Winter Goes On

Final week before the race, and today called for an easy 6-mile run. It was cold and windy and when I stepped out the back door onto the deck and a bitterly nasty gust hit right at that moment. I briefly pondered hitting the treadmill again, but since I was already dressed I decided I needed an outdoor run more than I needed to stay inside. I added an extra layer on top as well as ear-warmers and a stocking cap and that kept me warm enough on the run.

Today I was less worried about speed and focused on getting in the miles. At this point in the training cycle you're either ready or you're not. I'm ready to run 13.1, but at what speed remains to be determined. I'm still thinking that this run is the start of the season, more of a stepping stone than the race I really need to conquer. As always, that could go out the window if Saturday dawns with nice conditions and I'm feeling especially ready to roll. Just a couple more runs and then it'll be showtime.

Foul Weather

Driven inside again by high winds and cold weather, I knew I needed to get in a good, long run, which is not easy when running on a treadmill. I resolved to stick it out for 12 miles, yes, almost two hours. I loaded up some BSG in the DVD player and watched three full episodes. The drier air prompted me to keep a sports drink handy, and I took a swig about every 10 minutes. With the help of the good ship Galactica I made it and now feel better about getting through the race in a week. Usually for a half-marathon I'll try to run at least a 14-miler somewhere during training, but I missed that opportunity last week when we were traveling. I guess 12 will have to do.

Allergies Can't Keep a Good Man Down

I've felt like allergies have had the upper hand the past week. Even though the usual effects (sneezing, itching, etc.) have been mild I've still felt puffy and lethargic. So today went way better than expected. Plus it was one of my favorite runs. This is my 2x800 at sprint pace with some down time before, between, and after. The temp was also in the 40's, making it easier to go faster. My best time was around 6 minutes/mile during the sprints. I probably could have given just a little bit more, but I wasn't interested in throwing up.

Since I didn't run last weekend, this weekend I'll have to run a little farther than originally planned. I don't think 14 miles is a good idea, but at least 12 seems ideal. It also depends on the weather.

One thing that I was thinking about on the run after the first sprint was how quickly my body adapts to the speedwork. Before the first interval I was running at a 9-minute/mile clip. After running under a 7-minute pace for just over three minutes I was a little surprised to find myself running the recovery at 8:30--minute. Same after the second interval, although a walked a couple of minutes before picking up the run again. I was thinking of a long training run where I could run a half mile at a "slower" pace and then pick it up for a half mile, and keep doing that for anywhere from 10-20 miles. Then over time I could extend the faster segment and decrease the slower, so that at some point I'm doing more faster than slower. I know someone else has probably thought of this before and it probably even has a name. But I think my next round of training might incorporate something along these lines. My new mantra is that if you want to race fast, you have to train fast!

Tough Wind

Today the wind was not my friend. After a really stupid day at work, I was hoping to get in a good marathon-pace run. Alas, I only partially accomplished my goal. I ran 6 miles total, with about 3 1/2 of that at about a half-minute slower than marathon pace. It was just too tough running uphill against 30 mph winds. As I've mentioned recently, I need to find a place with fewer hills to run, but that's tough to do without driving someplace. And when I'm feeling good the hills are no problem. I felt doped up again today from allergies. That and the heat tends to slow me down.

I'm thinking about my goal for the race coming up in 11 days. I really want to break 1:49, which if I remember correctly is my PR. I just don't know that I'm in shape for that yet. I think I can get fairly close, but it's going to depend on the weather and the allergies. Maybe it's better to use this as an endurance-building exercise. Then I could continue to work on speed for my next race. Eight-minute miles will get me to about 1:45 if I'm doing the math correctly. I know I can do it, but I'm not sure at this point if this is the race to do so. I'm going to have to feel a lot better about my training if I'm going to give it a shot.

Coneys

I didn't get in my long run this weekend, which will make the race that much more of a challenge. We went to Tulsa on Saturday and returned yesterday evening. I could have squeezed in a run somewhere, either here or there, but opted to not shoehorn it in just for the sake of running. When we got back last night I even considered doing it then, but my allergies were calm and I decided keeping it that way was a little more important than running.

So today I ran 6 miles, trying to keep up the 9-minute pace I've adopted as my "easy" run pace. It worked pretty well for the first five miles and then it stopped working. Maybe it was the heat, in the upper 70's today, or maybe it was the ten coneys I ate in Tulsa. I don't suppose I can count that as training food. If I was smart I would have eaten a few less. But I'm not smart. And gluttony never tasted so good.

Withering in the Heat

It wasn't really that hot out yesterday, but it sure seemed like it had warmed up a lot with a temperature topping out in the low 70's. I planned to do a good tempo run, but the heat and humidity nixed that after two miles of running under 8 minutes/mile. As usual it started out well, especially after a mile warmup, but no go. I ran 5 miles total and considered going for a sixth, but I determined that marginally speaking it wouldn't get me much, so I made the turn to finish earlier rather than dragging it out.

Allergies are in the air again, oh joy. I also haven't slept well this week, maybe because of said allergies, but I would say that definitely played a role in yesterday's aborted run. That running magazine we all read has said countless times that you should track your diet, your sleep, and other activities and see what are common factors in good and bad runs. I can say without a doubt that a night or several nights of bad sleep really affects my running. And that's not something I have to track on a chart to know for sure.

No Snow

That didn't last long, and we're back in the 50's again temperature-wise. The chill is still there in the breeze, but hopefully this means it's on it's way out for good. But I'll believe it when I see it.

Today was a good speed workout, with 4x1 mile intervals at marathon-pace and one minute recovery periods between each. Overall I went 6.25 miles. The pace was pretty easy to keep, even against the wind. A few times I had to slow down as I found myself running a little fast, but then again there were periods where I had to speed up because I had slowed going up a rise or just lost focus. Overall I'm happy with the workout, and keeping it a reasonable pace certainly helped, as opposed to some of the speed sessions like 800m intervals are faster. I also kept the warmup mile and the cooldown mile afterward at about 9 minutes/mile, part of my plan to up the speed overall.

One thing I've thought about is how to warm up for the half-marathon next month, since I think I will do better if I've run a mile or so. I've always been irritated by those people who are out running before the start of a race, considering them showoffs or overachievers, particularly when they're doing so right before they're about to cover 26.2 miles. But now I'm starting to wonder if that's something I should do, too? For instance, on today's run it took a good half mile before the stiffness in my legs and hips started to fade. So maybe that's what I need to do before the half. I haven't done a warmup like that before, but maybe this is the time to give it a shot and see how it goes. It certainly will help me start off closer to the pace I want, and I don't think warming up will affect my ability to go the distance. Let's plan on this little experiment now and we'll see how it goes in less than 20 days.

Snow Again?

Yes, this morning it snowed. T-shirt and shorts on Saturday, back on the treadmill today. Actually the snow was pretty much gone by the time I arrived home, but I did my workout with weights and then didn't feel like heading out in the cold.

It seems like I'm trending toward the school of thought that says if you want to race fast then you need to train fast. For the time being, at least, I feel like my non-speed runs need to be speedier. I have to be careful to avoid burning out, though. Today on the treadmill I set it for 9-minute miles and ran 6 miles total. I know it was on the treadmill and all, but it felt pretty easy, relatively speaking. In other words I wasn't sucking air and I could have held a conversation. That's the way I'm going to play it, since my marathon pace to BQ will have to be a lot closer to my current 5k pace if I'm ever going to make it.

Long Running Again

Today's run was 11 miles, another outing at Smithville Lake with Mike the guy from church. This was his new record for a long run, a record he will break again three weeks from today. The chill is not quite gone from the air. Even though it was over 50 degrees outside, there was the slightest trace of coldness still. That didn't stop me from wearing shorts and a technical t-shirt, though. I brought long pants and a long-sleeved shirt with me just in case but didn't have to wear them.

We stayed at just under 10 minutes/mile, a pace where we were both comfortable. I wanted to push it a little bit at the end, so I sped up for the last mile and did that one at a 7:30 pace. I was certainly winded when I finished, but I felt good about kicking some butt the last mile.

When I got home I took a look at the Boston Marathon web site and found that my qualifying time was changed by five minutes - in the wrong direction! For my age bracket I have to run a 3:25 time or better. If I'm calculating correctly that's under 8 minutes/mile. After running one mile at a fast pace today that sure seems like a tough goal, one that just got tougher. I have to remind myself I'm in a training plan that will likely last a couple of years and I'm just getting started. I think I can, I think I can....

Better Weather

Today was quite a difference from my previous outdoors run this week, with a temperature in the 50's. I even donned shorts but stayed with a long-sleeve technical shirt with a race t-shirt over it. That worked out pretty well. The hills killed me again, though.

The speedwork today was Yasso 800's on the same route I ran Monday. The intervals were going really well as I kept them close to 7 minutes/mile. On the last one I found myself running up a long hill, and as has happened before, I just died on it before finishing that interval. Dang it. Next time I run these I will plan a better route so I'm not running uphill on the later intervals. This area is all hills, so I might have to take my game someplace a little flatter. If there is such a flat place in this area.

As the Treadmill Turns

After yesterday's chilling run, I took today's rain as a sign that I should stay in for my run. I put BSG:Razor in the DVD player, hooked up the earbuds to the TV, and ran. I changed my schedule around so that today was a marathon-pace run rather than intervals. I went one mile as a warm-up, five miles at marathon pace (8-minute miles) and then a mile cooldown. It actually went better than I expected, especially since I felt beforehand that I might be fighting off something. I'll chalk up this one as a good run.

