Bret

AM - 4 miles early in some heavy fog before church - hamstring was very painful this morning - way above a 5-6 on the pain scale.   Very frustrating.

PM - 2 miles on the trail in the Vibrams - the gait change with the "barefoot" shoes is actually significantly less painful in the hamstring.   Slow going of course.   May try to do a little of this every couple of days if it seems to be helpful. 

AM - friends Chris and Karen (who are recently married runners who met and competed at the Barclays race) were house guests with us overnight as the made their way from visting family in Florida and heading to their home in Knoxville.   Chris who has not been training much but has an ultra on his calendar for July in Washington state - was keen to do a run on the trail (Karen is struggling with an injury and opted-out).  Dan and Rosie joined us for 5 miles of interesting conversation about the Barclays race.  

PM - yoga.

AM - just under 4 miles on a muddy Milton trail - rain most of yesterday and forecast for the next two days.  Dan was having more issues with his chronic knee and calf issues, so we cut it a little short.  I was having more hamstring tendon issues.   I did an extra mile as a cool down on the treadmill wearing the vibrams.

PM - yoga at lunchtime 

PM - 2000 meters of indoor rowing; 20 min scenic ride on the Peloton 

AM - pretty severe thunderstorms ahead of a cold front kept me indoors today.   Did 2000 meters of indoor rowing and then 5 miles on the treadmill - started with the first 400 meters barefoot and then switched to shoes.   The shoeless efforts cause me to run more upright and foward for a more mid-foot strike - which helps with the hamstring tendon.

PM - yoga then a 2 mile walk with Finn since he did not get any exercise this morning.   

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and the dogs from his house to the horsetrail roads.   Gimpy on the hamstring at the start, but it loosened some, and the pace was actually ok after the first mile at least looking at the splits after we finished.   2000 meters of indoor rowing after I got home.  

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the trail - good bit cooler with frost this morning.  Had a difficult night's sleep with hamstring tendon discomfort.  Did some stretching/warming of the hamstring before heading out.   Slow going but not as painful as I had expected it to be.  Still at times a 3-4 on the pain scale, but intermittently less.  2000 meters of rowing afterward.

PM - 2 miles on the treadmill in the Vibrams. Felt so much less discomfort in the hamstring with the barefoot gait and with the belt requiring less "drive".  Doing limited time though without shoes to hopefully avoid any bone stress reactions in my feet.  Yoga session afterwards.  
 

AM - 10k on the trail with Dan and the dogs - chilly again this morning.  Right achilles was sore yesterday evening and this morning - I think from the barefoot running.   Hamstring about the same - but no worse.  Noticed I was short .25 miles of 40 for the week, so did 400 meters on the treadmill.

PM - 2000 meters of indoor rowing and then yoga. 

AM - 6 hilly miles before church this morning.   Thought my pace was faster but it would appear that the strength in the left hamstring is not really there yet.   A bit painful to start but manageable for most of the run.   2000 meters of indoor rowing afterwards.  
 

PM - yoga. 

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail - colder and the dirt road was full of puddles from the rains yesterday.   Hamstring was a bit better today - could have run futher but Dan was not feeling well.  2000 meters of indoor rowing afterwards. 

PM - 2 miles on the treadmill followed by a yoga session after my workday. 

AM - 5.25 miles from Dan's house with Finn on the horsetrail roads.   Slow first mile but warmed into a better paee - hamstring was tender to begin, but it seems some strength is returning to the tendon.   2000 meters of indoor rowing afterwards. 

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the golf course.  Slower paced today, a little more discomfort in the hamstring, though it is significantly hilly with some sharp ups and downs to aggravate it.   2000 meters of indoor rowing afterward.

PM - lunchtime yoga

AM - 5 miles on the trail early with Dan and Finn - very dark with no moon and the trails were a little wet from some light rain overnight.   Not a very good run - hamstring and achilles were uncomfortable.   2000 meters of indoor rowing afterward.  
 

PM - yoga at lunchtime and then 2 "barefoot" miles on the treadmill during a thunderstorm after work - power went out briefly during the run.   I really wish I could sustain barefoot running without injury - it is really nice to run with no hamstring discomfort due to the difference in gait from running with shoes.  Experience has been that I end up with injuries such as stress fractures in my feet running barefoot.   I am doing it now only a couple times per week and short distances.  Maybe I can gradually build up my bones and tendons and muscles with this gradual approach over time.   

AM - 5 miles in the neighborhood with Finn - colder, flurries and quite windy.   Slow but far less discomfort in the hamstring today for whatever reason.  2000 meters of indoor rowing.   

PM - 1 mile "barefoot" on the treadmill followed by yoga, after my workday. 

AM - 5.25 miles with the guys and the dogs on the trail.  Cold and very windy.  Terrible run for me with the hamstring.  
 

PM - 3 miles "barefoot" on the treadmill at my normal training pace.  No hamstring tendon issues.  Longest barefoot run so far.   2000 meters of indoor rowing and then yoga.  

AM - 6 miles with Finn early before church.   Relatively decent day with the hamstring - quite cold out in the low 20's.  Yoga in the afternoon.  

AM - nearly 6.5 miles on the trail this morning with Dan and the dogs - just below freezing when we headed out, which was around 8:30 with both of us having the day off for MLK.   Finn was off-lead for the second half of the run - as I did on Saturday, and he stayed reasonably close by.   Hamstring was not as good as yesterday but not nearly as bad as Saturday.   2000 meters of indoor rowing afterwards.  

PM - 2 miles of barefoot running on the treadmill - perhaps a little to aggressive - felt something painful in the left achilles at the end of the run - hopefully nothing too serious. Yoga session afterwards. 

AM - a very careful sore mile on the treadmill this morning.  Both calf muscles and achilles were very tender and functioning poorly this morning.  Since it was raining I opted to just jog a bit on the treadmill to get a mile in for the streak and give the legs a little break.  Wore the VaporFly Nike shoes - then did 2000 meters of rowing followed by a yoga session.   Hoping it just needs few days to settle down.  

AM - 3 miles with Finn in a very foggy / misty morning.   Started out just as a walk, but began to jog after about a quarter mile - very gingerly.  Did not feel pleasant, but I kept putting one foot in front of the other, and though I never got much faster than 10:30 pace - I ended up running more than I thought I would.  The achilles and calf soreness feel like they are likely to subside in a few more days from the very acute discomfort I had from the overly zealous barefoot treadmill session on Monday afternoon.   They are still sore and tender, but much less so than before.   

PM - Dan reached out for an impromtu proposal for midday run; he'd had a procedure in the morning and had not run yet; and I was hoping my legs may be less sore than this morning - so we did a little over 3.25 miles on the trail with dogs and squeezed it in between zoom meetings.   Legs were more improved than this morning - and pace was a little over 9 mins overall, with the last 2 miles in the mid-8's - so I took that as a positive development.  

AM - 3 mile fairly painful (calves / achilles) jog in a light rain with Finn.   Really not feeling all that great about running right now.   I am about 90% sure the calf pain is just extreme soreness versus real injury, which will improve gradually, it is just grinding through the next several days.   The good news is that my hamstring issue is not as noticable and because I am not running very fast, it may be benefiting that recovery.    2000 meters of indoor rowing.  
 

PM - 4.5 miles on the elliptical and then a yoga session.  No pain at all with the elliptical- which is nice - but I am not a big fan of those machines.  

AM - just undert 3.5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail.   Much colder today.  Much less calf and achilles discomfort today - plus it was a softer surface.  Literally more than a minute per mile faster pace over yesterday, but still very much a jog.  Happy with some improvement.   2000 meters of indoor rowing afterwards.  

AM - tried to run with Dan and the dogs on the trail, but my calf muscles were really not feeling well so we cut it short; in the last half mile going downhill, something "popped" in my left calf muscle - sharp pain.   Jogged it in.   Did some rowing and then a mile on the peloton bike.  Hopped on the treadmill to test things - and got another mile in.   Planning to only run a mile at the most (solely to keep the streak going) for the next several days and cross train using the elliptical, the bike and some swimming.   

