Bart's Running

Another F***ing Injury

2007-05-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I suffered another mild injury this week. On Thursday, I pulled a groin muscle playing softball. All year, it's been one setback after another. I guess it's good that I haven't had any serious injuries, but it's so frustrating that I can't seem to get any consistent training. This is how my week played out:

Sunday: 10 miles
Monday: 5 miles
Tuesday: Scheduled off day
Wednesday: 15.5 miles
Thursday: 0, injured during softball game at lunch.
Friday: 0, injured
Saturday: 0, injured
TOTAL: 35.5 miles.

I did go out for an easy 5 miles on Sunday. I finished the run okay, but my groin was pretty tender. I'm going to wait and see how I feel tomorrow before I decide if I'll run or take a few more off days.

Weekly Updates

2007-05-20T22:04:00.000-07:00

May 6-12
Sunday – 14 miles
Monday – 0 miles
Tuesday – 12 miles
Wednesday – 10 miles
Thursday – 15 miles
Friday – 10 miles
Saturday – 5 miles
TOTAL – 66 MILES

May 13-19
Sunday – 0 miles
Monday – 10 miles
Tuesday – 10miles
Wednesday – 5.2 miles (lunch) & 7.2 miles after work
Thursday – 10 miles
Friday – 7.5 miles
Saturday – 10miles
TOTAL – 60 MILES

I forgot to post the miles last week. This will catch me up on the off chance that anybody ever reads this.

I had to drop out of the Rock and Roll Marathon, although since I never actually registered, that’s really not the most accurate way to phrase it. I have some family issues that I need to deal with at the end of May/early June, and I just cannot commit to traveling that weekend. I knew this was coming, I just didn’t know when, which is why I had waited so long to register. It’s not that big of a deal, since I really wasn’t anywhere close to marathon pace.

As of now it looks like the focus will be on a spring marathon (Napa again?). I’ll use the summer to build a proper base and then begin a proper training cycle in the fall. That’s what I did for Napa 2006, and I ran well (3:06:39 if I remember correctly) on a wet, windy day. With another good training cycle and cooperation from the weather on race day a sub-3:00 is definitely possible.

Weekly Update

2007-05-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

Sunday – 8 miles, was supposed to be 20, but I just didn’t have any energy
Monday – 20 miles, including last five at marathon pace (7:00 min/miles) – Good run
Tuesday – Rest Day
Wednesday – 10 miles, including four half mile repeats at 6:00 pace (tempo run was scheduled, but 20+ mph winds put an end to that)
Thursday – 8 recovery miles
Friday – 15 easy miles – Another good run
Saturday – 10 easy miles
TOTAL: 71 miles

Today was supposed to be 17 miles, including 14 at marathon pace. However, since I’m not happy with the base I started this training cycle with and considering that I haven’t gone over 10 miles at marathon pace, I was shooting for 12 miles at pace, and then would see how I felt. The weather was hot for this area (over 80 degrees), but I still went ahead with the schedule. The first seven miles went okay. The wind was light today and was only a factor in a few spots – where buildings would create sort of a wind tunnel. Anyway after the first seven miles at pace (nine miles into the run), I started to struggle a bit. I logged a couple of miles over 7:00 minutes, but was still under pace because of a cushion I had built up in the first few miles. At this point, I hit the turning point of the out and back and got what wind there was at my back and managed to stay on pace for 10 and a half miles (12 miles total), but I was done. I had only stopped once for water and that was at the 5 mile mark. Seven hot miles later, I stopped for more water and ended my miles at MP. I ran slowly for another half mile or so to the next water fountain, got another drink, and decided to call it a day. I finished with 14 miles, including 10.5 at MP (pace was based on a 3:00 marathon).

I have four weeks until the Rock and Roll Marathon, and quite honestly I’m not near ready to run to my potential. While my heart wants to go for sub-3 and see what happens, my head knows that I’m not ready. My PR pace is 7:07. My plan at this point is to go out at 7:00 pace and hope I can go the distance and land a PR.

Weekly Totals and Thoughts About Race Pace and Goals for Rock ‘n Roll

2007-04-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

WEEKLY
Sunday – 17 miles, including 10 at marathon goal pace
Monday – 0 miles, off day
Tuesday – 8 easy miles (moved furniture at work today)
Wednesday – 0 miles due to back pain as a result of furniture move
Thursday – 0 miles due to back pain as a result of furniture move
Friday – 10 easy miles
Saturday – 10 easy miles
TOTAL: 45 Miles on 4 runs.

I had another minor setback this week causing me to miss two runs and reduce mileage on Friday. The good news is that I am now running with no back pain, although I do feel an occasional tightness every once in awhile when I’m not running. I definitely couldn’t have run on Wednesday. (I could barely stand up.) On Thursday I probably could have run, but I didn’t want to get into that familiar pattern, where I take a day off for a minor injury, run the next day, and end up more injured than I was, so I took a second day just to be cautious.

I’m still running my paces as if I’ll be attempting to break three hours at the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon, although I doubt if that is a realistic goal. At this point, I haven’t run more than ten miles at race pace, and I only have two weeks left until I begin my taper. I will probably get up to 14 miles at race pace by then. The bigger problem is that race pace just doesn’t feel as easy as it should at this point of the training. I haven’t been successful at getting in enough repeats or tempo runs that take the pace faster than race pace. This has been partly caused by missing key workouts due to minor injuries. I’ve been able to get in the miles but have often not been able to push the pace. I think a larger issue is that I didn’t build a big enough base for the training miles I had hoped to log in March, April and the first half of May. As I result I’m laboring on runs that should be easy at this point.

I still plan on running the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon. I have a sports grant from the Coast Guard, so they’ll reimburse me for half of my expenses (travel, food, and registration). If nothing else, it will be a good opportunity to visit family and to gain some race experience. If I feel good, I’ll probably make an attempt to stay with the three hour pacer and hope that I at least run a PR. However, in my head I’m already looking forward to a summer of base building and a serious run at sub-three at Napa in March 2008.

A Good Week in the Books

2007-04-22T22:25:00.001-07:00

Sunday – 20 miles
Monday – 0 miles
Tuesday – 10 miles, including two miles at 6:30 pace
Wednesday – 7.5 miles at recovery pace
Thursday – 15 miles, including 10 at goal MP
Friday – 8 miles at recovery pace
Saturday – 7.5 easy miles
WEEKLY TOTAL: 68 Miles

Overall a good week. I hit all of my mileage totals. The only bump in the schedule was on Tuesday when I didn’t hit my goal pace. I was schedule for ten miles, including five miles at 6:30 pace. The problem is that the wind was blowing at 30 mph, with gusts up to 39 mph. Obviously the smart thing would have been to either run by effort or just log the miles without worrying about the faster miles. Instead, I ran on the street behind the golf course, trying to hide from the wind. While the wind wasn’t as bad there, it was still blowing pretty good; and even though it was mostly from the side, it did make the pace tougher. Anyway, I managed two miles at 6:30 pace, but after that I had to stop running. For a minute I thought I was going to hurl. Instead I just suffered through a coughing fit and then finished the run without worrying about pace or effort. Thursday’s 15 miles, with 10 at goal pace were encouraging. This time Mother Nature cooperated with what was probably the least windy day of the week, although it was still blowing fairly good along the bay. As an example of how hard the wind has been blowing lately, during Saturday’s run, I saw a small waterspout on the bay. It was only about 8-10 feet high and wasn’t dangerous; but it was blowing straight towards me, and when it hit the seawall, it gave me a pretty good misting.

I started this week off well, with a 17 mile run that including 10 miles at goal pace. The wind was tougher today. I really need to learn to run more by effort and not worry so much about hitting the right pace all the time. A major part of these MP runs is to get the body used to what race pace should feel like. If I’m running harder than normal because of the wind and then running too fast when the wind is at my back, I’m defeating the purpose. Let’s face it; if the wind is blowing as hard on race day as it has been blowing here lately, I’m not going to be anywhere near my goal race pace when I cross the finish line.

Weekly Updates Continued

2007-04-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

Even though I had an easy week last week (due to injury), I decided to stick with my schedule and take my scheduled cutback week. There were two reasons for this decision. The first was I figured an easy week would help ensure the hammie was okay; and because of the timing, this wass the best chance for a cutback week before I taper in four weeks. Here's my week:

Sunday - 11.5 miles.
Monday - 1.5 miles in 8:49. Was supposed to be rest day, but I had to take a fitness test for work. Extremely pleased with time and with how well my hammie felt.
Tuesday - 8 miles at 7:20 pace
Wednesday - 6 miles
Thursday - 10 miles
Friday - 8 miles
Saturday - 5.5 miles
TOTAL: 50.5 Miles

The next four weeks are going to be tough with higher mileage and harder runs scheduled. The way the wind has been around here lately, I'm sure many of these runs will be more by effort than the scheduled pace. I guess the good news is that at least half the time, the wind will be at my back.

Weekly Recap

2007-04-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

Keeping up my recent tradition of once a week posting, here's my weekly recap for April 1-7.

Sunday - 0, errands and family commitments kept me home until relatively late, so I didn't get a chance to run.
Monday - 20 after work, making up for Sundays zero on what was scheduled as an off day.
Tuesday - 6 easy miles, all day the back of my knee was really sore; although it didn't feel bad while I was running.
Wednesday - o, area just above back of knee is hurting, fortunately it seems to be muscular and not a joint injury.
Thursday - 0, resting what is clearly a hamstring injury.
Friday - 0, hamstring is feeling better with only minor aches
Saturday - 4, ran short and easy to test the hamstring. Everything feels fine.
TOTAL: 30 miles on three runs. Not a bad average, but not too impressive.

Overall this week sucked. I got off to a bad start by not running on Sunday and then missed three other days. The good news is that I ran 11.5 miles on Sunday and the hamstring seems healed. I'll run easy the first few days of this week just be sure, but should be back at full speed by mid-week.

Weekly/Monthly Totals

2007-03-31T22:29:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been three weeks since I've entered anything here. During that time, I took a short trip down to Southern California and spent a week in Topeka, Kansas. It is difficult to maintain any type of consistent training while traveling. It's just too hard to maintain a consistent schedule. Two weeks in a row, I only ran four days, totalling 46 the week of March 11-17 and 36 miles the week of March 18-24. This past week, I started my shortened training schedule for the Rock 'n Roll Marathon, which is the first week of June. Here's how the training went:

Sunday - 15 miles, including 5 at marathon pace
Monday - rest day
Tuesday - 10 miles, including three at 6:30 pace
Wednesday - 7 recovery miles
Thursday - 15 miles, including 6 at marathon pace
Friday - 8 recovery miles
Saturday - 6 easy miles
TOTAL: 61 miles

Overall the week went well. I did run the MP miles too fast on Sunday, and my legs were sore Monday and Tuesday. I considered running only the miles and skipping the faster paces on Tuesday, but after warming up, I decided I could do it.

My March ended up as follows:

Total Miles: 250
Running Days: 24
Doubles: 1
Off Days: 7

Overall the numbers aren't bad. It's worse though knowing that up until March 15, I had only taken one off day and had run 153 miles. The last half of March isn't much to talk about.

My plan was to take a shot at sub-3:00 at Rock 'n Roll, but I don't really know if that's possible. My PR (set at 2006 Napa Valley Marathon) is 3:06:xx, and I had a better base and a longer training schedule for that race. At this point, I'm heavier and haven't put in the base miles that I ran last year. I'll continue to train for sub-3:00, but there's a good possibility that I'll have to come up with a more realistic game plan when June rolls around.

I'm not really upset that sub-3:00 may not be within reach at this time. In fact, I'm really looking forward to taking a shot at it at Napa in 2008. I'll have RnR recovery in June and then July, August, September, and I think part of October for base building before going back to Pfitzinger's 18/70 plan.

Weekly Update - Running Well

2007-03-11T21:05:00.001-07:00

Sunday – 17.3
Monday – 8.7
Tuesday – 12.5
Wednesday – 5.5 at lunch and 7.5 after work
Thursday – 10
Friday – 11
Saturday – 7.5
TOTAL – 80 Miles

I’ve been working to get to 80 miles for a while; it was good to finally get there. It seems like a big jump from 60 to 80, but I had up to 75 miles over a seven-day period not long ago, so the increase was fairly modest. All running these days is at a fairly easy pace. I’ve been good at running my recovery runs slow enough to actually serve their purpose. For this past week, I basically ran between 7:50-7:55 on easy days and between 8:15-8:30 on recovery days, depending on how I felt and how windy it was.

I started this week off with a 20-mile run at 7:59 pace. Including today’s run, I’m at 100 miles over the past 8 days. I don’t tract 8-day mileage totals, but I would bet that’s a new high for me.

Weekly Recap

2007-03-04T20:52:00.000-08:00

Here's how my week shook out:

Sunday - 15.5 miles at easy pace.
Monday - Off Day
Tuesday - 5.5 miles on dark, rainy night
Wednesday - 5.5 at lunch and 7.5 after work
Thursday - 11.5 after work
Friday - 10 after work
Saturday - 5.5
TOTAL: 61 miles

All runs were at an easy pace. I'm still concentrating more on mileage than pace.

I ran 17.3 mostly easy miles today. I ran 2 x 1 mile at marathon pace just to remind myself of how the pace should feel. I'm shooting for 80 miles this week. Then I'll try to get into the 60s the following two weeks. However, I'm traveling some during both these weeks, so the mileage may suffer a bit. The faster running begins the week of 25 March.

Monthly Recap

2007-02-28T21:31:00.000-08:00

Here's what I did in February:

208.6 miles
22 Running Days
26 Total Runs
6 Non-Running Days
No Races or anything exciting

After three non-running days by February 9, I was fairly consistent the rest of the month, taking only one rest day a week. I have some modest mileage goals for March, but the number one thing I need to do is be more consistent. If I get out for a run at least six days a week, the rest will fall into place.

As far as this week goes, I've run 34 miles so far. With three miles to go, I should be able to get into the 60s.

Weekly Recap

2007-02-27T01:13:00.000-08:00

Sunday - 0 (slacker)
Monday - 15
Tuesday - 6.2 (cut short due to bathroom needs)
Wednesday - 5.3 at lunch and 7.5 after work
Thursday - 10
Friday - 10
Saturday - 6.3
TOTAL: 60.3

For what it's worth, if you count yesterday's 15.5 miles, I totaled over 75 for the preceding seven days. I'm off to a good start this week and should get between 65 and 70 miles for the week. The last seven days I've run a lot of miles compared to what I had been running lately, but my legs still feel pretty good.

I think the key is that I've run without a watch a couple of times and tried not to worry about what pace I'm running. I need to do this more often. Whenever I run with a watch, I always end up racing to stay ahead of 8:00/mile pace, even when the purpose of the run is just to run easy or if I'm on a recovery run.

With the purpose these days to just log miles and with nothing scheduled other than a rough guideline for weekly mileage, there's not much to Blog about. As you can see although I took last Sunday off, I've been pretty consistent. I had hoped to run all seven days this week, but I ended up taking today (Monday) off. My wife was sick, and I started getting a sore throat. I'm hoping that by resting today, I'll prove the ounce of prevention theory.

The only real goal I have now is at least one 80-mile week by March 17. The week of 18 March, I'll be in Topeka. With a travel day there and back, I'll use that week to cutback and will start Rock 'n Roll Marathon training on March 26 (my 42nd birthday).

