Failing The Common Sense Test

Distance: 12.44 mi.
Time: 1:37:18.76 - 7:50 ppm.

I felt like crap today. I can't remember the last time I didn't feel great, or at least pretty good, on a run. I was due for a reality check, or at least a reminder that, "Hey, it might not be a great idea to skip the middle of the week and cram all your training in at the end," which is pretty much what I ended up doing this week. This new training plan, while exciting, is going to be much more demanding than my last one. I can move days around but I can't afford to skip multiple days just because I don't feel like running. We all have bad days and I'm not worried about today, but I did run 28-plus in three days straight, so I was kind of asking for it. Lesson learned, I hope.

Nothin' Doin'

Distance: 6.77 mi.
Time: 50:16.77 - 7:33 ppm.

Today was just an easy day. I began from home and ran around the neighborhood, including a stretch of the Booty Loop, before calling it a day.

Can't Get Out Of Dilworth

Distance: 9.63 mi.
Time: 1:12:08.7 - 7:30 ppm.

Despite Monday's run at near McAlpine, I have been a major road warrior these days. I believe simulation is best, and as long as my body doesn't feel the wear and tear, the roads may be the law of the day for awhile. Actually, that's complete crap; I'm just a creature of habit, and I've gotten in the habit of running in the roads around Dilworth and Myers Park for awhile now instead of hitting the trails.

At the end of today's run, I found myself side-by-side with a dad and his young son, who were on bikes. I couldn't help but overhear their conversation, as Dad was explaining to an inquisitive Junior that he needn't worry about the upcoming mountain trip - the family would be safe from the advances of Bigfoot. Now that's funny.

Monday Riser

Distance: 9.27 mi.
Time: 1:10:47.9 - 7:39 ppm.
Map and Elevation Profile

As discussed, this week marks the beginning of another marathon training cycle. I love the way that looks on my computer screen. It seems as though I just finished the last one, and really, I guess that's the case. The truth is that I have recovered well and felt remarkably fresh in the days since Thunder Road. More importantly, the training has left me feeling fit and I want to build on that. I am confident that my body will continue to hold up, although I certainly plan to take increasing measures to ensure that is the case.

Today I started at Old Bell and ran up Sardis through the neighborhoods behind Boyce Park. This neighborhood features some steep, rolling hills and very lovely homes. It's obviously much nicer on the side closest to Sardis and gets increasingly worse as you approach Monroe Road.

I was pleased with today's run. If you look at the elevation profile in the link at the top, you can see this was an effort that involved a good number of hills, and I still managed 7:39 pace for the whole thing without any tribulation. I write comments like this in my blog so that I'll know how I felt when I go back and review my own training.

Week In Review

Distance: 27.9 miles.
Highlights: A couple of good tempo runs; some cold-weather running gear purchased and received; marathon planning.

This week marked the end of my slacking period that followed Thunder Road. I am proud to say that, while the mileage was low due to many days off, I still ran at least 10-11 miles every week for a long run and put together several good workouts - not to mention a great race - during this "slack" period.

More importantly, I made a choice for the next marathon, or at least the next marathon's date: it will be March 18, either at Tobacco Road or Wrightsville Beach. I am strongly leaning towards Wrightsville but am going to wait a bit before making a final decision.

I found a new marathon plan, and I'm thrilled to get started. It is much more mileage-based than my last one, with heavy emphasis on medium-long runs and tempo runs, and without all those crappy 800- and 400-meter repeats. In fact, this plan is similar to what I did in the fall of 2010, when I achieved good fitness remarkably quickly by piecing together some marathon workouts with the help of Eggers, Brinkley, and Oelz. I will be doing a 12-week cycle which starts this coming week.

I'll Have Some Wine Now, Please

Tempo: 5.04 mi in 34:50.92 - 6:55 ppm.
Cooldown: 0.8 mi in 5:46 - 7:37 ppm.

This wasn't really a tempo run; I just started off a little quicker than usual and decided to go with it. I've changed my stride - more on that later - which makes it easier to get out at a swift trot even when I don't plan on it. This was my first run in a new pair of Nike Lunar Swift that I bought for half the retail price at the Nike Factory Store. I wasn't too pleased with them but they will make a nice alternative to the Pegasus when I want to run a little faster than usual.

Running through my parents' neighborhood, I crossed paths with my niece and brother-in-law in the park. I then remembered I had more important things to do today and cut the run short.

Merry Christmas!

Figure-8

Distance: 10.28 mi.
Time: 1:20:17.2 - 7:49 ppm.

The title of this post refers to what today's route looks like on the map. I once again decided to meet Adrienne today for part of her 14-mile long run. I told her to find a spot about five miles in and I would meet her there. That spot turned out to be the corner of Chilton and Sharon, which is part of the Thunder Road course. At this juncture I'm going to stop pointing out when I run sections of the marathon course, because the damn thing goes all over the place. So that's all I have to say about that.

I felt like crap today. All I really remember about this run was watching how much more fit Adrienne seems to be getting while pretending not to struggle a couple strides behind her. She finished strong and went home while I ran another mile or two by myself, although I had intended to do more.

Get Some Booty

Warmup: 3.0 mi. in 24:06.81 - 8:03 ppm.
Workout: 5.09 mi in 33:45.23 - 6:38 ppm.
Cooldown: 0.7 mi in 5:41.1 - 8:22 ppm.

Today I showed up to the Charlotte Runners' "Five on the Booty" run for the first time since October. I like this run and wish I could make it more often. After some weeping and gnashing of teeth, I decided to make this a tempo. I showed up early to get in 3 easy miles and then joined the group. The attendance was sparse today on account of the holidays and, likely, the rainy weather.

As Adrienne, John Cendroski, and some other dude settled into AA's half-marathon pace, I strode ahead with the intentions of clipping sub-7 for mile one. I did that, but then I had the Queens Road hill to deal with, and I was feeling awfully tight. I had thoughts of scrapping this thing, stretching, and finishing up with the group. I put those thoughts out of my mind, however, and started to burn a bit on the flat Selwyn section. I sandwiched splits of 6:27 and 6:29 around a 6:47 down Queens West - slowing only because I didn't have a headlamp and was concerned about falling on my face.

I cheered in the rest of the group, did a quick cooldown, then called it a day.

Recovery Days Are Here Again

Distance: 3.00 mi.
Time: 24:01.12 - 8:01 ppm.

Well, I've been better at making sure I get in a recovery day lately, and even better at keeping the pace easy. I'm proud of myself. That is all. Bye.

Week in Review

Distance: 22.4 mi.
Highlights: Some serious slacking followed by a run with Adrienne and a really good long run.

I'm trying to decide what marathon I will be running in the spring, and therefore when I need to begin training for it. Until I get that figured out, my schedule is kind of up-in-the-air, but today's long run was a good jolt to get me motivated again after working my tail off the last three weeks.

The Little Lights...Are Not Twinkling!

Distance: 13.47 mi.
Time: 1:40:39 - 7:29 ppm.
Map

For this afternoon's long run, I tried to plan my route around checking on the valets downtown and also somehow making it to the CRC Christmas Lights Run, which would start across from Freedom Park at 5:30. I had been slacking majorly lately, and while that may not be a bad thing, I decided I was ready to kick-start my training again.

I made a point to keep a pretty decent pace throughout this thing, and did so with many sub-7:20 miles through Dilworth, Wilmore, and downtown. I left Capital Grille around 5:20 and headed over to the park. I hadn't taken into consideration that I would be warmed up (8 miles in) and no one else would, so the pace flew up to nearly 8:30 for the first two miles of the lights run. Oh, well. With a map in my hand and Lamperski, B-Mac, Kent, and everyone else in tow, I decided to lead the group on a tour of lights.

Mike Kahn, Megan Hovis, Allison Reed, Anthony Monaghan, Jason Meulemans, Kent Morris, Chris Lamperski, Brian McMahon, Greg Isaacs, and John Fillette were among the men and women I shared miles with this evening. It was an enjoyable experience but we all agreed the Queens West/Hillside neighborhoods would have involved a lot more lights. No matter, it was a nice night out and fun.

Back at the park, I chatted with Jade, Brian, Spada, Billy, and a few more. I was getting tight and cold and still had a couple more miles to run, however, so I didn't stay long. Today was a good effort that I needed to shake off the December cobwebs.

Saturday Morning Fever

Distance: 8.94 mi.
Time: 1:08:44.7 - 7:42 ppm.

I once again made plans to meet AA for her long run, only this time I decided I wanted to meet halfway through it. She was doing a progression at the end of it. We met on Princeton Avenue by the park and I followed her all over the place on a route she had pre-designed. To me, one of the best things about having a Garmin is I no longer feel the need to map out routes in advance; I just run, and estimate the distance it will take to get back to where I started. Some people, however, insist on hitting even mileage marks on their Garmins, and my Saturday morning running partner is one of them. The progression went well. Someone is starting to get faster, and it isn't me!

Week in Review

Distance: LOL
Highlights: um..I ran a couple times.

I got in a long run at McMullen this week and that's pretty much it.

Changing the subject, today is my 30th birthday, which is important to the purposes of this blog for two reasons: (1) I will move into a less competitive age group for races next year, and (2) I am in significantly better shape than I was at age 25. So there. Life is good.

McMullen: Long Time, No See

Distance: 11.0 mi.
Time: 1:29:31 - 8:09 ppm.

I picked up AA early this morning and headed over to McMullen Greenway for a long run. I had basically done nothing all week, other than running my ass off at work, and I figured I might as well keep things easy. Her plan was to run 11 miles with the last three at half-marathon pace (7:20s). I could not remember the last time I had run at McMullen - June? Late May? I know it had been awhile.

