Trust The Process

9 miles @ 8:00 pace on the treadmill.  Legs felt good after the day off and Saturday's long run where I struggled.  Fully over the cold I was fighting last week.

6 miles @ 8:00, 5 miles @ 7:30 (treadmill)

Picked up the pace for the second half as my legs were feeling good and since I was going to be late for work.  I will take tomorrow very easy to recover for Thursday's tempo run.

Recovery day

5.5 miles @ 9:15

Tempo Run:

2 mile warm up @ 8:45, 5 miles @ 6:40, 1 mile cool down @ 9:15 (treadmill)

The tempo miles got tough near the end, but probably could have pushed one more mile at that pace.  I wore my Kinvara's for the first time in over a month.  I could feel the differnce wearing a lighter shoe.

Recovery day

6.5 miles @ 9:08 (treadmill)

Long run tomorrow

15 miles in 1:57:29 per my Garmin (7:50 avg. pace)

I learned something out there today.  Sport beans are very hard to chew when its only 40 degrees outside.  I will stick with the gels while its still cold out.

Rest Day

Week 4 of marathon training - 14 weeks until race week

9 miles including 10x100 strides

8:00/mile pace with 5:30/mile pace for the striders

13.1 @ 7:58 pace (treadmill)

Had a hard time getting my mind into the run today.  I guess that should be expected to some extent when you decide to do a longer run on the treadmill.  Plus, my ipod died half way through.

Recovery day

5 miles @ 8:56 pace (treadmill)

I decided during my warm up this morning to do a tempo run.

3.5 miles @ 8:00 pace warm up, 6 miles @ 7:00 pace, .5 miles @ 8:30 cool down.

The tempo pace felt easier today than in weeks past.  I was planing to go 7 miles at that pace, but my stomach was not cooperating after about 4 miles.  Probably due to the unhealthy meal I had last night.  I need to figure out what foods my body can handle prior to my harder runs.

Recovery Day

6 miles @ 9:00 pace (treadmill)

Long run of 18 miles tomorrow.  The weather forecast is for a wintry mix and temperatures in the 30s.  I will try to go outside, but will do it on the treadmill if need be (eugh).

17.9 mile long run today on the treadmill:

3 miles @ 8:34 warm up; 3 miles @ 8:13; 3 miles @ 8:00; 3 miles @ 7:30; 3 miles @ 7:03; 2 miles @ 6:58; and .9 miles @ 10:00 cooldown

The run felt good today until the last few miles when my right ankle flared up.  I took the cooldown very slow and will need to be cautious in the next few days.  I think the increased mileage recently has caught up with me.

Off Day

4 miles @ 9:08 pace

Short and slow today.  I decided to take it easy on my ankle today.  I had very slight pain afterwards.  I am going to avoid fast runs until this weekend and see if my ankle gets better.

I decided to take today off as my ankle is still bothering me.  When I first started running a few years ago, I was diagnosed with posterior tibial tendonitis and the pain I have been feeling is pretty similar from what I remember.  I will continue to ice and take anti-inflamatory meds.

I will try to go on a short run tomorrow at an easy pace and see if things get worse.

6 miles @ 8:08

Took today off to rest my ankle.  Will give it a go tomorrow.

5 miles @ 8:00 (treadmill)

5 miles @ 8:20/mile pace (treadmill)

It felt great running again after taking 9 days off to rest my ankle.  I plan to take it fairly easy this week.  The DC Half is less than 3 weeks away.  I want to run well but the ultimate goal is the marathon in May so I want to be smart to avoid another injury.

4 miles @ 8:09 pace (treadmill)

I picked up a new pair of shoes on super sale and gave them a test run today.  I went back to a little more support with these and they felt pretty good.

30 minutes of cardio on the elliptical.  Kept my HR in a range similar to an easy run.

4.5 miles total

.5 warm up, 3.75 miles at 6:48 avg pace, .25 cooldown (treadmill)

Tested the ankle a bit today and it felt good.

4 miles @ 8:05 pace (treadmill)

12.5 miles @ 8:04 avg pace

Decided to run outside eventhough it was lightly raining when I left the house.  Once I was about 5 miles into the run (and away from my house) it started raining pretty heavy.  What a mess!

5 miles @ 7:59 avg pace (treadmill)

The run felt easy today.  I am hoping I am almost back to where I was before I took a week and a half off a couple weeks ago.  Going for a long tempo run tomorrow at half marathon pace to see where my fitness stands with the DC Half coming in less than two weeks.

Long tempo run today

1 mile warm up, 7 miles @ 6:49 pace, .25 mile cool down jog plus 3 minutes walking (treadmill)

My legs and lungs felt strong today and could have pushed it a couple more miles at that pace.  My breathing got a little messed up as I tried to eat my sport beans mid way through the run.  Thinking I will go with Gel for the half so I don't have to chew as much.  Hopefully the race atmosphere will help my permormance, but I am thinking about making my goal pace a little bit slower for the half.  I have had a much better experience racing in the past when I finish races strong as opposed to struggling to the finish.

4 miles @ 8:12 pace

Legs felt fresh today the day after the long tempo run

5 miles @ 7:57 avg pace (treadmill)

I didn't feel good at all for the first 2 miles.  Afterwards, things started feeling better so I finished the run with some strides at half marathon pace.

Long run tomorrow.  Planning on 18 miles, but will shut it down early if my ankle flares up.

14 miles @ 8:20 pace

Did my long run on Forbidden Drvie today in North Philly.  It had been a few months since I ran here and I was not used to the soft trail or the hills.  Half way through, I went off the trail to run some steep hills around the Chestnut Hill area.  I took the downhill section heading back to the trail at race pace as the decline simulated a section of the DC course.

I have not been hill training at all lately and it showed.  By about 12 miles in, my legs were burning and had nothing left.  I struggled for two miles before calling it quits for the day.  Given the hills on the DC course throughout, this does not help my confidence. 

I am going to run the majority of my long runs here for the next 10 weeks leading up to the Marathon to strenghen my legs since the marathon course is a significant elevation decline with rolling sections during the second half.

4 miles @ 8:04 pace (treadmill)

My legs felt really tight today, probably from the long run and hills on Saturday.  Will do my last tempo run tomorrow before the half on Saturday.

5.5 miles this evening.  It was 74 degrees at 6pm which felt pretty hot although it was pretty windy along the river banks.  I broke out the racing flats to see how my ankle would do in them. 

.75 mile warm up @ 8:35 pace, 4 miles in 27:08 (6:28, 6:42, 6:55, 7:03), .75 cool down @ 9:00

The last two miles of the tempo run was into a pretty strong head wind, but I was clearly struggling near the end and my ankle was sore during the cool down.  Thinking I will pass on wearing the flats for the half.

Given my splits today and struggles during my long run last Saturday, I am going to run at a more conservative pace for the half on Saturday (thinking about 7:15 pace) with the hopes of having a little left in the tank for the last couple miles.  It has been very frustrating over the last month not being able to train the way I hoped due to injury, but hopefully I can look back at my training patterns in the future and find a stable base that my body can handle.   

