Describe Your Running Today, Part II

Awful run last night. Was planning to negative split several every miles in a 9 mile run but didn't quite have it. Spent the entire length at a relaxed, easy-going pace.

Tonight I plan on gong for 12. I'll be sure to bounce back.

before i forget:

Gimmelwald 2011, -591

yesterday: 45 minutes easy in Villa Pamhili, plus exercises.

So i managed to run three trail races in between a lot of driving, taking trains and looking after my kids.

Basic recap:

1) Traslaval final stage, 14.5km from Vigo di Fassa to Ciampedie;

2) 9th Trofeo La Madoninna, in Pinzolo, 7.5km, from Ragada to Madunina

3) Slaifera Carisola, 11.5 km from Carisolo up Val Genova and back.

Apart from Traslaval stage (first time, with friends and very enjoyable) the other races have become annual occurrences with a cozy familiar feel to them. The Madonnina i actually ran/walked as a first time family deal with my whole family taking part.

All done in hassle-free in my 5F vibrams; the Slaifera particularly breezy and lightfooted.

I also went to FriedrichSchafen to the Outdoor Messe and drove through Switzerland - that's when i thought much about Gimmelwald - and had a great time there as well.

Edit: going*

I want to thank Keith for my session today. His claim that he did a 62sec 400m in the relay really got me excited! Keith always brings out the best in me.

At the very least today, I was hoping that I could jog on grass, after somehow getting a foot pain at the end of yesterday's run. I think I stepped on a rock a couple of runs ago, and I may have agitated that area yesterday.

When I began jogging on Vanier field today, in Zoots, the foot was sore, but it became a dull ache after a while. 30mins went well. So, I decided to try some strides on the track.....

4x100m in 21, hi17, lo16, lo15 felt fine. It's strange not to be feeling any hamstring pain. My block of "fartleky" runs was a good thing to do....keep me away from hardcore speed. But now I am eager to do what I really love again. And so, I decided to push a 400m.....

I did a lo65 with Doc a few weeks ago, and that was with ham and lower back issues. Surely I can emulate Keith's time now? At the very least I wanted 59.9sec + 10%, so sub66 anyway.

My foot was sore around the first turn, at an agressive pace, but all was well down the backstretch. "30" was on the watch at 200m. (Hi30, I assume.) My far turn was strong....I was going hard, but not "racing". I did slow after 300m.....my lack of 400m work shows. But it wasn't ugly at the line.....in 63.20sec. Not quite the lofty heights that Keith recently reached, but a pleasant enough shock to my dormant 400m system.

A 10min grass jog followed and my foot was sore. But I'm convinced that it is mere bruising, not injury per se.

Now I feel that I'm in a position to help Keith over the next 10 weeks.

_________________

Have a brief moment of internet access. Now I just have to recall the running I've done in recent days. If only I could remember where I left off! Ha, ha!

Let's see. I got in a quick 30-35 minutes on Friday, then 45-ish Sunday, and 40+ yesterday. Nothing special, but they were all on different routes. Nice to tour the countryside!

I'm thrilled to see that our favorite thread continues to thrive! You folks are the best!

Keep up the good work, all!

Temp. 60F, calm, thunderstorm off to the east gave off plenty of lightening visuals, but little rain.

Started slowly and felt sluggish initially, but hit a groove about 5 miles out and went PMP to 5K pace, surging for 2-3 miles until the hamstrings reeled me in.

This was good; this is the stuff I've been waiting 6 years for. This is the stuff that can banish the dottering old man to his closet for another decade. This is the stuff thats gonna give me the go ahead to kick some m-f'n age group ass in Chi-town in 2.5 months.

A solid 2hr 5min on the tough McIvor Range inc 3 climbs to the top of the ridgeline. A chilly 4-5 deg by sunset. Very crowded marsupially and ornithologically in the forests tonight. Feeling surprisingly fresh considering I did 1hr 58min on the same terrain on tuesday.

Last night I got caught up with various home duties but did manage 45mins on the windtrainer, inc 15mins punching 100rpm in my 53/13 gear. This also felt surprisingly good.

I think I must be coming down with a dose of fitness.

The big 5-0 arrives in August, perhaps I can also look toward a bit of age group arse kicking.

gentlemen,

the global issue could be:

to kick ass

or

to kick arse?...

no matter what the target be,

in front, behind, or far at sea,

'tis always kicking

we be dreaming of,

our footing much secured,

to keep the aging curve in check,

our machoness reassured.

One thing i know,

this one's for sure:

my dreams of running peak-to-peak,

that when we'll all

be in Gimmewald,

i'll kick some .... cheek-to-cheek.

-590 to MOARG, Gimmelwald 2011

today: 30mins easy in villa pamphili, then 10x100m fast strindin, exercises, light jog to my mother's, chilled watermelon bliss.

my feet are ready for some carnal imprinting. Ass, arse, bewhatitbe...

