Daily Mile

Another delightful run on the treadmill. Watching a guy on an bike trainer sweat is not exactly my idea of a fun run, but listening to Ultramarathon Man on my mp3 player made me feel way better about my situation.  It was not over 100 degrees, nor had I already run 50 miles with 50 more to go.  Three miles on the treadmill isn't so bad, I guess. Plus, I didn't cough and that's certainly better than the alternative at the moment.  It's hard to believe I'm on training week four.  I don't feel like I'm training.  I guess that's a good sign.  I'm looking forward to a little more midweek mileage starting this week and another 13 miler this weekend.  Cross your fingers my asthma is under control by Saturday!  Let's go Qvar!

3 miles
31:11
10:24 pace

Training Week 3

That title should probably read "Training Weak 3" as this weeks training was a bit of a bust.  I ended up with a cold, which triggered my asthma and have been coughing up a storm!  (((boo!)))  Luckily I still have my asthma meds and have started back on them and hope to be cough free within a few days.  Today's run turned into two runs.  I got up and out at 7:45am this morning and started my run in the snow with temps in the low twenties.  About a half a mile in I knew that my lungs were just not going to cooperate in the cold and headed back home.  After lunch I went over to the (warm) gym and ran on the dreadmill *ahem* treadmill.  It actually felt good as I haven't run many miles this week.

Today's mileage

Blizzard Run
1.5 miles
19:30
13 minute pace (ugh!  I told you I was hurting!)

Treadmill Run
5 miles
56:10
11:14 minute pace

Today's total: 6.5

Week 3
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 3.09
Wednesday: weight lifting
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Sick
Saturday: Sick
Sunday: 6.5
Total: 9.59 (I hope you were sitting down for that total.)

Previous total: 54.32
Training Grand Total: 63.91

Daily Mile

0 miles
0 minutes
0 pace

Impressive, right?  Ugh!  Today was very busy and I don't know if it's the air quality or what, but I'm having some asthma issues.  LAME!  So, I didn't run today, even though I should have.  Hoping to be hacking less tomorrow so I can get my five miler in.  I hope you still went running!

"No matter how slow I run, I'm still faster than my couch."
-Anonymous

Karl Meltzer!

Look who's on the cover of the December issue of Ultrarunning! Karl Meltzer, the same ultrarunner I saw out on Antelope Island on Saturday. Cool.

Daily Mile

Yesterday Katherine and I headed out into my neighborhood for a quick three miler. I have officially decided three miles is my least favorite distance. I often feel sluggish the first few miles and in distance running, that's okay because those miles are just a warm up and I start feeling good after several miles. A three miler often leaves me feeling like I don't much like running. Yesterday was no exception. I finally started to feel good at the 2.4 mile mark, and by then the run was nearly over. Oh well, I guess three milers are just a necessary evil. I suppose I could just switch all my three milers to five milers...

3.09 miles
34:28
11:09 pace

Training Week 2

Today was my first back to back long run,* and the end of week two of training.  When I woke up before my alarm at 6:40am I could hear the wind raging outside and did not want to get out of bed.  After peeling my tired legs out of bed and getting ready to go Ozzy and I headed out on a loop that is uphill for the first three miles.  Let me just say that those first three miles were B R U T A L!  Not only was I tired from yesterday's trail run, the wind was howling around me and my legs felt like lead weights. At mile two I was contemplating the sanity of my decision making skills.  Luckily, by the time I reached the top of the hill and headed back downhill, I was feeling pretty decent and by the time I hit mile six I found myself running at a 9:30 pace!  Honestly, I knew it would get better because the first few miles are always the most difficult, but I didn't know I'd feel that good! What a great confidence booster!  I can almost see the 50k finish line!

7 miles
1:22
11:42 pace

*The back to back run is when you run two long runs in a row.  The purpose of the back to back for ultramarathon training is to prepare you for running on tired legs that you will certainly have on race day.  The back to back goes like this:  Day 1 long run, Day 2 long run of approximately half the distance of the day before, i.e. Saturday= 20 miles, Sunday= 10 miles.

Week 2
Monday: 3.1
Tuesday: 5
Wednesday: weight lifting
Thursday: 3
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 13.1
Sunday: 7
Total: 31.2

Week 1 Total: 23.12
Training Grand Total: 54.32

Running with the Buffalo

Today was the second training run for the Buffalo Run.  The race director is kind enough to set up training runs each month before the race in March, starting in November.  I talked Katherine into going with me and we were planning on 14-15 miles total.  I picked Katherine up bright and early and we headed north.  When we finally arrived on the island and got out of the car, I was totally geeked out!  Karl Meltzer had just arrived and was heading out on a run!  Karl Meltzer currently holds the record for the most (30) 100 mile trail race wins ever!  So I was like a screaming Beiber fan, well minus the screaming or mob scene.  I quick grabbed Katherine, "Oh my GAWD!  Did you see who that was?!  That was Karl Meltzer!"  Once I quite geeking out we headed out on the trail.  

Check out the mane on Katherine!

Working hard and enjoying the view.

A little uphill at the seven mile mark.

See the trail?  Yeah, me neither.  Bushwhack time, baby!

This was Katherine's longest run ever.  She was a champion!

We were running along and all of a sudden Katherine let out a panicked "RENEEEE!"  I turn around to a buffalo charging down the hillside right next to us.  You could hear the drumming of it's powerful hooves.  It was intense and amazing.  Luckily, buffalo don't much want anything to do with humans and he just ran along towards his pals who were grazing next to the trail.  Then two of them started rolling around on their backs like playful puppies.  Quite an amazing experience!

Katherine and I ran along with another woman named Lori for the last half of the run.  She was quite nice and took the above picture of Katherine and I together.  Afterward the race director had hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps for everyone! What a great day!

13.1 miles

2 hr 30 min

11:27 pace