30 November 2014

pacing Lucca at the Seattle Marathon

What. A. Day.

You can't buy a smile that big.

In what has become an awesome annual tradition I paced Lucca at the Seattle Marathon today. This race seems to agree with her as she keeps doing well in spite of the hilly course. Two years ago she got a marathon PR here and last year she bettered her PR by about three minutes.

As much as people like to joke about men and testosterone, especially competitive athletes setting the bar low to ensure success, it seems women are not immune. As evidenced by the below emails I got from Lucca.

This one is from about four weeks out.

"I am once again going to run the Seattle Marathon... just for fun!"

And then this one from one week out.

"I have a tentative plan to try and beat my PR... but we’ll see how it goes. I’ve been doing lots of trail running lately, but not much road work. But maybe I can pull it off, will be fun to try!"

Game on.

As anyone who reads this blog knows my left sartorius has been a pain in the butt hip lately. Running, especially on the flat and on pavement, has not agreed with me at all. Originally I was hoping to run the entire race with Lucca just like I did two years ago but as the day drew closer and closer I got more and more tentative as my body was not healing fast enough. Yesterday clinched it. I went for a trail run and felt positively hobbled the entire time. I sent Lucca a text letting her know I would only be able to join her at mile eight which is the first time the course passes by our house. I'd by lying if said I didn't almost send her another message saying I would meet her at mile 17 which is when the course passes our house for the second time. :(

In true mule fashion (if you're going to pace, why not do it right!) I loaded up my running pack with two large bottles, lots of snacks, my camera and headed out.

It was cold! Running in the cold is one thing but having to stand around in the clothes you want to feel comfy in after an hour of running is another. Lucca had to stand round at the start where it was 25 degrees and I had to stand around at mile eight where it was 30. Brr.

Right from the beginning I was having fun. On the way down to the marathon route I did a few warm-up exercises and my hip felt fine! When I got there watching all the runners pour off of I-90 floating bridge was pretty cool as everyone looked so excited and determined. Even the volunteers were having a blast. Then Lucca showed up and we were on our way to Seward Park.

Right away I'm asking Lucca, "Is there anything you need? When was the last time you ate anything"? To which she replied, "I've been drinking Gatorade at the aid stations..." Oops. So right away I start offering her some carb chews, gel and sips from the bottle in an attempt to catch her up on nutrition. In fact, since I was carrying everything, I was able to offer her something to eat and drink pretty much every 20-30 minutes all the way to the finish.

Lucca had put down a couple of fast miles at the start. The course follows 5th Ave and as that street heads south it descends a hill so it's easy to pick up the pace and not realize it. Then heading south on Lake WA Blvd we had a tailwind and were again a bit ahead of schedule. But I figured we were in good shape, having a little time in the back without needing to work for it is a good thing on this course for two reasons, 1) we were going to be running into a headwind on the way back up Lake WA Blvd and 2) most of the hills come in the second half.

As we rounded Seward Park and headed north into the wind I was surprised by how good Lucca looked! Not that I didn't expect it, but it was fantastic to see her run so easily. We slotted in behind this other woman for a while and then as Lake WA Blvd climbs a little by Mount Baker Park Beach and Lucca surged ahead I knew it was going to be a good day.

Same thing at Galer (which is 'the' hill on this course). Lucca kept a perfect pace on the climb, didn't go too hard and we kept it up when the climb leveled off some.

After crossing 23rd Ave there was my dad. Without a doubt, he is our biggest fan.

Interlaken is where most people come apart. Not Lucca, not this year. We kept on passing other runners and she kept running on schedule. Actually, we were just a bit ahead of schedule all day but since aerobic activity severely impacts my rudimentary math skills I was still not willing to blurt out any prediction about a finishing time.

Heading north on Lakeview the sun was shining right at us and the temperature was quiet comfy. Lucca kept the pace up as we climbed up and over I-5 and then finally it looked like she would easily set a new PR. I offered to carry her gloves so she could feel 'fast' for the last mile and to her credit she hardly put on the brakes as we descended down to Dexter.

