I decided to get on an 18-week program to train for a marathon in June. The original program had me running 6 days a week, but I decided to modify it so that I am running 4 days a week and doing other activities, such as weightlifting, riding a bike, or using an elliptical machine for those other two days.
So far the training has gone fairly well. I missed the best of one week do to a vacation, but I was somewhat active (see previous post about the Grand Canyon), so I felt strong when I needed to run again. For the most part, here is the routine:
Monday: Rest or cross train
Tuesday: Speed training (200s, 400s, 800s, 5k tests, intervals)
Wednesday: Cross train
Thursday: Speed training (200s, 400s, 800s, 5k tests, intervals)
Friday: Rest or cross train
Saturday: mid-distance run (increasing from 5-10 miles over course of training), every other week being at race pace
Sunday: Long run
Two highlights of my training so far: hitting a PR 5k time on a treadmill and running 16 miles on a day with miserable conditions (rain/sleet/snow/wind).
The long run started at 10 miles and has slowly creeped up from there. I don't plan on running more than 22, but do plan on going 20 at least twice prior to the marathon.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
South Rim of the Grand Canyon in March
I recently traveled to the Grand Canyon, and yes, it is appropriately named, if you haven't been there. It has always been a place I have wanted to see ever since hearing about kids who went there with their families when I was in grade school.
I camped in Mather Campground, located in the south rim area of the park. It was a decent campsite, though being in higher elevation (around 7000 feet) and in mid-march, the temps did get into the upper teens over night, which wasn't a big problem as I had come prepared from Minnesota with warm clothing. Staying two nights, it gave me a chance to see a couple of trails.
The first night I saw the rim trail, which is extremely popular as it is all blacktop and provides for epic views. It is accessible in a variety of shuttle bus stops, but I walked from the campground to it, as it still wasn't too far.
The next day I headed out early (with a partner) as we shuttled over to the South Kaibab trailhead. We began a hike into the canyon, which started out with some switchbacks (even a little bit of ice), and the tone was set. We made our way down to a place called Skeleton Point and decided to turn around and head back up. This made for roughly six miles round trip. The trail was heavily used, by both people and mules.
What a special place the Grand Canyon is. I'm glad I got to go, and would I go back? You bet! The place is huge and I only saw a sliver of it.
I camped in Mather Campground, located in the south rim area of the park. It was a decent campsite, though being in higher elevation (around 7000 feet) and in mid-march, the temps did get into the upper teens over night, which wasn't a big problem as I had come prepared from Minnesota with warm clothing. Staying two nights, it gave me a chance to see a couple of trails.
The first night I saw the rim trail, which is extremely popular as it is all blacktop and provides for epic views. It is accessible in a variety of shuttle bus stops, but I walked from the campground to it, as it still wasn't too far. The next day I headed out early (with a partner) as we shuttled over to the South Kaibab trailhead. We began a hike into the canyon, which started out with some switchbacks (even a little bit of ice), and the tone was set. We made our way down to a place called Skeleton Point and decided to turn around and head back up. This made for roughly six miles round trip. The trail was heavily used, by both people and mules.
What a special place the Grand Canyon is. I'm glad I got to go, and would I go back? You bet! The place is huge and I only saw a sliver of it.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico
I recently got the opportunity to visit Santa Fe, New Mexico. I spent about a day and a half there, which I felt was sufficient time to explore. Here are some of the activities I did.
Hiking just outside of town. There is a free place to park and go on a hike through the woods, I believed it was called Sierra del Norte. It wasn't too busy and provided for some nice views of the landscape.
Checking out the art galleries and shops downtown. I spent several hours downtown Santa Fe, browsing churches, art galleries, shops, the State Capitol, and just downtown in general. It was a pleasant downtown catered to visitors.
