Wesley Hunt

16 Miles at 6:58 on Little Rock side of the River Trail, which loops through Little Rock and North Little Rock along the Arkansas River; finished strong with a 6:34 mile on a great afternoon for running (43 degrees).  

Wesley 

2 Miles Easy followed by 6 Miles at 7:13 on treadmill for 8 miles total; worked harder than I should have to get through some easy, mid-week miles, but felt pretty good after and did a brief strenth training/abb workout.     

Wesley

4 Miles Easy on treadmill incorporting 4X200m striders into final mile. 

Wesley

I had a good training run today, which included 10 Miles at Marathon Pace and an impromptu tempo run on treadmill.    

8 Miles at 7:13

1 Mile at 6:40

1 Mile at 6:31

2 Miles at 7:13

Tomorrow is a scheduled day off, and I am considering taking Saturday off as well to give my right knee an opportunity to recover before an 18 miler on Sunday.  Snow is moving into Central Arkansas Sunday morning, so I may be looking at my first legitimate snow run of the season.  I'm crossing my fingers! (Doing anything moderately strenuous in snowy conditions makes me feel like Rocky in part IV when he's training in the former Soviet Union; particularly manly activities, such as chopping wood or even hauling in firewood for my mother, are even better).  

 Wesley 

18.2 Miles in 2:05:50 (6:55 pace) on a cold morning of 25 degrees in Little Rock.  With snow in the forecast all afternoon and into Monday morning, I hit the road early for what turned out to be a very solid, disciplined run.  Garmin 3-Mile pace splits included the following:  

Miles 1-3:  6:52/mile

Miles 4-6:  6:48/mile

Miles 7-9:  6:53/mile

Miles 10-12:  7:00/mile

Miles 13-15:  6:58/mile

Miles 16-18:  6:59/mile

Final 0.2:  80 seconds

I felt pretty good for most of the run, taking a gel (with 10 second water break) after completing Mile 9 and Mile 13; right knee held up well until beginning of Mile 16 when going down a short hill, and at that point, the remainder of the run was pretty tough.  

Looking forward to a scheduled day off tomorrow.  Hopefully, I'll be off work and playing with the kids in the snow!

Wesley 

2 Miles Easy followed by 6 Miles at 6:58 on treadmill.  

Wesley 

4 Miles at 7:13, including 6X100m striders during Mile 4, on treadmill.

Wesley 

I had a good Marathon Pace/Tempo run today on the treadmill.  The workout included: 

1 Mile at 8:00;  

3 Miles at 7:13;

4X800m Repeats at 3:09 (6:18) with 2:00 minute joggin recovery between repeats;

3 Miles at 6:40;

1 Mile at 7:13; and

0.8 Miles at 8:00.

11.8 Miles Total on a blistering, cold day in Little Rock.  There are still a few patches of ice on the ground from the weekend's winter blast, and aside from being busy at work, I really saw no reason to risk aggravating my knee or injuring myelf by forcing the issue and running outside.  I will have plenty of one-on-one time with the pavement when I do the first 20 miler on my training schedule this Sunday. 

Wesley

20.5 Miles in 2:25:23 (7:06 pace) on a cool, overcast morning of 35 degrees in Little Rock. Garmin 4-Mile pace splits included the following:  

Miles 1-4:  7:00/mile

Miles 5-8:  6:56/mile

Miles 9-12:  7:07/mile

Miles 13-16:  7:05/mile

Miles 17-20:  7:15/mile

Final 0.5 Miles:  3:51  

I felt descent today despite stomach problems/indigestion (probably need to eat breakfast earlier; ate around 5:00am and started run at 6:15am) during the first half of the run.  In fact, stomach issues forced me to cut out one of the two gels that I had intended to take during the run, and I forced down the other with a few swigs of water at Mile 8 and Mile 12.  

During the final 4-Mile loop through my neighborhood, I incorporated two brutal hills into the run to see how my knee would react (well) and to really force the concept of learning to run hard and tough while tired (successful).  Because I miscalculated how far I was from my house, I went ahead and ran another half mile, but I was spent following the hills as reflected by an unacceptable drop in pace during the last half mile (7:42).  That said, having run it twice previously, I can state factually that Mile 26 of the Little Rock Marathon does not end with a steep incline (though Mile 25 does actually have a pretty touch one).  

Icing my knee and enjoying a snowy playoff game between Chicago and Seattle.   Incidentally, I love (watching) games played in the snow, especially in HD!

Wesley 

60 Minute Swim.  I should definitely get credit for a few miles because I was spent.  Regardless, I am making an effort to give the knee a little extra recovery this week I am approaching crunch time. 

Little Rock Marathon on March 6.   

Wesley

Solid Tempo Run on treadmill:  1 Mile warm-up followed by 2X4 Mile Repeats at 6:40 with quarter mile jog between repeats; 0.75 easy and 0.5 at 6:58 to cool down and recover.

Wesley 

9 Miles in 59:53 (6:39) with light snow/sleet mix during first half of run; 35 degrees.  4-Mile loop (twice) along Woodlands Trail, Meadows Edge and turn-a-round at Brodie Creek entrance; pushed hard on final mile (6:17) down Woodlands Trail, cutting though neighborhood park back to house.  Felt better, and ran stronger, than expected following moderately difficult tempo run last night on treadmill.  

Wesley 

2 Miles Easy followed by 4 Miles at 7:13 on treadmill; finished up a good week of training with an easy day, followed by a short strength/core workout.   

I had a long night with my beautiful, baby girl last night...my one year old, Sophie, is congested and achy (as is her Mama), and she had trouble sleeping last night.  As such, her softie Daddy couldn't resist rocking her for most of the night.   

Whatever makes my babies happy!

Wesley   

11 Miles in 1:14:37 (6:47 pace), one and a half hour break for Sunday School Class Community Service Project, and 11 Miles in 1:21:17 (7:24 pace); 22 Miles Total.  

It was a perfect day for running in Little Rock, so I headed downtown from my house in West Little Rock around noon, returning around 4:00pm after two nice runs and a short break to participate in a worthy cause known as "Stone Soup", which provides Little Rock's homeless community with a hot meal every Sunday afternoon.

Pace slid on the return run, and I felt pretty tight starting around Mile 7 of the back 11. Regardless, the cumulative training runs were a good way to start the week.  

Wesley 

6 Miles at 6:58 with 6X30 sec striders incorporated into Mile 6; treadmill set to 1.0 incline.  

Wesley 

12 Miles at 7:13 on treadmill set to 1.0 incline; run included 4X2:30min uphill accelerations at 6:58 and a 4.0 incline at end of Miles 9, 10, 11 and 12 (10:00min total uphill time).  

Uphill accelerations were pretty tough, but I needed them; finished strong and felt good.    

Wesley 

Great interval/tempo run on one of the local high school tracks today.  The weather was perfect, 45 degrees with very little wind.  The workout included the following:  

3 Miles at 7:00/mile;

6X800m repeats at 3:10:  Actual splits included 3:06, 3:08, 3:04, 3:04, 3:07, and 3:04 with quarter mile easy jog between repeats.  

3 Miles at 6:29/mile; and

0.5 Miles easy to cool down.  

I didn't force the issue on the 800m repeats, and I was very comfortable running at this pace (6:20/mile).  I also finished strong on the 3 Mile tempo run, knocking out the last 800m in 3 minutes.  

