31 July 2013

walk home from bus stop

Wow... how interesting lame that I post a 1.6 mile walk. Then again, this is ostensibly a training diary and rest and active recovery are all part of training.

Today I just felt like taking a day off. Done.

Oh yeah, and I just happened to be wearing my GPS watch so was able to log this.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food  
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 5:40 PM
Workout Type rest
Weather  
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Vans Classic Slip-Ons, Garmin Fenix
Clothing  

30 July 2013

core | bike commute | Fleet Feet run

Nice! Tuesday shaped up splendidly.

I had a good core routine at the gym and then at the Fleet Feet Sports Tuesday night run I posted what I think is my fastest time ever. I attribute this to getting ample rest prior to today, starting out mellow, a solid hill climb on the way back home and still being able to close at 6:30 pace. The freaking awesome day sure didn't hurt and looking at my GPS data I only stopped three times for any reason including traffic. I came this close to going under 45 minutes...

The only bummer was my mouth was DRY during the run. I kept peeling my tongue off of the roof of my mouth and was seriously jonesing for some water the entire time.

As I was climbing out of the Interlaken ravine on the way back to the store Angel Rossi Mathis and Tim Mathis were heading down. Angel said, "Hi Martin!" and I could only gasp some super brief reply. How cool to see them out and about in their vests and bottles.

On the sock front I may have found a winner. Today is my second day in Injinji socks and so far I love them. I've been using the nuwool (TM) variety.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight 7:00 AM - 181 lb.
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
run - 6:00 PM
Workout Type strengthening
tempo
Weather 80, sunny, dry, calm
Course
ball leg lifts 60 each side
plank 3 min, 2 min each side w/4 x 10 sec leg lifts each side
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 40
hip raisers 50
fire hydrants 30 each side
push-ups 20/16/12
Results  
Time run - 45:01
Distance run - 6 miles
Pace run - 7:28 min/mile
Equipment commute - Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
run - Brooks Launch, Garmin Fenix
Clothing run - Brooks Infinity Short III. Injinji Lightweight Mini-Crew

29 July 2013

core | bike commute

I really punished my body at a friend's 50th birthday party Saturday night. WAY too much food, beer and then Shelley and I slept in a tent on the host's yard. Things were going okay until 2:00 AM then they got out the mini bike and started ripping around the house. Did I mention they also cranked up the music at that time? I think it lasted until 3:30. I woke up dried out, hung over, you get the picture.

Sunday we just drove home and did not much of anything.

Today was just some active recovery to ease back into the week.

On the upside, by the end of the day I felt good enough to take the long way home via my favorite loop through Discovery Park and then around the Magnolia Bluff. Man I love that ride and it was a beautiful day.

Sleep 7.5
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
Workout Type active recovery in the AM, endurance in the PM
Weather upper 70s, sunny, dry, light breeze
Course
ball leg lifts 60 each leg
plank 3 min, 2 min each side w/3 x 10 sec leg lifts each side
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 40
hip raisers 50
fire hydrants 30 each side
push-ups 20/17/10
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing  

27 July 2013

Malakwa Lake, Pratt Lake trail run

Nice!

Today was a fantastic day. I got to do an incredible route with great company on a super day and in spit of feeling tired I did all right. I hooked up with Daniel Paquette and we ran from the Pratt Lake trailhead to the Denny Creek campground and then up to Malakwa Lake, over To Pratt Lake and then back down to the car.

Since we started late the trails were pretty crowded but we still found sections that were secluded. And we WENT FOR A SWIM IN AN ALPINE LAKE! Man did that feel good as it came a bit past the half way point at Lower Tuscohatchie Lake. And the water temperature was perfect. I felt like I was some sort of super field trip.

Today would have been a awesome day for a camera but I opted for the minimalist approach and left all my gear and shirt in the car taking just two hand-held bottles. Just doing that was a blast. I love being out in the wilderness with a minimum of equipment.

On the way to the run we saw fire on Mt. Si and on the way home I saw this burned out RV. Yikes.

I'm thinking this RV has seen better days.

Neither Dan nor I had an agenda for the day so we hiked when we needed to, talked a lot, ran a bit faster when it felt right and soaked up the sun.

I forgot how rocky the climb on this loop is and how much of a groomer the descent is by comparison. if you are feeling good you can hauls some serious ass back to the car. I sped up a little here but didn't have the motivation or the energy to go nuts.

All my interactions with hikers were super pleasant except for one. With perhaps two miles to go I was flying down the trail and passed a young man and woman on a narrow, wooden bridge section of trail. The wood was not wide enough for us to totally avoid each other but I turned sideways as much as I could. The guy who was in front didn't turn at all.

