Doing What I Can

rung in 2019 with an easy 5.5 along the zattere in Venice, beautiful way to do it

5.4 in Rome this morning, somehow survived with the crazy drivers

sick in Rome :/ can't run

beautiful run around around Vienna this morning, starting to feel a little better after my sickness of the last two days

easy run this morning in Prague

snowy run in Prague, 6.35 at 7:3X avg pace this morning

snowy run before leaving prague today for paris

decent run this morning along the Seine in Paris, finally felt decent

morning run today in Paris, heard a loud explosion midway through, turns out a bakery about a mile away blew up with a gas explosion, made all the news, hope everyone is okay, didn't think much about it til I saw and heard ambulances racing that way, kind of crazy. 6.2 total

last run in Paris today, 5.6 easy paced

solid run this morning, although really cold, here in Warsaw, 7.5 in who knows what pace, I don't think my watch has found me one time since being in Europe

morning 7 here in warsaw, footing was slippery after last nights snow but managed 7:19 pace according to the watch. + strides

really pretty solid run this morning here in warsaw, 8 in 7:29 avg pace

solid run this morning along the Wisla in Warsaw, 8.3 in 7:23, felt strong and got faster as I woke up during the run + strides

nice run on a beautiful morning here in Warsaw as the sun came up over the foggy vistula river, 7.5 total - roughly, watch was kinda all over the map

good run this morning, felt pretty good, cold and lightest of snows, 8 in 7:23 pace

easy run this morning as the sun rose (well behind the clouds) 7:2X avg pace

10 this morning, felt good so went for a longer run, freezing cold into the wind though, especially down by the river, think it might have given me a little cough, 7:19 avg pace, +strides

Sick the last two days, nasty upper respiratory thing. Was able to get four in today, but lungs were on fire!

4.5 this morning before flying home

ill-advised - still plenty sick

decent evening run tonight, throat finally starting to feel a tiny bit better

good run tonight, 7:13 avg pace, had some stomach issues at the end but probably cuz of the last day of antibiotics

new pair of wave riders tonight, 6.3, felt difficult with the altitude and the lungs still healing up

longer run today, felt good to go longer, tho my lungs and legs were burning (still not adjusted to altitude again and am still feeling lingering effects from sickness) 7:16 avg pace + strides, chafing issues :(

7.5 tonight on the treadmill, cold and snowy, figured I wouldnt risk it - 54:23 total pace for the 7.5

treadmill again this evening

treadmill long run tonight, shut off at 8 miles because it resets at 60 minutes, but I was able to start it again without too much of a break, 1:20:00ish total, 7:16 avg pace + strides on the mill at the end

morning treadmill run, not super fun, 5.2 easy paced

easy run today, felt good, 7:12 pace

good run tonight, in the mid-20s, low 30s, 6:54 first mile then 6:29, 6:20, 6:14, 6:21, 25:24 for 4 miles, 6:21 pace, 32:20 for 5 miles, 6:28 pace, overall a good day, the pace felt pretty easy, which is good for an uptempo session

felt really good tonight, 9.3 total in 7:03 avg pace, hit several miles in below 7 minute pace, felt pretty easy overall + strides

night run tonight, 6.4 in 7:14 avg pace

really good run this afternoon, hit every mile between 6:53 and 7:10, not a huge spread, the pace felt extraordinarily easy and my heart rate was super steady according to the garmin report, a nice benchmark for my fitness so far this year - probably taking tomorrow off to give my hernia area a break - i can feel it this week, probably because of the jump in mileage after the illness - good week on 5 days though - almost equal to last week in 6

solid morning run today, felt good so went a little farther than planned, 7:20 pace

treadmill today because of cold and snow, 1.25 warmup then did 4 mile tempo, was going to shoot for 5 but felt tired at the end, splits 6:14, 6:11, 6:06, 5:59, turned into a progression run, total was 24:32, 6:08 avg pace for the run, took some out of me, 8.5 total

cold snowy night tonight, made for a peaceful run, 8.1 in 7:18 avg pace, felt really easy, nice to be out making fresh tracks in the snow on the sidewalk

solid run tonight, legs felt somewhat tired, but managed 7:08 avg pace and that felt decently easy, 9.6 total in the cold  + strides

good long run today, 14.1 in 1:38:36, 7:00 avg pace, cold start to the run but about mile 8 it started dumping snow, made the last part of the run a little tough cuz snow in the eyes, normally snow is peaceful to run it, but it was really coming down hard tonight, good run for the conditions, solid fitness at this point despite the challenges in getting mileage in + strides after

strong morning treadmill run despite the slow pace, 59:45 for 7.7 miles, 7:45 pace, nice to go easy for a chance - good recovery run, 57 on the week!

