Almost an Ultra

 Almost An Ultra 

So, as we pick this back up , we start Saturday Morning. I woke up to it raining. Just NOT what I had wanted. At all. Today was 20 miles. with 16 of those at race pace. So, I loafed. and I loafed. and I finally ate. And I didn't want to do this. I kept looking at the radar which said nothing but rain. I posted in our team page. My coach said Get out there. SIUBC. But I had a sinus infection. Dang. Looked like my fate was sealed. I was sentenced to life on the treadmill. So, I turned on the race, made my bag to set next to my spot, and then geared up and started. The first 8-10 miles were good. Then about mile 14 I started to get winded. By 15, I was battling dizziness and Nauseous. One of my friends said call a spade a spade and stop. I couldn't do that. I wanted this reward so bad. So, I almost puked, i got some more human food (chicken), snarfed that down, and went back to it. Finally, right before the 5 hour mark, it happened. 20.00 miles appeared. I have NEVER been more thrilled. I made it 20 miles on a treadmill. Just a couple months ago, I despised it. Now I had pulled the ultimate mental and endurance test off. 20 on it. Unbelievable. I spent the rest of the day recovering by eating, and sleeping because I knew what layed in wait for me on  Sunday. 

Sunday, 10 miles. I had talked to coach a bit earlier in the morning, and she was like treat this as a z2 recovery run. Nascar had delayed their race till that morning. So the first 25 laps I spent getting ready. Then at the break , I headed out with my headphones on . I was listening to the race and also playing some pokemon go on my phone. The combination of these 2 things made for a glorious run. I was tight going out but about 4 or so miles in , I got loose. Towards the end of 10 my phone had died and I had been wandering around making the last few min up. The local high school right next to my house has a track. I had always said I would never do track work. Until now. I wandered down, found a open spot in the gate, and went in. From there, I ran 1 lap , a quarter mile of track work, then headed out and back up the hill to home. Once I got home, I was done. 10 miles. I was in such good spirits, I even managed a smile at the end of it. 

I had done it. The 2 days that scared me the most had been conquered. But it wasn't over yet. As I was asking coach for my granted EARLY TAPER, she , in her unique way, made me quote some movie lines. It was about the funniest thing ever. I was laughing trying to compose the email. LOL! 

So , all in all , what a weekend. As I sit here on Monday, I can feel it. I am sore . I am tired. But I have never felt more accomplished in my life. I came 1 mile short of a 50K over the weekend. For those outside the running world. Anything beyond 26.2 miles is then referred to as a Ultra run. So, really, I came one mile away from finishing my first ultra this weekend. Pretty bad-ass!

So, this week, I head into taper. Volume comes down slowly to freshen up the legs. But make no bones about it, I am still being pushed , just not as hard now. Its all getting ready for the big races in 2 weeks from Sunday. 20 days as of today. 

So, in the end , it was a chore this weekend, but boy I survived. 

LIMITLESS! 

John 

More High Mileage Week Tales

So , On Tuesday I had yoga. 1 hour of deep stretch. I gotta tell the story. At the start of this cycle, I had an hour of yoga. I fought it tooth and Nail. I hated the thought of an hour. I did it, but I griped , moaned, all of it. I told coach NO never again. So, imagine my surprise when I opened up my schedule last week, and saw the Hour. But I was willing to give it a try. Let me say. That was the BEST EXPERIENCE with yoga in a while. It opened EVERYTHING up because I LET IT! I felt great. Knots were stretched out. Things were opened up. It was just a great experience. This set me up nicely for Wednesday. 

Yesterday, Wednesday, I had a 6 mile run. I came over to the trail where I trained a LOT for MCM back last summer. The direction I had went was one that I had never gone past a certain point. So after about 2 miles, I had no idea where it lead. The beautiful thing was, the run was stunningly awesome. Picture esque weather along the lake. Mid 40's . So, I laid it down. Some seriously Solid awesome miles. I felt great afterwards. 

So, that brings us up to Today, Thursday. I have today and Tomorrow off. Sat starts the test. I have 20 miles , 16 at tempo to beat the required pace. Sunday , I have 10 more miles. So here we are. The pressure is def on . Time to answer the bell again. 

No doubts left. Everything is in order. Nutrition is on point. Gear is on point. I am dead set and ready. 

The next time you hear from me should be after the 20 miler. 

