Can't You Read a Training Schedule?

Just realized I screwed up my run this morning. That's disappointing since I was feeling pretty good about it. I ran 5 miles which consisted of 1 mile warm up, 3 mile tempo, 1 mile cool down. Everything was fine except I was supposed to get 7 miles today not 5! I just realized it when I checked the blog.

Anyway, I went out early and started from the Y a little after 5 am. The target for my tempo run was 7:20 and that's what I ran it in (thanks to my virtual training partner). The range of my 1/2 mile times was between 3:27 - 3:52. I would have liked them to be a little tighter but it works.

5 miles total
with 3 tempo miles @ 7:20

So over the past few days I'm short 2 miles today and 6 miles last Saturday. Hope that doesn't catch up with me!

Here's a clip about the St. George marathon that lifted my spirits. It is from Paul Petersen's blog:

St. George is most likely the fastest certified course on earth, as long as you are trained for downhill and altitude. ... No, St. George is not record-eligible (has a downhill gradient greater than 1%), but let’s just speculate here. The idea is no worse than the Steroid Olympics.

Petersen will be running St. George attempting to qualify for the Olympic Trials. I'll be looking for him ... but doubt I'll see him!

Many people know there are some pretty good runners' t-shirt phases. I heard one I really liked the other day.

"It's rude to count people as you pass them. Out loud."

Shellie (runs with us on Saturday's) sent this one and attributed it to an Adidas ad. The other one I like is about gazelles and lions in Africa. I'll have to pull the exact wording and post it sometime.

Easy 8 vs. Virtual Training Partner

I figured I better get this one in early or else it may be difficult.
Today will be hectic at the office as we're finalizing and filing the
corporate tax return.

I left the house at 4:30 and parked at the Y. I went through the
neighborhoods for 2 miles and onto the bayou trail for another 2 miles
then I run back the way I came.

The training goal was for an 8:46 pace. My plan was to run 2.7 miles
at 9:01 followed by 2.7 miles at 8:46 then 2.7 at 8:31.

I think I was pretty close the first 5.4 (I'll have to check my watch
later). For the final 2.7, I switched my watch to Virtual Patner
mode. I used this one other time last week. The screen has a visual
depiction of my "partner" and me with an indication of how far I'm
ahead or behind. I programmed the "partner" to go 8:46 before I
started today. So now all I had to do was catch him before the
finish. I don't know why this works for me but it does. With 2.5 to
go, I was behind by 120 feet. I wasn't going to let him beat me. I
closed the gap quickly and was even with a mile to go. I stayed on
pace and finished with an overall 8:41 pace.

It was a good run this morning. I'm glad I got it in. Now it's on to
the realities of the day.

Training Schedule: Sep 10 - 16

Mon - Easy 8M @ 8:46
Wed - Tempo 7M w/ 3M @ 7:20
Sat - Long 20M @ 8:46 (last long one before the real deal)

Bearkat Bash 5K

Today was a rather full day!

I was scheduled for an easy 9 miles today but opted for a 5K sponsored
by Cam's high school cross country team - the Bearkat Bash.

It was a fun race because there were several people from the
neighborhood running and watching. Cameron was also running with his
team. I planned for a 21:20 but that wasn't in the cards as soon as I
went out too hard fighting my way through pre-race traffic (why did
the drill team think they needed to be at the front for the start?).

The CC team started up front and went out fast. I finally caught Cam
about 1.7 miles in. About half a mile later, I got into a verbal
confrontation with a fellow runner (it's all rather comical now but if
I see the guy again I'll have to thank him for providing me with an
adrenaline rush). I started my kick way too early just to get away
from this joker but I still had quite a bit left in the tank for the
final 1/10 mile. I ended up around 21:53 (forgot to stop my watch at
the finish line and I doubt they'll be posting official results). I
think I took 6th in the 40-44 age group.

From the race, Cam and I cleaned up, went to the airport, and flew to
LA. My good friend Alex picked us up and we went to the Rose Bowl for
the BYU - UCLA football game. We had a great time even though BYU
lost 27-17.

We caught a redeye back to Houston and were finally in our own beds at
6:30 Sunday morning.

Junking It Up

3+ loops at Memorial Park for 9 miles ... beginning after 8 pm.

It was a bad run. Not much else left to say ....

Note to self: it's probably not a good idea to run at the very end of
the day especially if you're sleep and nutrition deprived.

Early 9 Miles

Today is Labor Day. I didn't have to go in to the office but there was still plenty of work to do as we move closer to the September 15 deadline.

I previously volunteered to be a driver for the Boy Scouts this morning as they took flags out and posted them throughout our neighborhood. I've done this a few other times and enjoy the project. The flag raising exercise begins at 7 am.

This made for an early start to my run. My Garmin recorded the start time of my run as 4:43 am. Frankly, this really isn't that big of a deal for me. Mornings have never been an issue. Perhaps I can thank my early days milking cows at 3:30 am before going to school ... ???

Anyway I needed to finish my run in plenty of time to "do flags" at 7. I started from the Y again as most of my morning runs do. But instead of following the bayou all the way for 4+ miles, I followed an old ChampionsFit route that I had loaded into my GPS. The route broke from the bayou at 3+ and wound through a couple neighborhoods until I hit 4.5 miles then returned the same way I came.

I know today was supposed to be an "easy" run. But since I was feeling pretty good from Saturday I set some goals for myself. Since the scheduled pace was 8:51, I decided I'd run the first 3 miles at 9:00. Followed by 8:50 for the next 3 miles then 8:40 for the final 3. It didn't quite workout as planned:

8:53
8:58
9:07
8:53
8:30
8:51
8:52
8:45
8:33

So I'm not sure what to make of it ... probably nothing. I got my 9 miles in and was able to hit my training time of 8:51 (actually 8:49).

I wouldn't call it a "real" easy run but it wasn't a killer workout either. I should mention that I ran with sunglasses for the first time today. Thought I'd try them out so I picked up some Optic Nerve Banshees. Now why would I run with sunglasses at 5 am? Well, the lenses are interchangeable so I had the clear lenses in. So what's the point? Well, I wanted to see how they felt. You know if they bounced around or fogged up or irritated my ears or nose. Thankfully, none of those were a problem. In fact, they were quite comfortable. I wanted to try them out a couple times in case I decide I want to use them on marathon day.

Don't remember if I already mentioned that I returned the Asics Cumulus 9's that I bought a while back. After a couple, runs it felt like the ball of my right foot was getting "bruised" each time I wore them. It wasn't something I wanted to deal with or adapt to so I returned them. I absolutely have to get new shoes so I can run a bit in them before the marathon. The shoes I have now are well over 500 miles and are permeated with an indescribable and very powerful stink! Last Friday I ordered a new pair of Mizuno Wave Rider 10's in red. Yes, that's the exact shoe I now have. And, yes, this is the same shoe that seems to cause me blisters. But they're light (much lighter than the Asics I just returned). Hopefully they show up later this week and I can start the breaking in process.

I'm considering going to the track Wednesday for 10 Yasso 800's instead of the scheduled 9 mile easy run. A series of Yasso's is supposed to offer some insight into a realistic time that can be run for a marathon.

On Saturday there is a 5K sponsored by Cameron's high school. I need to get 9 miles but there is mounting pressure to run in the Bearkat Bash. I haven't figured out what I'm going to do yet.

Training Schedule: Sep 3 - 9

Mon - Easy 9 @ 8:51
Wed - Easy 9 @ 8:51
Sat - Easy 9 @ 8:51

Yes !!!!!

16 miles @ 8:44 (2:19:47)

Finally something to feel good about!

Went out with Stephanie's group this morning. They were going for 18 miles. I was scheduled for 16 @ 8:51. It started raining half way into our run.

I didn't really know what to expect. On Thursday, I finally relented to taking some allergy medication. It knocked out the symptoms ... and knocked me out too. That's why I generally stay away from those meds. Thankfully, I slept well Thursday night. It's the best night of sleep I've had in a couple weeks. My nutrition and hydration weren't exactly ideal on Friday and the allergy symptoms seemed to be edging back Friday evening. But I slept okay.

At the beginning of the run, it felt like I was going to have trouble breathing again. That sounds a lot more serious than it is. It's what I've been dealing with for 2 1/2 weeks. It just doesn't seem like I can take in enough air ... but it's subtle. Anyway, that seemed to clear a couple miles in and I was feeling pretty good. I still wasn't optimistic because this has happened previously too. Apparently the adrenaline produced by physical exertion can suppress the histamine generated by the allergies. However, this can be a short-lived effect. In my case it always seems to be.

It seemed I was starting to break down about 8 miles in but I kept pressing on. About that time a rain storm began that was very refreshing. The air cooled a bit ahead of the storm.

It wasn't an easy run but I was determined to stay with the group at least to the point they started their "pick up" at 14 miles. The reality was the pick up started early ... a little after 13 miles. They were pulling away. I gave myself a prep talk and decided I wasn't going to let them go easily so I tried to stay with them. I caught them for the last time on a water break before they went into the park. From there, they dropped me pretty quickly so I finished the last 2 miles alone. This was fine. It was a good test.

I'm happy with the results of today's run. I came in better than my scheduled time and I was able to pick up at the end. The best news ... I still don't think I'm 100% yet.

