tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23735252552329823122024-03-14T01:53:15.743-05:00On The RunThis is the place where I will pass along the progression of my training in the sport of Ultrarunning and hopefully correspond with fellow Ultrarunners.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.comBlogger407125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-45751517735954614962014-08-24T23:44:00.000-05:002014-08-24T23:44:23.364-05:00I Finally feel like a Runner again...And it feels really good. I haven't run with any real consistency since 2007. I've run some races here and their and even trained for some of them...sort of. but for some reason I was never consistent I never kept it going. Then a couple months ago something clicked again and since then I've had two of the best months of training I've had in years. Before the end of June I had probably run less than 50 miles all year. And in two months I've been able to get back in shape enough to run a 5K PR on tired legs after two pretty hard runs in three days. It's not a total mystery, I kind of know why I've been able to get back into the swing of things, but I won't go into that now.<br />
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I had a great race yesterday at the First Annual Newbrook Fire and Rescue 5K. It was an out and back on a dirt road. the first half was slightly uphill, but nothing major, the second half was...you guessed it. It was the perfect grade. I was feeling strong the first half and didn't really even notice the incline, but was really able to take advantage of the down on the way back and open up the stride. I love down hill running...when my quads aren't shot, that is. I finished 2nd overall, it was a small race, about 60 runners. the first place guy shot off the front from the start I knew within 15 seconds that unless he was terrible at pacing I wouldn't have a shot at catching him. After dodging the hand full of 8 year olds who sprinted the first 200 feet or so I was sitting in third behind a youngster, i'm guessing he was somewhere between 13-15 years old. He was moving pretty well. I thought he would slow down but wasn't quite sure. there was a water station at 1 mile, when he slowed down to grab water I could tell he was experienced and unlikely to maintain his pace in the second half. It's a 5K, it'll be over soon, do you really need water? within a minute of the water stop i passed him. Continuing on, I saw the lead guy pop out around a corner on the return trip as soon as I passed that same corner I saw the turnaround point. I estimate he was about 15 seconds in front at that point but he still looked strong. When I hit the turn around I had about 10 seconds on the kid, who still looked pretty good, but I wasn't expecting him to make any surges.<br />
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The second half went well, the downhill was much appreciated and it was nice to see all of the other runners coming up the hill. When I hit the turnaround point I was really surprised to look down at my watch and see a time of 9:38. I have only run one other 5K in my life which I finished in 21:30, that was about a year ago, so I didn't really know what to expect but I figured I would run some where between 21-22 minutes, so to be on pace for 19:XX was surprising and I was questioning weather I would be able to hang on. I was definitely starting to red line at the end but I was able to hold on. I looked back once with less than a minute to go to make sure the kid wasn't gaining on me. It was a straight away section so he was still in sight but plenty far enough in the rear-view for me to feel comfortable. I run pretty even the second "half" which was actually about 200 yards longer than the first half because the finish was 200 yards beyond the starting line. my second half was 9:46 for a final time of 19:24. They haven't posted the final results yet so I'm not sure how far back I was from first but I'm guessing it was somewhere between 40-50 seconds. A very successful and surprising little race. And a great reminder of how much I love being in a race. the competition and all the friendly faces, it's good for the soul.<br />
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I'm 8 days away from my speed hike of the Long Trail and feeling pretty good about it. All of the little nagging pains I've had in the past 2 months are currently non-existent and I'm hoping to keep it that way. there was an Unsupported speed record attempt on the Long Trail last week that ended due to injury, so the current record stands at 6 days 17 hours. As I mentioned before I don't think that is within my reach this time around, but I'm starting with 7 days of food and an itinerary of daily mileage that would set a new record if everything goes better than expected. But i'm definitely not going to force anything. This is more of a training hike than a record setting attempt. My goal is to finish this hike and be able to continue training aggressively throughout the fall. So I don't want to pus to hard and risk injury that will require extended recovery.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-40894028392233763682014-07-31T17:06:00.000-05:002014-07-31T17:06:11.118-05:00Long Trail End to EndI've been putting in a decent amount of miles lately, both running and hiking for an upcoming adventure I have planned in September so I figured I would write a little about it for anyone that might happen to ever still see this blog.<br />
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At the beginning of September I am going to attempt and end-to-end hike of the Long Trail (also known as a thru-hike, but the preferred language of the Long Trail community seems to be "end to end") The Long Trail is a 273 mile single track trail that runs along the ridge of the Green Mountains in Vermont from Massachusetts to Candada. The first 100 miles of the trail is relatively mild, conceding with the Appalachian trail. The remaining 173 miles stay west as the Appalachian breaks to the east and makes it's way towards the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The northern portion of the Long Trail can be pretty rugged and technical at times, a lot of rocks, mud and roots. Boulders to climb up and down, with man made ladders of wood and rebar in places, not exactly runnable.<br />
