At long last I have stumbled into the oasis in the Desert of PR-less-ness! In spite of a long hiatus from track races, my first 5k back on the track yielded a much coveted PR by 7 seconds. "Psh, 7 seconds, that's it?!" you might say. In 7 seconds you could trim a fingernail, peel a Clementine, tie a shoe, or put toothpaste on a toothbrush, what's so great about 7 seconds? Especially when you factor in the fact that that particular 7 seconds took me 6 (yes, SIX) years to knock off. That averages out to be a hair more than 1 second a year. But the point is, seven seconds in six years doesn't seem like much, but I'm stoked! I will take progress in ANY and all of its glorious forms.
Immediately after finishing however, I was split 50/50 upon Scott telling me, "16:51." 50% stoked that it was my best 5k on paper to date; that one year ago today I honestly thought maybe this was as good as it would ever get, that the tank was near empty, enthusiasm was fizzled, and that at this point I was grasping at straws and investing time into something I wasn't even doing well anymore--the kind of stuff I wouldn't let myself say out loud. To prove myself wrong, even a little, was extremely satisfying to say the least. But then I was 50% surprised, not necessarily disappointed, but surprised in a way that it was not more, not a bigger PR. Yeah, that sounds greedy I know, but in the back of my mind, the more self-defeating part that thinks like a troll on Letsrun.com thought, "You've put in thousands of miles since you ran 16:58, that should put you way ahead of where you are now! Heck, let's be real, an entire minute more off of that still lands you as a Nobody in this sport." But you know what? SHUT the f*** UP Troll. 7 seconds may be pretty insignificant to most people, so is 30 seconds, or 2 minutes. But as Scott will say, effort matters more than outcome. A LOT of sweat and tears and questioning go into that miniscule bit of time. And maybe more than a little too much thought; run more miles, do more long runs, take more ice baths, do more core, do more drills, do more strides, get more sleep, eat more veggies, run less miles but run them harder, or that oh-so Great Unmentionable lose a few pounds.
Regardless of the idea that it's a fraction of time, it's an indicator of progress, a huge payoff, a chance to breathe a sigh of relief that it hasn't all been in vain, and a reason to really believe that there can be more ahead. Hopefully this is just a beginning, but you have to live in the present and enjoy what you get--even the little things--when you get it, because who knows when "next time" will be? And give yourself a pat on the back before you get back to work.
As I was watching the rest of our crew circle the track in the 10k in pursuit of their own PR's, I saw a handful of Hansons runners go by, for some reason an interview that I read a long time ago featuring the once-unknown Desiree Davila popped into my head, the one where her coach tells her, "People are going to think that you're wasting your time. You're going to have a lot of years putting in work that no one will ever see. No one will know your name. This is what it is." And she replied, "I know what it is, I still want to be part of it." PREACH IT.
Boulder Running Company/adidas Race Team Blog
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
"Never Give Up! Never Give In!"
Sure, it’s easy to say. Short. Simple. To the Point. But in practice it’s much, much harder to act out. For the best of us, it comes alittle more natural. For the rest of us, it’s a challenge. It’s something we have to continually remind ourselves so we stay awake (which hopes that eventually it will come natural).
In similar fashion, like the phrase “No Coasting!” - Now that’s one I’ve been hearing quite often lately, from a Welshman on a mountain bike. He follows me while I run, quietly analyzing my mannerisms, reading me like a book, and just as I think he’s disappeared off to encourage the other group, just when I feel alone on the path in the shadows where no one can see me let down my guard and coast for just a few minutes, I hear it: “Bobby, no coasting!” He says in a quiet, conversational tone, his accent creating a challenge to decipher what exactly he’s saying. I know what he’s saying. He knows that I know what he’s saying. So he says it. Thus waking me up from my moment of self-pity and urges me on forward to run every step until the workout is complete. Steve Jones will not let me coast.
