Saving the Best for Last

This was marathon #4 in 2009 for me, and it was definitely the best in every way. I drove to Memphis on Friday and arrived about 2:30 p.m., within a minute of Alan and Brad, who came along as our support person. We couldn't have planned our arrival better if we'd tried. Packet pickup was quick and easy, and the best thing we got for free was an apple. Really, it was a good apple.

My goal before the race was to run it in 3:50 or better; my secondary goal was to finish in less than four hours, and the "salvage something from the race" goal was 4:10 and just finishing.

Saturday morning the race started at 8 o'clock, so we didn't have to get up especially early. That was a nice change. The temperature was just under freezing, but the wind was nonexistent. I'll trade temperature for no wind any day, especially on a race day. About 11,000 people lined up for the races. The organizers had us in "corrals," segregating us by expected finish times. Alan and I started in Corral #7, him since that was his target time and me because I'm a slow starter. Our group started at about 8:11. With that many people it was great to start in groups; although it was crowded it wasn't too bad and we weren't trying to elbow people out of the way.

The first couple of miles thundered south of the downtown area and then west to Riverside Drive. The view of the Mississippi close to the second mile was picture-perfect with the sun shining and the I-40 bridge in the distance. Then we turned onto Beale Street and ran by all the famous music and food joints before heading north toward the St. Jude Hospital campus. Alan, of course, had to stop and pee at mile 4, which added another thirty seconds to my time, dang it. When we got to the hospital campus a lot of the kids were out cheering us on and calling us heroes for running. That was nice of them, but they're definitely the heroes. An older gentleman had tripped and done a face plant right before we got to him. He was dazed and had a big raspberry on his forehead as he was being helped off the course by several people, poor guy.

The course was very flat with only a slight rise as we headed to Overton Park. The course wound through the park and the trees, which was really nice. At about mile 6 or so I felt good and started increasing the pace slightly to try and be at about 9 minutes/mile. As we got through the park and headed back toward downtown you could feel the group energy level pick up as the half-marathoners neared their finish. The good thing about that is you can feed off the energy a little bit, but once the course divides and you realize you're only half done it's a bit of a letdown.

We reached Beale Street again and passed through it going the opposite direction, at which point Alan stopped and doffed his pants and gave them to Brad. I continued on and aimed for an 8-minute/mile pace so I could meet my goal. I consumed my gel packs during the race at 7, 12, 17, and 22 miles. They definitely helped; tangerine and raspberry cream were the tasty flavors. There were aid stations with water and Powerade about every mile or so. Miles 13-18 went by quickly, and it wasn't until about mile 20 that I really started to feel the exhaustion. At mile 23 my calves started to cramp something fierce. They each felt like a lead ball but I was determined to not stop since I knew if I did it once I'd be doing it multiple times. It hurt like crazy but I ran through it and was fine the rest of the way. Around mile 15 I'd been passed by a couple of guys running about the same pace I was aiming for, so I kept them in sight until mile 25 and that seemed to help a little.

I always say the last mile of the race is the longest, and that proved true once again. The race finished in Autozone Park, home of the Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate the Memphis Redbirds. I knew the stadium was up there somewhere but it remained elusively out of sight. At that point I was on autopilot. I kept looking down at my Garmin, expecting to see my pace had slowed, but I was still going at 8 minutes/mile. Guess all that speed training actually pays off since your body will keep doing what it's been trained to do.

Once to the ballpark the course entered the stadium behind the center field wall, where I emerged and took a left on the warning track and then down the first base line to the finish. Got my silver cape and medal and then wandered to center field so I could watch for Alan. My unofficial time according to my timer was 3:49:53 and I was exhaustedly happy. Alan came in at about 4:07.

This is the part where I compliment the organizers: we departed the field and walked up to the concourse level where the after-race food and drinks were set up for the participants. You had to have a tag from your race number to get in, and wow, did they have food. After the race in Dallas in April, the 5k and half-marathoners had descended like locusts on the refreshments and there was nothing left for the marathoners. Not the case here. There was pizza, bagels, bananas, oranges, donuts, water, etc. A great big THANK YOU to the organizers, and I'll also say that from registration to packet pick-up to the start all the way to after the race, this was the best organized race I've ever seen. I had a couple of bottles of water, half a banana, and a Krispy Kreme donut.

The hotel had a nice hot shower waiting, and after resting for a bit we went to The Rendevous for some ribs. Talk about hitting the spot. After heading to another spot and watching Alabama demolish Florida for the SEC championship, we went and found some more ribs. The rest of the evening we spent listening to some good music. What a great experience.

My official race time was 3:49:51, and I finished 69th of 234 in my age bracket. Overall I was 556th out of approximately 2,450 people. I was the 432nd male and my overall average pace was 8:47/mile. Here are my splits:

Mile 6.2 - 59:26, 9:37 pace, Rank 155 in my age group
Mile 13.1 - 2:01:29, 9:17 pace, Rank 140
Mile 20 - 2:58:21, 8:56 pace, Rank 93
Finish - 3:49:51, 8:47 pace, Rank 69

If I was someone studying those results, I'd look at that and figure out what kind of freak gets faster as the race goes on. I look at some of the other results and am amazed at how some people run the same consistent pace the whole time. Guess that's something to shoot for next time.

Speaking of next time, I think next year I'll concentrate on half-marathons and run a full one late in the year. That way I can concentrate on speed and getting faster. Even though I enjoy being in such good shape, running four races in one year takes a lot of time and there are a few other things I'd like to do. Memphis turned out to be the perfect experience and perfect day for racing, at least for me. It was a great time and I definitely plan on doing it again, although maybe not next year. I don't recommend an 8-hour car ride the day after the race, but what could I do? All in all it was an awesome experience and I think I definitely saved the best for last in 2009.

And Now It's Showtime!

Ran 3 miles tonight at dusk, with the temperature at 37 degrees and a wind chill at 28. The weather page says the wind is from the NNW at 11 mph (Yahoo!'s page says 15 mph), but I think both are selling it a little short. I ran mostly east to west, but when I turned the corner back into the neighborhood I had flashbacks to the Big D Marathon in April. If I had to run a race in this weather it would be just as brutal as that day was. Like I was thinking, the wind was blowing harder than what the web reported.

Three more days to the race, and then I'm done for the year. The only other running I might do in December would be with my bro in Texas after Christmas. And trust me, that will be for fun and not real intense. In the words of John Hiatt, let's go to Memphis in the meantime...

Final Speedwork

Today was the last day for speedwork, and it went very well. I ran 6 miles which included a 15 minute tempo run. The average pace for the speedwork was 7:40/minute and it felt pretty good. The full moon was out and that was nice, especially since a good portion of street lights on Shoal Creek Parkway are not working. Even though the temperature today was higher than yesterdays, it seemed cooler tonight. This time I was smart enough to wear a stocking cap. One more run of three miles tomorrow and then it's race time!

Only Five Days Left

Wow, the race is coming up quickly. Today was a 6-mile easy run, and I kept it about 10-minutes/mile. The weather was a little chillier than I thought. I took my mittens, fortunately, and I could have used some ear protection but it wasn't horribly cold. Some minor frostbite that'll require the removal of at least one lobe, but other than that...

I keep looking for a cheap last-minute flight to Memphis, hoping I can avoid a 9-hour car trip each way. It looks to me as if Memphis suffers from not having a discount airline like Southwest renting a few gates at its terminal since all of the flights are vastly expensive. I found one the other day for $508 on a certain travel site that uses a former starship captain as its spokesman. The trip lasted over thirteen hours and went from KC to Detroit to Indianapolis to Charlotte to Memphis. Seriously? Who does that? Some people may gripe about them, but Southwest is my favorite airline and they would never pull that kind of crap. They're affordable, the stewardesses (yes, I said stewardesses, not the modern 'flight attendant' PC term) are a hoot, and they're always on time. Sigh. Barring a last-minute discount it looks like I'll be driving. That's okay, because at that price all the airlines that keep charging an arm and a leg and don't realize you can actually fill up your planes with cheaper fares and become profitable can all go to hell. I'm sure they'll get bailouts soon anyway.

Turkey Trot + Long Run

Thursday the older three kids and I ran the Parkville Turkey Trail Trot again. This was the first time for The Boy (tm) and he ran the whole way. I was proud of all the kids. The weather was cool with a very stiff breeze out of the west. That made standing at the starting line a lesson in enduring a little cold. The sun was shining and we had a great time. Next year all four kids want to run, as well as the wife, so we'll spend a nice little bundle in registration fees. I don't mind, though, since it's fun and a good tradition.

This morning I ran my final long run and definitely felt the effects of the holidays. The food and drink, and the latter more than the former, caused me to feel sluggish. The weather today was awesome, probably in the fifties by late morning when I started and climbing to over sixty degrees this afternoon. Only one week to go until the race. I have a few more easy runs and one mild speed session planned. I'd like to find a cheap airfare to Memphis, but when I looked today the lowest price was $504 for a trip that would take me to Detroit, Indianapolis, and somewhere in North Carolina before arriving in Memphis thirteen hours later. Yeah, I'm still planning on driving at this point.

More Treadmill

'Twas a dark and misty night, so I stayed in and ran mile intervals on the treadmill. Listened to Pastor Barry's sermon from last Sunday since I was at work, and then some Bear McCreary. I ran 7 miles total and am hoping that the weather will be passable for the Turkey Trot in a couple of days. Three of the kids are running with me, and I think back to the days when I thought running 5k seemed like permission to come home and pig out on Thanksgiving dinner. Amazing how things change in just a few years. It'll be fun to get out with the kids, and this will be The Boy's first 5k. After ten straight days of work, I'm looking forward to relaxing with the family. And who would have thought running three miles would qualify as relaxing?

Work and Run

Arrived at work at 6 this morning, and still managed to get a long run in before darkness fell. The weather for my 15-miler wasn't too bad, a little on the cool side but not bad enough to have to bundle up in ear warmers and gloves. The run was okay, but I keep having this feeling that all the running this year has piled up and my legs never feel real fresh. I don't have any problem completing the runs, but it seems like I haven't had any "great" long runs for a while. Seems that four marathons in a year might be over my limit, which is okay because next year I plan on doing one, maybe two, and concentrating instead on half marathons. I'm thankful for good weather, though, and hopefully it continues a little longer, say another week and a half?

I Love the Whirling of the Dervishes

How many middle-aged American males do you know who run 6 miles with Kate Bush playing on the iPod? Well, now you know one. Listened to the last few songs of Hounds of Love and then all of The Kick Inside. Not your typical running music, but certainly enjoyable.

