« Exquisite Misery | Main | Other People's Running »
October 18, 2006
Sunnier Days
It was a beautiful day today: sunny, cloudless, crisp, and a bit chilly. I ran in shorts and a single, thin, long sleeve shirt. I ran 45 easy recovery minutes on a pancake-flat dirt road. I am remarkably not sore from yesterday's remarkable run. Definitely fatigued, but not sore. I could have run a lot further today as it was beautiful and I felt good, but I wanted to fully recover from yesterday's effort.
During a portion of this run, I gazed up towards Sheep Mountain, the mountain that I climbed on my long run yesterday. The weather had cleared out and the mountain glowed bright white in front of a turquoise sky. I couldn't help but think that it almost looked appealing up there today. However, Sheep Mountain was a very different place yesterday.
So it appears that sunnier days have returned, literally and figuratively. The weather was beautiful today and I am in high spirits again. Thank you all for your "buck up/keep your head up" comments on yesterday's blog entry! It's been a fun ride getting ready for this next race, but I am tired. I'm hoping that the easy mileage of the next 11 or so days will produce a strong, rested, ready girl at the starting line on October 28th.
For anyone who cares, the following is a copy of my running log from the last 3+ weeks (I won't bore you with the details of all the "other" crap, lifting, core, strides, plyos, and etceteras. This entry would get ridiculous.):
Week of September 25th
Monday: The Kama Sutra Hill Climb (see earlier entry regarding this workout), about 1:00 total running on Old Gardiner Road (dirt road)
Tuesday: Run #1- 1:00 easy hilly dirt road above Jardine, Run #2- 45 minutes easy flat Yellowstone River Railroad Bed below Gardiner
Wednesday: 1:00 with 5x3:00 uphill intervals at high intensity (The goal was to start out with a fairly difficult first climbing interval, then to climb higher with each subsequent interval. I didn't succeed in the goal to make it higher each time.) on Eagle Creek Road (dirt road)
Thursday: 1:10 easy hilly on Yellowstone River Trail
Friday: Run #1- Mile repeat workout, 4x1 mile at 6:47 average with 2:30 jogging recovery, about 8 miles total on Old Yellowstone Trail (dirt road), Run #2- 1:00 easy hilly on Emigrant Canyon Road (dirt road, followed by soaking in some hot springs!)
Saturday: rest (high school xc meet)
Sunday: Wacky Table Mountain trail run/hike, 9.5-ish miles, 4000-ish feet elevation gain and subsequent loss
Week of October 2nd
Monday: 1:00 easy flat on Yellowstone River Railroad Bed below Gardiner
Tuesday: 1:10 easy hilly on Lava Creek Trail
Wednesday: Run #1- 1:45 trails (via the Hoodoos Trail and around Bunsen Peak), hilly, about 1200 elevation gain and subsequent loss (saw black bear prints), Run #2- 45 minutes with 8x50 second hill climbs at full speed on the Beattie Creek Road (dirt road)
Thursday: rest (high school xc meet)
Friday: Run #1- 1:10 easy hilly on Lava Creek Trail (muddy!), Run #2- 40 minutes easy hilly on the Yellowstone River Trail (So very tired during this run.)
Saturday: Mile repeat workout, 5x1 mile at 6:51 average with 2:30 jogging recovery, about 10 miles total, on the Old Yellowstone Trail (dirt road)
Sunday: long run, 2:50, Ash Mountain logging roads, hilly, approximately 20 miles (turned around aftering seeing black bear prints)
Week of October 9th
Monday: 45 minutes recovery hilly Rescue Creek Trail
Tuesday: 1:20 hilly strong effort on Old Gardiner Road
Wednesday: 45 minutes easy flat Old Yellowstone Trail (dirt road)
Thursday: Run #1- 3 mile hill climb at tempo effort in 22:high, 3 miles easy jog downhill, on dirt road above Jardine, Run #2- 35 minutes on the Yellowstone River Railroad Bed below Gardiner
Friday: Run #1- 1:00 hilly with 5x3:00 uphill intervals at high intensity (This is the same workout that I tried a few weeks ago. The goal was to start out with fairly difficult first climbing interval, then to climb higher with each subesquent interval. I succeeded and climbed about 8-10 meters higher on each additional interval.), on lower Eagle Creek Road (dirt road), Run #2- 55 minutes easy hilly on Travertine trails (saw 3 weird guys playing frisbee golf in the middle of nowhere.)
Saturday: rest (high school xc meet)
Sunday: 1:20 up and down the Emigrant Canyon Road (dirt road), 1500 feet elevation gain and subsequent loss, approximately 9 miles (canyon was gorgeous with fall colors, followed by soaking in hot springs!)
Week of October 16th
Monday: 1:10 easy hilly on trails above Jardine (saw fresh alk carcass, worried about wildlife!)
Tuesday: long run, 3:5?, hilly, Eagle Creek Road up Sheep Mountain, 2500-ish feet elevation gain and subsequent loss, approximately 25 miles (Snowstorm, joints ached on the downhill, not fun.)
Wednesday: 45 minutes easy flat on Old Yellowstone Trail (dirt road)
Posted by Meghan at October 18, 2006 7:23 PM
Comments
Not sore?? After all that uphill and all that downhill? That's great that your muscles are recovering so quickly...a sure sign of superior fitness. Enjoy your taper!
Posted by: chelle at October 19, 2006 4:14 PM