Boston 2015: The Redo

This week’s entry will be short and sweet. I’m now in the home stretch (again) of this marathon cycle with Boston only a week away. My body is feeling healthy and prepared to race. My workouts the last month have been really good. I feel ready for Boston 2015 which I am coining “The Redo” for obvious reasons!

I have gotten in some solid marathon sessions and kept my calves healthy. And with the detour away from LA to Boston, I have lowered my mileage during this time to between 85-95 miles a week as opposed to the 110-125 miles a week I was logging in Tallahassee.

This decrease in volume has allowed me to get in more quality workouts and sharpened me a bit more than when I was running more mileage but often fewer hard workouts over a 10 day period. I believe this quality-dense last month has me slightly fitter than before Twin Cities in the Fall.

I have been talking with Esther a lot recently about my goals for Boston and I have many, both time and place, but I more importantly want to simply get in a really hard marathon effort. Although I did a workout and ran 2:29 at the Tallahassee Marathon, I have yet to race a marathon from start to finish. With my DNF at Twin Cities in October and my DNS in LA in March I am ready to get the marathon monkey off my back with a healthy and promising performance as I move towards the Olympic Trials in February 2016.

The good news is that my training the past few years has been very consistent. With the exception of a few minor flare ups (mostly calf related) I have not had to miss more than 3 days of running in a row unplanned since 2012. I have had subpar races and PR’s during that time and I know that the accumulation of miles and quality workouts is building for a BIG day. My plan is to have that day on April 20 in Boston.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate all the support. I can’t wait to experience my first Boston Marathon.

P.S. For any and all ZAP friends and supporters in Beantown on Sunday April 19 please stop by The Washington Square Tavern from 1pm to 4pm. ZAP will be hosting an informal party with appetizers and drinks to be served. We held this event last year and it was lots of fun. Don’t miss out this time around!

714 Washington St. Brookline, MA 02445

Here is my last week of training (4/5-4/11):

Sunday: AM: 13 miles (8×20 sec post run)

Monday: AM: 15 miles (1-6-1 fartlek within run)

Tuesday: AM: 6 miles   PM: 6 miles

Wednesday: AM: 10 miles (8×20 sec post run)

Thursday: AM: 17 miles (9 mile progression run)

Friday: AM: 6 miles   PM: 5 miles

Saturday: AM: 9 miles

Total: 87 miles, 9 runs

 

Boston course run

Last week was very intense training wise. After making the decision to not run L.A. Pete had penciled in this week as the stretch to really see if I would be ready for Boston. The plan was to do 2 hard sessions in 3 days which is pretty unique for how Pete normally structures my training.

Washington Crossing towpath in Lawrenceville, NJ.

On Monday I did a steady hilly 13 mile run with some strides with the intent to make my quads a bit sore heading into my workout the next day. On Tuesday, I went to Washington Crossing State Park to do a 1,000 meter repeat session on the towpath. Luckily, New Jersey is full of lots of flat, dirt trails that run next to the Delaware River and are a great place to get in some faster running off the pavement.

The plan for the day was to run 7x1k then 6x1k. The rest between each 1k was 1:45 seconds and the rest between the sets was 4 minutes. I wheeled out a 1,000 meter section and did the workout back and forth on it. The stretch was mostly flat, however I did notice that the second half one way ran about 3-4 seconds slower as I got into the faster second set. The goal for set 1 was 3:03-2:59 and the goal for set 2 was 2:59-2:53. Here’s how it went:

Set 1: 3:00(up), 3:04(down), 3:00(up), 2:58(down), 3:01(up), 3:00(down), 2:58(up)

Set 2: 2:54(down), 2:59(up), 2:57(down), 2:59(up), 2:54(down), 2:58(up)

All in all, it was a good session. I was really working hard on the second set in the slightly uphill direction but I did run a few 2:54’s which is faster than I’ve run in a long time!

After a very easy 7 mile run on Wednesday with Esther (58 minutes!) I made my way to Boston, MA to do a marathon specific long run on the course. Brian Harvey, B.A.A. runner and 2:17 marathoner, graciously let me stay with him on Wednesday night AND committed to doing the long run with me the following morning.

