Miles:13.5
Time:2:05
Elev. Gain:2,100'
YTD Miles:216.6
YTD Time:35:12
YTD Elev.:31,700'
5/2/2012-South Mountain- Decided against staying home and taking it easy and made my way out to South Mountain for a run in the low 90 degree temps. Ran my normal 5k loop at a noticeably slower pace than normal. The heat did play a part but mostly just sluggish. My Garmin dying a mile into the run did not help mentally. Hills really took the wind out of my sail also on this day.
5/6/2012-Canal- I had an opening on Sunday so I decided to test my legs on the canal in Chandler on a muggy mid nineties day. Not a good idea. I knew from the start that I was a bit dehydrated and unenergized, but that never keeps me from making a dent so I pounded the dull as ever canal in a brisk pace for 4 miles. I found myself bent over and heaving 3 times over the short run which goes to show that pace and heat are not in the cards for me right now. I know I have a long road back to where I was in the last year but this was not a day to remember.
5/7/2012-Roads- I had the time to get a few miles under the belt so I hit the frontage road next to the house for a few miles in the dim light at dusk. Kept a good pace but was a little drained in all.
5/9/2012-South Mountain-Luckily I had more time to spare so I headed out to South Mountain in the rain soaked skies for what was to be a pretty nice little jaunt. Though the lightning bolted from the blanketed skies throughout I was able to make my loop with a small add on at a brisk, comfortable pace. The trails were nice and packed with the rainfall prior and during, and the brisk winds kept the temp well below normal, probably 65 or so. Legs and mind felt good throughout. Good day on the trails.
I know that my running will be affected by my sleeping disorder and the aftermath for quite some time but I hope that the soothing affects of my time on the trails and all the positives I am able to derive from it will speed up my recovery as well as the road to wellness moving forward in my life. I am grateful for everyday I wake energized and healthy and I can fully appreciate the little things which I took for granted in my past life. My life is enriched by the simple fact that my insomnia provided enlightenment in an area with which darkness crept before. I am grateful for the lessons and plan to learn to live by these experiences.
Miles:10.0
Time:1:42
Elev. Gain:1700'
YTD Miles:203.10
YTD Time:33:07
YTD Elev.:29,600'
Thursday- 3 miles on the treadmill. Easy.
Saturday- 3 miles at Pinnacle Peak in the northeast valley. I decided to test the legs after another sleepless night. I figured it couldn't hurt to try and get out for some normalcy even if my body never again provides it. I felt good in the initial minutes but the overall steepness of the peak really got to me and I had to cut the run short after a few miles even though I do love the trail conditions of nice flat, soft trails with abrupt switchbacks. Headed home a bit weary.
Sunday- 4 miles at Picket Post Mountain in Superior, Arizona. After a decent amount of sleep on Saturday night(thank god!)I decided that my open morning would be filled with another jaunt so I headed out east to a landmark that rises out of the desert south of the interstate. After a somewhat lackluster effort on Saturday I knew that I would most likely have a better day at Picket Post especially considering the temps would be about 15 degrees cooler at start. After avoiding a headless and tailless dead Rattlesnake at the mouth of the trail head I headed off the warning signs embedded in my mind which was to keep my head up and looking forward for any signs of movement, as well as bound around any large(r) rocks with any shaded areas. To my amazement I only encountered one rattler which was up on the hillside when I passed and he did not seem to interested in my pathetic fantasies of "Ultrarunning". I rounded out a few miles and decided to head back in as to not push the envelope with my weary and deprived body.
Overall I was happy with actually getting out and including a little bit of vertical into my runs after a day on the treadmill to get my legs back used to running. I am nowhere near through my current insomnia bout but I think I am on the right track. I will see how the second week goes with my progression.
