Bret

AM - 5 miles with the guys and the dogs from Starbucks.  Hammy was very slow to warm up to normal movement - and then became a bit more painful near the end.  But it was good to see the guys to start the new year right with a run with friends.  

PM - doing a bit of an experiment with "barefoot" running on the treadmill with the Vibrams to engage the hamstring differently.  Actually went well - but I need to keep the volume low to prevent an injury to the foot.  So just a mile and a half - but very little pain - like not even a 1 in a scale of 10.   Then did 2000 meters of rowing (also good for hamstring) and then 45 mins ride on the Peloton. So a triathlon of sorts - run, row and ride.  

AM - 1 mile walk with Finn - in a light snow - nothing was accumulating since it was literally 70 degrees yesterday afternoon.   2 miles on the treadmill with the vibrams "barefoot" - then 2000 meters of indoor rowing.   Stretching and strengthening exercises afterward for the hamstring.

AM - 1 mile walk with Finn and then 2 miles on the treadmill "barefoot" and then 2000 meters of indoor rowing.   Had physical therapy early in the morning too - with some additional exercises for the hamstring.   Some good days and some not so good days; yesterday and the day before were much better than today. 

AM - 3 miles outside with Finn on the roads.  Pretty much a jog at 12 min pace - but the good news was that the hamstring pain level was below a 1 on a scale of 1-10.  I view it as progress.   30 minutes of yoga afterwards.  

AM - 3 miles in the neighborhood then 1 mile on the treadmill in the vibrams and then 30 minutes of yoga.  

AM - 2500 meters of indoor rowing, then 30 minutes of yoga.   

PM - 4 miles with Dan on the trails with the dogs.  

AM - 4 miles with Dan on at a new place - with a 1.5 mile trail loop on Lachey road.  A bit too steep and muddy to do with a leash on the dogs - so we let them run free.   After emerging from the woods we ran on the dirt road approaching the park and then into a neighborhood and back to the parking lot trail head.   Did an additional mile on the treadmill with the vibrams and 2000 meters of rowing.   25 minutes of yoga.  

PM - 7 miles on the treadmill followed by 1500 meters of indoor rowing.  Did a yoga session earlier before church.   Run was decent and pain level for the hamstring was around a 1 but following the run I felt really cold and nauseous and there was some achiness in the left foot.  I assume it is from the barefoot running I had done earlier in the week - though I did not do any today and never did more than a mile on Friday and Saturday and completely without pain during or following those efforts.   Will keep things to a minimum for a few days if it is a stress reaction.  

PM - 3.25 miles on the trails with Dan and with Finn after work.   Did a mile walk with Finn this morning then 2000 meters of indoor rowing and the 30 mins of yoga.   Hamstring pain was less than a 1 - so that's moving in the right direction.   The foot is probably fine too, but it will require caution - like if I were to run hard or run barefoot, it could progress to something more serious.   So for now, just a few easy miles with full reocovery only in shoes.   

AM - 30 minutes on the Peloton and then 1 mile jog on the treadmill to be conservative for the left foot as well as the hamstring.   Going to approach it this way for a few days to give some time for recovery.  

AM - 3 miles with Finn.  Started off thinking we'd just walk and maybe test some running, but once we got started, things felt ok and so I continued with the run.   Very little pain in the foot and hamstring pain was less than a 1.   I did a yoga session when I got back.

PM - 45 mins on the Peloton and then 2000 meters of indoor rowing followed by some stretching and hamstring strengthenen drills.  

AM - 3 miles with Finn - a bit faster today.  Hamstring pain was at times about a 1.5 and the second toe on the left foot had some discomfort.   30 mins of yoga following.  

AM - 3 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trails.  Hamstring pain less than 1 for most of the run - foot pain similar.   Yoga session following.  

AM - drove downtown and did a quick run with Finn - decent speed today but felt a bit off afterwards.   

AM - 6.25 miles with Finn around the White Columns golf course in the snow.  Lots of high winds overnight and the temps are not cool enough at the surface to allow for much accumulation.  It seems every year since we moved here we get at least a day or two with snow each winter.   Decent effort even on the hilly sections - pain level was probably nearing 2.5 at the end.  Yoga session afterwards. 

AM - 5.25 miles with Finn in the neighborhood on a quiet morning.   Chilly with patchy snow still on the lawns and trees from yesterday.   Foot and hamstring no worse / no better - and manageble today.  25 minutes of yoga following.

PM - 3000 meters of indoor rowing and then an easy mile on the treadmill followed by some PT strengthening exercises for the hamstring.  

AM - 5.25 miles through WC and then across Birmingham Hwy into the Grove neighborhood and back.   Took my time and saved the hamstring strain by not running up the uneven stairs on the cut-through of the golf course.   Although the watch showed my overall pace was slower than my normal training pace - I actually felt pretty good about how my body felt on this run.   Hamstring pain was at times unnoticeable, as was the foot.  Feels like a definite upswing in my slow rehab injury recovery over the last several days.  

PM - 2500 meters or so of indoor rowing followed by a mile jog on the treadmill and then stretching and hamstring strengthening exercises.   

AM - just over 5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the horse trail roads.  Just under 30 degrees for what seems like a string of over a week now.  Supposed to get another shot at some snow on Friday evening.   Hamstring was a non-issue today - (its not 100% of course) but it now seems to be just a nuisance-type of issue that is manageable.   Foot likewise is the same.  

AM - 5.5 miles from Dan's house with the dogs.   Perceived effort was higher today, and the hamstring was more noticable particularly at the end of the run.  Noting that I did not do any rowing or short jog with hamstring strengthening exercises yesterday afternoon due to time constraints.   Also, rainy and a good bit warmer this morning in the mid 40's from the last several days of being at or below freezing.  

PM - 2000 meters of indoor rowing and then 1 mile on treadmill easy.  Feeling solid this afternoon.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and the dogs through North Valley early.  Much colder - but good run - even on the climb on Dinsmore.  

AM - 10 miles with the guys starting from my house - good hilly loop.  Was planning to keep the pace no faster than 8:30 pace, but we were conversational at 8 or better - and just went with the flow.  Good effort with avg hr at 142 - which is just slightly higher than what I would do for a long run.  Happy with the progress on the hamstring - which feels to be about 90% back to normal give or take.  

AM - 2000 meters of indoor rowing and then a 1 mile jog on the treadmill before church. Feeling some of yesterday's effort in my hamstring and foot this morning.

PM - 5.25 miles around the neighborhood with Finn.  Bright sunshine and blue skies but deceptively colder and windier than I had expected.   Kept my pace and effort very easy.  Yoga session after. 

AM - 6 miles with Dan and the dogs on the horse trail roads -  28 degrees with a "feels like" temp was 24, but it was really not uncomfortable.   Strange how adaptable we become from the first cold weather in October.    Yoga session following the run back at the house. 

PM - 2500 meters of rowing followed by 2 miles of easy running on the treadmill.  

AM - just under 6 miles with Dan from his neighborhood with the dogs.   I had been given a gps smart collar for Finn from my son-in-law.   Either the device is not working correctly or there was user error - as it indicated that he walked 2.7 miles :) 

PM - 2000 meters of rowing followed by 2 miles of easy running on the treadmill.

AM - 6 miles with Dan and the dogs in the neighborhood and about a third on the golf course.   Quite cold again today in the 20's.  

AM - 6 miles with Finn very early before sunrise.  Yoga session following. 
 

PM - 2000 meters of indoor rowing then 3 miles on the treadmill.  Workout of sorts - 4 x 400 with 200 rest - just to test the legs and the engine.   Ran the first one at 6:50 pace and progressively got faster  - last one was at 6:15 pace.  Minor discomfort in the left hamstring and a little discomfort in the left foot - but not significant.  

