"Build and build, like the Kenyans do"

MARCH 21 - MARCH 27

SUN - 10.5 miles at Emerald Nuts Across the Bay 12k race in San Francisco. Split 11:23, 5:31, 10:37, 5:14, 5:25, and 2:30. 40:43 total. 5:28 average. 27th place overall. First ever 12k race! Right at mile three my mind began to mutter a bit, "Um, this is going to be a bit longer than you've ever gone before." By mile five the body felt a bit tired, but worked hard to push the last two miles. Thanks to the kindness of the Budweiser Brewing Company, I consumed a tasty beverage at their expo tent before my cool down. Then my buddy Micah put a crab in my shoe without telling me and I put my shoe on. Spent time in downtown Frisco, and hanging with some of the Cal guys. Great weekend!

MON - 9 miles easy with Potteys.

TUES - 9.5 miles on Late Loop at 5:30am. Rock Climbing in afternoon.

WED - 9.5 miles in afternoon through Rancho, followed by rock climbing session.

THUR - 5 miles around UNR at 6am; 3 miles shakeout in Pacific, CA along coastline!

FRI - 2 mile shakeout in AM; 5k at San Francisco State for 10 total. Split 5:08, 5:10, 4:59, and 32 for 15:51 overall. A great race experience! I focused on my own business really well during the warm up and got to the start line quite calm and relaxed. During the race I actually smiled a few times because it was fun. Effort didn't start to hurt until halfway through, but even then just kept focusing on each lap as it came.

SAT - Off.

WEEK - Recovery week at 58.5 miles. Really excited to be racing again.....a lot of travelling to get to the Bay Area for races, but really enjoying the experience.

MARCH 28 - APRIL 3

SUN - 10.5 w/ Potteys through Keystone Canyon with short strides on end of run.

MON - 10.5 along BLC route w/ 4-3-2-1 pickups. Pickups put in place to shake up the run and make the body do something besides just run.

TUES - 14 at Horsemans w/ Sean. Battled the gusty winds, blowing snow, and tired legs. Rock climb in afternoon.

WED - 8 along Truckee River before school. Real happy to log the miles before the full work day. For a 5:30am run, everything felt pretty fun and light-hearted. Rock climb in afternoon.

THUR - Truckee and Journal Jog route for 12.

FRI - 7 around UNR before work. Pretty tired when alarm went off, but fine once got out the door.

SAT - 2 mile shakeout in AM; 5k at American River College for 10 total in PM. Split 5:04, 5:14, 5:10, and 34 for 16:02. First mile felt real comfortable and went by quickly, but effort increased shortly after. Heading into last mile I kept somewhat engaged and didn't let up on pace or place. Real fun meet. Once again real calm and controlled on warm up - perhaps to a fault though as the overall tenacity felt low at the start line (could be I didn't eat for six hours prior to the race either).

WEEK - 74 miles. Felt much more focused this week. Actually outlined miles vs. just randomly running each day and reaching weekly total.

APRIL 4 - APRIL 10

SUN - Parker Training Center along Lakeside for 9. Pretty grumpy going into run....30mph winds may have had something to do with it.

MON - 7.5 miles in AM; Chiropractor in PM for tissue work. Wanted to run eleven on the day, but woke up to cold wind and snow in the front yard and body felt real beat up on the run. Mentally weak as well - didn't have a lot of fight.

TUES - Horsemans w/ Sean for 15. Woke up in a much better mood. Gas tank never felt empty on run either.

WED - Truckee River Path at 5:30am for 8 in AM - actually found the early morning run enjoyable; 4.5 miles around UNR in PM w/ 1x400 (75), 2x200 (37, 34), and 2x100 (16, 16) - wanted to give body another chance to readjust to running on the track surface and turns so did these few segments instead of strides.

THUR - Sean's Lakeside Loop for 12 in AM. Sitting in the PT's office later that day the thought occurred to me, "I'm racing tomorrow and I ran twelve miles this morning....hmmm.....well, guess we'll see what happens."

FRI - 2 mile shakeout in AM in Berkeley; 5k at Chico State in PM for 10 total. Split 5:10, 5:10, 5:10, and 34 for a 16:04 total. My individual lap splits were all over the place! We opened in an 80 (no wonder I thought, "This feels real nice!") and the race was full of surge-and-slow-and-catch-the-next-group-and-sit-with-them. Consistent good job of relaxing on warm up and focusing on my business. Didn't feel overly great inside of the race. I think I missed out on a great "learning" opportunity this time as the race pace fluctuated pretty much every lap. While I ran the race I never fully engaged into "savage" mode to be fully focused/aware of what was occurring. Cooled down with roommate Micah. The last time I ran with him was summer of 2007, and since then he has gone through almost half a dozen surgeries to rebuild his body after being struck by an SUV while road biking.

SAT - Micah forced me to drive back to Berkeley after the dinner stop at Wendy's. This would not be noteworthy except that we were in his car - a manual. I don't know how to drive a manual. Thankfully we were travelling after midnight since the race started at 9pm. So at 2:30am I finally hiccuped the car into Berkeley and Micah forced me into sleeping neighborhoods for a tutorial. Later that morning I ran 7 along the Firetrail trail located just past the Cal football stadium. Felt great given the race went down yesterday - stride loose and arms relaxed. Almost stepped on a banana slug. Watched The Big Meet later that day. Stanford and Cal claim a HUGE rivalry and The Big Meet is the track dual between the two teams. Go Bears!!!

WEEK - 75 miles. Front end of week was real rough, but that could have resulted from the 5k at American River College. Chiro work helped a lot to improve how the body felt, and getting away from Reno to a different place helped the ol' mind. Great to hit another mid-70 week with a solid race effort included.

APRIL 11 - APRIL 17

SUN - Skyline trails w/ Cal guys for 10. Pouring rain, but awesome run. This week is Washoe County School District's spring break!!!

