Where's the Donuts?

A slow start to July, I took a nice five-day rest after the marathon. I really only needed three and my legs were feeling fine by Tuesday, but I rode my bike a few days and just waited until today to get back at it. 

It's still beautiful outside and great for running, so I was itching to return. Five miles on the Warren Ave-Manette Bridge loop, then down Shore Drive and back up the refurbished Manette trail. At two miles I felt a little residual fatigue left over in my legs, but it went away and I relaxed throughout. Really felt healthy and my legs are strong. The trail was recently rebuilt by a bunch of people in my neighborhood (instead of helping, I was always doing my Saturday long runs), and they built a watering station so whoever uses it can water the plants. No one had done so since Wednesday, so I stopped (it's about the 4.5 mile mark) and did some watering. Then wrapped up the run home. 37:56

supernova glide -- 330

Six with Mike down on Beach Drive, we were the only Slugs who showed up. No watch, but we ran a decent pace for two guys who marathoned just a week earlier. Legs are feeling great now, and back to normal. Our last mile was 6:53. Perfect morning for a run, turned into a really warm day, after we got done we went to Mike's house and had breakfast, then went waterskiing and crabbing with his family. Today, the run is the least exciting thing I'm blogging about. 

Later this afternoon the Seattle Rock 'N Roll marathon was on TV. Paul gets a lot of airtime in the first five minutes behind the leaders, and then they show him cross the finish line. (And even mispelled his last name.)  

supernova glide -- 336

Cooler out these days, but still a pleasant morning temp. Five on 11th-Shore Drive, pretty quiet out there today, and I just cruised along and enjoyed it. Just trying to get a good rhythm for the next few weeks and pile up some miles. 36:33

This Sunday there's a Roots Rock Trails run that I'm planning on, and another 5k at the end of the month. That's the coming race schedule, then I'll start making more firm plans for a shot at a fast half and maybe full marathon. 

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Another cool and overcast morning, I left a little late after chatting with my neighbor (who gets up eaaaarly) and trying to track down a loose dog running around my street. Eventually, I let him run off. I think he'll be ok, I've seen this guy walking around on his own before.

Ran out to Lions Park, did a loop and came back on Lebo/Wheaton/11th, it's about six with a few hills. Felt good, pretty even pace. Stretched more than I did yesterday. 42:18

supernova glide--347

Five-spot on 11th-Shore Drive after a very, very long day. But the sun was back out and called me off the porch, I was glad to answer. Planning to plod along slowly, I actually picked it up (probably all the other runners out there pushed me -- I'm prideful like that) and ended up running near 7/min miles. But I didn't feel like I was pushing, which is nice. Good week coming together here, and warmth is on the way back. 35:00

supernova glide -- 353

An alarm clock snafu made me late down to Slug Club this morning, but I caught up with Henry and still got 8.5 in on Beach Drive. The first mile took a bit to get my legs in rhythm (7:30), but after that I loosened up and we did a nice pace (one at 7:03, but most between 7:10 and 7:30). Good crowd today, it had been awhile since we'd all met up. 1:00:03

 I haven't had any post-marathon blahs, as sometimes happens. In fact, I've been more encouraged and upbeat the past week than usual in training. Not that I've done anything major, but I have a good outlook on the next month and I'm excited to get to work again. Racing tomorrow up in Port Gamble on the trails, should be a good day for it.

supernova glide -- 361

Third in the four-race Roots Rock series in the OPG forest south of Port Gamble (the 25k I ran in March is put on by these people, but doesn't count for the series, which sucks because I placed in that one). 

This year's course was changed because they couldn't get the bus for a shuttle to the start, which meant more uphill than usual during the first four miles, including one nasty, nasty stretch of about 150 yards. Even the leaders walked it, it's basically a sandy, 60-degree pitch. Brutal. Kind of a small turnout for a Roots Rock race, but the thunderstorm forecast may have scared some off. Turned out to be a real pleasant cloudy day to run through the woods.

The guy who typically wins these things, Jim Savage, was there, and I knew he'd command. And he did, ditching the lead "pack" (three of us) after 400m. I hung around in third, a guy passed me just as I passed somebody else to stick with that spot, and kept a pretty even pace through the opening few miles of uphill. After the big sandy hill, however, I was slow to get going again (that's where I felt the marathon fatigue, my quads were just sapped after that climb and it took a few minutes to get a feeling back). A guy caught me on the single track, which pushed me and got things going again, but d then he made a move to get out in front and I kind of let him go 30 or 40 yards. I stayed where I could see him for a bit, but the trail winds so much you lose contact easily. By mile 5 the course peaks and you get to turn on the jets and fly back down on some steep single track. But he was out of sight by then. I still felt good, and had a second wind and some sense of where I was (the course isn't marked with miles at all, so it's a little uncertain of how to pace, etc.). 

