Hamburger

OBJECTIVE
WU 1 mi.
4x1 mi. @ 7:31/mi. (no faster) w/ 2:00 jogging rest
CD 1 mi.

ACHIEVED (all times & distances are estimates due to no Garmin today)
WU 1 mi. (9:00)
7:00/7:18/7:14/7:17
CD 1 mi. (8:56)

6:05 AM

I dropped the hammer on this one today. I think this is my last real hard run before the marathon in 10 days.

I didn't have my Garmin. Left it at work since that's the only place I can sync to MotionBased.com right now due to my lack of internet at home. I used the IronMan instead and estimated the mile marks along the Wimbledon Forest Loop. Instead of looping, I ran 3 miles out-and-back. Because school started today, I didn't want to take a chance of getting caught on Cypresswood in heavy traffic.

The workout scared me a bit. I was supposed to run the 1 mile intervals at lactate threshold BUT NO FASTER. Lactate threshold is estimated to be 10- to 12-mile race pace. I ran the attackpoint.com and runbayou.com pace converter and came up with around 7:30/mile as my 10-mile race pace equivalent. Notice that I hit each interval at significantly faster (he said like a proud parent). I know I wasn't supposed to go faster but it felt okay. It was hard but "comfortably hard". However, I was glad to be finished at 4 intervals. I justified going faster by telling myself that my last true race was a 10K in March and that I must be in better condition now than I was then. I hope this is true. I ran a 10K PR in March with a strong effort. If I'm in better shape now that gives me hope for a good marathon result.

Oh, about my title today, Hamburger. That's kind of what my legs are feeling like these days. I've been reading emails and blogs of others who will be running St. George and I keep hearing how their taper is going. People are saying things like "I love the taper."; "my legs feel ..." choose your adjective ... fast, strong, like I could fly, etc. I'm not feeling this, people. Have I screwed up my taper?

I've got a couple real easy days then 13 miles on Saturday.

PRE RUN
weight = 156
Clif bar & water

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

No More Strides

OBJECTIVE
7 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
7.10 mi.@ 8:52/mi.

5:34 AM 70° 87% 4 mph

I didn't get my scheduled 3 miler last night. My excuses are twofold: First, I got home from work after 8 pm. Second, my left IT band wasn't feeling too good. Let me take a moment to comment on each.

First, power is still out to a little over half the city. Houston is the nation's fourth largest city. The outage extends throughout Harris and adjoining counties. Most people started back to work this week. Houston traffic can be challenging under the best circumstances. With the power out, many traffic signal lights are out. Everyone knows the rule, right? Treat as a four-way stop. Most people are handling this situation correctly. But the result of the lights being out and everyone back to work is a nightmarish traffic situation. My commute into the office yesterday took 80 minutes. Going home at about 7 pm resulted in about the same commute time. Now I thought I was smart and chose to ride the bus. It has a dedicated lane. Someone who understands queuing theory better than I needs to explain to me how traffic lights that are out on surface streets cause gridlock on the freeways where no traffic lights exist ... ??? I don't get it.

As for my IT band, I think it's the strides that I introduced 9 days ago. The concept is that strides help clean up bad running form. Following a training regimen that I loosely adopted, I planned to introduce speed and strides over the last couple weeks of tapering leading to the marathon. I have felt pretty good running the strides and they're short enough that I can really "open up the throttle" without going into full oxygen deficit. But I'm convinced they're the source of my IT band issues that started gently hinting to me last week something was going on. Maybe I'm over-striding during the strides. Whatever the case, strides are now being eliminated from my routine. I can't be aggravating the weakest link in my running biomechanics (i.e., left IT band) right before the marathon. There will be plenty of time to experiment with strides after the marathon. At this point it's all about getting to the starting line healthy.

PRE RUN
weight = 158
Clif bar & water

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

Easy 3

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow
3x100 strides

ACHIEVED
3.01 mi.@ 8:46/mi.
6:26/6:16/6:00

5:17 AM 71° 86% 5 mph

Easy run this morning. Just stretching it out after Saturday's long run and Sunday's rest. Having some concern about my left IT band. It seems to be inflamed or swollen .... I really don't know how to describe it other than it feels "thick". It hasn't slowed me any yet but the fact that I'm feeling it this close to the marathon freaks me out. This is all supposed to be behind me!

Thankfully, I've got power at the house. Many of my neighbors still don't after 10 days. My biggest problem now is the storm knocked out my internet service. That won't be fixed until Wednesday at the earliest. That makes blogging difficult. But I plan to stay on top of it this week.

PRE RUN
weight = 158
nothing

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

Training Schedule: Sep. 21 - 27

Sun. Rest
Mon. 2 runs: 3 mi. Slow w/3x100 strides @ 6:31/mi.
Tue. 7 mi. Slow
Wed. 6 mi. incl. 1 mi. Easy, 4x30 strides, 4x1 mi.@7:25/mi. w/2 min. rest, 1 mi. Easy
Thu. 3 mi. Slow
Fri. 3 mi. Slow
Sat. 13 mi. Slow w/6x100 strides@6:31/mi.

15-Miler through Debris-strewn Houston

OBJECTIVE
15 mi. Easy
6x100 @ 6:31/mi.

ACHIEVED
15.08 mi.@ 8:21/mi.
7:38/6:14/6:04/6:16/5:45/6:26/?:??

6:09 AM 72° 91% 6 mph

OBJECTIVE
5 mi. Slow
3x100 strides @ 6:31/mi.

ACHIEVED
5.12 mi.@ 8:56/mi.
5:52/6:12/5:50

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
3.01 mi.@ 8:55/mi.

6:09 AM

OBJECTIVE
WU 1 mi.
4-3-2-1 mi.@ 7:55/mi. w/2 min. rest
CD 1 mi.

ACHIEVED
WU 0.26 mi.
4 mi.@ 7:44/mi.
3 mi.@ 7:49/mi.
2 mi.@ 7:47/mi.
1 mi.@ 7:50/mi.
CD 0.10 mi.

6:04 AM

This one scared me before I started and continued while in progress. I think I found out a couple things. First, this 7:55/mi. marathon pace which translates into a 3:27 marathon is going to keep my hands full. Of course, I've felt the pace before during pickups at the end of long runs. But today was the first time I sustained the pace (discounting the 2 minute standing/walking breaks between intervals). I was drifting slower over the last mile. I think that's from starting faster than necessary. The pace also requires my concentration - both mental and physical. There is no autopilot at this pace for me. This is a little disappointing because it's tough for me to stay focused like that for 3 1/2 hours. When I let my mind wander this morning, the pace fell off and I had to work to regain it.

On the positive side, this workout was a bit of a confidence booster because I think it's doable; it's just going to require a sterling effort. This seems to suggest to me that I'm targeting the right marathon time.

It was still very dark this morning as the power in still out at my house and the neighborhoods I run through. However, it's not quiet. The loud hum of generators really pieces the stillness of the early morning.

OBJECTIVE
7 mi. Easy

ACHIEVED
7.03 mi.@ 8:52/mi.

5:19 AM

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow 3x100 strides @ 5K

ACHIEVED
3.01 mi.@ 8:30/mi.

strides pace - target 6:31/mi.: 6:14/6:58/6:23

7:10 PM

Felt pretty good tonight. Still no power at the house.

I Don't Like Ike!

Just a quick note for those checking the blog to see how Hurricane Ike treated us.

We're okay. The storm was bad. Knocked down a couple trees and fence in the yard. We're still without power. Relatively speaking we came out of this one just fine.

The perspective of being in a disaster area is rather strange. There's obviously a bunch of stuff that's messed up around the area but you just do what you need to to get by.

I'll catch up with the blog again once power's restored.

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. slow w/3x100 strides @ 5K

ACHIEVED
3.01 mi.@ 9:00/mi.

5:20 AM

Didn't get the strides. Still a bunch of debris in the streets and no street lights. These familiar streets look awfully different without electricity ... even in the light of the full moon.

OBJECTIVE
6 mi. Easy

ACHIEVED
3.68 mi.@ 9:02/mi.

2:10 PM

Aborted 6 miler. Wasn't feeling it. Touring the storm-damaged area. Stopped at 3 miles and tried to start again but had nothing in the tank. Maybe lack of sleep and food ....

Hurricane Ike

The hurricane blow in HARD last night. It broke the tops out of two trees in my yard and toppled a section of fence in my backyard. The storm was VERY powerful. We're now without power.

OBJECTIVE
4 mi. Easy

ACHIEVED
4.02 mi.@ 8:57/mi.

