3: Last HPT before Afton.
7: Afton 50K. 4:06, 4th place. See report.
10: 30K on the bike. The Girl could hold my wheel on the flats. Holy crap!
11: an hour on HPT. Wasn't really sore, but both achilles tendons were hurting, the right more than left. After a while, it felt more like an injury and I had to stop.
12: Feeling injured. Freaking out.
13: feeling a little better. Still very spooked.
16: Intervals on the treadmill. 11x 600, escalating from 10 mph to 11 mph. Achilles felt tight but then stopped hurting afterwards.
18: Intervals on the treadmill. I forget the times.
20: Quick litte 8 or so miles in Hixon. A little Achilles tightness. I have decided to run through it.
22: "Almost a marathon" with the Girl, Alicia and Divesh. Hot!
Friday, July 13, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
St. Paul Trip
Natali, Andreas, Cora (their step-sister), Christian and I went to St. Paul last week for 3 days of big city vacation. We stayed downtown and only once got into our car (to go to the zoo). We got lost in the skywalks but were able to navigate around the city on foot.
We saw the science museum, which was fun. My dad runs the science museum in Copenhagen and I worked there for several years, so it's always fun to compare one museum to another. I like the Minnesota science museum. We caught an I-Max movie that thrilled the girls and scared the boys. The giant cuttle fish gave Andreas nightmares.
The zoo was hot but fun. The dolphin show was a highlight as was the monorail, which essentially shows you the whole zoo in 20 minutes.
On day three, we saw the historical museum and the Capitol. The Capitol building is not as cool as the Madison one, I will say. In Madison, we always walk up to the top balcony, even in mid-winter. That did not seem to be possible in St. Paul, although there was some construction going on.
Here are some very artsy photos (we thought), taken during our many walks around town or by the river.
The heat was bad, although this week got even worse than last week. There were times when my insisting on walking almost caused a mutiny:
Or when Christian and his 4-year old personality became too much for the older kids:
This weekend, we go back to the Tiwn Cities for Afton.
I don't know. I tried running in 100 degree weather today and almost passed out. I mean, it's like standing next to a fire, except the fire is everywhere around you. I get short of breath just standing still when it's this hot. It's supposed to cool down a little on Saturday, but I don't do well with heat, so I am going to have a low threshold for dropping out. Danes really should not be out in this kind of weather; we only function in the 50-70 degree ribbon.
Steve Q linked to the ultramn.com website, where I am apparently the favorite to win. It does look like the big hitters of previous years are staying away (Pat Russell, Brian Peterson, Wynn Davis, Chris Lundstrom etc, who would be soaking in the St. Croix by the time I made it in). If it's not insanely hot, I will start out and see how it goes.
Spectating might be more fun that running, as the Girl is also doing the 50K. After being injured for most of the spring (but still PRing and winning races, mind you), she is back in business. The very fast Eve Rembleski is running, so the Girl won't win, but as readers will know, she is tough (aka a little stupid) and actually likes running in heat. She says she will start out slow, and with the way her training is going, I think she will be doing nothing but passing people throughout her race.
And to make it perfectly clear, if there is any chance that I am about to get "wifed", I am dropping out ("due to heat", of course) immediately.
We saw the science museum, which was fun. My dad runs the science museum in Copenhagen and I worked there for several years, so it's always fun to compare one museum to another. I like the Minnesota science museum. We caught an I-Max movie that thrilled the girls and scared the boys. The giant cuttle fish gave Andreas nightmares.
The zoo was hot but fun. The dolphin show was a highlight as was the monorail, which essentially shows you the whole zoo in 20 minutes.
On day three, we saw the historical museum and the Capitol. The Capitol building is not as cool as the Madison one, I will say. In Madison, we always walk up to the top balcony, even in mid-winter. That did not seem to be possible in St. Paul, although there was some construction going on.
Here are some very artsy photos (we thought), taken during our many walks around town or by the river.
The heat was bad, although this week got even worse than last week. There were times when my insisting on walking almost caused a mutiny:
Or when Christian and his 4-year old personality became too much for the older kids:
This weekend, we go back to the Tiwn Cities for Afton.
