It's all relative

No running- flying back to FL.

PM: 8 miles solo.

AM: 6.3 miles with the group at the track-nothing fast for me.

AM: 2 miles.

No running.

Race information

• What? Croom Zoom 100k Ultramarathon, Florida
• How far? 63.3 miles
• Time Achieved? 9 hours, 11 minutes
• Place? 1st overall

Goals

Splits

First half (52k): 4 hours, 13 minutes.  Second half (50k): 4 hours 58 minutes.

Training

My first ever ultra-marathon!  I started this training block in the worst shape I have been in since about 2012.  I was overweight, not fast, didn’t run much for two months, and had no interest in running fast.  This was most evident in the half marathon I did in November where I earned- truly earned- my worst time since 2012, when I ran my first half marathon. 

Then I signed up for this race and it inspired me a bit: I started running a ton of miles, building up to 120 at my peak, with thirteen 20+ milers, and three runs of a marathon or longer with the longest being 31 miles.  The only thing I missed was a 40-miler I was hoping to accomplish, but I wasn’t too worried about that.  Physiologically there isn’t an advantage to that and mentally I’m hardened. 

Pre-race

I slept well two nights before the race, figuring I’d be nervous- thank goodness I did!  The sleep then night before was 4 hours max and was completely restless.  I woke up at 3:45am (race starts at 6:00) and decided to just get up.  I had a bagel with peanut butter, granola, water, electrolytes, and a banana.  I wanted coffee, but decided I’d rather avoid the restroom as much as possible before and during the race so I nixed the idea.  I had bought a headlamp the day before thinking a hand-held wasn’t enough, so I added that to my outfit.  I had a basic running belt, but no water bottles/camelbacks or anything.

Elia and I decided we’d both run our own races- whatever that may be- despite training together.  I think this was smart.  A lot of things can go right/wrong in such a long race, so it was best to just stay focused on ourselves.

Course

The course was completely on a beautiful single-file dirt/trail in the middle of nowhere with a 2.2 starter loop, followed by 6 ten-mile loops, allowing you to come back to the start point and get to your belongings.  There was one other water stop at the 5-mile mark that also offered junk food.  The course was 80% dry through grass/woods with some hills and 20% wet/mud and full of roots, but overall was easy, especially since you looped back to the start spot.

Race

I had decided to just run with whomever was in front.  The race had 3 categories with a max field of 250 runners total: a 25k (which started an hour later), a 50k, and a 100k (both of those started at 6am).  Three of us started off nice and fast, and I was thankful since it was impossible to see all the roots, race markers, mud, puddles, undulations, fallen trees, etc. since it was pitch black.  The head lamp and handheld flashlight I was making fun of having a day earlier ended up being completely necessary.

Starter short loop and 10-mile loop one

The first 2.2 was through some sugar/beach sand which was tough, but thankfully it was only on that part of the course.  We ran through camp to cheers from the crews and volunteers which was cool.  Then about a quarter of a mile- although we didn’t know at the time- we made our mistake: we went straight instead of making a hard right onto a side trail.  Since the “course” had just started, the three of us weren’t too sure what to be looking for (reflective blue tape), so we just followed the marked trees (that we eventually learned were for a longer loop).  Lucky for the three of us, it loops back to the regular course, but instead of being ahead of the rest of the other 100 runners in the 50k/100k, we were behind them!

We were all heart-broken, and the guy who had been right in front of me noticeably dropped back and I never saw him again.  I struck up a conversation with the lead guy, Josh whom was running the 50k, and we decided to just let it be and continue.  Although frustrated, we eventually caught up and passed the entire field (again) which was challenging on a single-file path.  I felt great but was disheartened about the 1.1-mile mistake.

10-mile loop two

I stopped and grabbed food and water before crossing the mat at base and shed my lights and winter hat and switched them out for sunglasses and a regular cap.  Anthony surprised me and joined for this second loop and we caught back up with Josh.  We got to the point where we made our error and there was a guy sticking a sign into the ground with “RACE à” in big giant lettering at the exact spot we made our error: gee, that would have been helpful the first time around.  Other than that, this loop was a blur.  We flew, relatively speaking with a 7:30/mile average and had some fun conversation.  I felt great.

10-mile loop three

I thanked Anthony for running the last loop with me, stopped and fueled up again and switched into a pair of dry shoes.  I am very happy I had planned on doing some stopping- it became an easier way to make small mental goals to get to my “stopping points” even if it did make me lose 4-5 minutes at a time.  It was also nice to talk to Jenni and Eva who were nice enough to “crew” both of us.  This loop also breezed by with just a pee stop and a water stop at the 5-mile mark.  My overall average was at about a 7:50/mile pace when I came into base camp again.  Josh sped up at the end since it was the end of his race (the 50k) and I was now on my own for the rest of the race.  I felt great, minus some sharp pains in my right knee. 

10-mile loop four

Now things were getting serious.  I did not want to eat more, however ate everything I had planned except for one baggie of nuts which I tucked into my belt.  I started taking some electrolytes and packed one for the mid-point.  This was helpful, as I was feeling a bit dizzy and off.  

Josh had finished his 50k on the last loop, so now I was on my own, which made it tough.  Passing runners on the single-path had started to get truly annoying.  I think I was most surprised with them not realizing I was behind them- how do you not hear footsteps crashing in the middle of a forest of nothingness?  I guess I will take it as a compliment! 

This loop is the first time I felt it was time to focus.  The run became a mental struggle, and the desire to walk was intense and increasingly challenging to subdue. 

10-mile loop five

I had given up on the nuts I had packed and stuck with my other items.  I just didn’t want to eat them.  Now I understood why they had so many random food options- you will have no idea what food you will want to eat on the run, but it certainly will not be anything you expected to want to eat!  I also switched into now my third pair of shoes, so I'd have dry feet and changed my shirt which was soaked with sweat from the first 43 miles.  Mentally, I struggled to keep my mindset in “run” mode as opposed to “walk” mode.  The thought of walking was just so pervasive.  I wasn't out of breath, I wasn't hurting much, I wasn't incoherent- I just had an incredible desire to walk.  This loop also was responsible for my only fall of the race- I tripped over a root going up a hill and ate it close to the base camp.  The thing came out of nowhere, I swear!

10-mile loop six

The final loop!  Mike an Alan had showed up prior to this loop to cheer me on, so I took some pictures, videos, and thanked them before eating/drinking/heading out.  I had secretly hoped one of them wanted to run with me, but unfortunately I was on my own!  I suppose it is better that way.  I wanted to do this for me and see if I could accomplish it solo, particularly at the end.  This loop saw the most walking, which was surprising given the end was so close. 

The final loop was the only time I jumped into every puddle, splashed every mud spot, and launched through the course without trying to avoid certain obstacles.  I wanted to enjoy the experience.  I was dirty, my shoes were muddy, and I had water spraying on me.  I loved it.  I cruised through the last half mile, my legs suddenly regaining their strength and crossed the line first overall with a new course record for this particular course.  I was shocked to see the contingent there: Mike, Eva, and Jenni I knew would be there, but Ali, Jenn, Chris, and Gail had surprised Elia and I and had showed up to watch the finish!  I hung around thanking them all and taking pictures and then was lucky enough to watch Elia roll in about 25 minutes later in second place!  I am not surprised- he had outworked me in every way to prepare for this race and truly earned his success today.

Post-race

What a euphoric feeling.  I felt accomplished.  I struggled but showed resilience.  I felt pain and ran through it.  I had doubt yet persevered.  I wanted to throw out my race plan, however kept my discipline.  I knew there was a risk of failing to finish a race for the first time in my life, but never let those thoughts creep into my confidence.  This race changed me as a runner.  I could not rely on my speed or talent at all during this race at all.  It really was me this time and just the qualities I have been building in my personality that got me through this endeavor.  I am sincerely proud of myself completing my first ever ultra-marathon.

This report was generated using race reportr, a tool built by /u/BBQLays for making great looking and informative race reports.

Finish line

At 53.3 miles in

PM: 4 miles at 11:40/mile pace

AM: 5.5 miles at 10:20/mile pace.

PM: 5 miles  at a  9:30/mile pace.  Slowly but surely feeling better.

PM: 10.5 miles  at a  8:30/mile pace.  Felt much better.

PM: 10 miles, 7:50/mile pace.  The pace is getting much better, I'd say my legs are still a bit tired, but I felt fine- no pain, just soreness.

PM: 13.2 miles @ 7:30/mile pace. Felt pretty good, definitely felt the tired legs at the end. Fun run.

AM: 6 miles

AM: 19 miles.  Wicked fun run- Drew made an appearance- it was great to see him of course, but I appreciated the conversation more than even the run.

PM: 4.3 miles

PM: 12.5 miles.  Felt easy.

AM: 10.35 miles, one of them fast with the group to help pace.

PM: 9.5 miles, with 6x800 with 400 recoveries.  I was very conservative, but I did hit every goal that I passively made prior to every interval- increasing in speed/effort.  

Had to go in to work early, then had extra work after work, then dinner went long (to 10pm) so I took the L.  Not happy about it.

PM: Felt bad about the skip yesterday, so I ran an 18-miler today for no real reason.  7:30/mile average.  Felt easy until about 13, then I got a bit tired without any nutrition.

PM: 10 miles at about 9:00pm.  

AM: 13 miles at 7:20/mile pace.  Felt pretty easy.

PM: 3.35 miles to even it out.

AM: 20.1 miles with Elia, Anthony, Alan, Ali, Gretchen, and Rona.

AM: 10 miles.  Felt easy.

AM: 10 miles.  1x3000, 1x200, 8x100.

PM: 8.6 miles, then 3x1600 with half time (2:30) recovery jogs.  Splits- 5:07, 5:04, 5:03.

