Dec. 6

AM: 8 miles easy/moderate, treadmill

PM: 45 min. elliptical

Remember the scene from Rocky IV, where it shows Rocky and his hulking Soviet opponent Ivan Drago training simultaneously? Rocky is outside in Siberia, running through the snow, up 14,000-foot mountain peaks, and lifting logs to get ready for the big fight. Meanwhile, Drago is indoors, hooked up to all of these high-tech machines that measure punch velocity, caloric expenditure, using crack Soviet scientists to prepare him for his big fight with the Italian Stallion.

With all of the time I spent working out indoors today on various machines, I felt more like Ivan Drago than Rocky. Well, except for the steroids.

"I must break you."

Dec. 5 - snow!

AM: 8 x 3:00 on/1:00 off on grass, 8 miles

PM: 60 min. elliptical, core

Put on my spikes for the first time in a while and ran fartlek on the grass field at Beach Drive and East-West Hwy. The loop is about 1,110m, at least according to Google Earth, which makes it perfect for this workout. I was fairly consistent throughout, hitting close to the same splits and finishing each "on" in the same spot. With a light dusting of snow, the conditions are probably similar to what we'll see this weekend in Ohio. That race is looking more and more like the type where you just throw away the watch and race, which I guess is the romanticized ideal of what cross country is supposed to be, anyway.

The snow kept falling throughout the day. We got a few inches, which is fine until it refreezes, when it just becomes a pain in the butt. I'm crossing my fingers that it'll be gone by the time I get back this weekend.

Dec. 4

AM: 9 miles easy

PM: weights, core, stretching

Bought my first Christmas tree today! This will be the first tree I've put up since high school--I got a little nostalgic.

The Christmas tree smell is amazing. It's a good thing I enjoy the smell so much, too, because the sap stuck to my hands like a noel-napalm. It doesn't want to come off.

Dec. 3

AM: 8 miles progression run over hills

PM: 45 min. elliptical, core

Progression run in Rock Creek Park before work.

Dec. 2

PM: 14 miles easy/moderate

Ran in Greenbelt Park with a bunch of UMD guys. It's been a while--I hadn't run with any of them since the summer. 

Dec. 1 (56 miles/week plus 3.5 hours cross-training)

AM: 11 miles easy/moderate, stretching

PM: weights, core

Hilly run with some Georgetown Running Co. guys in Rock Creek Park. 

Nov. 30

AM: 25 min. tempo, 8 miles total

PM: 45 min. stationary bike, core

My first tempo run in quite a long while. I felt like hell and had a horrible R.I.C. the entire time, so given all of that I was glad to hit my splits (~5:30). My first loop (around the stables in Meadowbrook) was quicker. I slowed on the second loop, but managed to pick it back up to pace by the last mile or so.