Making Progress

My leg continues to feel better. I didn't run Saturday due to the all-day outing with the family, and then I didn't run Sunday either, mainly due to the fact that J woke up with an awful migraine and spent most of the day in bed.

Monday I ran for twenty minutes, did the exercises, stretched, and iced; this morning I did the same minus the ice. It took me a few more minutes to get out the door this morning, so to make sure I left for work when I wanted to I decided to forgo the ice.

The leg is still not 100%, but it seems to be getting there. I'm hoping the improvement continues, and I'll begin to increase the miles if it does.

More of the Same

After taking yesterday off, I ran for 20 minutes again this morning. Like the last two runs, the hamstring was tight at first and then loosened up. I did the hamstring exercises, stretched, iced, and then massaged a little with the stick. All of that seemed to help because my leg feels better today than it has for a while.

Tomorrow's another day off since J and I are taking the kids to Day out with Thomas for j's birthday. He turned four Nov. 21 and I'm sure he'll be ecstatic tomorrow.

Baby Steps

After two weeks off, my hamstring didn't really feel much different than it did after the marathon. Massage seemed to be helping a little, but not drastically. I decided to try running and some strengthening exercises and see what happened.

The past two mornings I ran for twenty minutes. The hamstring felt tight at the beginning, but loosened up during the run. Afterwards, I came back, did the strengthening exercises, stretched, and iced. My big concern is not how it feels while running, but after I get ready for work and sit in the car for about an hour, it's tight when I get up. I'm going to continue with the plan for a few more days and see how it goes, and maybe massage the hamstring with the stick instead of icing and see if that makes a difference. I'm anxious to get back to training, but I want to be careful not to rush anything.

Richmond Marathon

I haven't written for a little while, mainly due to being busy and a lack of desire. But now I feel like the break has been invigorating, and I feel like writing again.

The last month of training for Richmond was going well up until the taper. I did something to my left hamstring, and it didn't feel quite right the last three weeks or so leading up to the race. The top of the hamstring felt tight and a little sore. Still, it didn't keep me from running, and I had registered for the race and paid for the hotel room, so I decided to go ahead and run the race.

J and I drove down to Richmond the night before the race. We checked into the hotel, picked up my stuff at the expo, and then went to dinner at The Olive Garden. I ate the same meal I did last year. I got to bed about 10:30.

I got up a little before six on race morning and took a shower to help me wake up. I looked out the window and saw that the rain had stopped but it seemed a little blustery. The temperature was in the low 40s. Our hotel was about a mile from the starting line, and I walked over. I jogged for just a few minutes to warm up and then dropped off my excess clothes and made my way over to the starting line.

The race started and I went out conservatively. I passed the first mile in barely under seven minutes. I was a little concerned that I wasn't feeling a good as I did last year. I sped up over the next few miles, running them in the 6:40 range. During these miles my stomach started bothering me, and I had to make a pit stop at the porta-johns at mile six. I felt better after that and made my way downhill to the "Party Zone" at mile seven.

After the seventh mile, the race goes up a hill and over a bridge. Going up the hill I felt a twinge in my hamstring. It felt tight and I backed off my effort. Over the next few miles my pace slowed and people started passing me. My leg was still tight and I began to think about dropping out. I knew J would be somewhere around mile 16, so I concentrated on getting there and seeing how I felt. I passed halfway in 1:35:XX, and was almost positive I was going to drop out. I wasn't going to seriously negative split the course and break three hours, and I wasn't going to kill myself just to finish. The last straw came when I went over the second bridge. I was running into a strong wind and ran my slowest mile, and after I came off the bridge I really started to tighten up. About a mile after the bridge, I saw J and dropped out.

I wasn't terribly disappointed about dropping out. I certainly wasn't having my best day, and the risk of further damage was not worth trying to finish. I haven't run since the race, and my hamstring still doesn't feel quite right, especially when it gets stretched in certain directions. I'm resting for a little while, and then looking to run another marathon in the late spring.

Still on Schedule

Everything's still going basically according to plan for the marathon. I finished up last week with ten miles on Friday and then just three on Saturday. Friday's run went well in that I was able to pick up the pace towards the end.

Sunday I ran for three hours and 20 miles at Burke Lake Park. The run went well--I didn't even look at my watch until I was two hours and forty-five minutes in. Ideally I'd like to run at a little faster pace, but I'm glad that I'm getting the long runs in. I feel like last year a major factor in my blow-up over the last 10k was a lack of longer runs. I was pretty much wiped out the rest of Sunday.

When my alarm went off Monday morning I hit the snooze button twice and seriously considered taking the day off. However, I heard one of the boys making some noise and I got up to go check on them. Once I was out of bed, I figured I'd go out for a run. I ran six miles, but really didn't feel good.

This morning I ran 10 miles with the HRM. It's been a little while since I've worn it. If there's one indication I'm getting in better shape, it's that the average heart rate was lower for this run than for a similar run a month or so ago. Also, the max I got up to for the run was lower as well.

An Overdue Update

Since the 20-mile race, training has been going well. It took me a few days to recover after the race, but by Thursday of last week I felt good enough to attempt a workout. The workout was 2 x 1 mile, 4 miles steady, and then 1 x 1 mile. I ran two miles over to the track to warm up and then ran the first mile in 7:12. I rested for a minute, and then ran the second mile in 7:05. I ran the four miles, and then I was back at the track for the last mile, which I ran in 6:46. Friday and Saturday were seven and ten miles respectively, and I ended with 74 miles for the week.

J ran the Army 10-Miler this past Sunday, so rather than try to coordinate a long run Sunday I moved it to Monday, which I had off for Columbus Day. I ran eighteen miles, and while it wasn't terrible it certainly wasn't great either. Tuesday I ran eight miles and yesterday ten, and this morning I had planned on a tempo run. However, I had also planned on going to bed early since I was pretty tired, but that didn't happen. I was exhausted when I woke up this morning, and I reset my alarm so I could get some more sleep. I got up in time for just an easy three miles.

If I run a good marathon in Richmond, I think one big factor will be my consistency. It's now been over a month since the last day I didn't run. I've also been running good mileage over the past month, with long runs of 16, 17, 21, and 18 miles. I'm excited to see what I can do November 10.

