VO2Max at Back Bay, Vol.1

I joined Jeff for his weekly VO2 Max workout today. Two observations:

1) I hate speed-work!
2) I should definitely do it more often!

We started at YMCA and ran all the way around Back Bay and back, and ended up with around 9.5 miles of overall mileage.

We did eight 1/2-mile VO2Max repeats with 1/4-mile jog intervals in between. I averaged at 6:40 min/mile, ranging from 6:20 to 7. Just in case: no, 6:40 was not my jog pace, but my VO2Max pace :) I am just that slow!

Jeff was cracking jokes all the way, which did not help either. It was like we see next 1/2 mile marker and urgently strive to stop laughing to be able to start the next speed interval.

As much as I am in love with trails and mountains, sometimes I miss my old road running days, and Back Bay in particular!

Fartlek Team Game Rules

I got introduced by one of my colleagues to Fartlek Team Game recently.
The guy that told me about it is an incredible runner himself with a 2:16 marathon PR under his belt, and he used to coach young pro-level athletes.

Fartlek Team Game is a very efficient speed-work exercise and a lot of fun at the same time.

1. Each team consists of two runners that pass a baton to each other

2. If there are multiple teams, it is recommended to shuffle runners either selecting partners flipping a nickel, or grouping the fastest and slowest into the same team

3. The Game takes 45 minutes sharp with no breaks

4. The Goal is to make baton travel around the track as many times as possible

5. The runner with the baton is running around the track at VO2Max level, while the second one is strategizing whether to run and meet the 1st runner half way or jog in the same direction as their partner to get caught a bit later

It is recommended to do speed workouts at least once a week.
I plan to integrate them into my weekly training (either with someone else or solo) starting this week.

Run.com: urban running routes

You have no excuse for not keeping your New Year's resolution now that you can take that jog almost everywhere you go. Run.com, a user-generated database of running routes all over the world, uses Google Maps mashups, allowing runners to look up routes in their area and choose them by length, difficulty, scenery and other user-rated criteria.

Business travelers who want to keep in shape on the road will be glad to find routes in all 50 states, as well as in dozens of foreign countries. The site is still in beta, so look for more routes to come.

Better than: Getting purposely lost just to mix up your running routine. (Fast Company)

I just tried it to see whether there is anything useful in there:
Vienna: http://www.run.com/showroute.asp?map=218045
Irvine: http://www.run.com/showroute.asp?map=206745

It is similar to gmap-pedometer.com but with a way better interface and a database of running routes.

The site is great for business travelers and city routes, but does not work for trails as all the routes are built out of 100 points max. I tried to map our Black Star Canyon run on this site and due to very curvy trail managed to get only to mile 2 as I ran out of points.

If they do some improvements to the interface this site might become one of the best tools ever!

20M on Donauinsel

I am going home tomorrow, and as on the last day our meetings finished earlier, I had some quality time for another run in Vienna. This time I crossed Donaukanal, ran through Leopoldstadt and then half-crossed Donau River to Donauinsel Island. Donauinsel is a very narrow and around 18-mile long island on the north-east of Vienna.

I descended on it from the Angerner-Bundestrasse somewhere in the middle and ran all the way to its south-eastern tip of Donauinsel and back.

My run was about 20.5 miles today, which brought my overall mileage for my week-long business trip in Vienna to 65 miles (or 105km). This is the maximum distance I ever covered within a week. A kind of a PR, so to say. However of OC100K goes fine, this PR will not stay longer than 20 days on my PR list :)

Donauinsel is a paradise for an urban runner. Most of the trails there are paved, but there are a few gravel fire roads too. The view from this island is as spectacular as it gets – Donau is embracing it from both sides and you see the river all the time during your run..

One of the gravel trails of Donauinsel:

Six miles ino the run:

Mile 10.5 where I eventually reached the south-eastern tip of the island:

Sunset above Donau:

Running in Vienna (part II)

So I had another wonderful 15-mile run in Vienna today. As I started it a bit later than yesterday – around 4:30pm – I had my headlight and tail blinking light on me. In the evening dusk – especially after 5:30pm – Donaukanal riverside looks like a small out-and-back half-marathon race with a lot of runners going in both directions along both sides of the river.

