The Eugene Diaries: Chapter 13
Sicko
I was this close to running inside.
All week long, the forecast for Sunday called for rain and strong winds. No matter when I checked and no matter if I went hour by hour or just the entire day: Wind. Rain. Rinse and repeat.
20 miles were on tap. 20 miles with 14 miles at Marathon Pace. The last Long Run like this of the cycle. I wanted to do anything but run that mileage, at that pace, inside. I woke up and texted my buddy Blake to see what he thought about the forecast. After some fast miles last week, we planned on getting more fast miles together on Sunday. With that much rain, we made the call to punt on running together. I’d knock it out on the treadmill, bored out of my mind.
Around 8:30 or so, I took Banks outside and… it wasn’t that bad! The rain was barely a sprinkle. The wind was its usual self, but nothing I couldn’t handle, especially after what it brought to the trail this week. I wouldn’t even need to wear full tights; half tights would work! I got back inside and told Riss I was reconsidering my decision to run inside. “I’m surprised you ever considered that in the first place,” she told me. I thought about Eugene a bit more. Weather like this, in the Pacific Northwest? Realistic if not outright probable. I made the decision a few minutes later: I was going to Cunningham1.
As I made my way halfway across the dam ahead of the start of my run, stretching and looking north, all I could do was laugh. I was choosing to do this. Choosing to run on an absolute Sickos Day, with the wind gusting north of 20 miles per hour on the wrong side of the lake2. It was time to go.
The gameplan was pretty straight forward: Two miles around 7:45 pace before progressing to 7:30 for mile three, 7:15 for mile four, 7:00 for mile five, and 6:45 for mile six. After that, I had 14 miles at MP, which admittedly has been a bit of a moving target this cycle. I began the year aiming for 2:49:59 in Eugene, which is 6:29-per mile.
In late January, I did a similar workout and averaged 6:21 for ten MP miles.
Four weeks later, I did the same thing, but averaged 6:19 for 12 MP miles.
With the weird weather in the mix, I decided to go after 6:25-per, ultimately hoping to be a bit closer to what I was able to do in January and February. I hadn’t run this fast on wet pavement before, so I figured the goal was sound.
I started a bit too hot the first two miles, running 7:36 and 7:46 (7:41 average), before going 7:26 (four seconds ahead of goal pace), 7:15 (right on!), 6:54 (six seconds), and 6:41 (four seconds). My legs felt good, my fitness felt sound. I made a quick stop at my car before I hit the end of mile six, traded a beanie for a regular hat, and grabbed a bottle of water to carry. Even the rain had let up, stopping entirely before I finished mile six. It was time.
I took off.
Four weeks ago, I never felt better doing a LR like this one. Two weeks ago, I knocked out 87 miles over the course of a week filled with tough workouts and a 24-mile LR. I felt incredible. Last week, I put together my fastest 10k ever and ran 18 more miles the next day. I was practically floating out there.
As I began my final LR with MP built in, I could tell it wasn’t going to be like that one back in February. My legs felt heavier, the pace a bit harder. On my way towards another week of 80+ miles, I was feeling it. I was unable to make it to the gym last week, so when I lifted on Monday, it was the first time in two weeks.
I felt that pain until Thursday3.
That pain was gone by Sunday, but the week still hanging out in my legs. Yet, I was hitting my goal. 6:24 to start the MP miles before a couple 6:21s, a 6:25 on the dot, and one more 6:21. I had nine miles to go, but things were about to get harder.
My watch beeped at me to signal the end of the 12th mile — the sixth at pace — and it was a second above my goal. 6:26. Instead of letting it get me down, I reminded myself that (a) I was hitting my goal in the aggregate and (b) it was still faster than the goal I entered the year with. I kept on going, finishing my second loop around the lake, knowing I’d have the wind at my back for about 20 minutes.
Miles 13 and 14 finished in 6:24 and 6:23, but with six miles left, I knew I wouldn’t be able to go sub-6:25 for all that remained. At this point, I was hoping I could keep everything faster than 6:29 and if possible, finish the run with my fastest mile.
6:26 for mile 15 (✅), 6:28 for mile 16 (✅, but just barely!), 6:26 for mile 17 (✅), 6:24 for mile 18 (✅, even beating the overall goal for the day!), and 6:26 for mile 19 (✅). I had one mile left.
It’s a special feeling as you get closer and closer to finishing a workout like this. My pace was picking up. I was feeling stronger. On a day like today, I don’t take it lightly to go out and deal with the elements. To push myself.
To be a Sicko.
My pace was picking up. My watch showed 5:4x as I got closer and closer to the finish. A tenth of a mile left, there was no doubt this would be my fastest mile. But how fast? Four weeks ago, I finished with a 6:09, strong as hell, yelling at the sky. 19.97, 19.98, 19.99, 20.00. My watch beeped.
6:08.
I yelled at the sky again.
This week in podcasting:
I had a wonderful conversation on Chasing Three Hours with Amber Welch! I connected with Amber last summer while on a beast of a workout LR with Derek Loseke. I followed along with her on her journey to run the Leadville 100, knowing there was a great story there. I asked her to be on the podcast recently, and a great story she indeed had.
Amber has actually been away from running the amount of mileage of previous years and this was something we tapped into early and often in the conversation. Why? What does she miss most? And what’s next? Plus, we discussed the Leadville 100 and her overall love of running. Her outlook on things continues to stick with me. I imagine it will with you as well.
