Catch up

Decent overall week for training despite an awkward work schedule, no sleep and lots of great feasting. I wrapped the week around by completing the same w/o as last Sunday. This time I took it out in 28:15 and brought it back in 25:57. That’s a fair jump in fitness in one week. I’m already coaching myself to resist the temptation to “race” the Frostbite series, b/c I’m really using it as a part of my base training for the Spring races. We’ll see how it goes.

Good Day

In addition to being THE Good day, Sunday was a good day for training. The weather was perfect for an long, uptempo workout. I did an 8.4 mi run (4.2 mi out and back). I took it out in 29:57 and brought it back in 26:37. I felt pretty tight on the way out, but by mi. 3 I was loosening up a bit. By the turn I felt pretty good and locked into a nice uptempo groove for the final four.
This is a good checkpoint after just a couple of weeks back in training. I hope it bodes well for my winter series.
Son #1 also had a nice run on Sunday. He set a PR in the USATF District meet, completing the 3000m Cross Country course in 11:51. Excellent work from him and almost 10 seconds better than Nationals last year!
Sammie Chelanga ran away with the NCAA Div. I men’s Cross Country meet in Terre Haute yesterday with an impressive performance.

Next few weeks

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
E4           Big River  E4             E4                   E4               E4        E4
E5           Big River  E4             E4                   E4               E4        E4
E6           Big River  E4             E4                   E4               E4        E4
L8           Big River  E5/Str     E4                   E4               E5/Str E5/Str
L9           Big River  E5/Str     R-2                 E4              E5/Str  I-1
E4           Big River  R-1            Ti                    E4              E4          12K (Recalc. VDOT)

 

Easy running

Nice easy runs the last couple of nights. Took the dog and hit 4-5 mi at about 7:30. It was good to have a couple of easy days after I completed the wrong workout on Wednesday. I pulled up the wrong training log and ended up doing intervals of 1200, 1000, 800, 600, 400, and 200 with a couple miles of warming up and cooling down. I actually hit all my goal splits, but this workout was supposed to be later in the training cycle. So, I took it in “stride” and I will use it as a comparison later.
Using Jack Daniels training tools will be helpful, though it will require a little more precision than I have used in the past. I am currently training at a VDOT base of 53.2 and I will recalculate after my 12K race/time trial on Dec. 12.  Last year I ran it in 46:45, but I really don’t know what to expect this year since my base is weak and my training cycle is starting later.
At any rate my goal races don’t arrive until April and May, so I’ve got plenty of time to get “on track”.

Start with a smile

OK, I jump started my motivation last night by dressing my Great Dane up in a safety vest and downloading some hilarious but somewhat inappropriate rap tunes to listen to while I was running in the cold rain. I was smiling the whole time and felt great! Hopefully this will get me going a bit.
My workouts for the rest of the week:
Wed: Bodyweight workout (Simplefit)
Thurs: 5 mile Tempo run
Fri: Simplefit
Sat: 9 miles

I’m following a Jack Daniels style regimen for the first time and I’m usinf the St. Louis Track Club Frostbite series to help me prepare for the Castlewwood Cup 15K Trail race in Feb. My main race in the Spring will be the St. Louis Ultrarunners Group Chubb Trail 50K. I’m shooting for Top 10/sub 4:30 on this difficult course, which should be very achievable.
I may end up doing a 50M and a 100M this year as well. (If I can recruit a good crew, i.e. my brothers, I’d like to do the Mohican Trail 100 in June!)

Training Motivation

I will be hitting 40 in just a few months and I have a goal of meeting the qualifying standards to race for my local running club: Big River Running Co. ( www.bigriverrunning.com ), one of the top 50 running specialty stores in the nation. The standards for the longer distances are as follows:
10k 37:30
1/2 Marathon 1:26
Marathon 3:00

I’ve already hit most of them throughout my training for the 50K races I have done, but this year I will be trying to hit times for various distances including:
12K, 15K, 10M, 20K, 13.1M, 25K, and 50K.
Ironically, my motivation level is at a real low right now. Partially because of a nagging knee injury and my work schedule. If you have any words of encouragement for me I’ll gladly listen.
I will post my training schedule periodically and update my progress for anyone (anyone? anyone?) who may be interested.

Why, yes. I have, actually.

On a recent visit to State College, PA home of the Pennsylvania State University, I had the occasion to visit the university sponsored Ag Progress Days. This three day event featured more than 375 commercial exhibitors displaying the latest agricultural goods and services. Interactive educational exhibits, guided tours and workshops demonstrated how agricultural researchers and educators are addressing important issues, safeguarding and improving our food supply and the environment, and helping to enhance the efficiency and profitability of agriculture and related industries.

Personally, I gained insight into the benefits of no-till farming, (http://www.no–till.com/) especially as it relates to the prevention of top soil erosion and the maintenance of important nutrients in the soil.

My kids enjoyed these activities: (pony rides) and the corn field maze: “A-Maze-N Corn” - Next to the Crops and Soils Tent (where there were awards given for the top three examples of hay in six different categories!!!)

My wife told me I reminded her of this: That’s right, boys, 100% Biodiesel! (Powered by ethanol gas from manure.)

Seriously, the Ag Progress Days were very educational. For example, these kids learned how cows are made!

Several dads benefited from the free seminar “Getting Kids Unstuck from Trees”. And a good time was had by all.

The highlight, for me, was running into a couple of old friends, Hobart Jeffries and Squint Stephens! I convinced them both to drop some periodic posts here on “Greetings, Dernlander!”, so keep your eyes (and ears) open for their unique perspectives on American culture.