On Sabbatical

I'm taking two weeks off from running. My body and mind needs a rest. I started running almost two years ago and have only stopped or slowed down for injuries along the way.

I plan to post a couple things during my break ... maybe an assessment of my Austin marathon, some pictures from running on Antelope Island, and some philosophical thoughts about my running life.

... stay tuned ....

Disappointed

Not my day. 3:32

There will be time for self flogging later!

Sent from my Palm Treo.

Slept well for the first 5 hours of the night. Not so great after that. On the "conveyor belt" to the start now.

A little worried about yesterday's nutrition. Not convinced I ate enough.

The start is lined up based on expected finish and is supposed to be enforced. Since I didn't register until yesterday, I'm concerned that they don't have my expected finish time coded on my bib and that I might be pushed to the back. Hope not. Don't want to be fighting all the crowds and may never catch the pace group.

Sent from my Palm Treo.

Shutting it down for the night. The forecast temperature for tomorrow has dropped. It's calling for 46F at the start and 54F around the time I plan to be finishing. Weather should be close to perfect. There could be some wind as it looks like a front is moving through.

I'm planning to start a bit slower over the first 2 miles. I'll use it as a warm up as I work my way through the crowds. I'll try to settle in around Mile 3. The course starts a downhill section somewhere around there. I figure I'll catch the 3:20 pace group around Mile 7 or 8. Once I catch them, I'm going to try to stay with them. From Mile 19 on, if I'm feeling good, I'll break from the group a bit in an effort to build a cushion.

My apprehension builds. It's hammer time!

Sent from my Palm Treo.

Made it to Austin. Thankfully, there were still entries available.

Saw Dick Beardsley and Bert Yasso at the Expo - a couple heavy hitters in the US running scene. Reminds me that I saw Jeff Galloway at the Ogden marathon last year.

Going to find something to eat now. Looking for some carbs and plenty of liquids.

Sent from my Palm Treo.

Counting Down

OBJECTIVE
2 mi. jog
4 x 100 meter strides @ 5K pace (6:31/mi.)

ACHIEVED
2.03 mi.@ 8:42/mi.
112 m. 22.45 (5:22/mi.)
112 m. 24.67 (5:54/mi.)
112 m. 23.81 (5:42/mi.)
112 m. 23.90 (5:43/mi.)

My legs felt good this morning. However, I'm feeling a bit bloated from 2 days of carbo loading.

I studied the course yesterday and this morning. It looks challenging with some pretty good up's and down's in the 300 to 400' range. It levels out through the middle then climbs until Mile 19 before dropping to the finish. It's going to be a lot more hilly than anything I run on around here. I'm guessing it will be somewhat like the hills in Conroe. (My last run there was a strong one.)

The issue at the moment is that there are only 300 marathon entries remaining to be sold at the Expo. I don't really think there are that many runners going to jump into the marathon. But I am concerned that there are that many who may buy up the remaining entries with the intention of just dropping out and running the half. Stayed tuned ....

I'm having some negative thoughts .... Just the same old stuff .... How can I run that far? How can I run that fast? How can I run that fast that far? It's hard to imagine .... etc etc. So I'm combating those thoughts with the Billy Mills clip and just a general reality check. Over the past four months I have set PR's at the following distances:

marathon - St. George
10 mile - Ten for Texas
10K - Dana Point Thanksgiving Day Run
half marathon - Houston

The conversion tables for my last three race finishes put my marathon potential at 3:15-16. In addition, this has been a very good training cycle for me. I am fit and I'm ready.

Stay tuned. I'm planning to blog remotely so I'll probably have a bunch of short entries over the next day.

PRE RUN
weight = 158
apple juice & multivitamin

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

My Mind is Working Against Me

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. jog

ACHIEVED
3.03 mi.@ 9:04/mi.

PRE RUN
Weight = 159.5

POST RUN
Apple juice, multivitamin, zinc, GrapeNuts w/skim milk

Takin' It Easy

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Easy
4 x 100 meter strides @ 5K

ACHIEVED
3.02@ 8:32/mi.
23.77
24.83
25.64
24.31

5:13 AM 50° 77% 5 mph

I bit cooler than the past couple of mornings. I'm feeling okay.

PRE RUN
weight = 159

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

Slow Run & Commentary

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Easy

ACHIEVED
3.01 mi.@ 8:30/mi.

4:36 AM 70° 83% 11 mph

It was warm again this morning. I wore my old Mizuno Wave Rider 10’s that carried me to a 3:27 on the rainy course in St. George. I rarely wear those shoes anymore as I think they’re close to the end of their useful life.

I’m really quite nervous about this weekend. I think I’m ready physically but perhaps not mentally. Work and life in general has been stressful lately and even though I’ve been getting my runs in, I’m not yet feeling that hungry, killer instinct that I hoped to have at this point. After all, this is the first time I will be stepping to the line and “going for it”. No more just having fun on a marathon run …. Something like that. I think part of my problem is, in the words of Jack Bauer (I’m a big 24 fan), “This is going to hurt.” I saw it on the faces of my friends as I watched them finish the Houston marathon a few weeks ago. Knowing that I’ve got those joyous sensations to look forward to seems to be traumatizing me a bit.

Another important note, the Austin marathon stopped taking online registration yesterday morning … as I was online trying to sign up. So now I’ve got to sign up at the expo. Their website says the marathon is 83% full which, if my calculations are correct, means there are still about 1,000 entries available.

Well, better get back to my brooding cynicism!

PRE RUN
Weight = 159

POST RUN
Water, multivitamin, zinc, Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk

Mixing in a Little Speed to An Easy Run

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. w/ 1 mi. EZ; 1 mi.@ 10K (6:45); 1 mi. EZ

ACHIEVED
3.01 mi. w/ 8:12/6:40/7:42

5:02 AM 66° 88% 9 mph light rain

Good run this morning. It was warm and I ran without my shirt for the first time in a long time. The middle mile - fastest - felt okay

PRE RUN
nothing

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

Training Schedule: February 8 - 14

Sun - Rest
Mon - 3 mi. incl. 1 Easy; 1@10K pace (6:45); 1 Easy
Tue - 3 mi. Easy
Wed - 3 mi. Easy & 4x100@5K
Thu - Rest
Fri - 3 mi. Jog
Sat - 2 mi. Jog & 4x100@5K

Reigning It In

OBJECTIVE
13 mi. Slow
6 x 100 meter strides @ 5K pace

ACHIEVED
13.09 mi.@ 8:26/mi.
112 m. 35.94 (8:36/mi.)
112 m. 28.77 (6:53/mi.)
112 m. 29.72 (7:07/mi.)
112 m. 29.24 (7:00/mi.)
112 m. 28.85 (6:54/mi.)
112 m. 26.92 (6:26/mi.)

6:37 AM 61° 81% 7 mph

I ran solo this morning. It some points along the way I was slow and at others I was too fast. It's hard to imagine marathon pace is about a minute per mile slower and the distance is twice as far!

I ran my strides barefoot on what I thought was grass at the YMCA soccer fields. As I ran across the middle of the field, I quickly found it was harder than concrete and a bit bare of grass. I gingerly "strided" across the field; back and forth six times. If anyone at the children's soccer games nearby saw me, I'm sure they had to wonder what in the heck I was doing. This wasn't the best place for strides!

PRE RUN
oatmeal w/brown sugar & skim milk

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin, zinc & calcium supplements, vitamin A & D, GrapeNuts w/skim milk

Sleepwalking

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
3.03 mi.@ 8:41/mi.

5:08 AM 54° 94% 6 mph

Just going through the motions to get the run in. It was warm this morning.

PRE RUN
Weight = 160

POST RUN
Water, multivitamin, zinc supplement, HoneyNut Cheerios w/skim milk

Is This a Cold ... or Maybe Allergies ... hmmmm ... ???

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
3.01 mi.@ 8:39/mi.

5:39 AM 36° 93% 4 mph

This run started slow and ended fast. I am still feeling yesterday’s run in my legs … slightly. After running, I did 4 of my 7 ITB physical therapy exercises before rushing off to work.

I’m still not feeling 100% healthy but now I’m wondering if rather than being sick, I’m actually experiencing a major case of allergies.

PRE RUN
Weight = 162
nothing

POST RUN
Water, multivitamin, zinc, vitamin C, oatmeal w/flax, almonds, brown sugar & skim milk

Threshold Intervals

OBJECTIVE
6 mi. incl. Easy 1 warm up; 4 x 1 @ lactate threshold w/2 min. jogging recovery; Easy 1 cool down

Easy = 8:08 – 38/mi.
Lactate Threshold = 6:55/mi.

ACHIEVED
WU: 1 mi.@ 8:37
6:51
6:50
6:52
6:53
CD: 1.10 mi.@ 8:25

5:00 AM 46° 50% 10 mph

Still not feeling too good today but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from getting this lovely little workout in. I did get a decent night’s sleep after going to bed a bit before 9 pm.

I was pressing to hit the pace during the intervals. Breathing wasn’t as easy as it usually is as it felt like the sides of my throat were swollen so much that my airway was restricted. I don’t think that’s a reality … it just felt that way. The 2-minute jogging recovery breaks seemed timed about perfectly. I felt like I needed a bit more of a break but once I started running again I felt much better than I felt when finishing the preceding one.

I was happy with the result and grouping of my times. I wasn’t focused on my watch and watched forcing the paces.

Hopefully I’m feeling a bit healthier with each passing day. I’ve got slow, short runs scheduled for the next couple of days followed by a slow 13-miler on Saturday. The marathon is the following weekend and is currently 81% full. There appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel at work so I’m thinking it’s a better than 50-50 proposition that I’ll be running in Austin.

