All about that pace.

Congrats on the PR! Now enjoy a long nap!

Way to get that PR! Good report. And congratulations on the soon-to-be new addition to the family.

Thanks for the comments. Now I'm thinking about a ragnar relay after reading Burt's blog :)

Northwest Passage looks cool and it's right in my neighborhood.

The Ragnars are the funnest races you'll ever do. There's nothing quite like being on a team and spending 24+ hours in a van rooting each other on the whole time. If you're serious about doing it, you should look at putting a team together right now. Early registration for Northwest Passage closes Feb. 28th. That gives you two months to find 11 more people and commit them to do the race. By commit, I mean financially commit. It's $85 a person. A bit pricey, but worth it.

The other option if you don't want to worry about putting a team together is to go to the Ragnar home page, click on the link for the message board, and post that you're looking to join a team for the Northwest Passage race.

I can't find anybody to run with me, much less commit to something like that. It sounds fun though and I have already checked out the forum. There are lots of teams looking to pick up a member and some of them even comp the registration fee. If I survive the next couple months of marathon training for the R&R in June I should be up to it and may try to hook up with a team.

I can answer thy headphone mystery. Yesterday Meghan was being nice and brought my ipod to the Y for me. She didn't know if I had headphones so she grabbed yours. I am so very sorry I forgot to put them back.

The gloves are probably in the closet in the place where I put all of the gloves. I will try to find a place for you to keep them where they won't get messed with. Sorry! I was so sleepy this morning when you were asking me that it didn't even register.

Just wait till after you get your first massage from the big burly biker masseuse I'm gonna find. You'll feel great!

Impressive race...you're showing great improvement. Stay consistent in training and you'll shatter your marathon time as well.

Thanks for the encouragement. I feel good about my progress, but these last two races have been a lot of work. I still have a long way to go for that 3:20 marathon.

Looks like you have a nice start by getting in a lot of 6-mile runs. Keep them consistent and over time gradually build up to some 7-10 mile runs. Everything will get easier. 42:40's a great time!

p.s. Nice organization you're involved with...you guys have a great witness.

I was planning to keep doing at least 5 days on and one day off with the 6 milers and bump one of those days up to an 11.2 mile course that I like a lot(The Giant Killer) in February. I stopped doing my long runs when I started trying to do more consecutive days in a row so I wouldn't increase my mileage too fast. I'm getting anxious to run longer; By the end of March I'd like to be doing 7 or 8 miles 5 days in a row and a long run too.

CMA is a great organization to be a part of. It has been a tremendous blessing to be able to serve with them. Sometimes I wish my biker friends understood the running thing though. I really need all the prayer I can get to pull this off by June.

You crushed it, man. Great job! Pretty inspirational.

sounds like a good plan...lots of folks get hurt by trying to do too much too soon.

Awesome job! It's great to get a new PR and feel your training pay off. Good luck with your marathon training, this 10K time looks promising.

I am truly amazed. I'd have trouble walking 11 miles...and I can't begin to imagine how far 26 miles is! Keep up the good work.

Wow! That is impressive. I know how steep the hills are that you run! You amaze me!

Keep up the great work, Mike!!!

Nice job! Stay consistent and keep inching up those miles...you'll be amazed at would you can do.

Thanks! I'm trying to stay consistent, but 4:00am comes really early on work days. I am already amazed at my progress; this blog and all the people like you have been really helpful.

Nice week of running! Big step to edge past the 50-mile/per week barrier. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for the encouragement.

I'd really like to keep above that 50 mark for a while, but I may want to drop a few miles next week considering the race on Saturday. I'll see how I feel midweek.

Hey, those are some nice runs! And you're getting them in at 4:30 in the morning? I didn't think they even turned on the air until 6:00. Nice job!

Thanks. There's plenty of air down here at sea level, even at 4:30am :)

I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow and resting up before the 15k race on Saturday.

I didn't know you were racing on Saturday. Good luck!

I have a 15k Saturday and a 20k on 3/21 they are the last two runs in a four run series. I PR'd in the 5 and 10 and I'm hoping to do the same in the next two.

Way to beat the old guy! There's an old guy in Kingman that I want to beat one of these days.

Kingman is a long way from Queen Creek. That's pretty far to go just to beat an old guy, but it probably feels good enough to be worth it :)

I grew up in Kingman. There's a 5k I like to do there.

That's cool. I like Kingman, my parents live close to there in Bullhead. Be sure to post something when you beat that old guy.

Great race. One PR each month. You should have 12 PR's by the end of the year. Keep it up.

End of the year? I'm just praying I can keep this up and stay injury free through June. It looks like I may have to work even harder than I thought too. They just announced the course today for the Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon and it looks brutal. If I can BQ on that, I'll really have something to brag about!

Great job! A PR is a PR! I ran this race too and was really wishing it was a 10k around mile 6. :-) Keep up the great work beating those old guys!

Thanks. It looks like you had a great race too Nicole. Those baked potatoes were extra good today! I had mine with chili and lots of cheese :)

Me too. :-) I wish I hadn't felt so nauseous afterwards - I would have enjoyed some of that delicious-looking cake.

Nice pr and you're really stretching out your 7-minute pace. It's just a matter of consistency and time before you're running a marathon at 7:05 pace. Keep up the good work!

Thanks. I'm trying harder than ever to stay consistent and it is paying off, but I still wonder if I will be able to hold a 7:38 pace for 26 miles by 6/27. The 20k next month even has me a little worried after today.

It is good that you could hold 7:05 average pace for a 15 K. The reason for the slow down sounds like running out of fuel. The fix is to continue training, and to eat healthy.

Many runners have a hard time with that. The mentality is because I run I can eat whatever I want. If the goal is just to stay skinny, that works. But if the goal is to perform at optimal level, it does not. It comes back to bite you - among the main strikers are fragile bones, sore muscles, and fuel surprises.

To succeed on the front of nutrition you need to do is a) eat good stuff and b) eat a lot of it. Good stuff - if it has a brand name, it is rarely good, good stuff does not sell in our culture as well as brand names, so it is not worth patenting and you cannot patent it anyway because it is a common word like apples, potatoes, wheat, or honey. If it is called by a name that your ancestors would have recognized, it is usually good. Prefer natural foods with minimum processing and home cooked meals.

Thanks for the feedback Sasha. It looks like you're on to me and my secret pop tart addiction! I will start eating healthier today.

I cannot believe you have been running with that cough and feeling so yucky! You are so determined and amazing! Thank you for inspiring me to be better!

Who says you get a day off? I suggest you get a big workout tomorrow morning!I'm a trainer, of sorts, and I will come to you and show you a great rest day workout that trains all of your muscles at once. How about around 8:30 am or so?

Getting up at 4am to run in the cold, dark rain?? Impressive!

Deep down I am really lazy, but apparently this is what it takes to get to Boston. I won't really know for sure until 6/27 so until then I am the anti-slacker.

Yay! Your Garmin was shipped today.

Yay for sure :)

Too bad it won't get here by Saturday. I was counting on my new virtual partner.

Way to persevere through the elements!

Spring is coming, then I'll be on easy street :)

I just got a tracking number from Amazon. My garmin should be here on 3/6! I may have my new toy before the long run on Saturday after all.

Okay, you like hills. So you should definitely try a Ragnar!

Beautiful family, BTW. I like your links and funnies. I needed a good laugh today.

Thanks. I'll probably end up looking for a team to join at the last minute if I survive the Rock and Roll in June.

Your consistency in running lately is inspiring. Have fun with the new toy.

Wow, you're an early riser! Great run for that time of day.

The thing about joining an ultra team is that if someone gets injured, another teammate has to run the remainder of his/her legs. Add that to the plus 30 miles you're already doing, and that is just crazy. That's my two cents.

Crazy? Running all night in any Ragnar Relay would be considered crazy by most people wouldn't it? :)

I am kind of a sucker for crazy anyway; in 2006 I did the STP on a mountain bike in one day. Not because it was a good idea, but because I like a good challenge :)

If you are running that early in the morning I think you do need gloves! Great 10 miler!

