The Long Run

First run of New Year for me.

Back-filling in entries so not too much to say.  Leaving for a six day cruise this afternoon.  Planning on trying to get a few treadmill runs in on the ship.

Hoping to get 4, made it farther, sunny but rocky day. Key West port visit canceled :-(

Looks like it was too rough to safely dock the ship.

Running on a treadmill on a rocking and rolling ship was interesting.

Later in the day, around dinner time the waves finally got to me, had to skip the main course and go lay down.  Two of the family did not make it out of the room for dinner, but the youngest one had no problem at all, and he was the one most worried about the cruise.

Treadmill run on the ship. Woke up early so I got a little extra in before starting the day.

We have an excursion into Cozumel but not until afternoon.

Another treadmill run on the ship. Got in three runs for the week, better than expected.  Went a little bit faster today.

Haven't had a significant cut back week in a while, so I was probably due for one.  I also learned last year how counterproductive it can be to try and cram in a full schedule of running while on vacation.

I thought I had woken up extra early, but not really since the clocks changed from Central back to Eastern.

Week from today will be my first 50K trail race.  I plan on running at a faster pace than I ran on the training run but not all out since I don't want a big long recovery time, since the 100K will only be a month away.

Ran with Lisa R. , nice relaxed pace, enjoyable run this morning!

When I started out I was planning on running by myself, so was glad to see Lisa coming down the street just as I was turning on my garmin and getting ready to start.

Cool and windy this morning. Got a slightly later start (almost 6:30 instead of the usual 6:00).

I popped wide awake when Jenny's alarm went off then slowly drifted back to sleep until it was just after 6:00.  I thought about staying in bed but decided a short run would be better than staying in bed.  

For some reason, I like to wear my green silence shoes on Fridays.  They are so light, almost feel like wearing slippers but I don't notice less cushioning or support.

My first trail race. I couldn't have asked for better weather. It was freezing at the start (literally) but it warmed up nicely but stayed cool enough to not feel hot.

The course was beautiful. I fell down once at mile 20. I ate m&m's at the aid station (twice).

Saw Jenny and Sean K. out on the course, met Cathy B.  before the start of the race and ran into a lot of nice people out on the course.

Overall I kept a pretty even pace and had to fight to hang on towards the end. It was also nice to see Ash, who I ran with on my first Croom practice run, he was there volunteering today and was very encouraging each time I went past the starting area. I'm very pleased with the overall experience as well as my time which I knew could vary quite a bit. It helped a lot that Jenny encouraged me to think about some goals before the race. I also really enjoy the relaxed after the race hanging out, it feels like you are at a cook out with a bunch of good friends (even though you don't know everyone).

The course consisted of an initial starter loop of just over two miles, followed by three big loops about 10 miles each.

Due to some last minute changes, the 50k race had two start times, 6:00 and 7:00.  There was also a 100K race starting at 6:00 and a 25K race starting at 7:00.  I started out wearing a long sleeve tech shirt (old Disney marathon shirt), sleeveless shirt, hat gloves, arm warmers and shorts.   It was about 32 degrees at the start (it was 28 degrees for Jenny's 6:00 start)

I had some time goals in mind but didn't have an exact pacing strategy.  As the race continued on and I became more and more acquainted with the 10 mile loop, I began to get into a rhythm, speeding up and slowing down as the terrain permitted.  Since it's a relatively small race there were a good number of stretches where I was alone in the woods.

Sometime during the first loop I caught up to a guy, chatted with him a bit and then passed him.  I was going to follow him at first but he pointed out that since I had caught up to him then I should keep going at the same pace.  So, I went on ahead and stayed in front of him until I had to stop for a bathroom break then he went flying by me.  Got going again and caught up to him as we went through the starting area again.  I ditched the gloves and arm warmers then started on the second loop.

During the second loop I was running behind the guy, Mike, who by this time had no shirt on (he started out with just a sleeveless shirt), so for the rest of the race until the results were up he would be known as that guy with no shirt on.  He had picked up the pace and was pushing into sub 8:00 range so I backed off a bit.  Still felt a little bit fast for me although it was hard to judge me speed.  It feels faster when running in the woods with the trees around you, watching out for roots, and jumping over a log every now and then.  About mile 20, I was going up a slight incline and my foot caught a root and I went down pretty hard.  But fortunately, being on an incline I didn't fall very far and my hands landed on nothing sharp.  After the initial shock, I realized I was fine and got back up again.  That was my only fall.  I think my landing reflexes were good due to all of the burpees I've been doing at Jenny's boot camp!

At the start of the third loop, I topped off my bottles with accelerade from my drop bag.  Ash (who is going to be doing a 100k next week) said to me, ok Mark, just one more lap, you did this same run just a few weeks ago.  It was at a slower pace then but it still gave me some confidence to hear it.  I was still feeling pretty good but knew things would change over the course of the next 10 miles.

There were two aid stations on the course, one was at the starting area, and the other at the (about) halfway point on the course.   When I was about a mile from the half way point aid station on the third loop.  I saw Jenny and Sean who had started at 6:00.  They looked pretty good and told me they doing a walk run strategy.  After saying hi, picked the pace back up and made it to the aid station.

 Stopped for another handful of m&m's, which tasted really dry in my mouth this time.  I had been drinking pretty good although could have done a better job early on in the race, but did not since it was so cold then.

