Quest For Boston

Not feeling the greatest after a late night celebrating the New Year. The annual New Years day run was today. It consists of a nice easy 5 miler with members of the island running community. A great chance to see people that you haven't seen in a while and shake off the new years eve hangover.  Turnout was lower than the past couple years.  I imagine it had to do with 8 degree temps a snow storm last  night and terribly icy conditions.  We still had over a dozen hardy souls show up.  The run started out pretty bad with stiff winds and cold but after about a mile it actualy felt good.

I actual enjoyed a treadmill run today. Cranked up Blues Traveler's Live- What You And I Have Been Through. A great album to run to.  Worked some hills.  Started at 3% and increased the % by one every 1/4 mile till I got to 10%. After that I dropped it back to 5% and stayed there for 30 minutes. Cooled down at 3 %. Felt great to tell the truth.

I got out the door for a nice easy run today. Temps were comfortably in the mid 30"s.  Did a lot of dodging of ice on the bike paths but at least they had been plowed today.  I felt pretty good. Hoping the ice melts today soI can have a more relaxing long run tommorrow.

Long run this morning went well. My back is a little tight afterwards. I assume it's because of all the ice and snow.  Trying not to fall down puts more tension in the back and I feel it. May be the reason My hip is feeling so tired also.

A short recovery run today. Felt o.k. after yesterdays long run. Todays the first day of my official training schedule for my Memorial Day Marathon.  It should be pretty easy the first couple weeks as my training is a lot farther along than the early part of the program I'm using.

God.  Todays run felt horrible.  I never got any rhythm going and the whole run was a struggle. I'm not really sure why.  Hopefully it's just one of those days. Nothing hurts. It just felt wrong.  Not sure how to explain it.

Today was much better than yesterday. I felt realy good until a 1/2 mile to go when my left calf tightened up.  Hopefully all these nagging little things come to an end soon.

My run felt really good this morning. The only issue I had was my foot started going numb with about a mile to go.  By the time I stopped my whole leg was tingling.  It felt fine almost as soon as I stopped running so I don't think it's anything too serious. We'll see how tommorow goes.

Today was the best I've felt since my long run on Sunday.  I actually enjoyed getting out there and running.  Probably has more to do with clear roads and trails than anything else. No problems with anything today other than my elbow stilll bugging me.  I'm happy.

I moved my long day up to accomodate an incoming weather front that's coming in tonight.  The run felt great.  I was tempted to go longer but don't want to deviate too much from my training schedule. Instead I pushed the pace the last 3 miles and ran them in 7:15's with very little trouble.  Gives me hope that I'm improving.  We'll see how I feel tommorrow.

Started out as a 3 mile recovery run but felt so good I stretched it out. I would have liked to go farther but know I would be putting myself in danger of injury.  It felt good to feel so good the day after a long run.

Off day today.

3/4 mile warm up followed by a 6 mile fartlek workout and a 3/4 mile cool down.  The workout felt really good.  Running using telephone poles made the distance go by so fast I couldn't believe it when the Garmin announced that it was time to turn around.  Loved todays workout.

Recovery run today.  It started out really tough. But by a mile I had forgotten all about how bad I felt and actually missed my turn around by a quarter mile.

Lousy weather so I'm back on the treadmill today. Eight degrees and icy roads; Yuk.  Workout consisted of  10 minutes at 2.5%, 10 min. at 3%, 10 min. at 3.5%, 10min. at 4%, 10 min at 5%, 10 min. at 6%, and 4 min. at 7%. I got a real good burn going. I guess the only good thing about the treadmill is that it provides 8 mile hills.

Another tough night of sleeping. I need to find some more work.  Easy run today. Heavy legs which is to be expected after a tough hill workout.

LSD in the slushy rain. Feet were soaked by the end of the second mile.  If I'd have been running alone I probably would have cut the run short.  My leg; from the knee to the buttocks, went from feeling a little tight to almost shutting down my run.  And then majicaly, it was fine at around mile 5. Not sure what was going on with that but I'm glad it went away.

Recovery run. Felt pretty good today. Treadmill again as the icy conditions continue.

3/4 warm up followed by 6 miles of fartlek and 3/4 cool down.  These are the workouts that are going to make a difference in my marathon come May. Miles plus intensity. I felt better this week thatn last with the same workout.  It makes me feel that there is some progress going on.   I'm still feeling issues with the left leg. Not sure if it's hamstring ITB or knee but the hamstring tends to tighten up and then knee to hip on the outside tightens.  I keep thinking a big part of it is the icy conditions and my stride changing because I'm worried about slipping.  I don't seem to have an issue with it when I get on the treadmill.  I'll just keep my eye on it.

Listened to my body today and took it off.  A day where I was dragging.  I'll go after it tomorrow.

Tempo run today.  7 miles in 49:30;  7:05 pace.  My first mile was at 8 minutes so the rest were under 7.  Felt really good. The idea of the workout was to push myself but not feel like I was struggling at all and that's what I did.

recovery day

Long day today.  I planned on a full 16 but the calves started cramping up so I cut the route short. After my shower and some food I felt a little better but the calves definetly are suspect.  I'll work on some self massage and stretching and hope it gets better.  Other than the last three miles the run felt pretty good. 2:10  of running was a good days work. Maybe having two hard runs this week leading into a long run wasn't the best idea.

