Track Work

This workout sucked. A lot. But I managed it.

Plan was 20 to 24 by 200m with 100m recovery. So I aimed for 20 reps of 200m in Zone 4 with 100m walking recovery. And I think I stuck to it for the most part. I pushed hard on the last few then somehow cranked out a few more reps. I didn't pass out but I did come close to some acid reflux. I stepped it down a hair and avoided it. Outside of that, the run was fairly uneventful. After all, it was a track. Haven't spent that much time on a track since high school. Sheesh. Boring as all get out.

Photo:

I used a Sharpie because I can't count so well.

Weather:
Temps were about 80F. Humidity was moderate. Wind was light. Sun was out in full. Every lap I'd get a bit of a breeze.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was three waffles and coffee. During the run I had a bottle of GenUCAN electrolytes and a bottle of plain water. Recovery was some burger wraps, fries, and iced latte.

Aches and Pains:
Managed 10 reps before my legs felt like ass. After that I just did my best to hang on. With about a mile left, I just down-shifted and took it easy. Outside of that, everything felt fine.

Gear:
No special gear except for my Sharpie. I'm lousy at keeping track of laps so I wrote on my arm.

Heart Rate:
Haven't looked at the stats yet but I'm sure I kept it in Zone 4 or higher on the 200m sections and was lucky if I got down to Zone 2 on the 100m recovery walk.

Splits:
Warm-up (800 meters) - 5:35 (AVG HR 134)
Rep 1 - 1:03 (AVG HR 161)
Recovery 1 - 1:06 (AVG HR 147)
Rep 2 - 1:01 (AVG HR 154)
Recovery 2 - 1:06 (AVG HR 150)
Rep 3 - 1:01 (AVG HR 156)
Recovery 3 - 1:07 (AVG HR 152)
Rep 4 - 00:59 (AVG HR 158)
Recovery 4 - 1:09 (AVG HR 153)
Rep 5 - 1:04 (AVG HR 157)
Recovery 5 - 1:07 (AVG HR 153)
Rep 6 - 1:02 (AVG HR 160)
Recovery 6 - 1:06 (AVG HR 157)
Rep 7 - 1:00 (AVG HR 163)
Recovery 7 - 1:08 (AVG HR 158)
Rep 8 - 1:04 (AVG HR 160)
Recovery 8 - 1:10 (AVG HR 158)
Rep 9 - 1:03 (AVG HR 164)
Recovery 9 - 1:09 (AVG HR 157)
Rep 10 - 1:05 (AVG HR 163)
Recovery 10 - 1:07 (AVG HR 160)
Rep 11 - 1:04 (AVG HR 161)
Recovery 11 - 1:07 (AVG HR 161)
Rep 12 - 1:06 (AVG HR 162)
Recovery 12 - 1:05 (AVG HR 164)
Rep 13 - 1:05 (AVG HR 164)
Recovery 13 - 1:10 (AVG HR 161)
Rep 14 - 1:04 (AVG HR 165)
Recovery 14 - 1:09 (AVG HR 167)
Rep 15 - 1:04 (AVG HR 167)
Recovery 15 - 1:08 (AVG HR 168)
Rep 16 - 1:07 (AVG HR 166)
Recovery 16 - 1:07 (AVG HR 168)
Rep 17 - 1:04 (AVG HR 169)
Recovery 17 - 1:05 (AVG HR 169)
Rep 18 - 1:02 (AVG HR 170)
Recovery 18 - 1:09 (AVG HR 174)
Rep 19 - 1:02 (AVG HR 171)
Recovery 19 - 1:08 (AVG HR 177)
Rep 20 - 00:58 (AVG HR 178)
Recovery 20 - 1:11 (AVG HR 174)
Rep 21 - 1:13 (AVG HR 167)
Recovery 21 - 1:12 (AVG HR 166)
Rep 22 - 1:17 (AVG HR 167)
Recovery 22 - 1:13 (AVG HR 166)
Rep 23 - 1:14 (AVG HR 167)
Cool Down (500 meters) - 4:48 (AVG HR 143)
Finish - 1:00:28
AVG HR - 159
MAX HR - 191
MIN HR - 87

Cuts Like A Knife

Today's run was very much needed but very painful too. I needed it, wanted it, and got it done. My alarm went off and I ignored it, choosing to get another hour or so of sleep. Once I finally rolled out of bed, I downed about half a serving of GenUCAN and got my gear ready. Within half an hour I got out the door only to find that it was a bit rainy out. Not full on rain but more of a light mist. I'd end up getting lucky in missing almost all the rain. I had a few drops here and there but nothing too terrible. Although the down side to that was the humidity was insane.

