Running To Beat Mark

3 easy again, family coming to town this weekend most of evening cleaning 

At the least today was 4  could be closer 5 but over 35 minutes of comfortable running nothing hurting everything feeling good a couple pick ups here and there explored new area of town runs go by faster when seeing something for the first time.

5 easy ish

6 x 1k 600 m rest

3:20 (woh too fast will hurt later!) 3:26, 3:30 (more like what I was expecting) 3:34 (starting to feel first one) 3:35, 3:35

Did not feel greatest going into the workout originally planned on 10 reps but stomach issues and little sleep last night it was smarter to do 6 I think. Ran with xc team they did 6x800s so I just hung behind the top three and then did my best to hang on last 200. 

Good luck to Matt on his attempt at 5k pr tomorrow!

Felt terrible but needed to get something in. Goal for next two weeks, get sleep! 

1.2 mile warmup and cool down.

5.1 time trial with xc team hilly course, we tried for course record of 31:36 but fell short at 32:04. Great run for me. Maybe not time wise, but I was able to hold it together through some stomach problems on a hilly course and finish strong. 6:17 average pace and it was not giving everything I have (that's in a couple weeks!) felt pretty comfortable for most part.

Four easy by the river soft surfaces legs little tight loosened up at halfway point

2 mi warmup 1 mile at 6:40 2miles in 12:52 (even splits of 6:26) 1 mile in 6:50(straight into wind)

2mile cool down

Easy day today. 78 mile relay on Saturday and I am doing 14 so taking it nice and easy today and tomorrow.

easy excited for tomorrow!

What a great day! If anyone has a chance to run a relay I would highly recommend it! My wife and I really only knew one other member of our team but after sharing a van with six other people after running you get to know the others really quickly!

We got a poor starting time of 9:20 a.m. This was the second to last wave start and it was also when they started all of the elite teams, which we were no where near an elite team... We got past by first and second place within our first two runners even with a twenty minute head start! 

I was our third runner and when I got the chip I knew there were still some fast runners behind me. My goal was to not get caught in this first stage. Well that lasted all of 3 minutes, but that may have been ok because I then had someone to run with. We both got passed by one other runner but we had passed 5 or so already so I was still +3 for my stage. A little side cramping but having that other runner there kept me focused and able to run through it. Decent first run stayed comfortable and relaxed did not throw hammer down or anything (6:30 pace, 4.2 miles)

Emaurine's first run was the potential highlight of the day. Not feeling well this week she came in to the race not knowing what to expect. This was the hilliest of the course, 5.1 miles and she was telling the team not to expect faster than 9 minute miles, well she ran 7:52 miles and passed over 6 teams, without getting passed!

My second run was my toughest 5.5 miles with hills and straight into the wind. The 10k prediction tool that the organizers use too stage the event had me at averaging 6:45 miles so I wanted to keep close to that if nothing else. This time I knew I had noone behind me that was going to catch me, but there was a shirtles runner who started about 3-4 minutes ahead of me that I wanted to challenge myself to catch. I was constantly gaining until we got to the hills. Then I started cramping and dry heaving. I did not lose any ground to him. I thought the stage ended right after the only bridge we pass so I sprinted the length of the bridge and got within 35 seconds of him only to realize there was still over a half mile left in the stage. Ended up missing him by ten seconds and ran 6:45 pace, which I am not too unhappy about with how I was feeling. (also +4 teams on this stage so now +7 for my stages)

The new highlight of the day was emaurine's second run 3.9 miles at 7:26 pace!! She is just unstoppable!!

Last run side stitch before I even start, now knowing what to expect 4.2 miles of limestone trail so I am thinking I can really go after it but I am not even a quarter mile in before I know this is not going to be nearly as good as I want. Ended up starting about a minute behind "green shirt guy" almost caught him fairly early just to have my side splitting in pain! So I backed off a little bit let him wander ahead just briefly, but then we had to cross a major highway and I had to stop and he didn't! Now I am over forty seconds behind with roughly a mile left to go! So I dry heaved a little after stopping (I guess my body wanted to be done) and then set off to catch green shirt guy. At the very end I sprinted to only lose to him by a second or two but I was still a little upset I didnt quite catch him. However after the major highway there was a line of teams for me to pass so I did catch 15 other teams during this stage. total of +22 for me throughout my part of relay! (28 minutes 6:40 pace again not to upset with this with the way I was feeling)

Last highlight of the day. Emaurine's final stage 3 miles 22 minutes 7:20 pace just incredible!!!

When we got to the finish rumor had it that the team that finished closest to the predicted time from the relay officials got free entry into next years race. When we crossed we thought we were only three-four seconds off! A great chance to win! But the timing was not quite connected right and we were eventually told 6 seconds off our predicted time and another team was 3 seconds off...

Overall great experience 78.7 miles total 10:52:26 was our reported time or average of 8:17 pace. I averaged roguhly 6:38 pace total emaurine averaged 7:35 for 12 miles!!!

easy tired from long day yesterday

rain out, after i woke and before school and then after school til bedtime thunderstorms non stop, so good thing taper week and taking day off shouldnt hurt me too much.

3 easy took a bad step ankle swollen uh oh

Cycling with wife ankle no good hoping beyond hope that it gets better by Saturday. Icing and elevating but not sure how much it's really helping

District xc tonight two seniors made it to state, but our sophomore missed by .1second feel bad for him. Ankle held up to jogging but gave out when I tried to go a little faster to get around the course

Travel day easy jogging, if it is in pain tomorrow and I cannot go the pace I want to I will back off early still probably finish race since no refunds but definitely disappointed going into race. Hopefully emaurine will do great! I know she will!

KC marathon = hilly at least for us in central nebraska that do not have much hills to train on. Chickened out of trying for PR! Ankle still hurting lack of sleep and basically I am just a chicken oh well had a lot of fun pacing emaurine! she was on PR pace for quite a long time but then the hills came and her hip is still hurting. hills just make it that much worse and she had to slow down but still the time she ran today with the fewest miles of training she has ever had before a marathon and the injuries she has is great. I am super proud of her!! 

new shoes! no run but a very huge urge to start running fast probably sooner than I should

3 easy with the new shoes felt good still taking it this week

3 easy running, then hard cycling class courtesy of emaurine!

3 easy 

3 easy

8 with emaurine, 3 up 3 tempo 2 cooldown was the idea but she did not slow down to much after the tempo

4 easy with emaurine

1 warmup   2 with other pair of new shoes (kinvara 4 lightest shoes I have ever had (besides spikes)) did not feel like I had any shoes on! Goal was run with feel, no watch on me, and get an idea of what comfortably hard was, 11:40 so not too shabby for no speed work in past few weeks. Starting spot to build off of at least. one cooldown

6.5 easy legs felt good after 2 so I went a little faster last four no watch though just based on feel.

Hilly route for Nebraska and twenty five mph winds made it even more fun.

1.5 warmup 4x400 hills (suppose to be fast but the last 150m was pretty steep so it was a grind up) then 8 x 200 hills so that I could actually make them faster. Recovery was just down the hills... 1.5 cooldown

Thunderstorm when I woke up this morning, could not go to track as planned 4 on treadmill all I had motivation for

Cycling class with emaurine!

easy tonight was not properly nutritioned (not from candy!) just super hungry