Trust The Process

Today was my first run in over a week.  Unfortunately, my family has not had a great start to 2013.  My basement flooded early last week, then my 6 month old son was hospitalized with a respiratory virus on Friday.  Thank God that he was released today and he should be fine.  It was very tough seeing him sick like that and not being able to do much to help him.

I ran at home on my new treadmill for the first time.  The treadmill is really nice, but I need to get used to running on it at home.  It is in a bedroom on the second level of our house and it got very hot in the room, even with two windows open a few feet from the treadmill.  I will bring a fan into the room next time and will close the heat vents.

4 miles @ 8:30 avg pace with one mile @ 7:30 pace.  This run felt way too hard.  Not sure if it was all the stress this week, the haitus from running, or the heat of the room.  Probably a combination of the three.  Hoping to get back into a normal routine this week.

4 miles on the TM at home (2.0 incline).  Avg pace was 8:30.

4 miles on the TM at home (2.0 incline).  Avg pace was 8:22.

8 miles on the TM at home (2.0 incline).  Avg pace was 8:30.

5 miles on the TM during my lunch break (1.0 incline).  Total time was 38:50 including 1 mile at MP (6:58 pace) and .25 miles @ 5:42 pace

4 easy miles on the TM (1.0 incline). Avg pace was 8:30.

4 miles on the TM at home (1.0 incline).  avg pace was 7:50

7 miles on the TM at home (1.0 incline).  avg pace was 8:30.

7 miles on the TM at home (1.0 incline).  avg pace was 8:25

Tempo run on the TM during my lunch break (1.0 incline).

1 mile warm up @ 8:30 pace, 1 mile @ 6:40 pace, 3 miles @ 6:35 pace, 1 mile cool down @ 8:40 pace.

This was tough today as expected since I am out of racing shape at this point.  I decided to do the tempo run today to make my workout feel like it had a purpose.  The lack of structure in my training the last few weeks has caused me to get a little lazy.  I plan to sign up for some of my planned races this week to force me into a structured training plan.

5 miles on the TM during my lunch break (1.0 incline).  8:30 avg pace.

6 miles on the TM during my lunch break (1.0 incline).  43:00 total time including 3.5 miles at MP (6:58) followed by .5 miles at 5:27 pace

7 mile on the TM (1.0 incline).  avg pace was 7:35 including 3 miles @ 7:03 pace.

6 miles on the TM (1.0 incline).  avg pace was 8:00

6 total miles on the TM during my lunch break (1.0 incline).  Total avg pace was 7:15 including VO2 max intervals:

1 mile @ 6:15 pace, .5 miles @ 8:00 pace;

1 mile @ 6:15 pace, .5 miles @ 8:00 pace;

.75 miles @ 6:15 pace, .5 miles @ 8:00 pace

I was a bit annoyed that I didn't finish the final .25 of the 3rd interval.  I was having stomach issues near the end and I quit on it.  I will nail it next time.

5 recovery miles on the TM (1.0 incline).  avg pace was 8:46.

4 miles on the TM during my lunch break. Avg pace was 8:00.  things are busier than expected today so I could only get in 4 miles during lunch.  i will try to squeeze in a few more this eveving once my son is in bed.

8 miles on the TM (1.0 incline) during my lunch break.  Total time was 56:00:

1 mile warm up @ 8:15 pace;

6 tempo miles @ 6:35 pace;

1 mile cool down @ 8:15 pace

This was the best workout I have had post Philly Marathon.  My fitness is coming back, at least for middle distances.

10 miles on the TM at home (1.0 incline).  avg pace was 8:10

6 miles on the TM (1.0 incline) including 2.25 VO2 max miles.

1.5 warm up miles with strides

4 interval sets: .5 mile @ 6:00/mile pace with .25 mile recovery @ 8:00/ mile pace

1 interval set: .25 mile @ 6:00/mile pace with .25 mile recovery @ 8:00/mile pace

1 mile cool down

This was another frustrating speedwork session.  i was expecting to get through the planned 6x800 sets today, but my fitness at that pace just isnt there yet.  it's surprising to me given the solid tempo workout from last friday.

I skipped my scheduled recovery run today to take a yoga class during my lunch break.  my legs have felt tight lately and it helped with flexibility.  i will try the recovery runs on wed morning and continue to take this class at lunch going forward.

6 easy miles o the TM (1.0 incline). avgpace was 7:50

8 miles on the TM (1.0 incline) in 55:45, including 6 progressive tempo miles.

1 mile warm up

4 miles @ 6:35 pace

1 mile @ 6:31 pace

1 mile @ 6:27 pace

5 recovery miles outside.  avg pace was 10:12.  I ran with my wife today as she is training for her first half marathon since giving birth.  It was fun to run together again, but the weather was tough.  Wind chill was probably in the teens with the gusts.

6.5 miles on the TM during my lunch break (1.0 incline) including 3 miles of interval speedwork.

1.5 mile warm up including strides

3x1 mile (6:15 pace) with .5 mile recovery (8:00 pace) 

.5 mile cooldown 

I felt good about this one today given my struggles the last two weeks with speedwork.  plus, i took a total body conditioning class yesterday by mistake (thought it was just core, but it included a lot of leg exercises.  my legs are definately feeling it this evening.

Noon - yoga class

Evening - 5 recovery miles on the TM at home (1.0 incline).  avg pace was 9:23 

I was out for the count for almost a week with a bad cold.  Today was my first run since last Wednesday.  Suprisingly, it went very well considering I jumped right back into a speedwork session.

2 mile warm up with strides

6 x .5 mile (6:00/mile pace) with .25 mile (8:06/mile pace) recoveries

.5 mile cool down

I had struggled with this workout the last two times I attempted.  I am still not completely over the cold, but I guess the time off helped a bit.

It has been a good start to the week.  Yesterday, I found out that I got in the lottery for the Philadelphia Broad Street Run 10 miler and today I was able to register for the Chicago Marathon eventhough the site (Active.com) crashed about 10 times during the process.  I just went back on the Chicago Marathon website and they have temporarily suspended registration due to Active's techical issues.  I wonder if this will go to a lottery next year too?

AM - 6 recovery miles this morning on the TM at home (1.0 incline). Total time was about 53 minutes.

Noon - Yoga class

The Yoga is getting easier and I have definately gained some flexibility in the last few weeks.  My quads were real sore today in class though.