Another Crappy Week

2007-02-19T22:13:00.000-08:00

I had another week below 60 miles(if memory serves my total was 56.) I'm not sure what the problem is, but I just can't seem to get motivated to build my mileage any higher. I'm not exactly lighting things up this week, either. I took a zero on Sunday. I didn't sleep well Saturday night and just didn't feel like running all day. I made up a little ground by running 15 miles today. After basically resting all day on Sunday, I felt great today. I averaged 7:42/mile today and felt like I easily could have run a few more miles. If it weren't for an errand the family was running this afternoon, I probably would have jumped up to 18 miles today. Even with a zero on Sunday, I'm going to shoot for 60 this week and then jump up to 70 the week after. I need to start building. I want to get in at least a couple of 80 mile weeks before I begin an organized race buildup in March.

On another note, we went up to the exchange at Travis AFB today, and I bought a bike. The plan is for me to use it for my daily commute. It's only five miles each way, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Finally, A Longer Run

2007-02-14T08:19:00.000-08:00

After a rest day on Friday and an easy run on Saturday, I guess my body was ready to run. On Sunday I finally got in a 15-miler. The pace naturally fell to around 7:40 mile, and I went with it. The only downside was that I lost the anti-chafing tape off my left nipple. I tried to fix it by tearing the tape from the right side in half so that both would be covered. The result was that I ended up with two bloody nipples. I'm typing this on Tuesday evening, and they're still tender.

On Monday I ran five easy miles in a steady rain. The temps were only in the mid-50s, but with a long-sleeve shirt and shorts, I was comfortable. The only thing that was cold was my hands. I donated blood today, so I took an off day. I should be able to get in ten miles on Wednesday and Thursday, including a double on one day and a ten miler the other. I'm not sure what I'll do on Friday and Saturday, but I hope to log at least 60 miles for the week.

Back From Topeka

2007-02-10T11:03:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a wonderful four-day work trip to Topeka, Kansas. Okay, wonderful may be overstating things a bit, but I had a good time. The Coast Guard's Personnel Service Center is located there, and I was stationed there from 1990-92. I got to see a few old friends who retired and stayed there, transferred and came back, or are civilians who simply never left the place. I was able to run a couple of times while I was there. On Tuesday, the temps jumped up to almost 60 degrees. By the time I got out for a run, it was still in the mid-50s. On Wednesday the high temps were back down to the 20s. I was going to run, but I just don't own the right gear for that kind of cold. I could have kept my body warm, but my hands, face, and feet would have been freezing (maybe literally!). I ended up running ten miles in Gage Park on Tuesday, and I ran 5 miles on the treadmill before work Thursday morning. This was the first time I've run on a treadmill in over a year and a half. I remember the treadmill being easier than running on the roads, but it sure seemed tougher on Thursday.

Here are some pictures of my trip:

This is a lake in Gage Park.

An ice skater on a smaller lake in Gage Park

A pool with water slides that weren't there when I lived in Topeka

This is the house my wife and I lived in during our time in Topeka.

It became our daughter's first house

Catching Up and Weekly Totals

2007-02-03T22:37:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've posted anything, but there's really not much happening, which is good. Over the week 28 Jan - 3 Feb, I ran my second consecutive 60-mile week. I started the week off with a crappy run that lasted less than 1.5 miles. It was the same old GI issues. (Caution: too much info coming). I went to the bathroom 3 times in the 30 minutes before running. Still the call of nature reduced me to a walk after running only 1.35 miles. I walked down a side street to the closest port-o-let only to find that it had been moved. From this point, I was relatively close to home, so I walked home and called it a day.

Since that day, however, I've run well. Here's how my week ended up:

Sunday: 1.35 miles
Monday: 5.4 miles at lunch; 5 miles after work
Tuesday: 5.4 miles at lunch
Wednesday: 5.5 miles at lunch; 10 miles after work, including 5 at goal MP pace (6:50/mile)
Thursday: 10 miles at recovery effort
Friday: 7.75 miles (cut short 10-miler due to bathroom needs)
Saturday: 5.7 miles in a.m.; 5.3 miles in p.m.

I’m traveling to Topeka, Kansas, this week. I leave on the Monday and return Thursday night. I won’t be able to run either of these two days because I’m basically working and/or traveling all day, but I’ll bring running clothes and hope to get in a few miles on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Monthly Recap

2007-02-03T22:21:00.000-08:00

January Totals

Miles: 225.75
Total Runs: 30
Days Run: 26
Rest Days: 5
Doubles: 4
Average Pace: 7.52
Races: None (probably won't run any until March)

Despite a slow start (4 off days by the 9th) January was a good month for me. My mileage is climbing after knee pain kept me from running from mid-November almost until the end of December. I’ve entered February feeling healthy and motivated to run.

So Far, So Good; Better Form

2007-01-25T20:31:00.000-08:00

Things are going well this week. With two days remaining, I’ve run 46 miles, and my legs feel strong. Hitting my goal of 60 miles shouldn’t be a problem. I’ve taken advantage of our exercise policy at work and have run at lunch twice this week. I've also run ten miles twice this week. I am a bit concerned about increasing the mileage beyond 60. I'd like to build up to 80 in a couple of weeks, but I hate running at night, so it will be a challenge to drag myself out each evening. Daylight Savings Time cannot come soon enough for me.

I ran a double today. In the morning I ran five easy miles. The harder workout came this afternoon when I ran 10 miles, including four miles at goal marathon pace (6:50/mile). Like last week, I ran a bit faster than I was shooting for, but this was partly caused by the wind. I ran the first mile into a steady, but not particularly hard wind in 6:53. Just before the first mile I turned so that the wind was coming from the side and somewhat at my back. I picked up the pace a little bit and used the wind to log a 6:42 second mile. The third mile was run along the bay, and the wind was a bit stronger here. To my advantage it was at my back at this point. I reached the turnaround with a quarter mile to go in mile three. The last mile and a quarter were run into the wind, so I increased the effort to maintain pace. I finished mile three at 6:40 and ran mile four in 6:45.

The best thing about this run is that I think I figured out where I was having trouble with my form. I had been concentrating on running tall, keeping my hips forward, and thrusting forward as I pushed off with each step. The problem was that I was running too tall. It made it difficult to keep my hips forward, and when I pushed off, I was pushing up instead of forward. During the run today, I found myself concentrating on running tall only from the waist up. I let my legs run more natural. Keeping this posture made it much easier to keep my hips in the right position and to push forward. It felt natural when running the faster miles, and I was happy to see that I was able to comfortably maintain this form after the harder miles when I was running easy towards the end of my run. Now I just need to stick with it until this form becomes natural so that I don’t have to remind myself every ten seconds to maintain the proper form.

Just Running and Cross Training

2007-01-22T13:24:00.000-08:00

Really not much has been going on with my running. Last week I was above the 50 mile mark for the first time in a while. I could have reach 60, but I took Friday off. My legs were tired all day, so I gave them a rest. I guess it could be called wimping out, but I prefer to think that I’m listening to my body. Since then I ran 7.5 miles on Saturday, 10 on Sunday, and 5 today at lunch. I’ll add another 5 after work and hope to go over 60 for the week.

On Saturday I started adding a bit of cross training to my regimen. The sit-ups and push-ups just weren’t happening. I was either forgetting to do them after running, or I’d be in a hurry and would skip them. Instead I started working out on a Bosu. I use the workout on the DVD that comes with the ball. When I use it I look stupid and feel about as uncoordinated as a person can be, but it’s a pretty tough workout, especially for the abs and legs. Just staying balanced works muscles I never knew I had. I did the workout on Saturday and then again today before work. Hopefully I can stick with it.

Working on Form

2007-01-17T22:43:00.000-08:00

I've been having a good week. Mileage wise I'm in the mid-30 range, and my paces have been quicker than in previous weeks. The big difference is that I've been concentrating on my form each time I run. My posture is better, and I'm better at pushing myself forward when my foot leaves the ground. My main problem is that I'm still struggling to bring it all together. It seems like I can either run tall with my hips forward, or I can push forward with each stride. The key is doing them both together. When I am able to get it together, I can feel the difference: I run smoother, my pace is faster, and it feels almost effortless. For now I'm going to keep on working on making proper form feel more natural so that I can nail it each time I lace them up.

Today at lunch I decided to run 7.5 miles, including 3 miles at goal marathon pace (6:50). I was able to run the pace miles. In fact I ran them too fast, averaging 6:38 for these three miles. I noticed that it's easier to maintain form when pushing the pace a bit. I think this is because at a faster pace, pushing forward is a more natural motion for me.

Update and Weekly Recap

2007-01-14T22:52:00.000-08:00

I didn't realize it's been so long since I've posted anything here. After taking off Monday and Tuesday, my back was well enough so that I could run. I wasn't as cautious as I should have been, running 10 miles on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I had planned on two easy runs on Saturday, but only ended up running once (an easy five miles). I only ran once for a couple of reasons. The first is that it was my wife's birthday. We went into San Francisco for the day and didn't get back until later than expected. The other is that my legs felt pretty tired when I did run, so only running once was the smart move. My back is feeling good now. It's a bit stiff when I wake up or if I sit for too long, but there's not much pain.

Here's how my week ended up:

Sunday - 10.5 miles
Monday - off, back pain
Tuesday - off, back pain
Wednesday - 10 miles
Thursday - 10 miles
Friday - 10 miles
Saturday - 5.2 miles
TOTAL = 45.7 miles

I'm shooting for 60 miles this week, although at this point I'm not too concerned about the total. Right now I'm more concerned about consistency and running at least six days each week.

Too Much Too Soon

2007-01-09T23:26:00.000-08:00

I’m currently on day two of another two days off from running. After doing nothing but trying to heal my back on Wednesday and Thursday of last week, I ran on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I felt pretty good and ended up overdoing it on Sunday. On Saturday I read an article here regarding tall vs. short runners. I was thinking about the article when I ran later that day and was paying particular attention to my form. I started concentrating on stride length and pushing forward as my foot came off the ground, and my pace picked up noticeable without much increase in effort (approximately 7:50 down to 7:35 pace). When I ran on Sunday, I ran an easy mile to get loose and then began to resume the form I had started on Saturday. Again, my pace increased, and I felt really good. In fact, I felt so good that I threw in a couple of miles at goal marathon pace. I ended up running ten miles total without any back pain or stiffness. The problem came on Monday. I woke up and could hardly move. I made it to work because I had a couple of things I wanted to get done, but I was back home before lunch. I spent the afternoon and evening laid out stretching and heating my back.

The question now is what caused the back pain this week. It could have been the increase to ten miles, the different form I used while running this weekend, the miles at goal marathon pace, or the fact that once I started running again I stopped caring for my back (no heat, stretching, or ibuprofen). I think it’s probably a combination of the marathon pace miles and the fact that I stopped heating, stretching, and taking meds. The ten miles didn’t feel like I was stressed my body, and the form I was using felt better than how I was running before. I felt like I was running tall and smooth. The marathon pace miles got tough at the end, and I was probably pounding pretty hard as it got tough and the form started to suffer. And of course not taking proper care of myself is obviously part of the problem. I’m not totally healed, but I feel pretty good. I’m going to run tomorrow and will take it a day at a time from there.

Minor Setback

2007-01-05T23:01:00.000-08:00

I suffered a minor setback this week. After good runs on Monday and Tuesday, I woke up Wednesday with a stiff, sore back. I'm pretty sure that running isn't what caused the pain. My problem was playing with my daughter and one of her Christmas presents, specifically the one shown above. I guess dancing isn't my forte.

I was really hurting on Wednesday. I ended up leaving work early and spent most of the afternoon and evening laying on the floor with a heating pad. I felt better on Thursday but was still pretty stiff and sore. I probably could have run, but I didn't want to take a chance and run one day only do end up in worse shape and then missing three or four days. Anyway, I wasn't 100% today, but I felt good enough to give it a shot. I think it was a good decision. The only time in the last three days that my back didn't hurt at all was when I was running. Of course I'll have to see how I feel when I wake up tomorrow before I'll know for sure if running was a smart decision.

I also haven't done any pushups or crunches since my back started hurting. I'll probably resume the pushups tomorrow but will wait until the back is 100% before continuing the crunches.

Month and 2006 Overview

2007-01-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

Overall 2006 was a good year. I ran a total of 2749 miles, which is an all-time high (previous high was 2477 in 2005). I didn't race much, but I did set PRs in the Marathon (3:06:39), half marathon (1:26:46), and 10k (39:40, my first sub-40 10k). The downside was suffering from runner's knee. I only ran twice for a total of 7 miles between November 16 and December 15, basically missing a month of running any shot of reaching my goal of 3000 miles.

My December is easy to sum up. I ran for the first time on the 15th. From December 15 through the end of the year, I ran a total of 81 miles on 13 runs, no doubles, and 4 days off. I basically took it easy and worried more about staying healthy, building a little endurance, and entering 2007 ready to go.

I have set a couple of goals for 2007. I'd like to run over 3000 miles, go sub-3 in the marathon and sub-19 in the 5k (my current PR is 19:13).

Happy 2007 to anyone reading.

Christmas Rap Up

2006-12-28T08:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas was good for our family. My in-laws came for a visit, and we had fun. My wife and I don't usually buy a lot of presents for our daughter; however, as my in-laws' only grandchild, she gets spoiled rotten each year. Personally, I did not receive any running-related gifts. I did receive a very generous Target gift card, so I guess it’s not too late to get some running stuff. Instead, however, I’m going to buy a bicycle, a helmet, and whatever else I need so that I can start biking to work. It’s only five miles each way, so biking makes a lot of sense.

My running continues to go well. I’m up to 7.5 miles each day. So far my schedule has been to run three days and then take a day off. I’m going to extend that to six running days and one off day for a few weeks and then eventually extend it to one day off every ten days or so. I did have one shot of knee pain this week. I woke up Tuesday morning around 4:30 with pain in my left knee. I had planned on running Tuesday, but the pain convinced me to take it easy. It worked out well for me because Tuesday was a cold, wet, windy day. Running would not have been fun.

Happy Holidays!

2006-12-24T17:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays, everyone (or at least anyone who happens to read this).

I'm still running pain free. I missed a run on Friday because I procrastinated and ended up misjudging the time between when family arrived and when we were heading out to dinner, so I didn't have time to run.

On Saturday I bumped my mileage up to 7.5 miles. I'll try to keep it here through next week and then bump it up to 8 or 9 miles the first week in January. I also hope to be able to start running some short marathon pace runs (a mile or so at first) in early January. I'm a bit ahead of where I thought I'd be after a week back running, but my legs feel good, so I'm going to keep moving forward.

Rest Day

2006-12-19T08:19:00.000-08:00

On Sunday I ran for the third consecutive day. I have to admit that my knee still feels a bit stodgy, but I'm optimistic because it feels better with each run. After three consecutive days of running, I took a rest day on Monday. I could have run; I felt okay and didn't have any knee pain, but I'm trying to be cautious and not get re-injured. So I figured better safe than sorry. My legs (especially the quads), however, have been pretty sore after my first few runs. I don't know if the rest day was necessary for my knee, but my leg muscles certainly feel better. I'll continue with daily five and six mile runs for the rest of the week. If everything goes well, I'll add a mile or two to my daily runs next week.

Around the house things are going well. Except for a few stocking stuffers, the Christmas shopping is done. I had the easy job. While my wife hit the stores and did the majority of the shopping, I only bought a few things online. I guess we'll just call it teamwork and say that the job is done. Other than the shopping, we're busy cleaning and organizing for my wife's family to visit. Since I took this week off from work, I get the cleaning detail. Not a big deal; I'd rather clean than shop.