MON - Tour of Berkeley Campus for 11.

TUES - 10 miles along a random part of the California coastline. Legs didn't feel all that well, and ended up running through some really bumpy and marshy terrain and got pretty angry. Stretched afterwards while drinking a beer. Pictures are on the book of faces.

WED - Rancho/UNR for 9 after driving back from CA coastline. Body shabby at the start, but after the first half everything loosened up pretty well. Actually enjoyed myself.

THUR - Mayberry Park for 12 w/ Sean and Hannah. Ran pretty chill pace, but body pretty tired by the end.

FRI - Horsemans for 10 w/ Sean and Hannah. Felt great - body took a few miles to warm up, but then flowed really well and really relaxed. Massage in evening.

SAT - 8.5 in AM w/ 2x800 (2:30-2:26) and 10x400 (74-72-72-72-75-71-72-72-1:45...went through 600) to help Sean with workout. Planned workout was 12x800 w/ 60 seconds recovery. I didn't feel it was out of my league and actually looked forward to a good, hard Saturday morning track session. However, the body thought otherwise and after the first two I cut to just doing the first quarter. In typical fashion though, I felt better as the workout progressed. For example, on the final repeat I led Sean through the quarter in 70, and then dropped another 35. I probably could have finished in close to a 35 or 36 which would have given me a 2:20, and at this point I felt actually strong and in control of the effort (vs. running the last eight-hundred of a race like it felt I was doing in those first two repeats). Sean ran really well and hit his 12x800 averaging like 2:26 or 27 with only sixty seconds recovery in between. Good luck to him in pursuit of his sub 2:30 marathon in a few weeks! 4 miles through Rancho in PM - first snake sighting of spring!

WEEK - 74.5 miles - good way to end the last three weeks. First week in a long time without a race.

May will be a month of road racing. The Reno Marathon also puts on a 10k and I will use that as practice for the Bay to Breakers 12k in San Fran. The Asics Aggies are eying the long standing centipede record (5:02's for 7.46 miles) and I might be running with. Unsure of my ability to run that quick of a pace that long the plan to run hard from the gun at the Reno 10k and see what happens. Finally there is a 10k race in Roseville, CA on Memorial Day. I had a real good string of races on the track - learned to control the warm up and go in relaxed. Now it is time to build on that positive work and redevelop the savage mindset while in the race. More important than time or place finish in these next races is the tenacious mindset.

Thanks for reading.

Find your gifts - use them to the fullest.

http://runningtimes/Article.aspx?ArticleID=19085

About halfway down: "....learned a lot from him [former marathon world record holder Khalid Khannouchi]. There's no secret; you just have to work really hard."

Maybe hard work doesn't mean just the consistent miles and hoping one day everything will "click." Maybe it is the miles plus the conscious effort to make them hard.

Don't just run, run hard. Be smart, but run hard.

Expect nothing; earn everything.

Another week, few more struggles: Mar 14 - 20

SUN
11 miles solo before church around UNR and Rancho. From the training log, "Took six miles for body to warm up but body rolled really well after that...haha." Funny how the tiny pieces of the body will take over forty minutes before they are willing to work well. The massage from yesterday didn't seem to produce the typical "looseness" that usually results. The new massage therapist is nice, but I think I need to stick with the D.C. himself.

MON
10 miles solo along 7th route in AM. Really negative - didn't have fun at all.

TUES
12 miles w/ Ronnie around GHS area in PM. Upper body tight and legs felt pounded by the end. 98% of my runs occur in the morning before school. Does the 36 hour gap and afternoon run (on a day where a morning run usually occurs) really throw the body THAT much out of its groove?

WED
8.5 miles solo around UNR and Rancho w/ 8 barefoot strides. From the training log, "Suckage." And I ran past a frat a mile in and they offered some tasty libations. In response I said, "Save one...I will be back!" They all cheered, but as the run progressed I seriously became excited about stopping on the return route. Sadly in the half hour that occured between passing them and returning everyone left to experience the rest of St. Patty's Day elsewhere.

THUR
9 miles solo along BLC route in AM; 4.5 miles through Rancho w/ Kiwi in PM. Woke up tired so split the day's miles.

FRI
7 miles by Truckee River solo in AM. Knocked out the miles before 8am school start. Awesome to be able to see stars against the still night sky while running. Also scary to run alone through a dark park......I thought a fire hydrant was an evil knome.

SAT
8.5 miles solo in AM w/ 4x200 (36-35-35-35). Nice sunny day - shorts and t-shirt. Had to chuckle when I ran past another run with a long sleever and gloves while I was sweating. Focused the entire run on relaxing the shoulders - worked out really well and provided something positive upon which to focus. After leaving UNR's track I chatted with an old guy, at least seventy-five. He asked me if I ran in any AAU meets. I had to chuckle because while the AAU doesn't really play a prevelant role in running these days this guy probably grew up around the time when they did! Walking and talking with history. Very cool. And the old guy was on his way to workout too. Talk about motivation.

WEEK
70.5 miles - third week in the three week up cycle. Next week is a down week. Overall felt pretty shabby, especially compared to last week. Struggling to have fun as well. Right around the start of this calendar year I started loving the miles (probably the first time in life....keep in mind I started running in 1998). It felt really cool - getting out the door no matter time of day or company, running was fun. From that time until now the funness factor has consistently declined. Why? For now that question exists, but I'm not in a place to jump to conclusions. I'd rather sit on it, aware of it, and talk to a few folks before trying to move back into the land of happiness.

Upcoming week = busy. 12k road race across Golden Gate Bridge Sunday and most likely a 5k at San Francisco State University Friday. I'm excited to 'play' running finally. Plus the races will provide the chance to 'play' with the pain of racing again. It has been a while since I've had to prove I can delve into and sustain the physical process of producing more lactic acid than my body can use as fuel. Goals for Sunday are 1) focus on myself - my pace is my pace and it is okay however fast that pace turns out to be 2) relax the shoulders and 3) no matter what occurs the first five miles, the last two+ are to be a fast, hard effort.

