Plodding with Problems

OBJECTIVE
4 mi. SLOW

ACHIEVED
4.02@ 9:28/mi.

4:40 AM 75° 91% 4 mph

I had a few problems this morning. First, after a few hundred meters in to the run I had to use the restroom. That issue persisted throughout the run.

Second and more problematic, it feels like I have a pulled right groin and a pulled extreme lower abdominal muscle on the right side. I don't think these are the same injury but it feels like they're intertwined in function. The result this morning was a shortening of my stride that really slowed down the pace.

I'm not sure of the causes for these but have a couple theories. Neither bothered me during Saturday's run on the hills. Even so, I think the ab situation is from a particular exercise from my PT. Maybe Saturday's run aggravated it ... ???

My theory on the groin is that I may have pulled it while Indian leg wrestling my niece yesterday. My niece and parents are visiting us from out of town this weekend through Tuesday.

A third problem was that I had some general muscle soreness in my legs. I'm fairly certain this is from Saturday's long run on the hills and expect it to clear up soon.

I'll monitor the two issues, hoping not to compound them.

Last week Jonathan and I discussed junk miles ... wondering if the concept really exists. I hope not because, if so, today was all junk. If not, I got my four miles and am off to work for what promises to be a hectic day.

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
SlimFast & multivitamin

League Line Road w/Stephanie's Abrreviated Crew

OBJECTIVE
10 mi. including 8 mi.@ 8:24-54/mi. & 2 mi.@ 7:55/mi.

ACHIEVED
12.89 mi.@ 8:08/mi.

6:15 AM 74° 92% 4 mph

It was a beautiful morning for a run. I got an early start on the drive to Conroe and arrived about 15 minutes before the others. This worked out great as I got in a good stretch and mentally shifted gears.

Stephanie arrived with Randy, Laurie and Brian (our host for the day who usually runs with Wayne's group). They waited about 5 minutes for Jonathan but we found out later he had a late night and didn't set his alarm.

We ended up running the exact same route Jonathan and I covered together a while back. The route is hilly (for Houston) but I really enjoy it. It's a bit cooler in Conroe ... maybe because of the nearby water and being a bit farther north ....

We started out fast. Brian was leading and I think he's used to a faster pace than Steph's group runs. We kept trying to bridle him. I was feeling okay but didn't know what to expect with my IT band so I didn't want to blew out too fast, too early. We stopped by a water break at the Teaswood turnoff. I had mild stomach discomfort and wondered about my decision to eat a little oatmeal this morning before leaving the house. I used to always eat before a morning run but haven't been eating pre-run for a few months now.

We made it the I-45 where they had stashed more water. It's about 4.5 miles in. I was still feeling okay. There was discussion about slowing the pace. Brian pulled off the lead for the return trip. Laurie pulled out and started gapping us (as she often does). Randy wasn't going to let her go. The two of them stretched a 100 meter lead on us. Stephanie and I had a chance to catch up. Brian talked about St. George since he's run it twice.

At the water stop with around 2.5 miles remaining, I was still feeling good and decided that I'd try staying with whoever went to the front. Brian reminded us that once back at the cars there was a 3 mile loop to add on at the end of the run. I figured if I wasn't feeling like it, I'd just skip the add on. After all, I'm still capped at 10 miles, right?

Laurie and Randy eased to the front. I went with them. There are a few big ups and downs over this section but the road is narrow and morning recreational traffic had picked up by now. Going up the second hill, an oncoming vehicle approached at a high speed. I picked up my pace to get ahead of Laurie and into single file. I felt strong and the pace felt okay so I just stayed with it figuring I'd top the hill then ease up. Once on top, I tried focusing on my form going downhill; low knees without over striding ... increased turnover. My pace picked up. I couldn't hear Randy and Laurie any more but didn't look back. I still felt good and figured I'd just hold the pace as long as I could. Be strong on the up's and use good form on the down's. I thought I knew how many hills there here back to the marina but I was early surprised when I topped a hill and the parking lot was at the end of this long downhill section. I was sure that at least another up and down was left. As usual, I was "the horse returning to the barn" and picked up the pace some more. I've never led Steph's group at the finish of a run. Not that it's a big deal but to me it felt like some sort of milestone. Of course, they were all planning on another 3 miles and, at this point, I wasn't.

At the car I got water, the others arrived shortly after I did. Although I didn't feel like adding the extra 3 miles. I went out with them for two reasons: 1) I missed yesterday's run and 2) I wanted to know the 3-mile loop that Brian was leading us on ... in case I come up on League Line Road myself sometime. It's always good to get another route in your mental directory.

Mile splits:
8:26/7:52/7:53/8:02/8:08/7:56/8:10/8:09/7:26/6:52(0.85 mi.)

8:55/8:56/8:40


PRE RUN
FRS & oatmeal w/turbinado, flax & skim milk
(had very mild stomach cramping throughout first third of run; not a big deal but occasionally uncomfortable)

IN RUN
Accelerade - 20 oz. over 4 stops & mint, chocolate GU @ 4.5 mi

POST RUN
SlimFast (2 cans) & water

Conspiring against Me!

OBJECTIVE
6 mi.@ 8:24-54 (EZ)

ACHIEVED
nothing

This is the first day in six weeks that I've missed a run. I got up this morning with every intention of running but checked my email before going and ended up tied up with a major issue at work. ... very disappointing. Thought I'd get the miles this evening but the work issue continued throughout the day and kept my at the office late. Decided just to go home and sleep to save my legs for tomorrow.

OBJECTIVE
4 mi. SLOW

ACHIEVED
4.01 mi.@ 8:54/mi.

5:29 AM

Felt pretty good this morning. I was happy with my pace after yesterday's effort. I wore my new Mizuno Wave Rider 10's for the first time. This is my fourth pair. I think my oldest pair is due for retirement. I've only been using them on my shortest runs.

I had some discomfort above the inside of my right ankle. I first noticed it during the last half of yesterday's run. It doesn't seem like a big problem but I'll keep tabs on it. ... maybe it's due to running on old, worn out shoes ... ???

I was happy with the coincidental, near-perfect-symmetry of today's splits:

8:55/8:55/8:56/8:50

I wasn't worried but time or splits and didn't even look at my watch much. It seems good to have hit a comfortble and sustainable pace for today's run without really worrying about it.

PRE RUN
water

POST RUN
water, multivitamin, Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk, & chocolate milk

OBJECTIVE
9 mi. w/7x2 min.@ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. jog

ACHIEVED
9.06 mi.@ 8:31/mi. w/7x2 & 2 min. jog (see below for splits)

5:31 AM

This run always looms ominously on my weekly calendar. I don't enjoy the strange anxiety it causes leading up to it but I love the ecstatic feeling of completing it!

I was particularly happy with closing the last 3 miles averaging 8:31/mi. and running negative splits. I was working but it felt good.

2.44 mi.@ 9:00/mi.
1:59 @6:50/mi.
1:59
2:00 @6:29/mi.
1:59
2:00 @6:42/mi.
1:59
2:00 @6:34/mi.
3:32
2:01 @6:35/mi.
1:59
2:01 @6:35/mi.
1:58
1:59 @6:25/mi.
2:00
3.02 mi.@ 8:31/mi.

PRE RUN
FRS

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water; multivitamin; oatmeal w/flax, turbinado, & skim milk; 2 slices wheat toast (1 honey & 1 cinnamon sugar)

Lethargy

OBJECTIVE
5-7 mi. EZ (8:24-54/mi.)

ACHIEVED
6.13 mi.@ 9:04/mi.

5:06 AM

As much as the "Low Battery" problem with my Garmin has been annoying, the "Low Energy" problem I've experienced the past couple mornings has been frustrating. ... probably more so .... For whatever reason, I haven't been able to get out of second gear. I tried not to let it bother me today by reassuring myself that today is an easy run to set up tomorrow's "real" effort. Normally I'd keep pushing until I got myself into the right pace range but today I just "let it got". I suppose that really puts the pressure on me for tomorrow's run!

Later this morning, I met with Dani for physical therapy. It's hard for me to know if I'm making progress. She says that I am but it's slow. She mixes up the routines every time so I can't compare where I was to where I am now. I was much better on one leg balancing against resistance than I was last week. I doubt I could have improved that much in such a short time so I'm going to chalk it up to my being farther along the learning curve and better composed. Interestingly, I didn't notice any of this morning's "low energy" spilling over into my PT effort.

On the final exercise, she had me take 3 strides and land on a half ball and balance. It was very hard. I kept falling forward or to the side. She believes this is a big part of my problem ... deceleration. She said you're fine accelerating; you're plenty fast. But it's slowing down that you have a problem with and slowing down occurs on every stride at impact.

Aside from the concept she shared with me, which for now I'll assume is correct, I am now laughing out loud at the comment that I'm plenty fast. After spending me entire childhood and early adult years being too slow, now I'm "plenty fast". How can that be? Let me tie that in to a comment Tinman made on The Run Zone blog. After giving him my race times, he asked if I had made a mistake. When I told him no, he said there's a huge disparity in your 5K and 10K times. Your 10K should be much faster. Well, if I look at well the race equivalent charts or age-graded schedules, my 5K is fast and everything else is much slower but generally in line with each other. So am I really too fast. No, as enticing as it is for me to accept the label, I can't because it's not true. I'm relatively fast or I'm fast for a long distance runner ... maybe. The only thing this is leaving me wondering is this - Is my best race the 5K ... ??? No time to find out now. Maybe that will be 2009's quest.

