Here I sit with one day left in the year (1 day left in the decade for that matter). As I look over the last year I have had many accomplishments and a few disappointments.
A random list of accomplishments
• Survived a few minor injuries with no major injuries
• Ran 5 marathons
• Ran the Boston Marathon (2nd best time to date)
• 2 half marathon PRs
• Almost 2500 miles logged (training & races)
A few disappointments
• No Marathon or 5k PRs
• 3 of 5 marathons were poor efforts
My left heel was probably my biggest health issue. It had really bothered me for most of the first half of the year. Ironically it took two other injuries and moving, which greatly reduced my training, to allow whatever was bothering my heel to heal. Overall I’ve been amazed on how well I’ve held up. I’m not sure why that is because I’ve been pretty injury prone throughout my life.
I’ve had some really good races this year. Tops on that list had to be Boston.
Boston was easily my toughest marathon course but I was in great shape going in and the energy from the spectators carried me to a time that was just shy of a PR.
There was a tie for second best race between both of my half marathons. I had entered the Disney half early in 2008. Later in the year I decided to run RnR Arizona which was the following week. I still wanted to run Disney since I had already paid the (very expensive) fee but I decided to just run an easy pace so that it didn’t hurt my marathon the following week. Well that easy pace still beat my previous PR by 1 minute. Based on what I did at Disney I had high expectations for Gasparilla. My goal was 7 minute miles (1:31:42) which I felt very confident in doing. Unfortunately a front was coming through that morning and by the half way point the wind was a steady 15-20 mph with gusts of 35+. With all that I still managed to beat my Disney time by 1.5 minutes.
I was equally disappointed in 3 marathon efforts (Phoenix, San Diego, Hartford). At this point there is no reason why I should be running 3:40+ marathons and in all 3 I hit the wall prior to 20 miles. Of the 3 I am most disappointed with my effort in Hartford. It was the slowest of the 3 and the only one with no easy excuses (race the weekend before, visiting family or friends). I knew this wasn’t a PR attempt but I still pushed it and failed miserably. WPB was an example of how I should run a marathon in less than ideal conditions.
Although my friends and family would disagree, keeping my weight under control and reaching an ideal race weight has been a struggle. This year I managed to take off around 10 lbs and now average in the low to mid 160’s. I’ve kept that pretty steady since August. My low point has been 158 but I have also hit 170 after a day off and eating a little too much. I’m not sure if maintaining a weight in the high 150’s is realistic but I do want to keep myself under 165 which means maintaining an average weight of around 160.
My goals are many for the coming year. I have 4 marathons and 2 half marathons on my schedule. In addition I have plans to run 6-8 shorter races. My race results really leveled off this year after a big improvement in 2008. I really think that I’m on the verge of another big improvement in 2010 if I can keep motivated, race smart and stay healthy.
Goals for 2010 in no specific order are:
• 2500+ miles for the year
• At least 1 month of 300+ miles
• A marathon PR (and thus another BQ)
• No marathon crash & burns
• A 5k PR
• A sub 1:31:42 (7 min pace) half marathon
• Keep the weight down
• No injuries
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Weekly Summary 12/27/2009
Weekly total: 50.2
Monday: 6.15
Tuesday: 8.33
Wednesday: 8.47
Thursday: 7.54
Saturday: 10.33
Sunday: 9.39
Average pace: 7:42
Before the week started I was entertaining the thought of reaching 2500 miles for the year. That would be 100 miles in 11 days. Certainly doable but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to push myself that much and since Christmas fell in that time period I would have to get a decent run in that day or really make the task difficult. Mondays run of 6.15 sealed the deal. I was feeling run down and my right knee was a little sore so I decided not to push it. I will most likely end the year with just over 2480 miles certainly nothing to be ashamed of and well over my 2200 from last year.
Most of the week I was feeling pretty rundown even a day off didn’t seem to help much. My right knee wasn’t as sore as it was stiff and fatigued. My hamstrings were also much tighter than usual. After 2-3 miles into a run I would start feeling better but my knee is still an ongoing issue and it forced me to end a couple of runs early because I didn’t want to end up hurting it more.
Two weeks before my next marathon I feel pretty good (or at least confident). I don’t have a specific training plan for the week. I do want to run every day and get in as many miles as I can without pushing too much. I would like to keep the pace under 8 (if possible) and any longer runs no more than 9. The big thing this week is to not over do it.
2 weeks until Disney
Monday: 6.15
Tuesday: 8.33
Wednesday: 8.47
Thursday: 7.54
Saturday: 10.33
Sunday: 9.39
Average pace: 7:42
Before the week started I was entertaining the thought of reaching 2500 miles for the year. That would be 100 miles in 11 days. Certainly doable but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to push myself that much and since Christmas fell in that time period I would have to get a decent run in that day or really make the task difficult. Mondays run of 6.15 sealed the deal. I was feeling run down and my right knee was a little sore so I decided not to push it. I will most likely end the year with just over 2480 miles certainly nothing to be ashamed of and well over my 2200 from last year.
Most of the week I was feeling pretty rundown even a day off didn’t seem to help much. My right knee wasn’t as sore as it was stiff and fatigued. My hamstrings were also much tighter than usual. After 2-3 miles into a run I would start feeling better but my knee is still an ongoing issue and it forced me to end a couple of runs early because I didn’t want to end up hurting it more.
Two weeks before my next marathon I feel pretty good (or at least confident). I don’t have a specific training plan for the week. I do want to run every day and get in as many miles as I can without pushing too much. I would like to keep the pace under 8 (if possible) and any longer runs no more than 9. The big thing this week is to not over do it.
2 weeks until Disney
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Weekly Summary 12/20/2009
Weekly total: 65.4
Monday: 7.56
Tuesday: 9.21
Wednesday: 10.4
Thursday: 8.72
Friday: 10.09
Saturday: 11.08
Sunday: 8.38
Average pace: 7:47
Overall it was a pretty productive week. I had 3 long runs and kept the pace well under 8. Little or no aches and pains but I was feeling a little tired by Sunday.
I’m still on pace (as of Sunday) for 2500 this year but I have to average 9 miles a day. At this point I’m not sure if I want to push it that hard so I’ll just keep running and see where I’m at during the last few days of the month. It’s only a number and in the grand scheme of things there isn’t much of a difference between 2485 and 2500.
I don’t have a specific plan for this week as far as total miles. I’ve already put in a shorter than average run on Monday and I’m not sure if I’ll find the time to run on Christmas day. I do want to get in at least 3 long runs and keep the pace under 8. If I manage to do that and stay healthy then the week will be considered a success.
3 weeks until Disney
Monday: 7.56
Tuesday: 9.21
Wednesday: 10.4
Thursday: 8.72
Friday: 10.09
Saturday: 11.08
Sunday: 8.38
Average pace: 7:47
Overall it was a pretty productive week. I had 3 long runs and kept the pace well under 8. Little or no aches and pains but I was feeling a little tired by Sunday.
I’m still on pace (as of Sunday) for 2500 this year but I have to average 9 miles a day. At this point I’m not sure if I want to push it that hard so I’ll just keep running and see where I’m at during the last few days of the month. It’s only a number and in the grand scheme of things there isn’t much of a difference between 2485 and 2500.
I don’t have a specific plan for this week as far as total miles. I’ve already put in a shorter than average run on Monday and I’m not sure if I’ll find the time to run on Christmas day. I do want to get in at least 3 long runs and keep the pace under 8. If I manage to do that and stay healthy then the week will be considered a success.
3 weeks until Disney
Monday, December 14, 2009
Weekly Summary 12/13/2009
Weekly total: 50.5
Tuesday: 5.05
Wednesday: 8.58
Thursday: 8.25
Friday: 9.17
Saturday: 10.59
Sunday: 8.85
Average pace: 7:59
I was surprised at how fast I bounced back after last Sunday’s marathon. I was still a little stiff and sore on Monday so I took that day off. Tuesday I felt better but I didn’t want to push it and the rest of the week was like a normal training week.
Since I have 3 training weeks left before Disney, I would like to get in a couple of 60+ over the next 2 weeks, taper down to 50 on the third week and rest most of the week before the marathon. I really feel that I’m in the best running shape right now and there is a probably a fine line between going too easy and losing some of that or going to hard and hurting myself.
4 weeks until Disney
Tuesday: 5.05
Wednesday: 8.58
Thursday: 8.25
Friday: 9.17
Saturday: 10.59
Sunday: 8.85
Average pace: 7:59
I was surprised at how fast I bounced back after last Sunday’s marathon. I was still a little stiff and sore on Monday so I took that day off. Tuesday I felt better but I didn’t want to push it and the rest of the week was like a normal training week.
Since I have 3 training weeks left before Disney, I would like to get in a couple of 60+ over the next 2 weeks, taper down to 50 on the third week and rest most of the week before the marathon. I really feel that I’m in the best running shape right now and there is a probably a fine line between going too easy and losing some of that or going to hard and hurting myself.
4 weeks until Disney
Monday, December 7, 2009
Palm Beaches Marathon
Time: 3:37:33
Overall: 92 out of 585
Age Group: 9 out of 62
Prior to the race it was very hard to predict what the temps would be like. Weather.com forecast seemed to change daily with temps ranging from the mid 50’s to mid 70’s predicting rain then no rain. All I really knew is that it would probably be too warm for me to attempt a PR. I’ve fallen into the trap before, thinking that I could set a PR when the temps were on the warm side only to end up struggling at the end.
The race started at 6:30 but since I didn’t know what the parking situation would be like I left early and ended up parking before 5:30. I headed down to the start area. The temps were in the high 50’s but a 10-15 mph wind made that feel pretty cold. There were plenty of port-a-johns with no lines but I didn’t need to go and that really concerned me because I didn’t go at the hotel either. I hate giving up valuable race minutes by sitting on a toilet mid race.
The race started on time (organization was top notch all the way). Between the full and half there were around 3000 runners at the start. I was near the front and was about 15 sec from the start line after the gun went off. The street was wide so there was plenty of room to run without people getting in your way (side note: a 1/4 into the race a car was driving against the runners). The fastest pace group in the race was the 3:30. I had no intention on running a 3:30 and just wanted to stick to a pace that I felt comfortable with. That comfortable pace kept me right behind the 3:30 group. I was definitely running faster than intended but I felt comfortable and wasn’t pushing it. My concern was that when my body started telling me to slow down, my mind would let the pace group pull me along.
By mile four, I was starting to feel like I was ready for that inevitable pit stop. The full and half didn’t split until mile 6 so I decided to wait until after the split. At the split point it seemed that 75% of the runners around me were in the half. They made the right turn and I followed the 3:30 pace group to the left. At 7.5 miles (or 1 hour into the race) I came to the toilets. Although I didn’t want to lose time in the port-a-john it was probably a good thing in that it would break me away from the pace group. I ended up losing just under 2 minutes. I then settled into an 8-8:10 pace and kept that going until mile 13.
Around mile 13 the 2 races joined back together. The difference was that the half marathon participants were the back of the pack group who were on mile 7. When we merged, they did a pretty good job of staying to the right (as instructed) but slowly started spreading out which made running a straight line difficult. I think running beside such slow movers had a mental effect in that my pace slowed another 10 seconds even though I still felt fine.
I don’t like racing with an IPod but I brought it with me thinking that I may want it later in the race. That turned out to be a good decision because the fatigue was starting to set in around mile 16 and I needed some motivation. At mile 17 I finally turned it on. The next couple miles passed by which made what was remaining a much more manageable number. By mile 20 I passed the finish line (where the half-ers finish). It really is a downer when you have to pass what you are striving to achieve. To make things worse, the sun was out and it was getting pretty warm. The wind had really picked up too it was a cross wind which meant that I would always feel like I was running into it.
The last 6 miles were a real struggle. We ran 2 miles north of the finish and then did a series of loops on our way back. Approaching my first loop I saw the 3:30 pace leader (approx .75 miles ahead of me) and there was nobody running with him. When I broke from the group there were 15-20 runners with him. I did remember passing quite a few but apparently I passed most of them. By mile 23 I was really hurting but was still keeping a sub 9 pace (8:30-55 range). I knew that by just keeping that pace I would easily achieve my sub 3:40 goal. There weren’t a lot of runners around me but there were a few that I was gaining on. This made it a little easier to push myself toward the finish.
I saw the finish clock with about .2 to go. If I picked up the pace I could get in under 3:38 (clock time). I was running with the last of the guys that I had been gaining on. I could tell that he was giving it all he had too, either to beat me or to get in under 3:38. We ended up crossing at the same time (I had him by 7 seconds net).
All in all I was happy with the results. I sacrificed a PR (which I had very little chance of getting) but I ran a sub 3:40 (which I should do every marathon) and ended up with my 3rd best time. I'm really glad I raced here. I still prefer the larger races but the organization was great and it was a very nice course.
I need to give my body another day or 2 of rest and then it back to training. Disney is less than 5 weeks away.
Results
Race website
Overall: 92 out of 585
Age Group: 9 out of 62
Prior to the race it was very hard to predict what the temps would be like. Weather.com forecast seemed to change daily with temps ranging from the mid 50’s to mid 70’s predicting rain then no rain. All I really knew is that it would probably be too warm for me to attempt a PR. I’ve fallen into the trap before, thinking that I could set a PR when the temps were on the warm side only to end up struggling at the end.
The race started at 6:30 but since I didn’t know what the parking situation would be like I left early and ended up parking before 5:30. I headed down to the start area. The temps were in the high 50’s but a 10-15 mph wind made that feel pretty cold. There were plenty of port-a-johns with no lines but I didn’t need to go and that really concerned me because I didn’t go at the hotel either. I hate giving up valuable race minutes by sitting on a toilet mid race.
