Man, I love the summer

Most people love the summer because they get to sleep in, enjoy a giant breakfast  and may be watch some tv in the morning. Me? I love waking up in the AM and running down at the river. There's just something about being outside on the trails, breathing in the fresh air, feeling the cool breeze coming off the river, and having the morning due rub off the blades of grass onto your legs. 

Summers don't get much better than to me. I can simply loose myself on the trails, and truly dedicate my time to training.

-Run in the morning
-Take a nap in the afternoon

-Hang out with friends in the evening

-And then go on my second run, or do strength workouts

I am definitely enjoying myself right now, and my training is going great. I'm feel strong and health (Although I felt terrible on my last long run. But you always have those off days so no biggie).
My mileage has been at 50-55 for the past month. I have one more week around 54 miles and then I make my last in mileage to 60 right before I get my schedule!

I stil haven't gotten my schedule, but it should be coming in the mail soon.
Excited is an understatement. haha

Summer Is Here!

Few, I did it. Freshman year is over. I did well in my classes and I can happily say that now I can truly  focus on my training.

I went in to talk to Coach Franks today to have a final update meeting and gave him my address as well. So, I should be expecting a summer training packet with my name on it coming in the mail around mid May! I am honestly ecstatic about whats ahead of me in the summer. I'm going to be able to train like a profesional. I'll be able to focusing on my training in the morning, rest during the day, and train more in the evening once the temperature goes down. Coach even told me that with the mileage I am doing now (A little over 50) I am right where I need to be in my mileage progression. The mileage in the schedule is supposed to start around 60 mpw and have me at 75 mpw by the end of the summer. I know it sounds like a lot, but I learned from my mistakes over the winter and I am not planning on committing them again. Lord willing, I will be able to stay healthy over the summer and come back in top shape ready to perform.

These past few weeks I have felt great. I have had a nice progression in my mileage and I have been training much smarter. If my mileage the past 2-3 months was graphed it would be a steady slope of increase. I think the biggest thing that will keep me healthy is keeping my easy days....easy, and not being afraid to take a day off if needed! Back in the winter I kept the intensity up every day and eventually my body broke down. You can fight your body all you want, but when it says no you will loose every time. So, over the summer I'm setting pace lvl that I wont let myself pass on my easy days.

Anyways, Ill be posting much more consistently in the summer with posts every Saturday Night, and in the post I will have a short report of each day.

Let the Summer Training Begin!

Until next time

Alligators, Wasps, and more Cows

So I have a habit to time my runs badly and put my life in potential danger. "But Lucas, everything is dangerous" well... yeah I guess. Theres risk in everything, but let me finish.

Sunday I went out to the refuge with Kamau on sunday, the weather was perfect. So we start running along the rode that goes out to louisville (eventually) and 5 minutes into our run I keep hearing a buzzing sound. I didn't think much of it, but after a minute or so I looked around my head and saw a bunch of wasps. Now... if you know me well you know that I have a terrible fear of flying, stinging insects,ts paralyzing almost. So I start freaking out and swatting everywhere, and Kamua had the same thing happening to him. He had a shirt so he took it off and started swinging it around. We kept running faster and faster until we saw a service road to our right that was closed so we ran off onto the trail, not knowing what we were going to run into.

The bees stopped chasing us and we were able to relax again and enjoy the run. The trail was awesome. It was going straight through the swamps and marshes of the refuge. Eventually the trail came to a fork and I thought "well, if we go left we can connect back up to the road" so we went right. Right when we made that turn I kept hearing these small splashes next to me in the water and I got really jumpy. I knew the refuge has a large aligator population, but I never thought I would see one. About 15 seconds after i heard the splashes I see a huge and I mean HUGE aligator go into the water about 10-15 meters up the trail from us. I don't think I've been more scarred in my life. Its one thing to see one of those animals in a zoo or on TV, but seeing it on land, in person, and out in the wild is completely different. It was a beautiful animal though

Long story short we both said screw this and high tailed it back the way we came and finished up our run on the road. Next time I go out to refuge I'm definitely gonna be more careful about which trails to take and which areas to avoid.
I ended up running 7 miles and the last one was right around 5:50 because of all of the adrenaline.

Side note:
-Todays run on the farm we saw lots of cows out in the trails: somthing about moving them to a new pen. But, I found where they keep the bulls so may be I can get some friends together and play slap the bull...dangerous? Yes, but it would be an awesome thing to do before we leave for finals.

Until next time.

Overtraining and Rhabdomyolysis

Well, training has been goin well for the past week and a half, which was about the last time I posted anything. I think I am going to start posting once a week but write a paragraph on everyday. Posting everyday day is a little too much I think.

Sunday went well; I had a longrun at the wildlife refuge. I completely forgot about the refuge for some reason. I loved running there last semester and I am definitely going to be making weekly visits for my longruns because the trails there are just amazing. 