I felt really heavy in the afternoon, which I feel is mostly related to the sprinting I did in the AM.  I was worried after the first mile, since it was a bit slow (I was aiming for a 5:05), but I was pretty even throughout after that, and did not reach deep into the tank.  The feeling of lethargy never did leave, however when looking back at my heartrate it is pretty apparent it was mental fatigue more than physiological, although I would have argued otherwise without that information!

PM: 8.3 miles solo.

PM: 5.1 miles easy.

PM:3 miles easy

AM: 2.1 miles easy

PM: 3.8 easy, 5k hard

Race: Bellair Sunset 5k

Goal: A goal: sub 15:51 (PR for a road course), B goal: sub 16, C goal: 1st overall

Course: I really enjoy this course.  There are no points where it is congested, quite flat although very breezy, there are only a couple of hard turns, and there are no 180-degree pin-point turns, so this course is pretty great for a 5k.  

The race: There was no one running with me from the start unfortunately, and the footsteps were gone from behind me about 30 seconds into it, so I was on my own.  I felt great through mile one and was very relaxed, cognizant that I needed to maintain a high cadence (I ended up with a 196 average) while relaxing as much as possible- it has been quite a long time since I've taken a 5k seriously, but I generally seemed to remember what it takes to not fall apart, not drop the cadence, and to not lose form.  Mile one was a 5:02.

Mile two was shockingly easy.  I felt in control, relaxed, but I decided not to push it despite feeling great.  Mile two was a 5:02.

Mile three was tougher and the breathing changed the moment I tried to speed it up.  I relaxed back down, afraid I was going to blow it going too early. I knew I was about 5 seconds behind breaking 15:30, but I don't know, I just talked myself into thinking I was closer than I was.  Mile three was a 5:02.

The last turn is a hard 90-degree turn down to the finish.  Although the race is small (650-700 people), it is a great finish since you can see the clock and have literally 110 meters to sprint to your hearts desire.  I closed ridiculously fast (for me anyway), my cadence hitting a 205 and finishing in 27 seconds.  I have been working on my anaerobic capacity, but wow, I felt like a sprinter out there!

The finish time was a 15:33, 1st overall and it was a PR for a road course!  The 2nd overall guy crossed the finish in 17:35 and no one else broke 18, which saddens me a bit, since this race is usually a really fast one.

Splits- 5:02, 5:02, 5:02, 0:27

Final thoughts:  I just missed 15:30, but that's okay, it's right around the corner and I did hit my planned goal and a shiny new PR.  With hindsight bias, I suppose I should have amended my goal, but I had nothing to go by having just ran a 100k ultramarathon a couple of weeks ago.  I mean really, let's be serious- I'm happy to have any speed at all.  I really felt good this race (especially during it), and it is probably the first 5k I've ever had that didn't feel like I was on fire by the end of it.  

AM: 15 miles with Anthony in the rain and cold.

AM: 5.2 miles

PM: 3.1 miles

AM: 9.1 miles, 2.25 of them fast (alternating 600s & 1000s) with the group pacing them.

PM: 7.4 miles, 2.5 of them fast (400s) trying out some old shoes I rarely wear to see if I liked them enough to use them this Saturday.  The pair I used on Saturday are just insanely thin- so although I'd definitely be faster in them, I'm not sure the return from the shoe weight will compensate enough for the increased impact of footfalls throughout the race.  

That being said I'm 90% certain I'll be running in my 11oz trainers for Saturday.  The math comes out to about a 5 seconds/mile loss with that choice, but it's better than an injury!

PM: Felt great, 180 cadence, easy pacing right where it should be.  I am excited for Saturday.

PM: 5 miles

So on Saturday I'll be racing the half marathon again.  My last attempt atthe half was an epic mess, however I am in great shape currently and will definitely try to PR.  I have the option however of shooting a bit for the stars on this one, and I'm not sure if it's a logical step.  I did just run a 15:33 in the 5k despite  the lack of speed work recently and felt like I had more in me for it and felt great during the race.  I'm torn: I have not done much tempo work, however my mileage, speed, weight, and nutrition has been very good.  It seems fair that I should definitely shoot to best my PR if the weather cooperates, however I am not sure by how much.  

Option 1- PR at sub 1:12:30 @5:32/mile pace.

Option 2- Shoot for sub 1:12 @5:30/mile pace.

Option 3- Sub 1:11 @5:25/mile pace.

Option 4- Sub 1:10 @ 5:21/mile pace.

Option 1 seems a waste of an opportunity.  Option 2 seems to also be a waste of an opportunity (although with the lack of preparation with specificity, is likely the most logical one).  Option 3 seems to be the most plausible.  Option 4 seems to be a bit of a dream scenario.  

I really want to shoot for option 4, but  the prospect of blowing up like last time is one that is resonating in my head.  I am definitely in better shape, but that pace would be difficult to recover and still PR from if things went south.

AM: 2.5 miles

Safety Harbor Half Marathon Race Report

Well, I'm going to keep this brief, as I am disappointed in the result.

Weather/Training/Course: Hilly course, but nothing that would deter a PR in my opinion.  Weather was a bit uncooperative (70s, humidity over 80%, high dew point), but I expect that by now.  I decided to shoot for sub 1:11 with a 5:24 pace (so 1:10:47), since  my mileage and speed have been great.  The only thing I've lacked was specificity for the half marathon and LT- man did that bite me in the behind.  Specificity, specificity, specificity.  I feel like if I say it enough times, I'll get the hint that I need to work on it.

The Race: I was all alone almost immediately in the race, which was too bad.  I started relaxed, but was working way too hard by mile three- I just wasn't smooth.  I didn't think that was a good read and assumed that I was just psyching myself out of it, but the wheels started coming off, and I was 13 seconds off by the 10k marker and falling and had only done one of the three main hills.  I was dejected at that point and clicked into cruise control in the right lane so to speak, my pacing rose to 5:58/mile for miles 10-12.  Mile 13 was okay (5:27), but that was only when I realized I was in danger of not even breaking 1:14. 

Fortunately, I rolled into the finish in 1:13:46 under that mark- however I will still have to grade this effort as a big, scarlet "F", having missed all four goals.  I appreciate the win in the race, but that is simply dependent on who shows up.  I do find some semblance of hope in that the second place guy was about 6 minutes behind me in 1:19, so maybe I lacked a bit of motivation later in the race because of that. 

As Drew would say, just  send this one into the wood-chipper and move on.  I can buy into that.

AM: 15.1 with Nick and Elia.  I felt okay, 7:53/mile pace, good cadence.

AM: 8.2 miles

PM: 9.1 miles

AM: 10.1 miles, 3.0 of them faster with Dylan, 3x6:00 with 3:00 recoveries.

PM: 10.45 total miles with Brian, Nick, and John, 4.5 of them fast until failure.  The workout was ?x800 until failure descending paces with 200 jogging recoveries.  Figured it would be fun and a nice way to hit all the pace levels while still challenging myself.  We started at 6:00/mile pace for each 800m and descending by 10 seconds/mile for each 800 until we each respectively dropped off.  Brian stuck to the 6:00 pace after the 1st interval, Nick made it down to 5:40 pace, John dropped at 5:10 pace, and the last two I did on my own.  It was much easier when I wasn't the only one going.

Splits- 2:58, 2:54, 2:51 (missed but it was just poor pacing), 2:42, 2:39, 2:35, 2:28, 2:25, 2:21.7 (failure by 1.7 seconds)

PM: 15 miles, 5 miles at marathon pace.

AM: 8.65 miles slow

PM: 8.1 total, 3.5 fast.  Workout was solo, and was a 1x5200 followed by a 1x400 @ 5:21/mile pace.  I guess I wanted 5 continuous miles at that pace after a longer warmup (to make it like a tempo), but my legs weren't feeling it.  Mentally, I checked out early on, so settled with my brain at going for a 5k and then figured I'd just get back to the start line.  Crossed the 5k around 16:35ish and wasn't too taxed.

AM: Did a double workout at OTF with some lifting.  Averaged 10-11 mph for the first half, and 11-12 for the 2nd half.  I felt fine.

AM: 11 wicked taxing miles in New  York on some serious hills.  The snow, wind, and 20 degree temperatures made it a bit grueling.  I went slow.

Early PM: 2.3 miles

Really had no opportunity to run today.  Goose egg.  

PM 10.4 miles.

AM: 3 miles at marathon pace with Dylan, 10.6 total.

PM: 10.7 total miles, then a weird workout (4.5 miles).  Jeremy and John wanted to run 800s at 5:19 pace with a long 400 recocvery, and I also wanted to do that pace, but with a bit more effort and much less recovery.  After the first 800, I switched to doing 1200s and recovered for 50-60 seconds jogging while they rejoined me at the start line.  This made it pretty perfect, as I received a short jog rest that I wanted and still was able to get that pace in while doing the longer-ish items I wanted.

Workout 1x800, 400 recovery, 4x1200 with 50-60 seconds recovery, 1x1600 to finish

Int.-     800,  1200, 1200,  1200,  1200,  1600

Splits- 2:41,  4:00,  4:00,  3:57,    3:57,  5:04

Overall, I am surprised by how easy this workout was.  I knew the pacing I wanted (5:19) wasn't too challenging, however, with the starting and stopping with the very short 50-60 seconds of rest, I figured I would be more taxed and mentally fatigued.  Usually in a situation like this I get a sense of uncertainty, but after today I definitely have some confidence- particularly with the workout this morning, as I was on tired legs a bit.

PM: 8.4 miles with a ton of striders and then the gym- legs, chest, abs.  I hate leg day, but it's clear I need it after today- my lunges and squats have dropped off pretty epically.  I had to reset with just body weight at one point just to fix my form.  Sad.

PM: 12.65 miles solo

AM: 6 miles solo.  Felt a bit weird in my calf, so I think I will have to forego the workout planned for tonight and skip running tomorrow as a precaution. 

I'm not too worried about the injury (likely an acute, small calf strain or tear), just too close to the race next Saturday to play with it over a workout.  

PM: No running.  Calf tear.

No running.  Calf tear.

