Alexander Graham Quarters

20 min. w/u (2.5 miles) + stridesTarget: 20x400 w60 sec. rest; hammer #14 and #19Actual: 77, 77, 77, 77, 77, 76, 76, 76, 76, 76, 76, 75, 76, 72, 76, 76, 75, 76, 72, 7612 min. c/d (1.5 miles)Total: 9 milesI wasn't very optimistic going into this workout for several reasons: It was early (7:30am), it was cold (~40 degrees), it was solo, and I still can't breathe out of my nose. So, given the odds stacked against me, I think the end result was pretty solid.Because I had to work from open to close today, I needed to get this done in the most efficient...

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Stuffy

AM: 7 milesPM: 5 milesAbsolutely no air flow through my nose today. Mouth breathing while helping customers can't be good for busine...

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Sick and Slow

AM: 5+ miles15 mins. corePM: 6 milesWell, I'm still sick. Even worse, I came home from California to discover that Jordan was sick too. Neither of us can blame the other for this turn of events, seeing as both our illnesses cropped up when we were not together. But that doesn't stop us from sharing in collective misery now.Needless to say, both these runs were done very slowly. On my afternoon jaunt I almost literally ran into Jordan and his Let...

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Week in Review

68 miles25 laps at Stanford7 AFDs3 airports (x2)As you can imagine, I'm pretty happy with this week. I owe a big thank you to everyone for the shout-outs and kind words I've received via my blog, Facebook, phone and of course in real life. I ran a few solid races indoors but this has definitely been my breakthrough race, and I couldn't be happier with how things turned out. The craziest part is I currently have the top time in the country in D2 for this event. This will change as soon as Tanya races a 10k, if not before, but it's cool to have the...

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Homeward Bound

AM: 72 mins. (10 miles)PM: TravelIn the interest of time, my burgeoning sickness and race recovery, we opted to forego today's scheduled long run in favor of a medium-length effort. The three of us headed back out to the bay--only a different parking lot this time, several miles closer than the one we'd started from previously--for a relaxed, flat out-and-back along the dirt trail. Despite vowing to keep the pace in check, Tanya and I settled into a faster-than-prescribed clip. Blame it on the flat surface and the cool, crisp air I suppose. At...

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San Francisco Saturday

AM: 51 mins. (7 miles)15 mins. coreSo you would think after a long day and a late-night race, Tanya and I would've slept in until at least noon today. Unfortunately that's not how it played out. Despite not getting to bed until nearly 1am, we were both begrudgingly wide awake at 6. That's only five hours of sleep, which is probably about five less than I needed. But what can you do? We watched some bad morning television, raided the hotel breakfast...

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34:37!!!

AM: 3 milesPM: 2 mile w/u + stridesTarget: 10k race @35:30 or faster (5:42 pace)Actual: 34:37 (5:34 pace); 5k splits 17:23; 17:1310 min. c/d (1+ mile)ResultsSo this was unexpected. I mean, I figured I was fit enough to beat 35:30, but given my lack of 10k-specific training I honestly thought low-35 was best case scenario. I was wrong.Leading up to the track meet, Tanya and I enjoyed a pretty relaxed day. In the morning we took a field trip out to the bay with Simmons to get in a light shakeout, if for no other reason than to kill some time. We...

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Go West

AM: 6 milesPM: 3 miles + 800m on/off strides = 3.5 milesWhat. A. Long. Day. In case I'd forgotten since our trip to Albuquerque a few weeks ago, today reminded me what a pain it is to travel across the country. Despite leaving for the Charlotte airport at 9:30am, we didn't arrive at our hotel in Palo Alto until past 6pm Pacific time. In other words, 12 hours later. This included a layover in Houston and a delayed second leg of our trip, which was already scheduled at four hours long to begin with. Even though I'd been snacking sporadically throughout...

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Signs of Spring

AM: 53 mins. (7 miles)PM: WorkI finally got my morning running buddy back today. Enjoyed a nice jaunt through Freedom Park before heading off to a loooong day at RFYL. The cherry blossoms are blooming and it's fun to wake up each morning and see how many new buds opened up while we were sleeping. Spring has finally sprung in Charlotte, and I couldn't be happi...