We cruised through the forest on one of winter's colder days to this point, and eventually ceased conversation as the "pickup" part started. I was thankful for the lack of snakes as they are clearly hibernating and planning my doom for sometime next summer. We both ran well, although I'd be lying if I said I felt good - stomach problems assailed me (shocking, I know).

Rollover

Distance: 1.97 mi.
Time: 14:56.27 - 7:35 ppm.

There isn't much to say about this one - this was just another one of those, "My legs are sore, I just need to shake things out" runs. It's amazing how well they work.

Week in Review

Distance: 39.3 miles.
Highlights: good tempo run, pacing at the ACC 5k, long run with a fast finish.

This was a pretty decent week of running for me, as I approached the 40-mile mark again. It amazes me how much effort it takes to run more than 40 miles per week. I'm trying to lay out a plan of attack for the next marathon, but for now I'm just going to continue keeping the legs fresh, just doing what I can to not lose any fitness.

Considering that work is pretty physically demanding and time-consuming this time of year, I predict the next two weeks will be very low-key.

Long Run with a Pickup

Distance: 11.03 mi.
Time: 1:22:42.89 - 7:30 ppm.
Map

I had planned to meet the group led by Mike Kahn early this morning at McAlpine, but that didn't happen. Given that it's not hot outside and I don't usually have much to do on Sundays, I don't really stress waking up early. It would have been nice to run with them, but I settled for a solo trek from home.

I ran towards Plaza-Midwood and finished the last 5 miles or so of the Thunder Road course, then cruised through Dilworth and headed home. I picked it up a bit at the end, running the last mile at 6:50. I felt great!

ACC 5K Pacing!

Warmup: 1.4 mi in 12:59.2 - 9:17 ppm.
Race: 3.21 mi in 21:43.49 - 6:47 ppm.
Cooldown: 0.8 mi in 7:36.04 - 9:10 ppm.

Earlier in the week, I agreed to help pace Adrienne Anetrini in the ACC Championship 5k. I was not going to register; instead, I would just start the race with her, try to pace her to a PR, and then drop off at the 3-mile mark. This was a small race so I didn't feel ill about being a bandit.

Adrienne, Devitt Rogers, Jeremy Gray, and I warmed up from the Dowd toward the race site. JLG and Devitt were also "bandits." I would never want to run a 5k with less than a 2-mile warmup, but Adrienne was ok with it, so we headed to the line. A guy and his girlfriend nudged past us to get in front of us in the chute, and after the start I was practically tripping over them. I was pissed. How are you going to push people aside in the corral and then start off that slowly? Get your ass to the back of the line next time! Had it been me that was racing I would have a few choice words for this dude, but instead I just went around them and sidled up next to Adrienne.

I was trying to rein in what appeared to be a fast pace, but then at the 1-mile mark I realized my watch was measuring the distance a good bit shorter than the race markers. I then remembered this was a RFYL event. Sigh.... We lost Jeremy somewhere around that time, and Devitt and I exchanged Thunder Road war stories. This race went right the Wilmore section, just before things had gotten dicey for me back on November 12.

We were running positive splits, but AA hung on and finished strong. By my calculations, she easily ran a PR, but again, the course was long (by more than a tenth of a mile, on my watch). No worries, though - it's December and we're all a ways away from doing anything important in regards to this particular distance. Fun was had by all.

Nothing To See Here

Distance: 2.07 mi.
Time: 16:02.12 - 7:45 ppm.

Learning my lessons from last week, I made a point to get in a short, easy recovery run today after yesterday's somewhat hard effort. It would pay off the next day.

Tempo? Why not?

Tempo Run: 7.0 mi. in 47:43.01 - 6'50" ppm. Splits: 719, 723, 655, 646, 628, 623, 626.
Cooldown: 6.72 mi. in 21:12.4 - 7'48" ppm.
Tempo Run Map

I woke up a little late today; nevertheless, I decided to hit the road for some miles. I had tentative plans to make it a faster effort - a tempo run, I guess. I started out a bit quick but settled into it, and when I got to the hill on Morehead Street I picked up the pace. The next thing I knew, I was comfortably cruising at about 6:45-50 per mile. When the terrain leveled a bit, I picked up the pace even more, headed down East and through the Speed Loop. This is, of course, a very rolling neighborhood. When I came to an uphill my pace would shoot up to near 7' per mile, but when things leveled out or I had a slight downhill it would dip under 6. This was a pretty quick pace for me for a 7-mile tempo. I've gotten really good at pushing myself even when solo. My splits for the last three miles were 6:28, 6:23, and 6:26, with the latter including those sharp inclines on Queens West and Radcliffe Avenue. I was pleased with the proceedings of the day.

Take it Easy

5.47 mi.
40:58.32 - 7:30 ppm.

I felt relaxed again today as I just tried to get the legs moving. I've noticed my easy runs have gotten faster lately, which isn't necessarily a good thing. It could be a sign that things are just getting easier for me, but there's really no point in trying to push it on what's supposed to be a low-key day. Alex, Matt, Mike and I talked at length about this on Sunday's long run. 

Relaxed Venture

5.57 mi.
42:29.4 - 7:38 ppm.

I felt much better today than I did yesterday, just going for an easy cruise through the Freedom Park areas.

Week in Review

Distance: 36.8 mi.
Highlights: Jamaar's 12-hour run, Turkey Trot 8k, painful long run.

This was a fun week, as I helped Jamaar "make history" on Monday and then ran my best race of the year on Thursday.

Running out the Kinks

9.92 mi.
1:14:56 - 7:34 ppm.

I didn't do any kind of recovery run after the Turkey Trot (aside from a cooldown on race day, of course) and I came to regret on today's long run. I met Mike Mitchell at Old Bell and prepared to get through a painful 8-12 miles.

We watched as several of our friends came rolling through upon finishing a workout - Hovis, Paul, Jason Martin, and a few more - then met Alex Wernikoff and Matt Rich, who each decided to join us.

Matt picked our brains about our recent marathon experiences. It's always nice to be able to listen to and get feedback from an old marathon warrior like Matt (who, I'd like to add, is faster than all of us despite being 50 years old).

Once again, though, I was hurting on this one - just tight and sore from running the Turkey Trot and failing to do a recovery run.

2011 Southpark Turkey Trot 8k

Warmup: 2.73 mi. in 21:06 - 7:44 ppm.
Race: 5.0 mi. in 30:34.32 - 6:07 ppm. Splits - 6:15, 6:04, 6:19, 6:07, 5:47.
Cooldown: 1.8 mi. in 15:51 - 8:49 ppm.
Running Buddy (Garmin data)

Well...I surprised myself today, to say the least. As discussed in yesterday's post my legs have felt heavy and my only ambitions today were to have fun and possibly treat this as a tempo run. I got a free entry from Theoden so I didn't really care. What happened instead was that I ran my best race of the year, with a faster pace-per-mile today than I achieved in any 5k I ran (out of six events). The conditions were right but, as expected, the crowd made this thing a little nutty. Let's get to the details!

The race wasn't until 9 so I didn't wake up until just after 7. I decided not to eat anything and instead just stretched and put together my racing outfit. I made it to Southpark mall a little early and found a parking spot on the first level of the deck near Dillard's. Then I set out past the crowds at the porta-jons and began warming up on the course. I passed by a young couple that was wearing matching outfits and ran down Barclay Downs to turn on Runnymede. This part of the course was hilly. I ran into Jason Martin and jogged back to the start with him, but he wasn't racing. He was - you guessed - running as a bandit. I was glad to see him there because he always screams at everyone near the finish.

I ran past the massive crowds of people at the start and plopped down in front of the Dixon Hughes building to stretch. The race director announced that we had less than five minutes until the start. I didn't believe him so I took my time loosening up, and then he announced we had two minutes. Ok fine, I'll head to the pack. I wasn't really sure what to do. I busted my way past several people so I was at least in the road, but I didn't have time to get any closer. I estimated there were at least a hundred people in front of me, and that didn't include those on the other side of the median (on Morrison Blvd.).

I heard, "one minute!" and then a bit later heard a gun go off. Was there not a "runners set..." or had I just not heard it? It didn't matter because I couldn't go anywhere. People were gradually easing towards the start as I put my finger to the watch and looked for the timing mats. I finally crossed them and immediately panicked as I was stuck behind a huge pack of people with no room to maneuver. My casual attitude immediately went out the window as I bolted for the curb and sprinted around as many people as possible, just hoping the spectators would stay out of the way. They did, and I found a small clearing up the hill on the Morrison and darted across the median. I was running like a wild animal and continued to weave through people. I had not begun to consider the possible consequences of such a disorganized start. To be honest, I was actually having a blast weaving through the crowds.

I passed a cheering Mike Kahn and came upon another pack. I was on the right side of the road so I just went around them on the sidewalk instead of darting back across the road. I played this fun game for the entire first mile and came through in about 6:15, but I was feeling great, so I kept pushing. I passed Matt Jaskot, who was just chillin' after running 20 miles yesterday, and Jeremy Gray. I motioned for them to come race with me and then got ready for a fast downhill section on Barclay Downs - after passing designated CRC cameraman Mike Kahn again.

It wasn't until the hill on Runnymede in the third mile that I began to question what kind of effort I really wanted to put out today. There was a woman that kept trying to pass me, and between fighting her off and realizing that there was no way my endurance would fail me, I decided to throw in another surge. I passed by my CMPD friend Alex Watson on Sharon Road as he shouted and waved, and began to reel in more people. No one passed me this race, something I'm proud of, and I had lost count of how many I had reeled in. Of course, that wouldn't have happened if I had actually been where I needed to be at the start. In front of me with 1.5 miles to go was a high school kid, then another four or five runners up ahead of him. I caught him and encouraged him to come with me to reel in the others. He said, "let's do it," and hung on my shoulder for about a quarter-mile before I dropped him.

