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Showing posts from March, 2012

Training Week #11: In Mexico City

Overview :  I knew I'd be a little constrained on when/where I ran with all the friend and family obligations and the distance to get to the quality running areas.  So I had already expected to be more focused about "quality" and maintenance.  In the end, it proved to be even tougher, with Mihiret sick and a few short nights of sleep with her up and the inability to get an early departure to make it the quality 2.1K dirt training circuit there.  Also, Wendy and Alex weren't up for as long a run as I might have hoped this weekend or one previous (though still awesome to run with them.  Still I got in a good amount of runs, and some halfway decent training--enough to come home to discover a sore quad the next day on a run right after yoga class.  Where'd that come from?!  Week Ending March 18th Number of runs:  5 Total running hours:  7:10 (three week moving ave.. = 9:13) Total Rest days:  1 (day of return trip to NYC) Longest Run :  2:33 at La Marquesa go

Training Week #10: Bear Mountain and Cruz Blanca outside Mexico City

Overview:  A good week overall, and I fit in good amount given the packing and trip preps and then trip to Mexico itself.  Keeping total volume relatively good even without a single megalong run or a B2B.  Day by Day Mon. Half hour swim + hot/cold soak 20 minutes then upper body/core weight machine session at Equinox Tues.  Bear Mountain 4:13 hills Wed. 50 minutes Thurs.:  1 hour brisk in C. Park + half hour leg session at Equinox Fri.:  off/travel to Mexico Sat. 2:25  Cruz Blanca trails outside Mexico City Sun. 1:00  Parque de las Flores MX By the Numbers Total Hours Running:  9:30 Runs:  5 Three-week moving average of weekly running hours:  11 + 11 + 9:30 = 10:30 Speedwork:  None, but one speedier, tempo-like second half of shorter run (impromptu, feeling good); Missed Tues. class to attend Banff festival and did long hill run at Bear Mountain instead Long runs/hills:  (1) 4:13 session at Bear Mountain on Tuesday, starting from 1777 lot on Seven Lakes--up

Year of the Multiple 100s @ 50: Training Week #9

Week Ending March 4, 2012 : Overview:  This was a good week, even though I was fighting off a low-level cold and residual soreness and tiredness from last week's 50K and the previous week's travel.  A decent Palisades long run, a good speed session, good strength training, an impromptu mini-tempo run...those were the highlights.  Again it was a week of adjustments on the fly and "listening to the body"--it dawned on me the last hour of the Palisades run on Thursday, only 5 days out from the 50K++, that it didn't make sense to head out to Delaware Water Gap for a trial run of the Mt. Tammany 10 course the next day, for a B2B.  Knees a little sore, quads sore, and just all over tired, and that run ended just before dark.  So decided to push a mega-hill session till early next week, which I think was a smart move.  Pick the battles wisely! Total Running Hours :  11 3-Week Moving Average of Hours on Feet :  9.5 (last week was 10) Running Sessions :  6 (1 twofe

Febapple Frozen Fifty 50K (and Training Week #8)

A Bit Milder A Febapple Frozen Fifty This Year! If 31 is good on the way to 100 miles, then 34 is better, right?!  That's the way I look at it!  34.25, to be more precise!  Longest run I've done since, well, Bighorn last June, come to think of it!  And all in all a really pleasant day out on the trails of New Jersey. I was cruising along at around mile 28, hitting the last station.   Way ahead of last year's pace in either the Febapple or Mayapple, also held on South Mountain Reservation trails but in a slightly condensed and easier form this year and with much more favorable weather conditions (upper 30s to low 40s, windy with some gusts, partly cloudy, a few snowflakes as day wore on, two-layer and skicap weather for me). A woman from Ohio whom I'd talked with briefly while leaving the "home base" aid station caught up with me there.  We resumed talking about Ohio, ultras, and many other things in common, and ended up running together for what we thought