You've Got To Be Kidding....

I don't mean to knock La Sportiva, but $45 for their hobnails?  As you may recall, dear reader, I used hex screws I bought at the local hardware box store for significantly less money, and they worked just fine.  Here is my post about it.

Just thought I'd pass along my (apparent) wisdom on this... :)

Year End Review

First things first... as a bookend to my first run of the year, I did a trail run.  At the beginning of the year, it was sorta by accident, but with a very happy ending.  Today, it was intentional.  I ran on the Bull Run Regional Trail.  I ran 6 miles, at a slow pace (11:58) but I had to walk a lot of steep hills (when they put in steps in the trail, you know it's steep, plus there was actually a switch-back to go up one hill!).  In the past, I know I have gone faster, but since I'm still in an off-season, I figure I'm doing pretty well on trails.

Now, 2009:  In 2009, I ran 902 miles, so I met my goal that I set one week ago, but through a little investigation (on my own blog), I seemed to have missed my original goal of 1,100 miles (whoops!). Even so, I feel good about my year, particularly the past several months, as I've been able to keep running after my fall marathon. In 2008, I slacked off a lot in the fall into the winter, but this year, I kept my running up (now, the distances dropped off significantly after the race, but I still ran on average every other day).  Now, the downside of my training this year was the Spring.  I got injured while training for the Shamrock marathon this spring, so I pretty much stopped running, with a low of 4 runs in May.  Over the summer, I signed up for the Richmond Marathon, so that gave me the spark I needed to start running again (plus, I had some time to heal my injuries).

Here's graph of my running in 2009:

How have I done over the years?  Good question! Here's the answer:

Trending over the past couple of years:

2007 Goal: 1,300 miles.  Actual: 1,400 miles, 2 marathons (great year!)

2008 Goal: 1,300 miles, 4 Races.  Actual: 1,066 miles, 4 races

2009 Goal: 1,100 miles.  Actual: 900 miles, 2 races

Now, 2010:  Hmmm, good question.  Maybe 1,000 miles and 3 races?  I think that sounds safe :)

Errata:  In the fall, I discovered Wordle, which collects words you have (in this case, a blog) and prints them out by size in a graphic file:  Here's mine for 2009:

I thought it was interesting.  Here's the link so that you can create your own:  www.wordle.net, with, of course, the link to mine:  John's wordle.  

Let's hope for a great 2010, not only in running, but in all aspects of life!

Keep your run on.

Almost There!

892.24 miles as of this morning, 7-something to go.  I think I'm going to make it.  Now, I ended up running 6, 6.5, and 5 miles since I announced to the (zero) people reading my blog that I wanted to run 900 miles this year, with 8 days to go...  Now, with 3 days to go, I'm in good shape.  Since the snow has (mostly) melted, it's been pretty good on the paths.  Plus, I've been running pretty fast (for me) -- sub 9:00's for the past week.  I'm going to try to keep with with this pace to see how it goes....

What do I need to do in January in order to sign up for the North Face Endurance Challenge?  Not sure yet, but at the very least, I need to keep 100+ % of my training for the National (Half) Marathon  I wonder when the race will fill up?
in March.  Training doesn't officially start until mid-January, so I need to find something else to do in order to prove to myself that I can run 50k in June.

Normal(?) Run

Well, not a snowy run, not an icy run, but a normal run.  I'm on my quest for 900 miles in 2009, and I was/am about 26 miles away from that, so I ran 6 miles today.  I was able to run on the asphalt (albeit very wet asphalt), but was able to get 6 in.  Today I ran Penderbrook / Fairfax Farms.  I last ran this course in the Spring in a hard rain, so I guess I didn't realize just how hilly it was.  It was a light rain, so it didn't take my mind off the hills.  I felt every uphill.

However, I ran a good pace.  My doctor and my physical therapist both say I need to get new shoes, so I'm trying to get my miles in my current shoes while I save up.  However, it'll be very interesting to see how a more stable shoe feels after running in neutral shoes for the past two years (this while all the press plus podcasts are touting the benefits of running in very light shoes or even barefoot!).

900 in 2009?

Just noticed that I have run 874 miles this year.  This is well off my goal of 1,000 miles (probably due to the 2-3 month hiatus I took in the Spring).  However, it is possible to get 25 more miles in in 2009?  I have 8 more days (well, probably closer to 7 as it's not likely I'm running on Christmas Day).  My running has been off-peak as of late.  I'm not running more than 4 or so miles at a stretch during the week, but no more than 6 on my 'long run'.  

It's doable, but I'd need to push it to make it.

Trail running.... Well, the North Face is putting on the Endurance Challenge (again) in the Washington DC area.  They moved the race to early June (instead of September the past couple years).  Doable? Yes. do I want to?  I dunno. I had trouble with the 50k training 2 years ago (they actually cancelled the race due to heavy rain from hurricane remnants coming up the coast).  I need to think about it some more.... Injury-free? Not yet.  The physical therapy is helping my right foot, but we'll see about my left knee.  They can only do one part at a time.

Icy Run

Well, I'm stoked.  I read about using metal screws (the hex ones) in an old pair of running shoes last year (after I had trouble running in snow and ice), and decided to give it a shot this year.  Well, it works!  I used about 11 screws in each shoe (ranging from 3/8" to 1/2") and was able to get a very good run today in my neighborhood.  I didn't slip on the street (I was worried about that) nor did I slip on the ice/snow/slush.  In fact, I had very good grip considering.  

I ran 4.01 miles at an 8:50 pace, which is very good, considering I had to share the single road lane with other cars (meaning I had to stop several times).  I actually preferred running on the softer surfaces, as I felt pressure on the sole of my feet where the screws where (I didn't feel the screws themselves, but felt the uneven surface). On the ice/snow/slush, I didn't feel the screws, and since I had such good traction, I sought those surfaces out.  In addition, I stayed in my neighborhood, as, alas, VDOT hasn't plowed too much.  I kept off the main road as I would have run on the asphalt surface.

All in all, a very successful run in the snow!

My shoe:

Snow Run

Today, so to make sure that I could say it, did a snow run.  It was 25 degrees, the sun had just come out, and I ran 3 miles (I forget my pace, but it was slow).  I ran in 8 inches of soft powder, ice, packed snow, and everything in-between.  While they hadn't plowed my street yet, the main roads were very runnable (and drivable).  I kept the pace easy, and ran in my trail running shoes.  If I manage to get out of the house today, I'll try to get some 1/2 inch metal screws so that I can try the home-made yak-traks so that I can run outside tomorrow.  Given some melting, tomorrow's run will  be much more treacherous, as the roads will be very icy in the morning.

At least the second day wasn't windy

The past two runs were in O'Fallon, Illinois. The first run was done
in a windy, 27 degree morning (wind chill 16). Once my face got numb,
it was better. Fortunately, I brought clothes for 20+ degrees;
unfortunately, I neglected to account for wind chill. The run wasn't
too bad though. I averaged an 8:45 pace for 4.5 miles.

The second run was done in 16 degree weather, but it wasn't windy. I'm
not sure how I would have handled that much cold *plus* wind, but I
didn't have to. My face hurt for a mile or so, I think because of my
eyeglasses (they got very cold very quickly). That run was done
slightly faster (8:42 pace) for 4.1 miles.

I'm traveling today, so not much chance for a run.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Starting Again

This week I ran 14 miles across 3 runs. Not too bad for an 'offseason'
week, but I hope to increase the mileage over the next couple of weeks
to the 20-ish range.

