Year End

Ahh... December 31, 2008. Looking back on the year in running... not bad... not great... but not bad.

Let's start with today's end of year run. I had planned on running 8 miles pretty easy, but backed off to 6 miles due to a late start. On the plus side, I saw a beautiful sunrise. I turned onto a road (facing west) and saw the entire cloudy sky with spots of red on the underside. The red wasn't consistent, but only on the very lowest parts of the clouds. I turned around and saw the sun coming up bathing the everything in red in the eastern sky. It was quite a site. I normally don't see the sun during my week day runs, and I purposely started in the daylight today not because I wanted to see the sunrise (that was an added bonus), but it's a LOT easier to run in the light than in the dark. I ran 6.01 miles at an 8:54 pace.

Okay, now for the year end... I ran 1,066.09 miles this year (according to my running log), and out of a total possible 365 total days to run, I ran 160 of them (or 44% of the days). I averaged 88 miles per month, with a peak of 178 miles in a single month (March), but a low of 39 miles in a month (September). I ran in four races (sort of): National Marathon - 1/2 distance; Frederick Marathon; Phedippidations World Wide Half (1/2 Marathon); and the Goblin Gallop 5K. I ran the National with My Lovely Wife and the Goblin Gallop with My Number One Son. I ran the World Wide Half by myself - I'm counting it as I got a race bib :) and I ran the Frederick with my family cheering me on.

My goals for 2008? 1,300 miles and four races. I got the four races in.. but was short on the miles. The general malaise over the summer and late fall certainly impacted my miles, as at the mid-point of my year, I was averaging 27 miles per week, versus the 20 miles per week at year end. For those of you wanting to see a graph of my 2008 run summary, here it is:



Next year's goals? Dunno yet. I'll have to think about it a little more. I'm running the Shamrock Marathon with My Lovely Wife, but don't have any other race plans yet. I'm not sure I want to increase my distance right now, maybe I'll go back to running 1/2 marathons. As for mileage, maybe 1,100 miles is a good goal for now.

See you in 2009.

4 days in a row

Okay, my titles aren't very original, but at least it provides information! Okay, over the holiday break, I managed to run -- you guess it -- 4 days in a row. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and today (Monday). I ran 6 miles with My Lovely Wife on Friday, 10 miles with My Lovely Wife on Saturday, 4.4 miles on Sunday, and 6 miles this morning. Boy, my legs are sore! I haven't run consistently in quite a long time. In looking at my training site (BuckeyeOutdoors.com) , I haven't run consistently since October, although I ran for a good week in November. Other than than, it's been very spotty, averaging about one (that's ONE) run per week for most of November and in December. I'm thinking of cross-referencing my run totals, the number of runs, along with my blog posts to see how I trended this year -- although I'm a little afraid of the results! That'll be part of my 'year in review', which I'm sure all 1 of you are really looking forward to.

Anyway, I ran my 'Heart Rate' Run this morning (defined in an early post here) . Boy, it hurt. Although I ran a slow pace (9:49 overall for 6 miles). But, I guess that's the result of running inconsistently over the past few months. But, I'm still glad I ran (4 days in a row), as the Shamrock Marathon is now just around the corner (March 21, 2009). I'll be running with My Lovely Wife. And although the pace will be slower than previous marathons, it'll actually be a harder run, as I'll be running for 5 or so hours -- which will be a longer time than any other run I've done -- ever!

Winter?

Okay, the last time I ran (admittedly, a week ago), it was 55 degrees. I ran in shorts and a long sleeve shirt. Today, it was 21 degrees. I wore long pants, UnderArmor, a heavy shirt, and a fleece vest (plus gloves and hat). Whew!

I'm glad I ran though.

I ran at Burke Lake. I needed to change *something* up, as I haven't had the gumption to get up and run all week long. It's a nice 4.6 mile loop, and I recognized a few runners (going the oppposite way) from my Lifetime Fitness Running Club days (3, as a matter of fact). I was kinda tired at the end (probably from not running). I had a fleeting thought of running two laps at the lake, but 3/4 of the way through the first lap, I gave that thought up! Maybe next time.

Wow, 6 days in a row!

Wow, running 6 days in a row! I can't believe it. Nearly 28 miles this week (27.9) Can't argue with that. Today's run was very rainy, but it was in the 50's (at the beach) so it was pretty enjoyable. I wasn't too cold, and that's hard to say at the end of November.

I'm sorta getting back on track. It'll be a few weeks before I know if I'm really back on track though. There's been a week of two in the past few months where I thought I was back on track, but then it fell apart again. Hopefully, I can finish the year out well. I'm not sure I'll have enough miles for the year, but that doesn't matter as much. I did have 4+ races though -- that was my real goal. Lessee... National Marathon (1/2), Frederick Marathon (full), Phedippidations World Wide Half, and Goblin Gallup (5k). That was my race goal this year (plus, there was the Cub Scout Final Mile).

Today, I ran 6.33 miles at 8:37. Oh, yesterday, I ran with My Lovely Wife. We did 5.5 miles at 11:23. It was fun (sunny and definitely not rainy!) It's fun running on the island.

Hello, My Name is....

Hi, My name is John. I write a blog sometimes.....

Gosh, I haven't posted since November 6. Of course, I haven't run much since yet. It's almost like I should be saying: "It's been two weeks since my last confes... er, run".

Well, this week was pretty good. Now, I haven't run since November 6 (until last Saturday). I ran 4 miles last Saturday, and 16 miles so far this week. My motivation was, well, pretty bad. All I could think of is an old Simpson's episode where Bart needed to sit and wait during school, so he's watching the clock, tick slower... and slower... and slower.. and then the ticking stopped, and then, the sweep hand (second hand) actually went backward. That's how my motivation was lately.

Hopefully, I'm past that. Most of the push was realizing that the Shamrock Marathon is about 16 weeks away (!) I'm running with My Lovely Wife, and I'm looking forward to that, but I need to get trained up for that! So... I'm running :)

Finally, a Run

Finally, a run! Today, I ran with My Lovely Wife. I had to work at home this morning, and she needed to get a long run in -- in preparation for the Richmond Marathon -- 1/2 marathon. So, we ran 10 or so miles. It was a good run overall. The weather was good -- actually, a bit rainy, but it was cool (not cold, certainly not hot). I can't believe that it's Nov 6 and I was out in shorts and a t-shirt. Not for long, I'm sure.

Anyway, we ran (yay) and I got some miles in. That's 10 today, but 10 for the week. ho hum.

Ouch

Okay, my running has really slacked off lately. Today, I ran 5.9 miles, at a 9:01 pace. At least I ran this week!

However, 5 hours lately, after sitting in a cramped position for 10 minutes, my left leg really hurts! I feels like a pinched nerve, and only when I walk (put weight on it). This is weird. Two things: 1) I need to run on a more consistent basis (once every 6 days isn't quite enough), and 2) well, I guess the first one says everything :)

Goblin Gallop

We just finished our second Goblin Gallop 5K in Fairfax VA. It was beautiful weather, in the 40's at the start and not a cloud in the sky. There was a slight breeze, but it didn't affect us. We? Us? That would be me and my Number One Son. It's our second time running the race (my third) and it has become a tradition in our household. It's a good distance, and it's nearby. Plus, the weather usually cooperates (it would have been much different if we had the weather we had yesterday -- pretty much a steady downpour).

We started off with the pack doing about an 11:30 pace. We eased off at a 1/2 mile and at .8 miles, did a walking break. We ended up running about .5 - .6 miles at a stretch before walking a bit. Overall, our pace was 14:01, which is pretty good (I know it was faster than last year, but can't find my 2007 running log to verify!)

All in all, a good time had by all.

Singing in the Rain

Not quite singing, but running in the rain... I've always said I like running in the rain, but I almost never get to do it. Today, although it is October 25, I was able to run with shorts and a t-shirt. It was 51 degrees when I started (probably 51 when I finished as well). It was raining sorta lightly when I started, but at mile 4, the wind got cold. The run was still good, no pain, rained the whole time.

Overall, 7.02 miles today (8:50 pace), and 7.02 miles for the week (not a very good week).

Well, I ran!

Well, at least I ran today! This has been a pretty poor week, and with today's run (6 miles, 9:05 pace), I got to a whopping 13.3 miles. Not quite at my 22 mile goal though.

It was very chilly this morning. Fall is finally here. It was 45 degrees when I started, and probably 44 when I finished.

Evening Run

Well, to prevent a total of 4 miles across 4 days, I ran a couple miles this evening. I ended up running 3.32 miles on the short loop just outside of my neighborhood. I actually ran pretty fast! I did a 8:02 mile, so I was pretty happy about that.

I had run 1/2 mile with my Number One Son prior to that, so I was warmed up. When I started out, I apparently just took off, so at the quarter-mile mark, I decided to see how fast I could run the whole thing. So... here I am.

I have a total of 7 miles for 4 days, so I'm a little behind my goal of 22 miles for the week, but we'll see!

Easy (?) 4

I ran 4 miles yesterday evening. I took the day off, but got a late start in the morning. By the time I was ready to run, the family was up and about. That's not a bad thing, but I lost my running window.

