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.