4 miles @ 8:17 pace (treadmill).  It was in the mid 70s outside again, but it felt hotter than that in the gym today.  I wish I had brought my garmin with me in my gym bag to work today because I would have preferred running outside in the nice weather.

It was a great day for the race.  Temperature was 60 degrees and sunny at the start warming up to about 70 by the finish.

Finishing chip time was 1:34:01 (7:11 pace).  I missed my initial goal of 1:30 but the time beat my previous half marathon PR of 1:37:44 (9/18/11) and my previous course time of 1:54:19 (3/20/10).

Mile splits were as follows:

6:56, 6:49, 6:41, 7:03, 7:59, 7:43, 7:23, 7:17, 7:04, 6:55, 7:19, 7:29, 6:54

I was pumped up for the race at the start so I started out at a faster pace than planned.  Miles two and three were downhill so I wasn't too concerned that I was going faster than my planned pace.  I slowed down mile 4 closer to my planned pace as I remember miles 5-6 were going to be significantly uphill.  I struggled through the up hills of miles 5 & 6 and I was questioning at the time if I would have enough left in me to finish strong.  Miles 7 & 8 still had some uphill but not as severe as before.  I got through these hills without as much struggle as miles 5 & 6 and was ready to pick up the pace a bit for miles 9 & 10.  I slowed down a bit for mile 11 as I was fighting a little cramp in my stomach and we were running right into the hot sun.  I picked it up a bit at the beginning of mile 12, but the last climb of the course (outside of the last .2 miles) killed me.  I had enough left in me to push for the final mile which I was happy to run sub-7.

Overall, I was happy with my performance given some of my struggles in the last few weeks.  I was also happy that my ankle held up during the race and hasn't felt too bad after.  I napped after the race for about an hour but was then sightseeing for most of the afternoon in DC.  It wasn't until about 7pm that my ankle and arch started feeling really sore.

I am going to focus my next few weeks on getting in some strong tempo runs getting more comfortable running sub-7 minute miles as well as some solid long runs while taking my other runs during the week really easy.  My next race is a 10k in three weeks.  I definately plan to PR in this race.

Ran outside after work today.  Another beautiful evening.  I took it very easy today, 4 miles in about 35 minutes.  Legs felt like total crap today as my muscles were very tight.  I didn't do my regular stretching routine after the race on Saturday and I paid the price today.

Ran 4 miles at lunch today on the treadmill (8:30 pace).  Legs are feeling much better today than yesterday, but I still took it easy.  I will up the mileage and pace tomorrow.

8 miles outside before work this morning.  It was dark and rainy on the path, but the temperature was comfortable.

1 mile warm up (9:03), 5 tempo miles (7:08, 7:03, 7:05, 7:07, 7:08), 2 cool down miles (about 9:30 each)

My legs are still tight and not 100% from the race on Saturday.  I am hoping not to jinx myself, but my ankle has felt pretty good since the race.  We will see after my long run this weekend.

Long run today.  I skipped my run yesterday as I was exhausted after a long week of work so I ran 20 miles today to make up for it.

Ran the 20 in about a 8:17/mile pace.  I was moving along really well for the first 15 miles or so especially during the hilly section around the creek and my lungs felt good throught the whole run.  Around 17 miles, my quads were starting to burn.  By mile 19, my legs were on fire but was determined to finish the whole 20.  Took an ice bath when I got home that stopped the burning but I am really tight.  Will take tomorrow off and will plan to run a slow recovery run on Monday.  I am hoping these distances get easier at this pace the second and third time I run 20 miles before the Marathon.

8 easy miles after work today

It was about 50 degrees and very windy outside.  The first 4 miles were into a very strong wind and the average pace was about 9 minutes.  The last 4 were in about an 8:30 pace.  My legs felt dead today.  Not sure if it was the strong winds or if I am still tired from Saturday's long run.  I will see how tomorrow's run goes and will cut it short if things aren't going well.  I want something left in my legs for Wednesday's speedwork. 

Ran 4 easy miles at lunch today (treadmill).  Pace averaged 8:20.  My legs felt much better today, so I am feeling good about tomorrow's speedwork session.

Speedwork session at the gym this morning on the treadmill.  This was my first interval/speedwork session since late last year I think.

1 mile warm up with strides

2 x 1 mile @ 6:07 pace, 4:30 jog recovery (9:00 pace)

2 x 1 mile @ 6:00 pace, 4:30 jog recovery (9:00 pace)

1 mile cool down

I know this was on the treadmill (1% incline) and not as hard as it would have been outside, but I was very satisfied with today's workout.  My training has clearly paid off this year as I used to struggle to finish 800m intervals at this pace late last year.  For future speedwork sessions, I will plan to keep a similar pace but will try to add reps and cut back a little bit on the recovery time between reps.  I took some advil for my ankle afterwards, but I am not feeling too much pain post workout.

I have been making a conscious effort this week to focus on nutrition and will hope to do so leading up to the marathon.  At the beginning of the week, I was 185 pounds (6'1").  I am looking to drop 10 pounds before the race in 8 weeks.  I have some body fat to loose so I am optimistic that this drop in weight should have a big impact on my race times.  I just need to make sure I don't cut back on the calories too much to negatively effect my training.  I will give weekly updates going forward.

8 miles outside after work.  It was about 55 degrees and not too windy.  I wore my tights and a long sleeve technical shirt and got a little too warm but not bad.  Avg pace was 8:08.  Had to hold back my pace and I was moving along well.  Wanted to save my legs for tomorrow's long run.  It's forecasted to rain tomorrow morning so I may need to run on the treadmill tomorrow.

15.5 miles outside in a light rain. It was a terrible run today. I don't think my body fueled properly as I was really stuggling. As my last few miles were barely under a 10 min pace, I called it quits 1.5 miles early. I learned two things this week. I cut my calories too much this week and I shouldn't do a long run in the morning when I had just done a fairly long run (8 miles) the evening before. I am going to forget about this one quickly and focus on my 10k in New Orleans next Saturday.

4 miles on the treadmill during my lunch break (8:11 avg pace).  Tempo run tomorrow.

Weekly weight update - 182.5 lbs.  2.4 lbs lost last week.

Progressive tempo run today on the treadmill (1.0 incline).  I was really moving along today.  I hope I left some in the tank for the 10k on Saturday.

1 mile warm up @ 9:00

2 miles @ 6:40, 2 miles @ 6:35, 1 mile @ 6:31, 1 mile @ 6:27

1 mile cool down @ 9:15

This was a huge confidence booster after Satruday's awful long run.  Now I just need to prep for the weather in New Orleans.  The forecast for Saturday's race is 83 degrees and humid. I need to drink plenty of fluids this week and will probably do my outside runs this week in my winter gear to try and simulate the heat.

