Catching up?

As much as I'd like to think I'm immune I know that at some point times will slow and I'll need to adjust to a new normal.  Just not sure that I'm there yet.  Last week I hit a 19:01 for the first summer series race.  I think the last time I was over 19:00 was when I first moved to Arizona and was getting off an ankle injury.  At this point I've had a month of 25-30 miles a week and no ailments.  So...have I started to slow...or am I just rusty?  It's been nearly 2 years since I did a 5k, so maybe I just need to get back into the groove.  I've come back from injuries before and, while not knowing really, I've always come back to what I was before.  Now, I'm trying to come back from aging.  Not that I'm old-but I am older.  Or am I just not doing the training I used to?  If I get back to something close, am I still that runner?  I guess in the end all I can do is put my best out there and appreciate the effort - and not be worried about the time.  Those will come, whether faster or slower.  But I can always compete - always give the same effort.

Coming Back

It's odd how the easy runs can tell you so much.  Although the recovery from my long runs has been better and my interval & tempo times are dropping, it was the 2 easy runs at the end of the week that really let me know I'm starting to get back in shape.  Why the easy runs?  Well, because they were....easy.  I wasn't struggling at any point, I felt loose & relaxed, wasn't wishing for the end somewhere in the middle...and even though it was only 4, I felt like I had gotten away for so much longer.  In a good way.  The total immersion in the running experience-simply enjoying the movement through space in a way that can only happen when the body works efficiently-creates a mental separation like nothing else.  When the easy runs truly become easy - then I know I'm on the right track.

The Week That Was: 3/17

Two running highlights from the week:  on my 2 mile tempo, mile splits were 5:58 and 5:55 - first time this year have hit consecutive sub 6's; and, my longest run of the year - an 11 miler.  Beyond the running, getting the green light to work one day a week from home & a (small) raise finished things off nicely.  Oh, and Ezra said that he is now "sure" he likes me (after our road trip to Tucson to pick up my suit-left at the Congress last weekend after our anniversary trip).  Anniversary, as is mine and Courtney's (not mine & Ezra's).  However, it's good to know that after countless stories, hours on the carpet playing trains, many miles together with the baby jogger, library times, and...well...just gotta love 4 year olds...  Add a nice birthday party on Saturday for Ezzy as well and, pretty much, a really good week!

BMI - Big Me Is

Overweight. That was the verdict at my last health screening this past fall. At 140 lbs, I was now, according to BMI, overweight. Now, likely most people looking at me would have not come to that conclusion on their own, though thoughts of my running group seeing me and saying amongst themselves, "Hmm, yea, he's kind of let himself go," ran through my head. But as much as I laughed it off, it also bugged me - and I knew I was heavier than I ever had been and far from race shape. So I started making small changes - cut down on sweets (but not cut out - life is still meant to be lived), holding off on portions, cutting the soda. And ever so much as I could, picking the miles up to over 20. And with that, my first, concerted effort to lose weight has been succeeding. I'm down from bouncing around 139/140 to now around 133/134 as an average. I don't know if I'm any faster, but hitting my (modest) weight reduction goals has been almost (yes, almost) as satisfying as dropping those couple seconds off a 400.

Wildlife Sightings

Amazingly enough, living in the big city of Phoenix, wildlife is still a pretty regular part of my runs (and no, not even just on the trails!). This week alone I had a coyote sighting while still in the parking lot at work at the start of my run (he just gave me a couple of curious looks and moved on). Then later in the week spotted a hawk sitting up in the branches of a tree along Reach 11 - majestic.

What's New

It's been a while-over a year since the last real post. Much has changed in that time-namely a new career-but this blog is about running. Sooo.... My miles are a bit down-I'm around 20 per week right now but hope to build that going into the fall now that everyone else is back at school. I also have not raced in over a year, but haven't missed that too much really-besides I'm not in shape TO race.

One fun little tool I've found as well is an online running log. I have kept a written one for years and still go back and flip through them, so moving to an on-line log was a bit of a step for me. No more book to flip through and reminise. However, what really turned me on to this was the option to map all my routes (thereby seeing elevation gains/losses) in addition to the mileage. I love creating new routes and seeing where I go-esp on the trails. Love seeing those bumpy elevation profiles. It helped me understand why last Thursday's run was so brutal on me-over 1700 ft of elevation change in 4 miles. Felt a lot better about my plodding after I saw that one. The other fun tool is athlinks, allowing me to gather up almost all my race results all the way back to when I was in Michigan. Between my new online log and my online race results, I can now happily reminisce from pretty much anwwhere. Once I get an iphone, that is....

Travel Miles

Talk about the opposite of desert running. Over the July 4 weekend I was able to get out and run Ocean Beach in San Diego. I started from the lifeguard tower and headed north on the beach, going around the rocks going out into the ocean. Then I turned up the channel a bit and ran that way until it got too wet. After retracing my steps I headed out & back on the pier (pictured) and then around the corner to the south. This turned out to be the best part of the run. After rounding the corner (which you can see in the picture) I found myself running along sea cliffs with numerous tide pools, little hidden beaches, and crashing waves. Absolutely beautiful. Stunning. I would have gone on further but came to a break in the cliffs and couldn't run any further (though with some rock hopping could have made it across to some runnable sections). Even if you don't run it, I highly suggest hitting this section just south of Ocean Beach just to check out the tide pools. We all went back after my run and were able to find crabs, mussels, and all sorts of other great sea life tucked away just around the corner from one of the main SD beaches.