Four Runs in Wisconsin

I've been on vacation this week in Wisconsin and have been fortunate enough to run four times. Tomorrow I'll be flying back to KC, so my running time in WI has come to an end. It's been fun and it'll be sad to go back to the regular routes back home. I ran a trail by the river that goes through town, which is everything my regular runs are not - flat, shaded, and dirt. What a treat.

The first run was last Friday morning with The Wife and nephew Zac. We ran only 3 miles since Zac had to be at work within an hour of our start time. It was a nice introduction to the path and a great day for running.

On Saturday I went and ran by myself, intending to go 10 miles. Again it was a great day for running. The sun was intermittent and the temperature was perfect. I momentarily lost the path when I got to a smaller town at the three-mile mark, but doubled back and picked it up again. However, when I reached the four-mile marker things started to change. I saw a sign signifying a wildlife area, which in this case meant a swamp off to the right of the path and no sign of the river on the left. In other words, breeding ground for mosquitoes. I couldn't go two steps without swarming bugs around my head. I quickly grew tired of this, as well as a little frustrated, and turned back. My run topped out at 8 miles due to the bugs. I hate to be defeated by the little critters, but I'll admit it, it's no fun to try and run while being swarmed.

On Monday The Wife and Daughter #1 ran for a couple of miles while Zac and I went a full 6 miles. Once again the weather was overcast but nice. It was a good easy run and Zac did great, especially since he hadn't run that far in a long time.

Today we took everybody - 12 people and a dog. The rain had poured down overnight and the day was humid, moreso than yesterday. Zac and I took off and ran a mile warmup followed by a four-mile tempo run at 8:30 pace. We finished with a mile of cooldown. That was my first speed work in I can't remember how long, and Zac said it was definitely a tougher run than yesterday. It was cool to run with him and he kept up with this old man. Maybe I was even holding him back. That's 23 miles total while I've been here, which is pretty good for a vacation. After today's run I made sure everyone got a bottle of sports drink for their efforts. Tomorrow it's back home to the good ol' hot weather, hills, and no shade. I guess I've been spoiled a little bit this week, but isn't that what vacations are all about?

Footprints

I find it amusing, when I run down a certain sidewalk, that my footprints are visible in the concrete. It always gives me a wry moment of lightness in whatever kind of run I'm having. It's on 96th Street straight across from the pool on the south side of the street. When "they" were pouring the sidewalk I was running east on the existing sidewalk. The section with my prints was the last section to be poured and I had to run on the street for a little ways. However, due to traffic I had to jump onto the freshly poured concrete, which was almost set. But not quite. You can me Asics-prints for about 30 feet of sidewalk. Today when I ran I noted that my stride seems just a bit shorter, which is something I've actually worked on to increase turnover. What can I say? When I see my prints and know that they'll be there for years to come it makes me grin.

Yesterday was Sunday, and even though it was a rest day I was sorely tempted to go for a run. The temperature was perfect and the sky was overcast. It seemed like a waste to not run on a day like that. Fortunately today was more of the same, just windier. I didn't mind too much, though. The temperature was in the mid-70's and the humidity must have been higher than that. I had a good 6-miler and finished at a pace better than 10 minutes/mile and feeling strong. Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer but I might be busy after work, so we'll see how it goes.

Post-Farmer's Market Run

This Saturday I was able to sneak in a "long" run, as opposed to last weekend. We dropped off the older girls at church so they could go to a ministry opportunity and then headed to the farmer's market with the younger kids. We've been going every couple of weeks and it's really kind of cool. And as a runner I have an interest in healthier foods. The other thing we've been picking up there is bee pollen. I've been taking it every day for a month now and it seems to be having a good effect. Last weekend I was painting a fence at an outdoor horse arena and a couple of people were weed-eating right outside the fence. In times past that would have absolutely killed me with allergies. Instead it had no effect whatsoever. This morning after I ran I mowed the lawn, another opportunity for allergies to flare, but again, nothing. I'm not totally attributing the change to the bee pollen just yet, but it certainly doesn't seem to be hurting.

That run? Oh yeah, 8 miles. The clouds had been out earlier and stayed intermittently for the first 2/3 or so of the run, then disappeared. Still, for a run starting after 8:30 in the morning during the summer, I can't complain about the lower temperature and shade.

Another Run With the Daughter

This time I dragged Daughter #1 out for another run, and gee, she was just so happy to go. We waited until after 7 p.m. when it had cooled off a little bit outside. We ran slower and that seemed to help since she was able to go a full 2 miles. It was funny because we saw a black Camaro cruising around while we ran. We must have seen it about 7-8 times in the neighborhood and on the main road. No idea what they were doing but apparently it was a good night for a cruise.