I do have some cotton gloves that don't work very well. This morning I tried a pair of my wife's stretchy gloves and they didn't work so well either. I'm going to need something better if I want to do 10 every morning. I'm going shopping tomorrow.

i got some cool adidas gloves from my boyfriend for xmas...I love them! they block the wind and all. If it is extra cold i throw on these breath therm mizunos underneath the adidas gloves...works great

yeah, the gloves really work well for me. good luck with your glove shopping. warm hands on a run make all the difference!

I called everywhere in town and the only place that sells them is out of stock. I'll have to order a pair online an just man-up and deal with the cold on Saturday.

even like a dicks or mc sports? that is where I think the boyfriend got the adidas gloves...that really stinks! i hate cold fingers!

Nobody local has any :( I ordered a pair online from Eastbay for $14.99 and found a coupon code(fitness1)for 15% off before I checked out.

I might just wear my ski gloves tomorrow if it's below freezing again :)

42 miles by Thursday??? WOW.

Just how cold was it? I have to tell you that I have one UnderArmor shirt that tends to creep up when I run and last week I gave my belly frostbite. When I showered it first got all itchy and kind of numb and then it turned pruplish black and was so swollen I could see hair follicles, and I did not even know I had hair follicles on my belly. It staid like that for a few hours. I was afraid I would need a belly amputation (wait, that would be good, maybe I should try that again!!!)

Hope the gloves get to you before it gets warm! We would not want you to go fingerless.

It was only about 29°, but that's low for this area. I'm sure my fancy new gloves will be here before my next long run. Oh! I just realized my next long-run-day after tomorrow is the Resolution Run 20k! I hope I'm ready!

Wow! That's pretty scary when things start changing colors as they warm up. I was a little worried about something like that happening with my fingers, but they thawed out ok.

It was 14 degrees that day, so hopefully no more frozen belly for me!

You know, I just wear some cheap fleece gloves that I bought at Wal Mart or Target. They work really well.

Oh, and good luck on that 20k!

I have some thick fleece ones that I used to wear on my bike. I'm going to try those tomorrow if I can find them.

I'm shooting for 90 minutes on that 20k next week. I think I can do it if I quit eating poptarts and candybars :) I've had no junk food for 2 whole days now.

Kelli,

I use to get a red belly..I started tucking in my shirt (i have a jacket on so no one sees) I have found that the red belly went away...I didn't like the itchy belly part aftewards either. On super cold days like below 15 I wear that breath thermo shirt from mizuno and anotherwoold shirt and then my jacket...tucking in the shirts has really helped...Because I"m tall most shirts look like 1/2 tops on me so sometimes I have to hike up the pants in order to tuck. I must look like an idiot when I run. LOL

Rattletrap--your diet sounds like mine! I love my reeces cups! I hope you found your fleece gloves!

I have kept my shirt tucked in since that run, believe me!! I am sure we all look like dorks, but who said running was a fashion show anyway? (I hate those pretty running girls that do not seem to sweat, hate 'em!!!)

I hope the fleece works out for you, my hands stayed nice and toasty today in my 99 cent gloves!

I eat like the perfect running saint that I am....apple fritters, Nutter Butters, mounds, popcorn, ALL of the good stuff. They say you naturally run each mile 2 seconds faster with every pound you lose, so I SHOULD be about 26 seconds faster but I like food too much!

You can do 90 minutes easy!

great run today. i am glad your fingers didn't freeze!

Thanks. I wish I would have gone a few more miles, but my running buddy was tired and I had a meeting to attend that I was already going to be late for.

My cheapo $2 cotton gloves were perfect for today.

i give you 5 gold stars for this run. sounds brutal. way to be tough. running always prevails!!!

Thanks, I'll take those gold stars and wear them proudly :)

Surviving a run like this makes me feel good about the 20k coming up on Saturday.

Three gold stars:

http://www.kevco.co.uk/acatalog/kirby_gold_star_cover.jpg

Sweet! I'll take all the stars I can get :)

I probably won't be seeing any prizes in my race on Saturday. My age group is very competitive; 5th place is the best I've done in the series this year. Although if the weather stays like this I could be one of very few in my bracket to finish all 4 races.

Nice couple days of running! I'm still convinced the key to my BQ was averaging 8-10 miles per day. You definitely have the speed, so keep up the good work in stretching out your endurance.

Darn your weather!!! We are having an absolutely gorgeous day here. I try to send some sun your way!

Thanks, I don't know how much more of this rain I can take. It never bothered me to run in the rain before, but now that I'm doing more miles it takes it's toll on me. On top of the pain, everybody was making fun of me at work today for walking like a cowboy. The good news is that after 3 10s in a row and the 15 miler on Saturday my legs feel great aside from the chafing. If things ever dry up around here I think I could handle a few 60+ mile weeks :) I was sure I would max out at 40 when I started training for this marathon.

chaffing is no fun! I hear body glide does wonders...may want to consider it if it continues to be moist around there!

Body glide is great stuff. I use it on long runs, but usually don't need it otherwise. Today I was completely soaked and everything was rubbing :( When I got home I looked like I just climbed out of a swimming pool.

At the St George marathon this year with all of the rain, my shirt rubbed on my collar bones and I had the nastiest scabs there for a few weeks. IT HURT! Dang rain!!!!

Why do we run again????

Harley riders have this saying that goes: "If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand". I think running is kind of like that. I have also heard "Life is short, running makes it seem longer" I kind of like that one too.

I may post those on my fridge!

You're running well. Keep the enjoyment going.

I feel really good about what I've accomplished this week, but it hasn't been a lot of fun. Saturday will be FUN!

great job staying consistent with 10 miles a day. you are running great!!!

Thanks Allie, this is my first week of straight 10s. Only one more to go then I have a rest day before race day.

Are you noticing a difference since you started eating healthier and cutting back on sweets?

Oh yeah, I just read that you should drink chocolate milk after exercise. It helps recovery. Maybe your really nice wife will buy you some and have it in the fridge for you tomorrow.

It does seem a little easier this week aside from the weather. I'm not sure how much it has to do with my diet. That chocolate milk sounds good, but I can't imagine it being good for me. I think it's a chance I'll have to take though :)

Chocolate milk is good for you! I read it somewhere...and i partake in drinking that and some pb and j or eggs after a run...yum!

Glad you got some body glide!

Body glide is my friend for sure! :)

Wow...serious dedication! I hope the race went well.

Congrats on a nice race! If you look up mcMillanrunning.com, they have a running calculator that gives predicted results based on specific times. It's not perfect, yet one of the best predictors out there. Your time in this 20k translates to a 3:14 marathon (if properly trained). With continued training, the bq you're striving for should be in the bag.

great race!

Stepping the miles up looks like it's paying off big time. Great job! And third place in the series has got to make you feel good.

Nice job today. It's great that you got to run past your house. I raced a 10k toady (half the distance you did) at the same pace. I could not have kept that pace up for another 6 miles. You did great.

I've been setting my goals for these last 4 races based on the McMillan calculator chart for a 3:20:00 marathon. I fell a few seconds short on the 5k and have been gaining ground with each race since then. This race put me well ahead of schedule. If the numbers on the chart hold true and I keep training like I have, I may need to set a faster GMP. I'm sure the extra mileage is helping almost as much as all the encouragement I get from here :) Thanks!

Okay, invite me to the race when you decide to wear your leathers!!!

Great job on the race, you are having a strong year!! I say leave your goal as it is, and then blow it out of the water cause that always feels good!

Maybe in the fall for a halloween 5k... Should I wear the full face helmet too?

Most definitely! I will travel to WA to see you, but it would be more convenient for me if you would come run a 5k in Utah!!

still rockin' on the miles. keep it up!!! glad your hands stayed warm this morning. boo cold weather!

4:30 am. UGHHHH.

Hey, I have those dang blister, too. I really want them gone, Who knew they could be so darn painful???

4:30am is a great time to run. It's so peaceful when the weather is calm. I love it.

Blisters. UGHHHH. I can deal with the pain ok, I'm just mad because I worked hard for that callous and now its gonna fall off when the blister heals :)

That is hilarious, I feel the same way.

