Jason Loutitt's Daily Training Log:

More candid training updates to occur as I pursue getting in the best possible shape I can for the World Mountain Running Championships this September 6th in Italy. A year end marathon will also be in the plan. Some pics and other add-ons to be included.

At the end of April I submerged myself into Bikram Yoga and did 30 classes in 17 days...Last week of April 27- May 3: 10.5 hrs, May 4-10: 16.5hrs, May 11-17: 18hrs, May 18-24: 10.5hrs, May 25-31: 4.5hrs.

June 7th: This past week will have me at 100miles if I am able to get in a long run today. Priority of course is the stretching/meditating time and a 10am Yoga class then it will be run time. Gotta focus on going out slower as I have been doing quite a few drills and strides in my runs as well as some fartlek stuff to prepare my body for speedwork to come. Yesterday's run from home to the top of Mt Tzouhalem was about 14miles and after a 10 am yoga class. A very short 20min evening run ended the day. Nanew came with me on the Mt run and loved it... oh ya...so did I! The 3hr run (for some reason the Gilligan's Island theme started running through my head) turned into 2hr 8 min and had a guest appearance taking one of my yoga instructors out running for 22min within the first 45min. As much as I wanted to explore some trails, I did want to check out the Cowichan Tribes area and so did an out and back loop in the valley below Mt Tzouhalem. Got more smiles and nods on this run than I have all week. Right now I am going to rent a movie and try to relax. If the motivation is there later tonight another easy run most likely will be in the works. No pressure daniel-son but can't stop thinking about the Canmore Challenge on the 13th and trying to figure out how to get there for the Canadian Championships. After the 10.5 miles tonight the week tally is 104 miles with 4.5 hrs of Bikram Yoga at the Cowichan studio. Watching the sunset for the last few minutes of the run as it set over Mt Provost was a fitting way to end the week.

June 8th: Mt Prevost thrice up and down starting at the little red trail at the bottom that turns into the dotted trail and then take the most southern red trail up to the summit +. The doctor of mileage has prescribed the dosage x 3 to best prepare should I be able to make it to Canmore. The nurse of pain might have to resuscitate me after passing out running up on the 2nd or 3rd time. Perhaps I should wear a 'Do NOT Resuscitate!' sign on my chest so I have extra incentive...hahaha. The faithfull Bikram class was completed at 9:30 after a couple of hours warming up with Sumatra coffee and some toast. A short rest of 90min between the workouts and it's go time on prevost. Looks a little cloudy which will make it pretty hairy should it rain. Thats ok...with my shaved head I could do with a little hair. I woke up this morning not believing how the legs felt...best all week. Might change on the run but it sure goes to say that even some deep tightness and pulls (my right calve) can be best worked out through running it out. If I did'nt take this approach and cautiously tried to work through it, I know that problem would of nagged on for weeks or even months.  Ok... slightly ambitious with the thrice. On the first descent when my head started going lightheaded, I knew I needed the easy day after yesterday. So only one ascent of 30min climbing an average 12-13 degree slope with 20min descent. Really that descent could be three times as fast but it is so steep you have to slow down unless your on the ball. I won't chance the legs right now so an evening hour of super easy on the track should prepare for the double or perhaps thrice attempt tomorrow...2:30:00.

June 9th: OK..Ok...OK... a slight bit ambitious as today Nanew and I did the double of Prevost. 1:30:00 in total with slow climbs of 31min and 28min and descents of 19min and 12min. Flying on that last one so much that I had to stop twice for Nanew to catch up. I imagine he was just loping along shaking his head thinking man that guy is crazy. He loved the run and it will become a staple of the training diet. Thrice is to come but I figure since there is still a chance of going to Canmore, that I should back off a little. The chance is done... it is happening and I will be on the start line when the gun goes off. Interesting as there will be some other great mountain runners there as well. 90min of Bikram Yoga at helped loosen the legs after the ascent/descent work.

