I Feel GOOD!

OBJECTIVE
9 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
9.01 mi. : 1:10:50 = 7:52/mi.

6:06 AM 43° 87% 1 mph

Today was a GOOD run. There really wasn't really reason for it that I know of and I certainly didn't see it coming. It surprised me so much that I kept expecting to fade as the run progressed but "it" was there the whole time.

I was out of bed early this morning but slow to get going. It was cool this morning and I wasn't really that eager for this morning' run. By the time I made it over to the Y, ChampionsFit was gathering for their "unofficial long run" scheduled for 10 miles. I didn't want to have anything to do with them (long story) and was happy that I didn't see anyone that I knew while stretching in the parking lot. I let there band of about 20 set off while I was still stretching. I don't know how much time passed but it was a while before I started. Their group includes runners of all paces going all distances. I'm sure by now you're anticipating what happened .... As I began reeling them in, my pace quickened as I looked for more. My first mile was 8:16 - about 30 seconds faster than I'd planned. I started thinking I'd be in trouble later in the run for this fast start. Of course the faster runners were still ahead. I don't know why I had something to prove but it seems that I did. Second mile - 7:46. I had passed them all. Now I was sure I'd be hurting later. But I figured I was around 8:00 miles and was feeling pretty good. Even though this was supposed to be a long, slow distance run (my longest since before Thanksgiving), I decided I'd try to hold the 8 minute pace for as long as I could.

Mile 3 - 8:05
Mile 4 - 8:09

I was still feeling fine. Legs felt good and cardio was strong. I turned around at 4.5 miles. I had not planned on seeing the CF group again but obviously since it's out and back, I was going to. I started pushing it a bit because I wanted to pass them as far back the path as I could.

Mile 5 - 8:13
Mile 6 - 7:40

Passing them here and there. Some going back from shorter runs; some still going out. It really spurred me on. I was still feeling good. I decided that over the last two miles I'd try a legitimate pickup. I've only tried this a couple other times and it's never really worked out for me. I wanted to see if I could run the last two miles faster than any other mile up to that point. In the back of my mind a wondered about stressing my old injuries but figured I'd been playing it safe for a long time and it was about time for a test. Since everything was going so well, today seemed as good a time as any.

Mile 7 - 7:46
Mile 8 - 7:33
Mile 9 - 7:16

I did it and I felt great! I passed a couple guys over the last mile had run a shorter distance and were running at a good pace. That really helped me focus on working my way up to them.

Again, I have no good reason why this happened for me today but I'll take it! There are plenty of days when it's just not there so it's extremely nice to get a good day like today.

As a reference, yesterday I ate a small pasta marinara for lunch, a PBJ smoothie in the afternoon, a hard boiled egg in the early evening, and cereal in the evening. I went to bed around 9:30 and woke up around 2:30. Had a hard time getting back to sleep. After tossing around until about 4:30, I got up and surfed the Internet for a while before going for the run. [Just wanted this on record as I will probably try to replicate today's run sometime in the future!]

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, Kashi GoLean w. skim milk, water, multivitamin, zinc

Sluggish

OBJECTIVE
5 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
5.11 mi. : 44:07 = 8:38/mi.

4:37AM 45° 57% 5 mph

Started sluggish and stayed sluggish this morning. Left knee was a bit slow to start again but not as bad as usual. Relying on yesterday's forecast for this morning, I overdressed. This made for an uncomfortable effort. Tried to keep my mind busy with work issues but couldn't really focus.

Paige has been sick for most of this week. I've been sleeping in the guest room in an attempt to avoid picking anything up from her. I was tired at work most of the afternoon yesterday. That coupled with how I felt ruuning this morning has me fearful that I may be getting sick. Stay tuned ....

9 mile long run tomorrow before going to the office.

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, water & oatmeal w/brn sgr
Later, vitamin C

Rain & Cooler

OBJECTIVE
3 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
≈3.00 miles : 23:52 = 7:57/mi.

≈4:30 AM 42° 92% 1 mph light rain

Got 3 miles in under light rain and cooler temperatures. About 150 yards from the house a car passed and sprayed me big time. At that point the hope of staying as dry as possible had been eliminated! My left knee was slow to start again but, as has been the trend, finally got into the act a little before the 1 mile mark. My Garmin didn't work from the outset so I switched to the IronMan and followed the regular 3 mile route. Overall I felt pretty good this morning. Tomorrow is a scheduled day off before going out for 5 miles on Friday and 9 on Saturday. The cool temperatures and rain are supposed to continue throughout the weekend. There are times when the rain doesn't bother me at all; other times it absolutely drives me crazy!

Paige is planning to run the Galloway Gallop 10K with me on February 2. I'm just hoping my work situation will allow me the time to do it! To make an incredibly long story as short as possible, we condensing 8½ months work into 5 weeks! The "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow ... so to speak ... is that the summer should be much lighter than usual.

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
SlimFast & multivitamin
Later, Kashi GoLean & water

Light Rain & Warm Temp

OBJECTIVE
5 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
5.13 miles : 42:30 = 8:17/mi.

4:24 AM 57° 95% 1 mph light rain

My left knee was cranky for a little less than a mile this morning but got with the program thereafter. It was warm with a very heavy mist/light rain. It was a quiet morning. I only saw a couple of cars over the whole run. Although one of them was a speeding SUV on a dark section of Cypresswood Drive that came closer than I'd like. I think it may have been a law enforcement vehicle .... I'll assume the best ... they were responding to an emergency and the abrupt lane change that took the vehicle into my path was necessary ... ???

My mile splits were tightly bunched today (slowest mile - 8:22; fastest mile 8:12). I suppose that qualifies this as a tempo run. Although the pace was slower than my tempo run should be. I'm still running at "no pace". I thought I'd switch to defined pacing this week but since I missed the long run over the weekend and re-read some of Daniel's stuff, I'm not sure what the proper pacing should be at this point. At the moment, my plan is to roll off of Hal Higdon's plan that I'm currently following (not enough detail) and shift over to Runners' World Smart Coach. Next week will be 16 weeks out from the Ogden marathon which is an ideal point to start. The other thing I like about Smart Coach is that it better fits my schedule for now. I've recently taken on additional responsibilities at work and am "drinking from a fire hydrant" right now. I like running as a release during this time but there are late hours and suboptimal nutrition and rest ahead. It's just a fact. Smart Coach should allow me to properly prepare for Ogden and better manage the other aspects of my current situation. Smart Coach also worked well for me at last year's Ogden half and St. George.

Yesterday was a bad nutrition day for me and I felt it during this morning's run ... just a general sluggishness. It wasn't that I ate bad food ... just that I didn't get enough calories and carbohydrates to properly fuel for today's run.

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, & water
Later, oatmeal w/b.sugar & skim milk, water

Uncorked a Good One

GOAL
3 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
3.04 miles : 23:10 = 7:37/mi.

Had a good run this morning which I expected since I missed my weekend long run due to work. Tried Sasha's ta-ta-ta cadence (which honestly I don't really know what it is, how to do it, or what it's supposed to do) and it seemed to speed me up and allow me to keep a strong pace.

Run nice, negative splits.


PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast & multivitamin
Later, oatmeal w/b.sugar & water

Don't Spit Into the Wind

OBJECTIVE
5 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
5.13 mi. : 41:18 = 8:03/mi.

4:30 AM 42F 61% 8 mph

It was a good run this morning. My left knee had a slight but fleeting problem and my right half tightened midway but abated.

For the first half of the run I was working on a comprehensive example to offer as a simple explanation for a now-very-public tax accounting issue that is the hottest topic in the office. I don't think I quite completed it but I'm close. I think I'll be using this technique more regularly. It seems to make the miles pass by and, for some reason, I seem to run faster than when I'm focusing solely on pace, form, etc.

I managed negative splits again today which I always like. Of course, it's more likely when starting with a slow initial mile.

I think I'll start adding pace objectives for my runs beginning next week.

I'm also considering shifting my marathon goal time given my recent 5K and how I've been feeling on my runs. However, I'm concerned about getting overly aggressive with my training since I think that's what led to my injuries. The best course is probably to maintain the goals as planned. If I'm still feeling like I'm ahead of schedule in a month, I should be able to modify my training for faster times and still have enough time before the marathon to reap the training benefits.

The demands of work are going to be staggering over the next 5 weeks. If hopeful that my running is not impacted too much. At the moment, it appears the February 10K is in jeopardy.

PRERUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast, oatmeal w/ b. sugar, multivitamin & water

Insomnia

OBJECTIVE
3 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
4.00 mi : 32:27 = 8:07/mi.

3:25 AM 52° 92% 0 mph

I couldn't sleep so I got up and went for a run. There's a lot going on at work which occupied my mind for most of the time. I stretched the run an extra mile to get more "thinking time".

Going to try to get some sleep now.

Oh ... almost forgot ... my Garmin wasn't working this morning so I used my IronMan watch. Not sure what's wrong with the Garmin. Seems like the battery dead and won't recharge ....

PRE RUN
Clif Bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast & multivitamin

Sweet Release

OBJECTIVE
5 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
5.12 mi. : 44:08 = 8:37/mi.

4:28 AM 46° 76% 0 mph

It was good to get out this morning. I wasn't sure that I would make it this morning. I got home from work last night at 11:30. Work has been particularly stressful of late and at the moment I see no end in sight. I didn't set the alarm for this morning's run but found myself looking at the clock at exactly 4:00. I was actually happy that I woke up. I'll probably pay for the short night's sleep this afternoon.