PRE RUN
water & very small brownie

POST RUN
SlimFast & multivitamin
Later, water, English muffin, poached egg, & Canadian bacon

OBJECTIVE
3-4 mi. SLOW

ACHIEVED
4.03 mi.@ 9:03/mi

5:08 AM

After the weekend, I was really expecting to feel good this morning. Didn't happen. I'm not sure what the problem was. I just felt slow. I ran long last Friday instead of my usual Saturday. On Saturday, I had an abbreviated run. I napped both Saturday and Sunday. Shouldn't all of that add up to fresh legs Monday morning? The only thing I can think to blame it on is nutrition. I gorged myself Thursday afternoon at the Astros game (but had no ill effects on Friday's run). My weight came right back in line within 24-36 hours. Saturday wasn't nutritionally stellar but it wasn't bad either. I began a 24-hour fast Saturday afternoon. That went fine due to limited physical activity. Sunday afternoon was marinated turkey breast, potatoes, and green beans. There was cheese in the potatoes and I had a brownie for dessert (which I would usually pass on). None of this seems wildly inconsistent with a decent run. Maybe it was hydration .... I also need to look back at other runs following fasting. I seem to recall a similar bad Monday run following a fast ....

Fortunately it was a recovery run so I slogged through it. It was odd though. My legs felt okay and my cardio felt good. I just felt slow and couldn't get going.

Hoping for something better tomorrow. I'll keep it to 6 miles since I'll be working with my physical therapist, Dani, later in the morning.

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
Accelerade, multivitamin & oatmeal w/flax, turbinado & skim milk

Training Schedule: July 6 - 12

SUN. rest
MON. 3-4 mi. SLOW
TUE. 5-7 mi. EZ
WED. 9 mi. w/7x2 min.@ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. jog
THU. 3-4 mi. SLOW
FRI. 5-7 mi. EZ
SAT. 12 mi. w/last 3 mi. @ 7:55.mi.


Same schedule as last week except an extra mile on Saturday. This week has more structure since there's no holiday. There seems to be a plan coming together to run League Line Road in Conroe for some hills on Saturday. I'll have to see how the week of running and physical therapy goes before committing to that. The last thing I need is a silly setback.

Trinity University, San Antonio

OBJECTIVE
5-7 mi. EZ

ACHIEVED
2.02 mi.@ 7:55/mi.

6:51 AM

Got up at 3 AM to drive over to San Antonio and pick up Cameron and his friend from camp. They were supposed to check out at 7 AM. After finding the campus and a place to park, I sent Cameron a text message that I was running and where he could find the car. I changed clothes in the car and took off. I figured I'd loop around campus then decide where to go from there. I ended up on the track, did a few laps then started worrying about Cam not getting my text, not finding the car, wondering where I was, etc. so I went back to the car. What I failed to factor in is that Cameron hates to get up in the morning and his friend is typically late everywhere he goes. While the other kids were breaking camp, they were no where to be found. Ultimately they showed up around 7:30-40. I could have kept running for thirty minutes and come closer to my 6-7 miles. We drove back home and I ended up busy and napping in the afternoon so I failed to get the other miles today. I'm calling it extra rest for next week.

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
SlimFast

OBJECTIVE
11 mi. w/last 3 mi.@ 7:55/mi.

ACHIEVED
10.07 mi.@ 8:21/mi. including last 2 miles 7:44/7:41

5:41 AM

It was a good run today. My thought is that it's attributable to slowing down during the recovery runs earlier this week. I need to remember the key purpose of the recovery runs is ... to give my body a chance to recover from prior runs AND prepare for upcoming ones.

I started a little late from Spring Cypress and headed down the bayou trail. I didn't make it to the YMCA before I met Bob, Stan, and Brad. They were a little over a mile from the Y. The pace picked up slightly with them. They were running 8 miles so a stayed with them after the turn at their 4 mile mark. I went back with them to the end of the bayou path then turned back to run the path for the fourth time this morning. This worked out well because it was time for my pickup. I pushed the pace and felt pretty good. I tried to hold a constant effort and pace. I could see I was well under my 7:55/mi. plan but felt good so I just went with it, reminding myself that I needed to maintain the pace to the end. I made the decision not to tack on the extra mile since I would get back to the car right at 10 miles and felt I could still call it a good run.

I REALLY wanted to run the Run Wild 5K this morning. I had a great run there last year. I wanted to run for several reasons including my desire to test my IT band under race conditions, I want to see if running every day (even with marathon-specific training) could yield a PR, I really liked the race last year and the post race band, and several of my friends are running this morning. But, in the end, I realized all of these reasons are shallow and disregard my true goal of a strong marathon on October 4. What if I went out and caused a setback? It wouldn't have been worth it. So what if it cost me a PR today. There will be other opportunities when the risk isn't as great.

PRE RUN
FRS

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later-water, multivitamin & chocolate milk
Later than that-steel cut oats w/flax, turbinado & skim milk

True "Recovery" Run

OBJECTIVE
3 - 4 mi. SLOW

ACHIEVED
4.02 mi.@ 9:07/mi.

5:24 AM

Between yesterday's run and physical therapy, I was feeling pretty beat up before I even started this morning. There was muscle soreness in my hip flexors, abs, and legs. Over the first half mile, I was wondering if I could make it based on how my abs were feeling. Apparently, I must be shifting the weight in one of the PT exercises off of my quads and glutes over to my abs. I suppose this is a form of cheating. I don't notice that I'm doing it but I don't think my abs should be feeling like they do today. I had the same thing but to a lesser degree on Tuesday.

I rolled out the 4 miles at a pedestrian pace. Somehow I've convinced myself that if I never run slower than 9:17/mile that the miles are still "good". I think I've read something about that before but may have misinterpreted what I was reading. I then coupled my reading with the recovery pace found at runbayou.com to determine I can avoid junk miles if I'm under 9:17.

I think I solved a mystery while running this morning. My initial right IT band problem last November subsided after a couple weeks rest. But later the left IT band became the problem and is now a much bigger issue than the right ever was. This has always baffled me. I didn't even tell Dr. Cianca about my right because that isn't what I was there for and it was no longer a problem. I thought it would just cloud the picture. I mentioned it to Dani in my initial PT evaluation but I under emphasized it and she didn't seem to give it much consideration. Since then, I've tried to listen closely to Cianca and Dani to see if something they said could offer an explanation. Of course, I looked for my own explanation and also skimmed around the internet looking for a reason.

I think I've got it now thanks to something Dani said yesterday. I've somewhat been in denial about this "muscle weakness" and even Cianca and Dani were surprised that I could "even run a marathon". So something about their separate diagnosis just didn't sync up with my experience. Being in denial about the muscle weakness, I harbored some kind of weird hope that ... I wasn't weak. I didn't feel weak, did I? Through PT, Dani has repeatedly put me in positions where I feel incredibly weak. At first I think I subconsciously believed this was some kind of trick. Of course she knows which muscles are naturally weaker and could put anyone in a "comprising" position of weakness. But yesterday Dani commented that she sees people with IT band problems all the time. What I have isn't any different than the typical cases. However, she said a compounding issue for me is that my ankles are weak. Okay, she's alluded to this before but I haven't considered it. I thought Cianca said it was my glutes and that my knees and ankles looked good. I think Dani even said in my initial with her that it was my glutes. So that's where I've been focused. Whatever she said about my ankles to this point didn't hold much stock with me. Even yesterday when she said it, I passed it off but it least we openly discussed it this time.

While running this morning, I was considering all of this. This isn't going to seem like much of a breakthrough ... like a preschool dot-to-dot. But my stubbornness has caused me to miss this for sometime now. Dani is right. My ankles are weak and so are my glutes. I'm sure I have other muscle weaknesses too. My right ITB was caused by this and so is my current left ITB. The difference not running at Memorial Park on a softer, flatter surface.

After St. George last year, I started the Furman training program. I was running more in the morning and a lot more on the track at Klein High. My hard running loops on the track were almost always counterclockwise making my right leg, the "longer" outside leg. Once I stopped running for a couple weeks and came back with no track running, the right ITB problem disappeared.

What about the current left ITB? Well, when I started training for Ogden in December almost all of my running was on roads. Very rarely did I go back to Memorial Park's trail where I did most of my running in preparation for St. George. Almost all roads are crowned and I run against the traffic. This makes my left leg the "longer" of the two. I think this is it. It's why I can't shake the problem with my left. The physical internal cause is my muscle weakness which has always existed. But shifting from Memorial Park where I did almost all of my running last summer, to the track then later to the roads seems to be the external cause of my ITB problems. I really think this is it. I should find softer surfaces and/or get back over to Memorial Park.

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, oatmeal w/flax, turbinado & skim milk

LOW BATTERY

OBJECTIVE
9 mi. w/7x2 min.@ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. jog

ACHIEVED
9 mi.@ 8:17/mi. including
3 mi.@ 8:51/mi.
• 2:17 run
• 2:00 jog
• 1:59 run
• 2:01 jog
• 1:59 run
• 2:00 jog
• 1:59 run
• 2:00 jog
• 1:59 run
• 1:59 jog
• 2:00 run
• 1:59 jog
• 2:00 run
• 2:04 jog
No watch so I don’t know the actual split paces but the total is 3.7 mi.@ 7:38/mi.
2.3 mi.@ 8:33/mi.

5:38 AM

Woke up to “LOW BATTERY” on the Garmin. The only day I really need that thing is Wednesday. I tried to make do with my Ironman. Of course that means I had no idea of my pace over the 2 minute intervals. I added 1 mile to this run and two extra intervals.
The objective was to run a 6:40/mile pace for the intervals. My overall pace for the 9 miles was 8:17/mile and I estimate my pace for the total interval set including recovery times was 7:38/mile. I’m usually around 10:00/mile over the recovery period. So who knows what really happened? Maybe I ran the speed sections slower than planned but ran the recovery sections faster. I tried to maintain my usual cadence over the speed sections and I did “feel” slower once I hit the 5, 6, and 7th intervals.

Anyway, I’m walking away from this one very happy. Maybe I should leave my Garmin home all the time … then I can wander around in this blissful, ignorant state more often!

PRE RUN
FRS powdered drink

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, 5-grain hot cereal w/turbinado, flax & skim milk, water, multivitamin, & 2 English muffins (1 honey & 1 cinnamon sugar)

OBJECTIVE
5 - 7 mi. EZ (8:24-54/mi.)

ACHIEVED
6.17 mi.@ 8:42/mi.