I dropped off the daughter at home and then ran another 4 miles. Even though the temperature was cooling off, it was still very humid. Plus there was a nice breeze from the south. Again it was one of those breezes that actually helps since it cooled me off rather than slowed me down. I didn't mind at all. Work has been so draining this week that I wasn't sure I could go a full 6 miles, but I kept thinking of that Five Guys burger last night and figured I should probably run off as much of that as I could.

Really Hot Later

I waited as long as I could before heading out tonight, and that paid off a little bit. The temperature was marginally lower, by maybe 4 or 5 degrees. The sun was on its way down, so the shadows were longer. And it was still breezy, which helped cool the evening down that much more. This all added up to my being able to get in a full 6 miles tonight. It was one of those runs where I never really felt in rhythm, and the more I concentrated on it the worse it got. I was intentionally running slower, but I don't think that was the problem. Up late last night and a full day today had me slightly fatigued, but that wasn't the problem either. Sometimes you just have one of those runs where you get the run in and you feel good that you did it, but you don't feel like everything clicked. Sometimes that's good enough.

Really Hot

It was 96 degrees at running time today, or somewhere around there. The Wife was going to run with me but decided not to due to a hamstring tweak. She walked around the block with me and then I was off to the - well, not the races. I kept it slow and had a bottle of frozen water with me. Still, I maxed out at 4 miles and walked a few minutes in the shade. As always I thought about going a full six but knew that the marginal gain wasn't worth the effort and possible side effects. Tomorrow is supposed to be equally as hot, but I think I'll run later in the evening. Summer time is definitely here.

Running with the Daughter

It was time to get Daughter #1 out on the road again so she can start preparing for a triathlon at the end of July. We dithered about the last time she'd been out for a run, and I think it was probably the 5k in Dallas in December. I let her set the pace, which I figured was too fast, and by golly it was. She lasted 1.6 miles before walking back the rest of the way. The goal was 2 miles, so she got pretty close. The day was very warm and humid, although the overcast sky and breeze helped a little bit. It's a start and we'll keep working on it.

After returning her home I went for another 4 miles. I kept it slow due to the humidity, which as I've stated before really saps my strength. It was nice to run with my girl, wet air and all.

Skipping Spring

Blogger is now working with the new Firefox, thank you very much. I much prefer this to that other browser.

We've apparently gone from a very cool extension of winter straight to summer. Today the temperature was again in the mid-80's with lots of sunlight. Maybe I'm already getting used to it, but I went the full 6 miles today. I varied my route so the shade came in the first 3 miles rather than in the last half of the run, and that seemed to work pretty well. I saw several other people out biking and running and it looks like warmer weather is finally here to stay. After all, tomorrow is the first day of June, so it's time for summer.

I'm contemplating changes to my work schedule that would allow me to go into work a half-hour later. That way I could run in the mornings before work several times a week, and more importantly, before the day heats up. The drawback would be getting to work later and being there later, but also staying at five-day weeks rather than having a day off every two weeks. I'm not sure which way I want to go yet. I like the day off every few weeks. The idea of running earlier also appeals to me. I don't know...I have a few more days before the next pay period starts. Maybe I should make a list of the pros and cons, you know, the old-fashioned way of figuring it out. Sometimes that's the best way to do it.

No More Cool Runnings

Blogger is not working right with the new version of Firefox, so I'm doing this delayed update in Internet Explorer. Yuk.

Saturday the family went to the farmer's market and had a good time. After that I was able to get in my long run for the week, a 9-miler. I realized later that made 27 miles for the week. Which seems kind of excessive for as spotty as my runs have been lately. Nevertheless it felt good and I could have gone further (farther? I don't remember the grammatical rule for that one). The day was in the mid-60's and cloudy, so really it was perfect for a good run. I tracked down the hills of Flintlock, a move I thought about for a while before actually running because I hadn't run that way in a long time. As I said, it felt just fine and I had no regrets for going that way.