The run started off shaky. My left knee was pretty bad. I haven't abandoned my self-diagnosis of ITB issues but currently believe that's not what I'm dealing with. The knee feels "twisted". Like yesterday, it gradually worked itself out and by the time I was into Mile 2, it was pretty much gone. It's very strange.

I wasn't pushing pace today. I was just happy to be out. I was operating on limited sleep and a bad nutrition day yesterday. I managed negative splits which is always nice but much easier when the initial pace is slow.

I'm not proficient at just clearing my mind of running while running. But today, I was able to think about some work issues and personal matters as well. No earth-shattering breakthroughs, just clear-headed thought away from the "madness". I wasn't passed by a car until the last mile. It was truly a solitary run ... and I liked it!

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, & water
Later, Kashi GoLean cereal & water

Hmmmm.......

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. : no pace

ACHIEVED
3.02 mi. : 25:03 = 8:18/mi.

5:07 AM 36° 93% 0 mph

Strange run this morning .... My left knee was bothering me pretty intensely from the outset. I figured I'd just take it slow and easy to allow myself the opportunity to "gut it out". A little over a mile in, the pain eased up and continued to improve until it was gone. Very strange .... I don't know what to think of it. It probably has something to do with Saturday's race effort. That's the first time I've been that intense since Thanksgiving. But it didn't bother me during the race at all .... I did do some heavy leg extensions yesterday but I doubt that contributed.

Anyway it was really nice to just keep running and be able to get some relief along the way. I ended up with negative splits at around 34 seconds each.

I went to watch the Houston Marathon yesterday. I first stopped around the Mile 5 but quickly determined that I was too late to see most of my friends. From there, I drove to a spot a couple blocks before 20K. I sat there for quite a while and took some pictures. It was a cool, breezy morning ... great conditions to run in except for the wind. I saw Joe Oviedo, Jonathan Bennett, Laurie Aaron, Stephanie Burlet, Josh Rayner, Miranda Jamieson, and Bob Bond come through. I then relocated to Mile 22 and saw everyone except Stephanie come through. It was an interesting perspective to watch a marathon from the spectator's vantage point.



PRE RUN
water

POST RUN
SlimFast & multivitamin
Later, oatmeal w/brown sugar & skim milk; water

Run The Woodlands 5K #192 - PR 20:37

OBJECTIVE
Test my legs (ITB's & right calf); Run a good race; Assess fitness
Stretch goal - if everything's going well, press for a PR

ACHIEVED
3.1 mi. : 20:37 = 6:42/mi. NEW PR

8:00 AM 44° 88% 0 mph

Very strange race today .... I'm thrilled with shaving 11 seconds off my PR. The fact that it follows no speed workouts since before Thanksgiving is a huge surprise. There hasn't been much intensity to my workouts since the 2 week layoff after Thanksgiving. From that point, I've run more frequently but with reduced intensity and mileage. I've only been around 20 miles a week with my longest run an 8 miler last Saturday. What's more surprising to me is that since Wednesday my legs have felt terrible. The left ITB seems to have only gotten worse since Wednesday morning's run. I didn't run Thursday or Friday. This break was planned. But noticed that throughout each day after sitting for extended periods at work, my left ITB and, to a lesser degree, my right ITB really felt ... strained ??? or maybe inflamed ... ??? This morning I wondered if I should even go to the race but decided it was scheduled and, if I had to, I could just shut it down mid-race.

The race was lightly attended today. I'm sure tomorrow's Houston marathon played into the participation. It was cool. I wore tights and my Nike jacket over a technical t-shirt. I also wore gloves and knit hat.

As usual a few younger runners pressed the pace as we circled the bus loop at the elementary school twice. Shortly before leaving the loop I checked my watched and, if I recall correctly, I was at a 6:08/mi. pace. This was a faster start than I wanted. There was a group of 4 or 5 guys ahead of me leaving the school. I was able to put them behind me over the next 1/3 mile.

A little less than a mile in, I was aware a couple of the guys were hanging with me. I thought I did a good job running my race and not letting their presence impact my pace.

I covered the first mile in 6:25. I had planned to be at 6:27 so I felt good. My legs were not bothering me in the slightest which really surprised me based on the past few days. My focus shifted to holding the pace. One runner was still with me. It seemed that he was drafting off me but there was no wind. The wide sidewalk is winding and I was staying on the tangents as much as possible. This most likely made it difficult to pass me ... if in fact that was his intention. I hoped that I would be able to drop him but it became clear that he was going to stay with me. My next hope was that it came down to a kick; hoping I would have something in the tank even without any speed work since before Thanksgiving. I felt my form breaking down slightly and my pace falling off a bit. Aerobically I felt fine but I think the fast start was catching up with me.

Somewhere around 2 miles, I was passed. I had covered Mile 2 in 6:46; had planned for 6:42. So I was slightly slower (+2 seconds) than my goal through 2 miles. I stayed on the heels of the runner who had passed for somewhere around 1/3 mile before he started stretching it out on me. I hoped to see him closer to the finish but I didn't. I think he ended up finishing 20 seconds in front of me. I tried to focus on holding my form together. For me that usually means resisting the urge to lean back at the waist. I do this by working to keep my shoulders over the balls of my feet. I also felt like I was overstriding a bit so I tried to shorten my stride a bit and increase my turnover. I feel like all of this helps me. However as usually happens, I was only able to keep my mental focus for short distances. I persisted but wasn't able to stick with it as much as I would have liked.

Based on how I was feeling when I was passed, I had decided on a two-stage kick. I don't know if this technique has any value at all. It may even be counterproductive. For me this means that with a 1/2 mile to go, I really hit it at about 90%+ effort. I'm not able sustain this for long ... maybe 200 - 250 meters. From there, I naturally slow. This allows me to recover ever-so-slightly for a final push. Today's data shows I made a strong push for about 200 meters before falling back to the overall pace. Then with 200 meters left, I made a good final kick.

I finished at 20:37 (based on times being called at the finish line). I was happy and surprised. The the last several weeks training and the past few days leg issues. I really doubted my ability to pull anything like this off. I'm looking forward to my next phase of training.

The weather was cool and I think it's supposed to continue for tomorrow's Houston Marathon.

Good luck to all of tomorrow's marathoners and especially my running friends!

PRE RUN
Earlier, Grape Nuts w/skim milk & water
Multivitamin, 800 mg Ibuprofen, & water
1/2 Clif bar & water

POST RUN
Water, SlimFast, & 1/2 Clif bar
Later, flax seed pancakes 2/syrup & skim milk
Later than later, French toast & skim milk

Now the Left

OBJECTIVE
3 mi : no pace

ACHIEVED
3.01 mi. : 25:07 = 8:20/mi.

5:29 AM 46F 64% 6mph

Missed yesterday's hill session due to work (year-end close). Thought I'd do an extra mile mile today and go 4 but woke up late and as soon as I started my left ITB flared. This was/is a surprising development. The left has always been secondary and never too bad. But today it got my attention early and often! I pulled back the reins just hoping to get the run in. By the time I was on the third mile, the knee had numbed. This is a obviously a frustrating development. Today was supposed to be my last training run before Saturday's 5K but I'm not exactly sure how the play this latest set back. I also have no good idea what led to this. Hopefully it's short-term but I'm starting to have my doubts.

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
oatmeal w/skim milk, cinnamon, & honey, multivitamin & water

Inadvertent Proof

OBJECTIVE
5 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
5.11 miles : 44:45 = 8:45/mi.

4:43 AM 70° 83% 10 mph

It seems I inadvertently proved a theory that I've subscribed to. I didn't eat or drink before or after yesterday's run. Today I was quite sore and stiff. I think by depriving my body nutrients at critical times yesterday, I slowed the recovery process. On top of that, I failed to stretch after yesterday's run. So it's difficult to know what to attribute the way I felt this morning to. But in a very real way, I proved to myself that I need to be sure to get proper nutrition and stretch. I know that's not an earth-shattering revelation. But being a firsthand witness has made the case much more obvious to me. By the way, none of this was planned. It's just how things ended up working out yesterday.

It was warm for today's 5-miler. Fortunately, I loosened up once I got going. I treated the effort like a recovery run given my recent runs over consecutive days. I didn't want to push the pace and figured I'd be around 8:45. I sat on this pace through 3 miles then fell off for mile 4 and finished stronger for mile 5.

I hope it's cooler this weekend! I think it's supposed to rain mid week so that may turn the current trend and give the marathoners better conditions.

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast & multivitamin
Later, oatmeal & skim milk

Unseasonably Warm

OBJECTIVE
3 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
3.37 mi. : 26:39 = 7:55/mi.

6:36 AM 64° 94% 8 mph

I just wanted to get out today and see how I felt after yesterday's good run. I had the idea in the back of my head that I just wanted to finish strong. This concept was balanced against the fact that I just wanted to stretch it out.

It was warm this morning. For the sake of next weekend's Houston marathoners and especially my friends who are running, I hope that it's cooler next Sunday morning than it is today! A marathon start in the mid-60's most likely would not result in a good day.

While stretching out before I got started, I noticed that my hips had a bit of tenderness in them. I'm guessing it's the ITB "connection" at the hip. It didn't bother me at all during the run but it was there pre-run. My right calf felt good before, during, and after. I think I'm ready to officially declare that injury as behind me. I should probably wait on any "free from injury" declarations until after next Saturday's 5K. My body will encounter some stresses that it hasn't been subjected to in a while ... so until then I'll tread lightly ....