I hustled out the door to catch a little sunlight, especially since I didn't run on Tuesday with the cold rain falling. This was another 2x800 session, and I found the toughest part is to keep running after the second interval. Especially since the second one ends at the bottom of a hill and the next part is up to the summit and then somewhat downhill for a mile. Even though it was clear the weather was cold and I wore a stocking cap and the mittens, although I probably could have worn another layer and still been fine. This weekend I'll be working, so I have to find time to fit in a long run.

Winter Interruption

Looks like actual winter weather is interrupting my training. The weather today is cold but not quite freezing, rainy, and windy. This was my first time on the treadmill in I don't know how long. 6 miles accompanied by Chickenfoot on the iPod. This was also my first time running on it since we moved the treadmill downstairs. I like it better down here. Tomorrow could be more of the same.

75 Miles to Memphis

That's how many miles are left in the training plan until the Memphis marathon on December 5th. Today was a looooong run, 20 miles' worth. The temp is in the upper 40's with low clouds and just enough mist to mess up my glasses. I wore the rose-colored lenses to protect against what UV rays were out there and the occasional glare as the sun tried to poke through.

Today I went very, very slow. In fact, my average pace was 10:30/mile. With a run this long, though, my objective was to finish, especially since I've had a couple of long runs that were not of the usual quality. At about seven miles I stopped by the house, downed a gel pack, strapped on the bottle belt, and continued with the rest of the run. It wasn't until mile 17 that I realized I hadn't had another gel pack. Gee, that sure would have been useful a few miles before then. I didn't have a bad run, and I didn't have a great run, so I suppose I would classify it as decent. The 10-mph breeze from the northwest certainly kept things cool, requiring gloves and ear protection. I finished feeling pretty good (no doubt from the energy gel three miles before) so I think as the taper starts I'm in pretty good shape for the race.

The Toes Knows

Today was one of my new favorite workouts: 2x800 during a 6-mile run. As I probably mentioned when I did this before my last race, it's just plain fun to go all out for about three minutes at a time. I told the wife I even ran faster than a 4-minute mile, albeit for only a few seconds. This is a good, tiring workout that lets you feel the wind through your hair - if you have any. The weather was cool, and a nice stiff breeze from the south made it interesting, but at least that was against me during the downhill part. Still, it was cool enough to wear a long-sleeve technical shirt and long pants.

And now for an update on the toes: last night I was at a chain bookstore looking through the running section, and I found a book by Hal Higdon, who was the speaker at the Columbia Heart of America Marathon in September. The book had him answering questions about various aspects of running, one of them being the "black toe" malady that infects long distance runners, including yours truly. With all due respect to Mr. Higdon, who has way more years of success and experience than I do, there is no way I'm sticking a needle through my toenail to drain the blood underneath it when a blood blister forms. Yeesh. After that race in Columbia, I've lost three toenails on my right foot. The big toe, which has grown back about halfway, will take many, many months to look normal. The second toe is strangely intact, but the middle toe is just weird. The blood was under the left side of the nail, which I've had to cut away since it was coming loose, but the right side of the old nail is hanging on for dear life. The fourth toenail came off completely the other night, while the pinky just ignores the rest and seems to be fine. And the toes on the left foot? They look at their brethren and snicker because for some reason, nothing bad ever happens to them, even on a hilly run like the course in Columbia.

And that's way more info about my toes than I've ever written, anywhere. My shoes have plenty of room in the toebox, but the problem is - and the wife has been proven right on this one - sometimes the toenails get too long and jam up against the top of the shoe when I run, and that's what causes the problem. It's a good thing we're not judged by our toes, 'cause they're just funny-looking, injured or not.

The Sun Also Sets

I was anxious to get out and run this afternoon when I arrived home. The sun was shining and I wanted to run in the sunlight for a bit, which I did. But boy, did it set fast. By the time I'd run two miles it was pretty much gone. It was nice while it lasted. The breeze was a touch cooler than yesterday, so along with shorts I wore a long-sleeve shirt. Still can't complain, though.

It's funny how I used to hate intervals, but after several years of doing this I actually enjoy them. Tonight I ran mile intervals, three of them, just like last week. At least I think it was last week. The total damage tonight was 7.5 miles. The past week or so I've been in a music-less mode on my runs. I guess it's just a phase I'm going through. Since I probably won't wear my iPod in the race, and I don't even know if they allow them or not, it's good to go with the sounds of nature once in a while. You know, like the idiot on the motorcycle gunning it up to 70 mph on a city street, or the idiot in the truck with the loud exhaust, or the idiot who honks his horn at you. Come to think of it, that's likely the reason I started listening to music on my runs in the first place.

Back to the run, during the intervals I managed to not only keep the average pace below 8 minutes/mile, but actually went faster with each interval. The first interval pace was 7:57, and the last was 7:44. Felt good at the end, and it feels good to know tomorrow is a holiday and I can sleep in a little before we head to a Veterans Day parade in Leavenworth.

Weenies

It was only 5:30 p.m. when I left the house to run, but it was nearing dark. A month ago plenty of other people would be out at that time, but not any more. Is everyone afraid of the dark? It's not like it was cold outside. In fact, it was rather pleasant. Either I'm weird or everyone else is a weenie. And in my little world, I'm the normal one. Heh.

In my solitude I ran 6 easy miles and tried to take it easy. I think I was successful, for the most part, since my overall time was just under 60 minutes. Who would have thought I'd be running on November 9th in shorts and a technical t-shirt? I also did my upper body and ankle weight workouts before running, and I plan on continuing those three times a week until the race. Maybe it was because I gave blood yesterday, but when I tried pull-ups I couldn't do as many as normal. Or maybe I'm out of practice. We'll see how it goes when I do those exercises on Wednesday.

Tougher than Expected

I learned several things during today's run, which was 15 miles and somewhat labored. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, especially for a November morning. The temperature was in the mid-60's, the sun was shining, and there was a nice breeze from the south. What a great day for a run!

I haven't been faithful the last few weeks with my upper body and ankle weight exercises, and today I felt the result of that. My upper body felt fatigued and my hips were a little sore. Also, I haven't done regular long runs the past couple of weeks, last week's because of not feeling good and the week before was divided into three parfts when I ran a 5k race. All that combined to make today tough. The marathon is in four weeks, so I persevered, knowing what's ahead. Hopefully that counts for something. I was going to run the hills of Flintlock today but ended up circling Pleasant Valley Baptist Church four times but then walking a third of a mile before heading down the hill.

Fourth Day

As I usually don't run four days in a row, I thought this would be worth noting. Also, as I remarked to the wife earlier, a week ago at 5:30 p.m. there were several people out walking and running, but after the end of daylight savings time last weekend, tonight I was the only one out. Does that make me obsessive?

I ran 7.5 miles total tonight, and it's probably good I'm traveling to Baltimore for a few days and won't have time to run since my legs could use the rest. Tonight's workout included three 1-mile intervals at 8-minute miles (or better) followed by 800 meters of recovery. I'm noticing that the recovery runs and easy runs are still at a fairly quick pace (for me) at 9:30 or just a little quicker. It's funny because I'll feel like I'm trudging along and look at my pace and it'll say something like "9:23" and I'll say to myself, "Wow." Interesting how all that training combined with cooler weather actually pays off. Let's hope that carries over to the race in about a month.

After Dark

This was the first run in the evening since Daylight Savings Time ended this weekend. I left the house about 5:30 p.m. and it was already getting dark. It was nice and cool, but not too bad. I wore shorts with a long-sleeved top and a race t-shirt over that. After my walking warm-up I decided to put on my knit gloves and kept them on the whole time. All in all the weather was perfect for a nice, easy 6 miles. One change, though, since the sun wasn't out. I went without my sunglasses, for obvious reasons, and this was the first time in a while I've been on a run where I couldn't see clearly. Bummer. I could have worn my regular glasses, I suppose, but I prefer not to due to the whole sweat dripping off my brow thing.

Gorgeous Days

After not feeling good for several days in a row, which combined with cold, rainy weather caused me to skip Thursday's run, the weather went fantastic. Saturday started out nicely chilly and I went out for 18 miles and stopped at 7.4. I just wasn't feeling good from my recent bout with sickness, which I refused to give in to. But I suppose I did with my run, and decided that it was better to stop than to run myself the rest of the way to sickness.

Normally today would have been a day off, but the weather was way too nice to resist. I ran 8 miles in the sun in about 60-degree temperatures. And I felt so much better than yesterday, too. I tried to run at a pace that felt good and found I was running too fast. Or at least that's what my Garmin said. The last mile I finally throttled it down to closer to 10-minute miles as opposed to the 9-minute or better pace I'd been running. I found out later that this was the first day an American has won the NYC Marathon since 1982, and that means it was a really good day for runners all over the country.

Stupid Deer

This is the second time in a week I've seen deer standing by the sidewalk while I ran. Today I saw two of them and thought they were going to run into the traffic on Flintlock. Fortunately they scampered back into the woods. What pests.

I ran 7.6 miles total, with 6 miles at marathon pace. I kept it as close to 9-minute miles as possible and was mostly successful. The weather was cool and the sky was overcast, and I briefly considered not going out, but I thought this was definitely a possibility for how the weather could be on race day, so I went. Not really much of a choice, was it?

Crisp Fall Day

The weather was a little cooler than I thought it was going to be when I set out for my run dressed in a thin, long-sleeve athletic shirt and shorts. But I warmed up a couple of miles into it and the breeze wasn't too bad. I went 6 miles and kept throttling back to keep it closer to ten-minute miles. It was a nice evening. The sun sure does seem to be going down earlier, though.

14 MIles in Three Acts

This was definitely not the normal way I'd run 14 miles. First, I headed out the door at 6 a.m. for a 5-mile warmup. Then at 8 a.m. I ran in a 5k race that is a benefit for our neighbors. They have two children who have Osteogenesis Imperfecta, better known as brittle bone disease. A gym in Liberty sponsors a race that contributes to the OI foundation and several of our neighbors were there. This was the second year for the race, and this year I won (really?) the 5k in 25:05. If there'd been any 17-year-olds from the high school track team they would have kicked my rear, but at least I beat my 13-year-old. Which is good, becuase in a couple of years I'll be that much closer to middle age and she'll be way ahead of me.

After we returned home I ran another 6 miles in order to complete the mileage I needed for today. Since I missed my run on Thursday, not only did I get in my mileage today, but I also fit in a speed workout. Not the way I'd do it every time, but for today it seemed to work.

9 Miles on Dead Legs

The legs felt dead tonight and it was a struggle, but I decided I wasn't going to give up. I ran a mile for warm-up, and then 7 miles at marathon pace. That pace ended up being close to 9 minutes/mile until the last few, which were in the 8:30 range. To finish it off I ran a mile for cooling down. I think maybe I've been eating too much junk food, such as a cinnamon roll at work this morning. But it was for a fundraiser, so you can't fault me for that, right? Yeah, I need to lay off and eat healthier.