Maybe I should back up a bit, and explain how I got to the point where Steve Jones (“Jonesy”) is tailing me on his bike down the Creek Path. Well, March found me jumping into a few uninspired races and running mediocre at best. I’ll say I was pleased with the efforts of each race, though we all know that’s code for “Screw that, I ran like crap”. The strength gained from the 120 mile-weeks over the winter remained dormant in me, nothing in particular destroyed me (I recovered extremely quick from race to race), though the mid-race Grind-It-Out attitude was missing.
Running is an objective sport. You’re either running good, or your not. There’s no talking your way to a PR or Win, you actually have to Do It. My results were telling me what I had been ignoring for a while: Maybe you should take a recovery week? Or a few? Rationally speaking, I couldn’t expect to continue hammering away and actually race well. I needed to allow my body to absorb all the mileage like a sponge so I could eventually squeeze out all the water when the time was right. Alright, lowering the mileage it is. This was Step One.
Step Two required Guidance. I’ve been running for nearly 20 years, and have accumulated a lot of information from many people. I’ve learned what works for me, and what doesn’t (and I’ll leave room when saying this to the unknown - there’s always more to learn). Being objective - as running is - I returned (here we go back to my first post on Meno’s Paradox) to what has worked well for me in the past: Jonesy.
There are no special workouts, and no glittery workout names. It’s Simple. You show up, work hard, and go home. His program (Fartleck, Tempo, Hills, Long Run, Repeat; variations of this) - and approach to training in general, allows you to simplify, and essentially to Focus: the few things I have made a staple in my own training this year. As an athlete, it’s difficult not to follow his examples (“Attitude Reflects Leadership”), in his Hard, Grind-It-Out racing style. Sure, I could continue to train on my own. But when the question came “Do I Want More”, the answer was the obvious “Yes”. By returning to the environment that produced many of my Personal Records, it was a no-brainer. He’s a man of a few words, but those words carry weight, and when former World-Record holder Steve Jones tells you not to coast, you do not coast, such is the Legend of Jonesy.
So here are, back on the Creek Path, grinding it out while passing sleepy coeds who are heading to class. I’ve got a Welshman on my tail who won’t let me coast. I’m pumping hard, leaning forward and hoping to flow down the path like the mountain water that is doing so effortlessly next me. Somewhere in the haze of pain and oxygen debt, somewhere between Jonesy’s words, I connect the dots and think back to a you-tube video of the man following me on his bike, an epic 10,000 meter battle that still gives me chills watching it. Just when he’s being caught in his final strides, just when it appears he may be falling asleep, he wakes UP as the music crescendos, and fights back for the win.
“Jonesy, No Coasting!”, yeah, I don’t think anyone really had to ever tell him that…
In similar fashion, like the phrase “No Coasting!” - Now that’s one I’ve been hearing quite often lately, from a Welshman on a mountain bike. He follows me while I run, quietly analyzing my mannerisms, reading me like a book, and just as I think he’s disappeared off to encourage the other group, just when I feel alone on the path in the shadows where no one can see me let down my guard and coast for just a few minutes, I hear it: “Bobby, no coasting!” He says in a quiet, conversational tone, his accent creating a challenge to decipher what exactly he’s saying. I know what he’s saying. He knows that I know what he’s saying. So he says it. Thus waking me up from my moment of self-pity and urges me on forward to run every step until the workout is complete. Steve Jones will not let me coast.
Maybe I should back up a bit, and explain how I got to the point where Steve Jones (“Jonesy”) is tailing me on his bike down the Creek Path. Well, March found me jumping into a few uninspired races and running mediocre at best. I’ll say I was pleased with the efforts of each race, though we all know that’s code for “Screw that, I ran like crap”. The strength gained from the 120 mile-weeks over the winter remained dormant in me, nothing in particular destroyed me (I recovered extremely quick from race to race), though the mid-race Grind-It-Out attitude was missing.