There was no need to push Lucca on the last climb up to the stadium entrance so I got out my camera instead.

Awesome! And 4th place to boot! What a thrill to be part of this effort.

Here are all the pictures and video.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 7:30 AM - apple sauce, protein powder, Udo's Oil, tea
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food HEED, Hammer Gel
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 9:30 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather 30-35 degrees, sunny, dry, light wind
Course  
Results official results
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Hoka Stinson Trail, Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest 2.0, Garmin Fenix 2
Clothing Fitsok CF2, Patagonia Capilene boxer briefs, Mountain Hardware fleece knickers, SmartWool shorts, Craft Active Classic Long Sleeve Baselayer, Patagonia Capilene wind front shirt, SmartWool hat, Brooks Vapor Dry Glove II

29 November 2014

Cougar 14

My first snow run of the season! Not a ton of coverage but it's always beautiful.

The "Cougar 10" loop is such a versatile route. You can just run the 10 (nine miles actually), turn it into 12, 14 and even 16 miles. I was hoping to do the full 16 today but it wasn't in the cards. My sartorius was like a governor, it didn't hurt much but it sure slowed me down on every flat section and every descent. Rats.

So I decided to enjoy other things. Like the awesome scenery.

God I love the white!

It wasn't really that cold. The temperature was just above freezing and it had been raining like mad the previous two days so the trails were quite wet. Still, whenever the opportunity for first tracks just to the side of the main path presented itself I took it. :)

I don't usually run with music but brought it along today and turned it on at the bottom of Bear Ridge. It was fun to have something to listen to.

Here are all the pictures.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 7:30 AM - banana, Omnibar
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food 1.5 bottles each w/2 scoops Perpetuem
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day  
Workout Type  
Weather mid 30s, wet ground but dry sky, some wind in exposed areas
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Cascadia 9, Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest 2.0, Garmin Fenix 2
Clothing Injinji Run Original Weight Mini-Crew, Patagonia Capilene boxer briefs, 2XU Compression 3/4 Tights, Craft Active Classic Long Sleeve Baselayer, Patagonia Capilene long sleeve top, Brooks Vapor Dry Glove II, knit hat

26 November 2014

Expresso Exercise Bike | Hot Pilates | walk

Excellent day at the 'office' today. On the way to said office I saw this marvel of modern machinery.

What you can't tell so well from this angle is that it also had steel cranks... and you get the picture now I suspect. I wonder why some manufacturer opted for twist shifters 1) on a road bike and 2) they must have thought it made this thing look high-tech?

Today I opted for two shorter trainer rides instead of one longer one. Variety is the spice and all that.

My streak of beating my previous PRs stayed aloe but just barely... The first effort was not so bad, I must have ridden this when I was rehabbing my knee. The second effort was HARD. I was neck-and-neck with my ghost until the very last riser when I went all in and got a small gap which I Held to the finish and 'won' by about five seconds. Whew. I better make a mental note to leave this course alone for a bit unless I'm feeling very motivated. :)

After work I headed up to Breathe Hot Yoga for another Hot Pilates class. I am finally getting the hang pacing myself for this stuff. No longer do I try to do everything the hardest way and then collapse half way through each set. :) Some people learn slower than others.

I did not sleep long at all but when I woke up it was at just the right time in my sleep cycle. Sometimes you've got to be thankful for the small favors.

Sleep 5.5
Waking HR 3:30 AM - 43
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day trainer - 12:30, 12:50 PM
Pilates - 5:45 PM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course  
Results  
Time Pilates - 60 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment trainer - Expresso exercise bike
Clothing  

25 November 2014

Howe Street Stairs | lots of walking | Fleet Feet run

I love bicycles. Even especially when they look like this.

Ironically I saw this as I was approaching FootWorks PT to see Neal Goldberg. Perhaps this person could have benefitted from a bike fit?

