Running Through Life

I have been busy courting a new job and I started the job today as well. It was a typical new day boring day. Settle in, meet and greet, look busy.

Tmorrow will be different - installing an MS server product.

Anyway, have not really ran since Alaska. Have been moving alot, installing flooring, kitchen cabinets and electrical work at the house. but Wednesdy I will be back at the track for practice.

I sure it will kill me. But I also need to train when I am not training for an event. It will keep me at a level of semi fitness.

Next April is the inaugural Illinois marathon which I will run. Hopefully in the 4:30 range. I know 25 minutes better than Alaska. But flatter and hopefully with better training under my soles.

Here is the link to my Alaska pictures. http://picasaweb.google.com/Mastrosky/Alaska2008 I will get around to adding captions sometime.

I'll write after track practice and try to keep this up to date.

As a very funny man says, "Waddle on"

Yes, I am.
Alaska was awesome.
My new friends from Chicago were awesome.
The course was beautiful.
The course was hilly.

But I was ready. My training (what I did) prepared me well. My coaches prepared me well. Allyson prepared me well the night before I left. LOL

Anyway, morning of the race it was 50 degrees and misty. A sprinkling for the first 4 miles. But I covered the distance, traversed all the hills and raced across the finish lines in an emotional 4 hours 56 minutes and 33 seconds.

I'll get pictures up later.

Thanks to all of you.

He is somewhere between Alaska and home. He did GREAT!! Further details to follow from the man himself! Welcome back and GOOD JOB honey!!

Well he is on his first plane headed to Alaska. He'll let us know when he has landed safely. He is totally ready for race day! He will post pictures when he returns and be full of highlights I'm sure.

Yepper, the "last" Saturday training run.
No more training runs - finish, nada, done, out o' here!!!

Lake of the Woods for a 60 minutes run there abouts last Saturday. I ran 4 miles in a very slow and comfortable pace. A 12 minute pace.

Got a few final words of encouragement from my fellow team mates and coach.

I have trained more this season than any other. I trained almost every Wednesday and Saturday.

Wednesday - tough but great track workouts.
Saturday - building up the mileage.

They have helped.

The Indy mini was almost 12 minutes faster (11:53 to be exact) than last year.
My mile time has decreased from last years best of just over 8 minutes (which I broke this year about 3 weeks) and have now bettered to a 7:07 (last week). A great personal best.

I hope next year (or this year) to do more and break the 2 hour mark for a half.

Here are some goals for the upcoming year -

Mile (1600) - 6:00
5k - 21:00
10k - 50:00
Half - 2:00:00
Full - 3:59:59.99 (yes, break 4 hours)

These are lofty. They truly are. But one feels that I am capable. He has spouted out on numerous occasions that I have the ability to run like this. How he knows, I have no idea. I hav always doubted the man, mainly due to my self doubt. But I am starting to believe.

Sorry, Hook for doubting you. Thank you bro.

I also have another that believes as well. She has never specified times or abilities like Hook, but she doesn't know alot about my past running or lack thereof. She just believes in me.

Thank you Ally.

And now me - Alaska this weekend. My bib number (if they have online tracking) is 842. I hope to place 800 or better. I also hope to run under 5 hours. I knowthat is not news. I have always said that a 4:50 or so should be doable.

Stay tuned for my real prediction and my ultimate goal.

Thanks to all.

Seeing as how it was my last hard practice before my race, coach Vicki decided to kick some ass.

here was her plan -
1600 - recovery
1200 - recovery
800 - recovery
400 - recovery

all at 5k pace.

ok, for me that should have meant about a 9:30 to 9:45 pace. Maybe. Not sure I can hold that for 3 miles but it would be a good try.

so off we go.

I bust out a 7:07 mile. What the hell? Where did that come from? Whose frackin legs were attached to my gorgeous waist?

OK, that was a stretch. But 52 seconds better than my best mile. Unbelievable.
then
oh, yea, the pain
the gasping for air
i must have been anerobic for the whole mile

so how were the 1200, 800 and 400? good all at 8 minute mile pace.
one helluva of a good pace.