This is my 500th entry on this running b/log. That's a lot of runs over the past several years. I'm sure I could make my entries more useful, and I try to do so occasionally, but mainly this page exists as a way for me to keep an ongoing record of my runs. It works for me, even if it doesn't work for anyone else. At the least an imaginary person can see the ups and downs and progression of all this running. I've been blessed to be pretty much injury-free. I've learned about gear and shoes and some of that stuff, but I feel like there's so much more for me to learn. I have a long way to go in race management, not to mention training management. The book I'm reading now talks about being your own coach, and that's a work in progress for me. I have a pretty lofty goal and need to speed up a lot over the next couple of years in order to BQ. That training might be another 500 entries all by itself!

Stupid Cold Wind

Took a new route today since a street recently opened near our neighborhood to a new elementary school. I was less than thrilled with the cold, steady wind that was blowing out of the ESE. At times it seemed like it was blowing 40 mph, and other times...well, unless I was running with the wind, which wasn't much, it still felt like it was bitterly cold. I made this an easy run of 6 miles and tried to concentrate on stretching out my calves and hips. The wind made it a little tough to focus at times, but I guess that's the purpose of these runs. I felt like trying to run faster but kept it contained since I don't want to ruin tomorrow's speed work. I regretted - just a little bit - not doing today's session on the treadmill, but I'm trying to go with the idea of being outside any chance I can when it's not freezing rain or snow or anything else that makes the surfaces treacherous. Today wasn't too bad, but there were times I felt every bit of my 40+ years. But then, don't we all have days like that?

Lake Run

Today was miserably cold due to wind. This isn't the coldest it's been, but after a few days of warmth it felt colder due to the contrast. Some folks from my Sunday School class were heading to Smithville Lake, so I decided to join them for an 8-miler. Mike and I ran together while his wife ran with another lady whose husband had run earlier. This was Mike's longest run to date and we finished strong with an 8:30 pace for the last mile. This was my first time running on the trail at the lake and it was a nice run, wind and all, especially with the company along the way.

My plan to use the half marathon as part of my ongoing training seems to be crystallizing. At this point I need to find another race, probably in the April or May timeframe. I'm also thinking I need to settle on a training philosophy. This morning I was reading reviews on a book that talked about running three days a week and cross-training two other days. The book purports - wow, don't think I've used that word before, certainly not on this blog - a plan that allows runners to run not as much but still improve times and even qualify for Boston. I suppose I should read it to weigh it against the higher-mileage training I'm reading about now. I see it as taking in all the arguments before making a decision. I guess one of my fears is the risk of injury with more weekly miles, but if that's what it takes to qualify I guess I have to take that risk. But then again, if I can qualify with less work and less risk, isn't that worth a try, too? My brain is telling me the jury is still out.

Third Day

Today was the third day in a row for a run. I felt okay, not great, but I was determined to get in the 4-mile tempo run (6 miles total). And I almost made it. I think I need to modify my route, or maybe I just need to see it as a challenge and meet it head-on. I ran 3.8 miles at an 8-minute or better pace, but ascending that last hill on the way back was too much. I don't know how I can modify my route and not have hills around here, though. As I was running up that long hill I marked a spot up ahead where I would start walking, hoping it was around the cutoff point for my tempo. I ended up walking before that point, and soon discovered it still would have been over a tenth of a mile short. So much for judging the distance by sight.

I'm loving this warmer weather. Of course, it's supposed to be cold again on Saturday. I still count winter as not being over yet, and the way things go around here I won't be disappointed. Just looked at the schedule and it's just over four weeks to the race I want to run in April. Wow. That's quick. I definitely need to get in more speed work if I'm going to have any success at this race. I also think I'm going to modify my plan and treat it more as part of my overall training rather than running a race and taking off a week or two. There'll be less of a taper and more continuity beyond the race. At least that's what I'm thinking today. Guess I should pick another race to shoot for after this one.

Adding More Mileage

Yes, that's what I needed. The wind could have been a little less brisk and not blowing against me no matter which direction I faced, but the run itself was great. This was an easy run, seemingly the first I've had in ages that wasn't also a "long" run. I went 6 miles and kept it slow and steady the whole way at 10 minutes/mile or just under. A few times I found myself speeding up to the low nines and quickly ratcheted it down again. I wasn't thrilled about running slower with the cold breeze, but in the end it was worth it and I survived.

Normally today would have been a cross-training weight day. With the sun shining and the temperature bearable I felt it was better to get out for an easy run. The book I'm reading talks about adaptability and that was the case with my workout today. Let's see if it pays off in tomorrow's speed work.

More Mileage

Today the plan was to run 8 miles total with a 6-mile marathon pace run included in that. My total miles ended up being 6 with a 4-mile marathon-pace run. In the past it's been tough for me to run over 6 miles on a week night, mainly due to time and sometimes to fatigue. This time the spirit was willing and to be honest I probably could have made it, but it would have drained me for the next several days. I think this is a case where not getting in that fourth run every week is detrimental. The extra run usually comes on Mondays for me, and even though those runs are listed in my plan I haven't had a chance to incorporate them into practice yet. More mileage will probably get me to the point where the run I had planned tonight would become a reality. We'll see how tomorrow goes. I might add in an easy run on Wednesday this week if I can get out of work at the time I'm supposed to, something which has been keeping me from doing that Monday run.

No Run Today

But I did run on Saturday and forgot to post it. It was one of those long treadmill runs that I don't really like but end up soldiering through. It helps to run 90 minutes and have two episodes of BSG to watch. Last Thursday it snowed, actually a coating of ice and then snow, and it was nowhere near gone by Saturday. I ran 10-minute miles according to the treadmill computer.

Last week I received some books in the mail that I'd ordered with a gift card. Two of them are about running faster, one is about the Boston Marathon. I also ordered a yoga DVD, with the subject being yoga for runners. I haven't tried it yet but I need to get going with it. I read through part of one of the books yesterday afternoon and so far it makes sense. The author says that if you're training to run a fast marathon, you need to train specifically for running fast at that distance, which is different than training to run fast for a 10k or 5k. Plus, running a lot makes you a better runner, which sounds right. I have a lot more to read, but so far it's interesting and has given me some brain fodder.

One thing I disagree with, though, is where the author generally dismisses strength and weight training, saying that for his runners the only strength training they do is hill sprints. Personally speaking, I find the little weight lifting I do to be beneficial and I can definitely tell if I haven't done it. My upper body fatigues and starts to break down on longer runs if my strength training has lagged. This might not be true for everyone, but it's certainly true for me. When running 26.2 miles, you can't afford to ignore part of your body and expect it to keep up. Unless the author gets a lot more convincing on that part, I'm going to continue that part of my workouts.

Today It Snowed

And therefore I ran on the treadmill. I was able to do Yasso 800s again, with five intervals at about a 7:30 pace for each. Some days there's not much more to say other than I got in my run. How about you?

Truck Mania

Bought a new (to me) truck yesterday, and spending all day at a dealership pretty much canceled out my planned run. Today I was able to get out and run 5 miles. My hips were very tight and a little sore, probably from the increased mileage last week. I ran 3 miles at a pace between 8-8:30/mile. Even though my upper body felt loose and strong, my hips and glutes never got into a good rhythm. I'm thinking I need to get back into the yoga, which I haven't done for several weeks. I ordered another yoga DVD, this one for runners, and I hope it helps with the flexibility around my middle. Also on this run I had placed a cushion in my shoe, but it didn't work too well. This one was a little too firm, and I think I need to switch to the kind I wear in my other shoes. The breeze today was also quite chilling, another reason for me to cut the run short by a couple of miles. Plus I wanted to get back and do a few things with the truck.

Playing Well With Others

I usually run solo. Probably 98% or so of my runs have been all by myself. Today I branched out and ran with some guys from church. It was kind of cool since they're newer to running than I am, and it's groovy to see how running has helped others. We ran north from church a couple of miles and then back, where I split off and kept going so I could get in a good 8.5 miles. It's been awhile since I ran so far, but the first half of that really did go faster with the company.

This being KC there were rolling hills and cool wind, but overall it wasn't too bad a day to run outside. These are the folks I'll be joining for the half-marathon in April, and I think they'll do fine. At one point I was talking with one of the guys who has never run more than 8 miles, but in just over a month he will doing quite a bit more than that. It brings to mind how I used to think an 8-miler was a huge deal. I still remember my first run that covered that distance, and by golly it was a big deal. Now I reel off 6-milers as my short runs, but it's nice to be reminded how much work it takes to get to a distance I almost take for granted now. And that helps me realize the effort others put into it, and how much hard work it takes for them to get there, just like it took for me. It also helps me realize even though I've done a few marathons I'm still no running god and never will be. Just like these other guys and millions more like them, I'm a dude who laces up my Asics and heads out every few days to try and stay fit. We all have our reasons for doing it, but at the core we're all runners. And runners are generally good people to hang out with. If I can encourage a few others along the way then so much the better.

70

This was not a normal February day. In fact, it was more like mid-April, with sun, wind, and a decent temperature. Only the few small piles of snow in the shadows, holding out against the warm sunshine, reminded me that it's still winter. I'm not naive enough to think winter is over, but I certainly appreciate days like this, especially in the middle of winter.