5:17 AM 70° 83% 0 mph

Except for tweaking my right ankle when stepping on the edge of the sidewalk 1/2 mile into this run, it was a good one. It had a nice rhythm to it.

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
chocolate milk, multivitamin, & oatmeal w/flax, turbinado & skim milk

Putting the Slow in a Run

OBJECTIVE
3-4 mi. SLOW

ACHIEVED
4.06 mi.@ 8:55/mi.

5:38 AM 73° 89% 0 mph


PRE RUN
water

POST RUN
chocolate milk, multivitamin, water, 5 grain hot cereal w/turbinado, flax seed & skim milk

Training Schedule

I haven't put this week's workouts in order yet due the the holiday, potential travel, physical therapy, and the possibility of racing ....

3-4 mi. SLOW
5-7 mi. EZ
9 mi. w/7x2 min.@ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. jog
3-4 mi. SLOW
5-7 mi. EZ
11 mi. w/last 3 mi.@ 7:55/mi.

There's a 5K on Friday, July 4 that I am considering. I'm not sure it's the wisest they for me right now given where I'm at with PT. The last thing I need is a setback. Cameron is at camp this week and Paige and I are considering getting away for a couple days. This will need to be a flex week as far as training is concerned but I plan to get it all in.

Can I Call 10 Miles a Long Run?

OBJECTIVE
10 mi. w/8 mi.@ 8:24-54/mi. & last 2 mi.@ 7:55/mi

ACHIEVED
10.35 mi.@ 8:34/mi. w/8:43/mi. & last 2 mi.@ approx. 8:26/mi.

5:20 AM 73° 94% 2 mph

I got the miles in this morning but it didn't go exactly as planned. I started from Spring Cypress headed toward the Y. The Spring Running Club and ChampionsFit were starting from the Y at 6:00. My plan was to meet them there like a have the last couple Saturdays. My legs were sore at the outset but loosened very gradually as I worked my way to the bayou and down the trail in the dark. My pace was a little slower than I wanted over the first 3 miles but I was anticipating meeting Sean and Bob who would push it faster than I wanted on the way back. Miles 4 and 5 I was at the high end of the range I wanted to be in.

When I got to the Y, no one was lined up to run. Rather than be about a half mile short of 10 miles when I got back to the car, I decided to make a loop of the soccer fields while waiting for the large running group to appear. While I was early in my loop, the group materialized at the "start line" and disappeared. I finished my loop and started reeling in runners. The group came back to me pretty quickly. I pushed my pace as I passed the other CF runners some called out "hello's" and encouraged me to catch the "fast guys". It took me a while to catch Bob, Seth, Stan, and an unidentified woman who's training for the Portland marathon. When I saw that Sean wasn't with them, I knew the pace wouldn't be as "hot". We chatted as we worked our way back up the trail.

With 2 miles to go ... it was time for my pickup. But I didn't. For some stupid reason, I felt obligated to stay with the group. I'm a bit mad at myself now for not taking off. Once we got to Eldridge, I had planned to break off since the group was going to go through the neighborhood to get an even 5 miles before doubling back. Bob persuaded me to stay with the group through the neighborhoods and end up coming out the backside close to my car. Okay ... I agreed. Figuring it wasn't that big of a deal. Well, Stan and Bob then proceeded to disagree about the right course through the neighborhood. This slowed as down and really frustrated me. This went on for much longer than it should have. Now I really wished I had just picked up over the last 2 miles on the path and turned up Eldridge to my car. Needless to say my last two miles were slower than planned.

Once back at the car, I took time to stretch really good. I did figure 4 on the ground and the yoga position Sean showed me a couple weeks ago. While in the parking lot, I noticed a HUGE bird sitting on a power line. I walked over for a closer look. It didn't fly. I wished I had me camera for a picture. I want back to the car for my phone which, like most phones, has a poor-excuse-for-camera built into it. I took 4 or 5 pictures then took my phone back to the car and started stretching some more. Still watching the bird, I noticed a blue jay kept swooping at it like mosquito. The big bird didn't flinch. Suddenly out of no where another HUGE bird came flying in and landed on the wire next to the other one. This one was bigger than the first! The first bird flapped its wings and made some noise until the second moved down the wire about 50 yards. When that bird flew it's wingspan seemed like it was 6 feet! I was amazed at the size of the birds. When it flew, I saw color around its head and beak. All the time, I'm wondering what kind of bird is this. I was thinking it must be some kind of vulture. After seeing the head and color, I was thinking maybe it's a California condor. I looked up wikipedia and the California condor is critically endangered and its range doesn't extend to Texas (although it used to). So I'm back to wondering what kind of bird I saw. I think the smaller one was a female and the larger, more colored a male. ... a couple of vultures knowing where a tired runner was going to finish a long run for the day ....

PRE RUN
Accelerade

POST RUN
Accelerade
Later, chocolate milk, multivitamin & Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk

Not Feelin' It

OBJECTIVE
6 mi.@ 8:24-54/mi.

ACHIEVED
6.15 mi.@ 8:53/mi.

5:21 AM 77F 89% 3.5 mph

I wasn't feeling too fired up for this one. Once awake I hustled myself out the door because I knew there was a risk of not running altogether if I gave myself a chance to think about it.

Uneventful .... My legs felt tired. I suspect yesterday's PT contributed part, if not all, of what I was feeling. I tried to focus on just being outside, alive. It rained yesterday so that brought a freshness to the outdoors. It also seemed like the humidity was 98% rather than 89%!

Finished it off. Happy to have it in the books. Wondering about tomorrow's 10-miler ....

PRE RUN
Accelerade

POST RUN
Accelerade, multivitamin & 5-grain hot cereal w/turbinado, flax seed & skim milk

Too Fast ... ?

OBJECTIVE
4 mi. SLOW

ACHIEVED
4.02 mi.@ 8:48/mi.

6:29 AM 73° 94% 0 mph

I got a late start this morning. I was up in time but got sidetracked while checking my work email before the run.

Finally broke away. I expected a slow one today which was fine because that's what the plan called for. My legs started getting sore yesterday at work while sitting for long stretches. I surmise it's delayed onset muscle soreness from my PT on Tuesday (Dani, my therapist, tipped me off to that when I met with her today.). Of course the difference with starting later is that it's light at the beginning of the run. I don't necessarily like it that way for some reason. Maybe in a perverse sense it seems like I'm more dedicated if I'm running while it's still dark ....

With sore legs and a planned slow run, I was surprised I was under 8:30/mi. for the first 2 miles while running a natural pace and not looking at my watch. I reigned it in over the last half of the run. I don't understand the physiology of running slow on recovery days but I know that's the way it's supposed to be done. I've also read that the aerobic benefit of running slow miles is almost the same as running fast miles. Anyway, as I pondered this and wondered about it, I slowed down.

After driving to the office and spending some time there, I broke away for physical therapy. I liked having Dani to myself this time. She's tough and really forces me to use proper form. Which is good for me ... but it's hard. Generally had more of the same with bands and the large ball; working the glutes, quads and hamstrings. Some of the positions don't look that tough but once you get going there's a tremendous burn. Hoping that all of this is helping. She's not at all happy with my running schedule. She wants me to rest every other day and reduce mileage. ... I'm still not listening.

PRE RUN
water

POST RUN
chocolate milk, multivitamin & oatmeal w/flax seed, turbinado & skim milk

Another Big Workout in the Books

OBJECTIVE
8 mi. including 5 x 2 min.@ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. active recovery

ACHIEVED
8 mi. @ 8:30/mi. including
2.42 mi.@ 8:50/mi.
2:02 min.@ 6:44/mi.
1:58 min.
2:00 min.@ 6:23/mi.
1:59 min.
2:00 min.@ 6:30/mi.
2:00 min.
1:59 min.@ 6:35/mi.
1:59 min.
2:04 min.@ 6:29/mi.
1:56 min.
1:59 min.@ 6:38/mi.
1:59 min.
2.56 mi.@ 8:51/mi.

5:34 AM 73° 92% 0 mph

Yes, I added an extra rep on my Big Workout today. It wasn't because I was feeling great. Probably more just to spite my physical therapist! Yes, I know that's childish.

Also, when I've done my Wednesday Big Workout over the past three weeks, I've extended my active recovery by about a minute. I've only done this because I end up about a quarter of a mile short of the turnaround point for the run and I haven't wanted to make the turnaround in the middle of a fast rep. Well, today I just started my fourth rep on schedule and made the turnaround in the middle of the rep. ... not good for speed but I still ended up at 6:35/mi. pace.

After the set of speed work, the run back was tough. It was all I could do to hold on to the pace. I think it was a combination of the extra speed rep, no extended rest between the third and fourth rep, and PT yesterday. But I made it.

Yesterday's PT session seemed pretty good. I was late due to my having to stop on the way to buy compression shorts. I forgot mine at home. Great way to start a working relationship, right? Dani greeted me by asking about my running. I told her 37 miles last week. She wanted to know when I rested. "Sunday." "That's not enough. You need to rest every other day. I know you have a race coming up but you have to compromise. Did you do any speed work?" I lied. "No - just miles." She turned me over to Pilar, who honestly looked like she was about 16 years old. But she seemed to know what she was doing. She took me through the following:

calf stretch
Figure 4
calf raises 2-leg then 1-leg
clam - (tie an elastic band around both legs, lay (or is it lie) on side, lift top leg)
bridge
bridge w/calfs on ball
bridge w/heels on ball 2-leg then 1-leg
leg press 2-leg then 1-leg

My form on the one-leg press especially the left leg was naturally bad. Dani came over and pointed it out. She cleaned up my form and said, "This is what we need to work on." She explained that while running the knee goes out of position or alignment so quickly then back in that it may be imperceptible. Running reinforces the bad form. So it looks like I'm in for a break-him-down, build-him-up approach to clean up my form. I'm supposed to do clams at home then go back on Thurday.

I've got a slow 4 miles tomorrow and PT again.

PRE RUN
Accelerade

POST RUN
Accelerade
Later, water mulitvitamin & 5-gain oatmeal w/flax seed, turbinado & skim milk

Heavy Air, Heavy Legs

OBJECTIVE
6 mi. EZ (8:24-54/mi.)

