2006 Running Log

In an effort to conserve paper and space I have decided to move towards a paperless running log. This means that from January 1 on each month I will write a summary of the training I have done each month including the dates of major workouts in sequential order, weekly mileage, monthly mileage, and mileage since January 1 and add it to the blog. To start I will do a summary of 2006.

January 2006: My resting heart rate during the day averaged 55 BPM and my true resting heart rate was 45 BPM. I did lots of skiing this month and some supplemental running, but overall it was mostly base work. Towards the end of the month I did some speed work including 1000’s at ANT pace and some longer ANT runs. My running mileage was 130 miles, and I did over 500k of skiing.
February 2006: In preparation for the Birkie I did several skis of over 50k at a time. I ran a few (2 or 3) long ANT runs of 3 to 5 miles for speed, but nothing over ANT zone. I ran 150 miles and skied 400k.
March 2006: This month I continued to increase my running mileage and cut the skiing down. I did more ANT pace running to develop my lactate threshold zone for outdoor track, but my overall focus stayed on building the base. I did some sets of 1000’s (in 3:10) and mile reps but all at ANT. Hill workouts were included for strength as well. My total running mileage was 220 miles.
April 2006: I started to increase my ANT runs (I did 5 ANT zone workouts) and also did 3 shorter speed sessions (400’at Race Pace zone). I had four outdoor track meets. In the middle of the month I had a sinus infection which kept me down for a few days. At the conference track meet I placed 4th in the 1500m and 4th in the 5000mTotal monthly mileage was 220 miles.
May 2006: I again switched to base after track. I also began doing ANT runs and mile reps at ANT pace. In retrospect it was too much with not enough recovery and base after track. The second week of May I was already doing ANT twice a week. Total mileage was 250 miles.
June 2006: I still was doing too much speed work. I was averaged two hard workouts a week, with one being ANT (5:30 to 5:40 per mile pace) and one being sub race pace (miles in 5:00 and 800’s in 2:15) It was good training, but was too intense for someone training for fall Cross Country. This month I also did my first ultra. I ran 65 miles in 10:30 – which is a 9:41 per mile pace. Total monthly mileage was 300 miles.
July 2006: Still doing 2 a week speed workout, one at ANT and one at RP. Nor enough true recovery days, and I still am too far along the training cycle for a fall season. Monthly mileage is 250 miles.
August 2006: I did several races in addition to my twice a week workouts. It is starting to catch up to me this month. I did am doing four mile tempo runs in 21:00 to 22:00 minutes, which brings up another problem. In addition to doing too many speed workouts, I am not in zone on many of my ANT days. I also do 2 workouts of 8x one miles, all in 5:00 or less. Great workouts – but the wrong timing and not enough recovery. Monthly mileage is 310 miles.
September 2006: As fall Cross Country season begins, my races start to go down hill. I am worn out, and in addition I had a bas ankle sprain at the second meet of the season at UMD which I never fully healed from. Training is now in proper zones due to my taking a lactate threshold test, but it is too little to late. Monthly mileage is 200 miles.
October 2006: I am doing some ANT work and mile reps, but I no longer have the zip that I had this summer. My race times are slow, and I don’t take enough time off to recover from the overstressing of this summer or the ankle injury. It may seem that I am being harsh on myself, but this kind of analysis is the best way to learn and improve. Mileage is 220 mile this month.
November 2006: In addition to all of my other problems this season, I discovered I have low blood Iron in November, which only added to the overtraining and injury woes. After Cross Country regions I took one full week to recover with only light runs of 5k or less. I now moved into base work fro skiing and begin to cut running mileage for skiing. In Yellowstone I do 2 to 4 hour training days. The long skiing and high volume will help me recover from the summer and recreate my base. The low impact of skiing should also let the ankle fully heal. Mileage is 180 mile this month. My mileage is 180 miles.
December 2006: I am now in base mode for skiing and doing much better. My ankle is healed, my Iron is under control, and I am finally feeling fresh again. I am dong a little speed work running, one ANT workout every week or every other week to begin developing my ANT threshold. I also did my second ultra this month, a 50K on the North Country trail in 4:10 (an 8:02 per mile pace) All the base I am doing now will help my get fresh legs again, and will be beneficial for outdoor track season as well.

Total Yearly Mileage= 2526 miles run

St. Olaf - Regionals

This year, St. Olaf was the host of the 2007 NCAA D-III XC regional meet. The race was the best organized regional meet I have ever run – possibly because the site will host the D-III national meet this year, so the race was a test run for the national meet. The course was exceptionally marked, the races ran on time, and of course the quality of the competition was top notch.
CSS’s starting box was at the far left end of the starting line, and the race’s first turn was to the right, so I knew that I had to go out fast if I did not want to be cut off. As the gun went off I took off like a shot. Perhaps with a little too much enthusiasm. I ended up leading the race through the first mile, and I was with the lead pack for almost the first half of the race. In the long run this might not have been a good race strategy, but seeing as this was my last colligate XC race I was willing to go out with a bang so to speak. Shortly after the half way point I began to fade slightly, but did stay consistent and really kicked it in the last mile. I finished in 27:26, was first on my team, and the first UMAC conference runner. My time was almost :25 seconds faster than the St. Olaf pre-nationals meet the month before. It was fun to lead the regional race, and even though I went out a little fast at the start I was happy to be able to have a course best at my last college XC race.
The rest of the CSS runners in the races (men’s and women’s) all did well too. There were several outstanding performances, including PR’s by Tyler Kjorstad, Amelia Donars, Tara Connolly, and fellow senior Maggie Kading. Julia Curry also had a great race receiving all region honors.
In some ways this race was a little bitter sweet for me because each fall for the last 12 years I have raced Cross Country. Now after having done this for over half of my life it is all over. But on the other hand it is exciting to (after ski season) begin a new chapter in my running career – competitive marathons and ultras!

