Monday, December 18, 2017

December 11 - December 17 Training

Monday: 5 miles (9:26).  Working through the marathon soreness.
Tuesday: 4 miles (9:40).  Easy treadmill miles.
Wednesday: 4 miles (9:31).  Another day on the treadmill.  Legs feel recovered from the marathon.
Thursday: 3 miles (9:31).
Friday: 3 miles (9:31).
Saturday: 3 miles (9:31).
Sunday: 3 miles (9:31).

Total Miles: 25 miles.  This was basically a rest week to recover from the Rocket City Marathon and take a rest after 5-6 months of marathon training.

Should get a fresh start after the 1st of the year.

Monday, December 11, 2017

December 4 - December 10 Training

Monday: 4 miles (9:31).  Easy 4 miles with pickups. Taper week for Rocket City.
Tuesday: 4 miles (9:05), 1 mile (9:37).  2 mile warmup, then 2 miles of 0:30 strides + 2:30 at 8:40-8:50.  1 mile cooldown.  Felt good to get a couple fast miles in.  All easy running now until Rocket City Marathon on Saturday.
Wednesday: 5 miles (9:23).  Nice and easy.  Everything feels fine, so it is all systems GO for Saturday.
Thursday: 3 miles (9:25).  Keeping it easy.
Friday: 2 miles (9:49).  Easy miles in Huntsville.
Saturday: 26.51 miles (9:13).  Rocket City Marathon.  It was pretty cold at the start, just over 25 degrees.  I ran well the first 15 miles, almost hitting 8:42 on every mile.  But then the wheels started to fall off on mile 16.  And then I started taking some walk breaks beginning with mile 20 before running the last couple miles in to finish at 4:04:16.  Wasn't what I was hoping for, but I made a couple mistakes during the last month of training.  I got all excited about running a couple half marathons in 1:49 and 1:55, however, I cut short the two 20 mile long runs that were planned for November 19 and 26.  Those runs were more important than the 10 mile workouts that had a warmup/cooldown to reach a half marathon.  So the focus for this next training cycle is to make sure I get in those long runs when they are planned.  And I really need to do them at the crack of dawn.  When it sit around the house until 10 or 11 AM, the odds of getting in a 20 mile long run diminishes.  So I know where to put my focus in 2018.
Sunday: 1 miles (10:20).  Flew to Charlotte Saturday night for the Vikings game and did one mile on the treadmill in the morning to extend the running streak to 1060 days.


Total Miles: 46.5 miles.


Monday, December 4, 2017

November 27 - December 3 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:40), 2 miles (9:30).  Treadmill run at lunch time.  Short Brixx run in the evening.  Feel a little sore from yesterday, but not too bad.
Tuesday: 7 miles (8:35).  7 miles with 7x20s pickups.  After an 8:48 mile warm-up, my body wanted to go to the 8:25-8:35 pace, which is feeling pretty good these days.  I think the pickups make me want to keep running at a good pace even after the 20 seconds of fast running.
Wednesday: 13.1 miles (8:21).  Plan was 2 mile warm-up, 10 x (1/2 @ 8:35 + 1/2 @ 8:20), 1 @ Cooldown.  I got rolling pretty good after the warm-up and was running faster than the original plan and added an extra 1/10th mile on the cooldown to make it a 1:49:28 half marathon.  This was one continuous non-stop run.   No stopping after the warm-up or before the cooldown.  No water, so I guess I don't need water stops on half marathons unless it is warmer than it was today, which was low 60's.  10 days to Rocket City!
Thursday: 6 miles (9:18).  Legs felt a little stiff after yesterday's half marathon, but not too bad.  I've been using the Normatec Leg Compression regularly and it helps on the recovery.
Friday: 6 miles (9:05).  Legs feel pretty good today, a nice recovery from a half marathon race effort just 48 hours ago.
Saturday: 13.1 miles (8:51).   Plan was 4 mile warmup, 3 @ 8:45, 1 @ easy, 3 @ 8:45, Cooldown.  I made the cooldown 1.1 miles to make it a half marathon.  Time was 1:55:49.  That made it two half marathons in 72 hours with times of 1:49, 1:55.
Sunday: 3 miles (9:50).  Short treadmill run from the Atlanta Residence Inn before heading to the Vikings - Falcons game.

Total Miles:  53.2.  Not a big week with a marathon this next Saturday.  Here is my plan for Rocket City this coming Saturday:

Miles 1-13 : Run around 8:40-8:45 pace.
Miles 14-20 : Work down to 8:30 pace.
Last 10K: Open it up and see if I can't get towards a pace of 8:10.

If all goes well, I should be able to finish between 3:45 and 3:48, which would be my 3rd fastest marathon ever.  We will see how it goes.

You can see how my average pace has suddenly got quicker the last couple weeks.



Sunday, November 26, 2017

November 20- November 26 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:38), 3 miles (10:14).  Two very easy short runs.
Tuesday: 5 miles (9:30).  Treadmill run, busy getting ready to travel tomorrow.
Wednesday: 4 miles (9:27).  Treadmill run at the Detroit Marriott.
Thursday: 1 mile (9:20), 6.3 miles (7:50).  Because it was 30 degrees outside, I did my warmup on the hotel treadmill, and then got ready for the 10K.  49:25 in the Detroit Turkey Trot 10K was a good race for me.  A slight negative split.  First time under 50 minutes on a 10K in over 2 years, so my comeback is continuing.



Friday: 7 miles (9:31).  One last treadmill run at the Detroit Marriott.  Legs feel pretty good the day after the 10K.
Saturday: 5 miles (8:38).  Felt really good when I got back home to Hendersonville and ended up going faster than easy.  This is my Rocket City marathon pace targeting sub 3:48.
Sunday: 5 miles (9:31), 10 miles (8:15).  The plan was for 2 miles with two 5 mile sections at 8:45 and sub 8:45.  Started on the treadmill with a warm-up progression, but I really wasn't feeling it on the treadmill, so drove to Station Camp.  It felt much better out there, nice temps in the upper 50's and the first two miles started at 8:37, 8:30, and then I started going faster.  I decided to just go with it at the faster pace and not go easy after 5.  I ended up stopping after 10 miles at an average pace of 8:15.  The 10 mile time was nearly 5 minutes faster than my recent Team Nashville 10 mile race.  The last 5 I was averaging 8:10 and felt I could have maintained that 8:10 for another 3.1 miles for a sub 1:48 half marathon.  Only 1 in my last 10 half marathons was below 1:48, so this is a good sign that I am making a comeback.  I was going to add miles back home on the treadmill, but my right hamstring felt sore when I got home, so stopped at 15 miles for the day.

Total Miles: 49.2 miles.  Low mileage week mainly due to traveling to Detroit where I don't run as many miles when traveling.  But with the Rocket City Marathon 13 days away, that is OK.  The race prediction calculators translate my 49:25 10K to a 3:47:xx marathon.  So that is the goal for Rocket City.  A sub 3:48 would be my 3rd fastest marathon on my 17th marathon.  That would make me extremely happy.

 

Monday, November 20, 2017

November 13 - November 19 Training

Monday: 4 miles (9:41), 4 miles (9:42).  Two very easy 4 mile runs.  Not feeling any marathon soreness, just a little tired is all.
Tuesday: 10 miles (9:06).  Recovered well from the marathon and ran 10 miles with 30 second pickups each mile.  Back to having fun with even splits: 9:06, 9:07, 9:07, 9:05, 9:05, 9:06, 9:05, 9:07, 9:05, 9:05.
Wednesday: 6 miles (10:08).  Felt some soreness in my right hamstring when I woke up.  So I skipped the second run since it was bothering me on my first run.
Thursday: 2 miles (9:08), 6 miles (8:44), 1 mile (9:21), 2 miles (9:53).  Right leg felt better today. 2 mile warmup, followed by 6 x (1/2 mile @ < 7:35 pace + 1/2 mile jog), 1 mile cooldown.  Added an easy two miler later.  The intervals felt pretty good.  I had to push it a bit on the first two to get under 7:35 pace, but felt much easier starting with the 3rd one and I was able to open it up on the 5th (7:20 pace).
Friday: 10 miles (9:16).  I felt physically tired when I went to run and could easily have taken a nap.  But then I started feeling energized on mile 4 and ended up with a faster second half.  First 5 miles 9:25 pace, second 5 miles 9:08 pace with mile 10 at 8:52.  80 miles the last 7 days!
Saturday: 7 miles (9:51).  Late morning very easy 7 miles on the Station Camp Greenway.
Sunday: 6 miles (9:15), 4 miles (9:20).  This was supposed to be a 3 mile warm-up followed by 10 x (1/2 @ 8:25 + 1/2 @ 8:45).  I was struggling to hit the pace and felt weak.  Not sure if it was the wind in the cold air, but I just didn't have the strength today.  So stopped after 6 miles.  Went back out in the afternoon to try again, but still wasn't feeling it today.  But that is going to happen every once in a while, so not going to let it bother me.  Just come back the next day.

Total Miles: 62 miles.  I was hoping for 70 miles, but not getting all the miles in on Sunday and skipping a run on Wednesday prevented me from reaching 70 miles.

Monday, November 13, 2017

November 6 - November 12 Training

Monday: 5 miles (10:20). The body just didn't feel like running today and it was lazy, slow.
Tuesday: 3 miles (9:30), 4.77 miles (8:23), 1 mile (9:40).  Treadmill day starting with a 3 mile warmup followed by 10 x (1:00 @ 7.6 mph + 1:00 @ 6.7 mph), 1 mile cooldown.  Felt pretty good.
Wednesday: 10 miles (9:11).  Felt great out there with temperature at 54 degrees.
Thursday: 8 miles (8:41).  I had a pop in my step right from the start with an 8:50 first mile.  That hasn't happened in a long time.  Ran faster than I should, but it was feeling easy and good.
Friday: 3 miles (9:39).  Easy run at lunch time on the Station Camp Greenway.
Saturday: 26.57 miles (10:19).  I ran the Nashville Marathon as a training run.  I ran the first 20 miles (2:57:27, pace 8:52) and then mainly walked the last 6.57 miles to the finish to complete Marathon #16.  I did drop a 7:58 on mile 20, knowing that I was going to start walking after that point.  Solid long run 4 weeks before Rocket City Marathon.
Sunday: 5 miles (9:34), 4 miles (9:50).  I ended up adding a second run today to reach 70 miles for the week.  I'm not feeling very much marathon soreness, which is good.

Total Miles: 70.45 miles.  A solid week of training with a marathon to get over 70 miles for the week. Weather is starting to be very good for running.  Hopefully I can make some fitness gains the next few weeks and target a good race at the Rocket City Marathon in early December.

