9 mile marathon pace fast finish run

If I don't get out first thing in the morning it is tough to get out for a run later in the day. We have busy weekends and today was no different. I didn't feel like getting up at 5 am so I slept in and got up with the kids (6:45). Andi went for a run while I stayed with the boys and followed the Las Vegas Half Marathon and California International Marathon that were run today. Ron PR'd in the half marathon with a time of 2:03:30 (A PR by 3.5 minutes and a course best by 10 minutes!) Way to go Ron! David Weary ran CIM in 3:45 (10 minutes off a BQ), he went out in 1:45 but came back in 2:00. Must have been a rough second half. With CIM this weekend that means it is one year since my marathon PR at CIM 2009 (2:57:11)! That is an awesome race, very competitive! This year there were 292 runners under 3 hours and 32 under 2:30! 10 of those sub 3 hour runners were in the 50-54 AG and 9 in the 55-59 AG! I am close to that sub 3 shape right now I think just less long runs. Looking forward to some 20 milers in the next two months in preparation for Surf City!

So I didn't get out this morning, we went to church, then ran a few errands and got home around 1:00pm. I had about an hour and a half to run and get ready for our afternoon in Acton (Santa was out there!), and we had dinner at my sister-in-laws. My plan was to do 10 easy since my calf was pretty tired after yesterday. After looking at the clock I realized that I didn't have time to do 10 easy, so I planned on 8 and left the house. It started sprinkling just as I left, and with no wind the rain felt nice and cool. I decided my Ranco Vista Loop was a good plan (7.5 miles) but as I started up 45th my legs felt pretty good. I decided to keep up the pace (which was now around 7:15/mi to Hillview MS and then see how I felt. After Hillview it is downhill so I eased up but still maintained 7:00/mi pace. Now I was down on 30th and still cruising along. I decided, "what the heck," and just kept pushing. When I got back to N and 50th I turned left and went up to 55th, down to M-8 and back home to finish 9 miles in a little heavier rain in 62:53 (sub 7:00/mi pace). My calf felt fine. The rain still hasn't let up. Today's workout was faster and longer than the last time I did a similar workout.

Splits 7:33, 7:13, 7:13, 7:22, 6:58, 6:55, 6:47, 6:35, 6:19.

It probably wasn't the smartest decision but I would have dialed back if I didn't feel as good as I did. I get into that same mileage obsession that many people get into sometimes that can just lead down a bad path. The idea that I have to do more, like one more mile is really going to matter. Sometimes the easier pace with less miles may be better in the long run (literally and figuratively). In other words, sometimes the time spent is more important than the distance. I ran pretty hard Thursday and Saturday so was it ok to run at MP today? Maybe, maybe not. We'll see how this week goes. Honestly 7:30 pace feels pretty easy right now.

I have heard other runners and coaches talk about the idea of "callousing," or how running tough workouts toughens us up. I like that idea. The idea that running hard workouts will possibly delay the feelings of fatigue or at least make me more used to those feelings and be able to push through them. Here are some workouts that I think are good at "callousing."

Long Tempo Runs, Threshold Runs, Fast Finish Long Runs, Progression Runs. These runs make me work at a high percentage of my aerobic threshold for a long time, especially toward the end of the run and often, like today, I negative split the workout! Work hard and run fast when I am tired! I love those workouts.

24 miles for the weekend.

Next weekend I'll be following Clay and Dale at the Santa Monica 10k and Chuck at the Rocket City Marathon. Good Luck you guys!

3 in the rain, 2 on the treadmill

Not because of the rain but because Andi works on Wednesday so I have to be back at the house by 6:40. I didn't wake up til 5:50 so I jetted out the door and did 3 miles on the road. It was sprinkling rain and no wind, a very pleasant run (wish I could have been out there longer). My right leg held up well to the hills around my house. It still gets tight later in the day. I got home before Andi left and hopped on the treadmill for another 2 miles. The boys came in and watched me run. "Daddy you are running fast!"



Another great post by Coach Vern Gambetta.

Being the Best – Take Action Now
Here are some thoughts I put together for a team I was working with. In bold are the qualities with an explanation, but those are just qualities. Underneath each item you see the word action. I asked each team member to write out the action they were going to take to achieve the desired end result. Over the years I have learned it is too easy to set goals or to talk about being the best, unless those goals are followed up by specific actions it just is a very temporary feel good process. Each individual needs to take control and decide on the they action they will take. They must establish ownership. Do not recommend or assign an action for them.
Be Smart - Work on something specific each day. Have a plan! Train with a purpose. Improvement is incremental. Does not have to be big. Small steps lead to big steps.
ACTION:

Pressure is what you make it! Embrace it. Put yourself in pressure situations to learn. Use the pressure to make you better, internalize it and use it as a positive influence.
ACTION:

Belief – If you don’t believe in yourself who will? Think you are the best and you are on your way. Confidence, believe in yourself, your preparation and in your support system.
ACTION:

Routine – Great athletes do the same thing, the same way, at the same time each day. Regularity. You can set a clock by the routines of the great ones.
ACTION:

Work- Everyone works. The great ones work smarter with a sense of purpose. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses objectively. Then work to minimize your weaknesses and optimize your strengths. Bring your weaknesses up to the level of your strengths.
ACTION:

Choices - It is always about choices. Make the conscious choice to be the best. Life is constantly about choices.
Action:
Without ACTION these are all just words.Take ACTION now!

Run to Acton?

Yesterday I decided that today would be the day to run to Acton. The forecast was calling for rain but it looked to be less chance in the morning so I set my alarm for 4:45 am with the plan of getting there around 8:00am. My alarm woke me up and I checked outside. "It doesn't look too bad," I thought. Then all of the sudden it was like someone cut an opening trough the clouds and it opened up the flood gates. I went back to bed.

I woke up again around 6:30 and couldn't hear the rain anymore. I looked outside and only saw a drizzle, so I laced up my shoes, put on my tights, jacket, gloves and hat and headed out. I decided to see if I could make it to Anaverde (the housing development where the trail starts to Acton). I ran down Rancho Vista to 30th then made a right and ran up to Highland High School. By then the rain was even less and I made it to 25th and Elizabeth Lake Rd. I made a right there and started looking left for the access road toward the aqueduct. Right away there was a "fire access road" sign but I thought, "It can't be that soon, I better keep going." Nothing else was coming up and I thought about turning around but then saw another road on the left side that looked like it was going in the right direction. After looking at Google Earth when I got home it was actually 40th St. West. I had run through another part of Anaverde to the West that was never finished due to the recession and housing crisis. The dirt road, which was mostly mud by this point, turned to the left and headed still in the right direction. It eventually became Edison Rd in Anaverde. I made my first right on Parkwood which took me to the highest point where the trail to Acton starts. I looked at my watch when I got to the top and it showed 11 miles! Yikes, now I have to run home. I looked up the trail a little ways and for a brief second thought about continuing, then turned around and tried to find the quickest way home. I was able to find my way quickly to the aqueduct and then found that fire access road that I missed which put me right at 25th and Elizabeth Lake Rd. I then retraced my steps home from there and it was exactly 8 miles from the top of Anaverde back to my house. I had gone 3 miles out of my way on the way there! By then my total was 19 miles and I continued around my neighborhood until I hit 20! A little crazy...yes, but besides my tights getting really wet I felt good most of the way. I ended the 20 miles in exactly 2 hours 40 minutes (8:00 pace). Next weekend I may have to attempt the run to Acton again, now that I know the shortest route to the trail. On Google Earth it is named Sierra Pellona Mountainway West. It doesn't look that much farther from there, just a mile or two over the mountain.