Long and Less Long Runs: 3-19 to 3-25

[HappyAnika]

I think I'll sneak in here on these running threads now that my back is doing better and I can start working on my running again. I just got my new heart rate monitor last weekend, had used it twice on rides, and was anxious to try it out on a run. So after a lot of thought about fat burning and zone training sparked by the weight question in the tri forum, I decided to do a zone 2 run. At first this was really hard, I tend to think that if I'm not huffing and puffing, then I'm not getting a good work out. I had to slow down a lot (and I'm a slow runner anyway) to keep my HR down. If I'd just gone by my breathing, I would have thought that I was hardly working, but the hrm proved otherwise. I kept a nice steady pace at the top of zone 2 and for the first time ever while running I hit that "I could do this all day" feeling. It felt fantastic! I went to a trail I'd never been to before that was perfect for running: dirt, pretty flat, along a creek, a bit through the trees, sweeping views of the mountains and the plains. I got to listen to the new Modest Mouse disk, for which I'd been impatiently waiting for 3 months to come out. It was just fabulous, I'd never had so much fun running! I ran for 28 minutes, about 2.3 miles. I actually want to go again, that's a new feeling for me.

[rocknrollgirl]

Good Morning,
I just got back from a long slow run, well long for me. 6 mile trail run, nice and slow. The DH had practice, so one of our training buddies went with me. It was pretty in the woods this morning. It had just stopped raining, so everything was fresh in the woods.

Also on the schedule, I am trying my wetsuit in the pool today..woo hoo

[alpinerabbit]

I had the sniffles, coughing , congestion all week, so no sports. I will hit either the trail or the pool for the first time in 2 weeks tomorrow.

[Wahine]

I was wondering where you've been Alpine. That's too bad about the sniffles, cough etc. But you seem to progress quite quickly, I'm sure it'll be no time before you're back up to the longer runs.

[Grog]

Took the Sweet Partner on a run with me this morning. I was running slow, focusing on controlling my heart rate and keeping it low, and he ran with me a lot of the time, sweet.

That was the only dry hour of the day. It started raining again while we were having breakfast at a neighborhood cafe, just so we'd be a little more cold walking home. That's life. We're expecting a few more INCHES today. I'm sick of the rain.

[KSH]

Rode 35 miles at a 16 mph average.... ran 2 miles at an 11 minute mile.

Today was a good day! I really pumped it out on the bike! Up until mile 18 (rest stop), I had a 17.5 mph average. That's fast for me.

[yellow]

Is it my imagination, or has KSH broken the plateau and moved to the next level???

Nice enough to ride today, but I chose to run. There's a mountain I've been wanting to tackle for a while now, so I went for it. It's part of a 17 mile trail run that they do here called the Wahsatch Steeplechase, so I'm calling it the Wahsatch Steeplechase Lite. You can watch my bad videos of the adventure here (in this sequence...it's a little point & shoot camera and unfortunately it really picks up the air pollution!). I used my new Forerunner 305, and I won't even tell you heart rate gurus where I was most of the time. The total ascent was 3,989', distance 10.78 miles. I also won't tell you my pace since it was greatly affected by all the walking I did in the last 0.75 miles to the "summit". BTW, KSH, I thought of you as I got a SIDE CRAMP at about mile 9.

Clip 1: http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c1...=WS_Lite_2.flv

Clip 2: http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c1...=WS_Lite_3.flv

Clip 3 (actually only about 4.6 miles, not 5 as I state in the video):
http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c1...=WS_Lite_4.flv

Clip 4: http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c1...Lite_False.flv

Clip 5: http://s24.photobucket.com/albums/c1...ite_False2.flv


I took an ice bath afterwards. I haven't done that in a long time. All in all, it still hurt less than cycling does. I think I have another year of training before I can even THINK about doing the full Steeplechase.