Sunday, November 5, 2017

October 30 - November 5 Training

Monday: 4 miles (9:32), 4 miles (9:13).  Afternoon run on the Station Camp Greenway followed by a Brixx Run a couple hours later.  Feeling sore from yesterday's long run.
Tuesday: 4 miles (9:57), 5.6 miles (8:37), 4 miles (9:51).  Long warmup of 4 miles.  I really never felt good on the warmup.  Then 8 x (4:00 on + 2:00 off).  The goal was to start the fast intervals around 8:15 and work down to mid 7's.  Actual paces were 8:08, 8:06, 8:08, 7:55, 7:50, 7:34, 7:32, 7:30. Long 4 mile cooldown.  I was still sore from Sunday, so 13.6 miles was a tough day for me today.
Wednesday: 7 miles (9:52), 3 miles (9:48).   Afternoon run on the Station Camp Greenway followed by an evening run on Saundersville Road.  Ran very easy today.  Still a little sore from the last few days.
Thursday: 5 miles (9:34), 3 miles (9:31).  First run with pickups on the Station Camp Greenway followed up with a short treadmill run in the evening.
Friday: 5 miles (9:57).  70 and humid is not what you expect in November.  Come on Winter, please hurry to get here.
Saturday: 1 mile (9:26), 10.09 miles (8:37), 3 miles (9:43).  I ran the Team Nashville 10 Miler today in 1:27:02.  Good enough for 2nd Place Age Group. Maybe not as fast as I used to be, but this was a solid effort.  Negative split on the second half of around 1:30.  Once I got to the top of the big hill around 5.35 miles, then I was able to open it up and start running 8:15-8:25 until the last mile where you go back up some hills.  I kept good race focus the entire way and never giving up and settling for easy running.  So this is a good start on my journey to return to my old racing focus.  It's good to get sick again at the finish line 8-).  Added a 3 mile shake out run late in the afternoon.
Sunday: 6.22 miles (9:36).  This ended up being a progression, which wasn't the intent.  After a 10:15 first mile, I just kept getting faster with mile 6 in 9:06.  Legs feel pretty good after yesterday's race.

Total Miles: 65 miles.  I continue to get more confident and I'm really starting to enjoy running  again after a long time where I was just going through the motions.  I'm looking forward to running the Nashville Marathon next Saturday as a long training run.  Weather is looking good.  4 more solid weeks to train for Rocket City.



Sunday, October 29, 2017

October 23 - October 29 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:31), 4 miles (9:38), 1 mile (9:48).  Lunch run on the treadmill and then ran 5 miles at Brixx.  Ran 4 before the group started and then added an extra mile.
Tuesday: 3 miles (9:31), 4 miles (8:16), 1 mile (9:50).  3 mile warmup followed by a 4 mile tempo run from 8:27 to 8:06.  Kept tough and got through the tempo run without stopping.
Wednesday: 6 miles (9:31), 3.1 miles (9:43).  Afternoon 6 miles on the treadmill followed by an early Fleet Feet Run Sum 5K.
Thursday: 10 miles (9:33).  Nice, easy 10 mile run on the Station Camp Greenway.  After 7 miles, I started feeling stronger and the last 3 miles were the fastest.  Just a 3 second stop for a car.
Friday: 8 miles (9:26). Easy miles with 8x20s pickups.  Wanted to keep running and just like yesterday, I was getting faster at the end.
Saturday: 8 miles (9:25).  Same route as yesterday, without the pickups, but I was 7 seconds faster.  Throwing in an 8:41 to end the easy run.  It felt great out there.
Sunday: 18 miles (8:54), 1 mile (9:36).  Started the long run with a 4 mile warm-up followed by 4 x (3:00@ sub 8:50 + 1/2 @ jog).  The key was to have as little as stop time as possible.  After the warm-up, I went straight into the intervals without stopping and only took one 25 second water stop after 15.25 miles.  I was amazed I didn't need water for over 15 miles and probably could have ran the entire 19 miles without water.  Averaged 8:36 on the 12 faster miles.

Total Miles: 70.2.  I believe this is the turning point in my training.  I've started to learn to run without any stops.  I felt like I had my old marathon focus on the long run and look forward to continuing this approach to my training.  I must drink way to much water during marathons, because I had maybe 4 ounces of water during the 19 miles.  When it is cool out, you just don't need much water.

Sunday, October 22, 2017

October 16 - October 22 Training

Monday: 5 miles (9:31).  Easy 5 on the treadmill.  A new presonal record, 5 miles on the treadmill without stopping.
Tuesday: 7 miles (9:29).  7 miles with pickups.  A new personal record, 7 miles on the treadmill without stopping.  More record breaking runs to come!
Wednesday: 10 miles (9:10).  Another new record, 10 miles on the treadmill without stopping!  Started a 9 mile progression at 6.2 mph (9:40) and ending at 7.0 mph (8:34) with a 1 mile cooldown.
Thursday: 4 miles (9:36), 4 miles (9:36).  Two easy 4 mile runs.
Friday: 3 miles (9:31).  My cold was feeling worse today, so after a 3 mile warmup, I deferred today's workout until Saturday.
Saturday: 2 miles (9:31), 6.61 miles (8:28).  After a 2 mile workout, 8 x (5:00 on + 2:00 off).  Started the fast intervals at 7.3 mph (8:13) and worked them down to 7.7 mph (7:47).  It felt pretty smooth.
Sunday: 8 miles (9:27).  Wanted to do a long run, but been run down with a cold all week and just managed 8 miles.

Total Miles: 49.6 miles.  Not bad considering I woke up sick Monday morning and never felt well the entire week.  I did get a couple good workouts in.

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Past 2 Weeks - Changing My Training Execution

October 2 - 8

Monday: 3 miles (9:41).  Easy start to the Chicago taper week.
Tuesday: 7 miles (8:53).  2@easy, 2@8:40, 2@8:20, 1@easy.  All easy running until Chicago now.
Wednesday: 5 miles (9:31).  Nice, easy miles.
Thursday: 5 miles (9:33).
Friday: 3 miles (9:31).  Off to Chicago on Friday afternoon.
Saturday: 2 miles (9:31).  Two miles on the hotel treadmill.
Sunday: 26.2 miles (10:10).  The Chicago Marathon. 

Total Miles: 51.2.

October 9 - 16

Monday: 2 miles (10:10). Hotel treadmill in Chicago.
Tuesday: 3 miles (9:49). Another easy treadmill recovery run.
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:28), 3.1 miles (9:28).   The running streak finally reached 1000 days today and I added a second run at the Fleet Feet Run Sum.



Thursday: 6.22 miles (9:21).  I ran a nice and easy 10K and it was actually 29 seconds faster than my recent 10K Franklin Classic Race, because I was stopping at the water stops during the race.
Friday: 5 miles (9:42).  Easy run from the Library to DCP.
Saturday: 4 miles (9:36), 5 miles (9:12).  Easy morning run around Station Camp and then an late afternoon run on the Station Camp Greenway.
Sunday: 5 miles (9:31).  Easy treadmill miles while watching football.

Total Miles: 36.3 miles.

My analysis of my recent training and the Chicago Marathon.

My recent Chicago Marathon was my second slowest of all time at 4:24:18.  But it was actually my lowest point for marathon running.  When I ran the slower race at New York City last fall, I was injured most of the way, where I really had no excuses in Chicago.

I took a look at my training and I know exactly what happened.  I simply just started taking too many breaks and stops during ALL my runs.  Not just workouts, even short 3 mile easy runs were never done continuously.

I saw that one of my 17 mile outdoor long runs had 40 minutes of down time.  So what looked like a solid 8:45 paced long run in reality was closer to 11 minutes per mile elapsed time.

I ran 3 long runs on the treadmill with distances of 19, 20, and 21 miles.  By the second half of the run, I am getting off the treadmill every mile to wipe off with a towel and drinking water or using the bathroom.  Easily 2-3 minutes of down time per mile.  So even the 19 mile run which looked like a great progression down to 7:35 per mile wasn't as effective due to the stops between each mile.

You really can't expect to get to the start line of the marathon and think you are going to have race day magic and run a good pace for 26.2 mile without stopping when you didn't train that way.  As my coach has said, there is no such thing as "race day magic".  The race is just an extension of what took place in training.  That was never so true as in Chicago. 

So I have to change how I train.  And this past week, I never stopped once during any run.  They weren't long runs and were just easy runs, so I haven't really tested myself.  But I feel like I was more focused on the run rather than wondering where I was going to stop next.  After an easy recovery week, this week will be more focused and longer runs with some workouts.

My strategy will be to carry water on me when the workout or length of the run cannot easily be executed without taking any water during the run. So my plan is to start wearing my Camelbak with water and being able to get a drink while on the run and not having to stop.

This won't be easy, especially when I get to the tough workouts and longer runs.  But if I can execute and keep focused and limit any stops to the very minimal, then I will regain that mental toughness, start to get faster on the long runs, and then race day won't be such a shock to the body.

The improved results won't happen over night, but if I can stay focused and execute, some good things are going to happen in 2018.

So stay tuned to see how many training moves forward in the following weeks and months ahead.





Thursday, October 5, 2017

Marathon Schedule

I have put together an exciting and aggressive marathon schedule for the next 12 months.

The goal is to BQ at Carmel, Indiana, in March of 2018 and then try to beat that time at Grandmas Marathon.  Then I will enjoy a fun, easy paced marathon in the Twin Cities in October of 2018.

Marathons the next 12 months:

October 8, 2017 - Chicago Marathon.  Goal: sub 4:00 (going to be warm!)
December 9, 2017 - Rocket City Marathon, Huntsville, AL. (Goal: 3:45)
March 31, 2018 - Carmel Marathon, Carmel, IN. (Goal: 3:35)
June 16, 2018 - Grandmas Marathon, Duluth, MN. (Goal: 3:30)
October 7, 2018 - Twin Cities Marathon. (Easy pace, have fun!)

Sunday, October 1, 2017

September 25 to October 1 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:27), 3 miles (9:53).  Lunch time run on the treadmill, followed by an easy Brixx run.
Tuesday: 3 miles (9:31).  I was traveling today, so only a 3 mile treadmill run.
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:31), 3 miles (9:31).  Two treadmill runs at the hotel, while out of town.
Thursday: 10 miles (8:47).  A solid 10 mile run starting at the Hendersonville Library and running to Drakes Creek Park and back.  This should be close to marathon pace in Chicago if everything goes as planned.
Friday: 3 miles (9:31).  I was going to run 5 miles, but right leg felt a little sore.
Saturday: 12 miles (8:30).  The plan was a 2 mile warmup with 10 x (1/2 @ 8:45 + 1/2 @ 8:25).  I got into a good rhythm, despite waiting until 10:20 to start with temps already at 66 and it was 72 when I finished.  But that looks to be the temperatures in Chicago, at least for the second half.
Sunday: 3 miles (10:12).  Very easy run from Starbucks with the 6 AM group.  I may add a few miles later this afternoon.

