Going Long (again) in 2024

5 easy treadmill miles; run time of 44:27.

5 easy treadmill miles; running time of 44:10.

6 treadmill miles; running time of 53:00.

6 treadmill miles; running time of 52 minutes.

5 treadmill miles; running time of 44:10.

Speedwork on the treadmill.  12 x 400 repeats at 1:40/lap (6:40 mile pace) with 400 recovery jogs.

5 easy treadmill miles; 44:10 running time.

5 easy treadmill miles; running time of 43:45.

11 treadmill miles this morning.  Running time of 97 minutes.

6 treadmill miles; running time of 53:45.

6 treadmill miles; running time of 53:54.

Speedwork today:  8 x 600 with 400m jogs.  6:49 pace.

Decided to cross train for the rest of this month and for next with x-country skiing.  I plan on skiing 3 days/week and running 4 days.  The 4 running days will include one speedwork session and one long run.  In March, I'll begin a more structured program to train for the Bay City Half in May.

So, first time in a year, I skied this morning.  10km in decent conditions.

6 treadmill miles; running time of 53:00.

12 miles on the treadmill; running time of 1:43:20.

15 km ski this afternoon.  Tricky day for wax - right at freezing and very sticky snow.  Ah well - 90 minutes of skiing, so all was good.

6 treadmill miles; running time of 53:50.

4 treadmill miles; running time of 34:45.  I'll hit the ski trails later this morning.

Okay, back from skiing.  A lot faster trails today - and a lot colder too.  Did the 10 km loop.

Speedwork today:  6 x 800 with 400 recovery jogs.  Pace was 6:52/mile.

4 slow treadmill miles; running time of 36:00.  Will hit the ski trails later this morning.

Okay, just back from a 10k ski.  Great conditions!

5 treadmill miles; running time of 44:20.

13 mile long run on the treadmill; running time of 1:53:15.

15 km on the ski trails today; ideal conditions at -15C and clear skies, with no wind.

6 treadmill miles at an easy pace.

4 treadmill miles; running time of 34:50.  Will hit the ski trails later this morning.

Okay, back from skiing.  Cold, but clear, blue skies.  Did the 10k trail.  Nice, fast conditions.

6 treadmill miles; running time of 53:08.

Had to really push - gave a blood donation last night, and result was legs feeling really heavy today.

4 treadmill miles; running time of 34:50.

Will head out on the ski trails later this morning.

Skied 8 km; heavy, wet snow, so was slow slogging today.

5 treadmill miles; running time of 43:33.

5 treadmill miles; running time of 44:15.

6 treadmill miles; running time of 51:43.  

Sure glad for that treadmill; it is -41 here today, and that works out to the same number in both Celcius and Fahrenheit.  COLD!

5 treadmill miles; running time of 43:40.

Speedwork on the treadmill today - 1000 x 5 at a 6:49 pace.

Everything went well, except for my last mile cool down - right hamstring seized up very suddenly and very painfully.  Forced me to cut my cool down short.  I don't know what that was about - kind of came out of left field.  I did some strength work last night - including hamstring work - so maybe that was it. 

5 treadmill miles; running time of 44:50.  Tried to keep it slow and steady, since my hamstrings are still sore from yesterday's incident.  Have been stretching and foam rolling them.  Ouch.

5 treadmill miles; running time of 44:00.  Right hamstring is still tight and a little sore, but didn't seem to bother me while running.  I'm going to run 13 miles tomorrow, and then we'll see how it's holding up.

13 treadmill miles, with a running time of 1:53:50.

Great news - no hamstring pain or tightness at all.  I woke up with it feeling great, and the run caused it no problems.  Hurray!

5 treadmill miles; running time of 43:00.  

Back to sunshine, but bitterly cold at -36 with the windchill.  Sure glad for the treadmill!

6 treadmill miles; running time of 53:10.

Massage helped a lot yesterday.  Massage Therapist said my hips were WAY out of whack, which was pulling up on my right hamstring.  She fixed that, but I'll have to focus more on stretching my hips to prevent that from happening again.

Speedwork on the treadmill today.  1200 x 4 with 400 jogs.

No hamstring issues this week - wonderful!

5 treadmill miles; running time of 43:50.

Hamstring tightened up right at mile 3, but slowing down let me finish the run.

COLD day here - minus 38, which is basically the same in both C and F.  Ouch!

5 treadmill miles; running time of 43:45.  That right hamstring is still tight, but not so bad that I couldn't run on it.

It's minus 35 today.  Sure glad for the treadmill!

13 treadmill miles; running time of 1:53:20.

Still tightness in that right hamstring, but obviously it did not prevent me from running.

6 treadmill miles; running time of 52:20.

Today is the Grimsby Half Marathon, which I ran last year.  It's a 5 hour drive, and I couldn't make it this year.  Last year, it was very cold, and it's the same today:  -26C or -14F.  That's not the reason I didn't go, but brrr!

6 treadmill miles; running time of 52:20.

Right hamstring tightened up just in the last minute, so I still need to pay attention to that body part.

Well, I couldn't run yesterday.  Within minutes of starting on the treadmill, my right hamstring was screaming.  So, after 2 weeks of nurturing it and running through the pain/tightness, I figured my best option was to rest it.  And I'm back on ibuprofin and daily icing.  Hopefully I won't have to take more than a few days off.

Today I spent 1 hour on my spin bike instead.  4 minutes of cycling/1 minute of hard stand up repeated 12 times.  I don't enjoy that nearly as much as running, but I'm glad I can do it with no pain.

13 treadmill miles; running time of 1:56:30.

After taking 3 days off with no running, I figured I'd see how it went with that hamstring today.  It felt tight from the start, but not painful.  It got no worse as I went, and maybe even felt a little better in the latter miles.  So, I'm hopeful.  I'll keep icing it.  Next week was meant to be a bit slower anyway, so maybe that extra rest will do it (no speedwork).  The week after I want to start my half marathon program, as I'll only be 12 weeks out from Traverse City.

Well, I decided to not run at all this week to see if that hamstring issue will clear up.  It is still nagging me, and I'm pretty sure going into a training cycle now will only lead to more anguish.

So, I'll be on the spin bike all week.  Oh joy.

Today:  One hour.  1 minute hard standing/4 minutes easy x 12.

Same as yesterday; 1 hour on the spin bike.  1 fast/4 slow x 12.

Same as yesterday; 1 hour on the spin bike.  1 fast/4 slow x 12.

Same as yesterday; 1 hour on the spin bike.  1 fast/4 slow x 12.

Same as yesterday; 1 hour on the spin bike.  1 fast/4 slow x 12.

Same as yesterday; 1 hour on the spin bike.  1 fast/4 slow x 12.

That's 6 days on the bike.  The right hamstring has not been an issue, but when I stretch it, I can still feel some tightness in it.  Still, I'm going to start running again on Monday.  It's actually the 'official' start day of my half marathon training program, so I'm anxious to see if I'm past the worst part of the pain.  If nothing else, I'll slow things down and go easy on the speedwork until I know things are healed.

X-country ski 10k this afternoon.  First time out since late January - it was just WAY too cold in February.  It's starting to warm up a bit now.

5 easy treadmill miles; 8:33 pace.  It's great to be back running, rather than being stuck on the spin bike.

The hamstring feels okay, but I'm paying close attention to it.  I'm continuing to ice it, and stretch it out daily.  Once I"m sure it's okay, I'll do some strength work on them.