So here is a dumb question---Do you pop your blisters? I usually don't, but some of these are HUGE so I have to or I can not walk. But, now they really hurt and I think I maybe should have left them alone. Dang feet.

I drain them, keep them clean and covered with a fresh bandaid and some Neosporin every day and keep running until they quit hurting.

Okay, then, I am taking your advice and hoping they stop hurting soon. This really is ridiculous to have so many!

It's gonna be hard to get your shoes on with all those bandaids :)

I am wearing slippers.

http://montclaircoop.org/joangarry/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/bunnyslippers.jpg

Okay, I need those. They would go with every outfit I have. But, it is snowing, so I would have to but little baggie over them to protect the sunglasses!

Holy cow, I have another one, too. We are the blister twins. Please, whatever you do, DO NOT GET ANYMORE. I just would not be able to take it. They are like paper cuts, the HURT.

I forgot to ask about the glove situation. Did you ever get some warm enough that we will not have to amputate your fingers next winter?

I have quite a crop coming up this week; I just noticed 3 more small ones. It's hard to say what tomorrow will bring. I might break out my old shoes for a day and see if that helps.

My Mizuno Breathe Thermo gloves came in the mail last Friday and my fingers have been very happy since then. It was in the mid 30's this morning and they work so well that my hands were almost too warm. Definitely worth $15

We need to harvest our blisters!

I was doing some blister research. There are a number of inter-web suggested remedies to prevent and take care of existing blisters. The list is long and includes; mole skin, liquid bandaids, nu skin, silicone toe covers (?), vaseline the whole foot before running, blister free socks, powder, taping the toes with athletic tape, get wider shoes. I will pick up a couple of these things for you to try and we'll report back on the success of them. I want to find the silcone toe covers just because that sounds cool!

I started looking up toe covers and there is quite a range of options. There are some that are cheap but look pretty thick, then there are some really thin ones that dancers use. I think we should check the running store.

I like the liquid bandaid on hikes for when a hot spot appears, but before a blister forms. It also seems to work after a blister has broken and has gotten kinda hard around the edges. never tried it on an actual unpopped blister though. seems like you need something more like moleskin with a circle cut out so there isn't pressure on it anymore. Lots of hikers use duct tape.

You guys let me know what you find that works. I went to one running store here and they told me to tape my toes (I get them there the most). but for now the bandaid on the big one works for about 6 miles.

Seriously, on my run today I decided that the blister pain is the worst. My feet were throbbing when I finished. This was funny for about a day but I am no longer laughing!

GOOD LUCK!

I had a good run today in a different pair of shoes. I think I talked with someone before about alternating shoes to give the feet a break. They all fit just a bit different and won't rub in the same places. I think I'll wear my old ones again tomorrow and then try alternating every couple days.

Sometimes you have to laugh just to keep from crying. Just think about all the people who don't have enough aerobic fitness to even grow a blister. We should be proud of ourselves :) I can see it now, a "Blister Board" on the blog. We'd dominate it this week!

I think I could give you a serious run for your money on that board!

I bought new shoes yesterday. I am kind of a "wear the shoes into the ground" kind of person. But my old shoes are still in good shape. I will wear my shoes to the gym for the rest of the week and get them broken in for running and then hopefully that will help. I HOPE your plan works because my poor aching toes need a break.

Who knew one could discuss blisters for so long?

I think the vaseline could help between the toes. I have a couple there and one was even bleeding today. Sorry about the nasty sock in the laundry basket Kym :)

Man, you have to do your own nasty laundry! My husband throws all of his sweaty stuff in the laundry basket and when I go to do the laundry and pull it out, it about makes me gag. He is a sweater, yuck!!!

My blisters are on the top of my toes. I wonder if vaseline will work there? I have some things I found today when hunting for a new box of bandaids that are for blisters so I am going to try what i have in my arsenal tomorrow.

Good job! Maybe the rain is making the blisters worse, but I do not think there is anything you can do about that (unless you want to run 10 on a treadmill, I suppose, but who wants to do that?)

I think you will get your BQ. You are doing great.

I think something is seriously wrong!

With the elevation chart or the blisters?

Maybe it's leprosy.

Hey, my day off paid off big time. My feet look and feel much better---so much so that I am going for two days off!

Hope your feet are feeling GOOD!

My feet are doing better and my calves feel like a million bucks after a nice long massage today :) Enjoy your days off, you deserve 'em.

I'm planning a 15 - 18 miler first thing Saturday morning.

Burt - Leprosy? No, but I do have a black pinky toe, and I was pretty sure it might fall off last week. The nail got traumatized from running and then I stubbed it on the weight bench in my room. It had just stopped bothering me about the same time Kelli's blisters started spreading around the blog.

I wonder what Dr. Spaceman from 30Rock would prescribe for us? http://www.amazon.com/30-Rock-Spaceman-Consultation-T-Shirt/dp/B001CDV9XQ

70 miles! Fantastic week of running. Hope you can get the blister issues under control.

I didn't expect to crack 70 this week or ever for that matter, but the extra run with my daughter last night put me over. I plan to keep it closer to 60mpw to reduce my risk of overuse injury. I'm a little paranoid about that since I've never trained this hard before. My calves are feeling much better this week in spite of the increased mileage, but the blisters still suck! I went to the Foot Zone today and got some running specific socks and some new body glide "liquid powder" samples for my feet. Ooh, I also got a "stick" massager for my legs; it is so awesome! I thought they were just another silly as seen on tv thing until I tried one...so great!

The socks could definitely help. Huh, never tried the "stick" massager...I'll have to give it a try.

The stick is great! It's basically a lumpy rolling pin for your muscles. I got the red one, it's stiffer than the others so you can really work the deep tissue.

You got called in to work at 4:30? That stinks! But I guess you are used to it, you are a 4:30 kind of guy I gather. Sleep in a little so the rest of us do not look so lazy!

Hope you enjoyed your conference.

The conference was cool. Kym taught a class on ministering to kids with behavior challenges. I love to watch her teach; she is such a gifted speaker.

oh, and I plan to sleep in until 6:00am tomorrow :)

I put some burn ointment by your sink in the bathroom. It has lidocaine in it so I think it will help numb your blisters while you run. Then while you are off riding your motorcycle in the snow, sleet, rain and hail, I am going to work out pretty much all day at the Y :)

I'm really proud of you and your running accomplishments. You rock!

I'm a Smartwool sock fan myself. I wear them year round. Man, it's hard to get the shoe - sock combination all sorted out sometimes. Great miles today!

I hate to say it, but maybe you need a few days off for the blisters to heal?!? Dang it. Only my huge blister is left, and it was not too bad today (there, but not screaming at me). Have you tried taping them?

Or, that "liquid bandaid" stuff might work, if it didn't sting you to death. I use it for cuts all the time.

I refuse to let a stupid blister stop me from running :)

The only one that's really bugging me now is on the bottom of my pinky toe and I think wrapping it could make it worse, but I may try that tomorrow anyway. The body glide liquid powder really helped a lot except for that one toe.

Has anyone heard of http://www.sockgeek.com ? They have pretty good prices. I think I'm going to order some more of those asics socks from them.

My asics socks are my favorite. Try em out, although I have never heard of that website.

You are tough, I let my blister stop me from two days of running (but I had a race, I needed it to heal. So that is an okay excuse for being a wimp, right?)

I just went to the store and bought 4 boxes of bandaids. They still seem to work the best for me. Have you tried that on your toe?

I know, SLOW DOWN! That will do it.

I really liked the asics nimbus socks I wore yesterday. They are the same price at sockgeek as they were at the Foot Zone which was out of town and there's no tax or shipping if I spend $50.

I'm not really that tough, I'm just stubborn and I don't want to break my streak. I haven't missed a scheduled training day for two full months now.

I do use bandaids, but it just seems weird to wrap one around that little tiny toe. It's like I'm either going to strangle the little guy or it will slip off and irritate it in a new spot.

Slow down? Are you kidding? I want to get fast enough that when I do slow down, I'm still going 7:38. I want to attack the biggest hill on the Seattle course in June and then be able to recover at my new "default" pace :)

Great run. My husband's running socks have two thin layers. the outer layer sticks to the shoe and the inner layer sticks to the foot. The sock rubs itself and voila... no blisters! I don't know what kind they are, but his HUGE blisters on his insoles are gone.