AM - 6 miles with Dan and the dogs before sunrise on the horse farm road/trails.  Foot (I think it is a morton's neuroma) and hamstring had more discomfort following yesterday's double with the spontaneous 4 x 400 treadmill workout.   Foot was only an issue going downstairs this morning - but not really painful or limiting once I had my running shoes on.   Hamstring was more noticable at various points on the run - not limited to just uphills.   So - I will be a little more conservative with the intensity for a while longer.  Yoga session following the run.  

PM - 2000 meters of rowing followed by 2 miles on the treadmill   

AM - 12.25 miles with Greg and Dan on the Greenway trail.   Quite cold even at 11 am - with temps at or around 25 and windchill temps at 16.    Good run - faster than I wanted but not unexpected when running with Greg.  

AM - 1 mile on the treadmill and an easy yoga session. 
 

PM - 6 miles with Finn on the former golf course.  They are still converting part of the course to running trails but I mistakenly run in the part that the city has allowed to be reclaimed by nature - and ended up in some really thorny brush and had some serious cuts and scratches from them.

oh yeah -- this was run streak day 700 for me.   

AM - about 5.75 miles with Finn - around 4 of which were on the WC golf course.  I am actively seeking softer surfaces for the left foot - which is either showing symptoms of a mortons neuroma, or a stress reaction or both (or neither and it is something else).  There is definite numbness and mild diffuse discomfort in the ball of the foot early in the morning or following a run - no pain on the top of the foot and it causes me to turn my foot outward going downstairs - which then pulls on outside of my lower leg tendons.  But generally it is really not noticable during a run.  

AM - 6 miles with Dan and the dogs on the horse trail roads.   Dan was cautious about a hamstring flare-up and so we moved slowly for a couple of miles and then he decided that was enough for him.   Finn and I continued and increased the pace as we got warmer.   Foot was less of a problem today than the last two days.   Hope this turns into a trend - :) 

PM - 2000 meters of indoor rowing followed by a 2 mile jog on the treadmill. 

AM - 5.5 miles with Finn in the neighborhood and partly on the golf course - slowly.   Yoga and stretching afterward. 

AM - 6 miles on the treadmill - steady rain and mid 40's - just did not feel like running outdoors in that. 
 

PM - 2000 meters of indoor rowing and then 2 miles on the treadmill.  Last mile was 7:15 and felt pretty easy.  

AM - 6 miles in the rain with Finn - temps were in the mid-50's and Finn had no exercise yesterday - so I decided not to use the treadmill this morning - though it was tempting.  Ended up being a decent run despite getting acclimated to the cool rain at the start. 

AM - 15 miles this morning - decent effort - quite cold at the start.   Finn ran with me and we met Dan and his dog Rosie around 4 miles and then we ran about 4 mile together around the horse farm roads.  Dan's hamstring has been giving him difficulty - so when we got to his car, I had him bring Finn back home as he'd already done 8 miles and then I continued on for another 7 mostly on the dirt roads. 

AM - easy 3 mile shakeout on the former golf course - which is still under construction in the conversion to a looped trail - passive greenspace.   Lots of rains on Thursday and Friday - and then very cold temps yesterday and today created some favorable-for running traction - frozen red clay mud - in some low lying places that would have been quite messy if warmer.   Had Finn entirely off-lead with the combo e-collars of Fi and Dogtra - neither of which are ideal separately or even together.   But he had a blast.   

PM - 2000 meters of indoor rowing followed by 4.5 miles on the treadmill at a quicker pace  

AM - 5 miles with Finn in the neighborhood and with a little on the golf course.  Yoga session following. 

PM - 2500 meters of indoor rowing - then 3 miles on the treadmill. 

AM - 5.5 miles or so with Dan and with Finn on the dirt roads of Brittle Summit and Wood.  Cannot remember the last time I did not need tights to run in the morning - so many sub-freezing days in a row it seems.  Ready for some warmer temps. 

AM - 5.5 miles with Dan and Finn in the WC neighborhood - partly on the golf course - temps still below 30 degrees again today.   I did not do a second run or rowing yesterday - as my legs were feeling some fatigue and achiness in the peroneal tendons - which I am attributing to the ramp up of mileage volume over the last couple of weeks.   I think the additional rest was somewhat helpful. 
 

PM - 2.5 miles with on the treadmill after my workday.  

AM - 6.25 miles with Finn through Wood Valley.   Right foot tendon on the top of the foot near the ankle is achy and somewhat painful - probably tendonitis.  

AM - 6 miles with Dan and the dogs at the horse farm dirt road trails.  

PM - in Stowe Vermont for a Valentines weekend with Tracy - got out for a run when she was getting a massage.  There was a good amount of snow on the ground from last week but it was warmer yesterday and today so it was melting and slushy.  Really had little plan of where to run - so I just explored.  Whenever the sidewalks or bike trails that were plowed ended I would turn around and head in another direction. Good way to see the quaint little town.  

AM - 15 miles on the treadmill at the hotel in Stowe Vermont.  Very cold outside - and really unfamiliar with the area to put together a long run outside.

AM - just under 3 miles in Stowe.  Frigid temps - 1 degree with a wind chill of -14 light snow with a coating on the surface.   Bundled up and made the best of it before we head home.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and the dogs in the WC neighborhood.    It was 30 degrees but that was literally nearly 30 degrees warmer than my run in Stowe yesterday.  

AM - ran with Dan and the dogs from his house.  First day in shorts in a while - with temps in the low 40's.   Had a "run-in" with a maintenance guy when we ran around the perimeter of a private school - wherein we were rudely informed that the "owner does not permit dogs on the property" - and so we apologized and told him it was the first time we'd run on the campus and were not aware of the rules.  Dan then said sarcastically - thanks for being so welcoming to your religious private school - to which the maintenance dude shouted "you're not welcome!!".   :) 

PM - 2000 meters of indoor rowing followed by 2.25 miles on the treadmill.   Last mile about 7 min pace give or take.  

AM - 6 miles with Dan and the dogs on the horsetrail roads.

AM - just under 7.75 miles with Greg and the dogs - on the trails.   Colder and windier today - Greg's training pace is about a minute faster per mile than Dan's.   So this was a bit longer and a good bit faster than yesterday.  Good run though.  

AM - 3 miles with Finn in the neighborhood.   I was not going to run this morning - as we had guests coming over for a brunch - but Finn's routine of a run every morning really had him stalking me and begging to go out.  

PM - 18 miles on the Forsyth Trail from Fowler Park north to the terminus in Cumming.   Never have run beyond where the very steep hills begin around the 5 mile mark going north.  Quite a bit of climbing as it turns out.  Some nice areas though and a huge panoramic vista near the end made it worthwhile.   Last 4 miles were relatively flat and so I ran a bit faster to finish - but my legs were about dead at the end.  

AM - 3.25 miles on the former golf course - still under construction.  Icy mud in spots - nearly fell slipping on a few icy areas.  Finn was off-lead and probably ran twice as far as me.  

AM - 5.5 miles with Finn mostly on the WC golf course - to give my legs some more recovery on soft surfaces.   Slow going, not as cold today.   

AM - 5 miles with Dan and the dogs from his place - wet roads from overnight rains, but actually on the warm side with temps in the 50's.  
 

PM - treadmill workout 5 x 800 @ 3:05 pace with 3 min rest.  Mile warmup and half mile cool down.  Felt reasonably comfortable with this.  Will see how my recovery is doing in the next couple of days.  

AM - just under 6 miles with Finn on the horsetrail roads - got caught in a pretty steady rain for the last couple of miles but it was warm, in the 60's today so the rain was not uncomfortable.   Left foot was a bit achy and felt like the ball of the foot was a little swollen and the left hamstring was also achy - which was probably from yesterday's treadmill workout.   We were both filthy with the dirt road / mud and rain when we finished.  Finn got a somewhat overdue bath to clean up when we got home.  