I don't know. I tried running in 100 degree weather today and almost passed out. I mean, it's like standing next to a fire, except the fire is everywhere around you. I get short of breath just standing still when it's this hot. It's supposed to cool down a little on Saturday, but I don't do well with heat, so I am going to have a low threshold for dropping out. Danes really should not be out in this kind of weather; we only function in the 50-70 degree ribbon.
Steve Q linked to the ultramn.com website, where I am apparently the favorite to win. It does look like the big hitters of previous years are staying away (Pat Russell, Brian Peterson, Wynn Davis, Chris Lundstrom etc, who would be soaking in the St. Croix by the time I made it in). If it's not insanely hot, I will start out and see how it goes.
Spectating might be more fun that running, as the Girl is also doing the 50K. After being injured for most of the spring (but still PRing and winning races, mind you), she is back in business. The very fast Eve Rembleski is running, so the Girl won't win, but as readers will know, she is tough (aka a little stupid) and actually likes running in heat. She says she will start out slow, and with the way her training is going, I think she will be doing nothing but passing people throughout her race.
And to make it perfectly clear, if there is any chance that I am about to get "wifed", I am dropping out ("due to heat", of course) immediately.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Flashes From A Wild Few Months
Hi all.
I have not written much in the last weeks.
Life is good. This break-from-real-life period in La Crosse is coming to an end. It has been a wonderful time that I will always remember, but we are starting to look forward to going back to Denmark.
Perhaps the best thing has been seeing my two oldest sons, Christians and Andreas, bond. 4-year old Christian worships 8-year old Andreas, or "Big Buy" as he calls him. From the moment Andreas enters the house, Christian is never more than a foot away from him. Except when Andreas hides, in which case Christian looks like he is about to have a stroke and desperately pleads for help in finding his brother. Andreas is a gentle boy and is quite patient. He makes up complicated games and will play Legos, build forts etc. for hours. Watching thoese two develop a healthy relationship has been the highlight of these last 6 months.
Andreas used to be really ill-behaved and spiteful. I used to dread spending time with him. I would ask him to do something and he would blatantly ignore me. He hated coming over and often made a point of asking what time it was, so he knew exactly how many more minutes he had to spend with us. But all that has melted away. I realized last month that I really enjoyed having him over. It just sort of snuck up on me.
In a month or so, his dad will disappear once again. I hope the good vibes continue and can tide us over until we are back (for good) in a year.
Christian is my favorite child right now. He is 4, but still, miraculously, has not developed any privacy filter. He is so easily excited, and he tells me everything. This weekend, I ran along Lake Superior in Duluth, the night before Grandma's, with Christian in the babyjogger. We talked about every little detail we saw. He is such a happy boy; a boy who has never seen any kind of misfortune.
We are so close. I put him to sleep every night singing the "Superman Song" by Crash Test Dummies. He is so tired from being outside all day at the Waldorf school that he starts to snore long before the bridge. The other night, we were talking about who he liked best, mommy or daddy. He said daddy. How many 4-year old boys do that? He said mommy the next day (looking at me with a mischievous smile) but I'll take my one victory.
I frustrate the Girl by going to Walmart. And I shouldn't go; but that's another topic for another day. There is a shopping cart, which has two plastic seats made for kids. He loves that cart, and finding it (there are 3 total, but he thinks there is only one) is a major objective to him every time we go. He sees the bright lights of Walmart (which he calls "biblotikken", a baby Danish word that is a mix of store and library). He starts to moan and gyrate, thinking about the shopping cart that he will locate and board. He looks and cranes. He speaks only English now, but I speak Danish to him, so certain concepts have no English translation. The "special cart", which he pronounces "becialler vogn", is one of them.
We enter Walmart and his little green eyes scan the cart area. When he sees the cart, he yelps, jumps a foot into the air and scream "daddy, I found the becialler vogn!" He has no sense of all the people smiling at him. He is a little happy blond boy, and he makes people smile wherever he goes. It's amazing.
Natali and I have grown apart a little. She spends a lot of time with her older step-sisters and her friends, That's OK; I will get her back in a month or so, when we go back to Denmark. We are still best buds, even if we don't spend every night together like last year. I was eating lunch the other day (after a long run in the hills, of course). Suddenly Natali biked into the back yard with her step-sister. They stopped by to visit, just because they were in the neighbourhood. We talked for a while and they left on their bikes. She is only 11 but acts like a teenager already.
