Marathon Pace

Stress at work can be a great motivator. In my case, I had a lot of frustration to burn off, and even when I felt like cutting back my speed or ending early I thought about work and was inspired to run harder all over again.

Today's run was a 7-miler, with a 5-mile marathon pace run sandwiched between a 1-mile warmup and similar length cooldown. I was shooting for 8 minutes/mile and stayed fairly close to that. The temperature was up near 80 degrees and the sun came out just in time for my run. A nice breeze helped keep things cool.

I should have run yesterday. I got all dressed up and took the boy to baseball practice, but when the coach said it would be a quick one I decided to stick around and run either later or the next day. Practice lasted an hour and a half, which would have been plenty of time to get in my run. Yeah, I should have known better. The weather was perfect and I had plenty of energy. After all the conflict at work today plus having to interview five people, my energy level was down today and allergies were playing games with my sinuses. Nevertheless, it was good to get out and run and burn off a lot of stuff.

I have to realize that I'm in the middle of training and that the race itself will likely be cooler, but I felt today like there's no way I could keep up that pace for 26.2 miles. That's what I have to do, though, to get under the 3:30 mark. I wonder if that's a realistic goal? Plenty of guys my age can do it. I don't know, this might be the year for completing a couple more marathons and then adding to my training plan in order to reach that goal next year. I have a feeling it's going to take more mileage and dedication than I can offer this fall. As always, that feeling is subject to change tomorrow.

Labor Day Run

Normally I wouldn't run the day after a long run, but I have to get on track for this race next month. I took it easy on a windy 6-miler, and even walked for several minutes when I ran into a couple of neighbors walking back toward the neighborhood. The wind was gusting pretty good out of the south, but I'm not going to complain. After the high temps and the impending coldness of winter, I'll take what I can get.

I neglected to mention that yesterday was the first long run where I used the newer pair of shoes. Until now I've only used them for shorter runs, and everything went well yesterday. Used them again today, and I think I've transitioned enough to where they're now my main pair. They're what I'll take to St. Louis next week for the couple of runs I'll do there. I was quite the fashion designer's nightmare today: blue shorts, red shirt with black panels on the side, and running shoes of black and yellow. Clearly I'm not too worried what people think of how I'm dressed while running.

TMI

Finally, a long run. I ran 12 miles this morning after not logging any major miles last weekend, and I was unsure if I'd get any this time around. If I'm going to run this marathon in Des Moines it's going to be 12, 15, 18 & 20 for my long runs starting with this week.

Actually, it was supposed to start yesterday. However, Friday night I stayed up late and then BAM! - I was up the rest of the night with very little sleep. My plan was to awake at about 6:30 on Saturday morning and enjoy a long run in the coolness of the 50's. I ended up on the couch for most of the night going crazy with an allergy attack, and when I woke up I moved back to bed and stayed there until after 10:30. Not one of my better days. This was one of those attacks where not only was I enjoying the bountiful snot and drainage in nose and throat, respectively, but also my whole body was achy and it felt like microbes had invaded my entire being. I pretty much did nothing on Saturday and did my best to avoid the outdoors. My plan worked since by bedtime I was feeling better.

This morning I did get up at 6:30 after waking up only a couple of times during the night, and I was out the door before 7 a.m. I made two errors in this morning's run: not putting on sunscreen and not going #2 before heading out.

First, the sun started rising about 15 minutes into the run, so I spent the majority of the run trying to take advantage of as much shade as I could find around here. Most of the outing went pretty well, fortunately, but by mile 11 I was feeling sluggish. The good thing is that at that point training takes over and I was still cruising at a sub-9:30 pace. I did get my gel bites in earlier this time around as well as a little bit of sports drink. I think next weekend I will be wearing the drink belt so I don't have to keep stopping by the house.

And second - now for the portion of our show where we get into too much information (TMI) - but hey, this is a running log where there are no off-limit subjects. Normally before a long run I hit the head and empty out everything, but today I neglected to do so. Oops. At about mile 9 I was feeling uncomfortable, and by mile 11. 5 I was ready to crap my pants. The walk up the hill after finishing the run was one of the worst I've ever had. It's a good thing I've had over 40 years of training since the last time I messed my pants. Before a race some runners have nervous bowels, but I've never had that problem because I usually take care of business beforehand. Now I know what they feel like. Sorry, not the most delicate of subjects to discuss, but it's part of running. I've heard of people, particularly women, who will pee down their leg in the middle of a race. And there are famous instances of elite runners having to relieve themselves mid-race. God bless them all - as un-fun as it is to ponder, we're all human and we all have to do the same things every day. Sometimes it just hits at the wrong time. I'll keep that in mind before heading out on my next long run.

Stupid Lightning

So this is the first day in months - months I tell you! - where the temperature right after work was conducive to exercise. And of course a thunderstorm comes through and I had to cut short my intended 6-miler. If all you imaginary readers take a look back through my postings you'll know that I actually enjoy running in the rain. However, I'm allergic to lightning and don't mess around with the stuff. What a shame, because today the temp was just under 70 degrees. With the wind blowing it felt even cooler than that.

I ended up going a whole 3.5 miles. I was supposed to do 5 Yasso 800s and ended up doing three with no real cooldown at the end other than my walk up the hill to the house. I was shooting for a 7-minute/mile pace on all of them. The first one felt good, the second all right, but the third was tough. I think it was because of the storm and the fact I was running partly uphill against the wind. Dang it, I was hoping to get to 30 miles this week but I'll be a few short. Well, as I build up toward a 20-mile run in a few weeks I suppose it's okay to be a couple miles on the downside, particularly if I avoid the lightning.

Canned Heat

One more night of heat and humidity at least, and as it turns out not a good night to try a marathon-pace training run. When I started out the temperature was still in the low 90's. I ran a 1-mile warmup and then picked up the pace. My plan called for 8-minute miles, but I knew I shouldn't try that with the current climate. I aimed for 9-minute miles or a little slower, and I kept that going for 2.7 miles. At which point I walked for a tenth of a mile. Then I continued at the faster pace for another mile. That's when I finally realized this wasn't the best weather conditions for speed work. Enthusiasm sometimes trumps common sense.

One thing I keep telling myself is that the level of effort I put into my outings in weather like this will pay off in the end. I certainly didn't get to the pace I wanted for the distance I wanted, but overall I got in my 6 miles. And 2.7 miles of faster running in 90-degree heat has to be somewhat equivalent to 4 miles in cooler weather. It seems like I've felt less beat up after doing a similar run in a different season. Maybe it's just rationalization. It sure doesn't seem like laziness, though, because I've felt enough of that recently. The temperature is supposed to head south by a little bit in the next few days, so maybe I'll get to test my theory soon.

Monday Night Run

It's been crazy trying to fit in a run these past few weeks. And I haven't done any strength training in 2 1/2 weeks. Bleh. Tonight The Boy had a baseball game and I took him, leaving the girls at home. We finally got home at 8, so I quickly changed into running attire and hit the streets. This is the first time in a while where I've felt like I was running loose and relaxed. I went a full 6 miles in the dark on a humid night with the temperature still in the mid-80's. I went back to BSG for the soundtrack, starting with the first season. Nothing like returning to your roots to get you motivated.

Running in Thin Air

I spent the last four days in Denver, intending to run at least twice while there. It didn't quite work out that way, and the only thing I can blame is my own laziness. On Monday I went for a run at home before heading to the airport. I got in my 6 miles and felt pretty good about taking care of that so I could run the next day.

I stayed up too late on Monday night and therefore was in shape to get up early Tuesday before my meetings started. Tuesday after the conference I headed to Coors Field with a group of guys to take in the Rockies and Braves, so no time to run that evening. I didn't stay up especially late that night, but laziness persisted when the alarm went off the next morning. I finally was motivated enough for a run to take the lunch break for a 5-mile run. The hotel was in Broomfield, a suburb of Denver, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The sky was clear and even though the temp was a little warm, I finally felt good in getting out. I realized about a mile into the run I was laboring more than expected. Of course I'd gone out too fast, not blazingly so, but just enough to make it tougher in the thin mountain air. I enjoyed the run over the rolling hills and showered and made it back for the start of the afternoon sessions just in time. The less said the better about Wednesday night and my chances of getting up early this morning.

Instead I ran during The Boy's baseball practice, once again at Penguin Park. This was my first go-around this training plan with Yasso 800's, and it went reasonably well. With the temperature in the mid-80's I knew I wouldn't be hitting my goal (7 minutes/mile), but running fast would be good enough. Looking back over my times on the Garmin, I did get progressively faster on the intervals, from 8:10 average pace on the first one to 7:46 on the fourth and last. That's encouraging.

I really need to get my diet under control. I've had too much eating whatever I want, and that's just not good. I had more cookies this past week than I've probably had the rest of the year combined. Bad Randy!

So Much Humidity You Could See It

This was a jacked-up week, and next week promises to be more of the same. But more on that in a minute. I didn't run on Thursday since I was at The Boy's baseball practice until after 8 o'clock. I was playing infield while the kids batted and got in plenty of sweating and exercise, so I figured I was good. Plus I just felt worn out and thought I could use an off-day. Friday we took the family to Worlds of Fun, and I knew I wouldn't be running the day after walking around in mid-90 temperatures all day.

Which brings us to Sunday morning. I awoke at 5 a.m. and headed out the door by 5:20. My intent was to run as much as possible before the sun came up. However, I knew I was in trouble by the end of the first mile when I was already shaking sweat off my head. I ran toward the pool and then turned around to head back up Tullis to the park. About halfway up the hill I must have passed through a thermal layer or something meteorologically related because I went from humid cool air to humid extremely warm air. That produced an audible grunt from this runner. I planned on a 12-mile run and went 10 miles. I think the lesson I'm learning is that I need to hydrate earlier on my long runs. I waited until 8 miles in before grabbing my sports drink from the house and that was probably a tactical error. I also tried some new energy bursts since Target no longer carries sports gels. They were okay but a little more work than a gel. Because you know, chewing requires such effort. I have a half-pack left so I'll give them another shot before deciding if that's what I want to continue using.

On the last part of my run I started listening to Steven Wright's recent comedy album. Several lines made me smile and even laugh out loud. My favorite one so far: One of my friends has a trophy wife but it wasn't first place.