Wesley 

20.2 Miles in 2:24:11 (7:08) on a unseasonably warm morning.  Visiting the family on their land near Hot Springs, Arkansas, I ran a along a very flat Hwy. 171 between Malvern and Hot Springs, Arkansas, including a short stretch into Lake Catherine State Park.  

It was an interesting training run.  Getting up at 4:00am, I quickly realized I had forgotten to pack my knee brace, so I improvised with some pre-wrap and duck tape (took me back to my old high school football days).  Also, it was eerily dark, with the white line on the highway barely visible for the first few miles.  Normally, on clear evenings, the sky is beautiful on my family's land and the surrounding area.  But this was serious darkness, and I'm glad my Dad (who left a few minutes after me and ran a 20 miler on a similar route) had an extra wrist band reflector. 

As to the run, it essentially turned into a 20 Mile Progressive Run, with the first 4 Miles at 8:00/mile, including a lengthy but necessary bio brake, and the next 16 Miles hovering right at 7:00/mile depending on the grade (there are several false flats and gentle downhills).  I am a little more sore than I would have liked, and more sore than I was following the 20 miles at a similar pace two weeks ago, but my mileage was up a little this week, and I'm hoping that it is nothing more than general (and normal) fatigue. 

Wesley

13.1 Miles at 7:13 on treadmill set to 1.0 incline; run included 5X2:30min uphill accelerations at 6:58 and a 4.0 incline at end of Miles 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 (12:30min total uphill time).  

As was the case last Wednesday, the uphill accelerations were pretty tough, particularly on legs still recovering from Sunday's long run.  Nevertheless, I did feel and run stronger today than I did during the comparable workout last week, and that can only be positive.      

Wesley

5 Miles Easy on treadmill, including 6X30sec striders at 5:30 w/ 30 sec rest between repeats during Mile 5. 

Wesley

Pretty tough interval/tempo run on treadmill set to 1.0 incline.  The workout included the following:  

3 Miles at 7:13/mile;

8X800m repeats at 3:00 (6:00/mile) with 2:00 easy jog (8:00/mile) between repeats; and 

3 Miles at 6:40/mile. 

12 Miles Total. 

Wesley 

The sun finally showed its face after a bitterly cold week and a couple of inches of snow on Friday.  I had not intended to run today, with 22 scheduled for tomorrow, but what's a token 3-miler going to hurt?  

I took it very easy, running slightly below my target Marathon Pace, at 7:08/mile.

Looking to run strong and confidently tomorrow.  

No shortcuts for the next four weeks.  

Countdown to March 6 begins.     

Wesley 

22 Miles in 2:32:12 (6:55/mile) on the Little Rock/North Little Rock River Trail.  If God designed a perfect day for running, it would look pretty dang close to the low 40s and sunshine that I was graced with this afternoon.  

I ran the first 12 Miles at 6:45/mile, a little fast and aggressive given my target Marathon Pace of 7:15/mile. Despite my lack of discipline today, I ran strong and confidently.  

Wesley 

6 Miles at 7:03 and 6 Miles at 6:58 on treadmill set to 1.0 incline. 

Today's run included 3X2:00min uphill accelerations at 6:40 and a 4.0 incline at end of Miles 10, 11 and 12 (6min total uphill time).  

Good, tough treadmill workout.      

Wesley

AM:  4 Miles Easy with light snow coming down in Hot Springs (we decided it would be more fun to get snowed in at Grandpapa and Grandmama's house); included 8 striders along the way at each half mile. 

PM:  So I couldn't resist...20 minute trudge through 8 inches of snow on trails on my parents' land; approximately 2 Miles; followed by 20-30 minute hike back to the house. 

Wesley

So...my parents have a some beautiful land, with beautiful trails and foliage, but with 8 inches of snow on the ground, and a sheet of ice on the old Arkansas highway near their house, the interval/speed workout I had planned for the day was out of the question...unless, of course, you remembered to borrow your Grandfather's 4-Wheel Drive and make your way into town to the only gym that's open.  And my crazy, dedicated Dad joined me.  He's on track to run a BQ time on March 6 as well. 

Today's treadmill run included the following: 

2 Miles at 7:13;

4X1 Mile Repeats at 6:18/repeat;

2X800m Repeats at 3:00/repeat; and

1.5 Miles at 6:58. 

Including the quarter-mile easy jog after each of the 6 Repeats, I ran 10 Miles total. 

Threw in some bi/tri work and abs for good measure.

Looking forward to a relaxing evening around the fire with the family this evening.   

Wesley 

6 Miles comfortably below my target Marathon Pace (7:15/mile); no Garmin, which has been cranky during my last couple of runs, but my Dad has painted mile markers on the old Arkansas Highway near his home (actually, pretty cool...with the exception of his speed work, he trains off distance rather than time, so the big blue numbers on both sides of the highway are actually a pretty handy, visual training tool). 

Wesley

21 Miles at 7:34/mile on a beautiful, yet windy, afternoon on Hwy. 171 between Malvern and Hot Springs, Arkansas (near my parents home). Lacking motivation and energy after a tough Saturday battling a pretty ugly cough, I stubbornly decided to hit the road around noon to knock out another 20-miler. It wasn't pretty, and after 10 Miles at a 7:00min clip, the Lake Catherine State Park hills and my chest cold knocked me back to reality.

Miles 6 through 16, which included two loops through the State Park, were brutal, and I had nothing left for the final 5-mile stretch.  No doubt, the hill work should pay dividends (or at least, that's today's rationalization), but I was a little disappointed in the effort all the same.  

My focus this week will be (1) getting well, (2) regaining confidence, and (3) studying the L.R. Marathon race course to develop a race strategy.  I've run the course, but not in a manner even remotely similar to my plans for March 6.  

Wesley 

10 Miles in 7:03 on treadmill set to 1.0 incline.  Despite two days off, continued chest congestion made this run much more difficult than it should have been.  

On a positive note, I did purchase and begin breaking in the pair of shoes I will be wearing in the L.R. Marathon on March 6 (latest model of Brooks Adrenaline; identical to current shoes on which most of my training miles have been run).  I also tried out a 10 ounce hand-held (Fuel Belt), which I am considering using during the race in lieu of hand-offs at the aid stations.  The jury's out on the hand-held...  

Wesley 

2 Miles Easy followed by 4X1 Mile Repeats at 6:18/mile on treadmill set to 1.0; 2-3 minute jog/walk recovery after each repeat; 7 Miles total.  

Today, I worked as hard as I could for as long as I could.  Overall energy level is very low, and chest congestion, though manageable, is still pretty rough.  I did the best I could under the circumstances, and I am proud of my bullheaded effort.   

I am trying to stay confident and focused on the big picture.  Getting healthy in a timely manner is critical.  

Wesley 

1 Mile warm-up followed 3X800m Repeats at 2:58/repeat (5:56 pace) with 2:00 minute easy jog between repeats.  

Today's workout was spontaneous, and I wanted to test the waters a bit at my natural 5K pace to see how comfortable it felt.  The results were mixed, and the faster pace seemed to agitate my lungs.  

I had originally planned to run the inaugural University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law 5K tomorrow morning, but in an attempt to regain some strength and recapture an edge, I have decided to take an extra day of rest in preparation for a final, pre-race long run covering the first 18-20 miles of the Little Rock Marathon course.  

