It's over, man. Let her go.

Signed up for the Pittsburgh Marathon training at work today.  I guess that means I'm back....

Well, I'm finally making my 2012 debut.  I signed up for my employer sponsored Marathon Training Program last week.  I signed up for the full, but after a few days of thinking about it, I don't think I'll be ready to do it the first week of May.  I could try, but trying to build mileage in 16 weeks or so would just result in injury.  So, I think I'll stick with a solid half and see how it goes.

Got in 3k today in 20:00 which was about all the time I had, but was about all my legs could do.  I'm looking at a few races in the next couple months to get me motivated again and get some miles under my belt before the training officially starts next month (I think).

I'm just happy to be back, happy to be able to spend some time catching up on a few race reports, and just thinking about running again.

...

No, I can't stop my post quite yet.  I hopped on one of the new treadmills at our gym at work.  Pretty freakin sweet, but not what I was going to say.  I'm about a mile into my run, just kinda watching everyone.  The music is jammin' and on comes the song I'm Sexy and I Know It...or at least that's what I think it's called.  I had to wonder...how many of those people in the gym right then thought the song was about them??  The things that make you go hmm!

I'm counting a mile for two reasons:

1)  I had to jog from work to where I park which is just over a mile.  But I walked some...

2)  ...but more importantly, the family went to The Rink at PPG Place to do some ice skating and I didn't have a season ending fall.  None of us are skilled skaters, so we all got off lucky.

Had a great time and due to my crazy schedule, I even got a jog in as well.

It snowed today...first time shoveling this season.  I need to find an off-season snow shoveling training program.  I felt like a linebacker at the first day of training camp.  I may try this one out next time it snows

Squeezed in a couple at the gym before they closed. Not fast, but miles just the same.

Nothing like a 63.0 mi week to make you feel like you made the right decision to sign up for the full marathon in May!

I have to decide this weekend if I'm doing the full or the half.  Gotta sign up and pay for it.  Would anyone put money on me being able to train for and finish the full the first week of May?  If no one would, I'm switching to the half.  :-)

5k program on the new treadmills - level 3.  Nothing fast, but got it done.

Trying to be consistent...

Had our kickoff meeting today for the Marathon training.  I got my 30% off coupon for the Half since I won't be ready for a full by May.  I took the Intermediate Half and Full training programs.  I'll start with the Half and then after the race, I'll start into the Full since it will be about 16 weeks from then to the Full I am thinking of doing.

Starting next week, we'll have group runs a couple days a week and in a couple locations around the city on Sundays.  Go in to the gym to do a training session, and we get a coupon for a free massage.

Started off with 8:00 rowing (1725m) then did a couple miles at 11:00 pace.

Was going to focus on some strength training and not run, but decided to do a "hill" instead.  Treadmill set at 7%, went for 15:00 between 11:00 and 12:00 pace.  Stretched and decided to go home at a decent hour tonight.

Yesterday was the official start to the Pittsburgh Marathon training program for work.  It was supposed to be a XT day, but I took my wife to dinner instead.

But, today was the first group run day at 5pm tonight.  Only myself and a woman showed up, and she was planning to run inside.  It was only about 35F out and drizzling, so I didn't blame her, but I had to run outside.  The treadmill last week was too much for me, so I came prepared.  The plan called for 2mi today for the Half program, but I wanted to go more and I was feeling really good.

Nothing fast, and it was a pretty flat route, but I was happy to see my 13:29 at the 1.5mi turn around (8:59 pace).  It was a sloggy, slushy mess, but much more fun than the treadmill.  I walked for about 30 sec before heading back.  I took the trip back a little slower with the first mile in 9:09, walked for about 100m then jogged the last half mile in just under 9:20 pace.

Feeling good, no major pains or anything and I was happy with my faster pace than I've been doing last week on the treadmill.  It was definitely freezing cold and I kept checking for BNS since I had forgotten to put some body glide on and was wearing a white shirt.

Tonight, I've got to nail down the races, put some $$ down on them and then go shoe shopping this weekend.

Beautiful evening weather - 47F and it stopped raining.  Went out for my run thinking I'd stick to the approx. 2mi plan but went a little further.  Had a slight shin splint yesterday in my left shin, probably just from the first run outside in a long while.

Run went well and would have stuck to the 2mi but the riverwalk was closed due to some construction, so I had to change course.  Took a longer way back to the gym, but felt pretty strong and averaged about an 8:40 pace without feeling like I was pushing it much.

After about a mile, I was feeling so good, I decided tonight was going to be my "test" to see if I could do a 10k without stopping.  I've been debating signing up for the 8.1mi Just a Short Run at the end of March, and today is the deadline before the fee goes up.  Up to today, I just haven't been "feeling it" and didn't feel like my endurance was increasing at all.  I told myself this would be my long run and if I could do 6 without stopping, I'd be OK doing the 8.1 in a couple of weeks...so "I just put my Walkman on and said, 'I'd might as well kick it.'"

The route I took was pretty flat, but there were a few rolling type hills.  I just focused on relaxing and letting the miles tick away, not trying to push it at all.  I averaged a 9:05 pace, I think, so I was pretty happy about that all things considered.

Anyways, things are improving...and I guess I need to sign up for the race now...

Just a slow stroll

Sad day for the BaldNSpicy household.  Our 13 year old pup had to be put to sleep today.  She will be missed dearly.

Not a good run today, but I'm glad I got out.  HR was high for the 9:50 avg pace.  Must be from the week I took off last week when my sister came to visit.  Still, with the 65-75F weather we've been having, how could I not go out?

Beautiful day today!  Got out a little earlier (10:30am) before everyone else hit the gym.  Run was nice but a bit soggy with the thunder & lightning storms we got last night.  Ran the trail.  Walked a little at the 2.13mi turn around and again about 3.2mi.  Take out the 1:30 min walk and my avg pace was about a 8:50.  I was watching the HR to try and keep it between 160-165.  The legs feel like they have no strength, so I desperately need to spend some time doing strengthening exercises!

This weekend I'm finalizing my racing schedule...

Slow but steady

8:31 avg pace

11:50 pace...walked a fair amount.  Just wasn't feelin' it.

9:19 avg pace

9:42 avg pace

Trip to Michigan to relax, visit my wife's cousin and see some Detroit, Frankenmuth, etc. Didn't run outside, despite finding a cemetary a couple miles away. The hotel gym had tv monitors on the machines and my son wanted to run with me, so I did a couple miles. Great times!

Still on vacation. Wasn't feeling like running, but Zayne wanted to workout. Best part was soaking in the hot tub for 45 mins.

Spent time in Detroit then drove the 6 hours home. Also finalized our Pittsburgh Pirates tickets. Can't wait to see Boyz II Men and Styx!!

Oh, and I gained about 8+ lbs on this trip. Time to get my booty in gear....

Hopped on the bike tonight.  Figured if I was going to watch some TV, I'd might as well do some working out.

Gorgeous day and it felt great to get out.  Decided to go long and I'm feeling it a little, but glad I got out of the office and on the trail.  Walked probably 1/4 mi of this, but managed just under a 10:00 pace.  After gaining more than a couple of pounds the last two weeks, I decided it was time to kickstart myself again and what better way than with a long, slowish run?

First, congrats to each and every runner that endured the heat of the Boston Marathon.  While I would have loved to have been there with you, I am kinda glad I wasn't.  I would have spent more time in the medical tent than on the course.  That or I would have wimped out.  

True to my Facebook post, though, I did my 26.2 (minutes) as well.  It wasn't pretty, but I got the job done.  I gotta get rid of these extra 15 lbs...then lose another 10.  Weird how they just snack...I mean...sneak up on ya! :-(

Dropped the car off at the shop and ran home.  Nice night, but got colder as I got closer to home and could have used my lightweight gloves.  First time running with my new orthotics and they felt pretty good.  Similar to the last set, just a little softer.

AP was 9:47 which isn't too bad considering I had to walk a couple of times and I forgot my headlamp so was having to really watch the sidewalk when I couldn't run in the street.  I ended up with a little blood on my shirt anyways from wiping my face and not noticing I bit my lip or it cracked or something.

The weight is coming off a little, but my legs were SO tired afterwards and remained that way the next day.  My cardio needs help too since I'm hitting high 160s, low 170s and feeling like I'm maxing out at a much slower pace than I used to be running at that HR.

Lots of work to do, but now that my othotics are here, I'm heading to get new shoes and finalize my target race schedule.  Probably just a few 5 or 10ks with a fall half as the focus.  As much as I'd like to get a full marathon in this year, I don't think it's going to happen.  It will have to be 2013.

Beautiful day today and got a nice 2.7mi walk in.  Started from work, over to the Pirates PNC Park stadium to exchange some tickets, then over to near the old Mellon Civic Arena & new Consol Energy Center where the Penguins play to the Boy Scout office to pick up a copy of the boy's advancement records and a couple items from the store, then back to work.

