YUP, I'M SLOW

Next weekend is the Corvallis Fall Festival Run. It is a 5k, and, as you might remember, is the first event I ever ran just one year ago. My time last year, 28:01, won't be a problem for me to beat. That is in the bag. I would like to challenge and possibly set my 5k record but I'm not sure that's going to happen.

In training for the half marathon, I started running slower and longer. Instead of going out and pounding out a 5k every time out like I was doing, I was running longer and a little slower. Anyways, it appears this summer between the slacking off and change in training distances, I've gotten slower. Noticeably.

First of all, 7:30/mi now feels like almost a sprint. It didn't used to feel that way. It felt like I was running fast, yes, but not a sprint. Anyways, the last two days I've gone out and pounded out some 5Ks as fast as I could... 25:04 on Friday and 24:49 today. Just a LITTLE off my 23:39 record! Like over a minute!

To my credit, this course is a lot hillier than any of my competitive 5k courses have been, but still. Oh and it was hot. Any other excuses? Ummm, can't think of any. Seriously though, I can tell I am not as fast. I just have this week to correct it... I am going to try to run a couple more fast 5ks and then hope for the best.

How the hell I ran a half marathon at a 7:50/mi pace I'll never know. Today's 5k at 7:56 was brutal.

Eventually I want to run a marathon though. So really, should I care so much about a 5k time? Well, I do and I can't help myself, so I'll try to cram for the test!

Tomorrow is the Komen Race for the Cure. I'm shooting for under 90 minutes in that cattle call of an event! ;)

2012 WARRIOR DASH RACE REPORT

Over the wall and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go!

I don't believe I wrote in the blog before about this, but yesterday I did Warrior Dash in North Plains, Oregon. Warrior Dash is basically a 5k with obstacles thrown in. Because of these obstacles, you can't really consider it a "normal" 5k, your time is going to be higher and the challenges are different. In light of that, I didn't really train at all for it and it kind of "snuck up" on me. It was kind of like, oh crap, Warrior Dash is this weekend.

Anyways, I was kind of nervous and semi-not looking forward to it just because I knew I was going to get all muddy. In retrospect that was stupid and I am glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and did it!


After climbing a large cargo net.

Libbie and I got there pretty early, but it gave us enough time to pick up our shirts and whatnot and put them back in the car. It was nice not to be rushed. I bit it and fell in the dirt near the tent where you signed a waiver. Ironic and also my worst "injury" of the day. How I ate it there and not on the course I will never know.

I forgot to eat before leaving so I was glad they were handing out free samples of Naked Granola. I had two packets of that and was good to go. The breakfast of champions!

Anyways, eventually we lined up in the corral and waited to start. I started feeling nervous with about five minutes to go, knowing that soon I would be getting wet/dirty/possibly injured.Eventually the gun sounded and off we went. I had to weave around a lot of people at the beginning and the trail through the forest wasn't super wide, so that kept me on my toes. It was over a mile to the first obstacle, so eventually we spread out and I was able to go my own pace.

I am not a trail runner and this was definitely trail running... up and down hills, slippery slopes, etc. I can't believe I didn't bite it during some of those downhills. I was really going fast and pounding it, and the number of times I slipped to the point where my arms flung in the air into that "falling motion" exceeds the amount of fingers I have to count on. A fall on some of those would have been really nasty with the speed I was going, but miraculously I was able to stay upright.


Mid-air leaping over fire.

The first obstacle was a small pond you had to walk/swim through and hoist yourself over a couple of floating obstacles. While a challenge for some, I went over those with ease. You had to time it right and be okay with getting fully submerged and "face planting" on the other side, but I was able to do so. I ended up swimming a lot here even though I could touch because it was faster.

I thought the water was going to be cold but it wasn't bad, getting in wasn't a problem. It was muddy and when I got out I looked down at my wet, now brown (originally white), shirt and thought "here we go." The rest of the time I was running soaking wet, but I didn't mind at all.

After the small pond immediately there was another challenge, this time you had to pull yourself over a four foot wall and then duck under barbed wire on the other side. Repeat five times. Not bad at all.