Interestingly, it was the arthritis in my left hip that was the issue today.  It really hurt while skiing yesterday - I guess that movement is worse for it.  However, I've been running through that pain for a long time, and will take that over hamstring issues any day.  At least I know I can run through arthritis pain.

5 treadmill miles at an 8:34 pace.  

Tempo run.  Was scheduled for 5 miles at a 7:14 pace.  After 2 miles of holding that, I slowed down because I felt tightness (not pain) in that right hamstring and I didn't want to take a chance of hurting it again.  So, I ran 2 miles at 8:30 and another one at 8:00.  Decided to leave it at that for today.  7 miles total.

5 treadmill miles at an 8:34 pace.

5 easy treadmill miles; 8:34 pace.  Long run tomorrow - so far, so good with the hamstring.

14 treadmill miles.  Was supposed to run it in exactly 2 hours; I took 2:12:50.

Started off with the Hokas, and had right hamstring tightness - not quite pain - immediately.  It started leaning towards pain by the end of mile 1, and I decided to test a theory and see if it was the shoes.  So, I switched to my Glycerins.  That didn't change much, and so I slowed down dramatically.  I figured it would be better to get the time in on my feet at a slower pace than to not run at all.

Well, running at 10 minute/mile pace seemed to do it.  The tightness slowly subsided, and I finished the 1st 9 miles in 90 minutes.  So, going back to test my shoe theory, I switched back to the Hokas and picked up the pace, finishing at an 8 minute/mile for the last 2 miles.  The pain was gone, and so was most of the tightness at the end.

So, I'm pretty sure it's not a shoe issue anyway.  I'm glad I decided to run through it.  I have a massage booked for Monday, and so will get her to work a lot on my hips/glutes/hammies.

15 km x-country ski today.  It was just WAY too nice to not go.  I took my time initially, but picked up the pace as I went.  I had no real hip pain, and no issues with the hamstring.  A beautiful, sunny day - gorgeous for skiing.

6 easy treadmill miles; running time of 51:50.

That right hamstring was tight - almost sore - throughout.  I'll see what happens today with the massage, but I'm pretty sure my best move will be to give up the speedwork entirely in this training cycle - and the idea of a PR in the Traverse City Half.  If I run everything easy, I'm hoping the hamstring strain will heal.

My big question is Chicago.  Lottery entry opens up today.  (edit:  it opens tomorrow)  I'm wondering, though, if I should even attempt to run a fall marathon, since my real focus is Boston in just over a year.  I'm thinking now I may skip the fall marathon and make sure I'm completely healed in advance of next winter's training.

5 easy miles on the treadmill.  Running time of 43:03.

Massage helped a lot yesterday.  Hips were out, and the right hamstring was rock hard.  She recommended an osteopath to me, to help align my hips.  I'll think about that.  For now, I'm going to eliminate speedwork until the issue is resolved.

7 treadmill miles.  Was scheduled for speedwork, but didn't want to push it and risk hurting my hamstring more.  So, decided to just pick up the pace a bit, and ran 2 of the miles at tempo pace.  Running time of 55 minutes.  Everything seemed to hold up okay.

5 treadmill miles at an easy pace; 43 minutes running time.

No obvious lingering effects from yesterday's faster run in terms of the hamstring.  It was a little tight to start, but felt better as I went.  

Also decided last night to enter my name in the Chicago Marathon lottery.  So, I'll see in 6 weeks if my name is drawn.

Same as yesterday - 5 easy treadmill miles; running time of just under 43 minutes.

14 treadmill miles for a running time of 1:57:18.

I ran a steady 8:34 for the first 10.5 miles, and then increased the speed every quarter mile to finish at a 7 minute mile pace.  Although the hamstring was noticeable throughout most of the run, it was never too tight, was not painful, and did not get any worse as I ran.  We'll see what it does over the course of the day - icing it right now.

Went skiing after Mass.  Beautiful day!  Was just above zero (low 30's F), and sunny.  I skied in just a t-shirt.  The only problem was the snow was like mashed potatoes, and so hard to slog through.  Still, very enjoyable, and the first real sun on my skin since last October.  Did the 10k trail.

Seven miles - OUTSIDE!  First time on the road since my marathon last November.  What a great feeling!

I'm off this week, and so was able to start a bit later than usual - after the sun came up.  I drove my route first to see what shape it was in, and figured it was doable.  There was really only one MONSTER puddle (lake) to avoid, and I did manage to do that.

I was scheduled for 6 miles easy, but decided to lengthen all my runs a bit since I'll likely not be able to run on Friday (travelling).  My easy run was supposed to be at an 8:33 pace, but I ended up running it at an average pace of 7:58.  I really picked it up the last couple of miles, but I never felt like I was pushing it too hard, and my hamstring was not a significant issue (felt a little tight was all).

So, I'm quite happy with the way it all went.  Temperature wise, it was nice - minus 1C or 31F with very little wind.  Now, there is still uncertain weather ahead, and so I may still hit the treadmill some more, but at least I've begun the transition to the roads, which is great.

Back on the treadmill today; I'm travelling, and wanted to get an early start and didn't want to run in the dark during the heavy traffic period.  Plus I wanted to see how everything was feeling after my run outside yesterday.  Good news - no unusual soreness anywhere.

I'll be away for a few days, and will post my runs when I get home.  

9 miles on the treadmill at the hotel in  Toronto.  After my warm up, I ran 4 x 1600 at speed.  No issues at all with my hamstring, so I was on a high after that.

7 miles outside in Grimsby.  A little cold (just below freezing at -5 C or 23 F), but not too bad.  I took it nice and easy after yesterday's speedwork.  Tomorrow I'm on the road all day, so will take it off.

14 miles on the treadmill; running time of 1:56:30.  I picked up the pace for the last 3 miles.  My right hamstring was a total non-issue.  Funny though, my left hamstring is a little tight.  Will do lots of foam rolling later; I have a funeral to conduct this morning.

It snowed a lot last night, and it's only 15F with a wind chill making it feel like -2F.  That's why I ran the treadmill.  Spring is here, but nobody bothered to tell mother nature it seems.

6 treadmill miles.  Easy pace.  WAY too cold out today for running outside.  Running time of 50:47.

I was going to ski yesterday, only to find out that the trails are closed for the season.  I guess that's a good sign.

6 easy miles on the treadmill; running time of 50:47.

6 easy treadmill miles.  Same pace for all this week.  Gave a blood donation yesterday, and it showed today ... higher pulse rate after the run and tired legs.

5 easy treadmill miles.

Again, 5 easy treadmill miles.  The great news is - no aches or pains anywhere.  Hurray!

6 easy treadmill miles; running time of 50:47.  A good week overall, with no nagging aches or pains.  Ready to ramp it up next week.

6 easy treadmill miles; 8:27 pace.  Another major snowfall last night - no end in sight, it seems.

6 easy treadmill miles; 8:27 pace.  

Tempo run on the treadmill.  5 miles at a 7:14 pace.  No issues re: my hamstring.  I had a massage on Monday, and my therapist tells me it's the 1st time in quite a while that both hamstrings felt the way they should.

6 easy treadmill miles; 8:27 pace.  Fresh snow last night.  Will it ever end?

6 miles outside at an 8:11 pace.  SO nice to be able to get out.  Being that it's Good Friday, there was very little traffic.  Clear and sunny, with little wind, and a balmy 1C/33F.

I'm hoping things keeping warming up so I can continue outside.  I am aiming for my long run outside tomorrow.