Eating Mexican food. I ate at 3 Mexican restaurants while in Santa Fe, and I was never disappointed. I honestly don't remember the names, but each had a different appeal. One was a Fast food-esque Mexican place (not like Taco bell, though), where I enjoyed a beer and some chips with guacamole. The next was a nice sit down place where I remember having a couple of margaritas along with my meal. The final was a place downtown known for being good, where whatever I ordered was just one notch spicier than I'm used to, which led me to drinking a lot of water. Conclusion: this is a good area for Mexican food!
It was a joy to visit Santa Fe, and I would definitely go back.
Hiking just outside of town. There is a free place to park and go on a hike through the woods, I believed it was called Sierra del Norte. It wasn't too busy and provided for some nice views of the landscape.
Checking out the art galleries and shops downtown. I spent several hours downtown Santa Fe, browsing churches, art galleries, shops, the State Capitol, and just downtown in general. It was a pleasant downtown catered to visitors.
Eating Mexican food. I ate at 3 Mexican restaurants while in Santa Fe, and I was never disappointed. I honestly don't remember the names, but each had a different appeal. One was a Fast food-esque Mexican place (not like Taco bell, though), where I enjoyed a beer and some chips with guacamole. The next was a nice sit down place where I remember having a couple of margaritas along with my meal. The final was a place downtown known for being good, where whatever I ordered was just one notch spicier than I'm used to, which led me to drinking a lot of water. Conclusion: this is a good area for Mexican food!
It was a joy to visit Santa Fe, and I would definitely go back.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Cross country skiing
I have wanted to get into cross country skiing for a while, but never paid for a lesson or asked a friend who knew what they were doing to take me out until very recently. We took to the trails of Theodore Wirth park in Minneapolis, and I had a pretty good time.
Knowing how good of a workout skiing can be, and with how long it stays cold enough to keep snow on the ground in Minnesota, its sort of surprising that I haven't done more skiing in my life. I've only gone a few times, and just the other day was the first time that I really got a lesson.
It is hard. Technique is extremely important, as different techniques are needed depending on if you are going up a hill, on flat ground or down a hill. Balance was also really important, as the feeling of balancing on skis isn't exactly natural to me. I'm sure endurance is important as well, though we didn't go far enough to test my endurance. As with anything, having the patience to learn will be important if I want to continue skiing.
We ended up skiing for about an hour, and with all of the stop and go of falling and fixing technique, I think we only traveled something like 3 kilometers.
I am definitely looking forward to spring, but I think I'll be back on skis again in about 9 months.
Knowing how good of a workout skiing can be, and with how long it stays cold enough to keep snow on the ground in Minnesota, its sort of surprising that I haven't done more skiing in my life. I've only gone a few times, and just the other day was the first time that I really got a lesson.
It is hard. Technique is extremely important, as different techniques are needed depending on if you are going up a hill, on flat ground or down a hill. Balance was also really important, as the feeling of balancing on skis isn't exactly natural to me. I'm sure endurance is important as well, though we didn't go far enough to test my endurance. As with anything, having the patience to learn will be important if I want to continue skiing.
We ended up skiing for about an hour, and with all of the stop and go of falling and fixing technique, I think we only traveled something like 3 kilometers.
I am definitely looking forward to spring, but I think I'll be back on skis again in about 9 months.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Exploring Brickyards area of Lilydale regional park
I've recently visited the Brickyards area of Lilydale regional park a couple of times, and thought it was worth a blog post. Located just down the road from Harriet Island park in St. Paul, it is a great place to get away from town without ever really leaving town.
The Brickyard trail is named after the Twin Cities Brick Company, which used to be located on the property. You can still see remnants of this, for more info on the history, check out the NPS website.
Located on a hill, waterfalls are formed from small streams of water flowing in places where cliffs (due to the brick quarry) are located. In the winter they form large walls, which are great for climbing. I got the chance to go ice climbing there, and had a great time.
As I was snowshoeing along the trail, I noticed a couple of groups sledding down the trail, which is something I didn't do, but clearly would be a fun activity if you've got a sled sitting around. For one, it sure would speed up your trip down to the car if you parked on the bottom!
