3-2-1 Feeling Strong!

I am absolutely pumped to be in full swing of workouts yet again.  Today was 3x 3-2-1 fartlek with 2 min. rest between each on a nice grass field.  Got to throw on some spikes for the last set which was good.  I was in control and feeling strong, not killing myself and visiting bonk city (my name for where you go when you bomb a workout at altitude).  My form is also starting to round into shape, my hips are forward, fairy leg practically eliminated, relaxed arm carriage, and forward body. 

Blood said that he wouldn't have guessed it was me running by my form.  Which is a good thing, cause I was never a pretty runner.  Except for that one time that I was the prettiest girl in the PSAC. 

I'm getting really pumped for my next race.  I can just feel how much more fit I am compared to a month ago,  and really can't wait to test it out.  But, gotta take it one week and one workout at a time.  Got an 8 mile progression run on friday down at 4000 feet, which should be a good indicator of fitness going into this 10k on the 4th. 

In other exciting new, I GOT MY FIRST PARKING TICKET. eff. 33 bucks.  I solemnly swear to pay it within 15 days so as to prevent any raise in cost or subsequent parking ticket fiascos. 

Congrats to the Haven runners for their performances at PSACs this past weekend.  Especially Monny for his 2nd PSAC xc title and Dylan Mountain for his all-psac and top freshman performance!  Solid work. 

21 miles on sunday on the most gorgeous run i've ever experienced.  I can't say that i've ever been this pumped to run that far for a long run.  Should be good.

BLOOD UPDATE: Ryan is back running almost 40 miles a week and is slowly getting there.  He was allowed to do a 3 mile hill climb on Friday and in true Blood form, he crushed it.  He said it was easy.  Hoping for maybe a turkey day 5k as his first race. Cross your fingers, we all want to see this guy back in crusher form. 

Thanks again for the support, we miss all our family and friends from back east!

Much Love,

Nick: The Moderately Talented Distance Runner

So its been awhile...

Well, it's been quite some time since I've put up any kind of post at all. Sorry about that.  Lots of exciting things going on!  By that I mean, working 45 hours a week, and running some solid mileage.

On the running end of things, things are starting to go pretty well.  I'm definitely starting to feel much fitter than I have in a long time.  Workouts are in full swing, and mileage has topped out around 90.  Pretty solid for a sea level boy at 7000 feet.  Recently I was allowed to progress at the end of a long run and get a little aggressive, which felt good.  Ran 5:33, 5:24, 5:16, 5:20, at the end of a 16 miler, with the last mile after that 5:20 up a hill.  Good things are certainly a-coming.  Even my speed feels good, all we've been pretty much doing has been hill oriented, which has fantastic for the ole' speed.  Yesterday completed a 5 mile hill climb from 7500 feet up to 9500 feet.  I kinda got a little weak at the end, where I should have been aggressive.  But I'm learning.

Ryan Blood is starting to come around, his mileage is slowly slowly climbing, but he's feeling better, and even did 3 miles of the hill climb.  He's turned into a coffee shop master, and knows how to make drinks like a boss. 

Along with my running re-education at altitude, I'm also getting an education on what the pro scene is like.  Sometimes it seems a little disheartening, because overall, doping seems to be much more widespread than originally thought.  Maybe when I was in college or high school I was purposely naive of what really goes on, or maybe i just honestly believed doping wasn't as prevalent.  Maybe I'm wrong, but to me, whether you're taking EPO or in the gray area of being ahead of the scientific curve, you're in the wrong.  One of the reasons I love running, and have kept at it for so long is that its all about the pure gutsy effort and getting the best out of yourself.  And when I say pure, I mean that its YOU doing the running, you're body, without performance enhancers.  I don't know, maybe i'm exaggerating, maybe its not as bad as I think.  But its certainly not good.  How can a guy like me, even after working my ass off, expect to beat a guy whos able to run 3 workouts a week while doing high intensity mileage, because he's recovering twice as fast?  Its just frustrating.  I will NEVER dope. I will get the best out of myself, doing it the right way, and will surround myself with people who are doing the same thing. 

Anyways, enough of the rant.  Racing continues on 11/4 at the PHX 10k, hoping to make a big jump compared to my last effort.

Nick Hilton: The Moderately Talented Distance Runner

Just a-rollin' here in Flag

Nothing too exciting to post here.  Haven't been involved in any police shootouts, no parking tickets (yet), haven't ridden any elk, or even climbed any mountains recently.  I did see a tarantula though, only a baby but the thing was freaking huge.  Just in the grind of training my butt off, and working my butt off to try and make that dough.

Training has been going very well, just trying to gain some strength and power, while building up my mileage.  Running much slower than I did at sea level, but just working on recovering, feeling good, and getting strong.  Next race comes 11/4 at the Phoenix 10k, where I'm hoping to vastly improve compared to the results from the xc race last week.