14 miles outside at an 8:00/mile pace, for a running time of just under 1:52:00.  It felt great to finally do a long run outside, rather than on the treadmill.

Beautiful morning - eclipse of the full moon while it was setting, and clear skies as the sun was rising.

Cold though; it was only -10C/14F.  So my sports drink turned to slush.  Oh well - still great to be outside.  Hopefully, I can now leave the treadmill behind for good.

6 easy miles; 8:14 pace for a run time of 49:25.  Felt some of that right hamstring pain return - will have to baby it and work on my hips today.

Hamstrings again - sigh.

6 miles outside.  Right hammy a little tight at the start, but I went slow and it loosened up.  Just before mile 4.5, however, I stepped into a little dip on some unlevel ground, and I felt it give and there was instant pain.  I limped the final 1.5.  I'm not impressed.

No way I can run.  I was limping all day yesterday.  Not quite as bad today, but I'll need to take a few days off from running to let the hamstrings heal.

So, one hour on the spin bike.  One minute hard and 4 minutes easy x12.

Same as yesterday on the spin bike.  1 hard/4 easy x12.  Still got a ways to go with the hamstrings.

Same as the last 2 days:  60 minutes on the spin bike.  1 hard and 4 easy times 12.

The hamstring is feeling better today; I'm tempted to try a run tomorrow, but will wait and see how I feel then.

Okay, I'm not impressed.  Decided to try a very slow run.  Not nice.  I had to stop a few times to stretch out the hamstrings.  Was going to do the 4 mile loop, but at 1.5 the pain was unbearable, and I decided to double back for 3 miles.  However, at just past the 2 mile mark, I had to stop running and walked the rest of the way home.  So, more time off, I'm afraid.

Not impressed.  Every day this week, I stuck to the spin bike for 1 hour.  Today, I tried to run on my treadmill.  After 1 mile, I had to stop.  Walked for 3 more miles without a problem, so there is something about the running that is hurting my hamstring.

Sucks.

Decided to try something new - run/walk on the treadmill.  So, went for one hour ... a quarter mile walk at a fast pace, and then a quarter mile run at a slow pace (10 minutes/mile).  Total of 8 sets for 2 miles.

Managed to keep the pain to a dull ache, and it was nice to run even at this slow pace.

I am going to see a physiotherapist today to see if he can help speed up the healing process.

Boston Marathon day!  Exciting to think I'll be there next year.

Same as yesterday - 1/4 mile walk at 15 min/mile pace and 1/4 run at 10 min/mile pace for one hour.

My physiotherapist told me the hamstring is torn, but wanted me to get an ultrasound to be sure.  I saw my doctor and she gave me the requisition, so I'll get the ultrasound on Wednesday, and will be seeing my physiotherapist 3x/week.

He gave me the green light to exercise as long as I had no pain.  Discomfort is okay.  So, at least now I have a baseline of what I can do - 1/4 slow jogs.  I'll try to increase that distance and speed over the next few weeks.  And I'll stick to the treadmill - like Tom says - there are no potholes on my treadmill!  :)

Decided to stay off the treadmill today, and so one hour on the spin bike instead.  My ultra sound is tomorrow.  Physio later today.

Picked it up a bit - 1/2 mile run and 1/4 walk (x6).  Increased my running speed to a 9:30/mile.  Wasn't too bad for the 1st 2 miles - just tight.  But at the 2.75 mile mark, there was a sharp pang of pain in the hamstring, so I stopped.

Ultrasound today, so I'll find out the extent of the damage.

1 hour on the spin bike.  Physio this afternoon.

1 hour on the spin bike.  Tried a run/walk on the treadmill first, but I couldn't even run at a very slow pace without pain, so gave up on that idea.  I'll wait until I find out what the results of my ultrasound are and then plan my next moves re: training.

Okay, a few things have happened.

First, my hamstring is not torn.  I got the ultrasound results on Monday.  My physiotherapist is a bit mystified, as he tells me I have a big lump in there and very little strength on that side, but the results show no tear and no bleeding.  So, we're going with the strain theory.  After 3 weeks, it should be getting better, although 6 weeks is really what it needs.

Next, I got into Chicago yesterday!  I'm pumped about that - have always wanted to run in a larger event.  So, now I have extra motivating to heal.

Finally, I rode my spin bike for one hour on Monday and Tuesday.  Today I did it for a half hour, and then hit the treadmill for a half hour.  I walked a lap, then ran a lap, for a total run of one mile (slow!).  No pain, but for sure a nagging tension still.  But I'm glad I can run that little bit slowly.  It's a sign of hope.

Oh, and I got my motorcycle on the road yesterday too!

Decided to push a bit more on the treadmill today.  One hour total.  Ran VERY slowly (10 minutes/mile) for a half mile, and then a fast walk for a quarter mile, for a total distance run of 3 miles.

No real pain, but general tightness and soreness.  Still, 3 miles is the most I've run in 3 weeks, so there is progress.  Physiotherapy again this afternoon.

Also booked a place to stay in Chicago for the marathon!

Pushed a bit more on the treadmill today.  One hour, with 3/4 mile runs followed by 1/4 mile fast walk, except for the final repeat when I ran a full mile.

Ran the first few at 10 minute/mile pace, and picked it up for the last half at a 9:40 minute/mile pace.

Other than that tightness, I was fine until the last quarter mile.  The hamstring started to seize up and I decided to play it safe and did not run the final 100m of that split.

Still, I must be getting stronger, as this is the most I've run in almost a month.  So, I'm more hopeful now.

Kicked it up a slight notch today.  My HS was pretty sore after yesterday, so I thought I might use the spin bike today, but I woke up feeling no pain, so decided to go for it.

Ended up running 1 mile intervals, with 1/4 mile fast walks.  Started at a 10 min/mile pace and ended up at the end running a 9:30 pace.  So, slowly getting there.

What was really good, however, is that I had no significant pain at the end.  Just that nagging tightness.

For me, the big question will be do I transition back outside again, or focus on getting my pace back to where it should be on the treadmill.  I may do both - I have an eye on the Bayshore HM just 3 weeks from now.  I won't be running it fast, obviously, but I WOULD like to run it continuously.

I decided to hit the road today, and I think it was a good choice.  I ended up running 4.5 miles continuous.  Although the hamstring was tight throughout, there was no pain.  Maybe 'on the edge' of pain for the final half mile, but that's it.

I tried to keep the pace ultra slow, and did a good job of that:  splits of 9:36, 9:36, 9:42 and 9:36.  I really concentrated on my form and made sure to avoid all the potholes, depressions, cracks - basically anything that would throw off my stride.

So, I'm hopeful I can continue this trend, and slowly increase my distance and pace.  More hopeful for sure than I was a week or two ago.

Same distance as yesterday, but faster.  Ran my mile splits at 9:12, 9:12, 9:09 and 8:55.  Same tightness as yesterday, but it seemed to feel better as I went and I felt stronger at the finish.  So, more hopeful signs.  It's exactly one month since I strained the hamstring.  My physiotherapist tells me it can take 8 - 12 weeks before the healing is complete, but I'm just glad to be moving.  I won't break any speed records at the Bayshore Half two weeks hence, but at least I'm confident now I'll be able to run it.

Went the full 6 mile route today - the same one I injured myself on 4 weeks ago.  

My average pace was 8:58/mile, and pretty consistent at that.  The tightness is still there.  And, although I felt a few 'twinges' along the way, there was no pain during or after this run.

