Random Inspirational Quote

Off- Really trying to rest my knee and legs.  Wow - I'm still feeling the effects of the marathon on Sept. 16... :(

easy 3.33 miles around the neighborhood with 1 mi. MP to test the knee and legs.  Still pretty tight... 5k on Saturday and Chicago Marathon on Sunday - yikes

3.65 miles easy around the 'hood, dawg :) - about 30 min.

I'll be starting in Corral "L" for Chicago on Sunday.  Wave 2 starting at 8:00.  My name will be Jeff Mitchell - nice to meet you... 

9 mi. easy on bike - I'm really trying to take it easy.  Pretty sure my left knee isn't going to cooperate for the busy fall running schedule I have planned. :(

First cold weather race - I struggled with this one.  No excuses - weather was fine, and the course was flat.  I think the big factor here is that I do not really train for these 5k's - I use these 5k's as training for marathon?... 

I was really pushing after mile 1 to maintain 6:00/mile.  I think I was 5:3x for mile 1 and over 6:00 for mile 2 and 3...

Chicago Marathon on Sunday :)  

I was Jeff Mitchell in this race - thanks, Jeff!  He gave me his entry and a place to stay Saturday night :).  Went in this planning on making it a training run.  For the most part, I stuck to that plan.  Since Jeff's entry was in Corral L (Wave 2 this year), and on Jeff's advice, I snuck into Corral E in the first Wave (7:30 start, instead of 8:00 am start) 

After mile 1, where I somehow found a clear path along the right side of the street the whole way, it took about 2.5 miles to weave through the crowd and get some good work in.  I kept the pace at what felt like a relaxed pace, but not super easy.  Looking at the splits after the fact I remembered the bottle neck around the half mark where I nearly fell on my face - I was stuck behind a group and had to mount the curb to get around :)   Then, at about mile 23 I came up on the 3:10 pace group (huge group)  It took some energy to fight through and around this group, which finished off whatever I had left in my legs.  From there to the finish I felt tightness in the calves and hammies and took the foot off the gas. 

6:24, 7:09, 7:29, 6:35, 6:50, 6:46, 6:54, 6:43, 6:45, 6:47, 6:44, 6:56, 7:48, 6:39, 6:57, 6:54, 6:51, 7:05, 6:53, 6:48, 6:48, 6:49, 6:48, 6:56, 7:23, 7:52, 3:48 (0.5 mi.)

I wound up running an extra 0.3 mi. with all the weaving and poor curve management.  Ran an extra 0.3 mi.-that's funny to me for some reason :)  All in all, though, mission accomplished today: Great training run - felt relaxed most of the way and really had fun!!  This was my first experience with a race of this magnitude.  I have run plenty of large races - a couple times in the Indy 500 Festival Half Marathon (has 35k people), but nowhere near the crowd support and hoopla involved with this international event.  What a blast - 45000 runners, and an estimated 1.5 million spectators lining the streets of downtown Chicago.  There was non-stop cheering and signs and people everywhere!!  There was literally not a single place along the course that there was not some sort of crowd support.  The aid stations were also top notch - they were very long and simple - gatorade first and water second - I did not miss a station where I wanted either or both.

If I did it again, it would be as a legitimate race (as myself) - extremely flat and fast as advertised.  Weather pending, I think this would be a great place to PR for anybody.

The Kenyan/Ethiopian winner broke the course record.  I was only an hour behind him.

Jake and Fritz - you guys would've run about 2:12 in this race :)

Off/walking - icing and studying for the PE on my day off... 

Took today totally off and iced the legs - I def. over did the "training run" in Chicago on Sunday :)  It feels like I pulled my right groin and my left knee is still acting up.

Slow jog tomorrow if I can.

So, I def. overdid the "training run" Chicago Marathon plan - more so race than, training run... took 2 days off and jogged really easy 3.36 mi. w/ the dog.  Right groin feels extremely tight still, but rest of legs seemed to loosen up once I got going.  Iced everything and hope for the best for rest of week.

Easy 4 miles at Mill Race Park and then 2 miles around the neighborhood - slowly.  Nice fall day.  Bring on the Fall races and cool weather football with pumpkin spice lattes afterwards :)

easy run with strides - 3.3 w/ dog - 25:55, got a bite to eat with plenty of protein and carbs, stretched it out really well, and then another 2 w/ strides - 15:37.  Ice and PE studying the rest of the night.

easy warmup with strides - still felt pretty tight.  Race was 3 laps around 5k course.  There relay teams and a 5k race running concurrently.  

Spent the whole race slowly chipping away at one of the lead pack falling off the too fast pace for the first couple miles.  Stuck to my plan very well - 6:10's, even splits.  I was happy to see that my first mile was right on target, even with the usual foolishness of a few and the consistently faster runners.  I often have made the mistake of chasing these faster guys since I know them so well from the other races.  Hopefully, this will be the start of a smarter racing plan.  Often times, like today, an even more manageable pace turns in to me catching some of these guys near the end.  

