They all can't be "easy" runs.

Noon-ish on Venetian Waterway Park. 65 degrees at the start. No wind.   

0.9 up, 2 @ 16:12, 1 easy, 2 @ 15:38, 0.9 easy (I thought about giving up), 2 @ 15:31, 1 easy, 2 @ 15:18, 0.9 down.  

4 on the trails plus (4) x 100m+ sprints and jog back on each of the laps. 80 deg., 62% hum., 65 d.p.

Yesterday evening I saw crowds of people looking up to the sky. They were tying to see whatever rocket NASA launched on the east coast. Sometimes you can see that from here, sometimes you can't. Yesterday you could not. 

But today, there was another group of people on the trails looking up. I asked them what they were looking at. They said a Caracara bird. I don't run with my glasses, so I looked it up on the interwebs when I got home. And yeah, that's a handsome bird. 

5.5 miles. Hood route. easy. There's always something that feels off about running on Good Friday or other holy days.

I'm going for a long run tomorrow. If I'm going to race, that would be 1 month from today. Also broke 500 miles for the year today. 

20.75 miles. Hood route to legacy trail over the circus bridge to caspersen beach and back. 3:35:29. 10:23 pace. No finishing kicks, no pushing the pace. Just finish the run. 82 deg., 60% hum., 64 d.p. longest run / biggest week in 3 years. 

There were 2 local 5k's. One I could see from my run. One I ran through the course on my way out, and heard the announcements of the finishers on my way back. I had an emergency bathroom stop at mile 8, saw my neighbor at mile 16.5, and the shirtless tire dragger honked at me at mile 18.5. All in all a pretty good run. Good enough I think to make me sign up for a marathon 4 weeks from tomorrow. 

5.5 miles. Hood Route. 

Happy Easter!

8 am on Venetian Waterway Park. 81 degrees. 68% hum., 69 d.p. no wind. 

0.9 up, 2 @ 16:13, 1 easy, 2 @ 15:53, 0.9 easy, 2 @ 15:29, 1 easy, 2 @ 15:32, 0.9 down. 

I was feeling the effects of the Easter diet today.

I finally signed up for a race this weekend. La Crosse WI Marathon. May 2. That is 26 days from today.  This is way shorter of a training cycle than I'm used to. I'm also training differently for this race different than what I normally do. It's kind of an experiment. Also, this race is unique for me, as it is on a Saturday, starts at 6:00 am, the course consists of approximately 20 miles of crushed gravel bike trail, and 6 miles paved bike trail.

1.65 mile North Bridge Loop, then 5 miles on the west Venetian Waterway Park. 45:57 (9:11 pace). Then 1.65 mile North Bridge Loop. 8:30 am start. Pouring rain throughout. Much faster on the way out of the 5 mile part, due to a strong tailwind. 

7:30am on Venetian Waterway Park. 70 degrees. 15-20 mph wind coming from the north east. 

1.2 up (my usual last minute bathroom stop was out of order and I had to run to another bathroom. But because of this, I met a group of local runners that go out every monday wednesday and thursday at 6 am), 2 @ 15:12, 1 easy, 2 @ 15:32, 0.9 easy, 2 @ 15:22, 1 easy, 2 @ 16:15, 0.9 down.  

I was running into the wind on reps #2, and #4. Running with the wind on #1, and #3. I'm not happy about that last one. It just never felt right. the breathing cadence with my steps was off for some reason. 

24 days to race day. 

4 on the trails plus (4) x 100m+ sprints and jog back on each of the laps. 7 am start. 70 deg., 84% hum., 65 d.p.

5 on the trails at 4:30 pm. 85 degrees. I really wanted to run first thing this morning, but the people that give me paychecks had other plans. Seriously, I logged on to my machine at 6:30 am, they see that I'm on, and start calling? I don't know if running this late will mess up my planned long run tomorrow. I know these 5 miles felt pretty smooth. 

20.75 miles. Hood route to legacy trail over the circus bridge to caspersen beach and back. 3:14:58. 9:24 pace (That's a minute per mile faster than last week.) First half 1:38:30 (9:30 pace). Second half 1:36:28 (9:18 pace) No finishing kicks, but I did slightly push the pace more than last week throughout the run.  73 deg., 59% hum., 58 d.p.

The only negative about this run is that I had another Emergency bathroom stop. This week at mile 4. The rest of it was pretty smooth sailing. 

21 days to race day. 

0.9 up, 5 miles on West Venetian Waterway Park 0.9 down. At 1pm. 85 deg., 38% hum., 56 d.p. 15 mph wind from the east. I'm glad I didn't bring a watch, because I would have tried to run this fast if I could time it. I really wanted to take it easy after yesterday, but the run felt very smooth, and I could have gone much faster than "easy". 

6.2 miles of self-induced runfail! I went out to do the standard 2 mile interval thing today for 12.7 total. It was very windy, yes. And there was a long time of procrastistretching. But I did this one to myself by eating @ 2 pounds of leftover Easter Ham salad last night at midnight. I decided to record the times, as a lesson to myself that this is what happens when I eat like this. I'm fairly disciplined about getting out to run and running with intent. I completely lack discipline when it comes to diet, and sleep. 18:31, 18:03. That delicious ham sald cost me @ 70 seconds per mile today. For context, I ran the second half of my 20 miler Saturday at about that pace. 

Maybe I can go back out later for the second half of this run, and make it stink less. 

I went back out to finish the run at 5 pm. It only stinks slightly less. 16:04 and 16:02. Averaged 8:35 pace on the 2 mile intervals for the day. I just couldn't get it moving today. At least I saw Annie and talked to her for a bit, while she was walking her turtle again. Her and her husband Alan are some of the most interesting people I've ever met. 

