Sidelined by a cold

I have been running and training for a mid-november half marathon, but last week I caught a cold which has sidelined me for a little over a week. All the traveling and long work days paired with a good training scheduled just zapped me. I got a head and chest cold last week and I thought it best not to run until I kicked it. I started feeling better later in the week and did a short run. I missed a long run last week due to this cold and will need to miss it again this weekend due to some personal travel. That basically will mean ~3 Weeks since my last long run, I may need to look for a late November or early December race.

Still running....

I may not have been blogging about it, but I have been running consistently for the past month and half. I have been very busy at work with travel and projects. Despite all of that, I have maintained my running regiment by getting out four days a week. The weather is turning and I have enjoyed the crisp fall mornings. The temps are great but the running in the dark is overrated!

Although I have not registered for a race, I am in the thick of a half marathon training campaign. I expect to register for the Richmond Half Marathon in November. My long runs are in double digits again and my foot appears to be healed. I am enjoying the variety of the speed work and tempo runs. I am hopeful that this will help me recapture my faster pace prior to the injury.

I switched shoes again, this time from the Brooks Adrenaline to Brooks Switch. I like Brooks shoes, they are stable and cushioned. The Switch is a bit tight, but I like the feel overall. I continue to improved my form and become a consistent mid-foot striker.

I hope to get back to blogging about running in the near future.

Today's Run - 7/22 - 8/14

The last few weeks have been packed with work, vacation and work. Even though I was busy, I was able to get a some great runs in while in the Georgia Mountains and at the North Carolina Outer Banks. The GA mountains were impressively steep and combined with hot humid weather conditions. I was able to get a couple runs in this week of decent mileage and significant work effort. I worked back into a more normal schedule while in the OBX. We had a house on the beach that had great to the beach road path and beaches. I noticed it was easier to maintain my 90 strides / min on the flat terrain of the beach. The weather at the beach was hot humid even in the early morning.

After a couple weeks on the road, it was nice to return to my home tracks again. I got out a few times during the work week which eased the pressure of returning to work after a 2 week absence. The weather is starting to cool and sunrise is pushing back. It is still dark at 6am. I look forward to fall running, although that means that winter is right around the corner.

My left foot continues to heal, and I expect that the reduced miles has helped. I am pretty sure that I have a mild case of Plantar Fasciitis. Although my pain in not in the heal or arch as described in the overview, I exhibit the same symptoms as described in every writeup. I can tell it is on the mend and in the last few days has felt better than it has in recent weeks.

I hope that foot issue clears soon so that I can think about training for a fall race. I expect that I will run the Richmond Half Marathon due to training time constraints. I will look to run another Marathon in the spring 2012.

I will continue to work to find time to post about my runs and adventures.

Today's Run - 7/2 - 7/20

I have been wrapped up a bit and not able to post recently. I have been running regularly, but also traveling. I spent the last 2 weeks on the road which has given me some nice running opportunities in new and familiar areas. I ran while in Minnesota, finding a nice set of bike path trails around the corporate park / hotel. While in Connecticut I hit my familiar loops and routes. I was happy to return home to my standard routes and even found a new place to run. I discovered, the farm trails at the Jefferson Trails near Monticello. These trails are hilly and tree covered, I ran only about 2miles of the trails but I think you could easily find 10-12 miles of trails.

My foot continues to heal and is feeling better. As my foot continues to heal I start to think about what race I am going to run in the fall. The summer heat and humidity is in full affect. Even my early morning runs have been more difficult due to the weather.

I will work to start posting again with more regularity.

Today's Run - 6/29 & 6/30

I had a couple of nice morning runs on Weds and Thurs this week. The weather has been cool but the humidity and dew points have made running fast a bit difficult.

My foot continues to heal but has been sore after these runs. I am hopeful that it completely heals up soon so that I can start training for my next challenge. Speaking of which, I need to figure out what that will be. I expect that I will go after a 1/2 Marathon this fall. I like the later fall races, so something in early or mid November. If worse comes to worse I will run the Richmond 1/2 Marathon race again.

Speaking of races! I noticed an increase in the number of runners in the hood over the past few weeks. There appears to be a group of Lady Runners taking to the streets in the early morning. I expect many are training for the Charlottesville Women's Four Miler. Emily was able to register for this race and I look forward to cheering her and the other women on as they run for a great cause.

Today's Run - 6/27

I forgot to charge my Garmin on Sunday night so this morning I suited up for my run and found it was out of battery. I headed out the door and did the Darby Loop, Out to 250 and The Scottish Homes route for a good 5Miles. I worked on my perceived effort and pace. My foot continues to heal and I think it is almost ready for some speed work and increased mileage. Just in time to start my Fall training efforts.

Today's Run - 6/25

A great Saturday morning run, the humidity / dew point was perfect and the temp was nice a cool. I enjoyed my run through the Preserve and Q2. The challenging hill climb was a great work out but it took an impact on my overall pace. I decided to head through to cottages to tack on a little bit extra to make up for not taking my usual route on Piper.

Today's Run - 6/23

Another humid morning which really affected my splits. I picked out an oldie but goodie route.

Today's Run - 6/22

I got to run one of my newest favorite routes, Piper loop into the Preserve Section and then into Q2. This is a great set of hills and views. It was a perfect morning with some cloud coverage which made the morning sky a crisp orange. Although the views were very nice the humidy / due point made this run very difficult. Welcome to summer running!

Today's Run - 6/20

A little sore from the race yesterday but overall this was a nice recovery run.

2011 Charlottesville Four Miler Results

2011 Charlottesville Four Miler Results are posted. I am happy to say that I PR and met my target of sub 32mins (8Min Pace).

PLACE NAME              DIV   DIV/TOT TIME  PACE 
166   Douglas Morrison  M3539 19/51   31:29 7:53

The turn out for the C-Ville Mens 4 Miler was impressive considering it was the first early summer running of the race. There were ~500 runners, and I enjoyed the new course and size of the field. I arrived early, which was good because I had some unexpected pre-race registration issues to work out. Apparently I registered for the training course not the race by mistake. I was able to get registered without issue, but it did cause a bit of stress. Once I resolved the registration issues I headed out for a quick warm up run. It was raining and muggy, which made the run a bit uncomfortable.

The start of the race was a little packed with runners but as we got through the first mile it thinned out. The first mile went pretty quick and I was probably out a little to fast. The course started with a slow incline for the first 1/2 mile and rolling hills for the last 1/2Mile as we headed out from Scott Stadium into campus. I covered this first mile at a 7:36 Pace and carried that momentum into the hilly section. The second mile contained the largest hill climb which started to separate the runners. This was a difficult hill but I concentrated on a fast stride rate to climb the hills. My heart rate was much higher than usual, it averaged 169BPM and maxed out at 181BPM which is ~10BPM faster on average. I working harder and it was humid. I was happy to pass mile marker 2 because I knew it was pretty much all down hill from there. I tried to relax into the downhill, but I found it hard to keep my foot speed and pace up. My third mile was the slowest probably due to my need to recover from the hill climbs. Once I got to the 3rd mile I was able to kick it back in but I was still struggling a bit. When we rounded the turn into the stadium I gave one last push and passed a few people in the last tenth of a mile. I was running so hard I forgot to look at myself on the Jumbo-tron! I was happy with the strong finish and meeting the sub 8min pace improving time by ~1Min for this distance.