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Stanford Pre-Race Workout

AM: 2.25 mile w/uTarget: 3xmile @6:00 w/4 mins. restActual: 5:55, 5:57, 5:481.75 mile c/d + stridesTotal: 7 milesPM: 20 mins. core + strength3 milesAs you can probably gather from the prescribed pace, this workout was intended to be a light pre-race effort. Nothing taxing, but quick enough to get the legs turned over a bit. McAlpine was the chosen venue, both for the soft surfaces and because the JC Smith track is still closed for renovations. I persuaded Jenna to join me for this venture, which made things much more enjoyable than they would've...

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Boring Monday

AM: 63 mins. (8.5 miles)PM: 3 milesI set off on a solo MFPL (medium Freedom Park loop) before work this morning. Jordan mentioned some excuse about having just run a marathon or something, and opted to stay inside and drink coffee instead of joining me. Lame. As a result, the run was fine but somewhat boring without anyone to talk to. Tomorrow I have a light pre-race workout and then nothing but easy miles until Friday night's ra...

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Week in Review

75 miles4 AFDs3 races5 days til StanfordJust thinking back about this week makes me tired all over again. There were several late nights and early mornings, not to mention races run and spectated. As far as training goes, I'd say this was my best week yet this spring. I hit my highest mileage since the summer and nailed both my workouts. With less than a week to go until the Stanford Invite 10k, all signs are pointing to me being able to hit the auto time for Nationals. Let's hope I can put things together when it coun...

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Tobacco Road Marathon Adventure

AM: 85 mins. (11-12 miles)PM: 20 mins. poolFor a very thorough analysis of the race from Jordan's perspective, click here. For some insights from the best girlfriend in the entire world who woke up at 3am to accompany her boyfriend to his marathon, continue reading below.The first thing I remember clearly after the aforementioned 3am wakeup is hearing the announcer counting down to the start of the race. After spending the entire drive sleeping,...

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Shamrock 4 Miler...But Wait, There's More!

AM: 2 mile w/uTarget: 5 mile predator @5:50-5:45Actual: 4 mile race @22:52 (5:43 pace); ~5 mins. rest; 1 mile @5:41~2.5 mile c/dTotal: 9.5 milesPM: 2 mile w/uTarget: 800m race @don't drop outActual: 2:28 (in trainers sucka)1 mile c/dTotal: 3.5 milesStart line of the Shamrock 4 Miler. Photo courtesy of Ben Hovis and FB.More later. I just got home and I need a shower, a snack and a glass of wine. In no particular order.Update: Okay, it is now Sunday...

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UNCC Spectating

AM: 58 mins. (8 miles)I had a great time on this relaxed run from Boyce with Jordan and Jenna. The weather has taken a turn for the better around here and it's a pleasure to be outside enjoying it. My legs felt greatly improved from yesterday as well, which always makes the time pass more quickly.Speaking of quickly, some speedy times were recorded by Queens lady tracksters at the UNCC 49er Classic tonight. I watched as Maraya hit the provisional mark in the 1500 (4:37), Patricia rocked her first race as a Royal (17:53 for 5k), Jess FINALLY and...

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2 x Loop

AM: Loop (5+ miles)15 mins. corePM: Loop (5+ miles)Total: 10.5 milesEver original, I chose to run a short Freedom Park loop in the morning and follow it up with--you guessed it--another short Freedom Park loop in the afternoon. The first was solo, the second was with JSK, and both were with heavy legs. I blame the combo of yesterday's workout plus pulling an all-day shift on my feet at the store (10 to 7), neither of which left me feeling very chipper today. I ran both loops without my watch to ensure that I would take things slow and easy.Tomorrow...

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McAlpine Mile Repeats

2.25 mile w/uTarget: 6xmile @5:40 w/3 mins. restActual: 5:44, 5:36, 5:33, 5:32, 5:34, 5:291.25 mile c/dTotal: 9.5 milesConsidering that this workout was done on the trail, at 7am, in 40-degree weather, I was pretty pleased with how things went. Jordan already stole my thunder and posted a solid recap, which means I'm once again taking the easy way out and linking to his blog for all the details. One thing I will add is that I found a similar workout from last spring for comparison's sake. Almost exactly a year ago, Jordan and Scotty paced me for...