5:10 AM

OBJECTIVE
10 mi. w/11x2 min.@ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. jog

ACHIEVED
2.42 mi.@ 9:16/mi.
2 min.@ 6:41/mi.
2 min.@ 6:38/mi.
2 min.@ 6:57/mi.
2 min.@ 6:41/mi.
2 min.@ 6:32/mi.
2 min.@ 6:45/mi.
2 min.@ 6:40/mi.
2 min.@ 6:44/mi.
2 min.@ 6:48/mi.
2 min.@ 6:46/mi.
2 min.@ 6:40/mi.
2.37 mi.@ 8:56/mi.

5:46 AM 74° 90% 3 mph

pre-run weight - 158#

Stupid is, As Stupid Does

OBJECTIVE
6-8 mi. Easy

ACHIEVED
6.17 mi.@ 9:04/mi.

4:56 AM 75F 89% 4 mph

I've been sick since Sunday afternoon. I left work around 4 Monday. Came home and slept for 11 hours straight. Tuesday, I went to work after lunch only because of a couple afternoon meetings. The day was up and down - there were times I felt okay and others that I didn't. I haven't been able to eat or drink much the past couple days and, as a result, I've dropped a few pounds. So I got home last night, grabbed a little something to eat then went to bed. I fell asleep quickly but woke up around 1:30 AM. I tossed and turned for an hour with my stomach churning while sweating and alternating between hot flashes and cold. Then I employed a self-hypnosis technique that I learned a long time ago. I rarely use it but it usually works. After an hour of this, I gave up and got up. Once moving around, I felt pretty lousy but figured I'd dress to run then see how I felt. I sat around ate and read some mail. I wasn't feeling much better and couldn't remember exactly what the old addage about running when you're sick is. So I effectively created my own. I feel lousy now so I rather than sit around and feel lousy I might as well feel lousy while running. Actually I'm pretty stressed about losing fitness at this critical juncture. I had no idea how far I was going but ended up getting 6 slow miles. I doubt it was a good idea running in my condition and my prolong my return to full health. But at least at this point I only missed one day in the cycle and I plan to make it up on Sunday.

I'm off to Dallas for a business meeting. I'd rather be going for a root canal.

PRE RUN
weight = 158#
bagel, Clif bar & Gatorade G2

POST RUN
SlimFast & vitamin

Running on Empty

OBJECTIVE
3 - 4 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
4.01 mi.@ 9:01/mi.

5:20 AM

This was a tough run. My legs and body - in general - were sore. Much more than I expected. I didn't take an ice bath Saturday like I planned which I seem to be paying for now.

Late in the day yesterday, I became sick. Everything I ate or drank went right through me. This continued throughout the night. Not sure what happened. Paige and Cameron seem to be fine health wise. I've got three theories regarding potential vectors: 1) beginning a 24-hour fast Saturday afternoon following a 20-mile run was stupid; 2) having contact with a boy at church whose whole family was home sick transferred something to me; and/or 3)going to ate waffles and ice cream at a buffet-style slop fest for 16-18-year old boys wasn't a good idea. Even though I was very careful about what I ate, in the gluttony and chaos of it all, I could have easily picked something up.

That does it looking myself in a bubble for the next 4 weeks!

I feel horrible today. Achy all over with a dull headache .... Work is at a high stress point so I don't expect to get the opportunity to relax much this week.

PRE RUN
weight = 156.5#
Gatorade G2 & 1 bite Clif bar

POST RUN
SlimFast & multivitamin
oatmeal w/brown sugar & skim milk

Training Schedule: September 7 - 13

Sun: Rest
Mon: 3-4 mi. Slow
Tue: 6-8 mi. Easy
Wed: 10 mi. incl. 11x2 min.@ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. jog
Thu: 3-4 mi. Slow
Fri: 6-8 mi. Easy
Sat: 20 mi. Easy w/6x100@6:31/mi.


Last hard week of training before the ever-so-gradual taper begins.

Last Run to Conroe

OBJECTIVE
20 mi. w/last 5 mi. pickup @ 7:55/mi.

ACHIEVED
20.01 mi.@ 8:17/mi.
last 5 mi. splits: 7:31/7:55/8:28/7:54/7:36

5:21 AM 61° 90% 0 mph

This was our last run on the hills in Conroe and it turned out to be a very good one for everybody. This morning's cooler temperature had to be the biggest factor. But I think we're all seeing the training benefit of our earlier long runs too. Along for the run today were Stephanie, Laurie, Stacey, Christina, Ann, Randy, Josh and me. We didn't have anyone driving SAG today like Manny did last time so we had to stage hydration stops before the run ourselves. Stephanie did a great job planning the route and determining locations for the stops. We had 4 stops set up; 3 which were hit multiple times. I had the third stop so left earlier than usual to get it in place before driving to our starting location. The stops are simple ... just a cooler loaded with Gatorade, water, ice and cups. The trick is stashing it somewhere that it won't be disturbed!

I felt a little sore at the outset as we ran down to the marina in the dark. The air was cool and the pace much faster than usual right out of the gate. After 2 miles to the marina, we turned back to the cars at the church. We stopped at the cars for our first break. I drank and took my first energy gel (vanilla CarBoom). The pace was still fast for the beginning of a long run but I was loosening up a bit. We went down to the marina again. On this leg, I held to the very back. Ann was showing restraint so I hung back with her as the others pressed on. At the marina, we had our second stop. On the way back to the cars, I moved to the front and talked football with Josh. He's a Virginia Tech alum and is always up for a conversation about Hokie football. We ran back in the pre-sunrise, easterly glow.

Stopped again at the cars then headed back out cutting through the neighborhood. During this leg, Laurie moved assertively to the front and stretched out on her own. Josh and Stacey followed. Randy and I hung back talking about how crazy the others were to be pressing this early in the run. The neighborhood was quiet as usual. It's a gated community so there's virtually no automobile traffic. We usually see deer, rabbits, and other wildlife in this area. Today was no exception, although I only spotted one deer and one rabbit ... a slow day by typical standards.

Coming out on the other side of the neighborhood, we hit my water stop then cut down a dead end street for a one-mile loop. At this point, I could really have used a bathroom. Randy reminded of a construction site with port-a-potties ahead but, alas, when we got there the site had changed since our last visit a few weeks ago and no port-a-johns were anywhere to be found. Great, an added mental challenge for this run!

The next leg of this run was new to me. The others ran it last time we were here but I cut my run short due to my training schedule. Generally, this section is a two-miler with long, gradual hills; up and down. Again, I hung with Randy over this leg. Josh, Laurie, Christina, and Stacey put the hammer down over this stretch. Our next water stop was at the end of this section where the road meets Highway 105. We took a lengthy break here as Laurie and Stephanie took relief at a drug store which hadn't opened yet but found a sympathetic manager.

I was feeling pretty good. We had already logged 15 miles. Once back on the road after a slow start, I decided to press to the front. Stacey and Josh once again were moving away from the group. Josh was having a great run today and Stacey is always eager to be in the lead. I reeled them in and stayed with them over the 2.3 miles back to my cooler. I actually felt really good over this leg. It always amazes me when it happens that running faster feels better than slow running during the latter stages of a long run.

After fueling up at my water stop, Stephanie pronounced that she was feeling great and was going to add on an extra mile down the dead end road. Josh, Stacey, and Ann jumped in for the extra mileage. Christina didn't stop for water and already passed heading back to the cars. Randy, Laurie and I headed back toward the finish. I stayed with them for a bit. But with only 2.5 miles to go, I wanted to finish strong since I was feeling good. I pulled away and tried to hold a 7:55/mile pace the rest of the way in. At times it was difficult and other times it felt surprisingly easy. I'm sure the terrain was part of the reason but I think there was more to it than that. I got back to the church parking lot with only 19.5 miles logged so I continued down the road a quarter of a mile then back to make it an even 20 miles.

It was a good run today. The weather, the setting, the hills, the company, the route ... everything added up to a great morning. Made it worth the 3:45 AM start!

The group stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast on our way out of Conroe.

PRE RUN
weight = 159.5#
FRS, oatmeal w/brown sugar & skim milk

POST RUN
2 SlimFast
Later, 3 pancakes, 2 poached eggs, 2 sausage patties, grapefruit juice & water

Running for Office

Little known fact of the day ... Sarah Palin has clocked a 3:59 marathon.

How about you, Senator Biden? Mr. Obama, can you put down your cigarettes long enough to train for a marathon?

Mmm ... DDT

OBJECTIVE
6 - 8 mi. Easy

ACHIEVED
6.19 mi.@ 8:56/mi.