As the miles counted down, I started feeling good about staying on track and not falling apart, I had a glimmer of hope as I got to mile 27, but tried not too get too excited until mile 28.  Some time after mile 29 I could see Mike up ahead (the guy with no shirt), even though I felt like I had been slowing he must have slowed down a bit more.  As I got closer, he took off again and I thought I lost him.  With about a half mile to go, on a section of trail going up hill and covered with roots, I saw Mike go down.  I stopped and offered him my hand but he said he was ok and to go on ahead and said something like this just isn't my day.  I felt bad for him that he had fallen.  Got going again and before I knew it I was done.

Got some food and waited for Jenny and Sean who soon came across the line looking surprisingly strong.  Hung out for a bit more and had a beer before packing up and heading home.

Glad I waited a day. Things felt more normal today. Easy paced start, then a little faster after the gel stop. I ran by myself.  Weather was pretty good in the low 50's, comfortable with short sleeve shirt.   After I got home I saw a facebook post from the previous night about some people I know who were looking for other runners, wish I had seen it earlier, oh well.  The peace, solitude and music were nice - although I'm thinking I need to update my playlist soon.

 

Should be good to go for tomorrow as well as some boot camp tonight.

Easy paced start, then a little faster on the way back. Chilly morning, but I'm not complaining about it, it was refreshing.

Started out at Longleaf about 5:30.

Sort of a "potluck" run since I didn't know who was going to be there but it worked out well. Looking back, I had a little bit of "medium long run dread" which seems to hit me after doing a much bigger run the week before. Fortunately the dread vanished almost as soon as I started. Ran with Bob Tiller, Rebecca D. , Rachel G. and Kim into Starkey park after running to Decubelis (thanks for the company Ladies and Bob (hope that doesn't sound too weird)).

Park was open a little early (6:23) so we went right in. Met up with Eudair at the bike parking lot, ran two miles with her and made plans to run with her for my 25 miles next week. Turned around a little later than I should have and ended up with 16 miles instead of 15. Picked up the pace on the return trip.

Then, back home in time to take Thomas bowling. (I think that might be it for the pair of Asics Nimbus that I wore since this run pushes them over 500 miles).

So, it was a good run although I think there were still some remnants left from Sunday's race.

Easy run today, ran on the grass next to the road. Felt a little tight and creaky starting out but good and loose on the way back.

I had thought about not running when I first woke up this morning.  I had slept into 7:20 except for a very brief partially awake time when Jenny got up for her run.  It felt good to sleep in a little bit.  I used to be good at that.  Although of course, too much sleeping in can be a bad thing, it's nice every now and then!

Anyway, this past week's recovery went pretty well for the most part.  I was a little nervous running the 50K as a race rather than just a long run because I wasn't sure how well I would recover, but it seems to have worked out.  Now I'm at a point of less than 4 weeks to go.  I feel ready in one sense but full of a lot of unknowns at the same time.

Ran from my neighborhood then across Trinity Blvd. Chatted with Wendy H. two times as our paths crossed. I had thought about running to the Y and taking my gel and water there but decided to turn around because I wasn't quite feeling it. So, I decided to turn around. My left foot sounded slappy so I started concentrating on fixing it by trying to run smoother and quieter. I missed a turn on the way back, then things didn't look quite right until I realized I had missed the turn and gone out of my way (did the Kinsmere loop by accident). Finally headed back the right way, stopped at the golf course fountain, then picked it up the rest of the way.

Eudair was nice enough to run the whole thing with me today, she is amazing. Started out with a group from Longleaf, but we fell back a bit to keep the pace easy. Ran into Starkey and then along the power line road to Serenova tract.

Saw one deer and then later saw two more - no longer living ones. Turns out there was a hunt going on which we found out on our way back (would have been nice if signs were posted). Picked it up the last couple of miles. Melanie from the Striders was nice enough to give us a lift back to Longleaf.

The weather was great, it was wonderful having someone to run the whole way and it couldn't have gone better (except for the part about running while a deer hunt was going on).

This was my last big run before the big race (although there is 18 miles next week, pretty big but less than 20).  I need to concentrate on getting some spring back in my step and feeling completely fresh.  Also, I think I'm going to get a new pair of Asics Nimbus.  My old pair is somewhat worn out so I decided to try this long run in the Ghosts. I like those shoes but they didn't feel quite as good as the Nimbus for the extra distance.  I had pretty good luck with the Brooks Launch at the 50K but the bottom of  my feet were hurting and could probably use the extra cushioning that the Asics have.

When I started the training for this 100K race it seemed fairly easy in some ways, but the training is starting to catch up to me a little bit now, so good time for a taper.

Jenny is attending a  Newton training class this weekend.  This is the class to learn how to teach the class that she took over this past summer.  Lots of good information about running form that can apply to Newton and non-Newton runners.

A little stiff feeling when I started but warmed up nicely by the end.

With the 25 mile run out of the way I feel like I'm over the hump for now, although I need to think about some more long term running goals that will lead to running happiness, injury free running, and avoiding burn out.  Want to keep it fun while keeping it rewarding with some challenges to keep it interesting.

Ran with Striders at Longleaf this morning, starting at 5:30.

Last week I said I was going to do a 4 mile tempo this week, but Raj had texted me asking if I was interested in 3 miles at 6:35. It was a little faster than what I had in mind but didn't want to turn down company on a tempo run so why not.

