Out at Devil's Racecourse

Beautiful spring morning run up to the Fire Tower and back.

Ricketts Glen

Spent the last few days at Ricketts Glen.  Some great times with family and some awesome trails. 

Karl Meltzer Wasatch Race Report

Great race report from Karl Melzer.  It is hard to fathom hurting your back and then getting the flu...and then running a 100 mile mountain race.  Let alone placing third in a competitive field.  It is a funny and good read to get you motivated.

Week of September 5th to 11th

It has been a stressful week (much less so for me than for so many in the area) and I didn't get enough sleep  or calories and this definitely effected me training.  My tendency is to forgo taking care of myself when I am super busy and this is a habit I have to quit if I want to continue with my level of activity.  At any rate, I have had over a month of solid training and I have lost almost 20 pounds since returning from my injury.  Last week was a great week of running, which why this week's hard runs were frustrating. On a positive note, I have eliminated sugar from my diet and greatly increased my fruit and vegetable consumption and I can really tell the difference in my overall health and well being.  I also got to hit the trails on Monday and I'm looking forward to logging many miles on the trails this fall.  I have decided to run the Harrisburg Marathon in November and it feels good to have something to train for again.
Total Miles for the Week:  47
Shoes this week:  Montrail Mountain Masochist, Saucony Kinvara, and Brooks Green Silence

Inconsistency

Well, it has certainly been a while since I posted on here and there are various reasons for this.  I have been injured for the about the past month due to my own stupidity.  I dropped a board on my right foot and bashed it up pretty good and instead of letting it heal, I just kept on running as usual.  I was limping a bit and this altered my gait enough that it my left ankle developed some pretty intense pain.  This pain kept me off the roads and trails for almost all of July.  I've just started back this past week and things seem to be going well.  What has not gone well is some unfortunate weight gain that occurred during my time off.  I really need to do a better job of taking care of myself on a consistent basis.  Plans are on hold right now as far as racing goes and I am just going to focus on losing the weight and getting a good base built up again. 

Great Radio Lab Podcast

Here is a great Radiolab Podcast on ultrarunner Diane Van Deren. 

Back from Injury

It has been quiet on the blog for a while because I sprained my ankle last month on a trail run and it had me holed for a few weeks.  The sudden inactivity proved to be a nasty shock to the system and I suffered from insomnia, headaches, and unfortunately put on a few pounds.  Last week marked my return to training and I got 43 miles under my belt.  This week has been an amazing training week and marks the return to my normal mileage.  I also signed up for my first 50 miler:  The Dirty German Endurance Fest.  Will update the week's miles soon, but now it's time to head out the door for a run.

Scott Jurek Making a Comeback

A really great and inspiring Running Times article on Scott Jurek.  Just finished reading it and now I'm about ready to hit the road for a snowy ten miler.

My Kiddos

My wife, Michelle, just started a blog where she'll take a picture of the kids every day of 2011.  I think it is a pretty neat idea.  Check it out here if you want to see what my kiddos look like.  I think they are rather cute.  Then again I'm pretty biased.

Week of December 27th to January 2nd

This is the first really quality week of running I have had in about a month.  I didn't get any runs in longer than 10.5 miles, but I still banged out 61 miles for the week.  I had a great trail run this morning, which focused on climbing, and I also did a speed workout yesterday.  I'm feeling really strong and I'm focused on building a good base over the winter months.  This summer I plan on actually having a race season and plan out some schedule, including an ultra.  The money situation here isn't the best, so that will have to be a consideration, so probably no races out west this year.  I'm currently researching the possibilities and will post them soon.

First Trail Run of 2011

Headed out to Stony Valley Rail trail early this morning and to climb up Devil's Race Course.  There was a light rain falling when I first got there, but the temperature was in the 40s and it felt great to set out on the trail.  It has been about two months since I have gone on a trail run.  Turned off the rail trail after about a mile or so and started climbing up the mountain.  Central Pennsylvania doesn't exactly have impressive mountains, but this one is still a slog to get to the top.  There's about three and half miles of climb  to get to the top and I power hiked up most of it, running whenever the trail briefly flattened out.  Got to the top and it was nice soft double track for about two miles before I had to head back.  I felt like going on, however had to get back to the family.  Headed back and tore down hill and got to the bottom in less than half the time it took me to climb up.  I got back to the car and reluctantly returned back to civilization.  I was only out there today for two hours, but the solitude and peacefulness of being out in the woods really has put my mind in a better place.  My body on the other hand is going to be mad at me tomorrow.  I need to work on descending down hills and these first few times of getting back into it are gonna be rough on my quads.  I'm going to have to get a pair of stabilicers, or something akin to them, so that I keep up the trail running in the next few months.  I'm sure some snow will be on its way in no time.  Well, time to hobble through the house and get some cleaning done.  

