27 February 2015

core | walks | Hot Pilates

No running today but my hip (guts?) didn't feel that great doing core either. It almost feels like I have hernia and after seeing Neal Goldberg at FootWorks PT he tentatively confirmed that diagnosis. Rats. Next I need to see my doctor to confirm/deny this.

To see if something is indeed wrong in the hernia region I took a Hot Pilates class at Breathe Hot Yoga after work and sure enough something is off in my core/lower abs.

While down at FootWorks PT I checked out Back Alley Bike Repair. What a cool shop!

As an experiment I wore my heart rate strap during Hot Pilates today. This activity always feels absolutely killer but guess what, my heart rate does not get that high after all. Doing laps on the Howe Street stairs gets it much higher. I suppose my muscles are much closer to being full fatigued doing Pilates than they are on the stairs? Or the walk down the stairs is enough recovery to get it back up again? Interesting.

Sleep 7
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 44
Body Weight 6:00 AM - 182 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition  
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day Hot Pilates - 4:30 PM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
plank 3 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 side
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 Hot Pilates - 60 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment  
Clothing  

26 February 2015

treadmill run | Expresso Exercise Bike | Breathe Hot Yoga | walk

This might look like a big day but it wasn't really.

The run was just another test like yesterday and I can now report that my right hip is fully effed up. What a drag! I have an appointment with my PT Neal Goldberg at FootWorks PT tomorrow to see what's up.

On the upside my heart rate is coming down while running!  I am 5-10 beats lower at the same speed so bonus. I also saw a couple of interesting bike on the UW campus. Just in case you didn't know what a 'fixie' was, Kent is here to help you out. One word: yikes!

And back when I was in the bicycle industry, everyone was trying to get rid of stem shifters...

Since running isn't working I hit the IMA at lunch and got on a bike.

After work I went to Breathe Hot Yoga in hopes of trying to warm up my hip. I think it helped a little bit.

Sleep 7
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 42
Body Weight 6:00 AM - 187 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition run - water
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day run - 5:15 AM
ride - 1:00 PM
yoga - 5:45 PM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course treadmill run - 1% incline
2 min to get up to speed
38 min at 8:00
5 min at 15:00 (0% incline)
Results  
Time yoga - 60 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment run - Brooks Glycerin 12
Clothing run - The Balanced Athlete Fitsok CF2, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium SS shirt

25 February 2015

treadmill run | sauna | walk

Darn it! Something is not right with my right hip now. Just when my left side is starting to feel pretty darn good and I have ramped up my mileage... I tried a treadmill run in the AM to test my body and it did not cooperate. I went to the IMA to try another treadmill run and my hip did not feel good at all so subbed some heat for the workout. Plus the walk home felt very tentative so I didn't even bother going to the Seattle Running Club track workout.

Saw this bike locked up outside my building at work today.

I find it amazing and cool that someone would ride this kind of thing as a regular commuter.

  • steel rims
  • crappy brakes
  • steel cranks
  • steel handlebar & stem

Yet they lovingly covered the saddle with a waterproof cover. Awesome.

Sleep 7
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 46
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition run - water
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day run - 5:30 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course run - treadmill, 1% incline
2 min to get up to speed
38 min at 8:00
5 min at 15:00 (0% incline)
Results  
Time run - 40 min + 5 min cool down
sauna - 30 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment run - Brooks Glycerin 12
Clothing run - The Balanced Athlete Fitsok CF2, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium SS shirt

24 February 2015

core | walk

I had the best intentions today but they kind of evaporated after I got home...

We had a fire alarm at work which ended the day prematurely. I got home a bit too early and had to kill some time before I needed to head out to the Fleet Feet Sports Seattle Tuesday night run and by the time I needed to leave I was 1) starving and 2) had lost all motivation. I simply ran out of steam.

Oh well.

At work I visited one of our locations that is mostly underground. They had a webcam of Old Faithful up on a display, that was fun to watch erupt.

Sleep 7
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 48
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition core - water
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:15 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
plank 3 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 side
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  

23 February 2015

cardio | walk

I am not getting enough sleep. :(

Today was all about active recovery. After a super week in general and doubling up on trail runs this past weekend it was time for a break.

Sleep 6
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 50
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition cardio - water
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day cardio - 5:15 AM
Workout Type active recovery
Weather  
Course cardio - elliptical trainer, 11 incline, 11 resistance
Results  
Time cardio - 30 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment  
Clothing  
Technorati Tags:

5 Secrets of Success for Endurance Fueling

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5 Secretes of Success for Endurance Athletes

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In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Hammer Nutrition Athlete Ambassador but I sought them out because I discovered that the techniques in this booklet worked for me and because I found their products to be superior.