On Thursday, Brian and I were up and out the door well before 6am and caught a commuter train out to Framingham, which is around the 6.5 mile mark of the course. The plan for the workout was to run 4 miles-3 miles-2 miles-1 mile with a mile float between each harder piece. Brian knows the course very well and suggested starting the 4 mile piece at mile marker 11 so that the latter part of the workout would be over the tough Newton Hills. Here’s how it went:

mm 6.5 – mm 11: 4.75 miles warmup

mm 11-mm 15: 5:08, 5:18, 5:08, 5:12

mm 15-mm 16: 6:19 float

mm 16-mm 19: 5:15 (I-95 hill), 5:20 (Firehouse hill), 5:04

mm 19-mm 20: 6:30 float

mm 20-mm 22: 5:18 (Heartbreak hill), 5:09

mm 22-mm 23: 6:50 float

mm 23-mm 24: 4:46

mm 24 back to Brian’s apartment (1.75 mile cool down)

Boston Marathon course elevation

A few things…I wore my Soleus GPS watch and he worse his Garmin and our splits were off from one another by quite a bit. Also, we were not running any of the tangents because of traffic and stayed on the sidewalk for the entire run. The mile markers are actually permanently in the middle of the road and Brian split his watch when we passed each one but depending on the mile our true splits might be off by .01-.02, or 3-6s. Either way, the splits above are a rough average of the feedback from each of our watches. Neurotic runner rant over.

Overall, it was a good session. I ran up and over the 3 main hills very well and if I can do that on race day it will be a very good day. I will say that even though the early miles are net downhill they are still rolling. Everyone talks about the flying fast opening half marathon but I think it’s fast mostly in comparison to the tough 2nd half. Don’t get me wrong, the course is fast on the front end but it is not a mindlessly straight downhill journey.

I’m glad I was able to run the heart of the course and it gave me confidence that my fitness is still very good. Lastly, and most importantly, my calf felt good after this tough 3 day span! Thanks for reading!

Here is my last week of training (3/29-4/4):

Sunday: AM: 9 miles

Monday: AM: 13 miles

Tuesday: AM: 14 miles (13xk workout)   PM: 4 miles

Wednesday: AM: 7 miles

Thursday: AM: 19.5 miles (4-3-2-1 Boston course run)

Friday: AM: 8 miles   PM: 6 miles

Saturday: AM: 11.5 miles

Total: 92 miles, 9 runs

Cooper River recap

Courtesy of Brad Nettles (Post and Courier)

After my down week to try and get my calf under control Pete threw a good deal of quality at me this week. After doing a 3 min-2 min-1 min x4 fartlek on Saturday in Princeton, NJ, I came back on Monday for a moderate long run.

The plan for the long run was to run 17 to 18 miles with the last 10 miles around 5:35-5:55 pace. Esther showed me a great 6 mile paved loop that I used. I felt great and I ended up running faster than prescribed. Here were my splits:

8:09, 7:30, 6:55, 6:51, 6:13, *5:58, 5:38, 5:30, 5:16, 5:47, 5:14, 5:20, 5:05, 5:09, 5:12, 7:26 plus a bit more for 17 miles.

After 2 easy days I came back on Thursday and did a moderate fartlek within a 13 mile run. Pete asked me to do 2 min-1 min-30 sec x6 with no set rest. I caught a few of my full miles and I was hitting between 5:20-5:40 with about half of those miles being easy running; so another good day.

On Thursday evening, I was supposed to make the trip to my hometown of Charleston, SC for the Cooper River Bridge Run but my flight out of Newark was canceled. Unfortunately, my rescheduled flight for Friday wouldn’t be landing in Charleston but Columbia which is about 2 hours away. Luckily, my mom was happy to come pick me up and after getting stuck in a good deal of traffic we made it to Charleston around 6 p.m. After picking up my race bib I tried to get to sleep after a long day of travel.

