It's all relative

Gym- Chest, Tris, Shoulders

Off day, unintentional (rain, no car, stuck inside)

Gym- Chest, Tris, Shoulders, Abs (full abs, 7:10 plank)

Gym- Biceps, Lats, Back, Abs

Gym- leg day

All in the 7:30-8 range

Mile, 1200, 800, 400, 200 (x2), ran the first mile in 4:54, first time breaking 5 minutes!

Day off (tired, intentional)

Progressive, down to 5:45

3 x 2s  6:30, 6:30, and then somewhere around 5:30s on the last

On cruise ship (sunset)

On cruise ship, ran on treadmill

1.5 mile, 1 mile, 0.5 mile at 5:10-5:20 mile pace

6.5 on Grand Cayman Island, 3.2 on treadmill (cruise ship)

In Mexico, no time to run (7:00am to 12:00am straight)

Decent pace, around 7:00 miles

I competed in the Belleair Sunset 5k with a group of about 15 friends. The course is always quite fast, however Joe let me know that it was USATF certified.  Felt great, had a first mile at around 5:17 and was completely just enjoying every moment of it. In the second mile I kept on the guy's shoulder in front of me which caused the pace to drop to about 5:30 or so. I then gradually passed him to the turnaround crossing mile 2 at around a 5:28 pace.  I decided to stick with him that long with the advice of my training partner Lee, who I'm quite sure noticed I'm still new at pacing consistently. I certainly appreciated the advice.  I felt really good and picked it up mile 3 in about a 5:09 pace, then finished strong. I don't often find myself in the lead, let alone have the fitness to extend it, so I enjoyed the leased glory for the moment. Second place ended up 30 seconds or so back after I crossed in 16:25. I thanked him, then went to go cheer my friends in.

5:17 overall pace.  

Huge head-wind headed out, meant a nice tail wind on the return.  

I need to work on my consistency with pacing, I had too much left for the end.

Had a 2 x 3mile section at 6:40 pace.  Felt good from the day before.  

Fun workout, still feeling elated from my 5k.

Gym, split run.

Progressive down to 6:00/mile

There were 18x300s today with 100m recovery.  I stayed well  below speed workout pace per the advice of Drew and Lee.  I was thankful for the advice, since I ended the workout feeling great as opposed to exhausted.  I held all but the first 2 at 55-60 seconds, or 5k pace, then on the last set picked the first 4 up to about 53-55 seconds, then 50, then 46 for the last one.

Lifted weights: Tris (Dips & pushdowns), Pectorals (Straight flys, downward flys), Shoulders (press- machine and free wire), Rotator cuff (in and out)

Ran part of the course I was unfamiliar with.  Terrible labeling of the race map, but I figured it out.  I'm happy I did this- I didn't think there would be literally 3 sets of 180 degree turns, and I also probably would have underestimated the slight hills.  Was also nice to see where the tangents would be, particularly on 14th avenue with the turnaround.  

No running, prepped for race and busy at work.  Had hummus, bread, chicken sandwich, and veggies.  Not too much water.  

Best Dam Race Half Marathon Report

This race is right in my current hometown, so it's hard to pass up. Particularly when it takes 8 minutes to drive to. It's in the third year of existence, and this run would be my fifth overall half marathon. I feel they're long enough to where I feel like I've worked hard, but not so long as to where I want to cry from every cell in my body- looking at you, marathon...

Ran mile 1 expecting someone to blow by me, so I could use as a pacer from afar, since I saw a 1:10 half marathoner registered as well as a couple 1:13-1:14 guys and I wanted to run a 1:16:00. However, at half a mile only a good runner, James O, was behind me. I know he is very quick and generally runs much better than me based on his times. At mile 1 I was still conservative at a 5:55 mile hoping to have at least him I could fall behind, but since no one wanted to go in front, I decided to settle into a pace, so I dropped down to 5:43 for the next 2 miles to get closer to the 5:46 pace I was hoping for. I don't usually wear a watch, so me "dropping down to and sticking to a pace" is akin to an infant getting all his food in his mouth- cute, but not gonna be messy. I wasn't excited to have to focus on a pace for that long.

At the 3-mile turnaround I was surprised to see a gap already forming, and at the 10k mark I had a good 1:40 lead on James (second) and about 3 minutes on third. At the 6.5 turnaround, I must've had some body language, because James clearly gave a push to shorten the gap. Fortunately, I caught myself slowing in time, although, in hindsight, it was unintelligent to drop the pace to 5:30 for mile 6, as I felt cramps in my quads and hamstrings quickly. From there on out I tried to keep them at bay all the way until making it to mile 12 and decided I could probably run through them so close to the end.

The only runner left in sight at mile 11 was James and he was about 3 minutes back, but having never led a half marathon I decided to push anyway. At the 13 mile marker right before the final turn I took a look at my watch and was elated to see it just cracking 1:15:00 along with my 5:35 mile pace for the last 2 miles, so a PR was in sight.

Fortunately, I did end up with a 1:15:30, a pr in the end. I love being a newer runner- the pr never gets old. Next race is in 3 weeks, so I have a chance to leave it all out on the course and hopefully put in the work to do it again.

Did 2X2 mile at 6:30 pace just for fun.  Drew and Lee weren't here today, but I was able to catch up with Christina a little bit.  What an awesome runner.  I felt really strong even considering the half-marathon the day before.

Ran 2.5, then worked out: biceps on fly machine, forearms, lat pull-downs, wide-grip pullups, low-row (wide grip), and shrugs with 60s (with controlled roll).  Ended with 4 more miles on the treadmill.

Had to skip track to do the tryouts instead.  Kids ran great, had a lot of fun, and we had 5 kids run under 6 minutes for the mile.  Only 2 threw up, which may be a record for lowest number on the first day of tryouts.  

Ran with Cory (22) and caught up with him about his first marathon, which he ran a 3:33:33- with only 2 training runs over 15 miles.  Yikes.  He's going to be fast if he decides to work at it.  Maybe I can entice him to run on Tuesdays.  This was his first run in 23 days.

Again, made a sincere effort to keep my slow miles in the 7:30- 7:55 range, which I have been consistent with since my 5k.

Split my run into 5.8 and 4.2, had tryouts in between.  Ran with Cory.  He seemed tired from yesterday, but was a good sport.  

Overall, what a weird running day.  Started with waking up at 5:30 to run, and decided to sleep in.  Felt terrible for doing that, so couldn't go back to sleep.  That afternoon before tryouts, I ran 4.5 miles, with 2.5 of them at 6:00-6:40 pace. ran a 400m in 60 seconds flat with the kids randomly for fun, then finished with a little light running mixed with 6 more 400s at 5:08-5:20 mile pace.  Probably not the best idea for a workout, but running like an idiot sometimes can be fun.

Ran a fast mile and 800 with the kids @ 5:40 to pace the leader.

Running today felt amazing. Healthy, loose, and care free.

Mile warmup followed by 8 miles descending from 6:50s to 5:50s, then a shake-out. Was the last day of the Davis Island run group until August. Not the most outgoing of groups anyway, unfortunately.

Standing all day yesterday, a lot of lower calf/ achilles soreness.

Best I've felt in a long time. All 7:30- 8:45mpm pace.

Rainy,. Long warm-up, 4x400,3x800,4x400 w/ 200rest between items, 400 between sets. Pace 5:20mpm, finished w/ 76, 72, 72, 69.

Drew, lee, and quint- they even let me lead, so I tried to be consistent to help. Very lucky to have them to run with in the rain.

Morning: 3

Afternoon: 2.5

Night: 8.84

Pm run. Had to rush it.

Told myself I'd take a day off since I'd be busy from 5am-7pm. I lied, and it felt great.

Had 2 speed ups for about a mile each. Ran the Gasparilla 15k course- and feel so sorry for them with the nasty head-wind they had on the way back. Got to cheer on Lee, Drew, Christina, Jacob, and a couple others.

Started running at 4:50am. Had a 6mi warmup, 4mi @ 6:00mpm, 1mile rest, 3mi @ 6:00mpm, 7.5 miles @ 7:10-7:40 with Steve who I saw randomly. Lucky to catch him since I didn't even know he'd be there! We got to watch/ run past the elite half-marathoners. Very exciting and humbling! Saw Kai, Christina, Bri, Rae, Alvaro, and Ben all kicking butt today. This whole weekend was exactly why I started liking running- so proud of everyone.

Gym Day- 5x5s: Biceps (isolated), lat pulldown (wide-grip), pull-ups (close-grip), wide-grip low row, in-and-outs (shoulder), shrugs, jerks (with cross-cable), abs (with sides and front planks)

Broken up with the track kids.  Ran a quick mile (5:25mpm pace) pacing them, and then 2 pacing 800s after that at around 5:00 mpm pace.  Then ran with Corey.  Slowly trying to convince him he will be an awesome runner.

Warmup, then 7 x 1000 with 200 recovery between each at a decent recovery speed. Pace was 5:40-5:45 mpm for the duration. Was hard to hold back, but happy I did- definitely feeling Sunday's workout.

Time to taper a bit.

Fun run!

Fun run, did 5 striders to end it. Knees still aching from softball/basketball.

Day off. 2 races this weekend. Both half-marathons. Going to be rough.

