| Location: Spring,TX,USA Member Since: Nov 17, 2007 Gender: Male Goal Type: Boston Qualifier Running Accomplishments: After a 24-year hiatus from running, I started back again at age 40 in March 2007.
PERSONAL RECORDS
5K - 20:13 (3/22/08 Run The Woodlands #197)
10K - 44:58 (3/15/08 Lookin' Good Shamrock Strut)
HLF - 1:46:09 (5/19/07 Ogden Half Marathon)
MAR - 3:40:18 (10/6/07 St. George Marathon) Short-Term Running Goals: 2008 Ogden Marathon - 3:30 (Blew up big time! IT band = 4:24 finish!)
2008 St. George Marathon - 3:20 (*BQ) Might need to revise based on injury but I'm not giving it up quite yet.
2009 Spend Patriots Day on course in Boston. Personal: http://todayirun.blogspot.com
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 138.38 | 10.18 | 13.15 | 5.00 | 2.00 | 168.71 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | |
| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 6.17 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.17 |
| OBJECTIVE 5 - 7 mi. EZ (8:24-54/mi.) ACHIEVED 6.17 mi.@ 8:42/mi. 5:17 AM 70° 83% 0 mph Except for tweaking my right ankle when stepping on the edge of the sidewalk 1/2 mile into this run, it was a good one. It had a nice rhythm to it. PRE RUN nothing POST RUN chocolate milk, multivitamin, & oatmeal w/flax, turbinado & skim milk |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
| | Add Comment |
| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 6.80 | 2.20 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.00 |
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OBJECTIVE
9 mi. w/7x2 min.@ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. jog
ACHIEVED
9 mi.@ 8:17/mi. including
3 mi.@ 8:51/mi.
- 2:17 run
- 2:00 jog
- 1:59 run
- 2:01 jog
- 1:59 run
- 2:00 jog
- 1:59 run
- 2:00 jog
- 1:59 run
- 1:59 jog
- 2:00 run
- 1:59 jog
- 2:00 run
- 2:04 jog
No watch so I don’t know the actual split paces but the total is 3.7 mi.@ 7:38/mi.
2.3 mi.@ 8:33/mi.
5:38 AM
Woke up to “LOW BATTERY” on the Garmin. The only day I really need that thing is Wednesday. I tried to make do with my Ironman. Of course that means I had no idea of my pace over the 2 minute intervals. I added 1 mile to this run and two extra intervals.
The objective was to run a 6:40/mile pace for the intervals. My overall pace for the 9 miles was 8:17/mile and I estimate my pace for the total interval set including recovery times was 7:38/mile. I’m usually around 10:00/mile over the recovery period. So who knows what really happened? Maybe I ran the speed sections slower than planned but ran the recovery sections faster. I tried to maintain my usual cadence over the speed sections and I did “feel” slower once I hit the 5, 6, and 7th intervals.
Anyway, I’m walking away from this one very happy. Maybe I should leave my Garmin home all the time … then I can wander around in this blissful, ignorant state more often!
PRE RUN
FRS powdered drink
POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, 5-grain hot cereal w/turbinado, flax & skim milk, water, multivitamin, & 2 English muffins (1 honey & 1 cinnamon sugar) |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 4.02 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.02 |
| OBJECTIVE
3 - 4 mi. SLOW
ACHIEVED
4.02 mi.@ 9:07/mi.
5:24 AM
Between yesterday's run and physical therapy, I was feeling pretty beat up before I even started this morning. There was muscle soreness in my hip flexors, abs, and legs. Over the first half mile, I was wondering if I could make it based on how my abs were feeling. Apparently, I must be shifting the weight in one of the PT exercises off of my quads and glutes over to my abs. I suppose this is a form of cheating. I don't notice that I'm doing it but I don't think my abs should be feeling like they do today. I had the same thing but to a lesser degree on Tuesday.
I rolled out the 4 miles at a pedestrian pace. Somehow I've convinced myself that if I never run slower than 9:17/mile that the miles are still "good". I think I've read something about that before but may have misinterpreted what I was reading. I then coupled my reading with the recovery pace found at runbayou.com to determine I can avoid junk miles if I'm under 9:17.
I think I solved a mystery while running this morning. My initial right IT band problem last November subsided after a couple weeks rest. But later the left IT band became the problem and is now a much bigger issue than the right ever was. This has always baffled me. I didn't even tell Dr. Cianca about my right because that isn't what I was there for and it was no longer a problem. I thought it would just cloud the picture. I mentioned it to Dani in my initial PT evaluation but I under emphasized it and she didn't seem to give it much consideration. Since then, I've tried to listen closely to Cianca and Dani to see if something they said could offer an explanation. Of course, I looked for my own explanation and also skimmed around the internet looking for a reason.