We brushed shoulders.

"Why don't you slow the fuck down buddy...?!"

"Sorry." I said. To which he replied with more fuck or fucking or some such thing. At this point I stopped, turned around and said, "Hey, I'm really sorry, are you okay?" He just kept walking but his girlfriend(?) turned toward me and gave me the he's-pissed-off-and-has-too-much-testosterone-in-his-system-and-it-will-be-okay wave and look. I smiled at her and got on with my run.

People are funny.

I'm so pumped top be able to run three hours up and down hills just two days after riding RAMROD! No speed records were set but it didn't matter! I had a fantastic time. Thanks for the company Dan.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food 2 large bottles each w/1 scoop HEED and 1 tablet Nuun, 3 GUs
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 11:00 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather low 80s, sunny, dry, calm
Course  
Results  
Time 3:14
Distance 18 miles
Pace  
Equipment Hoka Stinson Evo, Garmin Fenix
Clothing Injinji Run Original Weight Mini-Crew, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short

26 July 2013

bike commute

Wow. After yesterday my crotch is sore! Add that to the list of things you lose when you stop racing and riding lots of miles.

Active recovery baby - say no more.

Interestingly, I was already looking forward to a trail run... :)

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day  
Workout Type active recovery
Weather  
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing  

25 July 2013

RAMROD (Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day)

Oh boy.

Not even sure how to start this post, perhaps at the end since that is a dramatic picture.

P1000691

Today was the 30th edition of RAMROD and I am so grateful to have been able to participate in this event for as many years as I have. I started doing it in the late 80s and even when I stopped racing the first time I kept right on doing it. After having stopped racing bicycles this second time I have tried to keep on doing it but today proved to me that I need to adjust my standards as keeping up with racers is hard. That's an understatement by the way.

I won't waste any time and will give a HUGE shout out to my friend Jeff Reed straight away. Today he was my freaking guardian angle. More about that in a bit.

I left home pretty early in hopes of loitering at the start and hooking up with a good group of riders. Experience has taught me that the fast groups usually depart around 6:00 AM so I wanted to be ready to roll around 5:45 in order to have my pick of the packs. As I'm driving south on I-5, not 15 minutes from my house - the rear tire on my van blows up. Seeing as I was traveling at roughly 70 mph and seeing as it took me a minute to pull over, by the time I came to a halt the tire looked like the picture above. Yikes.

Had I ever change the tire on my van before? Of course not. Time to learn. In the dark. On the shoulder of I-5 with cars and trucks whizzing past. Sheesh. Thank goodness there were instructions because the super secret latch you need to open in order to thread the jack handle in and lower the spare is not easy to find.

ASIDE - this task took about 45 minutes! I also skinned my left palm and one finger on my left hand when the lugnut wrench slipped as I was trying to remove the destroyed tire. I came this close to just giving up and thought about driving home or calling a tow truck but in the end stuck it out. Whew.

With my spare installed I started driving and tried to stay calm telling myself that if I was going to ride alone it would be okay. By some miracle I pulled into the event parking lot at about 6:05. I guess leaving early has some value.

I ran to get my number and who should I see waiting at the start...?! Jeff, Sean Phillips and a bunch of other racers. "Hey guys, can you please wait 10 minuets while I change my clothes and pin my number?" No problem Martin. I have NO doubt in my mind that I was starting with the fastest group of riders on this course today.

P1000673
[Note non-racer in generic, mismatched kit on the left...]

Before we started I was informed that only triathletes and runners don't wear gloves when they ride. As if I needed further proof that I was not a bike racer any more.

Go!

Right from the gun we are doing 27 mph. And if you look at my GPS data blow you will see that we basically averaged 27 mph for the first HOUR AND TEN MINUTES. You might also note that my power output was the highest during this period. Not a good sign if you are trying to pace yourself. At several points during this tear down to the mountain I had some serious doubts about finishing.

I was last to pull into the first food stop on account of it's on top of a small hill. I was first to pull into the second food stop on account of this guy getting a flat about five miles out and I just kept going nice and slow to hopefully keep myself from blowing sky high once we hit the climb to Paradise. Here is the crew heading into the first aid station just before the hill.

After entering the park it was all over. Sean went to the front and three or four guys tried to hang. I did too and lasted perhaps two miles - we hadn't even gotten to the steep part yet when I pulled the rip cord.

When we did start climbing in earnest who did I find by my side? It was none other than Jeff. He said something to the effect of, "Why pay $100 to ride alone? I prefer company." Me too Jeff, me too. THANK YOU FOR THE COMPANY.

Three of us rode up to the top and then down to the Box Canyon food stop. Two words: chocolate croissants.