The Pirates' Monday night game was rained out so they moved it to today as a double-header.  They beat the Colorado Rockies yesterday, then won one and lost one today, so they did pretty good!

Once or twice a season, Mrs. BNS and I like to hit an afternoon game and treat ourselves to the All You Can Eat seats.  Unfortunately, the Mrs. got a bug last night so she was iffy for the game(s) and ended up not feeling well enough to come down.  Fortunately, since we're "season ticket holders" they were kind enough to switch the tickets to the afternoon game in May, even though the tickets are non-refundable, exchangeable, etc.

I was certainly looking forward to stuffing my face for 18 innings, but maybe next month.  I should be closer to my goal weight by then and can afford to add a few pounds to work off over the following week(s).  :-)

Nice run after work.  About 60^o and drizzling with some wind.  Ran an out and back on the trail which is basically flat.  Goal was to not walk until the turn around, then take a 30sec walk, then run back.  Goal achieved. 

I forgot my Garmin at home, so no HR so I just threw the headphones on and tried to keep it easy and conversational.  Turned out to be faster than I thought (8:26 pace w/o the walk time).  I was sure I'd be closer to 10:00+.

I'll see how I feel tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to a longer run on Saturday.

Thanks to a fairly open day, I got out during the work day for a run.  It was a little chilly, but sunny so near perfect conditions.  Took it easy since I still plan to run tomorrow.  I kept the HR in the mid 150's, except for the time I looked down and something was freaking it out - it was showing 197...198...199.  I knew I was still alive, so an adjustment of the sensor fixed whatever was wrong and it dropped down to a reasonable 156.

Pace was easy on the fairly flat route at about 9:40.  No walking, so I was pleased with that.  Chatted it up with my buddy Greg at the gym after his run.  He's just getting back into it after Boston, which he noted were the worst conditions he's ever run a marathon in, and he's run several.  He's planning to defend his title at the Montour Trail Half, so it will be fun to run that one with him since it's my goal race this year.  Of course, I'll only see him at the start and as he comes flying past me on his way back from the turn around...

Sorry, no commentary to go with this entry, but I wanted to get the miles logged.

The plan was to run this morning, but other activities got in the way, so it turned into a late night run.  I wanted to get MILES in, so I drove down to the end of the river trail and started out about 10pm.  Right off, I could feel soreness on the sides of my lower legs...not shin splits, futher to the outside.  I remembered this happening back when I first started running a couple of years ago.  After a mile or so, I stopped and stretched them and they didn't bother me the rest of the run.  I must have forgotten to stretch them after the run yesterday.

I kept it easy, not really focusing on pace as much as HR and it stayed in the mid 150s - 160.  The fastest sections were definitely when I ran past the casino - it's all glass on that side and so I had to look good for the drinking crowd that were partying!  :-)

I thought of doing 8mi but then decided I'd go 3.5mi, walk a little and turn around to the 3.5mi mark and run back.  But after .18mi walking, I decided to just start running from there.  I was tired when I got done, but happy with my run.  Only walked for 15 sec or so two other times, so things are coming together again.

Another late evening run. After increasing my mileage last week by so much and a little soreness in the knees after Saturday's run, I was going to go do 3-4mi with some decent hills. I headed over to the Riverview Park where they have the upcoming Riverview 5k that I ran a couple of years ago. It's a loop through the park and is basically a mile downhill, then a mile back up the other side. For the race, they add a mile before the loop.

Anyways, as I was turning into the park entrance which is a street with some very nice, older homes. As I drove past a group of kids near the corner, I heard a huge bang on the car. I knew I'd been hit by a rock so I quickly turned around and the group of kids were still walking along acting like nothing happened. I figured they would have taken off in all different directions. Oldest looked about 14, the others between 8-12. I parked on the opposite side of the road and yelled at them come over here. An older couple, probably in their 60s sitting on their stoop told them to keep walking because they didn't know me. I explained they threw a rock at my car and the man came over and apologized and said it's been happening a lot around there. He's called the cops on boys - not sure if they were the same ones - for throwing rocks at the busses. I thanked him, left and found the boys again - they split off in two groups, but I found the kid I wanted to talk to.

I think I scared them with my skull & crossbones doorag or something because when I was talking...actually lecturing...the one kid, the others took off then came walking back with "something behind their backs." The kid I was talking to said, "now you're gonna get it, they've got knives."  I could tell by the way they were smiling that they were acting, so when the other boys got close enough so I knew they'd hear me, I repeated myself again that I wasn't planning to call the cops but doing something stupid like pulling a weapon on me would escalate this way beyond where any of them wanted it to go.  Again, I said all I wanted an apology from the one that actually threw it. This whole time, I'm giving the kids a lecture on setting an example to the younger boys, that not "giving up his homie" that did it doesn't help him or the actual vandal, that they need to be responsible for their actions regardless of the consequences, etc.

Long story short, while everyone else was gone the one I was talking to finally owned up to throwing a rock up in the air but that it was another kid (younger) that hit my car.  When he realized that I wasn't leaving and the others were coming back, he changed his story and said that he was the one that hit it.  I'm quite certain he was covering.  I didn't apologize when I asked the two youngest looking kids, "you two must be what...8 or 9?"  They were obviously offended and said, "No, we're 11!"  LOL

I told them I run down here often and if I ever see them throwing rocks or doing anything they shouldn't or suspicious I'm going to...and before I could finish my sentence, the oldest says "kick our a**es?" I looked at them shocked and confused and said "um...no, I'll call the cops. Do you really think I'm going to beat you up and go to jail? Of course not, I'm not going to jail for you or anybody." Yes, I had to quote Wayne's World even though I knew they wouldn't get it.  LOL

After that exchange and them knowing where I was headed for my run, I was reconsidering my route that night since it was getting darker now. I didn't feel like coming back to my van after running and having the tires slashed or something. Just so happened there was a city cop stopped on the street right near that older couple's house - not sure if they called him or not, but as I slowly passed him, I told him about the boys throwing rocks and where they were and he took off after them.

For the entire run, I kept thinking how it's really sad that there are kids out roaming the streets doing things that their friends might think is "cool" but will just land them in jail one of these days if/when it escalates. I treated them with the respect that I would hope that someone else would show my kids if they were ever in a situation where they or their friend did something dumb. Watching them, I think I actually got through to one of them, but that lifestyle isn't an easy to break away from.

For my run, I decided to head to my familiar running route that's fairly flat, run 1.25mi out where there's a hill the last 1/4mi, then do a couple reps up and down it before heading back. Felt pretty good, no knee or lower leg soreness like on Saturday's run. Not real fast, but I got a couple of good sub-8:00 "sprints" in there too.  For the next week or two, I'm going to skip days between runs so I don't over do it and sideline myself.  I'll focus on doing some core work on the "off" days.

Probably no running today, but I'll get in some strength training this evening.

BUT, I registered for the Riverview Park 5k on June 9.  Officially threw down the $ and signed up, so I'm committed now.  I ran it with my daughter in 2010 and started out slow with her.  I have a good month to train, so I may be able to PR but I'm not concerned either way.  It's a gateway race to my goal race, the Montour Trail Half on Sept. 8.  If I get free entrance into the Great Race again through work, I'll run that 10k on Sept. 25.  Then, there's always the Dirt Monster the first weekend in October.  Just taking it one day at a time, though.

Oh, then tonight was my son's (and my) first guitar lesson!  A friend in our ward is a self-taught guitarist, has played for 25+ years, and plays very well.  He plays at some local clubs in addition to his day job.  He was so excited I asked him if he'd be willing to teach my son...and get paid for it.  He's such a nice guy that he wanted to do it for free, but I have issues with that and I insisted we pay him. 

My son has wanted to learn to play for more than a year, so as his "big" Christmas gift he got lessons and guitar, amp, etc.  We spent some time researching guitars, visiting our friend's favorate & recommended store, tried several, etc.  Picked up a nice intermediate Fender guitar and 15w amp a month or so ago and we've both been getting familiar with it.

The lessons are for him, but I'll be picking up plenty myself.  Looking forward to doing this together, and if he continues to like it and gets better, I'll have to get my own guitar.

I was wishing I had the external battery pack like RT has when I went running today...or that I had simply charged my Garmin.  It read low battery, but usually I get my run in without it dying. I died before my 1.5mi turn around on the trail.  It didn't feel like it, but it registered 8:21 for the first mile.  I was feeling 10:00 pace.  It was so hot and humid!  I'm not ready for this weather yet.

After the Garmin died, I was so hot and thinking about Boston.  I couldn't imagine running that far in crazy heat.  As I was thinking that, I came around a bend in the trail and I see a small woman in a track suit standing near some trees getting professional photos taken with the Pittsburgh skyline in the background.  Plus, there's a videographer from KDKA taking video up the trail where I was coming from.  A group of people stopped from their run/walks standing there on the side of the trail watching her.