I'm thinking a 3 hour marathon. hehehe

nope. still 4 hour marathon at just under 5 hours. 4:45 would be great

Saturday was a 90 minute run, but instead I hike 5.4 miles at Starved Rock. Boy, were there a lot of stairs. At one point 155 straight stairs that I attempted to jog up. I made it to the last landing and then walked the last short flight. boy, were my thighs burning.

Starved Rock is a pretty cool place. We hike almost 5.5 miles there. Enjoyed some beautiful scenery and cool canyons fromed from limestone cliffs. May have to go back inthewinter time and see the eagles.

Sunday was another hike through parts of Mathiesson State Park for about 2.25 miles. Not as long but just as awe-inspiring. Overall it was a great weekend. Spent it with the Elliotts minus Kayla and Ally and Chris. My kids once again absent.

I got a lot of good legwork in and do not feel that I cheated my training any. Monday I am going to try and fit (ok, choose a better word) not fit, try to do a workout for 45 minutes or so.

I got alot of work to do before the 21st. I do feel I will do well in Alaska. I know the marathon is hilly and 7 miles of it are trail, but I believe a 4 hour marathon is possible. It may be 4:59, but that is still 4 hours.

I'll give my ultimate goal later.

Alaska is three weeks away.
Nerves are starting to set in.
I know I'll finish, but will I be happy.
My goal - under 5 hours.
My coaches goal - 4:40 - dreamer.

I don't know.
I'll set one later.

Anyway, last Saturday I ran long (15.4 miles or so) right at an 11 minute pace. Good job to me. Exactly what I wanted. A slower pace for something left over at then end. Most of the time I felt great. It was awesome having Allyson around for handing water or gatorade or gels to me. I would not have made it without her. Too bad she isn't going to Alaska, but then she couldn't be there every two miles either. I didn't eat much the morning of the run and that proved disastrous. At 14 miles I fell apart. I need food in the morning. The gels were not enough. Got to get breakfast in me before Alaska.

Recovery was pretty quick. I napped for a few hours and then went to work on the kitchen. I worked on Sunday and Monday as well. Not at a great frantic pace, but I was up, very little stiffness.

Training has helped my recovery drastically.

And my speed.

Last night (Wednesday track practice) we ran (me and the summer group) three 1200's. I was consistent and quick. I ran 5:27, 5:21 and 5:32. About a 7:20 mile pace. Awesome for me. This time last year, those times would be around 7:30 for the 1200 and a 10 minute mile pace. No exaggeration there. I have improved.

With a lot of kudoes to Ally and others.

Saturday is 90 minutes of running that I will do up in the Uttica, Il area as I will be camping and hiking around Starved Rock Park. Not going to push anything, just an easy 8 or 9 miles.

Only three short weeks until Michael heads to Alaska for the TNT full marathon. He continues to work on being prepared, but needs a pick me up once in a while from "his people".

I know you'll do great honey!

After the Indy mini and my crestfallen heart after getting drubbed by Mr. Elliott by 11 seconds, my blogging has been nil. So now I catch up.

Wednesday following Indy (May 7), it was raining and I did not bring appropriate clothes, so I skipped. Did I make it up on the treadmill, you ask. Silly people, of course not.

Saturday, May 10, was to be an 20 mile run. I went to LOW and managed to eke out about 9.26 miles at a great 10 minute pace. And then my body fell apart. Rather than risk injury or just dropping alongside the trail, I slipped home. After a shower and food (lots of food) I felt much better.

Wednesday, May 14, was a pretty good track workout. We did a few specialized 100's, scissor kicks, strides, high stepping and butt kicks. Then Vicki made me do mile repeats for 3 miles. Tiring, but felt better. Miles were 8:16, 9:46 and 9:06 for a total of 27:08. Probably a new best for me.

Saturday, May 17, was the Buffalo 5 mile Trail run at LOW on the west side. This was run with (ok, behind my son - Jacob) and my woman Allyson (Ally did the 2 mile walk). Going down the first hill we knew it would be wet, but not how wet. At one point we slogged through 6 or 7 inches of water that took about 10 strides to get through. Nasty stuff. Good thing it was warm.

