Dixies Dashing Diary

Interesting night. I got to bed at 10:30, woke up at 2 am, got up at 2:30 am, ran an errand to the P.O. Box up in Tarpon Springs, made deposits at my local bank branch, made a "to do" list for today, and then went back to bed for another restless couple of hours. Not exactly the kind of rest needed for training and recovery.

Got my 8 in this morning. Cooler than it has been but still humid. I felt much less tapped than usual so the cooler weather today must have helped. Definately feel recovered from Saturday which is an improvement for me.

Time:  6:14 am    Total Time:  1:07:12 (8:15 avg)

Temp:  76º    Humidity:  93%

Did my 7 this morning a little late. Actually had a reasonable night sleep so it was hard putting an end to it. I yawned a lot on the run today. I don't know if that means I'm just still not rested or I'm not breathing deeply enough. I notice that at times I actually get sleepy late in my runs. I can't imagine what the ultra runners experience during a 24 hour race.

Cooler temperatures still but only a little relief as the humidity stays above 90%. Great way to start the day any ways.

Time: 6:35 am     Totlal Time:  57:53  (8:09 avg)

Temp: 76º    Humidity: 93%

Missed my morning run. Had a very hard time staying awake at work and after dinner, watched The Patriot with my sons until 9 pm. I would have run earlier but we had a terrible storm system come through which made that an unwise proposition. As I lay there watching the credits I told my sons I was done for the night and ready to get to bed. I then realized what I was saying, "I'm a lazy old man who has called it quits before even stepping a foot out the door." At that point I cut through the kitchen, ate two freshly made brownies, put my socks/shoes on and hit the road. My work out was 2 miles warm up, 2 X 1600 @7:00 pace, 800 jogging recovery, then 2 mile cool down. I actually hit my times for both miles and it really was pretty comfortable. 

1. 6:54
2. 6:59

My last mile was a comfortable 9:01 with a half mile pick up at 8:15 to loosen my legs. A quick hose shower and swim in the pool with my youngest, made it a perfect conclusion to a long tiring day.

Time: 9:20 pm  Total Time: 48:40 (8:04/mi avg)

Temp:  77º          Humidity: 88%

Another late evening run. Caleb rode his bike with me and we set out for an 8 miler at about 9:20 pm. Uneventful except for the fact that Caleb got pulled over by a police officer for not having lights on his bike, helmet on his head, and wearing dark clothing  while riding in the street... So maybe we could have prepared just a little better.

Felt slow tonight. I have been really tired all week but tonight is the first time I felt it effect my run. No worries though. I'm thankful that I can run and that my son wanted to come along and that I had a cool pool and cold Gatorade waiting for me when I returned home. Blessings to me!

Time: 9:20  Total Time:  1:09:57  (8:32 avg)

Temp:  84º    Humidity: 74%

Ran with the Striders this morning in Starkey Park. Started early and ran from Longleaf to get 5 in before we joined the group. Ran with Victoria & Jorge for the first 5 and wisely started out in the 8:45 to 9:00 pace. Joined up with the larger Strider clan and worked our way out to a turn around at about 5.5. Saw a lot of deer this morning on the trail. One was a young buck (2 pt) who just stood their next to the trail and watched us pass. Pretty cool!

Felt good toward the end and got a couple sub 8's in. Good run overall. Really crashed hard after it was over. Glad to have this one under my belt and left in my wake.

Time: 5:30 am    Total Time: 2:13:30  (8:20 avg)

Temp: 82º   Humidity: 82%

Met Mark P for a Monday stroll through the hilly neighborhood. Understand these are more speed bumps than hills (from a Utah, Colorado perspective) but a good way to get the heart rate up at the beginning of the week. We did four Jenny Strides at the end and it was overall a comfortable day. Great run.

Time: 6:10 am    Total Time: 1:08:55 (8:17 avg)

Temp: 77º    Humidity:  90%

Ran by myself and later than expected. I reeeallly wanted to sleep later this morning as I had a great night's sleep going on. It was actually nice this morning as a breeze from the east was blowing the whole time. Glad I got up.