We ran through the Coca-Cola Plaza and I tried to really pick up steam. My last mile would prove to be my fastest of the race by far at 5:47, which is also faster than any mile split I've hit in any race this year. I was remarkably pleased with my efforts. I passed a group of runners, one of which called out, "way to fnish, Jason" but I don't know who he was. I saw Jason Martin standing and screaming at the corner of Morrison and Rexford as I tried to dig in to catch Anna Donlan. I wondered if I was going to break 30 but then realized the finish line was further away than I thought after my eyes focused. I gained on Anna considerably but I couldn't catch her. I crossed the line in a time of 30:34 on my watch - 30:36 chip time for an average pace of 6:07. My gun time? 31 minutes. I was so far back at the start that it took me 24 seconds to get to the line. Whoops.

I was elated at how well I had run, especially after such a chaotic start and with such a nonchalant attitude. I know a lot of it had to do with the extra fitness from marathon training and all the weight I have lost this year. I found myself extra motivated to keep working harder and improve my overall outlook towards the sport.

After the finish I congratulated some people I knew who had run - Aaron Linz, John Christiano, Jeremy Gray, and a few more. I looked around for Adrienne but there were just too many people so I gave up after a few minutes. I joined Thomas, Michelle, Jaskot, Anna, Dalena Custer, and Ethan Coffey for a cooldown run. We all had fun and raced well!

Jolting the Legs

3.02 mi.
22:23 - 7:29 ppm.

I just went out for a short run today in anticipation of the Turkey Trot tomorrow. That's right, I'm racing on Thanksgiving Day. I won a free entry from the Run with Theoden Facebook page, so I'll be toeing the line. The legs, naturally, have felt far from fresh since the marathon so I don't know how fast this thing will be, but I'm going to try to treat it as a tempo run and go fast if I feel up for it. The event is large - supposedly close to 8,000 competitors - so it's going to be a bit nutty.

Double Duty on the Booty

6.51 mi.
1:00:13 - 9:16 ppm.

After making sure I didn't have to work, eating and resting for a bit, I returned to Kati's to meet up with Jamaar and company once again. Adrienne and a few others were just finishing up, and I jogged down Selwyn to catch up with Thomas, Michelle, and Jamaar. Our hero was in remarkably good spirits after having run two marathons at this point. We were joined for awhile by Matt Jaskot and Emily Barrett, and ran into David Brinkley near the end.

Thomas had gone to the gas station to get some beer, and so the five of us jogged down the loop while drinking. Yup, that's what happened. The mood was festive and we were all very proud of Jamaar - not to mention impressed and flattered by how many people came out to run with him. In 12 hours (6am-6pm) he ran by himself for less than half an hour. That's impressive. The Charlotte running community is outstanding.

Naturally, we were all in party mode when he was done, and went out to celebrate the achievement...after taking a series of really bad pictures.

I left out the part about the rain. From left: Emily Barrett, Jason Blackwood, Jamaar Valentine, Matt Jaskot, Michelle Hazelton, David Brinkley, Thomas Eggar [photo courtesy of Jamaar Valentine].

"12 the Hard Way"

7.8 mi.
1:06:08 - 8:31 ppm.

My friend Jamaar Valentine, a certified crazy person, is training for the Uwharrie ultra late winter 2012, and decided to take advantage of some time off from work by running for twelve consecutive hours on the Booty Loop. You can go back and read that if you want to, just to make sure you read it correctly, but I assure you I'm not making this up. The fact that he actually did it - and got a small army of support along the way - is something you couldn't make up.

I had planned to join him to help out for a bit shortly after lunch. I parked my car at Freedom Park and began jogging up the loop in an attempt to catch him. It didn't take long before I spotted a black guy running with a blonde and another dude. As I got closer I realized it was Jamaar with John Fillette and Rebecca Thomason. We all ran together for a bit, and when I rejoined after a pit stop at the park I was greeted by Allison Reed and Emily Hansen. We made a stop at headquarters - Kati Robertson's house - and then continued on. I left the group to see if I could get one of my employees to work for me on short notice. I was inspired by Jamaar's efforts and all the help he was getting and I wanted to come back for more. 

Post-Marathon Thoughts

I only ran once this week, for just over five miles, so in lieu of the typical week-in-review post I thought I would add a "training in review" post. Here is a week-by-week breakdown of my marathon training, going back to the first of August:

August 2-7: I have on record 26+ miles, but I think I ran without the watch once this week, so it was more than that. I botched a tempo but got in a good long run. This was the week I permanently gave up on Brooks and started training in the Nike Air Pegasus again.

August 8-14: I botched another tempo run. This was an uneventful week. 41 miles.

August 15-21: I ran two workouts plus an awesome long run in the mountains that included something like 1,000 feet of elevation gain. Solid week, 37 quality miles.

August 22-28: 43 miles, including me upping the ante on the long run for the first time, to nearly 16 miles.

August 29-September 4: Only 27 miles. I came down with a mild virus and as a result missed a long run. This was the beginning of a major freefall in my nutrition, which wasn't great to begin with, and likely caused the virus. I did however run a season-best in the 5k on a difficult course.

September 5-11: 46 miles, including a really good long with Eggers, Brinkley, and Baum, plus a fantastic workout. I started some noticing some pain in my heel about this time, however, which I would later self-diagnose as achilles tendinitis.

September 12-18: One run for 9 miles. Took the week off to rest my achilles tendon.

September 19-25: 46 miles. I felt horrible all week but got back in the swing of things with a half-decent workout and a painful 18-miler with Mitchell.

September 26-October 2: Only 38 miles but I got in a good workout and my first 20-mile run of the cycle, which I did by myself.

October 3-9: 33 miles. I'm back to slacking off again, but I rolled on a tempo run with the Meetup runners and on a solo speed workout at McAlpine. This was a planned cutback week as far as the long run goes.

October 10-16: 44.4 miles. Good week, bad week. I screwed a tempo run - again - but ran my longest run of the cycle, and tied for longest of all-time (later surpassed by the actual marathon, of course) at 22 miles. I also retired the Pegasus I had been training in and got a new pair.

October 17-23: 46 miles. I got in two really good tempo workouts with the Meetup group and my second 20-mile run...and yeah, that's about it. My training had clearly become "quality over quantity" at this point but at least the quality was good. Besides, I was still fighting that sore achilles at this point.

October 24-30: 44 miles. I ran a double on Thursday, getting in some intervals at McAlpine and then a tempo run with the Meetup group for their costume event. I also ran 13+ with a pickup at the end for the Sunday long run.

October 31-November 6: 24 miles. The taper had begun but I did run 19 miles of the course between Saturday and Sunday.

November 7-13: 36 miles. Race week! I ran two short shakeout runs and then the race. My legs felt very fresh through the first half, but they got heavy through the center city and I eventually fell apart due to some bad cramps. I still finished in a time of 3:29:47, good enough for 83rd overall out of nearly 1,000 competitors.

The question now is this: What caused the muscle cramps that ruined my day on November 12? I ruled out poor race-day fueling; I had that down pat. I did wait until two days before the race to start carb-loading, so that likely had something to do with it. Again, my nutrition intake went from bad to worse back in September, which affected some of my workouts and probably led to a vitamin deficiency. So step one for the next marathon is to discipline myself to eat better. Step two, however, is to increase the mileage. As I write this I have since parlayed marathon training into my best race of the year at the Turkey Trot - less than two weeks after the 26.2. So I want to build on my training, stay healthy, and get faster. I have also dropped 15 pounds since July and 30 since March, and think I can get a little bit lighter. That won't hurt, either!

Testing the Body

5.52 mi
42:47 - 7:46 ppm

I don't know what compelled to lace up the shoes today. I guess I just really wanted to run. I took it easy, obviously, really hoping an easy run could work out some of the muscle soreness. That seems to be the result but I don't plan to run any more the rest of the week.

Week in Review

Distance: 35.6 mi.

Well, once again, I completed my first marathon this week. I think it has finally set in. I'm very proud of the accomplishment but mostly I'm just glad I got the first one out of the way. No longer will I have to say things like, "Well, I know I'm fit, but I just don't know how I'll handle the last 4.2 miles because my longest run is 22...." The truth is I never know what will happen in any marathon, but at least I know I can do one.

2011 Thunder Road Marathon

Race: 26.2 miles.
Time: 03:29:47 - 8:01 ppm. 10k split, 45:26; Half split, 1:36:29; 20 mi split, 2:31:28. 83rd overall, 12th in age group.
Full Results

Well, where to begin? I am about to write the details of how I finally became a marathoner. As I write this the following Monday, I still don't think it has sunk in yet. I spent most of Saturday after the race being disappointed that I didn't run faster - I thought I could at least get 3:15, and was well on my way all the way through mile 18 before my leg muscles started cramping up. That's crazy talk though - I finished the thing, and in a very respectable time. I'm hungry for another shot at it, but I'm very proud of what I accomplished. I'm going to describe this event in detail, breaking it down into sections.

Pre-Race
After a restless night's sleep, I jumped out of bed at 5:20 a.m. and ate some oatmeal and a banana. I showered and took care of some pre-race grooming and then proceeded to put together my racing outfit. I was going to wear my longer, pocketed Under Armour shorts and an Upgrade Lifestyle tech tee. On top of that would be a long-sleeve dry-fit, my Advantage Parking hat, and some North Face gloves. These items would be shed when I deemed myself properly warmed up.