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My goal is to complete the trail in 8 days which would be an average of 30 miles day. Not necessarily an impressive feat to my fellow ultra runners, but it's something that's only been done a couple times before in a self-supported / un-supported manner (there have been a handful of sub 8 day efforts by runners with support crews) I will be attempting this in a self-supported manner, meaning I will start with 4 days of food and resupply in a town along the way. the fastest known time for a self supported thru-hike on the LT is Jennifer Pharr Davis's time of 7 days 15 hours 40 minutes. that's the mark I'd like to beat. Although the trail has been completed in a faster time in an un-supported manner, meaning from the start you carry evertying you need, without resupplying, by Travis Wildeboer in a time of 6 days 17 hours 25 minutes. I believe that time is out of my reach this time around, but i'll definitely have it in my mind if things are going unexpectedly well.<br />
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I've spent much of the last month on different sections of the trail, having hiked 183 miles of it so far and covereing a total of 250+ total miles (some sections repeated) on the trail in July. by the time I start my trip on September 1 I hope to have covered every mile of trail so that I know what I'm in for. The time spent on the trail has been invaluable for fine tuning my gear and nutrition. Just a few days ago I covered 37 miles in rain with very sloppy trails with a full pack and felt great when I got to camp.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-49048496719655463402012-12-14T20:48:00.001-05:002012-12-14T20:48:21.298-05:00I had a really nice road run yesterday. 10 miles of flat terrain with a bit of climbing at the end (it was an out and back so it start with a big downhill and finished going back up) My goal was to keep a steady pace that felt comfortable with a little bit of pushing. I ran the first half in 45 minutes and the second half in 44:06 which I was pleased with because it was a negative split, and the last mile has a pretty good climb. It works out to be a 8:49 pace over 10.1 miles. I was definitely tired at the end but I could have kept going at that pace for a few more miles.<br />
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Today I planned to do some interval training at the track. I haven't done mile repeats in a long long time so I didn't know what to expect. I started of with a 6:00 pace in mind but by the first 200 meters I know that just wasn't going to happen so I slowed down to a sustainable pace and finished the first mile in 6:30. I felt pretty good and planned to do 2 more miles repeats at that pace and a few 800's and 400's. I started the second mile at a similar pace and as I pasted the first 100 meters it felt as if I had hit a brick wall. All the strength was just zapped from my legs all I could manage was a slow jog. I struggled to finish the second mile in about 8:15 and decided it was time to shut it down for the day. I guess that is to be expected after going from no training to 80 miles in 11 days. Luckily my body gave me that signal in the form of muscle fatigue and not an injury.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-34697760971258558112012-12-13T12:05:00.001-05:002012-12-13T12:05:54.570-05:00And so it beginsI am a week and a half into being back on the training wagon. Things are going well. I've been extremely pleased about how my body has responded to regular running after such a long absence. It's has if I never went away (well, besides the fact that I am a lot slower). In some aspects I even feel better than I had a few years ago when I was training regularly. I am prone to getting very sore after runs and my body usually takes a mile or two to work out that soreness on my next run, but I have felt very little soreness after running every day, multiple times a day for the past 10 days. <br />
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I was able to run 43 miles my first week back with no discomfort at all. This week I am aiming for 50+ while also adding in speed work. I have decided to add the speed work now more as a means to get used to the routine, as my body isn't in the shape to really benefit from these workouts quite yet. I need to build up my aerobic base before I can really see benefits from the speed. It's nice to get things moving fast, but it's also discouraging to see the time on the clock after a 4 mile hard tempo run (7:44 pace) and know how much work has to be done to get back to where I was, and surpass that. Speed work will be a big part of my ultra training, as I don't simple want to get back to where I was, but I want to be more competitive in my running. My mind set right now is that anything more than 24 hours at the 100 in June would be a disappointment, and I think I can run quite a bit fast than that. 6 months might not be enough time to make it all happen but I think it will be a good start.<br />
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My best workout so far has been a 13 mile run at 9:19 pace. It felt relatively easy and it was nice to know I am capable of doing that after 3 years of virtually no running at all. And best of all I was able to do hill repeats the next day without much fatigue.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-41431239442738149712012-12-07T16:57:00.001-05:002012-12-07T16:57:46.912-05:00Back in Business!Woah, I guy leaves his blog unattended for two years and all hell breaks loose! Two days ago I went to check on this blog, only to find out it was gone. I couldn't find the slightest trace of it, nothing showed up when visiting the url, nothing it google search, totally gone. So I have spent the last couple days e-mailing google support. I still never really found out what happened to it, but I did get it back. My first thought was that Blogger shuts down blogs after being inactive for a certain period of time, seeign as how the last time I updated was in April 2010 I figured I was a prime candidate for that, but after doing some research I came to the conclusion that Blogger does not shut down inactive blogs. It seems the only way I blog is shut down is if the owner does it themselves or if it is decided by automatic algorithms that the blog is spam. So my best guess is that the blog was somehow labeled as spam and removed. My be it had something to do with all of my comment sections getting hi-jacked by spammers! It's like weeds growing in a garden. But I am back to trim the weeds and tend to the flowers.<br />