I figured this had to be the elite female Marathoner for the Sunday race.  She looked really shy, though.  She didn't seem to like the attention and all the looks.  I thought that was really strange, but I kept running, wondering if I'd be on TV.

Walked past the newstand today (Friday) and see this article on the front page!  A really sad story (with a happy ending), but that explains why she seemed so shy.  Hopefully she will do well on Sunday!

After wimping out last night and not going on a run, today was the day!  Headed out after work, so it was relatively cool and the wind wasn't bad, just a light drizzle.  Took it easy & relaxed going up past CCAC then up around the park and back.  Kept the HR in check, nothing over 160 or so.  Pace was mostly low 9's except when I did a little walking or waited for traffic - 9:42 AP.  Got back to the gym and decided to do a little cool down on the TM.

Looking at the TM controls, I decided instead to do some intervals to get the legs feeling some speed again.  Set it to 15 mins, but only did 13mins (7 resting, 6 speed minutes) then cooled down the other 2:00.  Resting pace was set at 10:55, speed started at 8:00 but after two of those, picked it up to 7:30, 7:03, and finally 6:40 with a 8:00 final minute interval.  I was really happy with the "feel" of the speed intervals.  The 6:40 was definitely fast and I'd have a hard time holding that much more than another 30-45 sec, but it felt good to stretch out the stride - as opposed to the shuffle run I do.

Hopefully I feel good tomorrow since I stretched out well tonight and even with the miles, I don't feel like I over did it at all.

Goals for this run continued to change as I ran.  I started out thinking I'd run 4mi easy and just get away from the desk.  After a few minutes, I was feeling pretty good and decided to see what my 5k time was as a benchmark, just running it pretty easy with no walking.  This is a pretty flat 5k route, so it's not even close to the hilly 5k route the Riverview race will be, but it would give me an idea.

Turn around point was 18:55 @ 2.13 and I considered seeing if I could negative split, but that wasn't really my goal so I focused on the 5k mark.  5k split was 27:25 (8:50 AP) with a little push at end, but wasn't drained.  Thought I might walk for a min at 5k, but goal then changed to just run the whole thing. The whole run was very consistent pace wise, which surprised me with the wind gusts that came and went - a few that almost blew me over.  Finished at 37:32, so the bit of a negative split was icing on the Twinkie.

Riverview 5k in a month...I don't think a PR is in the cards for the course, but a sub-30 would be OK with me.  The hills - both up and down - will be tough on me, but I'm looking forward to getting a race in.

I was planning on running the Riverview course, but my son wanted to ride along, so we went to the track instead.  The first 3.26 mi were 1.08mi (or so) x 3. Ran lane 6, four full laps then stopped for a few sips of water.  Took it fairly easy, but after 1.5 mi or so the legs were feeling tired.  :-(  But, I kept it goin' and AP was 9:00 over the 3 sets.  Feeling pretty tired, but wanted to get in 4+, so had to keep going.

I decided to see if I could break into the sub-8:00 pace for a mile after my 3.26mi warm up.  Started off feeling controlled with my auto split set to 1/4 mi.  Hit 2:02, then another 2:02, felt like I was slowing a fair amount during the third lap and started justifying it would be OK to do a .75mi "time trial" but knew I needed to do the whole thing.  With a 2:04 split, I was determined to finish and try and make up the 8 sec.  With a 1:53, I was 3 sec short and ended with a 8:02. I'll take it...this time.

First run this week...ugh!  Beautiful day and always good to get away from the desk.  A pretty easy loop around downtown.  Finished off with a couple short "sprints."

Ran the Riverview loop with a 1/4mi down hill and back up.  Plus a little walking...

8:06 on the mile down
9:47 on the mile up (not too bad considering I did a few short walk periods

With a decent first 1.1 mi and some more pushing on the way up, I'll hit the sub-27 in a couple weeks. 

The distance may look impressive for me lately, but it wasn't all that...I did crave a bag of chips though.

Route was pretty flat, but it was hot today and I was feeling it by the time I got to where I wanted to turn around.  I thought it would be closer to 2.0mi but it was 2.75.  The first 1/4 or so was fairly slow, but the rest I was feeling pretty good.  Finished in 25:43 (9:21 pace).  I was a bit disappointed since that's not going to get me a sub-27 and this was flat.  I walked for maybe a minute then headed back, walking for a couple 100 feet every 1/2 mi or so.  Finished the 2.57mi at 10:14 AP.

Still two weeks to go before the race, so I'm still hopeful.  I think I would have nailed it but with the severe blood loss and starvation, I think that played a major role in today's run.  I had to fast before our annual Health Screening.  Then they prick your finger and take blood to run the tests.  Certainly that decreased my blood volume to where I was a good couple mins slower.  Haha

I was disappointed with my 180 weight since the previous two years I was at 170 and 171.  The 180 pushed my BMI just to 25 which is "overweight."  Sigh...  All the other numbers were very good to excellent, so I guess I'm going to live another year.  That's a good thing, depending on who you ask, of course. :-)

Nothing good to say, so I'm not going to say anything at all...lol

Update...I wish I hadn't reviewed my notes from the last month of work.  I found the quote I had meant to put on my blog.  Now I have to add that and that's saying something good, so I guess I lied earlier.  Not as good as Trap's quote - not sure any exist that are - but pretty profound for The Shaq.

"Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit.  You are what you do repeatedly." - Shaquille O'Neal

Funny.  On Tuesday, I started typing up this race report based on how I was feeling after that run.  I decided to delete it and start over since it wasn't very positive.  LOL  But I did beat my #1 goal from that draft entry to go sub-30.

Overall, I'm glad I ran this race.  If I hadn't already paid for it, I would have skipped it.  I'm no where near where I wanted to be for this, but I knew I could finish the distance and it's practically in my backyard.  I had the fleeting thought that I should just go pick up my shirt and leave, but decided I couldn't wear the shirt if I wasn't going to run it or I'd end up being one of "those" people.  I decided to just do it and not worry about my time.  I had little hope of beating my time the only other time I ran this in 2010.  I took my son with me and he ended up having a blast.  

On our way to the registration table, I heard my name shouted - it was my buddy Greg and his fiance, Liz.  We had about 15 mins until the race, so we chatted for a few minutes then Zayne and I ran to get my number.  Zayne had met Greg before and remembered him.  It was our first time meeting his fiance and she's awesome, of course.

I had let Zayne keep my phone so he could play on it while I was out on the course if he wanted.  As we're lined up and about 30 secs from the gun, he runs up to me through all the runners with my phone so I could unlock it for him. Not sure if he would have run after me or maybe caught me on the first out-n-back to put the password in for him.  That could have been interesting!  Turns out he didn't even play on it.

Race started right at 7:00pm, they're good about that.  This is a small race (300 or so), but very well put on since they've done it for 16 years, I think.  Anyways, Greg was pretty sure to win it since his other team member that beat him by a few seconds last year wasn't racing this year.  On the first out-n-back, he was leading with 3 guys following.  On the way down from the Observatory (about .8mi) he had a good 10 sec lead.  They had two motorcycle cops escorting and Greg told me after the race he actually had to go around the one in front at one point because he was going too slow!  Greg won with a 16:54, beating his time last year by 15 sec.  He's a speedy guy!

I hadn't had time to warm up at all - but wasn't really planning on it to be honest, so I was just taking it easy.  Before the race, I turned off the auto-lap on the Garmin and set the display to just show avg. pace, HR, and current pace.  I didn't want the beeps going off and me calculating where I was in relation to my time from two years ago.  I just ran it, keeping it reasonable but still hitting 170s on the HRM even on the downhill.  Zayne was there at the start of the downhill and yelled encouragement, which was great.

Skipped the "1 mi" water station.  They had the station the same place before, and as I was coming up to it, the timer read 9:10.  Looking at the Garmin, my avg pace was about 8:40 so I was confused.  When I got home, it was actually about 1.15mi.  So that made more sense.  Anyways, the first mile felt tough like I hadn't run in a couple weeks.  LOL  But I got through it, and the second mile was all downhill.

I kept following these two 10 or 11 year old boys with the pink shirts with their nicknames on the back that their whole extended family of probably 20 were wearing for the race.  The three of us and a couple other runners were about the only ones in our vicinity that were running tangents.  Everyone else was running the bike path lane for some reason - they looked like sheep just following everyone else to a cliff (aka longer route).  I was hitting 175 on the HRM at the 2mi water station (this one was correct) and I walked through for 10 sec or so for a quick break.