Overall I felt good after the race. My legs were a bit sore but I probably would not have noticed that if I did not have to climb the stadium stairs to get off the field. My foot fared the pounding pretty well and I believe it is almost recovered.

The Charlottesville Track Club put on a great race. The new course is fantastic and the turn out showed that there is a strong running community in Charlottesville. I look forward to running this again next year and remembering to look at myself on the Jumbo-tron.

Today's Run - 6/16

A good finally training run before the Charlottesville Men's Four Miler on Sunday. My foot continues to feel better, and I expect to meet my sub 32Min total time target.

Today's Run - 6/13, 6/15

A good running week so far. The weather has been cool, clear and relatively pleasant for running. I have been getting out pretty early but still after sun rise. I have enjoyed some the picturesque views around the golf course and mountain backgrounds. In the recent weeks I started focusing much more on my form and foot strike cadence. In these recent runs I worked on keep a solid parallel torso with a strong core and relaxed shoulders. I found after these runs that my core muscles are sore. The constant checking of my form during runs has lead me improve my overall posture while sitting or standing because I have become more aware of my overall body position. On the cadence front, in the last year I have steadily worked to improve my cadence from the mid 80's spm to 90 spm. I have noticed that I am able to rev up my foot strikes when climbing hills, maintain a constant strike pace on flat, but my strike pace can fall off when I am running down hill. I think that down hill foot strike pace slows down because I am resting on the downhills which tends to lead to heal strikes and slower foot speed. I need to work on recouping on downhills while letting gravity do its work.

My left foot is feeling better, I would say it is at 90%. It is still a bit tender, at it worse in the morning when I just get out of bed. I don't think it is plantar faciatis because I don't have any heal or mid arch sole pain. The tenderness is still at the base of the 2nd and 3rd proximal phalanges and the metatarsal bones. I seem to be on the mend, as the overall tenderness is decreasing week by week and the overall discomfort has not kept me from running.

I am signed up for the C-Ville's Men's 4 Miler on Sunday. I have not really been training for it but I think my mileage base has me in a good spot for this. I am excited to run this new course and as always it is cool to see the family cheer me on.

Today's Run - 6/4, 6/6, 6/8, 6/9

Another good week of running and great weather. I have been able to keep my average run at ~5.25Miles. I found that the my pace has leveled off a bit, but I am focusing on form and foot speed. My foot continues to heal and I am sure it would heal faster if I rested more. I am icing my foot regularly which is definitely making it feel better.

Today's Run - 5/28, 5/30, 6/1, 6/2

I am well behind on my blogging about running but I am still running. The challenge has been busy weekends and travel for work has left little time for me to document my runs. Overall the early summer weather has been excellent for running. The temps and humidity are starting to rise which I work to escape by running early. I enjoyed the running in CT this week and was able to get a couple runs in the neighborhoods around the hotels. My foot is healing but still sore in the mornings. I am trying to keep my mileage and frequency at reasonable levels.

Happy National Running Day!

A fellow runner told me that today was National Running Day. I was happy to get a run in this morning to celebrate, I hope you did too.

Check out the National Running Day Website here.

Today's Run - 5/23 & 5/26

This week has been a difficult running week. My left foot continues to be a bit sore, but is recovering. The new shoes are working out pretty well, I like the cushioned ride and foot strike position of the Brooks Adrenaline. One thing that I have noticed about these shoes is that they are not as responsive to turning as other shoes. At times I feel like I am turning like an aircraft carrier vs a speed boat. The sturdy forefoot shoebox provides a good platform for even foot strikes at the expense of the nimble response.

I had a short run on Monday that was pretty uneventful.


Aside from struggling with a sore foot, I had a difficult work week with travel which caused me to miss my Weds run. I was anxious to get out for a run this morning. I decided to run the Piper Loop and then back through the new section of Q2. I ran this route in the opposite direction from previous runs which required a number of hill assents. There were a number of runners out this morning but I did not see anyone on the new section of Q2. I enjoyed the peaceful isolation and the views of this route.

After the run, my foot was a bit sore but overall not to bad. I will continue to ice it and drop my mileage this week to aide with recovery.

Today's Run - 5/23

Today's Run - 5/21

Today's Run - 5/19

Today's Run - 5/18

Today's Run - 5/16

Today's Run - 5/14

After a number of weeks on the road, I was happy to get back to my local routes. It was a cool, humid, hazy morning but not bad for a run. I went out in search of hills and strung together the Paddington loop and the Q2 section. They have paved the new construction road in Q2 which provided a picturesque views with no houses, people or cars to worry about. It was an awesome part of the run and look forward running this piece of the route again.

This run also marked the initial run on my new Brooks Adrenaline Shoes. These shoes feel a bit more neutral, or at least seem to keep my feet aligned parallel with my body better than the ASICS 2150's. From the initial run in these shoes I think these will help with my continued transition to a mid-foot strike. I am a bit sore in my quads from the different landing position, but it is a good sore.

For the last week or so my left foot has been a bit sore on the forefoot under the medial 2nd and 3rd proximal phalanges. I will continue to ice and practice the mid-foot strike to see if I can reduce the soreness. This started before the new shoes so I can't blame it on the new shoes.... but perhaps the old shoes are the culprit. This is the first possible running injury I have had, so I will continue to monitor.

2011 Montalto Challenge Reults

The 2011 Montalto Challenge results are posted here.

I was am very happy with finishing time of 31:00 and 43 overall and 4th in my age group.

Today's Run - 5/7 - Montalto Challenge

I ran the Monticello Challenge 5K Race for the second time this year. I was happy to see the race continues to grow in size, with more than 205 walkers / runners. We had an excellent weather for the run, starting out in the morning it was in the forties and it stayed cool when we reached the summit.

This is a very challenging race with a significant change in elevation, rising ~900ft from the base of the trail to summit. The last mile of this race is ~500ft of elevation change.

This was the second year I ran this race so I knew what to expect. I started out pretty slow at ~8:40/mile pace. This was a comfortable pace to start but quickly slowed in the second mile to ~9:30/mile to make it to base of Montalto. The 7 switchbacks to make it to the top of Montalto provided a panoramic view of the valley with excellent perspective of Monticello. I worked through the 7 switchbacks passing many of the walkers and catching a few runners. Compared to last year, I was very happy that I was able to reach the summit without stopping to walk. As I approached the finish line, I stopped to grab Ella's hand so that she could finish the race with me. It was a lot of fun to run with her and cross the line with our arms raised.

Today's Run - 5/3

I am traveling this week for a conference in Las Vegas. I hoped to get a run in on the Strip, but time did not permit. I was able get a run in on the Hotel treadmill. A quick 5K run with increasing pace.

