Dusty Spikes Plan D

Or is it Plan E?  I don't know, I lost track (no pun intended).

Let's face it, if you want to run fast,  there's a  simple formula.  You need to run A LOT and do hard workouts at least a couple times a week.  By "alot" I  mean at least 40 miles a week.  You also need to race frequently since even the hardest workout does not compare to the pain you experience during a race. All that other stuff we did in college (striders, drills, weights, etc) was for the purpose of attempting to shave an extra 4-5 seconds off our 5k times. Side note:  I'm convinced I gained an advantage by half-assing some of that extra stuff to save energy for running/racing but I digress.

The problem is that with my 37 year old body I'd get injured if I attempted any part of that classic formula - and truth be told I'd probably find a way to get injured doing the extra "stuff".  Being that I still would love to run a couple *fast races before I re-retire, I'm forced to get creative.

How do I reach my optimal fitness level on 3 days a week training?  I've experimented with a few formulas over the past few years with mixed results.  My new plan is to buy a road bike to get in some cross-training while slowly phasing into my inevitable post-running pastime.  I'm going to give this a shot before turning to EPO, blood doping, or chopping off my leg and getting one of those blade runner prosthetic limbs.  I will report back on my progress.

* My definition of fast these days is sub-18 for 5k or sub-5 for 1600

Dusty Spikes Season 5 Kick-off

I started my 5th season of Dusty Spikes running on July 4th with a 4 miler in a park near my place.  I decided to enter the race at 11:30 the night before and used it more of a tempo run.  These days, a tempo run is 7-7:20 min mile pace.  Last night, I ran the Firefly 5k which I took a little more seriously but only managed a 20:24. 

I'm strongly considering re-retiring from racing at the end of this Fall.  In the meantime, I'm consistently running 12-15 miles a week with an occasional hard mile as a workout.  Before I give-up on the mythical 18 minute barrier,  I'd like to come down from the mountains and run a race closer to sea level.   Anyone else up for a sea-level 5k this Fall?  Suggestions welcome.

Epic Running Film

I know that Prefontaine has been the subject of many documentaries and movies, but I thought this latest one was noteworthy. You'll laugh, you'll cry, maybe it will fire you up to go for a tempo run. Watch Here

Typical

While I was warming up for my last 5k a few weeks ago I started questioning why I was doing this.  During the race, somewhere around mile 1, I decided I was probably done with racing.  It didn't seem very fun to me and racing is actually quite miserable, something I always seem to forget.   Of course, the next day I went for a short run and started thinking of ways I could change my training.  What if I worked out harder on the elliptical? Maybe I'm running too slow on my 30 minute runs.   Just like that, the cycle repeats.  Running is strange.

Flips Flops

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/pulse/201210/man-runs-246-marathon-flip-flops-runners-world

Keith Levasseur ran Saturday's Baltimore Marathon in 2:46:58 while wearing flip flops. Levasseur will file paperwork with the Guinness Book of World Records to have the feat acknowledged as a world record for a marathon in flip flops.

WTF!  Are you kidding me?  Jason, where do flip flops fall in the getting beat by a dude in trainers heirarchy of losing?

Race Report: Random Denver 5k

I ran my first race of the season and it was a very painful 19:14.   The course was relatively flat and the weather was nice so that reduces my excuses to the altitude, no mile markers, and I had a few drinks at happy hour last night.  This was by no means a large, well managed road race so I was able to take 3rd overall, first in the 31-40 age group winning a prize of  a box of chocolates and 50% discount on entry for another 5k in two weeks.  Other race notes:

• Every year I forget how painful a 5k is when you only run 10-15 miles a week. I pretty much packed it in after the 1rst mile since I was caught running by myself and hurting badly.
• Some guy wearing trainers was a good 20 yards ahead of me before taking a wrong turn close to the finish. I hate getting beat by people wearing trainers when I'm wearing flats.
• 19 flat seems to be about the barrier where runners stop wearing trainers and race in flats although I got beat by a couple people wearing trainers in DC when I ran 18:26 last fall. 
• Who are these people wearing trainers yet able to run in the 18s?  I'm doubtful that people wearing trainers do workouts or take races seriously making their time that much more impressive. 
• Sub-18 is looking a long ways away for me now.  I might try another one in a couple weeks to see if I can at least break 19.

Pumped up kicks

What's everyone running in right now?  Anybody got some good recommendations for new kicks? 

(Half Ass) Training at Altitude

I'm currently living in Sucre, Bolivia where the elevation is 9,000 feet.  That's nearly twice as high as Boulder, CO where the good runners go for "high altitude training".   I've gotten in  2 runs so far and I can't honestly say I can tell the difference.  Maybe I'll throw in some surges and see if I'm extra winded.   Although Sucre is a great place for studying Spanish, it's awful for running.  There's one small park in town so my runs have involved running 6-7 laps around the crowded, paved path.  Fall racing season is just around the corner so hopefully this altitude training is just as effective for 18:30 5k runners as it is for the elite. 

Running in Patagonia: Unplanned

I got in a couple great runs in Patagonia a few weeks ago.  Unfortunately, one of them was unplanned.  I was in the middle of a long bike ride when I got a flat tire.  After pushing the bike for 1/2 mile I decided to abandon the bike and start running. 

Jason's Farewell dinner

Will be at Market Tavern in Arlington, VA (Clarendon) at 6:15 PM tomorrow. We'll be headed out afterwards in Clarendon somewhere, most likely O'Sullivans, Ireland Four Courts and/or Rhodeside Bar and Grill.