Bret

PM - a little over 10 miles on a cool rainy new year's day.  Recovery pace - wore the HRM to try to keep the effort honest and easy - but found the device to be unreliable - actually showing a lower HR when I decided to run at a faster pace.  Good run nonetheless. 

PM - lunchtime - tempo workout on the treadmill.  2 mile warm up then 4 miles at MP then 1.5 mile cool down.  I debated with myself over what I should use for MP.  Should I used my goal MP (6:50 ish) or what MP is for me right now base on my current conditioning (slower).   I chose a hybrid/compromise.   Ran the first mile at 7:03, second at 6:58,  third at 6:53 and the fourth at 6:48.  The last mile was clearly too fast for me right now to call it MP (e.g if I ran a marathon today, I know I could not sustain that pace) -- I think it felt like it was probably closer to somewhere between 15k/HM pace. All in all I felt reasonably strong, and finished the workout feeling as though it was helpful and not harmful.  Would like to see progress obviously over the next couple of months to where the goal MP pace is well within reach...We'll see.  

PM - 10 miles easy to moderate on the treadmill.  Legs felt a bit tired from the two workouts this week, but felt fine cardiovascularly.   Signed up as a member of the Atlanta Track Club.  It appears it assures you of an early registration opportunity to the Peachtree road race in July.  A "bucket-list" race for me.  

AM - 4 miles easy before heading over to Orlando for a day at Disney.  Youngest daughter's birthday gift.  Hope to get a few miles in late in the day.  

PM - 15 miles on the treadmill since it was quite warm here this afternoon - and it was a good opportunity to watch some of the playoff games.   

PM - 7.5 miles on the hotel treadmill in ATL after work. Way too cold outside tonight. 

PM - speed workout on a treadmill at the gym at lunchtime.  Nice Woodway treadmill - 6 x 800 at 3 mins with a 400 walk/jog rest.  2 mile warm up and 1 mile cool down.  These were not easy but not so hard that I was questioning whether I could complete each rep.  This was by far the fastest workout I have done in quite some time, and certainly since recovery from the surgery.  I had thought about doing 8 reps, but given that I was not quite sure how my body would handle these, I decided to be a little more conservative.  

Always a good sign to complete several workouts in a row as planned - so I am pleased with where I am so far.

AM - 3 miles - easy shake-out run.  No soreness or stiffness this morning after yesterday's workout.  However it was 16 degrees and I failed to pack running tights, so I may not have been able to feel any tightness in my legs due to numbness from the cold.  It was actually not too uncomfortable and I was happy to get outside after being on treadmills for the last few runs.

PM - 7 more miles at lunchtime.  

PM - after travel back home I stopped at the gym to get this workout in:   Threshold - 2 mile warm up then 5 miles at HM pace with a 1 mile cool down. Really pleased with another good effort.  Kept the pace right at 6:40 which is about 15 seconds slower per mile than I would have run this workout last year at this time. But the good news is that it felt like I could have managed a few seconds faster - and by comparison just a couple of months ago I was running at this pace on the Alter G treadmill at 65% of my body weight  post surgery -  so I am seeing nice progress. 

AM - very easy 4 miles before work.  Temps were in the 70's this morning and quite humid.  Quite a contrast from 2 days ago in ATL when it was 16 when I went out to run in the morning.  Right hip flexor is a bit tender today following yesterday's workout.  Will keep the pace slower if I get out for a second run this afternoon and tomorrow.  

PM - 14 miles on a windy humid afternoon from my house through Dunedin and back along the Pinellas trail.  Slow going to mind the tender hip flexor.  No soreness or problems.  Decent run.

PM - busy day - only time for 6 miles on a really pleasant afternoon. 

AM - early 4 mile run before travel up to ATL this morning.

PM - another 6.5 miles on the treadmill after work on a rainy dreary evening.

PM - decent threshold workout on the treadmill.  2 mile warm up, 2 x 2 miles at HM with an 800 rest; 1 x 1 mile at HM, then a 1 mile cool down.  Had thought about just doing 3 x 2 miles but felt some tenderness last Friday with the right hip flexor following Thursday's workout, and figured I ought to be a little more conservative.  First rep was too fast for me today at 6:40 pace - (or the treadmill last Thursday may have been more favorably calibrated); so I slowed it down a bit on the last two reps for an overall 6:50'ish AP.  Some slight tenderness in the hip flexor following, but overall I felt really quite good after the workout.