5:05 AM 72° 83% 0 mph

I felt a little soreness this morning. I'm guessing it's yesterday's speed work and the overall mileage. The highlight today occurred about 4 miles into the run. There's a long, straight section of road that bisects Meyer Park. Today it was my pleasure to follow the mosquito abatement fogger through that stretch. This was NOT good! I know they don't use DDT anymore but my cynical mind suspects that whatever they are using today will be determined harmful to humans after a few decades use. Breathing that stuff this morning was absolutely horrific. Hopefully millions of mosquitoes were killed with today's application. I'll try to remember the common good through my bouts with nausea this afternoon!

Big run in the hills tomorrow.

PRE RUN
weight = 156.5#
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
Grape juice, multivitamin, oatmeal w/flax, brown sugar & skim milk

In Hindsight ... That was Stupid ....

OBJECTIVE
9 mi. w/11x2 min.@ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. jog

ACHIEVED
9.05 mi.@ 8:32/mi. incl.
2.41 mi.@ 9:14/mi.
6:40/mi.
6:38/mi.
6:35/mi.
6:32/mi.
6:32/mi.
6:28/mi.
6:34/mi.
6:33/mi.
6:32/mi.
6:43/mi.
6:29/mi.
1.27 mi.@ 8:41/mi.

5:47 AM 69° 80% 4 mph

This workout is ALWAYS intimidating to me before I get underway but feels great once I've got it in the bag! Today was no different. I didn't feel great starting out and wondered if I would be able to get it done. The run seems just out of reach beforehand but becomes “doable” while in progress.

There was a hint of coolness in the air this morning which was very refreshing.

The stupid thing that I did with my training was run the Nike Human Race 10K last Sunday. I should have never done it following up the 21-miler on Saturday. I think I compounded the matter with an 8-miler on Monday ... because it was Labor Day. I really needed to just stick with my schedule that has been serving me so well. The impact of 21 miles followed by 10K “race” followed by easy 8-miler was that I needed a rest ... not surprisingly. This mileage followed on the end of my highest mileage week ever. I took Tuesday to rest but need Wednesday too. That's how I ended up doing Wednesday's scheduled run today. Throughout this training cycle, I've resisted the various temptings to go race or share in a great group workout. The opportunities come up all the time and seem very enticing. But I've focused on October 4 and not been swayed ... until this past weekend. I'm mad at myself for doing it because I knew better. This skews my week a bit and could end up impacting this Saturday's long run. I just need to stick with and trust the schedule ... no extracurricular running!

Next week will be the last time I get to do this lovely workout during this cycle. I've got some other “fun” ones planned for the tapering period.

PRE RUN
weight = 159.5#
FRS chews & water

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

After Today, It's Time for a Rest

OBJECTIVE
3 - 4 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
8.02 mi.@ 8:49/mi.

8:54 AM 83° 68% 6 mph

Got a late start this morning due to Labor Day sleep in! Went to YMCA to run the 8 mile route. Legs are feeling the accumulation of miles. Last week was my highest weekly mileage ever and, with today's 8-miler, the past 3 days are my highest 3-day mileage ever.

It was a nice day to run. The temperature was warm but not unbearable and the humidity was lower than what I usually experience during my early morning runs.

I'll probably take an ice bath later today then take the day off tomorrow before getting a "big workout" on Wednesday.

I'm happy with how I've been feeling the past 10 days. I'm sure the training consistency is a big part of how I'm feeling. Not only does consistency offer physical benefit but it builds mental toughness and confidence. Just need to maintain the trend for 33 more days.

PRE RUN
weight = 160#
water, Golden Grahams cereal w/skim milk


POST RUN
water, multivitamin, oatmeal w/flax, brown sugar & skim milk

Nike Human Race 10K

OBJECTIVE
Rest

ACHIEVED
WU - 0.51 mi.
10K - 47:59

7:13 AM 79° 79% 5 mph

This "race" really wasn't part of the plan. Nike put on a worldwide 10K race today. There were something like 25 race locations around the world. If you weren't able to make it to a race location, you could use your Nike+ gear to record your race information and upload it. That way anyone, anywhere could run. A third, hybrid option presented itself. Finish Line, a running store, hosted the "race" here in Houston. It ended up being two plus loops at Memorial Park and wasn't time. I took my Nike+ gear so I could upload my time. My legs were pretty heavy given yesterday's long run. Therefore, I was planning to run this one around an 8:50/mile pace just to stretch out and experience the event.

Coincidentally I saw Jonathan right before the race started. He was supposed to be in Louisiana for the LSU football game but didn't go due to the hurricane. I ran with him and a couple of his running acquaintances. It was good to have others to take the tour with. Once we got going, I was surprised at how good my legs felt. We ran a nice even pace and I was very happy with how it turned out. Here are my mile splits:

8:00
7:55
8:00
7:50
7:49
7:16
1:06 (0.18 mi.) = 6:14/mi.

So this effectively turned into a long, slow tempo run ... ???

Disappointingly, the race shirts in my size were gone when I got there. Each runner got a shirt before the race with a unique "race number" printed on the shirts. Everyone wore their shirt for the race. It was pretty cool ... at least a good photo op for Finish Line and Nike. I ended up with a different Human Race shirt of the same bright red color.

More than ever, I believe Nike has an excellent idea with this race but the execution leaves much to be desired.

PRE RUN
weight = 159#
water, GrapeNuts cereal & skim milk

POST RUN
Clif bar & Gatorade

Aug 31 - Sep 6 Training Schedule

SUN: Human Race 10K
MON: 6 - 8 mi. Easy
TUE: Rest
WED: 9 mi. w/11 x 2 min.@ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. rest
THU: 6 - 8 mi. Easy
FRI: 3 - 4 mi. Slow
SAT: 20 mi. Easy Hills

A Bit of Editorializing

OBJECTIVE
6 - 8 mi. Easy

ACHIEVED
4.01 mi.@ 8:34/mi.

5:29 AM 73F 94% 0 mph

I flipped yesterday's and today's workout so only had 3 - 4 miles for today. I felt fine and took the old Nike+ gear out to get it calibrated just in case I run the Human Race this weekend.

Has anyone else noticed how horrible Nike's website for this event is or is it just me? I think their concept is excellent but the execution via the website is horrific. (I am not a "Nike guy" but on very rare occasion don their apparel.) For that matter, Nike's whole + system of syncing runs online using Apple's iPod is pretty bad too. I consider myself reasonably savvy when it comes it most technology. So it just seems shocking to me that a world-class name like Nike is so inept with their online offerings.

Stepping off my soapbox now ... To rest up for tomorrow's 20-miler.

PRE RUN
weight = 159#
1/2 Clif bar & water

POST RUN
1/2 Clif bar, chocolate milk, multivitamin, steel cut oats w/brown sugar & skim milk

Change of Plan

OBJECTIVE
3 - 4 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
6.17 mi.@ 8:41/mi.

4:49 AM 73F 96% 0 mph

Legs felt fine today. This was a good thing following yesterday's intervals and my lethargy late in the day. The way I was feeling also led me to a self-debate about going a little farther than planned. Over the first mile, I debated the merits of flipping today's scheduled run for tomorrow's. Shortly before reaching the turnaround for 4 miles, I decided I'd go for 6. I was feeling fine and figured my legs might deal with Saturday's 20-miler better if Friday's run was 4 rather than 6 (ultimately probably not a big deal). In addition, Nike's "Human Race" 10K is Sunday which I am considering. Monday is Labor Day which I would like to run some. All of this leads to less rest than I'm used to so I figured front-loading a couple miles wasn't a bad idea.

I was up early ... couldn't sleep. Stressed about work, I suppose.

Last night after work, I planned to catch a "training run" for the Nike race. I had scant details ... only start time and location. Long story short - I missed the group by 2 minutes, found out they were going for 5K, got back in my car and drove home. Ahhhh, the joys of living in the 4th largest city in the US. You never really know exactly how long it will take to get somewhere. However, it wasn't a total loss. I got information about the race.

PRE RUN
weight = 160#
1 chocolate macadamia nut & water

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

Wobbly

OBJECTIVE
8 mi. w/9 x 2 min.@ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. active recovery

ACHIEVED
8.38 mi.@ 8:43/mi.
WU 2.42 mi.@ 9:27/mi.
7:10/ (dodging 4 abreast joggers/walkers in the dark at the top of the trail!)
6:36/
6:30/
6:57/
6:42/
6:46/
6:44/
6:55/
6:32/
CD 1.63 mi.@ 8:42/mi.

5:23 AM 72° 97% 0 mph

I felt wobbly on my feet this morning. A sure reminder I need to continue paying attention to my physical therapy exercises.

I wasn’t mentally into this one until about half way. I didn’t check my watch much at all so I didn’t know how fast or slow the intervals were. I started counting my strides and found that somehow kept me more consistent … so long as I didn’t lose count! Synced up breathing and stride rate by counting 1-2-3-4; 2-2-3-4; 3-2-3-4, …. I would count up 20 reps then start over. Found that I couldn’t ever quite make it through 4 sets before the 2 minutes ended.

