, dream away the place i'm from Used to feel so much, now i just feel dumb Could go out tonight, but i ain't sure what for Call a friend or two i don't know anymore Sit and listen to the rain Sit and listen to the rain

Health data: Sick: 1

inspire me (16)

Friday - April 11

Run

1h 57m
12.80 miles
09m 08s /Mi

Trail run...

Lair O' The Bear...

MUD, SNOW, WIND, SUN!

3000 feet of ascent

Had to make a .6 mile detour... Ramone got lost!

10 more little reasons to VOTE! Photobucket

BTW, the image of the homeless guy and the beer sign is not something I agree with... I do not pretend that most homeless people only want to get loaded (but if they choose to or need to, so be it). Instead it is a juxtaposition that hopefully illustrates how stupid the idea is that homeless people choose to live this "lifestyle" and that they are just druggies, crazies and losers. I think it is fair to assume that the poor soul in the photo would prefer to sleep in a warm bed! Be kind.

Health data: Sick: 1

inspire me (6)

Thursday - April 10

Bike

46m
15.00 miles
19.57 Mi/hr

Rollers
Watched NASFERATU: The original 1929 Dracula silent movie... Very cool and spooky.

Run

50m 30s
6.11 miles
08m 16s /Mi

2 laps of the Snug runners course... easy. Tight calves.

Health data: Sick: 1

inspire me (7)

Wednesday - April 9

Bike

1h 21m
25.00 miles
18.52 Mi/hr

Rollers.
Watched a movie: The Devil Road in on Horseback... About the Darfur Genocide. Watch it... write your congressman.

Run

51m 50s
6.60 miles
07m 51s /Mi

Easy run wash park

Rest day. I may jog and/or spin out on the rollers, but nothing intense planned for today... time to get healthy. 95 miles in a week is 15 miles more than any other 7 day period for me (in the last 5 years). I also had two quality runs (6:25 pace with dills and then a 6:48 pace with headwinds for 14 miles yesterday) plus a 20 miler over the last 3 days. I would like to find a 5K race next week or I may do an Alan Culpepper favorite... 2 x 20 minutes at race pace. 10 days out, I want to do 8 Yassos hopefully all at 2:40-2:49... I may do one more long run... If I do, I'd like to run it with at least 7 miles at race pace. I'm feeling pretty confident. I had an abbreviated training cycle for this marathon (about 6 weeks not counting upcoming taper) but I have run well... My base was good to begin with and I began this cycle on Feb 23 with a 20 miler (6:47 pace) and then two weeks later PR'd in the half marathon distance (6:06 pace). This cycle has been much more difficult than normal for me, however. I had two injuries - albeit they were short-lived - and a nasty chest cold virus that I am almost over. I pushed the envelope for sure... running through my injuries and then upping the ante during my illness with my biggest running week ever. I wouldn't recommend doing this as it has been hell! But I rolled the dice. I didn't have the time to back off training and I risked getting more injured or more sick. I think I dodged a bullet this time! Cycle highlights: 6 x 20 mile runs (longest 22.5) PR in the Half Marathon 1:19:57 2 x 17.2 mile trail runs with 5000 feet of ascent 1 Yasso session 4 800s at less than 2:45 4 weeks of running at over 60 miles - 2 of those over 70 7 day period with 95 miles logged a handful of 12 - 16 mile days with a Lair of the Bear 12 mile trail run Ran the first half of the Marathon course at near race pace Cycle to dos: One more 20 miler - tentative might not do it. Run a <17:30 5K - two weeks out from mary Run 8 yasso 800s (2:40s) - 10 days out from mary Cherry Creek Sneak 5 miler in under <30:00 - 7 days out from mary Last week rest, hydrate, build glycogen stores, rest... stay positive MAY 4th: Run mary in 2:49:59 or better (6:29 pace)!

Health data: Sick: 1

inspire me (7)

Tuesday - April 8

Run

1h 35m
14.01 miles
06m 47s /Mi

Went up to Fort Collins to run the first part of the Colorado Marathon course. Sara (snowgirl) was cool enough to drive me to the starting point 15 miles up the Cache La Poudre. I should have started earlier in the day cuz when I got to the start the wind was howling and shooting straight up the canyon - giving me a nice headwind to contend with. This sort of screwed my plans cuz I wanted to run easy at race pace but I couldn't sustain race pace and keep my HR below LT... so I backed off. Plus, I've been pretty sick and todays miles put me at like 95 over the last 7 days and I did develop some knee soreness at about mile 8. So with all that, I just ran the course hard and tried to keep all of my miles below 7 m/p mile, which I did. Although I didn't get the confidence boost I wanted today, I did get a new respect for the course and even though there is a net loss it does begin at over 6000 feet and I need to be cognizant of this and not take the course for granted. Still, I'm pretty sure, once healthy, rested and hopefully without headwinds on race day, I should be able to comfortably knock off about 20 secs per mile over the first part of the course and still have enough gas in the tank to run hard for the second half of the course. The key now is to get some good tempo/track work in and get myself rested and healthy.

JUST IN:
I was at www.runcolo.com (my friend Simon's race forum) and found this piece of information. This made me feel much better about todays effort since the headwinds that I was running into were sustained and ranged between 5 and 20 mph.

runcolo:
As a runner it’s important to know how the elements affect your performance. Even when a wind is not present, when racing at a 6:00 mile pace, you generate a headwind of 10 miles per hour. When that headwind picks up to 15mph, the effort to run a 6:00 minute mile is equivalent to running a 5:00 minute mile with no wind. “According to Dr. Jack Daniels’, a three-hour marathon runner loses 11 seconds per mile when running into a 5-mile-per-hour headwind and 25 seconds per mile when facing a 10 mile-per-hour headwind. That’s an extra 5 to 11 minutes over the marathon distance; but a four-hour marathoner running the entire race into the wind loses approximately 15 to 32 minutes with the same winds.”

So last night I found out that me and Alan Culpeper have something in common. During his talk to all of the F4 coaches he admitted that he has a weakness for Pringles. I actually gave them up as a New Years Eve resolution once... I lasted for most of the year but eventually gave in! Pringle Me! Photobucket

Health data: Sick: 2

inspire me (13)

Monday - April 7

Run

2h 39m 09s
20.00 miles
07m 58s /Mi

Still coughing and hacking down the trail, but yes, I am definitely getting better.

It was cold, wet and snowy out there today. For a while I could barely see the snow was so big and wet... after about the 8th mile the snow stopped but I was completely wet so the wind turned me into a Popsicle. Oh well.

My 6th 20 miler (aka my six pack) for this marathon training cycle. Not fast but I have run 81 miles so far this month on 6 days of running. Tomorrows run will put me over 90 miles in a 7 day span. I think that will be a record for me!

My HR was where it should be for this effort. Last 20 miler I was in the 140 range for a similar effort.

This is going to be a powerhouse film! Photobucket

On a symbolic note: The Olympic torch was put out two times in this past weekend in France... The "sacred" Olympic torch. FYI: Democracy does not equal capitalism... See tyrannical China for details.

Health data: Sick: 2

inspire me (6)

Sunday - April 6

Run

57m
8.70 miles
06m 33s /Mi

Ran a few miles easy then paced mark in his half mary for the last 5 miles or so. felt ok, but my quads are sore and I think I either pulled a muscle or broke my rib from coughing so much!