After that I don't remember the exact order of things, there was a lot of running on trails through the woods, some really steep uphill portions that I walked, which was actually good strategy. One guy who was pacing with me for a while decided to run up, which he was able to do. But I absolutely burned him on the backside and I am pretty sure he depleted most of his energy chugging up those things.


Trudging to the finish. 33:37!

Obstacles in the way included: a really tall wall you had to climb over with a rope, vertical cargo net climb, horizontal cargo net climb, running through tires, crawling under logs, jumping over fire, weaving though a bungee cord web, etc.

Eventually the final obstacle came, which was a giant mud pit. It was up to my belly button and times up to my nipples. I wasn't really dirty before that obstacle, but once you hit that, there was no way to stay clean. It was fun to trudge through that, a workout for sure, and I got REALLY muddy. At the end you slid down a hill on your butt to the finish.

It was really fun! I am very glad I did it. I maybe won't do it every year, it is expensive, but every other would be fun. I had a pretty good time too, 33:37 (10:30/mi), which was good for 274th place out of 5,691 participants, top 5% for the Sunday people. For both Saturday and Sunday, I was 536th out of 11,671. Age group wise, Sunday only, I was 87th out of 769 males aged 20-29.

RUNNING ON MY TRIP, STILL KIND OF SLACKING

So I did manage to run once on my trip. It was on the second day and I don't know what posessed me to do it. I had been drinking the night before and only had six hours of sleep but I pulled myself out of bed and into my running shoes. I think I was motivated because the other guy on the trip kind of woke me up by getting ready to go run and I wasn't going to let him go on a run and have me be the lazy one!


My vacation run.

Off I went! I plotted a course that was six miles. It was really pretty, through the country and whatnot. Reminded me a lot of the Run in the Country. Same smells and similar sights. More traffic and less of a shoulder though! Turns out one of the roads I planned on running was through a federal prison... I started running up it until signs about trespassers will be shot and whatnot... decided it was best to turn around. At that point I was starting to feel pretty tired so I ended up basically just doing an out and back instead of a loop. After a little "flair" in the parking lot I hit five miles. Good enough.

I didn't run the rest of the trip. Staying up late drinking doesn't really lend itself to going running. I didn't really worry about it though, I was on fucking vacation. So yeah.

Since I got back I've been slacking a little bit too. Hard to get back in the groove. Honestly I've been really busy. I haven't had a night where I just came home from work and layed around. I'm doing crap and not getting home to at least 9pm. Could I possibly go for a run at 9pm? Yes. But at that point I just want to settle down. Anyways, I'm planning to get LESS busy so I can do MORE running. I want to go back to 4-5 times a week and 25ish miles!

My plan is to run five days a week, four weekends and one weekend. A sample week might be:

Monday- Run Group, 6 miles
Tuesday- Rest
Wednesday- Run Group, 6 miles
Thursday- Run with Lib, 5k
Friday- Run with Lib, 5-6 miles
Saturday- Rest
Sunday- Long run, 8-12 miles

Also, I need to train for my 5k in a couple weeks. So I will try to start pounding out some high intensity 5k runs... starting tonight!

Breaking down on a 5 mile run yesterday... it was HOT okay?

BACK AT IT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

So I've run 12 miles so far this week in an average temperature of 93 degrees. Yesterday I ran six miles in NINETY EIGHT degrees. 98!

Me getting lost on trip run (will happen)

And you know what? I survived! There was a light breeze, I took my shirt off, and I just took it slow (9 minute miles). Plus, Fanno Creek is pretty damn shady at 6:30pm in mid-August sun.

I hope to do another six tonight and then that will be all until my trip. I really hope to get some runs in - another guy on the trips runs too - but we'll see. Running in a new place far from home would be fun!

Basically, I think I am going to need some accountability. I want to go to run group every Monday and Wednesday, and then Libbie and I have planned to meet at our respective places and run as well. So hopefully pretty soon that'll all be set up and I'll feel obligated to run 4-5 times a week, whether I want to or not.