AM - low energy levels this morning - shuffled through 5 slow miles with Finn in a damp/mist run in the neighborhood and on the golf course.   Everything is really wet and saturated from rains over the last week.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and the dogs through the WC neighborhood and partly on the golf course.  Rainy at the end.   

AM - 18.5 miles from my house today.  Started with Dan and the dogs for the first 5 miles and then Dan left with Rosie for a meeting and I left Finn at the house because I didn't want him running that far - and I continued on for another 13.5 hilly miles.  Bright sunshine got me a little dehydrated in the last several miles.  Good effort.  Napped for like an hour after a shower and some food.  

AM - 3.25 miles in a cold rain with Finn before church.  

AM - 6.25 miles with Finn before my workday.  

AM - 5.25 miles with Finn through the North Valley neighborhood.   Did the Dinsmore hill on the way back.  Decent effort for the last couple of miles.  Still cold and frosty this morning but it is supposed to steadily get warm the remainder of the week and weekend.   This was Day 730 in my run streak - so 2 years of no days off.   
 

PM - 5 miles on the treadmill- 4 miles at MP or approximately 7:20 pace.  HR was in the mid 140's and so this was managable from a cardio perspective.   Feet and legs felt a little rough.   

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the horsetrail roads.   Left hamstring was notably sore following yesterday's treadmill tempo - but Dan forgot his dog's collar and so she was off-lead and we needed to start and stop a good bit to get her back with us from time to time - so the easy run with some breaks was good for the soreness, I think.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan mostly on the golf course.   

AM - 5.75 miles with Dan from his place near Cambridge HS - weather is really getting quite nice. 

AM - did a short run with Finn of 2.5 miles to give him some exercise - then drove to the Alpharetta Greenway and did 20.  Greg joined me at 3 miles and Dan joined at 5 and then they turned around when I was just over 8 miles and so I continued to the end of the trail to get 10 miles and when I was around mile 14 another runner who had been going the opposite direction and was making his turnaround- causghr up to me and then we ran together for about 3 miles and chatted.   He was training for a half Ironman in May.  The last 3 miles were solo.   Quite warm in the upper 60s for this time of year.   First shirtless run of the year.   Good effort with company to help me along the way.  

AM - 3 miles with Finn early before church 

AM - 5.5 miles with Finn through the neighborhood and Birmingham to Nix.   Pleasant temps - but the weather looks like rain and cold the rest of the week.  

AM - Just under 5.5 miles with Dan and Finn from his place (he had a flat tire and so we changed from the trails to his house as our starting point).  Randomly my hamstring was much more noticably sore today - after being relatively unnoticable for days.  

AM - heavy thunderstorms overnight and when I awoke this morning - so I slept-in for a bit and then did a short "provisional" 3 miles on the treadmill in case I do not get time or the weather persists later in the day for a proper run. 

AM - 5.25 miles in the neighborhood with Dan and the dogs...he has a contract on a house now, nearer to me than the place he's renting, and he was telling me all about the inpsection etc.   

AM - 5.5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the horsetrail roads - weather is supposed to turn quite bad late today and through Sunday morning with a chance of snow tomorrow and windchills in single digits on Sunday morning.  Last Sunday it was nearly 80.  

AM - 3.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the former golf course - late winter storm came through last night with rain changing over to a mix and snow - with high winds - so I did not want to do a long run in the mess - we just ran easy and let the dogs enjoy the mud of leash.  

Later AM - 20 miles on the treadmill - had to stop at one point to assist Tracy who came down with a stomach bug and needed my assistance.   

AM - 3 miles with Finn before church - quite cold in the low 20's but not as windy as yesterday.  
 

PM - 3.25 miles with Dan from his house to get a few more miles in and give him some company on his run. 

AM - 5 miles with Finn - hopefully this will be one of that last mornings at or below freezing until late Fall.  

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn partly on the trails and a detour to Dan's new house to get an idea of the distance - it is about a mile and a half or so - which means when he finally moves in a few months from now - he'll probably run to the meeting point on Redd road instead of driving.  

AM - steady rain outside - and my water heater was leaking last night - needs to be replaced - so I did not want to run with Finn in the rain and not have warm water to clean him off when we returned - so I stayed inside on the treadmill.   Faster paced miles over the last 3.  

AM - 5.75 miles with Dan and Finn through the neighborhood. 

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the horsetrail roads - nice skies at daybreak. 

AM - just 3 miles with Finn - lots of stuff on the calendar for this weekend - running will be difficult to squeeze in. 

AM - 3 miles with Finn before church.  

PM - treadmill tempo - 1 mile warm up then 7 miles at 7:30 pace.

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the horsefarm trails - hamstring and legs were tired from yesterday - still having cold starts to the days in the mid 30's but it will warm to the low 70's.  

AM - 4.5 miles with Dan and Finn from Dan's place.  Hamstring felt remarkably good today - inexplicable with the exception of changing up shoes with different drops that last few days, and introducing some additional strengthening exercises - perhaps the lack of a significant long run?   Who knows...it'll probably be painful again tomorrow or in the next few days. 

AM - 3 miles on the treadmill due to heavy rains outside, and having to travel into the office for early morning meeting - had to keep it short. 

AM - just under 5 miles with Dan and the dogs in the neighborhood and the golf course.  Very slow conversational pace.  Hamstring was achey afterwards.  

AM - 5.25 miles early with Dan on the horsetrail roads with Finn.  

AM - 3 miles with Finn to give him some exercise this morning.  

PM - 16 miles on the Alpharetta Greenway - mid afternoon- coolish but very windy and dry.  Greg met me for about 5 miles late in the run. Hamstring was achy but managable.  Last long run in this training period before Boston. 

PM - easy 3.25 miles with Finn of lead on the former golf course.   Legs were fatigued as expected from yesterday.  

AM - just under 5 miles with Dan and the dogs early on the horsetrail roads - morning temps are still chilly - in the upper 30's.   Ready for springtime to start feeling more like springtime.  

AM - a little over 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn from Dan's house - decent pace today without his dog - who is really sweet, but not much of a runner and she tends to drag back on the leash and slow the pace.  Some days that's good for recovery type runs.  

AM - 4.25 miles - awoke a little late and short on time.  Tried out the new AlphaFly Nikes.  Quite an unusual looking shoe - and the first half mile felt like I was running on springs.  

AM - 3 easy miles on the treadmill - I awoke with the beginnings of a cold with a sore/swollen throat - and it was raining outside.

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and Finn in my neighborhood.  

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan from his house before he heads to the airport with his son for a sports weekend in Boston. 

AM - 6 miles with Finn just before noon - temperatures were in the upper 50's by then - lots of pollen in the air.  My cold is kicking into high gear today - struggled to get this one in. 

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the horsetrail roads - temps in the upper 30's and Dan's dog just really was not into the run today - but that was fine with me - still dealing with my cold - so it was on the slow side.  

AM - 4.75 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood.   Went to the doctor yesterday for my cold and got some antibiotics - feeling a bit better today. 

AM - 4 miles with Finn on a wet, misty, foggy morning after a day and evening of storms.  Feeling a bit deflated about my prospects for Boston in a little less than 2 weeks. I will be able to run, but the reality is my pace on my training runs and given my heartrate at those dimnished paces as compared with my recent few years - suggests that I will really need to re-calibrate downward, my expected time for the race. I am just really not running very fast and I think it is the functional deficit of the chronic hamstring issues I have been having for really about 5 months.  It is still achy and painful, but sometimes it is more managable than other times.   I have been able to put in some decent volume of mileage and got consistent long runs nearly every weekend since late January - but any time I tried to run a workout or do anything with a faster pace - I struggled to recover several days afterwards - and so I just ran easy between long runs.  As a result, I probably have decent endurance but no reasonable expectation of a pace to which I am accustomed.  Oh well - I will just have to take what I am given and deal with it.  