After recovering, I felt strong going back to the car at the Y.

PRE RUN
½ Clif bar & water

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin, granola w/skim milk

Just Running

OBJECTIVE
6 - 8 mi. Easy

ACHIEVED
6.18 mi.@ 8:40/mi.

5:07 AM 73F 94% 0 mph

Just my ordinary 6-miler on the Wimbledon Forest loop.  ... rather uneventful ....

I haven't committed to a marathon goal time yet.  But it seems I've been thinking about it nonstop.  I'm convinced a big part of my success in St. George last year was due to picking "the correct" time target (there were other significant factors too: running with Alex, fear of the unknown, weight training, etc.).  I also believe part of my failure in Ogden was due to picking a bad time target.  I just don't know how to pick the "right" time.  I got extremely lucky in STG.  Having said all of that gives the foundation of some of my thoughts while running today.  In summary, I'm having a difficult time envisioning myself stringing 26.2 sub-8 minute miles together.  That's based on how I've felt during recent long runs and even over my shorter runs lately.  I know the weather is going to be much more favorable.  I'll also have the benefit of a taper.  There will be race day excitement.  But I won't be running with Alex or Jonathan like my other marathons.  I haven't been weight training this cycle.  Mentally I still have questions about my IT band.  I also have the recent bad experience of walking it in at my last marathon and 30K.  This is acknowledgement of weakness and "makes it okay" to shut it down if I'm not having my best day.

I still don't know exactly what my goal time is going to be but expect it to fall somewhere between 3:40 and 3:20.  There's less than 3 weeks of hard work remaining before training shifts to the nerve whacking taper.  I'll find my goal over that time.

PRE RUN
1/2 Clif bar & water

POST RUN
chocolate milk, multivitamin, water, & GrapeNuts w/skim milk

Uneventful Stretching of the Legs

OBJECTIVE
3 - 4 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
4.02 mi.@ 8:56/mi.

4:56 AM 75F 83% 5 mph

Just stretched out over the Stuebner-Airline Loop this morning. Got decent sleep last night. Hopefully that continues with the regularity of school starting today and the Olympics wrapping up.

The men's Olympic marathon was absolutely unbelievable! A group of about 12 blistered the first 10K at under 30 minutes. The conditions weren't right for such an insane pace. But as the group became 10 then 7 then 4, they held the pace. Ultimately a 21-year Kenyan pulled away with a couple miles to go. He looked STRONG and finished strong with an Olympic record.

US runners made good solid efforts but never ran with the leaders. Dathan Ritzenheim took 9th, Ryan Hall 10th, and Brian Sell 22nd.

While watching, I realized that broadcasting a marathon must be a logistical nightmare. The cameras rightfully stayed with the lead pack. But that only left me wondering what was going on with the guys further back. I also wondered about the fate of the runners who started with the leaders but faded. Did they finish? Did they need medical attention (as the commentators kept suggesting early on)? So many unanswered questions?

PRE RUN
water & 1 macadamia nut chocolate

POST RUN
water, multivitamin, oatmeal w/flax, cinnamon, brown sugar & skim milk

August 24 - 30 Training Schedule

Sunday: Rest
Monday: 3 - 4 mi. Slow
Tuesday: 6 - 8 mi. Easy
Wednesday: 8 mi. incl. 9x2 min.@ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. jog
Thursday: 3 - 4 mi. Slow
Friday: 6 - 8 mi. Easy
Saturday: 20 mi. w/pickup over last 3 mi.

Gerrymandering for LSD

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

ACHIEVED
18.03 mi.@ 9:03/mi.

6:09 AM 75° 94% 0 mph

Ended up on own running from the Y for 18 miles. This area doesn't lend itself to that distance. I took every turn and side road to get the miles and also doubled back on the bayou twice on the way back in. Ended up running the trails around the kids' soccer fields at the Y to get the last few. Lost it a little over 16 miles. Walked to the car and got water, took off my empty hydration belt and shirt then went for the final 2 miles ... slowly. Just gutted it out. The distance was more important than the speed.

Tried controlling my hydration by drinking approximately 4 oz. of Accelerade every 30 minutes. Supposedly the body can only absorb 8 oz. per hour.

This was a tough run. My Saturday group was all over the place. Steph in the UK. Jonathan running Hood to Coast Relay in Oregon. Stacey and Laurie at Terry Hershey Park with KatyFit. Shellie and Kathleen with Kenyan Way. I think Randy, William, and Josh may have ultimately ended up with Kenyan Way too. I considered all the options and none seemed that appealing so I stayed close to home and ran from the Y by myself. I knew ChampionsFit would be starting sometime so I saw a bunch of runners especially along the bayou trail. From the trail, I went down Eldridge to Louetta then turned back up toward Spring Cypress then back down to the bayou trail. At the end of the trail, I turned back and did it again. I the way back to the Y, I went all the way to the end of the dead end road then turned to the Y and started around the soccer fields.

Looking forward to tomorrow's rest and running with the group on next Saturday's long run.

PRE RUN
FRS liquid concentrate, water, oatmeal w/flax & brown sugar

POST RUN
2 SlimFast & water

Regular 6

OBJECTIVE
6 - 8 mi. Easy

ACHIEVED
6.11 mi.@ 8:49/mi.

5:33 AM 74° 94% 0 mph mist

Ran the Wimbledon Forest Loop for 6 miles. Felt good; solid effort resulted in a good pace for an easy run. Feeling very happy with this week's training. However, there's a great deal of uncertainty surrounding tomorrow's long run.

Too Fast for Recovery

OBJECTIVE
3 - 4 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
4.02 mi.@ 8:18/mi.

7:16 AM 73° 94% 5 mph mist & rain

This one was supposed to be a nice, slow recovery run. Somehow it didn't end up that way. During the first half mile, it seemed that my turnover was a lot faster than usual. I wonder if that's from the speed workout yesterday ... ??? I don't remember this happening the day after intervals before ...?

I knew I was faster than I should be so I reminded myself to just stay comfortable. The result of this is that I just ended up holding pretty much the same pace. This surprised me.

I'm happy to take another good run! We'll see how it impacts tomorrow's 6-miler.

Forgot to mention a funny thing that happened immediately after yesterday's run. I was running from the YMCA as I oftentimes do but I was later than usual. When I got back from the run, I walked past a large group of kids who were in some sort of holding pattern. I assume they were maybe K - third graders participating in the Y's summer program. Any I could hear the kids voices but wasn't close enough to make out what they were saying. Once I was a "safe" distance past them, I heard a kid's voice call out, "Get a shirt on. There are kids around!" I won't argue that I don't look that good with my shirt off ... but I certainly didn't think it was that bad! When I run alone in the summer, I usually run without a shirt. When I run with others, I wear one. I've been laughing about that youthful comment for the past 24 hours.

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
Water, multivitamin & All Bran cereal w/skim milk

Ragged Intervals

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

ACHIEVED
8.21 mi.@ 8:33/mi. incl. 9x2 min. & 2 min. jog

7:29 AM 73° 94% 0 mph Max HR 179 Avg. HR ~155

It was raining very hard when I got up to go out for this one.

Once I started running from the Y, I struggled. My back was a problem ... right between my shoulder blades. It was like something was pinched or twisted. I thought it would loosen as I warmed up but it really never did. It has caused a mild headache throughout the day and limited range of motion (turning my neck and shoulders).

Anyway I wore my heartrate monitor today. I wanted to see what heart rate did during my 2 minute recovery jogs. I was disappointed to find that I didn't ever fully recover and my heart rate just kept going higher and higher throughtout the portion of the run. During the jogs, the heart rate would come down but wouldn't get lower than when I started the last interval. Of course the rate would take off during the intervals. On a graph, I imagine it as a 2-steps-forward-one step-back pattern. My maximum heart rate hit 179 on my eighth and/or ninth interval. Ironically that is my "textbook" maximum heart rate ... i.e., 220 - age = MHR or 220 - 41 = 179. The heart rate monitoring was disappointing because I was hoping to find that I was recovering better/faster.

My intervals paces were all over the board. I was trying to hit 6:40/mile without looking at my watch very much. Here's what that got me:

Warmup 2.38 mi.@ 8:53/mi.
2 min.@6:48/
2 min. jog
2 min.@6:43/
2 min. jog
2 min.@6:36/
2 min. jog
2 min.@6:44/
2 min. jog
2 min.@6:45/
2 min. jog
2 min.@6:39/
2 min. jog
2 min.@6:41/
2 min. jog
2 min.@7:00/
2 min. jog
2 min.@6:51/
2 min. jog
Cooldown 1.47 mi.@ 8:55/mi.

