For Whom the Dogs Bark

69F, 91% (DP 66F), NNE calm.  Back out on a sore left hamstring, but still running OK, though I can't generate much speed.  6.04 miles at a 9:04 pace, 135 average heart rate.  Resting heart rate at the curb was 49, so my body is loving the cooler air and no hard running.  No speed yet.  This morning was probably the last time outside before I race in 10 days, everything else is TM, but that should work OK for a half, if I can heal up in time.

10K on the TM at a Red Sea resort.  Holiday in Egypt so our hosts brought us out here.  It is an "enhanced security zone", so hard to tell exactly where we were, but the water is blue and they assured us it is the Red Sea.  It was a progression run, finished at about 13.5 km/hr, not super fast but OK.

68F.  Back in Houston before heading out to the race tomorrow.  Quick 6, including 2 x 1K at about 7:15 pace, just to get a little bit of blood flowing in my legs.  Pretty bad finish to the training cycle.  Overall 8:18 pace.

45F to start, 60F to finish.  Difficult race in Susanville, California, my wife's home town.  Wade came out here to run it with me, then we are going to climb a couple of mountains.  Got bussed to the start at 5200'.  Wade did much better, as he has been running at 6000 to 7000 feet all summer.  Long downhill run, but it was trail so spent a lot of time dodging rocks.  A few bridges and tunnels as well.  Downhill was definitely faster, but not enough to make up for the other factors.  My lungs burned the first three miles, then dead legs, bonk-style, the last three miles.  Averaged under 7:20 for the first 8 or 9, then fell off considerably.  Had a hard time breaking 8 toward the end.  Not a good day, but that's the way it goes.

Here we are, happy to be done:

Climbed Boundary Peak, the highest point in Nevada, with Wade today.  13,104' above sea level.  Loose scree all the way up, no real trail, then it turned to snow, difficult climb.

Here it is from a distance:

And here I am on top:

Attempted Mt. Whitney today, but didn't make it to the top.  Wade did.  Hit snow at 10,000 feet, which turned into about 2' - 3' on the trail at 12,000 feet.  Didn't bring crampons, which would have made the trail more navigable.  We started at 3:00 a.m., hit 11,500 at sunrise and continued on up.  I made it to the John Muir trail junction, about 13,900 feet. The trail then dips down behind the mountain before circling around and coming up the northwest side for the final ascent. I realized if I tried it I would be coming back in the dark, and our flight home out of Vegas was early the next morning, so I gave up.  I was very fatigued and it could have gotten dicey in any event. Have to be conservative when operating at those kinds of altitudes. Wade made it, however, so he bagged his 37th peak. Coming down I was dragging, even after I cleared the snow. Several people asked me if I was OK. Felt really old, so I'm counting these as miles. 

57F.  6.0 at LLHR, 10:43/mile.  Feeling really beat up still.  I fell on Boundary and hit my head, kind of like whiplash, having a hard time sleeping and legs are very dead. Wade hasn't started running again yet.

64F, joined Wade for 10 this morning. Felt slightly better, but it was still a struggle to stay below 9:00 pace.  10 miles at 8:56/mile. Heart rate OK, 138 average, 151 max, but legs still dead.

56F, 62% (DP 42F), NNE 2 mph. Did 10 at long run pace this morning, 8:39/mile, 140 bpm average, 151 max, so quite a bit better than Saturday. Felt much better, though neck is still stiff, personality quirk undoubtedly. Next goal race is the Dubai marathon on January 22, need to set up a training schedule. I am thinking shorter miles but longer long runs. Lots of fast stuff, and lots of gym work. Also try (again) to lose 5 pounds.

61F, 92% (DP 59F), NE, calm breeze.  First post-race workout this morning.  Warmed up for 3:  8:43, 8:04, 8:06, then 2 threshold at 7:30 and 7:17, jogged out to a full 10K, overall 7:59/mile, 152 bpm, 167 max.  Not much.  Finished with stretching and weights.

73F, staying warm all week it looks like.  Did LLHR this morning, 11:01/mile.  Traveling next two days.

No running yesterday due to an early flight.  This morning managed to get 6 on TM at hotel in Philadelphia.  Last one at 7:00 pace.

76F, 94% (DP 74F), NE gusting to 10 mph.  We are fixin' to get some serious rain, at least if the weatherman is to be believed.  Got in late last night, it was warm outside and I was tired, so only ran 10.  Did it at a pretty brisk pace, though, 8:14.  Nothing over 8:20 after the first mile.  HR max 171 during the last two splits.

62F, 90% (DP 59F), N 10 mph. Out for a "quick six", meeting Wade for a couple. Warmup at 8:35, then 8:01, 7:33, 7:01, 7:59 and 7:45 -- 7:50 average for the run. Legs felt pretty good.

So I ran past my favorite dogs, they have been barking at me for 5 years now. About 20 seconds later, another runner came the opposite direction, on the dogs' side of the road. Total silence. Still processing this one.

64F, LLHR run, 6.0 miles at 10:49/mile.  

64F-workout.  Another mini-workout:  2 wu, then 2 tempo miles, 7:21 and 7:10, then 3 cd with Wade.  Max HR was 180, pretty high.

55F. Intended to do LLHR, and did that for the first three, then met up with Wade and gave up, I was in a hurry to get done anyway.  Cool this morning, not so cool for the rest of the week.

72F.  2 wu, then 3 tempo:  7:29, 7:24, 7:08, HRmax 179, so actually better than Wednesday, and quite a bit warmer today.  Finished with 1 cd.

TM miles this morning.  Big storm moving in.  Drove down to the gym and it was closed, so picked up Wade and came back to the neighborhood gym and ran 7.6 in an hour flat, when the machines timed out.  Final pace was 7:03, but not the same as doing it outside.