I think I've got it now thanks to something Dani said yesterday. I've somewhat been in denial about this "muscle weakness" and even Cianca and Dani were surprised that I could "even run a marathon". So something about their separate diagnosis just didn't sync up with my experience. Being in denial about the muscle weakness, I harbored some kind of weird hope that ... I wasn't weak. I didn't feel weak, did I? Through PT, Dani has repeatedly put me in positions where I feel incredibly weak. At first I think I subconsciously believed this was some kind of trick. Of course she knows which muscles are naturally weaker and could put anyone in a "comprising" position of weakness. But yesterday Dani commented that she sees people with IT band problems all the time. What I have isn't any different than the typical cases. However, she said a compounding issue for me is that my ankles are weak. Okay, she's alluded to this before but I haven't considered it. I thought Cianca said it was my glutes and that my knees and ankles looked good. I think Dani even said in my initial with her that it was my glutes. So that's where I've been focused. Whatever she said about my ankles to this point didn't hold much stock with me. Even yesterday when she said it, I passed it off but it least we openly discussed it this time.
While running this morning, I was considering all of this. This isn't going to seem like much of a breakthrough ... like a preschool dot-to-dot. But my stubbornness has caused me to miss this for sometime now. Dani is right. My ankles are weak and so are my glutes. I'm sure I have other muscle weaknesses too. My right ITB was caused by this and so is my current left ITB. The difference not running at Memorial Park on a softer, flatter surface.
After St. George last year, I started the Furman training program. I was running more in the morning and a lot more on the track at Klein High. My hard running loops on the track were almost always counterclockwise making my right leg, the "longer" outside leg. Once I stopped running for a couple weeks and came back with no track running, the right ITB problem disappeared.
What about the current left ITB? Well, when I started training for Ogden in December almost all of my running was on roads. Very rarely did I go back to Memorial Park's trail where I did most of my running in preparation for St. George. Almost all roads are crowned and I run against the traffic. This makes my left leg the "longer" of the two. I think this is it. It's why I can't shake the problem with my left. The physical internal cause is my muscle weakness which has always existed. But shifting from Memorial Park where I did almost all of my running last summer, to the track then later to the roads seems to be the external cause of my ITB problems. I really think this is it. I should find softer surfaces and/or get back over to Memorial Park.
PRE RUN
nothing
POST RUN
SlimFast, multivitamin, oatmeal w/flax, turbinado & skim milk |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 8.00 | 0.00 | 2.07 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 10.07 |
| OBJECTIVE 11 mi. w/last 3 mi.@ 7:55/mi. ACHIEVED 10.07 mi.@ 8:21/mi. including last 2 miles 7:44/7:41 5:41 AM It was a good run today. My thought is that it's attributable to slowing down during the recovery runs earlier this week. I need to remember the key purpose of the recovery runs is ... to give my body a chance to recover from prior runs AND prepare for upcoming ones. I started a little late from Spring Cypress and headed down the bayou trail. I didn't make it to the YMCA before I met Bob, Stan, and Brad. They were a little over a mile from the Y. The pace picked up slightly with them. They were running 8 miles so a stayed with them after the turn at their 4 mile mark. I went back with them to the end of the bayou path then turned back to run the path for the fourth time this morning. This worked out well because it was time for my pickup. I pushed the pace and felt pretty good. I tried to hold a constant effort and pace. I could see I was well under my 7:55/mi. plan but felt good so I just went with it, reminding myself that I needed to maintain the pace to the end. I made the decision not to tack on the extra mile since I would get back to the car right at 10 miles and felt I could still call it a good run. I REALLY wanted to run the Run Wild 5K this morning. I had a great run there last year. I wanted to run for several reasons including my desire to test my IT band under race conditions, I want to see if running every day (even with marathon-specific training) could yield a PR, I really liked the race last year and the post race band, and several of my friends are running this morning. But, in the end, I realized all of these reasons are shallow and disregard my true goal of a strong marathon on October 4. What if I went out and caused a setback? It wouldn't have been worth it. So what if it cost me a PR today. There will be other opportunities when the risk isn't as great. PRE RUN FRS POST RUN SlimFast Later-water, multivitamin & chocolate milk Later than that-steel cut oats w/flax, turbinado & skim milk |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2.02 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2.02 |
| OBJECTIVE 5-7 mi. EZ ACHIEVED 2.02 mi.@ 7:55/mi. 6:51 AM Got up at 3 AM to drive over to San Antonio and pick up Cameron and his friend from camp. They were supposed to check out at 7 AM. After finding the campus and a place to park, I sent Cameron a text message that I was running and where he could find the car. I changed clothes in the car and took off. I figured I'd loop around campus then decide where to go from there. I ended up on the track, did a few laps then started worrying about Cam not getting my text, not finding the car, wondering where I was, etc. so I went back to the car. What I failed to factor in is that Cameron hates to get up in the morning and his friend is typically late everywhere he goes. While the other kids were breaking camp, they were no where to be found. Ultimately they showed up around 7:30-40. I could have kept running for thirty minutes and come closer to my 6-7 miles. We drove back home and I ended up busy and napping in the afternoon so I failed to get the other miles today. I'm calling it extra rest for next week. PRE RUN nothing POST RUN SlimFast |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 4.03 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.03 |
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OBJECTIVE3-4 mi. SLOW
ACHIEVED
4.03 mi.@ 9:03/mi
5:08 AM
After the weekend, I was really expecting to feel good this morning. Didn't happen. I'm not sure what the problem was. I just felt slow. I ran long last Friday instead of my usual Saturday. On Saturday, I had an abbreviated run. I napped both Saturday and Sunday. Shouldn't all of that add up to fresh legs Monday morning? The only thing I can think to blame it on is nutrition. I gorged myself Thursday afternoon at the Astros game (but had no ill effects on Friday's run). My weight came right back in line within 24-36 hours. Saturday wasn't nutritionally stellar but it wasn't bad either. I began a 24-hour fast Saturday afternoon. That went fine due to limited physical activity. Sunday afternoon was marinated turkey breast, potatoes, and green beans. There was cheese in the potatoes and I had a brownie for dessert (which I would usually pass on). None of this seems wildly inconsistent with a decent run. Maybe it was hydration .... I also need to look back at other runs following fasting. I seem to recall a similar bad Monday run following a fast ....