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It's been a very long time since I have run with any consistency, really, about 4 years. Hard to believe but true. I ran in 2008 and 2009 but no solid spells of training, and hardly anything in 2010 and spent a good portion of 2011 thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. But I am now officially back in the game. I have attempted to make comebacks multiple times of the past few years but I was always lacking motivation. I would train for a little bit then not feel any desire to continue, unfocused, unmotivated. Then it hit me, the only thing that has ever motivated me to train with any consistency is up coming races. With that deadline looming overhead it gave me something to focus on, something to look forward to. so what is a non-practicing ultrarunner to do? Sign up for a 100 miler of course.<br />
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So I now have 6 months to go from 0 miles per week to 100 miler. I will be running the first annual TARC Boston 100. This is an event put on by the Trail Animals running club of Boston, MA. they put on multipule low and free ultras throughout the year in the boston area. It was the Vermont 100 that orginally tickled my fancy to start training again. it is only a 45 minute drive from where we live and also the same time of year. But looking at the $250 price tag turned me off. Not complaining about the price. The ultra scene has changed a lot in the last few years. If folks are willing to pay $250 to run a race then races are going to charge that much, and I know the Vermont 100 raises money for a good cause. But I just don't want to spend that kind of cash to run around in the woods at this point in time.<br />
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And so the training begins. I'm starting off by just trying to gauge where I'm at and getting my feet back underneath me. I've been running 3 miles twice a day every day this week at 8:30-9:30 pace to ease myself into things and see how my body response. So far so good. Next week I will start some more structured training, but will work into it gradually (well not that gradually, truth be told I am going to try and jump into things much faster than I should as long as my body doesn't give me any negative feed back) I will be training differently than I used to for ultras. I'll be placing more emphasis on speed work, hills and intervals with he goal of really pushing myself to see what I can achieve. I plan to keep my mileage relatively low.<br />
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But more on that stuff later. This is just a reintroduction entry. From what I can see the run blogging scene has changed quite a bit since I have been away, a lot of new interesting blogs to check out. I look forward to connecting with many of you and hope I can reconnect with old blogging friends who might still be around.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-8801953565963705322010-04-10T14:59:00.003-05:002010-04-10T15:00:59.823-05:00Did a warm up mile to the trails, then an hour on the trails, and a mile back home. I felt pretty sluggish, but I was able to run up and down the hills for an hour with walking. I wasn't tired enough at the end, I slacked off a bit.<br /><br />7 miles running on trails<br />3 miles walking on trails and roadsJoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-73495990119689020662010-04-09T18:04:00.002-05:002010-04-09T18:09:48.842-05:00Jill and I did a 14 mile bike ride yesterday, out to the Little Walnut picnic area which is part of the Gila National Forest. There is a nice system of trails in this area, small but nice. We followed the ride there with a 2 or so mile walk on the trails, then road back. The ride was much easier than we were expecting. We both get pretty intimated with hills while biking, but they weren't so bad. We are going to try to spend more time on the bikes.<br /><br />Today I ran about 3 miles on trails, the first mile was at an easy pace, then the last 2 were a pretty good effort with a nice 4 minute hill climb effort near the end. I'm trying to hit as many hills as I can. I'm determined to turn myself into a mountain runner.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-56675018646093091012010-04-07T15:20:00.002-05:002010-04-07T15:28:35.352-05:00I woke up early this morning and ran over to Boston Hill, the plan was to try to run whatever I could remember of the 6.5 mile loop we ran Monday, but I knew it wouldn't be much. I did a 1 mile warm up run on the road to get to the trail, it's a very slow first mile with a big hill in the way. Then I ran on the trails for an hour. My plan was to run for one hour on the trails then another cool down mile back home, but after the hour on the trails was up I wasn't back at the trail head, and I didn't really know where it was. It was another 20 minutes of running until I found it, then ran the mile on the road back home. in all, I'll use the accountants principle of conservatism and call it 8 miles. I ran with pretty good effort and didn't hit any of the really steep trails we ran on Monday, but it was still consistently hilly throughout. I'm trying to work on increasing my uphill speed, which means running all hills. I've been encouraged as to how my body has reacted with the increased mileage. I feel slow on the up hills, but as soon as it flattens I'm able to recover and continue at a good pace.