ACHIEVED
6.30 mi.@ 8:50/mi.

5:22 AM 71° 95% 0 mph

Ninety-five percent humidity that's crazy! The air definitely had a "thickness" to it this morning.

My legs were heavy and I really didn't ever feel like I got going. I also suspect myself of subconsciously holding back since I have no idea what's in store for me at this morning's PT session. The only thing I've heard over and over is that Dani, my therapist, isn't "warm and fuzzy". She even said something to that effect when we met ... and seemed proud of it. That's fine with me - so long as her methods work and are able to get me back on track.

I spent much of this morning's run thinking over a memo that I have to write for the CEO. Although the topic is highly technical, I had the good fortunate of sitting through Dr. Dave Stewart's class at BYU that was exactly on point. The problem for me is that the class was thirteen years ago! At least it's a good base to work from. I'm enjoying the fact that I'm slightly ahead of the high-paid consultants on this topic. Of course they have national experts to drawn upon when necessary. Okay ... enough work talk on my running blog! ... although maybe that's what slowed me down this morning ....

I've got to hustle off to PT. I'll post more about that experience later.

PRE RUN
Accelerade

POST RUN
water, multivitamin @ oatmeal w/skim milk

A Little Sore

OBJECTIVE
4 mi. SLOW

ACHIEVED
4.02 mi.@8:57/mi.

5:18 AM 70F 88% 0 mph

After yesterday's off day, I was disappointed that my legs were a little sore this morning and my left IT band was slightly achy. I suspect those are the effects of Saturday's run AND not getting proper rest over the weekend. I ended up working at the house last night until 1:30 AM. Two calls at home from the CFO over the weekend will do that! Hopefully this equity offering goes out in a couple days then I can focus on other things.

I decided to hold this week's running constant while figuring out what's in store for me at physical therapy. My first "real" therapy day is tomorrow then I'm back in on Thursday. I would love it if Dani reveals the "holy grail" to me. Unfortunately, I'm doubtful it will be that easy.

Six miles tomorrow at an easy pace. Today's forecast is for temperatures close to 100 and high humidity. In contrast, this morning's run was quite pleasant ... a little cooler than usual.

PRE RUN
water

POST RUN
oatmeal w/skim milk, water & multivitamin

Training Schedule: June 22 - 28

Sun. - Rest
Mon. - 4 mi. SLOW
Tue. - 6 mi. EZ
Wed. - 8 mi. w/5x2 min.@CV & 2 min. active recovery
Thu. - 4 mi. SLOW
Fri. - 6 mi. EZ
Sat. - 10 mi. w/last 2 mi.@MP

(Physical therapy Tuesday and Thursday)

Modified Route - 10 miler

OBJECTIVE
10 mi. w/8 @ EZ (8:24-54/mi.) & last 2@ MP (7:55/mi.)

ACHIEVED
10.02 mi. w/8@8:20/mi. & 2@7:41/mi.

5:47 AM 71° 92% 0 mph

Good run this morning. I started from Spring Cypress a little late. Eased on down the bayou path. I was feeling pretty good. Pace was around 8:30/mi. Didn't make it all the way to the Y - 1 1/2 mile short - before meeting up with Bob Bond, Sean Easton, Sean's friend, and a guy named Seth. I met them on Jones Road and anytime Sean's in the group the pace is going to be hot ... at least for met. I wasn't with them for long before Sean had us under 8:00/mi.

We got back on the bayou trail and went to the 8-mile turn around for Bob. Bob and I turned back. The others continued on. I ran with Bob along the trail back to the end of the path. Bob continued back to the Y. I took a water break (thank you, ChampionsFit!) then headed back on the trail for the third time. With 2 miles remaining, I picked it back up looking for 7:55/mi. I was feeling good. I was pushing but it wasn't uncomfortable. I made each of the last two miles in 7:41/mi. which I was pleased with.

It seems I'm making slow, incremental progress. I need to decide on next week's training schedule. I start physical therapy on Tuesday and go back on Thursday. I have a hunch Dani is really going to "put it to me" and she'll be able to tell I've been running more and faster than she suggested. At this point, I'm willing to let those chips fall where they may ....

PRE RUN
Accelerade

POST RUN
SlimFast; potato, egg & cheese breakfast taco
Later, Life cereal w/skim milk

Summer Solstice

OBJECTIVE
4 - 6 mi. EZ (8:24-54/mi.)

ACHIEVED
≈6.12 mi.@ 8:37/mi. (52:47)

≈5:40 AM 72° 92% 0 mph

Nice 6-miler to celebrate the summer solstice. Early in the run I was thinking this must for a big week for pagans. I think yesterday was a full moon and today is summer solstice. It seems like I should be running a race at Stonehenge today!

My Garmin pulled the always-aggravating "LOW BATTERY" routine again this morning so I pulled out the trusty Timex IronMan to accompany me. I ran the Wimbledon Forest Loop so I have a good idea that the distance is 6.10 - 6.15 miles. I felt fine today. My IT band hasn't been a problem for a while now (knock on wood!). My legs seemed a little "tired" but not really a big deal.

I started about 30 minutes later than usual today since I'm taking the day off work. Which is really good at this point. However, Paige is having surgery this afternoon so that's not so exciting. Hopefully it's a smooth out-patient procedure with a quick recovery - as currently anticipated.

Tomorrow's run is 10 miles. I'm not sure who, if anyone, I'll be running with yet. It's somewhat dependent on how Paige is doing.

PRE RUN
Accelerade

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin @ Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. : SLOW (>8:54/mi.)

ACHIEVED
4.02 mi. @ 9:13/mi.

5:10 AM 73° 94% 0 mph

Took this one slow and easy as prescribed. Had a bit of muscle soreness in my legs from yesterday. Added a mile ... for good measure.

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, 65 mg Iron, & oatmeal w/skim milk

Mid-week Big Workout

OBJECTIVE
8 mi. w/5x2 min. @ CV (6:40/mi.) & 2 min. jog

ACHIEVED
8.01 mi. @ 8:30/mi. broken down as follows:
2.42 mi. @ 8:55/mi.
2:00 min. @ 6:15/mi.
1:59 jog
2:00 min. @ 6:21/mi.
1:59 jog
2:00 min. @ 6:17/mi.
2:26 jog
2:00 min. @ 6:21/mi.
2:00 jog
2:00 min. @ 6:16/mi.
2:00 jog
2.99 mi. @ 8:43/mi.

5:33 AM 72° 86% 2 mph

It was a good run this morning. This was my third mid-week Big Workout and, although they seem ominous as they approach, I ultimately enjoy the workout - especially when it's over!

I was supposed to hit 6:40/mi. on my 2 minute bursts but felt good from the first one so I just stayed with the faster pace. I was trying to get farther down the bayou path than I did last week. I thought this might present difficulty for me over the 3 miles back to the car. But, just like last week, after starting slowly I was able to pick up the pace the entire distance. Obviously, 8:43/mile isn't a fast pace but it's in the range I want to be at (8:24-54).

I'm going to strive to eat and drink properly throughout the day and get plenty of sleep tonight. Tomorrow's run is a slow 3-miler.

On fastrunningblog.com, Josse commented yesterday that I might have an iron deficiency. I plan to start supplementing to see if it helps with my overall fatigue.

PRE RUN
water & Accelerade

POST RUN
Accelerade & SlimFast
Later, GrapeNuts w/skim milk

Got it In

OBJECTIVE
4-6 mi. EZ (8:24-54/mi.)

ACHIEVED
6.20 mi. @ 8:45/mi.

5:16 AM 75° 91% 1 mph

Before getting out of bed this morning, I thought today's run would be 5 miles. During much of the first two miles I figured I'd turn around to make it 5. I know an additional mile isn't a big deal either way but this morning it seemed like it was! I passed the 5 mile turn around and just reminded myself to take it easy and finish. Even with the slow pace, I felt like I was working.

Last night, I sat down on the around 8:30. The next thing I knew I woke up and it was 1:30 AM! Falling asleep while relaxing in the evening isn't unusual but not waking up sooner is.

This reminds me. I haven't blogged about my visit to the physical therapist last Friday. She "evaluated" me similar to what Dr. Cianca did a week earlier. She arrived at the same diagnosis and expanded on it. She said I'm suffering from extreme muscle fatigue, my workouts are too hard, I shouldn't be attempting 3 marathons in a year, ... among other things. Of course, none of this is what I wanted to hear and it made me mad. We start therapy in a couple weeks when she's back from vacation (another frustration). I haven't decided if I'm going to follow her advice and scale back my workouts.

So this morning I was thinking about this while running. I do feel tired. You know that if you follow my blog. Another thing that really struck me was a comment I recall making to Jonathan leading up to the Ogden marathon. I said that I just wanted to feel "strong" on the starting line and that I really couldn't remember the last time I felt strong. I still feel that way so maybe there's something to this muscle fatigue diagnosis. My problem is that I want redemption for my Ogden performance when I run St. George. But if I'm dealing with this fatigue thing ... maybe that's going to be too much to hope for.

PRE RUN
apple juice

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin & oatmeal w/skim milk

Tired

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. : slow

ACHIEVED
3.02 mi. @ 9:06/mi.

5:14 AM 75° 89% 4 mph

I was tired this morning. It wasn't a restful weekend. Cameron ended up playing 5 baseball games at a tournament in Katy. Typically this would be relaxing but I was coaching and on my feet in 90+ temperatures the whole time. They ended up losing in the championship after an extra inning semifinal game.

I eased myself over the 3 miles of the Kleinwood Loop. I pretty much zoned out and occassionally reminded myself to take it easy.

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin & oatmeal w/skim milk

June 15 - 21

SUN - rest
MON - 3 mi. SLOW
TUE - 4-6 mi. EZ (8:24-54/mi.)
WED - 8 mi. w/5x2 min. @ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. active recovery
THU - 3 mi. SLOW
FRI - 4-6 mi. EZ
SAT - 10 mi. w/8@EZ & last 2@MP (7:55)

Saturday Quick Pace!