The race started on time (organization was top notch all the way). Between the full and half there were around 3000 runners at the start. I was near the front and was about 15 sec from the start line after the gun went off. The street was wide so there was plenty of room to run without people getting in your way (side note: a 1/4 into the race a car was driving against the runners). The fastest pace group in the race was the 3:30. I had no intention on running a 3:30 and just wanted to stick to a pace that I felt comfortable with. That comfortable pace kept me right behind the 3:30 group. I was definitely running faster than intended but I felt comfortable and wasn’t pushing it. My concern was that when my body started telling me to slow down, my mind would let the pace group pull me along.
By mile four, I was starting to feel like I was ready for that inevitable pit stop. The full and half didn’t split until mile 6 so I decided to wait until after the split. At the split point it seemed that 75% of the runners around me were in the half. They made the right turn and I followed the 3:30 pace group to the left. At 7.5 miles (or 1 hour into the race) I came to the toilets. Although I didn’t want to lose time in the port-a-john it was probably a good thing in that it would break me away from the pace group. I ended up losing just under 2 minutes. I then settled into an 8-8:10 pace and kept that going until mile 13.
Around mile 13 the 2 races joined back together. The difference was that the half marathon participants were the back of the pack group who were on mile 7. When we merged, they did a pretty good job of staying to the right (as instructed) but slowly started spreading out which made running a straight line difficult. I think running beside such slow movers had a mental effect in that my pace slowed another 10 seconds even though I still felt fine.
I don’t like racing with an IPod but I brought it with me thinking that I may want it later in the race. That turned out to be a good decision because the fatigue was starting to set in around mile 16 and I needed some motivation. At mile 17 I finally turned it on. The next couple miles passed by which made what was remaining a much more manageable number. By mile 20 I passed the finish line (where the half-ers finish). It really is a downer when you have to pass what you are striving to achieve. To make things worse, the sun was out and it was getting pretty warm. The wind had really picked up too it was a cross wind which meant that I would always feel like I was running into it.
The last 6 miles were a real struggle. We ran 2 miles north of the finish and then did a series of loops on our way back. Approaching my first loop I saw the 3:30 pace leader (approx .75 miles ahead of me) and there was nobody running with him. When I broke from the group there were 15-20 runners with him. I did remember passing quite a few but apparently I passed most of them. By mile 23 I was really hurting but was still keeping a sub 9 pace (8:30-55 range). I knew that by just keeping that pace I would easily achieve my sub 3:40 goal. There weren’t a lot of runners around me but there were a few that I was gaining on. This made it a little easier to push myself toward the finish.
I saw the finish clock with about .2 to go. If I picked up the pace I could get in under 3:38 (clock time). I was running with the last of the guys that I had been gaining on. I could tell that he was giving it all he had too, either to beat me or to get in under 3:38. We ended up crossing at the same time (I had him by 7 seconds net).
All in all I was happy with the results. I sacrificed a PR (which I had very little chance of getting) but I ran a sub 3:40 (which I should do every marathon) and ended up with my 3rd best time. I'm really glad I raced here. I still prefer the larger races but the organization was great and it was a very nice course.
I need to give my body another day or 2 of rest and then it back to training. Disney is less than 5 weeks away.
Results
Race website
Monday, November 30, 2009
Weekly Summary 11/29/2009
Weekly total: 55.4
Monday: 6.28
Tuesday: 10.33
Wednesday: 10.14
Friday: 10.11
Saturday: 8.45
Sunday: 10.14
Average pace: 7:48
I decided not to run on Thanksgiving and my 35 day streak came to an end. It was going to end the following week anyway and I just couldn’t bring myself to run in the cold rain at 5am.
Besides losing the streak I had a pretty productive training week. I had four 10+ mile runs and every run was sub 8:00 and health wise I feel really good. This month’s miles have already surpassed my previous month high so today’s run will only add to that. November should end up around 274 which should stay unchallenged until March.
I’m still approaching Sunday’s marathon as a training run although the weather looks like it may be pretty good. I’d like to get 3-4 training runs in this week with nothing after Thursday and all at a slower pace than I have been running. If the coming cold front hits a day or two later and Sundays temps are in the 40’s I may attempt a PR otherwise I’ll back off and hope that Disney has good marathon weather this time.
1 week until WPB
6 weeks until Disney
Monday: 6.28
Tuesday: 10.33
Wednesday: 10.14
Friday: 10.11
Saturday: 8.45
Sunday: 10.14
Average pace: 7:48
I decided not to run on Thanksgiving and my 35 day streak came to an end. It was going to end the following week anyway and I just couldn’t bring myself to run in the cold rain at 5am.
Besides losing the streak I had a pretty productive training week. I had four 10+ mile runs and every run was sub 8:00 and health wise I feel really good. This month’s miles have already surpassed my previous month high so today’s run will only add to that. November should end up around 274 which should stay unchallenged until March.
I’m still approaching Sunday’s marathon as a training run although the weather looks like it may be pretty good. I’d like to get 3-4 training runs in this week with nothing after Thursday and all at a slower pace than I have been running. If the coming cold front hits a day or two later and Sundays temps are in the 40’s I may attempt a PR otherwise I’ll back off and hope that Disney has good marathon weather this time.
1 week until WPB
6 weeks until Disney
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Weekly Summary 11/22/2009
Weekly total: 71.7
Monday: 7.6
Tuesday: 12.4
Wednesday: 8.54
Thursday: 10.1
Friday: 8.17
Saturday: 8.44, 6.35
Sunday: 10.1
Average pace: 7:53
Overall another productive week. This was my 3rd highest weekly mileage and is keeping me on pace for a record month. Even though I’ve really picked up the training lately, my body has held up surprisingly well. I’m a little stiff after sitting around for a while but once I get moving I feel pretty good.
I have a lot of things getting in the way of a good training week this week. Ron and I are hosting Thanksgiving this year so if I want to run on Thursday then I’ll have to do it early in the morning which means no long run on Wednesday night. We are also spending the weekend in Ft Lauderdale (leaving Friday morning) so that means another early run on Friday morning. Saturday and Sunday will probably be treadmill runs at the hotel (which is never good) so I’ll probably be lucky to get in 50-55 miles this week.
2 weeks until WBP
7 weeks until Disney
Monday: 7.6
Tuesday: 12.4
Wednesday: 8.54
Thursday: 10.1
Friday: 8.17
Saturday: 8.44, 6.35
Sunday: 10.1
Average pace: 7:53
Overall another productive week. This was my 3rd highest weekly mileage and is keeping me on pace for a record month. Even though I’ve really picked up the training lately, my body has held up surprisingly well. I’m a little stiff after sitting around for a while but once I get moving I feel pretty good.
I have a lot of things getting in the way of a good training week this week. Ron and I are hosting Thanksgiving this year so if I want to run on Thursday then I’ll have to do it early in the morning which means no long run on Wednesday night. We are also spending the weekend in Ft Lauderdale (leaving Friday morning) so that means another early run on Friday morning. Saturday and Sunday will probably be treadmill runs at the hotel (which is never good) so I’ll probably be lucky to get in 50-55 miles this week.
2 weeks until WBP
7 weeks until Disney
Monday, November 16, 2009
Weekly Summary 11/15/2009
Weekly total: 63.1
Monday: 8.06
Tuesday: 8.63
Wednesday: 9.1
Thursday: 10.14
Friday: 8.35
Saturday: 8.51
Sunday: 10.29
Average pace: 7:51
Overall it was a pretty good training week. I was never able to fit in a double and missed my 70 mile goal but I still had a week’s worth of solid runs all with a pace at or under 8:00. My ankles and lower calves are a little sore (more stiff than sore) but other than that I’m pain free.
My plan this week is more of the same, run every day with each run at least 8 miles. I would like to get in a longer run of at least 12 miles. It’s been a while since I’ve had a run of over 11 miles.
Currently, I’m on pace for a 270+ month which would easily beat my current highest (258). My current 25 day streak should continue to 53 before I take a couple of days off before my next race.
3 weeks until WPB
8 weeks until Disney
Monday: 8.06
Tuesday: 8.63
Wednesday: 9.1
Thursday: 10.14
Friday: 8.35
Saturday: 8.51
Sunday: 10.29
Average pace: 7:51
Overall it was a pretty good training week. I was never able to fit in a double and missed my 70 mile goal but I still had a week’s worth of solid runs all with a pace at or under 8:00. My ankles and lower calves are a little sore (more stiff than sore) but other than that I’m pain free.
My plan this week is more of the same, run every day with each run at least 8 miles. I would like to get in a longer run of at least 12 miles. It’s been a while since I’ve had a run of over 11 miles.
Currently, I’m on pace for a 270+ month which would easily beat my current highest (258). My current 25 day streak should continue to 53 before I take a couple of days off before my next race.
3 weeks until WPB
8 weeks until Disney
Monday, November 9, 2009
Weekly Summary 11/8/2009
Weekly total: 64.6
Monday: 8.6
Tuesday: 10.59
Wednesday: 8.03
Thursday: 8.32
Friday: 8.5
Saturday: 9.02, 5.39
Sunday: 6.1
Average pace: 7:52
I fell a little short of the 70 miles that I wanted to run but overall it was a productive week. I managed to get a couple of solid medium runs in but only one of 10+ miles. My legs were feeling pretty stiff and tired this week but part of the reason for that was breaking in new shoes. The inserts were making the shoes stiff and that was causing some strain on my calves. After putting the original inserts back in the shoes were much better but it took a few runs to work the stiffness out.
My plan for this week is to shoot for 70 again and if I feel good maybe stretch it to 80 but really anything 65+ will be a good week. I don’t want to push myself into an injury.
4 weeks until WPB
9 weeks until Disney
Monday: 8.6
Tuesday: 10.59
Wednesday: 8.03
Thursday: 8.32
Friday: 8.5
Saturday: 9.02, 5.39
Sunday: 6.1
Average pace: 7:52
I fell a little short of the 70 miles that I wanted to run but overall it was a productive week. I managed to get a couple of solid medium runs in but only one of 10+ miles. My legs were feeling pretty stiff and tired this week but part of the reason for that was breaking in new shoes. The inserts were making the shoes stiff and that was causing some strain on my calves. After putting the original inserts back in the shoes were much better but it took a few runs to work the stiffness out.
My plan for this week is to shoot for 70 again and if I feel good maybe stretch it to 80 but really anything 65+ will be a good week. I don’t want to push myself into an injury.
4 weeks until WPB
9 weeks until Disney
Monday, November 2, 2009
Weekly Summary 11/1/2009
Weekly total: 82.7
Monday: 5.48, 5.49
Tuesday: 8.73
Wednesday: 5.63, 8.52
Thursday: 10.74
Friday: 8.69
Saturday: 10.08, 8.25
Sunday: 5.77, 5.34
Average pace: 8:09
It took 11 runs but I managed to set a new weekly high with 82.7 miles. My previous weekly high (81) took me just 9 runs and at a faster pace (7:49). I’m a little tired but overall I held up pretty good.
I have 4 more weeks until I need to taper so I want to see if I can keep the mileage around 70. I don’t see a problem with using doubles to get to this high mileage. The point is to run when feeling fatigue and I did plenty of that this week so a 6 and 8 mile run in the same day is just as good as a single run of 12-13. I just need to run a little faster on that second run.
My plan this week, outside of getting 70 miles, is to pick up the pace a little. Last week I only had 3 runs under an 8:00 pace and 3 over an 8:15 pace. If I can get 70 miles at an 8:00 pace I will be pretty happy with the week.
5 weeks until WPB
10 weeks until Disney
Monday: 5.48, 5.49
Tuesday: 8.73
Wednesday: 5.63, 8.52
Thursday: 10.74
Friday: 8.69
Saturday: 10.08, 8.25
Sunday: 5.77, 5.34
Average pace: 8:09
It took 11 runs but I managed to set a new weekly high with 82.7 miles. My previous weekly high (81) took me just 9 runs and at a faster pace (7:49). I’m a little tired but overall I held up pretty good.
I have 4 more weeks until I need to taper so I want to see if I can keep the mileage around 70. I don’t see a problem with using doubles to get to this high mileage. The point is to run when feeling fatigue and I did plenty of that this week so a 6 and 8 mile run in the same day is just as good as a single run of 12-13. I just need to run a little faster on that second run.
My plan this week, outside of getting 70 miles, is to pick up the pace a little. Last week I only had 3 runs under an 8:00 pace and 3 over an 8:15 pace. If I can get 70 miles at an 8:00 pace I will be pretty happy with the week.
5 weeks until WPB
10 weeks until Disney
Monday, October 26, 2009
Weekly Summary 10/25/2009
Weekly total: 56.0
Monday 7.07
Tuesday 8.77
Thursday 5.34, 10.12
Friday 6.37
Saturday 10.2
Sunday 8.18
Average pace: 8:11
A fairly uneventful training week. I felt a little sluggish during most of the runs but no aches or pains that I can’t deal with. I was able to get in 2 morning runs outside. The weather seems to be cooperating so hopefully I can get some more outside training in. It’ll be nice when the time changes next week.
I registered for Boston yesterday so I’m all set. I have a hotel, plane ride and now a race to run in. It’s a long time until April but I’m already excited. Right now I just need to focus on training hard so I can get my 2011 BQ out of the way.
My goal this week is to run every day and get over 70 miles.