Along the way, I felt pretty good at the start. I had a decent pace, cadence felt good, and overall everything was nominal. I saw some underwear, some more underwear, and a guy walking his dog (and I'm certain it wasn't his underwear). I also saw some signs for the moving sale that's at our new house where the seller is moving out.

And of course I ran to the new house, aka Fort Max, and ran around the neighborhood. That was the route I decided on yesterday and that was what I stuck to. It was kind of nice to go from old to new and back again. It'll be nice to be back to my old hood.

The way back was much rougher. The heat wasn't much worse and the humidity was the same but I was lacking a lot of energy. I'm not sure if it was fueling or electrolytes, or just lack of training. My guess is lack of training. So even though I can go out and do 10 or 15 miles at a time, I do have a price to pay in the later miles. Thankfully I didn't need to pay too much until the last few miles.

Photo:

Moving Sale!

Weather:
Temps were about 70F to 75F. Humidity was high. Sky was overcast. No wind.

Fluids and Fuel:
Had about one scoop of chocolate GenUCAN before the run. During the run I had plain water, a bottle of GenUCAN electrolyte drink mix mixed with plain GenUCAN fuel. I also had plain water in my hydration pack. At about one hour and the second hour, I had an applesauce. Recovery was a Capri Sun because I was feeling a little woozy when I got home. I know it wasn't the best choice but it helped getting the extra sugar. I followed that with some nasty fries and a burger. And a coffee. Really needed the coffee more than anything.

Aches and Pains:
Felt pretty solid for the first part of the run. Second half had a abdominal cramp appear for some reason. It wasn't like a side stitch from running too fast (ha!) it was more like a cramp or strain. Anyway, it was there the whole way back and didn't fade or come and go like a side stitch. Also had some minor pain in my right foot on a few of my toes. Nothing major but noticeable. And I had some minor pain in my right knee. Again, nothing major, just some pain on the outside of it.

Gear:
No special gear but I did forget to pack my knife. So when I ran past a box cutter that somebody lost on the side of the road, I picked it up and carried it. Figured it was better than nothing.

Heart Rate:
I did pretty good staying in the zone for at least the first part. When I creeped into a higher zone, I felt decent keeping it steady at 160 the first half. The second half was rough and I struggled to keep things below 170. Seems like every time I got up and running again, I needed to slow down.

Splits:
Finish - 3:14:04
AVG HR - 155
MAX HR - 186
MIN HR - 91
RHR - Forgot to measure
Weight - 224.2 (after the run)

Heart Rate Heat Stroke

Talk about a shock to the system. It's freaking hot and humid out there. I know, I know, I bitch about it every summer but woof. And every time I think about moving to someplace nice and cool in the summer, I realize that those same places get a shit-ton of snow in the winter and I don't like snow either. So I guess I'm just stuck and have to deal.

So today I dealt. And dealt myself a losing hand. Well, mostly a losing hand. I at least got a few miles in and even though I didn't meet my planned mileage, I'm happy the bed didn't win this morning. It almost did and even managed to suck me in for a good 30 minutes more than it should have. But I resisted the urge to stay there and crawled out of bed, made some lunches, and left for my run.

Even though I could have pressed on and stayed out there longer to get more miles in, I knew my time was limited and the heat/humidity really sucked the life out of me. So I cut things shortish and got what I could get. Better than nothing. Even though the thought of sleeping sounds so much better.


Photo:

My favorite sign.

Vine:
https://vine.co/v/MTqKFjTK9Od

Weather:
Temps were 80F to 85F. Humidity was high. Sun was out. Light breeze.

Fluids and Fuel:
Nothing before the run. Just cold water during the run. Recovery was an iced latte and a breakfast burrito.

Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt during the run but my legs felt like rubber about 3 miles in. Had to dial the pace way back since I could feel my body temp rising.

Gear:
No special gear.

Heart Rate:
It took all of 3 minutes to reach Zone 3. With a mile left, It took 5 minutes of walking just to get back to Zone 1 and even that was difficult. But I tried to stay in Zone 2 as much as I could.

Splits:
Outbound - 24:44 (AVG HR 144)
Inbound - 26:12 (AVG HR 154)
Finish - 50:56
AVG HR - 149
MAX HR - 176
MIN HR - 88
RHR - Forgot to measure
Weight - 222.4 (before breakfast and after the run)

Preview Run

Ahhh. It feels so good to get out and run again. At least until the horse flies come at you, then screw it, it's time to get the hell out of dodge!

Today's run was a bit of a preview for tomorrow's short fun run on the trail. Wanted to make sure the parking lot was clear and the course had no downed trees. Since everything looked good, I stretched it out to check on my cameras and then headed back to the car.

