sub-3 or blow-up trying

Warmed up with 3 miles at a 9 min pace- ideal running conditions, saw a deer

Ran our 3-mile course in 17:48- the  improvement just keeps happening (Need to edit this comment...went out to measure this "3-mile" marked course and found it to be closer to 2.8...probably more like a 19-19:20 run...still an improvement)

Followed up with 4 miles- 1 at a 9 minute pace, 3 at an 8 minute pace

I have really come to appreciate running.  In college I hated it!  Perhaps it was the once a week three mile runs in Chicago in the middle of winter and killing myself to do it in 20-21 minutes.  Never really improving.  My outlet was sports and since graduating I have been unable to find something that ignites my competitive juices.  In 1995, I began to run a little bit and killed myself in a 5-mile "Turkey Trot" (35 minutes) only to come in like 200th place.  I didn't really get it at that point.  The gym has always been a tremendous outlet for keeping healthy and conditioned, yet it is hard to stay motivated by goals on the bench press, stairmaster, or squat rack.  More recently I have begun to see how my competitive nature can be applied to running- looking for a personal best, running different courses at different distances, accomplishing new feats.  It has been equally encouraging to see my wife begin to pick up running and even the girls start to show interest.  I'm unable to get my wife to join the blog- but she's now training for a half-marathon (after 6 kids!).  She did a 5k last week in 30 minutes...it was small race and she won a medal for her age division.  Now she's hooked!

Ran 7 miles over lunch break

Mile 1:  8 min pace

Mile 2-3: 7 1/2 min pace

Mile 3-6: 7 min pace

Mile 7: 8 min pace

Total run = 52 minutes

Today was a challenging day

Did a 1-mile warmup at a 9 1/2 minute pace...thought, "oh boy!"

Legs were a bit sore front yesterday's weight training and I was definitely sluggish

My initial desire was to run 5-miles hard, which included 2-miles up all uphill

Ran mile-2 at a 7:10 pace and made a quick mental adjustment...15 minute tempo runs

So I fininished off the first 15 minutes by keeping a 7 min running pace

The next 15 minutes were closer to a 9 min pace

Third 15 minutes, all uphill, was at a 7:30 pace (sun went behind clouds)...for the last 5 minutes, I felt a good, strong burn in my legs (breathing was fine)

Fourth 15 minutes were slow again, sun came out again, and I was beginning to really feel it...fortunately the last 5 minutes of this segment was all downhill (90 degree heat!)

Fifth 15 minutes, I began to think "oh boy" again...it was still downhill and I ran a seven minute pace until things flattened out (6minutes or so) and then hung on to a 7:30 pace for a minute or two until adjusting to "enough's enough"...I jogged the remainder at a 9-9 1/2 pace. 

I do think I had one last tempo run in me, but with the heat and no water, I was being careful not to kill myself at the end.

Total of 10 miles in 1:26:03- definitely a mind over matter type of day!

Weight is down to 183 lbs...25lb weight loss this year (still bench 225 x 5)

Was going to run in the afternoon, but couldn't go outside due to thunderstorms

Endured 7 miles of a slow run on the treadmill (9:15 pace)

Did 1/2 of upperbody weights

Pleasant surprise in the evening...meeting was done an hour early, got home and everybody was out and the weather was beautiful...quickly got out for a run

Cool, crisp evening...had to discipline myself to keep things slow...kept it at about a 8:45 pace for 8 miles...felt like I could run all evening.

My legs felt tired today...had decided to run a 5k tonight, but was second guessing it this morning.

Took 5 of the girls to the beach today, so mom could prepare for an open house

Kept hydrated all day long, just in case I felt I had the energy to run in the evening

Got home at 4pm, took a nap, woke up at 5pm and decided to go for it

Felt even though this may not be the best 5k I can run, it's the bigger picture that counts- staying focussed on the big race in October.

Jogged three miles to the race area...realized any fast mileage might be a challenge today, but began to get into a "mind over matter mode"

Race...mile 1 was fairly flat and I broke 6 minutes...mile 2 began to go downhill so I pushed it a bit, however, I unexpectedly approach almost 3/4 of a mile's worth of steady uphill...finished mile 2 at almost a 7:40 pace...the beginning of mile 3 was at least 1/4 mile downhill, but unfortunately I was unable to take advantage of the hill and was just regaining my breath...by the bottom of the hill I actually recovered and felt fairly descent...did the final 1.1 in about 6:30.  Overall time= 20:10

I never looked to see what overall place I was in, but received 2nd place within age division.  There were probably only 40-50 runners all together...I'm guessing I placed somewhere around 10-15th.  A college kid set the course record somewhere in the 15's.

Slow run today...very uneventful.

Did a 2 mile warm-up at 9 min pace

Ran what I hope to be a marathon pace (7:30) for 10k distance...total time for 6.2 = 46:48

Will do a little bit of speed work in the evening...5 x 2min fartleks (within 5 mile jog)