Running is an objective sport. You’re either running good, or your not. There’s no talking your way to a PR or Win, you actually have to Do It. My results were telling me what I had been ignoring for a while: Maybe you should take a recovery week? Or a few? Rationally speaking, I couldn’t expect to continue hammering away and actually race well. I needed to allow my body to absorb all the mileage like a sponge so I could eventually squeeze out all the water when the time was right. Alright, lowering the mileage it is. This was Step One.
Step Two required Guidance. I’ve been running for nearly 20 years, and have accumulated a lot of information from many people. I’ve learned what works for me, and what doesn’t (and I’ll leave room when saying this to the unknown - there’s always more to learn). Being objective - as running is - I returned (here we go back to my first post on Meno’s Paradox) to what has worked well for me in the past: Jonesy.
There are no special workouts, and no glittery workout names. It’s Simple. You show up, work hard, and go home. His program (Fartleck, Tempo, Hills, Long Run, Repeat; variations of this) - and approach to training in general, allows you to simplify, and essentially to Focus: the few things I have made a staple in my own training this year. As an athlete, it’s difficult not to follow his examples (“Attitude Reflects Leadership”), in his Hard, Grind-It-Out racing style. Sure, I could continue to train on my own. But when the question came “Do I Want More”, the answer was the obvious “Yes”. By returning to the environment that produced many of my Personal Records, it was a no-brainer. He’s a man of a few words, but those words carry weight, and when former World-Record holder Steve Jones tells you not to coast, you do not coast, such is the Legend of Jonesy.
So here are, back on the Creek Path, grinding it out while passing sleepy coeds who are heading to class. I’ve got a Welshman on my tail who won’t let me coast. I’m pumping hard, leaning forward and hoping to flow down the path like the mountain water that is doing so effortlessly next me. Somewhere in the haze of pain and oxygen debt, somewhere between Jonesy’s words, I connect the dots and think back to a you-tube video of the man following me on his bike, an epic 10,000 meter battle that still gives me chills watching it. Just when he’s being caught in his final strides, just when it appears he may be falling asleep, he wakes UP as the music crescendos, and fights back for the win.
“Jonesy, No Coasting!”, yeah, I don’t think anyone really had to ever tell him that…
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Tales From a Reformed Headcase
APRIL FOOLS. Just joking about the "reformed" part.
Actually, I thought I had been doing a fantastic job the last few months reigning in the demons. Good workout? Bad workout? Great race? Horrible race? No problem! It's all the same, the world's still spinning and you'll live to run another day! No one even died as a result of your result! Dude it's chiiilllll.... All you can ever do is try! "Don't worry, be happy. It will soon pass, whatever it is," sings Bob Marley while smoking a joint. Well please pass that joint to me because I don't share your sentiments right now BOB.
It began with a bad 400 meter workout. This was followed by the abrupt realization that in one week I'm running my first track 5k in I don't want to think about how long. A ridiculously negative self-talk monologue rambled through my mind on a run:
"What if you run your entire 5k the way you ran those quarters the other day, you're going to get OWNED. Pansy."
"Oh hey, remember the Hams and Hamstrings 5k on Easter? Yeah, you BARELY broke 19 minutes. Remember that? A couple weeks ago? Who knows if it was even a 5k. Who cares that you ran across a median. Irrelevant. BARELY under 19 minutes. Remember that? You ran better in high school. Pansy."
"Hey speaking of hamstrings, how's that hamstring feeling anyway? Like it's going to explode off your ischial tuberosity? Yeah, it probably will. Pansy."
"Hey, check out your mile splits today. Have you even broken 8 minutes once this whole run? No? Pansy."
