OBJECTIVE
10 mi. w/last 2 mi. @ marathon pace (MP = 7:55)
ACHIEVED
10.04 mi. @ 8:39/mi. [last 2 mi. - 7:52/7:35)
5:46 AM 79° 82% 7 mph
It was tough to get going this morning but I'm glad I did. It turned out to be a good run. I went from the Y on a solo trip. I took it out slow and tried to hold the mile pace around 8:45-8:50. The morning was warm and humid. At the turn around point, I stopped at a convenience store for a Gatorade. My knee felt a little loose but I think part of that was mental now that I have a diagnosis. With about 4 miles to go, I started seeing people from the ChampionsFit group in their way out. This was helpful in that it sparked my pace at a time when I may have fallen off some.
By the time I hit 8 miles, I really wasn't sure if I would be able to slice a minute off the pace to finish strong over the final 2 miles. But once I got going, it felt good. It's the concept Jonathan has talked about before. Basically that it can be harder to go slow than it is to go faster. It's hard to explain but it held true for me today. The last two miles felt good and I was able to hit my planned for paces.
9:13/8:49/8:46/8:49/8:49/8:45/8:51/9:03/7:52/7:35
Tinman has set my EZ pace at 8:24 - 8:54 for now. My CV pace is 6:40 and my MP is 7:55.
It looks like I'll just stick with the same weekly plan I followed this week over the next 4 weeks while I'm doing rehab. That way I keep my longest run to 10 miles (in line with Dr. Cianca's orders) but still get 34 miles each week. Assuming I get a clean bill of health in 4 weeks (how's that for optimism?), I'll have a decent base to build on for my sole goal - the 2008 St. George marathon on October 4.
PRE RUN
apple juice
POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, oatmeal w/skim milk; water & multivitamin
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Weak Butt
Well it's official, I have a weak butt! That's not the official diagnosis.... But I'll get to that.
I finally made it to the doctor today. After dealing with the problem on the outside of my knee since November 10, I now have an understanding of the problem and the treatment. I met with Dr. John Cianca this morning. Shellie Patton recommended Cianca but I later found out that Stephanie, William, and Randy have each been to him as well. Cianca is the former medical director of the Houston Marathon and a runner himself. I found him to be very good. I liked the fact that he seemed very thorough and precise. I benefited from the fact that Dr. Cianca was being shadowed by another young doctor today. So he was explaining to her anything he was doing to me as he was doing it. After discussing my symptoms an detail, he took me through an extensive battery of physical tests. Things like squatting, hopping, balancing on one leg, etc.
So the diagnosis: iliotibial band syndrome caused by weak gluteal muscles.
The doctor was surprised that I've been able to continue running as much as I have and that the pain isn't more debilitating. To a lesser degree, he was a bit surprised that I'm only experiencing pain in one leg. He believes a regimen of physical therapy can overcome the weakness.
So the plan is physical therapy with Danni (haven't met her yet) twice a weak. I start next Friday with an evaluation. Dr. Cianca said that I can continue running but I shouldn't go over 10 miles at a time. He also suggested that I rest one day before running again. He doesn't think running will slow the progress of the therapy. For now the therapy sessions are expected to last 4 weeks.
I'm hoping this is the beginning of the end of this problem!
Four Consecutive Days ... May be a Record
OBJECTIVE
4 - 6 miles : EZ pace (8:34 - 8:54)
ACHIEVED
5.12 mi. @ 8:45/mi.
5:33 AM 81° 74% 9 mph
I managed to find the pace this morning. It actually felt pretty good. I'm somewhat surprised that I'm feeling as good as I do so far with daily running. (We'll see how the last couple miles of tomorrow's longer run goes!)
I took the York Minster loop again (same as Tuesday). There seemed to be a bit more traffic than usual this morning.
I feel much better having a target pace.
I'm visiting the doctor this morning for an evaluation of my knee / IT band issue. I'm hopeful that he's not going to shut me down.
Tomorrow is a 10-mile run that it looks like I'll be doing on my own very early.
PRE RUN
1/2 Rice Krispie treat & water
POST RUN
other 1/2 Rice Krispie treat, multivitamin, water & oatmeal w/skim milk
4 - 6 miles : EZ pace (8:34 - 8:54)
ACHIEVED
5.12 mi. @ 8:45/mi.
5:33 AM 81° 74% 9 mph
I managed to find the pace this morning. It actually felt pretty good. I'm somewhat surprised that I'm feeling as good as I do so far with daily running. (We'll see how the last couple miles of tomorrow's longer run goes!)
I took the York Minster loop again (same as Tuesday). There seemed to be a bit more traffic than usual this morning.
I feel much better having a target pace.
I'm visiting the doctor this morning for an evaluation of my knee / IT band issue. I'm hopeful that he's not going to shut me down.
Tomorrow is a 10-mile run that it looks like I'll be doing on my own very early.
