Thursday, February 19, 2009




This is a snapshot from last nights 5x2 mile workout. It was a great workout but you can definitely see my fade on each interval. I have to say that it became markedly more difficult when total darkness struck for some reason. It was windy and the footing was getting a bit slick w/ ice beginning to form but mostly it was the uncertainess of being able to see the road that worked against me.

I originally intended to do an active 3 minute recovery. After the first interval I figured 2 laps easy around the blvd w/ the statue would be about 3 mins. It turned out to be 3:25. I was more fatigued than I hoped after the 2nd interval so I decided to just wait 3 mins and then go. During the 3rd interval, the sun went down but Neltner had already left on what would be his last (he wasn’t feeling very good). Having him leave before me gave me somebody to work on for the first mile into the wind. I caught him just after we entered the cemetery. It made a difference having him with me. Number 4 was by myself and by then completely black. The wind was really blowing into my face. When I saw my split of 7 minutes I was totally shocked at how badly I had fallen off pace. The combo of fatigue, wind and dark got the best of me. I didn’t really want to do the last one and in fact nearly went to my car. Then I decided to just do it as a cool down. As I started, I sort of just fell back into a working pace and figured what the heck and finished the set. Not pretty but I got it done. Adam really seemed to come back to life and it was entertaining seeing how he’d get further around on me each set. By the last set he was less than a ½ mile from the end as I left! That guy can ROLL! I’m hoping he doesn’t completely unglue me tomorrow. We are doing our 22 miler a day early because I am leaving town. I did 6 easy on the treadmill barefoot tonight. I let you know how it goes. We’re heading for the RI trail.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Passing Time on Your Treadmill

Face it, running on a treadmill is boring.  

You are hot and sweaty. No fresh air.  

Just staring at the wall in front of you hoping the run will end soon?!?  

What to do....... 

Certainly not this!



And this is the "good" version. Hmmmm.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Saturdays Time Trial Splits.

Those Silly Brits!

 
 
The British speak funny English!

Council Complaints
The following are genuine extracts from badly written complaints to various UK council departments:-
 1. My bush is really overgrown round the front, and my back passage has fungus  growing in it.
 2. He's got this huge tool that vibrates the whole house, and I just can't take it anymore.
 3. It is the dog's mess that I find hard to swallow. 
 4.  I want some repairs done to my cooker as it has backfired and burnt my knob off.
 5. I wish to complain that my father hurt his ankle very badly when he put his foot in the hole in his back passage.
 6. And their 18-year-old son is continually banging his balls against my fence.
  7. I wish to report that tiles are missing from the outside toilet roof. I think it was bad wind the other night that blew them off.
  8. My lavatory seat is cracked; where do I stand? 
  9. I am writing on behalf of my sink, which is coming away from the wall.
 10. Will you please send someone to mend the garden path? My wife tripped and fell on it yesterday and now she is pregnant.
 11. I request permission to remove my drawers in the kitchen.
 12. 50% of the walls are damp, 50% have crumbling plaster, and 50% are plain filthy.
 13.  I am still having problems with smoke in my new drawers.
 14. The toilet is blocked and we cannot bath the children until it is cleared
 15. Will you please send a man to look at my water? It is a funny colour & not fit to drink.
 16.  I want to complain about the farmer across the road. Every morning at 6 am his cock wakes me up, and its now getting too much for me.
 17.  The man next door has a large erection in the back garden, which is unsightly and dangerous.
 18. Our kitchen floor is damp. We have two children and would like a third, so please send someone round to do something about it.
 19. I am a single woman living in a downstairs flat and would you please do something about the noise made by the man on top of me every night.
 20. Please send a man with the right tool to finish the job and satisfy my wife.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Musical Torture?













Fennell talks after a verbal mindbender on his treadmill.  "OK, Lil Kim. I did it!" Source AP




I just read a piece in the Wall Street Journal about how the Musicians Union has started an initiative called Zero dB which protests the practice of "music torture".  Ironically, I have much of this music on my ipod and run to it.  Of course being a hard core marathon runner I am a big believer in the effectivness of torture. Hmmmm.  


