3.31.14 Swim

I was supposed to take the day off but will be out of town next weekend and felt the extra work was probably necessary.  My 2500 yard swim was really hard today.  It had a lot of kickboard work and intervals that required swimming a length and getting completely out of the pool four times finishing with a 100 recovery.  It took around 67 minutes to finish.  Wasn't feeling really good during the swim.  My swim is still up and down.  I probably need to spend more time working at it.

3.30.31 Old Alton Bridge Trail Run

The Matrix had someone tell him about a trail north of Double Oak and Lantana that is a great running trail.  Bikes or any motorized vehicles are banned.  Looks like it is mostly for runners and horses.  I knew where the trail head is since I ride my bike right past it quite often.  We headed up there and parked.  It was crowded in the little parking area but we found a spot across the street.  I needed about 8 miles so we started going south on the trail and would turn around at about the halfway point.  The trail is a lot like the Grasslands course, some sand and deeper ruts where the horses have worn down the trail.  The trail doesn't have a lot of elevation to it.  Mostly long, steady uphill and downhill sections.  We didn't make it to the end but were close when we turned around.  The weather was perfect for me.  High 50s/Low 60s with humidity in the 40s.  I felt like I could run all day.  We will probably go back and explore this again and may be a regular mainstay for training.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/470479489

3.29.14 Ataxia FA Rally Ride

As a change of pace for my Saturday ride, Shelby sent an email and asked if anyone wanted to ride in a rally in support of Ataxia FA.  The long ride was 51 miles and I was looking for 3 hours so I decided to jump in.  The ride would be supported and had aid stations plus I was going to cover new ground.  Win, win all the way around.  Seemed like the wind was 10-15 from the north.  We were starting at UNT in the stadium parking lot heading north to Lake Ray Roberts and back.  Shelby decided to do 25 since his foot was still bothering him.  We were going to stop at the first aid station and send him back.  After the first 4-5 miles, I could see the lead peloton about a quarter mile ahead and several chase packs between them and me.  Marcel was riding with me today and knew the course so he was good company.  Just north of Denton, we settled in with a pack of about 40 or so and it offered excellent protection from the wind.  Marcel and me were towards the front of the pack as we passed the aid station.  I waved at Shelby and told him I was staying in the pack.  We were running 18-20mph into the wind and it was hard to throw that away.  I stayed near the front until around mile 16.  I decided to pull a little and go to the front.  I was really saving energy in the pack and thought it would be nice to help out.  Away I went thinking this a big help but Marcel says I was pushing to hard and the group eventually thinned out and broke into several smaller groups.  I would like to think it was my doing but was probably the crappy road we were on and the wind.  I found myself with 4-5 people who were really moving.  When we hit the lake, one of the guys went in front of me and I jumped on his wheel.  I was losing steam and was glad to see someone else up front.  He hammered out a 20+ pace until the turnaround.  We stopped at the halfway point aid station and Marcel caught up with me there.  After a few minutes, we started the trip home with the wind.  It was a much more comfortable ride home.  The cross winds were rough in some sections where we headed west but anything was better than going north.  My moving time was 2:47:34.  Not bad.  Outback Steakhouse was a sponsor so I had a cheeseburger and headed home.  These rally's are great alternatives for long rides.  I am going to have to find some more of these in the summer.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/469610721

3.27.14 Post Race Recovery

Jeff scheduled a recovery week prior to another build cycle in April.  Good timing because my legs were dead after the race.  I took Monday completely off.  I was tired and really sore.  Tuesday was track day.  I was to do intervals from a mile, 1200, 800, and 400 with a mile warm up and cool down.  I could not generate the proper pacing and just did what I could to get through without causing further damage.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/467562175

Wednesday was a swim/bike double.  I swam 2500 yards.  I felt a little tired and sluggish.  Probably not up to speed but the swim work really helped with the muscle soreness in my legs.  I felt much better after the swim.  Last night, the weather outside was not good so I rode my bike on the trainer for 70 minutes.  Nothing hard, just a nice solid spin.

