38 Min Run (base) --160.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Quick little loop. Trying to keep it together through the rain and holiday nonsense.

Endomondo

35 Min Run (base)

SAN FRANCISCO -- Went out with Buckley all over the crazy hills around the Fairmont. We got within view of AT&T Park and the pup had had enough so we turned back. Forgot my effing shoes so had to take it easy myself in Vibrams which seem to hold the key to my running future...yet also seem capable of destroying me if they aren't repected.

Insanely nice day in SF. Best urban running town in my opinion.

39 Min Run (base)

LOS FELIZ -- Quick run in the Vibrams before we leave on the Christmas trip to the Bay. Feet definitely feel stronger with the Vibrams. But still important to mix in the flats for most long mileage at this point.

32 Min Run (base)

LOS FELIZ -- Put a second Vibram run on the board for the week. I'm starting to like these things. It takes some getting used to but my feet definitely feel stronger. It makes running that much more natural. Like a wood bat compared to metal. Or something.

Anywho...like it.

Endomondo

24 Min Run (base) --160.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Did the weekly Vibram run inspired by a video of Rajon Rondo calmly claiming he was the best point guard in the NBA. I really don't understand myself sometimes. But, thanks RR.

I would say I'm getting more used to these things, but it's hard to tell immediately after. Gotta wait like 24-36 hours. I think my chances at running a blistering 5k are much, much higher in these things. Fast pace feels an eff of a lot easier in these.

24 Min Run (RACE) SANTA MONICA CHRISTMAS RUN

SANTA MONICA -- Ran this run with the rest of Team Turbo (JDP and Christine, anyway) and was surprised at the recovery. After the 10k, I figured my legs would fill up with blood and not really want to run again. But they stayed good and loose. Loved it. Just trotted it out, speed up as the miles went by and finished happy. A 24:39, I think, so got all my miles in today under 8 mins. Makes me wonder what kind of straight 5k I could have pulled. Guess that will be answered another day.

10k and 5k Results Page

...about 0.2 from the finish in both races. Hahahaha.

45 Min Run (Race) SANTA MONICA CHRISTMAS RUN

SANTA MONICA -- Did a double race day and wound up drilling the 10k, which came first. Was hoping to just crack 50 mins on an official chipped race and ended up with 45:25. That's 7:20 per mile and a 22:42 5k split/average. Not shabby.

This race has some incredible talent. Dude who won broke 30. 4:47 a mile. Holy moly.

Really went pretty smooth. Just kept the feet moving and never pushed it too hard, knowing I had the 5k after still. Only three people of about 3000 did both races. I'm in 1000.

Also, had a 6:57 split on Mile 2. Nice little bonus there.

25 Min Run (base) --160--

LOS FELIZ -- Did a little jaunt here and there to see what the deal is the day after Vibram day. Right heel was pretty tight, rest was normal-ish. Got a sweat going. Was done.

20 Min Run (base) --160--

LOS FELIZ -- Quick loop in the Vibrams. Will do once or twice a week in the new shoesies for the next month or so.

190 Min Run (push) --156.5--

PASADENA -- The final piece of the stadium runs is now secured. Got over to the Rose Bowl and back. Considering the storylines around MSU, I figured I'd wear my Sparty shirt and take the poor boy to see the place, seeing as he by most logical measures should be playing there Jan. 1.

But whatever. Los Feliz Blvd to Glendale Blvd to Colorado to Linda Vista to Seco, loop the stadium and back. Some real characters hanging around Glendale in the early morning. It was a fairly uneventful run considering the distance. But a few highlights:

--Story at the adult foster care I was running past: "So he tried to stab me and cut my finger. Another guy got stabbed in the back. Other guy in the back, too. It was crazy."

--7-11 in Eagle Rock. Dude has a Tecate 'fan can' on counter. Sees me come up with my running kit and obvious sweat and only buying a water. He looks, thinks and reaches over to a nearby rack for a pack of peanuts. This is at 9a, mind you. Maybe I helped someone today. Important to eat something.

--USC/UCLA was already getting its tailgate on at 8:15a. Pretty cool. Some students throwing balls around, DirecTV dishes set up, lotsa RVs. I loved it. Unfortch, two folks were stabbed during a near riot later in the day at 4:30p when something like 50 fans got into a brawl. Attempted murder charges for three people. Yikes. That is certainly not the stereotype of these fans.



--The course is a challenge. It's hilly as all heck. Long grades up and down. Some steep stuff. So I'm really pretty proud of this pace. It would have been a 4:08 marathon had I kept going around the old loop and done 26.2. That's by far my best time. Feet were pretty chopped up. Some wear and tear on the hip muscles and almost had a calf cramp. But the only real challenging part was the last hill up Los Feliz Blvd. after the park. I'm not sure I've ever run up that thing, only down. And certainly not in the 19th mile of a run. Had to dig a little deeper than I thought I might...and deeper than I've dug in a while. Ha!

--Maggs and Beck followed me on Endomondo and met me when I got back, cheering me on from the front porch. That was awesome. Maggs was really excited about the whole thing.

--Brought along some raw almonds to eat along the way. Ate them while onboarding my room-temp liter of water from 7-11. So good. Really a good snack for along the way. Should consider soaking them in saltwater in the future. Had salt crystals cakes on my face and hat after this one.

--Weather was absolutely ideal. 50s pretty much the whole time and patches of sunshine. Loved it. Great run. That 3 miles around the Rose Bowl hood was kind of electric because of the pregame stuff. And it's a beautiful location anyway.

Endomondo

16 Min Run (base) --158--

LOS FELIZ -- Quick loop to loosen up in anticipation of the Saturday run. Sights are aimed on the Granddaddy.

38 Min Run (base) --158--

LOS FELIZ -- Tried to get the calf-y-ness out of my legs. Those Vibrams really test your lower calf/high ankle. I'm better off than most, I think, because my shoes have been pretty flat for some time now. But it's still quite a difference.