Comeback - Day Two

2006-12-16T22:34:00.000-08:00

Not really much to say today. I ran just over five miles, in about 44 minutes. I timed my run by looking at the clock when I left and then again when I got home, so by no means is that time accurate.

Anyway, there is still a little soreness in my legs, but it was better today than it was yesterday. I think I'm just rusty and have some soreness because my body just isn't used to running right now. I'll probably run another five tomorrow and Monday and then bump it up to six miles for the rest of the week. Obviously the work is just starting, but I'm catiously optimistic that I'm on my way back.

First Run in a Looooooong Time

2006-12-15T21:47:00.000-08:00

I ran a slow, easy 3.5 miles this afternoon. It was my first run since November 20 if memory serves me correctly. For the past two weeks, I've been following doctor's orders and resting my knee and taking ibuprofen three times a day.

My knee felt okay on today's run. There was a little soreness towards the end of the run, but I'm not sure if it's the same pain I had before, or if it was just sore because I hadn't run in such a long time. Anyway, I plan on running five easy miles tomorrow and see how that goes.

Wish me luck.

Plans for 2007

2006-12-09T10:49:00.000-08:00

I’ve been thinking about my plan for 2007. My original thought was to run higher mileage (70-80/week) through the first couple months of 2007, including running the Napa Valley Marathon as a training run. Mostly I was going to run Napa because I believe the Coast Guard will pay for it. However, while talking with my wife this morning I realized that Napa is being run the same weekend as my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary. What I’m going to do instead is not worry about Napa or finding another race to replace it. I will run the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon as my goal race and my first attempt at going under 3 hours.

To get there, I’m going to start running towards the end of this week. Assuming my knee cooperates, I’ll shoot for 25-30 miles the week of December 17. From there I’ll jump to 45-50 miles the next week, and will hopefully enter 2007 with a 60-mile week. Again assuming that I stay healthy, I’ll be in the 80-mile range by mid January and will stay there through February, paying attention to my health and taking at least one cutback week in late January/early February. I’ll take an easy week during the time we travel to Arizona for the anniversary celebration and will start race specific training when I return to the Bay Area.

This schedule will give me time to build a base, ten weeks to add some speed, and a three week taper. I should be able to run 20 miles at least 8 times and build my marathon pace runs up to at least 14 miles, and hopefully to 16 miles, before tapering.

After Rock ‘n Roll and little time to recover, I’ll throw in a few higher mileage weeks and then start working towards a marathon in the fall, preferably nothing before November. I also plan on running a half marathon and a few other shorter races as part of the build up for each marathon, although at this time I’m not sure which other races I’ll run. I'm also going to get a bike and start riding my bike to work and riding a bit longer on the weekend.

Of course all of these plans are extremely tentative and basically rely on my knee not being any worse than the initial diagnosis.

Chondromalacia, a.k.a. Runner’s Knee

2006-12-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

Well according to the physician’s assistant that I saw this morning, I have runner’s knee. Of course, I’ve heard of runner’s knee, but never having had it before, I didn’t recognize it. Frankly, I didn’t think it would be as painful as it is. From blogs and forum posts that I’ve read, I just thought it would be a dull pain – more of an annoyance that something that would require so much time off. Of course if I had been more proactive from the beginning, all it would have been was a dull pain.

The plan now is simple. I’m going to follow the PA’s advice. Two weeks of rest and prescription-strength ibuprofen. After that, take ibuprofen before exercise, and hopefully I’ll be fine to run. My biggest challenge now is to control my weight while I’m not running. Of course it’s the holiday season, so it’s not like there will sweet, delicious temptations everywhere I turn.

For what it’s worth, here are my November totals:

100.9 miles, including over 60 miles in one week.
12 running days
0 doubles

I’ve run 2667 miles in 2006. Sadly, I’m not going to reach my goal of 3000 miles for 2006. I was ahead of pace through October, but the choice between chasing a mileage goal and getting healthy, is a no brainer. The goal now is to enter 2007 healthy.

Speaking of 2007, it’s time to start setting goals for next year. I’m looking forward to it – both setting the goals and chasing them.

Non-Running Update

2006-12-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

This will be just a quick entry to publicize my laziness and give myself some accountability for my efforts while I’m not running. Actually I’m doing okay. There are basically three areas where I need to concentrate my efforts: continuing my sit up and push up routine, eating right, and getting some type of exercise to somewhat replace running.

With regards to the push ups and sit ups, I’ve basically stopped doing them. I’m not sure why I stopped. I guess it was just the break in my routine. When I started these exercises, I would go for a run, do my push ups and sit ups when I got home, and then shower. When I stopped running the other exercises stopped also. Hopefully all I need to do is establish a new routine. For now the plan will be to do them as soon as I get home from work. That way I won’t get involved in anything else and get distracted.

I have been doing well (not great) with regards to my eating habits. Of course the Thanksgiving holiday was one long foodfest, but that was to be somewhat expected. Other than over the holiday, I’ve cut down on desserts and candy and have been making better food choices. I’ve also been eating smaller portions at breakfast and lunch. However, I now need to cut down on snacks before supper, and I need to eat smaller portions for supper.

I have been getting some exercise. For the last couple of days I’ve walked at least a couple of miles each day. Over the weekend, I’ll bike ride some to change things up a bit. It’s not much when compared to a 10-mile run, but at least it’s some activity. I’m not really worried about losing fitness. I’ve accepted that there will be some loss in this area and that I’ll just have to build it back up whenever I’m running pain free. I’ve noticed that when I’m walking my knee feels great. A couple of times I felt like I should just start running. It’s hard for me to grasp why I can walk, sit, squat, and have a full range of motion without any pain, but I cannot run more than a couple of miles without hurting.

Right now patience and effort in non-running areas of my life remain the key. More to follow after I see the doctor next week.

Getting Worse

2006-11-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

After a week of no running, my knee felt pretty good yesterday, so I headed out for a short, slow run. My legs were a little sore early in the run, but I’m sure that was from moving after a week of not much activity. When I was a mile and half or so into the run, I was feeling pretty good and thought for sure that my knee was back to normal. However, after three miles or so, the pain started. I continued to run easy for another half mile or so just to be sure, but then I had to shut it down and walk home.

Last week by the time I had walked home the pain had lessened. Yesterday itcontinued throughout the evening. Although it’s not too bad, today I can still feel the pain. Anyway, I bit the bullet and made an appointment with the doctor. I go in on 4 December. I’d like to say that at that time I’ll know more, but I suspect that all I leave with is a referral to a specialist.

In the meantime, I’ll just try to watch my weight, continue doing sit-ups and push-ups, and get whatever other exercise I can (walking or bike riding depending on my knee).

No Good News

2006-11-21T15:46:00.000-08:00

After a few days of no running, I tried a slow, easy run last night. I was hoping that I could run at an easy pace and that I’d be able to participate in today’s Turkey Trot at work. I wasn’t going to run the Turkey Trot hard, but wanted to at least run it. Not that it matters; the awards are based on closest guess to finish time, not by who’s the fastest.

Last night’s plan was for five miles at recovery pace, which ended up being approximately 8:40/mile. The first few miles were okay, but I started feeling pain after three miles or so. The pain got worse as I continued to run, so I stopped after another half mile. I ended walking home. I don’t really know what’s wrong. My knee was sore as I was walking home, but within a few minutes of getting home, I felt fine. I was able to walk around the house, including going up and down the stairs without any pain. I’m fine walking around work today. However, my knee is tender to the touch, almost as if it’s bruised.

I’m not sure what to do as far as treatment goes. I’ve been using the heating pad because that made it feel better. I iced it once, which actually caused my knee to hurt. Even so, I think I’m going to try rest, and alternating ice and heat. In addition to the ice and heat, my plan is to do no running. I’m going to try to walk for exercise and see if I can do that painfree. If I can walk a couple of miles a day without pain, I’ll try another run on Sunday and hope for the best.

I’m done

2006-11-16T12:55:00.000-08:00

Last night I limped through a painful, depressing run. I thought my knee was improving, but it’s clearly not. Tuesday evening I ran 10 miles at a decent pace (around 7:25/mile). I know it was stupid, but after a couple of days off, and an easy run on Monday, I felt good, so I went with it. About seven miles into the run, my leg felt tired, but not painful, like the muscles around my knee were working harder than normal, but it didn’t hurt, so I continued running.

Tuesday evening through Monday morning, my legs were a bit tired, but not more so than normal after a decent workout. By Wednesday afternoon, I felt good and was ready to run. I made a point to run easy Wednesday evening. Even so, about four miles into my run, the knee pain was back. It wasn’t too bad, so I forged ahead at a slow pace. I finished my scheduled ten miles, but the whole time the pain only got worse. By the end, I was hurting and not in a good mood.

The bottom line is that my body is shouting at me, and I guess it’s time I listened to it. I won’t be running today or Friday for sure. Starting with Saturday, I’ll take it day-for-day. When my leg feels good, I’ll run an easy five miles. If the pain is completely gone, I’ll run again the next day. When I can string together a few pain-free days, I’ll see where I’m at and go from there. The difficult part is that when I’m not running, my knee feels fine, so it’s easy to convince myself that I’m okay to get back to it.

Quick Update

2006-11-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

Last night I ran an easy five miles, and my knee felt pretty good, although a couple of times during the run, the knee sort of let me know it was there. I won’t say there was any pain, but there was a sort of thick feeling to remind me that it wasn’t 100%.

I went back and forth between running five miles to see how I feel and running my previously scheduled ten miles. I let the fact that it was raining – and had been raining for most of the day – convince me to just go for the shorter run. It was probably a wise idea. It wasn’t raining hard when I ran, but because it was so dark I ran through a number of fairly substantial puddles. The bottom line is that I ended up with soaking wet (and very heavy) shoes. Another five miles would not have been much fun and wouldn't have been easy on my knee.

I’ll run 10 tonight; and if things go well, I’ll run 10 or 15 each day for the rest of the week.

More Knee Pain

2006-11-13T13:28:00.000-08:00

Bad news – I seemed to have aggravated my knee. After a couple of days of a dull pain that I could only really feel when running, on Saturday the pain was worse. I couldn’t even walk around the house without some pain. I tried icing it, but that didn’t help. However, putting it under the heating pad made it feel much better. I ended up not running on Saturday or Sunday, even though I felt much better on Sunday. I’m going to run after work today and see how I feel. My plan is to go home, put the heating pad on my knee for a half hour and then run. I’ll figure out the rest of my week based on how I feel during and after this evening’s run.

Despite this setback, my basic plan is the same. I’ve decided to run as much as I can through the first week of December. It won’t be as many miles as I had hoped for, but I’m still planning on getting up to 80 miles for at least one week. At that point, I’ll start marathon training. I was going to simply join the Pfitzinger 18/70 plan based on how many weeks I’ll have until the marathon, but I think I’m going to simplify things. I’m going to set up a plan that alternates a 15-miler and a 20-miler every other weekend and includes a tempo run and two marathon-pace runs each week. The other runs will be based on how I feel. My weekly mileage will start at 65 and will build to 75, with a cutback week every fourth week. Wish me luck.

Feeling Better

2006-11-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

Below's the entry I typed yesterday before Blogger crapped out and wouldn't publish it.

I am feeling much better. An easy day did wonders for my legs. I went from dragging ass to feeling pretty fresh. There is one small problem. I've been having a pain in the inside of my left knee since my run at lunch earlier this week. It's not a sharp pain, and I only feel it when running, so I'm not too concerned. I suspect I tweaked it running on the uneven ground at work. I'm confident that the pain will be gone soon. It's just sort of an annoyance at this point.

Yesterday, I ran ten miles, including five at what was supposed to be marathon goal pace of 6:50/mile. I ended up running 6:30, 6:32, 6:42, 6:35, and 6:46. There's a long way to go before I race in March, so I'm sure I'll get the pace a little more accurate by then.

I'll run 20 miles between today and tomorrow. Today will be the longer of the two runs; I'll run either 12.5 or 15 today and then either 5 or 7.5 tomorrow. This should leave me rested and ready to go longer on Sunday. I believe 17 miles are called for on Sunday.

So far I've been keeping up with my pushups and crunches. However, my eating habits are not what they should be. Halloween candy is my downfall this week. I need to put it out of sight. Having it the house isn't too bad if I don't have to see it all the time. Oh well the battle continues.

I took leave on Thursday and today is Veteran's Day, so I'll have a four-day weekend of basically doing nothing other than running and puttering about the house.

To follow up, I ran 12.5 miles on Friday and will run 7.5 today. My knee is a bit more sore today. This is the first time it's hurt when I wasn't running. I'll be sure to ice it and take it easy as much as possible and try to stay healthy.

Happy Veteran's Day, everyone.

Too Much, Too Soon?

2006-11-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

I don’t know if I needed more recovery from my 29 October half marathon or if I needed to start with less mileage after a week off, but my legs have felt shot all this week. They are a lot more sore than they should be for the mileage I’ve put on them this week (32 miles through three days), especially considering that all of my runs have been at an easy effort.

I considered just running through it with continued easy miles, but instead decided to cut back a bit. Instead of four consecutive 80-mile weeks, I’m going to shoot for 70-70-80-80. The big difference is that I’ll either take an off day or two days with shorter runs during the 70-mile weeks. I’m confident that this change will work for me. Yesterday, I was scheduled to run 15 miles on two runs (7 at lunch and 8 in the evening). I skipped the second run and got a good night’s sleep. My legs feel much better after only one easy day.

Working to Improve

2006-11-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

I took the first steps towards improvement yesterday. I did better with my eating, and I did a few crunches and push-ups. It wasn’t an impressive workout by the most generous use of the word, but it’s a start. What I did was three sets of 10 push-ups and three sets of 20 crunches. I know it’s not much, but I’m seriously starting from zero for these workouts. My plan is to do this routine five times a week, and add one rep each week. In other words, next week I’ll do three sets of 11 push-ups and 21 crunches, then 12 and 22, etc. If I can stick with it, I’ll get to 25 and 35 reps and then add another set. I guess I should weigh myself and get a point of reference so that I can track any weight loss.

I for one am impressed by Lance Armstrong breaking three hours in his marathon debut. I realize that he had a lot of pacing help that the rest of us will never have, and it was more of an event than a race. Still he ran the entire course and met his goal. I for one didn’t think he’d do it. I figured he be somewhere between 3:05 and 3:10 at best.

Sunday morning I ran 15 easy miles. The first ten sucked. My legs were pretty stiff and sore after doing nothing last week. There is still some stiffness, especially in my hamstrings, at work today. This evening I’m running 10 miles. I’ll keep things at an easy pace until the soreness is gone, and I’m running easy.

Shortcomings

2006-11-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

After my last post, Mark asked me if I had done any cross training during my recovery. The short answer is no. The longer answer is that I had planned to, but I was enjoying doing nothing but relax for a few days.

His question got me thinking about my shortcomings as a runner and what I need to do if I truly want to reach my potential. There are three major things that I need to work on if I want to continue to improve: diet/nutrition, hill running, and cross training.

I started running basically to keep a buddy company while he trained for a 10K. The reason I continued running was because I like to eat, and I needed to lose a few pounds. Running allowed me to lose the weight without dieting. Like many runners I evolved from running for weight control to running to compete. I've tried to cutback on the calories a few times but haven't found the willpower while married to a wife who loves to cook and bake.

I'm not sure what to do about running hills. I live in the Bay Area (in Alameda, which is near Oakland in the east bay). There are 100s of hills in the metropolitan area, but not in Alameda, which is a flat-as-a-pancake island. I could drive to the Oakland hills or to Berkeley to run hills, but I hate the thought of driving someplace to run. It seems to defeat the whole purpose.