Nice and easy was the theme of the day today. I was feeling a little fragile to start the day  but once I got moving I felt pretty good.  My thighs were soar but the calfs felt pretty good, especialy considering how they felt at the end of yesterdays run.  The schedule calls for a hill workout tommorrow. We'll see.

1.3 warm up followed by 6 repeat hills of .2 miles with .2 jog in between, 1.3 mile warm down.  Legs were definetly tired but they responded when I asked them to.  The last couple of hills felt the best.

1st- 1:15

2nd- 1:14

3rd-1:12

4th-1:11

5th-1:11

6th-1:07

Heavy legged afterwards but other than that it feels good.

recovery run on the treadmill today. Snow ice and sleet forced me indoors. Some live Counting Crows kept me loose and allowed me to take it easy.

Schedule called for ten so I did ten. I'm sure there's a reason for the mileage but I don't understand the logic.  The run was actually quite nice so I shouldn't complain.  I just felt bored- like I couldn't get the run done fast enough. Or maybe I'm just sick of the cold and ice.  Hopefully tommorow feels more exciting.  Maybe I just need a race.  20 miler in less than 3 weeks!!!!

Recovery run today. Feeling a little less burnt out  with the short run.

Easy day. Felt good. Long run tommorrow.

The run felt better than last weeks 15.5.  No cramping up at all in the legs.  I did a much better job of refueling this run. The last 4 miles were a struggle but they were also the fastest miles of the whole run at about 7:50's. total time was about 2:16 for 8:15's. I'm very happy with the effort and feel much fresher than after last weeks run.

I didn't plan on running today but with temps close to 50,  I couldn't resist. Ended up doing 4.2 with Patrick at lunch time.  Felt really  good.   I hope tommorrow turns out as nice as today with the weather. It makes running so much more enjoyable. :)

3/4 mile warm up followed by 4 x 1 mile with 1/4 jog between, 3/4 cool down.  Miles were run at 6:45's but it was more effort than the clock showed as there was 2 inches of fresh wet snow on the ground and snow still falling.  A lot of slipping. Effort felt good but I found it hard to keep focus with all the bad footing during the tempo part of the run.

Extreme cold today. Schedule called for 8 miles but I cut it short because I couldn't feel my face.  Feeling it now. Ouch.

Switched up my long run this week to set up for Saturdays 20 mile race. I f4elt pretty goo. Weather was nice and I felt like going farther. I hope that's a good sign for next week.

Recovery day.

5 mile fartlek run today. 

1 mile warm up

1 mile at 6:04

1/4 mile at 6:15

1/2 mile at 6:30

3/4 mile at 6:45

1/2 mile at 6:20

1/4 mile at 5:54

1/4 mile at 5:52

1 mile cool down

I felt good today.  I've definetly lost some speed over the past 3 months but the endurance is much better. I doubt I could break 20 for 5k but I'm pretty sure I could PR in the half right now.

Recovery run.  8:00 minute miles over part of the race course for this weekend. Wanted to check out the footing situation. It looks good for Saturday.

Tried to get off road with the beautiful weather today. Turns out portions of my run were in 2 inch mud. Ended up averaging 8:30's. with a tight hip and knee.  Today's run may have been a mistake. We'll see how it feels tommorrow.

Let me just start out by saying my goal entering the race was to run 2:30. It was a pace that I felt my training gave me a chance to meet. What I hadn't figured into the equation was having an upset stomach for 2 days leading up to the race and the morning of the race.  A lot of flu going around the Island right now so I felt like I have been fighting it off. Needless to say; I reconsidered my goals going in. Should I back down my expectations? Should I bag the race entirely? After much consideration and managing to keep down some fruit and cereal; I decided to go for it.

     The race started out at 11:00 a.m. sharp.  The first 10 miles are all pretty exposed to the ocean as you follow the coastline from Vineyard Haven through Oak Bluffs and into Edgartown. It's the most scenic part of the race by far but in bad weather years; it can be brutal.  The weather today was perfect- for February.  37 degrees with a 15 mph wind coming out of the west. That makes it a cross wind along the beach. I tried reigning things in to start but still came through the first mile in 7:21.  That was followed up with miles of 7:07, 7:17; 7:04; 7:14. At this point I've noticed that I'm feeling pretty good and I'm definetly not on 7:30 pace like I had planned. I tried not to overthink things at this point but started to get a sneaking suspicion that I was setting myself up for a tough second half.

     The next two miles, according to the Garmin were 6:21 and 7:55.  My guess is those numbers were a little off.  I felt that I was pretty consistent through here so I'll average them out as 7:08's.  My mind is telling me- O.K.; 1/3 of the race is over. Just stay relaxed and go with the flow. Next 3 miles were 7:22; 7:39 qnd 7:24.  A slight hill on mile 9 accounts for the first mile of over 7:30 so I'm not too concerned.  I've already taken my first gel and it's sitting in my stomach talking back to me.  It takes me two miles befor I feel o.k. with it.  My half way time turns out to be 1:12:44. I've managed to bank over 2 minutes from my goal time. I'm still feeling O.K.