Today's run was decent. Nothing especially noteworthy. I tacked on a little extra at the end just to force myself mentally to run in my neighborhood. For some reason, I seem to have a mental block about doing that.


PRE RUN
Nothing

POST RUN
Nothing

Training Schedule: January 6 - 12

Sun - 3 mi.
Mon - 5 mi.
Tue - 5 x hill
Wed - 3 mi.
Thu - rest
Fri - rest
Sat - Run The Woodlands #192 5K

Great Day on the Road

OBJECTIVE
8 mile easy : no pace

ACHIEVED
8.38 miles : 66:35 = 7:56/mi.

8:05 AM 63° 89% 6 mph

Had a good run this morning. This was my longest since November 17's 17-miler. I'm happy to report no problem with ITB's or right calf. The best part of today's run was that Jonathan drove up to run with me. Although we've met for lunch a few times recently, I don't think we've run together since October 21 in Baton Rouge the morning after the LSU - Auburn football game.

Jonathan is tapering for next Sunday's Houston Marathon. He's looking for a 3:10 to qualify for the Boston marathon. He just missed the qualifying time at last month's White Rock marathon in Dallas; coming in at 3:11:55. That was his first marathon effort after starting running the same night I did back in March (2007). I wish him the best with next weekend's effort. I'm betting he'll do it. For anyone interested, his blog is at Run for Speed. I'll admit his blog is more entertaining and informative than mine!

Anyway, it was great to run with him and we shared good conversation over the whole 8+ miles. He wanted to cover the distance at 8 minute miles which I knew may be a bit of a stretch for me. But I felt great this morning and with the distraction of the conversation, the miles rolled by easily.

It had rained this morning before we ran so it was a bit steamy but overall it was a great morning to run ... good weather, great company, feeling solid ... I'm happy with how it all went down this morning.

Thank you for making the drive to run with me this morning, Jonathan!


PRE RUN
Earlier, Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk & water
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin, & water

Pedestrian

OBJECTIVE
35 min tempo : no pace

ACHIEVED
4.05 miles : 35:42 = 8:49/mi.

4:48 AM 37° 78% 5 mph

It was warmer today. I generally felt okay. Strange how the mind works ... I was running for time this morning ... 35 minutes. I planned to run the 4 mile route and knew that I'd have to add on a bit to get the time. I was mentally prepared for the 4 miles but was groping around for the best way to add on to the run. Finally, I decided that I'd best circle the block back in my neighborhood to get the additional time. I wasn't thrilled about that but figured it would be fine. Interestingly, after completing the 4 mile route I found myself back at the house. I checked my watch ... I had been running a little over 35 minutes! Somehow my mind had worked as a governor to restrict my pace such that I wouldn't have to run in the neighborhood! I've had a few similar occurrences over the past several months. It is proof to me the the mental side of running can be a powerful tool or an obstacle. Of course, I have no idea at the moment how to harness this power but I convinced that it's there. I analyzed my splits at home and found that I was generally slowing over the whole run. I didn't feel it but somehow I mentally "made it happen" because I didn't really want to run the neighborhood. I need to give this concept more consideration.


PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast & multivitamin
Later, Kashi GoLean cereal with skim milk

Eager Anticipation

OBJECTIVE
3 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
3.01 miles : 23:28 (7:47/mile)

4:53 AM 30° 64% 4 mph

After yesterday's solid effort, I was really looking forward to this morning's run. Last night's forecast was for a cold front so I was mentally prepared for a cool morning. After running in Utah over the holiday, I relearned the concept that weather conditions are relative. I was also reminded that the body seems to acclimate itself to its surroundings (e.g., altitude and cold).

This morning's run was a decent 3 miler. I didn't feel quite as good as yesterday but it was still pretty good. I was at 7:45 for the first mile. This was a bit of a disappointment compared to yesterday but I'm still running by "feel" and that's what I felt. I held the pace over the second mile and fell off about 6 seconds over the last mile. I'm curious to see what kind of time I'll put down in The Woodlands 5K a week from Saturday. My "no pace" training and lack of 9+ mile long runs seem to be a weak base to race from. But maybe the "rest" has done my body good ... ???

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, & water
Later, oatmeal w/brown sugar & milk, water

It's Good to Be Back Home!

OBJECTIVE
5 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
5.12 : 38:36 = (7:32 min/mile)

9:20 AM 47° 30% 12 mph


I felt very good today once I was out the door. I'm not sure what to attribute it to ... it could be the two day break from running or the better conditions here in Houston than in Utah or better sleep and nutrition or full recovery from my lifting session at the South Weber Recreation Center last week ....

I didn't check my watch until I heard the mile indicator for the first time. I felt strong and felt that I had started at a stronger pace than I've been running lately but I was surprised to see that I was at 7:28. I felt good and figured that I'd just try to maintain the pace. You can see that I fell off a bit (thanks to the last couple miles) but I was happy to run strong and not have ITB issues. My right calf flared up slightly but it wasn't a factor in today's run.

I extended my usual 4-mile "Stuebner-Airline" route to pick up an extra mile. I ended up down on Cypresswood across a section of the Bearkat Bash 5K course.

I expect to pick up my mileage a bit this week and am looking forward to my next race on January 12, the Run The Woodlands 5K. Hopefully I stay strong over the next week and a half. Turning the calendar to 2008 is also exciting in that it's now the year in which I plan to qualify for the Boston Marathon. ... here's to a great year of running!


PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, waffles w/syrup & 2% milk

Christmas at Grandma's

 

We were in Utah to visit family and friends. This is a December 30 picture of my nieces and nephews at my parent's home.

Decent Run Over the Snow

OBJECTIVE
7 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
5.24 miles : 46:00 = (8:47 min/mile)


12:46 PM 28° 69% 16 mph


I had very limited time today due to family commitments but was able to work in a pretty good run. Although shorter than I would have liked .... I felt pretty good. I think the biking and lifting yesterday must have "loosened" me up. My legs were markedly improved over how they felt yesterday.

I think the pounding coming down the Adams hill on Wednesday really took a toll on my legs so I decided to run along an old road that kept me in the valley. It was a nice route but about 1.5 miles into it, I found unplowed roads with hard-packed snow and ice. This slowed my pace but that was okay since I wasn't worried about pace today ... just needed some miles.

My sleep and nutrition have not been good while I've been in Utah.

Also, while running it occurred to me that if/when I run the Houston marathon, I should not come to Utah over Christmas that year. Being here takes me out of "training mode" and would probably leave me ill-prepared to run a marathon a couple of weeks later.

PRE RUN
Ginger snaps & water

POST RUN
SlimFast & water
Later, pizza.

Rec. Center

Went to the South Weber Recreation Center today since it was very cold outside. I intended to pound the treadmill but only one was available and Paige took it. I hit the indoor synthetic track (15 laps = 1 mile). My legs were still feeling Wednesday's run on the Adams Toll Road hill - especially my ITB's. So I started by walking 4 laps. I ran 15 laps for a mile but the short, repeated turns weren't kind to my legs so I ended it after a mile. I walked a couple more laps then hit the bike for about 12-15 minutes at a pretty good pace.

After the run and cycling, I went through an upper body lifting circuit. I piled on the weight and did every lift for one set to failure. I mixed in 3 sets on the Roman chair which I don't have the benefit of at home. I'm sure my form was bad and it still burned my abs pretty good.

Up the Hill

OBJECTIVE
4 x hills : no pace

ACHIEVED
4.30 miles : 39:52 = (9:13)

3:08 PM 21° 87% 2 mph; light snow

This was a tough run. I didn't feel very good right from the start. It could have been a dozen things conspiring against me ... lack of proper nutrition or sleep, yesterday's air travel, the cold, the snow, the altitude, whatever ... I didn't have to look hard for excuses ... but I pressed on. I run from my parent's place over the toll bridge and up the huge hill into South Ogden then came back. The hill really slowed my pace! Starting elevation was 4,440' and maxed at 4,737' with almost all of the climb coming over 1 mile. Of course there's nothing close to this at home in Houston. After my heavy-footed and labored start, I considered knocking off at 1.5 miles and coming back but at about the 1.5 mile point I had topped the hill and went on to add another .65 miles as planned.

I thought I was going to be cold but my layers worked out fine and that wasn't a problem at all.

My calf bothered me most be the way and when I came back down the hill I was holding back because I was afraid my ITB's wouldn't appreciate the drop.

All in all, it turned out to be a decent run. I appreciate much better the conditions many of the Fast Running Bloggers run in this time of year!

Merry Christmas

OBJECTIVE
4 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
4.01 miles : 31:46 = (7:55 min/mile)

6:19 AM 34° 81% 0 mph

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."
Steve Prefontaine

Merry Christmas

In Excel - sis De - o

OBJECTIVE
3 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
3.01 miles : 23:17 = (7:44 min/mile)

5:42 AM 31° 61% 5 mph

Same old story ... I was up for a good run but my right calf wasn't. Happy to lay down negative splits while "singing" Christmas hymns in my head ....

PRE RUN
1/2 Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, Kashi GoLean w/skim milk; multivitamin, glucosamine, water

The Fine Line Between Mental Toughness and Insanity

OBJECTIVE
6 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
6.02 miles : 50:40 = (8:25 min/mile)

5:51 AM 62° 86% 1.5 mph

It seemed freakishly warm when I walked outside this morning. Maybe just because it's the eve of Christmas Eve with such balmy conditions ....