AM - 5 miles with Finn - cooler again this morning with a front and rain coming through overnight.  Decent run - my cold is improving considerably. 

AM - 3.25 miles very easy in the neighborhood with Finn.  

AM - quite cold in the mid 30's with frost in the forecast (though I did not see any) - was going to run on the former golf course but as I got started the work crew for the ongoing construction / conversion to trails arrived with their heavy equipment.   So I took Finn out on the roads instead.  Not a great run - and somehow got a cramp or something in the left foot in the last half mile or so.  Hope it is nothing too serious or lasting. 

AM - 3.25 miles with Finn before church.  Frost on the ground today.  

AM - 3 miles in DC on the Mt Vernon trail from Crystal City.  

AM - 5 miles in DC along the Potomac from my hotel in Crystal City.  Warmer this morning - still struggling to find my groove on a run.  

AM - 3.5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the horsetrail roads before sunrise.   Warm enough to consider a shirtless run this morning - amazing considering it was below freezing 3 days ago.  

AM - easy 3 miles with Dan and the dogs from his house near Cambridge HS.

AM - 3 miles with Dan and the dogs in neighborhood.

AM - 3 miles with Riley from her apartment in Cambridge - ran across the Mass Ave bridge to Boston and back.  

AM - 4.5 miles - ran over to the finish area and met Richie about halfway and took some photos and then headed back.  

Boston Marathon 2022 - I was fortunate enough to toe the starting line for the 126th running of this event.  As I mentioned in some posts over the last few weeks, I have struggled with some lingering chronic hamstring and foot injuries over the past several months which really prevented me from doing any fast or intense training and left me feeling a little bit disappointed that I would not be able to run as well as I would have liked.   But given that reality - I decided that I was not hurt enough to stop me from running - and I had my friend Richie and his friend Tom and a few others I knew were going to be running - along with having my wife making the trip and staying with my daughter - I would make this an enjoyable experience regardless of my performance.  It really turned out probably even better than I had expected.

The weather was very nice - which a few days before appeared would not be the case - in the mid 40's, blue skies and not much wind.  It would get windier as we neared Boston with some cooler headwind gusts - but those were almost inviting and cooled us on the way to the finish.

Richie and Tom and I met at the starting area  - each arriving by different transportation.  Mine was the traditional school bus ride from the Boston Common.   We had what seemed to be a brief wait at the Hopkinton Middle School, until we were summoned to the starting corrals - maybe an hour at the most which was just enough time to use the bathroom, finish-up some pre-race hydration, fueling and gear decisions.  Richie was actually seeded in a corral just behind us, so we moved back to start together.    

Each of us knew Richie was very fit and likely could have run in the low 3 hour timeframe - but Tom and I were dealing with similar injury woes and had to scale back our expectations.   But from the gun, Richie insisted that he was going to run with us and enjoy the day - despite our urgings to have him take-off.  

And to our surprise, we ran reasonably well for the opening miles at right in the 7:50 pace per mile range.   Very consistent with our splits.   Richie is a talker and a loud one and very entertaining - for everyone around it seemed.   He was taking photos and selfies and videos and generally making everything very enjoyable.

My "race plan" was to keep my heartrate no higher than the low 150's particularly early-on regardless of what that translated in pace; and to drink water or gatorade at every station, and to eat 4 gels over the course of the event.   I pretty much knew if my HR exceeded 160 for any extended period of time, I would have a challenge not bonking.  So I had to stick to my game plan...and I did just that - although it was not easy - because I was certainly tempted at times to run at an HR that exceeded that plan.

As most know, the early part of the route is primarily downhill - but there are some short uphills and very little "flat" periods.  As we neared the 8-9 mile mark, I noticed I was allowing my HR to get into the upper 150's as I tried to maintain the pace with Richie and Tom - and so I let them know at mile 10 - I needed to stick to my game plan and would not be able to go with them on the uphills.   Tom's metatarsal injury allowed him to climb rather quickly, but he had to slowly go downhill; my issue with the hamstring was the opposite - I had less power to go uphill and thus it took more effort, but I could go much faster on the downhills.  Anyway - when I told them I would need to do my thing - they bid me farewell - and thought they'd seen the last of me.

But as it turned out between the uphills and downhills - I was able to make my way back to them by as we made our way up to Wellesley College around mile 12 - it was quite fun running through the high-pitched, very loud cheering of the women of the college who came out in full force this year.   Richie took a video on his phone with one hand and slapped high-fives with the other.   Lots of fun.  

As we got to the center of town in Wellesley, which is the halfway point - we started going uphill again and so Richie and Tom got some separation from me - and then I saw Richie fist bump Tom and start to move away from him.  And then I lost sight of the both of them.

Initially I thought my pace had slowed and I had some negative thoughts that I was going to have a rough run from that point - but as I stuck to the game plan, much to my surprise, my pace was consistently in the range of just under 8 mins per mile - even through the hills of Newton - I was no slower than 8:30 pace.  When I crested Heartbreak and ran by the students at Boston College, I felt reasonably certain that I would be able to finish up with the same relative pace over the last couple of miles.    Having run this race so many times and having spent time on the race course running from my daughter's apartment in Boston over the last several years - I have become really familiar with the roads and the landmarks and it is no longer a mystery of what to expect - and that in a sense is reassuring if the race is going as planned. 

As we rounded Cleveland Circle I spotted Tom - who is very tall and was wearing an orange t-shirt - I kept him in my sights and caught him at just past mile 23.   I grabbed him by the shoulder and announced my return - but he was in grind-it-out mode - and told me not to stay with him, but instead to keep going at my pace and to meet him at the finish.   And so I did.  

The last couple of miles I ignored my HR figuring I would be able to sustain the higher effort through the finish.   Tracy and Riley and her friends were at the overpass of Mass Ave. just before the turn at Hereford from Beacon and we spotted each other and their cheers really made me smile and allowed me to run even more strongly through the end of the race.  The crowds were really loud and it was easily my most enjoyable Boston experience ever.  

Shortly after I was in the finish area I spotted Richie who was walking back toward the finish line having finished a few minutes ahead of me - and initially he seemed like he did not recognize me - and he was a bit altered and his speech was slurred - and he began telling me that after he turned on Hereford, his right arm felt like it was floating away and his right leg had the same sensation; and that when he tried to call his wife who was right near the finish line with his two youngest boys in a stroller, that he could not speak clearly and that she could not understand him and panicked that he needed medical assistance.   As I tried to assess the situation I walked him over to a wheelchair and suggested that we get him checked out - but he would not stay in the chair, and insisted that he just wanted to get to his wife.  So we got our medals and blankets and I walked him out of the finish area and into the Prudential center mall - found Tracy and Riley who I alerted about Richie - and we got him to his wife - and by that time, his speech and coherence were about back to normal.   We sat in the lobby of the hotel with Tom's family and others and he seemed fine and agreed to get "checked-out" when he got home the next day.  

Although that was a bit scary - I think he is fine - he attributed it to a possible electrolyte imbalance - and I checked on him a couple of times that evening and this morning and it was all good.

It was Tracy's birthday yesterday and we so went out to a wonderful dinner at La Voie on Newbury with Riley and her boyfriend and had a really great meal and an enjoyable evening together.   I even remembered to get her a nice gift before the trip :)

So - this was my 8th official Boston Marathon and my 40th marathon.  Really great memories from this weekend already.

AM - 2 miles in Cambridge in a cold rain - so pleased that this was not the weather we had for the marathon yesterday.  Richie called me during the run to check-in and he was feeling better and had done a bunch of google research on what possibly happened to him medically yesterday.   

AM - 3 miles with Dan and the dogs on the horsetrail roads - I have a flight to Vegas for work late morning - but wanted to catch up with him for a few minutes.   Legs felt really surprisingly not very fatigued or sore. 