DCRRC National Capital 20 Mile Race Report-Long

Race morning was beautiful. It was sunny and about 50 degrees, perfect running weather. The race was in Alexandria, about a half-hour drive, and as usual I was running a little late. I still needed to pick up my number, since I didn't do it on Saturday. It's a good thing I wasn't planning on much of a warm up.

I got to the race about 15 minutes before the start. I picked up my number and jogged around a little to warm up. I went over the plan in my head--stay conservative early, don't go out too hard and die. After a few announcements, we were off.

The race started at a school, and then the course went through a neighborhood and out and back in both directions on the Mt. Vernon trail. I hit the first mile in about 7:15, right on pace, and before the second mile marker we got on the trail. We followed the trail towards Mt. Vernon until we got to the turnaround just before the five mile mark. At five miles my time was 36:xx, and I was still on pace. I was taking Gatorade at each of the water stops (a quick aside: why do the fill the cups up so much?) and the next five miles passed uneventfully until I got to halfway in 1:13:27.

At the water stop just before halfway, I took a Gu and some water. I was going to try and pick up the pace, but I wasn't feeling that great. I just tried to continue to maintain my pace. Around mile fourteen I had lost a little focus and ran my slowest mile of the race, 7:44. Seeing that split combined with the fact that I had turned around and was headed back to the finish at the school woke me up. I got my focus back and began to work on the drive to the finish. I got to seventeen miles in 2:06:xx, and I picked up the pace. I felt like something had come over me--I had this new energy. Miles eighteen, nineteen, and twenty were the three fastest of the race. I split just under 21 minutes for the three miles. I also passed three or four people in those last three miles, including one just as we were getting on the track for the finish. I kicked hard on the three-quarters of a lap on the track to finish in 2:27:06.

I'm very pleased with the way this race went. I didn't quite follow my original plan of running the last ten miles at marathon pace, but I did pick up my pace by 15-20 seconds a mile over the last three miles. Plus, I ran my three highest mileage weeks thus far going into the race, so I wasn't tapered at all. This race was a big confidence booster for the marathon in a little more than a month.

DCRRC National Capital 20 Mile Race Report-Short

I'm very pleased with the way the race went. I was 31st overall in 2:27:06. I ran remarkably even 10-mile splits of 1:13:27 and 1:13:37. The legs were definitely sore this morning, but I got out for eight very easy miles. I want to keep the consistency I developed of late. The only negative about the race is the marble-sized blister I ended up with on the second toe on my left foot. I'll post a more detailed recap tomorrow.

Easy Day

This morning I ran an easy 11 miles, 10 out and back along the parkway and then I added a mile on, mainly because I felt like it and the run was going pretty well. I felt better today than I have the past two days, I'm sure at least partially because I slept better last night. Tomorrow's a very easy day, and then I've got the race Sunday. I'm a little nervous because I've never actually run 20 miles in training, but I figure as long as I don't go out too hard, I should be fine.

How It's Been Going

It been a few days since I updated this thing.

The weekend running went well. Saturday was just an easy four miles, nothing special. Sunday I ran a 17 mile long run. I felt pretty tired at the beginning and I was a little worried about how it was going to go. I told myself that short of me collapsing, I was going to be out for at least two hours. As the run progressed, I felt better and better, and even felt good enough to cap off the run with a 7:06 last mile, the fastest of the run.

Monday and Tuesday were recovery days. Normally I'd have a workout scheduled for Tuesday, but this week is set up a little differently because I'm running a 20 mile race on Sunday. Monday I ran eight miles and Tuesday I ran 10.

The workout that I would normally run Tuesday I wanted to move to Wednesday. That didn't work out because J had a Pampered Chef party Tuesday night and I was up late. I slept in Wednesday morning and ran an easy seven miles. Then I was going to run the workout this morning, but I didn't feel too good. My stomach was bothering me, and I bagged the workout and ran eight miles.

I don't plan on racing the 20 miles all out this Sunday. I want to run the first 10 steady and controlled, and try to work down to marathon pace or even a little below over the last 10. We'll see how it goes.

Hill Work

This morning I headed out for another Friday morning hill workout. This morning I ran out along the parkway. I warmed up for three miles, ending up just about at the base of the hill. The path along the parkway is marked every kilometer, and the 10k mark is just before the hill and the 11k mark is at the top of the hill. I ran four 1k repeats up the hill. The first two took 4:41 and 4:45. I was a little disappointed the second repeat was slower than the first, so I was cooling back down the hill I got on myslef to really concentrate and work hard on the last two. I wanted to run 4:40 and then 4:30, but ended up running 4:32 and 4:31. I cooled down back to the house, giving me 11 miles for the day.

My reaction after this workout is that this would have been a better workout with less recovery. But to get back to the starting line, of course, I had to run all the way back down the hill. It felt like too much recovery. The recovery is probably one of the reasons hill work is usually included a little earlier in training, but I still feel like I benefit. Plus the longer recoveries make for a less taxing second work out for the week.

Thursday was an easy 10 miles.

Nothing Special

Today's run was just an easy 10 miles. I was going to just run out and back along the parkway, but I was a little concerned that if I did I might convince myself to cut the run short, so I went with the 10 mile loop instead.

I've been hungry lately while running. Usually I'd just be a little hungry when I started, but the feeling would go away. Now it hits me toward the middle of the run and I feel hungry the rest of the way. I have increased my mileage the last 10 days, but I've run this mileage before and don't remember being quite so hungry.

Disappointing

This morning's workout certainly did not go as planned. The plan was to warm up, run five miles at marathon pace, and cool down. I warmed up with three miles, and when I got to the three mile mark and checked my watch and saw how slow I had been running, I had a bad feeling about the workout. However, I decided to give it a try, figuring I could always cut it short if I needed to. I never got within a minute of marathon pace and ran the five miles in over 40 minutes. If I had checked my watch at anytime other than three-quarters of a mile into the workout, I might have cut it off, but probably not. Oh well, I can't expect every day to go perfectly. With the warm up and cool down, I had ten miles for the day.