AM: 20 miles.  Definitely felt the calf, but nothing acute until mile 13.  Was too far away to stop my run, however.

PM: 10.3 miles, 7 with Elia.  It was really nice to run with him.  The heat would have been a bit unbearable solo- it's already in the 80s and humid here again.  Thanks winter.

AM: 8.8 miles, some fast with Alan,  Dylan, and Elia.

PM: 8.2 miles with the group.

PM: I woke up this morning disappointed that I did not do a workout yesterday.  I knew I wanted to and it would help my confidence, but I just bailed on it simply so I could run with my friends.  Today I started feeling some anxieties about my race on Saturday as the doubt began creeping in: my speedwork has been specific, but not a long enough cycle.  I missed Friday speed and yesterday, as well as skipped two runs (one being a long run with effort).  Overall, my confidence was diminished because of this.  Anyway, I decided to do workout tonight to make up for it.  It will be interesting to see if it negatively affects me for Saturday and Sunday for both of my races.

Workout-10x100m striders, fully recover jogging, 1x12:00 at 5:00/mile.  I nailed the splits (2.4 miles total for the 12:00 interval).

The workout certainly felt like I was working- but I was working effortlessly.  My breathing was controlled and form held strong.  this really helps my confidence for the weekend.  I was worried about my calf, but it was a non-issue.  I did not feel great entering into the final interval, but that proved to be all in my mind.

PM: 4.15 miles

I am ready.  I am going to shoot for a sub 50 minute 15k on Saturday, and likely aim for 5:19/mile pace on the way out (with the wind), and 5:21 for the trip back (against the wind). 

"C" Goal: The top 10 will be the first goal.  I know of 9 other runners who are in my speed range and doing the 15k, so it appears that seems like a reasonable "C" goal.  

"B" Goal: Top 5.  Top 5 wins you a minimum of $250 for 5th place and increases from there.  I know this race has the top runners in the area- it's nice to know I can compete against guys who are dealing with this crap weather right along with me, so to test my efforts is exciting for me.

"A" Goal: PR with a sub 49:59.  I just want to be under 50 minutes.  That is just one of those magical numbers for us weekend warriors who didn't run in college or high school that we can forever be proud of achieving.  I really want it badly.  I don't remember  ever wanting something this badly.

Yesterday's workout has me really psyched for Saturday.  I just have to relax, keep my form, keep my knee drive, and stay focused once we get into that second half of the race.  Ideally, I can stay with RJ for the first half, unless he decides to do something way too fast.  I'm hoping he plans on shooting for nothing faster than 5:15/mile (and ideally 5:19/mile), which is already out of my range.  If he does, then I might be stuck in no-man's land behind the top 5. 

Anthony is still uncertain if he will even run.  He doesn't usually like to run big races like this out of shape, so if he is feeling anything at all, he is out.  That being said, I  would love him to be there and clicking along right next to me or even ahead of me.  Similarly, I can't count on Jeremy to be in my range.  He doesn't usually dip under 5:35/mile for anything like this.  

The next group of 5 has James (who is a bit out of shape, so I hear), and then 4 other college guys.  The college guys are a bit of a wild card for obvious reasons.  If they have been training hard, then they will be ahead of me.  If they haven't been putting in miles and just doing workouts, then they will be in the 50-52 range.  I am selfishly hoping they are all in the 49:30-50:00-flat range.  

No running

2019 Gasparilla 15k Race Report

The conditions were terrible for the time of year: 70-80 degrees, super humid, sunny, crosswinds were not crazy but were constant, and high dew point.  That being said, the weather didn't seem to affect the lead runners in front of me too much (except for the 4th place guy), so my complaints are pretty empty because of that fact.

Start line: The race started off with me confident to break 50 minutes pretty handily.  I also figured I'd have a shot at top three and win some money!  Read on...

First mile: Welp, there goes that plan.  I was 20th place or so and was distinctly into the third group of runners with the lead group comprising of eight guys going about 5:00/mile pace, so I figured I would just go for the PR and whatever happens happens!  I crossed mile one right on target in 5:20, but was behind seemingly everyone.

Mile 2 and 3 went perfectly, and over the course of those miles I slid up to 9th place overall, with just that group of 8 in front of me.  

Miles 4-6 saw me fall 12 seconds behind my pace, however I guess I wasn't the only one suffering already.  Despite my slowing, I caught 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, and put 20 seconds on them all.  This was a very weird experience so deep into the race to see that kind of drop off from the "faster" group.  

I was already 90 seconds behind first through fourth, but I knew 5th was guaranteed $$$ and who knows, maybe one of the top four aren't local... more on that later.

The second half I felt heavy and positive split by nearly a minute, but somehow managed to put 10 more seconds on the rest of the field behind me.  I really do not know how.  Either we all paced this race terribly, or the weather was beating everyone up today.  Even my final mile was a clunker at 5:27.  

In the end, I missed my goal by a minute, however this was all mitigated by the fact that apparently I managed the 2nd overall local runner, netting me $1,500!  Realistically, I did not run a time fast enough to win money of that amount, so I truly am fortunate. Who says money doesn't solve problems?  Have a bad day?  Oh... here's 1500 dollars.  Is your day a bit better?  Oh, why yes it is!  Thank you! 

Hopefully that's how it plays out.  I also now have an opportunity to win some more money tomorrow in the half marathon, so who knows?

Splits-  5:20, 5:20, 5:18, 5:28, 5:23, 5:23, 5:25, 7:25 (1.3 miles on lap, 5:37 pace), 5:27 (final mile)   for 1st half- 24:51, 2nd half- 25:38 (+0:47 split)

Places- 1st- 47:12, 2nd 47:44, 3rd 47:58, 4th 48:04, 5th me 50:29, 6th 50:56, 7th 51:06

2019 Gasparilla Half Marathon Race Report (Day 2)

The conditions were the same as yesterday's  race, but fortunately today there was 100% cloud cover, allowing some semblance of mercy.

Start line: Lining up next to some of the pros was cool.  Parker Stinson, fresh off a 1:02:11 a month ago, was a cool sight.  I actually felt pretty recovered from yesterday.  I suppose my preparation has a bit to do with that, but I was thankful nonetheless.  I decided to be super conservative this race, and planned on averaging 5:40-5:45 miles, depending on how I felt- I just didn't want to blow up, especially with how terrible I felt just 22 hours ago.

Miles 1-5: Easy peasy.  You start the race by looping Davis Island, and honestly it is the simplest 5 miles of any run you'll ever do.  I was 30th going over the bridge to the island and probably about 18th or so heading back over the bridge exiting the island.  

Miles 6-8: Clicked off nice and easy and I started dropping my pace.  The wind was really hitting us head on, but I just felt good.  I would catch one person, hang on, then speed up to the next one.  I continued this method until I was in 11th place, passing one of the Kenyans (I mean Americans...) who was over-heating and quit the race.  The wind was tough in this section- mile 7 was an anomally because of it, but other than that mile things clicked pretty well.

Mile 9 had me catching the final two guys putting me into 8th place overall.  I was very excited by that.  I was definitely sore from yesterday, but I was very focused today to persevere through the pain.  

Miles 10-13 went by fine.  I was enjoying the cheering from the runners who were passing on the far side of Bayshore Blvd- they were a welcomed group.  The air went from windy to "dead" in this stretch (wind was probably at my back), and it was so uncomfortably hot.  I was sweating from everywhere and my glasses were fogging from humidity- had I jumped in a pool I would have probably felt just as wet.

I saw the lead female and... I could not believe it- Austin Richmond- ahead of me by about 35 seconds at one point at mile 10.  I knew Austin was a local runner, but I also knew he runs a 46:00-flat 15k, so he wasn't worth catching.  Even if I caught him, he'd easily pull away.

Finish & Final thoughts- I was really proud of myself.  I could have just mailed it in and I even had thoughts after yesterday that I would just be setting myself up for failure by even doing the race at all.  I began the first third of the racee aiming for a sub 1:15 and worked it all the way down to a sub 1:14 at the half way mark.  Then, over the last third I almost cracked 1:13 and had some left in the tank. 

I am really happy that my 5:25/mile pace yesterday translated into a 5:35 pace the next day in a longer race.  I figured 0:15-0:20/mile was more likely.  Considering Austin's was +0:22/mile from both days, I am even more pleased.

Money- Apparently, I am second overall local runner again, lucking myself into another $1,500 today!  That makes a two day total of $3,000, just for doing something I love to do!  I am thankful no one faster showed up, and that's not modesty.  Realistically, I did not run times that are fast enough to win money of that amount.  It just goes to show you, it's all about who shows up, and you never know- last year I wouldn't even be walking away with $500 let alone $3,000.  

Splits-  5:44, 5:43, 5:53, 5:27, 5:35, 5:35, 5:46, 5:34, 5:32, 5:32, 5:24, 5:28, finish-5:56 (5:17/mile)

for 1st half- 36:53, 2nd half- 36:18 (-0:25 split)

Places- 1st- (Scott Fauble) 1:05:09, 2nd (Elkanah Kibet) 1:05:13, 3rd (Augustus Maiyo) 1:05:22, 4th (Parker Stinson) 1:06:29, 5th 1:09:42, 6th (Austin) 1:12:25, 7th 1:12:29, 8th (me) 1:13:11, 9th 1:13:49, 10th 1:14:04

No running.

AM: Track, ran with Elia and Dylan.  Had them work on their pacing and leading the group.  Worked on my form and on being relaxed.  Felt fine.

PM: 9.3 total, 3.5 fast.  2x400, 1x800, 1x1600, 1x800, 2x400, 4x200

Splits-  1:13, 1:12, 2:32, 5:02, 2:27, 1:09, 1:03, no splits for the 200s, but took them pretty easy.

PM:  14.7 with Elia.

PM: 13.6 with Elia.

PM: Workout in East Lake.  3x1600 with half time recoveries (2:30).  I was pretty strict with myself, since that usually yields the best results.  I figured I would be a bit too tired to handle mile repeats, but I felt fine after the first 400, so I just kept chugging.  I didn't reach deep into the tank on this workout, but had I tried four intervals, I would have had to.