     I run my 11th mile in 7:49 which is slower than I would have liked and I'm suddenly being passed by by other runners.  I get it into my head that I must be slowing down so I hook up with a small group as they go by me and stay with them for the next mile and a half. I am realy starting to struggle now.  I check the Garmin and realize it's because the group I'm running with is doing 5:36 miles. Oops.  Sadly the damage has been done.  I'm feeling really fatigued.  I take another gel and hope it helps.  The 12th mile of my run was in 5:36 and the 13th ended up being 7:07 after dropping out of the group I had been trying to stay with.  I know that I've made a big mistake by now but am determined to stay strong as long as possible.  I come through mile 14 in 7:32 and 15 in 7:29.  I haven't given anything back yet but I know it's coming.  To make matters worse, my Garmin decides to go crazy on me and it no longer works, except as a clock. I notice this just as I get to mile 17 so I start using the lap feature.  I'm now running on real familiar territory as half my runs are along this stretch of road.  My legs are refusing to turn over and it's taking a boat load of concentration to keep going forwards with a purpose.  I keep thinking about my tempo runs and fartlek workouts.  This keeps me moving forwards. A couple of runners pass me over the last 3 miles but not as many as I feared.  I kept hitting the lap button as I go by the mile markers but don't have any desire to see how much time I'm losing.  I just keep thinking; it's almost over.  Stay relaxed. Keep moving.  My final 3 miles are 8:03, 8:04 and 8:03. I've managed to give up over a minute and a half over the last 3 miles so the 2 mile splits I missed had to be similar.

     I take the final turn for home and realize that I'm almost there.  I keep expecting the finish line to appear but some how this stretch to the finish has gotten longer since I've run it last.  How is that even possible?  As I near the finish line I realize that I will not be reaching my goal of 2:30.  It was a close call but I missed it by 15 seconds.  Right then and there I really didn't care.  I was just happy the race was over.

     It's amazing how short a time it takes to start feeling better after a race.  within 5 minnutes I was walking back along the course and cheering for the rest of the field.  The post race meal was great. Clam chowder and minestrone soup with fruits and cookies. I think the cookies are put out just for my wife.

     Looking back I feel like I could have done better.  Not feeling well leading up to the race and running way to fast for a mile and a half at mile 12 and 13 did me in.  I also feel that it would have been a little easier if I hadn't run the whole race, besides those aforementioned 1.5 miles, alone.  The part I'm most proud of was the last 3 miles. Even though they were my slowest and most painful; the fact that I stayed as controled as possible and didn't completely fall apart makes them the most satisfying.

Boston Qualifier coming soon!!!!!

Legs felt totaly beat up today.  I'm hoping that a little movement will help with the healing process.

7 easy miles with Patrick today.We went off road with the nice weather and dry condidtions.  It was exactly what my body needed. Soft ground; easy pace.

My legs felt really good today.  The issue was that once I hit 3 miles, there was no energy left.  I guess my recovery isn't as far along as I was hoping.  We'll see where we stand tommorrow. I was hoping to get back on schedule for my marathon training program. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. I'll take it one day at a time and not rush things along.

Felt good throughout the run today.  My legs were under me the whole time.  5 miles in 37:52.

8 milesof sld today. averaged out to 8:30's.  Felt pretty good until the last mile.  Marked improvement over a couple days ago.  I go back to the schedule starting tommorrow.  :)

5 miles at 7:50 pace. Today was the first day since my race that I've actualy wanted to go out and run. It felt great.

Legs were heavy today.  Was supposed to do 10 but cut it short.  Hopefully I can string a couple of good days together now.  I'm just not excited about running right now.

The running felt O.K. today. It was the feeling of wanting to get it over with that was bothering. I usualy love to be out there running but of late it's like- Let's get this over with. I suppose it's still the hang-over from my race. That's the biggest problem with these longer distances, it takes a while to recover mentaly. Looking forwards to a nice 5K.

First long day since the race.  The weather was anything but cooperative. Snow turning to sleet turning to rain. Temps right around 32 with 25 mph winds.  The 5 mile stretch along the coast was like having half my face sand-blasted. Luckily it was mostly sleet through here so I got the maximum abrasion factor. :)  I actual enjoyed the run.  I think it helped that Dave went out with me.  I have a feeling I wouldn't have enjoyed it quite as much solo.. It's true- misery does love company; at least when it comes to running.

Tempo run today.  The first mile felt O.K. but then I hit a wall.  A chest cold is slowing me down the past couple days.  Finished up the 5k in 21:20 which was a disapointment but at least I finished up the run. Hopefully my breathing clears up in the next couple of days.

An easy 5 miles today.  Still feeling the chest cold, which continues to slow me down.

An absolutely beautiful day today.  Temps in the upper 50's. It felt like spring.  I changed up the schedule a bit to take advantage of the weather and the fact that I'm feeling better. I could have gone longer but decided not to go too crazy as I'm coming off the cold. Plus, I'm supposed to run a 5k next Sunday before the South Boston Parade.

Started out my run in 33 degree rain and finished in 31 degree snow. Was it realy 60 degrees this weekend?  I good news is I felt great.  I've recovered well from the weekend long run whichis encouraging .  I'm finaly over my cold- unless I come back down with it after todays run.7:45's felt pretty easy.

recovery run.