22 February 2015

Ben Luedke's Fatter Ass | massage

Ben Luedke loves Tiger Mountain. To express his love he pieced together a tour of the north side that was really cool. It included lots of trails I had never visited before as well as a couple of classics. Good times.

My right hip was not feeling stellar most of the day and in the beginning the pace seemed kinda high even though I knew it was not.

After my initial spike in heart rate I kept it under 135 all day long.

When I finished I got a massage from Jenny Dailey which was fantastic! I have never had a massage right after a run and believe you me, that is the ticket.

Sleep  
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 5:00 AM - apple sauce, 2 scoops Hammer Whey Protein, banana, Udo's Oil, water
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition 2 large Water Bottles each w/2 scoops Hammer HEED, 2 shots Hammer Gel
Recovery large Water Bottle w/3 scoops Recoverite
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day run - 7:00 AM
massage - 12:00 PM
Workout Type endurance
Weather upper 40s to 50, sunny, dry, calm
Course  
Results  
Time massage - 60 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Cascadia 9, Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest 2.0
Clothing Injinji Run 2.0 Original Weight Mini-Crew, Brooks Equilibrium CoRe Short, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Craft Active Extreme Short Sleeve Baselayer, Brooks Podium LS shirt, lightweight buff, Brooks Pulse Lite Glove II

21 February 2015

Cougar 14 + Bear Ridge

Yes! A real trail run.

Crap! Everyone is faster than I am.

This loop goes by many names.

  • Cougar 14 + Bear Ridge
  • Cougar Ring
  • Cougar 10 + Bear Ridge + Wilderness Cliffs + De Leo Wall

I met Jon Robinson, David Miller and Gretchen Van Dyke (ALL OF WHOM ARE FASTER THAN I AM) at the Red Town Trail and we got it on. That is to say they got it on and I struggled to keep up while my heart rate went through the roof. That first climb can be killer!

Not exactly the endurance pace run I had planned but in the end it was okay.

These guys had to wait for me at EVERY intersection. I managed to position myself on the front a couple of times (they would stop and wait and when I caught up I would just run on past) just so I could slow the pace down but it never lasted long.

I think I walked 99% of the climb up Wilderness Cliffs. :( On the upside I met a smiling Matthew Hong who was blazing his way down the trail. Always nice to see a Seattle Running Club clubmate and a SRC-Brooks Competitive Team teammate out and about.

Somewhere about five miles from the finish I finally started to feel better and got the legs moving on a descent. Of course I got shelled going up De Leo Wall again but everyone waited and I was able to run it in with some company at least.

My nutrition was spot on, at least I didn't bonk.

What's interesting is that even though I felt like dirt and that my heart rate was high at times it never was. Other than my traditional initial spike it was right where it should be (sub 135 bpm) for an endurance run.

Sleep 6.5
Waking HR 5:00 AM - 48
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 5:30 AM - applesauce, 2 scoops Hammer Whey Protein, banana, Udo's Oil, tea
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition 2 large Water Bottles each w/2 scoops Hammer HEED, 2 shots of Hammer Gel
Recovery immediately post run - large Water Bottle w/3 scoops Recoverite
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 7:30 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather mid 40s to 50, dry, calm
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Cascadia 10, Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest 2.0
Clothing Injinji Run 2.0 Original Weight Mini-Crew, Brooks Equilibrium CoRe Short, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Craft Active Extreme Short Sleeve Baselayer, Patagonia Merino 1 Silkweight Crew, buff, Brooks Pulse Lite Glove II

20 February 2015

core | Flying Lion 5

Finally got back to the gym and had a good core session. Yes!

After work I headed over to Flying Lion Brewing for their Friday run. It was great but I pushed the pace a bit too hard I think. This is the first week I have done any fast running; Tuesday I pushed the hill, Wednesday was intervals on the track and then today I slipped into that pseudo-tempo pace that is killer. As in not good for me. Oops.

Sleep 7
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 55
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition core - water
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:15 AM
Workout Type  
Weather run - low 50s, calm
Course
plank 3 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 side
fire hydrants 60 each side
side leg lifts 80 each side
clam knee lifts 80 each side
roman chair knee lifts 50
push-ups 20/20/14
wobble disk 3 min each leg
Results  
Time core - 45 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment run - Brooks Glycerin 12
Clothing run - The Balanced Athlete Fitsok CF2, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium LS shirt

19 February 2015

walks | Brooks HQ | Breathe Hot Yoga

Wow, the Brooks Trailhead store is pretty amazing.