Then it was uphill to the finish.  I kept rolling until about 2.4mi then I started to take short walk breaks every .2 mi or so as I was going up.  I didn't want to walk, but I still didn't really care about my time since my avg pace was going up over 9:00 so a sub-27 wasn't going to happen anyways.  I just kept rollin' along but as I was reaching what I thought was the last curve at the top, I switched over to see a 2.9mi on the distance so I wasn't fooled this time and I decided to kick it in.  I had been passed by this guy who we'd trade "leads" back and forth.  I had let him go on the hill, but he must have walked a little too because I saw him on the final straight away.  I didn't really care if he beat me, but when I saw the 27:xx on the timer and he was within reach, I had to see if I could squeak in before him.  About 15' from the finish line, I came up beside him, and he didn't kick so I gave it just enough to get into the chute before him.  LOL  Booya!  Don't mess with BNS.  I have a feeling if it had been a chick, she would have kicked it and I'd have been chicked at the line! 

Zayne told me that after he saw Greg break the finish line ribbon, he talked to the finish official and told him he wanted to hold it out for me.  The guy said that he could, but that I'd have to go on the other side of the chute rope.  Zayne was going to do it, but couldn't get to it in time when I was finishing since they had all the spectators behind a rope fence.  I'm surprised they would have let him, but that's the cool thing about small, local races, I suppose.  And such a nice gesture by Zayne!

Splits (2012 / 2010):
1.0 - 8:34 / 9:44
2.0 - 7:46 / 7:44 - surprised this one is so close
3.0 - 10:11 /  8:43 - no surprise
0.15 - 1:16 (7:25) / 1:18 (7:40)

So we hung out afterwards, ate oranges, bananas, pretzels, etc. and waited for the awards ceremony.  They did it weird this year.  They started with the AG awards from the bottom up and sprinkled raffle drawings in there, with the overall winners at the end.  They gave Greg the AG win AND the overall so he got two medals...strange they'd do it like that.  Usually if you're overall, you aren't included in the AG.  I didn't go look up the printed results since I knew I didn't need to stick around for the AG for me.  I'll look it up once it's posted and update the overall and AG rankings when available.

Anyways, we started heading back to the car and Zayne and I are chatting and he said something that made my night.  He told me that even though I didn't get the police escort that they give Greg, that I was still fast, did a great job and he was proud of me.  Aww, such a great son!  I did have to explain to him that the police escort wasn't specifically for Greg...but for whomever the leader was at the time...to keep the road clear for them as they head through the course.  It just so happened it ended up being all Greg's since he led the whole race, but that isn't always the case.  He had thought they would have stuck with Greg no matter where he was in the race.  LOL

Congrats if you made it this far.  Another super long-winded RR full of my random, wordy thoughts from BNS.  Sorry folks.  One day I'll learn to write succinctly and just cover the essentials.  The writing training should be an essential part of my Marathon training because I'm afraid of what my RR for a full Marathon might look like!  :-)

Didn't have any of my techno gadgets so I just went out for a short run.  It was hot and very humid at 1:30pm today when I went out.  I really need to think about getting up earlier and going out before the temp peaks for the day.  Thunderstorms tonight, so that will be fun.

Car Free Friday, so I biked to and from work instead of just driving half way and biking from there like I do several days a week.  Driving half way gets me past the hills.  Today, I couldn't avoid them and hated each one.  Haha

It's been a while so I figured I'd get a run in.  It was nice to get out for the lunch hour even if it was shorter than I had hoped for.  Pretty slow pace but the HR was getting up there.  The little walking was nice too.  I'm ready for a nap...

That's pretty sad when you login and see your calendar and you try to figure out which day to add the workout to because the whole month of July is blank.  Sigh...  Oh well, the Pirates won their afternoon game and I got a run in on a beautiful sunny day!  Success!

Well, about 2 weeks ago, I decided I needed something to kick my butt into getting back into running.  My employer sponsors several Running 101 training classes designed around a 10-week "Walk a little, Run a little, then run a little more" type program.  At the end of the 10 week period, you're supposed to have signed up for a 5k and should be able to complete it.  I needed at least one structured workout that I have in my calendar that I can legitimately tell my coworkers I have to go to and they can't say anything about it.

Today was the first day.  There are about 15 in the class.  This section is led by Kevin, our Fitness Center Director and assisted by another coworker who I had never met before.  Apparently, he's run 4 marathons though, so he's as qualified as anyone.  We did some light stretching, talked about the program, then went and did some 60 sec jog / 90+ sec walks.  There were a couple of people that had run before so we chatted some.  It was a nice and easy workout...about 1.5mi total.

Got back, did some stretching...then I put on my "serious running gear" (Garmin, sunglasses, and doorag) and headed out for my intended workout.  Did just over 3mi but had to do a little walking.  HR was getting higher than it should (175+) during my 8:40-8:50 pace so I'd walk until it was down to 160 or so then jog again. 

BNS is back and training for the Steeler 5k!

Well, not the consistency that I was expecting since last Wednesday night's run, but I did think about running several times this weekend.

Nothing special tonight, just out & back to the casino.  I've gotten terrible sleep the last few nights, particularly last night.  I was a bit disappointed with having to do a little walking every .75 to 1mi.  Just about .05mi is all each time, but still...

Finished right at 32:00, so 10:30 pace.  I did keep the HR down lower tonight than on my run last week.  I'll get in 3-4 runs this week.

I could have said I kept it easy, not wanting to sweat too much due to the hot water being out at the gym, but I sweated like I always do.  So, I got a nice brisk cool-down tonight.

2.05mi with the Running 101 group.  Probably about 1.25mi was running vs. walking.  Did some 1/4mi jogs with 200m walks between.  Finished off with a couple of 100m "speed" runs on the grass.  Took it pretty easy the whole time, just staying with the leaders of the group.

Time was tight tonight so I just hopped on the TM for about 1.35mi @ 2% and about a 9:00-9:15 pace.  Felt pretty good, a little popping in the left knee still, but less than it's been so I think I'm OK.

Well, "life" (aka WORK) got the best of me this weekend and I didn't get a run in on Friday or Saturday like I had planned.  I did do some biking and got the lawn mowed (in the dark) on Saturday.  Other than working 10+ hour days this weekend and doing all the normal chores, I did very little except sleep.

Today, I will admit I was just lazy.  I stared at the running clothes in the drawer and just couldn't bring myself to take out an outfit for a mid-day run.  Tomorrow, I'll be up super early and will get a run in.  No excuses... 

Tired, but got out with the Running 101 class. Then did about .3mi on the TM before I had to leave. Feeling pretty good, just need to run more.

No running today,  but I did hop on the stationary bike for 32:00.  Went 8.9mi, burned 282 cals and sweated up a storm.  I almost didn't do any exercise today, but couldn't let myself get away with another day of laziness.

Getting there...slowly. 

Went out with the intention of just getting some miles in.  I was feeling pretty good so I thought I'd see what I could comfortably do a 5k in without getting the HR into the 170s.  I did pretty well, but I only went 2.75mi in 25:35 (9:22) before walking for a couple mins.  I had reached my turn around point and was a little tired, but enjoying the run.

Splits:
2.75mi - 25:35 (9:22) sprinkle....sprinkle....thunderclap....sprinkle
0.16mi - 2:52 (walk) turn around, "hmm, those are nasty looking clouds"
0.93mi - 8:37 (9:14) sprinkle..thunder..rain..thunder..DOWNPOUR
0.12mi - 2:07 (walk) bridges weren't shelter long enough...still DOWNPOURING
0.92mi - 8:42 (9:27) puddles are muddy fun.  Oh, look, it's clearing up.  Walk into the gym as the rain stops and the sun breaks through, but I look like a muddy drowned rat!

30 mins either way would have saved me from being drenched today. I even checked weather.com before heading out.  I enjoy running in the (light) rain, but when it's that heavy, the tech shirt becomes 10 pounds, the shorts stick to the legs, and the sloshing in the shoes gets old real quick.

I think this is my excuse to get some super short shorts.  My kids have threatened to not acknowledge me at races if I wear anything shorter than 4" inseams, but today is proof I need booty shorts and no shirt so I can show off my awesome ab (yes, singular). Sorry kids...

Had to get in to work super early again today so by 3pm I was ready to get outta the office and off my butt.  Finally headed down to the gym at 3:30pm and decided to get a little TM work in before class at 4pm.  Did 1.35mi in 15:00 on rolling hills program at a medium pace (11:06) so by 4pm, I was warmed up (but not worn out) for class.

Running 101 class.  About 1/2 the class was at a big meeting at our other location so there were only about 8 of us.  One of the instructors was at the meeting, so the other one and I were the only two guys.  Usually, there's one guy and two ladies that I usually just jog with at their pace (about 10:30 on the workouts).  Tonight, knowing the other runners in the class, I wouldn't have anyone to run with so I decided to make it a harder workout.  I figured I'd pick it up and shoot for about 85% or so on the workout portions.  Fast enough, but not too fast to risk injury.  I think I did alright, especially considering my workouts the previous two days.

Definitely the toughest class workout schedule yet.

