A long awaited post of the past and the present

Like many of my old posts, I usually start off with my favorite choice of phrases; "well, it's been a long time since my last post..."  And since it has been a long time, I guess I could sum up what has happened since that glorious day at Mt. Taylor.

After that ultra marathon, I attempted to get into shape and hit the roads.  I set my sights on the Rock and Roll San Antonio half marathon, which didn't go too well, but well enough for the shape I was actually in.  I would use that lousy time as a benchmark as to where I was at and what I needed to do leading up to another important race - USA Cross Country Championships.  From December till February, that seemed like plenty of time to get ready and get in good shape for my favorite event.  Cross Country is something that I pride myself at being good at, and a place where I love to grind.  And since it was coming up very quickly, I should've been training very hard for.  Unfortunately, I was struggling to get the workouts needed, and made a last minute decision to not race.  That decision made a lot of my teammates concerned and worried.  Hell, it made me worried why I didn't prepare myself for the 2 months leading to that race... Needless to say, I wasn't in shape and didn't want to run in a race that I always look forward to.  A race where I can usually grind it out with the best of them.  Instead, I chickened out and kept my scalp attached for another day.

That other day is coming around the corner.  And regardless of sickness or however "outta shape" I may think I am; I will be racing a 15k at the Mountain to Fountain 15k in Arizona.  This will be another "test" or "benchmark" of my already well known fact of where my fitness is.  And when this race is over, I can finally set my sights to everyday training.

I think I lost a bit of that get-up-and-go mentality over the last few months and after the idea I being healed from my stress fractures.  Someone told me that it would take almost a year to fully get over my injury, and after spring break, it will be a year since I got diagnosed with 3 stress fractures.  Since that year, I either lost something or became overly worried about something.  And if I don't put in the correct training and attempt making the Olympic Trials in the Marathon, I will just be, "a has been."  That is something I do not want to be labeled as, so something has to change.

First off, I have to be 100% healthy and ready to put in the work.  I need to know that I am capable of logging in the volume and intensity without any major setbacks.  At this point, my fractures are more than healed, so all that's left are minor ailments or any sickness that old man winter has in store for me.  After that, it's train, train, train.  Day in and day out!

I'm very excited to run another road race next month.  I am also excited that I am motivated to race a track race this spring and take a shot at a fast half marathon before our wedding!  And after the honeymoon... (cue the sexy music) all my focus will be lasered in on the Chicago Marathon and a sub 2:18 Olympic Trials Standard.  

Gettin' High (Marathon Training week 2)*

Yes, I'm finally getting into some high mileage this past week. It was my first "real" week of training, gearing up for my spring marathon in June on the shores of Lake Superior. This week was a little more structured and actually had some continuity with each passing day. The numerical trend was 22, which I was hitting each day until the weekend approached. The weather here in Albuquerque was quite beautiful, and I took pleasure into every sunny day as I was finally able to wear shorts/half-tights. I've been pondering as to what the weather may be like for the Grandma's Marathon, but I guess it is completely out of my power. The only thing I can do is train and keep pounding the pavement, or the track, which I attended to this past Tuesday. I can also attempt to control the amount of miles I do, and after completing Frank Shorter's book: Olympic Gold, A Runner's Life and Times, it only validated the fact that higher mileage is the key to success. 140 to be exact!!!

I keep talking about the track; as I apparently have a love-hate relationship with it, but so seemingly feel that it is an intrinsic part of my training. After many successful training blocks, I've decided that I need to build up my speed first, so that when I practice marathon pace or tempo runs, it becomes more achievable. (It's a simple Jack Daniels Phd. training philosophy) As well as a training concept that many other coaches have adopted. The notion of speed first, has been something that has been inundated into my running career as the legendary Steve Scott (my college coach) would serve us VO2Max workouts on a regular bases. I've always kept true to maintaining a decent kick, or some kind of turnover, but as the miles rack up on my legs, I may have lost a few strains of that beloved Type II muscle fiber. Oh well, I guess no one is going to be running a 60 sec last quarter in a marathon anyways...