I don't know why I don't do any cross training. If I did, it would only be crunches and push ups, which I could do while watching television. I understand the benefit, but it's also easy to look at my log and the mileage being run and feel satisfied that the work has been done.

Will I improve in any of these three areas? I don't know. I'm going to make an effort to drop some weight. I've said that before on this very blog and have had no success, but all I can do is keep trying. I find that a lot of my bad eating is just habit. If I can improve for a week or so, I'll have a good shot at sticking with it for a while. I'm also going to make an effort to get in some crunches and push ups. Again it's just getting into a routine. Once it becomes part of my day, it won't be a big deal. Right now I don't see me doing any hill running. I know the reasons that I should, but the driving would add close to an hour to my workout each time I did it, and I'm not ready to make that commitment right now.

Today I ran six easy miles. I ran without a watch, but would estimate that I ran 8:20 pace.

Training For Napa

2006-11-03T23:04:00.000-08:00

After not running since the half marathon on Sunday, I am itching to get out and hit the roads. At one point I considered taking off until Veteran’s Day, but I think it’s good that I decided to only take five days off. I feel rested and am motivated to get back at it. I’ve been thinking about my preparation for Napa on March 4. I have 17 weeks before the race. I respond well to a three-week taper, so that leaves me with 14 weeks. Frankly, before counting I thought I had more time.

My plan for now is to take four weeks to just run and not worry about the pace. I’ll try to get to 80 miles each week, which shouldn’t be a problem. Thanksgiving week should be the only challenge, since it will include two days where I’ll be in the car for 8-10 hours. The only time I will think about pace will be to run for a few miles at marathon pace once a week.

After an easy week, I’ll cutback the mileage a little and increase the speed. I haven’t worked out the details yet, but I want to include a lot of miles at marathon pace. I’ll do this for nine weeks, and then I’ll start my taper. If I do the work and the weather gods smile on me, this will be my best shot at running sub-3.

Heeeeeere’s Bart!

2006-11-03T23:00:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken on Sunday when I was waiting for the start of the race. All I remember thinking at the time is "why is this guy taking my picture now." I'd rather see him taking pictures during the race.

I just noticed that I'm wearing the same thing I wore at Napa.

Half Marathon PR

2006-10-29T21:57:00.000-08:00

Today I ran the Grape Stomp Half Marathon. I finished with a time of 1:26:46, PR’ing by almost a full minute (previous PR was 1:27:42), but that’s really the only good thing I can say about my race. I just did not run a smart race. I made three mistakes that cost me my goal of sub-1:25:00. The first is that I ran the first mile in 6:07 (goal pace was 6:29). The other two mistakes were going off the course. The first time I went off course it was totally my fault. There was a turn right at or just after the seven-mile marker. I was looking at my watch trying to figure out how far behind pace I was, and I ran right past a well-marked turn. I figured it out rather quickly and backtracked, but it still cost me at least 20 seconds. The other time, the trail forked and it wasn’t marked. I went left instead of straight. Both paths joined back together with a third path forming sort of a triangle, but I ran the long way around. Plus I slowed way down at the split trying to figure out which direction to go.

Even though I'm disappointed in my race execution, there are some postives that I can take away from this race. The main one being that I am in pretty good shape. In the future I need more race pace and tempo runs. I also need to run more without my Garmin. I did not wear it today and never felt comfortable with my pace. I just could never tell if I was ahead or behind pace. Another positive is that I pushed through some painful miles at the the end of this race. With three miles to go, it was clear that I wouldn't hit 1:25, so I basically ran for a PR and to not get passed. I was successful on both accounts.

I think if I run this race again, I'll only run the 10K. The 5K, 10K, and half marathon are all out and back courses; but after the 10K turnaround, the course goes out of a nice tree-lined asphalt path and is run on a bike path next to a busy street with basically no shade.

The end result is that I finished 7th overall (out of 158), 4th in the 40-49 age group.

It's Almost Race Day!

2006-10-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

Mostly I’ve been taking it easy since Sunday. I ran five miles on Monday and an easy double on Tuesday (four miles in the a.m. and five in the p.m.). On Wednesday, I ran seven miles, including two miles at half marathon pace. I actually ran a bit slower than goal pace for the second mile. I ran at lunch and ended up running the faster miles in an area where I don’t normally run. By the way, a mile sure seems longer when there are no familiar landmarks. Where I usually run I can estimate fairly accurately where the next mile mark will be, but yesterday I had to just run until I heard the beep. I could have just looked down at my Garmin, but I’m trying to learn the pace by feel, so I only check the pace every half mile. Anyway, I checked the pace when I knew I had run more than a half a mile, and I was running at 6:16 pace (goal pace is 6:29). I ended up adjusting my pace too much. I finished the first mile at 6:27, but had slowed to 6:34 for the second mile. I’ll finish my week with five easy miles today, no running on Friday, and a very easy 2 miles on Saturday.

My legs have felt heavy since yesterday, but that’s pretty normal for me the week before a race. Yesterday, I was fine after a short warm-up. I’m confident that I’ll be ready to race on Sunday.

Half Marathon Pace Run

2006-10-23T15:22:00.000-07:00

I had a fairly good run on Sunday. My plan was to run a mile and half warm-up, run five miles at half marathon goal pace and then have an easy run back home for a total of 13 miles. I did well on the warm-up and finished the pace miles okay. However, as I started the run back home, I started having some pretty intense GI distress. Not being near a public restroom, I ran just far enough to reach the 8-mile mark for my total and then walked home via a shortcut.

It wasn’t the way I had hoped to end my run, but the good news is that I ran the five pace miles without too much difficulty. As usual I was just a bit slow when running into the wind and was a bit fast with the wind at my back. If I remember correctly my splits were 6:32, 6:26, 6:25:6:30, and 6:28. The goal for each mile was 6:29. I don’t think I could have held the pace for 8 more miles, but add another easy week and some race-day excitement to the mix, and I should be able to make a strong run at a sub-1:25 half marathon. The best part is that there doesn’t seem to be any noticeable carryover from donating blood last week.

I was watching the highlights of Ironman Lake Placid yesterday. During the run, I was trying to estimate the pace of the leaders. They looked like they were running pretty well; they were up on their feet (as opposed to the shuffle you sometimes see during the second half of an Ironman marathon) but didn’t look like they were striding out like you see at the front of most marathons (as opposed to triathlons). It looked like they were running 8-minute miles, but since these are among the best triathletes I the world, I figured they were probably running close to a 3-hour marathon pace (low 7 minutes/high 6 minutes per mile). I was blown away when the announcer said they were at a 6:00 mile pace. However, after looking up the times on the web, the truth is in the middle. The leader ran 2:48:20, which if my calculations are correct is a 6:25 pace. Even though this isn’t a six-minute pace, it’s still an amazing time considering the swim and bike that came first.

Weekly Recap

2006-10-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

There's not much to report since my last post. Since giving blood on Tuesday, I've done nothing but easy running. Here's how my week played out.

Sunday - 15 miles, including 8 at 6:29 (half marathon pace)
Monday - off day
Tuesday - 8 miles, including 5 at 6:29
Wednesday - 5 easy miles
Thursday - 8 easy miles
Friday - 5 easy miles
Saturday - 9 easy miles
TOTAL: 50 miles

Since giving blood on Tuesday, I've done nothing but easy running. I feel pretty good right now, with no noticeable effects of donating. I'll run a few faster miles tomorrow to sort of test myself.

Tough Choice

2006-10-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

I may have killed any chance of running up to my potential on October 29. I decided to give blood today. I was on the fence about whether or not to donate. I trained hard and want to race well. On the other hand, it’s possible that my blood donation could save someone’s life. I’m a big believer in giving blood, so I decided to donate and take my chances with the race. Usually donating doesn’t noticeable effect me for more than a few days. However, I’ve never donated this close to a race before, so I’m not sure what the effect will be. I’m doing what I can to recover as quickly as possible (lots of fluid, big meal tonight, and rest). I’ll run my miles at an easy pace the rest of this week, on Sunday I’ll run a few miles at half marathon pace and see how I feel, and then just continue my taper and hope for the best. There’s not much else I can do.

Before giving blood I ran at lunch. Since the next few days will be at a recovery or an easy pace, I ran hard today. I ended up with eight miles, including 5 x 1 mile at a 6:09 target pace. My times for each mile were 6:11, 5:59, 5:57, 6:11 and 6:21. The first and last miles were into the wind, the second and third were with the wind, and the fourth mile was pretty much out of the wind (blocked by trees). The fourth mile was my best effort. It was really the only mile where I kept a consistent pace throughout the full mile. The first mile I ran too hard. I was close with the time, but considering the wind, I would have been slower if I had run at the proper effort. The second and third miles, I ran the first half mile too fast and then tried to slow to the proper pace/effort. By the last mile, I was done. The wind had picked up a little, and I didn’t have the strength to fight through it. Going too hard in mile one and in the first halves of miles two and three didn’t leave me with much in the tank. Overall it was a good workout coming after a hard run and a lot of walking on Sunday. I did basically nothing on Monday and got a good night’s sleep last night.

A Great Sunday

2006-10-15T23:07:00.000-07:00

This morning I ran my scheduled workout - 15 miles, including eight miles at half marathon race pace (6:29). I ran the eight pace miles after a two-mile warmup. I was able to keep at or below 6:29 on all but one mile, which was run into a decent wind. Still that mile was at 6:32, so I was close. Overall, I finished the eight faster miles close to 30 seconds below my goal pace. The last five miles were an easy run home. I'm very pleased with this workout. The effort was fairly consistent. I ran a bit faster than I was wanted on about half of the faster miles, but those miles were mostly run into the wind, so I was pretty close effort-wise.

After finishing my run, I had to shower and eat pretty quickly because the family spent the afternoon and evening at Six Flags Marine World. My legs and feet got pretty sore from walking so much after a hard workout, but I had a great time. Marine World has a bit of everything, roller coasters, sea mammals (walruses, dolphins, sea lions, a killer whale), penguins, and land animals (camels, elephants, lions and a few others). My wife and I rode a few rides, but mostly we walked around looking at the animals and watching the shows. My daughter and her boyfriend spent almost the entire time on roller coasters. To make the day even better, I got the tickets from a guy at work for free!

Back to running. The completion of today's run marked the beginning of my taper. I'm going to try to stick to my schedule over these last couple of weeks. My bigger challenge will be to reduce my caloric intake to match my reduced mileage.

Weekly Recap and Training Thoughts

2006-10-14T22:14:00.000-07:00

Weekly Recap

Sunday – 17 miles, including 14 miles at goal marathon pace
Monday – scheduled off day
Tuesday – 6 miles, cut workout short
Wednesday – off day, fell asleep instead of running
Thursday – 10 easy miles
Friday – off day, fell asleep instead of running
Saturday – 7 easy miles
TOTAL: 40 miles

It became clear to me during my run today that I needed to build a bigger base for the training plan I set up. After running the Napa Valley Marathon the first weekend in March, I recovered and ran nothing but easy runs for the rest of the month. In April and May I built my mileage up to the point where I logged three 80 mile weeks. I started a training plan which built up to 80-mile weeks with speed workouts included. I did well during the first two thirds of the plan, when most of the speed work was done in weeks that topped out in the mid-60 mile range, and the 80-mile weeks consisted mostly of slower, longer runs. However, the last two weeks that crossed 80-mile mark included faster runs, and I ended up taking three days off the following week. This past week I was tired all the time. I realize that the mileage from the previous week wasn’t the only reason. I didn’t sleep real well during the first part of the week, and as always I could have done better with my diet. But I think the bottom line is that my training plan is calling for more than my base will allow me to give.

I don’t necessarily think this is a bad thing. Over the last few months I’ve run more miles than I’ve run in preparation for any race in my life. I’ve run a lot of high-quality workouts. I ran a PR in the 10K. And I’m confident that I’m in shape to PR in my race on 29 October. Tomorrow I’m running 8 miles at half marathon pace (or at least that’s the goal), and then I’m starting my taper. Even though I didn’t complete the training as I laid it out, I feel like I pushed the envelope and ran as well as I could based on the fitness level with which I entered the training cycle. If things go well tomorrow, I’ll shoot for sub-1:25 on October 29. If not, I’ll adjust as necessary but will still be shooting for a PR.

I’m looking forward to running hard tomorrow and then refreshing my body over the next couple of weeks. Although I haven’t received official confirmation that I wasn’t selected for the Navy Marathon team, I’ve realized that the writing is on the wall. The race is in two weeks. Surely, if I had been selected, I would have received notification by now. So unless I hear otherwise, my attention is on the Grape Stomp Half Marathon.

Short, Boring Training Update

2006-10-12T22:10:00.000-07:00

Bad news for yesterday’s run. Instead of an easy run, I came home from work and fell asleep. Oh well, it happens. Today I ran ten miles, including five miles at half marathon effort. It was cool, windy evening, and I only hit goal pace for one of the miles. Still I feel good about the workout. I got into a pretty good rhythm and ran at a good effort. On a less windy day, I think I would have been at or below goal pace. My miles splits were 6:50, 6:34, 6:29, 6:34, and 6:32. Goal pace is 6:29. The first mile was directly into a strong wind. The other miles were mostly in a cross wind.

Tomorrow I’m going to run an easy ten miles and then run seven miles on Saturday. This should leave me rested for Sunday when I run eight miles at goal half marathon pace. In the past this workout has been a good barometer for me. If I nail this run, I’ll feel ready for the race.

Run Cut Short

2006-10-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

After running hard on Sunday, Monday was a rest day. This is my week to concentrate on speed, so I headed out Tuesday with the goal of running 6 x mile repeats at 6:09 pace. I ran the first one into the wind. I ran about as hard as I could run and managed a 6:24 mile. The second repeat (with the wind at my back) was completed in 6:05. I stopped the third repeat after about a 1/4 mile. I just didn't have anything left to give.

I realized that Sunday's run took more out of me than I wanted to admit. I decided to just run the remainder of the run at an easy effort and try to complete the rest of my week as planned. However, after another mile or so, I felt a tightness in my right calf and shortly after that I felt sort of tingling sensation and noticed that I was favoring my right leg. I don't think I was injured or risking injury, but I decided not to take a chance. I turned at the next street and took a shortcut home. I ended up running six miles. I'll continue my week by running an easy 7.5 miles today and then a half marathon race pace run tomorrow.

Last Week Before Taper

2006-10-08T23:39:00.000-07:00

The end of last week went as follows. Thursday was a ten miles run, with five miles at half marathon pace. This was a pretty tough run after a couple of hard workouts earlier in the week. On Friday I split my fifteen miles into two, 7.5 mile runs. Both were run at an easy pace. Saturday I was scheduled to run eight miles, but I was beat and had a tough run scheduled for Sunday, so I cut Saturday’s run back to five miles at recovery pace. I ended the week with 80 miles.

Today I started my last training week before tapering with a damn tough workout. I ran the Pfitzinger workout of 17 miles with 14 miles at marathon pace. I’m shooting for a sub-three hour marathon, but am using 6:50 as my training pace, mostly because it makes the math easier when I’m calculating race pace for multiple miles. Plus I figure training for a couple of seconds faster can’t hurt. Here’s what I said about this same workout when I ran it before the Napa Valley Marathon:

“This past Sunday I ran 17-miles with 14 miles at marathon pace (7:00 m/m). Actually, I probably averaged closer to 6:55 pace for these 14 miles. It was a great run. The weather was perfect; there was almost no wind (for the first time in days), and the temps were in the mid-50s. I had to work to maintain the pace, but not too hard; and I was able to get in a rhythm and run smooth.”