Total Miles: 43 miles.  A reduced volume week with the Chicago Marathon coming up on October 8th.

Monday, September 25, 2017

September 18 - September 24 Training

Monday: 5 miles (9:34).  Easy Brixx run.
Tuesday: 5 miles (9:35).  Easy run on the treadmill.
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:31), 4 miles (7:53), 1/2 mile (10:00), 1/2 mile (7:24), 3 miles (9:31).  Started with a 3 mile warmup, then 4 miles sub 8:00, 1/2 easy, 1/2 mile sub 7:30, and a 3 mile cooldown.
Thursday: 8 miles (9:31).  Staying on the treadmill with this warm, humid weather.
Friday: 7 miles (9:35).  Still running very easy.
Saturday: 3 miles (9:56), 3 miles (9:30).  Two very easy runs on the Hendersonville Greenway.
Sunday: 15 miles (9:00).  2@9:31, 3@9:05, 3@8:57, 3@8:49, 3@8:42, 1@9:31.  15 mile run on the treadmill while watching the Berlin Marathon.

Total Miles: 57 miles.  Not too bad as I taper to the Chicago Marathon on October 8th.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

September 11 - September 17 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:31), 3 miles (9:31).  Two easy 3 mile runs on the treadmill.
Tuesday: 7 miles (9:20).  Easy treadmill run.
Wednesday: 2 miles (9:48), 4.65 miles (8:37), 2 miles (9:31).  2 mile warmup, 10 x (3:00 on + 1:00 off), 2 mile cooldown.  Tried to run the fast intervals starting at 8:15 pace working towards 8:00.
Thursday: 5 miles (9:59), 3 miles (9:40).  Felt slow and sluggish out there today.
Friday: 4 miles (9:31), 3 miles (9:52).  Definitely don't feel as good this week as I did last week.
Saturday: 3 miles (9:42), 2.5 miles (9:03), 1 mile (9:54), 4 miles (9:27).  3 mile warmup, 4 x Bison Way downhill, 1 mile cooldown.  Added an easy second run in the evening.
Sunday: 21 miles (9:00).  Longest treadmill run ever, running a 21 mile progression starting at 6.2 mph (9:40) and increasing .1 mph every two miles, with the last mile at 7.2 mph (8:20).  That was a long afternoon on the treadmill.

Total Miles: 68.2 miles.  I really wanted 23 miles on Sunday to get to 70 miles, but after 21 miles on a treadmill, it was time to stop.

Monday, September 11, 2017

September 4 - September 10 training

Monday: 1.5 miles (9:46), 6.3 miles (9:19), 0.5 miles (9:16), 2 miles (7:49), 1 mile (7:34), .7 miles (9:49).  A pretty sad performance at the Franklin Classic 10K.
I felt pretty sluggish on the warmup, and my right leg was bothering me right from the start and it didn't seem to let up.  I just kept getting slower and slower, blaming my right leg.  When the GPS showed 5.22 miles, I knew that if I kept on the current pace I wouldn't even get under 1 hour.  So I wanted to test myself, to see if this was really a physical ailment or just mental.  So I revved up the engine and finished the last 1+ miles at a 7:45 pace showing it was all mental.  But I still don't know how to fix this mental game.  For Brixx, .5 mile warmup, 2 mile tempo run, 3 minute rest, 1 mile tempo run, .7 miles cooldown.
Tuesday: 7 miles (9:27).  Nice and cool out there this afternoon after the cold front came through.
Wednesday: 11 miles (9:09).  First enjoyable run in a long, long time.  Just felt so nice outside.
Thursday: 10 miles (8:37).  Plan was 3@Easy, 3@sub 8:45, 3@ sub 8:30, 1@Easy.  The last fast section had miles of 8:09, 7:53, 7:49, so I was feeling pretty good out there.  This week's weather is incredible.
Friday: 8 miles (9:41).  Kept it super easy today after yesterday's workout.
Saturday: 4 miles (9:33), 4 miles (9:27).  First run in the morning around Station Camp HS. Second run on the new Station Camp Greenway with pickups.
Sunday: 14 miles (9:40).  Should have ran early, but waited until after 4 PM after getting home from the Titans Game.  Planned 20 mile scaled down to 14 miles.

Total Miles: 70 miles.  It was nice to get a 70 mile week with all of the miles outdoors.  First time I've had a 70 mile week without the treadmill since May of 2016.

Monday, September 4, 2017

August 28 - September 3 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:31), 1.5 miles (9:32).  Right hip flexor has been bothering me.  Normally it goes away after a mile, but kept bothering me on the second run, so I stopped the run short of the 3 mile target.
Tuesday: 2 miles (9:34), .8 miles (8:28).  2 mile warmup and was planning on 4 miles of 0:30 on, 2:30 @ 9:00.  Right hip flexor was still giving me issues and it was affecting the intervals, so stopped and walked it in.
Wednesday: 6 miles (9:31).  Right hip flexor improving, kept the miles low.
Thursday: 4 miles (9:31).  Right leg felt pretty good today.
Friday: 4 miles (9:31).  More easy treadmill running.
Saturday: 2 miles (9:21), 9 miles (8:22).  Original plan was to run the Races 13.1 half.  I had everything in the car and was set to go at 5:30 AM, but with the rain coming down, I whimped out and went back to bed rather than sitting in the rain downtown waiting for the start.   But got out to Drakes Creek Park just after 8:30 AM and thought I would try the same strategy I had planned for Races 13.1.  I started with a 2 mile warmup and then then plan was 3@8:30, 3@8:25, 3@8:20, 3@8:15, 1.1@8:00.  I had it on target and just before finishing the 9th mile I felt myself starting to get sick.  Stopped and threw up a few times.  It caught me by surprise because I wouldn't think that 9 miles at 8:22 would do that to me, but I hadn't had any calories for 5.5 hours and I was running this pretty continuous as if it was a race.  Body just wasn't ready for that.  So stopped at 9 miles and walked it in.
Sunday: 3 miles (10:22).  3 mile shuffle in Franklin.

Total Miles: 38.3.  Pretty sad to have my lowest weekly total since Christmas week.  The right hip flexor has been bothered and I took it easy a few days.  Hopefully can get back at it next week.

Monday, August 28, 2017

August 21 - August 27 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:31), 3 miles (9:45).  Feeling a bit sore from yesterday's 20 mile treadmill run.
Tuesday: 3 miles (9:22), 5.52 miles (8:10), 3 miles (9:22).  3 mile warmup, 15 x (1:30 @ 7:41 + 1:30 @ 8:42, 3 mile cooldown.  Treadmill workout.  Should get outside tomorrow when it cools down.
Wednesday: 7 miles (9:47).  Took it very easy on the Hendersonville Greenway.
Thursday: 3 miles 9:22), 1.14 miles (7:09), 2 miles (9:18).  3 mile warmup, 8 x (1:00 fast + 2:00 rest), 2 mile cooldown.
Friday: 3 miles (9:22), 3 miles (9:22).  Two short treadmill runs in the afternoon.
Saturday: 4 miles (9:39), 3 miles (9:31).  Two short runs on the Hendersonville Greenway.
Sunday: 17 miles (8:54).  4@easy, 5@sub 8:45, 1@easy, 5@sub 8:45, 1@easy, 1@sub 8:00.  Good long run workout, but I skipped the cooldown.

Total Miles: 60.7.  I need to get the volume higher by getting in longer, second runs.


Monday, August 21, 2017

August 14 - August 20 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:31), 3 miles (9:31).  Lunch time run on the treadmill.  Repeated the same run at 5 PM.  Looks like it was going to be rain for Brixx night.  Quads sore from yesterday's long progression run.
Tuesday: 4 miles (9:31), 5 miles (9:25).  First run easy treadmill run in the afternoon.  Quads still a bit sore.  Second run Library to Drakes Creek Park.  Still so humid outside!
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:22), 4.9 miles (8:18) 1 mile (9:31).  3 mile warmup, 3 miles @ 8:00, 7:53, 7:47, 1/2 mile jog, 4 x (1:00 on/2:00 off), 1 mile Cooldown.  It was 90 outside with 80 dew point, so kept this indoors on the treadmill.
Thursday: 4 miles (9:36), 4 miles (9:28).  One run indoors, one run outdoors.
Friday: 4 miles (9:22).  Treadmill run.  Second run cancelled due to dinner plans.
Saturday: 3 miles (11:18), 3 miles (9:43).  Walked most of the 3rd mile on the first run.  Stayed up way too late watching the Vikings at Seattle on Friday night.
Sunday: 20 miles (9:18).  Longest time ever on the treadmill, 3:05:55.  But I was able to watch two movies.

Total Miles: 61.9 miles.  Should have been closer to 70 miles, but didn't get all the runs in as intended.  Just under 7 weeks to Chicago, so there is time to improve.

Monday, August 14, 2017

August 7 - August 13 Training

Monday: 5 miles (9:13).  Easy treadmill run.
Tuesday: 3 miles (9:14), 4 miles (9:28).  First run on the treadmill, second run Library to DCP.  Legs felt stiff today from Sunday's long run.  Felt better on Monday.
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:20), 2.23 miles (8:30).  The plan was a 3 mile warmup followed by 16 x 400m with 90s jog.  Started getting tough after 4 and when the 6th one was over 2 minute, I stopped the workout.  Need to recharge the batteries.
Thursday: 3 miles (9:25).  Still was feeling weak and only ran a few miles.  Actually walked 2 miles back to the car.
Friday: 4 miles (10:21).  Took it super easy.
Saturday: 6 miles (9:30), 3 miles (9:30).  First run at 5:28 AM and met up with those running the Hendersonville Half course preview.  Easy 3 miles in the evening.
Sunday: 19 miles (8:36).  All on the treadmill.  Started with a 17 mile progression from 6.3 mph (9:31) to 7.9 mph (7:35) and finished with a two mile cooldown at 6.3 mph.

Total Miles: 52.2 miles.  Low volume due to feeling exhausted during Wednesday's workout, which led to taking it easy a few days.  Hopefully back on track this next week.