Thanks for reading.

5:30am runs in sideways snow: Mar 7 - Mar 13

SUN
10 miles at Horsemans w/ Jon and Jake. Pace stayed chill, but legs a bit rough off of the miles from last week.

MON
11+ solo along the BLC route. Actually didn't mind running all alone. Took a GU at about mile eight because it felt like the body used all its glucose again and was going to stagger out. That shouldn't happen in an eleven mile run. Roomie: "Dude, you can do eleven mile runs no problem. Maybe you just need to quit complaining and run through it - not all runs are going to be easy." Sack up and suck up.

TUES
8 w/ Jake through Rancho and UNR at 5:30am. Not bad once I got out of bed and moving. 5.5 in afternoon to help Tegan with her workout. Did 1200, 2x300, 1200, 2x300, 1200. The girl worked hard on an overcast and pretty windy day and hit all her splits! She started the 300's before me and thus I could run a quicker 200 before catching her. Went through at 34's - the muscles were a bit confused: "Um, dude, I know we can go this fast but what are you doing? This isn't natural man." Really fun to train in a comfortable zone with the purpose of helping someone else.

WED
8 miles w/ Jake on short BLC at 5:30am. Started this run thinking my thin under armor and nike windbreaker were too much. Finished with one eye open because the snow was blowing sideways. And later in the day it was sunny and warm. Go Reno.

THUR
12 miles w/ Sean around Huffaker and Lakeside area. Felt pretty strong - mentally prepared the body to run through a similar situation as Monday. This time the energy levelled out for the whole run. Some guy in a big Dodgee 350 decided to play chicken and drive a foot and a half away from the sidewalk (in a residential neighborhood with HUGE streets) while coming at us. I didn't move and so he slowed to almost a complete stop which forced me to move a bit closer to the sidewalk. Guess the man was in no mood to share. Nothing like proving the size of your sack in a huge metal vehicle against a combined human weight of under 275 pounds. Rock climbed in PM.

FRI
11 miles w/ Ronnie along an Anderson-Bartley loop. Felt surprisingly good off of yesterday. New hypothesis - arms really relaxed while ankles felt stretched/wobbly and I'm guessing the results are from rock climbing. But only time will tell. Ran in a t-shirt and shorts and DIDN'T get blown over the by 30mph gusting winds. At least we ran before they gusted up to 55mph.

SAT
8 miles w/ Ronnie at Horsemans. Blue sky. Sun. Chilly. Could have added a few more but already reached enough miles on the week and wanted to give body a slight break before stepping back into double digit runs the first part of next week. Plus I'm getting tissue work done tonight (providence in life) which will also help the body heading into the third, and final, week of this current cycle.

WEEK:
73.5 miles. Second one in a row. Boo-ya grandma. Body felt much better compared to last week, for which I'm grateful. Starting Thursday a few sore points began to linger which led me to schedule some tissue work. When I first met my D.C. (Adam Spindler - South Lake Tahoe if you ever need a guy in the area) the appointments came every week, and then every two weeks. However, I'm now running more miles compared to those appointments and going less. Coming off the ack-illes injury of Fall '08 meant I did much more x-training which led to using different muscle groups and putting my body on awkward machines. Hence the body needed more attitude adjustments (aka more frequent D.C. visits). Now that I'm back to 98% running the muscles are readjusting to what they know. Go muscle memory! At this current mileage level I've been surprised not to feel the need for more tissue work. But it is a positive sign that the body is handling the stress and responding.

NCAA DI 5k indoor champ Lisa Koll (Iowa State) recently cited the strength base she built during the 2009 cross-country season as a big reason for current success. The more a person follows the good runners (Koll, Chico alum Scott Bauhs) the more they hear the same thing - build that strength base and the body will just adapt and push to a new level. I like to think of it as a reassurance cookie.

Need to do more core. Slouching posture = suckage.

Introduced kale and quinoa (pronounced keen-wa...must be French) into the diet this past week. Props to Amie from Portland and Cardenas for the suggestions. Eating new things is fun.

Visited with the Master's program advisor at UNR Thursday afternoon. I knew everything would be okay when, upon entering her office, a jar of M&M's and a rocking chair greeted me. Looks like I'm going to take a learning theories course this summer already! Excited to get back into the classroom. Even completed my fafsa this morning. Steps in the right direction. Trust God all will work out in a timely manner.

Awesome musical artist - Jon Schmidt. Pachelbel Meets U2.

Stay patient. Stay healthy.

Thanks for reading,
tim

Back On My Grind: Feb 28-Mar 6

Last week done, this week marked a return to the low-70 area. Time to get back on the grind, and push ahead Our health on this earth is short, seventy or eighty years if we have the strength. Use it now, and enjoy in the process.



SUN

10 miles solo on Late Loop - planned an afternoon run, but running partners didn't make it so got out the door closer to 5pm. From the training log: "Felt like I had never a day in my life for the first few miles." Really disheartened out the door, but as the warm early evening runs always seem to do, the legs loosened up eventually and turned out to flow really well. Really enjoyed myself once things began moving.



MON

10 miles through Rancho and UNR w/ Sean in AM. Overall legs a bit sluggish, but decided to quit the poutting that often accompanies these days and instead remain positive and just roll with whatever happened. Highlight of the day = the war vet in the boat of a Buick honking as he drove by us. Initial instinct told me to flip the bird, but as he and his honking got closer the old guy was pumping his fist/horn in support of our morning effort with a gargantuan smile. Gotta' love the love.



TUES

11 miles from Anderson to Lakeridge Golf Course w/ Sean in AM. Again from the training log: "Oofta...legs felt empty and tired." Skin on balls of feet (aka where I land and push off which consequently expands said skin) cracked which throws off mechanics and all the odd stress builds up in the ankles, leaving them sore/tight latter in the day.