Today I ran 6 miles, with 5 Yasso 800's in the mix. It was good speedwork, although I still feel the effects of my short layoff. I don't feel like I'm completely back in shape yet, but the strength training has helped. If it wasn't for that I'd probably feel a lot worse. I ran in t-shirt and shorts, a rarity for mid-February. I saw a few other runners, but not nearly as many as I expected on such a nice day. I'm going to take any chance I get to run outside during the winter months, and this one was prime.

Outside

The snow has mostly melted, surprisingly, and the temperature today was in the 50's. Which meant it was the perfect opportunity to get outside for a run. That's three in a row! I ran 6 miles total and included some speedwork in the form of a 3.5 mile tempo run.

I've settled on the Rock the Parkway half-marathon in April as my next race. I'm going to be working on getting faster this year, and that's the first step. In addition, I'm planning on running with a group from church this Saturday. Some of them told me they run really slow, but that's fine by me since several plans call for much slower long runs. I only hope this running outside trend continues.

Atlanta Running

Spent the week in Atlanta on business and then in visiting family, and the weather was strangely similar to KC in temperature for most of the time. Finally on Friday it started warming up a little bit and I headed outdoors for a 5-miler in my brother's neighborhood. Saturday I went to a park where I've run before and reeled off a 6.6-miler. The one on Friday was somewhat tough since I hadn't run since the weekend before and of course due to the overeating that comes with business travel. The run yesterday was much better. It helped that the path around the lake was flatter than the hills in the neighborhood.

With heel cushioning fastened to my right Achilles tendon I felt no pain. I put some cushioning into the shoes I wear at work and afterward and that has helped a lot. In fact, on Wednesday and Thursday both I did quite a bit of walking and felt great. I think I've turned the corner and can now concentrate on getting into shape for an April half-marathon.

Haglund's Deformity

After several weeks of non-running due to heel pain, I finally sat down with the iPad a couple of nights ago to see what I could find on what I was experiencing. I was starting to think something was wrong with my Achilles tendon, and that would be bad news indeed. I found information that matched my pain almost exactly. Apparently I share a condition with women who frequently wear high-heeled shoes, a correlation my friends seem to enjoy. It's called Haglund's Deformity, but the common name is 'pump bump,' although I found one place that said in males it's referred to by the former name and the latter is employed for women. And just for the record, I don't wear women's shoes of any kind. I do wear dress shoes almost every day at work, and it seems the cumulative effect of the rigid backs of those leather shoes has caused my discomfort. The constant rubbing and pressure of enclosed heels like this against the area where the Achilles tendon attaches to the bone of the foot causes sacs of some evil kind to form, and also causes the bone to grow in a direction it shouldn't. The pain only occurs when wearing shoes with enclosed heels, and that's exactly what happens to me.

One cure is surgery, of course, an option I don't like. Another is to apply ice several times a day, and I can do that. Also, and this is the part that sealed my self-diagnosis, a good option is to place cushioning between the painful area and the inside of the shoe. I did this yesterday and didn't feel any pain at all. This would also explain why I experienced some relief a couple of weeks ago when I put heel inserts in my shoes. The affected area was for a time above the top of the shoe, but it seems that was only temporary and there's more of that part of my foot open to irritation than the original spot. My right foot is the only one affected, still, so I'm not sure yet if I should take any precautionary measures for the other foot or not. I wonder if it being localized on the right side is due to stride or some other variant.

Due to the twelve inches of snow we received this week, I was forced once again to run on the treadmill this morning. After the blisters and irritation I had last week, it was nice to get back to a run that was mostly pain free. I had a big padded bandage on my right heel to ease the pain, and for the most part it worked. Pain was there, but it was dull and didn't keep me from running as before. I ran 6 miles, and I felt great. It's so nice to know what the problem is and that there are ways I can mitigate the pain and keep running. I have goals, you know. I was starting to feel like I was laid up and uncertain about my fitness, and battling a mild head cold was causing me to start missing the exercise even more. If you'd told me I would run so little in January I would have thought you were crazy. I'm looking for February to be a lot better.

My Feet Are a Mess

That little run on Thursday had some lingering effects that carried over to Saturday's run. The weather was nice enough to get outside to run for the first time since the beginning of the month, so that part was okay. Snow still covered most of the sidewalks, especially along the main roads. On 96th Street I hopped onto the curb every time a car came by, and although most were respectful that I couldn't run anywhere but on the road, there were still several jerks who made a point of staying in their lane. Given the overall low regard I have for KC drivers, none of this surprised me. Anyway, I planned on a 6 or 7 miler in order to enjoy the sun and to get into a mode of having a "long" run again.

Unfortunately, the blisters on my arches from Thursday, which I had immediately drained, were still sore. Within twenty minutes or so they were well on their way to becoming hot spots again, so I wisely shut it down at three miles. My heel was also hurting again mildly. Since I'm traveling the first couple of days this week my hope is that this down time will allow the blister spots to heal and my heel to also recover before my next run on Thursday. And that one will be on the treadmill, because we're supposed to get a nice blast of snow about the time I'm due back in town. *sigh* Yep, still longing for a warmer climate.

A Little Better

Ran 4 miles today on the treadmill, with a little pain. I first put on my running shoes without the inserts, and before I even jumped on the 'mill I stopped and put the inserts where they belonged. I don't know about that as a long-term solution, though, since it made my shoes too tight. And in retrospect I should have worn thinner socks. When I started the run my heel hurt a little, but it went away after five minutes or so. The tightness of the shoe and the abrasion of the socks against my arches limited me, though. I planned on running longer, but my episode of BSG was over and my feet hurt. So I took this run as a good start after an unwanted layoff. Saturday will be better.

Not Happy

The last time I ran was about 10 days ago. Since then I've been laying off due to a heel injury. Not sure when or where it happened, but the back of my heel - not the bottom where I walk, but the back below the Achilles tendon - has been sore as heck. I have multiple theories about what caused it, and then a ray of hope at the last moment.

Before my last run there was snow on the ground all week, so I wore my hiking/snow boots the entire week to work. I've worn them plenty before and I didn't feel like I had any foot problems with them during that week. On Saturday the 15th I ran on the treadmill. No problems there, either. But on the next day when we went to church I strapped on my boots again due to more snow, and the back of my right heel hurt like...well, it hurt like heel (no, not a typo).

I thought maybe I'd injured it while running inside, but it didn't make sense because I never felt like anything was wrong. No matter what shoes I wore after that the pain was there, and very intense. I thought maybe I'd bruised that area and the feeling would go away. I also considered that I possibly had a bone spur, but it came on awful quick for that to be a possibility. Not that I'm an expert on bone spurs. Maybe that's how it happens for all I know.

I took the week off, and then on The Wife's birthday I attempted to run again. Same problem and I stopped within a minute. On Sunday and the next two days at work I attempted to cushion that area by wrapping an extra sock around the back of my heel. It worked, to a degree. The degree stopped when I tried to run again today. Inside, because we've had snow on the ground for 2+ weeks now. Once again, same result. I tried to tough it out, but opted to throw the shoes and socks to the side and walk on the treadmill barefoot. I even ran about 15 minutes barefoot. About that...

Let me just say that running barefoot on a treadmill isn't necessarily the best idea. I don't know if it's any better or worse than running barefoot outside, but the texture on the belt has a lingering "burning" effect on human feet. It's not a terrible pain, but it also doesn't feel good when I'm walking around. Maybe my feet would get tougher if I continue this routine, but hopefully it won't come to that.

The glimpse of hope involves inserts. Tonight I stopped at Target and picked up some heel inserts. When I arrived at the ol' homestead and realized it was trash night, I realized three things. #1 - It's cold outside so I have to wear shoes; B - My heel hurts like an evil little blacksmith is pounding on it with a tiny but effective little hammer; and Last Slide - I can try out the inserts right now. Opened the consumer-friendly packaging without impaling my hand on a shard of environmentally-conscious plastic and slipped the glorious gel inserts into my shoes.

It doesn't do justice to say I felt instant relief as I walked around in the garage. It was quicker than that. To go back just a little bit, I bought new dress shoes for work at the beginning of the year and ditched the old inserts because, well, they were old and they'd been in contact with my feet for way longer than anything should be in contact with my feet. As of now that seems to be a bad decision. Apparently I should have replaced them at that time.

Those bad boy gel inserts are going in my dress shoes tomorrow. We'll see how it goes, but I'm hoping this is the start to recovery and being able to run again. I don't like to miss so much time because I tend to continue eating the same amount as when I'm logging plenty of miles. Not a good combination. I'm hoping that the run in a few days goes better. Until then...

The Week in Review

I guess I forget to update my log when it's all on a treadmill, because really, there's nothing that exciting about it. I will say that over the last week I've run three times on the ol' 'mill, and I'm ready for the snow to disappear so I can get back outside. Doesn't like that's going to happen anytime soon, though, as more snow is supposed to be on the way Monday.

It's been all BSG all the time as I distract myself on the spinning belt. On Tuesday I ran 6 miles in place and drew closer to the Season 2 finale. On Thursday I gave blood in the morning at work and then ran 5 miles after work. Today was a 10-miler, and now there's only two episodes to go in the second season. If this keeps up I'll have the whole series completed again in a month.