I left home and arrived at the Bank of America Corporate Center around 6:45 - plenty of time. I parked there and hung out in Founders Hall for a bit. It was just me and a couple security guards - very quiet. Around 7 I jogged down to Three Wells Fargo, where I would meet David Brinkley, his girlfriend Alisha and sister Karrie, Daniel Eggers, Josh Brewer, Brian Baum, and Mike Oelz. David's friend Jeff was also there. I stretched out for a bit and put the two gels I would be using last - including one with caffeine - in my shorts and put the other two in my gloves. It was under 40 at the time and I figured I would keep the gloves on for awhile. Baum actually joined us later and informed me of a bathroom at Panera Bread that had been empty when he used it. All the buildings downtown were packed with runners, surprisingly. That's surprising because normally everyone crowds into the convention center. I later found out the city decided to throw another "Screw You" at this event by locking the convention center at the last minute. Wow... There was no sign of Oelz or Brewer yet as I jogged down to Panera, making sure my watch was working, used the bathroom one last time, and then jogged back to Tryon for the start, right in front of the Levine Center for the Arts. Adam Mull spotted me and we exchanged a man-hug and wished each other luck. Stephen Spada yelled out good luck from a distance. I found Oelz and Eggers in the corral, and then spotted a long-haired, shirtless Josh Brewer. We embraced and he mentioned, ever so stoically, that this was a great cause for the three of us to be reunited. I agreed and mentioned that he was a beast for running this thing shirtless. I looked around for Stan Austin and anyone else who looked like a pace leader, with poor results.

Miles 1-6: Feeling the Pace
I left Eggers, Brewer, Oelz, and Baum and settled further in the corral because I didn't want to get caught up in running too fast. I had lost Brinkley and Jamaar, who had planned on attaching himself to David in the hopes of running a huge PR in the half. There was still no sign of any pacers. The national anthem really got me fired up, and after a casual command of "Go" we were off. Here I was, actually running a marathon. Surprisingly, I had never really gotten nervous. I knew this was going to be a very long morning and that I had plenty of time to ease into things. Before we turned onto Third Street, I looked down at my Garmin and noticed that it wasn't measuring distance or pace. Are you kidding me? I shut it off and restarted it as we jogged down Third and into the morning sun. The watch began the process of locating satellites, and I tried not to panic as minutes passed by and it still hadn't come on. We crossed the first mile marker just under I-277 and finally, my watch came on. I could still use it to gauge my pace, which is all that really mattered, but unfortunately it's useless for judging the data post-race. Oh well. I knew something was bound to go wrong but I didn't need it that badly.

We ran up Third/Providence, turned on Charlottetowne, and then again on Randolph. I tried to hug the curbs so as to avoid running further than necessary. There was a large crowd of us running together and I made a point not to let myself get stuck behind someone who was running too slow. Doing so led to me running a 7:02 mile around the third mile, which unfortunately would prove to be my fastest mile of the day. Other than that, though, I was doing a great job of keeping the pace easy. We ran down Colville and turned on Providence and I tried to ask the people around me if they knew where the pacer was. No one had seen anybody. I sidled up next to an older woman and began chatting with her. I never introduced myself but given the results I discovered her to be Julie Spitzer from Greenville, SC, aged 40-44. She looked like she knew what she was doing and told me she was shooting for around 3:20 and that she kept an even pace if I wanted to hang around. She told me this was her 11th marathon so I figured she knew what she was doing. Julie is about 5 feet tall, if that, so I had a hard time keeping track of her amongst the other runners, but I tried not to let her get too far ahead of me. She put some distance on me up the steep Providence Road hill, but I never let her stray too far away. At mile 5, the intersection of Providence and Sharon Amity, I passed my parents and Eggers' wife Katie for the first time. I could barely see them because the sun was in my eyes.  After that I took my first gel and split the 10k at 45:26 - 7:20 per mile, perfect. I was truly keeping things easy at this point, which is all I really wanted to do.

Miles 7-15: Enjoying the Sights and Sounds
I saw Ryan Watson in Foxcroft and talked to him for a little bit; he and his friend were running the half. I left them and ran down Sharon, waving and pumping my fist every time I passed a crowd of people. I was now gearing up for the Booty Loop section, where I was prepared to shed some clothing, knowing my parents would be there. I took off my gloves and hat, then immediately put my hat back on as I felt it was still a bit cold. I tossed my parents the gloves as they waved and cheered, then passed Kati Robertson and Ben Malmquist as they did the same. Several people later told me they didn't recognize me on account of the hat, but oh well! Running down Queens Road West, I found myself catching up to Julie, then running by her. I knew I may regret this but I wanted to go on feel, and I was feeling great as I began to put some distance between myself and her. The half-marathoners were about done and I continued to reel in several of them. I turned splits of 7:19, 7:14, and 7:17 on this section of the course, even though it was hilly. When I got to the big hill on Morehead I eased back a bit so it wouldn't hurt too much, then turned and waved as Jason Martin and John Compton (and Caitlin? I heard a female voice cheering but couldn't see who it was) cheered me past. Jason remarked that I was incognito with the hat and long sleeves. When we got to the half-marathon split, I pumped my fist and slapped hands with Rob Ducsay, the Chic-fil-a cow, and several other people. There was a raucous crowd and some music at this point and I really fed off that. Immediately, though, things got pretty lonely. The half-marathoners were gone now, and so too was most of the crowd support. I passed John Fillette and Dezi Kabouris and came through the half in 1:36:29 - on pace for a 3:13 marathon. I had not started out too quickly and was still feeling great at this point.

Running down Tryon Street, I came upon another runner who appeared to be struggling a bit and I asked him his goal. He said he was hoping to run 3:30 but had no idea whether he was on track or not, having failed to properly do the math after seeing the clocks. Someone get this guy a GPS watch. I told him that he was way ahead of schedule and may want to hang back as the course was about to get pretty rough. He thanked me and I went by him. Helping other runners, and being helped in return, was about to become a big theme at this point in the race.

I rolled down Camden Avenue and tried to ignore the aroma from Price's Chicken Coop and Phat Burrito. Emily Hansen was here cheering with a bunch of other girls, and she even ran a few strides with me, remarking that I looked like I was doing great. Well, I was feeling great! I passed my parents in front of Pike's and tossed them my hat as they waved and cheered.

Waving at Mom and Dad as I approach them on Camden Avenue.

Miles 16-20: A Turn for the Worse
I found myself unpleasantly surprised at how awful the downtown section was. I knew there would be some hills on Mint, Third, and Trade, and I knew the pavement would be rougher on the legs in this section, but the placement on the course combined with the sudden lack of crowd support made this, in my opinion, the worst part of the course by far. I passed Theoden Janes near the stadium and called out, "How long is this race, again?" He laughed and told me I was looking good. I soon started hurting, though. After we came down Trade and turned on Caldwell, Julie came trotting past me and quickly disappeared up the road. Oops. Maybe I should have stayed with her back on the Booty Loop. I passed Mike Mitchell on Caldwell Street and gave him the so-so signal when he asked how I was feeling. I passed my parents again at the corner of Parkwood and Davidson and tossed them my long-sleeve shirt.

I ran up Davidson and started walking. I had stopped a couple times previously to shake out some leg cramps but this was the first time I had actually stopped to walk. My left foot was completely numb, and when I tried to stretch my legs my calf locked up and I kind of fell down onto the curb. A runner passed and asked if I was ok. "Just leg cramps," I responded, "my legs just quit working but I'm ok." "Just try to run through it," she said. I found that even just walking for about thirty seconds seemed to make me feel better, so I just tried to shake things off. At this point I had taken three Gu gels and water at every stop, so I didn't think I was dehydrated. I hadn't started out too fast and I hadn't stopped to use the bathroom or for any other reason at all. Everything had been perfect up to this point, and now leg cramps were ruining what had been shaping up as an incredible marathon debut. For awhile I simply ran through the pain but it would get to the point where my legs would actually lock up completely, and I had to catch myself on the curb to avoid falling down.

The Final 10k: Toughing it Out and Staying Positive
The clock at mile 20 read 2:31:28, and so I realized that even if I ran the last 10k in an hour I would still be right at 3:30, and that would be a time I could be proud of in my first marathon. The fears of hitting the wall that clouded my brain when I was downtown had subsided because I had, in fact, hit the wall, and now it was just a matter of getting through it. I composed myself when I ran through NoDa, passing through the "wall" which I found was about as wide as a doorway. I was wobbly at this point and almost ran into it. I was disappointed at the lack of crowd support here - I had been told it would be good and it was almost nonexistent. I managed to put together an 8:36 mile in this section, which I can assure you took everything I had. I was still running when I turned onto the Plaza, when once again my legs locked up and I almost fell down in front of a startled police officer. I had passed Dave's friend Jeff downtown, and he had passed me back on Davidson, and we continued to go around each other a few times in the last part of the race. I also did the same thing with another runner who introduced himself as Devin. Devin told me this was his 20th marathon and that I was really blowing it out of the water for a first-timer. I thanked him and we tried to encourage each other as he was also half-running, half-walking on account of leg cramps. I passed my parents and chugged an entire bottle of water as Devin and I limped down the Plaza. There was a large crowd in the middle of the road, and the runner in front of me took a beer that he was offered, which caused the crowd to go nuts. He drank a little bit of it and dumped the rest on his head.

I was no longer worried at this point because I knew we were almost done. I left Devin and passed Jeff for good on Hawthorne Lane. Some older guys asked me if I knew the course and I told them there was a big hill coming up and then they were home free. They thanked me and wished me luck as they trotted past and soldiered on. Several runners passed me when I was walking and said something to the effect of, "come on man, you got this." I appreciated the encouragement but I ran when I could and walked when I got to the point of falling over, and this was basically how the race went for me all the way to the finish. I am proud to say that I actually ran all the way up the Hawthorne hill, partly because Jason Martin was screaming at me. Thanks, Jason. Without the support of other runners and my friends, this race would have been a whole lot tougher. Jason seemed legitimately concerned when he saw me and I told him I was dealing with cramped muscles and just trying to get through it.