4 miles during my lunch break today (treadmill - 1.5 incline)

8:19 avg pace

8 miles outside after work this evening.  I was moving along well tonight.  I was averaging around a 7:50 pace for the first 6 miles then decided to push it really hard for mile seven (6:14 pace) followed by a cool down mile.  My ankle flared up a bit during the cool down mile but it feels ok now.

I got home and started packing for my New Oleans trip to discover my race bib had been mistakenly thrown out.  I am hoping my sister in law who lives down there can get to the expo tomorrow to register me again.  It sucks having to pay twice for the same race, but I am not going to let it bother me as long as I can race.

This was my second time running the CCC 10k.  The corraled start was a major improvement from the last time I ran this in 2010.  Although somewhat mild for New Orleans, it was about 80 degrees at the start and I could really feel it during the race.

The start was still a little crowded and I feel like I was fighting for position for almost the whole first mile.  By the time I checked my watch about .7 miles in, I realized I had gone out much faster than planned.  It felt good, so I didn't slow down much until after two miles.  About half way through, the heat was hurting me and I realized it was going to be a stuggle getting to the finish. 

The splits were as follows 6:11, 6:20, 6:41, 6:50, 6:52, 7:07.  Total chip time was 41:45 which was slightly slower than my goal pace of 41:30, but beat my previous PR of 42:26 from last November.  I ran the first 5k of the race in about 20:10 which also would beat my previous 5k PR by 19 seconds.  I figure that the heat added about a minute to my time compared to running in mild temperatures.  Also, my Garmin had the distance at 6.26 miles probably due to weaving in and out around people during the first mile.

Overall, I was satisfied with my performance, but again made the mistake of going out too fast which made the last couple miles pretty miserable for myself.

Ran 6 miles along the gulf coast in Mississippi.  Avg pace was 8:01.  It felt nice running along the water as there was a good breeze, but I ran shortly after having a huge po boy sandwich so I got cramps during the run.

Taking Tuesday off as I will be traveling home most of the day then I will try out Yasso 800s for the first time on Wednesday.

4 easy miles during my lunch break (treadmill, 1.5 incline, 8:00 avg pace).  I skipped the speedwork today as my legs were really sore after being cramped on a plane yesterday.  Will probably give it a go tomorrow as long as I get to bed early tonight.

Speedwork session this morning at the gym on the treadmill (1.0 incline)

1 mile warm up @ 9:20 with strides

9 x .5 miles (3:00) with .25 mile recovery (10 min/mile)

1 x .5 miles (2:44) with .25 mile recovery (10 min/mile)

.25 mile cool down @ 9 min/mile pace

This was another great speedwork session for me and was my attempt at Yasso 800s as a predicter of my marathon pace.  This was a confidence builder for sure, but I find it hard to believe that my marathon pace will be at 3 hours flat given the results of this workout.  It looks like the speed is clearly there, so I now need to work on more stamina.  I have a 20 miler this weekend and one more scheduled a few weeks before the marathon.  I am also thinking that I need to reincorporate some medium-long runs (12-14 miles) mid week.   

4 easy miles during lunch (treadmill - 1.0 incline).  Avg pace was 8:14/mile.  My right knee flared up a little bit but felt okay after my cool down/stretching.  I'm taking tomorrow off then 20 miles on Sunday.

12 miles outside this afternoon on the Forbidden Drive trails.  It was in the mid 80s during the run and I got pretty dehydrated.  I was planning on doing 20 today, but my ankle got really sore so I cut it short.  I think the speedwork and races recently have been putting a lot of strain on my ankle again so I need to take it easy this week.  I have a 5 mile race on Saturday so we will have to see how the week goes before committing to running it.

.5 warm up, 3 miles @ 6:40 pace, .5 cool down (treadmill 1.0 incline)

It's been a crazy busy week at work so I haven't had time to get in many miles this week.

5 easy miles @ 8:00 pace (treadmill - 1.5 incline) with some hill work (5.0 - 10.0 incline).

I have a 5 mile race tomorrow morning on a hilly course, then back into work for the day.  Fun!  I will be happy if I break 33 minutes tomorrow.

I ran the Narberth CF Run 5 miler this morning.  It was a great day for a run, pretty cool and sunny although if felt warmer on the course than the temperature probably was.  The overall chip time was 32:45 (6:33 pace) which placed me 16th out of 689 overall and 7th out of 96 in my gender age group.

Mile splits were 6:28, 6:35, 6:31, 6:58, 6:13.  I was happy to not go out too fast and stay around my goal pace of about 6:30.  The course is pretty hilly with the most uphills in the 4th mile as evidenced by the 6:58 mile.  I had a great kick during the final .4 miles where I passed 3 people.  I was afraid I started the kick too early, but I held on without anyone passing me.  Very happy about the 6:13 final mile.

My time in this race last year was 35:01 (36th place), but the conditions were terrible (cold downpour).  Very pleased however with the 2:46 improvement from last year.

Long run today in the rain. 8:22 avg pace. Ran from the house out to Manayunk Main St and back.

4 miles @ 8:00 pace (treadmill 1.5 incline)

5 miles @ 8:00 pace (treadmill 1.5 incline)

Race conditions were nice for a Thursday night in April (about 65 degrees and overcast).  It was a pretty similar story for me when it comes to running 5ks.  I started too fast and struggled to hang on.  My mile splits were 5:53, 6:21, and 6:40.  Overall chip time was 19:44.  It was a PR of 45 seconds for this distance in an official race and I was happy to finally break 20 minutes after failing to achieve this in about 5 5ks last year.

Last long run before my 3 week taper for the marathon.  I ran along the banks on the Kelly drive side out to forbidden drive just past Valley Green Inn and back to my house.  Avg pace was 8:17.  I was moving along well until the 19th mile.  I struggled for the last two and walked home the final mile (I was originally planning on 22 miles today).  My legs were really burning at the end. I was happy to get another 20+ mile run in before the taper, but am really concerned about glycogen depletion during the actual race.  Hopefully I will have the mental toughness to get through the final 10k of the marathon at a consistent pace.

4 miles @ 8:00 pace (1.5 incline on treadmill)

Short tempo run on the treadmill (1.5 incline)

.5 warm up @ 8:15,

4 miles @ 6:58,

.5 cool down @ 8:15 

4 miles @ 8:00 pace (1.5 incline on treadmill)

I was visiting Pittsburgh for a wedding over the weekend.  Ran 12 miles along a few of the trails by the rivers.  Avg pace was about 7:50.  I decided to skip some of the very steep hills at the end of my route to save my legs.

4 miles @ 7:50 (1.5 incline on treadmill)

Tempo run on the treadmill (1.5 incline)

.5 warm up @ 8:15

4 miles @ 6:48

.5 cool down @ 8:15

4 miles @ 7:55 pace (1.5 incline on treadmill)

10 miles near my parents house in the suburbs of Baltimore.  Avg pace was 7:48 and things felt good given the hilly terrain.  There were 4 significant climbs during the run and I recovered quickly from each one.

4 miles on the treadmill (1.5 incline).  Avg pace was 7:40.