Just went out. Felt pretty quick for most of it. The route is pretty much what the GPS always says this route is...but why is it so effing wobbly today? Weird. It shortchanged me on the trail run by a tiny bit, but was pretty much dead on. This one today is weird. I think running later in the day the GPS doesn't read as well because on Monday it couldn't even get a signal. Who knows.

Endomondo

37 Min Run (base) --158--

LOS FELIZ -- Did the standard loop with the Vibrams and thought it was generally pretty great. I'm not in love with running in these things, but I respect them. And I'm sure I'll grow to downright love them.

But for now, it's just a bit weird. And you get to a point where your feet just kind of collapse and you can't execute any decent form. But those little muscles will strengthen and the ligaments will tighten up and I'm sure it will be great. Plus they look exceptionally stupid.

Strange moment where this chick was running and passed me twice at lights...Hillhurst and Vermont...but she must have known I was just going to pass her again. She was either really in her workout and oblivious or couldn't believe a dork in such a dweeb outfit could blaze all her Nike gear. Vibrams, a basically matching running shirt, the white running hat and those gray cloth running shorts plus glasses = birth control.

25 Min Run (base) --160.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Got some Vibram's today and took them out for a conservative 5k around the hood. Went out thinking I'd do the reservoir if they felt all normal...but to be honest, they didn't. You can feel your feet working a bit harder, getting a little more stretching/etc. Nothing resembling pain, but I figured playing it conservative would be the smart move. And I'm alway right.

Had to go across town to get them at Frontrunners. Maggs went with. It was pretty fun. These are a gift from dad, so even better. Weird little product, but I get the feeling I will like them very much. Not swearing off the racing flats yet, though.

Endomondo

97 Min Run (Race) --158.5-- (TOPANGA XTERRA)

TOPANGA CYN, Calif. -- Some crazy Xterra race up in the State Park. Ran with two members of Team Turbo, JDP and Caroline. I opted for the 15k, which was some kind of official Xterra series race for points and standings. They had some top flight runners there for sure.

I took it pretty carefully, but it was still pretty challenging. Crazy trail from mile 2 to 5. CRAZY. Like barely able to "run" upon. Shoe came untied. Hat got knocked off. Nutty.

But basically just cruised up the climbs and glided down the drops. Good time. Stopped for water and took an indulgent two minute+ urination break. If you look, I probably lost 20 or 30 places in that. But the finish was much more enjoyable. And I wasn't winning isht.

Good times. Here's a herky-jerky video, which could have shown the Pacific in the background and the Topanga State Park hills all over. And my sweet "Scary Fast" Team Turbo shirt.



Hit breakfast with JDP, Caroline and Jay Kav after at the Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica. Gorgeous day. T-day is always so awesome.

Endomondo
Official Results (Over: 118/Div:20/#597/MICHAEL HUDSON/33/M M3035C 1:37:10 10:27)
Video (Team Turbo breakfast/postgame)

36 Min Run (base) --158--

LOS FELIZ -- Did a basic loop, screwed up the GPS thing and had to cut about a mile off it so we could hit lunch with Joe/Ben/Gaines. Worth it as it was Langers.

But a nice easy loop to loosen the system in prep for Thursday. I can't believe the speed I've got in the tank thanks to all these miles. Love it.

109 Min Run (push) --155.5--

GRIFFITH PARK -- Went out in the rain and mud to charge up the hill. At some point, I'll figure out Griffith enough to not end up climbing over boulders and using bushes to pull myself up trails...what am I doing?

One portion of this must have taken me 20 minutes to go a half a mile. It was nuts. Plus, it was super cloudy, so I couldn't see where I was going or what the hell was happening. If it weren't for GPS, I would have been completely lost and had to backtrack. Pretty hilarious.



Once the thing came together, it became a solid workout. T-day run is coming right up. I'm in good position to enjoy it.

Tunnel Video
Narrow Path Video

Endomondo workout

71 Min Run

ROCHESTER, Mich. -- Ran the Painted Creek Trail which runs from Rochester to Lake Orion on what appears to be a civic path and part of an old passenger rail line. Went out pretty early just before 6a so I could hit a breakfast with a pal. Still nighttime darkness on the parts that weren't lit up. A good portion of this run was in the country, tree-lined dirt trail. I didn't have a headlamp, obviously, and saw that the six or so folks I encountered all had them. It was amusing when they were coming at me, but I passed two guys who were grinding and speaking loudly. I coughed. I spit. I kicked the dirt a bit. Nothing.

So I got about 20 feet behind and said, "Passing you on..." but didn't get the whole phrase out. Poor guys jumped out of their gear. I seriously almost gave these guys heart attacks. I plead ignorance as this was my first time out on this path and I didn't have a lamp. They seemed to laugh it off...but they were authentically freaked out at first.



Turned back at a certain point and brought it in to the hotel. Ate some apple pie last night, and I swear it affects your motivation on the run. Felt a little empty despite the awesomeness of the trail and the open/flat nature of it. Stupid sugar.

Video is a shaky mess, but shows some of the creek (swelled from a night of rain) and some of the city part of the course. Really nice little path. It connects on the South side of town with the Clinton River trail, which might go for 100 miles. I have no idea. Lotsa trails in Michigan. No one ever seems to take full advantage of these. Of course, I say this now that I'm finally using a few of them.

Endomondo workout

43 Min Run (base)

GREENVILLE, Mich. -- Did the Flat River Trail in the morning with Stever. Icy on the little bridges. Kind of treacherous, really. We both used the Endomondo thing, but Steve's appears to be underestimating the distance by about 0.2 miles. Weird. I double mapped it with MapMyRun and it matched my result.

Weird.

Good stuff. That trail is fantastic. Steve is taking on the new stride. He seemed to take to it extremely well. It's just more natural.