He forgot his garmin, so I let him wear mine and be in charge of the pace. We did an easy 2.something to warm up then did the fast portion - 6:32, 6:32, 6:32 (I'm guessing at the last one because Raj was actually 6:21 and I was 10 or 11 seconds behind him).

A little bit of pain in my right hip flexor area which I felt after the run but less than what I felt on Monday's run.  Keeping an eye on it.  Good thing the taper is starting up soon.

Ran with Joe G, first time in a long time. 

Joe and I trained for the Jacksonville marathon in 2007 where I just missed my qualifying time by 26 seconds but Joe made his time.  He did not run Boston that year but ran it the following year (2009) when I ran it also and he invited me to stay with his brother who lived in the Newton/Wellesley area.   Joe takes time off, I don't see him for a while then we run into each other again.  It's always good to see him again.

On Tuesday, the Striders do "fun with Intervals". I didn't do the intervals today so it was just fun. Mike is nursing an adductor or something like that, and I'm looking for easy, so we went out and ran at a reasonable pace. When we got to Hawbuck, decided to go straight for 5 miles, instead of turning right to get 6+ miles. I think this was the first run ever where there was a fist bump at the end because we didn't push the pace. Still, a good solid pace, just no fast intervals today.

Still keeping an eye on my right leg/hip area.  Tiny bit of discomfort when I start which goes away quickly once warmed up.  Does not seem to show up in later miles either, although hard to tell today since it was just a short run.

Nice that it was back to a comfortable chill compared to yesterday. Had to stop a few times to stretch, also spent a good amount of time before the run warming up. Definitely in taper mode today.

 I did have some trouble getting myself going today.  I got out of bed quickly, then out the door and seemed to take forever before I finally started to run.

Started out with Eudair, Nelson, and David. Dropped back for a bit, then ran with Eudair again after the water stop.

The distance and time are somewhat approximate as I did not bring my garmin today.  I had the urge to not run with it, not worry about turning it on and finding a signal.  I just wanted to run.

The hard part then was to know whether the people I was going with were going too fast or if I was being lazy.

Anyway, worked out pretty good.  I should do this more often when there is no specific pace goal and a close approximation for distance is good enough.

Eudair says she is going to run the half marathon in Gainesville on Sunday, 2/19 - the day before my 100k.  Since it is not that far from Florahome (where my race is), she and her husband might stop by to cheer me on a bit.

Forgot my music today - a fortunate mistake. Nice morning for a run without it.

Just going to do a couple of easy runs this week. Smaller crowd this morning. Ran with Eudair as well as Randy and JM.

Wore the new shoes for a second time.  Fortunately, shoes these days don't seem to need much of a break in period, I've not had a problem so far.  However, I will have at least one extra pair of shoes with me on race day, just in case.

I've asked around and now have a shopping list (I think) for this weekend's race coming up:

• uncrustables
• boost
• payday candybar
• jerky
• gels
• accelerade
• fig newtons
• either sweet potatoes (cut-up) or small boiled potatoes with salt
  

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Run felt ok. Ran with Claude W. for a bit in the beginning and then Eudair for the last couple of miles.

As it often happens right before a big race, I'm thinking how will I be able to hold up if a 6 mile run doesn't feel completely light and effortless?  But since that is what I normally think then I must be ready.

Good run on warm and humid morning. Started at 6:30 so it was mostly light for the run.

My shins were a bit tight at the start of the run so I tried to concentrate on running easy and relaxed.  Felt better after I warmed up.

Going to try and improve my stride.  I've seen some pictures of myself running recently which seem to indicate more of a heel strike than I would like and more than I thought I was doing.  I thought I was a better midfoot striker, but no, not really.

When I'm warmed up, but not yet tired, I think it gets better, but it also makes me go a little bit faster.  I should be able to run at whatever speed I want without being a heel striker.  Takes practice and getting used to I suppose.

 

P.M. - Attended Jenny's boot camp.  Getting warm, and it's not completely dark now at the start of class.  At the cardio portion, we did 6 sprints, which felt great.

Just a quick out and back

I saw Lisa and Jenny coming back from their run as I was heading out.

Today was also "green silence day" - I would like to be able to use those shoes all of the time because my feet feel much better when I do and I feel like I have a freer feeling form but am a little worried about the lower amount of cushioning - maybe I shouldn't be.

Would also like to try the Brooks Pure Flow which have a lower heel drop.

Nice and easy run, time change didn't feel too rough. I said hi to someone on the way back and after passing by her was pretty sure it was Nicole S.

(Yes, later found out that it was).

 

P.M. - I got to spend a good part of the evening taking my dog Sammy to the ER vet.  He wound up in a bit of an altercation with the neighbor dog.  Good thing there was at least a fence between them.  Sammy need a couple of stitches in his snout to make sure it healed ok.  He should be fine.  Unfortunately, I don't think he learned his lesson, but I sure did about checking before letting him outside.

Progression run, pretty steady increase from 8:57 first mile to 6:52 last mile. Felt good with the slower start and fast ending. Ran with Nancy R. for first 4 miles.

Maybe I'll try to string together three sub-7:00 miles on Thursday to get back into some much needed tempo runs.

Enjoyed a small cup of coffee at the end (thanks Clark!) and some catching up with friends.

Felt really hard to get up this morning and felt like I'd be lucky if I could manage 4 miles. But, I was able to shake it off and felt pretty good after 2 miles. Turned into a pretty good feeling run.