P1000682

Actually that would be four words as I had two of them. I can't help it. And, I disserve it. :)

Three more miles of climbing, another huge descent and then it's up Cayuse Pass. By now it was Jeff, myself and Frank Colich. Frank is 6' 5" and about 192 lb. I know because as the two larger guys in the bunch we were comparing heights and weights. Jeff found his own rhythm on this climb and eased up the road but Frank stayed by my side and was content to ride my speed. Amazingly I felt a tiny bit better here than going up Paradise... I was VERY thankful for that. As it was, I still had to stop once to stretch my legs and pulled over again at the water stop. But from there I was able to ride up to the top.

About half a mile from the summit who should we see but Jeff! Here he was riding back down the hill just to pick us up! Awesome. We got to the top, had a a quick stretch and then dropped down the deli stop.

P1000683

Where Sean and company had been waiting - for at least 30 minutes I'm guessing. But hey, they waited! Very nice of them. They even let me have a relaxing sandwich and spend a few minutes in a chair.

Pulling out of the deli stop I was psyched! We had a fantastic group and I can't think of many things that are worse than getting stranded in this last section of the ride all by yourself when you are beat down and it's hot and the usual headwind is blasting you right in the face.

As we zoomed along we passed loads of individuals and groups. After a couple of miles one of these groups ended up latching on and then one of the members of this other group infiltrated ours and got in front of me. Not 60 seconds later his rear tire EXPLODED. He didn't just get a flat, it looked like his rear wheel disintegrated.

With intense interest I watched as his inner tube leapt out of the right side of his tire and dropped down onto his cassette where it proceeded to wrap itself around all the cogs causing his wheel to lock up. To his credit this guy kept his bike upright as he fishtailed down Hwy 410. I was grabbing handfuls of brakes slowing down as fast as I could (diving left was not an option as I had not checked to see if there was traffic in the road and to my right was a dirt ditch) but the rider behind me didn't do such a good job. As he plowed into me I had slowed down just enough and had so much weight on my front wheel that his impact tipped me over and I did a summersault onto the ground.

Put it was a perfect tuck & role! I ended up lying on my back still clipped in with both hands on the bars totally unscathed. As I extricated myself I asked this other guy who had slammed into me and also gone down if he was okay. It took him a bit to come down from the high of the crash but eventually he said he was okay so I popped up, swung my leg over my saddle and took off.

Not.

Turns out the nose of my saddle had gotten pushed over to the left. WAY over. I tried to straighten it with my hands but no dice. By the time I got my multi-tool out, fixed the orientation of my saddle and was pedaling again my dream group was practically out of sigh. Shit.

Not willing to accept defeat I started to pedal really hard hoping they would figure out that I was not with them and slow enough for me to catch back on. A mile or two later they really were out of sight and I had throttled back my effort to something I hoped I could maintain to the finish. Massive bummer.

For a while I looked ahead and behind for other riders but never saw anyone. Times like these are made for music by alas my iPod was safely at home. Here I was, in that worst case scenario I have always dreaded.

Just as I started to perform some mental math to see when I might finish this slog something started to materialize out of the heat haze in the distance. It was riding in the opposite direction. And it was black and green...! It was Jeff! No way. Jeff turned around, caught me, got in front of me, said, "Go ahead and rest up." and then proceeded to pull me at 24 mph into the headwind. Mile after mile after mile. What the heck did I do to deserve this? Amazing.

SIX MILES LATER Jeff finally swings off and says something about taking a short break. I think I pulled for one mile and then Jeff was back at it. I squirted some water on his back once but that was about all I was able to contribute on this day.

I know this course pretty much by heart and just as we were getting ready to hit the last shallow climb before turning off to Mud Mountain we saw Sean and the rest of our group in the shoulder fixing a flat. Can you believe it? 1) I didn't hurt myself in the crash, 2) Jeff came back for me, 3) Jeff pulled so fast that we didn't lose much time and 4) these guys had a mechanical which allowed us to finally hook back up. What are the odds?

Just as we got rolling the guy that had the flat got another! This time I helped fix it and because of the rest I got actually felt okay from here to the finish. How do you spell relief? Jeff Reed; my hero.

P1000688

And what better way to top off a day that included two chocolate croissants than with an ice cream sandwich.

P1000689

I learned a few things today.

  1. This ride doesn't play games. It's not some random century, you need to train for this! 150 miles and over 9,000' of elevation gain mean DON'T TAKE ME LIGHTLY. Which is what I did.
  2. When you stop racing AND riding with racers AND riding your bike fast you get slower. I know, really? Yep, I'm here to tell you it's true.
  3. Friends are good to have; and good friends can save your life.
  4. Changing a tire on the Ford van is not so difficult once you know how.