Today the SRC-Brooks Competitive Team got a tour of not only the new store but also Brooks HQ, the Research & Development Lab, the Apparel Department, the Cafeteria and of course the Roof Deck. Nice.

We saw 2016 shoe models, historic shoes from the 2012 Olympics, you name it. Very cool.

I walked to and from Brooks and then went to Breathe Hot Yoga after work. It felt good to take a day off from running.

Sleep 7 (not much rest, slept like garbage)
Waking HR 5:30 AM - 51
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition  
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day yoga - 5:45 PM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course  
Results  
Time yoga - 60 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment walks - Brooks Transcend
Clothing  

18 February 2015

walk | SRC track workout

Oh man, my first Seattle Running Club track workout in at least five months! Good times.

The workout called for 6-8 x 1000 m (400 m easy jog between efforts) and I managed to run six. I started out with Herbert Sitz who I used to be pretty evenly matched with last summer but that was not the case tonight, he left me behind each time and each time the gap got bigger and bigger. I not only started the first few intervals too fast and faded by the end of each effort, it also felt like I got progressively slower times for each effort even though I didn't use a watch.

On the upside I did manage six efforts! And my sartorius/hip didn't flare up which was huge as intervals is how I injured myself last year. It also felt good running to and from the track.

I'll be back and I'll get better. These workouts are awesome as I just don't run fast on my own. Not like this anyway.

In spite of going to the bathroom about 30 minuets before I left the house I had to piss like mad one mile from home. So I did something I have never done before... I found a hedge that was not illuminated by street lights or a motion activated porch light, faced the bushes and relieved myself. I was dying!

Sleep 7 (tried to sleep in and failed, not a restful night)
Waking HR 5:30 AM - 49
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition  
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 6:15 PM
Workout Type track
Weather  
Course 6 x 1000 w/400 m jog between efforts
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace rough approximations...
6:10-6:12
6:10-6:15
6:20
6:25-6:30
6:30-6:40
6:35
Equipment Brooks Glycerin 12
Clothing The Balanced Athlete Fitsok CF2, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium LS shirt

17 February 2015

walk | Fleet Feet run

For just the second time ever I ran to the Fleet Feet Sports Seattle Tuesday night run, ran the run, and then ran home from the run. Run commuting sure is a great way to tack on the extra miles.

Make no mistake, the run to and from were s l o w but for the first time in quiet a while I pushed the pace during the run and felt pretty okay on the climb. Nice! At the start I spotted a couple of people I wanted to keep up with, they went faster than I have been going these days, end of story.

This weekend it's back to slow running. :) I just had to change it up today... I've been feeling like when my heart rate hits 140 it's really hammering and today in the mid 150s I felt controlled. Not that I could go any faster without blowing up, but still.

Sleep 7.5
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 45
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition  
Recovery post run - 3 scoops Recoverite
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day run - 5:30
Workout Type mostly endurance
Weather mid to lower 50s, dry, calm
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment run - Brooks Glycerin 12
Clothing run - The Balanced Athlete Fitsok CF2, Brooks Equilibrium CoRe Short, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Craft Active Extreme Short Sleeve Baselayer, log sleeve SRC jersey

16 February 2015

core | road bike ride | Hot Pilates

That's right, Martin still knows how to ride a bicycle... but I have forgotten how to dress while I'm on one. The sun was brilliant and hanging out at home felt balmy but out on the road the wind chill was quite a  bit cooler than I expected. Still a great time. I picked a route with minimal stops and great pavement and it felt absolutely luxurious to roll along. I just could have used some knee warmers and gloves.

A great day of fitness with a core session in the gym in the morning, an afternoon ride and then a killer Hot Pilates session at Breathe Hot Yoga in the afternoon. That's what you get to do when you work for a higher education institution and get Presidents' Day off.

It has been some time since I have ridden my road bike, it seems I went through a phase of opting for any single speed that lasted a long time. After the ride today I realized the battery in my PowerTap has died. One less stat.

