1/6/14 - 1/12/14

Monday: PM 1:04:00
It's negative ten degrees outside and I decided the indoor bike trainer was the best option for the day.  Actually, it's something I'm planning to push myself to do twice a week (probably Mondays and Thursdays).  Cross training is important when trying to stay injury free, improving overall muscle strength and especially to keep from getting over worked and bored.  I actually have a lot more cycling background than running, so for me it's a no brainer to cycle for cross training, rather than something like swim or using an elliptical.  My goal it to get about 2-5 hours of cross training in per week, but it'll stay closer to 2-3 h/w until I'm able to get outside for longer bike rides...cycling in the winter is not my cup of tea.

Tuesday: PM 1:05:00
Cold weather (I know, terrible excuse) and another night of getting home after dark has brought be back to the treadmill.  Actually this works out well because it should be the only night this week there is any potential for having to use it.  My run felt good, other than staring at the wall for an hour.  For the second time in the last two weeks, I had to deal with very rude people at the gym who insist on turning the TV to face the weight area (this is a small gym at my condominium complex, two tread mills, two stationary bikes and some weight equipment).  Not that I think I should be obligated to having the TV for my own use, but they could at least take the TV off mute or turn it so we can both see it?  Last week a guy actually turned the TV off when he left, leaving me on the treadmill in silence.  O well, at least I love running and don't really need to distract myself from what I'm doing.

Wednesday: PM 1:00:00
Back outside today for some very much needed trail running.  The weather warmed up to around 26 degrees with little to no wind, so it was beautiful running weather.  The area I run in follows a small river through a gorge, with all sorts of water falls and streams leading into it.  The extremely cold temperatures the past few days made for a very scenic (and frozen) run.  I focused today on hill work, running in and our of the gorge repeatedly.  I only did about 6-8 repeats, mostly because my lower legs felt a little fatigued (the pain I was feeling reminded me of previous stress fractures, which is a very uncomfortable feeling).  With cycling night tomorrow and a short running day on Friday, I should be all rested up for a big weekend of running!

Thursday: PM 1:15:00
I was back on the treadmill today, but not because the weather was poor.  I re-joined the fitness center by my house with my GF, in hopes I do a little more cross training and core workouts.  Actually, I think it will be nice for us to workout together.  She's very active, as she owns a dance studio; however she hardly gets any opportunities to spend time working out for herself.  As for my run, it went okay.  I'm certainly feeling the impact of a 40+ mile week on my knees though.  Other than that, big gyms are hot and aren't all that great for hour long run.

Friday: OFF
I totally had every intent in the world to do some time on the bike trainer, but it never happened.  I wasn't to worried about it though, with the big weekend of running I have in front of me.

Saturday: AM 2:20:00
My long run today actually went really well, weather included.  I did an out and back run on the bike path to give my legs a little rest from the trails.  It felt really good to run on a flat surface without the annoyance of ice and snow.  The second half of my run was great since I ended up running and shooting the shit with a local runner.  As it turns out, he's very connected in the local running scene and may be someone I'll end up doing some longer runs with.  Having people to run with is always nice.

Sunday: PM 1:20:00
Well, today was the moment of truth.  I'll admit, I was worried before my run that I'd be okay to get any miles in at all.  My pinky toes both have blisters and my knees feel every mile they did the last week.  The first few minutes were a little questionable, but my legs quickly loosened up and felt awesome.  I got a good hour in of slow, but solid running.  Running fast wasn't really even an option, as the trails were incredibly muddy.  I did manage to tweak my right knee, causing me to cut the run a little short.  After realizing it wasn't worth trying to push it, I decided to just walk the last ten minutes back to my car and call it a day.  Hopefully a little ice will fix everything.  All in all, great week of running!

12/30/13 – 1/5/14

 12/30/2013

Monday: PM 00:31:19

Nothing real special about todays run, other than it being another “lunch break run.  I try to get into work about thirty minutes early so I can do 3-6 miles over my lunch break and still have a little time to grab some food.  I would think most employers would be willing to make arrangements with employees to do this.  It really help my afternoon energy levels and prevents a lot of running in the dark.

12/31/2013

Tuesday: PM 00:30:00

Weekly treadmill workout.   Nobody truly “likes” treadmills (don’t ever trust someone who does all their training on a treadmill, that’s my motto), but I find them very useful during the winter months.  Bad weather is never an excuse to skip a run, so I keep my legs accustom to the treadmill for those really crummy days.   I’ve found that if I don’t do a treadmill run at least once every two weeks or so, I almost always end up with something aching after using it. I rarely exceed an hour on them, but there have been plenty of times I’ve easily doubled that.  Some days it’s just nice to build up a good sweat…and treadmills will certainly let you do that even when it’s below freezing!

1/1/14

Wednesday: PM 00:50:00

Trail Day!  I Spent New Years Day with my GF and her daughter exploring John Bryant State Park, just outside Yellow Springs, Ohio.  Well, they sort of did their own thing while I ran but it was great for us all to get out in the woods.  The trails were quite messy, as Ohio has seen a ton of rain and flooding after recent rains and snow melts.  I pushed the run pretty hard since I was trying to keep it under an hour.  These are trails I will be getting to know very well since they’ll be “home-base” for this years ultramarathon training.

1/2/14

Thursday: PM 1:02:00

Several inches of fresh snow and a late day at the office brought me inside for the days training.  Rather than relying on the treadmill, I headed to the Wright State indoor track!  The track is around 1/8 mile (middle lane), approximately 75 degrees (at a minimum) and has concrete wall on one side and a tall black curtain on the other.  Yes, it’s every bit as miserable as it sounds but has a special place in my heart.  It was on this track that I spent countless hours training for the first few marathons I completed. Even though tonight’s run was only around an hour, I was quickly taken back to that twilight zone feeling you get after running in a circle in what feels like a never ending tunnel.  I can’t complain too much though, since it beat being outside that evening.

1/3/14

Friday: LAZY DAY

Decided to take the day off so I could hit it hard over the weekend.

1/4/14

Saturday: AM 1:35:00    

Todays run was done at John Bryant State Park and felt different than any other trail run I’ve ever done.  I now have a plan, to take on a 50 mile mountain ultramarathon.  I didn’t feel as rushed as I usually do, probably because deep down I know that an hour and a half “jog” though the woods is nothing compared to a ten plus hour race over 16,000 feet of tough mountain terrain.

1/5/14
Sunday: AM 1:04:00
Great morning out and back run on the snow covered bike path and trails here in my town.  I'd say it was about half trails and half (snow covered) paved path.  I was happy to see myself have a faster split on the way back in, especially since it's uphill for the last mile and a half.  At my turn around, I decided to really focus on my form and the path I ran through the snow in.  It made a huge difference and left me less fatigued and much more efficient.  Runs like these are what keep us coming back for more.
               PM 00:28:00
Big storm/cold front moving into Ohio so I decided to do my second run of the day on the treadmill.  Not enough time for a run of any length, so I did a good ol' incline workout.  These workouts are simple and very challenging.  I just pick a good speed for the entire workout, then crank the incline up periodically throughout the run.  Today I started at 2 and increased each mile until the last where I moved it up .5 every 1/4 mile.  Great way to make a 30ish mile run a ton more exciting.