Today was Memorial Day and a little bit warmer. I'm beginning to think we're not going to get a real Spring this year. It was a day for smoking ribs, and mission accomplished on that front. The Wife and I ran a couple of miles together and then I took off on my own. I was going to go a full six but was laboring a little too much with the heat. Even though the temperature was in the low 80's it felt worse than that. My theory is that it's relative, kind of like pitching. Last week I watched a Royals pitcher throw a "blazing" 86-mph fastball, but his off-speed pitches were in the mid-60's. So when he actually threw his fastball it did look blazing when compared to a 64-mph changeup. That's how this temperature thing seems to work, too. When there's no transition and you go straight from a run in 62 degree weather on Saturday to a run today in 83 degrees, the higher temperature actually seems hotter in comparison. When I got home I certainly drained a cold Gatorade like I'd been running in 95 degree weather.

That's enough of the dual sports analogies for now. And for those of you who are counting at home I ran 5.25 miles today. I cut it short, but not a whole lot short. Looks like warmer weather is here to stay.

4 With The Wife, 2 Without

Today was gorgeous after the storms of the past week, and what better way to enjoy it than with a beautiful woman? Even though we've decided to pass on this weekend's 10k, she wanted to get out for a good run. We ran together down Shoal Creek as I regaled her with stories from Churchill's WWII memoirs, as well as the usual dose of weirdness from work. Once we returned to the neighborhood she made a left turn and I continued for a couple more miles.

I reflected a bit on how inconsistent I've been with running lately and the need to log some regular miles. With summer coming on I certainly plan on doing so, and darn it, I still need to find a race. I suppose I should put that on my Memorial Day weekend to-do list.

Humid and Warm

I'm not complaining about the weather, since it was nice out today and the breeze actually helped rather than hindered this time. It was the humidity that was in full effect, not the heat. After a mid-day thunderstorm I could feel the moisture in the air. I still prefer it to temperatures hovering near zero. 6 miles overall at what turned out to be a 9:19 pace. I feel out of shape, but that's just because I haven't been logging the miles like usual lately and I was a pig over the weekend. Which is the main reason I ran two days in a row. I guess you could call it a recovery run, but with a definition suited more to recovering from gluttony than to recovering from a long race. It happens to more than just me, I'm sure.

The Spider

The spider hanging from my sunglasses gave me a little bit of energy just when it seemed to be fading. I was about 3.5 miles into my 6-mile run. The heat and the relentless sun beating down on me was causing my pace to slow. I pulled off my sunglasses to wipe my brow and whoa, there was a spider hanging from them by a thread. I shook the glasses and the little bugger held tight. After a few shakes it was clear the guy wasn't going anywhere. I pinched off his thread and cast him to the wind. And even though I'm not scared of spiders my pace picked up and gave me enough nervous energy to keep running. This proved useful in the long run (no pun intended) since I ended up walking up the last big hill on the way back to the neighborhood. I looked down at my heart rate and it was too high. This being an easy run and all it seemed best to take the hill at a pace that allowed my heart to slow.

I haven't run since last Tuesday. It was nice to get out again, and should have done so while my virtual running partner was here. But the schedule of the baseball games didn't allow us much time for running. At least not in the morning with the how late we stayed up. I'm going to look for a race up north next month when we're there on vacation. I don't think I'll be in shape for a half, but maybe I can find a 10k or something like that.

Gorgeous Day

This was one of those days where I wasn't scheduled to run, but when I exited work and saw how beautiful it was in the Great Outdoors I knew today would be a running day. I would seriously kick myself if I didn't. Days like this don't come along very often. I did my dumbbell exercises first (the weights are the dumbbells, not me) and then hit the streets. The run was nice and easy and I didn't check the Garmin a whole lot. By the time I finished I'd done 6 miles at a 9:09 pace. I needed a good, easy run like that. Just what the doctor ordered, if the doctor's name was God.

It's All Relative

Today is May 14th. The temperature was about 50 degrees when I went out for an 8-miler, with pretty strong winds chilling it to about 45 degrees. In mid-May this feels cold. Especially since we had days near 90 degrees this past week. I dressed in long pants, two shirts, and wore mittens. I was not thrilled to go out in this weather.

But let's take this same day and transplant it into January. A day like this would have been warm in comparison to the surrounding days and their respective temperatures. I would have been ecstatic to get out in such luxurious warmth. I even might have worn shorts.

2/3 + 5 + 1

Yesterday The Wife and I went for a run. We walked about 2/3 of a mile to start off, and then 5 miles before she called it quits with some knee pain. That meant a one-mile stroll to get back to the house. The day was hot and humid, moreso than we expected. Nevertheless, it was nice to get out and enjoy her company. I realized as we were talking about her knee pain that it's been over a year since we last bought her some new running shoes, and that's way too long. She doesn't put in the volume of miles that I do, but she's done plenty and we need to keep her outfitted correctly.

