12 miles with Clay (1:29:54)

I didn't run on Saturday. It was cold, windy, and raining. Call me a wimp, it just didn't look like fun to run. Thought about the treadmill but never got around to it.

Sunday morning I met Clay at the aqueduct at 6:30am. It was in the low 30s/high 20s and breezy up there. I didn't even get out of my car. I just rolled down my window and said, "Lets drive back to your house." So we did, and ran 3x3 mile loops around his neighborhood. It was nice to get frequent breaks from the breeze/wind as we zig zagged through. We threw in a few faster miles around 6:45 but mostly cuised at 7:45 pace. Clay finished at 9 miles and I continued for 3 more around Lane Park for a change of scenery.

Total mileage for today was 12 in just under an hour and a half or 7:30 pace avg.


Track news:
I forgot to post last week that Bernard Lagat broke the US indoor 2 mile record running negative splits and finishing in 8:10. He now owns US records for indoor 1500m, mile, 3k, 2 mile, and 5k. He also has US records for outdoor 1500m, 3k, and 5k!
In the same race Lukas Verzbicas just missed the HS indoor 2 mile mark by 3 seconds running 8:43!
Update: Galen Rupp broke Bernard Lagat's indoor 5k US record this weekend running 13:11.44!

Kenyan, Mary Keitany broke the women's half marathon world record by 35 seconds running 1:05:50! That has a 2:18 equivalent marathon effort! She also broke the 20k world record en route! Mary is running the London Marathon in April so watch out!

Finally, the high school shot put record went down this weekend at the Simplot Games in Idaho. Ryan Crouser broke the record with a throw of 77ft 2.75in. See the throw here. His story is he won the high school state championship as a freshman, then broke his foot and required surgery last year. He did a lot of upper body strength training and conditioning during his recovery. This year is his return to throwing and he PR'd by 3 ft to break the record.

12 miles with Clay (1:28:39)

Clay told me on Friday he was going to run 12 on the aqueduct on Saturday morning. His plan was 3 warm up, then alternating a sub 7min mile with a "recovery mile" for the next 9 miles. This way he would run a total of 5 miles at a sub 7 minute pace (around his 10k pace).

I met him at 7am and we headed east. The weather was AWESOME, cool and calm. We set a good pace right away and ran the first 3 mines in just under 24 minutes (8:08, 7:52, 7:46). Then we started alternating miles 6:55, 7:53, 6:54, then his son Zac jointed us for the next 6 miles 7:43, 6:48, 8:23, 6:40, 7:54, 5:32. On the last mile Clay said, "give me a minute head start." I negotiated to 45 seconds but right before we started I changed my mind and only gave him 30 seconds. My thinking was that he would run around 6:30 and I would be close to 6:00. Zac and I ran the first quarter mile in 85 seconds and we still had some ground to make up so we picked up the pace a little and I caught Clay with a quarter mile to go. I never thought I could have run 5:32! He was right, if I had given him a minute we would have finished very close...actually I think he would have held me off. I was feeling the burn the entire last quarter mile. I don't think I have run a mile under six minutes since the Newhall ID 5k last July. I was suprised. And to do it after 11 miles, even better.

Weekend Update

Friday morning I had planned on a two hour run while the kids were at school (I had the day off to travel to Claremont for a course, more later). When we got in the car I realized I had left the keys in the car over night in the auxillary position and the battery was dead. I tried to jump the car but got nothing so I had to remove the battery and take it to Pep Boys. They tested it, said it was no good, so I bought an new one, brought it home, and installed it, jumped the car again and got 'er goin'. By this time I had time for about 45 minutes. I got in 6 miles, then packed a bag for the weekend.

I attended a USATF level 1 coaching course at Pitzer College in Claremont. There are 3 levels of coaching certification and level 1 is the first and only certification you can get with no coaching experience. They only offer this course once a year so I jumped on the opportunity. My colleague and friend Ron also came out for the course. We had 21 hours of instruction over 3 days on track and field. The instructors included Doug Todd, the head coach at Mt. SAC and meet director of the Mt. SAC cross country invitational. Also Troy Johnson (Head Coach at Cal Poly Pomona), Jeremy Fisher (triple jump coach at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista), and Tony Veney (Head Coach at Ventura College). All were very knowledgeable and interesting speakers. I learned lots about technique and drills for jumps, throws, and sprints.

