I'll see your wager ... and raise you 5 Miles ...

OBJECTIVE
9 mi.@ 7:46-8:36

ACHIEVED
14.01 mi.@ 8:26

7:04 AM 32° 88% 1 mph

Interestingly run today. First, I was scheduled for 9 miles. Second, the group was fragmented with some up in Huntsville and those still in town seemed to each want a different distance and to start at a different time. Third, records were set yesterday as snow flew in Houston for the earliest day in recorded history (and there was a hard freeze overnight).

So this is how the day went down: Laurie, Jonathan, and I met at 7 for two loops at Memorial before meeting others at 8. After one loop, Michelle joined. After two loops, Jonathan left and Augie, Josh, William, and ??? joined us. At that point, I had 5.75 miles. I figured I'd go out 2 miles with the group then come back alone as they continued on for ~8 more miles. Instead, I was enjoying the conversations and was feeling good so I stayed with the group to the cleaners on San Felipe (~4 miles out). From there, I broke back to the park alone and ended with 14 miles.

It was quite cold when we started. The high humidity caused the cold to cut right through.

It was good to see Jonathan. I hadn't seen him since Mile 23 at the New York City marathon over a month ago. I enjoyed catching up a bit and hearing his NYC experience (although it wasn't pretty).

PRE RUN
oatmeal w/brown sugar & 1% milk

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, huevos divorcaidos with chicken, chips, salsa & water

Just Like Christmas Morning ....

OBJECTIVE
5.5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36

ACHIEVED
5.65 mi.@ 8:09

5:34 AM 41° 58% 4 mph

Just like Christmas morning .... I broke out my tights and thinsulate running pullover for the first time this season. That was the fun part of my fun. The disappointing part is that I was overdressed - too hot! Outside temperate = 40°. Yes, I've been conned by the local meteorological hype! It's going to snow in Houston! The sky is falling! Aliens are invading ....

PRE RUN
weight=165.5

POST RUN
water, multivitamin & frost mini wheats w/1% milk

Dana Point Pictures

Here's a link to pictures from the Dana Point Turkey Trot 10K last week >>>Click Here<<<.

Kickin' It Up a Notch

OBJECTIVE
dynamic stretching warm up
5.5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36 w/6x75 sec intervals @ 6:11 "sprinkled in"

ACHIEVED
5.72 mi.@ 7:46 w/6x75 second mixed in (5:45 5:57 6:06 6:07 5:55 6:02)

5:14 AM 38° 89% 0 mph

Kicked it up a notch today. No, I didn't break any land speed records I just got into the workout mentally rather than just rolling up time and distance.

Of course the speed play is intended to provide the physiological benefit of using different muscles AND enhancing the ability to recover while still running.

Typically, I let the recovery pace fall off as I get ready for the next burst. I didn't allow myself that luxury today. I pushed the recovery pace to the fast end of my typical base pace. In the process of forcing my body to recover under some stress, I inadvertently trained by brain that "faster is doable". I need more days like this.

Keep running = keep learning!

PRE RUN
weight=166

POST RUN
water, multivitamin & oatmeal w/brown sugar & 1% milk

OBJECTIVE
5.5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36

ACHIEVED
5.67 mi.@ 8:11

5:10 AM 45° 91% 3 mph

A nice cool morning. I felt pretty good making the York Minster Loop + once around my block.

PRE RUN
weight=165.5

POST RUN
water, multivitamin & Kashi GoLean cereal w/1% milk

Chasewood Garage

OBJECTIVE
dynamic stretching warm up
1.5 mi. warm up @ 8:37-9:46
6x75 sec. hill repetitions @ 5:50 w/2 min. active recoveries
1.5 mi. cool down @ 8:37-9:46

ACHIEVED
dynamic stretch
1.55 mi. WU
6x75 sec.@ ~5:50 w/2 min. active recoveries
1.53 mi. CD

5:40 AM 49° 77% 2 mph

Didn't feel nearly as good today as I did yesterday. Running is like a box of chocolates ....