Along the way I spotted one deer and a million horseflies. And a few mosquitoes. Thankfully on ticks or snakes. Horse flies were brutal in several sections but I managed to take a few of them out with my sticky tape on my hat. Didn't feel like I killed that many but when I checked, I had 22 on there by the end (plus one that somehow ended up in my shirt - didn't find that little fucker until I got home).

Mood was much better today and felt all around pretty good with work, life, and the pending move. Guess that talk last night helped.

Vine:
https://vine.co/v/Mj91ZbH0PJb

Weather:
Temps were about 75F. Humidity was high. Sun was out. Wind was light.

Fluids and Fuel:
Had a tiny bit of coffee before the run. Had scoop and a half of GenUCAN before I started. Ran with a bottle of water (drank about half) and a bottle of Hammer Fizz (finished it). Recovery was a donut and the rest of my coffee. But don't worry, I had a nice, healthy salad for lunch.

Aches and Pains:
Nothing really. Other than those damn horseflies.

Gear:
No new gear. Was happy I remembered the deer fly paper and the bug spray. May need to consider something for my neck so they don't eat me alive back there too.

Heart Rate:
Tried to keep things easy in Zone 2 and managed pretty well until I turned around when I started to get into Zone 3. Since I felt okay, I just stuck with it and didn't change my pace much.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 12:43 (AVG HR 138)
Mile 2 - 16:35 (AVG HR 148) (includes closing and locking an open gate)
Mile 3 - 19:09 (AVG HR 155) (includes camera work and a pee break)
Mile 4 - 12:32 (AVG HR 160)
Mile 5 - 13:11 (AVG HR 156)
Mile 6 - 12:59 (AVG HR 156)
Finish - 1:27:12
AVG HR - 152
MAX HR - 178
MIN HR - 94
RHR - 60

2014 Run For The Achievable Dream 8k, Kid's Fun Run, and Half Marathon Race Reports

Wow. This has been quite the four day weekend. We've signed papers for the new house, done a home inspection, gone to three races, shopped, and I can't tell you how much else. I do know that I've run too much this weekend, eaten too much this weekend, slept too little this weekend, and stressed too much this weekend.

The calm before the 8k race.

So, to start from the beginning, as best as I can remember at least, we have our trip to Williamsburg on Friday. I placed some more cameras on the trail, got my stuff packed, and fed the kids lunch when they got out of school early. We headed to Williamsburg, did a little shopping at the outlets, went through the expo, ate dinner, and checked into the hotel. The kids swam for a bit and then it was bedtime.

Met a teammate for the first time. He has good taste in clothes.

We were up early Saturday morning since the 8k race started at 0700. We dropped William off with my dad who was a few doors down in the hotel and then Elizabeth, Yvonne, and I headed to the Start line. Traffic was decent and I'm glad we got there early. With the new start area by the Visitor's Center, we ended up parking in the overflow lot. Which meant a short hike to the start line. Once parked, we headed over to just chill out until we could run.

The kid's shirt says "he not heavy, he's my brother." They were part of Team Hoyt.

We stuck to our plan which was to have Elizabeth and I run together while Yvonne ran her own race behind us. Last year I let Elizabeth run off ahead of me with a mile left so this year I increased it to two miles. We eased into the run and even though she wanted to run out fast, I reeled her in and kept her on pace. We did pretty good through the first mile and then she started to need a few more breaks. Our pace was a little slower overall but we kept moving. We talked about all sorts of stuff and while I'm sure she can turn into an all-star runner, I'm glad I'm not like some of the other parents I saw later in the day dragging (sometimes literally) their kids through a race.

At Mile 3 I gave her some last minute advice and let her truck off. I was able to keep her in sight but she gapped me pretty good. Around Mile 4 I slowly started to reel her in as I picked up the pace a little bit. In the end she still beat me but only by 9 seconds. I gave it all I could at the end and so did she. According to the race results, she placed second in her age group (10 and under).

Weather:
Temps were about 60F at the start but warmed to about 70F by the finish. Sun was out in full and there was a light breeze. No humidity.

Fluids and Fuel:
Nothing before the run. During the run I had just plain water. No recovery.

Aches and Pains:
Nothing really hurt.

Gear:
No special gear.

Heart Rate:
The first few miles were pretty easy to stay near my Zone 2 goal but as she picked up the pace and I tried to keep up with her I kinda tossed that zone under the bus.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 11:36 (AVG HR - 147)
Mile 2 - 12:30 (AVG HR - 151)
Mile 3 - 13:13 (AVG HR - 154)
Mile 4 - 11:08 (AVG HR - 172)
Mile 5 - 10:07 (AVG HR - 181)

Finish - 58:29 (3 minutes slower than my PR)

Shortly after her race finished, I ended up running and walking with William for his fun run. I had plenty of time to cool down and drink a little water before we headed out on the track. We ran out of the stadium, ran a goofy loop around the parking lot, then ran back onto the track for the Finish. The route was pretty well marked but I'm not too sure younger kids would really know where to go. Especially if they were unsupervised.