PRE RUN
Weight = 159
Water

POST RUN
Water, multivitamin, zinc supplement, low fat granola w/1% milk

It's Official ... I'm Sick

OBJECTIVE
7 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
7.18 mi.@ 8:47/mi.

4:38 AM 30° 93% 0 mph

I've got a full-on head cold which may be moving into my chest. I skipped last night's run in lieu of rest. The first half of the night I slept well but the second half was terrible. Finally, I just got up and ran. I was plodding along at a pedestrian pace wondering if 1) I would be able to even finish the run, and 2) I should have be running given the way I was feeling. I never really know if it's best to rest or run when sick. There's a rule-of-thumb I once read but I can't remember it now. This morning I kept trying to convince myself that running would help flush the cold from my system (whatever that means). Who knows? Hopefully I'm feeling better later today. I know it's hard to focus at work when I feel like this (and I certainly don't need that right now!) and it's difficult to get quality runs in.

PRE RUN
weight = 159.5
low fat granola w/skim milk

POST RUN
All-Bran Flakes w/skim milk
Later, water, multivitamin, zinc & vitamin C

One of Two Runs

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow
3x100 strides @ 5K pace

ACHIEVED
3.02 mi.@ 8:34/mi.
112 m. 23.62 ( 5:39/mi.)
112 m. 23.29 (5:34/mi.)
112 m. 21.82 (5:13/mi.)

4:42 AM 53° 76% 14 mph

I feel like I'm in the early stages of getting sick. This started late Thursday. I've held it in check but it's still threatening. I slept a lot yesterday ... even missing the first half of the Super Bowl. I hope to shake it soon. I believe my work situation and running have just combined to physically overstress my body. Hopefully work settles down this week and the taper allows my body to catch up and get back to normal soon.

PRE RUN
water

POST RUN
weight 158.5
water, multivitamin, zinc & oatmeal w/flax, brown sugar & skim milk

February 1 - 7 Training Schedule

Sun. Rest
Mon. 2 Runs: 3 mi. Slow; 3x100 strides @ 5K pace
Tue. 7 mi. Slow
Wed. 6 mi. incl. 1 Easy, 4x1 @ Lactate Threshold, 1 Easy; 4x30 strides
Thu. 3 mi. Slow
Fri. 3 mi. Slow
Sat. 13 mi. Slow; 6x100 strides @ 5K pace

Inspiration from an Olympic Champion

In the men's 10,000 meter run at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Billy Mills struck gold in what quite possibly is the greatest upset in Olympic history. He blows by Australia's Ron Clarke, the world record holder, with about 100 meters to go.

In this video clip Mr. Mills discusses the mental aspect of his race (his Olympic finishing time of 28:24 isn't mentioned but he discusses his plan to cut time off his then-best effort).

Winning the mental battle is obviously a huge part of running. I find it on the road almost every single time I'm out there running. I particularly like his comment that the subconscious mind doesn't know the difference from reality and imagination.

Interestingly, both Mills and Clarke also ran the marathon in the same Olympics. Their finishing times - 2:24 and 2:22, respectively.

Read more about Mills here.

Tapering Long Run for 15 Miles

OBJECTIVE
15 mi. Easy
6x100 meter strides @ 5K pace (~24.26 sec. OR 6:31/mi. pace)

ACHIEVED
15.19 mi.@ 8:21/mi.
112 m. – 24.82 (5:56/mi.)
112 m. – 25.87 (6:11/mi.)
112 m. – 24:12 (5:46/mi.)
112 m. - 24.05 (5:45/mi.)
112 m. - 25.53 (6:06/mi.)
112 m. - 23.14 (5:32/mi.)

6:09 AM 40° 76% 5 mph

Randy, William, Stacey, Biff and I made it out for this one. I actually started an hour early and got 6 miles before the others started. I knew they would be going a shorter distance since they're still recovering from the marathon.

The morning started out brisk but turned quite nice for a run. I was happy to get this one in and also happy that I spent almost the entire run within my "easy" pace range of 8:08 - 8:38 per mile.

I must admit that I wasn't really "in" to this run for some reason so it was a good thing I had others around to keep my mind occupied with conversation.

The strides at the end of the run felt fine and I, once again, focused on being careful not to "blow them out" at a much-too-fast pace.


PRE RUN
weight = 160#
FRS powder & 2 FRS chews

POST RUN
2 SlimFast, water, multivitamin & zinc
Later, skim milk & Dutch pancakes w/maple syrup

Catching Up ... On Sleep!

OBJECTIVE
5 mi. Slow
3x100 meter strides @ 5K pace (~24.26 sec. OR 6:31/mi. pace)

ACHIEVED
5.14 mi.@ 8:43/mi.
112 m. – 24.36 (5:50/mi.)
112 m. – 25.90 (6:12/mi.)
112 m. – 26.33 (6:18/mi.)

5:14 AM 35° 77% 2 mph

Thankfully, I got a good night's sleep last night. However, I felt pretty sluggish during this morning's run.

The last time I did strides I think I strained my left hamstring ever-so-slightly. So I chilled out while doing them today. I tried to stay closer to planned pace and not imagine myself pressing Usain Bolt to the tape at the Olympics.

PRE RUN
weight = 159#
nothing

POST RUN
water, multivitamin, zinc & organic, low-fat granola w/skim milk

Slow Run on a Cool Morning

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
3.03 mi.@ 8:36/mi.

6:08 AM 30° 93% 5 mph

Cool morning stretch ….

PRE RUN
Weight = 158.5#
Apple, almond & raisin granola w/skim milk

POST RUN
Water, multivitamin, zinc & oatmeal w/brown sugar & skim milk

4-3-2-1 Cutdowns

OBJECTIVE
1 mi. warm up; 4-3-2-1 mi.@ marathon pace (7:38/mi.) w/2 min. recoveries; 1 mi. cool down

ACHIEVED
1 mi.@ 9:21/mi. WU
4 mi.@ 7:25/mi.
3 mi.@ 7:22/mi.
2 mi.@ 7:24/mi.
1 mi.@ 7:14/mi.
1 mi.@ 8:04/mi. CD

TOTAL (including recoveries): 12.41 mi.@ 8:00/mi.

6:05 AM 36° 92% 8 mph

I ran this same workout back on New Year’s Day. My times today were slightly faster on less rest and in slightly more challenging weather conditions.

Chalk this one up as a good run.

PRE RUN
weight = 160.0#
FRS concentrate & 2 FRS chews

POST RUN
1 SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin, zinc, calcium & oatmeal w/fax, almonds, brown sugar & skim milk

Unseasonably Warm Morning Run

OBJECTIVE
7 mi. Easy (8:08-38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
7.20 mi.@ 8:21/mi.

5:09 AM 66° 94% 6 mph

Felt pretty good today given my general lack of adequate sleep and constant work (16th consecutive day in the office; shortest day 10 hours; typical day 14 hours … yes, I’m marking time like a POW).

My left hip felt much better but still not 100%. I need to get back to my physical therapy but since I usually do it in the evening, it hasn’t been getting done … since I’m not home in the evening.

I don't have time to go into it right now but there's an odd thing that happens for me mentally. It's rare but occurred to some extent on Saturday's run and more so this morning. It's like I shift into autopilot and the miles just start clicking by. It's not that it becomes easier physically ... it just becomes a whole lot easier mentally. I wish I could describe it better and put my finger on how it works exactly.

PRE RUN
Weight = 160#

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

2 Runs Planned; One Run Done

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
3.07 mi.@ 8:37/mi.

6:37 AM 53° 91% 6 mph mist

I have some soreness in my left hip. Suppose it’s from the hills on Saturday.

The schedule called for two 3-mile runs today but I got home from work very late so I missed my evening run.

PRE RUN
Weight = 162#

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

January 25 - 31 Training Schedule

Sun. - Rest
Mon. - 2 runs: 3 mi. each Slow & 3x100 strides
Tue. - 7 mi. Easy
Wed. - 12 mi. incl. 1 WU, 4-3-2-1 @ MP w/ 2 min. recovery, 1 CD
Thu. - 3 mi. Slow
Fri. - 5 mi. Slow & 3x100 strides
Sat. - 15 mi. Easy & 6x100 strides

Longest Solo

OBJECTIVE
20 mi. w/pickup last 5 mi.

ACHIEVED
20.02 mi.@ 8:20/mi.
First 15 mi.@8:35/mi.
Last 5
7:32/7:40/7:38/7:31/7:22

6:19 AM 49° 55% 14 mph

Conroe hills along League Line Road and Teaswood

(more details here later)

PRE RUN
weight = 161#
oatmeal w/brown sugar & skim milk & FRS concentrate

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

Houston Half Pictures

Pictures from the Houston half marathon are here

Based on the pictures, it's surprising I ever made it to the finish line since it seems my eyes are always closed ....

OBJECTIVE
4 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
4.01 mi.@ 8:46/mi.

5:21 AM 57F 88% 7 mph

It was a nice morning. I'm tired because I'm not getting enough sleep.

PRE RUN
weight 162
nothing

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

Granted

My body asked for a rest today and I granted it. It's not so much the running. I'm feeling better physically. But the 14 hour work days seem to be catching up with me ....

Slowly But Surely

OJECTIVE
5 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
5.10 mi.@ 8:49/mi.

6:02 AM 27F 100% 0 mph

I'm feeling a bit better today but still have some lingering soreness. After the race I went straight to work and sat all day. I'm sure that's retarded my recovery. I didn't stretch well. I didn't refuel well. I didn't get an ice bath. I didn't keep moving. Note to self: each of these is very important for my proper recovery.