Blood update: The man is well on the road to recovery and becoming a crusher once again.  He's running everyday, slow and short.  But hey, time on your feet is time on your feet.  He's working on breaking up scar tissue and being able to be pain free once again.  Blood will be back in no time to tear it up, have no fear.  I certainly don't.

Our big goal for the fall is USA Club XC Nationals.  We've got a solid team down here that could do some damage if we can all stay healthy and get the work in.

Two friends and teammates, Matt Llano (who is also a housemate) and Julian De Rubeira, are right now on their way to Japan to race in an Ekiden (sort of a road race relay) as members of one of the teams representing the United States.  Best of luck to them, as I'm sure they'll tear it up.

Nothing else to report, we'll just keep on keeping on.

The Moderately Talented Distance Runner: Nick Hilton

Its a start...

So yesterdays race did not go well.  15:35 is not at all the performance I was looking for, but I guess everyone needs to start somewhere.  Results posted here -->http://az.milesplit.com/meets/116609/results/216061

I've been doing well with my diet, but had a very bad stomach day yesterday, resulting in some tossing of the cookies prior to hitting the sack that night.  So obviously I need to sort out some race day diet issues.  Good thing I live with a nutritionist, so hopefully we can get these things hammered out.  Besides the stomach, my legs felt pretty good, as did my breathing. 

Definitely weird to be at sea level again, and able to take a deep breaths.  The next race isn't for a month, so with some workouts and some diet experimentation, there will be improvements, and I will run better.  Obviously I'm a bit disappointed, but I know that good things will come and that I need to be patient and trust my training.  

My teammate Julian ran awesome, crushing the field in 14:40, in his final tune up for the Ekiden race in Japan, so thats a positive for sure.

So for now, its back to the mountain and back to the trails to get fit.  Breaking 30:30 will happen in a month.  Of that much I'm sure. 

Club XC is in 10 weeks.

Nick Hilton: The Moderately Talented Distance Runner

Just another tuesday.

Tuesday:

7:00 AM- Wake Up

7:15 AM- Facebook and Oatmeal

7:30 AM- Shower

8:30 AM- Massage

9:45 AM- Grocery Shopping (Mans' gotta eat!)

11:00 AM- Coffee and Peanut Butter Toast

12 Noon- Run

1:00 PM- Smoothie

1:15 PM- Foundation and Core

1:30 PM- Shower

2:00-6:00 PM- Work (getting those bills)

6:15 PM- Run

7:00 PM- Power Lifting

8:00 PM- Dinner

9:00 PM- Relax

10:00 PM- Sleep

and do it all over again the next day, with some minor revisions.

Nick Hilton: Moderately Talented Distance Runner

PS: First race on  friday night.  Phoenix Community 5k XC Race.

Getting To Work.

The title says it all.  We're getting to work here in Flagstaff, both on the roads and on the job scene.  The fine dining scene, I found out, suits me pretty well, and its a pretty solid job on the whole.  Mr. Blood made his debut at the Kickstand Kafe today, making drinks like a boss.  After a few trips down to Phoenix, Ryan is well on the way to getting back running.  The legendary Dr. John Ball will get him on the roads in no time.

On my end, the running is good.  Back into my first full week since being in flag has been fantastic-although going up hill still sucks, literally, i suck a lot of air- and I'm starting to feel good and confident about the upcoming training.  Through the core, lifting, running at altitude, and foundation work, I wholeheartedly believe that we'll be ready to rock and roll come race time in a few months.

Our fearless leader Ryan Mulcahey has been instilling us with a sense of team unity and confidence.  As the 5 of us that make up our group are all in this together, we're all in the hunt of getting the best out of ourselves while we can.  There's a synergy between everybody and a lot of good vibes, which hopefully will lead to some great things down the road.

I'm chomping at the bit to start to run fast, but am keeping things easy, as per instruction from Ryan M.

Other highlights of recent events includes some leisure time spent in the Oak Creek Canyon (pictures to come soon) with 2 new friends and one old (all are technically new to blood) who invited us to do some swimming, bouldering, and cliff jumping.  Good times were had by all.

Moving to Flagstaff, so far, has proven to be an excellent decision, and I'm very confident more good things are a-coming.

Thanks for all the support, and thanks to everyone who happens to be reading this!  600 views?! Thats nuts.  You guys are awesome.

We're gonna make some waves for all of you.

Nick Hilton: Moderately Talented Distance Runner

PS- For all who are wondering about the cross-country cat Kiwi (loving that alliteration), she is doing fantastic and has gotten into the habit of sleeping all day, and either treating me as a steeple barrier or jumping on my head all night.

Pictures...Can you find the goofy blood pic?

Pictures from todays hike, don't worry there won't be too many of my words.