When we turned on Martin Luther King I found myself ecstatic and in disbelief that we were actually about to be done, and that I was about to complete my first marathon. I heard two women coming up behind me, saying something "You go this, so close, now here let's get around this guy (meaning me).." They passed me with a male runner who was finishing up. I thought, "Oh hell no.." and then passed them back, along with several other runners. I pounded my chest and blew a kiss to the heavens as I crossed the finish line. My legs gave out one final time and this time I really teetered but once again caught myself and put my hands to my knees. A couple people asked me if I was ok. I was more than ok. This was, all at once, the greatest feeling I'd ever experienced and the worst feeling I'd ever experienced.

Hobbling in to the finish.

Post-Race
Someone handed me one of those plastic bag-looking things and draped a medal around my neck. I grabbed the medal and kissed it. A whirlwind of thoughts raced through my head, ranging from confusion as to how things fell apart for me to elation that I had actually finished a marathon. My parents found me and I hugged them, thanking them for being there for me as they always have (more on that in a moment). I tried to sit down but my whole body locked up so I realized that wouldn't work, so I walked around and sampled some of what was there for me: Gatorade, water, bananas, Great Harvest bread (my mom loves that place and sneaked away with a couple samples), beer, garlic pizza, and a granola bar. The Gatorade and the garlic pizza really hit the spot. The beer made me feel like I was going to pass out. I found Stan Austin and congratulated him on finishing his eleventh marathon of the year. He had paced for 3:30 - Stan can run sub-3 - but said it was a rough day for him.

I was walking around aimlessly when I heard a familiar voice say, "Well how was your first marathon?" It was Eggers, who had just notched another PR by running 2:59. Brinkley PR'd by ten minutes from last year and qualified for Boston with a 3:04. Josh Brewer outdid both of them by running 2:58. Baum ran 1:27 in the half, Jamaar 1:31 for a huge PR, and Oelz finished it in 1:38, which means I must have nearly caught him before the split. Billy Shue finished second in the marathon with a new PR of 2:38.

I found Billy, John, Clayton, Paul, and Carolyn after the race and tried to soak up the moment. This was an incredible experience and I cannot wait to do another one. My favorite parts were touring the city and playing to the crowd - every time I passed a large crowd I waved and pumped them up, receiving loud cheers in return. And this is a small race - I can only imagine what that must be like in a big marathon.

Dedication
I was brought up in a home where I wasn't allowed to play video games or even watch tv during the day, unless the weather was bad. This led to a childhood of constantly running around in the yard - pretending to be Jerry Rice or Desmond Howard or Marshall Faulk - or playing basketball in the driveway for hours on end, until I literally could no longer stand up and my mom had to berate me to come inside and join the family for dinner. I have led a life full of athletic achievements, ranging from the mundane to the pretty outstanding, and my parents have been there every step of the way. In a society where laziness and poor habits are almost encouraged, I was raised to be an athlete - and I'm now a marathoner. Thanks, Mom and Dad. I dedicate my first marathon to you.

Proudly wearing that medal, and actually managing a smile.

Pre-Race Shakeout

Distance: 3.33 mi.
Time: 24:35 - 7:22 ppm.

I met my running friends at Fuel Pizza downtown, then went to check out the expo and pick up my packet. Really, I just went to pick up my packet because there wasn't much to see at the expo. Everyone says the Thunder Road expo is pretty weak; I would counter that by saying the event itself is weak and the expo simply reflects that. I can only imagine how badly the race directors screwed themselves by changing the date this year. Someone told me there were 1,500 runners registered for the full marathon and I think she was exaggerating.

After I got home I slapped on the Nikes and went for a short stroll through my neighborhood. Actually, I ran down Colville, which is the third mile of the course. I felt very fresh and had to hold back a bit from running too fast. This was obviously a great sign.

Nutrition-wise, I didn't really start planning for this race until Thursday night, and that would be a harbinger of things to come. For today I had eggs, bacon, grits, and strawberries for breakfast, a chicken caesar salad for lunch, and several helpings of tilapia, rice, and green beans for dinner.

Running out the Junk

Distance: 6.12 mi.
Time: 47:13 - 7:43 ppm.

I didn't feel all that fresh today, but as is usually the case with me I felt warmed up and ready to roll a few miles in (I held back, of course). I've also run 25 miles in the last three days, which means I need to do next to nothing between now and Saturday. I am going to run a couple more times but nothing serious. The barn door is closed. At this point I just need to focus on resting, eating, and getting my mind ready for this thing. That last part is already kind of taking care of itself. Mentally speaking, I feel like I'm ready. 

Thunder Road Preview: the Bad Side

Distance: 8 mi.
Time: ??

I have developed a very nasty habit at the worst possible time: forgetting to charge my Garmin. I will make sure this doesn't happen on Friday!

After setting my valets up for a show downtown, I decided I wanted to run the last 8 miles of the course, away from town on Caldwell Street and then back. Unlike yesterday, I felt very sluggish, but I think that has more to do with working and staying out late the night before than it does with anything else. At any rate, any soreness is all in the muscles and not in the joints, so that's a good thing. Mostly I am trying not to worry about anything weird that happens to me; I understand the mind has a way of playing tricks on the runner this close to a big race.

This part of the course is supposed to be nothing short of awful, and I can see why. However, I would like to note that, while this course is indeed tough, most of the big uphills are preceded by big downs. Queens East, Morehead, Mint Street, Davidson, Hawthorne - they are all preceded by comfortable downhills. That's the easy side of the term "rolling" that's used to describe this course. This Davidson Street section, however, is just going to suck....plain and simple. It's long, the scenery is ugly, and it's wide open, very inviting to the elements. It will get better after that as I expect the crowd support to be excellent in the NoDa district, but this stretch of pavement will test my ability to run well without help.

From here I wound through NoDa and down what should be a fast section of the course on the Plaza. This next section will again be tough, as we turn down Central, towards uptown, only to wind back through some neighborhoods for a couple miles. We ascend the infamous Hawthorne Avenue hill right after the 24-mile mark, and at that point we're basically home-free. I'm getting antsy. This is going to be a beast, but I can't wait to see how I handle it.

In these course previews I left out the section that goes through South End and downtown, but I have run through there multiple times on other runs. I've bitched recently to friends about not trusting my training, but upon further review it looks like I actually knew what I was doing these last 15 weeks. 

Thunder Road Preview Run

Distance: 11.25 mi.
Time: 1:30:17 - 8:01 ppm.

Last night, Jamaar posted on the CRC Facebook page that he was running the Thunder Road half course from the Dowd at 7 a.m. I made plans to meet him at the intersection of Providence and Colville - mile 3.5 on the course - around 7:30. It was below 40 when I started but luckily I managed to locate my North Face gloves just before the run. I also had on a toboggan, a tech tee, the long sleeve dry-fit, and my long running shorts.

I actually parked my car at Freedom Park so I could do most of the run with him and whoever else decided to show up, and then not have to run too far to get back to my car. I underestimated how long it would take me to get from the park to the spot, however, and a 7:11 mile - not my ideal way to start a long run - put me at the meet spot at 7:36. Crap. Was I about to run this thing by myself? Surely they didn't wait six minutes for me in this cold... I decided that Jamaar's group just had to be ahead of me. And so I ran a 6:46 mile up Providence Road - a rather sharp incline - to Sharon Amity and turned towards Foxcroft.

This neighborhood features miles 6-8 of the course. I was pleased to note that I was able to navigate it without the map or any questions whatsoever as to where I was going. I know this course about as well as I possibly can without having run the race before. I headed out back towards Sharon, resigned that it would be running this thing alone, as I had kept up a quick pace and didn't want to go any faster. It was about this time that I spotted Jason Martin standing in the middle of the road up at the top of the hill.

We exchanged pleasantries and shared a couple laughs over our missed connection earlier. It turns out they had been behind me the whole time; Jason had stopped to use the bathroom and cut over to meet up with Jamaar and Mike Beigay. We waited for a bit until the latter two showed up.

Jamaar was hurting a bit and I was fine with taking it easy, so we hung back and eventually slowed way down as Jason and Mike pulled away. I hadn't seen Jamaar in awhile so we spent a lot of time catching up on what we had both been up to, and talked at length about our respective race strategies. Jamaar is running the half and hopes to come through just behind Brinkley, who plans to be there right at 1:30 (on his way to the full, of course).

I was pleased to slow down and take it easy after starting off fast. I was glad I had been able to connect with the group, and very pleased at how fresh I had felt after a few days off.

The Taper Begins

Distance: 5.7 mi.
Time: ??

I didn't forget to charge my Garmin today - I just left home without it. Distance not needed as I ran my Freedom Park route again. I felt pretty good despite not getting much sleep last night.

Week in Review

Total Distance: 44.42 mi.
Dedicated Time: 5:33:23 h:m:s.

I had a solid, consistent week of training. I wasn't quite ready to turn the volume yet this past week, but it was nice to have a much shorter, faster long run. For the first time all year, I have also begun to think hard about the race and really focus on it. I can't say everything feels perfect right now, but for the most part I feel very healthy and fit, and I'm getting excited about ripping this thing in half!

CRC Help

Distance: 13.21 mi.
Time: 1:37:44 - 7:24 ppm.

