AM: 10 miles easy
With me working out yesterday and Billy giving blood, we made it out for a very easy run through Umstead in the morning. This will be my last run here for a while. For now, I just have a ton of packing ahead of me.
7.26.2012
July 25
AM: 6'/5'/4'/3'/2'/1'/30" with half-time recoveries - 13 miles
I got in a long, 40+ minute warmup around campus before knocking out a fartlek around the East Campus trail. Typically, it's tough to run this time of year in the middle of the day (11:00) and be happy with your decision, but some unseasonably mild weather made it more bearable.
I got in a long, 40+ minute warmup around campus before knocking out a fartlek around the East Campus trail. Typically, it's tough to run this time of year in the middle of the day (11:00) and be happy with your decision, but some unseasonably mild weather made it more bearable.
July 24
AM: 9 miles easy
PM: 5 miles easy
I met Monk, Brendan and Billy at Umstead for a little more than an hour on soft surfaces and single track with a trip around the hilly Turkey Creek Trail. In the evening, Valerie and I went out for a shake-out on the ATT.
7.23.2012
July 22 (81 miles/week)
AM: 15 miles plus 15:00 tempo
I met Billy at his place for a run through Umstead, tackling a lot of climbs through what felt like an exceptionally muggy morning, even by North Carolina standards. I picked up the pace over the last 15 minutes, starting with the climb from the lake up to Harrison Ave before running the roads back to Billy's place near Lake Crabtree.
I met Billy at his place for a run through Umstead, tackling a lot of climbs through what felt like an exceptionally muggy morning, even by North Carolina standards. I picked up the pace over the last 15 minutes, starting with the climb from the lake up to Harrison Ave before running the roads back to Billy's place near Lake Crabtree.
July 21
AM: 12 miles easy
I ran the Forest Hills Park-WaDuke loop with a new armband for my iPhone, so I could listen to the Braves radio broadcasts during long runs (the games come on at 10 AM on the west coast). Unfortunately, the damn thing really ravaged my arm, leaving me with a nice gash by the end of the run.
I ran the Forest Hills Park-WaDuke loop with a new armband for my iPhone, so I could listen to the Braves radio broadcasts during long runs (the games come on at 10 AM on the west coast). Unfortunately, the damn thing really ravaged my arm, leaving me with a nice gash by the end of the run.
July 20
AM: 10 miles easy
I met Billy and Jason for a morning run through downtown Durham, beating the heat.
Big Changes
Outside of running, my life has undergone some major changes in the last week. Over the last few days, all of the following took place:
1.) I asked Valerie to marry me.
2.) I announced plans to move to the west coast. I'm moving to the Bay Area next week.
3.) I accepted a job to go work for Facebook.
Of those three, only the first item was on my radar as recently as a few weeks ago. In that case, sometimes life takes its time, but in the latter two items, sometimes life can move awfully fast. The common thread is that these are all some of the best changes that I could have asked for, and I'm thrilled about all of them for different reasons. I'm going to be out there solo for the first six months, and then Valerie and Wilson will join me around the end of the year.
I met Billy and Jason for a morning run through downtown Durham, beating the heat.
Big Changes
Outside of running, my life has undergone some major changes in the last week. Over the last few days, all of the following took place:
1.) I asked Valerie to marry me.
2.) I announced plans to move to the west coast. I'm moving to the Bay Area next week.
3.) I accepted a job to go work for Facebook.
Of those three, only the first item was on my radar as recently as a few weeks ago. In that case, sometimes life takes its time, but in the latter two items, sometimes life can move awfully fast. The common thread is that these are all some of the best changes that I could have asked for, and I'm thrilled about all of them for different reasons. I'm going to be out there solo for the first six months, and then Valerie and Wilson will join me around the end of the year.
July 19
AM: 12 miles easy
I ran the Forest Hills Park-WaDuke loop, but other than that all I have to report is that it was warm and muggy (not surprisingly).
I ran the Forest Hills Park-WaDuke loop, but other than that all I have to report is that it was warm and muggy (not surprisingly).
July 18
AM: 8 miles easy
I snuck in a late-morning run on the ATT while helping Mike move his stuff out of Durham and down to Atlanta.
July 17
AM: 14 miles easy
I met Monk, Billy, and Brendan for an awesome run in Umstead earlier in the morning, covering a mix of the park's wonderful dirt roads and single track. I'm going to miss both the location and the company when I leave next week.
I met Monk, Billy, and Brendan for an awesome run in Umstead earlier in the morning, covering a mix of the park's wonderful dirt roads and single track. I'm going to miss both the location and the company when I leave next week.