The reason I took the course, and become a certified USATF level 1 coach, is that I am planning on starting an online coaching service and website in the near future. I would design programs and offer online coaching via email for distances from 5k to ultramarathon training. I will keep you posted on the progress of this venture.

The course was LONG! Saturday was 8:00am to 9:40pm with breaks only for meals. I was able to sneak in an 8 miler on Saturday morning in 61 minutes, and today I got up early for a 16 miler in 2 hours 4 minutes. I could tell that I had been sitting for over 10 hours the day before as my legs were stiff and sluggish. Looking back at my splits I actually picked it up 10-20 seconds every mile for 14 miles and then backed off for the last 2 miles. I started with an 8:44 and ended with a 6:43. My 13.1 split was somewhere around 1:42. It felt way harder than it should have and made me a little nervous about Surf City in 3 weeks. I know I was tired and stiff from sitting the day before, but I also know that I am quite under trained this time around. I also got a small blister on the inside of my right foot near my big toe.

Plan for Surf City is still the same, go out in 1:30 and hang on for as long as possible.

We had two demonstration sessions at the Pomona-Pitzer College track. It was recently resurfaced, and you could still smell the new track, but they kept the original blue color. Here are two pictures of me running a 1500m at Pomona-Pitzer in 1999. Can you pick me out of the second picture?

20 miles Munz Ranch to Ave S.

Dale had planned a point to point long run for the past couple of weeks. We all met out at Munz Ranch Rd at 7:00am and headed east. It was in the high 20s at the start. A group of 6 of us started (David, Dale, Clay, Zac, Lauren, and me). We picked up another, Joel, at 110th, then dropped Zac at 70th. After 60th we broke up a bit and Joel and I ran together until about 3 miles to go. I pushed it in and finished the 20 miles in 2 hours 41 minutes. The temps got better in the middle and then the wind picked up a bit toward the end. My last mile was 6:50. A friend of mine Fran ran 14.5 miles for her longest run ever!

I finished 2010 with 1402 miles (exactly the same as last year). I calculated that I was close and needed 40 miles in the last 4 days of the year to tie last year so I did it. My goal was 1600 miles and if I hadn't injured my calf I would have made it.

157 miles for December.

Christmas Weekend Runs

Picture stolen from Clay's blog.

I had another week of no runs leading up to a long weekend. Here is how it went down. Dale and Clay had organized a group long run for Friday morning. We all met at 60th and the aqueduct, headed west for 5.2 miles then turned around. After a warm up mile we were consistently hitting mile splits of 8:00 to 8:10. At the 10 mile mark a group of us Dale, Jeff, and I were met by Zac Patten and picked up the pace for the next 8 miles. Jeff turned around early, Zac wasn't feeling well, and Dale was finishing a 70+ mile week and I think he was feeling it a little. He was having a tougher time maintaining his MP by mile 15. He is a work-horse though and pulled out a great workout and a great week.

My last 8 miles were 7:27, 7:42, 7:23, 7:32, 7:24, 7:15, 6:47, 6:25!

18 miles in just about 2:20 (avg pace 7:48).

Both my IT Bands were whispering to me and my right calf felt a little tight the entire run. It was a tough 18 miler. I guess that is what I get for only running weekend long runs and nothing during the week. Oh well.

Saturday was Christmas. We had gorgeous weather. There was no running involved but we had a GREAT Christmas with the kids! They were so excited and have been playing with their new toys non-stop since Christmas morning. This year running related gifts I received included: A Twin Cities Marathon shirt, some cold weather running pants, and a DVD documentary titled Running America.

Sunday we all slept in. It was cold and windy (I guess breezy by AV standards). I waited until the boys took a nap and then headed out for a run around Quartz Hill. I ended up running 10 miles in 75 minutes (7:30 pace). During the second half of the run I mapped out a few loops on a dirt road/trail that I found between housing tracts off of "the hill" on 65th. Each loop is just about a half mile and would be great for intervals. I am looking forward to using these loops next year. The are almost exactly two miles from my house. They have some hills but nothing too steep so you could still run fast but vary the grades and avoid the roads or the track!


Dan asked me the other day about tunes for the ipod while running. Here is what I am into at the moment:
"Animal" - Neon Trees
"Lisztomania" - Phoenix
"1901" - Phoenix
"Cousins" - Vampire Weekend
"Dog Days are Over" - Florence and the Machine
"I bet that you look good on the dance floor" - Arctic Monkeys
"Kings and Queens" - 30 Seconds to Mars
"This is War" - 30 Seconds to Mars
"Waiting for the End" - Linkin Park
"If its love" - Train
"Radioactive" - Kings of Leon
"Use Somebody" - Kings of Leon
"The Fixer" - Pearl Jam
"Seven Army Nation" - The White Stripes
"Icky Thump" - The White Stripes
"Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand
"I want you to" - Weezer
There are quite a few songs by Muse that I have my eye on!