Sleep 7
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 42
Body Weight 6:00 AM - 185 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition core - water
ride - 1.5 large bottles each w/2 scoops Perpetuem
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:15 AM
ride - 10:30 AM
Hot Pilates - 4:30 PM
Workout Type  
Weather ride - low to mid 50s, sunny, dry, light breeze
Course
plank 3 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 side
fire hydrants 60 each side
side leg lifts 80 each side
clam knee lifts 80 each side
roman chair knee lifts 50
push-ups 20/16/11
wobble disk 3 min each leg
Results  
Time core - 45 min
Hot Pilates - 60 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment ride - Ti Cycles Hyak
Clothing ride - bib shorts, sleeveless undershirt, short sleeve jersey, arm warmers, vest, cap
Technorati Tags: ,

15 February 2015

Discovery Park

I wanted to go for a local run but didn't want to be on roads. The answer? Discovery Park. Little did I know that everyone else and their dog (literally) had the same game plan.

I did three loops and dropped down to the north beach on the 3rd and then ran up from the lighthouse. That climb is awesome!

I felt really slow. I know I am supposed to be going slow these days but still, it now feels like my heart is hammering when it hits 140 bpm, this can't be good? I guess I should try some intervals and see how that feels.

The weather was fantastic. Great for running but not for keeping other people indoors. :)

Sleep 7
Waking HR 7:00 AM - 46
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition 30 min prior to run - Hammer Bar
run - large bottle w/2 scoops Hammer HEED
Recovery large bottle w/3 scoops Recoverite
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 1:30 PM
Workout Type  
Weather mid 50s, sunny, dry, some wind
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Cascadia 10, Ultimate Direction Handy 20
Clothing The Balanced Athlete Fitsok CF2, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, long sleeve SRC shirt

13 February 2015

core | run | Flying Lion 5

Nice! Managed two real road runs today for the first time in quite a while.

The weather was spectacular. When I headed out at lunch I didn't have the confidence to just wear a short sleeve shirt so grabbed an undershirt too... I didn't need it. I could have left all my shirts at home in fact. What a great day, what a sad winter.

For the first time I ran to (and from) the Flying Lion Brewing run. In this weather it's pretty fun but boy was I tired going home.

The run itself was great. We stayed together until we got close to The Wing (FLB5) and then the fast group took off.

ASIDE - these guys have really taken Strava to heart.

I took a wrong turn again but this time went a tad long whereas last time I cut the course short. Oh well. At least I had some company in "Paul" who lives on the east side and drove all the way over here just to do this run! He was super nice, here's hoping he comes back.

Brett brought some homemade beat/red velvet cupcakes which he shared after the run, the some kind of 'boiled milk' frosting. Delicious! I really wanted a beer too but knew that would deep six my run home so reluctantly left while everyone was enjoying their pints.

For the first time in quite a while I could feel my Sartorius when I started my second run. Ouch. Luckily it went away as I warmed up and didn't bother me again. This sure is taking a long time to heal up and I'm getting just a little tired of always being at 80-90%. I know, throw me a pity party already.

Sleep 6
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 45
Body Weight 6:00 AM - 184 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition core - water
lunch run - large bottle w/2 scoops Hammer HEED
evening runs - large bottle w/2 scoops Perpetuem
Recovery post lunch run - Hammer Recovery Bar
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:15 AM
lunch run - 1:30 PM
evening run - 5:30 PM
Workout Type  
Weather 60 degrees, sunny, dry, calm
Course
plank 3 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 20/14/12
wobble disk 3 min each leg
Results  
Time core - 45 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment runs - Brooks Glycerin 12, Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest 2.0
Clothing runs - The Balanced Athlete Fitsok CF2, Brooks Equilibrium CoRe Short, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Craft Active Extreme Short Sleeve Baselayer, Brooks Podium SS shirt

12 February 2015

treadmill run | walk

I forgot my watch this morning...! CRISIS. Seriously, it's funny how much I Have come to rely on the ability to track and record everything. :( Objectively I know it's great to leave the technology home from time to time but it's hard to do.

At least I ran anyway. :)

I did the same treadmill routine as Tuesday and it felt just as good.

Sleep 7
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 45
Body Weight 6:15 AM - 182 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition treadmill run - water
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day treadmill run - 5:15 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course treadmill run - 1% incline
1 min to get up to speed
39 min at 8:00
5 min at 15:00 (0% incline)
Results  
Time treadmill run - 45 min
Distance treadmill run - 5.2 miles
Pace  
Equipment treadmill run - Brooks Glycerin 12
Clothing treadmill run - The Balanced Athlete Fitsok CF2, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium SS shirt

11 February 2015

core | Hot Pilates | walk

Back to my proper core routine today and it felt good. Glad the motivation is back.