So until then

John 

1- The lonliest but most important #

The Loneliest Number - But the MOST IMPORTANT: 

I know it's been a while since I wrote, but I have been head down , deep into training. But, this week, I finally got some inspiration and decided to resume writing for a while. So, let me explain the title:

1- The Loneliest #, but the most important: 

That's right, so very important. This is the point where it is peak week for me. This week lays out absolutely HUGE for me. It's my biggest week yet, and quite possibly, the biggest I will face. When I initially saw  this weeks schedule, I freaked. I was like , there is NO WAY I will survive this. Thankfully, I have a wonderful team of people around me , and one KICK ASS coach, and she calmly, but FIRMLY told me, look, get out of your stupid head. You can do this. Don't worry about it, don't look at but the day your in. Breathe. You got this. It was like instant relief. 

Don't get me wrong, this week bothers me to no end. It will till I am done and back home from the last mile. But its just one day at a time. Hence why I chose the # 1. 

My intention is this week to do this daily. It will be my outlet to release the day, good , bad , or ugly, and then go on to the next day. So with that , lets start with yesterday. 

Monday: 6 miles (or supposed to be) 

Lets make no bones about it, things have been a bit stressful at work lately. Also, knowing this week and what it holds, I have been trying to rest up. So, here I am , 6 am yesterday , on Monday, and needing to get up, after having been out a good portion of the night Sunday. Yeah, didn't happen. I attributed me sleeping in to a) being lazy and B) stress. So, My gut was , take the redbox, incomplete, the first ever. But then in the car, I was like no , I cant, but when am I going to get it in , since i have 1 hour for lunch at work , and it takes me 10 min to get down and changed. So, I was like, eh. So, I sent coach an email and I had kinda devised a makeshift plan to get me through. But, I wasn't really happy with it. So, I pull into work , and check my email. She had again worked with me and given me a 45 min recovery run to knock out during my lunch. SWEET. 

So lunchtime rolls around, and I go out. I am back over here where I did a WHOLE LOT of running last summer when Training for MCM. These roads hold a sweet spot in my heart. There not so much easier, but its just different. So, I push off, and instantly, i set into a good solid pace. I felt like the energizer bunny. The weather out was about 52 or 53. I was in shorts and T shirt with my belt and my gear. I just felt great. For 45 min  it was me and the roads in front of me. 

At the end , I was able to lay down about 3.5 miles or so in 45 min. Just a beautiful days run out. I felt good. Really good. Granted this is Monday off of a recovery week, but it was still a good day out. I enjoyed it and really needed it. 

So That was Monday for ya. 

I will be back tomorrow with another update. 

Until then

John 

The Tenderizer Trail Report

The Tenderizer Trail Race Report 

This past weekend, I had the experience of a lifetime. Most of you are aware I am in the middle of trying to get ready for the biggest feat I have ever accomplished in my young racing career, a half marathon, followed up by a full marathon not even a day later. This weekend I had 14 miles to log. But, early a couple weeks ago, a friend had invited me to participate in a trail race. I was like, heck why not. I know from dabbling in trail runs,that it was something I enjoy, and it would be a lot different. So, I approached coach about it. She said I am fine with it as long as you can hold back and not go hard. I was like a deal is a deal. 

Early Saturday, I woke up and got my first 6 in. Then I came home, cleared out the watch data, and then loaded up and headed to the race site. 

So, I get there and finally find the place to check-in. Right away, I am in hog heaven. I jump outta the truck. The RD (race director) had shown up in a AIRSTREAM trailer. Then, to beat it, there were a ton of long hair souls out there. Were talking backwoods country, right up my ally. Then, if that weren't enough, they were playing Classic Country music. The likes of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, etc. It was a great Environment. 

We lined up and headed out. The first .2 were on a concrete path. We then hooked a right hand and into the woods we went. Once in, it became quickly apparent that I was going to be forced to come off my tempo. As we started, it pitched VIOLENTLY up hill. And it climbed for a LOOOONG time. The first basically 2 miles were straight up hill. then miles 3-4 were along the lake. It was so peaceful and so calm. It was a very foggy morning . So I basically got to watch the fog gradually burn off the lake. It was the most surene settings ever. 