I think I'll maintain this pace and focus on increasing my mileage over the next few weeks.  Still need time for the healing to continue.

I think I got a little too excited after yesterday's run, and I planned on running 7 miles today.  Didn't happen.

I felt great for the first 2 miles and ran 8:49 and 8:42 splits.  But then a long uphill - not steep, but still - I think caused some hamstring tension.  I slowed to a 9:10 mile and then a 9:26 mile.

At that point, I stopped to stretch and then ran another half mile, and then had to stop.  I walked a half mile and tried to start again, but could not.  Unfortunately, that left me over 2 miles to walk home.  Fortunately, walking does not cause any pain.

So, I'll wait and see how I feel tomorrow.  I may just keep run runs in this range for now, or I may even hit the spin bike tomorrow and try for a longer run on Saturday.  We'll see.

I was pretty sore starting out, so decided to play it safe and run a route close to home.  Good thing.  After just over a half mile, I had to stop running.  I guess I just pushed too hard yesterday.  Lesson learned.

So, I came home and hit the spin bike for 45 minutes.  I may do the same tomorrow, depending on how things heal up today.

I wasn't sure what to expect after yesterday's bad experience, but I started off feeling better than yesterday, and decided to take the 6 mile loop.  At it's furthest point from my house, it's about 2 miles, so not bad if I had to walk it.

I started off ulta slow, and decided to walk a quarter mile after each mile split.  I just wanted to see how my hamstrings would react.  This seemed to work, and I got a bit faster and a bit more confident as I went, and ended up doing the entire loop, so a total of 5 miles running.  My mile splits were:   9:51  9:49  9:41  9:29  and  9:29.  Like I said, ultra slow.

That's a bit deceptive though, as I seemed to stiffen up after each walking segment and when I started to run again, it was at a really slow pace.  By the second half of each mile, however, I was running around 8:30.

Same tightness thoughout, although no significant pain.  What is really noteworthy is that the tightness seems to have moved up higher - it has been on the lateral side just above my knee, but now is more in the middle about half way between my knee and my glute.  I'm hoping it will keep going up and then out!

Late run for me; I had to bring my Vulcan in to the garage for a service first thing this morning, and didn't get back home until late afternoon.  Also had physio this morning.

So, ran 5 continuous.  I'm not pleased that I can still feel that pressure in my hamstring though.  After 5 weeks, you'd think it would be completely gone by now.  I guess I need to be more patient.  Ran the 1st three miles at around a 9:15 pace, and the last two at 8:45.

First time I've run twice within 12 hours - was a little nervous about it, but decided to take it slow and see how the hamstring felt.

Although it was tight throughout, I think it actually felt better than last night.  I ran my 1st mile at 9:38 and my last mile at 9:00, with my speed gradually increasing throughout - average pace of 9:19/mile.

So, I'm still cautiously optimistic.  Would love to have that tightness go away.  And the hamstring is still painful when pressed.  However, I hope to run 5 miles every day this week.  Still no speedwork on the horizon for a while though.

I started off slow and thinking I'd go 5 miles.  I'm in Ottawa tomorrow for the March for Life and want to run 8 miles there on the beautiful trails along the Rideau Canal.  But as soon as I started, I noticed I had no tightness in my hamstrings at all.  First time in a long time.

So, at mile 4 I made the decision to go for 6, and I pushed the pace a bit.  Over all, my average pace was 9:01.  I ran 9:21   9:12   8:59   8:39   8:53 and 9:04.

There was some tightness for the final 2 miles, but not as bad as it has been.  More of a reminder that I need to be cautious and not push it too hard just yet.

This is the most hopeful I've been in weeks.

This is yesterday's run report, as I didn't get home from Ottawa until almost 11 last night.  

A beautiful morning, and I always love the ottawa trails along the Rideau Canal.  I started near the locks downtown where I was staying, and ran to Dows Lake and back.  8 miles in total.

Good News!!!  My hamstring was not an issue.  Very slight tightness, and it got no worse as I went.  I could have gone further, but thought it best to not push it.  In fact, I'm going to rest today and try for a 10 miler (maybe 11) tomorrow.  Then the Bayshore Half is just a week away.

I took it easy on the speed.  My splits:

9:21  8:57  9:07  9:01  8:56  8:37  8:43  and  9:04, for an average pace of 8:58 and a running time of 1:11:54.

I have physiotherapy this afternoon and I believe it will be my final one, although for sure I'll be keeping up with my own strength routine for the hammies, and I know I need to be very careful going forward so as not to reinjure them.  I have no plans for speedwork any time soon.

Success!  No pain and no tightness at all in my hamstrings either during or after the run.  Total run time was 98 minutes, for an average pace of 8:56.  I'm very happy with the results.  It has been over 5 weeks since my injury, so it's great to be back to where I was.

The 5 weeks of reduced training shows though.  I was very fatigued by the end.  But I did it, and now I have the confidence to run the Bayshore Half next Saturday.

Just a few weeks ago, I planned on walk/running it in 3 hours.  Now I'm aiming to come in  under 2 hours.  Nowhere close to my PR, but I'm going to just think of this as a training run for Chicago, and go out to enjoy the scenery.

I'm leaving early Monday for London, Ontario, and so won't be able to blog any of my runs until I get back home after the Bayshore event.

I was in London, Ontario all week, and so did my runs along the wonderful trails on the Thames river.  Very nice for running.

Six miles on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  No pain issues at all, and I started to push the pace a little.

Today I ran in 50:06, beginning with 8:55 and ending with 8:00/mile.

6 miles in 48:37, so picked up the pace from yesterday.  Averaged a pace of 8:05/mile, with  my fastest ones being 7:41.

Ran a bit slower today, only because I pushed it yesterday, and because my Half Marathon is the day after tomorrow.  Ran the 6 miles in 50:24, with an average pace of 8:23/mile.  

Well, it's over nine minues slower than my PR last year in Cleveland, but I'm ecstatic with the result, since I lost 6 weeks of training due to the hamstring injury, and just a few weeks ago, I would have been happy to walk/run this race in under 3 hours.  Even a couple of weeks ago, I would have considered anything under 2 hours as being great.  So, I'm pleased.

After the 3 six mile training runs on Tuesday, Wednesday and  Thursday, my confidence went up.  No pain and not even any tightness.

I stayed in a hotel over an hour's drive away, so was up at 4am, and driving by 4:30.  Arrived in Traverse City by 5:45 and jumped on a bus to the starting line with all the other runners.  About a 30 minute ride, so that meant waiting in an open field for over an hour.  Fortunately, it was clear (but cold to start - frost on the ground until the sun came up).

I still wasn't sure how I would pace myself, but optimistically decided to place myself at the 8:00/mile pace line.  It turned out to be a very good choice.

The new route starts with quite a significant hill going up and then down.  They say it's 225 feet up, and then back down.  That is reflected in my splits, which are:

8:32  7:15  7:47  8:05  7:51  7:55  7:51  7:51  7:56  7:57  7:35  7:40  7:16 and my final kick lap was in 1:12 (actual distance ran was 13.19 miles, so that final lap was almost a complete lap - I wasn't paying a lot of attention to the tangents on this course.