Weekend Update

Saturday I managed three miles on the treadmill. Once again I wondered how I can feel like I'm running so much faster than the treadmill says.

Sunday I had a good 16 mile long run. I was feeling a little tired after the first ten miles, but then I stopped at the house to pick up my Gu and within a few minutes I felt much better. The last six miles were much more pleasant than the first ten, and over those six miles I picked up the pace slightly and finished strong.

This morning I ran a very easy eight miles. My legs felt ok, but I was pretty tired and hungry. I really don't think that I ate enough yesterday to recover as well as I could have.

Tired

Even though I had a late night, I still got up and out the door for my run this morning. I figured if it got really bad, I could always just come back home. It turned out that I didn't have to worry.

I had a hill workout on the schedule for today. I warmed up a little less than four miles, and then ran seven hill repeats. I think my tiredness contributed to not running as hard as I could have, but I never wanted to quit the workout. The hill was a little longer than a quarter mile, twisting up and then flattening out at the top. After the last repeat I continued, striding out on the flat part at the top. Then I cooled down for two miles, ending the day with ten miles.

Go Back to Sleep

When I get up to run in the morning, before I go downstairs I check on the kids to make sure they're still covered up and not cold and just because they're cute. Mostly they sleep right through it. This morning I checked on b and covered him up, and then I went into j's room. The door squeaked when I opened it, and j sat up and said, "No, daddy, no." I walked over and asked him if he had to go to the bathroom, he said no, and I started to rub his back. He closed his eyes and then whispered, "Daddy, I have to go to the potty." I took him to the bathroom, put him back in bed, and told him I'd see him when I got back from running. He looked at his window, and told me "Daddy, you run in the morning. It's still nighttime." It was only about 4:40 in the morning and still dark. I gave him a stuffed dog named Wiffles to cuddle up with and then he told me, "Daddy, Wiffles loves me." I told him I loved him too and to go back to sleep, which he did.

Today's run was better than yesterday's. I ran a loop that I haven't run for a while, and I still took it fairly easy but faster than yesterday, finishing today's 10 miles about eight minutes faster than yesterday. The weather here the past two days has been great. The cool morning temperatures make it feel like fall is on the way.

Slow Slow Slow

I ran a ridiculously slow 10 miles this morning. I knew I was taking it easy, but I was still surprised when I reached seven miles and saw my pace was over nine minutes a mile.

Today is j's first day of school for the year. He has a year's experience under his belt and he's excited to be back in school. b was upset that he couldn't stay at school too, but he has his own class starting Friday.

A Good Workout

This morning I headed over to the track to run 3x2 miles at marathon pace. It had rained overnight and was still all wet, but at least it didn't rain this morning while I ran. The rain did make it really humid, though.

I decided that I was going to run the workout by feel rather than checking my watch every lap or so. If that meant that I ran too slow or too fast so be it; I need to know what marathon pace feels like without having to constantly check my watch. The first two miles went by in 14:03. This was a little slow, but at least it was in the ballpark. Goal marathon pace is 6:45-6:50. I jogged a lap to recover and then ran two miles in 13:55. I jogged another lap and ran the last two miles in 13:52.

I'm pleased with the way the workout went. I was able to basically hit marathon pace without checking the watch, and I thought I recovered quickly during the lap between repeats. The warmup and cooldown gave me 10.5 miles for the day.

I'm Back

Hilton Head was a lot of fun. The beach, the pool, some golf and running, and some time with the family provided a nice relaxing two weeks. And J and I also got back to Clemson to see them beat Florida St.! But now it's back to the grind.

I ran most days while on vacation. Out of thirteen days, I ran on ten of them. I could have done a little more mileage, but at least I was out there. Hilton Head had bike paths that go all over the island that are good for running. I had one semi-long run, one good out and back workout when I ran out in 25:45 and back in about three minutes less, and one 3x10 minutes at around marathon pace. The rest was just easy miles.

Today I ran eight miles easily along the Parkway. I was able to keep my heart rate in the right zone for the most part, but ended up running fairly slowly. The HRM bugged me a little this morning since it was sliding around and at one point the strap came out and I had to stop and fix it.

New Toy

One of the gifts I received yesterday was a heart rate monitor. I think it will definitely aid me in my training. This evening when I got home from work I gave it a try. It took me a few minutes and a little frustration to get everything set up, but I finally got out the door. I ran pretty easily for a half hour, but my heart rate ended up higher than I thought it would. Overall it averaged 163, with a high of 182. Also, it seemed to spike near the end of the run. It was in the upper 80s, so that had something to do with the higher heart rate, but did that account for the spike at the end too? I'm anxious to see what the heart rate is tomorrow morning, when it's a little cooler.

I'm leaving tomorrow morning for Hilton Head and I'll be there for two weeks, and I don't know if I'll have a chance to update the blog. In case I don't, best of luck to Beth, who is competing in the ITU World Championships in Germany in just a few days.

Quick Update/Happy Birthday

I don't have time to write much, but here's a quick update.

First, happy birthday to me. Today I turn 27. It turns out that Jenny Barringer and I share the same birthday. Tonight I get to celebrate by packing to get ready to go on vacation--J and the boys leave tomorrow and I'm leaving Saturday.

Now for a brief training recap:
Sat.-30 minutes on the treadmill, about 2.5 miles
Sun.-5 miles easy
Mon.-8 miles
Tue.-10 miles
Wed.-11 miles
Thu.-5 miles

The Marathon is not Getting Any Further Away

I did make it to the running store last night to see Alan Webb. Samia Akbar, who is running the marathon at Worlds, was also there. It was quite crowded, as I expected, and I stood in line for a while to see Alan and Samia. Stupid me, I didn't take any pictures last night, so you'll just have to take my word for the prior summary. There are some photos of the event, here.

I didn't run this morning. My alarm went off, I reset it, and then forgot to turn it on, so I actually woke up late. Richmond will be here before I know it. If I don't get in gear, it's not going to go well.