New Shoes and New Style

I stopped by Ragged Mountain Running Shop this afternoon to pick up some new shoes. I tried on a few different styles while looking for something similar to the ASICS 2150. I was looking for something that was a bit lighter and fit my 2 different size feet well. Since my left foot is ~1/2 a size shorter than my right foot, it can be a bit tricky to find shoes. I considered a pair of Nike's and Saucony's, but neither fit right or kept me from overpronating. I finally settle on a pair of Brooks Adrenaline.

Today's Run - 4/28

Humid, windy and warm for the run this am.

Today's Run - 4/27

Overnight storms left a dark, wet, warm and humid spring morning for my run this am. I have been thinking that I have not been pushing myself in recent runs so I decided to do some speed work today. I did 1mile repeats with 5min rest between for a total of ~5.75Miles. I did pretty good on the mile repeats running at a 5K pace. This workout felt good as I had forgotten what it feels like to run fast.

Today's Run - 4/25

After a busy day yesterday with the Easter Holiday I got a good nights sleep and felt rested for my run this am. Another awesome morning for a run, sunrise is getting earlier and the weather was a bit warm but overall great for running.

I pieced together a few different routes to get in ~5Miles. I found some good rolling hills around the Paddington Loop, some flat sections around the lake and then a few good hills in the Scottish Homes.

My cadence and speed continue to improve. In the last 8Months my cadence has increased from the 84spm to the 88spm. My target is to get this up to 90spm and expect this will happen by the end of the summer training season. My pace continues to improve and I can tell that the level of effort required is reducing to maintain the same pace.

Today's Run - 4/23

I decided to go for another run this morning because I knew that I would not be able to get out tomorrow morning. I was able to get out and run just after sunrise. I headed back to over to the Darby Loop and Out to 250 because I had not run that track in a while. The horses were out feeding on the grass in the pasture as I headed out of the neighborhood. There were very few people out this morning, probably because it was cool and cloudy but when I got home the weather had started to break. I enjoyed starting my weekend off with a good run. I am very comfortable running at the 8:35 pace, so I think it is time to start up some speedwork again.

It is time for some new shoes, both my pairs have 300Miles or more on them. My feet are starting to feel the impact of the road a bit more. I am struggling with what type and size of shoes to get next. I struggle with shoes because my left foot is about 1/4 size smaller than my right. This means that really neither shoe fits perfectly. I have tried the smaller size, the 1/2 size larger and wides. Each work ok, but I can feel the difference between the fits. I need to get down to Ragged Mountain Running Shop and see what they recommend.

Today's Run - 4/22

The spring weather has been excellent for running, even when it is not sunny the cool temps are great. I ran around the Paddington Loop and the Lake to get a relatively flat run in. As I was finishing up the last 1/4 miles of my run I passed the Golf Course Maintenance Shed, and the crew was heading out on their utility carts to start the days work. The parade of carts continues down the same road I was taking to finish my run, so I decided to race them to the corner. As I was running it felt like an Austin Powers movie where everything was moving in slow motion but should have been happening so fast. I am sure that the workers were watching me thinking, "What is this guy doing?" All that really matters is that I beat them to the corner. I think I need to find a local 5k or 10k race to join...

Today's Run - 4/21

I bounced back from the stomach flu on Tuesday but gave myself another 2 days before getting out to run. I was pretty anxious to get back to running and even though I was suffering from either the significant spring pollen or a small head cold, I headed out early on Thursday morning. I was going to just run an easy 3 Miles but since the run was feeling good I decided to push to 4 and then decided to end after 5. This was an easy paced run at ~8:40 pace. After a few days being sick and not able run I really enjoyed this morning run.

Sidelined by Stomach Flu

Caught the stomach flu on Sunday night, and spent much of Monday recovering. I lost ~5Lbs in water weight in 24hrs.... ouch.

I hope to back in action on Thursday morning.

Today's Run - 4/16

An awesome Saturday morning run. I got out early to find a cool morning with a bit of drizzly rain. I would have liked it to be a bit nicer weather but the run was fun.

Today's Run - 4/13 - 4/14

Traveling again this week. I was forced to do one run on the treadmill due to heavy rain but I did get out for a quick out and back.

Today's Run - 4/11

I have been itching to get out for a run since Saturday when I decided to swim at ACAC rather than running on the treadmill. The weather is starting to improve as we come into spring. The temps were in the low 50's but still pretty dark when I headed out. I really do enjoy the early runs, the only downside is that it is dark for much of my time on the road.

This was a pretty easy run, I worked to keep my pace at about 8:30. I tackled the hills in Q2 and did a warm up and cool down loop.

Not a bad way to start out the week.

Today's Run - 4/7

I have been worried that I am loosing my speed with all these long runs. I know that the Long Runs will actually improve speed but I have not done any real speed work in the last couple weeks. I was itching to do a little speed work and headed out this morning to do 1 Mile Repeats with 1/2 Mile jogs. I did 3 Repeats for a total of 5.5Miles. Each mile repeat I increased the pace by 15 Secs, starting at ~8Min/Mile and ending at 7:30Min/Mile. Not a bad return to speed work as I prepare for some shorter races this spring.

Today's Run - 4/6

A nice recovery run out on the Darby Loop, Out to 250 and through the Scottish Homes. I have not run this route in a while and it was good to have challenge of the some hilly sections. I always like running by the horses and open fields on the way out of the neighborhood. This was a good easy run.

Today's Run - 3/30 - 4/4

It was a recovery week after the marathon and I did get a few runs in.  We have been busy around the house so I did not have a opportunity to post them to the blog.  These were just standard recovery easy runs with not too much mileage, speed or excitement.   It feels good to get in a get some miles in, I will look to keep my mileage in the 4-6Miles during the week and a longer run on weekends.

Spring Running Schedule

Now that I completed my spring marathon I am looking for my next challenge.  I have signed up for the Montalto Challenge 5K and the Charlottesville Men's 4 Miler.    I think I will also look at the Park to Park 1/2 Marathon and Wounded Warrior 5k.

I think this is a good mix of distances to keep my running sharp.  I am also looking forward to doing some multi-sport workouts with spinning, swimming and resistance training. 

LoseIt! Hits a 1Million Users

I got a nice note from the LoseIt! team thanking me for being one of the first Million Users of the App. I was surprised that I was member #4814 of over 1 Million. I use this app all the time and I am happy that they are growing and succeeding.

2011 National Marathon Results

SunTrust National Marathon
March 26, 2011 USATF Certified DC08006RT Washington, D.C.

Place Div/Tot  Div   Guntime Nettime Pace      
===== ======== ===== ======= ======= ===== 
1289  166/288  M3539 4:07:35 4:00:39 9:11    

There were 2879 finishers in the race so I finished in the top 45% of the field and 58% of my age division.

Thanks to the USNA Marathon Team for pacing me and the other 4Hr runners. It was great a great run and I appreciate the moral support to help keep me mentally in the race.

Official results can be found here.