On Saturday morning I was up at 5 a.m. to get ready for the race. I made my way to the starting area and warmed up with former ZAP athlete Allison (aka Allimal) Morgan and fellow Reebok sponsored athlete Bobby Mack. It is always nice to see familiar faces on the road racing scene.

When the gun went off the large contingent of Kenyan and Ethiopian runners decided to really ease into the race so Bobby and I ended up being about 20-25 meters ahead of them at the 1 mile mark. We went through somewhere between 4:46-4:48 and then began our approach to the bridge. As we neared the bridge I could feel a stiff headwind and knew that I didn’t want to climb alone so I dropped off Bobby a bit and regrouped with big pack at the base of the Ravenel Bridge. Over the next mile or so I stuck with the pack and reached the first span of the bridge where it flattens out before descending.

Arthur Ravenel Bridge in Charleston, SC. (Courtesy of Sparky Witte)

But right when we passed that first span the pack hit the gas (HARD!) and I was unable to keep up. At the time I knew that I needed to stay with the pack at all costs so that I didn’t have to fight the wind all the way down, but I was simply unable to keep pace. From here to the finish it was a tough run. The pack hit 5k in 15:30 and I came through in 15:40 trying to catch back up. I ran the rest of the race alone as I watched the pack float away down the road. The winners finished in the 29:20’s, meaning they ran their last 5k under 14 minutes. I, however, struggled into the finish in 30:59  for 11th place.

The odd thing about Cooper River is that you always think that after cresting the bridge it will be a flying fast run to the finish but with the headwind it still feels tough because you’re so exposed to the wind. Also, of the 6.2 mile course, you are on the bridge from about 1.75 miles to 4.25 miles which really takes its toll.

To be honest, I knew coming into the race that I was very strong but that sub 5 minute pace might feel tough. I have run countless miles in the 5:05 to 5:15 range the past few months but have done very little faster than that. Sometimes the body is still able to do it despite non-specific training but that didn’t happen this time. All in all, considering the conditions and my uncertain last few weeks I am content with the race.

Next week I have 2 big workouts and if my calf holds up I think I will be a go for Boston on April 20th. Thanks for reading!

Here is my last week of training (3/22-3/28):

Sunday: AM: 9 miles   PM: 7 miles

Monday: AM: 17 miles (miles 6-16=54:10)

Tuesday: AM: 7 miles   PM: 6 miles

Wednesday: AM: 10.5 miles  PM: 5.5 miles

Thursday: AM: 13 miles (2 min-1 min-30 sec x6 within run)

Friday: AM: 7 miles

Saturday: AM: 14 miles (Cooper River Bridge Run, 11th overall)

Total: 96 miles, 10 runs

California Adventures

The last 10 days has been a whirlwind. Here’s the breakdown of places and faces I came across since my last entry:

Thursday, March 12: Flew to L.A. as planned even though I wasn’t racing. Checked into Millenium Biltmore for the night. Had dinner at Soleto Pizza Bar with the lovely Alissa ‘Nana’ McKaig.

Friday, March 13: Checked out of Biltmore since the race would not be reimbursing ZAP since I wasn’t racing and headed to LAX to pick up Esther who was getting in from NJ. Esther and I grabbed our rental car and had dinner at a fast food joint in L.A. before crashing at a friend’s house somewhere in the vast and traffic filled City of Angels!

Saturday, March 14: Met Pete and Reebok’s Patrick Joyce at Millenium to do an easy run on the OT course. Course maps had been distributed so we checked out the 6 mile loop that will be run 4x during the course of the race. There’s certainly some uphill in there people! It will be interesting for sure. Esther and I drove to Cal-St. Fullerton in the evening so she could race the Ben Brown Invitational 5k. She won the race and came away with a nice PR in hot conditions. She’s tough. Went back to the Millenium for the night to crash with McKaig and her friend Taylor.

With Esther after her 5k PR.

