Red Dirt Harriers

Coming to you from balmy northern Wisconsin, I'll recap the scene thus far. I cut free from the shop on Friday afternoon and streaked to Stillwater to collect Jenny and pets to get rolling on the northbound. It's been pretty hectic for all parties the last few weeks so I for one was really looking forward to a relaxed holiday. I am enjoying the relatively warm and snow-free conditions and have been on the snowmobile and XC ski trails almost every day now. I actually hadn't realized how many trail options there were within 30 miles of Lena, WI but it turns out this could be a pretty amazing training ground if you wanted to drive to some runs most days as they're just outside of running distance and hurdle a few deer carcasses along the trails. I took Asher on a 15 miler on some hilly reforestation trails a couple days ago and following the extenisve Asher:human matrix, we come to the conclusion that he ran upwards of 20 miles, accordingly he exemplified the "tired ...

After my 2:25 effort at C-bus, I'm going to try to bounce back to catch some of the more enticing local races. I'm thinking Tulsa Run, Pub Run(obviously), and Route 66 1/2 marathon. There's some different ideas running around my head about what to really gear up for but I know I should be able to get some pr's going. As far as last week's marathon effort, I was not ecstatic with the result. I felt very fluid running through halfway in 71 minutes but there were some issues at the start of the race that resulted in me needing a few miles to get loosened up, then possibly pushing a bit too hard to make up time and consequently faltering a bit at the end. I still felt affected by some exercise induced asthma late which is not uncommon and by the finish, I was again super sore and constricted through my ribs and intercostal muscles. It was a good race though on reflection and to be honest I think I needed it just to get back to racing a marathon and recalling how that fe...

In but a few days, Jenny and i will be departing for the left coast by car for what should be an excellent and relaxing vacation. Of course prior to that time, the annual OKRunner summer sale must be dealt with. We have a few plans on the itinerary but should find plenty of time to unwind. A few highlights will be a boat trip the the Channel Islands, some trail running at Point Mugu and Laguna and hopefully some Jenny eating some raw seafood. We will be overnighting in Albuquerque and Flagstaff for some nice respite from what tends to be otherwise a somewhat hot and arduous drive. If you ever have the chance to go to Needles, California in the summer, I suggest you pass.

I just returned from New Mexico last night and am recounting a highly enjoyable trip. I spent most of the week in Santa Fe, arriving last Monday to hit up an easy run with Mr. Jerry Faulkner. Jerry was nearing the terminus of his stay, which would total a month, and was a little cooked for much of the week. I experienced little issue with the altitude, the main difficulty being the constant undulation and technical nature of the terrain. We trained with some very good guys and enjoyed a relaxed environment with good food and plenty of tea. I enjoyed the fact that these guys train very much the way I do with nice progressive runs and steady pace, whereas Jerry was constantly pushing to get the first mile in at a certain pace. I also made sure to follow the locals schedule, so we were running at 6am, while somehow Jerry had run every day of his prior stay without doing so, running solo for much of it. All this is to say Jerry was thoroughly cooked upon leaving, whereas I feel only like...

The heat is here in full for the summer but I am optimistic that I can get what I need to done for a few races here and then an October marathon. I may try to get out of town in August or September for a marathon prep but I think the majority of my summer training will be conducted from Oklahoma. As for marathons, I'm thinking Chicago or Columbus with another race potentially at the end of the year. We've had some nice additions to the local training group with Conor Holt returning to the fray, and hopefully the first generation of guys finished with eligibility from Martin's group also joining for some runs. I've been training consistently for a solid 14 months, something I'm happy about. I've also been able to manage some quality volume for most of that time so I guess my biggest concern going into the fall will be whether or not I can integrate some marathon sessions here and there through the summer. I am interested in utilizing the Devon Boathouse, with it...

OKC marathon weekend has come and gone and I have a few things to conclude: never presume a marathon is out of reach especially in shitty conditions and given that OKC is a horribly run and fairly rugged, never seed 6+ minutes at the 1/2 marathon mark to a person who came to a race to try to set the stroller marathon world record, and finally always have a beer waiting for you after a long race no matter how rapidly hypothermia may be setting in. I'll follow up this post later but I'm getting ready for a refreshing weekend in New Mexico. Suffice it to say I'm pleased to have participated in the race and it was a much more exciting finish than I might have imagined. I didn't set out to give myself much of a chance at any kind of time but I did turn a 4 minute deficit at 20 miles into a staggered 800 meter race to the finish. OKC officials obviously had no idea at the drama that was playing out as they never have in the at least 4 recent occasions where the race has been ...

I just gasped when I saw how far down Jordan's blogroll undate list I had fallen. So it's OKC marathon time and inevitably I get suckered into participating in an event that conjures a very mixed response for me. I have had some bad runs for sure at this event and a few, nay, one good one. In any case, this event is very important for the community and it's great to see so many people participate. However, the organizers continue to mandate a "non-elite" event. All this means is they give absolutely no regard to waving any potential income to the race. I believe in supporting the cause, etc. but I think the magnitude of this event has outgrown the original course setup. Now it's an utter bottleneck that leads to confusion, mishap, and frustration in finishing the final miles of the race. I am also mistified by the total proceeds that have been donated to the memorial. I forget what figure, over 11 years, was being touted but it doesn't even amount to half ...