Today's Run - 3/26

Race day started at 4:40am and I was out of the house by 5:30am to drive from my folks house to the DC Armory for the race.  I hit a little bit of traffic but I was able to get a parking space in RFK parking lot a little after 6am. I decided to wait it out in my car vs going into the DC Armory. I left the car and got to the starting corrals a 20mins before the gun. I hit the porta-potty line and then found my starting corral.

What an awesome day for a race! The winter weather originally forecasted for race day held off for 12hrs. It was clear and crisp when the race started. I finally learned from my previous mistakes and did not over dress for the race. I decided to wear a Short Sleeve Tech Shirt, Running Shorts and a pair of Running Gloves.  Although it was in the low 30's at gun time, once in the starting corral the tightly packed group of runners shielded the wind and raised the air temp.

Shortly before race time, I spotted the 4:00hr pace team and wandered over to start the race with them. As we headed out I decided to hang with the this pace team to make sure I did not start to fast. This worked very well as I was able to ease into the race. I enjoyed running in the streets of the District. The first half of the race provides a great tour of the different monuments, Capital, Adams Morgan and Howard University. As we returned to RFK Stadium, I thought to myself that the first half of the race to be much easier than last year when I ran the 1/2 Marathon and was optimistic as I started out for the next 13.1 Miles.

I continued to hang with the 4:00hr pace team and found running with a small pack of runners provided a good support crew. We had a bit of small talk amongst the runners, but overall I concentrated on keeping the a smooth consistent pace. Between miles 16 to 20 we started passing other runners on a more regular basis. As we ran down by the Anacostia River a cross head wind picked up and I worked on drafting behind or next to runners. My game plan for fueling and hydration seemed to be working well in the later miles as I was not feeling thirsty and the regular use of GU kept my energy levels high. We left the river section and crossed the 20 Mile mark right on time at 3Hrs.

The last 10K section of the race started on a section of rolling hills which when you saw them appeared to ask "Are you up for the Challenge?". I was determine to stay with the pace team as we hit the hills. I found my training in the hills in Charlottesville prepared me well for this section but I had 3 cases where my left hamstring cramped requiring me to slow down for a bit. I was able to remain cool and catch the pace group each time. At the 26th Mile I felt very good as I knew that I made it through without hitting the wall.

The last 0.2 Miles was a blur. The pack continue to pickup speed as we headed to the finish and we could see RFK stadium just over river as we turned onto East Capital St. This is a long straight shot to the finish with a 30Ft rise in elevation. The spectators grew in number as we approached. I worked to stay in front of the pace group and successfully croassed the finish line at 4:00:39, a new Personal Record.

Right after crossing the finish line I heard a group shouting my name and looked over to see my brother in-law holding a "Run Dug Run" sign, my brother, my wife and children along the spectator rail.   I ran over to get high-fives, hugs and kisses.   It was awesome to see my support team so soon after completing the race.

I appreciate the support and understanding of my wife, family and friends who enabled me to train, listened to my ramblings about my LSR/Tempo/Speedwork runs, and provided grounding advice when I minimize the accomplishment of completing a marathon in 4hrs.  Even though I did not obtain my goal of breaking 4Hrs, it was an excellent run and experience that I am proud of.    I am thankful I was able to run this race and that I continue to improve my running capabilities.  Looking back I can see that I enjoyed the training as much as the race.

Today's Run - 3/24

After a long day of travel yesterday, I forgot to set my alarm to get up an run this morning. Looking back at it that was actually a blessing, I got to sleep in a little bit and I got to run after work. I headed down to Innsbrook for my last run. I parked that Marriott and headed out. It was a little cool and windy but I was comfortable in running shorts and tech shirt after the first 1/2Mile. I did a easy 3Miles around the office buildings and lake. It was a nice way to put the end to a long week and a good training season.

Today's Run - 3/22

Well my marathon week started out with a bit of trouble. I needed to skip my run on Monday due to an issue at work which prevented me getting good rest on Sunday night. I was happy to get out and run this morning just to blow off some steam and get my feet moving under me again. Today was the last speed workout and it called for 4 miles consisting of 2 8:07 Mile with 1/2Mile Jogs repeats. After a little warm up I jumped right in and hit the splits with little issue. I always feel great after speed workouts.

Today's Run - 3/19

Today was the last long run before the marathon next weekend. It started out a bit rough and I was surprised on how much effort it seemed to take to hit the 9:45 pace. There was a considerable amount of head wind which may have contributed to the pace difficulties. I continue to test different timings of fueling during my run with the GUs. This time I used a Octane GU at mile 5, and that seemed to work pretty well. Race day fueling will be at miles 5, 10, 15, 20, 24 which is slight adjustment from previous thoughts. I am also concerned with my hydration as I know that I get very dehydrated late in the runs where I have a unquenchable thirst. I will work to drink more earlier in the race to maintain hydration.

Not much on tap this week, just a few small runs early in the week to keep the rust off. The speedwork on Tuesday should help build some confidence for the pace.

I am thinking about following the pace team during the race. I want to understand how they will target the expected pace with either even, negative or positive splits. I will create a mile by mile pace chart just in case I don't like the approach the pace team is taking.

Today's Run - 3/16 & 3/17

Traveling again this week to CT and the taper week is in full affect. I decided to run on the treadmill primarily because of the rainy weather and types of runs that I was doing. There was some discrepancies between my Garmin and Treadmill calculation of the distance and speed. The tempo and easy runs were pretty good.

Today's Run - 3/14

Let the Taper begin! An easy 5Miles this morning. I was not feeling to speedy this morning but felt better as the run progressed. I headed back around the lake and out the Darby loop. I had a good mix of flat and hills on this run. The time change made the morning run very dark which was something I did not enjoy.

Today's Run - 3/12

The last long run of my spring marathon training campaign and I headed back to the UVA Park, UVA Track and the C-Ville 10Miler for this weeks long run. I can't say that I was feeling confident for this run after last weeks long run. It was a hard week at work so my mental state for this run was not in the best frame. I decided to try and sprinkle in a few miles around the park and track before heading out onto the 10Miler course. I did this so that when I finished up with the 10Miler I would be more than 50% done with my run. I found completing the 10Miler and still having 10miles to go a difficult aspect of the run last week. I found that adding these extra miles in kept me mentally engaged in the finishing miles. Overall not the fastest pace, but inline with the training plan.

I worked on the timing of my GUs and found that eating at 5.75Miles, 11.5Miles and 17Miles was very good. For race day I will plan GUs at 5.75Miles, 11.5Miles, 17Miles, 21Miles to help me get through the wall.

I am glad that this run is over so I can start to concentrate on resting and preparing mentally for the race.

Today's Run - 3/10

Today's Run - 3/9

I woke up and jumped out of bed all pumped up for the days speed workout. I started out slow with my warm up mile, then headed into the speed work with 1600 on and 800 off. I started at 8:42 and headed down from there to pace of 8:10 by dropping ~10-15 sec in pace per 1600 lap. I felt good during and after this run, it was not until after my shower that I realized I was supposed to do all 1600's at 8:10pace! It was still a good work out and exactly what I needed after the long grinding runs I have been doing lately.