PRE RUN
1/2 Rice Krispie treat & water
POST RUN
other 1/2 Rice Krispie treat, multivitamin, water & oatmeal w/skim milk
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Recovery Run
OBJECTIVE
2 - 3 miles : slow
2 - 3 miles : slow
ACHIEVED
3.02 mi. @ 8:59/mi.
5:30 AM 81F 74% 8 mph
Legs felt a bit tired this morning but just took it easy and got the miles.
Exchanged blog posts with "Tinman" at The Run Zone regarding proper training paces. I was right that my scheduled pace for yesterday was too slow (although I hit the right times in 3 of 5 of the sets). Tinman was surprised by the BIG disparity in my 5K and 10K times. Of course, I've noted this before myself but didn't realize it's as dramatic as it apparently is. One excuse I had come up with is that I'm mentally weak the longer the race. The other reasoning is that I'm simply not properly conditioned for endurance. I think there's something to this theory. Essentially I've been following training plans that allow runners to finish a marathon rather than a plan that yields best results. Anyway, I've got revised training paces for EZ, CV, and MP runs. This should help.
Tomorrow will be 4-6 EZ miles.
PRE RUN
apple juice
POST RUN
apple juice, multivitamin, & GrapeNuts w/skim milk
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Peculiar Run
OBJECTIVE
8 miles w/ 5x2 minutes @ CV pace (7:15), jog 2 minutes between
ACHIEVED
8.03 miles w/5x2 min. (see pace detail below), jog 2 min. between
6:15 AM 78° 81% 7 mph
This really was a peculiar run. I haven't done one like this before ... that I recall. After looking forward to this run, I actually had some dread going into it. But it turned out fine.
Today is Cameron's first day out of school so I didn't have to get up at a particular time. Normally that wouldn't matter and I'd just get up early like always but I actually slept in a bit today. I went to the YMCA to start my run. I like the 8-mile route that starts there since over half of it is off the streets on a paved trail.
I'm not exactly sure how fast the run is supposed to be when not running the speed portion so I really eased into this one. My legs felt a little fatigued but loosened up as I went along.
After about 2.5 miles, I hit the trail and that's where I had decided the faster portion of the run would begin. I'm sure I looked like a dork since I had my Garmin GPS on my left wrist and my Timex Ironman on my right but I wanted the Ironman to run repeating 2:00 intervals with an audible indicator. The sound on my Garmin is hit and miss so I didn't want to rely on it.
I banged out the first 2 minutes and was surprised by my comfort with the pace. I was a bit worried that this may be a trick since I still had 4 more to go. I slowed for a 2:00 jog then hit it again. The pace again felt fine. This repeated then it was time to turn around. I jogged a little extra only because I didn't want to turn around during a speed portion. After the turn, I run then jogged for two more segments. Then it was three miles back to the Y.
I wondered if I somehow miscalculated the pace of my speed segments. They seemed too easy this morning. Well, I think the beauty of this type of run hit me as I was working my way back to the Y. The speed part seemed to catch up with me. And even though I wasn't running an aggressive pace at all. I could feel the 10 minutes of blasters (for lack of a better word) that I had done. I'm curious to see if I feel the same next week.
8.03 mi. @ 8:38/mi.
2.45 mi. @ 8:53/mi.
2:02 min.@ 7:09/mi.
2:00 min. recovery
2:00 min.@ 7:11/mi.
2:00 min. recovery
2:00 min.@ 6:55/mi.
3:03 min. recovery
2:00 min.@ 6:47/mi.
2:00 min. recovery
2:03 min.@ 6:39/mi.
1:58 min. recovery
3:02 mi. @ 8:44/mi.
PRE RUN
Clif bar & water
POST RUN
water, multivitamin, oatmeal w/skim milk
8 miles w/ 5x2 minutes @ CV pace (7:15), jog 2 minutes between
ACHIEVED
8.03 miles w/5x2 min. (see pace detail below), jog 2 min. between
6:15 AM 78° 81% 7 mph
This really was a peculiar run. I haven't done one like this before ... that I recall. After looking forward to this run, I actually had some dread going into it. But it turned out fine.
Today is Cameron's first day out of school so I didn't have to get up at a particular time. Normally that wouldn't matter and I'd just get up early like always but I actually slept in a bit today. I went to the YMCA to start my run. I like the 8-mile route that starts there since over half of it is off the streets on a paved trail.
I'm not exactly sure how fast the run is supposed to be when not running the speed portion so I really eased into this one. My legs felt a little fatigued but loosened up as I went along.
After about 2.5 miles, I hit the trail and that's where I had decided the faster portion of the run would begin. I'm sure I looked like a dork since I had my Garmin GPS on my left wrist and my Timex Ironman on my right but I wanted the Ironman to run repeating 2:00 intervals with an audible indicator. The sound on my Garmin is hit and miss so I didn't want to rely on it.
I banged out the first 2 minutes and was surprised by my comfort with the pace. I was a bit worried that this may be a trick since I still had 4 more to go. I slowed for a 2:00 jog then hit it again. The pace again felt fine. This repeated then it was time to turn around. I jogged a little extra only because I didn't want to turn around during a speed portion. After the turn, I run then jogged for two more segments. Then it was three miles back to the Y.