Sunday, March 15: No L.A. Marathon for me but we followed the live feed when we woke up then headed up the coast towards Pismo Beach, CA. We had reserved an Air BnB spot a few days before and arrived around 4. Esther and I went on a beautiful run at the not-yet-opened Pismo Preserve. It was a very steep run but offered breathtaking views of the coast. PB&J and beer for dinner.

Pismo Preserve in Pismo Beach, CA.

Monday March 16: Drive 20 minutes to San Luis Obispo and did a hilly run at another nature preserve. Great views once again at the top. Drove another 10 minutes down the CA-1 to Morro Bay to lay on the beach for an hour. Hopped back in the car and made the long but beautiful drive to Oakland, CA to see our buddy Jesse Cherry. The Pacific Coast Highway is like the Blue Ridge Parkway equivalent of the west coast. Steep, windy, and sometimes dangerous roads but totally worth it for the views. Esther and I were both impressed with how awesome the drive was. We stopped in Piedras Blancas to check out the elephant seal community and drove by a zebra farm at one point as well. Arrived in Oakland around 8pm and grabbed a quick meal at a great Mexican joint.

The elephant seal rookery of Piedras Blancas on the PCH.

Tuesday, March 17: Jesse and I helped Esther with her uptempo medium long run around Oakland. It was 60 degrees, sunny, and low to no humidity! After the run we ate lunch at a hole in the wall burrito spot where the gave you much too much food. For dinner we tried Burma Superstar which was excellent as well. Got a few drinks then called it a night.

Wednesday, March 18: Easy run with Jesse while Esther met a friend somewhere else to run. Ate at Bakesale Betty’s for lunch. GOOD fried chicken sandwiches with cole slaw and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Walked around downtown Oakland in the afternoon and got a B-12 shot! Had dinner in Sunnyvale, CA with college soccer teammate Walshy and his wife Molly.

Hanging out with my best bud (and future best man) Jesse Cherry in Oakland. Business time.

Thursday, March 19: Made our way to the airport to head back to NJ with Esther. Luckily we had a direct flight and were back at her place around 11 pm. All in all a great trip!

I feel very blessed that I was able to see two of my favorite former ZAP teammates, Jesse and Alissa, who coincidentally are the best man and maid of honor for Esther and I’s upcoming nuptials in September. Both are still running and I suspect both will be on the starting line with Esther and I when the Olympic Trials roll around in February 2016.

Running wise, I was taking it very easy both mentally and physically in California as my calf finished up its healing! I was nearly healed when I arrived in L.A. but running over 7 minute pace and trying to run 5 min pace are two completely different beasts. Once I returned to NJ I got in a moderate workout to test out my calf. I did a 3-2-1 minute fartlek with no set rest in the midst of a 13 mile run around Princeton, NJ. It went quite well and I did not feel my calf at all. The coming days will tell the real story as Pete and I try to see whether my body will be ready to go for Boston. We are not going to force things but simply see where my fitness and health go the next month.

Thanks for reading!

Here is my last week of training (3/15-3/21):

Sunday: PM: 12 miles (Pismo Beach)

Monday: AM: 8 miles (San Luis Obispo)

Tuesday: AM: 16 miles (Oakland)

Wednesday: AM: 8.5 miles

Thursday: OFF (travel to NJ)

Friday: AM: 10.5 miles (8×20 sec post run)

Saturday: AM: 4 miles   PM: 13 miles (3-2-1 fartlek x3 within run)

Total: 72 miles, 7 runs

No to LA but yes to Boston?

I was very hopeful entering the week that my calf was moving in the right direction and that I would be able to toe the line for the LA Marathon on Sunday. On Tuesday, I did the classic pre-marathon session of 2×2 miles at marathon pace but at the end of the 2nd 2 mile segment I could feel my calf getting slightly tight. It wasn’t terrible by any means but it was incredibly worrisome. How would I be able to run 26.2 miles on undulating pavement if a 2×2 mile workout was giving me issues? Stubbornly, I still intended on racing after this workout but when Pete arrived the following day we had a meeting and decided it wasn’t worth the risk.