I'm disappointed that I wasn't more consistent and that I missed my times so much. I may have been letting the heart rate situation get into my head a bit (e.g., you're not recovery properly ... there's no way you can sustain the speed ....).

Needless to say I'm happy this one is over. Looking to be stronger next week!

PRE RUN
FRS & 1/2 Clif bar

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

A Really Good Run

OBJECTIVE
4 - 6 mi. Easy

ACHIEVED
6.16 mi.@ 8:31/mi.

4:56 AM 73F 89% 4 mph

This was a really good run.

I'm not sure what happened to set me up for this. As always, there are too many variables at play. Here are the factors I believe may have contributed:

Rest - I've gone to bed earlier (before 10) the past couple nights.

Physical therapy - After last week's session with Danni, I've diligently completed my 7 exercise routine every other day.

Temperature - It's been cooler the past couple days. The difference isn't huge on the thermometer - maybe 7 or 8 degrees - but it's noticeable right from the start when running even when the humidity is around 90%. I didn't realize a storm was moving in. I just enjoyed today's run. About 30 minutes after finishing, it started raining.

Hills/Rest Cycle - Saturday's long run in the hills was challenging. Could I be noticing the training benefit already? Sunday's rest day may have given my body a chance to "reload". Or my mileage pull back over the past couple weeks may be allowing me to be fresher ... ???

Nutrition - My eating has been fairly "clean". I've probably overeaten slightly over the past 5 days as my weight has edged up 4-5 pounds. But I've generally been using high octanes fuels.

After half a mile, I picked it up. One of the things I've allowed is for my pace to just stay in "warm up mode". The past couple days I've tried to avoid letting my body set that as the auto-pilot pace. I found a comfortable pace that still seemed "easy". I was able to hold it and ended up running fairly flat splits. This is similar to yesterday.

From a mental standpoint, I really needed the past couple days. Hopefully the feeling continues!

Tomorrow is a big workout of 8 miles with intervals along the way. Maybe I'll be doing it in the rain.

Olympic footnote: Brian Sell who will be running the marathon for the US has been putting 160 - 170 miles per week! ... makes my 40 seem rather easy .... His tempo runs are at 5:00/mile pace. It's difficult for me to understand what that really means. It's kind of like the child's ultimate topper to win numerical arguments - "infinity". You have no idea what it means but know that no one else can put up a bigger number. I can't even say that I've got a job to work and Sell doesn't ... that's how he has time for the miles. Wrong! Brian actually works 5-6 hour shifts in the garden section at Home Depot. He's a huge underdog in Beijing but I'm rooting for him. He has commented that he hopes the conditions are absolutely terrible come race day. He believes it could be the equalizer that gives him a shot. Good luck for a great race, Brian.

PRE RUN
1/2 Clif bar & water

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

Mixed Review

OBJECTIVE
3 - 4 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
4.02 mi.@ 8:49/

5:00 AM 73F 92% 0 mph

I'm not exactly sure how I could feel good and sore during the same run but that's how it worked out today. The soreness is from Saturday's hills. I was really feeling it on my rest day yesterday. That was a bit of a surprise since I've felt pretty good after the other times I've been out to League Line Road to run the hills.

Some of soreness may also be from the 7 PT exercises Dani gave me to do last week. I'm supposed to do them twice a week but I've adopted every other for now. I've noticed they leave me a little sore in odd places.

After a half mile, I decided I didn't want the run to get sloppy and slow so I picked it up. I thought it was just a slight pace increase since I still felt comfortable. After Mile 2, I checked again and was surprised how fast I was going. I pulled it back slightly; reminding myself that this was a slow, recovery run and that I need to save the effort for Wednesday.

It's nice to have a good run. Planning on 6 miles tomorrow.

The thought just occurred to me that maybe I felt good because the temperature was slightly cooler this morning ....

PRE RUN
bran muffin & water

POST RUN
Accelerade, water, multivitamin, oatmeal w/flax, brown sugar & skim milk

Training Schedule: Aug 17 - 23

Sun. Rest
Mon. 3 - 4 mi. Easy
Tue. 6 - 8 mi. Slow
Wed. 8 mi. incl. 9 x 2 min.@ 6:40 w/2 min. jog
Thu. 3 - 4 Easy
Fri. 6 - 8 mi. Slow
Sat. 18 mi. pickup last 4 mi.

Long Run in the Hills of Conroe

OBJECTIVE
18 mi. w/last 3 mi. pickup

ACHIEVED
16.47 mi.@ 8:37/mi. (slight pickup over final 1.5 mi.)

5:27 AM 74° 94% 1 mph

This was a fun run although I didn't fully appreciate it until after the fact.

I rather large group ended up meeting in Conroe on League Line Road for this one. I'm sure I'll omit some but the group included: Stephanie, Laurie, Stacey, Randy, Josh, Jonathan, Cindy, LaErica, Shellie, Leno, Sim (sp?), Ann, Christina, and another Tornado who came late whose name I didn't catch. Manny answered the early wake up call to drive SAG for us. This was an incredibly generous act on his part since those in Houston had to meet at 4:15 AM to make it to Conroe in time to start. Manny was great driving all around the course as the group got strung out.

We started at "the church" and ran to the marina. This is a hilly section but it was very dark and we always say "it doesn't count if it's still dark." This is oddly true. Those earliest miles somehow melt it a haze and mentally vanish as the sun comes up. (However, I oftentimes still feel them physically.) On our way out, we heard something howling in the dark. It sounded a long ways off but it was a bit unnerving. My first guess is that is was coyotes. If not then I'm thinking it must have been dogs. It did sound wild and threatening.

From the marina, we turned back over the hills toward the church. Before getting to the church, we turned and went back to the marina. This section has some good up and down hills. We wanted to cover it twice but due to weekend traffic increasing didn't want to wait until the way back so that led to the double out-and-back. Before getting back to the church, we turned into the Teaswood neighborhood. At this point, it was just our usual Saturday group: Laurie, Stacey, Steph, Josh, Randy, and me. We were joined by Christina who I think usually runs with the Tornados on Sundays.

We wound our way through the slight ups-and-downs toward the freeway. Before the freeway, we turned back into another neighborhood for a big loop that I think was around 1 - 1.5 miles. We exited the loop and headed toward the freeway. We all needed water but Manny was nowhere to be found. I walked back up the freeway off ramp looking for him. After a minute or two, I looked back and the group was moving again. Everyone needed hydration. I figured they formed a plan while I was away. But as the group run away from me, I saw Christina coming back toward me. She asked if I was cutting it short for 17 instead of 21. I said yes since my schedule was for 18 and I didn't think 21 in the hills was a good idea at this point. She said that would be her long run too and that the others were going for 21. I was surprised because I thought only Laurie and Stacey were going for 21. Anyway, Christina and I headed back. Thankfully before making the loop through the side neighborhood, Manny found us. We told him the others really needed him. We saw Cindy, LaErica, and Shellie on the loop. We then worked our way back through Teaswood. Since I had never run with Christina before, I wasn't sure of her ability but she seemed very strong. I was progressively slowing and told her to go ahead if she wanted but she stayed with me. At around 14.5 miles on my Garmin, she asked if I wanted to pick it up. We pushed the pace and saw a couple of the faster Tornados coming into the neighborhood, adding on miles to their already completed run. The finish at the church came early - at 16.5 on my Garmin. It had been mapped for 17. I think we must have cut it a bit short on the turnaround point of our out-and-back to the marina.

We clocked 8:15/mi. over the last mile and 7:47/mi. pace over the final half. I'm not exactly sure what the previous splits were but they weren't nearly that fast.

I was very spent after this one. While waiting for the others, I had plenty of time to thoroughly stretch and hydrate. Once everyone made it back, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel down the road for breakfast and conversation.

Overall, a good run. I think we're going back to the hills one more time before the marathon. I want to give the 21-mile course a shot.

PRE RUN
FRS & oatmeal w/brown sugar & skim milk

POST RUN
2 SlimFast & water
Later, blueberry pancakes w/blueberry syrup, water & grapefruit juice

Late & Short

OBJECTIVE
6 - 8 mi. Easy

ACHIEVED
4.03 mi.@ 8:24/mi.

8:03 AM 80° 87% 2 mph

Got a really late start. Observed that I seem much faster at this hour than earlier; the same has happened a couple other times too.

Inconsistent

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

ACHIEVED
8.34 mi. w/7x2 min. & 2 min. jog

6:24 AM 77° 90% 1 mph

Inconsistent pretty much sums up my effort today and over the past couple weeks. Deadlines at work are once again conspiring against my running. I’m also enjoying watching the late Olympic sessions but that shortchanges my sleep and makes it tougher for me to get an early run before going to work.