WED

7.5 miles around UNR solo in PM. Planned an ugly-butt-crack-of-dawn morning run (I HATE working at school all day and then running), but didn't work out. Run just felt like it took a long time. Rock climbed for three+ hours afterwards for roomie's birthday = straight amazing! And it provides such a contrast to running. In running there is much focus, routine, purpose, seriousness, and even stress. Thus I've associated all sorts of "heavier" emotions with this adventure. However, the rock climbing was nothing but fun. So simple, so fun. I think I'm going to ask for a pair of shoes for the upcoming birfday.



THUR

11.5 miles on BLC route w/ Sean in AM. Chill run, good convo. Felt the body run out of glucose (and thus have to start breaking down glycogen - the secondary, long-term energy source in the human body) right around mile niner. A very odd feeling, and also a bit frustrating given I ate a Clif Bar an hour before the run. But obviously the body told me it needed fuel. So instead of stretching after the run I made a mondo breakfast: two eggs with two sausage patties, rice, and avacado, two pieces of toast, and oatmeal with raisins and pecans.



FRI

8 miles through Mayberry Canyon and Woodchuck trails w/ Pottey and Hannah in AM. Legs nothing special, but pace stayed chill.



SAT

15.5 miles along Truckee River Parkway w/ Pottey, Hannah, and Teg in AM. Great to run long with people. Pace never got out of control - makes a person realize how odd they have become: "You mean long days can be chill and I can finish WITHOUT feeling like death???" Also odd to run with the intent purpose of making the expernce better for someone else in the group.

WEEK
72.5 miles. Did not feel amazing this week, but that is the grind. Back on the grind. Back to work. Log the miles and the body will adjust to the imposed stressors and required demands.

Tentative race schedule
Mar 13 - UC-Davis Aggie Open
Mar 21 - Emerald 12K Across the Bay (San Fran)
Mar 26 - San Fran St. Invite

Apr 3 - American River College Invite
Apr 9/10 - Chico Distance Carnival
April 16/17 - Woody Wilson Classic at UC-Davis

May 2 - Reno Marathon/Half
May 8 - Sacramento State Open
May 29 - Aggie Twilight at UC-Davis
May 31 - Marin 10K in Kentfield

June 4/5 - Reno Tahoe Odyssey Relay

Random note - the guy playing open mic in the coffee shop said he was friends with the late Bo Didley. He is the first human that I've ever heard of who knew Bo Didley. Wow. The guy is playing in front a pretty sparce crowd. Two trains of thought. One - this sucks, there are seven people listening. Two - cool, I get to play my music for these seven people. I really hope he is playing for the sake of his instrument and love of music.

Finally recieved my tax return late this week. Taxes were finished and filed two weeks ago. All signs pointed to a maximum of five days before the return came around. That time period came and went. Furthermore I waited for the funds for numerous reasons: credit card, utility payment, food, gas, ect. Days continued to pass without any deposit and the car used its gas and the food in the cabinets was consumed. Finally mid-week, after checking my account for the second time that day, a little voice popped into my head: "Tim - this is the Lord. Have I ever let you down??? Since moving to Reno you've never once run out of gas, lacked food, or missed a credit card payment. Furthermore you buy a cheap cup of coffee once a week and travel to Tahoe every few weeks for deep tissue work. Am I really going to stop taking care of you now? Stand. On. Me." How easily we place our trust in the things of this world which prove unpredictable. King Solomon actually spoke with God on more than one occasion (x-ref 2nd Kings) and he misplaced his faith and trust in pagan gods. Exercise of faith needs to be a Christian's priority. I can't expect to run three days a week and still attain my lofty goals. In the same way I can't exercise my faith on a seldom basis and expect to be strongly connected to the Lord. And I think the whole tax return "experience" proves this point.

Thanks for reading.
Patience and miles.

The elephant wants a piggy back ride

Although a down week in scope and sequence, the past seven days did not feel like much of a break. It more so felt like Dumbo decided to give his ears a break and ride the Skinny Man Transit for most of the runs.

SUN
7 miles at Bartley w/ Ron and Jon - ran on the tail end of the 16 inches of snow that unceremoniously dumped all over the greater Reno area. Running through the snow, however, provided a nice cushion for the legs and it was nice to only run seven miles.

MON
8 miles on treadmill - didn't feel like suiting up for the cold morning nor the slick frozen roads.

TUES
10.5 miles w/ Sean along Journal Jog route - overall felt weak. Stride did not feel chipper on way out and on the return it seemed to straight up run out of all sugar (even though I ate before the run).

WED
1/4 mile swim in AM; Arrowcreek run + strides in PM for 7.5 total. Even though it took a while for the legs to warm up I actually enjoyed being outside and running. After raining cats and dogs all morning the sun broke through and made the day warm enough to sport just a t-shirt and shorts. Strides helped loosen the muscles up.

THUR
10.5 miles w/ Sean along Truckee River w/ 8-8-6-4-2 pickups in AM; strengthening workout with PT and massage appointment with DC in PM. I felt good today!!! Going into the pickups I focused on just relaxing and working hard but not straining. Started the first segment at 5:45 pace and in typical fashion the body improved as the work progressed. The sun was out and once again I actually found enjoyment in the run. I've never worked out with the PT and then was worked on by the DC in the same day. So this provided a chance to experiment. Usually my butt (literally, and hips) is kicked Thursday by the PT which leaves the stride feeling sore Friday and Saturday. However, if I visit the DC (which usually occurs Friday) it makes the stride feel amazing on Saturday's run. Got to work with a new massage therapist in the office. Lesson one: she needs to not worry about hurting my "Tim Boy" body and crank harder next time.