Miles:6.0
Time:52:00
Elev. Gain:
YTD Miles:193.10
YTD Time:31:25
YTD Elev.:27,900'
One thing I have never been able to accomplish in my short life I guess is contentment. Looking back that seems like a double edged sword lingering over my head. Part of me always looked forward to getting out into the world, the new world, seeing new places, new roads, new bands, new faces, new mountains, never letting myself hit the "repeat" button. This "New World" in a way did in fact lead me to a contentment I guess in which I always knew that I would be looking for something new when the sun rose the next day. But, upon a recent life changing turn in my life I believe I came to a crossroad, one of probably many in my ever-changing life, in which I have had to look at life as a sort of model, like the ones we used to get as kids with the little battery propelled motor and such which in turn we would affix to other simple machines thus making a moving(usually in some means) object such as an old vintage Volkswagen Beetle or an old P38 Lightning fighter jet that we would subsequently crash before takeoff. In the end we seem to all be just that, simple machines. It may be our beautiful fault, or, our beautiful secret, either/or. The problem, at least in my case, is it seems like I have lost or most likely have never realized that, in finality, human lives, my life, is most efficient when I am open to our world, this world, but at the same time closed to what my/our world calls "progressiveness", "technology", or "the road to success".
I vividly remember parts of my early childhood. Behind the old pines that pressed up against our home like a woken cat lay a trail that was quite trodden though it seemed I was the only one to ever dare traverse it. It led past the blueberry grove which seemingly always produced rather large berries. Ones that to this day I have yet to see their equal. And eventually through an opening in the overgrowth and salmon berry bushes that, on a sunny day, I could stop and gaze as far as my young yet already weary eyes could see. I remember how it led to an old what must have been machining shop of some kind. Old woodworking and metal working tools littered the walls and floors almost seemingly balancing between the broken soggy planks, victims of the Pacific Northwest's fervent rains, and the decade(s) old clumps of pine needles which seemed to like to huddle together like they were devising a plan. I remember every broken window, every rusty nail, whose location it seemed I knew by the counted paces from the front sliding door. Yet the trail led even further out and behind the old shed. It came to a "Y" which to me always seemed like an easy decision, the one leading into the dark forest because after all, it had the secrets. I always tended to turn over the stone to see what lurked underneath, to unlock the secrets, to see what went on when our gazes were elsewhere, when no one was listening. Stunningly was that it was a huge, unending world that seemed to all fit in just over an acre near the coast of southern Oregon.
I can remember every broken branch, every dead sparrow carcass lining the path and where I buried them. I always buried them, they deserved it. Yet, now I find it hard, almost impossible to memorize a simple dance step for a sister in laws wedding. Simplicity is in all things big and small. It will be a delight in finding it once more.
Miles:1.0
Time:10:00
Elev. Gain:
YTD Miles:187.1
YTD Time:30:33
YTD Elev.:27,900'
After a nearly five week absence from running today I finally logged a mile on my weary legs. Reason being you say? When I last posted to my blog I had relayed the info that I was in the middle of a bout with insomnia that had resulted in only a few days of sleep over a 2 week span. Well, 2 weeks stretched into 5 weeks which in turn stretched my mind and body into a spiral of confusion and despair that I could find no answer for.
After seeing 3 different doctors and prescribed a plethora of prescription pills, which was my absolute last resort, I finally, on April 5th, found slumber. The reason for the episode is still unknown and something that may take months to cure but I am determined to not only get back to health but also to get back on the road, or should I say trail to running. My goals have been pushed back and nearly wiped clean but I am confident that with a few changes here and there I should be back to my normal self soon.
Well, I guess I am off to bed to try and make up for the 200 hours of sleep I am back logged at the moment. Hopefully I can get caught up by the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Miles:11.8
Time:1:56
Elev. Gain:1,600'
YTD Miles:186.1
YTD Time:30:23
YTD Elev.:27,900'
To make a very long, boring story short, I have been experiencing a bout of sleeplessness/insomnia dating back to I believe the 2nd of March which was the last night that I had a full night of sleep without the help of sleeping pills. This is not the first bought I have had with this in the last few years but it is definitely one of the worst. I believe I have slept a total of around 29 hours since March 2nd. So I can honestly say that the running has been dismal and non existent. I will keep you posted.