Great day today for several reasons!

  • Howe Street stairs. What's not to love?
  • My hip survived my first road run in ages!
  • I was able to walk to most of the places I was going.
  • It didn't rain while I was walking.
  • It was unusually warm during my run.

Met Jim Kodjababian for our usual stair Tuesday. Next week this workout gets serious.

After work I saw Neal for another PT session. My sartorius muscle is getting better. Of course much slower than I would like. Neal keeps showing me these insanely hard exercises to do, I feel like the proverbial 98 lb. weakling.

Sleep 7.5
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 46
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food stairs - bottle w/1.5 scoops HEED
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day stairs - 5:35 AM
run - 6:00 PM
Workout Type  
Weather stairs - 50, light mist, calm
run - low 50s, breezy, dry
Course stairs - Howe Street
run - winter loop
Results  
Time  
Distance stairs - 13 flights
Pace  
Equipment stairs - Brooks Transcend, Garmin Fenix 2
walks - Brooks Glycerin 11
run - Brooks Glycerin 11
Clothing stairs/run - Fitsok CF2, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium LS shirt, Brooks Podium SS shirt

24 November 2014

core | walk

Look what showed up at our door today.

Nice.

Have I mentioned that I love savory? Oh yes.

Went to the gym this morning but it wasn't the best or most productive session... I tried to mix it up from my usual routine but that's just the long way of saying I was not very motivated and did a bunch of lame-o exercises.

And then the usual walk home from the bus stop.

Sleep 7
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 46
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food core - water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course  
Results  
Time core - 30 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment walk - Brooks Transcend, Garmin Fenix 2
Clothing  
Technorati Tags: ,

22 November 2014

Squak Mt + Wilderness loop

After running some errands today I stopped by Flying Lion Brewing. I was in luck as they had a big batch of grain which needed milling so I volunteered.

I also installed a cyclometer on the milling bicycle. Because you have to have stats. :) Milling is awesome after a run as there is very little resistance. Active recovery!

The run was full of mixed emotions. It was fantastic to get outside in the woods for a trail run. It was also great to have company in the form of Jon Robinson and his friend Dave. But my hip sure spoke up as we descended Wilderness Creek Trail on Cougar Mountain. That tiny bit of pavement on 900 where we crossed over to Squak Mountain made it even worse. The climb up Squak was okay but as soon as the trail flattened out I was hating life again and really had to slow down. Ditto for the last descent down Squak.

It was really nice of Jon and Dave to wait for me during that second half when running was not comfortable.

There were some highlights for sure.

  • That first climb up Squak is always a bit severe but I did okay!
  • Climbing Wilderness Cliffs Trail I came off the back twice but each time caught back up. Nice.
  • In spite of the rain I did not get cold.
Sleep 7
Waking HR 5:30 AM - 50
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 6:00 AM - apple sauce, 2 scoops protein powder, Udo's Oil
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food 2 bottles each w/2 scoops Perpetuem, 3 shots of Hammer Gel
Injuries hip started bothering me while descending Cougar and never let up
Therapy  
Time of Day 7:00 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather low 40s, some rain
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Cascadia 9, Garmin Fenix 2, Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest 2.0
Clothing Injinji Run Original Weight Mini-Crew, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Craft Active Extreme Short Sleeve Baselayer, Patagonia Merino 1 Silkweight Crew, Patagonia Houdini Jacket (which I took off during the first climb and never put back on), Patagonia Capilene gloves

21 November 2014

Howe Street stairs | Breathe Hot Yoga

I'm still scared to go for a flat run! :( Son instead I headed back to the Howe Street stairs. Thanks goodness these don't bother me.

Going in I hoped I could do one hour but I bailed after 40 minutes. Unlike Tuesday, today I felt pretty un-fresh. All the crappy (for your body - not crappy tasting) food and drink from last night didn't help either.