Marathon Pace Workout and Alan Webb

Typically I run a workout on Tuesday, but since I didn't feel well Monday night I pushed it back to Wednesday this week. I just wanted to warm up, run about five miles around marathon pace, and cool down. I decided to run the five miles on the track. When I got to the track, there were two people walking. I wasn't feeling too great, but I figured I give the workout a try and see what happened. What happened was that I didn't even get down to marathon pace. I did run a little faster than normal, but I didn't get to the pace I wanted. In an effort to go a little faster and make the workout more interesting, for the last four laps I surged and picked up the pace for the first 200 meters. It did help, as the last mile was the fastest.

I don't want to make too big a deal about this, but if you're walking around the track and someone else is running, wouldn't you think it makes sense to move from the inside lane? Especially if that person who's running keeps going and goes around you multiple times?

This morning I ran an easy five miles. As usual on Wednesdays I went to bed late, so I slept in a little and ran less. Tonight I have the chance to meet Alan Webb. He's from Northern Virginia and still lives and trains around here, and one of the local running stores is having a meet-and-greet/world-champs-send-off-party for him. It should be fun.

Maybe I'm Not Over It

Sunday morning I ran 15 miles at Burke Lake. Things did not go as smoothly as they did last time I ran there. I followed the same routine--wake up, eat a bowl of cereal, drive to the park--but did not have the same run. I felt tired during most of the run, and my stomach was acting up, to the point that I had to stop twice for bathroom breaks. But I persevered, and finished the run. The rest of Sunday I spent painting and doing some other things around the house. By late afternoon, I was pretty tired.

Monday I didn't run. J and the boys got back late Sunday night from Long Island, and after being tired from running and painting Sunday I wasn't getting up after only five hours of sleep. Then Monday afternoon, my stomach started acting up again. I don't think I was as over it as I though I was a day or two ago.

This morning I ran six miles. I ran two loops so I wouldn't be too far away from the house in case my stomach bothered me, but it felt fine. Hopefully I'll really be over this bug soon.

Nice Day

I ran another easy six miles this morning, the same loop as yesterday, although today I ran a few minutes faster. Tomorrow morning I'm heading to Burke Lake for my long run. I'm going 15-16 miles.

The weather's finally gotten a little better here, with noticeably less humidity. It should actually be in the 60s tomorrow morning while I'm running.

Feeling Better

It seems my stomach bug was only the 24-hour variety. I've been feeling better since yesterday. I took the day off yesterday. I slept in instead hoping the extra rest would help me get better faster. This morning I ran an easy six miles. I was still a little cautious about the stomach and didn't want to overdo anything.

J and the boys are on Long Island this weekend. I've got a nice weekend of grass cutting, painting, and running planned.

And I Would Feel Better If It Weren't For Those Darn Kids...

The kids had some sort of stomach bug last week, and now it appears I've caught it too. I don't feel too bad, but something is definitely wrong with my stomach. At some points at work today I considered leaving early. And if not for the fact that I have to stand at a table during an open house at my workplace tomorrow, I'd at least think about taking the day off.

I did get out and run this morning, but the stomach issues limited me to four miles.

Come On!

Today was another day off. I didn't even try getting out of bed when my alarm went off. I went out with some friends last night and got back a little late, but then I stayed up a little while longer. By the time I fell asleep it was after midnight.

I know I want to do this. Why is it so hard?

Camping

The family and I went camping with some friends this past weekend in Prince William Forest Park. Other than the little bit of rain Saturday night, we had a good time. The boys love to run around in the woods.

Saturday afternoon I ran eight miles in the park. It was pretty warm, and going up the hill at the end of the run the heat was getting to me. The solitude of running in the park was nice. Sunday I took the day off and spent the day cleaning up from the camping trip.

This morning I ran eight miles again. I was feeling pretty tired until the end of the run. I guess the fact that I was almost done gave me a little burst of energy. Tomorrow is another workout.

Day Off

No running today, and I'm a little bitter and mad at myself about it.

Recovery

The last two days have just been easy running. Thursday I ran eight miles, and this morning nine, the last mile on the treadmill to try it out. It's all right, but as usual I feel like I'm running faster than the speed it displays, and it's pretty loud. I'll have to turn the volume up higher than I thought to watch TV while I run.

If you haven't seen it yet, check out Jason Jabut's post about being accountable. It's good stuff.

The Best Things in Life are Free

J's been using Freecycle for a couple months now. It's a good way to get rid of things that are still in good shape that we don't need any more. We've also picked up a few things from other people. It works kind of like eBay, except that everything listed is free and items are given away on a first come first serve basis. Most of the time items are small, but occasionally big ticket items are listed. Today, J called to tell me that she got a free treadmill. I'm happy.

This morning I ran my first workout of marathon training. I intended it to be just a tempo run, but it ended up being a progression run. I ran three miles to warm up, drank some Gatorade, and then started my workout. I ran it on the road by my house. It's a half mile to the end of the road, so to the end and back is a mile. The five miles of the workout went by in 7:35, 7:23, 7:18, 6:56, and 6:36. I started off slow, but finished up well. It would have been interesting to see what happened to my heart rate as the workout progressed; did it go up or did it stay fairly consistent. Unfortunately I don't own a HRM, but I did ask for one for my birthday, which is only about three weeks away. I'm happy with the workout, though I would have liked to be a little more consistent.

Swampy

Days like today remind you that Washington DC was built on a swamp. It was so humid this morning I felt as if I was pushing the air aside as I ran. We finally got some rain yesterday, which was good, but it left a lot of humidity behind.

I ran eight slow miles this morning. Once again, I could have used some more sleep last night and I was pretty tired as I ran.

Weekend Recap

Saturday-Ran six miles pushing the kids in the stroller. This was not very much fun. I wanted to wait until J got back from her run, but we had a birthday party to get to and I couldn't wait.

Sunday-Ran 10 miles, partially on the trails by the marina. I thought about going further, but I just didn't feel too good. I really should have had the Gu and seen if that helped, but I had already convinced myself to head home.

Toughing it Out

The second half of my run this morning was a little tough, but I got through it. The legs felt all right, but I was still kind of tired. It's a good thing the weekend is here and I can get some more sleep.

I ran a little over 10 miles, over two loops with a stop at the house for some water as has been the norm over this past week. It was definitely more humid this morning than it has been lately.

