Getting Back to Normal

Now that the snow has stopped, it's time to get back to my regular training schedule. Between the storms and sickness and general laziness, I didn't run much last week. The roads have been plowed and there's enough space to run that I don't feel like I'm going to be hit by a car every time one drives by. Plus I've been using a headlamp my wife gave me to both help cars see me as well as see any icy patches. I had a great run Monday, really feeling like I was rolling on the second half.

I'm looking at running either the new Woodrow Wilson half marathon or the Army 10-miler this fall. I've run the Army race in the past and like it, but I'm always concerned about the size of the field. The half marathon is smaller, but $70 seems a little steep. Maybe there's another race around that time I'm just not aware of yet.

Snow!

We had quite the storm this past weekend. This was the view from my window Saturday morning.

I spent a few hours Saturday afternoon shoveling. Sunday was sunny and the boys had fun outside.

Good thing we had the big trucks to clear the snow.


I didn't get any running in over the weekend. Between the snow shoveling and a sick wife, there wasn't time. Monday morning I ran, and then I got sick Monday night. I'm feeling better now but completely over it. Good thing work has been cancelled the past two days. And we're supposed to get more snow tonight! I may get the whole week off the way things are going.

Sick

I've had a little cold for a few weeks now. First it was a cough, and then that got better and I thought I was over it. Now it's become a stuffy nose. It's not severe at all, it's just dragged on for quite a while. I hasn't hurt my running and in fact the last few days I've run a little longer. My wife has questioned on a couple occasions why I don't just take a few days off and sleep in and see if that helps. I'm hesitant to do that because first, it's not that bad, and second, because I've got myself into a nice routine and I don't want to take time off for fear that I'll mess it up. So unless it gets worse, I don't want to stop the good thing I've finally got going.

We got a few more inches of snow last night. With the snow in the trees this morning's run was beautiful. There's a chance of another big storm this weekend. Partially I look forward to it and partially I know it will be so disruptive I hope we don't get too much. All I can do is wait and see.

A Little Workout

I've been a little antsy to run fast lately, so this morning I ran a "workout." I ran over to the middle school and ran a brief fartlek workout on the soccer field. I alternated a lap hard with a lap easy for eight laps. It was not hard at all, but it felt good to get the legs moving a little.

Why did I run the workout on the soccer field? I watched a video last week on Flotrack that featured some athletes in the Nike Oregon program doing a workout on grass. It seemed like a good idea, so I tried it. You get the benefits of running fast without the pounding you'd take on the road.

Update

This weekend has gone by way too fast. Is it too much to ask for another Saturday and Sunday? I'm not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow--I know this week is going to be hectic.

Training went well this week. Having a tired wife who wanted to go to bed early helped. I'm running about 45 minutes a day now, and I want to add in an extra 15 minutes per day over the next week or two.

I still don't have any definite racing plans. I'm thinking about the Army 10 Miler as a goal race, though.

Three-Day Weekend

I finally took my first day off in 2010 this weekend. I was out late Friday with friends, and slept in Saturday morning. I was just unable to get myself out of bed before my wife left, and then with the kids and a house there's just too much else to do on a Saturday to run any other time than the first thing in the morning.

Sunday and Monday's runs were good. I want to get up to running an hour a day and then begin some tempo and fartlek work. After running Monday morning, the kids and wife and I went to IHOP for breakfast. It's become something of a tradition to go out for breakfast on federal holidays. Plus, we had some gift cards from Christmas we hadn't used yet.

Update

There's not too much going on with my running at the moment. I'm getting out the door each morning, getting consistent as I think about building up the daily mileage. I'm working on putting together a plan for the year. I don't think I want to run a marathon, so I'm going to try and find some shorter distance races and maybe a half-marathon this fall.

I'm sure everyone's seen the destruction in Haiti by now. I have a friend who has some family there. They're ok, but can't get out of the country. I was also glad to hear that the kids at an orphanage run by two women from Pittsburgh will be able to come to the US.

Hunger

One way that I know I've been running is my appetite. I certainly feel more hungry and am eating more than I was a month ago when I wasn't running much.

The weekend was pretty good. I had a good run Saturday morning, and just a short run Sunday morning. I was up late Sunday night, so I just ran for half an hour this morning. It's amazing how much different it feels without the wind. This morning was probably the coldest temperature-wise, but without the wind it was much more bearable.