This morning I did a 6 mile tempo run.  My legs are starting to come around again.  My speed was not great.  Legs were heavy but no pain left except in my hips.  Solid but not great run.  There was a mist in the air this morning.  It looks really cool with the headlamp on.  I love running in a misty rain.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/468475929

3.22.14 Grasslands Trail Half Marathon

Grasslands for me will always be connected to the worst weather event I have ever raced.  This year, the weather was looking good for weeks coming into the event.  In the few days preceding the event, the predictions deteriorated a little bit.  Right around 60 to start with declining temps during the day accompanied by 10-15mph wind and possible rain.  Overall, a great day to run, I guess.  We haven't had but one significant rain day in the past few months.  The course is a combination of trail conditions.  Since there are a lot of cattle and horses on these trails, several miles consist of two to three inches of soft sand.  Other sections are hard as a rock and very uneven with ATV tracks, horse tracks, and cattle tracks.  There are some wooded sections as well that are narrow and have some steep sections.  When we run at Northshore at Lake Grapevine, we consider 11 minute miles really hauling ass.  This is a much easier (flatter) trail than Northshore due to the minimal ups and downs.  I really didn't know what to expect.

Race Morning:
We decided to meet at Joe's around 6:45am.  The race was at 8:30am and we needed to pick up our packet.  This was probably a little too late to leave in hindsight.  It is probably 60-70 minutes to get out there.  I packed a wide variety of gear for the race not knowing what would be in store for us.  I ate a Honey Stinger waffle on the way and drank a bottle of water.  Mixed in a Potassium pill and some Shark salt as well.  I decided to load up my fuel belt with Skratch Labs lemon lime and took three Cherry Lime GU's.  I didn't plan on using the aid stations at all for 13 miles.  We got there with about 20 minutes to spare so we got ready to race and went straight to the tent to pick up our packets.  The group consisted of Joe, Matrix, Fred, myself and one of Joe's friends Chad met us there.  There wasn't really a lot of wasted time.  I think the race started about 10 minutes after my bib was attached to my race belt.  The Matrix is really fast and we contemplated two options.  Let everyone go and start late (it was chip timed) hoping to pass people after the herd thinned or bite the bullet and work our way to the front.  We were probably one third to halfway back in the pack to start.

Race:
Once they gave the go, me and the Matrix started making our way to the front as much as possible.  .54 miles into the race is where we got lost last year so we were looking to go the right direction this time.  When we got to the point where we got lost last year, the trail was cut off and there was no problem going the right way.  Having to pass so many people so early meant maintaining a higher pace that I could sustain for 13 miles.  My first two miles were 8:56 and 8:46.  Most of those were in the deeper sand which is tough on the legs.  After things thinned out, I settled into a nice rhythm and just ran.  I was passed by a few people but not many.  I passed quite a few here and there.  The first aid station was around mile 4 but I just kept cruising.  I like the fact that I can use my iPod.  I was able to settle into my own little world.  Miles 5-8 seemed like a lot of work and they weren't clicking off very quickly.  I was in a sort of no man's land in the race and really didn't see anyone up ahead to pace myself with in several sections.  I was finally passed by a few guys and used them as a pacer for a few miles.  I think they changed the course in a few spots this year and we were directed through a few wooded sections that I did not remember from last year.  The second aid station was going to be at mile 10 or 11.  I was going to need the portapotty when I got there.  Unfortunately, they did not have one so I blazed on.  I got to a place where I could follow a side trail off the main path and then was able to get going again.  It cost me a few minutes.  When I jumped back on the trail, I saw Joe about a tenth or two ahead of me.  He was having a great race.  It probably took about a mile to catch him or at least it seemed that way.  He was shocked to see me when I went by but he was really running well.  The miles were really coming fast now and I felt good.  I passed several more who had passed me when I stopped.  When the dam came up, I knew we were almost home.  By my watch, I was close to the 2 hour finish pace which would be really good for me.  Coming up the hill after passing the dam is some work and it is uphill all the way to the finish from that point.  The distance last year was 13.4 miles so I was using that as my guide.  Once you cross the road after the dam, it seems like a non-stop uphill climb to the finish and is very difficult to pass people.  I decided to dig in and let things happen, good or bad.  When I reached the parking area, I was shocked.  The course was going to be just a tad over 13 miles.  Somewhere, they took some distance off.  When I went across the finish line, my watch said 1:59:44.  My actual race time was close to 2:02:28 by my watch.  I don't know what the official time is.  That's an average of 9:11 per mile.  Very fast for me and I was very happy.  They haven't posted the results yet on the web site but from memory I was in the 40s for my overall race finish of 300 participants.  I shaved close to 17 minutes off from last year but didn't get lost.

