Transition To Trails

I've been a little light on training lately due to OT but time for that to change. I was in great shape and right where I wanted to be 3 weeks ago but now I've lost some ground. I need to refocus on some upcoming events and get back after it. I'm about 3 weeks out from PAMBA's first race and I'm planning on being at the starting line. I was able to get out a couple times last week and ride Indy. I'll hit it as often as I can till Jubilee opens. By the looks of things, about everything I have planned for the next couple months is all trail so that's probably where you'll find me...as long as it stays dry.

It's Only a Run

I know I said I'd post up a decision for the Du, but we'll leave it to say that it didn't happen. Poor weather, lack of prep, a rush to get there in time after work all on top of what I considered a pricey entry fee kept it from happening. I'm coming off a spell of inactivity the last two weeks except about 40 hrs. of overtime which has taken its toll.

In about 2 1/2 hours I'm going to take part in Citra #2, The Black Partridge Trail Run. It's just a 5K and I'm keeping any aspirations in check. This is really just a "get your ass off the couch" run for me today and get me going again. The OT bug hit me hard and early this pay period so I wanted to take advantage of it and took all I could get. I even turned down another 8 today just so I could sneak in 4 hrs of sleep before the race. But all that said, my weight was still at 202.5, the same as Run to Remember and I don't feel fatigued. I just want to get through the race as strong as I can, get through one more night of work, then get some rest and some training going again. I anticipate some more biking the next few weeks to get ready for my mtb race next month. Unfortunately that will mean a lot of road miles since the trails were just hit with another monsoon leading into the weekend. If possible I'd like to get out at Jubillee and get some trail work in though to help get the trails ready for the race.

Anyway, it's time to get my act together againn and refocus my energy on the season at hand. I'm going to be hitting the heart of it within a few weeks and now I've got some catching up to do.

Another 3rd

I'll go ahead and call the Run to Remember a success. My finishing time was 22:28, two seconds ahead of my goal. I also finished 3rd in my age group again this week. I ran a smarter race and stuck to the game plan for the most part which was good. And I had a very strong finish at the end. I was hoping to medal in the Cop Challenge, but wound up 5th, but in the hunt. As far as things to work on, I need to hold my speed at the 2 mile marker. I slowed down a bit there until my last sprint to the finish. I'd like to carry that speed more consistently throughout. My 3rd mile was drastically slower than the first two. My splits were something like 6:45, 14:02 and 21:52. I can work on those to hold my speed better.

Milkman put out a nice run also at the race. I think he ran his best 5K time ever. Not bad for how little the guy runs!

Since the race, I've taken it easy. A little by necessity and a little just because I wanted to rest a few days. I had a bit of a chest cold after the race, probably from little sleep going into it. Then I worked OT on Monday and got called into court Tuesday. I was hoping to catch up on some rest, so I'm kind of using today to not do much. I'm hoping to get back at it again tomorrow and at least get something in to freshen up some. I also need to look at the rest of May and see what Ive got going on. I for sure have a trail race on the 17th at Black Partridge and my fitness test for work is at the end of the month. I'd like to set a PR at my run this year. I'm still considering a Du next weekend in Hopedale. It's a little pricey, but the distance for and to the race is perfect for me right now. I'll need to really think about it the next day or two and make a decision this weekend so I can train correctly for it.

I'll post up when a decision is made and lay out the plan. I got some pics that need to go up too.

I'm Flyin Out...

of the Airport that is!! Tonight is my last night here for my month. I am stoked to get back in the street on Friday night. It has been a struggle to say the least. The only real positive is that I've stayed dry with all the rain. Now it would only start drying out so I can get on some trails.

I missed out on some quality rest today due to court. I need to get a short tempo type run in tomorrow and then get off my feet for Saturday's race. I REALLY want to pull off a good time for this race. I'll have many peers there and motivating me to run well. If I can run close to 22 minutes, I'll be happy. I've thought the course through several times and about how I'll approach it. The 1st half should be fast by itself. I need to find a rhythm early and just stay with it and be comfortable. The second half is when I plan on pushing. I plan on being uncomfortable towards the end and really pressing to the finish. This is the first "A" race of the year for me and will tell me a lot.