6 easy miles on the TM during my lunch break (1.0 incline).  avg pace was 8:09.  my legs felt good today

7 miles on the TM during my lunch break including 5 tempo miles (1.0 incline).

1 mile warm up

5 miles @ 6:31 pace

1 mile cool down

This workout was tough today.  I just wasn't feeling great, but I got through it.

6 recovery miles on the TM at home early this morning before the family woke up.  Avg pace was about 9:00/mile.

Glad to have gotten the run out of the way already today.  It's going to be a busy day.

11 miles on the TM at home this afternoon in 1:28 (8:00 avg pace) with miles 9 and 10 marathon pace 6:58 (1.0 incline).

My right ankle is pretty sore post run so I am going to try and stay off my feet this evening and tomorrow. 

No run today, but I did some light strength training (total body) and some ab work at the gym during my lunch break.

I am happy to be back in the 170s.  I would like to be down to 170 by the broad street run in early May.

Interval/fartlek workout today on the TM during my lunch break (1.0 incline)

15 minute warm up

4 x 5 minutes @ 6:00/mile pace with 4 minute recovery jogs at 8:06 pace

5 minute cool down

56 total minutes, 7.67 miles

The last interval was tough, but overall, this felt like the correct intensity. 

6 recovery miles on the TM at home tonight.  Avg pace was 8:50.

We drove up to Lake Placid today for a long weekend to attend a wedding.  we left the house around 10:30 and didn't get to the hotel until about 7:30.  after we got settled, i squeezed in 8 miles at the fitness room.  avg pace was 8:00.

It should be a fun weekend.  as part of the wedding weekend festivities, we will do biathalon, bobsled, and curling.

Tempo run today at the lodge fitness center in Lake Placid.  not sure if it was the temperature in the fitness room and no fan on the TM, potentially the altidude compared to philly or that i didn't sleep well on the pull out couch, but I had to cut the tempo portion .5 miles short since I was putting out way too much effort for the pace.

2 mile warm up

4.5 miles @ 6:31 pace

.5 mile cool down 

6 miles on the TM (1.0 incline).  avg pace was 8:08

Interval workout on the TM (1.0 incline).  

2 mile warm up

6x.5 miles @ 6:00 pace with .25 mile recovery jogs at 8:06 pace

.5 mile cool down 

Noon - Yoga Class

8pm - 6 recovery miles on the TM at home.  Avg pace was 8:55.

6 easy miles on the TM (1%) during lunch.  avg pace was 8:00

8.5 miles in 1 hour on the TM (1%) including 6 tempo miles.

2 mile warm up

6 miles @ 6:31 pace

.5 mile cool down

I was only scheduled for 5 tempo miles, but I was feeling good and wanted a confidence booster by going at tempo pace close to 10k race distance since I have a 10k race next Sunday.

Overall I am feeling good and think I can hit my goal next weekend assuming weather conditions are ok.

6 very easy miles on forbidden drive with my wife and son.  This was the first time running with him in the jogging stroller.  it was a good time for all and the weather was great.  avg pace was 10:34. 

Yesterday was an unplanned day off as my son was admitted to the hospital again late Saturday night with a respitory virus.  I spent all day at the hospital, but he was released today. 

On a positive note, I got confirmation of a corral A start for the Chicago Marathon today.

6 easy miles at home on the TM (1%).  Avg pace was 8:09.

Post run, my right knee is really sore.  It feels similar to runners knee/ITB syndrome that I have felt in the past, but it came from nowhere.  Yesterday, everything was fine and almost immediately after the run today, I started feeling pain.  Need to be better with stretching before/after my runs.  I will have to see how I feel tomorrow before attempting a speedwork session.

Interval/Fartlek session on the TM during my lunchbreak (1%)

15 minute warm up

4 x 5 minutes (6:00/mile pace) with 3.5 minute recoveries (8:06/mile pace)

5 minute cool down

This workout was similar to two weeks ago, but I reduced the recoveries to 3.5 minutes from 4 minutes.  I guess I cut the recoveries  too short because I had to cut the last speed interval to 4 minutes from 5.

Total: 7.25 miles in 53 minutes.

I took advil about an hour before the run and two hours post run, my knee feels ok.  We will see how it feel once the medicine wears off.

7 miles on the TM in about 53 minutes (1%).  The first five miles got incrementally faster starting at 8:30 pace and ending at 7:30 pace.  Mile 5 - 5.5 was at MP.  Mile 5.5 - 6.25 was around Sunday's 10k goal pace (6:15).  Mile 6.25 - 6.5 was at 5:00 pace.  I picked up the pace quite a bit at the end to practice to work on my kick for the race on Sunday. 

6 easy miles on the TM (1%) with 5x50 meter strides.  stride pace ranged fro 6:00 to 5:00/mile.  total avg pace was 8:03.

The 10k is in about an hour.  It's 32 degrees outside and partly cloudy with light winds.  Since most of my training has been inside this year, I have opted to wear tights with a short sleeve shirt, arm warmers, gloves, and a warm hat.

I wanted to put a few thoughts down on strategy pre race.  Hopefully writing my thoughts down ahead of time will help me stick with my goal during the race since in the past I have had a tendency to start out too fast in 10k/5ks.  The plan is to run the first two miles at 6:20 pace.  The third mile has a significant downhill for about a quarter mile so I figure this mile will be faster (around 6:05).  Mile 4 should be around 6:15.  The 5th mile has the same hill that mile three had except we need to run up it so I figure this mile will be around 6:40.  From there, hopefully I have saved some energy to put in a fast final 1.2 miles. 

Off to the race.

It felt good to be racing again.  The race was a little delayed at the start, but no big deal.  The wind today played more of a factor than expected when I left the house, especially miles 2.5 - 5 when we were close to the river.  I ended up racing most of this race by myself as I was inbetween the lead group and the people behind me.