Dan, hope this helps. I tend to like songs with a fairly fast beat for my running playlist and I always run faster than I planned when I am wearing my ipod shuffle.

16 mile fast finish long run (1:58:28)

Pictures stolen from Clay's Blog.
The plan today was to meet Clay and Zac at 7:00 and Zac and I would run a 10 mile run (5 easy, 5 tempo) while Clay ran a recovery run after yesterday. I wanted to put in a few more miles so I got out there early and did 6 warm up at 7:40 avg pace. The weather was perfect, cool and calm. I met up with Clay and Zac, got a hit of Gatorade, and we set out west on the aqueduct. Zac and I eased into a comfortable pace for the first few miles. Zac was making it look easy on the way out. Here are our first 5 splits, 8:02, 7:55, 7:41, 8:02, 7:36. We hit the 5 mile mark in just over 39 minutes and turned around. The first mile back we started to pick it up and each mile there after was about 10 seconds faster than the last. The last 3 miles were tough but we pulled each other along to finish the 10 together in 72:20! We finished our return 5 in just over 33 minutes! Here are our last 5 splits, 6:58, 6:48, 6:39, 6:23, 6:14. Nice work Zac!

Zac is running the Surf City Half Marathon to keep him training through the winter. He will run a good time after a workout like that. Including Zac, we have a good AV presence at Surf City. Clay, Dale, Chuck, Lauren and I are running the full Marathon along with my pal Ron from Las Vegas. Zac, Neil, and recently friends Eric and Dawn are planning on running the half marathon.

Total time for 16 miles today was 1:58:28 (avg pace 7:24).
Total weekend miles 28!

I am trying to get in as much good weekend mileage as I can, when I can. With the holidays, a weekend trip to Vegas and a trip to Colorado planned there will be limited time to train.

They have been getting a TON of snow in Minneapolis this weekend. Check this out! Yes, there was SUPPOSED to be a football game today!

15 mile long run (1:50:48) and NXN vs. Footlocker

I heard that Dale was running a fast finish long run today and thought he was starting at 5:15 so I planned on meeting him at 6:00 which would meet up with him at 5 miles. I got there a little late and saw his van so I just headed out but could not see him. I met up with him and Lauren after 2 miles and turned around with them. They had just started their run at 6:00 too and were just a half mile ahead of me. We started back running a little faster than Dale had planned but were all conversational. When we got back to the cars Lauren finished but we picked up Chuck (who had three teeth removed yesterday, can you say hard core) and headed out again. We started picking up the pace each mile and I ran hard in with Dale where he and Chuck called it for the day. I turned around and headed out again wanting to run at least 15 today. My right calf was starting to fatigue and tighten a bit but I was able to maintain about 7:30 pace on the last 5 miles without it worsening. It must still be tired from Thursday's 10k tempo run. I finished the 15 in 1:50:48 (avg pace 7:23).

Here are the splits: 8:07, 7:46, 7:48, 7:37, 7:25, 7:38, 7:13, 6:50, 6:43, 7:03, 7:32, 7:36, 7:30, 7:13, 6:48.

Dale's last mile was 6:26 which I ran the last half mile with in my 6:43 split.

Through 13.1 I was at 1:38.


I watched the end of the boys race at Nike Cross Nationals late this morning. I have to say I was impressed, but I am still on the fence whether or not I like this event and Footlocker Nationals. Footlocker is the original HS cross country national championship event that began in 1979 as the Kinney Cross Country Championships. It was and still is an individual event and the first boy and girl were the national champions of HS cross country. There is still a regional qualifying event and the top 10 from each region go on to Footlocker Nationals. The regional events are amazing. I ran the West Regional Meet as a senior in 1996. There is a seeded race for those hoping to qualify but there is also races by class and that year I ran with the Seniors at Woodward Park (also the CA state championship course). I think I ran a pathetic 18:30. That year a freshman girl from my high school Abby Miller was third in the seeded girls race which qualified her for Footlocker Nationals where she also placed third. She would have been 4th but for you history buffs this was the race where Julia Stamps was winning and collapsed less than 100m from the finish line and DNF'd. Cross Country was the only high school sport that had a true individual national champion. Footlocker treated these top kids like rockstars.