Here are all the pictures and video.

Sleep 5
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 4:00 AM - applesauce, banana, walnuts, 1 scoop protein powder, 1 scoop Perpetuem, Udo's Oil, tea
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food 2 large bottles each w/3 scoops Perpetuem, Promax bar, Honey Stinger Energy Bar, mini bagel w/peanut butter, half a banana, 3 large bottles each w/1 tablet Nuun, cup of Gatorade, water, 2 chocolate croissants, grapes, nectarine, slices of melon, ham/turkey/cheese sandwich, potato chips, Coke, PowerBar Energy Gel
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 6:20 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather upper 50s to low 80s, sunny, dry, some wind
Course The roads were great, except for one spot where there was gravel the rest was nice asphalt.
Results  
Time moving - 7:29
total - 9:02
Distance 147 miles
Pace 19.7 mph
Equipment Ti Cycles Hyak, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing bib shorts, Craft sleeveless undershirt, sleeveless jersey, cap

24 July 2013

core | bike commute

Went to the gym this morning and once again I was able to do all my leg lifts in one set...!

That means either I am still super motivated today like I was yesterday or I was obviously not working hard enough previously. I'm guessing it's mostly the later... Still, it's fun to step up like this.

The ride to and from work was slow, I felt tired. Just checking the 'active recovery' box as it were. On the upside I took a route home that I have never taken and that was fun. I rode across the Aurora Bridge and it's the first time I have been here since they installed the suicide-prevention fence on both sides. It sure messes with your view but I guess it's effective.

Riding north on the west sidewalk of Aurora is a trip... It's a freaking homeless jungle up there on Queen Anne Hill with tons of trails leading into the foliage, a totally overgrown sidewalk, this one massive hydroponics operation, one of the shadiest motels in all of Seattle; you get the idea. Super enlightening to see all this.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
Workout Type active recovery
Weather upper 70s, sunny, dry, light breeze
Course
ball leg lifts 60 each leg
plank 3 min, 2 min each side w/3 x 10 sec leg lifts each leg
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 40
hip raisers 50
fire hydrants 30 each side
push-ups 20/17/12
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing  

23 July 2013

core | bike commute | Fleet Feet run

After yet another two-day gap in activity I got out for my second run post Mt. Hood. And just like Saturday it felt pretty darn good. Obviously rest is key but I can't just continue to go hard, take several days off and then expect to be able to go hard again... that only lasts so long and then you lose fitness. But for now I'm okay with this.

Today I was running with this kid in a Blue Rooster Cycling Team kit (he had on a jersey and baggy shorts over his cycling shorts) who kept telling me how much he loved the cycling team and how much he loved running as it was such efficient cross-training) and as the front bunch slowly pulled away he finally said, "I'm going to catch those guys, they really pushed me last week and it was great!" And so he did. And all I could do was watch him go. Nice. I'm pretty sure it was this guy and because my mind is a sieve I have forgotten his name by now.

Blue_Rooster_roster

Core went well, it's still a struggle to actually get into the gym but once I am there the workouts are of a reasonable quality. Today - for no reason that I know of - instead of starting out with three sets of leg lifts I did all the reps at once in one set! Wow, we'll see if I can do that again tomorrow...

At the Fleet Feet Sports Tuesday night run we started and right away I knew I was feeling good. As the pace slowly ramped up my breathing didn't get ragged and on the descent I hung with the front group. They pulled away in the Arboretum but that's all I can expect - and I still felt good!

But I didn't slow down on this stretch like I usually do when I start too fast (which means I finally didn't start too fast and/or just felt great) and today I ran the entire climb without even stopping for traffic. I have never done that before. AND I closed doing 6:30 pace where I usually am only able to manage 6:45 or so. Bonus.

Rest obviously matters.

As usual the ride home from Fleet Feet was awesome and my legs really liked the spin. Good times.

One other bonus - the blister on my foot appears to be healed! Finally. Thank goodness.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
run - 6:00 PM
Workout Type run - tempo
Weather run - upper 70s, sunny, dry, calm
Course
ball leg lifts 60 each leg
plank 3 min, 2 min each side w/3 x 10 sec leg lift each side
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 40
hip raisers 50
fire hydrants 30 each side
push-ups 20/17/10
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment commute - Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
run - Brooks Launch, Garmin Fenix
Clothing run - Brooks 5" Essential Run Short

20 July 2013

Cougar 10 trail run | trail work party

Finally, my first run since Mt. Hood. I guess all that rest paid off! BIG TIME. The result? a PR for this loop; by over three minutes. And I finally went sub 1:20. Nice.

Then after our run I headed up the hill to join the Seattle Running Club for a trail work party. Talk about hard work! I am such a wimp when it comes to manual labor.