6 weeks until WPB
11 weeks until Disney (I should track this instead since this is really my A race)
Monday 7.07
Tuesday 8.77
Thursday 5.34, 10.12
Friday 6.37
Saturday 10.2
Sunday 8.18
Average pace: 8:11
A fairly uneventful training week. I felt a little sluggish during most of the runs but no aches or pains that I can’t deal with. I was able to get in 2 morning runs outside. The weather seems to be cooperating so hopefully I can get some more outside training in. It’ll be nice when the time changes next week.
I registered for Boston yesterday so I’m all set. I have a hotel, plane ride and now a race to run in. It’s a long time until April but I’m already excited. Right now I just need to focus on training hard so I can get my 2011 BQ out of the way.
My goal this week is to run every day and get over 70 miles.
6 weeks until WPB
11 weeks until Disney (I should track this instead since this is really my A race)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Weekly Summary 10/18/2009
Weekly total: 32.9
Tuesday: 1.06
Wednesday: 7.33
Thursday: 8.2
Saturday: 10.23
Sunday: 6.05
Average pace: 8:30
The upside to running a shitty marathon is that you can have some pretty productive training the following week.
I didn’t plan on running much last week but knees or hamstrings weren’t bothering me much by Wednesday so I decided to start running again and see what I could handle. I did take the pace a little slow but overall I felt pretty good.
Summer is finally over so there will be a lot more opportunities to run outside now. On Saturday’s run the temps were in the low 60’s with very low humidity.
My plan this week is to start building up the mileage again. I’d like to get a couple of short runs in the morning with my longer runs after work. A couple of doubles will allow me to get back up around 70 miles which is where I would like to be for the next few weeks. Palm Beach is in 7 weeks and even though that isn’t an A race I don’t have a lot of training time between that a Disney.
7 weeks until West Palm Beach
Tuesday: 1.06
Wednesday: 7.33
Thursday: 8.2
Saturday: 10.23
Sunday: 6.05
Average pace: 8:30
The upside to running a shitty marathon is that you can have some pretty productive training the following week.
I didn’t plan on running much last week but knees or hamstrings weren’t bothering me much by Wednesday so I decided to start running again and see what I could handle. I did take the pace a little slow but overall I felt pretty good.
Summer is finally over so there will be a lot more opportunities to run outside now. On Saturday’s run the temps were in the low 60’s with very low humidity.
My plan this week is to start building up the mileage again. I’d like to get a couple of short runs in the morning with my longer runs after work. A couple of doubles will allow me to get back up around 70 miles which is where I would like to be for the next few weeks. Palm Beach is in 7 weeks and even though that isn’t an A race I don’t have a lot of training time between that a Disney.
7 weeks until West Palm Beach
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Hartford Marathon
Time: 3:51:48
Overall: 672 out of 2287
Age Group: 78 out of 210
Running a lot more marathons has forced me to change my mindset of what I consider a successful race. I have finally accepted that fact that I’m not going to set a PR in every marathon and by not setting a PR I shouldn’t be disappointed in the results.
Going into Saturdays Hartford Marathon I knew that the temperature was going to be too high for me to run a 3:30. As the race started I had 2 choices. The first was to run conservatively and settle for a time no better than a 3:40. The second option was to run at a 3:30 pace as long as I could and maybe be able to keep that up for the entire race.
Being a stubborn person I decided to go for it. As you can see from my time that choice didn’t work out too well.
The temperature at race start was overcast 60 and humid. My first few miles went well but by mile 5 I knew that I wasn’t going to keep that pace for the whole race. I was running with the pace group so I decided to just stick it out as long as I could. By 9.5 miles I was struggling to keep the pace and decided to pull back a little. I still kept the pace group in sight for the next few miles and even managed to pass the half way point under a 3:30 pace (pace group must have been running too fast).
Somewhere around 14 or 15 I started to really slow down the pace in an attempt to avoid a total crash and burn. My goal now was to just run the rest of the way. The hills seemed nonstop after the 20 mile mark or right about the time that I had nothing left. I still managed to keep running (at a very slow pace) until mile 23 when I started walking up the hills.
The crowds picked up near the park (and finish line) and I managed something closer to running at the end.
Even though I consider 3:51 a bad time, I’m not disappointed in my effort. I took a chance and it didn’t work out. If I ran slower early on then I may have finished in 3:40 but who knows.
Every race is different. Hartford had a lot more hills than most and you never know what the weather will be when you register. Speaking or weather I have the worst luck. Not only do I usually run in unseasonably warm temps but a day or two after the race is usually perfect running weather. Saturday was an unseasonably warm 60 at 8am, this is bad luck. Sunday morning it was 32, this is something way beyond bad luck. I don't expect ideal weather in WPB so I'll have to hope for cooler temps (i.e 40's) at Disney.
Overall: 672 out of 2287
Age Group: 78 out of 210
Running a lot more marathons has forced me to change my mindset of what I consider a successful race. I have finally accepted that fact that I’m not going to set a PR in every marathon and by not setting a PR I shouldn’t be disappointed in the results.
Going into Saturdays Hartford Marathon I knew that the temperature was going to be too high for me to run a 3:30. As the race started I had 2 choices. The first was to run conservatively and settle for a time no better than a 3:40. The second option was to run at a 3:30 pace as long as I could and maybe be able to keep that up for the entire race.
Being a stubborn person I decided to go for it. As you can see from my time that choice didn’t work out too well.
The temperature at race start was overcast 60 and humid. My first few miles went well but by mile 5 I knew that I wasn’t going to keep that pace for the whole race. I was running with the pace group so I decided to just stick it out as long as I could. By 9.5 miles I was struggling to keep the pace and decided to pull back a little. I still kept the pace group in sight for the next few miles and even managed to pass the half way point under a 3:30 pace (pace group must have been running too fast).
Somewhere around 14 or 15 I started to really slow down the pace in an attempt to avoid a total crash and burn. My goal now was to just run the rest of the way. The hills seemed nonstop after the 20 mile mark or right about the time that I had nothing left. I still managed to keep running (at a very slow pace) until mile 23 when I started walking up the hills.
The crowds picked up near the park (and finish line) and I managed something closer to running at the end.
Even though I consider 3:51 a bad time, I’m not disappointed in my effort. I took a chance and it didn’t work out. If I ran slower early on then I may have finished in 3:40 but who knows.
Every race is different. Hartford had a lot more hills than most and you never know what the weather will be when you register. Speaking or weather I have the worst luck. Not only do I usually run in unseasonably warm temps but a day or two after the race is usually perfect running weather. Saturday was an unseasonably warm 60 at 8am, this is bad luck. Sunday morning it was 32, this is something way beyond bad luck. I don't expect ideal weather in WPB so I'll have to hope for cooler temps (i.e 40's) at Disney.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Hartford weather
I have very little luck when it comes to running marathons in ideal weather. My race performance goes downhill fast when the temps are above the mid 50’s. My ideal race temps are in the 40’s. I’ve known this for a while which is why I look for races up north for my PR attempts.
As of last week it looked like Hartford might come through. The forecast was for 40’s Saturday morning. Forecast below. The 43 low is on Saturday night not morning. At start time the temps should be in the high 50’s to low 60’s with a 70% chance of rain. Oh well, I guess there will be no PR this weekend.
In Chicago, which I raced last year, the forecast is for clear and low 40’s as race start. Last year the race temps were mid 70’s to mid 80’s and humid.
This will be my first attempt at a 2011 BQ. I’m already in for 2010 so there isn’t a lot of pressure to qualify in Hartford yet but I would rather get it over with and not have worry about it for a while.
As of last week it looked like Hartford might come through. The forecast was for 40’s Saturday morning. Forecast below. The 43 low is on Saturday night not morning. At start time the temps should be in the high 50’s to low 60’s with a 70% chance of rain. Oh well, I guess there will be no PR this weekend.
In Chicago, which I raced last year, the forecast is for clear and low 40’s as race start. Last year the race temps were mid 70’s to mid 80’s and humid.
This will be my first attempt at a 2011 BQ. I’m already in for 2010 so there isn’t a lot of pressure to qualify in Hartford yet but I would rather get it over with and not have worry about it for a while.
Monday, September 28, 2009
weekly summary 9/27/2009
Total Miles 27.6
Tuesday 8.23
Wednesday 5.77
Saturday 9.3
Sunday 4.33
Average pace 7:46
I didn’t get in nearly as many miles as I had hoped to but I wanted to give myself an opportunity to have a good race on Saturday.
I had a really good run on Tuesday but my knees were a little sore on Wednesday so I held back on the mileage. Thursday they were still sore so I decided to take the day off. Sore probably isn’t the best description weak might be a better term. They felt good for Saturday’s race but by Sunday I had little energy so I decided to settle for an easy run.
I’m in Vegas this weekend so I would like to get a run in Monday – Friday. I don’t want to run anything longer than 1 hour and I should keep the pace on the slower side. My goal at this point is to just maintain my fitness and not hurt myself. Outside of a Monday or Tuesday run I plan to take next week off so this will be my last week of training.
I’ve already forgot about Saturdays race (trying to convince myself anyway) so I’m really excited about running a marathon again. It’s still a little too far out to predict what the weather will be like but Hartford has already had lows in the high 30’s. Right now the forecast for Wed 10/7 is partly cloudy 48-65.
2 weeks until Hartford
Tuesday 8.23
Wednesday 5.77
Saturday 9.3
Sunday 4.33
Average pace 7:46
I didn’t get in nearly as many miles as I had hoped to but I wanted to give myself an opportunity to have a good race on Saturday.
I had a really good run on Tuesday but my knees were a little sore on Wednesday so I held back on the mileage. Thursday they were still sore so I decided to take the day off. Sore probably isn’t the best description weak might be a better term. They felt good for Saturday’s race but by Sunday I had little energy so I decided to settle for an easy run.
I’m in Vegas this weekend so I would like to get a run in Monday – Friday. I don’t want to run anything longer than 1 hour and I should keep the pace on the slower side. My goal at this point is to just maintain my fitness and not hurt myself. Outside of a Monday or Tuesday run I plan to take next week off so this will be my last week of training.
I’ve already forgot about Saturdays race (trying to convince myself anyway) so I’m really excited about running a marathon again. It’s still a little too far out to predict what the weather will be like but Hartford has already had lows in the high 30’s. Right now the forecast for Wed 10/7 is partly cloudy 48-65.
2 weeks until Hartford
Miracle Miles 15k
Time: 1:11:09
Overall: 91 out of 1260
AG: 13 out of 90
I entered Saturday’s race with a few objectives. First was just a desire to race since I haven’t since San Diego at the end of May. Second, because it would be a good tune-up for my marathon in two weeks and third because I don’t get too many chances to run a 15k and I thought I had a good chance of setting a PR.
Well the temperature was a typical late September 80s and humid so that pretty much ended any chance at a PR. Prior to the race I did think that I could hold a 7:15-20 pace. The first 2-3 mile I was doing pretty good, pace wise. The heat was starting to get to me so I backed off a little and then a little more until I was pushing it to just hold a marathon pace (8:00). Overall this race was a real struggle. Not something that you want 2 weeks before a marathon. I know that I have a tough time in the heat but this was only a 15k.
I’ve decided that the best thing to do it to forget about this race because all it’s going to do is make me question how prepared I am for Hartford. I need to run with the 3:30 pace group and have the confidence that I can stay with them.
Forgetting about my poor performance and the heat, I really enjoyed the run. The race is organized and the course if scenic. I need to get this on my list of regular races as long as I can keep poor performances from affecting my next race.
Race Info
Race Results
Overall: 91 out of 1260
AG: 13 out of 90
I entered Saturday’s race with a few objectives. First was just a desire to race since I haven’t since San Diego at the end of May. Second, because it would be a good tune-up for my marathon in two weeks and third because I don’t get too many chances to run a 15k and I thought I had a good chance of setting a PR.
Well the temperature was a typical late September 80s and humid so that pretty much ended any chance at a PR. Prior to the race I did think that I could hold a 7:15-20 pace. The first 2-3 mile I was doing pretty good, pace wise. The heat was starting to get to me so I backed off a little and then a little more until I was pushing it to just hold a marathon pace (8:00). Overall this race was a real struggle. Not something that you want 2 weeks before a marathon. I know that I have a tough time in the heat but this was only a 15k.
I’ve decided that the best thing to do it to forget about this race because all it’s going to do is make me question how prepared I am for Hartford. I need to run with the 3:30 pace group and have the confidence that I can stay with them.
Forgetting about my poor performance and the heat, I really enjoyed the run. The race is organized and the course if scenic. I need to get this on my list of regular races as long as I can keep poor performances from affecting my next race.
Race Info
Race Results
Monday, September 21, 2009
weekly summary 9/20/2009
Total miles 41
Tuesday 13.57
Thursday 11.23
Saturday 8.6
Sunday 7.58
Average pace 7:59
After the week started I changed my plan of trying to get in another 60 mile week. Tuesday’s and Thursday’s long runs took so much out of me that I needed to take the following day off. I felt pretty good on Saturdays run and I was able to keep a sub 7 minute pace for the run. Actually since the first mile was a warm-up the pace for the remainder was closer to 6:50. But by Sunday I had nothing left. If it wasn’t for me wanting to get to 40 miles for the week I probably would have stopped the run at 4 miles.
I feel comfortable with the training that I’ve put in the last 2 months. If the weather cooperates I think a have a real shot at a PR in Hartford. I’m running in a 15k on Saturday so I don’t want to push it too much this week. I’m looking at hour runs at 7-7:30 pace for Tuesday and Wednesday and a recovery run on Thursday. Hopefully an easy day and a day off will be enough for me to have a good race on Saturday.