The first two miles went almost exactlly according to plan.  Mile 1 was in 6:19, mile two in 6:23.  The third mile was going according to plan as we hit the large downhill toward the river, but we then hit a big headwind and I started to struggle a bit.  Mile 3 was in 6:18 and the 5k was around 19:40.  The headwind was still very strong for most of mile 4 before we hit the turnaround.  Mile four was 6:45 pace and I was not in a good place mentally.  I tried to dig deep during mile 5 getting the benefit of the tailwind, but I couldn't quite get back to goal pace.  Mile 5 was 6:27 pace.  Shortly after the 5 mile mark, we hit the big hill that we bombed down during mile 3.  The hill killed me (not surprising since most of my training this year has been inside on a treadmill).  Once the hill was complete, the course joined back up with the slower 5k runners so I spent the last .7 miles weaving in and out of slower runners.  Mile 6 was 6:51 pace and the final .24 miles (course was 6.24 miles according to my watch) was in 6:23 pace.  Overall my time was 40:34 for the 6.24 miles (6:30 pace). 

I was a little upset that I didn't hit my goal, but I still officially PRd by over a minute for the race distance.  I have run tempo runs recently on the TM at the same pace as today's run which suggested to me that I wouldn't have a problem breaking 40 minutes today, but I guess there is a big difference between running on a TM at a consistant pace and running a race with hills, colder temperatures, and wind to deal with. 

The next race is a 5k on 4/6.  Hopefully I can get my mileage base up a bit before the race while still getting in my harder tempo/speedworkout in.

6 recovery miles on the TM (1%).  Avg pace was 8:46.

6 easy miles on the TM (1%).  avg pace was 8:31.

4.76 miles on the TM (1%).  avg pace was 8:30.

Took Friday off unplanned as I didn't really sleep Thurs night since I had to take my dog to the vet hospital in the middle of the night.  She had a pretty serious seizure.

7 very easy miles with my wife outside along the banks.  Avg pace was 10:15.  Started breaking in my new FT 5s.

Two more unplanned days off Sun/Mon as it was my son's turn to be really sick again.

Speed session today to let out some steam/stress from the last 5 days or so.

2 mile warm up

4 x .5 miles (5:52 pace) with .25 mile recoveries (8:00 pace)

1 x .5 miles (5:42 pace) with .25 mile recovery (8:00 pace)

1.25 mile cool down

Total time was 52 minutes.  The speed pace was probably faster than necessary, but I was really looking to let out some steam.

Progressive tempo run on the TM (1%).

1 mile warm up

2 miles @ 6:31 pace

1 mile @ 6:27 pace

1 mile @ 6:22 pace

1 mile @ 6:18 pace

1 mile cool down

I felt really good today.

4 easy miles.  avg pace was 8:15

6 miles today on the TM (1%) including a 2 mile time trial.

2 mile warm up;

1 mile @ 5:56 pace, .5 mile @ 5:52 pace, .5 mile @ 5:42 pace;

.5 mile recovery @ 8:00 pace;

.5 mile @ 5:42 pace;

1 mile cool down

The run felt really good today.  I am optimistic about breaking 19 min for the 5k on Saturday.

4 recovery miles on the TM (1%).  8:52 avg pace

I walked over to the race with my wife and son as the start was about a mile away from our house.  The temperature was in the low 40s and windy.  I wore my split shorts, singlet, arm warmers, and a winter cap that I forgot to take off before the race started.

I finished my warm up and strides about 5 minutes before the scheduled start.  The race started about 10 minutes late.  At the time I had lined up at the start, I was right near the front, then a large number of people jumped in front of the start pads before the start (a large amount of them had no business starting in the front).  Compounding the issue was that the race started on UPenn's campus on a walking path no mor than 15 feet wide so the start was very congested.

The gun went off and immediately, the person in front of me falls over.  I barely dodged the individual and it took me 7 seconds to get to the start (gun time vs chip time was 7 seconds).  I was concerned with the slow traffic in front so I spent way too much energy getting around them for the first .25 miles including times where I was running on the grass to get around people.  When I looked down at my watch at .25 miles once I got around the traffic, I was running a 5:35 pace and was already breathing hard.  Again, I went out too fast.

My splits were as follows:

5:56, 6:09, 6:17, 5:23 pace (final .19 miles).  My watch read the course at 3.19 miles (6:05 total avg pace).  I was totally spent after the run and my lungs still feel a little junky now 7 hours later.

This was a PR so I am happy about that, and if my Garmin was true, I am happy with the overall pace.  The course was supposed to be USATF certified, so not sure why my watch was off.  Probably some added distance with the weaving in and out at the beginning as well as in the middle section of the course as there was a portion of the course that was run twice.

7 easy miles outside around the campus of Haverford College including 4.75 miles around the track.  Total time was 1 hour.

My watch read right at 4.75 miles for the time spent on the track which makes me believe my Garmin is reading correctly.  Makes believe that the 5k course yesterday was in fact a little long as my watch read.

The school is very close to Merion Country Club, where the US Open for golf will be held this year.  There are already a bunch of hospitallity tents up in prep for the tourney.

4.25 recovery miles.  I had planned to run on the TM during my lunch break but it was so nice out (around 70 degrees) that I decided to run outside.  Didn't have my garmin so I had to estismate distance using Google Pedometer. 

Ran from the gym up 5th street, over the Ben Franklin Bridge via the pedestrian walkway and back.  Down Race St to 2nd, 2nd to Market, Market to 5th and 5th back to the gym.  Time was around 36 minutes.

7.5 miles on the TM (1%) including speedwork intervals:

2 mile warm up;

3 x .5 miles (5:52 pace) with .25 mile recovery (8:00 pace);

1 x .5 miles (5:49 pace) with .25 mile recovery (8:00 pace);

1 x .5 miles (5:46 pace) with .25 mile recovery (8:00 pace);

1 x .5 miles (5:42 pace) with .25 mile recovery (8:00 pace);

1 mile cool down

I got through this workout without much difficulty eventhough my legs felt pretty tight this morning.

5.4 easy miles outside in the beautiful weather.  I ran from the gym, around Olde City (Penn's Landing) and over the BF Bridge and back.  Avg pace was 8:09.

5 miles on the TM (1%).  7:50 avg pace.

7.1 miles on the TM (1%), including 5 LT miles.

1.1 mile warm up

5 miles @ 6:22 pace

1 mile cool down 

This workout was tough, but I got through it.  My legs felt it worse than my lungs today.

9.5 very easy miles with my wife and pushing my son in the stroller.  We ran along West River Drive.  It was breezy but it felt very nice outside this afternoon.

I am taking the morning off tomorrow from work to watch the Boston Marathon via webcast.  Hopefully I can learn more about the course by watching the race. 