02

Then I went home and did yard work for two hours. My back is torched.

 Edgardo Balansay and I went for one of our staple training loops on Cougar Mountain and I felt good right from the gun. I asked Edgardo if it was okay to push the pace and he said yes so off we went.

After the initial hill which we ran a little faster than usual I sped up and then held the pace there. I was hoping to ramp it up yet again after we passed 20-minute tree but I was only barely able to do it. I guess I was already going about as fast as I currently can...

At one point I asked Edgardo if this pace was okay and he said, "Yes, it's exciting!" Awesome attitude.

To top it off, we went this quick in spite of having to stop and pee and Edgardo fell down twice. That guy is a trooper, both times he popped right back up and we were on our way pronto.

I was also able to mostly drain my bottle at this pace so I guess I'm getting better at drinking while going fast. I wore two socks in an attempt to eliminate all friction on my foot. That didn't work so well. First of all it didn't really eliminate all that much and secondly it put a ton of pressure on my toes and I almost bruised two of them by the end of run. I won't do that again.

Trail work is hard. Especially when you are soft like me. We were tasked with moving a giant pile of gravel about .25 miles up the trail. Having run this section of trail just one hour ago when it felt like the duck pond was 'just around the corner' I can tell you that when you are toting a wheelbarrow full of gravel it is not. Did I mention that we had to go up a hill? The first time we all had loads that were WAY too ambitious and two of us ground to a halt and needed help.

This one guy was a freaking machine. He was much faster than the rest of us going up and would run (not jog) his wheelbarrow back to get another load. Repeat. He lapped me twice and I was the second fastest guy there. Awesome.

Here are all the trail work party pictures.

Sleep 5
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 4:15 AM - 2 small bananas, tea
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food bottle w/1 scoop HEED and 1 tablet Nuun
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day run - 6:00 AM
trail work party - 8:00 AM
Workout Type run - race pace
trail work party - strengthening
Weather  
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Brooks Cascadia 8, Garmin Fenix
Clothing Brooks 5" Essential Run Short

19 July 2013

core

Had to take the car in for service today so no bike commute.

I forgot my watch at the gym this morning so skipped the plank. Oh well. Everything else felt good.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day 5:15 AM
Workout Type rest
Weather  
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 20 each leg
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 40
hip raisers 50
fire hydrants 30 each leg
push-ups 10/17/10
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment  
Clothing  

18 July 2013

bike commute

I didn't sleep super so when the alarm went off I decided no gym today.

On the other hand I took the long way home. It has been an awesome summer and my foot is feeling better and riding does not put the same pressures on it as walking/running so I rode my favorite route home.

So. Incredibly. Scenic.

My legs are feeling great! I can't wait to run.

Sleep 7?
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day  
Workout Type endurance
Weather  
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing  

17 July 2013

core | bike commute

Same old thing. Core in the AM and then cycling to and from work. Just trying to let me dumb blister heal up. Core felt pretty darn good today!

My legs continue to feel way better than I expect them to. Not sure if it's a false sense of security because I am riding instead of running but we'll see soon enough.

One bummer is my stupid blister is not going to be in shape for me to run tomorrow like I planned on. Darn. I'll need to wait another day or two.

I got a massage today in hopes it would help even more but it turned out to be one of the least helpful massages I have ever received. Not sure what went wrong there...

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
Workout Type active recovery
Weather  
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 20 each leg
plank 3 min, 2 min each side w/3 x 10 sec leg lifts each leg
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 40
hip raisers 40
fire hydrants 25 each leg
push-ups 20/16/13
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing  

16 July 2013

core | bike commute

After one day off to travel back from Mt. Hood and then another because my right foot is just too blistered to contemplate doing anything I dipped my toe (the ball of my foot actually) into the water and rode my bike to work.

I would have gone to the gym yesterday for some core work but my foot was so sore I didn't even think I could hold the plank. :(

As it is things went okay and I hope to try running in a few days. My legs feel surprisingly good. that is to say they don't feel good, they just don't feel as ruined as I was expecting them to feel. If my blister cooperates I hope to run Thursday.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
Workout Type active recovery
Weather  
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 20 each leg
plank 3 min, 2 min each side w/3 x 10 sec leg lifts each leg
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 40
hip raisers 40
fire hydrants 25 each leg
push-ups 20/16/12
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing  

13 July 2013

Mt. Hood 50 mile trail run

I woke up at about 3:15 AM which was 45 minutes earlier than I had set my alarm for. That's just what happens to me on the big day I guess; and what has to happen when the start is at 6:30 and you want to eat breakfast and then have to drive 30 minutes to get there.