This week I also began physical therapy. This was as a response to a
doctor visit to check on my left knee, left ankle and right foot. No
broken bones and highly unlikely of any stress fractures, but most
likely a neuroma (nerve damage) at least on my foot. Nothing obvious
found on my other issues. Both the doctor and the physical therapist
recommended more stabilizing shoes though (ascis to be precise). So,
since my adidas are done (600+ miles on them), I guess my next shoes
are the ascis 2100 series shoe. I used to run in them a while back and
they are good shoes. It is weird though that both people recommended
them.

Next week? A business trip to the Midwest (expect cold!) but hopefully
will be able to run 4 days, but its tough on 'travel' days. I want to
keep my runs easy and not too long, but will need to go back-to-back
days to accommodate flights.

We'll see!

--
Sent from my mobile device

Runnin' at the Beach

So last week I took off as I ran a long race the previous Sunday.  So this week I began a 'reverse taper' -- basically running 3 or 4 miles every other day or so.  I did about 16 miles this week, ending with a very nice 3.3 mile run on the beach at Sunset Beach, NC.  

However, this past Thursday was the 1st Annual Sunset Beach Turkey Trot (5K).  My Lovely Wife's parents set the whole thing up, and it was a resounding success.  They didn't know how many people would show up, but invited around 50.  There were two articles in the (very) local newspaper, but there were (by various accounts) 150+ people at the race, ranging in all speeds and all ages.  The winner was a cross-country runner from UNCW (UNC Wilmington) and My Lovely Wife ran with Number 1 Daughter and I ran with Number 1 Son.  My son got an unoffiical PR of 35:19 - unofficial as it was not an official USATF certified race :-)

Overall, it was a great time.  My Lovely Wife's parents put on a great race and the runners were great.  Her parents mapped out a very nice 5K course on Sunset Beach as well as 1 mile loop.  The weather worked out wonderfully and a great time was had by all.

Whoo Hoo!

Whoo Hoo!  Done, completed, in the books.  Yesterday, I completed the 32nd running of the Richmond Marathon, in 4:09:04, or a 9:29 pace.  I'm glad I ran it, but I'm glad it's over :)

I'll try to compile a 'race review', but I'm still gathering my thoughts -- the weather beging beautiful, the race course very wonderul, the Lee bridge.. well, it's still the Lee bridge (uphill and facing a stiff wind).  Inspired by other runners (including a legally blind runner!), having my family (as well as my Lovely Wife's parents!) there at the finish line, learning that they were there at the 16 mile marker as well (but silly me not seeing them!), feeling only a bit of pain (this time in my left ankle, and not by left knee or right foot as expected), making it past the 18 mile mark without hitting the wall (but hitting it at 22), rounding the last corner to sprint at the end, and then realizing that I still have .2 miles to go (ouch).  Anyway, it's too much for right now, but all things considered, although it's not my best time, I felt great overall, and am very pleased with my overall effort.

Just a Couple Days to Go

Okay, ran late afternoon (worked from home today).  Thought I was supposed to do 3, but I was actually supposed to do 5.  Whoops.  It was rainy and cool (48 degrees). Ran nice and easy, but probably felt like a marathon-pace.  Took off yesterday, taking off tomorrow.  Friday is a 3-miler (just checked).

This is taper week.  Monday I ran 5 at a marathon pace, but legs were a bit tired.  Today, legs weren't tired at all, but it was probably good I ran only 3.  Friday?  Hmmm.. I want to run (need to run to get legs from getting achy), but don't want to run far.  Is 3 miles too far?  Should I run for X minutes instead?  Hmm...

7 Days to Go

Whew, got my last *sorta* long run in this morning.  Since there was so much to do today, I had to get up at a mighty early 4:32 am -- on a Saturday no less!  Anyway, I ran 12 miles, at a 8:59 pace, which is pretty fast for me right now.  I started out at a regular 9:30 pace for 7 miles, and then got tired of my normal podcasts and began listening to my Lovely Wife's playlist of songs.  I immediately got my pace up and ran the last 5 miles at around a 8:25 pace.  At first, I was just trying to tempo a mile or so, but it still felt good, and there was no pain, so I kept the pace up.  I'm happy with my run, and it'll be hard not to overdo my runs next week.  There's only 3 runs scheduled prior to race day, with the first one being 5 miles.  I'm going to do a MP on that one, and I don't know after that.  I definitely want my Friday run to be easy...

How Much Longer?

boy.... another 9 days to go.  I did *not* want to wake up at 4:30 am this morning, so I got up at 4:39 instead (I know I know... what a slacker!).  However, I did manage to run 6 miles with 4 of those miles at marathon pace (actually faster than marathon pace).  I managed those miles at the following: 9:07, 8:53, 9:01, 8:53.  Not too bad. Overall pace at a 9:02, so I'm happy with that.  Tomorrow, an *easy* 5 miler.  Just need to finish a fresh route.  I am soooo tired of my existing routes.

Prediction....

As much as I hate to do this, I really should publish a finish-time prediction for the Richmond Marathon for all to see.  I have thought a lot about this (99% of the thinking has actually been on my runs; I don't spend too many brain cycles on running when I'm not actually running) (plus you gotta think about *something* when you are running in the dark) (and cold).  At the beginning of my training, my goal was sub-4:00.  Now, it's not.  I'm *hoping* for a 4:10, and 4:16 would be good as well.  Given the fact that I still feel my left knee when I run (and it makes an audible 'click' when I walk), my left ankle injury has re-surfaced now that I've done a few long runs, and there's a weird pain in my right foot, that feels like bones scraping when I push off hard to the right or left, I'm hoping that I can hold out for a 9:30 pace (4:10 total).  A 9:45 pace would be good (4:16).  A 10:00 pace (4:22)? Hmmm... ask me at mile 20.

Oh, by the way, my predictions in the past have been totally wrong.  At Richmond two years ago, I felt I had a sub-4:00 in the bag... until mile 22.  At Frederick 1.5 years ago, I felt I had a 4:00... until mile 18 (at mile 22 I was wondering if I was going to finish).  However, as bad as I felt on my 22-miler, at least I have done one, and that means that I should be okay until mile 20 (famous last words).  Then, just like the shirt says... a marathon is just a 10K, with a 20-mile warmup.  At 20 miles, it's *just* a 10K.

Oy...

Began my taper... last week

This week is officially begins my taper period of two weeks.  Unfortunately, I began my taper last week :)

I ran first couple days of last week (okay one day) fine, by doing mile repeats.  Unfortunately, that was the only good workout of the week.  I suffered through a 2-miler the next day, but then didn't run again until my "long" run on Saturday.  It was supposed to be 15 miles, but due to the fact that I had only run a total 10 miles earlier in the week, and that I didn't like to run more than 50% of my total weekly mileage in a single run, I opted for a 10-miler long run.  That actually felt pretty good.

Today, I ran 5 miles, which was supposed to be 'easy', but I turned up the effort to run at my marathon-pace.  I read someplace (most likely runner's world) that during the taper period, you should keep the intensity up, but reduce total mileage.  So, I'm following my plan (well, sorta) with the mileage, but keeping my pace up.  We'll see how it goes.  Since I ran at MP today, maybe I'll ease up tomorrow, and then alternate through the week, with my last long run of 12 miles on Saturday.

