Ok, one more quality run before the race

8.5 Miles - 25K Race Pace - 1:04:49
0.5 Miles - Walk - ?????
1 Miles - Easy - ?????

I read a lot of article on the major marathon runners, and I have always heard them talk about getting discouraged while training. I never really knew what it was, or how they got discouraged. Today I found out though. Up till today, every run I have gone on, I have run either farther, harder, or faster than I planned, and I haven't stopped short of what I planned on running. It's been a good feeling. That wasn't the case today.

I felt really good today, so when I started my 8 mile easy run, and noticed that I was on a good pace, I figured why not make it a Race Pace day, and go 10. Good plan. Except when I rounded mile 8, my right hamstring and back of my knee started hurting, so I stopped at 8.5 and walked. After a half mile I jogged the last mile.

Stopping at 8.5 miles was discouraging, I have never had to do that before, I have been tired, and in pain, but I could always just push through it. Not today, it was a different pain, and I stated thinking about the race next weekend, and not wanting to get injured.....don't know, just wasn't a good feeling to stop like that.

I'm sure I am ok, and will be fine next Saturday......but for some reason, I just had to walk.

4 Miles

4 Miles - 30:09

I was pretty sore today from the tempo run I did on Wednesday. Didn't help that I ran this run a little faster than I should have (I had dinner plans I had to hurry for). But my upper legs front and back were very sore. I was going to run 8 tomorrow, but I'll give it another day.

1st Tempo Run of the Year

2 Miles Easy - 17:04
1 Mile Tempo - 6:54
1 Mile Tempo - 7:13
1 Mile Tempo - 6:54
1 Mile Easy - 8:43

My tempo miles are supposed to be run around 7:12 - 7:15, so I am a little fast, as usually with my training times. The first two east miles were tough, but once I got going in the tempo's, I felt a whole lot better. There is something about running slower that my body just does not like. I need to fix that. I am glad I rested 2 days after running 15.5 on Sunday, I was still sore. But for a first tempo run, I think this one went well, I just have to concentrate on more consistent times. Tempo mile 1 was flat, 2 was mostly uphill, so that might have something to do with the longer time, 3 was mostly down, a little up in the end.

This will be my last quality run before the race, from here on out I will just be running 6 or 8 miles depending on how I feel, and 2 days off before the race.

Longest run of my life....again

15.5 Miles - 2:02:43

This is a long ways to run. I figured after running 13 Miles, then having a good time in the 10 Miler, jumping up to 15.5 wouldn't be a huge deal. Well I was wrong, my body started shutting down the minute that I stopped running, and I had to run and extra 0.5 Miles away from my place to get the full distance, so it was about a mile walk back.

My time was good though, only 2:43 minutes longer than I want to run in the race, I think I should be able to get that extra 11 seconds per mile out of there, I'm hoping. I am a little worried about running this far only two weeks before the 25K race, with the races I have been running, this is the first week I have had a change. I am just hoping I recover in time, not too worried, just something on my mind.

Finally, 6 Miles

6 Miles - 47:06

I felt good enough today to run the whole 6 Miles I have been squawking about for weeks. It was a little painful, I was planning on running 14-16 Miles on Saturday, but I think I will take Friday and Saturday off to rest more. My legs are still really sore after the 10 Mile race. It did feel good to get all six miles in though, I was thinking a lot about the 25K, and how it would feel really great to run it in under 2 hours. The I was thinking about how I will have a slim margin of error if I am planning on running 7:40's to accomplish that goal. That only gets me under 2 hours by 1 minute. No room for error!

Tuesday Intervals

1000m - ?????
400M - Jog
1000m - ?????
400m - Jog
1000m - ?????
400m - Jog

So I forgot my watch today, which explains the lack of times, I had to run by feel. And based on feel, I am still tired from Saturday. I only ran 3 Intervals because my quad started tightening up on me pretty bad. But they were sore right off the bat. I'm taking tomorrow off, which was planned, then a 4-6 mile run on Thursday, Friday off, then a 14 mile run on Saturday. Should be rested before then.

