Bret

April 2023

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Location:

Milton,GA,USA

Member Since:

Jul 27, 2010

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

PR's -

Mile - 4:38    (High School)

2 Mile - 10:12 (High School) 

3 mile - 15:51 (High School)

10k - 35:19 (High School)

Marathon - 2:59 marathon (London -2013)

Half marathon - 1:25:18 (Deseret News 2013)

Completed all 6 of the World Marathon Majors 2024

Completed each of the 5 majors (NY, Chicago, Boston, London & Berlin) at least twice.

8 x Boston Marathon (1999, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2014, 2020 (virtual due to covid) 2021, 2022)

13 x NYC Marathon (1997, 1998, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023)

 

 

Short-Term Running Goals:

Sub 3 hour marathon

Long-Term Running Goals:

Continue to enjoy running and racing as long as my body permits me.  

Personal:

Old guy - (grandfather even) been running for 40+ years.  

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 91.50 Year: 1815.45
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
175.500.000.000.00175.50
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
8.250.000.000.008.25

AM - 8.25 miles with the guys and Finn on the Forsythe greenway - we had to wait for an earlier thunderstorm to move out and we started and a light rain with some breaks.  Good solid training run at a decent pace.  Achilles and hamstring were not great but much more functional and less painful with what was mostly a flat run.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
7.250.000.000.007.25

AM - 3.25 miles very slow shakeout with Finn before church - very tired from run and yardwork and standing at the ATL United game (everyone stands the entire game out of tradition, except for halftime, in this section).

PM - after more house clean-up projects - power washing and patio furniture cleaning...all springtime stuff - I managed a few more miles (4)  on the trail. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.250.000.000.004.25

AM - 4.25 slow with interruptions to stop for Dan's dog on the Milton trail.  He dislikes having her on a leash, but the Milton trail is technically a road (dirt) that is used for local residents and school buses.  So when she lags behind particularly if there is a car or truck coming, we have to stop and he needs to put her back on the leash.   This morning she was not really interested in running and so we stopped multiple times to get her.  As it turns out, this was perfectly fine with me.  2100 meters of indoor rowing and a short yoga session afterwards.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.250.000.000.006.25

AM - a little over 6 miles today with Finn through the neighborhood.  Wore the Alphafly shoes to help with some lift on the painful right Achilles - which seemed to help actually.  Bought some insert lifts for my normal trainers that should arrive today or tomorrow.  Also did some backwards walking on the treadmill yesterday - perhaps that was good too for the Achilles.   2100 of indoor rowing after the run.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.000.000.000.005.00

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn through the neighborhood and part of the route on the golf course.  Started with a heel lift to perhaps help the anchilles, but not even a half mile into the run I removed it as it was actually causing quite a bit of discomfort.  The tendon actually felt decent the rest of the run.  2100 meters of indoor rowing afterwards. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.000.000.000.005.00

AM - 5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail - not a particularly good run for me today - kept rolling my ankles on the trail and was otherwise stiff and tired.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.250.000.000.005.25

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and the dogs from his house and on the horsefarm trail roads.  Slowish - but enjoyable conversation.  2200 meters of indoor rowing afterwards 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.500.000.000.005.50

AM - 5.5 miles of trail running at Birmingham park with the guys and the dogs  - conditions were poor. 43 degrees with wind and heavy rains on mostly single track trails in the woods.  The dogs had a good time. I kept Finn on leash so it was challenging going downhill to keep from slipping but I managed to stay upright.  About midway through Dan warned we were getting to the muddy part and declared jokingly that if anyone lost a shoe in the mud - that the rule is to leave it and run without it.   Literally 30 seconds later my shoe was suctioned off my foot by the thick Georgia clay mud.    I did not adhere to Dan's rule however.   Although it was cold and wet and took nearly an hour to cover a little over 5 miles - it was a fun adventure.   

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.250.000.000.005.25

AM - 5.25 miles with Finn in the neighborhood- cool but dry out today.  Slow first mile but then warmed into my regular pace.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
7.750.000.000.007.75

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton Trail.   Heading out of town for the week for a conference and management meetings in Vegas.  2100 meters of indoor rowing afterwards. 
 

PM - arrived in LV. Quickly changed clothes and did 3.5 miles on the treadmill in the hotel fitness center before it closed at 6 pm!   

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.500.000.000.004.50

AM - 4.5 miles outside around the new football stadium and back along the strip.  Shorter distance than I had expected and the first mile and a half were painful and slow until the tendons warmed up in the hamstring and Achilles.    