In birthday news, b had a good one. He and his buddies had a good time at the pool and then the in-laws came over for dinner and cake. My parents are coming to visit this weekend.

Happy Birthday!

b turns 2 today. The time just flies by. It seems like only yesterday he was born. Happy birthday b! I'm sure he had a great time at his pool party.

Running today was minimal. I always seem to get to bed later than I'd like on Wednesday nights, and last night was no exception. I hit the snooze button a few times and finally got up about half an hour after my alarm went off. I was still tired, though, so I ran five miles, did some strides, and called it a day.

Still Committed

Despite a later than ideal bedtime last night, I was out there pounding the pavement this morning. I felt tired, but I was focused on getting the run in, as well as the donut holes I was going to eat if I got the run in. It's good to have motivation like that.

I ran another two-loop run today. The first loop was six and a half miles, then I stopped by the house for some water, and I ran the six mile loop to give me twelve and a half for the day. After that, it was a quick breakfast and shower to get off to work and eat my donut holes.

6.25+5.25=11.5

I think my mileage for the day is fairly obvious from the title. I split the run into two loops so I could swing back by the house for some water. It was cool this morning, so I probably didn't have to stop for water, but it does seem to settle my stomach. I've had a few stomach issues this summer that I think have been caused by being dehydrated. Overall this run went well and I even was able to pick up the pace over the second half.

Commit

If I want to be the best I can be, I have to commit to it. There's no way that I can get anywhere near my running potential otherwise.

Saturday I ran five miles with the kids, including a stop at the playground to swing on the swings and feed the geese that live in the pond. That night, J and I went to Richmond to see Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake. It was an early birthday present for me. The show was great, but we didn't get home until almost 1 AM. I didn't get up and run, and I took a nap in the afternoon, so that gave me a big fat zero for the day.

This morning I ran eight miles, out and back along the parkway. I felt OK, but my lower back was a little tight when I woke up and stayed tight as I ran. The pain behind my knee that I mentioned a few days ago has disappeared.

Formal marathon training starts in a week. Commit.

A Little Niggle

After yesterday's 10 miles I could feel some tightness in the back of my left knee. I was surprised when it hung around all day and I could still feel it this morning. Still, I decided to at least run a little bit and see how it felt. I didn't really notice it on flat ground or going uphill, but I could feel it when I ran downhill. I stopped after three miles, iced, and took an Aleve. It feels better, but still a little tight.

To recap the last week of running:
Monday: 6 miles. Legs felt better than I expected after Sunday's 15, but I was tired.
Tuesday: 10 miles
Wednesday: 4 miles. Planned on more, but I was so tired I cut the run short.
Thursday: 10 miles

Ouch the Chafing

This weekend went well, both running and non-running wise. I ran seven miles easily on Saturday. It was starting to get warm, and I was feeling it during the run. I tried to make sure I got enough to drink over the rest of the day. Sunday morning I ran 15 at Burke Lake, which is three loops of the trail. I felt great and probably could have gone a little further, but recently the longest I'd gone before Sunday was 11 miles, and I didn't want to push it too much. The only problem was the chafing. Part of my legs were pretty raw and even bled a little by the end of the run.

Other than the running, I spent the weekend partying and working on the house. Saturday I went to two parties--a birthday party for friends of j and b, and a graduation/new job party for my sister-in-law. Sunday afternoon I put another coat of paint on the front door and helped put in the new doorbell.

The end of last week was OK. Eight miles on Wednesday, nothing Thursday, and ten miles on Friday.

Not Much

I don't have much running to talk about lately. Due to activities we had planned for Saturday, I switched my long run from Saturday to Sunday and just ran an easy four miles pushing the kids. Sunday I woke up and just was not in the mood to run at all. I was tired and had a headache. Yeah, it does sound like a pretty poor excuse. The headache went away, but I was still tired so rather than run I went with J and the kids to the pool. Sunday was a late night, and I slept in instead of run Monday.

This morning I did get up and run. I ran 11 miles, a five mile loop and a six mile loop. I did the two loops so I could come back to the house and get some water in the middle of the run. It's been pretty warm and humid here lately.

A Good Decision

I was so close to just getting back into bed this morning instead of running. But I didn't, and I ended up having a pretty good run. I ran 10 miles through the neighborhoods. As has been the case lately, the first half of the run seemed to drag on, but the second half went by in no time. The legs, especially the hamstrings, were a little tight. Maybe I should be stretching. It's certainly not as hot in VA as it is in AZ, but it's definitely getting warmer again. I knew those days with highs in the low 80's wouldn't last.

On a personal note, J and I were married five years ago today. I couldn't be happier and there's no one I'd rather spend the rest of my life with.

Easy Day

I felt pretty tired and a little sore this morning, so I just ran an easy four miles and called it a day. Yesterday I ran 10 miles, with the middle four up-tempo, and Tuesday I ran 10 miles as well.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday. We took the kids to the parade in the morning, grilled some burgers and dogs, and then went to watch some fireworks at night. We had a great seat for the fireworks--right across the street from the filed where they were launching them--and we got out of the parking lot afterwards in minutes.

The Old College Try

It's been a while since I updated this thing. There's no point in having a blog if I don't keep it updated on a semi-regular basis, so I'm giving myself one more chance. If I can't keep it updated over July, I'm not going to do it any more.

I'm not going to go through all of my running over the last month. It's been OK, but could use some improvement. I'm getting into the groove now and am getting the mileage up so I can get into my actual marathon training.

I had the good fortune to be in Indianapolis for the USATF Outdoor Championships in June. I attended the meet Thursday and Friday and really had a good time. It was great to see people like Matt Tegenkamp, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Deena Kastor up close and personal. I have a few pictures that I may post.

Out of the Way

Repairs on the car are going to be done. It didn't end up exactly the way I would have liked, but at least now all that's left is to drop the car off at the body shop. That will happen a week from today, the day before we go out of town for 10 days.

Training has been going well. I'm still just running easily for the most part, getting the mileage back up.

Monday-I ran six miles, out and back along the Parkway.

Tuesday-I ran eight miles over the neighborhood loop.

Wednesday-I ran eight miles again, out and back along the Parkway.