In the late afternoon, I ran 1 mile with Number One Son (ran, jogged, walked). This was good, as I really enjoy it (so does my Son). Afterwards, as I was still dressed for running, I hopped on the treadmill to run 3. I didn't have time to stay outside and run 6, and I was happy to get any running in.

Treadmills and me still aren't great friends, and I kept the same a little on the light side to avoid any injuries. However, I kept the incline at 2% so that was good.

World Wide Half

Okay, this morning I ran 13.35 miles in 2:00:42 as part of the Phedippidations World Wide Half. Overall, I was very happy with the results.

It was my longest run the Frederick Marathon (in May), so my body wasn't quite ready, but last week I had run 10, and although I'm not training for a race right now, I'm glad I was able to do the distance.

I started at 6:15 am EDT this morning (for those of you tracking that, I hope that I had the same start as someone else running the 1/2!) I was a quarter-mile in when I heard the 'start horn' from Podcast #158 of Phedippidations -- the World Wide Half Official Podcast. I heard cheers from the crowds, and then spent the next hour listening to other runners providing very encouraging thoughts and words as well as a good song from Black Lab.

The first 6 miles were very good. It was still a bit dark out, and the miles flew by. At mile 7, I veered off my planned course and then spent the next 6 miles trying to figure out how to use my current out and back runs together to make one big run. I managed to combine various parts of 5 other runs to make up the difference.

At mile 9 I realized that I wasn't quite ready for quite a long run and it took a little bit to get past my personal little 'wall'. At mile 11 I was feeling pretty good again, although my pace had dropped off.

The last mile felt very good. I had a sub-9 pace for that mile and my cardio felt very good (my legs, on the other hand, felt a little tired).

Now, 8 hours later, my legs are still a bit tired, and I walk a bit funny when I stand up, but I'm very happy I ran the World Wide Half today.

13.1?

Okay, I've been hearing about the World Wide Festival of Races for quite some time on Phedippidations, as well as the Extra Mile Podcast for quite some time now (actually, I've heard about the Phedipidations World Wide Half for a couple of years, before they added a 10K to the Half and 5K and renamed it the Festival of Races). It always seemed intriguing and I've sorta wanted to sign up for it, but my training for other races always got in the way.

Well, since I'm not signed up for any races, and I had a weak moment (during work today), I signed up! Hmmm... is this a good idea?

Last week I ran 10 miles (see here) and it wasn't the brightest thing I have ever done. On the other hand, I wasn't any worse for wear. So.... hoping I don't come back eating crow, the next post you'll see is me telling you about my 13.1 mile run around the hills and dales of my home town.

See you tomorrow.

Another 4

Today I ran 4.4 miles (short neighboring neighborhood out and back).  I ran a 9:14 pace.  Not exactly the pace I wanted, but on the other hand, a) I ran; and b) it *was* an easy day.  No pain today (no pain for quite awhile!), but it was an easy pace :)

I'm working well towards my goal of 22 miles this week.  I'm hoping to get a good long run in on Saturday, but who knows. 

6

Here's a test post from email. Hopefully it works.

Anyway, I ran 6 this morning, at a 9:04 pace. That's 12 this week,
towards my 22 mile/week goal. I felt fine (no pain), which is good.
However, I did feel sluggish. Also, not much motivation for first 2
miles. But, at mile 3, I felt okay. On the otherhand, with out and
back runs, its hard to short cut the run at halfway :-)

--
Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com

Challenge

So I have a bit of a challenge for myself. Since I can't seem to sign up for a race (too busy, too tired, too out of shape, take your pick), I decided to try to get a jump start to my training by setting a goal -- run two weeks with at least 22 miles each week. If I can do that, I should be getting back into a rhythm. That said, I ran 6.06 miles this morning (at a 9:13 pace). My pace was a bit off (considering I ran 10 at a sub-9 on Saturday), but I did remember that the first run after a long run (for me) was a bit creaky. Plus, it is beginning to be a little cooler in the morning (it was 51 outside this morning). I had my cotton gloves on (as my hands were pretty cold last week -- for the first mile or so), but I didn't really need them. Although today's temp was a bit chilly, it didn't *feel* cold (no dampness, no wind, etc.).

Anyway, I'm off on my challenge!

Yay!

Okay, I didn't follow the 10% rule (increasing mileage by no more than 10% a week), and I didn't follow my rule of long runs being less than 30% of my total weekly mileage, but I'm very happy I was able to run 10 miles today (10.04, 8:57 pace). At the end of the run, my cardio felt great. I wasn't tired -- well, my legs were a bit tired, and now, 6 hours later, I can feel my right hip flexor right now, but still, I'm very happy.

This run was over 50% of my total mileage, but last night, I got some motivation back. I was listening to some good running music and all of the sudden, I felt that I could do 10 today. Now, this morning, I could have easily let my motivation slide some, as I was tempted to go downstairs and turn on the tv. But I stepped it up and just left the house. It helped that was listening to an old Phedippidations podcast that I have fallen behind on. This podcast lasted only an hour or so, so I listened to another running podcast: The Extra Mile. This podcast seems pretty good as well. I'll have to keep sampling it.

Two Runs

Okay, I did manage to run Tuesday evening.... My Lovely Wife convinced me that 2 miles on the treadmill would be a good thing (and it was). I kept the pace reasonable (remembering that the last time I ran on the treadmill, I injured myself) and ran for 2.00 miles.

This morning I ran a short loop (4.3 miles) at a 9:03 pace overall. Didn't feel too bad, although Fall is here (it was 47 degrees and breezy). I didn't really warm up until 1.3 miles into the run. The run felt pretty good, but my muscles are tight (wonder if it has anything to do with not running....)

Okay, 9.5 miles for the week. Hopefully I can break 10.

Where, Oh Where is my Motivation?

To the tune of 'where, o where has my little dog gone'....

Okay, really poor start, but you catch my drift. Well, yesterday I ran.. 3.25 miles. I ran to the local Sunoco to pick up my car. Today, I was going to do the same thing to drop off a car (we tend to do all of our maintenance at once... go figure), but it turns out we didn't need to drop the car off, and for some reason, my entire motivation ended at that split second. I then ended up watching 'Little House on the Prairie' on the Hallmark Channel for an hour, but that's another story :)

Anyway, one run this week (but it's only Monday). Check back to see if I run again!!

Long time no see

Okay, my last post was on Sept 15. Today is Sept 27. Wow... long time since a run!

Last week, I put in 74 hours in 5 days (no weekend work, which made each week day that much longer!) Anyway, due to my increased work time, I didn't run.

This week, I think I was trying to re-balance myself... plus, I really didn't have the motivation to run. I don't know why. Every morning (well, nearly every morning) my alarm would go off; I would think of a lame excuse to go back to sleep, and then I'd wake up with just enough time to go to work. Evening runs had all sorts of excuses as well.

Today, since I had to drop the car off at the service station, I decided to wake up early, drive the car in, and run the 3-ish miles home. It gave me a good excuse to run. Now, I ran at a pretty slow pace (9:40 mile), but at least I ran. It's a start :)

No run today

I didn't run today. Two reasons: 1) I was sore from yesterday's yard work. I had to hack, and ax, and pull tree roots out. It took about 4 hours to do this, and it was mighty hot yesterday. I must've drank about 80 oz of water during this. Needless to say, I was a bit sore today. 2) I had to be at office at 7:00 am (today and all week). Not sure how this will impact my running (more than today, that is).

In Search of a Title

Okay, I ran today... 8 miles, 9:14 pace. Although I kept my goal of slow and easy runs this week, today, being Saturday, and the fact that I waited until daylight to run, there were several other runners out there. Usually, I'm the only one there, or at most, I see 1 other person, and they are usually going the other way. Today, one person passed me as if I was standing still, and when I turned onto Fairfax County Parkway to run the bulk of my run, there were several runners ahead of me, and they kept getting further and further away. Part of me wanted to increase my pace (I guess that was the competitive part of me), and it took considerable willpower to ease back up on my pace to keep to my slow and easy goal. Whew. I'm not sure I would have caught up with them anyway.. they were bookin' :)

Anyway, I got 8 in and it was kinda slow. On the other hand, it was 70 degrees and already very muggy. I drank a full 20 oz of water during my run (I usually drink 1/2 that), and I finished up the water just as I finished the run (meaning that if I had another mile to run, I would have been bone dry -- but sweaty).

Okay, the week is over, and I have 24.87 miles in. Next week's mileage is iffy right now, as I need to be at work at 7 am each day (yikes). That means an hour earlier each day than what I have been doing. We'll see how my runs go....

Keep On Keepin' On

Well, I managed to get up, lace up my shoes (really! these particular shoes have laces, as opposed to every single other pair of shoes with shoelace replacements), get a banana and glass of water, and run outside for 4.12 miles. And I managed to do it in a whopping 9:28 mile pace.