I was hoping to be gaining on the third place guy when I started hitting the downhills, I felt like I was hammering down, and when we opened up back on the road with two miles left I caught a glimpse of him. I started to go after him there (definitely clocking sub-6 miles for a bit there), and at a hill with about a mile out I was really gaining. I kept a fast pace and kept picking up steps as the kick got going. I felt really good by then, running shady trails is just so nice on the feet and legs and was energizing. But he had just enough to put a surge on during the last 600m or so, and I couldn't quite pass him up. He ended up holding me off by six seconds, and since ours was the only competative age group, my fourth overall is also my division place. Tough to be 31. Didn't even win anything in the post-race raffle.

Great morning to race though, lovely time clearing my head among the trees, and nice to have some pep in the legs just two weeks after a marathon. Also, a dog (border collie, I think) started with us (I passed it at about the 10-minute mark) and ended up running the whole course. The dog took 9th, seriously. He was probably pumped because there was a dog agility contest going on in the town of Port Gamble all day today. Ah, the Northwest.

supernova glide -- 370

Afternoon run because I'm working late tonight, after putting in a morning also. Steamy outside today, sweating buckets even though it's cloudy. Ran up to Illahee State Park and back. Hilly run, you get them going both out and back and going through the park. So two days in a row of that, but what else is new for a run around Bremerton?  Now, back to the grind for a long night, that break will do me good. 44:42

supernova glide  — 376

Morning run to Lions Park, then back across the Warren Bridge-Evergreen Park-Manette Bridge route, down Shore Drive and up the little trail. I missed a few days because 10-12 hour days at work slowed me down, so it was nice to get back out again. Even though I'd been off, my legs felt really tired and sluggish the whole time. Tough to get into any rhythm this morning, though the pace was still a touch under 7:30s. 50:27

supernova glide -- 373

Group run with the Slugs today, we're trying to start a tradition of a periodical run where we head to a new route and stick together so you can run with someone other than your usual partner. Today we met at Banner Forest in South Kitsap, which is a 650-acre parcel of woods covered by single track. Really nice place for a run, and another good morning. And there was a great turnout, saw a few who hadn't been around much this summer.  

Slow pace, with an occassional stop so we could stick together as a pack. Probably 9 minute miles or so, and it felt great to run on trails. Then breakfast, but that was at the usual spot. 1:03:00

supernova glide -- 380

Hot night for a run here, the thermometer said 93 when I left my house. Went for five on the Manette-Shore loop. My right leg and knee are a bit sore from a nasty slide at our softball finale last night (I cut myself up every year, I swear; we also lose in the playoffs every year), so that was bugging me. Otherwise it was just the heat that made me feel sluggish, though my pace was actually pretty decent. 36:04

supernova glide --  385

Way late with this race report, but here it is. After the race, which came on the heels of an incredibly busy week, I left a few hours later for Alaska. After a week of vacation there (without looking at a computer) I'm finally get back into my routine here. So far running hasn't been a part of it, but hopefully I get back out again soon. Anyway, the race...

Whaling Days is one of the biggest local runs, it's part of the Whaling Days festival. Really warm morning for it, and they start at 9 so it was pretty hot when we took off. I recognized a lot of guys at the start, and knew some of them would be fast. Shane Moskowitz, who won the state high school boys titles in the 1600 and 3200, was going to lead the pack. Another prep runner who placed at state in the 1600 and 800 was up there also. So I wasn't going out gunning for anyone. 

I let the pack of high school runners take off, though I tried to keep my eye on one guy in my age group who I go back and forth with at local runs. He always starts fast and I didn't try to stick with him at the line (plus it was really crowded the first 400, and I was caught back). The race heads out Silverdale Way and turns uphill just after the mile. I did a 5:36, which was about the pace I wanted. Up the hill I slowed the tempo some, and ended up at 6:31, which was too slow, ultimately. I was in a pack of high school runners who have yet to learn tempo (they rush ahead, then you catch them in 30 yards, then they rush ahead again). The course is fairly even for the third mile, and I could see the guy I usually chase but didn't gain much ground. I felt good though and ran a 5:58. Then the last mile has a steady, but not steep, descent. I reeled a few guys in, caught a guy with a ponytail down the stretch after making the turn back onto Silverdale Way, and finished with a solid kick for a 5:23 last mile. I was pretty winded and the heat was getting to me by then. The guy in my age group I chase beat me by 20 seconds, so I didn't have a realistic shot at him.

Waited for my brother to finish, watch Mike's kid run 40 yards or something in the little guys' dash, then cooled down for a mile and went home to pack. Good race for a Saturday morning, and a nice little chance to do some speed testing. Good thing I did it, too, because after a week of hiking up north instead of running, that fitness isn't neccessarily around anymore.

That's a guess, Timm and I went trail running with a friend of his who lives high on the mountain above Anchorage. Absolutely stunning trail, the type of place Runner's World takes photos of to make you salivate. It was a really windy and cloudy day, but the rain held off and we did a great run. I almost cranked through all the uphill also, which I was proud of. The last bit of climb to the saddle slowed me to a walk. Then the downhill was nasty fast, I'm not a scree runner. We ended up running about 40 minutes total. Talking to Timm's friend, I'm now convinced I need to do the Crow Pass Marathon someday. 24 miles of mostly single-track in Alaska.