Endomondo

114 Min Run (base) --158--

LOS ANGELES -- Got out early so Beck could go to try out CrossFit in Pasadena. I've been really cranking up the miles, so I wasn't sure last night what I'd end up doing. But I set the sites on Staples and went for it.

Definitely felt some twinges and pangs here and there from the wear. But generally a surprisingly simple effort. Lotsa vids. I'm only going to post one in the post from now on. One pic, one video limit. I'll try to give links to other vids from the run. And I'll be linking to the Endomondo workout report instead of posting it. It's effing huge on the page. This blog looks like a ringtone store. This is one of the best so far, though. McCarthur Park...not so frightening in the dawn.



Somehow hit pause on the goofy thing and blew the GPS track. I used the splits and some simple math and think the run came in around 1:54 for 13.1 (8:42). Might be faster, more likely either right or slightly slower. But it's close.

Also, this...in-run espresso!

Endomondo
Videos (Downtown) (Staples)

56 Min Run (base) --158.5--

SILVER LAKE -- Went out in the morning as Beck would be working late and Maggs was home from daycare. No afternoon-ing today.

Love running in the morning these days. Gets the day off to a great start and feels natural. The only problem is, I just can't conjure up the will most days...would rather get a jump on the days work and save the run for later. Who knows.

Anywho...used Endomondo on Steve's recommendation and loved it. Much better than CardioTrainer. Social concept is phenomenal. Here's the embed from the workout page.

And, of course, a video...

38 Min Run (base) --157.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Got out a for a quick loop on the Old Course. Enjoyable. Things getting darker earlier. I apologize for the gratuitous video taking, but I'm loving this live camera ability.

53 Min Run (Push) --160--

SILVER LAKE -- Breakthrough run by any measure. Watched some NY Marathon on TV today and couldn't shake the idea of getting out today just to shake off the rust from yesterday. Thought about the usual loop, but thought it might be interesting to do it on the reservoir after a pretty grueling effort yesterday.

Took the little phone app and tried a minor adjustment to the form -- kicking the leg up firmly behind the tush like a sprinter...something I read about in New Yorker and saw in action during the 'thon. Took a few peeks at the GPS and saw I was doing a decent pace so I kept it up. Really started flying around the water (the only real flat portion) using the new form...took a quick vid of the sunset that might cause nausea, but is still worth capturing. Really picked people off left and right. At the flat parts I was drilling down under 7m/m.

Got around and saw I was easily besting my all-time 5 mile time by minutes. Watched the 10k arrive on one of the last uphills with the clock @ 46:58. Finished the course which was seven miles at 53:01, I think. I'll try to post the course on here, though the app is a little wonky.

The thing said my top pace was 5:20, which I might have gotten in the last sprint. Really like that leg kick thing. But this entire run was beyond expectation. Best time on this course by like 4 minutes plus.

120 Min Run (push) --157--

GRIFFITH PARK -- What a run. Took Maggs over to the park a few days ago and thought...hey, a run over to the East entrance and back across the hills might be fun. Woke up today and felt the urge.

Trying to different running programs on the new phone...started with MapMyRun which didn't work. Went back to CardioTrainer, which did. Ran all over the hills and whatnot, probably 2000 to 2500 of total elevation gain. Trying to get ready for the T-day trail run and this probably did that. Time and distance are pretty guestimate, but conservative. I'd say the distance was in the 13 range.

You can see from the vids there were some incredible hills and views. What you don't see is that I ended up fooling around and getting on some scrub trail to get over to Bronson Canyon and ended up having to descend down a rock face and ended up in some rich dudes' backyards. Snuck through the security fence and made my way to Franklin and eventually back home.

This MyTouch 4G is insane. It tracked the run on GPS (80% anyway), took live videos uploaded to Qik, took photos, got emails, texts and even made a phone call. And I checked the MSU score. Wow. No problems. Lightning fast. Love it.

One note from the hill, some mountain goat dude I passed didn't take kindly and nearly tracked me down by the time we summited. Awesome.

15 Min Run (base) --161.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Went out to try out his running app on the new phone. It didn't work very well. Will try the MapMyRun one.

40 Min run (base) --158.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Fun little loop. Ate tons of sugar today and yesterday for first time in 10 months. Ate fantastic other than that. Felt hallowed out. There was a weakness inside during this run that was undeniable. Just more evidence. Incredible really. I somewhat remember that feeling. Just an internal weakness. Like slight poisoning of motivation. Hallow.

Blew through it, though. Great stuff.

15 Min Run (push) --160.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Got a speed loop in before the trick-or-treating. Enjoyed it. Some serious wheels in there at times. The weight is pretty hilarious. Looks like it has stabilized during the Michigan trip.

Reintroducing some sugar into the diet. Stuff sticks like glue to ya.

70 Min Run (base)

BAY CITY, Mich. -- Really an awesome run. Stayed at some bland Marriott/Fairfield thing across from a WalMart in Bay City somewhere. Just ran out past the mall and tried to get out in the country a bit.

Started doing my least favorite running of all -- along side a state highway. Worst. Found a residential street and ran across to another N/S road. Ran along side that road for a bit and stumbled into a pedestrian crossing sign. In the middle of nowhere. Turns out, it was a rails-to-trails path. This seemed lucky enough to ignore that it was along some abandoned agriculture plots. Not scenic. But dedicated path! Great.



This path bumbles along for a while and runs into a weird spot by a river, so it takes a bizarre turn and ends up along a highway again. Decided to go with it a bit as it went past this sweet bar with a neon sign (photo above) and some country eating joints with the bacon and hash browns scents wafting like crazy through the lot. Then it crossed a river (photo below) which was cool.



At that point, we went from "good run" to "awesome run" as the path continues into the woods (top photo/video). Absolutely beautiful. Ran it a bit, saw some bikers and another runner. Got past that point a bit and stopped at a road next to an ice cream joint. What started as a short run turned into nearly 8 miles. I was actually running short on time, so I turned back. Had I continued even another mile, I would have been running along Saginaw Bay. What a sweet trail. If you follow it the whole way it loops around Bay City and out to the Bay...something like 17 miles. I will -- for sure -- do the entire course at some point.