AM - in Las Vegas for my company's user conference - got an early start but just 3 miles. Legs felt pretty heavy today.  Quite windy but comfortable temperature wise, before the sunrise.  

PM - Ragnar Relay.  A group from my church invited me to join their team for Ragnar Atlanta which was a single location trail race in Conyers near Stone Mountain.   Three legs of varying distances over a 24 hour period - overnight camping.   First leg for me was a 4.2 mile loop which was a legit technical single track with steep ups and downs.  I blew it out in the first mile and ended up running at threshold HR for the rest of the leg.  Was really feeling it afterwards.  

Early AM - just before 2 am for this Relay leg I ran a 10k in the darkness. This loop had a lot of challenging terrain of granite rock.  Very difficult to walk let alone run in the dark and wet stone with the overnight dew and humidity.   Headlamp died with 2.5 miles left and there were no runners nearby to share their lamps.  One guy passed me with a headlamp and a flashlight and I said "hey my headlamp died" and he said "I know it's rough".  Perhaps he misheard me. :)

I managed to get the light to come back on for a few more minutes a couple of times and then the route was near the parking lot and so I was able to finish up.  Surprised I did not fall. 
 

AM - 5.3 mile last leg.  Doubled up the last loop with another runner on the team to finish early - so we had to run at her pace which was easy and I was fine with it.  I did trip on a root as I was running behind her on the single track a little too closely.  Small knee abrasion - nothing significant.  
 

Overall this was a good experience to get together with some folks from my church and get to know them better during a unique sort of endurance event. We were not really competitive but it was not about that    

AM - 3.5 miles with Dan and Finn on the new trail on the former golf course.  It's pretty nice.  

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the horsetrail roads at sunrise.  Really nice morning - very stiff and sore but Dan pushed the pace a bit and I reluctantly went along.  

AM - just one mile on the treadmill this morning - provisionally to keep my daily run-streak alive.  I got the second booster of the Covid vaccine yesterday and the first of two doses of the Shingles vaccine.   Really hit me pretty hard overnight.

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the horsetrail roads...feeling much better, no more fever from the vaccinations. 

AM - 4 miles with Dan and the dogs on the new trail behind my house.   It is really nice to have this and to let the dogs run free early in the morning with no one else out.   Finn was a filthy mess and had burrs all over his fur - so a lengthy bath and clean up was needed; but he had so much fun and probably ran at least a mile or more than we did.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn from his house near Cambridge HS.  Good pace this morning. 

AM - 6.25 miles with Greg and the dogs from downtown.  He just got back from a business trip to Chile.  Sounded very cool. 

AM - 3.25 miles with Finn early in the morning before church. 

AM - 5 miles in the neighborhood with Finn before my workday started.  

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the horsetrail roads - I have noticed when Dan doesn't bring his dog Rosie, our pace is significantly faster - as was the case this morning.   Some days an easy run with a slow dog is what you need.... is all I am saying...

AM - 5 miles on the treadmill - strong thunderstorms rolling through this morning.  

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the new Milton former golf course trails.   Dogs were off-leash - and Finn was a filthy mess completely covered in burs and seed pods and required som extensive clean up.

AM - 4.25 miles with Greg and Dan and the three dogs from Dan's house.   Each dog was particularly difficult today - with lots of starts and stops and so we basically just gave up and stopped battling with them for a shorter and slower run than usual with the three of us together.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn from downtown.

AM - 3.25 miles with Finn on the former Milton golf course trails.   

AM 5.25 quick miles with Dan and Finn on the horsetrail roads - quick pace. 

AM - just under 4.5 miles with Dan and the dogs on former Milton Country Club - yet to be named park trails.   The dogs love this run as it is completely off-leash but Finn ends up filthy and covered in burrs requiring extra time for clean up.  Rosies is a white lab mix and just needs a quick hosing-off - as her fur doesn't seem to pick up any of the plant burs.

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the horsetrail roads - quite early as I have meetings at the office at 8 am.  This was run streak day 800. 

AM - just under 5.75 miles with Finn in the neighborhood and on the WC golf course.   Really pleasant morning - everything is all greened-up late spring early summer, but it is not yet too warm or humid.  

AM - 4.5 miles on the Milton Preserve trail- recently named - with Dan and the dogs. 

AM - a little over 5 miles with Greg and Dan and 2 of the dogs on the Milton Preserve trail behind my house.  Jumped in the pool after.  

AM - a little over 5 miles with Finn on the roads to North Valley and back up the Dinsmore climb to Freemanville before church   

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the horsetrail roads - my watch malfunctioned showing negative miles/distance in sort of a count-down display - so I had Dan tag me for the Strava upload or else it would appear that I ran .13 miles at a 5 hour and 24 min pace per mile.  :) 

AM - 4.5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the Milton Preserve trail - lost Finn for a brief period - he never stays too close when off-leash and the meadows have now grown to a point which exceeds his height - making it challenging to find him when he goes off the main trail.   

AM - 5.5 miles with Finn through the neighborhood.  

AM - 5.5 miles with Dan and Finn on the horsetrail roads.   Celebrating my wedding anniversary today 32 years - and we are heading out on vacation to Greece later this afternoon.  

PM - in Athens Greece for vacation- after checking into the hotel whilst Tracy took a recovery nap due to some air sickness - I went out and explored the city a little bit.   Ran around the Acropolis and through botanical gardens - about 4 miles.  

AM - had some fun in Athens this morning.  Ran to the Olympic Stadium - site of the 1896 first modern Olympic Games and the 2000 Games and ran some laps around the track - took some photos and even got on the podium for a few fun shots.   The track has very narrow turns - with the straights measuring roughly 185 meters or the equivalent of antiquity measure of length of a "stade".   I read where the 200 meters of ancient times was the premiere race and so it can be covered almost entirely without a turn on the track.  In any event this was a pretty run nerdy awesome experience. The seating is all marble including the stairs and the setting is tucked in some trees and when I ran to the top of it the Parthenon and the Acropolis is easy to see close by.   Really fun time - as I was leaving a young couple arrived to run as well and were just as giddy as I was    "This is so cool!" 

PM - we traveled to Santorini this morning and I went out exploring on a run later in the afternoon.  Steep hill to climb back to the hotel - but fun run all the same. 

AM - 1.50 miles early in the day on a hiking trail - but I needed to get back to meet Tracy for breakfast and the trail was steep and technical so when I got to what I thought was the summit but it was shrouded in cloud cover /marine layer.   
 

PM - went out later in the day for another go at the hiking trail.  Not so easy for running - loose rocks and steep - I was told by one hiker that I was the only runner they had seen all day.  It is a long trail between the towns of Oia and Fira which is a total distance of 10k.  I ran about 2.5 miles out and turned back and took lots of photos.   This seemed the type of run that Jake and Andrea would do on vacation.   Views were great.   The island in the Aegean Sea is really the rim of an ancient caldera that filled with water and they built these cave like villas on the spine of the ridges and down the sides - all painted white with some domes painted blue.   It's a very unique experience.  

AM - 3.25 miles from our place to the end of the town of Oia and back.   Wanted some relatively flat terrain for a day.  

AM 4.25 miles from the hotel running the reverse route I did on Sunday.  Steep climb at the end either way.   Then Tracy and I did a hike on the trail of 2 miles.   She did very well on the steep terrain.   

AM - 4 miles in the town of Oia and up the road towards Fira.   Last day here for our vacation.  Head back to Athens later today and fly home tomorrow.   

AM - last day of vacation - explored a bit more of Athens this morning and covered some of the same ground of previous runs around the area including the stadium and the Acropolis and surrounding area.  Heading home later today if all goes well.  