3 weeks until Hartford
Tuesday 13.57
Thursday 11.23
Saturday 8.6
Sunday 7.58
Average pace 7:59
After the week started I changed my plan of trying to get in another 60 mile week. Tuesday’s and Thursday’s long runs took so much out of me that I needed to take the following day off. I felt pretty good on Saturdays run and I was able to keep a sub 7 minute pace for the run. Actually since the first mile was a warm-up the pace for the remainder was closer to 6:50. But by Sunday I had nothing left. If it wasn’t for me wanting to get to 40 miles for the week I probably would have stopped the run at 4 miles.
I feel comfortable with the training that I’ve put in the last 2 months. If the weather cooperates I think a have a real shot at a PR in Hartford. I’m running in a 15k on Saturday so I don’t want to push it too much this week. I’m looking at hour runs at 7-7:30 pace for Tuesday and Wednesday and a recovery run on Thursday. Hopefully an easy day and a day off will be enough for me to have a good race on Saturday.
3 weeks until Hartford
Monday, September 14, 2009
weekly summary 9/13/2009
Total miles 51.2
Monday 4.16
Tuesday 9.04
Wednesday 7.35
Thursday 8.1
Saturday 7.49, 8.1
Sunday 8.78
Average pace 7:57
After 3 hard weeks I finally gave in to my body’s request for an easier week. I knew on Mondays run that I needed a break. I decided then to keep my runs and give my body a chance to recover. By running a less I was able to pick up my pace. It really felt good to get in some sub 7:20 miles again.
Based on my runs this weekend, I feel pretty good and I’m ready for 1 more hard week before taper time. My heel still feels pretty good but my knees are a little sore. I probably need to go back to icing them down after a hard or long run. Overall I feel pretty good and definitely have some energy back.
I decided to run the Orlando 15k on 9/26. I sent in the registration so I’ve committed myself now. It will be nice to get a race in again and this will force me to not to get in another hard week with only 3 weeks left before Hartford.
My plan this week is to push myself and try to get in at least 3 long runs. I would also like to keep the pace under 8 for the week.
Hartford is still more than 4 weeks away but I’m starting to get excited about it now. It’s been a long time since my last race.
4 weeks until Hartford
Monday 4.16
Tuesday 9.04
Wednesday 7.35
Thursday 8.1
Saturday 7.49, 8.1
Sunday 8.78
Average pace 7:57
After 3 hard weeks I finally gave in to my body’s request for an easier week. I knew on Mondays run that I needed a break. I decided then to keep my runs and give my body a chance to recover. By running a less I was able to pick up my pace. It really felt good to get in some sub 7:20 miles again.
Based on my runs this weekend, I feel pretty good and I’m ready for 1 more hard week before taper time. My heel still feels pretty good but my knees are a little sore. I probably need to go back to icing them down after a hard or long run. Overall I feel pretty good and definitely have some energy back.
I decided to run the Orlando 15k on 9/26. I sent in the registration so I’ve committed myself now. It will be nice to get a race in again and this will force me to not to get in another hard week with only 3 weeks left before Hartford.
My plan this week is to push myself and try to get in at least 3 long runs. I would also like to keep the pace under 8 for the week.
Hartford is still more than 4 weeks away but I’m starting to get excited about it now. It’s been a long time since my last race.
4 weeks until Hartford
Monday, September 7, 2009
Weekly summary 9/6/2009
Weekly total 61.9
Monday 5.55
Tuesday 10.4
Wednesday 5.57
Thursday 11.23
Friday 8.6
Saturday 11.8
Sunday 8.8
Average pace 7:59
Another week another 60 miles. For the 3rd week in a row I surpassed 60 miles. I ran all 7 days this week making it a little easier but it still took 3 long runs. I pick up my pace a little this week and felt strong throughout the week even during Sundays run. I’ve already completed my Monday (next week) run and I really feeling it today.
My goal this week is more of the same; 60+ miles and 3+ long runs. By the end of the week I’ll decide if I’m going to run the 15k in Orlando.
5 weeks until Hartford
Monday 5.55
Tuesday 10.4
Wednesday 5.57
Thursday 11.23
Friday 8.6
Saturday 11.8
Sunday 8.8
Average pace 7:59
Another week another 60 miles. For the 3rd week in a row I surpassed 60 miles. I ran all 7 days this week making it a little easier but it still took 3 long runs. I pick up my pace a little this week and felt strong throughout the week even during Sundays run. I’ve already completed my Monday (next week) run and I really feeling it today.
My goal this week is more of the same; 60+ miles and 3+ long runs. By the end of the week I’ll decide if I’m going to run the 15k in Orlando.
5 weeks until Hartford
Monday, August 31, 2009
Weekly summary 8/30/2009
Weekly total: 60.4
Tuesday 11.37
Wednesday 11.34
Thursday 10.19
Friday 4.66
Saturday 10.21
Sunday 12.62
Average pace: 8:23
What a though week. On only 6 days I still managed to top 60 miles but it took 5 10+ mile days to do it. After Thursdays run I was feeling a dull pain in my left hip. It was really hurting during my Friday run forcing me to stop running half way through. I iced it down and took it easy the rest of the night which seemed to do the trick because it didn’t bother me the rest of the weekend. I really need to be cautious these next couple of weeks. If something doesn’t feel right then I need to cut that training run short.
Over all I been running pain free. I’m a little stiff in the morning but the heel feels fine and it’s been a long time since I’ve had any soreness in my knee. It’s even been a couple of months since I iced my knee down. I’m still convinced that this is from running at a slower pace. I’m not sure if I want to test this theory by picking up the pace too much though.
I’ve come to the conclusion that being in a high mileage phase will either boost your confidence or tear you down. I felt the boost side when I was training for Boston. I was running 60 mile weeks and even topped 80 all while running a strong pace. Right now it’s an effort to get past 7 miles and I usually need to do it at a much slower pace. After running I have little energy left. I know when I start to taper I’ll feel better but right now I don’t have a lot of confidence that I can run sub 3:30 marathon.
I know that part of the reason that I’m lacking energy is because I’ve lost weight and I’m trying to lose a little more. I’m not starving myself but I was definitely eating more when training for Boston. Right now I’m a good 10 pounds lighter than when I ran in Boston. I’ve been holding steady at 162 on mornings when I ran the previous day. I guess I’ll find out soon enough if less weight helps.
At this point I’m still not sure if I will run the 15k on 9/26. Right now I’m leaning toward no but that could change as it gets closer. If I run it then I have 2 more weeks before I need to start to taper if I don’t run then I have 3 more weeks.
My goal this week is to get in the 55-65 range. My schedule is a little crazy because bowling has started, I need to pick Ron up at work on Tuesday, and there is a channel district meeting on Wednesday. I want to get in 3-4 long runs plus whatever else I can fit in.
6 weeks until Hartford
Tuesday 11.37
Wednesday 11.34
Thursday 10.19
Friday 4.66
Saturday 10.21
Sunday 12.62
Average pace: 8:23
What a though week. On only 6 days I still managed to top 60 miles but it took 5 10+ mile days to do it. After Thursdays run I was feeling a dull pain in my left hip. It was really hurting during my Friday run forcing me to stop running half way through. I iced it down and took it easy the rest of the night which seemed to do the trick because it didn’t bother me the rest of the weekend. I really need to be cautious these next couple of weeks. If something doesn’t feel right then I need to cut that training run short.
Over all I been running pain free. I’m a little stiff in the morning but the heel feels fine and it’s been a long time since I’ve had any soreness in my knee. It’s even been a couple of months since I iced my knee down. I’m still convinced that this is from running at a slower pace. I’m not sure if I want to test this theory by picking up the pace too much though.
I’ve come to the conclusion that being in a high mileage phase will either boost your confidence or tear you down. I felt the boost side when I was training for Boston. I was running 60 mile weeks and even topped 80 all while running a strong pace. Right now it’s an effort to get past 7 miles and I usually need to do it at a much slower pace. After running I have little energy left. I know when I start to taper I’ll feel better but right now I don’t have a lot of confidence that I can run sub 3:30 marathon.
I know that part of the reason that I’m lacking energy is because I’ve lost weight and I’m trying to lose a little more. I’m not starving myself but I was definitely eating more when training for Boston. Right now I’m a good 10 pounds lighter than when I ran in Boston. I’ve been holding steady at 162 on mornings when I ran the previous day. I guess I’ll find out soon enough if less weight helps.
At this point I’m still not sure if I will run the 15k on 9/26. Right now I’m leaning toward no but that could change as it gets closer. If I run it then I have 2 more weeks before I need to start to taper if I don’t run then I have 3 more weeks.
My goal this week is to get in the 55-65 range. My schedule is a little crazy because bowling has started, I need to pick Ron up at work on Tuesday, and there is a channel district meeting on Wednesday. I want to get in 3-4 long runs plus whatever else I can fit in.
6 weeks until Hartford
Monday, August 24, 2009
Weekly summary 8/23/2009
Total: 65.9
Monday: 6.0
Tuesday: 10.7
Wednesday: 8.13
Thursday: 10.65
Friday: 5.68
Saturday: 16.28
Sunday: 8.5
Average pace: 8.12
This was my most productive week since March (pre Boston anyway). I never really felt like I was pressing it even on Saturday or Sunday. I could have made it to 20 on Saturday but I wasn’t sure that I would have benefited much from another 4 miles and I also wanted to run the next day. I spent a good 45 minutes running with fatigue on Saturday and most of my Sunday run was with some fatigue. But overall I felt surprisingly good and had very little stiffness the following morning.
My plan this week is to run another 65 miles. I will have to do it on 6 days though (can’t run on Monday). This will force me to get in at least 4 long runs. I probably have 3 more high mile weeks before I need to taper. If I decide not to run the 15k in Orlando, I might be able to get in another big week before taper time.
As long as the weather holds up I feel really confident that I can PR in Hartford.
7 weeks until Hartford
Monday: 6.0
Tuesday: 10.7
Wednesday: 8.13
Thursday: 10.65
Friday: 5.68
Saturday: 16.28
Sunday: 8.5
Average pace: 8.12
This was my most productive week since March (pre Boston anyway). I never really felt like I was pressing it even on Saturday or Sunday. I could have made it to 20 on Saturday but I wasn’t sure that I would have benefited much from another 4 miles and I also wanted to run the next day. I spent a good 45 minutes running with fatigue on Saturday and most of my Sunday run was with some fatigue. But overall I felt surprisingly good and had very little stiffness the following morning.
My plan this week is to run another 65 miles. I will have to do it on 6 days though (can’t run on Monday). This will force me to get in at least 4 long runs. I probably have 3 more high mile weeks before I need to taper. If I decide not to run the 15k in Orlando, I might be able to get in another big week before taper time.
As long as the weather holds up I feel really confident that I can PR in Hartford.
7 weeks until Hartford
Monday, August 17, 2009
Weekly summary 8/16/2009
Weekly total: 53.3
Monday: 5.33
Tuesday: 10.8
Wednesday: 7.88
Thursday: 13.35
Saturday: 5.7
Sunday: 10.22
Average pace: 8:13
With all of the house(s) maintenance interruptions, I never found an opportunity to get in the extra long run that I wanted to. I did manage a 13+ which was my post San Diego longest run.
My knee was a little sore after Thursdays run so I did a ½ hour on the stationary bike on Friday instead of running. My heel is holding up fine except for days after faster paced runs. I really need to focus on an easier pace if my goal is to get the mileage up.
With half the month down I’m on pace for 220 miles this month which would be my highest since March. If I can get in a couple of 60 mile weeks I would push that total closer to 240.
My goal this week is miles and more miles. I have 8 weeks until Hartford and these next few weeks are when I need to be peaking my mileage. I would like to get in at least 3 long runs with one being 15+. I would also like to keep the pace over 8. The last thing I want is to be having heel issues again.
8 weeks until Hartford
Monday: 5.33
Tuesday: 10.8
Wednesday: 7.88
Thursday: 13.35
Saturday: 5.7
Sunday: 10.22
Average pace: 8:13
With all of the house(s) maintenance interruptions, I never found an opportunity to get in the extra long run that I wanted to. I did manage a 13+ which was my post San Diego longest run.
My knee was a little sore after Thursdays run so I did a ½ hour on the stationary bike on Friday instead of running. My heel is holding up fine except for days after faster paced runs. I really need to focus on an easier pace if my goal is to get the mileage up.
With half the month down I’m on pace for 220 miles this month which would be my highest since March. If I can get in a couple of 60 mile weeks I would push that total closer to 240.
My goal this week is miles and more miles. I have 8 weeks until Hartford and these next few weeks are when I need to be peaking my mileage. I would like to get in at least 3 long runs with one being 15+. I would also like to keep the pace over 8. The last thing I want is to be having heel issues again.
8 weeks until Hartford
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Surviving burnout
After hurting myself on a fall during a morning run, hurting my back on the first day of moving and the long drawn out process of moving itself I had very little time for running and had actually reached the point where I dreaded the thought of getting in a run. On top of that when I did run it was a major effort to just get 5 miles in.
I really think that if I hadn’t already registered for Hartford (and paid for plane ticket and hotel) I may have continued to run less and less until I stopped all together. Over the last 3 weeks I have really forced myself to get in the miles and after a good 11 mile run last night I feel that I’m back.
When I got back into running, 4+ years ago, I knew that the only way I would stay with it was to always have the next race scheduled. This was probably the biggest reason why I stopped in 2000, because I had nothing planned and a few days off turned into weeks and months.