Music Used For Torture

British charity Reprieve, with the Musicians Union, has started an initiative called Zero dBwhich protests the practice of "music torture." Here is their list of music that has been used:

  • AC/DC ("Hells Bells," "Shoot to Thrill")
  • Aerosmith
  • Barney the Dinosaur (theme song)
  • Bee Gees ("Stayin' Alive")
  • Britney Spears
  • Bruce Springsteen ("Born in the USA")
  • Christina Aguilera ("Dirrty")
  • David Gray ("Babylon")
  • Deicide
  • Don McLean ("American Pie")
  • Dope ("Die MF Die," "Take Your Best Shot")
  • Dr. Dre
  • Drowning Pools ("Bodies")
  • Eminem ("Kim," "Slim Shady," "White America")
  • Lil' Kim
  • Limp Bizkit
  • Matchbox Twenty ("Gold")
  • Meat Loaf
  • Metallica ("Enter Sandman")
  • Neil Diamond ("America")
  • Nine Inch Nails ("March of the Pigs," "Mr. Self Destruct")
  • Prince ("Raspberry Beret")
  • Queen ("We Are the Champions")
  • Rage Against the Machine ("Killing in the Name")
  • Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • Saliva ("Click Click Boom")
  • The "Sesame Street" theme song
  • Tupac ("All Eyes on Me")

Friday, February 13, 2009

Thurday Night's 4 Miles At Pace

Good group last night.  Adam led us from Running Central for a West Peoria loop.  The warm up was down Moss to the Radison then we worked our paces for the next four traversing the Golf course, Sterling, Heading and Bradley Park.  Then we crossed University on Armstrong and hoofed it back up Sheridan back home to Running Central.  

We average 7:21 for the 1 1/4 mile warmup The loop was 3.9 miles long and by accident I didn't stop my watch at the end.  It was dark and I thought I had but the button must have not pressed.  Oh well.  For the part I can see I'd say we avg. no worse than 6:25 pace.

Mile 1 6:14
Mile 2 6:28
Mile 3 6:22
Mile 4 6:25???

Avg pace 6:22

The cool down was about a mile. Overall, it wasn't bad.  We were a bit fast for our goal pace but considering the company we keep we kept it real.  I did 5 real easy (9 min/mile) this morning barefoot on the treadmill.  Ready for tomorrow?  I can't wait, it will be a blast!  Everyone is really running well.  I was worried about the Danimal.  A knee brace.  NOT GOOD! Is his knee still bugging him?

Total mileage was 6 1/4.

Blair Tells Rob All About The Importance of Knowing Your Numbers






The following excerpt is taken from a series of emails between Blair and Myself.  He's incredible.  My brain might explode if I had that much in it.  If you want to really get to the bottom of training intensitiy you need to read this!  Thanks Blair!


Rob: Hey Blair,

My wife did a workout Wed. on her computrainer designed to measure (w/out a sophisticated lab) her lactate threshold.  She rode for 40 minutes on a simulated course containing hills.  She rode the course at her max sustainable effort for the period.  The trainer measured her average wattage produced.  The result was a reading of 178 average watts.  This represented an improvement over her test a few months earlier.

Conversely, her VO2 max approximation on the trainer is a test lasting 4 min at 1% incline.  The goal is to achieve max wattage possible during this period.  I realize these are not the same as the clinical tests you offer.  I am more interested in your thoughts as to why one might be interested in these readings.  Also, can you respond to my notion that VO2 max is indicitave of performance however it’s nothing you can really do anything to improve.  I think of it as more of my gift from god.  Am I wrong?

How do you use lactate threshold and VO2 max measurements to improve performance?  

Blair: not sure if I can give you a Reader's Digest Condensed version of my thoughts , but I'll try

Rob: Thanks Blair.  I don’t need Readers Digest. You can give me the full National Geographic if you prefer J. 

Blair: We all possess the capability for anaerobic and aerobic energy metabolism.  By definition, anaerobic metabolism doesn’t require oxygen for energy i.e., for immediate and short-term exercise.  Aerobic metabolism uses oxygen as it’s main energy source.  The capacity for each varies considerably among individuals and this between-individual variability underlies the concept of individual differences in metabolic capacity for exercise. A person’s capacity for energy transfer is not simply a general factor, but is highly dependent on the form of exercise with which it is trained and evaluated. 

A high oxygen uptake in running, for example, doesn't necessarily assure a similar metabolic power when different muscle groups are activated, as in swimming, cycling, or rowing.  The effects of systematic training are highly specific in terms of neurologic, physiologic, and metabolic demands. 

Maximum oxygen uptake, also called V02 max or max V02 is a measure of aerobic fitness.  Maximum oxygen uptake is simply the maximum capacity for oxygen consumption by the body during maximum exertion.  V02 max is a commonly used determinant of aerobic (cardiovascular) fitness and provides important information on the power of the long-term energy system.  .  Aerobic fitness relates to how well your cardiovascular system works to transport and utilize oxygen in your body.  The better your aerobic fitness the higher your V02 max. 