Time: 6:45 am    Total Time: 57.12 (8:02 avg)

Temp: 77º   Humidity: 90%

Felt like I never closed my eyes to sleep. When I woke for my run I thought I really needed to rest a while longer.

I'll run tonight....

Tonight came and I had football practice for my Joshua. Didn't get home until 9:30. Decided to call it a night.

I'll run tomorrow...

Started out for an easy 7 miler. I felt really good with almost 2 days of rest. After my first warm up mile I was feeling very comfortable so I picked it up a bit. I remembered that my workout yesterday was supposed to be a 5 mile tempo at 7:34 pace (1 mile warm up and 1 mile cool down). I thought I would just try two or three and see what I had. My average for miles 2 through 5 was 7:32! Right on the money but with progressively negative splits.

1. 8:39
2. 8:18
3. 7:46
4. 7:35
5. 7:05
6. 6:57
7. 9:00

Time: 10:32 pm  Total Time: 56:50 (7:56 avg)

Temp:  82º        Humidity: 79%

Went our tonight just to stretch out my legs. Ran easy so as not to burn any precious reserves for the 18 miler tomorrow. I can't believe how muggy it is tonight. I pray we get some rain overnight to knock down the humidity. Tomorrow's run could be suffer fest!

Time: 8:56 pm  Total Time: 28:32 (8:45 avg)

Temp: 84.9º    Humidity:  77%

The first 5 miles were torture. I can't explain it other than to say that there was just no oxygen. I can't even imagine running at altitude. It was a tough day.

I started with Jorge and Victoria from Longleaf. We stayed in the 8:30-45 range most of the first 5 till we got in the park. The PHCC girls team was there and in double file line on there way out of the parking area at what looked like a 9 min. warm up pace (smart for a day like today). I found Mark in the crowd in the dark and we took off about 6:15 while everyone else was still kind of ... talking (Isn't that what the next 13 miles is for?). I was starting to fade around the 9 mile mark so I decided to cut my 18 to 15 for today and settle for surviving to finish strong. That was a great idea as I struggled not to walk those last couple of miles. Averaged around 8:15 for those struggling miles but they were still tough. But I finished!

On to a football coaching clinic at 9:00 am and then drive to Gainesville to take my daughter back to UF. Got her moved in and hit the road for home at around 9:45 pm. Got home around 12:30 Sunday morning. What a loooong day.

Time: 5:22 am   Total Time:  2:09:24 (8:37 avg)

Temp: 82º  Humidity: 85%

Mark made me hurt. We met to run the hilly 8 this morning and ran fast on the little hills. We pushed hard on each circuit and was supposed to recover after we made it out of the neighborhood. We seemed to slow down to Mark's recovery pace which is about my marathon goal race pace. Of course I could always slow down... but what would be the fun of that!

Time: 6:09 am Total Time: 1:07:02 (8:03 avg)

Temp: 82 Humidity: 82%

Got a late start this morning. Decided to take it easy today and actually cut the run short so I could get to work earlier. Finished an easy 6 miler. It all counts.

Time: 6:15 am   Total Time:  50:52 (8:16 avg)

Temp:  82º  Humidity: 79%

Ran as I felt this morning. Started off slow and just ran. Paid no attention to the watch and ran 4 out of 9 miles at or below my goal pace. Good run today.

Time: 6:00 am  Total Time: 1:14:39 (8:13 avg)

Temp: 79º  Humidity: 88%

Easy run this morning. Really sore legs. I need a good couple nights of sleep to catch up. Rest day tomorrow should help alot for Saturday's long run.

Time: 6:10  Total Time: 57:30 (avg 8:11)

Temp: 82º  Humidity: 85%

Ran too fast. Ran with Eudair which explains why I ran too fast. When I'm running with her I feel like I'm much faster, and in much better form than I probably am. She just glides when she runs. We started talking about her mountain training in Brazil this summer (she won two races while there!). She said they did mostly speed intervals and long runs at altitude. I think this got her heart rate up because we just kept speeding up. My training pace was supposed to be in the high 8:30's. We stayed pretty much in the low 8's. I chose to turn back and finish around 15 miles intead of the 18 she had on her plan. I'm glad I did. Now... recover.