I'm just making up this week's schedule as I go. On Monday, I thought I might be ready for a midweek Big Workout but it was very clear early on that it wasn't going to happen. I think I'll try to get 6 miles tomorrow then base Friday's run on what I plan on doing Saturday.

PRE RUN
weight = 162#
water

POST RUN
HoneyNut Cheerios w/skim milk

Still Feelin' It

OJECTIVE
4 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
4.06 mi.@ 9:03/mi.

6:01 AM 41F 66% 4 mph

I'm still quite sore from running the half.

PRE RUN
weight = 161#
ginger snaps

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

2009 Houston Half Finish

I make an appearance at the end of this clip. Funny that I felt a bit stronger than I look in the video!

Inspirational

Coming into downtown during the half marathon I saw this guy.

Check out his story here

I'm always inspired when I see other people out on the course ... dealing with things. Of course I had no idea what his story was when I came up from behind. I just saw two guys kind of running close together. Then I could make out the words on the guide's back. Then finally, I could read Captain Castro's shirt. As I passed, I said something like "Great run, Cap!" He said, "Thanks, it's a good day."

That's my brush with greatness.

Busted Up

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow

ACHIEVED
3.05 mi.@ 9:19/mi.

5:20 AM 45° 53% 8 mph

I'm feeling pretty beat from yesterday's effort. My legs are sore all over and my lower abs (solus ??? muscles) feel very strained.

Today's run didn't feel great but I took it slow and figured it was better to get moving.

PRE RUN
weight = 160#
water

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

Houston Half Marathon - Preliminary Report

Unofficial Distance & Time
13.16 mi. - 1:33:38 (7:07/mi.)

7:00 AM 59° 78% 8 mph

7:18/7:10/7:05/7:06/7:17/7:10/7:11/7:07/7:08/7:16/7:04/6:54/6:47/1:06(.17mi=6:37/mi)

I'm happy with today's results. I didn't run as smart as I would have liked - my pace was faster than I wanted early in the race and it cost me a bit at the end. I passed a bunch of other runners with 2 miles to go. I held off one threat to pass me but was unable to hold off another runner. I stayed with him for about 1/2 mile over the last 1.5 miles but with about 1/4 mile to go he picked up more. I tried to stay with him but didn't have it. I suppose I can say I used it all up on the course but I tend to think the overly aggressive start cost me a bit at the end.

I saw Stacey, Josh and Miranda on the course. I saw Steph briefly before the race and she was at the finish line. Afterwards, I met up with Miranda and Josh. We cleaned up, ate and walked back on the course. We saw Jonathan (haven't checked his finish time but he had to be around 3:00), Stacy, Stuart, Laurie, and Randy.

In

Steph found a bib for me to run the Houston Half. (Thanks, Steph!)

I'm driving to the event now, still trying to sort out goals and logistics. I figure I'll break it into 3 segments: 5 mile, 5 mile & 5K. Maybe try to run 7:15 miles. That may be a bit agressive but that's what I'm considering.

My bib is A21360 and my "name" is Evelyn. I think there's a tracker on the marathon website but I'm not wearing the timing chip so it probably won't find me.

I'll check in later.

OBJECTIVE
2 mi. Jog
4 x 100 meter strides @ 5K pace (~24.26 sec. per 100 meter OR 6:31/mi. pace)

ACHIEVED
2.03 mi.@ 8:39/mi.
112 m. – 25.18 (6:01/mi.)
112 m. – 24.97 (5:58/mi.)
112 m. – 25.82 (6:11/mi.)
112 m. – 23.69 (5:40/mi.)

7:23 AM 45° 81% 0 mph

PRE RUN
weight = 160.0#
nothing

POST RUN
water, multivitamin & oatmeal w/skim milk

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Jog

ACHIEVED
3.02 mi.@ 8:54/mi.

5:47 AM 33° 61% 8 mph

PRE RUN
weight = 158.5# (ironic to hit my marathon goal weight this morning ....)
nothing

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

Game Over

Back on the bus for the return trip. The good news is I have a seat. The bad news is it's about 14 hours later.

Which leads me to more bad news. It doesn't look like the marathon is happening this weekend. Work has pretty much spin out of control (which I've come to expect this time of year) and the flights and hotels in Phoenix have been bought up at a crazy rate this week (thank you Cardinals for choosing now, after 62 years to make it to the conference championship). Rather than pout as I'm disposed to do, I think I'll try finding a bib for the half marathon in Houston. May as well not let this training cycle and taper go to waste. I can probably work in the half between stints at the office.

Yes, it is very disappointing but not altogether surprising.

Standing Room Only

Today's schedule calls for rest. So I've decided to stay off my feet as much as possible. At the moment - as luck would have it - I'm on a full bus where I'm one of the "standers". Not a good start.

I'm starting carbohydrate loading today. I didn't follow the carb depletion plan like I did for St. George. I've read enough on the topic in the meantime to think there's no benefit to depletion if you load properly 2-3 days prior to the event. My daily target for carb intake is 600 grams. The goal is to supersaturate with carbs so I step to the starting line with 800 grams of high octane fuel (carbs) on board. Of course there's no real way to know short of medical lab testing. I'll let how I'm feeling around Mile 20 be my indicator.

Phoenix is expecting a big turnout - something like 33,000 split evenly between the half and full. The weather is supposed to be excellent.

Houston is expecting around 25,000 this weekend. The weather may actually be better in Houston, probably cooler but most likely more humid. A high-powered field will be running in Houston so watch for some good times. The half has been designated a USA championship. Olympians Brian Sell and Dathan Ritzenhein will compete along with Meb Keflezighi and others. For the women, Kate O'Neill, Desiree Davila and Magdalena Lewy Boulet should be at or near the front.

Also in running news, Haile Gebrselassie will be running the Dubai marathon tomorrow. This will be his first major effort since breaking the world record last September in Berlin. His record time 2:03:59 - try wrapping your mind around that! I can't run a 4:44 mile let alone string 26 of them together back to back. The course has been set up favorably for him to break the record again and there's a $1 million bonus to anyone who breaks the record in tomorrow's event. Keep your eye on the sports ticker for the results on that one. I believe Haile has said he can go 2:03:20 - 2:03:30 on a perfect day. He has 6 pacesetters, the weather is supposed to be perfect, there are only 4 turns on the flat course, and the field includes a dozen runners who have run under 2:10.

Enough running news for now. I want to document of my state of mind and mental approach in a later blog entry. Stay tuned ....

A First

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Easy (8:08-38/mi.)
4 x 100 meter strides @ 5K pace (~24.26 sec. per 100 meter OR 6:31/mi. pace)

ACHIEVED
3.04 mi.@ 8:25/mi.
112 m. – 24.05 (5:45/mi.)
112 m. – 24.09 (5:46/mi.)
112 m. – 23.85 (5:42/mi.)
112 m. – 23.22 (5:33/mi.)

5:47 AM 27° 93% 0 mph

For the first time since I got my Garmin (approximately 18 months ago), I completed a run without looking at it once. I know that may not sound like a big deal but that device has a certain control over me that REQUIRES me to look at it to get feedback and assess my runs while in progress. This morning was cold and I didn’t want to bother pulling my sleeve up with gloved hands to bother checking my pace. After all, pace doesn’t really matter today. The run just needed to be easy … and enough to stretch my legs. I just let my legs go and my mind wander. Whenever I even thought about pace, I just told myself “keep it easy”. At the end of the run, I was happy to see I was right in the range I planned to be.

I ran 4x100 meter strides after logging the 3-miler. After not feeling particularly great during the run, my legs felt okay during the strides. It felt good to “open it up”.

PRE RUN
weight = 161.0#
nothing

POST RUN
water, multivitamin, GrapeNuts w/skim milk

Faith in the Taper You Must Have, Young Skywalker

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Easy (8:08-38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
3.05 mi.@ 8:17/mi.

5:50 AM 43° 59% 9 mph

I focused on making today's run easy. After warming up at 8:42 over the first mile, I didn't realize my pace picked up much but the next two miles were 8:18 and 7:53. This has to be the tapering benefit kicking in. I felt good and the pace really felt easy.

The alternate title for today's blog is "Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive and Dodge" (not sure what's with the movie references today ...???). The reason is because it seemed every car on the road was out to hit me this morning. Maybe it was my all-black "ninja" running attire in the pre-dawn darkness .... Probably not the best idea ....

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, vitamin C supplement & zinc supplement (yes, my urine will be radioactive today!)

Hitting My Marks

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. w/ 1 m. Easy; 1 m.@10K (6:45); 1 m. Easy
Easy = (8:08-38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
3.07 mi.
8:05/6:42/7:32
0:29 (356') (=7:16/mi.)

6:13 AM 29° 97% 0 mph

Cold morning. Good run. Still very busy at work.

PRE RUN
licorice

POST RUN
weight = 160.5#
SlimFast & multivitamin

Training Schedule: January 11 - 17

SUN: Rest
MON: 3 mi. - 1 Easy, 1@10K (6:45), 1 Easy
TUE: 3 mi. Easy
WED: 3 mi. Easy & 4x100@5K (6:31)
THU: Rest
FRI: 3 mi. Jog
SAT: 2 mi. Jog & 4x100@5K (6:31)

If work cooperates, I'll fly to Phoenix Saturday morning for Sunday's marathon. If not, I'll recalibrate and possibily consider the Austin marathon next month.

Lengthening the Prescribed Long Run

OBJECTIVE
13 mi. Slow (>8:38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
14.8 mi.@ 8:26

6:35 AM 70° 94% 7 mph light mist

Funny thing ... wasn't it just yesterday that I was wondering when I'd get the spring back in my legs? I think I found it today and didn't even realize it. Let me explain.