In 2004 Nike started a new race called Nike Team Nationals as a way to have a true high school national team champion, a logical progression from having only individual champions previously. Yes, cross country is a team sport and high school cross country teams are a very close and bonded group. It sounded like a great idea, except that some of the top runners in the nation were also on some of the nations top teams. They were either on the same weekend or back to back weekends, I can't remember but either way it was tough or near impossible to do both. So you had to make a choice, run for team title or for an individual title. Hard to tell your teammates, "Sorry guys, I want the individual title, see ya later." So in 2008 they changed the name to NXN or Nike Cross Nationals and added some individual spots from each region to attract other top runners. They also have a nice Nike trophy for the individual winner of NXN. Now you can run with your team but also be competing with some of the top individual runners on the country. But what about Footlocker? Well it is next weekend and there are some kids doubling (Lucas Verzbicas will attempt the double) but west coast teams are at a disadvantage. Some east coast and midwest teams have had their state championships a month ago and have been able to recover and then qualify for Footlocker as well as be invited to NXN. The Footlocker West Regional was also TODAY at Mt. SAC! You can't run NXN and qualify for Footlocker if you are in the west region! The CA state meet was only last weekend! Nike is trying to take over the individual title and seems to be winning the battle as individuals like Elias Gedyon and the Rosa twins along with other individuals have been choosing NXN over Footlocker.

From what I saw today Nike may just deserve to have it all. Is there any other sport where the top athlete in the country, lets say Alex Rodriguez, Kobe Bryant or Peyton Manning shows up to interview the participants of a high school event? Well that is exactly what I saw today. Chris Solinsky, the American Record holder in the 10k and one of the top US distance runners (also a Nike athlete), was down there in a big warm jacket with a microphone talking with ALL the kids, not just the winners. It was awesome. Also the course was incredibly difficult. It was in Oregon and was cold, windy, hilly, and muddy. They even had a section of haybales that the runners had to jump over. True cross country. Verzbicas won and just barely broke 16 minutes. He ran 14:44 at the Midwest Footlocker Regional last weekend. That shows you how tough this course is. Most of the best runners in the country chose NXN this year.

My biggest problem with this fight between Nike and Footlocker is that it extends these young kids championship seasons so long that they risk the health of their bodies just to get there. Some of these kids are 13 years old and their season, which started in September, goes over two weeks longer than college age kids at NCAA Nationals which was November 23rd. Footlocker Nationals is not until December 11th! And most of those college kids don't start racing until end of September at the earliest, most in October! This is too long of a championship season for a high school age kid. If you live in CA you have tough races every weekend starting in mid October with Mt. SAC, then your league championship race, CIF prelims, CIF finals, CA state finals, Footlocker Regionals or NXN and Footlocker finals if you are lucky enough and healthy enough to make it that far. Many of the top runners in CA don't even start racing hard until Mt. SAC for this reason. Sara Baxter, a freshman at Simi Valley HS and the Div I CA state champion (also Mt. SAC freshman course record holder) decided, with the help of her parents I'm sure, not to run in NXN or Footlocker this year. It is just too much for some of these young kids.

Sadly, my prediction is that after 30+ years Footlocker Nationals will be gone soon. NXN and all the money that Nike has will take over.

There was a write up by Bryan Green who gave an interesting solution to this problem so that Footlocker and Nike could co-exist but it still extends the season into mid December.
Here is part one.

And here is part two.

Shea's Castle Thanksgiving Day Run!

I planned to meet Clay at 60th and the aqueduct at 7:00am for a long run. It was in the low 20s when we started but it was completely calm and the aqueduct was glassy. We headed west with the intent to turn around after 8 miles making it an even 16. As we ran Clay came up with the idea of running out to Shea's Castle, then turning around and having his daughter pick us up at Johnson Rd. It was 12 miles to the Castle (5 miles of new aqueduct for me past Johnson Rd) and 5 miles back to Johnson Rd for 17 miles. We hit the half marathon split at 1:48 (avg 8:15 pace) and suddenly the miles started to get a little tougher. At that point I just wanted to get the run over with and picked up the pace. I finished the last 4 miles around 7:30 pace. It was a good run. Total time 2 hours 17 minutes. Thanks for the company Clay!

Andi and her brother went for a run after I got home. We all burned some good calories that were replaced at dinner tonight!