Downward direction

Today I did my last 'Mile Repeats' workout.  It was only a 3x1, but I suffered through it.  Due to a late flight on Sunday, I didn't go to bed until 2am on Monday, so that caused me to skip my Monday am workout (I figured I needed more than 2.5 hours of sleep that day).  The Monday workout would have worked out the rest of my lactic acid from Saturday's long run, as well as warmed up my legs for today's workout.  However, I used the 2 mile warmup to do that (to a limited effect).  My mile repeats were: 8:26, 8:45, and 8:35).  This is a far cry from my 8:20's that I did the last time I did this workout (this was a while ago though...).

I ran in 50 degree weather, a little misty outside, and in O'Fallon, IL.  The weather was quite good for running, but it gets light a little later out here, so I ran in total darkness.  I also began my run at 4:30 am CDT (which is 5:30 am EDT, so that wasn't that bad).

Peaked!

Longest week of the training ended yesterday with a 22-miler.  I'm glad that's over :)  Overall, it was a good week, topping out at 50 miles (and making #14 on the buckeyeoutdoors leaderboard!)  Up until around mile 44 or so (of the entire week), I was pain free.  The last four miles though... that's another story.  The good thing is that I made it to mile 18 of my long run before any serious stuff happened -- the serious stuff being totally bonked, left ankle hurting, having to take walk breaks, and doing the death shuffle when running (you know, normal stuff like that).  My pace until then was pretty good, after that, not so much.  Anyway, it's over, and now my taper begins.  Next Saturday's run is only (only?) 15 miles.

Pretty soon I need to become philosophical, but not today :)

Wow, 4 runs this week! (so far)

Can't believe it.  For the first time in awhile, I've actually kept up with my training this week (this is 'famous last words'!).  I didn't have too much trouble getting up this morning, and took a new route (and not one I'm recommending either).  It was too crowded with cars (running along a busy road would do that). However, I did see two other runners (running as a pair), who didn't say 'hello' back to me (this'll be a blog post one day, I think).  Kept pace easy, but a little sad that my 'easy' pace isn't faster.  It's too early to predict my marathon time, but I definitely don't see a PR in my future.

How much longer?

Whew, ran another 6 today.  Got up at 4:30am 4:45am, was glad that it was 51 degrees outside, and went running before my brain figured out what was going on.  I used to think that once I was dressed, I was good to go, but after a bad day, then thought that getting out the door was the point of no return, but then, after another bad day, after running a quarter-mile, I was definitely in good shape to continue running, but then, after *another* bad day (not all of these bad days were in a row...), after running a half-mile, I'd be good to go (you can see a pattern here).

Today, never thought about it, which was good, because if I did, I would have gone back to bed.  I went 6, felt okay with the pace (9:17), also felt my left knee (which wasn't so good), got the kids up, and went to work.  Tomorrow should be a duplicate of today (although I gotta find new places to run).  Saturday will be the last (yay!) long run in my training. 

Found a new Gear!

Wow, I found a new gear today -- well, actually found a gear that I had put away a couple of years ago.  I was dreading the Yasso 800 workout today, and by the 3rd rep, was really feeling it.  However, on the 4th rep, I changed my running form and found my effort decrease while my speed increased (or, at least stayed the same).  I clocked in anywhere from a 7:43 to a 8:03 for each 1/2 mile rep, for all 8 reps, with the last one about a 7:58.  So I'm happy with that!

I'm not sure I mentioned this the last time I talked about Yasso-800's, but one of the things I read about them was that it's more of a negative test on the marathon, rather than a positive test. That is, if you can do them in your time-goal, that doesn't mean you can do the marathon in your time-goal. However, if you cannot do them in your time-goal, there's a good chance that you cannot do the marathon in your time-goal.  However, there's a lot of controversy around the whole thing.  Simply put, it's a good interval workout where you get extended time on your lengths at speed, plus with enough reps so that you are running at speed with depleted energy.  That's fine by me. 

I shouldn't have looked at the old post though -- I just read that I can the previous set *much* faster than today's set.  Should I be worried?

Okay, I heard this in a podcast

...and need to work it into a shirt of some sort. Basically, the guy was saying that the finish time doesn't matter, but the time you spend training to get to the finish -- that's what matters. I understood this to be that the finish time is just a time, but the true measure of you, as a runner (or any athlete) is the time you dedicate beforehand to make to the finish, or even to the start.

Quite a long shirt logo though....

Oh Yeah, I ran today

Brrr, it was cold today. 39 degrees -- at least it wasn't raining. I ran an easy 6, in a 9:11 pace. It was a slower pace than my perceived pace -- basically, I thought I was running faster than what I was actually running. Oh well :) I'm only training for a marathon.

It was cold though. I used my 'throwaway' gloves, the ones I get from racing expos. The problem in, when they get wet (from sweat), they get pretty cold. I have some others that I bought (more than the $2/pair I get at the expo for the throwaways) that seem to not lose heat as much. Maybe I'll try them again. If they work well, I'll purchase more of them in Richmond (but I can't lose them!)

Tomorrow is what I *think* is my last Yasso 800 workout. Oy. I don't look forward to it.

TeamSweat

I heard about this on Phedippidations podcast, fdip 204: TeamSweat, and was very intrigued, so I hopped over to www.teamsweat.org and watched a very disturbing video -- basically, a guy who was a soccer coach at St. John's University was researching labor practices that Nike promotes in their factory in Indonesia. He learned that those factory workers make the equivalent of $1.25 / day, just enough for two small meals a day, a glass of iced tea, and small amount of detergent. No money for anything else. God forbid if you get sick, or can't work. He fought against St. Johns' endorsement deal with Nike as was let go because of it. This guy, Jim Keady, as part of his research, lived on those wages in Indonesia for a month. One day, he purchased a razor just so that he could shave, and then couldn't eat for a whole day -- there just wasn't enough money.

Basically, Nike is treating these workers like slaves. Jim Keady is working to raise awareness of this, and I, for one, support him. Based on what I read and heard, I'm no longer purchasing Nike products. Now, I like Nike clothes (the shoes, not so much). I own their clothes. They work great. I also like their commercials. They also sponsor some great runners. However, I'm not going to support them by purchasing any more of their products. I'm going to continue to use the clothes that I have, as it will waste resources to replace them with something else.

Anyway, click on the links and learn more about it.

I also ran today (I only ran 2 times this week, due to colds, busy-ness, etc.). I ran 10 miles at a 9:35 pace. It was cold and rainy, but while I was running, I felt fine (my knee hurt afterward though). When I stopped at mid-way to eat a GU energy gel, I immediately got cold (by this time, I was as wet as could be). Today was also the first day this season I wore long pants (Nike's, actually). So, 17 miles for the week. Oh well.

7 easy

Today I did 7 miles 'easy'... Easy is supposed to mean not to push it out. I ran a 9:25 pace but it felt faster, as my legs were still beat from Saturday's long run. Hopefully, the workout pushed the last of the lactic acid out of my legs so that I can do my mile repeats tomorrow. It's starting to get cool again. Today I had to pull my gloves out for the first few miles as it was 49 degrees. Still wearing shorts though.

My knee starting bothering me again. It sorta started last week, but today I felt it when I was going up or down a steep hill, or when I straightened out my leg. Hopefully, it's something I can work through, as there's only 5 weeks left before the marathon!

World Wide Festival of Race Half Marathon and 20 Miler! Hoo-Yah!

