Quest for Easterly

 Got back out on Old Floral City road today for 5 miles.  It was a go as you pleaser and the watch claims 5 miles in total was reached at 12:45 pace.   All in all it went fine.  I achieved the 33 miles penned down this week.  Next week I have 36 miles to play with.  Thinking of investing 9 in the long run.

 Progress is slow.  It should be as only covering the miles and a small bit of stretching going into the hopper.   We have had visitors since Tuesday and this runs through Wednesday.  Good to see folks, though wings will be achieved 3 times.  The last round is the wing king's famous recipe, which was copied from Mr. Legend himself.  Squiggs...RIP buddy.

 It would be helpful if I could find an exercise or two which would aid in strengthening my leg.  It just does not seem to fire properly.   It is really noticeable when walking faster.  I should work on finding an idea this week.

Let me go

 Went out for my scheduled 7.5 today.  Early on the decision was made to go with the .35 jog and .15 walk sequence.   It was a wise decision as the left leg grew tired around 5 miles.  The pace never slowed the last 2.5 miles.  Probably because decades of running has secretly implanted a chip somewhere in the cortex which prevents this.  All the other parts participating pick up the slack.  It's automatic,  no sequence initializing needed.

 Of course all this stumbling around is done in relation to Ice Age comparison.   Today's course was dead flat and paved and 12:50 miles achieved.   Maybe, if required another 3-4 miles could have been achieved.  The way it stands now I am good to get to Duffin Road (13.1) in the back reaches of the field.  Places were dreams go to die.

  And I really mean that.  In the back you have folks towing around a bunch of mass, others completely under trained, and hanger ons such as me.  In some ways I tick off all those boxes.  My advantage is my body has leather feet, tendons and muscles trained for distance, and the ability to manage what has to happen.  When you know it's going to get into the 80's, this just adds to the fun.  Yet, some just go crash and burn before 20 and rack it up to just having a bad day. 

 So in this light, the idea is to do what is needed to create a mind set, carried out in training, that insures a high percentage of finishing.   I am not anywhere near this.

7 years ago

Got the 30 miles for the week in.

Sunday weigh in 185.  Bad.

Saturday long run 6.0.  Okay.

Stretching.  Borderline. 

Squat work.  Bad.

Going to have to start ridin' the clutch if this is going to work.  Can't depend on ram induction any longer.  Running alone and throwing more miles on the pile is done.  Just live life and throw miles into the void.  I just wanted to drive the school bus.  

Now I am engaged in a great civil war.  Testing what used to be, against what ought to be.  Not only is direction difficult for me, it appears following me may be more difficult.  I can't overtake someone's body and just run the crap out of it.  I'm stuck with this.  

I've had to set my sights on a potential 50k in January.  It should help me focus.  My immediate goal would be to break 7 hours on this trail event.  

I have 33 miles scheduled for next week.  I look forward to portioning this out.  The weight has to come off, or it compromises everything.

I wanna see some history

 Went out to Flying Eagle Preserve and put in 6.  Did the .35/.15 run/walk and it went fine.  

 I did see a bald eagle when leaving, perched in a tree top.  Pretty striking. 

 Cookie the cattle dog turned 16 today.  She's has grown old.  I see me in her a lot.  We all eventually get old enough that people take you were you don't want to go.  

 I am a sales representative.   Have been for decades.  What has changed over the years?  Nothing.  People still think we hardly do anything, but drive around and have lunch.  

 Fat, old, and tired.  That's me.  For those who haven't heard I am staying on with the same company of 38 years and working Florida.  It is good for me.  More folks who think, "What does that guy do."  You have no idea.

Ice Ice Shuffle

 Monday was walk only and did 3 miles at 15:56 pace which was good for me.  Left leg started tiring at about 2 miles.  Tuesday was a much anticipated 4 mile effort to mostly run and stretch it out a bit.  The run starts in pitch dark, but using Master Chief senses was able to navigate the course well.  Surprising the pace average was 10:59, about a minute faster than expected.   The leg held up well.  Weakening noticeable about 2.5 in.

 Found my pacing splits from Ice Age.  There is a lot of gold to mine in those numbers.  The pace for the first 9 mile loop was 12:35.  I thought it was quicker that this.  Not sure why as I was way back there.  I mean way back.  I had penciled a goal of doing 12:18 for the first 10 next year.  That might hold up.  We shall see. 

 Here are the pacing numbers from 2022:

0 - 9.0  (12:35)

9.0 - 21.7  (13:41)

21.7 - 40.3  (14:39)

40.3 - 50.0  (16:19)

Overall pace was 14:22.  Lots of room for improvement.  Of course if we have a cooler day than reaching the '80s, this would be helpful.   Maybe training in Florida will aid this.

Silverheels

 The week was anemic, registering 21.2 miles.  It is a starting point.  Next week the goal is 30 miles of mixing up jog/walk sessions.  Nine of these miles was Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday the 4.5 miles was done by jog/walk .15/.10 mile segments.  I blistered this at 13:28 pace.  Not quite in the chick's dig me stratosphere, but pounding on the door.  Sunday was down sized to .13/.12 and this was 14:17 pace.

 My left leg is compromised.  Whatever obstacle has occurred is leaving the leg feel weaker and unable to coordinate strong push offs with the right leg.  After a couple miles one can feel the difference and more brain force is required to keep some form.  Otherwise it appears the leg is being thrown forward on purpose as if pirate movie auditions were taking place.

 Confidence is high.  The other things which need done besides the moving around part have to start happening.  Eleven miles a day and a  hearty hi ho silver won't be shining around any longer.  Holding back from undertaking a 2 hour plus effort is difficult.   Gonna have to lay in the weeds a bit.

Fast times

 Last week the decision was made to try and rehabilitate and make a stab at the Ice Age 50 in May.  Now this would not be any surprise for the folks checking in here now and then.  The satisfaction of barely finishing my 20th this year apparently was not enough.  The beatings will continue until moral improves.  The larger issue at hand is when is the last one?  

 About 10 days ago a 5 mile bonanza run was completed with Dew Master and State Champ.  All flat, paved terrain.  Averaged just over 14 minutes a mile.  Again, with all the years and mileage beat downs we were happy to get it in. Though walking only was required the next day, it gets one thinking of the requirements to even considering lining up next May. 

 Last year the 11:57:31 meant just over 14:20 per mile.  Granted it was in the 80s a large part of the day, so cooler weather would be a bonus in the calculations.  The finish percentage was like 46-47.  Without going into all the other rehab stuff, the though is to be capable of averaging 11:15 per mile, on flat Florida unpaved road for 20 miles.  This, coupled with some modicum of volume might allow for a finish.

 In my head it is not enough.  Automatically one should add 2:30 per mile slow down and as high as 1:15 per mile slow down from the terrain here to the Ice Age Trail.  That equals 15:00 per mile which means no shoes, no shorts, no dice.  This week so far, a 3.4 mile effort was completed at 13:39 pace on paved roads.  Looking for a boss set of tools.

 Optimism is high.  Once some leg strength is achieved and a bit of stretching accomplished, them maybe speed will follow.  But, one actually has to do those things to make it work.  People mention the lack of appreciation experienced on my part for the advice offered.  It comes across as being told what to do.  Authority is understood, but when it comes to power jogging, stand aside.