After work I subjected myself to another session of Hot Pilates at Breathe Hot Yoga. The first two times I took this class the routine was the same but today the instructor mixed it up. Nice. The instructor keeps saying, "Squeeze your glutes!" so today I did. My butt was practically cramping at the end of class...

Sleep 7.5
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 47
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food stairs - large bottle w/2 scoops HEED
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day Pilates - 4:30 PM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course  
Results  
Time Pilates - 60 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment stairs - Brooks Glycerin 11, Garmin Fenix 2
Clothing stairs - Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium LS shirt, Brooks Podium SS shirt, Brooks Vapor Dry Glove II

20 November 2014

walk

I slept like garbage so skipped the AM session. Then at work I was pretty busy all day which culminated in our annual Research Fair that I assisted with. This is always fun but leads to me drinking too much. Why change a winning formula this year.

Sleep 6
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 50
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Injuries  
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Clothing  
Technorati Tags:

19 November 2014

Expresso Exercise Bike | Breathe Hot Yoga

On the bus to work today there was this (10 year old?) kid sorting his Magic cards and putting them all into sleeves he had just purchased. He was the cutest kid! He kept chatting up this couple of women across the isle and suddenly I noticed he was wearing some Brooks Cascadia 9 shoes. Probably because they matched his pants. Super cool.

I was pretty sleepy tired this morning so no gym.

At lunch I went to the IMA for a little indoor cycling session.

Oh man, this is getting tough! Once again I raced my ghost from a previous PR. We were never more than three seconds apart and with less than one mile to go we were even. I 'sprinted' and beat myself by maybe five seconds.

As my PRs drop, this trend can't continue. :) Plus, I'm sure I will lose motivation for all these indoor TTs pretty quick. It seems every time I have hopped on this bike I have been pretty rested...

After work I headed to Breathe Hot Yoga for another Hot Pilates class. Two words: ass kicker. This was just as hard as I remembered it from last week. The class really has very little to do with yoga and instead is a high intensity workout! Awesome stuff. I need to do more of this.

Sleep 8
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 46
Body Weight 12:30 PM - 188 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day ride - 12:30 pm
Pilates - 5:45 pm
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course  
Results  
Time Pilates - 60 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment ride - Expresso exercise bike
Clothing  

18 November 2014

Howe Street stairs | Breathe Hot Yoga | walk

Saw this on the way to work today. So small, so niche, so cute.

Those are 24" wheels and it's a single speed.

It's Tuesday so it must be time for Howe Street stairs! For the second week Jim Kodjababian and I were joined by Bradlaugh Robinson. Awesome. In two weeks this workout gets serious with four runners, it will be great to have company.

For a change the stairs were not incredibly hard, I felt pretty darn fresh today. Even the last runner was not that bad.

After work I had initially hoped to go for a run but chickened out at the last minute thinking it might make my hip flare up. Instead I went back to Breathe Hot Yoga. It was probably a good call but I felt like I couldn't get out of my own way at yoga. I was constantly tipping over and everything felt more difficult than usual. Oh well, some days are character building.

Sleep 7
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 56
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food stairs - water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day stairs - 5:40 AM
yoga - 5:45 PM
Workout Type  
Weather stairs - low 40s
Course  
Results  
Time yoga - 60 min
Distance stairs - 11 flights
Pace  
Equipment stairs - Brooks Glycerin 11, Garmin Fenix 2
Clothing stairs - Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium LS shirt, Brooks Podium SS shirt, Brooks Vapor Dry Glove II

17 November 2014

core | walk

Made it to the gym this morning, had a good core routine and then strolled home from the bus.

I'm SO glad my hip tolerated two runs last weekend. It's really got me excited about getting out there, need to be careful I don't do too much too soon.