5 miles today including two 5 minute speedwork intervals.

1.5 mile warm up

2 x 5 min @ 5:52 pace with 3.5 min recoveries @ 8:00 pac

Cool down

I couldn't get into the run today.  i had limited time since things are crazy busy at work, plus I a still in shock about the bombings at the boston marathon.  my prayers are with the victims and their families

6 miles on the TM (1%). 8:00 avg pace

4 miles on the TM (1%). 8:30 avg pace. I took it easy today since I fell like i am getting a cold. Felt better after the run so i am glad i got a few miles in.

6 miles with my wife an our son in the stroller along west river drive. 10:20 avg pace

11.5 miles along the Kelly drive / west river drive loop including 7 MP miles. It was very windy today which made the MP miles much harder than expected.

Total time was around 1:25:00. I don't know the exact time/distance since my garmin died shortly after mile 11. Avg MP for the 7 miles was 6:58.

6 miles on the TM (1%) including 6 quarter mile intervals @ 5:46 pace with .15 mile recovery jogs. Total avg pace was 7:33. My work sponsored 5k is this thursday night. My legs feel good this evening so i am not concerned that i pushed too hard today.

4 easy miles on the TM (1%) with 6 sets of strides. Avg pace was 8:45.

5k tomorrow night

Similar to last year, the weather was nice tonight (about 64 degrees at the start).  There was some noticable wind in the middle section of the race, but nothing terrible.  I tried to keep it somewhat conservative at the start, but still went out a little fast (first .25 miles was at 5:40 pace.  I made a conscious effort to slow dow a bit for the rest of the first mile, eventhough there was at least 20 people in front of me.  I crossed the 1 mile mark at 5:57 and was feeling good.  The wind was felt the most from miles 1 to 1.55 at the turn around.  I was working hard to keep the pace at 6:00.  After the turn around, things felt better for a little while.  Mile 2 was at 6:00 pace.  I started feeling bad after 2.5 miles and was just trying to hang on at that point.  I felt at that point that my position in the race wasnt going to change so I let up a little bit, but still wanted to break 19 min.  Mile 3 was at 6:15.  By the time I could see the finish and the clock, it read 18:48 and I thought I still had a chance to break 19 min if I pushed it for the final kick.  I crossed the line at 18:59.  The final .13 was at 5:57 pace.  Total avg pace for the 3.13 miles per my garmin was 6:04.  I thought going sub 19 min would get me in the top 10, but I finished in 16th. Last year, I ran 19:44 and I placed 18th.  This was another official PR by about 22 seconds although I think the previous PR was on a long course.

I am happy with the result.  It has been a long week at work and I have not slept well.  I felt very sluggish during my pre race warm up so I am glad my body was able to respond well during the race.

5 easy miles on the TM (1%).  8:24 avg pace.

8 easy miles with my wife along the NCR trail near baltimore.  10:07 avg pace.

I feel happy for lauren. This will be her first long race since giving birth and she has prepared to a point where this pace should be pretty comfortable for a 10 miler.

6 miles on the TM (1%). 7:35 avg pace including .5 miles at LT and .5 miles at VO2 max.  i picked up the pace for a bit to test out my right hamstring which had been tight over the weekend post 5K.  felt fine during the run and now 30 min after.  hopefully it feels good tonight.

Progressive tempo run today on the TM (1%) and my last hard workout before the 10 miler on Sunday.

1 mile warm up;

3 miles at 6:31 pace;

1 mile at 6:27 pace;

1 mile at 6:22 pace;

1 mile cool down

7:04 total avg pace

5 easy miles on the TM (1%).  8:00 avg pace

I slept well last night and woke up this morning thinking today was going to be a good day.  My mother-in-law was watching our son since both Lauren and I were running so she was able to drop us off somewhat close to the start (1.25 miles) so we didn't have to deal with the subway.  She dropped us off about 45 minutes before the start.  We walked about .75 miles and were fortunate to find open port a pots along the course route without any lines.  After the pit stop, we jogged to the start area.  When we got to the start, Lauren and I parted ways and I ran another .5 mile warm up.  I got into the corral about 10 minutes before the start.

There was a lot of support for the victims of the Boston Marathon before the start, including a voice message from the Mayor of Boston and the playing of Sweet Caroline just before the start.  In addition, all the runners were given stickers at the race expo to wear on their hearts with the message "From Philly To Boston".  Mayor Nutter gave a good speech as well.

On to the race...

For those not familiar with the course, this is point to point with a gradual decline almost the whole way (about 175ft total decline).  My was to break 1:05:00 and I had planned to run the first 3 miles around 6:35 pace, the next 4 at 6:30 pace, and the final 3 around 6:25 pace.  The beginning of the race starts with a good downhill portion.  I was feeling great this morning so I started off a little bit faster than planned.  I was telling myself to slow down, but the pace felt good given the downhill.  The first 3 miles were in 6:15, 6:18, and 6:24.  Things flattened out a bit on the 3 mile, but the pace felt good eventhough it was under my planned pace. 

Miles 4 - 7:  6:23, 6:23, 6:12, and 6:28.  I was starting to labor a bit during the 7th mile, but still felt pretty good with 3 miles to go.

Miles 8 - 10:  6:24, 6:29, 6:25.  I was starting to struggle a bit here, but was able to kick for the last .2 to get the pace under 6:30 for the final mile.  I didn't want to be over 6:30 for the final mile after things had gone so well for me all day.

Overall, I was very happy with the final result.  My time was over a minute faster than my goal pace and over 8 minutes faster than my previous PR in this race from 2 years ago.

This was a good confidence booster before my longer races scheduled in the fall.  I am starting to believe that I am better suited for longer distances at this point.  I ran a 5k PR less than two weeks ago which suggested I would run a little over 1:05:00 for 10 miles.  In addition, my pace for 10 miles today (6:22) was about 8 seconds per mile faster than the last 10k I ran a little over a month ago, the 10k was hilly and windy though.

I am looking forward to upping my mileage to prep for Chicago in October.  

6 miles on the TM (1%). 8:20 avg pace. It felt good to be in new training shoes. The guide 6 feels good compared to the old pairs of guide 5.

6 miles on the TM (1%).  8:20 avg pace.

6 miles on the TM (1%).  8:00 avg pace.