The Wife picked up a Jeff Galloway book for me a the library about qualifying for the Boston Marathon. I think this might be one I need to buy. I skimmed through it at lunch after my run and it has some good stuff in it. Tangentially, the book listed a web site, marathonguide.com, where I discovered a cool feature. You can put in your name on the front page, choose a year from the dropdown, and it will show you all the races you ran that year. Come to find out I'm the fastest marathoner in the world the past two years - with my name. I found four other people with my name, and I win. I called the virtual running partner, and he had a doppleganger - at least name-wise - in Great Britain, and my buddy smoked the Brit. Kind of fun, and the website also has a feature that shows your finish time adjusted for age. My best time would be 3:40 if I was 30 years old, which I figured is the baseline for the adjustment. Fun, but past performance and age adjustment are not accurate predictions of future performance.

Running in Place

Today was a treadmill run. Daughter #1 said something to me the other day about how she figured out wearing the Garmin on a treadmill wouldn't be very useful because you never move from that spot. She's right - pretty smart for a youngster.

Today's run was brought to you by Season 2 of Battlestar Galactica. Two very good episodes, in fact, which made the hour-and-a-half run go by very quickly. Looking back I think this was when BSG was near its creative peak, although I don't have as much of a problem with the subsequent Seasons 3 and 4 as some other fans do. I liked the show all the way through, but I did feel like there was some treading water in parts of the last season. Those kind of reminded me of some Sopranos episodes where my friends would be wondering why nobody got whacked for a few episodes, but I'd explain they were advancing the story line and setting up the big payoff, which is what BSG did in its last season. Whatever anyone else's opinion, I still consider the whole run of BSG as some of the best TV in the last 20 years.

But this isn't the Galactica blog. Let's get back to the subject at hand. My guess is that I ran about 10 miles today. The total on the treadmill was less, but as I've explained before, it's not adjusted right, so I'm going by the elapsed time and the pace, which was normal for what I run outside. It was bitterly cold today and all external motivators regarding just getting out and doing it aside, I didn't want to. And so I didn't. There are plenty of times I'm a running warrior and brave the worst of conditions, but there are also times where I just don't want to be cold. Today was one of those days. And trust me, it was cold, with a wind chill in the single digits. After not running on Thursday I wanted to make sure I got my run in, regardless of the weather, and that's what I did. I'll save the warrior apparel for another day.

A Lot Going On

Today wasn't the best of runs, and it wasn't the worst of runs. My overall pace for the 6-miler was about 9:20/mile. I wasn't the speed demon today that I was on my runs last week, but I was glad to get outside. Even though it was cold it wasn't too windy. I started out listening to a podcast but turned it off at the run's halfway point. There's a lot going on at work this week, pretty important stuff for our future, and I decided I needed to put some thought into that before tomorrow rolled around. Glad I did because I sorted out a few things in my mind. And considering the shape my mind is in sometimes, that's a good thing. So even though this was an average run, I'm marking it on the tally board as one that was necessary for my sanity. Sometimes you have those runs that are more about clearing your head than they are about a physical goal. This was one of them.

Strategy and Core

This past week has gone very well, and I'm feeling strong. But like a baseball team in early May, this isn't the time to peak. You want to peak closer to the big event. I'm trying to keep in mind that it's only the first day of the year and I'm supposed to be laying the foundation for what's ahead this year. Running 6 miles at an 8:40 pace sounds good now, but just like the marathon itself, I have to pace myself. In that vein, I thought of heading outside today for a run, but the wind chill was about 4 degrees and I decided to hit the treadmill instead of taxing my immune systems for a change. At the end of the day I'm not regretting that decision.

I've already started to wonder if the good runs this week were because of attitude or because of picking up the core workouts and adding a little yoga to the mix. This is the first time I've tried yoga and although I'm still getting used to the whole idea, I must say it seems to be helping out with my hips and back. The videos I've been using have some serious back stretching, and I'm seeing how inflexible I am at times. Sure, I'm almost 44 and set in my ways, but this time I'm talking about sitting on the floor with legs stretched to the sides and bending forward. I'm a little surprised at how little I can go with that stretch, especially since I used to be pretty flexible. That's why I'm doing these, though, and I plan on continuing. As I said after the race in December, I have to do something different to develop core and flexibility. It's a little early to be saying all the good results in the past week are because of the new exercises.

Another Two

Motivation. As in what's next. Do I shoot for a single marathon in 2011 like I did this year, or do I go for more?

A podcast I was listening to on Tuesday and today provided a little motivation. I'm usually not big on external motivators like this, but the past few days I've felt like I received some good kicks in the butt from what others achieved and how they did it. Today's podcast mentioned living life on the edge and going for it when you can. Another one from Tuesday had a person talking about what it meant to her to be a runner. Good stuff except for the part where she poo-pooed religion and replaced it with running. Nevertheless, it was all motivating. Which is where Boston comes in.

I talked with the Virtual Running Partner last weekend and told him he has two choices. One is to qualify for the 2012 Boston Marathon this year or to train over the course of two years for the 2013 Boston Marathon. Either way, we're going to train for Boston. He chose the latter, which is probably the wiser since he has to knock over half an hour off his best time so far and I have to get faster by 20 minutes. This is the time to do it since we're both about to enter into the bottom of the next age bracket. More to come as we figure out how to train and what races we're going to run in the coming year.

Tuesday's run was great - great weather, relatively fast, and felt strong. Today's was even better even though it was windy and gusty. 6 miles each day and I'm feeling good. Not a bad way to close out the year.

Two More Times

Thursday I was off work, and a monumental wave of laziness settled in for the four-day holiday weekend. Plus the day was cold and windy, so the lack of external motivation was almost overwhelming. I managed to get it together for a run on the treadmill. I ran 35 minutes out of a planned 60 minutes, which probably covered somewhere between 3.5 to 4 miles. Clearly the wave of apathy had me in a strong grip.

My plan for Saturday was to enjoy a nice 8-mile Christmas run, but again I resisted and decided to put it off a day. Besides, my sister showed up and I didn't want to miss any time with her or the family. My delay turned out to be a good decision since today was much nicer than yesterday. Christmas was cloudy, windy, and bitterly cold. Today was the same without the wind, and the sun even came out (after my run, of course). The whole distance felt good and it was nice to get in a 'long' run before heading back to work on Monday. My thought is that if the weather is even close to not windy, I don't care because it's an opportunity to not run on the treadmill. Those opportunities will likely be fewer over the next couple of months.

Back Out

A second day in a row of running, and it felt good. This time I went 6 miles, but not the usual route I run for that distance. I ran down Shoal Creek and then west on the new 96th Street almost to I-435 before turning toward home. I ran at a fairly quick sub-9:30 pace for an easy run, at times against a stiff breeze from the north. Toward the end I also ran a quarter-mile pickup and stretched out a little.

My hips still feel tight, and I think it's time to try out that yoga DVD. And to get back to my exercising. Some of it can be chalked up to the layoff, I'm sure, but I think some of the tightness still lingers from the race and the training that preceded it.

A Pleasant Winter Run

Hit the today for the first time in two weeks. And a day. It was a whole new world out there. My running partner was my 15-year old, who went along grudgingly three days post-birthday. I retooled with a fresh pair of Asics Gel Nimbus. And the route was brand new, as the main street to the highway that's been closed for the better part of the year finally reopened with more lanes and actual sidewalks. It almost sounds more eventful than it actually was.

The weather was nice, especially the day before the shortest day of the year (no, it's still 24 hours - as I told my daughter, that refers to sunlight). I put on my thin mittens about ten minutes into the journey just because I don't like having cold hands.

At this point I'm running to maintain, with no specific future race in mind. I'd like to run something in early spring, but I'm hobbled by the fact that I won't have any time off from February to May, so that means any race I enter pretty much has to be local. There's time to search, though, and if I can keep my long runs in the 10-12 mile range for a while I'll be fine.

White Rock Marathon

When we hit the 20-mile mark we still had a chance to make the finish line in under four hours. It was a remote chance and it was going to be close, but we still had a chance. That hope quickly faded as we headed away from White Rock Lake into the home stretch.

The beginning of the race was, in a word, cold. We bypassed a lot of the traffic backed up on I-30 and got to Fair Park in Dallas in plenty of time. We whiled away some time by watching the pilot of Big Bang Theory on my virtual running partner's iPhone. I almost made a totally stupid mistake, although I'm not sure it would have been fatal. The race used the timing chips that are plastic strips, which you thread into one of your shoe's laces and it forms a loop. They're disposable and you don't have to return them. There are two parts to these, one of which has the instructions. I looped that part through my left shoelaces and was trying to find the print that said "This side up." I couldn't find it and figured, oh well. When we were climbing out of the truck to head for the starting line, I looked down on the cab floor and realized the one I actually needed was lying on the carpet there. I suppose if we'd made it to the start and I realized my error I would have just run without it since there was no way I was going to walk all the back to the parking lot to retrieve it.

We stood in the bathroom line for a good half hour or so. By the time we got into our corral I was experiencing some intermittent shivering. The temperature was about 34 degrees with a 10-mile an hour breeze making it colder than the air temp. Once the elites took off it was another 24 minutes before our corral was allowed to take off. The only thing that I didn't like about the race was the distance from the start/finish back to the parking lot.

