High-Octane

Ran on the TM this morning here in Florida. I really didn't want to attempt an Interval Workout on the TM so I just ran 10 miles starting at 8:34 and dropping 6 seconds each mile throughout the 10 mile run. Ended up with the last mile at 7:35 and the last quarter I sped it up till I reached a 6:00 pace. I'm not very motivated right now...mabe I'll try running outside tomorrow.

11 miles on the Tom K. route. Part of the trail was closed down so I had to run a little out of the way through the "hood".

Running in Florida:

8:35 pace 84 degrees 72 dewpoint some breeze.

6 miles on ththee TM this morning before flying out from Florida to Chattanooga. I ran most of the miles slow in the 9's but after reading about the guy who just broke the marathon world record running it at a pace less than 5:00 per mile,  I wanted to see what a sub-5 pace felt like so I ran three pick-ups the last mile dropping the TM to 5:00 pace for a  .15 mile each time.  Woo that felt fast...leg speed felt cool but the cardio elevated quickly only after that short of a distance.

Now in Chattanooga, I'm off for another 5-6 miles along the river.

7 more miles in Chattanooga...intended to run only 6 but I got lost.

7 Miles slow around the small loop at home. Feeling really tired and not looking forward to the 20 miler tomorrow.

Whewww... Got'er Done!

20 miler complete and in record training pace time. This was the best training run 20+ miles I have ever done. When I started out this morning I was afraid it was going to be a disaster. I got up at 5:00 am to run before going to chruch. It was raining and the wind was blowing at 16 mph. I didn't feel like I could even make it 20 miles much less run at the 7:56 training goal. There were deep puddles all over the road and because it was so dark I couldn't see them. My shoes and clothes were soaked within the first mile. I ran my 6.8 mile loop basiclly 3 times to make the 20 miles. I hate running a loop because everytime I come back to the start I feel like stopping.

Anyway, after the first difficult loop I seemed to start having some energy. By the time I was finishing the second loop I seemed to feeling pretty good so the last loop I went ahead and pushed it a little ending up with the last two miles in the 6's (Obviously I was pushing a little).

I really needed this run to build my confidnece. 

After the run I was wondering if I shouldn't be pushing it this much and just running the perscribed paces.

I went back and looked at all of my previous 20 mile runs (races included) and found out that my fastest pace has been 7:39 with a 162 Avg HR. This one was 7:37 with a 151 Avg HR...now I would say that is improvement!

Isaiah 40:29-31 
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

In Houston at another trade show so I had to run on the TM again. Took it pretty slow and easy since I ran hard on Sunday. I'm not sure if I can do the TM thing again. :-(

7 more TM miles ... Hghhhh!

I'm finally back home for a while! 

After El Salvador, Florida, Tennessee, and Houston I'm glad to be back. Hopefully I can settle into a more consistant training pattern for a while. I have a little over two weeks before my first race of the season (Half Marathon for Adoption) so I thought this would be a good day and run to test my fitness. The run on the RLRF program is for 1 mile warm-up then 10 miles @ 7:26 pace. 7:26 is actually MGP. After the first mile fell in at exactly 7:26 I decided it was too slow so I gradually began to increase the speed/effort throughout the run. I ran an out and back route and you can see the effects on mile 3-4 and 7-8 as these are the two miles that have the long gentle elevation change.

The last time I ran this same run my pace was 7:17 with exactly the same HR. The temperature was 15 degrees cooler though. I believe this is good progress and hope it relates to a faster Half marathon in a couple of weeks.

Proverbs 24:3-4 

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

4 Easy miles in the Gym and some weights. This is the first time I've tried to lift any weights since I broke my collarbone back in May. I go back to the doctor next week, hopfully for a complete release...meaning I could officially start lifting again.

Proverbs 4:23 

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

4 Miles slow, no watch. Very hot and humid.

Today was supposed to be a long run but the weather is really yucky so I decided to go to the track instead. When I started it was about 80 degrees and extremly humid. It started raining about the time I got started and continued to get heavier as the workout progressed.

On the schedule for this week was 10-20 Min. Warm-up, 3 x (2 x 1200m @ 4:33) (6:04 Pace), (2 Min. Recovery) (4 Min. Recovery between Sets, 10 Min. Cool-Down. I got confused and ran 2 x (3 x 1200's) but that's no big deal.

During most of the repeats it was raining very hard with heavy gust of wind. The rain felt like needles on my face and chest as I ran into the wind and my shoes were filed with water. 

I was pleased with this run even though it was a little slower than the last time I did it.

Hopefully I can run my long run on Wednesday or Thursday when the weather cool off a little.