All the stats above are all the same except the time below.

Splits:
Finish - 15:45 (AVG HR - 127 )

Total for both events:
1:14:21
AVG HR - 153
MAX HR - 200
MIN HR - 94

After both races were over, we went back to the hotel to eat our free breakfast. And like the Heck family, we do our best to eat our fill of free food. Even though it wasn't really free. So after I overate, I showered (as did everyone else), then we headed back out on the town for some shopping.
 
This marked the darkest timeline of our trip as we discovered the local toy store was closed. I felt a little part of my childhood die as I walked into the store and suddenly realized it was full of shit instead of the toys I expected. I was so pissed off. I was probably more upset than the kids. It truly was a staple of Merchant's Square.

So after that sad news, we headed to Retro's for lunch. Thankfully I discovered this little burger joint a few blocks away and it's worth it. We went back to the hotel, chilled out, slept, watched TV, and then went out for dinner.

Then we went for a little pirate mini-golf.

Before I knew it, I was getting up at 0430 for my half marathon. My alarm was set for 0500 but sure enough, I woke up entirely too early. So I got some coffee in an attempt to jump start my bowels. After I showered and lubed up, I started my walk to the Start. That's right, I walked the 2.5 miles to the start line. Who does that? This guy. It may sound crazy, but that walk was less stressful, even with a gurgly belly, than trying to wrangle two kids, a wife, and a father so you can make it to the Start on time.

Once at the start line I finally got my bowels to cooperate and I was left with that pleasant empty feeling. I drank my GenUCAN and chilled. Suddenly, through the crowd, as if drawn by magnets, I see a teammate. I had met one the day before and was surprised to see a second. The three of us chatted for a few minutes before the start then we went our merry way.

The course this year changed. Again. And while it was much cooler, the scenery was less than desirable at times. The little piss-ant loops through parking lots suck. The paved trail through the trees was awesome and will be even awesomer when it's 20 degrees hotter and the sun is out. The slog down the road with nobody on it was depressing. The hills on the paved trail were hard but not quite as hard as last year's hills.

Best of all, the weather. It was a cool 60F or so at the start and that made a huge difference in how everybody did. This race has been a scorcher in years past and I'm glad it was so nice this year. Anyway, aside from the new course and some pros and cons, the race went well. I had no major issues until the finish when I thought my heart was going to explode. That'd teach me to sprint at the finish.

After I got my beer and dumped it into my bottle, I posed with this guy.

Weather:
Temps were 60F at the start and maybe 75F to 80F at the finish. Sky was clear with light winds.No humidity.

Fluids and Fuel:
Coffee and GenUCAN before the race. During the race I had a bottle of plain water, a bottle of GenUCAN mixed with their new electrolyte stuff, and another bottle of GenUCAN electrolytes. I also had two applesauces, one about an hour in and the second around 45 minutes later. Recovery was way too much food.

Aches and Pains:
Felt like a blister on my left toe but nothing was there. Outside of that, I felt fine until the finish when I sprinted a little too hard, temporarily lost feeling in my legs, and had to take a breather after the finish.

Gear:
No special gear.

Heart Rate:
Did much better just chilling out and staying pretty close to my Zone 2 goal. I'm afraid to look at my end results though. Pretty sure I maxed out my heart rate.

Splits:
Mile 1 - 11:56 (AVG HR 139)
Mile 2 - 12:19 (AVG HR 144)
Mile 3 - 13:12 (includes a bathroom break) (AVG HR 148)
Mile 4 - 11:36 (AVG HR 152)
Mile 5 - 12:42 (AVG HR 153)
Mile 6 - 11:19 (AVG HR 157)
Mile 7 - 12:01 (AVG HR 161)
Mile 8 - 11:48 (AVG HR 160)
Mile 9 - 12:52 (AVG HR 166)
Mile 10 - 12:09 (AVG HR 164)
Mile 11 - 12:27 (AVG HR 167)
Mile 12 - 12:28 (AVG HR 167)
Mile 13 - 12:34 (AVG HR 172)
Mile 0.1 - 00:30 (AVG HR 200)
Finish - 2:39:56
AVG HR - 158
MAX HR - 207
MIN HR -117

After my race, and after over-eating, we went back out on the town, did more shopping and walking around, and before you knew it, we were back at Retro's for lunch. Then it was off for more mini-golf, this time the old west one, and then back to eating dinner.

Here's William checking out a little stream.