February 2013 totals and then some!

Run   250.7km
YTP  677.8km

One race ,  8mile "Refrigee-Eigher" ... OK race with encouraging results.

 Funny month,  50K short of my goal however it was all about adding a some speed again and that I have accomplished   At the start of the month I ramped up from a lumbering 6:00 pace to what I actually consider "Running" a 5:00 pace.    Another big step going forward is Farlteks for the past few weeks.     I have never done Farlteks on a regular basis but anyone that has ever made them part of their running routine will tell you its the nest thing they have ever done to increase speed.   In the past I have done some 5Ks at a 4:00 pace ...brutal on the joints.   I see no benefit running like that any more.  I don't see much of a requirement to hold a 4:30 pace any longer then 45 minutes.   I would like to do another 42.2 at a 5:00 pace and it really seems doable.  One thing about Farleks is that it gives me another gear,  falling back to a recovery 5:00 pace is allot differnt then receoveing at a 7:00 pace.   Recovery happens it just takes a little longer.   So now into mid May its shorter faster with some 10K,  21.1K and 30K races upcoming.    Past mid may I ramp up my distance and slow down the speeds leading up to my 100 Milers in August and September.   I have planned a season where the race is  the training for the next race...makes it easy to get it done.

 Last year at this time I was dealing with allot of Groin Pain that stuck with me through the Summer last year. I am pleased to report that its 100% gone.   As a matter of fact all the running bits are more or less cooperating.   My right foot settled down but has started to act up a bit.   Running with the toes curled is a defensive position that works.  I am also avoiding sock feat wearing shoes around the house!    Left Knee on the odd occasion will say "Hey".... this one goes back to the spring of 2010.   Its not a problem but its something that I need to be aware of.  Bad form can bring on the fault ,  so can running on hard surfaces ... bring on the trail!    Weighed in tonight and I am tipping the scales at 178 lbs ,  kind of typical  for this time of year.    

There Goes February

Final run of February 2013 tonight on my lunch break.  Logged  10K at a mostly 5:00 pace with 200m fartleks thrown in at 4,5,6,7,8 and 9K mark.

Ditto yesterday

10K again today the same way as yesterday...I am happy with that!

Mixing it up

After a few snails pace runs over the weekened I brought it indoors today logging 10K at a 5:00 pace with 200m 4:30 fartleks done at 4,5,6,7,8 and 9K mark.

20K today on the backraods of the former Glenelg TWP. 10cm of fresh snow made for some tough slugging. Had to break trail for 5K heading back on the Baseline. I was going to stop after 17K but I didn't want to waste the tired legs so I hit the "Snowmobile Trail" and did another 3K. Recover is sweet, threw a few logs on the fire, grabbed a Sleemans Draft and a fist full of West Grey Premium Beef "Hot as Heck Pepperoni"...bliss!

More comfortable today

Just couldn't head North on the 2nd so I turned left at the end of the driveway today.       Did a left , left, left, right  left, left, left and I was back home logging 14.7Ks today.  

2nd Run Today

Started the weekend taking it outside this evening logging 12Ks..  It wasn't real cold at -4C but a bit of snow and some wind made it feel kind of chilly.  

Up next

OK final 6K lunch run for a bit ,  time to take it outside and go longer.

Re-Fridgee-Eighter Pictures

Again

6.1K at lunch today.

Lunch again

6K today just like yesterday and every day last week.

Tuesday

Another 6K lunch run same as every day last week.

8 Mile RE-FRIDGEE-EIGHTER RUN - Sunday Feb 17, 2013

Coldest  ever event today and of course I overdressed!     Did the 8 Mile ( 12.7K ) RE-FRIDGEE-EIGHTER RUN  today.

 Had some reservations about going to the effort of getting out of bed a 6:am,   almost 3 hours of driving to run for an hour!    Managed to make it to the race only to find that they didn't have bib for me ,  as a matter of fact they didn't find me on the list!!!!  Well I wasn't really all that unhappy ... thought about jumping in the car and going home but I was pretty sure that I laid out the $$ for the race.  I had lots of time so I grabbed my iPhone and logged into my Gmail account and there it was my registration confirmation for this years race.   As it turned out I am down as Ronald Gordon ,   I had registered using my legal  name Ronald Gordon Irwin and they lobbed off the Irwin part!!!!!    