I want to learn how to ride a motorcycle. It looks like fun!

I'd love to know what kind of socks those are. I am on a mission to save my feet without decreasing my mileage!

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation holds classes where you learn to ride on bikes that they provide! My wife and I both went through the beginner course several years ago and I've also taken their advanced course on my own bike. The instruction was very good and it was a lot of fun.

They hold classes at lots of locations in Utah too: http://nm.msf-usa.org/msf/ridercourses.aspx

i don't know the name. We just went into the running store and the guy sold us two different brands that were both double layered. I'll have to check them out and see if I can see a brand name on them :)

I Am going to have to check on that Motorcycle class :) Sounds cool!

I love your discription of your feet looking like mini-wheats...I would run fast just so that the pain from the blisters would stop faster! Right? I mean the faster you are done with the run the faster you can get off your feet? LOL

It really only hurts for the first couple miles. Then I'm ok until I hit the shower. I tried wrapping my little toe with a bandaid today, but it fell off and was bunched up under my big toe by mile 5. It was raining so hard that I just left it there and finished the run.

I think it is the rain that is causing the blisters. Time to move...

Soon they will turn into callouses and all will be well.

I just took a picture of my little toe and Kym says I should put it on my blog :)

I completely agree...I want to get a clear pic of what shredded mini toe looks like!

Ok, you asked for it. Here it is all cleaned up. It looks a lot worse right after a run, but i didn't want to scare anybody with a bleeder :)

http://www.wideglide.com/fastrunningblog/mytoe.jpg

Yeah great job! You are in the top on the mileage board!

Bummer. I got bumped off the first page for last week and this month. I thought I was a bit out of my league anyway :)

Has anyone used the mole skin successfully for blisters? I saw that online. Maybe that would help until your pinkie toe gets better. Or bubble wrap... Always bubble wrap!

If I had burned my foot on a George Foreman Grill the bubble wrap would be my first choice :)

Wow, you are consistent with those 10 milers. That's what I'd be running too if my average pace was faster. I would love to get in 10 miles on weekdays. I'm going to try for 9 tomorrow, if I can get out the door on time. Good run! :)

Great splits!!!

Those solo weekday runs are tough. It's not easy to get going at 4:30am, but it is paying off. I'm just running by feel and my times are getting faster and more consistent each week. Hopefully it won't be long until 7:38 is my easy pace :)

How is your toe?

Much better...

http://www.wideglide.com/fastrunningblog/mytoe.jpg

Oh yes I saw the toe before I posted! I have to say I was expecting worse. But I"m sure it feels worse than it looks! Glad it is better!

It was a lot worse earlier in the week. My shin kept me distracted from it for the first few miles today. I think it will be fine after a day of rest tomorrow. I really hope so anyway, because I'm looking forward to my long run on Saturday!

I am glad the toe is feeling better. It looked very painful!

Enjoy your day off.

Hey baby,

I checked on the massage coverage. We get 16 massages per year. We can also get 16 acupuncture treatments, 10 chiropractic and 60 physical therapy all covered 90%. I think I wanna get some acupuncture. That sounds cool. You can come take pictures. LOL I already have a scrip for PT, so I will start that soon. But there are 13 weeks left until your Marathon, so you should be able to get a massage almost every week and be covered.

Sweet! :)

LUCKY!!!!...about the massages!!!

Hey my husband found the package for the anti-blister socks. They are made by WrightSock, COOLMESH. They are called "Double Layer, Anti-blister System." Wrightenberry Mills, Inc holds the patents, fyi. They were $8.99 at our local running store.

I hope this helps :)

Thanks Marion, I'm going shopping today.

Yeah I am lucky I guess. Those massages are pretty cool. I thought it was weird at first, but now I look forward to it. Kind of a reward for making it through those 60 mile weeks. I need all the incentive I can get :)

HOLY CRUD!!! You ran 20 miles at that pace with your shredded wheat toe? You are truly amazing.

So, when is this marathon that you are going to destroy?

Yay for Speedie Socks! I can't believe how fast you are! I am super proud of you. Your hard work and discipline is totally paying off! Can't wait to go to Boston. I have so much confidence in you, I just might book the hotel now!

great run today! looks like you need to adjust your goals...already running 20-milers faster than MP goal pace is a great sign. keep it up!

Kelli - The marathon is June 27 and I do believe I'm going to destroy another PR :)

Kym - Speedy socks? The Drymax socks are super cushy, but you are the one that deserves credit for all of my progress. This training has taken a serious bite out of our schedule and you are so patient and supportive! I Love You!!!

Allie - I thought about changing my goal and shooting for 3:10 so I could qualify for the NY Marathon too, but I think it's too early for me to be getting all excited about that.

I just added my splits and elevation chart for this run if anyone is interested.

Those elevation charts freak me out. That make it look like you ran up a bunch of mountains! Did you run up a bunch of mountains????

Awesome splits. Very cool! I need to plug my Garmin into the computer and do that and see what my Herriman Hill workout looks like on an elevation chart. That would be nifty. But, I stink at using technology!!!!

SportTracks is your friend. Use it instead of the garmin software. It's got super-techy details and it's still "fisher price easy"!

No mountains :) The scale is on the left. My 10 miler is half the distance with twice the elevation change. Those hills seem more like mountains.

Fisher Price friendly, huh? okay, I am going to go check it out. Where do I find it?

I have no clue what elevation changes I make in a run, so, as far as I am concerned you ran up a bunch of mountains!

How is the toe?

Sport Tracks here:

http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks/

"shredded mini toe" is much better, still ugly, but no pain. My arch is much better today too.

I forgot about the arch! Glad things are getting better!

Okay, I have to download stuff? That is so not "Fisher Price Easy"!!! But, I WILL figure it out when my homework is done!

Rockin' miles! No wonder you toe is shredded... no days off. The poor little guy :( Your 20 miler yesterday was pretty darn cool. I am super impressed!

That's quite a hilly course -- great job! I'll bet it was just glorious out there this morning. Steilacoom is such a beautiful spot.

http://www.roadrunnersports.com/rrs/products/PRO009/

I thought of you when I saw this...LOL

Little toe condoms ;) lol. sorry....

Do they promote "safe" running???

sorry ;)

Too funny :)

I almost bought some of those today at Fleet Feet.

Marion!

Burt- I said I was sorry. Funny thing is I showed the pic to my husband and he made the exact same comments I did. Well he did have one more. He wanted to know if those prevent blisters, then is the pregnant belly just a giant blister???

Ready to pop!

Hey, if they cost more and they work, they are worth it!!!

I think the Brooks Beast are just as good as the Drymax and they're only $5.

Now I need something for arch pain. I think I must have tweaked something in my foot trying to keep the pressure off my toe. It doesn't hurt to run, but it is pretty bad when walking. I know that sounds weird, but it was sore yesterday afternoon and didn't bother me at all for 10 miles this morning and now it hurts to walk again. If it doesn't improve tomorrow I may take a couple days off. Or I guess I could just stop walking and run everywhere :)

Okay, I see now. I read that wrong. Go with the cheaper socks, stock up!!!

Guess what? I have the same issues with my arches. I have decided it is becasue my running shoes have pretty good arch support (I buy insoles made for people with high arches like me). However, the rest of my shoes do not (flip flops and slip ons, and barefoot are my preference). I think that is why my arch tends to hurt when I am not running.

However, I did hurt my arch during the Moab half, and I think that was because was cheap and did not replace my insoles with those shoes. The insoles were wearing out and not supporting my arches.

Do you think any of that blabber might solve your arch problem?

I'm going to try some superfeet insoles that Kym won at a race to see if that helps and I'm also going to try some stability shoes next time. The ones I've been wearing are neutral and my feet pronate a little bit from having a low arch, or so I am told. I had my stride analyzed on a video treadmill thing and that's what they said I needed.

And you're the leader on the mileage board for the week so far.

That won't last long, but I'll enjoy my 5 minutes of fame :)

Ha!