okay run tonight, had a huge lunch so that wasn't a fun thing for an 8 mile run

really good speedwork tonight, surprised myself with the splits I hit, I napped this afternoon which usually isn't a great sign for my workout, and despite the tired legs and heavy shoes, I got after it, mile warmup then 5 mile tempo splits as follows: 6:08, 6:02, 6:07, 6:00, 5:56, 30:13 for 5 miles, 6:02 avg pace for the run, last 4 miles of the tempo 24:05, 6:01 avg pace, really solid stuff, cooled down for 3 miles, +ice bath after

sposed to be easy shakeout, felt like I was jogging but still avg'd 7:14 avg pace for 7.5, sloppy with all the melting snow this evening + strides

run tonight when i got home, speedwork consisted of 5k in 18:22, 5:54, 5:59, 5:53 then 36 seconds for the .1, cooled down for 3 miles, total was 8

7 in 7:25 easy tonight

morning run in the driving snow, 6 in 7:26 avg pace

Windchill well below freezing all day, lots of snow still coming down, so treadmill was the call. did an 11 mile tempo at Goal Marathon Pace - 1:11:28, spot on 6:30 pace, was cruising along until the machine shut off at 60 minutes, 9 miles into the run and 8 into the tempo portion, took a quick stop before the machine rebooted, good mental test though to see if I could get back on the tempo and I did, in fact finished with a little faster pace the last 2 miles, overall 13.1 in  under 1:28, I felt the effort, but it was a good test of the pace I need to hold at Boston for an extended duration

coldest run I've had in a while tonight - 17 degrees with lower windchills, 7:15 avg pace for 11, really started to get tired at about 7, but I finished as strong as I could, good back to back efforts, 24.1 in the last 24 hours + strides

9.2 tonight in 7:04 avg pace, 1:05:04 total, decent hills + strides. felt tight most of the run, pace was extremely steady up and down hills so that was nice, just feeling the mileage a little

okay run today, 7.5 7:24 avg pace

wanted 16 today, started getting a migraine about 10k in, had no choice but to turn around and end the run early, frustrating because I was feeling pretty good, but thats how it goes sometimes, 7:05 avg pace through 10.3 before turning in

10.5 in 7:20 avg pace this morning, good to get a back-to-back run of decent mileage

11 this morning in carlisle, neat to hear the world waking up and the ice cracking as the sun warmed up past freezing, way overdressed, felt good throughout tho, 7:14 avg pace overall

7:12 avg pace, 9.2 in 7:12, bombogenesis blizzard of the century tomorrow, beautiful tonight tho

16.5 on the treadmill tonight, not my first choice but blizzard of the century today made that decision easy, treadmill shuts off at an hour so I did 8.2 and 8.3 on each section, 1:59:30 total for 16.5, 7:15 avg pace - did uptempo strides at the end, good workout, but definitely feeling the mileage

8.3 today in 7:26 avg pace, 1:01:39 total + strides

8 easy in 7:35 avg pace, migraine mid run again, not fun, finished something substantial though

up before the sun this morning, ran as it came up, 12.5 in 1:33:02, 7:27 avg pace to end the week at 65.5 miles, strides after, felt pretty good once I loosened up

good speedwork today, got out for a mile warmup then hit a 6 mile tempo: 6:02, 5:57, 6:02, 6:00, 5:55, 6:03 (uphill for most of it), total 36:00 for 6 miles on the nose, 6:00 pace. Had 5 miles in 29:56 and 4 miles in 23:54 at miles 1-5. Very even splits - all within 8 seconds of each other, very solid day and I am extremely happy with the results. good speed with heavy shoes after a week of high mileage on a training run

9 miles tonight easy 7:13 avg pace, lots of elevation change

Really good long run today, beautiful weather, upper 50s for the whole thing and light winds. Slowest mile was 7:02, fastest was 6:46, average pace for the run was 6:56, 18.1 in 2:05:24 total, one of the fastest long training runs I've ever done. Took 2 gu's but was feeling it at the end, probably a combo of the pace and the mileage over the last 3 days, 27.1 in the last 2 days, 36.6 in the last 3, ice bath afterwards

easy run this morning, 6.4 in 7:23 avg pace

easy pace this morning, 5.6 in 34:XX, 7:28 avg pace + strides, goal is sub 1:00:00 tomorrow

10 mile race today, did this one last year so did it again today, great weather at the start, 30 degrees and no wind, just a little chilly. Goal was sub-60 but after halfway, I started feeling the mileage in my legs and had some trouble keeping turnover, either way finished pretty well. Splits:

1- 6:06

2- 5:59

3- 5:53

4- 5:51 (23:49, 5:56 avg)