Anyway, I never felt in any kind of distress at any point in the race.  I know I could have run it faster, but was more interested in running it without any discomfort, especially in my hamstrings.  The temperature and humidity were perfect, and the support along the course was excellent.  This is a fun race to do.  This gave me the confidence boost that I needed as I start to look at training for Chicago.  Based on this race, I decided to train for a 3:30 finish in Chicago.  I'm not aiming for a PR, but rather want to remain healthy and injury free as I prepare to tackle Boston next year.

An easy 6 mile recovery run.  Consistent pace of 9:14/mile.

6 easy recovery miles; pace of 9:01/mile.

6 easy miles;  9:14/mile pace.

8.5 easy miles at a 9:17/mile pace.

5 easy miles; 9:00/mile pace.

Afternoon run, as I wasn't too sure about my left knee this morning.  It starting to ache last night - sort of out of the blue.  I iced it, stretched my quads, and took ibuprofin, and it felt fine this morning, but I didn't want to test it so close to the start of my Chicago marathon training program.

Anyway, it's such a gorgeous day, I decided to try it out on an easy run.  Glad to report:  no pain, stiffness, or any other issues.  Perhaps more than anything a gentle reminder that at my age, you can't afford to skip the daily stretching and foam rolling routine.

6 easy miles; 9;07/mile pace.

6 easy miles; 9:07/mile pace.

5.5 easy miles; pace of 9:27/mile.  Really forced myself to go slow, since my easy runs in my marathon training program, which begins next week, range from 9:00/mile to 9:40/mile paces.

Last time around, I didn't run very many at the slow end of that range.  I want to do more of that this time to, hopefully, give my body the recovery it needs to prevent any injuries.

So, today was a test to see what running that slow feels like. 

5 easy miles; 9:10/mile pace.

10 miles with an average pace of 8:29/mile.  Running time of 84:50.

My Hanson's program will have me running long runs at 8:40, which is what I did for the 1st 7 miles.  Then I picked it up to Tempo Pace for the last three, giving me a bit of a faster average.

5 easy miles; 9:17 pace.

5 easy miles.  9:00/mile pace; running time 45 minutes.

6 easy miles; 9:00/mile pace.

6 easy miles; 9:11 pace.

6 easy miles; 9:17 pace.

8 easy miles; 9:00/mile pace.  Beautiful day with a slight fog at the start.  Temperature of 14C/58F.

First week of 18 done.  All easy runs.  No significant issues, other than tightness in a few places.  I really do need to be more attentive to the daily foam rolling routine.

6 easy miles; 9:21 pace.  15C/59F with a light rain - perfect morning for running. 

Tomorrow I begin my weekly speed work at the track.  Not my favorite running activity, but it needs to be done.

Back to the track.  Speedwork scheduled for the next nine weeks.  Today was 12 x 400 with 400 recoveries.  Pace was 1:45/lap.

Nailed all the laps, each coming between 1:42 and 1:45, and I felt strong throughout.  Here's hoping that continues as I go deeper into the training cycle.

Temperature was a pleasant 16C/61F, but the humidity was 99%, so a bit sticky.

I leave today for a road trip on my bike - back on Friday.  So, my next three runs of 6 miles each I'll record when I get home.

6 easy miles along the Lake Huron shoreline on Boiler Beach and Bruce Beach Road in Kincardine; pace of 9:30/mile.  Just a beautiful morning and a perfect setting for running.

6 easy miles along the Lake Huron shoreline on Boiler Beach and Bruce Beach Road in Kincardine; pace of 9:00/mile.  Just a beautiful morning and a perfect setting for running.

6 easy miles along the Lake Huron shoreline on Boiler Beach and Bruce Beach Road in Kincardine; pace of 9:17/mile.  Just a beautiful morning and a perfect setting for running.

Back to my Sudbury running route.  8 easy miles; 8:59/mile pace average.

That marks the end of week 2 of my 18 week program.  Basically the warm up.  Now begins the weekly speedwork, tempo runs and long runs.

6 easy miles; 9:24 pace.

Speedwork at the track today.  600 x 8 at a pace of 2:36/600m.

Actual paces were:  2:34  2:33  2:33  2:33  2:33  2:32  2:32  and 2:30.

Perfect running conditions, at 13C/55F and no wind and little humidity.  I felt great throughout.

Last year at this point, I decided to run slow on my rest day, and I think that cockiness cost me with injury.  This year, I'll play it a bit more conservative - take my rest day for resting - and see if that keeps the injuries at bay.

6 mile tempo run, plus warm up and cool down for the 9 miles.  Great morning for running - just 10C/50F and overcast, with no wind and little humidity.

I ran my 6 tempo miles at 7:53 pace, with no issues to speak of.  The left knee has been a little sore off and on for a month or two.  Doesn't seem to be getting any worse, but I'm paying attention to it and am icing it after most runs.

Seven miles at an easy 9:06/mile pace.  No aches or pains at all, so all is good so far.

6 miles easy at 8:55/mile.  Beautiful morning, with a clear sky and a slight fog.  14C/58F, so just about a perfect morning for running.

A beautiful morning for running.  Clear, calm and great temps:  15C/59F.

I ran the 1st 7 miles at a consistent 8:34/mile pace, and then picked it up for the final three:  7:50, 7:43 and 7:40.  Felt great all around.  Three weeks down - 15 to go!

Beautiful morning for running again:  calm, sun coming up, and 14C/57F.  Just an easy paced 9:12/mile for 6 miles.  Back to speed work tomorrow.

Ran Yasso 800s today - 6 sets.  Aimed for slightly faster then 3:30/split.  Hit my target, with splits of:  3:27  3:25  3:22  3:23  3:25  and  3:24.

So, I'm happy with the numbers, and I felt strong throughout the workout.  Perfect morning for it, with no wind, low humidity, and temps of 14C/57F.

6 mile tempo run today, plus 3 miles to warm up and cool down.  Average pace was 7:52/mile.  That's a tad faster than what I'm planning on running in Chicago, but close enough to please me, especially since it did not feel at all difficult.

It was only 11C/50F, and was raining lightly, and so did not feel bad, even with the elevated humidity.

6 easy miles today at a 9:02/mile pace.  No aches or pains or any other issues.  I had a massage for one hour on Monday, and she really worked hard on my legs - especially my IT band.  Felt great afterwards, and still does.

Cool morning though - just 6C/43F - although the sky is clear and the sun was nice and bright as it rose.  Canada Day was yesterday, and I stayed up later than usual to watch the fireworks.  Hopefully will catch a few winks later today.

8 easy miles at a pace of 8:53/mile.  A bit faster than I intended, but it felt easy the whole time.

Just 11C/51F, and with  no wind it made for a good  run.

8 easy miles; 9:10/mile pace.  Clear and cool morning - great for running.  13C/55F.

End of week four - 14 to go until Chicago!

7 easy miles; 9:07 pace.  Another gorgeous sunrise as I ran west into it.  13C/55F with no wind - another perfect morning for running.

My Monday speedwork session - 5 x 1000 with 400 recoveries.  Goal pace was 4:18/1000, and I decided to go a few seconds faster.

My splits were:  4:16  4:12  4:15  4:14  and  4:16.  So, bang on what I set for my goal.

6am early morning start, and it could not have been better.  Temperature was 13C/56F and there was no wind.  Humidity was recorded at 95%, but it was cool enough that it wasn't a factor.

All the splits went well.  The only potential issue is my left hip, which started to ache on the third split.  I'm not sure if it is the IT band, or if my bursitis has returned.  This is about the same place in the program where the bursitis hit me last year.  I'll monitor it closely.  I now know from experience that a cortisone shot is very effective, very quickly for the bursitis.  The only problem is getting it in a timely manner.  It took 3 weeks last year to arrange the appointment.  For sure I'll aim to move on it quicker this year.  Hopefully, unlike last year, it won't mean having to miss some training sessions.