4 miles on the treadmill (1.5 incline) with 2 miles at peak race pace.  Splits were 7:45, 6:49, 6:44, 7:40.  The middle two miles felt really comfortable.  I plan to only go this pace during the marathon on the severe downhills.

Last run before the marathon.  3 easy miles on the treadmill (1.5 incline) at 7:40 avg pace.  I was planning to go 4 miles but my IT band flared up a bit so I cut it short. 

Tough race today.  I went for the BQ and crash and burned pretty hard.  Things felt really good for the first 5 flat miles so I didn't hold back on the major hills miles 6-9.  Although it felt easy at the time, the speed on the downhills took its toll.  My time through 9 miles was 1:02:25 and about 35 seconds ahead of my plan.  There was a big crowd including my wife and dog at the bottom of the hill after mile 9 and I felt great.  Immediately after, we had a pretty significant climb.  People started passing me so I looked down to my watch to see I had slowed down to a 8 minute pace.  I realized shortly after that this wasn't going to be my day to BQ.

I finished the first half in 1:32:45, which for me was a PR by about 2 minutes.  That gave me some temporary motivation and I was able to keep a decent pace for the next 3 miles or so. 

The last 10 miles got slower and slower.  Right when I passed the 20 mile mark, the 3:15 pace group passed me (the group I was planning to run with had I not tried the long shot BQ attempt) and I knew the last 10k was going to be really bad.  The last 10k was pretty miserable, but I was happy that I didn't give up or stop to walk.

I decided to go for the BQ just so that I would have no regrets once I was finished.  I learned a big lesson here.  From my training, I believe the speed was there, but I lacked the long tempo runs and marathon simulation long runs to build the proper endurance.  I guess I should still be happy for taking almost 50 minutes off my previous marathon PR though. 

Here were the mile splits: 7:15, 7:05, 7:04, 6:59, 7:00, 6:55, 6:40, 6:32, 6:47, 7:13, 7:19, 7:32, 7:21, 7:38, 7:59, 7:19, 8:10, 8:15, 8:31, 8:52, 8:29, 8:38, 9:06, 9:38, 9:36, 10:00 (estimate for mile 26 since my garmin died) 

I'm going to give it a few days before deciding to sign up for the Philadelphia Marathon in November.  Hopefully it doesn't sell out in the meantime.

Today was my first run after the marathon on Sunday.  I took it very easy.  3 miles outside @ 9:07 avg pace.  My calves were still very tight and my right knee flared up a bit on the last mile.  I will take a few more days off before running again.

I bought a pair of Saucony Guide 5s on Thursday to replace my pair of Guide 4s.  They are about 2oz lighter and the heel toe drop was reduced.  I could notice a slight difference, but nothing too significant.  The suppport is still there eventhough the weight was reduced.

I need to stick to my plan to avoid tempo/speed workouts for the next 4 or 5 weeks.  I don't want to have an injury that could be avoided.  This will also be a good time to gradually increase my aerobic base before race training again. 

My legs felt better compared to Saturday.  I ran 4 easy miles at lunch on the treadmill.  Avg pace was 9:16 (1.5 incline).  I'm looking forward to ramping up mileage again but I will still take it easy for the next few weeks.

5.25 miles outside this morning at a avg pace of 9:12.  things felt good today.

6 miles outside this morning along the banks.  Avg pace was 8:58.

I officially signed up for the Philadelphia Marathon in November on Thursday.  Looking back at my training for the Pocono Marathon, I ramped up mileage too quick, got injured and had to scale back my mileage for the rest of my training.  My overall average miles per week was probably around 35 miles per week.  I would like my base to be around 50-55 mpw this time around.  Hopefully the additional mileage will bring my times down again.

5 easy miles today on the treadmill at an avg pace of 9:05.  My legs were a little sore from weeding in my back yard/patio yesterday, but overall the run was ok.

I am hoping to get my butt in gear and incorporate some light strength training a few times a week as I feel it will help with weight/body fat loss.  I weighed in at 186 pounds and 21.5 percent body fat this morning and I think I would have good improvements in my time if I could get down to 175 and 15 percent.  Easier said than done.

5 easy miles on the treadmill at an average pace of 8:50 (1.5 incline).  I started the first two at 9:05 then picked it up a bit to an 8:20 pace before slowing it down again.

7 easy miles this morning outside alongs the banks.  It felt really nice outside.  Avg pace was 8:47.  My legs feel refreshed but I still forced myself to take it easy, eventhough a good number of people were passing me.

9 miles outside this morning along the banks.  Things were feeling good so I went a little bit quicker than I have been going the last few weeks.  Avg pace was 8:13 with a couple 7:45ish miles in there. 

It was overcast which was nice for the run, but I was planning on heading to the outside pool at my gym following my run, which is now in question.

5 easy miles today on the treadmill during my lunch break (1.5 incline).  Avg pace was about 8:52.

7 easy miles on the treadmill this morning (1.5 incline).  Avg pace was 8:30.

I followed the run with 10 minutes of core exercise. 

I lifted weights today (upper body) for the first time in a long time.  I was using low weight and high reps to help tone up.  It wasnt very intense but I am sure I will be sore tomorrow since it has so long.

8 miles this morning at a moderate pace with strides near the end.  I ran outside today along the banks.  It was a bit windy but the temperature felt nice (67 degrees and overcast).

The overall pace was 8:16 with the stides (6 x 75) at 5k pace.  This run felt harder than I expected today, probably due to the combination of bad sleep last night, running on an empty stomach, and the weight training yesterday that I am not used too.

It's my wife's birthday today and her last before our son is born.  I am looking forward to celbrating tonight after work with some good food.

I tried swimming at the outdoor pool at my gym during my lunch break today.  I got really winded just swimming a few laps.  I swam for about 15 minutes then hung out in the sauna.  I needed to clear my head of some work issues going on and it really helped.

10 moderate pace miles this morning outside.  Avg pace was 8:11.  I will go back to running 5 days per week next week.

7 miles outside along the banks after work.  I picked up the pace today (avg 7:49).  My left calf was very tight so I will stretch and take an epsom salt bath before going to bed tonight.

5 easy miles on the treadmill at 9:00 pace (1.5 incline).  My left calf is still very tight down by the ankle, but I didn't notice any pain during the run.  Just some soreness stretching and going up/down steps.

It was very hot and humid so I ran on the treadmill (1.5 incline).  Avg pace was about 8:10, including 6 sets of strides at 6:00/mile.

4 easy miles on the treadmill (1.5 incline) at 9:00 pace.

I left my Guide 5s at the gym yesterday so I ran in my Kinvara's today.  11 miles outside.  Avg pace was 7:48 with the final 5 miles around 7:20 pace.  It felt good to open things up a bit at the end.

7 miles outside this morning along the banks.  It was 73 degrees and very humid at 5:45 this morning and I didn't really get comfortable during the entire run.  My legs felt dead probably due to the hard effort on Saturday compared to mostly recovery runs over the last 4 or 5 weeks.  I took it pretty easy today as I finished the 7 miles in an hour.