With about 25,000 people running and lots of spectators, we were never alone. As usual, the first several miles rolled by quickly. The course took us toward downtown, then a little north and finally east to White Rock Lake. The half marathoners peeled off from us at the 8.5 mile mark, and strangely enough, their path never took them to the lake. We reached the lake about mile 11 and circled it until about mile 21. There was one point about mile 18 or so where the route had us running toward downtown, which was hazy in the distance. We commented on how crazy it was that we'd run that far and still had plenty to go.

Our goal was to finish under four hours, and I had high hopes we could make it. Alan experienced some back spasms in the latter half, and we had to walk through those. Then his right knee started really bothering him, and our goal quickly went away in the breeze. We finished in a time of 4:10. That's okay - we'll try again next time. For me personally, I need to get some good calf stretching exercises. If I'd been running faster I could tell my calves would have cramped up worse than they did, which was bad enough. Having endured this for the last couple of races I think it's time to figure out a solution. My hips were also hurting the rest of the day and into today. No surprise there, but again, a good stretching exercise seems to be in order.

As compared to the Big D we ran last year, at least these guys were organized enough to still have food and drink for us at the finish line party. Unfortunately it wasn't real varied, with an unripe banana, oranges, and some Quaker Oats bars as the choices. We weren't interested at all in the MGD 64 they had, either. The race was plenty organized, but the biggest complaint we had was the long walk back to the truck. That was pure torture after the pain of the race, and it was actually more of a hobble than a walk. We saw shuttles running, but they apparently weren't running to our parking lot. Once we got there we never saw any shuttles, so I don't know who and where they were shuttling to and from.

I guess it's time to shut down the running for a couple of weeks and let my body have some rest time to heal. I'm sure I'll be itching to hit the road before Christmas. And I did get in a marathon in 2010. During my down time I can determine a strategy for next year, including how much to run and where. At times this year running only one marathon didn't seem like enough, but then there were times where it seemed like too much. It's certainly clear why the half is a more popular race since it doesn't put anywhere near the same wear and tear on a person's body. But there's time to ponder all this in the coming days. For now, I'm glad this one is over. It was a good, tough run, and I think it's given me some things to improve upon. Marathon #7 is in the books.

Falling Behind

Blustery wind has been the name of the game since Monday. I've fallen behind this week in my logging, so let's catch up real quick, shall we?

The Wife and I went out for a run on Monday like we usually do, and let's just say that didn't go well. We completed 2.5 miles in a strong wind from the NNW that was over 20 miles an hour. I think my lips were about to freeze off and she wasn't real interested in helping me keep them warm at that point in time. So we cut short the run and headed to Granite City for dinner and a nice relaxing evening. I was glad we did.

Tuesday night was more of the same, except I was running solo. It was my last planned speedwork before the race. I ran 5.5 miles in the exact same gusting wind and cold temps. What was left of my lips was definitely frozen at that point.

Tonight was a short 4-miler, and for a change the wind wasn't blowing as bad. The temperature was still freezing, but that lack of wind makes a big difference. This was my last run before Sunday's race since we'll be traveling the next couple of days.

Last night I was talking with my virtual running partner and he's feeling like this is the best he's ever felt before a race. Which is good, since we're gunning to get him to the tape in under four hours. I, on the other hand, don't feel quite as good. My diet hasn't been as good as it should be, and I also don't feel like I've hit my stride with the speedwork. The long runs went okay, but my left shin and calf are giving me a little trouble. In other words, I feel like I've been training for a marathon. I'm looking forward to the race, but this time I think I'm looking forward to the rest period after the race even more. It's been a stressful year and I think my body needs a bit of a break. So onward to Dallas and then some downtime!

Turkey Trot and Long Run

First I have to talk about Thursday's run. The whole family ran the Parkville 5k Turkey Trail Trot this year, the first time we've all been able to run it. My youngest, who is 8 years old, was particularly excited. I told her I would run with her and the older two girls could run with their cousin. The Wife and The Boy brought up the rear since they tend to run a little slower, and they did, coming in about three minutes after we did. The young one had never run more than 2.5 miles before, so I told her she could run or walk or whatever she wanted to do and I would stay with her. I soon found out how competitive she is.

We were a little behind her older sisters the first loop of the park, and then we kept passing and being passed by them on the second loop. When we made the final turn and had a straight shot at the finish line, I told her she could run fast if she wanted, and she took off like a shot. At the turn we were about ten yards ahead of her competitors (aka sisters), and they briefly tried to catch up but she wasn't about to be beaten by them. After my initial shock wore off I caught up to her and said, "Don't let them beat you!" I can only imagine the feelings of the people she passed, most of them over thirty years old and being beaten by an 8-year old. She won the family crown this year with a finishing time of 34:30. Let's just say she was proud of herself, and so was I. Maybe this is the beginning of something, huh?

Today's run was a little warmer than the below-freezing temperature of Thursday. It was almost 50 degrees when I finished, the sun was shining, and there was hardly a breeze. This was my final "long run," a 10-miler as I head into the final week before the race. I felt good all the way through. Just past nine miles the running podcast I was listening to played a short song to close out the podcast and said if you're running, you can do a quick pickup. So I did, and had no problems doing so. I think with a few days of keeping loose on the running and then three days off before the race I'll be fine. The goal is to get my virtual running partner at the finish line in under four hours. I'm hoping with my Garmin and a pace group we can measure by that we'll be able to make it.

It Gets Cold When the Sun Goes Down

Yesterday and today were very similar in temperature and the time I went for a run. On Monday the wife and I ran together, and strangely enough it got really cold after the sun went down. She was having some pain in her right leg so we actually stopped running at right about the 5-mile mark. I still counted 6 miles for the total, though, since it was so bitterly cold and we walked fast for the last mile.

This afternoon was another 6-mile run, except this time I threw in 4 miles at a tempo pace. My left knee and calf were barking at me before setting out. It took about half a mile to loosen them up a bit and they behaved the rest of the way. The tempo went pretty well, and I tried to keep it about 8 minutes/mile or less. I guess the layering, the ear warmer, and the mittens are here to stay.

At the Turkey Trot on Thursday the weather is supposed to be around freezing with a 14-mile/hour wind driving the wind chill down to about 11 degrees. I told that to the kids tonight and they were really excited, haha. I guess if you want the t-shirt you have to suffer a little first.

Falling Again!

This marked my second time falling on a run, an indignity which fortunately was witnessed by few, if any, people around me. I was running up the sidewalk toward Pleasant Valley Baptist Church when my left foot caught in the loop of my right shoelace. Down I went, rolled, and came back up running. Apparently I'm getting good at this. I'm not sure that's a good thing. A car came up the street behind me a few seconds later, and I don't know if they were in viewing range or not. I was wearing thin cloth gloves, saving the palms of my hands from a quality rash. As of this evening I don't feel any ill effects from the fall. I almost fell a few more times in the next couple of miles before realizing how badly my right shoe was tied. I stopped and knotted it three more times and was fine the rest of the run. It looks like I need to be sure my shoes are properly configured before heading out.

Today was the last really long run of this training cycle. I ran the 15 miles in temperatures below 40 degrees, with a nice strong breeze from the SSE. I've run in worse. For some reason it was a tough run, but I made it through without walking or wanting to quit. Well, I wanted to quit, but knew that really wasn't an option two weeks before the race. And the taper continues.

Could Have Been Better

Cold night, dead legs. As my imaginary readers know, one of my favorite speed workouts that I do before a race is a 2x800, with the two intervals being all-out sprints. It's usually fun to stretch it out and run like the wind, or as far as I'm concerned, at least a gentle breeze. This has been a draining week at work, as usual, and when I went out and warmed up for two miles, I could tell my legs were on the tired side. The interval went pretty well, in the sub-7:00 area, but I felt like I could have had a better quality workout. The temperature was around 40 degrees and the wind chill close to freezing. I have another of these workouts scheduled for next week, so I hope to feel better about it at that point.

My knees have been a tad bit sore the past few days, a combination of higher mileage and not doing my strength workouts consistently. Tomorrow is Friday and I need to make sure I get in those workouts. I know this in my heart but too many times my brain tells me I'm tired and need to rest and take it easy. Stupid brain!

Again, Chilly

Same conditions as last night, but a slightly faster tempo. I finished 7 miles in exactly one hour. That distance included 5 miles at tempo pace, which I endeavored to keep at an 8-minute pace. I ran part of the route I ran on Saturday before I lost my drink top, hoping in vain to find it. Alas, it is gone forever. I guess I'll have to find another way to replace it, which is what the Inter World Wide Nets is for, I hope.

Chilly

The Wife and I went for a 6-miler (easy run for me, long run for her), and took a route where I could look for my lost water bottle cap. Didn't find it, but had an enjoyable run anyway. Other than the fact that the temperature was in the forties and my hands were quite cold. I should have worn mittens and another shirt. I also wore shorts, which in hindsight seems a bit irresponsible. In my defense, however, the sun was out and the afternoon was nice when we left the house. I think tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same, weather-wise, and I will dress appropriately.