Mile splits:

9:17
8:57
8:55
8:50
8:44
8:40
8:38
8:25
8:51
8:46
8:36
8:45
8:45
8:28
8:32
8:34

(notice the trend for today's run ... there were a lot of things "right" about today)


I had a big lasagna dinner last night around 6 pm.
Around 9, Grape Nuts for more carbs.
One hour prior to run this AM, 3/4 c oatmeal w/brown sugar and honey.
During run hydration, Accelerade and water (drank more water than usual).
1 Clif Shot gel pack (Razz): 1/2 around 4 miles; 1/2 around 9 miles
2 Clif Shot bloks (Cran-Razz)

I'm noting the "recipe" because it seemed to work well today.

Still Not Right

I'm on the bus this morning so I have a couple minutes to post .... I missed last Saturday's and Monday's posts but expect to have something up for them in the next couple of days. Work has been hectic but hopefully there's a break around the corner.

I'm still struggling with my running. My latest self-diagnosis is that I'm battling allergies. Today is the sixteenth day. Ever since I got back from Utah, I haven't been "right". I haven't been hitting any of my training targets and am generally fatigued. I've still made all my miles but fear most of them fall into the "junk" miles category. I haven't yet found a solution that provides much relief. I'm sure the work situation isn't helping.

I ran 8 miles this morning from the Y. The middle 5 were supposed to be a tempo run of 7:33. I started okay over 2 miles but faded and ended up at 8:16. Meaning it wasn't much of a tempo run and that I missed my pace by 43 seconds.

The frustration continues to mount ....

Training Schedule: Aug 27-Sep 2

Mon - Easy 9M @ 8:51
Wed - 8M w/ 5M Tempo @ 7:33
Sat - Long 16M @ 8:51

Another 20 Miler ...

Okay the good news is that I got another 20-miler in today. The bad news is that it was SLOW!

I run with Stephanie's group again today. They were going out for 16 miles with the last half at marathon pace. My training plan was for a 20 miler and I knew I wouldn't be able to pull it off if I stuck to the pick-up pace so after an 8 mile "warm up" and 2 mile pickup, I pulled it back a bit ... then just faded from there. I got back to Memorial Park and did 2 1/2 loops to get my 20. It was nice that Houston Area Road Runners Association (HARRA) was set up with some goodies which gave me something to look forward to each time around!

In the infamous words of Bill Murray's character, John Winger, in the classic movie Stripes, "Then depression set in!" I'm really disappointed with my times over the past couple of weeks. I'm not hitting my training schedule times like I was able to up to that point. On one hand I am happy that I finished 20 miles today while running the last 12 alone. For the last several miles I just kept asking myself, "Is there any physical reason I can't finish this?"

"No.

"Is there any mental reason I can't finish 20 today?"

"No."

"Is there any reason I can't go faster?"

"Yes but I can't describe it."

It's very frustrating! And, of course, I have no idea what's really going on. My 20-miler this week was quite a bit slower than my 20-miler 3 weeks ago (which I already thought was too slow). Of course, I can come up with dozens of excuses but I'm really trying not to allow myself those cop outs.

Based on my 20-milers, I have no idea what to expect come marathon day. I know the taper should help me along with the cooler air but that isn't calming my anxiety ... somewhat a fear of the unknown, I guess.

On the bright side, for the first time today I had a glimpse of myself actually finishing. Up to this point, it seemed too far of a distance to imagine and too far away on the calendar. I guess this is a very small step in my progression ....

1600 Intervals

I went over to Klein High tonight to run 1600 meter intervals. It had been a long day so I wasn't feeling my best mentally or physically when I started out at about 8:30 pm.

I slowly ran the 1.8 miles to the track for my warmup. Once on the track, I turned a decent first 1600 but knew it was going to be a struggle from there. The harder I pushed, the worse I felt. Early on I wasn't sure how I was going to get each of the 4 intervals in. In between, I walked or ran a slow 800. Even this late the temperature was 84 and humidity was around 70%. I was very happy to finish the 4 intervals I set out to do. I made the slow run home and quickly found my bed and sleep!

Total miles 9.4

Warm - 2 miles

7:00
7:22
7:31
7:35

Cool - 1.9 miles

4 Miles This Morning

I wasn't able to run last night because I was working. I got out this morning around 5 for 4 miles in the neighborhood.

I wore my new shoes (Asics Cumulus IX) for the first time. They felt slightly heavier than my Mizuno's and the gel pads felt a bit too hard. I suppose they will just take some getting used to. I noticed it doesn't appear that I'll be having the blister problem with them. This is a surprise as it seems the Mizuno's themselves may have been the cause of the blisters. This morning's run was short so it's still too early to tell for sure.

4.1 miles @ 8:42 (35:53)

Training Schedule: Aug 20 - 26

Mon: Easy 4M @ 8:51
Wed: Speed 8M w/ 4x1600@7:00 w/800 active recovery
Sat: Long 20M @ 8:51

16 Miler

I had a pretty good run going this morning with Stephanie's group. We started with six - Stephanie, Randy, Josh, Miranda, Chris, and me - from the pool at Memorial Park. We took a new route which seems to be beneficial for me - new scenery ... or at least scenery in a different order.

The group was scheduled for 20 miles but my training plan had me for 16. Chris broke back early to finish at 10 miles.

Through 14 miles, my mile splits were in a very nice range 8:48 - 9:12. This is about where I should have been given the temperature and humidity. Miles 15 and 16 just dropped off. It was like I hit the wall but, oddly it wasn't really physical (general fatigue, yes. "I'm going to die if I don't stop soon.", no), it was mental. I think I preprogrammed my mind to go 16 miles and it was just coasting in for the finish. It was strange.

The route left me about 1.5 miles from the starting point when I finished my 16 miles so I walked it in from there. It wasn't too bad and may have served as a good cool down.

Today's fueling:
1 hour pre-run: 3/4 c oatmeal w/skim milk
Accerlade - 21 oz. orange
Clif Shot Bloks - 2 Black Cherry w/caffeine
Clif Shot Energy Gel - 1 @ 32g Razz

I don't have my fueling down properly yet and with only 6 Saturdays left (including taper), I need to track more closely what's working best for me.

16 miles @ 9:05 (2:25:22)

Supposed Tempo Run in the Rain

This morning's run was an absolute disaster!

I don't have anything to attribute it to but it certainly didn't go well today. I didn't run last night because I has in the office late. This morning the "bands" from Tropical Storm Erin were just hitting as I went out around 5:30 to run. The rain was off and on with some light gusting winds. The weather wasn't the problem. I usually enjoy running in this type of weather on occasion.

My tempo run was so bad that Tuesday morning's "easy" run ended up being better by comparison. Now that's bad!

7 miles

1M warm
5M @ 8:52
1M cool

Early, Easy 7 from the Y

I missed yesterday's scheduled run due to the craziness of flying standby back from Utah. But made up with a run this morning at 5:30.

I ran the typical route from the Y out 3.5 miles and back. I used the Garmin pace alert to stay close to my targeted pace +/- 15 seconds and had a good run. I felt pretty good throughout. I may have to consider shifting my runs to the morning given the August heat index is +100 virtually every evening now.

Here are my 1/2 mile splits:

4:14
4:10 (8:24)
4:15
4:16 (8:31)
4:19
4:23 (8:42)
4:28
4:30 (8:58)
4:27
4:21 (8:58)
4:20
4:20 (8:40)
4:20
4:09 (8:29)

7 miles @ 8:39 (1:00:32)


... looking forward to a good track workout tomorrow night ....

Training Schedule: Aug 13-19

Monday - Easy 7 miles @ 8:51
Wednesday - 7 miles w/5 mile tempo @ 7:33
Saturday - Long 16 miles @ 8:51

Rich's 10K

I ran the Rich Bouchard Memorial 10K at South Weber Country Fair Days in Utah this morning.

My goal was 45:00. My official time was 45:31. I should mention that the course was not certified. My Garmin had the distance at 6.07 miles and my time at 45:48. The race had it all. The course was challenging with hills. Of course the wind was blowing as it always does during the morning in South Weber. Fortunately it was at the runners' backs most of the way. That is until the final two miles which were run back uphill, into the wind ... tough! In addition, the altitude was around 4,500-4,700 feet.

I won my age group but that's more a function of today's event being a 5K and 10K. Most runners ran the 5K leaving the 10K field much lighter and very diluted. Still, a win is a win so I'm happy to take the victory and the hardware.

It's late but I want to add a quick note about Rich Bouchard, a personal friend of mine. Unfortunately he was killed in a car accident 20 years ago. During what now seems like a prior life, I ran track and cross country in junior high and high school. Rich is a big reason that I ran. He was a senior when I was a sophomore. He was an excellent runner who loved the sport and loved life. Rich drove a couple friends and me home from team workouts. We didn't have our drivers' licenses yet but he did. Of course, he didn't have to do that but he did. And I enjoyed the association of an "ultra-cool" upper classman.

A couple years later, I was part of a 4-man contingent that traveled to Columbus, Ohio to compete in the National Explorer Olympics. We had a great time during our week of competition. Rich was our distance specialist. Ricky Smith was our sprint specialist. Glen Coy was a strong distance runner and excellent swimmer. I was the fourth man in this group. We had no idea how we would stack up at this level coming from a small town in northern Utah. But by week's end, we had piled up a stack of gold, silver, and bronze medals primarily on the track and in the pool. Rich was the heart and soul of our team. The competitive fire burned brightly inside of him and each raised our game just from being around him. I don't recall how many medals Rich won but I remember cheering from the side during one race - probably the 800 or 1600 finals or maybe the anchor leg of our medley relay. He ran the gutsiest race I've ever seen and brought it home for the victory.