The group was scheduled for 10 miles. Traditionally there isn't a formal route for the last, "short" long run before a marathon. We just figure out where we're going when we get together Saturday morning. Since my schedule was for 13 miles and the group wasn't starting until 7 AM, I got to the park early and took what felt like a slow loop for 3 miles. I really thought I was probably around 8:45-50 pace. Well, my splits were actually 8:31/8:01/8:03. Of course, that isn't a land speed record but based on how I was feeling ... I'd have to say the tapering benefits are kicking in.

I timed it perfectly and met the group for the planned 10 miles. The routing was much looser than normal and we meandered around then headed back toward the park but realized that we weren't going to get 10 miles so added on a bit extra to get the miles. From my total mileage above, you can see the add-on was about 1.8 miles more the planned.

So in summary, I ran farther and faster than I should have today but felt pretty good doing it.

Now for the other news. Of course, the marathon is next weekend and, of course, the reason I didn't sign up for the Houston marathon is because this is my busiest time of the year at work. Long story - short: yesterday 2 weeks were pulled out of the timeline for the project I'm working on. Meaning everything is now due 2 weeks earlier. I've come to expect the unexpected this time of year. It's just the way things go. I'd say the marathon is now a less than 50/50 proposition. I've really got to get on top of things over the next few days in order to give myself the chance to get away next weekend. I've joked about it but this literally is going to be a "game time" decision. It may be Friday before I know if I'll be running the marathon on Sunday.

For the record, today's group included: Stephanie, Stuart, Laurie, Michelle, William, Randy, Josh, Aaron and me.

PRE RUN
Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk

POST RUN
SlimFast

Am I Feeling Right?

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow (>8:38 mi.)

ACHIEVED
3.03 mi.@ 8:32/mi.

6:01 AM 54° 99% 0 mph fog

A little faster than I wanted. I’m not feeling rejuvenated like it seems I should be two weeks into my taper. I’ve got a few aches and soreness but it’s very minor … nothing really. It just doesn't seem like my legs are coming back to life.

PRE RUN
Nothing

POST RUN
Weight = 161.5#
Water, multivitamin & 5-grain hot cereal w/skim milk

Putting the SLOW in a Slow Run

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow (>8:38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
3.04 mi.@ 8:44/mi.

6:14 AM 44F 93% 0 mph

Didn't feel that great.

Tried an active warmup rather than the typical static routine.

PRE RUN
weight = 159.5
nothing

POST RUN
water, multivitamin & wheat chex w/skim milk

Pushing the Threshold

OBJECTIVE
1 mi. warm up
4 x 1 mi.@ lactate threshold (6:55) w/2 min. jogging recovery
1 mi. cool down

ACHIEVED
1.00 mi. WU - 9:55
4 x 1 mi. - 6:49/6:29/6:38/6:34
1.02 mi. CD - 7:53/mi.

5:38 AM 36° 79% 2 mph

Here's the blog entry for the same threshold workout that I did 10 days before the St. George marathon.

It was another cool morning. Aaron had planned to run with me so I dropped by his place before heading to the Y. After waiting for 15 minutes and still seeing no lights or movement, I went on ahead without him.

Beforehand this run seemed easy and hard all at the same time. After all it was only 6 miles and 2 of those miles were warm up and cool down. But pushing the pace would be tough. Enough thinking about it finally! Get on with it!

The warm up mile was slow then I was off. My pace was slow at first but I think that was just the GPS "catching up to me". I felt pretty good. At the end of the first interval, I passed two groups of runners out for a morning run. I guessed they were preparing for the Houston marathon in 10 days. After the first threshold mile, I doubled back on my route for 2 minutes of jogging recovery.

I really took off on the second mile. I knew the other runners were up ahead and had a good head start on me while I was jogging in the other direction. I wanted to catch them and "blow by" so they could see how fast I was. Over the first 1/2 mile, I didn't see them around the turns on the streets but I reeled them in soon enough. This extra incentive prompted a much-too-fast mile from me and I believe it impacted the remaining 2 intervals.

After a 2 minute jog, I turned back on the trail for the third mile. I tried to do a better job of maintaining a constant pace. I was however feeling the prior interval and seemed to be having a bit of trouble recovering.

Another 2 minute jog heading back out then it was on to the last mile interval. I can always do one more, right? I like that feeling when I'm not quite done but know I'm going to be able to finish the workout and that I'm on track for a good one by hitting my times.

I wanted to start slow and finish fast over the last mile. The starting slow wasn't a problem. And I was able to increase the pace but then I was just stuck at that pace and didn't seem to be able to cut it down a couple more times like I intended. That's fine just the same as my time was good. In fact this workout was a good one.

Looking back to the link above at the same workout before the St. George marathon. I was faster today by a significant margin. The workout wasn't a "killer" but it was "comfortably hard".

The purpose of a lactate threshold run like today is push yourself to the point where you "go anaerobic" rather than aerobic. At this point your body is producing lactic acid faster than your muscles can clear this waste product. If I calculated the threshold pace correctly (the only real way to determine lactate threshold pace is blood testing while working out) then I took myself right to that point then gave myself a break with the recovery jog. This time should have allowed my muscles to clear the lactic acid while still keeping my heart rate up. Of course, I'll never run this fast in a marathon but it's good practice for the body to become efficient at clearing lactic acid buildup. It's what causes muscle fatigue and pain.

Today's run was a success. I think it's the last hard run I'll have for a while. I've got slow 3-milers each of the next 2 days before a slow 13-miler on Saturday.

I came home and did all of my IT band PT exercises. I noticed increased flexibility today. I suspect that's from doing the exercises right after the run when the muscles are good and warmed up.

PRE RUN
FRS concentrate


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

Slow Roll in the Rain

OBJECTIVE
7 mi. Slow (>8:38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
7.21 mi.@ 8:44 mi.

5:30 AM 41° 95% 3 mph light rain

Felt sluggish this morning. That's a bit surprising to me given the taper. However, I am still in the very early stages of tapering so maybe I'm just not feeling the benefits yet. I look forward to getting the spring back in my legs.

I ran with Aaron in the rain. The rain itself wasn't that big of a deal. I've actually been expecting it on every run since last Saturday. Hopefully it clears for tomorrow's intervals. Aaron plans to join me and for now we are planning to run from the YMCA.

PRE RUN
weight = 159.0#
water, ginger snap granola w/skim milk

POST RUN
water, multivitamin, chocolate milk & 5-grain hot cereal w/brown sugar & skim milk

Run 2 of 2 for the Day

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow (>8:38/mi.)
3 x 100 meter strides @ 5K pace (~24.26 sec. per 100 meter OR 6:31/mi. pace)

ACHIEVED
3.02 mi.@ 8:32/mi.
113 m. – 27.81 (6:39/mi.)
113 m. – 27.80 (6:39/mi.)
113 m. – 25.23 (6:02/mi.)

6:40 PM 43° 87% 9 mph

It was a chilly evening. Memorial Park was a lot quieter than it usually is at this time of the day but I was still surprised at how many people there were given the much cooler temperature. I amused myself by noting the extreme differences in people's attire. I saw a couple guys in shorts and short-sleeved shirts and a few others in shorts and long sleeves. There were some women in shorts too. There were others on the opposite end of the spectrum. For example, full jogging suit with winter coat, scarf and hat. There were a few variations of this "look". I've got to give everyone credit for being out there tonight ... no matter what it took to get there.

My legs felt fine. My cardio felt fine. I felt slow.

Seven miles in the the morning ... I'll see how I feel then ....

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
SlimFast

Run 1 of 2 for the Day

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow (>8:38/mi.)
3 x 100 meter strides @ 5K pace

ACHIEVED
3.04 mi.@ 8:29/mi.
no strides

5:35 AM 46° 76% 9 mph

Ran with Aaron this morning. Everything generally felt fine. I did physical therapy for my IT bands last night. As a precaution, I plan to complete that PT every other day for about 10 days. On the off days, I’m considering a core routine.

Almost forgot to mention that I tried a new warmup routine. It was a bit haphazard so I need to try it a few more times to determine if it's better than what I've been doing.

PRE RUN
Weight = 160.5#
Water

POST RUN
Water, multivitamin, zinc supplement, oatmeal w/flax, brown sugar & skim milk

Training Schedule: January 4 - 10

Sun – Rest
Mon – 2 runs: 3 mi. Slow w/3x100 @ 5K
Tue – 7 mi. Slow
Wed – 6 mi. incl. 1 mi. Easy; 4x30 striders; 4x1 mi.@ Lactate Threshold (LT = 6:55) w/ 2 min. rest; 1 mi. Easy
Thu – 3 Slow
Fri – 3 Slow
Sat – 13 Slow w/6x100@ 5K

15M Tapering Long Run

OBJECTIVE
15 mi. Easy (8:08-38/mi.) & 6x100 @ 5K

ACHIEVED
14.76 mi.@ 8:35/mi. (no strides)

6:41 AM 68° 91% 6 mph

Today's group included Laurie, Stacey, Michelle, Randy, William and me. Generally I felt okay. It was supposed to rain so I didn't break out a new pair of Wave Rider 11's like I was planning. In the end there was no rain and it turned out to be a fantastic morning weather-wise. Our pace was erratic but the last 7 miles were all under 8:20 except for one that was 8:23.

Quick thought: When we bought our house over 9 years ago, the realtor made a big deal about the whirlpool in the master bathroom. Paige and I really liked it. We discussed it more than once when we were making our buying decision. Here's a fact - for the first 8 years we lived in the house, I'm absolutely sure the whirlpool tub was used less than 10 times. Isn't that crazy that somehow a major buying decision was influenced by such a trivial thing? Anyway, I'm happy to report the tub is now getting some use. (Calling it a whirlpool is an overstatement in my opinion. It's a bathtub with 6 jets in it ... not a "true" whirlpool.) Oftentimes after my Saturday long runs, I stop and pick up a 15 pound bag of ice on my way home. Once I get home, I fill the tub with only cold water then add the bag of ice. Then I turn on the jets. They perfectly mix the icy water. I HATE getting into an ice bath. But it seems to help my recovery and I feel better than I otherwise would the next day. I still think it's stupid that the tub contributed to our buying decision but I'm glad that it's at least being used now!