8 miles on the TM (1%) in 58:00 including 6 miles at Marathon Pace (6:58).  I felt good today pushing the pace a little bit.  I had to squeeze in the 8 miles during my lunch break.

4 miles on the TM (1%).  8:00 avg pace.  I had to cut my run short today as we were traveling to a wedding and hit more traffic than expected.  

4 easy miles.  8:00 avg pace.

6 easy miles on the TM (1%).  8:00 avg pace.

5.7 easy miles with my wife and pushing our son. We had planned 6, but Russ got fussy. I took most of last week off as a medical precaution. Hopefully nothing serious, but I am still waiting on some bloodwork results.

Avg pace was just under 10:00.

Hopefully this week returns back to normal and I can get some decent mileage in.

6 miles on the TM (1%).  8:00 avg pace

6.3 miles in 50:00

7 miles on the TM (1%) in 51:50 including 3 tempo miles at 6:27 pace.

6 recovery miles on the TM (1%).  8:31 avg pace.

8.35 miles on the TM (1%) in 60 minutes including 7 miles @ MP (6:58).

5.65 recovery miles in 49:30

13.25 miles in 1:56:30. I ran the first 5.25 miles with my wife at about 9:45 pace then picked up the pace for the final 8 miles to about 8:15 avg pace. Pace wasn't really a concern today as I just wanted to log a good chunk of miles in to start off the week. I will take tomorrow off since I have run the last 8 consecutive days.

6 easy miles on the TM (1%).  8:27 avg pace.  

AM - 4 miles @ 8:25 avg pace

Noon - 4 miles @ 8:10 avg pace

4 recovery miles late this evening (9:01 avg pace).  I was attending an offsite work meeting all day today and didn't get home until late.  I ran less than an hour after eating a pretty big dinner and almost threw up during my run a couple times.  Had originally planned to run 6 today, but cut it short and will pick up the extra miles tomorrow.

I just realized that my Tues, Wed, and Thurs run were logged for Mon, Tues, Wed by accident.  Whoops!

I was super busy at work today so had to skip my lunch workout. We had an evening event so I could only squeeze in 5 miles after work. 8:01 avg pace.

Noon - I wanted to squeeze in 8 miles during my lunch break so I had to run 6 of them at MP (6:51 avg pace).

Hopefully I can get in a few easy miles tonight at home after Russ goes to sleep.

7 easy miles on the TM (1%).  8:01 avg pace.

7 easy miles on the TM (1%).  8:00 avg pace

7 miles on the TM (1%) including 3.5 LT miles (6:27) pace.  this pace was too hard given my current fitness so i shut it down at 3.5 miles.

Training for the Chicago Marathon officially started today for me. This was my first "long run" of the year for me (15> miles). 16 easy miles and I wasn't too concerned about pace. I ran the first 5 very easy with Lauren and Russ in the stroller (10:00 pace). The next 10 I averaged right around 8:00 avg pace with miles ranginlg from 8:15 to 7:43. There wasn't too much structure during these miles so the pace varied a bit. I finished with a very easy cool down mile (9:45 pace). Total time was around 2:20.

Although my base mileage hasn't been as high as planned so far this year, my races have gone well (PR each race). If I can stay injury free during my training, going sub-3hr at Chicago is well within reach.

Training starting weight: 177

Training starting VDOT: 53

8 miles on the TM (1%) including 4 LT miles.

2 mile warm up

4 miles @ 6:27 pace

2 mile cool down

This felt better than last week but still too hard given my current fitness.

5 miles on the TM(1%). 7:30 avg pace.

I went to see spirit of the marathon 2 this evening. I enjoyed it, but liked the first one better.

I need to get in some good mileage tomorrow.

I got slammed at work again today so could only run 4 miles during my break (8:00) pace.  By the time i had dinner and put my son down, it was past 8pm and i was feeling lazy so i skipped the evening run.

Squeezed in 8 miles during my lunch break. Total time was just under 58 minutes including 5 MP miles (6:52)).

I skipped my run today because I scored last minute tickets to the US Open. Best part was that the ticket got me in to the NBC hospitality tent along the par 3 13th hole. The tent was air conditioned, fully catered and had the latest Samsung HD tv's. I got to see each player come through. It was a really cool experience and totally free!

Got home just in time to take my wife out to dinner for her birthday.

The first 12 miles were good today (7:45 avg pace). I took the last 3.5 very easy but also bonked at the same time sinc I didn't take any gels. Once I got home, I was burning up and I have felt terrible since. I wasn't properly hydrated at the start and I think I must have had some form of heatstroke.

I started feeling better mid day on Monday after staying home from work in the morning. I got slammed at work today and only had time for 5 miles during lunch. Got home, fed Russ and put him to bed then had to log back into work until 10:30 tonight.

8:01 avg pace.

8 miles in 59min during my lunch brerak including 4 @ MP (6:51 avg pace).  i need to login to work again tonight so I am doubtful about getting in any evening miles at home.

7.5 easy miles at home late tonight on the TM (1%) in 1:04:00.  Things are still crazy busy at work, but I decided to put my computer away for a little bit to get a comfortable run in.  It felt good.

5 recovery miles on the TM. 9:00 avg pace.

We have to go to a wedding tonight and I know it will be a late night so I decided to push my long run up a day.

I was scheduled to run 16 with 8 @ MP. I started the run with my son in the stroller at 9:15. I ran 5 with him then met my wife and dropped him off. At this point it was about 80 degrees and pretty humid so I knew the MP miles were going to be tough.

Miles 1 - 5: 9:00 avg pace

mile 6: 8:00

miles 7 - 10: 6:55 avg pace

Mile 11: 8:45 (recovery)

Mile 12: 7:10

Miles 13 - 16: 9:15 avg pace

The heat was too much and I didn't want a repeat of last Sunday so I shut it down after the 5 MP miles and jogged the rest home.

Overall, I got in 57 miles for the week which I feel good about given the extra hours needed at work this week.

11 miles this evening at home on the TM after I put Russ to sleep.

1 mile warm up (9:00)

9 miles @ 8:00 pace

1 mile cool down (9:00)

Noon - 7 miles on the TM including 1.5 @ MP.

6 more miles planned for this evening.

6 recovery miles during my lunch break.  8:45 avg pace.

8 miles on the TM (1%) including 4 LT miles.