In actuality, I met my goal. This week, I said that I would run 4-ish miles every day and keep the pace slow. Since I sorta injured myself last week, I didn't want to re-injure myself by jumping the miles for pace up too fast. Hopefully, tomorrow I can get 8 or so in to call it a 24-mile week (again, counting chickens...) However, since tomorrow is Saturday, I have a good chance of doing it!

Keep on Truckin'

Okay, not quite the same thing.. but I have run 3 days in a row now. I didn't post yesterday, but I ran 4.3 miles, no time. I ran 4.04 miles at a 9:16 pace today (as you can guess, I had my GPS on today). I ran the neighborhood loop and had guessed that it was 4.1 miles, but wanted to be sure. Not sure where the .06 miles went though....

Anyway, the pain in my right hip flexor doesn't seem to be coming back. Tomorrow, I want to run 4-ish again (not sure of the route though, as I have gone through all the 4-ish routes around my house lately). On Saturday, I'd love to run 8... but don't want to count my chickens....

Explanation

In the last post, I mentioned increasing my mileage 10-20% each week, with no explanation. I actually got tired of typing, as I was leaning over the computer, afraid to sit down on the chair, as I was entering the blog right after my run.. Since it was 69 degrees and a little muggy outside, I was quite sweaty (TMI, I know). Anyway, here's my weekly mileage for the past several weeks. I'm trying to see if is there a correlation between my mileage and my injury, or if it's due to a treadmill workout:

Week of: Mileage
7/27: 24
8/3: 24
8/10: 17
8/17: 26
8/24: 30
8/31: 10


I increased my mileage about 20% from the week of 8/17 to 8/24. The latter week, I also did a 12 mile long run. I think that maybe treadmill running causes a slightly different gait, and that, combined with a 20+% increase in mileage, including a 12 mile run, created the injury. Hmmm... I'm going to need to think about this. I do prefer running outside, but don't want to remove treadmill running as an option, especially over the weekend....

First run

First run in several days. Since last Wednesday to be precise. Whew. I hurt my right hip flexor last week, probably doing something on the treadmill. I hobbled around for a few days and decided against running on it, as it hurt when I walked. Anyway, yesterday, it hardly hurt at all walking so I decided to do a nice, slow, and easy run today. 4.4 miles, no time, but probably close to a 10 min/mile. I wanted to run slow and easy to avoid re-injuring my hip.

I guess I should stick to a 10-20% increase per week, huh? I've been all over the place with my weekly mileage, but I think I should keep it at 20-25 for awhile before trying to increase it.

Ouch

Dunno what I did the other day, but I think it had something to do with the treadmill. You know my issue with my hip flexor, right? Well, I did something to it. Last night, it hurt like the dickens when I walked, and today, it still hurts. The thing is, it isn't constant. Sometimes there's no pain, sometimes there's a lot. That may imply that it's nerve-based, not muscle-based, or, on the other hand, I don't know what I'm talking about. Couldn't run today, and not sure about tomorrow....

Treadmill??

Okay, I blew it yesterday morning and didn't wake to run (I did, however, end up waking up, so that's good!) I ended up running on the treadmill last night. If anyone knows me, they know how difficult it is for me to run 1/2 mile on a treadmill, much less for 1 hour. However, I persevered, along with my iPod, to slog it out for 60 minutes. My pace was very slow for the time though -- 10:23, or 5:68 miles. But, I did run!

I need to figure out the programs better on the treadmill, or figure out some other workouts. I had the target speed at 7 mph, or 8:30 pace. However, it took 27 minutes to get to that pace. I sneaked the mph faster occasionally, making it more of a Fartlek run at times, but still. I think that if I want to continue to run on the treadmill on a regular basis, I need to set up my own programs.

Unmotivated, but ran anyway

Well, it was all I could do to keep running after the first tenth of a mile. I was actually okay getting up, getting a banana, reading a bit of the paper and getting ready to run.

I started running okay -- I was creaky from yesterday's 12 miler though. However, right after I started, I felt like stopping. It was all I could do to keep running. By the first 1/2 mile I think I had resigned myself to running.

Today was a short, easy run. 4.4-ish miles, no time. The course is relatively flat, and I wanted to a) get a back-to-back run in; and b) start to try to get 5 days a week in. I've been doing 4-days a week lately, and although I'm slowly getting back into shape, running every other day (more or less) actually hurts more than running back-to-back days.

Good Week

Haven't posted in a couple of runs... On Friday, I ran 4.3 in a misty rain (didn't track time). It was a nice run, but I'm sure I ran pretty slow. It was a misty rain, but I enjoyed it. I actually hoped for a harder rain at times, as a misty rain is somewhere between rain and no rain. If I'm going to get wet, might as well get credit for a good rain as well!

Today I ran 12.4 miles (!) Originally I had planned to run 10, but even before that, I had hoped to run a 10k race. Unfortunately, I waited until it was too late to sign up online. By the time I tried to sign up, the online registration was over (although the website said that online registration wasn't going to close until 24 hours later). Anyway, rather than risk not getting into the race after driving 52 miles, I decided to run locally instead. I decided to run somewhere where I didn't have to leave from my house, and I chose the W&OD trail. While driving to the starting point, I worked out the weekly mileage in my head and thought that if I ran 12 miles instead of 10, I'd hit 30 miles for the week. Plus, since I had done a 10 miler the week before, I wanted to see how I'd do on a 12 miler. Plus, the W&OD is kinda flat, so the difficulty wouldn't be too bad.

Anyway, I ran 12 at a 8:53 pace, so I was very happy about that.

Thanks!

Just a quick note to say thanks for the kind notes on a previous post. I had stated that I was losing motivation and although I responded in another comment, I felt that it was worth an actual post to say thank you. The comments about just signing up for a race was good, but someone named Audrey stated that I should change locations. You know, I did that in the spring -- I started running on trails. And you know what? I loved it. Back in February/March (I forget which post, and I'm too lazy to look it up), I ran 10 miles on the Bull Run Trail. It felt like I ran 20 due to the terrain. But it was great.

Anyway, thanks for the words of encouragement. It's nice to know there's other runners out there looking out for one another.

Been a Long Time

Since I posted... but I have been running! Yay!

Last week we were at the beach. I ran 4 days and got to 26 miles, which included a 10 miler. I was happy about the week.

This week, I have run twice (so far), with today's run being 8 miles. I can't go fast though... I ran a 9:11 pace today, and a 9:25 pace on Monday (for 6 miles). I'm thinking about running a 10K this weekend, so maybe I can use that race for some speed work.

Anyway, I am running, but not as long or as fast as I would like.

Staying Positive

I ran today -- 4.3 miles, no time. Yesterday, I had it in my head to run 8 miles today. I figured that I needed a jump start. This morning, I still had just a little bit of that in my head, and that helped me get out of bed (lately, I have been sleeping in on my 'easy' days, making them extremely easy -- not running at all). But today, after getting out of bed, but not at all motivated (plus very tired), I opted to run the 'short' loop (4.3 miles) instead. At least I ran!

I need to figure out a way to stay positive on my running. Lately, I have had no motivation, and right now, I have no upcoming races. I'm thinking of doing a 10k sometime, but haven't even locked that one down. One of my New Year's resolutions is to run 4 races this year (I got out of the 'number of miles' resolution, as that led to a lot of junk miles). I ran two so far, just need two more. Maybe an upcoming 10k would work.

Getting Slower?

I'm not sure what's going on... I'm running (not consistently), but I'm getting slower. I'm also finding it hard to keep my motivation up. This morning, I got up fine (4:39 am), got ready, skipped a small breakfast, and headed out the door. The weather was good (60 degrees) and I wasn't achy or in any pain.

However, by the 1/2 mile mark, I was seriously considering turning around and going back to bed. I figured, hey, I'm not sweating that much yet, I could probably just change and lie down for another hour. It took several seconds to get that thought out of my head -- mostly by reasoning that I would a) not get much rest; and b) not really be able to get back into bed, as I was sweating at this point. Okay, I thought, might as well tough it out.

At 2 miles, I wanted to turn around again. Finally, at 3 miles out, I did (well, that *was* the planned distance turnaround anyway). I slogged it back home and managed to do 6 miles at a 9:16 pace. Not too bad, but not too good either.

Now, I've only run two days this week, and I should have run at least 3 times by now. My goal is running 5 days a week, but I think *if* I run tomorrow (and lately, my track record of running on my 'slow' days is pretty bad) and run on Friday, I should get 4 runs in this week. Saturday is very very iffy, as we have a big day planned.

Well, at least I ran!

Well, at least I ran this morning! I got up (finally) at 4:45 am to run this morning. I was still feeling achy from the Saturday run. I started feeling achy on Sunday afternoon. I guess the lactic acid was still built up in my legs. Anyway, I never got to anything close to a fast pace. I tried though. I ended up doing 6 miles at a 9:12 pace -- although my effort was harder.

It wasn't as muggy this morning as in mornings past. Plus, I needed my running vest as it was pretty dark. I started wearing the vest last week and it's only a matter of time before I need to pull out my head lamp. Summer's starting to come to a close!

Great Run!