20 Miles and More

I'll be honest, I didn't expect today's 20-miler to go very well. First off, I knew the weather was going to be less than desirable. The forecast called for a temperature near freezing along with winds from the NNW at about 17 mph. Not my favorite kind of weather to spend 3 1/2 hours outside. Second, I didn't get a good night's sleep, which isn't really new before a long run, but is still a wee bit discouraging. Finally, in the first 4 miles I just didn't feel that great. I didn't feel bad, but I didn't feel like I was bursting with strength, either. With the wind howling against me on the latter part of my first lap around the neighborhood I tried to relax and not take it too fast. That strategy worked since after that I felt okay. The second lap I felt even more relaxed, and then when I headed out of the neighborhood for the final 11 miles I knew I could make it. Whew. Glad that's over.

This weather made me pull out the full complement of cold-weather gear. I had the ear-warmer going, the gloves (which I switched for mittens after the first lap), and three layers of shirts. I thought about shedding the warmup jacket after the first lap, but running into the wind nixed that idea. I'm glad I kept it.

I also had a bummer moment during the run. I was wearing my drink belt and had stopped to turn it around so the pocket with my cell phone in it was in the front just in case one of the kids needed me. About three miles later I grabbed a bottle and found that the top was missing. I was understandably upset but found the top rolled up in the bottom of my warmup jacket. Dodged a bullet there. Then I checked the other three bottles and found another one missing. Dang it! And this one was nowhere around, either in my clothing or on the ground. I have no idea where it landed. I'll be keeping my eyes open for it on upcoming runs, but I'm not real hopeful.

Also, I forgot to log Thursday's run. I went 7 miles, which included a 5-mile tempo run at about 8 minutes/mile. I ran in the morning since I had the day off. In addition, I was trying to get in the run before weather turned bad later in the day. Mission accomplished.

One more note: The Wife and my oldest daughter ran a 10k this morning, and I am very proud of them. I know firsthand how bad the weather was with the wind and cold temps, and they persevered and ran it anyway. Awesome! Guess we're officially a family of distance runners now. Woo hoo!

Like a Child

I experienced one of those rare moments during tonight's run where I felt for just a few seconds like a kid - running without boundaries, running for fun, running without a care, and running just...because. I was just over three miles into the run when it happened. I was on my third Yasso 800, on an uphill no less, and when I accelerated it just hit me. It was a few moments of abandon and of feeling like I was ten years old again. What a great feeling.

Alas, it didn't last near long enough. I finished my 6-miler feeling pretty good about the whole thing, and glad that for a brief moment I had a rare glimpse into the past. It's a feeling I wish I had more often.

Back to Pleasantville

The temperature today was back up in the 60's, but it sure gets dark early after the end of daylight savings time this weekend. When the wife and I went out for our Monday evening 6-miler the evening was very pleasant, albeit breezy. I enjoy these slower runs with her, especially after the pavement-chewing miles of the past weekend. Less than two miles into the run she remarked the sky would be dark by the time we got home, and I replied the sun would be down by the time we reached mile 3. I was pretty close to correct on that one.

I should note that my virtual running partner completed his 20-miler this past weekend since he's on his way to India this week. It would be difficult to get in a run like that in a very unfamiliar place. As long as he can still do some speed work on the treadmill he'll be fine for the race.

Catching Up

Took a quick trip to Austin again this week, which put a hitch in my logging online. So let's recap this week's runs, shall we?

My Monday evening run with the wife was sabotaged by having to work past 7 p.m., so we ran Tuesday night instead. She wasn't feeling the best and managed 5 miles while I did a couple of strides to end up at 5.4 miles. Guess we should get used to running in the dark. The Wife is running a 10k next weekend and I enjoy encouraging her by running together once a week. The Monday (or Tuesday in this case) is perfect since it's supposed to be an easy recovery run for me and a long run for her.

Wednesday I flew to Austin with co-workers. I'd checked the forecast on Tuesday and it proclaimed sunny and in the mid-60's for Wednesday. I was a little surprised when we landed since light rain was falling, the wind was pretty breezy, and the sun was nowhere to be found. It wasn't horrible, though, and since I'd packed my running gear I headed out. Normally at mid-afternoon there are thousands of people out on the trails, but this time maybe a hundred or so was all I saw. I ran 6 miles, with a 4-mile tempo run at 7:30/pace sandwiched between a mile warmup and mile cooldown. The weather in Kansas City was actually better than in Texas that day. Weird, but I still got in my run. And I still like running in Austin.

Today's run was the longest in ages, at least to my memory. Seems like I keep getting up to 15 miles and then dropping back, so today's 18-miler was key. I finished strong, even though I did feel a little bit of a letdown between 15 and 16. I think that was part of 'the wall' I needed to break through to make sure I'm ready for the race next month. The only barrier I have left is next week's 20-miler. All in all today's run went well. I thought I'd messed up since I didn't have any gel or other energy packs, but I found a package in the pantry of energy shot blocks. Guess they were either bought by The Wife or came from one of her races since I haven't bought anything like them before. They were okay but dang, they seem like they're big enough for a horse. I'm guessing other people probably take them in bites.

Today was also the first day I had to wear the cold weather running gear. The temperature when I left was exactly 32 degrees, so I wore long pants, mittens, a long technical shirt with a cotton race t-shirt over it, and my headband. The first mile I thought I probably should have worn my tights but after that it was okay, so probably just as well I hadn't thrown them on under my pants. Thankfully the breeze was non-existent today. In fact, the weather seemed to be much like the Memphis race last year, both temperature and breeze-wise. If these were the conditions for next month's race I'd be happy with that. Once again I strapped on the drink belt, this time at mile 9, along with the iPod. My calves are a little sore and tightened up some during the second half of the run, but nothing like the Columbia and Memphis races last year. I've read some articles stating that this could be one of the coldest winters we've had in a while due to La Nina (El Nino's colder sister), but if possible I'd like to request that plunging temperatures hold off until after the race. I know that's selfish, but sometime that's just how it is when you're a runner and the weather is involved.

Chicked at Mile 13

At mile 13 of today's 15-mile run a pencil-thin lady passed me by. I thought I was running at a decent clip since I was trying to finish strong. When I checked my trusty Garmin I was at a pace of about 8:45/mile and I thought not bad, not bad, although she's probably closer to 8-minute miles. As the lady receded in the distance I worked at not feeling too bad because I was pretty sure she hadn't already run 13 miles.

This was the first time I had to wear a long-sleeve shirt and my mittens, even though I resisted for a few weeks. The temperature was around 40 degrees when I left the house at 7 a.m. and didn't warm up a whole lot while I was out, but it was absolutely gorgeous autumn weather for running. Also, I think I actually figured out the trick to Daylight Savings Time. I always get it backward when the time changes twice a year, and I'll be able to test my theory next weekend. I'm not a big fan of DST, but as I pondered the larger questions of life I think I was able to make sense of it all. Next week I'll move on to something else, like why do people have to suffer or why the sky is blue.

Some More Marathon Pace

Today was windy, although not as windy as in some other places, apparently. Today was also extremely busy and draining at work. I didn't feel in the best of shape when I took off, but I knew I needed a run more than I needed not to run. I looked at my plan, which said '1-mi. warmup, 5 mi. marathon pace (8:00/mi), 1 mi. coolodwn.' And I said, 'Who put this stupid plan together?' The Wife didn't have an answer for that one since we both knew who authored it.

All things considered, the run went pretty well. I ended up shortening the 5 mi. to 4 mi., mainly because I knew there was a lot going on tonight and I needed to get home. Sometimes the pressures of life override that extra mile, and tonight was one of those nights. Nevertheless I'm happy with the run and hope that it's not so bad come Thursday.

Windy

Ran with The Wife again tonight and enjoyed another 6-miler. This time it was pretty windy, but the gusts were coming from the south, meaning we were running against them when going downhill. She did very well, especially considering she ran a 10k on Saturday. She has tenacity, I'll give her that. Heck, she has to in order to stick with me this long.

Probably Should Have Waited

This morning the wife ran a 10k, quite well I might add, and when we got home I dithered about running my 18 miles for several hours. It was partly cloudy outside and the wind was blowing, which caused my indecision. My other option was to wait until Sunday morning and get up real early to get in the workout before church. Finally I decided to go for it, and sure enough I should've waited. Not only did I get wind on the run, but also a little bit of blowing rain at times. My 18 miles turned into 12 by the time I stopped.

Weird post-run, too. I felt blah the rest of the afternoon, and when the kids put in a movie they waned me to see I actually I dozed off for a few minutes. When I got home I drank a little sports drink but that was about it. I didn't start feeling better until I started snacking while I was prepping steaks for the grill. Guess I should have eaten something, too, when I arrived home. My training plan for the marathon in December continues to evolve, and not positively so far.

Running Before Flying

Today I had the rare chance to run on a weekday morning, and it was very...nippy. Yes, that's the word, nippy. The temperature was in the mid-40's and if I was a saner person i would have realized that and dressed appropriately. The first bit was in the shade since the sun was still coming up, but about a half mile in I reached the sunlight. After that it wasn't bad at all and I ran my Yasso 800s. For the most part they went well, although I felt like I was dragging on the last of the five intervals. I completed the 6 miles though without feeling too bad.

My reason for running this morning is a mid-day flight to D.C. for a meeting tomorrow morning. I usually like to run there but this is such a quick trip that I didn't want to pack my running gear and worry about trying to get out this evening when I have to go to dinner with my co-workers for a pre-meeting meeting. Oh well, it's not like I'm flying to India for a week or anything like that.