Lots of action so far this morning, prior to 6am. It all started when I woke unexpectedly at about 4am. I think I must have been roused by something out on the street but I also noticed my IT band was kind of achy and my knee a bit stiff so I decided to grab my Hemingway compendium and do a little reading while doing some a little passive stretching. Basically, I got caught up in the action and by 5:30 I heard Jenny's phone alarm go and thought maybe I'd get the french press up and running for her (since she's inept with the intricacies of good coffee). This led to a frantic search for the iron, some pet play time and finally the notion that surely our neighborhood Korean donut purveyor must be operational by this hour. Oh they were and their donuts were still warm and pretty sensational. So as I sit here reeling from this morning's events, I think about how nice it would be if I could be up at this time more often to enjoy the sunrise but it's just not possible and...

Came off last week's midweek hilly long run with some pain in the achilles, the only other time I've encountered this is a month back heading in to the 3m 1/2. I don't recall having to do a whole lot to resolve it, just lots of foam roller massage and light eccentric stretching which is basically what I'm doing now but this definitely started in a more agitated state and I noticed a little nodule with localized tenderness. It's a little scary to head back out on the hills now but it will have to go down in the next couple weeks for a test. As of now, everything seems to be coming along well and I really only had to cut a couple days of mileage and intensity. I'll take this time to add some fuel to the old and oft maligned minimalist shoe debate. I pretty much run in only lightweight trainers and have for some time. I'm not afraid to put on the flats for workouts or runs when I'm feeling spry. I think we all know how this goes, some days you feel stiff an...

Training is going well over the last couple weeks pushing miles for another week then will emphasize quality a touch more for 2-3 weeks prior to Dallas Rn'R 1/2. I'm doing a couple local races including a 25k that will serve as a quality marathon effort. That being said, there are no firm plans for a spring 'thon. Lots of strength work this week and then a 20k tempo effort tomorrow and hopefully a long run on Sunday with good company. My colleagues and I have all been enjoying pretty good training and I think everybody is looking forward to good times ahead. There are some nice additions to the food and drink scene here, some nice restaurants , a new OKC beermaker , and my buddy Andrew opening his own chocolate shop in the near future .

This weekend's short and sweet venture to Austin resulted in a pr in the rarely raced 1/2 marathon distance for me and some quality food and beverage. The 3m course is definitely a very fast one, however the 71 degree start temps at 6:45am meant we were dealing with some sturdy wind and high humidity. The race went out easily enough and I was pleased to be in a group of 5 or 6 which I hoped would just pull me along for the whole race. That notion fizzled after a few miles and as it was still extremely humid the turns we were navigating were fairly slick and the lunaracers were not sticking to the pavement. By 6 miles or so there are more straightaways that would hopefully result in an amazing time. However, I was getting pretty warm and thirsty by this time and it was not my best section of the race, it's where I lost Ewen North who would end up pulling in Jerry and the dude he was running with. I was happy that I did put in a few more good miles to get to the finish. This is a...

We had our first ice storm of the year yesterday and while it was relatively tame, it did force me off the roads in the morning. I've been getting quite accustomed to running at Sutton and it's actually been good for the most part as i've been able to really jump the miles up and not feel quite as rough as I probably would had all those miles been on the roads. My personal record has been 8 laps in a single run so far although I also added some inner sections that lifted the total mileage for the run to 13-14 miles, even better was the fact that Asher was with me for the duration and with the distance to and from the trails he and I amassed 2+ hours of running. I'm actually planning a 5k time trial for devil-dog after his base phase is complete so stay tuned. Jerry, Stu, and I will be travelling to Austin for the 3m 1/2 marathon in a week's time where I will be looking for a satisfactory performance in the 70 minute range. I'm keeping the training going right th...

My blogging has been pathetic so I'm starting the new year in modest fashion. I had the pleasure of venturing to Wisconsin for New Years and stocking up on lots of good artery clogging things. We toured the New Glarus Brewery , which is an epic setting. I went to Lambeau to see the Pack dispatch the Bears, while carefully monitoring multiple beers to ensure that they didn't freeze solid and making use of a coozie to keep the beer WARM. I got to walk across a frozen Lake Michigan and make fun of Wisconsin natives delightful accents and laughable antics like stuffing hundreds of animal mounts in a single bar or covering windows with plastic sheeting to insulate. It was a really fun trip and the 16 hour drive each way really didn't tax the body too much. Upon return to OK, we were greeted with pleasant temps which rapidly deteriorated to near Wisco-like temps. The new place started to feel pretty drafty and the heater seems functional in exactly one of five rooms. So as we spe...