The Weatherman Was Actually Correct

How often does that happen? Today the sun was out and the temperature was just right at about 70 degrees. I ran 6 miles and enjoyed every minute of it. I don't usually run with my phone, but there was a production problem at work today and I received a call that all was good to go about 20 minutes into the workout. Lots of people out walking, running, and biking today, which was appropriate given the beautiful weather. Now if it would only stay this way.

Waiting for the Sun

Another cold and breezy Saturday morning run here in middle America. Today was the KC Marathon, but I ran my own course here by the house and opted to save the money this time around. I ran 13.1 miles like I would have if I'd gone to the race. I started out very slow and it took me a while to warm up. I went from 11-minute miles to sub-8:30 by the end of my run. The sun almost poked through a couple of times, but it seems a little shy after being out of sight for so long. The temperature is supposed to climb back to the 60's by tomorrow, which will be a nice change and a little more reasonable. I can hardly wait.

Twilight Run

Cloudy still, and don't think I've seen the sun all week. Ran 8 miles today that included four mile-long intervals at 7:30 pace or less. Once again I ran up to Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, but this time I only did two turns around the parking lot. Once again the temperature was in the low 40's with a little bit of a breeze. Today I didn't wear the ear warmers, though, and that turned out okay. Apparently the boy saw the knit gloves I wear sometimes when running, and thought it was amazing that I could get such small gloves on my hands. I thought that was amusing.

What a Day to Run

The temperature is in the low 40's and mist was falling during today's run. As soon as I finished and started walking up the hill for my regular cooldown, it started raining a little harder, and by the time I was done warming up with a nice hot shower it was actually raining steady. Today was a 7-mile marathon pace run all wrapped up in a total of 8.5 miles. I ran up to Pleasant Valley Baptist Church and circled their parking lot six times since it was fairly level. I planned on keeping up a pace of at least 9 minutes/mile, but ended up with an average pace of 8:23/mile. It seems weird to be wearing my tights under the running pants and layering shirts, but the weather is forcing my hand. I started off wearing my rose-colored lenses but they kept fogging up the latter half of the run so on the third lap I ended up taking them off. This felt much more like a late November run than it did mid-October. Guess I'll blame global warming again.

Keeping it Slow

Today my goal was to keep it slow. After Saturday's run and into yesterday, I had a little pain on the outside of my right kneecap. I probably should have iced it but never got around to it. The pain was never very bad, but it just seemed kind of odd. So I was very conscientious about running very slow and trying to keep in mind running with good form. I was successful on the first goal, with my average pace for the 6-mile run at 10:40/mile. We'll see tomorrow morning if I was able to meet the second goal.

Is Winter Here?

The temperature went down to the mid-30's last night, and was around 40 degrees when I went out for today's long run. I was planning on going 15 miles, but ended up doing only 10. The wind was blowing nicely out of the north, and even though I felt strong and considered continuing, I decided I was tired of the wind. Yes, I wussed out again. But today is my anniversary, so I can do whatever I want. Within reason, of course, and that included cutting my run short.

I've registered for the marathon in Memphis, which I believe is on December 5th. Guess I'm committed now.

Windy Hills

Today's 6.6 miles was almost too cool. I think the last vestiges of summer are blowing over the horizon. Today was hill repeat day, and despite the breeze it went very well. I take hills as a challenge and attack them, so I actually enjoy workouts like this. I ran a couple of miles of warmup before getting into the heart of the routine. On my way back I ran into a lady we used to go to church with and who is about 60 years old - might have mentioned her on here before. She won her age group in the KC Zoo Run as well as the Hospital Hill Run, and she is planning on running a marathon in Olathe (I think) at the end of November. She's quite the runner. Of course it'll probably be that long for me before I can win my age group. Sad when you have to rely on attrition to thin the field.

Windy Fall Run

Ran 6 easy miles, and actually kept it pretty easy today. I think the lack of sleep while camping caught up to me since I felt like going slow and keeping it that way. There was also a very stiff breeze threatening to turn cooler. I enjoyed it all, though, and it certainly beats running in high heat and humidity. I sweated a little more than I thought I would for such a cool temperature, but maybe it was a little more humid than I thought. Or maybe my body was telling me to go slow since it was worn out. Whatever.

One thing I forgot to mention from Saturday's run was that I went the whole 12 miles without fluids or gel. I had done the same the weekend before when running 10 miles, so thought I'd try it at a little bit shorter distance. The temperature was cool so I didn't miss it and didn't suffer any ill complications. I certainly wouldn't try it during higher temps, and I'll take something during the coming weekend's 15-miler, but it was an interesting experiment that seemed to work. I think of it as getting my body used to a little more stress and hopefully that will pay off.

Break from Camping

We're camping this weekend, but the boy had a birthday party in town. So I brought him in and ran while he went to the party. It was extremely nice to take a nice, long hot shower after being out in the cold wind all day yesterday and today. I almost cut the run short just to have more time out of the wind, but told myself no excuses today. I ran the full12 miles and did a little exploring since I didn't really have a set route. Ran through a nice neighborhood by the golf course and discovered there's a club house set back there. Nice looking homes, and also look expensive. I'll just be content with enjoying the view as I run past.

Another Great Fall Day

Ran 7.6 miles today, including 6 miles at "marathon pace." I tried to keep it at or below 9 minutes/mile and was largely successful. The weather was just above brisk, the sun was shining, and the breeze was stiff from the northwest. It was a great day for a run! As with the hill run on Tuesday, this one also had some good hills. I went up to the big church, which is a nice big hill, and I'm trying to concentrate better on the downhill parts of my runs. This is so I don't have calf-cramping problems as I did in my last race. I hope.

Hills

Today's plan called for 7 miles of hills, so that's what I ran. Of course, that's all there is around here. If the plan said '7 miles level' then that would be something. I ran up to 291, down through Brentwood, over to Flintlock and Shoal Creek Elementary, and then back home. That was plenty of hills. Saw the Liberty boys' cross country team out for a run, and I think they were probably running a little faster than me. Just a guess, though, since they were running the opposite direction from me.

Running Faster

Again today was an easy run, but my pace was a little faster than normal. My Garmin buddy clocked me at an average pace of less than 9:30/mile for the 6 miles I ran. That's not a whole lot quicker than the 10-minute pace I usually shoot for, but it still makes me think it's easier to run faster in the cooler weather. Hopefully that bodes well for the Memphis Marathon since the average temp there on race day is in the mid-40's.

The only drawback to what was otherwise a perfect running day was huge clouds of gnats along Shoal Creek Parkway. Portions of it are still pasture for cows, and apparently it was Gnats' Night Out. I switched to the east side of the street on the way back to the neighborhood, and that was a little better. I might avoid that route for the next few runs.

Autumn Running

The fall sure arrived suddenly. The past couple of runs have been in really nice weather. Thursday I ran 6 miles in the late afternoon. This was a run I really needed after playing Dr. Phil at work. I felt like I was still stretching it out from the race, with some stiffness remaining in my hips. Friday I did my exercises at home with ankle weights, and that seems to have helped today on my long run.

This morning I ran 10 miles under a nice cool overcast sky. My hips felt better and I kept a pretty good pace for a "long" run, with my average time coming in at 9:14/mile according to my Garmin. That's faster than I would normally pace it for a Saturday, but I think the cooler weather makes it feel okay. I headed out the door at about 9:30 a.m., and let me just say that it was nice to NOT have to get up at the butt-crack of dawn or before in order to beat the heat. No wonder spring and fall are my favorite seasons.

Autumn is Here

Beautiful first day of fall. 5.7 miles easy. Perfect.

Running in St. Louis

These were my first runs since the race, and they were alongside the Mighty Mississippi. Saturday the 19th Alan and I ran 4 miles. It was a nice morning, and the stench from the industrial areas was awful. It's too bad the Riverfront Trail runs through such an unpicturesque setting, because otherwise this would be a great trail. That doesn't stop us from running it, though, and it was a nice level path to ease me back into running again.

On Sunday morning, Alan's 48th birthday, we went 8 miles. The weather was overcast and drizzling, with some periods of heavier rain. It was an easy run, though, and I love running in the rain. We went through the park and right by the Gateway Arch on our way to the trail. Alan did pretty well for a guy that old, and it's amazing to see how far we've both come in our running. A couple of years ago he could barely run 4 miles, and now it's no problem to go twice that and more. My hips were slightly sore, but that's to be expected as I get back into the swing of things. Very little pain and stiffness, which is actually a surprise considering how badly I hurt after the race.

Race Post-Mortem

This is one marathon I'll never forget. Depending on who you listen to, the Heart of America Marathon in Columbia, MO, is one of the toughest courses in North America, if not the toughest. One person said that the only ones that are tougher are any that are actual mountain courses. After today, I'm a believer.

First, the official statistics. The temperature was great at around 60 degrees, and the sun never showed during the race. However, I'd estimate the humidity at 80-85% based on the fog at the beginning of the race and which never totally burned off. More on that later. My time according to Garmin, which was right on with the pace announcers during the race, was 4:18:30. And I was fortunate to come in that fast.

Let's start with yesterday. On the drive to Columbia, my front left tire blew out at 70 mph on I-70. Not a fun experience, let me just say. As my dad said tonight, that probably took a little of the adrenaline out of my system that I could have used today. It took awhile to get to sleep, as usual the night before a race, and then the idiots in the room above at the hotel came in at midnight and tromped around like circus elephants. I awoke at 5 and headed over to the starting line at 5:30. I met a guy named Todd from Chicago who is running a marathon in all 50 states, and he's done 28 so far. Cool.

The race started in the dark and the fog, and the organizers had provided blinking red lights to everyone so no one would get hit by a car. As far as I know their plan worked. Since it was dark I didn't wear my new Bolle prescription glasses until about the sixth mile, but I will say it was sure nice to be able to see clearly during a race. The first half of the race was mostly downhill, with a few small hills. These downhill slopes were to prove my undoing later on.

I remember realizing about two miles in that I was sweating. That seemed odd to me since the temperature was so low, and it was then that I realized how humid it was. I tried to maintain a 9-minute/mile pace and was mostly successful with that during the first half. At mile seven the course turned down a country road that was largely under a canopy of overhanging old trees. It was very nice, but for at that point my legs felt heavy and I was having trouble maintaining pace without conscious thought. Again, I realized the humidity was having a negative effect. A little later we ran beside the Missouri River, and the scenery was great with the fog and placid water.