Today’s workout was much tougher, the big difference being that I ran mid-afternoon, and the temps were in the 70s. The good news is that I was able to maintain my pace for the entire 14 miles, actually averaging a few seconds below marathon pace. My big problem is consistent pacing. I ranged between 6:54 and 6:38. I just haven’t got to the point where I can just feel when I’m at race pace. I wasn’t planning on racing with my Garmin, but if I don’t get more comfortable with race pace, I may change my mind. Anyway today I averaged 6:47 for the 14 miles. Like the last time I ran this workout, I’m taking my ability to finish it as a good sign for race day. If I race smart and the weather cooperates, I have a fighting chance at reaching my goal.

I usually taper one-week for a half marathon and three weeks for a full marathon. However, since I’m still not sure which race I’m running, so right now I’m looking at a two-week taper. If I find out this week that I’ve been selected for the Navy Marathon Team, I’ll start the taper that day. Three weeks has worked for me in the past, so I’ll stick with it as much as possible. If I was not selected, I’ll run eight miles at half marathon race pace this Sunday and then start a two week taper for the half marathon. One week has worked for me, but because I’ve been mixing half marathon and full marathon training, I’ve run more miles this time and feel that two weeks will be a good fit.

One last item, the Coast Guard Sports rep either did not follow through and contact the Navy Sports rep on Thursday or was unable to get an answer. Either way, I obviously still have no idea what distance I’m running this month. It’s pretty frustrating.

Limited Access

2006-10-04T22:32:00.000-07:00

Based on an e-mail that I've received from the Coast Guard Sports rep at CG Headquarters, he will call the Navy Sports guy tomorrow and ask about my Navy Marathon application. It would be nice to get an answer one-way or the other so that I can concentrate on whichever race distance I'll be running.

After my good 20-miler on Sunday, I ran a five mile recovery run on Monday, and then had a good run during lunch on Tuesday. I took a longer than allowed lunch break and ran ten miles with five miles (miles 1-6) at half marathon goal pace (6:29). Tonight (Wednesday) I ran 15 miles on a drizzly evening.

For some reason my schedule calls for another 15 miles tomorrow night. I suspect I made an error when I put the schedule together, so I'm going to change it. I'm going to switch Thursday and Friday's scheduled workouts, running 10 miles on Thursday and 15 on Friday (a day I took off from work to give me a four-day weekend), and then whatever I have on the schedule for Saturday. This will give me the same weekly mileage and is probably what my schedule should have read to begin with. I

The IT guys at work have temporary eliminated all non-work related web access, so I've not been online much this week. Hopefully, we'll regain access sometime this week. They do this every once in a while when there is concern about a virus or other potential danger floating around.

Weekly / Monthly Recap

2006-10-01T23:29:00.000-07:00

September 24 - 30 Weekly Recap

Sunday - 15 miles, including 10 miles at marathon goal pace (6:50)
Monday - 5.5 miles, easy
Tuesday - 10 miles, including 6 x 1 miles repeats at 6:10 pace
Wednesday - 8 miles, recovery effort
Thursday - 10 miles, including seven miles at half marathon goal pace (6:29)
Friday - 8 miles, at recovery pace
Saturday - 10 easy miles
TOTAL: 66.5 miles

I followed my schedule with one small change. I switched Friday and Saturday's runs. I was beat on Friday, so I cut that run a bit short. I did run all my harder workouts as scheduled and hit my goal pace for each run.

September Monthly Recap

269.3 miles, which is a bit less than I had planned.
26 running days, including three doubles.
4 days of no running, including three off days in the same week.
7:28, average pace for all runs.

October is off to a good start. I ran 20 miles today, and I ran the last five miles at marathon goal pace. I've thought about trying this type of run in the past, but never felt that I'd be able to hold the pace. Usually, at the end of a 20-miler, I'm just hanging on and looking forward to finishing. During yesterday's run I decided to push the pace for the last five miles of today's run. My last five miles were run at 6:36, 6:42, 6:43, 6:51*, and 6:37, so I actually averaged 6:41.8, which is comfortably below my 6:50 goal pace.

I feel pretty good about my fitness now. Sadly I still haven't heard anything about running for the Navy Marathon Team, so I'm going to keep training for both a half marathon and a full marathon. As long as I do some speed work at half marathon pace or faster, I don't think the marathon pace runs will hurt me, and the long runs will only help. The good news is that the Coast Guard Sports guy told me he would call the Navy Sports guy if I didn't hear anything by the end of last week. I was off on Friday, so if there isn't any news waiting for me, I should hear within a day or two.

Half Marathon Race Pace

2006-09-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

Thursday I ran ten miles, including seven miles at my goal half marathon race pace of 6:29/mile, which if my math is correct will give me a sub-1:25:00 half marathon. I honestly wasn't sure if I'd be able to run the entire distance on pace or not. For one thing I didn't set my half marathon goal based on a race conversion calculator or anything, and it seems a bit optimistic. However, I like having a challenging goal to shoot for. The second reason for my doubt is that Wednesday's recovery run felt harder than I would have liked, and I was worried about some carry-over fatigue from Tuesday's mile repeats.

Anyway, after warming up, I started my race pace miles into the wind. After a few minutes, I was hoping that I was at or below my target pace because there was no way I'd be able to continue that effort for seven miles. I knew turning away from the wind would help some; but if I was slower than target pace and had to continue the same effort with the wind at my back, I was in trouble. After a half mile I checked the pace on my Garmin, and I was at 6:29 on the dot - this is a good sign. I turned so that the wind was at my back soon after the half mile mark and fell into a pace that I felt I could hold for the rest of the run. I soon found myself in a good rhythm and cruised through the miles with these splits: 6:24, 6:27, 6:21, 6:28, 6:28, 6:27.

As you can see I pushed a bit hard when I first turned to get the wind behind me but hit a pretty good pace soon after that. This workout was a good confidence builder for me. When I first went below 1:30:00 in the half marathon my toughest run was eight miles at goal pace, and I ended up beating my goal by over a minute. I have that same eight mile pace run on my schedule in a couple of weeks. If I can build on this workout and keep the pace for eight miles, I'm confident that I can hold it for the half marathon when you throw in a taper and race-day excitement.

I also tried to work on my form during this run but found that I had pretty good form from the beginning. I wasn't as choppy with my steps as when I was running the mile repeats. I mostly concentrated on running tall and not leaning forward. When I did this, I was running well.

I have ten easy miles today and then eight miles on the schedule for Saturday to finish up what has been a good week.

Catching Up

2006-09-27T23:08:00.000-07:00

My week is right on track. On Monday I ran an easy five miles during lunch. On Tuesday, I ran 6 x 1 mile repeats at 6:10 pace. Actually 6:10 was the goal pace; the wind made the range on these miles pretty varied. Here are my times: 6:08, 5:55, 5:55, 6:11, 6:22, and 6:13. Because of the wind, the slowest interval was the one that I ran the hardest. I've learned to make my goal to try to average my goal time and not try to hit the correct pace for each interval. Today, I ran eight miles at recovery pace (8:14 average pace).

Yesterday I noticed that when I run at a faster pace, I increase turnover, but tend to keep a fairly short, choppy stride. I worked on trying to stride out a bit more and running smoother. It felt good and seemed to help me keep the pace towards the end of the repeats, but it's a balancing act between overstriding and improving my form. Tomorrow I'm scheduled to run six or seven miles at half marathon pace. I'll work on striding out and keeping a smooth form and see how it feels over a longer distance.

Catching Up

2006-09-27T22:52:00.000-07:00

My week is right on track. On Monday I ran an easy five miles during lunch. On Tuesday, I ran 6 x 1 mile repeats at 6:10 pace. Actually 6:10 was the goal pace; the wind made the range on these miles pretty varied. Here are my times for each mile: 6:08, 5:55, 5:55, 6:11, 6:22, and 6:13. Because of the wind, the slowest interval was the one that I ran the hardest. I've learned to make my goal to try and average whatever my goal time is for intervals and not try to hit the correct pace for each one. Today, I ran eight miles at recovery pace (8:14 average pace).

Yesterday I noticed that when I run at a faster pace, I increase turnover, but tend to keep a fairly short, choppy stride. I worked on trying to stride out a bit more and running smoother. It felt good and seemed to help me keep the pace towards the end of the repeats, but it's a balancing act between overstriding and improving my form. Tomorrow I'm scheduled to run six or seven miles at half marathon pace. I'll work on striding out and keeping a smooth form and see how it feels over a longer distance.

New Week = New Attitude (I hope)

2006-09-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

I started my training week today with a good workout. I ran 15 miles, including ten miles with a target pace of 6:50/mile. I actually averaged just under 6:40/mile. It's not surprising that I felt good and ran faster than planned. I only ran 35 miles last week, so I was basically running with a taper today.

Last week was not a good week for me. I was well below where I wanted to be mileage wise, and I took three days off with no running. However, it was a cutback week, and I accomplished my goal of ending the week rested and ready to run. I don't imagine that one especially easy week is going to hurt my fitness.

I did not race the 5K this morning. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I have been taking college courses online. The course I'm enrolled in now is pretty labor intensive, so last night I found myself still on the computer doing homework well after midnight. I decided to get my beauty sleep instead of racing. No big deal. I have a three-mile fun run at work this week. I won't get pushed much but will get in some faster running.

Lack of Enthusiasm

2006-09-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

I’ve been thinking about my running a lot lately. For whatever reason, I’m just not very motivated. I’ve been logging all my miles and hitting my scheduled workouts, but I just don’t have any enthusiasm for it. Almost every time I head out for a run I have to drag myself through the door. Running is supposed to be a fun activity, not a second job. I’m not saying it should be easy. The challenge of nailing a hard workout is part of what I enjoy about running. I just want to regain that feeling of looking forward to a workout. I’m guessing my listlessness is probably because I’ve been training for a race or building mileage since July 2005. After my race at the end of October, I’ll take a short, much-needed break from running.

Looking ahead to next year, I’d like to make a more serious run at the Navy Marathon team. I’m looking at running Napa again (first weekend in March), and then running either Sunburst or the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon. Both are held the first weekend in June. I’d prefer to run Sunburst, but finances may force me back to Rock ‘n Roll. Anyway, if I can run a sub-1:25:00 half and sub-3:00:00 at Napa and Sunburst/Rock ‘n Roll, I’ll feel pretty good about my application.

One area I need to work on is adapting the rest of my life to match my running lifestyle. As of now, I don’t make any real effort to eat as healthy as I should, and I don’t think about my running schedule before eating (eating more carbs the night before long runs, cutting calories during cutback weeks, etc.). I also really need to pay more attention to my sleeping habits. Last night I only got six hours, and I rarely get as much as seven hours during the week. I have been pretty good about staying hydrated.

This week is a cutback week, and I’ve cut back more than what I listed on my schedule. But, it doesn’t really matter; the point is to end the week rested, recovered, and ready to move forward. Anyway, I’ll still be in the neighborhood of 50 miles for the week. I took Sunday off, ran an easy five on Monday, and another easy five at lunch yesterday. Yesterday after work I headed out for a second run. After the easy days, I felt pretty good, so I included four miles at half marathon goal pace (6:29). I ended up averaging less than seven minute miles for the entire 7.5 miles.

Weekly Recap

2006-09-16T23:32:00.000-07:00

Here it is:

Sunday - 9.6 miles
Monday - 5.4 miles (lunch) & 5.3 miles after work
Tuesday - 20 miles
Wednesday - 8 miles
Thursday - 15 miles
Friday - 10 miles
Saturday - 7 miles at easy pace

TOTAL: 80.3 miles. I used the Garmin a few times this week, hence the tenths.

Today I ran seven easy miles. I ran alongside my wife who was on her bike. Since I do virtually all of my runs alone, it was nice to have her company. However, I don't think I'll run with her too often. She's pretty erratic with her pace. She'll be cruising along faster than I want to run, and then she'll slow down for no apparent reason. She's is not an athlete or riding for any type of training. She basically rides for a bit of exercise and because she likes to look at the houses, people walking their dogs, etc.

Earlier this afternoon, Notre Dame got hammered by Michigan. It was ugly and tough to watch. The Irish just didn't play well. Michigan seemed to be at the top of their game, but it's hard to tell just how good they are because Notre Dame made a lot of unforced mistakes. Considering that Michigan scored 47 points, you would think that their offense must have been great, but the Michigan defense scored two touchdowns, and I believe their offense had three touchdown drives of less than 30 yards, so it's hard to say how much was Michigan playing great, and how much was Notre Dame playing badly. I know that if anyone reads this, they probably don't care about any of this, but whatever. It interests me. Hopefully, I'll be able to say that the Irish were victorious in the coming weeks.

Into the Gloaming

2006-09-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of day to run is that point between sunset and when it gets dark. It’s bright enough to see, yet the sun isn’t beating down or shining directly into my eyes. Plus, usually it has cooled down a bit and is neither too hot nor too cold. Last night, I was running along the bay near my house and it was perfect. The sun had just set, and I was looking west at a great view of the San Francisco skyline. Not only could I clearly see the buildings (not the norm), but I could see the fog rolling in behind the city. It was one of those times where it’s nice to just be out running without having to worry about training paces or mileage or anything else.

Of course I am training for a race, so most of the time I am thinking about more than the simple act of running. Yesterday, I ran 20 miles. It was my second 20 miler since May. I hope to log at least two more in the next four weeks. By the way, if you ever decide to run an evening 20 miler on a weeknight, don't plan on much family time that evening.

I haven’t heard anything regarding my application for the All-Navy Marathon Team, so I’m still training for the half marathon and trying to run enough miles so that I could step up to the marathon and still run well. Considering that the Marine Corps Marathon is only a little over six weeks away, you’d think a decision on the team would have been made by now. I suspect the people in charge of the process are not marathoners and do not understand the time commitment involved in preparing. Either that or they just didn’t bother the people who weren’t selected.

I Suck

2006-09-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

I cut Sunday's scheduled 20 miler down to 9.6 miles. I was feeling okay and running fine, except for two things: I forgot to tape my nipples, which must sound like the stupidest thing in the world if any non-runners should ever stumble across this; and I could not escape the bathroom. I realized the nipple thing about eight miles into the run. If I had continued for the full 20, I would have looked like I had been shot twice in the chest. As far as the bathroom thing, I went before I left the house, and I went twice more in the first five miles on my run. My plan was to run home change shirts, tape up, and finish the run. Instead I ended up wondering if I would make it home before I would need my next bathroom break. Anyway, by the time I got home I was frustrated enough to stay home.

I still want to run a twenty miler this week, so my plan is to run two easy five milers today, and try to get out for 20 immediately after work tomorrow. If I can get on the road by 4:45 of so, I should be getting home from my run just as it’s getting dark.

This week is all about mileage. If I make up the long run, I should be okay to reach my goal mileage for the week.

Weekly Recap

2006-09-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Here are the numbers:

Sunday - 0, day off
Monday - 10.2, including 5, one mile repeats at 6:10 pace
Tuesday - 15, consisting of 5 easy miles, 5 miles at 7:30 pace, and 5 miles at 6:50 pace
Wednesday - 10 miles at recovery pace
Thursday - 5.5 at lunch; 6 in evening
Friday - 10, including 5 miles at half marathon goal pace (6:29)
Saturday - 7.5 miles. Felt good so pushed the pace down below 7:30

Total: 64.2 miles

I didn't follow my schedule to a T, but I was pretty close. I did run the scheduled number of miles, and I hit the three key workouts on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. Next week is a high mileage week, which includes my first 20 miler in a while and a total in the 80 mile range.