Aaand the downward spiral begins. I take off my watch and throw it in the bushes. I don't care that I've had it for 5 years! I'm sending it back to Timex because it HAS to be defective! I am not running that slow!!! There is NO way!!! Tantrum ensues. Ever seen a 2 year old in the cereal aisle pitching a fit to mom because he wants Fruity Pebbles and mom doesn't believe in sugary cereal? Yeah. Times that by about 50. The voice of Positive Polly is drowned out by Negative Nancy (that b***h...). Try as she might, petite Polly is overpowered by Nancy--who has the build of a roller-derby champ. But suddenly, like the eye in the hurricane, the overwhelming feeling of all-consuming guilt trumps all nervousness. The browbeating begins: You ungrateful booger! You cotton-headed-ninny-muggins! You jackwagon! You are SO lucky to do this! How dare you have an off-day! How dare you even be so consumed with something so self-serving and inconsequential! There are 7 billion people in this world who are in no way effected by how you run! This is an entirely selfish pursuit! You're a terrible human! What are you EVEN DOING?!!!
Oh crap. Here they come. There's no stopping them. Tears. I'm a pretty emotionally constipated person for lack of better phrasing (which probably accounts for a great deal of the reason why I have about 2 friends who are girls), but when I get all feelingsy and there are tears, there are OCEANS of them. It's actually sort of pathetic. Before I know it, it's not even about a bad run or an upcoming race. I mean, it started with that, then there was the guilt over even caring that much to begin with, and now all I can think about is the treatment of women and children in Africa and the Middle East, starvation, terminal disease, the Crucifixion, the current state of mental healthcare in the U.S., animal cruelty, and that needlessly mean customer last month who I had to be nice to anyway. For some reason much of this puts the whole running thing back into perspective, but now I'm in a total funk. And I don't know if you've ever tried bawling and running at the same time, but you actually start to asphyxiate a little, I don't suggest it.
Trust me, I know what you're thinking right now: you're thinking, "I thought I was the only one who did this!" Nope, fear not because you're in good company, I'm right there with you! Hopefully I'll have the mental trainwreck debris cleared away in a week. Payne-Train(wreck) OUT.
< Self-portrait.
Actually, I thought I had been doing a fantastic job the last few months reigning in the demons. Good workout? Bad workout? Great race? Horrible race? No problem! It's all the same, the world's still spinning and you'll live to run another day! No one even died as a result of your result! Dude it's chiiilllll.... All you can ever do is try! "Don't worry, be happy. It will soon pass, whatever it is," sings Bob Marley while smoking a joint. Well please pass that joint to me because I don't share your sentiments right now BOB.
It began with a bad 400 meter workout. This was followed by the abrupt realization that in one week I'm running my first track 5k in I don't want to think about how long. A ridiculously negative self-talk monologue rambled through my mind on a run:
"What if you run your entire 5k the way you ran those quarters the other day, you're going to get OWNED. Pansy."
"Oh hey, remember the Hams and Hamstrings 5k on Easter? Yeah, you BARELY broke 19 minutes. Remember that? A couple weeks ago? Who knows if it was even a 5k. Who cares that you ran across a median. Irrelevant. BARELY under 19 minutes. Remember that? You ran better in high school. Pansy."
"Hey speaking of hamstrings, how's that hamstring feeling anyway? Like it's going to explode off your ischial tuberosity? Yeah, it probably will. Pansy."
"Hey, check out your mile splits today. Have you even broken 8 minutes once this whole run? No? Pansy."
Aaand the downward spiral begins. I take off my watch and throw it in the bushes. I don't care that I've had it for 5 years! I'm sending it back to Timex because it HAS to be defective! I am not running that slow!!! There is NO way!!! Tantrum ensues. Ever seen a 2 year old in the cereal aisle pitching a fit to mom because he wants Fruity Pebbles and mom doesn't believe in sugary cereal? Yeah. Times that by about 50. The voice of Positive Polly is drowned out by Negative Nancy (that b***h...). Try as she might, petite Polly is overpowered by Nancy--who has the build of a roller-derby champ. But suddenly, like the eye in the hurricane, the overwhelming feeling of all-consuming guilt trumps all nervousness. The browbeating begins: You ungrateful booger! You cotton-headed-ninny-muggins! You jackwagon! You are SO lucky to do this! How dare you have an off-day! How dare you even be so consumed with something so self-serving and inconsequential! There are 7 billion people in this world who are in no way effected by how you run! This is an entirely selfish pursuit! You're a terrible human! What are you EVEN DOING?!!!