I've been feeling kind of tired lately during my runs. Some more sleep would help me feel a little better and also probably bring the pace down a bit.

Weekend Recap

Saturday: Getting up early to run before J left for lacrosse didn't happen and I ran an easy four miles after the kids had lunch.

Sunday: Got up early and ran eight miles. I really felt pretty awful and was glad when this run was over. My legs just felt really, really heavy.

Congratulations are due for J, as her girls won their lacrosse division championship. Even though they lost the championship game to the winner of the other division, it's still quite the turnaround from the team that didn't make the playoffs three years ago.

Now, unfortunately, for some bad news. On her way to the championship game today, J got in a car accident. She was turning as she went around a ramp, and the car slid on the wet pavement into the guardrail. J's OK, but the car isn't. It is still driveable, and I'm going to get an estimate to fix the damage tomorrow.

And for some even worse bad news, Beth was hit by a truck on her ride Friday. Amazingly, nothing was broken. Here's wishing her a quick recovery.

Finally, here's something that just pissed me off. There's a new section within the Metro section of the Sunday Post called Commuter. It highlights road construction, answers questions about commuting, and has other little features. There was a little story today about a Metro (the DC subway/buses) employee whose van was blocking the path of an ambulance that had its lights flashing and sirens wailing. He only had to move the van a few feet to let the ambulance get by, but his stance was, "I was here first." If I were his boss, I'd fire him in no time. What part of the lights/sirens did he not understand? Did he think the ambulance was out for a Sunday drive? I've never met Beth, but I've followed her blog for a while, and I'd be mad if she were more seriously injured because some idiot didn't let the ambulance by because he was there first. Moron.

A Kick in the Butt

After a decent start to my running at the end of lacrosse, I slacked off a little. I allowed one day off last week to snowball into five. The family and I did go camping over Memorial Day weekend, but I still could have fit my runs in. I gave myself a little motivational speech about my goals, a kick in the butt to get me back out the door. Richmond is not tomorrow, but I don't have that much time. Thus far this week I've run five miles Tuesday and seven yesterday and today.

Quick question about marathon training plans: I've looked at Pfitz's 70 mpw plan, and while it maxes out at 70, it does start at less than that. If I'm averaging mileage over what the plan starts out with (still iffy at this point) should I drop back down or pick up the plan at the week where the mileage matches up with mine and maybe repeat weeks?

Back to It

I've finally found some consistency with my running. I'm working on getting the mileage back up and building a base before I get to the specific marathon training. At J's urging, I'm going to find a plan to follow, likely from Advanced Marathoning or a similar book. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know. I'm looking for something with mileage in the 70-80 range.

Thursday: 4 miles, last day I had to drive in early for lacrosse
Friday: 5 miles
Saturday: 7 miles
Sunday: 6 miles
Monday: 7 miles
Tuesday: 7 miles

Fitness Day

Today was my agency's annual Fitness Day, which takes place at the track of the high school I work next to. There are walking and running events, as well as some kind of aerobics. I ran in the two-mile run and the one-mile relay, and also participated in the two-mile walk since one of my co-workers asked.

Last year I won the two-mile in something like 12:40. Since last year, though, the two other runners who finished close to me have left the agency for other jobs. This year I ran solo to victory in 13:24. After the two-mile was the one mile relay. Because of the space the track is in, it's 1/5 of a mile instead of 1/4. Each member of the relay team runs one lap. I led of and split :58, which works out to between and 72 and 73 second quarter.

Tuesday I ran a little less than three miles pushing the kids. I got a little frustrated with the canopy of the stroller because it wasn't staying in place and cut the run a little short.

If You Learn One Thing from Adam Goucher...

While Adam Goucher was still training in Colorado under Mark Wetmore, there were rumors that he hurt his back moving rocks in Wetmore's yard. Both of them were chastised for it, in typical letsrun.com fashion. Last night, I found myself in a similar situation.

Our backyard had a little fenced-off section for the air conditioner. There were some little decorative rocks put in too. The weekend before last, I took out the fence and rocks so I could have a little area for gardening. j has been interested in it lately, so we got some seeds to plant. We advertised the rocks on freecycle, and someone actually wants them. Last night I was moving them from the backyard to the front so she could pick them up, and I tweaked something in my lower back, right in the middle above my butt. It's not too bad, but I can feel it when I bend over. Walking around doesn't bother it, so I'm going to try running this afternoon.

Yesterday I ran four miles at the park pushing the kids, and Sunday I ran five miles. I'm getting back to normal and will be increasing the miles over the next few weeks.

Speaking of Adam Goucher, there's some interesting info about he and his wife Kara at Nike Running.

A Hiatus

I've been gone for a little while. There just wasn't much to write about. I wasn't running very much, I was pretty tired all the time, and at times bitter about the whole situation. I had volunteered to go to work early so I would be home early and J could coach lacrosse. I underestimated how tired it would make me as well as my resolve to get my running in, and I wasn't a happy camper. Now lacrosse is winding down--one team is already done, one team has one more week, and the last team that still has a few weeks left mainly plays on the weekend--and I'm feeling better and beginning to run more. This morning I ran six miles along the parkway. It definitely feeling like summer's right around the corner.

I'm already registered for Richmond in November, and that's the goal. Chances are good too that I'll be running a half in Baltimore in October.

The Weather's Terrible; You'll Wish you Weren't Here

Yesterday's weather was just awful. A cold rain lasted almost all day until six or seven in the evening, when it started to snow. I didn't run yesterday; besides the weather I was so tired when I got home from work that if not for the kids I might have gone right to sleep for the night. There's a dusting of snow on the ground this morning that shouldn't stay around long.

Thursday I ran on the in-laws' treadmill. One of the benefits of living close to them is that I can go over and use the treadmill if I want. The sky was cloudy and there was some lightning and thunder around, so I wasn't going to take the kids out in the stroller.

Wednesday I got out for only three miles in the evening. I hadn't eaten anything all morning, and I was questioning if I wanted to run or eat after that. J suggested that I eat and work on painting the trim outside, so I ate and did that. I didn't get a chance to paint much before J had to leave for lacrosse. I was kind of cranky from being hungry and I had a headache from my lack of caffeine and just did not get out the door until I had to or not run at all.

