Going Long (again) in 2024

5 Miles Tempo run on the treadmill.

3 easy treadmill miles.

10 miles on the indoor track.

6 miles on the indoor track.

4 miles on the treadmill.

3 miles on the indoor track.  Also swam 1500 meters.  Also 3x/week doing weights, focussing on my quads.

Yasso 400s (x4) on the treadmill.

On the treadmill.

11 miles on the indoor track.

On the indoor track, followed by weights and then a 1 mile swim.

4 miles on the treadmill.

Tempo run (7 min/mile) on the indoor track.

4 miles easy on the indoor track.

12 mile long run on the treadmill.

6 miles on the indoor track.

6 miles on the indoor track.

4 easy miles on the treadmill.

5 miles on the indoor track.

6 miles on the treadmill.

Will start my 'official' training for the Cleveland Half on Monday.

6 miles on the indoor track; easy pace of about 8:32/mile.

Tempo run on the indoor track.  Was scheduled for tomorrow, but I'm giving a blood donation this afternoon, so moved this hard workout to today.  It was tough, but I did it.

My splits:  7:13  7:12  7:12  7:11  and 7:03

5 easy miles on the treadmill.

5 easy miles on the indoor track.

My leg muscles (mainly my shins) were sore after Tuesday's tempo run, but they feel fine today.

12 mile long run on the indoor track.  Still issues with the iliopsoas, but so far I can run through it, and I'm finding ways to manage it.

Six easy miles on the indoor track.  Will have to cut back on my x-country skiing from 3 days to 2 days/week - my legs are not recovering the way they should, so will not do more than one workout/day anymore.  Will ski on my 2 rest days.

5 miles on my treadmill.  Speed work tomorrow.

8 miles on the treadmill - speed work.  Ran 2 x 1 miles @ 6:49 and then 4 x Yasso 800s at the same speed.  Seems to have gone well - groin pain is present, but did not stop me from running fast.  

5 Miles on the treadmill.

13 mile long run on the treadmill.  Mind numbing - can't wait to get back outside!

6 easy miles on the indoor track.

6 easy miles on the indoor track.

7 Mile tempo run on the treadmill.  I was going to do it on the indoor track, but my truck is in the shop and the gym is too far to walk to.

6 easy miles on the treadmill.

7 Easy miles on the indoor track.

6 easy miles on the indoor track.  

On Monday (Family Day in Ontario - a long weekend), I'm going to run a half marathon in Grimsby, Ontario.  I don't plan on running it hard - basically at training pace or just a little faster.  You don't often get a race in Ontario on a Monday (my day off), so I didn't want to let it slip by without taking advantage of it.

Okay, I decided to re-post this as a race, since it technically was, although I intended to run it only as a regular training run.  I was supposed to run 13 miles on Saturday as part of my half marathon training program, but bumped it to Monday to take in this Grimsby (near Niagara Falls) Half Marathon.  It's rare to have a race in Ontario on Monday (my day off), and this fell on a Statuatory Holiday - Family Day.  So, I made the 5 hour drive to do this.

The race started at 9am.  It was COLD.  There were about 400 runners in the 3 events - the kid's 3km, the 10km, and the Half.  There were 230 runners in the Half.  It was very well organized, as part of the Hamilton runner's series of runs.  This area takes in a population of several million people (Toronto is less than an hour away), so even a mid-February race draws an enthusiastic crowd of runners and supporters.

Although cold (well below zero), it was sunny.  I was glad for my sunglasses.  Also for the various layers I wore.  I intended to take off my outer jacket as I ran, but ended up finishing in it - very glad also for my big mitts and ear muffs.

I planned on running this at my training pace of 8:36.  My average pace ended up being 8:05, so a lot faster than planned.  More on that in a bit.

Since for me, this was merely a long run training run, I was relaxed thoughout.  I never felt like I was pushing it too hard, and I finished strong and was not winded or even overly tired.  Although my pace was a half minute/mile faster than planned, it was comfortable, and my splits were fairly even.  They were:

8:14, 7:56, 8:00, 8:06, 8:07, 7:52, 8:06, 8:05, 8:07, 8:08, 8:02, 8:03 and 7:52.  So, all within 22 seconds; excluding the 1st mile, all within 16 seconds.

The course was mostly flat, but certainly a lot more hillier than the valley where I train.  I made a point of drinking gatoraide at every aid station, mostly as an experiment.  I've noticed in all my races that I do not tolerate carbs well.  My stomach does somersaults.  This was no different.  I'm going to experiment with chews or jelly beans, because I have to solve this problem before my marathon in the Fall.

The race was mostly on pavement, with a few sections that were snow and/or ice covered, and one 200 meter portion that was a frozen over horse trail through an apple orchard.  No complaints about any of this - I appreciated the opportunity to run outside and to experience race conditions at the same time.

Oh, one more note ... my time of 1:45:58 was done at a relaxed and comfortable pace. I never really felt like I was pushing it.  However, just 5 or so years ago, this would have been a PR for me.  So, not bad for an old man!

Anyway, that's it in a nutshell, except that after the race, after I showered and changed, I drove the marathon route that I plan to run in November.  It was good for me to see this so that I can visualize it during my training.  It's not as flat as I had thought, and knowing that will be helpful to me in my training.

6 easy miles on the treadmill.

Easy run on the indoor track.

6 easy miles on the indoor track.  First quarter of my Cleveland Half training program is complete.  Other than the lingering pain in my iliopsoas muscle, no other issues of note.

7 easy miles on the indoor track.  Still too icy to run outside ... hopefully I can start running my long runs, however, outdoors.  We'll see on Saturday.

6 easy miles on the indoor track.

Five miles at tempo pace on the indoor track - averaged 7:10/mile.  Felt just right - took some pushing ... it was hard, but not too hard.

As an experiment, I ate a chew at miles 2 and 4.  No issues with my stomach, but man, is it ever hard to swallow those things at that pace!  Had some choking issues when I tried to swallow the pieces too soon.

I'm thinking, maybe that won't be such an issue at marathon pace, which is 40 seconds/mile slower.  I guess I won't know until I run marathon tempos later this summer.

6 easy miles on the indoor track.

14 mile long run on the treadmill.

I had planned on running outside, but it was too darn cold, it was snowing, a strong wind is blowing, and it's icy.  Yuck.  Treadmill instead.

Practised eating those chews - had 4 of them with no problems at this pace (8:35).  Also tried this new HoneyMaxx drink which I just got.  It is the product served in the Hamilton Marathon, and so I figured I had better get used to it.

It's honey based, along with maltodextrin.  Definitely not as sweet tasting as Gatoraide, and it had no negative GI affects on me during this run, so a good initial test.

As far as pain, my only ongoing issue is my Iliopsoas - 2 places:  the connection point at my femur, and somewhere deep in my abdomen area.  It's not affecting my running so far, but it's a nuisance.  I can handle it if it doesn't get any worse, and that's my hope at this point.

5 Easy miles on the indoor track.  Still colder outside than a penguin's butt in a sled rut, but looks like we may finally get some warmer temps by the weekend.  Hope so!

5 easy miles on the indoor track.

Speedwork on the treadmill.  4 miles at 6:44 pace, with 800's for recovery in between.

Pushed hard and did it, feeling strong to the end.  Experimented again with drinking HoneyMaxx - no issues there.

Used the treadmill at the gym instead of mine at home - for sure mine is measuring too fast.  The last time I did speedwork on it, I could barely keep up.  I'll have to see if I can adjust it properly.

5 easy miles on my treadmill.  Finally calibrated it - was running about 1/2 mile/hour faster than shown on the display.  Much better now!  No lingering effects from yesterday's speedwork, although I did take some ibuprofin for the iliopsoas - not that it was any worse, but it nags on sort of an ongoing basis.

5 easy miles on the indoor track.  No issues.  

Tomorrow, I plan on running my long run outside -  maybe.  It's warming up to just below freezing, which makes it good, but they are also callling for about 3 inches of snow tonight.  So, I'll wait until the morning to see how it looks before I decide.

14 mile long run - outside!  It felt SO good to be out there after a long winter of running indoors.

First, the weather.  It basically sucked.  It snowed lightly all night, and was still snowing a bit, off and on, when I left.  I wore sunglasses because it looked like it might clear, but it never really did.  But they did help keep that bitterly cold North wind out of my eyes.  Yikes, it was bad!

Temperature at 7:20am when I left was minus 12 C with a windchill of minus 20.  That's 10 F and -4 F with windchill.  So, basically it was a lot like Grimsby a couple of weeks ago, except there was no wind in Grimsby and it was sunny there.  I ended up dressing the same, and it was warm enough - mostly.

The wind was strong and gusty, out of the North.  Fortunately, my route only took me 1.5 miles North.  The rest was East and West, and sheltered.  That 1st 1.5 miles, however, was pretty bitter.  Cold face and cold hands.  I was okay after I turned the corner, however.

The roads were not plowed yet, but I ran where cars had packed it down and it was fine.  Quite icy (glare ice, actually) in the tire ruts, but just over from that it was like packed snow.

Second off, nutrition.  I wore my nutrition belt with four containers of HoneyMaxx, and brought one powerbar gel.  I drank the HoneyMaxx every 2 miles, except at 8 miles where I consumed the gel.  I'm glad to say that I had no GI issues.  I do look forward to warmer weather for my nutrition experiments, but then again, the Hamilton marathon is in November and won't likely be too warm.  After I use up my last 2 gels, I'm going to switch to GU Gels and see how they work for me.

Finally, my body.  The run itself was great.  I was supposed to run the 14 miles at 8:35/mile and I pretty much averaged that pace miles 2 - 11.  The 1st mile was a bit slower at 8:49, and the final three were a bit faster at 8:25, 8:22 and 8:11.  Overall, I averaged 8:32, finishing the run just shy of 2 hours.

My old friend Iliopsoas was there for most of it, and is still complaining a bit 5 hours later.  Towards the end, I noticed my hamstrings were tight (not sore) so will pay more attention to them and will foam them out tonight.  And I had an odd pain for a few miles in the instep of my right foot.  Nothing there now, and I suspect both that and the hamstrings were due to the uneven running surface, the slippery road where I had to pay extra attention, and the times I had to run in deeper snow on the shoulders whenever a car came by.  I'll see how those body parts play out in my Monday run.

So, I'm hopeful this is the new trend - being able to run outside for at least my long runs on Saturday.

6 easy miles on the indoor track.

5 easy miles on the treadmill.

5 mile Tempo run on the indoor track.  My mile splits were:  7:11, 7:05, 7:01, 7:05 and 7:08.

No issues re: keeping the pace, and I felt strong throughout.  My iliopsoas was not a significant issue, but that pain in my right foot was.  It started after my long run on the weekend, and I'm thinking that I did something minor to it by running on the uneven snow/ice.  It's right in the instep area and seems to radiate to the top of the foot.  I'll keep watching it to see if it continues to be an issue.  Thinking it's a minor strain of some sort.

5 easy miles on the indoor track.  

Only a little tinge in my Iliopsoas.  Slight improvement in my right foot.  Slight niggle in my left knee ... I think I pushed too hard on the weights last week, as I've noticed it ever since.  Have cut back on the weights and it seems to be getting better.

10 more centimeters of snow tomorrow! (4 inches).  Good grief.  I don't know what that will do to my long run on Saturday ... will have to wait and see.

5 easy miles on my treadmill.

14 miles on my treadmill.  Way too much fresh snow to attempt running outside, especially since last week outside in the snow, I think I hurt my foot.  It was still falling when I started running, and the streets have not yet been cleared.

Anyway, a good run.  I didn't feel my iliopsoas until mile 6, and it never got too bad.  The pain in my right foot is completely gone.  And there were no other 'niggles' anywhere, so all is good.

As to nutrition, I have a bag of licorice nibs I wanted to use up ... they have essentially the same make up as my chews.  Their only problem is they are really sticky.  On my treadmill, that's not a problem ... I just kept them in a bowl beside me.

So, I ate one every odd mile, and drank HoneyMaxx every even mile.  I was fine from an energy perspective.  At mile 13, my stomach felt a little uneasy, but I only had 1 mile to go after that anyway.  I'll go back to the chews, however ... easier to carry them with me.

