Masters Weekend Races and Runs

I am back in Iraq after a couple weeks at home. Home was a mixed bag; I enjoyed the time with the family but felt as though I was just a visitor.

running is going well it keeps me sane(ish).

my other passion; bow hunting. I love spending time deep in the mountains far from civilization and well out of cell phone range.

live in the moment, Tim

Hi OMBTS

I had another great week getting in 53 miles. Thursday I did 15 X .25 miles with .15 mile recoveries. Yesterday I did a 5 mile tempo. Heading down to Tampa for the Gasparilla to translate treadmill running at 3% to the roads. I have no idea what kind of racing shape I am in.

I played noon time basketball at the Y for years but bowling was the other sport I was okay at. Avg 216 one year and could compete with some of the better bowlers in the state. I was still about 10 pins a game behind the pros when I bowled against them.

Ran my highest mileage in 6 months, well after today's run that is. 30 miles so far, maybe another 5-7 today, including my longest run in a while: 8 miles.

At the moment, daily PT is my "other sport." Haha.

Good news is that my hip feels better every week--can't believe the difference a good PT makes. If you haven't heard of "ETPS" (electrical stimulation--mimics accupuncture without puncture)--great stuff.

Happy week everyone!

Played many sports as a kid, basketball and baseball thru high school, and basketball recreationally till a couple years ago. Still may take it up again, and I enjoyed playing in faculty/staff game a few months ago, but for the most part I'm too fragile (achilles, knee, hamstring) for a regular game these days. Most definitely could not dunk ever, unless it was a 9-foot hoop.

Good week of running -- 73 miles incl....

6 X 1000 (alternating 200 and 400 jog recoveries) averaging 3:23 on Weds.

hilly 5-mile race today in 29:10 (2nd overall and first master by 6 months, i.e., the overall winner is 39 1/2) - 1:10 slower than last time I ran this race (2008), but I thought a pretty good effort for where I am now and how I've been feeling in training.

Have a great week,

Dave

I'm on my way back. 44 miles on 6 days of running. I'm increasing mileage and plan on running some 1/2 marathons this spring. There's a new one in Binghamton, NY that looks pretty cool and one in Rochester that looks good.

As a youngster growing up in a very small town, we had 2 options. Play all the different sports and do all the different activities or not and get in trouble. I mostly opted for the former and was involved basketball, football, wrestling, you name it.

In college I ran, but also played a lot of hoops and what ever game I could get myself involved in.

For the last 15+ years, I have had a passion (addiction?) for golf that rivals my love for the sport of competitive running.

Here's a my latest week of training, I should add I took my 4 year old out to the driving range and we hit balls last week end (it was up to 60 degrees!!):

2/13 - 14 miles in 1 hr 45 min

2/14 - am 65 min, pm 33 min + 6 x strides

2/15 - am 65 min, pm 20 min tempo w/ 1.5 warm up and 5 x strides and 1.5 cool down

2/16 - am 65 min, pm 2 sets of 8 exercise full body circuit plus 33 min easy

2/17 - am 65 min, 33 min easy

2/18 - am 65 min

2/19 - 6 x 45 sec hill sprint with 3.5 warm up and 3.5 cool down, pm 24 min easy

Total 82 miles in 12 sessions

Supplemental included core work everyday, very easy weights (1 set each exercise) on Sunday and harder weight work out on Monday (3 sets each of a whole body weight work out).

Started this week out right with a 14 mile run in a snow storm! :)

Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Tim, that can't be a good feeling. Hope you get home soon (for good) and thank you for doing what you do.

A good week here, home all week (and next week too). Mostly treadmill runs.

Hard to believe but my little Olivia will be three in a couple of weeks so we are planning two days at Disneyland - not looking forward to the torture that is the 'It's A Small World' song.

Lots of sports as a kid, lucky to be capable in just about anything - not ice skating though. Golf, baseball, basketball.

I had been very active in collecting old paper money a few years ago, mostly foreign notes, lots of uncirculated pieces. There are a few very nice, rare pieces that have great value - some old Chinese notes, British Borneo, old rubber coupons used in Malaysia, one late 1700's note from the Vatican, and so on. I've got them cataloged and recorded. Haven't done much with it lately, but as I am traveling more, a chance to seek out some hard to find pieces.