The weather today has turned decidely colder and nastier. That's not good for the plans tomorrow as far as running goes. We'll see what happens.

Running in May

I'm a little behind on my entries, so let's catch up, shall we?

My first run this month was last Monday, the 2nd. I went 6 miles and really don't remember much about it. I do know that last week was busy and my goal was to run four times. Sorry to spoil the ending, but I didn't make it out that many times.

I think the reason I ran on Monday and not on Tuesday was because something was going on Tuesday night. But I can't remember what it was. Wow, last week was just a blur.

I got all dressed up to run on Thursday night, but a line of thunderstorms was coming through. They took a lot longer to pass by than I expected, and by the time they did I was ready to eat dinner. I should have headed out, but inertia won.

The family went camping for Mother's Day weekend, so as soon as we got to camp Friday afternoon I ran around the lake. It was a nice evening. I thought the path around the lake was longer, but it ended up being only 3.75 miles. I ran it pretty fast and stopped after one loop. That, combined with the abundant pollen, set off my allergies in a big way. Which proved disastrous for the next day.

On Saturday the 7th I planned on going a couple of times around plus some extra to get 8 miles. I lasted for half that. Allergies, a bad night's sleep, and a temperature in the upper 80s all combined to make me take the easy way out. I was not feeling that great at the end of that big 4-mile run.

Today was another hot day. When I got home from the run the temperature was 87 degrees with a heat index of 90. That was a lovely two-day Spring we had. Anyway, I went 5.34 miles total according to my Garmin, and looking at my totals I probably walked that .34 a little over halfway through the run. I walked a couple of hills in the shade, which was a nice relief. I could tell my heart rate was getting too high - from the heat, not from my closer to 10-minute/mile pace. Not sure if I'm ready for running all summer in the heat, but I'm not going to complain. It's better than the cold wind or spending a month on the treadmill.

Garage Sale Saturday

I won't say that I've expressly forbidden my family from ever having a garage sale again, but I will say that it's pretty close to that. Our neighborhood was having its annual garage sale weekend, and we did not participate. We've done so a couple of times in the time we've lived here, and each time it has been far less than successful. In fact, I remember twice where the weather was cold and windy and very few people were out and about, much less out and about for a garage sale. Today was certainly warmer, and the only reason I mention garage sales at all is because there was more traffic than usual to dodge in the neighborhood. I stay pretty alert for traffic when I run, so it wasn't too bad, but it requires watching out for people who are lost or who make sudden turns. People hardly signal around here anyway, and a day like today doesn't help matters any.

I waited until The Wife got home from her morning outing before I headed out, by which time the temperature was definitely in the 70's. I went 8 miles, not too long a run and yet not too short. I slowed it down a little today and kept the pace in the 9:15/9:20 range. That worked out pretty well. I'm listening again to the Hardcore History podcasts on Rome. Today was the second episode. The fifth in the series recently came out, so I needed to revisit the first few and catch up. This is good historical stuff that is also a really good distraction on a run. I love the story of the Germanic tribes attacking Italy who, as a show of strength, took off all their clothes and snowboarded down a mountain on their shields. Never mind that they eventually lost, but it was a cool story. It's amazing the things you can learn when you're out running.

Forgetting Runs

So I forgot to post a couple of runs. I ran last Saturday as I posted, but I forgot to mention that I ran 5 miles two days before that. It was pretty uneventful, because I clearly forgot about it by Saturday. Even now I'm having trouble remembering what was involved, exactly. At least I remember that I actually ran.

Then on Monday I had another run with The Wife, another 5-miler, and she was pleased with being able to run so far so early in the running season (for her). Again it was cool outside, and we discussed whether or not we'd be running in warmer weather anytime soon. We ran on Monday since Tuesday was The Boy's birthday and we knew we'd be playing laser tag instead of exercising. Although laser tag did feel a little bit like exercise.

Today was a good 6 miles with a little bit of wind coming out of the west. The temperature was 70 degrees, but it felt cooler with the intermittent clouds and the breeze. I had a Garmin burp, or actually a user error. When I set the workout I apparently selected a 5-mile run instead of the one I actually did. At mile 5 I noted the time and figured my overall pace would be 8:50/mile when I finished. A few minutes later I looked down to see my pace and my pace was staying the same, but so was the overall time and distance. Oops. I pressed the button to start it again and when I got to my stopping point I'd lost a half-mile. Not a tragedy in the grand scheme of things, just annoying. You'd think by now I'd know to pay a little better attention when setting up my run, but nooooo.