Thursday AM: 5 miles, recovery

3.7 recovery miles. mid70's and clear.

tpcb, your poem has me chuckling still and will bear a re-reading I'm sure. mopak,as you approach 50 bear in mind that Joan Benoit - Samuelson has been doing much better in her 50's than 40's.Stated she really didn't know why, but was happy to find it thus. I keep an eye on her at races. Since I posted a narrow 8 sec win in a local 10k 3 Years ago she has kicked my "arse" roundly in every subsequent sharing of the roads.

LAdude83- I'm looking back at my NYCM notes to ascertain the name of an Italian restaurant that served us so well it's spoiled me for life.

I had better make the most of the fact I'm 3 years older than a certain little bald man from Ballarat.

Young Moneghetti popped a handy 30.00 at Launceston last week. He also "won" the State open 15km road title (an ineligible US based runner beat him across the line)in 46.low and ran a 30.05 in the State 10k.

Makes the 45 age group pretty tough to win!

I actually had reasonable results in my early 40s -a State mtn running 0/40 title and 3d and 4th 0/40 in the unofficial Aus long course mtn titles. Unfortunately the 3d attempt resulted in a bad foot injury. The docs said I should stick to cycling and walking. And I will follow their advice someday.

It did mean that I had a few pretty slack years trying to get the strength back in the foot and also had a few minor injury issues along the way. Hopefully that means I'm a bit fresher as an O/50.

today: on the beach from Sabaudia to san Felice circeo. A little hot at midday but just dipped in the sea as necessary.

589 to Gimmelwald 2011

light swim

-588

Ah, mopak; Those are some rock solid achievements. Nothing in my paltry quiver of events would come close. Esp.your strong finishes on rough terrain; noteworthy is an under statement.

A long time friend of mine shares a propensity to do his best at heavy events;i.e.Pikes peak and ultra distance snowshoe runs. Though he never broke 2;30 f0r the marathon he dashed the hopes of men much faster than that, once a pair of snowshoes entered the fray.

Friday; 45 minutes AM. Mix of streets, singltrack, and an all out 800M on a surprisingly nice track in Munising MI.

Sat. 3rd go round with the Grand Island Trail Marathon.

After posting a 5:30 in 2007, a 4:32 in 2008, things went a bit better today with a 3:48 to show for my efforts.

Conditions were favorable with a light overcast and temps in the lo 60's. Beautiful scenery abounds up there.

to quote the UP locals," Gitchee Gumi does it to me."

tpcb, one brave soul sojourned the 26.2 in a pair of Vibrams. His foot prints looked like those of a small bear through the muddy stretches.

Yeah, i noticed this summer on some trails i ran and others i walked with my family some other trekkers looking rather quizically at the 5Fingers footprints on the mud, but especially on the snow.Good job on the 3:48. Found some visually inspiring photos of Gitchee Gumi, thanks for the art.today: eldest daughter is at camp, young son at a buddy's sleep over. With the Bride (an authentic driske citation), slow sunday breakfast, toiled around the quiet home, then she drove to the pool, i ran there, by the time i got going it was scorching; was going to go barefoot but would have grilled my soles, so the 5fs in these cases come really handy...Some pool stretching, some crawl and breaststroke laps, and some especially enjoyable underwater laps...sometimes the elementary stuff can feel so incredibly intense...Gimmelwald 2011, -587days

driske wrote:

tpcb, one brave soul sojourned the 26.2 in a pair of Vibrams. His foot prints looked like those of a small bear through the muddy stretches.

A fun weekend of racing. Saturday was a mixed relay. My legends team was led off by the clubs youngest member, nearly 5 years old. Her 6min 800m was pretty impressive. I probably let the team down with the slowest captain's run over the flat 3k but it was all good fun. A good chance to interact with all the club members.

Sunday was a club handicap over 6.5km on steep and rough trails at Mandurang. I was giving my son just a 25sec head start and caught him 2km into the race. He then hammered by me on some downhill and it took me until 4.5km to get ahead of him again. I eventually beat him across the line by less than 30secs.

No threat of burnt soles here. A foggy zero celsius this morning. You know it is a cold morning when you look out the window and see all the "joeys" head's sticking out of their mum's pouches.

A quick scan of the photos from previous Grand Island Marathons suggests a very scenic course. You seem to have some great choices of trail racing around your part of the world Driske.

Oh yeah, I came across an interesting name when perusing old Pikes Peak marathon results some time back. A very impressive performance from a DYRT poster back in the day.

Great to hear of intergenerational running events. Kudos to your club and the organizers.

It is indeed a rush racing our offspring. Savor the wins, they get harder and harder to come by.

Pikes Peak. The real high point was meeting the legendary Walt Stack, on the trail in the Rockies.

No run today.

"Good things, when short, are twice as good." Baltazar Gracian

today: barefoot walk to work, about 1 hour mixed terrain. probably will walk back home.

only 586 days to Gimmelwald 2011