Fortunately it was a recovery run so I slogged through it. It was odd though. My legs felt okay and my cardio felt good. I just felt slow and couldn't get going.
Hoping for something better tomorrow. I'll keep it to 6 miles since I'll be working with my physical therapist, Dani, later in the morning.
PRE RUN
nothing
POST RUN
Accelerade, multivitamin & oatmeal w/flax, turbinado & skim milk
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 6.13 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.13 |
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OBJECTIVE5-7 mi. EZ (8:24-54/mi.) ACHIEVED6.13 mi.@ 9:04/mi. 5:06 AM As much as the "Low Battery" problem with my Garmin has been annoying, the "Low Energy" problem I've experienced the past couple mornings has been frustrating. ... probably more so .... For whatever reason, I haven't been able to get out of second gear. I tried not to let it bother me today by reassuring myself that today is an easy run to set up tomorrow's "real" effort. Normally I'd keep pushing until I got myself into the right pace range but today I just "let it got". I suppose that really puts the pressure on me for tomorrow's run! Later this morning, I met with Dani for physical therapy. It's hard for me to know if I'm making progress. She says that I am but it's slow. She mixes up the routines every time so I can't compare where I was to where I am now. I was much better on one leg balancing against resistance than I was last week. I doubt I could have improved that much in such a short time so I'm going to chalk it up to my being farther along the learning curve and better composed. Interestingly, I didn't notice any of this morning's "low energy" spilling over into my PT effort. On the final exercise, she had me take 3 strides and land on a half ball and balance. It was very hard. I kept falling forward or to the side. She believes this is a big part of my problem ... deceleration. She said you're fine accelerating; you're plenty fast. But it's slowing down that you have a problem with and slowing down occurs on every stride at impact. Aside from the concept she shared with me, which for now I'll assume is correct, I am now laughing out loud at the comment that I'm plenty fast. After spending me entire childhood and early adult years being too slow, now I'm "plenty fast". How can that be? Let me tie that in to a comment Tinman made on The Run Zone blog. After giving him my race times, he asked if I had made a mistake. When I told him no, he said there's a huge disparity in your 5K and 10K times. Your 10K should be much faster. Well, if I look at well the race equivalent charts or age-graded schedules, my 5K is fast and everything else is much slower but generally in line with each other. So am I really too fast. No, as enticing as it is for me to accept the label, I can't because it's not true. I'm relatively fast or I'm fast for a long distance runner ... maybe. The only thing this is leaving me wondering is this - Is my best race the 5K ... ??? No time to find out now. Maybe that will be 2009's quest. PRE RUNwater & very small brownie POST RUNSlimFast & multivitamin Later, water, English muffin, poached egg, & Canadian bacon |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 6.92 | 2.14 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.06 |
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OBJECTIVE
9 mi. w/7x2 min.@ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. jog
ACHIEVED
9.06 mi.@ 8:31/mi. w/7x2 & 2 min. jog (see below for splits)
5:31 AM
This run always looms ominously on my weekly calendar. I don't enjoy the strange anxiety it causes leading up to it but I love the ecstatic feeling of completing it!
I was particularly happy with closing the last 3 miles averaging 8:31/mi. and running negative splits. I was working but it felt good.
2.44 mi.@ 9:00/mi.
1:59 @6:50/mi.
1:59
2:00 @6:29/mi.
1:59
2:00 @6:42/mi.
1:59
2:00 @6:34/mi.