Today was the World Wide Festival of Races 1/2 Marathon. This was a virtual race across 45 countries, with over 1000 entrants. It was a lot of fun listening to cheers (via podcast) of various runners and fans who submitted their input before the race, and compiled by the Phedippidations podcast. I ran 13.1 miles, as part of my 20 miler long run, on the W&OD trail. The 13.1 felt really good. I ran from Reston eastbound into Falls Church. Note to self, this is a downhill run, so running back is uphill (ugh). Anyway, the run felt very good (I said that already). I ran in the dark for about an hour, and then into a sunrise. I actually saw people on the trail (well, couldn't actually see them too well) before it got light, including a couple of cyclists. The cyclists had lights (as did I), but the runners didn't. I guess that they felt (again, as did I) that running on the trail meant that less safety equipment was needed (only cars seen at intersections, didn't need to run along side them).

After the World Wide Festival of Races 1/2 marathon, I immediately began rounding out my 20 miler by running 7 miles. For the first 3 miles, I felt great. The fourth mile I actually got a little competitive with runners on the trail, and for that, I paid for it in the last two miles. Also, the last two miles were uphill (the entire way! I swear!). It took everything out of me and I did the 'death shuffle' for the last couple miles.

For this 20 miler, although I bonked at the last couple miles, I felt loads better than last week. Last week, I was done at 15 (although there were still 5 miles to go). This week, I was trying to race someone at mile 17, and didn't really bonk until I hit the hills at mile 18. So overall, I'm happy with my run.

Another 10

Today I ran 10 miles... 1 mile warmup, 8 miles at marathon pace (actually, faster than marathon pace), and 1 mile cooldown. My GPS ran out of battery at 1.82 miles, so I was guessing at my pace for most of it, but I did have my regular watch on, and it was a regular route, so I knew where most of the mile markers were. I don't have an exact count for mile 2, but at the time, I was running an 8:50. For miles 3-9, I ran on average an 8:35 pace (wow!), and mile 10 was a little faster than the cooldown, as when I entered my neighborhood, I saw the trash truck, remembered that I didn't put the trash out, so booked it home to beat the truck (time was on my side, as it went down a couple of side streets on its route, whereas I didn't).

Tomorrow, an easy 4, and Saturday (groan), another 20.

So, when I was wrapped up in my head about the dead battery in my GPS, and not knowing exactly what my pace was, blah blah blah, I was shaken back to reality when I saw a homeless person sleepy along the Fairfax County Parkway on the bike trail. It put things WAAAAYYY back into perspective. In the end, I have it very lucky. I have a job, a house, a family, I get to enjoy time to myself (such as running). I have friends, a car (well, 2 cars), and I'm fairly well adjusted. Then I see someone who doesn't have many of these things right there in front of me. Now, I don't live in the city, and I don't see this very often. The sight of this was very jarring to me. I should carry a couple bucks with me when I run, but in this case, I'd be afraid to a) wake this person up; or b) place the money in their shopping cart, as I would not want to upset him/her. But carrying some money would be good anyway, just in case.

Welcome to

Well, I ran in Collinsville, IL today. Never been here, never run here. Didn't see much, as I was running in the dark. I found my way over to a road called Horseshoe Lake Road, which, oddly enough, will find its way to Horseshoe Lake, an Illinois State Park. I didn't make it that far, as I turned around at 4.2 miles (I would have had to run another 1-2 miles to make it to the park). I mapped my run here.

Weather, 59-60 degrees, VERY windy. There is/was a storm coming, but it never hit. However, due to the storm, I did run much faster on the way back than intended (nearly 2 minutes faster).

Overall, nice run, but didn't do it 'easy'. Tomorrow's a rest and we'll pick it up again on Thursday, with a Marathon-pace run

My Quads Hate Me

Okay, this morning, woke up at 4:15 am (quite early!) to knock out an easy four before my morning flight. Ouch, my quads are still sore from Saturday. They revolted for about 3 of those miles. The last mile was pretty good, but now, 6 hours afterwards, I definitely know my quads exist.

The run? pretty good. Went down Misty Creek road for a flat 4.4 miler. Was cool out this morning (49 degrees), but don't need the gloves yet. My legs hurt going down hills, but overall, no pain in knees or feet (yay!). Tomorrow I'm running 7 or something, at some sort of pace, and running in a new town (I'm back in St. Louis, but could not find a hotel in trusty ol' O'Fallon, so staying in nearby Collinsville). It's promising out here, as although I'm not staying in Collinsville proper (where most of the MapMyRun running routes are), but in the 'hotel district' -- probably the industrial park :) there's a state park within 6-7 miles. I'm not running 6-7 miles just to run in a state park, but I'm hoping the road going there will be somewhat scenic. Scenic at 5:00 am?, well, hopefully not a main road full of traffic.

long SLOW distance

Well, I went 20 today. Took me a long time, but I did it :) I couldn't run it last night due to the fact that there was a school event (at one point, I *did* remember that there was one, but somewhere along the way, I had forgotten). Cub scout training this morning, but My Lovely Wife allowed me the afternoon (3 hours 52 minutes of it) to do my long run. Since I had skipped last week's run (and I felt that today), there was no way I could skip another.

20. Oddly enough, I wasn't afraid of the distance. For the first 5 miles, I was thinking that I could do it well. At mile 10, I was slowing down, but I still felt good. At 15, my wheels fell off. My pace slowed WAY down and I slogged it in. I had to walk a few times the last 5 miles, but I ultimately finished. 20.06 at a 10:49. Eh... hopefully, next week I'll not break down. Hopefully, my running 20 today, I'll be able to do 18 well next time. I am a little afraid to see what my distance is next week though.

Regardless of the distance, I want 13.1 miles of it to be the World Wife Half, one of the race of the World Wide Festival of Races. This is a really cool event run my 'new media', a whole bunch of podcasters who have (oddly enough) running podcasts. Nike has admitted to 'borrowing' this idea of having a virtual world-wide race for their 'human race' event, but this is really cool. There's 5k, 10k, and a 1/2 marathon. Everyone should do it. Just sign up at http://www.worldwidefestivalofraces.com/cgi-bin/home.

10 miles

Whew, wasn't sure if I would be able to get up at 4:30 this morning, but I did, so I ran... 10 miles. Not bad actually. I actually enjoy the mid-week middle distance lengths. One my way out, encountered very little traffic, but on the way back, needed to announce myself to pedestrians walking to the bus stops along the way (to not scare the bejezzus out of them), plus I had to wait for some cars at intersections. Oh, I ran a different route than what I would normally run -- this one has pedestrians and car traffic, oh, and hills....

I was supposed to run a mile warmup, then 8 miles at marathon pace, and then a mile cooldown. Well, I messed up my Garmin (didn't reset from last run), so I spent a while trying to figure out what lap (mile) I was on, versus what was displaying on the GPS, as well as what distance I was at. At a desk, with proper lighting, I could probably do this, but while running, and not thinking clearly anyway, this was apparently a very hard task. Anyway, I figured out that I was running 10 miles, and that I was doing the proper pace. At the end, I figured that I ran an 8:59 for the run, which wasn't too shabby.

Did I mention that was a brisk this morning? 44 degrees. I was cold at the start, and it took over a mile for my hands to get warm.

Tomorrow night (Yes, another sleepy night-time run), 20 miles. yikes.

Yasoo 800s.. Bring it ON!

