Sean's Running Blog

I love winter. I waited most of the day to run hoping the 30mph sustained winds would die down...they didn't. Gusts were above 60. Temps were reasonably mild though and I didn't need the jacket or stocking cap I brought along.

Most of the miles were on bark trails which was very gentle on the legs and kept me in the trees somewhat protected from the wind. It was a beautiful afternoon to run. It was me, the wind and the deer.

Easy 10 miles through the neighborhood. Incredibly, there was no rain or wind for the entirety of my run.

A lovely, dry evening run. Big storm tomorrow though. Not looking forward to high winds and pouring rain but that's the life of a runner.

Snuck in 10 miles during a break in the weather. Almost avoided the rain altogether. The last three miles were a soaker but I did find a new place for me to run near work called the Redmond Watershed. I've great things about it and can't wait to explore the miles of trails.

5 mile warmup at 6:40 pace then four miles around the track in cutdown format. Mile 1 at 5:18, Mile 2 at 5:06, Mile 3 at 5:02 and the last mile at 5:01. I was supposed to go 5:14, 5:06, 4:58 and 4:50. It was pretty blustery out and going fast early didn't help so I missed the last mile badly.

I then ran a 4.3 mile cool down. It rained, snowed and was sunny during that 4.3 miles. Crazy weather.

A very windy but mild morning in Las Vegas. Business brings me to Sin City, a place I loath. One great thing about Vegas is it's streets are on that Utah-like grid system. So I took off away from the Strip and ran an 8-mile square.

Felt pretty good after a difficult workout yesterday. I'm still bugged about missing the last mile split so badly. I was supposed to do the workout with the two other Trials guys from the area at the UW indoor facility. It would have been nice to see if doing it inside without the wind and doing it with two fast guys would have helped. But I walked away tired and healthy, usually two good things after a workout.

Hit 75 miles for the week which is the highest I've been since before the Trials. Hoping to be in the mid-80s this coming week.

Talked to my coach breifly about 2008 and I think I'm going to run the Eugene Half marathon in early May. It's a fast course, it's my old hometown, and I need to redeem myself after a disappointing finish in the full last April.

I would love to see others from the blog join me for the half or full. Both are pretty quick courses.

Oh...and Paul, the Seahawks are going to walk away from Green Bay with a win on Saturday. Seahawks 20 - Packers 17

Perfect weather for a run in Las Vegas this morning. 45 degrees and calm winds. Ran a ten-mile loop (6:42s) around the airport. Bad part was it was all on concrete instead of blacktop but it kept me away from the strip and the traffic associated with that.

Just got airline and game tickets for the Packers/Seahawks. Excited to take my boys and dad to that game in historic Lambeau field. Go Seahawks.

Looking forward to running in Wisconsin...a state I haven't yet run in.

Ran from work through Marymoor Park to the Sammamish River Trail up to Woodinville and then back to Redmond. A tad chilly but dry making it a near-perfect stroll through nature.

I'm really enjoying the Adidas trainers I got. They are soft, but with ample support and a snug fit. It will be interesting to see how long they last.

Go Hawks!

Went to the Dempsey Indoor Track at the University of Washington for a workout with my coach and a few other guys.

Workout: 5x 400m/400m/800m with 2:00 rest after the quarters and 3:30 rest after the 800m. Target times were :66 for the 400m and 2:20 for the 800m.

This was my first short-speed workout since before St. George and it showed. I hit or bettered the splits except for the last 800 which came in at 2:23. I was very tight and could really feel the muscles work and hurt in different ways than they had most recently.

One of my goals is to get quicker and focus on shorter distances where I am notoriously slow. It will be an interesting process.

Ran from work in Redmond to a doctor's appointment in Bellevue and then back to work. Almost 8 miles each way. 6:38s out and 6:32s back. Felt really good especially considering how awful i felt during and after my speed workout last night. I'm sure the doctor was thrilled that I was stinky and sweaty.

The best part is that the rain held off until I walked in the office door and then it poured. When I came out the rain stopped and didn't start until I was a hundred yards from work.

Off to Green Bay tonight. Go Hawks!

Here's a scene you'll see a lot of on Saturday:

After a sleepless red eye from Seattle to Minneapolis, I managed to get a couple of hours of rest at my parents house before heading out for a frigid run.

19 degrees at 11am with the wind chill in the low single digits. The good news is that everything stayed warm except my nose and face. I learned to appreciate running in rain and the upper 30s. Running in this stuff every day for four months would be the end of me.

I saw zero people over the entire 11.5 miles (6:38 pace). People in MN are smarter than I thought I guess. What fool would be out this cold.

My parents have a temperature guage at their house that shows the record high and record low at their house since they moved here 2.5 years ago. -19 was the low and 101 was the high. That is crazy. It reminds me of why I like Seattle so much.

Off to Green Bay first thing in the morning. Go Hawks!

Woke up this morning at 6:30 to go for a run and after a mile and a half running in a temperature of 11 and a wind chill of 4 (not including the wind chill created from running itself) I called it quits.

I gave it another go this afternoon before heading to the airport and the balmy 22 degree weather was much more to my liking although still freezing. I ran at 6:28 pace which of course added to an already noticeable wind chill factor. I have gained a respect for people who train hard in the winter in environements like Minnesota.

And as for the Seahawks game, while we got totally outplayed, it was an awesome experience to see such an historic game at Lambeau field amid a blizzard. I hope the Packers make it all the way to the Super Bowl.

Back in Seattle after a long and enjoyable weekend in the bitter cold of the midwest. I woke up this morning to clear skies, 34 degrees and no wind. I felt like I was in Florida. Did my patented 10-mile stroll through the neighborhood. Uneventful as I like it to be. The occasional patch of ice kept me awake enough to remember most of the run. Finished by 7:15 which in Seattle this time of year still means almost complete darkness. But in the summer when it's llight until 10:30 at night, it's easy to forget the short winter days here in the north.

Hoping to get another 6-8 miles in tonight.

Well...I had every intention of running yesterday evening but a freak snowstorm pounded our area with 4-6 inches of snow. My car got stuck on the way home and by the time I got home, it was late and the road conditions had worsened.

So I woke up early this morning and drove to work in the lowlands and got a good 11 miles in this morning. It was still slick but I ran on the gravel trail that runs the length of Lake Sammamish. Gravel is great for frosty mornings. Ran an easy 6:25 pace. I will attempt again to get in another 6 or so tonight.

PM

I sure tried to get another 6 miles in but the snow didn't melt and the roads were icier than ever. So I tried a gravel trail near my house and it was so dark I got spooked realizing that if I got eaten, they wouldn't find my body for days. So I went to the high school track thinking the snow would be melted there but it's a red track not a black one so the snow was still four inches deep. I ran anyway. I learned that running in that much snow takes a lot of effort, more than it was worth so i called it quits after 13 laps. It was cool seeing the patterns my foot prints made after 13 laps around the track. Mine were the only prints.  

Another Winter Wednesday meant another workout at the Dempsey Indoor facility at UW. Well, it was supposed to be. Some overzealous building maintenance guy decided to play cop and kicked our small group out of the facility for no apparent reason. Fortunately I had half of my workout done already. The second half was spent freezing to death at the Husky Stadium track which is immediately adjacent to the indoor facility. I would have dressed differently had I known i would be running outside.

After a 3-mile warmup, I ran 6x800m at 2:17-2:18 with 3:30 rest between each 800m. The only one I missed was the last one and that may have had more to do with freezing to death than being fatigued. Going from 65 degrees indoors to 35 outdoors made for a tough adjustment. But all in all I felt good.

A nice pre-dawn run along the gravel East Lake Sammamish Trail. I saw exactly two people. One with a dog and one with cross country ski poles. It was 37 degrees according to the sign I passed but I wore running pants anyway because all the moisture on the ground made it feel colder. I probably could have gone without.

I had no residual soreness or tightness from last nights workout. Feeling good and getting excited about Del Sol.

This morning's run was supposed to be 12 miles but shortened to 9 after getting tired of battling the icy roads. Rather than enjoying the peace of the pre-dawn morning, I spent each second dodging slick patches on the roads. I was planning on a double today anyway so I'll run another 8-10 this evening from work where it's warmer and not a spot of ice in sight.

8 twilight miles this evening under crisp clear skies. I went along the East Lake Sammamish gravel trail. Big tempo run tomorrow with a few other guys so I took it real easy this evening.  

Ran a tempo run around Green Lake this morning with a few guys from the club. Did 6.5 at 5:20 pace. It was a bit chilly and blustery but no rain. Planning on an easy 16-18 tomorrow which will put me in the mid-90s for the the week...the first time I've been at that mileage since before SGM.

Went for an easy 16 miler this afternoon under partly cloudy skies and temps in the upper 30s. It's my longest single run since Saturday, September 22nd, which was my final long run leading up to SGM. While the run was easy, I recognized the need to get back into the mode of running one 18-22 miler each week. There's a strength, mental and physical, that comes with the longer runs.

With the mileage today, I ended the week with 94 miles, the longest since the week of September 10th when I ran 95. It was also my third longest mileage week ever. I plan to be in this mid 90s to low 100s range leading up to the Eugene Half Marathon in early May.  

32 degrees and crystal clear blue skies. Ran an out-and-back along the Sammamish River Trail and it was just gorgeous. 32 degrees and sun feels so much warmer than 32 degrees and cloudy. I'm sure there's a scientific reason for that. Covered the 12 miles in 6:44 pace.