Monday-Wednesday
Well, I don't know what was wrong, but I felt like crap these three days in a row. My muscles felt fatigued and I wasn't feeling how right. I made sure I was getting adequate sleep and a healthy so I knew that was not the cause. I knew that the heat and humidity definitely had something to do with it, but little did I know of what was to come....

Something told me that I was going to hard on my runs and definitely too fast on my easy days this week and in the previous weeks as-well. Along with that, I recently started going to the gym and was doing some pretty serious post-run workouts. I have really been working hard these past few weeks. My hunger to reach my goal is larger now than it ever has been before. 

Before I go any farther with my entry I want to warn you that if you get gossed easily out easily then you might not want to continue reading.

Yesterday after my run I felt tired and extremely sore.. I did 5.5 miles at a very, very easy 7:20-7:30 pace with my buddy Kamau (who is my training partner). It was supposed to be my nice and easy recoveryday, but I still felt like I was working to hard.  After my run I had we made some pasta and hung out for a little bit. We had plans with our friends that night to go long boarding so I went back to my dorm to change and grab my board. Right before I left my dorm on my board I went to the restroom and thats when it happened. I looked at my urine and I was hydrated but there was a cloudy, brown colored liquid in it. I didn't think of it much at first, but after hearing stories about kidney failure and how dangerous it is I called my friends dad who was a doctor about an hour later.
We talked for about 15 minutes and asked me a whole bunch of questions about my exercise, diet, how I felt, and so on.... In the end he told me that I have Rhabdomyolysis, which is the severe breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue and release of its fiber contents into your bloodstream which then goes into your urinary tract. Its not a severe case (my urine was only cloudy once) and he said I will be ok, I just have to take in lots of fluids, make sure to get salt in my diet, and take some time off to rest.

So, as of right now, I need to take 3 days off from any physical activity whatsoever and then I can return to training. Its disappointing to have another set back, but thats how this sport is, and I give thanks to God for keeping me safe. A bad case of rhabdomyolysis will put you in the hospital, cause kidney failure, and even death.

Keep me in your prayers for a healthy recovery.

Until next time

-Lucas-

Good News

Well, its been a while since I have updated anything.
I had 3 exams in 2 days so all my time after training was spent studying. All 3 exams went well though which is a relief, now I can focus on my training even more until the net exams come up.

Last saturday I went to a track meet that State was hosting, it was great! Got to see some great athletes run some pretty steller times and was just an overall fun experience. That day though, I woke up with a pain on the outside of my foot and I thought, "Oh man I hope its not a stress reaction". So this week I kept the mileage where it was, but didn't do any workouts. Happily though, I had a doctors appointment this morning and I am happy to say that it is not a stress reaction and just inflammation in my joint of my 5 metatarsal....So I can keep running, increase my mileage, an even wear my spikes and I will be ok.

I bought the Jack Daniels Running Formula book and I've been reading it a bunch. I have learned so much about the different styles of training and what different workouts do for you. So as of today I'm going to be starting on a true training schedule. The race is just about a month away now and I am truly excited for what is to come. Heres to dreaming big and hard work.

Today I have
2-4x200 @31
2-4X400 @64-66
1x800 @2:14
2-4X400 @64-66
2-4X200 @31

All with jogging recoveries based off the distance of the interval. This should be a fun one

                                                                                          Cheers!!

Run in with the Police, Dean of Students, and a sore foot

Hey guys, this week has been interesting to say the least. I had my first interval sessions in a while and they felt great, after my 400m session on monday I felt very motivated what is to come. On Wednesday I had 200s. 8 of them to be exact. I kinda just came up with my workouts this week, but its ok because next week I'll be starting the Jack Daniels schedule. My coach from back at home said that we did lots of Jack Daniels style training which means it is the type of training my body is used to, :D so we'll see where it takes me.

But, back to the workout. I had 8 200s at 32 seconds with a minute jogging recovery in between them. To be honest, I had too much recovery in between reps and the pace was slow, so it really wasn't a quality workout that I would have wanted to get, but i still got some good turn over. And some of the 200s I got a litte excited and hit them at 28 or 29. It felt good, and it was definitely good to get more repetitions in at race pace. Its all about getting used to how that pace feels during workouts so that on race day, you are ready and the pace comes out like clockwork. Even better, if I can get used to race pace on the grass, race pace on the track will feel much better. Speaking of grass, this is where it gets interesting....

