The Long Run

41:55, 14th Overall

Perfect conditions on a day to support a great cause. My first race since Boston, and first race where not injured in quite some time.

I wouldn't say I had low expectations for this race, it was more like no expectations or even no concept of expectations.  All during May I was running mid 20's for mileage and it was getting worse and worse with the hip area pain.  I kept on taking time off but nothing seemed to work.  But eventually with some exercises that Jenny showed me from an article by coach Jay Johnson and a month of physical therapy I think I'm back to normal and hopefully better than I was before even when not injured.

Before the race I did a 1 mile warm up.  It was a beautiful morning with the sun rising up over Tampa Bay, looking out from Vinoy Park.  While it was still dark the pier was illuminated with pink lighting in honor of breast cancer awareness.

I went out way too fast the first mile but it felt great (6:13),

the other miles were:  6:35, 7:00, 6:48, 6:46, 6:40 with the last bit after mile 6 in 6:01 pace.

Two minutes slower than my PR but a very lifting race.

Running the first mile actually felt like one of the best first miles of a 10K I've run.  But, after the first mile I couldn't quite hold on and needed to readjust and I just focused on keeping it under 7:00, which I did except for the third mile which was up hill.  I got passed by a few people here and there up to about the 4th mile.  There was a woman that passed me that I almost caught up to a few times but eventually she got away from me, finishing about 20 seconds ahead of me to be the overall first female.  There was also a guy that ran up behind me and said "are you Mark?", he said he was in my age group and that I usually beat him (his name was Steve).  He also said he was supposed to be running with his wife but he got a little carried away.  I said I think that today was the day he might get me.  He told me to follow him which I did for a while but he got away from me.

I think I can scratch off the (injured) now.

Ran with Lisa R. this morning, met her at 6:00 after she had already done 2 miles. We were a little fast at first but then slowed it down after the water stop. She got to see gate game interval. It was cool enough out that I actually felt a bit cold.

Cool morning run with Lisa R. , Chris H. , Carin, and Cherise for a bit. I was looking forward to an easy slower run which we did for the most part except when Lisa realized she was a little on the late side she said "interval!" and took off (with about two miles to get home), Chris and I ran after her but never did catch her.

Wide awake once the alarm went off so I didn't go back to bed at all but got ready while Jenny got ready for work, then I did the "lunge matrix warmup" before heading outside. Ran the loop, then saw Cherise, who I was not expecting. Headed back home just in time for Jenny to come back from work and Lisa to show up. We then did an easy out and back to the water fountain.

Great run this morning! Started off with Jenny , Chris H. , Lisa R. and Cherise. We ran together to the water for a quick drink, headed back where Jenny split off to head home, then Chris and I went out for some more. Weather was very nice and my legs felt better than they did yesterday.

 

On Saturday, Jenny will be doing her first ever 50K trail race at Croom

Woke up to say bye to Jenny as she left for the 50K, did not go back to sleep so I started running a little bit early. Did about 3 miles alone then stopped by Jamie's house and then we ran eight miles together. I forgot to restart my watch for about 4.5 miles but I was able to get the approx time/dist from Jamie. After the eight with her I ran to where Jenny had left the car. Pretty fun run, probably one of my more enjoyable completely in the neighborhood long runs, and my longest run since Boston.
Oh, yes, and I did the lunge matrix before the run for a warm up since I had the time available.

But the big event of the day was heading up to watch Jenny finish her 50K race.

After the run I got ready and took the kids to bowling.  We left before the third game so we wouldn't be late to see Jenny's finish.  Got up there in plenty of time.  The race was at a place called Croom which is just outside of Brooksville.  They had a 16 mile "fun run" and a 50K.  I've known a lot of people of have been to Croom and everyone has always raved about it but I had not actually been there before.  The place was amazing.  Which is good since I recently signed up for the spring 50K race there.  I might even be back sooner for some training runs and a newer race there which takes place in January.

We hung out at the finish line and waited for Jenny and her friend Sean who were running it together.  They appeared out of the woods a few minutes early of their goal both looking strong.  Then everyone hung out and enjoyed a great atmosphere and some pretty awesome hamburgers.

 

I took the dogs for a walk in an extremely light drizzle and was thinking about how perfect it was for running. Jenny said, then why not go for a run. So, spur of the moment I headed out for a quick 5 miles, no music, no shirt, no gels, no water (I thought about no Garmin but wanted to get in at least 5). The rain got a bit heavier but I didn't care, I was just happy to be running.

It's been quite a long time since I've run on Sunday, and about three years since I've run on the day after a long run.  I felt good after this run and even the next morning.  I've been staying on top of strengthening, stretching and hip mobility exercises and it has really been helping.

Monday will be my day of rest from running this week.