Today I was running the Mt. Hood 50, my longest trail run ever by 20 miles(!). I have been asked by a few people (and I used to ask people), "How do you train for a long event? Do you run the same distance or close to it?" The answer is usually a resounding NO. Not many people can run 50 miles in training - at least not often - and still hope to put in quality training on top of that. The way to approach these things, in my humble opinion, is to ramp up your volume slowly and instead to do back-to-back runs of a relatively long distance. Like 20 or 25 miles. Or even 20-25 one day and then 15 the next. Combine that with some faster tempo efforts and quality rest (so you can do it again) then come race day you just rest up, start slow and hopefully you can accelerate as you finish.

Which is just what I was able to do. Oh happy day.

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[Martin looking guardedly optimistic before the start...]

This event can be summed up in a few short stories so here you go.

STORY #1 - Pacing
Pacing has been a weakness of mine. I usually start out too fast and then fade toward the finish. This is especially easy to do in longer runs as you have rested a lot meaning you feel fresh and the pace is slower than most training efforts. A couple of times I have gotten lucky and not faded too much but a couple of times I have faded badly and not only slowed down a LOT but I've also turned the run into a death march and that is exactly what I did not want to do today seeing as it was going to be a long one. So I started slow.

Agonizingly slow it seemed at the time but I stuck to it. Just two miles from the start the trail narrows to single track and I still held back not passing people and walking when the people in front of me walked. In fact, I almost literally started at the back of the pack!

But guess what; no one passed me. Ever.

With one exception, but I'll get to that later. This course was two out-and-back loops and on the way out to the first turn-around my position didn't change all that much. I may have squirted around a couple of groups on the trail and been a bit more efficient in aid stations than some other people but once I got around the group or out of the aid station I pretty much resumed my very measured pace and just tried to eat and drink. I was so relaxed about my pace during the first loop that kept shooting video and taking pictures.

Look at my feet, I'm running!
Way to go Lucca and Stephanie!

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I kept thinking that 50 miles was a pretty long distance but even by the first turn-around (13.5 miles in) I started to pull a few people back and between the half way point and the second turn-around (27-38.5 miles in) I pulled a lot of people back. In fact that second loop was total carnage with many people losing one hour, two hours, even more.

By this time in the second loop I wasn't exactly feeling spry myself but I had been holding back on the descents and so was still able to run the ups and accelerate back to my pace on the flats.

Lesson (hopefully!) learned.

STORY #2 - Racing (for 17th place)
On the way out to the first turn-around I noticed a woman that was loving all the descents. The pack I was with would congeal on each climb and then on the descent she would jet ahead exuding an obvious love for what she was doing.

I was holding back for a bunch of reason; 1) I wanted to pace myself, 2) I was leery of my right foot and the blister I had there which was not properly healed up. But that didn't prevent me from vicariously enjoying the descents through her. It was truly fun to watch her bound down the hills and disappear from view each time the trail tipped down.

After the first turn-around I got out of the aid station faster than some of the group I had been running with so far. Then a few miles later we dropped a couple of guys. Then I noticed that this woman was not getting totally out of sight on each descent and finally as we approached the start/finish for the first time it was just me that kept pulling her back on the climbs. But I wasn't racing her. Not yet.

Heading out on the second loop we were on a long, gradual climb. I was basically alone as I ran through tons of faster starters but as I was leaving the first aid station there she was again pulling in. Just like me she was really determined not to slow down on the flatter sections and then as the trail dipped down for the big 'hill' in this race she once again ran past me.

This time I tried to go just a little quicker... It was a soft descent and I was feeling okay (my legs anyway - not my foot) and so by the bottom I could still just see her in the distance. As I caught and passed her on the climb to the second turn-around she said something like, "You are killing me on the climbs!" To that I think I replied, "I'm killing myself...!"

I'd be lying if I said that at this point I was not thinking of establishing a gap before the turn-around. I chugged along and tried to keep it steady and finally when I dared to look behind me she was out of sight. But not for long! Mere seconds (or so it seemed) after pulling into the turn-around aid station there she was. Ouch! It was hard but I took my drinks, filled my bottle, grabbed some food and got outa Dodge pronto. Here I am before she pulled up thinking I had time for a leisurely snack.

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On this first descent coming home I again let myself run just a little faster. I hit the last climb and I still didn't see her behind me. The first pitch of this climb is steep and I heard that everyone walked it. Unfortunately after a bit of running I found myself walking again. From memory I knew that this section was roughly two miles long and I must have walked most of it. It was here that I saw Lucca and Stephanie for the last time.

Oh yes, I am tired.