Okay, that's a bit of a strong title, but I guess I'm still on a runner's high here... To start with, I overslept this morning (I woke up at the ungodly hour of 5:06 am -- to late to get my run in before work) so I delayed my run until tonight. Around 8:00 pm, I went out, did a 2 mile warmup, did 6 Yasso-800's, and then a 2 mile cooldown. What's a Yasso-800? Well, named after Bart Yasso, it's a type of run that will 1) help get your extended distance speed up; and 2) help determine if you are ready to do a marathon. It's basically a 800 meter (1/2 mile) fast run, at a speed that whose number is equivalent to your target marathon time. That is, if you want to run a 4:10 marathon, you need to run your 800 meter in 4 minutes, 10 seconds (or a 8:20 pace). 6 Yasso-800s means do this 6 times (with a 1/4 mile recovery between each run). Well tonight, I ran my Yasso-800's not a 8:00 pace (which would mean running them in 4:00 minutes), but at a 7:30 pace -- for all 6! Wow, I was impressed with myself, if I do say so myself :) I was very worried about this workout, as it is indeed a tough workout (and I get to to it again in a couple weeks, but this time, do 8 of them).

Now, I did manage to *not* run my 18 mile this past weekend, due to Cub Scout training, in-laws in town, and basic oversleeping, so my legs were fresh. We'll see if I can do my 20 miler this weekend (again, due to Cub Scout training, and other stuff, I get to do my 20-miler on Friday night! yay.....)

Two in a Row

Today was the second of two hard workouts in a row. I don't recommend
it. Since I skipped Tuesday's workout day, I shifted that workout to
Wednesday. Unfortunately, that workout was the Mile Repeats. Today, I
did 9 miles, with 7 of those miles at goal marathon pace. I managed a
9:01 pace for those 7, but I was beat at the end. Tomorrow, I'm
supposed to do 3, with Saturday doing 18. I'd like to skip tomorrow,
but if I do, my Saturday run will suffer. Hmmmm.

Actually, I'm not sure how I'm going to do 18, as I'm in an all day
cub scout training class on Saturday, starting at 8 am. That would
mean, for a 3.5 hour run, I'd have to wake up around 3 am to get the
run in before class. That ain't going to happen. Friday night won't
work either. Maybe Saturday night?

--
Sent from my mobile device

Mile Repeats

Today I did Mile Repeats. Today I also learned how to use the advanced training functionality in my Garmin. I did a 2 mile warmup, 3x1 Mile repeats, with a 1/4 mile recovery in between, and then a 2 mile cooldown. Since the total mileage of that workout was 7.75 miles, I also ran the rest of the way home, making my total 8 miles.

The repeats were good. I could have gone faster (I averaged an 8:18 pace on those miles), but I was worried about my knee. However, at the end of the entire run, I felt refreshed. Taken as a whole, my average pace for the 8 miles was around a 9:22, that the pace was considered 'easy'. Again, taken as a whole.

The buckeyeoutddoors site is very slow this morning (it's slow most mornings), so I don't know what's next. However, since I overslept yesterday, I took that as my 'rest day', so I pick up again tomorrow. My long run on Saturday is 18! (yikes). I also need to be at (another) Cub Scout training class at 8:00 am on Saturday, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do....

Short run today

Keeping this short today. I ran 3.3 miles (I think) this morning at an easy pace. Tomorrow's run is a series of mile-repeats. I'm going to keep my speed a little slow for the benefit of my knee. Regarding my knee, I totally forgot about it until around 2 miles -- and even then, my thought wasn't on pain, but on the fact that it didn't hurt and that I wasn't altering my form. All this is good.

I was focused on the temperature. I was a little cold at the start (it was 61 degrees this morning). Pretty soon I'll be forced to wear something other than a t-shirt and shorts. Yikes, cold weather is coming....

Early Run

Got my long run in today. at 5:40 am. on a saturday. I'm tired now. I got 14 miles in (2 down from last week), but felt good the entire way. had a pb&j at 7 miles, and got to run into my neighborhood with the remains of night run still on my head (head lamp). All told, I was very happy with my run. I knew my knee was there, but it didn't cause any pain. I took it easy though, running up the hills at a slower pace, and down the hills at a slower pace, but was able to get a 9:32 average for the whole thing. Next long run: 18 miles (ouch)

Tentatively Cautious

First of all, those of you reading from Facebook can see my whole blog on this site. Last we met, young readers, I was worried about my knee. I took yesterday off, and had a tentative and cautious run today (5 miles, slow pace: 9:29), and although when I asked my knee if it felt anything and it said 'yes', it never interrupted my thoughts by impolitely making itself known. In other words, I knew it was there, but if I hadn't had pain there on Wednesday, I wouldn't have known there was a potential issue.

Anyway, I ran 5 today, and due to run 14 tomorrow. Since my long runs are supposed to be 60-120 seconds slower per mile than my goal pace (which I took advantage of on my last long run), I should be okay. Plus, it's 2 miles shorter than last week, so that's good.

Hill Repeats

Yes, they are as bad as the title sounds. I tried to find a hill that was steady (no downhills in middle) that I could run for 2 minutes without reaching the end. The hills around my house couldn't cut it, so.. drove to the Safeway parking lot this morning to run on Monument road. Took a leisurely 2 mile warmup, and then proceeded to run uphill for 1 minute for 4 times (jogging back down each time), then running uphill for 2 minutes for 4 times (jogging then then running hard back), and then... sprinting uphill for 1 minute for 4 times. I think my legs finally remembered how to sprint the last two repetitions. Until then, I was just running fast. The last two repetitions -- I got to the '1 minute marker' about 10 seconds ahead of time, so kept running. I was supposed to run 2 miles as a cooldown, but I was beat, so I ran .5 miles, got back into my car, and went home.

Later, walking the two blocks from the parking garage to my office, my left knee hurt really bad every time I took a step. Ouch. Hopefully, that will go away today. I'm supposed to run 5 tomorrow, but if my knee hurts, I don't know what I'm going to do....

One run after another

I didn't have a chance to post after my long run last week. Due to scheduling conflicts, I had to do my long run on Friday night. If you are *not* a night owl, I do not recommend doing a long run beginning at 8:00 pm on a Friday night. I do a lot of night runs, but most of my runs are nighttime -- morning, not nighttime -- late night. By 10:00 pm, I was sleepy tired. I could have just closed my eyes and fallen asleep, without breaking a step. Thinking that this was a little unwise, I decided to stay awake and finish my run.

My long run? 16 miles (actually, 15.8, but was too tired to get the last .2 miles in). I did it in a 9:57 pace, but for the first 9 miles, it was much faster. Miles 14-17 were hard (sleepy tired, and just dog-gone tired at that point). Saturday at 5:00 am I woke up (a little achy) and went to a Cub Scout leader training event -- until 2:00 pm Sunday.

Monday, I just couldn't get up to run, so I ran my easy 5 this morning (Tuesday). It was a very good run, a nice and easy run at a 9:04 pace. Tomorrow, hill repeats. I'm dreading this one....

Ouch, my legs

So today I ran a hill workout -- 7 miles at a hard pace (okay, an 8:51 pace -- which is hard for me), that included some longer hills. Ouch, I'm beat. My legs are very tired. I'm happy I was able to run the pace that I did, and today's pace was much faster than previous runs on this same course, so I *am* getting better (which is good, because I am training!). Anyway, tomorrow is a rest day, which I'm grateful for. I'm trying very hard to keep to this schedule, as it seems to be working. I'm a little afraid of next week's 'hill repeat' workout though. I have a feeling that someone will find me on the side of the road, unable to walk anymore. Anyway, a rest day tomorrow, 2 'easy' days of 5 miles each, then a 16 (!) miler on Saturday -- before my Boy Scout training campout (whew, what a weekend!)

Lets see if I can get through the week

This'll be a short post. I'm interested if I can get through the week, not only in getting my runs in, but also posting a little bit.