3:32
2:01 @6:35/mi.
1:59
2:01 @6:35/mi.
1:58
1:59 @6:25/mi.
2:00
3.02 mi.@ 8:31/mi.
PRE RUN
FRS
POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water; multivitamin; oatmeal w/flax, turbinado, & skim milk; 2 slices wheat toast (1 honey & 1 cinnamon sugar) |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
| | Add Comment |
| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 4.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.01 |
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OBJECTIVE4 mi. SLOW
ACHIEVED
4.01 mi.@ 8:54/mi.
5:29 AM
Felt pretty good this morning. I was happy with my pace after yesterday's effort. I wore my new Mizuno Wave Rider 10's for the first time. This is my fourth pair. I think my oldest pair is due for retirement. I've only been using them on my shortest runs.
I had some discomfort above the inside of my right ankle. I first noticed it during the last half of yesterday's run. It doesn't seem like a big problem but I'll keep tabs on it. ... maybe it's due to running on old, worn out shoes ... ???
I was happy with the coincidental, near-perfect-symmetry of today's splits:
8:55/8:55/8:56/8:50
I wasn't worried but time or splits and didn't even look at my watch much. It seems good to have hit a comfortble and sustainable pace for today's run without really worrying about it.
PRE RUN
water
POST RUN
water, multivitamin, Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk, & chocolate milk
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
| | Add Comment |
| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| OBJECTIVE 6 mi.@ 8:24-54 (EZ) ACHIEVED nothing This is the first day in six weeks that I've missed a run. I got up this morning with every intention of running but checked my email before going and ended up tied up with a major issue at work. ... very disappointing. Thought I'd get the miles this evening but the work issue continued throughout the day and kept my at the office late. Decided just to go home and sleep to save my legs for tomorrow. |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 8.04 | 0.00 | 4.85 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 12.89 |
| OBJECTIVE 10 mi. including 8 mi.@ 8:24-54/mi. & 2 mi.@ 7:55/mi. ACHIEVED 12.89 mi.@ 8:08/mi. 6:15 AM 74° 92% 4 mph It was a beautiful morning for a run. I got an early start on the drive to Conroe and arrived about 15 minutes before the others. This worked out great as I got in a good stretch and mentally shifted gears. Stephanie arrived with Randy, Laurie and Brian (our host for the day who usually runs with Wayne's group). They waited about 5 minutes for Jonathan but we found out later he had a late night and didn't set his alarm. We ended up running the exact same route Jonathan and I covered together a while back. The route is hilly (for Houston) but I really enjoy it. It's a bit cooler in Conroe ... maybe because of the nearby water and being a bit farther north .... We started out fast. Brian was leading and I think he's used to a faster pace than Steph's group runs. We kept trying to bridle him. I was feeling okay but didn't know what to expect with my IT band so I didn't want to blew out too fast, too early. We stopped by a water break at the Teaswood turnoff. I had mild stomach discomfort and wondered about my decision to eat a little oatmeal this morning before leaving the house. I used to always eat before a morning run but haven't been eating pre-run for a few months now. We made it the I-45 where they had stashed more water. It's about 4.5 miles in. I was still feeling okay. There was discussion about slowing the pace. Brian pulled off the lead for the return trip. Laurie pulled out and started gapping us (as she often does). Randy wasn't going to let her go. The two of them stretched a 100 meter lead on us. Stephanie and I had a chance to catch up. Brian talked about St. George since he's run it twice. At the water stop with around 2.5 miles remaining, I was still feeling good and decided that I'd try staying with whoever went to the front. Brian reminded us that once back at the cars there was a 3 mile loop to add on at the end of the run. I figured if I wasn't feeling like it, I'd just skip the add on. After all, I'm still capped at 10 miles, right? Laurie and Randy eased to the front. I went with them. There are a few big ups and downs over this section but the road is narrow and morning recreational traffic had picked up by now. Going up the second hill, an oncoming vehicle approached at a high speed. I picked up my pace to get ahead of Laurie and into single file. I felt strong and the pace felt okay so I just stayed with it figuring I'd top the hill then ease up. Once on top, I tried focusing on my form going downhill; low knees without over striding ... increased turnover. My pace picked up. I couldn't hear Randy and Laurie any more but didn't look back. I still felt good and figured I'd just hold the pace as long as I could. Be strong on the up's and use good form on the down's. I thought I knew how many hills there here back to the marina but I was early surprised when I topped a hill and the parking lot was at the end of this long downhill section. I was sure that at least another up and down was left. As usual, I was "the horse returning to the barn" and picked up the pace some more. I've never led Steph's group at the finish of a