Bret

AM - very early run of 3 miles with Finn before work this morning.  

AM - 3.5 miles on the golf course with Finn and Rob with some striders at the end.  

USATF Cross Country Championship in Tallahassee, Florida - Really glad Rob came up with the idea and asked me to enter this race.  I have not run a cross country event since high school - and the last one Rob and I ran together was about 35 years ago.  Doug and his wife were kind hosts to us as we drove down to Tally from Atlanta on Friday - providing us all we needed for the race.   (We need to get Doug to run with us next time, too).

The event was top shelf - well-organized and very cool too.  The Apalachee Regional Park is a cross-country specific venue - which I had first seen about 6 years ago when one of my daughters was in high school, and it was and continues to be the site of the Florida high school state cross country championships, and it serves as FSU's home cross country course.  It is laid out very well for spectators, with stands and a jumbotron with live action from multiple views on the course including the lead vehicle Gator/ATV golf cart - and scrolling updates with competitors' live results / upates during each race.  In the last few years they have widened the course to where it is a minimum of 10 meters wide - and the surface includes grass, packed dirt/clay and crushed /packed shells.  It boasts a mostly flat terrain, but enough ups and downs at key points in the course to make it interesting.

Rob and I warmed up on the warm up course (they have a separate warm-up trail of 1.25 miles to keep runners off the course while the events were going on - they have thought of everything it seams).  We watched the Community 5k and the Women's Masters 6k before we headed to the start for the Men's Masters 8k.  There were teams and runners from all over the US from age 40 up to 80's.   Everyone was all business on the starting line - and was both excited and I was nostaglic for my high school days - and thankful that I am still able to line up for running events this many years later.  

Competition was very strong - with around 107 participants.  I found myself running with a little too much adreniline in the first mile, but settled into a measured pace to account for the constantly changing surface and turns.  My splits were 6:26, 6:53, 6:59, 7:14 and 6:59.  I would like to say that I competed well, but honestly, I think I passed one person in the first 2 miles and someone passed, me and then my place never changed.  Finished reasonably strong trying to catch my nearest competition but ran out of space. 

Overall I enjoyed the race - especially spending some time with old friends and getting a chance to do something a little bit different.  

Took the day off from running following the race and travel yesterday.

PM - 8 miles easy on the treadmill at lunchtime.

AM - 2 mile shakeout on the treadmill before work

PM - lunchtime run 6.25 miles.  Legs still feeling less than 100%.  Ended up running faster than I had perceived. 

AM - 2 miles on the treadmill before work because it was raining.

PM - 4 miles on the treadmill at lunchtime because it was raining and because I had limited time.  Not feeling all that fresh this week - kinda feeling some hang-over from the race and travel over the weekend still.  

Not a moment for a run today - early start at work and a board meeting and then we had a group over to our house in the evening.  Probably not bad that I had a day off, I have been dragging. 

AM - 3 miles with Finn on the golf course - temps in the 30's, grass frozen/icy and lots of deer for him to chase around.  

PM - 6 more miles on the treadmill after work.

PM - 11 miles on the treadmill.  Rain started last night and is supposed to continue through Monday.  

PM - 5 muddy wet miles on the golf course with Finn and Riley.  Quick dog bath for Finn and then 2000 meters of rowing and 3 more miles on the treadmill.  

AM - 3.25 miles in something like a drizzle or mist/fog - maybe mizzle with Finn before work this morning.  Have not seen the sun since Friday.   But, it has been much warmer and humid.

PM - 8.0 miles on the treadmill at lunchtime today.  HR was in a good range - but I felt a little like I was "pushing" more than I should have felt over the last 3 miles or so.  

AM - 4 miles on the treadmill easy effort. 

PM - 6 more after work. 

AM - just a shade under 4 miles this morning with Finn before work. 

PM - 7 miles at lunchtime.  Faster pace than planned - probably more effort than called for.  Sun almost made its first appearance since last Friday, but then changed its mind.  

PM - lunchtime treadmill 10 miles.  Felt refreshingly easy.  I skipped the morning run today as my legs felt the volume of miles of the last few days.  

AM - a little over 4 miles this morning with Finn before work.  First mile was slow and creaky - but picked up by the last 2.  First time seeing the sun come out in a week.  Supposed to rain later today and through the weekend though.  

PM - treadmill tempo.  2 mile warm up then 6 miles at high aerobic pace HRR 75%-80% - which worked out to about 6:47 pace.  Good effort.  

PM - 10 miles easy recovery on the treadmill.  

PM - 6 miles outside with Finn on warm sunny day; but as he's been used to running in the cold and rain, I brought him back home, and then did another 4 miles on the treadmill.  

AM - 5 miles easy in the fog and drizzle. 

PM - only time for 5 more on the treadmill after work.  

AM - a little over 4 miles this morning in the fog with Finn before work. 

PM - 8 miles on the treadmill at lunchtime - a bit faster than yesterday, and probably faster than I should have gone, but I fogot my watch and forgot my headphones - so I was also interested in getting done faster.  

AM - 5k with Finn this morning before work and after a heavy rain.  Had a hard time with motivation this morning - but my dog's enthusiasm for a run finally got me out the door.  Slow and easy. 

PM - made a wrong turn on my lunchtime run - ended up out a lot longer than planned; and was stressing to get back for an important meeting on time.  Consequently had to run a lot faster than I wanted to.  

AM - 3 miles on the treadmill before work. 

PM - 7  more on the treadmill at lunchtime.  Had one of those conversation with another guy at the gym who runs but is not a "runner" - who has seen me running there for quite some time - he wanted to know how far I run everyday and at what pace - and how fast I have run a marathon.  "You run how many miles??"  "You've run how fast???".  

It was one of those exchanges where someone thinks you are a freak or phenominal - and you know, in reality you are nothing special in your own world - but it still makes you feel good.  

PM - treadmill tempo 1 mile warm up then 6 miles at tempo with a 1 mile cool down.  Did not feel that great.  Thought about pulling the plug on it about halfway - but pushed through.  My training practice, perhaps a little old school (seeing as I am kinda old) has almost always been to grind through planned workouts even when they are not going particularly well - and I know there is a school of thought to do the opposite - but how do you know when.  And, if you push through tough workouts when you don't feel that well, won't that experience assist you later in races when things get tough?

AM - 3 miles with Finn on the golf course. 

PM - 10 miles on the treadmill.  

PM - it was raining when I awoke this morning- and did not want to get on the treadmill- so I skipped the AM run.  Had to head down to Sea Island Ga for a conference after church - so as soon as I checked into the very nice hotel - I went out for a few miles.  Ended up getting rained on at the end of the run anyway.  

AM - easy 4 miles on the same road on Sea Island.  Thankful that I remembered my headlamp - miffed that the batteries were nearly dead.  Roads were wet with lots of puddles   

PM - late afternoon - 8 miles with the last 4 at moderate to approaching tempo pace. Rainy (light) and humid. 

AM - 4 miles this morning - last day of the conference and I will be driving back this afternoon.  Doubtful I will get a second run in today.  Left foot has a foreboding feeling in it - similar to early stages of a stress injury - so I took it easy this morning.  Will try to keep on softer surfaces or treadmill for the next few runs.  Nothing too serious I think just yet.  

PM - 10 miles on the treadmill at lunchtime.  It was raining this morning and I was tired from my trip yesterday - thus lacking the necessary motivation to run early today.  Foot seems ok, but every now and again I have an "odd step" where something feels "off".