I drove to the Y to run the bayou trail for today's six-miler. About 1/2 mile in, I had thoughts of shutting it down. My right calf was extremely stiff/tight. It seemed to be changing my stride and footfall. It is extremely rare for me to have the thought of stopping once I'm out on a run. Of course, I have slowed down but I nearly always get the distance. I pressed on hoping it would loosen up as it warmed up.

This led me to thinking about each person's unique pain threshold. There's really no good way to compare one person's to another's (I think there have been scientific studies on this and, maybe there are ways to truly compare people that I'm not aware of yet.) I believe almost all runners from elite and "masters" hacks like myself have reached that precipice where they have to decide whether they're going to push even more, keep it where it's at, or pull back. For many this probably has occurred during a race. During challenging workouts it also happens. There's only one way to answer the question, "what's on the other side of this 'agony'?". However, there's danger in pressing. Will pushing through the barrier lead to euphoria on the other side or will it lead to injury or the inability to properly recover? This is all a very complex conundrum. Is my training partner feeling the same thing on the eighth repeat that I am? I doubt it. Is his pain tolerance higher than mine? How does my diet or sleep impact what I'm feeling today?

None of these questions will be answered today but it did give me something to take my mind off my throbbing right calf. The calf loosened/numbed? slightly over the last half of my run.

I picked up my leisurely, calf-mandated pace over the last mile or two as I passed member of the ChampionsFit group going out for their run. My last mile was 7:58.

The good news of no ITB issues continues. The calf my be a blessing in disguise since it's keeping the intensity of my runs down ....


PRERUN
Kashi GoLean cereal with skim milk, water

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin, oatmeal with flaxseed, brown sugar, and skim milk.

Stiff Calf = Lead Foot

OBJECTIVE
35 minute Tempo : no pace

ACHIEVED
4.11 miles : 35:03 = (8:32 min/mile)

4:22 AM 43° 87% 0 mph

The story of this run once again was my right calf. It started out tight and stayed that way for the whole run. It felt somewhat different than in the past. Today was more of an intense stiffness rather than the deep soreness I've been having. Hopefully that's an indication that it's healing ... ??? ... Or maybe it's an indication it's getting worse ... ???

I finished the timed run. I know that calling it a tempo run with a "no pace" goal doesn't make any sense. Okay, so it was a timed run based on "feel".

I gave myself the day off yesterday. I had the idea of running to make up for the lost day on Tuesday but decided I would be better off resting the right calf.

Good news ... no ITB issues.

Yesterday was our departmental holiday party. Which means we all went to a Mexican restaurant. I REALLY GORGED myself! Not what I planned but it just happened. I'll punish myself for it later. I suppose the sluggishness during today's run was probably a direct result ....

PRE RUN
1/2 Clif bar and water

POST RUN
SlimFast, 800 mg Ibuprofen, multivitamin, Kashi GoLean cereal with skim milk
Later, whole wheat English muffin, poached egg & water

Another 3

OBJECTIVE
3 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
3 miles : 24:26 = (8:09 min./mile)

approx. 5:15 AM 55° 98% 0 mph


I'm not sure what's wrong with my Garmin but, just like Sunday, the battery was tapped before I even started my run ... even though it had been fully charged. I hope this is not the beginning of the end!

First the good news, my ITB's have not bothered me now for a few days. This is great news and hopefully an indicator that I'm on the road to having this problem completely behind me.

Now the bad news, my right half was trouble from the beginning of this run. It was very tight and painful. I had hoped it would loosen up as I warmed up but it didn't.

I gutted out the run with my trusty IronMan watch. I did look at it a couple times .... Enough to know that my pace today was steady over the miles.

Had a decent post run stretch. Did some ITB-specific and general stretches.


PRE RUN
1/2 Clif bar, multivitamin, 800 mg Ibuprofen and water

POST RUN
oatmeal with flaxseed, brown sugar, and cinnamon; water

Hampered by Right Calf

OBJECTIVE
4 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
4.00 miles : 33:57 = (8:28 min./mile)

5:21 AM  52° 85% 0 mph

I missed yesterday's run due to pain in my right calf.  The problem flared up during Sunday's run.

I figured I would test it today no matter how it felt.  I resolved to keep the pace slow.  It bothered me the whole run.  My new theory is that I seriously pulled the muscle at the Thanksgiving run.  Over the 10 days off, it was recovering but not all the way back since I still felt it occasionally.  Then I re-injured it Sunday morning in the cold at a faster pace than I probably should have been running.  I'm not exactly sure how to nurse it back to 100% while maintaining my training schedule but that's what I intend to do.

The weather was nice ... warmer than I expected.  I extended the Kleinwood Loop to Stuebner-Airline to add an additional mile.  I truly ran by "feel" today and maintained a virtually constant pace.

Had a decent stretching series back at the house.

PRE RUN
Homemade fudge and water!!!

POST RUN
SlimFast, oatmeal, multivitamin, & water

December 16 - 22 Training Schedule

Sun. - 3 mile
Mon. - 4 mile
Tue. - 4 x Hills
Wed. - 3 mile
Thu. - Rest
Fri. - 35 minute Tempo
Sat. - 6 mile

Still running with no preset pace.

Flatfooted

OBJECTIVE
3 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
3.00 miles : 23:20 = (7:45 min./mile)

8:16 AM 36° 70% 5 mph

I felt slow and flatfooted for the whole run today. It seemed I never really loosened up and got going. Based on how I was feeling I would have figured that I was around 8:45/mile. I only looked at my watch once - when the 2 mile indicater sounded. I was very surprised to see that I was at 7:48/mile. I suppose this just goes to show that I really can't "feel" my pace very well at all.

My right calf was very, very tight the whole run. It became progressively worse. Interesting to note that the first time I encountered the right calf tightening was in Utah on Thanksgiving Day while racing in similar weather conditions. Somehow the cold seems to be "activating" this problem.

Oh well, I suppose the big science experiment that is my running continues!

I had a very good stretching session after the run. Including regular and side planks; bicycle crunches; ITB and calf stretches.

PRE RUN
1/2 c. oatmeal w/brown sugar and skim milk, water & multivitamin

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, PBJ smoothie & 800 mg Ibuprofen

Waterlogged

OBJECTIVE
7 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
7.7 miles ≈ 70 minutes ≈ (9:05 min./mile)

7:02 AM 60° 89% 10 mph (20 mph gusts) rain

I slept in this morning and didn't start my run until 7. It just so happened that this was the peak of a downpour. About a mile in the rain eased up. From that point there was light rain most of the way until the final mile when it really started to come down again. Fortunately the temperature was moderate.

When I strapped on the Garmin, I was surprised that a warning popped up that it wasn't charged (not exactly sure how that happened since I have a routine that should prevent this). So I ended up with the opportunity to practice "not looking at my watch" in a much deeper way ... I didn't have a watch! That's right I was running naked!

The run was uneventful for the most part. I went out and back along the bayou from the Y. I did see a huge blue heron along the bayou. With two miles to go, my right ITB started flaring. This caused me to wonder if 5 miles is my ITB's conditioned limit. I've been running 3's each day for a couple weeks now with minimal problem (just sore and achy throughout the day after running). Today's 7 may have touched the current limitation. I suppose this concept will be tested somewhat next week as I mix 4's with 3's. Hopefully the slow, steady buildup pushes the limitation out farther (if in fact that's really what's going on ... yes, this is frustrating!)

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water; multivitamin

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, pancakes, maple syrup, & milk

All Nighter = No Run

Sadly, I did not run today.

I ended up pulling a Thursday all-nighter to prepare for a 9 AM meeting at the office. I must say that even in college it was extremely rare for me to stay up all night. Usually I'd stay up very late, get up very early, or both but my body just wouldn't really allow for an all-night effort. Not much has changed! Today felt like the longest day as I sluggishly slogged through it! My efforts weren't rewarded as the problem is still unresolved. Frankly, I've been working on this issue off and on for over four years and it still remains a problem. However, time is running out and the rubber is going to meet the road most likely during the next six months. Oh the joys of making a living. Ironically, annual bonuses were paid out today.

Overdressed

OBJECTIVE
3 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
3.01 : 24:36 = (8:10 min./mile)

4:17 AM 45 89% 7 mph mist

I missed yesterday's hill workout due to work commitments and an evening meeting for Cameron's High Adventure trip next summer (I just may go on that trip. It involves running and biking among other things.). The day off from running may have been good for me ...??? So I went out this morning for an easy 3 miles. It had been raining throughout the night and it was around 40 with high humidity so, naturally I expected it to be cold ... and therefore overdressed! Two layers top and bottom with gloves and knit cap. It was too much!

Not much to report about the run. I felt sluggish throughout and tried to pick it up a bit over the last mile. My ITB's offered no problem during the run but were achy throughout the past two days.

Two items of note from today. First, Cameron broke his nose lifting weights after school today. It's a long story which I'm sure we'll never completely know. Seems though that it was an incredibly fluky situation.

The second item is that I had lunch with Jonathan today. It was great to have the chance to talk about his debut marathon in Dallas last weekend. He had a fantastic run with a strange situation at the end ... hyperglycemia and hypothermia! But he's feeling great and ready to go. He'll be running the Houston marathon in 5 short weeks so he's getting ready for that upcoming effort.

Jonathan got me thinking. While talking about my injury situation, he posed the possibility that my recovery may be influenced by my nutrition. I hadn't really given that idea any consideration. But it led me the think about it. The thought process led me to the question, "What am I doing different today than I was doing during marathon training?" Two things were obvious - nutrition and weight training.