Congrats to Ron Gallagher who ran a PR for 5k today in 25:12.

Here is a link to some pictures from Thanksgiving Day runs from the past. Today was my longest Turkey Day run ever. The past two years I have run about 6 miles.

BTW: Alan Webb ran 13:36 to win the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot 5k today with Galen Rupp close behind in 13:39! Sergio Reyes was 28th in 15:00, an off day.

Good luck to Desert Christian High School this Saturday at the California State HS cross country meet!

15 mile long run

I got up early to meet Dale and Chuck and tag along for their Sunday long run. We met at 5:15am at Ave. S and the aqueduct, put on our headlamps, and headed out. The temps were in the high 30s to low 40s which was perfect long run weather. NO WIND!! We just talked and kept plugging away on the 2.5 mile stretch of aqueduct. We would come back to the start every 5 miles, get something to drink, and head out again. After 10 miles I was feeling a little tired but really wanted to get a 2 hour run in so I went out for one more lap. We finished 15 miles in 2 hours 10 minutes (avg 8:40 pace). We had some good conversation, took it easy, and let the miles fly by. The sun didn't come up until we hit mile 13! Thanks Dale and Chuck for a good run! The calf is holding up good, we'll see what happens next weekend.

26 mile weekend!

138 mile October. Working my way back.

Happy Halloween! Andi out did herself again on the homemade costumes! AWESOME!

Leona Divide 30k!

I had the opportunity to run with race director and recent Angeles Crest 100 winner, Keira Henninger, this morning. She directed her first race this year at my first ultra, Leona Divide 50. Since then she started the Los Pinos 50k, and most recently is planning a new multi-race day next October called Leona Valley Trail Races. The tentative date is October 8th. When I heard about her plans I contacted her offering help with the courses and race planning. She emailed me right back and asked if I was available to map out, measure, and run the new Leona Divide 30k this weekend. I jumped on the offer.

We met at the Lake Hughes Community Center at 7am and after discussing the course headed up the mountain. She was not as familiar with the roads and trails east of Lake Hughes Road, so I got to play tour guide as we went along. It was a blast! I hadn't been out there since LD50 and almost forgot how fun it is running out there. We met Clay and his dog Aurora, as we were just starting out on the PCT. We ran all the way down to Lake Hughes Road, turned around, and then made it back to the Community Center.

Keira is planning on four distances to choose from for the Leona Valley Trail Races. There will be 5k, 10k, half marathon, and marathon distances. We discussed each race course as we continued on the 30k course. I hadn't run farther than 10 miles at a time in the past 2 months so I was a little concerned, but we took it pretty easy and stopped at intersections to discuss course options. Keira is going to be racing and race directing full time from now on. I would recommend any of her races based on my experiences at LD50. She will be working hard on the two races in Leona Valley next year, so I hope to do some more trail running and race planning with her in the future. Thanks Keira!

My calf felt great the entire 18 miles today, and is no more tired or tight than any of my other runs this week. We'll see how it feels tomorrow.


Race Results from today:
Tom and Dan Ham finished the Portland Marathon in a water logged 3:58. Congrats to Tom on finishing his first marathon!

No world records today at Chicago. It was too hot. Temps in the 70s and highs in the 80s slowed Sammy Wanjiru to a 2:06!
The fastest American male was Jason Hartmann in 2:11, and fastest female was Desire Davilla in a PR of 2:26 with Magdalena close behind in 2:28. Not bad in the heat. The most impressive American was Joan Benoit Samuelson, who at the age of 52 ran a 2:47! On a cooler day she would have qualified for the Olympic Trials (missed it by a minute).

Mission Accomplished!

I hadn't been longer than 8 miles in two months, so the goal today was 10 at Ave S and the aquecduct (which is out and back twice). It has been two months exactly since my calf injury, can you believe it. My mileage was cut back over 50% for the last two months. So today the goal was a healthy 10 miles. Well, mission accomplished, I had a nice run, 5 miles with a headlamp and 5 miles at sunrise in just under 80 minutes (8:46, 8:21, 7:59, 8:10, 7:54, 8:01, 8:07, 7:50, 7:39, 7:00). Dale, sorry I didn't let you know I was coming but I thought you would be out there. Missed ya I guess.

Chuck finished is back to back marathon weekend with a Maine Marathon today just under 4 hours! I got a text that said the last 6 miles were a battle with fatigue. I can only imagine! So mission accomplished Chuck! Congratulations! Back to back marathons in new states, both under 4 hours!