Wesley 

First 18 Miles of the Little Rock Marathon Race Course at or around my target race pace of 7:15/mile.  My Garmin would not start this afternoon, and my wife had already dropped me off downtown, so I just rolled with it and focused on the course.  

It was very windy, and a little on the warm side, but I felt pretty descent.  I didn't push it too hard, and again, I was working a little harder than I would have liked, but I can't complain.  I accomplished what I needed to accomplish this afternoon.    

Bring on the taper.  

Wesley 

I had a good speed workout today at a local high school track, though I did have to dodge a PE Class during the last couple 400m repeats.  But it made things more interesting. 

Today's workout included: 

2 Miles at 7:03/mile;

4X400m Repeats at 80, 79, 80, and 79 seconds, respectively;

2X800m Repeats at 2:50 and 2:49;

4X400m Repeats, all right at 80 seconds; and

1 Mile at 6:00. 

Including 200m slow jog between 400m repeats, 400m slow jog between 800m repeats, and a half-mile or so of jogging to recover after the final mile, I ran 8 miles total. 

Wesley

4 Miles at 7:13/mile with 6X30sec striders incorporated into Mile 4; 1 Mile at 7:03; total of 5 Miles in 35:00 minutes on treadmill set to 1.0. 

Wesley 

2 Miles Easy, including two striders, followed by 2X800m repeats at 3:00min and 2X400m repeats at sub-90sec (6:00/mile or 5K pace); including 400m slow jog between 800m repeats and 200m jog between 400m repeats, 4.5 total miles.  

Backing off mileage considerably as I head into race week.  

Wesley 

5 Miles at 6:21/mile on an absolutely perfect day, mid 50s and very little wind, in Little Rock.  Feeling well-rested and healthy for the first time in a couple of weeks, this was a nice tempo pace, confidence-boosting run.  

Planning to run 10-12 Miles tomorrow as I move into race week.  

Wesley 

12 Miles in 1:20:22 (6:42/mile) on a warm, humid day on the Little Rock River Trail. Strong run to kick off race week, with scheduled day off tomorrow, and light mileage the remainder of the week.  

My brother, Luke, who turned 32 today (happy b-day bro!), made me a badass Marathon Mix taking into account my goals, pacing and racing strategy.  Seeing my Dad's commitment to his own training, and with my brother's continued support and council, I feel very blessed and even more confident heading into next Sunday's race.  

Wesley 

Nice short, progressive/tempo run this morning with 2X400m Repeats tacked on as well. Workout included the following:  

1 Mile at 7:15

1 Mile at 6:45

2 Miles at 6:20/mile

1 Mile at 6:00

2 X 400m Repeats at 82 and 90 seconds, respectively

1 Mile Easy to cool down

7 Miles total, including quarter mile easy after Mile 5 (6:00) and each 400m Repeat; beautiful, clear morning made this run easy; anticipation for Sunday's race building.

Wesley 

3 Miles Easy, including 4 striders, on treadmill set to 1.0.

Wesley 

1 Mile at 7:15 followed by 4X400m repeats at sub-90 seconds in my neighborhood on a perfect morning for running in Little Rock; including cool-down, I ran 3 Miles total in 20 minutes. 

I plan on going for a brisk walk at lunch over the next couple of days, and I am confident that my kids will keep me pretty active and engaged in the evenings.  Hopefully, I can keep my weight relatively stable over the next three days. 

Wesley

Nice, short run on a warm, humid morning with showers forecast for later today in L.R. (but not for Sunday race day); 1 Mile Easy followed by 1 Mile at 6:32 and 1 Mile at 6:40.  

Wesley 

2011 Little Rock Marathon:  

Unofficially, I finished in 2:54:55, comfortably qualifying for the Boston Marathon and posting a PR nearly an hour better than my previous PR.  It was great weather, and I executed my race strategy, running nearly even splits at 6:36/mile (Garmin) for the entire course.  

More to follow when official results post, but it was a good day, and I am very happy with the results.  

But there's no rest for the weary...I'm off to a three-year old's birthday party!  

Official Results (9:00pm) 

Overall:  18/1808

Div. 25-29:  4/97

10K:  40:31 (6:32)

Half:  1:25:07 (6:30)

20.4:  2:16:29

Final 10K:  38:20

Finish:  2:54:49 (6:41) 

It's a bit silly (and cool at the same time), but the Little Rock Marathon folks take pride in having one of the largest, if not the largest, finisher's medal in the world. The 2011 medal weighed a whopping 1.5 pounds and measured 7.75 inches long and 5 inches wide. The thing actually made my neck sore...if you have 20 seconds, check out the link below for some local media coverage of the medal "unveiling" a few weeks back.  

http://arkansasmatters.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=391206 

Its a great little race (2,100 person limit for full marathon) in a very hospitable, southern city. I hope some of you take the opportunity to give it a go in the future. For purposes of full disclosure, my only connection to the race is as a three-time finisher and born and bred Arkansan. I just think Little Rock does a nice job making it a fun weekend for everyone involved.   

Best, 

Wesley 

Twenty minutes on the elliptical to get losse followed by 3 Miles Easy on the treamill set to 1.0 incline.  Working through a little soreness, but actually feeling pretty good. 

I learned today that, assuming the NY City Marathon Qualying times do not change before next year's registration period, my Little Rock Marathon finish of 2:54:49 guarantees my entry into the 2012 NY City Marathon.  

Given that the qualifying standard for the Open Division (18-39) is sub 2:55:00, I now know that you cannot take anything for granted on the race course.  A strong final 10K and 100m kick got me there with plenty of time to spare... 

Eleven seconds!

Wesley  

45 minutes on the stationary bike (spin class) followed by upper body strength training; lots of stretching and hydrating.  Recovering well.   

Wesley 

6-Mile Progressive Run at easy, comfortable paces on treadmill: 

2 Miles at 8:00/mile;

2 Miles at 7:30/mile; and

2 Miles at 6:58/mile. 

Very little soreness today; more stretching and strength training following run.   

Wesley

Visiting the grandparents in Hot Springs on a beautiful weekend in central Arkansas; Today's run included 5 Miles Easy with my Dad, who celebrated his 56th birthday on Wednesday.  My son, Max, and I picked out a really cool "super-hero" card for Grandpapa (my Dad).  Given his performance and Boston Qualifier in his first marathon last weekend, I thought the card was perfect. 

Wesley

Beautiful morning in Hot Springs, Arkansas for a run.  I ran a flat 6-mile loop out from my parents home along an old Arkansas highway, and for the first time in a week, I picked it up a little to see how my post-marathon legs would respond.  The results were good: 

2 Miles at 7:00 (including a half-mile offroad and a quick climb over my parents' locked gate);

2 Miles 6:30; and

2 Miles at 6:20 (including a quick return climb over my parents' locked gate and a half-mile offroad);

Fun little run that I both needed and enjoyed.  My Mom is cooking two chocolate pies tonight for my Dad's birthday, and I've committed to taking down at leat half a pie, maybe more...it's an understatement to say that I'm excited. 