I ran both workouts this week on the intramural soccer field by the south farm. Its perfect for doing repeats. A flat, well maintained, firm grass field where you can measure out distances and really get in a great quality workout, and the field is almost always empty so having the facility to yourself is also a plus. BUT, and this is a very big butt... Its illegal to run on the field when the gate is closed. Theres a sign that says something like "NO FENCE JUMPING WHEN GATE IS CLOSED. POLICE WILL BE CALLED." I honestly didn't think I would get the police called on me if I ran there, I mean why would I? I wasn't really doing anything wrong besides trespassing, and I needed a pace to train. But coming into to the last 30 meters of my 5th repeat I see a cop car pullin up and I here "You there, stop right now" I waved at him and pointed at my watch so he would see that I was finishing up. Right away I though, "SH%T" the sign didn't lie. Apparently, dude to some political BS, its against the rules to run on the field because of a liability issue, and the policeman said I had to leave right away. He was actually really nice, and apologized for messing up the workout but that he was just doing his job, i can respect that. The guy who was a real ass was the intramural sports guy who reported us. I asked him why its a liability issue and if its because they think they're facilities are deemed unsafe. All he told was "Well....its the rules" Really?!? The people at the intramural sports office are full of shit, pardon my language, but seriously. I have a higher chance of getting hurt on campus by getting hit by a car, or on the farms (which are still university property), or in the parking lot of the soccer field. If I get hurt on the  fenced off soccer field its because I was being stupid, and the fact that they are worried of being sued because of negligence is ridiculous. They have a perfect soccer field which almost never gets used unless there is an intramural sports game is happening and to everyone who wants to use it, they could care less. It really bothers me, because I COULD use the old intramural fields, but they're about as smooth as no mans land in trench warfare during WWI.... the field is terrible is what I'm getting at.
So, long story short I get written up and they kick me out. What didn't make sense is that they kicked me out right as they were unlocking the gate for a soccer game in 15 minutes, so when they both left I went back in and completed my workout (ended up doing 4 more), the gate was open right? I wasn't breaking any rules.
The next morning I get a call at 9:45 which wakes me up I said the conversation went
Me: "Hello?"
Dean "Hi is this Lucas?"
Me: "Yeah, who is this"
Dean: "This is _____ the Dean of Students"
My initial thought was, dude, why are calling me 15 minutes before my alarm goes off!?!
Long story short, he told me to come into his office to talk about what happened, he was nice about it too, and told me that yes its a little ridiculous but its the rules and that I had to follow. I completely understand that what I did was wrong, but I don't feel bad about it. Some rules were meant to be broken. Apparently I didn't even have to go in and talk to him he just wanted to find out why someone was on the field w/o doing anything wrong like vandalism.

So, besides getting into trouble today was a good weak, i feel strong, and lighter on my feet than I have in a very long time. My foot is a little tender right now so I'm going to take tomorrow off and see if that helps. May be I need to stay off the skateboard for a while and give my foot a rest.

Anyways, until next time!

First Full Workout

Good news, race day is coming up on April the 20th. Yes I know, I have a little over a month to sharpen up a little bit, but thats all I need right now. Besides, my number one goal is to have fun and get experience and my time will come later. But hey, it won't hurt to get some intervals in. This is why today was a great day. I had my first full workout since my injury!

4-5x400m @ 64-66 (1500m target pace) with 1:30-2:00 recovery
It was raining right before I headed out but thankfully it cleared up cause workouts in the rain aren't fun. I ended up measuring out 400m at the intramural soccer fields on campus and it ended up being a perfect location. Its nice and flat with no ditches or puddles of water. Usually I go to the sportsplex off campus but being that I stressed my foot there last time, I feel more comfortable running somewhere else for now, haha.

As for the workout, it went well. I warmed up for 20 minutes ~3 miles and then did drills and strides. I spiked up right before I did the strides. It always feels great to spike up, especially after not doing so for a while. When you put them on, you know its go time. Plus, the soggy wet soccer field would be slippery and terrible to go fast on with my trainers so it was a perfect opportunity to rock out my old XC spikes :D. The first 400 I went out and told myself I would try and feel out my targeted pace. It felt slow in the end and it was. I ended up running a 68, but I'm glad the first one was slower because then I knew exactly how much to speed up. The next 4 came like clock work hitting 64 on all of them. It wasn't "easy", but it feel great to get that turn over in. I felt fluid and strong. This is the reason I love doing intervals more than tempo runs. I feel like I can really open up my stride, and being 6'2 its pretty big. The 4th 400 was the toughest, I was pretty spent and the lactic acid was starting to sit in, but hey, running is all about pushing through the pain. You gotta accept the pain, embrace it, and just work through it. I don't remember if I had ever yelled to psych myself up between intervals but I did today, and it definitely helped. Thankfully nobody was there, if there was I probably would have scared them way.

I learned something new today though, at least about myself. When I am at my most tired state during repeats, if I can just go out and hit the first half on pace staying** relaxed** and controlled, I'll be good for the second half. Its all mental really. Doing fast intervals is all about staying relaxed and composed, once you start to get weak and lazy with your form, it will be hard to keep up with the pace.

I was very satisfied today overall though. Even with the slower first interval I know I got a good one in. Taking into account that I ran it in the wet grass, even though I had spikes which helped, I know I would have gone faster on a track. And that is a good feeling.