PM - swam 1250 meters at the OneLife gym indoor pool on a free visit.   Not the best set up - as others that I have used in the past.   Only 4 lanes, (fortunately one was open); no towel service, no hot water in the showers, no manual swimsuit spin dryer for my suit; and there was a plastic protuding fastener piece on the pool walls that I slammed my foot into on a flip turn...yes, I am being picky.   Will try two other options nearby until the summer when my neighborhood outdoor pool opens for lap swimming. 

AM - 1 very uncomfortable mile on the treadmill - 2000 meters of indoor rowing and 20 minute peloton workout on the bike.   

PM - 1.5 mile walk with Finn;  ~3.5 miles (30 mins) on the elliptical.   I got into a rhythm on it with a decent pace - felt close to how it feels to run but pain-free.

AM - 1 mile walk with Finn into the neighborhood, and then a jog back along the same route for a 1 mile run.   Although the jog was 12 min pace, it was not really painful - though I kept myself from going any faster as I really want to let the legs recovr; but this was a considerable improvement over yesterday.    2000 meters of indoor rowing followed by a yoga session.   

PM - tried a different gym for indoor pool - swam 1250 yds - pool and gym were nicer but more expensive and further distance from me.   Not sure I am committed to swim on a regular basis yet.   Yoga session after.  

AM - 1 mile walk, 1 mile jog/run a bit faster today - very cold.  2000 meters of indoor rowing followed by a yoga session.

PM - ~ 4 miles or more on the elliptical followed by 1 mile on the treadmill at sub 9 pace.  Still some discomfort but just needed to feel myself running.  

AM - heavy rains - so a short walk on the treadmill and then 1 mile of running - calf muscles are still not quite right but gradually improving.  They overshadow the left hamstring issue at the moment.   2000 meters of indoor rowing followed by a yoga session. 

PM - 1.5 mile walk on the trail with Finn at lunchtime - and then a 30 minute Peloton workout. 

AM - 2 miles on the trail - started off expecting only to jog a mile but with significantly less calf pain (not yet completely gone) I doubled my daily mileage :).   I was careful not to push too much and the avg pace was 10:25 so there is much left to improve, but considered this progress.   Hamstring is no worse, but not noticiably better either.   2100 meters of indoor rowing followed by a yoga session.  

AM - 3.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the Milton trail - very easy at 10 min pace, but really no issue with the calf muscles - did not try to push any faster and with the exception of the left hamstring still a bit wonky and slightly painful - this was good progress.  2000 meters of indoor rowing followed by a yoga session. 

AM - 4 miles with Finn on the horsetrail roads. Gravel replenished on part of the road was good to eliminate some of the potholes but not for a smooth ride running.  Actually had a decent run for the first time in forever.   Initial mile was a bit uncomfortable with the left hamstring but after it warmed up my pace was all the way down to low 8 min pace which was a welcome surprise.  Calf issues nearly resolved and though I am not 100% on the left hamstring - I feel like it will very gradually over a few more weeks get to the point of just being a nuisance.  

AM - 4.25 miles in the neighborhood before church with Finn.  First mile was a slow warm-up, but then the remainder of the run was at a more normal pre-injury pace - perhaps with a little too much effort.   2000 meters of indoor rowing - had either a spasm in my upper back shortly after the rowing, or (don't say it) angina.   Sucks getting old.  

AM - raining this morning, so ran on the treadmill at a decent easy pace after warm up; kept the HR below 135 for much of the faster miles which were in the mid 8 min range.  2000 meters of indoor rowing followed by a yoga session.   No real issues to report.   Hamstring is ever so slowly improving; calf muscles are at about 90-95% resolved.   The upper back issue from yesterday seems as if it was a spasm versus angina since there was faint residual achiness there for much of the afternoon.   

My plan for this week is to keep the mileage limited and completely easy even if I feel as though I can go longer or faster.  I do not trust my instincts on how my chasis is going to react to any real volume or intensity.

AM - 3.25 miles with Finn in the neighborhood (Hummingbird run - the map on Strava for the route looks like a hummingbird) - a little creaky to start, but felt the most normal I have felt on a run in nearly 2 months.  Will stay with the plan to keep things low volume and easy/comfortable for this whole week.  2100 meters of rowing followed by a yoga session.  

AM - 3.25 miles with Finn in the neighborhood.  Slow first mile to warm up but decent progression to normal pace the next two miles.   2100 meters of indoor rowing follwed by a yoga session.  

AM - 4 miles on the treadmill as it was cold and rainy outside.  Warmed up a bit before recording the run - felt reasonably normal with my pace.   Still some achiness in the calf muscles and in the hamstring - but once I warm up I am able to run without discomfort or weakness in functionality particularly on the flat treadmill.    2100 meters of indoor rowing followed by a short yoga session. 

AM - 3.25 miles with Finn in the neighborhood - colder and the roads were still wet from an all-day rain yesterday.   Pace was decent following the creaky first mile - felt as though my stride is starting to open up to its normal range of motion.  2200 meters of indoor rowing followed by a yoga session.  

AM - 5.25 remarkably good miles this morning with Greg and the dogs on the horse trail roads.  First half to 3/4 of a mile were a little uncomfortable but once I got the muscles warm - I felt good.  Have not run this well in nearly 2 months.  Pretty happy about it.  

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the trail.   Ran a little 1/2 mile warm up awaiting Dan which allowed the hamstring to be less wonky when we started together.   Lighter pace than yesterday - good to catch up with him as he just returned from a 7 day cruise.   

AM - 4.5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail.   Did a little 1/4 mile warm-up before Dan arrived to awaken the left hamstring.  Decent run with limited discomfort in the first mile.   A bit slow on the pace but it was kinda foggy and the fields were a little difficult to navigate in the dark.  

AM - did a short 1/4 warm up on the treadmill to get the hamstring awakened and then met Dan at his house and ran the horsetrail roads from there for 5.25 miles with dogs.   Rosie was a laggard today off-leash but we were also moving more quickly than when we are on the trail.   Still cold and frosty out, but a nice morning and a good pace.   2100 meters of indoor rowing followed by a yoga session afterwards. 

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail.  Did a 1/4 mile warm up before Dan arrived.   Good bit warmer today in the low 50's with rain expected today and tomorrow before it turns cold again.  Left hamstring is really wonky the first 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile before it evens out and I stop having to think about it.   

AM - a little over 1/4 mile warm up and then ran with Dan and the dogs on the trail.   We've been going a bit earlier this week and so it is dark even when we are finishing up - ran in the woods; tripped and fell like a sniper had hit me - abrasions on my forearms/elbows, knees and chest.  No real harm done but looked pretty bloodied by the time we were done.  Decent run otherwise.  

AM - 4.5 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood - rained all afternoon and through the night so the streets were wet, and the temperature dropped.   Same slow start but most of the run felt like a normal pace with occasional discomfort in the hamstring.  2100 meters of indoor rowing afterwards followed by a yoga session.   Heading out of town today for a long weekend with my bride in Stowe Vermont.   

AM - 4 miles in Stowe VT.   Wandered around the town and along the snowy pathways.   

AM - 3.5 miles on a trail run in Stowe.  Got some trail running shoes and ice spikes in town.  Fun run but fairly technical with snow and ice covering everything - took a digger late and tore my tights on some icy snow.   Enjoyed it all the same.  

AM - 4 early cold sore miles in Stowe before breakfast and heading home.  Took nearly 2.5 miles to finally get into a normal pace.  The tumble in the snow yesterday left me a bit sore this morning.  

AM - ran with Dan and Finn on the Milton Trail.  Arrived a few minutes before Dan to do a short warm up.   Felt ok after the first 1/2 mile and we covered about 4.25 miles on a chilly morning in the mid to low 30's but far warmer than I was in Vermont the last couple of days.   2100 meters of indoor rowing followed by a short yoga session.  