Rainy/misty, 65 degrees,windy, humid. This will be the first of two half-marathons in two days, so I wanted to come out of it feeling healthy. Given the conditions I'm surprised how fun the run was. I was looking forward to racing again, so I started excited, running out with the lead group. There were 5 leading (and then me). We started out quick, which didn't interest me too much because of the all-brick terrain, but I went with them because of the wind, hoping to draft a bit. Mile 2... Well... Mile 2 escalated quickly. The lead group pushed their pace down to 5:30 or so, which I held with them for a half mile, but decided to leave the lead group and enter no man's land in a haze of light mist and wind. I was confused for a bit, since there seemed to be a coach riding along with the lead group, 4 of which looked to be part of a team, the fifth was the lead runner hanging at their shoulder. From mile 2-5, the coach on the bike seemed to help his runners along over the span of about a 40 second lead in front of me. Eventually 2 runners began to drop back, 1 whom seemingly quit the race at mile 5 right next to me. Down to 4th place, miles 6-9 were hilly, but I kept a steady pace, picking off the next one and closing the lead gap to about 20 seconds. Then the first place guy slowed slightly right around mile 9.5 and shortly after mile 10 the kid who quit at mile 5 suddenly came off a side street into the race and took over first place, pacing the final guy in front of me. Very shortly after that, the lead guy, who I now figured was just in the race to pace miles 5-10 for the true leader, slowed to a stop in front of me and began walking. At around mile 10.60, the gap had closed to 5 seconds for the lead, and the pace had slowed, the rain increased, and the roads were now quite wet. I decided to close the gap completely and got on the shoulders behind the two lead guys, which seemed to bother them a little. But to be honest, I was a little pissed the lead guy was getting free pacing, so I didn't care. I was feeling very good at that point, with a lot saved up from the previous 2 slower miles, and decided to do a quick pass around the outside of a 90 degree turn and laid down a 5:30 pace for about 3/4 of a mile. I looked back and saw the two had drifted significantly back (20+) seconds, and I sort of lost focus. I kept the lead, but the next 2/3 of a mile I slowed a lot (5:55-6:00 pace), just really trying to keep the distance I had created for the lead. Then, midway around mile 12, I finally re-focused, and kept an eye on my watch to finish the mile with a 5:40 pace and then sprinted down the final street. The lead ended at about 50 seconds between myself and second, but seemed overall, the first 10.6 miles made it seem much more dramatic than that. Overall: the pacing team of 5 runners jumping out in front and the coach riding on a bike (back and forth) past me was pretty annoying- especially when the runner re-entered the course. Their team game plan in the beginning could have easily derailed my race had I not known I needed to be smart given my ability, which is not at that level. I really have never truly run with a team of any kind, so I don't know if what happened was normal, but it caused me to go through a lot of confusion and annoyance throughout the race. I wish I had known what they were doing or that they weren't in the race. I liked the competition, and actually am very okay with truly being beat, but it didn't really feel... right. I felt like I raced a team of runners today, as opposed to just the two who actually ran the race from that lead group. Lucky they couldn't hold on in the end I guess. Fortunate to have another PR, since I certainly won't get one tomorrow!

Splits

Mile 1) 5:39.77

2) 5:45.15

3) 5:42.26

4) 5:45.13

5) 5:45.81

6) 5:43.94

7) 5:44.50

8) 5:47.71

9) 5:46.10

10) 5:49.07

11) 5:50.03

12) 5:39.37

13) 5:40.82

Finish) :22 @ sprint

(Quick calculation splits- First 6.55 miles came in at 37:32, last 6.55 came in at 37:29, first ever negative split!)

Gun time: 1:15:01.6,  @ 5:44 avg. per mile, (Chip time 1:15:00.4) 

                             -Age Group-      - 10k -       Chip       Gun  
 Place  Name         Age Gend  Pos Group  Rnk   Time  Rnk   Time       Time  
1  Michael MacDonald 29   M  1  Top Fin    3  35:41.9  1  1:15:01.6  1:15:00.4
2  Jose Diaz Jr.     28   M  2  Top Fin    1  35:06.6  2  1:15:45.9  1:15:45.3
3  Adam Lawrence     19   M  3  Top Fin    2  35:33.8  3  1:17:40.6  1:17:40.0

Orange Blossom Half Marathon Race Report

Weather: 65 degrees, humid, misty turning into cloudy, wet pavement, gentle, constant breeze, formerly USATF certified course (out-dated).

Final time: 1:17:55 watch time, 1:17:57 gun time, 5:57 avg. per mile

Day 2 of the half-marathon weekend of death. This time the race was in the middle of nowhere, but it was a free gift, so, worth the 50 minute drive and sore legs from the race yesterday. I had looked at the times the last two years, the winner having been in the 1:23-1:24 range, so I figured a 6:15-6:20 pace would be fine to run at and hopefully be successful at staying healthy/not getting hurt while giving myself an opportunity to win. I stayed back mile one, letting a couple of runners select their paces- I have never ran a conservative effort before, so this was new and very fun in a tactical sense. They were all running at a 6:05 pace through mile 1, so I decided to roll into the lead and drop it to 6:00 to see if there were any takers, and 2 runners followed. I did not expect this- so much for a 6:20 pace.

Mile 4 was weird- I had built a 15 second lead at about a 5:50 pace, trying to shake 2nd and third while making sure to stay within myself. Meanwhile, it had rained a bit again this morning, and the road was slick, and the poor lead biker was crossing some railroad tracks and took a dive right in front of me. Bike slid out, water bottle went flying, and he slid across the pavement. I stopped to help him and grab his bike, and fortunately he was quick to jump up. I checked with him to make sure he was okay, which he said yes, but the fall looked rough, so I stayed a bit to make sure. The second place guy had caught up as well by that point, and I think he didn't know what to do, as the biker tried to gather himself, so he kept going, and I followed suit behind him. I kept glancing back until he had caught back up to us on the bike to lead us again, and felt like a jerk for my decision to keep running until he caught back up. If he stayed down I don't know what I would've done, but I hope I would've gone to get help. I knew the biker was embarrassed, so I made a note to thank him at the end of the race and an even bigger note to not bring up the fall. I'd hate someone calling me out on that.

Refocusing, I now had lost my lead, but figured keeping the 6:00 pace would be fine. By mile 7, I hadn't heard footsteps in a while, but decided to turn around anyway- only to see the second place guy not even 8 seconds behind me at most! This sent adrenaline into me- I was not expecting this based on the earlier miles, but I knew then I had to get into gear or else he'd rightfully kick my butt.

Miles 8-11 I dropped the pace accordingly. Fortunately, this helped and he eventually fell 2 minutes back. Having a more comfortable lead was nice, as the police had not securely blocked traffic on the road, so cars were weaving in and out, and with other runners on the opposite side (out and back course), tangents were impossible today, so it could've gotten hairy. I was hoping for a decent negative split for the race but geez, not to be shocked into that kind of pace like I was. I was able to calm it down the last two miles, and hit the finish. Lucky to win this one. Also learned all bikers should wear helmets. And ride perpendicularly over railroad tracks. Needless to say, I tiptoed over the railroad tracks when I crossed :)

Mile splits:

Mile 1) 6:05

2) 6:01

3) 5:58

4) 6:01

5) 5:56

6) 5:59

7) 6:05

8) 5:47

9) 5:50

10) 5:46

11) 5:52

12) 6:00

13) 6:01

Finish) 0:34 I think the pad messed up, since I was about 2 seconds off the start line.

first 6.55miles split (halfway): 39:21, second 6.55miles: 38:34

Final time: 1:17:55 watch time, 1:17:57 gun time, 5:57 avg. per mile

Slow. Oh so slow. Sore in quads, calves, right achilles, left plantar. Worth it.

Eventually did a 2.5 mile tempo at 6:00-6:10 mile pace with Charles for part of it.

Slow.

Ran after coaching, 7:30pm.

PM, rainiy, felt much better today.

10mi @ 5:00am solo

4mi @ 12:00 pm with Amanda and Kelly

Still feeling right achilles, but second run was better.

Also, a Sean Gallagher sighting! Go Sean!

Had a 2-mile tempo at 5:55mpm

Afternoon 5mi before track

Night- 9ish miles after airport trip

Not much time to run today. Right achilles still tired.

AM- 4.25 Miles

Then Gym- Back, and biceps 5x5s with a focus on range of motion on the wide grip rows.

PM stuck at work, but did a workout on the track beforehand-

Ladder: 4x100, 100 rest in between, 4x200, 100 rest in between, 2x300, 2x400 with 200 rest, reversed ladder with 400 rest in between sets, times: 5:20 pace for 400s, 5:15 for 300s, 34-38 for 200s, and 15-18 seconds for 100s

Very hot outside, made it a challenge to do without my run group- hard to motivate myself. Achilles still tired.

1 mile @ 6:00mpm pace.

PM run with the track kids. No real spoed, but really had about 3 separate runs total: track, then run with AJ and Cory, then got stuck on 60 on the way home in traffic, so I pulled over and ran 5 more miles instead of waiting. Fun day of running!

Right achilles still sore, but manageable, and I could feel my running form finally returning just a little bit. My slow/aerobic pace is showing the return as well. Optimistic!

Was supposed to be an off day running/ leg day at the gym, but there was traffic on rt. 60 again on my way home, so I pulled over and went for a run instead of waiting in traffic.

AM- Did the 3 Clearwater bridges with Christina. It was great catching up- this was a phenomenal run day. Achilles felt much better and my stride is evening out.

7:30 pace

AM- Long run in some pretty humid, warm weather. Quint and Drew held a pretty quick pace, making me pretty thankful for warming up early. Everyone else left us on our own and didn't want the training pace. Had one very fun mile that progressed down into the 5:30s, which was fun and unexpected. Didn't think I had that in me so late in a run.

Excited to start working on some speed!

PM- 1.5 mile warmup/shakeout, then 5x5 triceps, delts, pecs, and general shoulders on free-range.

PM- beautiful weather, got out of work early, and made the best of it. Should have run less miles to aid recovery, but I was enjoying it too much. Finally had a slow run pace that felt natural.

PM- Long warmup (3 miles), then 5 x 1200 at 5:16mpm pace, with 400 moderate recovery.

I was impressed that I was perfectly consistent throughout, and the confidence boost was nice given the hot weather. Had to run solo today which made it tough- everyone is getting ready for their races this weekend. Ended with about 400m worth of striders.

4 in the afternoon, then coaching, then 4 more with striders at the end. All solo. Hot out- too early for this.

6.25 before coaching, 3.85 after. So hot.

3 mile warmup. Progressive starting at 8:30 down to 6:00mpm for final 2 miles, then cooldown mile.

AM- Gym for tris, chest, dips, shoulders, and full abs and obliques, then 5 miles outside. Fun day, felt good.

PM- 5 miles, feeling bouncy... Should have slowed down a bit, but oh well.

Solo long run on the clearwater/belleair/sand key bridges area. Loved this run, but need to run with people or my pace is way too leisurely. Finally committed and kept the last 12 miles in the 7:30 range.

Today is the day that I finally beat my Garmin watch. I've always wondered if I'd ever run long enough for it to shut off, and thanks to its advanced age, it finally died on a run before I did.

Score:
Garmin: 1,000+
Me: 1

Suck it, watch.

Warmup laps, then beep test for fun with the kids. We then played indoor soccer for cardio (thunderstorm/rain). After practice finally got to run a nice 7-miler. Very slow.