I definitely recommend visiting this trail to anyone interested in a nice hike through the woods.
The Brickyard trail is named after the Twin Cities Brick Company, which used to be located on the property. You can still see remnants of this, for more info on the history, check out the NPS website.
Located on a hill, waterfalls are formed from small streams of water flowing in places where cliffs (due to the brick quarry) are located. In the winter they form large walls, which are great for climbing. I got the chance to go ice climbing there, and had a great time.As I was snowshoeing along the trail, I noticed a couple of groups sledding down the trail, which is something I didn't do, but clearly would be a fun activity if you've got a sled sitting around. For one, it sure would speed up your trip down to the car if you parked on the bottom!
I definitely recommend visiting this trail to anyone interested in a nice hike through the woods.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Crashed Ice 2013
Its been a while since I last posted, but as I've explained before, that means I've been busy going on adventures! The one I'll be talking about today wasn't adventurous for me (I was a spectator), but for the competitors, it certainly was.
I wrote about crashed ice last year, and it was similarly a very busy weekend in St. Paul. In addition to Crashed Ice, there was a parade and some winter carnival festivities going on downtown. I was happy to hear that Red Bull would be putting the event on again, as it is really a unique event drawing many people to visit the twin cities.
The course was a little longer this year, but the idea was still the same: try to stay up on your skates, and if you fall, don't give up as someone else may fall ahead of you. That is probably over simplifying it, but if you ask any of the daredevil participants, they would likely give you a pretty similar take. The fact that falling could happen to anyone at anytime added to the excitement, and suspense of watching the racers fly by along the track.
If you want a taste of what Crashed Ice is all about, check out the youtube video below.
It was definitely a fun event to watch and I hope to see it back in Minnesota again next year!
I wrote about crashed ice last year, and it was similarly a very busy weekend in St. Paul. In addition to Crashed Ice, there was a parade and some winter carnival festivities going on downtown. I was happy to hear that Red Bull would be putting the event on again, as it is really a unique event drawing many people to visit the twin cities.
The course was a little longer this year, but the idea was still the same: try to stay up on your skates, and if you fall, don't give up as someone else may fall ahead of you. That is probably over simplifying it, but if you ask any of the daredevil participants, they would likely give you a pretty similar take. The fact that falling could happen to anyone at anytime added to the excitement, and suspense of watching the racers fly by along the track.
If you want a taste of what Crashed Ice is all about, check out the youtube video below.
It was definitely a fun event to watch and I hope to see it back in Minnesota again next year!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
2012 in review
2013 has come and it is time now to reflect on what a year 2012 has been! I haven't been too active in blogging, but I've been very busy going on adventures.
In the beginning of the year, there wasn't much of any snow in the twin cities, making it a uniquely non-wintery winter (if that makes any sense). It was nice for running, but I didn't feel right not using my snowshoes all winter. I did get to go ice climbing in Sandstone, MN in February, which was really fun, and also attended the Red Bull Crashed Ice event in St. Paul in January, making for two solid "Winter" activities. I also traveled to Hawaii in February, where I did some hiking, some surfing (this one was a big goal of mine), made it to the state high point, and enjoyed the weather.
In March I left town again, heading out east to Connecticut for work. I used this trip to visit a friend in Boston and go to the highest point in Rhode Island. It has been my only "solo" highpoint to date. In April, I went camping a couple times, once at Willow River state park, and the other time at Lake Maria State Park. Both were fun experiences.
In May, I climbed outside a couple of times. Once at Interstate state park, and another time at Devil's Lake State Park. Both were great experiences. I also camped near Devil's Lake State Park, so my friends and I spent a couple days in the area. I also ran in a 1 mile race, finishing in pain from a really dry throat. It was getting warmer out, so I used my bike a few times as well. In June, I did some more camping, this time at Lake Wissota State Park. It was a great chance to visit Chippewa Falls, WI. I also did some more climbing, visiting Blue Mounds State Park and Palisades State Park (both good places to climb). I also checked out a Twins game on a beautiful afternoon.