Threw in some tempo in the middle of my run today.  Felt pretty good. Scheduling for Vermont marathon looks bad so I probably won't be doing a spring marathon this year. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

recovery run today.  5k race on Sunday.

I typed this race report this morning, only to have it disappear. Hopefully I can recapture my earlier enthusiasm.

     Race conditions were pretty much perfect for early March in the north east.  Temps in the mid 40's and just a slight breeze.  The course was an out and back with very little flat land to speak of.  All rolling hills with the first half heading out to the water and sea level and then back up to the finish.  My expectations were not that high as I was comong off of a 20 mile race a month ago and I have only started to feel normal again the past week.  Plus there hasn't been much in the way of speed work except a couple fartlek workouts leading up to the 20 miler.

     My wife and I headed up to South Boston the day before the race.  The express purpose of this race was to go and enjoy the St. Patrick's Day Parade but I figured while I was there I might as well run the race.   I woke up later than usual- 8:00.  Race was a 10:00 start so I'm already feeling a little behind.  We grab a bite to eat and head out the door for the race.  I ran this race 2 years ago and there were less than 400 runners.  This year 1500 hundred people signed up so the number pick up was a mob scene.  Luckily I had pre-registered so there was no big wait.  Got my number and did a little warm up and it's time to go. 

     The start was chaotic to say the least.  Being a boys and girls club race all the kids felt they needed to be up front and I was seriously worried about someone getting hurt at the start.  I ended up standing behind a couple of young boys in dresses.  I'm happy to say they were pretty good sprinters and I had a clear path for the first couple hundred yards.  That's when the "leaders" all died and proceeded to plug up the roadway.  I was just about through the traffic when a runner in front of me dropped his car keys; don't ask; and stopped dead to pick them up.  I did a half hurdle, half side step, to get around him and continued on my way.

     The first mile was at 5:56 which was right where I was hoping to be.   As I neared the half way point I could count the runners coming back towards me and knew I was in 15th place.  I worked the final down-hill before the turn-around and then headed back up the hill.  Usually in a 5k I'll use the time between 1.6 to 2 miles to recover and then press the final mile.  I had talked strategy with my training partner and had decided to push the entire 2nd mile and see what happened.  I haven't been doing much for speed work but I have been doing some hill work and long runs.  I was hoping that although I'm not as fast as I've been in the past, maybe I was strong enough to make up for it.

      I kept my eye on the runner in front of me and found myself making up ground.  Next thing I knew I was going by him and aiming for the next runner.  Mile 2 was 5:54 according to the Garmin.  I didn't bother looking at my watch for the whole race.  The idea was to run as hard and smart as I could and not worry about time.  Two solid splits and still feeling pretty good.  Back to the rolling hills and I'm making good headway.  We head into the final hill, about a quarte mile long and the runner in front of me has about 100 yards on me.  I doubt I'll be able toi catch him but I keep my eye on him as I climb that final hill.  The gap starts to close but I run out of time.  I take the final turn and cross the finish line.  I look down at my watch and see the number 18.  I can't believe it.  I've run a P.R. in the first race of the year.  Final time was 18:53.  I had run a 19 flat about a year and a half ago so the idea that I'd set a best at this race never crossed my mind.  Another surprise was finishing first inmy age group.  I'd done it before but never at a race this big.

     I have to say that I was thrilled with every aspect of my race this weekend.  I learned a few things that I hope I can remember and use in the future.  The biggest thing I've learned was that I don't necesarily have to be at my fastest to run my fastest.  I just have to be strong and smart.

recovery run.  I felt surprisingly good today.  Was planning on 4 miles but just kept going.

1.4 warmup followed by repeat .2 mile hills with a jog back to the bottom.

1st- 1:10  a bit quick

2nd- 1:16

3rd- 1:15

4th- 1:13

5th- 1:15

6th- 1:13

7th- 1:14

8th- 1:15

1.4 cool down run.

I ended up stepping in a slight hole on the cool down and strained my left achilles tendon. Lots of ice the next 2 days.

I've been horrible with posting to the blog of late. Next few enteries are all late.

I really didn't want to race this weekend but seeing as it was out here on the Island and I was race co-ordinator last year I felt compelled to participate. Schedule was for a long day so I went out early and did 7. Then I went home and showered and headed out for the race.  I didn't know what to expect so I was very happy with the results. Last year I was struggling to get under 20 minutes so this performance was exciting.  I worked the 2nd mile and it ended up being my fastest of the three so this strategy seems to be working so far this season.  I moved up on the second place runner with a half to go but I had no kick left and he easily out distanced me over the final stretch. I did manage to hold on to third as another 40+ runner was bearing down on me.  Luckily he started his kick a little late.

1- 6:18

2- 5:57

3- 6:08

An easy 5 miler. The wind was howling today with a steady 30 along the water; which was half my run.  When it gusted I was barely moving forwards. It was a lot of fun!!!

Long day at work today. By the time I got home I was tired.  Didn't realy feel like going out but figured a little something was better than nothing. I didn't even bring the Garmin with me.  Just let my body decide the pace. I probably crawled along at 8:30's.  Afterwards I was glad I ran.