So as the beginning of this week pasted, as well as the track workout, I began to look forward to my lovely long run workout. It was only going to be a short one since my left hamstring was feeling a bit tight or knotted up. Kris and I were able to get in 19 miles with 4x1 mile at tempo effort along the windy Rio Grande this past Sunday. I've started to look forward to these workouts and have been very excited to lace up some racing flats and hit some fast miles. The only discouraging thing was of course the tight hammy. Other than that, the repeats went exceptionally well, and I can't wait to do more of these workouts!

Thought of the week:

With so many marathons out there, which one am I going to do next.....? Well, I already know I've got one in June, but what about for the fall.......?

Week 2 Mileage:

Mon - am. 10 miles / pm. 10 miles

Tue - am. 10x400m [70, 72, 70, 68, 69, 68, 68, 67, 66, 64] total: 7 miles / pm. 13 miles

Wed - am. 12 miles / pm. 10 miles

Thur - am. 10 miles / pm. 12 miles

Fri - am. 12 miles / pm. 10 miles

Sat - am. 12 miles / pm. 8 miles

Sun - 19 miles w/4x1 mile @ [5:23, 5:17, 5:15, 5:08]

Total: 145

*highest mileage ever!

The Oval Beckons

Well, I think it's about time I sat down and figured out what exactly I'm going to do this Spring, as far as races go. One thing is for sure, I am hooked on the marathon and have had my eye lids peeled wide after the Olympic Trials. Not only was that a wickedly fast race, but I have fully accepted how I finished, and even if I would have run the same time I qualified with, it still wouldn't have been an impressive finish. But like I said, I'm accepting of it, and truthfully... happy. This brings me great hope for American distance running, as that race was the most stacked field in the history of Olympic Marathon Trials! It also makes me think of all the disappointment that race produced amongst many runners. Hopefully they fell the way I do - reenergized and excited to get back into training and test their limits on this wonderful running quest.

Which brings me back to a spring journey. I've pondered it many times before, and even though it's going to be financially tight, I want to hit the oval and improve on some unfinished business. I've said it before, and feel that it is very true how the track doesn't lie, which is why I want to see where I am at as a runner and how I stack up in the stringent record books that our sport is so desperately based on. The merit of a runner tends to be defined by their ability to conquer the track, and even though I love the roads, I still have a place in my heart for the track. After all, this is where most runners get their first taste of pain. There's no hiding behind how difficult the course is, just pure running. Which is why I'll take my crack at at-least 2 track races.

The elusive 5000 meters hasn't been on my radar for a couple of years, and I feel it's time to dramatically improve on my abysmal 14:35 (or 14:24 as that has been the fastest I've covered the distance in the 2nd half of my 10,000m PR). It should be exciting, and I'm looking forward to toe the line amongst young college kids with all their amped up energy and impatience. And, after I get a few track races out of my system, I shall return to the roads and to the glorious Marathon in the Spring. At this point, it's looking clear that I want to run the Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN. If my math is correct I have 17 weeks until the Marathon. Let the countdown begin...

With all these dreams of grandeur aside, my base mileage is coming along, and I will have a nice rust buster race at the Gate River 15k US Championships in Jacksonville, FL., and immediately following that race, I can celebrate a wedding that evening! Cheers to Love! And the love of running!

Here is a taste of my weekly mileage, which I am proud to say I still managed to get a decent amount with a day off:

Mon - Off

Tue - am. 14 miles easy / pm. 10 miles easy

Wed - am. 6 miles easy / pm. 14 miles easy

Thur - am. 12 miles easy / pm. 12 miles easy

Fri - am. 10 miles easy / pm. 12 miles med. w/4x strides

Sat - am. 10 miles easy / pm. 10 miles easy

Sun - am. 20 mile Long Run

Total: 130

Running Tourist

All I can think of, is how this week is creeping along. I took my first day off since my marathon break, and I still feel the need to put in more miles than ever before. I also can't help but notice what the other runners are doing throughout the country, from breaking American records, to spending their race earnings on meaningless junk, to traveling the globe in search of their perfect PR. It shouldn't get to me, as I keep thinking how our sport is still falling through the cracks (in the US). So, to keep my mind preoccupied, I continue to dream about how exhilarating it would be to race in other countries, to become a running tourist, so-to-speak. Actually, I don't even have to run in another country, I haven't even seen this country in it's entirely. But, across the oceans is where I would like to race one day. Touring the globe in search of; not a perfect PR, but a race that will bring my memories back to that country and to those people who I would hope to meet.

