AM: 5 miles easy
Easy run from campus with stretching and foam rolling afterward. I'm taking this week as active recovery with a trip to NC and probably a few days off from running. I need to recharge.
The Santa Rosa Marathon will be 12 weeks away next, so that's going to be the primary focus of my summer.
5.29.2013
5.28.2013
May 27 - Marin 10k
AM: Marin 10k, 33:20-ish - 11 miles
Today was a rare day where I felt awful waking up, warming up, an during the race itself. After coming through 5k right on my already conservative target (16:14), I absolutely fell to pieces.
It's time to wave the white flag and throw in the towel on racing for a while. I'm at a loss for answers right now: super frustrating.
Today was a rare day where I felt awful waking up, warming up, an during the race itself. After coming through 5k right on my already conservative target (16:14), I absolutely fell to pieces.
It's time to wave the white flag and throw in the towel on racing for a while. I'm at a loss for answers right now: super frustrating.
May 26 (81 miles/week)
AM: 9 miles easy
I went up to Crystal Springs for an easy out-and-back on my own.
I went up to Crystal Springs for an easy out-and-back on my own.
5.26.2013
May 25
AM: 14 miles easy
I ran a shorter long run mid-day around Foster City, though it was super windy, making it less than pleasant. Rather than run 3 more miles into a headwind, I turned around at 7 miles by the San Mateo bridge for an out-and-back.
I ran a shorter long run mid-day around Foster City, though it was super windy, making it less than pleasant. Rather than run 3 more miles into a headwind, I turned around at 7 miles by the San Mateo bridge for an out-and-back.
May 23
AM: 4 x mile @ 10k/tempo pace with 1:00 recovery, 2:00 jog recovery, 4 x 400m with 200 jog recovery, 4 x 200m with 200m jog recovery - 10 miles
PM: 4 miles easy
I met Chavez in the morning at Stanford for a workout on the paths and on the track. I tried to get a feel of my 10k pace on Monday (32:30?), keeping my pace and effort in check on the 2-mile warmup loop around the track (5:09, 5:14, 5:06, 5:16). I jogged with Chris over to the track for the 400s, but felt pretty crappy, averaging :70 with some effort. Rather than do the prescribed 8 400s, I paced Chris through 200m, hitting mine in :31 and :30. All in all, I felt pretty good, leaving me optimistic for Monday.
PM: 4 miles easy
I met Chavez in the morning at Stanford for a workout on the paths and on the track. I tried to get a feel of my 10k pace on Monday (32:30?), keeping my pace and effort in check on the 2-mile warmup loop around the track (5:09, 5:14, 5:06, 5:16). I jogged with Chris over to the track for the 400s, but felt pretty crappy, averaging :70 with some effort. Rather than do the prescribed 8 400s, I paced Chris through 200m, hitting mine in :31 and :30. All in all, I felt pretty good, leaving me optimistic for Monday.
May 21
AM: 4 miles easy
PM: 8 miles easy
My legs still felt battered from the race on Sunday, so I just ran an easy campus loop with the NBSV guys.
PM: 8 miles easy
My legs still felt battered from the race on Sunday, so I just ran an easy campus loop with the NBSV guys.
May 20
PM: 11 miles easy
I had an early morning conference call, so I ran the Menlo Park loop after work.
I had an early morning conference call, so I ran the Menlo Park loop after work.
May 19 (Bay to Breakers - 75 miles/week)
AM: Bay to Breakers 12k, 40:06, 30th place - 18 miles
I hopped the early train up to the city and the doors immediately opened into the madness. For most people, it's pretty obvious that Bay to Breakers is a party, not a race. During my warmup, I saw a lot of costumes, alcohol, and ugly male nudity. That was more or less the theme for the scenery for the day.
The good news is that B2B is also a pretty competitive race, with the likes of Ryan Hall at the front. When the gun went off, I tucked in with the Asics Aggies centipede (the race also has a special division of 13 people tied together), assuming they'd be in the 5:10-5:20 range that I was shooting for today.
