Tweaks and Peaks!

I am coming to the end of this four week cycle. I am enjoying breaking my training plan into four week sections, that way I don’t freak myself out…of course it should come as no surprise as I am copying it from a published plan. However not knowing what is coming round the corner is kinda fun even when you assume Sunday is a cross training day and you diligently oull out your bike and ride for 20 miles and then find out it was a scheduled rest day; whoops!

Starting next week I am introducing some hill work, the weekend’s trail run showed my that I need to focus on that, there’s a nice little hill about half a mile from my house that I can learn to hate with a passion that cannot be measured run up and my local trail has a good climb to it also; I plan to get to these midweek.

I am also planning on shifting my training week to Monday thru Sunday, currently I am Saturday through Friday.  Having my long run at the start of the week was always a psychological upper, come the end of the weekend it was done, having it at the end of the week makes it seem so far away but a couple of the training logs aren’t that flexible and it throws off my numbers…yes I am that anal retentive.

I signed up for the Long Beach Marathon which is in October; I need the long runs and this is a simply a supported long run, I have not run it before so it should be fun and new, there are a few folks I know running it so it also a chance to catch up with them.

So that’s it for August…bring on September.

Trail Rules…

Yes it does, 15 miles of it this morning treated me to views like this…

Here’s some video from a different viewpoint…it was such a clear day that I could see for I am guessing 15 miles…amazing!

Ended up bushwhacking a bit but it’s all good really, this was from a little known and little used trail…lot’s of “wait-a-while'” burrs I was wrestling with it when I rounded a corner and startled an 8 point stag who bounded away; amazing!Got a rude awakening to hill work…I am no prophet but I am seeing a lot of hills in my future; they kicked my butt today!

Channel Runner

Nope nothing to do with the English Channel and all to do with the internet web thingy! My iPod is full of things; music, books and podcasts.

I’ve been listening to podcasts for the last three of four years, hell I even have on of my own, although it’s on a but of hiatus right now. There’s never enough time to listen to all them and sometimes I don’t want to have to choose.

Enter Channel Runner. I heard about this on the Runners Round Table, it’s called Channel Runner and to put it in it’s simplest terms its a live stream of running/triathlon/endurance podcasts as they are published 24/7. Think of it as a bit like Pandora for athletes. You can get it on your pc, your iPhone, your Android phone, your Blackberry or your pc. Just tune in hit play and your good to go. You can follow them on Twitter too! @channelrunner

Give it a go! Click here to launch it in iTunes or here to launch it in Windows Media Player.

Tell ‘em I sent you!