I think I am kidding myself a bit

4 Miles - 34:49

I keep thinking that 2 days after these races I am going to feel good and go 6 miles at an easy pace. When the reality is that I go a painful 4. Same as always, calves were extremely tight, my quads were extremely weak, and my joints were a little sore. All will be well tomorrow thought for my intervals.

Striders Saturday Classic 10 Miler

10 Miles - 1:12:36

What a beautiful day for a run. It was about 57 this morning, cloudy, and very little wind. My first 10 Mile race today, the Striders Saturday Classic. The course was an out and back, it was said the first 2.5 Miles were fairly flat, and the second 2.5 were a bit hilly. This last statement was a little under emphasised. These were large hills, multiple one, steep ones, long one. So with the out and back, it made the middle 5 Miles and up and down affair. I more that certainly underestimated these hills. The way out was not too bad, and I felt really good, that would be because even though there was a lot of up and down, we were for the most part running down, so on the way back, man.

With that said, my goal was to run 7:20 miles, this is based of an estimation of where I should be on this race for me to run under 2 hours in the 25K in may. My mile times were right around 7:16, just 4 seconds slower than my 10K times last week....I was pretty pumped. Now my official time was a 1:12:44 or something, but we didn't use RFID chips, and I started in the back of the herd. So I used the time on my watch, which was pretty accurate because they had a painted while line on the road for the start and finish, so it was easy to get it right.

Lets see.....oh yeah, lets talk pain....hardest run I have ever done. I actually got dizzy around mile 8 or 9, I am not sure. Am my legs went numb. When I finished, I had a hard time seeing straight. Pretty tough run for me, but worth it.

Unfortunately no one ran with me on this race, I did see my friend Pam Nauta again, her and her boyfriend Hank are at all the races, and they usually both win their divisions, with Hank always finishing the the top 10 overall. Good runners. And of course my good friends Markiel and Analou Schoonmaker made it to see me finish... Real good kids, Mark would have ran but his knee was hurting. Made it more enjoyable having them there.

So next is the Fifth Third 25K....well.....after a lot more training.

Err.....Ouch

4 Miles - 34:58

Feeling the effects of Intervals yesterday, and not resting since the 10K on Saturday. I will definitely be taking Sunday off after the 10 Miler. Nothing but resting, stretching and eating pasta from here till then.

Intervals

1000m - 3:53
jog - 3:00
1000m - 3:59
jog - 3:00
1000m - 4:03
jog - 3:00
1000m - 4:09

Still trying to get the interval times down. I am supposed to be running 1000m at 4:12, but I can't seem to get a steady pace going. Each time I was way too fast and had to keep slowing down. It will come with practice I think. I also went to a track that is at a Middle School on 44th, right down the road so that was nice. So I got one 4-6 Mile run tomorrow, then rest for the 10 Mile race......I am aiming for 7:20 miles in the race, pretty aggressive, but I would really like to hit that.

6 Mil....no wait, 4 Miles

4 Miles - 34:42

Planned on doing 6 miles today, but my calves we killing me. Not sure what the deal was, I guess just post race pains. Other than that I felt good, and boy did that sun feel great on my skin. Looking forward to many days of running in the sun this summer.

Pushing into another week

2 Miles - 18:25

2 easy Miles today, just keeping the limber, plus it is easy for me to do a full stretching regiment when I have ran. I have a hard time going through the whole thing without working up a sweat first, and I needed to stretch after yesterday.

Saugatuck Town Crier 10K

6.2 Miles - 44:41

First 10K of the year today, the Saugatuck Town Crier. It was another chilly race day, around 40 degrees, but it was also raining, which made it tough. It wasn't a big race as far as competitors, seemed like most of the people that were there do it every year.....except for the crew I came with.