For a majority of my training for St. George I stuck to a very simple diet. I've since gotten away from it thinking that I was improving my diet but I may in fact be cheating myself out of nutrients necessary for quicker, more efficient recovery.

As for weight training, I tapered down leading up to the marathon then tapered out and picked it back up for a couple weeks then quit entirely thinking that it may somehow be contributing to my injury. Having arrived at this tentative conclusion, I've tentatively decided to scrap my current nutritional regime and go back to what I was doing for St. George. I'm going to hold off on a return to weight training for now because I want to try to isolate the variables as much as possible.

Thanks for being the catalyst for this concept, Jonathan. Hopefully this leads me back to where I want to be.

After my run, I had a decent stretch and did some high kicks on a step for my ITB's. No abs ... again.

PRE RUN
1/2 Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast, water & 800 mg Ibuprofen
Later: poached egg, whole wheat English muffin, & water

A Good Run

OBJECTIVE
3 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
3.01 miles : 23:28 = (7:48 min/mile)

4:37 AM 73° 81% 12 mph

I had a good run this morning which was a nice change and a pleasant surprise. My ITB's have not bothered me running the past few days. However, my knees were really aching yesterday after my run and throughout the day. More and more it seems this is just going to be something I have to deal with. From the way I felt yesterday, I didn't expect much different today. But I was wrong. I felt good. The weather was great.

One thing I've done during these short "no pace" runs is allow my mind to wander. I've taken time to consider work and personal matters. In the past when I've done this my pace and form have suffered. I usually run better when just focusing on running. While I'm sure this is still true, I've had some success just putting my run on "auto pilot" while engaging my brain in other things. For at least half of the run today, I was thinking about other things yet my pace was good and generally steady.

It looks like my hesitation in committing to the Texas Independance Relay due to my injury has cost me a place on the team. This is disappointing. If I was still running strong, I could have committed instantly.

I stretched after running ... half-heartedly. Wall busters, step ups, and traditional ITB stretch. I need to get more focused in this area. It can only help my legs feel better. ... no abs again today.

PRE RUN
1/2 Clif bar & water

POST RUN
Kashi GoLean cereal, milk, multivitamin, water

Oh Thou Sluggard

OBJECTIVE
3 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
3.01 miles : 25:00 = (8:19 min./mile)

5:03 AM 54° 94% 6 mph mist/light rain

I walked out the door to run this morning and promptly went back inside to put a shirt on. Yesterday I ran without a shirt and expected the weather to be the same but it felt cooler and there was a very light rain today.

I felt sluggish the entire run today. Not sure what to attribute it to. At one point, I felt like pushing it but decided to just stay in a comfortable zone so held back. Finished it out and added a very lackluster stretch and no ab work. I took a break from the abs over the weekend and need to get back to it.

In running news, I offer a huge congratulations to my sometime training partner, Jonathan Bennett. I say occasional training partner because we started out running together with Power in Motion last March. At some point, his ability and fitness exceeded mine so we don't run together as much as we did. Yesterday was his marathon debut at the Dallas White Rock Marathon. He logged an amazing 3:11:53! His blog can be pretty entertaining. I'm sure his race report will be up soon. He also records his training which is of interest to me as well as local restaurant reviews (also of interest!).

Great run Jonathan!



PRE RUN
water

POST RUN
Grape Nuts, milk, multivitamin, water

Training Schedule: December 9 - 15

Sun - 3 miles
Mon - 3 miles
Tue - 3 x Hills
Wed - 3 miles
Thu - Rest
Fri - 30 minute Fartlek
Sat - 7 miles


Once again this week, there is no prescribed pace for these runs. Just running based on how I feel.

From Good to Sluggish & Sloppy

OBJECTIVE
3 mile : no pace

ACHIEVED
3.01 miles : 23:50 = (7:55 min./mile)

6:32 AM 70° 88% 4 mph


Slept in today. I felt surprisingly good to start the run. I didn't wear my ITB strap and my knees and hips felt fine. My right calf was a little tight but not a problem. I think I've become a bit hypersensitive to what I'm feeling lately but I suppose that comes with the problems I've had recently with my legs.

I felt sluggish and sloppy the second half of the run. I just tried to stay focused. I've been trying to work on my form a little bit during my runs. My perception is that there are times when I'm too upright - almost leaning back - and landing on my heels. When I feel this, I try to position my shoulders over the balls of my feet and have my footfall hit mid-foot. I can usually only hold this effort for relatively short distances as it requires a great deal of mental attention for me. Also, I really don't know if this is something I should be doing or not since I've just made the exercise up myself.

PRE RUN
½ Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast & water
Later, Kashi GoLean cereal, milk, multivitamin, water

Romp from the YMCA

OBJECTIVE
6 mile run : no pace

ACHIEVED
6.02 miles : 53:18 = (8:51 miles/minute)

5:24 AM 72° 89% 5 mph

Since it is Saturday I slept in a bit before driving over to start my run from the Y. Sleeping in means I got up a little after 5 instead of 4:15 - 4:30. Boy was it steamy this morning!

Had to keep reminding myself that it didn't matter how fast I ran today. It's all about time on my feet and seeing how my legs hold up. My legs were generally fine today. I didn't have any "spring" in my legs but apparently that's the purpose of running the tempo run the day before the long run. It forces you to run slower. It seems strange to be considering 6 miles a "long run". It was just a few months ago that I was doing multiple 9 milers during the week. When I think about that, it makes my current injury situation all the more frustrating. But I'm hopeful that I'm following a good course to get everything straightened out and back on track. I wanted to come in between 8:45 and 9:00 minute per mile pace so I was happy that I hit it. I saw several people from the various ChampionsFit groups this morning. However, I think many of their faster runners where either running a 30K in Sugar Land this morning or the 50K in Huntsville tomorrow.

As I was enjoying the Christmas light displays in the neighborhoods, the thought occurred to me that these displays are not very environmentally responsible. I wonder how the "inventor of the Internet", Al Gore, feels about them. From that thought, I decided it wasn't that great of me to drive to a location so I could start my run. I'm sure there's a better way for me but I'm not exactly sure what it is. Maybe ride my bike over to the Y ...? Or just do all my runs from the house .... or maybe run to the Y or catch the trail at a different spot closer to home. I'm riding the bus to work more now. So I'm making an effort but should still be more aware and better informed.

The run took me though the neighborhoods then on to the bayou trail down to the bridge then back.

Back at the car I completed a nice series of stretches at a leisurely pace.

I have recently been inspired by Paul and Marci among others at fastrunning.com. So I tried a nap once back at the house. It was 7 am and I was sure that I wouldn't be able to sleep. I haven't tried this before and figured my elevated heart rate and just general "awakeness" wouldn't allow for it. Much to my surprise, I woke up at 8:40. So while I'm sure I'll never make the Top Runners or High Mileage boards on the blog, I think if a Nap board is ever instituted that I could make a serious run at being a top napper!

PRE RUN
Clif bar and water

POST RUN
Slim-Fast and water

Tempo ... Higdon Style

OBJECTIVE
30 minute tempo run

ACHIEVED
3.84 miles : 31:36 = (8:14 min/mile)
8:53 8:16 7:41 6:43 (.84 mile)

58º 95% 1 mph

It was a beautiful morning for a run. I was expecting it to be cooler when I stepped outside and had put on a long-sleeved tech shirt. I think the weather is supposed to stay like this over the weekend.

My goal for this tempo was to start slow and progressively increase the speed through the first 20 minutes. From that point, I wanted to gradually slow the pace and bring it in easy.

I took what's becoming my typical morning route during this "injury recovery period" - over to the high school. Knowing I needed 30 minutes today rather than a certain distance, I extended the run past the high school. At the turn around, I practiced a racing U turn. In the past, I've generally tried to stay tight through the U turns encountered in races but I've read that going into the turn wide then coming out of the turn tight with strong acceleration is the better way. I'm going to keep working on this technique as I think there's something to it. I know turn technique can make a difference when racing. I benefited from a good U turn in August and passed a runner I'd been "jousting" with at the Bouchard 10K in August. However, a couple of weak U turns at the Earth Day 5K hurt my race standing. Which raises the question, what's the deal with a 5K course having 3 U turns!!??!?!

Anyway, I felt pretty good this morning. I forced myself to stay easy early in the run. I only looked at my watch twice ... not for pace but for time. Running for time is a different concept for me. I usually run for distance. I think I need to employ more timed runs as the mental exercise is good for me.

My knees didn't bother me but my right calf was extremely tight early on.

I was happy with the negative splits and a bit surprised by the gaps. I felt like I was picking up but not that much!

Back at the house, I did 3 sets of wall busters for my ITB's and 3 sets of crunches for my six-pack (ha, ha, ha).

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast, water
Later, oatmeal, brown sugar, skim milk, water, multivitamin

Substitute Workout

OBJECTIVE
3 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
3.01 miles : 23:34 = (7:50 min./mile)


Unfortunately, work conspired to keep me from my scheduled hill workout yesterday. I had planned to run hills downtown after work but ended up with a 12+ hour day so just went home (1:35 round trip commute). I had to meet a neighbor at the church for a little year end project that lasted until after 11 pm so I wasn't able to get out once I got home. It looks like work will continue this way for another couple weeks then let up through the holidays then go really bad for 3½ months! ... happy to have a job ... just not looking forward to this upcoming stretch ...!

Today was supposed to be an off day but since I missed yesterday I was back out at 4:30 this morning. The temperature was very nice with a breeze (52º 77% humidity with 8 mph wind).