Recovery day.  6 easy miles after work along the banks.  Avg pace was 8:48.  I was very tired after the run and dinner probably due to the recent lack of sleep. I slept through the night wthout getting up (11-6) and I feel much better this morning.

 missed my workout yesterday.  After watching the 5000m US Trials last night, I was motivated to run fast today (fast for me at least), so I decided to do a short tempo run today and will do a medium long run on Sunday.

Started with a warm up mile, then 3 miles @ 6:58, 1 mile @ 6:40, followed by a slow cool down mile.  I ran at lunch on the treadmill (1.5 incline).  This was my first tempo run since the marathon on 5/20.  I expected it to be hard, which it was, but I was happy to get through the workout.

I forgot to check my training calendar when I left work today, but I think my Philly marathon training program starts next week.

I was very lazy this weekend and skipped my long run (only 3 runs last week - eugh).  I woke up early this morning to get in a longish run.  I ran inside on the treadmill (1.5 incline) since the forcast is for mid to upper 90s all week.  I ran 9 miles with an avg pace of 8:03 including warm up and cool down.  I increased my speed throughout, peaking with 1.5 miles at a 7:30 pace before beginning my cool down.

5 easy miles on the treadmill (1.5 incline) at a 9:00 pace

I have been off the blog and not running since July 3rd due to the birth of my son Russell on July 4th.  Being awake for almost 36 straight hours and being on my feet during most of the 14 hours that my wife was in labor really caused my ankle to flare up.  due to this and being very busy learing how to take care of a newborn, i took some time off from running.

Today was my return to work and was also the start of my 18 week training program for the philly marathon in Novemnber.  i was scheduled to run 8 miles with 4 tempo miles in the middle, but my body was not up for starting my day at 5am.  i decided to take a long lunch break and was able to get in 6 miles including 4 tempo miles (treadmill 1.5 incline).  i ran 1 warm up mile at 9:00 pace, followed by 4 miles @ 6:45 pace, and finished with a cool down mile at 9:30 pace.

This workout was very hard for me today due to the time off and lack of sleep but i was happy to fight through it.  at some point soon, i will need to get up early for my workouts.  hoping my body will cooperate.

I ran outside after work.  at 6:30pm, it was 96 degrees and humid so i took it easy.  avg pace was 9:02.  

When i was out on the run, a shipment came to the house with some running supplies i had ordered, including sme compression socks.  i wore the socks for the rest of the evening and will try running in them later in the week.

9 general aerobic paced miles outside this morning along the banks.  It was very difficult for me to get up this morning as the baby woke us up three times in the middle of the night.  I also forgot to eat a banana before my run.  Overall, the run was a bit of a struggle this morning.  Avg pace was 8:17. 

I tried running in the knee high compression socks I recently purchased.  I got a couple nasty blisters from them and one of my toes was bloody when I took them off after the run.  At lease my calves and ankles felt good afterwards.

um long run Saturday afternoon outside along the banks.  The run felt pretty good as the temperature outside was cooler than it has been lately.  Avg pace was 8:18.

I am looking into entering a few races before the half marathon in September.  I found a 15k on Aug 18 and may do a 5k on Sept 1.

Tempo run today during my lunch break on the treadmill (1.5 incline).  1 mile warm up @ 9:00, 5 miles @ 6:44, and 1 mile cool down @ 9:00.  The tempo miles were challenging, but much easier than the 4 tempo miles I ran last week at the same pace.

5 recovery miles today at lunch on the treadmill (1.5 incline).  Avg pace was 9:00.

4 miles at lunch on the treadmill (1.5 incline).  avg pace was 8:11.

I was supposed to run 10 miles but life got in the way today.  i may run tomorrow on an off day to make up for it.

5 miles at lunch on the treadmill (1.5 incline).  Avg pace was 8:32/mile.

It was a brutal day out there, 80 degrees and very humid at 7am.  this run was a huge struggle.

I warmed up 5 miles at an 8:27 avg pace.  i had already drank my 20 oz sports drink at this point so i stopped at a water fountain to refill and take a gel.  from there, i had planned to run 8 miles at marathon goal pace, but that did not happen.  i ran 3 miles at a avg 7:30 pace and started getting a headache from the heat.  i shut it down and ran the last 5 miles at an 8:45 avg pace.

I was happy when this one was over.  when i got home, i weighed myself and was about 4 lbs lighter than when i started and i had drank 40oz of fluid dring the run.

6 general aerobic miles during my lunch break on the treadmill (1.5 incline).  Avg pace was 8:05.  I was a little tight for the first two miles but felt good for the rest of the run.

Same workout as yesterday.  ho hum

Treadmill (1.5 incline)

1 mile warm up @ 8:45

4 miles @ 6:45

1 mile cool down @ 9:00

This workout was harder than expected.  I don't feel like I made any progress from the last tempo run.

4 recovery miles on the treadmill during my lunch break (1.5 incline).  Avg pace was 9:00.

6 aerobic pace miles on the treadmill during my lunch break (1.5 incline, 8:03 avg pace).  My legs feel pretty good although it was my 5th staight day running.  I haven't run 5 consecutive days in awile.  Hopefully they hold up for my long run tomorrow.

11 miles outside on forbidden drive.  i got a very late start (11am) so i hit the hottest part of the day.  i threw a time goal for this run away due to the heat ad cut the run a few miles short.  avg pace was 8:30.

My legs feel pretty good after running 6 straight days.  i will be driving over 6 hours on sunday so i plan to wear my compression socks. 

7 miles on the treadmill after work (1.5 incline, 8:00 avg pace). i am waiting for the bus and starving.  hoping lauren has dinner ready or at least we will make something quick and easy tonight.

Repeat of yesterday's workout.  7 miles on the treadmill (1.5 incline, 8:00 avg pace)

5 recovery miles during my lunchbreak on the treadmill (1.5 incline, 8:27 avg pace)

11 miles this morning outside around the banks/falls bridge loop.  about half way through, i stopped to fill my water bottle and my garmin malfunctioned again when i started back up.  i think my avg pace was right around 8:30.

My legs felt dead throughout eventhough i got decent sleep (around 6 hours) with only two interuptions.  i will drink plenty of fluid today and take tomorrows recovery run very easy to recharge for my long run on saturday.

5 recovery miles on the treadmill during my lunch break (1.5 incline, 8:59 avg pace).  long run tomorrow.

15 miles this moring along kelly dr up to manayunk and back.  it was not as hot as it had been the last few weekends so that was nice.  the first 4 or 5 miles were rough but then my body loosened up a bit.  i was moving along well.  at around mile 12 i ran into my friend meg who is training for her first marathon in november so i slowed up a bit to run a mile wth her for about a mile.  total avg pace was 8:21.  it was asolid week for me.  i have a 15k next saturday.

Tempo run today during my lunch break on the treadmill (1.5 incline).

I was feeling under the weather this morning and my mom contacted me right when I got to work to say my dad was in the hospital.  It sounds like he is doing ok and I will probably head home to visit him tomorrow. All things considered, I wasn't expecting a good workout today.