OBJECTIVE
10 mi. w/8 mi. @ 8:24-54/mi. & last 2 mi. @ 7:55/mi.

ACHIEVED
8.92 mi. (9:16/9:01/8:42/8:48/8:39/7:59/7:48/7:41/7:06 [.92 mi])

5:28 AM 72° 94% 0 mph

This run obviously didn't go as planned! Here's the explanation. Cameron had a doubleheader in Katy starting at 10 AM. Katy's an hour drive from the house and of course the players have to be there an hour early. This made for a less than leisurely morning. I checked the Spring Runners board last night and saw they were planning a 6 AM run. "They" being Bob Bond and anyone who chose to join him. Their plan was for 8 or 10 miles. That was too late of a start for me so I planned to drive to the 10-mile run turnaround point and start early enough to catch them when they started their run. Other than the fact I got a bit of a late start, everything was generally on schedule. I figured if I ran into them before I made it the their starting point, I'd just run with them and add on to the end of my run for 10 miles.

You can see from my splits, I was on schedule pace-wise over the first 4 miles. I met up with a huge group of ChampionsFit runners at the gate leaving the Y property so I just missed their start by about 300 yards. I'll call that perfect timing. Bob Bond was in the group along with a couple other Spring Runners. Bob broke with a couple other guys while I was still making my way through the group and talking with Stan (???). I caught Bob. He was talking to another guy I hadn't met. We stayed together and chatted as we pulled away from the group. Bob just ran the San Diego marathon two weeks ago. So we talked about his run there, about my physical condition, etc. I feel the pace is fast but I figured it was just relative to my slow start. Finally I can't deny the urge to look at my Garmin and we're clipping along under 8:00/mi. At that point, I decided to hold on as look as I could and just end the run when I got back to the car. Bob dropped off a little over 3 miles into his run. That left Sean and me. He talked small talk and maintained the pace. I didn't feel extremely pushed at the pace but I was working. I think this may have been an easy pace for Sean. I started connecting the dots of who this guy was. I'm fairly certain he's Sean Easton, the Head Coach of the ChampionsFit Green Group (8:30 pace and faster). His wife ran with us on a Saturday a month or two ago. Anyway once we made it to Spring Cypress Road where my car was. Sean took a couple minutes to show me a yoga-style stretch for my IT bands. Interesting that I hadn't seen this one before .... It seems to work. He suggested doing each leg for 5 minutes a night. I figure it's worth a try.

So that's how my run ended up shorter and faster than planned.

PRE RUN
ginger snaps & water

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, 5-grain oatmeal w/skim milk, multivitamin & water

New Heart Rate Monitor

OBJECTIVE
5 mi. : EZ (8:24-54)

ACHIEVED
5.12 mi. @ 8:26/mi.

≈5:15 AM 77° 88% 0 mph

My legs are still sore and tight. I had hoped the condition was going to be short lived. It's not a big problem; just made it hard to get going this morning.

My Garmin pulled its mysterious "LOW BATTERY" routine again this morning. It hasn't done that for several weeks. So no GPS tracks for today's run. However, yesterday I received a new heart rate monitor that I ordered. So I had a toy to employ during the run. I didn't spend much time with it last night so I barely know how to use it. At this point, I can say it seems capable of many things. But there are only 4 buttons and if you punch them in the right sequence, you'll get the desired output. Let me just say that I haven't figured out how to play Wagner's Flight of the Valkyries with four notes yet!

Strapped on the monitor, hit start and ran. It was actually good not knowing my pace today. I should probably take this approach more often. When I'm doing easy or slow runs, I try not to look at my Garmin but it's habitual and I think I still focus on it a bit too much. Well, not having the Garmin today made the point as I caught myself looking at the heart rate monitor.

I ran the York Minster Loop so I know where the mile breaks are. I checked the monitor at those points and knew that I was around 8:45-50/mi. and just tried to hold it there.

The miles rolled by. I think I'm getting better at pushing my mental focal point out farther. Other than that the run was uneventful. The sun is coming up earlier and it gets lighter earlier now as we approach the longest day of the year next week.

I have my first physical therapy session this afternoon. I'm a bit apprehensive about it but I suspect it will turn out fine.

Tomorrow's run is 10 miles. I'll have to start early. Cameron has a baseball game at 10 on the other side of town.

Oh, about failed to mention my average heart rate for the run was 144. Not sure what that means since I have nothing to compare it to ....


PRE RUN
water

POST RUN
SlimFast, water, multivitamin @ GrapeNuts w/skim milk

Standard 3

OBJECTIVE
3 miles : SLOW

ACHIEVED
3.03 mi @ 9:01/mi.

73° 89% 0 mph

This was a day that I easily could have missed my run. The justification that today called for a short, slow run flashed through my head when I woke up. It wouldn't be a big deal if I blew it off .... But I "flipped the script" on myself thinking, "if it's such a short, slow run - what's the big deal? Just get it done."

My legs were sore or tired ??? this morning ... I'm not exactly sure which. Yesterday was a Big Workout but I stretched well after the run. I did end up sitting in the bleachers for four hours through Cameron's doubleheader last doubleheader last night. Maybe I just tightened up during that stretch ... ???

Anyway rolled out the three miles. I started slowly then found myself picking it up about midway. I was getting faster than I wanted to be so I pulled it back and just eased it home. I wanted to be around 8:54-9:00/mi. For some reason, I've got it in my head that if I'm slower than 9:17/mi. the miles are being wasted and fall into the junk category. I'm not sure that's a true-ism but I think I read about the concept somewhere along the line.

Looking at 5 miles tomorrow.

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
water, multivitamin, Honey Nut Cheerios w/skim milk

"Big Workout" 8 from Y

OBJECTIVE
8 mi. w/5x2 min.@CV (6:40) & 2 min. active recovery (non speed miles @ EZ pace 8:24 - 8:54/mi.)

ACHIEVED
8.02 mi. @ 8:29/mi. - broken down as follows:
2.43 mi. @ 8:50/mi.
2:03 @ 6:52/mi.
1:56 recovery
2:02 @ 6:32/mi.
1:57 recovery
2:00 @ 6:30/mi.
2:59 recovery
2:00 @ 6:27/mi.
1:59 recovery
1:59 @ 6:24/mi.
2:03 recovery
3.00 @ 8:31/mi.

5:26AM 73° 93% 0 mph

Good run this morning. It felt like the pace for the speed sections was better dialed in than last week. I missed the split on the first rep but once I got going I was under for the remaining 4 reps. I wondered how this was going to impact my 3-mile return but I was able to increasingly pick up the pace to finish the run. I seemed to notice a pronounced recovery over the last 3 miles. This made me wonder about my heart rate. I haven't ever monitored my heart rate during training but something was going on this morning over the final 3 miles that I think could only be quantified by a heart rate monitor. What I suspect happened is the speed sections took my heart rate up and the recovery sections were too short - by design - to fully recover. By the time I finished my fifth speed section, I needed time for my heart rate to come down. As I continued running at a slower pace, my heart rate dropped. As my heart rate dropped, I felt better and was able to gradually pick up the pace to the finish without going into oxygen deficit or overtaxing my heart. That's my theory. As I've said before, I'm not a doctor or a scientist but that doesn't stop me from spouting physiological theory about myself or the human body in general. I'm sure someone has already figured all of this out. I just need to find the source and read up on it.

Slow 3 miles tomorrow.

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, Kahsi GoLean cereal w/skim milk, apple juice & multivitamin

Easy 6 Miles on the Wimbledon Forest Loop

OBJECTIVE
4 - 6 mi. EZ (8:24 - 8:54)

ACHIEVED
6.15 mi. @ 8:48/mi.

5:09 AM 76° 87% 3 mph

Started out too slow and ended too fast today. I wanted to be around 8:50/mi. for the run which I did but the range was a bit wider than I had hoped. I wasn't running fast at the end to make the time. I was feeling pretty good and just let the pace come to me. I took the Wimbeldon Forest Loop which seemed to have a lot of traffic this morning for some reason.

Two thoughts occurred to me this morning. First, my current training approach seems better than my past ones. Previously, while only running 3 times a week, I felt like I was always "racing mentally". It wasn't that I was necessarily running fast but in my mind I was always trying to hit a certain time. In the current approach there are 4 runs each week where I'm either running "slow" or "easy". Pace isn't critical here only the miles are. It's the concept of "getting faster by training slower". Hopefully I feel the same way in a few months as the mileage piles up.

The other thought was prompted by a Runners' World article. This is going to sound odd but there have been several times over the past year+ of running when I get in the shower, there has been a strong odor of ammonia. At first, I thought maybe Paige had just cleaned the shower that day. Later, I wondered if somehow my running clothes were transferring residual laundry detergent into my skin. Failing to reach a viable explanation, I just disregarded it even though I still noticed it after runs occasionally. Well, there's an answer. So I'm taking this to be an indication that I didn't have enough carbohydrates to burn as fuel during the run AND I didn't drink enough to flush the nitrogen byproduct the "normal" way.

PRE RUN
apple juice & 1 mini powdered donut

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, @ oatmeal w/skim milk

Slow 3-Miler

OBJECTIVE
3 miles : slow

ACHIEVED
3.03 mi. @ 8:34/mi.

5:11 AM 79° 79% 5 mph

Stretched out over an easy three miles this morning. The run was uneventful except at the end of two miles my left IT band flared up in a big way! Oddly, the pain subsided shortly after it started. That hasn't happened before. My legs felt good and my cardio felt untested this morning. I was a bit faster than I wanted to be but I think that's due to yesterday's rest and an eagerness to get the week's running underway.

Tomorrow is 4-6 miles. I'm thinking I'll go 6.