As great of a runner as Rich was, he was an even better person. It's a shame his time with us was so short. I'm happy I was able to share some of that time with him.

My run today was in his memory. Had he been with us to race today, I'm sure he would have challenged for the overall victory; just as he always did.

Morning 8

I missed last night's scheduled run. Work has become increasing busy as we move closer to the September 15 deadline. I had a chance to break away around 6:30 or 7 pm but the heat index was 100 degrees so I just stayed in the office working for a couple more hours. I went home and straight to bed.

Got up around 5 am and drove to the Y parking lot and went 4 miles out and back through the neighborhoods and onto the trail. The run was good. I generally held the pace close to where I wanted it. I did run the last 6 miles with a particularly upset stomach. I suspect it was from neglecting my pre-run "fueling" routine ... or maybe it was something I had eaten earlier ... ???

The humidity was around 94% but, thankfully, the temperature was about 73 degrees.

8 miles @ 9:14/M (1:13:53)

Still Feeling the Affects ... ???

(For those questioning the grammar of this entry's title, I never can sort out the difference between effect and affect. Can someone please give me an easy way to distinguish?)

Today was my worst run ever! I felt absolutely lousy!

I left the office around 7:30 to run 8 miles along Buffalo Bayou. It didn't take very long to know that it wasn't going to be a good run. I could see I was slow on my watch and more importantly could feel that there wasn't going to be much I could do about it. No matter what I did to spur myself to pick it up, I couldn't sustain anything. It was a VERY frustrating feeling. So I resigned myself to slogging it out while just trying to enjoy being outside. ... difficult to enjoy much based on how I felt .... So I made a mental list of excuses for what was happening. Here are a few:

• Even though my legs felt fine from Saturday’s long run, my body really hadn’t recovered.

• The past two Saturday’s 18- and 20-milers had taken a cumulative effect (or is it affect???) that finally caught up to me.

• My glycogen stores were absolutely tapped leaving me with absolutely no “fuel in the tank”.

• This morning’s weight lifting workout pushed me to or over the limit. My trainer bumped my leg press up another 25 pounds.

• I am suffering from major nutritional deficiencies. Maybe two long runs tapped me out. Saturday afternoon I ate a big pile of junk food for about the first time in over 6 months (justified myself with the fact that I’d run 20 miles earlier that day). I ate the wrong foods and I overate in a big way. On Sunday the pendulum swung the other way. Since it was the first Sunday of the month, I ended up not eating much all day long (although Paige made some lovely marinated turkey steaks for us Sunday evening!).

• It was hot and humid. These are probably a bit flimsy as excuses since I should be somewhat used to it by now and it wasn’t overly extreme. The temperature was around 86 degrees with 68% humidity.

• Work is quickly becoming a pressure cooker of stress as the September 15 deadline approaches.


So with this tremendously bad vibe going, I did something that I haven't done before. I cut my run short by a mile. It made me mad to do it but it seemed like the right thing to do.


7.32 miles @ 9:49 (1:11:52)

Training Schedule: August 6 - 12

MON: Easy 8M @ 8:57
WED: Easy 8M @ 8:57
SAT: Race 10K

20 Miles

I got 20 miles in with Stephanie's group this morning. It was hard!

We started out with a group of 7 - Stephanie, Shelley, Laurie, Miranda, Randy, John, and me. The course we ran was new to me and the pace was a bit faster than last Saturday's 18-miler. As much as possible, I just tried to enjoy it.

We started early (5:30) to try to avoid the heat but the humidity was high (+80%). Shelley broke from the group early to go a shorter distance. Stephanie graciously put a cooler of water and Gatorade out on the trail for us before we started this morning. I started slipping off the pace around 13 - 14 miles but was determined to stay with the group ... as long as possible. I know my tendency of really dropping off the pace once the group has dropped me! I was able to work my way back to the group while they were stopped for a water break at the Sabine Bridge. On the way back to the park I tried to keep up along the bayou but by the time the path went under the freeway, I was behind. I told Stephanie in advance not to come back for me this week .... I knew my way back and felt fine (slight exaggeration!). But before the Waugh Bridge, I caught the group as they were walking ... unscheduled so this couldn't be good. It wasn't. Stephanie was having a serious problem with her left shin ... maybe shin splints, maybe something else. She said she'd walk it in to prevent further injury. It didn't seem right to leave her behind to walk the last few miles but she insisted she'd be fine. So we pressed on. Again I was fighting to stay with the group. Sometimes I was better than others. When they got out of reach, a water stop would come up and I would retake them, take a shorter water break then go out with them for the next leg. By the time we hit Memorial Park, they had stretched out a lead that I wasn't going to close (but I could still see them!). I wasn't sure what their plan was as they were scheduled for 21 miles and I was scheduled for 20. I was still a couple miles short so I turned right at the loop. The group had gone left ahead of me. I went about half way around until my mileage was right passing group along the way. I took an extended water break before the last mile then tried to push it to the finish. I passed Randy, John, and Laurie breaking for water and they ran the rest of the way in with me.

It was a very hard run. It's still difficult for me to imagine tacking on another 6+ miles to today's run but I keep telling myself that's why I'm training. I've got two more 20-milers before the marathon. The pace is supposed to be a little faster for each one so I hope to get a better feel for the distance and break through the physical and mental barriers.

4 Mile Tempo Run @ Memorial

I met Jonathan for a run after work. At Memorial Park, we warmed up for a mile then took off for a 4 mile tempo run. The goal was a 7:33 pace but we went out too fast and I finished too slow. Jonathan had a good run and left me about 2.5 miles in.

Here are my quarter mile splits:

1:47
1:48
1:50
1:52 (7:17)
1:52
1:51
1:51
1:51 (7:25)
1:52
1:51
1:57
2:00 (7:40)
2:04
2:05
2:00
2:04 (8:13)

So the overall pace was 7:39/mile but the distribution was not optimal for the maximum benefit of a good tempo run.

NOTE TO SELF: Slower at the beginning; faster at the end!

We cooled down going back to the car for a slow mile. Once back at the car, we went through core exercises .... This is always good for me to do even though it's about the last thing I'm thinking of after a run!

Stretching It Out

I took a loop at Memorial on my way home from work tonight. I was surprised that I felt as good as I did given the long run on Saturday and my weight lifting this morning. I was still feeling some soreness this morning from Saturday's run. Tracy put me through the lifting routine. She's tougher than Marsha and I was feeling it this afternoon. However running felt good. I went out slow for the first half mile then picked it up tried to hold the pace the rest of the way. I was very consistent with my pace and closed out the final 1/4 mile faster than all the others.

2.9 miles @ 8:42 (25:14)

TRAINING SCHEDULE: Jul 30 - Aug 5

Mon - Easy 3M @ 8:57
Wed - 6M w/Tempo 4M @ 7:33
Sat - 20M @ 8:57

L-O-N-G R-U-N

I joined Stephanie's group for their long run this morning at 5:30. Stephanie's group was scheduled for a 20-miler. The ChampionsFit "Green" group has scheduled for 6 miles followed by a hydration seminar.

About 10 runners started from Memorial Park. I was planning on 18 miles which would bring me back to the park. The route took us south to Rice University's campus for a loop then back up the Buffalo Bayou to downtown and back to Memorial Park. (... sounds easy put in those terms!)

Stephanie's group consists of experienced runners and triathletes. Bottom line is they're good and they know what they're doing. I'm really not in their league so it was kind of them to allow me to tag along. Jonathan was also along for the run so minimally I wasn't going to be alone.

The run started well and a generally felt pretty good. My left calf started tight but loosened up within the first mile and didn't bother much. The route included water and bathroom stops which were strategically scheduled along the way. I enjoyed talking with Stephanie again since we haven't seen each other for a while. The weather wasn't bad for July in Houston.

The first 8.5 miles felt pretty good. By the time we hit 10.5, I had to decide if I was going to cut it short and only go 12 or continue for the full 18. I figured I'd just stay with the group as long as possible. Only 6 runners pressed on ... somehow that made me feel good even though I knew most of the people aren't training for a fall marathon. At 13 miles, I was feeling very fatigued but that's where we dropped onto the bayou for the return to the park. The softer surface of trails was refreshing! After a water break at 15 miles, the group left me. Which was fine. I didn't want to be the cause of them changing their routine and I knew my way back. My form was shot and I was just dragging myself back. Fortunately we were going back to the park and I could envision that as a clear goal. It kept me going. At about 17 miles the lead group stopped for water. Stephanie came back for me. Which I really appreciated but, at the same time, was embarrassed by the fact I needed an escort. We caught up with the group which was walking then ran into the park. They took a loop and I went the other direction back to the car to finish 18 miles.

I'm glad I did it. The long runs now seem as important mentally as they are physically ... and they're very important for me physically! Next week I'm scheduled for 20. I hope to run with Stephanie's group again. ChampionsFit is only scheduled for 7 or 8 miles. However, Bob will be back in town so I'll need to check with him to see what he's thinking about for Saturday's run. The following week will be a "pull back". I only mention it because I'm already looking forward to it! I'm planning to travel to Utah to run in my hometown 10K event. 6.2 miles sounds really good after today's 18!

My watch was a bit messed up today so I'm not completely certain about my time. But for the record here's what I had:

18 miles @ 9:38 (2:53:24) (yes, I know that's much slower than the plan called for!)