6 easy miles on the indoor track.  A little faster pace than planned, but I felt strong throughout.

6 easy miles on my treadmill.

5 easy miles on the indoor track.

5 easy miles on my treadmill.

5 easy miles on my treadmill.

6 Easy miles on the indoor track.

That brings me to the half way point of my 16 week training program for the Cleveland Half.  

As of now, the only ongoing 'niggles' are in my iliopsoas, and it does not seem to be getting any worse than when I started.  I suspect the daily stretching and the ongoing strength exercises are helping in that area.

My previous quad tear has completely healed.  My foot injury has also - sort of confirms for me that it was caused by running a 14 mile long run on uneven snow/ice, since it started right then and slowly healed after.

My older foot injuries - Plantar Fasciitus and torn Achilles Tendon - have been non-issues.  Daily stretching and strength workouts have done their job there, I believe.

So, all seems good.  Time to pick things up a bit.

6 easy miles on the indoor track.

7 mile tempo run on the indoor track.

My splits were:  7:11  7:07  7:07  7:02 and 6:59.

Felt good, although I had a stitch in my lower left side during my last mile.  That, I believe, I can chalk up to the peanut butter on toast that I had just 1 hour before I ran.  Guess I can get away with that before easy runs, but not hard runs.  Anyway, I ran through it, but wouldn't want to do that during a race.

My iliopsoas is not impressed and is letting me know it now.  Will do some more stretching later today when I get some time.

6 easy miles on my treadmill.

6 miles on my treadmill.  Hill work.  I jacked up the back of my treadmill to allow for downhill running.  Since it's still way too icy on the roads for running outside, I figured I'd best be running on hills on the treadmill.

So, ran 1/4 mile uphill and 1/4 mile downhill x4.

5 easy miles on my treadmill.  ANOTHER snow storm hitting now ... guess I'll be 2 hours on the treadmill again tomorrow.  Sigh.

Ran my 14 mile long run on the treadmill, because a major snow storm hit yesterday and the streets are impossible to run on today.  Hopefully next week!

I threw in some hills to mix it up.  Ate a slice of bread with peanut butter 90 minutes before the run, and a few licorice.  Drank HoneyMaxx every 2 miles, a few licorice in between, and a GU at the half way mark.

I had no GI issues, in fact no issues of any sort.  So, a good run.  Ran a 8:34/mile pace to make it a 2 hour run.

Ran 6 miles, with hill work, on my treadmill.

6 easy miles on my treadmill.

This was a speedwork session; I did it on the treadmill at the gym this morning.

1 mile warm up, and then four 1 mile repeats at a 6:40 min/mile pace, with 1/2 mile jogs in between.

The dumb news is, I wasn't very focussed this morning.  Ended up eating only a piece of bread with peanut butter about 2 hours before the run; had intended to eat some quick carbs, but forgot.  Remembered when I started to run.

The good news is, I did it!  Pushed through those last few laps when my legs were feeling a bit heavy, but overall felt fine.  A good training run.

6 easy miles on my treadmill.

6 easy miles outside - first time running on the roads since March 8th!

Not by choice, however.  I started off on my treadmill.  At about the 1/2 mile mark, the power went out.  Fortunately, I didn't keep going through the patio door!

Anyway, it's light out at 7am now, so I took it outside.  Glad I did.  The temperature was minus 2C with a minus 8C windchill (28F with a 17F windchill).  Not too bad.  The wind was strong from the East, at 40km/h (25 mph).  Again, not so terrible.

All went well, which was good to know, since I'll be running part of this route tomorrow for my 14 mile long run.  There was only one small patch (maybe 20 meters or so) of ice that I couldn't avoid.  Ended up going through it in one spot and got a wet foot, but it was pretty close to the end of the run, and I won't be going on that stretch again anytime soon.

Ended up the power came back on just now - almost 8 hours later.  A high voltage wire came down west of the city and so pretty much all of Sudbury was without power for a good while.

Not sure it was a smart move running outside today, but I did it.  I'll find out tomorrow if any body parts hurt.

Quite the storm last night.  Dumped a lot rain first, then ice, then snow.  We went from clear streets to winter conditions in just a few hours.

The streets were basically glare ice, and I had to be really careful.  When I had to avoid traffic, I had to run on crunching snow with ice ruts and other messy conditions.  Not fun.

Temperature wise, it was -9 C or 16 F.  The wind was blowing at 40 km/h or 25 mph.  That made for a windchill of -17 C or 0 F.  It was great having the wind at my back on the way out; not so nice running into it on the way back.

My pace was actually quite good - averaged 8:30/mile.  My program called for an 8:32/mile pace today, so basically bang on.

In my fuel belt, I filled three bottles with Gatoraid and one with water.  They turned to slush by the end of the run, but I managed to drink most of them anyway.  I ate one Powerbar Gel at mile 7 (was pretty frozen and so hard to squeeze out) and also 2 GU Chomps along the way.  No GI issues at all.  Hard to work with those things in the cold, of course.  Frozen fingers didn't help.

Clothing was fine - I wore exactly enough to keep me warm.

I had a few mis-steps ... jarred my iliopsoas in one of them, and it's a bit tender right now, and came down hard on my feet in a couple of ruts.   Also slipped a couple of times and caught myself.  No obvious signs of injury - will know better tomorrow.

Okay, enough winter!  Time for all this to go away!

6 easy miles outside - 8:22/mile pace.

We had a melting day yesterday, so the streets are all clear again after Friday's snowstorm.  The temperature was right at freezing, but there was no wind and I was actually a bit overdressed.  I'm hopeful now, going forward, that I can do most of my runs outside.

6 easy road miles.  Temperature right at the freezing mark, but no wind and I have the clothing issue figured out.  So, a good run.  Tempo run tomorrow.

6 mile tempo pace, plus warm up and cool down.

Ran an out and back.  Clear morning, but cold.  Minus 10 C or 14 F.  Wasn't bad for running, actually, but my fingers went numb in the 1st mile and I had to curl them up into a fist inside my gloves until they thawed.

Splits were:  7:09  7:13  7:12  7:15  7:13  and 7:09.

This was my 1st tempo run outside; for sure different from the treadmill and indoor track.  There are some short hills on this route, but nothing too serious.

Had to push myself at the halfway mark; hard to turn around and get back up to speed, when your brain is telling you to stop or slow down!  But, I finished it strong and it felt like a very good run.

6 easy miles on my usual outdoor route 'around the block'.  Recovery run from yesterday.

Driving to Sault Ste. Marie today, and will do my run tomorrow in that wonderful city.

5 mile easy run in Sault Ste. Marie.  I used to live in this city, and knew about the "Hub Trail" which is a paved, multi-purpose path that runs through and around the city.  It was only 1/2 mile from my hotel, so I ran there.

Unfortunately, I discovered they do not keep it free of snow in the winter.   At mile 1.5, I came across a section that was very snow covered and pitted quite badly where kids had walked through it (there is a school near by).  I decided to take a 'better' short cut over a drainage ditch.  Unfortunately, the ice did not hold me and I ended up with 2 very wet feet.  So, I ran the final 3.5 miles in cold, wet feet.  

Other than that, a good run!

15 mile long run, and the end of a 46 mile week.

It was cloudy and cold - just around freezing - but fine for running.  I did not feel great from the start - was almost winded from the get go for some reason.  Partly because the 1st mile North was into the wind, I suppose.

Anyway, I was supposed to run an 8:30/mile pace, and ended up with a 8:24/mile pace, which is pretty close, and I'm happy about that.  I went with gatoraide in my fuel belt, GU chomps, and one Hammer Gel - Espresso.

I don't like the GU chomps and don't think I'll race with them - too hard to chew and swallow.  I prefer the Power Bar Gel Blast, but I want to try the Honey Stingers too.  I ended up taking just one of the chomps.

My stomach was complaining almost from mile 3.  At mile 7.5, I ate the Hammer Gel.  I had to stop to do it.  My stomach at that point was doing flips, and the Gel was way too stiff to easily take in.  I also needed to get my breathing under control.  So, I stopped and ate the Gel and took in 8 ounces of water.

Well, it landed like lead in my stomach and that feeling didn't go away for the rest of the run.  I'll try a different flavor of the Hammer Gel on another day, just to see.  So far, however, the GU is my first choice.

Mile 10 was into the wind again and I struggled.  Ran it in 8:42, but it felt bad.  Once I turned out of the wind, I stopped for a minute to stretch and get my heart rate down.  After that, I ran the final 5 miles fast, around 8:15/mile for each of them.  It was an odd feeling, because my legs did not have much life in them, and it seemed I was running a lot slower.  I was actually surprised by my splits in those last 5 miles.  But by stomach never recovered and I didn't take in any more Gatoraide until almost the end.  

Now, my thoughts on why it felt the way it did:  The 4 hour drive from the Sault yesterday meant a lot of sitting.  I had a huge pancake feast at a maple syrup place on the way home.  Not a problem in itself, but my blood sugar took off, and then crashed about 2 hours later.  Driving was not easy feeling that way, and when I got home, I went right into work - and my supper that night suffered because of it - soup and bread.  Yuck - for running anyway.  I suspect I went into this run not properly nourished and tired from the trip and it suffered because of it.

Fortunately, I have 3 more 15 mile runs before my race, so I'll be able to prepare myself better for them, and I will!

Decided to run my 6 miles on my treadmill.  It's raining pretty steadily; not impossible to run in, but opted to stay dry today anyway.

Another dump of snow last night, and still falling, so I decided to run on my treadmill again.  This is an 'easy week' anyway, and I didn't want to take a chance on slipping.

Ran on the indoor track.  Just decided it was too cold to run outside today.  That, plus I wanted to do some weight work on my Quads after the run, and so going to the gym for my run made sense.

6 easy miles on my treadmill.  

Easy run outside.  Beautiful morning ... 2 degrees (36F) with little wind.  Kept an 8:25 pace.

Easy 6 mile run outside.  Beautiful morning with full sun.  Minus 1 C (31F) - very nice for running.  The Cleveland Half is 4 weeks from tomorrow.  So, three more weeks of hard training. 

Beautiful Easter Monday morning for running.  Kept an 8:25 easy pace.  Had an unusual (for me) side stitch around mile 5.5; forced me to stop for a minute in order to work it out and then it was fine.  Maybe too much Easter feasting last night.

An easy 6 mile run.  A bit foggy out, but pleasant for running.

This was a 6 mile tempo run, scheduled for a 7:16 pace.  My actual splits were:  7:06  7:09  7:09  7:05  7:08  and  7:01.  So, bit faster than scheduled, but I felt strong throughout.

It was cold ... -4 C or 24 F with a wind out of the North (cold!) at 26 km/h or 16 mph.  Still, the fact that I pushed through it and still finished strong is a good sign.  I'm happy with this run.

I decided to not eat anything at all before the run, except for 3 GU chews.  That seemed to have worked for me, with no GI issues of any sort.

An easy 6 mile run.  The sun was just coming up and it is a beautiful, clear day.  Not as cold as yesterday (no wind), but still only -4 C/25 F, so brisk.

6 easy miles on my regular loop - except today I ran on the trail section, rather than the adjacent road.  It's a one mile section - just recently emerged from the snow.  Still a little muddy in a few places, but passable.  Long run tomorrow.

I have a daily "Tip Calendar" from Runner's  World.  Todays tip:  

"Run through a spring storm.  With rain hitting you sideways and the wind whipping your face, you'll feel alive."

Well, I did it today on my long run, except that it was snow instead of rain!

The temperature was sitting right at the freezing mark, and the wind was pretty strong out of the North.  The snow was being driven sideways with the wind.  I don't know about "feeling alive".  But I do know I felt cold.

I ran a new route.  Easy to do out here, as all the major streets run in one mile grids.

So, mile one I ran North into the wind.  The next 3 miles were easy enough running East.  Then a very easy, wind at the back, stretch of 3 miles South, followed by one mile West and another one South.  That last mile (nine) ended with one mother of a hill!  I ran it strong though.