We took the Christmas tree and decorations down this weekend too. Our living room and front yard are so empty.

New Snow

Last night we received a dusting of snow. I've always loved running in the snow, and had a great time this morning as I made footprints on the sidewalks.

Thus far I've run every day in 2010. I don't expect to run every day this year, but a week and a day of consistency is nice since I don't think I had that for the majority of last year.

I've been slacking off on my core exercises this week. Last week I did well, but this week I've been lazy.

Winter Weather

I've lived in Virginia for seven-and-a-half years now, and this is the longest stretch of cold weather I can remember. It's been colder before, it just hasn't remained cold for this long before. It reminds me a lot of winter in Pittsburgh.

In addition to the cold, this weekend featured 30 to 40 mile per hour winds as well. Running into the wind felt like standing still at times. Saturday and Sunday I ran for about 40 minutes.

This morning was cold, but at least the wind had died down. Like the past two days, I ran for 40 minutes. Now it's time to finish up work, and since the wind has lessened when I get home I can fix the Christmas decorations that were blown out of place.

New Year

I'm not a big fan of new year's resolutions. It's not because I don't like resolutions, but rather I think the new year is an arbitrary date and could just as easily be replaced by July 24. That being said, it's the first day of 2010 and I'm writing in my blog again. This year, I resolve to write on a regular basis. We'll see how long that lasts.

I started of my new year with an easy half hour run. I'm still trying to get consistency back into my running. I don't have any concrete plans for 2010 yet, but I'm fairly certain I won't be running a marathon this year.

I hope everyone has a happy new year!

My Aching Back

I don't know how I did it, but I strained my lower back Wednesday night sitting on a couch. It felt fine when I sat down, but it was sore when I got up.

I didn't run Wednesday or Thursday but got out for an hour this morning. It was only supposed to be 40-45 minutes, but I was feeling good and took advantage of it. It's finally hot and humid here, so I was quite soaked when I was done. Jenny gave my back a massage last night, and I really didn't feel anything other than a little stiffness when I was running uphill.

This weekend I'm going to a baptism and working around the house. Since we won't be moving anytime soon, we might as well improve the house we have.

Motivation

Why is it that I can feel so enthusiastic about my run the next morning the night before, but when my alarm goes off all I want to do is stay in bed? Ideally, I'd love to have a schedule that allows me to run in the afternoon when I get home from work, but with three small children that want/need my attention, it's just not possible. Overall, I think it's just getting in the frame of mind that when my alarm goes off, it's time to get up and do work.

I didn't run at all over the weekend, but other than that it was good. I weeded the garden and cut the grass, we had a party for my and my in-laws anniversary, and I started a project with the kids. Monday and Tuesday I ran, but this morning I couldn't drag myself out of bed.

Slacker

While I had planned this week to get back on track with my running after vacation, it didn't quite work out. I ran Monday, Wednesday, and today, but was off Tuesday and Thursday. This morning was the steamiest it's been all summer. Usually by now it's hot and humid all the time, but it's been cool so far this summer. The traditional DC summer weather is only supposed to last a day or so, though, since it gong to cool down this weekend.

In between work this afternoon, I watched some of the Paris Golden League meet. Anna Willard's kick to win the 800 was impressive!

Vacation

I didn't get in the running I planned on during vacation, but at least I had a good time. We spent the first couple days in Pittsburgh seeing some sights with my mother-in-law, who had never been there before. After that, we headed to Indianapolis to visit some of my wife's family. The highlight of Indy was the zoo. It's not too big, but they had a lot of interaction with the animals and the kids had a good time.

I ran when I had the chance. The few days I did run I ran for about a half hour except for July 4, when I ran for a whole hour.

Now it's back to work for about a month until the family and I head off to Hilton Head for a week at the beach.

More Travels

It's been very nice to be back in Pittsburgh for the fourth. The weather's been great, cool even, especially for July. It's a welcome change from the 90s and the humidity we usually have on the fourth.

I ran for just over an hour yesterday. It was one of the longer runs I've done for a little while. I could definitely feel some tightness in my hamstrings and butt, so I need to make sure I stretch those out better. This morning I ran for 20 minutes, just about all I had time for before church. I just ran for a little while to try and loosen up so I could come back and stretch.

