Of Mice and Marathons

Wow, only the second time on the dreaded TM...that's an accomplishment in and of itself.

Here's to a great 2013 full of PR's for you!

So you wont be needing my iPad. Hope you're feeling better. I can't run on a treadmill - I fall off them. Yeah, I know, you'll send your butler over with a treadmill for me. No doubt he'll video me and then you'll have a right old giraffe as you watch me fall off on my iPad.

Stick in there, kidda.

Joe: I can't decide if I hate them or am intrigued by them. I like being able to change the pace, but I can't help but stare at the screen. I would like to have one for recovery days once in a while so I could set it at 8:40 and stay there.

Bam:I started to drift a little bit several times. I also dropped the pace to 5:40 a few times and crossed my fingers that I wouldn't shoot off. 5:40 on a treadmill is easier than it is on the roads, but the consequences for breaking too quickly or not holding pace are a bit more dire.

Nice tempo - can't be easy with the snow/ice/sub-20 weather. Did you get angry red legs too?

There isn't much snow but people are responsible for sidewalks, so you get some patches of packed snow that turns to ice.

I can feel the cold a little, but I never checked to see if my legs were red. Fella on a moped told me to put some pants on because it was cold. I don't usually have residents so concerned with my well being.

Yeah, because riding a moped in 20-degree weather is definitely smart...you should listen to that guy - we all should!

I used to never run in tights when I was in cold weather (even in the teens) but I found an old pair and used them on my visit up north over the holidays - and really liked them in the snowy/wet/icy conditions - even if it was in the low 30's. Don't judge. :)

Over here, the men folk don't wear tights - except me. Vanity went out the window a long time ago. Nice run, Jason.

Bret: It's definitely hard going from a warmer weather region to a colder one, Bret. I used to tight-up under 35, then 30, now it's below 20 with wind. Slush and snow does change things. I had a pretty good case of angry red legs yesterday from the wind.

Bam: here you have to wear your modesty shorts over them, unless you live in Boulder :) I'm not against them (I invested in some 2xUs), but I can't put them on for a 6 or 7 miler. It's like getting suited up to go sledding and sliding down the hill twice.

Probably a smart move. I've struggled with the to-run-or-not-to-run decision the last couple days.

I'd like to blame it on the weather, but I don't mind the cold that much even if I don't necessarily prefer it. Not sure what it is.

Jason, take a couple more days off. Your body's run down and needs rest. Plums and raw organic chocolate should be part of your daily diet: then when you get a cold, it only last 24hrs - at least that's what I've found. Take care of yourself.

I know. I am being foolish by trying to be a super hero. I rested all day yesterday and have been getting tones of sleep. Walking in the cold and wind today didn't help. I'll take your advice on the chocolate. Plums aren't my favorite, but I'll try some. I eat a ton of oranges and bananas though.

Nice running Jason, especially considering that the man flu has had you at death's door - you are Lafayette's answer to Clark Kent - actually, make that Ralph from the Simpsons:)

Great finish, looking really strong. I think anytime you can average at or under MP on a longer progressive run like that, you're making great inroads to a faster half/full marathon PR. I definitely have some runs like this one in the plan over the next few months.

Bam: I like to think I am a little more like Clark Kent and Lafayette is a lot more like Springfield, but the jury is still out :)

Joe: I've been thinking about what you posted about what Sasha said about V02 max and lactate threshold workouts. Although my times are still getting better and I do some speed early in my training, I still need to focus on some speed throughout more of the training build up (shorter intervals and longer timed intervals at 15k pace or a bit below). I do think you can run some decent HM times of long run/progressive tempos (say a 10 + 8). My fastest half marathon is off high mileage and one tough workout (7 x 1 mile w/ 90 sec rest) and several 18-19 milers with 8 mile tempos. I am trying to mix stuff up a bit and break from plan when necessary (as I did today). I think your run the other week with two fast finish miles is an excellent indication of your fitness. Think how hard those splits would have been in your last half marathon and think of how they felt the other day.

Nice workout Jason. Like you said, it's a good position to be in at the start of the cycle and you'll improve, substantially. Also, you've been sick. I predict big improvements for you. As my old fella says to me, 'mark my words, young man.'

Icy feet can never be a good thing! Do you ever get numb toes? Really weird feeling, like you're running on stumps.

My feet felt fine. I run in Sugoi wallaroos and they are thin but warm (they are also a bit high to cover the lower part of the leg). The ice I heard was thankfully UNDER my feet. I can't stand cold feet, so I do well to avoid it. Good case of the angry legs today, but they felt fine.

Great workout Jason. That's a huge improvement on last year. It's good to compare how you're going against the previous year as you can see how far you've come. It'll be good to see next year's comparison.

That's a great session, nice and consistent too. It definitely helps to stay in touch with those types of paces.

Thanks, guys.

Bam: Last year my 800 pace was half marathon pace by the end of the year. I am guessing that won't happen this year, but it is possible. I always love to look back over the year and compare.

Joe: Thanks. I'm not sure why I don't run more them because I love nothing more than running fast (say, 5:20 or faster when I am pushing it). I just worry about getting injured.

I looked at my last 800 session that was in July (on a warmish day) and I was doing 3:15ish, which wasn't much faster than what I was doing in March. Later that week my 5k race was about 6:20-6:22. Since I have never run a sub-6 mile, I'd like all of my splits in the next 5k to be sub-6, but we will see.

Really good work there. Lots of options for LT, and that seems like a good one since it lets you get more mileage than a steady tempo. That could very well be HMP for you - it'll be exciting to see what you can do in races this spring.

Thanks, Joe. I was pleased with the results even though it felt too fast at first.

I find LT tempos hard to focus on, but I think I would get more out of my training if I worked on relaxing and not worrying about the exact pace, so I have some scheduled (starting with 4 miles and working to as much as 6.25), but I've found in my last two or three halfs a tough interval session sets you up pretty well in terms of predicting pace.

Another good workout Jason. It's starting to come together nicely...

That's not bad temps. I'm supposed to go to Edwardsport, IN for work, so I'm hoping it's not too cold then.

Looks to be about 3 hours south of me, so it should be a few degrees warmer, but I would pack more than your split shorts (unless you are coming in a few months). Temps this time of year are usually in the 20s to low 30s. Some teens or colder, but it's milder than Maine where I am from.

ahh, that sounds really painful!

Running into the wind was painful, other than that it wasn't bad. Don't get me wrong, I had to break out my 2XU thermal tights. Had another guy get after me for wearing shorts the other day.

My grandmother always told me off for walking with my hands in my pockets. 'If you fall,' she used to say. 'How are your hands going to save your face.' So I'm going to tell you off...

'Jason, if you're running with your hands in your pockets and you fall, how are you going to save my iPad?'

Bam: I only did it temporarily, but my grandmother used to get after me for my shoelaces: "You'll fall and break your neck" You iPad is safe assuming Oliver doesn't try to move it :)

Nice work Jason - right cold weather. Don't know I would have been up for running that fast in those temps/conditions.

It was either this or 400s :) It was cold, but I dressed accordingly. Glad I got home when I did though, as the edges of my tuke were frozen next to my ears. I think I would rather have the cold than the snow, but another ten degrees wouldn't hurt. Looks like you had an excellent session as well.

Good call, that is no kind of weather for 400s! And a good tempo too, a prefect progression despite the wind. Hope it warms up soon.

Thanks, Joe. I'm off the hook. For now...Right now the extended forecast for Tuesday is 56 with showers. I think I'll do them then...shirtless.

28! Jakers, yer an old fella all right. Happy birthday, Jason. Big birthday bash back at the mansion?

Hopefully, only your pride is hurt from the fall. Watch it out there - as you get older, you tend to fall more.

Glad to hear you weren't too hurt - Bam is right, us older guys tend to fall more and don't always get up as quickly as you youngsters!