 

P.M. - made it to Jenny's boot camp.  partnered up with Ralph and Michelle W, had fun and towards the end of class the lady next to me pointed out Jupiter in the sky.  I thought it was Venus, but then she said, "no, next to Venus", and there it was, pretty cool.

Nice run with the Striders this morning in Longleaf. 5:30 start, ran with various people throughout the run but a lot of the time by myself. Picked it up for the last 2.5 miles to just under 6:45 pace.

It was tough to run faster, and almost felt impossible at first, but then I remembered that it is not impossible.  Good to remember these things.

Chatted a little bit after the run.  Wished Clark good luck in Atlanta this weekend.  At 58 years old he is doing his first marathon and has never once complained or mentioned being "too old".  In fact, he's been talking about wanting to run forever and thinks an ultra would be a good idea for him, I agree.

Also chatted with Becky, who I'm not sure if I've talked with her much face-to-face, although she does regularly kick my butt in words with friends!

Decided to go for a short run after getting back from spin class. Legs felt pretty good, although I should have fueled a little before the run.

Ran with Eudair from start to finish and then also with Michelle H. for the second half of the run. A little bit foggy and dark but a good run overall.

Unfortunately, had some foot pain within the first mile, it didn't get too bad but kind of a bummer that it came back, I thought it was gone.

Just a normal run. Pretty good overall.

Time to get ready for the weekend!!

Simple run around the usual spots. Felt pretty good when I woke up this morning, let's see what the day brings.  Still a little bit of foot pain though.

Ok, here's what the day brought - shortly after getting into work, my boss stops by my office to tell me I have a flat tire - good thing he told me otherwise I might not have noticed until trying to go home.

Started changing the tire, wasn't sure about the exact spot for putting the jack, so called AAA.  After getting the tire changed, went to the tire shop where I bought the tires, and they said they would fix it for free under warranty.  Wait would be about 45 minutes and I figured I could walk back in about 15 minutes.  Sort of walk/ran in 14 minutes.

When the tire was fixed, went back but did it in 11 minutes.  Again, a walk/run so I wouldn't get too sweaty but a little more running this time.

So, an extra two miles for the day!!

Good run on a beautiful morning, headed out as Lisa R. and Nicole S. were heading back in from their run.

 

Ran in Starkey, pleasantly cool. Arrived just before 6:30, started running about 6:40.  I was going to wait a little longer for Eudair but wasn't sure how long it would take and I wanted to try and get in close to 10 miles, if not 10.

I was talking to Keith, Jammie, and David J. before the run, but they got going before me.  So, I started out by myself.  It was still dark out but I knew it would not be for long (I'm not a fan of starting out in the dark by myself, but the reward of being on the run while it gets light out and the sun comes up is worth it).  I was also a bit tired starting out, did not get much sleep the night before.

After about 3 miles, the horse flies were starting to get bad.  I did not get bit, however it's very annoying when they keep buzzing around you, sometimes bumping into you, and it seems like they will bite you if you slow down or don't keep swatting them.  I was wishing that I was running with other people at that point so the flies would not be all on me and we could watch each other's backs.

As I was getting to about 4.5 miles out I decided I would not go for 10, but would turn around a little bit early.  Once I turned around, and although I was in the same place, the view was drastically different, with layers of low lying fog hovering above the ground.  I felt better.  Then was back at the 4 mile water stop, where a group had stopped, and many of them were going to turn around.

Ran with David, Eudair, Rachel G. and Clive. Felt good especially the last two miles.

At the end of the run I finally felt light and springy.  

Gave Eudair a ride back to her car, then I headed home to take Thomas to bowling and look forward to a mostly relaxing day.

Well, one week to the next race, then no races scheduled after that so far.

Good run through the quiet, foggy, cool morning. My hamstrings felt like I had worked them out yesterday which kind of had me puzzled at first, must have managed to give my legs a workout while painting the fence yesterday.

Ran with Eudair and some of the others. Day late putting this in so I don't remember much else, but I'm pretty sure it was a good run.

Ran for about a mile with Rudy, ran some by myself, then the last mile with Eudair and Diane. Forgot my light this morning, whoops. Better not do that on Saturday.

It was fun and challenging. All in all a good time. Finish time just under 8:35, which amazed me since I had to slow down quite a bit. It's funny how paces under different conditions mean different things. I remember looking at my watch and seeing the pace at 12:45 and thinking "Awesome!! I'm under 13:00" Other times I didn't even look for miles and miles. The hills and the heat made it a humbling experience - in no way humiliating, but very humbling. 50 miles is a long way to go.

Started out in the dark, running behind two or three other people including a woman named Heather who was also wearing Brooks Launch like I was (made me feel better that I'm not the only dork who doesn't wear trail shoes on a trail run!). I think the first 5 miles was the most enjoyable, somewhere around a 10:00 pace.

After the warm up loop, passed through the start and saw Jenny, Sean, and MPR. Start of the first big loop went well. Ran on sections of trail I had never been on including a long narrow gulley which I had to walk most of. I caught back up to the people I ran with for the first 5 miles, then came up behind Andy Barrett. Andy has done a ton of races and I thought to myself I should not pass Andy since he knows what he's doing and I don't.

We chatted a bit and he would look at his watch and say he was going too fast. Finally I asked if I was messing up his pace, he said yeah, he was going a little faster than planned since I was behind him. So, I got in front of him and put some space between us. The rest of the first loop felt great with a few miles under 9:00 pace.

