Masters Weekend Races and Runs

Quite an active group this week. I got tired reading through all of that training. Looks like people are already setting goals for the Spring and that's great. Helps motivate us all.

I got in a fantastic 5 steady miles on Sat witha final mile in the low 5 flat range. Ran with a good group that has intentions of racing fairly soon so the pace was strong and the conversation lively (until we really started running).

Sun, my typical XC ski machine.

I appreciate the ranking from 2007 but to be truthful, I can't remember running a road race of any substance?

70 miles total this week, had a very solid 6 x 1000 on Tue, 2 x 2 mile on Sat with skin setting perfect tempo and pace for me, and topped it off with a nice 18 miler this afternoon. Everything feels good, long way to go until Boston.

On a coaching note, 2 runners I coach ran the 3M 1/2 Marathon this morning and both ran well. One set a PR of 3 minutes, (set at 3M 2 years ago). The other won the military division. Just based on those results my running week was awesome!

Hey everyone. So Cal I have very sensitive nipples and I get these small round bandaids from Walgreens. It's a hassle but I don't mess up my running shirts and for distance I need some type of protection.

Easy week here. It was extremely cold almost everyday so I only ran 5 miles on Wed and Thurs and 3.5 on Friday. Probably the easiest week I have had in over a year. I'll gear up again tomorrow. TC

A decent solid 50 mile week. However, I did some higher quality speed work on Tuesday as part of my XC preparation and my legs were just thrashed for the rest of the week until today. I had planned to do 2 speed workouts this past week and this coming week, but its looks like one per week is all I can handle these days.

Nothing too major this week. I did do 4 X 1/2 mile on Tuesday in 20 degree weather. Ran my first race of the year yesterday, an out and back 5K. Unfortunately the wind was at our backs on the way out and in our faces coming back.

After chasing some local college XC guys through the turnaround (I was 18 seconds back at halfway), I fell apart in the last mile and suffered miserably to a 17:42 finish. Still managed to win the age group, but was very disappointed about not dipping under 17.

Got in a steady 10 miler today at 6:40-6:45 pace. It warmed up a bit into the mid 30's, but now it's trying to snow !

40 miles total for the week with one day off.

Gordon,A runner friend of mine had hernia surgery when he was 41, and I think it took him about 4 weeks before he felt comfortable running. He was racing after three months and has set some PRs since the surgery (2 years ago), so there is light at the end of the tunnel. I imagine it might be a little tougher when you're 50, but you're in pretty good shape. Good luck! I might be visiting in a couple of weeks, and it would be nice to get together even if a jog is out of the question.Scott

Benfield409 wrote:

Had to have hernia surgery Friday. I'm 54 and was doing 35 miles a week. Any of you 50+ guys have this surgery and if so how long before you were back running. Any advice would help. Right now it hurts like hell, can barley walk without pain. I read this blog every week and enjoy reading about all you guys/gals who are putting in some great workouts and races.

Gordon

Boulderite,

Have you done Dipsea in the past? It is my home turf and have raced it about 8 times...happy to share some insight.

Skin,

Thanks for offer to help with my proposed run across Grand Canyon on 10/14 (under the harvest moon)...read online somewhere your experience with our mutual friend Craig Thornley last year...you are indeed a stud.

Congrats to our friends on this thread who were "ranked" by RT magazine...NICE!

Managed 45 miles this week including 11 miles on a muddy Mount Tamalpais this morning at a much brisker effort than I've been able to manage in a number of months...kept thinking that the cats I was running with would drop me any second and weirdly, I caught a second, third, fourth and even fifth wind...cool indeed!

Good training and racing to our MWR&R friends in the upcoming week.

warm regards,

MF

To all you 80+ mile/week guys....How do you do it??!!! With work, life, wives, families, and stuff...How do you managed to get it in? I'm feeling max'd out at 70 miles...I couldn't imagine sqeezing in another 20-30 miles. Want to offer any insight as to how it's done? When do you run? What's your story?

Thanks in advance...

Dave

Gordon,

Have had both sides repaired. Results with the more recent one where a mesh was installed were more favorable with a 3 to 4 week recovery time. The first one done with with what I hope is an obsolete surgical style ,was a great deal more painful, and recovery seemed to span 6-8 weeks.( That was 22years ago) Other than the smile like scars I've not thought much about the surgeries in many years.

You'll be so happy to go ahead with life not dreading the constant pain and aggravation. Enjoy the break in routine, and embrace your return to full activity when it comes.

I'm 56 and in the throes of a good old fashioned Wisconsin winter. Next up, the Badger State Games , Feb 2-3 with a couple X-C ski Races Sat and a 5K leg on a Quadrathlon team on Sunday.

Patty and I spent 1:53 skiing the terrain around Timm's Hill this afternoon , at a balmy 25 F it felt great.

mike fanelli wrote: Craig Thornley

had not heard that name in some time. tell him Kevin Barda said hello. I ran for Grand Canyon University in Phoenix when he lived there as well.

~kevin

Band-aids -- or a running bra, Pete. Geez, how long have you been running?

:-D

You guys probably don't remember this (or then, again, maybe you do ;-) ), but back in my early days of running, it was admirable for a woman to be thin enough and flat-chested enough not to need to wear a bra for running. You only had to do a few runs like that in the rain to figure out the band-aid thing. We crafted a "bra" for one of my teammates -- two band-aids with strings for straps. ;-)

There were others hazards as well -- I VIVIDLY remember, as a college freshman, running with a guy one summer evening. I was wearing a white t-shirt - and it started to rain, hard. I didn't know the guy very well & certainly didn't want him to know *me* that well, so the rest of the run passed very quickly -- I even had to sprint past a movie theatre because there were people waiting outside! ;-D That happened a few times before I swore off white t-shirts.