Miles:16.0
Time:2:24
Elev. Gain:2,100'
YTD Miles:174.3
YTD Time:28:27
YTD Elev.:26,300'
Pretty low key week because of a little laziness but mostly just "life" getting in the way of my time on the trail. I did however have a highlight of getting out to Table Mesa Trail in Black Canyon City which is the site of the Xterra Half Marathon Trail Race on March 25th, which I am planning on partaking in just as long as my health holds up over the next few weeks. I will admit that I was a little pretentious about the day on the trail after I found out that the trail ran directly through a shooting range which was teeming with gun toting NRA members waiting to pick off some sissy trail runner treading through their path. After dodging bullets for the first few miles I was in the clear and found the trail to be a nice little slice of singletrack coursing through the canyons and winding alongside and over running streams, which was a surprise, and carving upwards to the small, quaint, Black Canyon City perched up the hillside. I rounded out the run in just a 6 mile chunk and headed back to the city, happy and with a new respect for the area.
Miles:4.0
Time:34:00
Elev. Gain:700'
YTD Miles:166.3
YTD Time:27:13
YTD Elev.:25,400'
February Totals:
Miles:86.20
Time:13:48
Elev.:13,100'
February I will admit may have been one of my most consistent months I have ever had in terms of days spent on the trails as well as quality of time spent on said trails. I had a few longer runs peppered in with some nice climbs on the shorter outings with it all coming on close to perfect conditions both in the skies and on the ground. I still find myself sometimes going out with insufficient fluid levels or nutrition levels and trying to make something happen and this is not only ruining the present outing but also it has affected the days preceding it and this must stop. I have tried to make both mental and physical notes of some of my downfalls I have encountered on the trails to prepare myself for some of my loftier goals in the future. I must learn from these if I really plan on trying my hand at a more competitive side of running. I think it is definitely on the horizon, I just have to keep working hard and smart and it will arise.
Miles:22.0
Time:3:25
Elev. Gain:2,600'
YTD Miles:162.3
YTD Time:26:39
YTD Elev.:24,700'
Superstition Mountain Park; Treadmill-
My week was somewhat clogged with prior engagements which probably worked in my favor considering I had a high mileage week for my standards last week, 34 miles, and this gave me a reason to somewhat lay off the trails for a few days. I did however get out twice on the trails with the first being a bit of a downer physically since it was the warmest day of the year to date and that along with the fact that I had a rushed lunch at nearly 3pm, 1 hour before I hit the trail, this made for a disastrous day on the trails for the most part. I didn't hydrate enough prior and when I did it was with milk and soda in the hour leading up to the run. I sometimes think I can get away with crap like that and it needs to come to a screeching halt if I really want to get over the hump that hides the next level of fitness. I rounded out the week with another trail run and a few more speed intervals on the treadmill for an overall low key week.
I believe the next race I want to enter is the Xterra Trail Run Series-Arizona Black Canyon, in Black Canyon City, north of Phoenix off of the I-17 freeway. It looks like a killer course and it has a killer luncheon following it at the Rock Springs Cafe in BCC. I will post more details. It should be a blast.
Miles:16.1
Time:2:32
Elev. Gain:1,700'
YTD Miles:140.3
YTD Time:23:14
YTD Elev.:22,100'
South Mountain trails;Treadmill-
So after a few shorter runs on the treadmill I headed out with the intentions of doing a long run at SMP since I had not gotten in any longer runs over the few days prior. After initially deciding on a 12 miler I told myself "Why not go for a half marathon?". So my plans changed and I decided to go for 13.1 if my health provided me the chance. Luckily it did and right from the start I could tell that for whatever reason I felt super chipper which calculated to super speedy. I noticed early that I was able to comfortably keep a 9:00 to 9:15 pace for the first few miles without much effort so I decided that I would try and shoot for a fast time. It was a little warm but not too bad with little cloud cover and a slight breeze so the elements played no factor and I soon found myself at the 6.5 mile turnaround with still quite a bit of reserves so I munched down some salted almonds and graham crackers and chugged about 5 oz's of water and steered my way back down the zig zagging maze back to the parking lot. I honestly never felt like my legs or my energy levels were low or tiring so I continued pushing and rounded out the run in 2:03 and change.