My stomach was sloshing with every stride today. This caused very slight discomfort but was incredibly annoying. I only drank 10 ounces of water before going out this morning so I’m not sure what the deal is. I experienced the same thing to a lesser degree during last Saturday’s long run. I can’t identify anything different about these runs compared to others.

Here are my erratic splits:

Warm-up – 2.41 mi.@ 9:29/mi.
2:00 min.@ 6:42/mi.
2:00 min. jog
2:00 min.@ 6:30/mi.
2:00 min. jog
2:00 min.@ 6:26/mi.
2:00 min. jog
2:00 min.@ 6:36/mi.
2:00 min. jog
2:00 min.@ 6:48/mi.
2:00 min. jog
2:00 min.@ 6:36/mi.
2:00 min. jog
2:00 min.@ 6:45/mi.
2:00 min. jog
Cool down – 2.55 mi.@ 9:16/mi.

My preference of course would be for a tighter grouping of the speed intervals. I also would prefer the warm-up and cool down to be about 30 seconds per mile faster. However, I'm falling back on the heat and humidity excuse for the slower times. I know that’s “chicken” because if you can hit the prescribed times in heat and humidity, you should be even better in ideal conditions.

PRE RUN
water

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

I Much-needed Recovery Run

OBJECTIVE
3 - 4 mi. SLOW

ACHIEVED
4.02 mi.@ 9:37/mi.

5:13 AM 79F 84% 9 mph (???!!?)

I certainly did my part to make this a SLOW run! I suppose this was a recovery run in the truest sense. I was still pretty achy ... from Saturday's run I suppose. I felt like I loosened up slightly after a mile but my pace didn't get any faster. I knew I was slow and thought about pushing but decided that clearly wasn't today's objective. So I just let the slow miles roll up. Hopefully clearing my legs and body for better runs later this week.

Almost forgot to mention, I very surprised the wind was 9 mph. The air certainly wasn't moving where I was running! The weather station that my run data is sync'd to is at a small airport about three miles north of where I actually run.

PRE RUN
water

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, oatmeal w/flax, cinnamon, brown sugar & 1% milk

Training Schedule: Aug 10 - 16

Sun: Rest
Mon: 3 - 4 mi. slow
Tue: 6 - 8 mi. easy ***physical therapy***
Wed: 6 mi. incl. 7x2 min.@ 6:40/mi. w/2 min. jog
Thu: 3 - 4 mi. slow
Fri: 6 - 8 mi. easy
Sat: 18 mi. w/last 3 pickup @ 7:55/mi. ***League Line Road hills***

A Good Long Run

OBJECTIVE
18 mi. EZ w/last 3 mi. pickup @ 7:55/mi

ACHIEVED
16.72 mi.@ 8:49/mi. w/last 2.72 mi.@ 8:13/mi.

5:39 AM 78° 86% 0 mph

It was a good long run today. It wasn't easy but I had good company. Today was Miranda's last run with us before moving to Fort Lauderdale. Others along for the run were Stephanie, Stuart, Randy, Josh, William and me.

We went started at Memorial Park and went to Rice University for a loop around the campus. From there we went north and west until we got to Stephanie's house for a water break. There was about 4 miles left at that point.

My legs felt okay throughout the run. This was good given yesterday's 8 miler. My cardio felt good intermittently. It was warm and humid. The soft surface on the trail around Rice was helpful.

I was debating the pickup as we worked our way back to Memorial Park. The group gradually picked up with about 3 miles to go. I think we must have cut the planned route short because we should have had 2 miles left when we hit the park. But I knew it was less than that. I broke from the group at Memorial Drive. I think I pushed too hard right away instead of working up to the faster pace. I was gassed over the final half mile.

The run was a bit shorter than I scheduled and I didn't hit the 7:55/mi. pickup pace. But the heat index was pretty high so I think it was still okay.

I missed the Rich Bouchard 10K in Utah this morning. Sorry that I did ....

PRE RUN
water, oatmeal w/brown sugar & skim milk; FRS

POST RUN
2 SlimFast, water
Later, homemade berry smoothie

8 on 8/8/08

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

ACHIEVED
~8.00 mi.@ ~8:56/mi.

~6:30 AM 77° 93% 0 mph

My trusty Garmin has worked so well lately .... Apparently today was time for it to pull the "Low Battery" routine on me. Very frustrating. I know it was fully charged after yesterday's run and I'm relatively certain the sequence I followed when disengaging from my desktop at home was the same as usual .... That left me with my IronMan. This wasn't too big of a problem since I was running from the YMCA for 8 miles. I generally know where the mile intervals along the way are.

I was slow to get going. My legs felt a tight but loosened up shortly after I was underway. I got a late start because I slept in until 5:40 AM. I usually don't bother with an alarm during the week figuring that's the best way to get the rest my body needs. After the past couple weeks of inconsistent morning starting times I've been waking up at different times. Prior to that I was pretty much waking up at 5 every morning.

It was humid again today. By the time I was finished, my shoes were sloshing with sweat. Jonathan has come up with the concept of "rain gutters" for runners' feet to keep the sweat from filling up their shoes. I could have used them today!

Overall I felt fine today. My cardio seems solid and with the exception of a few niggling issues my body is okay too.

I've decided not to go to Utah for tomorrow's 10K. This is a disappointment because I wanted to defend my age group title from last year. I also really wanted a race to assess my fitness. I haven't raced in a long time now. But I was going to have to go on a 9:30 PM flight and get in very late then turn around for a 7 AM race start in the morning. It just didn't make sense. I've also got some work issues that most likely will require my attention over the weekend. So I'm going to miss the race. GOOD LUCK TO THE BIGFOOT FARMS RACING TEAM TOMORROW!

As for me, I'll be heading out for a long one in the morning. Stephanie is in town and has put together a 17-mile route from Memorial Park around Rice University and back to the Park. I hope to hold up better than I did last week and add a bit of a pickup at the end.

PRE RUN
GrapeNuts w/skim milk

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

Slow 4

OBJECTIVE
4 mi. Slow (+8:54/mi.)

ACHIEVED
4.03 mi.@ 9:06/mi.

5:51 AM 74F 95% 0 mph

Got out and got a few miles this morning .... I'll call it Day 2 of getting back on track. It was quite humid.

I'm considering going to Utah for the weekend to run a 10K. The course is hilly, at altitude, and I wouldn't mind a "fitness check". Stephanie is out of town this weekend and Stacey is running with KatyFit. The usual Saturday group is fragmented at best. This seems to make it a better time for me to go. I was planning on 18 miles Saturday. I figure I can run to the race start, finish the race then go add a few more miles.

Stay tuned to see how this one plays out ....

PRE RUN
Accelerade

POST RUN
Accelerade, multivitamin, oatmeal w/flax, brown sugar, cinnamon & skim milk

I Suck

OBJECTIVE
who knows?

ACHIEVED
5.13 mi. @ 9:20/mi.

5:17 AM 77° 89% 4 mph

In 1976-7, I was a fifth grader at Central Elementary in St. Anthony, Idaho. During that year my occasional friend, Alan Edlefson (sp?) and I wrote a few supposedly humorous skits for some sort of school talent show. We chose what we thought were the best ones and “acted” (I use that term loosely in this instance.) them out as part of the show.

At a climatic point in one of skits I ad lib’d: “This thing sucks!” I thought nothing of it but later in the day received a fairly serious scolding from my mom (serious enough that I remember it 30+ years later!), who was present in the audience. In short, she told me that “suck” was a bad word and that I shouldn’t say it.

So with apologies to my mother I say, “I suck!”

Saturday’s run was hard. I followed that up with a lot of time in the sun over the weekend. The temperatures were +95° with high humidity – typical August days in Southeast Texas. The baseball team I was coaching ended up making a run to the championship before losing. This meant 5 games … all played during the day. I was smart enough to use sun screen but the conditions really zapped me.

Using that as an excuse, I slept in Monday. On Tuesday morning, it was Hurricane Edouard (ended up being not much more than a rain storm with some wind). Over the days my legs were achy and I still felt fatigued.

Upon waking up this morning, I gave myself permission to run at ANY pace in exchange for just getting out and putting one foot in front of the other.

I took myself up on the deal and made it out the door. I slogged through an extremely slow 5 miles. I didn’t feel particularly bad and certainly wasn’t good … just getting back to training. Today I operated under the theory that there’s no such thing as “junk miles”.

Last week I tried adopting the “rest 3 days a week” training approach. I didn’t feel like it worked for me so I’m planning to flip back to running 6 days per week. I know this isn’t what my doctor or physical therapist have recommended but I felt better running this way over the 6 weeks I followed this approach. It’s not a good time to be messing around with my training schedule.