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-37401855836891886162010-04-06T12:37:00.003-05:002010-04-06T12:54:16.523-05:00I went out with Tony and Jim yesterday for a tour of the 6.5 mile loop which will be the home of the new half-marathon in the Boston Hill area just south of downtown Silver City this year. It's a great area for trail running. It's a small area, but is packed with an intricate trail system. Boston Hill is an old mining area that was purchased by the city and is being turned into a great open space area. As the name indicates, it's up on a hill, with great views of the city and surrounding desert, forest, and mountains. It's got some really nice technical single track and plenty of hills to climb and bomb down. I've been running much more consistently lately, but my mileage is still pretty low so I was hoping that Tony and Jim would take it easy...No chance. I got worked hard. I was sucking wind after the first mile. and that was the easy part. They were keeping a really nice pace. I was able to keep up on the flats and down hills but they would pull away on the ups. Whenever I got to far back they would stop and wait for me so I didn't miss any key turns. We were bombing down the rocky hills at break-neck pace. It was a great run, and a lot of fun to be out on the trails with some other good runners. Also a good indicator of how out of shape I am :) We finished the 6.5 mile loop in 1:05 Which is only 10 minute pace, but there was a lot of hill climbing in there. I look forward to running in Boston Hill a lot this spring and in to the summer and Hopefully I'll be ready to run a good race for the 1/2 in July. There were to many turns for me to remember them all, but Jim (the rd) is working on a map of the course. The trail head is only 1/2 mile from our place, so it's a really convenient place to train. and with technical trails, and plentiful hills, what more do you need?<br /><br />I've put in a good amount of miles this past 5 or so days, not because I was trying to, but because it just sort of happend. Thursday was an 18.3 mile hike with full pack with Jill, Friday was a 2 mile run on trails, then 8 or so miles with tony on trails, followed by us getting lost for 4 hours and bushwacking up and down a mountain. Sunday was a 9 mile hike with Gary. Yesterday was 3 miles running on trails, then 3 miles walking, then the 6.5 mile run. Today was 2 miles running on trails, which 2 or more to go later on today with Jill. That's 51 miles in 5 days. More miles than I've put done in that short of a time in more than a year. But my body feels really good and I'm looking forward to getting back to some more consistent training...and blogging.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-8515925186595000092010-03-15T17:27:00.003-05:002010-03-15T18:04:03.147-05:00Lower Little Creek Loop, Gila National ForestI want to write this post with complete directions as to how to complete this loop, because it wasn't easy finding directions online.<br /><br />Jill and I drove into the Gila Saturday night and camped about 5 miles from the Cliff Dwellings visitor center, about an hour drive north of Silver City. We woke up Saturday morning to hike the Lower Little Creek Loop, which is an 18.3 mile loop starting and ending at woody's corral about .5 miles from the visitors center. We planed on doing it as a day hike but we took full packs in case we decided to spend the night on the trail, and because we wanted to get in some training with full packs. We started off a little before 9am giving us about 10.5 hours of daylight, which is about how much we thought we would need. The hike starts at the corral on millers spring trail (also called granny mountain trail) and goes up hill and through switch backs past an open meadow with some nice views of the Gila Corridor below. After 3.3 miles you come to the junction of the ring canyon trail, if you do the whole loop this is where you will come out, turning left to get back to the corral, but at this point you want to continue straight. You will then start descending for about a mile until you reach Little Creek. This is a good place to fill up water. The creek was very clear and flowing pretty good when we went through, do to the large amount of snow in this part of New Mexico this winter, but it was still easily passable in early March. This is also a great place to set up camp for the night. A nice open area dotted with large junipers. After crossing the creek you turn right (you will see a sign that says 'Granite peak 11 miles' that's where you want to go) and head up little creek. In the guide book we were going off of, it said this would be the last chance for water on the trail, so we filled up 5 bottles and a bladder, which turns out was completely unnecessary, but better safe than sorry. after following the creek for less than a 1/2 mile, we crossed over the creek again (following the trail) which surprised us because it didn't say anything about that in our guide book. the trail then turns towards the left and away from the creek a bit. One mile after this creek crossing we came to a sign junction. Turning right will take you back the Millers spring trail, and then back to woody's corral, making the hike 11 miles, instead of 18. to do the whole loop continue straight. The trail disappears at times during the next 3.5 miles, but look around, and when in doubt continue straight. You should never go more than a few minutes without seeing the trails. 