Ran 2 sets of 4 x 800s with 200 rest in between each item and 400 between each set with Drew and Lee. Lee took it easy today and hung back a bit, so it was just Drew and I, really. Although warm, I felt like I ran alright, so the dewpoint must not be too terrible yet. All were in between 2:34 and 2:40, with the last one in at 2:38.

Drew was a big help as always. I really missed the competitive edge of our group, since we've had different running schedules the last couple of weeks, so it was nice to re-kindle it a bit. Hopefully it grows, I really think our group could start running some special times and giving some even better efforts. Today was a ton of fun, plain and simple.

PM run after track practice.

Then gym for some 5x5s with focus on lats, bis, traps, deltoids, rhomboids, and then some good old fashioned planks to finish it off.

Day off, had conferences in the morning, track meet, then long drive home. Figured I'd have trouble fitting it in, but it's good to have a break. Just makes me more excited for tomorrow!

I had a fun warmup in the drizzling rain, which eventually cleared. I was not too excited to be running on wet brick, but figured I'd only have to worry about it for the first quarter mile or so. This event had a ton of runners from our run group: Joe, Quint, Drew, and a surprise entry with Wendy and Sean. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him. I was very excited for him to have the opportunity to be racing again even if he is still recovering a bit, I know he missed competing.

The start line looked quite formidable for a local 5k, and the course is generally short by about 0.05 or 0.06, so I knew it would be fast. I knew Drew would be absolutely ready to rock, but was interested to see if anyone else would be there. I shouldn't have been surprised, but Sean G. ran out to a quick lead and a small group of 8 or so of us followed. When the dust settled at about mile 1, there were only about 4 of us remaining. My watch was being funky because of the tall buildings, and although I was hoping for 5:14 per mile, I decided to just run by feel. Fortunately Drew took charge by mile 2, and although I never looked back, I felt the other 2 runners drop well off by then.

Drew was an incredible help from this point forward. I just focused on his pace, my breathing, and on my form. Without him, I don't think I would have achieved any improvements today in my 5k running, so I was more than thankful. With about a half mile to go, I felt pretty good, but the gap had widened considerably to about 11-12 seconds. I had a fleeting though about making a hard push, but fortunately thought better of it. I just tried to maintain the distance, my focus and form. Although I had dreams of closing the gap, I definitely didn't have any extra speed in me despite feeling alright. It really was an odd feeling.

The end was a whirlwind. I was very happy for Drew and myself, and then seeing Quint and Sean finish in the top 6 was pretty exciting and put me over the top for a bit. I had a flashing moment where I hoped we'd all eventually be pushing each other at full speed to get better. I never was on a running team, but it evidently causes these flashes and/or seizures. Who knew?

Lots of fun- now if only it was a certified course...

Race notes: almost got beat down by a large man who I had apparently walked backed into. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed. Also, tried to pick up Drew's award to give to him as well, but they lady I think though I was going to steal it. As a white, affluent male, this is a normal expectation, so I'm used to it. We're all thieves up to debauchery.

AM: 11 miles on the Dunedin Causeway and trail.

PM: 3 ish mile shakeout run before lifting on the treadmill

Gym: 5 x 5 chest: flys (60lbs), decline press (60), tricep: pulldown (110), dips, shoulders: overhead press (70), T's and I's, rotator cuff: in and outs on the fly machine (20-25), abs: planks, side planks, side-to-sides with 25s

Long run in Clearwater this morning, 8 bridges total with Lee, Lyle, Mark, and a couple of others. Got there early so I ran 2 miles, then Lee came, and we did about 5 more, then we met up with the group for 2 sets of 8 milers. I didn't care much for the breaks, so I tried to run through them. I always wonder if all the short breaks of stopping negatively affects endurance- I can't imagine it does, but my opinion is very malleable on that point.

Pace was generally around 8:00 minutes per mile for the first set and then 7:00-7:30 per mile for the second set, and Mark and I dropped the second to last mile to around 6:50 over the final bridge which was fun.

Somehow, the Florida weather is comfortable again, if only for the week. I'm not complaining.

AM: 7 miles

Noon: 4 miles treadmill, then gym

PM: 7 miles

Spring break! Even went to the gym today. 5x5 Lats, bis, lower back (wide grip row), traps. The runs got progressively more fun, so I kept going. Last 2 miles were a bit tiring, since my arms/abs were tired.

AM: 4 miles

PM: track- 4 x 1 mile, with 2:30-3:00ish recoveries (400 and then standing at the line). Splits: 5:09, 5:09, 5:15, 5:07

It started out as a challenging workout. Drew wasn't able to make it and Lee was still testing his achilles and wouldn't be pushing it too hard, so I just had to stay focused and ran alone. Not really sure what happened on #3 there, but on #4 I turned it around and came out a little better. Jim pushed me for 200 on the second lap which I was thankful for. Felt good afterwards, ran another 3 miles to cool down.

AM: 3 mile warmup then 5x5 chest, shoulders, rotator cuffs, and tris.

PM: 12 miles, 6 in my old sneaks, 6 in my new flats. Excited- first pair ever! Couldn't help but run a little quick in them.

Ran on Bayshore, Tampa- beautiful run!

AM: 1.5 mile warmup with Dow, Rick, and a couple others. This is the first time I've run with them, but they've been trying to get me out for a while. Great plyometrics routine to get loose.

The workout: 2 x 200 (sprint), 1 x 600 (5k pace), repeat 4 times total, then 2 x 200 to finish. I took the first one and ran the 200s at mile pace, but realized that wasn't the workout to help me, so I switched them to sprint efforts at about 90-95%, and focused on form. The 600s stayed at at mile pace: 1:56, 1:52, 1:52, then 1:45.

The intervals seemed fast, but this group waits for everybody to finish and do a 200 recovery before going again, so I used it as an opportunity to work on sprint speed especially in the 200s.

Overall, lots of fun and supportive.

I guess I had 2 fast-ish miles in there. Might be lying to myself. And to you... Internet.

Was fun running with Christina and Drew!

AM: very slow

AM: 20 miles with Drew, Quint, and Charles spent running through a couple of Easter assemblies and causing general debauchery. Mostly quicker, bringing the pace down into the 6s for a couple of miles. Did not feel good, but happy I did it.

Charles and Quint are looking strong for their marathon! Excited for them to maybe PR.

PM: warmup the miles on the treadmill, then worked out: leg day and did tris, chest, and shoulders.

PM: track workout 2 ish mile warmup, then we decided on 2 sets of 4 x 800s with 200 recovery between items and 400 recovery jogs between sets. I probably should have done the initially scheduled workout, as my hips were really feeling it today so the speed was probably not the best choice. I need to figure out a better day to work on legs than Mondays.

Splits: 2:38, 2:39, 2:34, 2:30, 2:34, 2:33, 2:35, 2:38, 2:36. I really tried to focus today on doing the first lap quick so I would feel tired and struggle slightly for lap 2. My goal is to be able to push through some pain on Friday and hopefully earn a PR time. After talking with Drew about my goal time, I think that struggle might be where I can pick up the seconds that I think I'll need. Guess we'll see! Either way, it will be great for training and exciting to put myself out there on the line.

PM: had to make it all the way until 7:45 until I could run. Coaching districts for track. Reminder to myself to never run the discus event ever again. 2 and a half hours- so tiring and got no fitness in.

PM: a couple of miles and striders after our last track meet (districts) of the year. Guys went undefeated for the fourth year/season in a row! Girls... Not so much...

Feeling sore now that I'm entering my race day tomorrow, but will try to keep reminding myself to just have fun and not worry about ot too much.

Disappointing, hot, and tiring. Winning was cool although!

AM: run in bradenton solo

Noon: 4 miles

PM: 16 miles

Humid and hot would be a kind way to describe today.

PM: 11+ miles. I needed a run like this- felt good, felt smooth, felt strong. Fun run!

PM: track workout with Drew and Lee. 14x400s, ended up being 15x400s. Descending rest starting at 1:30 between items spent jogging/walking, stagnating at 60 seconds, then descending in 10 second increments down to 10 seconds between the last 2 items. We accidentally did 1 too many according to my watch, which was a nice surprise since I didn't even notice. Wanted to speed up on each one all the way to the end. Felt very strong by the end of it, so I guess it's a confidence booster. Lee and Drew hung back again this week, but I appreciated the extra rest on a day like this, that's for sure.

Splits: 1:26.7, 1:24.4, 1:20.3, 1:20.6, 1:17.8, 1:16.9, 1:14.9,1:14.8, 1.16.7, 1:15.6, 1:13.9, 1:11.3, 1:12.4, 1:12.4, 1:11.0

PM: 8+ miles very slow

AM: Track workout with Dow, Rick, and company.  3 sets of 4 x 300s, 1 set of 3 x 150s.  100 recovery between items, 400 recovery between sets.  A lot of standing around before items/sets, little continuity which allowed for extra rest.  I don't like having the extra recovery and had too much left at the end.

Set1: 53.0, 49.7, 50.4, 49.2,

Set 2: 50.0, 49.4, 48.5, 49.6,

Set 3: 50.0, 48.2, 43.9, 45.5,

Set 4: (150s): 25.0, 20.2, 21.0  (supposed to be 4 repeats, but we only did 3)

Day off.  Definitely needed it.  Cue the running withdrawals throughout the day...

Ran the opening mile leg for a 4-mile relay/race event for a charity. Our team changed a lot in the past week, losing our only other guy in 5:00 shape and he got replaced by an 8-minute miler unbeknown to me... so I wanted to go first leg instead of the last leg as originally planned, so I'd be able to have runners around me to run against. I started out fast and just tried to hold on. It was over in a flash and the baton was handed off. Proud of my run today, as I've never raced a mile before in a competition. The run was a lot of fun, and man that is a fast race. It's fun to try something new.

Estimated splits:

1st quarter: 1:06

2nd quarter: 1:10

3rd quarter: 1:13

4th quarter: 1:09

AM: 2 miles warmup, not what I wanted with today as I was forced out of a long run, but then got in a good workout at the gym- arms, back, and abs. The scheduled cleared itself in the PM, so I think a bike ride is in order.

PM: was hoping that taking Sunday off would allow me to heal, but I definitely have an injury to my peroneus tendon area. Started early and progressed throughout the run. Started feeling it on Thursday morning.