Then two more miles West and then three into the wind at the end.  Those were tough, but I kept my pace and actually finished very strong.  I had to add an extra mile to bring it to 15. 

Average pace of 8:12 for a run of just over 2 hours.

As always, the iliopsoas is not happy, but no other significant issues.  I popped a honey stinger on all the odd miles, and took about 3 ounces of Gatoraide on all the even miles.  No GI issues, and my energy levels remained high throughout the run.  All is good!

An easy run - 8:14/mile pace.  Cold - right at the freezing mark - but sunny and little wind.  A comfortable run.

Easy 7 mile run.  I just beat the rain that is moving in - wind was strong and gusty, but it was warm enough - 6 C or  43 F.  Almost warm enough to ditch the gloves!  I had a massage yesterday which helped to work out all the kinks.  Everything is feeling fine.  Speedwork tomorrow.

Okay, this was my scheduled speed interval day.  Warmup, followed by 4 one mile splits at a 6:40/mile pace, with 1/2 mile recovery runs between.  I had done all my previous speed work on the treadmill, so this was quite different for me.

The 1st two miles were into a rather strong headwind, and mainly uphill.  I didn't notice how that one 1/4 mile hill is so steep when I run it easy!  Of course, the last 2 miles were fairly flat, but with that wind at my back.

My actual splits were:

6:39 (bang on) 6:57 (darn hill and wind - that was tough!)  6:33 (wind at my back)  and 6:33 (wind still at my back).

Now, I have a confession to make ... my 3rd split.  At the 1/2 mile mark, I had to stop.  I had not fully recovered from my previous split, and I knew that I could not put in an quality effort if I continued.   That, plus I had to cross a major highway, and the rush hour traffic was heavy.  So, I just waited for about 1 minute to get my heart rate down and for a pause in the traffic.  I'm glad I did that, as I was able to continue with strong splits after that.

Overall, I'm pleased with the effort.  I tried to focus on my form - and to relax.  

Oh, and the rain held off until just when I finished - so bonus!

An easy 7 mile run in the rain.  Not too heavy - more of a fine mist.  But all felt fine.

Easy run in the morning mist.  Long run tomorrow.

15 mile long run.  The weather was okay ... 5 C or 40 F, with a very fine misty rain and a light breeze from the South.  My scheduled pace was an 8:28/minute mile; I ran an average of 8:14/minute mile, and felt comfortable doing so.  My splits got faster as I went, with my last mile at 7:44 - and I really gave a good kick for my final 1/2 mile, so I felt strong at the end.

I ate a banana 90 minutes before I began, but was really hungry still after that, so ate a protein bar as well.  Hadn't done that before, but it went down well.

I ate a power bar gel blast at mile 1, 3, 5, 9 and 11, and a Honey Stinger at mile 7.  At all the even miles, I sipped Honey Max.  Those gel blasts are big, and I have to be careful not to choke on them, but they do seem to work for me.  That Honey Stinger went down very well - I think, so far, the easiest gel for me to consume.

At mile 13, I was cramping up a bit and felt a bit bloated, but it passed by mile 14 and I felt fine.  My iliopsoas was the only physical issue, as always.  I really felt it following that steep uphill/downhill at the end of mile 9.  My left knee had a 'twinge' along the way, but nothing significant.

Overall, a good long run.  One more to do before my Cleveland Half.

7 mile easy run - 8:14/mile pace.  Temperature was right at the freezing mark, but the sun was shining and there was little wind, so a pleasant enough run.

7 easy miles.

This was my final tempo run before my race in Cleveland.  It was supposed to be run at a pace of 7:15/mile, but I figured I would run the 1st 3 miles at that pace, and then finish closer to my goal pace of 7:03.

My mile splits were:  7:02  7:07  7:04  6:58  6:53  6:50 so, obviously faster than I had planned.  But I felt strong at the end and had no significant issues ... my iliopsoas is sort of a constant nagging companion, and my right hip/glute has been tight for the past few weeks.  I work on both those areas with stretching and other therapies and they don't seem to be getting any worse.

As far as nutrition goes, I ate a banana about 90 minutes before my run, and 2 PowerBar Chews just before I started.  I carried another Chew with me and ate it just before the halfway mark.  I wanted to see how easy it would be to do that.  It's not!

First of all, it was right around the freezing mark, and so the Chew was harder than usual.  Running at that pace, and breathing hard, it was hard to chew it.  Ended up it took almost a half mile before I got it down, and that meant a close choking incident as well as a piece going up into my nasal cavity.  

It turned out okay, but I can see the challenge of nutrition while running that pace in a race.  I may stick with just liquids.

An easy recovery run; starting to warm up ... all the way up to 42 F this morning!  Will have to switch to shorts if this keeps up.

An easy 6 mile run.  First time I got to wear short sleeves and shorts, and no gloves.  Finally warming up!

This was my last significant run before my race in Cleveland a week from tomorrow.  I ran it at an 8:20/mile pace.  The temperature was 9 C or 48 F, and there was a steady wind of between 20 - 30 mph.

My hands were a bit cold (no gloves), but overall it was a very good run.  I ate a banana 90 minutes before I began, and a gel just before.  I then ate just one more GU Gel at the 7 mile mark, and drank Gatoraide every second mile.  That seemed to work well enough.

A slight niggle in my left knee after that big hill at mile 9, and also felt my iliopsoas from that point onwards, but nothing unusual.  My right hamstring/glute is still tight, but I've been working hard on stretching that out and it wasn't as bad as it had been.

So, 2 days of rest now, and then 4 days of 4 mile runs.  I'm planning on doing a lot of stretching and foam rolling this week.

4 mile easy run in the early morning mist/light rain.

Boy, my right hamstring REALLY tightened up over the weekend, after my last long run.  I worked it hard for 2 days, with stretches and the foam roller.  It finally felt better last night, and didn't seem to be an issue during today's run ... still a little sore, but manageable.  I'll keep working on it this week, as I focus on stretching and foam rolling.

Just a nice, easy paced run.  Brisk morning, but sunny and no wind.

What a miserable day!  Cold and wet.  Strong wind driving from the North.  Yuck.  I almost decided to run on my treadmill, but am glad I opted to go outside after all, since I'm so close to race day, and I wanted a dress rehearsal - wore what I plan on wearing on Sunday.

It's 40 F, which is actually what the temperature is forecast to be in Cleveland around race time (7am) on Sunday.  The good news is, it's also forecast to be sunny, with little wind and low humidity.  Should be good for racing, and as far as temperature goes, it's pretty much what I've been training in - much better for me than heat.

Anyway, my program called for speed work today --- 2x one mile at 6:38.  I ran the 1st one at 6:31 and the second one at 6:20 (wind partially at my back).  Both felt strong, and I have absolutely no pain issues - neither my iliopsoas, nor my glutes/hamstrings.  So, I'm glad for that.

As expected this time of the year, my allergies are flaring up a bit.  Will double up on the anti-histamines and that should take care of it. 

So, a bit of a confidence booster today.  I think everything is falling into place for what I hope to be a PR on Sunday.

My last run before the Cleveland Half on Sunday.  And today's conditions look identical to race conditions:  4 C (39 F), cloudy, and a bit of a wind.

Physically, I feel great going into this race.  A little tightness in some areas, but no pain and no injuries.  I am confident of a PR on Sunday.

My strategy will be to join the 3:05 marathon pace group and stick with them.  This should solve my problem of going out too fast and fading later on.  I'll have to run the last 3.5 miles without them, where the marathon route turns away, but at that point it will be okay anyway (I won't be tempted to go too fast at that point!).

So, I travel today as far as Southern Ontario and then to Cleveland on Saturday.  I'm turning this into a holiday --- making my way eventually to Chicago --- so I won't be home until Saturday, the 24th of May.  I won't have ready access to a computer, so unfortunately my race report will have to wait until then.  

Oh, my bib number is 6597.

4 mile easy run in Toronto.  Muscles and hamstrings have really loosened up.  Feeling good.

I did it!  A PR ... almost 2 minutes shaved off my previous best set 2 years ago.  This was an almost perfect run for me, and I'm very happy with my results.

First, my splits:  I ran 6:59  6:59  6:54  6:54  6:48  7:00  6:57  6:52  6:57  6:52  6:56  7:40  7:10  My final split was 2:13 run at a pace of 6:35.

The pacers in this race were phenomenol.  My hats off to them ... there were two in my group (3:05 marathon; 7:03 pace), and they brought this home for me.  A large number of runners in this group.

Okay, the blow by blow:

I drove from Sudbury to Grimsby on Friday.  5 hour drive.  Expected a good night's sleep - didn't happen, as there was a party going on somewhere in the hotel and it kept me up pretty much all night.

Drove to Cleveland the next day.  It had rained hard there all week, but the forecast for Sunday was sun.  Very nice hotel just a few blocks from the starting line.  After a 4 hour drive, I checked in and then took the shuttle to the expo.  Spent an hour or two there, and picked up some Ghost 6's at a great price, as well as a bunch of gels.  No Sayonara's for sale anywhere, so will have to get those elsewhere (ended up buying them in Chicago a few days after - I will run my Hamilton Marathon in these).

Back to the hotel, and then walked to the Cathedral for Mass.  I don't often get to sit through those as a parishioner, rather than as a priest/celebrant, so that was a nice treat.  Afterwards, back to the hotel for the pasta dinner.  That wasn't worth the price, but it was in my hotel and so very convenient.  And I actually slept well that night.  Went for a walk before sunset to see the start/finish lines.

Woke up at 4:15 and ate a plain bagel.  Planned on adding peanut butter, but just couldn't stomach it at that hour.  Had my normal coffee (2 cups) and then a banana at 6:00am.  Temperature was 2 C or 36 F.  Hmm, same as my training.  Hadn't anticipated that, but good from my perspective.  Decided to wear a short sleaved shirt and my long running pants.  Also gloves.

Left the hotel at 6:30 and right away wondered if I was over dressed.  A LOT of runners wearing just shorts.  I walked one block towards the starting line, and decided to change.  The wind was not strong, and it felt warmer than it was.  So, I went back to my room and changed into my running shorts (tights) and made my way to Corral 'A', just behind the elites where the 3:05 marathon pace group was standing.  That change ended up being a good decision, as it got quite warm later on.

20 000 runners ... Full, Half, and 10km combined.  A beautiful morning as the sun came up.  It was cold, and I was glad for my gloves, but I knew I'd be ditching them at some point.  I had 2 gels (GU) with me, and 3 PowerBar GelBlasts.  The gloves actually work well with these, as they just sit in the palm of my hands.

I ate the 1st GU 15 minutes before 7am, and drank my last water.  Worked well for me.  The race was delayed until 7:05 for some reason, but after all the normal talks and anthoms, we were on our way.  I was cold up until then, but fine after.

From here on in, I stuck like glue to the pacers.  I have never been in a race that was so crowded!  I expected this for the 1st 2 miles, but it was quite crowded right up until mile 10 when the marathoners and halfers split apart.  It made for some minor jostling, and the occasional "sorry about that" as arms collided, and you really had to focus on not stepping on someone's feet.  The real disadvantage of that was not being able to see the road very far in advance.  I was worried about Cleveland's reputation for potholes.  Turns out, that fear was overblown.  Although there are the normal potholes you'd see in any major city, they were nothing like I have in my home town.  Still, when appeared, I had very little time to see and avoid them, and so I had to be conscious of that.

Anyway, the splits were under the goal pace of 7:03.  I didn't see the 1st mile marker, but the topic of conversation was that it seemed to be quite a bit further out than it should have been (by 2/10ths of a mile).  That theme continued in conversation, I noticed ... everyone seemed to agree that the 1st mile was longer than a mile.  But hey, it was a certified course, so you have to go with it.  I was careful to run the tangents, as there are a fair number of turns in the course, but it's hard to do that well with so many people running.

As I said, I was so grateful to the pacers.  They really kept me where I needed to be.  I even was able to get a drink of water from one when I missed the water station.  Cheers to them!  Passed the "Beer2O" station without taking one, but sure remembered when I did in Detroit 2 years ago when I tore my Achilles Tendon and was limping to the finish line.