My running is strange. I have been putting in almost nothing but long runs, and it seems like I am in OK shape. We were talking about doing a 10K this weekend, and I was thinking of PR'ing. That's a 33:20, so I wanted to see where my speed was at. I went to the YMCA and did one of the speed workout that I did this winter. Turns out I am much slower now! Like almost a minute over a 15 minute session. I repeated the same thing yesterday and it got a little better, but I am still very far from this winter.
Maybe I am naive, but I didn't think I would be this slow. I run fast on the trails, sometimes "bombing" the long downhills. So I didn't think I would lose that much sharpness. Of course, the next two races are Afton 50K and the Half Voyageur, so speed is not all that important. Nevertheless, I think I will do one speed session on the track or treadmill (if it's really hot) every week from now on.
I have not written much in the last weeks.
Life is good. This break-from-real-life period in La Crosse is coming to an end. It has been a wonderful time that I will always remember, but we are starting to look forward to going back to Denmark.
Perhaps the best thing has been seeing my two oldest sons, Christians and Andreas, bond. 4-year old Christian worships 8-year old Andreas, or "Big Buy" as he calls him. From the moment Andreas enters the house, Christian is never more than a foot away from him. Except when Andreas hides, in which case Christian looks like he is about to have a stroke and desperately pleads for help in finding his brother. Andreas is a gentle boy and is quite patient. He makes up complicated games and will play Legos, build forts etc. for hours. Watching thoese two develop a healthy relationship has been the highlight of these last 6 months.
Andreas used to be really ill-behaved and spiteful. I used to dread spending time with him. I would ask him to do something and he would blatantly ignore me. He hated coming over and often made a point of asking what time it was, so he knew exactly how many more minutes he had to spend with us. But all that has melted away. I realized last month that I really enjoyed having him over. It just sort of snuck up on me.
In a month or so, his dad will disappear once again. I hope the good vibes continue and can tide us over until we are back (for good) in a year.
Christian is my favorite child right now. He is 4, but still, miraculously, has not developed any privacy filter. He is so easily excited, and he tells me everything. This weekend, I ran along Lake Superior in Duluth, the night before Grandma's, with Christian in the babyjogger. We talked about every little detail we saw. He is such a happy boy; a boy who has never seen any kind of misfortune.
We are so close. I put him to sleep every night singing the "Superman Song" by Crash Test Dummies. He is so tired from being outside all day at the Waldorf school that he starts to snore long before the bridge. The other night, we were talking about who he liked best, mommy or daddy. He said daddy. How many 4-year old boys do that? He said mommy the next day (looking at me with a mischievous smile) but I'll take my one victory.
I frustrate the Girl by going to Walmart. And I shouldn't go; but that's another topic for another day. There is a shopping cart, which has two plastic seats made for kids. He loves that cart, and finding it (there are 3 total, but he thinks there is only one) is a major objective to him every time we go. He sees the bright lights of Walmart (which he calls "biblotikken", a baby Danish word that is a mix of store and library). He starts to moan and gyrate, thinking about the shopping cart that he will locate and board. He looks and cranes. He speaks only English now, but I speak Danish to him, so certain concepts have no English translation. The "special cart", which he pronounces "becialler vogn", is one of them.
We enter Walmart and his little green eyes scan the cart area. When he sees the cart, he yelps, jumps a foot into the air and scream "daddy, I found the becialler vogn!" He has no sense of all the people smiling at him. He is a little happy blond boy, and he makes people smile wherever he goes. It's amazing.
Natali and I have grown apart a little. She spends a lot of time with her older step-sisters and her friends, That's OK; I will get her back in a month or so, when we go back to Denmark. We are still best buds, even if we don't spend every night together like last year. I was eating lunch the other day (after a long run in the hills, of course). Suddenly Natali biked into the back yard with her step-sister. They stopped by to visit, just because they were in the neighbourhood. We talked for a while and they left on their bikes. She is only 11 but acts like a teenager already.