Six miles at tempo pace; 7:49/mile, with 3 miles warm up/cool down.

Cool morning - should have worn gloves as my hands went numb.  Just 8C/46F - pretty cold for July.  But there was no wind, and the rising sun against the blue sky was beautiful.  There was fog down by the Vermillion River section, so those 3 miles were kind of shrouded, but in an attractive sort of way.

No pain issues - this run felt great in every way.

7 easy miles today; 9:06 pace.  Another beautiful morning - a bit warmer than the other day.  14C/57F with no wind.  All is good.  No aches or pains after yesterday's tempo run.

6 easy miles; 9:10 pace.  Getting warmer, finally.  Still, only 13C/56F - but great for running.  Another gorgeous sunrise.

Glad I'm an early morning runner - today will be our first 'hot' day in a very long time.  Going up to 30C/86F.  Finally.  My long run was early enough that it was only 15 - 18C/59 - 64F.  

Anyway, I ran the 1st 9 miles at an 8:32 pace and then picked it up for the final three miles:  8:00/7:39/7:29.

Everything felt fine throughout.  So, that's the end of week 5.  Thirteen weeks to go to Chicago!

6 very easy miles; 9:21 pace.  Stunning sunrise this morning through the haze.

Speedwork at the track this morning.  Scheduled for 4 x 1200 repeats at 5:12/split.  Ran actual splits in:  5:07  5:07  5:05  and  5:05.

Everything feels great.  This is pretty much the point in my training last summer where the injuries started to sideline me.  Of course, I decided to run 7 days/week last summer, which turned out to be a mistake.  I've also taken my speed down a notch this training cycle, and that seems to be helping.  We'll see how it goes over the next few weeks.

I'm heading out of town for a funeral today, so will do Wednesday's speedwork 'on the road' and report it when I get home Wednesday night.

10 miles this morning in central "Lakes everywhere" Ontario.  My family is renting a cottage there for the week, and I was visiting (cut short, as I had to come home for a couple of funerals).

No matter.  I ran 7 of the 10 miles at tempo pace, which was a bit faster than my race pace.  So, averaged 7:42/mile.  Felt great, and always nice to run in a different place.  Rode my bike there and home, so I had a blast!

7 super easy miles; 9:11 pace.  

I'm tweaking my schedule a little bit this week so as to run a Half Marathon with my sister on Sunday.  It's her 1st one, and I decided to run beside her.  The pace will be much slower than what I normally run, but the mileage will be more than double what I'm scheduled for Sunday.

So, I added a mile today.  I'll run my scheduled 10 tomorrow.  And I'll cut down from 8 to 5 on Saturday.  Somehow, it will all balance out.  I hope.

10 easy miles; 9:13 pace.  

This will be an unusual race report, because it is more about my youngest sister - Cindy - who ran her 1st Half Marathon this morning.  I'm SO proud of her!  She made the decision to get herself into shape a couple of years ago, and has utterly transformed herself.  About a year and a half ago, she started to run.  Last year, I ran a mud run with her, and then her 1st 5k.  She ran her 1st 10k this year in May, and today her first Half.

The Massey course is flat and scenic, run along the Spanish River.  It started at 6:15 this morning, with temperatures at 17C/63F, and 99% humidity.  It gradually warmed up to 20C/69F by the end of the race, with humidity staying in the mid 90% range.

She knew I'd be running with her.  What she didn't know was that I'd be running beside her while holding a sign on a stick which read:  "Her 1st Half Marathon - Go Cindy Go!" with an arrow pointing down to her :)  Boy, she got LOTS of encouragement (by name) along the way from the other runners and from the volunteers at the aid stations.  It was great!

We both crossed the finish line in 2:28:14.  So, this was a very slow training run for me.  I'm going to have to make a few adjustments to my own training plan this week.  Although not a tough race, I was still on my feet for 2 1/2 hours, so I'm treating it as a long run and taking tomorrow off instead of running my repeats at the track (will move that to Tuesday).

But back to Cindy.  She did not have a specific pace in mind, but generally wanted to finish somewhere between 2:15 and 2:35.  And she did not want me to pace her, so I just let her choose the pace and ran next to her.  

She started off a bit too fast, as all of us tend to do, and it cost her later on.  She had to make one porta potty stop (I did too), and she really struggled over the final 3 miles, and had to walk off and on.  She was feeling nauseous at that point, and wasn't sure if she was going to be sick.  But she toughed it out, and ran the final half mile and a bit.

Her mile splits (she was running them in km, but I was measuring in miles):

1 - 10:04     2 - 9:41     3 - 10:31     4 - 10:34     5 - 11:03     6 - 10:37     7 - 10:58

8 - 10:55     9 - 11:18     10 - 11:30     11 - 12:00     12 - 12:52     13 - 11:33

Final .1 - 2:08.    Overall Average = 11:01/mile.

My watch automatically stopped timing at her bathroom break, and so my time shows her running the race in 2:25:42 (and she had to wait a minute for the porta potty to be available).   So, she lost 2 1/2 minutes there.

Overall, I think she did great.  And I have a sneaking suspicion that she will not only keep running, but that a full marathon might be on her agenda at some future date.  

Go Cindy Go!!!  :)

Speedwork at the track today.  I'm glad I moved it from yesterday, as I needed that day off after the Sunday Half.

Last year, this is the workout where it all fell apart.  Injuries - time off from training - spin bike - etc.  Not this year.  I nailed it and I feel great!

Today's workout was a progressive step.  7 sets consisting of 400/800/1200/1600/1200/800/400.  My pace is set at a 7 minute/mile.

I ran my splits slightly faster than pace, and felt strong at the end of each one, so I'm pumped.  My splits:

400 - 1:44     800 - 3:25     1200 - 5:07     1600 - 6:44     1200 - 5:02     800 - 3:21     400 - 1:38

So, I actually ran faster towards the end.  All seems well - a few minor aches I'm watching, but just normal stuff.  Nothing that would indicate overtraining, overstress, or impending doom.  So all is good one third of the way through my training program.

Since I moved my speedwork to today, I'll run easy tomorrow and run my tempo workout on Thursday instead.

7 easy miles; 8:56 pace.  Felt good - no lingering effects from yesterday's track work.  A gorgeous morning, and just 12C/53F.  Perfect for running.

Tempo run; pace of 7:47/mile.  A bit faster than goal pace, so I'll have to tone it down a bit going forward.  Still, I felt strong throughout - sure didn't feel like I was pushing it.

Started to practice eating on the run today.  A jelly bean every km, which mimics my marathon plan of a chew every km.  Just to get in the habit, and to get my stomach used to the carbs while at race pace.

8 easy miles; 9:17/mile pace.  Beautiful morning for running - 15C/59F with no wind or humidity.

14 mile long run.  Nailed my goal pace at 8:33/mile for the 1st 11 miles, with no more than 2 seconds variation up and down from that.  I'm getting better at pacing myself, it seems.

Then did the "1-2-3 go" technique and opened it up a bit for the final 3 miles, and ran those in 7:38, 7:33 and 7:13.

I felt strong throughout.  It was warm (for me) at 18C/65F and with humidity at 95%, but there was a gentle breeze which felt good on the face.