PRE RUN
weight=165.5

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin & oatmeal w/almonds, flax, brown sugar & 1% milk

OBJECTIVE
5.5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36
2x20 sec. high knees
2x20 sec. bounding

ACHIEVED
5.67 mi.@ 8:04
2x20 sec. high knees
2x20 sec. bounding

5:03 AM 51° 93% 4 mph rain

It was a rainy morning with a cool wind out of the north. However, I felt really good. Not sure what to attribute it too ... ? Maybe turkey, pumpkin pie, and napping. ;-)

PRE RUN
weight=165.5

POST RUN
water, multivitamin & oatmeal w/brown sugar & 1% milk

Training Schedule: November 29 - December 5

Proprioceptive Cue: Scooting

SUNDAY - Rest

MONDAY - Base Run + Drills
5.5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36
2x20 sec. high knees
2x20 sec. bounding

TUESDAY - Hill Repetitions
dynamic stretching warm up
1.5 mi. warm up @ 8:37-9:46
6x75 sec. hill repetitions @ 5:50 w/2 min. active recoveries
1.5 mi. cool down @ 8:37-9:46

WEDNESDAY - Base Run
5.5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36

THURSDAY - Fartlek Run
dynamic stretching warm up
5.5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36 w/6x75 sec intervals @ 6:11 "sprinkled in"

FRIDAY - Base Run
5.5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36

SATURDAY - Base Run
9 mi.@ 7:46-8:36

I'm in Dana Point 45 minutes before the 10K. Not sure what will happen. I would like to run a sub-40 10K but today won't be the day for that ... February. I've done no speedwork since September and am still in the early build phase of my marathon cycle I'm 7 pounds heavier than racing weight. Today's course has 4 U turns and 4 right angle turns. I also had a terrible night's sleep last night. No of this gives reason for a fast time. However it is flat, at sea level and this morning's weather is fantastic.
This should serve as a good gauge of where I'm at. My secret hope is to run 40:30. This would allow me to drop down to a faster level in my training program.

I'll report back later.

OBJECTIVE
4 mi.@ 7:47-8:36
2x20 sec. high knees
2x20 sec. one-leg hop

ACHIEVED
4.03 mi.@ 8:07
2x20 sec. high knees
2x20 sec. one-leg hop

4:49 AM 47F 98% 0 mph

Felt fine this morning. This is a scheduled tapering week during the Base Phase. It comes at a good time with the Thanksgiving holiday taking me out of my regular routine.

PRE RUN


POST RUN
water, multivitamin & Kashi GoLean cereal w/1% milk

Big Group

OBJECTIVE
8 mi.@ 7:47- 8:36

ACHIEVED
11.40 mi.@ 8:30

6:11 AM 53F 90% 4 mph light rain

Enjoyed the company of a big group today: Steph, Augie, Laurie, Jill, Michelle, Stuart, Josh, Randy, John, and me. It was fun to slog around in the company of friends. It had rained quite a bit during the night and rained lightly off and on throughout our run. I felt good today. I was only scheduled for 8 miles but ended up getting some "extra credit". It's hardly worth the drive downtown to run less than 10.

PRE RUN
Wheaties w/1% milk

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, Clif bar

OBJECTIVE
5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36

ACHIEVED
5.17 mi.@ 8:12

5:30 AM 62° 96% 5 mph light rain

Legs felt a bit beat up today. I'm not sure if it was yesterday's stretching or the fartlek.

Mentally working through next week's schedule and race goals since I'll go traveling and feasting on turkey.

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
water, multivitamin & low-fat granola w/1% milk

OBJECTIVE
Dynamics stretching warm-up
5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36 w/6x45 sec. intervals @ 5:50 "sprinkled in"

ACHIEVED
dynamic stretch
5.01 mi.@ 7:51
(5:56 5:42 5:34 5:36 5:49 5:54)

6:27 AM 51° 81% 0 mph

Got a late start so I had to modify the route in an attempt to minimize incursions with traffic. Mixed in 6x~45 second blasters at ~5:45 pace. After having an oddly difficult time getting out of the house this morning, this run went surprisingly well. Gotta love it when that happens.

PRE RUN
weight=164.5

POST RUN
water, multivitamin & oatmeal w/flax, almonds, brown sugar & 1% milk

At Least My Run Went Okay ...

OBJECTIVE
5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36

ACHIEVED
5.14 mi.@ 8:16

5:25 AM 46° 75% 1 mph

I'm supposed to be in Chicago today but fate didn't smile kindly upon me. After this morning's cool run on slightly-heavy legs. I left the house for the airport. I gave myself plenty of time and had been monitoring traffic before leaving. After driving 2 miles from the house, I got on the freeway and immediately came to a dead standstill in a place that has never been slow in the +10 years I've been driving. Realizing this wasn't normal, I took evasive action - exiting the freeway and working my way along side streets. It seems everyone else in Houston employed the same tactic! It took me 45 minutes to go 5 miles. Later I learned there was a car fire on the freeway. Long story short, I hustled to the airport, through security, to the gate and barely missed the flight. In fact the plane was still sitting there at the gate. It's the first flight I've missed in my life. Very frustrating!