My running is strange. I have been putting in almost nothing but long runs, and it seems like I am in OK shape. We were talking about doing a 10K this weekend, and I was thinking of PR'ing. That's a 33:20, so I wanted to see where my speed was at. I went to the YMCA and did one of the speed workout that I did this winter. Turns out I am much slower now! Like almost a minute over a 15 minute session. I repeated the same thing yesterday and it got a little better, but I am still very far from this winter.
Maybe I am naive, but I didn't think I would be this slow. I run fast on the trails, sometimes "bombing" the long downhills. So I didn't think I would lose that much sharpness. Of course, the next two races are Afton 50K and the Half Voyageur, so speed is not all that important. Nevertheless, I think I will do one speed session on the track or treadmill (if it's really hot) every week from now on.
June 2012 running log
June 2012 Running Log
1-12: Lots of HPTs.
13: HPTs
15: 5 miles on the lakeshore bike trail in Duluth with Christian. Beautiful.
16: Ran some next to the Girl at Grandma's
17: Speed. 2 x 2 miles at grades (to 5%) in 12:20s and 12:50s. "4K intervals" in 15:20 or so. Much slower than just a few months ago! Ran at the Y due to the heat. Shocked at how slow things went.
18: Hot. Oak trail to HPT and one long BDT lop.
20: Speed. 2 x 2 miles at grades (to 5%) in 12:25 and 12:50. "4K intervals" in 14:56
21: 3x GDB and 2 Ebner Coulees on the bike
22: I forget the details, but my right shin and calf were getting tight. Took a few days off and then ran a 2 x 2 miles at grades (to 5%). Felt good with no pain. Fastest was at 12:15.
1-12: Lots of HPTs.
13: HPTs
15: 5 miles on the lakeshore bike trail in Duluth with Christian. Beautiful.
16: Ran some next to the Girl at Grandma's
17: Speed. 2 x 2 miles at grades (to 5%) in 12:20s and 12:50s. "4K intervals" in 15:20 or so. Much slower than just a few months ago! Ran at the Y due to the heat. Shocked at how slow things went.
18: Hot. Oak trail to HPT and one long BDT lop.
20: Speed. 2 x 2 miles at grades (to 5%) in 12:25 and 12:50. "4K intervals" in 14:56
21: 3x GDB and 2 Ebner Coulees on the bike
22: I forget the details, but my right shin and calf were getting tight. Took a few days off and then ran a 2 x 2 miles at grades (to 5%). Felt good with no pain. Fastest was at 12:15.
May 2012 Running Log
1-2: Some Chippewa recovery. Can't remember
3: 2.5 hours in the hills. Felt a little stiff but generally ok.
6: Some with the babyjogger
7: 15K with the baby jogger to and from the conference.
8: Long run around Fort Lauderdale. 30K?
9: A little jogging with Christian
11: Tempo work at Nashotah Park. That's actually a really nice place to run.
12: Left knee hurts a little after playing some soccer with the kids.
13: Glorious Hixon and HPT run.
14: Ran, swam and biked a little
15-26: Not sure. Nothing but long runs on HPTs
27: Med City Half Marathon. Strong headwinds. 1:18
28-: Not sure
3: 2.5 hours in the hills. Felt a little stiff but generally ok.
6: Some with the babyjogger
7: 15K with the baby jogger to and from the conference.
8: Long run around Fort Lauderdale. 30K?
9: A little jogging with Christian
11: Tempo work at Nashotah Park. That's actually a really nice place to run.
12: Left knee hurts a little after playing some soccer with the kids.
13: Glorious Hixon and HPT run.
14: Ran, swam and biked a little
15-26: Not sure. Nothing but long runs on HPTs
27: Med City Half Marathon. Strong headwinds. 1:18
28-: Not sure
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Med City Marathon Race Report
I don't really like races with difficult logistics, especially when you have to shuttle to the start. We waited a half hour for a bus at 6 in the morning; when we finally got on one, we had to fit three people per seat, which meant sitting in an awkward position for another 20 minutes. Talk about a bad warmup. The number of runners probably grew a lot in the last few days, due to other races being cancelled, and they didn't get enough shuttle busses. Not cool, Med City Marathon!