It was very tough to pull out of the race when I wasn’t 100% injured. I was healing slowly but not to the degree that racing would have been smart. Early in my ZAP career I missed entire seasons through various ailments (torn plantar, achilles issues, low iron, etc.) but during those times it was very clear that I couldn’t have raced even if I wanted to. This time the decision to not run was the MATURE thing to do but also tough for 3 main reasons:

1. I would be missing a US Championship which is a great stage to move up the American distance running pecking order.

2. The training cycle was almost perfect. I had only 1 subpar workout and the rest were SPOT on. And even with the calf strain I did not miss 1 day of running…although in hindsight maybe I should have.

3. ZAP has invested so much into me and I always hate (hate!) missing a race that would allow me to repay their ample support.

So, because I didn’t run on Sunday, I will now turn my eyes to healing 100% over the coming week or so. I truly believe my calf is 90% healed and almost ready to dive back into full training. If that happens the plan is now to run the Boston Marathon in 5 weeks. Pete, Ryan, and I all agree I’m very fit and want to see that fitness on display soon. And even though Boston was not the original goal, I am very excited to run this historic race. Tyler and I were in Boston last year to watch the race and feel the amazing energy that takes over the city on Patriot’s Day and we both wanted to be back there one day. Well, this year will hopefully be my chance and I am excited for the opportunity.

Thanks to Bill Orr and the LA Marathon for being so understanding of my decision to not race and thanks to Mike Peroni and the BAA for allowing me to run Boston on such short notice!

Patrick Joyce of Reebok and I previewing the 2016 Olympic Trials course in downtown L.A.

Here is my last week of training (3/8-3/14):

Sunday: AM: 15 miles (1 min & 30 sec surges)

Monday: AM: 6.5 miles

Tuesday: AM: 10 miles (2×2 mile at MP)  PM: 4 miles

Wednesday: AM: 9.5 miles

Thursday: OFF, travel to LA

Friday: AM: OFF    PM: 3 miles with Esther

Saturday: AM: OFF   PM: 6 miles on LA OT course

Total: 53 miles, 7 runs

Hay nearly in the barn

Since arriving in Greenville, SC I have been dealing with a very tight and sore calf. I felt it seize up during my last workout in Tallahassee, FL and have been trying to get it loosened up ever since then. It steadily improved with each passing day but I spent several easy days limping along the Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville. Luckily, I have been able to see Brad McKay at Performance Therapy (http://performance-therapy.com/)for some much needed ART work so by the time Thursday rolled around I was ready for my last marathon specific long run.

Also, I figured out that the treadmill was way more friendly to my sore calf than pavement so Pete and I decided to do the long run on it just to be safe. Oddly enough, it snowed about 6 inches the night before the long run so I would have been on the treadmill anyway had my calf been 100%. It ended up being a great run and I felt very little soreness during the harder pieces. In all, I ran 24 miles total with 2×5 miles tempo and 8×800 mixed in. The only downside was that the treadmill I used only went to 12.0 mph, or 5:00 per mile, so we had to get creative with the 800’s and alter the incline a bit. Here are the specifics of the session:

-5-6 mile warm up easy

-5 mile tempo at 1% grade with 3×2 min at 2% grade, 3×2 min at 3% grade within piece, pace started at 5:28 down to 5:10 by the end

-3 min easy jog

-5 mile tempo at 1% grade with 5×2 min at 2% grade within piece, pace started at 5:16 down to 5:05 by the end

-1 mile easy jog

-8×800 with 90 seconds jog between each, 5:00 pace at 2.5% (coverts to around 4:50ish pace depending on what chart you refer to)

-2-3 mile cool down

As you can see Pete designed the opening tempo sections with some rolling hills built in at 2-3% grade. The 800’s were meant to be faster than 5:00 pace effort so we upped the incline to make it more realistic. Overall, I felt very strong and was ecstatic I was able to get in the session.

Since this session I have still been feeling some lingering pain in my calf and have continued to get worked on as much as possible. I have my last real workout before LA next week (10×3 min within 16 mile run) and hope that my calf is able to withstand it before really backing off the mileage and tapering.