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail in the rain.  Slow creaky start as always but easier as the muscles warmed; rain was steady at times and at times very light; slipped on a tree branch on the ground under some leaves about halfway through and exclaimed some instant frustration at nearly falling again - and rolling my ankle - I was hesitant to run the trail today becuase of the rain and being in the dark.   But I stayed upright and completed this one unscathed.   2200 meters of indoor rowing followed by a short yoga session. 

AM - 5.25 miles from Dan's house with the dogs on the horsetrail roads.  Catching a cold - woke up stuffy and sneezy.   Rosie was running slowly today when she had to be on the leash - so our pace was more moderate than normal on this route at times.  

2200 meters of indoor rowing later in the day.

AM - 5 miles on the treadmill as there was a pretty heavy rainstorm outside and I feel like I am catching a cold.   Decent run on the treadmill followed by a short yoga session.  

AM - 6.2 miles on the trail with Dan and the dogs - cold front brought temps in the upper 20's but bright sunshine - had a nice run.  Cleared the trail at times of branches that had fallen with the storms over the last couple of days.  

AM - 4.5 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood.  Slightly warmer today - nice run.  

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the Milton Trail.   Resumed taking iron supplements about 10 days ago and after getting lab results from Friday that showed low Ferritin numbers.   Feeling remarkably stronger not only during running but also just at rest too.  2100 meters of indoor rowing afterward followed by a short yoga session. 

AM - 5 muddy miles on the trail with Dan and the dogs early after an overnight rain.  Dan's white dog decided to roll in a huge muddy puddle.  Fortunately I have a dog bath in the basement workshop that comes in handy for days like today.   2100 meters of indoor rowing followed by a yoga session.  

AM - 3.25 miles early due to early board meetings at the office this morning.  

AM - 5.25 miles with Finn on a hilly loop this morning.   Right achilles/PF a bit more painful throughout the run unfortunately - left hamstring tendinopathy is still annoyingly not fully resolved.  Pushed through it though and finished much faster than I started.   2100 meters of indoor rowing followed by a short yoga session. 

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail.  He had an early meeting so we had to cut it shorter than originally planned.  Right achilles and left proximal hamstring still problematic - worse at the start.   2100 meters of indoor rowing follwed by a yoga session. 

AM - 5.25 miles on the trail with the guys and the dogs.  It was rainy and cool so we were the only ones out there and had the dogs off-leash; would have gone a little longer but Finn turned back home and we could not get him to come back.   Surprisingly much less discomfort in both the Achilles and hamstring today.   No idea why but I will take it.  

AM - 4.25 miles with Finn before church - last couple of miles were below 8 min pace.   Two days in a row of less painful running.  

AM - 4.5 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton Trail.  Did a short 1/4 mile warm up waiting for him.   Third day in a row of much less painful running...I am enjoying the trend.  2100 meters of indoor rowing followed by a yoga session repeatedly interupted by Finn who either wanted to lick the salty sweat off of my arms or otherwise position himself in the middle of every other pose in order for me to pet him. 

AM - 4 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood - early and shorter due to an early meeting I have in the office today.   Good/decent less painful running is now into day 4 - so that's a good thing.   

AM - 5.25 miles with the guys and two of the dogs on the horsefarm roads before dawn.   This marks 3 years of my running streak.  Captured a photo of daybreak on the trails to remember it.   Thankfully my hamstring and achilles continue to behave well and progress has been especially good over the last week.  Pace was solid and it was nice to run without having to think about anything not functioning well or being painful.  It was a good day.   2100 meters of indoor rowing followed by a yoga session.

AM - 5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail in the rain - it had rained a fair amount overnight and the trail was pretty sloppy particularly in the dark.   Had a couple of times where I tripped or twisted a foot or an ankle and ultimately did fall more in an effort to keep from rolling my ankle - no harm done.   Really should avoid running this in the dark in the rain even with headlamps.   2100 meters of indoor rowing and a short yoga session afterward.

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and the dogs in the horse farm roads starting from his house.  Slowish first mile but picked it up later only slowing for Rosie a bit near the end.  

AM - 5 miles with the guys and the dogs from the Starbucks.   Greg's dog decided about 4 miles in, that he was finished running and the only solution was to take him through the woods off leash to get him to run.  

AM - 7 miles with Finn early before church.  Both watches were low on battery - so I opted for the Garmin which did not connect to the GPS signal until late in the run - so it was showing some very nice splits using the accelerameter - which I knew I was not running at that pace - good solid run overall.  

AM - 5 miles in the neighborhood with Finn before my workday started.  2100 meters of indoor rowing afterwards followed by a yoga session, 

AM - 5 miles on the trail with Dan and the dogs.  2000 meters of indoor rowing afterwards. 

AM - 5.25 miles with Finn on the horsefarm trails - We started with Dan and Rosie from his house, but less than a mile in, the tree pollen in the air was so significant that it clouded over Dan's hard contact lenses to where he could not see.   This has happened a handful of times over the last few years in the Spring with him.   So he urged me to do the run without him - and he turned back and did a workout indoors.   2100 meters of indoor rowing and some yoga afterwards. 

AM - 4 miles with Finn in the neighborhood - felt very tired and decided to run slower and shorter today.   2100 meters of indoor rowing followed by a short yoga session. 

AM - 5 miles in a light drizzle in the lower 50's through the neighborhood with Finn.  Nice spring-like morning with the flowering trees blooming and leafing-out and lots of birdsong.  

AM - 5.25 miles on the trail with Dan and the dogs - we got separated from Finn for a while in the underdeveloped area - where we encountered a herd of deer - at least 20 of them and Finn off-leash decided to give chase - We lost track of him for a little while but Dan found him and I put him back on leash.   Heading down to Tampa this evening to do a fun race that I have not yet done - the Skyway 10k.  Staying with Richie - running together - should be a cool experience crossing the iconic bridge over Tampa Bay. 

AM - met with Richie in St. Pete for the Skyway 10k very early this morning.   Had to park at the Trop and take school buses across the bridge and then they had essentially a bunch of starts in 10 minute intervals with no apparent connection to pace or ability.  Just basically selecting about 2-300 people at at time.   This was fine as it turns out because Richie was dealing with an injury to his IT band that I had not realized was as significant as it was - and he invited a younger runner from his office to join us who's goal was to break 1 hour.    So - I ran easily with them and averaged about 9 minute pace - and chatted and took photos and generally enjoyed the experience as the sun broke on the horizon as we crested the span.   Glad I got to run across it.  Glad I also got to spend time with an old friend.   

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the Milton trail - much colder here than Florida of course - but tomorrow we will be below freezing - just when I was thinking I was done with my cold weather running gear for the season.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn through the neighborhood and part of the golf course - below freezing this morning and the next few mornings according to the forecast.  2100 meters of indoor rowing.   Yoga session in the afternoon.

AM - 5 miles on the trail with Dan and the dogs - 28 degrees - and very dark - pace was slower as a result of the time change keeping things way darker for almost the entire run particularly in the wooded part of the trail.  2200 meters of indoor rowing afterwards. 

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and the dogs from Dan's house onto the horse farm trail roads.   2100 meters of indoor rowing afterwards.  

AM - 5.50 miles with Finn in the neighborhood in a light rain. Much warmer today but probably short-lived as there is a freeze warning again for tomorrow morning.   2200 meters of indoor rowing and a short yoga session afterwards.  

AM - 7 miles with Dan and Finn on another below- freezing morning.   Good run.  

AM - 7 miles with Finn on another cold morning in the 20's before church.  Achilles was tender from yesterday but functional.  

AM - 5 miles on the trail in the dark with the dogs - 23 degrees for the spring equinox...quite chilly.   Anyway, I of course took another fall in the woods - something about running in the dark even with a headlamp results in me tripping at some point, oddly this time I was just slowing to a walk because the terrain was quite uneven and Dan had stopped in front of me.   No real harm done, as I was wearing gloves and tights - and it was a "slow-motion" fall - meaning I was decelerating to a walk and not moving at a normal running clip.   Had an abrasion on my knee - more from the material on my pants than a cut from the ground.   2100 meters of indoor rowing afterwards. 