So, where shall I go first...? At this point, I have already scheduled an exotic trip to Michigan, later in the spring. The bird sized mosquitoes, with the thirst of blood as any Twilight movie can produce are sure to await me when I arrive for the USA 25k championships. I know the competition will be excellent, and making the podium is a huge goal of mind, but I think Michigan isn't exactly what I'm looking for as a running tourist. Breaking this term down to its core is what I should focus on first. Well, I got the running thing down, now I just need to dissect the tourist part. I want to visit and tour different avenues of running, but I think as a History buff, I should really focus on the great races that have shaped our running history. I'm thinking Boston, New York and Fukuoka Marathon in Japan. That is one (Fukuoka) that has always been in the back of my mind. The glamor, the excitement, and the people are what make a Japanese marathon come to life! With people shouting at you with every step you take, pushing you to limits you probably had no idea you could reach, and being in another country are all the things I expect from a Japanese marathon. And, from few people that I know that have run over there, it sounds amazing.

Again, the race itself is one aspect that I hope to experience, with many different emotions that come from completing a marathon as fast as you can, but meeting a different culture and then mixing your passion with theirs has to be sensational! Of course, I will never know, unless I take that leap over the Pacific Ocean and embrace the unknown.

I have plenty of time to think about this one adventure, as many, many more races and towns are to be discovered this spring on the roads, and on the track! I definitely do not want to waste any opportunity I have in the near future to experience something of this magnitude (either it be domestic or foreign), so my eyes and ears will be open so that my heart and mind can fully embody a great experience. After all, I love running, not only to run fast, but to travel and meet new people...

The Roads Will Always Be Open, But The Track Never Lies

US Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field June 22 - July 1, 2012

After a much needed break from 2 marathons in 41 days, I am back running again. I decided to take about 8 days off, and it was an abysmal attempt of laying low and doing nothing with myself, as I felt the need to get back into reality ASAP. Without running, and by choosing not to run, created a void that could only be filled by planning my next training cycle and reevaluating my goals in life. I'm now armed with a Master's degree and soon will have to chose to teach full time or become a running bum... what choice shall I make?

Well, after some metal debating, I feel that many runners surround themselves with other runners and work at running stores to fulfill they running potential. Not many runners at the Olympic Trials had full time jobs, or teaching full time either. For the most part, they work part-time, and train full time. Yet, I felt the strongest and the most determined when I had a class of students to educate and my mind focus on other things besides running. So, at my current point in life I've determined two things: (1) I may not have the opportunity or ability to race in the track trials ever again, which I will attempt to do this spring, and (2) I am going to substitute teach so that I may still train, and hopefully find a full time teaching position.

I still feel the desire and passion to compete on the track this spring as I prepare for another marathon or if I qualify for the 10000m on the track for the Eugene Trials. To me, the marathon is such a great race, as it parallels life. The amount of work and time put into it, just for one race, creates countless memories and truly expresses how the journey is just as fulfilling as the destination. Each marathon I've done, I've learned something new, and have embraced the pain and joy that came with crossing the finish line, as to put the final punctuation of a chapter.

The many races that lead up to a marathon create different emotions, but at the end of the marathon cycle awaits 26.2 miles of a seer testament to your physical ability. However, with track races, there are many to choose from, and hopefully you can achieve your goal of hitting a qualifying time. In this years 10000m Olympic Trials at Hayward Field the "A" standard is 28:15 and a "B" standard of 29:00. In my opinion, no one slower than 28:25 will be allowed to compete. To run that fast, I need to pr by over 35 seconds... So in life, nothing is certain, which is why I want to seek the opportunity to toe the line at Hayward Field and actually be in shape to compete amongst the best Americans in the 10000m distance.