run. Not that it's a big deal but to me it felt like some sort of milestone. Of course, they were all planning on another 3 miles and, at this point, I wasn't. At the car I got water, the others arrived shortly after I did. Although I didn't feel like adding the extra 3 miles. I went out with them for two reasons: 1) I missed yesterday's run and 2) I wanted to know the 3-mile loop that Brian was leading us on ... in case I come up on League Line Road myself sometime. It's always good to get another route in your mental directory. Mile splits: 8:26/7:52/7:53/8:02/8:08/7:56/8:10/8:09/7:26/6:52(0.85 mi.) 8:55/8:56/8:40 PRE RUN FRS & oatmeal w/turbinado, flax & skim milk (had very mild stomach cramping throughout first third of run; not a big deal but occasionally uncomfortable) IN RUN Accelerade - 20 oz. over 4 stops & mint, chocolate GU @ 4.5 mi POST RUN SlimFast (2 cans) & water |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
| | Add Comment |
| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 4.02 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.02 |
| OBJECTIVE 4 mi. SLOW ACHIEVED 4.02@ 9:28/mi. 4:40 AM 75° 91% 4 mph I had a few problems this morning. First, after a few hundred meters in to the run I had to use the restroom. That issue persisted throughout the run. Second and more problematic, it feels like I have a pulled right groin and a pulled extreme lower abdominal muscle on the right side. I don't think these are the same injury but it feels like they're intertwined in function. The result this morning was a shortening of my stride that really slowed down the pace. I'm not sure of the causes for these but have a couple theories. Neither bothered me during Saturday's run on the hills. Even so, I think the ab situation is from a particular exercise from my PT. Maybe Saturday's run aggravated it ... ??? My theory on the groin is that I may have pulled it while Indian leg wrestling my niece yesterday. My niece and parents are visiting us from out of town this weekend through Tuesday. A third problem was that I had some general muscle soreness in my legs. I'm fairly certain this is from Saturday's long run on the hills and expect it to clear up soon. I'll monitor the two issues, hoping not to compound them. Last week Jonathan and I discussed junk miles ... wondering if the concept really exists. I hope not because, if so, today was all junk. If not, I got my four miles and am off to work for what promises to be a hectic day. PRE RUN nothing POST RUN SlimFast & multivitamin |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
| | Add Comment |
| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 6.04 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.04 |
| OBJECTIVE 6 mi. EZ (8:24-54/mi.) ACHIEVED 6.04 mi.@ 9:07/mi. 8:16 PM 84° 70% 6 mph This run was just getting miles. I took my parents and niece to the airport this morning so I ran at Memorial Park on the way home from work. I haven't been over there to run for some time. I had an extremely hard to getting going and never really found any rhythm during this run. Fortunately my right groin problem from yesterday seems to be gone but the lower ab problem persists and gave my problems while running. My nutrition today was up-and-down but I think I should have been okay. My hydration wasn't too good especially in the afternoon. I had PT just before lunch. That most likely contributed to the difficulty I had running tonight. Dani just started me on plyometrics last week and is building up. Today's edition was the toughest yet and it took something out of me. She thinks my ab and groin problem are from the hard run on Saturday. I do think I'm still recovering from that run but I think my ab damage came from the incline bench leg pull-ups (not sure of the correct term for these) that she has me doing somehow tears my abs. It's most likely a result of poor form on my part. Anyway it wasn't a good run tonight and my schedule is now off so I'm considering pushing my midweek big workout to Thursday rather than tomorrow. However, I'm concerned that could impact Saturday's long run. I've boxed myself in a bit schedule-wise .... PRE RUN nothing POST RUN SlimFast Later, 2 small hamburgers & soft-serve ice cream cone |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
| | Add Comment |
| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 6.20 | 1.84 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.04 |
| OBJECTIVE 9 mi. w/7x2 min.@ 6:40/mi. & 2 min. jog ACHIEVED 8.04 mi.@ 8:31/mi. including 2.46 mi.@ 9:02/mi. 2:00 min.@ 6:47/mi. 2:00 min. 1:59 min.@ 6:30/mi. 2:00 min. 1:59 min.@ 6:13/mi. 3:01 min. 1:59 min.@ 6:32/mi. 1:57 min. 2:00 min.@ 6:29/mi. 1:59 min. 2:00 min.@ 6:46/mi. 1:59 min. 2.49 mi.