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.