AM - 3.5 miles with Finn in the neighborhood at home.   Got in very late - and after just a couple of hours of sleep, but wanting to get back on the right time zone schedule I was fine when Finn woke me up at 6 am to run. 

AM - 5.25 miles with Finn before church.  Went at a quicker pace and felt fairly solid.  Did a bunch of stretches afterward to loosen up the periformis which I think is my "hamstring" issue.   Unfortunately I think I actually inflamed the nerve as a result.  

AM - short run with Finn on the new Milton Preserve trail behind my house.   They put up signs every few hundred yards now unfortunately that indicate all dogs must be on leashes on the trail.    I tried to ignore the first few, because there was no one else on the trail, but decided to abide with the rules after about a mile.   They also put up signs restricting people from the unfinished portions of the trail, which was also disappointing.   In any event, my periformis syndrome was quite aggravated, so I cut things very short today to give it a rest. 

AM - 5.25 miles on Redd Road (horsetrail roads) trying to ignore the periformis, but it was a struggle - not very enjoyable.   Vigorously researching stretches/strengthening exercises after the run - and did some rowing to perhaps be of some remedy.  

AM - really painful, horrible run this morning due to what I think is an inflamed periformis muscle that is causing issues with the sciatic nerve on the left side from my upper hamstring.   I had tried a new set of stretches / exercises yesterday for it and actually felt really good in that area by the end of the day - but when I tried to run this morning...not so much.   

AM - 3 very slow miles on the trail with Finn.  Did some more research on the periformis and discovered some guidance on a PT website that a lot of people think that the muscle is tight and needs to be stretched and that's actually the opposite of what is needed - instead contracting the muscle with exercises will allow it to properly heal.  That checked out with my experience in stretching it a bunch and feeling much worse and painful as a result.   So I did the basic contraction exercises (mainly clam shell) late yesterday.  Avoided crossing my legs when seated and generally tried to stand or lay flat for much of time - and then did a very easy jog this morning that I expected would need to include some walking, but happily it did not.   Hopefully the healing progression will continue over the next several days and weeks.  

AM - 3 miles less painful but not ok yet. 

AM - 3.25 miles a little faster - still problems but gradually improving. 

AM - 3.5 miles - hoped to be over the problems with the periformis/hamstring, but only marginal improvement today.  

AM - 4 miles with Finn partly on the golf course - quite hilly.   First part of the first mile was ok, but the injury continues to give me issues.   Seeing a chiropractor later this afternoon.  

AM - 3 miles on the new trail with Finn.  The upside of requiring dogs to be leashed now on this trail is that I do not need to give him a bath after we run on it.   When he is off-leash he's all over the meadows and brush and mud.  They have also put signs up to limit the use to just the recently finished part of the trail; the trail is only about 2.25 miles out and back.  However it has a loop around a pond that is about 350 yards or so and it is relatively flat.  So I did a few circuits of the pond and will consider this as an option for training workouts - the surface is soft and quite similar to an old cinder track.  

The injury to the periformis/hamstring is incrementally better day-to-day; some days the increments are only marginal.  I would like it to be much further along than it is - but as compared to a week ago - the improvement is not insignificant.  Last Wednesday I could barely run 12 min pace due to the injury.   Today I was able to run about 9:45 pace for 3 miles - which is not great - but as compared to the last couple of days, the pain/weakness was less - perhaps a 4 out of 10 which is the lowest I have had in over a week.   Went to the chiropractor yesterday and his assessment was that this was not a sciatica nerve issue and that he really could not offer any treatment, noting that I had done physical therapy with this injury back in December/January and would encourage me to continue with the exercises they had given me - or alternatively go to an ortho or physiatrist to perhaps get an injection for pain relief.

AM - 4 miles with Finn in the neighborhood - marginal improvement on pain level at times in the hamstring - and average pace is improving - but this felt like a grind for much of the run probably due to all of the hills/ups and downs.  Just need to be patient...certainly going in the right direction and not getting worse.  

PM - 30 mins of deep water running / aqua jogging.  Have not done this in many years, but found the aqua jogger belt in my garage and headed out to the pool at lunch.  Watched a few videos about it and remembered how I really did not like it when I did it previously.  But to my surprise, it was not really all that bad this time - and after I warmed-up a bit and got more comfortable, I was able to keep a steady HR at just under 120 bpm.   I have read where you should do timed interval workouts - I may give those a shot too.  I am estimating 3 miles for the 30 mins of effort as the equivalent to a dry-land run.   Hamstring pain was somewhat noticable, but did not have the level of discomfort of the run I did this morning.  

AM - 3.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail - I was able to maintain a decent sub 10 pace with not too much discomfort and weakness.  Good to catch up with Dan and hear about his vacation to Italy.  

AM - 3.5 miles on the Milton trail from Wood/Phillips Road - out and back with Finn.   Finally felt a bit more strength or less weakness in the hamstring this morning.  First couple of miles were mid to low 9 min pace, but the last mile and a half was sub 8 mins which felt like significant progress especially considering 9 days ago, it was so painful and weak, that I could not manage much better than 12 min pace. 

AM - met Greg for a run from downtown today.  Good run at just under 8:30 pace - still some pain and soreness in the hamstring but much improved.   

AM - 5 miles with Finn before church - hamstring was a bit tighter and achier than yesterday - pace was slower too as a result. 

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the horseroad trails - very warm today even early in the morning.   Hamstring was marginally better than yesterday but still annoying. 

PM - 30 minutes of easy deep water running in the pool.   Giving the equivalent of 3 miles of running on land. 

AM - 6 miles with Dan and Greg and with my dog (Greg's dog is no longer enthusiastic for a run each time he goes, and Dan's dog is really not built for running very quickly or very long).  Super warm and humid for a 6 am start - I think it was 75 degrees with humidity in the 90% range but more signficantly the dew point was in the 70's.   My weather app said it was "dangerously humid".   Anyway we ran at a decent effort of near 8:30 pace for most of the miles with the last couple of uphill miles seeing my HR crest over the LT and perhaps Finn's as well (he was not in favor of adding any more distance to the end of the run when it was proposed).  Hamstring was incrementally better at the beginning of the run today versus yesterday - and I am thinking it may have something to do with the deep water / aqua jogging I did yesterday afternoon.   Hoping it is allowing for better blood flow to the muscles without no impact.   BTW pool running is only marginally more saturating/wet than running outdoors in the current hot and humid conditions.

PM - 30 mins of deep water running after my workday.  

AM - 3.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the new Milton Preserve trail behind my house - super warm and humid - dew point was 75.  Feels like temp at 6 am was 86 degrees.  Busy schedule today - in the office and then a flight to London overnight for work. 

AM - over night flight to London - meetings beginning at noon - so I quickly did a 1 mile run provisionally cover my streak in case my schedule kept me from getting a run in the evening.  
 

PM - squeezed in a 3 mile run before 8 pm local time - running on fumes with minimal sleep.  Perhaps pushed the hamstring a bit too much on this one. 

AM - after a full nights sleep, I was able to enjoy a leisurely sightseeing run of nearly 13 miles this morning. The hamstring was quite sore and so I kept the pace easy though it was quite fatigued toward the end. Ran from my hotel through Hyde Park, through Westminster and along the river Thames to Tower Bridge and return. Beautiful weather quiet a good start to the weekend

AM - 4.5 miles with the guys and the dogs on the new trail.  Hopped in the pool after. 

AM - 3 miles on an unseasonably cool morning before church.  

AM - tested positive for COVID yesterday evening - feel kinda crappy - just got a couple of miles in to keep up the running streak.   

AM - day 2 (.5)? of COVID - ran easy 2 miles to keep the streak going.    Felt worse as the day progressed yesterday and no better this morning.  Hoping for improvement today. 

AM - beginning day 3 of COVID - no fever for the last 12 hours - which is an improvement.  2 miles on the trail.  Felt ok - but kept the effort easy - feeling like if I pushed at all, I may start feeling bad.

