Weekly Summary: April 30-May 6

4/30/2012
Mon: Am- 13 miles (1:41) twin gates o&b, 1050'
Feeling a bit beat up from the week, so I took it easy through upper campus. Legs felt pretty good up UCONN.
Pm- 6 miles (:41) West Cliff, 100'
Wanted to get in a double, so I decided to run to the climbing gym. Met up with my buddy and bouldered for an hour.

5/1/2012
Tues: Am- 11 miles (1:12) West Cliff, 200', 3x2 miles @ 5:55
splits were: 5:52, 5:55, 5:56, 5:52, 6:02, 5:58
Somehow Jay convinced me to do a tempo workout with him. The original plan was 5 miles around 5:50, but after 2 miles I wasn't sure I could hold that. Ended up doing 3x2miles at ~5:55/mile. I sort of fell apart mentally on the fifth repeat and slowed down considerably. Overall, I'm not too disappointed in my effort, since this was the first time in over a year I've done any speed work. I plan on throwing this workout into my arsenal once a week and hopefully build some mental thoughness to make it through these painful runs.
Pm- 5 miles (:38) Pogonip, 258'
Easy shake-out. Legs were really stiff from this morning.

5/2/2012
Wed: Am- 16 miles (2:00) Pogo-Wilder, 2180'
I was planning an 18 miler, but after yesterday the legs just weren't there. It was pretty much a death march from mile 9, so I cut my losses and focused on a quality long run at the end of the week.

5/3/2012
Thurs: Am- 9 miles (1:01) West Cliff, 140'
Easy-ish run on the roads to the climbing gym. I was able to hold a 6:45/mile comfortably, which is a pleasant surprise. Spent the better part of 2 hours at the gym and lead climbed for the first time in over a year! My core/upper strength is coming back a lot quicker than expected, which I think will help out a lot with running.

5/4/2012
Fri: Am- 13 miles (1:40) twin gates o&b, 1057'
I was planning my long run for this morning, but after hanging at Burger with Jay last night I just wasn't feeling it. Managed to get in 13 relaxed miles. I didn't focus too much on pace and actually held a good clip up UCONN.

5/5/2012
Sat: Am- 18 miles (2:10) Pogonip-Wilder bluffs, 1817'
I didn't have work until 12 today, so I took advantage with a long run. Felt awesome from the beginning, especially up UCONN, and was able to hold a steady clip on the flats. Almost all of the miles after 9 were sub-7's, so that's promising! Also noteworthy, I had my first peanut butter Gu and tropical nectars Gu this morning...freaking redunkulous. Those, along with pineapple Gu, will be my secret weapon for Ohlone!

5/6/2012
Sun: Am- 26 miles (3:25) Pogonip-Wilder o&b, 2806'
Great long run today. Did the usual start through Pogonip, then upper campus, and Wilder/bluffs, and doubled back. Felt a little sore from Saturday, but the legs were surprisingly chipper. I had to walk a few sections in the Wilder hills on the way back, but since that was at about mile 18, I didn't worry too much. Overall, a really enjoyably sunny day on the trails!
Pm- 3 miles, easy hike on bluffs
Took a beautiful hike on the bluffs this afternoon with the lady and ate lunch on the cliffs. It was a great way to spend my Sunday off. Finished the night off by seeing The Avengers...freaking amazing! (Not included in totals.)

Yum, falafel. 

Trying not to fall into the sink.

Damn, we're good looking.

Totals
-Miles: 117.5
-Time: 14hr 35min
-Vertical: 9,400'
_______________________

Another great week of running! I wasn't originally planning to peak this past week, but after hearing from other runners, it sounded like the smartest move. Like I mentioned before, tapering has always been experimental for me, so I figured a two week rest period should leave me plenty fresh. I'm a little disappointed in my vert this week, but the build-up over the past couple of months should leave me climbing strong. With only two weeks until race day, the plan is to hit about 90 miles, then 30-40 miles the week of the race with some faster running thrown in. Oh, and just for posterity's sake, the UCONN trail is one of the more challenging climbs within running distance from my house, climbing about 400' in .75 miles. It's not terribly steep, but the semi-technical single track and decent elevation gain make for a fun way to start the day.

As for this week's beer, I didn't really have anything new, so it's into the review archive for Victory Hop Wallop.

22oz bomber into a Deschutes snifter. 

A: Pours a beautiful, golden straw color with a billowy 3 finger head that holds its shape even above the rim. Awesome retention and lacing. 

Sm: Lots of citrus and pine. Sweet grapefruit comes through, followed by a resinous/metallic aroma.

T: Similar to the smell, but better. I'm loving the hop profile, especially as it warms. Very piney up front, then sweet. The alcohol is present in the finish. I can't get over the lacing...absolutely gorgeous rings down the glass!

Mf: Medium bodied. I wish there was a bit more carbonation to improve the crispness, but it coats the palate well.

O: A solid DIPA that grew on me after the first glass. There is something "off" in the aftertaste, probably from the bottle fermentation, but I love the hoppiness!