September 19 - September 25 Training

Monday: 6 miles (9:00), 3 miles (9:07).
Tuesday: 2 miles (9:22), 4 miles (8:22), 1 mile (9:36).  The goal was to be sub 8:15 on the 4 mile tempo run, but my current conditioning had trouble getting to that pace in the mid 80's temperatures.
Wednesday: 5 miles (9:32).  Struggling in the warm temperatures.
Thursday: 6 miles (9:14).  Ran indoors on the treadmill and it felt great.  I just need the cooler weather for outside.
Friday: 8 miles (9:04).  Another treadmill run to escape the unseasonably warm temperatures.
Saturday: 3 miles (9:22).  Flew to Charlotte today for a one night stay to go to the Minnesota Vikings game on Sunday against the Charlotte Panthers.  Had all I could do to sneak 3 miles in to keep the run streak alive.
Sunday: 3 miles (9:22).  I wanted to work in a long run, but sometimes you just have to enjoy your weekend and I just managed a quick 3 on the treadmill before getting ready to go to Bank of America stadium in Charlotte.  We did make it on TV:



Total Miles: 41 miles.  Not the mileage you should be running with only 6 weeks to the New York City Marathon.  With the cooler weather coming this week, it is time to deliver on some good miles.

September 12 - September 18 Training

Monday: 6 miles (9:06).  Felt a little soreness from yesterday's 10 mile progression.
Tuesday: 9 miles (9:01).  Included 8x20s pickups.
Wednesday: 2 miles (9:22), 3.5 miles (8:36), 2 miles (9:25).  2 Mile Warmup, 6 x (3:00@sub 8:00 + 2:00 easy), 2 Mile Cooldown.  The intervals were ran around a 7:50 face and felt nice and smooth.  Another 90 degree day, even running at 5 PM it's 86-88 outside.  Come on fall weather.
Thursday: 9 miles (9:19).  Very easy miles.  88 at the start.
Friday: 3 miles (9:15).
Saturday: 1 mile (10:22), 13.1 miles (9:30).  1 mile warmup before running the first Hendersonville Half Marathon.  I really wasn't looking forward to running this.  It was going to be warm and it is a tough hilly course.  I ran most of the way with Jason Rowell and when we hit the hills on the backside of the Boomer, getting under 2:00 was no longer possible so we walked up the hills and was able to enjoy the last miles.  Stopped at Fountain Brooke for a bit where my wife was at with my Golden Retriever.  It was nice having a race go right by our neighborhood.
Sunday: 4 miles.  Just going to do an easy 4 miles later today on Lower Station Camp.

Total Miles: 52.6 miles.  With 7 weeks to go to the New York City Marathon, I have come to the conclusion that it is going to be difficult to race for a good time.  I've battled a cold and motivational issues the past month while the long, lingering warm weather continues for another week.  Yes, another week of 90's next week when the average high should be 80-82.  But I think once it cools down I will get that motivation back and start running faster.  Today marks 1 year since my last appointment to see Dr. Jason Hulme.  So that is 1 year of mostly healthy legs, which has extended the running streak to 612 days today.

September 5 - September 11 Training

Monday: 2 miles (9:58), 10K (8:43), 1 mile (9:43), 5K (8:44), 4 miles (8:47), 3 miles (9:26).  Now that is a lot of running for a Monday.  Ran the Franklin Classic 10K and 5K.   The goal was to run marathon pace in the 10K, but with it being warm, I had all I could do to run in the 8:40's.  I was hoping to race the 5K, but didn't have much strength for that either.  In the afternoon I ran off some frustration on Lower Station Camp with a 4 miler before finishing up with a few miles on the Monday Night Brixx run.  19.3 miles to start the week!
Tuesday: 4 miles (9:09).  Still 86+ degrees at 6 PM, when will it cool down?  Ran the Station Camp Loop.  This is becoming my new favorite root and the climb up Big Station Camp feels good.  Day #600 of the Run Streak.
Wednesday: 9 miles (9:06).  88 degrees at 5:30 PM, when will it cool down?  Ran two Station Camp Loops.  Felt a little tired on the second one.  I seriously thought about taking a rest day and ending the streak at 600 days, but time to go towards the next milestone.
Thursday: 2.5 miles (9:37).  Motivation hitting an all-time low.
Friday: 3 miles (9:44).  Still feeling very sluggish and not wanting to run, but fighting to keep the run streak alive.
Saturday: 2.5 miles (10:01).  Woke up with sore throat and congestion.
Sunday: 10 miles (8:57).  Finally managed some mileage after a few very sluggish, non-motivational days.  I had stayed downtown Nashville on Saturday night to go to the Vikings-Titans on Sunday so I ran Shelby Bottoms just before 7 AM.  Walked a mile over the pedestrian bridge from downtown before starting.  I started out still feeling sluggish with a 9:39 first mile, but then decided to just try to go a little faster and it started turning into a progression and by mile six I was at 8:31.  Then I felt myself getting slower on mile 7 and fell all the way to 9:38 on mile 8.  At that point I was content to just run two more slow miles, but decided to run faster to just see if it was a mental thing making me want to slow down.  I finished with miles of 8:50 and 8:23, showing that although I was feeling slow and sluggish, it wasn't that difficult to speed up.  You have to overpower the part of the brain that says go slow.

Total Miles: 50.4 miles.  Although I had only 12 miles on 4 days, I still managed to get over 50 miles.  It's time to step up the mental focus and get the miles in that the training plan calls for.  I just need to hang on until the fall weather gets here.  These 90 degree days are taking a toll on me, but I'm still not a morning runner.

August 29 - September 4 Training

Monday: 3 miles (9:17), 2 miles (9:34).  Legs tired from yesterday's half marathon.
Tuesday: 3 miles (9:13).  My cold returned this morning and I feel absolutely miserable.  Back on the cold medicine.
Wednesday: 3 miles (9:21).  Cold lingering on.
Thursday: 8 miles (9:10).  Finally feeling a little better.   Ran two Station Camp Loops.
Friday: 13.1 miles (9:06).  Trying to make up miles from being out side, so ran 3 Station Camp Loops to make it a half marathon.
Saturday: 9 miles (9:11).  Still taking cold medicine, but feeling better.
Sunday: 3 miles (9:22).  Waited too long to run and it started warming up.  Just taking it easy with two races in the morning at the Franklin Classic.

Total Miles: 44.1 miles.  Not much volume for being 9 weeks from the New York City Marathon.  The cold has taken its toll the past two weeks.  Hopefully it will be behind me and I can get back into a good rhythm.  But I need some colder weather to get some motivation back as it has been a long, hot summer!