Bret

July 2024

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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: 25.00 Month: 128.45 Year: 959.90
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
115.709.003.750.00128.45
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.000.003.00

AM - Ran with Dan and Finn going maybe a little bit faster than yesterday, maybe a little more painful than yesterday.  Yoga afterwards, 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.000.003.00

AM - 3 miles in the neighborhood with Dan and Finn - ran slightly faster this morning with an avg pace of 9:45.   Wish the hip issue was completely resolved, but it continues to linger...Dan is not very fit having been off of running for 3 months; so running easy and short is good for him.  He asked me to slow down a couple of times, which was probably good for me as well and then near the end of the run he said, he had "no more gears" to go to if I wanted to "kick it in".    May consider taking tomorrow off or going much slower and shorter...I will run in the Peachtree this year with Bradlea and Marcus.  She's got a plan to run a half marathon in January, and has been walking consistently but not really doing any running since having her baby 8 months ago.  So her plan is to run/walk and she wants me to do it with them; which honestly is probably a good idea for me as well. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.000.003.00

AM - 3 miles with Dan and Finn at Milton HS - about the same pace as yesterday - the initial few steps and then the first mile or so there are aches and twinges in the hip, but no worse each day at least.  I benefit from Dan's lack of fitness to keep the pace slow and easy - my avg HR is in the low 120's.   So, maybe a week or two of low mileage at low intensity will be good - certainly seems to be good for the statin therapy at least so far which is now 1 full week since resuming it.   Tomorrow will be a run/walk of the Peachtree with Bradlea and Marcus.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.200.000.000.006.20

Peachtree Road Race - 2024.  I did not race this one today - and instead ran with my eldest daughter Bradlea and her husband Marcus. Bradlea is trying to get back into running and is registered for a half marathon in January and because of my slow recovery from my left hip flexor - it made sense for me to run 12-13 min pace on a very hot day with them.  It was really good to enjoy the day in a different way than I normally do this event.  We worked on keeping Bradlea from overcooking herself - and she did very well.  By the time we were headed back home on the Marta they announced black flag conditions and they cancelled the remainder of the event.  Heat index today is 109.  But we were done early enough and it was not too bad particularly at the pace we were running.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.500.000.000.003.50

AM - 3.5 miles with Dan and Finn on the horse farm trail roads and around Providence and the elementary school.  Quite warm and humid with a high dew point today.  Hip continues to be about the same - achey / annoying but not functionally impairing me. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.500.000.000.003.50

AM - 3.5 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton Trail.  Kept it very easy as I noticed Dans HR was way too high the last several days.  He needs time to gradually get back in running shape and that's actually good for me too.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.000.000.000.005.00

AM - 5 miles with Finn at a controlled easy pace at least for the first 2/3rds but the humidity and dew point were really high and so my HR was above the easy/moderate target for the last third.   

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.250.000.000.004.25

AM - 1 mile walk on the trail with Finn who had several seizures yesterday unfortunately - and though he really wanted to run - I kept him on the leash and limited the walk to 15-20 mins.   The vet prescribed some anti-seizure meds today, which hopefully will be effective for the little guy.

I ran 4.25 miles on the treadmill afterwards to keep my effort and HR in check - as it has been quite warm and humid with high dew points.   I need to consider doing this for a little while to get some decent mileage in at HR levels that are not unduly influenced by the weather conditions.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
5.000.000.000.005.00

AM - 1 mile walk outside with Finn, then 5 miles on the treadmill at 65% HRR which ended up being about 9:30 pace for most of it.   Hip is still not 100%, but getting closer.  Finn's vet gave us a script for anti-seizure meds which we started yesterday and it seemed effective.  It makes him slightly lethargic and not as amped up as he usually is, which kinda makes him now act a little more sedate, and chill.  I was concerned that the run on Sunday which was quite warm and humid may have contributed to the 4 seizures he had in 18 hours - e.g. maybe he was dehydrated, with an electrolyte imbalance - maybe he's having more advanced kidney issues...so, I think we will limit his exercise for a little while during the heat of the summer or at least until he adjusts to the meds. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.750.000.000.003.75

AM - 3.75 miles at Milton HS.   Ran with Dan and Finn this morning.  Finn is having an adjustment period to his seizure meds - and was very excited and restless last night; so I thought he may benefit from a run today instead of just walking as we had the last two days.   Dan was out of town the last couple of days and wanted to run, but after the first mile or so, his left calf muscle was cramping - and we walked a couple of times until he insisted that I finish another loop and he would walk it in.  We met up for a short walk around the practice field.   He's really having a hard time with injuries and "stuff."  