I hit the first two miles in 5:14 and 5:23, right about on target, though I lost some ground up the Hayes Street hill: the biggest and most challenging hill that comes between 4k and 5k. I missed the third mile split, but I had the fourth in 11:20, so I obviously struggled on the hill that peaks next to the "Painted Ladies" houses of Full House fame.
The good news is that I was able to use the downhills and flats to my advantage. Hayes Street Hill would be the farthest back I'd be in the race, though at the time I felt like I could have lost to one of the naked guys. I rallied with a 5:01 sixth mile, repassing and reeling in a few guys. I made the turn at mile 7 with the women's leader and surged to stay with the Aggies 'pede that ended up finishing just ahead of me, which was a shame because that meant falling from 17th to 30th place.
Either way, this was a better race in what has been a lackluster spring season. The goal was to get under 40 minutes today, so I'm a little disappointed to just miss it, but it felt good just to win some battles out on the course.
I cooled down by running the course backward through the 7-mile street party with Varner, Heather, and Neville, taking in the scene and again trying to avoid the naked guys. My stomach was wrecked afterward, which is always the sign of an honest, hard effort for me.
Next up is a 10k in Marin on what will be a fast course (finally) as the spring racing season comes to a close. The plan then is to take a low key week with travel back to North Carolina for a wedding before building up for a summer of higher mileage in preparation for the Santa Rosa Marathon at the end of August.
I hopped the early train up to the city and the doors immediately opened into the madness. For most people, it's pretty obvious that Bay to Breakers is a party, not a race. During my warmup, I saw a lot of costumes, alcohol, and ugly male nudity. That was more or less the theme for the scenery for the day.
The good news is that B2B is also a pretty competitive race, with the likes of Ryan Hall at the front. When the gun went off, I tucked in with the Asics Aggies centipede (the race also has a special division of 13 people tied together), assuming they'd be in the 5:10-5:20 range that I was shooting for today.
I hit the first two miles in 5:14 and 5:23, right about on target, though I lost some ground up the Hayes Street hill: the biggest and most challenging hill that comes between 4k and 5k. I missed the third mile split, but I had the fourth in 11:20, so I obviously struggled on the hill that peaks next to the "Painted Ladies" houses of Full House fame.
The good news is that I was able to use the downhills and flats to my advantage. Hayes Street Hill would be the farthest back I'd be in the race, though at the time I felt like I could have lost to one of the naked guys. I rallied with a 5:01 sixth mile, repassing and reeling in a few guys. I made the turn at mile 7 with the women's leader and surged to stay with the Aggies 'pede that ended up finishing just ahead of me, which was a shame because that meant falling from 17th to 30th place.
Either way, this was a better race in what has been a lackluster spring season. The goal was to get under 40 minutes today, so I'm a little disappointed to just miss it, but it felt good just to win some battles out on the course.
I cooled down by running the course backward through the 7-mile street party with Varner, Heather, and Neville, taking in the scene and again trying to avoid the naked guys. My stomach was wrecked afterward, which is always the sign of an honest, hard effort for me.
Next up is a 10k in Marin on what will be a fast course (finally) as the spring racing season comes to a close. The plan then is to take a low key week with travel back to North Carolina for a wedding before building up for a summer of higher mileage in preparation for the Santa Rosa Marathon at the end of August.
5.18.2013
May 16
PM: 10 miles easy/moderate/hard
I got in late last night from St. Louis, so I slept in and waited until after work to go run. I ran a new loop through Menlo Park that's a little more scenic than multiple loops around Bayfront Park. After 8 miles, I was feeling pretty good (and without a workout this week), so I decided to throw in a mile at 10k race pace. I was conservatively shooting for 5:20, which made me happy to see a 5:02. It's a small thing, but I've been grasping at straws lately for positive signs with my running, so I'll take it.
I got in late last night from St. Louis, so I slept in and waited until after work to go run. I ran a new loop through Menlo Park that's a little more scenic than multiple loops around Bayfront Park. After 8 miles, I was feeling pretty good (and without a workout this week), so I decided to throw in a mile at 10k race pace. I was conservatively shooting for 5:20, which made me happy to see a 5:02. It's a small thing, but I've been grasping at straws lately for positive signs with my running, so I'll take it.