5- 5:55 (29:41, 5:56 avg)

6- 6:07 (35:49)

7- 6:12

8- 6:10

9- 6:07

10- 6:04

total - 1:00:30, 6:03 avg pace, overall 30 seconds faster than last year, after cool down 15.2 total today

was gonna go double digits today but had stomach issues, ended it early at 9.1 in 7:20 avg pace, 1:06:44

long run this morning - 12.5 in 1:31:08, 7:17 avg pace, felt really pretty good throughout minus the legs getting a little tired late in the run + strides

warm day, 75 degrees, felt really easy for the first 3, after that though my legs felt pretty much like jelly, kept it steady pace wise but felt tired the last half - 1:13:XX, 7:09 avg pace for the 10.3 miles

felt really tired today, slowed down the pace, 7:26 avg for the 8.4

really strong long run tonight, 43 degrees at the start with ne winds and started raining about halfway through, stayed really steady throughout, 19.6 in 2:18:34, 7:04 average pace, most miles were clustered pretty close together, slowest was 7:14, fastest was 6:53 but most were right around 7:00, negative split the run by about 20 seconds, 1:09:27 at 9.8, so just a smooth even effort, hit a rough patch around mile 14-16, right after my 2nd gu, just felt a little light headed, kept pushing though and it passed - a good lesson to remember, total mileage in the last 6 days is 75.1, that is an all-time best for me in 6 days + strides

easy run this morning, 8.3 in 7:25 avg pace, felt like my legs were lead, good to go a little easier

271.1 in the month of March, new personal best for me

10.4 miles tonight somewhat uptempo, under 1:13:00, 7:01 avg pace for the run, hit a few under 6:55 pace, felt pretty good and strong, hit the uphills harder + strides

7.2 easy tonight, felt ok, 7:09 avg pace

morning run today, was thinking about going 9.5, but went a mile less - feet and heels have been sore lately, so playing it safe. relatively even splits - 7:17 avg pace for the 8.5, a little under 1:02. + strides

8 tonight - right at 57 minutes, 7:08 avg pace

Gorgeous day - actually a little warm - 72 at the start, felt so easy today, like I was jogging, hit 7 of the miles 6:58 or under, slowest mile was 7:07, fastest was 6:53, all within 14 seconds of each other, just felt easy and smooth and wasn't breathing super hard - good sign for Marathon Monday! + Strides and ice bath

good run tonight on a warm evening, couldn't slow it down, hit the first three in 6:48-6:55, then slowed it down as I turned into the wind. Felt pretty easy, 7.8 in 7:00 pace

really solid run tonight, hit the first few miles in sub 6:55, just couldnt slow it down, slowed it down the last half though, legs were a little tired and my knee was a little tight + strides

easy pace today, knee was feeling tight so iced it all day and slowed it down, 6.1 total in 7:1X pace

6.4 on the treadmil this morning, knee was a little tight at the beginning but once i loosened up I felt much better, kept it really easy paced throughout

triple nickels today, felt pretty good, knee held up + strides afterwards

4 am run this morning, light snow falling, kind of peaceful, then got to the airport for the flight out to boston

really no rythym to my run today, 3 miles easy but was just not feeling the best + strides, goal tomorrow is 2:50 or better

3rd Boston Marathon in a row for me today. I had a pretty good training cycle and a solid taper. I was battling some knee tightness but lots of icing this week right up until the night before the race seemed to help. Had normal nutrition and pre-race prep.

Woke up race morning pretty dizzy. My ear had been bothering me all week, but had seemed to be less annoying the last 2 days. But I woke up and could feel something was off in there. There was also a massive storm front moving through so I wonder if the pressure change threw me off. Looked up some vertigo techniques online and tried some of the maneuvers, seemed to help a little bit, but was honestly considering what would happen if I had to drop out during the race because of the dizziness. Not a great start to the morning.

Massive thunderstorm came through about 6:30, glad to wait and let it pass before going to the Hopkinton South Street lot (different this year than my previous years where I went to the normal drop point in Boston Common. Got to the village as the rain was winding down and went under a tent to stay dry. Hit the porta potty about an hour and a half before the race, changed out my shoes about 45 minutes before walking down to the start line. Hit another porta potty right before the race and got into the corral and ready to go. Dizziness was better - probably helped the storm system had passed and I was moving around. Race started extremely packed in. I was in corral 5 this year, which is farther back than my first two years - I wanted to go for sub 2:50, so my plan was to hit the first half in 1:23-1:25 and see what happened. However, I had to weave a lot the first mile or two to get some space to keep this 6:30 pace. Here are my splits:

1 - 6:34

2- 6:31

3- 6:30 (shortly after, 1st 5k - 20:21, pretty close to goal pace)