Please send positive thoughts towards my ailing calf as I near the race. I feel very fit and am excited to accomplish what I could not at Twin Cities in October, health permitting. Thanks for reading!

Here is my last week of training (2/22-2/28):

Sunday: AM: 13 miles  PM: 5 miles

Monday: AM: 11 miles

Tuesday: AM: 13 miles  PM: 5 miles treadmill

Wednesday: AM: 13 miles

Thursday: AM: 24 miles treadmill (2×5 miles, 8×800 long run)

Friday: AM: 8 miles

Saturday: AM: 10 miles   PM: 7 miles treadmill

Total: 109 miles, 10 runs

Recovery week plus 7 to 1 fartlek

Coming off of the Tallahassee Marathon long run (31 miles!) I took the first part of the week very, very easily. I traveled to New Jersey shortly after the race on Sunday and stayed until Thursday afternoon. My 4 days away away from Florida were spent slowly running along the snowy roads of Hopewell  and Princeton with Esther, who was nice enough to crawl with me for a few days as I recovered. The weather was very cooperative as the temperatures hovered around 30-35 degrees and it seems I left just in time for the really nasty stuff that is hitting much of the Northeast right now!

On Friday, Tyler and I made our way to the Alford Greenway to do a long fartlek session. Alford has a big, rolling grass field that is about 1.5 miles around with lots of smaller dirt trails stemming off of it, but we would simply be running on the 1.5 mile loop. We did a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1-6 minute fartlek with half time rest between each harder piece. This workout is a ZAP staple that Pete likes to do even during marathon training. The goal of the session is to run each piece faster than the previous one and progress throughout. In addition, the recovery pieces between the harder running are to be run more moderately early in the workout, when the ‘on’ pieces are more controlled, and more easily later in the workout, when the ‘on’ pieces are much more aggressive.

Overall, Tyler and I executed the workout very well. Our opening 7 minute piece was controlled, maybe even a bit slow, but we gradually got moving. Pete added on an extra 6 minute piece at the end for some extra volume that was run as a snowball, meaning we got faster every minute. By the end of the last 6 minute piece we were running well under 4:30 mile pace. And being that we did this over rolling hills and thick grass it was a solid session.

On the drive back to the hotel someone mentioned that it was exactly 1 year to the day of the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials which made me think about my ZAP career up to this point and that it has all been building to next year. I work as hard as I know how each day to get to the starting line in both LA and Eugene (track trials) ready to make big things happen. Now those big days are rapidly approaching!

Thanks for reading!

Post Friday workout at Alford Greenway with Tyler and Sarah. Exactly 1 year to the Olympic Trials!

Here is my last week of training (2/8-2/14):

Sunday: AM: 31 miles (Tallahassee Marathon long run)  PM: travel to NJ

Monday: AM: 4 miles   PM: 4 miles

Tuesday: AM: 10 miles

Wednesday: AM: 10 miles   PM: 5.5 miles

Thursday: AM: 12 miles (8×20 seconds post run)

Friday: AM: 14.5 miles (7-1+6 fartlek workout)  PM: 5.5 miles

Saturday: AM: 10 miles

Total: 106 miles, 10 runs

Keep running in Moses Cone! (plus marathon long run)

St. Mark’s Trail in Tallahassee. Paved, straight, and fast.

Last week I did my first marathon specific long run at St. Mark’s Trail in Tallahassee. I know I’ve talked about St. Mark’s before but to refresh some reader’s memories it is a flat, straight, and paved bike path outside of town. It is a great place to run long repeats and so it was a great site for my first real marathon session.

The plan for the day was to warm up 4 or 5 miles then run 4×3 miles with a 1 mile float between each 3 mile piece, ending with an easy 3 mile cool down. The 3 mile sections were supposed to start around 5:12-14 and slowing get down to 5:05 or faster by the end.