@ 8:36/mi. 6:19 AM 71° 95% 0 mph My job is really getting in the way of my running lately! It's second quarter close. I didn't run yesterday and shortened today's run so I could get to work early enough to deal with things there. My legs were sore. I'm sure it is from the plyometrics at PT Tuesday. My abdominal strain is still a problem but not as bad as it has been. No big mental breakthrough here but it occurred to me while running that training for a marathon is like a marathon. I've had this thought before but extended the analogy. Since my training started June 2, I had 18 weeks until the marathon. I'm 7 weeks into the cycle so I've got roughly 39% of my training behind me. 39% of a marathon is about 10 miles. In each of my marathons, I felt good for 10 miles just as my training to this point has generally been good. In Ogden, I started having minor problems around 10 miles. The next part of my training is going to be the hardest. I'm still building mileage for several more weeks and expect to increase intensity. I can't lose focus on what I'm training for and why the effort right now is worth it. I'm training now for that second 10 miles of the marathon. I want to be able to run them strong-ly (???) and efficiently. I need to recommit to the effort and continue building to the next plateau. I've got PT again tomorrow. PRE RUN FRS POST RUN SlimFast, GrapeNuts w/turbinado & skim milk |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
| | Add Comment |
| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 6.09 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.09 |
| OBJECTIVE 6 mi.@ EZ = 8:24-54/mi. ACHIEVED 6.09 mi.@ 8:34/mi 7:08 AM 69° 93% 0 mph Since I got a late start, I started the Wimbledon Forest Loop but turned it into an out-and-back so I didn't have to dodge morning commuting traffic on Cypresswood. I've never run "backwards" on that route and I was surprised how long it made it seem. There were parts where I wasn't sure I was on the right road. Proving that it's all a matter of perspective! I felt okay. The pace was fine. My ab strain is still lingering but seems slightly improved. I've got PT later today and a long run of undetermined length tomorrow. PRE RUN apple juice POST RUN chocolate milk, multivitamin, 5-grain hot cereal w/flax, turbinado & skim milk |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 12.00 | 0.00 | 2.21 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 14.21 |
| OBJECTIVE 12 - 14 mi. EZ pace with 2 - 3 mi. pickup @ 7:55/mi. ACHIEVED 14.21 mi.@ 8:33/mi. including Mile 13 = 7:46; Mile 14 = 7:51; Final 0.21 mi. = 7:42/mi. 5:43 AM 80° 78% 0 mph I wasn't "feeling it" today right from the start. I spent the first 2 miles doing a whole body check. My abs were hurting. I didn't have much spring in my legs. I'm fairly certain it was the plyometrics I did at PT yesterday. Stephanie, Miranda, Laurie, Josh, Randy, William, and I made the trek from Memorial Park along the bayou to downtown ... through downtown to the George R. Brown Convention Center. Then back. At Shepherd, Steph, Josh, and Randy continued through River Oaks. The others including me headed back toward the park. I tried to pickup once I hit the park and went around the backside. It was tough but generally a success. I stretched and chatted with William and Miranda back at the cars while we waited for the others. They didn't make it before I left. Dani cut me off from PT yesterday. She said she's done all she can for me. She also said I need to go back to Dr. Cianca for a followup and get a running coach who can help me increase my mileage wisely. This was abrupt! I was hoping to stay with her for longer. She has definitely helped me but it doesn't seem to me like our work is done. PRE RUN FRS POST RUN 2 SlimFast & water Later, multivitamin, water, English muffin, poached egg & Canadian bacon |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 4.03 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.03 |
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OBJECTIVE4 mi. SLOW
ACHIEVED
4.03 mi.@ 9:06/mi.
5:04 AM 75F 89% 0 mph
My legs were tired this morning. I really didn't ever push out of a warmup pace. I'm sure Saturday's run is still heavy on my legs ... even after yesterday's rest. I wish I would have followed up on the ice bath I had considered for Saturday. I need to remember that for this coming Saturday's 16-miler.
I've got Dr. Cianca tomorrow. Hopefully I check out and he clears me to get on track with my training.
PRE RUN
nothing
POST RUN
chocolate milk, multivitamin, oatmeal w/flax, turbinado & skim milk
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 6.07 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 6.07 |
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OBJECTIVE6 mi. EZ
ACHIEVED
6.07 mi.@ 8:35/mi.
8:07 AM 82F 68% 8 mph
Got a late start today but ended up having a good run. Run out and back on Wimbledon Forest. Felt good right from the start. Just tried to maintain it.
Met with Dr. Cianca this afternoon. I need to be smart about my training and keep doing the exercises. I'll meet with Danie in 3 weeks to make sure I'm still on track then again 3 weeks later.
PRE RUN
Low-fat granola w/skim milk
POST RUNchocolate milk, multivitamin, & water
Later, English muffin, poached egg, & Canadian bacon; water
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 3.70 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.00 | 0.00 | 8.70 |
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OBJECTIVE9 mi. w/7 x 2:00 @ 6:40/mi.
ACHIEVED
1.9 mi. warm up
10x800 meters
1.8 mi. cool down
8:00 PM 79° 84% 7 mph Light Rain
Ended up not running this morning. Thunder, lightning, and rain offered a lame excuse and I took it. (It wasn't that bad. Just the leading edge of Hurricane Dolly that ended up hitting the US- Mexican border later in the day.) So this led to a PM run for me. Under the soggy conditions, I decided to take advantage of the high school track and try running Yasso 800's.