I think it’s important to understand your motivation to run. There are some people who just love to run but for the rest of us there needs to be something else. For me it is without a doubt racing. Not that I don’t enjoy running but not enough to spend 6+ hours a week doing it.
I need to get my registration forms sent in for Palm Beach and Disney or before I know it, Hartford will be over and I won’t have a next race.
I really think that if I hadn’t already registered for Hartford (and paid for plane ticket and hotel) I may have continued to run less and less until I stopped all together. Over the last 3 weeks I have really forced myself to get in the miles and after a good 11 mile run last night I feel that I’m back.
When I got back into running, 4+ years ago, I knew that the only way I would stay with it was to always have the next race scheduled. This was probably the biggest reason why I stopped in 2000, because I had nothing planned and a few days off turned into weeks and months.
I think it’s important to understand your motivation to run. There are some people who just love to run but for the rest of us there needs to be something else. For me it is without a doubt racing. Not that I don’t enjoy running but not enough to spend 6+ hours a week doing it.
I need to get my registration forms sent in for Palm Beach and Disney or before I know it, Hartford will be over and I won’t have a next race.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Weekly summary 8/9/2009
Weekly total 55.5
Monday 7.22
Tuesday 11.31
Thursday 10.28
Friday 7.32
Saturday 6.31, 5.84
Sunday 7.18
Average pace 8.14
A combination of moving and hurting myself several times has really put a crimp in my training over the last 2 months. This was my first solid training week since the end of May. Besides being a little worn out at the end of the week I felt pretty good. My heel which was giving me a lot of trouble hasn’t bothered me much at all so maybe taking it easy was a good thing.
I have also lost a much needed 10 lbs. I suspect that more of it was muscle than fat since I’ve backed off on the lifting but I’ve also changed my eating routine a little (1 bagel instead of 2 and a little less at dinner time). My weight right now is in the 161-164 range and after runs I’m getting down around 158. At this point I’m not trying to lose any more weight but I still lost 1-2 lbs last week. I suspect that I’ll settle into the 155-160 range. At any rate it’s amazing how ripped I am now. I wished I would have known the secret 15-20 years ago.
As of last Saturday I have 9 weeks until Hartford. I would like to keep my miles in the 50-60 range but I need to get a long one in every week. This Saturday or Sunday might be a good time for a 20 miler. I also need to fight the desire to run faster. I think this might have been the reason for my heel problems before. My plan is to keep most of my runs in the 8-8:30 range with 1 run a week around 7:30-7:40.
9 weeks until Hartford
Monday 7.22
Tuesday 11.31
Thursday 10.28
Friday 7.32
Saturday 6.31, 5.84
Sunday 7.18
Average pace 8.14
A combination of moving and hurting myself several times has really put a crimp in my training over the last 2 months. This was my first solid training week since the end of May. Besides being a little worn out at the end of the week I felt pretty good. My heel which was giving me a lot of trouble hasn’t bothered me much at all so maybe taking it easy was a good thing.
I have also lost a much needed 10 lbs. I suspect that more of it was muscle than fat since I’ve backed off on the lifting but I’ve also changed my eating routine a little (1 bagel instead of 2 and a little less at dinner time). My weight right now is in the 161-164 range and after runs I’m getting down around 158. At this point I’m not trying to lose any more weight but I still lost 1-2 lbs last week. I suspect that I’ll settle into the 155-160 range. At any rate it’s amazing how ripped I am now. I wished I would have known the secret 15-20 years ago.
As of last Saturday I have 9 weeks until Hartford. I would like to keep my miles in the 50-60 range but I need to get a long one in every week. This Saturday or Sunday might be a good time for a 20 miler. I also need to fight the desire to run faster. I think this might have been the reason for my heel problems before. My plan is to keep most of my runs in the 8-8:30 range with 1 run a week around 7:30-7:40.
9 weeks until Hartford
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Rock n Roll Marathon
Time 3:46:35
Overall 1568 out of 13328
AG 128/677
The good race/bad race trend continues.
The temps were in the low 60’s with a light mist early on. The sun never came out and I don’t think it ever got higher than 65. The humidity was pretty high and that’s probably what affected me the most.
My plan for the race was to just run at a pace that felt good. Most of the first 7 miles were down hill and that led to a fast first half (1:41:58) but it wasn’t that much faster than at Boston. I took it slow for the 3 miles up 163 but they were all under 8:30 pace. I felt pretty good when I got to Friars Rd but pulled back a little because I had started so fast.
By mile 15 I was starting to wear down so I slowed the pace but was still running sub 9:00. By mile 18 the small but constant hills started. I decided the best strategy was to walk up the hills to conserve energy and try to run everything else (at a slow pace). This strategy worked for a while but by mile 22 I had little left. From 22-24 I was walking 1 minute and running 2. When I made it to mile 24 I managed to run the rest of the way.
Outside of avoiding any race with temps over 50 I’m not sure what else I can do. Maybe slowing down early on would have helped a little but my time might have still been about the same anyway with the only difference being that I didn’t have to walk.
Hopefully October in Connecticut will be cooler.
Overall the race was very good. Very organized, well staffed and plenty of water stops. I’m not sure if I would run it again but would recommend it.
Results
Race site
Overall 1568 out of 13328
AG 128/677
The good race/bad race trend continues.
The temps were in the low 60’s with a light mist early on. The sun never came out and I don’t think it ever got higher than 65. The humidity was pretty high and that’s probably what affected me the most.
My plan for the race was to just run at a pace that felt good. Most of the first 7 miles were down hill and that led to a fast first half (1:41:58) but it wasn’t that much faster than at Boston. I took it slow for the 3 miles up 163 but they were all under 8:30 pace. I felt pretty good when I got to Friars Rd but pulled back a little because I had started so fast.
By mile 15 I was starting to wear down so I slowed the pace but was still running sub 9:00. By mile 18 the small but constant hills started. I decided the best strategy was to walk up the hills to conserve energy and try to run everything else (at a slow pace). This strategy worked for a while but by mile 22 I had little left. From 22-24 I was walking 1 minute and running 2. When I made it to mile 24 I managed to run the rest of the way.
Outside of avoiding any race with temps over 50 I’m not sure what else I can do. Maybe slowing down early on would have helped a little but my time might have still been about the same anyway with the only difference being that I didn’t have to walk.
Hopefully October in Connecticut will be cooler.
Overall the race was very good. Very organized, well staffed and plenty of water stops. I’m not sure if I would run it again but would recommend it.
Results
Race site
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
New Shoes - New Balance 850
It’s new shoe time again (already?). My knees were starting to bother me and the tread on my shoes was getting pretty worn down. The Brooks that I had been running in were decent shoes but at $130 they weren’t any better than the $90-100 shoes I had been getting.
After looking at different shoes at Fit2Run (I had 20 minutes to kill since the staff had better things to do than to help customers) I decided to get New Balance 850. The club price was $103. They felt great in the store and were very comfortable on my run yesterday.
I was a little concerned about getting new shoes the same week of a marathon but these look like they will do just fine.
After looking at different shoes at Fit2Run (I had 20 minutes to kill since the staff had better things to do than to help customers) I decided to get New Balance 850. The club price was $103. They felt great in the store and were very comfortable on my run yesterday.
I was a little concerned about getting new shoes the same week of a marathon but these look like they will do just fine.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Weekly summary 5/24/2009
Weekly total 52.0
Monday 5.51
Tuesday 7.37
Wednesday 7.33
Thursday 7.67
Friday 7.46
Saturday 8.27
Sunday 8.36
Average pace 8:07
I pretty much kept to my plan this week. I wanted to get in at least 1 long run but I didn’t want to push it too much so I limited each run to an hour. I still felt run down most of the week but I should have plenty of opportunity to rest up this week.
For this week I want to get in two 1 hour runs on Monday and Tuesday and then take the rest of the week off (until Sunday of course).
1 week until San Diego
Monday 5.51
Tuesday 7.37
Wednesday 7.33
Thursday 7.67
Friday 7.46
Saturday 8.27
Sunday 8.36
Average pace 8:07
I pretty much kept to my plan this week. I wanted to get in at least 1 long run but I didn’t want to push it too much so I limited each run to an hour. I still felt run down most of the week but I should have plenty of opportunity to rest up this week.
For this week I want to get in two 1 hour runs on Monday and Tuesday and then take the rest of the week off (until Sunday of course).
1 week until San Diego
Monday, May 18, 2009
Weekly summary 5/17/2009
Weekly total 49.9
Monday 7.6
Tuesday 4.19
Wednesday 10.34
Thursday 7.22
Saturday 12.23
Sunday 8.35
Average pace 7:57
I decided not to race this weekend and instead try and build up a little mileage before I start tapering later this week. I’ve really been stuck in a rut the last few weeks. Find it really hard to get myself going. I’ve been able to get some long runs in but it has been a struggle. Every pace seems to be too much effort to maintain. I’m only guessing here but this might be the result of over training. My weekly miles haven’t been that high but I haven’t given myself much of a chance to rest either.
My plan this week is to limit myself to one long run (tues or wed) but try and get a run in everyday and into the 50-55 mile range. If I’m still struggling like last week then I’ll take a day off. I want to have one last week of higher mileage because I plan to take most of next week off. Four days off before the marathon should give my body a chance to rest and heal a little.
2 weeks until San Diego
Monday 7.6
Tuesday 4.19
Wednesday 10.34
Thursday 7.22
Saturday 12.23
Sunday 8.35
Average pace 7:57
I decided not to race this weekend and instead try and build up a little mileage before I start tapering later this week. I’ve really been stuck in a rut the last few weeks. Find it really hard to get myself going. I’ve been able to get some long runs in but it has been a struggle. Every pace seems to be too much effort to maintain. I’m only guessing here but this might be the result of over training. My weekly miles haven’t been that high but I haven’t given myself much of a chance to rest either.
My plan this week is to limit myself to one long run (tues or wed) but try and get a run in everyday and into the 50-55 mile range. If I’m still struggling like last week then I’ll take a day off. I want to have one last week of higher mileage because I plan to take most of next week off. Four days off before the marathon should give my body a chance to rest and heal a little.
2 weeks until San Diego
Monday, May 11, 2009
Weekly summary 5/10/2009
Weekly total 40.5
Tuesday 10.3
Wednesday 8.67
Thursday 4.15
Saturday 3.12, 3.13
Sunday 11.19
Average pace 7:37
The miles were down a little this week because I was busy on Monday and I took Friday off (prior to race day). Tues and Wed were pretty good training days. It took a little while to loosen up (especially Tues) but I was mostly pain free. On Thurs I felt really tired from Wednesdays medium run so I decided to just settle for a few easy miles. Sundays run was my first long run outside in almost 4 weeks. I was tired and never really got going. I was content to run an easy pace and only managed to get 2 miles under a 8:00 pace.
Since I have another 5k this week my training plan is pretty much the same except my only day off will be Friday. Since my next marathon is quickly closing in I would like to at least get 50 miles in this week with 2 long runs (Tuesday 10+, Sunday 15 miles).
3 weeks until San Diego
Tuesday 10.3
Wednesday 8.67
Thursday 4.15
Saturday 3.12, 3.13
Sunday 11.19
Average pace 7:37
The miles were down a little this week because I was busy on Monday and I took Friday off (prior to race day). Tues and Wed were pretty good training days. It took a little while to loosen up (especially Tues) but I was mostly pain free. On Thurs I felt really tired from Wednesdays medium run so I decided to just settle for a few easy miles. Sundays run was my first long run outside in almost 4 weeks. I was tired and never really got going. I was content to run an easy pace and only managed to get 2 miles under a 8:00 pace.
Since I have another 5k this week my training plan is pretty much the same except my only day off will be Friday. Since my next marathon is quickly closing in I would like to at least get 50 miles in this week with 2 long runs (Tuesday 10+, Sunday 15 miles).
3 weeks until San Diego
Miles for Moffitt
Time 20:19
Splits 6:13, 6:39, 6:47
Overall 34 out of 1359
Age group 3rd place
Another disappointing 5k although this time it wasn’t unexpected. I felt a little run down for the last 2 weeks. I was hoping that an easy run and a day off would give me fresh legs for the race but my legs didn’t feel any fresher than they did in the beginning of the week.
Race morning was pretty warm and humid. I did an easy jog for a few minutes to try and loosen up but my primary goal was to keep hydrated and stay in the shade. I started out pretty good but I knew right away it was going to be a struggle to keep that pace. I was running with a small group of people and decided to run at the same pace for mile 2. I was hoping to at least keep under 6:30 but ended up going a little slower. Somewhere around 1.5 miles we starting catching up with the 5 mile participants who started 30 minutes earlier. With a mile left to go I tried to motivate myself to pick up the pace a little but it was really difficult with the larger groups of 5 milers walking around me and the heat. I managed a sprint over the last 0.1 but that wasn’t enough to salvage a decent time.
I plan on running the USSS 5k next Saturday. I expect that race to be a little better. Starting at 7:30 (instead of 8) and being by the water should make it a little cooler. And I won’t have to worry about running though all of those walkers. Based on past races there are quite a few runners that finish in the 19:30-20:00 range. This will definitely help with the motivation.
Results
Splits 6:13, 6:39, 6:47
Overall 34 out of 1359
Age group 3rd place
Another disappointing 5k although this time it wasn’t unexpected. I felt a little run down for the last 2 weeks. I was hoping that an easy run and a day off would give me fresh legs for the race but my legs didn’t feel any fresher than they did in the beginning of the week.