Don't Drink the Brown Gatorade

b's getting over his stomach bug, but we're still being cautious about his dairy intake. Instead of milk, he had gatorade to drink with dinner. I drank the gatorade that b left over, and j pointed out that it was yellow. I told j that sometimes it's red too, since we have red gatorade as well. Then j proceeded through the litany of gatorade colors: blue, orange, pink, purple,... until he got to brown. I told him I don't think they make brown gatorade. I also told him they don't make black or silver gatorade.

Today and yesterday I ran six miles pushing the kids in the stroller. It's been warm enough the last two days to run in a t-shirt and shorts and sweat. Pushing them isn't too bad, until you get to a hill. I'm off work tomorrow because J thought it would be a good idea for us to get physicals, so I'll have the chance to run without the kids.

Ixnay on the Aceray

I didn't end up running the race this morning, or running at all today. b's been a little sick with some kind of stomach bug and this morning he wasn't keeping anything down. Even though J probably would not have asked me to stay home, I did anyway. Hopefully b will be over this soon.

Goose Egg

I didn't run yesterday. I got home late, and I had told J that I would go to the running store and pick up some Shot Blocks for her long run this morning. By the time I went to the running store and got back home, my motivation was waning. I'm more motivated right when I get home. Plus I needed to make dinner for the kids soon, and I was tired, so I just took the day off.

This morning I went to Burke Lake and ran seven miles. J was there doing her long run, so the plan was I would feed the kids breakfast, bring them to the park, run one loop around the lake pushing them in the stroller, and meet J back at the parking lot because by that time she should be done. She'll take the kids home and then I'll run a little more without them. The plan actually worked--I ran 4.5 miles with the kids, and then another 2.5 without. I might have done a little more, but I wasn't feeling too great--my stomach was a little off and even though I got more sleep last night I still felt kind of tired.

I think I'm going to run a race tomorrow. It's 12k that happens to be at Burke Lake Park. I'm planning on running it as a workout, running hard but in control for the first half and then hammering the second half.

Tired Run

About halfway through my run yesterday I just wanted to lay down and go to sleep. I continued on though, and made it back home awake. I had entertained thoughts about a hill workout, but in my tired state I scrapped that idea and just ran six miles and did some uphill strides after the run. This driving myself into work early in the morning is leaving me more tired than I thought it would.

Still Winter

Winter made a comeback in Northern Virginia yesterday. After a few days of warm temperatures, Mother Nature gave us about two inches of snow. It was the good snow, the light fluffy kind that's easy to clear. I was going to take the kids to the in-laws and borrow the treadmill, but lacrosse practice was canceled so J stayed home and I ran outside. I ran eight miles along the Parkway in the snow. I was tired, but the legs felt pretty good and I was done before I knew it.

Evaluation

I really haven't done anything fast since the marathon, so Monday I went to the track for a tempo run. The plan was to run hard but in control and let the pace fall where it may. I took the day off Monday due to b having a fever Sunday night, but by 11 am he was feeling better so I headed over to the track. I figured that since school was in session the high school track would be open, and it was. After my two mile warmup, I ran 5000 meters on the track in 19:26. I went out a little fast (6:04 first 1600) and then settled down (the next two 1600s were 6:20 and 6:18, with the last 200 in 44). Overall I'm pleased with the effort.

Today's run was six miles. I would have done a little more if I had more time.

I've had to rethink my goals for the spring. J is coaching not one, not two, but three lacrosse teams. Because of that, I'm going into work very early so I can come home early and watch the kids while she's at practice. I should be able to get out and run every day since I can push the kids in the stroller, but I don't see myself getting many quality workouts pushing 50 lbs. worth of children. I'm simply going to try and run on a consistent basis and stay as fit as possible for when things get back to normal at the end of May.

Getting out of the Slump

I've been in a slump the past two weeks with my running. I've been sleeping in, and the snow and ice we got this week didn't help. For whatever reason, I feel like I'm coming out of it, and I made it out both Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday I ran eight miles through the neighborhoods. They don't do a very good job plowing the roads around here let alone shoveling the sidewalks, so I need to stay off the main roads as much as possible. Sunday I planned on twelve or thirteen miles, but called it quits after seven. I was more tired than I expected, and my legs especially my left calf, were pretty tight. I stretched out well and hopefully will feel better tomorrow.

Goals

J and I had a discussion Monday night about exactly what my running goals are. Her concern is that I'm aimlessly running, without any purpose. Also, since I've known her, I've pretty much been steadily running more and more. She doesn't always see me increasing my mileage as a positive.

In the near future, my goals are identifiable: break 17:30 in the 5k and 37:00 in the 10k and then break 3 hours at Richmond in the fall. Further out, it's harder to identify goals because new goals depend on breaking old ones. My ultimate running goal, however unrealistic it may be, is to qualify for the Olympic Trials in the marathon.

Reaching my goals will take hard work and dedication. In addition to running, though, I have other commitments--family, work, etc. How do I reconcile my goals with those commitments? Why am I having such a hard time accepting that those other commitments could prevent me from reaching a goal?

Used to It

I wanted to go back to sleep when the alarm went off this morning, but after I was up and moving around for a few minutes I was awake enough to get out the door. I guess my body is used to getting up again. It was about 30 degrees this morning, a little warmer than the low 20s of the past few days. I ran 10 miles, including eight laps at the middle school track. I added on the miles there rather than looping past the house, since I was pretty tired and I was worried about the temptation to just stop at home. For being tired, it was a solid run. I average just over 8 minutes a mile.

Wednesday I was pretty tired too, and in an effort to help with my motivation, I put on my headphones. Unfortunately, the music only lasted a mile since the batteries died. At that point, though, I was feeling better and ended up with six miles. Tuesday was another ten mile day.

Some Good Running

My last few runs have gone quite well. I've been running a strong aerobic pace, and the distance is coming back up. Now if I could just sleep a little bit more, I'd be a really happy camper.

This morning I ran eight miles along the Parkway. It was cold and a little windy, but nothing too bad. Yesterday I ran about nine and a half miles with one of J's friends. She's training for the Shamrock Marathon in VA Beach. While I finished with nine point five miles, she continued on and ran twenty. My other days since I last posted were nine, ten, eight, and seven miles. I'm glad to see the consistently and to have the desire to get out the door every morning.