I ran an 'easy 4' today. I started off a little stiff, as we (the family) went to DC yesterday and walked through the American History Museum. My first mile was a little slow, but I quickly got up to speed. I did a little research on the 'easy' runs on this program. At first, I thought I was to keep a slow pace, and as it turns out, I just need to keep an easy pace. If I can run faster, I should do so. So today I ran a sub 9 (barely, an 8:59 pace). We'll see how my 'hill' run goes tomorrow. It's supposed to be an 7 mile hill run. Historically, the 6 mile hill run has really wiped me out -- so we'll see.

Very Irregular

Okay, so I'm posting on a very irregular basis (read: very seldomly). I have been running, but just not posting.

Today I bought new shoes to replace my Saucony shoes. I have thought about getting new shoes for some time now, but noticed that both of my shoes have around 500 miles on them. My Adidas have 520 miles and my Saucony has 470. However, my Saucony shoes have broken down faster than my Adidas. My Adidas are still going strong, but I need to make a mental note that at around 200 miles of my new shoes (New Balance 758), I should replace my Adidas.

Overall, my running has been pretty good. In August, I ran 104 miles. I'm running fairly consistently, as I have been following a modified Yasso Marathon training plan for the upcoming Richmond Marathon on November 14 (yikes). Actually, my running has been pretty good. Today, instead of long mileage, my plan had me to a 5k. Not able to find a local 5k, I ran a 2 mile warmup along the W&OD trail, a hard 3 miles (8:07 pace), and then a 2 mile cooldown. I was surprised I was able to keep that pace for 3 miles. Beforehand, I was thinking that I was going to try for a 8:30 pace for the 5k portion, but as I was warming up, I was noticing that I was running a sub 9 in spots, without much fatigue. Anyway, I felt good with my run.

I'm trying to keep to the training plan, although this week I ran only 3 times versus 5 times as per the plan. Previous weeks have been pretty good though. Anyway, we'll see.

I'll try to post more often as I get closer to the Richmond Marathon. It should be fun as my family will be joining me to the race, and we are staying an extra night in Richmond (after the race) to enjoy the town.

I forgot how to tie my shoelaces!

Last week was a good week. I ran 25.99 miles (had I known I was 1/100th of a mile short of 26...), including a long run at Burke Lake (9.2 miles) with my Montrail trail shoes. These shoes are huge. I got these shoes just before they totally remodeled their line. Montrail's trail running shoes now look a lot like regular running shoes. Mines, uh.. don't. Mine almost look like low cut hiking boots. They are pretty heavy to boot (get it?). Anyway, like all of my running shoes, the first thing I did was to replace the shoelaces with the Yankz shoelace replacement system (long words for replacing the shoelaces with elastic, to avoid tying your shoes). I like the Yankz because you can adjust the tension (tightness) very easily. In the past, my shoes would always be too loose or too tight, and of course, they would untie occasionally.

However, given the sheer bulk of the Montrail shoe, plus the uneven terrain, the Yankz didn't work too well. So, Friday night, I replaced the Yankz with the original shoe laces.

Wow, just re-reading this blog, and I noticed that I have spent a long time explaining shoe laces. What an exciting post!

This week? Hopefully, a good week. I just started the Yasso Intermediate Marathon training program for the Richmond Marathon. The official training time isn't until the week of July 26, but I'll be on a Cub Scout camping trip that entire week, so I figured I would start early. I'm adjusting the training plan a bit as I would like to do 10 miles on my long run this week. We'll see!

Is this thing on?

Okay, this is a short post -- just to let you know I'm alive. My running over the past several months has been spotty at best. While on business travel, I was able to run consistently (weird), but at home, not so much. I've run a couple of times this week, but only in the evening. For some reason, I can't wake up early anymore. We'll see what happens... as I just signed up for the Richmond Marathon (yikes!).

Stay tuned.

Running is fun sometimes!

I ran yesterday, a good end to the week, and a great end to a slump over the past several weeks.

I ran 7.5 miles (9:20-ish? pace). It was quite enjoyable. I took a short detour to go down this path next to a creek and ended up at a pumping station. I don't know what a pumping station is though but it was surrounded by a tall fence. Anyway, it was a good run.

I think my knee problem is actually a hamstring problem (which is better I guess). If I strained my hamstring, I think the healing would be faster than a knee problem. I'm going to try to stretch it more before my runs though. However, after 6 miles, my knee/hamstring didn't hurt -- until I stopped :) It's still stiff when I sit for any longer than a few minutes.

Slogging Along

I managed to get up at 4:30 am again today (okay, 4:39...) and was out the door around 5:15 am for a nice 4.4 mile run. It was nice because it was above freezing! It was around 40 degrees, which felt very nice -- compared to some of the cold weather runs over the winter!

My knee continues to bother me, but oddly enough, it didn't hurt the same way it did yesterday. It hurt going downhill (probably due to extra stress on legs), but didn't feel it at all on flats. I felt it a little going uphill though. 5 hours later, it doesn't hurt too much, only when I stand up from a sitting position.

Just a short blog today...

Long Road Ahead

Okay, I ran two times this week, which is the most I've run since the week of Feb 8. Oy.

I continue to feel my left knee, but at this point, it's the chicken and the egg thing. Is my knee preventing me from running well, or does my lack of consistent running making my knee feel worse when I do run? I did take a couple weeks off (mostly). From Feb 15 - 28, I ran exactly one time. And that was an easy 4-miler. I'm hoping that my knee thing is not serious. Maybe I should see a doctor, but on the other hand, I'm worried that they'll have the ol' 'if it hurts, don't do it' attitude. My knee works as it is supposed to; I can walk on it, although I'm a little slow getting out of a chair, and it hurts to bend it 90 degrees. We'll see.

I ran 4 miles at a nice and easy 10:06 pace. Easy pace due to ice on the road (not much now, but a little) and the fact that I've run so little lately, I don't want to re-injure myself. Plus, I'm out of shape :)

Easy transition

In O'Fallon, IL again this week. Didn't run on Monday or Tuesday, as knee still hurt. Yesterday afternoon though, I actually forgot about it, so I figured today I should run a little bit.

It was rather mild this morning (45 degrees at 5:15 am) and I didn't quite have the clothes for such mild weather, so I got a little hot. I didn't get a time, because I wanted to focus just on running 4 miles, and not running 4 miles in X minutes. Coming back with about a mile to go, I turned my head hard to the left, and then noticed that my hamstring was a little tight on my left side. At that point, I began wondering if having tight or weak hamstrings contributed to my knee problem. It makes sense. My knee doesn't actually hurt when I press on it; it only feels weird when I open and close it. It's also a bit swollen. I don't think that my hamstring is the sole reason for my knee injury, but I have a feeling that it is related. I think I need to stretch and strengthen my hamstrings. This has been a weak point in my long runs since my first marathon. My hamstrings have traditionally cramped up on very long runs (and marathons).

Anyway, it's an interesting thought. I'll need to be mindful on that. Anyway, I had a good run this morning, and hope to have another good run tomorrow morning - and it's due to be much colder, lower 20's, so I'll be dressed properly :)

Didn't run today

I woke up with my knee hurting more. I didn't feel that it was worth the risk of running 10 miles this morning with that condition. Hmmmm....

One down, One to go

I ran 14 late this morning. I elected to not run 20, but run shorter runs two days in a row. My knee has been bothering me lately, and I didn't want to injure it more (as is running 14 miles doesn't affect it at all....) I was under a 10 minute mile (something like a 9:40) but I wasn't really watching my pace (too much). I took 3 walking breaks on purpose, including one half-way through. We'll see if I can do 10 tomorrow morning (whew).

