Jackpot

The Colorado Avalanche just had their biggest win since the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals and the season has been over for a couple weeks.  Although they finished the season with the 2nd worst record in the league they won the NHL draft lottery and will get the #1 pick in the upcoming draft.  Word is they will draft Seth Jones who is the son of former Denver Nugget Popeye Jones.  There is a great story about Popeye Jones running in to Joe Sakic in the halls of the Pepsi Center (back when Popeye was a Nugget) and asking the hockey great what camps he should sign his young hockey loving son up for.  Things now come full circle as Seth will play for a franchise where Joe Sakic acts as Executive Adviser.

Sorry for the lack of updates the past few weeks.  I was going to update last Friday but had to get home to take care of a sick 14-month old.  Week 6 started out easy enough with run/walk intervals (long run of 8 minutes on day 1 and long run of 10 minutes on day 2) and finished with a 25 minute run.  I know 25 minutes isn't a long time to run when you're training for a half marathon but it was probably the longest I have run (non-stop) in quite a few years.  With the 5 minute warm up and cool down walks I went a total of 3.26 miles.

Projected 1/2 marathon time (repeating day 3 of week 6 workout): 140 minutes = 2 hours 20 minutes

1/2 marathon time goal: 2 hours 30 minutes

Week 7 was the same for all three workouts; 25 minutes of jogging in between the 5 minute warm up/cool down walks.  The "Couch to 5k" program says that I "got over the Week 6 hump.  It gets easier and easier from here!"  Ummm, if easier means harder than I agree.  Two of the days actually weren't too bad but day 2 was really windy (I probably should have gone to the rec center) and I was dying by the end of my 25 minute jog.  Day 3 was perfect (low 50s and no wind) and I had my best distance and pace so far!  Including the warm up/cool down walks I went 3.43 miles and averaged a 10 minute 12 second mile pace.  If you cut out the walking I was at a 9 minute mile.  I know that's not great either (my cousin just ran a 5 mile race and averaged an 8 minute mile) but I'm happy.  I need to be around 11 minute 30 second miles for the half marathon to finish in 2.5 hours so I think I'm doing well.  I am a little nervous about my knees holding up for 13 miles because after these 25 minute miles my right knee feels like it's full of liquid an hour or two after I'm done.  We'll see how it hold up once I start moving to longer (1 hour) workouts.

Projected 1/2 marathon time (repeating day 3 of week 7 workout): 135 minutes = 2 hours 15 minutes

1/2 marathon time goal: 2 hours 30 minutes

I've never really had faith in treadmill distances so I've been using my own distance prediction but after week 7 of the "Couch to 5k" program I'm up to 55.6 miles traveled in 660 minutes and 30 seconds!

I'm over the NBA season so I'm not going to say much about the Nuggets other than the fact that they got knocked out of the playoffs in round 1 by the Golden State Warriors.  Steph Curry was on fire the entire season and the Nuggets showed that they are not a jump shooting team although they love to settle for jump shots.  Major need for the offseason: pick up a shooter.