This week I'm at a conference in Denver, and I plan on running a couple of times there. I think I'll run Monday morning before heading to the airport, and then if things work out I'll run Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I'm looking forward to seeing some mountains!

Changing it Up

Tonight the plan called for hill repeats. The weather called for something else. The temperature was in the mid-70's and overcast, while the forecast for Thursday looks like a return to the upper-90's. And Thursday's plan was for a tempo run at marathon pace. I gauged the possibilities and knew that I wouldn't be able to run fast in the higher temps, while I can probably run hill repeats later in the evening. Once again the boy had baseball practice, and I took the opportunity to run at Penguin Park. It was tough, and I think there's something about running short laps like that (about a mile and a quarter) that makes it more difficult.

I ended up at 5.5 miles out of a planned 6. I started with a mile warm-up in the new shoes, then cranked it up to try and run at an 8-minute/mile pace. That lasted about 2.2 miles, and I felt like I was running tight. I walked about two-tenths of a mile and then ran at pace for another mile. After another tenth of a mile walk I finished slower. Lots of people on the trail today, including a guy who asked me how far around the trail was. He said he was walking and hoped to work up to running, and I told him if I can do it anyone can. The other memorable moment was a guy sitting on the bank of the pond fishing with some butt cleavage looking for attention. Fortunately I caught it from the corner of my eye and avoided a full-on eyeful. Look away! Look away!

Monday Running

Oops, looks like I missed logging my run from Saturday. I ran over half of the 12 miles before the sun came up, and the last part of it was a struggle. I don't know why, really. The temperature wasn't too bad and it wasn't extremely humid like it's been lately. Maybe it was just that last week was a stressful one at work and all the mental fatigue caught up with me. That makes more sense than anything, and heading into the new week I don't think I'm fully recovered. And this week's going to be just as busy, if not more.

The knees were a little tender today, and this is something I expected with the new shoes. I wore the new ones twice last week, and not on the long run. Today I wore the old ones again, and will probably wear them one more time on this week's long run. Tonight the weather was great, especially after the last few weeks. I ran 6 miles easy, as I'm prone to do on Mondays. Next week I'm traveling on Monday, so don't know if I'll get to run or not. I want to keep the weekly mile totals up if I can, though, so I'm going to try and run as much as I can while I'm in Colorado. It's only two months until the Des Moines Marathon - no time for slacking off.

Running at Penguin Park

I ran three loops today around Penguin Park, a local landmark in the Kansas City northland. The total damage in the 110-degree heat index was 4.5 miles, and it felt like 15 miles of running in the mid-50's. This is a path I used to run when I first moved to KC back in 2003. I rented an apartment at a complex right next to the park when I was tired of living in a hotel, and I remember walking across the parking lot and running around the park one to one-and-a-half times. Those were the days when I struggled to run three miles. I also recall trying to run in the cold and ice and wind of that winter. I wasn't real fond of that apartment, and it's funny that today is a Thursday. On most Thursdays the girl upstairs would have people over and I would be kept awake to the sound of chairs scraping above the ceiling and people talking and laughing past 3 a.m. No, I don't miss that apartment at all. On the upside, it looks like they painted the buildings so they look a little better.

I've determined that it doesn't matter how much shade there is, because running when it's this hot and humid just sucks the life out of you. I was going to run 6 miles, and most of the path was under the cover of trees. But three times around was plenty. At first I thought it might go a little better than my outing at Happy Rock Park a couple of weeks ago, but hot is hot. I hate winter so much that I'm not going to complain, though.

Dang Cramps

Another night time run today, and I planned to go 6 miles and ended up at 5.2. I spent one and a half hours sweating at The Boy's first baseball practice and then didn't hydrate between that and the run. That appears to have been a miscalculation on my part. I ran hills today and was feeling good, but right as I got back to our neighborhood I felt the twinges. After I crossed the street and felt another round of twinges I decided to pack it in. Pretty stupid on my part overall, but another lesson learned, I suppose.

Tonight's accompaniment was The Derek Trucks Band. It seemed perfect for a hot, balmy night for some reason.

Black and Gold

It was time for a new set of shoes, so yesterday I took advantage of the tax-free weekend here in Missouri and bought a new pair of Asics Gel Nimbus. Fortunately they were on sale since the cutoff for clothing items to remain tax free is $100. Beat it by five cents. I've been wearing size 9 1/2 for several years, but I was beginning to think my toes were getting a little crowded. The store I went to didn't have any of that size on the sale table, but the did have a couple pairs in a size 10. I tried them on and they felt pretty good. I went out on the sidewalk and ran back and forth a couple of times, breaking a nice sweat in the 100+ degree afternoon. The shoes seemed a tad bit loose and I laced them up tighter. They felt good with no slippage in the toe box. Guess I'm a big boy now since I graduated to double-digits in shoe size.

I compared them to the previous pair when I returned home and they're really not that much different. I can tell the front of the shoe is slightly wider, but I'm not sure if that's because the previous pair is broken in and conformed to my foot or if there really is a difference. I wore them on tonight's 6-mile easy run and they felt good. I can tell I might have a little knee soreness, which seems to happen to me with new shoes. For reference, see a couple of years ago when I changed shoes a few weeks before a race and finally realized the extra millimeter or so of rubber on the soles of my new shoes altered my stride enough to irritate my knee. I'll break these in slowly and wait a couple of weeks before wearing them on a long run. Yep, that's the voice of experience talking right there.

Pre-Dawn Run

The wife got up early, very early, to head out for another triathlon this morning. I took the opportunity, if you want to call it that, to get most of my run in before the sun rose. It was nice to run in relative coolness. Overall I went 10 miles and felt pretty good, for the most part. It's been a while since I ran this far, and I definitely felt some stiffness and soreness, mostly in my left hip. Even though I then drove to Wichita and back today, seven hours in the car didn't affect me, which is a mild surprise. I also totalled 28 miles for the week, or double what I ran the previous week. I know that goes against all the common wisdom. We'll see how I feel tomorrow and if that much mileage was a bad thing or not.

6 in the Sun

The temperature was down about ten degrees today, so I went ahead and ran after work rather than waiting until the sun went down. Amazing how the upper 80's actually felt cooler. When I returned home and checked, the heat index was 'only' 88 degrees. I kept the whole 6 miles slow and easy, closer to 11 minutes/mile than anything faster. It paid off since I was able to make it the whole way. The only time I walked was when I switched from a podcast to Dwight Yoakam on the iPod.

A strange thing happened on the way back into the neighborhood. As I ran by the pool, which sits at the 5.75 mile mark on my usual 6-mile course, I could smell the water. I thought maybe it was just the chlorine. After my run and I was walking up the hill on my cooldown, one of the neighbors had a sprinkler going and I smelled the water again. I'm guessing my body was craving a drink something fierce. I don't recall that ever happening before. Sometimes the human body is a strange thing.

Yes, It's Still Summer

91 degrees at the end of the run today, and the end came at 9:10 p.m. Strangely enough it was probably a little hotter today but felt better because there was more of a breeze. Today's plan called for 6 miles of hills, and that's exactly what I did. I must be getting pretty good at my routes since I headed toward Pleasant Valley Baptist Church but turned before the top of the hill, then ran down Flintlock toward Target and turned before I got there, and managed to hit 6 miles exactly at my usual stopping point. I was pretty impressed with myself, even if a little bit of dumb luck was involved.

Tomorrow is an off day for running, and I would enjoy the break from the heat except for the fact that I need to mow the lawn. The wife is heading north to a triathlon on Saturday and I have to take the nephews south to get back to their parents, so I'm planning on a very early run that day. That leaves Thursday, which I suppose will be an evening run again. But the high is supposed to be only 90 degrees that day. Guess I'll take it when I can get it.

More Heat

A couple of runs to catch up - first one was on Friday. It was my early day, and I knew with the wife's triathlon on Saturday and having to drive all day Sunday to pick up the boy I wouldn't have time to run on the weekend. SO I went to Happy Rock Park in Gladstone to run in the shade. The plan called for 10 miles. The first four went okay, but the next couple just totally sapped me. I finished at 6 miles and called it good. I was totally worn out.

Today I ran 6 miles again, but this time i didn't even start until 8 p.m. A couple of nephews ran the first half with me, and then I dropped them off at the house and continued. I was pretty done in again by the end, because even though the sun wasn't shining the temperature was in the mid-90's and humidity was high. This week is going to be a challenge, but I have to do it. Hopefully when the sun is down so I can avoid some heat stroke.

Trust the Plan

That was the mantra from the running podcast today - trust the plan! When you're in the middle of training for a race and you don't feel at the top of your game, or it's a grind, or you just don't feel like you're getting to where you want to be, that's the time you need to trust the plan you put together at the beginning. I hope I can remember that in a few weeks.

The other thing I remember from this podcast (RunRunLive!) was that you can't improve yourself without challenging yourself and changing your comfort level. I think that's true, which is why I'm gunning for a 3:30 time in the Memphis marathon this year. I'm going to get my virtual running buddy under four hours in Des Moines and then I'm trying to get to the 3:30 level about six weeks later. The conventional wisdom (i.e., the charts in Runner's World) say that I'm not a good candidate to run that fast based on my previous times. Sounds like a challenge to me.

Looks like I forgot to post my run from Saturday. There wasn't much to post about anyway. I got out the door a little later than I planned for an 8-miler that ended up being 5 miles. I blamed the heat and humidity, but really I just wussed out. Let's just put that one behind us and move on, shall we?

Today's was much better. The temperature and humidity were off the charts again, but I waited until almost 8 o'clock to get out the door. I ran 6 miles with the sun going down in the west and it went much better. I saw about a dozen people running this morning as I drove through the neighborhood on my way to work, a stark contrast to the two other people I saw this evening. Anyway, I kept the pace at about 10 minutes/mile and survived. I don't like running this late in the evening, but 'tis the season. The wife and oldest daughter have a triathlon this weekend and I have to go to Tulsa to pick up the boy from my parents, so getting in my planned 10-miler will be a challenge. But it's all a challenge, isn't it?

Catching a Break

Thunderstorms pounded the KC metro area this afternoon and threatened today's run. The temperature was right, but as I've stated before, I'm not a big fan of lightning. After dinner I was in the kitchen talking to the wife and I said, "I'm wondering if I should head out for a run right about now." And as soon as I said it, a bright stroke of lightning flashed outside with a loud clap of thunder immediately following. We laughed because I'd received my answer.

I kept an eye on the doppler radar on the web site of one of the local TV stations and when the storms slipped south of us I hit the streets. I ran 5 miles, which was supposed to be an easy run. Instead I ran the last couple of miles at a pace under nine minutes/mile. Part of my motivation was the bank of dark clouds to my south. They generated a nice bolt of lightning as I was nearing my turnaround point, and even though the storm was a good 3-4 miles away I decided it was time to go home at a slightly accelerated pace. As I got back into the neighborhood another dark patch was to the north and threatening to turn my way. A few minutes after I arrived I went onto the deck to secure the grill cover and it was sprinkling. I'd say I caught the break in the storms just right.

Dithering

Sleeping late seemed more important than getting up early, and I was all set to skip this week's long run. I ate breakfast, lounged, and kept looking outside at the overcast sky, wondering if I should just get out and do it. I kept thinking I should since this week the temperatures are supposed to be in the 90's. When I finally made the decision, I was out the door in under ten minutes, telling the wife and kids I was going to run anywhere from 6 to 10 miles, depending on how much sun there was.

Naturally the sun came out one-third of a mile into my run. It came and went but mostly stayed. At the end I'd gone 7 miles and I was kicking myself for not getting out the door earlier. I'm usually not so indecisive about running. By the time I got home the temperature was 84 degrees with a heat index of 93. Not as bad as some of the other days this past week, but still wore me out plenty. I'm working on a training plan for the Des Moines Marathon in October. The plan includes being flexible the next few weeks because of the heat and then stepping it up with hills and speedwork. I was looking at the July issue of Runner's World last night and there's a plan for breaking four hours I was trying to adapt to finish in 3:30. Still needs a little bit of work, and as I was looking it seemed like there's not enough time to get in all the things I want. Hard to believe with 13 weeks left, but true story.

Summer Running

Today was a typical summer day in KC - pretty hot (low 90's) and humid. The heat index when I ran was about 97 degrees. Again I took my water bottle filled with icy, refreshing goodness. As I've said before, the biggest problem around here isn't necessarily the heat, but it's the lack of shade. I ran 4 miles before I encountered any real shade. At that point I walked for about five minutes before finishing my 5-mile run. I probably could have gone a full 6 miles like most of my easy runs, but I keep thinking it's better to not keel over from heat stroke than it is to get in an extra mile.

One other comment on the podcast I listened to during the run - it was an episode of RunRunLive!, which I normally enjoy, but in this particular episode there was a full ten minutes of the host washing his dog. To his credit he admitted afterward that it was lame and he needs to shake up the podcast. Guess I shouldn't complain too much since I'm a dog person and it's free and all, but that was just a little too much. Thank God it wasn't a cat. Although that probably would have been shorter, louder, and more entertaining.

Dang

Hot. In the low 90's. Ran slow. Took water bottle. Poured more over head than drank. Ran 4 miles. Slow. Humid. Tired. Time to sleep.

The Short and the Long of It

This is a tale of two runs. I actually got up early on Sunday morning so I could get in a long run and ended up having one of the shortest long runs of my running career. And today, as the makeup run, I ran under cloudy skies and sweltering humidity.

First, on Sunday I ran a total of 2 miles. As I headed out at 7:30 a.m. everything looked fine with some gray clouds off to the northwest. I ran toward the back part of the neighborhood and as I ran up the hill I thought I saw a flash high up in the clouds. I continued to watch as I looped back toward the southwest and saw some noticeably closer lightning, no doubt about it. I certainly enjoy running in the rain, but I don't take any chances with the electrical stuff. There was a lady running ahead of me and she had stopped at the top of the hill as if pondering whether or not to continue. Or maybe she was just winded. As I got closer she took off again, but I peeled off quickly down the hill and back to the house. I really hadn't worked up much of a sweat and I set to making some eggs, bacon, and English muffins. Within about fifteen minutes the loud flash-bangs started going off and pretty soon we were getting some serious rain. One of my neighbors estimated two inches in a half-hour by his rain gauge. We had a river running through our back yard. Literally. I could see the current and it was moving fast. Glad I didn't get caught out somewhere in that storm.

Today was a different story with a relatively tame easy run of 6 miles. The humidity was high and all that, which is normal for a KC summer. The temperature was only in the low 80's, and I'm thankful for that. The bad news is that the motor has apparently gone out on our a/c and the temperature inside is still in the low 80's. I'm not real happy with the company that supposedly just fixed the unit and replaced the compressor. The attic fan is on and I'm hoping it cools down in here. Glad the wife and kids aren't here, too - they're up north for a few days. I might have to get in my car and drive around with the a/c cranked up just so I can cool down.

Mild Days

More decent weather, if a bit rainy and cloudy, but at this time of year I'll take it. The temperature was in the 70's today and I felt a few raindrops on the run but not much more than that. At least today I remember to bring the Garmin and ice the Gatorade. I ran 6 miles,, doing the same workout as last Thursday with a 3-mile tempo in there after a 2-mile warmup. With the lower temperatures I tried to keep the tempo pace at around 9 minutes/mile but had trouble finding a steady pace for some reason. I was probably four miles into the run before I felt like I was keeping a normal rhythm going. Still very humid but again, I'm not going to complain.

Vacation Runs

No, I didn't get the runs on vacation. But it is time to catch up on the runs I've done in the last week or so since I haven't kept up with my logging on here. The first three were with Alan, my virtual running club member, since he and his family were here on vacation.

Our first run was a 6-miler on Monday, 28 June. We took a couple of walk breaks in there somewhere since Alan was so freakin' out of shape. I actually own him now and will run his butt into the ground with training plan I'm developing to get him under 4 hours at our next race. This particular run was an easy run to get him into the swing of things.

Our second run was another 6-miler on Wednesday, 30 June. We warmed up for two miles and then ran three at a faster tempo pace. The weather wasn't brutally hot but it was plenty warm and humid, so I kept our tempo at about 9:30/minute. After that we walked for a few minutes, but he did pretty well on the hills and we didn't push too much.

I kept telling him he was going to be running 12 miles with me for our long run, and he believed me and even bought a couple of gel packs for the run. I intended the run to be only 8 miles, and that's what we did on Friday, 2 July. We had about three walk breaks on our out and back route down Shoal Creek Parkway to I-435. It was a good week with a total of 20 miles, about right for 'easing' back into a training pattern.

Today our guests left and I ran an easy 6-miler while the temps weren't too high. Humidity was over 80%, though, and I sweated buckets. I was down the street before I realized I'd forgotten both my Garmin and to put a bottle of Gatorade in the freezer to chill. Nevertheless, I survived and it was a good run to cap off my vacation time. Now it's back to afternoon or evening runs. And work. Ugh.

Sans Garmin

Guess I left the Garmin on after Sunday's run and the battery was low. Tonight's run was au natural as far as that goes. I ran my regular 6-mile route after waiting until almost 7:45 to start. The temperature today was in the 90's and the sun was brutal. Waiting seemed like the prudent thing to do. I almost stopped during my prep a couple of times and thought about just staying home, but after some drama at work I decided I needed to get out and burn off the stress of the day. Another prudent move. Now maybe tomorrow I'll be a little calmer and clear-headed. Or maybe I'll just need to go for another run.

Ten for Father's Day

Continuing the practice of putting numbers in my post titles, I ran 10 miles on Father's Day. I was VERY tempted to stay in bed and sleep late, but as I've always said, you shouldn't make a decision about whether or not to run while you're half-asleep in frog pajamas. Yes, that's a Tom Robbins reference for you. Anyway, I had planned on getting up at seven, and that's what I did. It was tough, but I'm so glad I did. I drove about 550 miles to Tulsa and back yesterday to drop off Daughter #1 at church camp, and today I added another 10 miles to the overall weekend total. I knew if I didn't get up and run early it wasn't going to happen since the temperature was forecast to climb into the nineties during the day. It worked out well as clouds rolled in from the north and I spent most of the run under overcast skies. I felt good and was happy to get in such good mileage on an early summer morning.

During today's run I finished up the last part of the Hardcore History series on the Eastern Front of WWII. All I can say is wow. How have we not heard more about this? I'm convinced the war was won there after listening to these podcasts. In America we talk about D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge and those epic events, yet the tide of the war was actually turned in eastern Europe. I've read plenty on D-Day and I know the Allied troops who gave their lives and those who punched through the beaches are heroes. But the absolute carnage and scale of the war in Russia dwarfs what happened in western Europe. I've already put a book on hold at the library to learn more about this, and sadly enough the literature on this part of the war is scarce compared to western Europe and the Pacific. It's an odd scenario in trying to root for one side or the other since Hitler and Stalin butchered millions of people and both were evil to the core. Yet if Stalin's troops hadn't won their part of the war the world would be a far different place. I still recommend the series and think there's a lot worth pondering from the history of the war in eastern Europe.

Hot Six

Not as hot as it's gonna be this summer, but still pretty warm at 91 degrees after 7 p.m. I waited until later to run to avoid the direct sun and still caught plenty anyway. So I kept it slow and easy and sweated a lot but didn't overheat during my 6 miles. That was the aim and I was successful. I generally don't like running later in the evening. However, since I'm not actively training for a specific event, I also don't feel the need to kill myself in the high heat. I'd prefer to keep running as enjoyable as possible without injury. Too bad I go into work so early. I'm routinely jealous of the people I see running in the morning as I drive by them on my way to work. Maybe someday that can be me. Many years from now, after I retire...

6 in 81

6 miles today in 81 degree temperatures. It was an easy run with a finishing average pace of 10 minutes per mile, and I was happy with that. I continued with Part III of the Hardcore History series on the eastern front of World War II. It was an excellent distraction from the heat and the sweat on this run in ways that music wouldn't be. Since I didn't sweat enough on the run I went ahead and worked on sanding the deck in preparation for some new stain. Fortunately for everyone in the household I'm done sweating for the night.