It's called a race but it actualy is a chance for people to get together every week and do a hard tempo run.  I wanted to do a hard run but it can be kind of hard to do that by your self, so I took the boat over to the mainland and hooked up with a local running club for their weekly race. It's fairly flat with a beautiful water view. The goal going in was to do 6:45's for as long as I could.  About 30 people showed up and did the run.  I went out a little fast in 6:10 but felt good.  That's when I decided to see how far I could hold it.  Turns out I couldn't hold it for very long. :)

My second mile was a 6:18 followed by miles of 6:37 and 6:45. I'll be honest.; I found myself falling asleep a little through the last two miles. Maybe too many hard miles the past 2 weeks.  I finished up with a 6:30.  The legs felt pretty tired afterwards.  Still, I was very happy with the workout. It was only about 20 seconds off of a P.R.

The plan this week was to do my long run on Sunday but the weather report called for torrential downpours so I moved up the run a day.  Probably not the best of plans after a hard run yesterday but I figured I be as smart about it as I could be and did a double loop.  That way if I wasn't feeling it I could cut the run short. I did the run with Dave and for the first time incorporated a Gallowwalking type workout.  2 miles running followed by 1 minute walking.  I thought it would be kind of dumb but that minute sure did go by quick.  All th3e research seems to show that it doesn't take away fromthe workout but allows for a faster recovery.  We'll see.  I actually felt pretty good for the run after the first 3 miles.  It took that long to really loosen up and get into a rhythm.  I could have run longer but decided to end it at the 17.5.  With my deciding against the spring marathon there's no need to do too much milage right now.

Recovery run. Legs feel surprisingly good considering Saturdays long run. Will try to take it easy this week.

Did my 5 miles in 38.11 for an average pace of 7:38.  It didn't feel that fast. I take that as a good sign considering how hard I've been running of late with too many races.

Hard long day at work.  I felt really tired so cut the run short.  Average pace was 8:23-slow.

I have a race tommorrow so took it fairly easy today.  I felt I had to do something, as my running has not exactly been motivated. I ran 8:14's holding myself back.  I definetly felt like going faster.

Perfect weather for a race in early April.  This race is one of my favorites.  The start and finish is about 300 yards from the ferry as you leave the Island so there's no need for off-island transportation.  It's also a very hilly course with some good competition; especialy in my age group.  Twenty five of the top 35 runners were over the age of 40.

I was hoping to run 6:30's for this race.  It doesn't seem to extreme of a goal unless one is familiar with the course.  All up and down with nary a flat spot to speak of.

Although the hills aren't that long, they are steep.  Having not been doing much in the way of hill training, I knew it would be a challenge.  My first mile was right on track at 6:28 which was a hard mile as it's mostly uphill.  That was followed up with a 6:02 as I took advantage of the following down hill.  I   tried to use the downhills tomy advantage in this race.  In the past I've used them as a place to rest and recover but felt that if I ran them harder I could gain some time.  It worked pretty well until later in  the race when at mile 5 I crashed and burned a bit.  I ran a 7:15 and was beginning to think of letting up completely.  I hate when those thoughts start running htrough my head.  Instead of giving in I set my sites on the runner in front of me and slowly reeled him in over the next 1/2 mile.  I realized at this point that I was in the top 10- something I've always wanted to do at this race and there was no way I was going to fall back in the pack. I once again set my sites on the runner ahead of me.  Every time I would close on his shoulder he would move back out to a 20 yard lead or so and then I'd try to get abck on his shoulder.  Although I never quite caught him; using him helped me to push through to the end of the race.

     My average pace for the race was 6:36; only a second off my percieved best possible goal.  It was also almost a full 1.5 minutes under my previous P.R. for this course. I am very happy with my performance.  With no immediate race in my future I'm looking forwards to doing some consistent and productive training.  Hopefully it will help me get back some of my motivation that was lost after deciding against my spring marathon.

5 easy recovery miles with Dave.  We started out at 12:00 with cloudy skies and a slight mist.  By half-way into the run the skies had opened up and we were soaked to the bone.  The worst part was running  along the high tension wires and watching as the lightning came crashing down about a quarter mile away.  We kept telling each other that the wires would probably protect us from a lightning strike.  Not sure if it's true but it sounded good.  We ended up running the last 2 miles a bit quicker than we would have liked.  Regardless, it felt good.

8.5 miles with Dave and Gary at noon today.  It feels a lot easier when running with others.  The miles just seem to fly by.  The weather was much nicer for todays run.  We did an easy 7 and then- as usual when running with these jokers, it was a race to the barn the last mile+.  Finished up with a 7:10 last mile going up hill. Average pace was pretty slow for us- 8:07's so they are slowing down a bit during supposed easy days. 

My Garmin says that my average pace was 8:46 but ti also shows that my slowest mile was 8:10 so I'm not sure what to believe.  I'm pretty sure that I wasn't running 8:45's so I'll assume that I ran 8:00's.  It seems more likely.  It's strange because I never lost signal.  The run felt realy good.  Looking forwards to a long run on Sunday.

Planned on an easy 10 but added to the lenght as We felt really good.  Last long run for Dave before Boston next Monday.   A bit of jealousy on my part, as I won't be running it.  Hopefully next year- once I qualify.  Averaged 8:10's but it didn't feel that fast.

    I am finaly caught back up on my blog here.  I haven't been real consistent with it like I had hoped to be.  Ever since I decided not to run my May marathon it's been a bit of a struggle to get out and train.  And then the idea of blogging about it seems kind of pointless with no long term goal.  It's time to set a fall goal.  Hopefully sooon.