Shortly after the start of the second loop I started to think I was in trouble. I had been running by feel and enjoying the day, but I wasn't pacing myself. I was taking no walk breaks. 50 miles is not 62 miles, but it is also not 26 or 31 miles. I made an effort to purposely slow down a bit.

At 23.4 miles I went down pretty hard. Landed on my right side with the force spread between my hip and shoulder. There's the moment when you're not sure if you are hurt or not, fortunately I wasn't, got up, brushed myself off and got going again, a little more mindful.
I reached the aid station where Dawn S. was volunteering, stopped for a bit, then Andy B came up from the trail and went by me. I started running behind him again, felt good but kept a good gap and eventually let him go again.

Another trip past the two pits and the last aid station. The hills had grown a little taller but were still not that bad (glad I at least was able to come out a few weeks earlier and run these hills two sets of out and back).

Coming back up Tucker hill, I saw Eudair running toward me. We ran back to the starting area where Franco took my picture and they helped me switch out my bottles. I put some ice in my pockets and kept going. Andy B. was there again and I stayed behind him again for a bit before letting him go once again.

The mental boost of seeing Eudair, starting the third loop and catching back up to Andy soon started to fade.  Walking again became my friend. I had listened to some music but soon was not in the mood to listen to it. Instead, the most comforting sound was when I was walking, there was a breeze and I could hear it whooshing through the trees overhead.
I'd walk a bit and then say to myself, ok, just an easy jog for a bit. No set run walk schedule, just walk for a bit and then try to make it to the next up hill or maybe the next mile or half mile point on the garmin.

Saw Dawn at her aid station for the last time then made my way out to the pit again. Would stop and chat here and there with people walking the 50K. I was thirsty, but my stomach was full of fluid, almost but not quite sloshing, I was sweating and would stop here and there for a bathroom break, so although very thirsty I was not yet dehydrated.

Reaching the last aid station was a huge boost. The volunteers were super encouraging, told me my place and said "Just 5 more miles!" Yes, I can do that I thought.
For the third trip through the hills, they had grown a little taller still and I think they added one or two more onto the course. I looked at my watch and saw 8:18. I didn't think it was possible but it looked like I could still beat my 50 mile time from Iron Horse.

So, I did the best I could to keep going. Came up to a couple who was walking the 50K, they told me "one mile out". Another big boost. I looked for the white stripes on the trees that marked the designated camping areas because that was a sign of being almost done.
Up the last section of hill and finally DONE!!

Got my finishers mug and filled it with ice and mountain dew twice. Saw Andy B. who it turns out I was one minute behind. And then I sat for about 45 minutes. Actually, I'd stand for a bit and then sit down, but basically did nothing. I was hurting and drained, but felt really good deep down inside.

A lot can happen in 50 miles.

Ran with Eudair, started out about 8:40 pace and gradually picked it up. Wore my brooks launch which I had worn on Saturday, still a lot of dust on them, but a little less now. Those shoes seem to be happy everywhere. Hung out and chatted with various people after the run. Unfortunately a cat was run over on Starkey Blvd. near Towne Ave.

Later in the day someone posted about how their cat had gotten out of their house and was missing.  Fortunately it turned out that it wasn't their cat which later did come home.

Was seriously thinking about not running this morning, but could hear the birds chirping so decided to join them. Nice, cool morning with a little breeze. Saw Lisa and Nikki heading back from their run.

Glad to be feeling good and I hope I can call this a complete recovery from the race.  

Ran with Eudair (almost started by myself as I didn't see anyone at first), we ran out to the 4 mile water stop with a short trail section cut through.

Saw Dan French and Marcia then we all headed out to about the 5 mile point. Eudair and I got back onto the trails by the water stop and zig zagged out to the power lines. She had been running slower before the trails, but really picked it up. Ran through one section of recently plowed road with very loose sand (but fortunately not dry).

As we got to the power line trail a big (about 50) flock of storks took off into the air.

Got back on the bike path and picked it up a little more to get back in time - was only planning on 10 but the extra trail excursion added a little more on but was well worth it.

So, the trail portion was kind of spur of the moment.  I think I might do more of my return trips on the trails.  It is nice starting out with other people and being more social.  On the way back, with it fully light out, it's nice to run on the trails.

Slow start with comfortable pick up, another perfect morning for running.

Finished up with 6 x 20 second strides which I hadn't done in I'm not sure how long.

These are a great thing to do when you haven't been able to do any speed work.  It reminds you that yes, you can still run fast if you need to.

Did warm up mile and half or so with Mike, Beka, Melanie and a new guy. After that I was pretty much on my own except for saying hi to people here and there.

The last few miles got faster, with one of them at 6:50.  It didn't feel like I had to try very hard to get a faster pace this morning, maybe something to do with waking up my legs with the strides yesterday.

Did a few weights after the run. Nice morning and legs didn't feel heavy today.

A bit warmer out this morning. Took it easy for the first 3.5, then did a 3.5 mile tempo run (about 6:40 pace), followed by mile cool down. Felt a little bit of rain during the cool down.

I think the splits were something like: 6:43, 6:45, 6:40, and then 6:20 for last 0.5 

I need to remind myself that I can still run fast if I want/need to after having done a lot of slower miles.

Ran most of the t-shaped route. Cool but very moist this morning.

I  like to wear these lighter shoes now and then because they really help me feel if I'm using proper form or not, they are very comfortable.