Again, I started the race way too fast, under a 7 minute mile. I also felt tired immediately, which had me a little nervous. Mile 2 ended with a large hill, which I never mind, but I just didn't feel as powerful going up that hill as I usually do. Normally that's where I gain ground on the field. I think around Mile 3 my hands warmed up, and I didn't notice the rain so much any more. Mile 3 and 4 were my slowest miles of the race, I think that early mile did me in. Mile 5 I picked it up a bit, and I was surprised that I got a second wind for Mile 6 and picked up the pace a little more. I even had a decent kick on the home stretch, mostly motivated by not wanting to get passed in the last 3 minutes of another race by a senior citizen.

My mile times average 7:12, and according to my 5K speed, I should have ran this race just under 46 minutes, so the training is definitely working. I also shaved about 1:30 off of my best and only 10K time from last year. All in all it was a good time, we had a group of 6 of us there, proving to me once again that running with a herd is much more fun that going to races on your own.

I will have 4 runs this week, one of which will be an Interval workout, then rest of for the Striders 10 Miler next Saturday.

Last Run before the Town Crier 10K

4 Miles - 34:25

Nice easy jog today, keeping things limber for the race on Saturday. I could feel that I haven't taken a break from running in a while, and I could definitely feel the Interval runs I did yesterday. I labored a bit around the block. From here on out, nothing but pasta, stretching, rest, and oh yeah, that work thing until the race Saturday.

Wish me luck.

Interval Workout #1 = Ouch

3.4 Miles - ??????

Ran my first Interval Workout of the year today, it was painful. I ran (3) 1000m at about 4 minutes each, and (1) 320m at a 1:20 minute. Each had a 3 minute recovery run in between. That last one was up hill and into the wind...and I was beat. These speeds are pretty close to sprinting for me, so it was tough to maintain them for 4 minutes. I am sure I will be sore tomorrow, so just a few miles after work, then rest till Satruday's race.

Sunny Days

6 Miles - 52:21

Man I just love the sun.....of course...soon I will be saying it's too hot for running. naaa....I will take heat over snow any day. 6 Miles today, felt ok, I did have a few pains, which worries me with my first interval session coming up tomorrow. Then resting up for the 10K this weekend. Sure it will be fine, a little rest, some stretching and a lot of carbs and I'll be good.

Oh, and day two without my MP3 player, and I seem to be doing fine. We will see how I do on the longer runs.

Recovery Run

2 Miles - 17:29

I was able to take it pretty slow today, just 2 miles, but an 8:45 average is far slower than what I have been doing. I also went without my MP3 player today, I have been reading that they are cracking down on people wearing those in races. Not sure why. But I have read that they are getting pictures from the finish line and DQing anyone they see with headphones on. So I am seeing how running goes without music.

Half Marathon......Distance that is

13.1 Miles - 1:42:47

Again, another distance record for me today, 13.1 Miles, Half Marathon, 1.1 Miles farther than I have ever run.......

I wasn't feeling it today, could have been that I had run 12 Miles only 5 days ago, or that I had some people over last night and we were up kinda late drinking wine (bad move), or that I was running at a faster pace today then when I did 12 Miles. I think I was just off my game today, but it still felt good to finish. On the 12 it was my calves giving me issues, today, my legs just didn't have it in them. I think I didn't eat enough this morning. At mile 3 I was questioning whether I was going to finish. Worked out though.

So that is the last of my distance work for a bit. I have a 10K next weekend, and then a 10 Miles the weekend after that. Then I have one weekend off.......then it's the 25K. I need to get some Tempo and Track workouts in there somewhere before that.

Back Home

4 Miles - 30:31

Ran around the block again after Eric and I got home from Louisville. It was about 8 pm when I took off, I am not used to running in the dark anymore. It was a fast run...again, but I just felt so good, and I wasn't gased when I got done. It all might come back to haunt me at some point.

Louisville Running

5.4 Miles - 42:43

Ran with Eric today in Louisville, at the Cane Run Park. It was pretty boring, about a 0.75 mile loop, over and over and over. Good talking with Eric during the run though. It was supposed to the a recovery run for me, but unfortunatly, Eric being the finely tuned athlete his is, he wasn't doing much to help pace me. So, we ran at a fast pace, it felt good. I was a little sore, but the run felt good.