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Back at Sea Level

Tuesday, 3/15AM: 44 mins. (6 miles)PM: 4 milesMonday, 3/14AM: 65 mins. (9 miles)PM: 3 milesI know I'm taking an unacceptable shortcut by both merging two days into one blog and by linking to Jordan's blog instead of typing my own entry, but I'm getting antsy about being a few days behind and this seemed to be the best remedy. I'll shape up tomorrow with a legit entry. Promi...

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Week in Review

67-68 miles7 days in New Mexico7 AFDs25 laps in ABQI feel like everything to say about this week has already been said. Good stuff. Time to move on to outdoo...

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Rio Grande Finale

AM: 75 mins. (10+ miles)PM: TravelTanya, Jenna and I didn't get much sleep last night, and it wasn't because we were out late celebrating (although I'll plead the 5th on whether or not Simon and Nelson could say the same). Instead, a combination of springing the clocks forward plus a late morning flight meant we had to be up and out the door for our run before 7am. I'm not going to lie; there was some grumbling when our alarms went off just after 6, and the thought of sleeping in briefly flashed across my mind. Instead, we got dressed and met Jenna...

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D2 Indoor Nationals 5k Race Recap

Since I have free time and free internet while on a layover in Phoenix, I figured it would be ideal to recap last night's race while it's still fresh on my mind. Before I do, let me say a few quick words about Nelson's stellar performance in the 800. Tanya and I were able to watch his race from the corner of the convention center just before leaving on our warmup, and it's no exaggeration to call it inspiring. For a guy who didn't qualify for Nationals until the last chance meet, then almost didn't make the finals, to run in second position wire...

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Three Queens All-Americans

AM: 3 milesPM: 2 mile w/u + strides5k race @17:26; 5th place(-27 sec. altitude conversion = 16:59)2 mile c/dTotal: 7 milesI'm stealing the title from Jordan but that's because it's late and I'm exhausted. I'll write more tomorrow. For now, let me share that Queens will be taking home three All-American honors from this weekend's meet: Nelson placed 2nd in the 800, Tanya was 2nd in the 5k and I placed 5th. Not a shabby day for our program, I'd say.I'm...

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D2 Indoor Nationals: Day 1

AM: 45 mins. (6 miles) + strengthPM: MeetAnd we're off to the races! Today was the first day of the national meet, and I was front and center for most of it. We started the day with a nice relaxed run along the river--it was as flat and sunny and perfect as yesterday, and I loved every minute of it. Tanya and I ran the first half of this run with Jenna, then parted ways with her at the turnaround as she had a tempo run planned for the second half....

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Rio Grande River Trail

PM: 51 mins. (7 miles)4 laps on the track = 800mTotal: 7.5 milesThis morning we departed our home in Santa Fe and traveled down the mountain to Albuquerque. Our residence for the next few days will be the Holiday Inn Express--not quite as exotic as the Hotel St. Francis, but not as creepy either (and it has a bigger fridge and microwave). Though still incredibly windy, the temperatures in ABQ are noticeably warmer than in Santa Fe, and blue skies...

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Cerrillos Adventure

AM: 62 mins. (8+ miles)PM: 3 milesAlways nice to wake up to a snowstorm.When we woke up to discover that six inches of snow had fallen overnight, we knew that running on the rail trail was not an option. Simmons' idea was basically to start driving in the direction of ABQ until there was no snow on the ground, pull over on a dirt road and have at it. So that's what we did. About 30 minutes after leaving the hotel we stumbled on the ghost town of...

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Up In the Air

AM: 15 mins. core4 milesPM: 3 mile w/uTarget: 3x800 @2:45, 400 @75; 2x200 @fast; all w/full recoveryActual: 2:43, 2:44, 2:44, 73, 32-low, 31-high2 mile c/dTotal: ~7.5 milesMy second full day in Santa Fe proved to be just as much an adventure as my first. We started things off with an easy run designed to shake things out for this afternoon's pre-race workout. Though still laboring from the altitude, I already feel slightly better than yesterday,...

