Masters Weekend Runs and Races

First full week back on the comeback trail and managed 40 mies for the first time in many moons...included a 10 miler on the track (to keep my damaged feet in check with no deviations...just a lot of left hand turns), a track session of 8 x 400 starting at 3K race pace and working down to 1500 race pace all with just 60 seconds recovery, a flat dirt 12 miler (furthest I've run since last April)...all other days active recovery on either flat dirt or dreadmill.

Bit the bullet and entered Carlsbad 5000...again... Haven't done it in years but is always an outstanding and accurate benchmark of fitness...oh, and one the greatest races in USA that everybody should race at least once...as am at the tail end of the age group, will likely get my butt handed to me but hey, next year I get to be the precocious youngster in the new age group.

Einstein said "one can not simultaneously be an SF 49ers fan and root for Seattle" (or something like that) so I'll cheer for Pats...not so much a pro Patriots sentiment as an anti- Seahawks sentiment (sorry TY)...that being said, I sure like Marshawn Lynch as a player and got a kick out of his antics this week...oh and Wilson is amazing...enjoy the game

train don't strain,

MF

Hello Masters

It was a down week in terms of mileage for me. 6 runs for 53km. I did have a good hill workout on Thursday: 10 x 200 (est) up an overall 9% grade hill near the house. Times were:

50.91/52.26/51.63/52.32/50.94/51.12/50.52/50.94/51.03/52.26

with a minute to 90 second walk down. Really felt it in the glutes for a couple of days, but it was nice to do a real workout.

Planned to do a long run today, but the Big Game here was last night. Australia beat Korea in the Asian Cup final. A long night of beer, whisky, soju, and food turned today's scheduled 25km run a difficult 12km affair. The only thing more alcohol fueled than a Korea soccer victory is a loss and a soju hangover is a special kind of pain.

Good luck with the Carlsbad training Mike. Hope everyone enjoys the game.

Bob

Lot of outdoorsy stuff this week for me. Yes, I ran, but I hiked a lot more.

Monday--hiked 9 miles near Mt Adams, ran 7 miles easy

Tuesday--hike 8 miles near Mt. St. Helens.

Ran 3000--1600-6X200 workout

9:09--4:50--33--32--31--30--30--28

Wednesday--7 miles easy

Thursday--hiked 10 miles in Columbia Gorge

Ran 5 miles easy

Friday--hiked 9 miles near Mt. Adams

Ran 6 miles easy

Saturday--Ran 4X400--- 75--73--72--72

3000--9:04.3 (304-304-255)

4X400---75--72--70--67

Sunday--11 miles easy

Hoping Seahawks win back to back titles.

I'll be at work making sure you all get something to read on Monday.

Looking forward to next Saturday's big championship as well.

Ahrlin

It's always rough being the guy that posts right after Ahrlin writes out his weekly training. He ran 3,000 twice this week in close to 9:00. Well, I ran a mile in that same time on MULTIPLE occasions so I think Im good.

The week ended well with a 14 mile long run; last two miles 5:54, 5:52 (with the HS kids of course). It takes me about 1 hr to get up to speed these days it seems. In addition to that, I ran some steady stuff Tues (3 miles at 5:42-5:45 pace) and got in 60 miles for the week. Not a bad week for me at all.

All my guys raced this week so it was a fun and busy week for the Coach :)

I better pull for the Seahawks because my sister lives in Seattle. Otherwise, I might get black listed from my family. But other than that, I really don't care who wins. I hope to be awake through halftime!

I just finished the NE Assoc Championships. There is prize money for 1st and 2nd age grading for both men and women. I just may have scooped up both 1st and 2nd for the women. Not sure about that, but I ran two blistering races in the 60 and the 60m hurdles. Finally everything pulled together - the start, the drive phase, the execution, the finish. I'm still stunned - happy as heck - -but stunned. Like my body aged back 10 years. We left before the meet was over to prepare for Super Bowl festivities, but the meet director said he'd be in touch. It was a wonderful morning.

All the best to you guys - let's enjoy the game!

Nice job, Spikez and congrats. Keep up the comeback MF; pulling for you.

184 miles on the GO with 8900 feet of climbing. Yesterday was a 60 miler - up to Virginia City, out the other side to Carson City and then home.

I don't care for either team today, but guess I'll cheer for the Pats, which is difficult for me to do. I'm still wearing a Browns shirt today - maybe one day...

Long time without posting, dealing with life issues which has impacted my running greatly........however,

I am going to try my best to make a glorious comeback, i am tired of not running! Have grown to 193 pounds (was 165 in April) and just feel so bad physically. I've been following the weekly reporting of all of you, just had nothing to chime in about except getting fatter, slower, uglier and older.

Lot of pressure with work just compounded with additional responsibilities so it is going to be a huge challenge toslot running in.

