Liftoff

AM: 24 miles, avg 6:45. Last 4 miles @ MP (5:56, 5:54, 6:01, 5:55).

Best long run yet of this training cycle. Overall endurance is feeling good. Although I'm still a way off from where I want to be at Twin Cities, I'm at a good place in the timeline.

AM: 12 miles.

PM: 8 miles at lunch with Quint and Mike.

AM: 4 miles at lunch with strides, loosening up for track.

Elise's bottom/front teeth have been loose for months, and we've been waiting to see if they would fall out naturally. This morning after breakfast she told me her loosest tooth was ready to come out. So we went to the bathroom and I pulled it out. She was a little shaken at first, but got over it quickly and began brushing it.

It brought back strong memories for me of my Dad pulling my teeth. I was always a little nervous from the pressure. He was very calm, and being a dentist, he knew what he was doing.

PM: 10 miles at track. Today was good from a standpoint of getting stronger through the workout. I'm a fan of conceding the first 3rd of the workout during the summer - just using it to warmup. Beside conserving energy, it seems to help mentally.

Workout: 4 X 400 WITH 200 REST, 3 X 800 WITH 200 REST, 4 X 400 WITH 200 REST, 400 REST BETWEEN THE SETS

Started out with Lee and Mike, everyone running carefully.

1:25, 1:20, 1:20, 1:15

Got moving on the 800s. Felt better than last week.

2:29, 2:30, 2:27

A high school guy named Ched joined us for the final 400s. His coach was telling him to hang with us and run 1:15s, while the four of us were looking distracted and thinking "Time to race these things!"

1:08, 1:07, 1:08, 1:10

I was feeling pretty good about outlasting our high school friend on the second and third repeats until Mike blew past me like I was standing still.

Love having these guys to run with. Solo I'd be lucky to make it to the track.

AM: 10 slow miles.

PM: 10 miles at lunch with Mike and Quint.

AM: 12 easy miles on the bridge.

PM: 8 miles at lunch with Mike and Quint.

AM: 11 miles. I took the day off, so like any sensible person I slept in, did a few chores, then met three buddies for 2 x 1.5 miles in Tampa at 10 AM.

This plan developed over the last couple weeks. We ran the workout at Al Lopez park, on the course where the 5k is staged next week. Charles was very familiar with it. I had heard it was a good, and it really was - a couple of slow circles around ponds with decent shade. Not only certified but engraved mile markers by the City of Tampa!

Charles wanted to run the full course as a 5k practice, while Mike, Quint and myself opted for running 1.5 miles, 5 minute standing rest, then another 1.5. I've done this workout once before, and it was a great indicator and confidence booster.

This time, I had a lot of work-related stress on my mind, so at least I wasn't thinking too much about running. It was still daunting though. I want to believe that on a good day in winter I could run close to 7:30 for both repeats, and my goal was to get as close to that today as possible. I tried to clear my head and just slug it out.

We staggered our starts, which really helps us with motivation. I ended up running 7:45/7:55 - solid but not spectacular. That suggests to me I'll run around 16:15 next Sunday. I'd really like to cheat the reaper and get under 16, and I think I have a slight chance, very slight.

PM: 4 mile shakeout.

AM: 12 miles on the waterfront. That's all for the day- heading to Orlando for an engagement party.