First track workout of the season. The idea going into this season is to run less intensely but with a shorter gap between intervals. Hopefully that will help prevent injuries and keep me healthy while improving my speed and VO2 max.

Repeat 400's with 400 recovery run in between at 2:10- 2:20 pace.

1. 1:34

2. 1:28

3. 1:28

4. 1:26

5. 1:29

6. 1:26

7. 1:25

8. 1:28

Legs did get a bit tired near the end and I had to work hard the last 3 laps but I believe that's the purpose of the exercise. My achilles are tight so I'll keep an eye on them the next couple of days.

recovery day.  Felt sluggish today.  Off day tommorrow.

Tweaked my back at work today.  It hurts to breath so I'll be taking a couple of days off at least.

Boston got me excited yesterday but I took another day off just to be safe.  Ran what felt like an easy 5 but the clock showed 7:38's.   We'll see how tommorrow treats me. 

A beautiful morning so I took advantage of it before the rain came back in.   Ran 7:45's  and felt great.

I've been working on trying chi running and it seems to have sped upmy running abit.  7:35's for a recovery run today.  I'll be curious to see how I feel after a week of this.

easy 1:20 minute run off road.  It felt good to get into the woods;even if I did get lost.

Slow and steady wins the race.  Temps in the mid 80's made for a real challenge.  It seems the weather has skipped right over the 70's.  Today was tough.

1.5 mile warm up followed by 6 x 1/4 repeats with 1/4 mile jog in between. 1 mile cool down.

The first couple felt very sluggish and I had to work hard to meet my goal time of 1:24.  The last 4 each one got easier and easier.  I was tempted to add a couple extras but with a scheduled 5k this weekend thought better of it.

a medium effort run today.  Half off road;  half on.  Everything felt good except for my right foot where the mid- forefoot just to the right of the ball started to bother me post run..  Definetly a little swelling going on.  I'll have to keep an eye on it. Average 7:42's.

I felt real good coming into this race and was realy hoping to run a p.r..  Weather conditions were pretty good. No wind with temps in the 50's.  Just a little drizzle to start but it quickly cleared up.  The idea going out was to start harder than I usually would.  I have a tendency to go out and try to run even splits.  I've recently come to the conclusion that by going out slow I'm not giving myself an opportunity to run an exceptional race.  Today had the potential of a great race.

     I started out trying to push the pace early but still stay under control.  My first mile split was 5:37 and I found myself in a group of about 5 other runners with the 2 leaders a full 150 yards ahead.    I usually go out in 6:00 or so so I was definetly out of my comfort zone, just as I'd planned.  That group of 5 jockeyed for position for the next half mile.  I just tried to maintain my effort and not allow anyone to lose contact.  At about the half way point I put a little push on and left the pack behind.  I hit the 2 mile mark with a 5:40 and was still feeling good.   I'd extended my lead to about 70 yards by this point and was pulling away as the group behind me dropped off.  At 2.5 miles I went through  an intersection and was putting a little push on to the finish.  I was darn excited to say the least as I knew I was going to have a great time and finally break the 6 minute mile barrier I've been hoping for for over a year.  About 120 yards after the intersection I took a peak over my shoulder and lo and behold; there's no one behind me.  I can see a runner turning the corner that I had gone straight through.  Talk about depressing.  I turn around and rejoin the race course.  I no longer have any idea where I'm at in the race place wise and I really don't care.  I'm just  kicking myself for being so stupid.  Needless to say I don't exactly finish with a big kick.  I hold my position and end up running a 19:22 which I would have been thrilled with last year at this time.  Today it's a a major disappointment.

     Well it turns out that there were supposed to be police along the course but they showed up a half hour late so that's why there was no one at the intersection.  While I was doing my warm down I went back up to the place I got lost and there was a cop stationed there. I guess sometimes things just don't work out.

     Good news is that according to my Garmin I still broke the 6 minute pace for my extended run.  I can't use this as a p.r. but it tells me that I am definetly going to lower it on Memorial day.

final numbers according to the Garmin.

3.33 miles

19:22

ave pace 5:50

7.5 miles in exactly 1 hour.  8:00 minute pace. 

It took a couple miles to loosen up but then I felt pretty good.  The last three were at 7:30 pace that I didn't even feel.  Off day tommorrow.

mile warm up and warm down with 2 x 400; 2 x 800; 2 x 400

Bottom of my foot  a little soar befor the run but felt fine after a couple laps.  After the run it bothered in the evening and the following morning.  It's kind of a wierd injury.  Not sure if I should be running with it or not.  I'm going to take a couple days off and see how it fels then.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!  What a great way to start off the holiday.  8:30 A.M. start worked out perfectly as I slid the stuffed turkey into the oven at 7:30 and made my way out to the race.  Weather was pretty exceptional with temps in the low 50's and a clear sunny day.

     I came into this race with absolutely no idea what to expect.  Having done no speed work- unless you count long races and tempo runs as speed work for a 5k. Plus the legs no longer seem to have a second gear.  I seem to be able to run as fast as I can for as long as I want-  sort of.  I was hoping for 6 minute miles as I felt I could possibly take advantage of my big base. That's exactly what happened except they were 6:04 miles and every mile I ran was right about there.