Wesley

Today's tempo run on the treadmill included the following: 

2 Miles at 7:13/mile;

4 Miles at 6:30/mile; and

2 Miles at 7:13/mile. 

Half-mile jog to cool-down for 8.5 total miles.  Fourth mile at 6:30 was a little difficult after a long weekend of good eating at both my mother and mother-in-law's homes.  But generally, I felt pretty comfortable at this pace.     

Wesley 

6 Miles at 7:13/mile, including four striders during Mile 6, on treadmill set to 1.0 incline; half-mile jog to cool down for 6.5 total miles. 

Wesley

Nice, little interval workout on the treadmill this afternoon.  Today's run included the following:  

1 Mile at 7:03;

1 Mile at 6:49; and

8X800m Repeats at 3:00/repeat (6:00 pace);  

Including quarter-mile easy between 800m repeats, and a half-mile easy to cool-down, I ran 8.25 total miles in 56 minutes.  

Legs were a little heavy today after jumping right back into it this week; third day of near-race pace (or faster) running in a row after a very rare Sunday off last weekend.

No excuses, right?  But...work has been very demanding with increased responsibilities (a good thing), and I've come up a little short on sleep this week.  

Finally, I wanted to give some props to my brother, Luke, who had a nice showing in a 10-mile trail race in Virginia last weekend.  The course was brutal, mostly single track, with several streams and a lot of rolling hills.  Great work, bro.  Looking forward to running one with you real soon.  

Wesley 

12 Miles on treadmill at the following pace splits: 

6 Miles at 7:13/mile;

4 Miles at 6:58/mile; and

2 Miles at 6:44/mile;

12.25 total miles including quarter-mile easy jog to cool-down. 

Wesley

5 Miles at 6:22 on a surprisingly cool morning in Little Rock.  I had my wife, Isabel, drop me off a few miles from the house after my son's soccer practice.  Nice run home, and then we made smoothies!  

With the NCAA tournament on TV all day, and nice weather outside, it's going to be a great day.  

Wesley 

12.25 Miles at 6:41/mile on a beautiful morning of 50 degrees in Little Rock; stayed in my neighborhood, running 4-mile loop along Woodlands Edge and Meadows Edge.  

I had to work through some pretty serious stomach cramping (and a much too lengthy bio break that was absolutely necessary) at Mile 5, which was undoubtedly the result of the obscene number of hot wings I ate over at a buddy's house last night, but otherwise, I felt pretty good today.  

I'm getting more and more comfortable with 6:40-6:45 as my long-distance, race pace, and this gives me a lot of confidence going into future races (though I have not firmed up a race schedule).  

Wesley 

4.25 Miles Easy, including 4 striders during Mile 4, on treadmill.

Wesley 

13.1 Miles in 90:00 on treadmill; today's run included the following progressive splits:  

2 Miles at 7:13; 

5 Miles at 6:58;

6 Miles at 6:40; and 

.1 at 6:00 (42 secs).  

Other than a very nice lady pulling the plug on my treadmill at Mile 3 (she was attempting to unplug and move a fan, which I wasn't using), today's workout was positive.  Right now, I'm focused on learning to run at 6:40 comfortably, regardless of conditions and fatigue, because I am well aware that things won't always go as expected on race day.

Wesley 

2 Miles at 6:58 followed by 12X400m repeats at 90 secs/repeat (6:00) with 60 sec easy jog between repeats; 1.5 Miles at newly established, target race pace of 6:40/mile and 0.5 Miles easy to cool down; 8.5 total miles in 54 minutes on treadmill set to 1.0. 

This morning, I registered for the upcoming Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee.  The race is scheduled for a 7:00am start on Saturday, April 30.  My wife, Isabel, is on board for the trip, which will include a huge, post-race concert featuring Montgomery-Gentry, and probably a short trip to the outlet malls in Lebanon, Tennessee as well.  It will be nice to have her with me for support.  And it's not every day we get a weekend away from the kids...even if for three hours or so I'm a little self-absorbed. 

Wesley

5 Miles in 31:30 (6:18) on a cool, overcast day in Little Rock.  I actually ran a 5K Race Pace tempo run today, running the first and fifth miles at 6:45/mile, or my approximate Marathon Race Pace, and Miles 2, 3 and 4 at 6:00/mile.  This was a good little run that I very much enjoyed, particularly given my plans to be as lazy as possible and watch NCAA basketball all afternoon.   

Wesley 

16 Miles at 6:48/mile on a cool morning of 39 degrees in Little Rock; purposely included lots of hills (big ones) on this run, and I threw in a couple of neighborhood trails as well.  

Pace was solid, particularly given the fact it includes a far too lengthy bio break (why do I always eat spicy meals on Saturday night?) and a short water break at Mile 8.  

Good run today.  And I'm glad I knocked it out early.  

Wesley 

3 Miles Easy on treadmill followed by 45 minute stationary spin class in gym; threw in some upper body strength training and abs to top off the workout.  I don't spin/cycle often, but it's a nice change of pace every now and then...same with swimming.  My preferred discipline is obviously running, but I recognize the value and benefits of cross-training (particularly on an easy run day).  

Wesley 

Today's Tempo/5K Race Pace run included the following: 

2 Miles at 7:13/mile;

2 Miles at 6:27/mile;

2 Miles at 6:00/mile;

2 Miles at 6:58/mile; and

1 Mile Easy (8:00)

9 Miles Total on treadmill set to 1.0 incline; no issues. 

Wesley

4.5 Miles Easy, inlcuding 4 striders, on treadmill set to 1.0. 

Wesley

Very little time to workout today, so I hit a local high school track for some quick speed work before heading home for the afternoon to keep my kids.   

After a 400m warm-up, I ran 10X400m Repeats with 100m (35-40 seconds) resting jog.  I ran the first 6 Repeats at 80 seconds/repeat, and Repeats 7-10 at 82, 83, 84, and 85 seconds, respectively.  Only had time for a 200m cool-down because I was running late!

Only 3.5 Miles total, but pretty good results all things considered.  Honestly, I'm feeling a little fatigued after 6 straight days of running.   

Wesley 

12 Miles on treadmill at the following splits:  

4 Miles at 7:03/mile;

4 Miles at 6:58/mile; and

4 Miles at 6:40/mile. 

Wesley 

20 Miles on an absolutely gorgeous, albeit warm and brutally windy, day of 82 degrees in Little Rock.  I ran a 7:14/mile pace, but that doesn't tell the whole story...

After months of cool-weather running, today was a wake up call.  After 15 miles at sub-7:00, I was spent, and the 10 ounces of gatorade in my hand-held was all dried up by Mile 16.  Lucky for me, the Little Rock/North Little Rock River Trail on which I was running has water fountains, and I was fortunate to hit one at Mile 17.  

Overall, it was a good day.  The wind was a pace-breaker, and I was not prepared for how my body reacted to the warmer weather, but all things considered, I ran pretty strong.  

And then I had to mow the yard!!!

Wesley 

Descent tempo run on treadmill today, but I was feeling particularly low on energy, and a bit of fatigue carried over from a tough 20 miler over the weekend.  With the unnecessary whining out of the way, here are today's splits.   

3 Miles at 6:58/mile;

3 Miles at 6:18/mile;

1 Mile at 6:40/mile; and

2 Miles Easy. 

9 total miles, but again, I was a little disappointed after feeling compelled to ramp down the pace on the final two miles, which I had originally intended to run closer to my marathon race pace.  