4- 6:25

5- 6:35

6- 6:25 (10k- 40:37, 20:16 2nd 5k)

7- 6:25

8- 6:33

9- 6:26 (15k - 1:00:47, 20:10 3rd 5k, still rolling pretty evenly at this point)

10- 6:28

11- 6:34

12- 6:24 (20k- 1:21:02, 21:15 4th 5k)

13- 6:29

HALF MARATHON - 1:25:25, projecting just under 2:51 at this point, I felt strong, but was cautious. I noticed the humidity was super high since the rain had passed and it was still in the low 60s, the cloud cover helped, but I was sweating a lot as early as mile 3 or 4, I started taking extra fluid at aid stations and dumping it over my head early on, wanted to prevent dehydration like in 2017, I think I might have overdone it though - my stomach was super full even 6 or 7 miles in, I couldn't seem to find a balance

14- 6:17

15 - 6:37 (25k - 1:41:11, 20:09 5th 5k, extremely even 5k splits to this point)

16- 6:20

17- 6:45

19 - 6:47 (30k - 2:01:54, 20:43 6th 5k, the Newton Hills were noticeable this year and my pace did slow some, but I was still feeling okay - stomach was pretty full as I was probably overhydrating, but still holding it together at this point despite the slight slowdown with the hills)

20 - 7:32 (Heartbreak hit me harder this year)

21- 6:24

22 - 6:14 (back on the horse! or so I thought) 35k - 2:23:08, 21:14 7th 5k, still a little slippage, but starting to find it again, however, at 22.5, when it looked like I could still bring in a 2:52 or 2:53, I got this massive side cramp and doubled over in pain, I never stopped running, but the pace slowed considerably as I hobbled on, it was at its worst for about a mile then started to recover, though never regained my pace nor did the pain fully subside. I tried to take some extra gatorade around 23 or 23.5 mile marker and it seemed  to help some, but I was hunched over still for about a mile. In hindsight, I think I overhydrated with water and washed out my salt (hyponatremia), that caused the side cramp. Next time some salt tabs might have helped. I think the sun coming out in the Newton Hills also led to the humidity ultimately taking its toll. Either way, I didn't hit the wall, my body simply fought me from this point on. It was disappointing but I kept moving and trying to work through it)

23- 6:56 (uh-oh was all that was in my head with the side cramp starting)

24- 7:28 (usually a faster mile on Boston course but was dealing with the worst of the cramp here)

25- 7:12 (40k -2:45:34, 22:26 8th 5k)

26 - 7:08

last .22 (actually watch had 26.37 since tangents are impossible at Boston) - 2:26

FINISH - 2:55:15, 6:41 avg pace

Overall, I am really happy with the result of 2:55:15, only 5 seconds slower than my PR. It was a humid day and a lot of people struggled with cramps. I've had the side stitch I got today before on training runs and it stopped me dead in my tracks on those occasions. Today, it was an identical cramp but I never thought of stopping, I ran through it. I think it was either a breathing thing or more likely, low sodium. I will experiment with salt tabs on warmer/humider days. I was really wanting a sub-2:50, and even after that didn't seem feasible, I was holding onto the though I'd go 2:52 possibly, and this was as late as 22 miles in, the wheels came off so quickly in this race, a half-mile later and I was hobbled by the side cramp. In hindsight, the "wheels" never actually "came off", it wasn't a full-on blowup, I still kept the paces close and recovered some, it was just enough of a slowdown to cost me 2-3 minutes overall and cost me a PR. Regardless, I am still happy with the effort. 2:55 is a good time on a challenging Boston course and especially given the conditions. It is a Boston PR for me by 3 and a half minutes. All things considered, I am happy to have finished and have done so in a good time.

I stayed with my strategy of going out aggressive and seeing how long I could keep it. My half splits were decent - 1:25:25 in the 1st half, 1:29:50 in the 2nd half. Even though it felt like I gave up a ton of time in the 2nd half, I still kept it under 1:30. My 5k splits were encouraging through 30k, especially the first 20k. I was progressively inching faster but keeping my mile times super steady. Lots of good takeaways from today's race and another reminder of the respect the marathon commands.

