Step back week, and the next big push toward Palo Duro Canyon race

Last week was a step back week. I had an intense week as I have added my one-mile Intervals and hill workouts in...however, it was a step back week, so my long run was shorter, but I ended the week feeling strong and ready for the next big push. This week, I have begun running twice a day...I am entering into the next big 4-week push, which will see my long runs going up from 13-20 miles over the next successive weeks. I have about 6 weeks left before Palo Duro, and I need to get some serious hill workouts in, so thursday, I am going out to Buffalo Gap and run the "big hill."

Preparing for Palo Duro Canyon

This week, I had another great running week. Monday, I did my usual 5 mile run in the morning, and then lifted weights in the afternoon. Tuesday, I did 6 miles in the morning. Wednesday was a rest day, and my first day back to work, so I rested my legs for the thursday, friday, and saturday workouts.

Thursday, I came back with another 5 mile run in the morning, and lifted weights in the afternoon, using supersets, which really work your endurance, as well as your strength. Friday, another 5 miles, and then saturday morning, I ran 11 miles.

Next week, I will incorporate hill training in the afternoon, as I prepare for my first trail run that will be held at Palo Duro Canyon. It's a 20k run through the canyon, and it will be a tough, tough run, but a good training run for the 50 mile race in December. Total miles this week, 32 miles, an increase of 2 miles over last week.

Training is going well, so far, and will start increasing miles gradually, with longer and longer training runs on saturday.

Quest for the 50 mile race

This past week was a great start toward my 50 mile race at the Huntsville State Park, near Houston. I only logged in 27 miles for the week, but got lots of weight lifting and cross-training in there, as well.

Monday, I ran 4 miles in the morning, and lifted weights for upper body in the afternoon.

Tuesday, I did another 5 miles in the morning, and did lower body weight training in the afternoon.

Wednesday, I did cross training. I got in a great aerobic workout on the elliptical trainer for 25 minutes. It was a great, hard workout, and I rested as far as running goes. Seems like I should add in another 3 mile of running to my week after that...the elliptical was pretty intense!

Thursday, I came back and did another 5 miles at Redbud Park.

Friday, another 5 mile run in the afternoon, and did some walking in the afternoon.

Saturday, I was up at 6:00 a.m, and did an 8 mile run. It was a great run...I saw three deer and two jackrabbits as I ran down an old country road near my house.

Sunday is a day of rest. So, not a bad week of running and cross training. Next week will be an increase in mileage, especially on my long run.

A great start toward my march to the 50 mile race in December.

Training for the Sunmart 50 mile race

Well, I am officially entered in the Sunmart 50, and I have booked my room in Houston. Now, I'm hooked in...too expensive to pull out, now. This is a great challenge, the biggest running challenge of my running career. The 50k was quite a challenge, but this is 19 miles farther. Some people are encouraging me in this adventure, but others just say I'm crazy...I am just looking forward to the challenge.

The running adventure in Africa was really good for me. I was running twice a day, and I could feel my enthusiasm for running returning. Now, I have added some strength work to my routine, and running more in the morning, which is good because of the heat. That makes the afternoon a great time to do weight training, or finish off some mileage on a treadmill.

I'm excited because Bob Kennedy is the speaker for the Sunmart race. He is a former Olympian, and I have heard he is an excellent speaker. I am also excited because the race is the World 50 mile championships, so there will be some major players there...and the course is an incredible tree-lined trail that I can't wait to run on. I love running trails, and this one is one of the most beautiful trails around.

The training is somewhat different, but not all that different from marathon training. I'm doing more strength training, and longer weekend runs...possibly in the neighborhood of 35 miles for my longest.

I am pumped up right now...let's hope it lasts....!

Jerry

Running in Africa...what a trip!

Well, Africa certainly threw some surprises at me as far as my training there. I met a girl who is a cross country runner at Alma College, and she was running twice a day, so she convinced me to keep her company on this training style I haven't used since 1972. Of course, back then, I ran a 2:30 marathon, too, so maybe this will be good for me.