Have a good week!

Growing up I played soccer, cricket, field hockey, badmington, golf and I am sure a few others.

Once running in my 20's and in college that is all I did. From 2001 until 2009 I did play some golf, but was not doing anything else at the time. At the moment I can't say I am doing anything besides some running.

Not a great week of training. After a very suprising 5km race last Sunday I have had super tight and sore achilles. I did get in a 6 miler Mon - Wed, but then decided to take a few days off because my achilles were not loosening, but get tighter. I am going to head out today and see how they feel.

Tim, keep safe, wishing you the best.

Hey. In Ft Lauderdale. Beautiful weather. Did a 5K yesterday and was 2nd Grand Masters. Then walked around at least 6 or 7 miles and ran a Half this morning slow. Well organized race with a medal shaped like a turtle and the shell opens up. I used to hunt and fish all the time and still do a little. Just got a turkey permit for this spring. Gotta go nurse my feet. Have a good week all. TC

Slowly creeping out of the depths of an achilles flare-up and a persistent flu-like sinus-crud. Possibly went at it too hard in January and now have to back-track some in February to get back to a good launching point.

Week filled with morning jaunts of 6-10 milers with a few 60-90 min bike rides at the gym to give my achilles a break. Managed some good core/wts around that.

60 mile week with one set of strides and one good paced hour on a dread-mill.

My last "official" dunk was when I was 43. Now (almost 49), on a good day I can hop up and grab the rim. My wife would say my other hobby includes taking a nap, which is true.

Tues - 10 on treadmill in 60 mins

Thurs - 8x 200 after an easy run - nothing too impressive

cheers

I dabbled with a few other sports and hobbies when young, but can't find much time for them now. However I do indulge in a week's skiing every year, and I'm writing from Chamonix in France where we arrived exhausted last night after a long drive from London. I think this may be the season I've been awaiting where my fearless kids finally leave me struggling to keep up!

ZERO miles this week. Beat that!

After last week's race my hip started to feel stiff on Sunday night. It got worse on Monday so I skipped training, and by Tuesday my whole right thigh was on fire; I collapsed a couple of times trying to watch a sporting event of my son's, and ended up in the emergency room where they decided nothing was broken and sent me home to take painkillers. Turns out I probably irritated my hip joint with some hurdling 2 weeks ago, and possibly slipped during a race last Saturday, and all the other muscles in my right hip/thigh had gone into spasm to protect the joint. This was NOT what my wife wanted to hear a few days before a 700 mile drive! I rested, took lots of ibuprofen, saw a very good PT on Thursday and had my first ever dose of acupuncture, and started to recover.

Strangely enough I had 40min to kill stretching in the Eurotunnel on Friday night and managed to bend my knee past 90' for the first time, and it suddenly started to get a lot better. Since then every time I stretch or do a few bodyweight squats I feel better and better. I managed to ski for 2 hours today and do some bodyweight circuits and am nearly back to normal. This coming week won't see much running but at least the family holiday won't be ruined.

Moral of the story: 44-year-olds shouldn't be steeplechasing but if they are going to, they really need to

work on hurdle mobility EVERY week ;-)

Great week. Did 10 x 400 with my son Sean on Monday - on his high school track in front of all his teammates, and get this, my son wasn't ashamed! He actually seemed to get a kick out of his teammates calling out things like, "Whoa, look at the Magill twins go!" and stuff like that. Then on Wednesday, we did a session of 6 x 1 minute steep hill reps. What fun! ... even though Sean pretty much kicked Dad's butt. In my defense, I'm still recovering from the USA XC meet two weeks ago. It takes me this long after a hard race to feel human again. Will try 4 x 1600 today, see if it's worth scheduling a 5000 in two weeks - or whether to make it three.

As for extracurricular (i.e. non-running) activities, I'm pretty much limited to playing whatever Sean is interested in at the moment: catch during football season, hoop during hoop season, etc. With my training and work load, there's really no time (or energy!) for anything else.