5.16.2013
April 23 - May 15
I'm obviously super behind on my running log. I got a text from Klim this week that read, "UPDATE: Reaves quits blogging"? I can take a hint. I need to do a better job of getting back into the habit of doing it, for both myself and my other comrades in the daily struggle, so here it goes.
The last couple of weeks have been a slow climb back to racing shape without much to show for it yet. I really don't care for road 5ks, but I forced myself into two of them to both score for my new team (New Balance Silicon Valley) in the PAUSATF race series, which is insanely competitive, and to get my ass racing again. The results were a little murky. The first race, the Zippy 5k, wasn't very Zippy on account of a course that was nearly uphill for the entire first half and downhill for the second half, but I still limped in around 16:05.
Two weeks later, I ran the 5k4Play, and I ran the same time (16:04) on a course with the opposite profile (down, then up). The good news is that I ran an identical time here despite running nearly 2.5 hours with Reed and Varner in Marin the day before, so that could be interpreted as a sign of improvement. It would have been a major psychological boost to get under 16:00 though.
Other workouts have included a 2x2-mile, 1-mile workout (10:31, 10:36, 5:08) on my own; an shitty tempo run on the windy CSM track (5:15, 5:15, 5:18, 5:28, 5:27); and a few uneventful workouts with NBSV where I didn't feel my best or do a good job of recording my efforts.
I'm a little frustrated because I'm at a loss for why I've lost a step. I've clearly lost a step. I'm about 5 lbs heavier than I really need to be, which is tough to see on my already large-for-a-runner frame, but could be a tangible reason why I'm running 30 seconds slower for a 5k than I expect to be, and struggling to hit my 10k PR pace for half of the distance. It honestly sucks because I have no real explanation (injury, motivation, etc.) for losing ground over the last year, but that's why more than anything I opted to join my fifth team in my 13 years of running competitively with NBSV.
The reality of working for a living has also hit me. Last spring, with my master's thesis and most of my meaningful schoolwork behind me, I was able to bang out 100+ miles/week without abandon, and I got in killer shape that lead to PRs at 3k, 8k, 10k, 10 miles, and a good marathon relative to the conditions. Now, I'm lucky to get in 80-90. It may not seem like a lot, but I've always run my best logging 100+ miles/week. That's just what works for me.
I'm trying earnestly not to get frustrated, but as the Boston Marathon came and went in April, the tough reality that I've lost a year of running sat heavy on me. That, more than anything, lit a fire to get racing again. My mileage has been just OK with weeks of 80, 88, 92, and 59 since my last update.
I traveled this week and last, spending a few days in Atlanta for my brother's graduation where I hit the 3-week sweet spot between suffocating pollen and a summer climate feels like getting bludgeoned with a warm mop. I got in a solid long run from my mom's place all the way through Piedmont Park, checking out the new Beltline Trail (Atlanta's brand-new rail trail that will eventually circumnavigate the city along an old railroad line). I got a compliment on my running form from a girl on a bike toward the end of my long run, which of course put a spring in my step, only to immediately bring myself back down to earth when I looked down and saw my first really bad bloody nipple. That it was just one and clearly bled through my shirt made it that much more ridiculous, but I didn't see it until I stopped 17 miles in.
I stopped in St. Louis for a seminar for work for two days on the way home; I'm writing this on the plane as we speak. As a consequence, I haven't had a chance to work out this week, so I'll probably just do something light tomorrow after work in light of racing this weekend.
The next few weeks will include at least a couple of more races before I call my late spring racing season, including Bay to Breakers and the Marin 10k. Given where I'm at right now, if I can break 40 minutes and 32:40, I'll call either of those races a success.
After that, I'll carve out my standard 12-week block for a marathon buildup toward the end of the summer in Santa Rosa. It's not a particularly competitive marathon, and I suspect it will be in warm weather, but I need a Boston Qualifier before registration opens in September. Long term, I want sub-2:30 before I'm 30. That's the goal, and that's what's going to get me out of bed in the morning over the next 18 months. I'm confident I'll bust out of my current rut/plateau. Thanks to the mild NorCal summer, I at least have time on my side this time.