PRE RUN
weight = 163#
FRS concentrate & oatmeal w/skim milk

POST RUN
2 SlimFast
Later, water, chocolate milk, multivitamin, Postum & ginger snap granola w/skim milk

Slow Stretch Out

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. slow (>8:38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
3.01 mi.@ 8:45/mi.

6:19 AM 64° 95% 8 mph

Rolled out for an easy little run to stretch my legs. My lower abs were a bit sore and my legs were slightly sluggish.

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
Weight = 161.0#
Water, multivitamin & GrapeNuts w/skim milk

Marathon Pace Cutdowns

OBJECTIVE
1 mi. warm up; 4-3-2-1 mi.@ marathon pace (7:38/mi.) w/2 min. recoveries; 1 mi. cool down

ACHIEVED
1 mi.@ 9:05/mi. WU
4 mi.@ 7:29/mi.
3 mi.@ 7:28/mi.
2 mi.@ 7:27/mi.
1 mi.@ 7:10/mi.
1 mi.@ 8:27/mi. CD

TOTAL (including recoveries): 12.36 mi.@ 8:05/mi.

7:52 AM 42° 73% 4 mph

This workout is a double-edged sword. I only do it once during a marathon training cycle and it looms ominously on the schedule as I get closer to the day I'll run it. It's a challenging workout and a good gauge of fitness. Complete it within the goal parameters and it's a big confidence builder. Fail to complete it or end up markedly slower and it might be time to recalibrate the marathon time goal.

I honestly don't have a good handle on where I'm at fitness-wise right now. My training since the St. George marathon in October has been okay. I've generally got all of my runs in but I've been wondering if I should have ramped up the mileage on my longer efforts. I've only run 2 +20-milers. A couple weeks ago, I felt stretched at the distance but succeeded in a very solid pickup with Laurie. Last week, it was all I could do to finish. ... the tale of two runs .... On the positive side, I have set two PR's since St. George at 10 miles and 10K. However, these are shorter distances so my overall endurance is still the question. Where does that leave me? Today would really be the last real test.

Marathon pace is 7:38 minutes per mile to finish in 3:20:00. I haven't completed a run at this pace but I have tried a few pickups in the closing miles of long runs at this pace. Today would allow me to "feel" the pace I need to maintain for 26.2 miles. It would also let me gauge how my body feels at that pace. At the outset, I was wondering if I even had a chance of completing this one.

I gave myself an extra 90 minutes to sleep in this morning. It is New Years after all. I drove to the YMCA to start from there. I figured the bayou trail was my best bet given the total distance I needed and the time of day.

The warm up mile was slow and I felt slow. I still wasn't sure how this was going to go. I thought I had programmed my Garmin for a 2 minute recovery after the warm up but I apparently missed that one so I went right in to the 4-miler.

The morning was nice and traffic was extremely light. I suppose New Years partiers were all still in bed. I put it into my head that I wanted to run 7:30 per mile. I didn't look at my watch. The pace came fairly easy. About midway through I checked figuring I was too slow but was surprised that I was a bit faster than planned. At that point, I decided I was feeling pretty good! Then I started wondering if I would be able to continue the pace through the remaining legs.

During my first recovery break I walked back along the route retracing my steps. I knew my overall course was going to come up a bit short. I figured by walking back during the breaks a could lengthen the route a bit so I wouldn't have to add on at the end just to get the right distance.

I felt fine along the 3-mile leg until somewhere during the last third. I started feeling a bit fatigued. The battle this I refocused my energies. Again during this leg I didn't look at my watch much but just put 7:30/mi. in my head.

It was warming up during the 2-mile leg as I ran back into the rising sun along the bayou path of Faulkey Gully. There were more people out along the trail on my return trip. Again I was feeling fatigued but it was only on the verge of being uncomfortable to hold the pace.

I was happy to get to the 1-mile leg. At this point, I knew I'd be able to finish the workout and up to this point that it had been a solid effort and a success as each leg was under the goal pace of 7:38/mi. I picked it up for this leg. I'm not sure about the physiology but I broke through something ... lactate threshold, went anaerobic, ... something ... ??? It was tough by the end. I finished it faster but didn't feel like I could have done another one. I'm not sure what happened on this last leg but I'm glad I experienced it because it seems to suggest that my fitness is where I need it to be to run a 3:20 marathon. However, there doesn't seem to be much margin for error. By pushing the pace up only by 18 seconds per mile, I found myself in a bit of trouble. The good news is that the entire workout was run about 10 seconds per mile faster than it needed to be.

This was a good run that helps my confidence. I'm glad I did it even though it scared me going into it. I'll monitor how my legs are feeling and just plan for a short, easy run tomorrow. Saturday is a 15-miler with the group so hopefully I bounce back from today's hard push.

Now for an aside. Remember this public service announcement from the 80's?



This kept popping into my head during the run today. Let me explain.

I'm amazed at the power of the human brain. This has struck me before when running but hit home again this morning.

The brain is an unbelievably powerful computer. If I focus on a pace and "tell" myself to run that pace. Somehow my brain can do all the necessary calculations and put my body on the pace. All of this seems to happen on a subconscious level. The more I run, the more I'm convinced that it's more mental than physical. That's not to underestimate or under appreciate the physical aspect. It's just to say that there's a huge element to it that's mental. At least that seems to be true for this middle-aged, middle-of-pack guy.

PRE RUN
weight = 161.0#
Clif bar & FRS

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

Cruisin'

OBJECTIVE
5 mi. Slow (>8:38/mi.)
3 x 100 meter strides @ 5K pace (~24.26 sec. per 100 meter OR 6:31/mi. pace)

ACHIEVED
5.11 mi.@ 8:30/mi.
113 m. – 22.90 (5:29/mi.)
113 m. – 22.70 (5:26/mi.)
113 m. – 22.32 (5:20/mi.)

5:30 AM 49° 100% 2 mph mist

Got in a good run with Aaron this morning. The temperature was cool to start but great once we got going. This run was scheduled for Friday but I rolled it back to today. I'll have to see how the next few days shake out running-wise. I'm still planning on a 15-miler Saturday but I'm not sure who else is around to run with.

PRE RUN
weight = 164.5# (too many burritos last night!)
water

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin & baked Amish oatmeal (Yes, I tried something new but decided it wasn't worth the effort ... and it really didn't take much effort!

Aaron Gets Sick

OBJECTIVE
7 mi. not sure if this was technically supposed to be "slow" or "easy" pace

ACHIEVED
7.29 mi.@ 9:05/mi.

5:30 AM 34° 100% 0 mph mist

This was a true recovery run at a slow pace. I was slow starting today. I met Aaron who had been in Utah for the holidays. We started slow and got slower. He was suffering some stomach discomfort that led us to a stop at a donut shop for a "relief" break. The slower pace really wasn't a problem for me. I am still feeling the pounding I gave myself while doing strides at the end of each of my runs yesterday. (I think I need to slow them down a bit!)

PRE RUN
weight = 162#
water

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

Daily Double, Part II

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow (>8:38/mi.)
3 x 100 meter strides @ 5K pace (~24.26 sec. per 100 meter OR 6:31/mi. pace)

ACHIEVED
3.02 mi.@ 8:28/mi.
107 m. – 22.22 (5:33/mi.)
161 m. – 36.25 (5:47/mi.)
241 m. – 50.40 (5:28/mi.)

8:03 PM 51° 54% 0 mph

Not surprisingly, this run was a bit slower than this morning's.

PRE RUN
Water

POST RUN
Hamburger, grilled chicken wrap, chocolate milk & apple slices

Two-A-Day Workout #1

OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Slow (>8:38/mi.)
3 x 100 meter strides @ 5K pace (~24.26 sec. per 100 meter OR 6:31/mi. pace)

ACHIEVED
3.02 mi.@ 8:17/mi.
177 m. – 35.34 (5:18/mi.)
156 m. – 32.60 (5:20/mi.)
177 m. – 34.08 (5:09/mi.)

6:34 AM 39° 93% 2 mph

Everything about this run was too fast except for the first mile. I’m not sure why I was so charged up this morning …? Maybe it was just getting back to my “home track”. I’ll be running the same routine later today. I’ll be curious to see the comparison.

PRE RUN
Weight = 162.5#
Water

POST RUN
Water, multivitamin & 5-grain hot cereal w/brown sugar & 1% milk

Training Schedule: December 28 - January 3

Sun: Rest
Mon: 2 Runs - 3 mi. each Slow w/3x100@5K
Tue: 7 mi. Easy
Wed: 12 mi. w/1 Easy, 4-3-2-1@MP w/2 min. Rest, 1 Easy
Thu: 3 mi. Slow
Fri: 5 mi. Slow w/3x100@5K
Sat: 15 mi. w/6x100@5K

Gutting One Out

OBJECTIVE
20 mi. Easy (8:08-38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
20.85 mi.@ 8:28/mi.

6:31 AM 73° 79% 19 mph

This was a tough one. I got back home late last night. I knew I didn't want to take on a 20-miler by myself but almost all of Stephanie's group is out of town and ChampionsFit's run today is "unofficial". Aaron is also out of town. Fortunately, Stephanie gave me a heads up that the Bayou City Road Runners were doing a 21-miler that was supported and open to all-comers.