Mission Accomplished for Sergio Reyes who won the Twin Cities Marathon this morning in 2:14:02 (also a PR by over a minute) and took home the 2010 USA marathon purse of $25,000! Not bad for two hours of work! Runnerspace.com had the race live on their website but blew it when their camera batteries died half way through. Luckily I had an insider texting me with updates. Sergio's wife Aimee was on the lead car! Two guys took off at the start and Sergio hung back with the chase pack with 3 other guys. At about half way they caught the other group and finished as a pack of three. Sergio pulled ahead at the end and won by only 7 seconds! Congratulations Sergio, can't wait to hear more about it! I can't believe it has been a year since Andi and I ran Twin Cities last October.

Sunday Long Run with Sergio and Justin..cut short

I had made plans to meet Sergio Reyes and Justin Patananan on Sunday morning for part of my long run. They start their long run at 7:00 pace, so I knew I could run with them for at least an hour. I needed to start earlier so I could get home in time to let Andi get out for a 10 miler with Dawn.

I drove up to 70th and the aqueduct at 6:15 and was greeted by 30mph gusts of wind and white caps on the aqueduct. I ran out two miles then came back, then out and back another two miles before Sergio and Justin arrived. I averaged 8:00 pace for the first 6 miles.

When I met up with Sergio and Justin we headed west toward the fire damage. We were running at 7:00 pace easily with the wind at our backs. 7:00 pace, just slower than marathon pace for me, is nearly two minutes slower than marathon pace for them (VERY EASY), so their easy runs are my tempo runs. Our miles splits were 7:09, 7:12, 6:53, 7:02, 6:53. Just after 5 miles, my right calf started to cramp badly. I told them to go ahead and I slowed to nearly 9:00 pace. I was still 4 miles from my car and decided to get home quicker by cutting under the aqueduct and down 55th. I was bummed not to finish with them. I had planned on running with them for an hour (8-9 miles). It was a little embarassing to have to pull up early, but there was no way I could continue at that pace. I hope I can tag along on their long runs again as they would be great tempo runs for me. After an hour at 7:00 pace they usually pick it up closer to 6:00 pace for the next hour.

I got home, took some advil, and did an ice bath for my right calf. These kind of cramps usually happen to me after a few nights of poor sleep and dehydration, which is true of the last two days. It usually takes 7-14 days to fully recover from this, so there will be a cut in mileage and easy running only until this loosens up.

Total mileage for the day was 14.


Sergio and Justin, if you are reading this, I really enjoyed running with you guys. It sure was windy out there. How did the rest of your long run go? I am really not a wuss, and the cramp came on so suddenly that I had to stop running asap. I hope you don't mind me tagging along in the future for a few more miles.

Big Bear, CA

I skipped my Wednesday track workout last week because of some plantar fascia pain on both heels. It was bothering me enough to hold on the track work, or even an easy run. I have found that if you start experiencing this type of pain, rest is the best medicine. I was still have some mild discomfort on Friday but it was much better.

We spent the weekend at a family reunion in Big Bear, CA. While the kids were napping on Friday Andi and I, along with my mom and sister, drove over to the north shore where they have a 3.2 mile paved bike path called the Alpine Pedal Path. We went out for 20 min and back for a total of 40 minutes. Andi and I were cruising at 8:00 pace and finished 5 miles.

In a previous trip to Big Bear I ran around the lake which turned out to be almost exactly 15 miles. I thought about doing that again, but after looking at some maps, I realized that the Pacific Crest Trail was not too far away. There was a trail, called the Cougar Crest Trail that took you 2.2 miles from the highway to the PCT. The trail head for the Cougar Crest Trail didn't look to far from our cabin. Actually, it turned out to be 3.5 miles away. I decided to get up early and go say hello to the PCT. I even talked Andi into coming along with me.

We left at around 5:45am and headed back to the Alpine Pedal Path and caught the Cougar Crest Trail. It started out as a wide dirt trail with a slow steady uphill grade. After about a mile the trail narrowed and became much more rocky. It got steeper and more technical until the top where the trail ends at the Pacific Crest Trail. We spent some time at the top looking back at the lake, and then retraced our steps back for a total of 12 miles (The trail turned out to be more like 2.5 miles each way).