AM - 6 miles with Finn through the neighborhood and across Birmingham into the Grove subdivision and back.  First 1/2 was very slow and indeed caused me to question why I was even out there; but gradually the muscles and tendons warmed-up to normal functional levels and the rest of the run went well at my normal training pace (albeit with some achiness in the right Achilles as the primary area of discomfort, followed by the left hamstring tendon) - my right knee is sore from the bruising of yesterday's seemingly insignificant tumble on the trail and the upper back I guess had some residual pain from being jarred when I fell.   I am considering not starting my watch until I am fully warmed up - at least for the first 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile and thus eliminating a 10:45 to 11 min pace per mile from the rest of the miles in mid 8 min pace to at least make me feel better about the avg pace when I finish each day.   

This is the last day of sub-freezing temps on the weather forecast app for at least the next couple of weeks - hopefully that will be the end of wintery cold in the mornings for the for season. 

2100 meters of indoor rowing followed by a yoga session. 

AM - 5.25 miles with Finn on the horsefarm trail roads before work.   Better pace for the first mile than yesterday.  Finn seems like he may not be feeling well - early in the run he was running by my side instead of leading.   He improved later, but I will keep an eye on him.  2100 meters of indoor rowing followed by a short yoga session.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail.  Wore my contacts and was very careful in the woods - no falls today :)   2100 meters of indoor rowing followed by yoga.   

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan from his place with the dogs.  Finally a warmer spring weather morning.  

AM - 7 miles on the treadmill because of a thunderstorm outside.   

AM - 7 miles with Finn before church.  

AM - 5 miles on the slow side with Dan and the dogs through the neigborhood.   Started to rain a little at the end; finished up just before a thunderstorm.  

AM -5.25 on the Milton trail with Dan and Finn.   A bit faster since Rosie was not with us.   Dan had to end early for an appointment.   Getting my iron re-tested this morning.  

AM - 5 miles on the trail with Dan and the dogs very early.  Still have a cold, and the temps this morning were in the low 40's.   Got my iron test results this morning, and the serum Ferritin was only 1 point higher than it was 6 weeks ago.   I know that test results can vary about 15%+/- day by day, but was hoping to see some more improvement than this.  Will increase supplementation and re-test in about 2 month.  2100 meters of indoor rowing. 

AM - roughly 6 miles with Finn in the neigborhood.   Watch battery stopped a little over midway through the run - which was strange because it appeared to have about 35% battery before we started.  I estimated the remaining part of the run.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail.  2200 meters of indoor rowing afterwards. 

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.  

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. 

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.  

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.  

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. 

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.  

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 

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.   

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

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!   

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.    

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.  

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.  

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

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.  

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.   

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.  

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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

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.  

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

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.   

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.  

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. 

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.  

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

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

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan through the neighborhood with Finn. 

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail.  Did a different loop at the beginning to add some distance.  Nice morning.   2100 meters of indoor rowing.  

AM - just under 6.5 miles with Dan and Finn through the North Valley neighborhood and across Thompson into another one and back.  Chilly again today - long sleeves and gloves for the third day in a row.  We both were complaining that we were ready for warmer weather to finally be here to run shirtless.  I am sure once it starts we will be missing these cool mornings.  2200 meters of indoor rowing afterwards.  

AM - just shy of 6 miles this morning with Dan and Finn from Dan's place.   Ran into a different neighborhood to change up the route a little bit.  Cooler still this morning at 42 degrees.  Decent pace today.  

AM - 5 miles or so with Dan and Finn on the trail.  Quite slow today - and the trail shoes are not the best feel for my bad Achilles - 2200 meters of indoor rowing afterwards. 

PM - 2.25 miles on the treadmill mid-afternoon. 

AM - 8 miles with the guys and two of the dogs from Dan's place.  Slowish because of Rosie - but good conversation.  

AM - 5 miles with Finn early before church.   

AM - 5.5 miles with Finn in the neighborhood in the rain this morning.  Started out with a heavy downpour and unexpectedly some thunder rumbled in the distance - but it let up around a mile in and was very light with no additional thunder.  Ran decently quickly after the usual slow first mile - in fact miles 3-5 were all sub-8 min pace.  The healing of the Achilles is so gradual in its progress and I still have soreness in the left hamstring - but somehow it must not be as painful or as functionally limiting as it has been.  May be asking too much for a completely ache and painfree run?   

2200 meters of indoor rowing afterward.   Did a yoga session yesterday afternoon and one this morning too.   I noticed how tight my lower back etc. was feeling - and decided to re-dedicate some real time to yoga again as I really think it is beneficial to me overall. 

AM - 5 slower miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton Trail.  Dan's got some hamstring tendonitis and so I suggested running easy to start - but we really did not get going too quickly even after he got warmed up.  It's ok - I have been there for months.   Did 2200 meters of indoor rowing and a yoga sesson afterwards. 

AM - 4 early miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood before an early morning meeting in my office.   Dan was having some issues again this morning so the pace was slow and a bit interupted.  Good convo though.   

AM - 5.25 miles from Dan's house with Finn.  2100 meters of indoor rowing and yoga afterwards. 

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn through North Valley from my house.  Had a brief window of no-rain on a cloudy humid morning.   Dan's hamstring was giving him issues or we would have gone longer.   I ran another 2 miles on the treadmill when I got home.  

AM - 8 miles with Greg from downtown.  Dan bailed as he did not feel he could hang with Greg's pace or the distance given his hamstring issues this week.  As it turned out we did not really run as fast as Greg usually likes to go - as he was feeling a bit off today as well.  Did another half mile on the treadmill when I got home as I thought I needed it to get 40 miles in for the week. Turns out that I did not need it after all.  

AM - 7.25 miles - decent to fast pace for me these days - most of the miles were at or below 8 mins after mile 1.   Beautiful morning before church and mother's day events. 

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail.  

AM - 4.5 miles with Dan and the dogs from his place, but he had an early meeting - which meant we ran a little shorter than normal - so I did a couple more miles when I got back home on the treadmill.  

AM -  5 miles with Dan and Finn on the trail.   Slow going in overgrown fields. 

PM - Dublin, Ireland - 4 miles along the banks or the Quay of the River Liffey.  Celebrating our 33rd wedding anniversary with a trip to Ireland.  

AM - 5 miles wandering around Dublin before Tracy awoke to start the day.  Ran around St Stephens green and around the Aviva stadium and back along the River Liffey to where we were staying across from Trinity College      

AM - 4 miles early before we headed out to get a rental car and began our journey south from Dublin. 

AM - 4 miles around the Mount Juliet estate in County Kilkenny.    Beautiful scenery and nice run.  

AM - 5 miles on a road along the coast of Wexford Ireland.   Cool morning cloudy but pleasant.  Lots of pretty scenery and livestock on the run.   Heading west today. 

AM - fun 5 miles from our hotel in Killarney to the National Park stopping to see the Ross Castle and running the trails behind it and the lake known as Lough Leane.  

AM - 6 miles from the hotel in Killarney - took a slightly different route into the National Park - and through some woods toward the Muckross House that we toured yesterday.   Nice running/cycling path and beautiful scenery.   Running a bit faster in the last few miles this week - perhaps because the routes have been relatively flat, and the Achilles is at least more flexible as it warms up.  Heading up the western coast later today to see the cliffs of Moher before heading back to Dublin later tomorrow to complete our clockwise circle of Ireland.  

AM - 5.5 miles in County Clare on the west coast of Ireland along the Atlantic.  Very different landscape here than in County Kerry yesterday only about 2 hours away.  Windswept rural with cattle and wind turbines but very green in picturesque all the same.  Another run with a faster finish completely unplanned.   