Anyway, I digress.

This week was kind of tough, but even though I'm a bit tired and sore, I also feel really strong. I kept my mileage the same (70), in singles because I don't have time right now for any doubles.

T- 40 min. tempo run (the first 10 minutes felt *really* long, but it got better after that).

Th- 7 x 4:30 at 5k effort, with 3:30 recovery

Sat - 10 x 400m, faster than race pace effort (or, in my case, "as fast as my little legs will carry me") Again, this was done, alone, in the rain and cold (and wind). I looked pretty bedraggled when I was finished.

I'm still only either running hard by time or by distance, not by both. It's the only way I can make myself do it. I miss running easy on the trails instead, but I am hoping it will be worth it.

Su- 16 miles, mostly on trails, with the last 3 on roads. Every other day was easy running.

Nationals are in 3 weeks, so I will be changing my training a little bit as it gets close.

MG

Scott,

Thanks, that's what I'm hearing anywhere between 4-6 weeks. When in town shoot me an e-mail and I can set you up with some group runs. I have a group every Sat. morning and a fast H.S. group every Tuesday night if you want to join them. I have been following your racing with this site and you are doing well, keep up the good work. Won't be at R2R this year. I have helped start a race management business and I have a race the same day as the relay.

Gordon

msurunner@sbcglobal.net

Happy Monday everyone!

This was a pretty solid week, with ~ 83 miles spread over 12 runs. This included two strong sessions: 6 x 100 w/100j @ ~ 400 pace + 2 x 600 w/5:00j + 3 x 400 w/3:30j a little quicker than 1500 pace Tuesday, then 6 x 100 w/100j @ ~ 400 pace + 4 x 800 w/2:30j a little quicker than 3k pace Friday. Plus a mid week 11.5 miler with some buddies, a few runs with my wife, and Sunday runs with some buddies (~ 8.5 miles) and later with my wife (10).

On the subject of doubles.... I usually run 8-12 runs per week. Maybe I'd be better off with some longer singles, but I find this is the best way to find a balance between getting some runs in with the lovely Mrs Pete and also getting some runs in alone.

On the subject of 80+ mpw.... I will probably run over 80 one week out of every four, give or take (I tend to average about 70 when healthy). As a student (back at school working on my PhD) I have a lot of control over my schedule. It would be a lot harder if I were back to work, or at least there'd have to be fewer doubles and less running with my wife (at ~ 10 min pace) to squeeze it all in.

This week will be much lighter, with a 1500 Saturday evening. Have a great week, everyone!

this might be last week's news, but ithaca's steve gallow took a great bunch of photos at the hartshorne mile, which are just now online at the finger lakes runners club web site:

http://www.fingerlakesrunners.org/races/photos/2008/hartshorne/index.cfm?s=Misc

of particular note to me is the series of shots of the women's 40-49 elite race. lap after lap, alisa harvey appeared completely relaxed; contrast her demeanor with the others in her heat. all the races were exciting to watch unfold, but hers was particularly beautiful.

on the prevailing topic of the week, i have been making my first-ever foray into 80-mile weeks. in the 10 years i've been running (being pre-title IX, i only started at age 38), i have only hit 70 a couple of times, but have run 70, 80, 80, consecutively since the new year, much of it on lightly snowy surfaces (combo of unplowed roads and trails; generally 1-4"), and all of it in singles. although i haven't been doing anything particularly fast, i have incorporated a couple of runs each week with 5-6 miles at tempo effort. i've been surprised that my energy has remained high and that i've had no niggling pains or discomforts. the only change from my normal 60-ish-mile weeks is that i've been really hungry (and enjoying satisfying it!). i am very fortunate to have a flexible work schedule, and one that requires me to listen to recorded lectures on a daily basis. i put these into my ipod shuffle and am therefore working while i'm out playing in the woods. what could be better!

61 miles this week, 11+ Saturday & 17+ Sunday. It's scaring me a bit that I'm feeling as good as I am. Still struggling to bring the pace down on the long runs--the 17 miles was only about 5 seconds/mile slower than my goal for the next marathon. Main goal is to stay healthy and taper properly, both of those are a crap shoot with me!!!

Cincinnati wrote: ...the 17 miles was only about 5 seconds/mile slower than my goal for the next marathon.

MF,

Is your 10/14 date set? Keep me posted on the progress. It is always great to have someone like Craig out there with his expertise. It makes a huge difference. And the October date is a much better choice than June 1 :)

Now, if we could only convince Craug of that.

Mike Fanelli:

I ran the Dipsea from the back of the pack last year after getting in via the lottery for the first time. I did well enough to get a seeded position this year (I forget what the official Dipsea terms are). I'll be in the first wave of men's 40-43.

My wife used to live in Mill Valley and she raves about the trails and that race. She's run it a bunch of times; the handicapping makes for a good race between us -- although this year she'll likely be sidelined after delivering the baby a few weeks earlier. She also wrote a feature about Jack Kirk for Trail Runner a few years ago and got to spend some time with him before he passed.

It's a great run ... it would be fun to say hello that morning before the start.