Oh crap. Here they come. There's no stopping them. Tears. I'm a pretty emotionally constipated person for lack of better phrasing (which probably accounts for a great deal of the reason why I have about 2 friends who are girls), but when I get all feelingsy and there are tears, there are OCEANS of them. It's actually sort of pathetic. Before I know it, it's not even about a bad run or an upcoming race. I mean, it started with that, then there was the guilt over even caring that much to begin with, and now all I can think about is the treatment of women and children in Africa and the Middle East, starvation, terminal disease, the Crucifixion, the current state of mental healthcare in the U.S., animal cruelty, and that needlessly mean customer last month who I had to be nice to anyway. For some reason much of this puts the whole running thing back into perspective, but now I'm in a total funk. And I don't know if you've ever tried bawling and running at the same time, but you actually start to asphyxiate a little, I don't suggest it.
Trust me, I know what you're thinking right now: you're thinking, "I thought I was the only one who did this!" Nope, fear not because you're in good company, I'm right there with you! Hopefully I'll have the mental trainwreck debris cleared away in a week. Payne-Train(wreck) OUT.
< Self-portrait.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
PR's and Trials Qualifiers!
The Stanford Invite saw some outstanding performances as always. Ali Williams, Kristen Hemphill and Wendy Thomas all have their eyes towards the Trials now having earned the standard in their respective races. Kristen got the BRC/Adidas ball rolling Friday night in the steeplechase as she got a personal best by a second and a "B" standard with her 10:08. Next up, was Ali in the 5k, who knocked over 20 seconds off of her previous (and already fast) 5k PR to clock 15:24 and finish 4th overall in an talent-laden field. Wendy certainly didn't disappoint in her debut track 10k as she also had a ridiculous PR to run 32:47. Ali punched her ticket to the Olympic Trials with her "A" standard while Wendy was just barely off with her "B" standard that will likely be bettered as the season progresses. Look out Eugene!
Easter Sunday saw Colorado Springs host the Inaugural Hams and Hamstrings 5k, where fearless team leader Cody Hill took 2nd place among the men (and overall), while Shannon Payne won the women's race.
Cody Hill as a lithe, graceful little impala gliding across an urban serengeti en route to 2nd place and $100.
Easter Sunday saw Colorado Springs host the Inaugural Hams and Hamstrings 5k, where fearless team leader Cody Hill took 2nd place among the men (and overall), while Shannon Payne won the women's race.
Cody Hill as a lithe, graceful little impala gliding across an urban serengeti en route to 2nd place and $100.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Springtime Racing Begins!
The USATF Colorado 5 mile Championships at the Boulder Reserviour saw massive fields on both the men's and women's side. Brianne Nelson stole the show for the women as she ran away with a victory in 28:12. On the men's side, Matt Levassiur took fourth among a highly competitive field in 25:27. Adam Rich followed in 26:09.
In Fort Collins, Kristen Hemphill got her track legs ready for a great spring as she took 2nd in the 1500 in 4:39 in ridiculously windy conditions.
So far so good! Next up for many is the Stanford Invite this weekend so stay tuned for great results! Keep up the good work.
In Fort Collins, Kristen Hemphill got her track legs ready for a great spring as she took 2nd in the 1500 in 4:39 in ridiculously windy conditions.
So far so good! Next up for many is the Stanford Invite this weekend so stay tuned for great results! Keep up the good work.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
March training month
Wow great month of training and looking forward to mount sac this month. I have been over 100 miles a week for the past 7 weeks and feeling great!(750 total miles in 7 weeks). I will complete another 120 miles this week as well.