     I kept the leader in view the whole way and with just over a mile and a long gradual uphill and down hill I made a move.  The gap started to close and by the time the leader hit the bottom of the hill I had closed the gap from 150 yards to about 50.  As he took the corner I saw him peek over his shoulder and I thought I had him.  Sadly, as I rounded the same corner he had accelerated and started extending the lead again.  I had nothiong to respond with and slowly watched him pull away.  If he hadn't responded so strongly I probably would have run a bit faster for the final 1/2 mile but I didn't.  Sadly I missed a p.r. by 3 seconds. Still Thanksgiving dinner was awesome and there was no guilt about overeating.  One more race to go and my season is over.  It can't get here quick enough.

Today marked the end of the racing season for me.  It's been a pretty hard 2 months with a 30 mile relay contribution;marathon; half-marathon and 2 5k's  and I was soo happy to see it all come to an end.  The course seemed a bit long and my Garmin confirmed it.  Garmin milage was 3.35 miles which explains my slow time.  I definetly felt like I ran a better race than that.

     This is one of my favorite races, as it is the High Schools x-country course and it brings back a lot of good memories of my own high school days.  The past 3 years I've managed to finish 4th in every one.  So of course I'd have to finish 4th again this year.  It actualy looked pretty good for that to change with about half the race to go as I passed a couple of youngsters and started to chase after the leader.  Oops. I probably should have waited a little longer.  I faded badly the final mile and was once again delegated to 4th.  My legs are definetly feeling the effects of a lot of hard miles the last month.  There was just no second gear to turn to today.

1st mile 5:58

2nd mile 6:03

3rd mile 5:50

fianl .35 according to Garmin- 1:47

If the Garmin is correct I would have been very close to a P.R for a 5k if it had been the correct distance, but what can you do.  I was very happy with my performance especially for an off road course.

8.8 miles in 1:10 7:56 pace

Day after a 5k.  I used to take these days off but a 5k just doesn't seem to bother me much anymore.  That's nice to say.  Maybe I'm running them too slowly.  If only I had another gear.  After Boston I may have to seriously think about finding some more leg speed.

     Dave and I went out fairly easily for the first 3.5 but ended up finishing the last 5 in 7:40's.  Not exactly ideal long run pace but it really wasn't much of a long run.  Felt great with no feeling of going too fast.

7.5 miles at 8:17 pace

Pat stopped by and talked me into a run.  It didn't take much effort on his part.  Feeling great after yesterdays run and felt good today to. Off day tommorrow?

8 miles at 8:20's

Nice and easy run today.  I had thought about taking the day off completely but changed my mind when I saw the weather.  Is it spring time already?  My running seems to be going really well right now.  I would have expected more of a hangover after the past months raqcing and mileage.  I guess I'm in better shape than I thought.  3:10 in Boston in April?  Starting to think maybe.

8 miles in 57 minutes  7:35 pace

8 miles with Dave today.  As usual we started out slowly and picked it up.  The final 5 miles were under 7:15's.  Good news is it didn't feel that fast at all.  I have to run with Dave more often- except on easy days.  I don't think he knows what easy miles are.

7.5 miles in just under 56 minutes. 7:56 pace

Windy and cool today.  I love these conditions. :)  It seems the worse the weather of late the more excited I am to get out there and run.  Go figure.

3.85 miles in 29:21  7:37 pace

With a long run tommorrow I wanted to stretch out my legs but save something for tommorrow.  Ran today pushing the pace slightly so that I was never completely comfortable but was still nice and relaxed.  16 tommorrow.

18.5 miles in 2:36:08  8:43 pace  LSD

Today was my first long run since my marathon.  It would have been sooner but running a half 3 weeks after the full delayed things a bit.  I probably shouldn't have done it but with the racing season almost over I figured it was my last chance to take advantage of my conditioning.  Plus I laid out the course and really wanted to take part in it. 

     The run went really well as I ran the first 15.5 with Dave and Blake.  I felt so good I decided to add on a short 3 mile loop.  I was definetly tired but felt that running under some duress would do me good.   They say you have to train to cope with race conditions and that's what I did today.   My hamstrings bothered me for about 2 hours after the run- very tight and achey.

3.75 miles in 30 minutes. 8:00 pace

Easy recovery run today.  The legs were heavy but responded well after a mile or so.  I need some new shoes.

6 miles in46:15 averaged 7:40

8 hours sleep last night. It's been a while.  Hated getting out of bed today.  Not sure why other than I obviously needed it.  My butt was dragging all day.  I still went out and did 6 when I got home from work.  Glad I did.  It felt great after the first 2 miles. Last 3 were 7:33, 7:07 and 7:03 without really pushing it. The beer tasted good afterwards also!!!

6 miles in 46:15   7:40 pace

Felt really comfortable.  Managed to get it in before the weather moved in.

1 mile warm up    

5 x 400 at 1:26 w/200 rest

1/2 mile jog

5 x 400 at 1:26 w/200 rest

1 mile cool down

Just finished reading  "Always a Runner" for the second time.  I highly recomend it to people who run.  It really brought me back to the old high school track days.  It also got me motivated to get out on the track and do a workout.  400's were not that intense but with only a 200 cool down they got harder and harder as I went along.  I'm sort of caught between what to do for training right now.  I want to do a ton of miles but also feel the need to throw in some speed work to keep my mind fresh.  I think I'll work on building up the miles and throw a workout like today in every 2 weeks or so just to stay sharp and feel the burn.  Boston is still a long way out but I'm feeling excited already.