Took my 1st chew at mile 3, and my second chew at mile 5.  Decided to go with the chew again at mile 6 and ditched my running gloves at this point.  And I was SO grateful for not being in long running pants at this time.  I then opened my gel at mile 7 and nursed it for 2 miles.  My stomach was never really an issue, and I had enough energy throughout this race.

We halfers split off from the full marathon group at mile 9.5.  I wondered if I would be able to keep this pace without the pacers.  I did, actually, for mile 11, but WOW - mile 12 sucked!  Now I'm on the expressway.  It's a LONG uphill.  It's hot and I'm breathing heavy for the first time.  I am pretty sure, at this point, of getting a PR, so I just relax and focus.  There's actually 3 hills, here, and it sure does take a lot out of you at this point.  However, having walked the finish line the night before, I know the last half mile is downhill, and that thought urges me onward.

On the downramp.  My GPS tells me I've run 13.1 miles already, but the finish line is still ahead 200 meters.  The spectators yell "sprint to the finish!"  It's funny ... I know I can ... I still have it in me ... but I decide to finish with a steady pace.  I don't want to finish depleted - just satisfied.  And I am.  It was a very good race for me.  Almost 2 years since my last PR, and with a significant injury in between, and I am able to finish strong and healthy.  I'm happy!

It's a very nice day now, with lots of spectators and a high level of energy.  The post run snacks are superb, and the finishers medal is unique - spinning guitar.  There's a post run party in a grassy area, and I have a free drink tab on my bib, so I grab my beer here and try to enjoy it.  My stomach won't let me, however, and I end up dumping most of it after attempting a few sips.

After a while, even with the foil warming blanket and the sun, I start to shiver.  I guess because I'm wet with sweat.  So, I make my way back to my hotel room to shower.  I'm off to see the Cleveland Indians play ball this afternoon, so I figure I'll enjoy a beer and an afternoon in the sun there - which is exactly what I end up doing.

My results are posted fairly quickly - that night.  I'm 11th in my age group out of 320.  I'm the 116th male out of 2525.  I finish 128th over all, out of 6113 runners.  So, I'm in the top 2% overall, in the top 4.6% of the men, and in the top 3.5% of my age group.

I'm pleased with this result, and it gives me the confidence I wanted going into my marathon training program starting in July.  I have a few races I want to do in June:  a 10k (will shoot for a new PR), the "Miner's Mahem" (a local obstacle course through mud, wire, walls, etc), and a 5k in my home town of Lively (I've never run a 5k before, so that WILL be a PR for me!).

On the injury side of things - nothing to report, I'm happy to say.  My iliopsoas was nagging me, but never yelling at me.  And my right hamstrings/glutes were not really noticeable (until the next day!).  Those areas will give my massage therapist something to work at on Monday when I see her for an hour.

One last note:  the experience of running with my Garmin was eye opening for me.  According to it, my splits were 4 seconds faster than my goal, and yet I finished officially with splits 3 seconds slower than my goal.  A 7 second variance.  I'm glad to have seen this, however, as I'll need to be aware of it during my Marathon in November.  A variance of that much translates to 3 minutes over the Marathon distance, which could impact my BQ time.  I

4 Miles easy.  I'm in Chicago.  I'm REALLY jealous!  The waterfront trail here is incredible!

Again on the waterfront trail in Chicago.  Man, it doesn't get any better than this!

4 Mile easy run.  No issues ... right hamstring has been tight since the race, but have been rolling it and it is loosening up.

4 Mile easy run in Toronto.  Will rest tomorrow and then pick up the mileage again on Monday.

A seven mile easy run (8:08 pace) - no issues to speak of after my race.  I'll hold my weekly mileage in the 40 mile range until my marathon training starts in July.

Five miles at an easy pace of 8:20.  I gave a blood donation last night, and boy did it show!  I felt sluggish and my legs were dead.  Normal stuff, after giving blood.  Should feel better by tomorrow.

An easy run at a pace of 8:20.  Felt comfortable throughout. 

An easy run of 6 miles on my regular loop - pace of 8:26/mile.  No pain issues of note - my old friend iliopsoas is always there, but not getting any worse.  And besides, the nagging pain reminds me to keep a strong form.  The massage on Monday helped the glutes/hamstrings, and I've added a strengthening routine to my schedule to specifically address the hamstrings in this period between training schedules.

Marathon training starts at the beginning of July.

Had a scare this morning, as my Forerunner 305 would not power on.  It's an old faithful partner, and I hated the thought of losing it.  So, ran a familiar 5 mile route without a watch - just by feel.

Anyway, before I blogged here, I did an internet search re: my Garmin and discovered a solution through a "soft re-set" that worked for me.  Hurray!  I have my friend back!

Ran the 12 miles at a pace of an 8:18/mile on my regular rural route.  A bit of excitement at mile 3 when a black bear crossed the road just ahead of me. 

Next week I'm going to introduce hill workouts, as a good chunk of the Hamilton Marathon is downhill.  Need to get my quads ready for that.  Will also start running the paces I'll be using during my Marathon training program ... I'm using the Hanson Method, and so they are all laid out for me.  Essentially, that means the only real adjustment is running my easy runs at a much slower pace.

Initially, I had planned to train for a 3:25 marathon, since I need a 3:30 qualifying time for Boston.  After Cleveland, however, I've decided to train for a 3:20 marathon.  I believe I can handle the faster training paces involved, and it will give me a bit more of a cushion.

Okay, my first real hill workout.  I drove three miles up the road to park at a mall. From there, it's about a half mile to the bottom of a hill which forms part of the wall of the valley in which I live.

I jogged to the top and then ran down, repeating this five times.  The hill is just over 900 meters long, with two distinct sections.  The top portion is more gradual and is just over 400 meters long.  Then there is a flat section of about 100 meters.  Then a steep drop which is just under 400 meters long.  So, I ended up running about 3 miles of downhill.

Now I have to wait and see what I did to my quads.  My plan is to repeat this workout every Monday this month.  The Hamilton Marathon is relatively flat for the first 13 miles or so.  Then, the course drops 460 feet over 3 miles.  That makes it about a 3% grade.  Then the final 10 miles are relatively flat once again.

Everything I've read on downhill marathons is how critical it is to do downhill workouts - otherwise the quads get trashed.  So, we'll see how I handled today's workout and adjust my plans accordingly.  Right now, I feel great.

I ran this at a super easy pace (8:45/mile), following yesterday's hill work.  Surprisingly, I have NO pain issues at all ... I had expected my quads to feel the stress of those hills, but nothing.  Good!

A couple of things about the pace.  First, it's in the range of my Hanson's Marathon Training schedule for 'easy runs', and I really need to be aware of running those miles at the correct pace.  My tendency is to do them too fast.  So, I'm working on that now.

Second, it's the pace of a race in Collingwood in October that I'm going to be a "pace bunny" for in the Half Marathon.  I've always wanted to try pacing, and this is my chance.  For me, it will be a simple training run, but for others, hopefully, it will give them a chance to reach their goal.  I'm signed up for a 1:55 Half, corresponding to a pace of 8:47, which also corresponds to my easy running days.  So, lots of reasons to practice running at this pace on my easy days.

So, happy with the hills yesterday; my legs are tired today, but I'm ecstatic that my muscles seem to have handled them well.

Ran six Yasso 800's.  Aimed for 3:20 splits.  They came out at:

3:14  3:09  3:09  3:13  3:19  and  3:13.

So, faster than I meant to run.  I aimed for between 6 - 8 repeats.  Ended up at the six.  Had a 400 recovery between each one, except that I took 800 after the fifth split.  Legs were rubbery at that point, and I decided I had enough for today, so just finished off with some slow recovery miles.

Just an easy paced run.  Cold and strong wind out of the North.  And my allergies are pretty much at their worst these days, with all the Spring pollen coming at once.  So, a bit harder to breath with all the congestion.  

Another easy run, with a consistent 8:42 pace.  A beautiful morning; cool at first, with the sun just coming up.  No wind.  I love running on these kinds of mornings.

Wanted to run this at a tempo pace, to start interiorizing what my marathon pace (7:38 - I am thinking of going for a 3:20 marathon) should feel like.  Need to work on that ... my actual pace was 7:24, so a little too fast.

My mile splits were all pretty even at that pace, and I just could not seem to reign back, even as I tried.  With my initial warm up mile included, those 1st 6 miles came in at a 7:36 pace.  So, I'll have to keep working on this.

Health wise, my allergies are killing me!  My throat feels like someone rubbed it with 80 grit sandpaper, I'm full of phlegm and finding it hard to breathe, my sinuses are burning and my eyes are constantly tearing.  Oh joy.  On top of that, with the phlegm building, I coughed up a lung at mile 4.  When your iliopsoas is sore at the best of times, the last thing you want to do is cough.  Ouch.

The good news is, by marathon day on November 2nd, all the things causing me to react should be dead.

Down Hill session, same as last Monday.  Had planned on running 6 instead of 5 repeats this time.  However, I'm still struggling to breathe due to allergies and, after 4 repeats, decided it was best to stop while ahead.  Still, that's 2 miles worth of downhill work, so it will do the job.  

The good news is my allergies do seem to be letting up a bit - my lungs don't hurt as much.  More than anything else, what did me in this morning was a coughing fit while re-ascending the hill for the 3rd time.  Ouch!

7 easy miles, for a run of just over 1 hour.  My lungs are still not firing on all cylinders ... I'm pretty congested and it's hard to breathe, but maybe it's not as bad as the last couple of days.  Sure will be glad when allergy season is over!

7 easy miles (8:43 pace).  The good news:  I am breathing a little better today.  I slept a solid 7.5 hours.  I am still congested, but when I cough I am managing to keep my lungs where they belong.  Other symptoms seem to be fading away too, so I'm hoping I'll continue to see daily improvements from here on it.

At about mile 3.5, someone stopped and asked if I wanted a ride.  Nice - but I declined.  Wasn't even tempted.

I slept in until almost 6am, and I lingered a bit longer over a second cup of coffee, since I am not due at the office until a little bit later than usual today.  That meant I ran with a different group of commuters - gotta watch that.  Traffic is heavier at this time, and those cars pulling out from sidestreets really are not looking for pedestrians/runners.

7 easy miles in the rain.  The 1st really warm rain we've had, so I didn't mind it at all.  It started yesterday and continues today, and it's doing a great job of clearing the pollen from the air, so all is good.

I didn't go into any coughing fits on this run, and my lungs are not burning quite as much, so I do think I've turned the corner on the allergy front.

An easy run.  Lungs continue to improve - slowly.  Tomorrow I'll attempt a long run.

A nice day for a long run, although there was a cold north wind (48 F with 20 mph wind).  Miles 1, 12, 13 and 14 were into the wind.  Miles 5, 6, 7 and 9 had it at my back.

My long run pace when I start my Hanson's Marathon Training program next month is 8:18, so I aimed for that.  Did pretty good - ran 1:56:08 with an average pace of 8:17.

I took a Boom Energy Gel 15 minutes before I began, a Power Bar Gel Blast at miles 2, 4, 6 and 12, a Hammer Gel at mile 8 and 8 ounces of Honey Maxx at mile 10.  The rest was water.  Of course hydration was not a huge issue today, given the cold temperatures.

I'm pleased with my breathing - much easier than it has been all week.  However, when I finished, I had an extended coughing spell that really hurt my iliopsoas.  It hurts to cough!  Other than that, I'm pleased with the run today.

I have an obstacle course 'mud run' that I'm doing a week from today, and I'll be away at camp Monday - Friday, so even though I'll be running every day, I'll have to wait until I get home to record what I've done.

Ran my downhill repeats (x6), giving me about 3 miles total downhill - roughly the same as the Hamilton marathon.  No issues to report.  Raining hard for the 1st half, but then cleared.

Three runs in the beautiful Lake Huron town of Kincardine where I spent 5 days this week at a rental cottage with a friend. This is just a catch up report on my training there. I'm leaving in a few minutes to run the Sudbury Miner's Mahem - a local mud run/obstacle course at our ski hill, and thought I'd get these reports done 1st.

