All about that pace.

6 easy and kind of speedy miles after a couple days rest.

Distance Split pace
1.00 7:32
2.00 7:38
3.00 7:23
4.00 7:14
5.00 7:11
6.00 7:11
6.36 7:01
 

15 with Eric from FleetFeet around Wright Park, across the Narrows and back.

Distance Split pace
1.00 9:11
2.00 8:12
3.00 7:32
4.00 7:30
5.00 7:27
6.00 7:52
7.00 7:39
8.00 7:49
9.00 7:54
10.00 8:10
11.00 7:36
12.00 8:08
13.00 8:03
14.00 8:24
15.00 7:14

 

9 miles with the group at Point Defiance. Easy pace as usual, but LOTS of hills ths week!

Up early for 20 before work! My left calf is still tight since last Saturdays run so I didn't try to do any of this at marathon pace until I ran into Preston at 18.5. Then I picked it up a little just so I could keep up with him.

Distance Split pace
1.00 7:53
2.00 8:05
3.00 7:57
4.00 7:59
5.00 8:08
6.00 8:21
7.00 8:04
8.00 8:01
9.00 7:57
10.00 8:12
11.00 8:11
12.00 8:13
13.00 8:06
14.00 7:55
15.00 7:48
16.00 7:50
17.00 7:57
18.00 7:57
19.00 7:55
20.00 7:30
20.55 7:19
 

Fun time tonight with the Tacoma Runners on the beer run. My calf felt so much better running fast than it has running at an 8 min pace lately. I think I need to do some more short and quick runs this week to round out my mileage.

Distance Split pace
1.00 6:32
2.00 6:38
3.00 6:32
3.25 6:11
 

6:00am Just a quick 5 to warm up before 10-15 easy with some of the Ragnar team at Fleet Feet.

Distance Split pace
1.00 7:05
2.00 6:56
3.00 6:57
4.00 6:47
5.00 6:45
5.05 6:15

11 more easy miles and breakfast with the gang.

Distance Split pace
1.00 9:41
2.00 9:14
3.00 9:07
4.00 9:54
5.00 9:44
6.00 9:35
7.00 10:03
8.00 9:26
9.00 10:13
10.00 10:29
11.00 8:54
11.73 8:30
 
 

11 easy miles on the trails at Point Defiance Park. Lots of hills again this week and a few hundred yards on the beach.

So I'm running around the Oakbrook loop after work and thinking about how so many people just suck. After a couple miles I'm speeding up a little and a minivan comes up behind and starts pacing me. I turned to look and this old guy rolls down the window and says "You're doing about 10mph and make it look so easy. Hey, you know, I used to run."
 I asked him his name and we chatted for a couple minutes as I ran along side before he pulled over and started telling me this long story about his recent back surgery which segwayed into some running stories, Vietnam war stories(including getting out of his car to show me the bullet hole in his leg), family history, etc. After about half an hour had passed he said he would give anything to be able to run like me again. I told him I couldn't help much with that, but I promised him I would never take it for granted and told him I'd be thinking about him when I run the Boston marathon on Monday. His eyes lit up as he said "Holy shit! really? you're gonna run THAT marathon? Would you bring me home a tshirt?"
 I told him I would be glad to and as he gave me a few bucks along with his address, he said he's lived a really interesting life, but lately a good day is just getting out of the house and meeting someone nice like me. (I think I'll take that as a compliment.) Then he pulls out this giant pocket knife and says he collects knives and sometimes gives them away to people he likes. I tried to turn it down, but he looked like he really wanted me to have it so I reluctantly accepted.
 So there you have it... some people don't suck and if you go out for a run you might just meet one :)

Avg 6:52

3 flat miles with the Tacoma Runners at Rock the Dock. It was a fun night with friends after a fast run along the Thea Foss waterway. Most of our two ragnar teams were there and they gave me a great marathon sendoff. Boston Strong!!

