A Trip Home

Haven't blogged much as I was visiting the family in Philly and although I had the time and the means I just didn't feel like blogging. I was able to run several times out there but didn't log anything so I am sure I've already forgotten something.

There was a 10 miler in Pennypack Park, my old running haunt. It has literally been 3 or more years since I've run in this park, the Wissahickon's ugly step brother. Not as big, not as pretty and the hills aren't as steep but I spent much of my youth fishing, biking, running, drinking and getting in trouble in this park. There was Kevin's broken leg on the rope swing and that time I got a huge hickey the day before Easter. Luckily my sister helped cover it up with some make-up so my grandmother was none the wiser.

The trails haven't changed much with the exception of snaking single track in one section of the park. I couldn't have mapped the run out when I started but it all came back to me as I made my way. It was sunny, yes sun, that big yellow ball in the sky. Have I mentioned that it is easily the coldest April in Seattle history, dating back to the turn of the 20th century. The heat and sun over the Easter weekend were a welcome site. Anyhow, couldn't slow myself down on this run so I just went with the pep in my legs and tore through the park.

I also ran the old loop around Lincoln high school a few times. And there was a hot run in the full sun in South Jersey. On Monday, Steve K (principal Steve) and Alex joined me for a run through Fairmount Park and dinner afterward at the Bishop's Collar. It was great seeing some of the old running crew in Philly. I miss those days when I didn't have so much responsibility and had time for running 3-4 days a week with buds from the Philly Runner group.

Today it was back to reality and a 4 mile run with Zach in the stroller. This time I decided to leave the dog home. You can only enjoy a run so much when you have a stroller in one hand a dog in the other.

Just back from a weekend in Portland with the family. I thought Seattle seemed filled with hippies and extremely liberal. Portland makes Seattle look like Dallas Texas. I saw a man shooting heroin into his leg, in broad day light, sitting on a busy street. That was a first.

I did get out for a long run on Saturday afternoon. Forest Park in Portland is a gigantic bit of wilderness a little over two miles from downtown. It is three times the size of the Wissahickon and totally untamed save for a few trails that wind through. Didn't really know where to access it but I ran in the general direction of the park which was 100% uphill for a couple miles from our hotel. With google maps, a little luck and the help of a cute runner I stumbled upon the Wildwood trail. This is the main path through the park and I was told I could run it for 30 miles. I decided to run 30 minutes further instead.

The previous two days it had rained well over an inch which made for muddy, slippery trails but I loved it. Each interminable climb was followed by a long downhill filled with switch backs. Tall forest, heavy with moss and wet with the recent rains lined the path. I tried to take it all in while gasping for breath and minding my footing. It was awesome. This park alone would make me want to move to Portland.

One of those days where I felt like I could have run for hours but eventually had to turn around and head back to the hotel. I have no idea of the distance but it took 1 hour 45 minutes.

Yesterday morning I had that familiar stiffness in my ankles and calves upon getting out of bed. 40 miles seems to be the magic number. I was at once nostalgic and happy not to have this feeling over the past couple years. My run kept getting pushed off until I ran out of day.

Today, my last day at the current job, I headed out for an easy run. Some light drizzle and chilly but once you're warmed up these things are not a factor. 7+ miles in 55 minutes. I couldn't help but wonder what the running would be like at the new job. Will I have time? Will there be a good group to run with? (I hope) I do know that they have a gym on site and it will be nice to work some of that back into my routine. I was able to do it when I worked at J&J but not since I've moved here.

I took Monday off and headed up to the track today for a lunch workout under. Temps in upper 40’s, light wind and blue skies. Legs felt solid, no lingering fatigue from the increase in miles last week, I was optimistic for a strong workout. Nothing fancy or long just 4 X 800 (400). I wanted the 800s under 3:00 and the recovery at 2:00. Some of these laps involved dodging the middle school students that were warming up for a soccer practice but I don’t think it affected my times much.

1st– 2:54 (2:01). Felt good

2nd – 2:52.1 (2:05) Still smooth and relatively easy

3rd – 2:52.0 (2:06) Shaved an entire 10th of a second off but worked harder than a 10 th of a second.

4th – 2:50 was hoping for a sub 2:50 and may have gotten it if I pushed 100% but I was trying to hold back if only a little. This one was tough.

I think intervals in the 2:55+ range would have been more appropriate, these were slightly fast but I was encouraged by the pace of the workout. It seems I’ve been in the same 10 second range over the last 5 years. That could be discouraging but I am way down from the height of my running obsession in 2006-07 plus a few years older so I’m happy my times haven’t tailed off. A good day.

I didn't know it was coming but I hit the 40 mile mark this week. I have not consistently logged my miles in a couple years but I don't think I've hit 40 miles since the spring of 2009, training for the National Marathon. It feels good. I have a good bit of traveling over the next couple weeks, I just hope I can keep it up.

On Saturday I joined the Green Lake group for what I consider my long run. Initially I planned on 10 miles. A few miles in I was running with two new guys, younger guys and I got the feeling they were faster guys. We were cruising along the the route that the group leader had mapped out but decided we were all feeling good and tacked a few more to hit nearly 13 miles.

The group has not attracted many speedy people in the time I've run with them and it was great to pick up the pace with company in the last few miles. One runner had finished college a year ago where he was on the Georgetown cross-country team. This was all a light jog for him.