PM--7 miles

28 degrees; 19 wind chill. A crisp but glorious, clear moonlit night. We're supposed to have four more days of cool but sunny skies. That is a big deal for a Seattle January.

30 degrees, light breeze and not a cloud in the sky. Two gorgeous days in a row and it's not even June yet.

Today was one of those days where I didn't want to run. I ran because my schedule says I was supposed to. It was also one of those days where I just didn't "have it." I ran 6:43s but just felt tired the whole time and kept wishing I was a couple miles closer to the end. Oh well. there are always going to be days like this.

Tough workout today. I had to do it alone due to scheduling issues so I headed up to the Redmond High School and used their track. It's inferior in every way to our high schools track but it's oval and it's presumably 400m in length. Oh...and it's 5 minutes from work.

The workout was 6x1000m @ 3:00-3:02 with 3 minutes rest between each rep. I hit 3:04, 3:00, 3:01, 3:02, 3:02 3:03. After the fourth rep, I wanted to quit in a bad way. The only reason I didn't was I couldn't live with myself if I skipped a third of my workout.

After finishing the fifth rep, I was bound to quit. But then the phrase "leave it all on the track" kept entering my mind as I was doing the 3-minute rest jog. Then I thought about having to tell my coach I quit a rep early and then there's you guys. This accountability thing works.

Anyway, I wish I could have done the reps faster or at least felt slightly less tired afterward but oh well. I left it all on the track today.

A.M. First 5am run in a while. 33 degrees under clear skies with sustained winds of 24 mph and gusts to 39. Not at all unusual for my neighborhood in the winter. First three miles were into the wind and all near 7:30s. Finished averaging 6:57s. It was a very peaceful run with very little traffic. More deer and elk than cars. Hoping to get another 8-10 in later today if time allows.  

PM

Ran out and back on the Sammamish River Trail. Felt great. Sun was setting and cool tempertures ruled but it was the fourth day of pure sunny skies in a row. One more tomorrow and then snow for the weekend.  

26 degrees and yet another glorious morning of clear skies. I enjoyed it because tomorrow brings snow. Ran the 11 miles in exactly 1:17. 20-22 miles tomorrow and then resting on Sunday.

Today was one of those running days from hell. I had a 20-22 miler planned with a speed workout built in to the front side. I was to do 5x1mile cutdowns starting at 5:02 dropping three seconds per mile finishing at 4:50. I felt great during the first two mile repeats but halfway into the third my bowels were screaming. I jumped the fence to take care of business and then came right back on the track to finish up the workout. But everytime I started running fast my stomach and bowels just wouldn't have anything to do with it. It's too bad because I felt pretty good despite 35 degrees and pouring rain. So I decided to bag the rest of the workout and just run the rest of the mileage. Well, for the first time ever, I couldn't even do that. It was the weirdest thing. Oh well.

Tried to get in a speed workout this afternoon but the track was buried in snow. So I just ran 12 miles instead, most of it falling snow. It was gorgeous.

Another disappointing speed workout. I was supposed to do 2x1500m @ 4:21 but wound up with a 4:29 and ridiculous 4:38. It was pretty windy but I highly doubt it was that windy. I'm really struggling with the speed stuff right now to the point that its put a damper on my excitement about building up to consistent triple-digit mileage.

7 easy miles this evening.

Weird morning where even the slightest change in elevation meant the difference between running in slick slush or bare wet pavement. I've learned that even the best headlamp can't really help in situations like this because the slush is the same color as the pavement.

We've been pounded with snow for four straight days which is fairly unusual even for the foothills of Western Washington. It's made the running less enjoyable but perseverance will make me stronger I guess. Or at least wetter and colder.

I set a new PR today. A PR for monotony. I was all dressed to go for a run and when I stepped out the door it was 34 degrees and snowing hard. Nothing was sticking to the ground but I was going to get really wet and really cold so I ran 12 miles on the treadmill at home. That is a treadmill mileage PR of at least four miles and only the third time in three years I've used our treadmill at home. I was able to throw on some music but I was admitedly bored. At least I was warm...really warm.

Overall pace was 6:40. To keep myself from complete insanity, I would play with the speed buttons to try and hit certain artificial times at various lengths. Oh the things we do to stay in good shape.

Another three miles tonight on the treadmill. I started to feel some pain in my left IT band so I quit. I had planned on six. I'll have to see how things feel in the morning during my 12-mile run outside.

A glorious day for running. 38 degrees and overcast. Not a drop of rain or snow for the entire run. I'm doing something really crazy this summer: putting on a 10k and 5k. Yes, race director will be my job even though I've had people I'm crazy. So I ran from my house down to the course to make sure both courses were close enough in distance to have them measured for real for USATF certification.

I mentioned I was having IT band trouble on the treadmill last night. I was fine during my run today but it's kind of bothering me this afternoon. I talked to my PT and he said that treadmills *can* cause some people problems because they change the mechanic of your run because you are pushing off of a moving surface. It will be a while before I use a treadmill again.

I'm headed to Amsterdam on business all next week. There is supposedly a Central Park-like park right next to my hotel so hopefully I can run there and avoid the treadmill.

First 20-mile run since before SGM. 34 degrees with snow flurries when I started. 39 and sunny by the time I finished. It was a gorgeous morning. I'm still mildly concerned about the left IT band. It doesn't hurt during the runs but gives me some discomfort afterward. I'll know more after my speed workout on Monday.

Finally had a good speed workout. It was an 8-mile tempo run with cutdowns. Started at 5:34s and then every two miles dropped 8 seconds per mile. I hit :30, :32, :26, :25, :16, :17, :09 and then finished hard with a 4:58. The only bad part was I had to jump on a plane two hours later and spend 11 hours flying to Amsterdam. I'm headed out now for a run in the rainy gusty weather. Feels like home.

48 degrees and pouring rain for my first run in Amsterdam. Vondelpark is a quarter mile from my hotel and it's 2 miles around the park. So Saturday's long run should be pretty familiar after 10-12 laps. Felt really good considering i have no idea what day it is. 6:26 pace throughout the run. I have to admit running in the rain felt nice. Hope the clothes dry out in time for the next run.

Couldn't sleep from 2am on so I broke our Google maps and charted a run. Found a wonderful 6 mile loop which I did twice. It's still really windy here but the temperature was a balmy 50 degrees and no rain. Yippee.

It was cool looking at my Garmin and seeing the elevation was -17. Nothing like running below sea level. Full day of work ahead and then hoping to get 6-8 more in this evening.

By the way, the sun doesn't rise here until 8:15 and with the clouds, it's not really light until 8:30-8:45. I thought Seattle was bad. It gets dark around 5:15. So very short days here in the far north.

7 more miles this evening. I need to get a good meal in my belly and then sleep like there was no tomorrow.

34 degrees and partly cloudy at 5:30 this morning. A beautiful morning for a run around Amsterdam. It helped that I got a good night sleep for the first time since Sunday.

Ran another 6.75 miles this evening before darkness set in. Ran one of the miles in 5:10 because I was anxious to get back and eat dinner.

Fartlek workout this morning in Vonderspark as part of a 10.5 mile run. 4x5:30 hard with 3:00 jog between each rep.

It was cold this morning even though it was sunny. That plus the breeze and feeling a bit under the weather had me feeling pretty dubious about the workout. I left it all on the track today though and all things considered, did OK. Here's what I did for each 5:30 rep. To be honest, the way I felt, I was expecting to maybe do only a mile in the 5:30 time.

Rep 1 – 1.08 miles (5:07)

Rep 2 – 1.07 miles (5:09)

Rep 3 – 1.08 miles (5:05)

Rep 4 – 1.07 miles (5:08)

Long 20-22 miler tomorrow to conclude what will be about 84 miles run during my stay in Amsterdam. Then I get to sit on a plane for 11 hours on Sunday.

Longest run in a long time. Still feeling quite a bit of congestion in my chest but my legs felt great. 22 miles at about 6:49 pace. It was 36 degrees at the start and 50 at the end so the jacket became a burden as time went on.

I decided to make my last run in Amsterdam a tour of the city so I went all over before finishing up with three laps around my new home: Vondelpark.

Here's a link to the course I ran. This is a beautiful city complimented by another gorgeous day of weather. Long flight home tomorrow.

http://www.toporoute.com/cgi-bin/getSavedRoute.cgi?routeKey=GSLOJTKOKNYPBCE

Back in Seattle. Easy run this morning. Nice to be back.

Speed workout today at the Redmond High School track. I was supposed to do it at the UW Indoor track last night but had other commitments. So I had to brave the workout alone yet again. Last winter I was able to do almost every weekday workout with a group of guys which really helped. This year so far I've only been able to run with the other guys once.

I beat the rain today but didn't beat the wind. The track is on a ridge and fairly exposed to the wind. So it was breezy and even gusty at moments but I battled through.

The workout was 8x1000m @3:00 with 2:00 rest between each. Results:

#1 – 3:02

#2 – 3:01

#3 – 3:01

#4 – 3:03

#5 – 3:04

#6 – 3:03

#7 – 3:03

#8 – 3:02

Considering the conditions and that I still haven't kicked my cold, I was very happy with the workout. By rep four I was ready to quit. My bowels continue to give me troubles during the faster workouts. After laps four, five and six I spent my two minutes rest in the porto potty. The good news is that I came out each time telling myself that I had one more in me. By the time I finished rep seven I figured I might as well finish the workout. So I was really happy that I stuck it out and finished strong.

Cool but gorgeous morning. Four straight days of sunshine and mid-50s slated for Seattle.