The run felt harder than it should have. This makes me think that I lost conditioning with the time off for my knees. Speaking of which ... my knees felt okay today. I had the urge to push it just to test them but resisted for the most part. However, I succumbed to the temptation to look at my watch 1 mile in to the run. I didn't want to do it ... really. But the mile alert sounded and I was very curious about my pace ... especially since it didn't feel easy this morning. I was right the first mile was slow. Of course this had the effect of spurring me on for the rest of the run. It wasn't ever uncomfortable but I was probably pushing slightly harder than if I had not looked at the watch. ... I really shouldn't have done that but old habits die hard I suppose.

Back at the house after the run, I stretched somewhat halfheartedly and did a couple good sets of bicycles. I should mention that yesterday wasn't a total loss. Before going to work, I went through a long series of new ITB stretches that I found. It didn't feel like I was doing much at the time but later in the day I was feeling it! I need to continue that effort.

PRE RUN water

POST RUN
Immediate - chocolate Slim-Fast recommended by Greg McMillan
Later - Kashi GoLean Cereal, skim milk, water, multivitamin

Day 2 of the Comeback

OBJECTIVE

3 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED

2.98 miles : 24:27 = (8:13 min./mile)

Hit the road at 4:30 again this morning. The temperature was cool (33° 90% humidity with no wind). I geared up in tights, gloves, hat, and two layers on top. (I have a curiosity about how the weather impacts running performance. I recently found the following link on the topic. This table doesn't exactly correlate to other things I've read but it's close ... and it also has cold temperature conversions which are the first I've seen. TINMAN TEMPERATURE TABLE) Like yesterday, I wore the ITB strap above my right knee. I have some concern that almost all of my cold weather gear is black which makes me nearly invisible when running in the dark. Surprisingly, I saw another runner about a half mile into my run. He made me feel a bit overdressed since he was in shorts and t-shirt. He also didn't look like he was doing that well. Hopefully he was near the end of his run! I'm sure many people have had occasion to think the same of me! There've been a few long runs where I have barely been crawling near the end (my first 20-miler comes to mind!).

Anyway, this morning's run was pretty much uneventful. My knees felt fine but my right calf was very tight. I was quite pleased with myself for not looking at my watch once. I just kept telling myself there was no point and that it didn't matter.

I should mention that my knees (primarily right) and right calf really tightened up on me yesterday in the office. I'm concerned about this since it gives me an uneasy feeling that something is lurking beneath the surface. I'm taking my ice bag to work today so I can ice throughout the day while sitting at my desk.

After the run, I did plank and superman stretches. I also did Reynolds (?) ITB stretches.

PRE RUN SNACK
Clif bar & water

POST RUN MEAL
oatmeal, milk, water, multivitamin

Am I Back ... ?

OBJECTIVE

3 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED

3.39 miles : 27:17 = (8:03 min./mile)


It was cool this morning for my 4:30 start from the house. 47° with 54% humidity and north winds at 14 mph. It felt like the forecast cold front from the north is definitely on its way. We're supposed to have mid-30's tomorrow morning. Of course the weather conditions are completely relative. I'm reminded of this as a read the training blogs of several Utah-based runners on fastrunningblog.com. They're running in snow and freezing temperatures much of the time. I reminded myself of this as I embarked this morning after changing from a short-sleeved to long-sleeved shirt.

This has been my longest break (10 days) since last March. I am hopeful that the rest gave my legs a chance to fully recover. In addition, I've taken the intensity out of my workouts altogether for the next 6 weeks. My goal is to build a solid, strong base.

I think the rest was good. My legs felt particularly "springy" today. This is rare for the now 41-year old version of myself. I had to rein it in a bit reminding myself that I'm not pushing for a target pace like virtually all of my most recent workouts have done. I just tried to run based on how I felt without looking at my watch. ... I only looked twice and that was for distance rather than time. Although I found myself sneaking a peak at time and subsequently calculating. This new base building effort is going to require patience and discipline on my part. I'm generally okay with the discipline part of the equation but not so good with the patience. This will be an interesting mental test.

As for my legs after the run, they felt good. I didn't observe any ITB issues in either knee or hip and my right calf seemed fine.

I did 2 x 15 ab bicycles once I got back to the house but didn't stretch like I should have.

I'm eager to see how I'm feeling later today.

PRE-RUN SNACK

Immediately prior: ½ chocolate brownie Clif Bar with water

POST-RUN REFUEL

Immediately after: ¾ c oatmeal with skim milk; drink H2O; multivitamin


It's good to be back. I'm looking forward to pressing forward.

December 3 - 9 Training Schedule

Mon - 3 miles
Tue - 3 miles
Wed - 3 x Hill
Thu - Rest
Fri - 30 minute Tempo
Sat - 6 miles
Sun - 3 miles


As I'm just coming back, pace will be deemphasized this week. Hopefully my legs are feeling better and I'm on the road to recovery with this plan.

Injured

Wonder where I've been?

Frustratingly, I've had to admit that I'm injured and that "running through it" wasn't going to be the right thing to remedy the problem.

After the Thanksgiving race, my right calf remained very tight. It feels like a pulled muscle only more persistent. I felt it on the course. I thought it was just the cold temperature, my failure to warm up properly (although I did make good efforts to warm up in the frigid conditions), or what I call an overcompensation injury from my IT band problem. Bottom line is that I don't know what caused it or what it is but it's still bothering me a week later.

In addition, my IT band problem has only worsened with running over the past few weeks. So I'm taking some time off to rest and hopefully recover.

My latest theory in the IT band problem is that the cause was due to starting the FIRST training program without the proper base. The program was intense and I like it but I don't think my body was ready for it. Therefore, I'm shifting gears. After the rest period, I'm starting back next Monday. I'm going to cut the mileage and intensity in an attempt to build a solid base and not aggravate my IT bands. I plan to build the base over six weeks. Instead of the 3 or 4 running days per week, I plan to run 5 or 6 days each week. Hopefully this plan gets me out of the bad cycle that it seems I was following.

I'm looking forward to having a positive report next week.

A Lot to be Thankful For

LOOK AT THAT STRIDE TO THE FINISH!


The temperature at race time was indeed 24 degrees making it the coldest race I've run. I wore tights, gloves, hat, and three layers on top. Before it was over, I'd be too hot!

The good news is I clocked in at 33:17 - well, ahead of my 34:28 goal. The bad news is that the course was short and there was no "official" timing. There was a great deal of confusion leading up to the start of the run. Apparently, the race organizers did not have the appropriate permits in place with the South Ogden police to run the scheduled course. Therefore, some last minute course changes were made and no one - runners or race officials - seemed to know the course or even where the run was going to start. A moment for perspective ... this was a charitable fun run. Admission to the event was a nonperishable food item that was donated to three local organizations. The run did receive a good bit of news coverage from local television stations and print media. According to the local newspaper, over 1,000 people participated in either the 5-mile run or 2-mile walk. I was very impressed with the turnout given the cold temperature.

At the start, I was in a huge mosh pit of walkers and runners. No one seemed to know if the run was starting to the north, south, or east (at least one direction was ruled out!). I saw Tim Grubb, a friend and strong Utah runner. We talked briefly until his group decided they were in the wrong place and began moving to the front. I hesitated and missed my opportunity to move with them but suddenly the mass of humanity was moving. I heard no gun, whistle, shout, ... anything but it was clear that the run had started ... and I was in a very poor position.

I began working my way through the crowd. For a section of a couple hundred yards, I was on the grass at the side of the hospital's driveway. Finally out on the road, I checked my GPS. My pace was okay but I wasn't feeling too good. I don't know if it was the cold or the energy spent working my way through the crowd but I knew I was in for a challenge. By the end of the first mile, I clocked in at 6:59 and finally had good running room. I had hoped to cover the first mile in something closer to 6:30. I quickly revised my upcoming splits to try and hold 7 minute miles for as long as possible. That came to a quick disappointment as the hills started. A lot of up and down over mile 2 and 3. I'll be interested to see what the elevation changes were when I download back at home. The uphill sections of course slowed me down and the downhill got my IT bands screaming so I wasn't able to capitalize like I wanted. Somewhere along the way, I set aside all goals and just tried to race. My style of racing isn't complicated, find someone in front of me to pick off and don't let anyone behind me pass. I was successful for the most part.

A young male runner passed me with about a mile to go. I stayed with him and when I tried to pass him back he stayed with me. I pushed it a little harder then harder still. He stayed with me. I backed off a bit but thought to myself that I had probably pushed him enough that I'd be passing him again before the end. I did attributing it to my experience and his lack of it.

Coming in front of the hospital, a group came up behind me. This was going to be a contested finish but I didn't know who the players would be but planned on being one of them. My legs weren't feeling great but my cardio was good. I felt ready for a push. I picked up the pace and picked off two runners. Turning into the back parking lot, there were foot steps along side. A tall, younger female was along side and pushing hard. I stayed with her. Her strides were long and smooth; powerful. Mine were choppy and flailing but I wasn't prepared to let her go. Side by side, it went. Then, I relaxed. This had a great consequence. I was faster; my stride lengthened and I was on my toes. It felt good. I shouldn't be surprised that relaxing helps in this manner but it never crosses my mind in the heat of the challenge. Frankly, I just stumbled upon it. She stayed with me. I had a fleeting moment of doubt. I didn't think I'd be able to shake her. I'd used all my gears but was determined to stay with it until the end. Finally with about fifty yards to go, she dropped back slightly. I kept pushing to the timekeeper who was calling times. She faded slightly and I crossed about a second ahead of her.

