Just add H2O

0430

Hill sprints with Antonio and Joe.  Joe decided to bring it today.  He may have been sandbagging a little, but I think he'll show his true colors next week. 

10x200

Pace - Slowest/Fastest: 5:25/4:55

Ave pace - 5:10

86F, 23% hum, 4.6 mph winds, clear

0430

Ruck 50 lbs

Garmin petered out.  Took 1:35:something to go ~ 4.6 miles.

Passed the time commiserating with Pete on sleep deprivation.

88-84F, 18-29% hum, 1.2 mph winds, clear but it smelled like smoke

0430

Took Antonio into uncomfortable terriotory and made him run slow and easy.

I ran without the Garmin.  We figured we ran 10 or 11, but after mapping it out it was only 9.65.

Threw in the hill in the middle and the end.  Ran into Joe at the end and he helped us finish strong before going on his merry way.

8:59 pace

86F, 29% hum, 5.8 mph winds, clear

Woke up in time for a race, but hit snooze instead. No regrets. Did some poolwork in the morning and crossfit at night. 

Poolwork. 

PR'ed  in no-hand tread and mask recovery.

0430

Planned for 8 easy with Antonio and Joe, but did a bit shorter.  And not so easy for me.

Mile one was easy, but my hopes of that pace lasting throughout the run were dashed starting Mile two.

I really need to assert my position on easy running more forcefully.

I was too smoked to do a cooldown with Joe at the end.

77F, 32% hum, 4.6 mph winds, clear

0430

Ruck 50.  Jay joined the group.  Showed up wearing a full uniform.  Sucked for him.

82F, 23% hum, 4.6 mph winds, hazy

No pool. Jon was sick.  I was thankful.

1800

Redid the birthday workout with Jen, since she was dehydrated for the actual one.  She was a good way through the deck when I joined her and did another full deck with me.  Beast.

0430

Hill sprints

10x200

Pace: Fast/Slow/Ave - 5:05/5:29/5:15

By lap 7 Antonio stopped waiting for us to start a new lap as he walked faster to the bottom of the hill.  He was in a hurry to get to PT.

Joe manned up and smoked me.

Pete decided to forgo beauty sleep and come out.

Good times.

84F, 25% hum; 4.6 mph winds, clear

0430

9:23 pace.  Saved the hill for last, much to the dismay of Antonio and Pete.  And me.

86F, 23% hum, 5.8 mph winds, clear

"Kelly" in 25:48

"Annie" modified with the addition of 400m sprints after each set.

During our Thurs long run, Antonio said that he heard a rumor about a half marathon on Sun. On Fri morning, he was able to confirm it. That night I learned that they were also offering a full, so I had about 33 hours to prepare for a marathon. Except for the occasional half marathon, I haven't run more than 13 miles since I was training for my first marathon in 2007. So instead of trying to cram a bunch of running in, I prepped by trying to convince as many people as possible to do it so I wouldn't be alone and applying a liberal amount of Body Glide to strategic areas.

I hit the wall before I had started running, right at 3:20 when my alarm went off. I didn't sleep well the night before. I went to Will's going away dinner and some friends invited me over for a BBQ afterwards. They're leaving soon, so I acquiesced. I didn't get to bed until past midnight.

When I showed up at the race start, I told Antonio that running a full is stupid and we should just do the half. He said, "No, we're doing the whole thing. You talked me into it (he was the only one who agreed) and I'm not going to !#$%^* out."

When the race started Antonio took off like a bat out of hell while I settled into an easy pace. It was dark and a good quarter or half mile was on gravel. Not many people turned out, because it wasn't advertised base-wide. The race thinned out pretty quick. They marked the turns with spray-painted arrows on the road, but there weren't any lights so I didn't see the arrows until I was on my way back and the sun had come up. Luckily I was running with a guy who had seen a map of the race prior and knew where to turn, otherwise I would have been lost.

I ran into Antonio around the 6 mile point for me and the 7 mile point for him (the turnaround was at 6.5 miles). I yelled some encouraging words to him. It was some string of obsenities to motivate him. I didn't see him again until I made it back to the finish line for the half where he was waiting for me. Turns out he had raced the half and was spent. He wanted to leave. We had taken separate cars so he didn't have to wait for me or anything. At that point, I had it in my head that I was doing the whole thing and yelled more obsenities at him. He chased me for a little bit then went back.

I had finished the half in good time for me, so I was on track for a PR. I wasn't hurting and I figured I could drop to a real comfortable pace and still PR. So I slowed down a bit and enjoyed my inner dialouge. By and by, I would stop a little longer at the aid stations and drink a few cups instead of trying to drink and run. But, I had learned that there were only 2 guys in front of me. And one had started walking. So I picked it up my pace thinking I may get 2nd place.

At the 19 mile point I ran into the the guy walking. He was at his 20 mile point, since he was just coming from the turnaround and I was on my way there. A little later, I ran into the other guy. He was about a half mile ahead of me. I was feeling good about this. I wasn't hurting too bad and I wanted to place in a marathon. At my 20.25, I had the walker in my sights, however I saw this shuffling mass wearing neon green shoes. It was Antonio. He started about 10 minutes after I had left the halfway point. It took that long for the guilt to set in. It was good to see him, so I ran back to the turnaround and we ran the rest of the way together. It added another mile and a half to my run too.

I wasn't that concerned about placing. It would have been nice, but I just wanted to see if I could endure it. Overall it was pretty pleasant. The volunteers were very supportive. The weather felt cool. It was 80F when we started and it warmed up to 93F by the time we finished. There were clear skies. And Antonio kept telling me how much he hated me. Good times.

0430

9:09 pace

Antonio ran ahead because going slow hurts him on the inside. 

Pete and I stuck together because going fast hurts us on the outside.

0430

Hill work, because why not?  Jay joined Antonio and me. 

10x200m

Pace: Slow/Fast/Ave - 6:10/4:56/5:41

Progressively sped up.  Last repeat was the fastest.

79F, 34% hum, 5.8 mph winds, clear

1800

"RIP Todd"

800m

100 situps/100 pushups

800m

50 dips/ 50 kipping pullups

800m

25 squats/ 25 wall ball

800m

25:18

95F, 20% hum, 6.9 mph winds, clear enough to see the Perfume Palace from Victory

0430

Ruck 20 lbs with Pete.  I'll have to give Antonio and Jay a hard time for not showing. 

18:01 pace

Sometime after breakfast...

"Michael"

3 rounds

800m on a treadmill (3:08, 3:14, 3:11)

50 back extensions (on a machine 115 lbs)

50 situps

20:32 total

The pool in Kuwait is off limits to non-permanent party.  Party poopers!

1830

The Latin American space program does exist.  I saw an Argentine Rocket with my own eyes.

88 F, 55% hum, 9.2 mph winds, partly cloudy

0600

It's great to be home.  Carbo loaded with Rachel's brownies and beer.

7:54 pace

61F, 75%, 3.5 mph winds, clear

1000

8x400 on a track.

Running in circles made me miss the flightline, but I'll get over it.

Times: Goal/ave - 1:33/1:29 (the brownie diet is working)

82F, 38% hum, calm winds, partly sunny

1520

Tempo on a gently rolling trail.  Tried to hold a 7:07 pace, but ended up doing a 7:20 pace.

99F, 22% hum, 4.6 mph winds, really sunny