June 10th: The early morning 6 am hot yoga class got the day fired up. Excited about being able to race on saturday and looking forward to getting to the mountains tommorrow. Might even take today off as I think I will want to get in some easy altitude ajusting once there. Perhaps try to seek a massage. I contacted the Banff Airporter bus service that had supported me back in 2006 when I lived in the Bow Valley and they have very generously offered me a little support again this year. Well it was a last chance to run with Nanew and I couldn't pass on it so we did our normal 10.5mile loop in the mid day Cowichan Valley sun. It is a hilly loop with a couple of good little hills in it but I guess from running around Shawnigan Lake so much, I don't notice them anymore. One thing I did notice was having to pick up Nanew's poop a klm into the run and then carrying it for like a mile before putting it on hold on top of a firehydrant (I'll pick it up on my way to the store). For awhile I was thinking bummer I gotta carry this in my hand. A mile after stashing the poop, I notice and pick up an Eagle feather laying directly in my running path on the shoulder of the road. I pick it up and gladly carry it in my hand for the remaining 8 miles. It was a wing tip and as I held and ran with it, I would switch sometimes from hand to hand. I would start to think of it, the Eagle, what the drivers must think and then I would return to nothing, to what I felt was the essence of the no-thought that the eagle had during flying and for a moment as the edges of the feather would brisk against my fingertips...I felt lighter. I won't be alone in this race. and yes...just confirmed to race in the Inaugural Seattle Rock n' Roll Marathon on June 27th!!!

June 11th: http://www.canmoreleader.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1576301 As I ran a little of the course in Canmore on Mt. Rundle this afternoon. I crazily talked to the mountain and asked for help for the race on Saturday. After all, it is the mountain where I ran into the 160+lb Mountain Lion 50 feet in front of me. Yup... I was looking for him and shouting to keep those grizzlies peaked for a little steak-a-la-Jason. I got in around 2pm and set off on my run within the half hour. Ran for about 50min with 35min on the up/down course. Got back rested and then went for another 42min of easy flat trail. Cool in that being a Salomon Flight Crew runner and staying with my buddy Phil, he works for Salomon and so I was able to get a pair of protype EXO compression calve socks. They rock and turned me into spiderman for my second run. Come on spidey senses...be in tune for Saturday.

June 12th: With a day of altitude behind me and being very excited about the race, a 56min easy run with few strides was done up and down around and around the Bow River in Canmore. Afterwards I sought out a nutrition store and just by chance Vega was there with the founder Brendan Brazier, so we talked for quite awhile and since I have been a Vega ambassador since 2006 it was great to see them doing so good. I had to pick up some of the Vega Sport drink as it got me through the 30 classes of Bikram Yoga in 17 days and I sure have noticed the dryness of being both in the mountains and away from the coast. Gulp, gulp... I am trying to now just relax and enjoy the company of some of the fellow runners and athletes. So many healthy fit people around Canmore but the weather feels like the air conditioner has been left on outside and thats what you get coming from Cowichan Valley and the 'warmland'. Thats totally ok as it's my hope to heat up the course after the start gun goes off. Until then sitting around and keeping my shaved head warm in my Smartwool beanie and longsleeve shirt. ohhh...wool. Thank you sheep. Baaa... yup went out for a 25min easy jog doing some very light drills and focusing like I also have been on some upper body strectching. Got a feeling those crazy fast descents will demand upper body looseness, fitness and strength.

June 13th: D Day. Woke up after a night of solid sleep and did a 25min warmup run at 8am to go and register for the race. Getting to the registration area involved running on the bottom 1/4 of the course that climbs from the bottom (lowest point of altitude) up to the middle start/finish line area. Nice to see and get a feel of how they have marked it with little red cones. Now back in town, downing down the french pressed Sumatra coffee listening to the bombs drop in my mind knowing my call to the battlefield will come soon. I do not intend on surviving easily. 9:04 am. Race starts at 11:15 am. RESULTS...Finished 4th at the 2009 Canadian Mountain Running Championships with 2nd and 3rd in sight. In front of me was 2 time Olympian Boergeous, World Cross Taylor Murphy and Top CIS Swanson. Great competition.   Took off at the start and led the first climb but the body just wasn't conditioned enough with higher end quality running stressing those upper heart rate limits so the body went lactic and I had to ease off on the first descent. This meant I faded to 10th and had to fight my way back. If I would of had some speed work under me, I could of finished with a kick but it'll come once I start doing the work. I think it was around 53min. After the awards I went for another hour of easy pace running around the Bow River. Funny hey...legs are fine. Which should mean good training leading up to the Seattle Rock n' Roll marathon in 2 weeks. Well good training might not be smart training.... hahaha 4 runs today as I added, from mountain inspiration, a 35min run prior to supper. So 25min, 53min ascent/descent racing , 60min and 35min. If the legs are ok in the morning and still attached a long run is in the books.

June 14th: The Canmore-Banff trail runs completes the route between the towns and runs alongside Rundle Mountain and the Bow River. All told about 21klm+ each way. Ya gotta shout for Grizzlies every corner or couple of minutes and the last time I did it was way back in March of 2006. I'm just waiting for the sun to peak through the clouds and should be off for about a 8:30 or 9 am start. Back now after 4:11:21. Added 20min running through the streets of Canmore at the start. Legs were tired from the multiple runs yesterday and the race but the inspiration is a flowing. Another 100+ mile week of training! Final mileage calculation for June 8-14 = 115miles.

