Unmitigated Disaster

OBJECTIVE
Long Run 16 mi. @ 8:25 min./mi.

ACHIEVED
15.64 mi. @ 10:23 min./mi. (2:42:35)

8:24 AM 67° 87% 2 mph

To say this run didn't go well would be a gross understatement! I wasn't feeling particularly motivated this morning but finally made it out. I drove to Memorial Park to use a 16-mile route that the group ran back in July. I was vaguely familiar with the route but had it programmed into my Garmin so I knew where to go.

I didn't feel too good right out of the gate. But after the first mile started feeling better, got into a good rhythm, and picked up the pace. Things were fine through 6 miles. It was a beautiful morning and even my negative thoughts had dissipated. Then my left knee started bothering me. I find it interesting that this is about the exact same distance that it started giving me a problem last Saturday. I just figured I'd "tough it out". After all I only had about 10 miles left (stupid idea!). Somewhere during the seventh mile, I stopped for a quick drink and a good stretch. When I started back up, everything felt fine. I figured I was good to go. But a short time later the knee was giving me trouble again. After arguing with my ego during the eighth mile, I decided I had better shift to the Galloway method of alternately walking and running ... maybe that would help. Soon thereafter I degenerated into mostly walking and when I did run I was reduced to a slow jog due to my throbbing knee. To add insult to injury, I was running alone and wasn't familiar with the area. So although I knew a direct line back to the park and my car would be much shorter, I couldn't risk getting lost in an unfamiliar area so the second half of my planned 16-miler now turned into a hike rather than a run. Fortunately, the knee wasn't much trouble when walking.

This led me to ponder the following question:

Is

A Bad Run > No Run

a true statement?

I decided that a bad run is better than no run if only because it allows me to savor the good days!

Here's the breakdown of my run in by halves:

8.00 mi. @ 8:38
7.36 mi. @ 11:58

This is disappointing and I think it's attributable to the gap in my training when I was working too much during late-January and February. I'll keep working at it. Hopefully the knee is able to recover during my active training.


PRE RUN
Water & oatmeal w/skim milk
ClifBar

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water & slice of cold, cheese pizza

Un-Tempo Run

OBJECTIVE
6 mi. w/ 4 mi. Tempo Run @ 7:05

ACHIEVED
WU 1 mi.; 4 mi. @ 7:17 (29:07); CD 1.13 mi.

4:57 AM 41° 76% 0 mph

I was apprehensive about this run for a couple days. It was my first effort at speed since my latest attempt at a return to fitness.

The warm up went fine. My legs felt okay and my left ITB was only hinting of any issue. The first mile of my tempo effort went fine too. I hit my time but could already feel that making it 3 more miles while holding the pace probably wasn't going to be in the cards. I thought about cutting a mile off the run but convinced myself otherwise. If I didn't hit my times at least I'd get my planned mileage for the day.

I was surprised that I held up through the second mile. The run was going better than expected and really better than I was feeling. From there, I really lost the pace. I was running in an unfamiliar area and the streets were windy-er (is that a word?) than I anticipated. I'd tried this route one time before and ended up inadvertently cutting the run short. As I floundered around - both for directions and for pace - I finally emerged from the neighborhood onto a familiar street. I'd given up on looking at my watch and just tried to press it to the end of the fourth mile. It wasn't a surprise that my overall conditioning just wasn't there but it was still disappointing. I made a good push to the end and took some consolation that I didn't cut the run short like I had considered earlier.

My splits:

7:03 / 7:07 / 7:28 / 7:29

Obviously I've got some work to do but at least I'm not starting from scratch. I finished out the run with an easy cool down mile back to the house. I'll monitor my body - primarily legs - to see how I'm feeling after this effort. There's a long run on the schedule for Saturday but I'm going to let my body "tell" me what the right thing to do is.

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

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

Hmmmm ....

OBJECTIVE
Easy run 4 mi. @ 8:25 min./mi.

ACHIEVED
4.00 @ 8:10 min./mi.

4:36 AM 55° 50% 17 mph

I took an extra rest day trying to give my legs and more specifically my left ITB a chance to recover from Saturday's long run.

I used my ITB strap expecting the worst. I was pleasantly surprised that I really didn't have any problem with my ITB. My legs felt very fatigued around one mile in but I'm convinced that's just a lack of conditioning. A little over 1.5 miles it started raining and I expected it to burst open but it only lasted a few minutes then stopped. There was lightning dancing across the early morning sky for the rest of the run. The wind was really blowing and I noticed the return trip was more difficult going into the wind. However, once back at the house analyzing my run, I was surprised at my mile splits ... not the speed but the consistency. I was at

8:14 / 8:14 / 8:14 / 7:59

I'm sure I've never hit splits like that even on a tempo run! It was wholly unintentional as I didn't pay much attention to my watch.

I'll see how my legs feel and plan to go out for an aggressive tempo run Thursday morning. That will be the true test of my loss of conditioning and my ITB.

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

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

Ain't No Way to Train ....

OBJECTIVE
10 mi : no pace

ACHIEVED
10.13 mi @ 8:33 min/mi.

6:48 AM 42° 86% 5 mph

I just wrapped up 33 consecutive days in the office including a couple of back-to-back 17 hour days. This has made it incredibly difficult to stay consistent with my training.

I wanted to see how it felt today so rolled out for 10 miles. The first 6 went okay. In fact, I felt quiet strong and comfortable. Just short of 6 miles my left ITB started bothering me and got progressively worse. The pain moved into my calf and became pretty intense. I pressed on through it which I doubt was the right thing to do but I just wanted to finish a run since it's been so long.