A Plan Comes Together

A disturbingly close crack of lightning awoke the household at 6:30 this morning and also heralded the fact that I wouldn't be running anytime soon. The wife and oldest daughter went for a bike ride a little later and were going to run, but then the rain really started. I kept hoping the rain would finally end, and sure enough, about 1:30 the storm finally moved past. The wife and I had gone to the grocery store in the meantime, so when I saw the blue sky beyond the line of clouds to the west I hustled into running clothes and scooted out the door for an 8-miler. It was humid but my plan was to get the run completed before the sun came out, or at least mostly complete. Success!

I'm at that point where I don't have a specific race scheduled but know that I'll be running in the fall. I need to figure out what's next. Also at this point is the question on whether I should take a little time off. My thought is that for the most part I feel pretty good, and it's probably best to keep running three times a week without speedwork at this point, and maintain my base. That way once I pick the next race I can determine my workout schedule without starting from scratch. Plus I need to work on some strength training and core work this summer. I exercised twice this week with dumbbells and ankle weights and feel pretty good with that. Maybe when Alan is here in a couple of weeks we can pick our next outing. Or maybe I'll just pick one before then and tell him what he's going to do. Yeah, I like the sound of that better.

Running with the Daughter

Today was hot and humid. Seems like Daughter #1 learned a lesson since at the end of the run today she decided she would prefer to run in the early-morning hours. It was nice to run with her, though. I ran 4 miles by myself to start, and it was a very slooooow 4 miles due to the weather conditions. I stopped by the house and picked up Daughter #1, who is training for a triathlon, and we ran 2 miles together. Her training schedule said today was supposed to be a run/walk day, but we ran the whole way. I was proud of her for doing so with minimal complaining. At one point I joked she must have misread the schedule and decided it was a run/talk day instead. I thought about waiting longer to run after the race last Saturday, but the race really didn't do me in too bad and after all I've eaten the past couple of days I figured I needed it. My plan for the next several weeks is to run 6 miles on Tuesdays and Thursdays with an 8-10 miler on Saturday. Guess I need to pick my next race and work backward on the calendar so I know when to start doing speedwork again. But as long as I get to run with my girl I'll be fine.

The other thing I did today that was running-related was to buy a new pair of running shoes for the wife, who is also participating in the triathlon. Her old shoes were worn out. We went to a specialty store and she tried on a half-dozen pairs. She settled on a pair of Asics Cumulus, which is the same model I first bought from Asics. She didn't have a moment of epiphany like I did, but she seemed pleased with the purchase. Plus they look pretty spiffy on her.

Hospital Hill Run

In the last half mile of today's race, I looked over at Alan and told him this was one of those races it was good to run but I don't feel the need to ever run it again. That pretty much sums up my feelings about this course. It was hot, but not terribly so due to an overcast sky early on, and terribly humid. And hilly. Yeah, a race with the word 'hill' in the name should be a clue.

Alan claimed at various times that he's out of shape and hasn't been training enough and certainly hasn't been training on hills, as well as stating that the humidity and/or heat was brutal. Okay, I'm giving him a little grief, but I have to agree on several of those counts. Much like the race in Leavenworth a couple of weeks ago, the course was tough. Leavenworth was a little tougher, but not by much. After mile 10 one of the guys running near us shouted out, 'This hill is stupid!' We had to laugh and agree.

None of this is to reflect on the race organization or anything like that. It was very well organized and other than the torture of the hills an enjoyable event. Lots of good volunteers, aid stations, and after-race activities. The one bummer is that we left our IDs in the car and therefore couldn't get the necessary bracelet for free beer afterward. Very scenic course.

The official time was 2:17:42, which included lots of walking. As I figured earlier this week, this wasn't going to be the course or the weather for setting a PR, and I was right, so I hung with Alan and had a good time. I don't want to do this race every year, but it was a good experience.

And One More

Just had to get in one more run since I didn't want to have three empty days before the race. I ran 4.5 easy miles in low-80's temperature. No snakes in the road today, just a guy running with a dog. At this point I still don't feel like I'll be gunning for a PR on Saturday morning, but we'll see how I feel on race day. And how the weather shapes up. The overnight low on Friday is supposed to be 71 degrees, which means temps will probably be in the mid-70's by 8 a.m. at race time. That's not a good recipe for a really fast race, so maybe I'll just pace this one with Alan and see if we can get him in under the two-hour mark.

90 Degrees

That was the temperature today when I set out for my run. And maybe I still am getting smarter, since rather than totally run my brains out I did my speedwork at a decidedly slower pace. I ran 6 miles and did the 2x800 intervals, and my second interval was at an average 9:03/pace. If I go that slow in a race I'm in trouble, but today it was the wise move. I thought about waiting until later in the day but decided that if the temperature is up on Saturday morning that I should acclimate to the warmer weather as much as possible.

Bonus: in the road at about mile one was a black snake - alive! A squirrel had come out to look at him and the squirrel almost got nailed by a small SUV. But the snake kept slithering along. When I ran by the spot after turning around up the road he was nowhere to be seen. I kept a careful eye on the grass, though, 'cause even though he probably wasn't poisonous who wants a snake leaping out at them? Well, not really leaping, but you get the idea.

A Week to Go

One week from today is the Hospital Hill Run here in KC, and I think I'm ready. This morning I ran 10 miles in temps around 70 degrees. If it's the same next week that won't be too bad, but might be a little too warm to try for a PR. We'll see how it feels. Again today I tried to keep the pace slower, and came in at just under 10 minutes/mile average.

Listened to the new Drive-By Truckers and enjoyed it, and then most of a Hardcore History interview, which I didn't enjoy as much as some of the others. This guy had some direct observations about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not sure when in the past 17 months or so this was recorded, but turns out he was pretty much wrong in his opinions. Gee, I hate when that happens. Anyway, this week I think I'll do one more speed exercise on Tuesday and maybe a recovery run on Wednesday, and then it's off to the races.

Getting Smarter?

This was one of those runs where I think maybe I'm learning how to run smarter. Then of course I'll do something stupid next week, but for now I'm going towards smarter. The temperature was in the mid-80's when I set out for a 6-miler with some 2x800 speedwork. I kept it nice and slow during my two warmup miles, and then didn't go all out on the first interval. Normally I would try to get to 7:30/mile or better, but today I just went with what felt right. That happened to be in the low 8's, and I didn't wear myself out. On the second interval I did the same and actually finished the whole thing without walking at all. Don't get me wrong, I was tempted, but I resisted. I guzzled a bottle of Gatorade when I got home, but I never felt absolutely horrible. Some would say maybe that's what I should be feeling, but I'm running for the long-term, not to puke my guts out every run.

On the iPod side, I finished the podcast of Part III of the Punic Wars on Hardcore History and then listened to another, which was an interview with Victor Davis Hanson. I really enjoyed that one since I've seen Mr. Hanson quoted extensively on several current event blogs I follow, and it was nice that the interview matched my earlier impressions. I'm really enjoying this podcast and am thinking about ordering the older episodes. Not only is it a good distraction during a run but it's just plain cool. Recommended.

More Humidity

Ran 6 miles today and the humidity is picking up toward summertime levels. Not horrible yet, but on its way. I ran two mile repeats, with 1.5 miles in between them. That was my concession to the heat and humidity. I thought about waiting until later to run after the temperature dropped a little, but today was such a rotten day at work that I needed to run for de-stressing purposes. Good grief, Tuesdays suck. These days I'd rather go to work on a Monday than a Tuesday.

Remembering

Now I remember why I get up early on a Saturday to run. It's the heat, stupid. Today's not unbearably hot, topping at 82 degrees so far, but it's a lot warmer than it has been. Plus the wind is pretty strong. I was planning on going 10 miles but ended up going 8. That's probably as much a fault of my eating and drinking habits this week as it is the weather. Guess I'll go 10 next Saturday in my final long run before the race, which is two weeks from today.

I listened to some more Hardcore History, finishing the second part of the Punic Wars and most of the third part. Let me just say there's a lot of things I didn't know about that part of history and I'm really enjoying it. I don't remember covering any of this in school. It's certainly worth listening to and the parallel to some of the twentieth-century situations after WWI is frightening.

End of the Layoff

My three-day layoff after the race is now over. I walked a few miles with the wife on Tuesday afternoon, and today I ran an easy 6 miles accompanied by a few sprinkles of rain. I thought about taking off longer, but last night I signed up for the Hospital Hill Run here in KC. That race is on June 5th, or just over two weeks. And that means no time to take a week off. Alan should be coming up for this one, so we'll see how I feel as the race gets closer and I decide whether to take it easy or go for a PR again. I hear this is a pretty fast downhill race, so we'll see how it works out.

Consistency

It's been over 18 months since I ran my PR in a half-marathon here in KC, and today I was trying to beat that. This morning I ran the inaugural Five Trails Half Marathon in Leavenworth, KS, along with 265 other finishers. Rain threatened to make it even more interesting than it was, yet it somehow stayed away until I was almost to the finish line.

By the numbers, I missed beating my PR by two seconds. In October 2008 I finished in 1:48:11. In May 2010 my official time was 1:48:13. I suppose you could say I was consistent. This event wasn't chip timed, and according to my Garmin I finished in 1:48:05 from the actual starting line to the somewhat ambiguous finish line. It was weird because they had a chute at the end but no marked finish line that I could see. By the time I hit stop on my timer I was 2/3 of the way down the chute. But I'm going by official time, so the PR remains to be broken. I finished 8th of 20 in my age group, and 53rd of 266 overall. For those who are counting, I slipped just inside the top 20%. Yeah me!

I knew there would be some big hills, but mentally I was thinking that would be it and the rest of it would be mostly level or downhill. Wrong. The uphills were tough but nowhere near as bad as the uphill everyone, including the winners, had to walk in Columbia last year. And after the hill they call "Pike's Peak," the downhill was so steep I just let it fly with the help of gravity and had probably my fastest mile ever in competition. For several minutes I was hitting a 6:30/mile pace. Yeah, I know, elites hit that without going downhill. Whatever.

I suppose the big takeaway for me in all this is that 19 months later I came up with the same overall time on a much tougher course. The KC Half has some uphills, but it's nowhere near as rolling as this one was. Also, the conditions that day were durn near perfect, whereas today the humidity was pretty high. If I learned anything from the Heart of America Marathon, it's that humidity is a killer for runners. So all in all I feel really good about my time. Even though I went into it not feeling like I was in prime shape, I don't think I would have had this time on this course in October 2008. I suppose experience and continued hard work pays off.