I was surprised that the workout went very well.  1 warm up mile @ 9:00 pace, 6 miles @ 6:44 pace, 1 mile cool down @ 9:00 pace.  I still had a little bit left in the tank when I finished and this was much easier than the last tempo run when I could only run 4 miles at this pace.  Maybe it was the shoes (Kinvara vs Guide 5).

This was a confidence booster for Saturday's race.

6 easy miles on the treadmill during lunch.  avg pace was 8:30 (1.5 incline).  My legs felt pretty good today after yesterdays tempo run.

10 miles this morning outside along the banks.  It was foggy and humid at first, but felt nice for the second half of the run.  My legs felt dead for the first 4 miles again, but I felt good for the last 6.  Avg pace was 8:04.

Also on a positive note, my dad was released from the hospital last night.  sounds like he will be back to normal soon.

4 recovery miles on the treadmill at lunch (1.5 incline).  my run got cut short as i had to deal with a work email that i received on my blackberry mid run.  avg pace was 9:00. 

5 recovery miles on the TM (1.5 incline, 8:57 avg pace)

15k tomorrow evening

It was a great race today.  The race was at 5pm this evening along the Delaware River canal towpath.  the course was very scenic and although the path was only about 6 feet wide, there were only 115 runners that were sent off in 4 waves so it wasn't an issue.

i was in the first wave of 25 runners. 3 guys jumped ahead at the start.  i stayed with them for a tenth of a mile but realized quickly that they were much faster than me.  i slowed my pace closer to my goal pace of 6:50 per mile.  a guy passed me about a quarter of a mile into the race.  i tucked behind him and drafted until the end of the first mile.  noticing he was struggling to hold the pace, i went by him and was by myself for the rest of the race.

My splits were as follows: 6:45, 6:45, 6:41, 6:49, 6:49, 6:53, 6:55, 7:01, 7:09, 6:52 pace  (for last 0.3).  Overall avg pace was 6:52, just over my goal pace of 6:50.  

First place was about 8 minutes ahead of me and second and third were about 3 minutes ahead.  i had about 30 seconds on the fifth place guy. 

I was very happy with my race strategy and pace especially considering this came at the end of my training week without a day off before the race like i normally do.  my training is right where i want it to be about a month before the philly half.

I was still pretty sore from the race Saturday night, so I skipped my scheduled 9 miles this morning and ran a very easy 6 during my lunch break instead.  Avg pace was 8:50 (treadmill, 1.5 incline). 

This will be a recovery week (i.e. no tempo/speedwork), but similar mileage to the last 3 weeks.

10 miles this morning along the banks.  My legs still are not 100% from the race so I took it pretty easy.  avg pace was 8:29.  the second half was a little bit faster but still over 8:00 pace.

6 easy miles on the treadmill during my lunch break (1.5 incline, 8:00 avg pace).  my legs felt back to normal today.

10 miles this morning along the banks, the same as Tuesday's run.  I was in bed by 9pm last night which made getting up at 5 much easier, even with the baby waking up 3 times in the middle of he night.

Similar to other early morning runs recently, it took me 3 or 4 miles to get warmed up and feeling ready to run.  i have decided to go with it and not push the pace until my body is ready.  I did push the pace a little bit miles 7,8, and 9.  avg pace was 8:21.

6 recovery miles on the treadmill before work (1.5 incline, 8:58 avg pace).  Legs feel pretty good.  Medium-long run tomorrow.

We drove down to Baltimore last night to visit my family and stayed overnight.  I ran 14 miles this morning along the NCR trail.  My legs felt fresh and the weather was nice so I ran a bit harder than planned.  The first seven miles were around an 8:05 pace with the last seven around 7:30 pace.  overall avg pace was 7:47.

I have felt like crap the last two days fighting a small cold.  i was supposed to run 8 miles this morning, but it was pouring outside so i decided to run 6 during lunch at the gym and make up the extra 2 later this week.  

I actually felt pretty good during the run, not so much after.  i ran 6 miles at aerobic pace with strides at 5k pace at the end.  total avg pace was 7:47 (treadmill, 1.5 incline)

Sick day.  i worked from home today and skipped my workout to try and beat the cold i have been fighting the last few days.

12 miles this morning along the banks (falls bridge loop).  i a still feeling the cold a little bit but i feel much better than yesterday.  avg pace was 7:55 with the first 6 miles at 8:15 and the second 6 at 7:40.  a section of this loop makes up about the last 7 or 8 miles of the rock n roll half marathon which is a little more than 2 weeks away.  i will being running this loop a few more times before the race focusing on pushing my pace once i cross the bridge to simulate the last 4 miles or so of the race.

Same workout planned for tomorrow.  

A similar workout today as yesterday.  we got out of work at noon today so instead of getting up early to run before work, i ran at the gym after work.  12 total miles, 6 @ 8:19 pace, followed by 6 @ 7:39 pace (1.5 incline).  the arch in my right foot started getting sore during the second half of the run and i am feeling some pain walking afterwards.  this makes me nervous with a marathon pace run coming up on sunday.  i am wondering if the strides on monday coupled with sub 8 min miles on sat, yesterday, and today, have put too much strain on my foot.  i will not push it on sunday if i a still feeling pain with the half marathon only two weeks out.

5 recovery miles outside this afternoon.  avg pace was 8:58.  my foot was pretty sore all day so i was icing it and wearing my compression socks throught the day.  it felt ok during the run until the last half mile where i was getting a bit of a burning feeling under the ball across my foot.  i am going to get a full night sleep and do my long run tomorrow mid day.  we will have to see how it goes.

Progressive long run up to marathon pace.  15 total miles.  I ran the first 7 miles in 59:45, starting at around 9:15 pace and finishing at around 8:15 pace.  I ran the last 8 miles at marathon pace (7:02).  My foot was in pain a few times during the run, but overall I felt really good during the run and definately could have run a few more miles at MP.  Since the weather was bad today, I ran at the gym on the treadmill (1.0 incline).  I know, very boring.

Medium Long run of 12 miles this morning on the treadmill.  I was off and on heavy showers this morning so I decided to run at the gym.  The first 6 miles were @ 8:15 avg pace and the last 6 miles were @ 7:42 avg pace. 

I wasn't feeling great during this run eventhough I slept well last night.  7:42 pace felt harder than it should have. 

11 general aerobic miles this morning on the treadmill.  First 6 miles @ 8:14 avg pace, last 5 miles @ 7:48 avg pace (1.5 incline).  Today's pace felt easier than yesterday eventhough the pace was almost identical.  My foot started to hurt during the last mile so I took the last .25 slow.  I have a well needed recovery day tomorrow.  Hoping my foot starts to feel better soon.

Today was my son's first day at day care :(.  It was just a half day but it will be full time starting tomorrow as my wife returns to work.  things will definately change going forward, but hopefully i can continue to train the way i have been for the last two months.

5 recovery miles after work on the treadmill (1.5 incline, 8:58 avg pace).