Bam: 12 more years until I am a master. I can definitely wait, but when I am, I plan to kick the tar out of some young folks. As for celebrations, nothing too exciting. Went out with a friend for dinner (my girlfriend and other friends have moved away for jobs and such), so I will probably stir up some trouble on the blog for a few, find something on Netflix, make sure Oliver doesn't knocked my/your iPad on the floor, and get to bed earlish.

Bret: I felt like my 28 year old self got up much slower today in the cold than my 27 year old self the other week when it was warm (more potential for an audience the other week, nothing but critters and birds today). I thought I might just lay there a while and take a nap, but it was pretty cold.

Good effort today. Half the battle seems like being able to run relaxed at the faster paces, doesn't it?

Exactly, Joe. Unless I am having a really good day sub-5 feels like I am pushing and overstriding too much (for injury prevention I usually save those efforts for races). Above 5-minute pace and especially around 5:20-5:40 I feel pretty relaxed (I just don't have the aerobic capacity to take it that far yet).

Looks like you had an excellent week after the scare last week. Glad for you.Good luck with tomorrow's workout. I may wuss out because of some ice and probably needed another easy day, but we'll see.

Sound. Very sound, Jason. Let your body adapt - don't rush things and you'll stay healthy and improve.

What Bam said.

Nice way to follow up the day off!

It had to be done on Sunday or Monday. Glad I didn't do it yesterday. My legs didn't feel super fresh today, but I could tell they needed a break yesterday.

I checked and apparently I didn't do anything this long until almost halfway through my last cycle. What a slacker!

Way out in front of it for a May marathon. Nicely done Jason.

Thanks, Bret. I felt like I was getting behind because I keep thinking my marathon is April (originally it was), but I am thinking about my half marathon. My half PR this fall was no doubt helped by long runs of 2:20+ w/ 8 miles @ marathon pace. Combine those with some speed work and I should be very fast (relatively speaking) on April 20th. Of course, a guy I know will likely be defending his 66 minute title (I think he cashed out $2000 last year for the win and a course record). Super nice guy. I think I was 38th last year. Hoping to crack the top ten this year and low 1:2X.

Good man Jason. 400's are tough. That's a big improvement - not just in time for the efforts but in cuttong the recovery. Some big pr's are coming your way this year...

Thanks, Bam. I usually suffer on the last few. Not sure why my recoveries were longer than the intervals before, but I recall needing them :) In the future I think I will do straight 60 second recoveries.

Great speed session on Wednesday. I like 400s too, until I don't like them (usually the last couple reps)! Noteworthy improvement, for sure - nice going.

Thanks, Joe. Usually the last two a ego-crushers, but I felt good. Definitely had to work but I was running the last one at 5:15ish until I hit a small grade and died a bit. Kim Smith says she runs 400s year-round (about once a month I guess). I like the idea of that.

Good training this week Jason and a smart idea to take the day off at the start of the week. You're coming along nicely. I think it's going to be an exciting year...

Thanks, Bam. I have a 5k next weekend. I am quite excited for it. Should be a sizable PR for the start of the year.

Oh, I'd say you'll do some serious damage to your pr - are you counting 18:43 or 19:03 as you pr?

19:03. The course next weekend isn't USATF certified but it is something...certified. I'll probably go out on low 5:50 pace and see what happens. I still haven't run a sub-6 minute mile, so I would really like to run 3 of them. I'm confident I can break 18:30, but I am less sure on sub-18 (about 4 seconds slower than my 400s this past week).

Good job, Boilermaker! Keep up the miles - Carmel is flat and fast :)

Thanks, Joe. I am going to run into one of these days at the races. Thought I might see you at the Monumental, but I was a few minutes behind you even before I blew up around mile 21-22. I ran Carmel last year and found it hillier than other courses I have run, so I guess I have run some pretty flat courses :) You should check out Blues at the Crossroads in September. Nice little race and super flat.

Where is it located? Is it by chance near the base of a toe? If you can poke at the pain near the base of a toe, it might be metatarsalgia. I've dealt with that before and might have a fairly quick fix...

Base of the toe, center, balls of the foot. This has a bruised feeling. Morton's, when bad, is a sharp pain, like drilling teeth without novocaine. I really don't have any constant discomfort, I just don't want to be out for 8 weeks like I was with Morton's. If you have a preemptive fix, I'll take it.

with metatarsalgia the pain is more limited to the base of the toe, i think. but if you google it and it's a match, what I do is create a bigger toe arch to take the pressure off the base of that toe, by putting corn cushions or moleskin about a half inch behind the base of the toe - basically on the ball of your foot. Not just while running, but at home, school, etc. It usually goes away in 3-4 days and you can run through it fine. don't know if we're talking about the same thing, but that is my fix...

Thanks for your help. I recall the podiatrist recommending pretty much the same thing for my neuroma. I looked an Morton's and metatarsalgia are pretty similar. This is definitely closer to the base of the toe. My neuroma was a good bit below the ball area.

ok, yeah it's definitely a bruised feeling here too (when it's around). hopefully it is equally low-threat for you.

Looking sharp for the 500 Festival 5k!

Hope the foot's ok.

I'm excited for it. My legs wanted to run fast today. Foot is fine. I just don't want it to become a problem. Following Joe's helpful advice I got some padding under it. I don't feel it while running or walking (a bit when I get up in the morning). Should just be a blog entry in the next few days.

Great stuff Jason. That's a huge improvement. If you continue to train with the zeal and intelligence you've shown recently, you're going to carry on making big improvements.

I made a comment last year suggesting that you'd be moving up the FRB rankings. I feel vindicated and stand by my prediction that, in good time, you'll be up there with the big boys on here.

But remember one thing: you'll always be a good way behind me:)

Great race Jason! Congrats! You are really showing the fruits of your training efforts. Enjoy the accomplishment. Now that 18 min mark will be next. No problem. No doubt.

I may never catch you, Bamster, but that's okay. I am waiting for the day that Baby Bam trounces you :) That will be just as good.

Awesome job Jason. You'll hit sub 18 next time. Keep up the good work.

Great race, nice effort and a good improvement. Keep up the strong running!

Huge PR, congrats. Isn't that something, you've never run a sub-6 mile and now you lay down a 5k solidly in the 5:50's. And I agree with Bam, you are just getting started with improvements, ya whippersnapper! Nice job today.

Great job Jason. Huge jump forward. No looking back now... 17s are up next!!

Great run Jason! Huge PR and you'll get that sub-18 next time! Still got chicked though :)

Thanks, everyone. I'm hoping for another great year.

Joe: I ran a 6:02 in my last 5k this summer. I've been capable for a while, I think I just get nervous. I expect to be running close to a 1:20 half by the end of the year, so I guess I need to let go of that fear huh?

Andrea: I left this out of the race report, but I found her after the race so I could shake her hand. I said "were you the one running beside be as we were going toward the finish line?" (wanted to be sure it was the right person). She replied "I crossed before you did." I chuckled inside. I didn't mean to suggest that I tied her or beat her (she beat me by one second). I can't remember if she originally passed me or not, but I definitely got beat at the end. I need to learn to kick a bit later in a 5k. But, yes, chicked :)

I like what you're doing with the doubles. Smart. Very smart indeedy!

Last buildup I did 3-4 a week totaling 11-14 miles each day. I haven't been doing them because I wanted to get my mileage up to the point where I couldn't do much more without extending my recovery days over an hour. The last few days have been to contend with potential soreness (my hamstrings were a little bit tight, but not bad, considering).

Also, it has been too cold and dark to run in the morning :)

I have no doubt they helped me tremendously when I started doing them around August or July. I'm going to need them with more quality stuff this time around.

Nice workout! Strong progression in pace.

Great stuff, way to get after it on a Tuesday!

Nice run Jason. You're quite tough for a posh kid:)

Really nice effort Jason.

Thanks, everyone. I had a bit of downhill toward the end, but the wind squashed my plans to hit the last two miles at HMP. Last mile was flat. I love how easy the pace feels AFTER a downhill mile.

Bam: http://www.richblockspoorblocks.com

According to this link, I am just outside the red zone. My parents are in a blue zone (you have to select the colorblind option to see the blue). I spent way too much time on this website while on campus today, but it really is an interesting tool.

Posh Boy - it just gave me a map of the U.S.

I can't tell you were I live :) I forgot it wasn't international. 1932 Salem Street, Lafayette, Indiana 47904

It's interesting to see places like Chicago, too. I didn't look at New York or some of the other big cities.

For some reason I am not getting email notifications for posts . . .

Nicely done Jason. Way to continually drop down the pace.

Great session Jason - you are really getting fast. I'm guessing an early morning is 9am for a graduate student? Unfortunately I did all my grad stuff at an online school...

Have a nice trip!

Thanks, fellas. I got out the door at just after 6:45.early enough to scare some sleeping rabbits on the golf course. I ran my interval path to make sure there were no dangers. It was a bit dark to start. I guess many folks run in the dark regularly. My schedule doesn't necessitate it, but it did today. Have a good weekend.

Nice work Jason and good miles this week too. I'm guessing that 11:00 a.m. is early morning for this grad student. I bet his butler places his Newtons at the foot of his bed and says, 'Master Jason, it's time to rise.'

Cheeky little 5 mile road race on the weekend - what time are you hoping for and are you planning anything speedy this week, you know, to sharpen up etc?

I hesitate to tell you that it was in the low 80's here yesterday. Shirtless weather. Spring is right around the corner right?

Ouch, 9 degrees....yeah, down here we cheer for winter to last as long as possible. Or maybe it's just me.

Bam: Not sure. Probably just strides. My ankle feels a bit tweaked right now, but nothing serious I don't think (nothing I can link it to so I am not sure the cause). Breaking 30 minutes would be marvelous, mostly because it is such a nice number. McMillan has me at 30:01, but I think that will be very tough. I will try to run 6:00-6:05. Not sure if this cold is going to turn into something either.

Bret: spring is close, and spring is pretty great in Indiana. Perfect weather last year. I think it isn't too many weeks away. We had some 70s last year in March. Not sure if it will be that warm. Right now I would like to be able to run in just a base layer and shorts. No such luck with this wind.

Joe: I hear you. I like it coldish for a change, but I prefer it to be 20+. 30-45 is perfect. I do love warm weather though. I got enough cold and snow when I lived in Maine.

Hope the foot is ok! If you do run, good luck and give it some root-toot!

Seems fine. Time will tell, but unless my foot is the size of a watermelon in the morning I think I am going to go for it, especially since I know what the issue is and I can deal with it.

Report to follow. Is a 5 mile race still threshold range?

Well run Jason. I'm looking forward to the details:)

In my book, a 5 mile race is faster than threshold pace - at least it should be.

Great job Jason - 2 races in a row now that you nailed perfectly. Keep that momentum going. I like the way your race schedule builds up in distance like that.

Good report Jason. I like how you've returned to getting that posh angst out of your system: beating up on poor drivers - that-a-boy!

Well run and, like Joe said, I like your race schedule too. Hopefully there'll be more posh-boy fisty-cuffs:)

Seriously, well run and keep at it. I think you're close to a breakthrough.

Nice race Jason. The 5 miler is a great distance, sort of lost these days amongst all the half marathon popularity.

I wouldn't be shocked if you're running this pace for a mile + longer at your next race. You're looking good, keep it rolling.

Really nice report Jason - solid splits despite fighting a cold all week. Gotta give that one an A grade - no doubt.

Thanks, guys.

Joe: I didn't think about that until now. Of course, the 5k, 10k, and 15k lead to the half and then to the marathon, but the 5 miler was one I just happened to pick up because it was reasonable and the timing was good. Worked nicely though. I did two races from the 500 Festival last year and thought they were great and the timing was perfect for Carmel.

Bam: I wasn't a jerk (I often am). I told the cop that she was "cutting that one a bit close." Blood boils . . .looks at watch . . . 5:15 pace . . . OTQ pace isn't so bad . . . for a few seconds . . . sir, would you mind carrying me to the finish line just ahead?

Jake: It's a great distance. First time I have done one. I want to get into a 10-miler, but they are hard to come by in these parts. I was hoping to be knocking an even 6 for this race, so I could slide well into the 37-range for the 10k, but I think I can still break 38, which is fine. Last year I hadn't raced in 3 months, ran the first 5 around 6:58-7:00 and ran a 6:38 the last mile; I just didn't know where my fitness was. I have a very good idea this year.

Bret: It kind of balanced out because I got a bit of a taper :) Hard way to do it though I suppose. Had to do a bit of work to hit 70 this week. I hope you aren't perfecting your tan too much just yet. Wait . . .you probably are always tan.

So the clowns found you on your run, too today.

Nice run today!

Yeah, Matt. Usually the general idiocy ensues, but this was rather aggressive. Be careful out there.

Luckily mine weren't too aggressive today. You be careful, too!

Nice tempo. Seems like every running guru has a different definition of "steady state." Whatever it was, it looks like you hit your target nicely.

I saw you got some Type A's. Definitely my favorite shoe. A marathon is doable (I've done 3 in them). Obviously you gotta test em in long runs, which you know, but they are definitely fast shoes.

How does Hadley (?) define it? It seems good for someone of my ability. For faster runners well under 3:00 hours it wouldn't make sense because the paces are so close. I was trying to get 2:57-3:00 pace so I could make 3:05 easy and sub-3:00 very doable on an aided course. The second mile was obviously too fast.

I really like the A5s. I love my Newton flats, but I could see giving these a shot. The Fastwitch are nice too, but not lighter than my heavier Newtons so there's no sense for me to use them as a marathon shoe. Definitionally I'm a bit heavy for flats, but that wouldn't stop me. I can't run any shorter races in my trainers. Too much shoe!

Hadley uses the term for "5% to 10% slower than the fast end of the Aerobic Threshold pace range" and has you do 15-20 miles at that pace. go figure...

I think the fastwitch seem like bricks next to the A5, I just couldn't bring myself to run a race in them. I think I read even Saucony say something like "elite runners could even consider running a half marathon in the A5's" after I'd just run a full. So maybe not advised, but hell, I've seen people run a marathon in Vibrams before. I think it's all about getting used to the shoe, but who knows...

Nice run Jason. Good mix of paces and decent mileage for a Monday.

Not a good week with you and drivers...good to always be wary.

I know it. I understand I'm not always visible and I sometimes forget that. Today I can only think that was intentional. Oh well.

Geez, sounds deadly up there. I'm often glad I live in the middle of nowhere...in the early AM, I might see 2-3 cars on a 10 mile run.

It's a small town, but it's a city compared to where I grew up (2000 w/ no traffic lights). Population here is about 60,000+. People don't have very good awareness of and as pedestrians. I will cough, spit, and make all kinds of noise to let know people I am behind them, but they always seem surprised when I come by them. Go to any city and even children have very good awareness of pedestrians. Exercise and non-automobile transportation is view at oddly and suspiciously (it shows in the size of people too. Indiana is a BIG state :))

You just had an off day. I'm thinking that's normally going to be a very doable workout for you. Important thing is you got that training stimulus and can move on and recover.

Thanks, Joe. I think I just didn't have it today. This is only slightly faster than my 6 x 1 mile w/ 2 min recovery two weeks ago and that felt much easier. I figure they workouts should be equivalent. I was thinking 6:00-6:10 pace. Wrong. Goo luck with the half if I don't throw you a comment before the race.

Off days are no fun, but the effort was still there. Nice workout nonetheless. Way to not quit when you wanted to.

Thanks, Matt. I don't have too many bad workout days and this wasn't as bad as it could have been. I'll take it.

Nice long run with a cheeky little bit of zing and none of that posh fuel stuff:)

Thanks for taking Joe's time - not that you had any choice:)

Nice LR. Good sign that you can drop the pace at the end like that.

I need to work harder - I haven't started sleep eating yet.

Bam: I was just confused for s second with your real name (even though I knew your first name).

Joe: I am guessing you have never had a bunch of extra weight kicking around (what I mean as high praise, of course). But then again you could have had a Bam-like transition. Before I started running I think I weighed 185-190 (at 5'11"+). I've never been small, and I didn't look grossly overweight or anything, but I was no longer 15 and had to think about exercising :) During the last buildup I was around 164-168. I've been 162-165 for the last two weeks or so. I also started running in the mornings again on an empty stomach. I have cleaned my diet up significantly, too in the last year or so, so sometimes when I have sweet stuff it calls to me in the night.

Not much of a transition here, I don't deserve any praise. When I ate terribly, didn't exercise and drank a lot of beer, I was 155 at 5'10". Then I started running, stopped drinking (mostly), and the weight went to 145 in the first 6 months. It hasn't budged in 3 years. I'm one of those annoying people who eats ridiculous amounts of food and doesn't get fat.

But anyway, keep it up - your progress is really impressive.

I used to think I was one of those people. People would ask me if I lifted. I wasn't that big, but I appeared fit (nothing like I am now). It's always weird to try to guess how tall people are and how much they weigh based on performance and a few pictures. Maybe I am the only one who does that . . .

I've been a few times but it was before I was a runner. You don't want those kind of recommendations.

Hahaha. It is a strange question to pose, so I did it here. I really don't care to gamble. I've thrown enough money away on stupid things in my life.

The hotel apparently has a pool, a tattoo place, a beauty salon, a UPS store, a florist, a pinball hall of fame, 5 or 6 restaurants (including a food court, a strip club, a comedy club, so on and so forth. I see no listing for a gym. It's Vegas and I am somehow surprised.

Oh, and I always take recommendations even if I don't follow up on them :)

Now Jason, lad. You decided to go all the way to Las Vegas to stay in a hotel with a tattoo 'parlour' where you'll have the name, BAM, tattoed on your... That's so sweet!

If I have too much to drink and my subconscious decides that this is a good idea, I am hacking your blog and posting it as your profile pic :)

You don't even want to know what happens in Oklahoma and Texas when there is that much snow. The government shuts down and there is a run on bottled water, firewood, etc, as people prepare to hunker down for up to 24 hours until the 55 degree afternoon melts it the next day.

Even people who live in places that get a lot of snow go crazy buying water, milk, bread, eggs, etc. I mean, it's good to be prepared, but . . . I have heard the southern states shut down at even the suggestion of snow. Makes sense. If you never drive in snow, 2 inches can be very dangerous.

I assume you will be funneling some warmer weather northward? 4.5 inches here yesterday 40-50 degrees+ starting Saturday. Should have plenty of melting time so I don't eat tar at 10 mph on Saturday morning.

Nice job getting in miles during the blizzard! Messy roads aren't much fun.

I don't mind running in the snow, but it was really slushy in places and hard packed snow (ice) in others. Fluffy snow is okay.

Nice sharpener. Big PR coming up this weekend:)

47:19:)

Good luck. I hope you smash your PR.

47:19 it is, Bam (right around 5:59-6:00 minute pace would make me very, very happy). That's about 5k x 2 plus a minute (things really have to go right). Should be some faster guys (33-34ish minutes) I won't be able to run with, but a small cluster in the top 10 to help hold the pace. I will be looking to beat the top woman who beat me in the 5k a few weeks ago. Saw her again at the 5-miler two weeks ago.

Thanks, Riley. Last year's time from this race is about marathon pace now, so I expect to blow that away.

I think your predictions are on the button. I agree about not going out too fast. 10k's can kill you if you go out too quick. Much better to go through the first mile 5-10 secs slower than desired AP and then pick it up.

Yeah I figured that looking at your predictions versus your PR. That's why I used the word smash!

I haven't followed your workouts closely enought to predict a time, but if Bam thinks your predictions are on, then take it to the bank!

Awesome time Jason. Congrats on the huge PR!

Great run Jason and well done on the PR. Keep a sharp eye on that glute. I'm now promoting you from jogger to half decent runner:-)

Wow that's a huge promotion from Bam!

Nice job Jason! You're definitely entering new territory. No surprise, with the consistent work you've been putting in, but its to see you getting some major payoffs.

And just in case your curious, sanctioning and certification are different things, as you suspected. Sanctioning just means that a race is following all USATF and international rules, and that makes the course eligible for records, etc. Its basically a contract b/w USATF and the race. It still needs to be certified as well, which is only about distance.

Man, you're getting predictable with your awesome consistent races! Great running, great pacing, etc etc.

If you had run barefoot it would have been sub-37 though.

Really nice race and PR Jason. Congrats!

Yeah, every now and then you run into a fat guy who, for whatever reason, can sort of run. My money would be on you in a marathon though!

Nice time. That sub-3 hour marathon really looks likely for you.

Riley: Thanks. The Bamster keeps me focused, and as you can see he had a pretty good, if confident, read on my time.

Bam: Pleased with the time even though it wasn't quite the Bam confidence level time. This was 5k PR pace in August. As for my promotion, thank you, but in the modified words of Marty McFly "Nobody calls me . . . [a jogger]."

Jake: You were right about my last race; this race was pretty much the same pace. Thanks clarifying the distinctions. That's pretty much what I thought. They are trying to sell the series I would imagine with that USTAF label. But, hey, 3 races for $40 is good for my grad student budget.

Joe: I stay away from races with hills (this one has some short climbs, enough to think about adjusting the pace) so that helps, but I thought pacing was good. Hated to see that last split in the teens though. I will practice my barefoot running, but as I told my podiatrist I am worried about broken bottles, to which he replied "Do you live in a war zone?" We clearly inhabit different parts of town.

Bret: Thanks. Send the warm weather this way will you?

Rob: He was oddly overweight. I've been beaten by fat dudes with their weird old man speed, but this guy just doesn't look right. My next marathon concludes with 16 miles downhill, so I hope you are right.

Should be fun (both vegas and philly). Are you going to do the full there in Philadelphia?

RnR's are indeed pricey. Gotta cover that marketing budget I suppose. They don't do themselves any favors - In the St. Pete RnR last month - I had to pay $15 to park at Trop Field - just to pick up my race packet. I asked the attendant if anyone else complained about charging for the parking to pick up the numbers...his response - "just about every single car."

That being said - they are well organized and the bands and crowds that come to these races make it fun. You'll have a great time in the Philly race I am sure.

I'll be doing the half as my tuneup for the Monumental. I did a half last year at the same time and it was perfect. My long run tempos should set me up for a nice PR assuming the it's not blistering that day. But it's too early to think about that.

Thanks for the info, Brett. I'll be using the train to get there I imagine. I'm guessing they know people will complain but the number who refuse to park on principle with be insignificant.

I will miss the fact that I won't be right behind the starting line though. You know, with the course record being 1:00.xx :)

I've always seen the series as a giant moneymaker (which is fine, just not something I can finance every year). I was going to sign up last year (late) and it was $115 I think. But you should see the increase in the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon prices. In a few years I think it's going to be a sizable race (some sub-2:20s on that course already, one of them Paul in 2010).

Good solid LR. I'm with you on the gels - never for training, just to get that race day advantage!

And those bananas thought they were safe once the lights went out...

They usually are safe. I love Cliff Bars, but I had to stop buying them after I began eating two in the night.

You see, I'm right: before you were a jogger chomping on bars and gels during your warm up and now you're running 19 miles and only sucking air. You're now, just about, a runner:) And, as I type this, you're top of the mileage board - careful up there - the oxygen is thin!

It's not where I belong. 4 guys at 100+ last week. With no Jake K and maybe another few who have been up there but weren't that week. I think I'll save the 100s for when I really get to be a runner :)

Chin up Jason. Chin up.

Be safe - Viva Las Vegas!

Thanks, guys. Dead car battery (beyond recharging it seems). Found this out late. Had to change my flight to take the shuttle because no one is around and I wouldn't get there in time. Cost more than the price of the original ticket to rebook. It's been an expensive week. And the butler must have looked up the cost of my Newtons because he wants a raise :)

Just win it back at the craps table!

Have a great trip.

Believe it or not if it's early morning, running on the Las Vegas strip is kind of nice. But it has to be early before the foot traffic picks up.

I agree with Riley that an early morning run on the strip is pretty cool.

Another good run if you have a car is at the Clark County Wetlands Park out off the old Boulder Highway and Tropicana near Sam's Town. Nice system of trails.

Hadn't thought of that, Joe!

Thanks for the recommendations. I think I'll get up early Friday (I have a race window I need to try to catch at 4:00AM so I might go then. Although that might be too early to miss the late night crowd). I will have a car, so I may check out some trails. Maybe even put a base coat of tan on this boyish chest. Cheers.

Enjoy the warm weather...LV is not my favorite city either.

Yeah, probably about the right length of stay for Vegas, you don't want to be there too long!

Nice you still got in a workout too. Welcome back to the grind!

Definitely! Things get really weird on Friday nights it seems. I was "treated" to that. I was glad to get some running in but still spend some time with friends and my girlfriend and have it feel a bit vacation-y as well.

You're a handsome brute of a man:)

I swear this is totally candid. When I try to take photos I always have my eyes closed. The expression belies the fear I was feeling as I watched a young fella scale a wall with his bare hands, get to the top, and then wonder how to get down. He made me very nervous. He did manage to get down without the aid of a helicopter, which is what I thought was going to happen.

Man, I think you just had ANOTHER breakthrough. You basically ran 6 miles at, what, about 10 sec/mile slower than your last 10k (an entire week ago) in a training run. You're getting faster every week! Great run.

I fully expected to take a nap, wake up, and find myself at a craps table, still in Vegas. I think my glute not firing kept me from hitting some faster splits in the 10k, but I definitely couldn't have run much harder that day (my recovery was really fast, so I think I could have run harder if my body had cooperated during the race). Today, I tied my 10-mile split from my PR half marathon. Just came together I guess. One of those run days that feels quasi-mystical.

I have found that some of my best workouts are totally unplanned. Sometimes I have no idea what I'm going to so as I'm setting out and I end up with some of my best efforts.

It's that chiseled jaw and those dashing good looks: helps you move with more confidence.

Not so sure about the effiminate hand-on-hip: takes away some of your quasi manliness - could slow you down:)

It pulls my extra-hairy legs into the perfect position to make my calf vein bulge (not picture above).

That's a great session. Definitely under 85 w/o the wind. I'm always satisfied when I can go under 5k pace for more than 5k total in reps, which you definitely did.

next up 20 x 400?

Thanks, Joe. I figured it gave me a VO2 max stimulus for 4 miles, broken up. More than just strides. I smoked the third one (5:17 pace) because I was misreading my watch because I am not used to the setup for the interval function (I usually use the "Advanced Workout" function, which is as you are probably aware limited to 20 steps). Another good lesson in keeping the eyes off it.

As for 20, well, maybe next week with no wind. Maybe.

I don't know any of the advanced functions, which is why I do these on a track. The most advanced thing I've done is set it to 0.5 mile auto lap so I could do the 4 x 1.5, and I was proud of that bit of technology savviness.

The track is terrible in windy conditions though; at least you can set up (mostly) crosswind reps on the road, although it still impedes you, I think.

I think I only hit 3 reps with severe headwinds. I got some crosswinds, but overall it wasn't too bad.

What Garmin are you using? I even do my measured strides in the road. Nothing like seeing people watch a guy blasting 5:00 pace in a town that finds exercise weird.

In a conversation between Jake and Derek I noticed that the 110 and maybe 210 doesn't have the ability to do compound sets and such. The advanced options are done through the Garmin Connect online site (you can basically add steps in whatever fashion you like: choose the kind of interval and recovery, whether you hit lap, go by time, by calories, or by distance). The problem is that it limits you to 20 steps. But for the interval workouts (it's like the simple but it gives you recovery and split distance or time) you can repeat the simple steps as many times (99?) as you want. It just beeps at me when I am supposed to move my legs. For the 400s I just put in .25 and .12 for the recoveries and go to town.

I used to do my stuff on the track, but I do intervals almost exclusively on low-traffic roads and a nice section of paved trail next to the golf course and the river. I do like the track and have good access to one, but I know the golf course is clear and I have grown very found of it this winter with several "peacock workouts."

I use the 405..not sure about how many steps it can do and such; it would probably make things easier on me if I'd sit down and mess with it a bit.

Don't blame you for sticking with what works!

I like that Jason. I like that a lot. 'The Bam Mile.' Has a nice ring to it. I hope you're not shaving your legs while dropping the nut on your sodie pop cans:)

Great run - a big marathon breakthrough's on the cards. I doubt you'll die in the last few miles of your next one. You're teaching the body to access fat stores at mp - this is what so many are not doing and is why they die in and around mile 22. This type of run puts the hairs back on your legs.

'The Bam Mile.' I like that.

Strong looking run there, Jason. I don't think I've ever gone past 22 in a training run. The fact that you could throw in the cheeky Bam mile toward the end and still be fine for miles 22-24 says a lot about how your endurance has come around.

I felt so strong on this run, Bam. The whole time I told myself "no more walking in a marathon." I could have probably beat my marathon PR but that seemed foolish, arrogant, and unproductive. Going into mile 23 I was uphill and feeling it a bit, but once I got on the flat I just coasted. Amazing how the muscles fire differently.

Thanks, Joe. It was the best run of my life I think. I was planning 22, 20 if I was just suffering. I miscalculated a bit on my planned route, but kept saying "maybe just one more mile."I keep revising my long run philosophy. 22 miles is sensible, especially if you do more than 1 in a training cycle. I will sometimes do more than planned if I am feeling really good, which I think goes against conventional wisdom, but I am tired of dying in the last few miles of the marathon. I don't need to negative split them, but I'm done walking. Not going over 19.5 even with solid long tempos hurt me a bit last fall I think.

Nice week Jason. Steady as she goes...

Really nice week and a great run yesterday Jason. You've got a nice marathon PR waiting for you at the end of this cycle.

Awesome week Jason! You should be very pleased with this week. Very impressive.

Thanks, guys. The running gods have been very kind to me this winter/spring.

I got that sick feeling reading this. The next 20 steps are scary.

Great run!

i know that feeling! It took a while to straighten out. I do it once in a while, but this was a good one. I expect it to be fine.

Good stuff. By May I don't think you'll have a problem doing a marathon at that pace or maybe (a lot) faster.

Very nice Jason - especially in the snow.

4x1 mile off 90 secs will give you your exact 5k fitness. From the 2nd half of the third rep onwards, this becomes a brutal session but you'll have an excellent idea of where your 5k fitness stands. Don't envy you...

Not quite ready for 90 second recoveries! I was thinking 3-4 minutes, but I think I will use the lap function and shoot for about 3 minutes or less if possible. I'm just trying to stoke my vo2 max a bit to keep the system guessing. Still should give me a good indication. I can usually predict fairly well off shorter repeats (this changes a good deal as you get faster I imagine).

Wait . . . active or standing rest for 90 seconds?

You don't do the full 200m jog thing. You walkabout/jog/gather yourself - you must move about to prevent pooling. If you can't do the session off 90 secs, you are doing the reps too fast - simple.

Well done Jason; great session. Right, you're in 17:40-45 shape for 5k and 2:50-52 marathon shape - you better believe it sunshine! And, you've still got a good way to go until your marathon; if you get the training right - so far you have - you'll run, if you've got the stones to go for it, 2:48-2:50:)

Forgot to mention: from here on in, I'd 'SUGGEST' that you stay well away from anything faster than HMP - you need to keep training your body to burn glycogen and fat either side (2-3%) of 6:30(PMP)! Just my thoughts. I suspect you'll do VO2 max sessions everyday now:)

Great session Jason. I've never tried the standing/walking rest thing, but I've also never run any miles that fast. You're definitely reaching new heights, keep it up. And keep listening to Bam, apparently!

Bam: "got the stones." I'm glad that one carries over culturally. It's a gem of a phrase. That's the last V-max workout for this buildup. I wanted some big mileage weeks and hard workouts leading into my tuneup half. Just strides per Mr. Murphy's (and I know your) suggestion. As for workouts, some sprinkled HMP stuff and marathon pace miles. I have two races left to let me know what goal pace should be. It's a dishonest course so I'll probably do sub-3:00ish and cheat the last 16 downhill, miles. The marathon is a beautiful and ugly beast of a distance.

Joe: Thanks. I have only down it once and that was because I was a bit too cute with my workout goal. We tend to undervalue walking as runners, but I think it has its place for workouts (and of course post-race recovery). Of course with walking the rest needs to be short. I think today I could have shuffled at 10-12 minute pace (or even slower) but I wanted the hard miles rather the the ability to claim I jogged my recoveries.

You can and will run that fast. I take the Bamster's words of advice to heart.

Boys, the reason for short recoveries is pretty standard for VO2 max, vVO2max and LT. If you are trying to improve VO2max, vVO2max and/or LT, it’s imperative that you stick to short recoveries. Lengthening recoveries drives down average oxygen-consumption rates and mean levels of lactate production, this is counterproductive in terms of VO2max and lactate-threshold.

Prefontaine suffered from taking too long on his recoveries and that was one of the reasons, apart from the obvious one, why he didn’t fulfill his potential.

Here’s what some old fella had to say about Pre:

In 1972 I watched Steve Prefontaine (USA) in the Olympic village do 3 x 1 mile in 4:08 (12:56/5K) with 15 minutes rest after each. Many onlookers thought this was a sensational session and tipped him for the gold medal. However, we do not have 15 minutes' rest after the first mile of a 5K race. It would have been better if he had done 3 x 1 mile in 4:16 with 200m jog recovery. He finished fourth in the final in a time of 13:28 (64.5/400).

But remember, and this is very important, don’t do these type of sessions close to a marathon – you do not want to be teaching the body to burn glycogen: you need to teach the body to conservve glycogen at MP, otherwise, when you get to 22 miles, you’ll crash - simple. This is a mistake that too many marathon runners make!

15 minutes is enough time to get a snack! I'm about 98% aerobic from here until the marathon (other than races, some strides, and some HMPish work so I don't get stale).

You're kicking butt on the miles this week! Nice work. And great job on the reps yesterday. I can definitely see why your legs are heavy.

Jason, I'm diving in with a direct order here - ease up for a day or two. You've got to let your body recover and adapt to the stress from workouts; stress doesn't come much harder than 4x1 mile off 90 secs. 2 runs with a total of 16.5 miles is too much (for you and come to think of it, for most people) the day after that session.

5k pace workouts and VO2 max stuff are a lot harder on the body than MP efforts and tempo runs. Step back for a day or two and then pick up the miles. For sure, those two runs, on top of the workout, will have added extra stress to your system.

Ease up and don't blow all your hard and intelligent work for the sake of a few miles. That's an order.

Thanks, Matt. The snow is leaving and the weather is turning fine so it's easy to get caught up in just keeping running, but . . . as Bam says.

Bam: I know. I was thinking of that both as I was doing it and this morning. I got caught up in the fact that my legs felt really good and that we have finally had some decent weather (just because legs feel fine doesn't mean they are recovered). I slept a 10 hours last night and had a good nap before my afternoon run yesterday. I'm skipping my morning run and keeping the afternoon run to 50-60 minutes. Tomorrow will be AM/PM easy 50-60. I'm thinking I may skip my long run on Sunday. I have 4 long runs this month including a 22 and 24, and as you say I am chasing numbers a bit. I appreciate the sense as always.

I'd keep the long run on Sunday and ease up even more today and tomorrow. The difference between a 35 min run and a 60 min run is marginal, apart from you increase the chance of injuring yourself the longer you're on your feet.

Tomorrow, if your going to run twice (I'm in favour of this), run shorter 2x40 mins. You'll get nothing out of the extra 10 mins. You're better off letting your legs recover, while replenishing your glycogen stores ready for a long run on Sunday.

I think Bam has some wise points. Your training has been great lately, stay smart and stay patient.

This blog is great for motivation, but too many people get sucked into chasing higher mileage than they should with that mileage board.

By the way you mentioned 10 hours of sleep and a nap, that's incredible. I'm so jealous! I'm lucky to get 7 hours even on weekends.

I'll go with something closer to what you have in mind. I certainly have plenty of non-running things to work on!

Thanks, Riley. I've done pretty well not getting crazy until now, but you are right of course. My problem is I'm not chasing the top guys (we all agree that's crazy!) but I had some ideas of numbers that I planned a few weeks ago and rather than applying the "that depends" rule I was trying to stick with what I had planned (again, another bad idea when you happen to insert one of the hardest and most successful sessions, unplanned, you've ever done). That's the imaginary guy I was chasing I think.

As for the extra sleep, my schedule is pretty flexible, although I lost some weekend time getting stuff done last Saturday and Sunday! But I did feel a bit guilty. Now I suppose I should see about doing some work . . .

Well the truth is if we all want to reach our true potential in the marathon we need to eventually build up to 120 mpw.

But it has to been done very gradually in my opinion i.e. over several years. It's hard to be patient when you feel great and you know that to hit the "next level" you need to jump the mileage. Looking at your mileage graph though you do seem like you've been patiently building it up with a couple spikes here and there. I don't see chasing mileage as a problem for you.

You're doing it sensibly. With your speed and performance at sub-90 or sub-100 you'll be at top notch performance once you fully build up. Amazing.

Yeah, I've noticed that -- the graph is counting Monday to Sunday, which is great because that's how I do it!

I was just thinking about your 4 x 1. You might have realized this (it only just ocurred to me), but it's about the same pace as your 16 x 400 the other day...this time though, it was 16 x 400 without any rest for most of them! Anyway, just wanted to share that and reiterate how impressed I am. These next few races are going to be eyeball-popping, I think!

Some time ago I switch my Garmin to agree with the blog (how it counts for mileage board purposes). Now I see it is different depending on how you view the information.

I did notice and I couldn't quite believe it. I went out fast (5:35 for a good portion of that first mile), telling myself to slow down, but also telling myself to shut up because I was running "comfortably" (breathing for sure, but not bent over) at 5:30 pace and if I blew up at least I had run a significant mile PR. I backed off a bit in the last quarter or so. Just kind of clicked. I've had some pretty Zen workouts on that golf course this year. Makes me kind of sad that pretty soon old, overweight men will be ruining my view!

Good boy.

That is definitely a huge month. March was a PR for me, and you still crushed my total. Nice going, it'll pay off huge in the marathon.

Thanks, Joe. The unplanned 20-miler really boosted the mileage. No more of this "I don't need to 20+ miles when I am doing 10 + 8-9 mile GP tempos."

Two weeks to Boston! As usual I am excited and I'm not running it. This year I have too many people to track though.

Your Boston ticket will soon be punched for the forseeable future, I can guarantee that.

Nice run Jason. These are the ones you need in the bank. On top of the hard efforts and the miles, they add the gristle.

Cheeky little 15ker this weekend - expecting big things...

It is an important race. A true test of my LT and an idea of where I should be for my half, even though I have a really good idea on both.

I am also seeking coach Bam's advice (in addition to that of others) on whether or not to do my half marathon workout 7-10 days out or just focus on easy runs and use this weekend as the final indicator. Two weeks to my half and I usually do some bigger workout at goal pace. I've done 7 x 1 mile w/ 1:30 jogs and I have done the Hanson's 4 x 2 mile with half mile jog (more of a pace tuning workout, though I wouldn't say it is "easy").

I've done both workouts in the past and run almost exactly the same pace in the race. This time I would modify the Hanson version somewhat.

You'll need to do something between the 15k and the half. Maybe bang in the middle so that you fully recover from the 15k and have time to recover from the session before the half.

The 15k, the session, and the half would then become three good workouts in 3 weeks, which is fine. Remember, the goal is the marathon.

I'd also suggest some strides in between the 15k and the workout and then some more strides between the workout and the half - just to keep the legs turning over.

I like Bam's idea of doing it in the middle. Really, I think 7 or 8 days is enough time to fully recover from a HM workout as long as it isn't within a 20-miler or something. For me, the 2 x 5k (2 min jog inbetween) was a pretty good predictor, though the other ones you mentioned sound good too.

I'm fine with doing a workout in the middle. I planned on one but I wanted to see what you thought. The marathon is the goal, but the half is definitely a goal race for me as well. I've been doing my strides more regularly, so I will continue with those as well. longish workout would also give some points toward a short long run, which I will have a bit of trouble getting in this month. I'll get my miles from races and workouts, but the only long run I have planned is my big workout on the 28th.

7-8 days does sound good, Joe. Enough to benefit from, but enough to fully recover as well. Longer reps with shorter rest is probably a good idea since it gives you a 10k tempo broken up, which is plenty.

Good luck in the race tomorrow - I'm betting on a fast one...

Yeah, good luck tomorrow - the works done and I suspect you'll have a cracker over an unuaual distance.

What's with a 15k race - I thought, when it came to weights and measures, you folk were stuck in cowboy times. Although we've gone metric, we don't have 15k races; we have 10 milers.

Thank, Joe. I'm hoping for good results. Got to clear a bit of departmental merry-making out of my system first though . . .

Thanks, Bam. We love and hate the metric system. When I do workouts I usually provide the metric (16 x 400), when I am really not on the track (the numbers are so close it doesn't much matter). The 10 miler has been eclipsed by the popularity of the half marathon (I think). I don't see many 10 milers around here. For us slower runners the 15k is a really good indication of lactate threshold (but a 10 miler would be even better in my case). Cross country is all metric distances, but the USATF championship series (like half the fast folks will run in June) basically has everything. Jake could tell you a bit more about the history. I'm still learning to run and still learning all the history :)

Best of luck to you on Saturday Jason - your training will provide you with a nice time tomorrow if all goes as planned.

Thanks, Bret, I've seen some great improvement this buildup. Didn't think it could compared to last year, but so far it has been that and even better.

Bam - I expect your prediction in my inbox before close of business.

What's the course like? I can't find an elevation chart... But I was looking at a Garmin profile of Boston on an Irish site - loads of Irish are heading over... sub 2:30 Joe:)

Tracks down a river most of the time - I'm no genius but my womanly intuition tells me it's pretty flat.

I thought Boston was already part of Ireland?

It's pretty flat. Basically it's the same course as the 10k with a detour at the start and an extension at the end (miles 5-8). Uses the first and last mile from my 5k in February too.

This is what my Garmin had from the 10k: http://connect.garmin.com/splits/282203820

Here's the course map. No elevation profile though:

http://www.500festival.com/15Ktraining

The winner last year ran 46:53. As I recall more competitive people showed up as the races got longer. Little Jason was just a jogger lad with his 7 minute pace run last year :) I think I ran 1:05:12 or something like that.

Good luck with the 15k! Always good to have goals.

Thanks, Matt. I always have times in mind, but I have fun and work hard, trying not to be disappointed when things don't come together. Best part about this series is the price, parking, ability to get up front. Oh, and I have been become quite fond to the pancakes at this breakfast place after my cool down too :)

Jakers boy - that is some serious running: a 5 min pr over 15k. I had you at 57:39 and that was at a push!

I'm over the moon for you Jason - it just keeps getting better and better. That's what intelligent training gives you.

Looking forward to the full report.

A+ ;)

Nice work!

Verrry Nice!! Really great time Jason. You crushed it. Congrats.

GREAT race Jason!

You just outran your recent 10k pace in a 15k....who does that??

Seriously, great job. Amazing how fast you're getting....and I enjoyed the report!

Congrats! Great race, keep up the good work!

Thanks, everyone. I thought if I could run 6:07 pace through 10k and rip through the last 5k I would have a shot at breaking 1:20 in two weeks, but I am getting ahead of myself (and a bit greedy). Fall tuneup for sure though.

I think 15k to the half is my distance. That's the zone where I tend to surpass my expectations.

Bam: I need you stateside so you can follow me on an Elipto-GO and tazer me whenever I fiddle with my watch. It's definitely one of my desperation moves when things are getting hard.

I really appreciated your commend over on my blog Jason.

A fine race for you today. There's no telling what you may be able to do in this sport.

In what are you getting your PhD? Being Purdue it's probably some engineering something or other right?

That's what I often wish I would tell people, Rob, but I am in the English program. You know those humanities people :) The job market is ridiculously brutal, so I imagine I will be adjunct teaching and doing a lot of running after next year but who knows. I've been really lucky in life so I am sure something will come through.

For Jason: "Veni, vidi, vici." = "I came, I saw, I conquered." Gaius Julius Caesar.

For Rob (just so you don't feel left out): "Multa ferunt anni venientes commoda secum, Multa recedentes adimiunt." = "The years as they come bring many agreeable things with them; as they go, they take many away." Horace.

Ok, here's one for Joe: "Alea iacta est." - "The die is cast". Gaius Julius Caesar.

Great run today. Not too fast or slow after yesterday's race. Awesome race btw. Great report, too!

Thanks, Matt. I was running with a former division I 30:1x 10ker. The first few miles were 7:30 (I almost never run below 8 for the first mile). Certainly not after a hard effort. I'm new to group running, so I think they kind of work like a Ouija board. Had I run in the morning the first mile would have been 9 minutes, and maybe the second mile. Got to run those easy runs EASY!

Hey, just saw your race report from the 15K - awesome job! 3 PRs so far this year and I'm sure more to come.

How come you're not part of the Purdue Running Club?

Thanks, Andrea. When you are still newish to running and ran the mile in PE @ 9:15 you can only improve :) But I am very pleased with my fitness right now.

I didn't know about the Purdue Running Club. I just checked it out. Looks like a bunch of strapping young track lads. I am a member of the Wabash Runners Club, but they run too early on the weekends. I think running with these guys and some other folks will be great. I am always jealous of the big group runs out there in Utah!

Hope you are well.

Rather than having the Bam Bar as a desert, I suggest having it for lunch - I have it pretty much everyday. Mind you, you're young enough to get away with eating whatever you want, so maybe it is a good idea to have it as a desert, rather than a ruck of sweet-no- good-for-anything-stuff. The secret is to have it everyday.

I wish I could eat anything I wanted. Went from 163-164 to racing this weekend at 169! I blame my sister's easter basket she sent me. I need the recipe for the BAM Bars again. As for dessert, I usually have a piece of fruit, like orange when I take my vitamins (iron, etc.). I imagine I will have to make some adjustments to get into the 150-range, but I try to eat sensibly and keep an eye on the weight. Haven't lost a ton of weight from the last fall, but I definitely have more lean mass.

Granola as the base (I use almond and raisin) about 3/4 cup.

1.5 table spoon shelled hemp.

2 table spoons whole chia seeds.

1.5 table spoons Maca (the power stuff).

1.5 table spoons raw organic cocoa powder.

1 table spoon of flaxseed,almonds,brazil nuts, walnuts & Q10 - the brand I use is Linwoods.

A good few dollops of probiotic organic low fat vanilla yogurt.

A good sprinkle of ground cinnamon.

A few squirts of dark agave syrup.

One chopped banana.

Handful of raisins and goji berries.

Mix into a bar and enjoy.

You'd be better off using chopped pear rather banana - the pear is better in terms of being a complex carb and you get boron from pears; boron is very important and very hard to get in your diet.

Wholemeal bagel for breakfast.

Grilled chicken, salmon or lean beef with as many raw veg as possible and wholegrain rice/sweet spuds and you can be just like me. I eat fields of baby leaf spinach and watercress.

Supplements 120mg of CoEn Q10; multi vit and 1000g of vit C - everyday. In high mileage blocks, '5'mg of liquid iron - too many male runners take too much iron and because of this, they will die:)

Thanks! Any cooking necessary for bars?

No cooking.

Ah, you poor crater. I hope the rain didn't ruin your Wednesday hair:)

Good tempo on top of the weekend race.

Awesome run today! I love running in the rain. It can be tough but it's a nice change.

Nice tempo. 70 degrees is no picnic when you're used to running in freezing weather, but you still threw down some good paces.

Bam: My hair has a weird wave to it. I think the high mileage is messing with the chemicals in my body. Did it this fall too.

Matt: Exactly. I could have used less weight, but it was warm and fun splashing around (dangerous though when you can see what's at the bottom of a puddle).

Joe: Yep. The two days before this workout felt hot. And I wondered why I felt sluggish. I don't expect it to be 70 degrees and humid in northern Maine in May at 7:30 in the morning. I imagine I will get some more heat training in Indiana before then.

Good workout Jason. I think 1:21 is about right too. But you know that means 2:50-52 for a marathon. You're moving into the little big-boy territory now.

2:55 I think, even though I see your math. When you cross the boy-jogger to man-runner bridge they hand you a bigger pair of stones. I will see how the final big workout goes in 2-3 weeks, but I want to run a smart race and work the downhills. I can definitely run 6:30 pace on a gradual downhill without much effort. No walking this May. I want to be sprinting and throwing confetti from mile 26 to the finish when my parents are watching :)

http://ridersite.org/SBTraining/PaceCal.php?race=Marathon&split=-1&hrs=2&min=55&sec=0

This looks about right I think. 1% negative split.

That's really solid Jason. 4x2 @ HM pace is not a workout you can "fake". If you can do it, you can do it in the race. You're very good about even, consistent pacing. So if you race that way again, you can be taking a crack at going under 1:21.

Thanks, Jake. I ran Hanson's + 2-3 seconds last year. The idea this year was to make it harder without getting silly. Many people run a negative split on this course (I did last year).

Hoping to place well, but well out of the top 3 with big money on the line and a 1:06 course record, which incidentally for winning and setting the course record is $1750. I know running isn't about money, but they could really draw some people with that. They get a few sub-1:10 guys, a few 1:10-1:15 and it really jumps from there.

Jake's just changed his racing schedule:)

That's a nice prize structure they've got. $1750 for breaking 1:06:30... I feel like I should be booking a plane ticket right now :-)

(And Bam knew exactly how I was going to respond when I saw that!)

They paid out for course records for marathon, half, and 8k (men's and women's except for women's 8k). Lots o cash last year. I think we will see a low 66 or 65, but I know what you could do on this course at 700 feet above sea-level. You'd be hitting 4:50s or faster the first 2-3 miles on the downhill.

Way to get in a bunch of miles today. Lots of quality ones, too!

Thanks, Matt. A bit fast for the warmer weather, but it's always nice when a previous marathon pace begins to be a moderate pace in the next buildup :)

Good miles Jason.

Great workout!

Crazy how Monday's events aren't leaving the mind at all yet.. Hits pretty close to home in a sense.

Just checking out your last workout over the weekend, very nice. I'd put money on sub-1:21. Excited to see how it goes this weekend.

Matt: I'm from New England and know people in the area. Crazy. Tragic.

Joe: thanks. I think I'm ready for it. If I run smart it should be there. Weather looks too kind once again, but I will not complain.

Good luck tomorrow! Your training's been looking great - putting you right on track for another A+. Looking like a big year for you! Nail it!

Well done. Regardless of the course confusion, this is clearly a big HM jump for you. 1:18 @ Philly is totally in the cards for you. Very consistent pacing as usual, too!

Yeah, you do seem to nail the pacing pretty consistently. Congrats on the monster PR! The next half you run will definitely be a 1:1x:xx.

Jake: I am not sure why I needed to qualify and cloud a perfectly fine race. The 1:20s weren't too bad. I know the 1:1xs are much harder, but I am okay with that. I know you didn't quite hit what you wanted today, but you always seems to be on. It's a deposit for sure. You and Riley are tough as nails and nice guys to boot.

Joe: The Garmin helps a ton, but you still have to run at the right effort or you can still get into trouble. Legs were pretty done after 10-11, but they were still responding (I love that). Mile 11 I was running 5:52 for most of it wondering what the heck I was doing. I didn't want an embarrassing finish, so I eased up. It wasn't as fast as last years finish, but I am running a good bit closer to (and at times @) lactate threshold.

Hope you are enjoying the rest period. Remember how quickly you came back after you 10-day break before your Boston buildup? It did you well.

Nice race Jason. Congrats on the PR! You just keep improving; it's fun to see.

Our course measured way long today too...annoying. I could've finally got my 1:06:xx. Oh well right? I agree with Jake 1:18:xx is definitely in the cards for you at Philly.

Great race and report Jason! Definitely some great pacing and strong finish. Congrats on the big PR! It'll be fun to see you crush that again later this year. :)

Awesome race Jason! You gotta be feeling pretty confident for the marathon in a month!

Riley: Thanks. I think the half marathon is my distance. The course measurements are annoying. I do know a little bit about them measuring long due to Garmins being off (they aren't the final word), but last year I had .08 and the course changes were hurried. .20 of bad tangents for a half?! I still need to learn to run them in addition to some racing tactics as I continue to work on my speed.

Matt: I couldn't have asked for anything more. Running solo on two lane rounds with the cyclists tooling around. I actually was happy to run without anyone. The residents were very kind and supportive.

Andrea: It's a 4-miniute PR from Sept. on a well-ensured honest 13.1! I am looking forward to the marathon. I am pretty sure I am solidly in 2:53-2:55 shape on a flat course and the aided course will hopefully help and not tear me up. Thanks for checking in.

Well done Jason. Another huge PR. Well balanced training is providing you with good returns. You're improving rapidly, which is great.

Keep doing what you're doing and plan a conservative first half to the Sugarloaf marathon with a strong second half and you'll end up with a 'sweet' surprise.

Congrats Jason - I know I am late to the comments - but you really had a huge PR and a solidly paced race. Well-done!

Bam: I'm going to try to mirror my pacing plan tomorrow and work some downhills. It's likely I'll be running alone for the entire race, so I won't get caught in anyone's pace. Except it would be have someone help pace. I guess I will do what I did last weekend and try to relax. My parents won't be far away so that will be good encouragement. Also, it must be the end of the semester because I am only just now getting your pun . . .

Bret: Not a problem! Thanks for checking in at any time as always.

I had to reread this. I read it as "won" the London Marathon. :)

Jason Thanks for the shout out-- Just now had a chance to see it.

Sounds like all of your training has gone very well.

With a 1:21 half - you'll clearly have no problem dropping a huge PR in the marathon well below sub 3.

It was great to see you hit your goal. I missed tracking you because I got up late, but I saw the news on Rob's blog and immediately check the website. Great stuff.

I'm getting excited about the marathon. Well, after tomorrow's workout I will be really excited. I've worked hard, but things have continued to click, too, which I am thankful for.