Workouts have been really good as well , so it's a very good combo with the miles, workouts, and diabetes. 25x400m with 50 sec rest I avg. 68s with 2 hammers #20 & 24- 62,63
As for my diabetes control I'm doing really good my hard workouts push my body up to 200 to 220 so I have cool down for about 5 or 6 miles to be back to normal levels.
My nutrition and diabetes I have really experimented with it constantly. I eat a lot of smoothies- I have smoothies for pre easy 6 mile run, post workout, recovery, and my most importantly my BG is to high but I need to eat. Lots of bacon and eggs, fish and broccoli, and steel cut oats(with nutmeg, cherrys, almond milk) are my fav post workout meal!
And super pumped about win St. Pattys day run! I had some great competitors and I was so happy to get my first win since getting type 1 diabetes.
Thanks for reading
Keep it sweet but not with sugar!
Workouts have been really good as well , so it's a very good combo with the miles, workouts, and diabetes. 25x400m with 50 sec rest I avg. 68s with 2 hammers #20 & 24- 62,63
As for my diabetes control I'm doing really good my hard workouts push my body up to 200 to 220 so I have cool down for about 5 or 6 miles to be back to normal levels.
My nutrition and diabetes I have really experimented with it constantly. I eat a lot of smoothies- I have smoothies for pre easy 6 mile run, post workout, recovery, and my most importantly my BG is to high but I need to eat. Lots of bacon and eggs, fish and broccoli, and steel cut oats(with nutmeg, cherrys, almond milk) are my fav post workout meal!
And super pumped about win St. Pattys day run! I had some great competitors and I was so happy to get my first win since getting type 1 diabetes.
Thanks for reading
Keep it sweet but not with sugar!
Friday, March 30, 2012
March Madness
March Madness is in full swing, which means TV in recent
weeks has been dominated by NCAA basketball. And sandwiched between the onslaught
of exciting bracket-busting action there are NCAA commercials. Maybe you’ve
seen them: soccer players juggling while playing violin, basketball players
dribbling while carrying out chemical reactions, swimmers transforming into
photographers while emerging from the water, tennis players donning work boots
mid-swing. Each commercial is narrated with a version of the same line: “There
are over 400,000 NCAA student-athletes, and almost all of us are going pro in
something other than sports.” Count me among them. But that doesn’t mean I’m
not still chasing my running dreams.
The best adjective I have to describe my life is “busy.” My
current “something other than sports” occupation is as a PhD student in
physiology, which means that I have a to-do list that is perpetually growing
and there is no such thing as a “typical” day at work. When I’m not in the lab,
I can likely be found eating, sleeping, or training. I have learned that flexibility
is critical for my training to be effective. Though I don’t have a fixed time
of day for my workouts, I do have a schedule of runs and strength training that
I follow over a course of weeks and months. Sometimes the schedule has to be
adjusted due to my work (spending all day on my feet doing experiments is not
conducive to a good track workout) or the wonderfully-unpredictable Colorado
weather (when the wind severe is enough to blow soccer goals over and onto the
track I am forced to re-think those 400-meter repeats). But I have found that
if I approach my training with a longer-term perspective, I am able to train at
a high level while balancing my academic obligations.
Over the past several years, my running aspirations have
transformed enormously. Upon completing my college career, I was less than
satisfied, but ready just to run with no expectations. I did long, slow trail
runs in the mountains and didn’t even think about getting near a track, let
alone a race. Eventually, my competitive spirit re-surfaced, along with a
desire to push my limits and discover my potential. And hence my graduate
student-athlete lifestyle emerged. In choosing this lifestyle, I may be missing
out on things like happy hour, watching TV, and pulling all-nighters. But I
think it’s worth the sacrifice…
I may not be a professional athlete, but I am nevertheless
incredibly thankful to be able to pursue my running ambitions post-collegiately
(and thanks to BRC/adidas for the support!). The past year has been marked with several
amazing running moments, and I am excited to keep training and see what the
next few years will bring.
