Bret

AM - light easy 6 miles before church this morning.  Body felt good; no soreness or fatigue from yesterday.

PM - long day - business travel.  Got 5 miles in on a treadmill in Cleveland at 9 pm...

AM - in Cleveland - did a run from downtown - past Cleveland Stadium and the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.  Headed north along Lake Erie on a service road, aptly named Marginal Road.  Not much to see but an old executive airport and some shuttered businesses and a school.  Perhaps I should have run south along the Lake?  8.25 miles with a fast last mile.  Head back home this afternoon.

PM - back at home - got an earlier flight than planned and so was able to get out for a second run this evening of 6.25 miles easy. 

AM - easy 6 miles on warm humid morning before work.

PM - after work on the treadmill at the gym near my office. 12.5 miles mostly at 7:15 pace - last 4 at 7 min pace - very controlled aerobic effort.  Felt very good.  Continuing to see progress in my efforts week to week. 

AM - just under 6 easy miles before work.  Right calf on the inside just above the achilles sore/tight perhaps in a spasm had me running very lightly and gently this morning.  Certain it was related to the business shoes (I really need to change to something else) when I had to scamper through the Charlotte airport to make my connecting flight the other day.  Wearing different shoes to work today.

PM - lunchtime - did a run around the office park at Carillon.  Plan was to do some fartlek work, but the first mile or so I had to workout a cramp/spasm in the calf a couple of times - which was a bit tender after it loosened up, so I nixed the fartlek run;  plan B was to run easy.  However it was really hot and muggy, so I ran up and down 4 different car parking structures in the office park to try to keep cool.  Lost satellite connection on the gps but each were about just under a mile and then the distance outside betweent them.  Guessimating about 8 miles total.   Did a loop around the two lakes and called it a day.  Calf was much better at the end of the run. 

AM - 5.5 miles easy to moderate through the Autumn Woods neighborhood before work.  Calf/tendon issues from yesterday almost imperceptable this morning.  Convinced that aerobic mileage has a healing effect beyond just mere general recovery. 

PM - after work - thought I was doing about 12 and thought it was going to be cooler.  Turned out to be a little over 13 and much hotter than expected.  Got a bit dehydrated, making for a less than enjoyable last few miles. 

AM - body felt tired/fatigued this morning, no doubt from the dehydration of last evening's run.  Easy 4 miles - though I could have gone longer once I got started.  Planning a high aerobic tempo run at lunch on the treadmill.

* Sad to hear of the passing of Pat Porter - a great runner from the 80's who trained under Joe Vigil.  Died in a plane crash yesterday in Arizona from what I understand.

PM - lunchtime - had a very good workout on  the treadmill.  1 mile warm up then 8.5 miles at marathon pace.-- actually the first of the faster paced miles was just under 7 mins then the rest were all at 6:31 which may be my MP or slightly faster.  As my aerobic base has built - my high aerobic effort pace has continued to improve.  The only drawback to the workout was that I did not have my watch with me to check my HR - so I was going by feel.  Could I have run the full marathon at that pace?  Maybe.  I could have done so perhaps at a slightly slower pace.  Still have 14 weeks until my race - so the next phase of training could perhaps get me even more comfortable at that pace or better. 

AM - very early start.  Richie called me yesterday and we decided to to a long run together this morning in St. Pete at 5 am.  I had not realized I would be up until nearly midnight watching the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics when I suggested our starting time - so with very little sleep I pull myself out of bed before 4 am to meet him outside his neighborhood.  We drove down to the North Shore Pool and met up with another friend with whom Richie has been doing some training lately, named Drew.  I had planned on trying to get around 20 miles in, but the very warm humid morning without the hint of a breeze, combined with my heavy legs from a good workout yesterday and 4 hours of sleep, I sort of knew before I started, that my day would be a less than the plan. 

Drew is very fit, looking to run 2:38 in a couple of months time at a race in Corning New York - and he was at times wanting to move at a faster pace than either Richie or myself.   Richie calls Drew the "kid" because he is 38.  We kept it under control early, ticking off 7:45 miles as we made our way around the Pier and the Dali museum downtown.  We headed North then over the bridge through Snell Isle and over to Shore Acres and back down 1st Street.  Plenty of water stops along the way.  As we got down to the pool again, and had just under 12 miles and with the last mile mostly at 6:45 pace - I decided, I was only going to go another half hour.  Richie who had taken a rest day on Friday, was amped to get at least 20 miles in.  Drew had plans for 22 with the last 4 at 6 min pace.  So I did my last half hour loop with them, and headed back home as we got to my car.  Parking lot now completely full with parents to watch a swim meet that morning.  I was a little disappointed that I did not feel the desire to push through to do another 5 miles or so - but at the same time, was pleased that I was fine running with them, but decided, that enough was enough for my training this week.  Just under 2 hours of running got me back home to have some pancakes with my wife and to watch the Olympics cycling race.   

Good running with those boys.  Richie is always good for a story or two as well as generally pulling everyone up and getting excited about races and running.  Drew whom I have met a couple of times is really good to run with and chat about training and such.  They've promised a run with me in my part of the county in a couple of weeks.