Better yet, they plan on connecting the trail to the Saginaw Rail Trail and making a crazy like 30 miles course that I will also do at some point. So, so great.

40 Min Run (base)

GROSSE POINTE, Mich. -- Incredible morning for Fall running here in Michigan. Went to Jefferson and up short of the lake shore (tomorrow?) and turned back into a little loop. Great pace. Great temperature. Great scenery. Exceptional morning with all sun and a surprisingly warm temp. Went t-shirt and shorts with the little skull cap. Ideal. Ate a mess of food last night. Really should taper this eating off. That's three gut buster morning runs. Ouchie.

48 Min Run (base)

GREENVILLE, Mich. -- After spending most of Saturday eating and the evening hours watching UFC 121, very impressive we wrangled the same group together for a repeat of the river trail. Danny has some decent speed and put it into another gear toward the very end. Some good running talent in the friend group. That's 10ish miles in 25 hours...pretty good stuff for three novices.

Lotsa gut related stuff on this one, but turned out to be no sweat. I love running that loop.

49 Min Run (base)

GREENVILLE, Mich. -- Went out in the AM with Danny and Steve on the full Flat River Trail loop. Absolutely awesome. This might be one of my favorite runs. Slow and steady. A great little Saturday morning trot.


Flat River Track Club

38 Min Run (base) --157.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Raining as the old loop was completed for the billionth time. Pretty steady. I really like running in drizzle for whatever reason. Certainly cleans the air.

34 Min Run (base) --158.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Did the Los Feliz hills route for the first time in forever. Got some good pace here and there. Excellent.

110 Min Run (base)

SAN FRANCISCO -- Awesome little hilly deal all over the place. Went pretty much straight to the base of the Golden Gate. What a town for running. If I'm feeling it, I'll post the vid I took. Fab.

Took on the biggest, baddest hill I could find on the way back and almost blew my legs out. Awesome.

Looking super cool in this photo because a nice older lady insisted she take the shot for me. Best.

39 Min Run (base) --159--

LOS FELIZ -- Basic little loop on an awesome afternoon in the hood. No real excitement, good work. Need to work on keeping stride short. I think I've been slipping into a more stretched out stride during the long runs and gotten away from the true awesomeness of the new short stride.

65 Min Run (base) --158--

HOLLYWOOD -- Ran out into Hollywood on the old loop. Good times. Pretty standard. MSU/UM game. Coffee. Oatmeal. Perfect weather. Awesome.

38 Min Run (base) --157.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Did most of the usual loop. Had to hurry it a bit because of time constraints getting Maggie at daycare. But body is feeling pretty good. Giant bruise on left foot, maybe from ankle turn on Saturday? Doing pretty well. Gray and cloudy day, really top notch fall running.

55 Min Run (base) --155.5--

SILVER LAKE -- Great little Saturday trot with some good portions of speed. Great weather with a few clouds and bright blue skies. Awesome.

20 Min Run (base) --157--

LOS FELIZ -- Quick little loop loosening up the hip. Almost got killed by some chick in an Audi. Hip feels pretty solid. Tight maybe at times. Might serve to improve form even more. Who knows. Going to get back into the swing of things this week.

25 Min Run (base)

LOS FELIZ -- Did a quick loop to test out the hip. I think I did tweak the IT band, but it's not terribly concerning. I think I just cramped the thing out from use. Still figuring it out, but there's no major pain or even minor pain. It's just smarting a bit and that's weird. Absolutely beautiful weather today.

32 Min Run (base) --155.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Standard loop on a nice sunny day. Having some grumbling in the right hip socket for some reason. I think those hip flexor muscles are getting reamed in the new style and I tweaked one. So took it a little easier and cut a bit of distance off. Will keep stretching and monitor. Doesn't seem like a huge deal.

55 Min Run (base) --153--

SILVER LAKE -- Nice morning jaunt. Temps are getting awesome out here, crisp mornings with mist on the lake in the sun. Incredible. Some speedster on the track today...interesting.

Feeling well.

36 Min Run (base)

LOS FELIZ -- Got out in the morning on a Friday for a daily run. Hoping to do some good work this weekend. Really enjoying the morning timing these days.

120 Min Run (base) --152--

LOS ANGELES -- Another loop around Staples. Sunnier this time required some hydration. I think it was a bit faster, too, but not timed and don't care. Just good Saturday morning runnin. Used the 9s instead of the 9.5s. I think the 9.5s are better for extended stuff. Feet swell more I guess.

Also, went through McArthur Park this time. Awesome in the early morning. Good, good. Great run.

36 Min Run (Push) --153--

LOS FELIZ -- Back on the home loop. Really felt strong and pushed it. Actually got to the point a few times where it felt I was running with my core. Weird and awesome. Last dash was probably the best speed ever. But did it on a light breakie and lunch and felt the blood sugar collapse upon return. Nothing a bratwurst, steak sandwich and 8 pounds of fries from the new joint on Hillhurst couldn't solve. That brat is nuts.

55 Min Run (base) --154.5--

SILVER LAKE Little loop around the reservoir. Uneventful and pleasant. Some dude was burning the path and got some good pace catching up with him and backing off a few times. That dude was hauling.

29 Min Run (Race) *Danish 4 Miler*

GREENVILLE, Mich. -- Another Dansk run. And it was a dandy despite the mixed weather. Great start, decent middle, great finish. Happy with the result and the new form definitely got an endorsement with this.

Everyone (Steve, Chrish, myself) beat their goals, so that was pretty awesome. Christian is going to be as fast as he wants to be. He's all cut now after Crossfit. Pretty incredible.

Go Greenville. Pops and Jean were Grand Marshals. And Maggs got to be in the parade. It was a great time. Saw Jesse and Erin, too, before we left. Great stuff.