Right about the halfway point on this course there is a hill. Or maybe a mountain. It's referred to as Easley Hill, and it was a beast. I don't know if anyone can actually run the hill. Some of the organizers were talking to people in front of me and they said even the race leaders walked the hill. It's the kind of slope that would be awesome if it was covered with snow and you were sledding down it. On second thought, it would actually be too dangerous for that. I joined the crowd and walked the hill.

From then on it was figuratively all downhill. A few miles later I started experiencing calf cramps, a result of all the downhill running. I've had that happen before, most notably in Alamogordo on a training run. It took a couple of times for me to realize why it was happening. Yeah, oxygen-deprived brain and all - go ahead, make fun of me. Once I arrived home and plugged in the Garmin, I counted about a dozen times that I had to stop and walk off a cramp, not counting water stations. It was incredibly frustrating. After all those starts and stops I finally levelled out at Mile 24 and finished without having to walk.

Usually cramps are an indication of not being hydrated enough, but I don't think that was the case since I drank plenty yesterday as well as during the race. Let me just say I was extremely glad to cross the finish line. I certainly feel like I earned this medal.

I also think of this as the Roadkill Marathon. I can't count the number of possums I saw splattered on the pavement, as well as older roadkill by the sides of the road. I feel sorry for anyone who ran this and had a week stomach.

At the finish I grabbed a bagle and plenty to drink. After two bites the bagel turned mealy and I was done, but the Gatorade was good. This race had a couple of big plastic tubs filled with ice water, so I doffed my socks and shoes and sat in the water for 7-8 minutes. Man, that felt good. So did the extremely hot shower back at the hotel. I think I must have stood under the shower head for thirty minutes.

At the end of the day I'm tired and a little bit sore. After leaving the hotel I went to Ace Hardware and bought some wire so I could keep a bundle of wires from rubbing against the left front tire, and then I ate at Hardee's as a nice treat. Tonight we had steak and shrimp, aka surf 'n' turf, as well as some ice cream my lovely wife bought to celebrate the finish.

I know that when they experience a race that's somewhat of a letdown some people make plans to go back next year and do better. I'm not one of those people. I enjoyed the organization of the race, including the pre-race buffet and program, but I'm content to say that I've run and finished one of the toughest courses around and to leave it at that. I certainly wouldn't say it was a fun race with all the cramping I experienced, but I sure did learn a few lessons. I'm looking forward to the next race in November where if conditions are right I hope to set a PR.

2x800

Thought I'd try this interval workout just to see how it goes. Saw it in last month's Runner's World magazine and figured it was appropriate for the last real workout before the race. I ran 2 miles, then ran 800 meters fast (my pace was 6:40/mile), ran 15 minutes slow, then ran 800 meters all-out (pace of 6:07), then back to the house at a cooldown pace to finish out at 6 miles total. It was kind of fun, and different, and I discovered I can't run that fast for much longer than the three minutes or so it takes to run 800 meters.

Tomorrow will be a short easy run, and then on to a few days of rest before the Labor Day race. I'm starting to get pumped up and ready to go. Bring on the hills of Columbia!

Running Fast

This is why we're not supposed to do speed work two days in a row. Today it went okay, but I detected a little sluggishness left over from yesterday's run. I ran 6 miles and included 15 minutes of tempo running. I managed to get the tempo around 8 minutes/mile, so all things considered that was an achievement. The temperature was nice again, with a cool breeze. It's so much easier to run when the temperature isn't in the 90's.

The forecast for Monday is still showing a high of 80. Hopefully I'm done running before it gets that warm. The low for Sunday night is 59, and that would be nice.

So Much for an Easy Run

It was supposed to be an easy 5-miler, but it didn't really turn out that way. The temperature was cool, almost too cool with the breeze when I started out, but it was great for running. The Garmin says my average pace was 9:21 per mile, and looking at the chart I can see my pace was very erratic. I tried to keep it slow, but it just wasn't going to happen. With exactly one week to go until the race I thought I'd see how an "easy" run would feel at a little faster pace, and it was a very good run.

One week out and the weather forecast is predicting a low of 60 and a high of 80 and mostly cloudy. Boy, they just don't know, do they?

Last Long Run

Feels like this training has been up and down, but maybe that's just all the hills. This morning was awesome for running. The temp was about 60 degrees, and the sun was shining but had that early autumn feel. Plus the intermittent clouds broke it up nicely. I started down Shoal Creek and ended up exploring a little bit. For instance, I didn't realize there was a police academy (not the movie) just 5 miles away from here. On this out-and-back route I went 10 miles and came home to some pancakes and bacon. Not a bad final long run before the race, which is now only nine days away! The long-range forecast now says the low temp will be 64 and will warm up to 88 degrees on the day of the race. I think that's a little warmer than they were advertising a few days ago. Not a good trend.

Smooth Ride

Continuing the car metaphors, today went much better. I told myself when I went out that I was going to have a stronger run, and sure enough. I went 6.4 miles with 2-4-6-4-2 fartleks. The first four- minute interval was actually more like three since I didn't hear my Garmin chime after the first two minutes. The clouds looked like they were threatening rain, but the actual storms had moved off far to the east. The temperature was great and it's expected to stay very nice for the next few days. That helped since in my last interval I tried to keep the pace at sub-6 minutes/mile and was mostly successful. One more long run and then it's tapering time for real.

Flat Tire

Bleah. You'd think I'd learn not to run in hot weather. But I never do, and I tried to do mile repeats today. I did one, at a reduced pace, and then walked a half-mile before jogging back home. Legs felt bad, never did get into a good rhythm, and just plain stupid for not waiting until later in the evening. 5.3 miles overall. What an idiot I am sometimes.

Clicking on All Cylinders

Tonight's 6-mile easy run was great. Nice breeze to keep the temperature down and still an autumn-like afternoon. Definitely atypical for 24 August in Missouri, but I'll take it. The run was indeed easy, and I noticed that the hills I normally don't look forward to actually weren't that difficult. In fact, after I ran a couple of them I had to think back and ask myself if I'd actually run them. I suppose that's a good sign.

Last Really Long Run

...before the race in a couple of weeks. I ran 15 miles this morning starting at 6 o'clock. And if the weather is like this on race day, I will be a happy man. The past few days have had a feeling of autumn about them, but I have a feeling that's about to end. Nevertheless, this morning's temperature was probably around 60 degrees and didn't get much higher than that, even when the sun came up. A few other people were out walking and running, but not as many as I thought there would be. Even saw a couple of women jogging together in long-sleeve shirts and long pants. Personally I didn't think it was that cold.

This wasn't one of my strongest runs, but I'm feeling pretty good as the race draws near. I keep running lots of hills, especially on a long run like today. It'd be nice if I was overprepared for the hills in the race, but I doubt that'll be the case. Today's pace was right at 10 minutes/mile, which was just right. The past two weeks on my long runs I have purposefully kept from looking at my pace until the last mile and ran by how I felt instead of by the numbers. I think it worked out better that way.

Nice Tempo

Today was a great day for running. A stiff breeze out of the west but not too bad, a mix of sunshine and clouds, and a temperature of 70 degrees. I ran 6.7 miles and included 30 minutes of tempo running. During that time I went 3.65 miles and kept the pace at 8 minutes or below most of the time. All in all it was a good tempo, especially considering I've been up since 4 a.m. due to the dog. I felt like taking a nap when I got home, but I told myself to treat it like I was running at 6:30 instead of 5 p.m. Guess I'm good at fooling myself since it worked.

Killer Hills

I went for the challenge today - Yasso 800's on the hilliest route around here. I went 6.8 miles total with 6x800. I could have chosen a flatter route, but that's all relative. The point of these intervals is to run the 800 meters at the pace you want for your marathon. So if my goal is to run a marathon in 3 hours and 40 minutes, I should run the 800 meters in 3 minutes and 40 seconds. That translates to a 7:20 pace on my Garmin, and for the most part that's what I ran. Interval #4 was a little slower due to a long hill, but I still managed to keep it 8:30 and lower. #5 was the steepest hill but I did better on that one because the first part of the interval was downhill. And let's just that after #6 I was ready to stop, but after walking for about 15 seconds I went ahead and jogged the last half mile. Slowly.

Boy, this speedwork on the hills better pay off or I'll be cranky. And nobody wants that.

Wet Air

The temperature was great, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds a few times, and the air was saturated from the rains that soaked us all morning. When I returned from my 6-mile run my neighbors commented on how sweaty I was since the evening was so mild. Other than the humidity, the run went nice and easy. I stretched out some lingering sore spots from Saturday's long run, but nothing too bad.

It's amazing how my body's response has changed in the past couple of years. When I was at this point in my first training plan I thought I was going to die. Now it seems routine. Sure, I have my bad runs (see the Saturday before this last one) and I won't say a 20-mile run is easy, but now that I've done it several times my body doesn't rise up in revolt as before.

Made the hotel reservation for the night before the race, so I'm all in now. The hotel close to the finish line had a bunch of bad reviews online, so I went with the one close to the start. It's also where I pick up my packet and the location for the pre-race pasta dinner, which I also signed up for. Should be a good time.

Running With My Back Against the Wall

That's what I kept telling myself this morning. With a shortened "long" run last Saturday and only three weeks until the race, this was it. I was up against the wall and if I didn't have a good run then the race would be really tough. So I went out with that attitude and had a good, strong run. I ran a lot of hills, which should come in handy in Columbia. The weather for this 20-miler was great. I started at about 5:15 a.m. in the dark, and when the sun came up it was mostly overcast. The sun poked through the clouds a few times, but nothing major.

This was also my first run with my Bolle sunglasses and insert. Yesterday I picked up the prescription insert from eye doctor. When I stopped by the house at about mile seven I put on the sunglasses. Wow, it was so incredibly nice to be able to see when running! I've been doing this for about six years now, and other than the rare occasion when I wear my regular glasses I usually wear non-prescription sunglasses. Since my lenses are so funky having sunglasses made would have resulted in something I wouldn't have been happy with. The ladies at the eye doctor recommended the Bolle with the insert, and they work great. I am very pleased with the outfit. I would say I wish it had been sunnier this morning just to see how great they actually work, but I'd be lying. I know I'll have plenty of opportunity to check them out.

More of the Same

Another supposed 10-miler that turned into a 6.5 mile run. I got up fairly early and did three mile repeats. Once again about an hour was all I could take of the warmer weather. I'm thinking the high-mileage plan might work better during winter, but then again it's so bitterly cold at times that breathing in the cold dry air for 90 minutes probably isn't a good idea. I painted a lot today, and with the long run coming up on Saturday I need to take it a little easier tomorrow. I probably won't, but I'll try.