It was a great run! Ryan rode his bike next to me throughout the 22+ mile run providing me with water and gels. I felt really controlled and smooth up until the very last mile of harder running. I ran a bit faster overall than planned but my effort was controlled throughout and that was the goal of the day. Here are my splits:

-4.5 warm up easy: 8:05, 7:12, 6:15, 5:42, 3:05
-stopped to change into flats, a few light strides, potty break
-5:01, 5:10, 5:06 (15:18)
-6:20 float
-5:10, 5:06, 5:07 (15:24)
-6:37 float
-5:04, 5:09, 5:05 (15:20)
-6:38 float
-5:05, 5:07, 4:58 (15:10)
-cool down 3 miles easy: 8:19, 8:04, 8:08
-total: 22.5 miles, 2hrs 15min

Bird’s-eye view of Bass Lake at Moses Cone National Park.

Also, there is some cause for alarm back in Blowing Rock. Moses Cone National Park, the unofficial training home of ZAP Fitness, is being threatened with a proposal to outlaw all running within it. David Rogers of BlowingRockNews.com recently wrote an article outlining the issue here.

Basically, the National Park Service recently put out its Developed Area Management Plan, or DAMP, which outlines plans for the park’s future. One of their proposals is to outlaw all running in the park because, according to one Blue Ridge Parkway official, “…the frequent use by running groups and trail rides disrupts the experience of anyone wanting to walk in solitude.”

It seems that park officials and some local residents are upset with the influx of running groups that visit the park each summer and fall. Economically speaking, Moses Cone is a destination for many outdoor enthusiasts who flock to Boone and Blowing Rock each year, spending money on hotels, food and many other things that help countless businesses thrive in the area. Cutting off that revenue stream because there are large groups clogging up Bass Lake in peak season is incredibly drastic and unnecessary.

And for a place like ZAP that hosts many of these college teams and several adult running vacations each year this proposal could be financially crippling. Personally, I do not think ZAP is the culprit for the anti-running initiative but it obviously has major implications for us.

Currently, the NPS has a rule on the books that a group must obtain a permit to use the park but it is not enforced. I think if the NPS simply enforced their current rule things would settle down. Or, in peak season the park could simply say that all running must be done by 10 a.m. so that walkers wouldn’t be affected for the majority of the day. ZAP, and its guests, make a point of being very respectful of anyone using the park and hope that doesn’t go unnoticed. Banning running is not the answer. It is the definition of an over-correction.

Moses Cone is a fantastic training venue, truly a hidden gem, and to be denied access to train there would be terrible. I encourage anyone who reads this to go to this page on the NPS website and comment on why this DAMP initiative is bad for all involved, especially ZAP Fitness!

Thanks for reading!

Here is my last week of training (1/25-1/31):

Sunday: AM: 15 miles (1-1-2-1-45 x3 during run)

Monday: AM: 11.5 miles  PM: 6 miles

Tuesday: AM: 11.5 miles (8×20 seconds post run)

Wednesday: AM: 22.5 miles (4×3 miles long run workout)

Thursday: AM: 8 miles  PM: 7 miles

Friday: AM: 11 miles   PM: 6 miles

Saturday: AM: 10.5 miles (8×20 seconds post run)

Total: 109 miles, 10 runs

 

NYC bound

I spent last week in Richmond, VA with Esther’s family to celebrate Christmas. It was nice to see Esther’s parents and sisters as well as her 2 year old nephew Lee. As you would expect, Lee was the star of the proceedings as any and everything he did was THE MOST AWESOME THING OF ALL TIME! All kidding aside, Lee is a really cool little guy who is always super relaxed and fun to be around.

Over the course of the visit, Esther and I learned that he loves truck videos, in particular a series of YouTube truck song videos that are quite hilarious when seen from an adult’s perspective. The “Excavator” song is fantastic mostly due to the fact that the lyrics are sung in a very serious and very genuine way that seems comical in the context of the intended audience. I’m attaching it below and I encourage you to watch it, 24 million viewers can’t be wrong, right?