I hung around the airport waiting to go standby on another flight but that didn't work out either.

This is all very disappointing and embarrassing.


PRE RUN

POST RUN
water, multivitamin & Kashi GoLean cereal w/1% milk

Back in the Garage

OBJECTIVE
Dynamic Stretching
2 mi. warm-up @ 8:37-9:47
6x45 sec. hill repetitions @ 5:50 w/2 min. active recoveries
2 mi. cool-down @ 8:37-9:47

ACHIEVED
dynamic stretch
2.12 mi. WU
7x45 sec. hill repetitions @ ~5:50 w/~2 min. active recoveries
2.07 mi. CD

total time = 59:42
total distance = ~6.02 (???) (not sure the GPS registered correctly while in parking garage)

5:27 AM 43° 85% 0 mph

For today's hill repeats, I drove to the Y. It was a cool morning so I broke out the beanie and gloves for the first time this season. I did two loops of the soccer fields to warm up. This was a little eerie given how dark it was running along the treeline. From there, I made my way over to the Chasewood parking garage. We don't have many options for hill running here so this is one of the alternatives I've conjured for myself. It's not perfect but it's better than nothing. The Chasewood garage is six stories high and if I get there early enough there's no traffic in the garage.

I hammered out my 45 second blasters. They actually felt surprisingly easy today. I lost track of how many I had done and ended up doing 7 instead of the scheduled 6. I would go up hard for 45 seconds then come down real easy for 120 seconds. Midway through I was surprised to see a couple other runners coming up while I was going down. It was Susan Cline and a friend. She was the one who told me about the Chasewood garage about a year ago.

I cooled down back to the Y and unwound with two more laps of the soccer fields. Overall, I felt pretty good today.

Once I uploaded my Garmin back at the house, I was disappointed, but not surprised, to see that there apparently wasn't good reception while I was in the garage. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. After all, I was inside I concrete building .... The result being I'm not too certain of my splits. However, it seems the closer I got to the top of the garage the better the reception was. If those splits were accurate (questionable), I easily hit all of my repeats at the prescribed 5:50 pace.

PRE RUN
apple juice

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin & oatmeal w/almonds, flax, brown sugar & 1% milk

OBJECTIVE
5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36
2x20 sec. stiff-legged run
2x20 sec. running no arms

ACHIEVED
5.12 mi.@ 8:12

5:00 AM 70° 92% 2 mph

Felt a bit sluggish today. About 3 minutes after I finished, it started raining. For some reason I forgot (???!!?!) to do my post run drills.

PRE RUN
weigth=163
apple juice

POST RUN
apple juice, multivitamin & GrapeNuts w/1% milk

November 15-21 Training Schedule

SUNDAY
Rest

MONDAY
Base Run + Drills
5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36
2x20 sec. stiff-legged run
2x20 sec. running no arms

TUESDAY
Hill Repetitions
Dynamic Stretching
2 mi. warm-up @ 8:37-9:47
6x45 sec. hill repetitions @ 5:50 w/2 min. active recoveries
2 mi. cool-down @ 8:37-9:47

WEDNESDAY
Base Run
5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36

THURSDAY
Fartlek Run
Dynamics stretching warm-up
5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36 w/6x45 sec. intervals @ 5:50 "sprinkled in"

FRIDAY
Base Run
5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36

SATURDAY
Base Run
8 mi.@ 7:46-8:36

OBJECTIVE
6 mi.@ 7:46-8:36

ACHIEVED
9.98 mi.@ 8:49

6:04 AM 66° 81% 2 mph

Got back with the group today. They were running 15 miles and my schedule only called for 6. The easiest break off point for me was 10 miles so that's what I was in for. The pace was easy and the weather was very comfortable. Along for the ride today was Augie, Michelle, Josh, William, Randy and me.

PRE RUN
frosted mini wheats w/1% milk

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin, & frosted mini wheats w/1% milk

Anyone Know a Good Place to Stay in Boston?