High Mileage

Maybe a high-mileage plan isn't the thing for me. The total this week is supposed to be 46 miles, and today was supposed to include 10 of that. Or maybe it's just the hot weather that is keeping me from it. I went 6.5 miles, almost 5 of that was at "marathon pace." I tried to keep it at about 9 minutes/mile, but it was tough. At one point I was going too fast, and then other times I was going about a half-minute too slow. I ran on Shoal Creek and tried to stay in the shade. I don't know, maybe it's just too much to expect to run 90 minutes or more on a weeknight.

Much Better Run

Even though this was just an easy 6-mile run, it went much better. The temperature was in the mid-80's. It rained earlier in the afternoon, but the clouds had cleared by the time I headed out the door. Still not too bad since I kept the pace at about 11 minutes per mile and intentionally took it easy. With the race four weeks from today it's time to bear down and make sure I have good workouts, especially this week since Saturday is my last long run, the always-fun 20-miler.

What a Weenie

Got out of bed before dawn cracked this morning and was on the road by 5:30. Usually it takes a couple of miles for me to warm up, but this morning that never seemed to happen. I didn't sleep good last night, either. When I came back to the house at 7 miles to pick up my sports drink, I decided to go ahead and pack it in. Yes, I weenied out in a big way. My "long" run this week was shorter than my two speed-work runs. I'm considering this my normal bad run during the training plan as well as a week to back off and decrease miles before increasing again next week. At least that's what I'm going with this time around.

More Yasso 800s

Went a total of 7.6 miles with 6x800 repeats. Again I waited until the sun was going down and it paid off. Interesting note, though, from the Garmin. On the last couple of repeats it shows my heart rate was 99% of max. I suppose I should find out if that's good or bad.

Evening Run

The moon is shining, and the temperature is still 80 degrees at 9:20 p.m. Today I ran a total of 8.4 miles, which include a 1-mile warmup, 7 miles at marathon pace, and a little less than half mile of cooldown. My average pace for marathon pace was 8:40 per minute according to my little Garmin friend. I think I'm going to pay for the 32 ounces of sports drink I just drank right before bedtime, though.

I Earned That Six Miles

The temperature when I got home from the run was 92 degrees, according to Yahoo! weather. The 'feels like' temperature was 97. That was at 7 p.m., and I'm not sure the temperature had gone down any since when I started the run an hour earlier. I took the water bottle with me and used probably half of it on my head. These runs wouldn't be so bad except for the neighborhood. And I don't mean the neighborhood itself is bad, but as I've lamented before, we just don't have any shade. It took a full 3.5 miles on today's route before I hit some shade, and then the last mile was in the direct sunlight again. I think that's what wears a person down more than anything. If I had more consistent shade on the run it would have been a lot easier. Today was 'only' six miles, and even though I deliberately kept the pace slow, it sure felt like more.

Another Nice Sunday Morning

Ran 16 miles this morning. The pre-dawn quiet is so nice and peaceful, I could run in it forever. For whatever reason, I was in an exploring mood today. Most times I head out the door I know the exact route I'm going to run, but today I felt like going...wherever. My normal laps of the neighborhood are 2.5 miles. Our neighborhood is now connected to the one east of us, so I extended my laps, making them about 3.5 miles. I ran two of those, stopped by the house to strap on the fuel belt, wound through a few streets I rarely run, and then down to the town homes. I had just started down that street when I heard a yappy dog barking up ahead. Deciding I didn't care to run the gauntlet of annoying dogs that live in that area, I turned around and exited the neighborhood up to Pleasant Valley Baptist Church. For the final five miles or so I ran down Shoal Creek Parkway and back.

On my running schedule I had 16 miles listed for today, but my Garmin beeped at me when I hit the15-mile mark. Apparently when I revised my schedule I didn't update my electronic training calendar. I felt like I got a bonus extra mile off the error. Not necessarily the way I'd normally do it, but I felt good this morning so it wasn't a big deal.

During one of my westbound runs on 96th Street a lady on a bike came up behind me and asked if I was training for the KC Marathon. I told her I was training for Columbia. She said it was listed as one of the Top 5 toughest marathons in the country due to the hills. She's run 42 marathons and normally runs in the 3:30 range. The Heart of America race she finished at just over 4 hours. Guess I won't setting a PR in this one. At least I train on some steep hills. Guess we'll see how that works for me in about a month.

Mile. Rinse. Repeat.

Did four mile repeats tonight. And the weather was perfect. The temperature was 73 degrees, the sun was shining, and there was a nice breeze. I'm loving this summer weather. It was hot a few weeks ago, and it will probably warm up again, but it's sure been nice lately. In total I went 10 miles with four mile repeats. I was hoping to get down to about 7 minutes/mile on at least one of the repeats, and on the first one I went about a third of a mile at a sub-7 minute pace. Looking at the map on the Garmin display I can see that it was in a downhill portion of the route. Not a surprise there. All in all I thought tonight's run went well.

Marathon Pace

The day was overcast, working in my favor to get out and run before the sun set. The schedule said 9 miles total, with 1-mile warmup, 7 miles at marathon pace, and a 1-mile cooldown. In total I went 7.7 miles, with 6 of that being marathon pace. I'm still getting used to this higher mileage program. Thursday calls for a 10-mile run, with a 16-mile long run on the weekend. Wow. Not sure how I feel about running for over an hour and a half during the week. Today's run actually went very well, although the hills were killer. I cut it short just because I didn't want to wear myself out, knowing what's coming the rest of the week. The wife's triathlon is this Saturday, so looks like my long run will be on Sunday again. That's not a big deal, and I think she'll do better this year than last. Go wife!

Overcast

I was going to head out about 7:45 tonight to avoid the worst of the heat, but some clouds rolled in and I decided to go early. I left about 6:40 and got in my 6 miles easy. The humidity was a little bad at times, but without the sun beating down it was okay. Even though my long run was yesterday I still felt all right. Seems like last week I had a few runs where my legs felt tired, but I blame that on the heat. Tonight was good.

Sunday Run

Not much to say about this morning's 12-mile run, other than I woke up real early and completed the run before the temperature rose too high. The first 45 minutes or so were in the twilight right before the sun rises, so that was a nice change. Looks like I'll need to run late in the evenings or early in the mornings for the foreseeable future.

Friday Night Heat

7 miles in the early evening heat. This was my first time to run Yasso 800's, which I picked up from an issue of Runner's World. In this workout you run 2 miles of warmup, then repeat 800m fast + 400m cooldown six times, and then finish with 2 miles of cooldown. I tried to run the 800's six times, but on the fourth one I had to walk because of the heat and the hills. Plus I ended up cutting the final cooldown by over a mile, so not the most auspicious start to the new workout. I don't know if it was the stress of the week at work, not getting good sleep, eating dinner about an hour and a half before the run, or just the heat, but it was a tough workout all around. I'm going to do my long run on Sunday morning, and I'm thinking about getting up very early to avoid the heat and humidity as much as I can.

Hill Repeats

Tonight was the first night I've done hill repeats, and yet it was still somewhat familiar. Must be because there are so many hills in the area. I found a hill in the neighborhood and ran halfway up and down three times. The next phase was to run all the way to the top, down halfway, and sprint the rest of the way down three times. Then a repeat of the first phase, halfway up and down three times. This was preceded by a couple of miles of warmup and cooldown for a total of 6.8 miles.

About 4.5 miles into the run a front came through and cleared out all the clouds. It was interesting because it had been threatening rain early in the run. The line between clouds and blue sky was clearly defined, and it was cool how quickly the clouds moved south.

Alan told me today he wouldn't be running the marathon with me on Labor Day due to some pain behind his knee. Quitter.

Drizzly

A light rain and 72 degrees for tonight's easy run, and just like Saturday it was perfect running weather. I went 6 miles and kept it nice and easy. No iPod in the rain, but that's okay since I got all my deep thinking out of the way and can now rest easy tonight.

Deciding Factors

As I was running 15 miles this morning, I determined there were two deciding factors in the success of that run. First of all, the weather was absolutely perfect. When I finished the temperature was 67 degrees. You can't beat that for a mid-July run. I started out a little after seven o'clock, and even though the sun was up and the sky was clear for the whole outing, it wasn't as brutal as it had been earlier this week. Thank God for awesome weather!

The second deciding factor was that I felt better in my upper body. This is the first week in a long while where I've been able to do my dumbbell exercises all three times (M-W-F) as well as my ankle weight exercises. When I'm able to get those exercises in, my upper body feels better and is less prone to breakdown and fatigue, which ultimately affects my run. It was nice to feel good again in that respect, and with baseball and softball season finally finished I should be able to keep up the schedule.

A couple of Garmin notes: Apparently I had left it on and not sitting on its cradle between Tuesday and Thursday, so on my Thursday run I couldn't take it with me due to the low battery. I now know I have to make sure it's off when not in use. Also, when my run is finished and I've reached the target, it stops and won't continue. I was interested in continuing today after my 15 miles so I could see how my heart rate declined and the length of time it took to do so. There might be a way to keep it going, but after pressing a few buttons I discovered I sure don't know what the method is. Guess I need to read the manual some more. Again, I still like the device and was kind of bummed I didn't have it on Thursday. But I ran without it before, and I'll run without it again if I have to.

That's More Like It

Waited a little later today to head out the door, and it paid off. Seems like every day this week it's been overcast until I leave work, at which point the sun breaks out and starts baking the ground, releasing all the humidity into the air. Ugh. I left the house about 6:45 tonight and the evening was much milder than the two sessions earlier this week. I ran a mile warm-up, then 5 miles at "marathon pace", and then a little over a mile cooldown for just over 7 miles total. The "marathon pace" wasn't quite as fast as I would have liked. I feel like I'm in recovery from Monday and Tuesday's runs. Even though the temperature was in the upper 70's, there was stiff wind from the north. The recover part of the run felt like I was going in slow motion. No complaints here, though. I'll take that over 100 degree heat index any day.

Hot, Hot, Hot, Again

89 degrees, feels like 99. 7 miles of hills which turned into 6.5 miles with a few walks. Even less to say about it than last night.

Hot, Hot, Hot

The sky was overcast all day. Until, of course, I left work and was ready to run. The temp was in the low 90's and not as humid as Saturday, but the sun beating straight down on me was brutal. I ran 6 miles slooooooooow, and somehow made it that far. And that's all I have to say about that.

Oppressive Humidity

Yes, I used the word oppressive. The temperature wasn't too bad this morning at just below 80 degrees, but the humidity was about 90%. Really, rain would have felt much better. I saw the wife biking and jogging, and I'm proud of her for getting out in this weather. I left from the house about 7:20 a.m. and I don't think leaving earlier would have helped that much. When I came in the door after my run the wife told me I looked terrible. The honesty was nice, because I sure felt terrible.