5 miles in 39:47  7:58's

My goodness; winter is here.  A brisk 28 degrees when I left the house with 15-20 mile breezes.  The first mile was brutal with the wind directly into the face.  Not looking forwards to tommorrows run with temps expected to be below 20.  Hopefully there will be less wind. Todays run felt good.  I would have loved to keep going but need to save something for tommorrow.  Really trying to emphasise the long run over the next few months.  It would be nice to have a 20 miler become less daunting.  It sure would make a marathon a race instead of a run, sort of like a half has become.

15 miles in 1:59:27 7:57 pace

Weather was 24 degrees to start but warmed up nicely and finished up the run in 38 degree heat!!!  Run was great. The first 5 flew by before I even realized it. Went out and ran 3 progressives of 5 miles each with little effort.  The last three were the only miles I felt like I had to push.8:24 pace for the first 5; 7:56 for 6-10; 7:35 for final 5 miles.  A good start to the week.  Time to decorate the tree!!!

I had planned on 8-10 but once I got out there I realized I couldn't run the route I wanted, as it's deer hunting season.  With 2 people being shot so far this season out here on the island I decided to let discretion be the better part of valor and changed my course.  The last 2 miles were a struggle but I maintained form and finished up without stopping early.  Hoping for 60+ this week so the extra miles should help if it doesn't come back and bite me later in the week.

7.5 miles in 1:01:55 8:25 pace

Run felt good until about 1.5 to go when the outside of my right knee started to tighten up.  I immediately stopped and did some stretching befor finishing the run.  Picking up the pace seemed to help.  Maybe running slowly is causing bad form.  Have to keep an eye on this.

6.75 in 57:52  8:34 pace

Felt quicker than it was. Probably because with the cold I'm wearing more layers.  Other than pace the run felt good.

6.3 in 53:14  8:25 pace

Lunch time run in 12 degree weather. BRRR.  Doesn't look like temps will be rising for a while. This week the pace seems to keep going from slow to slower.  I don't mind to much as I hope to hit 60+ for the first time ever. The build up for Boston has begun.

7.5 miles in 1:01:18  8:10 pace

Ran alone today after 2 straight days with Dave.  Not talking through the whole run may have had more to do with speed than anything.  Felt like I was dragging the first 4 miles today and ran quicker than the last 2 days.  Considering the mileage I would have thought I'd be suffering more than I am.  It felt like just another run.  Good news.  I may be a distance runner after all.  Build that BASE!!!!!!

7.5 miles in 1:04:39  8:33 pace

Cold and windy today.  Last 3 miles were directly into the wind.  Definetely feeling the effects of a long week.  Tonight calls for 12+ inches of snow so I'm up in the air about what to run tommorrow.  We'll see in the morning.

15 miles in 2 hours on the treadmill.  Talk about torture.  Hopefully they plow the bike paths soon and I can get back outside.  Other than the boredom the run felt good.  I put the incline at 6.5 and just let her rip.

12 slow miles today.  Took me 1:45 to run it with Blake.  The first 5 were right into the teeth of a 25 mph wind.  Wasn't the most comfortable section but at least it didn't start raining till we turned the corner and headed for home.  Cold windy and rainy;  that's what I call winter weather on the Vineyard!!!!  It sure beat the blizzard we had last Sunday.  Last week was supposed to be a cut back week but with the weather and holiday it got a little ridiculous.  Hopefully I'm back on track.  Tommorrow starts the first day of my official 16 week Boston schedule.  I can't believe that time is going by so quickly.

3.5 miles in 25:28  7:15 pace.

Trying to work on less garbage miles and more purposeful miles.  Tried to run with the feel of pushing the pace with just the slightest effort for the whole run.  I'm very happy with the results.  Maybe if I can keep this up my speed can increase over the next couple months.

7 total miles  in 59:31  8:33 pace

1 mile warm up  followed by 2 sets of 4x800 at 10k pace with 90 seconds between 800's. 5 minute jog between sets; 1 mile cool down.  Was looking to run around 6:10 pace for the 800's but the first 4 were run right into the face of 30 mph winds with gusts of even higher.  Ended up running those first 4 averageing 3:15 or 6:30 pace.  On the return trip the 4 splits were at 2:55  or 5:50 pace with the same effort.  Right knee is feeling a little achey so I'll ice tonight and keep an eye on it. Tough conditions with the wind and 18 degree temps.

6.2 miles in 47:43  7:40 pace

My knee felt fine today with no carry over from yesterday.  The only problem I experienced was the right calf was tight and my foot  kept going numb.  Not sure what's up with that.. It went away almost immediately after I was finished with the run so I'm not overly concerned at this point.

Today the schedule called for a tempo run but I really didn't feel like doing it.  I still strapped on the sneakers and got out there.  A mile warm up followed by a 3 mile tempo run at 7:15's that was a real struggle.  Finished up with a 1 mile cool down. I would have loved to have extended the tempo but just had no energy today.  Easy day tommorrow.