This is not to say that V02 max is the only determinant of aerobic work capacity.  Other factors, especially those at the muscular level, such as the number of capillaries, enzymes, and muscle fiber type, exert a strong influence on the capacity to sustain high levels of aerobic exercise.

Distance runners, swimming, cyclists, and cross-country skiers have some of the highest V02 max levels recorded.  Measurement of V02 max has become one of the fundamental measures in exercise physiology.  The most accurate way to measure your V02 max is to perform a maximal exercise stress test in a laboratory but some field tests can estimate (with a certain degree of variability) what a person’s maximum aerobic capacity is.  Field tests for predicting V02 max should be viewed with caution but can provide valuable information in the absence of more valid laboratory methods.

V02 max is influenced by many factors.  Of these, the most important appear to be the mode of exercise used to evaluate V02 max, heredity, state of training, age, sex, and body composition.  Each factor contributes uniquely to an individual’s V02 max.

The question is frequently raised concerning the relative contribution of heredity on exercise performance.  Some research has concluded heredity alone can account for 93% of the observed differences in aerobic capacity as measured by V02 max.  In addition, the capacity of the short-term energy system (anaerobic metabolism) was shown to be genetically determined by about 81 to 86%.  This data was researched using 15 pairs of identical twins and 15 pairs of fraternal twins.  It is possible that these estimates represent the upper limit of genetic determination, but the data do suggest that the aerobic systems are significantly influenced by factors related to heredity.

Recent studies have shown that not only is our starting point genetically determined, but also our adaptability to training (how much we improve) is quite variable and genetically influenced. 

Never the less, at any level of competition, it may be the effect of training that determines superior performance in aerobic activities. 

Measuring V02 max will help an individual ensure that their training is at the correct intensity and will help achieve better results.  Furthermore, regular testing throughout the season can be beneficial to tracking and quantifying progress. 

V02 testing only works when the individual comes away with a clear understanding of how and why the training approach needs to be altered to improve performance.  This requires an individual with the expertise and time to educate the client on the meaning of their results and the implication of those results on personal training goals.

Most of the athletes who have a tendency to push into their anaerobic zone, at almost every workout, and then go home are those that don't know what their bodies really need in order to improve. And these are the kids who's performances have kind of flatlined...not improving. Kind of the train hard or go home type attitude. No pain, no gain. This is a particular problem with high school cross country runners, for example. Clint was having problems with Nicole and Nick always wanting to push and then push harder at every workout. Long Runs for them were races. We tested that whole group of Limestone runners 3 times over their last cross country season and were able to show them from the results that there was a time to run "easy" either aerobically or for recovery....and a time to push past their AT's. Ended up with 2 state champions that year and great overall results for the team. Clint knew how to take the results from our discussions and apply them to his runners. Physiologically their AT's and V02's were off the chart, but the numbers from the tests also gave them the confidence they needed to know they could win. Knowing when to train hard enough or easy enough is important....Greg schedules that into his plans. You aren't out there hammering all the time. Most people quite honestly have to slow down to get faster....maximize their base potential and then work on running harder. This requires patience from most runners/athletes. It's a hard concept to understand much less realize. I've had a lot of people come in, take the test, have me outline what I thought they needed and go right back to what they were doing before and wondering why they weren't improving. It's whether you can come in with an open mind and be willing to step back and take a chance so to speak. The results will speak for themselves. There is a balance between training hard and training easy that most athletes don't understand. We're doing some testing on some Bradley/Notre Dame runners right now to establish a baseline and plan to follow them throughout the season til the end of the school year. It will be interesting. I do think it's important to be re-tested on a regular basis like we did with the Limestone kids so you can track progress and tweak the training program. 

Rob:Thanks. I understand VO2 a little better. You’ve got me intrigued. I would like to keep this discussion specific to running for my blog since it’s a site about kicking Schroffs A## in a marathon. Here are a few more questions spurred from your reply….(If I am completely missing one of your premises, please correct me).


1) Why do I really care about VO2? From what I understand you are saying, I cant really change it.

2) Opinion: Isn’t training to run faster at long distance a matter of achieving a higher aerobic threshold (i.e. LT)?

3) How does age and current fitness fit into this discussion (physiology)? I mean if athletic prowess is predetermined at birth, why do old fat men run slower than young skinny men?