Five minutes after getting home, the skies opened up and it is now raining quite hard, so I just missed that.

6 super easy miles; 9:20/mile pace. 

Speedwork at the track this morning.  3 x 1600.  I ran my three splits as follows:

6:49  6:41  and  6:44.  My training program called for 7:00/miles, but I've been upping the pace of my workouts a little, so I'm very happy with the splits and how I felt running them.

I never even ran this workout last year due to injuries, so I'm doubly happy with today's workout.

It's going to be a hot one today!  Going up to 31C/88F today.  It was 19C/66F during the run, with no wind, so I'm glad I ran early today.

Tempo run today.  7 miles at 7:40/mile average.  That's a bit faster than I wanted; I was aiming for the 7:45 - 7:49/mile range.  The last 2 miles pulled down the average, as I ran them at 7:35 and 7:32.  The other splits were actually pretty close to my goal.

Hot running, at least for me.  22C/72F.  Still, the pace felt comfortable throughout.  I never felt like I was pushing it.

Looking at my training times, more and more I'm thinking of joining the 3:25 pace group in Chicago, rather than the 3:30 group.  As long as I remain injury free, and the conditions in Chicago are right, there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to shave a few minutes off my PR from last fall.

6 miles easy; 9:02/mile pace.  A bit cooler today - just 16C/61F.

10 easy miles; 9:05/mile pace.  Again, a beautiful cool morning.  Clear sky.  No wind.  Just 13C/56F.  Best of all - no pain and no sign of injury anywhere!

10 easy miles; 8:55/mile pace.  Beautiful, clear morning - just 12C/54F.  Heavy down pour yesterday afternoon, so everything is fresh.  No issues - all is going well.

8 weeks down ... 10 to go until Chicago!

8 easy miles; 9:19/mile pace.

Speedwork at the track this morning.  6 x Yasso 800's with a 400 recovery in between.  Aimed for at 3:25 split.  Came in just a little faster, with the splits being:

3:22  3:21  3:19  3:22  3:21  and  3:20.

So, I'm happy with the results and how it felt running it.  The weather was perfect - clear, sunny, virtually no wind, and just 17C/62F.

8 miles at tempo pace; 7:47/mile.  Again felt strong throughout and was able to nail every split to within a couple of seconds either way.

7 easy miles; 8:55/mile pace.  Cool morning - just 9C/48F.  But great for running.

8 miles easy run; 9:10/mile pace.  

15 mile long run.  The Hanson Program calls for a pace 40 seconds slower than race pace.  For me in Chicago, that is 8:29/mile.  I ran the 1st 12 miles at a pace of 8:27/mile, so pretty much bang on my goal pace.

The final three miles, I picked it up and ran those mile splits at:  7:22  7:04  and  6:50, so I smoked the final three.  

There were no challenges of note in this run.  I felt great throughout and had no pain issues.  I ate just one GU and drank Gatorade with some water.

The temperature was only 15C/59F and humidity was in the mid 80's, so just a perfect running day.

So, I'm officially half way through my Chicago Marathon training program.  9 weeks down; 9 weeks to go.

Super easy slow miles; 9:17/mile pace.  My legs are a little heavy after yesterday's workout, but all systems are still good to go.

I'm going on my annual retreat this week, and so won't have access to a computer.  I'll still be running every day, and so will catch up with all my entries next weekend when I get home.

Speedwork at the track.  My final session.  Hurray!

I'm on retreat this week, and so went to the University track, which was only a 10 minute drive from my retreat house.  It was a humid 17C/63F with a light rain to start, which became a steady rain and then a downpour.  I was soaked through by the half way point.  Oh well.

This track was just refurbished, so I got to run on a nice rubberized track instead of the gravel one I have been using.  No weeds growing in it!  And all nicely painted lines - even color coded.  Nice.

Anyway, it was too dark to see my watch at the beginning, so I just ran according to how I felt.  I guess I felt too good, since my splits should have come in around 6:50, and I ran the 3 x 1 mile splits at:  6:36  6:30  and 6:31.

So, a great effort for my final speed work session.  And no black bears to be seen (there have been a LOT of them around this year).

I was supposed to run a tempo workout today, but after my 2 mile warm up, I realized that was not going to happen out here in the lakes region of Sudbury.  WAY too many hills - and steep!  I mean, I could hardly run up them, my legs felt like rubber at the top, and then it was just too steep to run down them without braking all the way.  Not good for a tempo run.  There were virtually no flats.

So, I decided to make this an unscheduled hill workout, and to run my tempo run at the track on Friday.  I can get away with that, since I don't have a long run to do this week.

The morning itself was great - just 12C/53F and dry.  I ended up running an average pace of 9:02/mile, but that was hardly consistent throughout.  So, I guess I got in my hill work, even though I'm training for the pancake flat Chicago course.

6 easy miles on that hilly route again.  At least this time I knew what to expect.  Kept a pace of 9:20/mile.  Just 11C/52F.  Getting hot this weekend, however.

Okay, back at the track for my tempo workout that I switched from Wednesday.  I figured I should be able to keep my pace a lot easier on the track, and I did a decent enough job of it, running an average pace of 7:43/mile.

44 laps around the track did not appeal to me, but it ended up not being that bad.  It was 17C/63F, but with 100% humidity, so I was soaked by the end.  Very foggy/hazy too.

Anyway, this was a smart move coming to the track - it was nice to avoid those hills.

10 miles easy pace - 9:07/mile.  It's not too bad yet, but will get pretty hot (for us) later today and tomorrow.  So good to get the miles in early.

I got back from my retreat yesterday, and right into work - wedding rehearsal last night and an emergency trip to the hospital to see a dying parishioner.  So, I just now got caught up with all my blog entries from the last week.

It's nice to be back on my familiar running route.  10 weeks of training is now complete - just 8 weeks to go until the Chicago Marathon.  And all systems are firing on 'go'!

8 easy miles; 9:13/mile pace.  Warm morning - 18C/65F with 98% humidity.  I felt a little sluggish, but overall was fine.  

Tomorrow will be my first 'strength workout' - mile repeats at 10 seconds/mile faster than race pace.  These will take the place of my speedwork for the remainder of my training program.

11 mile 'strength' workout, which will replace all my Monday speedwork sessions from here on in.  In the Hanson's program I'm using, the strength workouts are 1 - 3 mile repeats at a pace 10 seconds faster than race pace, with a short recovery in between.  The repeats will always add up to 6 miles distance, and the total distance will always be 11 miles.

I've set my race pace goal at 7:49/mile (going to join the 3:25 pace group and go for a PR).  So, I've been training at a slightly faster pace of 7:45/mile, meaning I was aiming today for around 7:35/mile pace.

So, I ran 6 x 1 mile repeats with 400 recovery.  My splits came in at:

7:35  7:34  7:27  7:27  7:24  and  7:23

So, overall I'm pleased, although I do have to watch it that I don't go too fast.  The benefits of this workout come at the prescribed pace.  I tend to speed up at the end of all my workouts.  Still, a good 1st effort.  Six of these Monday sessions to go!

Oh, and all that in our hottest morning of the year.  It was 21C/70F with 90% humidity.  I realize this is not 'hot' for a lot of runners further south, but for this Northern boy - it was downright steamy out there today!

11 mile Tempo Run at a pace of 7:46/mile.  It was hot for us:  19C/66F with 99% humidity.

7 easy miles at an 8:53/mile pace.