PM - extremely busy/travel day.  Up quite early for a flight and meetings in DC and then back to ATL by the evening.  Went out about 8 pm and trudged through 4-5 miles in some very cold wind.  Happy just to have squeezed a run in.

AM - in the mid 20's this morning.  Easy 3 miles before work.  Travel late - hope to get a second run in.  

PM - 10 miles on the treadmill after work.  Work travel the last 2 days really put a dent in my training plans.  Hope to get some miles in tomorrow as a pacer for a couple of friends running the Long Haul 100 in Tampa tomorrow.  

AM - 23 miles pacing my friend Brian in the Long Haul 100. He and his son in law Nick are running.  Nick is running the 100k actually.   It is a 5 loop course in the Cypress Creek Preseve in Wesley Chapel north of Tampa.   Perfect conditions of mid 50's temps and a new course design with more shaded areas.   My plan was to run the second loop with them - but I arrived a little early - so I ran a bit before connecting with them.  Slow pace relatively speaking for me - but they were doing great.   I left Brian after he finished the second loop - for 40 miles in about 8 hours.   He wants to finish his first 100 (he's had a few prior attempts where he came up short) - I think he's gonna get it done this time.  

Took the day off.

Noon - had today off from work (first time I can recall having today as a work holiday - its kinda nice).  Took yesterday off-- not so much planned, but felt like I needed it.  Really nice weather in the upper 60's - easy 10.  Last 3 more moderate than easy.  I think in pacing my friend Brian in his 100 mile ultra on Saturday, my sense of an easy pace became too slow.  I turned on my Garmin and decided I needed to get into a more respectable easy pace.  Is it possible to have too easy of an easy pace?

Anyway, as an update, Brian did indeed complete his first 100 race.  I left him at 40 miles after pacing him for about 23 miles, and thought he was going to easily complete the event, but apparently he ran into some difficulties late in the race when the temperatures dropped below freezing.  Evidently several of the participants had trouble with it as well.  At 22 hours he had completed 85 miles, but he ended up finishing in just over 30 hours - (the last 15 miles was his nemeisis) which was beyond the 28 hour official cut-off, but good for him that he pushed through in this race after having several missed prior attempts.  The race director was kind enough to leave the finish line banner up for several hours after the race so he has a photo of his finish. His son in law Nick completed his first 100k in a little over 16 hours.  

PM - on the treadmill after work in ATL - (weather was really windy and temps dropping quickly) had a good workout today.  6 x 1 at HM pace with a 200 rest.  3 mile warm up and a little over a mile cool down.  Pleased with the pacing and with how solid I felt during the workout.  Really tired afterwards.  

AM - 4 miles easy on the treadmill.  Too cold to want to go outside.  Wind chill of 4.  No running tights.  

PM - 6 more on the treadmill after work. 

AM - tempo workout.  The gym connected with my hotel, I discovered this morning, has an indoor running track - not sure of the length - but large enough that it allowed for an easy warm up of approximately 3 miles going by time -- I then hopped on the treadmill and did about 4.5 miles of MP, then a cool down, partly on the treadmill and partly on the track.  

PM - 8 miles after work with Richie.  

PM - 18 miles on a very pleasant sunny afternoon.   

PM - 10 miles easy to moderate on a cloudy afternoon. 

PM - after work in ATL - headed out in a new direction - temps were dropping - happy I brought my phone as I got a little turned around on some hilly dark neighborhood roads. Siri got me back though for a roughly 10 mile run.  Winter Storm warnings here for tomorrow. Snow in the forecast.  

PM - on the treadmill at the hotel in ATL - (a few inches of snow fell here this afternoon - quite a big deal - my office is shut down for tomorrow because of it) 8 x 800 at 5k pace with a 400 rest after a 3 mile warm up and a 1.5 cool down.  Kept the pace under 6 mins per mile and did well getting through the workout.   Pleased with the effort. 

AM - only time for a short run on the treadmill and did not get a chance to go out later in the day as I spent most of the afternoon and early evening at the airport.

PM - decent workout 3 mile warm up then 4 miles at HM pace with a 1 mile cool down.  Treadmill calibration had me at 6:49 pace, which felt slightly harder than HM should have felt.  Effort was what I was looking for, more than pace as shown on the machine.

AM - 7 miles easy in the morning.