4:30???? Dang it dude- you are die hard! I don't believe in 4:30 in the morning. I have moral objections to it ;)

Gutted it out in the 7's, I can not imagine.

Oh, and get some rest!

You were still atop the mileage board this morning, but you have since been passed. Run early tomorrow, blog early, and you'll have your 15 minutes of fame back.

It does not get much earlier than 4:30 am!

Yeah, getting up earlier means waking up late at night.

Thanks for the comments! I had to work late tonight so I won't be getting any "extra" sleep, but maybe I can still get in 8 hours if I choke down these chicken tamales in a hurry. My foot feels great today and I'm anxious to get back out there so you should see my next blog entry by 6:00am. g'night

We got your rain, I got new blisters. Lovely.

You took it easy on the hills? Not at that pace buddy!

Oh, and thanks for sleeping in so i do not feel like a slacker.

Sorry about your rain and the new blisters. Bodyglide makes this new stuff called "liquid powder"; I've been using it on my feet and toes where I tend to get blisters and haven't got any new ones.

I didn't take it easy on the hills today, I worked harder on them and took it easy on the flats :)

I've also been using the "stick" on my arch and it's all better now. Maybe you should try that too.

I seriously should not read blogs when I am sleep deprived. Still, your "easy" on the flats is my HARD if that was your average pace.

I bought some of that stuff at the running store yesterday. I am going to try it out. I have never had such issues with my feet!!!

You'll love that stuff!

Yep, that was my average pace for the whole run. My overall average for this week is 7:38 which happens to be my goal marathon pace :) SportTracks gives me all these stats by day, week and month. Have you got that set up on your PC yet? I hope your feet are better tomorrow. I'm going to take the day off.

No, I do not have it set up YET. I am actually in the process of switching over my PC, so once that is done I will download it. It sounds very cool. I first need to get a new Garmin that will let me use the MODE button so I will know my average pace. The only time I know is when I run an entire run with another person with a functioning Garmin.

I do know this, you are fast. You IMPRESS me big time. I look forward to bringing you cookies in Boston next year. YOU WILL BE THERE. I can not imagine running an entire marathon faster than my 1/2 marathon pace. WOW.

If you use SportTracks you won't need to use the mode button. You just plug your charging cradle into the pc and it imports all the data for you. I never try to sort through all those little menus on the watch.

Thanks for the compliments. Just 3 months ago I could not have run the first half of my 10 miler under 8:00 pace. This little community has been such a blessing to me. I owe a lot of thanks to Sasha and all the friendly runners here. THANKS! :) I'll be looking forward to those cookies too.

Cool, I can download something for free and keep my Garmin!

What a treat you got to sleep in!?

I took a long nap this afternoon too :)

Sigh...I woke up earlier than I wanted (dogs wanted to play) and I didn't get much of a nap...I love sleeping during the day!

Seriously, you are fast. That is an amazing pace. WOW, that is all I can say.

You should try sugar cookies before you run, I am sure they would sit well! Really, though, I have the same problem. I have been working really hard to try to eat something most days. Bananas are good and a half of a bagel with some laughing cow cheese spread is pretty good, too! Good lick figuring that out, it is amazing how much it can help or hinder your running.

Nice running! I took for gu's at my last marathon and stopped at every station (every two miles) to drink a full cup of gatorade...literally stopped to drink it down. For me it made a world of difference. It's good to experiment and see what works for you.

Kelli - I am a lot fast"er" than I was 3 months ago, but I am not FAST. rockness18 is FAST! I don't think I could eat bread or cream cheese and keep it down. I'm pretty happy about the power bar though. I was still chewing the last bite when I ran aout the door and it didn't give me any upset.

Rockness18 - I like the vanilla gu, but I don't like carrying it with me. They are providing "energy gel" at the marathon but they don't specify what kind so I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that. I don't stop, but I always walk through the water stops and never pass one up unless I am still sloshing from the previous one. This time I plan to drink the cytomax instead of just water if it agrees with me.

Well, that explains it---eating on the run. I eat like an hour or so before I head out. But, it has been a tricky thing to get used to. Some days it still makes me ill. I ate nothing before my run today, I knew nothing would sit well.

Runners are weird, what can we say?!? Good luck with the gu on your marathon, that stuff makes me ill every time.

You are BOTH fast.

Oh, and go run around the block. That is just too close to 70 to not get it! Or run in place for like a minute, that would work!

I was walking through the aid stations to get my drinks in my last HM. They had plastic cups instead of paper cups that you could squish together. It would've made it very difficult to drink on the run.

I tried drinking on the run once...it was not pretty! Water actually came out my nose. I was choking and gagging for over a mile.

You are too fast! This month I'm trying to get rid of my soda and sweets habit...So far today I'm soda free and I feel energized...go figure!

Still a nice run. It's very difficult to run fast 2 days in a row. Throw a recovery run in between and you should be fine. You're going to nail your upcoming marathon.

I think part of it was in my head too. I was really bummed about the rain and running solo again. I wasn't very "up" at all. I'm already anxious for some hills tomorrow though even if it's raining again. This was my second day in a row of relatively flat stuff :(

I agree w/ Rockness, and the rain was no help. We will be stronger for it though, right?

Good Job! You are getting so fast. Thanks for your encouragment and help. I do listen and appreciate your advice even when I'm crabby. :)

You have had an amazing week, it is okay to be a little tired. You still had a great run!!! I know it is hard when you are not happy with it, but go easy on yourself!

What happened is that you dumped your fuel the day before, and it takes some time before you refuel. No surprises, but it is good that you were still half way alive the day after running long and fast. Also, when it is cold you burn the fuel faster running the same pace because you are using some just to stay warm, and also because cold muscles are not as efficient.

That is good to hear Sasha. I have been a little worried that my performance will suffer in the heat during the marathon. It's been a while since I've run hard in any significant temps.

Sorry you are not feeling well, but glad you got some rest! Look at your time when you are ill! What is up with that, Superman???

Man I wish I could run that fast while holding back puke...you are superman..running through blisters and puke! LOL

Superman I am not, but with my unique skills I could probably get a job with the Mystery Men or maybe The Specials :)

I just noticed you are a grandpa. SUPER GRANDPA!!! Wow, you look so young. Running is the fountain of youth.

Mystery Men is one of my favorite movies. Kinnear, Stiller, Garofalo, and Macy at their finest. Pee Wee Herman I could do without.

Kelli - I am indeed a grandpa to the coolest toddler on the planet!

Burt - I thought I was the only grown-up that loves goofy movies like that. Have you seen Fido? That's another one of my favorites.

I saw it on the shelf at Blockbuster. Does that count? That's the one with the zombie that the family keeps as a pet?

Yes. It is awesome! A little too gory for kids, but it is a really funny movie.

Glad you're feeling a bit better. Did you get any snow? I'll bet that nice marine air kept you warmer in beautiful Steilacoom.

No snow, but it was cold enough for it. Just above freezing. Next week I get to run in AZ! I'm leaving next Wednesday on a 6 day motorcycle trip. If summer won't come here, I'll go to it :)

that sounds like a good idea to me!

You are so consistent with your 10 milers (see my whining on JD's Tuesday entry). Do you usually follow the same route?

Yep, same beautiful, hilly 10 mile route Sun - Thu. I like the scenery and the consistence helps me guage how I am doing pace-wise from day to day. I do a flatter, less scenic route on Saturdays only because my running partner doesn't like hills. Otherwise I might just do the same 10 miler twice for my long run on Saturdays :)

7:46 easy. That does not sound right to my brain. Neither does 4:30 am.

GREAT WORK!!!!

When 7:38 is easy I'll be ready for race day!

4:30am will never be easy :)

how do you run the same route everyday? Or is it so pretty it looks different each time you run it?