FRI
7 miles on the Ditch Trail w/ Pottey and Hannah - stride lacked fortitude. Right hamstring sore, like it was over used on hamstring curls or cramped up and never relaxed. My theory: after doing segments of 1-2-2:30 minutes of back bridges with the PT (lie on back, knees bent at 90 degrees, lift pelvis in air to form at 45 degree angle with body, and then hold one leg out straight - Google "core exercise bridge" if I suck at describing said exercise) each hamstring knotted up. Later the massage therapist worked on the left ham a bit more than the right (per my comment, "The left hammy is a bit fidgety from time to time") and given she worked pretty light overall she may have not worked out the effects of the back bridges.

SAT
8 miles w/ Sean along 7th Seven - planned ten, but cut route short (in the name of the down week) when the legs never really woke up and once again lacked energy. A wise friend once told me, "If the body is fatigued you can fight through it; if the legs are fatigued you need to back off." Even decided to walk the last half mile home after hitting the eight mark. It didn't make sense to keep running on crap legs and terse lungs. Yet that half mile provided a time to reflect, and thank God for the ability and the day despite the less than desireable outcome. The ease with which we praise God in good times often goes missing once the hard arrives. But what makes this experience most worth the effort - conditional praise or building (sometimes with success and sometimes with failure as we live in an imperfect world) a heart, which like Job, praises God's name no matter what the circumstance? I guess it ties into my larger life journey as a Christian. In the future teaching and church leadership will replace running. Struggles of epic proportion are sure to come. How will I respond?

WEEK
58.5 for a down week. The previous post outlines thoughts regarding the compounded effect of miles on overall energy levels and health. In the mean time I'm enjoying Saturday by chilling out with coffee and doing some planning work for our church's Easter for Kids program. I'm also working on being chill about today's (Saturday) run, and the week as a whole.

There is no secret. Consistent hard work pays off. Eat a lot, and lots of fruits/veggies. Drink water. Stretch. And just run, run, run.

Thanks for reading.

The oddity of the body

The body is currently towards the end of a down week of training (~60 miles vs. the usual low 70 mark). And funny, despite running fewer miles and logging more consistent sleep (compared to previous weeks of higher miles and less sleep) the body is currently consistently tired and fighting a few microscopic bad guys that have run down the immune system. Furthermore, the consumption of coffee early in the day produced little to no effect in overall energy level and alertness. The expected bright eyed and bushy tailed response failed to occur. Interesting.

Yet the body is not responding to this week's training so much as the composite string of the past 72-72-71.5. The stress (take that the right way - physical labor and requirements placed upon the body and immune system) built from those miles is being felt now. Interesting.

So does that mean the body will eventually catch up and catch a break from this week? You tell me.


In other news, I think pool lane sharing is quite communist in nature. While my lane neighbor proved amiable in nature, his wingspan still overflowed well onto my side. The whole lane definitely turned into OUR lane, as opposed to my side and his side. And my attempts to swim big and spread out just proved futile. Sometimes not having my man body really doesn't help.

How is a teacher suppose to react when said professional finishes a run back to campus and is greeted with the hoots and "Holla"s from students. All I could think was, "I was already doing basic Algebra and receiving awkward lectures about sex from my dad when you were born!!!" Thank goodness said runner decided to keep their shirt on even though the sun was out and shining brightly.

On this morning's run:
Pottey: "Tim, I hope you never stop running..."
Tim: *thinking* "Wow, what a nice guy. I bet he is going to talk about being seventy-five and doing local 10K's in short shorts and knee-high socks and still giving the young guys a run for their money."
Pottey: "...because I don't want you to get fat, especially with all your talk of loving donuts."

I should probably enrich myself by reading a book. Game on.

Playing ketchup

Apologies for the delay in posting the past few week's of training. It is Sunday morning and I'm enjoying looking over the logs that talk about runs in 50+ degree weather. I'm also enjoying the irony of ironies that it is currently snowing. A lot. I guess bragging to Midwesterners about putting together a streak of four days of finishing a run sans shirt only leads to 18 inches of snow. Ah well, what is a person to do. I just finished an awesome breakfast of eggs, sausage, onion, pepper, mushroom and toast (and then a bowl of Grape Nuts just to fill in the cracks). Once that settles the tights, long sleeve half zip Brooks top from college, gloves, and $10 Wal-Mart shades will go on and I'll go adventuring through the snow for six or seven. My access to treadmills is currently on vacation in Las Vegas - upon calling said access this morning I said, "If you can, you just might want to stay down yonder for a bit until this here storm clears out like the cottage after Grandpa Linus on chili night."

FEB 7 - FEB 13

SUN

9 miles chill with new roomie Tegan in afternoon

*poor Peyton lost the Superbowl - guy needs to work on not whining so much

MON

10 miles in AM w/ Sean and Steve-O; 20 minutes biking in PM

*picked up brick of cheese along I-80 and carried it back - running uphill with a brick of cheese increases a person's heart rate two fold!

TUES

8.5 miles in AM w/ Sean along Crappy Loop; run + strides w/ Tegan in PM for 4.5

*as morning route's name alludes to, the body wanted nothing to do with running (unable to land on forefoot, quads not helping lift, felt like all the body's sugar was gone) - decided to play smart and cut the run into two parts instead of punishing myself through the planned twelve miles

WED

10 miles solo in PM along Truckee River

*motivation really low, but pushed self out the door - stride much smoother than expected after being on feet all day at school

THUR

10 miles AM w/ Sean, Hannah, and Steve-O at Woodchuck

*body felt lackluster overall, but ditched long sleeve layer halfway out and ran in t-shirt on way back

FRI

7 miles solo in AM w/ 6x30(30) pickups; easy bike 20 minutes PM

SAT

13 miles solo through Keystone and Switchbacks/Evans Canyon

*planned to go fifteen, pushed to get thirteen, legs felt like they wanted to run seven - no power in legs or upper body and real tired at the end.....laid down on sidewalk outside our house and Tegan, upon finishing her run a few moments later, walked past and said, "You look real skinny, you need to eat more"

WEEK: 72 miles

FEB 14 - FEB 20

SUN

8 miles in afternoon along Mayberry Bike Path w/ Kiwi, Hannah, and Steve-O

*during last mile I past through a busy park and a little girl shouted, "That guy has his shirt off!" Aaaahhhh the freedoms that come with adulthood - no parents telling you to put a hat on in order to stave off death and sickness on a warm afternoon.

