So far this week...

Sunday: 10 + 8 (easy sneezy)
Monday: 10 + 8 (easy breezy)
Tuesday: 10 (tempo) + 7 (moderately easy)
Wednesday: Long run morning... Easy run afternoon...

Blah!

Last Week's Mileage

129 miles last week.

Saturday Morning Long Run

Praise be to the Lord! I threw down this morning. I ran a super strong, perhaps the strongest of my life, 15 miler this morning. I was really intentional about keeping my two 10 milers yesterday easy so that I would have the legs for a strong 15 mile tempo this morning - it certainly paid off. My legs felt beefy and strong. I put in the middle 12 miles of the tempo at 6:15 or faster pace. Super clean, super smooth. Everything came together this morning, my previous day's training, nutrition, coffee buzz, new shoes, mental toughness, weather, spiritual peace. It was glorious. This afternoon I will take a nice and easy cruise around town to loosen up the legs and finish off my miles for the week. Peace.

This week in running...

Great week of cruising the roads of Montana this week... Here we go:

SU: 14 steady
M: 10+8 (easy)
T: 9 steady+8 easy
W: 5 easy+13 tempo (last 6 miles were lightning fast, an incredible run)
TH: 12 steady+8 easy
F: 10+10 (easy)
S: A long run of some sort, then something easy in the PM

As I continue fine-tuning my training regimen for this year of racing, I find myself continually reviewing what I did last year - what worked, what didn't. All told, I put more than 5000 miles on my legs in 2008. Likely, my daily average was 14-15 miles, with no days off for over 360 days. There were some blank periods in my training logs so it is difficult to give exacts. The last 6 months of 2008 were closer to 19 miles a day. My legs are feeling solid and well built for this season. A major change in my regimen has been taking easy runs much more seriously. By seriously, I mean treating them as easy runs. Too often I get carried away and end up running too hard on easy days. This morning I ran a 10 miler at an honest to goodness easy pace and the difference was palpable (not only was it supremely enjoyable, I feel well recovered already). I need the mileage, but also the easy paces so I can really 'let 'er eat' during my work outs - also reducing chances of injury.

Anyways, things are tuning up around here. Longevity in this sport is my goal. It is a fine line to walk - staying competitive and going the distance (in years) - but I am continually tuning myself to the patterns of my body and my abilities to strike a balance. Good day.

Last Week's Mileage

134 miles last week. A cut-back week of rest this week, then back to the 130s next week. Yayyyyyyyyyy!!!

This week is training...

Another very consistent, rock solid week of life and ultra training. Firstly, ultra training:

SU - 20 (12 + 8)

M - 18 (10 + 8, tempos)

T - 16 (8 + 8)

W - 23 (15 tempo + 8)

TH - 17 (9 + 8)

F - 20 (10 + 10)

SA - 23 (15 steady + 8)

My body is rock solid and recovering very quickly. My work outs this week were good and honest efforts, followed by honest to goodness easy days. The easy days were still run at moderate pace, but were truly enjoyable and effortless. My routine is becoming second nature and it is getting easier and easier to run with the consistency that I am used to. My chocolate milk intake has leveled off at two 1/2 pints a day. Love it.

Life experience/training:

SU - A great day at church, resting and relaxing.

M - Hmmm, don't remember, but a good day.

T - Ran the health rocks enrichment with the kids. Had a really good time singing with them and talking about making healthy choices, specifically, staying away from tobacco products.

W - Running club was great. I am becoming more consistent and confident in my discipline meting. The kids are respecting me and we are all having a great time laughing and training together. A lesson I learned this week... drop expectations on kids, treat them indifferently. Mete out discipline in a strictly objective, non-emotional way, regardless of the history of the kids. In this way, the troubled kids begin to see that they are not inherently bad kids, they just make bad choices from time to time and reap the consequences linked to that misbehavior. The boys that I was having trouble with have begun to recognize that they can be successful if they do not deviate from what is expected from them (in my case, very high regards and expectations of excellence with a standard, objective set of discipline standards).

TH - Gave a presentation on bullfighting to the fourth grade class. Went really well. The lesson reaffirmed my love and feeling of natural deliverance from teaching elem. kids.

F - Good day, tied up some loose ends with a few projects. Had a great cocktail hour with Don after work. As usual, the man provided some great spiritual insight into future decisions and present issues that I am dealing with.

SA - Nice and easy, laid-back day. Just doing what I need to. No worries. Love it.

Quality Training

The last couple of weeks of training have proved very fruitful. I have learned more about myself - mind, body and soul - in 2009 than I had in many, many years prior. The learning has come from applying Truths, notions that I absolutely no to be true, to my life - actually living them out. It is safe to say that I have now experienced many of these truths and found them to be wholly edifying and well, true. Anyways, it is hard to explain, but at the base of it is my faith and hope in the Lord. There is reason and purpose in all things. It makes my work more meaningful, my runs more enjoyable and my life more substantial. No where is this all more apparent than in my training - because it is so easily measured. Running with purpose and regularity has been great in the last couple of weeks. Consistency has been key.

This morning I went for my mid-week, kind-of long run. 14.5, probably closer to 15 miles. Super clean and fast. It was a great work out. It took me 5-6 miles to get into it. Once I hit my cadence I was super fluid and quick. Good run. This afternoon I will do my usual afternoon cruise through the coulees, then it is running club time! Good stuff. This week we are doing an individual 20 minute run, bookended by tag. Yahooo!

Alright, I hope that everyone reading this is well, finding meaning and purpose in all that they are doing. God bless.