2 mile warm up with strides;

2 miles @ 6:22 pace;

2 miles @ 6:18 pace;

2 mile cool down

The effort level felt just right for the LT pace.  i was concerned it was going to be too hard at this point in my training. 

5 recovery miles on the TM before work.  my legs were very tight, not sure if it was due to the tempo run yesterday or running early in the morning.  i took it very easy (9:00 pace).

16 miles along Kelly dr up to main st Manayunk and back to the house. I ran the first 3 with Lauren and pushing Russ in the stroller. Lauren was really having a hard time out there so she stopped after three and walked home with Russ. 11:00 avg pace for the first three. I was feeling good out there today even though it was pretty warm and humid and I didn't have my iPod. I kept a pretty good pace for the next 12 miles (8:10, 7:53, 7:55, 7:57, 7:47, 7:34, 7:42, 7:42, 7:46, 7:29, 7:37, 7:37). I finished with an easy cool down mile (9:04).

59 total miles for the week. My legs have been responding well to the recent ramp up in mileage. Hopefully this continues.

Noon - 7 miles on the TM in 54:35.

8pm - 7 miles on the TM at home in 55:20. The run felt good this evening as I had a lot of energy. I thought the oversized portion of Chinese food leftovers was going to make me feel sluggish, but it didn't. I guess the two hours between dinner and the run helped.

Noon - I took a long break to fit in my run today.  9 total miles on the TM (1%) with 10x100m strides just before my cool down.  Total time was 69:40.  The strides started at 6:00 pace and progressively got faster each set, final set was 5:27 pace.  My legs felt great during the strides, but are pretty tight now, especially my hamstrings.  I will plan to use the roller tonight and take an epsom salt bath.  Recovery day tomorrow. 

5 recovery miles on the TM.  8:48 avg pace

Happy 4th of July everyone and Happy 1st birthday to our son Russell!! It's hard to believe a year ago today we were in the hospital waiting for the arrival of our son. We have survived the year well.

11 easy miles along the banks and west river drive. I was out the door by 7:30 so the heat wasn't bad. It was really humid but there was a decent breeze coming back home. Avg pace was 7:52.

Looking forward to spending the day off with friends and family. We are going to a BBQ this afternoon and will try to watch fireworks tonight' from our roof deck. I have a feeling our view will be blocked though.

5 recovery miles on the TM.  8:40 avg pace

Long run today in and around Mercer County Park in NJ near my mother in law's house. I started my run at 7:30am and it was already 80 degrees with close to 100 percent humidity.  by the time I finished it was easily in the 90s.  a few miles into the run, i decided to throw out any time goals today and wanted to just survive without overheating.  i probably drank about 100 oz of water during the run and still had aheadache by the finish.  avg pace was 8:39.  i a happy to have the long run out o the way and to have  day off tomorrow. 

Tempo run on the TM during my lunch break (1%). 

2 mile warm up;

5 miles at 6:18 pace;

1 mile cool down.

My legs were still tight for the first tempo miles but loosened up after and the rest of the run felt good.

Noon - 6 miles during my break in 47:30

8:15 pm - 9 miles at home in 72 min

5 recovery miles (8:58 avg pace)

Yesterday was an unplanned day off as my right ankle was feeling pretty sore and I didn't want to push my luck with an mp long run scheduled on Saturday.

7 easy miles today. 7:55 avg pace

Long run today with the middle third at MP effort. As soon as I got out of bed today, I knew this run was going to be a struggle. I was coming off 4 straight nights of about 6 hours of sleep and my legs felt dead during the whole run. The weather was in the low to mid 70s and cloudy with a good breeze along the Kelly drive/west river drive loop.

I ran the first 7 miles around 8:30 avg pace. The next 6 miles were at MP effort, the first 3 being into a stiff headwind. This took a lot out of me trying to stay near marathon pace. The next two were with a tailwind which made the miles feel ok but the last was into another headwind. MP splits were 7:05, 7:15, 7:31, 7:08, 7:06, 7:26. I had planned to run 10 miles at MP effort today but was totally discouraged by the way my body was dealing with the faster pace so I shut it down and jogged the final 5 miles home. Total time was 2:28:00.

I feel like I have only had one successful long run so far during my current marathon training. I know I need to get more sleep and eat better. I am struggling with the fact that my 5 mile tempo run earlier this week was at 6:18 pace, yet I couldn't get a single mile under 7 min pace today. If I look on the positive side of things, the marathon is still about three months away and I feel my overall fitness level is higher than it was last year 3 months before the Philly marathon.

My ankle held up ok today, but I was starting to feel some discomfort during the last MP mile and the final 5 easy miles. It's almost time for a new pair of trainers.

7 easy miles on the TM in 55:30.

Noon - 7 easy miles.  7:54 avg pace.

Going to buy new trainers after work and will run a few easy miles this evening. 

8 total miles on the TM during my lunch break in 58:00 with the middle 4 miles at MP (6:49). 

7 miles in 55:25

Noon - 4 easy miles on the TM (7:55 avg pace)

8 miles at home on the TM in 1:06:00. Not exactly sure what happened today. I ran at home to avoid the heat. It got so hot during the ren in the room with the treadmill that about 7.5 miles into the run, I almost fainted. I was supposed to run 15. I am really looking forward to the fall for purposes of long runs.

8 miles on the TM (1%) during my break including 5 LT miles @ 6:18 pace.

I forgot my ipod today and as a result struggled through this workout but survived. 

Noon - 6 miles in 45:35. I was busy at work today so I ran a little bit faster than my normal easy runs.

8:40pm - 10 miles at home in 1:20:00. I had a diet soda with dinner to give me a little caffeine before the run. It's almost 11pm now and I feel wide awake.

5 recovery miles at lunch.  8:46 avg pace.

8 progressive miles on the TM starting at 8:15 pace and ending with 3 MP miles (6:50).

7 easy miles on the TM (7:50 avg pace).

21 miles this afternoon along the banks, out Kelly drive to the Manayunk towpath. I turned around at 11 miles, stopped the run at 21 and walked the final mile as a cool down. The weather was warm (84 degrees), but the humidity wasn't bad.