I ran 10.04 this morning. The weather was great (in fact, I was just a bit chilled for the first 1/2 mile) and I finished up on mile 10 with a 7:56 mile! I ran the entire thing at a 8:46 pace. I was very happy with the run.

As for the entire week, well... I'm glad I ran. But it took a 10 miler to get my mileage up to 24 miles for the week. I did get two 6 milers in, but that means that one was was only around 2 milers (2.66 to be precise). Not a great week, but it beats my average as of late -- nothing.

Still running....

I'm still running -- which is good; I just haven't posted... I ran a very short 2.6 miles on Sunday (on a treadmill), ran 6 on Monday, skipped yesterday, and ran 6 again this morning. I'm starting to get my running legs back. I didn't feel too shabby this morning at the end of the 6. It was 70 degrees and quite humid this morning. Plus, I didn't eat anything beforehand. On the other hand, my hip flexor didn't hurt, nor did my Achilles hurt -- both of which are good things. Probably skipping yesterday helped that. We'll see tomorrow. I *hope* to do 4 tomorrow morning.

Good week

Wow, a week where I ran 5 days in a row. I can't believe it. I only ran 24 miles, but still. It's a good week. I ran 8.13 miles today at a 9:10 pace. It should have been faster, but I past no less than 4 minutes waiting at traffic lights. I went a different route today, and although I like the route overall, I can do without the heavy traffic intersections.

I felt pretty good. In fact, I was running a 7:30 pace for the last 1/4 mile. I think I can begin running 6 miles/day next week.

I Can't Believe It!

I can't believe that I've run 4 days in a row. Wonders upon wonders! I even felt that I should run further out when I hit the turnaround point. I guess this is good!

I intentionally ran 4 again today (4.10, at a 9-something pace). I really really don't want to re-injure myself. I felt like I could have easily run 6 today though. I'm thinking that if I get up early enough, I'll run 8 tomorrow. Just don't know where. My usual routes are getting pretty boring. I'll need to think about it. Perhaps driving someplace to run, like Burke Lake or the W&OD trail might be nice. Again, it depends upon how early I get up. I need to be home by a certain time, and if I drive, I need to add like 20 minutes to the end of my run, so an 8 mile run (1:10-ish) becomes 1:30 - 2:00 hours (driving to and from the destination).

Any way I do it, I'm just glad I'm running again!

On a roll!

Okay, everything being relative, I am on a roll. I've run 12 miles this week, including 4.4 today, and three days in a row. On the other hand, that means I'm averaging 4 miles a day, which is actually how I planned it (no, honestly!) Since prior to Tuesday, it had been 14 days since I last ran, I didn't want to immediately injure myself -- I thought I'd wait a week or two before I injured myself :-) Anyway, given that scenario, I wanted to run no more than 4 miles a day this week, but maybe a 6-8 miler this weekend. Since I'm averaging exactly 4 miles a day when I run (again, a total of three days this week), I'm on pace (get it?) to keep to my goal.

Hopefully, I'll be able to run again tomorrow.

Since I ran last night, and then again this morning, I was quite creaky this morning. It was tough to get out the door. Fortunately, because I was only doing a short distance, I didn't bother with eating or anything, I justed headed out the door. Which was good, as I didn't pause to think or anything. I also ran a relatively flat course and I carried my iPod. Plus, I kept the pace very slow -- not only was I creaky, but I really didn't want to injure myself.

Anyway, I'm glad I ran!

Two days in a row

Wow, I can't believe I ran two days in a row. Actually, closer to 36 hours apart, as I ran yesterday morning, but this evening. I hope to run tomorrow morning (sorta like a two-a-day, but overnight). We'll see. Lessee... I ran from the Sunoco station to home, 3.30 miles, at a 8:32 pace.

Achy....

Well, I managed to take 14 days off from my running.... I ran for the first time in 2 weeks this morning. A short 4.3 mile run (did record a time). I was a little achy (don't know why - grin) but I'm glad I ran. I was thinking (always a bad sign) that I should keep my distances to 4-5 miles a day for a week or so (except for the long run) to avoid injury. What I don't want is to use any sort of injury as an excuse to stop running.

Short post today!

Heavy Heart

It was with a heavy heart that I sent the email to the North Face Endurance Challenge, Washington DC, 50K event to cancel my registration. I'm not worried about the registration fee, I really wanted to run in the race. It would have been my first ultra distance race, and it would have been my first trail run. I knew I could do the distance (well, mostly knew), as I have done 5 marathons to date. I have been trail running only for a short time, but I really like it. Not only is it less impact on my legs, but the variation in the terrain combined with much better scenery was wonderful. My longest trail run was 10 miles (see entry from March 27), and it was very hard, but I loved it.

The problem is this -- right now, I don't have enough time to run. My 'triangle' is warped, mostly with work. Any other free time is with my family. Of course, my family takes precedence over 'personal time' -- I wouldn't have it any other way, but my personal time suffers. Oh well.

I don't have another race planned, but I should sign up for a 10K or something, just to get myself running again (oh, I haven't run in nearly two weeks -- that doesn't help my training...).

Hopefully, I'll post again soon with a run report.

Ouch

Okay, I was supposed to run 4 miles or so this morning. Never mind that I ran my longest run in several weeks yesterday, or that I finished my run after 5 PM in the afternoon.... and it showed.

I turned around just after a mile when my body just wasn't reacting. My pace was weird, I was hobbling at times, and I was tired. I figured that I could push through 4 miles, but as a result, I probably wouldn't be able to run tomorrow.... so.... I turned around after 1 mile. I ended up doing (just) two miles at a 9:50 pace. whew.

Good End to a Bad Week

Today I ran 8.21 miles on Rocky Run trail. I felt good, but I hit the wall at mile 7. Probably because I haven't been running consistently lately :-)

I ran under a 9:00 pace (8:56) and for the first several miles, I was keeping a good pace. Mile 7 though, ouch. At the last 1/4 mile, I got my wind back, and I probably could have done another mile or so (but not much more). Still, I'm happy I ran 8 miles today, to get 18 miles for the week.

Compromise

Well, last night, I had planned on running 6 today... as well as 6 each day all week, with the option of running 8 one day. You see, I'm in O'Fallon, IL this week, and although I'm on travel, I find the runs quite nice. However, I ran 4.59 miles today (8:50 pace). I was very tired this morning and instead of not doing a run at all, I decided to run for 40 minutes (I ran for 40:32).

Not much to say today though.

Okay, trying to run again

Last week, I ran a total of 6 miles. As low as that is, it was better than the previous week, where I didn't run at all!

Today, the first day of the week, I ran 6 miles. I'm going to try to run consistently this week, but we'll see how it goes, as I'm in St. Louis this week. I can't run tomorrow, as I'll be getting up at 3:30 am to go to the airport (!ouch!).

I was a little slow today, as I was achy (from running 48 hours ago, as well as spreading mulch yesterday). But, I ran!

Good Animal... Balance... Tests...

Okay, it's been nearly two weeks since my last run, and this blog is going to be all over the place (I think it's a sign.. or a theme)...

I've been working a lot lately, and I haven't run as a result. I have been way out of balance (with the ol' triangle -- work, family, personal fulfillment). I was glad to run today, although I didn't run first thing, but at 11:00 am (oh, I ran 6.12 miles at a 9:00 mile). Since I was running a whopping 6 miles (a long run nowadays), I decided to bring the iPod. I listened to Phedippidations (Fdip 142: Dr. George Sheehan - Personal Best). I gotta that that book. Steve talked about several things that helped crystalize what I have been thinking about lately -- in a way. Dr. Sheehan's book talks of several subjects, but one is his concept of a Good Animal -- where it is a person's responsibility to maintain his/her body the best way possible. Our body is a gift, and we need to take care of it. It is our duty. This is one thing that sorta helped crystalize what I have been thinking.

Another thing is Balance. I knew I was working a lot, and it has been taking a toll on my running, but more importantly, on everyone around me. Needless to say, I think that keeping things in balance makes you a better person. One thing cannot take control for a long period of time. Today I am trying to put things in balance. I am spending time with my family (and trying to stay in a good mood to boot!), I ran, but since today is July 4, there's no work. Don't worry about it though, I have been making up the work part of the triangle for some time :-)

Lastly, the Test. I have a feeling that over the past several weeks, I have been under a Test. Unfortunately, I think I have been failing in that test. It is my responsibility to maintain the order, the balance, the good animal, but I have not. When you are in the thick of things (or deep in the woods), it's hard to put your head up to see where you are headed. However, that's not an excuse not to. So, I admit that I have been failing that test, but on the good side, I now am aware that I haven't been doing that well, and I'm going to try to do better.

Not necessarily a running blog today, but check out Fdip! It was very good today.

Beach Run

Ran at Rehoboth Beach this morning. Got in late last night. We are at the beach with two other families and we have a full house. It's very nice and I'm going to enjoy the weekend. Ran 9.77 miles this morning (according to www.mapmyrun.com). I like this web site. It's similar to the usatf.org web site where you can map your run. The biggest difference with mapmyrun.com is that you can choose to 'follow roads'. Most of the time it works fine, but with confusing roads, or larger roads, it messes up. Overall though, it makes it faster to map the run, particularly on windy roads.