Today's Run - 3/7

Today's Run - 3/5

A tough long run this morning. I headed back to the C-Ville 10Miler course and the Park on the UVA Campus. There were plenty of runners out preparing for spring races. I enjoyed seeing the different runners and groups out. The C-Ville 10Miler course is very challenging with lots of rolling hills and I did not have the mental capacity to run it twice. I was happy to finish this run, but I must admit that it did not add to my confidence as I struggled to get to the end. I think the 8Mile run that I did on Friday may have left me a bit tired as I headed into this long run. We will see how next week goes.

Today's Run - 3/4

My work and personal schedule required me to move my normal Thursday run to Friday. This was just an easy 7Mile out and back run. I tried not to push to hard because I have a 20Mile long run scheduled for tomorrow.

Today's Run - 3/2

A good tempo run this morning and I hit all my splits. The weather has been excellent with cool crisp morning with no wind and early sunrises.

Today's Run - 2/28

I had to cut my run short this morning as I was not feeling well...... Lots of stuff going on this week it is going to be a challenge to get all my miles in... Long run on Saturday is going to be an interesting mental and physical challenge.

Today's Run - 2/27

I returned from my travels this week with a slight head cold. I decided to push my long run a day to see if I would feel a bit better and rested. I was able to head out in the mid afternoon and enjoy the sun and warm temps. It was in the mid-60's when I headed out, it was the warmest weather for a run in my recent memory. I felt over dressed in my shorts and tech shirt, wow what a few weeks can do to the weather.

I was worried what the run would feel like since I am not 100%. I was surprised on how good it actually felt but I could tell that I was not able to go as hard as usual Even though this was an easy run I decided to see if I could maintain that 9Min pace. There were some tougher splits in this route, but overall it was a good run.

I am entering the last 2 weeks of tough training this week. I will most likely run tomorrow again as the training plan calls for a 7 Mile Easy Run. I will make a call when I get up in the morning.

Today's Run - 2/23 & 2/24

Traveling again and staying downtown Minneapolis, it is cold and ice and I did not bring the outside wear so I was confined to the Hotel Treadmills. I have not been feeling too good so these runs were a struggle. In both cases I did not run the full distance intended either due to treadmill availability or just not feeling good. I did a little bit of core work after each run that felt pretty good.

Tougher Qualifying Times for Boston Marathon

My quest to return to Boston as a qualified runner just became a bit more difficult. The BAA announced a new rolling registration process and qualifying times. The new rolling registration process will go into affect in 2012 and 2013 for the new qualify standards. For my age group (35-39) the qualifying time for 2013 is 3hr:10Min:00Sec. I had hoped to qualify next year and run in the 2013 running. The change in qualify time requires a 20Sec/Mile improvement over the last qualifying time. Since I have to improve me pace by more than 3Min/Mile what is another 20 Seconds? Although a daunting task I will continue to training and work to get my ticket back to Boston.

Today's Run - 2/21

Nice recovery run this morning with negative splits and great weather.  Still a little tired from this weekends long run but overall I was happy with this run. I am still not sure why my heart rate jumps way up at the start of the run and then levels off. I worked on my cadence and experimented with how my foot strike resulted in faster turn over times. I found that if I reach for the ground with a full foot and strike off hard my turn over was much faster. I will continue to experiment with trying to increase my cadence while not exerting to much unneeded energy.

Today's Run - 2/19

I went down to UVA to run the C-Ville 10Miler Course to get out of the neighborhood for my long run this week. This was the longest run of the training program yet, and it was a challenge.   The temps have been increasing over the week and it was already in the high 30's when I left the house.  I wore shorts, a tech tee and running long sleeve shirt.  By mile 3 I was pretty warm so I wrapped my long sleeve shirt around my waist for the remaining miles.  The temperature overall was excellent with lots of sun. There was always strong wind gusts that seem to be in my face at every turn.  

I modified my route from the 10Miler course to get some variety. I ran a few miles at the UVA Park which is 1/2 Mile Loop around Field Hockey and Softball Fields.  I also ran about a mile on the UVA Track while some of the Ragged Mountain Racing Team pounded out some speed workouts.  It was nice to see all the runners out on campus and downtown.    There were a number of training groups out for the C-Ville 10Miler.   I am sorry that I will miss the C-Ville 10Miler race this year, it is my favorite local race with a challenging course and a good crowd.

I had forgotten how hard the poured concrete sidewalks are to run on.  I could tell that the sharp jarring of my foot strikes tired my legs as I got into the run.   The last 3 Miles were very difficult to complete especially with the gust head winds.   I noticed my knees and legs were more sore than usual as I recovered from the run.

I used GU gels at mile 7 and 14, which gave me a nice caffeine kick.  In looking back I think that I am waiting to long to use the GU which made miles 6-8 and 13-15 more difficult than they need to be.   I will see if using GU at mile 6, 12 and 18 next long run make a difference.

Overall the pace of this run was good.  I slowed down to ~10Min miles, but I ran much to quickly on the UVA track.   The hilly C-Ville 10Miler course was a challenge but overall I was happy with pace for a long slow run.

Today's Run - 2/17

It was a bit tough getting out for this run. The family has been sick and I think that I am on the verge of fighting it off. Overall I am holding up pretty well with all the running. I am getting a lot of sleep and trying to eat as much as I can.

Today's Run - 2/16

A nice tempo run on tap for this morning, and I opened the doors to see a very dark and cold morning. I was able to settle into the target pace and beat most of the split times by a few seconds. I did a number of loops around the lake and the scottish homes which is typically flat but there are a few changes in elevation. I like tempo work because it is most like racing, where you have to hit the splits and keep a pace. I find that this is mentally difficult because you have to concentrate on maintaing the pace the entire time.

Today's Run - 2/14

The weather is starting to break and the sunrise is getting earlier. It was a bit windy but much warmer than usual. I completed this recovery run at average 9:40 Pace. The hills were a bit challenging and I worked hard to get through the first half of the run. I found flatter land around the lake for the last half of the run. I switched up my route a bit to get a little bit of variety.

Today's Run - 2/12

A long run was exactly what I needed after a long week on the road. I got out to the house just after sunrise to find a morning that was a bit warmer but also winder than usual. It took me a bit to settle into the 16Mile run, but I worked to break it into 4Mile chunks in my head to help me work through it. I settled into a 9:40-9:55 pace and tackled my standard routes to piece together the run. While in the Q2 Section I turned down the construction road to check out the new section being built in the neighborhood. I was surprised to find the well packed gravel and clay road was great to run on. There were some great views and scenery in the new section.

I am happy that I finished this run and felt good about the pace considering all the change in elevation.

Today's Run - 2/10

Just a 7Mile easy run while on the road.