July 16
AM: 16 x 200m hill repeats - 10 miles
I meandered my way over to Forest Hills Park for a session of reps on the Wise Rd. hill. I averaged around :41, though the distance is approximate.
I meandered my way over to Forest Hills Park for a session of reps on the Wise Rd. hill. I averaged around :41, though the distance is approximate.
7.16.2012
July 15 (83 miles/week)
PM: 9 miles easy, plus run-for-my-f**ing-life surge in the middle
This will go down as one of my weirdest runs ever. Valerie and I spent last night and this morning in Asheville for a mini-weekend with some hiking. That left me with a night run when we got back to Durham.
I ran through campus on a loop I've run hundreds of times before. While heading back along Campus Drive, I suddenly and unexpectedly felt something grab my hair from behind and tearing at my scalp. My initial thought was, "Crap--I'm getting mugged."
I turned around in horror to see instead an enormous owl hovering above my shoulders, flapping its wings in a deathly silent attack. I yelled "HOLY SHIT" (what else does one say when being attacked by a large bird of prey?), but miraculously didn't break stride and scrambled down the dimly lit street with bird in hot pursuit. The owl looked down on me with this really intense, piercing gaze, readying for another pass, so I started hollering all kinds of nonsense at it and waving my arms. Fortunately, between all of the hollering and hauling butt down the sidewalk, that was enough to get it to fly back into its roost. In that sense, I won the "race."
My best guess is that this was a barred owl, but I'm not sure. It felt like I was out there for an eternity running away from this angry bird, but this all transpired in about 10 seconds. It was weird enough that I spent the rest of my run trying to convince myself that all of it had literally just happened. These are things that are supposed to happen in Hitchcock movies, not in real life. I ran home feeling very real fear, hauling ass through downtown and looking over my shoulder.
When I got home, I babbled in disbelief to Valerie, who inspected my head for damage (none to report, thankfully). I reported the menace to Duke's campus police and commenced a slow draw-down from an intense half hour of freaking-the-fuck-out.
Believe it or not, this exact same thing happened a couple of years ago to my old Durham training partner Liam, and I guess there's some other precedence for it locally. I've come across rattlesnakes, cars, pit bulls, and a lot of other typical running hazards that we all deal with at some point, but this was unquestionably the scariest moment I've ever had running.
This will go down as one of my weirdest runs ever. Valerie and I spent last night and this morning in Asheville for a mini-weekend with some hiking. That left me with a night run when we got back to Durham.
I ran through campus on a loop I've run hundreds of times before. While heading back along Campus Drive, I suddenly and unexpectedly felt something grab my hair from behind and tearing at my scalp. My initial thought was, "Crap--I'm getting mugged."
I turned around in horror to see instead an enormous owl hovering above my shoulders, flapping its wings in a deathly silent attack. I yelled "HOLY SHIT" (what else does one say when being attacked by a large bird of prey?), but miraculously didn't break stride and scrambled down the dimly lit street with bird in hot pursuit. The owl looked down on me with this really intense, piercing gaze, readying for another pass, so I started hollering all kinds of nonsense at it and waving my arms. Fortunately, between all of the hollering and hauling butt down the sidewalk, that was enough to get it to fly back into its roost. In that sense, I won the "race."
My best guess is that this was a barred owl, but I'm not sure. It felt like I was out there for an eternity running away from this angry bird, but this all transpired in about 10 seconds. It was weird enough that I spent the rest of my run trying to convince myself that all of it had literally just happened. These are things that are supposed to happen in Hitchcock movies, not in real life. I ran home feeling very real fear, hauling ass through downtown and looking over my shoulder.
When I got home, I babbled in disbelief to Valerie, who inspected my head for damage (none to report, thankfully). I reported the menace to Duke's campus police and commenced a slow draw-down from an intense half hour of freaking-the-fuck-out.
Believe it or not, this exact same thing happened a couple of years ago to my old Durham training partner Liam, and I guess there's some other precedence for it locally. I've come across rattlesnakes, cars, pit bulls, and a lot of other typical running hazards that we all deal with at some point, but this was unquestionably the scariest moment I've ever had running.
 |
| Good lord, look at those talons. Those things were in my scalp. |
July 14
AM: 15 miles easy plus 10:00 tempo
I met Billy at my place for a run through campus and the WaDuke loop before adding on more miles on the ATT. I picked it up on my own for the last 10 minutes, which proved to be plenty in the heat.
I met Billy at my place for a run through campus and the WaDuke loop before adding on more miles on the ATT. I picked it up on my own for the last 10 minutes, which proved to be plenty in the heat.