I had a late lunch and completely stuffed myself with a philly style roast pork hoagie and fries.  as a result, i felt sick all afternoon and almost threw up on the treadmill.  i was happy to be done with this workout and will probably have a piece of fruit or bowl of cereal for dinner.

9 miles on the treadmill this afternoon, including 4 fast tempo miles.  This is my last speed/tempo workout before the half next Sunday so I were a little faster than scheduled.

I started with 2 slow warm up miles in my Guide 5s.  I swichted into my flats and ran one more warm up mile with a few strides, 4 miles in 26:03 (1.5 incline), and two cool down miles.  The tempo miles were hard, but I feel like I could have run the 4 miles at least 30 seconds faster. 

My foot is pretty sore post run.  I will take tomorrows recovery run very slow.

Unscheduled day off.  Instead of running 5 slow recovery miles, I skipped the run since my foot was still pretty sore, plus I walked around a lot doing errands throughout the day.

Long run today.  17 miles along the banks to Manayunk and back, including the final 4 miles or so of the half mararthon course for next week.  Avg pace was 8:11.  I ran one warm up mile, 10 miles around 8:20, 5 miles around 7:35, and one slow down mile.

9 general aerobic miles this morning alongh the banks.  avg pace was 7:48.  the run felt good once my foot got loose plus the temperature was 55 and breezy which was nice.  hopefully there will be similar conditions for the race on sunday.

It was a hectic day so i only had time for 5 miles during my lunch break.  avg pace was 7:49.

6 miles on the treadmill during my lunch break.  Avg pace was 7:42 including the final mile at half-marathon race pace (6:49).  The run felt good and my foot feels ok afterwards.

9 easy miles this morning along the banks.  avg pace was 7:58.  there was a headwind today, but the run felt a little harder than expected. 

packet pickup today for the half marathon on Sunday

Recovery day.  6 miles this morning along the banks.  5.5 miles at avg 9:00 pace with .5 miles at HM pace.  My new shoes finally came in the mail on Friday so I got to break in one of the two pairs today.

Perfect race conditions today.  Cool with a little breeze.  I got a late start out of my house this morning so I didn't get in the warm up that I wanted.  I jogged to my corral just in time for the national anthem.

I wanted to break 1:30 today.  I started out the first few miles a little bit faster than goal pace, but it felt good so I just went with it.  I was able to keep a pretty consistant pace throughout the whole race which felt really good.  I ran in my flats and my foot held up well with only slight discomfort during the last 4 miles.  My final time was 1:28:23, over 90 seconds faster than my goal pace and over 9 minutes faster than last years time of 1:37:44.

My Garmin read the course at 13.2 miles (6:42 avg pace).  Splits were as follows:

6:39, 6:34, 6:43 (20:41 5k), 6:40, 6:47, 6:35 (41:51 10k), 6:46, 6:44, 6:58, 6:50 (1:07:39 10 miles), 6:41, 6:39, 6:40, 6:05 pace (final .2 per Garmin)

13 miles this morning in the rain along the banks.  with 15 miles scheduled for tomorrow and since my legs felt dead today, i took it easy.  avg pace was 8:38.

I was out the door at 430am this morning to run 15 miles before dropping my son off at day care and going to work.  i ran along the banks out to manayunk and back.  my legs responded better than yesterday but i still didn't feel 100 percent.  i went a little bit faster than yesterday but didnt push it.  avg pace was 8:13 per mile.

Recovery day.  5.1 easy miles outside after work.  It was really nice out and it felt great to get out there on an easy jog to take my mind off of the awful week I have had at work this week.  Avg pace was 8:58.

Tempo run tomorrow.

Tempo run during my lunch break on the treadmill.  two warm up miles followed by 5 miles @ 6:30 pace (1.5 incline) and one cool down mile.  total time was 58 minutes.  i dont want to say the tempo pace felt easy, but it definately felt very comfortable.

5 easy miles this morning.  russ woke us up around 6am to eat but went back to sleep so lauren and i were able to sleep in until 10am.  i had to rush out the door to squeeze the run in since we had brunch plans.  i forgot to eat a banana before i left so i was starving during the run.  

Instead of running along the banks, i ran up 23rd st and went out west on chestnut through university city and north on 34th through drexel's campus to get familiar with that section of the philly marathon course.  i was expecting incline but it was a little more than i expected. shortly after going through campus on 34th st, it immediately turned "hoodish" so i was happy to turn around shortly after to head back home.  i still want to get familiar with the rest of the west philly section of the course but will probably do so in the car.

Avg pace was 8:36.  it feels good to get in 60+ miles this week.  18 miles tomorrow.

Long run today (19 miles).  I ran out to west philly similar to yesterday but continued along the marathon route past the zoo to MLK.  From there, I took MLK to the Falls Bridge and ran out Kelly towards Manayunk and to the Manayunk toe path.  I turned around when I hit 10 miles and headed back home along Kelly to the banks.  I stopped at 19 miles and walked about a half mile home to cool down.  The run felt really good today although my legs were getting sore near the end of the run.  Avg pace was 7:50/mile.

8 miles this morning along the banks.  it is definately starting to feel like fall.  i may experiment with my arm warmers for the first time tomorrow.  avg pace was 8:04.

5 miles this morning along the banks to manayunk and back.  i tried out my arm warmers and they worked well.  avg pace was 8:04. i was hoping to pick up the pace for the second half of the run but had some serious intestinal distress starting at mile 7.  the sun had come up enough by mile 11 that i was able to stop at a port a pot.  i was able to pick up the pace at the end but the middle miles were slower than planned.

This is my first time having any stomach issues in at least the last 2 months.  hopefully the trend doesn't continue.  i think i can blame all the feta and greek vegetables we had on the pizza we baked last night. 

5 recovery miles on the TM during my lunch break.  Avg pace was 8:32 (1.5 incline).  Tempo run tomorrow.

Tempo run today on the TM.  i got very busy at work again so i cut the total mileage of the run short by 3 miles, but got in the scheduled tempo miles.

2 warm up miles, 4 miles @ 6:27 pace (1.5 incline), and 1 cool down mile.  it was a hard run today.  i probably pushed the pace a bit too hard especially since i didn't have my flats on.  overall i am happy to continue to see faster tempo paces compared to the last tempo run.

8 recovery miles this afternoon along the banks.  8:50 avg pace.

17 miles this morning, including about 14 miles along the philly marathon course.  I am getting very familiar with the course at this point.  The first 8 miles were at around 8:15 pace with the second 8 miles closer to 7:35 pace.  I finished with an easy cool down mile.  Total avg pace was 7:54.

I am hoping to watch football all day on the couch.  Hopefully, my wife is on board with that plan.

Tomorrow is an off day from running, but I am thinking about starting back up some core exercises on my off days and on my recovery days.  I'm thinking the core work can help shed some excess body fat and hopefully help maintain proper running form in the late miles of the marathon. 

AM - 6 recovery miles outside along the eastern section of the marathon course (columbus blvd and chestnut st). Avg pace was 8:44.