4) If I understand you, you’re saying a high percentage of a runner’s potential VO2 is genetic. Does this mean regardless of how fit she is, she’s going to perform at a level that is nearly 90% of what she’s capable of? Does the distance of the run play into this? Do we even need to train to get most of what we are ultimately capable of? (I know it’s really 3 questions J)

5) How does LT play into this discussion? Is it simply the point of exercise intensity where we go from an aerobic to an anaerobic state?

6) I have an (perhaps irrational) fear of being tested. What if I come in and you test me and tell me the fasted marathon I will ever run is 2 hours and 57 minutes. I am not sure I want to be told that. What would you tell me?

Blair:

V02 Max -- First, all of your endurance training depends on you developing your aerobic base (V02 max) to it’s fullest.  If your V02 max is relatively high, your measure of improvement may not be that great 2-5% at most.  Remember these adaptations in V02 max depend on the type of overload imposed.  The specificity principle states that if you want to improve as a runner this is most effectively achieved when the exerciser trains the specific muscles involved in the desired performance i.e., running.  Truly, specific exercise elicits specific adaptations creating specific training effects.  Of note, even when you develop your V02 to it’s maximum potential; improvements in performance are supported by other mechanisms only partly related to the oxygen transport system.  In some tests you may see only a slight increase or no change in V02 max, but an increase in maximum work time to reach that value.   So there is a partial independence of performance measures from physiologic measures which may explain why V02 max values of certain endurance athletes in the 1930’s and 40’s were similar to those of present day athletes, even though the performances of contemporary athletes substantially exceed those of athletes from that era.  This illustrates that a clear distinction be made between physiologic and performance changes with training.  So even though V02 max may peak, performance need not have to. 

 

Knowing your V02 max will give you the proper training intensity to maximize your base fitness. Staying in the appropriate training zones will allow your body to chew up your fat reserves for fuel instead of simply relying on that day’s carbohydrate intake.  Why?  Your body has up to 50 times more energy dammed up in its fat stores than the measly 2,000 carbohydrate calories that can be stored as glycogen.  Tap the fat, and you’re likely to see improvements in both body-fat composition and performance.  The more aerobically fit you are, the higher percentage of fat you’re burning at every level of intensity.  The increase efficiency will show up in faster times, achievable at the same heart rate. 

 

Training at these zones requires some getting use to.  It takes an entirely different mental approach.  Most athletes, both recreational and elite, warm up for their workout, get to feeling OK, and then push it into their anaerobic zone so they can go home and say they got a good workout.  They don’t train hard enough or easy enough, and so they’re stuck in a perpetual no-man’s land.  The bottom line is, to train aerobically requires patience:  The emphasis is long-term gain, not immediate gratification. 

 

Anaerobic Threshold (AT) -- there exists an effort level called the anaerobic threshold (AT) steady state than an athlete can continue at for an extended period of time without having to slow down, usually and hour but sometimes longer.  As long as the athlete maintains this effort level his or her lactate level with remain constant.  At small effort levels above this point the athlete’s lactate level will rise slowly and he or she will be forced to stop, sometimes within a few minutes or sometimes after and extended period of 20-30 minutes.  Above this AT steady state there are no more steady states but an inevitable and frequently rapid progression to exhaustion. 

 

The AT is the single best indicator of endurance performance known.  Generally the athlete with the maximal AT steady state at the higher effort level (speed or power) will be faster in an endurance event.  Increases in AT steady state are almost always accompanied by improvements in race performance in endurance events.  So frequent AT testing (every 4-6 weeks) is usually the best indicator or potential race performance for endurance events.  It is also generally the best measure for improvements due to training or a lack of response to training.  For short events the maximal AT steady state is also highly correlated with performance but anaerobic capacity or the ability to produce lactate and speed will become more important as the events get shorter. 

Training at AT or higher is very stressful and can be a formula for over-training and/or injury.  Very often endurance athletes do not feel much stress when training at AT or higher but this can be deceiving as the stress they are putting on the aerobic system at these high intensities can break down this system too much and result in less aerobic capacity, not more.  That is why is essential to first build a strong aerobic/endurance base before introducing this type of training into your program.  Once the foundation is built, the athlete can start to add in training above their AT. 

V02 variables---SEX --V02 max values are typically higher for men than women even among trained athletes (15 to 30%).  This is generally attributed to differences in body composition and hemoglobin levels.  The aerobic capacity of active females is typically higher than that of sedentary males.