15 mile aqueduct run

I got up 30 minutes late this morning for my long run, so I left at about 5:45! The later you leave the hotter it gets. I ran up to the aqueduct then west. I was dealing with about a 10 mph headwind for most of the way but I kept telling myself that it would be better when I turned around. At about mile four I got a sharp pain in my right side. It didn't feel like muscle pain, I quickly realized that I had been stung by a bee! I pulled my shirt up and started shaking it around and rubbing my back. I never felt the bee but the pain quickly subsided and I was able to continue running. The steady wind started to wear on me after about 6-7 miles out. I was close to the last bridge so I made it there (7.25 miles) and decided to turn around at 7.5 miles. This was the exact turn-around point for my 30 mile birthday run. On the way back the wind seemed to die down a little and now I was dealing with the sun in my face. Into the wind I was maintaining 8:20-8:30 pace, but on the way back I was cruising at 7:20-7:30 pace and trying to conserve my fluids. I finished the 15 miles in 1:59:12 (avg pace 7:57/mi). I averaged 7:24/mi for the lat 7 miles. I got home and showered myself off with the hose in the back yard. It felt so good! Glad I wasn't out any later, it is hot out there today!

Good luck to Andi, Julie, and Ron at the Strawberry Fields Olympic Distance Triathlon tomorrow. It should be a great race with great weather! Have fun!

Beautiful 16 mile run (2:07:42)

Family totals for today:
21 miles running
26 miles biking

How do you get all this work done? You get up early!

I left the house at 5:00 am and ran up to the aqueduct. Just as I began running along the aqueduct it started to rain, not hard, but just enough to keep me cool. There were some beautiful clouds that created an even more spectacular sunrise. I made it out to the turn around at Highland and started running back. I increased my pace to around 7:00/mi mile 7 and 8. After almost exactly 8 miles, I met Clay, Dale, and Chuck running the other direction. This wasn't an coincedence, I had planned this meeting with Clay on Friday. I then made a u-turn, and continued around the turn and back on the dirt side of the aqueduct. I finished the run home for 16 miles in 2:07:42 or just under 8:00 pace on average.

I then tagged Andi who left on her bike to meet up with Clay. See Clay's blog for details. She biked 26 miles with Clay and then transitioned to the run and ran 5 miles. By now it was almost 10:00am and heating up quickly. She came back tired and dehydrated. So by 10:00am we had run 21 miles and biked 26 miles. Not a bad morning.

Here are my mile splits on the run: 8:54, 9:13, 8:20, 8:15, 7:54, 7:41, 7:32, 7:00, 8:19, 7:59, 7:55, 8:01, 8:10, 8:20, 7:16, 6:53. First two miles up hill, last two miles down hill.

20 mile weekend wrap-up

Another solid weekend of training. I am on my way back and taking my time getting there.

Saturday I got out for an easy 5 miles and incorporated some hills into the run. I had to get back home by 7 am when Clay and Andi were scheduled to go for a bike ride. Andi rode 20 miles with Clay pushing her up the hills around Quartz Hill, then she got home, put on her running shoes and ran 6 more! She was tired after all that but it was a great workout.

This morning I met Chuck and Dale at Ave S and the aqueduct. My plan was to run 15. When I left my house it was calm and beautiful. When I arrived at Ave S it was gusty! It is usually the other way around. So we headed directly into the wind for 2.5 miles then turned around back to the start. Chuck and I headed out again and Dale went home sick. Chuck and I grinded out another 10 miles of AVRT (Antelope Valley Resistance Training) for a total of 15 miles in 2 hours 3 minutes. This is about 3 minutes faster than 2 weeks ago with the windy conditions. I was very tired by the end and wouldn't have wanted to go any further even if I had planned to. My right knee and plantar fascia were taking to me during the 15th mile. We averaged about 8:10s into the wind and 7:50s on the way back. It was a solid workout.

15 mile run with company

I got a call from Dale last night inviting me out to Ave S and the aqueduct for a long run. I told him I was planning on 12 and he said he might do 14 or 15. I met Dale and Chuck at 6 am and we headed out on the 2.5 mile stretch of asphalt. I was glad we started early as it was starting to warm up after the first 5 miles. After 10 miles I was thinking about calling it but then started to feel a little better and we continued on. We set an easy pace and the conversation made the miles go a little faster. Chuck and I picked it up to 7:50 pace for the last 2.5 miles and we finished the run in 2 hours and 6 minutes. My longest run since LD50. The temperature was 81 degrees by the time we were done. Thanks for the company you guys!