I wondered if I somehow miscalculated the pace of my speed segments. They seemed too easy this morning. Well, I think the beauty of this type of run hit me as I was working my way back to the Y. The speed part seemed to catch up with me. And even though I wasn't running an aggressive pace at all. I could feel the 10 minutes of blasters (for lack of a better word) that I had done. I'm curious to see if I feel the same next week.
8.03 mi. @ 8:38/mi.
2.45 mi. @ 8:53/mi.
2:02 min.@ 7:09/mi.
2:00 min. recovery
2:00 min.@ 7:11/mi.
2:00 min. recovery
2:00 min.@ 6:55/mi.
3:03 min. recovery
2:00 min.@ 6:47/mi.
2:00 min. recovery
2:03 min.@ 6:39/mi.
1:58 min. recovery
3:02 mi. @ 8:44/mi.
PRE RUN
Clif bar & water
POST RUN
water, multivitamin, oatmeal w/skim milk
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Uneventful 5
OBJECTIVE
4 - 6 miles : easy
ACHIEVED
5.13 mi. @ 9:03/mi.
5:25 AM 76° 88% 7 mph
Rolled out five plus miles this morning ... Day 2 of the new training plan. Having posted the week's schedule at the beginning of the week was good because it had me thinking about today's run throughout the day yesterday. When it came time to go this morning, I felt okay and mentally seemed prepared too. Not that today's run was a big, major effort. I just seemed better prepared.
I took the York Minster Loop from the house. I haven't run that specific route for quite some time. My legs seemed heavy at different times during the run. I don't think I've fully recovered from the marathon yet. Theoretically by sometime next week, the marathon should be out of my system. Today's slow pace never challenged my cardio.
There's no such thing as wasted miles under the approach to training so this was a good run to get in the books. Tomorrow will be the first test as I include a touch of speed into a longer run. I'm already looking forward to it.
PRE RUN
Clif bar & water
POST RUN
oatmeal w/skim milk, multivitamin @ water
4 - 6 miles : easy
ACHIEVED
5.13 mi. @ 9:03/mi.
5:25 AM 76° 88% 7 mph
Rolled out five plus miles this morning ... Day 2 of the new training plan. Having posted the week's schedule at the beginning of the week was good because it had me thinking about today's run throughout the day yesterday. When it came time to go this morning, I felt okay and mentally seemed prepared too. Not that today's run was a big, major effort. I just seemed better prepared.
I took the York Minster Loop from the house. I haven't run that specific route for quite some time. My legs seemed heavy at different times during the run. I don't think I've fully recovered from the marathon yet. Theoretically by sometime next week, the marathon should be out of my system. Today's slow pace never challenged my cardio.
There's no such thing as wasted miles under the approach to training so this was a good run to get in the books. Tomorrow will be the first test as I include a touch of speed into a longer run. I'm already looking forward to it.
PRE RUN
Clif bar & water
POST RUN
oatmeal w/skim milk, multivitamin @ water
Monday, June 2, 2008
Sluggish Start
OBJECTIVE
2-3 miles : slow
2-3 miles : slow
ACHIEVED
3.01 mi. @ 9:08/mi.
5:21 AM 75° 89% 5 mph
Felt sluggish through most of the run this morning. It may have been a bad nutrition weekend. Yesterday being the first Sunday of the month, I took the opportunity for a 24-hour fast. Sometimes this ends up being a good physical purge. Other times it's draining. I think I ended up with the latter. Coming off the fast yesterday, I ate pretty "clean" but later in the evening I junked it up. I suspect that defeats any physical benefits of the fast.
I took today's run slow and didn't look at my watch much. I ended up about right where I wanted to be pace-wise. There will be time for fast runs later in the week and my body needs to be able to complete them.
By the end of the run, I was feeling much better than the first couple miles.
PRE RUN
Clif bar, multivitamin & water
POST RUN
Oatmeal w/skim milk & water
Sunday, June 1, 2008
June 1 - 7 Training Schedule
Sun: Rest
Mon: 2-3 miles, slow
Tue: 4-6 miles, easy
Wed: 8 miles including 5x2 min. @ Critical Velocity (CV) pace [7:15] with 2 minutes active recovery (jog)
Thu: 2-3 miles, slow
Fri: 4-6 miles, easy (Doctor)
Sat: 10 miles, the first 8 miles EZ and the last 2 miles at Marathon Pace (MP) [7:59]
I seemed to do much better when I laid out my week's training schedule in advance. I followed that approach religiously for last year's St. George marathon. However, after St. George I didn't blog my weekly training schedule in advance. I had it in writing but it wasn't the same. So I'll be blogging my training schedule in advance again.