PM: track workout- 4x 1 mile workout with 400 rest between items. Completed through the third mile before bailing. Even tried being cautious on them. Oh well. Tendon on my right foot was feeling it bad. Worried about my race on Saturday (half marathon).

Mile 1: 5:41

Mile 2: 5:38

Mile 3: 5:30

Mile 4: disappointment lol

Injury- rest day

Injury- rest day

Injury- rest day. Feeling worried.

This will be a sad race report. Had a Peroneus\Achilles injury show up quicker than expected at Mile 2. Wanted to quit for the first time ever, but just kept plugging along, wanting to quit and not doing it. I'm an idiot for continuing and hurting myself further, and probably shouldn't have started. That said, I'm proud I didn't quit. That DNF would have hurt more than anything. I credit the supportive runners in today's race for getting me through this one.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.  Started workout regimen to compensate for the break- Push, pull, core.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.  Tried a light run of a couple of steps, still a lot of pain.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.

Injury- right foot, acl/peroneal related.

PM: pulls and abs.  Ran my first mile back insanely slow.  Felt very sore.

PM: pushes and abs.  Ran for my second day, felt very sore, but not in the spot of injury- fingers crossed.

Planned off day.  PM: pulls and abs.

PM- Safety Harbor

PM: Gym- pulls & abs

AM: Gym- pushes & abs

AM: Gym- pulls & abs

PM: Gym- pushes & abs

PM: Gym- pulls & abs

PM- Safety Harbor, hot.

Off day, planned.

PM: Had some speed-ups.

AM, on 60.  Saw all of RunTampa there.

AM: Gym- pulls & abs

PM: on the causeway, felt very tired on the bridge section

PM: Safety Harbor

PM: Safety Harbor, with 5 striders

PM: run warmup followed by chest and tris

Felt it again, sadly. Took the day off.

PM: run warmup followed by arms and back

PM: missed morning track, and decided to do a treadmill run to maintain my form to keep an eye on my achilles area. Did a progressive run down to 6:00mpm and just focused on my form.

PM: Ran after school. Did 5 striders. Still feeling achey.

PM: track workout, first one in over a month! Warmup, 1x800, 90 second recovery (moving), 1xmile, 90 second rest, 1x800, 5 minute rest (recovered 1 lap during), repeat all 3 items. I did better than I expected. I was very conservative, and gradually sped up. I will try a similar approach next week. We opted for the shorter workout, which was appreciated.

Splits: 3:00, 5:57, 2:55, rest, 2:50, 5:13, 2:40ish

PM: light run on treadmill followed by legs, arms, and back, followed by light run outside. Could feel the injury a little today, but not necessarily a bad thing.

Happy National Running Day!!

Off day, did some let stretching.  Could feel the achilles, but seemed as if it was just nominal soreness.

PM (noon): Run with Drew and Quint- missed it a lot (10.45 miles).  They both look in great shape, so I was thankful it was just a mileage run for them.  Definitely needed more sunblock.  Noob is right!

PM (6pm): Warmup run (1.55 miles), then Chest and tris.  The dips felt much cleaner today.

AM: Warm-up run, followed by arms and back.  Twinge in my back afterwards.  Note to self to work on my form picking up the weights.

PM: 

AM: Started a little before everyone this morning, as I was nervous they were going to have some speed planned so I'd need a warmup.  I don't know how they can all start at that 7:00/mi b.s.- my body takes a mile or two to get going, and I'm one of the younger ones.  Although it was quicker for a long run (7:29/mi overall average pace), it really wasn't too bad.  I liked the slightly quicker long runs anyway, since I feel it decreases the amount of time I'm spending pounding down on my feet.  Especially getting back from an injury.  I still feel the achilles/peroneal, but it has remained stagnant and manageable as far as soreness/pain is concerned.  

A lot of new runners out there today.  Charles had some cramps about a quarter mile from the finish, so I ended up running back to grab some water, gu, towels, and my car and then stayed with him as his cramps got better for about an hour or so.  It was nice to catch up with him.  Leaving my lights and flashers on in my car was a bad idea as I waited for Charles, but fortunately Val, who was running with the forerunners, was there to help jumpstart my car.  Interesting morning to say the least.  Nice little meetcute as well- need to let my battery die more often... 

All said and done, I ran too long today, but I can take it easy tomorrow.  I really missed running with that group, and it was nice to see so many runners out this morning.  

AM: 1 mile warmup, then chest & tris.  Did not do dips today, taking it easy with them.  Back is feeling a little better.

PM (noon): 8 miles with Drew and Quint,  then 1 mile solo afterwards to work on form.  Ended up getting my foot caught in a couple ditches, so it probably ended up making my form suck more.  Yey.

AM: 2 miles to get loose, then gym- arms, back, and lower back. I really sometimes think that I have the back of a 90-year old man.

PM: track time. Workout was: 4x400, 3x800, 4x400, with 200 rest in between items and 400 between the sets. I didn't wear a watch, which was sadly not due to design, but due to stupidity. When I got home my running gear backpack containing my watch laid glaring at me in the corner- and nobody puts baby in the corner. We cried, had a moment, and I think the backpack and I are on good terms now.

Splits: ?

?

?

?

Bueller?

PM (noon):  Was awoken to messages of running at midday with Quint and Drew.  Slowly worked myself out of bed to begin adulting for the day.  Storms held off which increased the humidity and the asphalt radiated heat, causing me to perspire... or cry... or both?  Anyway, I survived, and now it's time for a nap, a book, and then to pretend I'm a hockey fan.  What's icing again?

PM (noon): 8 miles.  Slow and steady... loses the race.  But feels better on the joints... starting to feel better.  Tomorrow will be undoubtably important to come out of feeling healthy.  

AM (9:30): Ran a warmup around the whole 5k course at Al Lopez Park, then did 2 x 1.5miles staggered start with 5ish minutes of rest in between.  Loved this workout even if my times were nothing special.  I think running with staggered start was a great motivator.  Ran with Drew, Charles, and Quint.  

Splits: 1)  8:19,   2) 7:59,   I did not sprint the ends of either one, and tried to stay nice and steady throughout, which was tough with intermittent gps input.

PM: Warm-up run and then chest, shoulders, tris, and dips.  Changed the order of muscles and tried upping the weight in every area today.  Went well surprisingly, so I went easy on the shoulders at the end.  

Now time to go watch Lee race in the rain!

Day off, traveling

AM: solo run in CT with hills

PM: decided to run when I got into Auburn, New York and just tried to see what I could see. Quaint, industrious little place. I enjoyed it, and the finger lakes are beautiful.

PM: track workout around 12pm. 75 degrees, rainy/windy, but I'll take it if it's 75 degrees!

Workout: 12x400s. 400 with 200 active recovery in between items, 400 active recovery between sets, 4 items in each set. Felt good. Clearly had too much left at the end, but that's helpful with my confidence. Felt like I should do another set at the end of it, but I think I made a good decision stopping- I was tired on the run home.

Set 1 splits- 1:19, 1:19, 1:16, 1:17

Set 2 splits- 1:15, 1:16, 1:15, 1:16

Set 3 splits- 1:18, 1:16, 1:12, 1:10

PM: went to Niagara Falls this afternoon, couldn't help but want to get in a run/hike/climb. About 3 miles.

AM: unintentionally longer run. I got lost and was just enjoying it, so I ran to one of the finger lakes for fun, then mosied home.

PM: ran, then learned to play/got my ass whooped playing field hockey with Nicole. Then finished up my run back to where I was staying at the Finger Lakes (NY). The last mile the skies opened up for a pretty fun downpour which, in 75 degree weather honestly makes for an awesome run experience. Days like this make me love running.

PM: after the baseball hall of fame, I decided to go for a little run in Cooperstown. Very hot, but I know better than to truly complain.

I wasn't planning on running today since I am headed to Deep River, CT in the morning, but I woke up and couldn't sleep so figured I go have some fun. I decided to make it into a workout/tempo hybrid. The goal was a 3.5 mile warmup, then a 1 mile, jog recovery 3-5 minutes, 2 miles, recovery 3-5 minute jog, then 3 miles, with a short cool down afterwards. I was hoping to just keep them all under 6:00 minutes per mile and speed up each mile, so it went pretty well given the meager goal. It was kind of hilly and had some streets to cross, so I wasn't sure if I should do a higher goal than that.

Workout 1-2-3

Splits are for each mile.

1 mile set split: 5:50

2 mile set splits: 5:44, 5:35

3 mile set splits: 5:57, 5:51, 5:40

Very happy with this, and hopefully will take it easy tomorrow!

Rained heavy all morning and we were on the boat all day = no time to run for me.

AM: first real long run back. After missing yesterday I was dreaming of getting on the trail and doing some running all day. Also, with my local running buddies doing some racing this weekend, I was feeling particularly inspired. That being said, I made this more into a progressive run with some twists. I would run each set of 5-mile sessions (4 sets) progressively faster, and then during the last 3.1 (5k), during miles 17 to 20, I would run my only timed goal of a sub-20 5k pace. This was nice since it allowed me to focus on keeping my form and not on making sure the watch said any numbers in particular, as long as I hit my goal after each set. Surprisingly, although it continued to get harder this workout was a ton of fun!

"Workout": 4 x 5miles, progressive, no recovery.

Set 1 (5 miles): 39:56 (hills)

Set 2 (5 miles): 36:45 (hills)

Set 3 (5 miles): 35:19 (flat)

Set 4 (5 miles): 32:13 (flat), with final 5k in 19:36.

Cooldown 0.5 miles

It certainly was a challenge since I'm used to stopping a bit on long runs with a group, but since I was solo in this one, aside from a quick take on my stashed water bottle at mile 10, I didn't stop except for letting a car pass in front of me. It felt good to experience that uncomfortable feeling with my endurance that I regularly get with speed work. A fun variation of this might be splitting it into 5ks which I might try.

AM: trail run

PM: trail run

AM: track workout. Did a warmup on some neighboring trails/streets then got into it. It's amazing to always know there's a track relatively close by wherever you go.

Workout: 16x 400, with 4 items in each set, 200 jog recovery between items and 400 jog recovery between sets. I usually only get 3 sets in, but since it's the same workout I did last week, I had to do something different, right?