Tomorrow morning we're headed for Indianapolis to see some of Jenny's family. I was disappointed to see a little while ago that IUPUI was demolishing their track. I watched the 2007 US championships there.

Communication

One benefit to blogs, facebook, twitter, etc is that they allow the user to communicate with others anywhere in the world who share interests. It's for that reason that I'm attempting to actually write this blog again.

As far as my training goes, it's been aimless lately. Due to work and home responsibilities, I haven't been running as much as I'd like. Things seem to be settling down, and I'm trying to get to a consistent schedule so I feel like I can pick a goal to start training for.

Consistent

I've been nothing if not consistent this week. I haven't quite been running the miles I'd like to, but at least for the time being I'm getting out the door. Really, as I've mentioned a million times before, I need more sleep. I'm continually hitting the snooze two or three times before I get out of bed, cutting out some of my running time.

Sick

This cold is getting really tiresome. I haven't run much at all since Cherry Blossom. It's been a mix of days of and 20 to 30 minute runs. In addition to the lack of running, I've also been suffering from a lack of sleep, which I'm sure is not helping my cold get any better. Here's to getting better soon!

Cherry Blossom 10-Miler Race Report

The overview: this race did not turn out liked I had hoped.

When my alarm went off Sunday morning, I was not ready to get out of bed. I wished I had gone to sleep earlier last night and hit the snooze button two or three times. I finally got out of bed, had breakfast, and got going a little later than planned. After sitting in Saturday's traffic when I went to pick up my number, I took the Metro Sunday morning. Taking the Metro added a few minutes to my trip, and I made it to the race about a half-hour before the start. That didn't leave me with much time to warm up, since by the time I changed clothes and checked my bag it was time to get into my corral. As I waited in the corral for the start, I really had to go to the bathroom but by then the lines were too long for me to wait in and still make the start.

The race started at 7:40 and I still had to go to the bathroom. About a half-mile into the race, I saw some porta-johns and took a break. I thought it best to stop early and get rid of the discomfort. Once I got back on the course I felt much better and probably only lost about 45 seconds. When I was back on the course, though, I was weaving through runners while trying to maintain a steady pace.

The first half of the race seemed to go by pretty slowly. I was trying to stay under 7 minute pace, but my stomach wasn't feeling too great. In the days leading up to the race it felt pretty heavy a lot of the time and when I ate I would feel full quickly. When I tried to pick up the pace, it would get more uncomfortable.

About halfway through the course, we passed through the start/finish. This part of the course had most of the spectators and I picked up some energy through here. After that, the course went around Hains Point and then back to the finish. I heard that the Hains Point portion of the course was bad because it was desolate, but it didn't feel that bad. After we got out of East Potomac Park, we headed past the spectators to the finish. I was able to pick up the pace and finish strong.

Splits were 7:44; 6:49; 6:59; 7:02; 7:24; 7:10; 8:03 (must have been long); 6:40 (must have been short); 7:38; and 6:59 for a finishing time of 1:12:33.

I'm taking this week easy and then starting my 5k/10k training for a few races this spring and summer.

Tapering

I've been taking it easy these few days before the race. I'd like it to be a good measure of my fitness, so I want to go into it as fresh as possible. I'm pretty close to picking a couple 5ks and 10ks to run in the May-June-July time frame, and I'll be working out my training schedule for those races soon.

I realized I hadn't worn my racing flats for quite a while, so Wednesday morning I went over to the track and ran a few laps in them. They felt a little funny at first, but after about a lap I was used to them again.

The weather should be good Sunday morning, so here's to a good race! And good luck to everyone else racing this weekend!

A Change in Plans

My original plan this spring was to run the Pittsburgh Marathon. But then I tried to actually register for it, and registration was closed. I looked for other marathons nearby on or around that date, but none really seemed feasible, not to mention the fact that honestly I don't feel ready for a marathon. I haven't been doing the volume necessary to run a good marathon. So I'm shifting my focus and I'm going to find some good 5k/10k races this spring, and then build for the Richmond Marathon this fall. Richmond and I have some unfinished business after the DNF in 2007. \

I'm signed up for the Cherry Blossom 10-miler this weekend, and while it was originally intended as marathon tune-up race, now I'm going to use it to gauge my fitness. I've run the race twice before and both times finished around 66 minutes. This year we'll see if I can PR.