Race morning was pretty warm and humid. I did an easy jog for a few minutes to try and loosen up but my primary goal was to keep hydrated and stay in the shade. I started out pretty good but I knew right away it was going to be a struggle to keep that pace. I was running with a small group of people and decided to run at the same pace for mile 2. I was hoping to at least keep under 6:30 but ended up going a little slower. Somewhere around 1.5 miles we starting catching up with the 5 mile participants who started 30 minutes earlier. With a mile left to go I tried to motivate myself to pick up the pace a little but it was really difficult with the larger groups of 5 milers walking around me and the heat. I managed a sprint over the last 0.1 but that wasn’t enough to salvage a decent time.
I plan on running the USSS 5k next Saturday. I expect that race to be a little better. Starting at 7:30 (instead of 8) and being by the water should make it a little cooler. And I won’t have to worry about running though all of those walkers. Based on past races there are quite a few runners that finish in the 19:30-20:00 range. This will definitely help with the motivation.
Results
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Weekly summary 5/3/2009
Weekly total 48.6
Monday 8.21
Tuesday 7.58
Wednesday 8.22
Thursday 6.38
Saturday 3.1
Sunday 15.14
Average pace 7:49
This week was kind of a crazy week. I wasn’t sure if Ken was going to run on Saturday until midweek. If he didn’t run then I would race (otherwise an easy run with Ken). Knowing that he was going to run meant that I could put in a lot of miles but by Thursday my allergies/cold was really coming on strong. I had the full blown sneezing fits, achy body and dry eyes. I had little energy on Thursday and could barely get though work let alone run on Friday. On Saturday, I felt a little better but was glad that I only had an easy run (instead of a race) to worry about. Sunday I just decided to push myself and see how far I could go. I still felt sluggish but managed a good 15 mile run.
My goal this week is to try and get some longer runs early in the week and then make sure I rested for Saturdays race (a real race this time). Saturday afternoon and Sunday I’ll try and get some long runs in an hopefully get my mileage back into the mid to high 50’s
4 weeks until San Diego
Monday 8.21
Tuesday 7.58
Wednesday 8.22
Thursday 6.38
Saturday 3.1
Sunday 15.14
Average pace 7:49
This week was kind of a crazy week. I wasn’t sure if Ken was going to run on Saturday until midweek. If he didn’t run then I would race (otherwise an easy run with Ken). Knowing that he was going to run meant that I could put in a lot of miles but by Thursday my allergies/cold was really coming on strong. I had the full blown sneezing fits, achy body and dry eyes. I had little energy on Thursday and could barely get though work let alone run on Friday. On Saturday, I felt a little better but was glad that I only had an easy run (instead of a race) to worry about. Sunday I just decided to push myself and see how far I could go. I still felt sluggish but managed a good 15 mile run.
My goal this week is to try and get some longer runs early in the week and then make sure I rested for Saturdays race (a real race this time). Saturday afternoon and Sunday I’ll try and get some long runs in an hopefully get my mileage back into the mid to high 50’s
4 weeks until San Diego
Sunday, May 3, 2009
May Classic 5k
Time 28:04 (27:40 chip)
Overall: 397 out of 828
Officially I ran (not raced) this 5k. This was the race that Kathy was supposed to run with me but when she backed out a few weeks ago, Ken decided to run it instead. My goal was to keep Ken running the entire time. He did a great job and ran the entire 5k. He was really struggling the last mile but had enough left to sprint the last 100-150 feet. I think he had a good time (after he caught his breath). Ken is probably my last chance to get someone in this family interested in running.
It was a very different experience to jog a race. No regrets though because I really enjoyed sharing the experience with Ken. I’ll get to race a 5k each of the next 2 weekends. The second is downtown which I’m hoping to talk Ken into running (solo this time).
results
Overall: 397 out of 828
Officially I ran (not raced) this 5k. This was the race that Kathy was supposed to run with me but when she backed out a few weeks ago, Ken decided to run it instead. My goal was to keep Ken running the entire time. He did a great job and ran the entire 5k. He was really struggling the last mile but had enough left to sprint the last 100-150 feet. I think he had a good time (after he caught his breath). Ken is probably my last chance to get someone in this family interested in running.
It was a very different experience to jog a race. No regrets though because I really enjoyed sharing the experience with Ken. I’ll get to race a 5k each of the next 2 weekends. The second is downtown which I’m hoping to talk Ken into running (solo this time).
results
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Weekly summary 4/26/2009
Weekly total 46.4
Monday 26.2
Thursday 4.15
Saturday 7.73
Sunday 8.3
Average pace 8:00
I felt pretty sore for a few days after Monday’s marathon. I decided to take a few days off instead of trying to get back into training mode too fast. By the weekend runs I felt pretty good (well good for having run a marathon a few days before). My legs felt tired and my heel was a little sore but once I got a mile into the run I felt ok.
My plan this week is to get the miles back into the 50-60 range and keep the pace at sub 7:45. I’m running a 5k on Saturday with Ken so I’m not preparing for it like I would a race. I have 2 racing 5k’s in the next few weeks before running my next marathon at the end of May. I’ll need to balance the speed work and miles while trying to keep fresh legs for the races.
5 weeks until San Diego
Monday 26.2
Thursday 4.15
Saturday 7.73
Sunday 8.3
Average pace 8:00
I felt pretty sore for a few days after Monday’s marathon. I decided to take a few days off instead of trying to get back into training mode too fast. By the weekend runs I felt pretty good (well good for having run a marathon a few days before). My legs felt tired and my heel was a little sore but once I got a mile into the run I felt ok.
My plan this week is to get the miles back into the 50-60 range and keep the pace at sub 7:45. I’m running a 5k on Saturday with Ken so I’m not preparing for it like I would a race. I have 2 racing 5k’s in the next few weeks before running my next marathon at the end of May. I’ll need to balance the speed work and miles while trying to keep fresh legs for the races.
5 weeks until San Diego
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Boston, What an awesome race!
Time: 3:31:45
Overall: 7778 out of 22849
What an awesome race!
Running in Boston has been my goal for the last 2 years. I’ve read so much about this race through race reports and comments that I felt I knew virtually every part of the course. My expectations were so high that I could only have been setting myself up for a letdown. But somehow the Boston Marathon managed to exceed my expectations.
The day started out with a 40 minute bus ride to Hopkinton. I got to the athletes village outside the high school around 7am. It was foggy and cold (high 30’s) and I had 3 hours to kill until race start. I sat around until 8:30 then waited in line at the port-a-johns. Around 9:15 I headed down to the corrals, stretched and hit the toilets again.
Being in the 12th corral or 12000+ runners behind the start line, I had no Idea when the race actually started. I just saw the thousands of bobbing heads slowly move forward. When I finally reached the start line the clock was at 7:45.
I studied the course so much that I thought I had a good idea of what to expect. It took a good ½ mile to get into a good running pace. After that it started moving pretty good. From the start it seemed that I was always passing people but no matter where I was in the race I was always running in a mass of runners. My pace was much faster than I intended but I felt good so I decided to keep with it if I felt comfortable.
The spectators were just amazing. I have read so much about this before but you really have to experience it. I don’t remember any place on the course where there wasn’t someone out watching. It was either people out in front of their house or everyone else in town in the town’s center. And unlike other races where the spectators just watch, these people were active participants. I started a good 10 minutes behind the leaders and these people were cheering like their football team scored a touchdown. The kids were great too. They always had their hand out for a high-5. After giving numerous high-5’s I realized that this gave me a good boost of energy.
Two of the highlights were running past Wellesley College and Boston College. Wellesley is the one part that people talk about the most. Nearly a ½ mile out I started to hear the screaming. The only thing to compare it to is a stadium full of teenage girls screaming at a boy band concert. It was nearly deafening when I finally reached the girls. They were 2-3 deep reaching over the barricades with hands out for a high-5 or signs asking for a kiss. I didn’t give a kiss but gave at least 100 high-5’s and 2 of the girls got a good grab of my ass. The BC guys started at the bottom of heartbreak hill. There seemed to be competitions on each side as who could shout the loudest. It was definitely great motivation to make it up the hill.
After heartbreak I had a huge sigh of relief. I knew there were a few small hills but the hardest part was behind me. At this point I felt pretty confident that I could run a sub 3:30. On the flats and declines I was keeping a sub 8:00 pace but the remaining small hills really took their toll. As much as I studied the course I really underestimated how difficult these last few small hills would be. After a small hill around mile 25 I knew I had little chance to get that sub 3:30 so I stopped looking at my watch and just ran with what I had left. The crowds over the last mile were incredible. Individually they weren’t as vocal as some earlier parts but the large numbers made plenty of noise. People were 3-4 deep on each side of the street. Those numbers made it louder than any other part of the course. On the final turn on Boylston St there was about 1/2 mile left the view was just incredible. I just can’t think of any words that would do justice in describing it.
The entire race was an experience that I want to live though again. It will never be the same as the first time but will still be better than any other race out there. Before running Boston I wasn’t sure if I would do this more than the 2 races that I qualified for. Looking back now I think I want to run it every year. If anything it’s great motivation to keep in qualifying shape.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Weekly summary 4/19/2009
Weekly total 17.3
Tuesday 7.78
Wednesday 6.42
Friday 3.11
Average pace 7.42
I decided to take it easy this week. I had a few aches and pains that I wanted to heal and I didn’t want dead legs for Monday’s race. I did a lot of walking in Boston this weekend so it wasn’t like I was just sitting around. My heel is still bothering me a little, so I’m not sure that if I took a week off it would have been any better.
The weather forecast is clear and low 40’s at the start and upper 40’s at the finish. The only negative is that the head winds will be 10-20 mph.
My race plan right now is to go with the crowd pace for the first 2-3 miles. After the elevation levels out they try to settle into a 8:00 pace. I don’t want to push it so if I’m having trouble keeping that pace then I’ll pull back a little. From past experience I think I’ll have to make sure that I’m not going out any faster than 8:00. Once I hit the hills at mile 17, I’ll just go by feel. I want a good time but my overall goal is to just enjoy the race.
Tuesday 7.78
Wednesday 6.42
Friday 3.11
Average pace 7.42
I decided to take it easy this week. I had a few aches and pains that I wanted to heal and I didn’t want dead legs for Monday’s race. I did a lot of walking in Boston this weekend so it wasn’t like I was just sitting around. My heel is still bothering me a little, so I’m not sure that if I took a week off it would have been any better.
The weather forecast is clear and low 40’s at the start and upper 40’s at the finish. The only negative is that the head winds will be 10-20 mph.
My race plan right now is to go with the crowd pace for the first 2-3 miles. After the elevation levels out they try to settle into a 8:00 pace. I don’t want to push it so if I’m having trouble keeping that pace then I’ll pull back a little. From past experience I think I’ll have to make sure that I’m not going out any faster than 8:00. Once I hit the hills at mile 17, I’ll just go by feel. I want a good time but my overall goal is to just enjoy the race.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Weekly summary 4/12/2009
Weekly total 50.3
Monday 6.36
Tuesday 8.08
Wednesday 9.0
Thursday 7.93
Saturday 10.38
Sunday 8.51
Average pace 7.40
This was my last full training week before Boston. Overall I felt pretty good for the week. I decided not to race (5k) on Saturday. As much as I wanted to get another race in, I didn’t want to push it and end up with an injury.
My training plan this week is to keep the miles down and give my body a chance to heal a little. I won’t be running Saturday or Sunday but I would like to get runs in at least 4 of the 5 other days. Right now the plan is an easy 5 miles on Monday, 1 hour run at medium on Tuesday and 3-5 easy on Wed-Fri. If I take another day off it would probably be Thursday. 3 out of 4 days off before Monday should ensure that I have fresh legs.
The current forecast for race day is 43-53 and 60% chance of rain. It’s still too far out to get worried but I really hope it doesn’t rain.
1 week until Boston
Monday 6.36
Tuesday 8.08
Wednesday 9.0
Thursday 7.93
Saturday 10.38
Sunday 8.51
Average pace 7.40
This was my last full training week before Boston. Overall I felt pretty good for the week. I decided not to race (5k) on Saturday. As much as I wanted to get another race in, I didn’t want to push it and end up with an injury.
My training plan this week is to keep the miles down and give my body a chance to heal a little. I won’t be running Saturday or Sunday but I would like to get runs in at least 4 of the 5 other days. Right now the plan is an easy 5 miles on Monday, 1 hour run at medium on Tuesday and 3-5 easy on Wed-Fri. If I take another day off it would probably be Thursday. 3 out of 4 days off before Monday should ensure that I have fresh legs.
The current forecast for race day is 43-53 and 60% chance of rain. It’s still too far out to get worried but I really hope it doesn’t rain.
1 week until Boston
Monday, April 6, 2009
Weekly summary 4/5/2009
Week total 56.7
Tuesday 12.27
Wednesday 10.44
Thursday 10.18
Friday 6.06
Saturday 11.37
Sunday 6.33
Average pace 7:53
I was still feeling the effects from last week’s 81 miles. I took Monday off because I had to work late so Tues-Wed weren’t that bad. Thursday was a struggle and by Sunday’s run I had nothing left. My heel was a little sore all week but after Saturdays run it was stiff and tender the rest of the weekend.
My plan this week is to pull back on the miles and work a couple medium runs in. The Seminole Stampede 5k is on Saturday. I didn’t plan on running it this year but if I feel good after Thursday’s run, I’ll take Friday off and race. This may not be a bad plan because it will force me to keep my mileage down this week.