MON

13+ in AM w/ Sean, Ronnie, and Jon

*pace stayed chill which helped legs since they felt like crap

TUES

10 miles in AM w/ Sean along BLC w/ 8-6-4-2 pickups; lift in PM

*workout turned out pretty well given the legs lacked energy in the first few miles

WED

swim 20 minutes in AM; Gimpy + barefoot strides in PM for 7.5

THUR

11 miles in AM w/ Sean, Hannah, and Steve-O

*legs improved as run progressed, but still nice to just run as opposed to blasting the pace

FRI

7 miles solo in AM along Truckee River

*legs surprisingly loose for running right out of bed (ice bath yesterday may have helped)

SAT

15 miles in AM w/ Ronnie, Jon, and Luke for first ten

*overall the legs just felt dull and the run took quite the conscious effort to complete

WEEK: 71.5 miles leaves the past up cycle at 72-72-71.5. Although overall I felt sub-par this past week I take great victory out of 1) just being able to run like I do and 2) adding a workout, weight room session, and a long day. In retrospect the coming down week (60-ish) is a smart idea. After typing out the past few week's of training it helps me see the body is still adapting to this level of mileage.

Still much work to be done. Stay healthy. Stay consistent. Stay motivated.

Thanks for reading.

Looks like the snow is letting up a bit....

Joy To The World: Jan 31 - Feb 6

Three Dog Night composed the hit single in 1971. This past week I returned to the land of 70's and had to once again learn to run happy.

SUN
9 miles in Keystone Canyon w/ Pottey & Hannah
*you can good game your friend after a good run and you can play Top Gun on a run, but you can't good game your friend while playing Top Gun on a run

MON
10 miles to-from Wal-Mart w/ Ronnie
*way out all the way down which means the way back was up, up, up! and legs didn't seem none to happy to run. ice bath after school helped settle things out.

TUES
10 miles along Switchbacks w/ Sean in AM; 8x200 in PM for 4 miles w/ Tegan
*helped new roomie with her workout in afternoon....really interesting to workout mainly for the betterment of someone else. congrats to Tegan for cranking out sixteen of the half-lappers.

WED
7 miles solo around Galena High School
*legs heavy - that is all

THUR
11 miles in AM w/ Sean along BLC route; PT workout in PM
*got our cruise on! PT workout kicked my tail....oodles of wall sits and side bridges while holding your leg in the air.

FRI
7 miles in PM w/ Potteys in Keystone Canyon
*really helped to have running partners today, as the energy was low

SAT
14 miles solo in AM through trails and BLC route

WEEK
72 miles! Feels good to be back after last week's break.

How does a person "run for fun" or with passion? How does a person avoid being chained to the rock of training and wake up to a similar fate of Prometheus? As a close friend said, "It is not what goes into the body that matters, but what comes out of the heart." The nature of The Task leads me to put many things into my body: miles, diet, sleep, core, stretching, PT, chiropractor, etc. The subsequent goal is to achieve the desired outcome. In this process, however, I have the tendency to output negative results - fear, worry, obsession, tunnelvision. This is when running becomes a chore, an activity which sucks donkey balls. The friend posed the statement with the point that all the hard work can actually ruin the experience if the resulting product actually hinders success. So then the age-old question returns, "How do I run with passion and zeal and fire? How on earth do I run for fun? How do I return to a month past where I loved ten milers? Where running was a game!" How do I bring the joy back into the world of running?

I know that not every run can be fun (or can it?). And I know Bedford said called the majority of training a drudge. I get that - it IS hard work. But I want to love running.


In the mean time I get to use an iTunes gift card provided by a little brother! So far I like Sofisticated (Stereo MC's), Que Sera (Wax Talor), Honey (Moby), Unleashed (Massive Attack), and Cellphone's Dead (Beck). Any further suggestions are welcome.

Thanks for reading.
Patience.
Miles.
Consistency.

Superman has his, I have mine

The Man of Steel himself falls to kryptonite (of which there are actually 18 varities....don't feel like dying by green? try the pink!).






In the same way, I crumble under the heavy weight of an evil, evil power - the donut.

As a competitive distance runner, I quite carefully monitor the foods which enter into my body. The basic premise "Garbage In, Garbage Out" often guides the choices in my diet. After consuming high-quality fuel for a long enough period of time the body actually adjusts. For example, while pizza still tastes great eating an over abundance of slices (6-7, which used to be a norm) leaves my body in a general malaise. Vice versa, consistent intake of fruits and vegetables (and yes, the occasional bowl of glummy, glurpy oatmeal) translates into consistent chipperness. As a result I've learned to avoid certain foods for the sake of just feeling good.
Sadly I have yet to conquer The Donut. The mere thought of bleached, fried dough topped with crisp sugar sends my synapses wildly firing in twenty directions which morphs my brain into its basic, carnal mode. I am consumed by The Donut. Like Aladdin after the lamp, the rest of the world quiets out while the smell and feel intensify. Upon holding The Donut the clouds part and holy sun and song break from heavenly realms edifying the glorious food.

THAT was a break?! Jan 24 - Jan 30

After an amazing three week string of 68-71-70.5, last week called for a down week.