Update

It's about time I update this. Training has been going all right, but honestly not quite as well as I would hope. It seems like each time I put a few good days together, I set myself back with a few poor days. I need to work on my consistency.

Since I haven't written anything since the Super Bowl, I figure now is as good a time as any to say "Go Steelers!" It's times like these that make me wish I still lived in Pittsburgh.

Speaking of Pittsburgh, that where I am visiting the family for the long weekend. It's nice to be back around the old hometown for a few days.

Finally

Jan 24-7 miles, core exercises
Jan 25-6 miles
Jan 26-7 miles

I've finally put together a few days of decent training. Maybe I just needed to commit to the marathon. I've been thinking about a training plan for the marathon, and I think I'd like it to go something like this:

M-easy
Tu-easy
Wed-midweek longer run, a few faster miles if I'm feeling good
Thu-easy
Fri-workout
Sat-easy
Sun-long run

I really need to follow a plan this time around. In the past I've had some ideas about how I'd like my training to go, but never really followed through.

Recap

Jan 22-5 miles
Jan 23-7 miles

I'm not going to bother to list my training for the other days since I've last posted since it would except for one six-mile day be just a bunch of zeros.

Given the lack of recent running, I had toyed with the idea of running the half (I'm pretty sure I saw they had one on the website)in Pgh, but I've decided to run the full marathon. The goal of running at least a decent marathon should help me get out the door in the morning.

Mediocre

Jan 8-5 miles
Jan 9-7 miles
Jan 10-0 miles
Jan 11-0 miles
Jan 12-3 miles
Jan 13-0 miles

I'm frustrated with my performance, or lack thereof, over the past few days. Sure I have a job and a family, but those factors don't inhibit me from getting out on the road. I'm tired of this mediocre performance. It's time to see what I can really do.

Sometimes I Wish I Lived Further North

Training-3 miles

Another late bedtime impeded my getting up this morning, so I just ran three miles and called it a day. A part of me was glad I didn't run too far in the cold rain, but really I would have liked to run more. I wish it would just snow already.

Getting There

Jan 3-6 miles, core exercises
Jan 4-0 miles
Jan 5-5 miles, strides
Jan 6-3 miles, core exercises

I'm still trying to get completely back into the swing of things. I need to be getting to bed early on a more consistent basis so I'm not so tired and hit the snooze button when I should be getting out of bed. On the plus side, my legs have been feeling good lately. I just need to make sure I'm getting enough sleep so I can get up when I need to in order to get the miles in.

Here's Looking at You, Kid

Training-6 miles

Jenny and I finished watching Casablanca last night. Despite thinking I'd find it to be pretty boring, it was actually a good movie. But since we finished it last night, I wasn't ready to get up when the alarm went off this morning. So I slept a little later, and then got out for my run. Sleeping in made me a little late for work, but there's not much going on today.

Happy New Year!

Training-5 miles, core exercises

There's no better way to start the new year than with a good run followed by a good breakfast. I didn't even come close to staying up until midnight, so I slept pretty well. It was a little windy, although nothing like yesterday afternoon, and I had a good run. After the run, I feasted on an omelet and some french toast. Happy New Year!

I Still Need Some Sleep

Training-3 miles, strides

I tried to get to bed earlier last night, but unfortunately it didn't happen. We got behind on some of the housework due to the holidays, so we spent some time last night catching up. This morning I hit the snooze button a few times before I got out of bed and so I only had time for a half hour of running before I had to get ready for work.

My new year's resolution is to be consistent. That's the key to my success. The times when I've run well I've had a good block of consistent training.

I Need Some Sleep

Dec 27-0 miles
Dec 28-5 miles
Dec 29-6 miles
Dec 30-5 miles, core exercises

I'm working on getting the miles up so I can start marathon training in January. I'm running the Pittsburgh marathon at the beginning of May, and then I think I'd like to run Richmond again in November.

The last two night have been a little light on the sleep, so I'm hoping to get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight. Despite the lack of sleep I haven't felt too bad, but I know it's going to catch up eventually.

