20 Min Run (Run) --169--

Speedwork, fartlek style around the hood toward the East. Good and good.

End of Month Roundup:

65 Mins Run (Light) --168--

Great little run out there. First part with the dog, then went over to Central and Stocker and back up by the schools. Nice out today...76 and sunny without a cloud in the sky. Kept it light very successfully. Thinking about that spot four fingers under your navel...the power chi spot thing. Also kept the feet landing as soft as possible for good stretches.

65 Mins Bike (Push)

Went out on the bike...the longest I've ever been on the bike outdoors. This is a hilly area and a hilly course, went just under 12 miles according to the map, but the important part was it lasted more than an hour. Lotsa climbs...some ridiculous ones. Some great views. Finally learned to stand on the pedals during big hills. I'm such a moron.

It was great though, blasting through miles in like three minutes on the downhills. Really fun. Great work for the legs with no pressure on the feet/knees/etc. More than that, though, is just the change of pace. Biking is very different from running and it gives the brain a chance to recharge from trotting around all the time while still stimulating it. Glad I've worked this in.

60 Min Run (light) --167.5--

Took the dog out of a light jog to get started. (He really loves running. It's weird. He gets as excited when I put my shoes on as he does about dinner. This is a very cool development for the little guy and bodes well for his continued progress toward being a good dog.)

Drank some water and headed out into Burbank and back on the light tip. Wanted to keep the nose-test at the comfortable level and did so even with the generous hills. Felt very good and focused on form. Today, I thought about my arms, my pelvis and the leg kick. Thought about the cadence a bit, too. Really hoping to get my form in good shape for the summer so we can have lotsa sweet runs. This was probably more effort than a light should be, but I've got to start being proud of light runs as much as the rest of my training or I'll end up not sticking to it. So this bastard started light and it will end light.

20 Min Run (EZ)

CASTAIC LAKE, Calif. -- Took the wife, kidlet and dog up to a nearby reservoir lake up the 5 a bit for the holiday. Good time generally and really easy to get to.

I took the dog and dragged him around for a good long walk and a few trots blended in just to get the legs loose from the race day.

5K Race (Brentwood) --167.5--

LOS ANGELES -- Took a hike up the San Vincente Blvd. course and enjoyed it. This race is populated with some of the best from around the region...lotsa sub-20 stars kicking around (19:59 came in 82nd...and turning in 6:01s wouldn't have gotten you in the top 50). Stayed within the form and the plan. Wanted to get under 24:00 and got a sub-23 split at the tenth to go mark, so I don't know official time yet, but seemed to have nailed it. JDP ran his ass off to stay ahead. He's a champ and a gamer. I didn't even bother trying to push him in the last mile. Really impressed with the mental ability to NOT push it. This race wasn't the end goal. I wasn't going for a PR. I wasn't trying to win anything. Just good race experience. This is honestly the first time I've run "smart" in a race.

The way I'm trying to look at this is each race from now on should be easier than the one before. My fitness won't go down, so I should be able to get better times with less muscle effort. Good mindset anyway. And a good goal. It's a new day, baby. Long-term running. UPDATE: Found a photo on that stupid FotoJack site. I actually like the form...(FWIW, I'm eating this guy up apparently as this is toward the end of the race and I ended up beating him by 11 seconds on the clock. BUT, hats off to him because his chip time beat me by 2 seconds. So hey, hey. Everybody wins.)




Results:

JDP = 22:54 (chip) 23:08 (clock) 176/826 (overall) 20/56 (div) 7:24 (pace)
Huddy = 23:08 (chip) 23:20 (clock) 186/826 (overall) 18/46 (div) 7:28 (pace)

40 Min Run (Push) --166--

Really tried to do the form right today and felt very light and comfy. Did a loop over to Provencia into Burbank and back, then a loop around the block with Buckley to cool down. Really good. Tried to think about the arm swing, the one-two-three cadence and keeping the heels up. Loved it.