After the run, attempted 100 push-ups without stopping.  I made it to 91, not too bad for the first attempt in quite a long time!

Started at Longleaf with Bob T, Mike, Beka, and one other guy. I quickly fell back and was running by myself, but eventually caught up with Bob for a quick stop at Craig and Diane's house.

Then, ran with Bob until inside Starkey park which was nice as I had been feeling a bit low on energy. Talking with someone else makes the run go by much nicer. Then, ran by myself a bit, before catching up to Kim L. and Rachel G. We ran together for a bit before I turned off the bike path to run off road a bit and then back towards Longleaf.

 Parts of this run were a bit of a struggle and I never quite got up to that feeling really good pace which just happens to pick up with the same or less effort and more relaxation.  But, it wasn't bad also.

Rain held off but it was a little bit muggy.  We need the rain.

Back home in time to take Thomas bowling and enjoy my recovery breakfast of Dr. Pepper and bacon,egg,cheese sandwich  (also had time to gulp down a muscle milk on the way there).  Only one more week of bowling after this, then I'll have a little more time.

Nice to have some 50's weather this morning. Took it easy for the most part with a little bit of pick up in the middle. Mostly ran by myself, but caught up with Eudair for the last mile. Did some weights after the run - bench press, curls, overhead tricep press.

Went to Starkey and had the privilege of being tour guide for a short trail run. I kept the route simple (so I wouldn't get lost). Ran on bike path to the power lines, turned right, then came back on the main hiking trail (just follow the orange signs). Ran with Michelle, Kim L. , Rachel G. , her son Forrest, Rebecca D. , Charlene, and Dixie. Eudair was with us but thought she was behind us, so sped up looking for us and finished about 10 minutes early I think.

Nice surprise sighting of Elizabeth H. and Wendy H. heading out.

 I was glad that this worked out with a nice turn out.  Other attempts in the past have not sparked much interest.  It's not for everyone, but for anyone thinking of trying trails but didn't out of fear of the unknown, it's good to try it out at least once.

I kept the run short as I had been getting run down during the week enough I skipped my run yesterday, so today was a day to enjoy company, reflect, and recharge.

Went to the Y for a mixed run. Warmed up on the bike for 5 minutes, then did 2.5 miles on the treadmill (21:21), 3 miles outside (24:37), then back inside for some strides on the treadmill (0.92 miles in 7:00). Also did leg extensions and shoulder presses.

Not that it matters too much, but I just changed my blog title again.  I changed it to 2:58 Quest.

I'm going to do one more ultra race for now (50 miles from Marathon Key to Key West on 5/19), then get back to the faster stuff. 

My brother called me to say he got into the NYC marathon via the lottery but was going to defer the entry for a year and asked if I could run it with him (at least start out together, he wants me to run my own race).  So, I'm going to try and get a qualifying race.  They've raised the standards for guaranteed entry for males 45-49 it is now 1:25 or faster half marathon or 2:58 or faster full marathon.  I think I have a chance to get this if I focus the right way, which is to not be too focused, train smart and keep life in balance in terms of what is important.

Nice steady run with 3 mile pickup in the middle.

Caught up to Melanie and Beka at the end as they were heading out for cool down 1.5 miles so did a little extra. Did a few sets of upper body weights.

Garmin-less run after spin class. My legs felt extra heavy today so just did 3 miles as my form was feeling a little sloppy, although had improved by the end. Getting warmer out. Need the heat to get ready for next big race.

Showed up a little bit late and was running way in the back, then ran into Keith, Dixie, Greg, and Eudair coming back the other way as they had started early. So, cut my route a little short to run with them and made up the missed portion at the end of the run. My first instinct is usually just to stay on course and run the planned route (too much of a routine guy), so it's good to change especially when you get a chance to run with some friends you don't get to see all of the time.

 

Nice 70 degree morning.

Did the t-route, two quick water stops. I was originally planning on just 5, so 6 was nice.
Plank challenge has not gone well due to having done something to my big toe on my right foot. It doesn't hurt to run on it, just to do push-ups and planks. Did a few push ups this morning and it felt almost back to normal.

 

P.M. -  3.92 mi, 00:31 07:55 pace

(race time 24:19)

It's been quite some time since I did an over 20 mile training run. This run was pretty hard but was good training because it was hard, after running yesterday morning, and then the 5K last night.

Warmed up by myself for about 1.5 miles, then joined up with a group to Craig and Diane's, then into Starkey Park. Ran with Eudair to the suncoast trail, then bike to bike parking lot where I was able to get a ride back to Longleaf with Kevin, Melanie, and their dog Brandy who seemed happy to have someone sitting in the backseat with her.

I wore my big water belt (2 x 20oz) as practice for upcoming race in two weeks.

Race will be in the Keys, it's the 50 mile race of the "Keys 100" race.  The race is from Marathon Key to Key West (the 100 mile race is from Key Largo to Key West.  Both races can be run either "crewed" or "un-crewed" which will be noted in the posted results.  I'll be running "un-crewed".)  I've never been to Key West before.  I went to Key Largo out to Islamorada when I was young, and then I stopped by Key Largo with the boys on our 2 day spring break trip.  I guess that is what drew me to do this race. 

It will be an adventure and a challenge to endure in the heat, with start time at 10:00 am and probably not much shade, and temps typically mid-80s.

I can't remember the last time we (ran with Dixie) did this run. Started out slow and took it easy, good pace and distance to start the week.