My plan is to get a couple of good nights of sleep and bounce back with some solid training runs during the latter part of this week.  I'm running 5Ks on back-to-back weekends this month, and I'm looking forward to hitting the track for some speed work on Thursday or Friday.   

Wesley 

4 Miles at 7:13/mile, including 5 striders during Mile 5, on treadmill. 

Wesley

6 Miles at 6:58/mile and 6 Miles at 6:40/mile for 12 Miles at slow and fast Marathon Pace, respectively; quarter mile easy jog to cool down. 

Wesley

I had the day off today, and I took advantage of the 90 degree heat this afternoon with some mile repeats at a local high school near my home.  I wanted to run 5 repeats at 5:50, but after a 12-mile progressive run yesterday, there wasn't much spring in my legs.  I ended up running the following splits, wit a quarter mile slow jog between repeats:  

Mile Repeat 1:  5:44

Mile Repeat 2:  5:57

Mile Repeat 3:  5:57

Mile Repeat 4:  5:56

Mile Repeat 5:  6:02

Did I mention it was 90 degrees and breezy?  But I was still disappointed, particularly given the extra rest I was afforded between repeats 3 and 4 due to a unfortunate, but necessary, bio break.  6:02???  Given how hard I worked for it, I should be okay with the result, but I can't help but think that Quenton Cassidy would next have let something like this happen, and his repeats would have been at 4:30.

Today's saving grace was the Saucony Grid Type 4A kicks I was wearing for the first time.  They felt light and comfortable, and I think they'll be perfect for the upcoming 5Ks I'm scheduled to run the next two weekends.  More importantly, they didn't hurt my feet, which are conditioned to quiet a bit more support with the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11 trainers that I wear for virtually all of my runs.   

Looking forward to a scheduled day off tomorrow.  

Wesley 

22.25 Miles at 7:03/mile on a warm, humid morning in the mid-70s.  Made five, four-mile loops through the flatter parts of my neighborhood (which are still relatively hilly), and ended the run with a detour up a very steep incline from 20.5 - 21.5.  This took a lot out of me (which was the idea), but generally, I ran strong today.  And I feel pretty good about where I am three weeks out from the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee.  

Wesley 

With 5K races on my calendar for the next two Saturdays, April 16 and April 23, I headed out to a local high school track over lunch to get in another speed workout in my Saucony Grid Type A4s.  And with gorgeous weather and minimal wind, I had a nice workout, which included: 

2 Miles at 6:40/mile inlcluding two 100m striders;

2 2400m repeats at 8:29 and 8:45, respectively, with 800m slow jog after repeats;

2 Miles at 6:36/mile including two 100m striders;

400m in 1:22; and

400m slog jog to cool down.

8.5 total miles. 

Wesley

4.25 Miles in 28:41 (6:45), including 4 striders, on the kind of afternoon that made you thankful to be alive.  Read my crazy son a couple of stories before bed and spent a pleasant evening with my beautiful wife, Isabel.  

Wesley 

On the road by 4:00 am this morning with a busy day ahead of me...

Perfect conditions, 55 degrees and no wind, for a smooth 8.25 miles, including:  

5 Miles at 6:57/mile;

3X0.5 Mile Repeats at 2:50/repeat w/ 0.25 easy jog between repeats;

1 Mile at 6:57; and

0.25 Mile at 1:25.  

I very much enjoyed myself this morning, and I'm looking forward to a scheduled day off tomorrow before my first 5K of 2011 on Saturday.  

Wesley 

Pre-race, short run that included an easy mile and 0.75 miles at 5K Race Pace (6:00). 

My goal tomorrow is to run a sub-19:00 PR in the Little Rock Catholic High School Rocket 5K, but after driving the course, which weaves through a very hilly neighborhood behind the school, it's going to be challenging.  But that's not a bad thing.  I'm still looking foward to getting back out there and competing. 

Wesley

After a nice warm-up, 2 Miles at 7:00/mile with a couple of 5K Race Pace striders, over 300 runners (including a ton of high schoolers) hit the course on a cool, breezy morning.  As expected, the hilly course was challenging, and when I looked down at my Garmin at Mile 1 and saw a 5:18, I knew I was going to pay for it later in the race.  

As the course turned predominantly uphill at the half-way point, and then flat during the latter half of Mile 3, I held up pretty well and ran strong.  Unfortunately, a quarter-mile steep, uphill finish prevented any possibility of a kick (which I think I had in me).  

In the end, I hit my target of sub-19:00, set a PR, and gained some confidence.  Under good conditions, I'll have a puncher's chance at 18:00 next week in my hometown 5K race, the Fordyce on the Cotton Belt 5K, in Fordyce, Arkansas (pop. 4,500).  

Wesley 

18 Miles in 2:01:50 (6:46/mile) on a 9-mile out-and-back along the Little Rock River Trail and through downtown Little Rock.  I very much enjoyed the warmish, 75 degree weather, with a pretty good breeze coming off the Arkansas River for the first 6 miles and final 6 miles of the run.  

Mid-morning/afternoon runs by the river are nice and refreshing.  I start tapering this week for the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday, April 20.  

Wesley 

With the termperature hovering around 90 degrees and wind gusts between 30 and 40 mph, I had a challenging speed workout today at a local high school track (wind was far worse than the heat).  I worked hard and ran through it, however, during a workout that included:

2 Miles at 6:36/mile, including two striders during final 400m;

4X400m Repeats at 76, 76, 79, and 79 seconds, respectively;

2X800m Repeats at 3:05 and 2:57 respectively; and

4X400m Repeats at 79, 81, 82, and 79 seconds, respectively;

Including 200m slow walk/jog after each 400m repeat and 400m slow walk/jog after each 800m repeat, I ran 7 miles total.  Sure, I'm not thrilled with my 800m repeat splits, but given the fact that wind gusts almost stood me up at times, I managed the best that I could. 

Wesley

5 Miles Easy (7:30/mile), including 6 striders during Mile 4, on treadmill. 

Wesley

Quick, MP-5K progression workout that hopefully provided a needed tune-up for my second consecutive 5K this Saturday.  Splits included:  

Mile 1: 6:58;

Mile 2: 6:40;

Mile 3: 6:18;

Mile 4: 6:00; and

Mile 5: 5:52

.25 Mile cool down for 5.25 total miles.  I ran strong on the treadmill today, approaching "puke pace" toward the end of Mile 5.  But it was just what I needed... 

In addition to celebrating my 10-Year Class Reunion this weekend in beautiful Fordyce, Arkansas (home of the mighty Redbugs!), my goal is to win my first 5K with a sub-18:30 time (which would also be a PR).  I finished fourth running an 18:34 in a considerably larger race in Little Rock last weekend, and unless a ringer decides to enter the 50-60 person, small town race for the hell of it, I should have a pretty good shot.  In fact, two years ago, I finished second to just such a ringer (who, in hindsight, wasn't so much a ringer).  

The fact is that this race has a lot of sentimental value for me given my father's past success as a local, elite short-distance racer.  He won the Fordyce on the Cotton Belt 5K (it's part of a week-long festival celebrating the town's historic link to the Union Pacific Railroad "Cotton Belt"), setting a course record of 16:38 in his mid-30s.  My dad, who is now 57, and just qualified for Boston in his first Marathon, will be running the race as well, and it would be great to win one for him.  After all, he's coached, pushed and motivated me for the last 28 years.  The least I can do is provide him with a little fatherly pride on what should be a beautiful Easter Weekend.  