A few weeks down

After a few weeks of running, I am feeling more confident with myself and what goals I have for this upcoming spring. Each day isn't as hard as before, and the fitness is coming around. I have sat down a few times with my coach (Henry Rono), who has been forced to move in with us after coming back from Yemen. He has a new direction with his coaching philosophy; actually he has just implemented more things into his program. It is very exciting to discuss with him what the future brings to both of us.

My injury is gone, and as I begin my base phase of training, Henry and I are going to focus on the USA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in the 10,000m. I want to get back in great shape and improve on my disappointing 21st place finish last year. I know I can crack into the top 10, or even top 6. But, its going to take a great deal of work and consistent training every morning. There are many more things that I can improve on, and Henry is going to help out with that along with my lovely girlfriend Laura. She is big on drills and dynamic stretching, which is going to help with mobility and injury prevention. I see how Henry wants to develop American runners, and how to integrate Kenyan ways into our minds and bodies... Its just going to take some time, and I'm looking forward to it!

Getting Back Into It

After about 7 weeks with an injured knee, I am feeling better and ready to start training hard. Well, not hard right away, but a slow and smart approach into getting in shape and racing well this spring. Last week was my first "real" week of running after those dreadful 7 weeks, and it was a miniscule 37 miles. But it was 37 miles of no pain.

I shall be in ready for the 10,000m at Outdoor Nationals in June.

10-10-10 Chicago Marathon

This was an epic fail for marathon number 3. After the fact I felt like the race itself was horrible. Everything leading up to this race seemed to go wrong, but I didn't notice it until it was too late. I did way to much walking around before my race, the weather wasn't in our favor, and I wasn't eating as regularly or as often as I should have.

The temperature was warmer than expected, but I ignored that by not hydrating or staying relaxed on friday and saturday. And once race day came along, I knew I was in trouble when it was already in the upper 60's at 6:30 am. But, again, I didn't take notice and had high hopes for a sub 2:19 as everyone else was excited to run a fast one that day. Once the gun went off at 7:30 a pack of about 30 guys formed and we were on 2:19 pace from mile 1 till everyone fell apart. I missed my first bottle at the aid station, but just stayed focused and attempted to get in more water and gatorade from the side aid stations. At 10k someone took my bottle again, so I just grabbed whatever bottle I could get a hold of. It was better than nothing.

At that point in the race, the group of 30 was still intact and everyone looked comfortable. I was sitting on some Brooks Hanson guys and whoever else wanted to be in the lead. The crowds were going ballistic as we sailed away at 5:19 pace through downtown Chicago. I've never heard such a loud crowd before, so that was exciting and motivating. I kept looking for Laura on the course; as she said she was going to be at certain locations, but I never heard or saw her among the mayhem. At half-way we hit 1:09:37 and I felt pretty good. We started dropping a few seconds off out pace and I figured we were going to hold this till the end and I was going to hit the standard. As the group started to lose a few guys here and there, I still kept my composer and was keeping an even effort.

Everything felt great till about mile 17 when I hit a slow 5:27 mile. It didn't really bother me, and I figured I was going to hold 5:30's to the end and finish with a nice PR. But mile after mile I was adding one 10-20 seconds and feeling worse and worse. I kept thinking to myself that I'll just hold that pace and still get a PR, but I kept falling off the pervious pace. By mile 23, I knew I'd just have to finish and take whatever it is. Which was a 2:26:16. My worst time yet out of the three marathons.

As I look back on it and notice all the other American's that dropped out, I thought to myself that I should have dropped out. But I wanted a PR and by the time I knew it was over it wasn't worth it to drop out.

On the plus side, the course and crowds were amazing! I'd love to run this race again with cold temperatures, instead of 80 degree weather.

Right now and on the plane home, I figure I am going to stick with what I'm good at and attempt to qualify in the half marathon at Houston for the USA Half Marathon Championships in January. That way I'll have more chances in the half and can run USA Track & Field Championships if I get in.