Easy Weekend followed by Two Tough Runs

2006-09-06T13:55:00.000-07:00

Well the good news is that Notre Dame won its game on Saturday. It wasn’t pretty, and the Irish’s highly-regarded offense struggled, especially in the first half. However, they played well enough to win, and that’s all that really counts.

Since it’s been a few days since I’ve posted anything here, I’ll do a quick update to my running. On Saturday I ran an easy 7.5 miles. This gave me 88 miles for the week, which is a new high for me. I took an off day on Sunday. I had a run scheduled, but I had a lot to do around the house, so I traded days with Monday (my scheduled off day). On Monday, I ran a ten miler, which included 5, 1 mile repeats at 6:10 pace. The first four repeats were a bit tough, but I managed to establish a good rhythm and keep the pace fairly well. The fifth repeat was into a pretty tough wind. I ended up this repeat in 6:22. Not quite the 6:10 I was looking for, but the effort was clearly there. Tuesday, I ran my second tough workout in a row. I ran 15 miles, which included 5 miles at 8:10 pace, 5 miles at 7:30 pace, and 5 miles at 6:50 pace. The last mile of this run was as tough as any mile I’ve ever run. Today I’ll run ten miles at recovery pace.

Are you ready for some football!?!?!?

2006-09-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

I am a huge Notre Dame football fan, and I am pumped up about tomorrow's game and the 2006 season. Of course being a pessimist, I can't predict the same level of greatness that others are predicting for the Irish this year. I still remember when Ty Willingham started out 8-0 in his first season as the Notre Dame coach before settling down to a level that could best be described as mediocre. Charlie Weis will have to throw together a couple of great seasons before I'm ready to go along with the genius title that the experts are giving him.

Fortunately, other than Notre Dame games, I'm at best a modest football fan. I watch the Irish and other big games when they're on, but I don't park myself in front of the television for 16 straight hours on Saturday and Sunday, which means that I should be able to watch the football games I'm interested in and still get in all my scheduled runs.

Today I ran 15 miles. I ran pretty easy for the first 8 miles and then started to pick it up a little bit. I didn't really plan to start going faster; it just sort of happened. I tend to push the effort a bit when I run into the wind. I just continued to push when I turned and the wind was at my side and then at my back. I also ran mile 13 at goal half marathon pace (6:29). I started toying with the idea around mile 10 and eventually talked myself into it. Around the 13.5 mile mark, it seemed like a real bad idea. I did finish the mile at goal pace and then cruised on home. According to Garmin, I ran the first 8 miles at 7:52 pace and finished at 7:40 pace. My overall time was 1:54:56.

August Stats

2006-08-31T23:03:00.000-07:00

Here are the numbers:
277 miles
26 Running Days/5 Days off
4 Doubles

Ran a 10K PR (39:40) on August 27, finally breaking the 40 minute mark.

***

Yesterday (Wednesday) I ran a 15 miler, and today was a scheduled easy 7.5 miles before another 15 miles on Friday. I decided to add a few easy miles at lunch, running just over five miles. I ran at a recovery effort, not trying to accomplish anything other than logging a few more miles. This afternoon when I started the 7.5 miles, I felt pretty good. However by the time I got approximately two and a half to 3 miles into the run, I was beat. I was hot and was sweating a lot. I realized that I did not drink near enough fluids after my lunchtime run and that I was going to start paying for it. If I were closer to home, I may have cut the run short. Instead I stopped for a pretty good sized drink from the water fountain and continued. I knew that I only had a mile and a half or so with the wind at my back before I would turn and be running mostly in the shade. I just took it easy and kept going. Actually after another mile or so, I started to feel better and finished the run without issue. I have, however, been pounding water since I got home. I took tomorrow off from work, so I’ll try to run before things get warm.

10K PR and Possible Win

2006-08-27T23:37:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. This morning I set a PR for the 10K, finally breaking the elusive 40-minute mark; and I think I won the race*. There were no prizes other than ribbons for top age group finishers. I know I was first in my age group, but if anyone beat me in the race, they were way in front because I couldn't see anybody ahead of me. I know there were approximately ten guys ahead of me in the first lap, but apparently they were all running the 5K. I'll know for sure if I won when the results are posted to the host running club's website.

My finishing time was 39:40, and I ran a pretty even race. The race was run around a lake which is basically 5K in perimeter. The three races offered were a 5K, 10K, or 15K. As I past the 5K finish and began my second lap around the lake, I heard the timer call out 20 minutes, so I knew I was right on pace to meet my 40-minute goal. It wasn't until I was approximately half way through my second lap that I realized no one was in front of me. I tried not to think about winning and concentrated on holding my pace. Somewhere near the five mile mark, I heard someone come up behind me, and I thought he might pass me, but he never did, and I was able to pull away from him over the last mile. Plus, after the race, I won a gift bag at the raffle, a t-shirt, hat, and some other things from an organization called Girls on the Run. I gave most of the items to my wife and daughter. If my number would have been pulled one prize later, I would have won a comp entry to the San Jose Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon. Not bad for a $4 entry fee. I'll definitely be there next month looking for a 5K PR.

This evening, I headed out again and ran fifteen easy miles, giving me a bit over 22 for the day if you add up my warm-up, race, and evening run. I felt surprisingly good on the long run, and would have stretched it out to a 20 if I had started earlier. The way things worked out, it was getting dark when I wrapped up the 15, so I just headed home.

If I still lived in Louisiana, I would have to run this race half marathon. It would be worth it just to have the t-shirt.

*Follow-up: I didn't win the race. I was third overall. Second place was a minute and a half ahead of me, which explains why I didn't see him. Here are the results (it's the August 4th Sunday race).

Weekly Summary

2006-08-26T23:34:00.000-07:00

Here are my totals for my cutback week.

Sunday - 00 - Total off day. Switched with Monday's off day.
Monday - 20 miles - Make up for Sunday's missed run.
Tuesday - 8 miles - including six miles at 6:50 pace.
Wednesday - 5 miles - Easy
Thursday - 8 miles - Easy
Friday - 6 miles - including 4 miles at half marathon goal pace (6:29 mile)
Saturday - 5 miles - Easy

Total: 52 miles.

Tomorrow should be interesting. I'm planning on running a race in the morning, and I also have a 20 miler scheduled. As of now, I'm planning on racing the 10K in the morning, and then running 15 in the afternoon. I know that even though the total will be higher, these two runs are not the same as running a 20, but I'm not sure I'll have 20 in me after racing.

Cutback Week

2006-08-25T23:32:00.000-07:00

My cutback week ends tomorrow. Wednesday I ran an easy five miles, and Thursday I ran an easy eight miles. Following the eight mile run, I went on a short bike ride (probably 5 miles) with my wife. My legs were pretty lifeless on the five mile run and weren’t much better on the eight miler. The bike ride was at close to my running pace, so it certainly didn’t take anything away from my efforts to cut back.

I had some trouble about six miles into my eight mile run; my feet started to hurt like hell. The pain was caused by the shoes I was wearing, which were a pair of Asics (I don’t know what model they were). I only bought them because they were on sale. I went to Big 5 Sporting Goods because they had the Nike’s I like on sale; however, by the time I got there they had run out of the shoe I wanted. After looking around and trying on a few shoes, I bought the Asics. Ever since I’ve had them, they’ve been fine for short runs, but have started to hurt after 7 or 8 miles. I kept them and used them for short, recovery runs. However, the pain I felt during Thursday’s run was the worst yet. When I got home, I took off the shoes and threw them away. It’s Nikes for me from now on. I know a lot of people don’t like them, but for me they last a long time and feel like they were made for my feet.

After two easy days I felt good going into today's run, which was six miles, including four miles at half marathon goal pace (6:29/mile). This was be a good workout for me considering that I’ll be running a 10K and looking for a PR on Sunday. My goal for the race is to go sub-40 minutes for the first time. To reach this goal I need to run at 6:27 pace; only two seconds faster per mile than today's run. I had hoped today's run would help me decide whether to go for sub-40 or to set my sights a little higher and try for a bigger PR. However, when I ran this afternoon, it was pretty hot, and it was damned windy. Considering the 10K will be run in the morning when it's been cool and calm, I'm not sure today's run was much of a barometer.

The good news is that I was able to stay close to goal pace running the first two miles into the wind (within a couple of seconds per mile), and I more than made up the difference when I turned and ran the final two miles with the wind at my back.

Five easy miles tomorrow, and then next week starts with a race.

Tough Workout

2006-08-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

When I switched my long run from Sunday to Monday, I was planning on switching Tuesday's and Wednesday's workouts and go easy on Tuesday and harder on Wednesday and then finish up my easy week as scheduled. That would give me an easy day after a 20-mile day. However, after my last post, I decided to run Tuesday's harder workout as scheduled. The workout was 8 miles, including six miles at 6:50 pace (marathon pace). My legs were pretty sore and tired all day, and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to maintain the pace on the faster miles.

Fortunately where I run someone has painted a mark every quarter mile, so I was able to track my pace as I felt the need, although for the most part I just checked every mile. I'm pleased to say that I finished the six faster miles more than 30 seconds ahead of goal pace, maintaining the pace into the wind and gaining time with the wind at my back. I felt relaxed and comfortable for each of these miles. This is an encouraging workout.

Other than four miles at half marathon pace (6:29) on Friday, the rest of my week is all easy miles. I'll finish up in the 50-mile range. Not good or bad for a cutback week.

Hard Workouts

2006-08-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

Since my last post I ran a short, easy run on Friday, a double (9 miles in a.m. and 5 in the p.m.) on Saturday, zero on Sunday, and 20 miles after work on Monday. These runs gave me 62 miles for last week and a good 20 mile start to this week.

The long run was scheduled for Sunday with an off day on Monday, but I switched them. Saturday night I just could not sleep. I was awake until 4:00 a.m. A lack of sleep combined with the fact that I had a lot of things to get done made not running on Sunday an easy sell. This week is an easy week for me, so getting back on schedule should not be a problem.

“While it does feel great to bounce right back after a day off and have a great workout, I still believe it’s more important to run tired. You can’t be cutting back before every hard workout and expect to maximize your training.”

I read the above statement on Zeke’s Blog. I think not following this rule is a problem for me. I don’t have any trouble doing the tough workouts or getting in the mileage. I just get conservative about scheduling more than three hard workouts a week or to push the mileage the day before or after a hard workout.

It seems like the more I run, the less I know about running. I guess I’m getting to the point where mileage alone won’t help me improve very much. I need to learn to train smarter. My running life is similar to a training program. First I built the endurance; then I gained some zip by adding a few faster runs. Now I need to bring the two together to get the most gain from my effort.

Tempo Run

2006-08-17T23:07:00.000-07:00

After an easy 7.5 mile recovery run yesterday, which I ran without a watch to ensure an easy pace (a problem for me), I set out today with the goal of running ten miles, including 4 miles at 6:29 pace. This is my half marathon goal pace, and I am hoping to build up to at least 8 miles at this pace before this training period is over. If I end up running a half marathon in October, these will be good pacing experience. If I somehow get selected to run for the Navy at the Marine Corps Marathon, I'll call them tempo runs, which is what I'm calling them now. With these workouts, mile repeats, the monthly three-mile fun runs at work, and the monthly races that I plan to start entering this month, I'm confident that I'm getting in enough speed work.

I was less than a half mile into today's tempo run when I realized that only a few weeks ago I ran three miles at 6:11 pace, so maybe four miles at 6:29 wasn't enough of a challenge. As a result, I added another mile to the tempo run, ending with 10 miles total, including 5 tempo miles at 6:29, 6:26, 6:21, 6:20, and 6:28. I also limited myself to only checking my pace every half mile. Not relying on the watch was helpful in forcing me to get into a rhythm and learning the pace. The 6:21 mile was with the wind at my back, and the 6:20 mile was half into the wind and half with the wind at my back. I kept the pace pretty well with the wind at my back, but overcompensated when I ran into the wind.

Note on Training Plan

2006-08-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post on my training plan. I’m on a 12-week plan. However, instead of a traditional plan that breaks down into stages (x number of weeks of hills, x number of weeks of speed, etc.). My plan alternates these weeks as follows:

Week 1: Run long
Week 2: Speed work
Week 3: Cutback
Week 4: Run long
Week 5: Speed work
Week 6: Run long
Week 7: Cutback
Week 8: Speed work
Week 9: Run long
Week 10: Speed work
Week 11: Taper
Week 12: Taper

During the cutback and taper weeks, I do have some miles at race pace.

The long weeks are in the 80-mile range; the speed work is in the 60s, and the cutback weeks are 50-mile weeks. The average training week is 68 miles, not including the taper weeks. I also plan on running a few easy miles at lunch a couple times a week now that softball is over. These runs will push me north of a 70 miles a week average.

I have no idea whether or not this is an effective way to train. I suspect that it’s not bad but that it’s not the best. I’m confident that if I complete the training and manage the race well, I’ll get a PR, because this will be harder than I’ve ever trained for a half marathon. I may be well-served to find another half marathon early in 2007 that I can race after completing a more traditional training program and see which works better for me.

Mile Repeats

2006-08-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last night was a tough run. The plan was for ten miles, including three, one mile repeats at 6:10 pace, with a three minutes of easy jogging in between As usual it was great kite-flying weather, but not so great for running. Well, it was great for running once I turned away from the wind.

Anyway, to try and keep the repeats fair, I started after a 2.5 mile warm up, starting my first repeat into the wind for the first 2/3 or a mile or so and then turning so that the wind would be at my back. Obviously, I was working way too hard early in this repeat and still I was only at 6:30 pace when I made the turn. The pace began to drop as soon as I rounded the point. I pushed hard towards the end of this mile in an attempt to lower the pace to 6:10. I finished the mile in 6:11. Whatever, the 6:10 effort was more than there. The next repeat was with the wind at my back. Since I was running with the wind I decided to push to a 6:00 mile, ending at 5:57. The third repeat was the fairest of the three. It was an out and back with the turnaround at .52 miles (according to Garmin), and the wind was mostly blocked by buildings. I pushed a bit hard early in this repeat and then just tried to keep a good rhythm on the last half when what wind there was at my back. I finished this last repeat at 5:59. So overall I more than met my goal.

I’m pleased with my effort, although I need to be more consistent and get into a smoother rhythm earlier in the repeat. I seem to be pushing hard and worrying more about pace then form or effort. In the future, I need to just concentrate on running, not check the pace until I’m at least halfway through the repeat, make any necessary adjustment, and then not check the pace again until the mile is over. Today is a recovery day and then a ten miler with four miles at tempo (6:30) pace on Thursday.

Weekly Totals

2006-08-13T23:04:00.000-07:00

Here are my totals for last week (August 6 - 12)

Sunday - 18.5
Monday - 7.5
Tuesday - 16 Total (5.5 at lunch and 10.5 after work)
Wednesday - 15 Easy miles
Thursday - 11 Slow miles, legs were tired
Friday - Dental Surgery, no running
Saturday - 5.5 Easy Miles, mostly to see if running would hurt. It didn't.
TOTAL - 73.5 miles

My schedule called for 81 miles, but I missed a 12 miler on Friday and cut Saturday's run short, so I didn't quite reach my target. Running an unscheduled run at lunch on Tuesday got me closer than I otherwise would have been.