July 13
AM: 8 miles easy
PM: 5 miles easy
I met Billy and Monk for a low-key morning run on the ATT, and I headed out with Valerie again in the early evening for a shake-out run.
PM: 5 miles easy
I met Billy and Monk for a low-key morning run on the ATT, and I headed out with Valerie again in the early evening for a shake-out run.
July 12
AM: 11 miles easy
PM: 5 miles easy
I met new North Carolina resident Billy Askey for a run in Umstead early in the morning before work. It was super muggy, but otherwise fine. He scored a great pad right on Lake Crabtree, at the foot of miles and miles of dirt trails in Umstead, so I'm admittedly a little jealous.
PM: 5 miles easy
I met new North Carolina resident Billy Askey for a run in Umstead early in the morning before work. It was super muggy, but otherwise fine. He scored a great pad right on Lake Crabtree, at the foot of miles and miles of dirt trails in Umstead, so I'm admittedly a little jealous.
July 11
AM: 11 miles easy
I shook off the cobwebs from flying and traveling and got in a humid but uneventful morning run through the Forest Hills Park-WaDuke loop.
I shook off the cobwebs from flying and traveling and got in a humid but uneventful morning run through the Forest Hills Park-WaDuke loop.
July 10
AM: 4 miles easy
I got in just a short run on the treadmill in the morning before an interview in Arlington. I kicked around DC for most of the day with Mike before flying home in the evening.
I got in just a short run on the treadmill in the morning before an interview in Arlington. I kicked around DC for most of the day with Mike before flying home in the evening.
July 9
AM: 5 miles easy
PM: 10 miles easy
I got in a shake-out run before flying to DC for an interview tomorrow. Murphy and I met up for a run in Arlington along the Custis Trail, looping down to TR Island and back in the early evening after work.
PM: 10 miles easy
I got in a shake-out run before flying to DC for an interview tomorrow. Murphy and I met up for a run in Arlington along the Custis Trail, looping down to TR Island and back in the early evening after work.
7.09.2012
July 8 (71 miles/week)
AM: 10 miles easy
I got in a run through Peachtree Battle and Memorial Park before packing up with car with Wilson and Valerie and driving back to Durham. I have a quick trip up to DC Monday and Tuesday on deck this week.
I got in a run through Peachtree Battle and Memorial Park before packing up with car with Wilson and Valerie and driving back to Durham. I have a quick trip up to DC Monday and Tuesday on deck this week.
July 7
AM: 11+ miles moderate
I ran at a moderate clip over to Westminster from my mom's house and floated a mile on the track in 4:58 before heading back home. "Floating" may be a bit of an understatement on the effort in this heat.
I ran at a moderate clip over to Westminster from my mom's house and floated a mile on the track in 4:58 before heading back home. "Floating" may be a bit of an understatement on the effort in this heat.
July 6
AM: 14 miles easy
I wound through Peachtree Battle and Habersham to get in a shorter long run. There were a lot of hills.
I wound through Peachtree Battle and Habersham to get in a shorter long run. There were a lot of hills.
July 5
AM: 8 miles easy
Easy run through the neighborhood in Atlanta before playing some golf. I'm more tired than sore from yesterday's race.
Easy run through the neighborhood in Atlanta before playing some golf. I'm more tired than sore from yesterday's race.
7.05.2012
July 4 - Peachtree Road Race
AM: Peachtree Road Race, 33:30 (?), 57th overall (?) - 11 miles
The question marks are because I wasn't included in the race results for some reason. I'm trying to get that resolved and will update this here when I do. The short version of the story is that it wasn't my fastest Peachtree, but it felt "good" to get out there and race.
It wasn't that great of a showing on my part, due mostly to fading badly in the second half. In an effort to keep this summer low-key and actually try my hand at periodization, I didn't really put in the work post-Boston to conquer Peachtree and its hills, either, to be perfectly honest with you. This being said, it's always fun to toe the line with a loaded international field. It's a lot like going from playing low-A ball to waking up in Yankee Stadium.
With Peachtree's course profile, you basically float along for the first three miles, thinking you're cruising, which I did today, hitting three miles in 15:25 (5:11, 5:04, 5:09), just about my PR pace. But after that, a series of hills that begins with the toughest, Cardiac Hill, sends you from floating to redlining in about 90 seconds, compounded my Atlanta's notorious July mugginess. You can do the ugly math on the second half of my race. In retrospect, I probably should have gone out a little more conservatively than bank time for the second-half sufferfest, but this was along my 10th Peachtree, and the second half is always pretty uncomfortable no matter how I've approached it.