Splits- 4:57, 4:59, 4:58, 0:29 (200m finish sprint after a 20 second walking break)

AM: 10 miles solo

PM: 4+ miles evening it out.

AM: marathon-ish workout. Elia joined me on the slow stuff, but was solo for the other 11 miles. Started the workout at mile six. 3x3mile at sub 17:59 goal pace.

Splits- 17:54, 17:28, 17:57

I suspect the gps was a bit funky for the last one, since it was a bit curvy, so it was likely a bit faster than that.

PM: 10 miles solo

AM: 11.25 miles 3 fast with 12x400 intervals at HM effort or faster.

PM: 10 miles and 15 hill repeats.

PM: 11 miles solo, 1 mile of striders

AM: 4 miles solo.

PM: 6 miles with Elia.

St Pete Grand Prix 5k

Goal time (aided): 15:00

Final time (aided): 14:58

Course: The course itself is awesome! However, the course is notorious for being short.  Tons of twists and turns (it is a race car track set up in St Pete) all fenced in with barriers, road blocks, and the course starts and finishes on the beautiful waterfront of St Pete.  I have spoken to the race director a couple of times who assured me it was 5k, but she is definitely not correct.  I'd give it a max of 3.07, but more likely 3.04-3.05.  It is frustrating when race directors aren't even close to accurate- 100-110 meters makes a big difference in a race only 5k long.  It is even more frustrating when they call it a "5k".  I guess "4.9k" doesn't have the same ring to it.

Race- I went out on fire with nothing to lose- short course, C race, no tapering, knowing I wanted every mile under 5 minutes.  After about 10 seconds, a twenty-year-old ran out ahead of me- now, we're in business.  He had runner shorts, a tank top, head band- he had the look!  He ran the first quarter in 1:10, and the second quarter in 1:12.  Wow, 2:22 for the first 800!  I couldn't help it, I fell right into the speed trap about two steps behind him, but knew I had more.  I was confident that this gentleman was in for rude awakening based on his breathing pattern, but who knows, I've been wrong before!  We rolled through mile 1 in 4:49 and he was about 1-2 seconds ahead- way too fast, but, whatever, I was enjoying the challenge.  

Mile 2- I passed him right about here.  Oh man was trying to hang on, but I kept it fast.  I rolled through the next half mile in 2:25 and entered the first 180 degree U-turn in pit row.  He was definitely faltering here- about 15 seconds back- so I tried to relax a little, moving through mile two in 4:54.  I knew I was about to pay the price, but forget it, it was worth it... at the time.

Mile 3- This mile was cool, although I was feeling the fitness falter, especially running solo again.  The pit crews, family, car riders, etc. were all watching/drinking/talking trash while outside the fences, so that was motivating.  The frequent turns were a pain- I can't even imagine having to do that in a machine capable of such high speeds.  5:01 overall for this mile.  

The finish: I glided through with 14:58 on the clock and still had energy left, which is always a cool feeling in a 5k- I'm usually beat.  I finished with a 4:55 per mile average overall, and a 4:49-4:50/mile average is needed to break 15:00, so again- bogus course.  The guy who had been running with me finished in 15:57 or so.

Final thoughts: I had 3.06 for the distance on my watch, but I didn't care- I knew the type of race I was getting into, so I wasn't angry.  It was worth it to see "14:xx" on the clock down the last straight.  The weather turns pretty poor from here on out in Florida, but I may take another stab at a couple of races before Boston, however my main focus will be the marathon, so it will just be a no tapering scenario for them.  

I think on this day (had the course been long enough) it would have been interesting to see what I would have done if the course was certified.  Alas, it was not, so all I've got is a fun story that I hopefully won't embellish with time!  

AM: 12.75 miles

AM: 20 miles, 4+ fast with bridge repeats.  Ran with Elia

PM: 4 miles

AM: 10 miles, solo.

PM: gym and then the treadmill with some hills- 5.5 miles

AM: 11.5 miles, 2 fast

PM: 8.5 miles, 3 fast.  Workoutes was 6x800, 1x200 with half time recoveries, full time recovery after the third one, then back to half time recoveries.

Splits- 2:24, 2:24, 2:28, 2:24, 2:26, 2:28, 0:33

AM: 10.5 miles solo

PM: 6.1 miles with Elia and Alan

AM: 6.2 miles solo

PM: 5.55 miles solo

No running- was kayaking all day and have some serious callouses and raw skin to prove it!

So I had a couple of extra bucks returned to me for a groupon deal that didn't pan out, so I used it on a local certified 5k.  I did not taper obviously, and kayaking didn't help, but I figured might as well use the speed while I've got it!

~The race~

I did at first shoot for a sub 15:15, but after mile 1 that was not in the cards as I was already tiring, no one was near me, and lapping the walkers is alway a nightmare when trying to go fast.  I shut it down and put myself on auto-pilot the rest of the way.  Contradictingly, I am excited to feel "disappointed" with a 5k in the 15's... I never thought I'd be at this level.  

The good news?  For placing first, I received $50 to a local running store, a free year at the local gym good for any of the locations, and a beautiful stained glass piece of art.  For less than $10, I made out like a bandit!

Splits- 4:52, 5:05, 5:19, 0:28

AM: 20.2 miles.  I paced Elia and Brian in their half marathon PR attempts.  Brian got it, but Elia was not quite there.  I ran with music, which was a nice touch.  I wouldn't say any of it was truly "fast", but I did give effort.

PM: 10+ miles solo

AM: 10.25 miles, 3 fast

PM: 11.3 miles with Jeremy, Brian, Steve, John, and Wilcox, 4.5 of them fast as a hills workout.  We used the up and the down for the workout.  I progressively got faster, and although did not feel recovered at all from the last week, I found it relatively easy overall.  Paces were marathon pace increasing all the way down to 10k pace with regular pace running as "recoveries."  Happy we chose to do hills- I always neglect them since they are impossible to find in Florida.

PM: 8 miles, brutally slow.

PM: 5.35 miles slow.

No running

AM: Paced a marathon with Rona.  Very cool memory I will always have!

AM: 11.3 miles solo

PM: 5.8 miles and the gym.

PM: 13 miles.  Went up to Brooker Creek, but the back trails are still flooded out.  Oh well- was something different.

AM: Track in SH, 10 total miles, ~2 of them fast pacing a couple of people.

PM: 11.2 miles at track in East Lake with Steve, Nick, John, Jeremy, and Brian.  Jeremy, John, and Nick are actually doing what they're supposed to be doing and practiced for Boston with some Yassos- I still decided I am in a fast mindset, so I did 12x400s, 1x200. 

It was tough this afternoon having run so many miles the last couple days.  My legs felt trashed both before the workout and in between each 400.  I was fine while floating along during each interval although- I don't know how.  I did 5 miles of warmup before the workout as well waiting for everyone, which doesn't help either.

Splits- 1:13, 1:14, 1:14, 1:14, 1:12, 1:12, 1:14, 1:10, 1:04, 1:10, 1:10, 1:09, (~20 second rest) 0:32

All good except for the 1:04.  I was pacing off the slower runners who were going a bit faster than they had said they would.

PM: 13.15 miles solo

Random toughts- yesterday has me a bit worried for Boston.  In the end my mindset seems to always be "just sub 3 and you're good."  I seem to make this mistake whenever I have a marathon lined up- I never actually train specifically for them (with speed in mind anyway), or with a plan.  I really just walk out this door and wing it the majority of the time. My mileage is always decent, my speed is often okay, but I never give tempos or marathon race-pace much of a thought during the build up.  I'm a bit too close now (18 days) to really add anything worthwhile, but maybe writing this will hold my future self a bit more accountable if things go awry on Boston race day.

PM: 11+ miles, 4.4 as a continuous workout at marathon pace with striders/surges mixed in to work on bringing my heart rate down, and then the gym to work the chest, tris, and abs a bit.

PM: 5 miles

Noon: Competition/kind-of-a-workout: Ran as part of a relay team at a dri-tri competition at OTF- the running portion. 

I warmed up with 10 hard striders in the parking lot after a 5 mile run to tired myself out.  And then got in the gym and got ready.  The goal was to max out the treadmill for the duration of the 5k when my turn came, unless I had a lead.

The competition is a 2000m row, 300 repetitions in the gym of 6 varying exercises, and then a 5k treadmill run with a 2 incline.  I was part of a 3-person relay.  I was excited!

They got to me with a couple of seconds lead on the second place team, so I jammed my fingers into the buttons and set the treadmill up in incline and to the max it could go (12mph) and the second place guy got on about 10 seconds after me and did the same.  Fortunately, I was able to hold it the entire 5k and we were able to roll into first place!  It was motivating having someone else fast next to me, but my mind kept playing games on me with, "what if he gets ahead of me?"  I knew the treadmill only went to 12mph so it literally wasn't possible, but I kept running through scenarios in my head.  That was an odd experience.

I felt fine and wasn't breathing very hard.  The treadmill is markedly easy, especially with people running hard next to you.

Treadmill splits: 5:00, 5:00, 5:00, 0:31

The competition: What a cool idea!  Fun, easy, competitive, loud music, people yelling, cheering you on- I really dug it.

Noon: Went out late today.  I wanted to do a workout of 7x200, 3x5k with 3:00 jog recoveries in 17:50 per 5k, but I just didn't have it and bailed before the final two 5ks.

Splits 0:40, 0:38, 0:36, 0:32, 0:32, 0:32, 0:29; 17:55, ----, ----

It was definitely 90% mental and 10% physical although I tried to convince myself otherwise.  It's amazing to me- one day you can run a 5k and have it feel easy and like you're floating, and then the next day feel awful.  How I was able to run the 15k and follow it up the next day with a 1:13 half marathon in February, yet today I can't even muster a 17:50 5k a day after breezing through a short 5k is just so odd.

