July 31 - August 06

Weekly Totals ~ Distance: 39.28 mi. Time: 7:32:24 Vertical: 8,310 ft.


Great running week, this week. Just shy of 40 miles and plenty of vertical to keep my high in the clouds. My legs are feeling recovered and they yearn for another episode of 'Mountain Run Monday.' I've been on the slow, patient, and sometimes tumultuous build-up and after this week I'm gaining some confidence in my ability to recover well after longer runs. Probably most evident in the amount of vertical I hit after Monday's run. I've decided, too, that the better shape I get into the less beneficial a complete rest/recovery day is for my body. Even if I just get out and run 2 or 3 miles, nothing hard, I feel much better the following day. I do want to point out that from a pace viewpoint my recovery runs are my fastest runs of the week. Why? Because pace shouldn't determine the quality of a run. If you're running the same course day-in and day-out you can use pace as a guide with a little more accuracy, but if you're like me and your base runs and long runs are on terrain that's listed in hiking guides as strenuous, sometimes a 15:00 min./mi. is equivalent to a 7:00 min./mi. effort. That being said, learn to judge your running by how you feel on the run, not by the numbers. This approach will have a much more positive effect on your overall fitness and running goals. Training plans need to be dynamic, not static.


Sunday, July 31 ~ Marymoor Park ~ Rock-Climbing
Distance: n/a
Time: n/a
Vertical: n/a


Photos Courtesy Charlie B.

Monday, August 01 ~ Granite Mtn. (circumnavigate)  ~ Long Run
Distance: 16.07 mi.
Time: 3:03:34
Vertical: 3,959 ft.


Click to enlarge:
It's Mountain Run Monday. Circumnavigated Granite Mountain. 16 miles, 4000' of vertical gain. There are good runs, bad runs, and great runs. And it's much more efficient to have each type of run in one run. First climb, I felt miserable, then things felt great and then good. Amazing mountain run, today. Over shot the 2:45 cap by 15 minutes, but no worries. Didn't take any water or gel, which is just how I train, not race. Unless the training runs are going to be over 3 hours there's no need for nutrition as long as you're cognitive of what's nutritionally in your body pre-run and what you eat post-run. Heat does have a marked effect, however, and does require a change in operation. Ran past waterfalls, through creeks, over snow, around snow, over trees, up rock slides, under 100'+ trees, and past several mountain lakes.


Photos Courtesy Max F.

Tuesday, August 02 ~ Cougar Mtn. ~ Red Town Trailhead to De Leo Wall, plus some. ~ Base Run
Distance: 7.69 mi.
Time: 1:30:06
Vertical: 1,613 ft.

Base Run, today. My legs are fatigued from the 4000' of climbing, yesterday, so I took things slowly and just had fun. I ran up and down and up and down and wound up with 1600+' of climbing, today, and ran on three new trails. Beautiful weather, too. 70 degrees, and no clouds.



Wednesday, August 03 ~ Coal Creek Parkway ~ Recovery Run (Road)
Distance: 5.98 mi.
Time: 0:49:26
Vertical: 383 ft.


Recovery Run. The sun has lent me some great tan lines, my legs feel much stronger than I anticipated after two days of uphill, we'll see how it they feel tomorrow. I'd like to get in the mountains again, but I'll probably wait.




Thursday, August 04 ~ Off Day
Distance: n/a
Time: n/a
Vertical: n/a


Didn't line up time, motivation, and determination today. Off day it is. I'm sure I'll feel it tomorrow.


Friday, August 05
Run #1 ~ Squak Mt. ~ West Access Tr. to Central Peak ~ Base Run
Distance: 4.53 mi.
Time: 0:54:16
Vertical: 1,558 ft.


The song, "The Mountains Win Again," seems to sum up today's run, except for the fact it was only one mountain, said mountain being Squak Mtn. I just couldn't find a groove for the 1600' of climbing in 2.25 miles that I needed. Even the descent felt like a blank canvas.


Run #2 ~ Cougar Mtn. ~ Volunteer Trail Work with Northwest Trail Runs
Distance: 5.00 mi.
Time: 1:15:00
Vertical: 798 ft.


It's important to give back, especially, for me, in terms of trail maintenance. I use the trails almost everyday, so tonight, along with 5 other volunteers we move wood planks to replace rotting areas along the trail until it was too dark. Courtesy a wrong turn I racked up 5 miles and 800' of vertical gain. It was worth it, though.


Saturday, August 06 ~
Distance: n/a
Time: n/a
Vertical: n/a


Last nights plank carrying mileage was somewhat unplanned. Definitely sore, today. I think I'll rest. Can't wait for some rock climbing, tomorrow, to start next week off.


Next weeks plan: 45 to 50 miles 10,000 ft. vertical followed by a rest week. We'll see how it goes, things always change.