And he may finish second... 

Wesley 

On a warm, humid morning approaching 80 degrees, I set off with my Dad in the annual 5K race in the small, Arkansas town where I grew up.  Competing primarily against myself in a a race that fielded approximately 60 runners, I set a new PR and achieved my target finish time of sub-18:30 (5:52/mile).  In winning this sentimental race, which my Dad won several times in the early 90s, I also received a preety awesome throwback trophy that's about three feet tall. 

My Dad, Mark, also ran well on Saturday, winning the Master's Division and averaging a 7:00/mile pace.  Many thanks to my brother who made a special trip down to cheer us on.  He's in town to see his father-in-law, who is recovering from open heart surgery, and I really appreciated having him there at the finsih line for my first victory.  Incidentally, had he chosen to run, I have no doubt he would have finished...second!

Wesley

Garmin-free, I ran for 91 minutes at approximately 7:00/mile for a total of about 13 miles.  Still in Fordyce, Arkansas, following my 10-Year Class Reunion, I ran east through town to Hwy 8 and out past Tri-County Lake to the Cleveland County sign and back to my best friend's house in my old neighborhood. 

Fordyce Bank & Trust sign showed 73 degrees at 7:00 am (Mile 2), and it was muggy, brother.  I did have some nice cloud coverage for most of the run, however, preventing what could have been a really warm run. 

Felt pretty good after a couple of extra speek workouts, two consecutive 5K races, etc., and I look forward to a very light week of tapering as I make final preparations for the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee this Saturday (7:00am start!!!). 

Wesley 

Final, short tempo pace run in advance of Saturday's race in Nashville.  After a mile at 6:58 and another at my LR Marathon Race Pace of 6:40, I ran 3 Miles at 6:20/mile; started cool down at 7:30 but decided to work in 2X.25 mile repeats at 1:30/repeat.  6 Miles total.  

Wesley 

3 Miles Easy including 6 striders on a warm, humid morning in Little Rock.  The good news is that it looks like the storms are finally out of here, and relative to Monday night, last night's activity was pretty mild.  

Please include the folks in Vilonia, Arkansas (Tornado) and Northwest Arkansas (flooding) in your prayers.  

Wesley 

3 Miles in 20:00 at Marathon Race Pace, approximately 6:40/mile, on a beautiful early morning run with temperatures in the low 40s.  

First check on Nashville weather forecast for Saturday's race looks good...but pretty warm and humid, even by Nashville standards for this time of year.  Average high is around 73 degrees for late April, but we're looking at a high of 81 degrees for Saturday.

Pretty excited about the 7:00 am start, though.  It should be fun.  

Wesley 

My wife, Isabel, and I had a wonderful weekend in Nashville, Tennessee, where I competed in the Country Music Marathon on a warm, humid Saturday in downtown Nashville.  The expo and race were really well-organized, and given the over 31,000 runners competing in the Half and Full Marathon, I was pleasantly surprised at how non-disruptive this Rock-n-Roll Series event was with respect to my pre-race/race morning schedule.  Nashville's hills, however, were very disruptive, both to my overall pacing and confidence during the latter half of the race...

Starting out like my hair was on fire, I ran a 19:30 minute 5K, approximately 20 seconds/mile faster than my target race pace.  Stubborn as a mule, I held this pace through the 6 Mile point, where I pulled up with a pretty bad side stitch, backing my pace down to around 7:15/mile.  I was able to run through the stitch, however, and the pain subsided. By Mile 10, I was cruising at 6:30-6:40/mile on the rolling hills that dominated the first half of the race. 

I hit the 13.1 Mile mark at around 1:26:30 (a Half PR), and then realized I still had another 13.1 to run.  Doh!!!  But I decided to just go for it.  Why couldn't I match my Little Rock Marathon effort and go sub-2:55?  Well, to start with, I was unfamiliar with the course, and I had no idea that two steady, 1-mile climbs awaited me at Miles 17 and 19, respectively.  I'm not sure if being more familiar would have made it any better, though.  I didn't have much spring in my legs, and after starting so fast, I was in no position to tame the hills.  Rather, they humbled me.  

The end result was 3:05:53 (7:05/pace) on a brutal course made more difficult by the warm weather and humidity.  Sure, I was a little disappointed given my time in Little Rock, but I have to keep things in perspective.  When I started my journey to qualify for Boston last October, I would have been thrilled with one Boston qualifying time, much less two. Nevertheless, I expect more from myself.  If you're not moving forward, you're moving backward, so there's only one thing for me to do.  Learn.  Prepare smarter.  Train harder.  Get better.  

I would be remiss if I didn't again say how much I appreciated having Isabel there by my side to support me.  We had so much fun on Saturday night at the post-race concert in downtown Nashville at the Bridgestone Arena (where the Nashville Predators play).  And it was nice to have some quality one-on-one time away from our kids.  Isabel deserved the R&R, and I loved having her there with me.  

Wesley 

8 Miles Easy in 60:00 (7:30/mile) with four 30-45sec striders during Mile 8; treadmill set to 1.0 incline; legs felt good after two days off.  

Given that I don't have any immediate plans to run a Half or Full Marathon, I've been thinking a lot about the volume of base mileage that I want to maintain in between more structured training periods.  I'm pretty comfortable at 40 miles/week, but if I want to get to the next level, do I need to go higher mileage?  Or in order to increase my speed, should I focus on the intensity/quality of my runs rather than total mileage?  

I want to do this the right way.  And I'm willing to work hard to get there, even during the off-cycle, maintenance periods between race training.  

Wesley 

8 Miles Easy at 7:30/mile, including four strders, on treadmill set to 1.0.  Finally, beautiful weather has returned to the Natural State, and I'm looking forward to some relaxed runs over the weekend during this post-race, recovery week.   

Wesley

9 Mile Marathon Pace tempo run (with one unplanned .25 mile easy jog) at the following splits: 

3 Miles at 6:58/mile;

3 Miles at 6:40/mile;

2 Miles at 6:18/mile;

(.25 mile at 8:00 pace); and

.75 mile at 6:00 pace. 

9 total miles on a low-energy day that confirms what I already knew to be true.  I need more rest.  This 5-6 hour/night business isn't going to cut it. 

Wesley

5 Miles at 7:04/mile on a beautiful afternoon in Little Rock.  After hiking all day with the wife and kids at Petit Jean State Park, this was about all I could handle!  

Fun day for everyone.  

Wesley 

10 Miles Easy, including 6 striders, in my neighborhood on what's shaping up to be another beautiful day in Little Rock.  

Looking forward to my son's soccer practice this morning after a couple of rainy weekends.  

Wesley 

6 Miles Easy on the trails at my parents' land just outside of Lake Catherine State Partk in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  I refer to these miles as "easy", but frankly, there was nothing easy about this workout.  My parents' trails are serious, deep Arkansas Woods trails, with stumps, creeks and rocks.  I managed to fall only once...but it made me feel tough and a little more satisfied with my effort. 

Wesley

8-mile tempo run on treadmill set to 1.0 incline, including the following: 

2 Miles at 6:58/mile;

4 Miles at 6:27/mile; and

2 Miles at 6:58/mile.

Today, for the first time since my last race on April 30, I started to feel like I was getting my legs back under me. 