Distance Split pace
1.00 6:40
2.00 6:27
3.00 6:10
 

The crowd support was so awesome this year! I'm really glad I went. Although I didn't plan on running a PR or even being competitive for that matter with only 3 months training, I had a plan to finish about 3:30-3:45. Even though I should have known better on my 3rd trip to Boston, I got caught up in the excitement and started out way to fast again. It's just so hard to focus on any kind of plan when there are a million people lining the sides of the course cheering for all the runners! I chose to interact with the crowd as often as I could and I have no regrets about it. They were all just so awesome and encouraging. I must have high-5'd a thousand little kids in the first 5 miles. There were only a few small spaces along the highway outside of hopkinton where the crowds were not shoulder to shoulder and I don't think I went longer than a minute or two in the whole race without hearing "you're on fighyah!", or "go fighyah pants!". The Wellesley girls were deafening this year; I could hear them from at least a half mile away coming and going. Along the quarter mile stretch known as the "scream tunnel" they hung over a barricade waving signs and would only stop screaming long enough to plant a kiss on any runners that would stop. ~ (Maybe if I ever run it again, I'll have Kym watch from there so I can get my kiss on the course)
A few miles past Wellesley is where the work really starts and needless to say, all the fun I had in the first few miles took its toll. I paid dearly on the Newton hills as you can see from my splits. Major cramping in my quads and a little in my calves added a couple minutes to my pace. At about mile 19 I got an enthusiastic shoutout from Derunzo and I ran over and gave him a big sweaty hug! Thanks Derunzo! and sorry if you had to smell me the rest of the day :) Tom K caught me walk/limping a bit shortly after that and sad hello as he passed. Thanks Tom. Other than that, I didn't see anybody I knew on the course. It was pretty much a hobblefest from there to Hereford where I dug as deep as I could to finish strong and enjoy the flight down Boylston. Kym wasn't able to get near the finish line, but she did snap a picture of me getting my medal from the upstairs window of the CVS.  I'll post some pics later for anyone that hasn't seen them on facebook already. We did lots of fun touristy stuff this time and I even got my picture on the front page of the Monday edition of the Boston Herald.

Distance Split pace
1.00 7:33
2.00 7:22
3.00 7:29
4.00 7:23
5.00 7:37
6.00 7:31
7.00 7:31
8.00 7:36
9.00 7:26
10.00 7:27
11.00 7:38
12.00 7:42
13.00 7:40
14.00 7:39
15.00 7:55
16.00 7:41
17.00 8:04
18.00 8:36
19.00 8:06
20.00 10:48
21.00 9:52
22.00 10:16
23.00 10:04
24.00 9:16
25.00 10:02
26.00 10:52
26.49 7:13
 

8:00am

Went out for an easy 5-6 miles through the park and ran into Preston so I followed him and chatted about Boston until I found myself down in Steilacoom by his house 6 miles in and still 4 miles form home. The trip back up the hill was fun. I picked up the pace a little each mile and finally worked all the kinks out of my quads.

Distance Split pace
1.00 7:45
2.00 7:58
3.00 8:24
4.00 8:14
5.00 8:16
6.00 8:35
7.00 8:10
8.00 7:46
9.00 7:35
10.00 7:02

Tacoma Runners at the Hamon Tap Room. On the way there, I volunteered to be a pacer at the Tacoma City Marathon next weekend. http://www.tacomacitymarathon.com/pacers

Distance Split pace
1.00 7:23
2.00 6:50
2.99 6:41

 

I'm not going to race today, but I'll go with John and Scott just to hang out and get in an easy run... Riiiiiiight :)

Distance Split pace
1.00 6:29
2.00 6:41
3.00 6:25
3.12 6:37
 

8 easy on the trails at Point Defiance.

Two laps around Oakbrook loop with Kym following me on her bike. The first loop at a semi-hard pace, the second at marathon pacer pace(9:33ish). I think it would have been easier to keep running the second loop fast like the first one. What have I gotten myself into? I don't know if I can run that slow for 4 hours and 10 minutes...

Distance Split pace
1.00 7:33
2.00 7:11
3.00 7:05
4.00 6:48
5.00 6:36
6.00 9:35
7.00 9:36
8.00 9:28
9.00 9:33
10.00 9:37