In July I did some hiking and canoeing at Lebanon hills regional park in Eagan (a St. Paul suburb), and some kayaking in Northern WI. The kayaking trip was fun as it was a group of a dozen or so friends from high school. In August I went on a road trip to Glacier National Park and Banff National Park, and then back through Canada. It was a great trip with many highlights. This trip consumed about 10 days of the month, so I was pretty busy for the rest of the month, but did attend a Saint Paul Saints game and climb at Interstate in August as well.
In September, one of the adventures was camping and kayaking in Wild River State Park, which being about an hour away from the twin cities, made for a quick getaway. I continued running and ran a 5k race with a time of 18:06, within 20 seconds of my PR. In October I went on a trip to Great river bluffs state park, a park near Winona with great views. I also cheered on participants of the Monster Dash, a popular 10 mile and half-marathon race.
In November, I went on a much-anticipated trip to Haiti. It was a great experience. I was happy to learn about their culture and help some kids. It was definitely one of the highlights of the year. I also ran a thanksgiving day 5k to keep November an active month! December seemed to go so fast with all of the parties, but I still made some time to run, climb, and even went camping at Afton State Park!
2012 was a great year filled with many adventures. I can only hope to continue the trend in 2013!
In the beginning of the year, there wasn't much of any snow in the twin cities, making it a uniquely non-wintery winter (if that makes any sense). It was nice for running, but I didn't feel right not using my snowshoes all winter. I did get to go ice climbing in Sandstone, MN in February, which was really fun, and also attended the Red Bull Crashed Ice event in St. Paul in January, making for two solid "Winter" activities. I also traveled to Hawaii in February, where I did some hiking, some surfing (this one was a big goal of mine), made it to the state high point, and enjoyed the weather.
In March I left town again, heading out east to Connecticut for work. I used this trip to visit a friend in Boston and go to the highest point in Rhode Island. It has been my only "solo" highpoint to date. In April, I went camping a couple times, once at Willow River state park, and the other time at Lake Maria State Park. Both were fun experiences.
In May, I climbed outside a couple of times. Once at Interstate state park, and another time at Devil's Lake State Park. Both were great experiences. I also camped near Devil's Lake State Park, so my friends and I spent a couple days in the area. I also ran in a 1 mile race, finishing in pain from a really dry throat. It was getting warmer out, so I used my bike a few times as well. In June, I did some more camping, this time at Lake Wissota State Park. It was a great chance to visit Chippewa Falls, WI. I also did some more climbing, visiting Blue Mounds State Park and Palisades State Park (both good places to climb). I also checked out a Twins game on a beautiful afternoon.
In July I did some hiking and canoeing at Lebanon hills regional park in Eagan (a St. Paul suburb), and some kayaking in Northern WI. The kayaking trip was fun as it was a group of a dozen or so friends from high school. In August I went on a road trip to Glacier National Park and Banff National Park, and then back through Canada. It was a great trip with many highlights. This trip consumed about 10 days of the month, so I was pretty busy for the rest of the month, but did attend a Saint Paul Saints game and climb at Interstate in August as well.
In September, one of the adventures was camping and kayaking in Wild River State Park, which being about an hour away from the twin cities, made for a quick getaway. I continued running and ran a 5k race with a time of 18:06, within 20 seconds of my PR. In October I went on a trip to Great river bluffs state park, a park near Winona with great views. I also cheered on participants of the Monster Dash, a popular 10 mile and half-marathon race.
In November, I went on a much-anticipated trip to Haiti. It was a great experience. I was happy to learn about their culture and help some kids. It was definitely one of the highlights of the year. I also ran a thanksgiving day 5k to keep November an active month! December seemed to go so fast with all of the parties, but I still made some time to run, climb, and even went camping at Afton State Park!
2012 was a great year filled with many adventures. I can only hope to continue the trend in 2013!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)