• 0.15mi warm-up walk to Point State Park (there's a 1/4mi oval-ish pathway there)
• 75m pick-up with short recovery walk
• 150m pick-up with short recovery walk
• 5 mins jogging - did about 0.65mi (7:40 pace) - Definitely pushed this one and will have to verify on the Garmin at home, but I caught the slowest runners right at the end which was fun.
  
• Walked a lap for about 5 mins
• 5:30 jogging - took this one a little slower, 0.66mi (8:24 pace)
• Walked about 2 mins
• Then did the two pick-ups again.  This time I watched my pace at the end.  Both were right about 6:20 pace, which was pretty good for me.  I didn't feel like I was sprinting, just pushing the speed
• Then jogged 0.35mi back to the gym pretty slow (10:30 pace)

Slow walking warm up & some pre-run stretching - hamstrings were a little sore.  Started at the point and ran a loop over the bridge, around PNC Park, across that bridge and back to the point.  Thought was I'd do two of those loops (guessing they were a mile) with a fairly quick 1/4mi pickup around the loop at the park in between and maybe at the end if I was feeling up to it.

Not a bad loop, didn't try to push it.  It ended up being 1.55mi, done in 14:28 (9:22 AP).  Went right into the 0.27mi loop, 2:03 (7:38 pace).  Rested for a minute then started on the loop again.  I didn't want to go crazy today, so I cut the loop short at the end.  Walked once, but was pretty consistent at 9:15 - 9:25 pace.  I suppose that's my new "comfortable" right now. 

Pretty slow pace (9:52), but I'm tired today.

Running 101 class tonight. 

50m jog, then walk up/down flight of stairs x 3 reps.  
Then jog .5mi, short walk to recover, jog/walk 2 flights stairs x 4 reps.  
Walk .25mi to ramp, jog up/down x 3 reps.
Option to walk or jog .5mi back to point - three of us jogged it (9:00 pace)
Walk back to gym

Only did about 2.5mi so I hopped on the TM for a mile @ 1%.  Started at 10:00 for first .5mi then periodically increased to end at 8:00 pace for last .2mi.

Good workout.  Definitely the hardest 101 class yet with the stairs/incline.  Committing to start taking the stairs all the time now at work.  Luckily, my cube is on the 7th floor...I'll have to carry a towel for the meetings next week on the 17th, 21st and 30th floors.  Yikes!

Not too bad this afternoon.  Meetings were light so I got out at 3pm and enjoyed the sun and mild weather.  Ran the river trail, running 1.5mi out; walking for a few mins; then running 1.5mi back.  HR stayed pretty low, but with so little sleep last night (insomnia), I wasn't expecting a stellar performance.  Something must be working though.  Could be some consistency and muscles getting stronger, but don't quote me.

1.0 - 8:56
0.52 - 4:32
0.2 - 3:17 (not including the 2mins spent helping an older couple fix one of their bikes that had a flat)
1.0 - 8:58
0.49 - 5:08 (walked a bit here)

I was really thinking of taking it slow and making this a 5-6mi run, but remembered that we've got the 5mi scout hike at 7am tomorrow.  I think I'll count the hike as my long "run" for the week.

Running 101 tonight.  Tried to push it a little harder than normal since I've been slacking too much.  Jogged .5mi on TM before class - 7% incline @ 5.2mph

Walked to the point (.23mi) for some workouts on the circle.

.25mi - walked a lap to warm up (4:20)
.25mi - jog, building to about 80% effort (2:07)
.15mi - recovery walk (2:43)
.53mi - jog, building to 80% (4:06)
.39mi - some recovery walk then jog across field, sprinting back (x2)
.13mi - recovery walk
.27mi - jog, building to 80%+ (1:55)
.74mi - recovery walk with jog across field, sprinting back (x2)
.27mi - jog, building to 80% (1.58)
.23mi - walk back

Feeling pretty good for where I'm at.  No major aches or pains, which is good.  Wish I was faster on my sprints (fastest was 5:43 pace), but my 1/4 and 1/2mi splits were decent.  Hopefully Sunday will go well!

Why is running 3.5mi do darn hard?

I was feeling pretty good today, a little soreness in the right hip and in the ankles but I think it was mostly from the pickups on Wednesday night.  I'm starting to realize how far down the fitness and strength ladder I am, but I can also see some results of the workouts I have gotten in.

Decent run tonight, although it was hotter than I thought it was outside or I would have waited another hour or two.  But, started in the 'hood and had the immediate uphill, then pretty flat to the turn-around @ 2.0 mi.  Averaged about a 9:40 pace overall with the first 0.5mi @10:30, then the fastest was about a 8:00 pace which was primarily downhill taking the shorter route at the end.

Focus wasn't going fast, just getting some miles in.  Trying to take it slow felt like it took a lot more effort than if I had tried to push it more, which is the opposite of what I'd expect.  A positive, though is that I was jammin' to the Running Mixes of Pittsburgh's own (runner) DJ Bill Bara.  Not all of the mixes are as good as others, but I have enjoyed the recent 80's one recorded at The Rivers Casino here in Pittsburgh.  The 2012 Pittsburgh Marathon one isn't too bad either, although I have tired of hearing Black & Yellow and a few other "Pittsburgh" songs that were mixed in there.

Anyways, all things considered, I'm feeling pretty good going into the Gatorade/Steelers 5k on Sunday.  Can't wait to finally meet a fellow FRBer for the first time (Steve).  Should be a great time even if the weather forecast turned from partly sunny to probably rain.  Dang!

First, a shout out to my FRB buddy, Steve, his wife Courtney and their dog, Maggie, for making the 4+ hour trip to Pittsburgh to run this race with me.  It was SO fun to finally meet a fellow blogger in person after following each others blogs for quite some time now.

We met up at my wife's favorite Thai restaurant, Thai Gourmet, in the semi-sketchy area of Bloomfield.  Food was great, service was sub-par since we got the younger of the two sisters that waitress there.  But, the conversation definitely made up for that.  Steve is a man after my own heart as we both ordered spicy dishes!

We finished the evening with a trip up the Duquesne Incline and while enjoying the view from the observation desk, happened to catch the firework show from the U. of Pitt football game!

We departed and went back to get some sleep before the race in the morning.

Fortunately, our dog, Lucy has been "trained" to wake me up by 6:15am or so if I'm not already awake.  I had set my alarm for 6am but my "techie" clock allows me to set alarms for weekdays, weekends, or everyday.  I never change it from everyday, but somehow, it ended up on weekdays.  So, Lucy made sure I wasn't going to miss this race!

The whole family was planning to join us for the race, but my wife had a rough night so she stayed home.  We were planning to meet Steve & Courtney, along with Steve's co-worker, Patti, her husband, and her son, Neal by 7:30am.  We had a "date" with my recently retired Steeler buddy, Chris Hoke, about 8am for a quick photo shoot and meet-n-greet since he was one of the two Steelers that were going to be there to give a quick speech before the race.  That was fun, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  Too bad he didn't wear one of his Super Bowl rings...those are a sight to see in person!  Here's a pic of Chris and Steve holding a quilt that was for a fundraiser for a charity (can't remember which one):

Here we are all ready to crush this course!

 Left to Right:  Steve, Courtney, Neal, Patti and me

The race was to start at 9:00am.  They did pretty good this year in getting it off on time.  Due to a course change last year, they started the 3,000 runners off in waves.  Steve, Neal and I lined up in the 20-25min wave, and Patti went to the next wave.  It didn't seem to matter since after the first sub-20 wave, everyone just kinda started moving toward the start area.  They staggered groups from there.  For the first 3/4 to 1mi, it was quite congested.  I kept Steve and Neal in sight for most of the first 1/2 but then lost them in the crowd.  I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with them once things opened up, so I didn't worry about it.

After the turn off the trail and onto the street, around 1.4mi, it opened up and congestion wasn't an issue.  The race was great, and I ended up seeing the back of Patti for about 3/4 of a mile towards the end.  I never ended up catching her since I took two 30 sec walk breaks, and she was doing great!

I finished in a decent time and about what I expected.  Splits were (9:18, 8:53, 8:57, 0:29).  I didn't kill myself, but did try and push it once I got around people.  I got hung up behind a lady and guy who were pushing a double stroller at about the 1mi mark where I couldn't pass for a good minute or two.  Not sure why they were on the course yet since strollers were supposed to be after the runners so I was frustrated by that.  Anyways, I'm happy with my race and I'm glad to be back into doing some races.

Here's my finish photo by my daughter (I'm the one in the middle with the grey shirt and black skull & crossbones doorag):

Steve and fam came over after checking out and hung out for a while before heading home.  Our dog, Lucy, decided to be anti-social so she had less fun than the rest of us.  We gave Steve and Courtney an (extended) driving tour of Pittsburgh and shared a bunch of stories.  We talked their ears off.  Haha

We're looking forward to the next race and planning a 2013 Pittsburgh Marathon race, barring any issues between now and May 2013! 