3.5 miles after the first (and after two additional large creek crossing that we weren't anticipating) you come to another sign, going straight will take you to granite peak, turning right will take you to the ring canyon trail, which is where you want to go. at this point the hike is about halfway done. After turning right you head up a pretty steep stretch of about a mile (the only real difficult part of the hike) to the top of the ridge, where you turn right onto the ring canyon trail. then it flattens out a bit but continues to climb. This part of the hike offers wide open views of the Gila and mountains beyond. We had to walk through a few patches of snow, but nothing to bad considering there are still plenty of areas with snow in the mountains. You will be on ring canyon trail for about 6 miles before turning left back onto miller spring trail, and from there it is 3.3 miles back to the trail head. <br /><br />It's a really nice hike with great views. It's a long day hike but it isn't too difficult. It starts and ends at 5600 feet and reaches it's highest point on the Ring Canyon trail at 7100 feet. We were surprised by all the water crossing but we did it in early march, so there was a lot of run off. We had two stops of about 25 minutes a piece, one for water, and one for lunch, and we probably spent 10-15 minutes wondering around when we lost the trail but start to finish it only took 8.5 hours which is much faster than we thought we would do it. our average speed was probably 25 minutes/mile and we were in no hurry. This was also to first real test for my sandals. I did the whole hike in them with no discomfort, and no blisters.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-23518267923638015132010-03-08T21:11:00.002-05:002010-03-08T21:17:57.326-05:00I think it's time for a bi annual blog update :)<br /><br />I'm in Silver City, New Mexico these days living in a tipi with my girlfriend, Jill. It's a nice little town on the edge of the Gila National forest, tons of good trails. There's a great trail that runs from the property where we are staying into town, it's about 1.5 miles. Jill and I have been running on that recently. My milage is low, about 10-15 mile a week, but I plan to start running a little more, and maybe do a race or two this year. I'm currently running (and hiking) in a pair of teva sandals, hoping they will prevent blisters. I have sweaty feet, and the mosture and friction inside my shoes creates blisters, so I'm switching to sandals to try and get it worked out. I plan to cover a lot of miles in these bad boys, but more on those plans later... I'll try to keep my blog updated more frequently as my running increases.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-49380542873815991062009-08-09T10:47:00.002-05:002009-08-09T10:55:39.016-05:00I planned on doing a 2 mile warm up then the tabata workout I read about in trail running, and know about from crossfit, but the 2 miler turned into a little more than a warm up and the tabata kicked my butt!!<br /><br />2 miles in vibrams, 7:07, 6:49<br /><br />the tabata workout consists of 20 seconds of sprinting 10 seconds rest, repeated for 4 minutes, a total of 8 20 second sprints. Try it, it's tough. real tough. But according to a study which I can't site off the top of my head it produces tremendous results in a short amount of time (the study was 6 weeks), increasing both aerobic and anerobic capacity.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-52888058333744759022009-08-07T19:29:00.001-05:002009-08-07T19:30:28.762-05:006.25 miles, 7:04 pace, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">vibrams</span><br /><br />Ran a 10k plus a little today on the dirt track in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">vibrams</span>, felt strong, working on speeding up my cadence.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-79057201852035949652009-08-07T19:23:00.003-05:002009-08-07T19:31:38.341-05:00Elkhorn 50 mile Race Report (kind of)Well I started the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Elkhorn</span> 50 miler in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Elkhorn</span> mountains outside of Helena, Montana. The first 15 miles went very well I was running strong, going faster than I should have been for a 50 miler with 12,000 feet of gain, but all was going well. Then I took a wrong turn, before I knew it was wondering through cow pastures, jumping over fences, climbing under fences, walking up on an empty cabin in the middle of the woods, getting starred down by large angry cows that were standing <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">in between</span> myself and the road I though I need to go down, climbing hills to get a better look around, then wading through a forest of lodge pole pines and jumping over dead trees while being shot at (only partially joking here) until I final found my way back to the start/finish after 3 hours of wandering off course. An adventure for sure!<br /><br />Not a big deal though. I realized at about mile 10 that a hilly 50 miler isn't the best training for the flat 100 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">miler</span> I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">have</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">coming</span> up anyway.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-56651016002356562402009-07-19T21:36:00.017-05:002009-07-20T08:53:27.699-05:00Spanish Peaks Hiking ReportSometimes it's the path of mistake and uncertainty that turns out the best. The plan was for Jill and I to go on a two day, 23 mile <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">backpacking</span> loop in the Spanish Peaks, about 45 minutes south of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bozeman</span>. Jill found the hike in a book, we had the directions printed out and hit the trail early Saturday morning. about 45 minutes into our hike we came to a junction which the directions sited as being mile 3, our first clue something was wrong, we surely hadn't already gone 2 miles, but we took the trail to the left, leaving the green <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Meadows</span> dotted with yellow and purple flowers and were swallowed up by the green forest.