Great Pace Run

When I arrived home after work I'd already been passed by a couple of cars going 55-60 mph in a 45 mph zone. When I stretched out on the bedroom floor I almost, well actually I did, drift off to sleep for a couple of minutes. When I ran, I started off feeling sluggish and then had one of the best pace runs of my running life.

After yesterday's slow run I was ready to nail the accelerator, and I first started running my legs and hips and entire body just felt tired. But when I looked at the Garmin after a couple of minutes my pace was under 9:30/minute. This is supposed to be a warm-up, I thought. When I hit the main drag and looked again, the pace was under 9 minutes/mile, but I just attributed that to the blonde in the convertible who'd just passed me. For some reason that cause me to run faster. My plan called for 8-minute miles after a mile of easing into it, and initially my pace was about 8:30, but that was going uphill. After I made the turn and the slope was downward I got in the groove. I tried to stay loose and to stay in good form with both legs and arms. By the time I was just past two miles my pace was under 8 minutes/mile, and even though I kept trying to slow down it stayed there. I finished the entire run at under 50 minutes for 6 miles, meaning my overall pace was under 8:20/mile. Dang, that's almost race pace for a half marathon!

Let's just say the cool weather helped out and that I am motivated these days to have quality runs. For the first time this year I have a full marathon I'm working toward and even though I'm not looking to set a PR I want to do well and not end up in traction after I'm finished. And by the way, nobody passed me on this run. There was no speed limit.

The Wife Perseveres

Went on another 6-miler with the wife as she trains for next weekend's 10k race. She had a bad headache before we left and said she wasn't feeling 100%, but I have to hand it to her, she made it the whole distance and within her goal time. It wasn't always pretty and she said afterward it wasn't fun, but I told her she proved that she can run the distance even when she doesn't feel good.

She commented to me after dinner that I made it look like it was easy. A couple of comments about that: first of all, 6 miles is about the shortest distance I run during training, and as distance runners know, that's a very short run compared to a long run of 18 or 20 miles. Second, her pace is slower than mine, so that definitely makes it an easy run for me. But beyond all that, I know it's not easy for her and for a lot of people, and I remember struggling to break the 3-4 mile barrier myself. Running that distance is a big deal. There are plenty of people in this country who are in no shape to run that far, so I tip my hat to my little wife for persevering even when she didn't feel good.

Oops

Forgot to post yesterday after my long run since we were involved with so many other activities. I ran 15 miles and it went great. The weather was phenomenal. When I left the house the temperature was about 48 degrees, but I'm resisting the need to pull out the warmer clothes as long as I can. Once I started running the temp was not an issue and felt pretty darn good, actually. I ran one lap of the neighborhood and then stopped at the house to get the drink belt and iPod. Since last time I ran two laps and then actually stopped I decided I wasn't going to tempt fate this time, and my plan worked. I ran south across Highway 152, which I don't usually do, but to get in the mileage I thought it was time for some variety. I'll probably do so the next couple of weekends as well.

In the afternoon we took part in a 5k walk for a fundraiser inspired by some of our neighbors. Their kids have OI, or osteogenesis imperfecta, aka brittle bone disease. I walked most of it, probably getting in a little over 2 miles of walking in addition to my morning tally. I remember running a 4-mile race at the zoo several years ago and then spending the rest of the day walking around with the family. I could barely walk the next day. That seems a little bit funny now, especially in light of yesterday's distances.

In other news, today I pulled the trigger and registered for the White Rock Marathon in Dallas. December 5th is my target date. According to their web site they've changed location for this year to the State Fair site, which was also the start and end of the disastrously windy Big D Marathon early last year. I certainly hope for nicer weather this time. And talk about an expensive race - the entry fee is $125. For that much money they darn well better provide good weather!

At Last, Good Speedwork

Seems like forever since I've had a speedwork day where things went well. Today was that day. I ran Yasso 800s x 5, with a 1.5 mile warmup and 1 mile cooldown for a total of 6 miles. My target during the 800s was 7 minutes/mile. In these intervals the goal is to take your marathon goal, in this case 3:30, and run the 800 meters at that speed in minutes and seconds. Since my Garmin doesn't like to mix standard and metric measurements I programmed it as a .5 mile interval at a 7-minute pace (3:30 x 2) and then a .25 mile recovery, as opposed to 800 and 400 meters, respectively.

The first two intervals were mostly at a 7:30 pace, and then the last three I hit my stride and hovered right around the 7:00 mark. It seems like the last few times I tried to do some speedwork the temperature was too high or I had some other excuse. Not today. It probably helped knowing that I have the day off tomorrow. I'll take it and hope for several more training days like this.

The Hills of Kansas City

Today's plan called for 7 miles of hills, so that's what I ran. I still think I should have something on my plan that says 7 miles of not hills - that would be more of a challenge. Anytime I go out for a run I can't avoid hills, although today I ran around the back end of the neighborhood before hitting the main roads. That initial detour added some good hills.

I started off feeling sluggish, but at just past the 2-mile mark I began feeling better. I made a point to download the new release from Old 97's and put it on the iPod before heading out, so maybe that had something to do with getting into a good mood and rhythm. The temperatures are still in the mild range and look to be so for the near future. I'm looking forward to as much of this as possible and hope it stays constant into November and maybe even beyond.

Columbus Day Run

This was a day for an easy run according to the schedule, and since The Wife needed to run 6 miles I figured this would be a good day to run with her again. She's running a 10k in less than two weeks and wanted to run a 6-miler well before then. Since I have the nominal function as her coach and advisor this was a good opportunity to hang with her and encourage her. She made it the whole way without walking and I am so proud of her. Tomorrow I will resume my regularly scheduled program.

Running in Austin and Points Farther North

Spent most of the week in Austin, TX, for business, and wanted to stay for the weather. Talk about perfect - the temperatures were in the 70's and I saw very few clouds. Ended the week with today's run back home in KC, but we'll get to that.

Monday I ran 6 miles easy, although easy ended up being closer to 9 minutes/mile due to the great weather and just generally being excited to be in one of my favorite running places again. I was in Austin with a co-worker, who doesn't run, and our hotel was downtown on 5th Street. For anyone who knows Austin that means it's a block south of all the restaurants and fun and just a few blocks north of the trails along Town Lake. I got out about 3:30 and the paths were pretty crowded with the usual runners, walkers, bikers, and dogs.

Tuesday I was supposed to meet up with an old friend for dinner, but I didn't hear anything from her so I went out for a run about 5:30. Come to find out Facebook was not delivering messages so we ended up not being able to get together, which was a total bummer. The run was okay although it seemed a little warmer than the previous day. I ran another 6 miles, with about 2.5 of that being at 8 minutes/mile. I was planning on going four miles at the faster pace but the heat got to me so I backed off and finished at a little slower pace. Since my dinner plans fell through and my co-worker had already eaten I walked all the way down Sixth Street by myself and ended up at Opal Divine's, one of my favorite places, for dinner. I was a little bit tired by the time I got back due to the run and the walk, but it was a good tired.

Our flight on Thursday left late morning, which meant I had time to run before leaving town. And I took advantage of the opportunity. I went another 6 miles on the trails, and discovered that the morning crowd is a mere fraction of all the people who are out in the afternoon. Guess everybody goes to work and then plays in Austin. I headed out at about 7:30 and once again the weather was outstanding. I'll be back in Austin in about a month, but only for a day, so doubt I'll have time to run while I'm there.

Today I ended up cutting my long run short, from 15 miles to 8.5. The Wife had a 5k she wanted to run this morning, and we all went and supported her. Unfortunately it started at 8 a.m. and I didn't have time to get in the run beforehand, meaning I had to start late morning by the time we got away and made it home. I was running in full sunlight (still no shade around here) and the temperature was about 80 degrees. I probably could have toughed it out but I'm a wuss, so there. And it was great to see The Wife do such a great job at her race. About 2-3 years ago this same event was her first 5k ever and she completed it but had a very slow pace. Today she improved on her time by over 10 minutes! I'm very proud of her and she's looking forward to her first 10k race in two weeks.

One other item of note from today: my virtual running partner called and registration for the Memphis Marathon has already been closed. No Memphis this year, darn it. We quickly decided to go for Plan B, which is the White Rock Marathon in Dallas the same weekend. I'll take the whole family and we'll stay with them and race in Texas. I thought we registered fairly late last year for Memphis, but guess not this late. Hopefully this will be a good consolation prize and the weather will cooperate. As long as the wind isn't as bad as the April 2009 Big D Texas Marathon I think we'll be fine.

Running with the Wife

The wife was heading out the door to run 5 miles the same time I was leaving for a 12-miler. Now normally we don't run together because she tends to run at a slower pace than I do. Not that I'm a speedster, but I'm usually 1-2 minutes/mile faster than her speed. But today we ran for the first 15 minutes, which was nice. She's come a long way for a woman who used to be upset at the kids for making her run to another room when someone would hurt themselves. Seriously, when I started this whole running thing about seven years ago she wished me luck and said she'd never do it. And now she's planning on running a 10k in three weeks. This must be one of those instances of 'never say never.'

After I peeled off onto my own route, I stopped by the house on my way out of the neighborhood to fuel up and then saw her running by the main road on the south side of the development. I caught up with her and we ran together again for another 10 minutes or so. I'm proud of her for continuing to increase her runs and for running on a regular basis. She did four triathlons in the space of six weeks this summer, which included running, of course. With the closing of the neighborhood pool and the weather turning cooler, she's planning on biking from time to time but keeping up with the running. She's not as hardcore as I am when it comes to running outside in bad weather, which means she'll be putting in some treadmill time. This was the second time she's run 5 miles and is looking to increase it next week so she can get in the distance before her race.