AM - just under 6.2 miles in Dublin.  Last full day here before a mid morning fight home tomorrow.  We've had a really nice stay exploring this country.   Good weather, interesting scenery and friendly people.   This morning's run started well but I made some disappointing turns and it was not as nice or scenic as the first half.  

AM - just under 3.5 miles in Dublin along the River Liffey and around the docks and Grand Canal.  Early start to have breakfast and get off to the airport.  A bit cooler and windier this morning.  We've had really good weather without a drop of rain and some days blue skies and bright sunshine.   It's been an enjoyable time - very informative to me about so many historical aspects of the country and seeing such interesting and beautiful scenery.  But even more than that - it was good to unplug for a bit and to enjoy the time with my bride of 33 years.  Very blessed to be with her and to experience places like this together.  

AM - 5 miles in total this morning at home - run with Dan on the trail with the dogs.  Did a little warm up waiting for him to arrive.   Good to catch-up with each of us being on respective vacations at the same time for over a week.  He and his family went to Spain to pick up his daugher on a study abroad and to explore some of the cities in the country for a week or so.  

AM - about 3.5 miles with Dan from his house early, as he had a doctor's appointment - and then 2 more on the treadmill when I got home.  Weather was pleasant the last couple of days here with very little humidity.  I had been expecting to be in the midst of summer warmth.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail.   Did not realize how much slower I have been running with him until I was away last week and saw a marked difference in my pace per mile.  Not that I mind, but I happened to notice it the last couple of days when I looked at the watch.  Generally speaking at this point, I much prefer the social aspect of running with a friend over running faster by myself. 

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood and golf course.  

AM - 5.75 miles on the hilly route through north bluff - went with just Finn as Dan's hamstring issues continue.  Been doing some strengthening exercises for the Achille's tendon - known as the Alfredson protocol.   Takes 12 weeks and I am only a few days in - but felt a little better than the last few days already.   The climb up Dinsmore segment shows that I was just a few seconds off my best time for that half-mile stretch according to Strava.  Would be great to get to a point in which there was zero discomfort in both the Achilles and hamstring, but I will take what I can get for now.   

AM - 3.25 miles with Finn early because he was impatient and the guys were not planning to run until about 8:30.   
 

AM2 - 8 more miles at the Greenway with Greg.  Dan bailed out as he was driving his girls to the airport and did not think he'd be back early enough to run.  Greg showed up without his shoes - so I ran with Finn (he was not satisfied with the earlier run) for about 4 miles until Greg returned with his shoes and with his dog Bodie.   

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and the dogs early before church on Nix.  Rosie and Dan were slower paced today, which was fine after the longer effort yesterday. 

AM- just under 5.5 miles with Finn through the neighborhood and across Birmingham Hwy into the Grove neighborhood.  Last 3.5 miles were faster and HR was correspondingly higher.  2100 meters of indoor rowing and a short yoga sesstion afterwards.  

AM - 5 miles with Finn in the neighborhood after a thunderstorm.   Achilles was frustratingly more painful today despite it appearing less swollen.  

AM - 4.5 slow easy miles with Dan and the dogs from his house.  His hamstring was hurting so we went slowly and tried to keep the run as flat as possible.   Seemed to work well for him.  I wore the Rides for the first time in a while as I think the Achilles is making progress with the Afredson protocol strengthening exercises - despite the pain on yesterdays run - today felt less painful and I think I may be able to switch back to my normal trainers.  

AM - 4.75 miles with Dan on the Milton trail - slightly faster than yesterday but still on the slowish side due to his hamstring discomfort. 

AM - 3.25 miles with Riley who is in town for my eldest's baby shower this weekend and then another 2 miles on the treadmill to get some more miles in.  She's been running fairly consistently, but not usually more than 2.5 miles per run for a few months.  Always good to have a run with your kids. 

AM - 9.25 miles with Finn and part with Riley and the guys in segments.   Beautiful weather.  

AM - 3.25 miles early with Riley before church.   

AM - a few miles outside and then a little inside trying to work around Riley's departure and some early work meetings.  

PM - in London on a business trip - early evening run from my hotel in Canary Wharf - exploring and meandering around and found myself along the Thames and thinking that a long time ago I remembered having a taxi driver find a road with my surname and had him snap a photo; 20 years later on this run I think I may be in the general area of that road and when I looked up there it was - so I did a selfie.  Warm weather for London in the low 80's, nice and sunny - got in about 5.25 miles.  Here until Friday. 

AM - 5 miles around the perimeter of the the Isle of Dogs as this peninsula of a jutting section of the meandering River Thames is known.   On the far end there was a footpath tunnel under the river to Greenwich and the ship Cutty Sark that is a part of the London Marathon course as I recall.  I did not have time to use the tunnel today, but thinking that I will figure out a run perhaps tomorrow or Friday that will take me over to that side of the river and up across Tower Bridge and return for a longer effort if time permits.  Day 1200 of my run streak was today.  

AM - just short of 9.75 miles this morning from my hotel in Canary Wharf down to the tip of the peninsula and across the River Thames through a footpath tunnel built in 1904 and the from Greenwich up river to Tower Bridge and looped back to Canary Wharf.  Roughly a portion of the London Marathon course.   Pleasant sunny morning - although I felt a bit "off" since I was kind of constantly navigating the route and checking my phone from time to time so it was not conducive to zone out and just run.   Heading home tomorrow morning so I may only get a few miles in before I depart for the airport.  Glad to have gotten this one in today.  

AM - 3.5 miles early before heading to the airport - just a quick out and back loop around Millwall park.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail.   Easy effort - good to catch up with us both being away on business the last several days.   

AM - 5.75 miles with Finn through North Valleyin reverse. Hit the Dinsmore - Chicken Creek segment the fastest that I have run it in 3 years.   Still some pain / discomfort in the Achilles but perhaps slightly less as it slowly strengthens.   

AM - 3 miles with Finn in the rain with a few lightning strikes that were probably too close.  The weather called for rain and storms all day, but it appeared that there was a window or break in the storms on the radar when we went out - decided to head back in after that turned out not to be the case.  

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan on the Milton trail - short on time this morning. 

AM - 5.25 miles with Finn on the out and back route of North Valley.  Heavy humid air and overcast with some drizzle this morning.   2100 meters of indoor rowing and some yoga afterwards.  

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and the dogs from his house in the rain this morning.  Saw his daughter Lilly out running - she's home for the summer and in her first week of re-introducing running after over a year.   

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood.  

AM - 6.75 miles with Dan and Finn on a hilly route.  Faster than normal with Dan. 

AM - 7 miles early with Finn before church.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail. 

AM -  5 miles on the trail with Dan and the dogs.   It is getting too overgrown in the undeveloped areas with lots of thorns.  May need to modify the loop or go out with some trimmers to break the trail. 

AM - just under 5.5 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood.

AM - just 4 this morning with Dan and the dogs from his place.   Rosie wanted to go but she really doesn't like to run quickly or long - so we went easy and a little shorter today.   

AM - just undert 5.25 miles on the trail with Finn.  The city evidently mowed the undeveloped sections in the last day or so - by evidence of a large tractor and much lower weeds and grass in the open fields - so the run was more enjoyable.  Only the lower section of the back woods with the really large thorn bushes was uncut - but someone had cut back some of the branches that were in the path just two days ago.   

AM - 7 miles with Dan and Finn through Tullamore.  Very warm today and bad AQI.    Doesn't bode well for Peachtree on Tuesday.   

AM - just 3 miles this morning with Fin through the neighborhood before church.  Felt like I should do less distance before Tuesday's Peachtree but who am I kidding - my aching Achilles has not let me train for a number of months the way I would normally be able to train and so the "race" is more likely to be an experiment of just how well I can run in really hot and humid conditions with a gimpy Achilles at nearly age 57.   My run with Dan yesterday was fine but it took more effort than I had planned and so today I kinda just needed a reprieve.   Bought a new pair of Nike VaporFlys yesterday and wore them this morning.   They are a half size too small but they did not have my size and I wanted to run in new shoes Tuesday because my current Alphaflys have over 300 miles on them.   The new ones felt good but I noticed on the downhills that my toes were hitting the front of the shoe.  I will likely regret the purchase when I lose a toenail or two on some longer downhill runs if the shoes don't stretch out a bit.   