BODY COMPOSITION -- It is estimated that 69% of the differences in V02 max scores among individuals can be explained by differences in body weight, 4% by differences in height, and 1% by variations in lean body weight.  This is why oxygen consumption is expressed in terms of body size (ml – kg – min). 

AGE – After age 25, the max V02 steadily declines although active adults retain a relatively high V02 max at all ages. 

V02 max is not the only variable that determines endurance running performance.  Multiple factors such as body weight and body fatness, running efficiency, nutrition, motivation, and the percentage of one’s aerobic capacity that can be sustained without lactic acid buildup all contribute significantly to successful running. 

As far as telling you your fastest marathon is 2:57…..I don’t think one can accurately predict what an individual’s optimum level of performance is based solely on measuring his V02 max.  I know I can’t.  There’s too much else that needs to be factored in.

Rob:

When you say they don’t work hard enough is that because they go Anaerobic and are forced to stop too soon? If they picked a slower pace, they would be able to work longer? Is that what you mean by patience?

Blair:

Most of the athletes who have a tendency to push into their anaerobic zone, at almost every workout, and then go home are those that don't know what their bodies really need in order to improve. And these are the kids who's performances have kind of flatlined...not improving. Kind of the train hard or go home type attitude. No pain, no gain. This is a particular problem with high school cross country runners, for example. Clint was having problems with Nicole and Nick always wanting to push and then push harder at every workout. Long Runs for them were races. We tested that whole group of Limestone runners 3 times over their last cross country season and were able to show them from the results that there was a time to run "easy" either aerobically or for recovery....and a time to push past their AT's. Ended up with 2 state champions that year and great overall results for the team. Clint knew how to take the results from our discussions and apply them to his runners. Physiologically their AT's and V02's were off the chart, but the numbers from the tests also gave them the confidence they needed to know they could win. Knowing when to train hard enough or easy enough is important....Greg schedules that into his plans. You aren't out there hammering all the time. Most people quite honestly have to slow down to get faster....maximize their base potential and then work on running harder. This requires patience from most runners/athletes. It's a hard concept to understand much less realize. I've had a lot of people come in, take the test, have me outline what I thought they needed and go right back to what they were doing before and wondering why they weren't improving. It's whether you can come in with an open mind and be willing to step back and take a chance so to speak. The results will speak for themselves. There is a balance between training hard and training easy that most athletes don't understand. We're doing some testing on some Bradley/Notre Dame runners right now to establish a baseline and plan to follow them throughout the season til the end of the school year. It will be interesting. I do think it's important to be re-tested on a regular basis like we did with the Limestone kids so you can track progress and tweak the training program. 

Blair T. Gorsuch, MS
Exercise Physiologist
Director, Cardiac Rehabilitation
Proctor Hospital
5405 N. Knoxville Ave. #1
Peoria, IL 61614

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Last Night's Pool Party

Ok.  I swear I didn't eat this! 





It was beautifuAdd Imagel weather for last nights pool party.  The first run back after the bout of flu.  I have to say I didn't feel at all compfortable for any mile.  At mile 4 I told the group I had to fall back but then I didn't for some reason.  Maybe it was just the fact the I relaxed a moment that made staying with the pack easier.  Danimal ran really well.  He's been fighting a nagging calf injury.  I think he's getting over it.  BTW that beard is making you look old beyond your years! How bout some manscaping!  WTF is SCHROFF!  We need him back!  The Big Willie was on his own.  It was nice to see Zoepple again (2 weeks is too long between runs)! 

Tonight it's 4 at pace.  Same tomorrow.  All in preparation for the test run on Saturday.  More to be revealed!  

Cheers,
Rob

Arctic Natives Stage Massive Global Warming Protest

Monday, February 9, 2009

I Think I'm Coming Down with Something.


I am not a puss but I feel like crap!  I woke up this morning with an upset stomach.  Fortunately, the kids didn't need to be a school early today so I went back to bed and waited for Shev to get back.  I got another 20 minutes of sleep.  Now my throat hurts and my head is throbbing.  Hopefully, it will blow over soon. 

Saturday, February 7, 2009

The Week Wasn't As Bad

Ok. It's Saturday night. In retrospect the week was hard. Very hard. But I accomplished the primary objective of the key workouts. The first challenge getting through the Wed workout (see below). Adam White's been a great help this week. He led the group through this workout and we managed to hit our paces. Adam owns Running Central. IMO, it's the best place you can ever expect to go to find great advice or help. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY is better. We were beat at the end but it was beautiful to hit a tough workout flawlessly.