My body responded very well, especially since I had very little sleep last night since my wife was in the ER until about 2am. Mile splits were as follows: 8:23, 7:45, 7:49, 7:52, 7:51, 7:55, 7:55, 7:51, 7:51, 7:57, 7:43, 7:44, 7:38, 7:27, 7:41, 7:56, 7:45, 7:51, 7:59, 7:58, 8:57 (cool down mile). I started to struggle to keep the pace around mile 17, but I guess that is to be expected for it being my first 20+ miler during my current marathon training. Overall, I am very happy with the run. With 11 weeks to go until tHe Chicago Marathon, I feel like I am at a pretty good fitness level. The recovery week helped a lot last week as my legs felt very fresh this week. I hit 65 miles for the week, which is one of the highest mileage weeks ever for me.

Noon - 6 miles @ 8:20 avg pace (TM)

AM - 10 miles along the banks.  it was beautiful outside this morning, 68 degrees with a cool breeze.  i need to get back into the habit of running before work.

7:28 avg pace including 2 MP miles (6:56, 6:48)

12 very easy miles this evening along the Kelly/west river loop. I wasn't planning on running this easy, but I started the run only about an hour after dinner (pizza and salad) and was fighting cramps and the urge to lose my dinner for about the first 7 miles. 8:47 avg pace

I missed the last three training days due to illness. I caught the bug/virus that kept my wife out of work most of last week on Thursday. That probably helps explain why my Wednesday night run was a struggle.

8 easy miles with Lauren and with Russ in the stroller. My regular training will start again tomorrow hopefully. I feel totally fine, but I think Russ has now caught it. He has been wheezing all day n now has a fever. Time to break out the nebulizer. Hopefully hhis breathing improves with the treatment.

Another bad week for training.  I thought I had beat my illness on Saturday, then I caught something else Sunday night.  I had severe GI issues all week so I had to take the whole week off again.  8 miles in 59:30.

I had planned to run 8 this morning before we drove to Rehoboth Beach for vacation.  About a mile in, I was having severe right knee pain so I took it slow and only ran 6.  9:00 avg pace.

AM - 8 very easy miles with my wife and sister in law this morning in Rehoboth.  10:30 avg pace.

PM - 6 aerobic pace miles on my own in 45:45. 

My knee felt fine for both runs.  I am going to experiment with more 2 a days this week as I will be sitting on the beach most of the day and should have a good chance to recover between morning and afternoon runs.

6 miles this afternoon out to Dewey Beach and beyond down Coastal Highway.  8:20 avg pace.  I got back just before a rain storm.  A few minutes later, there was a great rainbow over the ocean.  We got a great view from our deck overlooking the ocean. 

It's Lauren and my 7th wedding anniversary today so we are about to head out for a nice dinner in downtown Rehoboth.  It's nice having the grandparents and aunts around for vacation, 24hr babysitters.

AM - 6 miles with Lauren out to Henlopen State Park and back.  10:08 avg pace.

PM - just as I was planning to go on an evening run, my brother and his family arrived at the house so I didn't want to be anti-social and I skipped the run.

6:30 AM - speedwork session along the boardwalk. The Rehoboth boardwalk is exactly 1 mile long so it made it easy to track the distance for the intervals.

3 mile warm up with strides;

3 x 1 mile with 1 mile recovery jogs (5:52, 5:50, 5:51; recovery jogs around 9min pace);

1 mile cool down

There was a pretty strong breeze along the beach this morning, mostly to the south.  I took advantage of the tailwind for the speed intervals and ran the recovery jogs into the wind so my splits were aided to some extent.  Overall, I was happy with the consistent sub-6 splits.  My right ankle was a little sore during the 2 miles after the last interval but feels fine now.  Hopefully today's agenda will include a few late afternoon slow miles, but we will have to see.  Planning to go outlet shopping today with could completely drain me.

7:30 AM - 7 easy miles with Lauren out to Dewey Beach and back and up and back on the boardwalk.  9:40 avg pace.

3:15 PM - 7 easy miles with some strides during the last mile.  Out and back on Coastal Hwy.  7:53 avg pace.

9 easy miles with Lauren this afternoon.  We found a new trail today on our last night in Rehoboth.  It was about 2 miles from the house and was a 4 mile trail that connects Rehoboth and Lewes Delaware.  I was a soft gravel trail which felt nice give this was my 10 run in the last 8 days.  Avg pace was 10:15.

This was Lauren's long run for the week.  With the Rock n Roll Philly Half Marathon a month away, she is right where she needs to be from a training perspective.  I on the other hand need to get in some longer tempo runs over the next few weeks to try to determine the appropriate pace for this race.

We are back home from vacation. I took yesterday off to take a rest. Long run today. 22.67 miles along the banks and out to forbidden drive and back. The weather was perfect today. I had planned to run 23, but my wife called during my last mile to say she was taking Russell to the park so I met them there. 8:01 avg pace. I had a slow warm up mile and 2 cool down that slowed down the average pace. I put in a strong effort between miles 10-20 including 6 miles in the 7:20 - 7:25 range between miles 14-19. Total time was 3:01:50.

8 miles on the TM during my lunch break in 58 minutes including 4 MP miles (1%).  

3 mile w/u;

4 MP miles (6:53, 6:49, 6:44, 6:40);

1 mile c/d 

Noon - 5 miles, 7:47 avg pace

8:30pm - 10.33 miles at home on the TM. 7:54 pace.

8:30pm - 5 recovery miles at home on the TM. 8:48 avg pace.

Longish tempo run scheduled for tomorrow. Hopefully I get out of work early as planned.

Today was a complete failure during my long tempo run.  had planned on 7 tempo miles and onlu made it through 2.  my legs felt dead during my warm up so i knew it was going to be a bad day.  in addition, i ate a big lunch less than 2 hours before my run which caused some serious stomach cramps.  lastly, my pace was too aggressive for my current fitness level as i have missed my tempo runs the last 3 or 4 weeks.

3 mile warm up with strides;

2 tempo mile (6:15 pace);

3.75 recovery miles;

1.25 MP miles (6:50 pace) 

i think i may need to dial my half marathon goal back a little bit as it is only 3 weeks away

7 recovery miles along the banks (8:38 avg pace).

It was a beautiful morning out there today.

20 mile long run today.  We were down near Baltimore visiting my parents so Lauren and I ran along the NCR trail.  She ran the first 10 with me at 9:42 avg pace.  I was glad Lauren was able to keep the pace under 10 min, conditions were perfect which helped but more importantly she has been getting in some decent miles for her the last few weeks and is in good shape for the half marathon.