One thing I was thinking and then talked about with Alan was that a half-marathon is a whole lot different from a full. Duh. Nevertheless, after running this race I didn't feel the rest of the day like I was half-dead and going to throw up at some point. Recovery from this should be pretty quick and maybe in a month or so I can run another. My thought is that in training for a full you break your body several times on long runs as well as in the race, whereas in a half you push some limits as far as speed goes but it doesn't break you down like running 26.2 miles does. That's probably why the half is the most popular distance these days.

For a first running, the organizers did a great job. Plenty of volunteers, in fact almost too many, from packet pick-up to course monitors to finish line to the refreshment area. I was talking to Alan on the phone afterward and told him I thought about picking up his packet, but what's the point? He wouldn't be able to wear the shirt anyway since he didn't run the race. Anyway, he asked me if I would run it again and I said yes, absolutely I would. Great organization and a big thanks to the people who volunteered and made it come off so well.

It seems weird to run my first race so late in the year, but let's just call it the beginning. Time to plan for the next one, wherever it may be. As for today, I had a good nap and then a nice T-bone for dinner. Tradition!

Ready to Race

I ran 4 easy miles today, up to Pleasant Valley Baptist Church and back, and deliberately kept the pace slow. My average pace was 9:49/mile, pretty close to what I wanted. I just wanted to stretch out a little and not go four days between my last run and the race.

I printed off some stuff from the half-marathon web site today, which makes me feel a little more prepared for Sunday. Talked to Alan and chances for his appearance here have all but vanished. Oh well, time to do some research for another race. The weather forecast for Sunday includes some rain, but no telling yet if that's in the morning or later on. I don't mind the rain as long as there's no lightning. I think since I have to head out early that the family will be skipping this one, and that's okay. I'll be leaving about 6 a.m. for an 8 o'clock race. I don't blame them one bit. I'm already looking forward to a Sunday afternoon nap followed by a celebratory steak dinner with a nice glass of wine. To top it off, I'm off work Monday, so I can sleep late. I just have to get through the 13.1 miles first!

Last Real Run

Today was my last real run before the race on Sunday. I ran 6 miles, doing the fast 2x800 thing again. The weather was gorgeous this afternoon after some big rain yesterday. This run makes me feel like crap, but it's astounding to me to run at what feels like a snail's pace during the cool-down part of it and realize I'm running at a sub-9 minute pace. This is speedwork that I definitely feel pays off for the race. I'll do one more easy run of 4 miles or so tomorrow or Thursday, depending on the weather, and then take it easy until the race.

Alan left me a voicemail that he's holding out slim hope of making it here for the race. Don't tease me.

I started listening to a new podcast on my run Saturday and continued today. It's called Hardcore History and I'm really enjoying it so far. The first one I listened to was an interview, and the second was about the Apaches. What was cool was that he talked about the area where I grew up, and before he even listed the locale and was talking about the names of some of the major players in the history of the Apache I was thinking to myself this sounded really familiar. This podcast was recommended to me by my neighbor Shawn, who said that the best ones were the episodes regarding the eastern front in WWII. I'm taking the episodes in order, so I'll get there eventually. Who knew you could combine running and history? Good stuff.

8 miles and going camping, no time to write more

Weirdness

So tonight I'm running 6 miles with 2x800m all-out sprints, one of my favorite speed workouts. During the 2-mile warmup I run past this guy who's walking toward me. He's aboiut 6'3", reasonably tan, mid-30's, wearing white shorts, no shirt, toned upper body, and blond. And the way he's walking he's obviously proud of himself. As I continue on my way I think to myself, okay, weird. Hopefully he turns off into a neighborhood and I don't have to see him again. Wrong.

During my first 800m sprint I pass him at about the 650m mark. He's still walking, and seems to be out for nothing much more than for all the commuters to enjoy the display. Still weird. And we weren't done.

After 15 minutes of recovery and the second 800m sprint, I see him ahead as I'm getting close to finishing the 800m and just as I'm about to die from running under 6 minutes/mile. I slow down to recover and he just keeps walking, almost like a big blond robot. After this I was just thankful I didn't see him again. Almost felt like the dude was stalking me!

In other news, Alan called today and told me he's 99% sure he won't be able to make the half-marathon next weekend. That totally stinks, and I'm keeping that muted since this is a family blog. He told me to got set a PR, and I was doing computations in my head during today's run on how fast I'd have to run per mile in order to get there, and boy, it's going to be tough. As I was running today in the 6-minute/mile range I realized how tough it would be to keep that pace for more than 800m, and yeah, I'm not there yet - if ever. Sad for my buddy that he can't make it and we don't get to hang out for a few days. Guess we'll have to come up with Plan B. (evil laugh) And maybe that will involve a baseball outing. You never know.

Today's Excuse

Today's excuse for a bad run: I'm an idiot. The temperature was 79 degrees and the wind was blowing from the south at 20 mph constant. So of course I tried to run 8-minute miles. What a maroon. At least I ran into the wind to start off with so that I wasn't doing so during the latter part of the run, but that didn't really help. I should have kept my 'marathon pace' to a 9-9:30 pace. I walked from 3.8 to 4 miles and that helped me get through the rest of it. I did complete my 6 miles but it wasn't pretty. I don't think running two days in a row really hurt me - rather it's just the aforementioned idiot thing.

Added Easy Run

I had two reasons to run today:

#1 - Saturday's long run wasn't so good
#2 - It was a really nice day and to not run would be a crime

So I ran 6 miles, sans iPod, and I had a good time. I tried my best to keep it 9:30-10:00/mile and was largely successful. Was talking to my virtual running partner tonight and he wondered if I was going to try for 1:30 or faster in the half. I don't know if that can happen in any version of reality, so my actual goal is to set a new PR. If I'm not mistaken that would be something faster than 1:49. My actual goal is to manage the race a little better than I've done in the past. If I can go out and average 8:30/mile or better rather than starting off at 10:00/mile and making it up later in the race I think I'll feel better about everything.

I've been thinking about the 'dead legs' feeling I've had lately on several runs, and I think it has a lot to do with my diet, or lack thereof. In the past four months I've probably eaten more cake and doughnuts and drank more coke than I have in the past four years combined. I think that's contributed a lot to my malaise ($10 word for something that's not really in the malaise class but proves that I paid attention in high school). I'm trying to do better these last two weeks and I am definitely laying off the sweets. After an easy run today we'll see how the speed work goes tomorrow and if that thinking actually pays off.

12 Miles

This morning would have been a perfect time to go running - the temperature was in the 50's, the breeze was very slight, the sky was covered with cloud - as I said, perfect. So of course I didn't go running.

The Boy had a birthday party this morning until after lunch, and I didn't have time to run for a couple of hours beforehand. By the time we got home and I was ready to run, the sun had come out and the temperature shot up to about 70 degrees. Still not bad, but I think it took a toil on me because that 12 miles sure felt a lot tougher than it should have. I thought several times about cutting it short, but I toughed it out, especially in light of my abbreviated run from Thursday. So now I guess I need to register for the race, which is in two weeks. And here's hoping my legs get a little more life in them by then.

Windy...and Windy

It was just a little windy today. Combine that with dead-feeling legs and I only went 4 miles. I hate cutting a run short and coming up with excuses, but I could tell today wasn't going anywhere. And my knees aren't feeling good. Yeah, I know, more excuses. Just not one of my better runs, but one where I think I cut my losses. I'd like to think I'm a smarter runner than I used to be in stopping and avoiding grinding out the last two miles just to add the miles to my weekly total, but sometimes I wonder. Clearly I can finish a half-marathon, but the question is how well will I finish? And how will today's run figure into how it works out?

Mile Intervals

Ran 6 miles with 3x1 mile intervals. It was another beautiful day, with a great temperature and minimal wind. I felt good and it was a great day for a run.

For the first time in 18 years I'm wearing contact lenses again. I got the pair yesterday and wore them for too long today. I felt like a free man without glasses. Guess I just couldn't help wearing them on my run. They're a new type of lens for people with astigmatism, with a hard lens in the middle with what they call a 'skirt' around it made up of a soft lens. I don't remember the last time my eyesight was this good. However, the side effect is that the hard lenses reshape my eyeballs, so when I took the lenses out after the run I couldn't see a thing when I put on my glasses. Even now, over three hours later, my right eye is totally fuzzy and I'm basically working off the left eye, which is strangely clear for not having glasses on right now. Guess I'll be wearing them until bedtime on a regular basis.

Today I branched out with another podcast called How Stuff Works. The one I listened to was regarding lotteries, and even though I knew most of what they talked about and why I don't play the lottery, it was still entertaining. Also, don't remember if I've mentioned this or not, but I'm no fan of rap, hip-hop, or any combo of the two. However, I've been starting my runs with the Beastie Boys' 'Sabotage,' which makes for a great kick-off to my runs. Guess sometimes something different catches you at a moment where you actually end up liking something you would normally pass by. At least that's the explanation I'm going with on this one.

More Rain

When I left the house this morning I thought I'd be able to get a good run in before the rain came. I was wrong. At least today the temperature wasn't horrible. I ran two loops of the neighborhood, and about a mile into the first lap a light sprinkle was coming down. By the time I got to 96th Street and headed west the wind was at my back and didn't seem too bad. As I neared the end of that first lap I thought about heading up the hill and back to the house to finish on the treadmill, but inertia is a powerful force and I kept going. The rain picked up a little bit on the second lap, although it never really got heavy, and even though the east wind was brisk it never seemed like I was struggling. For the last bit of my run I did a mile out and back to complete the 9-miler. In fact, I felt so good that for the last .8 mile I ran faster at an 8-minute/mile pace.

I'm glad I stayed outside for the whole run. I like running in the rain, and even though this was a little cooler than a summer shower, it still felt good. Strangely enough I didn't see any other runners out today. Are they afraid they're going to melt or something?