It was in the upper 60's or lower 70's this morning. The humidity was up this morning (it *is* the beach, after all), but around 7 of the 9.77 miles was good :-) I got tired at the end and my form started to deteriorate. I passed the Dewey Beach Seven Sisters Race this morning (it was actually the 6th Classic Catering 4 Miler). That was neat. I had no idea there was a race this morning. If we have known, perhaps My Lovely Wife and Number 1 Son may have run it.


Anyway, 9.77 miles at 8:53. Not bad.

Oh, I ran yesterday, a short 4 miler. I ran out of time in the morning so I got a quick 4 in. It was cool in the morning (low 60's) and I barely got a sweat in. It was nice.

O'Fallon (again)

Ran in O'Fallon, IL today. In town for a business trip. Did 6.25 (although planned for 6.00) as I missed a turn. Good time though (8:50) probably due to the flatness of the town. Very pretty town (I think I mentioned this before) as there is an actual downtown section (although closed and dark when I ran by).

Hope to get up early again tomorrow to run!

Slow 6

I got 6 in today (9:08 pace). It was an 'alright' run. I intentionally didn't try to run too hard. I ended up taking off yesterday. I probably could have gotten up earlier to get 4 in, but trying to get back to a consistent schedule is making me ache a little bit. However, it is easier to walk around during the day (as opposed to earlier in the week where if I sat down for a while, I was creaky when I stood back up). So taking off yesterday was probably a good thing.

Tomorrow (Saturday) is usually reserved for a long run. However, my schedule is pretty booked, as I'll be taking Number One Son on a Cub Scout campout (plus baseball game, cookout, etc.). In addition, I wasn't originally planning on doing more than 8 anyway. However, given the schedule, I'm wondering if it'll be another 6 miler....

A repeat of "3 Days in a Row"

Once again, I have run 3 days in a row! Quite a feat! Today, I ran 6.05 miles at a 8:57 pace. I only got that pace when I looked at my GPS at mile 4 and thought -- geez, I'm running slower than yesterday! So I hoofed it and ran a 8:50 mile 5 to get my overall pace just below a 9:00. Why, do you ask, would I do that? I don't know. It seems sorta like cheating in a way. Arbitrarily getting my pace down on a run where I normally wouldn't do that doesn't help me (too much). On the other hand, I *was* able to get my pace down, so the extra effort will pay off in better conditioning. However, the better conditioning would be better if it were thought out ahead of time, and done as a tempo run, or speed work or something.

babble babble babble. There's nothing much to say, really. A storm last night blew away the humidity, and they say the 4 day heat wave is over. The humidity was down this morning, but it was still 72 degrees at 5:00 am. It was a better run, weather-wise, though.

Slowly but surely...

Ok, I ran again today (!) Wouldn't be quite a grand of statement, but for the fact that I've run 10 miles already this week, and it's only Tuesday! On the other hand, me in my infinite wisdom on February 26, in my post titled "Two Days, Two Runs, Ten Miles?", I was horrified by the fact that I ran "only" 10 miles in two days. Had I only known then what I know now....

I ran a 8:59 today (yay!) for 6.06 miles. I didn't feel as bad as yesterday, although I have felt my hip joint for the past day (that's not good). My left heel/achilles pain is less, and my right hip flexor doesn't hurt as much either. We'll see. I'm hoping that a week or two of consistent miles will work out the cricks and creaks of my body.

Long Road

Today, I actually got up and ran. Big deal, you say... but I haven't been able to say that on a 'school day' for 4 weeks. I got up at 4:45 am (ouch), and instead of thinking, oh well, since I don't have enough time to run 6, might as well sleep another hour... I said (or thought, not sure which), I have enough time to run 4.. get your a** out of bed!

Oh, I ran 4.33 miles (9:08 pace). The good news is that I ran. The bad news is that it's becoming apparent that not running for a length of time actually affects performance. I was hoofing it (or at least, my perceived effort was high), but every time I looked down at my GPS, I was going slower. At one point, I was running above a 10:00 mile. Now, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with a 10:00 mile. However, given my perceived exertion, I thought I'd be doing an 8:30! It's gonna take awhile before I can run back like I used to in the good ol' days (good ol' days = 4 weeks ago).

If (and that's a big IF) I can run 25-30 miles a week, I'll be fine. Getting there is the problem.

Me -- to get there (30+ miles a week) = Long Road

12 days.. 2 runs

Well, I had high hopes in my last post (3 Days in a Row). Since that time, in 12 days, I have run a total of 2 times (both within the past 3 days). My weekly mileage has dropped from 32.68/week to 28.41/week. Not really a good trend. Hmmm....

I need to get out of this rut. My work life has totally overwhelmed my family life as well as my personal life. It's now June. My 50K is in early September (!). That's exactly 1 day short of 4 months away, or 16 weeks, or just long enough for a training program for a marathon. Hmmm....

I need to get my mileage up; starting running on trails; and get a short run in after a long run. Oh, did I mention that I need my mileage up? The good part is that my pace doesn't need to be too fast. I was trying to run at a 9:00 minute/mile pace for the marathon, but I'll certainly be happy with a net 12:00 minute/mile for the 50K. Of course, it's not on a road, but on a rocky trail, which will automatically slow me down. However, I'm hoping that some of my injuries will actually be reduced by running on the trails, rather than on the road. Still, Hmmm....

3 Days in a Row!

Today I made it 3 days in a row! This week, in my effort to re-establish some sort of routine, have a goal to run 5-6 times, with no run (except maybe Saturday) longer than 6 miles. Yesterday I ran 6, and today I ran 4.3. I ran pretty hard today, with an 8:32 average.

Today I also discovered the VA Running Store. I very much like their personal attention and gait analysis. I ended up purchasing Adidas Adistar Cushion 6. It's the first time I ever purchased Adidas running shoes. They had me try several pairs of shoes, from Reebok, to Mizunos, to Brooks, and of course, Adidas. They are a little pricey, but if they work, that's great. We'll see! The store is great though.

Runner's High??

Okay, my last post was a week ago, but in my defense, I *did* run more than one time last week! -- okay, it was just yesterday, but I did manage to get a whopping 11.55 miles in for the week! The good news is that my weekly mileage is still over 30 / week. Not sure how though.

When I ran yesterday, it was all I could do to run to finish. My cardio was shot, and my legs got very tired. I don't know the exact pace I did, as my GPS ran out of batteries, but miles 2 and 3 were exactly 8:28 each. I think I slowed down towards the end, but my effort remained high. However, I never got to a point where I was enjoying the run. I was only thinking about it being over. Oh, I ran 6 miles.

Today, it was slightly different. I did manage to run again (another 6 miles), but this time I was thinking about what I needed to do to get back in shape. I wasn't as worried about just finishing. I thought about an earlier post (not sure which one) where I was saying that I shouldn't take more than 2 days off. Well, since the Frederick Marathon, it has been 3 weeks, and I have run exactly 3 times. And they have all been in the past 7 days. So much for taking short breaks!

Sometimes I wonder if the Runner's High doesn't occur during the run, but the feeling you have when you are *not* running when you *know* you can run X number of miles, or you *know* you can sprint up the hill, or you *know* you can pat yourself on the back because you put in a killer workout in the morning. Sometimes I think the Runner's High is the feeling good about yourself because you are a RUNNER. I've never felt so great during a run that I transcend into another reality. Mostly, on the long runs, I pretty much feel every ache and pain. Once in awhile, I do feel that I can run another 2-3 miles after an intense run, but I'm not sure that's the same thing. Maybe I've never felt the real Runner's High. But I do think that part of it occurs when you are not running -- when you know that you are a runner.

Frederick Marathon - Updated thoughts, plus first run!

Well, I managed to take two weeks off (instead of the planned one week off)... My first run back was this afternoon. I ran 5.55 miles at an 8:48 pace. Good pace, but I can't think much of it, as I was pretty well rested (anyone would be after 14 days off). We'll see tomorrow.

I had planned to take just one week off of running, but then work came roaring back into reality (well, it's always been part of my reality, but most of the time it doesn't totally overwhelm me). I was probably averaging 12-13 hours days, and since I was at the office at nearly 6:00 am every day, my running was put way back on the back burner.

However, my body *really* wanted to run -- so it seems. I have been waking up with calf cramps the past several days, and about 3-4 days ago, my quads hurt like I just did a hill workout. Just Friday night, just walking and standing, my feet cramped up so much I had to sit down and massage them. I think my body was saying 'just run already!!'.

So I did. Work had made me pretty tired, so mornings weren't working so well for me. I ran this afternoon around the neighborhood (the neighborhood 'long' loop). I felt good. My hip flexor was hurting from yesterday's 1/2 mile jog/walk with Number 1 Son (I don't get that at all), so I wasn't sure how I'd do. My body thanked me for running by not hurting though, so that was good.