Place Name City Age Overall Time Pace
1 Jason Petersen Grand Rapids MI 32 8 26:54.8 6:44/M
2 Mike Hudson Los Angeles CA 33 22 28:59.8 7:15/M
3 Tom Goodwin Kalamazoo MI 32 27 29:17.2 7:19/M
4 Jason Barrus Sidney MI 34 33 30:59.0 7:45/M
5 Christian Dodd Royal Oak MI 32 36 31:03.4 7:46/M
6 Kevin Johnson Greenville MI 32 38 31:28.4 7:52/M
7 Robert Cadena Dearborn MI 34 45 31:55.5 7:59/M
8 Jonathan Reitzenstein Colorado Springs C 31 65 33:32.6 8:23/M
9 Steve Davis Greenville MI 32 84 35:46.9 8:57/M
10 James Christensen Beavercreek OH 31 121 39:38.3 9:55/M
11 Matt Bromley Greenville MI 32 143 42:31.7 10:38/M

37 Min Run (base)

GREENVILLE, Mich. -- Late night run around the Danish course with headlamps affixed. Pretty hilarious. Pontoon regatta going on so there were probably 200 cars on the road. Good timing. Easy and good.

27 Min Run (push)

GROSSE POINTE, Mich. -- Got some good speed out there and was OK with this run until I mapped it and see how short it was. Under 4. What? Drizzle and not a good deal of rest make for sub-optimal, but c'mon. Got a really decent stitch even with about half a mile to go. Weird. Anywho. Done and in the books.

45 Min Run (base)

OSCODA, Mich. -- Put about 5 in going from the cottage to the river and back along 23. Raining but hot. Traffic galore. A slog. But kind of cool. Should really find a place to run that I enjoy around there. Plenty of beauty...just not along the highway. Good one either way.

25 Min Run (base)

SAGINAW, Mich. -- Ran around the subdivision at Beck's parents' house. Good stuff. Humid as all get out.

58 Min Run (base) --153.3--

SILVER LAKE -- Took the last few days off to concentrate on work, etc and let the body kind of catch up. Not that anything felt out of place...just thought a bit of a break would be AOK considering the history of things. Went around the reservoir for fun and enjoyed it. Uneventful, good moments of pace, great weather, mattress assist and that's all.

The new form has a tremendous affect on uphill effort. It requires maybe 30 or 40 percent less effort to go just as fast. That's not bad.

20 Min Run (recovery) --155--

LOS FELIZ -- Just did a short loop to stretch the pegs out a bit. Held everything back. It's almost as though it didn't happen. Though I am sweaty.

38 Min Run (base) --154--

LOS FELIZ -- Took Sunday off for no particular reason, so went out today for a quick loop around the hood. It wasn't bad, just pretty unexceptional. Some good moments. Mostly uninspired...or what passes for uninspired these days. It was pretty solid.

165 Min Run (base) --152.5--

EXPOSITION/USC -- Three weeks and three stadiums. Now the Coliseum is under the belt. Pretty simple course almost straight down Vermont all the way, up Fig through downtown and back on Sunset. Makes a triangle that's a very cool route. Not a whole lot to report really. Straight forward and solid. Great luck with the marine layer which held until I was all the way back to Silver Lake. Awesome.

If you wear USC colors down there, people are nice to you. And one of the hottest women I've ever come across said good morning to me at a corner. Howdy, little lady.

Finishing on Sunset is really awesome. I kind of love that street from downtown to Hillhurst. Bustling little street with lots of hills and interesting people.

38 Min Run (base) --156--

LOS FELIZ -- Just a nice, easy loop. Easy pace. Some little stretches of speed up the hills, but generally easy as pie. Nice and cool today, too. Sweet.

35 Min Run (push) --154--

LOS FELIZ -- Did a simulated race without time, but had great pace throughout. Lucky with the weather. Overcast and pretty cool. Awesome. Great stuff, though. Solid first mile, picked up pace around halfway, carried it through pretty much. Not the shuffling that happened with the Thursday loop.

125 Min Run (Base) --149--

LOS ANGELES -- In the continuation of the stadium run series, I took on Staples with a dash down south to LA Live and Staples. They were setting up for X Games down there, so it was pretty cool to see guys with drills and whatnot stitching together the street course ramps and drop-in walls for skateboarding. Surprising number of tourists, too.

Run went extremely well. Beautiful day, sunny but not overly hot. Went down Virgil to Wilshire and edged over to Staples for a loop, Fig north to Sunset and home. Awesome. Didn't on board any water or anything for the entire run, which is easily a new record. Felt strong and steady the whole time. Had to ditch the shirt at a certain point to protect the nips. Yowch.

Uh, also...Los Angeles is the best city on Earth. That is all.

35 Min Run (push) --151--

LOS FELIZ -- Crammed some good pace into the first mile of the loop, did some darn fine hill speed, crawled a long a bit here and there...shuffled and scraped, pushed, scraped, pushed, etc.

Safe to say I got some good stuff and some weak stuff. Not too shabby for a workout, tho. That's why we practice.

37 Min Run (base) --151--

LOS FELIZ -- Pretty toasty out there, but 5 degrees cooler than uncomfortable. Had a good time. Used the very light racing flats and thought they were OK. Legs, ankles, feet seem to be fully adjusted into the new form. Felt pretty light on the toes today, but not as great as Sunday. That was awesome. Same strong finish though...where the wind just starts whizzing past the ears and whistling the chorus of champions.

Also, took the weight prior to run. It was right around 153.5. I always down a big glass of wawa after a run, so possible I lost a full 3 pounds of sweat in a little over a half hour. Wrestling teams rejoice.

36 Min Run (Base) --151--

LOS FELIZ -- Did the traditional loop, but with a decent burst of pace using quicker steps and a different landing than before. An honestly awesome run. Just awesome. Great weather, interesting stuff going on, good stuff. As fine a running weekend as I've had.