Today I ran 15 miles. I ran the first five miles at an easy 8:10 pace, the next five miles at a 7:30 pace, and the last five miles at a 6:50 pace. Except for the first mile and the first 7:30 mile, which was into a pretty stiff wind, I was at or under my target pace for each mile. Overall, I finished almost 50 seconds ahead of my overall time goal. This is basically my first shot at a faster pace in a months, and I'm pleased with the result. I did run the first half of the final five miles with the wind at my back, which of course made it easier. However, the next 1.5 miles were with the wind at my side or blocked by bushes, so there was no real advantage or disadvantage, and I ran the final mile with the wind in my face. I was able to finish strong with no real trouble maintaining the pace. Of course, a day off followed by a very easy day helped with this run.

I have a couple of more faster runs on the schedule for this week. I hope they all go as well as today's run did. A key will be my willingness go slow on recovery days.

Midweek Recap

2006-08-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

My week is progressing nicely. After running five miles at lunch on Tuesday, I ran 11 that evening. Last night I ran my scheduled 15 miles. Yesterday was hotter than it had been recently, so I ended up running ten seconds slower than normal, finishing with an average pace of 8:07/mile. Easing up a bit seems to be a good thing. Today my legs feel surprisingly fresh considering that I’ve covered 57 miles through the first four days of the week. My schedule calls for an easy day consisting of two short runs (5 at lunch and 6 this evening). However, I have a softball game at lunch, so I’ll be running the entire 11 miles after work. Although the week is going well so far, I’m afraid things are about to fall apart. Tomorrow I’m having dental surgery, which may put an end to my running for the week. I think the best case scenario will be if I can run on Saturday. I’m pretty sure Friday will be spent sitting around on medication trying not to drool.

No matter how much or how little I run over the weekend, I feel good about where my fitness is. Next week I start some faster stuff. I’ve been running a lot of long, easy runs. Speeding up may be tough, but I’m looking forward to it.

*****

We lost our softball game 16-12. It was the first game of the playoffs, which are double elimination, so we will get to play at least one more game. I hope we can win, but I'm not too confident. We've only won a couple of games all year.

Easy Running and Ironman Championships

2006-08-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

After work on Monday, I ran 7.5 miles at a recovery pace. I ran with a watch but without a Garmin, so I wasn't really sure what pace I was running. I was hoping for something in the 8:20 range, and ended up with an average pace of 8:17, so I’m happy. It's always hard for me guess what my average pace will be because I end up running half my run into the wind and half with the wind at my back. There are no calm areas. I checked my pace at a couple of spots where someone has marked quarter mile intervals. Against the wind, I was just over 8:30/mile, and with the wind at my back, I was just over 8:00/mile.

Today, I'm scheduled to run an easy ten miles. In addition to my scheduled training, I decided to try to run a couple of times a week during lunch. Today, I ran 5 easy miles at what turned out to be 8:02 pace. I was surprised by this pace; I thought I would be a bit slower. I guess the recovery pace worked. I’ll probably miss at least one run this week because I’m having dental surgery on Friday. When I had this surgery last time, I didn’t run the day of the surgery and the next day. I’m going to try to only miss the one day this time.

I watched the re-broadcast of the Ironman Championship from Hawaii. I love watching this race. The effort that these competitors put forward is amazing to me. My favorite part is the run. I enjoy this part of the race the most not because I’m a runner, but because you can really tell how each competitor is doing based on their form. In the race they showed this weekend, even though there was a seven-minute difference between the first and second place women, less than ten miles into the run it was clear that the woman in second place was going to win the race just because her form was so strong and the lead woman was clearly struggling.

My next race is an out-and-back half marathon. I should see if I can convince my wife to stand at miles 2 / 11 and videotape me going each direction. It would be interesting to see how my form looks at these two points of the race.

Let's Train

2006-08-06T23:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening I ran an easy 5.5 miles. After a day and a half of resting, stretching, and icing, my left hamstring felt pretty good, but the right one was still tight. I put the heating pad on each side just before heading out for an easy run. My main point was to see how my legs would feel while running. I didn't want to miss Sunday's long run. After less than a tenth of a mile, I could tell that the hammies would be fine, but my right calf was starting to tighten up. I figured I was subconsciously overcompensating for my hamstring and putting more stress on the calf. Whatever. It was only tight and didn't hurt, so I tried to ignore it and just keep up a steady, easy pace. After a mile and a half or so, I felt fine. No pain, no tightness, just a relaxing run along the bay. I was ready for Sunday.

Today (Sunday), I ran my long run with no leg problems. I ran 18.5 miles, with an average pace of 7:45/mile, including running all miles at sub 8:00/mile pace with the last five miles at 7:20 pace or faster. I continue to have problems with having to stop and use the bathroom. I had to make a quick stop at mile 3 and then a longer stop at mile 7. The second stop was made even longer because I stopped at my house, and my wife came home while I was using the facilities. When I got out, she started talking to me. After a few minutes, I finally said that I had to go to finish my run. She said that she thought I was done. Anyway, the second stop was probably a 15 minute break. Not ideal, I know, but I'm still pleased with the run. I was concerned about making the 7:20 pace for the last five miles. The first 2.5 of these miles was into a pretty stiff wind. I probably should have went more by effort into the wind and made up the difference during the last 2.5 miles, but I used my Garmin to maintain the 7:20 pace. When I rounded the point and started for home, the wind shifted to my back, and I was running closer to 7:10 for the finishing miles.

Today I am starting my twelve week race specific training for the Grapestomp Half Marathon. I'm excited about this training cycle. I created a training schedule, which is pretty ambitious for me, especially the speed work. I've made my own training plans before, but this time I'm pushing the envelope a bit. The reason for the jump is that I created the plan after reading this on Zeke's blog. I don't know how this training will come out for me, but it is time for me to take the next step. I've been running long enough to where if I want to see anymore discernible gains, I need to increase my training. Accumulated mileage and the same speed work isn't going to get me much faster than I am now, especially considering that I'm 41.

One last thought. Why is it that the spellcheck on Blogger doesn't recognize the word blog? I guess it's probably an off-the-shelf software that is more headache than it's worth to change.

No Running Again

2006-08-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

I didn't run again today. Well, I sort of ran. I ran about 100 yards, and then let the pain talk me out of it. The good news is that I'm not injured just really tight and sore. Yesterday, I had to do some work at the house that required a lot of bending and lifting. I wasn't lifting anything heavy, but the constant up and down has taken it's toll on my hamstrings. They've been sore and really tight all day. I thought I could run easy and that they would loosen up. Instead in the few seconds that I ran, it felt like someone was punching me in the back of the legs each time I took a step. I'm still not sure if running would have helped or hurt, but I don't have a lot of experience with injuries and didn't want to take a chance. So today's a non-running day, the second non-running day this month, and it's only the fourth. I'll run easy tomorrow and start the real work on Sunday.

On another note, today is sort of a work holiday and a personal holiday. August 4th is Coast Guard Day, celebrating the establishment of the Coast Guard on August 4, 1790. Actually it's the anniversary of the Revenue Cutter Service, which eventually joined with the lighthouse service and a few other federal agencies to become the Coast Guard. August 4th is also my anniversary. My wife Caryn and I were married on August 4, 1988, making this our 18th anniversary. The good news about not running is that the night is open for celebrating, which for us means a quiet dinner for two. Anyone with kids knows how nice that can be.

A Good Tired

2006-08-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

My favorite part of running is racing. However, my next favorite is probably that feeling I get when I'm finishing up a workout and my legs are just starting to tire, but my lungs still feel good; and I know have more miles to give if necessary. I feel the satisfaction of running a good workout; I can feel the muscles working and know that I am pushing my body to improve. That's how I felt today on the way home from my run. I ran twelve miles at a fairly easy effort, averaging a 7:47 pace. I realize that this wasn't a great workout by any means, but it felt great. I don't know if this makes sense, but it felt like my body was telling me that it's ready to work and that PRs are mine for the taking. Now I just need to bring mind and body together and do the work.

Since my last post I ended up not running on Tuesday because time got away from me. The plan was for my wife and I to make a quick run to the store to buy me some new running shoes and get a pair of jeans for my daughter. We were thinking we could knock this out in an hour or so, and that I'd be running by 6:30 at the latest. Then it turned out that my daughter was going to join us. This quick errand, turned into a 2.5 hour full-on shopping trip. First we had to stop to look at the cats that were up for adoption at the pet store next to the sporting goods shop. Then my daughter had to try on five or six pairs of jeans before she could find a pair that she could live with. I don't know if this is the way it works with all females or if it's just my daughter, but trying on clothes, especially jeans, is an event for her. When I try on jeans, I slip them on, feel how the fit in the waist, check the length, consider how much they'll shrink in the wash, and make my decision. The whole process, takes less than two minutes per pair of pants (not including taking off my shoes and the pants I wore to the store). I honestly have no idea everyting that my daughter does when she tries on pants, but I would guess that each pair of pants is on her for at least five minutes. Not only does she have to see how they feel, but she has to look at herself in the mirror from every angle, she has to have my wife look at her from every angle, and then she has to go back and look at herself again while considering what my wife said about the pants. Plus I think she may dance around just to watch herself in the mirror. Anyway, we finally got the pants, but we didn't get home until after 7:30. I was tired and frustrated, and I didn't run.

On Wednesday, I wasted the early evening. I ended up running 5.5 miles because I once again started late. There was no real reason for the late start. I sat down after work and started watching a ball game for an inning or so, and the next thing I know it's 7:00. Anyway, I'm sure the off day followed by the easy day certainly helped with my energy level on today's run. The good news is that this week all but doesn't count for me. As I mentioned before, if I get to Sunday rested and ready to run, then this week was a success.

Long Run and Easy Run and Monthly Recap

2006-07-31T22:46:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a good run. I start my actual training plan next Sunday with a 20 miler, so the goal for this Sunday was to run somewhere between my usual 15 miles and 20 miles. I ended up running 18 miles at just under 8:00 pace. I felt good after this run, with the exception of my feet, which were pretty sore. I followed up Monday's run with ten easy miles on Monday. I'm not sure what I'll do for the rest of the week. I'll probably run an easy 7.5 miles tomorrow, and then either a 10 miler or 12 miles on a double on Wednesday. But really the main goal for this week is to get to next Sunday motivated and well-rested.

July was a good month for me. I didn't reach 300 miles, but I came fairly close. Here are my stats for the month:

292.5 total miles
27 running days, including 3 doubles
4 non-running days
Averaged 9.75 miles per run

I'm pleased with these totals and feel ready to start race-specific training next week. I'm not sure what my totals will be for August. The training plan I've created has some high mileage weeks and some weeks where the mileage is less with the main focus on speed training. Although really it doesn't matter. The success for August, September and October will not be measured in miles, but rather on my 29 October half marathon finishing time.

At Least I Ran

2006-07-29T22:58:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days when I simply did not want to run. I didn't run in the morning, which I'll get to later. I was ready to head out for an easy run at 3:00, but then I ended up having to stay home for various reasons mostly having to do with miscommunications between my daughter, my wife and me. Anyway, by the time we were all on the same page, I simply had lost my desire to run. It was early evening, and I was ready to shut it down for the night. The good news is that after trying to talk myself out of running for 10-15 minutes, I finally got dressed and headed out the door. I didn't really have a plan other than I wanted to run at least 4 miles and get to 60 miles for the week. If I felt better after I started running, I could always go farther. Today was just one of those days where the body wants to rest. I felt okay, but never really had much energy, so I ran my four miles, and called it quits. This was my shortest run in a while, but I'm fine with it since tomorrow's schedule contains a long run and some more time on my feet at the local Wine and Art Festival.

I must have a mental block or something. I mentioned in my last post that I wanted to run in the morning today (Saturday). However, on Friday I did the same thing that I do on many workday afternoons. I came home, changed out of my uniform, sat down for what I thought would be a few minutes, and fell asleep. The sad thing is that everytime it happens, I wake up surprised that I fell asleep. I usually only sleep for 10-15 minutes, but it's enough to keep me awake long into the night. Last night I was awake well past midnight. As a result, I didn't wake up until after 9:00 this morning. I ate breakfast, giving up any thought of a morning run. I've done a better job of staying awake today. Maybe tomorrow I'll get in that a.m. run. Stranger things have happened.

My New Co-Worker

2006-07-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I ran a total of 12 miles over two runs (6.5 at lunch and 5.5 after work). Both runs were run at an easy pace with the primary goal to just get in the miles. I know that I would have been better off running one long run rather than two shorter runs, but I didn’t have the time at lunch, and was pretty tired and ready to run short and slow after work. I’m currently at 45 miles for the week, and will finish the week in the 60s, which is a good total for me.

Tonight I’m just going to run by feel. I’ll run between 7.5 and 10 miles at whatever my natural pace is for today. My main goal is to not wear myself out for the weekend. I don’t have plans for a long or a tough run on Saturday, but I would like to get out for a run early in the day. I have a habit of putting my runs off until evening, which clearly puts a hold on any family activities. When I do run in the morning, I'm usually not getting started until 10:00, but this weekend I’ll try to do better. Sunday will be my long run. I’ll go beyond 15 miles for the first time in awhile. I’ve said I was going to do this in the past, but with my first 20 miler on the schedule a week from Sunday, I think it’s time to step it up a bit.

My daughter started working as a volunteer here at work. She'll helping out in the daycare center. She’s only been there a couple of days, but she likes it so far. It’s so nice to see her take an interest in something productive. It’s such a pleasant change from the gloomy teenager that I so often see around the house either talking on the phone or hacking away at the computer keyboard.

Encouraging Fun Run

2006-07-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

Today I ran the monthly fun run at work. The course is twice around Coast Guard Island and then once down the main road to the gazebo/picnic area. The total distance is three miles. I ran the course today in 18:33, which is a 6:11 pace. I finished first, as always. The next fastest regular participant showed up today, so I only won by a couple of minutes. While the competition isn’t challenging, these runs do give me a monthly opportunity to test myself. If this had been a 5K, I would have been pretty close to my PR (19:13). The path around CG Island is approximately 60% dirt, and the dirt section is uneven and is not the best running surface. I believe that if I had run a 5K on the roads today, I could have finally made a serious run at going under 19 minutes.

When I was transferring my half marathon training plan from paper to the computer, the speedwork was looking pretty daunting considering that I haven’t been running fast for the past few months (other than during the fun runs). After running today’s fun run so well, I’m feeling better about starting the training program. While I clearly have some work ahead of me, I think I’m in pretty good shape as I enter the program. I’m not normally the optimistic type, but I think I have some good fall racing ahead of me this year.

I was working on my application for the Navy Marathon team today, and one fact is pretty clear – I don’t race enough. This year, I’ve raced once (the Napa Valley Marathon). Since moving back to California last July, I’ve raced only twice. My race times aren’t bad, but there certainly aren’t very many of them. A few weeks ago I mentioned low-key races hosted by a local running club. I’m going to make it a point to participate in these races in August and in September, probably running a 5K one month and a 10K the other month.

Since the fun run, including warm-up, is under five miles, I ran again after work. The plan was to run a bit over ten miles and log 15 miles total for the day. However, my body had other ideas. I felt pretty good for the first couple of miles, but then I suddenly had nothing left. I decided to just circle around to get up to ten total miles for the day and get ready for more miles tomorrow.

Finally Another 80 Mile Week

2006-07-22T23:16:00.000-07:00

I finished this week with 81 miles. The week broke down as follows:

Sunday - 15
Monday - 10.5
Tuesday - 10.5
Wednesday - 7 & 5.5
Thursday - 11
Friday - 9
Saturday - 7 & 5.5

This was probably the easiest of my few 80-mile weeks. Mainly because I ran nine times (instead of 7 or 8 as I have in the past), and I ran the easy runs slower. That's unusually good discipline for me. I could certainly feel the recovery as I ran with much more energy on the days after the recovery days. This discipline will be important to maintain when I begin harder workouts next month.