PRE RUN
water

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, GrapeNuts w/skim milk

Training Schedule: June 8 - 14

Sun = Rest
Mon = 3 mi. slow
Tue = 6 mi. EZ (8:24 - 8:54)
Wed = 8 mi. w/5x2 min. CV (6:50) then 2 min. jog
Thu = 3 mi. slow
Fri = 5 mi. EZ
Sat = 10 mi. w/8 mi. EZ & last 2 mi. MP (7:55)

Solid, Solo 10-miler

OBJECTIVE
10 mi. w/last 2 mi. @ marathon pace (MP = 7:55)

ACHIEVED
10.04 mi. @ 8:39/mi. [last 2 mi. - 7:52/7:35)

5:46 AM 79° 82% 7 mph

It was tough to get going this morning but I'm glad I did. It turned out to be a good run. I went from the Y on a solo trip. I took it out slow and tried to hold the mile pace around 8:45-8:50. The morning was warm and humid. At the turn around point, I stopped at a convenience store for a Gatorade. My knee felt a little loose but I think part of that was mental now that I have a diagnosis. With about 4 miles to go, I started seeing people from the ChampionsFit group in their way out. This was helpful in that it sparked my pace at a time when I may have fallen off some.

By the time I hit 8 miles, I really wasn't sure if I would be able to slice a minute off the pace to finish strong over the final 2 miles. But once I got going, it felt good. It's the concept Jonathan has talked about before. Basically that it can be harder to go slow than it is to go faster. It's hard to explain but it held true for me today. The last two miles felt good and I was able to hit my planned for paces.

9:13/8:49/8:46/8:49/8:49/8:45/8:51/9:03/7:52/7:35

Tinman has set my EZ pace at 8:24 - 8:54 for now. My CV pace is 6:40 and my MP is 7:55.

It looks like I'll just stick with the same weekly plan I followed this week over the next 4 weeks while I'm doing rehab. That way I keep my longest run to 10 miles (in line with Dr. Cianca's orders) but still get 34 miles each week. Assuming I get a clean bill of health in 4 weeks (how's that for optimism?), I'll have a decent base to build on for my sole goal - the 2008 St. George marathon on October 4.

PRE RUN
apple juice

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

Weak Butt

Well it's official, I have a weak butt! That's not the official diagnosis.... But I'll get to that.

I finally made it to the doctor today. After dealing with the problem on the outside of my knee since November 10, I now have an understanding of the problem and the treatment. I met with Dr. John Cianca this morning. Shellie Patton recommended Cianca but I later found out that Stephanie, William, and Randy have each been to him as well. Cianca is the former medical director of the Houston Marathon and a runner himself. I found him to be very good. I liked the fact that he seemed very thorough and precise. I benefited from the fact that Dr. Cianca was being shadowed by another young doctor today. So he was explaining to her anything he was doing to me as he was doing it. After discussing my symptoms an detail, he took me through an extensive battery of physical tests. Things like squatting, hopping, balancing on one leg, etc.

So the diagnosis: iliotibial band syndrome caused by weak gluteal muscles.

The doctor was surprised that I've been able to continue running as much as I have and that the pain isn't more debilitating. To a lesser degree, he was a bit surprised that I'm only experiencing pain in one leg. He believes a regimen of physical therapy can overcome the weakness.

So the plan is physical therapy with Danni (haven't met her yet) twice a weak. I start next Friday with an evaluation. Dr. Cianca said that I can continue running but I shouldn't go over 10 miles at a time. He also suggested that I rest one day before running again. He doesn't think running will slow the progress of the therapy. For now the therapy sessions are expected to last 4 weeks.

I'm hoping this is the beginning of the end of this problem!

Four Consecutive Days ... May be a Record

OBJECTIVE
4 - 6 miles : EZ pace (8:34 - 8:54)

ACHIEVED
5.12 mi. @ 8:45/mi.

5:33 AM 81° 74% 9 mph

I managed to find the pace this morning. It actually felt pretty good. I'm somewhat surprised that I'm feeling as good as I do so far with daily running. (We'll see how the last couple miles of tomorrow's longer run goes!)

I took the York Minster loop again (same as Tuesday). There seemed to be a bit more traffic than usual this morning.

I feel much better having a target pace.

I'm visiting the doctor this morning for an evaluation of my knee / IT band issue. I'm hopeful that he's not going to shut me down.

Tomorrow is a 10-mile run that it looks like I'll be doing on my own very early.



PRE RUN
1/2 Rice Krispie treat & water

POST RUN
other 1/2 Rice Krispie treat, multivitamin, water & oatmeal w/skim milk

Recovery Run

OBJECTIVE
2 - 3 miles : slow

ACHIEVED
3.02 mi. @ 8:59/mi.

5:30 AM 81F 74% 8 mph

Legs felt a bit tired this morning but just took it easy and got the miles.

Exchanged blog posts with "Tinman" at The Run Zone regarding proper training paces. I was right that my scheduled pace for yesterday was too slow (although I hit the right times in 3 of 5 of the sets). Tinman was surprised by the BIG disparity in my 5K and 10K times. Of course, I've noted this before myself but didn't realize it's as dramatic as it apparently is. One excuse I had come up with is that I'm mentally weak the longer the race. The other reasoning is that I'm simply not properly conditioned for endurance. I think there's something to this theory. Essentially I've been following training plans that allow runners to finish a marathon rather than a plan that yields best results. Anyway, I've got revised training paces for EZ, CV, and MP runs. This should help.

Tomorrow will be 4-6 EZ miles.

PRE RUN
apple juice

POST RUN
apple juice, multivitamin, & GrapeNuts w/skim milk

Peculiar Run

OBJECTIVE
8 miles w/ 5x2 minutes @ CV pace (7:15), jog 2 minutes between

ACHIEVED
8.03 miles w/5x2 min. (see pace detail below), jog 2 min. between

6:15 AM 78° 81% 7 mph

This really was a peculiar run. I haven't done one like this before ... that I recall. After looking forward to this run, I actually had some dread going into it. But it turned out fine.

Today is Cameron's first day out of school so I didn't have to get up at a particular time. Normally that wouldn't matter and I'd just get up early like always but I actually slept in a bit today. I went to the YMCA to start my run. I like the 8-mile route that starts there since over half of it is off the streets on a paved trail.

I'm not exactly sure how fast the run is supposed to be when not running the speed portion so I really eased into this one. My legs felt a little fatigued but loosened up as I went along.

After about 2.5 miles, I hit the trail and that's where I had decided the faster portion of the run would begin. I'm sure I looked like a dork since I had my Garmin GPS on my left wrist and my Timex Ironman on my right but I wanted the Ironman to run repeating 2:00 intervals with an audible indicator. The sound on my Garmin is hit and miss so I didn't want to rely on it.

I banged out the first 2 minutes and was surprised by my comfort with the pace. I was a bit worried that this may be a trick since I still had 4 more to go. I slowed for a 2:00 jog then hit it again. The pace again felt fine. This repeated then it was time to turn around. I jogged a little extra only because I didn't want to turn around during a speed portion. After the turn, I run then jogged for two more segments. Then it was three miles back to the Y.

I wondered if I somehow miscalculated the pace of my speed segments. They seemed too easy this morning. Well, I think the beauty of this type of run hit me as I was working my way back to the Y. The speed part seemed to catch up with me. And even though I wasn't running an aggressive pace at all. I could feel the 10 minutes of blasters (for lack of a better word) that I had done. I'm curious to see if I feel the same next week.

8.03 mi. @ 8:38/mi.

2.45 mi. @ 8:53/mi.
2:02 min.@ 7:09/mi.
2:00 min. recovery
2:00 min.@ 7:11/mi.
2:00 min. recovery
2:00 min.@ 6:55/mi.
3:03 min. recovery
2:00 min.@ 6:47/mi.
2:00 min. recovery
2:03 min.@ 6:39/mi.
1:58 min. recovery
3:02 mi. @ 8:44/mi.


PRE RUN
Clif bar & water


POST RUN
water, multivitamin, oatmeal w/skim milk

Uneventful 5

OBJECTIVE
4 - 6 miles : easy

ACHIEVED
5.13 mi. @ 9:03/mi.

5:25 AM 76° 88% 7 mph

Rolled out five plus miles this morning ... Day 2 of the new training plan. Having posted the week's schedule at the beginning of the week was good because it had me thinking about today's run throughout the day yesterday. When it came time to go this morning, I felt okay and mentally seemed prepared too. Not that today's run was a big, major effort. I just seemed better prepared.

I took the York Minster Loop from the house. I haven't run that specific route for quite some time. My legs seemed heavy at different times during the run. I don't think I've fully recovered from the marathon yet. Theoretically by sometime next week, the marathon should be out of my system. Today's slow pace never challenged my cardio.

There's no such thing as wasted miles under the approach to training so this was a good run to get in the books. Tomorrow will be the first test as I include a touch of speed into a longer run. I'm already looking forward to it.

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
oatmeal w/skim milk, multivitamin @ water

Sluggish Start

OBJECTIVE
2-3 miles : slow

ACHIEVED
3.01 mi. @ 9:08/mi.

5:21 AM 75° 89% 5 mph

Felt sluggish through most of the run this morning. It may have been a bad nutrition weekend. Yesterday being the first Sunday of the month, I took the opportunity for a 24-hour fast. Sometimes this ends up being a good physical purge. Other times it's draining. I think I ended up with the latter. Coming off the fast yesterday, I ate pretty "clean" but later in the evening I junked it up. I suspect that defeats any physical benefits of the fast.

I took today's run slow and didn't look at my watch much. I ended up about right where I wanted to be pace-wise. There will be time for fast runs later in the week and my body needs to be able to complete them.

By the end of the run, I was feeling much better than the first couple miles.

PRE RUN
Clif bar, multivitamin & water

POST RUN
Oatmeal w/skim milk & water

June 1 - 7 Training Schedule

Sun: Rest
Mon: 2-3 miles, slow
Tue: 4-6 miles, easy
Wed: 8 miles including 5x2 min. @ Critical Velocity (CV) pace [7:15] with 2 minutes active recovery (jog)
Thu: 2-3 miles, slow
Fri: 4-6 miles, easy (Doctor)
Sat: 10 miles, the first 8 miles EZ and the last 2 miles at Marathon Pace (MP) [7:59]


I seemed to do much better when I laid out my week's training schedule in advance. I followed that approach religiously for last year's St. George marathon. However, after St. George I didn't blog my weekly training schedule in advance. I had it in writing but it wasn't the same. So I'll be blogging my training schedule in advance again.

