The Eugene Diaries: Chapter 4
Time for the most miles ever
50+ miles into the week with 20 more to go, I was sitting with Riss Sunday morning, preparing to go out for my Long Run.
“My body’s feeling pretty good,” I told her.
“That’s good,” she responded. “Especially with how cold it’s been.”
She ain’t wrong.
Four weeks into training for the Eugene Marathon, things are about to ramp up in a big way. For the second time ever, I ran 74 miles in a week. Next week, the number will climb closer to 80. A step-back week will follow before it climbs again. More weeks in the high-70s before multiple weeks in the 80s. Over and over in the next few months, before the taper arrives and things dial back.
Weeks ago, I asked a friend if I was making a mistake. Him and I both agreed it wasn’t a mistake. Almost a month into the process, I feel like I’m more prepared than ever for what’s on tap. In past years, it took until the second month of the cycle to hit 20 miles. This time, I did so on the 28th day of training. In past years, I wasn’t stuck inside on the treadmill for 76 miles over the course of two weeks. This year, I was.
Each day outside has felt like a reward. Something not only earned; something to be appreciated on a different level.
As I made my way south on West Papio Sunday morning, wind directly in my face, I found myself weirdly enjoying things. I’d rather deal with the elements — wind, snow deep in spots, an elevated heart rate wearing spikes — than spending another 2+ hours on the treadmill, not sure where to look in the gym.
For an hour or so, that was what I did. Ran and ran, gust after gust finding me. My water bottles became more and more difficult to open. First the left one stopped working, then the right. By the time I was six miles in, I had to unscrew the caps entirely off just to take a swig. Water spilled down my chin; spilled on my gloves. The wind was harsher than ever as I ran towards mile seven, across the dam at Lake Zorinsky.
The snow was at its highest as I made my way around the lake. I’d remember that for later, knowing it was going to be the one negative about running home. The one negative, because the wind kept on whipping my face. I only had a couple miles left by this point. A couple miles left before I’d hit ten.
Because at that point, I’d turn around, wind at my back.
It was time to run home.
This week in podcasting:
Clay Simpson joined me on this week’s Chasing Three Hours! We had a wonderful conversation about his recent chase for an OTQ and why his mindset is so positive after falling short. Plus, his running journey overall, throwing himself into things like he does, and more.
It amazes me how many fans of the Philadelphia Eagles I’ve had on the pod in such a short amount of time. Need to change that!
I mentioned it on the podcast: I’ll be running the Chicago Marathon this October and once again doing so for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. In 2022, I did so with the goal of $5000. While that’s my first goal again this year, I’m hoping to surpass and do so in a big way. If you’d like to support me — and more importantly, the hospital — you can do so here.
I first sent out the link on January 10th and I’m already close to 10% of my goal. Would love to hit that, and then some, this week. Stay tuned for some fun stuff planned as 2024 rolls on and the marathon gets closer.
I appreciate the support!
The log:
January 15th: 6 miles
January 16th: 12.01 miles
January 17th: 10.01 miles
January 18th: 6 miles
January 19th: 14 miles
January 20th: 6 miles
January 21st: 20.01 miles
Total: 74.03 miles
Year to date: 211.25 miles
January 15th: You ever have one of those mornings where you wake up and remember something that went terribly wrong the night before? That was me Monday morning, as the Dallas Cowboys loss slowly hit my brain, the pain of Sunday returning in full force. Sadly, the game wasn’t a bad dream. Some say running is their therapy. For me, it’s a happy place, an area of my life that more often than not, brings me joy. Wish I could say the same for my favorite team. Apologies, this isn’t the Dallas Cowboys Fan Diaries: Chapter 28, Yet Again Another Year Without a Title.
While Monday was warmer than Saturday and Sunday, it wasn’t nice enough to head outside, especially for a recovery run. Knocked out six miles on the treadmill before the usual Monday circuit with weights. 9:13-per mile with my HR averaging 111. For as bad as I felt waking up, this one went as well as a run inside can go.
January 16th: Had some decisions to make ahead of Tuesday’s run, but honestly, they were easy ones. A workout with some hills and strides wouldn’t be possible outside and I didn’t feel like messing around with that on the treadmill, so I switched Tuesday’s with one later in the week. Instead, I’d run 12 miles inside once again. Much like Monday’s, I left pretty pleased with what I was able to accomplish. My HR never climbed out of control, still under 140 on the 12th and final mile. Overall, 7:30-per with the HR at 132 on average. Another solid run inside but I hoped I’d get back outside Wednesday.
January 17th: I did.
I’d play it by ear on the hills and strides, but I was just happy to get out again, even with the feels like temp at 3º. It’s wild how much my HR elevates with the spikes on; the miles feeling a little bit harder, whether on the raw concrete or over snow and ice. By the time I got to Pacific St., I knew I wouldn’t be able to do any sort of speed or hill work. Too much snow, too much ice. Instead, I’d keep going until I hit the halfway point, before making my way back home. Can’t imagine ever enjoying close to 80+ minutes outside in weather like that as much as I did, but the sun lifted my spirits. 7:47-per mile with the HR averaging 150. It wasn’t perfect, but we won’t let that be the enemy of good.
January 18th: I returned to the trail the next day for a pretty blah run overall. Six miles at a 9:06-pace, my HR averaged 127 overall. With temps again in the single digits and a pace over a minute slower than Wednesday’s, I had more layers on and didn’t take too many peeks at my watch. What started with a 9:31 first mile eventually hit 8:49 on mile five. Oops! More consistent in the other four, but that wasn’t the best pacing I’ve ever done based off feel. Throw in cloud cover throughout and it wasn’t my favorite. Still though, nice to be outside again.
January 19th: I’d stay inside Friday with 14 more miles to run. Once again, I’d run at a 7:30-per mile pace — eight miles per hour on the treadmill — and did my best to focus on my podcasts and nothing else. Surprisingly, the run flew on by. HR was again at 132 for the run. A strong one going into a big mileage weekend.
January 20th: I rarely turn on the TV at the gym, instead choosing to listen to podcasts. For some reason, I don’t like looking up at the TV constantly. That said, watching sports is my job, so I fired up Creighton/Seton Hall as I began my run Saturday — six miles at recovery pace — not knowing I’d see one half of a game that wouldn’t end until almost 2:00pm, going into three overtimes in the process. 9:14-per mile with the HR at 113 beats-per minute. Another good one. My legs especially enjoyed it, knowing what was to come on Sunday.
January 21st: It was eleven degrees on Sunday morning. The feels like said -4º. The wind was consistently at 10+ MPH, with gusts much higher. But come on, you think I’m running 20 miles inside when there’s a perfectly good trail and sun out there? The cold seemed to be giving my watch issues, so I went off feel more than data on this one. And the feeling was good. Outside of a couple miles early with increased elevation, and deeper snow than normal, I ran sub-8:00 on every mile. In particular, six of the last seven were in the 7:30s.
And the turn home, oh the turn home. Heading north across the dam was a joy. At times in the remaining miles I felt a bit warm, before a gust so strong at my back had me feeling cold again.
It was great.
7:46-per mile for those 20, with the HR at 153 throughout.
After ten runs inside the last two weeks, this run — my longest since the Des Moines Marathon in October — was one I appreciated darn near every step. Four weeks down. 14 to go.
Let’s set some weekly mileage bests.
Again and again.