But I did great, ran a 48:33 for a 9:45 pace. All I wanted was a 10 minute pace. It was a struggle and probably walked more than I should. The last mile was against the wind and it showed. Jake ran a respectable 42 something, but he needs to start running for cross country. He was a hurting on Sunday. Myself I felt fine on Sunday. Must slowly be getting used to this.

Now I just have to pick up more days a week to run, but who has the time. With the kitchen still not even close to being done. But that's another story, for another blog.

So hopefully, tonite I will plant three fruit trees, so a little drywall and then hit the treadmill for 3 miles.

That's the goal.

Saturday was overcast with a threat of showers, but it was cool. We (Tom and I) got to the corrals a minute before they were closing. We left Allyson to find a parking spot and she was on her own.

We started in the X corral with approximately 30,000 people in front of us. As the gun we went off, we shuffled forward. I found a break in the fence and dashed out for the port-a-potties. This gave Tom the head start he "needed".

About 30 minutes after the gun I crossed the start line. Horray, the front runners were proably on the Speedway (the 6 mile mark) and starting to head back. Being this far back to start was a mistake. We need to be there an hour before next time. I did nothing but dodge walkers and slow joggers. Not that I am fast but that is a lot of people to move around.

Eventually I took to the sidewalks following some other trailblazers and made it through. It never really clears out though. You are always weaving in and out. But it only added a tenth of mile to the race - it sure seemed like more.

I kept to my pace fairly well for the first 7 miles. Slowing down and walking at the drink stations and then getting back up. With this process I was averaging just over 10 minutes a mile. Giving me pause to actually believe that I could, maybe if the stars were aligned right and the rest of the course was downhill, I might make my ultimate goal. 2 hours, 11 minutes - an exact 10 minute pace.

I had been fighting an urge to use the restroom for over a mile. This was an urge, I couldn't ignore any longer. While running around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I had to take a dump. A crap here and now. Why now? Up ahead was a porta-a-potty and only 2 guys in line. Out popped a woman. I headed for it. Got in, dumped and then the trouble. Have you ever tried to pull up spandex over very sweaty legs? Not easy.

My watch (my new Garmin Forerunner 405 - I love it) stopped during my lack of forward progress. I figured I lost 2 minutes here. Anyway back on and moving.

Off the track and still passing people. I was amazing catching parts of conversations. we are doing good, 8 miles in 2 hours. How far up had these people started. I was passing people that I should have started in front of.

Mile 10 in 1h 46m 10s. Not bad only 6 minutes behind my ultimate goal. I wouldn't be able to make up that time in the 5k that was left, but I could hang tough and do the last 5k at pace (31m).

Finish time - 2h 16m 49 seconds. That made my last 5k in 30 minutes and 39 seconds. I hung on and beat last years time by 11 minutes.

Training does help.

And how did Tom do? Very well. He beat me by 11 seconds. He, who wanted 2 - 3 minutes per mile advantage. What a sandbagger.

Oh well.

My hats off to you Tommie. I really thought treadmill only training was going to hurt. Apparently you trained alot more than you let on.

Numbers look hard to read so here they are. Tom is listed first and myself second.
Tom - 5mile time 50.37 - 10mile time 1.44.27 - Total time 2.16.38
Mike - 5mile time 50.53 - 10mile time 1.46.10 - Total time 2.16.49

Running in circles again
But it has helped
I am faster
I can run a mile better
I recover faster

We were told to run a timed 5k. I aimed for under 30 minutes. They has been hard for me to do.
I ran 28:25. And did not feel bad.

My next 5k goal will be just under 27 minutes


Times for each lap is pretty good for me. Lap 5 is where I walked after blowing out a 8.16.56 first mile. I have been trying to keep my first mile close to 8 minutes (if I can) and then relaxing a little on the rest of the workout. Probably not too good for me, but mentally it does me wonders.

But truly the whole workout was good and I haven't done a sub 30 5k in a long time.

Saturday is the Indy half marathon and I hope to break my time from last year. Looking at 2 hours 25 minutes or less.

God it was awful. I went out with a few friends on Friday and toss a few down. Then a few more and a few more. Saturday came and I was forcibly kicked, pulled and cajoled out of bed. I went to LOW and tried to run.

I did try.
Approximately 5 miles later I was done. 13 miles short of my scheduled run. My head hurt. I was bad on Friday night and I paid for it Saturday morning.

