Doug's Running Thingy

Easy run around the neighborhood at goal pace for the half on Sunday - 7:45-7:50.  Felt easy and strong.  Gonna do the same tomorrow mid-day and then see how it goes on Sunday.

Well, my first half marathon as a race went quite well... considering my less-than-ideal training.  With just six weeks of pretty consistent running, I was able to crush my goal of 1:45 and successfully hit every mile sub 8:00.  I went ahead and allowed the crowd to pull me through the first couple miles too fast at 7:16 and 7:19, and I had two fairly strong miles at the end (7:21 and 7:20), but all the others in the middle were between 7:42 and 7:54.  Actually, the 7:54 was mile #8 after the turnaround and into a stiff breeze - no other miles were over 7:50.  The start includes one mile around FSU campus which is not done on the way back, so the turnaround point was actually at about 7.5 miles.  I had gone through the halfway point at just over 50 minutes, so I ran pretty even splits overall.  Our little local marathon is really stepping things up over the past few years.  We had over 1,000 total entries this year in the full and half, with a surprisingly large purse too - $1,200, $800, $400, $200, $100 for top 5 men and women and a decent masters purse too ($500 for winner I believe).  Top three guys all were sub 2:25 and top master was 2:42.  Weather was nearly perfect with gun temp at 45 and maybe 60 when the marathoners started finishing.  Wife, boychild and friends manned an aid station too, so that was cool.  A really good day.

Four easy miles in the coolish wetish morning.  Bit of tightness in the right calf to start, but everything felt pretty good at the end.  Guess I should have worked harder in the half on Sunday.

Five hilly neighborhood miles in 38:26.  Felt really good at the start on the couple flat early miles then settled in around 7:40 pace.  I'm thinking I may do a 12K race next weekend that takes place at the opposite end of the St Marks Trail from where I just did the half.  More easy flat stuff to make me feel like I'm getting faster  :)

Good run this morning in the neighborhood.  First and last miles easy around 8 flat, and the middle four between 7:30 and 7:40 pace, with some surges closer to 7:10 pace.  I plan on going out in 7:15-7:20 for the 12K next Saturday and see how I feel at the turnaround.  It is again a very flat course - not like my typical neighborhood or trail runs.

Took the beast out to the Greenway for some interval work - he loves the faster pace.  Did 8x 2 minutes on 1 minute off, bracketed by 1.25ish warmup and cooldown.  Decent workout, but rolled my ankle pretty good on the 6th rep so took it easy from there - feels ok now - we'll see.

I guess I was due for a really rough run - oh well.  Within the first 3 miles I knew things I was in for a long morning.  Ended up walking a few times and really just trying to enjoy the lovely morning on the trails instead of trying to run at any set pace.  Just over ten miles in 92 minutes.  Once I stopped fighting it, it was a nice slowww run.

And the Covert household is a much less stressful place today as well - Travis committed to run track and XC for UNF last night. Go Ospreys!  Swoooooooop!

Morning hilly five in the neighborhood.  Bounced back nicely from the misery that was the ten miler on Sunday.  Started a bit under 8 min pace and negative split each mile, finishing uphill at 7:38 pace for last mile.  Good deal.

Six easy miles in the neighborhood this evening before dinner.  No Garmin, no watch - just out for a little run.

Eight in the neighborhood with the middle four planned to be sub 7:30 pace.  Three (7:23), four (7:25) and five (7:25) went great, but then mile six, which is mostly uphill with a short steep section at the end, took its toll - 7:36.  Really quite pleased with the workout though.  No running tomorrow and then the 12K race Saturday - shooting for 7:20-7:30 pace throughout the flat asphalt course.

Low 40s, flat smooth footing, bit of a headwind on the way out so nice tail wind coming back in all added up to a 7:02 average for the race this morning - pretty pleased.  Was hoping to average more like 7:15-7:20 out to the turnaround but started out with the flow and ran 7 flat, 7:20, 7:16, 7:12, 7:04, 6:54, 6:52, and then 2:58 for the last half mile to reel in 4 more racers.  I real confidence booster feeling strong the entire way back from the turnaround.  Three weeks more of good training and then the Gate 15K - looking forward to it.

Hit the trails before dinner but not quite before darkness fell - a little sketchy on the footing towards the end, but a good run.

Easy 8 in the neighborhood - just a couple months ago, I never woulda thunk I'd put those words together in a sentence.  Its pretty nice being able to pop out for 8 miles without wondering if I would return...

Planned six miler in the neighborhood before work had to be shortened slightly due to odd center of back pinched nerve kinda thingy - deep breaths would trigger sharp pain - fun.  Can still feel it a bit, but no more pain with deep inhalation - I'll live.  Up until that point it was a nice run - two miles easy, then dropped it to 7:14 and 7:12 for three and four, then eased off again until my back exploded - hmph.

Pretty sure the back issue was just the old body complaining  about trying to run fast in 35 degree weather - thats cold for this old body. 

Bit longer and a bit slower than I anticipated this morning.  Left from the house and ran to the Maclay Gardens trailhead, did the Lake Overstreet loop and ran back.  Figured it was about 8, turned out to be 9 - ah well, didnt put me too late into work.  The extra mile and general tiredness also added time to the whole plan - will have to get out the door earlier if I do that run again.

Easy five on the Lake Jackson loop with the doggie.  Steamy mid morning run before more rain comes through.

Couple miles warmup and couple miles cooldown surrounding 8x two minutes on and one minute off at about goal 5K pace - 6:30-6:40ish

Ravine trail and Lake Jackson loop immediately after work, but not quite fast enough to finish before dark and spooky set in - good run though.

Six miler in the neighborhood after work.  Did the first couple easy and then worked a bit on miles 3 (7:24), 4 (7:20) and 5 (7:19) before cruising in the last uphill mile.