A couple things about the Frederick marathon. First of all, THANKS for the comments. I know that there are at least TWO people who have read my posts now -- at least one of my posts. Thank you very much. As for the first comment, Yes, I meant minutes, not miles. Eating a sandwich and taking a bathroom break added about 3 miles to my time. However, as long as that felt in the first 10 miles, it wasn't much of a factor in the last 10 miles.

Secondly, whereas I was thinking for the first week or so after the race that I was not going to run Frederick again, this week I was thinking about what kind of hill workouts do I need to avoid getting killed on those hills. Guess I just needed some time. The timing of the marathon works out well, as it's not in the beginning of Spring, allowing me to get my long run in when it's not bitter cold outside. The location is nice, only about an hour to 1.5 hours from my house. The size is nice too. So instead of being a definite No for next year, it's in the the Maybe stage for now. Hopefully in the Fall, it'll move up even more in my thinking.

The Running of the 2008 Frederick Marathon

Okay, I ran the Frederick Marathon this morning. The new course was *much* better than last year. The weather was great. I think that it was a little evil of the Race Director to have all the hard hills between miles 17-23, but that's okay too. My family and I went up to Frederick yesterday afternoon to sign in (there was no race day packet pick-up). The expo was better than last year, and I was able to quickly get my bib, chip, and browse around the expo. It wasn't too crowded (at around 5 pm) so we got in and out pretty quickly. Since we don't know downtown Frederick very well, and the kids were starting to have a very long day, we ended up going to Olive Garden (take out) since I knew where one was from last year.

The hotel was fine. We got changed from a 1-bed to a 2-bed room (I had originally booked with just me in mind) and the kids watched TV while eating dinner. We *all* got to bed before 9 pm (quite a feat) and I was up at 4 am to shower and get a 10 minute warmup run on the roads around the hotel. We left the hotel at 5:40 am and were parked at the Fairgrounds a little after 6 am. We walked around a bit, and warmed up a little more, and then we sat down. I kept hearing the Race Director do time checks at 6:20 and 6:23, so I double-checked the start time. Whoops! It was 6:30 am (I had thought it had started at 7 am). I quickly got the the start line with about 2 minutes to spare and we started the race.

The first half was great. We went through down, and the surrounding neighborhoods for the bulk of it. We went down some farm roads as well, and at mile 12, I was passing people going up hills. I had to slow it down to stay around a 9:00 pace. At the 13.1 mile marker, I was feeling strong.

Between miles 9 and 10 I intentionally started walking to eat a 1/2 peanut butter sandwich. Right after mile 10 I saw that there was only 1 person in line at a porta-potty so I stopped. Between these two events, I lost around 3 miles, but I still hit the 1/2 way mark at a 4:00 pace for the marathon.

According to my GPS, at mile 17 my lap times started slowing down. They were at the 9:30(-ish) race at this point until mile 20. Miles 20 and 21 were in the 9:45-9:50 range, mile 22 was 10:26, 23 was 11:58, 24 was 11:21, 25 was 11:04, and 26 was 11:45. As you can see, I hit the wall. The course elevation chart shows that at mile 17, there is a sharp hill. Again at mile 18. and at 19. A smaller one at 21, and it levels out again at 23. However, as you can see by my times, I was whipped by mile 22. I think I would have recovered if the hills stopped by mile 21, but they didn't, and I didn't survive. In addition, my body decided to lash out at my decision to run a marathon. My body went through the normal options for injury, hamstring, hip flexor, achilles tendon, but decided upon my left ankle. At one point, I had to stop running to stretch it, as it felt like I was impacting my foot to my leg by squeezing the cartilage out of my ankle. I was grimacing at several points, and although I tried to pick up it up with 2 miles to go, and again with 1 mile to go. I couldn't do anything until .1 miles to go (home stretch). Even then, I don't think I was going very fast.

Right now, my legs are quite sore, and I'm going to sit in cold (okay, cool) water to reduce any swelling my legs (hey, it really works). I'll definitely take a couple days off, but hopefully, my motivation will return and I can start running again next week-end.

Final: 26.2, 4:16:41, 9:47 pace. My GPS read 26.44 miles, for a 9:43 pace. Doesn't matter though. 9:43 or 9:47, it's still above a 4:10 total, or 9:32 pace. Oh well. Don't know what the future holds for me in marathons, as this was the only one I was considering this year. I'm doing a trail ultrarun later this year, and I expect my pace to be MUCH slower. I'm hoping to complete a 50k in 7 hours (or a 13:22 mile). I actually have NO idea what my time will be. The only reason I chose 7 hours is because the race cut off is 9 hours, and I had to choose something when I registered.

Last Burst

I read in a performance nutrition book that to help your body soak in extra carbs, to do a brief, high intensity workout one day before the marathon. I don't know what sort of high intensity workout, but I figured that it had to be very short.

I warmed up 1/2 mile, and then ran very hard for 1/2 mile. My second 1/2 mile pace was 6:38, so that was pretty intense (for me), and it only lasted 1/2 mile, so it was short. I dunno if it'll work, as there's only about 100 variables involved with the Frederick Marathon tomorrow, but we'll see!

I'm still shooting for a 4:10, even though I've been tapering (unintentionally) for 2 weeks. Wish me luck!

Got a run in....

Finally got a run in. 3.33 miles at 8:47, night time run. Did the ol' 5k(-ish) run out and into the neighborhood. Not a popular run, but it was all the motivation I had. Actually, the 4 mile runs are pretty boring right now. I hadn't done the 5k run in quite awhile.

Well, the good thing is -- there was no pain in my ankle, hamstring, nor hip flexor. Hopefully, I won't injure it before Sunday.

Once again, a short entry, but a short week as well....

Long taper??

Okay, no run today (nor yesterday). In fact, I've run only 1 time this week. Ugh. This is not good. I have a marathon this weekend!!

I can blame work for taking up time (which it has) but I think it's mostly motivation. Yesterday, I just couldn't get the energy to wake up before work to run. I'm also staying up later (towards 11 pm) and I *know* that impacts me getting up at 4 am (or even 5 am).

It doesn't help that I was at work at 6:00 am this morning though. But still....

Unmotivated

Very unmotivated this week. Didn't run yesterday, and somehow convinced myself to shorten my run from 8 miles to 4 miles this morning.

Ran 4.36 miles at 8:49 pace. Not bad, all in all (as opposed to not even running, I guess). Just a couple days until the race. I guess I'm tapering :-)

Last Long Training Run

Well, I did my last long training run this morning. I ran 16.15 miles at an 8:59 pace. Pretty good overall. My left heel hurt throughout the run, so that's not that good though.

It's now spring time. It was in the 60's this morning at 6:15 when I started. The sun was out when I finished, so it got pretty warm. Overall I felt okay though (even though my heel hurt).

It's my last long run before the marathon (uh oh). We'll see how I do. My training wasn't great, but it wasn't too bad either. I'm averaging 35 miles a week since January 1 with some 45-ish mile weeks in there. I never hit 50 miles a week for my training, but with all that's going on, I don't feel too bad about it. Running 50 miles a week is quite a commitment.

Anyway, thus begins my taper....

Whew, I ran!

Well, I woke up an hour late this morning (an hour late for running, not an hour late for work). I contemplated saying a WTF and going back to bed until 6 to wake up for work. Then I remembered, "gosh, I really need to run in order to be properly prepared for the forthcoming marathon!" -- or something like that.

Anyway, I did get up and managed to get 7 miles in at a half-way decent pace (8:50) before going to work. That's three days in a row where I ran -- which isn't saying much, but is quite good considering my past week of not running consistently. A week and 2 days before Frederick, but who's counting.

Sabatoge!

For several of my big runs, something inexplicit-able happens... somewhere near the end of my training, when there is no real chance of recovery, my training takes a nose-dive. It happened during the training for the MCM -- I caught a nasty flu which put me out for nearly 2 full weeks at the peak of my training. It happened last year when I was training for the National Marathon -- something happened (I don't remember what) which caused me to ultimately change the marathon distance to a 1/2 marathon distance for the race. I caught myself though and recovered for the Frederick Marathon though.

This season, for some reason, in the final two weeks of training, my motivation just stopped. I managed to run 3 days last week (whoop-de-doo) while in O'Fallon IL, but didn't do a long run (the last long run) over the weekend. I also didn't run on Monday. My Lovely Wife convinced me to run last night, and that prompted me to get up this morning to run. I don't know why this is happening. Ugh.

Anyway, I ran well last night (with a 3.5 day recovery, I should have), 6.09 miles at an 8:35 pace. Less than 10 hours later (this morning at 5am), I ran 6.04 miles at a 9:44 (yes, that's a NINE FORTY-FOUR). I expected to run slower this morning, but not that slow. On the other hand, I didn't push it too much in fear of injury. I had originally planned to run 8 this morning, but after feeling my left heel, my right hip flexor, and then my back (!), I decided that risking injury 1.5 weeks before a marathon was probably not worth it.

A couple days ago I changed my goal pace for the marathon. I think I need to change it again. Technically, if I run a 9:09 pace, I can do a 4:00 marathon. However, I wonder if I should hedge it a bit and shoot for a 4:10, which would be a 9:32. I think I should split the difference -- a 4:05 marathon, which would be a 9:20 pace. Hmm..