Rain Workout

Last night at 6:30pm on one of the local high schools tracks (La Cueva H.S.) A group of us met there to do our track workout instead of in the morning, due to schedule complications. It seemed fine at the time, but being the first day of fall, mother nature decided to remind us that summer was officially over with a constant cool downpour. During the warm up for our 6x 2000m, I thought the rain would subside, and all we'd have to deal with would be the lack of sunlight. In reality, we just dealt with the combination of the two. Once we hit our splits and switched off leads every kilometer between the four of us, it wasn't so bad. I felt like I was in a time warp, as nothing around me seemed to be moving. The lakes that formed on the track made each step filled with extra cushion, but of course, no traction as we hydroplaned with each landing.

It was a great experience and I'm glad we completed the entire workout in those conditions. As the quote states, "whatever doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger.". With that said, the 2k's with 200m jog went well as we planned on hitting marathon pace or close to marathon pace. My Brooks T6 racers felt great out there, and I got them cleaned in the process.

[6:34, 6:32, 6:32, 6:33, 6:35, 6:28]

USA outdoor Championships

Well, it is official... they let me into the race this coming week! The 10,000m is going to be a stacked field, and possibly the most prestigious field that I've ever been in that requires a qualifying time. So, this news is very exciting to me. The race is a championships race, so it's going to be very tactical, and I'm just going to hold on to whoever so that I can finish as high as possible. More updates should follow, or info can be found at:

http://www.usatf.org/events/2010/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/

And television times are:

On TV:
ESPN, June 25 8:00-10:00 pm
ESPN, June 26 1:00-2:30 pm
NBC, June 26 3:00-4:00 pm
ESPN, June 27 1:00-2:30 pm
NBC, June 27 3:00-4:00 pm

Recovery, Race and Relax

Things are starting to feel good again.  The mileage is getting back up there (100+), so I just need to hold it there for, oh, about 4 more years and I should be good for some fast times.  Right now, I'm just running mileage, without any major workouts.  I may start doing a few quicker stuff as well as some long tempo stuff before USA Outdoors in June.  Which I am desperately hoping to get into since I only have the "B" standard for the 10,000m.  After that race I shall race another 10k, but this time on the roads at the USA road 10k championships in Hotlanta.... Peachtree 10k in Atlanta.  Then its off to Chicago for a half marathon.  More to come...

Stanford 10k - New PR

Well, last weekend was the Stanford Invite, and there were a lot of great performances there.  I was grateful to travel out there with Laura and stay with her at a hotel that was only 1/2 a mile away.  My parents were also there and they picked us up from the airport the day before our races, which was on friday.  Friday morning came very quick, as suppose to the duration of the entire day.  Laura woke up fairly early for her shake out run before her 11:18am 5000m race.  We headed over to the track accompanied by Laura's parents, who were also out there to watch both our races.  As Laura mingled with her team, I left to the stands and to find both my parents and Laura's parents.  Once I saw my mom emerge from the bathroom, and my father not far behind, I saw Laura's parents and had everyone meet.  Luck for Laura, she was not there to witness the parents finally meeting.  Once that quick tear of a bandage occurred, I said my farewell to everyone as I told them I was going to position myself along the backstretch for Laura's race.  I saw the two couples wander off to the stands as I couldn't help but laugh on the inside as I kept thinking about how goofy parents can be.  

I saw Laura right before her race, wished her luck and found a nice spot on the 100m turn to take splits as she came across the finishing line.  Her race was perfect for her, and she went out

 at an ok pace.  A couple of her laps were slow, and fast, but with 200m to go it looked as if she

 hit a wall, and then a limp was noticeable.  I figured it was her knee, since it was bugging her

 for a couple of weeks, but once she crossed the line, met with her coach and walked over to me, I found out it was her fascia on her foot.  She could barely walk, let alone cool down, which I was going to accompany her in for my shake out run before tonight's race.  It was a definitely a terrible to thing for her, and as I write this she is well on her way to recovery and cross training.

So, after the morning incident and watching a few 1500m races, Laura and I meet up with our parents and head out to get lunch with her parents as mine head to their hotel for lunch.  