Wesley

6 Miles at 7:13/mile in my neighborhood on a warm, humid morning in Little Rock.  Temperature approached 90 degrees yesterday, and it's not even June!

Cruising at easy 7:30 pace, but worked six 30-second striders into last 1.25 miles.   

Wesley

It's been a long, albeit productive, week at work...I needed a good, long run to calm the nerves.  And honestly, I didn't want to work too hard.  Today's treadmill run included: 

2 Miles at 7:30 (warm-up);

5 Miles at 6:58 (let's call this my moderate marathon race pace);

4 Miles at 6:40 (let's call this my established, fast marathon race pace); and

2 Miles at 7:30 (cool-down, no italics necessary); and

1 Mile at 8:00 (extended cool-down)

14 Miles Total; incline set to 1.0 per usual. 

Wesley

Nice run this morning on a cool and breezy morning with a front moving in.  It's my wife's birthday, so I wanted to get my workout in early so we can enjoy the day together.  

My dad, Mark, has graciously agreed to drive over to Little Rock and watch the kids so I can take my wife out for brunch and an early movie.  While it's not much, I think she'll appreciate a relaxing morning.  I just hope's she's willing to go see Thor...not really...she'll be picking the movie.   

After a two-mile warm-up (15 minutes), I cranked it up a bit for 3 Miles at 6:29/mile, followed by 2 Miles at 6:49/mile; 7 total miles in just under 48 minutes.   

Wesley 

10 Miles at 6:50/mile on a beautiful morning of 45 degrees in my Little Rock neighborhood; pace includes pit stop for bio break; finished strong on tired legs.  

Wesley 

Today's treadmill run, which was a bit frenetic, included the following: 

2 Miles at 6:58/mile;

4 Miles at 6:40/mile;

3 Miles at 6:31/mile;

3 Miles at 6:58/mile; and

4X.25 mile repeats at 90 secs/repeat (6:00) with 2:00 easy jog between repeats. 

Including the recovery jogs following the quarter repeats, I ran 14 total miles.  The last couple of repeats were pretty tough, and I was drained. 

Wesley

6.5 Miles Easy on treadmill.  After yesterday's tough, relatively intense, workout, I felt pretty good.  Legs a little fatigued, but no soreness to speak of.   

Wesley 

Two-mile warm-up followed by 6 Miles at Marathon Pace or harder:  

3 Miles at 6:40/mile;

2 Miles at 6:27/mile; and

1 Mile at 6:00.  

Half-mile easy jog to cool down for 8.5 total miles on treadmill set to 1.0 incline.  

Wesley 

6 Miles Easy (7:27/mile) on a warm and muggy morning in my Little Rock neighborhood. My daughter, Sophie, came along for the ride this morning in our jogger, and we couldn't resist stopping for a few minutes to feed the ducks in a neighborhood pond around Mile 3.  

Glad to get this easy and enjoyable run in early because rain is in the forecast all day.  

Wesley 

Out of bed at 4:50 am for a 10-miler, only to be turned back at the front door by thunder and lightning all over the morning sky.  But thankfully, I caught a break in the rain following Sunday School.  I sloshed through 10.5 Miles (shoes soaked by Mile 3) at 6:56/mile.  Pretty good effort considering the conditions.  

Wesley 

12.5 Miles on treadmill set to 1.0.  Today's run included the following:  

2 Miles at 7:30/mile;

6 Miles at 6:40/mile (MP);

1.5 Miles at 6:31/mile;

0.25 mile easy jog;

2.0 Miles at 7:30/mile; and

0.75 mile easy jog. 

I was a little disappointed that I had to shut it down a half-mile early at the 6:31 pace; my goal was 8 solid, MP/Tempo miles, but my energy level isn't where it needs to be.  I think it's a combination of improper fueling and a lack of sleep, but I rationalized you train to race rather than race to train.

Wesley 

8 Miles in 56:00 on treadmill set to 1.0 incline.  Today's run included the following: 

2-mile warm-up at 7:30/mile;

3 Miles at 6:58/mile;

2 Miles at 6:40/mile (MP); and

1 Mile at 6:18.

Felt good today despite some hard miles on low energy yesterday. 

Wesley

6 Miles Easy in my neighborhood on a nice, clear morning with a light breeze.  Included six 30-45 second striders during last two miles. 

Wesley

2-mile warm-up followed by 8X.5 mile repeats at 2:56/repeat (5:52/5K pace) on treadmill set to 1.0 incline; 2:00 minute/quarter-mile easy jog after each repeat for a total of 8 Miles. 

Wesley

5 Miles Easy after my son's final soccer game of the summer.  Threw in six striders during the final mile and a half.  I was planning to take the day off, then reconsidered, and I thought I would try a little active recovery after yesterday's speed work.  

Also hit 50 miles for the week.  Ultimately, I'm working toward 60 miles/week as base mileage.   

Wesley 

Warm.  Humid.  Summer is here in Arkansas.  10 Miles in just under 68 minutes, or 6:48/mile.  Good effort.  

Is 10 Miles the perfect distance?  I'm having trouble coming up with a better number.

Everyone enjoy the long weekend.  

Best,

Wesley 

Great weekend with the family at my parents' home near Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Though initially planning to take the day off, I got restless, and I decided to hit the highway around noon for a quick progressive run that included the following: 

3 Miles at 6:40/mile;

2 Miles at 6:30/mile; and

.5 Miles in 2:56.

With a half-mile cool-down, I ran 6 total miles on a hot, humid day with temperatures hovering around 90 degrees. 

Wesley

Very hot and challenging mid-day run in 95 degree heat; 3 Miles at 6:40/mile, 3 Miles at 6:58/mile, and 3 Easy Miles, including about a mile worth of trails that weave through parts of my neighborhood in West Little Rock.  

Quarter mile trot home after doing three sets of pull-ups on the monkey bars at the neighborhood park by my house.  No kids/parents were there...it was the middle of the day.

Wesley 

5 Miles in 33:59 (6:48/mile) on another blistering afternoon in Little Rock; felt pretty good despite maybe my longest stretch of consecutive running days in my life (8).  With a "Man Day" canoe trip planned for Saturday, the streak may stop at 10 days, however, which is probably a good thing so I don't end up hurting myself.  

Targeting 50-52 Miles again this week as I continue to gradually build toward 60 Miles/week of base mileage.  

Wesley 

15.25 Miles Easy in just under 1:54:00 (7:25 pace); needed to get in a long run after being forced into a rest day yesterday due to conflicts at work.  Out the door by 4:20 am on my off day.  And we wonder why non-runners think we're crazy.  

Nice run despite 80-85 degree temps and high humidity.  Being out ahead of the morning commute traffic, I was able to run on some typically busy streets while making a long loop around West Little Rock.   

Wesley 

Out the door a little after 4:00 am for a quick run to hit 50 miles for the week.  After a 1-mile warm-up, I bumped it up for 3 Miles in 19:39 (6:33/mile); quarter mile jog with two striders to cool down for 4.5 total miles.  

Headed up to north central arkansas with some friends in a few minutes to float the Spring River near the Arkansas-Missouri border.  I'm very much looking forward to this "Man Day", as one of my buddies like to describes it.  I have not been canoeing in several years.  