Anyway, more of the same next week. I may not reach 80 because we have our monthly fun run at work is next week, and I'd like to do well. This probably means a short, easy day on Tuesday.

Good Week

2006-07-21T23:40:00.000-07:00

I haven't followed the mileage I had planned for Thursday and Friday, but I had two pretty good days. On Wednesday I felt good. I ran 11 miles at a 7:52 average pace. On Friday, I had hoped to run 15 miles, but I ended up only running 9. At work we had a retirement ceremony for our captain, and I spent the first couple of hours of the day moving and setting up tables and chairs. After that I spent a bit over an hour standing in the hot sun while wearing a dark blue full dress uniform. When the ceremony was over, I got to grab a bite to eat, change clothes and then put the tables and chairs back. By this time I was tired and sweaty. I came home, took an ibuprofen for some back soreness, iced my back, took a short nap and started pounding down water. I felt okay this afternoon, but was still a bit tired, so I cut the run from 15 to 9. The plan now is to run a double tomorrow to reach 80 for the week, and then go at least 15 on Sunday.

One thing I finally accomplished this week was to put together a training program for a half marathon at the end of October. My goal is sub-1:25:00. The plan is pretty ambitious with a lot of mile repeats and race pace runs building up to 8 miles. It also includes a few 20-mile runs. It may be a stretch for me reach my goal paces for these workouts, but I do better with something to shoot for. Even if I'm a bit behind the goal pace, I'll still be better off for making the effort and can adjust the plan accordingly if necessary.

I've decided to put in an application for the Navy Marathon Team. It will be a long-shot for me to make the team, but it can't hurt to ask. If I'm selected, I'll get a free trip to run the Marine Corps Marathon. Looking at the past participants, the talent seems to be mostly faster than me, but there are a few runners who are a slower. I'd feel more confident if I had run more races lately. I guess if the fast guys get orders to sea, I'm in. If I do get selected, having the 20 milers and weekly mileage between 60 and 80 will put me in a good position to move up to the marathon.

Easy Running

2006-07-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and today were both easy days. Yesterday I ran 10.5 miles. Even though I had planned on running at an easy pace, when I started my legs felt surprisingly fresh. I felt like I was running at a decent pace, however, the first couple of miles were going by close to 20 seconds slower than I would have guessed. The pace picked up a bit as I turned and got the wind at my back, but I gave any advantage back when running home into the wind.

Today, I ran seven miles at lunch and five and a half miles after work. On both of these runs, I didn't have much energy and took awhile to get loose. I ran the first one easy with an average pace of 8:10. This is slower than I usually run on my easy days, but the slow start and running in the heat of the day were the difference. For today's second run, I kept it at a recovery pace. The average for this run was 8:20 miles. I wore a watch, but didn't check it during the run. My main focus was on just running slow.

Hopefully, breaking the runs up and going easy during both runs will have me relatively fresh tomorrow. I hope to round out my week with 10 tomorrow, 15 on Friday and 7.5 on Saturday, which will get me to the 80 mile mark. Our Captain is retiring on Friday, so tomorrow and Friday will be mad-crazy at work, but I don't think I'll have to stay late much (if any), so it shouldn't affect my workouts.

A Good Run

2006-07-17T22:19:00.000-07:00

Not much to post today other than the fact that I had a better than expected run this afternoon. After a quick 15 miles yesterday and a hot day here in the Bay Area, I didn't have high hopes for today's run. However, from the first step my legs felt surprisingly fresh. Taking it easy, I averaged just under 8:00 miles on the out portion and approximately 8:10 on the back portion (with the wind versus against the wind). Even though the wind made the run a bit tougher on the way home, it felt better having the wind in my face cooling me off a bit. Tomorrow will be a short, easy run of probably 7.5 miles.

I've said this before, but I'll say it again as a reminder to myself. I need to set up some kind of half marathon training program and get started with workouts designed to do more than just cover X number of miles.

Decent Week

2006-07-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

The bad news is that I didn't get my second run in on Saturday and failed to reach 60 miles for the week. I thought I'd be in the 70-mile range, but missing Wednesday and that second run, pushed me back. I've been pretty down on my running lately. It just seems that I haven't been able to get motivated enough to stay consistent. However, during Saturday's run, I was thinking about where I'm at, and it put things in perspective for me. So far this year, I'm averaging 60 miles a week. I've had weeks of over 80 miles. I PR'd a marathon by 24 minutes. Last year, I was running between 40 and 50 miles a week, and I had no interest in going higher. I've taken a lot of steps forward (no pun intended) since moving back to California. This doesn't mean that I don't have to keep working and get more consistent. It's just that I am doing some things right, and I need to give myself credit, not just focus on the negatives. Positive feedback is also important.

Back to the present. I ran 15 miles today at a 7:21 average pace. These mid-7 minute paces (7:20 - 7:40) seem to be easier to maintain than they were only a few weeks ago. I could run at this pace for awhile, but I used to have to push a bit to get there. Now it seems like I just need to keep mindful of the pace, and I'm there. Of course, getting more sleep lately has helped, also. Speaking of which, it's almost 11:00, so it's time for bed.

One last thing. This week at work will be busy. We have a conference for 40-50 people on Tuesday, and a retirement ceremony on Friday. It may mean more hours for me, but I don't think it will affect my running.

I Need to Get Organized

2006-07-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

I didn't run 15 today like I had hoped. I ran an errand after work with my wife, which got me out the door late and forced me to cut the run back to 10 miles. I had a good plan. Get off work at 4:00; be at Costco by 4:30; pick up a few things; and be home by 6:00. I easily could have been out the door by 6:30 with enough time to run 15 before dark. Instead, I got busy at work and didn't get out on time. This delay got us out the door late. We got to Costco later than we had hoped, so it was relatively crowded, which made moving through the store slower and checking out much slower. Anyway, I didn't get out the door until 7:10 and got home just as it was getting dark. Even so it was worth it. It seems like during the week, my wife and I get into our own routines and don't spend enough time together. This evening was nice.

I think what I'll do this weekend is to run 15 on two runs on Saturday and 15 on one run on Sunday. Early next week, I'll work out a schedule for half marathon training. Even though I've logged decent mileage since May despite not having a schedule, I'm much more consistent when I have a schedule to work from. Plus, I know I won't be consistent with any type of speed work without planning the workouts in advance.

This weekend should be fun. Tomorrow we're heading to San Francisco to just spend some fun time just walking around and then getting some lunch. It will be interesting to see how walking the hilly streets of San Francisco will affect my afternoon run. Actually, I'll probably feel it more on Sunday. Other than running, Sunday will be the day to get things done around the house.

Okay Week So Far

2006-07-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

So far I’ve had a so-so week. I did run 15 miles on Tuesday after playing a losing game of softball at lunch (we lost 19-17, and we had the tying run on base when the game ended – frustrating.) I didn’t run on Wednesday. My sleep pattern had gotten out of whack. I fell into a pattern where I was falling asleep after work and then not going to bed until well after midnight, and then I’d drag ass all the next day. By Wednesday, my legs were sore and tired from the day before, and I was close to sleepwalking by the time I got home from work. I dedicated Wednesday evening to doing things at home and staying awake until bedtime. It seems to have worked because I got a good night sleep on Wednesday and Thursday.

I’m at 41 miles for the week. I got a late start on Thursday, so I didn’t have time to run ten before it got dark, Instead I ran a 7.5 mile loop and pushed the pace a bit; I finished with an average pace of 7:26/mile. I’m planning 15 miles tonight and 10 on Saturday, which will put me in the mid-60s for the week. Again not bad, not good, but about average for me.

Easy Run

2006-07-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

Today I ran an easy 7.5 miles, which is one lap around my neighborhood. I was going to run ten miles, but my legs felt pretty tired right from the get-go, so I cut it a bit short. Of course after I warmed up, I felt better and considered running the full ten. However, since I'm planning on running 15 miles tomorrow, I stuck with the easy 7.5 miles. It turned out to be a good decision because my legs started feeling heavy after five miles or so. Anyway, tomorrow I play softball at lunch and then go 15 miles after work.

I'm ninety percent sure that I won't be running a marathon this fall. I just can't justify the expense of traveling and staying overnight. My wife and I have had some unexpected expenses this year (as always). I could make it work, but between a couple of family events and saving for Christmas, it just seems guilty to spend what few extra dollars we have on something that only benefits me. Instead the plan is to run the Grape Stomp Half Marathon on October 29. It's local and fairly inexpensive. I'm also planning on running a local 10K in August, but the half marathon is the goal race for this fall.

Okay Last Week and Okay Start to This Week

2006-07-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

Forget my last post. I ended up not running on Friday. I was about to head out the door when my mom called to tell me where they were, which was approximately 20 minutes away. No big deal. I would have plenty of time to sneak out for a run after my wife got home. Of course, it didn't work out that way. I ended up watching a baseball game with my uncle. I was going to take off in the middle of the game to run, but I was enjoying the game and the company, so I stayed home. I live with my wife and my daughter -- two women with no interest in sports; the chance to watch a game with another baseball fan was a treat.

I'm not really concerned about the lost mileage or day off from running. The thing that does bother me, however, is how easily I'm distracted or can convince myself not to run. I need to work on this lack of dedication that jumps up and bites me on a fairly regular basis.

The good news is that I did run six days last week, which was a step up from the previous two weeks. Also, I had good runs on Saturday and Sunday. Both runs were between 10 and 10.5 miles, and both were at 7:40 pace with a comfortable effort. I was planning to run at least 15 miles today, but I had an upset stomach and had to stop three times to use the bathroom, so I just headed home.

I'm planning on running 15 miles at least twice this week and finishing with at least 70 miles, although 80 is more likely.

Just Catching Up

2006-07-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

Not much to say. I ran 15 miles on Wednesday, and 7.5 yesterday. My mom and aunt and uncle are coming to visit for a couple of days. They're goinig to a wedding in the area on Saturday. This morning was spent finishing up the house cleaning so that my wife isn't embarrassed at my sloppiness. Frankly, I got off easy. She did 90% of the cleaning yesterday. I did a few things yesterday and then wrapped it up this morning.

The plan is to run 10 miles today and finish the week with an easy run (either 7.5 or 10 miles) so that I'm rested and ready to run long on Sunday. A week from Sunday (7/16), I start race specific training. Since I'm starting in the middle of the plan with only 12 weeks to go, my first run is a 20 miler. It will be beneficial to get in at least one run that's longer than 15 miles before jumping to 20.

I'm outta here now so that hopefully, I'll have time to get in my run before family arrives.

Easy Day

2006-07-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

Today I ran five easy miles. I'm hoping to be in the 60 mile range this week. Five today gives me 30 for the first three days of the month, so I'm where I need to be. Tomorrow I'll run either 10 or 15 depending on what time I get started and on how my leg feels.

Tomorrow my daughter is flying out of town to spend the next four and half weeks visiting with her grandparents and attending summer camp. Her flight is in the late afternoon, so I'm not sure when I'll get home from the airport and start running.

My leg feels better today than it did yesterday. There was a little pain early in my run, but it wasn't too bad. I can feel the tightness even after I get loose and the pain goes away, so I'm still running all my runs at an easy pace. Other than keeping the effort easy, I don't see this effecting my mileage total.

Bad and Good News

2006-07-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

The bad news is that last night I started feeling some soreness in my upper left quad. I figured it was just from running long after two easy weeks. However, today my leg was not only stiff, but it was painful to walk. I felt the pain each time I moved my left leg forward. It felt like I strained a muscle. I guess pushing the pace in mile 14 after running nothing but easy miles for awhile wasn't the smartest thing to do.

The good news is that I was able to run today without too much pain. The beginning of today's run was ugly, and I almost turned around and headed home after running less than half a mile. Stubbornness and the fact that the pain wasn't getting worse kept me going. After a mile or so, the pain was pretty mild, and eventually I forgot all about it. Tonight my leg isn't sore like it was last night. I can feel a tightness, but it's not painful. Hopefully a few days at an easy pace will get me back to 100%. During today's run I had plans to care for it with alternating ice and heat, but I was running late, so I showered immediately after getting home and then forgot to take care of my leg. I'll try to do better after tomorrow's run.

10.5 miles in 1:26:55.

Decent Start to the Week

2006-07-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

I ran 15 miles today. I felt good for most of the run and finished strong including a 6:44 14th mile just to get a taste of stretching out the legs a bit. My legs are pretty tired and a bit tight this evening, but I feel good and am motivated to get in at least ten miles tomorrow. I don't really have a plan or goal for the week, but I know that I'd like to be above 70 miles. I only work one day this week (Monday), so I should have no problem getting in my miles and should get in a couple of doubles. I do have family visiting Friday and Saturday, so it may take a bit of creative scheduling to get out on those days. We'll see.

One negative on today's run was that I had to take a rather long bathroom break just after the halfway point of the run. Of course, that's what I get for sitting around like a slacker living off chocolate and ice cream for the past week.

The teeth/gums/dental work is a non-factor as far as my running goes. I am very sensitive to cold food and drinks, but once I'm out running, I don't even notice the work that's been done.

15 miles
1:56:49
7:42 average pace.

Another Crappy Week

2006-07-01T23:29:00.000-07:00

I ran four days this week for a total of 30 miles. However, my legs feel stiff and sore as if I had just logged a personal high for weekly mileage. I don't really know why I feel this way, but it's time to stop slacking and get running. Fortunately, I'm finally digusted enough with my lazing around that I think I'm ready to get serious and run like I did a few weeks ago. I have two weeks to kick off some good running before I either start race specific training for the Bizz Johnson Marathon or decide on another race.

I Finally Ran

2006-06-27T22:38:00.000-07:00

After four days of doing nothing, I finally ran on Tuesday evening. It was a short (5 mile) run at an easy pace. I didn't wear a watch, so I don't really know how long it took me. The main goal for this run was too see if it would be painful to continue running. I'm happy to say that he pain was minimal. It didn't hurt where I have stitches -- on the roof of my mouth and on my gums. The only pain I had was on the inside of my cheek. I was numb enough during the surgery that I can't say what exactly they did, but the inside of my cheek is bruised. It feels like I bit my cheek. When I ran, each time my left foot hit the ground, the impact made it feel like someone was poking the bruised part of my gum. Annoying, but not painful enough to affect my running.

One reason that I was able to run tonight was that I continued to take my pain meds. I don't like to take pills for pain unless I'm in really in agony. The last couple of days, I've taken a pain pill before work (at approximately 7:30), and I could feel the effects wearing off by 1:30. Yesterday, I waited until bedtime to take another pain pill. Today, I took another pain pill as soon as I got home from work, and was feeling okay (not great, but okay) when I headed out the door two hours later. Anyway, if I take my pills like I'm supposed to, I should be able to continue running.

Tomorrow is our monthly fun run at work. I plan on running that and then running a longer, slower run in the evening. I should log between 13 and 15 miles for the day. My goal is to run everyday for the rest of the week and get above 50 total miles for the week.

I go back to the dentist on Friday. He'll take off the bandages, which look like putty, that are covering my gums on the left side of my mouth and remove the stitches. Hopefully, after that I'll be able to eat again. I tried a PB&J sandwich at lunch today. I ate it, but it hurt trying to chew. Not only is my mouth sensitive, but my face is still swollen, which makes chewing difficult. For now, oatmeal, apple sauce, pasta, baked potato, pudding and ice cream are my food choices.