good run today

This Fall I've been focusing on the little things and addressing issues that have accumulated over time. I've started taking iron, focusing on speedwork, strength, and lately have been doing a lot of massage and stretching. 

When I started rolling my hips and hamstrings they had so many painful knots. I also hardly ever stretch my calves/achilles and my groin/hip abductors. About 2 weeks of work has them feeling a lot better. Today on my run, after a good rest day, I felt fantastic. I think running a race and having 2 good workouts last week helped a lot too.

Tomorrow I have a hard 16 mile run where I'll go 8 miles out at a moderate pace on a hilly road and then turn around and try to come back much faster. I'm excited. I always tend to have good runs at that spot. Should build more confidence for the Richmond 8k on the 13th.

Then on Friday I'll do 3x 10 minutes on a hilly neighborhood loop with the goal of running comfortably hard and getting a little farther for each 10 minutes. 

The last key workout will be next Tuesday with 10x 1k repeats with 3:30-4 minutes rest. Probably starting at 3:15 per kilometer and looking to finish close to 3:00 by the end. That would be a great last session.

thanks dad

you're the man!

had a dream last night

and in the middle of it I thought, Oh gosh I hope this isn't a dream.

jokes on me. it WAS a dream.

but then there's something in there about being unable to determine dreams from reality. Like how could you prove that one is more real than the other. Especially if you can doubt the validity of both. Obviously one seems to have a more constant frame of reference but...I don't know

good workout today

2x4x800.

first set

2:38, 2:38, 2:34, 2:34

2nd set

2:36, 2:35, 2:36, 2:32.

I feel like I'm still climbing up the hill to really good shape. That's a promising workout for my time doing 800s this fall but it's a long ways off from workouts I've done in previous years.

there are no shortcuts

you gotta start somewhere

what bothers you

https://youtu.be/nBKO0oF1pKg

I really like jpegmafia

I haven't listened to much of his music but in his interviews he seems like a really driven person who loves what he loves and is compelled to make things even if they won't be liked or understood by most. 

All Creatures Great and Small

I really like the parts where the guy gets humbled by the animals. It gave me some perspective this week when a girl I coach unexpectedly reached up and pulled my mask down. 

holed up

all I did today was make art and run. 

it's a good day. I'm in a mood where I want to devote all my time and energy to being the best runner I can be. 

It's a harder feeling to hold onto than I would like. I get distracted. I lose focus. I don't do all the things I could do. And then it comes back. I have a race in a week and then a big race in Richmond in a month. It's time to really focus and work hard. 

And then after that the REAL training begins to try to win the c10m in March. 

my hamstrings are really tight

I'm cheating myself by not massaging them more

me to me in the grocery store

hell yeah. pumpkin bagel season. let's go!

it was a good day

I ran a good track workout. I had a good lift at the gym. I played DnD with my friends. I taped a painting of a ham to the wall of the climbing gym. 

Hard to imagine wanting more. Now it's raining and peaceful. 

I hung out with Michael and Chad

I visited Michael for his 31st birthday. We messed around on a ripstick he bought somehow. We played a bunch of card games. They're my oldest friends and I really enjoyed it. 

I should spend more time with them. I don't know. For a while they seemed like they were really into drinking, not like a crazy amount, a normal amount, but was a lot for me, and they had some other friends who I kinda found annoying and anti-social. But Chad and Michael have always been really kind and friendly to me and maybe I've taken that for granted. I mean, also there was covid and I'm bad about traveling to see people but this weekend was really fun.

Yeah. 

good day today

I did 4x1200m after an all-out 400m in 60 seconds. The 1200s felt really good and effortless. I started at around 5:30 mile pace and worked down to sub 5:20 pace. Really happy with how it felt. Maybe it's the iron.