Of course, I've toyed with several training systems in the past. The only one I've ever fully committed to was Runners' World's Smart Coach. I did start the Furman Institute of Running & Scientific Training before Thanksgiving but pulled off it after getting injured. Based on my observations, I'm not getting enough mileage to achieve better marathon results. I've been running just enough miles (i.e., the minimum) to complete a marathon. I need to get my mileage up this training cycle but I need to be very careful about how I go about it due to my fragile knee/IT band. High mileage isn't going to mean the same thing for me as it does for others. It's a relative concept. I've run my prior two marathons after peaking at around 35 miles per week. That's not enough for the result I'm seeking. The number of miles matter. It's been confirmed over and over to me by Jack McClintic, Sasha Pachev, and Jonathan Bennett. Jack's and Jonathan's performances really took off once they upped their mileage. And Sasha is adamant that unless you're running at least 50 miles per week, you shouldn't be running a marathon. So I'm going to work on stretching my mileage out.
As for a plan, I'm somewhat following a Jack Daniels approach with some seemingly practical modifications I've culled from various blogs. In other words, I'm making this up as I go. This first week will be a test run. I'll observe how my body is responding and recovering. Over the last two weeks I've run 14.5 and 21 miles as a "reverse taper" coming off the marathon. This week's schedule takes me back up to 30-36 miles. I really need to focus on the slow and easy runs being just that - SLOW and EASY or else I'm sure I won't recover in time for the next run. The focus right now is on miles not speed. All of the conversion tables suggest I have plenty of speed to achieve my desired marathon time. But as I move up in distance, my equivalent marathon time slows dramatically. Therefore, I need endurance. By increasing my mileage, I should be able to increase my overall endurance. If I need to circle back later in the cycle to build speed, I think I'll be able to.
Finally, since this is a trial run, if I'm not responding well, I'll adjust. Ultimately, I necessary I'll pull back to one of the minimal mileage plans but that's not the plan for now.
Also this week, I'll be visiting Dr. John Cianca on Friday. I look forward to seeing him and am hopeful of getting a course of action that will clear up my knee once and for all.
Mon: 2-3 miles, slow
Tue: 4-6 miles, easy
Wed: 8 miles including 5x2 min. @ Critical Velocity (CV) pace [7:15] with 2 minutes active recovery (jog)
Thu: 2-3 miles, slow
Fri: 4-6 miles, easy (Doctor)
Sat: 10 miles, the first 8 miles EZ and the last 2 miles at Marathon Pace (MP) [7:59]
I seemed to do much better when I laid out my week's training schedule in advance. I followed that approach religiously for last year's St. George marathon. However, after St. George I didn't blog my weekly training schedule in advance. I had it in writing but it wasn't the same. So I'll be blogging my training schedule in advance again.
Of course, I've toyed with several training systems in the past. The only one I've ever fully committed to was Runners' World's Smart Coach. I did start the Furman Institute of Running & Scientific Training before Thanksgiving but pulled off it after getting injured. Based on my observations, I'm not getting enough mileage to achieve better marathon results. I've been running just enough miles (i.e., the minimum) to complete a marathon. I need to get my mileage up this training cycle but I need to be very careful about how I go about it due to my fragile knee/IT band. High mileage isn't going to mean the same thing for me as it does for others. It's a relative concept. I've run my prior two marathons after peaking at around 35 miles per week. That's not enough for the result I'm seeking. The number of miles matter. It's been confirmed over and over to me by Jack McClintic, Sasha Pachev, and Jonathan Bennett. Jack's and Jonathan's performances really took off once they upped their mileage. And Sasha is adamant that unless you're running at least 50 miles per week, you shouldn't be running a marathon. So I'm going to work on stretching my mileage out.
As for a plan, I'm somewhat following a Jack Daniels approach with some seemingly practical modifications I've culled from various blogs. In other words, I'm making this up as I go. This first week will be a test run. I'll observe how my body is responding and recovering. Over the last two weeks I've run 14.5 and 21 miles as a "reverse taper" coming off the marathon. This week's schedule takes me back up to 30-36 miles. I really need to focus on the slow and easy runs being just that - SLOW and EASY or else I'm sure I won't recover in time for the next run. The focus right now is on miles not speed. All of the conversion tables suggest I have plenty of speed to achieve my desired marathon time. But as I move up in distance, my equivalent marathon time slows dramatically. Therefore, I need endurance. By increasing my mileage, I should be able to increase my overall endurance. If I need to circle back later in the cycle to build speed, I think I'll be able to.
Finally, since this is a trial run, if I'm not responding well, I'll adjust. Ultimately, I necessary I'll pull back to one of the minimal mileage plans but that's not the plan for now.
Also this week, I'll be visiting Dr. John Cianca on Friday. I look forward to seeing him and am hopeful of getting a course of action that will clear up my knee once and for all.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
10-miler
OBJECTIVE
10 miles : no pace
ACHIEVED
9.85 mi. @ 8:21/mi.
6:14 AM 75° 85% 2 mph
Ran with Stephanie's group this morning. Stephanie was gone for her honeymoon but today's group included: Stacey, Randy, Jonathan, Miranda, Laurie, William, and me.
The group was scheduled for 13.5 but Jonathan and I cut it short. He's probably running with the Tornados tomorrow and I had to hustle back to the house to help Cameron get ready for his first day on the job. He's umpiring 9-year old baseball games this morning. Both he and Paige were nervous (he did just fine).