 OK ,  so I got to the start line.  It was -24C when I pulled in at 08:30 and had warmed up considerably by 10:00 am, around -17C .... man I was overdressed and I knew it!   Mistake #2 ,   Saucony Exodus Gortex Trail Shoes on bare pavement ...can you say overkill?     I seeded myself near the back at the start thinking chip time ,  nope gun time start ...well there goes 30 seconds!    First K lots of traffic but I really didn't care ,  posted a 5:13 time allot faster then it felt.  The crowd thinned quickly   so I picked it up completing the 2nd K in 4:49.  I like watching the avg pace tick down and it felt like a moderate effort   and was satisfied  with anything sub 5:00.   2.5K in beads of sweat started to form ,  hat came off and the zipper on the firewall jacket started to head South.   Completed the third K in 4:44 ,  felling good but getting hot.   More or less did the next 7K at a fairly even effort logging 4:47, 4:50, 4:48, 4:44, 4:44, 4:39, and 4:45 Ks.   I was trying to do the math and though that if I pushed hard for the remaining 3 or so Ks I had a shot a breaking 1 hour    So for the first time in the race I started to push  logging 2 consecutive 4:30Ks ,  not quite good enough but I thought that maybe ,  just maybe I could find yet another gear. Finished the remaining  0.725Ks at a 4:20 pace but what I needed was around 4:00.

 Crossed the Matt tripping the clock at  1:00:21 good for  43rd out of 145 participants,  4th in the 50-54 AG category out of 7 old guys and I was the 39th male out of 89 in the race.  

 All and all a good day with some decent results.  If I had have been more focused and more in tune with things before the race, ie. road shoes etc,  then I could have got it somewhere sub 59:00.    I enjoy the challenge of the shorter races and find it really helps me to remember that this is a "race" and we are "racing" and sometimes I do like to challenge the clock!  

Tired day but its OK

Its hasn't been the greatest week for running.  With the Refregee Eighter tomorrow the long run was not on the books for today ,  as a matter of fact if I was really going to race it then no run should have been on the books for today.   It was too nice not to take it outside today but I knew that I shouldn't but I did anyway   Decided to go easy ,  no trails and just go easy and that is more or less what I did logging 10.3 Ks at a over a 7:00 pace.  

Final lunch run of the week

6K again , just like M, T , W and T this week. Going to try to take it outside tonight.

Again

6K again today at lunch, same as every other day this week.

Yet another lunch run.

Yup ,  log another 6K lunch run to February calendar    Same as Monday and Tuesday.  The Fartelks are getting easier!

Lunch Run

6K today the same way as yesterday 

Reset

After 4 days of slugging it out in the snow I hot the treadmill at lunch logging 6K at a 5:00 pace with 200m farteks at 3,4,5Ks at a 4:30 pace.   2nd fartlek just about killed me.    Running the Re Fregeither this weekend.   Breaking an hour seem like a pipe dream...gotta aim high!

4th consecutive day

 Its been a challenge fitting it in these past 4 days but I did manage to log 4 runs outside logging 10K this evening.  It was only a little below freezing but the winds were really gusty making it feel much cooler then what it was.   Its back to the treadmill tomorrow and a continuation of my "speed" work.  Re Frigee Eighter next weekend so there are no long ones planned and possibly a day of rest ,   Saturday before Sundays race.  

Sunny Run

16.3K today ,  it was warm ,  too warm in the Sun today.  When I hit the shaded areas I froze.

10K any day is a good day

Life happens ,   running  and all the fun stuff have to be put on the back burner.   Managed to sneak in a much needed 10K heading out into the cold cold wind a little after 10pm.

Pictures from todays run

Taking it outside

After 3 weeks of running on the treadmill I finally took it outside today logging 18.6K.  Through 15.5K I was averaging a 6:22 pace but I hit the snowmobile trail for the last few Ks and slowed to a 7:30 trail crawl....it was tough but worth it.    The weather was pretty decent ,  more moderate temperatures a -5C but there was a strong  southerly breeze at times that made it feel allot cooler then it was.    Dress in Mizuno tights ,  two Mizuno compression tops,  compression hat,  dollar store mitts,  Saucony Exodus Gortex Shoes and my oh so beloved Injinjji Toe Socks.   I was OK to slightly chilled into the wind ... properly dressed for the conditions and the pace.

Last run indoors for a bit.

Another 6K the same way as Monday and Tuesday.  Going to take it outside the next 4 days.

Ditto

6K the same as yesterday and the same as tomorrow!

Lunch Run + Fartleks

6K lunch run done at a 5:00 pace.  3X200m 4:30/K Fartleks thrown in ... I can really see huge value in  doing this sort of thing.

One last gear!

Another 12K done on my lunch break today.  The 5:00 pace is feeling comfortable so from 6k on the first 200 meters of each K were done at a 4:30 pace.     I am going to use this strategy for the next couple of months trying to lengthen the runs although there will still be a pile of shorter "lunch runs" thrown in too.   Looking forward to taking it outside later in the week.  Warmer weather and a 4 day weekend should help the cause.  

1st February Run

Working 12 hour days today so it seemed fitting to do a 12K run at a mostly 5:00 pace.   Didn't run the past 2 days , been Skiing... http://westgreyskier.blogspot.ca/

January 2013 Totals

Good month ,  one race "Run for Kids" at York U ...56K logged.

January  -   327.1 km
YTD     -    327.1 km