There was a fierce headwind. I ended up in the front group with the eventual men's marathon winner, Pete Gilman, and the guy who would go on to win the half marathon (yes, the streak ended today...). The winner, whose name I think was Brad, said he had been aiming to beat his PR of 1:12 flat, so I immediately knew I was outgunned. The three of us ran together until maybe 5 miles when Pete Gilman sped up a little and letf Brad and me behind. I was having a really hard time holding on, especially on the uphills, but the next group was far behind and I didn't want to end up alone in the wind. I was able to hold on until 6 miles or so.
After letting go, I took a little time at an aid station. I had a GU and a couple of drinks and settled into my own rhythm. Near the end, there were a few stretches with a strong tailwind, which felt good. i had a teeny tiny runner's high. The volunteers were wonderful and lots of people had set up lawn chairs to see the runners come by. Very cool. Course markings were excellent.
My time was 1:18.20, two minutes behind the winner and 3 minutes ahead of 3rd place. For such a big race, it felt crazy that I didn't see another funner for the last 5 miles! The Girl did really well, running a 1:35 for fourth place. That's only 2 minutes off her PR, so with the wind in mind, it was probably a PR effort. Except for the women's winner, who was far ahead, the women's race was very close and I think she was within a minute of 2nd place (maybe a little more; the results aren't up yet). We had to get back to the kids, so we never got our awards. I don't really care about some plaque, but I worry that we missed out on some cool clothing or other swag. They had the awards more than 2 hours after we came in, which I expect few people were willing to wait for, and they don't mail awards out. Not cool, Med City Marathon!
Overall, we had a good time and would probably do it again (hoping for a tailwind next time). I don't mean to be too negative; apart form the shuttle and award situation, everything was perfectly fine. The best thing was the Girl's race. She is 90% over her injury now, and has been able to train essentially at full bore for two weeks. Her base is so strong. If I could just make her do hard and easy days, she would improve so much (and stay healthy, too). Yes, the Girl, you are reading this, abd you are stupid for doing back-to-back long runs and intervals (and then another long run the next day).
Next week, we are running a little 5K here in town and then we have a triathlon the following weekend.
There was a fierce headwind. I ended up in the front group with the eventual men's marathon winner, Pete Gilman, and the guy who would go on to win the half marathon (yes, the streak ended today...). The winner, whose name I think was Brad, said he had been aiming to beat his PR of 1:12 flat, so I immediately knew I was outgunned. The three of us ran together until maybe 5 miles when Pete Gilman sped up a little and letf Brad and me behind. I was having a really hard time holding on, especially on the uphills, but the next group was far behind and I didn't want to end up alone in the wind. I was able to hold on until 6 miles or so.
After letting go, I took a little time at an aid station. I had a GU and a couple of drinks and settled into my own rhythm. Near the end, there were a few stretches with a strong tailwind, which felt good. i had a teeny tiny runner's high. The volunteers were wonderful and lots of people had set up lawn chairs to see the runners come by. Very cool. Course markings were excellent.
My time was 1:18.20, two minutes behind the winner and 3 minutes ahead of 3rd place. For such a big race, it felt crazy that I didn't see another funner for the last 5 miles! The Girl did really well, running a 1:35 for fourth place. That's only 2 minutes off her PR, so with the wind in mind, it was probably a PR effort. Except for the women's winner, who was far ahead, the women's race was very close and I think she was within a minute of 2nd place (maybe a little more; the results aren't up yet). We had to get back to the kids, so we never got our awards. I don't really care about some plaque, but I worry that we missed out on some cool clothing or other swag. They had the awards more than 2 hours after we came in, which I expect few people were willing to wait for, and they don't mail awards out. Not cool, Med City Marathon!
Overall, we had a good time and would probably do it again (hoping for a tailwind next time). I don't mean to be too negative; apart form the shuttle and award situation, everything was perfectly fine. The best thing was the Girl's race. She is 90% over her injury now, and has been able to train essentially at full bore for two weeks. Her base is so strong. If I could just make her do hard and easy days, she would improve so much (and stay healthy, too). Yes, the Girl, you are reading this, abd you are stupid for doing back-to-back long runs and intervals (and then another long run the next day).