June 15th: Can't walk. Can't even stand... just kidding. An afternoon run with me at Nanew's trusty side should have him pulling me (just kidding again.... it's actually tougher to get any tension on the leash because it causes you to increase somewhere in your eccentric loading) through the 10.5 mile loop. After the weekend's 7 hrs, I fully expected to lay in bed and cry for mama but the legs were good. Total time today was 1:17:45 for a 7:23 mile pace easy recovery run. Add in the 90 min Bikram Yoga session and you have one thirsty dizzy little mountain runner trying to eat a mountain of fruit. Thought the session would be extremely hard. Always aim when tired or if training quite a bit on that day to take it easy in Bikram and just go through the motions. Ya right, the session was extremely hard but my aim undoes my mental wobble and I find a space between my thoughts that provides endless energy. OK only for a little while, thus the mountain of fruit. Have a good night.

The 16th of June and the wisper of wind from the wings of the bird did swoon: Nanew powered out a 1:40:47 easy build up run on the road out and back to Cowichan Bay from Duncan. We almost decided to whip up Mt Tzouhalem but then Nanew looked at my quads, then at me and moved his little doggie eyebrows as much to say, "are you stupid?". Ya the mountanous weekend is still felt a little in the legs but the new program will have wednesday as mountain day so better be good to go tommorrow or I'll be the one moving his little human eyebrows as much to say, "ya I'm stupid!". Hahaha. The distance turned out to be 14.5 miles at an average of 6:57 mile but the first half was 10 min slower than the second half making 7.25 miles at 7:35 pace then 7.25 at 6:12. Nanew doesn't want to go to hot Yoga but I told him I'll sweat a little extra for him.   After the Hatha Yoga session, the 10.5 mile loop was done Fartlek style in 1:07 and some change. Nanew stayed home and practiced rawhide chew toy pilates.

June 17th and Mount Prevost: All of my previous quests on Prevost went to just below the summit where there is actually a dirt road. Today was all the way baby. Well the first time. The run started out right into the extreme ascent course and summitted in 39min. I could feel the quad a quivering a little so tried to go out very easy. The right foot arch slowly tightened over the course then loosened after the volcano warmup. On the return the old 'lightheaded, lets hope your feet go where you want them to, wait a minute your arms are numb, perhaps you've been training pretty hard lately, why are my lips tightening up' feelings were full throttle. I figure the lips tighten in preparation to kiss my butt goodbye as it will most likley be tumbling off the mountain time anytime now. Considering a single ascent/descent day and chalking it up to the big workload as of late, Nanew was shaking his head in disbelief as I took off on our second round. OK we only went to the road on that one but a double on that course gives you 8400' of altitude playtime with 4600' on the first ascent/descent and 4000' on the last two. Overall 1:49:30. Ah ya... easy day tommorrow. Bikram Yoga class of course was put in with another 90min of sweating, stretching, focusing, breathing and relaxing.

June 18th: A last minute jump off of my 10.5mile loop had me and Nanew do a new 16.5 mile loop from Duncan out to Crofton and around towards Chemainus but around on Richard's Trail road. It was done in 2:01:11 at a 7:21mile. The wear of the last minute 'Trial of Miles' buildup is not your normal wear and tear. The yoga sessions have played an incredible part in both increasing my fitness, recovery time and balance. Usually on the easy road runs, I listen to music and end up shutting it off at about halfway to focus. Today was no different with singing out loud and whistling to the birds. Always enjoy running to new music but along the lines of David Gray, Martin Sexton, Krishna Das, Cat Power, some A.C Newman, Our Lady Peace, little Lauryn Hill and on and on. Can't wait to get some new songs though to shake up those wild singing lungs on the run...haha. My favorite is trying to sing as calmly as you can running up a hill at easy pace. Hey runners are entertaining creatures...just ask Nanew or better yet, that bird I was just whistling to. He's the one passed out on the grass from laughing so hard. Forgot to mention that a stream of eagles have met me for the past two runs and today as well. Some flying right on the trail path right in front of me. Others right overhead or seamingly floating on an updraft on the edge of a cliff. Incredible... makes me want to sing. Better not, a passed out Eagle might be too tempting for Nanew. Another Bikram session of 90min of sweating profusely and a fartlek 10.5 mile loop in 1:05:15. Total workout time today 4:36:26 on an easy day. Well the taper (cutting back of the training to rest up for the race) for the Seattle Rock n' Roll Marathon starts now so the real easy rest days will start up soon. Might join that Eagle on the grass.