AM - got up feeling reasonably improved - still fatigued and congested a bit - but well enough to go an extra mile this morning.   Hopefully the gradual trend back to normal will continue.

AM - 3 miles with Finn around the neighborhood. 

AM - 5k with Finn on the horsetrail roads - pace is getting better.   

AM - 4.25 miles on the new trail with Dan and the dogs.   He just returned from dropping his son at camp up in PA.  Feeling a bit fatigued this morning - assuming it is COVID related. 

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn on the horsetrail roads - really felt like this was way more of an effort than it should have been.   Yesterday I took 2 naps - which I never do - and today I just felt heavy and slow.  Hamstring was hurting too.   We actually ran a relatively decent pace but it felt hard in the heavy humid summer air.   My only consolation was that as soon as we stopped, Finn immediately laid down - indicating that he was worn out from the effort as well.   

AM - 4.75 miles with Dan and the dogs from his place.  A bit slower pace because his dog is slow on leash - felt less COVID fatigue today too.

AM - 4.5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the new trail.   We had a fair amount of rain over the last couple of days, so the trail was a bit muddy in places and it was quite heavy/humid out, so the effort was fairly slow-paced.   The hamstring does better with easier efforts.  

PM - 30 mins of deep water running - equivalent of 3 miles I suppose.

AM - just under 5.5 miles with the guys and Finn on the horsetrail roads.  Day 850 of my run streak. 

PM - 2 miles of deep water running - I used the "indoor running/treadmill" setting on my garmin to record the distance.   I think the watch records the distance based on the movement of the arms. 

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the new trail.  The city obviously discovered that the trail had poor engineering for drainage on the trail and so it is now essentially redoing the whole thing in fixing it. But it is open for use - and the dogs love it.  

AM - 4 miles with Finn in the neighborhood.

AM - 3 miles with Finn in the neighborhood.  Hamstring was feeling better yesterday - an d not so much today. 

PM - 2 miles of deep water running - I think it is helping the hamstring.

2022 Peachtree Road Race - did surprisingly reasonably well today.  Had lots of excuses and reasons not to expect to run well - had a bout with COVID in the 2 weeks leading up; frustrating proximal hamstring tendonopathy that has been more problematic in the last month than it has over the last 6 month - plus it was super humid this morning - high dew point of 71 degrees.  So I went in with the idea of just hoping to maintain 8 min pace and wasn't sure I could even manage that having most of my training run paces of 8:45 to 10 mins lately...

But things kinda worked out ok.   I did some pool running yesterday afternoon - which seems to be helping the hamstring the following day; and although it was very warm and humid today - the start at 7 am had some low cloud cover and the sun never emerged until mid morning.  

Usually my family participates in the event - but two of my girls are not in town and my other daughter would have walked it with her toddler, but they do not permit strollers.   So just my son-in-law and I did it today.  But today's race was the first time since the pandemic that they have held the race on one single day (last year was split over 2 days for social distancing) - and crowds were finally back and it seemed like things were back to normal.

Anyway - the first half mile was a little rough feeling - my legs felt terrible and I could not seem to find a groove.   But I relaxed a little and allowed myself to get acclimated - and was very pleased with a 7:20 split for the first mile.   The next two miles are downhill and I ran those both at or below 7 mins.  The second half of the race is mostly uphill - the steepest is section is between 3 and 4 miles and my pace slowed to 7:40 - but I came back with a 7:30 and then 7:07 before finishing the last .2 at 6:30 pace downhill.  My HR effort in the second half was probably more than I should have attempted - but at the time, it felt like I was not overreaching.   

My time was literally 3 second faster this year than last year when I ran "easy" with Dan; but considering my situation this year - I could not be more pleased with this result.  

PM - 1 mile of deep water running in the pool.

AM - 3 miles easy with Finn in the neighborhood.  Legs felt a bit tired as expected.

PM - 2 miles of pool running.

AM - 5 miles with Finn - on a hilly route.  Pace was quite slow.  It is very humid and warm.   Hamstring is really responding to the pool running - I am guessing it provides the proper bloodflow to the tendon to allow it to heal.  Still doing the strengthening exercise as well. 

PM - 2 miles of pool running.  

AM - 3.75 with Finn on the horsetrail roads.  Ran over to Dan's new house to check on it, as he is out of town.   Really fatigued today - perhaps too much pool running the last few days and insufficient sleep.   

AM - 5 miles on the trail - several loops around the pond.  Legs felt really fatigued again today.  Quite warm and humid and effort on the trail was not relaxing or easy despite the slow pace.  

AM - thunderstorms all morning - so 4 miles on the treadmill.

PM - had a birthday party for my grandaughter at the house today - weather cleared for a nice day at the pool.   After clean up - I did a little over a mile of deep water running.  2 days of no pool running had my hamstring starting to ache and bother me more. 

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail.  He's back in town from a working vacation in Connecticut.  Good to catch up.

PM - 2.25 deep water running miles.   Not really sure how to measure this, but have been using the indoor/treadmill feature on my watch to record the "distance".   Takes a good bit longer to do.  I think it is more than double the amount of time in pace per mile.   Guess it doesn't really matter if I am getting some therapeutic benefit and some training effect.  

AM - 5.5 miles with Dan and Finn from Dan's house and neighborhood. 

PM - 1.5 miles of deep water running - more or less. 

AM - 3.5 miles with Dan and the dogs from his new place.  Got a later start, so less time for a longer run. 

AM - awoke with some kind of stomach bug or indegestion - kept it slow and easy for 4 miles this morning. 

PM - 2 miles of deep water running.

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail.   Quite muddy and sloppy particularly off the main trail due to daily rains.  

PM - about 2 miles of deep water running. 

AM - 1 mile to keep the streak alive - very early flight so the run was at 3 am.  

AM - 6 miles in West Virginia along the trail that parallels the Ohio River. Here for Tracy's annual family reunion.  

AM - 7.5 miles before church in WVA - slightly cooler temps here. 

AM - very early 3.5 miles before heading to the airport to go home. 

AM - 5 miles on the treadmill due to active thunderstorms in the area this morning - Finn was not happy after several days of no running with us out of town over the weekend, not to be able to run this morning. 

AM - 4.5 miles on the trail with Dan and the dogs - lots of rain over the last several days, so the areas "off trail" were quite wet, muddy and sloppy.  

AM - 5 miles total.   Started outside with Dan and Finn at the horse trail roads, but a storm was building on top of us and when the lightning started, we turned back to our cars - so just over a mile before we bailed.   Came home and did 4 more miles on the treadmill. 

AM - 4.5 miles around the resort area at Coronado Springs at Disney.  Here with 2 my girls, my wife son-in-law and most importantly, my granddaughter for a birthday weekend.   Forgot how uncomfortably humid and subtropical it is here.  

AM - 3 miles on the treadmill at the resort.  The heat and humidity at the park yesterday had me very fatigued.  

AM - my youngest daughter surprised me this for my birthday and joined me for a run around the resort.  She was good for a little over 3 miles - which was really sweet - anytime I get to share a run with my kids - is a gift.  I ran a bit longer and stopped at 5.6  miles as today I turned 56   

AM - 3 miles on the treadmill at the hotel before driving home - had some GI issues - needed to be close to a restroom :( 

AM - still with the GI issues - just 3 miles with Dan and the dogs before sunrise. 

AM - Dan and the dogs on the trail.  He had an early meeting so we finished at just under 3.5 miles - and so after cleaning up the dogs and my shoes from all of the dirt and mud, I did another 2 miles on the treadmill.  

AM - 4 miles with Dan and Finn on the golf course - and because Dan had to end early to get to an appointment, I did another 2 miles on the treadmill.  