The title sponsor of Chasing Three Hours is Fleet Feet Omaha! I recently purchased my first ever pair of Nike Vaporflys from Fleet Feet and I am over-the-moon excited to wear them at the Eugene Marathon in five weeks. Looking for something fast for your next race? Curious about what kind of shoes would work best for easy weekday mileage? Whatever it is, stop by their two locations in Omaha or their spot in Lincoln, mention this pod, and you’ll get $15 off your first pair of shoes at regular price!
The log:
March 18th: 6 miles in the AM + 4.014 miles in the PM
March 19th: 12 miles with 6 x 1000 at 5k pace
March 20th: 15 miles
March 21st: 6 miles in the AM + 4 miles in the PM
March 22nd: 12 miles
March 23rd: 7 miles
March 24th: 20 miles with 14 at Marathon Pace
Total: 86.01 miles
Year to date: 924.25 miles
March 18th: Monday morning was a good preview of what the week would bring. It was cold, windy, and I saw few souls on the trail I knocked out six miles at a 9:06 pace, my legs feeling pretty good two days removed from the hard 10k. My heart rate averaged 118, another sign of my improved fitness this cycle has had. Monday night’s run was a bit weird, as I had to start in a different spot than usual because of construction, which meant finishing on an uphill. Not too bad though, knocking out the four at a 9:13 average with my HR at 123 throughout. I lifted as well and by the end of the night, I wondered what my legs would have for a tough workout on Tuesday.
March 19th: “Gonna flush this one and move on,” I wrote on Strava. Easier said than done after what I did fix days later, but words I reminded myself of every single day the rest of the week.
The legs were heavy when I woke up and I knew the turnover I wanted wouldn’t be there. Add in wind out of the north and it meant five of the six 1000-meter reps would go right into it. No excuses though, that’s what I get for not lifting the previous week. Not going to let that happen again as I wind down this cycle.
The first 5.5 miles went well enough, with my HR often hanging out in the 130s, but my legs, oh my legs. Not fun. The goal: Each rep faster than 3:25, which is a 5:30-mile pace. What I did: 3:25 (5:30 pace), 3:26 (5:32), 3:33 (5:43), 3:36 (5:48), 3:34 (5:44), and 3:36 (5:48). On average, I finished each rep in 3:32-per 1000 meters, equivalent to a 5:41 mile. Overall, I averaged 7:14-per mile with the HR at 148. Honestly, really great numbers overall and a run I’d usually be excited about. But following a week with two incredible workouts, I indeed wanted to just move the hell on.
March 20th: My legs were mostly fine on Wednesday, if a little bit sore. And wouldn’t you know it, news about Nebraska athletics broke for the second straight week on the same exact run. Hopefully things calm down from here on out!5
That said, I was very happy with the consistency of this one. Outside of my first mile — 8:09 — I never went faster than 7:45 and never went slower than 7:58. Most miles hung somewhere in the middle of those numbers, which helps explain the 7:53-per mile pace I finished with. My HR averaged 137. Outside of the wind in my face for 7.5 miles, there wasn’t a whole lot to complain about with this one.
March 21st: Six in the AM (8:59-per, HR averaging 122), four in the PM (9:01-per, HR averaging 125). Was nice wearing shorts for the second run but the wind really was sapping a lot of enjoyment from what I was putting together.
March 22nd: With more heavy gusts in the forecast for Friday, I decided to use some free time in the morning to head to Lake Cunningham. The wind would be coming from the north and I had no desire to deal with it for six consecutive miles. Rather, I’d break it up and have it at my back at the end. A tremendous decision, as this one turned into my most enjoyable run of the entire week. I picked up the pace over the course of the final six miles, especially the final three. 7:39, 7:37, and 7:33 as I finished up, bringing the 12 miles total to 7:49-per with my HR again averaging 137.
March 23rd: I wasn’t able to get in my usual coffee routine Saturday morning and I felt genuinely tired over the course of seven miles. Not to mention, I felt so damn cold! It’s not even winter annymore and I ran in much worse conditions back in January and February. I’m ready for spring. 9:01-per with my HR averaging 123.
March 24th: The final numbers from Sunday tell quite a story. 20 miles total at 6:39-per. It was easily my fastest ever run at that distance. My MP miles averaged 6:23. I set a new half marathon PR in there, going 1:23:42 at some point for 13.1 miles6. My HR averaged 157 for all 20.
It wasn’t my best of these types of runs this cycle but I am so damn happy I decided to go to the lake instead of running on the treadmill. After Tuesday’s workout, it was nice to make some deposits again and go into the rest of the weekend feeling good.
Five weeks left.
I texted Blake to let him know and thankfully he had also pulled the trigger on running outside as well, though with a trip to the gym on his schedule as well. He had a kickass Sunday run!
For those who haven’t run Cunningham before, one side is pretty flat, the other quite hilly. I’d have the wind at my back on the former with it directly into my face on the latter.
I knew it was coming but it didn’t make it any easier. A lesson in consistency.
A reminder, I go off the Strava mileage, which is why things get a bit wonky sometimes.
Knowing Nebraska, they probably won’t.
My 2025 goal is to run a proper half again and really see what I can do.