I arrived at the start point only a few minutes early then the group started. I didn't see anyone I knew even though the group must have been about 50 runners. I took off in the darkness with strangers. Fortunately, Laurie found me before we had gone a mile. Then Jonathan showed up too. Jonathan didn't hang with us for very long as it looked like he has staying with his Tornado running buddies. Laurie and I ran the whole route together. I was glad she was with me today.

The course was well marked and there were water stops (manned and unmanned) about every 3 miles. The route took me through the Tanglewood area which I haven't run in before today.

It wasn't the best of days for me. My traveling (just got in last night) and bad nutrition over the past week certainly didn't help matters. Laurie kept us on a decent pace but around Mile 15 or 16 the wheels pretty much came off for me. My legs were getting heavier with each stride and overall fatigue was setting in. I gutted it out but with about a mile or so do go, we missed a turn along the route and ended up adding a bit of unplanned distance. At this point in the run, I was quite disheartened. I pressed on but as soon as I hit the planned distance, I mentally and physically shut it down. Laurie kept on while I walked it in over the last half mile.

It seems strange that this is the last long run of this cycle. If I'm running either the Houston marathon or Phoenix marathon, the taper begins Monday. This cycle has been abbreviated and I don't feel like l've been as disciplined. We'll just have to wait and see how it plays out.

PRE RUN
weight = 162#
FRS liquid concentrate & oatmeal w/sugar & 1% milk

POST RUN
SlimFast, breakfast burrito, sausage, bacon, grapefruit juice

Ice & Snow

OBJECTIVE
6 mi. Easy (8:08-38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
6.36 mi.@ 8:32

11:18 AM 18F 68% 8 mph

Like each of my runs in Utah, this was a tough one. A storm dumped a bunch of snow in the afternoon and evening yesterday. The roads were covered with snow and ice. It was cold.

I wore my YakTrax which helped a lot. But running in snow and ice definitely requires more work.

On the return trip, the wind was squarely in my face which was not pleasant at all. Surprisingly I didn't notice the wind much going out.

Late in the run, I was quizzing myself, "Why am I doing this?" The answer came quickly. "So I can out kick people half my age like I did in Dana Point." It's only an example but the ability to compete is a powerful sensation for me.

Next month I hope to run my best marathon ever and qualify for the Boston marathon. Hopefully this week's challenging help me accomplish that goal.

I've also been thinking about altitude training. There is an adage that says endurance athletes should "live high and train low". I don't understand the physiology but I know elite runners cycle through high altitude locations in California, Arizona, and Colorado in an effort to gain a physiological advantage. I'm aware that Indiana Elite recently spent a week of training in Park City, Utah with some measured benefits. Could my week in Utah have similarly benefited me? I'll be watching for any noticeable improvement with curiosity.

I'm scheduled for a long run tomorrow but may have trouble finding someone to share it with.

PRE RUN
oatmeal w/brown sugar & 1% milk

POST RUN
???

An Addition to My List of Things I Need to Race

Time to buy knee high compression socks ....

Link to scientific study


I also want some arm warmers for my next cool weather race start. No science behind it that I've found yet. I just think they look good.



Okay, maybe it's the guy wearing the arm warmers that make them look good. (Ryan Hall, US Olympic Trials Marathon winner)

Still, Still, Still

OBJECTIVE
4 mi. slow (> 8:38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
4.58 mi.@ 8:39/mi.

7:26 AM 34° 75% 32 mph snow

Except for the wind, everything was very still during this Christmas morning run. Yes, it was blowing hard. Yes, it was snowing during the second half of the run. But there was very little traffic. I spied through a couple living room windows as I passed by and saw families in pajamas opening gifts. It was a peaceful run. I was glad to get out after yesterday's peculiar "run". My legs had a very slight soreness and my body overall was a bit sore too. I think it was the uneven ground of yesterday's run and perhaps the shoveling of snow in the driveway the day before. I feel pretty good and I'm looking for a good run tomorrow.

Two things happened during today's run. First, with about a mile to go, a guy was stuck in a snow bank on the side of the road. I stopped to try helping push him out. After some back and forth rocking followed by a big push, we were close to getting him back on the road. But for some reason, he got out of his car said, he would try it on his own because he "didn't want my blood pressure to get too low." I have no idea what that means. I'm sure he meant something about my running and that he was trying to politely dismiss me. So I wished him a Merry Christmas and ventured on.

Shortly after the stuck car, some horses in a nearby field began braying. There wasn't anything going on and I looked back to see them. I saw nothing. Then a bird made a strange sound. I didn't have to wonder long what this was about as about 90 seconds later the wind really picked up. So much so that it was howling there the trees of the river bottoms where I was running. It was the storm front moving in. The animals knew it shortly before I sensed it. Then the snow started flying. This snow seemed fitting for Christmas morning. I pressed on oddly enjoying the Christmas morning scene.

Once I turned for home and hit the freeway overpass the wind was in my face. It was a fierce breeze driving the snow squarely into my face. A snowflake hit my eyeball. I wondered if the sharp edges of a driven snowflake could actually cut the fragile membrane of an eyeball. Yes, it was painful! I closed my eyes and tried to make my body area as small as possible to thwart to negative influence of the winds. I was close enough to being finished that I found some fun in it.

Finally, it was over. I was snow-encrusted from head to toe. I'm sure the occasional passerby must have wondered about that crazy Christmas morning runner.

It was a good run.


PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
water, hash browns, sausage, bacon & toast w/raspberry jam (Calodie's - a Christmas morning family tradition)

This One was Tough!

OBJECTIVE
25K Antelope Island Christmas Eve Striders' group run

ACHIEVED
11.7 mi.@ 14:52/mi. (No, this is not a typo! It took 2:53:49 to go less than 12 miles!)

8:33 AM 19° 70% 12 mph

This was a tough "run". The course was supposed to be the 25K/50K Buffalo Run course on Antelope Island but was modified due to the "course master" not being with the group to run today.

Brandon picked me up and we drove to the gate of Antelope Island State Park. We waited for others as the plan was to carpool over the causeway to the island. You never really know what to expect at group runs. This group wasn't quite as welcoming as what I'm used to in my group at home. Maybe it was just that everyone was focused on getting their run and didn't want to be slowed down by the new guys. Brandon and I were equipped for the run okay but it was fairly clear we weren't experienced with this type of run. We were wearing cold weather gear and YakTrax. The others were wearing better cold weather gear and trail shoes.

Before I go on, I can summarize the run with this elevation graphic:



I didn't realize we were in for this type of terrain. It was rocky and snowy. Most of the way was covered with 4 - 8" of snow. Brandon and I (like everyone else) walked most of the extreme uphill sections. While running, I had to focus on where my foot was landing with each stride. The terrain was uneven. The YakTrax were a tremendous help and allowed for some confidence. I realized I was dealing with basically everything that I never see while running roads in Houston: snow, cold, elevation, and terrain. It was mentally and physically taxing.

We cut it a bit short on the return leg. I had had enough and Brandon had too. We traipsed back in; alternating running and walking. This was a tough one. But I'm glad I did it. The experience helped confirm for me that I'm a road rather than trail runner.

Later I plan to upload a few pictures taken while we were on the island here.

PRE RUN
orange juice & oatmeal w/brown sugar & 1% milk

POST RUN
apple cider & brownies
Later, Clif bar, water, & puffed wheat crisp cereal w/1% milk

Run in the Snow

OBJECTIVE
6 mi. Easy (8:08-38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
4.58 mi.@ 8:30/mi.

11:59 AM 25° 86% 10 mph light snow

I got a late start on this run as I was trying to wait out the snow storm that was moving through this morning. However by waiting, I ended up short circuiting my run since I had to get back to meet my parents for lunch. We went to Maddox which Paige and I really enjoy and, of course, can't get in Houston.

Yesterday I picked up some YakTrax to run with in the snow. Sometime ago I remember reading they are the best snow and ice traction device for running. I demoed them today as there was a pretty good accumulation from yesterday's storm and again from this morning's flurries. They seemed to work pretty good. At least I had more confidence in my footing than I otherwise would have had.

It was still snowing during much of my run. But I enjoy going down by the river and along the train tracks in Uintah. It seems that road shouldn't be as busy as I've found it the past couple days. Teenage girls with cell phones on slick roads scare me!

Unique things I saw along today's run: mallard ducks in the Weber River and a mail truck stuck in the snow along the day's delivery route.

Tomorrow's a big running day. I've been looking forward to it for a few weeks. Now that it's here, I have some apprehension. Striders Running is hosting a 25K Christmas Eve run on Antelope Island along the 25K and 50K Buffalo Run course. All of this seems like a wonderful idea. However, I'm now having second thoughts. It's going to be snowy and cold and on trails that I doubt have been groomed. I'll also be running with a group that I have never met so if I die along the way ... maybe they'll just leave me ...! Being from Houston, my running wardrobe is generally light on winter attire. It looks like there's a bailout option as the course is a figure 8 that I can probably just make the first loop for approximately 8 miles if I'm having problems. It should be an adventure. I'm trying to figure out a way to take my camera in case we see some wildlife but I've got to carry gel and liquid first and my tights just don't seem to have enough pockets for that!

If you don't hear back soon, send a rescue party to Antelope Island. I'll be the under dressed, frozen guy much like Preston Blake in the movie Mr. Deeds.




PRE RUN
???

POST RUN
???

Brandon Gets the Headline

OBJECTIVE
4 mi. Slow (>8:38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
4.32 mi.@ 8:54/mi.

7:12 AM 36° 75% 19 mph

I had the opportunity to run with my brother-in-law, Brandon Arnell, this morning. This was a good run; just what I needed to stretch out my legs after Saturday's long run and the plane ride (a/k/a 3-hour leg stiffening!).