AM - 6 miles on a hilly route with Finn - hamstring is feeling so much improved - although my pace in this summer humidity is pretty pedestrian it is so nice not to be running in pain.  

AM - 5.5 miles with Greg 

AM - 8.5 miles between the treadmill and outdoors with Finn in the neighborhood.  

AM - 5 miles with Finn in the neighborhood early before business travel to NYC today.   Working on some heartrate training for a bit.  

AM - 8 miles in NYC along the west side on the Hudson River /Empire State Trail.  Quite warm and sticky even before sunrise.  Pace was really slow to keep the HR in check as a result.  Decent mileage though.  Here for business only until late this afternoon. 

AM - met Dan at Wood Road/Milton Trail - which is now about equidistant from his new house and mine.   The trail is not quite long enough for 5 miles when out and back - so we had to double up a bit.  

AM - 6 miles early with Finn in the neighborhood.  Pace is slow with the HR training effort - but feeling fairly good when I finish the runs this week.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the new trail.  

AM - 9.25 miles with Finn - we arrived early downtown and did 3 miles before Dan and Greg arrived and did about a 10k with them.  Very humid but I am feeling like I am making some progress with the HR training.  

AM - 9 miles with Finn before church - I turned into a neighborhood before I finished to add a little distance to bring it up to 10 miles but Finn was having none it.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn from Dan's new house which is close to the horsetrail roads - and so that where we ran.

PM - 2 miles on the treadmill - testing out some ideas around HR.   Seems like it is more managable on the 'mill rather than outdoors this time of year.   

AM - 4.75 miles with Dan and Finn in his old neighborhood and some on the golf course.  Kept the pace slow to maintain an aerobic HR - he was ok with the slower effort. 

PM - 3.25 miles at lunchtime on the treadmill - avg'd between 8:15 and 8:30 pace at mid 120's HR which is much better than it is outside currently with humidity and heat.  

AM - 4.5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the Milton trail.   He had to head into the office early so we cut it short just a bit.  

PM - late afternoon 2.5 miles on the treadmill.   HR seems to be settling back down in the normal range - will continue to work aerobic miles with increased volume for a while longer.  

AM - 7 miles with Finn in a warm humid misty morning.  Supposed get some drier air over the weekend.  I am about ready for autumn.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn on the new trail.  The off-trail areas were very muddy and the weeds/underbrush quite high - but it was still a nice run. 

AM - 7.25 miles with Dan and Finn from Dan's place and up the Milton trail.  A little less humid this morning.  

AM - 3 miles with Finn before church to give him some exercise.  Plan to do a longer run on the treadmill this afternoon.  
 

PM - 12 miles on the treadmill.  HR training is progressing nicely.  Just need some cooler weather outside now.  

AM - 4.5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the new trail.  Off trail weeds and grasses were nearly waist-high in spots - checked for ticks after the run.  All good though.  

AM - 7.25 miles with Dan and Finn from Dan's house up Summit and Wood road.  Same route as last Saturday - without really trying, the pace was faster by 15 seconds per mile, and the avg HR was exactly the same - and the other variables impacting HR (weather and time of day, nutrition) were almost identical.  

PM - 2 easy miles on the treadmill to add some volume and work on base fitness 

AM - 4 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood in a light rain/mist.   He had to make it short due to some early appointments.

PM - 4 miles on the treadmill late afternoon; after a mile warm-up - I ran at around 7:30 pace - roughly a goal marathon pace for now.  Kept the HR in checck; it only crept to the low to mid 140's in the last mile.

AM - 5 with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail.   Heading to Va Beach later this morning for a long weekend to visit Tracy's brother and his family.  

AM - 8.25 miles from my brother in law's house in Virginia.  He lives in a golf course community away from the beach and the surrounding area is agricultural with a few new subdivisions here and there.  I found one last time I was here with a big lake and a walking path - so that's where I ran again today.  Decent run.   Day 900 of my running streak.  

AM - 7 miles on the golf course in Va Beach in a light rain.  Very humid and heavy air this morning.  

AM - 12.75 miles in Va Beach - exploring neighborhoods and some loops around a lake.  Quite warm and humid.  

AM - 6 miles in VA Beach from my brother in law's house around the lake and a little on the golf course.   Last few miles faster. 

AM - last day in Va Bch - 6.25 miles partly on the back nine of the Heron Ridge golf course and partly on the Sherwood neighborhood lake.  

AM - 6 miles with Finn in the neighborhood - last few at a faster pace. 
 

PM - squeezed in 2 miles on the treadmill with the second mile under 7:30 pace    

AM - 6 miles with Finn on the horsetrail roads in the dark and in the rain.  Good run with perhaps a bit higher effort in the last miles than necessary, but sometimes feeling a little more strength as a result of training makes you want to test things out a bit.   Happy with the progress over the last several weeks.  We were pretty much covered in grit/mud from the wet dirt roads when we finished.

AM - 5.75 with Dan and Finn.  We started on the trail behind my house, but when we got to the area where we normally venture off-trail, the grass/weeds were nearly waist-high and it was dark and wet - so we stayed on the trail, short as it is, and then went back out to his old neighborhood for a few more miles.  

AM - 2 runs this morning- met Dan and ran with the dogs from his house at 6 am as he was going to travel to Athens for his son's HS cross-country meet.  Then, right after finishing 5 miles with him; Greg texted us wanting to run - so I brought Finn back to the house and then met him for another 6 miles - much faster pace of course. 

AM - 4 easy miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood.   Tired from the effort with Greg yesterday morning. 

PM - 13 mile "long run" on the treadmill - kept the avg HR under 130.  

AM - 3.25 miles shakeout with Dan and the dogs on the trail.  Legs were expectedly heavy from the weekend volume. 

AM - 5.5 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton Trail/Wood Rd and a bit of a subdivision off of Birmingham.  

AM - 7 miles with Finn in the neighborhood. 

PM - after work - treadmill tempo - short.   1 mile warm up then 3 miles at tempo with a gradual progression down from 7:25 pace to 6:48 pace per mile.  Did reasonably well - not having run that many fast miles since the Peachtree race on July 4.   

AM - 5 miles easy on the new trail with Dan and the dogs - slightly cooler this morning and the city had the fields mowed - which allowed for easier off-trail running. 

AM - 6 faster miles with Greg, Dan and Finn on the horseroad trails.   

AM - 6.25 miles with the guys and the dogs on the trail.   I did about 2 miles before they arrived as Finn was itching to go and didn't want to wait.  

AM - 14 miles early this morning before church.  Did the first 4.5 miles with Finn and then dropped him off at home and ran to Dan's house and did a few miles with him until returning.   Very humid but a decent run all the same.  

AM - 3 miles with Finn in the neighborhood in the rain.  No one was up yet to run with on this holiday.  Went out about 2 hrs later with Dan and the dogs on the trail for another 3.5 miles.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan from his house with Finn.   Daily training pace is returning to "normal" for me now gradually over the last month.   It is probably the combination of the hamstring issue being nearly resolved, putting in a solid 30-35 days of training over 50 miles per week, and though the humidity and dew points have not really subsided, the sun is now not up until close to the end of the morning runs.   Strava has this "fitness tracker" feature that is individualized with a number the moves up or down with your training and includes the 'relative efforts' that it tracks every day which includes HR and pace per mile and distance covered.   My Strava fitness tracker has shown a 29% increase over the last month - Not sure of the science involved or the accuracy of the conclusions - but I would say that it correlates to how I am feeling and what I am seeing in my default daily running pace.   Just need some cooler weather to blow in now...

AM - 4.75 miles with Dan and Finn from Wood Rd.   Not quite as quick as the last couple of runs, but still in the acceptable range.  

PM - treadmill workout 6 x 800 @ 3:15 pace 1/4 rest - good effort. 1 mile warm up and .75 mile cool down.