Earthquake!

Well, I got up this morning to a 5.4 earthquake about 128 miles east of here. According to the news, it was a moderate earthquake. Good morning!

I put in 6 miles (I had planned to do more, but it was all I could do to get out the door) in the 8:30's. I tried to go pretty fast, and I think I found the true center of town. I ran past the new and old city hall as well as the pretty neat small town-ish area (small local shops, houses, etc.).

I'm glad I was able to run in O'Fallon, IL. It's a nice town.

Got a Run In!

I couldn't run yesterday, well, I *could*, but since I had gone to bed at midnight the day before, and I would have had to get up at 4:15 am yesterday to get the run in, I opted to sleep in the late hour of 6:00 am...

Today, I *did* get up at 4:15 am (well, 4:25...) and got 8.33 miles in (at 8:55). I went north today from the hotel and worked my way up to O'Fallon central. Very pretty city/town (not sure which). I didn't see of a downtown (probably on the wrong road), but went down several neighborhood streets. Very nice run.

O'Fallon, IL

I'm in O'Fallon, IL this week. I'm officially in the CST timezone (1 hour behind EST). That'll work in my favor until I get home. Then I'll be running behind!

I ran from the Drury Hotel this morning, headed north and then went into the neighborhoods. I used the USATF Route Map to figure out where I should run today. I like that tool, especially when I'm not at home.

Very short post today. Ran 6.24 at 8:54.

Got 20 in, but...

Well, I got my 20 in. That was good. However, my pace seems to be dropping off. I don't have I have much hope for a 4 hr marathon in two weeks. My pace was a 9:13, which would put me in the 4:04 time range, but that doesn't take into account that with today's pace, I was starting to drop off, and the last 6.2 miles wouldn't be at the 9:13 pace. Oh well, we'll see. A 4:10 would be good, a 4:05 would be just like Richmond last fall, and a sub 4:00 would match last year's Frederick marathon pace. As long as it doesn't match my MCM time (4:30's), I'll be fine :-)

It was my hottest run (in Northern VA) of the year. I was dripping sweat by mile 2. The sun was going in and out of the clouds, and it got mostly cloudy towards the end, but it was in the mid 60's the whole time. I guess I gotta get used to it though -- Spring is coming (yay!)

Overall, I'm pretty happy about the run. The first half felt great. I intentionally tried to keep my pace around 9 for the first several miles. In the past, I didn't mind pushing it, but then I bonked at the end. Today, I was hoping that keeping my pace around 9 for the first half, then I'd still have strength to stay at 9 the whole time. I was probably ahead a bit at the turn around point. I ate my 1/2 PB sandwich and started running back. Unlike last week, my first few miles felt good after my sandwich (last week, it was all I could do to run after walking to eat). However, with around 7 to go, I started slowing down. With 5 to go, I had to walk to eat a GU. The last 3-4 miles where very tiring, but after another review of my pace, they didn't suck. I was in the 9:30's for the last three miles (last week, my last mile was 10:00). So, overall, not bad, but not great either.

Easy 4

Easy 4 today. I had planned on doing an easy 6, but I woke up 20 late (it's tough trying to stay on a morning schedule!). Anyway, I took the opportunity to do a 4.35 mile loop that I don't do that often. It's good to run different courses.

Not much to say about the run (4.35 miles, 8:44 pace), but it got me thinking... years ago, when I was training for my very first 10k, I ran along part of this course, for a total of 1.5 to 3 miles, depending on... well, whatever (I didn't really have a training plan, other than to hit 4 or so miles before the 10k). Anyway, I remember a conversation with My Lovely Wife a while back where we agreed -- the first three miles of training is the toughest. That is, until you can run three miles without feeling sick, running is awful. It's not fun, it's not encouraging, and we could both agree why so many people gave up. Until you can run 3 miles, it sucks.

However, once you can run 3 miles, you have a very good base on which to build. From there, you can continue to run just 3 miles, or you can increase to 5, or any round number. From there, if you choose, you can set your sights on double-digits. It's nice to be able to say 'yeah, I put in 10 miles this morning'. But the first 3... well, it's quite a challenge.

I can totally understand the run/walk training for the first few months. Based on the non-encouragement of your fitness level, and based on the fact that the first 3 miles suck, by both running and walking up to 45 minutes or so, you are building your base up to be able to run all the time (if you choose). Nothing wrong with that!

6, 8, 10

Given the fact that I didn't run Sunday or Monday, I'm still giving it the ol' college try to get my miles up. I ran 6 on Tuesday, 8 on Wednesday, and today I ran 10. I felt good today -- my second half was actually faster than my first half, which is good. Having 24 done (and hopefully 30 by this time tomorrow) will make my long run less than 50% of my total distance this week -- which is my goal. I learned a couple years ago during training for the MCM that having my long run 50% of my total distance made the marathon pretty much a really bad deal. I bonked hard by mile 17 of that marathon. Of course, I've bonked in marathons where I *did* do my training, but less so (thinking back to the Richmond Marathon last fall...). In Richmond, I bonked, but still only missed the 4 hour marathon by 5-1/2 minutes. At MCM, I missed it my 36 minutes.

Soooo.... hopefully I can get 6 in tomorrow and *20* on Saturday (yikes).

Oh, my pace was good, 8:44 pace for 10.04 miles.

HR Run

Felt pretty good. The GPS was low on batteries, plus I was squeezing to get 10 in. I had decided on running 9 instead, and when I turned on the GPS and noticed the low battery, I plugged it in, and then decided on an 8 mile HR run.

The run felt pretty good. I didn't have the pain in the left ankle nor in my foot today. I also didn't push the pace (too much). I did push it here and there, but only for 100 yards at a time.

I managed to keep my breathing steady the entire run today. Usually I switch to normal breathing (instead of HR breathing) during the last steep hill in my neighborhood. Today, I kept the HR breathing the whole time. Of course, something had to give... so it was probably my pace!

Quick 6

Did a quick 6 this morning. I need to be at the office at 8:00 am this morning, which shifted my morning schedule up a bit. Only had time to do 6, although I felt good enough to go another 2 with no problem. The first mile as a bit tough -- I felt my left ankle (again) and now, the bones in my mid-foot where bothering me a little bit. Both problems went away by the first mile. I chalking it up to early morning runs with no body warmup, but who knows!

At mile 1 I felt good, so instead of doing a steady 6 I went ahead and pushed it. Mile 2 was 8:22, 3 was 8:12, 4 was 8:18, and 5 was 8:24. I eased up the last mile. My overall average was 8:32. Not bad. I'm glad I was able to do it, as last week my pace was slowing down. I hope that I can get my pace back up for my long run this weekend, but based on my last long run, part of me will just be happy if I don't bonk at mile 15.

Whew...

I got 18 in today... waited until the wire though. Couldn't wake up at 5:00 am to run at 6:00 am. Couldn't wake up at 6:00 am to run at 7:00 am. Couldn't wake up... never mind, you get the picture.

Finally started running at 6:00 PM. I usually don't run that late, and my body let me know that. 6pm is also typically dinner time, although I did eat a peanut butter sandwich at 5pm. The first half felt great. I was tempted to run 10 miles out and make it an even 20, but I thought better of it. I turned around 9 miles, ate a 1/2 sandwich (peanut butter) and started running back. My miles were instantly slower. Whereas I was running sub 9's for the entire 1/2 half, I was consistently above 9 for the second half. At mile 13, I hit the wall. The last 4 miles were a bit of a struggle. With 2.5 miles to go, I finally went with the flow and ran at whatever pace my body told me to run. I managed to meet my mile paces in the 9's until mile 18. That was was a 10:00 minute mile pace exactly. I did do a 9:06 average for the 18, so overall it was fine, but I was trending poorly towards the end. We'll see how I do next week to see if I'm in trouble in Frederick.

10

Got my 10 in this morning. Whew! Wasn't sure if I was going to make it. My alarm went off at 4:00 am, and I finally dragged myself out at 4:12. That was hard. The run was okay. I thought my pace was faster than it was, but I'm glad to hit below a 9 (I did an 8:55 pace), but it's not as good as it was a few weeks ago... I'm wondering what my goal pace should be for the marathon. I was hoping for an 8:50, but maybe a 9:00 is more realistic...

Anyway, off to work!

Nighttime Runs?

Okay, so when I woke up this morning, I realized that I only had time to run 6 miles. I need to leave for work around 7:30, and when you subtract the Getting Ready time, the Running time, and the Eating time, it pushes it back to about a 6 mile run if you get up at 5 am. That means if I want to run 8 (or 10), I need to wake up earlier!! Ouch. That means that tomorrow, I need to wake up at 4:15 or so. Wish me luck.

What happened to early morning runs? It was nighttime when I ran this morning. It's gonna be a couple more weeks before the start of my run will show a little bit of day light. I need to start using my headlamp again, as it was sorta dark out this morning.

The run this morning: 6.02 at a 8:52 pace. It felt faster, which means that I'm getting slower. I guess not running actually does impact your performance.