My legs felt okay today but my overall fitness didn't. Jonathan and Stacey picked up the pace to around 8 minute miles over the middle part of the run and I felt pressed. My cardio didn't seem to be there nor my legs. This run was tougher than it should have been.
PRE RUN
Kashi Go Lean cereal w/skim milk and multivitamin
POST RUN
Clif bar and water
10 miles : no pace
ACHIEVED
9.85 mi. @ 8:21/mi.
6:14 AM 75° 85% 2 mph
Ran with Stephanie's group this morning. Stephanie was gone for her honeymoon but today's group included: Stacey, Randy, Jonathan, Miranda, Laurie, William, and me.
The group was scheduled for 13.5 but Jonathan and I cut it short. He's probably running with the Tornados tomorrow and I had to hustle back to the house to help Cameron get ready for his first day on the job. He's umpiring 9-year old baseball games this morning. Both he and Paige were nervous (he did just fine).
My legs felt okay today but my overall fitness didn't. Jonathan and Stacey picked up the pace to around 8 minute miles over the middle part of the run and I felt pressed. My cardio didn't seem to be there nor my legs. This run was tougher than it should have been.
PRE RUN
Kashi Go Lean cereal w/skim milk and multivitamin
POST RUN
Clif bar and water
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Quick 3
OBJECTIVE
run
run
ACHIEVED
3.02 mi.@8:15/mi.
5:01 AM 70° 83% 0 mph
Nothing special about today's run. I played basketball for an hour and a half last night. I haven't played in a long time. It was good to get out again. Sometime ago I read that distance running reduces jumping ability. I don't recall the source or biomechanical details. I did notice that I seemed to have difficulty getting two feet off the ground at the same time last night. Being honest with myself, it might not be the running .... It may be that 41-year old guys just aren't supposed to jump! Not that I ever had an amazing vertical but there was a time when I could get off the floor a bit.
I wasn't sure when I would wake up this morning and didn't set an alarm. I figured if I woke up early enough, I'd run. If not, I'd go out tonight or tomorrow. I woke up around 4:50, tossed a bit then figured I had time for 3 miles.
I haven't checked the weather this morning but I'm guessing I'll find the temperature was slightly cooler and the humidity was noticeably lower. It was pleasant. Weather supposed to stay the same for a while ... lows in the 70's, highs in the 90's.
The only thing I noticed was my legs felt a little tweaked from the lateral movement playing basketball last night. I tried to keep the pace comfortable and just enjoy being out. It was a good start to the day.
I'm not sure what's going to happen for this weekend's running. Steph's wedding was last weekend. I don't know about the honeymoon plans but I'm guessing she's out of town. If that's the case, the question becomes will anyone pick up the slack and plan a run in her absence. I'm also not sure what the renegade Spring runners are doing. Bob Bond is running the San Diego marathon Sunday so he'll be out of town. I think a couple of the other guys are nursing injuries. Jonathan has picked up with the Tornados running club so I doubt he's going to want to do anything. I may be left on my own ....
PRE RUN
nothing
POST RUN
SlimFast & multivitamin
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Stretching the Legs over a Morning Run
OBJECTIVE
stretch legs over a few miles
ACHIEVED
4.08 mi. @ 8:32/mi.
4:52 AM 70° 88% 0 mph
Left knee was achy today but loosened slightly over the run. (Maybe it was Monday's hills or residual marathon damage ...?) Other than that my legs seemed to have a little spring during the second half. I suppose I'm still recovering from the marathon.
I set an appoint with Dr. John Cianca. I'll meet with him on Friday, June 6 (the earliest I could get in). He's the former medical director of the Houston Marathon and a runner himself. I know at least three people who have used him and they have had good success with his diagnostic techniques and therapies. Ironically, my formal training for the St. George marathon begins in earnest June 9.
PRE RUN
nothing
POST RUN
SlimFast & multivitamin
Later, GrapeNuts w/skim milk
stretch legs over a few miles
ACHIEVED
4.08 mi. @ 8:32/mi.
4:52 AM 70° 88% 0 mph
Left knee was achy today but loosened slightly over the run. (Maybe it was Monday's hills or residual marathon damage ...?) Other than that my legs seemed to have a little spring during the second half. I suppose I'm still recovering from the marathon.
I set an appoint with Dr. John Cianca. I'll meet with him on Friday, June 6 (the earliest I could get in). He's the former medical director of the Houston Marathon and a runner himself. I know at least three people who have used him and they have had good success with his diagnostic techniques and therapies. Ironically, my formal training for the St. George marathon begins in earnest June 9.