AM - 5 easy miles on the trail with Dan and the dogs - each of us are working today before the Independence Day holiday tomorrow.   I expect a lighter workload by the afternoon as my calls and e-mails from Europe and Asia drop off and folks in the states are enjoying their afternoons leading into a day off.   

2023 Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta - quite surprisingly I ran better than I expected.  I was about 10 seconds faster than last year and the last 3 years have basically been the same mid 45 minute range.   This year was more relative effort - the temps were warm but there was cloud cover for the early waves which was good, but the humidity and dew point were quite high and so I measured my effort in the early downhill portion in order manage my more challenging uphill miles in the second half.   Never blew up but was also very aware of the effort.   Had a little snafu getting to the race - the plan was  to pick up Dan and his daughter Lily (college aged) and from there to pick up my son-in-law Marcus.   The three of them were in the F wave and I was in the earlier A wave.   We were nearly to Marcus' house when Dan and Lily realized that they had left their numbers at home and so we had to circle back to get them.  This added about 15-20 mins to the trip which then got a little delayed with the Marta train taking us to start from the North Springs station.   Basically got off the train and when we exited I did my warm up of about a half mile to the starting corral - arriving just as the National Athem started.   Two minutes later the gun went off.   So I had very little time to think or get focused on the normal aches and pains - particularly the Achilles tendon issue.

Yesterday I went to the doctor/walk-in clinic to see if they'd give me a cortisone injection in the Achilles, but after some miscommunication in which I thought they would provide that service, it turns out that they would only provide a general anti-inflamatory injection.  I went ahead with it, and it did result in less swelling in the Achilles - which translated to less discomfort, but unfortunately it also had a side-effect of insomnia - the night before the race! 

Anyway - I was pleased with the result given the limited specific training and training volume for the last several months and also considering I am not getting any younger - the fact that I can still run 7:15 pace for a 10k in the middle of the summer - is something I am good with.   

Dan, Lily and Marcus all ran together to Lily's pace at just under 11 mins per mile and I met them after they finished and we headed to the Marta station to get the train to take us to the car.  On the train ride the skies opened up to quite a storm - and when we got home there were text messages from the race that they had to cancel the event due to lightning - safety concerns.  

Happy Independence Day!

AM - 3.5 very easy miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail.  Taking things easy after yesterday's race.  Wore the Green Rides as the Achilles was feeling favorable to the normal shoes, hoping the anti-inflamatory oral meds continue to provide relief beyond the dosage and not just a temporary reprieve.   Very warm and humid again this morning - suspect that will be the case for the next several weeks of summer.  

AM - 5 miles on the trail with Dan and the dogs.  Had a little bit more muscle soreness today when we started - perhaps delayed onset from the race effort on Tuesday.  Dan is leaving this evening for a long weekend at Disney with his family as a birthday celebration for his middle daughter who turns 21 this early next week.   So I will be solo the next few days unless Greg has returned from vacation on Saturday.    

The achilles was slightly more noticeable this morning.  Could be that the anti-inflammatory injection is wearing off.  I am doing the medrol pack too - oral prednisone and the swelling is much less than it has been.   

AM - 6 miles with Finn through WC and across Birmingham Hwy into the Grove neighborhood.  Very humid and warm which I suspect will likely be the case for the next month or two.   Took it very easy the first couple of miles and ended with a little more pace.  Hoping the meds for the Achilles sustain a long term reprieve of the swelling - I have a couple more days of the script - as it has certainly taken the edge off of the early discomfort in the morning runs. 

AM - 7 miles with Greg and Finn on the Forsyth Greenway.  Got a late start and it was very warm and humid.  Felt poorly early on and even Finn started to fade by mile 5 - and I stopped a couple of time for him to get water.  I was definitely dehydrated but managed to grind it out.  Greg is back from a vacation in Hawaii and shared some stories of his trip.  

AM - 3.5 very easy miles before church today.  Got a recplacement pair of Vaporfly Nikes in the correct size and as bad as I felt after yesterday's dehydration run - some easy miles was a good plan to test out the new racing shoes.  May try a few miles on the treadmill later today.  
 

PM - 8 easy miles on the treadmill in the afternoon.  

AM - 4.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail in a steady to light rain.   Legs were a bit heavy from the additional volume and second run yesterday - but not injured; just a bit of fatigue.  If I can manage it, I will try to add a couple of miles as a secondary run a few days per week if the legs/achilles can tolerate the additional volume at a completely aerobic effort.   

AM - 5.5 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood.  Feels like I have turned the corner so to speak with the achilles tendon - which I suppose I would primarily attribute to the steriodal anti-inflamatory that I got last week, with the follow-up oral medrol pack.   It is not 100% but as close as I have been in 5-6 months.  I will be a little nervous that the swelling may return, but for now I am going with the attitude that the injury is nearly over. 

AM - just undert 6.5 miles with Finn this morning through the North Valley neighborhood across Thompson and into the Potter Stone neighborhood.  Quite hilly with nearly 1000 ft of elevation gain.  Felt like too much of an effort during and after the run even though the pace was not really quick.  It was humid but not really as warm and close as it has been for a few days last week.   Take some solace in the fact that perceived effort is important to consider in the summer time - even if the pace doesn't necessarily reflect it.  Legs felt heavy as well.  But, in the scheme of things the discomfort in the Achilles and hamstring were not material or significant, though not non-existent; which is actually a positive over the last several months.   Looking forward to some autumn cooler temps in a few months...

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn from Dan's house onto the trails of Summit and Brittle.  Had some GI issues overnight and felt "off" before the run this morning - but seemed to not be impactful to the run.   He leaves tomorrow for vacation in Maine for a week.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn on the trail.  Very warm and humid today - and the trail was a big overgrown particularly in the lower backwood area with lots of thorns, resulting in a fair number of scratches on my legs.  Decent run nevertheless considering how much stronger my achilles felt today.  

AM - 9.25 miles with Greg and Finn on the Forsyth Greenway.  Greg’s easy pace is usually closer to 8 min pace or faster.  It was extremely humid and warm this morning but we went out before 7 am so it was better than last week when we started and hour later and it was a struggle.   

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

PM - 10 miles on the treadmill in the afternoon to avoid the heat outside and to keep my effort at a true long run heartrate.   Achilles pain returned yesterday afternoon after the morning long tempo-ish effort with Greg and some extended yard work.  Had to grind through some discomfort a few moments here and there - but I was watching the 15th stage of the Tour and watching as the riders experienced their own discomfort on the mountain stage and it seemed to elicit a misery loves company type of response which aided my run; which is not to say the run was miserable, just a few points in time where the tendon discomfort was more noticeable than others.    

Also, watching the Tour when it makes its way through the different climbs in the Alps reminds me of the cycling tour I did over 10 years ago in that region - and I love it when the days' stage may include a climb or a town that I rode in that region.  Today's stage was one of those Les Gets, Closes, Forclaz around Lake Annecy and Col des Aravis were featured.  Great memories. 

AM - 4.25 miles with Finn on the trail - took it easy following the 23 miles of running on the weekend - and did not run into the lower wooded section but instead opted for a coupole of loops around the pond.  Achilles was not terrible after the first uphill quarter mile at the start.  

AM - 6.25 miles with Finn on Brittle Summit and Wood roads by the horse farms.  A pleasant run but not too quick on the pace.  Legs felt a little flat for most of the morning, but very little pain in the Achilles - so I was pleased.  

AM - 5.25 miles with Finn in the neighborhood.  Quite warm and humid again today which is impacting my pace - but the effort is there and consistent.  