This week I hope to do better and really excel on Saturday at the Indy half. I really believe that a 2:20 is in the cards. I am going to try.

And on another greater note a great kid went into Madison over the weekend and participated in his first tournament of his Hwang Do career (something like TaeKwan Do). He was second in waepons and sparring. I think we have a little Bruce Lee on our hands.

Congrats again big man, Zachary "Lee" Hooker.

Yep, another Wednesday, another speed type workout.
Wednesday - WED NES DAY why such a long strange word for the middle of the work week. And most people leave the D out - WENSDAY. Weird huh??!!

anyway, sorry I got distracted... Again a speed workout. 1 mile warmup, then 5 200's then a few 400's mixed in with some sprinting with Randy.

Now Randy, I got to tell you about this joker. Sandbagger is more like it. Ran with him (more like got my ass sprinted off by him) for awhile. He's like - "We should run a 50 or a 100" in the middle of our 200's. What is he crazy? Damn st. Joe guys.

But hey, it was a great workout and yes, Randy is a runnner!

But now I have to brag. My warmups the last 3 weeks have not exactly been warmups. I have been testing myself during the 1 mile warmup. seeing what I can do. Last week was a 9:03 and I was extremely happy.

This week I would have to say frackin delirous. (note the Battlestar galactica reference)
1 mile
4laps
ok - 1600 meters (another 9.344 meters to be a mile - 30 feet 7 inches)
7:59:19

uh huh, that's right, you got it - under 8 minutes for the MILE. Another PR!!!

so here goes.
warmup 7:59:19 (here's the splits 2.05.78/201.62/201.61/1.50.18
200 - 52.45
recover (200 meters) - 1.57
200 - 40.36
recover - 2.09
200 - 47.70
recover - 2.02
200 - 43.53
recover (400 jog) - 2.53
400 - 2.33
200 - 47.73
recover - 3.01
400 - 2.10
recover - 3.20
100 - 15.87
then 2 laps jogging

not bad....

but my calves will be tight tomorrow. I can already feel a little bit of stiffening now. And man, do I stink.

Saturday's run you ask? (groan) 18 miles. With the Indy half marathon being a little over 9 days away as I right this, I may not run all of it. I reallly dont want to kill myself and have nothing for Indy. My best half was Mahomet in 2005 in 2:21. I would like to be beat as the ultimate, but I will be really happy with a 2:29:59.

see ya Saturday or Sunday...

Yes, I skipped last night. It was happy, joyous, gay skipping. But uncoordinated me managed to do it without falling down.

skipping, scissors steps, high steps and butt kicks are fairly strenuous types of movements.

We walk the curves and then do the straights with one of the above.

So,
1 mile warm up. 9:22 (not much of a warm up. pretty fast pace that I can only do for a mile or so)
1 lap of each of the above (another mile)
1 lap of 2 of the above (1 straight for 1 type of humiliation) (half mile)
2 laps of cool down (ran with coach, probably 10 - 11 minute pace)

Not a bad workout. Recovery was quick though the exercises did streeeeeetch out the muscles. Today I have a little tightness in the calves and the small of my back.

This Saturday is an 80 minutes run. Maybe I can get 8 miles in. Is that pushing it? Probably! Should I try it? Not really sure here. Maybe??!! 7 miles should be easy (11:30 pace)

PS - Remeber to take watch Saturday. More accurate than phone.

Lets see what happens on Saturday. A great run may mean wonders come Indy. Afterall, I looked up some old races and the Mahomet Halk Marathon of 2005 has been my best of 2:21. I really want to beat that. Did I write that down? Don't copy thatr information.

Tonite is track practice again but we are at the Urbana High School track. A full 400 meters. We are doing some dancing, skipping and general form techniques tonite. Woo hoo. Me skipping.

Last Saturday was supposed to be a 16 miler, but with the rain and wind I skipped out. I was also in Kewanee for my uncles funeral.

I do have results from last Wednesday track run though. Something I am proud of. Only THREE miles but the first one was a 9:03. Yes, that is 9 minutes and 3 seconds for a - ok, only a 1600 meter run, but damn it good enough for me. Besides it is only 30.6 feet shy of a mile.