The time went  by quickly and I hardly noticed the running.  Also, you definitely don't need to bring along music when running with Dixie.

Big week ahead, going to try one step at a time.

So, I slept in a little bit later than past Wednesdays. Enjoyed a quiet and relaxing run.

Good run to start the day.

Ran at Longleaf for the usual Thursday morning group run with the Striders.  I started out with the faster people and stayed with them for a bit before falling back, but never went too slow.

The last two miles were 6:48 and 6:19.

During the last full mile I saw that I was closing the gap between myself and Beka.  I wasn't consciously in racing mode although as I got closer I decided to try and catch up to her, which I did although it didn't really count since she started her cool down just before I got there.

Pretty good Friday run, took it easier today especially the first couple of miles. One more longer run tomorrow then taking it easy next week until the race.

Run went better than expected, because on Sunday I smashed my pinky toe. It got bruised and kind of swollen but fortunately was not broken. Took it easy with a steady pace and shorter distance. Did some weights afterward, heaviest set was at 185 but only got 3 reps, needs more work.

 

It was cool but humid this morning. Just planned on taking it easy. I felt tighter and more sluggish than I expected (felt great on Tuesday). Time to relax and not worry about it. 

This seems to happen to me a lot before a race, not sure why.

The race was good!

First half in about 4:11, so second half in 4:39. Weather was not as bad as it could have been with a nice cloud cover for most of the day. Race started at 10:00 am. Scenery was awesome (first time being this far down in the keys). Ran from Marathon to Key West. Volunteers, runners, and their support crew were all awesome. Of course, it is 50 miles, so it starts getting pretty hard at some point, this time I think it was about mile 25. Slowed down but kept on going.

I didn't have a time goal at first, however, since I didn't have blinking lights and reflective tape I had to be done before 7:30 at night (9 and a half hours).  That was good because it kept me from deciding to just walk the rest of it when the going got tough.

Nice bonus to get an age group award, and a nice surprise that they had nice age group awards since ultras usually aren't big on that sort of thing - nice to be different sometimes.

I've got a more in depth report on my blog at: http://marksgonnarun.blogspot.com/2012/05/keys100-50-mile-ultra.html

After resting four days I figured it was time to try running again. Run went pretty well, good to be back.

 My rest days were as follows:

Sunday - nothing, spent a lot of time in the car which isn't the best after running 50 miles

Monday - nothing

Tuesday - 20 minutes elliptical

Wednesday - 1.7 mile walk around neighborhood

Nice quiet run in the neighborhood, second day back, went pretty well.

Started out with several people and ran to the 4 mile water stop using the bike trail, then ran with Dixie on the trails to get back, added a little on back at the parking lot to get to 10.

Whoops, I just realized it looks like I wore the same shoes three days in a row, oh well.

Ran with Thomas around the neighborhood loop. Stopped a few times to walk, but went pretty quickly during the run portions. Then, went swimming afterward to cool down.

This was the first time in a long time (actually, maybe the first time ever), that Thomas asked to go for a run with me.  I hope he stays motivated!

Ran with Striders at Longleaf for Memorial Day run. Started at 6:45 and was already about 80 degrees, but at least there was a breeze!

Did another run around the neighborhood loop with Thomas, followed by some swimming. A bit warmer tonight than last night.

A few sprinkles at the start of the rain, but the heavy stuff didn't come down til after the run (outer remnants of tropical depression Beryl). Ran with Eudair, slowed down for miles 4 and 5 after going out at a good pace despite the humidity. Did a few sets of weights afterward inside. Nice to see everyone this morning.

It was actually a little bit scary, because I felt like I had no choice but to slow down, I thought it should have felt easy, but due to stress and the high humidity, and not being that far out from the 50 mile race, probably nothing to worry about.

One hour of intense work. Sweating like crazy about 10 minutes into class. About 50 minutes of actual spinning followed by squats and core work.

Decided to not go for a run afterward.  Was feeling kind of worn down :(

Ran out to the bridge with Eudair, then ran back from there with Michelle H. who was running by herself. Nice pickup at the end.

Today's run might have been the best feeling run all week.  Temperature was back down slightly (about 76 degrees) from what it had been a few days this week (about 79 or 80 degrees).

....and finally caught up on the blog!!

.....now, to catch up on a few more things in life, doing what I can do

I did recently get the poor, neglected boat fixed, now I just need to try it out and figure out a way to sell it fairly quickly.

Dog is getting fixed next (no, I mean really fixed, he has a torn ACL for about the past 8 months), has surgery next week.

 

P.M. - ran the neighborhood loop with Thomas, a little bit faster than last time (1.7 miles in 17:41)

Between the rain last night and more this morning, there was a window of time to go for a run on the wet streets.

 

P.M.

1.7 mi 00:16 09:40 pace

Ran from Longleaf at 5:30, starting out with a few people. Went a little bit into the park then turned around. I felt better than I thought I would at the start of the run, but the second half was not as good as it usually is - not bad in the overall scheme of things, just not the usual feeling good second half I often have. Maybe it was the humidity.

Lots of stuff happening today, my son tests for his second stripe red belt - just one level away from probationary black belt.  I am so proud of him and can't believe how fast time is flying.

Ran at the Y with the Striders.  Felt ok, run was a little better than last Tuesday. 80 degrees.

Last day of school.  Younger one has just one more year at the elementary school.  It seems like just yesterday (but was two years ago), that both boys were getting on their bikes for their last trip by bike to the same school together.