Early motivation is our sales team met our profit target in 2014 so the company is paying for the sales team and wives/husbands to Turtle Bay in Oahu this spring. I'll have to pay for my daughter, but what a great gift from the company. Motivated to look good and run strong while there so need to get it going.

Have a great week! Go SeaHawks!

35.96 miles running and 12.50 miles walking this week. I'm exhausted for some reason so I think February is going to be different. I'm going to have to get used to my new schedule.

SN-- 7.87 miles. 2 hills and I was dragging.

M-- 4.51 miles. 4 hills. 1.5 miles walking.

T-- 6.71 miles. 14 hills. 6 X 400 with 400. (400 recoveries are too long for me. I was trying them out but I don't like them.)

W-- 0 miles running. I walked 10 miles on the day by way of exercise and walking around campus. During exercise walking there were 4 hills.

R-- 5.72 miles. 6 hills. Only 8 X 100 with 300 jogs. I still have really good 100 meters speed. A couple of them were very fast.

F-- 4.32 miles. 4 hills.

ST-- 5K road race. It was tough. I had trouble waking up and staying awake. It was cold and light rain. The course had 10 small hills totaling at least 2K of the distance which I think slowed me down at least 1 minute. I ran 16:09.76 or 16:10 is what it was rounded up to. 16 small hills total.

In February I still have planned an indoors race on the 14th and a road or indoor track race for the 28th.

Ciao!

welcome back! congrats on the sales success. Trip to Oahu sounds like a terrific motivator. Good luck with your comeback and don't be too hard on yourself. A step at a time. You know how to get in shape, and you will again.

Go get 'em,

Dave

....is there a game today?

Just trying to get in miles when I can and lifting a ton now before I focus later on any races.

Mon - 20 min Tempo

Thurs - 16x strides

Sat - 5 miles uphill as fast as I could run, 5 down

Sun - 2 hours trail

The party is starting to show up for the game. It has been such a great second half of the year. Brady scares me.....a lot, but Seahawks will prevail. 27 - 22

Cheers & Health

..yNoT

Hello fellow masters,

Gearing up for the football game, but was able to get in a steady 9 miles on the heels of my best January training since 2011. Hit over 40 miles/week consistently and have adapted to strength training, decent intervals and some speed development. Interval session this week was 8x800m in 2:50 with about 90 secs recovery. Speed development were some 30 second intervals after a long warm-up at around 25 secs per 150m.

I don't know how this will play out next Saturday in Boulder. I'm traveling there via Japan, and will arrive Friday night. That's supposed to be good in terms of altitude adaptation (7 days, with no-mans land in between), and I'll be hoping the scientific papers on being born and spending early development at altitude (7000 ft for me) are correct. The premise is that I have more lung tissue and surface area than my counterparts born at sea level. Of course that doesn't make up for differences in VO2max, genetics and a host of other factors, but I'll take anything I can get!

Scott

Double dose of Dayquill and off to the track.

Felt a bit off with high heart rate. 3x100. 400 59.7, 2:00 rest, 300 46.3 - might run 600 time trial on Saturday.

2nd part of workout. 4x200. 29.5 down to 28.5. Give or take a hundredth. Controlled, no strain.

Next speed session Wednesday.

Not going to Euro vets, they have a couple dozen in 800 and won't advance me to final. Not to good at 3000 and I would be in the slow heat anyway

Picked up a small injury after racing to a 52:15 win for a cold 10 miler. Frustrating, as I am quite fit at the moment. Got running by Thursday after treatment from my physio. Only 16 mi for the week, but the worst is behind me. Need to rebuild a bit and then get after the speed work.

looking forward to boulder this weekend, but not for the usual reasons. my wife is running her first masters national meet since college, and first usatf x-c meet since she was a youth, so that should be fun; my daughter will be in the junior race running for ucla; and, i get to visit my dad.

as for my race, it's been a while since i've gone into a race with such low expectations, and they're completely warranted. the past two weeks have reminded me--and i know the rest of you have had this feeling more often, and you've all worked your way back in inspiring ways, so i've been spoiled--what it feels like to be out of shape. it's been so long since i've struggled through 8 miler (like today) that i thought would never end, a full 90 seconds slower per mile than usual. so while last year's boulder experience was a nice slice of humble pie, this year i think i'll be eating the whole pie.

on the plus side: 56 days to carlsbad. i'll see you there mike...

Indeed SoCalCush shall see you at Carlsbad, but not during the race as I'll be a minute per mile in arrears... instead, at the post race beer tent assuming there are still suds by the time I finish...gotta love 7 a.m. starts and accompanying 7:30 a.m. brews

Crush it at Bouder next weekend...wish I was a bit fitter so as to join in on the fun...reminder all, the NEXT big XC Nationals meet is right here in SF's Golden Gate Park ths December...as if one really needs an excuse to visit San Francisco ;)

MF