So, let's talk about my failure to upkeep this blog: I am failing at the upkeep of this blog.
Now that we've got that out of the way...
Running is finally back in full-swing since the marathon. I had a brief cycling-craze while I was building the running miles back up - it just so happened to coincide with the Giro d'Italia/Tour of California, so I'm sure it'll happen again during the Tour in a few weeks - but have since somewhat relegated the bike to a mode of transportation rather than something I'm actively training for. Regardless, I managed to get a few fun rides in there: revisited Santiago and Silverado canyons, rode the coast a few times... There's still a tentative century (or two) planned for later in the summer.
But really, running. My legs came back around the third week of May, and by the beginning of the fourth, they were solid again. A few highlights:
5/24 - an almost three-hour, 17.65-mile trail run with 3000' gain and loss; slow pace, but a good adventure
5/25 - 10.32 @ 7:40 average (the day after that trail run)
5/28 - 9.6 @ 7:09 average; really quick, really easy, with 2x .5-mile build-ups to 3k effort
6/1 - 7ish with 2x 1.87-mile intervals @ 6:05 pace; first time I've truly wanted to vomit during a run
6/5 - 14.74 @ 8:19; paced a friend from mile 11.5-finish of her third marathon... oh, and she qualified for Boston (congrats again, Jess!)
6/10 - 11.93 @ 7:58 average; 5.5 miles on trail at what I want to call 50k-effort
6/11 - 7.85 @ 7:00 average; 5x .67- and 1x .75-mile hilly intervals at 5mile/10k effort
I've been posting a lot more runs in the 10-15 mile range than previously in preparation for ultra training, which will begin (slowly) after July 4. And it will start in Auburn, CA. Why Auburn, you ask? Because I recently signed a one-year lease for an apartment up there. It's located about 2 miles from the finish line of the Western States 100 and American River 50, as well as a number of other ultra races in northern California. There's a trail marathon/ultra pretty much every weekend from now until late November up there. And I'll be in the middle of it.
Needless to say, I'm looking forward to this.
Prospective races/runs for the summer/fall:
6/18 or 6/19 - Saddleback Mountain; up to Bear Springs (~2000' gain), back down, back up, walk down
7/4 - Ladera Ranch 10k; shooting for 6:00-6:05 pace (sub-38:00 finish)
7/9 or 7/10 - first long run in Auburn; I'd like 20 miles, but we'll see
7/23 - Rim-to-river-and-back at the Grand Canyon; leaving before dawn, 15 miles, shooting for sub-3:00:00 but will settle for survival
8/4 - Peter's Canyon 5-miler; shooting for 6:00 or faster (sub-30:00 finish)
9/10 - 50k race, either in Big Bear or Tahoe; sub-6:00:00 would be nice, will settle for survival
9/24 - trail marathon in Auburn, to be used as a training run
12/3 - 50-mile trail race just north of San Francisco; sub-10:00:00 would be stellar, will be overjoyed with survival
Oh, and my interpreting program starts somewhere in there. Work? I think running is work, right?