I actually felt very good at 7 miles (half-way), and pretty good at 10. In the last mile, I actually ran as fast as I could up a steep hill near my house (but only got down to an 8:40 pace, so I wasn't running all that fast). I could have handle another couple miles easily, but I'm not sure I would have felt just as fresh after 6 more miles....

Oh well, wish me luck for tomorrow morning.

One Word - Treadmill

Well, I did manage to get a run in last night -- on the treadmill. I didn't / couldn't run in the morning, so I decided to do a run every 36 hours or so this week (Tuesday am, Wednesday, pm, Friday am) as my knee still feels funny. Doesn't actually hurt (unless I bend it all the way), but I do notice it, which probably isn't a good thing.

So, during the new episode of Lost last night, I got on treadmill, turned closed captioning on the TV, and started running. I actually got engaged with the storyline and all of the sudden I was at 2 miles. However, I was feeling twinges in my left foot during my run. I think I was changing my running gait, or doing something to compensate for my left knee, and it was causing issues with my foot, so I stopped at 4 miles. Now, if I were running outside, I wouldn't have had that luxury. However, on the other hand, given the high winds and rain, I probably wouldn't have noticed the twinges and continued running (plus, I would have been 2 miles away from home still). All reasons aside, I stopped at 4 miles (9:30-ish pace).

That brings me to a whopping 10 miles this week. Not sure if I should do 20 (!) this weekend, especially with my knee. I wonder if I did 12/12 (Sat/Sun) if that would work. Hmmm...

Day After

I was thinking after my run today that I don' t have a race scheduled for after this next race. They say that you should have a race already scheduled so that you don't hit the post-race malaise (too much). Particularly for a marathon. You prepare so much for it, and all of the sudden, it's done, and you are left in a funk. I know -- I've have it before. After my first marathon, I stopped running for nearly 3 months (!). After other big races, I fought to stay motivated as well.

This past year, my motivation has flagged somewhat (just recent posts from last fall, and you'll see). The question is... what race should I run? It'll be mid-Spring by then (well, early Spring). Maybe some 10Ks. I haven't done them in a while.

Oh, I ran 6.00 miles today at a 9:30-ish pace. My left knee continues to make itself known.

Long, Slow Run

Today I set out to run. Didn't really know how far I was going to go when I woke up this morning. In fact, until I "settled" on running 14, I wasn't really motivated *to* run. However, I finally got out the door around 8:30 am (as opposed to the plan of 7:00 am). I ended up running 13.35 miles. I felt my knee during planned walking breaks (at 6 miles and 11 miles) while I ate my peanut butter sandwiches. I figured I shouldn't push to run too much today. I cut it short a bit but felt okay about the run.

Since I was running a slower pace, I felt fine at 10 miles. I felt my legs after mile 12, but that might have been because I was back in my (hilly) neighborhood. But, I ran (whew).

Late Night Run

Yesterday morning, it was all I could do to get up in time to go to work. There was no chance in heck to get up earlier to run 8 miles (I think I'm coming down with something, various members of my family are/were sick, plus several friends -- especially those with children). So.... last night, I told My Lovely Wife to force me to run after dinner, etc.

Last night I did.

8.02 miles at a 9:22 pace. It was rather like an early morning run, but with less traffic. I started out around 8:55 pm and was back around 10:05-10:10 pm, so it wasn't too late, although it was much later than I usually run :-)

It was kinda cold -- 24 degrees, but not too windy. I'm starting to think that running wearing cotton gloves may not be the best idea. My hands got hot, then sweaty, so I took them off, but then after my hands cooled off, I had to put on cold and wet gloves. I also have some issues other apparel items made of cotton, but that's certainly not a topic for a public blog post :-)

I'm taking off today, and trying to figure out if 18 miles for tomorrow is in my future....

Yay, I ran today!

Whatta headline. To have to announce (gladly) that I ran today is something.. but not exactly a good something.

I woke this morning at 4:30 am (I'm getting too used to this) and for some reason, didn't manage to leave the house until 5:30 am. May have something to do with the fact that I did a little bit of work before I headed out. Anyway, I ran 'okay'. I did 6.2-something, at a 9:20 (I think) pace. I think a) not running consistently; and b) taking my long runs on trails, where my pace is slower, has something to do with the fact that my daily (ish) runs are not as fast as they used to be. I would have hoped that my daily runs would be under a 9-minute pace, but hey, at least I'm running (Yay, I rank today!)

I'm hoping to do 8 tomorrow, and then either skip a day, or run 4, and then do a long run on Saturday (not sure for how long though -- yet, but I posted last Saturday that it should be another 18. yikes).

Slogging It

Okay, it took a little bit of willpower, but I got myself out of bed and ran outside. The weather forecast said it was 31 outside, but it felt warmer than that. It was actually 41 at my house, but I didn't find out until after I came back in -- I was dressed a little too warmly.

Anyway, I was waffling to run either 4 or 6, but was leaning towards 6, when I realized, about a 1/4 of a mile from my house, that I forgot my water. Whoops. That made my decision for me, so I ended up doing the loop around my neighborhood, 4.34 miles, at a 9:39 pace.

My left quad was feeling a little tender from my long run on Saturday. I was also still a bit tired from that run. So I didn't want to push the pace too much. A 9:39 was a little slower than I would have liked, but at least I ran, and hopefully didn't injure myself.

4 laps

Ouch. I ran at Burke Lake today -- 4 laps. That's 18 miles. Ouch.

It started out great. It was 21 degrees and the sun was out. At 8:00 am, the ice on the path was still cold and non-slick. However, after 2 laps (or approximately 9:30 am), the sun was melting the top layer of the ice, making it a little treacherous. The last lap was mighty slick, and that's why I slowed down so much on my last lap (and I'm sticking to that... um... excuse).

It was actually a good run. I wasn't the only one who thought Burke Lake would be a good place to run. Even over the summer, I didn't see as many runners as this morning. After 10:00 am though, I didn't see as many (they probably saw the slick ice and said forget it -- which was probably the wise decision).

I ran 18.00 miles (again, no extra hundredths, although I was still a 1/2 mile from the car) at a 10:31 pace. The first 10 miles were a bit faster though -- probably by 40 seconds per mile.

I'm glad I ran it. It'll be interesting to see if I can run 18 again next week :)

Treadmill Day

Okay, last night, while driving back home in my neighborhood, the streets didn't look too bad. I thought, hmm, maybe I could run through my neighborhood, a slightly boring run, but it would be outside. Then, when I was leaving my car, I proceeded to slide down the driveway, finally slipping and falling to my knees. I think that it was then I realized that this morning, the roads and sidewalks would not be a safe place for me to run.

Fast forward, this morning, I went to the dreaded treadmill. I managed to get 6.00 miles in (not one one-hundredth of a mile more) at a 9:08 pace. Not too bad considering that at one point, it was all I could do to get past 4 miles. I listened to a good podcast on Pheippidations that talked about why runner's get injured. There was also a good race report on the Walt Disney Marathon that I thought My Lovely Wife should hear :) as it described a really *fun* race!

Anyway, pretty boring run, pretty boring post.

Snowshoes and running

Well, I finally did it. I ran in snowshoes yesterday at Wisp resort. It's one of the only places close enough around here (Timberline's another) where you snowshoe. Usually, at these resorts, you can downhill ski, but you can't nordic ski or snowshoe around.