Boston weather report: The Rays open the season in Boston today. Forecast is cold and rainy.
2 weeks until Boston
Tuesday 12.27
Wednesday 10.44
Thursday 10.18
Friday 6.06
Saturday 11.37
Sunday 6.33
Average pace 7:53
I was still feeling the effects from last week’s 81 miles. I took Monday off because I had to work late so Tues-Wed weren’t that bad. Thursday was a struggle and by Sunday’s run I had nothing left. My heel was a little sore all week but after Saturdays run it was stiff and tender the rest of the weekend.
My plan this week is to pull back on the miles and work a couple medium runs in. The Seminole Stampede 5k is on Saturday. I didn’t plan on running it this year but if I feel good after Thursday’s run, I’ll take Friday off and race. This may not be a bad plan because it will force me to keep my mileage down this week.
Boston weather report: The Rays open the season in Boston today. Forecast is cold and rainy.
2 weeks until Boston
Monday, March 30, 2009
Weekly summary 3/29/2009
Weekly Total 81.0
Monday 7.05
Tuesday 10.38
Wednesday 5.87, 7.75
Thursday 11.68
Friday 5.68
Saturday 8.76, 7.62
Sunday 16.16
Average pace 7:49
I topped 80 miles for the first time. By Saturday I was starting to get a little tired but overall I felt great. On Sunday's long run I even managed a sub 8:00 pace.
My heel and hamstrings are a little sore this morning (Monday) but I should be ready to go for another big week this week. My plan is to keep the mileage somewhere in the 60-65 mile range and not run any doubles. This means that 4-5 runs will have to be over 10 miles. I need to start tapering next week so this will be my last big week.
3 weeks until Boston
Monday 7.05
Tuesday 10.38
Wednesday 5.87, 7.75
Thursday 11.68
Friday 5.68
Saturday 8.76, 7.62
Sunday 16.16
Average pace 7:49
I topped 80 miles for the first time. By Saturday I was starting to get a little tired but overall I felt great. On Sunday's long run I even managed a sub 8:00 pace.
My heel and hamstrings are a little sore this morning (Monday) but I should be ready to go for another big week this week. My plan is to keep the mileage somewhere in the 60-65 mile range and not run any doubles. This means that 4-5 runs will have to be over 10 miles. I need to start tapering next week so this will be my last big week.
3 weeks until Boston
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Weekly summary 3/22/09
Weekly Total 48.4
Monday 6.2
Tuesday 8.08
Wednesday 10.77
Saturday 3.1, 5.55
Sunday 8.39, 6.34
Average pace 7:32
Mileage wise this week was a little better than last week. I think it really helped my race on Saturday by taking 2 days off. Those will probably be my last days off before I head to Boston. Overall I felt pretty good and my heel only bothered me on my second Sunday run.
Next week I would like to get in 65-70 miles with a few long runs including a 15+ mile run on Sunday. I would like to keep my pace in the 7:45-8 range. I have 2 high mileage weeks before I need to start tapering.
4 weeks until Boston
Monday 6.2
Tuesday 8.08
Wednesday 10.77
Saturday 3.1, 5.55
Sunday 8.39, 6.34
Average pace 7:32
Mileage wise this week was a little better than last week. I think it really helped my race on Saturday by taking 2 days off. Those will probably be my last days off before I head to Boston. Overall I felt pretty good and my heel only bothered me on my second Sunday run.
Next week I would like to get in 65-70 miles with a few long runs including a 15+ mile run on Sunday. I would like to keep my pace in the 7:45-8 range. I have 2 high mileage weeks before I need to start tapering.
4 weeks until Boston
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Armadillo Run 5k
Time: 19:49
Overall: 8 out of 360
Age Group: 2nd Place
I had a much better race today. I’m not sure if it was just getting the first 5k out of the way last week or taking 2 days off before the race.
The race had the 5k and 10k start at the same time. At about the 1.5 mile mark the 5k runners turn back and head to the finish. Up until that point you don’t know who is running which race.
My race plan today was to start a little easier than last week. My first split ended up being a 6:15 which was a little slower than last week. But unlike last week I felt pretty good. There were about 13 runners ahead of me but I didn’t know which race they were running so I stayed in the group that I was with. As I approached the turnaround nearly everyone that was near me was running the 5k. At that point I knew that I was in 10th place.
I had no shot of catching the 4-5 lead runners but I felt that if I hung with the other runners I could out kick them at the finish. My second split was 6:23. I was a little surprised because I felt like I pulled back a little more than that. As I made the final turn with around ½ mile left I was able to pass 2 more runners to put myself in 8th place. Besides the guy who was right in front of me it looked like all of the lead runners were under 40 (which turned out not to be the case) so if I could overtake him I would get the top masters award. As I hit the 3 mile mark at 19:08 (6:30 split) I gave everything I had left and was able to pass him but at the same time a young kid that I had just recently passed came flying by the both of us and beat me out for 7th place.
When the overall results were posted 5 of the 7 runners ahead of me were in their 40’s.
Overall I was satisfied with my race. I beat last week’s time by 30 sec and just missed tying my PR by 2 sec. It will be a while before I run a competitive 5k again (July 4th weekend maybe) so I may have to settle for this as my top 5k of the year. I have 2 marathons in the next 10 weeks to focus on now.
Results
Armadillo Run
Overall: 8 out of 360
Age Group: 2nd Place
I had a much better race today. I’m not sure if it was just getting the first 5k out of the way last week or taking 2 days off before the race.
The race had the 5k and 10k start at the same time. At about the 1.5 mile mark the 5k runners turn back and head to the finish. Up until that point you don’t know who is running which race.
My race plan today was to start a little easier than last week. My first split ended up being a 6:15 which was a little slower than last week. But unlike last week I felt pretty good. There were about 13 runners ahead of me but I didn’t know which race they were running so I stayed in the group that I was with. As I approached the turnaround nearly everyone that was near me was running the 5k. At that point I knew that I was in 10th place.
I had no shot of catching the 4-5 lead runners but I felt that if I hung with the other runners I could out kick them at the finish. My second split was 6:23. I was a little surprised because I felt like I pulled back a little more than that. As I made the final turn with around ½ mile left I was able to pass 2 more runners to put myself in 8th place. Besides the guy who was right in front of me it looked like all of the lead runners were under 40 (which turned out not to be the case) so if I could overtake him I would get the top masters award. As I hit the 3 mile mark at 19:08 (6:30 split) I gave everything I had left and was able to pass him but at the same time a young kid that I had just recently passed came flying by the both of us and beat me out for 7th place.
When the overall results were posted 5 of the 7 runners ahead of me were in their 40’s.
Overall I was satisfied with my race. I beat last week’s time by 30 sec and just missed tying my PR by 2 sec. It will be a while before I run a competitive 5k again (July 4th weekend maybe) so I may have to settle for this as my top 5k of the year. I have 2 marathons in the next 10 weeks to focus on now.
Results
Armadillo Run
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Boston Marathon #12354
The Boston Marathon has finally announced race number assignments. My number is 12354 which means that I had the 12,354th best qualifying time (and missed a very cool number by 9 places) putting me just inside the top half. All numbers under 14000 will start in wave 1.
I can’t believe that the race is only 1 month from tomorrow. I still have a lot of training to get in so I know that 1 month will fly by and before I know it I’ll be boarding the plane heading to Boston.
I can’t believe that the race is only 1 month from tomorrow. I still have a lot of training to get in so I know that 1 month will fly by and before I know it I’ll be boarding the plane heading to Boston.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Weekly summary 3/15/09
Weekly Total 37.4
Tuesday 8.71
Wednesday 7.76
Thursday 5.2
Friday 5.63
Sunday 1, 3.1, 6.03
Average pace 7:19
Last week was my lowest weekly total in a long time. Easing up on the miles didn’t help my 5k time though. For the week I focused more on increasing the speed of my runs. My weekly average pace was 7.09, not counting my easy runs on Sunday, and 7.19 overall. Overall I was pain free this week. My heel was a little sore on my Sunday afternoon run but after a race that should be expected.
Since I have another 5k this week I going to keep the training schedule about the same. Easy runs on Mon & Thurs and medium runs on Tues & Wed. I’ll take Friday off before the race and try to get in an easy run after the race and a long run on Sunday. I should be around 45 miles this week and then it’s back to the big miles as I get ready for Boston.
5 weeks until Boston
Tuesday 8.71
Wednesday 7.76
Thursday 5.2
Friday 5.63
Sunday 1, 3.1, 6.03
Average pace 7:19
Last week was my lowest weekly total in a long time. Easing up on the miles didn’t help my 5k time though. For the week I focused more on increasing the speed of my runs. My weekly average pace was 7.09, not counting my easy runs on Sunday, and 7.19 overall. Overall I was pain free this week. My heel was a little sore on my Sunday afternoon run but after a race that should be expected.
Since I have another 5k this week I going to keep the training schedule about the same. Easy runs on Mon & Thurs and medium runs on Tues & Wed. I’ll take Friday off before the race and try to get in an easy run after the race and a long run on Sunday. I should be around 45 miles this week and then it’s back to the big miles as I get ready for Boston.
5 weeks until Boston
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Brandon 5k
Time: 20:19
Overall : 7 out of 248
Age Group: 1st Place
Overall it was a pretty disappointing first 5k of the year. I really thought I had got myself under that 20 minute barrier and was ready to take a shot at 19 minutes. Not today.
Starting out I knew that the race was going to have a stronger field than last year. My hope was that there would be people running around me this year. At the start the first 4 immediately separated themselves from the group. I was just behind with a couple of other guys. I reached the mile 1 marker at 6:10 which was where I wanted to be but that took more out of me than I expected. At that point the 2 guys that were right in front of me starting pulling away and I was running by myself. My second split was a very disappointing 6:48. By that time I was a good 30+ seconds behind the guy in front and about 20-30 seconds ahead of the guy right behind me. I tried to pick it up a little but I didn’t have much left. I hit the 3 mile mark with a 6:30 split.
I’m not sure if I could have done anything different the week before. Maybe if I would have taken Friday off that might have helped a little. I don’t want to change things too much so I plan to train the same this week as last week. My plan for Saturdays 5k is to go out a little slower 6:15-20 and see if I can hold that for the race. That will at least put me in a position to PR.
that's me in the red shirt
Results
Brandon Running Association
Overall : 7 out of 248
Age Group: 1st Place
Overall it was a pretty disappointing first 5k of the year. I really thought I had got myself under that 20 minute barrier and was ready to take a shot at 19 minutes. Not today.
Starting out I knew that the race was going to have a stronger field than last year. My hope was that there would be people running around me this year. At the start the first 4 immediately separated themselves from the group. I was just behind with a couple of other guys. I reached the mile 1 marker at 6:10 which was where I wanted to be but that took more out of me than I expected. At that point the 2 guys that were right in front of me starting pulling away and I was running by myself. My second split was a very disappointing 6:48. By that time I was a good 30+ seconds behind the guy in front and about 20-30 seconds ahead of the guy right behind me. I tried to pick it up a little but I didn’t have much left. I hit the 3 mile mark with a 6:30 split.
I’m not sure if I could have done anything different the week before. Maybe if I would have taken Friday off that might have helped a little. I don’t want to change things too much so I plan to train the same this week as last week. My plan for Saturdays 5k is to go out a little slower 6:15-20 and see if I can hold that for the race. That will at least put me in a position to PR.
that's me in the red shirtResults
Brandon Running Association
Monday, March 9, 2009
RunningAhead now supports Garmin!
RunningAhead has added new functionality that allows me to upload runs from my Garmin. It took me a week to get the plugin to install but I was finally able to use it this weekend and it’s very cool.
I hated the MyTraining application that Garmin uses. The map was always off and I had to backup my runs before closing (and import the backup when opening) if I wanted to see my training history.
The RunningAhead maps are great the upload is very quick and best of all its accessible online.
Plugin problem solved: I kept getting a warning message to close down all browser windows even though they were all closed. I did a reboot and reran the saved exe file and everything installed fine.
I hated the MyTraining application that Garmin uses. The map was always off and I had to backup my runs before closing (and import the backup when opening) if I wanted to see my training history.
The RunningAhead maps are great the upload is very quick and best of all its accessible online.
Plugin problem solved: I kept getting a warning message to close down all browser windows even though they were all closed. I did a reboot and reran the saved exe file and everything installed fine.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Weekly summary 3/8/09
Week total 65.8
Monday 6.06
Tuesday 8.63
Wednesday 7.7
Thursday 10.27
Friday 8.65
Saturday 9.45, 3.61
Sunday 8.34, 3.05
Because I ran a half marathon on Sunday, my only plan this week was to run every day. I didn’t want to push it but if I felt good that day then I would run more. Overall I held up pretty good. My heel wasn’t bothering me too much until the end of the week. It was fine on my morning runs but was a little sore on my afternoon runs.
I’ve finally got my weight back under 170 lbs. In the morning I’m between 168-170 and after runs I’ve been as low as 166. I have to be careful about not losing too much too fast though. I’ve been really tired lately which I think has to do more with not getting enough sleep than anything else. But running more miles and not eating anymore may also have something to do with it. I need to make an effort to get 8 hours a night but that means being in bed by 9pm which isn't always easy.
My plan next week is to get ready for Sundays 5k. I’ll take Saturday off and probably won’t be able to run on Monday because I have to work late. Tues-Thurs I would like to get some sprints in and just an easy run on Friday. Even if I can get a run in after the race it will be hard to get much more than 40 miles.