1.65 mile North Bridge Loop, then 5 miles on the West Venetian Waterway Park. Then 1.65 mile North Bridge Loop. 7:30 am start.

7 am on Venetian Waterway Park.

0.9 up, 2 @ 15:30, 1 easy, 2 @ 15:16, 0.9 easy, 2 @ 15:45, 1 easy, 2 @ 15:46, 0.9 down.

Then my car battery died at 7 11 on the way home. Nice.

Still, that's 8 miles of beating the 8 minute man.

4 on the trails plus (4) x 100m+ sprints and jog back on each of the laps. 7 am start. 73 deg., 59% hum., 59 d.p.

4 on the trails

20.75 miles. Hood route to legacy trail over the circus bridge to caspersen beach and back. 6 am start. 3:28:19. 10:02 pace. First half 1:42:37 (9:53 pace). Second half 1:45:42 (10:11 pace) Brutal humidity today. I'm not too upset with the time. I'll take what I can get. 76 deg., 94% hum., 68 d.p.

0.9 up, 5 miles on West Venetian Waterway Park. At 4 miles deep on the 5 mile run, I scratched my nose. Again. And started bleeding all over my face and shirt. I eventually found a TJ Maxx receipt on the ground that I used to apply direct pressure to the scratch. Then I ran for a while, holding the receipt to my nose. Then 3 cyclists went by and I asked them if they had a paper towel or a napkin. They did not, but they gave me a rag that smelled like oil. I thanked them, and ran back to my car.

Then I got home and was very busy with grandfather stuff. Then I became sick and spent the rest of the night on the toilet. I think tomorrow ends my consecutive days running streak at 86 days. The 93 day no beer streak lives on. 

1.65 mile North Bridge Loop, then 5 miles on the West Venetian Waterway Park. Then 1.65 mile North Bridge Loop. 1:30 pm start. 20+ mph winds. 85 degrees.

I wonder if "Beating Chelsea Clinton" will become the new "Beating Oprah Winfrey."  Seriously, 3:40:52 is pretty amazing for a 46 year old mother of 3. 

Noon-ish on Venetian Waterway Park. 85 deg. 20 mph+ wind from SE. 

0.9 up, 2 @ 15:47, 1 easy, 2 @ 15:22, 0.9 down. 

Then I went out and bought new shoes, because I realized mine had 700 miles on them. And I bought some new shorts, because I realized mine had 7 years of perma-stink in them. I spent WAY too much money, because only smart guys buy running gear the week after Boston. 

4 on the trails plus (4) x 100m+ sprints and jog back on each of the laps. 7 am start. 75 deg., 59% hum., 59 d.p.

BTW, Race day weather predictions are 39 deg., 72% hum., 31 d.p.

8 miles. Hood route to Legacy Trail, over the SWOM Bridge and back. Very smooth running today. 

8 days to race day. I'm starting to get nervous about the weather. 39 degrees at the race start is .... non-Floridian. 

16.25 miles. Hood route to legacy trail to the circus bridge and back. 7 am start. 2:26:02. 8:59 pace. First half 1:12:36 (8:56 pace). Second half 1:13:26 (9:02 pace) No bathroom stops. 83 deg., 57% hum., 66 d.p.

Boy #2 is in town this weekend for various USMC stuff. They are having physical training at Venice HS this morning. I was about 7 and 9 miles into the run, when I could hear instructors and about 700 recruits voices chanting in unison across the Intra coastal Waterway. I got a big smile knowing my guy was one of them. 

So that's the last long run before my race in 6 days. I really have no predictions about how I'll do. It's hard to estimate how running in 50 degree colder weather is going to change things.

Race Goals: I'd like to 1. Finish the race 2. Finish the race without a interwebs-life-ruining lower GI issue. 3. Not have this be my slowest marathon ever. 4. Under 4 hours. 5. I think that anything faster than that would be beyond what my last month has shown I can hold.  Years ago, I would have said "Take your last long run pace, back out a minute, that's your race pace." 8 minute miles seems out of reach. 

The point of this trip in the first place was having a long weekend with Spouse in a place we've never been, while eating an obscene amount of cheese curds. 

0.9 up, 5 miles on West Venetian Waterway Park 0.9 down. At 3 pm. 85 deg. Now sitting here watching the boat ramp hijinks. I can hear someone performing Stand By Your Man at the downtown pavilion. It's not a bad moment.

7:30am on Venetian Waterway Park. 70 deg., 95% hum., 70 d.p.

1.2 up with bathroom stop, 2 @ 14:56, 1 easy, 2 @ 14:59, 0.9 down.

1.65 mile North Bridge Loop, then 5 miles on the West Venetian Waterway Park. Then 1.65 mile North Bridge Loop. I got caught by the drawbridge for a sailboat on the way back with less than a mile to go. That kind of stunk. 1:30 pm start. 87 degrees.

Venetian Waterway Park. 80 deg. No wind. 

0.9 up, 2 @ 14:36, 1 easy, 2 @ 14:37, 0.9 down. 

Venice elementary had a PE class jogging on the other side of the fence when I sarted on my first 2 mile interval. Some kids were talking to me as we ran. I just yelled back "Let's go!" A couple of kids picked up the pace while looking at me for the next few strides. That made for a good start. 

So that's it for this training cycle. My most miles in a month, ever. Flying tomorrow. 3 mile jog on Friday, race on Saturday. I think I've done enough to not completely embarrass myself running this weekend. Post-race cheese curd consumption might get embarrassing. 

Since the ragnar in December of last year, I have gone from 197 pounds to 178 pounds.