PM - 4 recovery miles on the TM during my lunch break.  Avg pace was 8:45 (1.5 incline).

First speedwork session of my marathon training tomorrow.  5k on Sat.

Speedwork today on the TM (1.5 incline)

Today's workout did not go the way I wanted.  I had planned to run a 3 mile warm up, 4 x 1 mile (6:11 pace) with .5 mile recoveries, and a 2 mile cool down for a total of 11 miles.  I wore my flats.

The warm up felt ok.  I ran an easy 2.75 miles then got off the TM to do some stretching since my left hamstring felt a little tight on my PM run yesterday.  I finished the warm up and got into the threshold intervals.  This was an aggresive pace for being my first speed session in a while, but I thoguht with my recent fitness gains that I would survive.  I got through the first interval ok, but it was harder than expected.  Half way through the second interval, my hamstring got really tight.  I was able to finish the second interval, but went straight to my cool down from there (I don't think I would have made it through the full 4 intervals at that pace today even if I didn't have the hammy issue).  With a 5k scheduled for Saturday and a MP long run on Sunday, I thought it was wise to shut it down.  I will have to see how the rest of the week goes, but I am considering skipping the 5k on Satruday if I am still remotely sore.  I got a free entry to the race anyway. 

I wanted to test out my hamstring today.  I ran 1.25 miles on the treadmill at a very easy pace (9:30).  My hamstring was very tight.  In addition, I had a terrible cramp on the right side of my stomach.  I couldn't really explain what was happining but I had to stop.  Throught the rest of the afternoon, I started to feel worse and worse.  When I got home after work, I took my temperature and had a fever of 101!

Sick day.  I had to go to work this morning to attend a meeting, but came home afterwards.  going to try to sleep this fever off.  taking today and tomorrow off from running at a minimum.

Well my fever/virus got worse before it got better reaching a high of about 102 on friday night.  i spent all day saturday in bed and started feeling better on sunday.  i feel like the fever is gone today but i still feel somewhat weak.  i have 9 miles scheduled for tomorrow.  we will see how it goes.

7 miles on the TM during my lunch break.  avg pace was about 7:45 with some strides during the last 1.5.  it felt great to be running.  i was feeling a similar cramp to the other day during the first half of my run,but not as severe.

7 miles on the TM during my lunch break (1.5 incline).  Avg pace was 7:45.  I finished up with .5 miles at MP.

6 easy miles on the TM during my lunch break (1.5 incline).  Avg pace was 8:22.  Tempo run tomorrow.  Hopefully i won't deal with any stomach cramping issues.

Progressive tempo run today on the TM during my lunch break (1.5 incline).

1.5 mile warm up, 3 miles @ 6:40, 2 miles @ 6:35, 1 mile @ 6:31, 1 mile cool down.

60 minutes total.

I am pleased with the run today.  It didn't feel great but coming off the illness/hamstring/time off, I am ok with it.  I was happy that my hamstring felt fine and I didn't have any stomach cramps like I had been experiencing all week.

6 easy miles along the banks.  8:27 avg pace.

20 miles this morning along the banks/manayunk toe path.  I had planned to run 22 today, but had a hard time with the run today.  avg pace was 8:20.

Speedwork today on the TM (1.5 incline).

2 warm up miles

5 x .5 miles @ 6:00/mile pace, .25 miles recovery @ 7:30/mile pace

2.5 cool down miles 

15 miles early this morning along the banks. Avg pace was 7:59 with the miles 8-14 @ 7:35 avg pace.  The first 6 miles are so didn't feel great, but I got in a good rythm for the faster miles.

6 recovery miles on the treadmill during my lunch break.  Avg pace was 8:57 (1.5 incline)

This race was not well organized and a mistake on the organizers part cost me first place in my age division.

It was an out and back course on a somewhat secluded trial (forbidden drive).  From prior training runs on this trail, my Garmin has not been very accurate, mostly understating total mileage.  Prior to the start, the organizer made it clear not to turn around at the 3 mile mark as there will be a volunteer at the 3.1 turn around.

The race started and I went out with the two leaders, the eventual winner and a buddy of mine who is quite a bit faster than me.  They had about a 15 meter lead on me at the first mile mark.  I crossed the first mile in 5:5x, but my Garmin had the first mile at 6:06.  Similar to past 10ks, I went out too fast and it cost me some time overall compared to if I had stayed at my goal pace throughout.

By the time I crossed the 2 mile mark, I was alone in 3rd.  There was no way I would catch the leaders.  My Garmin read 1.86 miles at this point and I think I crossed the marker around 12:10.  About .2 before the 3rd mile mark, I was passed by another guy and I tucked behind him.  As we approached the 3rd mile mark, I was surprised that we had not seen the two leaders coming back yet.  About 15 seconds later, we saw them with their arms raised in disgust saying that there wasn't a volunteer around and it wasn't clear where to turn around.  Me and the guy in 3rd continued going, he had about a 5 meter lead on me.  We continued to run until I saw my watch read 3.1 miles.  I yelled ahead to him saying it was 3.1 by my watch.  He said it was 3.17 by his and asked if we should turn around.  We decided to turn around.  About .1-.2 miles after we turned around, we saw the volunteer at the official turn around and it turns out 5 people had turned around before us so we were now in 7th and 8th although we could only see 2 of the 5 people.  We quickly passed the two and I was again tucked behind the guy I had been running with since before the turn.  At this point, I was pretty pissed off about what had happened so I surged and dropped the guy I had been running with.  I continued at a good pace and around mile 5, I noticed someone wearing a bib about 50 meters ahead of me running at a good pace.  I got within about 10 meters of him just before mile six, but he noticed me coming and put in a final kick and I could not catch him.  He finished 9 seconds ahead of me and was the winner of our age group.  The person who finished 3rd overall was the top female.  Her time was just under 40 minutes so it's hard to say whether or not I would have beat her had I not run the extra distance.  The 4th place finisher finished 27 seconds ahead of me so most likely would have beat him as well.  The total distance my Garmin read for the race was 6.31 miles (6:39 pace), but I wouldn't be surprised if I ran a longer distance than that given my issues in the past with my Garmin on this trail.

My official time was 2 seconds slower than my PR, but had I run the true race distance, I would have knocked at least 40 seconds of my previous PR and probably more than that.

After the race, I complained and the first two finished also complained on my behalf.  The race director personally apologized to me for the error, which made me feel a little bit better, but the overall results were not changed as a result.

18 miles this afternoon along the banks.  My legs were pretty sore from the race yesterday so I was not looking forward to this run.  My body responded well given the circumstances.  My avg pace was 7:57 including two cool down miles at 9:15 pace.

I got home, had dinner, and then took an epsom salt bath which made my legs feel much better.

4 weeks until the marathon.  Looking forward to the taper.

Off day tomorrow

Lunch break - 5 recovery miles on the TM (1.5 incline).  8:58 avg pace

Evening - 5 recovery miles around the city.  8:54 avg pace.