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Rail Trail Hell

AM: 55 mins. (7 miles)PM: 32 mins. (4 miles) + strides, strengthOur starting point at the rail trailWow. The run this morning was absolutely ridiculous. For my initiation at 7000 feet, we ran at the rail trail, which is what it sounds like: a trail that runs beside train tracks. The group did their long runs out there yesterday morning and found it agreeable, although fairly hilly and somewhat technical the first few miles. What changed between then...

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Week in Review

68 miles25 mins. pool2 hours weights3 airports1 snow dayI'm typing this entry while sitting on my bed at the Hotel St. Francis in Santa Fe, surrounded by 10 pillows. Yes, I said 10. This is only one example of how this hotel is very nice yet slightly odd at the same time. It actually looks somewhat medieval (check out the pics on the hotel Web site, as they're very accurate), almost equally likely to be featured in a period romance or a horror film.But I digress. This post is supposed to be about my week of running, and my week of running was good....

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Westward Bound

AM: 74 mins. (10.5 miles)PM: TravelWelcome to the longest day of my life.Not really, but it certainly felt that way. Fortunately things started off on the right foot with a solid long-ish run with Jordan at McAlpine. I was happy to see him crest the hour mark, a milestone in light of the past few weeks, and to see that he felt no pain on our two trips up the hill. It was even sunny and relatively warm outside and, dare I say it, felt just a little bit like spring. I'll take it.The rest of the morning and early afternoon passed in a flurry of laundry,...

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Two Men and a Little Lady

AM: 51 mins. (7 miles)This morning I had the pleasure of running with Ben Hernandez, a friend of mine from work, and Jordan, who has finally (almost) put his achilles injury to rest. Ben met at our place at the early (for a Saturday) hour of 7:30 for a few miles of easy running, interspersed with a two-mile uptempo section in the middle. Normally I would have a race or predator run at this point in the week, but since Nationals is next weekend I'm preserving the legs and just doing a few quicker miles instead.The air was cold at the early hour...

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Easy Friday

AM: 53 mins. (7 miles)PM: 3 milesNice and ea...

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Doubling Up

AM: 56 mins. (7.5 miles)PM: 3 miles60 mins. weights + coreFor the first time in as long as I can remember, I was actually able to join the team for two practices in one day (normally I can't even make one). Thus, my morning run and weight-lifting session were both done with company instead of solo, which always makes things more enjoyable. Things that were not enjoyable include my calves (rocked from the spikes yesterday), the rest of my legs (hurting from the workout) and my stomach (didn't eat a big enough lunch today and suffered a serious sugar...

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A Little Help From My Friends

AM: 3 milesPM: 3 mile w/u + stridesTarget: 16x400 w/90 sec. rest @5k pace (80) or faster; hammer #11 and #15Actual: 76, 80, 80, 79, 77, 76, 75, 75, 74, 74, 71, 75, 74, 74, 70, 752 mile c/dTotal: 9 milesAfter running almost all of my recent track workouts solo, I'd all but forgotten what a difference it makes to have a solid group on the track together. Somehow the stars aligned and we were able to assemble an all-star cast for today's shape cutting: Tanya, Pezz, Maraya, Holly, Jess and myself. Maraya and Holly would only be running 8-12 intervals...

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You Must Be Kidding

AM: 7 milesPM: 60 mins. weights + coreThe title is in reference to the fact that it snowed today. In Charlotte. From 10am to 10pm. Give me a freaking break. I was prescient enough to foresee this development and get in an adequate run in the morning. (It also didn't hurt that our standard Tuesday track workout was rescheduled for tomorrow, partly because of the weather forecast and partly because it's our last hard effort before Nationals next weekend.) Fortunately the ground temperature never dipped below freezing, which means that none of the...

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Early Morning Pool

AM: 7 miles25 mins. poolPM: 4 miles + strengthAs much as I loathe Monday morning pool practice, at least it gets me up and out the door at a respectable hour. Today I opted to run to pool and back, adding an extra loop around Freedom Park for good measure on the return trip. Not much to report; all is well.I went the extra mile this afternoon (literally) after it was brought to my attention that it might snow in Charlotte tomorrow. Again? Seriously?!? Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's March. Sigh. At any rate, due to the weather forecast and the...

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