I ran Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday there, 8 miles each day along the waterfront road (Boiler Beach Rd.). At the 2 mile mark, there is an option to climb a steep hill and continue at the top through rolling hills in farmland, or to continue along the water.

On Wednesday, I just ran 4 miles out and back along the water. On Tuesday and Thursday I made the climb. Steep hill, 450 meters long. Slow going up and fast coming back down.

Anyway, all three runs were done at a relaxed pace overall. The weather was beautiful and there are no issues to report. Just a delightful change in scenery, with some hill work worked in too.

Now on to that obstacle course!

Comments made yesterday.

Comments made 2 days ago.

Okay, my results are posted. I didn't run with a watch, so am going with the "official" distance ... not certified.

This was my 1st "mud run" and was a LOT of fun. I started in the second wave. There were 13 waves of about 40 - 50 people spaced 5 minutes apart. The great news was my sister (new to running) was in my wave.

I decided to just enjoy the experience, so didn't race hard. There were 532 runners, with 459 finishers. Each runner put themselves in a category of their own choice: Hard Core Miner (will race it hard), Light Duty Miner (good shape, but not crazy) and Weekend Warrior (goal is just to finish it). I put myself in the "Hard Core Miner" group, of which there were 63 of us. I placed 18th in that group, and 26th overall with the open field. My official pace was clocked at 6:07/km.

Anyway, there were about 14 obstacles (called Mayhem) over this 6.5 km course. Crawling through mud under ropes, over tires and logs, scaling walls with ropes, being sprayed with water along the way, slides ... you get the picture. VERY steep climbs - it was basically up and down the local ski hill, over and over and over again. Very rough in places - ruts and such - so you had to be careful with your footing.

As I said, a lot of fun. Everyone who finished got a miner's hard hat instead of a medal. Cool. My right knee was a little 'off' - likely due to the downhills I did this week - and so I was very careful on the steep and rough downhill portions of the course.

It was a beautiful morning for this, and the hose down at the end felt great!

I'm going to take tomorrow and Monday off from running, and then ride my motorcycle to Grimsby on Tuesday - a 6 hour ride. I'm running a 10 km there that night, and am aiming to PR it. We'll see.

Just an easy three miles, as I wanted to see how my muscles were doing after Saturday's mud run. A little sluggish, but no problems. 10 km race in Grimsby tomorrow night.

Okay, my report ... the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The bad is I did not beat my PR.  In fact, I was 106 seconds slower than my PR in Collingwood last October, and 47 seconds slower than my 10 km race in Hamilton last November.  My time of 45:23 gave me an average pace of 7:19/mile, which was a lot slower than even my Half Marathon 5 weeks ago.  So that sucks.

Now the ugly - which is my self evaluation of the whole event.  Okay, maybe it's also my justification for my bad performance, but it's my blog so I'll write it anyway!  It helps me to put it in perspective.

First off, I have to admit that I was not fully recovered from that "Mud Run" (Sudbury Miner's Mayhem) on Saturday.  Even though I did not run on Sunday, I knew from my short Monday run that my legs were beat up.  My calves were sore, as were my arms and my lower back.  On Tuesday night, my calves were still sore (but I don't think they factored in to my slower pace).

Secondly, the 5 hour ride on my motorcycle did not do me any favours.  It poured rain most of the time and I was tired going into the race.  Now, I did nap for an hour ahead of time, and I tried to eat sensibly.  But this was my first ever evening run (race started at 7:30pm) and so it was new territory for me.

Third, my back was sore!  I think it was still due to the mud race, but I couldn't even touch my toes.  Putting on my shoes was rough.  It didn't seem to affect me while running, but ouch!

Fifth, the heat.  It was hot (for me).  More on that below.

Sixth, on top of all that, I paced myself like an inexperience runner.  I know better than that!  I was out way too fast, and I paid for it.  My splits should have been an even 4:15/km or 6:50/mile (my goal was to finish in 42:30, or 67 seconds off my PR).  This is what they ended up being:

4:03 (6:31), 4:06 (6:36), 4:02 (6:30),  4:27 (7:09)  4:52 (7:50)  4:50 (7:47) 4:46 (7:40)  4:52 (7:50)  4:33 (7:20)  4:34 (7:20).

Okay, the details.

After the 5 hour ride in the rain, I checked in, dried out, and then went next door to a Tim Horton's for a coffee and 2 bagels.  It was 4pm, so more than 3 hours before race time.  Then I returned to my hotel and napped for 1 hour (or tried to).  Then up to change and off to the starting line.  The 1 km kids run was starting when I got there.   I picked up my kit, checked my bag, and did some light running around the area.  The 5 km race started at 7pm, so I watched that.  At 7:15pm, it started to rain hard.  

The temperature was 28C or 82F.  For me, that's hot!  It did drop to 22C or 71F by the time I finished, but by then the humidity was close to 100%.  

The race started right on time.  I was out too fast, and I knew it.  Tried to slow down, but didn't do a great job of it.  The route seemed to be following much the same streets as the Half Marathon I ran in February.  There are hills, and I'm hoping one particular hill is not a part of this course (there was no elevation profile provided).

Well, hills.  I know we end the same place we started, so overall it's even.  I have an advantage going downhill (due to my training), but not on the uphills.  What goes down, must go up.  And those hills wreaked havoc on my legs.  In that heat, I could feel the energy draining quickly.  By the fourth kilometer, I pretty much knew that I didn't have a PR in me for this race.

By the half way point, I was really hoping for rain.  It didn't happen.  I was sweating really heavily, and I was drinking at every water station.  There was lightening, but no thunder - nothing close.  There had been tornados earlier in the day a couple hours drive away, but the rain held off during this race.

Then, the big hill I remember from the Half.  It was tough during the half, but at least then I was just going easy.  Here, I was pushing, or trying too.  It's only about 200 meters long, but pretty steep.  Really does a number on the legs.

I decided then to just try to push a steady pace and not to give in.  I knew, after one attempt at running faster, that I just did not have the legs for it.  So, I finished the best I was able this day.

When I finished, I was really over heated.  I was happy for a children's water park on site, as I stood beneath a shower to cool down.  Took in a lot of water, and took me longer than usual to recover.

Had to ride back to my hotel (just 5 minutes away) in a light rain, wet, and now feeling cold.  Took a hot shower and collapsed into bed.  But I didn't sleep much, as my lower back was worse and it ached all night.

In terms of my performance, in hind sight, I could not PR this race.  I was just too tired going into it, after my run on Saturday.  I don't think my sore muscles played much of a factor.  And I was never really winded at any point during the race.  I just had jelly legs throughout and they would not respond to me no matter how much I tried.

So, the take away:

Pace yourself!  I would have done a LOT better with a pace bunny.

Rest.  Obvious, of course, and I will certainly follow the tapering guidelines leading up to my Fall marathon (in COOL weather!).

I'm glad I went, as it was a good experience, a well organized race, and lots of good vibes from all the runners.  There were 328 running the 10k ... 150 men and 178 women.  I placed 42nd overall, 6th out of 20 in my age division, and 38th out of the 150 men.

Oh, and the good is my report from the next day.  On to that now.

Okay, I didn't ride 5 hours just to run a 10k race.  I also wanted to check out a part of the route for my Fall marathon.  There is a trail section that I can't view on Google Maps, can't drive on, and have heard some warnings about.  So, today I ran it.

It took me some doing to find it, but once I did, I ran it.  Basically, the first half of the marathon is relatively flat, or at least rolling hills through farm land.  I drove that this winter.  Then, it goes down a major highway --- 460 feet downhill over 3 miles.  I also drove that.  That's where I picked it up today.

At the bottom of the hill, we will run up a ramp, cross over the highway, and then enter a small wooded section of trail.  It's mostly downhill, but has a couple of steep uphills as well.  I'm glad I ran it today, as it will help me to visualize the course while training.  One blog I read expressed concern about one downhill section of it that is messy.  That was a major factor in me wanting to run it today.  It turns out that, although a bit tricky (uses cinder blocks on the hill for erosion control), I'm not overly concerned about it.  

Once the trail ends, we are at Lake Ontario and the rest of the course follows a paved road/trail along the lake to the finish line.  I also ran a part of this.  It's mainly flat and in good condition.

I ran this easy, at an average pace of 9:03/mile.  The 7th mile I ran at my marathon pace, just because.  Although my back was still tight, it felt good to run today.  No issues following the previous day's race, but there shouldn't have been, since my pace was not terribly fast anyway.

Took a rest day yesterday.  Today ran easy - 8:42 pace.  Lower back is feeling a bit better, but still not 100%.  I'm convinced I hurt it during the Miner's Mayhem, as running doesn't seem to bother it.  Another couple of days and it should be normal.

Now, at mile 2 today, my left hamstrings really tightened up for some reason.  Just came on out of the blue.  Stayed really tight until mile 6, and then began to loosen up a bit.  I'll have to do some foam rolling over the next few days - racing and then travelling immediately after did not leave me time to do that.

I have not been able to decide if I should run long tomorrow.  I think I won't.  I do have a 5k race on Tuesday, and my official marathon program starts on Wednesday.  I think my best option is to keep my mileage in the low to mid 30 mile range this week and launch into my program rested.

Oh, we are finally into summer temperatures here!  Running is pleasant in the early mornings at 18C/65F, and the highs are hitting 30C/86F.  

Okay Tom, your vote won ... I went with the shorter run today.  Lower back is still not 100%, and that left hamstring is still knotted.  So, just took it easy to see if I could loosen things up a bit.  Been doing a lot of stretching, which I'll continue ... no running for 2 days, and then the 5k Tuesday night and then my marathon training begins.

Yuck!  I am decidedly NOT happy with my race last night in Lively.  A full minute slower than I planned.  And I can see no real reason for it.  Not a good way to launch into my full marathon training program today.

My kilometer splits were:  4:03  (6:30/mile)     4:14  (6:48/mile)     4:26   (7:07/mile)     4:19 (6:56/mile)  and  4:25 (7:07/mile).  That gave me an average overall of 4:17/km or 6:54/mile  (was aiming for sub 4:10/km or a sub 6:45/mile).  

Like my 10k the week before, this was an evening race, beginning at 7pm.  I do NOT like evening races!  It was hot and sticky all day, and there was a stiff wind which also felt hot.  The temperature was 23 C with a humidex reading of 28 C.  That's 74 F with a humidex of 83 F.  So, similar to my 10k conditions the week before.

I ate a full meal at 3:30 pm, which was fine.  A banana 75 minutes before and a gel 45 minutes before.  I warmed up by running about a mile.  Never having run a 5k event previously, I looked up strategies on the internet and found that running the 1st mile a bit faster than overall goal pace was the way to go.  So, I did that.  However, I ended up slowing down below my goal pace after that, and I just could not push my body to go faster.

The course was uncertified ... and timing was done with a stopwatch.  Pretty low tech and informal.  My GPS watch showed the course to be fairly accurate, and showed me running 37 meters further than 5k, which is normal.  My guess is they used a GPS to mark the course.

Physically, I felt fine.  I think what did me in was the heat/humidity and the hills.  Of those, there were a fair number.  The 1st km was relatively flat, but the second featured two significant climbs and one descent.  The third km had three shorter ascents, and it was here that I really began to feel the heat and the wind.  The fourth km had one long slow ascent and one significant descent.  The final km was relatively flat until the second half, which featured a slight descent for about 200 meters, and then the same ascent over the same distance to the finish line.  I do not like uphill finishes!

The 'official' results are not posted yet, so I do not know where I placed in my division.  There were about 100 runners, give or take, and I came in around 25th, I believe.  Some of those young runners posted good times.

I do know that one woman who ran just in front of me the 1st 4 km came in at around my goal time of 20:40.  She pulled ahead in the final km and I just could not keep up with that pace.  Too bad I didn't have any kick left in me.

Oh, my little sister who did the Mayhem with me 10 days ago also ran this.  It was her first road race, and she did very well - had never run faster than a 33:00 5k, and she came in at 30:00.  I'm proud of her.  Disappointed only in that they did not give out t-shirts or finisher medals.  That would have been nice for her. 