Wisp is a pretty neat resort. I was able to rent some fairly high end running snowshoes (can't remember the exact model, but they were Tubb's Catalyst running snowshoes, or something like that). I ran (walked, trudged) 4-ish miles in under an hour, averaging 13:20 (which included walking, stopping, wondering where I was, etc.). At points, I was under a 10 minute mile, but mostly was in the 10-12 minute range when I was running.

Great workout. I highly recommend it.

Why was I in Wisp? Some good friends of ours invited our family plus another family to their place in Deep Creek, Maryland. Lovely house, great location, and great company. All of us had a blast. I wish we could have stayed longer, but no rest for the weary -- as I had to be back at work this morning.

Okay, about 6 weeks to go before the marathon, and I decided to take an entire week off last week. Not good timing. Today, I ran 4-something at a 9:20-something pace. I was slow and creaky. Hopefully, I'll have a good week!

Icicles On My Face

Okay, I psyched myself to run this morning. Last night, I realized that with the forecast for this morning, my face had a good chance of actually falling off this morning. So, while we were in the Reston area, we stopped by Potomac River Running. Great store, by the way. Not only did they have the balaclava (or, face mask), but they had all the running belt accessories My Lovely Wife and I have been looking for. And we walked out with: one balaclava, one new running belt, two new running belt loop pockets (large, neoprene), and a bunch of sports beans. I made the mistake of talking about running in the cold weather with the workers there, and we were comparing stories about yesterday's run (very cold) and this morning's run (very colder), so, with witnesses now, I *had* to run.

Fast forward, 6:00am. It was 1 degree at Dulles Airport (compared to a balmy 4 degrees at the local elementary school) when I walked out the door, into my car, and to Oak Marr Rec Center. This was a formal parking area for the Fairfax County Cross County Trail. Once again, it was a great location for a run. The route I chose was mostly in park land, which meant single track trails, some gravel trails, a couple of creeks to cross, and very few paved surfaces. I started at Oak Marr Rec Center and ran all the way to Lawyer's Road, and back again (duh). I stopped at exactly 14.00 miles, with a pace of 10:26. Much slower than my last run, but I did stop a few times, once when I saw my manager walking his dog (hello Garry), once when there were three trails and no signs (of course, I took the wrong way), once to eat, and towards the end, several times to walk up steeper hills (hey, I was tired).

The run itself. Well, my feet got numb within the first mile, and stayed that way for quite some time. My hands were very cold (in cold weather I sometimes wear warm mittens, but my hands actually get too hot, so I usually wear those throw-away cotton gloves they hand out at races), and I couldn't get the face mask adjusted properly. I ended up pulling it down off my nose and mouth so that I could breathe properly, but it still covered by head, cheeks, ears and neck. At the turn around point, I pull up the face mask to eat a sandwich, when I noticed that I had icicles on my glasses as well as at the opening of my face mask. Wow. That's pretty cold. My water bottles, which usually do well when they are under my vest were also freezing up. One was unusable, and another was just open enough to get water out. When I got back to the car, I noticed that I had a frost beard where the face mask had gotten wet due to my breath and then frozen over. What a scary site, I'm sure. The good part was that it warmed up 10 degrees during my run, from 4 degrees to 14.

Not a bad week overall.

Moon Shadow

This morning, knowing that there was a wind chill advisory and temps forecasts to be in the teens, I got up at 4:40 am. This should be enough, so I'll end it right here :-)

But, I got dressed, two layers of everything, had a GU energy gel, found out it was 9 degrees, with a wind chill of -4, and then ran 4.4 miles. Except for my face, I felt pretty good. I was a little sluggish, probably due to the cold and the two layers of pants, but I felt alright. My face got pretty cold, and it never quite warmed up, but I haven't gone to the next step of buying one of those face hats (or whatever they're called) because it normally doesn't get that cold here. Normally, cold = temps in the 20's. However, given that it's fairly early in the cold winter season, maybe I should find a sale someplace.

Anyway, the sky was very clear and there was a half-moon out (ever notice that in the winter, the clear sky seems much more clear than in the summer, especially at night?). The sky was so clear, and the moon (even the half-moon) was so bright that I had a shadow. I thought that was pretty cool. I usually don't see a moon shadow due to clouds, other lights, daytime, etc., so this was nice.


I didn't clock my run today because I didn't feel like it, plus, I didn't want to injure myself trying to keep pace when it was so cold out.

Tomorrow, a long run! (hopefully)

Not Too Cold in O'Fallon

Okay, I haven't posted in a few days, but I have been running -- sorta...

This week I have been in O'Fallon IL and I continue to enjoy running here.  On Monday, I ran 6.5-ish on my favorite road -- Lincoln Ave.  It was in the 20's but I had packed enough clothes to not get too cold.  I ran a 9:06 or something like that.

Yesterday, I didn't run, but then again, it was in the teens in the morning, with a 20+ mph wind, making the wind chill about 0.  If I was at home, I *might* have run (but probably not), but I didn't pack the right clothes for this weather.

Today, I ran again.  I ran a new route, and I missed the turnaround point, thus making a 7.5 mile run into an 8.5 mile run.  I ran a 8:55 mile, so it wasn't too bad.  I just needed to be mindful of my overall time, as I didn't want to make myself late by running.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable run, although I might have overdressed (although, when it got windy, I felt under-dressed).  I ran within sight distance of a Veteran's Memorial, so maybe next time, I'll try to run by it.  From a distance, it looked very impressive.  Maybe it's karma, but I wouldn't have run by the memorial if I turned around when I was supposed to.

Oh, yesterday I purchased a Brook's LED arm band (at least, I think it's an arm band, but you could probably put it on your leg).  It's made of reflective material and it has 5 blinking LED lights.  I'm not sure how effective it is, but any active light is useful in the dark.  I wear a reflective vest, but I'm still pretty dark out there unless there is a light shining directly on me.  I like it.

Hopefully I'll hit my mileage goal this week, which would include a 14-16 mile long run (ugh).  I'd like to run on the Fairfax County Cross County Trail again, if I can fit my run in with the drive to and from.

Happy 2009

Three days into 2009 and I've run two times already. That's quite a start. I doubt I'll be able to keep up a 66% run rate (get it?). Anyway, yesterday, I did run -- the standard 6 miler up the Fairfax County Parkway, and I did a 9:09 pace. I felt my left Achilles. That's not a good sign for 2009.

Today, in *trying* to keep up with My Lovely Wife's marathon training plan, I ran 14 miles. Ouch. I was planning on running on the W&OD bike/running/walking trail, but decided to run along the horse path next to it, to keep the impact down. Well, in doing so, I missed the bridge that crosses a stream. Well, at that point, I decided to keep the trail and run north, where it met up with the Fairfax County Cross County Trail. It was the first time I had been on that section of the trail. It was a very nice run, some very nice wooded sections and running along creeks and streams for a good part of it. It totally beat the W&OD trail for the scenery. Anyway, my pace suffered, which wasn't a bad thing at all, but I remembered the last time I did a trail run (at Bull Run Regional Trail), and that run kicked my butt. At the 12 mile mark, as I told My Lovely Wife, the wheels fell off. I had just picked up the W&OD trail again, and it was a long, slow jog back to my starting point. I had to walk twice in the last 2 miles. However, I did do 14 miles, but it was probably not a great thing to do.

I'm supposed to do 15 as my long run next week, but I'm thinking of dropping it back down to 12-13, to ensure that I don't injure myself any more than I need to :)