Went to Nancy R. 's spin class at 5:30. I forgot my towel again so Beka loaned me her spare. Class was hard as usual - getting something out of it if I'm still struggling!

Went for a short run when I got home, out to water and back, run was hard at first (felt like I had just done a difficult spin class!), better on the way back.

House was quiet.  Sammy getting knee surgery today, torn ACL repair which we had been putting off in hopes it would get better on its own.  Was grateful to find a vet that was close by that does a lot of these and charges less money than the big fancy place we were referred to initially which is farther away.

Cooler out this morning after yesterday's rain. Ran mainly with Keith. We kept a steady pace throughout. Run felt good today.

Beer and wings last night made for a run with a slow start and a suspenseful ending of whether or not I would make it back without finding a place for a pit stop. I don't do this very often, actually usually just if going out for a work function, but a friend of mine invited me out to catch up on things.

But, actually it was a pretty good run besides that, coolish after rainy weather

Felt really slow and tired at first and wanted to quit, glad I went a little farther than I thought I could.

Was prepared to run in the rain but stopped just as I was warming up. Went a little bit farther today. Nice, basic, quiet run.

I want to start building my miles back up.

Ran in the evening instead of this morning because I went out to see my brother who was in Orlando for a few days.  Went out for dinner then stayed over instead of driving back.  I did have my running stuff with me but decided I'd just try and run in the evening.

Garminless run, two loops around the neighborhood. The air felt cool and the run was relaxing after a long day.

Ran out to Arlinbrook road one neighborhood over, then came back. Still comfortable out this morning from last night. Tried to relax and keep my run steady.

I started out with Keith and Dixie in Longleaf at 5:30, quick stop at Craig and Diane's house, then into the park. I was originally just going to do 12 but decided to go out to the 4 mile point and come back. Caught a ride back with Jorge and then sat for a bit at the coffee shop with Keith and Dixie, I had never been there before. It seemed like forever since I did a long run, but it has not been forever, it just seemed that way.

So, overall this run was a nice surprise and hopefully a sign of good things to come.

Slow start, then periodically played around with speed and incline. Felt pretty good overall.

More treadmill, listened to some music I hadn't heard in a while.

Short on time but the run felt better than yesterday.  It was good to finally get back into the room while it was still light out last night.  Time to head home.

Ran with Jammie, Keith, and Victoria, to Starkey park and back with detour to Diane's house. Also saw Beka, Mike, Melanie, Craig and Diane on the run plus many others at Starkey park including Andy's civics teacher.

The air was warm and humid at the start, but on the way back there was a light rain which was on and off.  A lot of the run was a struggle until towards the end when I started to feel a little bit better.  Jammie also was struggling for a lot of the run.  I held back going faster until about the last mile or so.

The others stopped for a coffee at the coffee shop, I sat with them a bit but wanted to get home by 8:00 so I didn't stay long.

Tough to get out of bed this morning and get started. Imagined I'd have a lot of flooded areas to dodge but there wasn't much.

Right hip has been a little bit sore recently, hopefully I can shake it soon and get to where I want to be.

Windy and warm, but the rain held off except for a few drops. Ran with Joe for 2.5 miles, then mostly by myself.  Joe had run from his house, about two miles away, so he headed back early.

Usually the group run on Tuesday starts near the Y, but there was a lot of flooding in the neighborhood near there.  And usually, when running at Longleaf part of it is done in the neighborhood and part is done on the bike trail along Starkey Blvd., but a lot of the bike trail was flooded, so the route consisted of a 2.5 mile out and back.

I brought banana bread which I made Sunday night with the bananas that were left out on the counter while I was out of town.

My pace was faster today, although still a little bit of lingering hip soreness.  When I was on the last mile I backed the pace down a little bit because there was no point in really pushing the run which was not supposed to be at any specific pace.

Ran with Joe at Longleaf. Bike trail was no longer flooded. Cool out this morning. Nice to see lots of friends after the run.

Good, basic run with a few speed sign repeats, ran across Trinity Blvd down to Arlinbrook and back.

I wasn't trying but ended up with the exact same mileage (down to 0.01)  as yesterday.

Ran from Longleaf with Joe and a bunch of others including Keith, Victoria, Jammie, and Melanie. Stopped at Diane's house, then onto Starkey park. Went a little over a mile past the bike parking lot then Joe and I headed back. Small pace pickup the last couple of miles. Nice at the start and warming up at the end. Felt a little better than last Saturday.

Pretty good miles this week, will try to edge them up after vacation.

Went with my brother to Gold's gym.  Short treadmill run to get my legs back, felt better at the end of the run. Will do something longer tomorrow.

I did a few weights since I was in a gym.

I spent the last two days driving in the truck with the two kids and dogs, drive went well.  There was a treadmill at the hotel we stayed at but wanted to get on the road as soon as possible.

Ran a 6ish mile loop near my brothers house out to the Lake (Ontario) and stopped briefly in Webster park.

Run felt hard today but was grateful for being able to run and having so much that could have gone wrong but didn't.

After getting back, Thomas wanted to go for a run so we did a 1/2 mile loop twice (no garmin) so I was pleasantly surprised to get more miles in on a day when 3 miles felt hard. Happy 4th everyone!

Drove up to the Thousand Islands later in the afternoon.  Went out on the boat in the evening to watch the fireworks from Boldt Castle.