No matter how a race goes. Finishing strong makes it seems like a good race. Sure, I didn't make my goal time today. It wasn't in the cards. The conditions and the course weren't right. I should have been smart enough to pull off the attempt ahead of time. But pushing for the goal, always helps me stay focused. And, finishing strong makes the run feel successful.


4.56 miles - 33:17 (7:21/mile)


Okay, now for the fun stuff.

Congratulations and thanks to the following!

Colorado Cousins - Amy and Julie (using this as speed work for upcoming Las Vegas half marathon)

Wife - Paige (said she felt good and could have gone faster; that's after two 7-milers earlier in the week)

Sister - Wendy (took a break from Thanksgiving kitchen duty to run; her homemade rolls were the absolute best this afternoon and she looked strong in the run ... a true dual threat!)

Brother-in-law - Brandon (started out on the walk with his wife and kids before "transferring" over to run course.

Skiing Utah cousins - Ryan, Stephanie, and their kids (walked the course; a long-time family tradition for them)

Sister - Becky and 4/5 of her kids made the walk (one in a stroller); her only kid not to walk is new to the whole walking thing being around a year old.

Aunt Debbie, Uncle Clayton, & Mom - our loyal and excellent cheering section. Incredibly, they were not deterred by the icy condtions! Clayton also served as the family's race photographer (Thanks, Clayton!)

And, finally Dad - in a surprise effort, he lined up at the very back of the runners at the start. Known for his comedic antics, this wasn't a shock to anyone. The surprise came when he actually went out with the runners and finished the course. Great job, Dad! And thanks to Brandon and Tim for circling back to bring him in.



Dad, Paige, Wendy, and me in the prerace chill!



After a late decision to run, Paige makes the run look fun!



Phoebe, Brandon, and Dad basking in post race glory!

Tomorrow's Run

The race tomorrow is at 9 am when the forecast temperature is 24 degrees. Should be interesting ... ?

Also, heard indirectly that this is a "big" event and that there will be a "whole bunch of people" participating.

I've decided that the goal for tomorrow is 34:28 over the 5 mile course. This is the equivalent time of my 5K PR over 5 miles. My plan is to go out hard looking to achieve the goal. I'm hoping the conditions cooperate and that I'm feeling good once out on the course.

5 x 1000 's

1.5 mile warm up over to the Klein High track this morning at 4:30.

WORKOUT: 5 x 1000 meters @ 3:55 w/ 400 meter rest interval

3:59
3:45 * pretty sure the Garmin fired early on this interval ???
3:47
3:57
3:56

1.6 mile cool down back home

Lately I've enjoyed my weekly interval workouts. But today I think I came back too soon from Saturday's long run. My legs felt heavy. ITB's flared a bit but I found that by going clockwise on the track they weren't so bad. 1000 meters somehow seems to offend my left brain concept of wanting everything symmetrical.

Training Schedule: Nov 19 - 25

This should be an interesting week with the Thanksgiving holiday/travel/gorging on the list of scheduled events. I'm looking forward to an old-fashioned Thanksgiving hosted by my grandparents. It's the first time we will be in Utah for this holiday in a long time. We usually go to Seattle or California to celebrate with Paige's family.

Mon - WU, 5x1K @ 3:55 (w/400m rest), CD
Thu - 5 Mile Race
Fri ??? - 20 Miles @ 8:43


I wanted to give myself two days rest before the Thanksgiving Day race. Hopefully that gives my ITB's a good rest. I'll work core, flexibility, and strength on Tuesday and Wednesday. I'd really like to put the hammer down at the race but I think there will be several things working against me: temperatures expected to be in the 30's; this isn't an "official race" - it's a "charity run". The event won't be timed and calls into question the quality of competition (not necessarily a factor for me); and, probably my biggest concern ... my ITB's.

I've got a 20-miler for my long run. From the standpoint of potential overeating, this sounds good. From the standpoint of having to go it alone in cold weather ... not so good. I see the Striders are staging the 2nd Annual Black Friday 25K/50K on Antelope Island Friday at 7 AM. It sounds like it's just a group training run. This would give me others to run with so I think I'll drop a note to the event organizer to get details.

Back with the Saturday Long Run Group

It was very nice to get back with the group for a run this morning. Stephanie, Laurie, Randy, Biff, and I started from Memorial Park at 6:30. They were scheduled for 20 miles and I had 17 on my training plan. I wasn't sure what to expect given the recent issues with my IT bands ... yes, it's both legs now. I figured I'd go out with the group and see how far I could go. I was fully prepared to walk it in if necessary. I just hoped that if I had a problem that it would happen early or late in the run to make the walk shorter!

The ITB's started flaring up around 4-5 miles. It wasn't the sharp, intense pain that I've had before. It was more of a dull ache. I kept going. We went down around the Rice University campus. The ITB's were getting progressively worse and my pace was falling off. At 13.5, I broke from the group to head back to the park. This is where I planned to leave them to shorten my run to 17 miles. Once I was away from the group, I got slower and the strain on my knees became more persistent. I finished the run but it wasn't a strong one.

17 miles @ 8:50/mile


I wore my old blue Mizuno Wave Rider 10's today. I haven't worn them in a long time. I just wanted to change shoes to see if that helped my ITB's any. It's hard to say .... I also took 800 mg Ibuprofen before starting and "rolled" my legs with a rolling pin. During the week, I also did stretching and strengthening exercises hoping to alleviate the problem.

Reading for Runners

Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Tribune wrote this worthwhile editorial commenting on the Ryan Shay and Chicago marathon incidents.

LINK

Still Trying to Find the Tempo

For some reason I stayed in the office until a little after 7 today. This only served to make me feel less like running as the afternoon evolved to evening. The plan was to run at Memorial Park. The 5 mile tempo run with mile warm up and cool down could be better controlled on the 3-mile loop. In the event a breakdown occurred, the walk would be shorter and hopefully the trail is a bit softer than pavement. As a side note, last Saturday it seemed the trail at Memorial Park had been filled in with new sand/crushed rock in some places.

The run got under way a little after 7:30. The temperature was a cool 57 but the real shocker was the humidity at 27%. The park was busy with people winding down their activities for the evening.

The tempo run was scheduled for 7:33/mile pace. I warmed up by going over to the tennis courts and back. During the 8:51/mile warm up, it felt like 7:33 was going to be a stretch tonight. I figured I'd just go out at that pace and hold it as long as I could. If the run deteriorated as it progressed so be it.

I decided that I'd only check the Garmin each quarter mile. That way I wouldn't be constantly "messing with the watch". If I was slow, I'd pick it up and vica versa. For the first mile, I started fast and stayed fast. The second felt pretty good too but a slowed a bit in an effort to save some for the later miles. The third mile was the toughest. Somewhere near the end of the mile, I found myself having to make that decision for whether I was going to stay on track or let this one get away from me. Oddly, for some reason tonight this crossroad almost seemed like it does during a race for me. I usually have these moments during races and oftentimes have them during challenging workouts ... although during workouts they aren't as seemingly dramatic as in races. It just comes down to a "so what's it going to be" moment. Tonight I pushed though and once on the other side, it felt better. I used other runners along the trail as targets over the last two miles. Whoever was up ahead was my next "victim". How fast could I reel them in? This little mental game helped me hold the pace. At the beginning of the final mile, I think I passed a guy who didn't appreciate being passed. I noticed that he picked up the pace and stayed with me for about 300 yards. I liked this push. I was determined to hold my pace. If he could maintain or go faster, more power to him. Slowly but steadily, his foot strikes became quieter and quieter as I stretch the gap between us until he was gone. I appreciate him for helping me finish my run stronger than I probably would have otherwise.

1 mile warm up
5 mile tempo (7:29/mile pace)
7:24
7:33
7:35
7:25
7:28
1 mile cool down

I wish my mile splits were a bit tighter but am satisfied that the run was a success.

I've intentionally not mentioned my knee. If there is a mental "injury cycle", I've now stepped into the all-out denial phase. I'm also having those questions about mental toughness and pain threshold that occasionally dance around in my head.

Stephanie has the group scheduled for 20 miles Saturday morning. I need 17 and plan to join them.

On the heals of tonight's workout, I'm looking forward to next Thursday's 5-mile race. It's a new distance so it is guaranteed to be a PR!

Injury? ... what injury? ... Oh, now I remember!

Okay, last I posted I had failed to complete the final 2 miles of my 15-miler on Saturday and had self-diagnosed iliotibial band syndrome. Of course, I'm not a doctor but I don't mind playing one ... on myself!

I prescribed rest and trying an ITB strap while running. Not surprisingly, I took my own advice. So I went 3 days without running and I picked up the strap at a local running store. Interestingly, I lifted weights yesterday morning and didn't notice anything wrong with my legs during or afterward.

So, I figured it was time to get back to running this morning. I put my new strap on and made my way to the high school track at a pedestrian pace. Everything felt fine.

Once at the track I ran the scheduled ladder of 1200, 1000, 800, 600, 400, and 200. The times were supposed to be:

4:51
3:55
3:07
2:16
1:31
0:45

My actuals were:

4:47
3:58
3:08
2:14
1:23
0:37

The workout felt good and I was happy to be "on" my times. The strap bothered me a little bit near the end as it seemed to slip a bit once I got lathered up (it was 72 with 87% humidity this morning ... at 4:45 ... yes, it is November 14!) More importantly, the right knee didn't bother me at all. I was a bit tentative at first but "put the hammer down" for the last 2 intervals. The knee held up fine.