10 Miles at the Gym...boring but not as hot.

Today's run was the same as last Thursday. 10 mile Tempo with 1 mile Warm-up and 1 mile Cool-down. I felt sluggish this morning and knew from the start that I wasn't going to do as well as last week. My legs were just tired and heavy feeling. The weather didn't help me mentally either. My effort was much less than last week with an average HR of 153 instead of 160 so maybe I was just being lazy?

Proverbs 13:4 

The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.

This morning was much better running weather at 52 degrees. It was still a little humid at 84%.

this is the same run I did 11 days ago. I was hoping for better results but actually came up slower and with a higher HR. Last run I averaged 7:37 pace and 151 HR with the last two miles being in the 6's. I'm really not sure what the difference was as my HR was higher from the start. I did notice that my weight was down about 5 pounds from the previous run. Maybe I was dehydrated from the start?

If you compare this run to my fastest marathon the first 20 miles of the marathon are very similar averaging 7:49 and a HR of 152. I always say this but I can't imagine running another 6.2 miles on top of this 20 mile training run.

2 Corinthians 10:12 

Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.

7 Easy Miles around the small loop. 8:20 Pace, no HR monitor just and overall time.

54 degrees, breezy...best running weather this year!

Woo Hook...Excited about this run! The schedule called for 15 miles at 7:36 pace for a goal Marathon of 3:15:00 and 7:25 pace for a 3:10:00 marathon.

I'm not really expecting to run either of those times but it does go to show how a low temperature and low dew point can greatly improve a run.

6 am run, 41 degrees, 83% humidity, 37 degree dewpoint !!!

MILE. PACE. HR

1) 7:49. 148

2) 7:27. 151

3) 7:27. 152

4) 7:23. 150

5) 7:25. 150

6) 7:21. 151

7) 8:07. 152

8) 7:13. 151

9) 7:25. 154

10) 7:00. 154

11) 7:28. 156

12) 7:24. 157

13) 6:59. 158

14) 7:02. 160

15) 6:52. 162

15.5) Slow Cool-Down 1/2 mile

Avg Pace - 7:22

HR - 153

Track Repeats today. I was a little sluggish to begin with but picked it up on the second and third ones. Looking back I'm wondering if I should have run them all a little harder?

As I run distances like this I continue to realize that my cardio, actually my breathing, is what is holding me back. I need bigger lungs. :-)

Isaiah 58

 “Shout it aloud, do not hold back.

    Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
    and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
For day after day they seek me out;
    they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
    and has not forsaken the commands of its God.

8 Easy miles in the gym.

I'm taking it pretty easy this week going into the race on Saturday. It looks like the temp should be in the low 50's. I have run this race twice before (1:35:55 and 1:33:44). I'm hoping to run a 1:31:33 (6:59 pace). This would be a minute or so off my fastest Half but my fastest was on a much easier course.

"There is No "B" Goal"

2 Chronicles 15:7 

But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”

Getting ready for the Chosen Half Marathon on Saturday so I decided to break my training routine and make something up.

2 Mile Warm-up, 1 Mile @ HMP, 2 Miles @ MP, 1 Mile @ HMP, 1 Mile @ MP, 1 Mile @ HMP, 1 Mile @ MP.

I was trying to keep the HMP Miles below 7:00 and the MP Miles at 7:45 Pace.

Here's how it went:

 The weather was GREAT!

Matthew 8:26-27

He *said to them, "Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, "What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

Rest Day Today   --- Chosen Half Marathon for Adoption tomorrow... !!!

Race Pacing:

Deuteronomy 20:1-4
When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: "Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. 4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." 

Well… I’m a little embarrassed to write this report. I seem to have a knack for running the wrong route in races as this is my second one in the last year. I really don’t know where to start except to start making excuses:   It was dark, the route wasn’t marked well, no one was as the turn to tell you that you were going the wrong way, I was running alone, I ran the route I had ridden my bike before and it looked familiar…. I guess I could go on and on but I think I’ll just stop and write the report! J

I was really expecting to knock down a really great half marathon time on this race going into it. My goal was to break a 7:00 pace for the race. I wasn’t expecting to run a PR as this course is really pretty tough and as I ran it I realized it was even tougher than I had remembered. I feel like I have been working hard and could achieve this goal but things just didn’t quite turn out the way I planned. I really think the biggest problem was the Temperature, Humidity and Dew Point. I had been watching the weather and was expecting it to be more like 48-50 degrees as it has been for the last two years but the cool front didn’t materialize and it turned out to be quite hot and humid so missing my goal pace by 6 seconds per mile isn’t a big surprise. I exerted the effort, as indicated by my HR, but the lactate build up just got me on the last couple of miles where I expected to pick up those extra seconds.