Training wise, I had another good week. I did a long hill cycle workout on Wednesday at Bryan Park in Richmond. Hill cycles are a staple ZAP workout and I did my best to replicate the terrain we use at Moses Cone. The loop I used did not have as steep of an uphill as in NC but it was still a hilly 1300 meter loop that offered flat, downhill, and uphill portions. I opened with a quick 1200 meter piece around 4:25 pace and followed that with a 25 minute hill segment, 5 minutes easy, a 15 minute hill segment, 5 minutes easy, and finally a 7 minute hill segment. Overall, I got slightly faster on each hill cycle segment with my overall pace for the workout (with recovery jogs) around 5:20 pace meaning the ‘on’ portions were run between 4:50 and 5:10 pace.

Last year’s start right at 12:00 am!

Next up for me is the NYRR Midnight Run on New Years Eve. Last year, I was able to win the race and I hope to defend my title this year. The 4 mile race is unique because it starts at midnight in Central Park and fireworks are going off throughout the entire race. The NYRR have again put together a solid professional field and I am excited for the challenge.

Esther is running as well and the NYRR did a great pre-race write up about us. Check it out here: http://www.nyrr.org/media-center/press-releases/american-road-racing-power-couple-cole-atkins-and-esther-erb-to-headline-nyrr-midnight-run .

Wish me luck and check back here for my recap next week!

Here is my last week of training (12/21-12/27):

Sunday: AM: 19 miles (1 min surges last 80 min)

Monday: AM: 9 miles   PM: 6 miles

Tuesday: AM: 12 miles (10×20 sec post run)

Wednesday: AM: 18 miles (25-15-7 hill cycles workout)

Thursday: AM: 9 miles   PM: 7 miles

Friday: AM: 12 miles (8×30 steep uphill strides)   PM: 5.5 miles

Saturday: AM: 10.5 miles

Total: 108, 10 runs

On to Richmond

Following Club XC I went straight into another 100 mile week with 1 solid workout later in the week. Because my training cycle is just beginning to heat up I did not take the down dip that many of my teammates are. Pete had me do a moderate long run on Sunday morning in Bethlehem, PA followed by a few mileage days before doing a segmented tempo run of 3×11 minutes on Thursday morning.

Often Pete has me do tempos that are broken up into longer pieces as opposed to a straight, evenly paced effort. For this session, the goal was to run 3×11 minutes with the middle 4 minutes (3:30 to 7:30) 8 to 10 seconds faster than the rest of the piece. So the goal was to run the opening and closing 3:30 around 4:55 pace with the middle 4 minutes around 4:45-48 pace. After each 11 minute piece I had 4 to 5 minutes recovery jog before heading into the next segment.

I measured a 1 mile loop near Esther’s apartment in Hopewell, NJ that had about 600 meters of downhill and 800 meters of steady uphill in each lap. The workout went well. I did not change gears that dramatically for the middle 4 minutes but was able to get faster on each 11 minute piece and ran further during each segment. With it being a cold and slightly windy day and the road not being flat I was happy with my effort. Below are my splits:

1st 11 minute piece: 4:50, 9:49…roughly 2.25 miles for 11 min(4:53 avg.)

2nd 11 minute piece: 4:50, 9:44…roughly 2.27 miles for 11 min(4:50 avg.)

3rd 11 minute piece: 4:49, 9:39…roughly 2.3 miles for the 11 min(4:47 avg.)

I finished up the week with some easy running and made my way to Richmond, VA to spend Christmas with Esther’s family. I felt good for most of the week and look forward to sharpening up a bit over the next 10 days as I get closer to running the NYRR Midnight Run on New Years Eve.

Also, congrats to teammates Andrew Colley and Tyler Pennel for being named to the USA Team going to the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country race in January. GO ZAPS!

Here is my last week of training (12/14-12/20):

Sunday: AM: 15 miles

Monday: AM: 10 miles   PM: 6 miles

Tuesday: AM: 12 miles (10×20 post run)  PM: 5 miles

Wednesday: AM: 10 miles

Thursday: AM: 15 miles (3×11 min workout)

Friday: AM: 9 miles   PM: 6 miles

Saturday: AM: 12 miles

Total: 100+, 10 runs