Like TY, I'm pretty good at napping too.

Have a great week, one and all!

"Moral of the story: 44-year-olds shouldn't be steeplechasing but if they are going to, they really need to

work on hurdle mobility EVERY week ;-)"

Captainrobbo is on the money!

I was a pretty fair volleyball player in high school. I wasn't the best at serving but with a good setup I could spike the ball right down the other team's throat (which I admit was quite fun). I held the school record for season "kills." I had a good vertical jump and lots of quickness. My oldest son got my v-ball talent and expanded on it--he is a much better player than I ever hoped to be.

Training is going well, and I'm planning on running in the masters exhibition portion of the Run For The Dream meet next Sunday at Fresno State.

Have a great week!

Impossible Dream, I need to ass free weights and core work to my training. Reading that will help me do it.

Top Cat, Congrats ! sounds like a good time in Florida.

Those 1/4's were done on a treadmill I take it?

I don't often attempt speedwork on a treadmill but a couple of days ago I tried 8 x .25 and then hit the 6mph (10min per mile) button for the cooldown at .15-(90 sec rest) You have to start cranking it up a couple of a hundredths before the next interval so you get a full 1/4 mile out of it. Started at 13mph, 13.1 (skipped 13.2) 13.3, .4, .5, .6, .7 and 13.8(69-65 second quarters)

I didn't like the feel of it, sort of like someone grabbing your heal and pulling it back when you are running at that speed. Outdoors on the track it is a much better motion, this left me with sore hamstrings.

"Magill twins" -- cute! I wouldn't run repeat 400s with my daughter - because she would leave me SO far behind! ;-)

I finally hit the 70 mile (or so) mark this week - the first time in a very long time. My legs are tired, but I am hoping to stay at this level for a while now. Did 6 x 4 min. repeats on Wed. and survived a hail storm in the middle of it! and then did some 2 min. hill repeats on Saturday before today's long run of about 15 miles.

I haven't had much other "me" time and didn't do other sports, except swimming up to high school. I'm getting a kick out of my son's middle school BB team - after last year's string of close losses, they are winning and in the playoffs. Go Fun Sizes! (okay, they are the Wolf Pack, but they are still pretty small!). And I have my fill of Irish dancing. I threaten to take it up next year when the girls are away at school! ;-D

Would love a nap after a long run and nice hot shower - but I think yard and housework are calling me.

only 3 runs this week as I have a nagging hamstring injury.All have been pretty slow, but it's about all I can do and not aggravate the hammy further. I'm finally going to break down and go see a physical therapist or massage therapist this week. I need to get this fixed up and still be able to get at least a few decent weeks training before Boston.

Tuesday: 8 miles at 7:30 pace average

Saturday: 8.5 miles at 7:45 pace average

Sunday: 12 miles at 7:30 pace average.

Had one summer where I got to be pretty damned good at beach volleyball (2 on 2), not so much because of my athletic ability, but because I played with the same guy, so we read each other pretty well. I'm also an extremely mediocre basketball player, either very hot or very cold.

The highlight of my week was finally getting into a track race this morning and surprising myself with a 2:55 1000m. The reason I'm surprised is that after dealing with 6 weeks of congestion and finally severe back pain, I went in for x-rays, thinking I might have walking pneumonia.

First question I got: Did you play football? There were signs of arthritis on my spinal column, and since I really didn't play any contact sports, it must be genetics. That explains my frequent back issues, which have become much better with more diligence to honing my core and flexiblity. I can deal with it. A new mattress, a better chair at work and better posture are also helping.

Two days later, I get a call asking me if I ever smoked (answer is no). They evidently saw evidence of emphysema in my lungs, and want to do more tests. I was exposed to an awful lot of second hand smoke growing up, and I guess this is consistent with the bouts of pneumonia, bronchitis and other maladies I have suffered over the years. But fortunately running is one of the best activities I can do to suppress the disease, and I'm sure I'll become better friends with Mr. Al Buterol.

Spikez - I'm looking foward to seeing you in ABQ. I hope the altitude gives you a little more lift over the hurdles.