60 Min Run (Run) --161--

LOS FELIZ -- Went on the extended Los Feliz Blvd loop into Hollywood down Gower, up Argyle and back on Franklin. Went out with easy in mind, but had many stretches of very quick pace.

The last portion of the sprint was kind of amazing. Sat up a little straighter than I feel like I usually do and kicked the legs up higher behind and felt like I was hitting a top notch speed with fairly minimal effort. Might be an exciting thing if I can figure out how to replicate that.

37 Mins Run (Run) --163--

LOS FELIZ -- Went out for the first time after 3 days off. Blew the Sunday plan and didn't have much of a window on Monday or Tuesday. Ate like hell for those days, too...for 30 percent or so. Hmmm.

Run went fine. Hard to ignore Danny who broke his freaking leg running on Sunday or Monday. Fibula. That's insane.

22 Min Run (Race) -- Belding 5k

BELDING, Mich. -- This was an awesome run. Erin, Steve, Oskie and myself all running around the Candlestone in the butt-cold drizzle. So great. It was bitterly cold just standing around, but once we got moving, I was happy with the adjustment.

My hopes of beating 22 mins weren't high given it was a cross country type of deal, so I decided to just aim for a steady pace faster than the Culver City one. There were several hills, some paths and lots of looking at your footing here and there. But it was beautiful back there (I had no idea even after passing this place a few hundred times in my life.) And the final time was decent as all get out. Surprisingly large race...very well promoted in GR, I would guess. And they had some pretty solid runners out there in my estimation.

More importantly, Steve smashed his goal of 27 mins, notching a 26:30 or something and Danny-boy turned in a 25:20, I think. Erin, after weeks off, even got in under the 30 min mark. It's nice when everyone is happy with their times. We're all moving in the right direction.

Results

Time: 22:28
Pace: 7:15
Place: 53/429
Div Place: 7/34

28 Min Run (Run)

ROYAL OAK, Mich. -- Went out around Christian's hood and my old hood. Down to Main, up to Farnum, back over to 11 and down to Campbell and back. Something over a 5k, but just a good solid run to adjust to the cold air before Saturday. It was fun to get out in the old town. Cold and almost getting hit at least once.

39 Min Run (Light) --163--

LOS FELIZ -- Nice and easy. Trying to take it down a notch.

17 Min Run (Push) --164.5--

HOLLYWOOD -- Over ta the Y, put the treadmill up to 10 for a half mile and then bounced around. Averaged somewhere under 7 per for 2 miles, ended at 2.5 in 17:40ish. Core work. A little line drill action.

95 Min Run (Push) --161--

LOS FELIZ/SILVERLAKE -- Woke up early and headed out in the early dawn hour down Los Feliz Blvd loop and back. Nice and easy. Stopped back at the house for a water and started going a bit faster on the first half of the Silverlake Reservoir loop.

Felt great at the turn and felt great all the way back. A key moment was at the little park on the backside, where a woman joined up from another street just before that steep hill. She actually took a detour to get around me as I went on the park path. I just bounded up the hill using the good form and she ended up dying by trying to muscle up. I was very surprised at the amount of strength in my legs after something around 7.5 miles.

And there was strength the whole way home. Really great run. Really impressive leap forward. Somewhere just under 11 miles, I think. The pace for most of it actually felt pretty strong.

Being a morning runner actually seems like something I'd like to be now. Getting old.

36 Min Run (Push) --163--

LOS FELIZ -- This run was just bananas. Went out for just a normal run, happy to notch a turkey in the middle days of the week. But felt good so I thought I'd farlek a few stretches. Ended up just blazing for 50 percent and pushing a solid pace the rest. This is pretty exciting.

I think the form deserves all the credit. With a stronger core, a better form and better overall mileage/minutes/fitness per week...this might actually get to where we need it to go.

38 Min Run (Run) --160.5--

LOS FELIZ -- A solid run. Basic, simple and worthwhile.