Also of note, look at the weight spike and fall in the past two days. Within 48 hours I weighed 167, 171.5 and 166. I'm either on the verge of losing a bunch of weight and hoarding water from time to time or I'm some kind of freak.

0 Mins -- Form Work

Just working with the forms. Good times.

30 Min Bike (Light) --171.5--

Same day...4.5 pounds heavier! Holy nutso.

30 Min Run (light) --167--

Had a problem with my knee (took a spill on Saturday or something and chipped up both knees, the right one took a solid shot to the cap which has bruised up just now). And the heels are quite stiff. So I took Tuesday off. Today it was much cooler, so I took the dog out a bit quicker on the same route. Felt very good.

30 Min Run (EZ) --169--

Quick run with the pup on the recovery tip. Very hot out. 95 or higher in the sun.

30 Min Run (Push) --169--

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- With a 5k coming up next week, I figured it was time to run good 'n' hard through the distance. Put the treadmill up into the 7s and increased speed and incline throughout. Basically strong...actually, quite strong through the whole thing.

5K -- 25:27 (8:12)
3.65 Miles -- 30 Mins (8:16)

60 Min Run (Run+) --166--

Two things. First, and most important, well played picking up this week after missing the first two days with that bizarre illness deal.

Second, it was hotter than hell today. It was hot at 10a when I stepped out to warm up with Buckley. Did the first 20 or so with the dog and then the rest was supposed to be "light", but despite keeping the running light, the temperature was just too much to pretend this was anything but a grueling push. Averaged against the first 20, I rank it here. So flippin hot. Here's the graph updates to date...

20 Min Run (light+)

HOLLYWOOD -- Put in a good little trot on the treadmill for recovery purposes at 6.6 for 20 at 1 percent. Really tried to focus on form the full time. And keeping effort at a minimum. This should be a run to be repeated so that it is the standard run. Focus on form.

45 Min Run (Run) --167--

Hot out. Took the dog out for the first part, came back and got a drink and did some more. Pushed a big hill, tempted the sun for a long stretch. Kind of a light/push negative split that averages out to a run. Danged hot...85 at least.

60 Min Bike (Push) --169.5--

Hopped on to watch the latest Top Chef. Boxed lunch. Hee hee. Kept it in the tough gear the whole time with 5 min cool down. Impressive.

45 Min Bike (Run) --168--

I've had a weird stomach/intestine deal for the past few days that I think I caught from Maggie. Dammit. Anywho, I got on the bike today and got a good sweat in. Really want to get a trot in soon.

25 Min Run (EZ) --170--

Took Maggie out aroun 9p for a quick jaunt around the hood. A young man leaned out of his car to wish me a "happy mother's day". Ouch. So this was half walk and half jog. I'm feeling kinda sick to my stomach today. ick.

60 Min Bike (Run) --169--

Biked at a good level for an hour in front of Mike Tyson's greatest Vol. 1.

25 Minute Run (EZ) --168.5--

Got a part walk/part jog in with Beck and Buck. Good times. Haven't been feeling my oats this week. Throat is sore, everyone has been sick. Need to find ways to keep moving despite.

20 Minute Run (EZ)

Walk with the fam.

40 Min Bike (Push) --169.5--

Great ride out on a great day, but more important to note is the miss yesterday and the feeling today kind of wanting to avoid a run. This is the danger of pushing on any given day when you haven't planned for a push. The run on Friday was great, but much like the ones of the past where I've felt the need to prove myself on every average training run. And then, you look for excuses in the days to come as you only can focus on how much effort daily runs require. So stick to your plan! Don't push for the hell of it.

45 Min Run (Run+) --167.5--

Tried to keep this one to a "run" but kept pushing the distance or the pace. Pulled back enough to hold it back...but still this was a bit more than I wanted. It was also well over 80 degrees, so the effort was compounded. Long road!

25 Minute Run (light) -- 169.5--

Took the doggie out for a bit further than in the past. Might have even been 30+ mins. So the dog is getting more fit, no question. I'm proud of that dammm dog!