The next big challenge was Friday. We had 6 miles to do with 3 at pace and 3 faster than pace continuous. Patrick, our local mileage junky show up for the evening run. Of course, he'd already done 14 that morning. So he led me out (a bit too fast PAT!). Anyway, I averaged 6:31 out and 6:20 back. I did however take a break in the middle. Guess pace isn't quite there yet. Oh well it's still early in the program.

Finally, the big 20 miler today. Can't say I was really looking forward to it. We planned on meeting at the River Plex and running toward the tower. That meant 10 miles up hill basically. A tough course. Well, we got a break in the weather. It hit 58! A veritable heat wave for Peoria lately. I shed the long sleeve shirt at mile 3 in the Springdale cemetery and never regretted it. I was really beat on the last 4 miles coming home. But again, Adam, who's not even training for a marathon showed up and ran the whole thing at our pace. Thanks again Adam. It was a huge help. Over all, I am happy. A great week of running. Tomorrow I have to do 8 miles to finish the week but don't expect that to be a big deal. I might have to do it later in the day. Next week is the first test run. Hope the cemetary stays thawed out so we can get er done!

Cheers,
Rob

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Tonights Planned Workout

I need to stop obsessing about tonight. We have plans for running 2x4 miles on a hilly course w/ the first four at goal marathon pace and the second four faster than our goal pace. It's essential for me to be honest about my ability. Where I am I in my training? If I choose an overly ambitious pace, it will be impossible for me to complete the workout as prescribed. This schedule is not (at all) forgiving. Tonight is especially challenging. It is VERY cold, the traffic will be the heaviest at around 5-6pm when I step, and the darkness and extreme low temp will mess with my ability to stay focused or to even see my pace on my watch. According to weather.com the wind won’t be a big factor at 4 mph (thankfully).


When I look at a week of BDI scheduled training I first prioritize Gregs top 2 or 3 workouts and make a mental note. This way, when life creates havoc (and it will) I can let workouts go in order of importance. Also, don't over do a lower priorty workout the day before. It's better to miss the objective of a lesser workout if it means you'll be fresh for the key one.

IMO, this workout is the SECOND(#2) most important workout for the week. #1 is Saturday’s 20 miler. The Long Run is always your Huckleberry! That said: I MUST START GETTING MENTALLY FOCUSED FOR TONIGHT!

My plan is to run from RC to the tower averaging a pace that I hope to run my next marathon at. For me, it's between 6:35-6:45 minutes per mile(not including the warm-up). This is the pace I shoot for climbing to the tower. What the spread? My goal pace for a marathon is 6:35 per mile on a flat course and 6:45 per mile at Boston).

This represents almost 15 seconds faster on average than I've ever ran a marathon. This is 20 seconds faster per mile than I have ever ran this course. Additionally, it’s the first time this training cycle I have been asked to run my goal pace. I know I can do it. Last year I ran a half marathon in Delevan averaging 6:24 per mile.. So know I am capable of such a pace. So that gets me to the tower. Then the second, and as important part of tonights workout, is to get a drink, refocus and make the return trip at a faster pace than I came to the tower. I hope to be at least one minute faster coming home. Tonight will hurt but is definitely doable. The workout conditions suck! I would like to leave RC tonight uplifted and definitely not defeated.

WHAT TO AVOID TOINIGHT (in HI_FIDELITY order):
====================================================================================
1. Not doing the workout tonight! *FAIL*
2. Doing the workout simply as a brisk training run *FAIL*
3. Not negative splitting the intervals (means I went out way too fast for ability/conditions) -- This is a big possibility because I lack experience and it’s dark enough I wont really be able to see my watch during the run. *C+/B-*
4. Going out too slow (Reaching the tower avg. MGP+30) *C*

Monday, February 2, 2009

Coach Greg's Schedule This Week

I am dreading this week. It has 70 miles of intense running. I picked a very ambitious goal marathon pace and coupled with the sub zero weather, makes Coach Greg's already tough schedule even harder. Keep believing and stay focused. There's a method to this madness!

Random Thoughts

Top 3 Worst Names for your Kid:

1. Porkulus
2. Farticus
3. Snerd

Top 3 Best Names for your Pet:

1. Porkulus
2. Farticus
3. Snerd

Coincidence?

Q: Why is the left nut so valuable? Most guys are offering it only for great treasures (i.e. I'd give my left nut for a (FILL IN THE BLANK)? And who is buying all these testicals?