I planned on going 13 miles today, but that didn't happen. As I made the turn onto the hills of Flintlock at mile 9, I tried picturing myself coming back up those hills at about mile 11.5. My mental picture included a lot of walking. The humidity just saps the strength from my legs. I hydrated and kept it slow, at about 11 minutes/mile, but nonetheless I was just glad to finish 10.5 miles. Whew, what a day. I seem to be running slower since I got the Garmin, but I think that's more a result of the heat than of the watch.

Hot and Beeping

91 degrees was the temperature when I returned home from my run today. Even though I took a frozen sports drink in my handy-dandy plastic bottle, it wasn't enough. I was going to run for 6 miles and do 2-3-4-3-2 fartleks. Instead I ran 5 miles and did 2-3 fartleks. Ugh. The "feels like" temperature was 97 degrees. Walked for about six minutes in there at about mile four. Should have been smart enough to just stay home. But at least I didn't press it and so I live to run another day.

I learned that I need to change some settings when I create a workout on the Garmin. I put in an expected pace for each part of the fartleks, and I found that the Garmin beeps at you every 15 seconds or so if you're not in the right zone for that part of the run. Yeah, I'm not going to keep doing that. Especially after I pooped out and walked and then ran slow the rest of the way home. Let's just say the constant beeping was annoying. I know I could have pressed the lap button and proceeded to the "cooldown" phase of the workout, but my overheated brain didn't quite catch that concept. Guess I'm still learning.

Nice Run, Quick Update

After the boy's baseball game tonight I went out for the first speedwork session since my last race. As always it felt good to stretch out, and I included an 18-minute tempo run in my 6 miles. I ran about marathon pace, and also learned how to use the lap function on my Garmin. Very cool. Not sure about the heart rate readings, though. I'll have to do some more studying on that.

Ode to a Nike+iPod

Dear Nike+iPod,

I apologize for ever doubting you. I thought since you were mainly a pedometer that you would be fickle and tell me what I wanted to hear. Yes, Randy, you're running at a nice, fast pace. Great long run, Randy, I'll add on an extra tenth of a mile to make you feel better. That was so shallow of me to think the worst of you, and I wonder if you can ever forgive me.

As you know, I have a new friend. Garmin is a precise GPS accessory. Now don't worry too much. I'll still take you on my runs. I could never drop you like a trashy date who suddenly developed an interest in my brother's tonsils. You mean much more to me than that. But my new friend has proved that you were right all along. Today I took both of you out on a run. When I compared the readings from both of you, you were right there with the state-of-the-art precision GPS. Why did I ever doubt you?

Even though today's run was only 5 miles, I promise to take you out soon for longer runs. We'll frolic over the hills and through the neighborhood like we used to do before Garmin came around. I know it's tough to run in the heat like we did today, but we had the Old 97's accompanying us on the iPod, and really, it doesn't get much better than that. It'll be hotter later this week, but I know you'll be there for me. You always have been.

So ignore my past remarks and take them for what they're worth - the rantings of an oxygen-deprived mind. You're better than I gave you credit for. You're way better than a politician since you under-promised and over-delivered. Take pride in what you've done. And let's do some more running together, okay?

Your running buddy,
Randy

Meet the Garmin

Looking ahead at the next race and the training plan I've drawn up, I thought a little bit of training help would be appropriate. I thought about it all day Thursday and decided on my run that it was time to buy the Garmin Forerunner 305 I've been eying for several months. Right after the run I placed the order with Amazon and it arrived Friday afternoon.

This morning I went 10 miles. The sky was overcast, the clouds sprinkled on me a little bit, the humidity was a little high, but really not too bad a day for a run. I donned the heart monitor and punched in a 10-mile run on the Forerunner with a 10-minute/mile pace and headed out. I quickly discovered some pros and cons of this handy little device.

First of all, last night the wife was asking about a 10-mile course and I explained to her what route I was going to be running this morning. With the built-in GPS I discovered I was off a little bit. When I finished the Garmin rang up 10.02 miles. Nice to know my runs have been accurate up to this point.

Next I soon discovered that it would be so easy to be a slave to the numbers. On a long run like today's, I normally start sloooooow and when warmed up run at a little faster pace. My first couple of miles was at a pace of about 11 minutes/mile, way off what I was shooting for overall. If I'd sped up to match the pace I wanted I would have gone out too fast. I've already told myself that I need to run by how I'm feeling, not by what the number on the display tells me. I'm sure I will have to repeat this over and over, and no doubt there will be times when I forget this lesson. Happily my overall time was right at the pace I wanted. Thanks to the law of averaging for that.

Another thing I learned is that I speed up hills. Well, I already knew this, but the Garmin confirmed it for me big-time. My normal tempo was near ten minutes, but as I checked going up some of the hills on the route I could see I had sped up by thirty seconds to over a minute per mile in some cases. I'm not going to change the way I run up hills, but I thought it was interesting.

Coming home and plugging in the device and then being able to see my route, pace, heart rate, and elevation totally geeked me out. I remember I told myself when I started running several years ago that I wouldn't be one of those runners with all the expensive gadgets. Some promises were made to be broken, because this is totally cool. As I learn more about heart rate this feature will really help. I can also set up runs and have the Garmin cue me when to speed up or slow down. I have plenty to learn about this thing, but my first impression is that it will be money well spent and if I manage it correctly will help me with my training.

Another Hot Run

Almost 90 degrees by the thermometer and mid-90's by the heat index, this afternoon was sunny and hot again. Yesterday I almost left without a water bottle, and was glad I took one with me. Today there was never a question about it. I froze some water in my hand-held bottle. By the time the run was over it was completely thawed and becoming lukewarm. But I'll take it. It's MUCH better than running when the temperature is in single digits.

Today I ran 6 miles, nice and easy. That's the only way to do it on days like this. I was grateful for a little bit of shade on Shoal Creek Parkway. And even more grateful for the air conditioning when I arrived home. Whew!

Setting New Goals

Today was a nice easy 5.25 mile run to Target and back. Or more exactly, to Chipotle and back since that's the side of the street I was on. The temperature was 84 degrees, the sun was bright and hot, and it was a good day to get out.

Now that I've broken the four-hour mark in a race, I suppose I should set a goal for the next race. The Boston qualifying time for my age bracket is 3 hours and 20 minutes. That seems like a good goal, but not necessarily for the next race. That would be quite a jump, so I think it's better to try and get to that point in increments. With that in mind, my next goal is 3 hours and 45 minutes or better. That's still quite a bit faster than I've ever run, but I think it's attainable if I work at it. And without a goal, what's the point?

It's Time

Two weeks and change since the race, and it's time to get back into the groove for the next race. That happens to be on Labor Day in Columbia, MO, at another smaller race. It's nine weeks from today, I believe, and I've set up an ambitious training plan. This plan has a lot more mileage, especially in the speed work. It incorporates ideas from what I've done in the past as well as a training plan that was in the last Runner's World. I like the variety of the plan, which includes a few of the good ol' tempo runs and fartleks with the addition of hill repeats, mile repeats, and marathon pace runs. We'll see how much I like it once I get into it.

This week is nothing but easy runs to well, ease back into running after two weeks of recovery. Tonight was a 4.25 mile run, and overall it felt okay. It took about a mile and a half to get into a rhythm, but once I got there it was all good. Plus I'm wearing new shoes. Since the race I purchased another pair of Asics Gel Nimbus since they were on sale with the new model hitting stores. Running on newer shoes after pretty much wearing out my Cumulus felt good. But if history is a teacher I'll most likely have some knee pains due to the way my gait is changed with the newer tread. I'm hoping the time off will help with the adjustment.

Race Day Recap

My goal was to finish in less than four hours - and I did it with 56 seconds to spare. Let's say that if I was trying to manage my time in this race, the way I did it today wasn't really the best way to do it. But hey, whatever works.

Alan and I ran the Maryville Marathon in northwestern Missouri this morning. Maryville is a nice little town of about 10,000 people, and home to Northwestern Missouri State University. The field for the full marathon consisted of about 65 people. And since the town is so small, we had to do two loops of a 13.1 mile course, which included stretches of rolling hills. About three miles into the loop there were four hills in a row. On the first lap they weren't too bad, but on the second lap they were killers. On my second lap I saw one guy trying to stretch out some cramps on one of the hills. Alan and I ran the first lap together in 2:09 and change, an average of about 10 minutes per mile.

We couldn't have asked for better weather. The temperature was right around 60 degrees, overcast the whole time, and a slight breeze from the north. This was especially important since a major part of the course went south on Highway 71. If the day had been warmer and the wind from the south it would have been tough.

Since I had a goal, I kicked it in at the halfway point, left Alan behind, and ran the second lap a LOT faster. My negative split was 1:49 and change, for a finishing time of 3:59:04. I had moments of wanting to slow down, but I told myself I wasn't going to get weather any better than today. So I went through the highs and lows of running 13.1 miles without music or company. Fortunately I had worn my watch and figured out the time deadline. I probably did the four hills at the beginning too quick, but it all paid off in the end. The last four miles were tough since they went through neighborhoods and plenty of uphills. At mile 22 I started experiencing some calf cramps. I quickly figured they were due to running uphill since they subsided on the downhill side of a hill. They came and went but at that point I decided I wasn't going to stop.

Overall the marathon and the people running it were great. This was my first small-field marathon, and I enjoyed it. I told the ladies at the refreshment tent at the finish how happy I was to see them. They had food for the finishers of the full marathon, which was quite an upgrade over the much larger race I ran in April in Dallas. The folks manning the drink stops were great as well. I cracked up one lady about five miles into my second lap when I asked her if I was right behind the leaders.

I learned my lesson from the last race and walked around plenty after I finished so that I didn't experience calf cramps. It worked pretty well. I have the normal soreness you would expect after a long run like this, but nothing that won't go away after a day or two.

I'm happy to report Alan also finished, with a time of 4:22. This course had a lot more hills than he is used to, and he finished the last nine miles with a bloody toe, due of course to a burst blister. It was a very good time for a flatlander, and we were both pumped up pretty good after the race.

This was marathon number four for me. Guess it's time to figure out where to run number five, as well as to set a new goal now that I've broken the four-hour mark.

Topless

Thunderstorms rolled through the area this afternoon, dumping quite a bit of run in the neighborhood. When I got home from work it was pouring down nicely. I changed and went for a run, but by then it was only sprinkling. By the time I'd gone a couple of miles the rain had all but stopped. I went without a shirt, which I don't usually do because people think they've seen a pale white ghost on the sidewalk, since I thought it would be raining more than it did. If I remember correctly, the final run before my last race was in strong winds, kind of a foreshadowing of the actual race. I wonder it the same will hold true here?