So back story, we lost both my grandparents a few years ago. We have always said that Mamaw was a redbird and Papaw was a bluebird. I sware to you, I saw both Mamaw and Papaw the entire first 3 miles. I guess they were there to make sure I got up and over the hardest part of the race without incidents. 

Once I got through that, the rest of the course seemed to flatten out, but the conditions were still as slick as heck , and I basically had to keep a very long slow tempo just to make sure I took care of my body. 

A little over 2.5 hours after I started, I popped out of the woods. I was the LAST person out and honestly didn't know what would be left of the finish line. But, too my surprise, I was greeted by a nice group of folks. It was a great finish. 

Once I got done, I still had 1 additional mile to log, so I treated it as a cool down mile. Nice and slow. I got it logged. 14 miles for the day COMPLETED!

Overall I had a absolute BLAST in my first trail run. It was incredible. I def will be going back to run another couple trail runs this year. I had a ball. I felt like I was in my element. 

So, that is it in a nutshell. 

Until I talk to you next time: 

From one "Idiot" to another: 

John

IRC #2148 

Not Much To Report

: Not Much To Report 

Honestly, not the blog I thought I would be writing today, but alas, I am. Everything seemed Normal this week Until Late Sunday night. I began to get a sore throat. By Monday, I couldn't breathe and had a horrid headache. By Tuesday, I was under coach orders to go see a Doctor. The results : A sinus infection and Bronchitis. They threw the book at me to get me better per my request. So, I was feeling much better by Christmas this weekend. But, Coach strictly forbid me from working out. So, I have just sat around and got better. I got really anxious with a beautiful Christmas Day. I wanted to go for a run. Ha! NOT HAPPENING! Scrooge! LOL! But seriously, did get outside and make the best of it for a bit. 

Honestly, that has been the extent of my week. Rest and Recovery !

So, as of this writing, it is Tuesday. I feel much better. The game plan for this week is to rest, and then ease back into it tomorrow night. If things go good the first half of the run, I can move back into a z2 run. Then , Thursday I am to keep an eye on myself. If the all clear, then were back in action this weekend with probably about 16 or so miles. 

So, until next week 

From one "Idiot" to another - 

John 

IRC #2148

13 Weeks: Recovery and Re-Focus

Weeks: Recovery & Re-Focus

So, this past week marked 13 weeks away from the most insane thing I have ever decided to attempt, 39.3 miles in 2 days. This week's theme was all about recovery and re-focused. Coach had put a halt to my race season after last weekends race, even though I wanted to go one more week. However, upon sleeping on this decision from Sunday night into Monday, and then even into Tuesday, it had become apparent very quickly that this was absolutely the right call. Even though the ultimate decision laid in my hands in the end, as I started to reflect, I was EXHAUSTED. Getting up every weekend to go race had become more of a Job then it had fun over the last 8 weeks. So , it was definatley the right decision. 

In terms of workouts this week, I had a few days where I ran. Granted , they were slow, but in order to balance it out, I needed to keep it slow. Everything was tired. I needed the time to recover. So, the mid week run fit perfectly. Then Wednesday I had Bench Strength. Again, more time in the gym getting to pick up things and set them back down. Had a great lift that night and it was perfect. I then was given a couple of days off for my birthday and to rest and recover. 

Saturday was my long run. I had planned to go out and join up with a group run. However, I woke up at 5 am Saturday and had no desire to be around people. Then, it started raining. I was like PERFECT! I wanted to be home. So, I ate, and then set up the treadmill and proceeded to knock out my long run this week while watching TV. The run went well except for the last 10 min before my cool down period because I was tired and fatigue set in. But, I stayed strong and finished up. Literally, this was my week. Very short and sweet. Just what the doctor ordered after a flurry of races the last few months. 

So, next week is 12 weeks before the big A feature for me in 2017. I will be honest , I will be glad to get it over with at the start of the year. My goal next year is to get back to having fun after I put a LOT of pressure on myself this year. So, having this race early will allow me that advantage. I have several runs this week, a day in the gym, and then My long run on Christmas Eve. 

Also, I wanted to take time to wish all of my readers a Merry Christmas. 

-John- 

-IRC # 2148-

2016: In Review (Santa Hustle Race Report)

Santa Hustle Race Report and Year In Review 

This weekend I ran the Santa Hustle Half Marathon Race in Severville, Tennessee. But Before I get into that race report, I want to stop for a moment and re-cap the year that was , since I will kinda be using this blog as a Race Report as well as a review of the season. 