Sleep 7.5
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 51
Body Weight 6:00 AM - 187 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food core - water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:15 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
plank 4 min, 2 min each side
twisters 50 each side - 15 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 40
hip raisers 2 x 30 each leg
fire hydrants 60 each side
side leg lifts 80 each side
clam knee lifts 80 each side
roman chair knee lifts 50
push-ups 20/20/12
wobble disk 3 min each leg
Results  
Time core - 45 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment  
Clothing  

16 November 2014

up Mt Teneriffe, down Mt Si

This is why I get up early in the morning. Boom!

Other than my over-reaction to yesterday's freezing temperatures in terms of the clothing choice for this run today was perfect.

I got the call from Ben Luedke to join him on a run today and then would you know it, I got a call from Jon Robinson looking for someone to run with. Simple. I invited Jon on Ben's run and it was freaking awesome.

Ben's goal was to catch the sunrise. These days the sun rises around 7:15 so since this was going to be at least a 1:30 climb and since Jon and I had to drive 40 minutes to the start and since I wanted to eat something before that I had to start really early. Jon and I pulled up a little late but we got moving by about 5:30. Whew.

We ran up the Mount Teneriffe trail (not the road) which takes you past Teneriffe Falls. in the winter, and in the dark, this how the falls look.

We had to race the sun just a bit in order to make the top in time but we did it. And at the top you could see everything. EVERYTHING. I'm talking Mt Rainier, Mt Baker, Glacier Peak and My Olympus. Wow.

We soaked up the view good and proper, until our fingers were frozen in fact. Then it was time head over to Mt Si. The descent from the top of Teneriffe to the Teneriffe road is one of the most fun sections of trail I know. So I filmed. A lot.

After crossing over to the base of the haystack it was time for a quick break.

On the descent from Si we took the Talus Loop trail, something I have never done before. This takes you back to the Teneriffe road about 1.5 miles from the car. Nice.

Here are all the pictures and video.

Sleep 5
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 4:15 AM - Hammer Bar, 4 Perpetuem Solids, tea
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food 2 bottles each w/2 scoops Perpetuem, sample size Clif Bar
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 5:30 AM
Workout Type  
Weather mid 30s at the start, at least 40 by the finish
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Cascadia 9, Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest 2.0, Garmin Fenix 2
Clothing Injinji Run Original Weight Mini-Crew, Patagonia Capilene boxer briefs, Patagonia Capilene knickers, Craft Active Classic Long Sleeve Baselayer, Patagonia wind front Capilene shirt, SmartWool cap, Patagonia Capilene gloves

15 November 2014

Cougar 10

Good times!

It felt fantastic to hit the trails again. I can still feel my hip but it held up great and no pain during or after this run.

Got out with Bill Huggins and Bryan Estes who blabbed on about baseball all morning long. Still, great to get out with both of these guys again.

It was freezing cold, but on the up side the trails were perfect. Totally dry and covered in a blanket of colored leaves.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 5:30 AM - banana, tea, Clif Bar
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food bottle w/1.5 scoops HEED
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 7:00 AM
Workout Type  
Weather 25 degrees at the start, 30 at the finish, dry, calm
Course  
Results  
Time 1:26:43
Distance 8.9 miles
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Cascadia 9, Garmin Fenix 2, Ultimate Direction Fastdraw Plus
Clothing Feetures socks, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Craft Active Classic Long Sleeve Baselayer, Patagonia long sleeve top, SmartWool cap, Brooks Vapor Dry Glove II

14 November 2014

walk

This morning I missed the bus that stops close by my house so I had to walk to the bus stop for a change. Thankfully the weather was brilliant. Cold, crisp, leaves on the ground, mostly blue sky, Mt Rainier in the distance. Hard to complain.

Like the self-quantifier that I am, I started my GPS watch when I saw the bus pull away but then I forgot to stop it until I got to work... Oops.

Sleep 8
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 48
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 7:30 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course  
Results  
Time 20 min
Distance 1 mile
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Transcend
Clothing  

13 November 2014

walk

I woke up this morning and my motivation to get outside lasted about as long as it took to roll over in bed.