I noticed that Viennese runners despise headlights for some reason. Even when you are in the city there are a lot of bikers on the same trail that would make me uncomfortable, running with no lights at all. And there are a few poorly-lighted sections too. But when I left the city and was running on its outskirts without any street lights at all, I also met a few people that we running in complete darkness. Either local folks see better in the dark than I do, or they are just enjoying additional adrenaline rush at the sound of each car or bike approaching from behind.

Anyways, my excessive trail lighting made a lot of heads turn, as I was passing by. I guess people were trying to figure whether it was a slow bike or a fast Christmas tree :)

I was not running extremely fast – my average pace today was about 9:10 min/mile. Still I felt good passing by all the other runners all the time. So when another runner passed me by around mile 6 into my run, my inner child took over and – even knowing that I have quite a few miles still ahead of me – I got competitive and sprinted to catch him. In a little while I did catch him and rushed further to make sure he stays behind and I do not see him again. Still I could see his shadow stretching from behind for quite a while. Something did not feel right though - I checked my pace again – it was 6:40. Whom was I kidding? I know I cannot survive at this pace long enough… After a quick but very heated discussion with the inner child, I suggested the inner child would better go to hell this time, slowed down and let that guy go ahead unchallenged.

Still this is exactly the thing that spoiled a lot of my races. I feel good early on into a race and when I see faster runners I cannot help picking up my pace, and have to pay for my “super-performance” later during the second half of the race when I tend to run out of gas.

Here is one of the bridges crossing Donaukanal:
Another bridge with lions on it:
A breathtaking view of Donau lit by the moonlight:
Both of these pictures were taken on the outskirts of Vienna, probably 3 miles from the city:
City lights from the suburb:
Vienna at night:

Running in Vienna

I ran in Vienna today, which turned to be a lot less freezing than I had anticipated – the temperature went up to around 50F during the day.

I ran through the historical downtown and then on the bike path that goes by the side of the Donau River. I bet it was the same bike path Lambert had told me about: http://www.radtouren.at/en/radwege/genussradtouren/donauradweg.html
I ended up running 13 miles today.

But here is the fun part. I flew in around noon and as I had some time to spare I decided to find some nearby supermarket and get a pack of Gatorade or – if I am unlucky – water. I spent over an hour in the downtown and did not find any supermarkets, even small ones – only restaurants, boutiques and souvenir shops. Either locals do not eat at all, or always eat out. In any case they did all to hide the supermarkets from those annoying tourists constantly hunting for Gatorade.

I returned to my hotel empty-handed and ask concierge for directions. His reaction was: “Are you nuts? It is Sunday for Christ’s sake! Everything is closed!” There were a couple of hidden supermarkets nearby, but the only open one was located on the other side of the city at the Western railway station.

When we lived in Switzerland it was exactly the same – supermarkets were closed on Sundays and all the holidays And on top of it they were also closed after 6:30PM on weekdays. And we were used to it back then. It is just when you live to US you start taking some things for granted – like Ralphs open 24/7 or Albertson open past midnight – and cannot imagine that it can be otherwise :)

Vienna at night:

10K in Irvine: No Hills and No Eyes :)

I ran today after work along the channel that goes from Irvine to the Back Bay. Since we moved to Ladera Ranch each time we drive by and see a runner on it, I feel like I miss Irvine and our good old times there.

I ran 10K today at around 7:40 min/mile pace, which is crazily slow for many other folks, but crazily fast for me. Last time I was running a 10K that “fast” was in January, and it was in Irvine too.

I guess our move from Irvine to Ladera was one of the things that changed my mind set from road racing to trails. What else could I do in Irvine besides pounding concrete pedestrian roads all the time? And how a heck can I keep myself away from the hilly trails here in Ladera?

Back then I was totally about beating my time and setting new pace PR’s - whether it was a mile, 5K or 10K. Now the game is more about distance – training for the next 50K, having in mind a forthcoming 50-Miler, dreaming about running a 100K one day, and reading with envy Ben’s or Olga’s stories about their 100 Milers :-)))

I do enjoy trails much more than roads – how can you trade them back to concrete or even Corona-Del-Mar school's track that was getting me dizzy after 20th circle on it? But sometimes I still miss the track and my old speed chases…