Running 101 class

Tough class today.  I'm feeling pretty good after the race on Sunday and so I went down a little early to get a little extra mileage in before class.  Hopped on the TM for 20mins and went about 2.2mi @ 1%.  Then went and stretched until the class was all there.

I thought we'd be going outside, but the instructors decided to do some TM and rowing sessions.  The "faster" group started out on the rowing machines and we did 25:00, changing pace every 3-5 mins.  I can tell I need to do a little more work on my core...

Then we switched stations with the other group and did 3 sets of 2:00 walking x 5:00 tempo pace.  My tempos, I pushed pretty hard (8:20-7:55 pace) and by the last one, I was dragging.  But, that was another 2.3mi, so I was pleased overall.

No running today, but my thought for the day:

"If you allow people to make more withdrawals than deposits in your life, you will be out of balance and in the negative.  Know when to close the account."   ~ Dirigo

May be time to close the account on a person or two...

Started out with good intentions of getting a long run in after work.  It was after work, just a (lot) later than expected (11:00pm).  Not that I really minded the late hour, but it was a long day and I was ready to just bag it.  

I got the longest run I've done in a while in, but it was 4.5mi continuous (~10:00 pace) then a mile walking (19:00), then 1.5mi running (~9:30 pace) with about .8mi walk to finish.  Wanted to do the 6mi without walking, but my feet started killing me.  I've got a nice blood blister on the end of my left 2nd toe now.  I've always had nice caluses on the end of my 2nd & 3rd toes, but for some reason tonight, that one got a little angry.  A couple days rest and he will be back and ready to roll.

Beautiful sunny, cool (68F) day.  I just had to get out earlier rather than later.  Besides, some crazy people scheduled a work meeting for super early again today.  I admire these guys that get in by 6am and then leave for home right at 2:30pm.  If I was planning to work from home today, no biggie, I'd just take the call in my PJs.  But having to get down here for them stinks!

Anyways, work schedule stayed open this morning so I took an early "lunch" and went for my run.  Forgot my HRM at home, but goal was just to take it nice and slow so it was fine.  I'm shooting for 4 runs this week without going crazy on the miles, so I needed to get out today.

Ran over the river and up to "The Square."  The cool thing about the square is that it's "exactly" a mile (according to the Garmin).  Plus, there's some slight elevation to it, so you get some up and down incline so it's better than a track in that aspect.  Today, the "up" side also had a pretty stiff headwind.

Did three laps and then headed back.  Averaged about 9:40/mi for the run, but I know I was hitting 10:30 or so on the up portion.  I felt like I was crawling.  I should have warmed up some, but I took some time and stretched good at the end.  Some soreness, but overall, feeling good.

I'm going to get some cross training in tomorrow, then we'll see what class brings on Wed...  Starting out to be a fun week! 

Why can't I put "Never Enough" in the Night Sleep Time box??

Anyways, good Running 101 class tonight.  Warmed up about 0.8mi on the TM before class.  The class was doing a LSD (Long Slow Distance) run.  Jogged over to PNC Park then going out the trail 15:00 and back, shooting for an even pace throughout.  I started off with the two faster ladies but they were doing about a 10:30 pace and said they were going to turn around at 10:00 so they could get on the road due to the traffic.  So I decided to just leave them.

That first 0.5 was a bit fast but then settled into about a 8:55 pace.  Went 1.64 (9:08 AP) out, turned around and ran back with a few short walk breaks thrown in there.  Finished in 30:28 (9:17 AP overall) so not too bad.

Got back to the starting point and everyone had already headed back to the gym.  I don't blame them for not waiting the extra 28 seconds for me to get there.  Haha.  Great weather and a much needed run!

Running 101 class tonight.  It's a good thing I have this class to force me to get out for a run.

Headed down to the gym early and got in some warm up.  Ran a little over 2mi on the TM then about 5mins on the rowing machine. Tonight's workout was running 20mins then about 10mins of speed workout.  I was a little tired, so I didn't go too hard on the 20 min run and just stuck with the faster runners (10:00 pace or so).  Then we did 1/4mi laps around the point starting out at a reasonable pace and continually picking it up until the end.  Those went well, I was finishing at about 7:15-7:30 pace.  Some sprints across the point (100m or so) hitting a 5:40 or better pace.  Then one final lap - I pushed it and did it in 1:50.

I'm not sure I'm "ready" for the 10k in a week or so, but I think it will go OK.  Just keepin' on keepin' on. 

Well, no running today, but I had to react to a "crisis" and had to bike from home to where my daughter works to pick up the car.  Darn hills!

It was only a little over 5 miles, but I swear it was practically all up hill.  I was beat.  Good thing I didn't have to bike back or it would have been all up hill too!

Headed out around 2pm today, nice weather and broke up my work day.  With the Great Race coming up on Sunday, I figured I'd better get some miles in.  I've been a bit apprehensive about the 10k distance since my training runs haven't been much more than half that.  I know I can do it, but I don't expect it to be fast.  After the initial hill, it's kinda downhill, so who knows.

Decided to run out 15:00 then back, finishing with some laps around the point.  Turned around at 15:30, and negative split the trip back at 15:00.  Finished with a little over a mile around the point at 8:40 pace.  Felt pretty good, no major aches or pains.

FINAL Running 101 Class tonight.

Got down there early tonight and got in 2mi on the TM doing the "rolling hills" going up and down 6% inclines.  Pretty tough, but took it slow at about 11:00 pace.  I was tired...

For class, there was a split of 50/50 for going outside vs. staying in when I came in the room.  The instructor asked me and I said always outside, but I'll do either.  So, we went outside...in the cold rain.  :-)  I lost a couple of friends tonight, I think.  LOL

For class, ran across the bridge and over to Mr. Rogers and back (1mi each way).  Focus was on picking it up on the inclines and coasting down the other side - and trying to negative split on the way back.  On the way out, I stuck with a couple of people but the pace was too slow.  At the turn around (10:45), I kept going and I don't know if I dropped them or they just fell back since I kept it slow but when they wouldn't catch up, I picked it up and just cruised back in 8:22.

Jogged 2 laps around the circle at the point until everyone was back.  Then we did some practice finishes since the Great Race finishes right there.  We jogged the first half of the circle, then picked it up to the "finish."  Walked a half of the circle and did it one final time.  7:20 pace is about as fast as I am on those.  A couple of guys in the class out kick me when we do those. I think they like being able to beat me on the sprints.  :-)

Stretched with the class then did another 1.15mi on the TM at 8:15-8:30 pace just to get some more mileage in.  With the walking that we do during class that I don't have the Garmin on, I definitely did my 10k distance today.  Tomorrow I'll take it pretty easy, Saturday the scouts have a campout and bike ride, then Race Day on Sunday!  Should be great!

No running miles, but did do a 15 mi bike ride with the scouts for the campout this weekend.  Thursday, it down poured all day.  I was SO glad it cleared up and we had perfect weather for the campout.  This morning, we woke up to an overcast sky, but no rain.

The boys did great on the bike ride, even my son who doesn't do much biking and isn't quite as physical as the other boys, did great.  Even with the amount of biking I do, my butt was a little sore, and the quads and knees were a little drained.  I think it was from the amount of TIME we spent in the saddle.  With the exception of the first 4 miles when the boys shot out like a cannon, it was definitely a leisurely pace.

Another runner in the ward was there, he had just finished the DC Ragnar last weekend.  Not sure why I wasn't invited.  LOL  They had a great time, and got me thinking about doing it next year.  For some reason, I thought Ragnar was primarily a West thing.

After little sleep Friday night at the campout, then biking on Saturday, and cleaning up from the campout all day, I was exhausted by 11pm when I tried to get to sleep.  Checking the weather, it was going to be a nice 50^o day, but there were rain showers predicted all morning.  I had a rough night of sleep, but even with the better weather prediction when I checked at 7am, I was really wanting to just go back to bed.

I was relieved I had signed up for the 10k since the start time was 9:30am (5k started at 8am), but since it was a point-to-point course, I had to be downtown and on a shuttle before 8:45 or I'd miss it.  I knew traffic would be horrible downtown, especially trying to get out of the city with the Pirates game starting at 1pm or so.  I decided to park a couple miles away and bike to the gym at work so I had a quick exit.  Since we're the primary sponsor, they had the gym open so we could get a locker, hang out where it was warm and dry until catching a shuttle.  Such a nice benefit!

The family all wanted to come down, but with the unpredictable weather, me having to catch a shuttle and them waiting for the race to start, I told them to sleep in...it just wasn't worth the several hours of waiting...possibly in the rain.

Shuttle took forever to get out there, then the walk to the entrances to the starting area.  With over 8,000 10k runners, it didn't surprise me, but usually I try to get to the start line a little earlier so I can at least warm up a little.  I didn't get in any warm up at all to speak of, just standing in the front 1/3 of the pack of runners hoping the rain holds off.  As I'm standing there, I realize I didn't bring my signature skull and crossbones doorag!  Bad omen or did it just mean more sweat in my eyes?!