SUN
8.5 miles along new route (Extended 7th) solo

MON
10.5 miles along random BLC route
*ran with a HUGE flippin' group: Ge-off, Steve-O, Hannah, Sean, Hot Carl
*stomach decided to hate big time

TUES
5 miles on Rancho trails AM; 7.5 miles on golf course with Ronnie PM
*felt great to finally return to soft running surfaces

WED
0 miles - scheduled day off
*Cal coach Magdalena Lewy (roommate's college coach and 2:30 marathoner) requires the higher mileage runners to take one day off every six weeks so that they keep from running themselves into a funk. This is week six. While arguements can be made for either side (streak vs. day off) I'm taking the day to see what happens and how the body reacts.

THUR
8 miles solo around UNR
*took a bit extra to kick my butt out the door

FRI
10 miles with Ronnie on Broken Micah (route goes on back roads where roommate was hit off his road bike by an SUV travelling at 35mph - a year and a half and about a dozen surgeries later, he is back to running! the sub 9:20 steepler did a mile while visiting friends at Cal)
*grouchy - wanted to run four miles...body finally warmed up halfway through

SAT
10 miles with Ronnie from Anderson Park to golf course
*so nice and warm I ran in a t-shirt!!! good, quicker pace on way back.

WEEK
Miles = 59.5. Logical progression of thought: run about ten less miles than normal, and even totally skip running one day, and the body will feel refreshed to the point of thanking you. Reality: for the first time in a month and a half the motivation and health dropped dramatically. I felt tired, and not 100% healthy, the entire week. Plus, after the day off it seemed to take both Thursday and Friday before my body remembered how to run. My theory: the body's systems know when you decide to take a break. Furthermore, if you decide to back off so will said systems. They know they do not need to produce at as high of a level. Thus the overall crappy feel of this "down" week. Interesting. Data logged. In another six weeks we will see if results confirm or debunk current experiences.

I'm excited to return to the higher miles for the next up cycle - back to 70-75 range. Plus it is time to begin adding dashes of flavoring (aka low-key workouts - hill repeats, timed segments, etc). I'm also pumped because a new roommate is arriving! And she is stoked on training! Nothing like having a brand new training partner right in the house. Very grateful for that blessing.

Thanks for reading.
Patience and miles.

A bit heavy....Jan 17 - Jan 23

SUN
9 miles around UNR in AM; 20 min. bike PM
*happy that sixty-four minutes of running seemed to pass quickly

MON
12.5 miles along Extended BLC w/ Sean
*by four miles we were already rolling 6:20's, but that pace felt chill in terms of turnover
*tired by the end, but put in 36 miles in past three days

TUES
10 miles on Fat Kid w/ Ron
*route sits at base of Sierra-Nevada Mountains which means today I ran aiming my body to the left so that with the wind I'd actually run straight and stay on the shoulder of the Mt. Rose Highway as opposed to playing chicken with the traffic

WED
5 miles w/ Steve-O
*wind/snow continue to hit Reno, and health down a notch so kept the run low-key
*I FOUND CHEESE!!! Literally! A box of mozzarella bricks must have gone for freedom off the back of a truck and tumbled off the highway and into the fence we ran past. Carried one brick for a while planning to bring it back home (and after that not sure what), but it got heavy so it was eventually tossed

THUR
12 miles along new BLC route solo
*snowing out - provided cushion on the city streets
*love it when ten miles turns into twelve

FRI
13 miles on Orgasmic Donut w/ Ron
*planned an easy day of eight, legs felt like they wanted to only do six, and made the mistake of trying to create a new loop which ended up being thirteen
*if you want the story behind the route's name let me know

SAT
9 miles along Truckee River solo
*sun finally makes an appearance!!!

WEEK
70.5 miles!!! Build back: 50-55-59-64-64-68-71-70.5
1-I can feel the body slimming down a bit. "You look a bit skinny" = I must be getting fitter.
2-Accomplished abs/stretching/extras much better this week.
3-Didn't sleep well for most of the week: didn't fall asleep right away, woke up during the night. Really annoying. Then the mind freaks out ("Aaahhhh! I need sleep! Go to sleep!") which doesn't lend any solution.
*I think, as opposed to training for fun and really enjoying the experience, my body/mindset are beginning to shift back to serious mode. Example: "Cool, I get to run ten miles today" vs. "If I don't get ten miles today that sets my week back and I have to make it up." Example: "Gotta' get to bed and sleep right away to get my rest or else I won't be as recovered tomorrow" vs. "Long day - good run - time to chill and fall asleep."
4-Body/mind starting to tire.
*The "honeymoon" period of once again running 70/week is wearing off. Reality now begins to take hold: this is a lot of work and stress does mount on the body....I do tire. Up to this point I felt absolutely jacked about each and every run. Towards the end of Saturday's miles I had to pep talk the body a bit - this was cool and fun and just needed to be enjoyed. Thankfully it all finished with that mindset. Yet it was a big change from the trend of the past few weeks. Gotta' find ways to stay so fresh and so clean clean (eat right and A LOT, sleep well.....any other tricks you know of?).
5-The right ack-illes is making noise again.
*The tendon injury put a premature stop to the first fall of training (2008). Praise God, a great P.T. healed everything. Each run I keep a closer eye on things and have started the main exercise from the P.T. again. I also wear a compression sock at night to help with blood flow.
6-The age old question once again arises: How much does a runner push out of their life in the pursuit of dreams?
*A few outside-of-running activities presented themselves over the past few months. And I'm not sure where to draw the line. This is especially true with the opportunities related to church. I feel like saying "No" to church is saying "No" to God, which for me personally is for some reason a big no-no. I see the Lord's work as very important and thus why would I say no to something important? Yet an issue in all this is that I've never intertwined faith/running. Running has always been my thing, almost seperate of God. Thus doing running makes me feel like I need to do church "stuff" in order to balance out my pursuits with God's pursuits. This all screams of works righteousness (aka to appease God we must DO something). All wrong. Out of a contrite spirit, the Lord wants our time/talent/treasure as a "thank you" for what He did for us.
*Life = black & white. Do it 100% or leave it. Hence the decision to move to Reno to pursue training and leave teaching. And this spills over into these other areas of life. Being involved in a new church is really, really cool. And thinking about helping a non-profit educate people about homelessness in Reno is also appealing. Both of these avenues are worthy of hard work; the kind of work a person does as their career path. So I guess I see these opportunities and see that I'm not delving in 100% and that does produce feelings of sandbagging. One way to relieve said feelings: ditch the whole shabang all together. Hence, the original question: how much does a runner push out of their life? More appropriate response (which I think will take adjustment): I've chosen to be a B.A. runner right now and I need to recognize using gifts/abilities of any kind (when done correctly) praises God. In the mean time I can be okay with dipping a finger into other areas. While other praiseworthy opportunities exist it does not mean they are the correct choice. In another word: focus. God is giving me choices in life! A lot of sweet choices! I get to pick! How 'bout them apples! I'm choosing running and my dreams to mix it up at the Olympic Trials in two and a half years. In the mean time I can dabble and BE OKAY with just dabbling in other areas.