Mostly I am just a creature of habit and I like that I can compare one day to the next and know how my performance is, but it really is beautiful here. There are some killer hills and I have an awesome view of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains on my regular route. I see deer almost everyday, and sometimes Seals while I'm running by Sunnyside Beach. Today I saw about 20 rabbits too(nope, I don't talk to 'em Marion). I am pretty spoiled living here in Steilacoom. Of course, the views haven't been all that stellar lately at 4:30 in the morning, but it's finally starting to get light out again during my runs. Summer's almost here.

yup it is official...I need to move. I just googled pics from your town. Absolutely stunning. I mean there are hilly areas here in IN but it is mostly flat and I like mountains...I haven't been to WA but I would say my fav place that I have ever been was CO and unfortunately I was not a runner then.

:(

So right, April. We too were very interested in moving to Steilacoom instead of Snoqualmie but the commute for my DH would have been too hard. It is one of the prettiest places in Washington.

April and Snoq. What RT didn't mention is the rain. We are all pretty much Vitamin D deprived becasue of the limited winter sunlight :) But when the sun comes out, there is no prettier place in the world! Speaking of which, today is sunny, it appears, so I'm headed outside.

Well, Snoqualmie isn't exactly Florida! lol

Enjoy the sunshine, Kym! Will you be joining the blog or did you just stop by to visit?

I tried to get her to join, but she doesn't think she runs enough. I think she could contribute a lot here. She is an amazing woman who has been running consistently and has even completed a couple triathlons in spite of her JRA.

Don't know if RT posted this, but we found a great deal on running shoes on finishline.com. Shoes that were $100 at the store and most other places were on sale for $50. Plus if you spend over $75, you can use the code FINISH12 to get $12 off. Just FYI

THANKS KYM!!! I found some shoes I want to try out, so i am going to see if they have them.

RT---you are a running fool! Great job AGAIN. How is the weather??? We got hammered with snow again. Nutty weather.

Mike, your training seems to really be paying off. Keep up the good work!

The weather was great this morning. It was cold, but dry and no wind! This was a pretty good week considering how it started for me on Sunday. I'm looking forward to finishing it up with over 70 miles again after my long run on Saturday morning. I hope they have your shoes at finish line. I got lucky and found 2 pairs of Asics 2130 for under $100! That should get me through the marathon in June :)

rockness18 - Thanks and good luck again on your race. I know you're going to meet your goals, but I'm anxious to hear how far you exceed them!

The way you run, you might need to go buy a few more!!!

At least the fruit matched your hair.

Man I would have thought I was holding you back!

I think Winnemucca sounds like a swear word ;) Have fun getting all of your running in all over the West!

Great miles today!!! Whoo Hoo!

How are the mini wheat toes???

Shredded mini toe is all calloused up now. It hasn't bothered me in days. I've been wearing fancy running socks and using bodyglide on my toes for every run to make sure I don't have to deal with that anymore. I think I'm a lot faster now without the limp :)

I bet you are faster! I hear that ice baths helps with blisters ;)

Blisters are only skin deep and it sounds like ice baths chill to the bone...brrrr...no thanks :)

Chicken!!! :D Have a great sunday! I am off to get the troops ready for church :) Good times.

I think I'll go on a recover 10 miler today :) I really want to see how far I can run until I can't go anymore one of these days. Then you'll have to get a wheel chair to cart me around in for a week :)

Good job on your runs! Y

I think I'll go on a recover 10 miler today :) I really want to see how far I can run until I can't go anymore one of these days. Then you'll have to get a wheel chair to cart me around in for a week :)

Good job on your runs! Your diligence will pay off in the end.

That is recovery???? Holy Moly. Great work. I am getting excited for your marathon, you are going to be amazing.

It would have been close to 8:00 minute pace, but I was feeling good toward the end. I probably shouldn't have let myself get carried away. I really wanted to take it easy because I'm thinking about doing 10 miles before and after work tomorrow so I can skip Wednesday morning. I'm leaving at 4:30am wednesday on a motorcycle trip to Laughlin, NV.

I'm getting pretty excited about this marathon too. Only 10 weeks to go!

It was so cool to watch the Boston Marathon on TV (even if they only showed the winners, I wanted to see the whole thing). I was looking in the background to see where I'm going to camp the night before to make sure I get an AWESOME spot at the finish line to cheer for my super star running husband!

Kym, I will give you the cookies so you can force some sugary carbs in him as he flys through the finish line!

20 in one day? you are nuts!

You make me so tired.

I am nuts, and tired, and a little queezy, but I did it :)

Wow...in the midst of a Boston celebration, you've just busted out 43 miles by Tuesday!

How have you been sleeping lately?

I slept very well last night :)

Good. I was concerned that you might be suffering from night terrors over the last couple of nights.

Ice-bucket-burt is pretty scary but it turns out he's no freddy kruger after all :) I've been sleeping very well lately.

Great job! I haven't been feeling well so I came here for inspiration to get out there and atleast walk...maybe i can hack up what is left in my lungs!

Great time though, despite the altitude! I'm proud of you!!!! I woke up at 6 today, cuz I'm so used to waking up when you get back from your runs. I'm gonna run later today :) Though, not nearly as far or as fast!

Winnemucca? Did you just make that name up? One thing I've noticed when I run in elevation is that it feels like my legs are falling asleep. It's the lack of oxygen I suppose.

Burt - Nope it's a real place. My legs felt fine but I did experience that "runners high", I think it's from a lack of oxygen to the brain :)

Nice miles so far from home :) sorry about the dirt ;)

Nevada one day, Arizona the next. Where will you be running tomorrow> Utah should be your next stop. I will take you on some fun hills (on a bike, of course, I can not run your speed).

Great job!! When are you coming to Utah? You are so close, just drop by for a second. I will give you a cookie.

Is it hot? I mean at 5am?

Kelli - We need to plan an FRB get together in Boston. I gotta head home in the morning. I think my friends might shoot me if I led them all the way to Utah for a cookie :)

April27 - Shorts and t-shirt weather, it's about 60 at 5:00am

I thought you were in NV. What brings you to AZ and what part are you in? Were in - by the time you read this.

Burt - It's actually right near the NV/AZ border. I was at my parents house in Fort Mojave. I rode down there with 7 friends for the Laughlin River Run motorcycle rally. I go every year to visit my parents and get in some "road therapy".

Nice. Growing up in Kingman, I've heard of Fort Mojave, but don't think I ever had the pleasure of actually going there. Been to Bullhead City, Laughlin, and Lake Havasu plenty of times.

The cookies are worth it!

Have a safe trip home.

Glad to see you are keeping up with the miles even during travel mode!

Good for you for running twice. You probably had a lot of stress to burn off from your trip that was supposed to be a stress reliever. When you get home, I will give you a massage and a yummy dinner and you can sleep in our nice, cozy bed! As long as you aren't bringing home any bed bugs from cheap motels or Swine Flu from Mexico!

I am glad the belly full of spaghetti remained where you put it!!!

20 miles in one day. WOW, you are a machine!

Kym - It has been stressful at times... I think I'm a little spoiled from riding by myself so much last summer.

Kelli - It was tough to hold that spaghetti down. I felt like Michael Scott running the Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race For The Cure 5k with a belly full of fettucini alfredo. Do you watch "The Office"?

Love that episode!!!!

That is definitely the best episode so far.

Did you wear your new shoes?

Yep, the new kicks are sweet :)

7:43 pace for 10 miles... someday.

The pace or the miles Burt?

by the way, me too....someday (both).

Burt - Someday very soon if you want. You're not far away from that at all. I broke all my PRs for 5 years in only 3 months by just running more days in a row and slowly adding mileage.

rattletrap--i'm following in your footsteps...well I"m going to try anyway. Right now I'm working up to A running 5 days and B running 5 miles each of those 5 days and then eventually adding in a 6th longer run. We shall see where I get.

Does the snow slow you down at all?

Can you split it?

I could split it but that's just not the same as running for 2 to 3 hours straight. I haven't blogged it yet, but I just did 17.29. I could have gone 20, but I cut it short so we could leave for Spokane by 8:00am.

Have fun at the race!!!

I tried to be as fast as you today, but OUCH! I do not know how you do it.

Kelli - 8:14 is pretty fast for a 20 miler, especially with the elements stacked against you like that!

It looks like we'll also get rained on here tomorrow :(

Always a blast to run with the daughter! Been watching your training, very impressed. We have pretty similiar goals, I would bet the ranch you tear the Boston goal down very soon. Keep up the training.