Finally, new Runner's World in the mail. Unexpectedly early. Sweet!

Still Cool

Global warming continued unrestrained this week as we had cooler than normal temperatures. See what I did there? An illogical conclusion paired with a premise from junk science. But let's not get political, because that's what the warming thing is all about. Let's just say it's still pretty cool outside. Today the temperature was in the mid-50's with a northwesterly breeze. It took a few minutes to get warmed up, but once I did a t-shirt and shorts were fine.

I went 8 miles in total and stayed close to my goal "easy" pace, finishing at about 9:09/mile. I felt like it was a good pace the whole way and never felt labored. I stayed up way too late last night watching a ball game that had been delayed by rain, so I waited until after lunch to head out. That seems in retrospect to have been a wise decision.

Still need to pick a race. The Wife is picking some events for herself. Guess I need to get in the game.

Cold Again

Just when you think Spring is here...

The Wife and I left the house for what turned out to be a 4-miler for the both of us, and before we were two houses down the street we went back because she wasn't dressed warm enough. I can't blame her because, well, it was cold. The wind was not helping matters. It was a good, slow run, and she did well for her longest run in a few months. I opted out of my extra miles because the suffering didn't seem worth the marginal benefit. Sometimes you just have to make adjustments mid-course.

Still not sure when or where the next race will be. I need to figure it out soon so I can make a specific plan. Plus I need to eat better. I've probably had more doughnuts in the past six months than I have in the previous six years combined. I'm at that point in-between races that leads to slacking off a little on the training and diet. Trust me, I don't want to be here very long.

Palm Sunday Run

I'd planned on running yesterday (Saturday), but it just ended up not working out. I slept in, which was much needed, and then took Daughter #2 to a friend's house. After lunch I ended up working on some trim here in the computer room, sanding and repainting it - and it looks nice! - and by the time I finished I'd been on my feet too much. It worked out better anyway since today I got to run the first 3 miles with The Wife and then final five by myself. I maintained my easy pace of 9-minute/miles once I was on my own and it went well. I had to slow down a few times to get back to that pace. We worked in the front yard today and even though I could have used that as an excuse to not run I knew I needed to get out and do it. I'm not planning on running Monday so today was necessary. Hooray for spring!

Spring Must Be Here

As always, I like to think I get smarter the more I run. I can scroll through the entries on this log and find plenty of examples otherwise, but today I did feel a little smarter. I know that if I have a bad night of sleep then the run won't go very well. That was the case this time around, so rather than set lofty goals I decided this day was prime for an easy run. I stayed with my overall goal of completing my easy runs at a 9-minute/mile pace. Spring has rolled in, or should I say, blown in, with winds over 20 mph. Even with that and a temperature in the mid-70's, I managed to keep my pace just below the goal. The only time I felt like I was laboring was when going uphill against the wind. Imagine that.

Fartlek Time!

I decided I needed a little bit of speedwork, this being Tuesday and all, but nothing too serious. I set out with The Wife to start the run, and she lasted with me until just past 2 miles. I continued down the road as she went back into the neighborhood to do some hill repeats. Once I got past the development I started a series of 1-2-3-2-1 fartleks. I didn't go ultra-fast, between 7:30-8 minutes/mile. I felt pretty good, although my last one was uphill so I walked a couple of minutes after that. The temp was in the upper 70's and I'm working to become acclimated to the heat again. By the time I headed back into the neighborhood I was feeling the effects of a warmer weather. I ran into a neighbor who was running as well, pushing his daughter in a stroller. All in all, I think I had it better than he did, at least running-wise.

Burning Off Work

Today was another easy run that ended up at less than 9-minute/mile pace. And again, that seems to be my new standard for an easy run until it gets hotter outside. And just like my last outing, it was a crappy day at work calling for some running time to burn off the stress. Seriously, something has to change because I don't know if I can keep running this fast until I retire. When I started out I had a little pain in my left shin but it quickly disappeared. My calves still feel a little tight - I know I keep saying that and I need to look into what it's going to take to stretch them and keep them from cramping in races. Since I don't have anything planned right now I guess I have the time.

An Easy Hard Run

Today was the first day back to running since last Saturday's race. It was raining when I walked out the front door, so I danced around under the porch for a few minutes before trotting out. It was one of those very frustrating days at work, which are all too common lately. What was supposed to be an easy recovery run was a an easy 6 miles at an 8:47 pace. And really, it was pretty easy except when running into the wind. I was a little surprised. I thought this was a run to work out the soreness of the race and take it easy, which maybe I should have been more mindful of. Thinking about work kept me pretty riled up. Why can't I be independently wealthy? Anyway, I need to be more careful, especially with hot weather on the horizon. I guess it's okay to keep up a good pace while the weather permits, though, since once it's hotter I have to slow down.