7:50 avg pace tonight, still pretty sore

beautiful evening to run, 7.4 in 7:35, didn't push super hard as legs are still feeling the marathon, nice and even paced

legs were really tired today, 8.4 in 7:35 avg pace + strides, felt pretty rough

sluggish start to this run, never really felt great, 7:28 avg pace, super warm marning already + strides

7.6 tonight, was finally feeling good legs-wise, but stomach issues struck early and I had to end it before the 9 i was shooting for, o well, not that much of a difference

really good run tonight on an absolutely beautiful evening, felt really strong, first 5 were all GMP between 6:50-6:59, 10.4 total in 1:12:4X + strides,  day off tomorrow

6 super easy morning miles

pre-race easy run with strides, 5k tomorrow going for sub 17:30

Drove up to Fort Collins today to run a 5k. It was really windy at the start, not what was predicted, but what can you do. Went out behind the leader for the first 400 then he kept going and I was on my own, kept thinking I was going to catch him but I never quite could - really noticed my inability to drop into another gear - just settled in and stayed at that pace - albeit a good pace. I think all the marathon training has sapped some of my speed, but thats okay. splits were 5:38, 5:40, 5:38, then 47 seconds for the loose change, which doesn't make a lot of sense because I was still holding the pace - but my watch came in a little long - so I must have either run  imperfect tangents (lots of sharp turns) or the coruse was a tad long - either way, 3.15 in 17:43, they had me officially at 17:43 as well, so the time was the same. Not the fastest 5k, but amazingly consistent splits, definitely a win. long cooldown of 7 miles

11.6 this morning in 7:20 avg pace, somewhat of a grinder, but i noticed i was breathing super easy - so that was positive + strides

Good run tonight, felt strong but it started sleeting 2 miles in then by mile 5 it was an all-out snowstorm, not the way I pictured April 29th, anyways, 7:08 avg pace so that was solid - somewhere in 1:05:XX + ice bath

4 pre-flight miles, race in the am, going for a fast 10k

10k back home in Iowa today, wanted to see what I could do for time. Not a normal leadup, travel and other things made it so I ate differently the night before and morning of, I also stayed up later and slept in later, not a great combo, but kind of had to throw out the playbook and was okay with that. Turns out I did end up having pretty severe stomach issues about halfway into the race, and while I made it to the finish, it did not feel great. I also got another sidecramp - just like in boston. This one was about 5.2 miles in, so about 1 to go. I think I didn't eat enough last night for dinner and this morning, since it was different than what I am used to, I decided to just eat less and I think that backfired a little. My body was just out of gas. I noticed it BIG time on my cooldown. I had absolutely nothing and barely squeaked out 2.2 miles cooling down, was going to go 4-5. 

The race was on the Greenbelt Trail, one I used to use for the majority of my runs when I lived in West Des Moines. So I was excited to get to race on it. My garmin was way off today though. I don't think it could find me on the trail since its winding and its thickly forested. It had the course at 6.10 miles, which is pretty short, but the map I downloaded from the watch was all wonky - cutting off turns, going way off trail - just not reliable. I mapped the course on MapMyRun and it came out to exactly 6.21, which is pretty close for a 10k. I'm going to assume that the MapMyRun map is more accurate since it actually followed the contours of the trail and its twists and turns. Makes me kind of skeptical about my garmin now though, it freaked out a little at boston too, and i noticed today during the run that it felt like I was holding like 5:45 or so, but it kept saying 6:00 until I got to a clearing then it showed 5:40-5:50. Super weird, but seeing the map afterward helps me think that it just didn't get a good track on me during the race and so it measured short. 

I also don't really trust my splits either, as it was not accurate to begin with, so even though it kept them, I'm going to disregard them. One thing I do know is I was around 18:15 at the turn. I would have been a little faster, but a dog on a leash jumped out in front of me and I almost had to stop. Just overall, lots of crazy things happening on this run!! 

All told, I despite the watch glitch and the slowdown for the other trail traffic, I actually still wasn't too thrilled with how I ran. I just didn't feel like I had "it" today. The stomach problems were a big concern, and I know I slowed down in the 2nd half for those. The side cramp was also frustrating, but again, i think I just didn't eat enough the last 16 hours. I did win the race though, and pretty handily too. I got a $25 Scheel's gift card for the effort and everyone organizing the race was really friendly and kept telling me how good I did. That was awesome!! It was a good cause too - Huntington's disease, so money well spent on the registration. Overall, I'll focus on the good cause, the always great trail that I miss, and the win. I know not every day is a PR day and certainly today was just not one for me, but a good effort nonetheless and always fun to get out and race when I can!

woke up and hit the roads for 14 miles this morning, got hot and humid pretty quick (in iowa so different than CO). nonetheless, it was a strong run and I was like a metronome for the flat part of the trail (miles 3-11), I was within 7:05-7:15 each mile, just really steady. The hills on the way home after 11 were difficult, but I managed. Nice to have a wake up and go day of such length with no nutrition, no water nor much breakfast (i think its a deprivation style run). ITs nice to know I can bang out 14 on tired legs and little else. +strides

Really good run again this morning, felt just really smooth again, locked in around 7:13 pace and just stayed there. ended up negative splitting slightly. 10 miles in just over 1:12. Right side hernia area is now bothering me just a little (starting sunday before I ran), nt sure what happened, but definitely keeping an eye on it. Was going to do 16-18 tomorrow but may push that to Thursday. Definitely didn't feel worse after today's effort so thats good.

another metronomic run, 7:16 avg pace for 10.5 miles, just kind of locked in again, got in between rain showers so that was solid - pretty normal Iowa spring. Hernia-area on the right side is still acting up - not sure if I should keep training for the full in June or pull the plug on the season...need to decide soon

really strong run this morning, just a wake up and go type run, farthest I've ever gone doing that - I have to say, it turned out well- I have been eating horribly and so I was anticipating issues there, but I didn't have any. total run was just over 2:01:XX, 7:10 avg pace, negative split by about 30-40 seconds. Just a really nice easy effort, but the speed is still there - went way out on the bike trail and back - part of the trail I run my half marathon on in the fall (PR course). it was pretty chilly and windy for may 9th, but I was probably still overdressed, side feels better today, which is suprising with how much mileage I've put up this week, strides after

4 am run before the flight, flight ended up getting cancelled though, may have to do another early one tomorrow

morning pre-flight run after yesterday's cancelation, 3 am start - super early and tired, 7:32 pace

First run down in Puerto Vallarta, beat the sun up so it was still relatively cool - though humid, 9 in 1:06:00, 7:20 pace

10.5 in mexico, a little warmer since I slept in a little, really felt it, 7:15 avg pace

morning 8.5 in 7:30 avg pace

shorter morning run before the flight, thought about taking the day off, but I like staying active day of travel

Got absolutely soaked this afternoon in a downpour the entire run. No real goal, just wanted to move the legs after the travel home from mexico. ended up doing a progression run, 6:57 warmup then 6:19, 6:12, 6:10, 6:09, 6:07, 6:03, 6:01, 43:01 for the 7 mile tempo, just under 6:09 pace

really strong long run this morning, it was a wake up and go, which usually are slower, but this one was solidly around 7:00 pace, the 2nd half was negative split by about 2-3 minutes. last 9 miles were all sub 7, 2:13:27 for the 19 miles, 7:01 avg pace total + strides

47 degrees with 20 mph winds, froze my butt off...on may 21, last run in carlisle, really hilly route 604 ft elev. gain

good run back at elevation tonight, 9.6 in 7:07 avg pace + strides

Decided to get 5 miles at right around my goal marathon pace (6:20), wanted to see how easy it felt. Turns out it felt really easy. 6:17, 6:16, 6:13, 6:15, 6:10, 31:11, 6:14 avg pace for the 5 miles, just faster than my goal pace. Decent overall day

good distance today, but felt extremely tired, legs had nothing left, good to be starting the taper. negative split the run by 15 seconds, 3 miles under 7:00, so technically very top end of GMP, 1:28:45 for the 12.5, + strides and ice bath, taper time from here

legs felt really awful today, need to really take it easy this week to get ready for the race, 7:19 pace

okay run today, felt better, legs are somewhat tired tho + strides

good run tonight, felt better than I have been lately 

5.7 easy this morning, felt a little tired, 7:2X pace + strides

easy pace

super easy 3 miles - pre race + strides

Run Revel Rockies today. Goal was to go out sub 2:50 but A goal was 2:45 or better. Had a good training cycle under my belt after Boston so I wanted to really take a crack at this  marathon. Pre-race stuff all week was pretty much ideal and normal, felt pretty good today. Weather was absolutely perfect too - hardly any winds, 45-55 degrees, just a gorgeous day. Got to the start line about 4:45 on the bus transport, a little cold up there at 10,500 feet, lots of snow still on the ground in the trees. For the first 15 minutes, I just laid there and watched the clouds move through the sky as the sun slowly lit the sky. It was awesome just to take in the nature and the world around me. The race itself was amazing, couldn't believe how easy the first half felt and then how much I left in the tank for the 2nd half. Here are my splits according to my garmin:

1- 6:20

2- 6:21 (12:41)

3- 6:20 (19:01)

4- 6:12 (25:13)

5- 6:18 (31:31)

6- 6:22 (37:53)

7- 6:22 (44:15)

8- 6:21 (50:36)

9- 5:59 (56:35)

10- 6:16 (1:02:51, 6:17 average pace, 31:20 2nd 5 miles)

11- 6:13 (1:09:04)

12- 6:20 (1:15:24)

13- 6:07 (1:21:31) The watch and the marathon splits are different here, the marathon split was 1:21:33, 6:13 avg pace - my watch has been off lately, so I'm going to assume the course was somewhat accurate and 1:21:33 at the half was roughly a minute faster than I was hoping to go through the half, but I felt great and it felt so easy the first 10 miles especially, I wasn't even breathing hard. Hit the hills in the town of Evergreen from 12-15, not ideal but I kept the pace super even

14- 6:17 (1:27:48)

15- 6:18 (1:34:06, 31:17, 3rd 5 miles)

16- 6:01 (1:40:07)

17- 6:17 (1:46:24)

18- 6:11 (1:52:35)

19- 6:12 (1:58:47)

20 - 6:15 (2:05:02, 30:56, 4th 5 miles, really starting to crank it up here, took the roctane GU between mile 19-20 and it was a clincher!)  

21- 6:10 (2:11:12)

22- 6:14 (2:17:26)

23- 6:00 (2:23:26)

24- 5:52 (2:29:18)

25- 5:50 (2:35:08) (30:06 last 5 miles)

26- 5:45 (2:40:53)

.2 - 1:01 (2:41:52) watch splits weren't perfect obviously

total - 2:41:52, 6:10 pace for the marathon a new PR by 14 minutes! Massive day today - huge breakthrough in the marathon--finally!! It finally matches up to my 1:16:48 half PR

Most impressive was the last 10k, they usually say the marathon is two halves - the first 20 miles and the last 10k. My first 20 miles was 2:05:02 and the last 10k was 36:50. A 36:50 10k at the end of the marathon is really fast for me, I mean an open 10k in that time is good, but to close like that is even more impressive. My half marathon splits officially were 1:21:33 and 1:20:19, so a negative split of 1:14 - something I've always dreamed of doing in the marathon but only did for the first time today.

Overall, in reflecting back on the race. I cannot believe what I did. I surprised even myself. I knew I had something like this in me, but to have it all come together at once like that is just indescribable. Although one race shouldn't define me, I feel like I am a new level of runner all together now. In fact, I should be 1st wave, 1st corral at Boston now - something I set as a goal for myself earlier this year. Going to take a few weeks off now and reset the body, but am super pscyhed with this effort and the massive PR!

back at it today, big goals for this fall - 1:15 half, sub 35 10k, sub 16 5k...?

hot and allergy-laden

6:58 avg today, technically now very much easy pace given my new marathon pace - 95 degrees, definitely felt the heat but otherwise felt good

ok run on a hot night - 6:56 avg pace, .4 mile uphill in 2:24,  exactly 6:00 pace, was pretty tough tho so I hit the wall and decided to just run normally 

cool and humid co morning on the 4th, 7:20, first day in 2 weeks i havent run near 7:00, nice to go in the morning to make myself slow down

morning 7.3 at 7:12 pace + strides

another decent run, 7.2 in 7:15 avg pace - humid day for colorado

good 2 mile tempo today, was going to go farther but it was HOT, 6:50 warmup then 5:55 first mile of tempo, 5:53 2nd mile, 11:48 for the 2 miles, cooled down til 6.3 total

strong run, but the weather was rough, 90 degrees and so dry. 7:02 avg pace

was going to be mile repeats, turned into a fartlek, 4, 3, 2, 1, set break 4, 2, 2, 1 min active recovery between each

hot one, hilly course, still feeling a little out of shape

morning run today, already warming up. felt okay, 7:15-7:20 total avg pace for 9 miles plus strides, felt decent

3 mile tempo today, 6:01, 5:47, 5:48, 17:36 for 3 miles, 5:52 per mile, felt a little tough towards the end, but overall, I am getting in shape, just not quite there yet

hot one today, a rainstorm had gone through but it was brief, so by the time I started sun was back out and it was probably even hotter than before, still got 9.5 in 1:07:54, 7:09 avg pace + strides

6:30 run this morning, got up and beat the heat! it will be hot hot hot later. 7:28 avg pace for 7.5 + strides

easy  morning 6 - beat the heat again with a 6:30 start

tried some mile repeats tonight, and hit the first in 5:38, but on the second I stopped about half way, about 2:4X, decided to do 3 more half-miles instead, just was a little gassed, but after a 2.3 warmup and almost equal rest meant my last .5 repeat was almost 6.5 miles into the workout, so that was a positive of the run, did the other 3 800s in 2:53, 2:50, 2:49, 10.3 total as it started to rain 

Birthday morning 10, did the out and back loop that I use for long runs, felt really pretty smooth and ran the last 3 miles all within 1 second of each other, 1:13:04, 7:19 avg pace + strides

broke out the new shoes tonight, my brother is in town from Iowa, his first run at altitude, he felt it, decent pace though, 7:08 avg for the run + strides

ran with my brother, starting pouring rain on us, he did hill repeats, I did hill loops, so about 4 total hills with no real pace change, 7.2 miles in 7:15 avg pace, back has been hurting lately and will probably take tomorrow off now to heal

easy 4 today, pre-race, 7:25 pace

Local 5k today, broke out my new shoes - adidas sub-2's for the race, they felt amazing. Body felt pretty sluggish during the warmup, but once I got loose in about mile 2, I felt stronger. Ran the race with my brother who was up from Iowa, goal was to help pace him and work together to see what we could do. Splits were 5:47, 6:01, 5:40, :25 (i definitely kicked hard but prolly not this hard), 17:53 officially. Not a bad effort given that i'm a month into this training cycle. My brother just missed sub-18, but he ran well given the altitude and the fact he's only been up here for a few days, cooled down for 1.4 started to get a migraine :/ 7 miles total. Overall, happy with the effort and happy with my last mile. this is a competitive race and its nice to have a lot of people to run with

11 morning miles with my brother through 9 then the last 2 myself, took the pace pretty easy, averaged 7:31 for the day, 1:22:36 overall + strides

6 am start today, had to get in before the day started, 9 miles in 7:25 avg pace, felt ok, definitely a struggle towards the end

speedwork today, plan kept changing between mile repeats and 1000s. decided on mile repeats before starting, but the workout morphed into a mix of things, probably cuz of the heat 90+ then the wind started hitting from a thunderstorm. either way, it wa snice just to work on some speed. did a 1.4 mile warmup then did the following repeats:

1 mile = 5:28.2 

-- 4 min jog recovery

800 - 2:50ish

--3 min recovery

1000- 3:31.8

-- 2:10 recovery

1000 - 3:28.7 (5:39 pace)

-- 2:20 recovery

300 - 1:01, kind of a false start, stopped abruptly, meant to go 1k but just ran out of gas early

1:28 recovery

1000 - 3:34.5

2.75 cooldown

all told, I did 1600, 800, 3x1000 and a random 300 for about 5.6k so of speedwork, best part of the workout was the opening 5:28 mile, felt pretty strong, 9.5 total on the day in 6:41 avg

beautiful evening for a run, cooled off after the rain that went through, went 10.3 in 1:11:4X, 6:59 avg pace, hit 10 miles in 1:09:5X, felt pretty solid throughout, just a good run, felt strong + strides

speedworkish today, was gonna go 5 miles but stopped at 4, 94 degrees really took it out of me, speedwork ended 6:10, 6:08, 6:06, 6:06, 24:30 in 6:08.5 pace, decent easy pace tempo

10.4 in 7:00 pace, 1:12:43 total, + strides, really really warm again

easy 8.3 today in 7:14 avg pace, stuck to the soft crushed gravel

good-paced workout, 7:0x over a hillier section of my route + strides

good morning run

extremely sluggish this morning, 7:38 pace

short morning run, 7:34 pace, today with strides, prepping for 10k tomorrow. Goal is sub 37, just to get some turnover

Local 10k today, was a beautiful morning here in Colorado for the race, upper 60s, low 70s but cloudy and no wind/humidity, race went really well until I realized the course was laughably long - probably around 6.35 total. We finished with a lap around the track and my watch was at 6.21 miles with about half the track still to go. I went ahead and hit my stop button early. I looked at the map afterwards to see if the course was long or if my watch didn't track me again, and this time it definitely wasn't the watch's fault. It had an almost perfect track of the route I ran, so just a long course. Either way, my time (watch) was 36:39 for the 10k. My splits were fairly even, though I slowed down the 2nd half, which makes sense given the fact that I haven't had a tempo longer than 4 miles this cycle (only 6 weeks into it). Splits: 5:55, 5:47, 5:49, 5:54, 5:58, 5:55, 1:19, 5:54 avg pace. Really good effort for this early in the season, I know I've never had this good of race of this length just 1.5 months into a training cycle, 18:13ish for first 5k, then 18:26 2nd 5k. Didn't even really look at the official time because it was so long of course, but I was more about the effort and this was a good one. Only $25 entry fee, so its all good! 11.8 total today after a 3 mile cool down with warmup

Iowa morning run, got rained on the whole time, felt a little sluggish,, 7:34 pace + strides

10 this morning, super humid. was more wet after this run than I was sunday after getting rained on. Just so crazy humid I was exhausted, 7:19 avg tho for 10 miles, pretty good for the day

super hilly run today here in Carlisle, 656 total feet of gain. not nearly as humid, dew point in the upper 50s made for a more pleasant run, though still in the 70s so plenty warm, 10.5 total in 7:14 avg pace, tried to run hard on the uphills to simulate an effort run, not a bad workout given the tiredness of my legs lately

12 miles in 7:15 avg pace today, not too humid but still felt the effort later in the run