Enter cross training!

The best thing to do if you want to become a better runner is to run.  The second best thing to do is to cross train!  Lacking a steady influx of money from sponsors and race winnings, I am required to hold down a job.  This fact can make it tough to log a lot of running miles, let alone adequately engage in core and full body strength training.  However, my calendar is chocked full of what I consider to be some pretty challenging things, so it's time to make room for cross/strength training!

Lucky for me, my good (and super fit) friend Diane owns and operates Breakout Fitness, her own fitness and personal training facility.  For the foreseeable future, you can find me there on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, getting my butt whipped into shape.

Oh, I enjoyed a great running week (3rd or 4th highest weekly mileage ever, for me)!  Kicked it off with an impromptu 18 mile run after work...

01/20/2014
18 mile run

01/21/2014
  AM: 1 mile warm-up
         1 hr. "Coreflex" group strength training class
  PM: 5 mile run with 2 x 1 mile @ ~10k pace (6:48, 6:43)

01/22/2014
  AM: 1 mile warm-up
         1 hr. "Spartacus" Metabolic Circuit Training class
  PM:  10 mile run with Lucy

01/23/2014 - 01/24/2014
rest, long walks on the bottom of Folsom Lake with Lucy

01/25/2014
23 mile run

01/26/2014
12 mile run with some local speedsters


Weekly Totals: 70 miles, +4,591 ft.

Folsom Lake is currently running out of water.

Don't forget, it's always fun to make a small donation to my Comrades fundraiser!

Getting my trail legs back.

After taking a few weeks of planned recovery time off from running after CIM, I'm back in the saddle, I'm ramping the mileage back up.  I feared, or rather dreaded, the acclimation time and discomfort ahead of me while working myself back into a regular training pattern.  But, to my surprise, it seems that I haven't lost much fitness!  Aside from a bit of muscle soreness in my legs, I'm feeling great and was surprised to look back of the last seven days and see that I piled up over 50 miles of running.

01/03/2014
10 mile run

01/04/2014
14 mile run

01/07/2014
7 mile run w/ 8 x 400m w/ 400m jogs  (400's ranged 5:35 - 6:20/mile pace)

01/09/2014
10 mile run with Lucy

01/11/2014
18 mile Western States Trail run - Cal St. to Driver's Flat

01/12/2014
4.5 mile run with Lucy, followed by a 49ers win over Carolina!  Niners!!!

01/13/2014
11.5 mile run with Lucy

01/14/2014
8 mile run with 5 x 800m w/ 400m jogs (800's ranged 6:30 - 6:45/mile pace)

01/15/2014
11 mile run

Weekly Totals (last 7 days): 63 miles, +5,636 ft.


So, I'm happy to be trotting around and I'm relieved at what, so far, seems to be an easy transition back to some good training miles.

Also, I think I've found (at least the top half of) my Comrades Ultramarathon outfit:

Front

Back

Other than that, Lucy's ready to run and is #Kaepernicking again...

Lace me up, poppa.  I'm ready to run.

#Kaepernicking dog.  Let's Go Niners!