8 more miles in the evening

Woke up at 3:30 and couldn't sleep. So I bolted out the door at about 4am for a chilly 12-mile run. The temp was 26 which meant putting on my running pants. It took me a few miles to get warmed up but it was a very dark and enjoyable run.

Easy run in the cold and clear skies of a gorgeous February morning. Sunny all weekend which makes for a nice 22-miler tomorrow.

24 miles marked my longest training run ever. I threw in a weird 13-mile tempo run in the middle. Did six warmup miles followed by 9 miles at 6:00 pace. I can't remember ever doing a 6:00 mile intentionally. It was just fast enough that I had to pay attention but slow enough that it felt pretty easy still. Then the next three miles were at 5:20 pace. I added an extra mile for good measure so i had four at true marathon pace. The last four were definitely harder. I've always found it difficult to start "slow" and then pick up the pace deep into a run. It's nice to know I could roll out of bed just about any day and throw down a sub-2:40 marathon.

Averaged 6:11 for the 24 miles. I'm tired but felt good during the run. the weather was perfect. Mostly cloudy and low 40s.

Here's my route: http://www.toporoute.com/cgi-bin/getSavedRoute.cgi?routeKey=FAIYMVMNLEIWPUC

Mile	Split
1	6:27
2	6:20
3	6:42
4	6:28
5	6:44
6	6:43
7	6:00
8	5:58
9	5:57
10	5:56
11	5:59
12	5:53
13	5:52
14	5:58
15	5:57
16	5:19
17	5:18
18	5:20
19	5:25
20	6:53
21	6:40
22	6:54
23	6:48
24	6:56

I'm in San Francisco for the week. I was supposed to do a track workout this afternoon after arriving in SF. I was going to do it at Kezer Stadium which is where the 49ers used to play a very long time ago. But the track was all locked up so I just kept running and found myself at the presidio with a stunning view of the GG bridge. The return trip was full of crazy steep uphills and downhills. I think I went faster up than I did down.

I'll have to do the workout tomorrow along the Embarcadero. It's mostly flat. Once you get there.

Lovely morning for a run along the Bay. Hoping to get another 8 or so in tonight.

Evening-- It was pouring in SF and lots of traffic so I reluctantly hit the treadmill in the hotel. At least I got to watch ESPN while running. 6 miles is doable.

Workout: 4 mile warmup followed by 4 miles at 5:15 pace. Four mile cool down.

Results: 5:10, 5:10, 5:11, 5:14. Felt pretty strong this morning despite minimal sleep. The headwind on the final mile got to me but still nailed the workout. Good tune up for my 15M race on Saturday.

8 on the treadmill this morning. It was pouring outside and I didn't bring the right clothes for it. Hoping to get another 12 in tonight outside.

Another 12 this evening on a gorgeous run from my hotel to the GG Bridge and back. Ran along the Embarcadero and the path leading to the bridge.

Easy six on the treadmill this morning resting up for tomorrow's 15M race.

Today was my first race of the new year and I needed it in a big way. A couple months of crappy weather, traveling, and too many sub-par workouts had me wondering what kind of shape I was in mentally and physically. I got good answers to both of those today.

The Steilacoom races are a series of races in Tacoma that start in January and end in March and serve a prep for people getting into shape for the spring and summer races. They do "Ks" and "Ms" increasing from 5 to 10 to 15 to 20. Today was the 15s. I chose to run the miles instead of the kilometers.

I ran this race last year and won it in the last mile in a time of 1:20:17. That was in 38 degree weather with pouring down rain.

Today was glorious. Low 40s at race time but clear blue skies, something not super common in these parts this time of year.

The only downside to this year's race is that the men's field was not very strong and I knew I would be running alone. Oh well, I train alone most of the time which proved to really pay off in this race.

The course starts on the track at Steilacoom High School. After about 300 meters around the track you exit the facility and begin winding through neighborhoods on your way to the Fort Lewis Army Base where my dad served for four years when I was a young lad.

My game plan was to take the first two miles in 5:20s and then go 5:15s from there.

Mile one was short just like it was last year. I'm not sure why it's so hard for race directors to get mile markers right. they spend time and money to certify courses and then get all lax on the mile markers. But by Mile 2, and each mile thereafter, the markers and my watch were always within 1/100th of a mile.

The first three miles are rolling with a net elevation gain particularly in Miles 2 and 3. Right after the three marker there is a short but steep downhill where you give it all back. Fortunately, I remembered that this part of the course was coming because Mile 3 was a 5:28 and I wanted to get back as much as I could on the downhill. Mile 4 came in at 5:10 so i was right back on track.

Miles 4-11 I really settled in and got into a terrific rythmn, and hitting very consistent splits. Mile 12 is the inverse of Mile 4 which explains why that slowed down so much. But when I crested the hill I found i had a lot left in the tank. In fact, I finished the last three miles in 5:05 pace.

This was a huge confidence builder after a pretty disappointing series of workouts this winter. Not only did I win, but more importantly, I blew away my previous PR from a year ago on the same course and did it running entirely alone the whole race. The best part is that I feel like I could have easily done another 5 miles in 5:15 pace or better.

The 20-miler is coming up in mid March. I did the 20k race last year in prep for the Eugene Marathon. I'm not running Eugene this year so I may run the 20M and see if i can run it in 5:15 pace.

Mile	Mile Time	Cum. Time
1	5:18	5:18
2	5:20	10:38
3	5:28	16:06
4	5:10	21:26
5	5:13	26:29
6	5:13	31:42
7	5:08	36:51
8	5:13	42:04
9	5:12	47:16
10	5:13	52:30
11	5:16	57:46
12	5:27	1:03:14
13	5:08	1:08:22
14	5:11	1:13:33
15	4:57	1:18:30

 

Nice morning for a run. Mid 40s and overcast. I escaped the brief shower we had morning. While we're a long way from Summer, you can start to see the weather slowly starting to be more favorable more often.

Sunday's rest day was much needed after a hard effort on Saturday. I was bothered all day yesterday with a tender shin and limited flexibility. It took about five miles before the muscle got warm enough this morning to not inhibit my stride. I'll have to keep a close eye on it. So far, I can still run without major pain for inconvenience.

Had an hour this evening to runanother seven+ miles. Still some sorness in my shin.

A stunning afternoon in Seattle. 60 degrees and sunshine couldn't keep me indoors over the lunch hour. I was going to run this morning but it was 30 degrees and with a sore and tight shin, I didn't want to press my luck.

So ran 12 miles along the East Lake Samammish Trail this afternoon. It's a gravel trail which my coach suggested to put a slightly lighter load on my leg to help my shin recover quicker.He also had me do extra stretched along the way. It is still tender but it feels a lot better. I was going to double tonight but I think I'll be satisfied with my 12 for the day and double again on Thursday and maybe Friday.

Gentle workout today given the race on Saturday. Three mile warmup followed by four miles at 5:40 then ne more mile at 5:20. Finished with a five mile cool down. Also did some four sets of 12 Plyos. Trying to get those calves stronger.

Shin is still a bit tight but the faster miles didn't seem to bother it any. It is getting progressively better. Looking back, I think it was my delayed and shortened cool down after my race the gave me the trouble.

Nice morning for a run despite the rain. It was actually a very fine mist. It was like getting sprayed with a water bottle.

I forgot to charge my Garmin overnight so I ran without it this morning wearing only a cheap wristwatch. So I knew my starting time and ending time but no mile splits which was actually refreshing.

It's nice also that the daylight is coming earlier and earlier in the morning. I only needed the headlamp for the first four miles.

Another 7.25 tonight.

So when I left on my run, it was sunny and 61 degrees and pretty breezy. By the end of my run, the temp was 58 degrees, thick overcast and threatening to pour rain. By the time I left the locker room, it was pouring rain outside. It's nice to miss the rain every once in a while.

I was going to do a 6-8 mile tempo run in the middle of my 18-20 miler today except after the first mile at a measly 5:40 I could not go any longer. I'm not sick per se, but I have been battling a croop. Today, it went to my chest and i had maybe 2/3 lung capacity which severely limits pushing any kind of decent pace. So I ran 6:45s just like a normal run. I took some inhaler but it didn't help much.

Lungs are still clogged and the pace was quite slow this morning as I had a weird pain in my lower left leg so i took it easy and stopped two miles early. I'm wondering if it's my shoes. I just realized I have about 800 miles on this pair which is 300 more than I normally put on a pair of shoes. So they are going to be retired today and I will start using a newer pair.

Shin is back to 100% but the left calf is not. I laid off the double yesterday to give it a rest and waited until things warmed out upside before running today. I ran the first mile very slowly..8:00 pace. The rest were at 7:00. Nothing hurt until Mile 6. I stopped to stretch and massage it every mile after it. I know I'm over compensating because my back hurts a bit now. I'm going to see my PT tomorrow morning. I'm supposed to do a cut-down tempo run tomorrow but I'm not so sure that will happen.

It was below frezzing this morning so with my calf issues I decided to stay indoors and run six miles on the treadmill. No pain at all but I don't know if that's because the distance was far shorter than normal or because I was running on a moving surface.

I saw my PT this morning and he recommended cutting back this week and eliminating doubles and any speed work. That pain me but not as much as a full blown injury would. So I'm shooting for a mid-70s week with no hard training. I was probably do a light week anyway. Planning on running a 20k on March 22nd so I need to get healthy for that.

I'm done for the week. My PT and coach pled with me to hang it up for the week as I have strained my calf muscle. I guess i risk more by pushing it than by hanging it up for a few days and hitting it again on Monday. It pains me to back off but it's important. I will try and do some biking the rest of the week to keep me from going crazy.