Back to the Track

It was good to get back to the track tonight for a speed workout. It had rained most of the afternoon so it was pretty soggy outside but the new track at Klein High seems to drain well and was in great shape. I was late getting over there (about 9 pm) after leaving work late and stopping at the store on the way home.

The plan called for running 1600 meters 3 times at a 7:04 pace. In between the intervals, I was to jog 800 meters. The plan also called for a 7 total miles so I needed to add mileage with a warm up/cool down.

Here's where I ended up:

Warm up - 1.9 miles
1600 - 6:40 (this little outburst would cost me later!)
800
1600 - 7:02
800
1600 - 7:12
Cool down - 1.9 miles

Total miles - 7.8

My left calf still hasn't recovered from the injury on Sunday. I'm still not exactly sure what to call it. My best self-diagnosis at the moment is a muscle strain. Hopefully it's nothing more than that. It sure was tightening up on me tonight!

For Saturday's long run (18 miles), I'm going to run with Stephanie's group. I think Jonathan is coming out too. This will be my longest run to date. After missing last week's long run, it will be interesting to see how it goes.

I posted an excerpt from an article I read today about the mental part of running. This is too true! At least it is for me. Each time I go longer than I have before, my brain seems to have an automatic governor on my pace. I noticed this at the Ogden Half Marathon. It happened at about 10 miles. I've also noticed it on my 12 mile and 14 mile long runs. There seems to be some self-preservation psychology at play. It's weird. Even knowing about it and that it's likely to occur, doesn't allow me to do anything to prevent it ... at least I haven't figured it out yet.

Brain Training

by Matt Fitzgerald is a certified sports nutritionist and the author of several books on triathlon and running, including Runner's World Performance Nutrition for Runners (Rodale, 2005).
This article is based on an article previously published in Running Times.

Contrary to popular belief, fatigue in running is seldom caused by events in the muscles or blood, such as muscle glycogen depletion or lactic acid build-up. It's actually your brain that makes you slow down to protect you from excessive muscle damage, a heart attack, heat stroke or any other running-induced injury. For this reason, factors that used to be considered "purely mental" can raise your performance limitations as effectively as training does. Training alters the signals of fatigue that reach your brain, but thoughts, beliefs and experiences affect how your brain responds to these signals.

We see this effect at the elite level in sports all the time. For example, no runner was able to run a mile in less than four minutes until Roger Bannister accomplished the feat in 1954. But within just a year and a half, 16 other runners ran sub-four-minute miles! Bannister's breakthrough proved to his rivals that running this fast was possible and probably would not kill them, so their brains' finally allowed their bodies to do what they had been physically capable of doing all along.

Training in groups is another way to get results. When you train with other runners of similar ability, you not only tend to push yourself harder in workouts, but you also afford yourself more opportunities for performance breakthroughs. Every time one of your training partners makes a leap forward, your brain will see evidence that you can do the same without killing yourself.

Many running experts cite the propensity of North African runners to train in large groups as one of the keys to their dominance. If it's true, this brain training mechanism is likely the reason. So find a local track club to join, or at least do your hardest workouts with a training partner of similar ability. The desire to win is the oldest and best performance-enhancing drug there is.

Easy 3 @ Memorial Park

I clocked an easy 3 miles at Memorial Park this evening. It was good to get back to things familiar.

I have some concern about tightness in my left calf that I'm experiencing. I'm not quite sure what to think about it. The sensation started with about 1/2 mile to go during my 6-miler in Utah. Trying to finish strong, I just ran through it figuring it was cramping. The tightness stayed with me the rest of the day and was still with me this morning and during my run tonight. I'm wondering if it's a pulled muscle. I'll probably take an extra day to see how it feels. I'm scheduled for a track workout Wednesday night but I also have tickets to the Astros-Dodgers (won them at the post-race drawing after the Run Wild 5K on July 4th). So I think I'll go to the game and get the extra day rest then run the speed workout Thursday night at Klein High.

For Saturday's long run I would like to run with Stephanie. I haven't seen her scheduled yet. I could however have a scheduling problem if I end up having to go to Utah to fly Cameron and Rory home from BYU's cross country camp. So the weekend schedule is tentative ... at the moment. I do know that I can't miss another long run!

3 miles @ 8:53 (26:38)

TRAINING SCHEDULE: July 23 - 29

Mon - Easy 2 miles @ 8:57
Wed - Speed 7 miles total: 3 x 1600 @ 7:04 w/800 jogging recovery
Sat - Long 18 miles @ 8:57

Running During a Layover

Here's the short story:

6 miles @ 8:36 (51:40)


The longer version goes like this:

I got back home from the baseball trip Saturday but my dad and brother weren't able to get on flights from Houston to Salt Lake City throughout the day. In addition, Cameron and his friend needed to be in Provo to start BYU's cross country camp Monday morning. Dad and Larry finally made it out on a late flight Saturday night. Fortunately, I didn't have to fly with them to get them home. Cam and Rory weren't gong to make it unless I flew with them. So this morning we made a 7 am flight to SLC.

My dad picked them up and I stayed at the airport planning to get the next flight back to Houston. Unfortunately that flight was full so I now had a 4 hour wait for the next flight - which looked full too. I made a few calls to a hotel and gyms in the area. I had my shoes and running gear. I figured if I could find a place to get a shower I'd try to get some miles in somewhere close to the airport.

None of my ideas seemed to be a good logistical fit so I was about to give up on the idea when Paige called to get an update on my status. She suggested renting a car and driving to South Weber and running there. I know the area and I could shower at my parent's place. It was a great idea and that's what I did.

I was able to get 6 miles running from my parents place down South Weber Drive to the Motor Vu Drive in. I felt good and my pace was solid and constant. The temperature was warm at 87 but the humidity was a comfortable 23%. I did notice the altitude.

I had just enough time to shower, drive back to the airport, clear security, and take the last available seat back to Houston. I slept virtually the whole flight home.

The trip really screwed up my training for the week. I missed Wednesday's tempo run and Saturday's scheduled 16-miler. I'll have exert some extra discipline this week and be careful to focus on how I'm feeling as I get my training back on track.

Off Topic

Okay I know this is my running blog but I couldn't resist dropping a couple pictures from last week's baseball trip to Florida and Atlanta on the site. Call it my editorial prerogative!

Everyone knows Barry Bonds is on the verge of breaking the all-time home run record held by Hank Aaron. While at the Atlanta Braves game last Friday, I had my picture taken along with my dad and my son. Of course, Atlanta's Fulton County Stadium no longer exists. But they kept the section of fence the Aaron's 715th home run went over on April 8, 1974. That home run broke the long time record held by Babe Ruth.

I couple of items of easy baseball trivia.

Who caught Aaron's home run ball?

Who was the play-by-play announcer who called Aaron's 715th blast?

Too easy, right?

Braves pitcher, Tom House, caught Aaron's home run in the bull pen.

Hall of Fame broadcaster, Milo Hamilton, made the famous call.

Now for an abbreviated seven degrees of separation to tag on to the trivia.

House later became the workout training partner of former Astro and all-time great Nolan Ryan. Ryan attributes aspects of his remarkable longevity to techniques that House introduced him to. Of course, Ryan is from Alvin, Texas just south of Houston. In a truly ironic twist, House is one of the few former Major Leaguers to acknowledge that he used steroids during his playing days in the 70's.

Milo Hamilton is currently the Houston Astros radio play-by-play announcer. I don't think Milo has ever used steroids but occasionally wonder if he's on something! There are times when I can hear the fans going berserk over the radio but Milo isn't saying anything. Occasionally when he does say something, it's unclear what exactly he'd describing. I'm sure I was absolutely spoiled during my four year in Los Angeles listening to the absolute perfection of Vin Scully's radio broadcasts of Dodger games.

I'm not necessarily an Astros fan. I'm a die-hard Pirates supporter. And, yes, it's been a long, slow death! But mentioning the Pirates would circle my comments back to Bonds, who was once a Pirate. I loved skinny Bonds as a Pirate from 1986 - 1992. This period coincides with the last time the Pirates were a good team so I hold them as fond memories. However, my feelings for Bonds changed during Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS and the subsequent off season.

During the off season, he left Pittsburgh for San Francisco via free agency. (Not the first all-star to leave Pittsburgh!) But with a trip to the World Series on the line and within the grasp of the Pirates. Former Pirate Sid Bream is on second base for the Braves. Important fact - Sid Bream was wearing a knee brace at the time and he was a slow-footed first baseman without the brace. Braves no-name, pinch hitter Francisco Cabrera steps to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. Bonds is in his usual left field position. Cabrera hits a hard line drive through the hole between short and third. Bream, the potential winning run, starts from second. Unbelievably, he doesn't even slow down at third base. Bonds, the all-everything superstar, is coming in on the ball in left. I'm thinking to myself, "If there's a play at the plate, it's not even going to be close." I was absolutely right. Bream was safe by a mile! Bonds throw was short and about 15 feet up the first baseline. From that very moment, Bonds dropped several notches in my mind. I also mentally placed the tag "overrated" on him.