Prop Betting Comes To Endurance Running

Poker player Ashton Griffin won $300,000 bucks for running 70Miles in 24hrs. The ESPN article provides good details on the odds and structure of the prop bet, but the interesting thing I see is how he did it. Aside from having to be on a treadmill which allowed him to manage the pace, elevation and climate he broke down the run into seven 10mile runs. Seems logical, but this is a prime example of long run strategy - break it into smaller more manageable pieces. 70miles in 24hrs is still a long run, especially on a treadmill.

Today's Run - 2/8

First speed workout in a while and this was at a considerable faster pace than I have been running recently. I must admit I was a bit apprehensive to jumping into this workout. The first mile was a good warm up at an 8:41 pace around the Paddington loop with a few hills. I then headed to the area around the lake to get a pretty flat track. I did 4x1600Meter at ~8:09 pace with an 800Meter jogs between 1600's. I must have been confused because my target pace for the 1600's was supposed to be 8:19. So this workout was more difficult that it needed to do but I am happy with the results.

I will take tomorrow as a rest day due to business travel and plan to do a treadmill easy run on Thursday.

Today's Run - 2/7

I nice recovery run this morning with negative splits pace. I had a few hills in the beginning and then flat for the last half. I will do speedwork tomorrow and hope that I did not go to hard on this recovery run.

Validation of my change in attitude

I get a number of quote of the day / week emails. I find it interesting how many seem directly applicable to things going on in my life. Just as with horoscopes these email quotes are pretty generic and can be applied broadly to a number of situations yet seem to resonate on a personal level to the reader. With that in mind, this quote from Hal Higdon seemed to hit me right on.

What you do in any one workout doesn't matter. The most important point of any training program is the totality of that program, and the results it brings. A flash speed workout with quick splits may look good in your training diary, but it could bring you to the edge of overtraining. The same with running the long runs too hard. Your time in the final 20-miler won't count three weeks later. Your success will be measured by, 1) finishing the marathon, if you're a beginner, or 2) finishing it in a time that reflects your current capabilities, if you're an experienced runner. What you did while getting there doesn't count.

- Hal Higdon

Today's Run - 2/5

I headed out of the house a little later than expected and it was a bit tough to get going this morning. However, after the first 3 miles I got into a groove and was able to bang out the run. As I churned through the miles I could feel that I was getting stronger and faster. It also felt good to be able to overcome the mental block of getting out and running.

Change In Approach

I am starting to get into the thick of my marathon training and I am evaluating my goals and approach. There is no doubt that my key goal is to break 4hrs in the Marathon. I believe that my training is setup to enable me to do this. I have confidence that I am building my base to be strong enough to accomplish this. I do however think that I have been so focused on the result of my goal and not focused on how to get there. Looking back at the past two marathons I can honestly say that I went out to fast and tried to power through to make 4hrs by banking time. In both cases I struggled and fell apart at the 20-24Mile mark. I have read about the wall, I knew I was playing with fire when going out so fast, but you have to live through it to understand it. I can continue this approach and I may possibly PR each time because I am stronger runner each I attempt to run the race. There has to be a better way to approach accomplishing this goal. By focusing on running a strong consistent race and having the confidence that my time of sub 4Hrs goal will be met by executing a race day plan to get me smoothly through miles 20-24.

To that end, I have decided to re-vamp the statement of my primary goal for this marathon to be "Run smarter and stronger to be faster than before."

Today's Run - 2/3

A nice 7Mile recovery run this morning. I had a busy day at work today, so I was anxious to get in the run and the head out to work. Because of this I did run a bit faster than targeted for the workout, but overall it felt like a nice smooth run.

Today's Run - 2/2

Today's Run - 1/31

Although still cold the mornings are warming up and getting lighter earlier. These are great signs that spring is coming. I was out early and happy that I made it through the weekend without catching the flu that others are suffering with.

On tap this morning was a 8 Mile Easy Run at ~10:30 pace. I can't make my self run that slow nor do I have time in the morning, so I started at a 9:30 pace and worked down. I took it easy on the hills and then kicked it up for the last half. The Piper loop has some great hills and I like to run the out and back so that I can have some nice down hill sections. The out mile 2 and back mile 7 are a long slow hill that is down on the way out and up on the way in. This hill is a grinder that you need to manage your pace and perception of effort while climbing. I can tell that I continuing to become a stronger runner as I find that running up this hill is not as taxing even at faster pace.

This was a good warm up for my Tempo Run @ 9:01 this week. My travel was canceled due to storms in the Northeast. I will take tomorrow off and run again on Weds.

Today's Run - 1/29

After a long week it was nice to get out for a run this morning. I slept in later than usual and I was able to run after sunrise. It was a bit cold, still in the mid-20's when I headed out. I felt pretty rested since I did not run on Thursday. Rather then running a Long Slow Run, I kicked the pace up a bit from where I have been running. I clocked in an 8:29/mile pace and also worked on my cadence to average 88 spm.

It felt good to run after little bit of extra rest this week. I feel like I am ready to tackle my toughest week yet. I will be traveling again, so I will probably switch my runs around a little and run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday

Needed a rest and looking for execuses

I was supposed to head out for a run this morning. We had a good amount of snow and ice last night. When the alarm went off, I decided it would nice to get another day of rest. Since this is a down week I figured it would not be a bad thing. I also was a little worried about the black ice and risk of falling. I was OK with my decision until I watched a runner trot by as I headed out to work.

Today's Run - 1/26

This was a great easy 7 Mile run in the rain and snow. The temperatures were dropping all night and just above freezing when I headed out this morning. The rain changed to snow after a few miles. Although in the low 30's it was still warmer than other recent runs. I worked to maintain an easy 9:30 pace and the kicked it up in the last couple of miles.

Today's Run - 1/24

The recent cold snap reminds me that we are still in the midst of winter. The thermometer read 9 degrees this morning when I headed out this morning. I dressed in layers and I was able to stay warm through the run.

This is a recovery week after 3 weeks of mileage increases. I did a nice easy run at ~9:30 pace. My legs felt pretty good after a day off.

Today's Run - 1/22

I was looking forward to my long run this week, but it started out a little rocky which made me think about turning around after the first mile. Just getting out of the house took me longer than usual, I had prepared my clothes before going to bed with everything but my gloves which were still in the dyer. After getting dressed for my run I looked for my gloves and found that only one had made it from the washer into the dryer. Not a big deal, I have other running gloves but they are not as warm. After eating a bite and filling up my water belt, I headed out the door to temps in the low teens and single digits with the wind chill. I started out on the Piper Paddington Loop and after 1 mile my iPod battery went dead. With 11 miles to go I wondered if I was going to be able to make it through! But all of these issues I can only fault myself for not completely preparing for the run. I quickly worked to put the obstacles behind me and get into my run by breaking down the 12Mile run in smaller chunks. Even without the music the miles clicked away and at about mile 6 I found that one of my water bottle nozzles had frozen in the extreme cold. My other 2 bottle had not frozen over yet, probably because one Gatorade and the other had not been used as much so there was not as much water in the nozzle. I continued to push on, enjoying that this run was done after sunrise. I decided to do an out and back route after the 6Mile mark, and got to do the hills in the opposite direction descending the hills I climbed and climbing the downhills on the way out.