Of course, I am staying in the bush outside of Accra, Ghana, and it is humid, and the infrastructure of the area is very challenging. There are no paved roads, and the only roads are dirt, with huge ruts and bumps, so running here is like running trails, or cross country! Then, there is a little matter of the large goats that stand in the road looking at us, not to mention the chickens and the roosters that dart out from the side of the road at us as we trudge along in the 95% humidity, which saps me from the beginning.

But, it has been a challenge, one that I rose to the occasion on...and there are the locals who yell "obruni," (white people) as we run by. Sometimes children will come along and jump into our arms as we approach them. The children are such a joy, and they run along beside us for awhile, laughing at us, and giving us big hugs.

The orphans are not into running as I hoped they would be...they are more into soccer (go figure), but I donated the shoes and the shirts, and they were grateful, not to the running part, but to having shoes! To having clothes! Now, all they need is food.


Jerry

Last Post before Africa

Well, here it is only a few days away from my African adventure. My running has been off and on. I was in Dallas and Fort Worth for the past several days, watching the Texas Rangers play the Phillies...spending some time with family before leaving. It was great. On the way back, I got to stop in Weatherford and run the "Mineral Wells Trailway," a twenty-mile trail in the woods that terminates in Mineral Wells. There are mileage markers every mile, and there are no cars allowed, and they can't even get on the trail, thankfully. Bikers like to ride the trail, though, but they are nice and just sailed right around me. I did a nice, smooth 6-mile run, and drove home to Abilene. It was humid, but cloudy, which made the run so much better.

I am convinced that the weather is just too hot to do any serious running. My hat goes off to all those people who can run in this heat and get any good training in. When I was younger, I preferred the heat, but these days, it is rough on my old body.

I did run today out in the heat, and it was kind of fun, but I slowed way down, and just took it easy.

I am looking forward to going to Africa...it will be humid there, and hot, so I just hope I can keep up my mileage while there, and I will return and begin to prepare for a brand new running season.

I have a 2:30 flight to Dallas (DFW), then I will spend the night at a hotel near the airport. Thankfully, they have a shuttle that will take me to the airport the next morning, as my plane leaves DFW at 7:50 a.m., and I will land in New York at 12:00. I will have another five hours at JFK, then my plane leaves for Accra, Ghana at 5:00, arriving at 8:00 the next morning. I have a bunch of books, so I will get a lot of reading done while waiting in airports and hotel rooms...not to mention that long flight across the Atlantic.

I am taking malaria prevention medication, which made me have some really weird dreams last night, so I hope it is worth it. I have a mosquito net, and will take my own can of mosquito repellant. I have been vaccinated untill I feel like a pin cushion, including a yellow fever shot, which is required for a visa. I actually already have a visa, so going through customs shouldn't be too bad.

I am excited, but I will miss everybody, and will look forward to getting back and starting a new year.

I will try and post while I am in Africa, and will take lots of pictures.

Jerry Hollingsworth

Taking a break

Well, for runners to say they are going to take a break from running, that is like saying they are going to stop breathing for awhile. It has taken every ounce of energy I have not to go out and hit the roads and trails. But, I need this break, mentally and physically. I have been lifting weights every other day, and I am sore as I can be. I think I let my strength training lag, and now is a good time to build.

It's time to re-focus my running goals, and schedule my running adventures. I have several new adventures and running experiences planned for this year after my return from Africa:

(1) Palo Duro Canyon Trail run: I am running the Palo Duro trail run in early October. Can't wait for that. I have been wanting to run this event for three years, and it's finally going to happen. I am already signed up and have my hotel room booked.

(2) The MyoMed Ragnar 196-mile relay: I am hoping a team will make for this, as this will be an exciting adventure. I am excited about the possibilities. We need six more runners to make a team, it seems.

(3) The Sunmart 50 Mile: Huntsville, Texas. This will be my flagship race...the one that I shoot for that will underlie all my other running this year. I am already registered, and hotel is booked. This is a lifetime goal and achievement for me.

I may add some other runs to this schedule, but these are the ones I have already penciled in. I am refocusing my energies, my goals, and my training to have a great year.


Jerry