I think I can honestly say that I have never felt so in control of my actions and movements on the trails before as I did yesterday. I really believe I could have knocked off another few minutes if I really had known my levels would hold up as they did yesterday. It was a great run and a great mental boost going in to late winter and possibly a few races to motivate myself.
Miles:13.0
Time:2:01
Elev. Gain:1,300'
YTD Miles:124.2
YTD Time:20:42
YTD Elev.:20,400'
Treadmill/South Mountain Park Trails-
After suffering a decent sized blister on my right heel early last week I decided to try and take a step back running wise to give it some proper time to heal properly. Of course that means just a few miles here and there since I found it extremely hard to not hit the trails since I had started to physically see some improvements in my mountain fitness over the last few weeks or so. But all in all I was able to back off a bit and today I finally headed out for a 7 miler in the northern end of the park and found it to be quite pleasant with a brisk breeze swirling and a vacant trail system for the most part on the north side. It did however feel as though I was favoring my left foot/plant too much trying to avoid the impact on my right foot and the blister that was still peeking through the overgrown scar tissue surrounding it. But after a relaxing but somewhat quick 7 miles I was left with a sense of closure on the heel. Good news.
Miles:18.0
Time:3:31
Elev. Gain:4,200'
YTD Miles:111.2
YTD Time:18:41
YTD Elev.:19,100'
Mesa Neighborhoods/'Mill/South Mountain Trails-
So this week was a relatively productive one in that I made it out for a couple of longer runs and one or two shorter runs on the treadmill and along the canal. My running has been coming to me a little easier as of late and I think I am finally starting to notice a change, albeit slightly, in my overall running fitness. I headed out to SMP for what was to be a 10 miler along National Trail along the rocky ridge that lines the center of the main range in the park, but after entering from Central I noticed that the normally gated off roadway leading down to the San Juan Ridgeline of the park was for whatever reason open today. So, I veered right and decided I would try something new just for the sake of going out of my comfort zone. Isn't that what life is about? After a few miles of twists and turns along the desolate roadway I found a lot adjacent to Alta Trail which traverses the western most line of mountains in the park, the San Juans. After hopping out of the truck to check the trail head sign I decided that I was gonna give it a try. I would ascend the range and follow it all the way down to the San Juan Lookout which was a 9.6 mile round trip loop. With my fluid amount in hand that did not seem out of touch so I ate half a banana and chugged some agua and out I went.
Right from the start I did not feel too great. Also, the trail seemed to annoy me with it super rocky/jagged terrain right from the get go so I was unable to really get into a solid rhythm from the start but I motored along and before I knew it 22 minutes later I was atop the ridge. The views up top were definitely a welcome site to the normal sights and sounds from the eastern side of the park with wide expanding views of the Estrella and White Tank Mountains in the distance. The trail, surface wise, was not spectacular and left me without any kind of pace I was looking for throughout. I actually found myself having to literally climb certain points of the trail on all fours which finally talked me into throwing out any time goals I had and forced me into the reality of just finishing out the loop at a moving pace. However, that did not happen either. I turned at the 4 mile point as the trail literally started falling apart as well as descending at a fast rate.
I noticed at around the 6 mile mark that my right heel was rubbing considerably on my heel cup and as I made the final descent to the truck I was in considerable discomfort but pushed through to the truck. This was maybe a mistake. I have never been one to let pain or discomfort keep me from something I love to do so sure enough I was out on the mountain again yesterday and on the treadmill today for some shorter runs. I have decided that running some flats with my elastic ankle braces on for the next few days may give my foot time to heal up. We will see.
Miles:7.9
Time:1:22
Elev. Gain:1,600
YTD Miles:93.2
YTD Time:15:39
YTD Elev.:14,900'
Mesa Canal/South Mountain Park-
After punching out a measly few miles yesterday because I had the time, today I took to South Mountain for a run under the perfect late afternoon February sky. I love days like today where you find a rhythm, you find a trail, and before you know it you are gliding under the open sky in absolute silence. The trails this day were super packed, well atleast the parking lot was, but after clawing my way out of the bowl surrounding the lot I found myself all alone in silence with only the sound of my controlled but always improving breathing echoing into the city to the west.