I worked to maintain a ~9:35 pace that was a bit slower on miles with hills. I finished this run up and felt good. I was not too sore but I did feel like I had run a good distance. I can tell that my shoes are coming to the end as my feet are feeling a bit tired after each run. This was a good week of running and I am looking forward to the recovery week this week. I hope to get to the Gym to do some cross training or swimming this week.

Today's Run - 1/20

Up and out early this morning for an easy 7Mile run. I decided to include some hills on this run even though it was supposed to be an easy run. I tackled the Q2 Section early in the run to get the aggressive hill climb early in the run and the finish on the long slow hill climb on Piper.

I am struggling to run slow on my long runs. I locked in the pace between 9:15 and 9:30 for this run. Considering the hills this was a good comfortable pace. My heart rate was under control and did not spike at the start of the run. I continue to work on my cadence and averaged 87spm.

Today's Run - 11/18

I needed to shift my workout schedule again to accommodate for some other things going on in my life. I like the structure of this training plan because it gives me the ability to move some things around.

The winter weather continues to throw curve balls. Overnight we had freezing rain and snow. When I woke up, the rain had stopped so I decided to give it a go since the temps were in the low 30s and it was clear. The roads were in good shape since there was lot of salt left from the last storm. The walking paths had sections of black ice so I ran in the road. The workout planned called for a 9:04 Tempo run and I figured the Paddington loop was a good place to do this. It has good rolling hills but significant sections of flat and it is about 1.25Miles a turn. I had hoped to include a loop around the lake for a bit of scenery but I found the roads by the lake to be covered with black ice.

I hit each of my splits for the 5Miles clocking in from 8:59 to 9:04. Considering I did a pretty long run yesterday my legs felt good as hit these splits. I was happy to see my heart rate stayed in the low 150's and only peak to 162 during one of hill climbs. I started slow and tried to control my breathing which probably also prevented my heart rate from shooting up quickly at the start of my run.

Today's Run - 11/17

Even with the day off from work I was excited to get up early and do an easy 8Mile run.

Today's Run - 11/15

After a week of travel I was happy to be home and do the longest run in a couple months on familiar routes. We had house guests this weekend, so I needed to get my run in early. After staying up later than usual, it was a bit difficult to get up and out of the house before 6am. I had a Gatorade Pro-Series Oatmeal Raisin Prime Bars while getting dressed and filled my hydration belt before heading out. It was still dark and cold when I headed out, and after a 1/4 Mile I was wonder why me hamstrings were not warming up but actually getting colder. I quickly found that one of the water bottles was leaking onto my legs. After resetting the water bottle top to stop the leak, I was able to warm up.

I tried to start this run slow but I just can't seem to do that for to long. I did the first 5Miles between 9:20-9:30 pace on a route with good changes in elevation. I worked to do negative splits for the last 5Miles on the flat loops around the lake. I felt great after completing this run.

The 10Mile long run marks the start of the real distance training for me. After completing this run and 2 Weeks of ~30Miles I am feeling good about my training program.

Today's Run - 11/13

Although tempted to run out side, the 15+ Inches of snow on the ground, black ice, and limited running room on the recently plowed roads helped me decide to run in the hotel gym.    I did an easy 6Miles because that is all my brain could take on the treadmill.

Although I had to modify my schedule this week do to travel and weather, I am happy that I was able to get good miles in.  I had runs of 8, 7, 6 which will setup my long run this weekend of 10Miles pretty well.

Today's Run - 1/11

I needed to shuffle my training plan this week due to business travel and the threat of significant winter storms in CT.   On my way to the hotel last night I decided to make a quick detour to the local high school near my hotel to see if it was possible that they cleared the track from the last snow storm.  I hoped to be able to use the track for a speed work out, but it was still covered in snow.   As I drove to the school I also examined the roads and sidewalks to see if they clear enough to run on.   I was happy to see that they were fairly clear, so I decided to run the roads this morning and take a rest or cross train on Weds.   We are expecting 15-20 inches of snow Tuesday night into Weds and I don't think I will be able to get out and run.


My legs felt surprisingly rested this morning as I head out on my standard 6Mile out and back route from the hotel.   I was not able to get my speedwork out in, but I did get to run some hills and work on a bit faster pace.  I average just over a 9Min Mile on a snowy, icy, somewhat clear sidewalk.   I did take a spill after 5Miles of careful navigation of the terrain, when I tripped over a frozen snow lump.   I tumbled into a snow plow mound, but luckily no one saw and I was ok.   :)

Today's Run - 1/10

An easy 8 Mile run before work was a great way to start out the week.   I am trying to slow my pace and increase my cadence, but I find it hard to do these two things at once.  I find that it is easier to run faster with a fast cadence than to run slow with a fast cadence.  I pieced a 8+Mile route by doing the Piper Paddington Loop, the Scottish Homes and the Q2 Section.

For an easy run this has a lot of hills, which the Runner's World Daily Kick in the Butt seems so appropriate:

"Running hills breaks up your rhythm and forces your muscles to adapt to new stresses. The result? You become stronger.", Eamonn Coghlan, Irish athlete and 3-time Olympian

I am traveling this week again to CT.  There is a risk of significant snow this week, but I hope to run outside.

Today's Run - 1/8

I got up early to run this morning and it was cold!  There were a few flurries when I started the run and at about 1.5Miles in the snow was coming down good.   By mile 3 the snow had stopped but left a dusting on the grass and roadways.  I was warm and dry in my north face 1/2 zip fleece shirt, gloves and hat but covered in snow.   I ran the last 1/2 of this run without earphones so I could hear the silence of the neighborhood and my feet on the fresh snow.  It was nice to be able to look at my footsteps when my route double backed on itself.  I got to see the stride length and foot strike.  I am happy to see that I am moving from a heal striker to more mid-foot and my alignment is becoming more neutral.  All good form elements that I have been working on, it is nice to see validation.

I was happy to complete my first long run of the training program.  I worked to slow my pace to 9:20 and had even splits with increase speeds at the end.  There were a few splits impacted by hills but overall I was pretty consistent.  I was happy to have a good kick at the end with a sub 9min mile for my last. 

New Hottness - NIKE+ GPS Watch

I love my Garmin, well I actually think I love the information that is provided by my Garmin.  I was very intrigued by the Nike+ GPS Watch announcement today because Nike is creating a running platform that could crush Garmin and Timex in capturing the wrist real estate of a runner.

With Nike+ you get a number of options for run tracking management, you can use the iPhone App, iPod and now a GPS watch.   Having all these options in a single platform is going to be very attractive to me.   With the alliance of Nike and Apple, It is not surprising that Nike+ has taken the approach that one Nike+ device is not enough for all your running needs. I would use my Nano iPod and Nike+ foot pod while running on the treadmill inside, the iPod Shuffle and Nike+ GPS watch for running outside, and use my iPhone with Nike+ if I was in a pinch to get a run in and needed be reachable by Cell Phone.   You know that Nike is going to make the styling of the Nike+ very sleak and the intefrace for the run tracking website is going to awesome. 