MOTIVATION

So I've really been struggling with a lack of motivation recently. After running my virtual 5k race I didn't run again until today. Nine days. NINE!

Now, I wasn't just being totally lazy. Some things came up in life that made fitting in runs hard, but I certainly could have. Also, it has been really fracking hot lately. Like pushing 100 hot. So there is really no good time to run spare the morning and you know I'm not going to wake up to do that.

Still, I could have ran slow, ran at different times, etc. Anyways, I am going to try to be good this week. The only problem is, I have an 8 day long vacation planned starting Saturday. I have plans to run during the vacation, but we'll see if it happens. Anyways, I am not going to let the fact that I have a vacation coming up to just bag this week.

I need something to motivate me! For a long time I had the half marathon, but for now, all that is on the horizon is the Corvallis Fall Festival 5k in mid September. I am not too worried about that - I'd like to set a 5k record, but it's not like I need intense training. Anywho, I should probably sign up for another half marathon or at least a 10k soon.

2012 SWEAT YOUR THORNS OFF 5K RACE REPORT

Today I ran in the Sweat Your Thorns Off virtual race, put on by Adam at The Boring Runner. Basically it meant you just went out and ran a 5k by yourself but got to wear a bib and feel official! Plus, hundreds of others were doing it around the country (world?) so why not.

I run race now, okay?

Well, Adam just happened to pick THE HOTTEST DAY IN PORTLAND IN TWO YEARS. It was 90F when I started and it is now 94F. Supposed to hit 100 today. Anyways, I didn't leave until 11:30am for the run, so it was my fault I was running in the noon day sun. Needless the say, the streets were empty and I got some looks (and not the good kind).

I decided to run by my old apartments. I had a tried and true 5k course there that was relatively flat, unlike the 5k I ran around my new house. Basically it was going to be as hot as mother and I didn't want to make it any harder than it had to be. Originally I had planned to use this race to set my new 5k record, which currently stands at 23:39. I think I am faster than that now, but this weather wasn't going to allow me to show that. New goal - survive.

Unfortunately you cannot poop here.

Anyways, after putting off starting the run for about 15 minutes because it was so f-ing hot (taking pictures of myself "before"... I am not photogenic and the fact the best one I took looks like I am "challenged" speaks volumes) I started to run. I went out at a 7:30 clip... didn't know if that was sustainable but I gave it a try.

Immediately I knew it was not going to be sustainable. It was too f*cking hot and I am not used to this. I know Adam is probably used to it living down in the AZ with that crazy sheriff, but I am not. Anyways, the first mile or so I happened to be on the side of the road with shade so I was actually able to run a decent time. However, later on my last mile would be mostly in the sun, so I'd pay for it.

Really, there's not much more to tell you. About a mile and a half in I really started to feel the heat and just wanted it to be over. I was having visions of stopping my phone and taking a break in the shade (nobody would know!) or pretending to faint so someone would see and get me water. I guess these delusions kept my occupied as I plodded along. I was definitely going slower but it was pretty much the fastest I could go without fainting and shitting myself. I really don't think I could have gone much faster.

No caption needed.

Anyways, eventually I found my way back to the start and stopped my phone. 3.13 miles in 25:10. 8:02/mile. Would have liked to get under eight, but oh well. I immediately stripped naked my shirt off (that strikeout is for you A unit) and hunched over in a spot of shade. I probably looked pathetic there for about five minutes just trying to get my core temperature down. Eventually I felt good enough to trek back to my car a quarter mile away (up a hill and in the sun mind you - great planning).

So that was it! I blasted the A/C on the car ride home and then took a cold shower. I had fun, it was a good challenge to break up the summer running blehs, although I think I will like the Freeze Your Thorns Off 5k better. Of course, based on the day selection for this race, that will probably be on the day of the first snow in Portland in two years.

Official phone time: 3.13 miles in 25:10. 8:02/mile. 1/1 overall. 1/1 M2529. Splits: 7:31, 8:02, 8:30.