Masters weekend races and runs..

My heart goes out to all those in New Orleans and elsewhere on the Gulf Coast. It almost makes me feel guilty as I enjoy our spectacular weather here in the Northwest.

Another semester of teaching is underway. The first week is always the most hectic. I did manage to squeeze in a good 4x3miles workout on Friday. I took it easy on both Saturday and Sunday, and will probably do so again today. I'll run a half-marathon this coming Sunday, just to see where I am. It just now occurs to me that, mostly due to my calf injury, I haven't raced since CIM (after 12 races in 2004). If all goes well on Sunday, I'll probably point toward CIM again.

SoCalPete-Glad you've healed up. Missed reading your posts the past few months.

Thanks.

The splits were a result of surges and slowing by a number of competitors.

Uwe Manns, the favorite, sprinted to the front only to slow it down after 100m. After 250m, Jesus Borrego, the winner of the race, wanted none of this and increased the pace and lead to 800m only to slow it down again. One of Uwe's team mates shot to the front down the backstretch pulling the field with him. At 1000, four of us were in a line ready to blast the last lap. I was in fourth and passed the third place runner with 400m left to go. While I was doing this, Uwe and Jesus shifted it into another gear. I tried my best to go with them and closed a little, but to no avail. Jesus ended up passing Uwe the last 5m and I held onto third.

Wow- that must have been a great race to watch!! I would have loved to have seen it. Congrats!

I ran an incredibly slow, yet immensely enjoyable 5K today. Finished in 22:33, which was my slowest time in 3 or 4 years. However, it was a beautiful day and my lovely 9 year old daughter came out with me and ran the kids' race- a girl's day out! Also hard to complain about a slow time when so many others are suffering.

During my runs this weeks I've had plenty of time to mull over the South's state of affairs. If any of you have school-age kids, get in touch with their Principal and suggest the school set up a fund-raiser for the Katrina victims. My kids' school did this after 9/11 and raised a lot of $$. It was so touching to see the children come in with their piggy-bank proceeds! It was also an excellent way to help them feel like they had a little control over such a scary, uncontrollable thing. That is huge for kids.

RB

What a sad situation in New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast. It makes me feel guilty for all of the comforts I have when so many others do without.

I had a nice week of running including a decent Wednesday workout of 8 x 600 and 13 miles on Friday.

It sounds like everyone is getting healthy and ready to enjoy a good fall of running!

Excellent race, dude!

SoCalPete jumps right back into the mix with a 70 mile week with workouts. Tell me there has been some stealth training going on?

My week was a write-off. I was up mentally post-H2C, but physically got worse as the week progressed. Absolute toast. So I ran every other day at 9: - 10: pace. My calves would cramp after a mile even at this slow pace. Ice baths were my friend. Felt better today, though, with 5 in 32:15.

Looking ahead to XC. Health to each of you.

I tried a run on Leif Erickson this week and the next day I felt the calf acting up a bit when I tried another run so it's not ready to really run on yet. I can go 1-3 miles on the treadmill after hitting the bike but that's all for the time being.

"Highlights" include 23.67 miles in one hour (time-trial) on the Life Cycle at Level 15. Felt OK actually. (I don't trust riding around the roads of Portland, folks do it but IMO they are not too biker friendly). And in my fifth time on a rowing machine I managed 8,009 meters in 30 minutes on a Concept2 rowing machine. That is apparently pretty respectable for an 8K (maybe not to a 210-lb. Viking named Thor though). I'd like to see what a horse like Paul McMullen can do. Utilizing other options besides running is better than being inactive ~ nothing. Both are "PRs" FWIW.

Like everyone else on all sides here I am quite out of sorts re: the entire Hurricane Katrina mess and its aftermath. Other than that, this injury is a blip and will eventually move on. Too bad I have to miss the good weather training but any injury is an indicator a break is in order. I'm kind of used to the machines now, and as long as I can hammer away on something I will ride it out just fine.

Happy trails to all.

Fat Freddy's Cat - Good grief, no! I didn't just jump into a 70 mile week. That was my seventh week back (after 5 months off). But it was the first week I felt like a "runner" again, versus a plodder.

By the way, I ran H2C last year, then made the mistake of trying to do too much too quickly - ended up destroying myself for the entire season as well as taking what was just an annoying injury (my PF) and turning it into a major injury (hence my 5 months off). Please rest much more than you think is necessary; don't find out the hard way how much H2C takes out of your legs.

One Keg, I admire how hard you seem to be working during this down time..Good Job

Thanks OMBTS. Funny thing is, I've dropped about 5 lbs.

I'm just beginning week #6 of what I hope is an accurate depiction of the Lydiard method. I ran 2:16 this summer for 800m, but need to break 2:06 to get the All American patch - or 4:50 for the mile. Prior to starting Lydiard Phase 1 - Aerobic base (I've set aside 20 weeks) I checked my log and realized my average weekly miles for 2005 were 18 and change through July! Talk about no base! Fortunately the aerobic phase is progressing nicely:

Week #1: 16

Week #2: 21

Week #3: 24

Week #4: 28

Week #5: 35

The plan is to add up to 3 miles each week for the remainder of the 20 weeks. I hope to log at least two 60+ weeks before I move to phase 2 - hill work.

Race wise I'll be running one final fast effort for the year in the Fifth Avenue Mile on 9/24. In October I'll do a real test of the base in the Westchester Half Marathon on 10/9.

Thanks for the sage advice, SoCalPete. Glad that you are running strongly again. Keep the pf at bay! Regarding H2C, I thought I saw Shorter Than Frank's name on a mini-van from Runners High early in the race (van 2). Was he there?