Mike - Thanks for the encouragement! When is your BQ race?

I am running Ogden in two weeks. I have only been training for 6 weeks though. Was off 4 1/2 months with a stress fracture. My next real crack at it, will be ST. George in Oct.

Sounds like a fun time RT. Can't wait for the pics.

So that's where you've been Mike W. Been seeing your comments lately and thought, "haven't seen this guy for a while." Glad you're doing better.

FUN!!! What a GREAT day :)

Pics are up from the race on Sunday.

Great pics!

love the pictures! looks like you had a great time. congrats to you both!

Well, Mike. I will say this. So far in the two different profile pics that I've seen and the pics above, you look different in each one. I don't think I'd recognize you on the street. (So don't get offended if I walk on by, like when Jack Black walked on by Gwenyth Paltrow in Shallow Hal.)

Great pictures!!! Thanks so much for posting them. Looks like everyone had a great time. Your daughter is beautiful. Love the costumes. I am quite relieved to see that the race is not a sardine can the whole way -- been especially wondering about that with Seattle RnR coming up.

Awesome pictures! Looks like a lot of fun, almost felt like I was there :)

Great pictures! I thought about bringing a camera to the 5K on have on Saturday. My brother and I are running it..he is a better runner and photographer so I may make him carry it. LOL

wow you are getting faster. Is your goal to be at a consistant 6:30? for your entire 10 miles?

No, my goal is for 7:38 on a hilly route to be easy.

Yes, you are getting faster. Nice run and strong finish!

Easy miles, huh?

Fast, Fast, FAST!!! What are you aiming for in your marathon??? Whatever it is, you will get it!

Awesome workout!!! You're in great shape!

I like your split comments... you are doing really great! You are smoking those hills!

Thanks, this run was a great confidence booster. I'm getting a little nervous about Seattle, it's so close now.

Re- nerves. I am beginning to form a theory about nerves and marathons. You are probably completely immune to this. I think that there is a sort of performance anxiety that can trash a person's time goals. For those who are susceptible, the more focused we are on pace, the worse we do. And the more focused we are on enjoying ourselves, the better we do. I hope it does not strike you that way! :)

BTW, I know there is an active running club in Steilacoom. Do you ever run with them? (I used to see them mentioned in NW Runner back when I had a subscription.)

I joined the Steilacoom Run Club this year, but outside of the resolution run series and the "four on the fourth" I don't think they do much.

Snowy - you are absolutely right. You do not want high levels of adrenal gland activity before a marathon for a couple of reasons. One, adrenaline releases glycogen for use, and you want to be storing it instead. Two, you will need your adrenal glands to be fresh in the second half of a marathon. Unlike your legs, though, they can easily run their race while you are tapering and be too fatigued when you really need them. Learning to control them is not easy, though.

That's a great explanation, Sasha.

WOW. That marathon is going to be one heck of an amazing race. I can not wait!

Nice run, your becoming an ANIMAL! Keep it rollin Bro.

kinda cool to see the map of your run!

That map is compliments of Sasha's course tool. He has built us a pretty amazing website!

That's interesting to me - that you do a recovery run with the same miles, just slowly. Nice run.

Maybe "recovery run" is the wrong label for it. I'm still sorting out all this running lingo :) I definitely needed an easier day after 3 days of fast-ish running, but I've learned from experience that it's a slippery slope if I start going too easy on myself.

Just saw your blog and that you're a CMA member. Good deal. I don't ride myself, but I have several friends that are in CMA, including our assistant pastor. Good job with the running too.

I'm a rare breed; most bikers only run to the dinner table and/or the bathroom :)

LOL, I just like your heading--26.2 without a motorcycle?

your off to a great week, Nice job!

Thanks Mike. I was a little surprised at how easy today was. I'm already looking forward to the long run at the end of the week!

Mr. Consistent!! Those are great splits. Glad you're feeling good.

I'm back on track just in time for another hectic weekend. I have a late night Saturday at the Fleetwood Mac concert and then a 5 hour drive to Spokane for Karina's graduation on Sunday.

Maybe could you just share a little of your super speedy running skills with me? Maybe if I massage your feet they will rub off on me. LOL

Oh my, the same 10 miler 3 days in a row (or more??) I still am in awe when I see your splits. That is dang fast. On Monday you said you were just running not paying attention to time and you ran a 7:02!!! Craziness.

Nope, no 7:02 for me on that day. I have been getting a little faster though. I'm seriously considering adjusting my goal to 3:10:59 so I can BQ in the young whipper-snapper category :)

That "masters" stuff just makes me feel old.

i think you can for sure do that, if not faster. You do your long runs at a pace that would easily get you 3:10. Go waste all of those young people!! Show them this grandpa has speed.

Your fitness continues to inspire me!! Thanks for sharing.

I am surprising myself lately with this speed. Those hilly 10 milers are paying off. I have decided that hills are really just speedwork in disguise.

Awesome, you will definitively quality for Boston, with tons of spare time (can I have it?).

Good running!

Beautiful day for it!!

I just commented on your forum post. Very consistent, impressive workouts. I think you are primed for a great marathon.

I love Fleetwood Mac. Always have. You seem too young to have been a fan, too young for a grandkid too! Good for you, staying young! Did they sing Over My Head? My favorite. Drive safely!

No they didn't do Over my head :(

I have to share the coolest thing about last night...I mentioned going to the show to a good friend yesterday at lunch and he told me that if he could pick any band to see in concert it would be Fleetwood Mac, but he couldn't afford to go. As Kym and I were walking into the T-dome a half hour before the sold-out show someone sold me an extra ticket for $5 and I left it at will-call for him and left him a voice mail. He got my message and made it there in time for the show and afterwards he told me that it was the first concert he'd ever been to in all his 66 years! :)

Wow. That is so cool when things work out well that way.

you splits don't seem horrible!

I'm not too disappointed in my overall pace. I just wasn't feeling very strong today. Maybe it's because I didn't get my banana for breakfast. I had a hammer gel and a gu before I left, but they didn't help at all.

Another nice workout! Just make sure you stay healthy. You defintely have the speed for some awesome times. Only thing that will de-rail you is the injury bug. Nice job and thanks for all your comments.

Do you know how inspiring you are? I think one of the best things about the blog is the paradigm shift: what is possible becomes what is doable becomes what is on the calendar. Have a great day!

Mike - I can't explain just how paranoid I am about sickness and injury right now with only 5 weeks to go! I'm doing my best to eat healthy and stay away from the skate park.

Snoqualmie - I don't really see myself as all that inspiring, but thank you :) I really appreciate all the encouragement and advice I've been given here.

I understand that...I have those days where I felt like I ran like crap but my pace was pretty normal. Weird how the body is!

How is it that your nice and easy is my sprint? Would you hurry up with that marathon already? I can hardly wait to see how you do. I think I may have to drive there and cheer you on!!!

Fleetwood Mac---I am so jealous! I LOVE them. I had never heard of them until like 10 years ago (I know, lame, but I am kind of young). My husband's mom has always been a fan and she bought him a CD and now the entire family loves them. We even bought a DVD of them in concert---their concert's are amazing! You lucky guy.

Kelli - I don't think you realize just how FAST you are! You just finished a 4000ft elevation marathon 21 minutes faster than my PR at sea level. You are probably going to kick my butt in Boston!

Which Fleetwood Mac DVD did you get. Is it "The Dance" where the USC marching band joins them on stage during "Tusk"? That is my favorite concert video of all time!

YUP---that is the one! My kids rewind the marching band part over and over, they love it!

You are going to waste your PR. If you can do your long training runs at the speed you do, you are going to surprise yourself on race day! It has been a few years for you, you are going to be amazing! i am so excited I can hardly stand it!!!

I think the end of June sounds like a good time for a trip to Seattle. Do you think I can convince my husband? Heck, if he does not BQ in 4 weeks, he will want to come and run it himself!

Kelli - Yeah, I'm pretty sure my current PR will be history and BQ or not, I will post an exhaustive report after the race. BTW, the race is sold out! Wow, 25000 runners! That's twice as big as both my previous marathons combined! I hope I don't get trampled in the mob of runners.