Change of Direction
Lots of neato stuff going down.
So back when I got back from USA XC I wrote a bunch of stuff about how great it was to be "coaching" myself! Well...ignore all of that. A few weeks back I had the great opportunity to get to be a part of the American Distance Project that was started up here in Springs by Scott Simmons and Renato Canova last summer. I will admit that back when that got off of the ground RIGHT when I was leaving to go to the so-called Running Mecca of Boulder, I had to grit my teeth a little. I was like, "Crap. I can't believe it. We've never had a training group in Springs EVER and right when there is one I'm going somewhere else to find one. Go figure."
But stuff has a weird way of working out.
Lots and lots of changes...in some ways I feel like a freshman, being well behind Ali and Adrian in most runs, the freaky part of that is that my mileage is a lot higher than it was, but nowhere near their's, and nowhere near where it'll probably end up being, but thus far I am pleasantly surprised that after an initial freak-out phase where my mind was boggled from looking at the training schedule, it's not nearly as scary as I thought it would be. Ali has said to me more than once, "All you can do is try!" Which is true. Try something first, then freak out later if needed. Not only that but I've gotten to learn a gazillion things that I never would have really thought about doing on my own. No, on my own I really got pretty good at running about 60 miles a week and that was about it. In any case, I feel ridiculously fortunate, without any spectacular PR's to my credit, I know that there are not too many coaches and awesome groups like this that would take a chance on someone like me. I am SOSOSOSOSOSO thankful to have Scott's knowledge and guidance to point the way and a such a great group of honest, motivated people to emulate.
Running has a lot of "one-percenters". That's been the biggest thing I've figured out so far. I've learned a whole new slew of drills, figured out that bloodwork can actually be pretty relevant, and thanks to a recent visit to biomechanist guru Jay Dicharry last weekend in Virginia at UVA-Charlottesville along with Ryan Bananahands Hafer (who lived up to his namesake by consuming 5 bananas in a single day on the way home), I know a lot more about my (lots) of weaknesses and, more importantly, how to fix them.
As an aside here, Charlottesville is an awesome town. Besides Bananahands and I having to share living space in a hostel with a gentleman whom I am almost certain was a serial killer (although he claimed to be merely a government spy on a volunteer basis) it was a great trip!
So while the laundry list of running stuff seems ever-expanding, it's all good stuff and I'm really excited to see where things will be in a few weeks, a few months, and a ways down the road.
Payne Train OUT.
So back when I got back from USA XC I wrote a bunch of stuff about how great it was to be "coaching" myself! Well...ignore all of that. A few weeks back I had the great opportunity to get to be a part of the American Distance Project that was started up here in Springs by Scott Simmons and Renato Canova last summer. I will admit that back when that got off of the ground RIGHT when I was leaving to go to the so-called Running Mecca of Boulder, I had to grit my teeth a little. I was like, "Crap. I can't believe it. We've never had a training group in Springs EVER and right when there is one I'm going somewhere else to find one. Go figure."
But stuff has a weird way of working out.
Lots and lots of changes...in some ways I feel like a freshman, being well behind Ali and Adrian in most runs, the freaky part of that is that my mileage is a lot higher than it was, but nowhere near their's, and nowhere near where it'll probably end up being, but thus far I am pleasantly surprised that after an initial freak-out phase where my mind was boggled from looking at the training schedule, it's not nearly as scary as I thought it would be. Ali has said to me more than once, "All you can do is try!" Which is true. Try something first, then freak out later if needed. Not only that but I've gotten to learn a gazillion things that I never would have really thought about doing on my own. No, on my own I really got pretty good at running about 60 miles a week and that was about it. In any case, I feel ridiculously fortunate, without any spectacular PR's to my credit, I know that there are not too many coaches and awesome groups like this that would take a chance on someone like me. I am SOSOSOSOSOSO thankful to have Scott's knowledge and guidance to point the way and a such a great group of honest, motivated people to emulate.