Year In Review: 

So, my season really kicked off January 1st as I opened the book on a fresh season after taking most of December off: 

- January 1st- New Years Day 5k, Knoxville, Tennessee, - Missed a PR by just a couple of min after darn near oversleeping the race entirely. 

- January 8th- Began Training for the Covenant Health Knoxville 5k and Marathon Back to back. 

March- Completed a 5k on St. Patricks weekend . Again Narowlly missing a PR due to heat. 

March- Completed the Covenant Health 5K with an all negative split.The first time ever doing that . Then 12 hours later, missed a pr by about 2 min in the half due to some fueling issues. 

March- Registered and was successfully drawn in lottery for my First marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon. 

March- Hired my running coach and got ready to start training for my first full

April- Ran the Dogwood Classic 5k with my best friend from High School and then the next Morning ran a SUPER muggy half in Farragut TN. 

May- at the be a factor 5k, going for broke to win my division and PR. i turned an ankle ,75 of a mile in. Hobbled to my worst ever 5k finish. 

May- Ran the knoxville expo 10k as a TRAINING run, and darn near pr'd that race. 

May- September- No races. Strictly training for MCM on October 30th. 

September- during a training run hit a milestone that I could now run halfs without training and then proceeded to smash a 5.5 min pr at the same time

October- Ran the Desmond Doss Memorial Half Marathon in Chatanooga. Helped to pace the 3hr group in. Found a love for pacing. 

October- 2 weeks later: Ran and completed my first MCM. What a crowning moment. 

November- 2 weeks after my first full- Ran a 5k that was free

November- a week later ran the turkey trot 10k again barely missing a pr by 3 min 

November- a week later- ran another 5k

December- A week later- ran the santa hustle half Marathon   

Needless to say, its time for a break. I will get into that shortly, but after 16 races and 8 out of the last 10, and being denied 2 more , then it's time to break, recover, and move to 17. 

Santa Hustle Half Marathon Race Report: 

So, yesterday, I ran what would turn out to be my final Race of the year , the Santa Hustle Half Marathon. This race started at wilderness of the smokies, went out 6.5 miles , into pigeon forge, turned around, and followed the same route back. This was a very hilly course, but the descents evened it out into probably one of the flattest races here especially for being at altitude. Taper had gone well this week. I had felt pretty strong going in. The weather was like 20 degrees , so it was frigid. I knew this would be absolute heck to get warm, but i thought I could get loose. Not so much. 

As we took off, i was careful. I was starting up, to try to avoid some of the crowd. I came out and threw 2 12 min miles down. Imediatley i knew, get off and save gas. That is what I did. I figured , due to having a very large base, that it would take me sometime to warm up. 

As I got deeper into the race, I was finding it very hard to get comfortable. As a result, it left me in a state of frustration. I was tired, and it had been an early cold morning. I just wanted to get going in a solid state, as I was trying to throw down a pretty good time , if not a pr. 

As we got into the descent, i thought I had found my groove. I took off and flew. Then when we hit the flat again, It was like a bad car engine that was misfiring. I just couldn't settle in. It was extremely cold. 

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I was able to finish. It took me 3:00 and 5 seconds, but it was done. 

At first, when I texted coach, i was pretty upset. Nothing had seemed to go right. But , as coach always does, she was able to turn my thoughts around pretty quickly. The issue then became, can I run again next week and then again in 2 weeks. The answer was NO! I tried to reason, to no avail. Looking back on the conversation, she's right. I need a break. Which leads me to the why I need a break.. 

As to why I need this break, it is simple. Burnout and over racing. I have been racing 8 out of the last 10 weeks if you go back to the half before MCM. Which is RIDICULOUS. You can't do that and recover. So , now its time to re-focus and plan out 2017. 

What I can tell you is that , why the calendar is still up in the air, there will be NO Chicago this next year. I have decided to delay that for a year. So, my big A feature will be in March when I tackle the Biltmore Backyard to Vineyard Challenge of a Half and a Full in 2 days back to back. I may have just lost my mind folks, but Were gonna give it all we got. So, from here on in, its back to putting the head down for the next 13 weeks and training. It's going to fly by and  I will be back to taper before we can think about it, but here goes nothing. 

 -John-

-IRC #2148-