Set 1- 1:17, 1:13, 1:12, 1:12

Set 2- 1:13, 1:11, 1:11, 1:13

Set 3- 1:16, 1:14, 1:12, 1:16

Set 4- 1:15, 1:15, 1:14, 1:11

Mile cool-down

Overall, I'm very happy with this. It's notably better than my workout last week and I added a whole set of 4 on top of it. Solo workouts are never easy, but this one met expectations, although, it helps when there is wind, the air is dry, and it's only 80 degrees outside.

AM run on the trails.

PM: what an amazing solo run today. My first time in this town, just decided to map a random preserve and run to it hoping there'd be a trail through the hills/forest up there. Threw on my watch and ran out the door towards where I saw it on the gps. Low and behold, I reached the end of a road after 3 miles and found a place laced with hiking trails. Ups, downs, hard turns, rocks, trees, logs to run over, dry hard packed earth, completely covered by trees, one-person wide, not a single other person seen in the 5.5 miles of trails I ran before deciding I was going to trip on a root from being too tired. What an exuberant, surreal experience. I haven't had miles like that fly by in a long time. The 3 miles mostly downhill back to the waters' edge was just icing.

Not bad for a planned off day. Off day tomorrow maybe...

Busy hiking...

AM run WHILE hiking. Tough terrain.

AM run WHILE hiking. Tried going fast, just couldn't get my legs to do it!

AM run WHILE hiking

PM: hiking and running is taking its toll.

AM: 4

PM: 4

Sneak 'em where I can! Mount Washington bottom to top to bottom tomorrow!

Got to Mount Washington today. Hiking in the white mountains has been cool so far, but this was what I was waiting for. So worth it. Can't believe there were still ice patches on it! Now time to head back to civilization...

AM: first real run back after some intense days hiking. I don't know how shit normally feels, but I bet it feels similar to how I felt today.

AM: 12.5 miles total, 5 on the trail. I ate too much yesterday. We stayed as a family on the boat last night, so I naturally couldn't sleep and was awake at 6... So might as well, run, right?

PM: 7 miles. As I could not stand the confinement of being ln a boat, I went kayaking for 2 hours and hoped that would be enough. It wasn't. I returned and just couldn't take 5 other adults on a boat on a dock, so I scooted out for a run into a neighboring town and back to Deep River.

PM: hard to find time the next four days, but got lucky at around 2pm and the rain held off. Tough hills today. Back in CT

Couldn't find the time, sadly.

AM: track workout- Full 4-mile ladder

4-mile Ladder workout with ascending/descending recoveries. Warmup on some rolling hills, followed by the workout: 400 then 1min recovery, 800 with 2min, 1200 w/ 3min, 1600 w/ 4min, 1200 then 3 min, 800 then 2 min, then 400 followed by cooldown on the grass. Really was not feeling it today before I even started, and started hearing my hard breaths in the first 1200. Hot, humid, and not windy at the right times. I am fortunate to find time to get the workout in although, as I've been slacking.

400- 1:20

800- 2:32

1200- 3:49

1609 (mile)- 5:01

1200- 3:49

800- 2:33

400- 1:09

Overall, I should have been a lot faster on the shorter stuff and slower on the longer, but I aimed for a goal of 5:00 on the mile section and at least got that. Secondly, 2-min is too much recovery after that last 800, 1-min would be better as I think the 1:09 is more indicative of the recovery as opposed to what I had left. I believe next time I should plan it a little slower. Or maybe do a 3-mile variation, as my fitness isn't quite there yet.

Travel day... Busy busy.

PM: Noon run with Drew and Quint.  

AM: Relatively long run on the Upper TB Trail in Tampa.  Ran with Troy and Elias.  Actually, it was a pretty beautiful route, and overall nicer than Pinellas trail.  Lots of tree cover, and really, the highway is not too noticeable if you're in a running trance.  

It was really nice to run with Elias again, although, I felt bad as I think I pulled him a little quicker than he may be used to going and probably a littler farther too.  I didn't really want to go any slower than 8:30s, but we slowly plateaued there and then got slower and slower, and once it it got to 9:30s I really tried to bring him back to a more efficient pace, but eventually had to leave him for the last 2 miles.  That pace overtly taxes my knees, feet, plantar, and legs in general and then doing 2 miles of that and I felt I had run an extra ten miles.  It just doesn't seem like smooth mechanics to shuffle along at that speed and doesn't feel right.  Although we didn't stay at that pace for too long, I don't know how people stay on their feet and impact the ground for so long and so hard when going that pace, it's brutal.  

AM: Run in St. Pete with Walt, Drew, and Christina.  Mostly around 7:30 pace.  

PM: Accurate mile at Eagle Lake Park "race."  Hot and humid, but I wasn't worried since a mile isn't long at all.  It was with KLRs racing team and there were about 100 or so people.  I ran/raced today with Lee for the first time that I can remember.  He led the way for the first 8/10 of the mile with me sitting on his shoulder.  I felt really sluggish throughout, but I just stuck right on his shoulder and he didn't really deviate from the pace except for a couple of slow downs which I fought a lot with myself for not trying to get in front, but I did not want to take a wrong turn on the trail.  This meant I had quite a bit left at the end which was an odd feeling for a short race.  When I saw the end coming up I figured I was going to pass him and stay in front since he has no confidence in his finishing speed but was excited to race and see, but I was sad to see him not speed up with me- I know he could have.  I really think he could if he just decided to try it.  That part kind of took away from the thrill a little bit, as that's the fun part of racing, especially when getting beat by someone.

Anyway, I picked up about 5 seconds on him pretty quickly and then just coasted in the last 10th of a mile since he didn't want to follow I guess.  I suppose if anything it lets me know I'm getting in decent shape.  

Final time: 4:45 flat.

PM: Track workout with Lee and Drew and a couple of others.  Got to see Charles and talk to him a little bit about his trip, but still had thousands of questions- guess a long run is in order  :)

Workout was two sets of three 800s, with 200 rest in between items and 400 in between the two sets.  Normally four items in each should be in order, but I'm VERY happy it was only three.  I was lucky to have Drew on this one, as I wanted to quit on item 5, but just seeing him up there was reinvigorating enough to get me to finish the last two.  There's something about competition that is just essential in track workouts, and it makes me actually enjoy them when all is said and done.  I somehow got roped into a religious conversation which was overwhelming.  I should know better than to open my mouth about things I don't know a lot about.  Lesson learned!

800 splits-   2:38, 2:30, 2:29, 2:29, 2:34, 2:37

Although, Drew, you need to start sharing your motivational internal music with me a little earlier... ;)

Mega-rain in PM coupled with work training caused me to forego running. Not the best decision.

Lightning in AM, mega-rain in PM coupled with work training caused me to forego running. Probably a good idea with a hard workout tomorrow planned in the AM.

Early AM: workout scrapped for me anyway. Made it to Vinoy and drowned my car in a flood. This is a real low point in my training and effort. Planned on bailing on the rest of the day with exercise.

Late AM: became stir-crazy around 11:30 in my apartment and decided to go out and try the workout planned anyway. The workout was a 4-3-2-1 with half mile rests in between, with descending mile splits in each set of 5:55, 5:45, 5:35, then 5:25. I made it through the first set and just bailed. It was hot out, but I was within my capabilities to at least do the 3 mile section, but I got through about a quarter of a mile of the second set and just didn't have it mentally. The time of day was a poor choice, but my mindset was even poorer.

Splits for the 4 mile section: 6:01, 5:51, 5:54, 5:55

Splits for the rest: lol. No.

AM: 11 miles.  Planned on running with a big group in Safety Harbor to get out of this funk, and set my alarm, but also my phone to "no interruptions" as well, so woke up at 6:30, which is 30 minutes after they start. Severely pissed at this point, I tried to just go back to sleep, but couldn't. Eventually around 8:00 I got going and did a little some mileage.

PM: 3 miles and gym- Arms, back, abs.

AM: 7 miles solo

PM: noon, 7 miles solo in a nice downpour

AM: point to point from Rocky Point to the end of The yacht club on Davis Island. Kept it quicker and had 2 detours for water at Marjorie Park and the ghetto beach. 7:30 average pace.

AM: treadmill 4.5 miles with 6 good striders to warm my legs up. Planning on doing a little speed work later, so hopefully it helps get me springy and ready.

Then gym: chest, tris, shoulders

PM: track 10.5 miles, 2 miles of hard running. Workout was 4x200, 4x400, 4x200 with 400 jog between all items. Drew, Jim, Charles, and Hunter ran. Drew did his own thing, Jim and Charles stayed with us through the first 400, and Hunter stayed with me for all of the items.

Splits-

(200s) 31.5, 31.6, 32.0, 29.9

(400s) 1:07, 1:06, 1:09, 1:08

(200s) 32.9, 30.9, 31.2, 28.0

Square tracks are terrible for these types of workouts.

AM: Ran with Christina who was nice enough to come meet me on 60 as I am carless at the moment.  Did a 2 mile warmup then followed with her workout: 3 x 2 miles with 400m jog/rest in between.  Her goal was to stay in between 6:15-6:25 so I kept that for her for as long as she wanted.  In the end, we decided to try and hit 6:30s on the last two.  I'm never really too sure what to do pacing-wise when I'm out in front and the pace slows behind me, so hopefully it was beneficial for her.

1st set-  6:10, 6:15  

2nd set-  6:18, 6:21 

3rd set-  6:30, 6:48 

AM: 9+ miles with Drew and Quint. Had a really rough run on this day- MI of 88 + 77

PM: 3 miles on treadmill then back, lats, bis, core. I love air conditioning.

AM: couple miles warming up on the treadmill, then gym 5x5 tris, chest, shoulders with burnouts.

PM: thunderstorms so no running.

AM: early morning run with RunTampa. Ran solo though, sadly, on the actual running part.

AM: Long, structured run with Drew and Christina (for about 10 miles) in St. Pete.  

Mile warm up, then 14 consecutive within a range of 6:46-6:55, followed by what was supposed to be 6 miles at 5:55 pace, but I couldn't hold.  I made it through the first 3 miles and called it quits.  Last 3 miles: 7:26, 6:58, 7:08.  Followed with an (eventual) cool down mile after waiting/finding Drew for about 10 minutes- need to work on my direction skills!

I was initially disappointed in not finishing well, but I will get there, and appreciated the workout and challenge, even if I didn't get it done.  Fun stuff and excited for the fitness that will come from this.  