Sunday, August 6, 2017

July 31 - August 6 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:20), 3 miles (8:57).  Legs felt stiff after yesterday's long run.  Ran an easy 3 on the Station Camp Greenway followed by a 3 mile Brixx run.
Tuesday: 7 miles (9:09).  Easy miles on the treadmill.
Wednesday: 2 miles (9:09), 6.25 miles (8:00), 1 mile (9:31).  2 mile warmup.  5 x (1 mile @ sub 7:40 + 1/4 mile jog), 1 mile cooldown.  Ran this on the treadmill. The 5 miles went from 7.9 mph to 8.3 mph for splits of 7:35, 7:30, 7:25, 7:19, 7:14.
Thursday: 5 miles (9:17), 3 miles (9:13).  Two treadmill runs.  Legs pretty sore from Wednesdays tempo run.
Friday: 7 miles (9:24).  Library to DCP.  Still sore from Wednesday!
Saturday: 2 miles (9:20, 4 miles (7:49), 1.5 miles (9:36).  2 mile warmup, 8 x (.15 on/.35 off), 1.5 mile cooldown.  Mile splits on the intervals: 8:01, 7:52, 7:45, 7:39.  It felt good to keep getting faster.
Sunday: 18 miles (9:16).   Ran the first 17 with Alison Kanaby.  4@Easy, 10@sub 9:15, 3@Easy, 1@Cooldown.  We ran the 10 sub 9:15 miles at 9:05 average, so that was pretty good.  It was a great morning, nice and cool for this time of year.

Total Miles: 62.8 miles. Just over a mile less than last week, but I didn't get in all of the maximum distances that this week's plan offered.  But a solid week with 8 miles sub 8:00. That's a lot for me in a week.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

July 24 - July 30 Training

Monday: 4 miles (9:22), 4 miles (8:17).  First run was on the treadmill in the afternoon, then I went to the Brixx Run.  My first outdoor run in Tennessee with headphones on and the music inspired me to run fast right from the start with mile 3 going under 8:00 in the 91 degree heat.  Fastest paced Brixx run EVER even with it so hot out!
Tuesday: 8 miles (9:09).  Easy miles on the treadmill.  Felt nice and smooth.
Wednesday: 9 miles (9:09).  Another treadmill run while it was 95 outside.  Legs felt tired towards the end of this run.
Thursday: 2 miles (8:58), 5 miles (8:42), 1 miles (9:22). 2 mile warmup followed  by 8 x (4:00 on/1:30 off), 1 mile cooldown.  Was supposed to do 10 intervals, but with it being 91 degrees, I was feeling pretty dead after 8.
Friday: 7 miles (9:13).  Treadmill run.
Saturday: 4 miles (8:31), 3 miles (9:12).  First run had 8 x 20s pickups and it felt great outside. Added an easy 3 on the greenway in the evening.
Sunday: 17 miles (8:45).  Solid long run.  8@easy, 3@8:30, 2@easy, 3@8:15, 1@Cooldown.  Nice 6 AM start with it being 63 degrees.  Felt great out there.

Total Miles: 64 miles.  Decent mileage this week, should go higher next week.

Monday, July 24, 2017

July 17 - July 23 Training

Monday: 4 miles (9:31).  Another vacation day in Napa and only had time to squeeze in a short treadmill run.
Tuesday: 3 miles (9:22).  A quick 3 mile treadmill run before driving to the Oakland Airport for the long travel day back home.  Woke up with what appears to be a cold coming down.
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:05), 4.82 miles (8:18), 1 mile (9:22).  3 mile warmup, 10 x (1:00@7:53+1:00@8:57), 10 x (1:00@7:41 + 1:00@8:41), 1 mile cooldown.  It was feeling pretty smooth at 7:53/8:57 after 20 minutes, so I went faster the second 20 minutes.
Thursday: 8 miles (9:09).  Easy 8 on the treadmill.  Just brutal hot weather outside.
Friday: 5 miles (9:13).  Another indoor run. My cold is shifting to a cough.
Saturday: 3 miles (9:22).  My cold felt worse today, stayed in bed until 4 PM and then ran a quick 3 on the TM watching the Open Championship on DVR.
Sunday: 15 miles (9:22).  Long run on the treadmill watching the Open Championship.  Still nursing a summer cold.

Total Miles: 46.8 miles.   A low week due to traveling on the first two days followed by my first summer cold in many years that I woke up with in Napa on the final morning.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

July 10 - July 16 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:22), 7 miles (9:05).  Quick 3 mile treadmill run at lunch time.  Could feel a little stiff from yesterday's long run.  Felt better on the Brixx Run, even though it was about 90 degrees. Ran the 7 miles with 25 second pickups each mile.
Tuesday: 3 miles (9:13), 5 miles (8:12), 1 mile (9:22).  After a 3 mile warmup, ran 4 x (1 mile @ sub 8:00 + 1/4 mile @ slow jog, then a cooldown.  With it being so hot out, ran on the treadmill.  The 4 miles were at 7:53, 7:47, 7:41, 7:35.  Felt pretty smooth.
Wednesday: 10 miles (8:45).  Progression, 3@9:00, 3@8:45, 3@8:30, 1@Cooldown.
Thursday: 3 miles (9:13), 3 miles (9:13).  Short TM run at lunch time.  Quads sore today.  Tough to run the second time after we took our cat Manny to the vet and ended up having him put to sleep after his kidneys started failing.  He was nearing 16 years old, which is quite old for a  maine coon.



Friday: 2 miles (9:13).  Short treadmill run before the long travel day to Napa, California.
Saturday: 5 miles (9:13).  Treadmill run at the Westin Napa Fitness center in the afternoon.
Sunday: 13.13 miles (8:47).  Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon.  Official time was 2:05:04, as I stopped the GPS at the water breaks and took short breaks like I was on a training run.  GPS time was 1:55:17.  This was the first time I ever ran outdoors with headphones on and I have to say I loved it.  I looked at the watch a lot less and wasn't counting down the miles, but enjoying some music.

Total Miles: 55.1 miles.  Not the volume I want and I probably won't get it next week with two more days in Napa.  But after that, I should get back to 65-75 mile weeks.

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Training July 3 - July 9

Monday: 4 miles (9:31).  With my brother in town until Wednesday, not getting in much for running due to our busy schedule. Just a short treadmill run in the afternoon.
Tuesday: 4 miles (9:31).  Squeezed in another treadmill run with company at the house.
Wednesday: 2 miles (9:13), 4 miles (7:54), 2 miles (9:09).  Back to normal training.  Weather has not been cooperating with lots of rain and storms all week.  2 mile warmup on the treadmill and then 8 x .25 on/off, 2 mile cooldown.   Felt pretty good halfway through the intervals, so I kept increasing the speed.
Thursday: 6 miles (8:42), 2 miles (8:49).  Started with 6 miles at Drakes Creek Park and went home before the rain rolled in and finished with an additional 2 miles on the treadmill.  Goal was sub 9:00, so I felt pretty good running those 6 miles in the warm, humid weather.
Friday: 6 miles (9:11).  4:52 PM is not the time to start a run.  It was 88 degrees (feels like 96) and felt much harder than yesterday's faster run.
Saturday: 6 miles (9:13).  Easy 6 on the treadmill in the morning.
Sunday: 16 miles (9:07).  Plan was 8@Easy, 3@ sub 9:15, 3@sub 9:00, 2@fast.  The original goal was to try and get under 8:00 on those last two miles, but it was pretty tough going.  The last two miles ended up being 8:15 and 8:11 and I was hitting it hard at the end of the last mile and it resulted in me throwing up a couple times after I stopped.  Exceeded my lactic acid threshold.  But I did run this long run with ZERO calories, just like last weekend.  I'm going to try and continue to run the long runs with no fuel before or during the run.

Total Miles: 52 miles.  Miles were low this week as my brother was in town over the 4th of July weekend and limited my training.

Friday I am off to Napa Valley to run the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon on Sunday.  Not expecting any fast time, but will just try to run it as a tempo run.


Sunday, July 2, 2017

Training June 26 - July 2

Monday: 3 miles (9:05), 3 miles (9:36).  First run was a quick 3 on the treadmill at lunch time.  Very sluggish on the second run, although I went straight to Brixx and mowing the lawn and using the weed eater.  So I was a bit tired.
Tuesday: 2 miles (9:10), 4 miles (8:21), 1 mile (9:44).  2 mile warmup followed by running the Station Camp Loop Jr. repeating .15 fast + .35 @ 9:00, 1 mile cooldown.
Wednesday: 4 miles (9:13).  Easy 4 on the Treadmill in the afternoon.  I was going to run again at the Fleet Feet run, but ended up going out for Mexican and Margaritas.
Thursday: 8 miles (8:55).  Treadmill workout, 1@9:13, 2@8:57, 2@8:49, 2@8:42, 1@9:13.  Felt pretty smooth.
Friday: 3 miles (9:13), 3 miles (9:13).  Busy trying to get the house ready for family coming for the holiday, so all I could do was work in two 3 mile treadmill runs.
Saturday: 4 miles (9:23), 3 miles (9:13).  Got a late start on my morning long run at 8:30 AM and after a couple miles I knew I wasn't going to be able to run 14 miles, so made it a short 4 mile run and then added 3 on the treadmill in the afternoon when it was raining outside.
Sunday: 14 miles (9:24).  Got smarter and started at 5:28 AM.  The plan was 12 miles at whatever and then 2 miles sub 8:15.  It was a struggle in the high humidity, but I was able to get those last two miles just under 8:15, so that felt pretty good that I could find the fast gear at the end.  Especially considering the two previous miles were 10:09 and 10:22.

Total Miles: 52 miles.  Low volume week due to a couple shortened runs, but volume should be picking up.

Sunday, June 25, 2017

Training June 19 - June 25

Monday: 8 miles (9:10).  Easy 8 with 8x20s pickups for Monday Night Brixx.
Tuesday: 7.11 miles (8:48).  Treadmill workout. 2 Mile warmup, 10:00@8:00, 5:00@easy, 10:00@7:30, 2 Mile cooldown.
Wednesday: 7 miles (9:00), 3 miles (8:59).  Easy 7 on the treadmill in the afternoon followed by the Fleet Feet Sum run at 7 PM.
Thursday: 3 miles (9:14), 2 miles (9:21), 1.86 miles (6:28), 1 mile (8:38).  Easy 3 on the treadmill at lunch time and then a 2 mile warmup in the late afternoon on the Station Camp Greenway followed by 4x30s, 8x60s, 4x30s with 90s rest between each interval.  It felt good to get the wheels moving again even though I felt a bit sluggish on the warmup.  The cooldown was pretty fast, but the intervals opened up the legs and they wanted to keep moving fast.
Friday: 6 miles (8:57).  Avoided the humid air with a treadmill run.
Saturday: 6.22 miles (9:20).  Easy 10K from the Library to Drakes Creek Park and back.
Sunday: 12 miles (8:45).  I intended to run 14-15 miles, but ran this at the warmest part of the day and got a bad headache after 10 miles followed by complete dry mouth after 11 miles.  So thought I best stop at 12 miles.  This was a very solid run with everything sub 9:00 after the first miles.

