Red Dirt Harriers

So as the new year has been ushered in, I've struggled with training a bit. Mileage is always there but the weekly quality efforts were somewhat variable as I've already dealt with two respiratory/sinus flairups coutesy of the warmest winter in a long time around here. We haven't seen any snow down here and apparently things are blooming in January. I had a couple running resolutions which amounted to getting on trails and hills once a week. Sometimes this effort has been fused into a single run but overall, I've really enjoyed getting on the single-track at least once a week. Unfortunately my typical trail companion, Asher aka "meathead, shithead, knuckleahead, jackass, etc." has had a few run-ins with sharp objects in his haste and the most recent resulted in a gnarly gash from his shoulder across his bicep and all the way down to his elbow. Needless to say several stitches (and a satellite dish collar) were necessary and we'll just say that now he and M...

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 ...