ASIDE - this core work is SO important for my general well being but I frequently struggle. Honestly, it's tough to do when you know you have to do it all the time.

After work I dropped by Breathe Hot Yoga for another Hot Pilates class and man was this a killer! I've had this instructor once before but have never done this routine. It was tons of legs! Squats, burpees, jump squats, lunges, holy cow. Good (or heinous depending on your perspective) stuff. My legs are trashed.

We also did a record number of push-ups. Did I mention my upper body is freaking weak? After class it felt even weaker.

Sleep 6
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 50
Body Weight 6:15 AM - 185 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition core - water
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
Hot Pilates - 5:45 PM
Workout Type strengthening
Weather  
Course
plank 3 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 20/12/10
wobble disk 3 min each leg
Results  
Time core - 45 min
Hot Pilates - 60 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment  
Clothing  
Technorati Tags: ,

10 February 2015

treadmill run | Fleet Feet run | walk

It felt really good to finally move my legs again! I know active recovery is important but I'm also not immune to laziness and don't always do it the day after (or even two days after) a race.

I got off the treadmill feeling better and looser than when I got on. Mission accomplished.

At the Fleet Feet Sports Seattle Tuesday night run I took it really easy. Other than the initial spike in heart rate I kept it below 135 bpm today, I have never done that before. It was nice to run with people as I am usually between pace groups.

Sleep 5
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 43
Body Weight 6:15 AM - 185 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition treadmill run - water
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day treadmill run - 5:30 AM
Fleet Feet run - 6:0 PM
Workout Type  
Weather Fleet Feet run - low 50s, dry, calm
Course treadmill run - 1% incline
1 min to get up to speed
39 min at 8:00
5 min at 15:00 (0% incline)
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment treadmill run - Brooks Glycerin 11
Fleet Feet run - Brooks Glycerin 12
Clothing Fleet Feet run - The Balanced Athlete Fitsok CF2, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium LS shirt

09 February 2015

core

Whew. After taking yesterday off today was practically an off day as well.

Made it to the gym but only had the motivation for a mish-mash of random exercises instead of my usual routine. At work I got swamped so couldn't take a break at lunch. So it goes.

Sleep 7
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 48
Body Weight 6:15 AM - 187 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition water
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 5:30 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course  
Results  
Time 30 min
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment  
Clothing  

07 February 2015

Orcas Island 50k

Yes! This was my first time running 50k in five months and that in itself got me pretty excited. I had tried last month but my back blew up so no dice. Today the course was way more aggressive and although I could feel my back in the last 15 miles it held up.

The Orcas Island 50k is a tough race. You climb Mount Constitution three times, once on the paved road and twice on trails. Both of the times on trails it feels like you are going straight up. Maybe because you are. This year it was wet, super muddy, but it didn't seem to slow most of the runners down much. Personally, I was loving the conditions.


Prior to loving the conditions I was HATING the conditions. I hitched a ride with Jon Robinson and as we drove north the rain was absolutely pounding down. Let's just say the mood in the car was not optimal. It eased a bit by the time we started running but starting in the rain is never on my to do list.

ASIDE - you heard right, we drove up the morning of the race. To do this race in one day makes for one loooooong day.

Luckily the temperature was mild, it hovered around 50 degrees all day and because most of the course is really well sheltered I never got cold. In fact, I nailed the clothing today and was incredibly comfortable the entire time. I also tried to carry all of my nutrition and it worked! Well, except for fluids, I had to top off my bottle twice. This was huge, I ran straight through the first two aid stations and only had to fill one bottle at the third and fourth aid station. Efficiency is everything and my Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest 2.0 was/is awesome. Speaking of awesome, my nutrition today was spot on. The reason I decided to carry everything is I love Hammer Nutrition! I'm positive I saved way more time by carrying what I needed than I ever could have gained by being infinitesimally lighter and just going with one handheld bottle. Lesson learned.

ANOTHER ASIDE - speaking of aid stations, it was so cool to see Maxwell Ferguson out there. He cheered me on at the first aid station and as I pulled into the third it was awesome to hear him yell, "Martin! What can I get you?" I handed him my bottle, done. Gone in 60 seconds.