 

(L to R Joe, Fred, Matrix, Chad, me)

Post Race:
I saw the Matrix on the way into the finish.  He finished 14th overall at around one hour and forty six minutes.  He didn't think he was in great shape going into the race.  Seemed pretty good to me.  Joe was only about a minute behind me so we were really close.  He was happy too.  I think Fred was close to 10 minutes behind Joe.  He has been traveling a lot and hasn't been able to consistently train but he had a really good time as well.  We had a free beer and some BBQ before taking off.  This is a great spring trail race.  Both times, it has been completely different.  I felt really tired after the race and my legs were shot.  I put a lot into this one.  As always, I wonder whether I could have pushed the pace more but I'm satisfied with the results.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/466740075

3.18.14 Taper for Grasslands

I'm not following the Boulder plan everyone else is on this week due to the Grasslands race on Saturday morning.  Jeff put me on a little bit of a taper for my legs this week.  Instead of speed work, I ran around 5.5 miles at half marathon pace for the most part.  Started a little slow to warm up on the first mile but finished at a decent sustainable pace for a half distance race.  All of those miles were in the low 9s which would translate to a very good result for me.  Of course, Grasslands is usually home to a North Texas weather event on trails which is highly unpredictable.  So far the forecast is good so I feel good about the race this week.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/463276563

Monday, I gave the legs a rest from impact and only swam.  It was 2700 yards but had a lot of kickboard which is good for strengthening the legs but takes a lot out of you.  A little fatigued from the weekend but covered the distance without much issue.

3.16.14 Weekend Workouts

Yesterday was my long bike ride.  I needed four hours and it looked dicey as we were expecting very heavy thunderstorms at some point in the day.  I left at 7:30am to meet Shelby and his group at the FloMo CAC.  Shelby was not going to make it but a few other guys were going to go with me.  I tried to add as much mileage close to home as possible.  We evenutally made it out to Argyle city hall and then headed back.  Wind was in our face coming home but I think we negative split the ride actually.  I felt really good and never had any lingering tiredness from the week.  We never had any rain and it held off until the afternoon.  Ended up with almost 62 miles in 4 hours.  Good days work.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/461440363

The heavy rain yesterday afternoon closed the trail this morning.  I went ahead and slept in this morning and ran around Coppell today on the road.  The wind was blowing about 25mph today and the temps were in the 40s.  Not a great combination.  Plan was for 100 minutes.  Didn't really know how many miles to factor so I created a route that should be around 10 miles.  I ended up going something like 10.7 miles in a little over the 100 minutes.  The last few tenths were walking to cool down.  My pace was really good today and was in a very good rhythm for the last 3-4 miles.  The weather was brutal and would have been completely out for bike riding.  We can't seem to shed winter once and for all.  Grasslands is next weekend.  I feel good so I am expecting a good race.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/462189132

3.14.14

On Wednesday, I swam 2800 yards.  Longest swim in a while.  I felt pretty good throughout.  I'm starting to get my endurance back in the water.  After work, I rode the bike for 70 minutes outside.  Met Shelby at the Flower Mound CAC and we rode intervals on Spinks Road.  The wind was really blowing hard, probably 15-20mph.  It was in the low 60s outside but that wind made things a little cooler than I expected.  The work was hard in the wind but I guess that's a good thing.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/460017001

Yesterday was the dreaded Thursday run.  When Jeff tells you it will be hard on the plan, it can be a little daunting.  1 mile warm up, 1 mile moderate/hard, 1 mile easy, 1 mile moderate/hard, 1 mile easy moderate, 1 mile hard, 1 mile cool down.  My warm up was a little fast at 9:58 but I was feeling good to start.  My moderate/hard miles were in the upper 8 minute pace and the easy/moderates were mid 9s.  The hard mile was 7:52 and it really took a lot out of me.  I had to walk for a few seconds before coming in at an easy pace.  My legs were pretty heavy.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/460186050

Today should have been easy.  I'm resting the legs today and only have a swim.  I was really fatigued on the swim all morning.  Never seemed to get it going.  Arms were dead for the most part.  The intervals were short and I didn't really have any issues finishing anything, it just wasn't snappy or fast.  Guess I'm kind of tired.  It was a long build week with the weekend to go.