Joe was the most helpful today, even for the most brief moment that I saw him- he saw me loping around during the 7:26 mile and I said "hey!" and went to high five him, but he just told me to "go get up there", which in retrospect is something I needed and need moving forward.  Failure happens, but being comfortable with it should not.

AM: Rainy run with Quint and Drew on 60.

PM: track "wave" workout. Alternating 800s @ marathon pace then @ 10k pace, rinse and repeat and run consecutively for 5 miles. Ran solo for most of it. Fortunately weather was much more ideal than expected: middle 80s, partly cloudy. Entered it aiming for 3:10/2:45 alternating paces which are 6:20/5:30 mile paces.

Splits:

MP 1- 3:11

10k 1- 2:45

MP 2- 3:03

10k 2- 2:45

MP 3- 3:03

10k 3- 2:47

MP 4- 3:05

10k 4- 2:40

MP 5- 3:10

10k 5- 2:36

I definitely mis-estimated my initial paces, but it was nice to hit paces I don't usually run at and practice managing them. It was a spurt of the moment decision to do the workout anyway, so I'm not surprised at the mis-estimate. I should listen to my teammates more next time.

AM: run in westshore with Quint and Drew. Felt miserable.

AM: track workout in Safety Harbor with Dan and his team. Another guy, Bobby, was with us for a couple of them too.

The workout was 1 set of 8x800 with 400 recovery.

Item 1- 2:40

Item 2- 2:32

Item 3- 2:34

Item 4- 2:33

Item 5- 2:32

Item 6- 2:30

Item 7- 2:24

Item 8- 2:21

Overall, just too much rest in between items to stick to the times I started with/aimed at. There was a little waiting on the line, so I should have adjusted much earlier than just the last 3 items and shot for 2:30s. Temperature was great (mid 80s), humidity not bad, and time of day (6am) made it an easier workout. Was great running with Dan again. Really just a stand-up, awesome person.

AM: run with Drew averaging 7:10-7:30. Raining, cloudy, lower 80s.

PM: on my feet all day moving, so went out in the rain for a run in East Lake for the first time. My legs were tired.

AM: long, structured run with Drew in downtown St. Pete. Goal for me was to run a total of 18 miles with a 15mile tempo at 6:45 pace. I kind of talked myself up from 10, then to 12, then 15, and eventually finished with 16 at close to MP. I'm my own worst enemy with peer pressure.

Splits

6:53, 6:40, 6:45, 6:48, 6:48, 6:45, 6:52, 6:50, 7:39, 6:54, 6:52, 6:59, 6:25, 6:39, 6:39, 6:34

Not so sure about that 7:39, but that may have been from when we met up at Demens? My watch was having a very bad day today overall, so who knows. Even with that weird mile I was averaging 6:49, which isn't too bad, and the last couple felt good and quick.

Cool down miles were rough at the end. Downpouring and tired legs are not a good combo.

AM: rained out. Gym treadmill busted.

PM: 11 miles solo in the floods/ John Chestnut Park.

AM: 6 miles solo, East Lake.

PM: "Track" was on the treadmill today. Workout I chose was one I had been thinking about doing for a while now as a 5k specific training session. Workout was: 2.25 mile warmup, 400, (2 minute rest), mile, (4 minute rest), 4x1000, 400, then a 2 mile cooldown. Quarter mile recovery jog between each of the last 5 items. The goal was to stay fast and not decrease speed on any item.

400- 1:30

Mile- 4:59

1st 1000- 3:05 (4:58 pace)

2nd 1000- 3:05 (4:58 pace)

3rd 1000- 3:05 (4:58 pace)

4th 1000- 3:03 (4:55 pace)

400- 1:12 (4:50 pace)

Treadmill makes hitting splits a breeze and also made sure I didn't do any sprinting at the end. It felt really nice to NOT do a workout in the blazing heat or rain. I don't think this workout means anything at the moment for upcoming races, but it's a good sign for the winter season.

AM: 5 miles solo, treadmill

PM: 6 miles solo, Palm Harbor

AM: Track workout in Safety Harbor with RunVie.

I got a ride from Rick, thankfully, as he lives nearby. Workout was 4x1200s with each 1200 consisting of 6 alternating 200s at hmp and 5k pace, followed by active recovery. I aimed for 43-45 and 38-40 respectively. Managing paces for 200m I learned is incredibly difficult, and this was a challenging workout simply for trying to get the paces right. I found this very beneficial not for the work I did, but moreso for managing my form, arm carriage, and noticing how to change paces and "sit" in them. I had a great conversation with Dan about how he likes to use this tactic in races like 10k's where the pace is in between as a strategy to get ahead of someone but not burn out. I suppose if you've been racing 30 years like he has, you might actually be able to consciously think about strategy during a race as opposed to drooling and worrying about toilets like the rest of us!

Splits (were a mess)-

Set- HM, 5K, HM, 5k, HM, 5k

Set 1- 45, 41, 45, 39, 47, 38

Set 2- 43, 38, 45, 38, 42, 38

Set 3- 43, 38, 46, 38, 46, 37

Set 4- 40, 37, 43, 38, 45, 37

3 miles was just right for this workout with the hard one I did on Tuesday.

AM: 9 miles on the treadmill.

PM:  Rain run.  

AM: 4 miles on treadmill. Them weights: chest, tris, shoulders

PM: warmup then 5-mile Fartlek. Very underrated workout. Need to do more of these...

AM: 10 miles in John Chestnut

PM:5 miles to check out the new job- man I live close... for better or worse.

AM: Track workout.  Light workout given my high intensity workouts scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.  No watch, just a track and 5k race pace speeding up as I went along to strider speed to finish the last 3.  Workout was: 3x200, 600, 500, 400, 300, 200, 100, 100 with 100-200m jog in between each item.  The last three items I did at strider pace, not sprinting.  Pace was at 5:10-5:15 for the first item according to those running near me, and then I just went by feel trying to mimic it.  

So, today was different.  Woke up at 3:30am and couldn't sleep, and decided to join RunVie for their 5:30am Tuesday track run which I've never been to.  I got there and only recognized 3 people and only really knew 1 of them and no one at my pace, so that was a tough start.  At the end of the workout, I felt as if I could do more and faster, which was what I wanted to feel after, but I'm very surprisingly feeling quite sore in my feet/achilles, which is usually a bad sign for me.  The plan is still to do both 5ks this weekend, but I suppose my body dictates what actually happens.  I'll try a shakeout later today likely and/or take a day off.  

AM: 4 miles on the treadmill then chest, tris, shoulders.

PM: 8 miles.

Planned day off. First day back to work!

PM: 8 miles, 7 striders

AM: 5 miles, a couple of striders (6).

PM: Likely skipping the track 5k. Game time decision I guess. I suppose in the end I want to be very healthy for the winter, and I am starting to learn my body now entering my 7th year of running (it'll be 6 years ago on Tuesday since I started! Happy run birthday to me!), Therefore, I can kind of tell running two hard 5k races in 12 hours isn't the best idea at least currently. Although it'd be nice and more mangeable to PR on a race with tons of faster runners and a rubber track, on the other hand it's the dead of summer in Florida. In other words, I'd be a fool to expect to run a top-notch race with such heat, humidity, and dewpoint.

I am feeling much more relaxed with this decision and can chase a PR later on in the season and can just have fun tomorrow 's road 5k instead. Fortunately, tomorrow's course is probably the only truly accurate one in the series, so at least I can gauge my fitness a bit and start comparing some numbers to last year to update my expectations for my half and marathon coming up.

Race season begins again! This was a local 5k with 440 people total doing it, so pretty small, but a pretty great after-party. This was my third year in a row doing it, so I knew the course quite well- an out and back with fifteen or so 90-degree turns. I didn't see any runners I knew and then all of a sudden Nick Miehe pops out of nowhere, possibly the last person I'd expect at a 5k road race. I knew I wasn't in his class if he was in shape, but I was excited to hang on for fun as long as I could. I took the first mile in 5:09, and wondered why he was not about 5-10 seconds ahead of me, so I looked back and saw him about 30 seconds back with 2 other guys. I was utterly shocked. Mile 1.5 clicked through at the same exact pace, and turned around and fortunately saw them about 45 seconds back. I was grateful for this as my legs were slowly cramping. I didn't realize it at the time, but he was apparently running with his dog, so that explains the 17:41 finish. The rest of the race was taxing in the sun and (un)fortunately at the end- as I wasn't close enough to break 16 to worry about breaking it- I didn't have to do any sprinting or speed up at all. I was very thankful for that as I had some terrible leg cramps by that point. It ended up being a weeny PR, slicing a couple extra seconds off, so that's always nice.

I really don't understand this cramping issue I continue to battle in races, and seemingly races only. During the cooldown I was literally limping for the first mile until my heart rate dropped. This cramping happened last year and the year before that in this exact same race, and likely will happen in the 10k race in a month- as it has happened the last two years there, too. I'm guessing it's overheating related at this point, but I don't know for sure, just that it tends to be the most severe in summer races.

Rough Splits (poor gps)

Mile 1- 5:09

Mile 2- 5:20

Mile 3- 5:24

Finish- 0:22

PM: 12 miles

PM: track workout in St. Pete. Workout called for 600 repeats. I joined in with Drew, Quint, and Cory for the last half of their bridge/hill repeats. Workout called for: 2 sets of 5x600s with 200m in between items and 400m between the two sets. The "hills" after were approximately 0.1mi with the downhill being the recovery. All active recoveries.

Splits

Set 1- 1:55, 1:51, 1:54, 1:52, 1:45

Set 2- 2:00, 2:03, 1:57, ------, ------

Bridge inclines:31, :26, :25, :24, :22

Went way too fast in the first set. Wanted to keep them around 1:55, but the high schoolers kept challenging those paces at different times, and I just couldn't help being competitive. The 1:45 really did me in. Bailed on the final two and join the hills to get some form and quad work in,

I FINALLY got my friend Cory to make it out to track. Ideally he will come every Tuesday. Now if only I can convince Tyler to join we'd have something going... Drew is understandbly focused on doing marathon specific stuff, so I am trying to stop being lazy with my workouts as they're mostly solo. We'll see.

PM: 11 miles in the sun. Gotta work that tan...

AM: track workout in Safety Harbor with RunVie. Workout was intended to be something Dan called a "flush out." No idea what the hell that means, but he's been doing track forever...