Am I just looking for justification for more than $1200 worth of Nike+ and Apple gear for a simple sport called running....I will continue to love my Garmin, but the new Nike watch looks pretty sweet.

New Blog Description Required?

How much running experience do you need to be called a runner? I started this blog to track my running and training efforts as I stared my attempt to become a runner almost two years ago.  A dedicated reader suggested to me that I need to update the summary of my blog, since I am no longer attempting to become a runner, but that I am actually a runner.  I agree that in the last two years I have become a dedicated to running and learned a considerable amount.

I know that I am not a jogger,  but am I a runner?  Runner is a subjective label.  I figure there has to be a checklist I can complete to validate the subjective label.   Something that goes like, you know you are a runner when:

1. Your weeks consist of a good mix of tempo, speedwork and long runs.
   
2. You know how many miles you have put on each pair of shoes.
3. Your spend more money on running gear than your daily wear.
4. You think it is OK for men to wear tights in public.... while running.

Subjective or not,  I agree that with my commitment to running, the distances I run, my time investment, and excitement I get from running makes me a runner.  It is time to update my blog description to be something more reflective of the subjective runner label.

Today's Run - 1/6

The training plan called for a 8 Mile run after the 7 Mile run yesterday.  I was a bit sore from the tempo run, but I was still excited to get out for a longer run.   The plan wanted a nice easy run at 10:30 pace, but I can't run that slow nor do I have the time in the morning to have a run for that duration.    I run slower than my tempo run yesterday and averaged a 9:11 pace.   

The increase in mileage is exciting but I want to be careful to not go to fast.  I plan to take Fridays and Tuesdays as rest days for the next couple of weeks and then will work in some cross training. 

Today's Run - 1/5

Today was the first official run on my spring marathon training plan and I started out with a nice 7 Mile tempo run.   I was really pumped up to get out and run today knowing that I have a plan to get me my March Marathon.   I was up and out early to find a very cold dark morning.   This was a longer run than I have done in a while and I thought a 9Min pace would be easy to maintain even on the hilly route.   I was surprised about the effort of this run while I was out there.  I think I was concentrating on maintaining may pace that it made it harder than usual.   I noticed that my cadence slowed down with my pace as well, I thought I was consciously working on increasing it. 

Tomorrow is 8Miles at 10:34 pace.  I don't know if I can go that slow but I will give it a try.

Training Plan Defined

I have been stressing about not having a training plan for the National Marathon in March.   Even though I  have been running with a decent base,  I feel that I am a few weeks behind on long runs and training.  With the race 12 weeks away I have been looking for a plan that will work with my work schedule, provide some variety in workouts and help me target a sub 4Hr race.    I looked around at some different plans but finally settled on a Runner's World Smart Coach plan that I can tweak a bit as I go.   The plan has me running 4 times a week with optional cross training or rest days.   There are a couple of back to back 20 Mile weekly long runs, some good speed and tempo workouts.    The paces are slower than I expected in the default plan.  I will struggle maintaining these slow paces on the  mid distance runs.  I guess I will target negative splits so that I won't get to bored.   So here it is, a new year with a new training plan.  I am committed and excited to start training again. 

Today's Run - 1/3

What a difference a day makes...  This morning was still tough to get up early but it was considerably easier than yesterday.  The  cold weather returned this morning as I opened the door to a dark cool 24 Degrees.  I was happy to start my week with a good run, but I must admit I did find this run difficult and my pace showed it.  

Today's Run - 1/2

A new year of running starts today.   Since I have been off work for the last 2 Weeks my body has adjusted to staying up later and sleeping in.   To prepare myself for the looming work week, I decided to wake up earlier this morning to run.   It took a me a bit longer to get ready this morning partially due to shock of getting up while it was still dark.  The warm front which brought mid-50's temp day Saturday stayed around and left the morning temp in high 40's when I headed out for my run.   I did not believe the weather report on my phone, so I checked the thermostat before getting dressed.    It was a dark morning with cloudy sky and wind gusts. 

I did the Piper Paddington Loop to get a few hills into the route.   Even though I grabbed a Banana before starting out I found I was a bit hungry and still groggy from change in sleep pattern. 

Today's Run - 12/28 & 12/29

2010 Running Year In Review

With the new year starting I thought it would be a good time to look back at 2010 to see how I am progressing with my quest to become a runner.   This past year  was full of hard training, first times, personal records, weight loss and new equipment.   In training for spring and fall marathons, I ran more than 1200 Miles set personal records in 10K, 10Mile, 1/2 Marathon and Marathon.   I ran 194 days this year averaging more than 3 runs a week with an average distance of ~10K.  With the increased distance training,  my average speed also increased as the year progressed.

I was committed to training and ran good races.   I was given an unbelievable opportunity to run the 2010 Boston Marathon as my first marathon.   I enjoyed the training, the race and the opportunity to raise money for the Michael Carter Lisnow Center in Hopkington, MA.  The race experience gave me the bug to qualify so I can return again.   I trained with the Charlottesville Track Club to prepare for the 2010 Richmond Marathon and although I am far from a BQ; I did improve my marathon time by ~15mins.  

The commitment to training and running is considerable for me and my family.  I am surprised that we are able to fit it into our busy life and work schedule.   I realize that my wife is a huge enabler of my running and without her understanding and support I would not be able to train as much as I did this year.  The race day support from my family and friends this year was spectacular.  There really is nothing like seeing your family in the middle or end of a race when you need a bit of inspiration.   I will never forget seeing my daughter with a sign cheering me on in C-Ville 10 Miler, or my wife at mile 26 in Boston or my Dad and others in Richmond.  

As I increased my commitment to running,  I have found that there is a significant amount of gear for such a simple sport.   As a gadget and number guy,  I was hooked on the the use of a GPS to collect data to help me analyze my progress and training.   I initially used my iPhone with Runkeeper but found that the phone was bulky to run with and I was constrained by the cell network coverage.   To overcome the short comings of my iPhone GPS I acquired a Garmin 405CX and found it to be reliable and have enjoyed having the heart-rate monitor and footpod data.   I do most of my training with early morning runs, during the winter a head lamp is key piece of equipment to get some visibility in the darkness.  The Black Diamond Sprinter headlamp is light weight, very bright and rechargeable.   I continue to stick with ASICS shoes, and wore through a few pairs of ASICS 2140 and ASICS 2150.  I find the ASICS to be comfortable and supportive while not being too clunky. 

I try to share my enthusiasm for the endurance running sport with everyone I can.  I enjoyed the opportunity this year to guide a few new runners in their first races and new distances.   I enjoy the excitement of talking with people about the races and experiences.  It is nice to hear that most runners share the same anxieties and quest to improve in running.  Looking back at this year I see a solid year of growth and accomplishment.  I know that I am stronger runner and I continuing to enjoy running and how it enhances my life.