Journey to Leadville - Byrne - February 21, 2012

179 days until the 2012 Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run...

Cooper's Hill, Gloucestershire

Ok, I don't even think Hope Pass is this steep. But this is why we are doing all of this powerwalking on the treadmill every week. It is less than 6 months from the Big Day! Our training has crossed over the half way point (I think it was February 17th) from starting on September 1 and officially ending on August 4th - 2 weeks prior to the race. The last two weeks will be an extreme taper, some easy runs, hikes in the mountains, camping in the mountains. On the one hand it feels great to have over 1/2 of the training in the books and I am proud of how hard we have worked. If I could turn the clock back,  I don't really feel like I would have changed the training we have done. We have mixed it up, we have worked hard, we have gradually improved, and we avoided injury!

Today's workout was power walking on the treadmill - another breakthrough day in some respects.

0 - 30 minutes   Incline 12.0   Level 4.1
30 - 35 minutes Incline 12.5   Level 4.1
35 - 40 minutes Incline 13.0   Level 4.1
40 - 45 minutes Inlcine 13.5   Level 4.1
45 - 50 minutes Inlcine 14.0   Level 4.1
50 - 55 minutes Inlcine 14.5   Level 4.1
55 - 60 minutes Inlcine 15.0   Level 4.1

It felt good again to execute the plan we had set forth. We were able to get stronger every 5 minutes following the 30 minute mark. 

Until my next post, have a great day!  DIG DEEP!

Journey to Leadville - Byrne - February 20, 2012

180 days until the 2012 Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run....

Good to be back on the blog although I can't complain at all about being gone for three days - I had a wonderful experience away at my Christian retreat - I plan to come back and write more tonight. If not, I'll try to cover it tomorrow.  So there are two things we need to cover here.

#1 - Following up from last Wednesday.... I mentioned that I ran 75 sets of stairs with Rick Fountain on Wednesday morning - that is typical for a Wednesday morning workout. What I didn't tell you is that I went back to do 125 more sets of stairs for a total of 200 on Wednesday. The reason I did it was to honor the men that I was about to spend the weekend with. It was a gift I wanted to give those guys who were aspiring to increase their faith life and get closer to God - I was trying to push myself beyond what I normally do to provide spiritual support for their journey. It must have worked because we had an incredible weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed it; however, I know that it was a life changing experience for many of these guys who had grown away from the church or were finding that their faith was not as strong as they would have liked it to have been. The previous high mark that I had on the steps was 110 sets so the jump from 110 to 200 was, I felt, significant. It was hard, but hard felt good, and I know I had some spiritual support from up above in helping me to finish. it was a great day!

#2 - Today's workout. As I mentioned previously, I took Saturday and Sunday off for my retreat. I had arranged with Rick beforehand to meet at 5 a.m. at the Y on Monday - we never even texted Sunday night - we knew each other would be there. I'm happy to report that we had another breakthrough day - I LOVE BREAKTHROUGH DAYS!!! It is such a good feeling to do more than we have ever done before.. The drill was pretty simple on paper - a little harder to execute.

1/2 mile warm up run
60 minutes on the treadmill, Level 10.0, 0 incline - 2 minutes on, 1 minute off - except for the final set in which there was a 3 minute run and zero walking. If this is confusing....

0-57 minutes Level 10, Incline 0, 2 minutes running, 1 minute resting
57-60 minutes, Level 10, Incline 0, 3 minutes running.
Total Running - 41 minutes; Total Resting - 19 minutes

Finished with 3 sets of 8 on the benchpress at 170 lbs. - we continue to improve each time on the benchpress as well.

Analyzing the run a bit, total run time was 41 minutes, a 20 second improvement over my previous best of 40 minutes, 40 seconds. Earlier I did an hour long variation of this where I was running 2:10 and walking :50 for the first 30 minutes but had to slow down to 2:00 run/1:00 rest and then 1:50 run/1:10 rest. Didn't start out as strong but finished stronger and feeling really good about this workout. Certainly was feeling challenged but Rick's continued encouragement kept me going - thanks Rick!

Until my next post, have a great day! DIG DEEP! 

Journey to Leadville - Byrne - February 17, 2012

183 days until the 2012 Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run...

Nothing seems very hard when you think about the picture above. I'm heading to my CEW (Christian Experience Weekend retreat) later this afternoon so will be without blog for several days - I won't be running either :o)

Rick and I met at the Y this morning at 5:15 a.m. We knocked out 3 sets of 8 on the benchpress at 170 lbs. Weightlifting is not our main focus right now but we take 10-12 minutes or so a couple times a week to keep building back up. Last year I was attempting to bench press 300 lbs and couldn't break through the 275 lb barrier. Bummed out at the time but I'll get back to it - the goal wasn't meant to be realized in 2011 - maybe it wants to be achieved in 2013. On the back burner but not off the stove! It is encouraging how our bodies are adapting back to the bench press and we seem to be able to add weight and increase reps on a consistent basis.