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0INSRMII/AAAAAAAAATc/oeAscVqiVcE/s1600-h/Spanish+peaks+1"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360396403343437954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0INSRMII/AAAAAAAAATc/oeAscVqiVcE/s400/Spanish+peaks+1" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0IZu4u1I/AAAAAAAAATk/zQJNl93E_pI/s1600-h/Spanish+Peaks+2"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360396406684695378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0IZu4u1I/AAAAAAAAATk/zQJNl93E_pI/s400/Spanish+Peaks+2" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />We came to the next junction at 4.5 miles marked with signs indicating the which trail the different paths lead to, but none of them lead to the trail we were <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">supposed</span> to be on, again we chose the path to the left, staying on the same 407 Spanish Peaks trail. We left the flat forest floor and began a climb that would weave in an out of the forest, past lakes and streams for another 4+. With the change in elevation came the change in trail surfaces, from mostly dirt single track to mostly rock single track. Not really notable aside from the fact that I was wearing my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">VFF's</span>. The plan was to start in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">VFF's</span> and switch to my cross country flats when my feet start to hurt, but upon arriving at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">trailhead</span> I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">realized</span> I forgot my flats, and I surely wasn't going to wear my hiking boots, so it was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">VFF's</span> or nothing.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0IszC08I/AAAAAAAAATs/RpJibpDH1SU/s1600-h/spanish+peaks+3"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360396411802407874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0IszC08I/AAAAAAAAATs/RpJibpDH1SU/s400/spanish+peaks+3" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0bfyoPdI/AAAAAAAAAT0/BhCBJ5fFhVQ/s1600-h/spanish+peaks+5"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360396734728519122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0bfyoPdI/AAAAAAAAAT0/BhCBJ5fFhVQ/s400/spanish+peaks+5" border="0" /></a><br />About 4 miles into the climb we reach the next trail junction. By this time we were certain we weren't going to complete our predetermined look, but the mountains were beautiful, and we decided to follow the trail where it leads us. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Neither</span> one of us had been in the Spanish Peaks before and didn't know what to expect. With it's green <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Meadows</span> and tall grey jagged peaks, we both agreed it reminded us of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Glacier</span> National Park. The thing I love about hiking in the mountains that I can't get <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">while</span> hiking or running in the forests of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Midwest</span> is the uncertainty of the views that lay ahead. You never know when you're going to pop out into a break in the trees and be greeted with a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">sprawling</span> view of the mountains and valleys as far as the eye can see, and once you get above tree line, every climb is made with anticipation of what lies beyond.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0bpoo70I/AAAAAAAAAT8/kJ8GpAyzEZ0/s1600-h/Spanish+peaks+6"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360396737370976066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0bpoo70I/AAAAAAAAAT8/kJ8GpAyzEZ0/s400/Spanish+peaks+6" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0bvgVAiI/AAAAAAAAAUE/_QU1gmnDbcs/s1600-h/Spanish+peaks+7"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360396738946728482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0bvgVAiI/AAAAAAAAAUE/_QU1gmnDbcs/s400/Spanish+peaks+7" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We again decided to take the trail to the left, which from looking at it seemed to lead over a mountain pass but wasn't clear where it went from there. As I reached eye level to the top of the climb I caught a reflection of the sun in the ground above me. As I took a couple more steps, gaining a couple feet in elevation I could see an alpine lake about 10 feet in front. It was pretty cool to just walk up a mountain and be greeted by a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">pristine</span> lake with no forewarning.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0q6vjv2I/AAAAAAAAAUc/9NhHbDGTn88/s1600-h/spanish+peaks+10"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360396999661436770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0q6vjv2I/AAAAAAAAAUc/9NhHbDGTn88/s400/spanish+peaks+10" border="0" /></a><br />The lake was just sitting on a break of two mountains about about 7000-8000 feet in elevation the pass was about 100 yards long, and was we followed the trail to the other side of the lake and got our first glimpse of what was beyond, we found our selves staring down into a lush green valley, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">equipped</span> with a fast network of streams green grass and wildflowers making up the colors of the rainbow. It was such a vast contrast to what we had <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">experienced</span> the last 4+ miles of our hike. We went from rocky mountains to lush green valley in the time it took to butt slide down a 100 yard snowfield.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0rVg9XNI/AAAAAAAAAU0/vmxBmkdWpM8/s1600-h/spanish+peaks+13"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360397006847958226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0rVg9XNI/AAAAAAAAAU0/vmxBmkdWpM8/s400/spanish+peaks+13" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0rLyqloI/AAAAAAAAAUs/7iSQkoCuuz8/s1600-h/spanish+peaks+12"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360397004237870722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0rLyqloI/AAAAAAAAAUs/7iSQkoCuuz8/s400/spanish+peaks+12" border="0" /></a><br />We followed the trail <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">throughout</span> the valley about a mile before deciding that there could be no better place than this to camp for the night. So we set up our tent, the only residents in the mountain enclosed valley. Well...there was one other resident. A very curious deer that kept making wide circles around our camp site, always coming back within 20 or so feet of us before eating some grass and making another loop. This went on for a couple hours before he finally went to bed for the night.