I'm also trying to figure out this half-marathon thing in May. The race I'd like to do is on a Sunday, and if Alan comes for the race we'll clearly be enjoying our triumph that evening and staying up late. However, the following two days at work are a disaster recovery exercise where authority for the agency devolves to us and I suppose I have to be there. I was looking for something else in late May that we could run, but the only possibility so far is a race in Oklahoma City on Memorial Day weekend, and I'd really rather not travel then if I can avoid it. Guess I'll need to figure this out and get registered for something pretty quick. Ah, the joys of a busy life.

Too Cold in the Rain

The temperature was right on that border of being nice, but with a cool drizzle it was a little too cold for an outdoor run. And I like running in the rain, but today was too much. So I ran 6 miles on the treadmill with a 30-minute tempo run while listening to another podcast. They had a parody of 'Friends in Low Places' concerning parts of your body that tend to be rubbed raw on a run if you neglect something to ease the friction. That's the second time I've listened to one of these parodies on a run where I actually laughed out loud. This time it was the verse about the guy whose nipples were bleeding and then got in the shower. Yes, there was screaming. And it was probably funnier since I've experienced something similar, although not quite as serious as that. Funny stuff.

What a Day

Days like this are rare - mild temperature, no wind, enough cloud cover to keep the sun from shining too bright - wow, this kind of weather is rare in KC. Today's 6-miler include 3x1-mile intervals, and it felt great all the way. Even if today hadn't been a running day I would have made it one.

The allergies are still killing me. Last night was the best night of sleep I've had in three weeks, but I still woke up a few minutes early with a runny nose. It's funny, because when I went to bed last night I felt like it was going to be a bad night. Shows how much I know. I also know that going out for a run when my allergies are like this isn't good for them, but at this point I don't care. Who knows what will set them off? Yesterday at work I was totally fine until I opened my former secretary's office to go through some old notebooks and as soon as I did the sneezing started and lasted until I fell asleep. If I curtailed all activities and didn't do anything until allergy season was over the only thing I'd do would be to lie in bed with the covers pulled over my head. And really that's no fun. At least it's no fun alone. So I suffer through the season and wait for the pollen counts to descend again. And wait. And wait.

Snot Factory

I'm sure I was such a lovely sight on this morning's long run, what with snot rockets and hawking up loogies the whole time. But I decided a long while back that I wasn't going to let allergies ruin my life, and if I have to suffer a little bit for the activities I like to do, then so be it. I didn't see as many other runners out today as I expected, which I suppose is a good thing given all the snot flying every where.

I ran 10 miles, a couple miles shorter than planned. I suppose I'm still in that half-marathon training mode where I can do a little less mileage and still be okay come race day. At least I think that's what it is, because surely it can't be laziness. I suppose I should register for the darn thing, seeing as it's only a month away now.

I listened to two more podcasts from RunRunLive and enjoyed them both. The first was an interview with Hal Higdon. He was the keynote speaker at the Heart of America Marathon last year, a fact he mentions in his interview. He was promoting a novel he'd written about the weekend of a large-city marathon, and it sound intriguing enough for me to want to check it out. The second podcast was an interview with the race director of the Boston Marathon, and that was also interesting to listen to. I've enjoyed the podcasts, enough so that when they were done and I still had a couple of miles to go I think that contributed to my finishing earlier than planned. I find it interesting to hear someone else's take on running, especially someone who puts in so many miles, as the host of the podcast does. I also really enjoyed the parody of George Thorogood's "I Drink Alone," which came out as "I Run Alone" on the podcast. The bit about a lady who smiles at him and gets the finger in return made me laugh out loud - yes, a real lol! This seems like a podcast I'll keep listening to and probably going back in time so I can catch up on the previous two years' worth of material.

Spring in the Midwest

Spring in the Midwest is much like spring in the greater part of the country - lots of allergens and wind. There's a nice layer of yellow pollen on all the vehicles now, and a number of people at work I talked with today are hoping for some rain in the next couple of days to clear the air. I suppose maybe I'm getting too used to the wind since today I didn't really notice it.

I ran 6 miles total, which included 3 mile repeats with 1/4 mile slowdowns. Overall it felt pretty good until I was chicked with about one mile to go. But hey, I was in my cooldown phase, so I don't feel too bad. And it's not like it doesn't happen a lot in the races I've been in.

I tried something new today on my run. Rather than listening to music, I downloaded a couple of podcasts and tried one of them out. This one was called RunRunLive and I enjoyed it. The host was taking an ice bath after running an 18-miler in freezing rain on New Year's Eve. Heh, what a maroon! Sounds like something stupid I would do. The guest (not in the bath room with the host, fortunately) was the co-writer of a book about how exercise affects your body and actually keeps you younger as you age. His claim is that 30% of our aging is determined for us by genetics, but the other 70% is what we can influence by our habits, with the main contributor being the amount of exercise we get. I don't know, I kind of liked being distracted by something different for a change, so I'm thinking I'll try another podcast or two on my long run this Saturday. It's always good to shake things up once in a while.

Pollen and Me

Today was the first time I'd run in ten days. I went to Atlanta last week and took along my running gear. However, a thick layer of pollen blanketed the city and threw me for a loop. I had enough clothing to run at least three days during my stay there, and I never unpacked the stuff. I kept thinking I should, but then determined that might actually kill me as bad as I felt. I even told my brother I would probably regret it, but now that I'm back home I don't, really. One night I went to a game at beautiful Turner Field (hate the team, love the stadium), and when my group got to our section we could see the nice yellow pollen covering all the seats.

Today I was itching to run. After an afternoon meeting at work that really ticked me off I needed to burn off some energy. I was supposed to run a marathon pace session but decided I should probably just make it an easy run since it's been so long since my last run. That was a good choice since it was quite windy with gusts above 30 mph and the temperature was near 80 degrees. I went 6 miles and was more tense than usual due to thinking about the aforementioned work issue. At one point I felt a tightening in my mid-back on the right side and wondered if I should walk a little, but then a song came on my iPod that has a good running rhythm and I realized I was tensed up and that was affecting my posture. I breathed deep and tried to stay looser the rest of the run, with varying degrees of success. The allergies for me here are bad, but not nearly as bad as they were in Georgia. I guess the old familiar has its advantages.

The Hero Takes a Fall

Today's long run was later in the day than normal on the weekend, but mission accomplished. The weather was gorgeous today, and if we hadn't had a birthday party in the morning I would have been out earlier. Even with all that motivation there were a few times where I contemplated cutting the run short, but I stuck with it. I was wearing a shirt from the '07 KC Marathon that has the word 'FINISHER' in big block letters on the back. I kept thinking of that during the last half of my 11-mile run and it helped me get 'er done. Too many thoughts of hey, it's only a half-marathon you're training for, so go ahead and cut it short. You only need to do long runs of 8 or 9 miles, so no big deal. Too bad, I want to keep my training level fairly high for a marathon later in the year, and I'm a finisher.

The gratuitous Bangles reference in the title for this post has to do with, you guessed it, a fall. I can't remember the last time, if ever, that I've fallen while running. It happened before I'd even run a full mile. I passed a lady getting into her SUV in the back part of the neighborhood, and I knew she'd be coming up behind me. She did, and as I turned the corner onto another street I was concentrating on staying close to the curb. Just as she passed me my right foot caught in the one of the shoelace loops of my left foot and I went down. Not too hard, and I hit with my right knee and did a roll and hopped right up, continuing almost without missing a stride. Not sure if she saw me go down, but she certainly didn't even tap the brakes so I have my doubts. I wasn't hurt and clearly kept running to finish out the day.

I just plugged in the Garmin to see if the fall registered on the graph it produces, and sure enough there's a little spike in the pace line at that spot in the run. The wife thinks it's kind of funny, and I have to agree.

Speaking of the Garmin, it's still working great. My thought is that its memory was full. I'm not sure how much memory is in these things, but thinking of all the runs where I've used it in the past year brings to mind how much data must have been stored on it. All the waypoints for every run where the GPS was tracking, my custom workouts, the pace, the elevation, etc., were stored, and I can only imagine how much space that takes up. Thank God for the Internet since otherwise I would have most likely considered it completely dead. Seems appropriate that my Garmin was resurrected during Easter week!

The Garmin Rises

I thought my GPS had gone to Garmin heaven. It wouldn't turn on and even when I put it on the cradle it wouldn't charge or connect to the computer. Fortunately this is the 21st century and we have the Internet. I binged 'Garmin Forerunner 305 dead' and came up with a link that told me how to reboot the thing. I tried the soft reboot first and nothing happened. Then I tried a hard reboot by pressing the power and mode buttons at the same time and it beeped and sprung to life! The device asked me if I wanted to erase all the data on it and I said no, which turned out to be the wrong answer. It shut down again and I couldn't turn it on again.

At that point I thought maybe I'd killed it. I tried the hard reboot again and it didn't work. I set it down for a few minutes and then tried once more, and it worked. This time I answered 'Yes' to delete the data and from then on it's been good. I transferred today's workout as well as Saturday's to it, and it asked me if I wanted to copy the profile from my computer to replace the one on the Garmin. I said yes, because the one on the Garmin was a default. Today's run seemed to go without a hitch, at least as far as my GPS goes.

The run itself was not good, though. I started out running into the wind, which was a good choice, but I'm still not 100%. Too many nights of interrupted sleep and a case of allergies is wearing me down. I did two and a half mile repeats, finishing at 4.5 miles. Work is wearing me out as well, and I can't seem to get ahead. Plus I'll be out of town next week, so there's a lot to do in the next several days. I felt relaxed on the repeats, particularly into the wind, but it just sapped what little strength I had too quickly. This wind reminds me of the Big D marathon last year in Dallas, and it makes me glad I'm not running it this year. Ugh, that was a killer.

Garminless

This fool forgot to plug in his Garmin after yesterday's run, so it was dead today. The bad thing is that it's still dead, even though I've plugged it in and left it for a couple of hours. This could be a problem.

Today's run was 6 miles, and I know the distance markers for that. I ran 1 mile as a warmup, then 4 miles at 'marathon pace,' and then another mile for a cooldown. That 4 miles is in quotes because it was darn windy today. How is it that the wind that's blowing against you so strong when you're heading into it seems to be nothing but a slight breeze when it's at your back? Honestly, that wind should have been pushing me along like a leaf. About 4.5 miles into the run I was absolutely worn out from heading into the wind for so long that I had to walk about 200 yards. The crappy night of sleep I had certainly didn't help either. It was a tough run but I made it through, and that counts for something in the long run.