A couple observations from today's run. First, when in Utah I'm always reminded that Utah is on the western most boundary of the Mountain Time Zone. Houston is in the middle of the Central Time Zone. That means the sunrise and sunset fall at much different times than what I'm used to in Houston. Of course, my body clock is generally screwed up from the one-hour time difference anyway.

Second, people think I run fast but they shouldn't. I commented to someone recently that I "train slow so I can race fast". But it's all relative, right? I never feel fast enough when I'm racing! I mention this because Brandon had a concern about not being able to keep up or go as far etc. etc. etc. .... But he was just fine. The pace and distance was all I wanted today.

Brandon is going to be running in Ogden in May (half or full marathon, I'm not sure ... ???) then the Wasatch Back Relay in June. It sounds like his training is going fine. He's following Hal Higdon's plan which is a good one. I've followed a bit of Higdon's concepts myself. Particularly for marathon recovery in the week's following that long, hard effort.

There's snow on the ground but the roads were dry this morning. The temperature was cold but the only time I noticed it was immediately before we started. Once we got going, I was fine. In fact, I ended up being a bit too warm before we finished.

PRE RUN
water & GrapeNuts & 1% milk

POST RUN
In the stupor of the holiday food fest that's going on, I don't actually recall so I'll just say ... JUNK!

A Couple Seasonal Pics

This was the photo of the week on The Complete Running Network a few weeks ago. I thought it was a great idea. The race shirt was styled like a Santa suit and runners were also given a hat and beard. Therefore, the racers end up being "a bunch of running Santas." The irony of this picture for me is that when I saw it I thought, "That looks like home with the mountains in the background and the way the street lights look." Well, surprise, surprise. This race was indeed in Ogden, Utah.



Next time you're wondering if you should actually go out in the cold weather for a run, think of this picture of a race in Calgary, Canada a couple weeks ago. The wind chill was -40°F!

Picking Up at the End of a Long One

OBJECTIVE
20 mi. easy w/last 5 mi.@ marathon pace (7:38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
20.87 mi.@ 8:12/mi.
last 5 mile splits 8:23/7:44/7:18/7:26/7:37/7:33 (.87 mile)

6:09 AM 68° 93% 10 mph mist

This was a really good run. The main reason wasn't necessarily how I felt physically ... although I felt pretty good. Or how I went 20 miles for the first time in several weeks. Or how I actually hammered a solid, 5-mile pickup at the end ... which I did. No, this was a good run because the group was all pretty much back intact and running together again. With the fall racing season, it seems our schedules haven't synced up for a group run where everyone was there ... until today. Roll call for this morning included: Stephanie, Laurie, Miranda (back with us while visiting from her new home in Florida), Stuart, Jonathan, Josh, William, Randy, Aaron, and me.

There was a slight taint of melancholy because I'm not really sure how much longer our group stays together. I'm sure we'll keep getting long runs when we can get together but individual goals and objectives seem to be changing a bit. I'm hoping it's just the end of the racing season and the approach of the Houston marathon which many in our group are running.

We rolled over 15 miles averaging something around 8:25 per mile. The weather and conversation was good. I was feeling strong through about 9 miles but after a water break, fatigue and sluggishness started to set in a bit. I fought through it determined to go the distance. The group was slated for 18 but I knew I needed 20 both physically and mentally if there's any hope for a strong marathon in January (still to be determined). The route took us out-and-back through the Heights which I'm not a big fan of but succeeded in pressing on. Being with the group always helps me at this point.

I knew my training schedule had a 5-mile pickup. I was waffling on the idea through the entire run. At some point, I downgraded the pickup to 3 or 4 miles ... that should be good enough, right? Around 14 miles, Stuart decided to pickup and broke from the pack. I inadvertently went with him but caught myself and held back as I knew I couldn't hold his pace and that my distance hopefully going to be a bit longer than his. However, the accelerated pace for the short time I went with him felt good and convinced me that I should go ahead and see what I could do. At that point, I decided a 4-mile pickup would be good.

Laurie won't know how much I appreciated her calling for a pickup with just under 5 miles to go. I went with her and found the accelerated pace and rhythm difficult to establish for a bit but we settled in. No more talking ... focus and breathing would be more important now. We ran together and once we settled in around a 7:30 pace, it felt really good. It wasn't easy because I was working but there's something about being able to really being able to get moving after you've already put 16 miles on your legs. Just before getting back to the park, Laurie broke off back to the cars; the route everyone would be taking. I turned left to add mileage with a turn around the backside of the park. I didn't know if I'd be able to hold the pace after separating from Laurie but I was sure going to try. As always, the park held that magical energy of everyone exercising; running, walking, moving, etc. The energy always helps me and it didn't fail me this time either. I held the pace. I was hurting a bit with less than a mile to go but was so close I wasn't going to let a strong run slip away to mental weakness and fatigue. I pressed on. At the tennis courts, I saw an old friend, Robert Curran, who I hadn't seen in over 18 months. I stopped to talk with him and catch up. Our sons played baseball together on a travel team for about 3 years so there was a time when we spent most of our summers together. After our chat, I had stiffened a bit but pushed it over the final 1/2 mile back to the swimming pool parking lot. Aaron had finished some time before and was waiting. I missed the rest of the group as they had finished earlier, stretched and went there ways.

It sounds like most of us our out of town for the holidays next Saturday so I'm not expecting a group run. That will leave me to my own design to figure out a way to get miles. Running with a group is a huge help for me. Running with this group has been the best fortune of my running life.



PRE RUN
weight = 163#
FRS liquid concentrate, oatmeal w/1% milk & water

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

Can it Really Be this Warm in December?

OBJECTIVE
6 mi. Easy (8:08-38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
6.17 mi.@ 8:36/mi.

5:49 AM 68° 94% 2 mph

Ran alone this morning. Aaron took the day off. I kind of slogged along. I felt okay from a cardio standpoint most of the way but the old ab/groin issue flared mildly and my legs felt tired. I pressed on.

It was unseasonably warm!

PRE RUN
weight = 162#
Corn Flakes w/1% milk

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

Misty Moonlight

OBJECTIVE
4 mi. Slow (>8:38/mi)

ACHIEVED
4.06 mi.@ 8:37/mi.

5:32 AM 60F 100% 3 mph fog

It was really foggy this morning. The weather has been strange over the past few days. It looks like a cold and gray, wintery day as I remember them in Utah but there's no snow and the temperatures are too warm.

Aaron joined me again this morning. I was feeling pretty good, given yesterday's intervals. My legs were a little sore but it was ever-so-slight. Our pace was perfect for a recovery run. We'll go for 6 miles tomorrow and then a long 18-20 on Saturday. That will give us 46-48 miles for the week.

PRE RUN
weight = 162#
GrapeNuts w/1% milk

POST RUN
water, multivitamin, lowfat granola w/1% milk

Accompanied on Big Workout

OBJECTIVE
8 mi. w/8x2 min.@ 6:26/mi. & 2 min. recovery

ACHIEVED
8.39 mi.@ 8:39/mi. including:
2.39 mi.@ 8:28/mi.
6:17/6:27/6:17/6:35/6:23/6:29/6:27/6:36 (mile pace for 2 minutes)
2.00 mi.@ 9:04/mi.

5:19 AM 44F 100% 1 mph mist

As usual, this workout became more ominous as it approached. Aaron joined me. This was the first time I've had a partner for the Big Workout. I picked him up at 5 then drove to the Y for my traditional start.

The humidity was so heavy it was like a very light rain. I started out hammering the intervals pretty hard. I'm sure Aaron's presence spurred me a bit. I was surprised as we progressed through the intervals that I was stretching my lead on him even though it seemed the pace of each interval was slowing. In the end, all turned out fine as I was close to the targeted pace. I was disappointed with our pace back after finishing the last interval. It needed to be about 30 seconds faster.

PRE RUN
weight = 161.5
FRS liquid concentrate

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin & 5-grain hot cereal w/1% milk

Unique Way to Cross the Line

I posted links of some ridiculous race photos of myself recently. However, as evidenced by this photo, I'm not the only runner who has done something "crazy" in the heat of competition. This photo is from last weekend's Foot Locker Cross Country Championship in California. The top 15 runners in the event are declared All-Americans. The two runners in the photo are the 15th and 16th to cross the line. Obviously, the "diver" knew that it was between himself and the other runner for All-American status. One would get it while; the other would not. He thought diving would get him across the line faster. Who does it look like got the coveted 15th spot to you? A day after the race, the final results were posted after several reviews of photos and video, a tie for 15th place was declared and both named as All-American's.

I can't see myself ever going "Superman" at the end of a race. But I'll never say never, strange things happen in the oxygen-depleted state near the end of a race!

Crisp, Cool Morning Run

OBJECTIVE
6 mi. Easy (8:08-38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
6.17 mi.@ 8:24/mi.

5:32 AM 36F 96% 6 mph mist

Ran Wimbledon Forest Loop with Aaron. It was cool. Felt okay.

PRE RUN
water, corn flakes w/1% milk

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

Wow! It's Warm

OBJECTIVE
4 mi. Slow (>8:38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
4.03 mi.@ 8:32/mi.

5:25 AM 61F 100% 4 mph mist

It was really warm and humid this morning. I ran sleeveless. After a week, I finally ran with Aaron again.

PRE RUN
weight = 162
water

POST RUN
water, multivitamin, & GrapeNuts w/1% milk

Chasing the Pack

OBJECTIVE
15 mi. Easy w/last 3 mi.@ marathon pace

ACHIEVED
13.76 mi.@ 8:21/mi : no pickup

6:18 AM 55° 88% 5 mph

I am very disappointed that I didn't make it out to California for today's Rose Bowl half marathon. Alex and I had loosely planned to run it (he still is) but I was a last minute scratch due to my lousy cold and the lack of good flight options.