Afterwards we took off for a 2 hr run - broke it up into 2 segments. Segment 1 was a 5.25 run down to the Misssissippi River and back (43 minutes).

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/69583638

We refueled at the Y, looked to see if anyone was going to join us (nobody was) so we took off on a 1 hr and 13 minute run north of town and back (8.52 miles).

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/69584250/?new_route=1

In total we were able to finish with 13.77 miles in 1 hr and 56 minutes. It was a good run, temperatures were nice, and we had some great conversation about Leadville - I was telling Rick about all the points where crew members and pacers could access the runners. It is fun to reminisce about this awesome race and it sure helped to pass the time.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
Until my next post, have a great day! DIG DEEP!

Journey to Leadville - Byrne - February 15, 2012

185 days until the 2012 Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run...

Colorado Rocky Mountains - awesome!

More detail on today's workout next Monday - sorry I can't tell too much today but I need to keep it to myself for a few days. Today was a stairs day at the Bettendorf High School football stadium - Rick and I knocked out 75 sets this morning. 6 sets of 10 and 1 set of 15 - all in about an hour. Rick is getting better and stronger every week - today he did all 75 sets two at a time. It makes the climbs go faster but it is more pressure and stress on the quads and calf muscles. With each passing week we seem to be getting better and stronger on the stairs - I know it is going to pay BIG dividends when it comes to Leadville.

Until my next post, have a great day! DIG DEEP!

Journey to Leadville - Byrne - February 14, 2012

186 days until the 2012 Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run...



What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than getting up in the morning and pushing your heart to near exhaustion!  Today was a really good day - Rick and I accomplished a lot; however, I also realize and am humbled by the fact that I am not 'there' yes and will need to keep working hard if I want to achieve my goal. Below are listed the last 4 week's power walking treadmill workouts.

Time          February 14th               February 7^th               January 31st                January 24th

0-30 min     Level 4.2 Incline 13.0    Level 4.2 Incline 12.0    Level 4.0  Incline 12.0   Level 3.7  Incline 12.0
30-35 min   Level 4.3 Incline 13.0    Level 4.3 incline 12.0    Level 4.0  Incline 12.5   Level 3.8  Incline 12.0
35-40 min   Level 4.4 Incline 13.0    Level 4.3 Incline 12.5    Level 4.0  Incline 13.0   Level 3.9  Incline 12.0
40-45 min   Level 4.4 Incline 13.0    Level 4.4 Incline 12.5    Level 4.0  Incline 13.5   Level 4.0  Incline 12.0
45-50 min   Level 4.4 Incline 13.0    Level 4.4 Incline 13.0    Level 4.1  Incline 13.5   Level 4.0  Incline 12.5
50-55 min   Level 4.4 Incline 13.0    Level 4.5 Incline 13.0    Level 4.2  Incline 13.5   Level 4.0  Incline 13.0
55-60 min   Level 4.4 Incline 13.0    Level 4.5 Incline 13.5    Level 4.3  Incline 13.5   Level 4.0  Incline 13.5

Wrapped up with 3 sets 10 on the benchpress at 165 lbs.

The first piece of good news is that we did our entire hour again with no rest! Now we did check our heart rates at each 5 minute increment starting at 30 minutes. While we kept walking, it was easier to hold onto the bar. It took 50 seconds for the machine to read my heart rate.

The second piece of good news is that we started this week at 1% higher on the incline. In retrospect, I wish we would have started at an incline of 12.5 instead of 13.0. So in a matter of 4 week's time, we did our first 30 minutes .5 mph faster and a 1% increase on the incline than 4 weeks ago - that's exciting!

The third piece of good news is that up to 45 minutes, it is the best we have ever performed on a treadmill. I am very proud of that - it was a lot of hard work!

The fourth piece of good news was Chad Uhde stopping by to see as after his '6 b4 6 run' (6 miles in before 6 am) with his Crazies group. We were struggling to continue going and he provided some much welcomed distraction.

The fifth piece of good news is that we hung in there and fought this to the end without dropping off. That may have been the most important part of the workout - continuing to battle when we were feeling fatigued. I know this 'mental toughness' will serve us well at Leadville this summer.

The bad news - not so bad really... I was disappointed at not feeling able to increase difficulty at 45, 50, and 55 minutes like we had been doing. Of course I wanted to crank it up some more at 45 minutes but I was feeling lucky to continue at the pace we were going. We finished the workout below last week for the final 10 minutes - bums me out on the one hand. On the other hand, we were kicking it in higher gear for the first 45 minutes and I need to appreciate that it was taking its toll on our bodies.

When I think about the treadmill (when I'm off it) it seems that a .5 incline increase or a .1 increase in speed is not that big of a deal but it's a different story when I'm on it. The 1.0 increase in incline today was much tougher than I anticipated and it zapped my energy more than I thought it would. We have come a long ways though and I am feeling VERY good about our progress. I know we have more hard work to do and we will meet the challenge - we just aren't there yet. I would like to report back sometime in the future that we did 60 consecutive minutes at an incline of 15.0 and a speed of 4.5 - THAT would be awesome! 