In a few days, Bonds will break Aaron's record under a performance-enhancing drug cloud of suspicion. Should the commissioner be at the game? I don't know. The commissioner wasn't at the game when Aaron broke the record. Should Aaron be at the game? My personal opinion is no. My reasoning is simple. I remember watching Rickey Henderson break Lou Brock's all-time stolen base record on May 1, 1991. It was a great moment. Brock was in the stands. The game stopped. I'll never forget part of Henderson's speech. In part he said, "Lou Brock was the symbol of great base stealing. But today, I'm the greatest of all time." What an absolute jerk! Today's greats stand on the shoulders of those who went before them. However, it seems in today's egocentric, SportsCenter-driver environment, it has become very difficult to see this fact and acknowledge the past. Hank Aaron doesn't need to be sitting in the stands to watch Bond's relegate him to #2 on the all-time list of homerun hitters. He certainly doesn't need to be there to honor Bonds and I suspect receive little mention or respect himself.

Okay that's about enough baseball ranting. That's not what you're here for, right?

A Few More Pictures from the Trip

Dolphin Stadium, July 17, 2007




Former Cy-Falls High School phenom, Scott Kazmir




Former Jefferson Davis High School star, Carl Crawford




Cameron at St. Pete Beach




Tropicana Field, July 18, 2007



Larry got his name on the big scoreboard (shown above in right field) for winning a "game within the game".




Turner Field, July 20, 2007

Anything Gained in Gainesville?

Well, the vacation is underway. Cam and I got out of Houston for
Atlanta Sunday night. After missing 4 flights on standby Sunday, Dad
and Larry made it out of Salt Lake City early Monday morning.
Surprisingly, they made it on the Atlanta. Cam and I waited for their
2 pm arrival. Once they made it in we picked up the 12-person van and
started the drive to Miami. We stopped for dinner along the 5-hour
drive then got a room in Gainesville. That's about half way to Miami.

I woke up early and couldn't sleep so went out for a run. I planned
on 4 miles at an 8:57 pace. Of course, I had no idea where I was but
I did have my GPS and I asked a desk clerk if people run anywhere
around the area. He didn't hesitate to offer directions to a park
where "people run all the time". Not to generalize but it's probably
best to take running sugestions from people how at least look like
they run!

I followed what I thought were his directions - following a narrow but
quiet two lane road. At the end of the road was a trail. Could this
be the place the clerk mentioned? I took the trail. After a short
distance, it became clear this was not a public running area. My
curiousity and pace spurred me along. I was now in pretty heavy woods
running on a mostly overgrown, sandy path. I passed a swamp??? The
path finally came to a deadend at a small rundown house. Apparently I
was on a private driveway. I turned and retraced. Checked my Garmin
when I got back to the road and was surprised that I was around 8:30
pace ... maybe attributable to the fact I was expecting to see an
alligator or the creature from the Black Lagoon at any minute. I had
no concept of my pace. I was really expecting something between 9 and
10.

I worked in side streets on my way back to the hotel. Ended up with

5.2 miles @ 8:38

I really felt good this morning. There were too many things out of
the ordinary to know why I felt so good. Was it being in a car 5
hours yesteray? Was it last week's tapered training schedule? Was it
because I didn't

TRAINING SCHEDULE: July 16 - 22

Mon - Easy 4M @8:57
Wed - 6M including Tempo 4M @7:33
Sat - 16M @8:57


This week is going to be difficult since I'll be on vacation. It's the sometimes-annual "baseball trip" that I've been making with about 12 friends over the past seven years. This year we're stopping in Miami, Tampa, and Atlanta. The sole focus of the trips is baseball. If we're not at a field watching a game or batting practice (3 hours before the game starts), we're either on the road or sleeping. Occasionally we'll weave in a little side trip if there's a cultural or historical hot spot someone knows about but no side excursion ever gets in the way of the baseball activities. Anyway, it will be a little difficult to run but I'm packing my shoes and plan to at least get a few miles in somewhere along the way.

I'm scheduled to fly home on Saturday so the long run is in jeopardy but I hope to either run with Stephanie or some ChampionsFit stragglers on Sunday morning next week.

3 Miles Makeup + 2 Miles in advance = 5 Miles

Went out for 5 miles this morning. Yesterday's schedule called for 6 miles (at 9:02 pace) but I only got 3.1 (at 6:58 pace) at the race so I was short 3 miles. Tomorrow's schedule is for 4 miles (at 8:57 pace) and I'm not sure what the coming week is going to bring since I'll be vacationing in Florida and Georgia. So I figured I better makeup the 3 miles from yesterday and get at least a couple of tomorrow's miles today.

It rained a lot yesterday in the afternoon and overnight so I chose a road route to try to stay dry as best I could. I ran over to the high school baseball field than looped down through Meyer Park. My objective was to take the first and last mile slower as a warmup and cooldown but have my overall pace come in at 8:57.

Mile Splits

9:08
8:10
8:40
8:40
9:19

5 miles @ 8:47 (43:57)

Run the Woodlands 5K ... PR Redux ... ??!?!?!???!

Paige joined Cameron and me to Run The Woodlands 5K this morning. It was a fun morning since we went together. It was raining lightly but in the end that didn't bother any of us.

Official times have not been posted yet but the time called out as I crossed the line was 21:35 which matches my PR from July 4. I'll be watching for the official time to be posted later today or tomorrow.

Ironically between 1.5 and 2 miles, I essentially threw in the towel of trying to make a bid for pushing my best time. I just wasn't feeling it and the rain and the turns seemed to all be conspiring against me. I refocused my efforts on racing. That approach really didn't yield much since no one was pressing me and I really wasn't in reach of reeling anyone in. I think there was a guy tracking me and may have been looking for a battle to the finish. But I wasn't playing that game.

Entirely by accident, I experimented with a two-stage kick at the July 4 race. With the Garmin, I knew when there was exactly 1/2 mile remaining and just took off with everything I had ... for as long as I could (which wasn't all that long). But it allowed me to pass several people. When my speed dropped back down, I focused on holding my regular pace and recovering enough to kick it in with 200 - 300 meters remaining. This approach helped on July 4 so I applied it today. With half a mile left, I dropped the guy who was tracking me and didn't see him again. I got to a point where I saw 2 other runners ahead of me but that was when I was running out of gas at the end of my first burst. I wound it down to recover for the finish and tried to kick it back up to edge the guy in front of me at the end but had waited a little too long and didn't have enough gas in the tank to overtake him. I think he probably beat me by about 4 seconds. I ended up 9th overall which was nice to make it into the Top Ten. Of course, I realize this is a very small local race on a raining morning but it was nice to break into the that top tier.

I had intended to make a second loop to get some miles (scheduled for 6 today) but wasn't up to it. So I'll either go out tonight or sometime tomorrow to roll up a few miles to hit scheduled mileage.

ADDENDUM: What are the odds ...? The official times have been posted and I came in at 21:35. The exact same time as the July 4 Run Wild 5K. I go back to an earlier post about "finding another second out on the course" and having some courage to take a chance and go for it .... Frustrating that I was so close to putting up another PR and just missed it. I suppose it's promising that I didn't feel like I was running a very good race and still came in with the time that I did.

1/2 mile splits:

3:23
3:30 (6:53)
3:41
3:33 (7:14)
3:44
3:20 (7:04)
0:23

Another Easy 7 ... with Jonathan

Got out of the office around 7:15. I was happy to get a call from Jonathan as I was leaving. He ended up joining me at Memorial for a couple loops. It was very good to have someone to talk with while running tonight. He had already done a Kenyan Way workout this morning so it was quite impressive that he was rolling up miles with me tonight.

7 miles @ 9:04 (1:03:25)

7 Along Buffalo Bayou

Tried a new route tonight. I changed at the office and took the Buffalo Bayou trail up to Shepherd and back. I didn't realize there was as much change in terrain along the bayou. The trail was enjoyable. It was around sunset. There is a paved trail most of the way but wide grassy areas to run along the trail (which I did as much as I could). The recent rains had washed the trail in few places.

On my way out, I noticed people congregating at the Waugh Street bridge. The trail took me under the bridge. From the smell and the signs, I noted there was a bat colony under the bridge. They weren't too active yet. On my way back, more people had gathered ... "bat watchers" I suppose ... and the bats were much more active. Having not run along this route before, I wasn't sure of the protocol. The trail went right under the bridge. So I turned along an overpass and circled back to survey the situation. Decided with the bat activity, I was not running under the bridge. I know they most likely wouldn't bother me. I came back to the path, jumped off the trail, went over the bridge, and picked up the trail on the other side of the bridge. I was surprised at how many people had spread their blankets to watch. I wonder if that many people gather each night. Obviously the bats come out around that time every evening ....

I had some trouble with my new GPS watch. It didn't like the fact that I was running under bridges and around tall buildings downtown.

My pace was slower than I wanted but it's really tough to get it going on Monday's after Marsha (my personal trainer) just torches my legs at my morning session.

7.31 miles @ 9:18 (1:07:59)

It was a not-so-easy "easy run" as all of this week's runs are. I'm pulling the plug on the 10K in Lampasas this weekend. Bottom line is that it's a 3:45 drive and I've got to get ready for next week's vacation. I'm still trying to find an alternate race and my end up at the Woodlands 5K and just tack on additional 3 miles after the race.

TRAINING SCHEDULE: JULY 9 - 15

Mon - Easy 7 miles @ 9:02
Wed - Easy 7 miles @ 9:02
Sat - Easy 6 miles @ 9:02

This is a recovery week before ramping up the mileage.

Longest Run to Date

Rolled up 14 miles early this morning. Started with Bob, Anthony, and Gordon. Finished alone. Stayed with Bob until about 3 miles remaining when he pulled up his anchor (me) and finished strong. I, on the other hand, finished ... laboring. But the other two guys didn't catch me so somehow that feels good. We started at 5:30 am. The temperature was 75 and the humidity was 91% (I know I said earlier there wouldn't be any other weather reports. It's just so hard to neglect this important factual information.)