Finally Back in Business

About a month ago I was absolutely hammered by work obligations and I let the stress get to me.  Instead of sticking with my running as an outlet, I was just so worn out I opted for sleep instead instead of my morning run.  Predictably the stress mounted, and without my running as a release it all caught up to me and I had a bit of a mini meltdown.  So, that lesson has been. learned and I'm getting back to a normal training routine.  Feeling much better, but I am amazed and chagrined at how much fitness I have lost.  I have also packed on a few pounds and definitely have my work cut out for me in my quest.
I've also taken some time to reflect on what I want to achieve and where I want to focus my efforts.  There has been way too many distractions in my every day life and it is time to really focus my efforts.

Training Week of November 15th to 21st

A pretty light training week for me:  just 55 miles.  I did squeeze in an 11 mile bike ride on a flooded, windy day, so that should count for something.  Have a short work week, so next week should  see real mileage.

Brooks Addiction GTS 11 Review

My daughter, Emma, trying em on

Ok, I like me some running shoes but I'm not too technical about their specific make up.  I am smart enough to differentiate betweeen good and bad, great and horrible.  At any rate here our my thoughts on the Adrenaline gts 11s:  They are pretty mind-blowingly great.  I've put about seventy miles on them and they are extremly responsive, extra cushy, supportive that got me adding some miles at the ends of runs because I was feeling so good.  The inner is also extremely soft and my foot feels great inside.  I am a forefoot/midfoot striker and the trainsition is quite smooth.  I may have put off getting a new pair of running shoes for too long (for finincial reasons) and my right knee and left foot were starting ti act up a bit.  After two runs on these and all pain has disappeared.  They seem like they will last longer than the 10s, but wull keep posted on their wear and tear.  Overall, these are just a great running shoe and it has just enough stubility and cushioning for me to run high mileage weeks without excessive concern about injury (hope those words don't come back to haunt me!).  If you're in the market definitely give them a try.  My daughter seems to like them.  She thinks they'll help her fly in her fairy suit!

2010 Harrisburg Marathon and Relay

This morning I ran the relay with Hannah, Tracey, and Pam. It was a beautiful fall morning and I couldn't have asked for a better race. Tracey ran the first leg and then I ran the second. I ran 9 miles in 1:15:31, which is a pretty zippy pace for me. I started off over the walking bridge from City Island and then heading down to the lower river path on Front Street. Things were going pretty well until I went to the upper level path and then my stomach started to feel a little queasy. I had to cut back the pace a little and soldier on for a few miles until it subsided. I was feeling pretty good by the time I hit Industrial Road and picked up the pace substantially. As I rounded the corner by the Farm Show entrance towards Hacc I was plowing along at a pretty good pace...a little too much because by the time I hit the relay chute and tagged Pam my stomach was pretty upset with me again. I didn't really care by then, though and was just happy to have contributed. Pam and then Hannah finished up the race and everyone did a great job. The relay team finished with a time of 3:44. Looking forward to doing the full again next year.

New Brooks

So I went into the Inside Track today and thought of going with the Asics GT 2160 based on the good review in Runners World. I tried them on but they just didn't feel right compared to the trusted Brooks. The Adrenaline GTS 11 just came out and so I went with them. Here they are beside the old pair of Adrenaline GTS 10s, which are only two months old. Running highish miles a week keeps me sane, but it sure isn't great on the pocketbook.
I'll be testing the 11s out tomorrow for the relay and after a few runs I'll write up a little review. Speaking of the relay, I met my team today and I am really looking forward to the run tomorrow. I have never done a relay, so it will be an experience. I always like meeting fellow runners and sharing training and race stories. The weather is to be in the 60s and sunny. Really can't ask for a better day. Time to get the packet together and rest up.

Ugh

This has been a horrible training week. The demands of work just got to be overwhelming and I haven't been getting out there near as much as I need to. I guess there are going to be times like this. Tomorrow is I'm running the Harrisburg Marathon in a relay team and I am really looking forward to that. Then it is back to high mileage.

Dark and Early

I'll be starting work early for the next few weeks, so I'll be getting up at 4 am to squeeze in these morning ten milers. I suppose this counts for some dedication, right?

Exercise and the Common Cold

Ok, so I'm getting over a cold. But, hey, I don't get sick that often. Here's a great piece on how regular exercise can help prevent getting the common cold: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131094125

Here We Go

I guess now is as good as anytime to get this started. At the moment I have a raspy cough and may be taking the day off running and get some much needed rest. It has been a goal of mine for a few years now to run an ultra, however things always seem to get in the way (New job, surgeries, and this past year a nasty mountain bike crash induced injury). This time I have given myself 10 months to prepare and train. If all goes well I will have a 50 miler and a 100 miler to my name by fall of next year. This blog will chronicle the process, along with the highs and lows which will undoubtedly go along with the training. Here we go.