Just as I was thinking, "Martin, you really should start running again..." there she was! And she was closing on me. That lit a small fire under me and I put a few seconds into her before getting to the last aid station but when I pulled out she was right there behind me yet again.

This time there was no holding back on the descent. I knew it was down for at least a couple of miles and then flatter, rolling terrain to the finish. I was in front and as much as I was able to with my blister really aggravating me at this point I let it rip.

ASIDE - judging from my GPS data, 'rip' meant I was doing 6:00-8:00 pace. Speed is relative for sure.

As we started descending, in an attempt to make light of the effort I told her, "You are doing great!" To which she replied, "You're leading, I'm just staring at your feet..." It seemed like it took forever but finally the footsteps behind me started to get quieter and quieter. And then they were gone.

And then I was cooked!

Oh no... had I gone too hard? Was I going to cave in these last couple of miles? I could feel my legs shutting down and I had to walk for a few seconds twice on flat sections as I approached the finish. Did I look over my shoulder each time? You bet I did. As you exit the trail there is perhaps a 15' climb back to the paved road and my last two steps up here almost caused me to cramp. I kind of hopped/hobbled up onto the pavement, regained my stride and realized I had enough time in hand to pull out my camera and film my own finish.

I'm done! Literally and figuratively.

Who was it that had pushed me all the way? Turns out it was the second fastest woman, 22 year old Courtney Dauwalter. Damn can she go downhill. Thanks Courtney, you absolutely made me go faster than I would have alone on pretty much that entire second loop.

07

STORY #3 - running with Lucca
This is the second time that I have run with my sister. The first time was a blast and her attitude continues to inspire me.

Today Lucca was running with her good friend and apparently constant ultra companion Stephanie Astell. These guys do it right! They start together, they help each other and then they finish together.

Nice kick!

They enjoy the journey and have the smiles to prove it.

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I hope that I can remember this attitude when I start to get too competitive.

STORY #4 - the Miller brothers
Damn. Talk about natural talent, these kids have got it.

Twice when I was getting passed by front runners who were returning from the turn-around while I was still heading out I thought to myself, "That kid sure is young...!" Turns out I was right. Andrew Miller (7th place overall!) is just SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD. And his younger brother Jacob Miller who finished just one hour behind me is freaking fifteen years old.

Where do they get it? From their mother obviously, Anne Miller also finished. 2nd place in her age group thankyouverymuch.

STORY #5 - my blister
What a bummer. One week ago I tried a new shoe/sock combo that was supposed to be the ultimate anti-blister formula. Instead I got a big one right in the middle of the ball of my right foot. Rats. I think it was the socks as these shoes have served me extremely well in the past and so that is one brand I will never use again.

I rested my foot for two days and then tried a short run.

ASIDE - it's hard to deviate from your training plan once you have one...

The run went okay but my blister flared up just a little. The next day I went for my last trail run and my foot felt fine for five miles but then - at the farthest point from the car of course - it started to get warm and by the time I finished my blister had puffed up again.

Argh...!

All I could do now was rest and hope for the best.

Come race day I opted for different socks and some real bread & butter/meat & potatoes shoes. I even slathered my feet in Blue Steel (I normally don't use anything on my feet) and I think it helped but after half way I could tell my foot was not right.

I ran the second loop as light as I could but my foot kept getting hotter and hotter. When I finished I took my shoes and socks off and in spite of the fact that my legs felt surprisingly good I was limping something fierce. Turns out I had created a second, even larger blister under my old one and I had popped them both. Ouch.

Looks like I will be spending a few more days off of my feet.

What an incredible experience! I can still think back a few years (just three!) when I thought marathons were for the birds and that there was no WAY I would ever run one much less twice as far. How quickly attitudes change.

And in spite of the fact that I took up running pretty late in life, age has not yet gotten the better of me and I am still getting just a little faster. Turns out I was able to average 10 seconds per mile quicker today than I did on my first 50k. After coming back from an ankle injury and two months off. Not too shabby.

This run could have gone south in so many ways. I could have gone out too fast and had to pull the plug, my blister could have bothered me even more than it did, I could have finished but in a not-so-good way like the guy that needed this.

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Instead I finished slightly battered and totally psyched. Did I mention that trail running gives you a super dirt tan?

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Here are all the pictures and video.