Running has a lot of "one-percenters". That's been the biggest thing I've figured out so far. I've learned a whole new slew of drills, figured out that bloodwork can actually be pretty relevant, and thanks to a recent visit to biomechanist guru Jay Dicharry last weekend in Virginia at UVA-Charlottesville along with Ryan Bananahands Hafer (who lived up to his namesake by consuming 5 bananas in a single day on the way home), I know a lot more about my (lots) of weaknesses and, more importantly, how to fix them.
As an aside here, Charlottesville is an awesome town. Besides Bananahands and I having to share living space in a hostel with a gentleman whom I am almost certain was a serial killer (although he claimed to be merely a government spy on a volunteer basis) it was a great trip!
So while the laundry list of running stuff seems ever-expanding, it's all good stuff and I'm really excited to see where things will be in a few weeks, a few months, and a ways down the road.
Payne Train OUT.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
St.Patty's Day Weekend Results
A little late in coming, but some great results from last St.Patty's day from all BRC runners!
The Colorado Spring's St. Patty's Day 5k saw a lot of red and orange in the field as the men's side loaded up on BRC/Adidas boys. We're pretty darn proud of our Tommy "T-Bone" Neal as he established that he is officially on the up-and-up as he trounced a very competitive men's race to take the victory in 15:26. He was followed by Adam Rich in 2nd, not officially in the results due to a timing chip mishap. Sean Brown took 3rd. After that 1-2-3 punch, Cody Hill took 12th. Nice work gents.
Up north in Boulder, Jason Delaney, Ashley Luna, and Rachel Gioscia-Ryan took to the CU track as Rachel knocked out a 4:42 1500 to take 1st, while Ashley took 2nd in 4:50. Nice work ladies. On the men's side of the 1500, Jason took 4th in 4:04.
Across the country in New York, Wendy Thomas ran her first competitive race since the Trials, taking 23rd in the highly competitive NYC Half Marathon in 1:14.21 to get off to a solid start for the spring.
The Colorado Spring's St. Patty's Day 5k saw a lot of red and orange in the field as the men's side loaded up on BRC/Adidas boys. We're pretty darn proud of our Tommy "T-Bone" Neal as he established that he is officially on the up-and-up as he trounced a very competitive men's race to take the victory in 15:26. He was followed by Adam Rich in 2nd, not officially in the results due to a timing chip mishap. Sean Brown took 3rd. After that 1-2-3 punch, Cody Hill took 12th. Nice work gents.
Up north in Boulder, Jason Delaney, Ashley Luna, and Rachel Gioscia-Ryan took to the CU track as Rachel knocked out a 4:42 1500 to take 1st, while Ashley took 2nd in 4:50. Nice work ladies. On the men's side of the 1500, Jason took 4th in 4:04.
Across the country in New York, Wendy Thomas ran her first competitive race since the Trials, taking 23rd in the highly competitive NYC Half Marathon in 1:14.21 to get off to a solid start for the spring.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Gate River Run and Runnin' of the Green Results
Great result from the BRC ladies at Saturday's Gate River Run/U.S. 15k Championships! Finishing 2nd as a team to Team USA Minnesota by only 7 seconds, Ali led the way in 6th place with 51:38 and was followed by BRC/adi newcomer Brianne Nelson in 10th place in 52:50. Adrian took 20th in 54:51 to best her previous PR (from the same course) by two minutes and round out the scoring for BRC. GREAT race!!!
At Sunday's Running of the Green 7k in Denver, Greg took 7th overall on the hilly course in 22:43. Lori rebounded from injury to place 10th in 27:20.
Everyone keep up the good work!
At Sunday's Running of the Green 7k in Denver, Greg took 7th overall on the hilly course in 22:43. Lori rebounded from injury to place 10th in 27:20.
Everyone keep up the good work!
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