Total Miles: 57.2 miles.  Just a modest mileage total on the first week back in training.  The speed work will continue and miles will soon go higher.

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Ranking My Marathons

I am now 15 weeks away from running my 15th Marathon.  I wanted to take a look back at my previous marathons and rank them according to how their performance ranked based on my experience at the time of the race.

1. Grandmas Marathon, 06/21/2014, 3:26:21.  It's hard not to rank your fastest marathon as the best performance.  This was just 15 months after running my first mile and my first attempt at a Boston Qualifier and I managed a 25 minute PR for the BQ.  With the average pace 7:53 per mile, it still amazes me that the last 5 miles were my fastest miles with miles 25 and 26 coming in at 7:19 and 7:20.  Will I ever come close to this again?

2. Boston Marathon, 04/25/2015, 3:33:38.  The ultimate goal for any marathoner is to make it to Boston.  Just two years after taking up running, I found myself in Hopkinton and heading to Boston and finishing on Boylston Street.  At the time, I wasn't overly thrilled with this time, but I've never come close to this time again.  So as time goes by, I covet this time more and more.

3. Twin Cities Marathon, 10/06/2013, 3:59:33.  This was my very first marathon, just over 6 months after running my very first mile.  Although it's not my 3rd fastest time, I rank this marathon high because it was my very first marathon.  To run a sub 4 hour marathon on my first try at age 52 was a great accomplishment.

4. Paris Marathon, 04/30/2016, 3:48:11.  Although this marathon had a disappointing finish as it warmed up 70 degrees under sunny skies in Paris, I had run the first 16 miles all within a few seconds of each other and was on pace for 3:35 when the heat started to take its toll.

5. Grandmas Marathon, 06/28/2016, 3:53:15.  This was a very warm day in Duluth, Minnesota, with it nearly 70 degrees at the start and the bank sign showed 76 degrees when I had 4 miles to go.  I fought a good race to keep it going in the second half and not giving up.

6. Rocket City Marathon, 12/14/2013, 3:51:10.  This was my second marathon and it came just 10 weeks after my very first marathon and I was able to knock over 8 minutes off my previous time.

7. Disney World Marathon, 01/12/2014, 3:58:01.  I rank this one higher than some faster performances because it was still less than 12 months since I ran my first mile and I ran this the day after running the Disney World Half Marathon in 1:56:01. Sub 4 full and sub 2 half for the Goofy Challenge on back to back days.

8. Twin Cities Marathon, 10/05/2014, 3:50:03.  I was limping through the Minneapolis Airport two days before the marathon with a sore right femur.  So I didn't run the two days prior and only planned to just run this as a long training run.  I would get a calf strain two days later and was nearing my only extended down time from running before starting up the run streak in January of 2015 that is still going at 891 days.

9. Berlin Marathon, 09/27/2015, 3:49:24. This is my 4th fastest marathon, however, it was the first marathon where I finished and was completely disappointed.  I felt like I was in the best marathon shape and was wanting a shot at the PR, but it became obvious to me early that I was somehow dehydrated.  It was my first international race, and maybe I didn't take care of myself well enough overseas to be properly hydrated and ready to go on race day.

10. Andrew Jackson Marathon, 04/01/2017, 3:59:33.  This marathon was just 22 days prior to the London Marathon, so I wasn't going out there to race it.  This was my first attempt at a run/walk strategy, thinking that I would just finish around 4:15-4:30.  So I decided to run 5 minutes and then walk 1 minute.  But when I passed the half way point just over 1:57 and felt pretty good, I started to realize I had a shot at a sub 4 marathon.  I skipped the very last walk break to get under 4 hours but was surprised I could run a 3:59 marathon with 38 minutes of walking.

11. London Marathon, 04/23/2017, 4:11:48.  Just 22 days after doing an easy run/walk marathon at Jackson, TN, I thought I had a real good shot at getting under 3:50.  I wanted to do a similar run/walk strategy as I did in Jackson, but run faster.  But what I found is that this marathon was so crowded, it was like roller derby if you wanted to try to get between people to pass them. So I was just settling in to run with the crowd and not fight it.

12. Nashville Greenway Marathon, 10/02/2016, 4:22:24.  I had been struggling to get the long runs in training for New York City, so I decided to sign up for a marathon and run the first two miles and then switch between running and walking the last 6.2  I actually did a little better than I expected to, this isn't an easy course.

13. Walt Disney World Marathon, 01/10/2016, 4:02:58.  The reason I rank this one so low was that it was the first time I allowed myself to go over 4 hours in a marathon.  I could have pushed myself to get under 4 hours, but lacked the will power to do it.  That opened up the door for more 4+ hour marathons.

14. New York City Marathon, 11/06/2016, 4:57:28.  This one was my slowest marathon and it was just a very long day.  My right leg was really hurting by the half way point, and I had to start taking walk breaks to rest the leg and did all I could do to just finish this race.




Monday, June 19, 2017

Running Log May 29 - June 18

Combining 3 weeks on my running log since I was on vacation June 3-17.

This ends my 8 week break from training and training resume with Coach Wietecha on Monday, June 19th.

May was my first month over 300 miles in the past year.



May 29 - June 4
Monday: 10 miles (9:16), 7 miles (9:26).  For my first run, I thought I was just going to run 4 miles and make it a three 4 mile run day, but I felt really good and wanted to keep going.  So only had to run twice, but got a lot of miles in on Memorial Day.
Tuesday: 4 miles (9:22), 4 miles (9:24).
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:13), 9 miles (9:20).  A short 3 miles on the treadmill at lunch time.  A nice 9 mile run in the late afternoon.  I'm really starting to like the 9 mile distance for easy training runs. 3 of them in the last 7 days plus a 10 mile run.
Thursday: 5 miles (9:22), 3 miles (9:37).  First run on the TM and finally finished the Voice Finale.
Friday: 3 miles (9:31), 3 miles (9:22), 3.11 miles (9:08).
Saturday: 3 miles (9:22).  Quick run on the treadmill before flying to San Francisco.
Sunday: 7 miles (9:22).  Beautiful facility at the Equinox Sports Club in San Francisco in the Four Seasons Hotel Building.

Weekly Total: 64.1 miles.

June 5 - June 11
Monday: 3 miles (9:22).  Easy treadmill run.
Tuesday: 5 miles (9:05), 5 miles (9:13).  First run was a small progression on the treadmill.
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:13), 6 miles (9:22).  First run at the Equinox Sports Club before heading to the Grand Princess, second run on the ship's treadmill before dinner.
Thursday: 6 miles (9:22), 6 miles (9:31).  Two treadmill runs on the Grand Princess.
Friday: 5 miles (9:22), 4 miles (9:31), 6 miles (9:22).  3 treadmill runs on a day at sea.
Saturday: 10 miles (9:29), 5 miles (9:31).  First run outdoors in Ketchikan, Alaska, followed by a second run on the treadmill.
Sunday: 9 miles (8:52), 6 miles (9:16).  Two outdoor runs in Junuea, Alaska.  The first run was a progression finishing with the last mile at 7:42.

Weekly Total: 79 miles.  Big mileage week for being on vacation.

June 12 - June 18
Monday: 10 miles (9:15), 5 miles (8:43).  Two outdoor runs in Skagway, Alaska.  25 mph winds!. Second run was a progression.
Tuesday: 10 miles (9:05), 3 miles (9:22), 2 miles (9:22).  3 runs on the treadmill for my 5th straight day of 15 miles.  Last 7 days I ran 96 miles, which is my second biggest 7 day total ever.  Will be taking it easy the last 5 days of the week.
Wednesday: 4 miles (9:31).  Just one easy treadmill run on the ship.
Thursday: 4 miles (9:22).  Just taking it easy on the rest of my vacation.
Friday: 4 miles (9:31).
Saturday: 3 miles (9:22).  A few easy miles before getting off the ship and heading back home.
Sunday: 3 miles (9:31). A few miles watching the US Open.

Weekly Total: 48 miles.  Took it easy the last 5 days after hitting 96 miles in 7 days on Tuesday.

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Running Log May 22 - May 28

Monday: 4 miles (9:22), 4 miles (9:22), 3 miles (9:40).  Two easy treadmill runs and then added a few miles at Brixx.
Tuesday: 4 miles (9:13), 6 miles (9:33).  Easy treadmill run at lunch, and then added 6 miles running from the library to DCP.  Cool weather outside this evening, although I still ran slow.  Having not been doing any tempo runs or strides, I think I'm getting slower.
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:22), 6 miles (9:34).  Ran an easy 3 miler on the treadmill and followed it up with 6 miles from the Library to DCP.  Felt some soreness in the left hip at first and then alter on the right leg and felt stiff waking up Thursday morning.  So hopefully that goes away.
Thursday: 1 miles (10:51).  Right leg was feeling stiff and sore, so decided to stop at one mile and give it a rest.
Friday: 9 miles (9:31).  Right leg felt better and I was able to get a nice 9 mile run in.
Saturday: 9 miles (9:41), 3.3 miles (9:35).  I was able to get the first 9 mile run in between the rain and then ran a second run.  Storm was moving in quickly and I had to do a sprint the last .3 miles to the car at a pace of 7:40.  Looks like I can still get the wheels moving if I have to.
Sunday: 5 miles (9:31), 3 miles (9:30).  Ran a late morning 5 miler on the treadmill and then went out on the Hendersonville Greenway in the evening to get a few more miles that I needed to get a 60 mile week.

Total Miles: 60.3 miles.  Not a big week, but not bad considering I had a 1 mile day due to a sore leg.  A few more weeks of easy running before getting into the next marathon training cycle.

I have decided not to run the Hendersonville Classic on Memorial Day.  I'm not in racing condition and some wine tonight with no alarm clock tomorrow sounds like a better way to enjoy the holiday.

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Running Log May 15 - May 21

Monday: 4 miles (9:13), 5 miles (9:25).  First run on the treadmill and then the Brixx Monday Night run.  Getting warm outside!
Tuesday: 4 miles (9:22), 6.22 miles (9:12).  Early afternoon 4 miles on the treadmill and then ran the second run around 6:30 PM.  Even though it was a warm day, there is some shade running later from the library to DCP and it felt nice out.
Wednesday: 5 miles (9:22), 6 miles (9:13).  Two treadmill sessions felt nice and smooth.
Thursday: 4 miles (9:22), 4 miles (9:22).  Two easy treadmill sessions.
Friday: 6 miles (9:21). Another day on the treadmill.
Saturday: 4 miles (9:22).  Another busy day and I was going to run a second run, but I had a massage and felt a little sore from it, so skipped the second run.
Sunday: 8 miles (9:33).  Finally got out of the house for a run.  It was very HUMID out there!