Just "ran" 4 miles on the elliptical. That definitely works a different set of muscles. According to the machine I did the 4 miles in 35 minutes. Man, I thought a treadmill was boring.

Another no run day. It's killing me. Taking away running is like taking away breakfast or breathing. Did 40 minutes and 10.1 miles on the stationary bike today. The last half I pushed my heart rate to the 130s trying to have some semblance of a workout. Monday I get to run again on a flat soft surface.

Easing back into things after four days off to recover from my calf problems. Ran 8 miles this morning and felt great other than the normal aches and pains associated with running after taking a few days off. No pain. No soreness. No tightness. I'm not out of the woods yet but it's encouraging. I;ll try 10 tomorrow and then 12 Wednesday. Probably no speed work this week. I'd be very happy if I ended the week with mid-70s mileage and no aggravation to the calf or anywhere else.

10 miles this morning along the lovely shores of Venice Beach in Santa Monica, CA. The weather is gorgeous. It was my first outdoor run in months that didn't involve a long sleeve shirt and gloves. I can't wait for June.

Zero problems in my calf. The shin problem has arisen again. Took me five miles before I could really extend the toe fully without significant resistance. I was able to soak it in the hot tub here for several minutes after the run and stretch it out really well. All these dings have screwed up my mechanic enough that my lower back hurts now, but not so much while i'm running. Turning 35 has brought with it some humbling physical realities.

Ran 12 glorious miles this afternoon with a running teammate. Minor tightness in the right shin but nothing concerning. Calf continues to be fine.

First cold and wet morning I've had to run in for a while. Only had time for 9 miles this morning. Hoping to get another 6 or so in tonight. Everything is feeling great.

Chilly but nice 12-miler this morning. Other than just being tired, all the body parts were in good shape. There's still a slight pain in my lower back but it only hurts when I'm not running. Probably 15-16 tomorrow with maybe a "slow" tempo run of 3-4 miles thrown in just to get my slow butt moving again.

42 degrees and a steady rain for the entire run this morning. But I was mostly able to ignore it because I was so focused on getting through by first speed workout in 10 days that the rain was barely a distraction.

Two mile warmup followed by 10 miles at 6:00 pace then two at 5:30 followed by a one-mile cool down.

Results:

1	7:14
2	6:45
3	5:57
4	6:00
5	5:57
6	5:55
7	5:55
8	5:59
9	5:52
10	5:56
11	5:50
12	5:52
13	5:21
14	5:23
15	6:48

I was very pleased at my pacing especially considering the conditions and the fact I was running alone. I was also exceedingly grateful that I had no tightness or soreness in any of the trouble spots. I only managed mid-60s mileage this week but I didn't want to push my luck. Should be back to mid 80s this week including a 20k race on Saturday.

I woke up this morning for my run and 30 seconds in had this weird pain in my knee that was crippling. I was fine when I walked but could do anything close to running. I was very disappointed as I've had trouble lately stringing together weeks of running without some kind of ding. I gave up this morning hoping to run later in the day, perhaps when it was a bit warmer. I managed to get 10+ miles in this evening without any problems. I hope it was a freak thing and nothing to be worried about long term. Still planning on a speed workout Wednesday at the UW indoor and then racing on Saturday in a 20k.

40 degrees and raining when I started. Had the gloves, hat and jacket on. By Mile 7 it was sunny and had to be in the mid-50s and just gorgeous. Very typical early spring day. It's now raining again.

Everything seems to be coming together. Tomorrow will be a big test as I'm doing some 800m repeats.

Three miles prior to speed workout at UW Indoor Track.

Tried to test my hip and only one mile in I could barely walk.

Well, after 12 LONG days of no running, I was able to get six miles in today. Two in the morning and four this afternoon. I'll write a more detailed explanation of what happened, but in short, I badly strained my right hip and glute muscles and it has sidelined me for 12 days. But after way too many hours on the bike and the elliptical and five or six visits to the PT, I may actuallty be on the mend.

I did a mile around the track this morning before I started feeling the same strong pain in my glute. I wanted to cry. So I walked back to my car only to realize my keys were locked inside. I had 20 minutes until my PT appointment and about a mile to the nearest phone. So I started walking to call my wife to come get me and realized I would never make my appointment unless I at least jogged. So I did. As I did, I realized two things. First, the pain was different this time. Rather than a sharp shooting pain, it was more of an ache indicating tightness more than damage. So I hummed along at 7:45 pace or so until I reached the has station. I called my wife and she came and got me and I made my PT appointment.

If I hadn't locked my keys in the car, I would have never run this afternoon because I would not have run long enough to get a proper diagnosis.

So this afternoon felt pretty good. It's still very tight but I my PT and I were able to narrow it to just the Gluteus Medias. The good news is we've isolated it. The bad news is it's a very difficult muscle to stretch.

So my plan is to increase mileage 1 mile per day the rest of this week stretching in the middle and afterward. No doubles. If all goes well, I should have 41 miles for the week and have a much better idea how to proceed next week.

Gorgeous afternoon in Seattle. It's about time. We had the coldest end to March on record including six straight days of snowfall. Short sleeve shirt was all that was needed today.

Did five easy miles that turned out to be 7:15s or so. I wasn't paying attention until I got back. I stoppped half way and stretched and then stretched again upon returning. I also did some of the strengthening exercises I've working on.

Six miles tomorrow.

Really good six miles today. Took three miles before I felt any discomfort in my butt. So it's taking longer and longer to hurt and hurting less and less. It was another gorgeous day. Mid 50s when I ran.

7 good miles today. Turns out they were at about 6:45 pace. I wasn't trying to push it but just went what felt OK. I was pretty tight in the glute afterward. I may take tomorrow off just  opting for the elliptical/bike as a precaution and then try 10 or so on Saturday.

I was a little sore this morning in the glute despite a good night's sleep so I decided to back off a bit today. I did two in the morning outside and then three this afternoon on the treadmill. The three miles got me warm enough to really be able to do some good stretching and strength excersises as well.

Was really hoping to go 10 miles this morning but my glute wouldn't have it. Frustrating. It's getting better but too slowly for my liking.

Had a really good run today in that I was able to run 8 miles mostly free of soreness. I could have gone farther but wanted to end a workout feeling like I did when I started.

Had a really good 10-miler today on a local trail. It was rainy and cool but everything felt really good. I could have gone 12-14 but again wanted to finish free of soreness and allow my body to continue making progress. What was most surpising was how easy 6:55 pace felt given all the training interuptions I have had.

In San Jose this today so I ventured out to try and find a trail to run on. After three miles of no luck I finished the last five on the treadmill in the hotel. The treadmill brings with it its own injury risks but it's important I run on soft surfaces right now.

Another flat, soft trail run this morning. Things continue to get better each day. My plan is to try 8 tomorrow and then maybe 14 on Saturday before taking the much deserved, albeit, standard rest day on Sunday. If all goes well I may be able to get my first speed workout in a month in next week.

9.5 wonderful miles under gorgeous sunny skies. No pain. No tightness. No soreness.

My longest run in several weeks. It was 70 degrees at 10am when I left under blue skies. It's not going to last past Sunday but another fantastic run. Pain free. I'm hoping that this means I'm back. I'm probably going to try a moderate speed workout on Wednesday to see how it goes...and to see how much I lost.

ANother great easy run today despite cool and rainy weather. It was almost 80 degrees on Saturday and it was 45 degrees and rainy today. Spring in the Northwest. Zero pain, soreness or tightness in the quad. It would seem that I may be close to 100% recovered from the injury. However, I'm far from 100% in shape.

Managed to avoid the rain today with a nice lunchtime run along the Lake Smamamish trail. Another day free of any pain, soreness or undue tightness. I take at least 20 minutes after each run now to stretch and do a couple sets of strenghtening exercises. Made it all the way to 26 pushups. Sadly, a new PR.

Today was my first speed workout in exactly one month. Yes, March 16th was the last time i ran with any kind of speed. So I was admitedly nervous to go somewhat hard today. My coach gave me a fairly light tempo run workout of 8 miles with the first 6 @5:50 pace and the last 2 @ 5:35. I was secretly concerned I wouldn't be able to do it. But everything went great. Other than a noticeable headwind for the last four miles, the weather was ideal. I felt like I could have run a half marathon at that pace without any trouble. That would make for a pretty pitiful time, but coming off an injury, I am very happy with today's workout.

	Assigned	Actual
Mile 1	5:50	5:32
Mile 2	5:50	5:43
Mile 3	5:50	5:35
Mile 4	5:50	5:35
Mile 5	5:50	5:35
Mile 6	5:50	5:34
Mile 7	5:35	5:34
Mile 8	5:35	5:29

A nice easy stroll this morning along Lake Sammamish. I am very fortunate to live in an area with so many wonderful trails and roads to run on.

Another easy 10 miles @6:45 pace. I was a bit sore from some of the strength exercises yesterday so I decided to not go the 12 miles I had planned just as a precaution.

We are supposed to get snow tonight which would be the latest snowfall in Seattle in the 100 years they've been keeping track. And to think it was nearly 80 degrees last Saturday.

Sure enough I woke up to three inches of snow this morning and 34 degrees when I left to run. It was almost 80 degrees one week ago. Weird.

So did a modified and gentle speed workout today as part of my long run. After a four mile warmup in the cold, I would run normal for four minutes and then run one minute at 5:00-5:10 pace and repeated this 14 times during the 16 miles.