Of course, I've toyed with several training systems in the past. The only one I've ever fully committed to was Runners' World's Smart Coach. I did start the Furman Institute of Running & Scientific Training before Thanksgiving but pulled off it after getting injured. Based on my observations, I'm not getting enough mileage to achieve better marathon results. I've been running just enough miles (i.e., the minimum) to complete a marathon. I need to get my mileage up this training cycle but I need to be very careful about how I go about it due to my fragile knee/IT band. High mileage isn't going to mean the same thing for me as it does for others. It's a relative concept. I've run my prior two marathons after peaking at around 35 miles per week. That's not enough for the result I'm seeking. The number of miles matter. It's been confirmed over and over to me by Jack McClintic, Sasha Pachev, and Jonathan Bennett. Jack's and Jonathan's performances really took off once they upped their mileage. And Sasha is adamant that unless you're running at least 50 miles per week, you shouldn't be running a marathon. So I'm going to work on stretching my mileage out.

As for a plan, I'm somewhat following a Jack Daniels approach with some seemingly practical modifications I've culled from various blogs. In other words, I'm making this up as I go. This first week will be a test run. I'll observe how my body is responding and recovering. Over the last two weeks I've run 14.5 and 21 miles as a "reverse taper" coming off the marathon. This week's schedule takes me back up to 30-36 miles. I really need to focus on the slow and easy runs being just that - SLOW and EASY or else I'm sure I won't recover in time for the next run. The focus right now is on miles not speed. All of the conversion tables suggest I have plenty of speed to achieve my desired marathon time. But as I move up in distance, my equivalent marathon time slows dramatically. Therefore, I need endurance. By increasing my mileage, I should be able to increase my overall endurance. If I need to circle back later in the cycle to build speed, I think I'll be able to.

Finally, since this is a trial run, if I'm not responding well, I'll adjust. Ultimately, I necessary I'll pull back to one of the minimal mileage plans but that's not the plan for now.

Also this week, I'll be visiting Dr. John Cianca on Friday. I look forward to seeing him and am hopeful of getting a course of action that will clear up my knee once and for all.

10-miler

OBJECTIVE
10 miles : no pace

ACHIEVED
9.85 mi. @ 8:21/mi.

6:14 AM 75° 85% 2 mph

Ran with Stephanie's group this morning. Stephanie was gone for her honeymoon but today's group included: Stacey, Randy, Jonathan, Miranda, Laurie, William, and me.

The group was scheduled for 13.5 but Jonathan and I cut it short. He's probably running with the Tornados tomorrow and I had to hustle back to the house to help Cameron get ready for his first day on the job. He's umpiring 9-year old baseball games this morning. Both he and Paige were nervous (he did just fine).

My legs felt okay today but my overall fitness didn't. Jonathan and Stacey picked up the pace to around 8 minute miles over the middle part of the run and I felt pressed. My cardio didn't seem to be there nor my legs. This run was tougher than it should have been.


PRE RUN
Kashi Go Lean cereal w/skim milk and multivitamin

POST RUN
Clif bar and water

Quick 3

OBJECTIVE
run

ACHIEVED
3.02 mi.@8:15/mi.

5:01 AM 70° 83% 0 mph

Nothing special about today's run. I played basketball for an hour and a half last night. I haven't played in a long time. It was good to get out again. Sometime ago I read that distance running reduces jumping ability. I don't recall the source or biomechanical details. I did notice that I seemed to have difficulty getting two feet off the ground at the same time last night. Being honest with myself, it might not be the running .... It may be that 41-year old guys just aren't supposed to jump! Not that I ever had an amazing vertical but there was a time when I could get off the floor a bit.

I wasn't sure when I would wake up this morning and didn't set an alarm. I figured if I woke up early enough, I'd run. If not, I'd go out tonight or tomorrow. I woke up around 4:50, tossed a bit then figured I had time for 3 miles.

I haven't checked the weather this morning but I'm guessing I'll find the temperature was slightly cooler and the humidity was noticeably lower. It was pleasant. Weather supposed to stay the same for a while ... lows in the 70's, highs in the 90's.

The only thing I noticed was my legs felt a little tweaked from the lateral movement playing basketball last night. I tried to keep the pace comfortable and just enjoy being out. It was a good start to the day.

I'm not sure what's going to happen for this weekend's running. Steph's wedding was last weekend. I don't know about the honeymoon plans but I'm guessing she's out of town. If that's the case, the question becomes will anyone pick up the slack and plan a run in her absence. I'm also not sure what the renegade Spring runners are doing. Bob Bond is running the San Diego marathon Sunday so he'll be out of town. I think a couple of the other guys are nursing injuries. Jonathan has picked up with the Tornados running club so I doubt he's going to want to do anything. I may be left on my own ....

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
SlimFast & multivitamin

Stretching the Legs over a Morning Run

OBJECTIVE
stretch legs over a few miles

ACHIEVED
4.08 mi. @ 8:32/mi.

4:52 AM 70° 88% 0 mph

Left knee was achy today but loosened slightly over the run. (Maybe it was Monday's hills or residual marathon damage ...?) Other than that my legs seemed to have a little spring during the second half. I suppose I'm still recovering from the marathon.

I set an appoint with Dr. John Cianca. I'll meet with him on Friday, June 6 (the earliest I could get in). He's the former medical director of the Houston Marathon and a runner himself. I know at least three people who have used him and they have had good success with his diagnostic techniques and therapies. Ironically, my formal training for the St. George marathon begins in earnest June 9.


PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
SlimFast & multivitamin
Later, GrapeNuts w/skim milk

Will's Hills w/Cam & Rory

OBJECTIVE
run a bit

ACHIEVED
WU
2 x 1100-660-430 + 1100
CD

5:34 AM 79° 84% 5 mph

Rory and Cameron went with me to run Will's Hills this morning. It's Memorial Day so they are out of school and I'm off work. As usual we didn't know what the workout was until we got there. An 1100 meter loop with a couple relatively small hills was laid out. The workout was to run the full loop then take a 3 minute break. Run approximately 660 meters then take a 2 minute break. Run the remaining 430 meters then take a 1 minute break. After completing this circuit, we repeated it then followed it with a final 1100 meter loop.

It was a good workout. My knee felt "stressed" but not over-strained. Rory and Cam each ran well. Here are my approximate splits with breaks in parenthesis:

4:43 (2:59) 2:03 (2:01) 1:38 (0:54)
4:34 (2:30) 2:39 (2:00) 1:45 (1:17)
4:39

PRE RUN
Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk

POST RUN
SlimFast & Clif bar

Back with the Saturday Group

OBJECTIVE
run some miles

ACHIEVED
7.12 mi. @ 8:35/mi.

6:40 AM 82° 74% 9 mph

I ran from Memorial Park with Stephanie's group this morning. There was quite a group today: Steph, Laurie, Randy, Shellie, Stacey, Miranda, Jonathan, William, and me. Stephanie's wedding is later today so I think that contributed to the attendance this morning. On one hand, it's surprising to me that she'd run this morning ... on the other hand, it's not surprising at all.

Originally I thought I may stretch it out longer today but found the miles a bit difficult even though the pace was modest. This just reminded me that I'm still recovering from last Saturday's marathon effort. I believe there's a rule of thumb suggesting that it takes one day for each mile raced to fully recover. Therefore, I've still got 19 days of recovering. This is similar to how the first week after the St. George marathon went too ... if I recall correctly. The week after the marathon I was surprised by how good I felt. I had a few runs and wondered what the big deal with recovery is. But the second week has a different story. It was like it all caught up with me. I'll be curious to see how I feel over the next week.

It was good to talk with Jonathan again. I wasn't that eager to see the rest of the group because I knew it would mean reporting on the marathon but no one really pressed and everyone seemed forgiving; acknowledging that "bad races happen".

PRE RUN
Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk

POST RUN
SlimFast

OBJECTIVE
run

ACHIEVED
4.02 mi. @ 8:02/mi.

Stretched it out over to Stuebner-Airline and back this morning. Left knee was a bit balky and legs still seemed tired.

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
SlimFast, oatmeal w/skim milk

Post Marathon Run

OBJECTIVE
stretch legs & clear muscle soreness; test left knee

ACHIEVED
3.53 mi. @ 8:04/mi.

6:33 AM 72° 89% 7 mph

With mixed emotions, I hit the pavement this morning. Jonathan ran Sunday morning in Utah but my knee wasn't ready for that. I took my running clothes to work yesterday thinking I'd run downtown before going home. Ultimately I didn't feel ready. Finally, this morning after dropping Cameron off, I made my way over to the gully trail for a run. I wasn't concerned about time or distance; just wanted to see how I felt. There was muscle soreness in my quads and calfs but not as much as I thought there would be. My knee was achy but okay once it warmed up.

I've got a lot of things to sort out with my running. I'm going to take it slow. I requested a physician referral from a doctor who works with Power in Motion. I need to get the knee figured out before I go long again.

PRE RUN
GrapeNuts w/skim milk

POST RUN
SlimFast

Not-so-Pleasant Reality

OBJECTIVE
3 mi.@8:15/mi.

ACHIEVED
3.01 mi./8:07/mi.

5:07 AM 66° 94% 4 mph

This run was supposed to be an easy confidence-builder. It wasn't. My knee was a problem the entire run and didn't really loosen up. I struggled to hold the easy pace. I did notice that breathing in a 4 exhales then 4 inhales sequence causes me to run faster than a 6 x 6 sequence. I remember reading that a long, easy run should be around 3 x 3.

The pre-race psychosis seems to have me in a downward spiral. Some facts: 26.2 is a huge challenge for me on my best day. The odds of having even a good day seem to be diminishing. My training cycle has not been as consistent as I would like. I have at least one undefined injury. I run with fast people. I read blogs of fast people. I think I've tricked myself into thinking I'm faster than I really am. I'm still very new to this sport.