37 Min Run (Run) --163--

LOS FELIZ -- Good, solid run through the old neighborhood. Form feels great. Really thinking that this core strengthening is a key to changing levels. Bouncing up the hills and pushing the lean into flats much more easily. Like it.

One lesson I believe I've learned...workouts in this form are similar to bowling in that the benefit really adds up when you start racking them up consecutively. A run and rest day/run and rest day set up doesn't have the benefits that putting two/three/four good runs together does. You can tell you're getting better when you do it that way. The old way, that was a sure fire formula for injury, but this way...lovin' it.

On the weight front, very impressed with this weight. Didn't get out of hand, but put a few good ones back on. This is just about right where I want to be at the moment. A month from now, then we'll get into the high 150s if done properly.

34 Min Run (Push) --164--

LOS FELIZ -- Put Game 3 of the NLCS on pause before the first pitch and put in a dandy around the Hyperion loop. This was the first time I have just loved, loved, loved this course. Really fit my legs today.

Went out for a nearly 3 hour hike today and piled on a hearty brunch. Also hadn't run in two days and the last run was a sprint workout. And did some good core. So who knows. Some part of that mix added up to a sweet performance.

Really the most comfortable run I've had in memory. It just felt great and right.

Also worth noting is the increase in calories I've worked on since Friday. I don't want to change much, but it's got to be adjusted. I should be around 158 when all is said and done...but that shouldn't happen until year's end or so.

15 Min Run (Push)

HOLLYWOOD -- Went to the Y for a change of pace and beat out a solid something more than two miles in a heavy fartlek style on the treadmill. Got up to 6 min mile, down to 7:30 then back up to 6:10, down to 7:30 up to 6:30 and finished at 6. Mile was in 6:42. Then just kind of screwed around until 15 mins was passed. Would like to get a 6 min mile as a regular part of my Y workout, but it didn't seem like it would happen today.

35 Min Run (Push) --160.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Went out with the intention of an average workout but was baited into greyhounding this guy in front of me. At first I was blazing him, but something about being on his heel inspired him forward with an impressive gait and pace. So I just hung back and wondered how far he was going. He bailed a few blocks before my turn, but by that point I was into the faster pace.

I'm curious if I'm a better runner than that guy. I was hanging in pretty easily, and he seemed pretty well mentally and physically more spent than me. But who knows. He got me moving faster and it would seem I got him moving faster, too. So high tide, ships...rising. You know.

So the last 2/3rds were pretty quick and it was a good time. But I definitely felt more pushed when it was all said and done compared with yesterday. Upon weighing in, I saw why. That's 1.5 pounds lost from my previous multi-year low weight. In 24 hours. Huh? An even 160 after the shower. This is impressive weight loss, but I should probably put the breaks on this at some point and start maintaining. Or I'm going to be 150 and sick in a few months at this rate.

37 Min Run (Run) --162--

LOS FELIZ -- Another sad two day layoff turns into a good run. A new low for weight makes me happy. Nice to see the leading indicators all pointing in the right direction. The core workout seemed to pay a nice dividend today. Just went through it nice and steady. Sat into the form and focused. Good 'un.

80 Min Run (Run) --163--

LOS FELIZ -- After missing two days for various nonsense, it was important to get out on a big one. And this ended up being the biggest run since I was at Edmunds. That's a bit of time.

Went to Western and then down to Santa Monica, over to Vine and up to Frankin and back the usual way. Very impressive run, felt great, good pace and great temps and clouds outside. If only they could all go this way. A good time for all involved and speaks to the progress made in recent weeks. Moving back to the hood was a smart move for many reasons, not the least of which being running.

12 Min Run (Push)

HOLLYWOOD -- Went to the Y with Gaines and put in a very, very fast (for me) mile and a half and then assorted dashes around a gym to get some side-to-side work in. Line drills and shuffles and whatnot.