So after picking up my shirt and water bottle, I walked from the stadium and started the 1.5 miles for home. BOOM! There goes the knee! I have no idea what this is. It's unlike any injury I've ever had playing baseball, basketball, football, running, etc. How can I go from busting it on a tough interval workout to effectively paralyzed? The situation on Saturday was similar. I had run negative splits for 12 miles followed by a +2 second 13th mile when I stopped for a traffic light. After the light when I tried to go, the knee wasn't cooperating. This whole thing is weird.

Oh, I failed to mention that I found a few strengthening exercises that I started doing on Monday. Maybe that's what delayed the onset today until after the speed part ... ? I'll stick with the exercise that I'm doing and add a couple that I found on the Runners' World website.

Interestingly, I almost hit every single split today (with the Garmin's lack of exact precision on distances, I calibrated each interval to be slightly longer than scheduled ... so I like to think that I hit every one). This FIRST training program is very challenging as I mentioned before but it seems that I have a relatively easier time with the speed workouts and really struggle with the endurance workouts. FIRST posted this to their website (Furman Institute of Running & Scientific Training):

"In our studies, we have found that some runners find the track intervals difficult but find the long run pace easy and conversely, some find the track intervals easy and are very challenged with the long tempo and long run paces. Some runners have more speed than endurance and vice versa.

What we emphasize to the runners in our program is that we want the track intervals to have a very small range for the entire workout. After each week we adjust the target training times based on the most recent training performance. We attempt to find target paces that are realistic and challenging, but not so difficult that the runner is unable to recover for key workout #2. By insisting that the entire set of repeats be run with a range of only a couple of seconds, it pretty much ensures that the runner isn't overdoing it."

Apparently, I fall into the category of having more speed than endurance. This is actually pretty funny to me because I openly acknowledge that I'm pitifully slow!

I plan to try this week's tempo run tomorrow night.

Training Schedule: November 12 - 18

Tue - 10-20 min. WU
1200 - 4:51
1000 - 3:55
800 - 3:07
600 - 2:16
400 - 1:31
200 - 0:45
(200M rest intervals)
10 min. CD

Thu - 1M WU; 5M@7:33; 1M CD

Sat - 17 miles @ 8:28

No Mo becomes Go Go then turns to Uh Oh

I had NO MOtivation to go out for my long run today. I got a late start due to a late night and I knew I'd be running alone. There is a 25K race tomorrow as part of the Houston Marathon prep series that is the perfect distance for me right now and I'm sure I'd run better under race conditions but I decided against the Sunday morning race.

I was scheduled for 15 miles at an 8:28 pace. I pulled up all of the 15-mile routes that we ran as a group during the summer. I found one that looked good and downloaded it to my Garmin. I think it was one of Randy's scenic routes that had a leg through the exclusive River Oaks neighborhood. Before setting out, I also analyzed last Saturday's 13 miler. I broke the run into mile segments and threw out the fastest and slowest miles. I then took the range of my slowest and fastest remaining miles. Then I overlaid the range onto my target pace of 8:28. From there, I broke the range into 15 segments and designated each segment as the targeted split for each mile of today's run. My goal was to run negative splits for the entire 15 miles. WARNING: This methodology has no basis in anything that I've read or heard of. The approach is just something I came up with myself that I thought might help me start slower and finish faster.

After driving to Memorial Park, I got started a little before 7:30 am (late for me on a Saturday). I had to keep slowing myself down at first reminding myself of the negative splits and that I'd need everything I had to finish as planned. I was feeling good and the 73 degree temperature was great. About 2 miles in, I felt a tightness in my right knee but this issue has been with me now for about 10 days so I ignored it and pressed on focused on my negative splits. I stopped a few times for water at the usual locations and thought I was on pace for the splits. The back half of the run became more difficult but somehow I managed each mile to step it up and hit the goal time or better. The further I made it the better I felt about actually finishing it off. Long story; short - I had one of the best 13-mile runs I've ever had. Here are my splits:

9:06
8:56
8:51
8:49
8:42
8:38
8:34
8:31
8:23
8:21
8:14
8:10
8:12

So with the exception of the last mile (by 2 seconds), I had done it! Of course, this was "gamed" a little bit by starting so slowly but I was on pace for the 8:28/mile pace that the training program required, it wasn't going to be easy but seemed attainable.

I'm not sure how to describe what happened next other than to say after stopping for a light on the Waugh Street Bridge, it felt like someone had jammed a knife into the side of my right knee! I tried walking it out for a bit, determined to loosen it up and finish this good run I was having. When I started running again, it just wasn't happening. My run was reduced to a jog then a walk. I alternated walking and jogging but the knee just felt worse. In this manner, the last 1.60 miles were finished at an 11:00/mile pace.

Needless to say this was very frustrating.

My right knee has had a few "flare ups" over the past 10 days but I really couldn't attribute it to anything specific. After researching the Internet later in the day, I'm convinced I'm suffering from iliotibial band syndrome (see also ITBS). I probably shouldn't continue running until I get this situation under control but I doubt I'll take that advice ... for now. I'm going to try to find a strap that's supposed to help. There's another one here.

There are also some exercises that are supposed to help build muscular strength that takes some pressure off the IT band while running.

I've been flippant about running injury free up to this point. It's frustrating but it looks like this is something I'm going to have to work with. Hopefully it's easily dealt with and doesn't become chronic.

800 Intervals

I thought I hit all my target times this morning but the trusty (???)
Garmin indicates otherwise.

I was surprised to wake up at 4:15 this morning after travelling back
from Vegas yesterday and going to bed around 10:30. But I was awake
and began running at 4:30. It was cool this morning ... not too cool
but close. I need to look into getting some tights for the upcoming
change in season. I think I'll need them in Utah for the Thanksgiving
5-miler too.

The schedule called for:

1 mile warm up
4 x 800 @ 3:07 (with 2 minute rest interval)
10 minute cool down

I ended up with:

1.5 mile warm up (I took Louetta straight to the high school track since there was very little traffic. I would never try this at any other time of day!)

3:13
3:03
3:05
3:07

2.0 mile cool down

I'm surprised the Garmin has 3:13 for the time of the first 800. When running intervals, I've adapted an approach wherein I wear my Garmin to track the workout. On my right wrist, I wear my Ironman. I set it for a repeating timer with an alarm for desired split times. This allows me to know how I'm doing while running the interval. This morning I set the alarm for 1:33 which is what I wanted each 400 of the 800 to be. I would know by where I was on the track when the alarm sounded if I was ahead of or behind "schedule". By the Ironman, I thought I hit the first interval right on. The Garmin obviously disagrees with me on that point.

I did focus on not starting out too fast. With last week's intervals, I hit my target time for the first one but didn't get down to it again ... every one was slower. Today I wanted the first 800 to be a little slow or right on 3:07 at the fastest. I was hoping to conserve energy for the later 800's. This approach seemed to work well for me today as evidenced by my subsequent times. It's no secret that I get too giddy at the beginning of my runs and waste a bunch of energy going too fast, too early. I'm going to work on getting away from that approach since I think it's counterproductive.

I also decided that I'm going to count Monday's run in Las Vegas as my tempo run this week. I know the time wasn't as fast as the tempo run was supposed to be and the distance was further. But that run was in the neighborhood of what I was supposed to run and I don't think I'll have a chance to "catch up" and still get the proper between-workout rest.

I've got 15 on the schedule for Saturday.

6 Miles in the City of Broken Dreams

I'm in Las Vegas for an industry tax conference. I don't really enjoy these events nor do I like enjoy Vegas .... So as a diversion/excuse to "get away", I brought my running shoes and gear. I looked up running routes on the web and was able to find a 12 mile loop just off the Strip. Since my "body clock" is still on Central Daylight Time (the change from daylight to standard time was early AM yesterday) and Las Vegas is now Pacific Standard Time, I woke up early this morning. I laced 'em up, strapped on my Garmin, and was ready to run from Bally's where I'm staying.

It turned out to be an interesting run. I had no goal for pace or distance. The only reason I even wore the Garmin is out of habit and so I could upload the run when I get back home. I did think that if everything worked out okay that I'd try to go for about an hour.

I was directionally disoriented at the start and went a few blocks before figuring that out. But I got turned around and back to the Strip, in front of Bellagio, and on my way to crossing the freeway overpass. I was surprised that I saw several runners out this morning. The air was cool and dry. It was refreshing weather in what I view as a depressing city. The run was stop-and-go at times as I dodged traffic, checked my map, and tried to figure out where to go when the sidewalk ended. But since I wasn't running for a pace or time, none of this mattered today. I was just happy to get out. The dry air was absolutely awesome! I wonder if it feels this good to others who run in these conditions? I ended up running a huge square. It got a little dicey coming back under a freeway overpass with no sidewalk or right-of-way. Fortunately the morning traffic wasn't too heavy at the time. I also went up a couple flights of stairs to get over a skywalk then back down again.

Overall, the run was a nice start to what I expect to be a long day sitting on a conference room.

The result ... not that it matters ....

6.35 miles @ 8:23/mile

Training Schedule: Nov 5 - 11

This week is going to be tricky since I'm traveling to Las Vegas for a seminar but I'm determined to get it in! I may mix up the order depending on the opportunities.

#1: 1M WU; 4x800(3:07) 2 min. RI; 10 min. CD
#2: 1M easy; 5M @ 7:43; 1M easy
#3: 15M @ 8:28