I need focus and I need to stop sucking. There’s only 58 days until the marathon.

Postscript: The skit Alan and I performed was pretty funny. I’m probably the only person who remembers it now. The skit was in the form of a television commercial for a shaving product we called “Triple Trac” – a razor with three blades. For context, please remember that the most advanced razors at the time only had two blades. Ironically, I shaved this morning with a four-bladed razor. Not only were we funny but we were well ahead of our time!

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
Accelerade, multivitamin, water, oatmeal w/flax, brown sugar, cinnamon & skim milk

How Easy (or Hard) Should An "Easy Run" Be

OBJECTIVE
Easy 8 mi.@ 8:53/mi.

ACHIEVED
8.02 mi.@ 8:50/mi.

5:40 AM 77F 89% 4 mph

I haven't really figured out how fast or slow to run "easy runs". Over the past six weeks, I just run how ever I felt. Sometimes that led to fast runs; other times slow. Today started out relatively slow. I decided to "put a little effort into it" so I would be closed to my target time. I ended up just under it. How fast should an easy run be? There are tables and formulas. But I've also read about just leaving your watch home and allowing the run to be paced however you feel. I've also read that you can "speed up by slowing down".

Along these same lines I've heard that it's best to stay away from "junk miles" (too slow). I've also heard there is no such thing as junk miles.

I don't know what's right and wrong when it comes to these thing ....

I pushed today's run a bit out of the "easy" range for me ... but not much. It just required slightly more focus and attention to pace.

PRE RUN
apple juice

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

First Tempo Run in a Long Time

OBJECTIVE
7 mi. w/4 mi. tempo @ 7:30/mi.

ACHIEVED
7.04 mi. w/4 mi. tempo @ 7:25/mi.

6:09 AM 75° 89% 4 mph

Drove over to Faulkey Gully to run the bayou trail. I dropped in at Louetta which I now know is almost exactly the midpoint of the trail ... thanks to the mile markers that have been installed along the trail. From there I went up the path and extended my warm up to cross Eldridge and continued to the dead end. From there, I came back and crossed Eldridge, took a short break then started my tempo run.

I had been dreading this one somewhat. Only because I haven't done a tempo run in a long time and I didn't know if I could hold a 7:30/mile pace for 4 miles. I'm sure it was this anxiety that led me to start out too fast. But somewhere between 1/2 and one mile, I settled in to a better rhythm and found the pace. I don't recall running this pace over any distance before so that's probably why I had some trouble finding it.

I just kept trying to relax and "run strong". Most of the time those attributes seem opposed to me but I had pretty good focus this morning. I was a little faster than planned over the first mile but felt pretty good. I decided to try to hold it there over the second mile (which included the turnaround at the bottom of the path). The return trip felt like more of a struggle but I stayed focused and reminded myself that I was over half way done. The third mile clipped by and I was heading for the top of the trail. I figured I was going to have to keep going all the way to the top of the trail and cross Eldridge and go to the dead end to get the full 4 miles. I was exactly right. Fortunately, traffic wasn't too bad crossing Eldridge and I didn't lose much time there. I finished strong and very spent. A blue collar guy in a truck saw me finish and asked if I needed some water. This was quite generous and thoughtful on his part. I declined, telling him I had some back at my car which wasn't too far back.

My mile splits:

7:25/7:24/7:26/7:25

I'm happy with the consistency and very happy that I came in under the planned 7:30.

My legs felt good today ... after doing some "clam shells" last night.

PRE RUN
GrapeNuts w/skim milk

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin, Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk, 2 homemade waffles with maple syrup, tall glass of 1% milk

Not So Easy Run

OBJECTIVE
9 mi.@ 8:53/mi.

ACHIEVED
9.03 mi.@ 8:56/mi.

5:31 AM 75F 91% 6 mph

Had some general soreness from the beginning. Most of it dissipated once I got warmed up. I just ran easy but found myself around 9:04-08/mi. Struggled in an effort to go a bit faster so I just left it there until I turned back at the midway point. Started playing the "2% more effort" game. I focus on putting just 2 percent more into every stride. I've found this is usually good for a 10-25 second pace reduction. I only wish I could stay mentally focused longer. I'm getting better but its still too short.

I ran the bayou trail from the Y. It looks like I'll be using the Y as my starting point more often now that my runs are longer.

PRE RUN
2 FRS chews & water

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin, 5-grain w/flax, brown sugar & skim milk

Training Schedule: July 28 - August 3

Monday - Easy 9 mi.@ 8:53/mi.
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Tempo 4 mi.@ 7:30/mi. (Total distance = 7 mi.)
Thursday - Easy 8 mi.@ 8:53/mi.
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 18 mi.@ 8:53/mi. w/3 mi. pickup @ 7:55/mi.
Sunday - Rest


I'm nervous about changing up my approach but the doctor and physcial therapist say I need more rest in my schedule. I'll see how this goes.

Hershey Park Long Run Hosted by Stacey

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

ACHIEVED
16.01 mi.@ 8:18/mi. w/last 2 mi. 7:53/7:32

5:36 AM 78° 89% 1 mph

Stacey Almond hosted Steph's group for a long run at Hershey Park this morning. Stacey runs with Steph's group downtown occasionally. Along with her today was Steve Brammer who may ??? have won this year's New York City Marathon 50-59 age group and a strong runner named Kevin. Joining the run from Stephanie's group was Laurie, Stacey, Stephanie, Randy, Jonathan, William, and me. Our merry band got started down the trail in the dark around 5:30 AM. I decided I'm not fond of running in unknown terrain in the dark. The path was okay but I seemed to find a few uneven spots.

After a little over 2 miles, we ran repeats on a long hill. We did 10 from about 2 miles total up and down. Knowing that this is my longest run since the Ogden marathon and since I just did intervals on the track on Wednesday, I did not push myself on these. Before we were finished I was near the back of the pack.

From there we headed out a long paved trail that generally parallels I-10 leaving Houston. Somewhere around 5 miles out, an injured runner from KatyFit was manning a water station. I had a couple cups of Gatorade. It was very nice for him to be there. Stacey runs and coaches with KatyFit so we were welcome to share their refreshments. From there we turned and went out a long dead end road until we came to a failing bridge then turned back.

There were a bunch of runners and bikers along the paved trail on the way back. Going out, I stayed with Stephanie and Randy most of the way to the Gatorade stop. From there I was with Jonathan to the bridge. On the way back, I was with Stacey and Randy to the Gatorade truck. From there I was alone until about 2+ miles where the group stopped for a rest hydration break. Jonathan and I hung back for William after the others left. Once William joined us, we walked a bit then started back. I asked Jonathan to keep us on a 7:55/mi. pace which he did ... much easier for him than me! Right before the end we passed the others. Stacey and Steve were heading back for William.

KatyFit has a bunch of people participating in their program. It was like a post-race event afterwards. I helped myself to some Powerade but passed on the core stretching. Hung around a bit and chatted then headed home.

I generally felt okay today. It was a long run but I had no hint of IT band issues. For this I am ecstatic. Hopefully everything stays that way. I still need to build endurance for St. George. The long runs are now the most important part of my training.

Once at home, I took an ice bath but didn't get it quite as cold as I wanted so I'm not expecting the full benefit.

On a side note, it's Christmas in July at our house. Paige got a new car this afternoon. She ended up with a 2005 Buick Rendezvous which is what she wanted. ... Buick ... we must be getting old!

PRE RUN
water & oatmeal w/flax & turbinado

POST RUN
Accelerade, 2 SlimFast, water

Plodding

OBJECTIVE
4 mi. SLOW

ACHIEVED
4.01 mi.@ 9:11/mi.

7:54 PM 75F 92% 5.3 mph

My legs were quite fatigued tonight. I was slow but just tried to enjoy it. It had rained most of the day so everything was wet and green. Based on how I feel, Dr. Cianca's advice and Saturday's scheduled long run, I've decided to take tomorrow off. Hopefully that will help get my feet back under me.

PRE RUN
water & Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk

POST RUN
5 grain hot cereal w/ turbinado, flax & skim milk

Yes ... Yasso 800's!

OBJECTIVE
9 mi. w/7 x 2:00 @ 6:40/mi.

ACHIEVED
1.9 mi. warm up
10x800 meters
1.8 mi. cool down

8:00 PM 79° 84% 7 mph Light Rain

Ended up not running this morning. Thunder, lightning, and rain offered a lame excuse and I took it. (It wasn't that bad. Just the leading edge of Hurricane Dolly that ended up hitting the US- Mexican border later in the day.) So this led to a PM run for me. Under the soggy conditions, I decided to take advantage of the high school track and try running Yasso 800's.