That was the case today - 6:08, 6:08, 6:16?, 6:08, 6:09, 6:09, 6:10, 6:08, 6:12, 2:32

Caught the 4th place guy at mile 8, but little did I know that he was some crazy ironman guy...

I pass him, he sticks with me, right behind me and huffing and puffing pretty hard - I admit his breathing threw me off... he blows by me with about 0.2 to go and I don't have the sprint speed to catch him - what a tough runner! :)  I was all out crossing the line and he put about 5 seconds on me! 

 58:00 - PR.  Happiness is now a pumpkin spice latte and some ice for my knees :)

4.25 super easy around the neighborhood - 38:52.  Very sore and tight today.  I could barely get my legs to move the entire run.

Legs feel much better today.  5 miles moderate around the neighborhood with 1 mile MP.

36:55

Trail running and hill running at Brown County State Park.  Some great long, steep climbing portions on this trail.  Great hill workout - really got the heart rate up.  Also, what a beautiful place to be with the leaves changing colors!

6 mi. - 57:00

PM Light track workout: 

about 1.5 WU w/ strides,

6x800 HMP (3:06, 3:10, 3:08, 3:07, 3:11, 3:06),

about 1.5 mi. CD

6.42 - 48:40

Easy 4 around the hood with the dog - 33:24.   

Great weather this morning - 45 degrees, overcast.  Went in with the left knee sore and ready to take whatever happened as a "sign" of things to come.  about a half mile of strides and jogging with some stretching before.

 The hilly portions of this really showed in the splits, especially the second half of this course - it got the hammies and knee really talking to me.  Awfully slow last 5k after a PR for 10 miles.  

6:08, 6:17, 6:46, 6:22, 6:11, 6:23, 6:31, 6:23, 6:20, 6:36, 6:59, 6:43, 6:39, 0:46 - for what watch showed as 0.13 mi.

The overall guys' times kind of reflected the difficulty of this course - I think the winning guy is usually a sub 1:10 guy - he was about 1:14 today.  Opted out of the evening 5k, wisely... My left leg feels awful :(  CR Series 5k tomorrow?  Probably shouldn't...

Off - really hurting from Saturady morning.  Spending some time with family from out of town.  A good amount of walking was involved - so at least I can shake out the soreness that way.

Was iffy all day today on if I would take another day off.  Thinking that walking really helped with the soreness.  Over 48 hours without running was just what the docotr ordered apperently.  Started running an easy run around the neighborhood, expecting immediate soreness from the first step but was delighted to discover that my legs have returned a little since Saturday morning.  Still took it very slow/easy, mostly in the grass - 5 mi. - 44:30. 

Indy Monumental is in my sights, now.  Goal - 2:53:xx.  Outlook - good :)

Easy/slow 4mi.x2 - 4mi. with the dog, pause for some protein/carb intake, some stretching, and then 4 more easy.  Started feeling it in the last mile or so at 8:00-8:30 pace, so, slowed to a crawl for the last mile - yikes. 

8mi. - 1:06:36

PM: Abbreviated track/interval workout.  It has been unusually warm here in Indiana - almost 80 deg. today and all week.

1.5 warmup with strides,

4x0.25mi. - 2:39, 2:40, 2:45, 2:54,

1.25 mi. MP - 8:15,

about 1 mi. CD

easy 10k about 830-9 pace

off PE test for 8hrs today 

8mi this morning-pushed it on the hills over the last 3 mi

7 mi. - 28:50 - bike across town to 5k race,

Another typical 5k for me - 5:45, 5:49, struggle with last 1.1 - 6:11 pace.  flat course, a little windy, and the legs felt good.  I guess 5:45 pace is not something I can handle for over 2 mi. on a consistent basis.  Later this winter and early spring, I would like to really focus on developing this consistent speed.  The immediate goal and what I have geared training toward is Indy Monumental.  More specific 5k training would be a fun change after I recover from this marathon.  Correct distance - 3.12 on garmin - 18:28.

Longer more pleasant bike home - 9.38 mi. - 37:50.  

Off/easy - easy 2.5 miles around the hood with my dawg. 

Off - taper weeks drive me crazy.  Done with the PE studying and not running as much - what do I do with my time?

Easy buildup to MP - 3.34 mi. - 24:38 -- 8:12, 6:49, 6:35, 3:01 

My knee still feels weak and my whole left side is tight :( 

Thursday and/or Friday off if I can stand it.

I've got extra incentive for a PR this weekend - my wife and I recently found out that our baby boy is due April 22, 2013.  So even though I finally made it in to Boston, I may not actually get to go run it.  Priorities in life... This will be my first hard leason :)