At work my job got in the way of sneaking out at lunch.

After work I had a Seattle Running Club board meeting.

Oh well, rest is good.

Sleep 7
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 50
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day  
Workout Type  
Weather COLD
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Garmin Fenix 2
Clothing  

12 November 2014

treadmill run | Breathe Hot Pilates | walk

Hit the treadmill at lunch to test my hip/sartorius and it passed but I am far from being healed up. What a lousy, nagging injury!

After work I dropped by Breathe Hot Yoga and took a class I never have before - Hot Pilates. It was killer! This was a true workout, plain and simple. Great core and hip work. I need to try this again.

Sleep 7
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 48
Body Weight 12:15 PM - 187 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day run - 12:15 PM
Pilates - 5:45 PM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course run - treadmill, 1% incline
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace run
5 min @ 8:00
20 min @ 7:30
15 min @ 7:00
Equipment run - Brooks Glycerin 11, Garmin Fenix 2
Clothing run - Fitsok CF2, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium SS shirt
Technorati Tags: ,

11 November 2014

Howe Street stairs | Breathe Hot Yoga

Nice! My friend Bradlaugh Robinson recently moved back to Seattle from CA and today we connected on Howe Street no less.

After work I dropped by Breathe Hot Yoga for another class and once again it hit the spot.

Sleep 6
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 57
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day stairs - 5:40 AM
yoga - 5:45 PM
Workout Type  
Weather stairs - 40, dry, calm
Course  
Results  
Time yoga - 60 min
Distance stairs - 10 flights
Pace  
Equipment stairs - Brooks Glycerin 11, Garmin Fenix 2
Clothing stairs - Fitsok CF2, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium LS shirt, Brooks Podium SS shirt

10 November 2014

core | Expresso Exercise Bike | walk

Man, I really got after it today on the Expresso exercise bike, not sure what got in to me. Just another case of Martin is well rested.

If you create an account (which I have) then each time you Ride these bikes your effort is recorded. When you repeat a route, your 'ghost' (which is based on your PR for that route) appears on the screen and you can try to beat yourself if you wish.

I honestly had no intention of going hard today but not five seconds after starting my ghost passed me and the chase was on. I know, kind of reminds you of Strava doesn't it? :)

Apparently I was feeling pretty spunky the last time I tackled this course because racing myself was tough! For the first 10 minutes or so my ghost was 1-3 seconds ahead of me. Around half way in I pulled ahead just slightly.

This route is basically a big climb and then a big descent. I tend to slack off on the descents and that is the only reason I was able go faster than my previous effort today. Today I kept the gas on/watts up when the road tipped downhill. At one point I had a 12 second lead but then near the end I started to fade and only 'won' by seven seconds. Whew. Good workout for sure.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight 6:15 AM - 188 lb.
12:30 PM - 187 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
trainer - 12:30 PM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
plank 4 min, 2 min each side
twisters 50 each side - 15 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 40
hip raisers 2 x 30 each leg
fire hydrants 60 each side
side leg lifts 80 each side
clam knee lifts 80 each side
roman chair knee lifts 50
push-ups 20/16/12
wobble disk 3 min each leg
Results  
Time core - 45 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment  
Clothing  

09 November 2014

Alderbrook Station loop

Today is Shelley and my seventh wedding anniversary. To celebrate in comfort we drove down to Alderbrook Station in Astoria, OR and spent the night in one of the coolest houses I know.

We slept in the Boat House (on the right), the Netshed where artists can rent space and where events are held is on the left.

Yesterday was all about relaxing. We hit downtown Astoria for some food and beer at Fort George Brewery. I LOVE that kind of atmosphere. Then we shopped for dinner at the Astoria Co-op and went back for an indoor picnic by the fireplace with music filling the boat house.