It was around 8 pm by the time I was on my way. I was NOT feeling it. I slogged my way over to the track, considering cutting it short the whole way over. Once on the track, I figured I'd try a couple 800's hoping to feel better. It didn't happen but I was hitting my times. I decided rather than do 10 I'd just cut it short at 5. But by the time I got to 5, I couldn't think of a reason not to do another. After 6, I started thinking it would be a complete waste not to try for the original 10. So I pressed on. I was still hitting my times but was tiring. After 7, I decided I was going to get 10 and pressed on. It was raining lightly much of the time and the wind was occasionally gusting. I felt really tired but very satisfied about finishing this workout when all along it seemed it wasn't in the cards. The s-l-o-w march home wasn't the most pleasant cool down but before leaving the house, I had thrown together batter for blueberry-walnut pancakes that I was looking forward to.

The concept of Yasso 800's is to run 10 in the time you anticipate running the marathon ... except in minutes and seconds rather than hours and minutes. Therefore, my 3:25 marathon had me running 3:25 800's. If a runner can do 10 in the prescribed time while limiting his recovery to the same time, it's an indicator of what he can ran a marathon in. So here's what I ended up with:

800 / Rest

3:24/3:24
3:23/3:35
3:21/3:26
3:30/3:54
3:27/3:31
3:24/3:39
3:24/3:29
3:21/3:31
3:25/3:26
3:20/3:24

So I did it! Effectively, I ran 10 x 800's at 3:25. Okay here's the huge caveat, instead of jogging in between each 800 like your supposed to, I walked. Of course, that's cheating. So I didn't exactly do it but I know it's achievable. The last time I did Yasso 800's was June 5, 2007. It's most comical to look back at how that went. Here's my blog entry. It's good for me to look back occasionally to get some perspective on my progress.

I may trying these again during this training cycle. I know I'm not ready to run 3:25 in St. George today but at least I have an indicator that it's not out of reach.

PRE RUN
water

POST RUN
chocolate milk, blueberry-walnut pancakes, skim milk, calcium & vitamin A&D supplements

Startin' Late; Feelin' Good

OBJECTIVE
6 mi. EZ

ACHIEVED
6.07 mi.@ 8:35/mi.

8:07 AM 82F 68% 8 mph

Got a late start today but ended up having a good run. Run out and back on Wimbledon Forest. Felt good right from the start. Just tried to maintain it.

Met with Dr. Cianca this afternoon. I need to be smart about my training and keep doing the exercises. I'll meet with Danie in 3 weeks to make sure I'm still on track then again 3 weeks later.

PRE RUN
Low-fat granola w/skim milk

POST RUNchocolate milk, multivitamin, & water
Later, English muffin, poached egg, & Canadian bacon; water

Yes ... This Felt Like a Recovery Run

OBJECTIVE
4 mi. SLOW

ACHIEVED
4.03 mi.@ 9:06/mi.

5:04 AM 75F 89% 0 mph

My legs were tired this morning. I really didn't ever push out of a warmup pace. I'm sure Saturday's run is still heavy on my legs ... even after yesterday's rest. I wish I would have followed up on the ice bath I had considered for Saturday. I need to remember that for this coming Saturday's 16-miler.

I've got Dr. Cianca tomorrow. Hopefully I check out and he clears me to get on track with my training.

PRE RUN
nothing

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

Training Schedule: July 20 - 26

Sun. - Rest
Mon. - 4 mi. SLOW
Tue. - 6 mi. EZ
Wed. - 9 mi. w/8x2 min.@6:40/min. & 2 min. jog
Thu. - 4 mi. SLOW
Fri. - 6 mi. EZ
Sat. - 16 mi. EZ w/@ MP = 7:55/min.


I have a follow-up visit with Dr. Cianca on Tuesday so this schedule is contingent on getting good news from him.

Longest Run Since Ogden Marathon on May 17

OBJECTIVE
12 - 14 mi. EZ pace with 2 - 3 mi. pickup @ 7:55/mi.

ACHIEVED
14.21 mi.@ 8:33/mi. including Mile 13 = 7:46; Mile 14 = 7:51; Final 0.21 mi. = 7:42/mi.

5:43 AM 80° 78% 0 mph

I wasn't "feeling it" today right from the start. I spent the first 2 miles doing a whole body check. My abs were hurting. I didn't have much spring in my legs. I'm fairly certain it was the plyometrics I did at PT yesterday.

Stephanie, Miranda, Laurie, Josh, Randy, William, and I made the trek from Memorial Park along the bayou to downtown ... through downtown to the George R. Brown Convention Center. Then back. At Shepherd, Steph, Josh, and Randy continued through River Oaks. The others including me headed back toward the park. I tried to pickup once I hit the park and went around the backside. It was tough but generally a success.

I stretched and chatted with William and Miranda back at the cars while we waited for the others. They didn't make it before I left.

Dani cut me off from PT yesterday. She said she's done all she can for me. She also said I need to go back to Dr. Cianca for a followup and get a running coach who can help me increase my mileage wisely. This was abrupt! I was hoping to stay with her for longer. She has definitely helped me but it doesn't seem to me like our work is done.

PRE RUN
FRS

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

Late Start Leads to Modification of Loop; Turns Into Out-&-Back

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

ACHIEVED
6.09 mi.@ 8:34/mi

7:08 AM 69° 93% 0 mph

Since I got a late start, I started the Wimbledon Forest Loop but turned it into an out-and-back so I didn't have to dodge morning commuting traffic on Cypresswood. I've never run "backwards" on that route and I was surprised how long it made it seem. There were parts where I wasn't sure I was on the right road. Proving that it's all a matter of perspective!

I felt okay. The pace was fine. My ab strain is still lingering but seems slightly improved.

I've got PT later today and a long run of undetermined length tomorrow.

PRE RUN
apple juice

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

Abbreviated

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

ACHIEVED
8.04 mi.@ 8:31/mi. including
2.46 mi.@ 9:02/mi.
2:00 min.@ 6:47/mi.
2:00 min.
1:59 min.@ 6:30/mi.
2:00 min.
1:59 min.@ 6:13/mi.
3:01 min.
1:59 min.@ 6:32/mi.
1:57 min.
2:00 min.@ 6:29/mi.
1:59 min.
2:00 min.@ 6:46/mi.
1:59 min.
2.49 mi.@ 8:36/mi.

6:19 AM 71° 95% 0 mph

My job is really getting in the way of my running lately! It's second quarter close. I didn't run yesterday and shortened today's run so I could get to work early enough to deal with things there.

My legs were sore. I'm sure it is from the plyometrics at PT Tuesday. My abdominal strain is still a problem but not as bad as it has been.

No big mental breakthrough here but it occurred to me while running that training for a marathon is like a marathon. I've had this thought before but extended the analogy. Since my training started June 2, I had 18 weeks until the marathon. I'm 7 weeks into the cycle so I've got roughly 39% of my training behind me. 39% of a marathon is about 10 miles. In each of my marathons, I felt good for 10 miles just as my training to this point has generally been good. In Ogden, I started having minor problems around 10 miles. The next part of my training is going to be the hardest. I'm still building mileage for several more weeks and expect to increase intensity. I can't lose focus on what I'm training for and why the effort right now is worth it. I'm training now for that second 10 miles of the marathon. I want to be able to run them strong-ly (???) and efficiently. I need to recommit to the effort and continue building to the next plateau.

I've got PT again tomorrow.


PRE RUN
FRS

POST RUN
SlimFast, GrapeNuts w/turbinado & skim milk

Just Miles

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

ACHIEVED
6.04 mi.@ 9:07/mi.

8:16 PM 84° 70% 6 mph

This run was just getting miles. I took my parents and niece to the airport this morning so I ran at Memorial Park on the way home from work. I haven't been over there to run for some time.

I had an extremely hard to getting going and never really found any rhythm during this run. Fortunately my right groin problem from yesterday seems to be gone but the lower ab problem persists and gave my problems while running. My nutrition today was up-and-down but I think I should have been okay. My hydration wasn't too good especially in the afternoon.

I had PT just before lunch. That most likely contributed to the difficulty I had running tonight. Dani just started me on plyometrics last week and is building up. Today's edition was the toughest yet and it took something out of me. She thinks my ab and groin problem are from the hard run on Saturday. I do think I'm still recovering from that run but I think my ab damage came from the incline bench leg pull-ups (not sure of the correct term for these) that she has me doing somehow tears my abs. It's most likely a result of poor form on my part.

Anyway it wasn't a good run tonight and my schedule is now off so I'm considering pushing my midweek big workout to Thursday rather than tomorrow. However, I'm concerned that could impact Saturday's long run. I've boxed myself in a bit schedule-wise ....

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, 2 small hamburgers & soft-serve ice cream cone

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