Ran the neighborhood with Lisa R.  I did a short 0.27 warmup before she arrived, then we did 7.06 together at a slightly quicker pace than usual. I did one gate interval but just missed it, but then another car came through. We did part of the C shape nbhd, but not all, just enough to get 7 miles in.

 Lisa didn't have her garmin with her and I was setting the pace, she said it was ok that we were going faster (she's usually more around a 9:00 or slower).  She's tough though.

 

Jenny is off this week (at least until Friday) from running after doing the 50K.  When she walks now I can't tell she just did a 50K.  She's tough though.

Ran with Chris H. and Kathryn in the neighborhood. They both arrived from different directions at the exact same time, one by car and the other on foot. Few drops of rain right away, then it fluctuated. A bit of lightning in the distance, enough for everyone to cut it short a little bit.

We had been running slower, but picked it up a little bit for the last two miles to bring the average from about 9:30 to 9:13.

If it wasn't so dangerous to run outside with the possibility of lightning I would want to do it more because it is certainly amazing to see.

 It was still dark when we finished but I could see the sky starting to break and it later turned into a nice pleasant day (even a bit warm for my parents who have just made their return to Florida along with the annual snowbird migration

Nice run with Jenny and Lisa R. this morning. I did about a mile warm up first, then Lisa showed up just as Jenny was getting back. We ran out easy to the water stop and back then I ran just past Lisa's house. It was nice having Jenny back this morning, seemed like longer than only 8 days since the last time we ran together!

After the run, I did various upper body exercises as well as most of the post run routine from Jay Johnson (the sequel to the lunge matrix which is done before the run).  It's from a Running Times article called "give me 15:".

 I also did my first practice at a one arm chin up.  This is probably a totally useless pursuit but you never know.  When Jenny saw me doing it she asked me why?? to impress friends and family? lol

No, not really it's just a small fitness goal.  I've been going a long time without any goals or with goals that were only running related.  I'm hoping if I can set and achieve some small goals it can lead to better things.

Jenny had to be into work for a client, so I biked Thomas to school.  It's kind of fun and a nice time of the morning to share.  Things have changed a lot from two years ago when both boys biked to the same school.  Now it is just Thomas for the rest of this year and next year.  I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.  Although I get into work a little bit later when I bike him it is worth it and I can still try to finish a little bit early on Friday.  When I had the chance in the past to get in early I didn't always take it and would end up staying later.  So, I'm going to do my best to balance things out from here on.

Totally spur of the moment decision to go long. Jenny's friend Jamie was planning on 18-20 and I figured why not go along. The weather was great. We took it easy and literally kept it conversational the whole way. I looked at the pace about 3 times - 9:27 avg in the first few miles, 9:21 at the turn around, and 9:16 overall at the end. Almost forgot to turn around after going out 10 miles which is why we ended with 21 miles. Hopefully Jamie feels ready for NYC marathon now.

As far as time on my feet goes, this was possibly my longest training run, even though it was more of a "fun run" than actually training for anything.

We saw two deer while in Starkey park just as it was getting light out.  We also saw lots of people we know including Tatoo Mike, Andrea, David J, Elizabeth and Carin and many other people.

21.01 mi 03:15 09:16 pace

This run was probably one of the most enjoyable long runs I've had.  The pace was not fast but it was not that slow either.  Everything about it was perfect, despite the fact that I was awake between just after 12:00 and 3:30 last night.  I had fallen asleep ok at first, then just after midnight heard steps upstairs.  Very fast steps but kind of light, too.  I went up stairs to check on the boys who were fine and nothing seemed out of place.  As I thought about it, I realized that it must have been a squirrel scampering across the roof.  After that I was in and out of bed.  I read another chapter in Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets , checked the weather on the computer for the morning, as well as my email, got a drink of water and all that stuff.  I eventually managed to get back to sleep and woke 5 minutes before the alarm clock.

 I also had time to contemplate various things, both running and non-running related.  I thought about the time off that I had to take from running and whether I define how I run or if my running was defining me.  In the end I decided that no matter what the truth was from now on I would define my running and I would use it as a tool.  I also thought about how I finally have the stronger core (although could use more work) that I vowed to get 4 years ago but somehow never found the time to do.  There's lots of things like that.

 The next morning I found out it wasn't really a squirrel but my oldest son said he had to take a quick trip to the bathroom and stumbled over some things while in the dark - mystery solved!!

Ran with my favorite running buddies Jenny , Chris H. , and Lisa R. as well as a run into Carin and Cherise (pretty much anyone who runs with me is a favorite running buddy). Nice cool weather and good times. I couldn't ask for anything else, I want to clone this run.

This was the first run since Jenny's 50K where we ran together and her spirits about running were better.  She had been suffering from dead legs or something.  Tough to run on those.  Was very happy that her legs were back to normal.