I think I'm getting stronger as we stretch out the runs. I need to analyze the times but at least that's the sensation I have. I was very happy to be done but was really struggling in the end. In an effort to avoid the last couple miles deteriorating into "garbage miles", I tried running 1/4 mile fast followed by 1/4 slow. Don't know how much it really helped time-wise but at least it was a little mental game to get me through to the end.

Here are my mile splits:

9:48
9:12
8:55
8:53
8:52
8:55
8:46
8:44
8:41
9:00
8:52
9:25
10:06
10:02

14 miles @ 9:09 (Total time = 2:08:11)


After the run ChampionsFit was holding it's formal registration and kickoff. Since I missed my wake up call and dashed out of the house to make our 5:30 start, I forgot my checkbook. I suppose I'll register online. Registration continues through next Saturday.

Tried new running fuel today. I have been drinking about 20 oz. water on the long runs and eating GU (either plain or chocolate). Last week, the GU seemed to just sit on my stomach. Today I tried mixing GU's powdered product with my water and ate Clif's blocks instead of GU. Frankly, I didn't notice anything good or bad today. Maybe that's a good sign. I plan to keep experimenting with fueling products until I figure out what's best for me.

Run Wild 5K Produces PR

Clocked a 21:35 at this morning's Run Wild 5K in Uptown Park. This shaves 24 seconds off my previous best. (Thanks to my new Garmin for giving me a clue as to where I was with pace and distance for the entire race. And special thanks to Stephanie who serendipitously happened to appear just before the 1 mile mark. She offered encouragement, support, and these wise words "Pace yourself, Cory." Having run with me at the Cinco de Mayo 5K, she knows my "fast start weakness" all too well! Thanks for the timely reminder, Stephanie!)

1/2 Mile Splits

3:19
3:22
3:27
3:35
3:34
3:25
0:52


... I'll have more on the race later ....

Jonathan also clocked a PR today.

Alternate Route for Easy 5

It has been raining a lot lately - including this morning. I decided not to go to Memorial Park. I figured part of it would be under water. I met Cameron at the Y on the way home and we started on my usual Saturday run route. The plan was out 2.5 miles and back. Cam has been sick and probably shouldn't have been trying to run today. He had no fuel in the tank so dropped off at 1.5 miles. I went out another mile and came back but he wasn't there. I thought he must have gone back to the car but was worried since he's not familiar with the neighborhoods in that area. He wasn't at the car. I drove the route in reverse and he was waiting at the point he originally dropped off. It was getting dark so I was glad he went back to that spot. He said after he stopped and I went on that he walked down the street. I'm still not sure how I missed him on the way back. I told him I'd be back in 20 minutes and later figured that I was probably back to where I left him in 18. Anyway everything turned out fine.

EASY 5 MILES

44:51 for 8:58 pace

mile splits
9:10
8:59
8:44
8:54
9:04


I'm considering running a July 4 5K on Wednesday in place of my scheduled tempo run.

Training Schedule: July 2 - 8

Mon. - Easy 5 miles @ 9:02
Wed. - Tempo 5 miles w/3 miles @ 7:34
Sat. - Long 14 miles @ 9:02

Tough 12

Put in 12 miles with Bob Bond this morning. We started at 6AM with ChampionsFit. I wouldn't have minded starting at 5:30.

Mile splits:

9:10
8:40
8:23
9:00
8:45
8:21
8:18
9:19
8:37
9:17
9:31
9:12

12 miles @ 8:53 (1:46:33)

Observations of note:

1st 5 miles - 43:58
2nd 5 miles - 43:52
I'm surprised by the consistency but happy to note it. Especially since it felt like I was really slowing. Of course, over the final 2 miles - I really did!

The overall time of 1:46:33 is very close to my Ogden half time of 1:46:09. Of course the distance today was 12 versus 13.1 in Ogden. But the conditions in Ogden were close to ideal - temperature, humidity, downhill, race situation. Compared to today's training run in more challenging weather. Maybe there's nothing to draw from this but somehow it seems to be a good thing ....

I'm not sure what my problem was but my stomach didn't feel good the last third. Yesterday I had a messed up eating routine (business lunch at Carrabba's - really overdid it!; evening church social - ultimately not sure what some of the stuff I ate there was but I'm sure it was more processed than usual; and this morning's breakfast was a lot more oatmeal than usual). I had about a third of a PowerBar before running and had GU three times along the run. I think I'm off the PowerBar's and I'm not convinced GU is the best choice for me either. I'll keep experimenting on long runs. After the run I felt worse and worse throughout the day. It may have just been dehydration.

I used moleskin on my blisters. That doesn't seem to be helping much. In fact, it almost seems like it promotes blisters. I stopped at FleetFeet this afternoon. I really wish I could remember my second choice for shoes back in March when I got the Mizuno Wave Rider 10's. It was very close between which ones I liked best and I even thought that I'd try the "second place" shoes when I got new ones. But I now have no idea what the "second place" shoes were. I tried three pairs today but it was hard to tell since my feet were sore from this morning's run and the blisters were large and screaming. I'll probably go back later this week when they calm down a bit. I've got my eye on Asics Cumulus 9's.

Speedwork @ KHS

Cameron and I ran over to the Klein High to get some speed work tonight.

1600 7:12
800 jog
1600 7:14

I'm not convinced my times are correct. I was using a new watch tonight and didn't exactly know how to use it properly. Still got my work in.

Visited with a podiatrist on Tuesday. No big revelations there. I've got mild bone spurs and "twisted" (my term rather than a medical term) toes that seem to be creating the blisters. I'll just try a bunch of different remedies to deal with it until I find something that works.

The Idiosyncrasies of Athletic Performance

Uncharacteristically, I was able to let my mind wander for a short time while running tonight. Usually I can't get away from "running numbers" and "doing math" while running. But for a stretch tonight I pondered what makes for that "feel good" day. Everyone who's ever competed or played a sport knows about this phenomenon. There are days when you just "feel good". Those are the days you hit two home runs in a game (Strawberry Days tournament, Pleasant Grove, Utah circa 1992) or just go off for 20+ points in a big game (Mt. Ogden Regional Explorer Olympics Championship, circa 1984). Oftentimes they're days never to a recaptured but only continue to live in the memory. In my running experience these "feel good" days occur but, different from other experiences, it seems they can be repeated. I don't know how to describe it or predict it. It's kind of like the Supreme Court ... I just know it when I see it .... Or feel it in this case. I've had a couple of these days over the past four months of running. Ironically the Feelin' Good 5K on St. Patrick's Day. I did feel good! Oddly, I didn't run some incredible time that day but I felt great. I felt strong and smooth (although photos from the event make it look like I'm a middle-aged, middle-of-the-pack guy who may die soon!).

The other event was the Ogden Half Marathon. I didn't realize this one right off but after two miles, I knew it was a good day. After four miles, I was still feeling good. Somehow that feeling breeds confidence. As the miles ticked by and I found I was holding an 8 minute per mile pace, I was thrilled. Of course, at mile 9 the realities of the situation hit me and it became much more difficult. I didn't finish as strong as I would have liked but it was good. After the race, I felt much better than I anticipated and I was pleased with the accomplishment and effort.

Okay so what's the point? I don't know. My thought is that there is a secret and very delicate formula to achieving those "feel good" days. I'm sure it has to do with nutrition, rest, and training. There are most likely several other contributors. When each of these elements are mixed in the near-perfect ratio, the result is a "feel good" day.

So did I have one of these days today? No. But it seems I've had some near-misses along the way. There've been days of training and racing where I've felt "pretty good". But maybe there was too much salt or not enough sugar in the recipe leading up to the effort.

It seems like the secret recipe is what a vast majority of the running magazines, websites, blogs, etc. are attempting to solve and pass along. "How to Run Your Fastest 5K"; "Effective Training on Limited Time"; "Crosstraining for Success"; .... The headlines scream out. But just like the recipe book with sections of appetizers, entrees, and desserts, you've got to know what you want in order to end up with what you want.

Anyway, I hope to have more "feel good" days along the way. If everything goes perfectly, October 6 will be one of those days for me!


Memorial Park
Easy Run
6.2 miles @ 9:02 (55:55) [How's that for hitting the training target?)


I'm visiting a podiatrist tomorrow to get my blisters checked out. My guess is he's going to tell me to get new shoes.

TRAINING SCHEDULE: June 25 - July 1

MONDAY - Easy Run 6M @ 9:02

WEDNESDAY - Speedwork 5M including 2x1600 @ 7:08

SATURDAY - Long Run 12M @ 9:02

10M Saturday Long

17 runners started with ChampionsFit this morning. The group was generally running 8. Bob and I went for 10. A new guy, Tony, went 10 too but took a different route so we didn't see him until the end. He came in ahead of us. I guy named Jamie cut his run short because he's just coming back. He's supposedly a sub 3:00 marathoner.

10.1 miles @ 9:07 (1:32.11)

THE Program

Most everyone knows there are dozens of marathon training programs. The different programs are generally founded on the same concepts but are surprisingly wide ranging in their approaches. I've been overwhelmed as I've sorted through the options trying to choose what's best for me and will help me achieve my goals. Of course that has meant defining my goals. Although I don't feel my marathon goals are definitive and I'm not convinced I've selected the best program (I don't think you can ever really know ... even after running several marathons ....), I'm using the SmartCoach Personal Training Program on the Runners World website. I used the same program (loosely) for the half marathon and it worked. The program is manageable for me from a scheduling standpoint. It also has 3 20-mile long runs in the schedule whereas most of the other schedules I saw only had 2.