Again this race is a fun race with a great cause. It was extra special this year because Callie (my daughter) was finally able to run her first half marathon. She is the one who got me started about 3.5 years ago. Plagued with injuries and just business she has never been able to work up to a half marathon. I was very proud of her for her effort and dedication to work through the training and finally achieve that goal. She ran a respectable 6th in her age group with quite a few in that age bracket.

As usual I started out a little ways back in the corral as I always feel more comfortable chasing people rather than having them pass me later in the race. I had worked out a “perfect” pacing plan but…ha ha…forgot to bring it with me so I had to just run by memory which isn’t very good.  I couldn’t remember what I was supposed to run the first mile and hurt myself a little running a 7:30 instead of the 7:17 on the plan. It was completely dark on the first few miles so it’s really had to judge the grade and distance of the hills. I was afraid to run faster at this point but in hind sight I know I should have pushed it a little more. Most all of my miles were a few seconds slower than my planned paces and in hind sight I really wish I would have remembered my pacing chart. I actually though I was running okay.  I was trying to figure out where I needed to be and at the turn-around my garmin said an average pace of 7:03. I thought this was good but it actually needed to be 7:01 to be on my planned pace.

As I was approaching the turn-around I started counting runners who had already made the turn, 1,2,3,4,5…. I was 9th and at this point there were two runners  just a few steps in front of me.  I rounded the turn and decided to go ahead and overtake the two guys so that put me in 7th. I continued to try and keep an even pace through miles 7,8,9 as this is the flattest part of the course. When I got the mile 10 (the dreaded long uphill) I set my goal to pass a couple more runners. 7:49 doesn’t seem that fast for a mile but this uphill on mile 10 just kills a lot of runners. I passed one girl and said something like “this hill is a killer” and as I ran by she just stopped and started walking. I passed another guy close to the top and this now put me in 5th place. I could see all of the 5 runners in front of me, although the first and second guys were way out of reach I was thinking I might be able to catch the other two and come in 3rd overall. J

When I got to the next sharp turn on the course I had lost sight of the other runners, we were in the neighborhood where there are a couple of turns and small rolling hills.  I couldn’t figure out how those two guys had gotten out of my sight. I was also confused at this point because my garmin was saying that I was running mile 12 and I knew I should be running mile 13! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON? This is where I guess I just lost complete concentration, my last two miles were not what I planned them to be. When I got to the long straightaway near the finish my watch had already registered 13 mile and now I could see several runners in front of me….WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?

I was totally confused, my garmin said 13.4 miles, the race results showed me 12th overall with an avg. pace of 7:16 pace.

I guess I would be really upset if this were an important race but I was really just doing it as a training run anyway. Someway I’ve got to lean to run the right course and quit blazing my own trail…this is getting old!

Here’s the actual details:

“But, Mousie, thou art no thy lane [you aren't alone] 
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft a-gley, [often go awry] 
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promised joy.”

Here's a pictue of the Routed Route...

And a picture of my trophy...

THE END

Back at it after my race on Saturday. This was just an easy run to make sure all body parts were still functioning correctly. It was pretty warm and humid but I kept my HR down low and just cruised through the run. At mile 9 I got up to, what I call, marathon pace. Supposedly my easy runs should be below 14 BPM HR. 

Ezekiel 36:26 

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Another day, another 10 mile run! 

I actually think I'm loosing it :-) I got up at what I though was 5:45 am to run, got ready, went out and and started running my 10 miles. As I was running I kept thinking, "there doesn't seem to be much traffic this morning". About halfway through my run I then started thinking, "it seems like it should be getting light by now". When I finally finished my run I realized I must have gotten up at 4:45 am as I was finished and it was only a little past 6:00 am. So, I went in the house, took a shower, and went back to bed for an hour. :-)

Like I said...I think I'm loosing it!

This was the same run as yesterday just a little faster. 3 miles @ MP (below 8:00) and a few others close. I was really just running with no real goal.

Hebrews 10:24-25 

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

I really haven't gotten back on my training schedule yet since I ran the race on Saturday. I just didn't feel like going to the track for my Interval Workout. I was going to run my Tempo run today but a mile into my run it started raining so I ditched that idea. At about the 3 mile mark it started to pour down and on mile 4,5,6 I was running through water that was 6" deep. Needless to say I changed my run to a MP run instead of a Tempo run. :-) I bet all  those drivers who passed me thought I had lost my mind!

Three weeks until the San Antonio Rock & Roll Marathon and again I'm thinking there's no way for me to run the paces I want to run (and that I've been training for). Even of this 10 mile run I ran slower than MGP and my HR (effort) was too high. I find myself now hoping for some miricle energy burst that carries me through the race. Who knows, it happened in the Army Marathon, maybe it will happen again!

Hebrews 2:4 

While God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.