80 Min Run (base) --151.5--

ELYSIAN PARK -- In the middle of a little mental nugget and the middle of a great running book...that leads to 9 miles on a Saturday morning. I've wanted to try and run down to the stadium for a while now, but never knew how far it was. I also didn't like the idea of just running there on Sunset and running back.

This morning provided the right formula of motivation, so off I went. I figured I could sneak around Silverlake and cut some of the repeat of Sunset off that way. But as I was going, I remembered Glendale runs near the reservoir and then hits Sunset way down in Echo Park. I did that and turned on Scott up toward the stadium. Huge hills for this whole run. Really awesome.

New book inspired me to try increasing my foot speed and I think this might well be something that takes permanently in the form. Loved it. Great run. As good as they get from week to week, for sure. Didn't see Manny or Matt Kemp out there...half because they are in St. Louis, half because THIS IS MY TOWN.

20 Min Run (push) --151--

LOS FELIZ -- Blazing hot today. But with the wind, it was...still really hot. Mid-90s, but I must be getting somewhat tougher as I just barreled into it for a speed-ish workout. Good stuff. Tacked on another quarter mile or so. Enjoyable, kinda. Was sweating for a good 45 minutes after finishing.

39 Min Run (base) --151.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Got out in a sauna of a day in LA this afternoon and put a decent run. This weight thing is just incredible. I don't know what's going on. I think maybe I've finally cut too many things out of my diet and pounds are just falling off. We haven't had the usual foods around that I like, so maybe that's it. Haven't been hitting the cheese or meats hard. Maybe just need more cals. According to the BMI, this weight is perfectly healthly...but I don't know. Seems awfully thin. Great stuff for running though...less chunk to haul around. Gotta say hills seem easier than ever. Maybe...maybe.

Good things are happening. And piled two In-N-Outs plus some fries into the boilerroom after the run to make sure I'm getting all the supplies I need. Awesome.

38 Min Run (base) --153.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Perhaps a bit too much work, perhaps a bit too much coffee, a birthday party and a decent amount of writing made for a full day. Needed to get out just to blow some steam...like in the DetNews days. Tons o' sweat. Look at that weight. Starting to think the absence of chips from my diet is pushing weight considerably lower...because other than that, I'm eating completely normally. Kind of amazing.

58 Min Run (base) --155.5--

SILVERLAKE -- Did the reservoir with a slightly different course, going up the big hill instead of doubling the entry road. Liked it. Took it pretty easy, stewed on some things, relaxed a bit. Sweated a ton.

38 Min Run (base) --154.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Good run after a difficult stretch of moving (seriously sore after all those stairs...like calves were pulsating. it was weird) and a quick bout with food poisoning. Yowch.

But as you can see from the weight, this must be some kind of miracle diet. And thanks to all those stairs, it didn't feel one bit bad out there today...in fact had some good hill strength -- maybe from my new super calves?

Mismatched black and blue socks. Awesome.

15 Min Run (base) --156--

LOS FELIZ -- Got some good speed here and there. But look at that weight! Nutty.

45 Min Run (base) --157--

LOS FELIZ -- Went up Commonwealth into the park and actually got onto the hiking trails for the first time. Pretty fun. Up to 1100 ft according to the little map. Not a hard pace. Great morning run. Doesn't quite make up for missing Saturday, but there wasn't much to be done about that.

38 Min Run (base) --157.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Quick loop at basic pace. Good stuff. Pretty gulldern hot out. Trying to get in a couple runs during my jury duty week. Fortunately, got out an hour early today and put in a good one.

Well played.

37 Min Run (push) --157.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Really stepped on the gas (time is estimated) and had a great effort from pretty much start to finish. Again felt strong, especially in the last third. Focused and impressive speed creation. It was sunny and hot. And I was clad in the ridiculous shorts. But it was fun. Lost another pound from this in the shower while still sweating. Scale rang a 156.5 which is the lowest weight I've seen ever since 11th grade. No kidding. That's 16 years ago. Crazy.

38 Min Run (base) --159.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Quick loop in the fairly early AM with a hop in the step and overcast skies. Amazing running weather. Really felt strong throughout. Definitely improved stamina, speed and strength. Easy as pie.

17 Min Run (recovery) --161.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Had planned something more like a 4 mile recovery, but felt a bit ill last night. Did well to fit this one in today before Game 5 of the 2010 NBA Finals. Fantastic. Good little trot.

80 Min Run (Base) --159--

KOREATOWN -- In celebration of the World Cup, I decided to eschew the usual trudge around the reservoir. Any reason to find a new route is a good one. Hate it when I get bored with routes, especially the reservoir, because it's a great course. This morning provided a good reason. US/England game was one and the sporting interest was piqued. While that game was later in the day, World Cup had been going since 4 am out here.

I thought I'd run down into the Spanish neighbs to find if anyone was out and about, but part way into Silverlake I realized that Koreatown was actually the better bet. Korea had won the opening game 2-0 over Greece and from the World Baseball Classic experience I knew you could count on Korea fans to be excited about national sports. The other nice thing about this plan was it pushed the run to 8.5 miles as I had to get all the way down to Wilshire. Not bad. A few folks still out, three hours after the game ended. Young kids looking pretty worn out taking pictures of themselves and texting, it seemed. A good deal of Korea blue shirts. Cool.

Beck also has the Korea team as her ESPN office pool pick. So if they win, she wins a jersey. Not likely.

The run features at least three or four miles of final hill. Gradual climb back into Los Feliz. Great focus. Good stuff. Speed creation.

17 Min Run (push) --161--

LOS FELIZ -- Speed creation. Pure and simple.

37 Min Run (base) --161--

LOS FELIZ -- Really great day for a jaunt. Cloud cover with brief breaks of sun. Sweated a ton for whatever reason. Gave it a go, I guess. Focused very well on the speed creation. Good stuff.