And Just Like That.

...the grass is turning green, the sun is shining, people are mowing their lawns, and it's spring! It's amazing the difference a day makes. As I started my run this afternoon a couple of guys were mowing their lawns, and they were green under all the winter scrum (I don't know if that's an accurate term, but it sure seems like the right way to describe it). I was surprised at how warm the temperature was, almost 70 degrees. Going from cool weather to that was almost like running in summer. Well, not really, but close. I think it slowed me down some, and since I this was an easy running day I tried to keep it slow anyway. I ran 5 miles and saw a lot of people out doing the same. The wind was from the southwest and a little stiff, but nothing like it's supposed to be the next few days, from what I hear. I'm just glad it's spring. Now all that's missing is baseball.

Back to the Midwest

Spring is definitely not here yet in the good ol' Midwest. The temperature today is in the low 40's and rain has made it a better day to run inside than out. At least I enjoyed a few runs outdoors this week in Austin. Watched two more first season episodes of BSG while running 9 miles on the treadmill today. I guess this is the way I'll work my way through the series again unless the weather improves. Fortunately the forecast shows temps closer to 70 degrees this coming week.

At this point I'm definitely shooting for a half-marathon on May 16th in Leavenworth. Since I didn't get any speedwork in this past week I need to concentrate on that in the coming weeks. I won't say I've been lazy as far as other exercises go lately, but the truth is I've averaged about once a week with my dumbbells routine. I need to improve that, too. As I've learned over the years just those simple routines I do make quite a difference come race day.

Austin Runs

Spent the week in Austin for business, and was fortunate enough to stay at a hotel right by the river. All I had to do was walk across the street and I was on the system of paths along Town Lake. The first run was Monday afternoon after flying in that day. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and a lot of people were out to enjoy it. A multitude of folks was exercising themselves and their dogs. I ran 5 miles on the south side of the river from Congress Avenue west. I really enjoy the system they have in Austin, although there are a few places where you can make a wrong turn and end up on a dead-end. I just played follow the people and seemed to do okay.

My second run this week was on Wednesday afternoon, and the weather was much different. It was cloudy, rainy, and a little cooler. I still ran in shorts and a t-shirt, though, just as I had on Monday, and since I actually enjoy running in the rain it turned out just fine. That day I ran 6 miles, following the same path as Monday until I crossed over to the north side of the river and ran that path past Congress (where the bats dwell on the underside of the bridge) and then doubling back to Congress in order to get in the distance. That run was tougher than I expected, and I think the reason was that I had stood for the whole afternoon. Thursday was nice also, and I intended to run, but I ended up meeting some guys for dinner and decided to forego the run. Then I was going to get up and run before flying out today, but my right knee was sore and I did what you should never do - make the decision on whether or not to go for a run while I was still lying in bed. Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow, as well as some strong wind, so my plans will have to be flexible. All in all it was a good trip and I totally enjoy running in Austin. This particular traveler is grateful for such great trails and wonderful scenery, and if I lived there I would certainly be a regular.

Celebrating Spring!

Today was the first day of spring, and here in Kansas City we celebrated with about four inches of snow and strong winds. Yes, lots of snide comments all over the place both here and in the region. I was surprised at how quickly the roads and sidewalks became covered since it had been in the mid-60's yesterday. All this to say it was back to the treadmill, where I ran 8 miles. That's not much of a long run, but I didn't think I could stand much more since I was suffering from a bad case of cabin fever. It's off to Austin this week, where I should be able to run outside as much as I want.

A Jump in Temperature

It was in the low-60's today and I could tell the difference. My plan was to run 1 mile, then 4 at marathon pace, and then cool down for a mile. I stopped the marathon pace after 3 miles and then cooled down for 2, still maintaining a total of 6 miles. I'm not really sure if it was the temperature being that much warmer or if several nights of not sleeping well that did me in. Whatever the case my legs felt a little tired and I tend to blame it on the accumulation of a busy week.

The plan I made for the half-marathon training pretty much took my marathon plan and decreased the mileage on the long run. Today's would have called for an 8-mile run, so I've already decided I need to decrease some of the mileage during the week, too. That's supposed to be part of the appeal of running a half instead of a full, right? Even though half of the run turned out to be at a 'slower' speed, I noticed most of the time I was running 9 minutes/mile or so on the 'slow' speed. Overall the run took 52 minutes, which Garmin tells me averages out to 8:38/minute. All in all, even with a higher temperature, that's not too bad.

Hills at (Relatively) High Speed

I definitely ran the hills tonight. 7 miles total at a pace of 9 minutes/mile. Felt good the whole way. It was colder than I thought it would be, and once again I almost didn't take a vital piece of clothing - my ear warmers. But I stuffed it in my pocket and before I made it off the front step I put it on. The wind was very chilling out of the northwest, but once I started it wasn't too bad.

This marks the start of my training plan for a mid-May half-marathon. I think my previous best was 1:49 or 1:48 or something like that, so if I could lower that to 1:40 I'd be pretty darn happy. I'm not sure what pace that is. Guess I'll figure that out later. I have time.

Fun Inside Again

Just didn't feel like heading out the door today, especially after working on the evening shift last night. I slept until 10 this morning, which might seem lazy, but I went to bed at about 1:30 a.m. With half the family sick I wanted to get some good sleep. And then I didn't want to go out in the cool, breezy and semi-rainy weather and get myself sick. I ran 9 miles on the treadmill and watched not one, but two episodes of BSG. What a great show. And what a good run.

Cool but Still Runnable

The temperature was in the mid-40's with a breeze from the southwest, but I went for it anyway since it wasn't raining. For the first time this year I did a planned tempo run, warming up for 2 miles and then running faster for 15 minutes. I definitely ran too fast, with my tempo coming in around and under 8 minutes/mile. Lots of sick people in my house and I don't want to fall prey to whatever they have. During part of the tempo I felt queasy in my stomach, but of course I'm not smart enough to slow down. I did cut the run a whole quarter-mile short, though, and finished with 5.75 miles under my belt. I felt a little better after slowing down on the run and the hot shower afterward felt really good. I think I also overdressed some and overheated a little bit, too, I think, since the outdoors looked colder than it actually was. Oh well, no matter how it turns out, running outside is better than running inside!

Rain

Rain kept me inside for today's run, which doesn't seem so bad since I fixed the treadmill. I can actually run at a pretty fast pace and hear the television. So I ran 6 miles and watched a first-season episode of Battlestar Galactica. This worked for me in two ways, by satisfying both my need for exercise as well as my need to be a total geek. I love it when a plan comes together.

Almost Like Spring

Went on a 10-miler this afternoon and it was great! The sky was overcast and there was a little bit of a breeze, but overall it felt good. The temperature was in the upper 50's, right around 60 degrees. Once again I probably ran too fast, clocking a pace around 9 minutes/mile, but once again I just went with what felt right. To top it all off, I wore shorts! I stayed with a long-sleeve technical shirt, though, but I think this was the first time I've worn shorts on a run since sometime in October or so. I'm not ready to call this the beginning of spring because usually we have at least one more freeze, if not a full-blown snowstorm. For one day, at least, I enjoyed a nice run in good weather.

A Better Run in the Capital

Today was much nicer - sunny, warmer, and a different direction from Tuesday's run. I ran west instead of east and encountered less shade as well as a nice little bridge over a creek. Also bamboo stands, which I can't believe that the state really wants to keep around. And to top it off a brush trimmer who was slowly working on trimming branches back from the trail. Almost forgot the used condom in the parking lot, which went into a trash can with the use of a twig to pick it up and deposit it in the receptacle. Always makes me realize how classy people can be when I see things like that. As far as the running goes, I went 6 miles again and felt good. The high for Saturday is supposed to be in the 50's. I wonder what that feels like?

Running in the State Capital

It was actually quite unremarkable today. I'm in Jefferson City for the week with honorable daughter #1 for a field trip. She's at the Capitol while I went for a run, some lunch at Chipotle, and cruising around far too long looking for a library or someplace with wi-fi. Later I have a conference call to attend even though I'm on "vacation."

Being that Jeff City is on the Missouri River and the Katy Trail runs alongside the river at this point, I thought I'd run along the river this morning. I was wrong. The trail meanders through the low-lying countryside but the river is a good distance away. I found a parking lot and ran three miles out and back. The weather was a lot cooler than I was expecting, but I was prepared. The trail is pretty much level, and even though the experience wasn't anything to write home about I was glad to be running outdoors and on dirt instead of concrete or asphalt. The one thing I did miss was a good shower since the facility at the camp where we're staying is just what you would expect from a site with several cabins and a central bath house - low pressure, hard to adjust controls for getting the right temperature, and...well, let's just say I'm looking forward to being home again.

Best Treadmill Run Ever

I know I gripe a lot about the weather and having to run on the treadmill, but today was the best treadmill run ever. First, a bit of history.

Our treadmill has squeaked for the past couple of years. At various times I've tried to adjust the belt and its tension, but to no avail. Today I finally messed with the motor mount and adjusted it so that the drive belt was tight. And voila! No more squeak. Not one squeak the whole time I ran. That all by itself qualifies this as the best treadmill run ever.

I might have fixed it too good, though. To start my run I punched in 7 miles/hour and within a few minutes realized the pace was much faster than that. I lowered it to 6 miles/hour and that was still way faster than a 10-minute mile, but I left it there for the duration of the run. I may not be an expert, but after six marathons I pretty much know what a 10-minute pace feels like. This wasn't it. After running for 90 minutes the readout said I'd gone 9 miles, but I'm counting it as 11. As I was running I kept thinking that if I ran this pace during a half-marathon I would be pretty darn happy. My method might not be the most scientific, but that's what I'm going with today. Complaints may be left in the comments section, where they will be promptly ignored.

Yay, More Treadmill

6 miles on the squeaky thing. Too much snow on the sidewalk. Feeling puny the first half of the week but feeling better today. Geez, this sounds like Rorschach from the Watchmen. Must use better writing style next time.