AM - 5 miles with Finn; ran to Nix and looped back through White Columns - the heavy air and warm temps are just energy-sapping the last few days.  The effort is there, not particularly enjoyable, and the pace is nearly pedestrian.  Having said that, I know from memory the climate in Florida where I lived much of my life, is considerably worse both in intensity and the length of time to endure it.   Here, we probably have a month or so of this kind of weather until things start to ease.   School resumes for students here in less than 2 weeks.  Summer is nearly over.  

AM - 4 miles in a thunderstorm with Finn on the Milton trail.   Probably should not have gone out, but the weather radar appeared to me to show that only the edge of the storm was near me and that most of the heavy stuff had already blown over; but the first mile or so, was let's say "not ideal" in terms of wind, rain and lightning.   But it got better as the run progressed until the end when another round was beginning to hit, and I cut it short to go home.  

AM - 12.25 miles total today.  Morning run of 4.25 miles with Finn on a very humid steamy day.  Had to get back to assist Tracy who was doing a party at our house for the ladies of the church and she needed help setting up.   

PM - 8 miles on the treadmill at the club during the party at my house which was a women-only event.   

AM - 9 miles early before church - ran Nix to Taylor Rd and the Batesville through Triple Crown.  I thought the route was 10 miles from memory but it was barely 9.  Quite hilly too.  Decent run but not quite as far as I had planned. 

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail.  Felt sluggish today - good to run and talk with Dan after he returned from a week's vacation in Maine.  We cut through a gated area which is a normal route for us, but the grass and weeds were overgrown and obscured some barbed wire that was loose at the end of the fence line.  Finn got tangled with the leash on the barbed wire and I got some scratches on my arm and legs trying to extract ourselves.  No real harm done.  

AM - 5 miles on the trail with Dan and Finn. 

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn from Dan's house along the dirt roads of Summit and Brittle past the horse farms.   Wore the Alphafly's and the run was much more enjoyable with less Achilles discomfort.  

AM - 5 miles through the neighborhood and a bit on the golf course with Dan and Finn.  Slow pace but good effort and conversation.  

AM - 5.5 miles with the guys and Finn from Redd.  Very warm this morning - effort was solid - but the pace was dismal.  Early start too due to an early morning meeing at the office.  

AM- 5.25 miles with Dan and the dogs on the trail. 

AM - travelled to WV to visit Tracy's folks; got food poisoning or a 24 hour stomach bug overnight and was in rough shape in the morning - managed to get 1 mile in to preserve the run streak. 

AM - 6.25 miles on a run along the Ohio River from Moundsville WV up to Glendale.  Good number of deer with antlers out this morning - literally the width of the trail next to them - and they seem to know that they are in a no hunting area - because they have no inclination to run or to even bother stopping their grazing as I passed.   Slightly cooler temperatures than GA but still very humid.  Feeling much better today.  

AM - 6.5 miles in Moundsville WV - ran out 4th street which meanders along Middle Grave Creek in a narrow valley between sets of hills.  I was blessed with extremely favorable weather relative to what it has been in Atlanta for the last month or two - 55 degrees and foggy - and although humid, the temperature difference alone which was about 15 degrees cooler here - made for a gloriously easy and enjoyable run.   This is a country road that is a bypass of sorts to get out of town and connect with Rte 250 and so while it is narrow with no real shoulders - the traffic was pretty light and though not ideal, at times it was non-existent at other times, where the only sounds were my footfalls, the water rushing in the creek over the rocks and the occasional dog barking.  Heading out it is a false flat with a slight incline; coming back it is slightly downhill and by that time fully warmed-up, I was clipping along with easy in the cool air at 7:45 pace.   

AM - 7.5 miles or so from Moundsville to Glen Dale WV.  Ran through town up the extension and along Rte 2 past the hospital and long the creek in Sun Valley and then ran back past where we once had a garage apartment and was a little sad to see that the entire building and surrounding houses had been removed and replaced with a partking lot for the hospital.  Ran back down the trail along the Ohio River.  Cool again this morning and enjoyed a decent pace but not quite as fast as yesterday.  

AM - 6.5 miles in Moundsville - on the 12th Street park perimeter trail - 4 loops and the out and back from my in-laws house.  Slightly warmer today and a bit more humid.  

AM - 6 miles along the Ohio River rail trail from Moundsville WV to Glen Dale looping back through town.  Heading back home early this afternoon.  

AM - 5.5 miles with Dan and Finn on the horse farm roads.  Considerably warmer and humid here in comparison to the weather in WV this past week.  

AM - 3 miles easy with Finn in the neighborhood before church.

PM - 13 miles on the treadmill to stay out of the heat. 

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood.  Achilles was sore/achy from the volume yesterday. 

AM - about 5.5 miles today.  Met Dan with his daughter Lily this morning at Milton HS.  It was Dan's birthday and Lily has been running to train for a half marathon this fall when she returns to school at Michigan and he's been wanting her to join for a run or two per week before she goes back to school.   She is self-conscious of running at a slower pace and likewise prefers flatter routes.  It is really not that easy to find a route to run around here that does not include some rolling hills - so multiple loops around the parking lots and athletic fields of Milton HS was the best option for her.   I arrived after they had already started, and she ran a little over 3 miles with us before concluding her run.  We then headed onto the Milton cross country course into the woods.  Very nice wood chipped trail with lots of twist and turns and ups and downs - but I was wearing the AlphaFly's and they are just not built with the necessary stability to run on trails, even if they are pretty well groomed as these were.  We exited the course after about a mile and ended up on the NorthWestern middle school track.  My Apple Watch has an interesting new feature:  it can sense when you running on a track, and the screen says "it looks like you are running on a track - is that right?" answer "yes" - and then it asks which lane are you in - and you can select 1-8.   I thought this was pretty cool.  It then switched to providing distance in miles, to providing distance in meters.   And after we completed 4 laps and were heading back to the cars, the watch display stated: "you have left the track - please confirm" - and then it switched back to displaying the distance in miles.  

AM - just about 4.75 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail very early this morning as I have meetings early at the office today.  

AM - total of 5 miles - partly outside and mostly inside.   Started the run with Finn outside to get his exercise; but a line of thunderstorms was moving in, and the lightning was too close for comfort; and Finn kept trying to turn back - so we did.   I ran the remainder on the treadmill.  

AM - a little over 5 miles through North Valley - East Bluff - with another thunderstorm today on the horizon.   It appeared that I would just have enough time to complete the run before the storm rolled in when we headed out; we nearly timed it perfectly finishing in the first light rain showers in the last half mile of the run before the main storm with heavy rain and lightning arrived.  

AM - 10 miles with Greg and Finn on the Forsythe trail.  Very humid waram and close with fog for much of the run - which was probably a blessing as it would have been even more uncomfortable with the sun out.   As with all runs with Greg we started quicker than I like and we ran right at or below 8 min pace.  We were fortunate that the local running store put out a tub of water bottles with a dog bowl which Finn really needed around the halfway / turn around point.  Finn stopped abruptly around 7.5 miles - not sure if he needed a rest or was spooked by something, but after a little coaxing he resumed and just before we finished he needed a little encouraging.   He's nearly 9 years old and as a dog with a lifespan is 13-14 years I need to be careful not to overdo. 

AM - just 3 on the treadmill this morning.  Finn was gimpy yesterday after the morning run and I thought it was best not to take him out today.  I was hoping to get up earlier but yardwork in the heat yesterday combined with a fast-ish run really resulted in me sleeping a bit longer.   No time later day for a second run either. 

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail.  

AM - 5 miles on the trail with Dan and Finn.  Very warm and humid and the trail is really overgrown in the lower back half with lots of thornbushes and downed trees and tree limbs.  Slow slog.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn.  Loops around the Milton HS campus and parking lot and a few laps around the track at Northwestern Middle School.   Much milder today with temps in the mid 60's with less humidity.  Good relief from the last several weeks - and combined with a relatively flat course, this was easy and enjoyable and with a much faster pace. 

AM - 5.5 miles with Dan and Finn from Dan's house up to the horse farm dirt roads. He had an early appointment so he headed back and I continued.  Temps were pleasant again today and the pace was good as a result.  