I ran 5 miles total, with a 15-minute tempo run to stretch out the ol' legs. Unless something changes, I'll be taking off the next three days and then run with a fresh set of legs on Saturday.

Oh What a Day!

Absolutely beautiful - nice temperature, intermittent clouds, slight breeze - how could a person not run on day like today? It was perfect for an easy run, so that's exactly what I did. 5.5 miles and I kept the pace at about 10 minutes/mile. Plus my new issue of Runner's World finally came today. It's about time!

One Week to Go

Today was an interesting day. Daughter #1 and I were scheduled to do some volunteer work at eight this morning. Knowing that the plan was to do some outdoor work fixing a path at a local charity, as well as whatever else they needed, I figured that work would wear me out and running later in the day wouldn't happen. Accordingly, I woke up at 4:40 a.m. (on a Saturday!), and hit the road right about 5 o'clock. I ran my 10 miles, which seemed kind of like a short run, and then we went and did our work.

And it's true - I wouldn't have run after coming home from the work we did. But the two-hour nap was certainly justified.

More Fartleks

Today was fairly warm, in the upper 70's, and sunny. I ran 6.5 miles with 2-4-6-4-2 fartleks, and in spite of the weather I ran pretty free and easy with a pace near seven minutes per mile during the faster portions. When I started out my knees felt real gimpy and I started out slow. I think that's due to more sunflower seeds last night at baseball practice. Don't know why all the salt affects me that way, but it does.

When I was done, Tiger Woods came on my iPod and congratulated me on running another 250 miles. That kind of surprised me since I didn't even know he was keeping track.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

It wasn't really that dark when I went out this evening, but it was a little stormy. Fortunately there wasn't as much lightning as I expected - in other words there was none, otherwise I wouldn't have run. But there was a light drizzle. I had meetings today at the Federal Reserve Bank and then went to a nearby watering hole with some people from the meeting, but quickly bowed out so I could get home and run.

I ran 6 miles with a 26-minute bout of a tempo run. The temperature was cool and the tempo went well. I didn't take my iPod because of the rain, so I have no idea of the overall tempo. Based on how long I was out, though, I'd guess somewhere in the low 8-minute/mile range, which means my tempo run was at least that fast if not faster due to the slower warmup and cooldown that skewed the average pace higher. Not too bad for my last long tempo run before the race.

Running for Stress

So I'm coaching first base at the boy's baseball game tonight, and he's up to bat with runners in scoring position, two outs, and his team down by four runs. He strikes out looking without swinging at any of the three called strikes. Inning over. As a dad who's competitive and who has talked to the boy numerous times about swinging the bat, I was just a wee bit mad. Okay, I was a lot mad, but I walked through the dugout and didn't say a word to him. Just tucked him in and I still haven't said a word about it. But I did go for a run. And that's helped a little bit.

I ran a nice, easy 5 miles in the dusk of early summer. I was thinking about getting up early and running tomorrow morning, but I think I needed to run to get rid of some stress tonight instead of waiting. Plus it was nice and cool, and I couldn't resist.

Still Respecting the Distance

Before the last race I ran a 15-miler and had a hard time, learning to respect the distance. I had that in mind when I started out today, and I had a plan. The race in two weeks starts at 6:30 a.m. In the past I've tried to start at the race's start time so I'm used to running that early. Today I knew the sun would be out and it would be warm, but not terribly so. I started out at 7:30 so that I would be finishing about the time of day I expect to finish in a couple of weeks. That seemed to work pretty well, and I kept the pace slow since it was about endurance, being out in the sun, and remembering to hydrate.

The iPod sensor said I went 15.5 miles, and even though I planned on going an even 15, I'm sure going to claim that last half mile. Yesterday I worked downstairs on repairing trim, and then last night I helped with Jonathan's baseball practice and ate too many sunflower seeds. With all that salt I felt puffy when I woke up, and after being on my feet too much yesterday, this morning when I started the run I felt like I'd already been running an hour. It took a good five miles before I felt warmed up and loose. I think the rest of the day will be about painting the downstairs trim and resting. Yeah, that sounds like a good Saturday.

Seven on Thursday

Another outstanding run on an outstanding running day! The weather was just perfect. I ran 6x800 intervals for a total of 7 miles. All of this despite the fact I had some blood drawn for a new life insurance policy medical test right before running. And I had a partial "fast" from 11:30 on, where normally I would have a mid-afternoon snack. Nevertheless I still had a very strong run, and I increased speed on each interval.

It used to be that I hated intervals, but I think I've finally figured out how to run them successfully. My normal pace is about 9:30 per mile, so the first interval I tried to pace at just under 9 minutes. By the last one I was running at 7:30 per mile. I know I can't maintain that pace for 26.2 miles, but at least I know what it feels like. And on the slower portions of these intervals my 9:30 pace felt glacial in comparison. I guess that's how in the last race even though I had splatted against the wall I still ran at my normal 9:30 per mile. It felt slow but my body was just doing what I'd been doing during all those weeks of training. Tomorrow is an off day followed by a 15-miler on Saturday.

Six on Tuesday

You'd think after a 20-miler on Saturday, a busy weekend with lots of home improvement chores, and staying up until 11:30 last night and getting up at 5:30 this morning that today's run would not have gone well. You'd be wrong. Today's 6-mile run included 24 - count them, 24! - minutes of tempo, and my legs felt as strong when I finished as when I started. It could be that the temperature, which was down around 70 degrees, and overcast skies helped somewhat, although it was still quite humid. Whatever the case, it was a really good run and even though the boy's game was rained out because of last night's storms, I'm glad I was able to get in this run.

Six on Memorial Day

It was a nice morning for a run. The temperature was around 70 degrees and there was a slight breeze with an overcast sky. After Saturday's long run I knew I needed to get out and stretch a little. My knees felt a little creaky but I didn't feel too much like an old man. I went 6 miles and expected to see the wife out walking at some point, but she went a different route on her walk. Tomorrow night it's back to baseball games, and the only way I'll get to run is if I do it late. We'll see how that goes, but I'd really like to get my tempo run in this week.

And Now the Taper Begins

Really nice day for running. The temperature climbed to about 80 by the time I was done, and it sure would be nice to have shade somewhere in the vicinity, but otherwise can't complain. This was the 20-miler that I needed to get under my belt before the race in three weeks, and it went just fine. I kept the pace down a bit and, remembering my lessons from last week, took along a drink and gel pack for the first half. For the second half I picked up my fuel belt and kept hydrated. It's amazing what happens when you pay attention to what's happened before.

I also went without music, since the race doesn't allow headphones. I seem to have a mental block about running south of Hwy 152, so soon into my run I adjusted my route and kept it all on the north side. That worked out very well, and I even saw the wife when she was out walking/running. She ran with me for about a half mile, and that was a nice time in the first half of the run.

Now begins the taper for the race. I'm glad I was able to complete the 20-miler since that's pretty big for me mentally. If I'd only done 16 miles as my longest run I wouldn't feel as good going into these final three weeks. As it stands I can concentrate on speedwork and making sure my legs aren't tired come race day.

Hot Fartleks

Yes, it was 80 degrees and very sunny outside. Combine that with a fartleks run and it makes for a great title for this post.

Ran 6 miles total with 2-3-4-3-2 fartleks, although that first two minutes was probably three. When I run I can't see my watch very well since I'm not wearing prescription glasses, and I think I misjudged the second hand between the first and second minute and it took an extra revolution. Oh well. Either way it was very draining. I froze a sports drink in my hand-carried bottle last night and it sure paid off today. I wouldn't have made it without something cold to drink.

Routine Monday

Lots accomplished at work today; worked out with barbells, ankle weights, and pull-up bar when I got home; and ran 5 miles. So all in all just a normal day in the life of Randy Brown. The temperature outside was in the mid-70's with a little bit of a breeze from the south. The music on the iPod was by Franz Schubert, and the great dinner with bruschetta, pork, and pasta afterward was by my lovely wife. Tonight's wine was a cabernet sauvignon by Blackstone Winery, a purchase at the new grocery store northeast of here. And now I'm also officially registered for the marathon in Maryville on June 13th, as is Alan. Less than four weeks to go, so let's hope it's all routine from here on out.

Interesting Day

The weather today is almost Oklahoma-like. Gray clouds have been hanging around all day, with sprinkles off and on this morning while I ran. Right now it's pouring and we have a river in our back yard, which isn't so bad when we look out and see that it's feeding into the lake in the neighbor's yard.

My goal was to run 18 miles this morning. I made it to almost 15 miles, and then my body was just...done. It was like I had no strength to keep running. As I walked the remaining 2.5 miles home, I tried running a few more times, but it just wasn't happening. I ate a banana before running, but I think my downfall was in not having anything to drink until I'd already run 9 miles. I was doing two laps of the same route, and foolishly didn't take anything with me to drink on the first part. Plus I also didn't eat a gel pack until then. That came back to bite me in the butt about six miles later. My stomach felt weird - not really queasy or sick, but just kind of an odd feeling. My calves were also mildly cramping, and one of the times I started running again a cramp in my left calf stopped me cold. So the lesson learned from this one is that I need to hydrate much earlier than the nine-mile mark. Hopefully next week's long run goes much better.

Randy Ran Rapidly in Rain

It was very warm and very humid this afternoon, and throughout my run the sky kept spitting rain at me. When big fat rain drops fell about a minute into my run I thought I was in trouble, but the rain came and went. I'm a little sleep deprived due to kids' games this week, and with the 80 degree temperature and very high humidity today's outing really drained me. I was slated for 5x800 intervals, which I ended up doing over a 6-mile run. This was one of those times when I kept thinking about stopping after the third and fourth intervals, but the storms kept skirting to the north and south and I ran the faster segments with the wind. This time I had plenty of excuses to stop the run short, but I didn't take any of them for a change.

Late Run

I don't normally do this, but tonight I ran late. I know, I know, "they" say don't run within a couple of hours of going to bed, but this is a very busy week. The kids have games or practice almost every night, and on the nights when they don't we have church or an orientation for the kids' triathlon on Saturday. Tonight the boy had a game, so I wore my running stuff to the game and then hopped out of the van on the way home and ran 5 miles. Including a 22-minute tempo run. It's either crazy or it's dedication - either way, I ran tonight.