In NYC for the week and took the opportunity to run a few laps around Central Park. It was awesome to see the mile markers from the Trials still painted on the side of the road. I passed the boathouse twice and it's still sobering to run by there knowing it's where Ryan Shay collapsed. I'm staying in Times Square so I even got to retrace that part of the route. What fond memories despite a very pedestrian finish.

Woke up too late to get a run in in the morning but managed to squeeze one in this afternoon. Gorgeous afternoon and another wonderful stroll through Central Park. Everything seems to be going well. I'm pretty strict about my stretching and exercises now. Fairly challenging speed workout tomorrow.

Workout today was as follows:

8 fartlek repeats of 2 minutes hard 1 minute light

15 minute jog

8 hill repeats of 60 seconds in length on the north side hill of Central Park.

Let me just say how glad I am they cut out the northernmost hills from the Trials course.

The fartleks were pretty challenging. I was going all out on both the 2 minute fartleks and the 60-second hill repeats. I was pretty tired the rest of the day. Fortunately I was able to do it in the morning as the afternoon got quite warm.

I'm tired but everything felt great.

One last run through Central Park this morning. Gorgeous weather. Light winds and 75 degrees at 10am. I ran the same route as the Trials doing the first short lap and then the second long lap. It was the first time I've done the Trials course in the correct direction and it was awesome. With my mind a little clearer now than on November 3rd, I am even more amazed now than I was then at how awesome Ryan Hall's performance was that day. Central Park is a tough course not because any one hill is incredibly long or steep, but because there isn't a continuous flat stretch longer than 50 yards. It's a constant up and down which totally messes with rhythm. Ryan remains my hero.

Back in sunny (no joke) Seattle. Ran an out and back along the Sammamish Trail. It said 52 degrees on the temperature gauge but it didn't seem that warm. But it wasn't raining (or snowing) so I'll take what I can get.

Gorgeous weather in Seattle today. Upper 70s and clear blue skies. I wore a singlet running for the first time since the Trials. I did a 4-mile warmup and then four miles cutdowns at the track. First two miles were at 5:13 and the last two were at 5:06. I was pretty spent afterward, another indication that I'm still climbing up the hill of recovery. But I crossed 80 miles for the first time in many weeks and I'm feeling good.

Pouring rain on the way into work this morning. I was dreading a run. But by lunch, the clouds parted and I enjoyed a lovely run through Marymoor Park and the Sammammish River trail. A glorious day for a run. The long sleeve shirt turned out to be way too much.

Needed to get my run in early today so I left the house at 5:45am and ran through the neighborhood for the first time in quite a while. Very hilly but beautiful. It was chilly -- upper 30s, so I did need to bundle up a bit. It definitely took me a couple miles to warm up and feel comfortable.

Interesting workout today:

Two-mile warmup

5 minutes @5:15 pace

followed by 5x5minutes at 2:00 minutes @ 5:15 followed by a 10-second surge follow by a 30-seconds at 5:15. So basically surging for 10 seconds (sub 5:00 pace) every 30 seconds repating that for five minutes. Repeating that 5-minute workout five times with no rest in between. When I finished that I ran two rest miles at 6:50 pace and then did 5x200 meters in 31 seconds with a 200m jog between each 200m sprint.

31 seconds was an all out sprint at that point. It was the best i could do. Maybe if I was fresh I could have hit 28 or 29, but I'm no speed demon.

Finished up with only a 1-mile cooldown and a bunch of stretching.

Another cold but dry morning. Meandered through the neighborhood at about 7:00 pace. Feeling pretty good.

Overcast today but pretty pleasant temperature wise so a t-shirt is all I needed. Days like this are perfect because you get get exposure to the sun (sunburn) yet it's warm enough to go light on the clothing. I split my run up today 50/50 soft surface and hard surface. Ran on the gravel Lake Sammamish trail and then through Marymoor Park to the Sammamish River Trail. Yes...alot of Sammamishes. Anyway, feeling pretty good. 10-mile tempo run tomorrow in the middle of my 20-22 mile long run.

Cool, overcast morning that started with a light drizzle during the first couple of miles. I ran from home four miles to the HS track and did a 10-mile cut-down tempo run. Followed by a 7-mile "cooldown."

Workout was 6M @ 5:40, 2M @ 5:30 and 2 @ 5:20

Results:

5:40

5:38

5:36

5:38

5:37

5:36

5:28

5:28

5:22

5:17

Felt good although I felt like I normally do when the cut downs start at 5:24 and finish at 5:00 or 4:52. Still getting back into shape.

12 easy miles under crisp blue skies this morning. Rain forecast for the rest of the week so I made sure to enjoy the lovely weather this morning. Still have some tightness in the quad. I'm planning on running the Newport marathon on the 31st so it will be interesting to see if my body holds up. I'm going to jump into the Tacoma half marathon this Saturday as a test run.

Easy run through the neighborhood this morning. Quite chilly. Wondering when spring will get here. I beat the rain though. Now I have to sit on an airplane for two hours this morning and two more hours tonight. Ick

13+ mile run today which included a 1x2000m @ 6:00 with 2:30 rest afterward rolling into 4x300m repeats @48-50 with 1:00 rest between each rep. I was onn pace through four laps on the 2000m crossing at 4:50 but really slowed down the last lap finishing in 6:05. I hit each of the 300m reps at :50. I opted to wear my trainers the whole time rather than switch into the lighter racers which are half of the weight but I doubt that had much to do with anything over such a short distance. Still debating whether to run the Tacoma Half Marathon this weekend or to run in the PNTF Track Championships at Husky Stadium running the 5000m. I've never run that distance on the track (or on the roads for that matter) so I'm curious how I would do. However, I also don't want to go get slapped around by a bunch of 20-something kids. Based on how difficult it was to try for a 6:00 2000m today, I doubt seriously that I could break 15:00 which is the time I would probably need to avoid looking too silly. Coach wants me to do the 5000m. I'm leaning toward the half. We'll see who wins.

Ran to the gym and back this morning where I worked on core strength.

Added 10 miles this afternoon at lunch. Everything feels pretty good. I've decided to run the half this weekend so I'm kind of getting excited about that.

Eight easy miles this morning ahead of tomorrow's half marathon. Everything seems to be functioning properly. It will be interesting to see how things hold up tomorrow.

Deciding whether or not to run this race was perhaps more difficult than running the race itself. My coach wanted me to run in the PNTF 5000m at Husky Stadium and I wanted to run the half but was concerned that either one might put me back on the injured reserve list only three weeks away from the Newport Marathon.

Well, I'm glad I raced it. More than the fact that I won, I was most pleased with how it went. Like most of the half marathons around here, this one had its share of hilly terrain to deal with.

The first four miles are quite hilly. In hindsight, I was probably too conservative and should have stuck closer to my goal pace of 5:20s. I led from the gun. One guy hung with me for the first mile and as soon as the first hill came I began to gap him pretty good. My goal in entering the race was to win and stay healthy doing it so I was glad to already be putting some distance from my nearest competitor. However, I would run the rest of the race alone which is always hard when trying to push for a time. A few things helped though. First, since I was the leader, I had the lead cyclist in front of me the whole way. He was awesome. The half starts 30 minutes after the full marathon so by mile four, I was starting to catch up to the slowest of the marathoners. By mile 6, I was passing them in droves. The cyclist was awesome in clearing the slower marathoners out of the "inside lane" so I could have thge shortest distance to travel around the turns. I almost collided with one guy who apparently had his ipod turned up so loud he couldn't hear the cyclist or his loud whistle. No wonder the USATF has banned them. But I never see it enforced. Oh well. At about mile 4.5 it flattens out as you run along the Puget Sound all the way to the turnaround at Mile 8.8 back to Mile 11.5. There were actually two inclines in each direction that caused me to have to buckle down and not lose focus on maintaining my pace. They were those sinple yet challening overpass type things that crossed some railroad track. I hit them twice on the way out and twice coming back.

The great thing about an out and back is that you get to see what is coming. The bad thing about an out and back is that you get to see what is coming. From about Mile 3.5 to 4.5, it's there some solid downhill stretches. I really tried to throw down the hammer there because I knew that coming back up them would be brutal.

I actually felt increasingly better as the race went on. I'm the type that tries to compartmentalize a race into segments...telling myself "OK...just keep this pace up for two more miles and then if you have to give a little back, that's OK." It seems to usually work. Anyway, I kept telling myself that every two miles and it seemed to get easier as I went.

The turnaround was a welcome sight because now I got to run the next three miles re-passing the marathoners and many of the half marathoners who were on their way to the turnaround. I also got to see where my competition was. The next guy was several minutes behind so I knew that I was home free barring some disaster. The other runners were awesome and cheered me on loudly. It helped make up for not having any competition to help pull me through those tough latter third miles.

But the hardest part was yet to come. From about mile 11.75 to 12.5 was just brutal. It's a steady and fairly steep climb back up from the water to the city and it comes at a time in the race when there is little appetite for additional challenge. This is when I started looking at my watch -- for better or for worse -- a little more closely. Breaking 1:10 was on my wishlist but with my injury and some less than impressive workouts in the last couple of weeks, I wasn't so sure going in that 1:10 on this course in my shape would happen. But I also knew that at the Mile 11 mark, I was well on pace to do it. In fact, had the rest of the course been flat, I may well have flirted with going below 1:09.