1200, 2x400, 800, 3x200, 600, 4x200, with 400 active recovery between long items, 200 between short items, descending speed starting at 10k pace, then 5k, then 3k, then mile pace.

My paces started at 5:30 per mile and then dropped eventually to 4:20 or so. Just not useful speeds overall, as my fitness can't match those in a correct workout. Still entirely too much rest in between items, so I just kept jogging extra which is just giving too much recovery... Enough to turn an 8.25 mile intended workout into 9 miles... Next week I plan on just keeping the correct speed for a longer time and then returning to the group to get the same "time-spent-working-hard" benefit I'm clearly cheating myself out of. I'm disappointed I wasted this workout, but hopefully, finally, learned something from it.

No running today.  Helped a friend move.  

AM: solo run. Need new shoes.

AM: Was expecting to do about 20-22 miles today, with ideally 10 fast miles at around 5:55 pace after a couple miles of warmup.  Got through about 6 and thought I'd heart out the rest at whatever pace- just if anything to make me learn a lesson.  It was an ill-thought out choice and I threw in the towel after 8.  Also unforutunately had to have Drew drive me back to my vehicle at the halfway mark which was forever away.  Although I'm very thankful- it would have been a terrible waddle back...

Splits for the "10 miles"

(3 mile warmup), 5:51, 5:52, 5:53, 5:55, 5:55, 5:59, 6:23, 6:40, xxx, xxx (3 mile cooldown w/ strides)

I just need to work smarter- I wasn't ready for that workout and I need to realize I'm constrained by my fitness I have- not the fitness I think I have- and shouldn't just expect results that I haven't had indicators for.  In the end, I'd rather fail in practice than in the game and thus I'm happy with the 6 miles and it can only help.  Period.

PM: 11 tired, slow miles slugging through the heat.  

PM: track workout. 1600, 1200, 2x800, 4x400 with 200 between each similar item and 400 rest between each different item. Splits: 1600- 5:19 1200- 3:55 800s- 2:37, 2:35 400s- 1:18, 1:15, 1:15, 1:12 Hot, humid, gross day. Just trying to descend paces from 5:20 downward. Very lucky to have Drew out there today. I was still feeling Sunday's workout too, sadly. Jim, quint, Charles, and Cory were also welcome additions. News on Sean G is that he is back running 10 miles a day and 20 mile long runs... Tyler should be joining us on Tuesday too, although he's a wildcard but he did run college and he just got out... This is shaping up to be a phenomenal training season for the Fall at this rate!

Too busy with school today.  Stuck there from 7am to 7pm.

AM: Track workout.  Workout was honest Yasso 800s- did the full 10x800 with active recovery of about 400m to equal the time of each 800.  Warmup of about 3.5 miles.

Splits- 2:42, 2:42, 2:42, 2:40, 2:41, 2:41, 2:40, 2:39, 2:41, 2:33

This is generally a tough workout since it is so long.  I wanted to be right around 2:40-2:42, and I was very pleased with this workout.  Even the last item did not feel too bad and I didn't reach down too deep for it which I'm happy about.  Everyone bailed as there was lightning (but no rain) a couple of miles away, but I was already geared about after being too busy to run yesterday, so I had to run.  The weather was very humid, so I had doubts about completing the workout however.  Definitely feeling better than on Sunday.  I'm thinking it was the ice cream sundae I had last night.  Good fuel...

No running, busy busy....

PM: first day of coaching, followed by 11 slow miles with a couple of newer runners at noon.

AM: Long run on the Clearwater bridges with Drew. Tried to get a bigger group together, but it ended up being just the two of us. The 20 miles flew by and we did about 9 bridge crosses which was a nice fitness challenge. We finished just in time as the last bridge was taxing to say the least. Loved this run, and very happy I got it in with some bridges.

PM: So... the heavens opened up today... I can't imagine I've ever been more water-logged.  I'm including pools, the ocean, and every other swimming adventure I've ever gone on.  It felt like a veritable monsoon- and it's Florida, so that's saying something.  I thought I was in that scene in Forrest Gump:

"One day it started raining, and it didn't quit... We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath..."

PM: track. Safety Harbor this time with Cory and Tyler.

Workout was 400s. 5x400, 4x400, 5x400 with 200 active recovery between items and 400 between sets. Figured we'd start at 5:20 pace and work down from there. Tyler only lasted a pair of them, but Cory hung in for the first 10, and the last one which was awesome. Tyler will be there shortly, I'm sure, as a college runner a couple of months removed with a 9:30 two-mile on record. I'm incredibly excited for our winter track workouts now.

Splits:

Set 1- 1:17, 1:17, 1:18, 1:16, 1:19

Set 2- 1:16, 1:17, 1:18, 1:16

Set 3- 1:10, 1:10, 1:10, 1:10, 1:06

Felt really good about the last set. Reached a little too far into the tank for the 1:06 which I will regret Thursday.

PM: Ran mostly on trail/boardwalk today.  Nice change.

Side note- had a phenomenal day of teaching.  I was just really into it today.  Normally I get very excited and into it, because it makes my students wicked excited, but today was different.  I just had so many positive interactions today that I've been on a real high.  I managed to wane every negative situation and parlay that hedged bet into a positive rapport that hopefully is the basis of some great relationships to come.  

PM: first day of coaching running! (Coaching adults, anyway)

PM: Trail & sidewalk run.  

AM: 8 incredibly slow miles.  Longer night runs followed by morning runs are not the most fun.  Note.  To.  Self.

PM: 

AM: 20 mile running reunion in St. Pete with a split tempo planned.  Starting at the beginning of mile 8, we dropped the pace down to around 6:54 average (over the course of the next 4 miles), mostly unbeknownced to my running mates.  Then after some quick water, I finished that up and got Sean to sign on to a 6-mile tempo aiming at 6:15 averages.  Hunter ended up joining for a couple and then both eventually dropped out at the beginning of mile 5.  Selfishly I wish they had stayed, but I luckily found a nice groove.  Ended with a 6:14 average which was nice to see.  

What a great run- the miles flew by.  Talking with Sean, Drew, some new girl, and Christina for most of the run was wonderful.  I felt very thankful to be around such a great group of people and friends.  I really can sense some incredibly things for this group in the next couple of years, as long as we stay dedicated.  

PM: The Beer Mile!

This was a random discussion on Tuesday during trivia night with my friends where I mentioned and 2 of them were interested.  I then gauged some of my running buddies who I knew were drinkers, and fortunately found some more interest.  So, I planned the private event for Sunday afternoon at 5, and at one people 10 runners were planned.  Eventually only 6 toed the line, but we did have a couple of spectators.  

The course: a 0.25 mile loop around a pond in Clearwater.  Had to find a place away from children and schools... so my options were limited.  This actually ended up being PERFECT.  Interesting course with some weird curves, perfect spot to place beer bottles, and trash cans readily available to throw them out so we didn't litter anything.  The course was surprisingly accurate, and if anything, slowed our overall times because of the curvature.

The rules: Drink a full 12-oz light beer, dump the rest over your head upside down to show it's empty, run a loop.  Repeat 3 more times.  If you vomit at any point or spit the contents, you must run an extra lap that will be added to your time.

The field: 

Me- Was worried since I had a long, strenuous run in the morning whether this was a good idea at all to even attempt.

Alvaro- One of the fittest of the bunch.  Consistent runner, but not sure about his drinking ability coming in- wild card on his beer chugging abilities.  Sub 5-minute miler.

Cory- I thought probably the best drinker in the bunch.  Great sprinter- sub 56 second speed per 400m, so I figured the "drinking breaks" would help him.  Former sub 5-minute miler.

Tyler- Former College track/cross country runner in college.  Good drinker, not sure if he could chug beer.  He hasn't run much since the spring, but he is also a former sub 5-minute miler.

Devin- The only girl brave enough to go for it.  Automatically wins the women's title.  :D

Charles- The tallest, strongest of us all.  Great, consistent runner, and certainly a good drinker.  Thought he would do the best at holding onto the beer and running good times.

The race: With a storm rolling in, we decided we had to start at around 5:20 after about 20 minutes of prep.  I felt bad (sorry Jim!) that a good friend of mine had gotten stuck in some traffic and was still a couple of minutes out, but I had everyone just kind of waiting around, so I just decided to start.  We all started with a beer in hand and the timer began after a small countdown from me.  Unfortunately, Charles had snuck out to help his son with something, and we started accidentally without him (I swear!), so I had to split off a 15 second time for him, as it took that long to get back over and start on his beer, and made a mental note to keep him updated on this.

Beer 1/Lap 1: It was a decent first lap.  Tyler destroyed everyone with the first beer chug with Alvaro and I right behind and we all came in to lap 2 pretty much together.  Cory had already vomited from chugging too quickly and was pretty much just leaving the start line, which made us laugh a bit.  Sorry Cory.  Before beer 2 got much under way, Charles came in and began on beer 2 within 12-13 seconds, meaning he was up 2-3 seconds on the 3 of us.  Lap 2 was rough.  I was already full.  I honestly had no idea where the other 2 beers were going to fit.  The running was surprisingly the easy part, just with a lot of burping.  Beer 3 had Alvaro and I were even again, and Charles rolling in still about 2 seconds ahead of us.  I think he mistook this to mean he had lost time, so he really started going after that beer, so I just decided to take huge gulps and pray it stayed down, which gave me my first lead as I dripped foam onto my head and took off with Alvaro right on me.  Beer 4 was rough.  I really thought I was going to vomit on it as I picked it up.  Alvaro and I glanced at it disgustedly.  Where I was going to fit it I had no idea.  I took one sip and honestly couldn't swallow, so I just sat there for 5 seconds.  Alvaro and I were on the same page I think, and just decided to go for it- hoping not to throw it up.  A couple of huge gulps later, I dumped the empty bottle over my head and took off.  After about 50m, Alvaro's quick cadence quickly caught my attention in my ears and I decided to sprint hard the next 150m and hoped he backed off, since I didn't have much left.  Fortunately, I kept a good clip somehow the rest of the way, and pulled in a couple of seconds ahead of him.