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0rpgTF_I/AAAAAAAAAU8/wPvTTwaGxC8/s1600-h/spanish+peaks+14"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360397012213897202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lY3OV8QPzZA/SmP0rpgTF_I/AAAAAAAAAU8/wPvTTwaGxC8/s400/spanish+peaks+14" border="0" /></a><br />the next day we made our way out of the valley, climbing up the fallen rock to the side of the snowfield we had sled down, past the lake, down the mountains, through the woods, into the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Meadows</span> and back to civilization. Another successful Montana summer weekend.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-28201849426595053682009-07-17T19:14:00.002-05:002009-07-17T19:20:02.122-05:003.1 miles, 9:04 pace, roads barefoot.<br /><br />Not only do I have to worry about the sprinkler systems when I run on the sidewalks around my place, but now I have to deal with the tiny pellets of fertilizer the lawn care companies leave scattered all over the sidewalk. Landminds to tender bare feet. Nice little run today. the feet felt good. Achilles still sore when I start but loosens up after a few minutes.<br /><br />Jill and I will be going on a two day 20 mile backpacking trip this weekend. Hopefully I'll have some pictures to post.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-20076727790474090642009-07-16T23:17:00.003-05:002009-07-17T11:15:10.737-05:008.2 miles total RHR:54<br /><br />4.7 miles, to and from work (took a detour which added a few tenths) VFFs<br /><br />3.5, trails, XC flats<br /><br /><br />put in some slow miles today. my legs are a bit weary. I think I'm at the point where I've gone from no training to a moderate amount in a short time, and the training I've done in the past two weeks hasn't had enough time to set in a make me stronger yet, so I'm running out of steam. I should start benefiting from my increased training in the next couple weeks and hopefully things will start continue to progress.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-1663991770482301952009-07-15T07:59:00.005-05:002009-07-15T22:10:27.407-05:00<div>10.6 miles, roads, 6 miles barefoot, 4.6 miles VFFs, RHR: 56<br /><br />I'm starting to try a new variation of training. Multiple runs per day of short distance. I'm doing this for a few reasons, 1.) it fits nicely into my schedule. I can run before work, run to work, run home from work, then run in the evening. 2.) I'm hoping that forcing the body to get up and go multiple times a day will improve my recovery time when I increase the mileage further. 3.) I'm hoping the short runs will help me transition into barefoot running more safely, allowing me to perfect my form and toughen my soles, instead of trying to go too far too fast. 4.) I'm always looking to change things up and see what works and what doesn't. So I'm going to try to get in at least three runs per day 2 or 3 times a week for a little while and see what happens.<br /><br />I had a pretty good day of Barefoot running today. 6 miles total, which is the most I've ever run barefoot in a day. On my runs to and from work I noticed a significant reduction in discomfort from last week when running the same path. There were only a few spots that are still a little shaky. my final barefoot run this evening was a little rough, my soles were a bit sore, but it's nice to no the limits, and I still haven't developed any blisters or any other foot damage.<br /><br />I've been having trouble with the nutrition side of things as I start to increase my miles. Since I haven't been doing much running for a while, I've been eating less and I need to consciously work increase my caloric intake to make up for the extra calories burned. <br /><br />I've got some tired muscles from my increased mileage but my body feels good. my only ailments are my left achillies which gets sore after I get back from runs, and needs to be stretched and warmed up before the run, then it feels fine, and the balls of my feet which are a bit brusied from barefoot, but are getting stronger.<br /><br />3.1 miles, 8:49 pace, roads, VFFs </div><div> </div><br /><div>2.2 miles, 10:33 pace, roads, barefoot, run to work.<br /><br />2.2 miles, 10:40 pace, roads, barefoot, run home from work.<br /><br />3.1 miles, 8:42 pace, roads, first half VFFs, second half barefoot.<br /><br />Things to watch: sore left achillies<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-78687278869035348342009-07-14T23:14:00.003-05:002009-07-14T23:21:50.015-05:00(monday)<br /><br />8.2 miles, 8:24 pace, track and road, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">VFF's</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">RHR</span>: 55<br /><br />I got in 8.2 miles today, not exactly what I had planed but it will do. My original plan was to run 10 miles on the track after work...well, my real original plan was to get up and run before work, then run after work, but that didn't happen. So I went to the track around 6:30 and ran four miles but stopped because I ate too much before I went running and the food was sloshing in my stomach. I let it settle for a couple hours then went back out on the roads for 4.2 more miles. Decent daily mileage overall. All in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">VFF's</span><br /><br />things to watch: sore left <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Achilles</span>Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-86019540660507161672009-07-12T22:20:00.002-05:002009-07-12T22:22:51.974-05:003 miles, 22:48, VFF's, dirt track<br /><br />Back on the track for 3 miles to finish out my first week of training at 40 miles.