So the 3/4 mile stretch to Mile 12.5 left my legs burning. I really wanted to attack it but there wasn't a lot of attack left in my legs. The rest of the course featured flat followed by quick, one-block steep uphills which I did OK on. The last .1 is a St. George style free fall which is always a bit scary especially since enough rain had fallen during the race to make the roads a bit slick. I noticed that most when trying to scale the uphills.

My biggest beef with the course is that about one mile of it was on gravel trail...not exactly a fast surface. It seemed senseless because it was around a park that had surface streets surrounding it with no traffic on them. Oh well.

Anyway...a good, challenging run and result and time I was pleased with. Incidentally, I broke my 10k PR which was 33:03. I know that 33:03 is nothing to write home about but I've only run one 10k since I started running again three years ago so not much to compare it to. I should also add that I don't have a 5k PR because I have never run one. Hopefully that will change this summer. 

My splits are below. I should also say that my Garmin read  13.10 at the end of the race and never was any mile marker more than .01 different than my watch. The race director is also a USATF course certifier. It was the most accurate course in terms of mile marker placement I have ever run.

Mile	Time	Overall
1	5:29	5:29
2	5:30	10:59
3	5:32	16:28
5k		17:00
4	5:15	21:43
5	5:02	26:45
6	5:11	31:56
10k		33:02
7	5:19	37:15
8	5:14	42:29
9	5:15	47:44
10	5:18	53:02
11	5:17	58:19
12	5:25	1:03:44
13	5:34	1:09:17
13.1	:29.5	1:09:47

Ran one mile each way to the gym this morning to get in some lifting and exercises. Then ran 12 this afternoon at lunch. Everyone feels fantastic. Nothing particularly sore or fatigued from Saturday's race.

Easy 11 in a very light drizzle. Warm though.

12 miles then a challenging routine at the gym with weights and strength exercises. Feeling it in the calves. It was warm but rainy this morning. We're supposed to hit 90 on Friday and Saturday which is very hot for here. Crazy spring.

10 easy miles through the neighborhood this morning under gorgeous clear skies. Mid 80s all weekend.

10 outside under beautiful skies. It's mornings like this that make the yucky winters all worth it. Ran 1 mile on the treadmill at the gym before doing a few weights.

Three mile warmup followed by 2x2.5 miles @5:10 pace with an 800m float between the two reps. Followed by about nine miles at 6:40 pace.

Wound up hitting 5:01 (oops), 5:07 2:32 on the first rep. Then a bit closer to pace on the second one at 5:08, 5:08 and 2:33. Even at 8am it was already getting hot and the track I ran on happened to be black. Ugh. It was 74 degrees when i finished and my face had salt all over. I still really suck at hydrating. But at least I got the run in early. As of 2:45pm it is 93 degrees. This is an average summer day in Utah but scortching for us in Western Washington. The biggest problem is that very few homes have air conditioning so there is little relief. But, it beats the snow we had three weeks ago. Two weeks until Newport.

Back in NYC this week. Took the red eye from Seattle. I went for a run through Central Park waiting for my room to be ready. I was surprised how good I felt given how little sleep I got on the flight. I came back to the gym and did some weights and exercises. It's the beginning of my taper which I always dread. I'm still not sure I think a taper is the best approach. I'm compromising this time by making it a two-week taper rather than a three-weeker.

The long trip to NYC finally caught up with me this morning. I woke up at 5:15 in order to get my workout in before my meetings here began. The planned workout was a 6-mile warmup followed by 3x2 miles at 10:10 with 1/2 rest between each.

I knew I was in trouble when none of my warmup miles were faster than 7:10 pace. You could practically see the lead in my legs. So as you can imagine, I was dreading running 5:05s after the warmup, especially in the hilly Central Park. My six mile warmup put me at the Onassis Reservoir where there is a 1.5 mile "track" that circles the reservoir. It's gravel, but pretty hard packed and more importantly, flat. The first rep went fine (10:08) but I was wondering how I was going to get two more in. After the 1/2 mile rest, I committed to do one more. I did...in 10:15. A bit slow but I got it in. Then as I was doing the 1/2 mile rest, Paul got into my head. I hate it when he does that. The old "leave it on the track" phrase wouldn't leave my mind. So I did a third but this time on the hilly backstretch of Central Park. First mile was in 5:06 so pretty much on pace. Last mile...not so much. Finished the 2-mile segment in 10:25. I don't get too worked up about missing times. Times are somewhat arbitrary anyway, but even more, I gave 100% effort and I came out uninjured. That's good enough for me.

Probably 8-10 tomorrow before taking a day off on Thursday.

Easy 8.5 through Central Park. As much as i dislike NY, I love running in Central Park. I had a chance yesterday to go back to the starting line at Rockefeller Center and it sent chills down my spine. It's a memory that time will never erase.

Back in Seattle after a long flight late last night. Good to be back but I'm tired. Fortunately I have a week to rest up for the marathon. Ran almost 10 this morning in cool and damp weather. Everything seems to feel okay.

Five mile warmup down to the Mt Si High School track and then a marathon pacing workout. 5 miles at 5:25 then one mile at 5:10.

Hit 5:24 on the dot for Mile 1, lost concentration on Mile 2 and dropped to 5:26. Mile 3 was 5:22 and then 4 and 5 were both at 5:23. The last mile I did in 5:08.

I wish I had started earlier in the morning. By 11am it was already well into the 70s on a gorgeous day. I practiced my water drinking skills as well taking water every two miles. That is always my biggest challenge in a marathon and will be a key to my race on Saturday.

It was cloudy and 52 today in Newport. Oh how I hope for such perfect running weather next Saturday.

12 easy miles. Longest run left before the marathon on Saturday.

Last speed workout before Newport. 2 mile warmup followed by 4 miles at marathon pace then 1 mile hard. Came in at 5:30, 5:30, 5:29, 5:28 and 5:07. 5:30s are my target. 5:35s are what I need for the course record. 6 easy tomorrow before taking Thursday off.

70 ST2 Racer

253 Trance 7

257 Adrenalines

6 easy miles along Lake Samammish. Rest day and travel day tomorrow.

Ran 5.25 miles on the course today. Pretty flat as advertised although the last mile is gentle but entirely uphill. The last .2 is an SGM-style free fall to the finish line. I'm sure my legs will love that tomorrow morning. I feel great. The cloud cover will be thick in the morning and temps in the high 40s. That is simply perfect. The only weather wildcard will be the wind. It's a fairly exposed course. I'm going to drive the course later today.

Marathons are a funny thing.

I woke up this morning after getting a pretty decent night's sleep, a bit nervous...for the first time. I've never gone into a marathon with the expectation of winning. On paper, I was the favorite, but as everyone on this blog knows, a lot can happen over 26.2 miles. So I was a bit nervous.

Race Weather: 47 degrees, heavy overcast, no wind. PERFECT.

I met JohnR at the starting line. It's always awesome to meet people from the blog. He had a great race and a huge PR. He has great potential. Can't wait to read his race report.

My reason for running this marathon was to win. Period. I picked this one because it is flat and fast and because the course record was a respectable 2:26 so I wasn't picking a backwoods marathon that could be won in anything under three hours.

My second goal was to break the course record. My third goal was to go sub 2:24. Why? Well, I have this problem. My SGM PR is 2:18:57. My non-SGM PR is 2:29. That disparity has bothered me a lot and has made me wonder how fast I really am. So even more than the victory, I was anxious to get this dual-PR monkey off my back.

Mission accomplished on all fronts. I finished in 2:22:47, winning the race by almost 20 minutes and shattering the course record. More importantly, I ran a very solid time, narrowed the huge gap between SGM and my "other" PR and did so doing it completely alone wire to wire. Going into the race, I would have said that winning would bring the greatest joy from this race. I would have been wrong. Don't get me wrong. Winning my first marathon is huge and a longstanding goal that has now been accomplished. But running a near-OTQ qualifying (old standard) race all by myself was an enormous boost in confidence that may carry me much farther than the victory itself.

I've thought a but about what made this race so much better than my previous PR in Eugene in 2007 especially since Eugene was not any more challenging than Newport and because I had a group of guys to run with the whole race there.

Two early observations: (1) Hydration. For those who have read any of my previous marathon race reports, you know that getting enough fluid in my body has been an enormous challenge for me at the marathon distance. I finally figured it out. The line between too little water and too much is very, very fine. I promised myself this race that if I went down in flames it was going to be because I drank too much fluid not because I drank too little. Today, I was able to manage that very tricky balance perfectly. I had a few stomach cramps and aches along the way, but nothing that slowed me down. Interestingly, the only fluid I took was water with NUUN tablets in it and just plain water. None of that HEED crap. I also took one GU at 17 which was perfect. So no sport drinks, only one GU (100 calories) seemed to do the tricks. I estimate I had 60 or so ounces of fluid during the race. That is a PR by more than double. Sad I know. (2) Strength exercises. I felt fantastic during the whole race. When I crossed the finish line, I didn't really feel all that tired. I kept waiting for the proverbial wall but it never happened. From Mile 18 on I just took it two miles at a time and it worked well. The strength exercises really conditioned me in a way that I have never experienced before. I suspect my post-race recovery will be easier as well. I have more work to do here but my legs have never felt better during a race.

The race course is stunning. It's beautiful and except for a few rollers in miles 1-5 and again on Mile 25, it's as flat as can be. SGM is a beautiful course in it's own right, but this is stunning. I should also mention that the race logistics were second to none. Given the new time standards and the elimination of SGM and other aided courses, Newport is a very good candidate for those wanting to try to qualify for the Trials in 2011. All it would take is a pack of 5-10 runners to push each other along.