I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to reclaim my training plan yet but I intend to ....

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

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water

Trying to Find the Tempo

OBJECTIVE
5 miles - 1 mi. WU; 3 mi. tempo@7:05/mi.; 1 mi. CD

ACHIEVED
1.00 mi. WU @ 9:06
3.05 mi. Tempo @ 7:03/mi. (21:30)
1.05 mi. CD @ 9:56

4:40 AM 39° 70% 5 mph

Just wrote a long description of this run which was lost. Don't have time to rewrite.

7:02/7:04/7:03

Run wasn't as good as it looks on paper. I have a hard time finding and holding the 7:05 pace. Pace was all over the board. At one point I was 6:15 which means I either went all the way up to 7:45 OR drifted well-above the desired 7:05 pace for an extended stretch. Need to focus on keeping pace of tempo runs in a tighter range to reap all the benefits of this type of workout. Probably reset the Garmin to .25 or .50 mile lap intervals rather than 1 mile to see if that keeps me on pace. Right now, it seems I'm either "banking" time by going fast at the beginning of each mile or "playing catch up" over the last .50 or .33 in order to "make" the pace. I don't think this is the way tempo runs are supposed to work.

PRE RUN
water & ginger snaps

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin & oatmeal w/brn sgr & skm mlk

Back in the Saddle

OBJECTIVE
Easy 5 mi. @ 8:30

ACHIEVED
5.12 mi. @ 8:19 (42:36)

5:07 AM 52° 97% Fog

Decent run this morning. Felt Saturday's long run a bit. Also, a slight tightness in my left hamstring. It's just a matter of building my fitness back up.

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

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

Where Have I Been?

OBJECTIVE
10 mi. : no pace

ACHIEVED
10.05 mi. : 8:55/mi. (1:29:39)

6:39 AM 60° 41% 7 mph

Since my last run 10 days ago much has happened. I became sick Thursday ... the day after I ran. It lasted 5 days. My fitness both literally and figuratively went down the toilet. I was starting to feel a bit better this past Monday so tried to run Tuesday morning. I made it 9/10 of a mile. It wasn't happening. I couldn't even jog home ... had to walk. My training schedule has been comprised and I missed the race I had planned on running last Saturday. Work has been extremely challenging and time consuming. I expect that will continue to be the case for a couple more weeks.

This morning I just "felt" like running. I hadn't even really planned on it. I went over to the Y and planned on 10 miles but realized there was a chance I'd be cutting it short. Two other runners invited me to run the first 3 miles with them. I wasn't eager to join them but it ended up helping me a great deal. We clocked 3 miles at 9:45/mile. They turned back and I felt good so went out 2 miles then turned back for the closing 5 miles. My pace over the last 7 miles was 8:30/mile which is where I preferred this run to be. It worked out well that I had started slow and got my feet under me.

I'm now off to work. I need to consider revising my training schedule. I am pleased that with the run today and how I felt overall.

PRE RUN
oatmeal, brwn sgr, skm mlk & water

POST RUN
Water
SlimFast
Waffles w/maple syrup & skim milk

Taste of Speed

OBJECTIVE
5 miles - 1 mi. WU, 3 mi. tempo @ 7:05/mi, 1 mi. CD

ACHIEVED
1 mi. WU @ 9:23
3 mi.@6:57/mi. (20:54)
1.10 mi. CD @ 9:03

4:19 AM 37° 48% 7 mph

This was my first speed workout in over two months. It was nice to get rolling again. I had a hard time finding the pace over the first mile+ but seemed to manage better over the last half of the run.

7:04
6:55
6:52

Once I found it I just tried to relax. I read a good thread yesterday where it was suggested that elite and semi-elite runners have the ability to shift into auto-pilot while local and recreational runners aren't able to do so. There seemed to be some agreement that relaxing was a key element to the auto-pilot concept. I remember a 5K last summer where I was kicking to the finish and seemed to find another gear when I "accidentally" stumbled upon relaxation approach. It's counter-intuitive but seems to work. Over the last half of the run today, I was pushing pace but didn't feel overwhelmed. I think this was due to relaxing. I need to remember this approach.

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

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

Enough of the Base Building Already

OBJECTIVE
6 mi.@8:30

ACHIEVED
6.06 mi.@8:26 (51:09)

4:23 AM 48° 94% 4 mph misty

I had a little residual soreness yesterday from Saturday's run but acknowledged it as a good thing.

I worked up a 1 mile extension to what has become my usual 5 mile route. I was a bit sluggish throughout today's run but nothing too bad. I started around 8:30 per mile and gradually fell off a bit. Some of that may have been the new section of my routing. I actually made a wrong turn in Wimbledon Estates resulting in cutting the route 1/2 mile short. But I tacked on a loop around the block back at the house to get to 6 miles. I picked up the last mile enough to take my average pace back under my 8:30 goal. I noticed a bit of a tweak in my right ankle and something lurking in my left knee but neither of these ended up having an impact on the run. I'm hopeful the injuries are behind me. Overall it was a pretty good run.

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, Kashi GoLean w/skim milk, multivitamin, zinc, vitamin C & water

Training Schedule: Jan 28 - Feb 3

MON - Easy Run 6 mi.@8:30
WED - Tempo Run 3 mi.@7:05 (include 1 mi. WU & 1 mi. CD)
SAT - Long Run 10 mi.@8:30

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