Next week, we are running a little 5K here in town and then we have a triathlon the following weekend.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Half marathon on Sunday
We are running the Med City Half Marathon on Sunday. It looks like a big race and a fast course.
I'm not as sharp as I have been this year. I have gained a few pounds, focusing on lower-intensity long runs in the hills. That's ok, as I had planned this summer to be mostly about ultras.
My half marathon PR is 1:13.54. It's within reach, if conditions are perfect and there is a good pack to pull me along. The winning time has fluctuated from a 1:11 to a 1:19, so I could be way behind or way out front, depending on who shows up.
Why do races like this have to start at 7 am? I know it's potentially hot, but still. They could start the marathon at 7 and the half at 9.
In other news, I finished Once a Runner. I had heard a little about it, and had seen and heard quotes that I never realized came from that book. The Girl won a copy of the book in one of her races and it had been lying around. She had gotten to page 108 and then abandoned it.
I have read quite a few books in the last few years, because of my commute and so on. A lot of John Irving and a bunch of easy reads. Once a Runner is not exactly well-written. It jumps all over the place, sometimes going into annoying detail and at other times just ending a sub-plot abruptly. Had it been about NASCAR, I don't think I would have finished it, but it happens to be about running, with lots of cool historical references. The reader sort of knows that Cassidy will end up winning some big race, but the how is a big unknown.
It may be to running what "House of God" is to medicine: few people have actually read the book, but everyone knows the good quotes.
But seriously:
- What happened to Mizer? How can he describe him in such detail and then never re-introduce him in the plot?
- And Nubbins? In any normal book, we would at least have followed his running progression.
- And O'Gorg or whatever his name is. We hear a brief narrative from him, describing Cassidy. Then he is in a race with Cassidy later in the book, but is just mentioned briefly. why introduce him and never use him again.
I'm such a girl. My favorite part of Once a Runner was the love story. Andrea is frustrated with Cassidy's singlemindedness but it's almost like she understands it better than he does. The love story sub-plot is so understated that their breakup is never even described. In the big race, she is the first to recognize him, despite his long hair and beard. When she screams his name at the end is the book's best moment. And you never find out if they get back together or even meet again. Great stuff.
I'm not as sharp as I have been this year. I have gained a few pounds, focusing on lower-intensity long runs in the hills. That's ok, as I had planned this summer to be mostly about ultras.
My half marathon PR is 1:13.54. It's within reach, if conditions are perfect and there is a good pack to pull me along. The winning time has fluctuated from a 1:11 to a 1:19, so I could be way behind or way out front, depending on who shows up.
Why do races like this have to start at 7 am? I know it's potentially hot, but still. They could start the marathon at 7 and the half at 9.
In other news, I finished Once a Runner. I had heard a little about it, and had seen and heard quotes that I never realized came from that book. The Girl won a copy of the book in one of her races and it had been lying around. She had gotten to page 108 and then abandoned it.
I have read quite a few books in the last few years, because of my commute and so on. A lot of John Irving and a bunch of easy reads. Once a Runner is not exactly well-written. It jumps all over the place, sometimes going into annoying detail and at other times just ending a sub-plot abruptly. Had it been about NASCAR, I don't think I would have finished it, but it happens to be about running, with lots of cool historical references. The reader sort of knows that Cassidy will end up winning some big race, but the how is a big unknown.
It may be to running what "House of God" is to medicine: few people have actually read the book, but everyone knows the good quotes.
But seriously:
- What happened to Mizer? How can he describe him in such detail and then never re-introduce him in the plot?
- And Nubbins? In any normal book, we would at least have followed his running progression.
- And O'Gorg or whatever his name is. We hear a brief narrative from him, describing Cassidy. Then he is in a race with Cassidy later in the book, but is just mentioned briefly. why introduce him and never use him again.
I'm such a girl. My favorite part of Once a Runner was the love story. Andrea is frustrated with Cassidy's singlemindedness but it's almost like she understands it better than he does. The love story sub-plot is so understated that their breakup is never even described. In the big race, she is the first to recognize him, despite his long hair and beard. When she screams his name at the end is the book's best moment. And you never find out if they get back together or even meet again. Great stuff.
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