The difficulty with this is that I have so many great running options. Doug Storey's Tuesday track workout group that Stephanie introduced me to is great. I like having the weekly speed work laid out for me and the synergy of doing speedwork with others.

There's Stephanie's newly formed hill and interval group on Thursday nights in the Bayou. Heaven knows I need the hills and intervals! I haven't run with them yet but I'm sure it's great since Stephanie is at the helm.

Jonathan has suggested dropping in for weekly early morning speed sessions with Kenyan Way. I'd love to give this a try. Jonathan has had great results and it seems very focused and disciplined. I also like the idea of getting my workout in early.

Stephanie (in conjunction with Houston Racing ???) has a Saturday morning long run group. They run around Memorial Park and the Bayou on some soft surfaces rather than entirely on asphalt or pavement.

I always enjoy running with Jonathan on the occasions we've met after work. Recently I like the fact that he's made sure I get my core exercises after running (when I'm alone, I've found justifications easy to come by!).

There's ChampionsFit. Their formal program starts in July. The convenience of being very close to home and starting the Saturday long runs very early is great. I met Bob through the group and enjoy running with him. The group is always on hard surfaces and their focus will be the Houston marathon in January rather than a fall marathon. The group is viable but I'm getting the sense it's not robust. I'm not 100% sure my running goals and objectives correlate exactly with their program.

On top of all this, I've found that I'm driven my the competition of racing. Since laying off the race circuit since Memorial Day, I've really missed it. I'm not a great racer but I truly get a motivation and sensation from it that I want on a frequent basis.

So what am I saying? Essentially that my training program really doesn't sync up with much of this. But, on the other hand, I don't want to go it alone so I guess I'll be stuck mixing and matching and hopefully accomplishing my objectives.

OBJECTIVES / GOALS:

Make it to October 6 healthy and ready to run the St. George marathon.

Come away from the marathon feeling I haven't cheated myself of the opportunity through poor preparation.

Enjoy the marathon.

Be pleasantly surprised with by my performance .... Target time = ?:??:?? (TBD)


McMillan suggests 3:34
Runners World suggests 3:35
Bayou VDOT suggests 3:32
AttackPoint suggests 3:30

Let's just say I would be thrilled with any of those times. I don't think they're possible now even though I'm using equivalent calculators. As input, I'm using my 5K PR (21:59) from April 28, 2007. However, I've found the calculators aren't reliable for me when they're extended to longer races (my 10K and half marathon). Both of my longer races have come in slower than the calculators suggested I should run. My conclusion is that my overall fitness and endurance conditioning isn't where it needs to be to run the projected times at longer distances. Hopefully the next 15 weeks with SmartCoach puts me on top of my game. I'd love a 3:35 my first time out at 26.2!

Got Lactate?

I really focused on staying "in the zone" for my 3-mile tempo run tonight. McMillan has my target zone for tempo runs at 7:26 - 7:46 / mile. Here's where I ended up on my quarter mile splits:

1:56
1:54
1:53
1:51 (7:34)
1:52
1:51
1:56
1:53 (7:32)
1:55
1:58
1:56
1:50 (7:39)

3M @ 7:35/M 22:45


I'm happy that I generally hit my splits and stayed "in the zone". Jack Daniels says a threshold run (tempo run) should be "comfortably hard" and should be run at about 88% of V02max. I don't know about my V02max but the run was comfortably hard.

AttackPoint has my threshold run target at 7:31. RunBayou VDOT has me at 7:33.

I added a mile warm up and a mile cool down at very s-l-o-w pace.

Total miles 5.1

6.3 Miles

Late evening ... two loops at Memorial + tacked on an extra half mile at the end.

Total miles = 6.3
Total time = 59:54
Pace = 9:30 M/m


This morning's weight workout was really good. It's the first time I've felt "strong" in while. However, the past couple weeks I've noticed that if I lift in the morning, the afternoon/evening run is much more difficult. My pace was slower than what planned.

June 18 - 24 Training Schedule

Monday - Easy 6M @ 9:02
Wednesday - 5M including 3M Tempo @ 7:34
Saturday - Long 10M @ 9:02

Today's Long Run = 12 miles

Turned

12 miles @ 9:00 (1:48:00)

this morning with Bob Bonds. I'm sure I slowed him down but I stayed with him to the end (more correctly stated - he stayed with me to the end!)

We started at 5:45 and the weather was cooler (thankfully) with a rain storm expected later today.

It always feels great to have completed a good long run. I ate a small bowl of oatmeal and slice of toast an hour before the run. I also drank water and ate/slurped GU along the way. I'm experimenting with my eating on the long runs so I hopefully know what works best for me and can implement it for races. I also drank Slim Fast afterwards (per MacMillan Racing); not for dieting purposes but it's supposedly the perfect balance of carbohydrates and protein for replenishing. I also read that it contains a particular amino acid helpful in nutrient absorption.

I used Cam's Nike+ Ipod sport kit too. I got a Lace Lid in the mail earlier this week and used it to strap the transmitter to my shoe. Since I don't listen to music while running (I know most people do but for some reason it seems like cheating to me ... I don't know ....), I attached the receiver to his Ipod Nano, put the Nano in a zip lock bag, and put the Nano in the pocket on my fuel belt. The results ... it worked great! Bob's GPS had our distance at 12.0 miles @ 9:00 pace. The Nike+ had us at 12.05 miles @ 9:00 pace. The technology fascinates me. I don't understand how it works. It's an accelerometer ??? ... supposedly measures the time between each foot strike and calculates distance from that .... How does it do that?

Finally in my last bit of running psychosis, I relaced my shoes last night using a special lacing technique I found on the New Balance website. Ever since getting my Mizuno Wave Rider 10's in March, I get a nickle-sized blister on the side of my right toe while running. The blister doesn't hurt but it sure looks nasty. The NB lacing technique was supposed to "raise the toe box" and take pressure off the toes. Didn't work. I've got the same big blister on my right big toe as usual.

I'm now propped up with ice bags on my knees. I'm considering popping some bootlegged, prescription-strength Ibuprofen but I think I'll hold off. I want to see how I feel tomorrow morning after a good icing.

Track Workout / Punishment

Work conspired against my speed workout last night. On top of that we received a call from Cameron's High Adventure camp that he was in the emergency room. He hadn't left home more than 16 hours earlier! To make a very long story short ... he's going to be fine as far as we can tell. Information is difficult to get but it sounds like he has a scratched cornea and bruised pride.

So I ran the speed workout tonight at Klein High.

PLAN

warmup
4 x 800 (3:26) - 400 (1:43) with 2 minute active recovery between
cool down

ACTUAL

warmup 1 mile
3:21 1:30
3:24 1:35
3:15 1:33
3:10 1:29
cool down 1 mile


My interval times were all over the place but I was happy to keep everything under my target times and run negative splits for the most part. I was stuck pretty close to only 2 minute recoveries ... after a very brief walk or water break, I jogged the rest of the time. It was a good workout. Now that it's over I'm questioning the target times. I used the VDOT times calculated off my April 28 5K PR of 21:59. It seems like running the VDOT times should push the limits more than I'm feeling ... now that it's over. Of course while I was on the track, it felt like I was giving it all I had!

Easy Run ... it felt easy too

Made the loop at Memorial Park for an easy run. Of course it was hot. Since the heat goes without saying and my commenting about it doesn't make it any different, I resolve not to take any more space on the blog discussing the temperature and humidity. Just know that for the next 4 months all of my runs are being completed in less than optimum weather conditions!

2.9 miles @ 9:02 (26:13)


(Put 25 extra pounds on my leg press this morning and was still able to go longer than I ever have before .... It's the running. I'm not noticing similar improvements in upper body strength..)

June 11 - 17 Training Schedule

Monday - 3 miles easy
Tuesday - speed: 4 sets of 800-400 all with 2 minutes rest
Wednesday - 3 miles easy
Thursday - 5 miles tempo
Friday - rest
Saturday - 12 miles long

Long, Hot One with Bob

Although I really wanted to run the Woodlands 5K this morning. I scratched it for a 10 mile long run with ChampionsFit. I wanted to try cracking my 5K PR in the Woodlands this morning and was feeling pretty good about it but more than that I need to continue building my endurance. So, it was off and running at 6 this morning.

I was happy to see Bob Bond in the group. There were a couple others who I hadn't met before. We started out with 7 in our group and the plan was for 10 miles.

I had decided I wanted to be around a 9:20 but figured Bob would be moving much faster since we ran something like 8:10 a couple weeks ago. We started with the group then there were four of us then, at about 2 miles, it was Bob and me. We were on a pace around 8:50. It was warm and humid this morning but I enjoyed covering the distance with Bob. After 8 miles and a 9:00 pace, I slowed and Bob continued. Those last couple miles were tough but I made it.

10.35 miles @ 9:04 pace (1:33.48)


Bob is a strong runner and good conversationalist. I looked up some running information about him after we ran together last time. In 2006, he finished the Boston Marathon in 3:49. He also completed the Houston Marathon 3 times and also ran the Top of Utah Marathon in 2006. His best marathon time (that I could find) is 3:37. Oh, another important fact, Bob is 60 years old!