Total Miles:  56.2.  Life got in the way this week and I lost a little of the momentum I had the past two weeks.  But we adopted a 4 year old St. Bernard named Henry on Tuesday, then Carmen's car had a flat tire in Nashville on Wednesday night while out to dinner with some coworkers who are leaving and couldn't find the wheel lock.  So Thursday I went with her downtown to try and find the wheel lock, but it was no where to be found.  Asked the Toyota dealer nearby if they could get the wheel off and they said not without the key.  Infiniti said they could.  But it was late afternoon and didn't want to tow the car to Franklin in rush hour, so I spent half of my Friday getting the car towed to the Infiniti dealer, and then another 30+ mile drive on Saturday to pick it up.

I had my running stuff on to hit a late 4 miler on Sunday to get the 60 mile week, but my right leg felt sore when I was ready to go, so I decided it was not worth running again if I'm feeling a bit sore. I also mowed the lawn after the 8 miler, so that was enough for the day.


Sunday, May 14, 2017

Running Log May 8 - May 14

Monday: 4.21 miles (9:17), 7.31 miles (9:23).  Didn't get up for the early run today, so the first run was just past 3 PM and then doubling back with the Brixx run for a "stacked" double as my coach would say.
Tuesday: 6.22 miles (9:00).  I was able to get out for a morning run, starting just past 7 AM.  After a warmup, I then was able to get 5 solid sub 9:00 miles in.
Wednesday: 6.22 miles (9:26), 3 miles (9:13), 4.22 miles (9:09).  Started with an easy 10K in the morning and then ran 3 on the treadmill in the afternoon and then added an easy run at Drakes Creek Park in the evening.  A nice 20K day with 3 runs.
Thursday: 4 miles (9:13), 4 miles (9:22).  Didn't get the early run in, so mileage was down.  Opted for two 4 mile runs on the treadmill.  It's a nice, cool 73 degrees in the bonus room now that I have the extra air conditioner running.
Friday: 13.1 miles (9:08).  Hopped on the treadmill Friday afternoon thinking I was going to run 4 miles and then run 4 later, but decided to keep going to just do a single run.  But when I was nearing 8 miles I was feeling pretty good and thought why not do 10, but then I got this idea to go the half marathon distance, so that is what I did.  Felt pretty good.  After miles of 6.4, 6.5, and 6.5 mph, I upped it to 6.6 mph (9:05) and kept it there.  I decided to scratch running the Bison 10K on Saturday morning since I ran this distance today.
Saturday: 7.21 miles (9:31), 5.41 miles (9:07).  Was a little slower on the first run after running the treadmill half marathon late on Friday. Felt better on the second run and ran it faster.
Sunday: 6 miles (9:36), 4 miles (9:38).  Ran both runs real easy today but I was determined to get in my first 80 mile week in 12 months.

Total Miles: 80.3 miles.  First 80 mile week since a year ago coming off last week's 76 mile week.  I am hoping I can up it to 84 this next week.  It's getting warmer out, which makes it harder to get motivated to get outside.  Could be some indoor treadmill running.

Sunday, May 7, 2017

Running Log May 1 - May 7

Monday: 6 miles (9:16), 6.33 miles (9:34).  A nice 6:13 AM start at Drakes Creek this morning in hopes of becoming a morning runner.  If I can move my training to the mornings, this summer I should get a lot better running in compared to the late afternoon heat.  For the second run, got to Brixx early and ran 3 miles and the joined Dolan for another 3.33 miles.
Tuesday: 6 miles (8:36), 6.22 miles (9:11).  Morning workout - 2 mile warmup, 2@MP (8:14-8:16), 1@sub 8:00 (7:43), 1@ Cooldown.  Felt pretty nice out this morning, tempo miles felt nice and smooth.  Easy second run from the Library to Drakes Creek Park and back.  Very windy this afternoon compared to a nice calm morning.  Finally went over 1000 miles for the year, a little behind last year's pace.
Wednesday: 6 miles (9:48), 6.22 miles (9:21).  Felt sluggish on the morning run, so didn't try to push to get any certain pace and just ran the pace the body wanted to run.  Easy 10K on my second run.
Thursday: 4 miles (9:22), 4 miles (9:13).  Treadmill day with the rain outside. 4 miler at lunch time felt pretty smooth. Added another 4 miles on the treadmill in the afternoon.
Friday: 6.61 miles (9:17).  After traveling to Owatonna, I ran on  the Owatonna g=Greenway.
Saturday: 1 mile (9:29), 13.1 miles (9:12).  After a 1 mile warmup, I ran my hometown From the Heart Half Marathon in Owatonna, MN.  Didn't really go after this race, but just enjoyed running in the parks and streets where I grew up.
Sunday: 7 miles (9:37), 4 miles (9:06).  7 miles in the morning from my brother's house before having breakfast and heading back to Minneapolis to the airport.  Added a nice 4 mile second run after getting home in Hendersonville.

Total Miles: 76.5 miles.  Largest volume week since last June.  Being motivated to run in the mornings meant I could run twice on most days.  Let's see if I can keep that up next week.

Sunday, April 30, 2017

Running Log April 24 - April 30

Monday: 1.5 miles (10:49).  A quick run before heading to London Heathrow Airport for the flight back home.
Tuesday: 2 miles (10:38).  Easy, slow recovery run back home in Hendersonville.
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:03).  Legs starting to feel better after Sunday's marathon.
Thursday: 3 miles (8:50), 3 miles (9:15).  Two easy 3 mile runs as my legs continue to improve from Sunday's marathon.
Friday: 2 miles (9:55), 3 miles (9:13)..  Getting humid outside!  Going to be a tough run on Saturday at the Rock and Roll Half Marathon.  I wanted to switch to the FULL, but it's going to be too warm. Easy two miles outside at lunch time and then 3 miles on the Treadmill before heading to the expo.
Saturday: 13.1 miles (11:03).  Nashville Rock and Roll Half Marathon. Definitely the warmest and most humid half marathon I have raced. I started out running 5 minutes and walking 1 minute, but this quickly changed to walking whenever I felt like it and walking most of the last 3 miles.  I just wanted to finish before Scott Wietecha finished the marathon, and I beat him by 16 minutes, LOL.  2:24 for me and 2:40 for Scott.
Sunday: 5 miles (9:53), 5 miles (9:19).  Ran 5 miles downtown from the Westin hotel and it felt like yesterday, warm and humid.  Second run late afternoon on the treadmill felt nice and smooth in the indoor controlled weather environment.

Total Miles: 40.6.  Not a bad mileage total coming off an International Marathon with only 3.5 miles total on Monday and Tuesday.  Seeing some great performances in the marathon yesterday in that heat has me starting to get motivated to start boosting the mileage.  We'll see if that can work out.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

8 Week Training Break

After following a weekly training place since early June of 2013, I decided it was time to take a break from the formal training plans with Coach Wietecha.

So I will resume formal training with Scott beginning on June 19, 2017, when I will start the training plan for the Chicago Marathon.

This is a much needed mental break as I didn't have the drive to push hard this last training cycle. My hope is that after an 8 week break I can come back hungry and get after the faster times.

I do plan to keep running and keeping the run streak alive during this break.

April 17 - April 23 Training

Monday: 4 miles (9:17).  Hyde Park in London.
Tuesday: 5 miles (8:55).  Hyde Park in London with some pickups.
Wednesday, 6 miles (8:52).  Today, I met a Strava friend, Rob Hicks, and met him near Buckingham Palace and ran a few miles with him on his way to work in London and then I returned with 3 miles of tempo running with 2@sub 8:30 and 1@8:00.
Thursday: 3 miles (9:56).  Slowing the pace as I get close to Sunday's marathon.
Friday: 3 miles (9:47).  Moved from our Airbnb Apartment near Hyde Park to the St. James area near the finish line.  Easy 3 miles in St. James and Green parks.
Saturday: 2 miles (10:31).  Final taper run.
Sunday: 26.52 miles (9:30).  I ran the London Marathon in 4:11:45.  My goal was to run 5:15 and walk 0:45 and try to run around 3:40 - 3:45.  But this race was so crowded, I could not easily find any lanes to run faster. I will write a more in depth review of the marathon later.

Total miles: 49.5 miles.

April 10 - April 16 Training

Monday: 4 miles (8:54).  Easy Brixx run.
Tuesday: 5 miles (9:12).  Ran on the treadmill to stay dry.
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:13), 4 miles (9:04).  Snuck a quick 3 mile Treadmill run between meetings and then finally logged off and am on vacation for 2 weeks and started with a 4 mile run before heading to the airport to pick up my sister.
Thursday: 3 miles (9:21), 2 miles (9:13).
Friday: 3 miles (9:30). Quick run before heading to the airport fo
Saturday: 4 miles (8:56), 4 miles (9:03).  Two runs in Hyde Park in London.  Ran straight away after getting into our Airbnb Apartment and then added an afternoon run.
Sunday: 10 miles (8:58).  Medium paced run.  Was supposed to run longer, but I knew there would be a lot of walking today in London.

Total Miles: 42 miles.  Not a big volume week as I reduce mileage heading into the London Marathon week.

Sunday, April 9, 2017

April 3 - April 9 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:31), 3 miles (9:36). First run on the treadmill and then ran the Brixx run with the Fleet Feet Hendersonville opening night.
Tuesday: 7 miles (9:12).  Easy run.  Legs feeling pretty good for 3 days post-marathon.
Wednesday: 4 miles (9:22), 4 miles (9:21).  Two easy runs today, first one on the treadmill.  Very windy outside on the second run.
Thursday: 9 miles (8:18).  Treadmill run watching the Master Golf Tournament.  2 miles warmup, 2@8:00, 2@7:45, 2@7:30, 1 mile cooldown.  Legs felt pretty good considering I ran a sub 4:00 marathon 5 days ago.
Friday: 6 miles (9:16). Easy run from the Hendersonville Library to Drakes Creek Park. Legs felt pretty good the day after a 6 mile tempo run.
Saturday: 16 miles (8:32).  I adjusted my run/walk formula from last Saturday's marathon and decided to run 5:15 and walk 0:45.  I felt like I was rested after 45 seconds during the marathon so I reduced the walk interval and added it to the run interval.  This felt pretty good today, with a negative split (8:36 first 8 miles, 8:28 last 8 miles).  This is the formula I am expecting to run in London on April 23rd.  Today's pace would translate to a 3:43-3:44 marathon.   We will see what happens in London.
Sunday: 4 miles (9:57), 4 miles (9:31).  Two very easy runs.