Now, some positive:  this WAS my 1st 5k event, so it's automatically a PR.  Woo Hoo!  And, I KNOW I can beat it.  I don't know when I'll run another 5k - for sure not until after my full marathon in November - but I will beat this time for sure.  I'll just have to run in cooler temperatures.

My takeaway is I'm not trained for hot weather, and I do not run hills enough (downside of living in a flat valley).  Of course, the Hamilton Marathon is not hilly (well, at least it's mostly downhill).  Still, I'm going to run my weekly tempo sessions on a hilly course - I'll just have to drive to get to it.  And I'll keep running events of significance to me in cooler temperatures.  I guess I lucked out in Cleveland, as previous years it was quite hot there.  

I have to keep reminding myself that I am better than this time showed.  I mean, the pace at my Cleveland Half for the 1st 5k was pretty much the same as it was for this race.  I know I can do better.  And that's important for me going into my marathon training, because I need to settle on a goal pace for training.  Initially, I was going to train for a 3:25:00 finish in Hamilton, but after Cleveland decided to bump that up to a 3:20:00 finish goal.  My last 2 events, on paper, would show that the 3:25 goal is more reasonable.  However, given the conditions that I believe were responsible for slowing me down, I've decided to still aim and train for the 3:20:00 finish.  It will give me a little more wiggle room in that event if the conditions are poor.  I'll just have to be extra attentive to my body during training to make sure that I'm not pushing myself too hard by overtraining.

My program calls for all easy runs this week.  My 'easy run' pace is a range between 8:38 and 9:16, depending on how I feel.  So, pretty relaxed.  Today I ran it at an 8:55 pace, which was comfortable, even with the 96% humidity.

The race was just 12 hours ago, of course, but there don't seem to be any lingering effects from that.  Tight in a few places, but not sore.  My allergies have not entirely cleared up yet, and so my lungs are still a bit 'heavy', but much better than a couple of weeks ago.  Overall, I'm starting my training program healthy and with a decent base.  Just 17 1/2 weeks to go!

Six miles at the faster end of my easy range:  8:41/mile.  No issues ... a beautifully cool morning at 12 C/54 F, with the sun rising and very little traffic now that the schools are out for summer.

First off, Happy 4th of July to all American runners.  Enjoy your long weekend.

Today is a nice, cool and foggy morning.  Just 10C or 49F - perfect for running.  I ran at the faster end of my easy range - an 8:41/mile pace.

My back is FINALLY feeling 100%.  So are the hamstrings.  Even my iliopsoas is feeling a lot better - my massage therapist did a new stretch on it on Monday, and it made a huge difference.  So, all seems good 17 weeks out from my marathon!

My GPS battery died during mile 1, so I just ran on feel.  I knew the distance of this route anyway, so no problems with that.  I likely ran it at the mid-range of my easy run pace.  A beautiful morning for running!

This was my first Sunday run - Tuesdays are my new 'days off'.  Since I'm doing speedwork at the track tomorrow, I tried to run at the slower end of my easy pace range.  I still came in more in the mid-range, at a 9:03/mile average.  Maybe when the cumulative fatigue grows later on in my training, I'll find the slower pace easier to achieve.  For now, all is well.

Mondays are now for speedwork at the track.  And this is the 1st time I've been at the track in 5 years, so I'm looking forward to getting back into it.

This is the closest track - about 7 or so km from home, at one of the local high schools.  It was officially measured some years ago, as it became the track for regional events the year that the Laurentian University track was closed for a rebuild.  So I know it's a 400 metre track.  It's just cinder stone and obviously no longer used much.  There are weeds growing up here and there.  Fortunately, the inside lane is clear and in relatively good shape.  So, it will do for my purposes.

The temperature was a pleasant enough 19C or 66F, but with 100% humidity.  So lots of sweat!  There was a slight breeze that helped cool things down a bit.

Today was 12 repeats of 400 m, with 400 m recovery between.  My speed pace is set at 6:40/mile or 1:40/lap.  I was careful to not go out too fast in the beginning and managed to nail every lap - all at my goal pace or just below it.  I felt strong throughout and had no issues at all.  So, I'm pleased with this workout.  All the rest this week are easy runs.  

A nice cool morning for my run.  Just 10C (50F).  Ran at the fastest end of my easy pace (8:48), and I had to keep putting on the brakes to keep it there.

Nice cool morning for running - just 8 C/46 F.  My schedule allows for additional easy miles, so I ran 7 today instead of the scheduled 6.  All is feeling good so far.  Kept a pace of 8:48/mile - towards the faster end of my easy range.

Ran at the fast end of my 'easy range' - 8:47/mile.  Another nice cool morning made for an easy and pleasant run.

Started off slow, but finished strong, for an average pace of 8:48/mile --- at the faster end of my easy run pace range.  Was scheduled to run 8 miles, so overall ran an extra 3 this week.  

I'm finished the 1st 2 "warm up" weeks of my marathon training schedule - just 16 to go!  Next week we'll add in Tempo Runs and a Long Run, on top of the Monday Speed Work.

The Hanson's program does allow for increasing mileage beyond the advanced program, which tops out at 63 miles/week.  They suggest doing this by running easy instead of taking a day off/week.  I'm seriously thinking of doing just that, but will wait until I see how I feel on that day.  When I trained for Detroit, I topped out at 63 miles/week, and I am feeling I should bump it up, just a little, this time around.

Beautiful morning for running.  Mid teens (high 60's) and a cool breeze blowing, and very low humidity.

An easy run of 6 miles.  It was only 17C/62F, but with 100% humidity I was thankful for a bit of a breeze.  It had rained all night, and a storm had just moved through, but by the time I ran the sun was just starting to poke through and it turned out to be an enjoyable run in pleasant enough weather.

My program today called for 8 x 600m at a pace of 2:29/600m (6:40 mile).

My actual splits were:  2:28  2:27  2:26  2:26  2:24  2:25  2:25  and  2:26.

So, I'm very happy with the training session.  I felt strong throughout and had no problems keeping an even pace.  A good confidence booster for sure.

Weather was perfect.  Clear and sunny, with just a slight breeze and a temperature of 13C/56F and humidity in the low 80s.

Given the results, and provided there are no surprises between now and tomorrow, I'm going to run easy on my 'off day' to increase my mileage by about 10% over what the Hanson's advanced program provides.

5 mile recovery run at a super easy pace of 9:08/mile.  Was only going to run 4, but the extra mile allowed me to avoid a busy traffic area, and I felt fine in any event.

6 mile tempo run.  My 1st of my marathon training program - will be a regular Wednesday feature now for me.  I had really hoped to maintain a pace close to my marathon pace - 7:38.  Well, I still need to work on control.  

My splits:  7:38  7:37  7:39  7:31  7:35  and  7:18 for an average of 7:35.

So, I did okay for the 1st three miles, but didn't do too good with my control over the last three.  I'll have to work on that.

Ideal running conditions today - 10C/50F - with little wind.  Would love to have this on race day.

7 easy miles - 9:01 pace.  Beautiful morning - no wind, and only 10C/51F.  Perfect for running.

Another perfect day for running -  just 10C/50F and no wind.  I ran at the fast end of my easy run range - an 8:43/mile.  Will finish up the week tomorrow with a 10 mile 'long' run.

Even though it was only 10 miles, this is considered a long run - the first in my training program.  My long runs are done at an 8:18 pace, so just 40 seconds slower than my race pace.  And my program allows for race pace in the final 3 miles, so I decided to go for it.

So, the 1st 7 miles I was pretty much bang on pace.  Averaged 8:17, with only a few seconds faster or slower each mile ran.  The last 3 miles I ran at  8:36  8:29  and 8:21, so a bit faster than race pace.  It felt great, however, and there were no issues of note.

I ate a gel at the 45 minute mark and gatoraide for liquids.  The temperature was 15C/60F, so pleasant for running.  No wind.

Ran this easy six miles at the slowest end of my easy pace range:  9:15/mile.  A beautiful morning for a run.

Speedwork at the track today, with perfect conditions.  18C/64F with just a gentle breeze.  My program called for 6 repeats of 800m at a pace of 3:20/800m.

My laps were:  3:17  3:15  3:17  3:17  3:17  and 3:19.  So, I nailed it!  Very happy.  I had to push hard, but I did it!

Ran these 5 miles at the slowest end of my easy range:  9:11/mile.

Yesterday had a massage.  I was tight on the right side, and so asked her to focus on that.  Boy, did she!  My hip flexor, IT insertion point, and glutes were all tight - my hip was off quite a bit.  After an hour, I was balanced again.  Will have to focus a lot more on my stretching every day.  I get lazy there sometimes.

A cold front moved in last night, so it was a nice, cool 12C/54F for running my tempo pace this morning.  Goal pace is 7:38, and I really need to work on my control to maintain it, and I was happy with the results today.

My splits were:  7:38  7:36  7:36  7:36  7:41  and  7:29.  So, other than running 9 seconds faster on my final split, I nailed it and I'm happy with that.

I felt strong throughout - I could have continued running.  My only concern was a slight twinge in my right Achilles Tendon.  I think it may be related to my exercises last night.  Ever since my Tendenosis from Detroit, I've been doing 180 heal drops every night.  Once or twice a week, I do single leg heal raises off a step instead.  I did those last night, and I think it was too much before an SOS run.  Will save those for easy days from now on.

The rest of my runs for the week are all easy runs.

Brrr ... cold morning for July.  Almost could have worn gloves.  Just 8C/46F.  Ran in the middle range of my easy paces:  9:06.

Felt a lot warmer this morning than it did yesterday for the run - 12C/53F.  Perfect for running.  I ran at the faster end of my easy pace:  8:40.

Ran about middle pace in my easy range:  9:02.  Legs are a bit tired from yesterday's hike; I bushwacked my way to the top of a tall hill to explore an abandoned fire tower.  It was a tough walk of 2.5 hours return.  But then, that replaced my strength training for the day.

Ran at the slow end of my easy range, for a pace of 9:12.  Tough running today for some reason - 100% humidity doesn't help, I suppose.

Speedwork at the track today - 1000 metres (x5) with 400 m recovery.  Time for each 1000m was to be 4:06.  Cool morning with little wind, so good conditions.  I nailed it and felt strong. 

Ran my splits in the following times:  4:02  4:01  3:56  3:59  and  3:59.

So, I had an excellent workout and felt pumped at the end of it.

You know, under ideal conditions, on a flat surface, and if they let me take 400 m recovery jogs between each kilometer, I could run a 5k in under 20 minutes :)

A 5 mile easy recovery run - 9:10/mile - the slow end of my 'easy range'.

6 mile tempo run.  Still finding it hard to control my pace; need to run a 7:38/mile.  I averaged a 7:33/mile.  Close, but still a little too fast.

My splits were:  7:36  7:40  7:32  7:34  7:32  and 7:29.

Seven easy miles at the faster end of my easy range - 8:48/mile.

Ran today with a partner - I think for the 1st time.  Another local runner who I know and who has just recently got into the sport.  He will join me when he can for my easy runs.

Six easy miles at the slow end of my range:  9:12/mile.

For some reason, my left hamstrings knotted up something fierce at the end of my run yesterday.  It even made walking difficult.  I kneaded and foam rolled and stretched as much as I could all day.  Today - better.  Although I could feel the hamstrings during the run, they are much better now.  Will continue to work on them today when I can.

A good long run in ideal conditions:  17C/62F under sunny skies.

My goal pace was 8:18; I ran the 1st 9 miles at a pace of 8:15, which I am happy with.  Every mile was within a few seconds of that pace.

The last 3 miles I turned it up and ran them at 7:31  7:31  and 7:28 - all good stuff and I felt comfortable enough doing it.  

My left hamstring finally loosened up enough so that it was not so sore, but on the run I felt the right hamstring a bit too.  But both are far better than yesterday and the day before.  More stretching and foam rolling - everyday!  My iliopsoas is the main pain, but that is ongoing and I've just learned to live with it.  Daily stretches, with ultra sound thrown in on the side - seems to keep it manageable.