6 weeks until Boston
Monday 6.06
Tuesday 8.63
Wednesday 7.7
Thursday 10.27
Friday 8.65
Saturday 9.45, 3.61
Sunday 8.34, 3.05
Because I ran a half marathon on Sunday, my only plan this week was to run every day. I didn’t want to push it but if I felt good that day then I would run more. Overall I held up pretty good. My heel wasn’t bothering me too much until the end of the week. It was fine on my morning runs but was a little sore on my afternoon runs.
I’ve finally got my weight back under 170 lbs. In the morning I’m between 168-170 and after runs I’ve been as low as 166. I have to be careful about not losing too much too fast though. I’ve been really tired lately which I think has to do more with not getting enough sleep than anything else. But running more miles and not eating anymore may also have something to do with it. I need to make an effort to get 8 hours a night but that means being in bed by 9pm which isn't always easy.
My plan next week is to get ready for Sundays 5k. I’ll take Saturday off and probably won’t be able to run on Monday because I have to work late. Tues-Thurs I would like to get some sprints in and just an easy run on Friday. Even if I can get a run in after the race it will be hard to get much more than 40 miles.
6 weeks until Boston
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Gasparilla Half Marathon
Time: 1:34:44
Overall: 105 out of 3436
I made the decision to take 2 days off before the race and that turned out to be a good decision. My heel didn’t bother me at all and everywhere else was pretty much pain free. I wasn’t able to overcome the less than ideal conditions and fell short of my sub 1:32 goal but I still managed a PR by over 1 ½ minutes.
The race started out at 62° and humid. The wind really started picking up around 45 minutes into the race as the front started coming through. Heading south on Bayshore was really rough as the wind gusts at that point were over 30 mph. It was a relief to hit the turnaround point (just after 10 mile mark) and have the wind at my back. The rain held off long enough for me to finish and get back to my car.
It was great that Mom was able to come out and watch. I guess it helps that she lives on Bayshore now. It helped running that last mile against the wind knowing that she was at the turnaround watching.
I don’t run a lot of HM but this is by far my favorite course. I would like to run the Gasparilla marathon sometime again but probably won’t just because I would miss out on the half.
http://results.active.com/pages/searchform.jsp?rsID=75406
Overall: 105 out of 3436
I made the decision to take 2 days off before the race and that turned out to be a good decision. My heel didn’t bother me at all and everywhere else was pretty much pain free. I wasn’t able to overcome the less than ideal conditions and fell short of my sub 1:32 goal but I still managed a PR by over 1 ½ minutes.
The race started out at 62° and humid. The wind really started picking up around 45 minutes into the race as the front started coming through. Heading south on Bayshore was really rough as the wind gusts at that point were over 30 mph. It was a relief to hit the turnaround point (just after 10 mile mark) and have the wind at my back. The rain held off long enough for me to finish and get back to my car.
It was great that Mom was able to come out and watch. I guess it helps that she lives on Bayshore now. It helped running that last mile against the wind knowing that she was at the turnaround watching.
I don’t run a lot of HM but this is by far my favorite course. I would like to run the Gasparilla marathon sometime again but probably won’t just because I would miss out on the half.
http://results.active.com/pages/searchform.jsp?rsID=75406
Race website
Monday, February 16, 2009
First 70 mile week
This week I surpassed 70 miles in a week for the first time. Even though I was feeling pretty tired on Saturday and Sunday it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. If I didn’t have any races coming up I could have even topped 80 this week.
Weekly total: 70.2
Monday 5.75
Tuesday 8.7
Wednesday 5.94, 7.2
Thursday 8.15
Friday 6.06
Saturday 9.1, 6.25
Sunday 13.02
Ave Pace 8:00
The doubles are great for increasing my mileage but I need to include some more long runs. Only one 10+ mile run is not going to cut it. Both of my weekend morning runs should top 10 and I’d like to get my Sunday run up to 15.
Since I have some races coming up I will pull back on the miles for a few weeks. My plan is to run 55-60 this week and 30 the following week before the half marathon on Sunday (3/1). After San Diego I’d like to see how much I’m able to increase the mileage. I don’t know if I could ever make it to a 100 in a week but I would like to get a couple of 300+ mile months this summer.
Weekly total: 70.2
Monday 5.75
Tuesday 8.7
Wednesday 5.94, 7.2
Thursday 8.15
Friday 6.06
Saturday 9.1, 6.25
Sunday 13.02
Ave Pace 8:00
The doubles are great for increasing my mileage but I need to include some more long runs. Only one 10+ mile run is not going to cut it. Both of my weekend morning runs should top 10 and I’d like to get my Sunday run up to 15.
Since I have some races coming up I will pull back on the miles for a few weeks. My plan is to run 55-60 this week and 30 the following week before the half marathon on Sunday (3/1). After San Diego I’d like to see how much I’m able to increase the mileage. I don’t know if I could ever make it to a 100 in a week but I would like to get a couple of 300+ mile months this summer.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Long overdue shoe purchase
After 4 ½ months and around 900+ miles I’m ready for a new pair or running shoes. I was going a buy some in mid December but never got around to it. I really need to get a new pair every 3 months. I’m putting in way too many miles now to hang on to shoes this long.
I went non-Nike for the first time in a few years and bought the Trance 8 from Brooks. I tried 4 different shoes at Fit2Run and they felt better than any of the others.
I guess I find out tomorrow on my next run if there is any difference. As for me heel problem, my old running shoes may have been part of the problem but I know that my dress work shoes are also. I really need to replace them next.
I went non-Nike for the first time in a few years and bought the Trance 8 from Brooks. I tried 4 different shoes at Fit2Run and they felt better than any of the others.
I guess I find out tomorrow on my next run if there is any difference. As for me heel problem, my old running shoes may have been part of the problem but I know that my dress work shoes are also. I really need to replace them next.
Monday, January 26, 2009
I inspired my sister!
I inspired my sister! Shortly after returning from Phoenix, Kathy sent me an email that started out…
I had to e-mail you and tell you that you inspired me. Seeing you and the other runners cross that finish line was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I was so proud of you!
Those 2 little lines made me feel better than even qualifying for Boston did.
Well she went on to say that she is going to start running and wants me to run a 5k with her. I have since registered both of us for the May Classic 5k in Hyde Park. I have run the race twice and I think she will really enjoy the atmosphere.
I really hope this turns out to be a good experience for her. It would be pretty cool to have her competing in some of the races that I run (since I know that I’ll never get Ron out there).
I had to e-mail you and tell you that you inspired me. Seeing you and the other runners cross that finish line was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I was so proud of you!
Those 2 little lines made me feel better than even qualifying for Boston did.
Well she went on to say that she is going to start running and wants me to run a 5k with her. I have since registered both of us for the May Classic 5k in Hyde Park. I have run the race twice and I think she will really enjoy the atmosphere.
I really hope this turns out to be a good experience for her. It would be pretty cool to have her competing in some of the races that I run (since I know that I’ll never get Ron out there).
two-a-day training
This weekend was my first attempt with two-a-days and I seemed to handle it pretty well. On Saturday I ran 8+ outside at 6am and followed that up with 5 miles on the treadmill at 3pm. On Sunday I ran 9.5 miles outside at 6am and followed that up with 5 miles on the treadmill at 3pm.
I was a little stiff before my run on Sunday morning (no worse than usual though) and I felt fine before my afternoon runs. This morning (Monday) I actually felt better than I usually do. I don’t want run twice every day but I would like to do it 3 times a week. Right now I think that Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday would work best. This should bring be closer to 60-65 miles per week without having to do too many long runs (which were really starting to take their toll).
I was a little stiff before my run on Sunday morning (no worse than usual though) and I felt fine before my afternoon runs. This morning (Monday) I actually felt better than I usually do. I don’t want run twice every day but I would like to do it 3 times a week. Right now I think that Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday would work best. This should bring be closer to 60-65 miles per week without having to do too many long runs (which were really starting to take their toll).
Monday, January 19, 2009
RocknRoll AZ Marathon
Time: 3:49:27
Overall: 1392 out of 6411
I think that my race at Disney last week made me a little over confident in Phoenix. I started the race feeling that 3:30 was a given and went out way too hard for the conditions. The temp was great in the morning (50) but an hour into the race it was heating up fast. If I had set out at a 3:40 pace I might have been ok but at a sub 3:30 pace I was starting to hurt by mile 14 and shortly after that I decided to pull back and just finish. That turned out to be harder than expected as by mile 20 I had nothing left and ended up walk/run the rest of the way. Unless temps are in the 40’s (or below) for the entire race I should just plan on 3:40 every time because more than anything else I hate having to walk in a race.
Overall I really enjoyed the experience. I was great having Mom, Kathy, Joellen, Rachel & Stephanie at the finish. The race was well organized and I’m really looking forward to their (Elite's) San Diego race in May.
My plan for Boston should be to run at a 3:40-45 pace (depending on the weather). The last thing I want to do is have to walk any of the Boston Marathon.
Side note: If I plan on running with my Garmin then I should leave it charging all night. This is the second marathon since I bought it that I have done something stupid and not been able to use it.
Overall: 1392 out of 6411
I think that my race at Disney last week made me a little over confident in Phoenix. I started the race feeling that 3:30 was a given and went out way too hard for the conditions. The temp was great in the morning (50) but an hour into the race it was heating up fast. If I had set out at a 3:40 pace I might have been ok but at a sub 3:30 pace I was starting to hurt by mile 14 and shortly after that I decided to pull back and just finish. That turned out to be harder than expected as by mile 20 I had nothing left and ended up walk/run the rest of the way. Unless temps are in the 40’s (or below) for the entire race I should just plan on 3:40 every time because more than anything else I hate having to walk in a race.
Overall I really enjoyed the experience. I was great having Mom, Kathy, Joellen, Rachel & Stephanie at the finish. The race was well organized and I’m really looking forward to their (Elite's) San Diego race in May.
My plan for Boston should be to run at a 3:40-45 pace (depending on the weather). The last thing I want to do is have to walk any of the Boston Marathon.
Side note: If I plan on running with my Garmin then I should leave it charging all night. This is the second marathon since I bought it that I have done something stupid and not been able to use it.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Disney Half Marathon
Time: 1:36:25
Overall: 224 out of 12434
My plan was to keep my pace around 7:30 ( 1:38:15) but most of all I didn’t want to push too hard since I have a marathon next week. It was dark until mile 8 so I could only go by the clocks at the mile markers to determine my pace. For the first 7 miles I was running between 7 and 7:15 (one mile might have been a little under 7). From mile 7-12 I stayed on my 7:30 pace (almost to the second). When I realized that I had a chance to break 1:37 I ran a little harder at the end but still didn’t go all out.
This is a good indication on how far I have come in the last 11 months (since my last half). I ran a relaxed pace and still beat my PR by almost 1 minute. If the weather is like this for the Gasparilla half I think I have a good shot at keeping a 7 minute pace.
Overall the race was great. The start temp was 50 with calm winds. The 5:50 am start wasn’t too bad although they could have probably kept it at 6am for the half. I’m glad I decided to run the race and it shouldn’t have a negative effect on next week (although I will have to wait until Sunday to really know). Even if I’m still feeling the effects next week it was a good decision. I love running at Disney and will most likely run the half or full every year.
http://results.active.com/pages/page.jsp?eventLinkageID=17218
Overall: 224 out of 12434
My plan was to keep my pace around 7:30 ( 1:38:15) but most of all I didn’t want to push too hard since I have a marathon next week. It was dark until mile 8 so I could only go by the clocks at the mile markers to determine my pace. For the first 7 miles I was running between 7 and 7:15 (one mile might have been a little under 7). From mile 7-12 I stayed on my 7:30 pace (almost to the second). When I realized that I had a chance to break 1:37 I ran a little harder at the end but still didn’t go all out.
This is a good indication on how far I have come in the last 11 months (since my last half). I ran a relaxed pace and still beat my PR by almost 1 minute. If the weather is like this for the Gasparilla half I think I have a good shot at keeping a 7 minute pace.
Overall the race was great. The start temp was 50 with calm winds. The 5:50 am start wasn’t too bad although they could have probably kept it at 6am for the half. I’m glad I decided to run the race and it shouldn’t have a negative effect on next week (although I will have to wait until Sunday to really know). Even if I’m still feeling the effects next week it was a good decision. I love running at Disney and will most likely run the half or full every year.
http://results.active.com/pages/page.jsp?eventLinkageID=17218
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
4 days until Disney Half
Well I’ve committed myself to racing back to back weekends (half and full). There are 4 days until the Disney Half and overall I feel pretty good. It looks like the weather will cooperate this year with the temps staying it the 50’s during the race. I just need to make sure I don’t push it too hard this weekend.
My plan is to keep a 7:30 pace until mile 7 or 8 and if I’m feeling good then pick it up a little. I think I can set a PR (1:37) without going all out but I will be satisfied with anything under 1:40. My primary goal is still to break 3:30 in Phoenix so if that means to ease up on the half then that’s what I’ll do.
I’m really excited about this challenge. If I can make it through these 2 races in good shape I will definitely entertain the idea of running marathons on back to back weekends (although no PR attempts).
My plan is to keep a 7:30 pace until mile 7 or 8 and if I’m feeling good then pick it up a little. I think I can set a PR (1:37) without going all out but I will be satisfied with anything under 1:40. My primary goal is still to break 3:30 in Phoenix so if that means to ease up on the half then that’s what I’ll do.
I’m really excited about this challenge. If I can make it through these 2 races in good shape I will definitely entertain the idea of running marathons on back to back weekends (although no PR attempts).
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