Snow Day

Mike is not the only one who's had snow lately. We got a little less than two inches Sunday afternoon, and let the kids go outside and play in it. j loved it, but b didn't think it was so much fun.

I ran Sunday morning before the snow started, one lap (5 miles) at Burke Lake pushing b in the stroller. I wanted to do two laps, but since I was late getting out the door in only did one.

Saturday was cold and blustery, with 20 to 30 mile per hour winds. I ran seven miles in the morning, and then the kids and J and I headed off to Warrenton so J could run a race. She's training for the National Half Marathon and her training schedule called for a 5k. The race was only three miles, but that's close enough. Despite the wind, she ran a great race and finished in 22:36. Adding about a minute or so to estimate her 5k time, she broke her PR by almost three minutes!

Monday morning I ran eight miles in conditions that could be described as a skating rink. We got some sleet or freezing rain overnight and there was a layer of ice on the snow. I was cautious and only really slipped one, but being cautious made the run take about 10 minutes longer than it should. This morning I ran just under nine miles. I was going to run a little extra around the house so I got up to nine, but the stomach issues I was having towards the end of the run caused me just to stop as soon as I got back home.

One thing I've noticed since I've begun consistently running after my post-marathon layoff is that I often feel hungry while I'm running. I get up, get dressed, and head out the door, so I don't eat before I run. This has been my routine for a while, and I don't remember feeling like my stomach is so empty in the past.

Chance

I took a chance this morning and ran out and back along the Parkway. The last time I ran there in the dark, I tripped and fell while I was running through the portion that is under construction. Nothing like that happened this time, because while they've still not finished redoing the path, they have added a third lane to the road that is not yet open to traffic. I ran in that lane and avoided and the ruts from the construction vehicles.

I ran eight miles, the longest I've run since the marathon. I'm working on getting the mileage up and maybe running some 5k and 10k races in late spring.

Winter is Here

It's January and winter has finally arrived. This morning it was in the mid 20s with a slight breeze as I headed out the door. I ran seven miles, and about halfway through I really just wanted to be done. It wasn't due to the weather, I was just tired. I was running a loop though, so there was nothing to do at that point but soldier on home.

Last night I had the chance to watch the brief documentary about Craig Mottram, The Big Mazungo. I got the DVD from David Monti, but if I remember correctly you can find it on Youtube. It's well worth your time.

Spoke too Soon

When I last wrote, I thought b was getting better, but boy was I wrong. He seemed OK last Tuesday so on Wednesday he ate normally, but Wednesday night it was all coming back up again. And to make things even better, J wasn't feeling very well either and j was throwing up as well. I finally caught whatever was going around and was feeling a little queasy Friday afternoon. By the weekend, though, things had settled down and everyone was back to normal.

With the sickness going around, I didn't run much at the end of last week; in fact I didn't run from Thursday through Sunday. Yesterday I ran six miles and this morning seven. Until this afternoon it's been unseasonably warm--I ran yesterday morning and this morning in shorts and a t-shirt. But the front's come through, and tomorrow morning the temperature will be in the 20s

Recap

First, a little synopsis of my last three days of running:

M: 7 miles
T: 4 miles
W: 7 miles

I don't have anything terribly exciting to report about the runs. I'm just trying to work on getting the mileage up and am keeping the runs easy. The hip flexor was pretty tight Monday, not quite so bad Tuesday, and best of all today. Winter weather has finally arrived, at least for a few days.

I was hoping that Tuesday's run would have been a little longer, but Monday night b picked up some kind of stomach bug--there's been one going around his playgroup buddies, although it might have been something he ate--and got sick three times. Remarkably, he slept through all of them. The first time he made a little noise, but the second and third times he got sick J and I only found out because we went into his room to check on him. Thankfully it seems it was only a 12-hour or so bug, and he's feeling much better now.

Easy Day

After not running yesterday, I got out for an easy six miles this morning. I was close to talking myself out of getting up early, but after I made my list of things I'd like to get done this afternoon, I knew I had to get up and run or I wouldn't run at all--like yesterday.

The hip flexor was pretty tight this morning. I wonder if the day off yesterday had something to do with it.

Tired

I don't like Grey's Anatomy that much, so why was I awake last night watching it? Because J was watching it. Staying up until 11 last night made for an early morning, but I got out for six miles. One of my resolutions for the new year is to not let being a little tired deter me from getting up and running. I figure the worst thing that could happen would be for me to run a mile or two, feel terrible, and come back home. Even that would be better than not running at all. The hip flexor felt ok today.

A New Direction

I didn't want to run the same loop three days in a row, so I turned left instead of right this morning and ran seven miles on a loop I haven't run for a little while. Around this time of year, this loop takes me past a house that puts out one of the largest display of Christmas decorations around, but to my disappointment they had taken it down. The hip flexor felt ok until I started up the big hill. Still, it's not having a big effect on my running.

Same Old, Same Old

I ran six miles again today, on the same loop as yesterday. The hip flexor felt good until about halfway, when it began to act up a little. I made sure to stretch when I got back, and I also used The Stick for a brief massage. The plan is just to stick with easy running until the leg feels better.

Easy Day

Today's run was just an easy six miles. It was breezy but not too cold this morning. Despite having the day off due to the Federal Government being closed, I got up early and got my run done before everyone was awake.

After some stretching this morning, I figured out that the tightness really is in my hip flexor and not my groin. I'm not altering my stride at all, so I'm going to continue to massage the muscle and take some drugs before I take any time off.

A Good Start

Happy New Year!

Today was the second (I'm pretty sure) annual See Mommy Run New Year's Day run. See Mommy Run is the group J does most of her running with. This year and last year they had a little get-together at Burke Lake Park to celebrate the new year. Everyone runs a couple miles and then comes back to eat and drink whatever everyone brought. Usually we'd run around the lake, but the rain kept us off that, so we ran five miles along the path that follows the road the park is off. It was a good start to the year.

I have some goals for 2007 that I'll cover in a day or two.