I'm not sure what happened, but I was very sore today when I ran.  Specifically, my left hip was in agony from the 1st step.  The pain was close enough to my iliopsoas to confuse me, but I'm not convinced that is what it was.  It felt more like my hip extender.  

Anyway, I pushed through the 6 miles at the slowest end of my easy range - a 9:13/mile.  The second I stopped running, the pain went away and I was fine the rest of the day.  Lots of stretching.  I'm curious to see what happens when I do my speed work at the track in the morning.

Speed work today.  I really need a pacer to help!

Goal was 4 x 1200m splits at 4:57/split.

Actual splits were:  4:58  4:51  4:51  and  4:54.

Breaking it down, I was okay with the 1st split.  The second one did not go as well.  I was a few seconds behind pace at the 200m mark.  Since I was 1 second off pace on the 1st split, I was concerned by that, and I picked up my pace.  Too much, it turns out.  I think I ran flat out, and by the 300m mark I was dead and wanted to give up.   Didn't know I was running that fast, and knew I couldn't keep this up for the entire workout.  So, I slowed right down and jogged to the 400m mark where I noticed that I was AHEAD of pace, sitting at 1:37 for the lap, even with the slowdown.

So, I took a time out and had a good talk with myself.  A bit of a lecture, actually, about focus, motivation, and all that sort of stuff.  Then I completed the final 800m of that split, and the final two splits as well.

It was tough going for sure, but I'm happy with the outcome.

Physically, my left hip was still a bit of a nag, but not nearly as bad as it was yesterday.  And my left hamstring still has that dull ache.  I just left a message with my massage therapist to see if she can slip me in this week for a session.  I can't seem to loosen those muscles up - I'm hoping she can.

An easy 46 minute run.  Still tight in the left hamstring and hip; just got a message from my massage therapist - she has an opening this afternoon, and so I'm hopeful she can do something to loosen things up for me.

This was a 7 mile tempo run, and I nailed it finally.  Really tried to focus on running even splits.  They were 7:38  7:40  7:37  7:38  7:34  7:39  and  7:38.  So, I'm happy with the results.

As to my body:  spent an hour with my massage therapist yesterday, and she focussed entirely on my left leg.  Pinpointed the problem - my IT band at the point where it inserts at the hip.  My hips were way out of alignment, and that was pulling on my hamstrings, causing them to seize up.  Oh, and  they were totally seized up.  She would get them loose and then work on my hip, and my hamstrings would immediately spasm.  Ouch.

Anyway, now I know more precisely where I have to focus my stretches and foam rollings.  I am booked for more frequent massages between now and marathon race day too.

The good news today is that my hamstrings were not an issue - my hip for sure is tender, but I still ran my 10 miles fairly comfortably.

7 easy miles - still tight in that left hip, but no hamstring issues at all.  Will continue with the stretching routine several times every day.

10 miles at the middle of my easy range:  8:57/mile

Left hip still sore/tight - I think not as bad as yesterday.  Still doing lots of stretches.

Met 4 other runners today, all running solo - that's very unusual, as I very rarely see even one other runner.  Nice to see.

Just 8 easy miles this morning.  Started in the middle zone of my easy range and finished at the fast end, with an average pace of 8:49/mile.  Hip is loosening up even more, but not 100% yet.  Getting there!

So, I'm finished the 1st third of my 18 week training program.  Despite the little physical pains along the way, I'm optimistic that all is going well.

An easy 6 at the slower end of my easy range:  9:15/mile pace.

Speedwork at the track, using steps.  Was to run:

400 @  1:40   Ran in 1:39

800 @  3:19   Ran in 3:17

1200 @ 4:57  Ran in 5:00

1600 @ 6:40  Ran in 7:03  :(

1200 @ 4:47  Ran 800 instead in 3:34  :(

800 @   3:19  Skipped  :(

400 @   1:40  Ran in 1:38

Okay, so I blew it.  What went wrong?  Well, other than my left hip which is still tight (and now, after the 9 mile run, is sore), I felt fine at the start.  It was warm, but no more than previous runs and not terribly humid.

I think a part of it was in my head - I'm not a fast runner, and I think the one mile split intimidated me.  Maybe.

The 1st three splits were bang on, but I was really fatigued after the 1200m split and decided to walk a lap and then jog a lap in order to be really recovered for the mile.  That is when I was really feeling my hip too.

I intentionally went out slow, hoping to pick up the pace as I went.  So, I was already 5 seconds off pace after the 1st lap.  Well, that pace held and there was no way I was able to pick up the pace in the final lap.  So, I was bummed out by that split.

Then, I was really fatigued for the 1200m split that followed.  At the 800m point, when I saw that I was already 15 seconds off pace and my legs were totally dead, I decided to pack it in.  Figured it was not worth pushing through at that point.

So, I finished my distance by running laps at an easy pace.  After 8 miles, I decided to try one more 400m split, just to see.  I ran that strong, so I think again it's the longer distances getting into my head.

So, I'm disappointed, but at least I ran 3 of the 4 miles at speed.  

I have just 3 speed sessions left, and 2 of them are 3 x 1600m repeats.  So, I'll have to give serious thought this week to that, and consider changing those to 6 x 800 repeats instead.  I'd sooner have a strong workout on pace than one that falls short and does not do what it's supposed to do.

And my hip is really bumming me out.  It seems to tighten up overnight - still not sure what exactly it is.  I see my massage therapist in one week.  Between now and then, if things do not change, I may make an appointment with my doctor to rule out stress fractures and arthritis.

After my speedwork on Monday, I decided to take my scheduled 'day off' yesterday.  I've run every day for the past 5 weeks, and I figured it would be good to give my sore hip a rest.

On that hip, I'm leaning towards Trochanteric Bursitis.  At least I'm hoping that's what it is, as it's the one hip injury I can run through!

Also, it occured to me that the speedwork on Monday may have been negatively influenced by my blood donation the previous Tuesday.  It sure would explain a lot.  I figured I could slip in one more donation before my marathon, but I think I goofed on that thinking.  It worked okay for half marathon training, but I think depleted me too much for the marathon training.  Oh well - live and learn.  A few more weeks and my red blood cells should be back to normal.

Today, unfortunately, turned into a bit of a disaster run.  It was meant to be 7 miles at race pace.  It started off okay.  The weather sucked --- light rain, wind at 15 - 25 mph, and just 10C/50F.  But then again, it's probably close to what I'll have in Hamilton on November 2nd.  So, I ran 2 miles warm up, and then I hit my pace for the next 3 miles:  7:40  7:39  and 7:38.  

Then, soon after that, I was attacked by a dog (an ankle biter).  Never happened before.  I was running in a neighborhood on the paved sidewalk.  The bloody cur charged me without warning.  I instinctively kicked it and landed a good blow in its mid section, causing it to whelp and run away.  At the same time though, I lost my balance and came really close to doing a face plant.  I don't know how I caught myself, but I did.

Damage report:  I had to stop running due to pain, and since I needed to make an inventory of what I had done.  Top of my left foot sore, left knee on medial side sore, hip REALLY sore now (both the outside and the inside - my old iliopsoas friend which I normally keep under control).

Nothing seemed serious, so I started running again.  Kept my tempo pace for a half mile, and then fell off pace.  Ran mile 6 in 8:03.  At that point, I could really feel all the sore points, but I was too far from home to start walking.  Plus, I wanted to finish the run.  Mile 7 was 8:23, mile 8 was 8:52 and mile 9 was a sickening 9:24.  My final mile was 9:33.  I couldn't even keep my slow easy pace for those last 2 miles.

I'm guessing I came down really hard on my left leg when I lost my balance.  Walking seems fine, although I can feel those body parts throbbing a bit.  I'm going to see how things settle through the day and night and then I'll decide if I can run easy tomorrow and Friday, or if I should cross train for those 2 days and save it for the long run on Saturday.

And yes, I'm pissed off!

Miserable day.  Just 8C/46F, cold rain, and North wind.  Yuck.  But, like I said yesterday, this could very well be the sort of day I run in for the Hamilton marathon in November.

Anyway, the run was 'yuck' for reasons other than the weather.  My left hip is no better, and in fact seems worse.  I tried using heat on it just before I left - no help.  Maybe next time I'll try ice.

I decided to run slow, just to see how my body felt after yesterday.  The good news is my left foot and knee felt fine.  That hip though ...

I stayed on pace through mile 4, but then the pain really increased.  And yes, it was pain rather than discomfort for the 1st time.  I also noticed that it was causing my form to change - pronating my feet a lot - and I think that is what is causing my left knee to hurt (which it started to do at this point again).

Well, I wasn't going to walk the 3 miles home, which is how far I was at that point.  So, I just slowed down to a jog and tried to focus on good form.  Ran that way for 2 miles and then walked the final mile.

So, what to do:  running through this is not helping, obviously.  So, my 1st decision is to replace running with cycling for the next few days - in fact, I'm ready to go 10 days with no running if it helps.  I still have not made a decision on whether to see my doctor for a cortisone shot.  I'm leaning in that direction, as I still do think this is Trochantric Bursitis.  It's just odd that there is NO pain from walking, climbing stairs, pressing on it or sleeping on it.  But as soon as I hop or start to run, I feel it like it's bone on bone.  And it's radiating down into my Quads.

The cycling (and I HATE cycling for more than 30 minutes at a time!) should help to maintain my fitness in the meantime.  It's not ideal, but if it takes care of the issue, it will be worth it.  I think I'll aim for slower training paces after that.  My BQ time is 3:30.  I'm training for a 3:20, so I do have a good bit of room to adjust here.  We'll see.

Was scheduled to run an easy 8 miles today, so did 80 minutes on my spin bike instead.  One minute standing and four minutes sitting, repeat.....  No offence to cyclists, but BORING!

Will be worse tomorrow - scheduled for a 14 mile long run.  140 minutes of spin.  I may go crazy.

140 mind numbing (and butt numbing) minutes on my spin bike.  Replaces my 14 mile run today.  Sigh.

60 minutes spin bike to replace my 6 mile run.

After 3 days of no running (spin bike instead) I decided to test things out at the track.  I figured that would be best, since I wouldn't have far to walk if I had to stop running, gave me a softer surface to run on, and gave me the option of a little speed work if I was up to it.

Well, that left hip was painful from the get go.  I toughed it out for 3 miles, but it was not getting any better, my running form was being thrown off, and I was limping when I stopped.  I'm not a happy runner, after three days off and lots of ibuprofin, rest and stretching.

I'm calling my doctor as soon as the office opens this morning.  I'm fairly certain (hopeful) this is Trochanteric Bursitis, and that a cortisone shot will clear things up.  We'll see.

Well, I went for my massage therapy yesterday.  She confirmed the inflammed bursa, saying I had noticeable swelling on my left hip, and that it was warm.  Even though she was careful to avoid pressing on the area - she worked the area around it - I left there in a lot of pain.

So, I've taken to icing the area as often as I can.  This morning I decided to try running on my treadmill after icing it.  Could only go the 2 miles before the pain made me stop.  This is really frustrating, as it really does not feel bad when I'm walking or climbing stairs.  Just running.

Anyway, I called my doctor yesterday to make an appointment.  Unfortunately, I can't get in until August 28th.  That will be exactly 2 weeks since I've been able to run normally, which sucks.  I'm hopeful I can get the cortisone shot then and there, although I suspect she'll want to rule out other things with imaging tests beforehand.  More delay.

All that being said, I've not given up on the Hamilton Marathon.  For sure I can't train the way I would like for now, but if I can get back to it after a cortisone shot, then I will.  In the meantime, it will be back to the spin bike and I'll throw in shorter runs as I'm able to bear it.

If the shot does not work, or if there is something else going on, then there is no way I can run a marathon this Fall.  I'm hopeful, however, that this is not the case.

After a 70 minute spin on my bike Wednesday, and a 60 minute spin yesterday, I had enough of that.  Decided to see how the hip was feeling and go for an easy run.

Used a 6 mile route that gave me an out at 4 miles and 5 miles if necessary.  I'm glad I was able to do the entire 6.