Total Miles: 60 miles.  This marathon training cycle continues to be a lower volume cycle, mainly due to my lack of desire to run the 70+ mile weeks.  Although I feel pretty good after the last two Saturdays where the run/walk system got me a sub 4 hour marathon last week and a really good 16 mile run on Saturday.   Saturday's 16 mile run was the 20th time I ran a 16 mile training run, however, it was the second fastest one and fastest since 2014.  So that gives me the confidence to head to London on Friday with a shot at a good marathon on April 23rd in London.

I probably won't get to post the blog until the week of April 24 when I get back from London.

Sunday, April 2, 2017

March 27 - April 2 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:22), 5 miles (9:22).  Weather was bad today with storms, so ran both runs on the treadmill.
Tuesday: 2 miles (9:15), 4 miles (7:59), 2 miles (9:41). 2 mile warmup and then a tempo run on the Station Camp Loop Jr.  PR by 1:18 from last week's PR. Although the 3rd mile was about 10 seconds slower than last week, but I ran 7:40 pace from Lower Station Camp to Big Station Camp and that tired me for the Big Station Camp hill. I was supposed to add 2 x 400m on/off, and ran one on the 2 miles after the loop, but I felt out of gas from the tempo loop and only ran 1 at 1:35.
Wednesday: 5 miles (9:14), 3 miles (9:08).  Two easy runs.  81 degrees outside this afternoon, it is warming up.
Thursday: 4 miles (9:22).  Easy treadmill miles.
Friday: 4 miles (9:28).  Kept it real easy with a marathon scheduled for tomorrow.
Saturday: 26.47 miles (9:03).  Andrew Jackson Marathon in Jackson, TN.  Finished at 3:59:33, which happens to be exactly the time of my first marathon in 2013 to the second.  Today, I finally tried my run/walk experiment.  I ran 5 minutes and then walked 1 minute and did that all the way until the last mile, where I skipped the last walk break so I could get under 4 hours.  It really worked brilliant.  For a while, I would see the same people catch up to me while I was on my walk break, and then I would go ahead of them on my run interval.  But eventually, they never caught up to me on my walk break and I would never see them again.  If you look at my training logs and race results the last 4 month, with very few long runs, it would not look like I could run a sub 4 marathon on a hilly course. Only because of the run/walk was I able to.  Had I ran this without walk breaks, I would have probably died at the half way point.  Now I just have to come up with the right strategy for London in 3 weeks.
Sunday: 4 miles (9:52), 3 miles (9:47).  Slow post-marathon shuffle miles on Sunday afternoon starting at the library and going to Drakes Creek Park.  Added a second recovery run in the early evening in the neighborhood.

Total Miles: 65.5.  My highest weekly total since the 3rd week of February.  Going into this week, I really doubted whether I could run a sub 4:00 marathon.  So it was nice to get some confidence at the Andrew Jackson Marathon. With a couple more decent weeks of training before heading to London, hopefully I can improve my conditioning and maybe shoot for sub 3:48.    If I can get under 3:48, that would make it my 3rd fastest marathon. That would be a good goal to take into that race.


Sunday, March 26, 2017

March 20 - March 26 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:03), 2 miles(9:30), 3 miles (9:22).  Quick easy run at lunch time.  Went for a pre-Brixx run just after 5 PM, however, while running on the library greenway, the skies started looking pretty dark to the north and they were moving my way.  So looped back to the car and went home and ran a few on the treadmill.
Tuesday: 9 miles (9:22).  Easy run on the treadmill, weather didn't look too good outside.
Wednesday: 2 miles (9:46), 5 miles (9:22).  Went to go do a workout on the Station Camp Loop, but I felt hungry and tired on the warmup and went home and had an early dinner and took a nap and then got up and ran 5 on the treadmill.  Will try to get in a tempo run tomorrow.
Thursday: 4 miles (8:19), 4 miles (8:18), 2 miles (9:28).  I walked a half mile for my warmup and then started with the Station Camp Loop Jr., which was a PR at 32:43.  It was straight into the wind down Lower Station Camp and it was tough to get under 8:30 that first mile.  Felt pretty tired after 1 loop, so rather than another loop, I just did an out and back on LSC for another 4 mile tempo run and then did a 2 mile cooldown on the Greenway.  It shouldn't be that tough to run an 8:20 pace, which means I'm in trouble for London.  1 month isn't enough to gain the fitness to go after a BQ, so it's going to be a 3:59 target for London.
Friday: 6 miles (9:13).  Didn't run until late, so ran on the treadmill.
Saturday: 6 miles (9:22).  Decided not to run the Middle Tennessee Shootout 5K.  Ended up mowing the lawn and going to a piano recital at Vanderbilt and didn't run until late, so another treadmill run.  But the run streak did hit 800 days today.



Sunday: 8 miles (8:51), 3 miles (9:22).  Woke up with a stomach ache that really never went away. Finally went out around 2:45 PM to run at Drakes Creek Park.  I repeated running 5 minutes and walking 1 minute for a nice 8:51 average pace.  Then added 3 miles on the treadmill watching the end of the North Carolina - Kentucky NCAA game.

Total Miles: 57 miles.  Not the miles I should have been going for, but motivation has been a big struggle for this marathon cycle.  The net result is that there won't be any BQ attempt in London.

Sunday, March 19, 2017

March 13 to March 19 Training

Monday: 5 miles (9:13), 3 miles (9:15).  First run on the treadmill, then went to Brixx for the second run.
Tuesday: 7 miles (9:22).  Opted for another treadmill run rather than go fight the mid 30's temperatures with 15 MPH winds.
Wednesday: 2 miles (9:22), 8.52 miles (8:28), 1 mile (9:31).  Wimped out with the cold weather and ran my workout on the treadmill.  2 mile warmup, 12 x (4:00 @ 7.8 mph + 2:00 @ 5.7 mph).  The 7.8 mph was a pace of 7:41, while the recover was at a pace of 10:31.  Tough workout.
Thursday: 6 miles (9:22).  I was pretty sore in the quads from yesterday's intervals.   So took it real easy.  Wanted to watch my team, so ran the treadmill watching NCAA.  I hate losing in the first round!
Friday: 6 miles (9:23).  Finally back outside after 3 days on the treadmill.
Saturday: 3 miles (9:55), 13.17 miles (9:06).  3 mile warmup followed by the Music City Half Marathon where I finished in 1:59:34.  I had to run pretty fast the last 3/4 mile to get under 2:00, which was good enough for 1st Place Age Group.  I could tell by the high heart rate on the warmup that it was going to be a struggle today.  Yesterday my first mile at 9:28 had an average heart rate of 128.  Today's first mile at 9:53, 25 seconds slower, had an average heart rate of 135.  But mentally, I kind of checked out by miles 3-4 and became satisfied to just shoot for a 2:00 half marathon when I should be pushing to run faster.
Sunday: 6.1 miles (8:53).  Today, I tried the run walk.  I thought a 4:00 marathon pace would be good for an easy run and calculated that 5:00 at 8:25 pace with a 1:00 walk at a 15:00 pace would translate to just over a 9 minute pace.  I ended up running the 5:00's at around 8:20, but the walk was faster than anticipated at around 13:20-13:30.  Net result, was 8:53 pace, which is a 3:52 marathon pace.  But the amazing thing is when I got home, I felt very fresh.  Usually I'm a bit achy getting out of the car, but felt fresh as could be.   Could have gone on another run.

Total Miles: 60.7 miles.  If you read my Sunday's run, I think you will see some more of this run/walk. It is seriously time to try this in a marathon.  I've had the idea to do it before, but now I feel is the right time.  I haven't really had a good marathon in a long time, so why not try something different?  I'm looking to run the Andrew Jackson Marathon on April 1st and a long training run, and this would be the perfect time to try it.  If it is successful, maybe I'll try something at London.

Sunday, March 12, 2017

March 6 - March 12 Training

Monday: 9 miles (8:37).  Mild afternoon at 66 degrees.  I am determined to make a big change in my training the next 6 weeks and try to run with a minimal number of stops.  So I ran this 9 mile run with no stops, no water, just continuous running.  If I can continue this, it will make me stronger both mentally and physically.
Tuesday: 7 miles (9:11).  Nice and easy 7 miles without stopping.
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:11), 4.5 miles (8:38), 1 mile (9:29).  3 mile warmup at Drakes Creek Park and then off to the HHS Track for 6 x (800m@3:40 + 400m jog).  The 800's were a little tougher than I was expecting. I averaged 7:21 pace for the 6 intervals and the target was to get sub 7:20.  So I was close, just not quite there.  68 and sunny is a bit warm for early March.  1 mile cooldown.

When I ran my first track workout ever in 2014, it was the same workout.  Look at the comparison below with the 2017 workout on the left and 2014 workout on the right.

The heart rates are pretty similar, however, I ran it much faster in 2014. Can I get back to running the 800m's in the 3:25 range versus 3:35-3:45?



Thursday: 3 miles (9:42).  I wasn't feeling good today and when I got out to run, it felt tougher than it should for the pace I was going and I kept slowing, so I called it a day after 3 miles.
Friday: 6 miles (8:43).  Moderate paced run.  Didn't want to overdo it with the long run planned for Saturday.
Saturday: 7 miles (9:26).  Woke up to snow and went back to bed, so just did an easy run today and will run long on Sunday.
Sunday: 14 miles (9:01).  The plan was for 20 miles, but I was pretty tired and thirsty after 14 miles and didn't have the motivation to go on.  I did, however, run the 14 miles without stopping.  That is a training run record.  I've never run more than 10 miles non-stop on a training run before and I doubt I have ever run more than 6 miles without stopping on a long run.

Total Miles: 54.5 miles.  Not a good total.  Wasn't feeling good on Thursday and lost some miles and didn't finish the long run on Sunday.  But this was my first week ever that I never stopped once on any run.  This is my new mantra to try to not have any stops, except some very short stops on long runs to refill the water bottle.  If I can keep this up for the next 5 weeks, I should feel pretty good getting on the plane to London on April 14th for the London Marathon on April 23rd.

Monday, March 6, 2017

February 27 - March 5 Training

Monday: 4 miles (8:57), 6 miles (8:37).  Needed to stay near the house, so ran the first run on the treadmill.  But really wanted to get outside, so I ran the neighborhood, staying close to home on the second run.  That's the fastest I've run the neighborhood, which is pretty hilly.  Sticking with my new strategy of running harder on the "easy" runs.  If you want to be the course record holder for a Strava segment, create a segment that no one else has run.