Then mile 2 - 10:44
Mile 3 - 10:41

Still I was happy.

Not something I have ever been good at, but I did get the hint from the last post. I have been running -some. But as my shoes pointed out there has been no mention of it here. So let us catch up.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008
At the Armory again on their little 200 meter track


We'll do 3 miles, consistently increasing our speed. 6 warm up laps at warm-up pace, then every 2 laps we'll increase by 5%. Finishing with 2 laps cool down. All spelled out: 6 warm-up: 50%; 2 laps: 55%; 2 laps: 60%; 2 laps: 65%; 2 laps: 70%; 2 laps: 75%; 2 laps: 80%; 2 laps: 85%; 2 laps: 90%; 2 cool-down: 60%.


That's alot of laps for 3 miles. Did I run those percentage levels doubtful. Probably ran a little easier than normal for the warmup, then normal for the majority, then hard for 2 laps and finally the cool down. I just can't pace myself well. So everything in between is about a 10 minute pace.


Saturday, March 29, 2008

Saturday was a step back recovery week and we were only scheduled to run 60 minutes. During these runs I pick a distance to run and see if I can do it in the alloted time. So I though a 10k (6.2 miles) would be a tough goal to make. That is faster than my normal 10 minute per mile pace.


Guess what? I CAME CLOSE!!! woot woot


Mile 1 - 11 min
Mile 2 - 10 min
Mile 3 - 11 min
Mile 4 - 9 min
Mile 5 - 10 min
Mile 6 - 9 min
Mile 6.2 - 2 min


Total - 62 minutes

Remember timing is done with my phone so not very exact. That could have been a 62 minute run or 62m and 59 seconds. But who's counting. Not me.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008
No team practice we werre supposed to run on our own. Did I? What do you think?

Saturday, April 5, 2008
Back at Lake of the Woods (LOW). 14 mile run. Long and since I am training for a marathon in Alaska I ran all 14 on the west side - the hillier side. I took mind time and shot the shit with the group a few times. Once for 13 minutes straight, just before my last 2.3 mile loop. Boy was that dumb. My legs, chest and brain were screaming, "you frackin' idiot. you know better than to rest just before the end.Frack!!!"

Start - 7:10
Mile 1 - 11 min
Mile 2 - 10 min
Mile 3 - 13 min
Mile 4 - 11 min
Mile 5 - 18 min - 7 minutes with group
Mile 6 - 10 min
Mile 7 - 9 min
Break again for 8 minutes with group
Mile 8 - 12 min
Mile 9 - 11 min
Mile 10 - 13 Min
Mile 11 - 11 min
Break again - the really dumb one - 13 minutes
Mile 12 - 15 min
Mile 13 - 13 min
Mile 13.9 - 9 min

Total time 187 minutes or 3 hours and 7 minutes. Terrible for a half.

Actually running time - 159 minutes or 2 hours and 39 minutes. Great for all the ups and downs over there.

Ok, so now I am caught up. What do you got to say now shoes? And yes, you guys do stink.

Hi, this is RTL's running shoes. Has anyone seen our friend RTL? he hasn't posted in weeks, so we thought we'd fill in for him. Last weekend, we did 14 miles. Boy were we sore! This weekend we're going 16. Is he nuts? You can't run a marathon training only once a week. Can you? I sure hope he remembers the odor eaters cuz we've got some "funk" issues growing inside us. Well, Smell ya later!

Rtl's Running shoes.

Figured the time was too quick for me. Real time...

1 hr 43m 30s

Today was the Mountain Goat runs.

5k loop of hills.
215 feet of downhills.
215 feet of UPHILLS!!!!

My calves were screaming at me. You idiot. You are you doing to us.
You haven't trained for this. You fool. and so on.

I heard them, well I felt them. Oh, how did I feel them. But I ingored it best as I could.

Pain. Phew!!

I run through pain like it was a wet tissue.
Then I go home, curl up in the fetal position, and cry like a little baby.

But I persevered and finished. Possibly in world record time. Ok, maybe a personal best. If my time was correct then 95 minutes - 10:12/mile. If a correction is necessary I will make it if it makes me look better.