I had tentative plans to meet Eggers and Brinkley at 8:00 at Old Bell. The possibility of a missed connection was detailed the night before, so I wasn't that surprised when I got to the lot and neither of them were there. I was glad I was there, though. I wanted to get this thing out of the way. My plan was to run up the road and try to find the CRC group of Aaron, Megan, Jason, and Kahn. I had a long-sleeve dry-fit on top of a short-sleeve dry-fit with my longer running shorts and a hat. I honestly felt fine except for my hands: I hadn't been able to locate my running gloves, a problem that will need to be rectified sooner rather than later. I took off down the greenway and hadn't yet made it to the park when I found Megan Hovis and Jason Martin. It felt like a reunion: I really enjoyed running with them over the summer, and it had been awhile.

Megan told me later that she barely recognized me at first on account of how much weight I had lost. Truth be told, it's a lot. I weighed 218 in March, before I had recovered from my injury; I weighed 205 this summer, even when I was training hard; today, before my run I weighed 187. I don't think I have weighed under 190 since right after college. This is an accomplishment. Body fat, not weight, is the important thing for health reasons, but when it comes to moving fast, I need to be light! Kahn said something about my weight earlier, as well: "I can tell even with layers on that you've lost a lot of weight. Your face is still ugly, but thinner, ya know?" Love that guy.

At various parts of this run, I found myself with Jason and Megan; Jason, Megan, Ben, and Compton; Aaron and the Matenas plus the rest and Mike Mitchell; and towards the end, just Mitchell and Compton. I greatly enjoyed the conversation and the faster pace. It's a good group. I ran my last mile - solo - in 6:45.

Thinking about the Race

Distance: 6.88 mi.
Time: 51:59 - 7:33 ppm.

I ran from home today to do an easy 45-60 minutes on the roads. I was thinking about the marathon. By the time I had made it to Pecan Avenue, in Plaza-Midwood, I was on the course. I ran the section of it that goes through the neighborhoods and imagined myself trying to hold it together while passing crowds of beer drinkers and supporters (you know...assuming they'll actually be there). I ran down a side street and turned right on Hawthorne Avenue, up the "taker of souls" hill. Then I ran down Central Avenue, turned on 7th Street, and went home.

P Stone Double

Distance: 4.41 mi.
Time: 30:35 - 6:57 ppm.

This run occurred over an hour after I was done at McAlpine, and after my cooldown, so I'm calling today a double. I joined the Charlotte Runners at the Philosopher's Stone. I wasn't really interested in the costume run shenanigans; today was my workout day and I had some unfinished business. I had cut my workout short but given some time to recover I was determined to go hard on this run if I was feeling fresh.

I started off easy with Jeremy Gray and Jim Cristini (Jim and Thomas Long were running in costumes) but when we hit the hill on Dotger, I took off. There were some fast guys who showed up for this one but I had caught everyone else shortly after crossing Laurel. It was tonight's run that led to me realizing that the map on Meetup was wrong. I thought I had run the right route in the wrong direction last week but apparently there is another whole loop that I had left out. The guy behind me was kind enough to yell out instructions every time I wandered in the wrong direction. My splits for this run were 7:27, 6:34, 6:34, 7:08, and 2:50 (6:59 pace for the last 0.41).

I had one beer and some food with the group, then I bounced. I'm ready to hunker down, rest, and get focused for the big day. It's right around the corner.

Working the Legs

Warmup: 2.16 mi. in 17:09 - 7:56 ppm.
Session 1: 2 x mile with 3:00 rest. 6:09.7, 6:07.
Session 2: 2 x half-mile with 2:00 rest. 3:02.2, 3:00.4.
Cooldown: 1.95 mi. in 15:49 - 8:06 ppm.

I headed over to McAlpine today feeling a bit worn down, as seems to be the Thursday afternoon custom. I cut the workout short by a couple reps on the mile part, but what I did do went pretty well. The NCISAA state meet was to be held here tomorrow, and I chatted some with Ben Hovis about the prospects of his Providence  Day boys taking the title (he was cautiously optimistic; they would go on to win). I was hurting but the workout went pretty well.

Neighborhood Hurt

Distance: 3.75 mi.
Time: 29:01 - 7:44 ppm.

I ran a short route through my neighborhood today just to get the junk out of my legs. Nothing else to report here. 

Shorter Neighborhood Loop

Distance: 8.28 mi.
Time: 1:02:46 - 7:35 ppm.

I didn't feel all that great so I cut it short a little bit. All in all, I'm still happy with my progress. The race is just over two weeks away at this point. I'm starting to get pumped up.

Week in Review

Total Distance: 46.09 mi.
Dedicated Time: 5:42:49 h:m:s.

I got in an excellent tempo run Tuesday, a good workout Thursday, and a great long run Sunday. I can't remember the last time every run went pretty well in a week, so I'm happy with where things are going. This is also my highest week of mileage in the cycle, and it has come at the perfect time, right before one more hard week and a taper. The mileage overall is still a little low for marathon training but I think it's good enough for now.

Last Big One of the TR Cycle

Distance: 20 mi.
Time: 2:33:15 - 7:40 ppm.

Today would be the last big long run of my Thunder Road cycle. I regrettably failed to update my gel inventory; however, thanks to Katie's family I had gorged myself on sandwiches, chicken nuggets, strawberries, steak, shrimp, a baked potato, bread, and other things yesterday at Appalachian State's homecoming football game. I brought a clif bar to munch on at my halfway point but found myself more than full of energy on this one.

I would run nearly the same route I did for my first 20-miler, at least at the start, by running through Lansdowne to Providence. I went through Sardis Forest and instead of getting lost just continued on to Sardis North this time. Then, I ran the full Old Bell loop. I had wanted to incorporate some hills into this one, and got that done. After taking on some fluids just past mile 10, I headed up to Boyce to run through the hills of this neighborhood. All told I basically spent the first 14-plus on hilly roads before finishing up on the trails. I had stopped to stretch a good bit due to more muscle tightness, but all in all I felt pretty good. My fastest split was a 7:04 at mile 18 and I was still able to finish at 7:31. 

First P-Stone Run

Distance: ~9 mi. total.
Time: ?? Forgot to charge Running Buddy.

I had forgotten to charge my Garmin, so I wouldn't have it at my disposal today. I had decided to show up to the Meetup group's "Infamous P-Stone Run" at the Philosopher's Stone tonight. I wanted to get in my marathon workout of MGP, repeats, then tempo pace, using the group run as the tempo.

Without the watch I just tried to guess my distance based on what I know of the area and go on feel for the pace. I ran slow for a mile or more and then gauged what I thought to be MGP for the next two miles. After a brief rest I decided to run two times one mile hard, up and down Colville, which is just under a mile. I felt pretty good on this rolling street. I got done and ran back, getting to the P Stone before the group had taken off.

We walked down Caswell and then over to Greenway, where once again someone organized everyone to start. I had taken a mental picture of the course map just in case nobody else felt like running fast. I was warmed up and wanting to finish on a high note, so I took off down Greenway, up Dotger, over to Vail, and across Laurel. It was here that I apparently "got lost" by continuing on Colville down to Twiford. I wouldn't realize this until a week later, but I didn't actually get lost, I just ran the route listed above and that's apparently not the correct route anymore.

At any rate, I was flying. Without the Garmin I always run too fast rather than too slow. Afterwards, a guy named Ross told me he was 7:06 pace and guessed I finished two minutes ahead of him. So I dunno. But I felt good. All things considered I was a bit disorganized today but got in a great workout nonetheless. I wish I had the Running Buddy details to prove it.

Five Fast on the Booty

Distance: 10.65 mi.
Time: 1:16:58 - 7:13 ppm.

I once again signed up and attended the Charlotte Runners' "Five on the Booty" run, once again making it more like ten on the booty for myself. I averaged a comfortable 7:30 per mile, but since I was late, the pack was already barreling towards me before I finished. I took off my shirt, drank some water and Gatorade, and then took off. I had caught most of the group before hitting Queens Road West. My splits for the last five miles were   7:03, 6:58, 6:44, 7:01, 7:03, and then 4:13 (6:27 pace) for the last 0.65 miles. It had started raining before I got done and I felt pretty good.

Freedom and Booty

Distance: 6.44 mi.
Time: 48:15 - 7:30 ppm.

I ran my Freedom Park/Booty Loop route today (maybe I need a new name for it?) and added on a little bit. I felt fresh at first and sluggish towards the end. I have nothing else to add except that I don't think I'll ever get tired of running in this area. It's not a soft surface but has everything else a runner could possibly need: shade, sun, water fountains, hills, flat surfaces, a park, a greenway, and some pretty faces.

Week in Review

Total Distance: 44.41 mi.
Dedicated Time: 5:34:58 h:m:s.

This week was pretty tough but it was one of my better totals in weekly mileage. I got in my longest run of the cycle at 22 miles, and as I write this can say that I recovered nicely. I got it done on the Saturday and felt normal - though still eating a lot - by Sunday evening.

Short Shakeout

Distance: 1.89 mi.
Time: 13:56 - 7:22 ppm.

I had to meet Katie and my parents at church so I didn't have much time today, but I wanted to get in a short shakeout just to get the legs moving. I ran to the water fountain on Colville and back and called it a run. Surprisingly, I felt fine.

Trials of Miles...Miles of Trials

Distance: 22 mi.
Time: 2:47:42 - 7:37 ppm.

I love it when people bring me food at work, but a spicy chicken sandwich at 10 p.m. was a poor request on my part. So, despite this being a great run, things didn't get started off all that well. I met David at Old Bell at 7am, as planned, and was pleased to find a row of porta-jons set up. I wondered if this would be a new thing. It's about damned time, I thought. Much to my chagrin, they were locked. Wtf?! We started up Boyce Road to begin our 22-mile run, and at my insistence turned into the park so I could use the bathrooms there. They, too, were locked. Are you f*&$&@ kidding me?!?!  We then headed to the main entrance of McAlpine Park so I could finally take care of business. By the time I was ready to run, Dave was about three miles ahead of me. Great.