Finally, the gun went off, and it took about 2 mins to get to the start line.  There's a slight downhill and then an uphill.  Overall, it's an aided course.  I just took the first mile easy since I was having some left lower leg muscle soreness.  Plus, it was a sea of runners and I wasn't getting around anyone too soon.

The race went well, things thinned out a little, but not a whole lot, even to the finish line.  I think my 9:00 pace is a sweet spot for the bulk of runners.  Had I been about 7:00 pace, I'm sure it would have been much more spread out.  Gorgeous running weather, low 50s, overcast...but then about the 3mi mark, it started drizzling.  I wasn't terribly hot, but it still felt good.  

The drizzle turned to a downpour within a mile.  It didn't bother me much except for the freeway on ramp that we go down that's the steepest part of the course.  I'm staying in the pack, not doing anything crazy, and the guy behind me clips my heel!  I take a couple giant steps, arms flailing to try and keep from face planting!  It must have been luck, because I was sure I was going down.  I never figured out who it was, and didn't get an apology, but I would have been trampled.

My goal was to only walk through the water stops (I can't drink and run at the same time).  I only stopped for water twice with all the congestion and walked for maybe 5-10 sec.  Even at the 5mi mark when I was really wanting to walk a little, I kept with the plan.  Goal time was 55:00 since I figured I was better prepared than last year and 9:00 pace was manageable for that distance.

After I got past that 5mi mark, I was feeling pretty good, was on the final decent, then just flat to the finish.  I was trying to push it the last 0.7mi but without being rude and pushing through the sea of runners, it just wasn't happening much.  I got in behind any person or two that looked like they'd be getting through in order to pick up a second here or there.  The final sprint is at the circle we ran all the time for Running 101 so we had "practiced" pushing that final 200m.  My training kicked in, and I was ready for it, but it narrows right there and there's no chance of getting around anyone.

I wore my Garmin and HRM, but rarely looked at it.  I knew I was doing OK, and was pacing myself well for a no-walk 10k.  The course measured long again, but trying to run tangents was impossible.  Here's the splits:  9:29, 8:32, 8:49, 8:22, 8:51, 7:47, 2:00 (.27 @ 7:24 pace)

I'm really glad I forced myself to do this race.  I would have felt bad if I hadn't done it after taking the Running 101 class and getting the free race fee.  

The biggest downer for the day is that the Pirates lost so we extend our losing season streak to 20...but we still have the record for the longest streak of losing seasons for all US professional sports!  Yippee!  :-(

Nice late night run to keep the momentum going.  25:02 (9:06 AP)

Signing up for the 2013 Pittsburgh Marathon this week, so I've got to get on track!

Decided to book the flight to Portland, OR in mid-December for my Dad's 70th birthday (surprise) celebration with my siblings.  Wonder if there's a race in the area that weekend...

Joe - I found the picture of when Burt pushed me in little league.  Add a couple decades, a running outfit, 1800 people, asphalt and you get the idea.  

Just a few miles to de-stress.  Must not have gone far enough since I'm still stressed.  haha

Sat in 3 vendor demos from 8am - 6pm with a 30 min break between each, but I got down to the gym with enough time to get out for a quick run before closing time.  No HRM today, but splits were pretty nice.  Out and back on the river trail.

Jogged 1/4mi before the Garmin figured out where I was.  Then it was 1.55mi out (13:27) & back (13:21).  Then just jogged the 1/4mi back to cool down since I hit stop instead of lap.

Nice weather, and beautiful scenery with the leaves changing.  A much needed break after today's meetings.  Same drill tomorrow, so I hope to get out again because I'll need it! 

Didn't have time in my workday to go, but did it anyways since I've got a busy night tonight and won't get out.

Definitely one of the top 5 runs this year, so I'm stoked I didn't skip out.  Felt good, just taking it nice and easy, enjoying some music.  Wasn't looking to go over 5mi but a detour got me off track and forced me to go longer.  9:09 AP and could have gone another mile at that pace.  HR stayed reasonable at an average of 161.

Working on finalizing my Marathon training plan, I'll get some new trail/winter shoes this weekend in preparation for the Dirt Monster, then I'm getting serious and sticking to the plan.

Gotta get back in the groove.  Just hit the TM today even though our weather has been gorgeous!

0.9mi warmup @ 11:00 pace and 2.0% incline (10:00 running time)
3.12k (1.8mi) of the 5k program @ level 5.  (20:00 running time)

Nothing stellar about today except that I got my run in and I've just about finished my draft plan for my Marathon training.  I think I'll post it on the discussion board and let others comment... 

Well, weight is getting down a little which is good.  I'd love to drop about 15 lbs.  I think that would be an ideal racing weight.

They say there's snow (flurries) in the forecast so I had to take advantage of the great weather.  Headed out for just a slow run since I was feeling a little tired.  Walked twice for about 10-15 sec.  AP was 9:36 (35:15)

Cold, drizzly and cloudy...guess fall has arrived.  All the leaves ha've called this last couple days and with hurricane Susan coming early next week, I have a feeling the Dirt Monster race a week from tomorrow will be a nasty, slippery mess.  I'll be picking up some trail shoes tomorrow.

Run went well today.  Nice and easy with some hills in there.  AP was around 9:45. 

Did what I should have done months ago and picked up some new shoes.  My NB's were getting too worn down.  On a few runs over the last couple weeks they just haven't had any traction on leaves or other wet surfaces.  I was thinking I might add some screws to the bottom for my winter runs, but with almost 600 miles on them, they really were done.

So, Hurricane Sandy forced my hand.  There's no way I'd be able to run the Dirt Monster on Sunday without trail shoes, and the RD'd email last night confirmed that the course was a mess and that a few slight modifications would need to be made to go around downed trees, etc.  Unlike last year, the leaves were not going to dry out and blow off the trail, so what is a pretty rough trail when you can see the roots, rocks, etc. will be even more difficult with a thick layer of leaves and mud.  But fortunately, that will make for a softer landing when I bite it (so long as I miss the rocks and roots).  So...praying for a sprain-free, injury-free training run/race.

There's a relatively new running store in town, True Runner, so I decided to give them a try.  I had a 10% off coupon, and since the Fleet Feet and Elite Runners weren't having any sales, I figured I'd give True Runner a try.  They recently opened a second store in St. Louis, apparently.  I called ahead and they have changing rooms with lockers.  Since I headed out there during work hours, I brought my running gear just in case.  The folks there were super friendly and seemed very knowledgeable.  Their selection of trail shoes was pretty good.  I tried on several pairs but with my orthotics, I have to be fairly choosy in finding a shoe that doesn't make me feel like my foot is only half way in to the shoe.  

They didn't have any New Balance since NB seems to change their models and offerings so frequently, but I was looking for a change anyways.  From reviews and talking with a few other runners, I was focused on either Mizuno or Brooks.  I like to be a little different, so I stay away from Asics because it seems like everyone wears them.  I liked my NB's because they had some color to them, but were primarily grey so they didn't look dirty after my first muddy run and washing.  I don't like white shoes - they look great until they get dirty the first time and then they just look dirty all the time.

I'm also not a big fan of flashy/bright shoes because they scream "I'm super fast" and I'm not, so I've always avoided them.  But, after trying on several different shoes, I threw that thinking out the window and went with the Brooks Cascadia 7s.  I got them in the blue which is kinda between a bright red/orange, "These shoes show I kick butt, so take a good look at them from the front and sides now because you'll only be seeing the heels once the gun goes off" and my old grey NBs that just say, "I'm a runner...maybe I'm fast, maybe I'm not, but don't count me out."  The blue is a nice change, I must admit.

Some time ago, I had a coworker who's wife was a runner and swore by the Injinji toe socks.  I wear a gel toe wrap product on one of my toes because I tend to get blisters under it from the next toe rubbing on it.  I decided I'd pick up a pair of the Injinji's since I needed a sock that came up a little higher than my anklets to keep the mud/pebbles out.  Anyways, enough of my adventures at True Runner.

Jogged about 1/4mi at TR, then after work, hit the TM at the gym.  Socks feel good, but I'm not convinced they're worth the $12/pr.  They may just require a little getting used to, as they said they might.  So, I wore them doing an interval workout on the TM going from 0% to 4% incline every 2 mins for 30 mins.  Took it pretty easy, but it was a good workout.  Then kicked it up to a 7:15 pace for a 1/4mi - shoes felt good, so I think I'll give them a go for the race. 

Wow, this week has been a killer for me.  I will admit I used Hurricane Sandy as an excuse not to run the beginning of the week.  Since I worked from home, it made it even harder to set aside time to go out.  When I work from home, I get up and my work day starts earlier and usually ends later.  Once I'm in the groove at home, it's hard for me to sign off and go for a run.