It was around 8 pm by the time I was on my way. I was NOT feeling it. I slogged my way over to the track, considering cutting it short the whole way over. Once on the track, I figured I'd try a couple 800's hoping to feel better. It didn't happen but I was hitting my times. I decided rather than do 10 I'd just cut it short at 5. But by the time I got to 5, I couldn't think of a reason not to do another. After 6, I started thinking it would be a complete waste not to try for the original 10. So I pressed on. I was still hitting my times but was tiring. After 7, I decided I was going to get 10 and pressed on. It was raining lightly much of the time and the wind was occasionally gusting. I felt really tired but very satisfied about finishing this workout when all along it seemed it wasn't in the cards. The s-l-o-w march home wasn't the most pleasant cool down but before leaving the house, I had thrown together batter for blueberry-walnut pancakes that I was looking forward to.
The concept of Yasso 800's is to run 10 in the time you anticipate running the marathon ... except in minutes and seconds rather than hours and minutes. Therefore, my 3:25 marathon had me running 3:25 800's. If a runner can do 10 in the prescribed time while limiting his recovery to the same time, it's an indicator of what he can ran a marathon in. So here's what I ended up with:
800 / Rest
3:24/3:24
3:23/3:35
3:21/3:26
3:30/3:54
3:27/3:31
3:24/3:39
3:24/3:29
3:21/3:31
3:25/3:26
3:20/3:24
So I did it! Effectively, I ran 10 x 800's at 3:25. Okay here's the huge caveat, instead of jogging in between each 800 like your supposed to, I walked. Of course, that's cheating. So I didn't exactly do it but I know it's achievable. The last time I did Yasso 800's was June 5, 2007. It's most comical to look back at how that went. Here's my blog entry. It's good for me to look back occasionally to get some perspective on my progress.
I may trying these again during this training cycle. I know I'm not ready to run 3:25 in St. George today but at least I have an indicator that it's not out of reach.
PRE RUN
water
POST RUN
chocolate milk, blueberry-walnut pancakes, skim milk, calcium & vitamin A&D supplements
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 4.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4.01 |
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OBJECTIVE4 mi. SLOW
ACHIEVED
4.01 mi.@ 9:11/mi.
7:54 PM 75F 92% 5.3 mph
My legs were quite fatigued tonight. I was slow but just tried to enjoy it. It had rained most of the day so everything was wet and green. Based on how I feel, Dr. Cianca's advice and Saturday's scheduled long run, I've decided to take tomorrow off. Hopefully that will help get my feet back under me.
PRE RUN
water & Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk
POST RUN
5 grain hot cereal w/ turbinado, flax & skim milk
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 12.01 | 0.00 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 2.00 | 16.01 |
| OBJECTIVE
16 mi.@ 8:24-54/mi. w/last 2 mi.@ 7:55/mi.
ACHIEVED
16.01 mi.@ 8:18/mi. w/last 2 mi. 7:53/7:32
5:36 AM 78° 89% 1 mph
Stacey Almond hosted Steph's group for a long run at Hershey Park this morning. Stacey runs with Steph's group downtown occasionally. Along with her today was Steve Brammer who may ??? have won this year's New York City Marathon 50-59 age group and a strong runner named Kevin. Joining the run from Stephanie's group was Laurie, Stacey, Stephanie, Randy, Jonathan, William, and me. Our merry band got started down the trail in the dark around 5:30 AM. I decided I'm not fond of running in unknown terrain in the dark. The path was okay but I seemed to find a few uneven spots.
After a little over 2 miles, we ran repeats on a long hill. We did 10 from about 2 miles total up and down. Knowing that this is my longest run since the Ogden marathon and since I just did intervals on the track on Wednesday, I did not push myself on these. Before we were finished I was near the back of the pack.
From there we headed out a long paved trail that generally parallels I-10 leaving Houston. Somewhere around 5 miles out, an injured runner from KatyFit was manning a water station. I had a couple cups of Gatorade. It was very nice for him to be there. Stacey runs and coaches with KatyFit so we were welcome to share their refreshments. From there we turned and went out a long dead end road until we came to a failing bridge then turned back.
There were a bunch of runners and bikers along the paved trail on the way back. Going out, I stayed with Stephanie and Randy most of the way to the Gatorade stop. From there I was with Jonathan to the bridge. On the way back, I was with Stacey and Randy to the Gatorade truck. From there I was alone until about 2+ miles where the group stopped for a rest hydration break. Jonathan and I hung back for William after the others left. Once William joined us, we walked a bit then started back. I asked Jonathan to keep us on a 7:55/mi. pace which he did ... much easier for him than me! Right before the end we passed the others. Stacey and Steve were heading back for William.
KatyFit has a bunch of people participating in their program. It was like a post-race event afterwards. I helped myself to some Powerade but passed on the core stretching. Hung around a bit and chatted then headed home.
I generally felt okay today. It was a long run but I had no hint of IT band issues. For this I am ecstatic. Hopefully everything stays that way. I still need to build endurance for St. George. The long runs are now the most important part of my training.
Once at home, I took an ice bath but didn't get it quite as cold as I wanted so I'm not expecting the full benefit.
On a side note, it's Christmas in July at our house. Paige got a new car this afternoon. She ended up with a 2005 Buick Rendezvous which is what she wanted. ... Buick ... we must be getting old!
PRE RUN
water & oatmeal w/flax & turbinado
POST RUN
Accelerade, 2 SlimFast, water |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 9.03 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9.03 |
| OBJECTIVE
9 mi.@ 8:53/mi.
ACHIEVED
9.03 mi.@ 8:56/mi.
5:31 AM 75° 91% 6 mph
Had some general soreness from the beginning. Most of it dissipated once I got warmed up. I just ran easy but found myself around 9:04-08/mi. Struggled in an effort to go a bit faster so I just left it there until I turned back at the midway point. Started playing the "2% more effort" game. I focus on putting just 2 percent more into every stride. I've found this is usually good for a 10-25 second pace reduction. I only wish I could stay mentally focused longer. I'm getting better but its still too short.
I ran the bayou trail from the Y. It looks like I'll be using the Y as my starting point more often now that my runs are longer.
PRE RUN
2 FRS chews & water
POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin, 5-grain w/flax, brown sugar & skim milk |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 3.04 | 4.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7.04 |
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OBJECTIVE
7 mi. w/4 mi. tempo @ 7:30/mi.
ACHIEVED
7.04 mi. w/4 mi. tempo @ 7:25/mi.
6:09 AM 75° 89% 4 mph
Drove over to Faulkey Gully to run the bayou trail. I dropped in at Louetta which I now know is almost exactly the midpoint of the trail ... thanks to the mile markers that have been installed along the trail. From there I went up the path and extended my warm up to cross Eldridge and continued to the dead end. From there, I came back and crossed Eldridge, took a short break then started my tempo run.
I had been dreading this one somewhat. Only because I haven't done a tempo run in a long time and I didn't know if I could hold a 7:30/mile pace for 4 miles. I'm sure it was this anxiety that led me to start out too fast. But somewhere between 1/2 and one mile, I settled in to a better rhythm and found the pace. I don't recall running this pace over any distance before so that's probably why I had some trouble finding it.
I just kept trying to relax and "run strong". Most of the time those attributes seem opposed to me but I had pretty good focus this morning. I was a little faster than planned over the first mile but felt pretty good. I decided to try to hold it there over the second mile (which included the turnaround at the bottom of the path). The return trip felt like more of a struggle but I stayed focused and reminded myself that I was over half way done. The third mile clipped by and I was heading for the top of the trail. I figured I was going to have to keep going all the way to the top of the trail and cross Eldridge and go to the dead end to get the full 4 miles. I was exactly right. Fortunately, traffic wasn't too bad crossing Eldridge and I didn't lose much time there. I finished strong and very spent. A blue collar guy in a truck saw me finish and asked if I needed some water. This was quite generous and thoughtful on his part. I declined, telling him I had some back at my car which wasn't too far back.
My mile splits:
7:25/7:24/7:26/7:25
I'm happy with the consistency and very happy that I came in under the planned 7:30.
My legs felt good today ... after doing some "clam shells" last night.
PRE RUN
GrapeNuts w/skim milk
POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water, multivitamin, Kashi GoLean cereal w/skim milk, 2 homemade waffles with maple syrup, tall glass of 1% milk |
| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
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| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 8.02 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8.02 |
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OBJECTIVEEasy 8 mi.@ 8:53/mi.
ACHIEVED
8.02 mi.@ 8:50/mi.
5:40 AM 77F 89% 4 mph
I haven't really figured out how fast or slow to run "easy runs". Over the past six weeks, I just run how ever I felt. Sometimes that led to fast runs; other times slow. Today started out relatively slow. I decided to "put a little effort into it" so I would be closed to my target time. I ended up just under it. How fast should an easy run be? There are tables and formulas. But I've also read about just leaving your watch home and allowing the run to be paced however you feel. I've also read that you can "speed up by slowing down".
Along these same lines I've heard that it's best to stay away from "junk miles" (too slow). I've also heard there is no such thing as junk miles.
I don't know what's right and wrong when it comes to these thing ....
I pushed today's run a bit out of the "easy" range for me ... but not much. It just required slightly more focus and attention to pace.
PRE RUN
apple juice
POST RUN
SlimFast
Later, water , multivitamin, oatmeal w/flax, brown sugar & 1% milk
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 |
| | Add Comment |
| | Easy Miles | Threshold Miles | Marathon Pace Miles | Track speed mileage | Hill mileage | Total | | 138.38 | 10.18 | 13.15 | 5.00 | 2.00 | 168.71 |
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| Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | |
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