As for me, my run was fine. But that's not as noteworthy as my wife's run. Maybe she should start a blog, too!

Surprisingly Good Run

Long day at work today, with a couple of interviews late in the day. Which means I was ready for a run to get out and stretch out and leave the cares of the day in the dust. Ye olde training planne called for 6 miles of hills, and that's what I did. I was a little afraid that my legs would be tired but I think the pent-up energy of the day translated into a really good run. By the time I was two miles in I was running 9-minute miles, and kept up that pace for most of the run. The air was cooler and the sun was going down, factors which no doubt contributed to a little bit faster tempo.

Since I was thinking about what I ate for lunch Monday and how that run went, I should note that today I had both chili and pasta. At work we had a chili contest, and I was one of the judges. Of course after that I had to partake of the winner of the spicy category. I had also brought a small bowl of leftovers from last night, which was a pasta dish with tomato sauce and turkey sausage. I probably ate too much, but it was all so tasty. Add in a jalapeno cornbread muffin and an apple and it seems downright gluttonous. I'm just going to say I got in my carbs and protein and leave it at that. It's not like I do that every day.

Monday in Autumn

Is it officially autumn yet? I could look it up but the only research I do for this blog involves running. It felt like the beginning of autumn today. That sun has the lower in the sky feel, I felt a little chill when the sun went behind a cloud, and a bee got underneath my shirt. Wait, what? Yes, I was wearing a sleeveless top and a bee flew into the left arm hole and was walking across my chest. I felt it more than saw it fly in, and then when I felt to see if there was something there, there was. Naturally I reached up and pinched it, killing the intruder quickly, and fumbled with it to get it out of my shirt. When it fell on the sidewalk I realized it was a bee, and just because I'm this way, I stepped on it out of spite to ensure its demise.

That was the extent of the excitement. Unless you count having to stop and wait for six cars to pass so I could use the crosswalk. Because after all, crosswalks don't mean anything these days. The whole 6 miles went easily and I felt okay but not great. The legs were a little leaden but not overly. Lack of something in my diet? I don't know, I had leftover smoked ribs, beans, and chili cheese Fritos for lunch. Maybe it was just the joy of work bleeding over into my running. Sad to say I'm not expecting a great week at work, but I am expecting a great week of running. Hopefully I'm wrong on one of those - the former would be my choice.

Back in the Saddle

After a bunch of stuff going on this past week and not a single run, I was able to get in a long run today. Between baseball games and people in town for meetings I figured it would be less stressful if I didn't try to squeeze in running, too. And after last week's debacle and race entry postponement, it was actually nice to have a week off. Ask me right now and I think it's good to have some time off once in a while, but ask me in the middle of training and I'll disagree, especially when racing is at hand.

I definitely felt fresher today when I started running, as if my legs had been replaced with newer versions. I ran 10 miles, and the other great thing was the mental part of it. I never felt like stopping to walk like I have most of the more recent runs. The weather was certainly a help as the temperature was in the 60's and the humidity was lower. This is what I've been waiting for.

I need to retool the training plan in order to hit the Memphis date. I thought for a brief second about just doing a couple more half-marathons this year and calling it good, but then realized I've run a full every year starting with 2007 and I don't want to break the string. Not that it's a long string at this point, but I'd like to keep it going. Really, I don't want to get to be 80 years old and say that I've run at least one marathon every year for the past 40 except for that darn year in 2010 where I was a pansy and decided not to run one. I have over two months of cooler weather in which to train, so I think it's a good idea to keep going. Besides, it's Memphis - a great cause, ribs, music, etc. Who wants to miss that?

The Virtual Running Club Decides

Today was supposed to be a major step toward the marathon in about five weeks, an 18-miler. I woke up very early and once again ran the first half in dark and the beginning dawn. And then for some reason it all fell to pieces. Well, the main reason that I'm blaming is the humidity. Once again I could tell before a mile was under my shoes that the humidity was way up, and it was about 85%. The temperature wasn't bad, but humidity kills. When I'm brushing sweat out of my hair in the first mile I know it's going to be tough. I hydrated pretty well, I thought, following the same plan as last week. Unfortunately that just wasn't good enough. As added insult I ended up with a few nice blisters, including a big one on the underside of my right pinky toe. That happens so rarely that it just bugs me that much worse when it does.

The Boy had a practice game today, so on my way home I called my Virtual Running Club members. Well, the other member. He said his run had not gone well, either, and that he had topped out at 13 miles. I laughed and told him I'd won, then, because I ran 13.1. Yes, my goal once I decided to quit early was to get in a half-marathon, and that's what I did. As we talked neither of us felt good about our training thus far and what's still to come before the Des Moines Marathon. I remarked that maybe the day both of us had bad runs was maybe not the day to make a decision, but after some more discussion we decided to regroup and focus on the Memphis Marathon in December. I'm going to revise our training plan and hope that things get better as autumn kicks into gear. I think I'll put the Kansas City Half Marathon into the plan, especially since that's the weekend I would have gone to Des Moines.

I'll admit I'm a little disappointed, but also a little relieved. The stress of trying to fit in quality runs, especially in the next 2-3 weeks, was going to be a bit much. Plus the other member of the Virtual Running Club has an international business trip to India in the next month, and you know that would be tough to get in good workouts. It stinks to run only one full marathon this year after finishing four last year. But I'm just not feeling it at the moment, and I do feel better about gunning for December instead.

The Virtual Running Club Meets

This week the Virtual Running Club held a meeting in St. Louis. The occasion was reputedly for Alan's birthday, but in reality it was to run. The running itself actually went about as well as the Cardinals' games we attended. Swept by the Cubs? Depressing. As the Cubs supporter sitting to my right at the ballpark was leaving last night he said good-bye and I said, "Now I know what a Cubs fan feels like." He had been only semi-obnoxious but he was definitely mostly-drunk, and so of course he didn't realize I'd just burned him, and not for the first time during the evening. I can be subtle when it's called for. Beats the last time I went to a game when the Cubs were in town and I was yelling at the hecklers a few rows in front of us that they should drink up, because if I was a Cubs fan I'd be an alcoholic, too. But enough about that subject.

We ran alongside the Mississippi on Tuesday morning, and as I alluded to, the run was not a good one. The plan was to run 8 miles with six of those at marathon pace. The day turned out to be not only hotter than we'd been led to expect, but it was also quite humid. Being the experienced runners we are, we quickly adapted our plan. First we slowed the pace a little, and then we cut the run shorter, finishing with 5.5 miles as the total. Of course, I could also blame the evening before and the not-so-good sleep we got, but I think we could have toughed out a few more miles if the weather hadn't been so hot.

Today's run back home went better, but it's still too warm to do the speedwork according to plan. I ran a mile warmup, and then started in on a tempo run. I got 1.5 miles into that before realizing I should slow down if I expected to finish. That's what I did, and was able to finish. Again, not a great run, but some of that is probably still self-inflicted. Now that the fun and games are past and the Cardinals are going to miss the postseason, it's time to buckle down and get in some good training. Cooler weather will help, too. The next meeting of the Virtual Running Club is planned for the Des Moines Marathon in October. Until then, we'll be running together apart.

The Best Long Run Since Forever

At last, a long run I feel good about! Sometimes there are benefits in getting out of bed at 5 a.m. and starting a run before the rest of the world has awaken. Today was definitely one of those days. I ran 15 miles, and ran at a faster pace the last 1.5 miles to finish strong. I also managed the run better. After the first four miles I stopped by the house and ate a gel thingie (don't know what else to call it) and had a drink. Then at eight miles I downed a couple gel thingies and strapped on the drink belt for the rest of the outing. The temperature was around 60 degrees - just about perfect. Even after the sun came out I managed to stay in the shade on my route, which I changed in order to take advantage of that shade.

After a rough several months it was really nice to have a good run, especially with all the aborted and scaled-back runs during all the heat of summer. The race is just over a month away, and this was a key run in getting to 26.2 miles. This week I'll be in St. Louis and plan to keep it going so that next Saturday's 18-miler will be another good one. Seriously, I was beginning to wonder if I'd get to the point of being able to run a marathon in a month. If this one had gone poorly I would have reevaluated if a marathon was still a possibility. But no need. Now I feel it's certainly possible, and if my speedwork will fall into line and I have some good outings on those a good race is a strong possibility. We'll see how it goes.

Impeccable Timing

So I get home from work, and it's cloudy outside and has been raining during the afternoon hours. I lie down on the living room floor, doze for about ten minutes, and then get up and dress for a run. At which point the sun comes out, shining quite brightly, and the air becomes more humid than a sauna in the rain forest. I was going to run some Yasso 800s, but went kaput after two of them, and saying I ran two is actually kind of generous. In total I ran a whopping 3.25 miles and probably sweated 3.25 gallons.

To add to the misery, while we were preparing dinner the clouds came back and it cooled down a little bit. So much for hitting the right window.

This weekend the wife and oldest daughter are on the other side of the state to take part in a triathlon. The report I got from them this evening is that the course is much more hilly than was described online. Seems like I've experienced that before. At least they're having fun together, and that's what really counts.

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.