Final rounded times (adjusted for Charles too) from my watch splits, now that I had time to read them all and do the math-

1) Mike- 7:18

2) Alvaro- 7:25

3) Charles- 8:25 (adjusted for start split)

4) Tyler- 9:43 (penalty lap included)

5) Devin- (approx) 30:00

6) Cory- (approx) 35:00? (Penalty lap included)

Final Thoughts: 10/10 would do this again.  Felt terrible, as it progressed, but it is something I'll never forget doing.  Great people great time.  Next time- I'll invite all of my run buddies, make sure the alcohol is 5% (we had Bud light, which is 4.2% I think), and have a designated arrival and start time closer to each other.  Say, 15 minute apart.  Also, no ice or coolers were actually needed, cold water bottles are a must, and available trash cans are as well.  Lastly, demonstrate the dump the empty beer on the head rule before starting.  

PM: 4 miles on the treadmill and tris, chest, shoulders

PM: Track workout in Safety Harbor with Cory and Tyler.  We did a ladder and stayed pretty moderate.  Cory stayed with me or led me for almost all of it except for the final 3 items, which was awesome to see.

The workout- FULL ladder up & down: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1200, 1600, 1200, 600, 400, 200, 100, with active recovery in between items- 200 between short items, 400 after the three long ones.  I treated the first two and last two items like striders, and intentionally kept a 5:20-5:30 pace for the rest of the items.  Felt strong.

Busy at work.  No running.

AM: Track workout in Safety Harbor.  

Workout was 4 x 1200 with 400 active recovery in between items.  kept them all in between 5:35-5:40 pace per mile.  My goals were to stay in the LT and focus on form.  This was a good workout to practice the little things as it was not taxing at all.

Feeling ready for Sunday's 10k, but I have been busy and on my feet and running around all week, and that looks to continue, so who knows how I'll feel on the actual morning.  

PM: Had fun this afternoon.  Really should have taken it slower with a race coming up in a less than 2 days, but I just was thankful to run today.  This has been a long week.  In the end, having fun is what matters.

AM: Coached this morning, then went on a little jaunt into the thunder/lightning before calling it quits.  Never did end up raining much at all although.

AM: After a good warmup, I took to the start line.  This is surprisingly a tough course for being in Florida (no real hills).  Lots of weird turns, U-turns, 90 degree turns, turns while switching surfaces, and the end allows for NO speed since you have to zig-zag a parking lot.  Needless to say, I should be happy with the result, but I'm not.  

The 10k left with the 5k group, so I decided to go out at around 5:28-5:30 or so.  After about 2.5 miles, I was breathing relatively okay, but there wasn't anyone behind me, and the ones that were within 20-30 seconds were guys doing the 5k, so after looking back after the turn off, I just relaxed into a slower pace.  I wasn't really happy with myself for this, but in the moment I couldn't talk myself out of it.  Disappointed in my effort today.

Splits-

Mile 1- 5:26

Mile 2- 5:26

Miles 3 to 6.2- Averaged between 5:40 and 5:50s.

PM: Slow run in Tarpon Springs.  I've never had more bugs stuck to me in my life.  Got a funny cat call today though.  She yelled, "you look wet!"  I'm not sure what that means...

PM: Workout in Safety Harbor with Tyler and Cory.  This was a really fun take on a workout.  I stole the idea from a workout I saw and just added some competition to it.  There were 10 items with like rest in between each.  The items ranged from one minute to four minutes.  The fun part was at the "halfway" mark (meaning 2 minutes on a 4 minute interval) you would turn around on the track and race to the start line.  

You would earn 1 point for being in the lead at the turn around, and 2 points for being the first to cross the start line.  With some tweaking, this is a great way to incorporate every runner in my opinion.  It was perfect since our fitness between the three of us isn't equivalent yet.

Final tallies:

Me- 14 points, Cory:10 points, Tyler: 6 points

Loved this workout, and we all worked hard at strategizing and during each item (which is key for making it beneficial.)

No running today.  

Will be at work from 7am until 8:30pm...  I'm not happy about my efforts lately making room for my running.  I hate when training wanes like it is doing right now.  I feel so much weaker as a runner in this mileage.

PM: 17 miles.  Ran with Cory and Tyler for about 10 miles and the miles flew by.  Then a storm rolled in so track was "cancelled" with the run group.  Fortunately, a few crazies decided that they weren't afraid of no ghosts- I mean rain- and wanted to run a couple anyway.  So I tacked on some more miles.  

Interestingly, the night should have been over, but I then had an impromtu business meeting at a wine bar that my fellow coaches asked me to.  That was odd to have and unexpected.  But certainly an experience- particularly in wet clothes.  Then 10:00pm rolled around and a group of my younger friends in their early 20s wanted to play some ultimate frisbee in the pool, so I went over there and had a ton of fun.  Felt like college a bit again and it was nice having fun and hanging out in the hot tub afterwards.  Then that went on until midnight, and then for some reason I got roped into going to the beach.  That turned into 2:30am (and a lost towel and sandals), and I finally made my way back home by 3, just in time to wake up at 7:00am and start a new day.  Oh to be young.  Particularly when I'm not young anymore.  

PM: 10 quick miles after school.  A pair of children drove me crazy this afternoon, so it was much needed.  I needed the miles to relax that out of me.

Early AM- 4:45 start.  7 miles with Dow and company, around 9:45 pace.

Late AM- 6 mile run with the new run group.  Wasn't planning on running, but I can't say no.  Had just drank a giant load of coffee, so it was an interesting experience for 6 miles.

AM: Clearwater over all 3 major bridges with Quint, Cory, and the Drew.  Didn't do as many as I would have liked, but happy I did them,

PM: 4 miles on the treadmill, then chest, tris, and shoulders.

PM: Track in St. Petersburg.  Drew and I knocked around the idea of 800s, so I had my heart set on them all day.  I was late, so I was thankful for everyone waiting to begin.  Workout was: 2 sets of 4x800s with 200m recovery between items and one 400m between the two sets.  I ended up adding two extra 800s afterwards with Cory to help him along to get to the ten 800s/5 miles.

Set 1- 2:29, 2:31, 2:30, 2:30

Set 2- 2:30, 2:31, 2:35, 2:33

With/pacing Cory- 2:38, 2:27

Overall, pretty happy with a 2:31 average for them, especially with the short rest.  This was an important workout to me, so I'm happy I hit some good times.  Good cooldown with Jim, Cory, and Tyler afterwards.  I gave Jim my copy of "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer", which I think he will either really enjoy, or find incredible ridiculous.  Time will tell... I told him that another famous person makes a cameo in the text, so hopefully Edgar Allen Poe gets him into it.

PM: Treadmill and then gym workout: 5x5 with biceps, back, traps, lats.  Short and quick.  I really think 20 minutes is sufficient for the weight training and I like it since it goes so fast if I know my plan for each set.  Happy I'm (maybe?) back at it.

PM: Fartlek with Cory.  I had actually planned on doing a tempo, but I would've been solo, so this worked out better.  We introduced some body weight activities halfway in to simulate some tough mudder stuff.  Was a fun way to break it up, but man was I tired at the end.

PM: Another 1.75 miles with the group as the rain rolled in.

PM: 5 Miles

AM: 7 Miles with the group

No running.  Trapped my car at Weedon Island for the night, and missed the morning run, then got tied up for the day.

AM: 6 miles, then gym: tris, chest, shoulders

PM: 7 miles

AM: Track workout in Safety Harbor in the rain.

Workout was: 1200, 2x400, 800, 4x200, 600, 3x200 with 200 recovery between items.  Kept the paces for the first item at 10k pace, then 5k, for the next 3, then 3k for the next 5, then mile pace for the final three.  

Not the workout I wanted to run, but the group was doing it, so I just joined.

PM: Slow slog in some shitty weather.  Yey...

PM: 8.5 miles with Cory.  Cory was pulling me today, which I think really motivated him, however, I wished death upon myself as he kept trying to push pace.  I kept taking it down to a slow slog, but we compromised for around a 7:15 pace.

Late PM: 1.5 miles with the team and plyos.  They did a fun workout where they tried to pace a couple of quarters without using a watch.  

PM: 4 blisteringly shitty miles.  This cold is getting worse and worse.  It has moved from nasal, to throat, to chest, to vomiting.  

Still got in a couple of miles and hit the gym... Sorry to the gym rats after me if I didn't wipe the free weights well enough...

AM: 3+ awful miles with the team.  They did "The Michigan."  I practiced keeping it together on the sidelines.  I had trouble talking, was coughing a ton, and felt dizzy.  I have gone from overtly excited about my 15k race tomorrow, to utterly detesting its existence on my schedule.  I feel bad going into it in such terrible form health-wise, but sometimes things are just out of your control.  Getting sick once a year is pretty good I suppose.  I plan on trying my best, but planning is one thing- and executing is another.  

In other more important news, Drew is heading out tomorrow for a huge race at Twin Cities, and I honestly could NOT be more excited for him and what will be a certain PR on a tough course people literally just don't PR on.  I just wish I could watch!  Any marathon with late, long hills would be "can't miss TV" in my book.

PM: Some interestingfun, sore miles with Tyler and Cory in Safety Harbor.  Fun story- "stepped" into a giant hole hidden on a goat path we were running at in the woods that was big enough to engulf my leg down past my knee.  I somehow did a somersault by bouncing off my other foot onto my shoulder, rolled, and jumped right back up onto my feet.  For something that could have been disasterous on multiple levels, it really must've been an incredible sight to behold.  It definitely made the next couple miles a little bit more sore however.

PM: Track Workout with Cory, Tyler, and Alvaro who was nice enough to grace us with his presence.  

Workout was: Warmup, then 15 x 400 with stop rest after each.  1:30 rest between items 1 & 2, 1:20 between 2 & 3, 1:10 between 3 & 4, 1:00 between items 5-10.  Then start deducting 10 seconds per item ending with 0:10 between the last two items.  Cooldown.

Felt sore from Sunday, but I knew I could hit the times I wanted, so I just tried to keep form and work on staying relaxed.  All the splits were in between 1:20-1:15 for the first 5 items, then in between 1:16-1:12 for the last 10 items.  It was supposed to only be 14, but, I became delirious at one point and wanted to add an extra one I guess- which caused much complaining, but oh well, we did it.

PM: seriously late run-10pm. Busy day...

AM: 6+miles at track in safety harbor. Did two prediction run 400s without a watch fast followed by six 300s at around 5k pace. Nailed the second prediction run: called 59 seconds and ran it in 59.08. First one I called 1:15 and got 1:12.50, so that could be better.

PM: 10 mile run with Cory then a little more at practice.