I think I have never been this muddy. I was dancing around the puddles for the first 10 miles (in spite of the fact that it was pretty ineffective after mile six) and from then on I didn't really care. My Brooks PureGrit 3 shoes drain extremely well and later in the race I was actually looking for puddles and streams just to rinse off the the grime. I thought traction would be a huge issue but I was pleasantly surprised. The tread on these shoes is fantastic so I had almost zero issues on the climbs and on the descents when I started to 'ski' it always felt like I was in control and actually fun for the most part. Sure there were a couple of dynamic recoveries but I never fell down. I felt very balanced today.

I started slow and couldn't ever really speed up. :) On a couple of the climbs it felt like my heart rate was up there but the numbers below don't lie and the truth is this was just an endurance zone training run for me. Luckily I felt pretty good on the all the power hike sections because there are a lot on this course. It was a bummer to feel so slow on the flats but I was really enjoying the descents and kept catching and passing people on the downhills that had passed me on a climb or the flats. After the last climb there is a bit of flat before the last descent and three guys were right in front of me. I had to watch them slowly run away from me before we got to the steeper section but managed to haul them all in (plus a couple more) and hold them off to the finish.

My goal going in was to run sub 6:00. Because there is only so much you can do on any given day I didn't look at my watch obsessively but after the power line climb I looked down and thought, "Oh man, I've got this in the bag!" Boy did I underestimate the last climb... At times I was clocking 21 min/mile! That'll trash your average in a hurry. When I hit the bottom of the last descent I still had about 10 minutes in hand but 1) I didn't know far it was to the finish and 2) I simply couldn't speed up! Bottom line I missed my goal by two minutes. My only previous time on this course was just three minutes slower and I ran the last two thirds of the race on a badly sprained ankle. I guess I was faster then but here's to regaining that form!

Shoutouts to fellow Seattle Running Club members Steven Kent (who crushed it with a 15 minute PR!) and Glen Mangiantini (who is the ONLY person to have run all 10 editions of this race).

I'm so grateful for the support from The Balanced Athlete, Hammer Nutrition. Brooks and Ultimate Direction. It makes this just a little easier and a lot more fun.



Here are all the pictures.

Sleep 4.5
Waking HR 2:30 AM - 44
Body Weight
Body Fat
Breakfast 5:00 AM - applesauce, 2 bananas, 1 scoop Hammer Whey Protein, non-fat Greek yogurt, Udo's Oil, tea
Lunch
Dinner
Nutrition 7:00 AM - 3 Perpetuem Solids
race - 2 large bottles each w/2 scoops Perpetuem and 2 Endurolytes, 6 Hammer Gels, 1.5 large bottles of energy drink from race
Recovery
Injuries
Therapy
Time of Day 8:00 AM
Workout Type race
Weather 50 degrees, light rain for the first couple of hours then dry, foggy, some wind up top
Course
Results 1st - Men 50-59
39th - Overall
official results
Time 6:02:04
Distance 50 km
Pace
Equipment Brooks PureGrit 3, Ultimate Direction SJ Ultra Vest 2.0
Clothing Injinji Run 2.0 Original Weight Mini-Crew, Brooks Equilibrium CoRe Short, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Craft Active Classic Long Sleeve Baselayer, Brooks short sleeve EZ T III, Patagonia Nine Trails Jacket, light weight buff

06 February 2015

core | walk

Got to the gym in the morning but that was it. I had intended to do some kind of active recovery but my work day got really busy. And of course when I got home I just wanted to relax. :)

Sleep 7
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 47
Body Weight 6:00 AM - 184 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition core - water
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:15 AM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course
plank 3 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  

05 February 2015

treadmill run | Breathe Hot Yoga | walk

Easy run this morning with a little pick up at the end just to remind myself what foot speed is.

After work I dropped by Breathe Hot Yoga again, this place is great. I honestly wish I had more time to go here.

There was a massive backup on the street my bus drives down this morning. Cars were turning around so I did as well and walked to my 'Plan B' bus route.

On the way to the bus I saw something sad.

But I also saw something that made me glad.

Sleep 6.5
Waking HR 4:30 AM - 46
Body Weight 6:30 AM - 184 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Nutrition  
Recovery  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day run - 5:45 AM
yoga - 5:45 PM
Workout Type  
Weather  
Course treadmill - 1% incline
Results  
Time yoga - 60 min
Distance  
Pace

run
2 min to get up to speed
34 min at 8:00
1 min at 7:30
1 min at 7:00
1 min at 6:30
1 min at 6:00
5 min at 15:00 (0% incline)

Equipment run - Brooks Glycerin 12
Clothing run - Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Brooks Podium SS shirt
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