LD Marathon (26 mile trail run)

Clay and I ran the back end of the LD50 from Lake Hughes Rd. to the end and back. It is exactly 13 miles one way. Both my kids were sick last night, and I must have slept through my alarm because I woke up at 6:20 and was supposed to meet Clay at 6:30. I didn't get on the trail until 7:00am. Clay had a 30 minute head start on me. It was breezy out there and got worse during the run. I pushed the pace on the way out and make it to 7N23 4 minutes faster than last weekend (1:41). Then I ran down the steep fire road to the turn around point. This is where I met up with Clay who was coming back up. I kept thinking, I can't believe I have to come back up this road. I make the it to 13 miles in 1:58:50. I had to dig down deep to make it back up that road. I am nervous about that hill which will be mile 30 and 31 on race day. I felt good for the next 5 miles and met up with Clay again with about 5 miles to go. We both commented that we were exhausted. I had some lateral right knee pain for the last 4 miles going down to my car. I finished the 26 miles in 3:54.

This was my last long trail run before LD50 on April 17th. I never got in my planned 30 miler. I ran two marathon distance runs over the last 15 days, but that is only just over half way. I know I can finish but I am a little concerned. Is this like running a marathon with a 13 miler as your longest training run? No, its probably worse than that.

The first 16 miles of the LD50 are fairly easy, then you do the out and back 13 mile route that we did today. My quads will be shot by the end of this section due to the 11 miles of down hill at the end. Then there is 8 miles left, first 5 which are all uphill with switchbacks, then 3 miles downhill to the finish. With 8 miles to go I will be in survival mode.

22 mile PCT run

It was a beautiful morning for a trail run. I got up before sunrise to head out on the PCT west of Lake Hughes Road. The first two miles are the steepest on the course. Clay started from the other end 7N23 heading toward me. We met close to aid station 5, said hi and continued on our same directions. I turned around at the intersection of the PCT and 7N23 at 1 hour 45 minutes. I met with Clay again at almost the exact same spot and was cruising down the mountain. I came back on the out and back route in 1 hour 25 minutes, 20 min faster than on the way out. Total run was 22 miles in 3 hours and 10 minutes. I have now run almost every part of the LD50 course except the 2 miles of 7N23. Clay took this picture of me on the trail. I am not carrying a walking stick it is my "snake stick," but we didn't see any today!

Clay, it was good having you back!

Spontaneous AV Marathon (3:35:47)

I ran the full distance of a marathon this morning (26.2 miles) and was finished by 8:25 am. My marathon time was 3:35:47 (avg pace 8:14/mi). I ran 16 miles of those with Dale Lister. Come back later tonight for the full story. It is pretty comical.

Update:
So the plan this morning was to meet Dale at Marie Kerr Park at 6:00am and go 20 miles. I even called to confirm with him and reminded him to change his clocks. I went around the house and set all the clocks in my house ahead one hour and went to bed. I decided the night before that I would run the 3.5 miles to meet Dale instead of drive which meant I would have to get up a little earlier. I left my house at 20 til and ran to the park. It was freezing this morning literally (30 degrees). I was happy to have worn my tights, gloves and ear band. I had to push the pace because I was running a little late but when I got there Dale was not there yet. I ran around the parking lot of Vons a few times, still no Dale. I then did the 1.25 mile loop around the park, still no Dale. I was thinking, "this is not like Dale." Then I realized that it was still pitch dark out and not getting any lighter. Why was it still so dark? I came to the conclusion that I HAD left at 20 til...20 til 5! I guess my alarm clock automatically changes for daylight savings and I added an extra hour. Dale would not be coming for another 45 minutes so I continued to run loops around the park until a little before 6:00am when I finally saw his van. By this time I had already run 9.3 miles. Dale was ready to go and we started up Rancho Vista on our way to Quartz Hill to add some hills into our long run (Dale is running the Boston Marathon in 5 weeks!). We zig zagged our way to 70th and L and then hit all the major hills in Quartz Hill finishing at N-8 and 50th. By this time I had decided to run the 26.2 mile distance and needed about 4 miles to finish. We did an out and back on N-8, adding another hill, and then I parted with Dale and headed home reaching the marathon split in my neighborhood in 3:35:47! Dale ran back to his car and finished 20 miles for the day. I did not eat anything before leaving and only brought approx 20oz bottle of powerbar recovery drink. I was tired and hungry by the end of the run and couldn't believe that I had only completed half the distance that I will cover in 5 weeks. Who talked me into this?