We ran up Monroe Road and Brinkley nearly jumped in front of a car trying to cross the street. Yikes. Luckily, the car saw him and darted over. Let's try to put that moment behind us... It was pretty chilly and we just sort of eased into this one, but we got in some good hill work in the Boyce neighborhoods before meeting back up with Eggers and Mitchell at Old Bell. My stomach was still upset and the porta-jons were open at this point - I found out they were there because of the morning's Run for Warriors event - so I told the boys to meet me back here at a later time. I had also left my car key in the bathroom at McAlpine. Did I mention today wasn't really my day? I ran towards the park and found many of the event's competitors, including Michelle Hazelton. We talked about possibly meeting up at a later time but I wanted to rejoin the fellas at this time.

Hungry for more hills, I ran the short Old Bell loop before waiting for Eggers, Brinkley, and Mitchell. I was over halfway done at this point but my legs were feeling pretty tight. I kept having to stop and stretch. We passed the Warriors event runners several times as they made their loops, including the pack of Michelle, Carolyn, and the Crockfords. We also passed Spada and Compton several times as each appeared to be doing a solo workout.

This was a cool day to be out on the trails with so many people. They had a guitarist set up near the Sardis weir, and...well, they also had some photographers. Despite not being actual competitors, we got in the action. I can't save the photos without buying them, but if you click here and scroll down you can find some funny candids of the three amigos logging some miles on the trails.

At 22 miles, I assure you this is my longest run of the cycle. I would be lying if I told you I felt good but I got it done and recovered nicely later on in the day. Despite some setbacks in the cycle, things have been going pretty well.

Botched Tempo Run

Warmup: 1.93 mi. in 15:10 - 7:52 ppm.
Tempo: 4.68 mi. in 32:07 - 6:52 ppm.
Cooldown: 0.71 mi. in 6:31 - 9:11 ppm.

I do a lot better when I run in the mornings, which is a good thing considering race times, and not the case today. I hadn't eaten much, had plans to go out for Mexican food later, and could not think about anything other than enchiladas and burritos and Dos Equis and the excellent company I would soon enjoy. It showed...

I started at Old Bell but planned to run up Boyce and through the hilly neighborhoods nearby to really test myself on this one. Well, I started out way too fast, which always dooms me. I opened with a 6:41 mile on the hilliest part of the whole route and soon came undone. My left shin started bothering me; this would be my last run in the old Pegasus. I ended up averaging 6:52 per mile which would be decent if I didn't call the workout after fewer than five miles. Some days you're the windshield, and some days you're the bug. Oh well, 'til next time.

Sore Heel is Back

Distance: 9.68 mi.
Time: 1:13:14 - 7:34 ppm.

Despite the decent pace, I know I was hurting on this one. No sooner do I brag about my heel no longer bothering me than it starts to bother me again. I ran around the neighboring streets for a bit not feeling so good, but got the miles done. I have decided it's time to finally hang up the trusty Nike Air Pegasus. I have gotten close to 400 miles out of them, but the way my legs feel I think 360 is about the right number. Either way, that's more like it, shoes. 

Quick Easy Run

Distance: 3.52 mi.
Time: 26:15 - 7:28 ppm.

I had to get a lot of work done this morning and then meet my business partner for lunch to discuss some client presentations. So yeah, another day of not getting much done. I did a nice little stroll around the neighborhood and then stammered into Baoding Southpark looking like I had just gotten run over by a truck.

Week in Review

Total Distance: 33.37 mi.
Dedicated Time: 4:14:33 h:m:s.

Wow, my training is inconsistent. This is a cause for concern. Luckily, at this point, it's the only cause for concern, but still. My heel is still noticeable but doesn't bother me nearly as much right now, not even in the mornings.

I didn't do much this week, obviously, but I rolled on my two hard days - the meetup group run with Franklin and the speed work at McAlpine. I'll take what I can get, I guess.

Cutback Long Run

Distance: 10 mi.
Time: 1:15:11 - 7:31 ppm.

Despite the layoff between blog updates, I do remember some posts pretty well. I remember this one hurting for some reason, but I want to say it was because I stayed up late after work the night before, not from this week's efforts. It was a much-needed cutback long run after some advancements in the distance to this point forward. Also, despite some feeling pretty horribly I still kept a decent pace.

Speed Runs at McAlpine

Warmup: 1.94 mi. in 14:51 - 7:40 ppm.
Session 1: 4 x half-mile with 2:00 rest. 3:05.8, 3:08.6, 3:03.4, 2:55.8.
Session 2: 4 x quarter-mile with 1:00 rest. 1:24.2, 1:30.2, 1:32.6, 1:24.4.
Cooldown: 1.92 mi. in 15:29 - 8:04 ppm.

I don't remember anything about this workout other than the fact that it was crammed in between a busy morning at work and a lunch with my dad. In other words, it was probably a shorter version of what I had meant to do.

I can tell by the times, however, that I ran it faster than target pace so I must have been feeling well!

First Meetup Run

Distance: 10.2 mi.
Time: 1:14:07 - 7:16 ppm.

This one was slightly eventful, as I have recently joined the Charlotte Runners group on Meetup. I guess I was just curious about this group since I had heard from several people involved that their runs tend to be a little more fun than anything else. My friend Jade is a member so I had asked her about it, then eventually signed up. Today I made it to their Tuesday night "5 on the Booty" run that starts at the Metropolitan. I wanted to go medium-long today so I got there early and ran the loop by myself, just cruising along.

I got back to the Metropolitan and drank some water. There was a large group around, including a few familiar faces. Several people came up and introduced themselves, recognizing that I was new. The group organizer gathered everyone over to the starting line before sending us off. I thought that was a little weird but figured it's better than simply taking off to run without making sure everyone is ready. This really does seem like a cool group; it's a good mix of serious runners, people new to running and trying to get better, and people who just want to have fun.

I found Franklin Keathley, an acquaintance of mine, and re-introduced myself. We started at the back of the pack and started picking people off. By the time we got up to Selwyn we were moving pretty quickly and had already passed most people. I asked Franklin how many people he thought were ahead of us. "Just a few, I think," he said. I then asked him if he thought we could catch them all. I was feeling frisky.

We raced down Queens West, crossed the street near CMC, and continued to mow down more runners. I was having fun, and to my pleasant surprise Franklin was hanging on not far behind me. I caught an older gentleman right near the gazebo on the greenway and announced that I didn't have any gears left. I tucked in behind him. I had run my last three miles in 7:05, 6:35, and 6:08, and had caught all but two of the runners. One of them was John Cristiano, who I probably could not have caught regardless of where we started. I spent some time talking to him about the Thunder Road marathon and a few other things. There was an after party at Vivace but I had other plans for the evening, and bolted after congratulating Franklin on his longest run of all time.

I enjoyed this run and the group in general. I don't really see myself being part of the social scene but it's definitely a fun group to run with. I like how everyone stays in a big pack and sticks around to congratulate everybody when the run is over.

Easy Goofing Off

Distance: 5.60 mi.
Time: 45:15 - 8:05 ppm.

Today, I wasn't going to run, then at the last minute texted David Brinkley Jr. to see if he wanted to meet. He had planned to meet a buddy at the Dowd Y and told me to join. I ran five very easy miles with Dave and Michael and we just kind of goofed off, discussing some funny things that had happened to us recently and what not. At one point we passed a group of foreign-speaking gentlemen on the greenway. They calmly slid out of the way to let us pass, then later decided to come racing past us, all the while hammering on in their native tongue. We thought this was a bit weird. The three of us trotted along, uncomfortably, between the three of them before getting tired of the act and leaving them in the dust. Weird. This was a fun run though and my legs felt okay despite yesterday's 20-mile run.

Week in Review

Total Distance: 38.35 mi.
Dedicated Time: 4:59:4 h:m:s

I only ran three times this week - pathetic. Because one of those runs was a 20-miler, the distance nearly equaled 40 miles, but as I am retro-posting this I can go ahead and assure you that a lack of high mileage is the number one concern for me going into the Thunder Road Marathon. 

Cold, Lonely, and Awesome

Distance: 20 mi.
Time: 2:35:51 - 7:48 ppm.

For today's long run, I made a point to prepare a little bit better, or at least come close to resembling pre-race preparation. I will not be working til after 11p.m. the night before Thunder Road, as I did last night, but I did take in a good bit of food yesterday and get to sleep at a decent hour. Yesterday afternoon I made a trip to Run For Your Life to pick up some more gel and purchase some new shorts. I needed a longer pair of shorts with a pocket in order to combat the cooler weather and have some room for the gel. Done and done.

I had been invited to join the group of Billy, Kahn, Carolyn, and Megan, but I declined, choosing instead to get an extra hour of sleep and run at my own pace. For the most part I prefer running with a group, as it will always be faster, but sometimes a solo long run can do wonders for the mind and spirit.

I parked at Old Bell just before 7, stretched out a bit, and stuffed some gel into my shorts. I would be taking two decaffeinated packets at miles six and twelve and one caffeinated gel at mile 18. For the race I will probably do another caffeinated dose at mile 24. I only needed one for now as I had planned to return to the car after 12 on the roads. I ran up Sardis in shorts, a tech tee, and a v-neck dry-fit long-sleeve, plus a toboggan. I was cold and it was a bit shocking compared to what I've gotten used to. I made a point not to worry about my pace, and it showed, as it was a good bit into this one before I was able to turn any decent splits. I felt like I was running faster but again, the change in temperature was a bit startling at first. I ran through Lansdowne and up Providence, then went up Alexander Road. This road is always so pretty in the early mornings when it's cold outside. There's one section with a couple small fields on either side and a blind curve that make it look like a mountain lane. It was here that I took the first gel, inadvisably without water.