None of us whined about the miles or the hills we just ran, talked when we had something to say and the rest of the time enjoyed the sweat. 12+ miles in 90 some minutes.

This afternoon I again ran down to the Ballard locks for a trip into the Magnolia section of the city. Started into a stiff breeze and building rain but thankfully it passed a mile or so in. Kept the pace easy and felt decent. Nearly 8 miles in around 60 minutes.

An easy 4 miles around the corporate center during lunch. And I mean easy. The sky is finally all sun. In fact, it has been 42 days since we've technically had a "Sunny Day". (defined has 70% sunshine.) That's right, late February was the last sunny day. And I don't think there have been many days that were just shy of the mark, say 65 or 68% sun. I'm fairly sure today won't meet the criteria either but at least it was close. At least I won't have to worry about sunscreen any time soon. Oh wait, I never worry about sunscreen when I'm running. 4 miles in 32 minutes.

With my departure from my current job in 1 week, finding time to run at lunch has gotten much easier. Yesterday I ran an easy 6.3 miles out to another corporate center. I was lucky enough to catch a lot of sun breaks and it warmed me on an otherwise chilly spring afternoon. Legs felt bouncy and light. 48 minutes. Today I took nearly the same route but added some tempo work. The first two miles are nearly flat on a path that follows the North Creek but the third mile has a significant hill. I tried to not push to hard and keep my effort consistent the entire way. I think it worked. I completed the section in 18:55 and guessed the distance at 3 miles. Gmap measured it out to exactly three miles. This is 6:18 pace. I'd be happy with that pace for the 15K next month. However, I know I could not have held that pace twice again today. Definitely for 40 minutes but 60 minutes seems on the edge. Based on this a decent goal for the race would be 3 - 5Ks at sub 19:00 pace, or under 57 minutes for the 15K. If I do get some solid training in over the next 6 weeks that goal might be a little soft but it'll work for now and give me some guidance on further workouts. After writing that last paragraph I looked up the equivalent race times for a 15K in 57 minutes. It translates into almost my exact PRs for the 5K and 10K and two minutes faster than my 1/2 marathon PR. Forget about the marathon my PR has always been way off scale for that (unfortunately way slower). This means 57 minutes is a stretch goal, especially given the relative paucity of running the past two years. 58 minutes is a much more realsitic yet still very difficult goal. We'll see how the training goes.

This is where I did the hill workout today during a later afternoon run at work. It's just outside my corporate center in an older subdivision that actually has a ton of trees and unique homes as opposed to all the cookie cutter developments they have put up lately. 6 trips up the hill in 31, 31, 32, 32, 33, 36 with a 2 minute recovery. Two minutes sounds like a lot but I wasn't near fully recovered and I swear time was speeding up towards the end. Those last two trips were brutal. My leaden legs wouldn't let me go any faster. Total workout time about 40 minutes, distance unknown. I found the perfect race to shoot for before Wesner#2 arrives. "Seattle Best 15K". I believe it is the inaugural year for the event that encompasses Lake Union including two trips across the canal and a warning that the drawbridge is not guaranteed to be down during the race. Graciously they will subtract the time it is up if you happen to get stuck. I want to see how they are going to calculate that. The race is May 21st. The distance is perfect and I am sure to PR as I don't think I've ever raced a 15K. The course is fairly flat and I am familiar with 90% of it. It also starts and ends at Gasworks Park. A relatively new park but already a Seattle landmark with breathtaking views of the Seattle skyline. The park includes the ruins of an early 20th century coal gasification plant. A huge multi component structure that looks like a chemical plant straight out of Gotham City. Now I just have to train for it. I'd like to put a goal time out there but I hold off for now.

I made it out for a run both days this weekend. Saturday morning I joined the group for 8 miles. Skies are light again at 7:00 am and we actually had a nice break in the rain for our run. I find it funny that in nearly every month since I have moved to Seattle the temps are below normal and the precipitation is above normal. (I think only February bucked this trend) I feel like the Northwest is hazing me during my freshman year and things can only improve. The forecast for April is much of the same. At least it is getting slightly warmer and even on the rainiest of weekends there are always a few peeks of the sun.

Back to the run. I took the first 4 miles easy with the group and then hit the last 4 at tempo pace or harder. I haven’t measured my speed at this effort in a while so I don’t have any idea where I am at. I like to think I am solidly below 6:30 pace (at least on flat ground). I think I covered the 3.9 hilly miles of this section in 25 minutes which would bear out my hope of sub 6:30 pace but I am not positive about the 25 minutes. In any case the run felt great and my high spirits after finishing carried me through the rest of the day.

Sunday was an aimless easy run. My only parameter was to keep it under 50 minutes so Heather could get out the house for a work related meeting. As usual when I have no route in mind I head down the canal and check out the tourists, after which I ran the Burke Gilman up to Golden Gardens Park, and took the steps easy or as easy as possible while still actually running back up to 85th street and home. Nothing of note. Untimed.

I’m thinking I should find a mid to late May race to put on my calendar before the new baby arrives in early June. My running shape is far from perfect and I wouldn’t expect a PR at any distance but it should at least focus my training over the next month and half or so. Possibly get me out the door more often.