2007 UMAC Championships

As I hustled out the door for my morning run on October 27 I knew I was totally ready for the UMAC conference meet. The meet would be held at Far Par golf course, home turf for St. Scholastica as far par is only 3 miles away from our campus. Though the weather on race day was nearly ideal - about 55, sunny and a light breeze – the course was soft and soggy. The golf course is built on what is basically a bog, which makes for a slow course, but I knew today would not be about time. Today was all about place.
As the start time approached I warmed up with about 30 minutes of jogging and about 8 minutes of ANT running. After a few starting line strides, I shed my warm-ups. My plan was to go out fast for the first mile and take the lead pack with me. The middle 2 1/2 to 3 miles I would run with the lead pack, and then in the last mile to mile and a half I would play to my strength by really kicking it in. I knew that I had the endurance to sustain a kick over the last mile and few others would, so that would be my strategy.
When the race started, I shot to the front of the pack. My race plan unfolded perfectly. I lead the pack through the mile mark in 5:11. After that I settled in and let the other leaders pace me through miles 2, 3, and 4. At the 4 mile mark dropped the hammer. The last 2 runners who had kept the pace throughout the race fell away, and I cruised in with a 5:12 last mile and a first place finish!!!
The race had unfolded just as planned. I ran to my strengths and raced patiently – and it paid off. I was the 2007 UMAC XC champion. A great way to end my last college conference XC meet.

Brooks UW-Oshkosh Invite

Following a good performance on the soft and soggy course at the Pine hill Invite I was confident that I was ready to PR big at the Brooks Oshkosh Invite. The field was stacked with 3 of the top 15 D-III teams in the nation and the course was perfect for a great race. When I arrived at the course I could not have asked for better conditions. The temp was in low 60’s, there was no wind, and the course was firm with good footing.

As the gun went off I took flight. The first mile flashed by in 5:10. At the 3 mile mark I was at 16:15, and still feeling strong. With one mile to go I saw that I was on pace for a BIG PR, perhaps even a sub 27:00 performance. With 800 meters to go and my coach yelling I sprinted like a mad man. As I sped down the final straight away I saw the race clock ticking off the seconds. As I crossed the line I looked at my watch – 26:54! A new PR!!!

Indeed, the race was a PR by more than 40 seconds. What's more, the new PR had moved me into 2nd place on the CSS all time XC list! I had run a strong and intelligent race starting out fast, holding a strong pace for the middle three miles, and closing the race with a 5:15 final mile. This was just reinforcement that I had trained perfectly all summer, was in great racing form, and would be a favorite to win the UMAC XC championship on my home turf in two weeks.

U of M Griak and a wet Pine Hill Invite

Clearly, those of you who read this blog can see that recently I have not kept it as up to date as one would like. So, today I am going to fill you in on the U of M Griak invite and Pine Hill invite.

When I last left you, I had just run the St. Olaf pre nationals race. It was a strong race and I felt good about the results. Fast forward a week to the U of M Griak race. The weather is exactly what you would expect for a mid-fall Minnesota cross country meet. It is cold, windy, and rainy. As the gun goes off the field takes off and runs down the driving range at the U of M golf course. I went out fast, with a 5:12 first mile. Although I slowed down some on the back stretch of the course it can be expected – the Griak is much hillier than one would expect on a golf course. I ended up finishing in 28:26, and I placed 118 out of about 400 runners. The week prior to the race I was feeling a little congested and had some sinus pressure, but all in all it was not a bad finish. And the seasonal sinus pressure cleared up a few days after the race.

Photos of the U of M Griak:

Next we move on to the Pine Hill invite hosted by UMD at the Pine Hill golf course in Carlton, Minnesota. This race was held at the end of a week filled with lots of rain, which meant a race held basically in a lake. The course was soggy in the best places, and had standing water in many others. The temp was lower than ideal, but not entirely unexpected this time of year in northern Minnesota. Wind was breezy at times, but not as strong as Griak the week before. I went out with the lead pack from the gun – much easier with the smaller field. The race consisted of three complete loops and a partial finish loop. I began to feel sluggish at the three mile mark but managed hang on through mile four and run a strong last mile to finish in 28:05 – good for 10^th place. Though I was disappointed with the time, for the exceptionally soft course it was a good performance. Next up will be the Brooks Oshkosh Invite. It is a fast course, and was the site of the 1999 NCAA D-III nationals, so it had PR written all over it.

Photos of the Pine Hill Invite: