The Next Step

It was a little warmer today (32) but still very windy so felt cold out. I felt good today so did a little bit of a progression run. I started out around 8:00 pace and finished the last mile at 7:00 with each mile a little faster. It felt good to pick up the pace some but I still didn't push very much. I just want to get a full week under my belt and then take it from there.

Spent most of the day just hanging out around the house doing stuff with the kids. It was a good lazy New Year's day. Since I have a nice long weekend hope to get some more family activities done before hitting it again on Monday.

60:30 (7:33 avg)

Nice day today (36) but still windy. I just did an easy 6 miles and tried to keep the pace very relaxed. I felt good but want to do a longer run tomorrow so took it easy today. It feels good to get some consistent runs in.

48:34 (8:06 avg)

Today completed my first full week of running since the marathon. I am happy to say that I was able to do it all outside without any time on the treadmill. This is definitely a positive this time of year.

Today was a pretty nice day (32) but still had that blasted wind. I complain about it every year but the wind is pretty much a constant this time of year so I guess I ought to accept it. I ran out into the wind so that I could have the run back with the wind. That worked out good so that I was able to pick up the pace on the way back. I felt good throughout the run. Legs got tired some toward the end but nothing bad considering the break.

1:49:30 (7:49 avg)

I was feeling a bit under the weather today. I think I have a stomach bug or something so cut my run short today. It was a nice day today too with no wind so I would have liked to go longer but trying to be smart since it is so early in the year. I felt pretty good most of the way but stomach started acting up again the last mile or so. Hopefully it is just a 24 thing and I can get back on track tomorrow.

38:51 (7:47 avg)

I felt a little better today but not back to 100%. We had freezing rain so stayed inside on the treadmill today. Just took it easy for 6 miles. Not off to a very good start this week. I was hoping to really pick it up this week. Hopefully, I will be able to kick this bug tomorrow and get back on track.

46:51 (7:51 avg)

I felt pretty much back to normal today but was greeted by more snow and ice so back on the treadmill. I decided to do a progression run today to get a little speed in but not push it too hard. I started off easy and then picked up the pace every 1/2 mile. I ended up running the last 3 miles in 7:18, 7:08 and 6:53. Nothing to exciting but it was nice to get the legs moving again. I have ran nothing but easy miles since my marathon so want to start transitioning back into more of a training mode over the next two weeks.

62:57 (7:38 avg)

More light snow overnight temp 15 with wind chill around 0 so stayed inside on the treadmill this morning. I just did an easy run. Felt good with no issues. If the schedule allows it I am going to try a second run this afternoon hopefully outside.

64:20 (8:02 avg)

It was a little nicer outside today (25) but windy. I ran at lunch so it was nice to be able to experience the sun shining. I didn't feel the best today starting out. I had a headache and just felt kind of flat. I had decided to do a progression run today and didn't want to change the plan so just decided to push through the way I was feeling. I did a two mile warmup and started feeling better as I went along. I did a progression run for the next 5 miles and the splits were:

1st - 7:28

2nd - 7:05

3rd - 6:53

4th - 6:43

5th - 6:33

The last couple I didn't feel very good. I felt like stopping after the 4th mile but kept going and I am glad that I did. I felt better after the run and it was good to get a nice solid run in outside.

We are supposed to have freezing rain and snow through the night tonight so may have to do tomorrow's long run on the treadmill. Maybe it will miss us.

58:12 (7:16 avg)

I stayed up late last night going to a friend's wedding so sleep in today later than normal. We had some family activities planned so had to break my long run into two runs. I ran both on the treadmill. In the morning it was 33 with rain/freezing rain and at night is was dark and didn't want to run in the dark. The morning run I just did 9 miles at an comfortable pace and felt good the whole way. On the PM run I did 8 x 2:00 on incline of either 3 or 4%. It was good to break up the run a little. I would have perferred to get one 15 miler in but I guess you take what you can get.

Traveled up to DC today and I am not in the travel mode yet.  I got to the hotel around 7:30 and went down to run on the treadmill for 5 miles.  I was pretty wiped out so I cut it shorter than normal.  Hopefully, I will feel better in the morning and be able to get in a few extra miles.  I guess I am just glad that I got a run in because I was close to bagging it.  So glad I got something in.

40:15

Yesterday I had meetings all day and couldn't quite get a run in.  I was also still tired from Monday so probably didn't try as hard as I should have to work it in.  I was glad to be able to get out early today and at least get in a decent 7 mile run.  For some reason I have had a hard time getting into the routine.  Maybe it is the first trip of the year and just trying to adjust to the crazy schedule.  Hopefully, I can do better because I will be back on the road again next week.  Just felt flat today I was actually hoping to get a second run in today but just now got back to the room from a dinner meeting and don't want to run too late tonight because I have an early morning tomorrow and want to make sure I get that run in. 

56:15

Cold and very windy in DC today so ran on the treadmill at the hotel.  I had some early meetings so didn't get to run as far as I would have liked.  This has been a rough week of travel and I am looking forward to going home tonight.  I felt ok today.  Still a little tired for some reason.  I hope once I get back home I can get in some better running but looks like it will have to be on the treadmill unless I want to brave sub 0 temps.

48:20

Well -10 outside with -25 wind chill this morning so the treadmill was looking real good. Even with the cold temps it is great to be back home. Again today I felt tired when starting out. Not sure what is going on but it has been that way pretty much all week. Because of this decided to just take it easy until I start to feel the legs come back. I did feel better as I went along but still flat through most of the run. I was glad to get 8 in and will try for a longer run tomorrow to see how that goes. Hope everyone is staying warm!

63:14

Another very cold and windy day so ran on the treadmill again. I felt better today but still didn't feel back to normal. I decided to just do another normal run instead of running long today to try to get my legs back. This has turned out to be an easy week so thought I might as well keep it that way and then try to get back on schedule next week.

63:10

Same story weather wise (snowy, cold and windy). I stayed inside on the treadmill but will be traveling south this week so hopefully will be able to get outside some. I felt much better today back to old self so ran comfortably the whole way and picked it up over the last half. I want to get back to normal mileage this week but will be traveling this week so might be tough. We have our national sales meeting this week which means all day meetings and then dinners at night so not a lot of extra time. Hopefully I can get out early and get my running done.

61:54 (7:45 avg)

I had to leave early to go to Huntsville, AL so was lucky to be able to squeeze in a run after meetings today and before dinner.  I ran on the treadmill since it was dark outside and didn't have a route mapped out.  I ran a couple of miles for warmup and the increase the pace every 1/2 mile on the treadmill until I got down to around 7:00 pace.  I didn't feel great.  It seemed harder than I think it should have but haven't done much faster runs lately so that could be the issue. 

53:50 (7:41 avg)

I thought I would get a break in the weather by traveling south but it was 17 degrees this morning so pretty cold.  Is was still good to get outside though and I just did an easy recovery run today.  I felt pretty good and ran easy.  I was hoping to do a second run today but meetings went long and didn't get a chance.  Maybe tomorrow??

48:04 (8:01 avg)

It has been a rough week to stay on schedule.  I am not getting in the kind of runs that I would like to but I am trying to do something in each day.  Today I was only able to squeeze in 6 miles between meetings.  I did a progression run on the treadmill and started after a 2 mile warmup I increased the pace every 1/4 mile and got down to 6:35.  It was the best I could get in with the time constraits.  Hope I can get a run in tomorrow since I have a lot of meetings and have to travel home.

45:03 (7:30 avg)

I didn't have much time this morning but was able to get outside on a nice morning to get a few miles in. It was not the best week of running but I was glad that I could at least run everyday. It has been a long week and I'm really glad to be heading home this afternoon.

40:32

I was hoping to do a longer run today but since I was gone all this week I had a lot of things to do around the house plus I wanted to spend some extra time doing some family activities. I did get in 7 miles and felt real good. I did 6 x hills and picked up the pace toward the end to around 7:15 pace. It was a pretty good run. I am planning on being home all next week so I hope to get back on schedule and get my mileage up.

53:57 (7:45 avg)

I had some extra time today so got in a few extra miles. I felt good today and the run seemed easy. It was probably the result from having an easy week last week. The legs felt fresh so I will try to get back up to normal mileage this week and see what happens.

45:36 (7:36 avg)

It was pretty cold out this morning (15) but not very windy so that helped. Luckily I ran a route where I could go out into the wind and then come back with the wind. I felt pretty good this morning but just ran easy. I am trying to kick the mileage back up this week so want to run mostly easy miles this week because of the increase in mileage. I will see how the body adjust and then add some faster stuff later. We are supposed to be getting some significant snow tomorrow so might have to spend a few days on the treadmill. Hopefully not.

62:20 (7:48 avg)

We didn't get as much snow as expected but enough that I didn't want to get out on the roads and worry about the crazy drivers. I need to find some better routes with less traffic for days like this. Anyway, I ran on the treadmill this morning. I felt pretty good. I had planned on doing some hill repeats but after the first one I had some pain in my right knee so decided I would see if it felt better if I just ran normal. It didn't bother me anymore so I thought it best to just turn this into an easy run and I will try the hill repeats later. We are expecting a more significant snow tonight so have a feeling I will be spending most of my time this week on the treadmill.

62:20 (7:48 avg)

We got about 10 inches of snow last night so no way to get outside today so back to the treadmill. Today I wanted to do a tempo type run so started off with a couple of easy miles then started progressively picking up the pace on the 3rd mile which was probably around marathon pace. Starting on the 4th mile I kicked it up to the tempo pace and ran 4 tempo miles progressively faster in 7:03, 6:50, 6:42, 6:30.

It has been awhile since I ran a tempo and I felt suprisingly good. I wish that I would have ran the first two miles faster and tired to hold it all around 6:40 instead. At least it was good test of my fitness and gave me some confidence to move forward in my training.

57:48 (7:13 avg)

Roads still a mess from the snow so back to the treadmill today. I just did an easy run today after the tempo yesterday. I felt pretty good but was a little sore from shoveling snow for 3 hours yesterday. Probably the best upper body workout that I have had in awhile. Maybe I can get back outside tomorrow.

62:10 (7:47 avg)

Kept the 8 mile streak alive today. I have been tempted to bump up the mileage a couple of days this week but since I haven't done a 60 mile week in awhile I didn't want to over do it. Today was one of those days that I felt good and could have tacked on a few more miles but I will try to remain patient. I did add in 4 x hill intervals along the run. I had some pain in my knee a few days ago when I tried some hill intervals so was happy to get 4 in and will try to slowly increase these over the next few weeks.

I hope to get a longer run in tomorrow so that will really be the key to see if this is a successful week or not. I haven't been getting in many long runs lately so need to get back on track.

61:10 (7:39 avg)

It was good to get back on track with a longer weekend run today. It has been 3 weeks since I did a run over 10 miles and that is not good. I felt pretty good today but I did get some pain in my left calf around 11 miles so backed off the last 3 miles and it didn't bother me anymore. It was just a good steady run today and the pace was a little better than 3 weeks ago. I didn't push at all. Just trying to get the body used to the weekly mileage again. I am happy to hit 60 miles for the week and hope I can build on this next week. It turned out to be an ok month. I had a good week to start the month then a couple of off weeks but finished strong. I need another solid mileage week then I hope to start running more faster stuff.

On a side note I got a Wii Fit for the s but I have enjoyed playing it today as well. I am pretty hooked on the snowboarding.

1:47:54 (7:42 avg)

We had a pretty nice day today (30) but still kind of windy. I took it easy out my standard route down 300S. About a mile into the run my nose started bleeding so had to stop and it took me a while to get it stopped. This is the first time this has every happened to me. Stopping a nose bleed is not the easiest thing to do while running. After I got that under control it turned out to be a good run. I felt good and just cruised along. It was not very fun while running into the wind but luckily that was only about 3 miles.

61:42 (7:43 avg)

We got a surprise snow strom this more with heavy snow and high winds so I stayed inside on the treadmill. I decided to do a tempo run of around 4 miles with a goal of around 6:40 pace. I started off with an easy 2 mile warm up then on the 3rd mile I started picking up the pace so it was probably around MP. On the 4th mile I jumped into the tempo. Here are the splits:

1st - 6:47

2nd - 6:40

3rd - 6:35

4th - 6:22

I felt pretty good during the tempo. Breathing seemed relaxed but my legs were a little tired. I had some left at the end so picked it up the last mile.

57:14 (7:10 avg)

It was around 5 degrees outside and very windy so I stayed inside on the treadmill today. Just did an easy recovery run so nothing much to say. I did have some kind of stomach bug so that didn't feel the best while I was running but otherwise everything was good.

53:48 (7:42 avg)

Another freezing day today outside. It was 1 degree and wind chill around -15 so stayed inside on the treadmill. I did a easy run but added in 12 X 1 min at 5% for a hill workout. I felt better today and the run went good. I did have a little pain in my knee that I will need to keep an eye on but nothing too bad. We are supposed to be getting a warmup over the weekend and for most of next week so I am very much looking forward to getting out in some better weather.

69:24 (7:43 avg)

Just ran an easy 8 miles this morning. Didn't want to do too much as I am still getting adjusted to the mileage and want to run a long run tomorrow. I am happy that these easy runs are getting faster. I looked back at last year and my pace is much lower on these easy runs. I hope this will translate into faster times when I start working on my speed.

61:16 (7:40 avg)

Absolutely unbelievable weather for Feb in Indiana. It was 50 degrees at 8 this morning when I went out. Only bad thing is that it was pretty windy. I felt pretty good today and just ran easily along. I did an out and back on 300S so had to run about half of the run into the wind so that wasn't the best but normal for this time of year. I was enjoying listening to some music until my battery died around 4 miles. I guess it helps to charge it every once in awhile. Another decent week of training. I feel like I am getting my legs back and hope to take it up a notch next week. I want this to be a good month so I can do some racing next month. Good to get this knocked out now it is off to do some house chores and have some fun with the family.

1:56:11 (7:44 avg)

It was a nice morning out today about 35 but a little windy. I started out easy today and could never really get going. The legs just felt drained so I didn't fight it and just settled into a real easy recovery run. I thought it would be best to see how I feel tomorrow and then do something faster. It was really nice to be out in shorts in Feb. That is always a bonus!

1:12:52 (8:06 avg)

I had a very busy day yesterday and never found the time to get my run in. I was also not feeling the best so that might have come into play as well. I was still tired today probably a cold but managed an easy 6 miles. We had storms and heavy rain this morning so I ran on the treadmill. I actually thought I might get a second run in today but the schedule didn't allow it. One of my daughter's is sick and my other daughter had to go to her freshman orientation meeting at the high school. I can't believe that my daughter will be going to high school in the fall! Time sure flies by.

46:14 (7:43 avg)

It was warm today in the 30's but we had 30 mph sustained winds and I wanted to run a tempo run. I didn't think it would be very effective to try that outside so stayed inside on the treadmill. I did 3 miles easy and then ran the 4 tempos miles in:

1st - 6:39

2nd - 6:32

3rd - 6:24

4th - 6:16

I felt pretty good throughout the run and felt under control. Worked out to be a 6:28 avg which was about what I was hoping for. I probably could have ran another mile but I don't want to over do it this time of the year. I might run a 5 mile race next weekend if the weather coorperates just to see where I am at fitness wise. I feel like I am progressing but until it is proven in a race I don't like to count on it.

57:31 (7:12 avg)

Pretty decent morning (28) with thankfully no wind. Just ran easy and felt ok. My legs didn't seem to have much zip in them but otherwise everything was good. We had a beautiful sunrise this morning which was nice to see. We might have some weather coming in tonight but I am hoping to get out and do a long run tomorrow morning.

62:21 (7:48 avg)

The snow and freezing rain missed us but it was 32 with a cold strong wind. Today I just wanted to do an easy long run to work on building endurance back up. I started easy and it felt real easy until around 12 miles and then I think the constant pounding of the wind started to add up because it took more effort on the last 4 miles. It was one of those runs todays that seemed like I ran into the wind the whole way. I'm sure that wasn't the case but sure felt like it. Anyway, I am very glad to get this run in and keep building the endurance back up. I think now it is time to start transitioning into some faster workouts.

2:07:28 (7:58 avg)

We had a really nice afternoon today about 34 but sunny and very little wind. I just planned on doing an easy run to shake the legs out after yesterday's longer run. I ended up feeling really good and just let my body pick what felt like a good comfortable pace. One of those days where you feel like you could really run fast if you wanted to. I just keep it easy and felt real good afterward. I hope to get a real solid week of training in this week. I have put in around 4 good weeks of fairly consistent training so time to take it up a notch. Spring is jus around the corner and I want to be ready for some races.

52:44 (7:32 avg)

It was cool out today (21) but no wind so that was nice. When I started out today my legs felt real heavy and just felt like I couldn't get going. I just took it real easy and did start loosening up and running easier after 3 or 4 miles. I also ran 6 x hill sprints toward the end of the run. The last couple of days have been pretty strong runs for me so I guess it is catching up with me. Good to just have an easy recovery day.

70:28 (8:15 avg)

AM

It was a pretty decent morning (25) but some wind. My legs felt a little better today but still tired probably due to the increase in mileage. I just took it easy and gradually picked up the pace as I went a long. I did get to see a beautiful sunrise this morning. I would have loved to have my camera to get a picture of it. Best I have seen in awhile.

54:41 (7:48 avg)

PM

This afternoon I wanted to run something faster to take advantage of the weather since it looks like it is going to be bad the rest of the week. I wanted to run something around MP or maybe a little faster. When I started out my legs were still tired and felt heavy but decided to stick with the plan. I think sometimes it is good to run faster when your legs are tired to simulate the late stages of a race. I did a couple of miles to warm up then jumped into the MP run. I ran a little over 4 miles and here are my splits: 6:41, 6:56, 6:59, 6:55 so probably a little faster than MP for me based on my current condition. I got a little cared away on the first mile but then got it back to where I wanted to be. Glad to get in an extra run today.

50:42 (7:14 avg)

It was a warm (48) but very windy day. I tried to keep it easy but had to increase the effort into the wind. I felt pretty good but legs still a little tired. It was an ok run but the wind made it much more difficult. We have a cold front coming tonight so not sure about getting out the next couple days.

65:59 (7:52 avg)

We got a little snow last night. Just enough to make the roads a little slick. Also, very windy so ran inside on the TM. My legs felt fried today so I just took it easy and cut it a little short. I actually started feeling better after about 4 miles but decided to make it an easy day and then see how I feel tomorrow.

46:35 (7:46 avg)

Cold this morning (15) with some light wind. Once I got going it wasn't too bad. My legs felt better today but I didn't want to push it today. I think I am still getting adjusted to the higher mileage so hopefully next week I can get more speed into my training. The next three weeks are going to be tough since I have a lot of travel scheduled. I will be in Portsmouth, NH next week, DC the following week and then Huntsville, AL. I will have to really work to keep on schedule but this is an important time to keep building up so that I am ready for some spring races.

I did schedule some good travel. I will be going to the beach with the family for spring break the first week of April. That is the only trip that I am looking forward too.

Going to try to run long again tomorrow. I had thought about running a local 5 mile race tomorrow but we are supposed to get some snow. The only reason to race would be to check my fitness and don't think it would be a good test if I am slipping around in the snow. I might be stuck on the TM but it has been a pretty good week since I have got outside almost every day.

66:41 (7:54 avg)

I sleep in today just didn't feel like getting up early. My wife and oldest daughter had some plans so I stayed home with my youngest daughter and got a little time to run on the TM. Since I couldn't go long I decided to run faster. I started off easy and then just continued to pick up the pace. I ended up running the last mile in 6:11. I felt pretty good and feel like it was the best way to use my limited time. It was a rough day outside today anyway. It was very windy and snowing.

64:00 (7:07 avg)

Traveled to Portsmouth, NH today.  By the time I finished up meetings it was getting dark so ran on the treadmill in the hotel.  Looks like they have had some recent snow so I am going to try to scout out some routes to run tomorrow.  I felt pretty good today nothing special just good to get in the run.  Going to go out and eat some Lobster now!

54:28 (7:46 avg)

Portsmouth, NH.  Ran on the treadmill again today. I have not found anyplace to run outside with a lot of snow piled up covering the sholders and sidewalks.  I didn't feel the best this morning.  The legs were just tired and didn't have a lot of energy.  I did manage to do 6 x 5% hill repeats which was good to mix things up.  I am going to try to run again this evening if I can work out the schedule.

54:50 (7:50 avg)

PM:  Was able to squeeze in another run before a dinner meeting.  I ran on the TM and felt better than I did this morning.  I picked up the pace and planned on doing about 4 miles at MP but the power to the TM cut off about 5 miles into my run.  I added on some extra time on the ellitical which I will count for another mile.  I would have liked to have got in at least 7 miles running but at least I got in two runs today. 

Yesterday I had an early morning math session with my daughter on the phone and then had meetings all day and flew back to Indy so missed running. The weather today was really nice around 50 degrees and windy. I had planned to do a tempo run today since I missed yesterday but after running a couple of miles it was very obvious that there was no juice in the legs. I decided to just take it easy and try it again later. Not sure why I felt so tired after the day off but didn't want to fight it.

61:05 (7:53 avg)

Today is a rough day for me. Three years ago today my Dad passed away. In an instant I lost my mentor and my biggest fan. I think about him everyday but today all the memories come back even stronger. I relive one of the worst days of my life. So I do as I did three years ago, I go out for a run. Running does a lot for us physically but it can also be a big help for us mentally. After my Dad passed away when I was down I would go out running and I always came back feeling better. It worked again today.

As I headed out the door and down the street I could feel tears coming to my eyes but soon I was pounding out a steady pace and my mind was flooded with all the great memories that I have of my Dad. I thought about how proud he was of me and my family. I thought about calling him after I had just completed my first marathon. I thought about seeing him hold my oldest daughter for the first time and seeing the tears of joy in his eyes. I thought about all the things that he taught me as a young boy that I still do today and make me who I am. So today's run had nothing to do with my pace, how far that I ran or what it might do to help me in my next race. Today I was running for my Dad and reliving all the good memories that I have of him.

My hope today is that everyone will enjoy being with the ones they love. Love on them and let them love on you....

It was around 15 this morning with some pretty good wind so didn't feel like getting outside for my first run in March with a 0 wind chill so stayed in on the treadmill. I did a progression run. I started off easy and felt good so just kept picking up the pace. I worked down to the last mile was around 6:40. It felt like a good run to start off the week. I was supposed to go to DC today but flight was cancelled due to the bad weather so get to spend another day with the family which is nice but still have to go tomorrow.

58:24 (7:18 avg)

Another cold morning (8) so ran on the TM.  I just took it easy today.  I felt good and the pace seemed very relaxed.  I am really itching to get some speed work in and to run some races to see where I am at.  I am looking at a couple of 10k or shorter races over the next couple of weeks.  Just need to see which one will fit into the schedule the best.  I will be in DC for a couple of days so hopefully can stay on track and get a solid week in.

60:30 (7:34 avg)

Washington, DC.  I had early meetings today so got in 6 miles on the TM.  I felt pretty good but just took it easy today.  Since we lost a day on this trip due to the weather we are trying to cram a lot of meetings into two days so running time will be tough.  I would have like to have gotten two runs in today but probably won't happen.  I will try to do some faster running in the morning.

49:02  (8:10 avg)

Late night last night and early morning meetings so was only able to squeeze in 6 miles but at least ran some of it at MP.  I felt good and ran the MP miles between 7:00 and 7:10 pace.  I fly back home tonight so no chance for another run today. 

45:15 (7:33 avg)

Back home in Indy today and the weather was great (almost 60 but very windy).  I felt good and I think Spring fever got a hold of me because I just naturally picked up the pace.  I had planned on running easy but just went with what the body felt like doing.  I had a couple of miles in the 6:50's but most were around 7:10 - 7:20.  I am now really looking forward to Spring.  It felt so good to be out in shorts and short sleeves but still working up a good sweat.  

 It is going to be hard to get a long run in tomorrow or maybe even any run at all since my sister is coming into town for a visit.  If I can't run tomorrow will try to make it up on Sunday.

65:36 (7:17 avg)

I tried to squeeze in a run before some thunderstorms but didn't quite make.  It started pouring rain about a mile into the run and then it started lightning.  After turning around and heading back to the house my wife came and picked me up.  She vetoed running the rest of the way back in the lightning which shows she is the smart one in the family.  Hopefully, I can get back on track this week.  The last two weeks have not been very good.  I need to get some solid weeks in to build from.

Ran after work today on a beautiful evening.  It was around 60 but pretty windy.  I felt good today and just ran comfortably.  I am going to try to do some speed work tomorrow if I can get my schedule straight.  My oldest daughter is sick so not sure what impact that might have. 

On a side note, I started a Twitter account.  Has anyone tired it?  I am still not sure about it but will give it some time to see how it works.  I have been dabling in some Internet marketing activities on the side and thought it might be a tool to help networking.  I will provide some feedback later on my experiences.

68:51 (7:39 avg)

Another great day out today.  It was in the 60's but very windy.  Today I did some 800's on the track.  I jogged over to the track for a warm up and my legs felt heavy and tired.  Not a good sign.  Decided to stick with the plan and see what happened.  When I got to the track the plan was for 5 x 800 at 3:00.  I haven't ran any speed work outs in months so wasn't sure how the legs would respond.  Here were the splits:

1st - 3:01

2nd - 3:00

3rd - 2:59

4th - 3:02

5th - 3:02

My legs felt horrible on the first one and I wondered if I would be able to complete the workout.  I felt better on the 2nd and 3rd ones but 4th and 5th were a struggle.  I think the combination of bad legs and a very windy day didn't make for a good session.  Anyway, I was glad to get it in and it is something to build on.

This week has been crazy busy at work so it has been rough working in the running time.  Also, found out that my daughter has the flu so I stayed with her while my wife ran some errands so couldn't get outside but was able to get in 6 miles on the treadmill.  I just wanted to do a real easy recovery run today anyway.  Since my legs were shot yesterday I thought it would be best to take it real easy today.  I felt better today and hopefully with the easy day tomorrow will be even better.  I am praying for a quick recovery for my daughter.  She is in the school play and their big performance is tomorrow night.  Right now it doesn't look good for her to make it.  Also, praying that the rest of the family doesn't get it.  She has been really sick the last few days.

49:02 (8:10 avg) 

Well it is not Spring yet.  It was in the upper 20's today will a pretty good wind.  I started out with pretty much no plan on what I wanted to do.  I just thought I would take off and then see how I felt and decide on the run.  After about a mile the battery on my watch died and I was feeling good so I thought I would just run a good solid pace then throw in some surges at around 5k pace.  I did 10 of the pick ups and I'm guessing that they averaged around 90 seconds each.  It felt good and turned out being a decent unstructured workout.  I am hoping to go longer tomorrow because I have an all nighter Friday night with the youth group so Sat could be rough.

Pretty nice day around 40 with some wind. I felt good and it seemed easy today. I didn't get to go as long as I wanted because of work schedule. I will try to get in a longer run tomorrow.

67:10 (7:28 avg)

After staying up most of the night at our church youth group's all nighter I didn't have the long run in me today.  I also played a lot of football and went roller skating so was stiff from that.  I was glad to get in the 8 miles but I need to start getting some longer runs in to get prepared for my half marathon in May.  I am leaving tomorrow for Honolulu and I am hoping that with the big time change I can get out early and get in some decent runs.

61:45 (7:45 avg)

I flew to Honolulu this morning for a business trip.  I don't like to leave on Sunday so I was bummed out about that.  When I got there I went out for a quick run.  It was a beautiful day (76) with light wind.  I was able to run around to Diamond Head and catch a great view of the ocean.  I didn't feel the best running I was pretty stiff.  It could have been the 9 hour flight but it was good to shake the legs out.  I finished around 11:45 EST so I barely get to count this for a Sunday run.  Now ready for sleep.  Jet lag kicking in.

46:38 (7:47 avg)

Honolulu, HI.  Went out really early this morning and it was warm (68) and humid (haven't said that in awhile).  I still felt a little stiff this morning but loosened up after a few miles.  I ran up and around Diamond Head.  The waves were beautiful reflecting from the moon.  This is always good run since I get some hill work in.  I am hoping that tomorrow I can get a longer run in.  It seems like I have been saying this for weeks so hopefully tomorrow will be the day.

64:00 (8:00 avg)

Still in HI and another great morning (68, light wind). I had to get back for some conference calls so had to keep this run shorter than I was hoping. I felt better this morning than I have the last couple of days. I decided to push the pace a little today especially on the hills. I ran up and around to the back side of Diamond Head so that gave me 4 long hills to work on. Turned out to be a pretty good run.

69:15 (7:48 avg)

Last day in HI.  Did the standard route up around Diamond Head and added on a few miles around a neighborhood on the back side of Diamond Head.  This added a lot of extra hills to the run.  I felt pretty good but just ran by feel.  Really looking forward to heading home tonight.

1:36:36 (8:03 avg)

I flew back from HI on the red eye and was pretty wiped out when I got home.  I planned to run but got caught up in work and family activities.  Good to be home.

I sleep in today from the jet lag and just stayed busy all day and then wanted to do some things with the family later in the day.  Should have ran but was just kind of lazy.

Last night I was checking out the local race calendar for upcoming races and saw a close 5k and decided to do it.  I have not really prepared for a 5k but thought it would be a good test of fitness.  It was a pretty nice morning around 30 with some light wind.  I did a 2 mile warmup and my legs felt kind of flat.  I am not sure if it was from not running the last couple of days but just didn't feel sharp.  Going into the race I thought I might have a chance to break 19 minutes but was sure what to expect since it has been over a year since I ran a 5k.

I got off to a good start and actually had to back off some because I didn't want to burn out.  I settled into what I thought was a good pace and felt pretty good the first mile.  I came through the first mile in 6:03 which was a little faster than planned but no problems.  The second mile went pretty good as well but was starting to feel the energy run out of my legs.  I managed to hold it together pretty good and came through mile two in 6:12.  The third mile I could see another master running about 10 seconds in front of me and I focused on him but he was keeping a strong pace and I never did catch him but it helped me push the last mile.  I managed a 6:15 and then rounded a corner where I could see the finish.  When I looked at the clock I could tell it would be close to 19 minutes so I gave it the best kick I could and just barely got in under 19 at 18:59. 

A guess all in all it was a pretty good pace.  This is a PR by 54 seconds so from that point of view it was a good race but I haven't ran a 5k in over a year and I knew I was in much better shape than last year.  I think with some focused training I can bring this down some more.  It was fun to run a shorter race and now want to try a 10k and see how that goes.

I did a three mile warm down after the race.

I got out early before church this morning.  It was cool (around 30) but a beautiful morning.  I had a great time listening to some praise and worship music while watching the sun come up.  Awesome experience just enjoying God's creation on a wonderful day!  I was a little stiff starting out from the race yesterday but after a few miles felt like I was back in the normal groove.

54:32 (7:48 avg)

Nice morning (40) but a little windy.  Went down to Southeastway Park and ran the loop around the park through the trails.  It was nice to get out in the woods again.  I was a little stiff and sore this morning.  I played basketball at the church youth group last night and took a tumble and banged up my knee and elbow.  I think I am going to have to retire from the basketball games because I seem to get injuried every time I play. I felt better as I went along and then did 6 x short hills sprints toward the end.

1:17:27 (8:10 avg)

I am in Huntsville, AL today and it was a great morning.  It was sunny around 55 with some light wind.  I was still stiff and a little sore today so decided to just take it easy and cut back a few miles.  My knee was a little tight but better than yesterday so I am thinking it should be back to normal tomorrow.  After a couple of miles I picked up the pace and ran the last 3 or 4 miles around my normal easy pace.  Looks like some good weather down here this week as long as the rain holds off.

46:23 (7:44 avg)

Huntsville, Al. It was a nice morning around 55 degrees. Just ran easy and comfortable most of the way. I felt good and added 8 x short hill sprints toward the end.

Got back from Huntsville late last night then left for vacation today today for Gulf Shores, AL.  It was a crazy morning trying to get unpacked and then repacked for vacation so didn't get time to run before leaving.

Gulf Shores, AL.  Got here around noon and then got unpacked and enjoyed some time in the sun.  Just enjoyed having time with the family.  Plan to get back on track with the running in the morning.  It was very very windy today.

Gulf Shores, AL.  Got out early this morning on a great day for running (55).  However, it was very windy.  I felt pretty good but just ran easy today.  It is always nice to be able to run along the beach and watch the waves roll in plus feel the ocean breeze.  I found I nice route down by a row of beach houses that were close to the ocean.  I will try to do something faster tomorrow.  I played football and volleyball on the beach this afternoon to get a little more exercise. 

We did have a little bit of a scare today as my youngest daughter got caught in a rip current and it took her pretty far out in the ocean.  Luckily she was on a board that she could float on but I had to dive in and pull her out.  It was hard on me to get her back in against the current. 

71:09 (7:41 avg)

Gulf Shores, AL.  Very nice morning for running (53) but still pretty windy.  I was sore this morning from the football yesterday.  I have a sore groin muscle that hurt pretty bad to lift it but it didn't feel bad running.  I started off easy and planned on doing a tempo run.  I ran 3 miles easy to get loosened up and then started the tempo.  I struggled from the start.  My legs just felt fried.  I did a couple of miles and then bagged the tempo and just ran easy.  I did the two tempo miles in 6:42 and 6:38 but it was a hard effort.  I will take it easier today on the beach activities.

68:09 (7:17 avg)

Gulf Shores, AL. Nice morning today (60) with high humidity and wind.  I felt better today but groin was still a little sore.  I started off easy and felt pretty good starting out.  I went out into the wind and it really felt good to turn around and come back with the wind.  Toward the end I was starting to feel tired.  I didn't have any fluids with me so think I was running out of energy.  It was nice to get in a little longer today and the legs definitely felt better today then yesterday.

Gulf Shores, AL. Had T-storms this morning but was able to get a run in between the storms. Felt pretty good but legs still stiff. Too much beach football this week! I did pick up the pace the last mile to a little faster than MP.

45:28 (7:25 avg)

Gulf Shores, AL.  Beautiful morning today and the wind was not as strong so that was nice.  I just took and easy run today.  My legs don't have much zip in them this week from all of the other activities that we have been doing.  It was good to get a few extra miles in than yesterday and not a bad week of running for being on vacation.  We are heading back home tomorrow so not sure if I will get out in the morning.

69:15 (7:42 avg)

Drove back from Gulf Shores yesterday so didn't make it out for a run.  Back home today and it was a nice morning (50) with some wind.  When I started off I was very stiff.  Probably from spending all day in the car yesterday and all the different activities during the week.  After a couple of miles I started to feel better and just kind of zoned out and crusied along.  I was glad to be able to get out this morning since we have T-stroms this afternoon.  Need to get a good week of training in this week since I only have about 4 weeks until my half marathon and I don't feel like the training has been going very good this spring.

1:09:42 (7:44 avg)

Nasty day today in Indy.  Rain/snow and winds gusting to 30 mph.  Stayed inside on the Treadmill since I had an easy day planned anyway.  Legs are feeling better today but not back to 100%.  Hopefully tomorrow I will be back to normal and can get rid of sore/stiffness.  Not much to report other than I miss running along the ocean.

54:15 (7:45 avg)

I ran on the treadmill today.  I wanted to do a tempo run and it was super windy outside so that is my whimpy excuse for running on the treadmill.  Seriously I did want to be able to see how the tempo went pace wise and figured I would be all over the map in the wind.  I started off with a 2 mile warm up and felt pretty good but still a little stiff.  I used the 3rd mile as a transition to the tempo so it was more at MP and ended up at 7:06.  I picked it up to tempo pace and ran the tempo miles as follows:

1st - 6:34

2nd - 6:24

3rd - 6:21

4th - 6:15

So did the 4 mile tempo in 25:34 for a 6:24 avg.  I was pretty happy with the run.  I would have perferred to have this result on the roads so will try it again next week outside to see how it compares.  It felt comfortably hard if that makes sense.  I finished up with a mile cool down.

56:34 (7:04 avg)

Got busy yesterday and didn't get a run in.  I have been struggling with staying consistent with my training the last few weeks.  I need to get back to where I get in at least 6 consective days of running in.  Hopefully, that will improve over the next few weeks.

It was a cool morning (33) but no wind.  I felt good this morning but just ran easy.  I have had some kind of a stomach bug or something the last couple of days but that didn't bother me too much.  I would like to get another good workout in this week but I am thinking about running a 10k this weekend.  I am looking at our schedule and will try to make a decision today.  If I don't do the race I will do a longer tempo run tomorrow.

1:10:01 (7:46 avg)

Pouring rain this morning so ran on the TM. Just an easy run today. I am planning on running a 10k in the morning if the schedule works out so didn't want to do to much today. I felt pretty stiff getting started today but felt better after a couple of miles. As long as I feel good and can make sure the family schedule is clear I will run the 10k in the morning. Not too much planned for the race just want to use it as a hard workout and maybe break 40 for the first time.

47:24 (7:55 avg)

I wanted to get a good 10k in and see how my fitness is progressing. I went in hoping to break 40 minutes but came up short. My acutal race time was 39:39 but the course was short (two other runners with Garmins had the same distance) so I adjusted my time up to what I thought it would be for 10k which was 40:45.

I ran a 1.5 mile warm up and felt pretty good so went into the race planning on sub 40 pace. Once the race started however it was pretty clear that today was not going to be my day. Even after about a 1/2 mile my legs just felt dead like bricks. I came through the first mile in 6:25 which was pretty much on pace but it was a lot of effort. I stayed close the second mile with a 6:27 but could feel it slipping away. The third mile was actually down a big long hill but I only managed a 6:32. Coming back up the hill on the 4th mile I slowed down to 6:57. The fifth mile was a little hilly and I was trying to keep it together after coming up the big hill so came through in 6:50. The 6th mile was flat and I started to recover some and was able to pick it up to the finish so ran this mile in 6:22.

I guess this is actually a PR but I don't like listing it as a PR since the course was short and had to adjust the time. I am disappointed that I didn't run under 40 minutes which I thought should be in my range based on the 5k I ran a few weeks ago. I just didn't have the legs today. My breathing was never labored I just couldn't get my legs moving and they felt so heavy. I guess it was just one of those days. Hopefully, I can sharpen things up over the next couple of weeks before the Indy Half Marathon.

I had an early flight to Seattle today and was planning on running when I got in. I ended up with a 2 1/2 hour delay on my connection so by the time I reached Seattle I had to get ready for a dinner meeting. I didn't get back to the hotel until late (especially EST) so didn't get my run in. The joys of travel.

Seattle, WA.  Rainy this morning plus staying by the airport and didn't see any good places to run so ran on the treadmill at the hotel.  It felt good to get back to running after a couple of days off.  My legs felt good and just ran easy.  I am going to try to run again this afternoon if the schedule works out.

55:05 (7:52 avg)

PM:  I had a little bit of time after meetings and before a dinner meeting so was only able to get in 5 miles so wanted to make the most of it.  I ran 3.5 miles of it at tempo pace.  Here are the splits for the tempo:

1st - 6:44

2nd - 6:40

3rd - 6:35

last  1/2 mile at 6:31 pace.

I felt pretty good and it didn't seem like a hard effort.  It was a good day of running for being on travel.

35:30 (7:06 avg)

Seattle, WA. I got up early and ran before my flight back home. Just ran an easy run on the TM. My legs felt a little sluggish. Probably from the double yesterday. It has been a while since I ran a double. Good run and glad to be heading home.

73:02 (8:07 avg)

Nice morning today sunny and 47. When I started off I felt stiff and tired.  As I ran I loosened up but I felt tired the whole way.  I am not sure what is going on but just feel like my energy level has been down on my runs for the last couple of weeks.  Maybe something in the diet or something else but haven't felt good on a run in a while.  I am going to try some thing with diet, etc and see how that works.  Just glad to get the miles in today.

70:40 (7:51 avg)

Another nice day (39 and no wind).  Pretty much the same as yesterday.  Still felt like I had no energy today.  I was running at 8:00 pace and it felt difficult.  I am not sure what is going on but didn't try to push it.  I just took it easy since I may just need some recovery time for some reason.  I am also trying to work on my diet and make sure that I am eating right.  I am planning on a longer run tomorrow so hopefully that will be better.  On the positive side it was a beautiful spring day today and it felt great to spend some time outside this afternoon.

64:32 (8:04)

It was a great morning to run (48, sunny, no wind).  I started off easy and felt better than I have the past couple of days.  I ran consistent for the first 10 miles then picked it up some over the last 5 miles. It was an OK run but I still don't feel back to normal. It seemed much harder than it should based on my running over the past couple of months.  At least today was better than the last couple of days.  Maybe I am getting back to normal.  I only have 2 weeks before the half marathon so hope it comes together quickly.

1:57:25 (7:49 avg)

Ran a real easy 4 miles today just to shake the legs out after yesterday long run.  I have not done a good job of getting long runs in this spring and I am afraid it is going to cost me in my upcoming half marathon.  It it pretty much too late now so hopefully I can get a good week in this week and then taper off the following week for the race.  I ran around 8:30 to 8:45 pace today and felt better after.

Good luck to everyone running Boston tomorrow. I am going to be following it on the web. It should be pretty exciting since there are a couple of Americans that have a shot at winning.

We had on and off showers today so I tried to sneek my run in between the rain.  It didn't quite work out since it started raining about 4 miles into my run.  I had a couple of miles that were not too fun since the wind was blowing about 20 mph with the rain coming right into me.  Other than that a pretty good run.  I need to do some things to take care of my body.  I am all the sudden feeling kind of beat up with a bunch of little things.  Sore groin, hamstring and knee.  None of them are very bad but combined just make me feel bad.  Probably need to take better care of myself.  I have not been stretching, icing, massaging, etc. like I should be.

I got to watch Boston on TV.  That was fun.  It was nice to see the americans in the mix and they both had good showings so running in the US is looking up.

1:02:03 (7:45 avg)

I ran on the TM today since it was 40, raining and very windy outside.  Didn't sound like a good day to me. I just took it easy today.  Still not feeling the best so just trying to run easy until I get my legs back.  I might try a tempo tomorrow if I feel better. 

62:25 (7:48 avg)

It was cool this morning (38) and a liitle bit windy.  I wanted to do a tempo run this morning to see how my legs are doing and to get a feel for my upcoming half.  I started off with a couple of miles for warmup and I didn't feel the best getting warmed up but decided to go ahead with the tempo.  When I started the tempo I just tried to ease into the effort and it felt like I didn't have any energy.  My legs feel like I am running in quicksand.  I don't know what is going on but I just shut the tempo down after 1 mile because it felt like a race effort just to run a 6:50 mile. I think my plan now is to just run easy the rest of this week and then next week do an aggressive taper before the Half marathon.  Maybe if I really backoff I will be able to get my legs back and be able to do a decent run.  My expectations at this point for the race are really decreasing.

1:17:24 (7:45 avg)

Really nice morning (40, no wind). Pretty much the same report as the last few days. I may have felt a little better today but for some reason my legs feel like I just finished a 100 mile week. I am not planning any faster runs until I feel better and will cut back next week for the half. If my legs don't respond I may just train through the half and look for another race down the road. Pretty discouraging lead up to my big spring race! I will keep chugging along and see how things go.

47:01 (7:50 avg)

Beautiful morning (60 but very windy) today.  I felt better today.  Not back to 100% but at least a step in the right direction.  I did a 1/2 pickup about half way through the run and it seemed to feel comfortable running sub 7 pace.  I didn't want to continue to push it since I feel like my body is starting to respond to the easy running.  I will probably run around 10 tomorrow and then really cut back next week before the race.  Forecast looks great for the weekend here so hope to get outside and have some fun with the family.

54:30 (7:47 avg)

This morning I volunteered at the school consession stand and then came home and did yard work all afternoon so didn't run until this evening. I was pretty tired from a busy day but felt ok running. Also, it was 80 degrees and very windy. I was definitely not used to the warmer weather. All things considering, it was not a bad run. I am getting ready to take an ice bath and then plan on taking the day off tomorrow so I am interested to see how I feel on Monday.

62:01 (7:44 avg)

Warm and windy this morning (68). After taking a day off yesterday I was interested to see how my body responded to a little extra rest. Starting out it was pretty much the same story as the last couple of weeks and it didn't get any better. Just don't seem to have any energy when running. I feel fine all day just no legs when running. I tried a few stride outs while I was running and there was nothing there. I will continue to cut back before my race on Sat but at this point unless I have a huge turn around things don't look good. Today's thought was hydration. I will try drinking more water to see if that might be a problem. Starting to get frustrated by this but it is what it is. I will keep plugging along and see what happens.

55:09 (7:53 avg)

Light rain and cooler today (62) but a good day to run.  I felt better today so maybe the rest and the cut back in miles is doing the trick.  I mostly took it easy during the run but threw in 2 x 1/2 pickups just to see how I felt.  They felt ok.  I wouldn't say strong yet but ran them around 6:45 pace.  I am thinking about taking a couple of rest days before the race on Sat.  I normally only take one.  I thought of two different approaches.  1) rest, easy day, rest or 2) easy day, rest, rest.  Just thought the two rest days might help my body respond better from being tired.  Anyone have any thoughts or experience with this?

38:18 (7:40 avg)

Warm (68) and sunny today. I just did an easy 4 miles. Felt ok nothing special. Hard to tell if the taper is helping but hopefully it will pay off on race day. Decided to take tomorrow off then do a short run on Friday before the race.

32:05 (8:01 avg)

Raining and 62 this morning.  I just ran a couple of miles to get warmed up and to stretch out.  I did a few strides to get the legs awake after a real easy week.  Hard to tell how I am going to feel tomorrow based on the short run today.  I am looking forward to giving it a go tomorrow.

Tomorrow's Half Marathon Plan:  When I signed up for this race earlier in the year my thoughts were to set a new PR and make the top 500 in the race (if I run a PR I should make top 500).  I haven't had a great buildup to this race so my thoughts might be foolish but I am sticking with my goals.  I will plan on going out right at PR pace and then see if I can hold it.  I figure the worst thing that can happen is I blow up and have to jog in.  Based on the last month of training my expectations were dropping anyway so I don't have much to lose if it doesn't work out.  I would however be more upset if I lower my goals and then half way through the race realize that I could have ran much faster if I would have been more aggressive.  So I am excited to see what happens.

The short version is that I set a new PR and got in the top 500 which was my goal for the race.  It was a great day for the race.  Right around 50, cloudy with no wind.  Couldn't ask for better conditions.

I went into this race concerned because the last couple of weeks I just felt tired everyday while running.  My legs just seemed to be wiped out.  Because of this I really cut back the mileage the week before the race and ran easy everyday.  I was hoping that this would freshen my legs back up for the race.  I decided that I would go out on PR pace and just see what happened.

I did a short warmup and felt pretty good.  I was very relaxed for some reason.  Maybe because of the last couple of weeks my expectations were kind of low.

I was in the first corral so got off to a good start and just tried to run the pace of everyone around me and not try to fight the crowd (there were 35,000 runners).  I was checking the garmin often so that I could settle into around 6:40 pace.  I felt good starting out and seemed to be running comfortable.  Here are my splits for the race:

1st - 6:38 (good mile considering all the people)

2nd - 6:38 (just trying to relax and stay on pace)

3rd - 6:42

4th - 6:44 (dropping off a little so started to get concerned about holding this pace)

5th - 6:48 (really starting to wonder if I started too fast)

6th - 6:43 (on the track and trying to get back on pace)

7th - 6:48 (still feeling ok but holding back, took gel)

8th - 6:45 (starting to believe that I can hold this pace to finish)

9th - 6:40 (decided to try to work the next two miles to see if I could hold faster pace)

10th - 6:37 (starting to pass a lot of runners and using that as movitition)

11th - 6:37 (starting to feel it but want to keep pushing)

12th - 6:38 (on the edge so try to maintain pace)

13th (1.1) - 6:29 pace (big crowd and pushed hard to the finish, thought I might get under 1:28 but came up just short)

Needless to say I was very happy with the result.  I went in not knowing what to expect but the body responded and felt pretty good the whole way.  I even ran a negitive split which is a first for me in a race of this length.  Also, this is probably the smartest race that I have ever ran.  I usually go out too hard and pay for it in the end.  It was nice passing a lot of runners the last couple of miles.  I wouldn't say my legs felt good today but I noticed that I could push through the sluggish legs and hold the pace.  Maybe I am learning more about how my body responds at faster pace (who knows?).  I come out of this very excited for the future because I ran a PR on less than optimal training the last couple of months.  Now I need to get my act together and start getting the training where it needs to be. 

On a side note the local TV station broadcasts the race live and I taped it then watched it when I got home.  I got on TV a couple of times during the broadcast so that was cool.  Now for my reward I get to go out and do yard work the rest of the afternoon since this is the first day it hasn't rained in about a week.

I took off another day after the race on Saturday.  I had some soreness in my legs but not too bad.  I also had to travel to DC today for a conference so very busy.  I did do a good session of core work today which is something that I need to do more of.  The conference that I am attending is at the new Gaylord in DC which is really nice.  I found a good route to run in the morning so plan to get back after it.

Washington, DC: Cool and rainy this morning. I was still a little sore in my calf from the race but otherwise felt pretty good. Just took it real easy to continue the recovery. I am not going to jump back in to quickly so that I give myself plenty of recovery time. After that I really want to pick it up a notch so I want to be ready. Stood on my feet all day at the conference so that was no fun. One more day then head back home tomorrow night.

Washington, DC:  Nice morning for running around 55 and cloudy.  I felt a lot better today.  Pretty much back to 100% but just took it easy anyway.  I ran around National Harbor which is pretty and has some nice rolling hills.  The only bad thing is that it is a small area so if you wanted to run further you would have to go out onto the main roads.  Seems like a big convention center like that should have thought of running/walking trails.  I am glad to be heading back home tonight and am supposed to go with my daughter's class to a baseball game tomorrow as long as the weather is good. 

41:35 (8:19 avg)

Had some thunder storms in the night but luckily it stopped this morning and was pretty nice running weather (58, light wind).  I took yesterday off to go with my daughter on a school field trip then had a lot of house chores to do when we got home.  I had planned this to be a real easy week after the race and plan to get back on schedule next week.  I felt pretty good today but kept the pace nice and easy.  I am going down to my nephew's college graduation tonight so not sure about running tomorrow since the graduation is in the morning and will probably be visiting with family. 

62:41 (7:51 avg)

I was able to sneak out today for a run while my wife took her Mother's Day nap.  It was a nice day around 65 with some wind.  I felt real good probably from the super light week that I had last week.  I am real glad I took some extra time for recovery after the half.  I think now I will be ready to go for a new phase of training.  I really hope that I can kick it up a notch on the training and see what happens.  I plan on this week just doing easy runs but getting the mileage back up then the following week I will start working in some faster runs.  I have 3 straight weeks of travel coming up so hopefully I can stay on track while on the road.

62:06 (7:45 avg)

I traveled up to Virginia Beach today for meetings and a conf.  I was able to run before a business dinner I had to go to.  It was raining, 52 and windy not the kind of weather I expected.  I felt good and ran easy.  I ran down on the boardwalk by the beach so that was nice but should be a lot better if the weather improves.  Anyway it is always nice to be able to run along the ocean. 

I am interested to see how the body responds to getting back to normal mileage.  Hopefully the travel schedule will allow me to stay on track and maybe even get in some longer runs.

62:33 (7:49 avg)

Virginia Beach, VA: It was a really nice morning (55, sunny, windy) for running. I ran down along the beach and it was great to be able to watch the sun coming up over the ocean. I had a hard time getting going this morning just felt kind of sluggish but felt better as I went along. There were quite a few people out this morning which was nice. I normally don't see any other runners when I am running at home since I ususally run along country roads.

8:05 avg

Virginia Beach, VA: Another nice morning (60, sunny and windy). I ran down on the boardwalk again today. It was nice watching the sun come up and saw quite a few sufers out. On a sad note saw a beached dolphin that they were removing from the beach. Not sure how that happened but that was the first time I have seen one stuck on shore.

I felt pretty good today but the legs were a little tired. Probably from jumping back to full mileage this week. It is kind of what I expected. Also, it is windy down by the beach so my pace went back and forth depending on the wind.

1:11:50 (7:59 avg)

Virginia Beach, VA:  Another run along the boardwalk this morning.  It was warmer (63) and very windy this morning.  I had a hard time getting awake this morning so started off real easy.  I didn't fight the wind and just slowed the pace when running into the wind then picked it up when I had the wind to my back.  Overall a decent run.  I am heading back home today and boy am I glad.  This has been a long week.  I am happy with the training this week while traveling.

1:12:42 (8:05 avg)

Glad to be back home today and it was a great morning for running.  It was around 55 with no wind.  I felt good this morning and started off easy.  As I went along I picked up the pace and then ran the last couple of mile close to MP.  I was suprised to feel good after the travel and a full week of running.  Hopefully, tomorrow I can go longer.  Also, I am starting to put together a summer racing/training schedule.  I think I will run some 10ks and maybe another half before building up for another fall marathon.  I want to take my mileage up some and also add in more quality sessions. 

53:59 (7:43 avg)

We had a lot of thunderstorms through the night but luckily they stopped early this morning and I was able to get out for my run.  It was 65, humid and windy.  I was a little stiff this morning.  I played golf for the first time this year and walked so probably used a few muscles I am not used to using.  However, after a couple of miles I felt loosened up and ready to go.  Around 3 or 4 miles I went through some kind of a blood sugar drop or something I felt real weak all of the sudden.  The only thing different I did this morning was take a gel before I started.  Not sure if that caused the problem or not but it only lasted a couple of miles then I felt fine again.  After that I just ran easy and crusied along.  I did have to run the last 7 miles into the wind and it was stronger than I thought it was going to be.  Overall a good run and a good week for me.

1:51:24 (7:58 avg)

It was a beautiful morning today for running. It was cooler (46) and sunny with no wind. I felt pretty good this morning coming off a rest day yesterday. I started out easy and just gradually picked up the pace as I went along. This was one of those runs where I just kind of zoned out. I had a lot on my mind so it was good to just clear the head and I felt much better when I got back.

1:17:25 (7:45 avg)

My wife had an early morning appointment and my daughter was home from school sick so I stayed with her and ran on the TM.  Pretty boring run especially since it was absolutely beautiful outside.  I felt good and the run felt easy.  I think I am ready to start back to some faster running now so will try to mix that in in the next few days.  I am heading to Philadelphia this afternoon for a couple of days.  I haven't been there in awhile so not sure what the running routes will be like.  Hopefully, I can find some good places to run.  I don't want to be stuck on the hotel TM.

61:45 (7:43 avg)

Philadelphia. It was a nice morning around 50 and sunny. I found I a good place to run down along the river. I felt pretty good starting out and planned on doing some MP miles. After a 2 mile warmup I picked it up to MP. I ran 6 miles between 6:45 and 7:00. Most were closer to 7. I felt fairly comfortable the whole way even considering this was probably faster than MP for me. The last mile was up a huge hill so even though I was cooling down it added to the workout.

65:33 (7:17 avg)

Philadelphia. Another beautiful morning for running. It was low 50s with no wind. I ran the same route as yesterday down along the river. I just took it easy and ran by feel. I felt pretty good but was tired from not sleeping very good the last couple of days. Heading back home this afternoon.

65:15 (8:09 avg)

Back home and it was a nice morning 68 but the humidity is starting to get up.  We are visiting family this weekend so wanted to knock out the long run today since time will probably be short on the weekend. I felt good starting out and ran along easy.  I didn't take into account the warmer temps and higher humidity so I didn't take any fluids with me.  After about 10 miles that started to catch up with me so I just slowed down a little but was definitely getting tired toward the end.  When I got home I re-weighed myself and I lost about 3.5 lbs and that was after drinking a glass of water.  I guess summer is almost here and need to plan to take fluids with me on these longer runs.

1:51:33 (7:58 avg)

In ky visiting my wife's family. It was a warm morning with some wind. I just ran easy after yesterdays longer run. I felt pretty good and got in some hills which was good. I did some hill sprints at the end.

50:15

It was raining hard all morning so I finally gave up going outside and just ran on the treadmill.  I wanted to go to the track today and do some 800's so I just did the same on the treadmill.  I would have perferred to do this on the track but I guess you just have to take what you are given.  I did a 2 mile warmup then did 7 x 800 at 6:00 pace with a 400 recovery.  I felt good and controlled through the workout but could start to feel the effort on the last couple.  It was good to get the legs moving faster but I really want to get outside and do the same workout to see where I am at.  Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day!

57:25 (7:11 avg)

Very nice morning (55, sunny) for running.  I just did an easy recovery run.  I felt good and just enjoyed the great morning.  I did have a little pain in my left knee for about 1/2 mile but other than that everything went smooth.  Stayed up too late last night so was a little tired.  Need to get back into the routine after the long weekend.

54:55 (7:51 avg)

PM:  Traveled to Huntsville, AL for meetings then was able to get out for another run this evening.  It was warm (80) and humid.  I felt really good running so just kind of ran by feel and ended up running around 3 miles probably close to MP.  I didn't really pay attention to the splits or the time but was probably in the 7:10 to 7:20 range.  I was glad to get in another run and glad I felt good after running this morning and traveling.

45:05 (7:31 avg)

This is the first day that all the travel finally caught up with me.  I didn't get much sleep last night and had some important meetings so slept later hoping to run later in the day but the day got away from me and never got a chance.  Hope to get back on schedule tomorrow.

Huntsville, AL:  It was warm and humid this morning (68).  I had a hard time getting going this morning but once I got moving I was glad I got out early.  I felt pretty good running but just took it easy the whole way.  I am heading back home tonight so probably won't be able to get in another run today.

63:52 (7:59 avg)

I back home late last night so slept in a little later today.  It was warm when I got out (65) with a little wind.  I felt pretty good running but had some pain in my left knee.  It didn't bother me the whole time but probably need to ice to see if I can get it taken care of before it gets worse.  I am planning on running a longer run tomorrow if the weather is good and I can get my landscaping projects finally completed.

1:10:12 (7:48 avg)

Still trying to catch up on sleep so got out later than planned today.  I'm not sure what the temp was when I started but it was 71 when I got home.  It was a beautiful sunny but windy day.  I felt good starting out and just crusied along.  I ran out and back along 300 S and it was one of those days where you feel like you are running into the wind the whole way.  It was coming from the side but always felt like it was quartering into me.  I ran into my neighbor riding his bike around 10  and slowed down and talked with him for about a mile.  After that I picked it up for a couple of miles but then I started feeling tired so slowed back down to easy pace.  I felt like the wind just finally wore me down plus I know that my endurance is not where it needs to be so I will keep working on that.  I was glad to get in a longer run and I think this may be my longest run so far this year which is not good.  Now off to do some yard work.

2:09:25 (8:05 avg)

Cloudy, windy and 65 this morning.  I ran out and back along 300S.  It was an easy run and I felt good this morning.  After the long run on Sat and then about 10 hours of working in the yard I was beat on Sunday so a day of rest really paid off and I felt much better today.  This is going to be a pretty busy week since I have a quick trip then my neice is getting married on Friday and my wife's family is coming into town.  I hope I can stay on schedule with the running and try to work the running in where I can.

62:42 (7:51 avg)

Today was my girls last day of school so hung around and watched them off and took a few pictures.  I can't believe that I am going to have a high schooler next year.  Wow! Time flies.  It was warm this morning 68 with some wind and I went to the track for the first time this year. I did 6 x 800 with 400 recovery. The plan was to shoot for around 3:00 each. I did a 1.5 mile warmup and felt ok. Legs were a little flat. Here are my splits for the 800s:

1st - 3:02

2nd - 3:01

3rd - 3:00

4th - 3:00

5th - 3:01

6th - 2:59

The first one felt like a struggle getting going then the next few felt pretty good. The last couple my legs were really flat and had to push them pretty hard. Overall very happy with the workout and keeping the splits close to goal. Did a 1 mile warmdown afterward.

54:02 (7:43 avg)

Seattle, WA:  I flew out yesterday after my daughter's 8th grade graduation.  If you will allow me to be a proud father for a minute, my daughter was selected by her teachers out of all the kids in her class for the citizenship award.  It was given to the student who showed the most respect, had the best attitude and was an encouragement to their fellow students.  I was very proud of her and her teachers said some really incrediable things about her during the introduction.

Being on the west coast I was able to take advantage of the time change and get out early.  I didn't have my Garmin with me so just ran for a set amount of time.  Later in the day I calculated the route on the Internet.  I ran down by a harbor and it was very beautiful.  It was a great morning and an awesome sunrise.  I had some good views of Mount Rainier which had a purple/red cast to it from the sunrise.  Since I ran down to the harbor I got to run back up a hill that was about 1 1/2 miles long.  That is not something that I get to do everyday.  It was pretty hilly the entire way so turned out to be a good run even though I took it easy.  Head back early in the morning so not sure if I will get a run in or not.

81:02

Yesterday I had a 6 am flight out of Seattle so had to get up very early to get to the airport and when I got home we went straight to my neice's wedding rehearsal (my daughter's are in the wedding).  So missed my run yesterday.  Seems like the travel is costing me about 1 day a week of training.  Hopefully, it will get more manageable.

Beautiful morning (55, light wind).  I planned on doing a tempo run this morning.  I have my in-laws coming in town for the wedding so have a busy day planned or I might have did a long run.  Anyway, ran 4 miles easy to get warmed up then ran a 4 mile tempo with 1 mile cool down.  The goal was to run around 6:45 for the tempo miles.  Here are the splits for the tempo:

1st - 6:52

2nd - 6:44

3rd - 6:40

4th - 6:32

I didn't feel great this morning so I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out.  The first mile of the tempo was probably the worst.  I just didn't feel like I could get going.  The 3rd and 4th were my best ones as I felt like I was gettting into a groove.  Overall pretty good run.

66:04 (7:20 avg)

My niece's wedding was Friday night and we didn't get home until around 2 am then had a house full of guests so didn't get a run in on Saturday.  After everyone left today I was able to get out for a short run.  It was a nice day (75, windy) and I was pretty stiff starting out.  I loosened up quickly though and then felt a lot better.  It was good to get out and glad I was able to get a run in since I had a spotty week last week. 

38:57 (7:48 avg)

It was warm (71) with some wind this morning.  I was a little this morning so had trouble gettting going but after a mile or so got into a nice flow and felt better.  I did have some pain in my left hamstring.  Not sure where that came from but will keep an eye on it.  I had an off week last week so hoping to get back on track this week.  I have another quick trip in this week so hopefully that won't throw me off.  I am looking at some 5k and 10k races to run over the next few weeks just trying to clear up the schedule.  Would like to go after some new PRs if possible.

78:41 (7:52 avg)

It was a warm (70) and very humid day with some light wind.  I felt sluggish starting out this morning.  I wanted to go back to the track and repeat the 6 x 800 workout.  I did a 2.5 mile warm up and still didn't feel too good starting out.  Morning workouts are tough for me to get going.  Here are the splits for the 800s:

1st - 3:00

2nd - 2:59

3rd - 2:58

4th - 2:59

5th - 2:58

6th - 2:59

The first one was tough just starting out but the 2nd, 3rd and 4th felt pretty good.  Started to have to really push it on the 5th one and struggled on the last one to stay on pace.  This was a little better than last week and I am happy with the workout considering I didn't feel the best going into it.  Over the next few weeks I want to increase the number of 800s and add in some shorter faster stuff as well.  Then I want to run another 5k and see if I have made any progress.

Philadelphia: Had meetings all day but was able to get a run in before a dinner meeting.  I am staying by the airport and didn't get a chance to scout out any routes so just ran on the hotel treadmill. It was really hot in the workout room which was connected to an indoor pool.  I just took it easy and felt ok.  My legs didn't feel like they had much zip to them.  Could be from running hard yesterday.  I have another busy day tomorrow before flying home so hope I can get a run in tomorrow. 

71:30

Yesterday I had early meetings then traveled back home.  I did some things with the family when I got home so didn't get a run in.

Today is was nice (65) but windy.  I felt tired and run down when I started and that pretty much stayed the same throughout the run.  I had thought about doing a tempo run today but thought I should just take it easy since I didn't feel good.  I did manage 6 strides at the end to see if that might shake the legs out for tomorrow's run.  The last few weeks I have not managed to get in full weeks of running with all the traveling but hope to get back on schedule next week since I will be in town all week. :-)

55:40

Last night we took our daughter's to see the broadway musical Wicked.  It was really good and the girls had a great time.  We got home late and then I had trouble getting to sleep so got up later than normal today.  I was pretty warm (70) and humid with some wind.  I felt ok this morning and ran out and back along 300S.  I just took it easy the first half and ran around 8:00 pace.  On the way back I started gradually picking up the pace until I ran the last 3 miles around MP pace (7:15).  Ended up running the last half at an avg of 7:39 pace.  I feel like I am starting to get my endurance built back up again but still not quite there.  Hopefully, the legs will adjust soon and then I want to add in some long MP runs.

1:49:39 (7:49 avg)

I took the day off from work and took my oldest daughter to Kings Island amusement park.  We had a great time and it was a really fun day.  Will get back to running tomorrow.

Nice morning (65, cloudy).  When I started out I felt very flat.  Could be from be on my feet all day yesterday at the amusement park.  After a couple of miles I started feeling better and by the end of the run I was feeling good and wanted to run faster.  This is probably a result of being off for two days.  I wanted to do some speedwork today but kind of figured I would not be feeling the best early in the morning.  If I can work it in I am going to try to run this afternoon and work in a faster workout.  Hope the schedule doesn't get too crazy.

62:07 (7:46 avg)

It was warm (70) and windy this morning.  I ran over to the track to do some 400s today.  I felt kind of sluggish in the warmup running over to the track and didn't know how the speedwork would go.  I decided to stick with the plan and see how it turned out.  I planned on running 12 x 400 in around 85 sec with equal recovery.  After the 2.5 mile warmup I started the 400s and here are the splits:

1st - 83

2nd - 85

3rd - 86

4th - 84

5th - 83

6th - 85

7th - 83

8th - 84

9th - 84

10th - 85

11th - 84

12th - 85

It seemed like it took the first 3 or 4 to get going.  After that I settled into a good groove but then the last 3 I could really feel it in my legs.  My legs were starting to feel like jelly.  I think it was a good pace and just the right number of repeats.  I don't think I could have done much more and stayed on pace.  I am enjoying the track workouts and feel like they are starting to make a difference.  I think in a few weeks I would like to run a 5k or 10k and see if it translate into a race. 

1:14:20

It was cooler today (65) but very humid.  I was a little stiff and sluggish getting going this morning so I took it real easy at first.  After a few miles I started feeling better and got into a good pace.  Just an easy recovery run but good to get it in.  Some thunderstorms were moving in and I finished just as it started to rain. 

I have been looking at scheduling some upcoming races.  I want to do a marathon this fall but haven't found one that fits into the schedule yet.  We are going to Disney late Oct and I am running a relay with some friends the first part of Oct so Sept would be the best time but there are not many races around this area that time of year.  I may have to go later and run later Nov or Dec.  I am looking for one with decent weather and a fast course to go after a PR.  If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

9.25 miles  73:58 (7:59 avg)

PM:  I want to get my mileage up some so I am going to try running doubles a couple of days a week and see how that goes.  It was warm (80) and humid this afternoon.  I just ran easy.  My legs felt pretty tired so don't want to try to do to much with the increase in volume.  I ran through Fox Cove and added on 3/4 of a mile around the subdivision to get up to 16 for the day.

6.75 miles 54:16 (8:02 avg)

I think summer is here.  It was 78, very humid and windy this morning.  After the long day yesterday I just wanted to run a real easy recovery run but with the heat I am not sure how much of a recovery run it really was.  I felt a little stiff and sluggish getting started so tired to take it slow.  Felt pretty good the middle part of the run but the last couple of miles I was feeling the effects of the weather.  Need to get out earlier which might help some.

66:10 (8:16 avg)

My daugther had a birthday party/sleepover so we a bunch of 12 year olds running around didn't get to sleep until late so sleep in later than I wanted to today.  It was warm, very humid and very windy today.  Not the kind of conditions for a good run.  I decided to just take it easy and get in the miles.  Glad I did because I ran the last 6 miles into a strong head wind and that was tough.  I would have liked to go further today but since I got out later than expected and the conditions I guess I am happy with what I was able to do.  Turned out to be a pretty decent week after a slow start.  Hope to keep it going into next week.

1:45:50 (8:14 avg)

Hope everyone had a Happy Father's day.  I had a great day with the family.  Early evening I went on a 21 mile bike ride with a friend.  We mostly just crusied along and talked but was good for the legs.  Pretty nice day still humid but cloudy and cooler.

Another warm (74) and humid morning.  Went to the track today and planned to do 5 x 1k in 3:45 (6:00 pace).  Ran the 2.5 miles to the track as a warmup and felt pretty good.  Jumped into the repeats and here are the splits:

1st - 3:44

2nd - 3:43

3rd - 3:43

4th - 3:44

5th - 3:44

Total: 18:38

As usual the first one I felt kind of sluggish but felt better as I went along.  I had to push pretty hard on the last one to stay on pace but overall it was a good session. Ran a cooldown back from the track and it started pouring ran for the last 1 1/2 miles so got soaked.

We are definitely in summer now.  Another warm and humid day.  Just did an easy run this morning.  Was kind of slow getting going but after a couple of miles felt much better and got into a good pace.  Picked it up the last three miles to around 7:30 pace.  I am going to try to run again this afternoon if I can work it in.  I think my training is starting to get good but still missing a day here and there so hopefully I can be more consistent.

7 miles in 54:51 (7:51 avg)

PM:  I wanted to do a second run tonight but did some things with the family then ran 1 mile with my daughter.  She is starting to get ready for CC this fall so hopefully she will stick with it.

Hot (74), humid and sunny this morning.  I just took it easy this morning.  I was feeling the effects of the heat and humidity so just cruised along.  I felt pretty good running but didn't want to push it.  I am planning a tempo run tomorrow so didn't want to go very hard today.  Looks like this weather is going to last for awhile.  The forecast calls for hot weather for at least the next 5 days.

72:50 (8:06 avg)

Still hot (75) and humid this morning.  Today I planned on doing a tempo run.  The goal was to run 2 x 2m at 6:30 pace with a couple of minutes recovery between.  I have never done this workout before.  I have always done my tempo runs just straight thru but thought this might help me run a faster pace given the weather conditions. I did a two mile warmup then started the first 2 m tempo.  I felt a little sluggish getting started but soon got into the right pace. It was a pretty hard effort but at this point I didn't think I would have any problems with the workout.  The first two miles were 6:33 and 6:31 so was happy to be staying on pace.  Did a couple of minute jog for recovery before I started back into the tempo.  This did not seem to work for me at all.  I felt really bad when I started back at tempo pace.  My legs felt like Jello and I just didn't seem to be able to get going again.  I ran 1 mile in 6:40 but was pushing it real hard so I just shut down and jogged the rest of the way in.  I don't know if this is something you have to get used to or if this workout is not for me.  I really feel like I could have ran the 4 mile tempo straight thur at pace if I hadn't taken the recovery.  I will try it that way next time and see what happens.  I was pretty disappointed at first but I guess it is good to get in 3 tempo miles especially in the heat.

Hot (75) and humid again today but at least there was a little breeze that made it feel better today. I started off real easy today but felt good so gradually picked up the pace as I went along. I probably got close to MP for the last couple of miles but wasn't paying a lot of attention just running how I felt. My parents are coming to visit this weekend so won't be able to get in a long run tomorrow so I will try to get in another run this afternoon to make up for it.

1:09:59 (7:47 avg)

My parents were up for the weekend so didn't get out yesterday but got some free time this afternoon so went to Southeastway Park.  It was hot (85) and windy but seems like the humidity was lower.  I just ran some easy loops around the park.  I didn't feel the best running but finally started feeling better about the time I stopped.  I stayed up too late the last few days so running low on sleep which might have something to do with it.  Later in the evening I went back out and ran 1.25 miles with my daughter.  It was a nice evening.

It was warm (72) and windy but the humidity is lower so it didn't feel too bad.  I had thought of doing some speedwork this morning but after running the first couple of miles I thought it would be better to just take it easy today.  My legs didn't have much in them.  I just had a hard time getting going this morning.  I have been out of my normal schedule for about the last week and I need to get back into a more normal routine.  I did feel better later in the run and picked it up on a couple of the miles just to shake the legs out. 

I am traveling to Huntsville today but the family is going with me so that will make the trip much better.

1:10:15 (7:48 avg)

Huntsville, Al:  It was warm (73) and sunny but didn't feel too humid today.  I was stiff and had a hard time getting loosened up this morning.  After a few miles it started to feel better and I picked up the pace and ran a couple of miles at MP.  The MP miles felt pretty easy but my legs just don't seem to have any zip in them.  After the MP miles I did 6 x 100m strides to try to shake the legs out.  Yesterday I drove down to Huntsville with the family so maybe spending 8 hours in the car had something to do with the way I felt today.

62:27 (7:49 avg)