I do enjoy running with him and as long as he's around ChampionsFit, I suppose I'll run with the group. I've been questioning how I fit with the group lately. The official "season" begins in early July and the focus is the Houston marathon in January. Of course, my focus is the St. George marathon in October. I'm concerned about how the training schedule is going to sync up with what I need to properly prepare for my first marathon experience.

As an alternative, Stephanie's triathalon group does Saturday morning long runs in the Memorial Park/Buffalo Bayou area (soft surfaces!). She's invited Jonathan and me to join them when we like. The only drawback for me is the drive to and from downtown where the runs start. After making the commute 5 days a week for work, I'm not excited about doing it to run Saturday. This is going to be my backup to ChampionsFit though. If I'm not getting what I need there, I'll make the drive to run with Stephanie's Houston Racing crew.

87° and 73%

You know when the title of the blog is the weather conditions that it must have been a bad workout! Of course, these are just excuses for what's to follow ... justification.

On today's schedule was a tempo run. When planning today's workout, I cut the distance and ramped up the intensity. So I ended up with 5.8 miles (two loops at Memorial Park) with a pace in the 7:25 - 7:45 range.

Reality wasn't anywhere close to the plan!

I did get to see Jonathan tonight and he let me use his Garmin Forerunner 305 for the run. Our schedules synced up for us to run together tonight. It was good to see him again. He's coming off a 5K PR last Saturday. He's been working hard in the Kenyan Way training program. I think I'll end up with Kenyan Way as soon as I get this marathon "nonsense" out of the way!

We started out fast ... too fast for the conditions. Both for us knew that it wouldn't last long. After gutting out a very challenging workout last night, Jonathan dropped back. (Of course, I had taken an easy run last night anticipating tonight's tough one.... That theory didn't sustain me for long!) With the Garmin pacing me, I was determined to keep the pace under 7:45 for as long as possible. The backside of Memorial was shady so that helped keep the sun off me. I stayed in the targeted zone for the second mile but felt it slipping during the third. I tried prodding myself along faster but there wasn't much there. The question of whether I could complete a second loop was already formulating before I had finished the first. I decided to pull it back and try quarter mile intervals (fast-slow-fast-slow). That helped until about the second rep to go fast. There was nothing there so I just slowed it down. I checked the Garmin and figured I'd go out until the return would make 5 total miles rather than the planned two loops for 5.8. I came back to the start ... slowing all the while ....

Here are the mile splits:

• 7:35
• 7:37
• 8:12
• 8:53
• 9:46

5 miles @ 8:25 pace

After I finished, I really felt like I was overheating. I went to the car for water. The run seemed like it had really overstressed my body. Fortunately, Jonathan was there. We had planned to do core exercises after the run. I had pretty much convinced myself that I wasn't up for that routine. However, I knew I wanted to go through them again so I can get the routine down better. Jonathan took me through the cycle. My core strength is absolutely pathetic. There's just about nothing there. I really need to work on this. It's so bad it's embarrassing. Anyway, Jonathan was patient and we finished them off.

Should note that I saw Stephanie on the trail. She did at least 3 loops while I was there. I think she may have been with some of the Tornados running club since I saw some of their members too.

Too Fast...Easy Run...Yes, I've done this before!

Took the tour at Memorial Park in 25:45. Yes, this was supposed to be a recovery run from last night's track workout. And, yes, the fastest I should have finished was 27:24. Probably doesn't bode well for tomorrow's tempo run!

2.9 M @ 8:53

Yasso 800's

Okay, the plan was to join Doug Storey's group at the Lamar High track for a speed workout tonight. That was scheduled for 6:30. I planned to get there between 6 and 6:30. So much for the plan. My car got new tires today. After spending the day in the shop that was supposed to be completed at 4:30 .... didn't happen. I picked the car up at 7. Of course, I missed the workout with the group. I drove home and, not surprisingly, the longer I was at the house, the less I felt like going back out to run. The Astros game had started .... Cameron was home .... There were things to do .... Finally, refusing to be pulled in by that tractor beam, I pulled away around 9:30. I figured this was a good opportunity to try Yasso 800's. I've been wanting to do this workout for over a month but it hasn't ever fit nicely into my schedule so I figured now was as good a time as any. On top of that, instead of driving to the Klein High track, I decided I'd run over there for a warm-up.

Here's how the workout broke down:

Total miles - 6.75

Warm up - 2.25 miles @ 9:01 (20:18)

4 x 800 (target time 3:40 w/3:40 recovery jog between)

• 3:28
• 3:19
• 3:17
• 3:15

Cool down - 2:25 miles @ 9:39 (21:42)

This was a tough workout but I liked it lot. I think I'll work it into my regular schedule. The theory is that Yasso 800's are a good predictor of your marathon time ... if you do 10 x 800 and keep the in-between recovery period the same as the running times. Since my next comment is buried so deep in this entry and no one reads my blog anyway ... I'm going to say it now ... for the record. Before the St. George marathon, I want to be able to run 10 Yasso 800's at 3:20 (my Boston qualifying time).

Easy ... My Own Style ...

Okay I put in an easy 2.9 miles at Memorial Park tonight. No big deal. After a couple weeks off my weight training (half recovery and Memorial Day holiday), I started lifting again this morning. It felt like I'd taken too much time off especially on the upper body! I just felt pathetically weak. However, my leg press was very good. I'm sure it's the running.

Anyway back to my easy run, to date my workouts have always been based on something I've read or something a "coach" has suggested. Today I just "made up my own thing". It's an easy run so I'm sure it's no big deal but I decided to force myself to run negative splits. I have no idea if this does any good or not but it seems one of my problems is that I great into a rhythm at one pace and it's extremely difficult for me to pick it up. The odd thing is that the pace is never the same. I can bounce around between 8:00 and 9:30 per mile and "feel" comfortable". Maybe this is hurting me in races ...??? So here's what I ended up with for mile splits:

10:27
08:58
07:23 (this was .9 mile for an equivalent of 8:12)

So my overall pace for the 2.9M was 9:14 per mile. (Remember this was an easy run which was scheduled for a 9:27 pace) Who knows if there's any benefit in approaching the easy run this way ... ? At a minimum, it gave me a mental game to play while running.

June 4 - 10

Here's the general schedule I'm planning on following this week:

Mon - Easy 3M
Tue - Speed @ LHS
Wed - Easy 3M
Thu - Tempo (mileage TBD...5-8M...)
Fri - Rest
Sat - Long 10M
Sun - Yasso 800's or Rest

Hard 8

I put in an 8 mile long run this morning. There were only 3 ChampionsFit members who met this morning at 6:30. I ran with Len for the first half. We averaged 9:19 for the first four miles. I closed the second 4 miles with an 8:52 pace. It was getting very warm by the time we finished. My legs were heavy today.

8 miles 1:12 for 9:00/M pace

Easy Run ... After the Rain

Things sure were quiet at Memorial Park this evening. A strong, late-afternoon storm rolled through today. I had planned an easy loop but talked myself out of it due to the rain. I figured the trail would be under water and I didn't have my "mudders". But as I went to the parking garage to drive home around 7 pm, the storm had broken. After a brief session of waffling, I quickly changed clothes in the car and decided to at least drive over to Memorial to see what it looked like. Very few people were there and there was water on the trail but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought.

I took the tour and added a little extra since I was feeling good.

3.4 miles in 32:03 for a 9:26 pace (the Jack Daniels table I'm currently using suggests I should be at 9:27).

Speed with Doug at Lamar High

Thanks to Stephanie, I met Doug Storey tonight at Lamar High School's track for a speed workout. Doug is a coach who works with dozens of Houston-area triathletes and runners. I'm planning to follow his program for 4-5 weeks and possibly incorporate it in with the ChampionsFit workouts once marathon training begins in earnest.

Tonight's workout for "short distance" (I will conquer my 5K PR!) was 4-6 sets of 2 x 400 with 100 jog between and 300 jog between sets.

I arrived a few minutes late and put in a mile warm up then stretched. Everyone was pretty much on their own but some informal groups were working together. Since I started late I run alone (several other runners were on the track though).

My targeted time for the 400 intervals was 1:44. This is based on the Jack Daniels VDOT values (link). Here are my times:

1:28 1:44
1:38 1:37
1:36 1:36
x:xx 1:40
1:37 1:36
1:35 1:34

I will confess that I may have defeated the benefits of the workout somewhat by walking instead of jogging between 400's. I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to maintain the times if I had jogged ... since walking (and talking to Stephanie and Doug) allowed for a longer recovery. There seems to be wisdom in this approach and I'm looking forward to continuing with it. I appreciate Stephanie for introducing me to Doug.

Frustratingly Close!

Cam and I are in Utah for tonight's Jazz-Spurs playoff game.

We found a 5K to run this morning in Syracuse. Cam clocked a PR and said he felt really good. I didn't feel very and came in at 22:00. One second off my PR. Very frustrating! Of course while running I felt like I gave it my all. But after the fact, I'm absolutely convinced I could have found 2 seconds on the course somewhere if I would have known the end result. I'm sure there's a lesson in all of this. The next time I'm in the situation will determine if I learned it.

Earlier in the week I read that a runner has to have courage to 'go for it'. 'It' can be a PR or anything that will push the limits of your current conditioning. I had not thought about it like this before but believe it's absolutely true. Today I didn't show the courage to go for it. Instead I settled for something less than my best.

Mile splits:

6:31
7:25
7:23
0:41