3.11.14 Track Run

Finally, I ran in shorts and a tech shirt today.  Temps were in the low 50s with a 8mph wind from the south.  Gate was locked at the track so I had to get the ladder out and scale the fence again this week.  Once again, I was flying solo at the track with the exception of a few rabbits that seem to dart out in front of me every so often.  1 mile warm up, 6x(800 at 5k pace -5 seconds with 90 second recovery), 1200 (first 400 moderate, second 400 mod/hard, third 400 hard), and a one mile cool down.  The 800s were tough.  I tried to keep them under 8 minute mile pace and was successful.  The 1200 was really hard at the end.  My last 400 was the fastest lap of the day.  Top end speed is still a work in progress but I'm feeling good so far.  The miles have been longer distances as time moves along and I'm sure that will continue.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/459126535

3.10.14 Winter Sucks

I had a somewhat busy training schedule for the weekend.  Saturday was a four ride.  It was dark, overcast, with a chance of rain and kind of cold.  Just enough to make it uncomfortable.  I was going to ride with Shelby and meet him at the FloMo CAC at 8am.  When I got there, Shelby had done something to his Achilles and was in some pain.  One of the guys he trains decided to ride with me for the duration.  It was good to have someone along.  I thought the route out to the Argyle town center would be enough distance.  The wind was fierce and blowing right in our face all the way out.  When we got to the turnaround, the watch said about 1:45:00 so we decided to keep heading west.  I ended up taking the Robson Ranch route which includes a steep climb up Hilltop Road.  They destroyed one of the country roads through the cemetery and replaced it with a subdivision.  It was a little confusing but we navigated through it.  Once we turned around, it was a big relief.  Coming back was fast and I missed the 2 hour mark arriving about 8 minutes early.  I covered 62 miles which is a decent distance for this early in the year.  We had to deal with a little rain on the way back which was a pain in the ass.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/457250764

Sunday morning was cold, again.  This is Dallas and the temps should be turning around.  There will be the odd days of cold here and there until early April but this has been far more bad days to good days.  I am seriously over winter and it needs to go.  The Matrix wanted to leave at 7am but the time changed and sunrise was scheduled for about 7:45am.  Joe and I made the executive decision to wait for the sun.  Plan was for 90 minutes but we ended up going a little long at 101 minutes.  The north wind was stiff but you couldn't feel it in the woods so much.  That's the great thing about trail running in the winter.  I hit the same rock that wiped me out a few weeks ago but did not go down this time.  Despite the long ride on Saturday, I felt really good.  8.5 trail miles in 101 minutes is really good time at Northshore.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/457872871

This morning I just swam.  Shelby was having boot camp but I was tired in combination with the time change costing us an hour of sleep.  Swim went well and my legs needed the day off.

3.7.13 Build Week

Felt really run down after the weekend so I took the day off on Monday and did not swim.  The Tuesday track workout was one of the longest to date.  No one at the track again this week and I had to use my ladder to get over the fence.  1.5 mile warm up, 2x1600s at 10k pace with 400 recoveries in between, 2x800s at 5k pace with 90 second rest, 800 with first 400 at slightly faster than 5k pace and the last 400 as fast as possible, 1.5 mile cool down.  Weather was cold but no wind so it was very nice.  Tough but felt pretty good.  Wednesday I swam in the morning and did my 80 minute bike workout on the trainer at home.  It's still too dark to get 80 minutes in after work and I couldn't get to Shelby's trainer session because I was late getting home from work.  Thursday was the tempo run.  2 mile warm up, 4 mile at half marathon pace, and 1 mile cool down.  Pace wasn't fast but it was a little more difficult than I thought it would be.  The last few miles were not bad as I had settled in pretty good at that point.  I swam this morning and am due for an easy 60 minutes on the bike this evening.  Weekend mileage is up slightly so the build continues.  I wish winter would give it up.  Riding is just miserable in the cold weather.

Track Run:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/455313149

Tempo Run:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/456008461

3.1/3.2 Weekend

This was supposed to be the end of a  recovery week.  I'm a little off based on my trip to Minnesota to see my daughter last weekend.  Mainly missed a long bike ride last weekend.  The 3 hour Saturday ride was to be accompanied with a 30 minute run brick.  My ride ended up going 3:15:00 due to a heavy headwind at the turnaround.  Felt like climbing a hill for an hour and a half.  When I got home, I threw on my running shoes and started my run.  10 minutes easy, 10 minutes moderate, and 10 minutes hard.  That last 10 minutes was rough.  I couldn't get out in the morning.  I had some errands Saturday morning so the ride and run was late in the afternoon.  I didn't have a lot of time to recover before my Sunday run.  It was 82 degrees on Saturday but a front came through overnight and the morning temps were around 29 degrees falling throughout the day with sleet coming as well.  The Sunday trail run was rough.  Flats and downhill were fine.  Climbing the steep sections was miserable.  We fought through it and ended up right at the 80 minutes in the plan.  I felt pretty trashed after Sunday.

Bike:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/453554246

Brick Run:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/453554251

Trail Run:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/453963524