The Hills Are Alive

...with the sound of training. Several people out running this morning, even at such an early hour. I started running at 5:30 a.m. The breeze was very cool and felt more like an early spring day from late March or early April than from (almost) mid-May. And it picked up into a stiff wind by the time I was on my second lap. Yes, I'm still doing the stop-by-the-house-halfway-through-and-run-the-same-route-again routine. And it's getting easier to do mentally, which is good since that's how the race is going to go down in about a month. I ran 15 miles this morning. It was one of those really good runs. This week I bought one of those pull-up bars that you can use in an interior doorway. I've used that almost every day to supplement my upper-body workouts, and I think that's really helped my running. If the upper body is fatigued then it brings down the whole body. I felt strong all 15 miles today and I think the extra workouts have really helped. My lats are still sore from pull-ups, but y'know - I'm not as young as I used to be!

The Warmth of Spring

Today the temperature was 80 degrees. I could be wrong, but at one time in my past I could swear that we had a season called spring. In this magical season, temperatures were mild, but not really either cold or hot. This season actually lasted more than three days; in fact, it lasted for a couple of months! But somewhere along the way it was shortened almost to the point of extinction. Today spring is an extremely short period of time between daytime temperatures in the low forties and a sudden switch to days of intense sunshine and hot, sweaty weather. How I miss that season called spring!

Nevertheless, I ran 6 miles and included 2-3-4-3-2 fartleks. It was very breezy from the southwest, which was fun. Or not. But I'm excited because I bought some new Asics Gel Nimbus shoes on sale yesterday. If I had the money I would have bought several pairs at the sale price. I've worn nothing but Gel Cumulus the past several years, and this represents an upgrade. According to the shoe descriptions they should work just fine. I'm intrigued by the lacing on the shoe, which follows the contour of the feet rather than going straight down the middle. I plan on wearing them to walk in when I can and then take them out for a run whenever I have an easy recovery run planned. Next week is busy with kids' sports, so I don't know when that will be yet.

Tuesday Tempo Trot

Alliteration aside, today's run was routine. I ran 6 miles and included a 20-minute tempo run. I started out slow, then tried to pick up the pace a little before starting the tempo. Before the tempo I was trying to get to about 9:15 a mile, and then maintained the faster portion of the run at 8:30 or so. After yesterday's slow run it felt good to pick up the pace.

The sky was overcast, and it almost felt a little on the humid side. The temperature's not bad, about 67 degrees. Overall a nice day for about an hour's worth of running.

Could This Be Spring?

Might it be that spring is finally here? The temperature was 70 degrees, the sky was slightly overcast, and it was a great day for a run. I went 6 miles and kept it at a 10-minute/mile pace. Still a little sore from Saturday's run, so the slower pace felt just right. Saw about ten other people out walking or running, so maybe it really is spring.

Feelin' Good

Felt really good on this morning's long run. This was the first week in a long while where I did my dumbbell and ankle weight exercises three times during the week and did both my speedwork runs as well. I could really tell the difference today on my 12-mile long run. The extra work with weights is good for my upper body, shoulders, and back. Doing those exercises keeps fatigue from setting in on long runs. I kept today's run at a 10-minute/mile pace, so overall I was very satisfied. Plus, the weather was awesome - temp in the mid-50's, the tiniest of breezes, and alternate sun and clouds. It almost felt like spring.

Between Storms

Five miles after rain all morning and rain predicted later on. I included 4x800 intervals, which felt good. The first three were at an 8-minute/mile pace, and the fourth I kicked it up a notch and was going at about 7:30. I could have done one more, but don't want to burn myself out too quickly. The air was a little humid, but after all the months of winter and the spring weather that hasn't stuck so far, I'm not going to complain.

No More Excuses

Yes, this week I'm getting totally serious about this race. After eating horribly the past week, it's time to buckle down. I ran 5.5 miles this afternoon with an 18-minute tempo run. I was going to run yesterday when the boy and I returned from St. Louis, but the temperature was in the mid-40's with a nice wind and some rain. I'm done running in the cold for this year. So I waited until today, and that certainly paid off. I've modified the long runs in my training plan and should be able to still be ready by race day, June 13th. No more excuses!

Excuses

Wow, I totally went the excuse route today. I was going to go 12 and stopped at 6.25 because:
--it was hot
--I've had a rough week and I was tired
--I'm going out of town tomorrow and I don't want to be tired all weekend
--I should still take it easy and make up the distance later
--it was really, really windy, just like the race a few weeks ago
--I needed a nap
--I needed a drink
--I'll get serious about the race after this weekend
etc., etc.

I don't know. I probably should have kept going. I'm sure I'll regret this later. I totally wussed out.

Is Spring Here at Last?

Today was a good spring day - sunny, breezy, warm. Could the cycle of cold and warm and colder and warm and cold again finally be over? I ran 5.5 miles with a 16-minute tempo run. This was my first fast run since the race, and it felt good to run at a faster pace again. Now if only spring will stick around this time.

Postponed Run

Yesterday I was going to do my long run for the week, but circumstances and commitments conspired against me. So this morning I got out of bed at 7:00 and hit the road for 8 miles.

I'm planning on running in Maryville in June, eight weeks from today. The course there is a 13.1 mile loop that you run twice for the marathon. Now here's something I know about myself. If I'm running a loop and I pass by my starting (and finishing) point, my mind automatically starts thinking of reasons to stop. After all, that's the finish coming up! So in order to train my mind as well as my body, all of my long runs will be a route that takes me out and back by the house or by my starting point, and then I run the same route again. And as I discovered this morning, that pretty much sucks.

I ran up to Pleasant Valley Baptist Church (who, btw, featured Jimmy Carter as a guest speaker within the past couple of weeks - if I had ever thought about any association with that church, their having that anti-Semitic worst president of my lifetime - for now - as an honored guest cured me) and back to my starting point. Sure enough, the thoughts of stopping came up, but I ran the route again. Ugh. The sky was gray and cloudy, the weather was cool, and it had rained a few hours previously. This training won't be my favorite, I can already tell.

Adding to the Tally

Added another 5 miles to the tote board yesterday afternoon. This being spring in Missouri, it was somewhat breezy. As I ran I was thinking about how few perfect days there are for running around here. This year so far has been all about cold and wind, and then the race itself was windy as anything down in Texas. But then along will come a beautiful, sunny day with just a hint of a breeze. It's kind of like playing golf. You hit about 90 bad shots during a round, but it's that one great shot that keeps you coming back for another go at it. Now I'm just waiting for that perfect day.

First Run

Ran 4 miles today in my first run since the race. I was going to run yesterday, but the temperature was in the low 40's, cloudy, and drizzly. I decided that I'm done running in the cold this year. Today was supposed to be the boy's first baseball game. It was cancelled due to a wet field from the aforementioned rains. And today the weather was perfect. I'm glad I waited.

No lingering pains from the race, although my right knee felt a little stiff. Other than that I tried to take it easy and run slow, not always successfully. The Nike+iPod said my pace was 9:23 per mile. I think it lies to me sometimes, but considering that it said the distance last Sunday was 26.30 miles, I also think that sometimes it's remarkably accurate. Until I get a GPS, I think I'll just fall somewhere in between.

Race Follow-Up

The official results are in, and my chip time was 4:04.22. I think that might be about the time of my first marathon. I guess if you look at how the wind affected everyone, I put in the effort to run a 3:49 race and ended up with a time of 4:04. But it's the weather, and there's nothing I can do but try and run a good race.

The big surprise of the results are that I had a negative split. I'm simply amazed because I was just dying the second half, yet I ran it four minutes faster than the first half, when I felt good. The first half split was 2:05, while the second half of was 2:00 (those times are by gun time, not chip time). I felt like I was trudging the last 6 miles, and yet somehow I ran the second half faster. I guess that's the one positive I can take away from the race.

Today the right knee feels swollen and sore, but the biggest leftover from the race is an allergy attack. Long runs leave the respiratory system susceptible to attacks, and of course my history of allergies doesn't help me in this case. I have a way of coping, though. Since it's Opening Day I have no plans other than sitting around and doing nothing. Yeah me!

One Windy Day in Dallas

My suspicions were correct - it was windy. Darn windy. Windy as in 25 mph sustained with gusts up to 40. Windy as in a wind advisory was in effect today. But more on that later.

My goal was to break 4 hours today. The Big D Texas Marathon official results (http://www.texasmarathon.com) haven't been posted yet, but according to my timing I missed my goal by 2-3 minutes. The announcer at the finish line kept saying that the conditions added about 15 minutes to everyone's time, or about 30 to 45 seconds per mile. I would have to agree with that. The course was relatively flat, and I think if the winds had been normal I would have totally exceeded away my goal.

The first half went great, and I left Alan behind at mile 11. He had complained a few times that I was accelerating up the hills, which I normally do, so he dropped back at that point. He ended up coming in about 15 minutes after I did, so it was a good race for him, especially under these conditions.

The first half of the race went very well, but about mile 16 or so my calves started cramping. At several points I was afraid they'd seize up on me. At mile 20 I bonked. I didn't stop running, because I knew if I did it would all be over. Plus I didn't want Alan to pass me. But there was one incline where I slowed way down, which is abnormal for me. Most people were walking that hill, but I kept going. At mile 23 I picked it back up a little, but still couldn't muster the energy to go much faster. At that point I realized I was going to be close to breaking the four-hour mark, but with the constant swirling winds I just didn't have the energy to push it any harder.

When Alan and I were talking about the course yesterday in relation to the wind we figured we would have mostly tailwind on the west side of the lake since the wind was supposed to be NNW and we would be running south and east. We figured wrong. I don't know how it happened, but I didn't get a true tailwind until mile 24. And that lasted about half a mile. The finish was near the Cotton Bowl, and as I turned a corner for the last long stretch I was blasted by a fierce headwind. At that point I exclaimed out loud, "You have to be kidding me!" as if there was some unfairness at work.

I've never had calf cramps as bad as I did after crossing the finish line. I walked around until Alan finished, stretched, and generally tried to not let them tighten up. Daughter #1 took me to where the water bottles were and on the way back my left calf and foot stopped working. I had to hold on a railing and stretch for a couple of minutes. When I finally went to sit down on some steps several minutes later both calves totally cramped, and again I spent some time stretching. I feel fine otherwise, so I attribute this to the extra effort required by running into the wind for 25.7 miles (remember that half mile of tailwind).

The race had a lot of volunteers, and police were stationed all over the course to direct traffic. They did a great job. The one minus to the race was that all the post-race food and snacks were gone by the time we finished. Seems to me that if we're going to pay that much for a race the organizers should be able to put the food out in stages. All the half-marathoners and 5k racers took it all, which I can't really blame them for if it's put out in front of them. If you're an organizer you know that most of your marathoners are going to come in after three hours, so to me it would make sense to stage your food accordingly. Or to have enough to handle everyone.

Overall, this was a tough race because of the wind. I was hoping to blow away this scenic, flat course, but (ahem) I was the one who was blown away.