Rocking the Parkway

When I felt the twinge in my right calf at mile 9, I said out loud, "Oh, no." I knew it would cost me, but at that point I didn't know how much. That became apparent less than 35 minutes later.

It was almost a perfect day for a half-marathon. I didn't run the Rock the Parkway race last year, but apparently it was raining that day. This time the conditions were much better, with temps right around 40 degrees at race time, and no wind whatsoever. That is such a rarity in the midwest that we must celebrate it when it happens, and so I did. A week ago the forecast was calling for 20 mph winds with 30 mph gusts. I'm so glad the forecasters were wrong. In the starting corral the body heat of 6,000+ people kept it bearable with the cold temperatures, but once the race started I was wishing I had my knit mittens. That became less of a concern about two miles into the course.

The first few miles were too packed. I like wave starts much better, and with that many people it's something the organizers might want to think about. After Mile 3 the field started to spread out and I started to move up. As I mentioned earlier this week I wasn't going to think about a PR unless conditions were good, and they were. So I started out with the 2-hour pace group so I wouldn't go out too fast, and that worked pretty well at the start. Passing people was tough, but by Mile 6 I'd passed the 1:45 pace group and my goal was to stay in front of them. I continually saw the 1:40 group ahead of me but never drew closer than a minute or so to them. The last time I remember seeing them was about Mile 7.

As goes with most races in KC, the course was full of rolling hills. The worst was after the turnaround about halfway through the race. That's the point where you should start feeling better because you're seeing everybody behind you, but that uphill was tough.

I was trying to keep my pace between 7:30-8:00/mile. By the time I got to Mile 9 I was closer to the latter than the former. And then came that familiar twinge. This time I did something different.

I walked 30 seconds and then started up again. That seemed to work and held true for a while. I walked for a few brief seconds at water stops and then had to walk another 30 seconds at about Mile 11.5. Those 60 seconds are what cost me.

Early on I knew I wanted to beat my 1:49 time, and if possible to get below 1:45. It would be tight, but that was my goal with the great conditions and what was described as a "fast course for Kansas City." When I reached Mile 12 and put the hammer down I definitely knew there wasn't much wiggle room.

Looking at the Garmin stats, in my last mile I stayed below 8 minutes/mile, and mostly well below. But it wasn't enough to break the 1:45 mark. My finishing time was 1:45:41, and I'm pretty happy with that. I knocked four minutes off my PR, and that's a good start for the first race of the season. Plus it leaves room for improvement. In other stats from the Garmin, my heart rate was 90-95% most of the race, with the exception at the end when I was in the last tenth of a mile when I was redlining at 100%. Which explains why I felt like I wanted to throw up as I was running down the chute.

I'm fully convinced now that the only way to get faster times is to train faster. My overall pace was 8:01/mile. I don't feel like I'm in the best shape possible, but I do feel like the speedwork has paid off so that this guy in his mid-40's can keep setting PR's. Whether or not that leads to a BQ time remains to be seen, but by golly I'm going to keep working at it. And obviously I need to come up with a game plan for my cramping calves. I've said that before, but it's even more critical now. I'm not sure yet what my next race will be, but I'm sure it will be another half. I'm going to keep working on speed and we'll see where that takes me.

Cold Speed

Today was the final day for speedwork before the race, so naturally it had to be cold and windy. The temperature was in the low 40's and the wind was out of the northeast. What fun. I ran a total of 5 miles, with the middle three at tempo pace (7:30/mile). Again I was struck by how slowing down at the end wasn't as big a slowdown as in previous outings. My last 3/4 of a mile involved going up and down and up and back down the same hill at my turnaround point. I was busting it pretty hard at that point but I managed to keep up my pace. When I finally put on the brakes at mile four it felt like I had lurched to a crawl. When I looked at the Garmin, looked at it again, and then looked one more time to make sure, my pace was 9:00/mile. More proof that fast and slow is all relative.

I felt pretty good about not walking after the tempo. How things go on Saturday is going to depend a lot on the weather. I still have that lethargic feeling from allergies, which still haven't been that bad. Yet. Tomorrow will be one more easy run and then a couple of days of taking it easy before the race. Guess I'll use that down time to figure out where the heck I'm supposed to go for the event.

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.