No run today, but was productive getting some things straightened out...as well as taking a nice long nap which I rarely let myself do.  So, I should be well rested for tomorrow's race!

Nice chilly morning for the annual Dirt Monster benefiting the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation of Western PA (OCFWPA).  The family has volunteered for the last 4 years and I've run it twice now, I think.  It benefits a great foundation and is always well organized and fun.

Summary:  A little slower than last year.  The course measured slightly short on the Garmin, but that could be the result of the tree cover through 95% of the course.  Overall, a great training run and fun time for the whole family.

LWD (Long-Winded Details):  We had to be there by 8am (race starts at 9:30) to get the family in place to help direct the runners on the course.  Since they took the car to the parking area, there wasn't anywhere for me to stay out of the wind/cold so I just did some slow jogging to stay warm - definitely over a mile.  I don't usually do much warm up jogging since I try to not expend too much energy before races, then just use the first mile to get warmed up.  Today, it worked out well since I felt pretty limber, stretched out pretty well, and so I wasn't as worried about pulling something going up the hills in the first mile.

There were some course changes due to Hurricane Sandy and some downed trees that hadn't been removed by the park yet.  One cut off and caused part of the typical course to be washed out too much, so a change had to be made for that.  Another laid across the course, so if you were over 5' tall you had to duck under it.  There were some mud slogs and leaves covered the course completely.  Not enough could be said for having good trail shoes for this race!  

As usual, the gun went off right on time.  I had my Garmin set to last years course so I could watch how I was doing against my "ghost."  Didn't work real well when I went "off course" so I wasn't sure how I was faring against last year's results - but it was a different course so it really didn't matter and I could tell I was slower.  
Update:  Comparing last year's course and this one on the map, there only appears to be a very slight modification between 2012 and 2011.  I'm wondering if since I had loaded the course into my Garmin and set it to run the course if it just tracked my distance and isn't showing the actual GPS points or something.  Because it seemed there were definitely deviations from what I remembered from last year.

At the start, I mentally decided to just do as well as I could, with finishing strong & without injury my primary goals.  But then I saw THEM...the 3 guys I did not want to lose to.  They were wearing kilts for some reason.  Getting chicked is one thing.  I can deal with that - heck, happens all the time, but getting semi-chicked by a dude?  That was going to be tough!  I kept my primary goal, but beating those three was a very close second!

First mile is fairly tough with some pretty good hills.  The course is all single track after the first 200m so I just got in behind some other runners and chugged along, passing (and being passed) when possible.  The first 1.5mi, I was feeling just OK.  Passing the first kilt in the first mile and the second toward the end of the 2nd mile did help, though.

As always, I was wearing a doorag with skulls & crossbones on it.  At the lone aid station at about 2.5mi, the volunteer commented on how she liked my "Halloween hat" and that it was cool I was festive.  No time to explain...I had a kilt to find...a quick thanks and I kept chugging.

My family was at about the 3.2mi mark and I asked how far ahead he was..."not far" was the response.  Gee, thanks! haha  Finally, I saw him on the switchback at about 4mi...walking up the hill.  YES!  By this time, I was into a groove and was feeling good.  I had passed a few other runners in the last mile as the course flattened out, so I was feeling strong for the hill.  Cruised on up and passed him.  I smiled and said "good job, keep it up!"

I passed a few more runners, including the teen with a "RUNNING - cheaper than plastic surgery" shirt.  The last 1/4 mi is a steep downhill to the finish.  Not sure why they have it finishing like that because it's incredibly rocky, full of roots and ruts, and seems just plain dangerous for the end of a race when you're tired and your form is deteriorating.  At least mine was.  I decided to stay in control and take it easy or I'd be needing plastic surgery due to running.

Finished strong and felt good about the race.  We didn't stick around for the awards or anything this year.  The family was cold and tired and ready for a nap, as was I.  Results won't be posted for several days, so I'm not sure where I placed.  With the 10 year age groups, I'm sure I wasn't in the top 3 so no need to stick around.  

Besides, I had beat the kilts...

Slacked off for two days, but hopping back on the wagon now.  Actually, according to my recently created 26-week 2013 Pittsburgh Marathon Training Plan, I'm on schedule.  :-)

Hit the TM for some easy miles today.  40min @ about 9:45-10:00 pace, with a pickup to 7:40 over about 6 mins towards the end.  Dang, that feels fast...  :-(

Stretched well and went back to work.

Got in a quick trip to the gym after a week...

Just some treadmill work, some inclines, nothing fast or fancy 

Well blow me over with a feather...two days in a row!

Fought with the stupid TM for as long as I could take it. I won.

Nice evening run. Nothing special, but I got out. 9:10 AP

How do I put not enough in the night sleep time field and "I wish" in the nap time field?

It was all worth it.  Got up early with my 12 year old son to go to the Ward Turkey Bowl. Had enough show up for 2 games of 6 on 6. We won 2 of 3 games. Although not the overall winners (we lost by 1 TD in the finals), I walked away with only a strained calf. No broken bones, torn tendons, etc. so the only thing preventing me from my marathon debut in May is MYSELF. Kick it into gear, BNS!

I thought of running the Turkey Trot but it was about half way into the games. Plus, the fast guys were playing football too, so it really was a trot with (mostly) tots. Maybe next year.

A very memorable day with Zayne, and he got to see his old man's skillz to boot.  Glad I didn't embarrass him...although that is a lot of fun too!

Got down to the TM for a quick couple of miles.  Saw some buddies down there that I hadn't seen for a while, so chatted more than ran.  Turned out to be OK since I've been fairly sore since the Turkey Bowl.  Felt good to get back in the swing of things, but the weeks are ticking down on me and my running isn't consistent with steadily building mileage like I'd hoped for.  So, I may revise my plan a bit starting this week to see where I can get to by May.

I really despise the TM, even the sweet new ones we have.  So many options with a big 15" touch screen monitor on them so you can have a scenic view like you're running on a fall-time path, all the stats you could want, etc.  For some people, I'm sure it's great, but I find that I get tired quicker and just don't want to run when I'm on it.  Maybe it's because when I'm outside, I've run X miles and have no choice but to finish the run in order to get back to the gym/home so I can't call it quits as easily.  I don't know, but I feel faster and have more motivation and endurance when I run outside.

A buddy I was talking to at the gym said the same thing - he hates the TM and refuses to run on them.  But, he's also the one who needed to get in a 24mi run one Saturday during Snowmagedon a couple years ago and since he had a buddy that worked at the local YMCA, got in there and ran it on their TMs.  He had to switch to a second machine when the first one shut down due to overheating after about 15 miles.  Haha. 

What started out as a 45F day this morning (yesterday had a high close to 65F) and enjoying wearing a short-sleeved polo to work turned into a below freezing (with windchill) walk to meet a buddy for lunch at Noon.  Ruined my plans for a nice run outside at 3pm since I didn't bring a long sleeved shirt.  Oh well...slow TM miles...again.

Got a running catalog in the mail yesterday and on the back was a quote from some famous runner/coach that said something like "There's no such thing as bad weather, only soft people."

I admit it, I'm soft inside and out like a big ol' marshmallow.  :-)

I knew it was going to be cooler today so I brought my long sleeved shirt - no way was I doing the treadmill again!  I hadn't looked at the weather and didn't expect rain until tomorrow.  No biggie, I enjoy the rain.  41F by the time I got out but with the windchill, it was about 34F.  By the time I got back, the rain was turning to mixed, so definitely below freezing.

Great run, but still getting a bit of pain in the left foot again after about 1.5mi (outside or TM) so I'll go see my podiatrist when I get back from my trip.  Not a run stopper, but definitely something going on there...again.

Pace was good (low 9s). My only regret was forgetting my gloves.  I grabbed them out of my gym bag for the campout last weekend since it was going to be just cold enough to need a little something, and forgot to put them back in. 

I stopped in at RiteAid to grab a soda (and change for the bus) on my way home and they now have Egg Nog!  OH SWEET NECTAR OF THE GODS!!  

Let's see...I burned approx. 100 cals per mile?  After drinking the quart, I should have put in another...8 miles!  OUCH!  Glad I didn't have time for lunch, I guess...

Went for a run down at the Oregon coast.  Came out to my Dad's 70th birthday to meet up with my other 6 siblings and some of their spouses and children.  It was a gorgeous day so while the girls were all out shopping at the outlet and the other guys were napping or watching TV, I headed out.

Went straight for the beach just a block from the house, but after a 1/2mi of getting my shoes soaked from a stream and adding 10lbs in sand weight to them, I opted for the road again.  Finished out the run and was pretty tired, but felt good to get the run in.  I'm blaming my fatigue on the elevation.

Avg pace:  9:17.  Nice cold run out the north shore trail.  Longest run in months, and I still felt really good!  The secret to my success today?  Being back to my 1,000ft elevation (sea level is tough!), but more importantly: