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

I'll report back later.

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

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

4:49 AM 47F 98% 0 mph

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

PRE RUN


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

Big Group

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

ACHIEVED
11.40 mi.@ 8:30

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

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

PRE RUN
Wheaties w/1% milk

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, Clif bar

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

ACHIEVED
5.17 mi.@ 8:12

5:30 AM 62° 96% 5 mph light rain

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

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

PRE RUN
nothing

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

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

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

6:27 AM 51° 81% 0 mph

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

PRE RUN
weight=164.5

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

At Least My Run Went Okay ...

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

ACHIEVED
5.14 mi.@ 8:16

5:25 AM 46° 75% 1 mph

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

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

This is all very disappointing and embarrassing.


PRE RUN

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

Back in the Garage

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

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

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

5:27 AM 43° 85% 0 mph

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

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

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

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

PRE RUN
apple juice

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

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

ACHIEVED
5.12 mi.@ 8:12

5:00 AM 70° 92% 2 mph

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

PRE RUN
weigth=163
apple juice

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

November 15-21 Training Schedule

SUNDAY
Rest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ACHIEVED
9.98 mi.@ 8:49

6:04 AM 66° 81% 2 mph

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

PRE RUN
frosted mini wheats w/1% milk

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

Anyone Know a Good Place to Stay in Boston?

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

ACHIEVED
4.51 mi.@ 8:06

4:27 AM 49° 96% 0 mph

Nothing like a cool, fall morning ....

PRE RUN
weight=163.5
water

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

OBJECTIVE
dynamic stretching warm-up
4.5 mi.@ 7:46-8:36 w/4x30-second intervals @ 5:50 "sprinkled in"

ACHIEVED
dynamic stretch
4.50 mi.@ 8:03 w/ 5:50/5:43/5:54/5:37

5:37 AM 52° 96% 0 mph

I'm feeling pretty good physically now (with the exception of my back which has been a bit naggy since the long flight back from Chile). Still feel like I need to get mentally engaged.

PRE RUN
weight=164.5

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

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

ACHIEVED
4.50 mi.@ 8:14

5:20 AM 58° 92% 0 mph

Felt pretty good this morning.

PRE RUN
weight=165.5
water

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

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

ACHIEVED
4.55 mi.@ 8:03
2x20 sec. high knees
2x20 sec. bounding

5:19 AM 64° 96% 2 mph

Running on fresh legs due to vacation layoff.

PRE RUN
weight=165

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

Santiago #2 Run

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

ACHIEVED
4.44 mi.@ 8:32

6:26 AM 50° 65% 0 mph

Garmin Connect -
Activity Details for
Santiago Run #2

PRE RUN
water

POST RUN
grapefruit juice,

Santiago, Chile

OBJECTIVE
run

ACHIEVED
4.05 mi.@ 8:34

6:54 AM 52° 52% 0 mph

I am currently in Santiago, Chile for business. One of the challenging things about running while traveling is actually getting the run in. Another challenge can be figuring out where to run. I generally don't travel much but seem to be having more opportunites to do so lately. I like the challenge of running when my schedule really doesn't allow for it and there are seemingly a dozen good reasons to miss my runs.

Having said that, I missed yesterday's run after flying overnight then taking care of the logistics of arriving followed by afternoon and evening meetings. I wasn't about to be cheated out of today's run.

I ventured out from the hotel and just headed up the street the hotel was on. It appeared to be a major artery. Not knowing where I was going and not having a plan whatsoever, I just ran. The sidewalks were wide and clean. In fact, what I've seen of the city so far has been very clean.

I had decided to get 4 miles while exploring this morning. I cut off the main street down a side street. Not wanting to get too far away from the street that I knew, I did an out-and-back. I continued down the main street until it ended on something the looked like a freeway. From there, I turned back toward the hotel. Realizing I wasn't going to get the mileage I wanted I crossed the street planning to do another out-and-back. While on this segment, I discovered some sort of "green belt" that wasn't green at all. It did have a hard-packed trail though. I ran the several-block-long loop then headed back out of this residential area to the main street. Once back on the main street, I ran down past my hotel until I had the mileage I wanted then came back.

By the time I finished, the street were getting quite busy. People looked at me as I dodged around them. I'm not too certain how common it is to run on the city streets. I only saw one other runner while I was out.

PRE RUN
nothing

POST RUN
mixed meats ???, cheese, bread & orange juice

This is Where the Marathon Really Begins ...

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

ACHIEVED
4.01 mi.@ 8:05

6:27 AM 53° 80% 2 mph

Today is Week 1, Day 1 of training for Boston. The next week or so will be about finding my legs again.

PRE RUN
weight=163

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

Back with the Crew

OBJECTIVE
long run & test left hamstring

ACHIEVED
9.90 mi.@ 8:41

7:09 AM 51° 83% 1 mph

This was my first run with the crew since before the marathon. It was good to get back. It gave me a chance to tell stories about St. George and hear others' stories about their marathon in Chicago.

I didn't run yesterday because my left hamstring still isn't right and I planned to stretch out with a little distance today. I figured the group wouldn't be doing anything too aggressive since Augie is tapering for IronMan Florida next Saturday. I was right - the pace and distance were comfortable but it was obvious my fitness has diminished since St. George. (Not surprising how sitting around and gorging yourself will do that!) During today's run, it's clear the hamstring still isn't full strength. My calves were also very tight throughout the run. Other than that it was a good run. The temperature was cool and I had good company.

Today's participants: Augie, Jill, Michelle, Laurie, Josh, Randy and me.

... anticipating how my hamstring feels tomorrow .... Watch my blog for my report from New York City. I'm leaving Houston tonight to catch the marathon tomorrow. I plan to be positioned at Mile 23 near Central Park passing out water and Gatorade at Continental Airlines' aid station.

PRE RUN
oatmeal w/almonds, brown sugar & 1% milk

POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, hot chocolate milk & Kashi GoLean cereal w/1% milk