PM: 10 miles, easy.

AM: 10.3 miles, ~2 miles hard effort, including a 2:22 800m running with Javier.  Geez that dude is fast- and I don't think he runs many miles at all.  No split times other than that one, I don't usually focus on anything over than effort on Tuesday morning track.

PM: 8.1 miles on some hills back and forth, with a 5 mile tempo in the middle.  This was my first tempo in forever, but I felt controlled and wasn't breathing too hard.  The rest of the guys were doing intervals style, so I just would keep  going and then catch them on the return.  It was pretty fun to time it, and definitely made the time pass much easier.

Split- (5 miles consecutive after two miles easy)  29:47

PM: 10.1 mile recovery pace.

PM: 9.6 miles slow, and 0.5 miles of striders inside.

PM: 5 miles

AM: Went to Clermont hoping to get the course record in the Clermont Parkrun 5k.  Did a TON of striders, trying to prime my super sore legs.  That helped a bit, but I still felt achey at the beginning.  I was aiming for a 15:29 flat.

Then the race just happened- and it was over in the blink of an eye.  I missed the record by 5 seconds.  It was definitely mental, I know I am faster than that.  I just lost control, did not relax, and didn't use the watch to my advantage.  I felt my blood boiling a bit when I finished, since I knew I wasn't tired enough to have had just given a fully effort.  Final time was a  15:44.  

5k Splits- 4:59, 4:59, 5:13, Finish 0:33

Noon: 10 miles with 10 hill repeats easy.

PM: 8 miles easy

AM: 4.7 miles easy

PM: 7.3  miles, 4 of them fast and continuous at 5:45 pace.

PM: 4.5 miles

No running

PM: 4 miles

AM: 3.2 miles easy

AM: 2 miles easy, then flew to Boston.  BOSTON.  Let's go!

123rd Boston Marathon Race Report

Training: As far as mileage, speed, and nutrition I was ready.  I had very little marathon specific training, my weight was a little high (151), and almost zero tempo/speedy long run stuff at marathon pace.  I've been training pretty specifically for 5ks, minus all of the mileage.  Not ideal, but definitely the best I've done for a marathon.

Goals: A goal- sub 2:40, B goal- sub 2:47 PR, C goal- Sub 3.

The course: Everyone on this blog likely knows this course.  very challenging course, downhill parts, uphill parts, headwinds, huge temperature/weather fluctuations.  It is what it is.  The support/crowds for this race are unprecedented which helps immensely.

Weather: Started just like last year- humid, heavy rain, 45 degrees, steady winds with high gusts.  I was soaking wet and cold before I even got on the bus, but I was smart this year and packed all my run clothes/shoes seperately/dry.  Not making the same mistake as last year...  The weather then, amazingly, got better from there- progressing evenly from 45 up to 65 degrees, still wicked humid, but the rain turned to mist then to clouds and then super sunny, and the wind (fortunately) was perpendicular the majority of the way.

The race

1st 5k- This was the worst most annoying experience I've had in a race in a long time.  I started way back in the corrals (was about 1,500-2,000th to cross the start line), respectively but figured everyone was fast so what's the big deal?  Well, I ended up working incredibly hard trying to weave through people to be rewarded with a 6:40 "mile 1."  It truly was like being in bumper-to-bumper traffic going 20 below the speed limit.  I was a bit dejected, but knew I had work to do and needed to move up out of this mess of runners.  I couldn't believe the difference 3 corrals made.  We were stuck together almost at this pace, and I thought a 2:40 was pretty much out of the window even only a mile in.  Eventually (mile 1.5) I found the edge that was full of puddles where the road (finally) opened a bit, and a bunch of runners and I made up a few hundred spots from there.  This felt just like speeding in the breakdown lane, but it was envigorating.  I made up a lot of ground here.  1st 5k was 18:55.

10k mark split- 18:41.  I got into a groove here, now moving up towards front of the hoard.  This is the easiest part of the course.  

15k mark split- 18:48.  Cruising.  Also, I saw my family so I stopped and high-fived them all.

20k mark split- 18:47.  Cruising for the most part.  I had a ton of soreness, but it had been there since mile one, so I didn't pay it much attention as far as a derailer.

Halfway totals- 1:19:01.  This sections is my favorite.  You have the Wellesley girls, and well... I mean you have the Wellesley girls...  Also the town center is bumpin' so it's fun to high five and rile up the crowd.  I saw my family for the second time here, and thanked them all again.

25k mark split- 18:23.  A lot of runners began slowing during this 5k.  I just kept cruising.  I felt I had more in me, but knew how deceiving marathons could be, so I figured it wasn't worth it.  I was content with 6 minute miles.

30k mark split- 18:44.  Felt good- crowds helped.  I moved up a couple of hundred people during this 5k.

35k mark split- 18:56.  The Newton hills were mostly in this 5k, but they weren't bad.  I got to see my family for the final time, and I was in great spirits.  Riled up the crowd again, which is always fun.  Kept moving up in place.

40k mark split- 18:32.  Brookline/Boston.  I LOVE this section.  The crowds are unreal, and I love grabbing a beer from the crowd.  You can feel the end of the race coming, but to be honest I could run this section infinite times and I do not believe it would get old.  My first hamstring misfires began here, but I knew I'd be fine being so close to the finish.  They take a couple of miles to onset fully.

Finish 2.2 k.  Final mile was a 5:42 or so.  I didn't feel like I was moving that quickly, but I was still passing people.  There is that one final dip/hill in this section under Mass Avenue which is a pain.  The crowds are so dense that you kind of feel bad for not gunning it at this point, but any hills at this point are tough.  I ran this entired section with a pretty big smile on my face.  You feel like a movie star with all of the people watching!

1st half split- 1:19:01, 2nd half split 1:18:35, finish time- 2:37:36

5k splits- 18:55, 18:41, 18:48, 18:47, 18:23, 18:44, 18:56, 18:32, finish (2.2k)- 8:00

Final thoughts- I know this course isn't about running a specific time and isn't the kind of course you "pace", but  I am happy with both of those aspects.  Running a negative split really helped me mentally.  I also finally put to rest my PR from 2015 by over 10 minutes, and definitely see a ton of room for growth if I want to stick with marathons.

AM: 3 miles, then a ton of walking around Boston.  

PM: 5.5 miles

PM: 6.5 miles

AM: 6.1 miles

PM: 3.6 miles and lifted- arms and back.  

AM: 10.3 miles with Anthony and Elia

AM: 10.5 miles solo.  Felt mostly recovered today.

PM: 10.5 miles solo

AM: 9.2 miles with the group.  I did about 1 mile worth of work.  Fitness-wise I felt fine, but I am still sore, so I will try again tonight and see whether to shut it down another couple of days to finish recovering.  

PM: 7.1 total, 3 fast.  workout at the track: 6x800 with 400 easy recoveries.  This workout felt simple, but I did not want to push myself too much given the proximity to the previous marathon.  splits were descending from MP to 5:00/mile.  Steve led the workout, which made it much easier.

PM: 10.3 miles, and I felt fantastic.  Definitely recovered.  I'm still going to keep the workouts mild I think until maybe Sunday.  I feel supremely motivated lately.

PM: Treadmill workout.  3 mile warmup, then 15x2:00 intervals with 1:00 recovery jog.  Spent the first part at marathon effort and at a decent incline, then dropped it down to 15k effort for the rest.  Cooled down for a half mile.

PM: 10.3 miles.  Felt easy.

AM: 10.1 miles with Scott, Elia, and Anthony

AM: 15 mile progressive run, 3 miles at around MP effort by the end of it.

PM: 13.3 miles, 90 degrees out and humid, but the run felt easy.

AM: 10.1 miles

PM: 8.6 miles, with a workout.  Workout was 8x800, but I cut it short at 7, since I missed even my "slow" goal.  I didn't reach deep to achieve it, but I just didn't have it as can be seen with the slow bleeding out below.  

Splits- 2:39, 2:32, 2:35, 2:36, 2:38, 2:40, 2:43, -----

Takeaways- 90 degrees out and summer is definitely here, so I'm not sure how much to read into this one.  I am about two weeks away from the marathon in the recovery process, but it's clear I am not recovered.  I will likely forego my workout on Thursday and just run some miles instead and then just do something of okay on Saturday so I am ready to rock next week.

PM: 11.1 miles, felt easy.

PM: 10 miles.  Felt easy.

PM: 10.1 miles

AM: Ran 4 miles and then paced a 5k in East Lake. I ran with the new guy Jacob, who is 14 and was shooting for a 16:40. I tried to talk him and his mother out of that pace, but they were adamant his workouts indicated that kind of speed, so I just caved. We paced through one mile in 5:28, and he was already cooked by the 0.75 mark to be honest. Finished in 18:24, and he was seriously mad at himself. I tried what I could to fix his attitude, but I don’t think there was anything I could say. Finished with a couple more miles.

Race Report!

PM: 8th annual Cinco de Mile, beer 1 mile race!

Course: this was a much different event then most beer miles. You start at the main bar in Plant City, begin the race by drinking a beer, then travel a quarter mile north to the next bar, go inside and drink your second beer, then reverse and head back to the main bar to drink your third beer, then head south a quarter mile to another bar to drink your fourth beer, and then back to the main bar to drink an unprecedented FIFTH beer. Absolute nightmare amount of beer for a non-drinker like me.

Conditions: super hot and humid, but for only a mile race it really doesn’t affect much.

Competition: about 25 competitors strong and then some walkers who were just doing it for fun. To be honest, the crowd was bigger than the number of competitors. There were three 2-time champions in the field as well.

The prize: the coveted Green Jacket, to be yours for the year and to have your name stitched in it forever of course!

