Training Log Archive: PG

Went up to Pisgah SF, had a very fine run. I'd thought about doing the 23k course, but it didn't seem necessary to do the first and last miles, both of which are paved/dirt road. So I parked where the course comes out of the woods and cut over to where the good part starts, and it made for a nice loop.

The plan was to run at a steady pace, try to run all the ups and take it easy on the downs (as opposed to racing it, when I seem to blast the downs and then walk more than I wish on the ups). Legs felt really good, so I did just as planned. And comparing splits with my races there the past two years, I was going just about as fast, with a lot less effort. Interesting....

Wildlife report -- lots of mosquitos, which bothered me not at all; a couple of early FDF patrols, though they fortunately disappeared after a few minutes; and a pair of 4-wheelers (his and hers) who passed me, and then a couple miles later I passed them back as they were going very slowly through the rocks, nice to see that their focus wasn't on tearing up the terrain and making as much noise as possible. I never object to seeing these guys, or snowmobiles in the winter, since I figure someday they may be the ones carrying me out of the woods....

One other sighting later on the golf course, a young turkey taking a dirt bath just above the river on the 9th, totally enjoying itself, and also totally oblivious to Gail and me although we were not many yards away.

Event: Forest Park Sprints
 

Forest Park Sprints, #1. Warm and humid (dewpoint in the low 60s, first day it felt like summer). Good run, don't think I could have done much better. Working hard, but energy ok.

Sprint #2. Got off to a bad start, went down the first hill in the wrong place, got stuck in the swamp at the bottom. After that, not too bad but not as good as the first one. Energy not too bad.

Warm-up, didn't take much to work up a sweat.

Sprint 2 - Splits

Sprint 1 - Splits

A day off, sprints in Forest Park tomorrow. Drinking a lot, been dehydrated the last couple of days.

Swiss Cup, 1984.

Strange run. I had in mind to do the direct route (from aid station #1/#5 to #3) up to the top of Mt. Toby -- the usual up to the power line, and then another 700' vertical that gets steeper and steeper. I'm not sure if I've ever run the whole thing, but I thought I'd see how far I could get.

Well, I wasn't feeling very strong. The upper part divides easily into three parts, and I made it a little ways into the second part before throwing in the towel. Normally I would have just started walking and hiked the rest, but I didn't even feel like that, so I just stood there for a few minutes, trying to decide what to do to salvage the run. And the idea popped into my mind, how about 60 seconds running, 60 seconds rest, until you're at the top or you croak again.

So not quite 6 of those, the last couple very steep, and I was at the top, and feeling much less discouraged. Came back via the top 3/4 of the phone line trail (heading NE off the summit), then cut over to the race course and home that way. Still not feeling real good (dehydrated, I think), but I cranked the pace up on the last bit down from the power line, why I do not know, but at least it meant the run was over sooner.

Continuing the series, the Zala Cup in Hungary in 1983.

C • Ahhh, yes, if memory serves, t... 1

Early evening run in Greenfield after a round of golf, 13 hills loop. Very hard to get going and for the first 5-10 minutes, felt ok thereafter. Moderate pace.

Skellefteå (Sweden) national meet, 1982.

I've also posted some comments from last weekend's races.

Now to get focused on the main events, World Masters in Austria first week of July and the Swiss O Week in Zermatt in mid-July. Need to work on a training schedule and motivation, gets harder to get out as it gets warmer.

A separate matter is the need to work on the G. If I don't watch out, it will be back to 140, when I'd really like to have it at 132 in 6 weeks. It just feels so much better to be lighter, and the reward comes when I finish a race, and maybe collect a scalp or two (i.e. beat some young stud who's made a mistake or two), and think how much longer I would have been out there last year. So it's a question of how to do it. I've got one idea which I'll try and get started this evening....

C • G 11

With Phil, from Mill River north on the Robert Frost trail to the railroad tracks, plus a detour coming back. Not feeling very zippy but good to get out.

So my project to keep down the G is based on just cutting down how much I eat before bedtime. Which is easier said than done.

So the plan is to make it easier in two ways -- one is to give me something else to do then, the other is to add some motivation by resurrecting memories of how much fun it is to run well in Europe.

Both of these are done at the same time and in the same way -- by adding to my web page one evening at a time the map and a few comments on races I have won, or almost won, outside of North America, starting tonight with the beginning, day 1 of the Swiss 5 Day in 1980.

We'll see if I can keep this up.

I've posted my routes from the Team Trials, comments coming....