Just keep Scott tanked up on extra-salted gatorade(yuck) and I'm sure he will BQ at UVM.

250,000? For real??? It is like 2 weeks after UVMarathon, so it was not doable anyway. (maybe he should have just signed up with you a long time ago, and then chased you!!)

Here is what we are doing: unflavored pedialyte with those powdered Gatorade packets. That ought to do it! Plus, salt in and on everything!!!

Not a single mile over 8. Nice. My advice for the trampling: you will probably finish in the top 2% or 3%. 3% of 25,000 is 750. They can probably line up 50 people shoulder to shoulder at the start. That means you should line up 15 rows back. (That's being conservative.) You'll probably finish way higher than 750th. So don't be shy. Get up as close as possible to the starting line. As long as you don't trip, you have a better chance at not getting trampled. If you do, you'll get trampled by more people, but that's a risk you're willing to take.

Kelli - Only 25k not 250k You had an extra 0 on there :)

Burt - They use colored bibs for each pace group and allow you to move backward, but not forward before the start. I registered for the 3:15 group so hopefully it won't be to congested. I will try to be in the front of my section if I can do it without any violence :)

You're a tough biker. No one's gonna mess with you.

I think you changed that after---I swear there was another zero! Still, 25,000 is a ton of people! Are they all running a marathon, or is it combined with other races? The SLC half and full started together and there were only about 8,000 people and it was crazy!!!

Burt - yeah riiight, scary Christian bikers. We're known for obeying traffic laws and praying for people in need. I doubt they will scatter at the sight of me in shorts...although my legs may blind them allowing me to sneak up to the front :)

Kelli - I wouldn't do that. 25000 is a ton of people. My first was in Portland with about 10000 and it was crazy too! Seattle RnR is a 1/2 and a full together. I'm not sure what the breakdown is.

I believe ya. Ask Burt, I am NO good with numbers (or grammar).

I am thinking the scary Christian biker with red hair and white legs might really scare them off. Just wear the right dew rag (or do rag----how do spell that?) Maybe a spiked necklace, too.

dew-rag do-rag that's pretty funny :) Bikers call them(insert deep gravelly voice here) skullcaps.

Well that is what happens when you are just a dork trying to sound cool!!!

Skullcaps with.....skulls! That will make you look tough. Oh, and you have the "scary" goatee to match!

That was a very nice kick!! Bananas must be your spinach. Have a good day!

+1 for the bananas! i am telling you they are the runner's superfood. nice run and way to kick in at 6:15 pace! awesome.

If you are running that early, do you eat at 2 in the morning (lol) or do you break the 2 hour rule? Rule breaker! (I love it.)

Kelli - thanks, I can't wait to triple the distance on that kick and destroy my 5k PR after the marathon!

Allie - I think I got the idea to try bananas before a run from your blog. thanks! :)

Snoqualmie - I try to let it settle for at least 10-15 minutes. I've actually been trying to train myself to run on a semi-full stomach so I will have the fuel I need to BQ. I used to puke up any thing eaten less than a few hours before a run; now I can run right after a meal. Of course some foods are easier to hold down than others :) Bananas rock!!

That is very interesting. I have never had success eating before running, even with late races. Maybe I should experiment with bananas before a long run. :)

Your 5k's are already speedy. How fast do you want to get? 18's???

Oh, and Sno---the only thing I have ever managed to be able to stomach before running is a banana. Experiment with it, it might just work. I was amazed at how they did not make me sick like everything else.

Kelli - I'd love to just break 20, but I think I might actually have a sub-19 in me on a good day.

I KNOW you do.

We'll see sometime in July. Stay tuned...

Nice running! You are unbelievably consistent...it will pay off for the marathon. Yeah, I'm one of those few people that prefers to eat before running. Bagels, bananas, powerbars, etc. I've been blessed with an iron stomach (knock on wood). Last Sunday we went out for Mexican (until I was stuffed) and I still got in 13 miles, including tempo, within an hour of eating. Unfortunately, the iron stomach has kept my weight around 180lbs...maybe if I'd learn not to eat before running, I'd get faster.

Speaking of running on a full stomach: I really wish someone would organize this event in my neighborhood :)

http://www.burritomile.com/

Sweet!

That report is funny---burrito's making their second appearance. YUCK! I think I would totally bard within about a minute! How about an ice cream and cookie mile?

I want to be a burrathlete, but I'd look pretty silly scarfing down a burrito and running around the track by myself :(

nice splits!

Thanks. There are some monster hills on this course so its hard to keep them consistent. I'd like to be able to run this route twice at marathon pace sometime before race day, but I never feel quite that ambitious on my long run days.

I'll say you had enough left for a kick. 6:12??!! In my dreams!

Great workout! Fat ladies have no business mocking runners - good thing for her that you are a gentleman and a kind soul bcz she really opened herself up to a zinger if you had been so inclined. Have a great weekend! Can you believe we're getting decent weather for the holiday? :)

yeah, there was a time when I might have really let her have it, but I just smiled and waved. I'm so nice now :)

Ugh, I hate the run forrest run. Do they really think they were the first to say that? But at least it entertained you. Great run!

the road kill sounds a lot like most of my runs

Oh no, you ran in the 8's like us normal people??? Whatever will you do? Just kidding, you are awesome as always!

We saw lots of biker groups on the highway this weekend - thought about you. Hope you had fun.

Kelli - I said "almost" 8 :) and I don't feel very awesome today at all. I could not convince myself to run; I took a half day off and slept until noon instead. I'm such a bum.

Snoqualmie - I got to ride over Chinook Pass just minutes after it opened Friday on the way to Toppenish where we camped for the weekend at the annual side-car rally. Monday we rode south from Toppenish to Maryhill to visit the stonehenge war memorial and then west along the river on 14 to I5 on the way home. The weather was just perfect all weekend and it was a ton of FUN!

Da, all I had to do was look at your splits! See, you are not normal, no 8's (not even really that close--6 seconds per mile is an eternity).

Glad you took some rest time, you need it. You have been working like a well oiled machine.

Kelli - You couldn't see my splits before, I just added them this morning :) 6 seconds is only an eternity when I'm trying to drop that many off of each mile. I do feel better now after resting a little. I ran 8 days in a row and had planned on 2 more before taking a day off on Thursday. I may run tomorrow and still take Thursday off too just to get back on schedule. Then I need to stay focussed and more consistent. There's only 4 weeks left until race day!

Oh my goodness, you are making me think I am NOT going insane!!! I thought I had misread another blog, but NOPE, you changed it on me!

Now, you are one of the most focused and consistent runners I "know" so give yourself a break (I know, you have). 4 weeks and counting...and you will be truly amazing! Are you just shooting for 3:15? I know you will be faster than that!

I count 5 weeks, minus a couple of days. Stop scaring me. ;)

Kelli - No, you really are going insane :) I swear I didn't change that other blog entry. I need a 3:20, I registered for the 3:15 starting area, but I really want a 3:10 so I can qualify with the 18 year olds. I haven't decided on a race plan or pacing strategy yet. Hopefully I can just run at a comfortably fast pace and still kick some butt.

Snoqualmie - Wow, what a relief! I feel so much better now that I get an extra week to train ;)

Honestly, I think I predict even faster than 3:10. Your training has been amazing!! Am I the only want that wants the 5 weeks (minus a couple of days) to hurry up and get here???

Can you give me that link that maps the elevation of your runs again? I do not know which blog you put it on, but I finally got my new computer so I am ready to try it out!

Kelli - I wish I could run the race this weekend and get it over with! I'm not sure how much longer I can keep up this training schedule.

The super cool software for your Garmin is called SportTracks http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks/

You can manually map out your course on a google map in the FRB course tool to get elevation profiles now too.

Dude, look at that 6:40 last mile! You THE man! (not you da man)

Thanks Burt. I wish I felt like "da man". I just feel like I'm running out of steam this week. Last week I had that last mile down to 6:12 once and a couple times in the 6:20s. I'm taking 2 days off this week to rest up and then its all out until race week!