I am hoping to make it to the McDowell's to the north manana. We will see what unfolds.
Miles:5.20
Time:52:00
Elev. Gain:1,000'
YTD Miles:85.30
YTD Time:14:17
YTD Elev.:13,300'
Superstition Wilderness/Dutchman Trail-
My friend Nathan and I decided to head out to the trailhead after work so that he could scope out the trail for a possible hike with his "Old Lady" this weekend. I figured I would go out for only 5 miles since he was still basically a newbie to running and the trails in general in this area so I just stuck to a decent speed and wound my way through my afterwork hotspot all while catching the views out my peripheral. I really do love the calm that surrounds this stretch of trail, it is unparalleled. Soon after a run with no mishaps we were back at the truck making our way down the dusty road back into civilization. I sometimes wonder why I go back to civilization.
Miles:6.0
Time:50:00
Elev. Gain:700'
YTD Miles:80.10
YTD Time:13:25
YTD Elev.:12,300'
Mesa Canal System-
So my goal of reaching 100 miles for the month was not met because of a few stretches of very little running which I can only blame myself for. The month started off very promising with a few longer runs(for me atleast) and some decent vert. But towards the middle of the month I found myself not scheduling in my normal mid length runs and a few longer weekenders and before I know it my month was a little disappointing. I understand that life comes first but I do blame myself mostly for not prioritizing something that I find so fulfilling.
Meanwhile, I ended the month with a nice 6 miler on the gravel pathway alongside the freeway, doesn't that sound like a great running destination? I decided to pick up the pace a bit just to see where I was physically and ended up with a 8:15 pace over the 6 miler with not too much effort so that was a good sign. I am hoping that my fitness progresses to the point that I can enjoy maybe a 20 miler this coming month at some point so I can really see where I am in the big scheme.
Miles:29.10
Time:4:47
Elev. Gain:4,400'
YTD Miles:74.10
YTD Time:12:35
YTD Elev.:11,600'
Mesa Canal System/Superstition Wilderness-
Was able to make it out for a couple of afternoon/after work runs along the canal in near picture perfect running weather, which is becoming a norm lately. The real highlight of the runs so far has been the fact that my feet have been sporting the hot off the presses New Balance MT110's, NB's and Tony Krupicka's, as well as a host of other New Balance ambassadors, upgrade to the MT101's which I can/could say are/were the best trail shoe I have worn on the trails in my short running life. I can honestly say that I was a bit apprehensive at first since after my first stint in them which was a 12 miler on the Dutchman Trail, I noticed very early on that it seemed that my left foot's upper arch along and above my metatarsals was quickly becoming painful and tender almost as if my foot was planting incorrectly upon impact causing the discomfort. And it did seem as though I was planting incorrectly in the shoe. I was a little cautious as the run wore on since the discomfort did not seem to go away and my thoughts started turning to whether I was going to do major damage to my foot since my plan was for a run that would take over 2 hours. But, to make a long story short I have now traveled over 20 miles in the 110's and after tonight's short run, with no discomfort whatsoever, I am slowly coming to the conclusion that these shoes really were worth the wait and that Tony K's assertion that these truly are a huge upgrade from an already great and ambitious trail shoe was correct and on point. The selling points I have found are the traction/sole which has been beefed up from the 101's and seems maybe even a bit tackier. Also, the back tab and topline collar are a huge advancement over the 101's with their thicker, sturdier yet still flexible makeup. I had a major problem before here with the back tab actually splitting halfway down to the sole bringing in small debris and other undesirables. Moving forward, the shoe is shaping up to be a great addition and one that my foot will become good friends with hopefully.
My 12 miler in the Superstitions was obviously the highlight with an out and back that took me along a running spring which was leftover from the recent rains before dumping me atop a lookout in the shadows of Weaver's Needle. It was a great trail and a great morning. Looking forward to digging my nails deeper into this trail in the coming days.