This ended up being a weird run. Stephanie is recovery from her 50K age-group victory last Saturday so it was a recovery run for her. A few other group regulars were out for various reasons. Steph routed an 11-miler. I wanted to try a bit more since I was scheduled for 15. My plan was to run a loop at Memorial Park before the group started at 6:30 AM. However, I stayed up late last night and didn't get to the park ready to run until about 6:10 AM. The loop is 3 miles so off I went after sending them a text message not to wait for me. I figured if I was feeling good, I'd catch up. The feeling good part was questionable based on my the lingering impact of the sickness I've been dragging around with me for the past 3-4 days.

The morning air was cool but comfortable for running. I made my way around the loop in the dark. The park was busy as I'm sure there are a bunch of runners prepping for next month's Houston marathon. There's almost always an "energy" in the park when I run there and this morning was no different. I was running "easy" but still clipping along at an 8:24 pace (it felt much slower). I figured the group had about a 10-minute head start on me. The chase was on. I tried not to think about them somewhere up ahead but invisible forces were pulling me toward them. My pace was faster than it otherwise would have been. After about 4 miles, I started running some numbers in my head and started wondering if I'd even catch them before they finished. I thought they were probably running 8:30 and I was under 8:20 but with those paces the run didn't seem long enough for me to catch them. I tried to stop thinking about it. If I ran alone today that would be fine. Finally at a water stop somewhere around 7 miles into their run, I caught them.

Today it was only Stephanie, Stuart and Randy. It was good to hear Steph's race report from SunMart. She had a fantastic run finishing 6th overall and 1st in her age group ... all of that after falling ... TWICE! ... and finishing the last 8 miles of the 31 miles run while battling severe cramps. Josh also ran and had a good day finishing 4th in his age group.

I was so happy to have caught the group that I bypassed my scheduled pickup for the last 3 miles of my run. I'd expended some energy in catching them and am still generally fatigued from being sick. The pickup can wait for another day .

PRE RUN
FRS liquid concentrate, oatmeal w/brown sugar & 1% milk

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

Cool Run under the Full Moon

OBJECTIVE
6 mi. Easy (8:08 – 38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
6.15 mi.@ 8:34/mi.

5:12 AM 28° 97% 0 mph

I had a pretty good run this morning. I focused on keeping it easy since I’m still not 100% back from the cold I’ve been battling. It was good to get back at it and hit a decent time. Fortunately, I didn’t feel like I’d lost much – if anything.

Some time ago I read the idea that there are times when you can “run through a sickness” and times that you can’t. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the parameters. The recommendation is along the lines of feed a fever / starve a cold. But I honestly can’t ever remember if it’s feed a fever or starve a fever …etc. I suppose if I had to deal with illnesses on a more regular basis I’d remember these adages better. No, I don’t want to have reasons to remember them!

I’m still not certain what I’ll be doing tomorrow for a run.

PRE RUN
weight = 159.5#
FRS liquid concentrate

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, Life cereal w/1% milk

This Looks Worth Watching

Marathon Love airs Sunday, December 14, at 8 PM (ET/PT), on Discovery Health

Rarities

It snowed here Wednesday afternoon and evening. This is only the second snowfall I've witnessed since being in the Houston area since 1999.

The other rare occurrence is that I missed work due to illness (part of the day Tuesday and again part of Wednesday). I think it's just a cold but it's really been kicking my butt. I've had no strength and felt really worn down. Needless to say this preempted my Big Workout on Wednesday (Paige questioned if I was really just avoiding the run since she knows I dread "the Wednesday run" more than any other during the week.) and my Thursday recovery run.

Getting sick has me wondering about my nutrition again. Ever since the marathon in October, I've been fairly sloppy with my eating. For a few weeks it was anything goes. Over the past 5-6 weeks, I've "thought" about it and been kind of careful but have lacked overall discipline. I've justified it by thinking I can get back to it "when I need to". The other issue making it difficult right now is that we're trying to bulk Cameron up for the upcoming baseball season. He drops so much weight while running cross country. It's better for him to carry more weight for baseball. So there's been a ton of food available at the house - with the primary focus on mass calories rather than overall quality. His weight is coming up so that's good for him. Unfortunately, I think Paige and I are following his lead!

Hope to be feeling better and running again soon. I hate losing the days and having to log "zeros". It makes me feel like the prior training is a loss and wasted if I don't stay on plan.

OBJECTIVE
6 mi. Easy (8:08-38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
6.16 mi.@ 8:31/mi.

6:06 AM 72° 83% 7 mph

Since I started late, I went out-and-back to Wimbledon Forest rather than dropping down onto Cypresswood during morning commuting traffic.

I felt okay and tried to keep it “easy”.

PRE RUN
Ginger snap granola w/1% milk, water & 2 mini powdered donuts

POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, zinc, 5-grain hot cereal w/1% milk

Dana Point Race Pictures ... Ugggggghhhh!

There has been some discussion recently among my Saturday running group about how horrible or ridiculous some of the race pictures are. I really didn't fully appreciate the discussion - as I thought I looked okay in most of my race pictures. That is until now! Here are links to the Dana Point races. I post these only for your amusement! I look horrible!


Dana Point Turkey Trot 10K (disregard the pics from the kids' race their was a kid with the same bib number is I had in the 10K)

You can only begin to appreciate how hard it was raining from these pics!


Dana Point Turkey Trot 5K

The finishing pictures here are ridiculous! Remember this was the race "I wasn't going to kick to the finish" in. You can see that I passed the guys who were in front of me in the picture from my earlier post

The rain stopped shortly after the 10K finished.

Lesson learned: Don't run two races on the same day!

Straggler for a "Short" Long Run

OBJECTIVE
14 mi.@ 8:08-38/mi.

ACHIEVED
~13.7 mi.@ ~8:12/mi (1:52:16) No Garmin today due to "Low Battery"

~6:05 AM ~42° ~78% ~1 mph

Josh and Stephanie ran the Sunmart 50K so they weren't with us for this morning's run. Congratulations to each of them for very strong finishes in that event! Josh took 4th in his age group and 28th overall while Stephanie won her age group by a large margin and was 6th overall. Yes, I am very fortunate to hang with such accomplished athletes.

Today's group included Randy, Laurie, Stacey, Kevin, and me. We started at a slow-ish pace in the cool morning air. My Garmin performed its occasional "Low Battery" routine with me so I was left with my IronMan and no complete data from today's run.

I was okay for about 6-7 miles then I just started feeling worn out. I think it's the two hard races in the last month and the mileage buildup. It didn't feel like things were going to improve so I just focused on holding on. Laurie and I planned to cut it short at 14-15 miles while the others were going for 19-21 miles. When it came time to separate, everyone ended up going back to the park and the others just added on with a loop (or loops) around the park.

My ab/groin injury seemed slightly improved today. It seems that a slow but sure recovery is occurring. Hopefully that trend continues and I can get back to 100%. I'm also hopeful that I will have my legs back under me soon!

PRE RUN
weight = 162#
FRS liquid concentrate & oatmeal w/brown sugar & 1% milk

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

Falling Down on a Cool Morning

OBJECTIVE
6 mi. Easy (8:08 - 38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
6.21 mi.@ 8:34/mi.

5:35 AM 32° 93% 0 mph

It was a cool, clear morning. I wore a long-sleeved tech shirt over a short-sleeved tech shirt, tights, gloves and knit cap. I felt comfortable once I got going.

I stopped at Randall's but Aaron didn't show up for about 10 minutes so I went on without him.

My cardio condition felt stressed today as did my leg muscles. The ab/groin strain is still a problem and seems to be impacting my stride now. The entire left side of my abdominal down to the inside of my left leg feels weak, strained, and sore. Hopefully it improves some over the next 24 hours.

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
weight = 160.5#
SlimFast, brown sugar muffin & multivitamin
Later, water, calcium, Vitamins A & D & oatmeal w/flax, almonds, brown sugar & 1% milk

Dana Point 5K Finish

This was taken near the end of the Thanksgiving 5K. I had already run the 10K and wasn't feeling great during this race. I turned it into the tempo run and kept telling myself there wouldn't be any reason to kick at the end ... just take it in at an even pace. Right! As I got closer to the finish, I naturally picked it up. The two guys in front of me in the picture really started picking it up and were dueling with each other. Of course that just spurred me on. As they were in their final dash, I gave an extra effort and pulled up along side. They didn't even see my coming. Once I edged in front, the guy on the left found a little extra in his tank and really put down the hammer. I'm proud to say that I held him off and finished ahead of both of them ... at the wire.

I love the finish line of races!

Still Trying to Recover

OBJECTIVE
4 mi. Slow (>8:38/mi.)

ACHIEVED
4.03 mi.@ 8:46/mi.

5:42 AM 46F 71% 12 mph

I am still feeling beat up from the race last Thursday. My legs are sore but improving. The bigger problem seems to be a lower left abdominal strain that extends down into the groin. I observed this problem last week days before the race. I think it may have resulted from over-aggressive core work while doing a physical therapy session. Racing seems to have aggravated the problem. I suspect kicking the final stretch of the 5K may have been when it occurred. Running two races back-to-back was stupid ... especially after putting done a personal best time in the first race. Note to self: don't do anything like that again! It's now compromising my training.

Aaron is still out of town for the holiday so I ran alone today. He'll be back tomorrow.

PRE RUN
Clif bar & water

POST RUN
water, multivitamin, brown sugar muffin, 5-grain hot cereal w/brown sugar, flax & 1% milk