Even though I faded on time in the second half, I still don't think I lost many (or any) places after 4 miles; the fact is that the second half the course is pretty tough, as were the conditions. At 71 degrees with 85% humidity at the race start, I couldn't stop sweating after about two minutes into my warmup. That makes Kirui's win in 27:37 all the more impressive (and the course record of 27:06 that much more unbelievable).
After a couple of ugly miles in the 5:40s in the hills, I rallied to about a 6:30 final 10k, hurting like hell the entire way. I wasn't close enough to out kick anyone, but I managed to hold off some guys who were close to me, which was a moral victory. I still think this is my highest finish ever at Peachtree, which is certainly tough to complain about, but that may have to do with a weaker American field than year's past (Raleigh's Bobby Mack was 13th, but was really the only men's US stud in the field). That will all change next year when the USATF 10k championships comes back with its deeper American prize purse.
The question marks are because I wasn't included in the race results for some reason. I'm trying to get that resolved and will update this here when I do. The short version of the story is that it wasn't my fastest Peachtree, but it felt "good" to get out there and race.
It wasn't that great of a showing on my part, due mostly to fading badly in the second half. In an effort to keep this summer low-key and actually try my hand at periodization, I didn't really put in the work post-Boston to conquer Peachtree and its hills, either, to be perfectly honest with you. This being said, it's always fun to toe the line with a loaded international field. It's a lot like going from playing low-A ball to waking up in Yankee Stadium.
With Peachtree's course profile, you basically float along for the first three miles, thinking you're cruising, which I did today, hitting three miles in 15:25 (5:11, 5:04, 5:09), just about my PR pace. But after that, a series of hills that begins with the toughest, Cardiac Hill, sends you from floating to redlining in about 90 seconds, compounded my Atlanta's notorious July mugginess. You can do the ugly math on the second half of my race. In retrospect, I probably should have gone out a little more conservatively than bank time for the second-half sufferfest, but this was along my 10th Peachtree, and the second half is always pretty uncomfortable no matter how I've approached it.
Even though I faded on time in the second half, I still don't think I lost many (or any) places after 4 miles; the fact is that the second half the course is pretty tough, as were the conditions. At 71 degrees with 85% humidity at the race start, I couldn't stop sweating after about two minutes into my warmup. That makes Kirui's win in 27:37 all the more impressive (and the course record of 27:06 that much more unbelievable).
After a couple of ugly miles in the 5:40s in the hills, I rallied to about a 6:30 final 10k, hurting like hell the entire way. I wasn't close enough to out kick anyone, but I managed to hold off some guys who were close to me, which was a moral victory. I still think this is my highest finish ever at Peachtree, which is certainly tough to complain about, but that may have to do with a weaker American field than year's past (Raleigh's Bobby Mack was 13th, but was really the only men's US stud in the field). That will all change next year when the USATF 10k championships comes back with its deeper American prize purse.
July 3
AM: 6 miles easy
I got in an easy shake-out run on the ATT in the morning before driving with Wilson and Valerie to Atlanta, picking up my mom's new labradoodle en route.
I got in an easy shake-out run on the ATT in the morning before driving with Wilson and Valerie to Atlanta, picking up my mom's new labradoodle en route.
7.03.2012
July 2
AM: 11 miles easy
This morning was considerably cooler on the Forest Hills-WaDuke loop. I'm driving to Atlanta tomorrow for a trip that will include the Peachtree Road Race: one of the toughest and most competitive races around. My expectations aren't high based on my current level of fitness, but it should feel good to get out there and battle a little bit.
This morning was considerably cooler on the Forest Hills-WaDuke loop. I'm driving to Atlanta tomorrow for a trip that will include the Peachtree Road Race: one of the toughest and most competitive races around. My expectations aren't high based on my current level of fitness, but it should feel good to get out there and battle a little bit.
7.01.2012
July 1 (90 miles/week)
AM: 14 miles easy, slow
Unlike yesterday, I waited until almost 11:00 to run on the ATT on account of sleeping in this morning. What a horrible decision. This run was a suffer-fest. The heat index was 106 when I finished: just brutal.
Unlike yesterday, I waited until almost 11:00 to run on the ATT on account of sleeping in this morning. What a horrible decision. This run was a suffer-fest. The heat index was 106 when I finished: just brutal.
June 30
AM: 13 miles easy
I got up early to meet Monk at 7:00 for a run through the ATT and the trails around Woodcroft. That turned out to be a great decision, as temperatures were already in the mid-80s by the time we finished.
I got up early to meet Monk at 7:00 for a run through the ATT and the trails around Woodcroft. That turned out to be a great decision, as temperatures were already in the mid-80s by the time we finished.
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