Sleep 4
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast 4:00 AM - peanut butter and Nutella sandwich on rye bread, water
6:00 AM - a piece of Crazy Dave's cinnamon role, water
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food .75 l of water, about 7 bottles of Gu Electrolyte Brew, 1.5 peanut butter and jam sandwiches, some potato chips, some Fig Newtons, about 9 GUs, some pieces of orange, about 1.5 bananas, some pretzel sticks
Injuries blister on ball of right foot
Therapy  
Time of Day 6:30 AM
Workout Type race
Weather low 40s to mid 70s, sunny, dry, calm
Course two out-and-back loops on the Pacific Crest Trail
Results 5th - Men 40-49
17th - Overall
official results
Time 7:58:47
Distance 50 miles
Pace 9:35 min/mile
Equipment Brooks Cascadia 8, Garmin Fenix, UltrAspire Alpha
Clothing Feetures Elite Merino socks, Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, Craft sleeveless top, Brooks short sleeve team shirt, Headsweats Visor

11 July 2013

core | bike commute

My legs feel good! And I guess that is exactly what you are supposed to feel before a long race. Bonus.

I checked the core box this morning and I gotta say, it feels good to do this on a regular basis... WAY easier than when you do it infrequently.

Sleep 6
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
Workout Type active recovery
Weather  
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 20 each leg
plank 3 min, 2 min each side w/3 x 10 sec leg lift each leg
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 40
hip raisers 40
fire hydrants 25 each leg
push-ups 20/16/12
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing  

10 July 2013

Cougar 10 trail run | bike commute

Today is my last run prior to the Mt. Hood 50, thanks to Edgardo Balansay for giving me some company.

I just wanted to go mellow and that is exactly what we did. I also wanted to not aggravate my damn blister but that unfortunately didn't work out so well. :( It ended up puffing a bit more and now I'm not so sure what to do prior to Saturday. Hope for the best I guess.

It was an amazing morning. Dry, warm, and the sun was poking through the trees by 6:00 AM. Freaking beautiful. We chatted and jogged and I felt fine. The start was mellow and we only accelerated as much as you naturally do when you warm up.

I took my Brooks Cascadia 8s out for a spin this morning and I'm thinking this might be the shoe for the weekend.

Riding to and from work felt super! That part did get me pretty pumped up about Saturday.

Sleep 5
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food 1 PowerBar Energy Gel right before the start
run - bottle w/1 scoop HEED and 1 tablet Nuun
commute - water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day run - 5:30 AM
Workout Type endurance
Weather run - 65, dry, sunny, calm
Course  
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment run - Brooks Cascadia 8, Garmin Fenix
commute - Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing run - Brooks 5" Essential Run Short, short sleeve active shirt

09 July 2013

core | bike commute | Fleet Feet run

Nice.

Today was a good day. I got to the gym, had a good core workout (and didn't forget to do any exercises!) and then went for a run after work. I felt pretty fresh for the run and managed to go a bit quicker than usual. Bonus.

At the Fleet Feet Sports run we started out very mellow but once you hit Volunteer Park the pace always picks up. I got gapped running through the park, caught back up on the descent and even passed a few going down through the Interlaken ravine but then once we hit the flats the lead pack pulled away from me. Oh well, that's to be expected.

So I ran alone for a while until we started climbing again on the way home at which point I was caught and passed by one of the faster guys that must have been separated early on for some reason. Near the top I decided to put in an effort and closed to within 15' as we crested the hill in Volunteer Park but then I promptly blew and had to walk for a bit. By the time I got settled and started running again it was none other than Trisha Steidl who closing ME down.

When I got home it looked like I had aggravated my blister from Sunday just a bit but hopefully nothing too serious. I was pretty pumped to put in a solid effort on this day.

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
run - 6:00 PM
Workout Type tempo
Weather 70s, sunny, dry, calm
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 20 each leg
plank 3 min, 2 min each side w/3 x 10 sec leg lifts each side
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 40
hip raisers 40
fire hydrants 25 each side
push-ups 20/16/12
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment run - Brooks Launch, Garmin Fenix
commute - Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing run - Brooks 5" Essential Run Short

08 July 2013

core | bike commute

A little bit of active recovery today after yesterday's relatively long run.

Core went well except that I forgot a watch so could not time my plank. I just ditched it in favor of some other exercises.

The ride to and from work went well, I'm a bit tired but that is to be expected.

On the way home I saw this.

You know what this means, the pinnacle of NW recreational cycling is just around the corner!

So you know what's coming...

Sleep 7
Waking HR  
Body Weight  
Body Fat  
Breakfast  
Lunch  
Dinner  
Workout Food water
Injuries  
Therapy  
Time of Day core - 5:30 AM
Workout Type active recovery
Weather upper 70s, sunny, dry, calm
Course
ball leg lifts 3 x 20 each leg
twisters 50 each side - 12 lb.
leg extensions 100
back extensions 3 x 40
hip raisers 40
fire hydrants 25 each leg
push-ups 20/14/12
Results  
Time  
Distance  
Pace  
Equipment Raleigh Mojave 8.0, Garmin Edge 500
Clothing  

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