We get sandwiches from a nice deli and head back to our hotel, where Laura and her parents eat, and I leave for a short run to get the blood flowing.  I find a nice neighborhood to run through and a nice gradual hill to do some hill strides on.  This is a must for me, since Henry Rono always emphasized some light speed work on a hill the day or so before your race.  

After a few of those, I head back to the hotel, stretch out and have lunch with Laura in the courtyard of our hotel.  Tuna Salad sandwich, some chips and a couple of cookies are all I desire before a nice little nap and off to the track.  

At this point, it is about 7:15ish, and Laura and I get there in time to watch some of the 5k's.  We just hang around till about 8:30 or so, when I start freaking out about warming up, and who to warm up with, since I was going to jog around with one of the UNM guys who was in my heat.  I watch a few more laps of Section 1 of the 5000m and find Keith (UNM 10k guy).  We head out for our warm up and talk all about how amazing this track is and how we plan to race. 

 With all the emotions stirring up in my stomach, I can only respond with a few short phrases as we come back to the check-in area.  I keep running/trotting along for a few more minutes, till my watch hits 17 something total minutes for my warm up.  A few stretches and drills and all the 10000m guys are called to the check-in section for our final check-in an lane assignments.  I get lane/number 13 and rush back to my seat where my stuff is located and change out of my warm-ups.  Many of the other runners are already out on the track doing strides and drills, so I figured I should get out there asap.  In most cases, I am more worried about the preparation of getting to the start line, than the race itself.  Once I can get to the line and the gun goes off, I feel much better.  But, that won't occur for another 10 minutes or so.

Last call had been announced, and I throw my last few layers of clothes to Laura as she wishes me luck with a beautiful smile.  One last stride on the back stretch towards the start and all the runners timidly place themselves in numerical order based on lane assignments.  I find myself with my highlighter yellow singlet squished between two Brooks-Hanson runners. 

 

I wish whoever can hear me, let alone make eye contact with me a "good luck" before the race and tuck in when the starter sets us off.  The gun goes off and I just stay relaxed and aim for the rail as quick as possible.  It becomes a mess to get over, but with a few elbows here and there, I find my way to the rail.  Once there, I start thinking about pace, and how this is an ok pace.  Mile 1 was hit in around 4:41.  I keep hearing other coaches shout out splits of 69 or 70 to our chase group.  After a quick evaluation, I figure this is a good place to be.  9:20 or so for 2 Miles.  

To me, this is perfect, and I plan on being here through 5k and move up if I can.  To this point, I have never covered a 5k faster than 14:35, and as we approach the 5k mark, that familiar number is still there.  But this time I feel pretty good and have another 5k to go.  I leave our pack and start working on the next pack in front of me.  

No one from that pack is fall off yet, but i keep on pressing and since I'm pretty much alone, I don't hear any splits.  From the starting line on, I have the jumbo-tron to look at and the famous Drums being beaten from the Stanford team.  The back stretch has the UNM's assistant coach Erin Howarth cheering me on till I get to the 200m mark were out of a million voices, I hear Laura's soft but annunciated voice cheer me on, along with a few more UNM athletes' voices and the head coach on the 250m mark.  In the stands on the 300m mark I hear another buddy's voice cheering me on and both my parents and Laura's parents on the home stretch.  So with all those lovely voices to carry me around the track, I couldn't see how I could fade.  Instead I just kept pressing on lap after lap.  The times on the clock didn't make sense to me, so I was not going to add or subtract times to estimate a final time.  All I wanted to see was the lap counter flip closer and closer to 1 Lap to Go!  Once that number came up I glanced over at the time and saw 27:57.  With one lap to go I figured I could run about a 63 or so to break 29.  And breaking that barrier would be amazing.  I knew I didn't want to regret coming this close and missing that mark by a few seconds, so I thought I could do it since I had run a 63 in practice before.  While I'm thinking about all of this and pressing hard for the finish, I reach the 200m mark and the clock over here reads 28:30!  Now I quickly think to myself in about 2 seconds, 2 thoughts.  I just ran a 33 second 200 which is a 66 quarter, and that is not enough to break 29 minutes.  I need a 28!  And I'VE run that in practice too!  So I start kicking with everything I got and start catching some random guys.  I have no idea who they are, but that they are in front of me and if I can catch them or gain on them, then I'm going to get a good time.  I sprint in all the way through the line as I look over at the clock.  It still reads 28:59 as I narrowly miss stepping on a guy who was pasted out on the track.  I stumble to a stop and I only know that I ran the "B" Standard for the USA Outdoor Championships!  If I ran under 29, that would be icing on the cake.  The scoreboard didn't go that far down the list to my 16th place finish to reveal my time.  But I didn't care too much, I had a feeling I did it.  I saw one of the Flotrack guys, Ryan Fenton and talked to him for a bit as I staggered over to where my stuff was at, and where Laura would be.  