It was raining so hard this morning during my normal run time that it was hard to see.  With the crazy morning commuters around here, and knowing I was free a bit later, I decided to make today a late morning run.  It seemed to have worked well.

8 miles at an easy 9:02/mile pace.  The mini heat wave broke, so it was a pleasant 12C/53F.

16 mile long run today.  Paced it at 8:25/mile for the 1st 13 miles, and then let it go for the final three and ran them at 7:31  7:13  and  6:39.  I felt great throughout and have no aches or pains to speak of, other than the come and go arthritic pain in my hip which I'm quite used to by now anyway.

I did have to make one unscheduled stop around mile 9 to take care of some 'business'.  I didn't think I could make it home otherwise, and this was my only chance to stop before I hit a residential area.  Chalk it up to the fact my garden is producing really well, and so I've been loading up on fibre foods lately.  

6 super easy miles - 9:15/mile pace.  Legs a little heavy after yesterday's long run, but not too bad.  It was only 15C/59F, but the 97% humidity made it feel heavy.

The Chicago Marathon is 7 weeks from today.

Strength workout - 4 x 1.5 miles with 800m recovery.  I nailed every repeat at 7:33/mile, and felt strong throughout.  A light mist fell off and on between bouts of sunshine.  A good morning for running.

9 miles tempo (race pace) run, plus warm up and cool down miles.  Nailed my tempo pace of 7:45/mile.

6 easy miles run at a 9:00/mile pace.

First really chilly morning in a long time; just 7C/44F.  No wind, however.  I'm glad I went with the long sleeved shirt and the gloves today.

10 easy miles; 8:58/mile pace.  Warmer than yesterday's chilly run - 13C/55F with no wind.  Very nice.

10 easy miles; pace was 9:04/mile.  12 weeks down ... 6 more to Chicago.

8 easy miles; 9:01/mile pace.

Beautiful morning:  17C/63F.  That is the forecast low for every day this week, so great for running.

Had a close encounter with a black bear today on mile 7 of my run.  There are a LOT of bears in town this year because of the blueberry failure.  They are hungry.  I've not seen one this year, but sure have seen lots of scat on the trails.

Anyway, the one mile trail section I run nearly every day goes behind a row of houses on one side, and bush on the other.  I guess I startled this bear as I passed it as it was rooting through someone's garbage can.  It made a very loud racket with cans crashing which was loud enough to stop me to look back.  The bear ran out of the yard and onto the trail, just 90 feet behind me.  Not the biggest I've seen, but sure not a cub either.

Anyway, we both turned and ran in opposite directions, which was great news because not even Usain Bolt could outrun a black bear!

3 x 2 miles "strength pace" (about 10 seconds or so faster than race pace), with 800 recoveries.

My mile splits were:

7:34  7:31               7:31  7:26               and             7:31  7:27.

This felt easy enough, and I had to really watch that I kept the pace from picking up - forced myself to slow down a few times.  

And no bears today!

Tempo (race pace) run this morning.  Finished with an average pace of 7:40/mile; a bit faster than I wanted, but I'll take it.

Incredibly humid.  99% with a heavy fog.  Just 19C/65F, but that humidity made this cold weather runner have to push it a bit.  I was drenched by the end.

7 easy miles; 8:52/mile pace.

8 easy miles; 9:00/mile pace.

16 mile long run today.  Aimed for an average pace of 8:25/mile.  Pretty much nailed it at 8:24/mile for the 1st 13 miles, then pushed it for the final three miles and ran those at:

7:09  6:55  and  6:50.

Went with just water, GU and chews today, to imitate what I plan on doing during the Chicago Marathon.  All systems seem to be a go.  I've never gone this deep into a training program without any injuries or aches and pains that required ibuprofin.

13 weeks down; five to go.

6 easy recovery miles; 9:10/mile pace.  Legs a bit heavy today after yesterday's long run, but no aches or pains.  

It's 19C/67F with 97% humidity, and I felt it.  Sure hope it's a cool race day in Chicago!

'Strength' workout this morning - 2 x 3 miles with a 1 mile recovery between.

A bit faster than I was supposed to go.  Splits were 7:29 7:23 and 7:28 for the 1st set, and for the second set were 7:31 7:23 and 7:19.

Had a black bear cross the road in front of me at the half mile mark.  

And it was HOT (for me, at least).  Probably the hottest run I've had all year.  It was 22C/71F with 95% humidity, making it feel like 29C/85F.

It started to rain pretty hard during my 1st set, let up a bit during my recovery run, and then opened up again for my second set.  So, I was drenched when I got home.  Had to dodge big puddles along the way.

However, all that being said, I felt strong throughout and am happy with today's work out.

Tempo pace run today.  Nine miles at 'race pace', plus warm up and cool down.  Goal was an average 7:45/mile pace, and I nailed it.  Very happy.  Saw a skunk at mile 2 on the road in front of me - gave it a very wide berth!

6 easy miles at an average 8:55/mile pace.  Starting to cool down now - just 13C/55F - but perfect for running.  Gorgeous sunrise this morning.

10 easy miles; 8:53/mile pace.  No bears or skunks today, but I got chased by a dog.  Had to use a rock to get rid of it.  Starting to run with a light now, as it's quite dark out when I start off.

10 easy miles; 9:05 pace.  First frost - was 4C/40F.  Wore long sleeves and running pants for the 1st time this season, along with gloves.  But it felt great running.  End of week 14; 4 weeks to race day.

8 easy miles to start what will be the longest week of my training cycle.  8:48/mile pace.  Not quite a chilly as yesterday - 7C/45F with no wind - perfect for running.

Strength workout today:  3 x 2 miles at around 7:30/mile pace with 800 recovery.

Ran the mile splits at 7:28 7:27 7:25 7:24 7:27 7:24

It felt awesome - at no point did I feel like I had to push it.  In fact, I kept having to slow myself down to keep on pace.  Especially at the end of my second split, I felt really in the groove - like I was floating over the ground.  A great workout.

Cool morning at 8C/46F, but no wind.  And I started off a little later than usual, so the sun was just up and it was a bright, clear morning.

10 miles at Tempo Pace:  7:44/mile.  All is good.  Managed to keep the pace pretty even throughout the 10 miles.

7 easy recover miles; 8:56/mile pace.

8 easy miles; 8:51/mile pace.  

A rain day, with some wind gusts to make it a bit more of a challenge.  15C/58F with 99% humidity and kind of yucky, but I haven't had many rain runs this year, and I didn't mind this one too much.

I kept an average pace of 8:23 over the 1st 13 miles, and then picked it up for the final three and ran those at 7:25 7:14 and 6:46.  I was pretty much soaked through by the end, but happy - everything seems to be clicking just right. 

This was my longest mileage week.  15 weeks of training down, with 3 to go until Chicago.

6 easy miles; 9:05/mile pace.  

Passed a black bear again along that wooded stretch.  It was 30 feet away in a creek with its head down - maybe drinking - and didn't notice me until I passed it.  Ran the other way (both of us).

It was only 6C/42F, but no wind and 99% humidity with a misty fog, and so it didn't feel that cold.

Strength workout today; 4 x 1.5 mile splits.  I ran each of those splits at an average 7:27/mile.  I was actually pleased to hit them all bang on, even though I had to deliberately slow down at the end of my final split to hit it.

Heavy fog this morning.  Since it's my day off, I waited until the sun came up before running in order to avoid running in the dark with crazy commuters.  Note to self:  the commuters in daylight are just as crazy!