<br /><br />mile 1: 8:13<br />mile 2: 7:57<br />mile 3: 6:37<br /><br />Weekly total: 40 milesJoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-23337099881913159472009-07-12T10:28:00.003-05:002009-07-12T10:37:27.106-05:00Ran 10 miles this morning on a dirt track, in my XC racing flats. I love running in the wilderness as much as the next trail runner, but unlike many trail runners I also enjoy going round and round on a 400 meter track. It makes me feel like I have total control over my pace, and I like knowing exactly how fast I'm going, and seeing how much harder I can push myself. I would say it comes from my roots of running track in high school, but I never ran track in high school, so I don't know where it comes from.<br /><br />I was pleased with my time on the track today. I started of slowly the first mile, then kept a pretty good pace through the next 4 miles, then reigned it back in so I could finish the 10 mile run, then let it fly the last mile. I was happy an surprised that I was able to bust our the last mile in 6:39. This was an excellent workout conisdering my lack of training over the last 6+ months.<br /><br />splits:<br /><br />mile 1: 8:43<br />mile 2: 8:11<br />mile 3: 8:08<br />mile 4: 7:52<br />mile 5: 7:34<br />mile 6: 8:26<br />mile 7: 8:24<br />mile 8: 8:21<br />mile 9: 8:26<br />mile 10: 6:39<br /><br />Total time: 1:20:49<br />overall pace: 8:05<br />dirt track, XC flatsJoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-56541131686562020252009-07-11T10:37:00.002-05:002009-07-11T10:38:16.660-05:007 miles, 8:30 pace, roads, VFF's<br /><br />felt good, bottoms of feet a bit sore, but no blisters. Felt better than yesterday, probably because I had more sleep.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-26910505352171920572009-07-10T09:09:00.001-05:002009-07-10T09:09:51.363-05:007.5 miles, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">VFF's</span>, road, 8:56 pace<br /><br />I am in Billings today for work, it's a little over 2 hours east of where I live in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Bozeman</span>. Billings is the antithesis of Western Montana, Big city, no mountains, both things I would rather avoid. They do of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Rimrocks</span>, which in essence is a rim of rock that goes along the city, other than that it's got nothing for me. I got out for a 7.5 mile run this morning in my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Vibrams</span>. It was the longest continual run I've done in months, I felt good, though i was <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">definitely</span> getting tight at the end.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-90332107221236384642009-07-08T20:44:00.002-05:002009-07-08T20:47:38.785-05:003 miles, 30 minutes, barefoot<br /><br />nice and easy. tender feet, but no blisters...yet. I'm learning to relax more which helps ease the pain of stepping on tiny things on the sidewalk, relaxed feet are more absorbent than stiff feet.Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2373525255232982312.post-51804625416528867072009-07-07T22:46:00.002-05:002009-07-07T23:04:46.180-05:00This afternoon my feet were still tender from my barefoot run to work so I decided to start my run home with my homemade <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1_skEGdk_I&feature=related">huarache running sandals</a> . These are nice sandals to walk around in but I had never tried running in them, after a few minutes a realized that A.) they were heavy (heavier than anything <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">i've</span> run in in a long time anyway) This is because I used the bottom of an old rubber boot to create my sandals, and B.) they were effecting my foot strike, and causing some foreign stretching in my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Achilles</span>, so I ditched the sandals and went barefoot, instantly I felt better. The feet were still tender but I'm learning more and more how to lessen the impact of those tiny pebbles and debris.<br /><br />A few hours later I went back out for another short run, I started in my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">VFF's</span> because of tender feet but ditched them for <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">bare feet</span> after about 3/4 mile. I am really starting to realize the difference between minimalist <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">footwear</span>, like the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">VFF's</span> and barefoot, there's a big difference! <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">VFF's</span> are great for improving running form, but nothing is as good for your form as running in bare feet. With <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">VFF's</span> you're still blocking a lot of the feedback your bare soles get from the ground. You're still able to be a little sloppy with foot placement and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">dragging</span> your feet off the ground. If you really want to perfect your form, eliminate blisters and injury skip the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">VFF's</span> and go barefoot. build up short and slow until you reteach your feet how to run. That being said I'm still going to wear my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">VFF's</span> because I need to step up my training and put in the miles, and right now I can't put in the miles I need to get ready for a 100 miler with bare feet alone. If you need to wear something on your feet <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">VFF's</span> are the way to go!<br /><br />so I ended up running another 3+ miles bringing my daily total to 7.5 miles. All around 10 minute pace, due to being barefoot and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">generally</span> just taking it easy. This week I'm not focusing on speed. I'm just putting in some miles to remind my body what it's like to run consistent mileage, something I haven't done in a long time!Joshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00993287654198530451noreply@blogger.com1