I reach her with a smile and a congratulatory hug.  I grab my warm-ups and leave for a short cool down on my own with a smile from ear to ear.  I later find Keith cooling down and we chat for a bit as we come around to the results list.  I look down the list and see my name next to a time of 28:59.96!  .96!!!  I didn't care what the milliseconds were, as long as the minutes were in the 28's.  I was stocked and stoked out of my mind!  I ran another loop around the track facility with an even bigger smile on my face.  I finished up and saw Laura again, as she was telling me I broke 29:00!

After that performance, we walked back to our hotel, both limping since Laura's foot was damaged and I just had a few blisters.  We get back to the hotel, drop off our stuff at around 11:30pm and head down the street to the only restaurant open, Jack-in-the-Box.  

All in all, I was too excited to fall asleep that night and couldn't believe I ran under 29:00.  After dinner, an ice bath, a shower and just laying there till about 1:30am I fell asleep with a well satisfied performance.                 

Results:

http://www.sml1.com/recordtiming/stanford/invite10/

Video:

http://www.flotrack.org/videos/coverage/view_video/236780/321558

Pictures:

Stanford and Training

So another few weeks have past by and the preparation for performing well is on the horizon.  This coming week will be a chance for a new pr in the 10,000m at Stanford.  And after that another four weeks till the marathon.  I am very pleased with the training and the higher mileage that I've been doing.  The support I've been receiving from friends and family is great, so the only enemy will be myself, and the fear of not performing well.  At this point, I have no one to fall back on or to blame if my performances aren't what I expected.  In most races, I am very pleased with my performance as I reflect back on them.  But, with these races ahead, I know I will perform well and be satisfied with the outcome.  

Albuquerque

This past weekend was an exciting weekend with many running related events going on.  First off, the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships were in town, so all the local runners were at the Indoor facility along with the sold out crowd to watch all the distance events.  Saturday started off with the Mountain West Conference Championships, were plenty of UNM athletes got to compete and rock the Mountain West Conference.  Unfortunately, I was not able to attend this meet, which I was very upset about.  But, I was able to attend the US Indoor Championships that evening following the Mountain West Championships.

The highlights of the evening in my opinion were the the mens and womens 3000m final.  The men's race went out at a pedestrian pace with Lagat controlling the jog for about a kilometer.  After that a few other guys slightly took the lead, but still remained at a meandering pace of 4:40 for the mile.  It was a hard race to watch among the fans who wanted to see a "race" transpire, but with about 400 meters to go, Lagat started his kick and took the field with ease.  Rupp was second in this race, so both of them get to go to the World Championships in Qartar.  

After watching that race, I regret not trying to qualify for it and have the privilege to race against some of the best mid-distance runners in the country.  When I saw the leaders coming through at 4:40, and some guys falling off from that pace, it only inspired me to enter in this race next year and race to the best of my potential, and hopefully other guys will do the same.  Instead, this race was more of a sit and kick race, with only a few of those guys able to sit and kick without much contention.  

Anyways, training now is focused on the spring marathon and a 10k on the track about a month before the marathon.  Speaking of which, I need to buy my ticket.  Hopefully a special someone will be there and I can watch her (Laura) run the 5000m to a new PB.  So, training is more strength oriented with longer and more constant tempo runs and only one track workout a week, which was done this past tuesday (16 x 400m - avg. 66).  Hopefully things turn out for the best.    