Miles 1-4 run through a state park with a cool lighthouse and then winds through the neighborhoods of Newport before dropping down to sea level and running through the fishing district. At 4.5, there is a steep uphill that lasts for about .15-.2 miles. I took it pretty conservatively. At the crest you begin a gentle downhill back to sea level  to Mile 5. From there all the way to Mile 25, it is as flat as can be.

At the halfway point I felt great crossing in 1:11:15, 45 seconds faster than planned. The turnaround at 15.2 was a welcome sight. I have come to love out and back courses. The runners are always so awesome to cheer those heading back to the finish. It's also nice to know what you have ahead of you.

At Mile 17, all was well but in the back of my mind I was worried about Mile 20 which has been the usual point of my demise. To help me get around that, at Mile 19 I did the "just get yourself to Mile 21 and you will be fine." It worked. I don't even remember Mile 20. At 21 I was well under course record pace and mentally pushed myself to work hard to Mile 23. At 25, I was still running at a solid pace and feeling great. Mile 26 was a gentle uphill and slowed me down a bit. Mile 26 would have greatly benefited from having someone to run with. Breaking 2:23 was the only remaining time goal to shoot for so I wasn't exactly killing myself up the hill. Right at the 26-mile mark you have a steep downhill which my legs did not appreciate.

What a day. It's not very often you run 26 miles and accomplish even the loftiest of goals you set for yourself.

Mile	Split	Cumulative
1	5:18	5:18
2	5:40	10:58
3	5:07	16:05
4	5:24	21:29
5	5:30	26:59
6	5:33	32:32
7	5:26	37:58
8	5:21	43:19
9	5:29	48:48
10	5:25	54:13
11	5:29	59:42
12	5:31	1:05:13
13	5:37	1:10:50
13.1	:25	1:11:15
14	5:25	1:16:14
15	5:17	1:21:31
16	5:21	1:26:52
17	5:12	1:32:04
18	5:29	1:37:33
19	5:26	1:42:59
20	5:33	1:48:32
21	5:29	1:54:01
22	5:26	1:59:27
23	5:34	2:05:01
24	5:32	2:10:33
25	5:29	2:16:02
26	5:43	2:21:45
26.2	1:02	2:22:47

Easy six miles this morning at 7:25 pace. I feel absolutely fantastic 48 hours post marathon. In fact, I felt great yesterday and could have easily done 5-6 miles. I attribute the quicker recovery mostly to being stronger going in. I'm a big believer in my new found religion of stretching and doing core exercises. I have a long way to go but I've gotten a big whiff of how important it is.

Next race is probably a local 10k in two weeks. I may opt for the 5k but would like to smash my 10k PR of 33:03. I've never run a 5k though so I'm thinking I might do that instead. I'm also considering running the Grandma's Half Marathon in Duluth in three weeks. That might be pushing it a bit but I would like to get in one flat and fast half this year and those don't exist in Washington.

Six easy miles this morning

8 easy this morning followed by some very light weight lifting and a few core exercises.

Another 8 easy miles. Half on soft trails and half on pavement. I'm noticibly a bit tired but feel great considering i ran a marathon five days ago.

10 easy

9 easy. Ready to go back at it full steam next week.

12 miles today followed by a bunch of stretching and several core exercises.

I did 30 crunches

30 leg lefts

15-10-5-5 adductor lifts at 30, 40, 50 and 60 lbs. respectively

Did the same for the abductors.

8-6-4 hamstring lifts at 20, and 40 lbs. respectivley.

Today was one of the hardest mornings to get myself out the door for a run. I think the "Juneuary" weather was to blame. 41 degrees and rain made me wish I had taken up an indoor sport. Oh well. What doesn't drown you makes you stronger I guess. It's supposed to be nice weather for my 10k race this weekend.

96 -- ST2 Racers

319 -- Trance 7

272 -- Adrenalines

Downright balmy weather this morning. 46 degrees and rain. We've moved into February. June may only be days away. A new section of the neighborhood opened up so I found another chunk of running area that will make it easier to do 12 miles in the neighborhood without running a bunch of laps around the block.

Pretty excited for my 10k race on Saturday. The weather is supposed to be perfect.

Today I ran 10.5 miles including 10x100m strides. Then I hit the gym and did a bunch of strength exercises and the same weight routine I did on Monday. I feel like I'm almost 100% recovered from the marathon. I'm probably not, but I feel close.

Still some drizzle hanging around for my run this morning but we have been promised better weather as the day and weekend progres.s

Just 12 easy miles this morning. I felt a little bit of muslcle fatigue early on presumabluy due to the weight and exercises I did yesterday. Feel fine though.

Shorter run this morning in anticipation of the 10k tomorrow. Shaping up to be fabulous weather. We deserve it.

What a glorious morning for a run. The sun was out and the temperature was in the mid 50s. The only downer was a fairly strong breeze out of the north.

My goal going in was to break 32:00. It was somewhat random in that this was only my 3rd 10k and I didn't know how recovered I would be from my marathon two weeks ago. Winning the race was secondary although a time under 32:00 would usually be sufficient to win this race.

The start was late due to either an unexpectedly high number of people registering the day of or poor planning on the part of the race for not getting through the line quicker. We were almost 15 minutes late which pretty much makes an effective warmup impossible. Oh well.

When the gun finally went off, I and three other guys jumped out to an early lead. I crossed mile 1 in 4:58. A good start especially into a non-trivial wind. Our pack was still four at the one mile mark.

By mile 2, we had said goodbye to the 5k runners and our pack was down to three runners: me, Leif Kohler and Eric Garner, a former University of Washington standout. http://gohuskies.cstv.com/sports/c-track/mtt/garner_eric00.html

Mile 2 was a bit slower as we crossed in 5:06. The wind was far more noticeable on this stretch.

There was no mile 3 marker. I HATE this. How hard is it to freaking put a mile marker at every mile. So my lap split came at the turnaround spot. It was 5:38 for the 1.1 miles which equates to a 5:09 mile pace. I was excited to head back the other direction to get out of the headwind. The 1/2 way split was 15:42.  Since I've never run a 5k, I guess that is my new PR.

I was leading at the turnaround by a few seconds. This is when things got interesting. Leif began dropping off and Eric jumped out to the lead. It was clear he was making an effort to surge and see what I would do in response. For the first minute I tried to stick with him but I was concerned that the increased pace wasn't something i could maintain and I didn't want to blow up at the end. This was mistake #2.

I crossed mile 4 in 5:02 and was about 10 seconds back of back now and Leif was way back. This is when I started to realize I may have made a tactical mistake by not going with Eric when he made his surge at the halfway point. Barring a major injury or blowup, second was mine and so was a decent time. But, catching Eric, who is tall, long-legged and had great footspeed, was going to be infiintely harder now than if I had gone with him when he tried to surge.

With one mile to go, I was still about 10-15 seconds back and Leif was nowhere to be seen. There was a short window here where i thought I might be able to catch Eric but he is a short distance specialist and I would have never been able to take him if it came down to a sprint to the finish.

My last mile was in 5:02. So I finished strong but lost the race. 

Race mistakes:

• Leif and I made things a lot easier for Eric by creating a great wall blocking the wind for him on the outbound half of the race. Eric was smart to stick behind us and let us do all the work.
• Not going with Eric at the halfway point. My inexperience at this distance gave me some hesitation as to what to do. I gave up too soon on trying to stay with him. Had I stayed with him, I may still not have won, but I would have known how much he really had left. 

It's hard to focus too much on the mistakes when I PR'd by 1:35 and ran what would have been a course record if I had been the winner. Racing should always teach you something and make you a better and smarter runner the next time around. I need to be more confident in the strength that marathon training gives me and use that to my advantage.

I felt no residual soreness or fatigue from my marathon. That was a pleasant surprise.

As a side note,  my 10-year-old son finished in 25:28, a PR by almost four minutes. I was very proud of him especially since he never trains.

12 miles through the streets and trails of my wonderful neighborhood.

I stopped by the gym after 11 miles to stretch and stengthen.

Did 30 crunches, 30 leg lifts on each leg. 15-10-5 adductor and abductor with the weight at 40, 50 and 60 respectively.

Did the same for the abbductors before finishing with the hamstring lift at 12-8-4 reps at 20, 30 and 40 pounds.

Albeit slowly, I'm getting stronger.

Today's run was boring in that it involved several laps around the neigborhood, but different in that I was measuring several different potential routes for a Monster Dash 5k run I'm thinking about putting on in the Halloween timeframe. I think I found one.

As for the run itself, everything felt very lethargic and tight this morning. 45 degrees and drizzle didn't help but I think it had more to do with playing two hours of softball last night.

Another cool and damp morning. What I save in watering the lawn I spend in heating the house. Still feel a bit lethargic. I'll probably lay off the early morning runs the rest of the week and do some lunch time runs from work.

Days like today are why I live where I live. Sunny skies and 74 degrees during my lunchtime run along Lake Sammamish. It's no coincidence that the warmer temps did wonders for the lethargy and overall tightness I've felt all week.

For 9 of the miles, the weather was fantastic. 78 degrees, nice breeze and clear blue skies. For three of the miles, it felt like that place with little red men with pitchforks.

Today was my first speed workout since the Newport Marathon, not counting the 10k on Saturday. The workout was 3x1mile at 4:50 with 4 minutes rest in between each. I kind of dinked around this morning waiting for it to warm up not realizing that waiting was not required. So I kept my warmup to 2 miles and then jumped into the workout.