PRE RUN
water

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, calcium, vitamins A&D & glucosamine

Pitiful

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Tempo run @ 6:53/mi.

ACHIEVED

WU 0.97 mi.
3.01 mi. @ 7:11/mi. [6:55, 7:26, 7:12]
CD 1.03 mi.

7:12 AM 75° 89% 1 mph

The good news is that my legs felt fine. The bad news is that I was slow and laboring. At this point, I'd like to feel strong and powerful. The marathon is 3 days away and I've been tapering. I hoped that I would feel fresh but it wasn't the case. Maybe it was the humidity ... ?

It rained last night and the morning air was heavy. I drove to Faulkey Gully after dropping Cameron off late. Rather than park in the mud just off Louetta, I drove to a neighborhood swimming pool and crossed the bridge over to the trail.

1 mile warmup took me to the end of the trail where I started the tempo. Slightly slower than target over the first mile. Working hard. Wasn't able to hold pace over Mile 2. Made the turn back and continued to slow over last mile. Walked about 1/2 mile then cooled down over 1 mile. Thorough stretch back at the car.

PRE RUN
Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk

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

Stretching It Out

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. @ 8:15/mi.

ACHIEVED
3.01 mi. @ 7:46/mi.

57F 72% 4 mph

I felt okay this morning other than a balky left knee. It wasn't painful; just "tired". I haven't felt that before. The weather was good. The pace felt comfortable as I picked it up over the short effort.

I've got a tempo run on Wednesday then another short, easy run Thursday. I've got a massage scheduled for Thursday afternoon. I'm hoping to get that calm feeling that I found the week leading up to St. George. Oh that reminds me, I was selected in the St. George lottery Friday so that will be my fall marathon this year. I'm looking forward to going back.

PRE RUN
2 FRS chews & water

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin & water
Later, GrapeNuts w/skim milk

Race Attire

Some of the fun of a big race is deciding what I'm going to be wearing.

Here are my options for the upcoming Ogden Marathon:



Power in Motion is the running group I started with in March 2007. I met several runners who have since become great friends. Jonathan Bennett started running with "PIM" the same day I did. He is a very good runner who continues to improve. Recently he ran an 18:32 5K! He'll be running with me in Ogden. One of our PIM coaches was Stephanie Burlet who leads Saturday long runs. She and her group were patient with me as I learned how to "cover the distance."



The Continental Airlines running team is known as the CAL Runners. I'm very loosely affiliated with the group. Occasionally I run races where the team has a designated number of entries. Last year I tentatively planned to go to Sydney, Australia with the team but the scheduling didn't work out. This fall they're going to Toronto. Maybe that one will work better for me ... ???



Fastrunningblog.com is an excellent runners' resource. There is a discussion board there and a place to log your own training runs and races. Blog members include a few Olympic Trials marathon qualifiers and other highly accomplished runners. The great thing about the community is that they all willingly share training tips and information. Don't be surprised to see several of the top finishers in Ogden wearing the colors of the fastrunningblog.com racing team.



Okay, this one's my latest running sponsor Big Foot Farms. There will be about 30 "members of the team" around on Saturday. A few of us are even running! So far as I can tell the runners include:

Wendy (sister)
Michael (brother-in-law)
Brandon (brother-in-law)
Paige (wife)
Cameron (son)

I think some of my nieces and nephews and perhaps others will be running in the 5K and Kids K events. (The bright red shirts should help us find each other!) Don't forget the Big Foot Farms slogan everyone ... "Run 'til you're Done!"

I also think my cousins: Amy, Julie, Stephanie, and Matt will be running too.

Okay so what am I wearing?

Big Foot Farms warm up shirt (red)
CAL Runners singlet (white)
Adidas running shorts (navy) [picked up pair of RaceReady shorts on Saturday which are great; since they haven't "gone long" with me yet, I won't wear them in Ogden.]
Mizuno Wave Rider 10 shoes (red, white & blue)
Champion gloves (optional)

Final Saturday before Ogden

OBJECTIVE
8 mi. @ 8:15/mi.

ACHIEVED
10.14 mi. @ 8:22/mi.

6:37 AM 76° 87% 6 mph

It was a good run today. This was the last long run before the marathon. Jonathan and I joined Stephanie's group which included Miranda, Stacey Almond, Randy, Josh, William, and Stewart.

My legs felt good today. The pace generally felt slow. The humidity made the air heavy so it seemed the group was slowed by it somewhat. The group was scheduled for 13 miles which was more than I wanted to go today. Jonathan and I broke it off early at just less the 8 miles. We picked up the pace over a couple hills as we worked the 2+ miles back to his house. We got water then Julie drove us back to Memorial Park.

Overall this was a positive run in preparation for next Saturday.

PRE RUN
oatmeal w/skim milk, multivitamin & powdered FRS w/water

POST RUN
water
Later, SlimFast & Clif bar

3 Mile Tempo Run on Faulkey Gully

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. tempo @ 6:53/mi. 5 mi. total w/WU & CD

ACHIEVED
WU 1.07 @ 9:20/mi.
3.02 @ 6:50/mi. (6:51/6:49/6:52/0:08)
CD 1.48 @ 9:27

6:34 AM 71° 86% 5 mph

This run was on the schedule for yesterday but it didn't happen which I believe may have worked out for the best.

I finally went for a massage yesterday. I had the RMT work deep tissue on my legs and feet focusing on the IT band area. I must say that there were times when it hurt so bad that I wanted to scream but instead just grit my teeth telling myself that it was for the best and that I'd feel better later. I was right. I did feel much better the rest of the day. In fact, my legs felt better than they have in a long time. I scheduled another session for next Thursday (the day before leaving for Ogden) and may get another one early in the week. Who knows why I waited so long to do this!

Today's run started late due to a later-than-planned evening last night. Long story; short - I ended up playing basketball until about 9:30 then came home to watch the Jazz-Lakers game. I only stayed awake for the first quarter. After dropping Cameron off for his early morning, before-school activities, I usually just head to work. Today I dressed to run, dropped him off then drove a couple miles to the trail along Faulkey Gully. The gully trail isn't new. Whenever I run from the YMCA, I catch it two miles in to my run. I figured since I was running later commuter traffic would be bad and I didn't want to be on a road. The gully trail is a two-mile pavement trail with a few bends along the way.

I took an easy mile warm up. I didn't feel particularly good or bad. I did introduce a figure 4 stretch to my pre run routine that a woman at the RMT office showed me for ITB. It really hits the glutes. I did notice a general looseness in my legs during the warm up.

I took a very short break at the top of the trail. The tempo run called for 6:53 miles. I wondered if I could maintain it. A guy walked by with his dog and off I went. As usual, I started way too fast. After a quarter mile, I was easing slightly to get back to 6:51 for the first mile. I figured the fast start may have doomed Miles 2 and 3 for me.

My legs generally felt good. Early in Mile 2 the trail dips under a bridge for Louetta Road. I remembered Jonathan's encouragement to keep my knees down a couple weeks ago when we were running League Line Road. The downhill was too short to be a true test of downhill technique but I tried to keep the momentum on the corresponding uphill side. I passed a few walkers and runners along the way. It was a very nice morning. At the end of the trail, I made the turn. I was a bit slow for Mile 2 so I picked it up. After hitting 6:49 for Mile 2, I started Mile 3.

I was getting a bit tired but focused on breathing and form over much of Mile 3. I tried to "lean forward from my ankles" and to put slightly more energy "into the ground". I felt good. My legs were fine. I thought I should feel worse than I did. ... I don't know .... It was strange. My mind was telling me that I wouldn't be able to sustain the pace due to my overzealous start. Mile 3 came in at 6:52.

This was a good run for me. I took an easy cool down then stretched really good including the newly introduced figure 4 on the hood of my car. I drove home, got ready for work, and arrived in the office much later than I should have.

PRE RUN
Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk, water & 2 FRS chews

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, 5-grain oatmeal w/skim milk, water & multivitamin

Future blog topic reminders

No more negative thoughts for marathon.
Time goal & course strategy/study
Which running team?

Sluggish

OBJECTIVE
5 mi. @ 8:15

ACHIEVED
5.85 mi. @ 8:17

7:32 PM 70° 78% 6 mph

This was a strange run. I was real sluggish at the start and stayed that way for about 2 1/2 miles. From that point, I loosened up and found some rhythm. My legs seemed sore but the knee wasn't uncomfortable. I could tell it wasn't 100% but it wasn't a factor.

My weekend nutrition and sleep weren't that great so I attribute my sluggishness to Cinco de Mayo (i.e., too much Mexican food!).

PRE RUN
2 doughnuts

POST RUN
water, 2 hamburgers, & 2 chocolate milk

Tough 12

OBJECTIVE
12 mi. @ 8:15

ACHIEVED
11.64 mi. @ 8:29

7:08 AM 76° 79% 5 mph

Ran with Stephanie's group this morning. It was good to be back with them. Today's group included Randy, Josh, Laurie, and Steph. It's been a long time since I've joined them for a Saturday long run.

The pace started slow which I was thankful for. Steph ran the Boston Marathon but had a challenging experience. The other three finished the Arizona Ironman under difficult conditions recently and may not have fully recovered yet. Around 6 miles, my left knee started bothering me. The whole sensation is rather ominous for me now because I have experience with how it progresses. From that point until we finished, I wasn't sure if I would be able to complete the run. There were times when in really bothered me and other times when it wasn't too bad. It was worst when starting after a couple water stops.

I'm not sure what this means for Ogden but feel like the goal is changing. I've stubbornly held to the plan but with a couple weeks left and no sign of improvement with the knee, a revision seems to be the prudent thing. I'm still hoping for a miracle but have nothing tangible to support that expectation. Stay tuned for more on developments ....

PRE RUN
oatmeal w/skim milk & water

POST RUN
SlimFast, Clif bar, & water

Physical problem persists.

4.01 @ 9:10/mi.