17 Min Run (recovery) -161.5-

LOS FELIZ -- Nothing much. Working on not over striding. Just trying to get out there more. And suffering here or there won't hurt anything.

60 Min Run (Base) --161.5--

SILVERLAKE -- A midday run in the heat, working extremely hard to focus. Ended up a fine effort. Really pretty hot in the sun.

18 Min Run (Push) --161--

LOS FELIZ -- Did a fartlek workout, probably two-thirds quick. Not bad at all. Kind of enjoyable, really.

38 Min Run (base)

LOS FELIZ -- This was probably as good as a push, but it wasn't a huge effort. Just very focused. Good work thinking about landing on the catch of the foot. Flats are definitely better for that. So either I'm getting stronger or working on focused is the best thing possible.

38 Min Run (base) --160.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Traditional loop around the hood. Good stuff. It's getting hot outside.

17 Min Run (base) --160.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Got out before picking Maggie up. Just a little prep for the weekend. Good and good. These little loops are useful. And I'm thinking maybe we can start doing them as repeats. Like two or three or four loops with water and recovery back at the house. That would be a good change of pace for a workout.

22 Min Run (push)

HOBOKEN, N.J. -- After a week off, you'd expect some dust...but hanging out in NY means a heck of a lot of walking and stair climbing. So turns out, it felt like only three or four days off. Not bad. Thinking about working regular long walks into the regular training routine. It definitely does something for you that running doesn't.

20 Min Run (base)

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Got out for a little recovery run around the neighborhood that Heather and Erin live in. Easy little neighborhood deal.

38 Min Run (race) HOHA 5 MILER 38:56

HOBOKEN, N.J. -- Great stuff. Wanted a run on Sunday after flying in the day before...turns out they had a great 5 Miler I got in on. Ran another very good race from a planning perspective...wanted a better 5k than in GR the other week and got it. Pretty sure it would have been 23 flat, which is great considering this course had some big, big hills. Took an easy 4th mile and then brought it home.

This race had some big time runners. Very impressive times.

Running along the Manhattan skyline across the Hudson River on a great Sunday morning. I'm getting spoiled with these runs. I actually kind of zoned out on downtown during the last .5 miles.

7:47 pace
38:56 finish
144th out of 453

20 Min Run (Push)

LOS FELIZ -- Quick one before the flight.

20 Min Run (Base)

LOS FELIZ -- Quick little guy.

38 Min Run (push)

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. -- Did some professional elevation work this morning in a memorable run. The scenery in this place is downright staggering. Two mountain lakes near the cabin we rented with a road that runs back down a few thousand feet to the city. Some waterfalls. Wildlife. Nuts.

Took off in the early morning as the sun was hitting the western wall of rock, heating up whatever it touched. Shadows were freezing and ice was everywhere. In the sun, it was very comfy. Went out with the idea of going only 15 minutes downhill as I figured the trip back up would be difficult to predict. It's 2.5 miles down to the town and it was tempting after 15 minutes to just keep going. The scenery was truly among the best I've ever seen on a run. The valley near the mountains in the early morning. Birds. Nobody out anywhere. Visibility of 50 miles. I mean...impressive and humbling. And on top of that, I felt great having gone about 2 miles downhill. Thankfully, I stuck to the plan to turn back.

As soon as I turned around, it hit me that the problem wouldn't be the altitude or my ability to run uphill in thin air (though I was wise to respect this aspect). The problem -- and it was pretty close to a dangerous one -- was the 30 mph wind with gusts of well below the air temperature of 40 degrees. I'd guess it was close to 0 wind chill. But combined with the uphill run, my lack of experience at this altitude and the lack of anybody being around...the run became a bit more thrilling than I was expecting.

By the time I got back, my skin was definitely starting to chap and numb. I couldn't retain any heat. Had I been out another 15 minutes, I'm sure I would have gotten frostbite here or there.

Instead, I got back just in time. And the lakes were amazing. And as some shutterbug hippie with tons of gear and weatherproof gear wandered past...I nodded to him in my shorts and t-shirt and said "Good Morning."

Ha! Fortunately, a nice fire awaited. Normally I wouldn't show skin on my blog, but this was such a great memory, I've got to keep it here to remember.

35 Min Run (base)

LONE PINE, Calif. -- Did the little Mt. Whitney Portal run up the hill a bit passed that "LP" rock formation on the hill. Good stuff. Great scenery obviously. Nice for this time of year was the healthy stream of mountain snow melt that powered the little stream to an impressive roadside attraction for 75 percent of the course. Good to be back up there.

24 Min Run (Race) GR 5K

WYOMING, Mich. -- Went to some hospital campus and ran around in the rain. Wet and mild temperatures. Old high school track teammate John Lee was there and won the thing. Good little run. I think I finished fifth overall out of about 60. Probably only 30 or 40 runners.

Effortwise, a great run. Time wise, not so much.

25 Min Run (base)

GREENVILLE, Mich. -- A loop around Baldwin Lake with Steve. Strangely hot out there in the afternoon. Great running to be had in G-ville these days. Pretty awesome.

27 Min Run (base)

GROSSE POINTE PARK, Mich. -- It's a fun little loop to the downtown. Beautiful morning again. Just incredible. Was blessed with easy waking this week. Who knows where that came from.

74 Min Run (push) --158--

SILVERLAKE -- Did the reservoir and tacked on a couple miles. Good pace for most. Felt pretty well done by the end, but not destroyed. Good stuff.

Something about the 'over an hour' runs. It's been a long time, but really your brain does go into a loopy kind of mode when you run over 60 minutes. I had little bugs on me and a sand burr somehow. Didn't notice until done. Plus a little dopey, too.

It's funny because at Edmunds my average run was 7 or so and up to 10 for the dailies. I remember having that feeling all the time. I think it's when you start using fat stores to power the run. Like your blood sugar gets a little weird as you transition or something.