The race: I started off behind about 12 guys and a girl after finishing my first drink. Everyone was required to drink the beers inside the bar, so there was a bottleneck for the slower drinkers. I left the bar in about eighth place. I caught up to fourth as we entered the second bar, and my only real advantage (being a runner) was immediately evident. Although I was third/fourth (tied) exiting the bar, the guys in front of me were struggle-busing ahead of me already, so I jetted to the front and got to the third stop in the lead, downed my drink the fastest and was out the door before the fourth guy even entered, and the other two guys were still waiting to take their first chug. Now firmly in first place, this next leg I was flying! I got to the southern bar which (thankfully) had a setup OUTSIDE the bar, took a deep breath, held my breath, and took 3 large swigs to take it down.

I was absolutely bloated at this point. I had no idea how I was going to finish the next one- the nightmare beer. I began my run and didn’t catch my first competitor for about 15 seconds, but there were four guys neck and neck, my friend Elia being one of them.  I cruised on this one, knowing what was in store for me. I arrived to 15 people outside the bar cheering, opened the door to the entire bar watching and cheering, and was handed a 16-ounce LEVIATHAN of a beer. I immediately took a swig and barely got two ounces down. I repeated this brutal method for 5-6 seconds, before holding my breath and going for broke. I finished the beer and dropped the cup in the trash for good measure before second place even entered the building!

Second, third, and fourth blew open the door in that moment, Elia bringing up the rear. Elia then proceeded to absolutely crush his drink in mere seconds to over-take them and finish in second overall! The winner from last year finished fourth, but the third place guy let some of his come back up, so he was disqualified. We then spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out with everybody. Too fun!

What I learned? Five beers is a whole different world than a 4-beer beer mile. I still remember looking at the fifth one and thinking, “you’ve got to be kidding me.”  It was all worth it for the coveted green jacket!

Final time, 6:31, final distance 1.02, but that counts gps inaccuracy entering the bars.

AM: 13 miles

PM: 6.2 miles

AM: 10.1 miles

PM: 6.5 miles

AM: 10 miles, workout- 3x1600 w/ 400 recoveries, 20 second recovery, 1x200.  Splits- nothing special, just tried keeping everyone together.  5:30 for each mile.

PM: 6.5 miles, 8x800 with 400  recoveries- but called it quits right after starting the 5th one.  My legs felt like cement and multiple parts of my leg were bothering me.

Need a break- I ran a quarter mile, and then threw in the towel.  I need to recover from my marathon, and I will have to take a big "L" this week.

No running.

No running.

No running.

Grading myself for week 0:

Mileage (D-): Starting a bit low, but I needed to recover a little bit.

Speed (D-): I have run more honest intervals and done 4 mile sessions twice, which I am happy about.  I would like to nail a speed workout tomorrow, so that's a goal on the agenda.  I am a little peturbed about missing speedwork on Sunday, but with the mileage increase it is a good thing- I will just plan some good stuff next week.

Nutrition (D+): Really need to focus on this aspect.  I am seeing some adverse effects to my choices, and I need to get it in control.  Water, electrolytes, and vegetables are going to be the primary focus, as will be protein right after runs/working out.   

Racing weight (F): Weight: 156.  Seriously, getting older is just challenging.  I'm so much more sedentary outside of lifting/running, and the metabolism shows it.  I also need to keep my snacking down or only to low-calorie vegetables.

No running.  

No running.

AM: Decided to give running a shot- 6.25 miles. Felt... bad.

PM: Decided to run again- 6 miles.  It felt... hard, hot, and  I felt  out of shape.

PM: 6.25 miles.  I felt out of shape, but no cement feeling.  Right leg is still bothering me, but not in the same area.

PM: 10.15 miles.  My heart rate is still elevated, still feeling it in my right knee, but no "pain."

AM: 7 miles.

PM: 7.15 miles.

My heart rate is still elevated, still feeling it in my right knee, but no "pain."

AM: 9 miles.  Finally felt a little better today, but running with Elia, Alan, and Anthony helped a lot.

PM: 5.1 miles.  Felt better.  However, I am still feeling it in my right knee, but no "pain."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grading myself for week 1:

Mileage (D): I didn't feel like cement in my legs which is a nice change this week, I still feel "something" in the knee, but I am going to give it a go on the easy mileage.

Speed (F): No speed so far.  Smart decision, but it's still sucks.

Nutrition (A-): Killed it nutritionally this week.  Missed some protein opportunities, but that's okay.

Racing weight (D): Weight: 152.  Four pounds was expected with my calorie counting.  It gets much tougher here on out.

AM: 15.2 miles.  My first long run in a while down in St. Pete. 7:44/average.  This is the first time I've run this "fast" in weeks.

PM: 6 miles.

AM:  10 miles.

PM: 6 miles.

AM: 8.25 miles

PM: Track and 11+ miles total.  I was feeling much better today.  I am still feeling it in my right knee, but no "pain."  Ran 8x800 with 400 recoveries, but started VERY conservative.  I just wanted to get through it with no pain.  So far, so good...  

Splits- 2:56, 2:54, 2:48, 2:48, 2:40, 2:40, 2:36, 2:37

AM: 10 miles

PM: 6.6 miles

AM: 12.3 miles, 5 fast with timed intervals- 2:00 on, 1:00 off at effort.

PM: 6.5 miles.

AM: 10.1 miles.

PM: 6.5 miles.

AM: 10 miles

PM: 4 miles

Grading myself for week 2:

Mileage (C): I still feel "something" in the knee, but no pain. The easy mileage this past week went incredibly well. Running doubles every day worried me at the beginning of the week, but overall I feel WAY better than any other time I’ve been to 100mpw or more, which was a welcome surprise. Grade remains low until I prove my consistency.

Speed (D-): I know it’s smart not to have really pushed it this past week, but I can’t help but grade myself lowly here, The miles won’t mean anything until I start to get uncomfortable. The only positive this week was I dipped below 6:00/mile pace on two days and there was no pains.

Nutrition (A): Killed it nutritionally this week. I am very proud of myself and my focus on balancing the needs of my body along with my running goals (let alone while dealing with work!).

Racing weight (C): Weight: 148.  Four more pounds this week, but again that was expected with my calorie counting. Looking still a bit jiggly, but that’s fueling me a bit mentally.

AM: 18 miles, 7 bridge repeats and 3 hills.

PM: 6 miles

AM: 13.1 miles, 6 of them fast with intervals- 3:00 on, 1:00 recovery.

PM: 5 miles easy.

AM: 11.1 miles

PM: 6 miles

AM: 10.1 miles

PM: 7 miles, 2 of them fast- 16x200 with 30 second recoveries.

AM: 10.1 miles

PM: 7.25 miles  

AM: 10.1 miles with striders at the end.

PM: 6 miles.

AM: local 5k, ~2000 people. Cool premise- super cheap, the medals, glasses, and shirts are all “leftovers” from other races and the awards are all hilarious- mine was a baton-twirler this year for third place. Felt good considering the insane (for me) mileage. 11.95 total mileage and a long warmup with striders. Hoping to run this afternoon, but I have a busy day, so we’ll see.

AM: 20.3 miles, finished strong with 3 miles at MP effort.

PM: 6 miles in the cool weather.  Just kidding!  It was 91 and 100% humidity!

Grading myself for week 3 (through yesterday/Saturday):

Mileage (B): I still feel WAY better than any other time I’ve been to 100mpw or more. Grade remains lower until I show some more consistency.

Speed (D): Again, the miles won’t mean anything until I start to get uncomfortable. I did run an okay 5k to end the week with tired legs to say the least and had some decent speed on Monday.

Nutrition (A-): On point, but a bit too much meat.  Once a day tops and in smaller increments seems to feel best.  Also, substituted broccoli for my filler vegetable this week- huge mistake, as this was the most farting I've done in a long time: 10/10 do not recommend.

Racing weight (B): Weight: 144.  Four more pounds this week, and I'm feeling pretty motivated about it, as I am getting close, so I'm excited to almost be able to fuel 100% of the kcals I need again.

AM: 10.1 miles easy

PM: 6 miles easy

AM: 11 miles, 3 of them fast.  Workout was 1600, 1200, 800, 3x400 with 400 recoveries for the longer stuff and 200 recoveries for the short stuff.  Started at 5:15/mile pace and sped up from there.  Felt very manageable.

PM: 8 miles, 3 of them fast again.  I did the same workout, but now in 90+ degree heat and sun.  I ran slightly faster than this morning, finishing with a 1:15, 1:14, and a 1:12.  

AM: 11.3 miles, some extra bridges just because.

PM: 6 miles

Late PM: 4 more miles.  National running day... right?

AM: 10.35 miles, 16x100, and 2x800 fartlek style during the final 4 miles of the run.

PM: 8.1 miles on the treadmill, did a workout of 2:30 on, 90 seconds off with a 2:30 after every 4 intervals until I got to 5 miles.  Tired legs hurt my mindset a bit, but the workout was very doable throughout.  To be over 101 miles on a Thursday is a bit ridiculous even to me, so I'm not surprised I'm a bit tired.

AM: 10.4 miles easy.

PM: 6.1 miles easy.

AM: 12.2 rainy miles over the bridges in Clearwater with Anthony.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Grading myself for week 4:

Mileage (A-): Very happy with my mileage.  One more week until I have a recovery week.

Speed (D+): I did do some speed, but I have to increase my effort and my times are pretty bad.

Nutrition (A-): Happy I can eat calories again.

Racing weight (B+): Weight: 142.  I'm down two more pounds this week, and only two until race weight.  I am okay with holding this weight.

AM: 21 miles with a bunch of bridges, fast 1 mile finish hard.

PM: 10 miles.  Was only planning 4 or 5, but it rained- it never rains.  When it rains, the humidity melts away and the temperature drops into the 60s, so you have to savor it.

AM: 10.2 miles.  

PM: 6.5 miles.

AM: 10 miles with a shorter workout helping Anthony out on his intervals.  4x1000 @ 3:15-3:20s average.

PM: 8.75 total miles.  Workout: 2x200, 6x1000 with full recovery jogs.

Splits- 2x200s at effort, then for the 1000s- 3:15, 3:09, 3:08, 3:09, 3:10, 3:09. 