There is a walking/cycling path that runs from downtown Astoria out to the place we stayed. You can run a nice little loop here and it was the perfect test for my hip. Which passed by the way. I can tell I'm by no means 100% but being able to run pain-free is pretty cool.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 11:00 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Glycerin 11, Garmin Fenix 2
Clothing Fitsok CF2, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium LS shirt, Brooks Podium SS shirt, Brooks Vapor Dry Glove II, Udo's Oil hat

07 November 2014

Howe Street stairs | walk

Extra credit baby! That's what today was.

I knew this weekend would not include much physical activity so rallied for an extended stair session today. I resolved to try for a full hour and I made it. Whew. The last couple of flights were slightly wobbly.

On the way to work I stopped off at FootWorks PT to see Neal Goldberg. This was a follow-up visit after my initial diagnosis to see how my sartorius is holding up. Turns out I am doing okay and from here it's a matter of listening to my body and not overdoing the activity as I ramp back up.

Neal's office is in Pioneer Square and this time of year it's beautiful.

Sleep 6.5
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 50
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Time of Day stairs - 5:10 AM
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Equipment stairs - Brooks Cascadia 9, Garmin Fenix 2
Clothing stairs - Fitsok CF2, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium LS shirt

06 November 2014

Breathe Hot Yoga | walk

Not sure what happened this morning... I kind of ran out of gas or spent too much time in front of the computer. Then it was time to go to work. :(

But I went to Breathe Hot Yoga again after work and I am loving it! It does a body good as they used to say.

Sleep 7
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 46
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Time of Day yoga - 5:45 PM
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Time yoga - 60 min
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05 November 2014

core | walk

One day after doing a ton of exercise I do almost nothing. This is also typical of what I do. :)

Got to the gym in the AM and then walked through downtown Seattle doing some errands on foot. Good enough.

My walk today was to see Mike Folden. My hope is to have him make a video of me like he did for a friend of mine.

My goal is most just to capture the moment (that moment being me being able to run) for posterity but also to use this as a promotion tool and maybe convince some sponsors to partner with me. It will be a fun project.

Sleep 6.5
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 46
Body Weight  
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Workout Food core- water
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Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
plank 4 min, 2 min each side
twisters 50 each side - 15 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 40
hip raisers 2 x 30 each leg
fire hydrants 60 each side
side leg lifts 80 each side
clam knee lifts 80 each side
roman chair knee lifts 50
push-ups 20/16/12
wobble disk 3 min each leg
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Time core - 45 min
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Equipment walk - Brooks Transcend, Garmin Fenix 2
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04 November 2014

Howe Street stairs | Expresso Exercise Bike | Breathe Hot Yoga | walk

Quite the day of fitness. I seem to do this every time I'm forced to take some time off due to injury or just when I'm really well rested... And today was the first day back at the Howe Street stairs. Good times start now.

Howe Street has got to the most popular flight of stairs in Seattle for fitness. It's a very rare occurrence that I show up - no matter what time of day or year - and there isn't at least one other person there doing the same thing as me. Suffering. It's pretty cool. Every year starting in November my good friend Jim Kodjababian and I hit these stairs for 11 weeks. That time is now.

At lunch I hopped on the Expresso exercise bike at the IMA. It really is the best indoor bike I have ever ridden. If only the saddles were not so damn uncomfortable. I had no intention of going hard today but then my 'ghost' from a previous effort passed me and I sped up. :( I ended up getting a PR on this course by about 30 seconds and it was tough.

After work I headed over to Breathe Hot Yoga. More good times. My body really appreciates this.

Sleep 6.5
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 43
Body Weight  
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Time of Day stairs - 5:40 AM
trainer - 12:15 PM
yoga - 5:45 PM
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Course stairs - Howe Street
trainer - Monkey Pass
Results  
Time yoga - 60 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment stairs - Brooks Transcend, Garmin Fenix 2
trainer - Expresso exercise bike
walk - Garmin Fenix 2
Clothing stairs - Fitsok CF2, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium LS shirt

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