Mile 1 -- 4:47 -- Felt great actually. A little quick but not ridiculous

Mile 2 -- 4:51 -- Felt great until the last lap. Really had to work on the last one

Mile 3 -- 4:59 -- I knew by the end of the second lap (2:29) that I wasn't going to hit my number so my goal was simply to keep it under 5:00. Also at the halfway point, my bowels were beginning to not cooperate, by the end of the third lap, I was seriously questioning whether I would make it around the track for another lap without making a mess of myself. Well, I did but it was too close for comfort.

Probably more detail than anyone wanted but there you have it. I drank 16 ounces of water during the workout and that still wasn't enough. Even after just the workout portion, my face was a giant salt lick.

Cool down was nice and slow...7:00 pace. Long run tomorrow.

Everything went pretty well today. 20.1 miles at 6:36 pace.

By the time I left the house it was 68 degrees and mostly cloudy. Much more comfortable for a long run than yesterday would have been. I ran a route I haven't run in many, many months. I left my house which is at about 900 feet above sea level and ran down the parkway to the town of Snoqualmie which sits at 428 feet. First mile which is basically flat was in an easy 7:15. The the next two miles are downhilll....St. George style. The next three miles took me through one of the more remote roads in the area filled with rollers which a pretty significant net gain in elevation. Then you quickly lose all the elevation gain over the seventh miles. The rest of the way, with the exception of Mile 18 and 19 were pancake flat through mostly lightly traveled backroads here in the Snoqualmie Valley. After 17 miles it's time to start back up the parkway to my house. 433 feet of elevation gain in about 1.75 miles. Then a mile of mild rollers back to the house with a net uphill of less than 100 ft.

I've used this route several times last summer in preparation for St. George. I've always wondered how the parkway downhill and uphill compare to some of the hills at St. George.

The Parkway has an average gain/loss of 234ft. per mile. As a comparison, the steepest mile at St. George, measured in terms of drop per mile, is Mile 21 with a drop of 263 feet. So going down the parkway is a very close approximation to Miles 21 and 16 at SGM. Coming up the Parkway is twice the slope that the uphill at SGM Mile 7 is so that was also good practice.

Anyway. I feel a nap coming on.

P.S. Just noticed I missed the 80 mile mark by .65 miles. I was very tempted to count the mile or so bike ride I took with my kids the other day. I guess I could have also counted the 20 kilometers I walked this week measuring three different race courses for two upcoming races I'm putting on. :-)

107 ST2 Racers

424 Trance 7

272 Adrenalines

A fairly sluggish feeling 12-mile run along Lake Sammamish. I've felt an overall lack of energy since my long run on Saturday.

I hate Paul! OK, I actually only hate Paul's voice that gets in my head when I'm wanting to bail on a workout. It's the "leave it on the track" mantra that keeps ringing through my head. Enough! :-)

Today was one of those days you just write off and move on from. I did four warmup miles and then jumped into the workout: 4x1000m @ 2:57 with 1 minute rest.

First one was in 2:55, then 2:57. But it all fell apart after that. The third was in 3:07 and I fought hard just to keep a 3:04 on the final rep. Ugh. I performed terrible. I felt terrible. I don't know what it was but it didn't get any better on the ~6-mile cooldown. I had to stop twice because I was dizzy and couldn't run anything better than 7:50 pace back to my car.

It was a little warm but I don't know why I was so dehydrated and completely and utterly zapped of any and all energy.

But, thanks to Paul, I finished the workout even though I knew I was going to miss my times badly.

12.5 miles with my daughter riding by my side under blue skies and temps in the low seventies with a gentle breeze. Now if that isn't a perfect run then I don't know what is. I'm still feeling a bit dehydrated so I'm going to focus on drinking a lot of water the rest of the day.

Also went to the gym and did some core exercises plus weights:

12-8-4 Hammy Curls @ 20-30-40

15-10-5 Adductor @35-45-60

15-10-5 Abductor @35-45-60

Off to the heat and humidity of Minneapolis for 10 days.

My family and I took the redeye flight from Seattle to Minneapolis this morning and landed at 5:30 CDT. I got maybe an hour of sleep and then crashed for about three hours when we got to my parents house. So running seemed like one of the last things I wanted to do.

But you don't ever accomplish anything if you only do it when it's convenient or easy.

For the first half of the run it was a very pleasant 70 degrees with a light breeze but for the last half it really started to heat up and the humidity was above 50%. I carried 37 ounces of water with me but even with that, I still lost 4 pounds during the run. I didn't feel fatigued at all but as I look at running the USATF Marathon Championships here in early October, hydration is a concern.

But this was definitely my best run this week in terms of how I felt. Every mile was between 6:45-6:50 so I was very consistent. The country roads out here remind me of the IKEA commercials. They are the definition of "rollers." Nothing big but enough to keep you focused.

Easy 10-miler today ahead of tomorrow's 5k in St. Paul. Actually had a little bit of rain. Weird to have rain with temps in the 70s.

Well...today was my 5k debut. I didn't do myself any favors the last two days, eating like a cow at my parent's house. When I woke up I felt heavy and bloated but oh well.

It took about 40 minutes to get from my parents house to St. Paul where the race was. We were greeted with the implosion of an old coal chimney across the river 15 minutes before the race. Forutnately, most of the toxic cloud blew just to the south of the starting line. Kind of cool to watch. Most implosions I've seen have the building falling in on itself. This one they tipped over. I hope that was the plan.

The main reason I ran this race was because the prize for the winner was two round trip tickets anywhere in the US on Northwest Airlines. This was the fifth year they had run the race and I was surprised to see that the course record was only 16:09. Given the course is pretty flat and the fact that there is a very strong core of good runner in the Minneapolis area, I was just surprised that not more of the better runners here hadn't given this race a shot, particularly with two airline tickets at stake.

The 10k course record is a much faster 30:37 but it hadn't been run under 33:00 since 2005. So I debated which race to run but settled on the 5k mostly because I had never run one before.

The race runs along the Mississippi River just across from downtown St. Paul. Other than a small roller at the start of the race, it was virtually flat. However, there was a pretty strong headwind for the first two miles as a thunderstorm was moving in. Some tall dude was the only one who joined me from the start and he let me know he was only running a mile and offered to help pace me. With the headwind, I was happy to take him up on his offer to be a wind shield. The only problem was he wasn't going fast enough so I made the difficult decision to go out on my own. There was no question I was working harder by myself but I couldn't afford to go his pace and let the chase pack think I was in reach.

Mile 1 came in at 5:04, about 9 seconds slower than I had wanted to go out in but with the headwind the way it was, I felt like my effort was in line with the time I wanted so I kept plugging away. 9/10 of mile 2 was also into headwind and by now I was way out in front. There would be no rabbit to pace me this time.

The turnaround came at 1.9 miles. I skipped the water they offered there. My feeling is that far more can go wrong by taking water in a 5k than can go right. It's just too short for hydration to be an issue -- in terms of negatively impacting performance -- particularly in the near-ideal temperature and cloud cover.

I crossed mile 2 in 10:07 so a 5:03 on that one. Also slower than I had hoped for but probably about as good as I could of expected under the windy conditions. The return route was near the outbound route but it was sheltered in trees which was great for keeping things cool but it completely blocked the tailwind which I was hoping would give me a boost on the home stretch. Oh well.

Mile 3 came in at 4:56. I was pushing harder and it was a slight net downhill. It's the mile time I was hoping for on all the miles but what can you do. I covered the final tenth in 31 seconds which is about 4:50 pace. So I finished strong which was nice.

Finish time was 15:35 and a first place finish in my 5k debut. I haven't seen the final results, but I think the second place guy was more than a minute behind.

The course was great and the support staff was awesome. I've really learned to appreciate a well executed race and this was one of them. I briefly thought about running the 10k also, since it started 15 minutes after I finished the 10k but when I got to the starting line, I decided it would be more prudent to do a nice cool down...plus...I had another race to get to.

Yes...one 5k was not enough. I'm a distance guy after all so I felt a bit under worked. So we traveled back another 30 minutes toward my parent's house to a little town called Elko. They had a 1k kids race which my youngest son ran in and then a 5k race which me, my dad and my older son all ran in. I ran this because the race director is a dear friend of my father's and he had asked me to run. Plus, it was for a very good cause. So 90 minutes after finishing my race in St. Paul, I started 5k Part Deux. This race was also plagued with the same wind problems but even worse, it was fairly hilly. No brutal hills, but constant rollers which is pretty common for the suburbs of the Twin Cities. My legs actually felt pretty good. The course wasn't certified and my watch had it .05 miles long, but who knows. Incidentally, my watch had the earlier race pegged exactly at 3.11 miles. Take that for what it's worth.

Anyway, finished the second race in 15:58. I was completely happy with that. It was easily good enough for a victory as the second place guy was 19 minutes and high change. My son took second in his age group for the 5k despite a time well off of his PR. I reminded him that the wind was tough as was the course. Unclear whether he found that to be any consolation.

Anyway...sorry for the double race report but I couldn't figure out how to do two separate ones on the same day.

A wonderful run under sunny skies, a gentle breeze and temps in the low 60s. It's supposed to get hot later today and tomorrow though. I'm just hoping TCM is reasonable weather.

A very warm run this morning. I woke up and it was already in the mid 70s. Good practice for TCM if it's warm. I carried and drank 32 ounces of water and still came home 4 pounds (~64 ounces) lighter than when I left. I do think it's impossible to stay 100% hydrated but I'll have to do better than I did this morning especially when running at marathon pace.