I don't know how I did that workout solo- it's 90 degrees here and insanely humid- but I am happy with it.  I gave nominal effort until the final interval where I did fall behind a bit on pace and had to push for 150m.  Completely drenched.

AM: 10.1 miles.  I was exhausted for this run.  8:56/mile average, and that pace wasn't even easy on my body.

PM: 6.35 miles.  Felt so much better than this morning.

AM: 10.5 miles.

PM: 10 miles, with a workout.6xmile with 2:30 jog recoveries. 

Splits- 5:27, 5:24, 5:24, 5:24, 5:23, 5:22

AM: 12.2 miles, 7:30/mile average.

AM: 11 miles.

PM: 3.5 miles.

AM: 10 miles

Off for a long vacation, likely with no running.

PM: 2 miles

No running this last week means I am severely feeling it here in Florida.

Figuratively, my legs felt like nightmares on this run.  Both of them.  Everywhere.  Who knew taking an extended leave from running too much would cause such pain when re-starting?!  

AM: 8 miles

PM: 7.3 miles

AM: 10.1

PM: 6

AM: 10.1

PM: 7 miles

AM: 10

PM: 6.5

AM: 11 miles

AM: 20.1 miles

PM: 5.3 miles

AM: 11 

PM: 5.2

AM: 10.3

PM: 8.4 with 4 of it fast.

AM: 10.1

PM: 6.2 

AM: 12 miles, 2 fast, hilly

PM: 4 miles, hilly

AM: 13 hilly

PM: 4 hilly

AM: 12 miles

AM: 21.1 miles, hilly, fast finish

AM: 11.1

PM: 5.1

AM: 10.1

PM: 5.5

AM: 5.5 slow, 3 fast

PM: 5.1 slow, 3 fast

AM: 10.2

PM: 7.3

AM: 10 miles slow.

PM: 2.5 slow, followed by 23 minutes at 5:00/mile on the treadmill with 1.0-1.5 incline. (4.6 miles). 

I have been feeling super slow lately, so I happened to be at the gym for a workout class and did not want to do the incline workout they had planned on the treadmill since the treadmill when I put it on incline has been giving me some serious nagging injuries.  I decided after the warmup to just go for it: 23-minute challenge maxed out.  I definitely had my heart rate increasing throughout, but I felt I could have gone longer (perhaps 30 minnutes?) if we didn't switch to the weight room block.

I can say, I haven't accomplished much at all this summer running-wise, but I am happy to "perfect score" the Orange Theory 23-minute challenge which has always been in the back of my mind to accomplish, but for some reason or another I've always been fat or unfit when the competition rolls around each year, and never really had the tanacity to put it on myself to accomplish.

Followed this by a rain run- when living in FL, there is nothing better than a run in the rain.  Even if there is lightning, the threat of imminent death is worth the risk for a break in humidity, sun, and temperature!

AM: 10.1

AM: 20.25 miles.  Very challenging to complete.  I did not feel great, but I seriously wanted another 20-miler.  1 mile at race pace to feel it out.

PM: 10 miles, felt excellent

AM: 9.5 miles, 2.5 of them fast/pacing/faster than marathon effort

PM: 8 miles, 4 of them at 5:30/mile pace using the hill in Phillippe Park.

PM: 7.3 miles

PM: 8.1 miles

AM: 8.1 miles

PM: 5 miles, 4 fast at 5:00/mile for 3 of them and building in and out of that speed for the other mile.

AM: 8 miles

AM: 13.1 miles, felt okay- much better than usual the week before a race.

AM: 5 miles

PM: 3.1 miles

AM: 7 miles, 1 fast doing 200s 

PM: 6 miles, 3 fast, 5:30/mile.

PM: 5.3 miles easy.

AM: 2.1 miles before my long plane ride.

AM: 2.1 miles easy in Washington- then hung out in Seattle.

AM: 2.1 miles easy in Washington- then hung out in Seattle and did a short hike in Snoqualmie.

Jack & Jill Marathon, Washington State 

(Same course as "Light at the end of the Tunnel" marathons)

Weather: 60s, sunny, light wind, humid but nothing even remotely close to Florida.  Course was a bit wet from the rain a day prior.  Definitely the best weather I've ever had for a marathon or a half.  I was excited.

Course: Started with a 3-mile tunnel that was much more challenging than I thought it would be.  The pitch-black tunnel was leaking onto our heads, the "road" was rounded to the center, and there were puddles everywhere.  I did enjoy it but relied heavily on my headlamp as well as the 1st place runner.  After exiting we basically had an old railroad with a rocky stone trail, mostly hard-packed, angled, with more puddles.  The rest of the race was the most gradual downhill in history- perfect for running- equally space almost the entire way.  Literally there was one "hill" that was maybe 10-15 feet, and likely less.  If they ever pave this course and flatten it out- my goodness- this course would be lightning.

Pre-race: I ran so many miles since Boston it isn't even funny.  Although I would have never admitted it at the time, I would have been incredibly disappointed if I did not run faster than a 2:37 with all that work.  I had six weeks of mileage that was my highest ever: 115, 121, 130, 130, 122, 123 all in one cycle.  I know I had two weeks’ worth of over-use injuries during that, so I was not confident even entering race day.

The start: The race began after 5 minutes of the eventual first place guy (Kunkel) bragging about his successes and how him winning was basically a foregone conclusion.  Literally, he was the only one talking before gun went off at the front of the race, and his ego was on full display.  I am always afraid to come off as having an ego- particularly in a race- so I supposed that experience offered me an opportunity for some retrospective about my own behavior around others.  In any case, he was shooting for a low 2:20s as he proclaimed to the crowd and he even wanted everyone to know that he was annoyed that the race director wouldn't give him two free entries to the race on Saturday and Sunday- "because [he] would win the prize money both days."  He did end up winning, so I guess he did back it up, it was just odd behavior for a runner.  

The race: I was shooting for 2:29:00.  I was ready to blow up or die trying.  I wanted that number badly since Boston.  I've wanted it for the past year or so.  I've never been so focused on one goal ever in my life.  I kept repeating three things: relax, calm your breathing pattern, and diffuse negative thoughts.

The gun went off and I was in 3rd through the first quarter mile and 2nd entering the tunnel with 3rd right behind me.  The tunnel was unbelievable.  You could see the end- of a three-mile tunnel- yet it was pitch black.  The end didn't seem that far away, but depth perception is unbelievably bad in the dark.  The headlamp was necessary.  I didn't want to wear it at first due to over encumberment, but if I didn't have it there is a zero percent chance I'd make it to the end without being soaked from puddles, tripping, or twisting an ankle.  The trail was a bit of a nightmare in here, but I was digging the challenge.  I hit the 3-mile mark in 16:36. The first-place guy (Kunkel) was about 10 seconds ahead of me as we exited the tunnel.  I was happy with that pace, but he sped up shortly and I let him go after a 5:28 fourth mile, I didn't feel I had the fitness to stay with him and wanted to run my own race.  

Miles 5-8 were 5:33, 5:32, 5:38, 5:38.  I felt fine and probably should have stuck to 5:33 pace here- I just didn't trust myself at that speed.  

Miles 9-13 were 5:29, 5:32, 5:41, 5:35, 5:35.  Again, felt great, the 5:41 was due to some challenging footing for a bit on the course, causing terrible tangents.  I had my first electrolyte pill and my first gel during this time.

Half I rolled through the half and felt pretty good.  This was the only time other than mile 21 I saw anyone other than the back of the 1st place guy and the aid station volunteers.  Although it was lonely, I was flowing so well.  I lost my rhythm for a minute seeing everyone here.  I hit the half at 1:12:55, which was 1:35 faster than my goal pace.  

Miles 14-17 were 5:25, 5:37, 5:36, 5:35.  I felt good here, and I think I made one of my two mistakes here.  I had three gels with me, and for some reason I decided NOT to use one of them here and had an electrolyte pill instead.  I should have done both.  

Miles 18-22 were 5:43, 5:47, 5:32, 5:39, 5:36.  I had the gel at the beginning of mile 20, and well, you can see the difference.  Similarly, I had made up a minute or so on the first-place guy and he was within 30 seconds of me, so I figured I'd just got for it and try to catch him (mistake 2!).  After a mile of trying that, it was clear I did not have the fitness for that, haha.  So stupid, but I would have regretted not trying to catch him!

Miles 23-26, finish were 5:43, 5:45, 5:49, 5:39, 1:25 (or something).  Total bleeding here.  I had half of my final gel, but it was completely useless, and I knew it.  I had a good sprint finish, despite the time shown, crossing in 2:26:53 (2:26:57 is the gun time for top 3).  I finished second overall, with Kunkel widening the gap to 1:25 in front of me at the finish.

After-thoughts: Incredibly elated. So, so many miles went into this during the summer. I placed snuggly in between two very good runners with my 2:26: Taylor Farnsworth formerly of BYU who ran a 2:28 and Anthony Kunkel a big ultra-runner who ran a 2:25. Looking up Taylor’s former times gave me the chills a bit.  I am not an idiot- I know the 2,000-foot net drop on the course definitely aided my performance- how much I can't really determine.  The calculators online suggest between 2-5 minutes against a flat course when altitude isn't considered.  However, I was a bit demoralized reading about elevation prior to the race and seeing that it is suggested that every thousand feet or so in elevation was a 1:00 minute detriment to performance which implies that it's a bit of a wash over long distances, so I'm happy to outperform at least that expectation.  

In the end, I am sincerely proud of myself: I dedicated my summer to training in Florida, had two weeks of missed training during the cycle yet persevered, had to then deal with mild altitude/travel/different climate, and did it all on my own without training partners.  I woke up every day I could without fail, did doubles six to seven days a week, ran some ridiculous intervals/fartleks in some even more ridiculous temperatures, and dedicated this summer to this 2:29 goal.