Stay away Scott, Max, Darron, Kevin, Rodney, Leigh!  Just keep running down Anderson Road.



Tuesday: 9 miles (8:45).  Another neighborhood run and a new course record on Fountain Brooke Drive.
Wednesday: 3 miles (8:57), 3 miles (9:13).  Two easy treadmill runs.
Thursday: 6 miles (9:22).  Trending slower on the easy miles leading up to the Tom King race on Saturday morning.  Crazy busy week needing to stay close to home, so using the treadmill.
Friday: 4 miles (9:31).  Easy treadmill taper run for Tom King.
Saturday: 1 mile (9:19), 13.19 miles (8:04).  1:46:26 time at the Tom King Half Marathon, which was good for 6th place age group out of 26. I ran it at a pretty good effort, even though it is a long way from a PR.  But the heart rate was just a couple beats below my 1:38 PR, so the effort was there, I just don't have the same conditioning.  It had been a while since I ran this distance without stopping.  A lot of my past races, I've stopped at the water stops and had a short break.  That happens in training runs also.  What I think I need to do is start stopping less on training runs, so the body doesn't use them as a crutch to rest up to continue the run.  If I'm running the distance where water is needed, I might need to start carrying some water and drink it and keep running.  I think I really need to train like this in order to have the mental toughness when it comes race day.  I have 50 days until the London Marathon.  I think a good, solid 6 weeks of training could be a big benefit to London.  I can't give up on the BQ yet.
Sunday: 4 miles (8:42), 4 miles (8:57).  Outdoor run in the afternoon followed by an easy treadmill run while watching the Minnesota Gophers basketball game.

Total Miles: 57.1 miles.  Not the volume I wanted for this week, but I had a pretty busy week and did the best I could.  I also was tapering to give Tom King a good effort on Saturday.   Hopefully close to 70 miles next week.

Sunday, February 26, 2017

February 20 - February 26 Training

Monday: 5.5 miles (9:19), 2.5 miles (9:52).  I started with the regular Brixx route at 5 PM and then ran 2.5 miles at the normal Brixx meeting time.  My right leg was sore when I woke up today and I was pretty tired after the first 5.5 miles.
Tuesday: 8 miles (9:05).  Even paced miles with 20 second pickups on each mile.  70 degrees out and just beat the rain.
Wednesday: 1 mile (9:56), 1 mile (8:53).  The warm weather has brought out early allergies.  My eyes were so sore, itchy, and puffy, I just wanted to stay in bed.  I was going to do a long workout, but after 1 mile down Lower Station Camp road, I just walked it back to the car.  Can't blame it all on the allergies, some days it is a struggle to want to go out there and train every day.  Probably reaching a burn out stage after nearly 4 years of training without a break.
Thursday: 7 miles (8:55).  Today, I did part of the workout I was supposed to do yesterday.  After a 2 mile warmup, I ran the Station Camp Loop Jr. around 8:40 pace with a strong finish.  Eyes were better today, but the spring weather coming so early is going to mean a long allergy season.
Friday: 6.22 miles (8:42). Gave it a decent effort when it was 77 degrees out and very windy.  Ran too fast and paid for it tomorrow morning.
Saturday: 2 miles (9:35), 6 miles (8:27), 2 miles (9:39), 6 miles (8:13), 1 mile (8:51).  My heart rate shot straight to the 140's on the warmup and I was only going 9:35.  That was not a good sign.  I ran too fast yesterday and it was in the afternoon, only 15-16 hours for today's run.  After the warmup, the Garmin said I needed 34 hours to recover from the 2 mile run.  So I had to lower expectations on the Wietecha group tempo run.  I ran the first 3 miles at 8:40, 8:35, 8:29 before turning back.  If I was out there alone, I probably would have taken a rest.  But Alison Kanaby was right behind me, so I kept moving.  The 3 miles home were 8:18, 8:19, and 8:18 into the wind.  With an average HR of 155 and finishing with the HR at 167, this was a solid effort even if the pace wasn't there.  I probably would have skipped the cooldown, but Alison wanted a cooldown.  I need to run with people more, because it motivates you. Too easy to quit when you are out there alone.

We back out for a second 6 miler at Moss Wright Park in the afternoon.  My intent was just to put in a decent effort in the 8:30-8:40 range.  But I started feeling a little faster on miles 3 and 4 and when mile 5 started, I felt that sub 8 speed and finished miles 5 and 6 with 7:44 and 7:36.  About 75 seconds faster on the second 6 miler compared to the morning run.

Sunday: 6 miles (8:28), 6 miles (8:36).  First run at Moss Wright Park on Sunday morning.  I continued to press the easy paced runs to get the brain used to putting in a solid effort.  Went back to MWP in the afternoon for another 6 mile moderate effort run. I could feel myself tiring on this one, but I got the PR going up the big hill at 1:39.  However, it's 2 seconds behind Leigh and Rodney, so look for another try next Sunday.

Total Miles: 60.2 miles.  A good recovery after being about ready to quit Wednesday and basically having a rest day with only 2 miles.  But 6 moderate tempo runs the last 4 days has got my motivation back and I am starting to remember that running fast in a race isn't supposed to feel good, it is supposed to hurt. I have definitely run too many races for "fun" this past year and have to get back to sustaining the pain for the entire race.  Tom King this next Saturday will be a good test to see if I am getting that hunger and discipline back.

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Training February 13 - February 19

Monday: 8 miles (8:39), 3 miles (8:53).  Came down with cold symptoms late yesterday afternoon and was on Dayquil all day.  Legs were pretty tired at Brixx for the second run, only about 1 hour between runs.
Tuesday: 3 miles (9:38).  Long day on Dayquil with a cold, so just ran 3 very easy miles in the rain.
Wednesday: 3 miles (8:59), 4.2 miles (8:06), 3 miles (8:53).  I felt pretty good on the 3 mile warmup at Drakes Creek Park and then ran 1-2-3-2-1-2-3-2-1 intervals with equal recovery.  Goal was sub 7:30 on the 1 minute intervals and sub 8:00 on the 3 minute ones with recovery at sub 9:00. Averaged 7:32 on the fast intervals. Cold is much better, so I am on the road to recovery .. I hope.
Thursday: 9 miles (8:52).  Ran the Station Camp Loop and then added some more miles on Lower Station Camp.  Garmin gave me my highest VO2 max of the year at 49 after giving me an initial rating of 44 when I started wearing the heart rate monitor in January.  So my fitness is improving.
Friday: 8 miles (8:53). Easy miles at Drakes Creek Park.
Saturday: 2.31 miles (9:37), 4.53 miles (8:35), 1 mile (9:59).  The day started with a Group prayer and run for Charlie Taylor who had been battling cancer the last few years. Later in the morning Charlie passed away and the running community lost a great friend and a true inspiration.  Just look at how large of a group showed up for Charlie.



On Saturday afternoon, I then went to do some Bison Way hill repeats.  Two up and two down.  My goal was to hit the PR in both directions on the Strava Segment.  On the first uphill, I beat my old PR by 3 seconds and it felt pretty good.  I was pretty tired on the second uphill segment.  Then on the two downhill repeats, I PR'd on both of them.  The first one was at 1:42 and the second one at 1:40, both beating my old PR of 1:44.  The segment is .3 miles.  I also got a 400m PR on the downhill with a time of 1:24.

Sunday: 20 miles (9:24).  Easy paced long run at Shelby Bottoms and also to Nissan Stadium. Started way too late at 10:42 AM.  It was 59 at the start, but once that sun came out it warmed to 68 by the time I was done.  My first outdoor 20 mile run that wasn't a marathon since May 22nd last year.  The others since then all involved the treadmill.  I was going to run 21, but my right knee started bothering me after 19.8 miles.  So I knew better than to force that.  Still not 100% over my cold, but much better today.

Total Miles: 69 miles.  I did well to get 69 miles in this week considering I was sick most of the week and was never 100% healthy.

Sunday, February 12, 2017

February 6 - February 12 Training

Monday: 5.5 miles (9:43), 2.5 miles (10:03).  I could feel some soreness from Saturday's race.  Body just felt slow and sluggish today.  Easy runs at Brixx.
Tuesday: 2.2 miles (9:09), 3.5 miles (7:25), 1.3 miles (10:16).  Warmup at DCP.  Went to the HHS track for the intervals, however, a group of 40 as on the track. So back to DCP.  12x400m with 1:00 rest after the first 3 in each group of 4 and then a 3:00 jog after every 4th.  The first 3 of each 4 targeting sub 1:50 and target sub 1:40 on each 4th.  The 12 intervals averaged 1:41, so I was pretty happy with the results.
Wednesday: 9 miles (9:03). Ran the Boomer Route.  I don't run this route very often, but I should. It's just a great workout with rolling hills that it can only make you stronger.
Thursday:
Friday: 3 miles (9:13), 2.5 miles (9:46).
Saturday: 0.6 miles (9:00), 9.34 miles (8:54).  It was a long walk up hills to the start of the Hot Chocolate 15K, so I ran a very short warmup.  I started out on the first 1/2 mile feeling pretty good, GPS was showing 7:45 but then it continued to climb and the first mile was 8:15.  Then the hills on mile 2 wiped me out and I seem to put my body in preservation mode rather than fighting on.  At the 10K mark, I attempted to do a fast 5K finish and was doing well on that first mile, but it slide to 8:15 and then I faded the rest of the way.  I seem to have lost the drive to run continuously at a fast pace.  I do well in workouts when there are intervals, but when I have to sustain the effort for a long time my mind doesn't allow it.  When I hit all my PR's in 2014, I had a pace in mind and I went to that pace and sustained it no matter how it felt.  I wish I could get that drive back.  Until I do, I will continue to race poorly.
Sunday: 1 mile (9:42), 5 miles (7:47), 1.5 miles (9:48).  After really feeling down about my inability to run hard on races, I am determined to try to reverse that trend.  I need to get back to remembering what it felt like to run hard with an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time.  So after a warmup around SCHS, I ran hard on Lower Station Camp Road.  Took a break when I reached the end after 1.75 miles, then ran back 1.75 miles, and then ran another 1.5 back down before doing a cooldown on the way back.  It felt good and heart rate was mainly in the 160's during the fast running with a max HR of 166.  Yesterday's race had a max HR of 161, which obviously wasn't a quality race effort.

Total Miles: 58 miles.  A lower volume week, but should start building up next week.  Hopefully this next week I can keep running hard when I need to and not wimp out.