The 19th of June 2009: Recovery day... so that means find a flat grass field and an easy hour. At the Duncan track, there isn't a worn out warm up lane on the grass just on the inside of the track surface...yet. Well, I'm working on it. A goal just as lofty as the workouts because the #1 priority to getting better is getting better at recovery. To ensure that the recovery runs are done lets see if I can wear out that lane by September. Another easy recovery run was done on the 10.5 mile course in 1:13:43 (6:59mile pace) meaning 18.5 recovery miles today. Don't worry I'm thinking about that taper.

June 20th: Up and out before 8am to get in a single session today that will be the last run this week. Already at 120miles from the 5 days this week so the Cowichan Loop at 14.5 will make it 135 for the week. Let's go Nanew! Started off easy trotting about an 8min mile pace and then slowly getting into the normal pace like most easy runs. Today there were also some strides put in (about 20 - 50m strides mostly on the flat ground). These started at 20min in and continued until about 1:30:00. Total time 1:39:20. Highest mileage week of my life and even with tommorrow as a complete rest day. Past 7 days... 144.35 Miles (not 169...bugga)  + 7:30:00 of Hot Sweaty Bikram Yoga in a 42 degree room!

June 21rst: Honor this National Aboriginal Day, Celebrate the Summer Solstice and Cherish Father's Day: A day of REST... so tough. I have already had quite a few questions come up of 'if i should run anyways - just a short 20?' but going to REST up for sure. Need to taper for the marathon next weekend. Amazing sign in that the legs want to go, go...go!

June 22nd: Although I was considering 2 days off in a row, I figured that I need to get in a faster effort earlier in the week to see how the legs respond so this morning I went to the track. After 11min of slow warm up and some drills, I went about doing a 5k at 1:20 per 400m or 5:20 mile pace (2:19:44 marathon pace). First lap was 1:24 which was kind of planned just getting into it and then the majority hit almost dead on for 1:20 with a :31 last 200 for fun. A very short cool down and then it was straight to the 90min Bikram Yoga session. An easy 30min this evening was done very slow with Nanew to stretch the legs out. He sure wanted to go further and faster. Back in 2006, I ran what became the second fastest Canadian half marathon that year and did a little carbo load diet prior to it, so I am again doing the traditional no carbs for the next four days and then loading up on Friday. Unproven for benefits scientifically, I know it works for me. I remember reading Dick Beardsley's book 'Staying the Course: A Runner's Toughest Race' . "There are faster and more decorated runners than Dick Beardsley, but probably none with a more compelling life story. You'll want to read this book in one big gulp, then return again and again for inspiration both on and off the roads." -New York Runner.

June 23rd: Another rest day on my second day of carb depletion and a protein diet. Dreamt of pancakes last night...just kidding. A morning Bikram Yoga class will stretch things out and prepare for tommorrow's complete rest day. Both the half and full marathon start together in Seattle. Paul Tergat is there for the half. Did I say that I am getting a little excited? He signed one of my shoes during the start of the Blue Planet Run and on the other shoe is Haile's signature! In the future perhaps I might be posting on Ebay to fundraise to get to World mountain.

June 24th: The carb depletion diet of just protein was flipped into the carb loading phase around noon today which means 2.5 days of not eating carbs to prepare my body to be able to store more glucose within my muscles once the (now started) eat as many as possible phase is in gear. 2.5 days of loading up and I hope to have a little extra spring in my step while I 'Rock n' Roll' in Seattle on Saturday. Today is a complete rest day with a short massage. The best way to flip the carb loading is to do so after a workout but I need to take today off so I waited until after the massage. My body sure got dry and thinner on the protein diet but I could tell the stress to my kidney's was a little bit of s shocker as I normally eat soooooo many carbs. They came out with a media article on the other runners for the marathon - 3 Kenyans (fastest a 2:14:00 marathoner) and 2 Americans (both around 2:19:00). I will have my work cut out and will decide on race day to run simply for a 2:26:00 marathon or go out at 1:10:00 half pace.

Thursday two days before the Rock n' Roll Seattle Marathon June 25th: Up at 4:30 am. Want to run. Will head out right at 7. Same start time as Saturday. Got my Blue Planet Run singlet all ready to go for race time.

The 30:42 run was a slight little build up easy run, meaning starting at 7:30 mile pace and ending below 6min mile pace. Nanew and I managed to catch a little sun on a cloudy day.