HURT training for 2013

Training is a strange issue, particular if the past year did not meet up to expectations.   That's my case in double as the last two years were only 40 mile ventures.  Last year my mother was not doing too well so I give myself an out on that.   But two forties is a hard pill to swallow.

But training this year has led me to realize that I'm unlikely to do 100Miles.   I'm aiming at 100K and I'll be happy with that.  My knees just are  not up to it.   I've managed a few 4 to 6 hour runs over the trails, but it is hard to get in more.  I feel it, my knees feel it, and there seems to be no sense in pushing beyond what I can manage.    So I'll save myself for the 24 hours on the trails that will be required for the 100K.

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A Manoa Out and Back and a Honolulu Marathon

Running the Honolulu Marathon is a bit of of a wimpish exercise, at least from the point of view of the distance being covered, and all the hoopla considering it is just 26 miles.   So in keeping with a few past years I went out the night before and did some distance on the trails to help the day meet the minimum standards of real HURT training.

Zedoc and I met about 10:00 and headed up out of Manoa.  We reached to top in 50 and headed to the Kalawahine trail head, cut down Kalawahine toward Tantalus, and then did Concrete to the top.  We were hitting about two hours by then, and dropped down the back, cut back over the flats, and made our way back down into Manoa. We made it back to the cars about 1:40 or so.   Nothing spectacular, just time on feet in the dark, wet, night.

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Another Evening Up

I used to do the first section of the HURT almost daily last year.  But in the end I tore myself up so bad that I ended up getting less out of it than I had hoped.  So this year I'm cutting back a bit, hoping to save my knees and trying to figure out where and when I am putting the stress on them.

For many this is just defeatist jargon for I'm looking to quit.  But I don't think so.  I'm just at the stage where it takes a lot of planning to get done what I hope to, and getting out there and putting it all on the line every time I go out is not the way.  I used to think doing the ups was not harmful but I've realized that anything stressful in the first few hours is harmful.

So the fast ups are going to have to be a little less frequent.  And on race day I'm going to go for a 7:00 hour first loop.  I'll worry about time after I get toward three plus.   I want to do sixty if only because I have twice done 40 and I feel I need to get something done just to prove I'm still in the game.

Anyway Fishy and I went out and did the up and clocked a 47 which is OK.  I was hitting 28 at the bottom of Mango's but my knees were bothering me a bit so I slowed on the step-ups and came in a few minutes slow.  But it felt good and we went on the go up to the yellow gate about 400 yards up Concretes.  We headed back in the dark and paced pretty good down Nahuina, Mangos, and Center trail.  NO running but some smart use of the lines and knowledge of the rugged areas.

The good cardio is doing my heart rate a lot of good.  Which is nice to see again.    

Running Harder and Accomplishing Less

Fish and I went out on Saturday and I was fighting right from the start.  Even with his hamstring giving him a hard time Fishy can just walk away from me if he wants.  So I was winded by the time we got to the Nature Center and the push up the Hog Back was a strain right from the start.  I was leading, but I was feeling it, that kind of dull, thick, ache that comes on when you just don't have it there in the bank.  Its been like that a lot recently.  

I pushed up the Hog Back in any case and was gasping for air as we hit the top in 17:30.  Not bad really, but I should not have been suffering so, or at least that is what I was telling myself.  We had caught Bozo on her way up the climb and waited a minute or two for her to come around the bend and let her lead down the hill.  She ran away from us, even as we hit the three way on Center Trail at under 28:00.

I bent into the hill and pushed hard, but it didn't seem to be happening. It was awful. I pushed hard up Mango's to the first switchback and caught my first sight of Bozo.  We hit the second switch and she was gone again.  The Rock Wall was upon us and I scrambled up hoping to catch her on the climb through Cathedral's.  We didn't but I could see her making the turn and heading up into the Dark Forest when I passed the three-way at Makiki Valley  and Nahuina.  

Bozo was jogging on the even ground, and I was forced to do the same.  We gained a few yards at each of the Seeps, and then pushed on chasing her up towards the Rill and through Bunyan's.  I jogged and pushed up the rooty hill toward Banana Patch.   Bozo was fighting to stay ahead but finally gave me the lead as we passed into Banana Patch.  Then it was just a hard push up past the Viney Avacado, into Hau tree tangles and back through again.  Fishy was right behind me and I was looking at the watch now and then trying to make calcs on time.  We hit the last switch, my legs were hurting a bit, and it only makes a few seconds difference no matter what you do at that points so I pushed toward the road at a fast walk.  We hit Tantalus at 47:20. It was a success, but it wasn't repeated for the rest of the day, but it was a good up.  A few years ago I was braking 45:00.  But I was doing it almost every day.

The rest of the Reverse Trek was a slog.  I had a phone call, lost concentration, and just fell apart.  My hamstring was bothering me a bit and I decided to take it slow.  2:30 for the loop.

Sunday was Marathon training and we headed out at 6:15 for a Hard Hot Highway loop to Makapu'u. ( About 30 miles round trip)   It was another hard day filled with worm holes that sucked up my time and left me wondering how I could once again work so hard and do so little.  We reached the top of Kaimuki in under 50 minutes, I used to jog it in 35, but a fast walk in under 50 is OK.  We made it to Hawaii Kai in just over two hours, which was showing some slowing.  And we got out to the 7/11 at the back of the loop in around 2:20.  

Fishy was pressed for time and said something like 'Mikey maybe we should fast job back?!'  "I am fast jogging Fishy I" replied. Anyway we agreed to part ways at Lunalilio Home Road and fish headed back and I continued on to Makapu'u.  I was out there near 3:30 or so and took the coast trails to the Chair, then climbed to the road.  I Hit the light and turned back.  It was a hot day. Hazy and threatening rain but not producing anything.  No wind, and enough of a glary sun to make it hot.

It was as classic Hard Hot Highway back.  Just cars, noise, heat, and unending road.   I ran into Rae at the end of the back loop, and talked to her for a bit.  Nice to see her. The push back down Kalanianeole was uneventful, as was the push back through Kaimuki.

I ran in Jan from the old house at the University.  two old house people in one day.... and likely a third as I think I saw Ben go by back toward Kahala out there on Kalani.    I made it home in 9:40 or so, which is roughly 20 minute miles, taking time out for the hike across Ka Iwi and the climb up the hill to the road.  Nothing special but I got it done.

Today I was a bit sore, but all in all felt OK.  Time on feet brah.  Sometimes is a ragged thing but it gets you there none the less.

Aloha