Guest lecture finished. Thanks for reading.

Props to a few WSU runners: Jono, Chelsea, and Dan. Jono and Dan both ran the mile at this past weekend's WSU Indoor Invite with the first hitting 4:14 and the second 4:19. Chelsea ran the 3K, and while not so happy with her time she did finish the week with 93 miles. Dang girl! Please let me know if you have any results/accomplishments (even unrelated to running) you want broadcasted here!

Patience and miles.
-tim

Wyatt f-ing Earp!

The facial hair has officially (and thus dramatically) changed.

I've always wanted to be a cowboy.

About time: Jan 10 - Jan 16

This past week marked the highest mileage week since early August of LAST YEAR. Boo-ya Grandma. The patience of starting this build back at 50 miles is finally paying off. The climb followed 50-55-59-64-64-68 and now 71.

SUN
8.5 miles on Rancho trails in PM - really sloppy. Tons of people walking dogs, but thankfully no one decided I was worth the effort for a bite.

MON
11 miles out and back along Truckee River

TUES
10.5 miles along BLC route - takes me under the famous Reno arch. Ran in shorts and a t-shirt. How 'bout them apples, Midwest runners!!!

WED
8 miles on Woodchuck. Trail sloppy, but this kept pace slower which is what the legs needed after the past few days.

THUR
12 miles along Truckee in AM; workout with P.T. in PM. Morning run was awesome!!! Blue sky returned to Northern Nevada, and it was really chilly. The vagrants were very friendly as well. P.T. workout designed to strengthen hips/glutes/quads/hammies. The overall strength gains help with turnover.

FRI
1/4 mile swim in AM; 6 miles + strides = 6.5 total in PM. Run of the week: garnered two car honks/hoots as well as a bum, who upon passing, without missing a beat said, "I've been doing lots of walking and weight training myself." What?! Its like I stopped and said, "I'm running lots of miles to stay healthy, how about you good sir?" He totally caught me off guard - just offered a fist pump and "Keep it up."

SAT
14.5 miles from Mira Loma along Truckee in AM.

WEEK
71 miles (8:15:51)!!! I am absolutely ecstatic to be back at the seventy-mile mark. Positive areas: stretched regularly, incorporated drills for a second week in a row. Areas for improvement: abs, Non-Required Essentials (aka balancing on boccie balls, foot rolling on pvc, foam rolling, eccentrics for achilles, upper body stretches, push-ups).

Thanks to the former college roommate I've begun taking GU on anything twelve miles or longer. As mental as this may be, it seems to improve the last few miles of those medium-long/long runs. And if nothing else, its like having a treat while you run! However, I'm still working on not sputtering and choking during consumption.

Now that the miles are finally back to a higher level, the focus on recovery and diet become that much more important. This past week a few former Cal runners visited for a few days, and it was great fun hanging with them. It also meant I bumped normal sleep hours. Plus the church meetings added a few later nights. The sleep was short a few days, as well as inconsistent with bedtime and rise time. Last night at the grocery store I picked up some red and yellow peppers, as well as kiwi fruit. Cassidy said, "If the furnace is hot enough it will burn anything." I totally agree (and have found that I am once again a REAL consumer), but I still want quality octane.

This also brings up another interesting point: in the name of training I cut off a lot of possible choices which would lead to higher highs and lower lows. As of late I feel very steady, very even keel, very "drama" free. And a lot of this probably has to do with the fact I don't let "drama" (NOT used in the same context as high school teenager....bleck!) situations into life. And at times I greatly miss the normal life. However, I still believe that in the name of this journey it is a requirement. I would like to ask for YOUR thoughts on this issue. Train and be chill? Add a lax factor so as to not be so serious? Full steam ahead after these dreams as it is once in a lifetime?

Prayers of thanksgiving as earlier in the week one of my little brothers fell on a cement floor, bashing his face and chipping a tooth. Unsure of possible facial bone breaks it turned out to be "just" a root canal (and new tooth - hopefully he blings it out) and a bashed nose.


"The world needs extreme examples to shake it out of apathy."

Thanks for reading,
tim

Jan 3 - Jan 9

SUNDAY, JAN 3
10 miles

MONDAY, JAN 4
10 miles on Fat Kid loop w/ Ron

TUESDAY, JAN 5
11 miles out and back along Truckee River

WEDNESDAY, JAN 6
1/4 mile swim AM; 7.5 miles + strides in PM = 8 total

THURSDAY, JAN 7
10 miles through Arrowcreek with Ron and Sean AM; workout w/ P.T. PM

FRIDAY, JAN 8
6 miles with Pottey in AM; chiro work in PM

SATURDAY, JAN 9
13 miles from Mira Loma to Truckee with Ron

WEEK: 68 miles! Highest weekly total in nearly three months. Ten mile runs are slowly becoming the norm, and I am enjoying running much more overall.

COMING WEEK: Hit 70 mark. H2O, H2O, H2O!!!