UNM Lobo Indoor 3k

Running a PR is always something to be happy with, which is what occurred this past weekend.  It was another UNM indoor race, with loads of runners in all sorts of events.  Allyson Felix was at the meet and she ran a Stadium record in the 400m in 52.05!  So that was sweet to see.  Then it was nice to see some of the UNM guys and girls run well leading up to the mens 3k.  I knew in the weeks leading up to this race, that it was going to be stacked with a grip load of studs and NCAA All-Americans.  So, it was nice to see that I made it into that heat, as there were two heats of this race.  

To name a few guys, we had: Rory Fraser (13:39 5k), Patrick Smyth (1:02 half-marathon among other top 5 performances at USA Championships), Ben Bruce (8:26 sc), Jason Lehmekule (5th at the US Marathon Trials, 2:14) and a couple of other sub 14:00 5k guys.

So, with all this talent in the field and a rabbit to pace the leaders through at 8:05 pace for 3k, it was going to be exciting.  There was a waterfall start, and since I was seeded second to last in this heat I was on the waterfall on the outside lanes, which was fine.  Once the gun went off, everyone took off like a bat out of hell.  Our little group didn't cut in, until the 100m mark and I positioned myself around 6th or 7th place through the first 400m.  After that point, I was still running in lane 2 so I decided to move up and sit on the inside lane, but there was no way to get in unless I moved up to 4th place behind Rory and Smyth.  So, like an impatient runner I did exactly that.  I was nice and secure in 4th place through the 800m mark in about 2:13.  The pace started to heat up and I was holding on while a few guys passed me as we hit the mile in about 4:24.  I was in about 7th place at this time and Jason Lehmekule started to move and pass a bunch of us on the outside.  At that point I decided I could go with him and position myself back in 4th place, since at this point the rabbit dropped off and the leaders were now: Smyth, Fraser and Lehmekule.  I was in 4th again for a short amount of time as Ben Bruce passed  me and then Aucencio Martinetz passed me as well.  Naturally, I tried to stick on them but could only hold their pace for a few hundred meters and would fade off of each of them.  I could hear the announcer and the crowds going nuts, since it was a great battle between UNM's Rory Fraser and Team USA Minnesota's Patrick Smyth at the bell lap.  I could see them killing each other as I was trying to close the gap on Lehmekule, since Bruce and Martinetz passed him, but that didn't happen in the finally 200 meters.  The crowd roared to Fraser's win of 8:08 and a wake of runners that still bettered the Stadium record of 8:10.  Four guys went under the old record and Lehmekule finished in 8:13 as I was kicking in just under 8:20 with a new PR of 8:19.99.  

It has a catchy ring to say 8:19, instead of 8:20... So I was full of smiles and happy to run that fast before the US Cross Championships.  I know two of those guys in my race are racing Cross, so its going to be a great race out there in Spokane.  I am getting excited and wonder how fast I could run a 5k at sea level...?  Sub 14:00?  And I don't know if I'll get the chance to do that this year.  It would be nice, but it also would be nice to make a US Team.  I think I'll go for the US team and see what happens.

Results:

http://www.golobos.com/sports/c-track/stats/2009-2010/unm13010_res.html

Article:

http://www.dailylobo.com/index.php/article/2010/02/dashingfellows_best_their_own_times 

6 week injury

Injuries are always fun, and I seem to always get one at the end of winter.  I had something pretty bad on my right leg along the perineal tendon.  I guess I rolled my ankle on a fartlek session and kept running through it.  I was not proactive about it, and didn't roll myself out, take rest, ice or anything that could help it out.  Just kept doing track sessions on it and after a few days it was unbearable.  Now, after 3 weeks of attempted cross-training/jogging, I'm now back to just jogging around.  Hopefully this will get better, and hopefully I've learned something about this.

What I do know is, watching the other guys running track sessions is killer!  I just want to be out there pounding away intervals with these guys and racing!  I seem to never have a decent track season, and my track pr's NEED to come down!  Oh well, there's always the roads...... which I am getting sick of, because I always want what I can't have.  In a few months when I'm racing on the roads, I'll be loving it and not thinking about track.