For the next 10 miles alone, I ran the following:

6 miles at marathon pace (6:36, 6:48, 6:44, 6:54, 6:54, 6:50),

1 recovery mile (8:43);

2 miles at marathon pace (6:34, 6:51);

1 mile cool down (9:30)

This run felt good after my struggles on Friday.  This being my 3rd 20+ miler of this marathon training cycle, my legs have adapted well to the distance and I feel pretty good afterwards.

5k scheduled for next Saturday.  Not quite sure what to expect.

Speedwork today.  It felt nice to let out some steam today.  My dog has been in the hospital the last two days and the doctors can't figure out what is wrong with her.  It's costing me a fortune too.

2 mile warm up;

1.25 miles @ 5:42 pace, .75 mile recovery (8:30 pace);

0.75 miles @ 5:42 pace, .25 mile recovery (8:30 pace);

2 x 0.50 miles @ 5:42 pace, .25 mile recovery (8:30 pace);

0.25 miles @ 5:27 pace;

0.25 mile cool down (9:30 pace)

I felt like the workout went pretty good.  If I am able to run the 5k on Saturday, I am thinking shooting for just under 6:00 pace is reasonable.

Noon - 7 miles in 53 minutes on the TM including 1 mile at MP

Noon - 5 miles including .5 @ MP.  7:38 avg pace.

Approx 8.25 miles today outside near my office. My garmin died less than a mile into the run. I think i was running for about 70 minutes and I was taking it pretty easy so 8.25 is my best guess.

I am running a 5k tomorrow. I would be happy with a time of 18:30.

I won! I didn't ever expect to be the overall winner of a 5k with a 19 minute time, but a win is a win and I am very happy to check this off my long term goals list.

As you could imagine this was a small race with a light field, about 170 runners (70 men). The course was along a nice bike trail inside of veterans park in Hamilton, NJ. IT was hot this morning and very humid. I ran a slow 1.5 mile warm up and was drenched in sweat. Given the humidity, I knew it was going to be tough to PR today.

The gun went off and about 4 or 5 guys went out in front of me including a 12 year old who took the early lead and finished 5th overall in 21:02, kudos to him. About a quarter mile into the race, I was still in 5th and the pace felt very comfortable (about 6:10). At this point, I felt like I had a good shot to win as the three just in front of me were starting to slow down a little bit. I pushed a little bit and easily moved to 2nd. At about .5 miles, the 12 year old had about a 10 meter lead on me and I quickly passed him to take the lead. I didn't look at my watch again until 1 mile (5:57). I looked back at this point and had built a decent gap on 2nd place. As I hit the oval turn around point around 1.75 miles I looked back and no one was there. I figured I had at least a 20 second lead and figured it was going to be very hard for anyone to catch me so I let up a little bit on the pace. I ran mile 2 in 6:10. I was feeling winded during mile three and let up a bit more knowing I was going to win. I didn't check my watch again until the end of the race. Mile 3 was in 6:25. I pushed it for the final .1 as people were cheering near the finish. I ran the final .1 at 5:57 pace. Overall time was 19:03, 4 seconds off my PR. Afterwards, I was very happy to win, but wished I had pushed it a little bit harder during the last mile. I finished about 25 seconds ahead of 2nd and a minute ahead or 3rd.

For the victory, I won a tennis racquet (not stringed) and a tennis racquet bag that holds at least 3 racquets along with a nice glass paper weight trophy thing. Too bad I don't play tennis, but I think my wife has a friend who will give us a little cash for the racquet/bag.

It was a nicely run event, except for a timing snafu that delayed the awards ceremony. The bib numbers and times were originally correct, but somehow the names attached to the bib numbers were all wrong. It got fixed eventually. I think I will run this again next year.

9:30am - 11 miles with Lauren along the tow path near Princeton University. It was very humid again today and Lauren was having a difficult time. Avg pace was 10:30 including the few short walking periods. I had originally planned to run an additional 7 by myself right after our run but we needed to make it back for lunch and to relieve my mother in law who was watching Russ.

1:30pm - we ate lunch and I had to run about 20 minutes later to squeeze in the 7 miles before our afternoon/dinner plans. This was a miserable run. I had bad cramps for the first 2 miles since I had just ate and the heat/humidity was intense. I had to work pretty hard just to run around 8:25 avg pace.

Progressive tempo run today on the TM (1%).  My legs felt great today after the day off yesterday.

1.5 mile warm up with strides;

3 miles @ 6:27;

2 miles @ 6:22;

1 mile @ 6:18;

.5 miles @ 6:15;

.25 miles @ 6:11;

.25 miles @ 6:07

.5 mile cool down

6:22 avg pace for the 7 tempo miles

Noon - 5 miles in 39 minutes

7:30pm - 10 miles outside. 7:39 avg pace

Noon - 6 recovery miles.  8:38 avg pace.

8pm - 12 easy miles on the TM at home after i put Russ to sleep.  8:07 avg pace.  This was a hard workout after a heavy mileage week for me and only a few hours of sleep last night since I stayed up to watch the Ravens get crushed last night.

6 recovery miles at home on the TM. 8:54 avg pace. 70 miles this week which is a first for me.

I decided this moning to do a mini taper this week before the half marathon so I ran 13 instead of 18, but still kept the intensity high.

3 mile warm up;

6 miles at marathon pace (6:38, 6:48, 7:03, 6:46, 6:43, 6:44);

2 recovery miles;

1 mile half marathon pace effort (6:32);

1 mile cool down

I wish the marathon pace miles would have felt a little bit easier today. My pace was kind of all over the place during those miles. The heavy mileage for me last week and the humidity today didn't help. Looking back, the avg pace for these miles was probably 5-10 seconds too fast. After the half marathon next week, I will lock into an official goal marathon pace which I think will help keeping my marathon pace splits more consistent.

Off day tomorrow.

Speedwork session today on the TM (1% incline).

2 mile warm up;

6 x .5 miles with .25 mile recovery.  Speedwork splits pace per mile (5:46, 5:46, 5:46, 5:42, 5:39, 5:36).  Recovery pace was 8:57 per mile;

1.5 mile cool down.

Total time was 58 minutes.  My legs felt really good today.  I could have completed a few more reps at progressively faster pace I think, but didn't want to go overboard with the race coming up on Sunday.

Took the day off today