Correction! I said in Part 2 of the Suntrust National Marathon, that My Lovely Wife ran a 10:20 pace. This is incorrect. It was a 10:14 pace. Sorry!

Short Run

As I sneak-previewed during the last post, I suggested that I was NOT ramping up for the Frederick Marathon. On Sunday, I did NOT run. I ran 6 on Monday as a recovery run (easy-ish, no watch, but I think I kept a pretty good pace). Today, no run....

I need to run 8 tomorrow and 10 on Thursday. I don't know how I'm going to do that. Also, I get to run 18 on Saturday (ha!). We'll see!

2008 Suntrust National Marathon - Part 2

The Race

Overall, the 1/2 marathon was very good. The first mile was a little fast, as we were keeping up with all the other runners. We slowed down during the second mile, and we kept a good pace throughout. A week and a half ago, we ran 13.1 miles, but we did the 'Galloway' Method -- that is, we run a mile, then walked for 1 minute. Towards the end, we had to walk a little more, as My Lovely Wife's ankle was acting up. We weren't sure how we'd do during the real 1/2 marathon, but we agreed that we would run as long as we could.

There were some slow miles (usually during a long hill or a water stop), and there were some sub 10 minute miles as well. At 10 miles, we were running a very good pace, but My Lovely Wife did not want to know what it was. The last mile was also sub 10, and My Lovely Wife actually out-sprinted me at the finish line. We did the 1/2 marathon in 2:15 or so, or a 10:20 pace.

Like I mentioned during the last post, it was pretty cold at the start. For the first mile, both of our feet were pretty cold, but after we ran for a bit, we warmed up. As the sun went behind buildings or behind clouds, I needed to put my gloves on again, but since I was in shorts and two technical shirts, and it was a little breezy (plus it was in the 30's), I figured it was okay.

All in all, My Lovely Wife was very pleased with the run. It was her fastest time to date (a PR!) so it is giving her a boost as she prepares to begin training for the Marine Corp Marathon.

I need to begin my last month of intense training for the Frederick Marathon. !!! Problem is, I haven't! (oops!). I did notice though, that the marathon start is 6:30 am, so I got a hotel room ($). This beats waiting up at 3:00 am though for a 1.5 hour drive to the race....

2008 Suntrust National Marathon - Part 1

Saturday, March 29, 3:44 am: I wake up 1 minute before the alarm. Get out of bed. Get ready.
4:00 am: My Lovely Wife wakes up. Gets ready.
4:35 am: We leave the house with all of our stuff. We had gotten everything out the night before. I had already pinned my bib to my house, so I'm crinkling around a little bit (when a stiff piece of paper is pinned to your clothes, you tend to crinkle a little bit).
4:40 am: We arrive at 7-11 to buy 4 bottles of water (although we had already purchased Gatorade in the days before, we forgot to buy water). Since our water belts tend to leak a bit, we didn't want to pre-fill them. It was easier to bring water with us and fill our belts once we got there.
4:59 am: We arrive at the metro station. We had already purchased fare tickets the day before, so we quickly go through the gates.
5:03 am: The first train leaves the station. We are on it (whew!)
5:50 am: We arrive at the RFK stadium metro stop. We realize just how cold and windy it is!
6:00 am: We arrive at the Reston Runners tent at the National Marathon. Since Reston Runners helps sponsor the event, they get their own tent (yay!)
Between 6:00 - 6:40 am: We stand around in the cold, slowly getting colder and colder. Our feet are getting quite numb. Of course, we find the facilities during this time.
6:40 am: I take off my sweats. Now I'm really cold, in shorts and two technical shirts (one short sleeve). The thing about technical shirts -- they don't retain any heat (usually that's a good thing).
6:43 am: We meander down to the start line. It's only about 50 yards away. We found corral #7, which is towards the end of the start.
7:00 am: Start of the race.
7:04 am: We cross the starting mats and begin running!


Next up: Part 2 - The Race!

674.36

674.36. That's the total mileage of my Asics 2120 (no link -- they don't make that shoe anymore -- they have the 2130 now). I noticed over the past 100 miles or so that these shoes were breaking down. These 2120's are great shoes though. I have used Asics for years now. I felt a little bad abandoning them for the Saucony ProGrid Guide (mentioned here). However, I felt that it was necessary as I strive to move closer to a neutral shoe and away from the stability / motion control shoes. The next step is to find a shoe that is one step closer than the Brooks Adrenaline. These Brooks shoes (433 miles and counting) are also great shoes, but I would like to have less stability.

Keep in mind that I'm moving closer to a neutral shoe one (very small) step at a time. I started with removing my SuperFeet insoles. I also purchased Nike Free shoes (and only run in those once every 1 or 2 weeks). Now I'm moving one step away from the Asics 2120 (with the Saucony shoes). Maybe in a couple years I'll have totally neutral shoes. It's important to do it slowly to avoid injury. I've heard (from shoe sales people) that especially with the ChiRunning movement, people moving several steps at once and then getting injured. Essentially, you don't go from a leg cast to a 10k in one week. You need to build the strength up in your leg, and then slowly build up to a 10k distance. Okay, bad analogy, but the concept is the same -- running shoes have a *ton* of support that do the work that your lower leg and feet muscles should be doing. Because of that, these muscles are weak. As you reduce the support, you need to slowly build up your leg strength. If you try to transition too quickly, the end result is you sitting on the couch because you can't run due to injury. I don't want that.

Oh, I ran today as well. 4.4 miles with no time. Yesterday's 10 mile trail run really wore me out! Plus, My Lovely Wife and I are doing the SunTrust National Marathon (1/2 distance). They just announced that the Metro will be open early (5am) which is good and bad. Good in that we don't have to drive. Bad because they are open at 5am, and we'll need to catch the first train out (ouch).

Good luck to us tomorrow!

What a nice day!

I ran 10 miles at the Bull Run Trail. It was so peaceful. Just me, some deer, tons of smaller, unseen (but heard) animals. The first 5 was from the Centerpoint Road access point to near-abouts Hemlock Park. The sign said that Hemlock Park was 5 miles away. I got to the 5 mile point (on my GPS), but I guess I didn't make it all the way to Hemlock Park. I was too tired to keep going even 1/4 of a mile to see if I would find it. I rested for 5 minutes and then turned around and headed back. My return time was a little slower, as I was more conservative and power walked (actually shuffled) on the more steep hills. However, on the flats and slight downhills I actually kept up to my normal 'road' pace. Overall, I am VERY happy I ran the 10 miles on the trail. However, I am *exhausted*! After running this distance on the road, I still wouldn't be feeling so tired after 6 hours. I guess trail running is good for you after all.

Blisters... Can you believe it? I got my first blister in *years* today. I don't know if it was the new sock brand or the Montrail shoes (trail running shoes). Hey, I like the Montrail shoes. I think they are great. However, my breaking-in period consisted of a 2 mile run, a 5 mile run, and some general walking around. Given that these shoes are heavy-duty, I guess they take a little longer to break in. I guess I'm used to the 'new generation' running shoes that require almost *no* breaking in.

Gosh, I remember back in high school when breaking in shoes consisted of about 2 weeks of blisters and pain in all areas of the foot. I *hated* breaking in shoes. So did the others on the track team. Now, after a 5 mile run, I consider my running shoes to be broken in.

One last note... you know that you live in a suburb when, on a beautiful and scenic trail run, you know you are close to the finish because you can hear the traffic. The traffic noise around here is considered background noise. You don't *hear* it anymore.. that is, until you actually *don't* hear it. It was quite noisy when I heard it again after running 8 miles of not hearing it. Wow.

Ughh (part 2)

Ughh again. This time, I *did* run yesterday, but yesterday's 12:30pm time, plus the fast pace caught up with me on what turned out to be a 6 mile recovery/HR Run.

I had originally planned on doing a HR Run with no timing, since I *did* run a fast 8 yesterday. But 1/2 mile into the run also made it a recovery run. I felt just about every muscle in my legs, including my right hamstring (that's not good). Since I aim to run 10 miles on a trail tomorrow, I didn't want an 8, 10, 10 set, but more of a 8, 6, 10 set (yeah, that's the ticket). Plus, I *am* running the National Marathon (1/2 distance) with My Lovely Wife on Saturday. Wouldn't have been too good to hobble through it if I ran three hard days in a row this week. However, *next* week I need to ramp it up a notch. It'll be just 4 weeks away from the Frederick Marathon (ouch!).

We went to Pacers running store today. Wow. What a great store! They just opened up a new location in downtown Fairfax. They are a family-run business with at least three locations (all run by family members). They helped me find the right shoe (I'm trying to move away from a stability shoe into a more neutral shoe, very very slowly). I ended up with a Sauceny ProGrid Guide. So far it's a nice shoe (all 30 minutes of walking around in it). I'll let you know in a few weeks. The Fairfax store is still filling up, but they had the Yankz sure lace system. That's one of the reasons I went there. That, plus it's about 4 miles from my house, by far the closest running store (of about 5 total --wow, that's great too!).

Hopefully, tomorrow I'll be telling you how wonderful my trail run was... Wish me luck.