Recovery

Training-6 miles

This morning's run was an easy six miles through the neighborhood. I felt relaxed and smooth.

We're still recovering from Hurricane Christmas. While we've begun cleanup, presents for three children still leave quite a bit of paper and packaging debris.

Merry Christmas!

Training-0 miles

Library Run

Training-6 miles

Since I was taking the day off work I didn't have to get up quite so early to run, so even though Nick woke up in the middle of the night again I was still able to get up and run. I ran out and back along the path on the parkway. Before I got out to the parkway I swung by the library to return some a book and some magazines. I go right past the library to get out to the parkway, so every few weeks I'm carrying a book to return.

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

Balance

Training-0 miles

Nick woke up in the middle of the night last night and I was up for a little while, so I slept in again today. I'm disappointed that he's started waking up again, since for the last couple months he had been sleeping all night.

One thing that I struggle with in running is finding a balance between running and the rest of my life. I tend to get too invested in my training to the detriment of the rest of my life. I care too much about getting my run in. It also doesn't help that I'm a pretty introverted person, and don't always say what's on my mind.

One of my goals for 2009 is to not be too uptight about training. Sure, I want to perform well, but I need to keep everything in its proper perspective.

Sick Kid

Training-0 miles

Instead of heading out for a run this morning, I slept in. Nick was up for about an hour last night, and he seems like he has a little cold. Between that and getting to bed late, I slept in. I'm hoping he'll feel better and more like sleeping at 2:30 am soon.

Freezing Rain

Training-3 miles

When I finally got out of bed this morning all I had time for was about three miles, so I ran for a half hour and called it a day. We had some winter precipitation this morning that left some ice on trees and cars, but the roads were just wet. I was hoping to watch the Steelers defeat the Titans this afternoon, but it didn't happen. We'll take care of them in the playoffs, though.

Gray Day

Training-5 miles

I meant to get up early and run in the morning, but a late night canceled those plans. Instead I headed out at 12:45, after the kids had finished lunch. It was not a nice day to look at, but it was a nice day for a run at about 40 degrees and overcast.

I haven't run too much lately. The holidays have been doing their best at keeping me up too late. Since Christmas is now only days away, here's hoping that changes soon.

XC & NYC

Ed. Note: I started this post about two weeks ago and never finished it up. It's about time.

This past weekend the two older boys and I went to Bull Run Regional Park to watch the CAA Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships. I've always been a fan of cross country and the boys said they wanted to go too. It was a great day to be outside. It was sunny and the temperature was probably near 70 by the times the races were done. William and Mary dominated the team races and took the women's individual title as well. The course was a 2k loop, and the boys and I stood in the middle and were able to see the runners go by multiple times without moving much at all.

Sunday morning I ran an easy half hour and then turned on the computer to follow the NYC Marathon. I was happy for Paula when she won the women's race, though I really was rooting for Kara. The men's race was very exciting, with dos Santos passing Goumri less than a mile from the finish after Goumri looked like he was going to run away with it.

Some pics from the CAA races:

MIA

I've been gone for the last week or so. The family and I went to Florida to visit some relatives and go to Disney. Other than the driving, we had a good time. The weather was nice for the most part, and the kids had a lot of fun at Disney.

Unfortunately, I did not run a step while I was there. I had good intentions and even brought all my running stuff, but it just did not happen. And now that I'm back, I'm sick. I left work early today to come home and try to rest. Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow, but I'm not setting my alarm to get up and run.

Kid's Race Debacle

Saturday morning J and I took the kids to run their first race. There was a one mile kid's race at the local 5k, and the kids seemed interested when we asked them if they wanted to run a race. I left early to register everyone while J stayed behind to get the kids ready. I should have known there would be trouble when I lost one of the chips, although I'm still not sure why they wanted to use chips for the one-mile kids run.

The race started and j wanted nothing to do with it. He was grumpy since we had to wake him up to get to the race on time. b was having fun, until we were about a half mile in and he fell. He was not happy after that. But we finished the race, and then the kids got to play on the playground, so it wasn't a total loss. I didn't think it would be, but a mile is too far for a three and four year old to run. Next time we'll find a 1k.