It was slightly lower in dew point today, and I felt well with just a little achiness in the hip to where I was running at sub 9 min pace for the last mile and a half.   Seeing some progress in fitness and with the injury. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.000.000.000.006.00

AM - just about 4 miles in the neighborhood with Finn and then another 2.5 miles on the treadmill.   I am very cautious about overdoing my runs with Finn as he has had a rough week with the seizures on Sunday, and is adjusting to the anti-seizure meds.   His appetite has increased and hopefully he will regain his weight loss and he seemed to sleep better last night though still got me up around 3:30 am to go out to use the bathroom.  No seizures since Sunday - fingers-crossed that we've seen the last of them. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
2.000.003.750.005.75

AM - did a 2 mile warm-up on the trail with Finn, then hopped on the treadmill for a 30 min tempo run which ended up being just sub-8 min pace - which doesn't sound like much but considering the last several months of illness, injury and more injury - this was actually a pleasant turn of events.  Definitely feeling stronger in the left hip now, but also now feeling some myalgia associated with the statin that I resumed 2 weeks ago.  Up until yesterday, I had not had really any muscle aches etc. But I ran 60 mins yesterday and did a tempo run today, so that was more volume and intensity than I have done in quite some time.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
8.250.000.000.008.25

AM - slow easy 8.25 miles this morning.  Warmer and more humidity today.  Only took Finn for the first mile and then dropped him back at the house.  Kept the HRR at 65% avg - with the exception of the last mile or so.  Slow going, but patience is needed to be effective.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
2.000.000.000.002.00

AM - just 2 miles with Finn on the trail before church this morning.   Resisted the urge to go further and to go a second time later in the day on the treadmill.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.006.000.000.009.00

AM - 3 mile walk/run with Dan and Finn.  Dan has a calf injury ("calf heart attack") which from my experience benefits from an alternating walk run ever few hundred yards or ever minute or so.   I will do a normal workout later on the treadmill.

PM - late lunch - 6 miles on the treadmill at just under 8 min pace.  Wore the Alphafly 2's - minimal hip discomfort - effort was smooth - and it has been such a long time since I have been able to do this.  Really pleased with how things are progressing right now. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.000.003.00

AM - 3 mile walk/run with Dan and Finn quite early as Tracy and I are traveling to WV today to visit her family.  Dan's calf is doing well with the walk run therapy.  Hopefully by the time I return next week he will be able to graduate to a full run for the morning workouts.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.000.000.000.006.00

AM - 6 miles along the Ohio river in WV.  Kinda did not have a great flow.  Hip and Achilles were stiff and achy to start, and then by the time they warmed up, the high dew point and humidity had my HR above target - so it was mostly a grind/slog.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
8.000.000.000.008.00

AM - slogged through 8 miles in WV again today - slightly cooler but just as humid and sticky today.  Pace was abysmal, but from a controlled HR perspective, I kept it in check and did not overdo it.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
2.003.000.000.005.00

AM - 1 mile warm up and then 3 miles at tempo effort with a 1 mile cool down on the perimeter trail around the 12th street ball fields in WV.   Much cooler and more comfortable running today with temps in the upper 50's.   Helped a little but I had very little speed in my legs - pleased that I was able to average 7:52 per mile, but that calibration is just so much slower than I am used to running.  Hoping to see some gradual progress in my fitness over the next month or so as I slowly re-build my aerobic base.  I am fairly certain that the lack of strength in the hip flexor is impacting my speed a good bit.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
10.250.000.000.0010.25

AM - 10.25 miles in WV out Glendale creek.  Good run for a change.  Not sure if it was the lower dew point, less pain in my hip, or extra carbs from family gatherings yesterday, but this felt nearly normal in terms of pace and strength.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
3.000.000.000.003.00

AM - a little over 3 miles in WV for one more day.  Temps were agreeable - hip was slightly less cooperative than yesterday- first mile was slow but then shifted to a faster gear and ran a good pace to get a few miles in today before church.

 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.000.000.000.000.00

Travel day.  No running.

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.500.000.000.004.50

AM - 4.5 miles of running with a little walking with Dan who is gradually returning from injury.  Good to catch up and to run easy. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
7.000.000.000.007.00

AM - 4 miles with Delaney who is in town for a week and with Dan and Finn - all at their pace with some walking - but good to be out on the trail with friends and family. 
 

PM - 3 more miles on the treadmill after my workday was done. 

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
6.000.000.000.006.00

AM - just under 6 miles with Delaney and partly with Dan and Finn, the latter two ending at 4 miles - Dan, because he's recovering from injury and Finn because I think the heat and humidity combined with his age is just a little too much to run beyond that amount of time.   Delaney is doing very well with her marathon training using heartrate.  

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
4.500.000.000.004.50

AM - 4.5 miles with Dan and Finn at Milton HS.  Delaney was going to run a tempo on the treadmill, but ended up awaking with a fever and a cold.  Run was very comfortable at or below 9 min pace to accomodate for Dan's injury recovery and back issues (he sees a doctor this morning for the latter).  HR was only 122 avg for the run which had an avg pace of 9:15 - on a very muggy sticky morning.  To be fair, it is one of the few routes we run which is mostly flat without hills.  But in any event, it seems like good fitness progress - I will consider a tempo run later today on the treadmill before a longer run tomorrow with Riley who arrives this evening for a visit (and Delaney if her ailment permits).

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Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
115.709.003.750.00128.45
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