Splits 

7-mile- 38:48 (5:33/mile pace) 

Half- 1:12:55 (5:34/mile pace) 

20-mile- 1:51:29 (5:34/mile pace) 

Finish- 2:26:57 (5:36/mile pace)

No running.  5 miles of hiking yesterday followed by 12 miles of hiking today.  Washington is legit.  Three mountains climbed so far.  The big one tomorrow (although I won't be going all the way up!)

No running.

Man.  Mount Rainier is amazing- to see snow and glaciers in the beginning of August is amazing to me, being in Florida.  I don't think I've seen snow in my lifetime down there.  Climbed to about 8,500 feet or so.  I wanted to go to Camp Muir (10,000) just to do it, but I would have needed crampons.  Flew down the back side of the mountain after that.  Toured some lakes after that to try and get some traditional Rainier pictures.

No running.  Leaving Washington today, sadly.  I could easily live here, although I'd choose Vancouver area/Whistler if I could afford it.  This really made me miss mountains unbelievably badly.

PM: 3.1 miles

PM: 5.5 miles

AM: 8.3 miles with Elia and Alan telling them about the race.

AM: 10.2 miles

PM: 7 miles

AM: 8.5 slow

PM: 5.6 total, 2 of them fast- 4x800 with 400 recoveries.

PM: 10 miles

Run then the gym- chest/tris/shoulders

PM: 6.1 miles, 1 mile of hard hills, then the gym- arms/back

Noon: 7 miles, 2 fast for now real reason.  2x5:30/mile, 2:00 in between.

AM: 11 miles

PM: 10.5 miles from East Lake to Clearwater.

AM: 8.2, 1 fast at the end to pace Brian.

PM: 4.3 slow, then 4 miles of effort on the treadmill- inclines from 4-15, and some speedier stuff in between while focusing on controlling my breathing/heart rate.

PM: 7.5 miles in the rain

PM: 3 miles, then 5 miles hard on the treadmill with both hills and speed, followed by some gym work.

No running.  Hung out with Greg

AM: 10 miles

No running.  Literally just slept in for no reason.

My motivation is pretty non-existent.  I suppose I'm not surprised by this, I don't have any goals, I don't have any races I'm signed up for, and I am not showing a willingness to make time for running- even allowing excuses to fill my head.

PM: 11 mile run home from work

AM: 9.2 miles total, 3 fast. 800, 1600, 800, 1600.  I wasn't planning on doing this workout (and just run other people at a slower pace), but 10 minutes before it started, Jeremy showed up, so I was inspired to.  He was a bit more prepared than I was and was ahead of me by the end of it, however I felt no need to make it a competition.  It is nice to see him push himself again- he really wants to run a 1:12 half, so it's good to see him changing his efforts.

Splits- 2:45, 5:21, 2:38, 5:26

PM: 7.8 miles total, 3 fast doing 12x400 with descending rests starting from 90 seconds and dropping all the way to 10 seconds standing rest.  This is always my favorite workout, but definitely challenging to nail.  Splits weren't terrific but were all sub 1:20, which is not bad considering the temperature and humidity.  Finally felt that uncomfortable feeling and am starting to push through it again.

Splits- 1:19, 1:20, 1:17, 1:15, 1:16, 1:15, 1:15, 1:14, 1:14, 1:15, 1:17, 1:16

PM: 8.75 on the East Lake loop.

PM: 6 miles.  Almost didn't run at all- forgot all my clothes, sneakers- everything.  Got dropped off at a store, then went and bought a new pair of sneakers, new shorts, and a new shirt and ran home.

No running.

PM: Gym and a treadmill workout.  Nothing fancy, just at effort.

No running.

PM: 10 miles

AM: 10.5 miles

PM: 8.3 miles with John, Jeremy, & Steve.  3 fast- 12x400 with 200 jog recoveries and 400 recoveries between each set of 4.  The workout went fine, although I was a bit annoyed that my group wanted an extended rest after the eigth interval.  I know they wanted the break- as I was leading every interval throughout- but I really feel that it hinders our progression when we do that, particularly on the short intervals.  I should have taken charge.  I'd rather be super tired/uncomfortable and focusing on maintaining my form than feeling more comfortable and a second or two faster.

Then again- what do I know, I've never had a coach, so maybe my thought process is wrong.

Splits- 1:22, 1:17, 1:15, 1:15, 1:14, 1:14, 1:14, 1:15, (5+ minutes recovery), 1:16, 1:14, 1:15, 1:13

PM: 10.5 miles easy

PM: 10.3 miles easy

No running- tutored.

AM: 6.5 miles

AM: 6.6 miles outside followed immediately by a 5-mile progression workout on the treadmill into some maintainance work at the gym.

Workout was- start at 9.5mph with incline and progress to 12.0, increasing 0.1mph every minute, and then finish the progression once you get to 5 miles.

This is easily one of my favorite workouts.  I can always get up for this workout mentally, and the forgiving treadmill, fan, and air conditioning make for a pleasurable experience when compared to being outside.  I think it's a good idea to roll into it on tired legs and from being outside.  It almost feels like a performance-enhancing thing, as my body is sweating *so* much prior to the treadmill, than when I get on the treadmill I am breathing easy and cool even at 10+ mph, while 10 minutes before that I was slogging hard and burning up while running effort-full at 7:45/mile.

PM: 10.1 miles solo.  I haven't felt this good on multiple runs in a while.  I think I'm finally back to healthy after the marathon.

AM: 9.1 miles, 3 of them faster but still slightly slower than marathon pace, but I did give effort.

PM: 8.3 miles total, 3 of them faster.  Workout was 6x800, aiming for right around marathon pace running with John.  My goal was honestly to run 2:48 for each interval and help John put together a good workout, and on intervals 7 & 8 to sprint in anaerobically the last 200m of each.  This felt insanely comfortable, which makes sense as it is basically marathon pace.  400 recoveries at an 8:00/mile pace.

Splits- 2:54, 2:48, 2:48, 2:46, 2:38, 2:36

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I feel phenomenal.  My body feels good, my legs feel fast, I want to run more, and am literally excited to get out there.  I tend to always forget how much marathons and/or injuries rip out from your soul.  I am just surprised I feel this good running outside in this garbage weather.  I can only remember feeling this way one year out of my 10 years running- 2017.  That is a great sign.

PM: so I’ve been really wanting to let loose, so I headed onto the treadmill and got off some energy. The workouts yesterday just didn’t fill me up. I figured, I’ve got nothing to train for, so what’ the heck- go nuts.

Workout was 5:00 on, 90 seconds jog, 6:00 on, 90 seconds jog, 7:00 on, all at 5:00/mile pace.

I was pleased. I enjoyed the time progression and the mental side of the treadmill workout. The fan and the air conditioning was also a nice touch.

PM: 10 miles 

PM: 10 miles 

PM: 10.1 miles 

AM: 13.1 miles with John.  I was ready to fly, but resisted the urge, as John isn't (understandably) a big fan of spontaneous workouts!

No running.  Unplanned- worked a long, long day.  Will skip tomorrow AM as well.

PM: 15+ miles, 3 of them fast with John, and then some easy with Greg.  Workouts was a ladder down- 1600, 1200, 800, 800, 400 with 200 recoveries.

Splits- 5:34, 3:58, 2:35, 2:29, 1:11

I felt surprisingly tired for the last two intervals particularly with how dramatically easy the first 3 intervals felt, but I guess that's a pretty short jog recovery, so I guess that is to be expected and seems like a reasonable reason.  I really like running hard with John- he is incredibly reliable.

Next week I'll start giving these workouts the business.  I followed the workout up by running a bunch of miles with Greg.  I had planned on making it a short day (8 miles) but we just got to talking, and all of a sudden I was at 15 miles- that was a nice surprise, as it's my longest run since my marathon. 

PM: 10.1 miles and some body weight stuff.

PM: short warm up then a workout solo, followed by some body weight stuff.

Workout was 1x8:00, 2 minutes running @ regular pace (intending not to recover fully), 1x5:00, all at full effort/ just over 5:00/mile pace.  Definitely need some new footwear.  I was planning on doing 6 minutes on either side, but I just felt I should keep going on the first interval since I found a groove, so I just shortened the second one.

PM: 10.1 miles easy, and some prep for the dri tri.

AM: 9 miles on the tready, followed by some hard rowing at the gym.

PM: 5.6 miles with some dri tri work.

AM: 17.1 miles

PM: 10.1 miles, with dri-tri work at the end (full two sets).

AM: 10 miles total with a workout: 5x1200 with 2:00 minute strict recoveries.

Splits- 3:54, 3:50, 3:50, 3:50, 3:57

PM: 7.5 miles total with a workout with John: 6x800 with 200m recoveries.

Splits- 2:48, 2:48, 2:42, 2:39, 2:38, 2:37

Did not reach in the tank at all.  The last split in the AM I did mentally check out of before I started it however, but it was still pretty easy (I just didn't want to do it!)

PM: 10.1 miles and rowing for the dri-tri.  Did double sets of the rowing.  Finished with another 4 miles of running outside.

3,000+ miles for the year!  Happy to be above that mark again.  Actually, I'm pretty happy with almost everything running related this year. 

PM: 9 total miles with a serious  workout.  Workout was 3x1600 with 1:00 jog recoveries after each, then 6x200 with 30 second jog recoveries.  I followed this with some dri tri prep.  Felt fine.  Wore newer trainers which was a poor choice and I've got some blisters to prove it.  I didn't want to wear my racers though, and that's the only other pair I had...

Splits-

1600s-  4:57, 4:58, 5:04

200s- 32, 32, 32, 30, 28, 28

PM: 10.1 miles solo.

PM: 6.1 miles, rowing practice and some dri tri work in between rowing sets.

Also helped Anthony move today- wish I was able to run with him as opposed to only seeing him on days like today.

AM: 17.1 miles with John.  Second half of it was a progression into the 6:xx/mile range.  Felt super easy, although was still mentally taxing due to my pathetic long runs lately.