As far as my own running, the race with the kids Saturday was all I ran, and then after a late night out Saturday I took Sunday off. Monday and today I ran six miles. This morning was the first morning in a while that I've felt pretty good.

Another Day, Another Seven Miles

Nothing too exciting to report today. I ran seven miles, out and back along the parkway. It's cooled off here, and it drizzled a little this morning, but thankfully it didn't rain any harder. Tomorrow morning we're taking the kids to their first race. Good times.

Wednesday Nights

Wednesday nights lead to tired Thursday mornings for me. It seems like pretty much every Wednesday night I have something going on. Last night I was out and so I got to bed a little late, and I contemplated sleeping in and skipping the run. But when the alarm went off the second time a few minutes after I hit the snooze, I was awake and I got up and out the door.

This morning's seven miles was ultimately disappointing. I was attempting to stay focused and maintain a decent pace, and it felt like I was, but when I got to the six mile mark and looked at my watch, it was not as fast as I though. As I finished up the last mile, though, I did think at least my stomach didn't give me any problems today.

A Quick Recap

I've been a little disappointed with my training lately. I've been taking too many zeros without a good reason. Just a lack of motivation on my part it seems.

Saturday I ran six miles. I didn't feel to good and just couldn't get moving. Sunday I didn't run and Monday I ran about five miles. I was feeling OK a first and then my stomach started to bother me, so I cut the run short. Tuesday I ran seven miles which went better than any other of my runs in the past few days. This morning I only ran about three miles, due to my hitting the snooze button a few times before I got out of bed.

Running Again

I didn't post anything yesterday because I didn't run yesterday. Another late night led to another night of sleeping in.

This morning I got seven miles in along the parkway. I really didn't feel too good at all about two miles in and seriously contemplated turning around and cutting the run short. But I persevered, and got better and even picked up the pace a bit the last two and a half miles.

Pace really seems like a mental thing with me. I think sometimes when I'm running early in the morning and am tired and not mentally into the run, I run slower than I could be. This morning I made a conscious decision to pick up the pace and felt fine.

Lifestyle

Being the best athlete you can be requires a lifestyle. Sure, you may be able to be pretty good just doing whatever you want, but to truly be the best you can be you need to live it. You have to take care of everything, not just the easy things or only the things you want to take care of.

That being said, I did not do a good job living the lifestyle yesterday. If I had, I would have been asleep when J got home from her meeting instead of still awake. Since I was still awake, I stayed up later and then wound up sleeping in this morning rather than running.

But tonight is another night. Tonight I can get to bed on time and run tomorrow morning.

Darn that Tasty Mexican Food

Ever since J made guacamole a couple weeks ago, I've been craving Mexican food. My dad happened to be in DC for work for a few days this week, and we met him for dinner last night at Austin Grill. I took the opportunity to indulge in some fajitas, rice, and beans.

I ran seven miles along the parkway this morning, and while my stomach didn't feel great the whole way, it didn't get really bad until the end of the run. I barely made it back home in time.

Today was the first day I've noticed my legs not feeling too great. They were heavy and overall I felt kind of lethargic this morning. Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.

Why?

Why can the Steelers not play games that end at a reasonable hour? Out of five games this season, they've played twice on Sunday night and once on Monday night. These Sunday and Monday night games do not leave me very well-rested the next morning.

Even with the less-than-ideal amount of sleep, I got out for eight miles this morning. I haven't run today's loop in a little while, with the injury and all, but it's much nicer now that they widened the road and added an asphalt path alongside it. The weather's still nice, it was around 50 degrees this morning.

Zero, Again

I don't understand why it's so difficult for me to get out for a run on weekends. You'd think it would be easy.

This morning J ran the Army 10-Miler, and I watched the kids. The plan was to feed the kids and then run on the treadmill. That didn't quite work out. I just got to be too late too quickly, and before I knew I didn't have time to run and get ready to go pick J up so we could go the the birthday party.

What I need to do is give myself a schedule and stick to it. We'll see how that works next weekend.

Zero

No running today. That's what happens when you have a sick kid who keeps you awake later than you'd like and you're lazy and don't get up in the morning. I hope to get back on the wagon tomorrow.

A Little Discomfort

This morning I ran seven miles again, this time on the path that parallels the parkway. It was another nice chilly morning in the 40s.

Even as I was just beginning to run I had some GI discomfort. I thought about running loops and staying close to home, but then I figured experiencing a little discomfort during training might not be a bad thing and I went out the way I planned. I was fine until I had about two miles left, at which point I needed a quick bathroom break in the woods. Once that was taken care of, I finished up the run without any problems.

I'm still not running as fast as I'd like. I don't want to PR on each run or anything like that, but my easy day pace is slower than it used to be. Thus far I'm chalking it up to the layoff and lack of sleep, but I'm hoping it improves.

Easy Day

I'm experimenting and seeing if I can actually write in this thing every day for a week.

This morning's run was an easy seven miles. I had been hoping for more sleep last night, but I actually felt ok this morning. The route goes through the neighborhood near my house. It was the first really cool fall morning with temps in the 40s. I love this time of year.

Today showed me what I need to do to reach my goals. Get up, get out the door, and get running. No complaining, no excuses.

Lackluster

If there was one word to describe my running lately, lackluster would probably be it. Sure, I've had some good days, but I've also had some short days and even some zero days. I'm working on getting the mileage back up. This week I'll be around 35 miles, and next week my goal is to get into the 40-45 range.

98%

I read a quote recently that said only 2% of running is glamorous. My running certainly fit into the 98% this week.

After not running Sunday (I was pretty much just lazy), I ran a little more than a half hour Monday morning. I would have liked to do more, but staying up late Sunday night watching the Steelers-Browns game did not make it easy to get out of bed Monday morning. Tuesday I ran an uneventful six miles. Wednesday and Thursday I ran six miles as well, but some stomach issues didn't make those runs too much fun. I didn't get much sleep Thursday night either, and Friday's run was just an easy half hour.

This morning's run went well, though I still wouldn't call it glamorous. I was up at 5 am to get it in. The weather was great, probably about 50 degrees with no breeze. I ran seven miles, and actually felt pretty good for the first time in a little while.

The leg is feeling pretty good these days. I think what's going on is piriformis syndrome. I was doing a little research on it, and actually not stretching it helps. Massage and stretching/strengthening the hamstrings is the recommended treatment.

Part Time

I finally thought that I was back to running full time, but then I got sick. I was up to five or six miles a day, but then I came down with this headache/stomachache/bodyache thing and I made the prudent choice that rest was better than running. I only missed three days, but it felt like more. I was feeling better yesterday, so I decided I would run this morning. I ran five miles, but did not feel too good doing so. It didn't feel like the sickness, I just felt kind of tired.

Feeling Better

I've been building up my running time and actually have crossed the 30-minute mark a few times in the past couple days. Pretty soon I might get up to 40 minutes. My leg is feeling pretty good and if it is a little tight it usually loosens up during the run.

I've been up to quite a bit since my last post. I spent a few days in West Virginia with my extended family for my cousin's wedding, and then I went to Pittsburgh to spend a few days at my parent's. I had a good time, but really didn't run much. It's a little too easy for me to get out of my routine when I'm away from home.

I don't mention work too much, but I would like to mention that I was recently promoted. I'm now at the lowest level of management. It's some more responsibility, but it's also some more money, which helps since I did recently have a third kid.

Recap

I mentioned in my last post that I had started running again. That lasted until I got sick. I had a fever/cold and decided that the extra rest was a good idea. So I slept in rather than run. I'm feeling better, though not quite completely well, but well enough to be running again. The Olympic Trials really got me motivated, and I'm anxious to get out there seriously training again.

I've been thinking that maybe my left leg issues have come from poor posture on my commute. I've recently noticed that I really lean on my left leg when I'm waiting for or riding on the Metro, because my bag is on my right shoulder. I've consciously tried to be more stable and keep my weight balanced lately and I've also tried to make sure my core muscles are engaged while I'm running. We'll see if that makes a difference.

Numero Tres

I've been absent from blogging for a while, mainly since I hadn't been running. I've started running again, trying to build back up for a marathon next spring. I've been taking it very easily. The longest I've run in my comeback is 16:53.

But on to something more important than the running. On Fruday, June 13, J and I became parents for the third time with the birth of N. He and mommy are doing very well.

Rehab

I've come to an important decision: this hamstring is only going to get better if I really try to make it better. Thus far I've been halfheartedly going through the motions. I did some exercises occasionally and just kind of hoped it would feel better. Then I started to run again since my few-and-far-between exercises didn't seem to be working, and hoped my leg felt better. That really didn't work, and this weekend after working in the yard my leg feels more strained than it has before. So yesterday I started doing the exercises. And after I finish writing this entry, I'm going to do them tonight. I'm going to get better, and I'm not going to try running again until I am better.

Stupid Clock

I managed a decent weekend of training. Saturday I ran six miles, out and back along the parkway. It was my first real taste of running in spring, as it was fairly warm and humid and the pollen was in the air. Sunday morning, after the rain Saturday, was much nicer. It was cool and dry and I got in an easy half hour, which I'm calling three and a half miles. I set my alarm to run this morning, but I didn't hear it go off. When I woke up I could see that the alarm had gone off, but the volume was so low I couldn't hear it. I always check my alarm before I go to sleep at night and it was loud enough last night, but it's been a little screwy since the kids have knocked it off the nightstand a couple times.

Before I ran Sunday morning, I caught the finish of the London Marathon. Ryan Hall had a very impressive performance and ran 2:06:17 for a two-minute PR. Congratulations to Ryan and he is now certainly a medal contender in Bejing.

Comeback

After a little more than a month off, I'm giving running another try. I'm still not completely recovered from whatever ailment was bothering my hamstring, but the running I've been doing hasn't made it feel any worse. There's times when it feels tight, and times when I can't feel it at all. For the most part, the only time I really feel it is going uphill. The furthest I've run so far in my comeback is a little less than six miles. I've been diligent about stretching and that seems to help, but I need to be doing the exercises again. I'd also like to be doing some core work as well. I'm planning on running a 5k at the beginning of may to see where my fitness is. I can't plan too far ahead, though, because J is pregnant and due at the beginning of June. I'm not going to commit to anything until I see how the third kid affects life.

Running Again

Monday I started running again. I ran two miles, and then two miles on Tuesday and Wednesday too. The hamstring has felt pretty good. I notice it a little bit at times but most of the time I don't feel it at all. I noticed it a little going uphill this morning. After I run I've stretched and iced it. The plan is to gently increase the miles and see what happens.

Advice

If there is anyone out there who reads this, hopefully you can give me some advice. What's the best way to treat a sore hamstring/glute? Originally it felt like the soreness was just in my hamstring, but now it's moved a little higher up into my glute as well. What's the timeframe on this type of injury? My guess is that I pulled something, but if that's the case why didn't it feel worse when I continued to run on it? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Question & Answer

I've been running for about a month since the DNF in Richmond. Even after about two weeks off my leg didn't feel completely better; I was just anxious to start running again and I was hoping that it would miraculously feel better. This morning I ran five miles and my leg still felt tight. I still feel it even after I'm done running, especially when I've been sitting down for a while.

Last night and this morning I was asking myself if it would just be better to take some more time off and see if I can heal. I'm running, but I'm worried about increasing mileage and speed. I don't want to make this worse than it has to be.

So after some thought I've decided I should take some time off. In the long run, this is a good decision. Taking a week or two or three now is better than a month or two or three later on.

Wide Awake

I was pretty much wide awake at 4:15 this morning. I tried to go back to sleep, but just tossed and turned for a half hour until I got out of bed. It was still very cold this morning, but without the wind it wasn't as bad as the last two days. I ran six miles through the neighborhood. I used the foam roller on my leg last night and that seemed to help as my leg didn't bother me too much this morning. I plan on using the roller again tonight.

Still Winter

It was even colder this morning than yesterday, and still windy. I was a little worried that I should have put on a second pair of gloves, but my hands stayed warm enough. I ran six miles out along the Parkway. The leg felt a little tight, but it wasn't too bad.

A Touch of Winter

Ran five miles this morning. It got cold and windy last night, and running into the wind was not a pleasant experience. Running back, with the wind at my back, was much better. The leg was kind of tight this morning. The pain has moved up a little and now is more in my butt than my hamstring.

New Year

Ran for a half hour this afternoon, about 3.75 miles. Getting a little cool, windy as well. Didn't really feel the leg, even on the uphills.

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.