AM - 5 miles through WC and to the Grove neighborhood with Dan and Finn a little earlier than normal.   He's picking up a u-haul to take his daughter back to school at Michigan tomorrow and they are packing up and loading today.   Run was good with the temps still in the less-uncomfortable range as we near the end of the summer.  I am heading to Tampa later this afternoon to attend a funeral for a friend's mother.  Plan to get a nostalgic longer run in tomorrow morning in Clearwater with Richie.  

AM - 13.1 miles with Richie in Clearwater we did the loop from downtown across the bridge along the beaches and back through Belair - the old long run group that used to meet here had a few remnants or else they started earlier than us and ran the route in reverse as we saw a couple small groups along the way headed in the other direction.  Very warm and humid with a dew point of 77 degrees at 6 am with a feels like of 93   
But we ran easy and the conversation was great as always to catch up with him   

AM - easy shake-out run with Finn before church. 

AM - 5 miles with Finn where we did the loop around Nix road.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail.  Dan returned from moving his daughter into school for her senior year at Michigan - and so we chatted about that and my visit to Florida for my friend's mother's funeral. 

AM - a little over 4 miles on the trail with Dan and Finn - but he had to cut it shorter than usual due to an early morning meeting and a late start.  My achilles was painful on the uneven surface in the Saucony Rides - and the temperature and humidity made things feel worse.   So, after giving Finn a bath to clean up from the trails, I hopped on the treadmill for another mile or so and wore the Vibrams.  Interestingly, the even surface of the treadmill and the cooler indoor temps made the extra run feel nearly effortless by comparison.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn at Milton HS.  Three loops around the parking lots and then a mile on the NWestern middle school track where I recounted the World Championship 1500 meters story to Dan who had not seen it yesterday.  Love to see arrogance eat some humble pie - sorry Jacob - you are a great runner but 2 years in a row being outkicked in the final 100 meters...

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn in the neighborhood.  Quite warm and humid this morning - I feel as though this is the final push of summer for the next 5-7 days before things start to cool off for the beginning of fall.   Tracy is heading up to NY to visit Delaney and the two of them will be going to Boston for Riley's wedding shower later next week.  

AM - 15 miles with Greg on the Greenway - got an early start to get as many miles in before the sun and the heat became unbearable.   Most miles were at 8 min pace or better.  Last 2 miles were quite warm. Felt good about the effort.  Kept Finn at home for this one. 

AM - 5 miles shake out run to recover from yesterday's effort.   Intentionally slow start - a bit sore but not bad.  

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail.  Storms earlier were ending a little before we started, so the roads were wet and lots of puddles in the potholes of the dirt road of the trail.  Finn needed a thorough washing when we got home to get the mud/dirt off of him.

AM - just under 5.25 miles with Finn in the neighborhood.  Dan is out on business travel.  Rain most of yesterday and overnight - probably from the moisture pushing up from the gulf from the storm.   Felt very heavy and slothlike today. 

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn on the horsefarm roads.  We were supposed to meet one of Dan's friends to run, but they did not coordinate the timing well.  Wet roads and humid conditions with the hurricane pushing up moisture from the Gulf to the south.  Expect more rain later today.   

AM - a little over 5 miles with Dan and Finn at Milton High School.   Rains all passed yesterday, and it was slightly cooler today.   Good pace running the parking lot perimeter as it is almost entirely flat - plus a mile on the middle school track.  

AM - 5 miles on the trail with Dan and the dogs.   Way overgrown and wet.  Not very enjoyable for me at least.  The dogs and Dan seemed to like it.  

AM - 10 miles with the guys on the Greenway early.  I had expected to go longer but they both turned around at 5 and I decided to do the same - favoring the social aspect over the training. Cooler and less humid today.   Good run and conversation.  

AM - 3 miles easy with Finn in the neighborhood before church.  

AM - 9.25 miles with Dan and Finn up to Nix and down Birmingham to Wood then across to Thompson through East Bluff.   Cool enough but still sticky- good distance for a Labor Day morning.   

AM - 5 miles with Dan and Finn on the Milton trail -  felt fatigued and achy today.  Not a great run. 

AM - a little over 5 miles this morning with Dan and Finn at Milton HS.   Their cross country team arrived to do some training on the track during the time we were doing our run around the perimeter of the parking lots.  Dan was excited that one of their coaches was driving an old Toyota pick up - that reminded him of one that he had back in the 1990's that had been handed down to him from his grandfather.   In fact, he stopped to ask the coach what year the truck was and it turned out to be the same year as the one Dan had owned years ago in Connecticut.  He was so jazzed by the whole thing.  Funny.  Decent run after such a dud yesterday.  Helps that this was mostly flat and good surfaces.   

AM - 5 miles with Finn through North Valley and back - a bit faster than yesterday, but much hillier today and so the effort was slightly more significant.   Warm and humid again this morning - my weather app shows some relief by this time next week.  

AM - 5 miles in the neighborhood with Finn as Dan is traveling on business.  I was not particularly motivated to run this morning and in fact had convinced myself to go out by saying that I was only going to run 3 miles - but after the first mile, I got warmed up and more motivated to get a few more miles in.  Temperature was cool enough for a shirt today.  

AM - 11 miles with the guys and Finn from my house today.  Ran Nix to Tullamore and then out Taylor road Batesville back through Triple Crown and up Freemanville.  Even though it was early on a Saturday, there was too much traffic for their liking particularly on Freemanville, but I really enjoyed the run and the hills with some much more comfortable temps and lower humidity than we have had over the last several months.  

AM - 3 shake-out miles with Finn before church. 

AM - a 1 mile streak-preserving run at 3 am local time in Texas before an early return flight to ATL.   I was traveling for a business conference expecting to be returning on Tuesday afternoon, but just before midnight my eldest daughter and her husband let us know that she was going into labor and so at my wife's urging, I rescheduled a very early flight at 5:30 am to get back to ATL and I was not sure if my schedule or lack of sleep would impair my chances for a run later in the day.  As it turns out, she gave birth rather quickly - even before my flight, to our second grandchild.  Archie Alexander was born on 9/11.  Their childrens' names are inspired by the US national parks, and this one is for Arches.   Very excited to meet him later today.  

AM - 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn from Dan's house up to the horsefarm trail roads.  Rained overnight and it was quite humid this morning.  Decent pace after a slow uphill first mile.  

AM - 5.5 miles total today.  Ran with Dan in the neighborhood for about 4 1/2 miles and then because he had an early meeting. I headed back home and did another mile on the treadmill.   Rainy overnight and drizzled this morning and so the roads were wet today and it was very humid.

AM - just under 5.25 miles with Dan and Finn at Milton HS.  Always a faster paced run here due to the flat course relative to nearly all of our other routes.   Milton has their annual cross country invitational meet here on Saturday and Dan's son who is a junior is running again this year for Cambridge HS.  He's not quite at the level to be on the varsity squad and as an upper classman he cannot run on JV - so he will be in the "open" division.   I went last year to watch and it was a lot of fun seeing all of the races.  Multiple loops in and out of the woods with woodchipped trails, grass, mud, clay and bridges - tough course to run a fast time but very good opportunities for spectating. 

AM - 5 miles on the trail with Dan and the dogs.   The off-trail area was way too overgrown with tall grasses and weeds and after about a mile or so of trudging along we decided to do a few loops around the pond on the finished part of the trail.  Light rain as we finished. 

AM - 8.25 miles with the guys and Finn from Redd Rd - early on the horse farm roads.  Dan's son was supposed to race this morning at the Milton cross country meet, but he's got some bad bunions that need surgery and he decided not to run.   As a result I decided not to go watch the meet as it was raining.   Decent effort this morning - perhaps a little more perceived effort than I had expected.  Richie is confirmed for Berlin next weekend and I will be joining him.  

AM - easy 3 miles with Finn before church.  Tried to get a little more sleep than I have been getting.