35 Min Bike (base) -- 162--

LOS FELIZ -- Busted the old bike out and enjoyed a little pedal to the Tiger game v. Rangers. Good times. Lakers just got blown the eff out by Oklahoma City. This is not a misprint.

13 Min Run (base) --159--

LOS FELIZ -- Quick run. Should do more of these and get up to 7 days a week of cardio, with 3 good runs and a good bike in there. Dream a little dream.

37 Min Run (base) --159.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Ran out in the drizzle and had a great one. Did a few little grapevines and shuffles to try and get the knees a little lateral action.

57 Min Run (base) --158.5--

SILVERLAKE -- Perfect Saturday trot around the reservoir...great. Cut another minute off the time and had some good stretches. Good stuff.

25 Min Run (base) --160--

LOS FELIZ -- Quick run before picking up Maggie. Took the weekend off, maybe necessarily/maybe not. But it was a good decision from a recharging standpoint. I'm probably back at 75 percent off a low of probably 15 - 25. It was pretty bad last week.

But amid all that, still kept the running going and even restarted a real program. Awesome.

30 Min run (base) --158.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Nice little recovery trot. Enjoyable.

40 Min Run (base) --158.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Good little daily run. Hot out. Good pace. Felt strong the entire way. Turned on a slight amount of speed toward the end.

55 Min Run (base) --159.5--

SILVERLAKE -- Great pre-Final Four run this morning in the old 1999 Tampa Final Four shirt. Nice and not too hot. Solid and about 3 mins faster than the same course last week.

Good.

25 Min run (push)

GROSSE POINTE, Mich. -- Sunny morning. So much buzz. So great. Trotting from Graham's place in the racing flats. Hit the village downtown in Grosse Pointe. Ran back. Mansions.

25 Min Run (base)

LOS FELIZ -- Quick recovery run. Good preamble to the Detroit trip, where runs have been inconsistent at best.

60 Min Run (Base) --159--

SILVERLAKE -- Just like slipping into a warm bath. Perfect everything. Used the racing flats for this distance for the first time. Loved it. Flat shoes = better.

If only they all could be so lovely.

25 Min Run (base) --160.5--

LOS FELIZ -- As I had hedged against, no runs during the trip to Michigan. Worst. But not completely unexpected. Good reset run today. Temps in the mid 70s. Got some good pace for a stretch of this. Love the racing flats.

Little nagging sore points...right foot on the pinkie toe tarpal. Left knee on the lower knee on the inside...same crap from driving 800 miles of local shifting in January. Need to get a couple good 3+ weeks in.

37 Min Run (push) --159.5--

LOS FELIZ -- First hot weather run of the year. Awesome. Awesome. Just pouring sweat after. Good pace throughout. Good stuff.

20 Min Run (Push) --161--

LOS FELIZ -- Took the racing flats out and just dusted something in the neighborhood of 2.5 miles. Awesome. Super strong, fast, great form.

The cross training -- leaps specifically -- seem to have paid off handsomely.

38 Min Run (push)

LOS FELIZ -- Actually quite awesome. Had power to spare, focus and nice weather. Tried to fix the downhill form, eventually breaking through to some extent on keeping the hips forward...something I'm pretty sure I wasn't doing. I think all joint trouble is from bad downhill form at this point.

35 Min Run (Recovery)

OAK PARK, Ill. -- Stayed with Christian and Laura in Oak Park for the weekend and had an awesome jaunt out with him and Steve around the neighborhood. You can't take a sideways leak without hitting a Frank Lloyd Wright home...even his home that I saw a million times in the documentary. Cool. And the day when the three of us all ran just a morning run around for fun...I wasn't expecting that. Dan even runs now. So the whole crew might get together for a funzie one of these days. It's nice to see we all ended up in the same place, somehow enjoying relatively healthy pursuits. It was a nice moment for the G-ville gang.

Also of note: Three runs in three states in a week. Love that.

40 Min Run (base)

ROCHESTER, Mich. -- Found this great hotel for relatively cheap on this trip to the D. Kind of an amazing place. I hope it doesn't go out of business. Nice little stream next to it, great folks and some history. Plus a place to run. Turns out, there's a rails-to-trails that stretches for like 20 miles adjacent that I will have to check out. The head of the office tipped me off to that after the fact.

Anywho, it was a long night and late to bed...but the day was so flipping beautiful Thursday morning I set out to get a good cold weather run in. Used the new Packers windbreaker from SI and it worked like a charm. Kind of enjoy cold runs...kind of.

Went out from the hotel and trotted up toward and then through downtown. Out of town to the south, then up a biggish hill past a bunch of car dealerships and looped back. It was a pretty awesome run.

36 Min Run (Push)

LOS FELIZ -- Normal loop with some great pace and fartlek style efforting efforts effortly. Awesome. First real athletic run in months.

38 Min Run (base) --161.5--

LOS FELIZ -- The first run that felt normal in weeks. Awesome. Had a burst of energy on the final hill. Love that. Love this. Love it.

38 Min Run (base) --161.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Another solid loop. Good. Maybe. Perhaps. Really trying to sit on the horse during the runs, get balance, get the chi running deal down better. No soreness. No problems. Left knee is still problematic but mostly because I'm thinking about it. Just loosening up and relaxing and all is fine. If this momentum continues through next week into Michigan and then the week back, I might admit I'm actually back in the saddle. That's three weeks of success needed tho. This last six-eight weeks have been a disaster.

10 Min Run (Push) --161.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Speedwork on the street out front. Good times for all.

40 Min Run (base)

LOS FELIZ -- The first real run of the modern era. Wore the new shoes successfully. Did the loop. Felt great. Good times. Perhaps? Perhaps?

10 Min Run (Push) --161.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Quick lil' run. Speed! Dumb era.

60 Min Run (base)

SILVERLAKE -- Bullcrap. More bullcrap.

30 Min Run (Base) --161.5--

LOS FELIZ -- Another dumb run in the dumb era.