I've backed up my training plan to run Space Coast in 14 weeks. I just don't trust myself to perform well in a race that will possibly be hot. Now my goal is to slow down on my training runs, increase milage, and trust my speed work schedule to give my what I need come race day.

Time: 5:21 am   Total Time: 2:08:29 (8:12 avg)

Temp: 84º     Humdity: 79%

Great rest day. First 8 hour night's sleep I've had in a long time. I taught from Acts 8 today about Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. Learned the importants of listening for, to and obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit. It may not be often but when he speaks we need to discern, confirm, and follow what we hear.

In worship today we heard the Command Chaplain for CentCom (McDill AFB) speak on Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful). A great reminder of one of the fruits of the Spirit that should always be seen in our lives (and it wouldn't hurt our running either!).

Ate chicken fried steak, mashed potatos & gravy, and fresh green beans for lunch at Mimi's. I ate more than I should've and shuffled off to a two hour diabetic coma. What a great way to end a full week. When I awoke from my slumber I realized it was time to take my copy of Born to Run back to the Public Library where it was due yesterday. I would have renewed it but there were two holds on the same book. Of 16 copies in our entire county library system, all are out and all have holds...

Went out to run easy. I felt very comfortable the whole run and was shocked to see that much of it was sub 8 min. pace. Nice recovery run from Saturday.

Time: 5:37 am  Total Time: 57:01 (8:01 avg)

Temp: 78º   Humidity:  90%

Just did it.

Time: 6:45 am  Total Time: 57:07 (8:02 avg)

Temp: 78º   Humidity: 90%

Did tempo today.

Warm up was in the mid 8's

4 mile tempo with the following splitts:

1. 7:20
2. 7:22
3. 7:30
4. 7:14

Felt good the whole run. Didn't feel like I was reaching. Felt comfortable.

Time:  5:45 am  Total time: 

Temp:  81º  Humidity:  82%

Ran with Victoria in Hampton, VA. Highlight of run was running a BMX track. We lined up at the starting hill gate and raced a couple of kids around the track. It was a rush but also an incredible tempo.

Time: 1:20 pm  Total Time: 58:58 (8:22 avg)

Temp: 82º  Humidity:  60%

I had the most incredible privilege to run in our nations capital tonight. I read the Gettysburg address from the wall at the Lincoln memorial, saw the mythical horsemen guarding the bridge crossing the Patomac, saw the Washington monument lit and visible for miles, the capital building with its distinctive dome, the front entrance to the Whitehouse (from the lawn at the mall), and ran in 70 degrees and low humidity. Sasha would get a kick out of the fact that I ran my first 1.5 miles in a pair of Crocs. My son had worn my only pair of running shoes to go to the Lincoln memorial with friends.

There is something powerful about the place. Especially after what I witnessed today on that great mall. The reflection pond today reflected not only the great monuments to those who laid our nations foundation and the symbols of the principles which made it strong, but also that patriotic crowd which surrounded it today with prayers and cheers, laughter and tears (I really didn't mean to make that ryhme...) and hope that "we the people" can somehow return to that granite foundation upon which our country was laid, namely the God of heaven and earth who created us. 8/28 was will be remembered by many as the day that a simple talk radio guy led a crowd of several hundreds of thousands to the conclution that the hope for our nation does not lie in a party, a candidate, or a politics at all but rather in the hands of a mighty, powerful, gracious, just, and loving God. His call today was not to political action in the streets but to spiritual actions on our knees and through Faith, Hope, and Charity lived out in our daily lives.

Time: 7:15 pm  Total Time: 1:48:29

Temp: 82   Humidity: 54%

Fantastic weather this morning. The coolest and most comfortable I've run in months (in Florida!). Felt really good so I just ran whatever pace felt comfortable. I looked at my watch around 3 miles and I was right around 8. It didn't feel that fast so I just kept running to see what it would feel like to run race pace for a while. When I finished the run it turns out the whole run was sub marathon goal pace.

1. 8:08
2. 7:57
3. 7:59
4. 7:54
5. 7:46
6. 7:56
7. 7:47

Time: 5:50 pm  Total Time: 56:09 (7:55 avg)

Temp: 75  Humidity: 84%