Birthday Run

It seemed appropriate to have a long run today, both since it was my birthday and a Saturday. The temperature was right at freezing and there was ice on some stretches of sidewalk, particularly in the second half of the run. My nephew went with me for the first three miles, and it was nice to have a running partner. I took it easy with him and avoided the big hills. Previously he's done a duathlon and topped out at about three miles, so this was a good easy run for him. I went 10 miles total. It was another good run, and hopefully I can go a little bit further next week. Of course, we'll have to see what the weather brings. And this week will be tricky about getting some running in due to a couple of evenings already scheduled with activities. All in all I feel very fortunate to still enjoy running and to do relatively well at it as I get older. Maybe one of these days I'll advance to an age bracket where I can actually win something.

Therapy Run

It's been a very frustrating week at work (actually the last two have been). I didn't get to run Tuesday due to being at work late, so I really needed today's run. I ran 6 miles, at way too fast a pace, but it felt good the whole way. Pounding the pavement took out a lot of the pent-up emotion from feeling like a punching bag 9+ hours a day. This is one of those times where running actually serves as a form of therapy more than it does exercise. Now I can hardly wait until Saturday's long run.

Mid-Winter Run

I was thinking today about how I've been a runner now for over six years. I ran a little with my dad when I was a kid, and then some in college with friends in both Tulsa and New Mexico. Those were short bursts of energy, though, and usually fell victim to time or indifference. Running didn't stick until I moved to Kansas City to start work and found myself with a lot of spare time due to my family still living in Oklahoma while we attempted to sell our house. Only then did I become a runner. It's amazing to look back and see how far I've come since that first run.

I'd been riding my bike regularly, throwing it in the back of my truck and heading out to a nice trail on the eastern side of the metro area. For some reason that escapes me, probably because I grew tired of driving over half an hour each way to the bike trail, I picked up a cheap pair of running shoes at Target one day. I still remember my first run from the hotel. I ran less than half a mile and felt like I was going to die. I walked a little bit and then turned around, jogging back sporadically to the hotel. I suppose it could have ended there, but I wanted to improve. I kept doing it every day, and that was when I became a runner.

I decided that an investment in real running shoes would pay off dividends for my feet and legs. I was right. I bought New Balance shoes and the experience was totally different from the $12 pair in which I'd been running. Even on weekends back in Oklahoma I would run. I had a lot of fits and starts in getting to more mileage. I'd get to the point of running four miles and then either get sick or get too involved with work. It took a long while before I increased the mileage. I remember running a 5k at the zoo, and then the next year they increased it to a four-mile race. Those four miles almost killed me. I kept wondering where the dang finish line was. Not learning my lesson, I graduated from those kinds of races straight to marathons.

These thoughts were going through my mind this morning on my 10-miler. The day was gray and cold, but the run was a good one. Ten miles doesn't seem like a long run to me now, but as I thought back to when I became a runner, ten miles is actually a long way from that first run near the hotel.

Sudden Run

Today was one of those days at work. When I finally surfaced at 4 p.m. and headed out to my car, it was a balmy 30 degrees. On my home the idea occurred to me that this would be a good day for a run! Run out the frustration of work, run outside while I could, run and enjoy some quiet time, etc. So I did. Ran 6 miles and did my best to keep from speeding up as the events of the day kept coming to mind. Besides the obvious benefits of helping me unwind, I'm hoping that this will also give me that little extra edge of fatigue I need in order to sleep well tonight. Of course, with this cold weather I'd rather just hibernate for a few months, but that's not an option.

Global Warming Wanted

The temperature this morning was -14 degrees wind chill, and tonight it's 1 degree wind chill. Plus it's been spitting snow all day. Needless to say I stayed inside for today's run of 6 miles. I ran the first 4 miles at an 8 1/2-minute/mile pace and the last two half a minute faster. Work has been super crazy the last few days, so there was no chance of my skipping today's run.

For my indoor runs, if I haven't mentioned this before, I usually wear shorts and a sleeveless shirt I would normally wear in summer. I've gone shirtless before, but really I try to spare the family such a sight. My kids will be scarred enough without having to see that.

Icy Sidewalks

Today was my longest run outside since the marathon in December, if I remember correctly. The temperature was right at freezing, and it snowed yesterday but didn't stick too badly to the roads or sidewalks. In spots I had to run across a thin layer of snow and I kept an eye out for ice patches, avoiding them where they popped up. 10 miles was great on a day like this where the east coast is being hammered by a blizzard and we're set for 8-12 inches tomorrow and Monday. I saw about four other people out doing the same thing I was, so apparently I wasn't the only one trying to get in a good run before the storm hits.

Missing the Snow

Seriously, the weather called for snow flurries this afternoon and I thought it would be cool to run in it before it got too heavy. No snow, but plenty of cold. Tuesday I ran 2 miles on the treadmill and it did not go well. My timing was off and then I received a phone call. When I hopped back on the timing was off again. I should also add that the treadmill and the belt need to be fixed. After that I just stopped and called it a day.

Today I was determined to get outside, and I did. My right knee was hurting a bit, but I went 6 miles and never felt any pain. The wind was a little brisk but as usual, I sped up as I was running into it.

Still not sure what race I'm going to run next. I missed the Groundhog Day race in the caves, but I'm leaning toward a half in Leavenworth in May. Last year I ran a full in April and that was too tough to train for during the winter months. This year if I can maintain a pretty good base I think I'll be in a good position for the rest of the year.

Freezing But Runnable

Inside, outside, where will I run next? Last night it snowed, and this morning when we left for the Pinewood Derby there was light coating on the ground. By the time we left the races the snow had completely melted and the sun was shining brightly. It was also one of those days where the wind wasn't howling, so a run outside seemed to be in order. I ran 8 miles, and it was nice to be out. The temperature was right at 32, but hey, I've run in worse weather. I stayed at a pretty even 9:30 pace and that worked fine for me. All in all a good day.

Still More Treadmill

I briefly considered running outside today, but the temperature was just bone-numbing cold. I went 5 miles on the treadmill instead. If I was training for a race I would have gone out, but really, there's no need for that right now.

Unexpected Run Outside

The forecast for this week was horrible, and I ran into snow flurries on my way to work this morning. So I was a bit surprised when I left work, the sun was shining, and the wind wasn't blowing very hard. I rushed home, changed quickly, and hit the streets. The temperature was in the mid-30's and a very light breeze. What an unexpected blessing! I ran 6 miles. The nice day must have pumped me up since I ran at a sub-9 minute pace and finished the run in under 53 minutes. What an awesome finish to a tumultuous day at work. Time to relax...

Back Inside

Another nasty cold, windy and cloudy day, so back to the treadmill I went. I was only going to go for 9 miles, but I cranked up the speed and ended up going 10 in the time limit I'd set. The pace was 8 minutes/mile. I don't really like our treadmill's display and how you set your speed, but I've learned to cope. I suppose I should just be glad I have one, especially on days like today.

Outside!

Didn't run on Tuesday since I actually brought work home with me - trust me, there was no other way to get it done. But today I was pumped because the temperature was in the upper 30's and even though there was a breeze from the northwest I decided that wasn't going to stop me. After not running outdoors since January 3rd, which I insisted on doing because I knew it might be awhile before I had the chance again, today was the day. I ran 6 miles along the old familiar route - up to Flintlock and then back down 96th to Shoal Creek Parkway. 99% of the snow was gone from the sidewalks, but there were a couple of places I had to tread gingerly. Work has been a beast since I got back from vacation, and I certainly needed a day like today.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

I was hoping to run outside yesterday, but fog shrouded us until after noon. It had cleared by mid-afternoon, but the lack of sunlight meant the sidewalks were still covered in snow. I went ahead and ran 8 miles inside on the treadmill. It was foggy again this morning, but the sun is out and the temperature is well above freezing, so I'm hoping this is the light at the end of the tunnel. The forecast for this week isn't that great, but I'm not giving up hope yet.

Treadmill Intervals

Ran another 5 miles on the treadmill today. I mixed it up this time with three half-mile intervals at 8 mph broken up by quarter-mile respites at 6 mph, and then a final interval at 9 mph, which was a nice clip. I eyeballed the sidewalks on the drive home, but still too much snow out there for me to get outdoors. Maybe by Saturday.

Still Cold

And still running on the treadmill. Today I upped it to 5 miles, and ran half of it at a 7:30/mile pace. After a couple of weeks of easing back into it, I decided it was time to mix it up a bit and put in some time on speedwork. I felt pretty good, and since we've moved the treadmill downstairs where the temperature is naturally colder, I don't sweat as much. I suppose that's a good thing.

I Ran So Far Away

Not really, just thought a token Flock of Seagulls reference was in order for running 6 miles on the treadmill. Can't remember if I've said this already, but no idea when I'll be able to run outside again. Spent over two hours cleaning snow off the driveway and the weather will have to be a lot warmer to melt the big piles of snow all over the neighborhood and throughout the city.

4 Mo' on the Treadmill

More snow yesterday and today. Temperatures below freezing at least until next week. It's going to be a long time before I get to run outside again.

Snow and Cold

A LOT of snow left over from the holidays, and temps in the low teens, which combine to mean it was a treadmill day. Ran 4 miles on the black belt.

It's weird not having anything specific to train for at the moment. After over a year and a half of marathon training, this is the first time since early 2008 that I'm just running to maintain and exercise. I'm thinking about running a 5k Groundhog Day race at some of the caves here in KC. Other than that if my first longer race is in May I have a big long gap before the next distance run.

New Year, New Start

After four weeks off of running, I finally got back in the game the past two days. 4 miles each day here in Frisco, TX, with Alan. Today was a little cooler than yesterday, but I can't complain seeing as how the temperature in Kansas City is struggling to get into double digits. I meant to run with my brother while we were together in Longview but our laziness and finally the weather conspired against us. These two runs were nice and easy and that's the way it's going to be for a little bit as I decide what race to run next and then develop a training plan.

I also wanted to get a new pair of shoes before starting to run again since my last two pairs are pretty much spent after running a couple of marathons and all the requisite training for them. Went to Academy Sports in Longview earlier in the week and bought a pair of Asics Gel Nimbus 11. Spent more than I wanted to but I didn't want to wait for something to come by mail. They're silver and feel good, which is the best part. We'll see where these shoes carry me in the next few months.