PRE RUN
nothing
POST RUN
SlimFast & multivitamin
Later, GrapeNuts w/skim milk
Monday, May 26, 2008
Will's Hills w/Cam & Rory
OBJECTIVE
run a bit
ACHIEVED
WU
2 x 1100-660-430 + 1100
CD
5:34 AM 79° 84% 5 mph
Rory and Cameron went with me to run Will's Hills this morning. It's Memorial Day so they are out of school and I'm off work. As usual we didn't know what the workout was until we got there. An 1100 meter loop with a couple relatively small hills was laid out. The workout was to run the full loop then take a 3 minute break. Run approximately 660 meters then take a 2 minute break. Run the remaining 430 meters then take a 1 minute break. After completing this circuit, we repeated it then followed it with a final 1100 meter loop.
It was a good workout. My knee felt "stressed" but not over-strained. Rory and Cam each ran well. Here are my approximate splits with breaks in parenthesis:
4:43 (2:59) 2:03 (2:01) 1:38 (0:54)
4:34 (2:30) 2:39 (2:00) 1:45 (1:17)
4:39
PRE RUN
Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk
POST RUN
SlimFast & Clif bar
run a bit
ACHIEVED
WU
2 x 1100-660-430 + 1100
CD
5:34 AM 79° 84% 5 mph
Rory and Cameron went with me to run Will's Hills this morning. It's Memorial Day so they are out of school and I'm off work. As usual we didn't know what the workout was until we got there. An 1100 meter loop with a couple relatively small hills was laid out. The workout was to run the full loop then take a 3 minute break. Run approximately 660 meters then take a 2 minute break. Run the remaining 430 meters then take a 1 minute break. After completing this circuit, we repeated it then followed it with a final 1100 meter loop.
It was a good workout. My knee felt "stressed" but not over-strained. Rory and Cam each ran well. Here are my approximate splits with breaks in parenthesis:
4:43 (2:59) 2:03 (2:01) 1:38 (0:54)
4:34 (2:30) 2:39 (2:00) 1:45 (1:17)
4:39
PRE RUN
Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk
POST RUN
SlimFast & Clif bar
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Back with the Saturday Group
OBJECTIVE
run some miles
ACHIEVED
7.12 mi. @ 8:35/mi.
6:40 AM 82° 74% 9 mph
I ran from Memorial Park with Stephanie's group this morning. There was quite a group today: Steph, Laurie, Randy, Shellie, Stacey, Miranda, Jonathan, William, and me. Stephanie's wedding is later today so I think that contributed to the attendance this morning. On one hand, it's surprising to me that she'd run this morning ... on the other hand, it's not surprising at all.
Originally I thought I may stretch it out longer today but found the miles a bit difficult even though the pace was modest. This just reminded me that I'm still recovering from last Saturday's marathon effort. I believe there's a rule of thumb suggesting that it takes one day for each mile raced to fully recover. Therefore, I've still got 19 days of recovering. This is similar to how the first week after the St. George marathon went too ... if I recall correctly. The week after the marathon I was surprised by how good I felt. I had a few runs and wondered what the big deal with recovery is. But the second week has a different story. It was like it all caught up with me. I'll be curious to see how I feel over the next week.
It was good to talk with Jonathan again. I wasn't that eager to see the rest of the group because I knew it would mean reporting on the marathon but no one really pressed and everyone seemed forgiving; acknowledging that "bad races happen".
PRE RUN
Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk
POST RUN
SlimFast
run some miles
ACHIEVED
7.12 mi. @ 8:35/mi.
6:40 AM 82° 74% 9 mph
I ran from Memorial Park with Stephanie's group this morning. There was quite a group today: Steph, Laurie, Randy, Shellie, Stacey, Miranda, Jonathan, William, and me. Stephanie's wedding is later today so I think that contributed to the attendance this morning. On one hand, it's surprising to me that she'd run this morning ... on the other hand, it's not surprising at all.
Originally I thought I may stretch it out longer today but found the miles a bit difficult even though the pace was modest. This just reminded me that I'm still recovering from last Saturday's marathon effort. I believe there's a rule of thumb suggesting that it takes one day for each mile raced to fully recover. Therefore, I've still got 19 days of recovering. This is similar to how the first week after the St. George marathon went too ... if I recall correctly. The week after the marathon I was surprised by how good I felt. I had a few runs and wondered what the big deal with recovery is. But the second week has a different story. It was like it all caught up with me. I'll be curious to see how I feel over the next week.
It was good to talk with Jonathan again. I wasn't that eager to see the rest of the group because I knew it would mean reporting on the marathon but no one really pressed and everyone seemed forgiving; acknowledging that "bad races happen".
PRE RUN
Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk
POST RUN
SlimFast
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Post Marathon Run
OBJECTIVE
stretch legs & clear muscle soreness; test left knee
ACHIEVED
3.53 mi. @ 8:04/mi.
6:33 AM 72° 89% 7 mph
With mixed emotions, I hit the pavement this morning. Jonathan ran Sunday morning in Utah but my knee wasn't ready for that. I took my running clothes to work yesterday thinking I'd run downtown before going home. Ultimately I didn't feel ready. Finally, this morning after dropping Cameron off, I made my way over to the gully trail for a run. I wasn't concerned about time or distance; just wanted to see how I felt. There was muscle soreness in my quads and calfs but not as much as I thought there would be. My knee was achy but okay once it warmed up.
I've got a lot of things to sort out with my running. I'm going to take it slow. I requested a physician referral from a doctor who works with Power in Motion. I need to get the knee figured out before I go long again.
PRE RUN
GrapeNuts w/skim milk
POST RUN
SlimFast
stretch legs & clear muscle soreness; test left knee
ACHIEVED
3.53 mi. @ 8:04/mi.
6:33 AM 72° 89% 7 mph
With mixed emotions, I hit the pavement this morning. Jonathan ran Sunday morning in Utah but my knee wasn't ready for that. I took my running clothes to work yesterday thinking I'd run downtown before going home. Ultimately I didn't feel ready. Finally, this morning after dropping Cameron off, I made my way over to the gully trail for a run. I wasn't concerned about time or distance; just wanted to see how I felt. There was muscle soreness in my quads and calfs but not as much as I thought there would be. My knee was achy but okay once it warmed up.
I've got a lot of things to sort out with my running. I'm going to take it slow. I requested a physician referral from a doctor who works with Power in Motion. I need to get the knee figured out before I go long again.
PRE RUN
GrapeNuts w/skim milk
POST RUN
SlimFast
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Not-so-Pleasant Reality
OBJECTIVE
3 mi.@8:15/mi.
3 mi.@8:15/mi.
ACHIEVED
3.01 mi./8:07/mi.
5:07 AM 66° 94% 4 mph
This run was supposed to be an easy confidence-builder. It wasn't. My knee was a problem the entire run and didn't really loosen up. I struggled to hold the easy pace. I did notice that breathing in a 4 exhales then 4 inhales sequence causes me to run faster than a 6 x 6 sequence. I remember reading that a long, easy run should be around 3 x 3.
The pre-race psychosis seems to have me in a downward spiral. Some facts: 26.2 is a huge challenge for me on my best day. The odds of having even a good day seem to be diminishing. My training cycle has not been as consistent as I would like. I have at least one undefined injury. I run with fast people. I read blogs of fast people. I think I've tricked myself into thinking I'm faster than I really am. I'm still very new to this sport.
PRE RUN
water
POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, calcium, vitamins A&D & glucosamine
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Pitiful
OBJECTIVE
3 mi. Tempo run @ 6:53/mi.
3 mi. Tempo run @ 6:53/mi.
ACHIEVED
WU 0.97 mi.
3.01 mi. @ 7:11/mi. [6:55, 7:26, 7:12]
CD 1.03 mi.
7:12 AM 75° 89% 1 mph
The good news is that my legs felt fine. The bad news is that I was slow and laboring. At this point, I'd like to feel strong and powerful. The marathon is 3 days away and I've been tapering. I hoped that I would feel fresh but it wasn't the case. Maybe it was the humidity ... ?
It rained last night and the morning air was heavy. I drove to Faulkey Gully after dropping Cameron off late. Rather than park in the mud just off Louetta, I drove to a neighborhood swimming pool and crossed the bridge over to the trail.
1 mile warmup took me to the end of the trail where I started the tempo. Slightly slower than target over the first mile. Working hard. Wasn't able to hold pace over Mile 2. Made the turn back and continued to slow over last mile. Walked about 1/2 mile then cooled down over 1 mile. Thorough stretch back at the car.
PRE RUN
Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk
POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, oatmeal w/skim milk, multivitamin & water
Monday, May 12, 2008
Stretching It Out
OBJECTIVE
3 mi. @ 8:15/mi.
3 mi. @ 8:15/mi.
ACHIEVED
3.01 mi. @ 7:46/mi.
57F 72% 4 mph
I felt okay this morning other than a balky left knee. It wasn't painful; just "tired". I haven't felt that before. The weather was good. The pace felt comfortable as I picked it up over the short effort.
I've got a tempo run on Wednesday then another short, easy run Thursday. I've got a massage scheduled for Thursday afternoon. I'm hoping to get that calm feeling that I found the week leading up to St. George. Oh that reminds me, I was selected in the St. George lottery Friday so that will be my fall marathon this year. I'm looking forward to going back.
PRE RUN
2 FRS chews & water
POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin & water
Later, GrapeNuts w/skim milk
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Race Attire
Some of the fun of a big race is deciding what I'm going to be wearing.
Here are my options for the upcoming Ogden Marathon:
Power in Motion is the running group I started with in March 2007. I met several runners who have since become great friends. Jonathan Bennett started running with "PIM" the same day I did. He is a very good runner who continues to improve. Recently he ran an 18:32 5K! He'll be running with me in Ogden. One of our PIM coaches was Stephanie Burlet who leads Saturday long runs. She and her group were patient with me as I learned how to "cover the distance."
The Continental Airlines running team is known as the CAL Runners. I'm very loosely affiliated with the group. Occasionally I run races where the team has a designated number of entries. Last year I tentatively planned to go to Sydney, Australia with the team but the scheduling didn't work out. This fall they're going to Toronto. Maybe that one will work better for me ... ???
Fastrunningblog.com is an excellent runners' resource. There is a discussion board there and a place to log your own training runs and races. Blog members include a few Olympic Trials marathon qualifiers and other highly accomplished runners. The great thing about the community is that they all willingly share training tips and information. Don't be surprised to see several of the top finishers in Ogden wearing the colors of the fastrunningblog.com racing team.
Okay, this one's my latest running sponsor Big Foot Farms. There will be about 30 "members of the team" around on Saturday. A few of us are even running! So far as I can tell the runners include:
Wendy (sister)
Michael (brother-in-law)
Brandon (brother-in-law)
Paige (wife)
Cameron (son)
I think some of my nieces and nephews and perhaps others will be running in the 5K and Kids K events. (The bright red shirts should help us find each other!) Don't forget the Big Foot Farms slogan everyone ... "Run 'til you're Done!"
I also think my cousins: Amy, Julie, Stephanie, and Matt will be running too.
Okay so what am I wearing?
Big Foot Farms warm up shirt (red)
CAL Runners singlet (white)
Adidas running shorts (navy) [picked up pair of RaceReady shorts on Saturday which are great; since they haven't "gone long" with me yet, I won't wear them in Ogden.]
Mizuno Wave Rider 10 shoes (red, white & blue)
Champion gloves (optional)
Here are my options for the upcoming Ogden Marathon:
Power in Motion is the running group I started with in March 2007. I met several runners who have since become great friends. Jonathan Bennett started running with "PIM" the same day I did. He is a very good runner who continues to improve. Recently he ran an 18:32 5K! He'll be running with me in Ogden. One of our PIM coaches was Stephanie Burlet who leads Saturday long runs. She and her group were patient with me as I learned how to "cover the distance."
The Continental Airlines running team is known as the CAL Runners. I'm very loosely affiliated with the group. Occasionally I run races where the team has a designated number of entries. Last year I tentatively planned to go to Sydney, Australia with the team but the scheduling didn't work out. This fall they're going to Toronto. Maybe that one will work better for me ... ???
Fastrunningblog.com is an excellent runners' resource. There is a discussion board there and a place to log your own training runs and races. Blog members include a few Olympic Trials marathon qualifiers and other highly accomplished runners. The great thing about the community is that they all willingly share training tips and information. Don't be surprised to see several of the top finishers in Ogden wearing the colors of the fastrunningblog.com racing team.
Okay, this one's my latest running sponsor Big Foot Farms. There will be about 30 "members of the team" around on Saturday. A few of us are even running! So far as I can tell the runners include:
Wendy (sister)
Michael (brother-in-law)
Brandon (brother-in-law)
Paige (wife)
Cameron (son)
I think some of my nieces and nephews and perhaps others will be running in the 5K and Kids K events. (The bright red shirts should help us find each other!) Don't forget the Big Foot Farms slogan everyone ... "Run 'til you're Done!"
I also think my cousins: Amy, Julie, Stephanie, and Matt will be running too.
Okay so what am I wearing?
Big Foot Farms warm up shirt (red)
CAL Runners singlet (white)
Adidas running shorts (navy) [picked up pair of RaceReady shorts on Saturday which are great; since they haven't "gone long" with me yet, I won't wear them in Ogden.]
Mizuno Wave Rider 10 shoes (red, white & blue)
Champion gloves (optional)
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Final Saturday before Ogden
OBJECTIVE
8 mi. @ 8:15/mi.
ACHIEVED
10.14 mi. @ 8:22/mi.
6:37 AM 76° 87% 6 mph
It was a good run today. This was the last long run before the marathon. Jonathan and I joined Stephanie's group which included Miranda, Stacey Almond, Randy, Josh, William, and Stewart.
My legs felt good today. The pace generally felt slow. The humidity made the air heavy so it seemed the group was slowed by it somewhat. The group was scheduled for 13 miles which was more than I wanted to go today. Jonathan and I broke it off early at just less the 8 miles. We picked up the pace over a couple hills as we worked the 2+ miles back to his house. We got water then Julie drove us back to Memorial Park.
Overall this was a positive run in preparation for next Saturday.
PRE RUN
oatmeal w/skim milk, multivitamin & powdered FRS w/water
POST RUN
water
Later, SlimFast & Clif bar
8 mi. @ 8:15/mi.
ACHIEVED
10.14 mi. @ 8:22/mi.
6:37 AM 76° 87% 6 mph
It was a good run today. This was the last long run before the marathon. Jonathan and I joined Stephanie's group which included Miranda, Stacey Almond, Randy, Josh, William, and Stewart.
My legs felt good today. The pace generally felt slow. The humidity made the air heavy so it seemed the group was slowed by it somewhat. The group was scheduled for 13 miles which was more than I wanted to go today. Jonathan and I broke it off early at just less the 8 miles. We picked up the pace over a couple hills as we worked the 2+ miles back to his house. We got water then Julie drove us back to Memorial Park.
Overall this was a positive run in preparation for next Saturday.
PRE RUN
oatmeal w/skim milk, multivitamin & powdered FRS w/water
POST RUN
water
Later, SlimFast & Clif bar
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