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.000.000.000.006.00

AM - 6 miles heading north on strip from the hotel in Vegas.   Quite windy today - not a very good run - felt "off" most of the way.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.500.000.000.006.50

AM - 6.5 miles south on the strip in Vegas and then looping back on the other side of the interstate past the new stadium.  Slow start again; did not realize the route is uphill, and was against the wind.  Richie called me after the first mile and we chatted while I ran for another mile or so, until I was going past the airport and could not hear him so well due the noise of the planes.   Second half was in the low to mid 8 min pace per mile.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.750.000.000.006.75

AM - 6.75 miles with a work colleague from our hotel in Vegas. Good conversation and a decent run effort.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.500.000.000.006.50

AM - 6.5 miles with the guys and the dogs on the Forsyth trail from Halcyon.   Did a mile before they arrived to allow for the Achilles to warm up.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
7.000.000.000.007.00

AM - 7 miles with Finn before church as the overnight rains were ending.  Nice spring morning - ran with the AlphaFly shoes which seems to be easier on the Achilles tendon which I have noticed has some swelling.   

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.500.000.000.005.50

AM - 5.5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail.  Did about a half mile on the street before Dan arrived.  The Alphafly shoes are definitely not made for running on trails, but I tried anyway for the Achilles tendon benefit.  Stayed out of the wooded part of the trail. Watching the Boston marathon from home this year.  I was registered but decided at least 2 months ago that I was not running due to multiple factors including the nagging injuries that really would not have permitted me to train sufficiently; but also Delaney was visiting this week, and I was out of town for business conferences all week - and would not have been home if I did a Boston weekend to see her.  Happy with the decision not to run as the right call, but a bit of regret not to be out there again this year.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.250.000.000.004.25

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail - fairly cold out today at 40 degrees for this late in the year.  Continuing to wear the AlphaFly shoes for the Achilles issue.   Getting an MRI done tomorrow to rule out any tears.  Feels like it may just be tendinitis at the insertion point of the tendon - which would be my expectation.  2100 meters of indoor rowing. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.000.000.000.006.00

AM - 6 miles with Finn in the neighborhood.  Slow first mile as always to get the muscles warm - watch battery died before I finished.  2100 meters of indoor rowing afterward.   Getting an MRI of the Achilles this afternoon - not expecting it to show a rupture, but perhaps some reassurance that it is a case of tendinitis. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
7.000.000.000.007.00

AM - 7 miles with Finn - later start and perfect weather of low 50's and the sun was already rising.  Pretty good run with the last 4 miles averaging right around or under 8 mins per mile.  First 2 miles were slowish getting the tendons warmed up.  Got the MRI results already for the Achilles.  "There is increased signal and thickening within the Achilles tendon insertion consistent with tendinosis/partial tearing.  The flexor, extensor, in peroneal tendons are intact. There is no abnormal bursal distension.  Minimal increased signal and thickening within the origin of the medial band of the plantar fascia. Finding may represent a component early plantar fasciitis."  So this is confirmation that I am just dealing with tendinosis versus something more serious.  Continuing to run in the AlphaFly shoes as they seem to be easier on the Achilles. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.750.000.000.005.75

AM - 5.75 miles with Dan and Finn on the hilly way around North Valley.  Second day in a row with significantly better pace and a lot less discomfort and functional weakness in the Achilles which I am attributing to the AlphaFly shoes.   Last 3.5 miles were all under 8 min pace but also not at a high heartrate.   2100 meters of indoor rowing afterwards. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
8.000.000.000.008.00

AM - 8 miles with Dan and Finn from his house and anew route through Triple Crown.  Quite hilly.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
7.000.000.000.007.00

AM - 7 miles with Finn before church.  Maybe a bit more discomfort in the Achille's but this last 4-5 days has been significantly better overall with these injuries and with the pace per mile.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.250.000.000.004.25

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton Trail.  2100 meters of indoor rowing afterwards. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.000.000.000.006.00

AM - 6 miles from Dan's house with Finn - early. He had an early meeting so he only had time for about 3.5 miles - so we looped back to his place and then I went for a few more miles when he was finished.  Cold this morning 38 degrees. Gloves and a hat today.   Good run though.  2200 meters of indoor rowing afterwards.   

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.000.000.000.005.00

Am - 5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail.   Ran with the Peregrines which was good from a stability on uneven terrain perspective, but they are stiff and I did not have the same positive experience as the Alphaflys on the Achilles with them.   Temperature was literally 16 degress warmer this morning than yesterday.   2200 meters of indoor rowing afterwards.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.000.000.000.006.00

AM - 6 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood in a light spring rain.   Good run and conversation.  2100 meters of indoor rowing afterwards. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.250.000.000.004.25

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail - I had an early meeting in the office and did not have time to get any more miles in.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.500.000.000.006.50

AM - 6.5 miles with the guys and the dogs on the horse farm trail roads.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.000.003.00

AM - 3 miles on the treadmill because of a thunderstorm outside.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
175.500.000.000.00175.50
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