The last couple of weeks have been a slow climb back to racing shape without much to show for it yet. I really don't care for road 5ks, but I forced myself into two of them to both score for my new team (New Balance Silicon Valley) in the PAUSATF race series, which is insanely competitive, and to get my ass racing again. The results were a little murky. The first race, the Zippy 5k, wasn't very Zippy on account of a course that was nearly uphill for the entire first half and downhill for the second half, but I still limped in around 16:05.
Two weeks later, I ran the 5k4Play, and I ran the same time (16:04) on a course with the opposite profile (down, then up). The good news is that I ran an identical time here despite running nearly 2.5 hours with Reed and Varner in Marin the day before, so that could be interpreted as a sign of improvement. It would have been a major psychological boost to get under 16:00 though.
Other workouts have included a 2x2-mile, 1-mile workout (10:31, 10:36, 5:08) on my own; an shitty tempo run on the windy CSM track (5:15, 5:15, 5:18, 5:28, 5:27); and a few uneventful workouts with NBSV where I didn't feel my best or do a good job of recording my efforts.
I'm a little frustrated because I'm at a loss for why I've lost a step. I've clearly lost a step. I'm about 5 lbs heavier than I really need to be, which is tough to see on my already large-for-a-runner frame, but could be a tangible reason why I'm running 30 seconds slower for a 5k than I expect to be, and struggling to hit my 10k PR pace for half of the distance. It honestly sucks because I have no real explanation (injury, motivation, etc.) for losing ground over the last year, but that's why more than anything I opted to join my fifth team in my 13 years of running competitively with NBSV.
The reality of working for a living has also hit me. Last spring, with my master's thesis and most of my meaningful schoolwork behind me, I was able to bang out 100+ miles/week without abandon, and I got in killer shape that lead to PRs at 3k, 8k, 10k, 10 miles, and a good marathon relative to the conditions. Now, I'm lucky to get in 80-90. It may not seem like a lot, but I've always run my best logging 100+ miles/week. That's just what works for me.
I'm trying earnestly not to get frustrated, but as the Boston Marathon came and went in April, the tough reality that I've lost a year of running sat heavy on me. That, more than anything, lit a fire to get racing again. My mileage has been just OK with weeks of 80, 88, 92, and 59 since my last update.
I traveled this week and last, spending a few days in Atlanta for my brother's graduation where I hit the 3-week sweet spot between suffocating pollen and a summer climate feels like getting bludgeoned with a warm mop. I got in a solid long run from my mom's place all the way through Piedmont Park, checking out the new Beltline Trail (Atlanta's brand-new rail trail that will eventually circumnavigate the city along an old railroad line). I got a compliment on my running form from a girl on a bike toward the end of my long run, which of course put a spring in my step, only to immediately bring myself back down to earth when I looked down and saw my first really bad bloody nipple. That it was just one and clearly bled through my shirt made it that much more ridiculous, but I didn't see it until I stopped 17 miles in.
I stopped in St. Louis for a seminar for work for two days on the way home; I'm writing this on the plane as we speak. As a consequence, I haven't had a chance to work out this week, so I'll probably just do something light tomorrow after work in light of racing this weekend.
The next few weeks will include at least a couple of more races before I call my late spring racing season, including Bay to Breakers and the Marin 10k. Given where I'm at right now, if I can break 40 minutes and 32:40, I'll call either of those races a success.
After that, I'll carve out my standard 12-week block for a marathon buildup toward the end of the summer in Santa Rosa. It's not a particularly competitive marathon, and I suspect it will be in warm weather, but I need a Boston Qualifier before registration opens in September. Long term, I want sub-2:30 before I'm 30. That's the goal, and that's what's going to get me out of bed in the morning over the next 18 months. I'm confident I'll bust out of my current rut/plateau. Thanks to the mild NorCal summer, I at least have time on my side this time.
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