I ran to the right on Sardis and turned into the Sardis Forest neighborhood, where I proceeded to get lost...story of my life. This could explain several 8:00-plus miles as I never really stopped the watch while I was walking around in the road trying to gather my bearings. Oh well, I made it out and back towards the car, where I caught a glimpse of Compton running by and took another gel - this time with water and Gatorade.

My watch read 7:56 average pace, which was a bit disturbing despite the slow miles in Sardis Forest. I ditched my hat and set off down the greenway, determined to turn some faster miles. I accomplished said goal, with my fastest split being a 7:16 on mile 17. I took the caffeinated gel with water after 18 miles, and it was here that I finally began to slow down, albeit only by a little bit, after successfully getting my average pace under 7:50. The legs were tired but the breathing and energy level had been fine all day, likely a combination of the cooler temps and the three gels.

After struggling to make it through an 18-mile run last weekend I was happy to get this one down in solid fashion. The pace was slower than I would have liked but despite being tired at the end I felt like I could have gone further. I will do one more 20-miler and a 22-mile run before I taper.

This was a good morning on the roads and trails.

Finally: some progress

Session One: 2 mi warmup + 3 mi MGP. Splits - 7:34, 7:46, 7:10, 7:12, 7:17.
Session Two: 4 x half-mile @ cruise pace (~6:20 ppm) with 2:00 rest in between. Splits - 3:07, 3:02, 3:05, 3:06.
Session Three: 3 mi @ tempo pace (~6:40+ ppm) in 20:19/6:47 ppm. Splits 6:32, 6:53, 6:54.
Cooldown: 2.4 mi in 23:23 - 9:44 ppm.

This is the same workout that I mentioned I was beginning to hate, and now I have come to like it. Allow me to explain: the early session gives me plenty of time to warm up, then those half-milers in the middle really get the legs moving, which then makes the tempo pace at the end a little bit easier. Today, I was unable to come down from half-mile pace at the beginning of the tempo section and nearly bonked that part, but I managed to come home in respectable fashion. This was a good workout.

I had been frustrated with the way things have gone for me lately, and I was able to regain some confidence today. The cooler weather has certainly helped, and my heel still hurts but it seems to be getting better, not worse. I am still doing calf raises like it's my job and just need to continue doing so until the end of time.

I ran from home today in the direction of Freedom Park. I made it to the park in time for the halves and did them all around the lake. I had quite an audience, as the park was very crowded on a Friday afternoon. I felt light, smooth, and fast, and came through faster than I was supposed to on each one. For the tempo session I decided to run the Freedom 5k course and, as mentioned, started off too fast. I had to slow way down to reach mile one in 6:32. I was able to keep the next two under 7 - albeit just barely - but didn't quite run this session as fast as I had the last time.

All in all, though, I am very pleased that I haven't lost any fitness and am encouraged about going forward.

Slow Week

Today is Thursday and I have now missed three consecutive days of running. It may be just as well as I have a tough workout and a 20-mile run coming up, so I can rest my sore heel. However, I'm never really going to get faster until I can maintain some consistency in my training. I had some distractions this week but distractions should not equal excuses. We'll see what happens.

Working the System

Distance: 5.54 mi.
Time: 42:49 - 7:44 ppm.

I don't normally run on Mondays, but I previously mentioned how I want to start as a way to bank some miles in case things go wrong later in the week. Well, as I write this I can assure you that things went wrong later in the week, but we'll get to that in due time. I also wanted to get out the door and prove to myself that I was ok after a bonked long run the day before. I didn't feel wonderful today and it was humid again but the legs felt decent. 

Week in Review

Total Distance: 46.43 mi.
Dedicated Time: 6:01:03 h:m:s.

This was a rough week on the roads and trails, but I got some good mileage in. The workout and the long run went poorly, but at least they went. I was worried about getting back on track because of my heel, but it seems to be manageable right now. I just want to keep plugging away and then deal with it after the race, if necessary. Hopefully that plan will work. I have a feeling we'll all find out.

Are we there yet?

Distance: 18 mi.
Time: 2:22:55 - 7:56 ppm.

After being in a rut for the last two weeks, I was prepared for this long run to hurt, and I was not disappointed. Aiding the pain was me getting caught up with a couple things yesterday, not eating enough, and some sneakily bad humidity. Nevertheless, I was determined to hit 18 miles, and I did.

I met Mike Mitchell at 8:00 at Old Bell. Mike prefers the later times; I do not, but figured I could get up before 6 and eat something before meeting, so that's what I did. I am hoping to soon get in a groove with the long runs, doing what I'll do on race day, and so I'm trying to figure out what that groove will be.

The problem with running with Mitchell is he's a good bit faster than me, and so we started off a little quicker than I would have preferred for a long run. Back in the Campbell Creek section of the greenway we started gaining on an older guy who would soon be our running buddy for the next few miles. Matt Rich was wearing a CRC hat and regaled us with Boring Stories of Glory Days - 2:40 marathons, the Heartbreak Hill in Boston, and so on. We passed That Really Fast Older Dude - if you've run McAlpine, you know who I'm talking about: always wearing purple-and-gold shorts, always looking straight ahead and ignoring your greetings, and always running about 6-minute pace. Well, Matt knew him, and they slapped hands, proving that this dude is in fact somewhat human. Matt told us his name is Tom Briggs and that he's in low-15 5k shape but hasn't raced in 20 years. I can't decide if that's weird or awesome. For the record, I can definitely see myself being that guy who's too cool to show up for races in about five  fifteen years, but I suppose it's a lot less "cool" when you're not all that fast.

Anyway, I stopped for a bathroom break at the park, with plans to rendezvous with Mike and Matt later. My pit stop showed me that what I did the night before/morning of wasn't the race week plan. I'll try something else next time. I kept the pace under 7:30 as I headed back down the greenway, where Mike joined me in going back to the car. We took water, Gatorade, and a bit of fuel. It wasn't enough. I/we started slowing down. Matt rejoined us for a bit before taking off in another direction for good. Mike and I were hurting - him because of some Achilles pain and me from a lack of energy. He discussed a strategy to get through a tough long run: think about the run in checkpoints, not miles. We were on the course now and decided the finish line would be the next checkpoint. The second weir would be the next, Boyce Park the next after that, etc. Down the back loop Mike dropped off to stretch his Achilles. I kept going - slowly. He rejoined me for a bit before stopping for good to walk back.

I hit my next two checkpoints, stopping for water at Boyce, and then continuing to stop to walk. I was near the end of my run but determined to get in 18. Ever the glutton for punishment, I decided to finish my run on the Old Bell hills. Why not? I wanted to see how I would handle some rolling hills while feeling like I was dead. I didn't handle it very well today, but I got in the miles.

The good news is I was able to recover pretty well later in the day, and I'm confident fall weather will be upon us any week now...hopefully.

Slow, Fast, Slow: A Leg-Mover.

Distance: 9.15 mi.
Time: 1:06:58.39 - 7:19 ppm.
Workout: 2.5 miles medium pace, 5 miles tempo pace, 2.5 miles cooldown.
Splits: 7:30, 7:29, 7:05, 6:57, 6:56, 6:52, 7:14, 7:48, 7:51, 1:13.

Ah, a workout. It's been two weeks - how have you been? The goal today was to steal a page from David Brinkley's training plan and do 10 miles total with 5 miles at tempo pace. Normally, that would mean about 6:40 per mile, but I knew not to expect that today. Really, I just wanted to get the legs moving again, and I accomplished that goal. I'm pleased with the proceedings of the day.

McAlpine had been rendered a mud-wrecked, rip-roaring rapids adventure center by a week's worth of rain in Charlotte, so I made a poor choice in venue today, but my heel enjoyed the soft surface. More importantly, my heel didn't hurt at all after 3 miles. I applied some cold therapy after the workout, but then I had to go work a valet shift at one of my clients' restaurants, so as I write this it feels stiff. But I'm encouraged that it's only a minor setback and that it will go away soon. I will practice my due diligence this time, though - unlike last year.

Getting There...Sort Of

Distance: 6.82 mi.
Time: 52:52.40 - 7:45 ppm.

I still didn't feel very well today, and my stomach decided to join the party by forcing an unexpected stop, but unlike the last two runs I found a bounce in my step and quickened the pace at the end. I'm not worried; I am simply going through the motions of getting back up to speed after being slightly banged up and a bit beside myself the last week or so. I hope to try a workout either tomorrow or Saturday and an 18 miler on Sunday, so wish me luck, kids.

Medium-Long Tuesday

Distance: 8.47 mi.
Time: 1:06:40.96 - 7:52 ppm.

For the second day in a row, I felt sluggish and way off my normal beat. Things weren't pretty out there on the roads today. I just have to get the legs moving again, put the miles in the books, and move on day by day. I got in over 8 at under 8 and that's that and we'll see what happens in a couple days. My heel made its presence known but it comes and goes. Part of running is learning how to balance the good with the bad, and right now I am getting through the bad to get back to the good. I am thankful forever that I am able to do it at all. Life is good.

Testing it Out

Distance: 4 mi
Time: 31:36.30 - 7:54 ppm.

My heel still bothered me on this run, but that could have been some stiffness due to the time off. I felt horrible today, but again that could be due simply to sluggishness. I know I haven't lost any fitness but it will probably be a week or so before I can get back up to speed.

Week in Review

Most of what needs to be said for this week was discussed in the last post: I am recovering from and treating a minor case of achilles tendinitis. From what I have read about this injury, it is not serious but failure to properly treat can lead to chronic cases. Obviously, I don't want that. It's more painful than anything, but even mere pain can force a stride change, which can then lead to all sorts of other issues. For now I am planning to get back on the horse in the coming week.