The 1st mile was okay.  Not 100%, but not bad.  After that, I would describe it as a pressure more than pain.  In fact, my iliopsoas was the worst of it, and I've been running with that for a long time.  I figured it would get worse as I went, and it didn't.  So, I'm cautiously optimistic.

Still icing and stretching it big time every day.  I think tomorrow I might try another run and see what happens.

Well, I'm much more optimistic after this run.  I really didn't know how it would turn out today, so I decided to go slow and see how far I was able to run.  I was scheduled for a 10 mile easy run, and that is the distance I ended up going.  All good.

I ran the first 5 miles all in the fast to mid range of my easy pace.  Then I picked it up for the final 5 miles and ran progressively faster, with mile 8 at race pace.

The pressure in my hip was there pretty much throughout, but it never turned to pain.  I think it actually faded a bit when I ran faster, but that might have just been the endorphins from running.

In either case, I'll wait and see how I feel in the morning.  I'm scheduled for an 8 mile easy run.  If that goes well, I might even take on my speedwork at the track on Monday and get my training back where it should be.

I had not run for 7 straight days, but I have biked every day, so my cardio should be okay.

Nothing much has changed - still that pressure coming from the Busitis.  But still ran through it for an easy 8 miles.  I'm going to try my speedwork tomorrow and see how that goes.

Speedwork at the track.  Scheduled for 6 x 800 repeats.  Ran them at:

3:24  3:21  3:21  3:25  3:22  and  3:22 --- all within my goal pace range.

The only adaptation I made was to walk a lap after the 3rd, 4th and 5th repeats to give myself more recovery time.  My hip was screaming at me, but I wanted to push to finish the repeats.

I figured I was better off fully recovered and running a good repeat, than to limp through a poor effort.

So, overall I'm happy with the results.

Wow - tough tempo run today.  But I did it!

2 mile warm up, 8 mile Tempo run, 1 mile cool down.

Hip was sore during the warm up and 1st part of the Tempo pace, but seemed to settle down after a few miles.

For some reason, I really had to push through all sorts of negative thoughts.  I wanted to slow down after the 1st mile, and wasn't sure I'd be able to keep up the pace throughout.

But I did.  Aimed for a pace around 7:45/mile, and averaged 7:44 at the end.  My slowest mile was 7:50 and my fastest was 7:35, with all rest coming within a few seconds of each other.  So, I'm happy about the pace control.

Now, when I finished, I was limping.  Ouch!  That darn hip.  I see my doctor tomorrow morning, and am hoping for some good news.  In the mean time, I've run 2 of my SOS runs this week, and fully expect to run my Long Run on Saturday.  The next 2 days are easy runs.

Ran an easy 7 with another runner - nice to have the company.  At a 9:14/mile pace, and with no significant issues, other than some tightness in my hip.  Am seeing my doctor about the hip later this morning.

A bit cool at 7C/45F, but sunny and no wind, so pleasant enough for running.

An easy 8 at an average pace of 8:49.

Well, had a good visit with my doctor yesterday.  She confirmed the Hip Bursitis and gave me a prescription for the Cortisone to fill.  I'm to bring it back so she can give me the injection.  We decided to hold off for now, as it is not nearly as bad as it was.  After tomorrow's long run, I may be ready for it - we'll see.  At least I know I can get the shot quickly if I need to.

As to the iliopsoas issue, that's been a lot more painful lately.  So, she decided to take an x-ray of my hip to rule out the possibility of osteoarthritis.  I will have to wait for those results.  Meanwhile, I'm doing all I can if it is the psoas, and so I'll just have to keep at it as I've been doing.

15 mile long run.  I delayed it for a while, because it was raining SO hard.  Must be the same system that forced Tom to run in his sunglasses to keep the rain out of his eyes - ouch!

It slowed to a drizzle, and I was off.  Decided to aim for a pace between 8:20 and 8:30/mile.  Actual pace for the entire 15 miles was 8:25 average.  Faster than that for the 1st 8 miles, slowed a lot going up the mile 9 monster hill, and then the next 3 miles were slow as I struggled with the hip pain, and then picked it up for the final 3 miles.

Decided to experiment with a new nutrition mix.  No sport's drink at all - just water.  And then either one gel blast every mile, or one honey stinger every kilometer, with a gel every 6 miles or 10 km.  Either combination works out to about 60 grams of carbs/hour, which is what I'm aiming for in my marathon.

Today, I mixed the honey stingers and the gel blasts to see which works best.  It's the honey stingers hands down.  A LOT easier to chew and swallow.  They are smaller - 3.5 grams of carbs each, rather than the 5 grams for the others.  And so, one per km works out well.  And, since the Hamilton Marathon will be marked in kilometers, that plan seems best.  

Today, using this combination, I had no GI issues at all.  So, I'll continue to work with the GU gels and the Honey Stingers, and stick with water.  My weak stomach has always been an issue, so if this works, all will be well.

Really felt my hip bursitis after mile 7.5 --- I just dropped off the prescription for the coritisone at the pharmacy, and will pick it up on Tuesday and get that shot.  

After having missed my 14 mile long run 2 weeks ago, as well as 7 days of training, I'm VERY happy with the way it went today.

A miserably painful run.  My left hip was really sore this morning when I got up.  It felt fine last night - stretched it out and I thought everything was great after the long run.  I guess not.

It hurt from the start, and I struggled just to keep at the slower end of my easy pace for the 1st 2 miles.  After that, I was limping.  I slowed right down and decided to cut the 6 mile run down to 4.  I'm glad I did, as I could barely hobble at the end.  Sucks.

Well, I ran.  Was scheduled for 10 miles, but decided to run 6 and bike for 40 minutes.  Here's how my week unfolded:

Sunday sucked, as reported.  I woke up Monday in a lot of pain, and was limping all day.  So, I didn't run.  Tuesday was a scheduled 'off' day anyway, and I was still limping, so I just rested.

Wednesday and Thursday were not better, so I biked both days.  I took my scheduled mileage and biked 10 minutes for every mile scheduled.  That gave me 110 minutes on Wednesday and 60 minutes on Thursday.

Thursday morning, I finally got the shot of cortisone in my hip.  The injection includes an anesthetic.  My doctor told me I would feel better quickly because of the anesthetic, but then back to my miserable self a day later.  Then another couple of days for the cortisone to work its magic.

Well, so far she is bang on.  I felt great last night and could actually hop on my bad leg for the 1st time in a long time.  I woke up a bit sore, but still ran the 6 miles without the same level of pain as I had on Sunday.  I cut it short only because I didn't want to push it just yet.  It's a few hours later and it's quite sore, so I'm curious to see if I'll be able to run tomorrow (10 miles scheduled) and I'm optimistic that my 6 mile run on Sunday will go well so that I can tackled the faster work planned for Monday.

IF all that goes well, I think I can make a few adjustments in my training and still run the Hamilton Marathon.  It will depend on my iliopsoas, of course.  Oh, and the x-ray results showed I have mild osteoarthritis in both hips.  Joy.  For now, that doesn't mean much, although it may be a factor for me at higher mileage - we'll see.  For now, I'm just hoping to run without the pain I've had recently.

Managed to run my scheduled 10 miles, at the faster end of my easy range:  8:46/mile pace.

Still a lot of pain in that hip, but I decided to just push through it.  The injection was 2 days ago; I'm hopeful I'll notice a difference when I run my 8 miles tomorrow.

Ran in the middle range of my easy pace:  9:03/mile.  Felt the same as yesterday - hip pain that I was able to push through.  I sure hope it eases up soon, because I can't see how I can run fast like this.  Tomorrow I start the 'strength' part of my training program, so I'll get some idea of how I hold up at a faster pace.

I'm in the "strength" part of my marathon training, leaving behind the speed workouts (hurray!).  According to the Hanson's training program I'm using, strength workouts boil down to running repeats (from 1 mile to 3 miles) at a pace about 10 seconds faster than race pace.  The repeats all add up to 6 miles, and there is a 400 m recovery jog between each one.  So, the next 6 Mondays will all involve this.

Today's session required 6 x 1 mile repeats.  I've changed my marathon goal from a 3:20 finish to a 3:25 finish, since I've basically lost 3 weeks of training.  That would still give me 5 minutes better than my BQ.  That puts my strength training pace in the 7:35 - 7:40/mile range.

My actual splits were:  7:29  7:23  7:24  7:19  7:18  and  7:10

Aside from the fact that I ran them too fast, I'm ecstatic that I ran them all!  The pain in my hip was manageable - I believe was more like pressure in my bursitis and the pain I've had for some time in my iliospsoas.  The training session felt comfortable, and it's the 3rd day in a row in which I've run all my required paces.

I have tomorrow off, and then a tempo run Wednesday.  I think that will be revealing as to how this pain will affect me for the rest of my training program (8 more weeks).  If I can nail the tempo run, I'll be more confident in being able to manage the pain and run the marathon.

Oh, getting colder too!  It was 12C/53F - cool enough that I could have worn gloves (and didn't).  There is a stretch of cold weather ahead, so this is going to be the norm.  Then again, it will be close to freezing during the marathon, so not a bad idea to get used to it.

Nailed it!  Best tempo run yet - felt strong throughout.  Some pressure in the hip area, but no pain.  I'm icing it now.

Since the Hamilton marathon is going to be marked in kilometers rather than miles, I've decided to set my GPS watch for kilometers, and to run my tempo and long runs that way.  The real reason, though, is that I think I've finally figured out my nutrition strategy.  One honey stinger every kilometer, and one GU every 10 kilometers.  That would work out to just over 60 grams of carbs/hour, which is my goal.

I can chew and swallow the honey stingers a LOT more easier than those Power Blasts, and so far in training my stomach is holding up.  Taking a chew every time my GPS rings at the kilometer marks is just a neat convenience.

Anyway, my race goal works out to about 7:45/mile or 4:49/km.  Today, I ran 8 miles at exactly that pace.  My kilometer splits were:  4:50  4:51  4:50  4:44  4:48  4:44  4:49  5:02 (had to wait about 10 seconds for traffice at an intersection)  4:42  4:51  4:47  4:49  and  4:41

So, pretty consistent throughout.  As long as my hip behaves, I'm hopeful I can finish my training and run as planned.  I'm continuing with the stretching and strengthening work, and am taking the maximum amoung of ibuprofin allowed every day.

Ran easy at an 8:57/mile pace.  COLD morning, and with a strong North wind.  Just 6C/42F.

Some tightness in my right hamstring and my left iliopsoas is still acting up.  But no significant problems after yesterday's tempo run.

COLD morning.  Just 4C/39F.  Little wind though, so actually nice for running.  Kept a pace of 8:59/mile.  Same issues - iliopsoas on the left and hamstring on the right.  Just enough to be annoying, but not to keep me from running.  We'll see how it all pans out on my long run tomorrow.

Cold and wet - 6C/42F and a slow, steady rain throughout.  Wore what I will probably wear for the marathon, and used the same amount of chews (honey stingers) and gels (GU) that I will likely use in the race.  Carried and drank only water.  That combination seems to work well, as I didn't have any serious stomach  issues.

Ran a pretty steady pace throughout - averaged 8:22 for most of the run.  I picked up the speed at the end, running my final mile in 7:41, and finished the 16 miles with an average pace of 8:18 and a total running time of 2 hours and 13 minutes.

I was able to run through the iliopsoas pain in the left groin area, and the tugging in my still sore right hamstring insertion point.  I'm icing them now, and am hopeful that neither will be an issue.  We'll see when I attempt a recovery run tomorrow morning.

Overall, I'm happy with the run.  Just 2 more long runs to go before the race.

Easy recovery run.  Cold, foggy and a bit of frost.  Nice for running, actually.  No problems.

Nailed it again!  Today's 'strength' session involved four repeats of 1.5 miles at a pace of 7:35 (for a marathon goal pace of 7:45), with a half mile recovery jog in between.

I ran the repeats at 7:28  7:25  7:28  and  7:23.  Still faster than I should, but I felt strong throughout.

Didn't feel my niggling pains while running fast, but they sure make their presence known when I slow down!  Continuing with the ice/ibuprofin/foam rolling and stretching routine.