Aaron Maurer posted a quote on his blog the other day that I absolutely love - maybe it's the farmer in me. I can certainly relate to the message and it has perfect relevance for commitment to working toward a fitness goal.  "If the cows don't get fed, the cows don't get fed. Excuses don't help the matter."

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coffeechug/6870364693/

The farm I worked on as a kid actually didn't have cows - we had pigs. I remember many times in the cold winter when we had to go repair frozen waterers for the pigs when the temperatures were below zero. We would be working in our bare hands (pointless to wear gloves that would only get wet) with ice and eventually really cold water to get them working again (I get the chills just thinking about it). The point is that the hogs needed to have water and we didn't have the luxury of waiting for warmer weather. It needed to be done and we did whatever it took to get it done - end of story.

Tell the people in your life who you care about most that you care about them today - Happy Valentine's Day!

Until my next post, have a great day! DIG DEEP!

Journey to Leadville - Byrne - February 13, 2012

187 days until the 2012 Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run...

Bettendorf YMCA in the light of day

This morning Rick and I met Julie Soucinek at 4:30 am at the YMCA to go for a 2 hr run. Julie asked on Sunday if we would be willing to go for about 14 miles with her - part of her training plan for the Boston Marathon.  She ended up continuing on for a total of 17.5 miles. I was planning to take a picture of all of us together but we didn't meet back up again so I'll get a picture another time. In the meantime this is what Julie looks like when she isn't running...

We just ran 19.6 miles yesterday for our long weekend run so this wasn't in our game plan but since Julie was looking for some company, we decided to call an audible and join her. If we had not done this we probably would have done some work on the treadmill. During this Leadville training it has become apparent to me the importance of encouragement, camaraderie, and taking care of others. Rick and I have been taken care of by many others - this was a pretty easy one to say "Yes" to.

We ran a pretty good pace, averaging 6.5 miles per hour. No land speed records but a consistent, steady pace that made us mentally and physically strong. One thing we did differently today was not taking any walk breaks up any of the hills - we took a few drink breaks at various times (e.g. 1 hr, 1:15, 1:30) but ran pretty consistently the entire way.  In some ways this felt like a back to back long run weekend with the 19.6 on Sunday and the 13 today.

Probably inclined powerwalk tomorrow on treadmill, Bett HS football stadium steps on Wednesday, a speed treadmill workout on Thursday, and a longer run Friday. Saturday and Sunday are out this weekend - working on my soul with God on a men's retreat :o)

Until my next post, have a great day! DIG DEEP!

Journey to Leadville - Byrne - February 12, 2012

188 days until the 2012 Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run...

Great news on several fronts today!

Pictures taken outside of Rick's house after 14.3 miles. Curt Johnston and Rick Fountain on the left. Rick Fountain and John Byrne on the right. Figured I should get myself in one of these pictures - otherwise you might think I'm lying about all this running. Tried taking a photo near the LeClaire bridge around 6:30 am but the cold wind killed the battery in my phone - will get a picture of that for a later post. Recharged the phone after stopping back at Rick's and was able to take photos at the end of our 2nd leg of the run.

It was COLD today!!! The temperature wasn't too bad as measured by my vehicles thermostat - around 20 degrees - but the wind was brutal - especially running west and north.

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/68879366      9.6 miles

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/68880144      4.6 miles

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/68881034      5.3 miles

Curt and I met at Rick's house at 5:25 a.m. and hit the road by 5:30 a.m. - right on time! Took off around the golf course, down the hill on Valley Drive, and along the river in LeClaire. Returned on the same route back to Rick's house.

Curt also joined us on the 2nd leg - we went north onto the county roads where we could fully appreciate the blustering winds - made it out to Territorial Road and returned on the same route.

Curt had to get home to get his son to Religious Education so Rick and I went out on the 3rd leg - taking Wisconsin east into LeClaire to 10th St - returned on the same route.

Great runs on a very cold day - we did well :o)  Tough days like these are great for our mental toughness - and of course we did it physically too.

More to follow on the 2nd best part of the day when I get a chance to write more....

This next part has nothing to do with running but made my chest swell a bit. There was an article about my oldest son in the newspaper this morning - p. 1 of the Sports page - it was an article about prominent high school athletes who have chosen not to play sports in college - Daniel was featured as one of the four athletes. He was very thoughtful, eloquent, mature, and typical Daniel. I was really proud of him as an athlete but much more importantly I am proud of his character - what a great kid!

If you want to read it, here is the link...

http://qctimes.com/sports/high-school/not-all-jocks-chase-sports-forever/article_447fa83e-5536-11e1-98b2-0019bb2963f4.html

Until my next post, have a great day!  DIG DEEP!