Wesley 

am:  10 Miles in 1:11:54 in my neighborhood on a warm morning (80+ degrees).  After a 2-mile warm-up and bio break, I put forth a pretty good effort for 8 Miles at 6:59/mile.  Pace wasn't as consistent as I'd like, hovering between 6:30 and 7:30, but I finished strong, running Mile 10 right at 6:40.  

pm:  5.5 Miles on treadmill; 2-mile warm-up, 3 Miles at 6:58, and half-mile cool down. 

Total:  15.5 Miles, 11 at sub-7:00 pace. 

Wesley 

am:  8.5 Miles in 59:47 in my neighborhood on a pretty nice morning, 75 degrees, in my West Little Rock neighborhood.  After a 2-mile warm-up (7:20/mile), I picked up the pace and ran 6.5 Miles at 6:57/mile.  

pm:  2-mile warm-up (7:30/mile) followed by 3X0.5 Mile Repeats at 3:00/repeat (6:00 pace); half-mile easy jog to recover after each repeat for 5 total miles..  

Total:  13.5 Miles, 6.5 at sub-7:00/mile pace and 1.5 at 6:00/mile.   

Wesley 

5 Miles at 6:58/mile on treadmill set to 1.0.  

Wesley 

4 Miles Easy is all I had in me today.  

This is been a tough week, personally and professionally, and I've never been more convinced that the mental side of running is equally as important as the physical.  

Without the proper motivation, you cannot run...at least not well.  

However, things are looking up on a beautiful, albeit hot, weekend in Little Rock.  Some time at the pool with the wife and kids is exactly what I needed.  I will probably take Sunday off as a mental health day of sorts.  

God bless,

Wesley 

I got up in some good speed work late this afternoon, and despite the 90 degree heat, I felt like it was exactly what I needed to recharge my batteries.  Today's workout included the following:  

3 Miles at 6:35/mile;

4X400m at 79, 76, 79, and 79 seconds respectively;

3X800m at 2:46, 2:55, and 2:56 respectively; and

800m easy jog to cool down.  

Including 200m walk/jog after each quarter, and 400m walk/jog between 800's, I ran 7 total miles.

Wesley 

Ran out of hours today (wish days were longer), so I had to improvise with a 3 Mile tempo/progressive run: 1 Mile at 6:40 (MP), 1 Mile at 6:18, and 1 Mile at 6:00 (5K) on the treadmill set to 1.0 incline.  Felt pretty good.

Wesley 

am:  8 Miles in 59:00 in my West Little Rock neighborhood on a warm morning; 2 easy miles followed by 6 Miles at 7:10/mile.  

Wesley 

am:  8 Miles Easy in WLR neighborhood.

pm:  4.5 Miles in WLR neighborhood, and it was an interesting workout; 1 mile at sub-7:00, but I had to back it down for a couple of easy miles after developing a strange, unexplainable side-stitch (hydration issues perhaps?); then I kicked it up to 5K pace for a half-mile (2:55), followed by an easy half mile, another quarter mile at 5K pace (1:27), and a quarter to cool down.   

Total:  12.5 Miles, mostly easy stuff with a couple token repeats.    

6.5 Miles this afternoon in Malvern, Arkansas, and it was a little warm (98 degrees!); working from my Dad's office (we work for the same Company), I ran an easy mile to the start line of the Malvern BrickFest 5K, which happens to be next Saturday, and in which my Dad and I may participate depending on how his calf and my right knee feel this week. From this point, of course, I ran most of the BrickFest 5K race course (3 Miles) in just under 20 minutes (approx. 6:37/mile), followed by 2.5 very easy miles in the bright, bright sun.  

Wesley 

8 Miles Easy with my Dad on Hwy. 171 between Malvern and Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Out the door by 4:30am because I had to get back to Little Rock to participate in a golf tournament/fundraiser hosted by my church, St. James UMC (8:00am tee time).  

And as if I hadn't logged enough hours in the Arkansas Summer heat, I even found time to mow the yard this afternoon!  My in-laws came over for dinner and a movie, and all in all, it was a very good day, but a long one...off to bed.  

Wesley 

7 Miles at 6:58 followed by 2 Miles Easy on treadmill set to 1.0. 

Wesley

Speed work on the treadmill during lunch, including the following:  

0.5 Mile warm-up;

1 Mile at 6:58;

2X0.25 mile repeats at 5:46 pace;

6X0.5 mile repeats, 4 at 5:52 pace and 2 at 6:00 pace;

2X.025 mile repeats at 5:46 pace;

2.5 Miles Easy; and

0.5 Mile at 6:58.

Including half-distrance easy jogs after each of the 10 repeats, I ran 10.5 total miles.  

Wesley 

My Dad and I have decided to run the "BrickFest 5K" taking place in my parents' hometown of Malvern, Arkansas on Saturday, June 25 at 7:30am.  As such, having done very little serious speedwork over the course of the last 6 weeks, today's workout was designed as a 5K tune-up.

Downtown Little Rock, 93 degrees:   

After 3 Miles at 6:52 (MP), I picked up the pace for 2 Miles at 6:23 (Tempo), followed by 1 Mile Easy before heading back to my building'g gym for some water. 

JP Fitness, Metropolitan Tower, Little Rock:

After dripping sweat all over the elevator and grabbing a couple swigs of water, I ran 4 Miles Easy on the treadmill set to 1.0 incline, and closed out the early afternoon workout with a half-mile at 5:46 (target 5K pace, though maybe not Saturday). 

Ideally, I would have liked to run the 2 outside, tempo miles a little faster than 6:23, i.e., a little closer to 5K pace, but it was hot and hilly, and I just didn't have much in the tank.  Hopefully, a total rest day on Friday will pay dividends. 

10.5 Miles Total, 3 Miles at MP, 2 Miles at TP, and 0.5 Mile at 5KP. 

Wesley

8 Miles in just under 61 minutes in my West Little Rock neighborhood; 5 Miles Easy in 40 minutes, followed by 3 Miles at approximately 6:53/mile (incorporating 6 striders, which accounted for the faster pace).    

Wesley 

am:  8-mile tempo run on treadmill set to 1.0, including 3 Miles at 6:58/mile, 4 Miles at 6:31/mile, and 1 Mile at 6:58. 

pm:  4 Miles Easy on treadmill set to 1.0, following by some light strength training and a few minutes in the sauna. 

Total:  12 Miles Total, including 4 Miles at MP and 4 Miles at TP. 

Wesley

4 Miles pushing my kids, Max (3) and Sophie (1), in the "BOB" around my West Little Rock neighborhood.  2 Miles to the duck pond where we fed a couple of ducks, which Max named "Ducky" and "Mama", consistent with his typical naming conventions; and 2 Miles back to our house. 

Fun late afternoon run. 

Wesley

am:  11 Miles Easy in downtown Little Rock and along the Little Rock side of the Arkansas River Trail; met a former co-worker, Dave, in our building's gym at 5:15 am before hitting the trail around 5:30 am.  Beautiful morning of 75 degrees, at least 5-7 degrees cooler then it's been for the last three weeks.  We had some showers yesterday, and the "cool" front seems to have provided us with a small break from the record-breaking heat. 

Dave is training for the Philly Half-Marathon.  It was a nice, relaxing run. 

pm:  2 Miles at 6:58/mile followed by 2X.5 mile repeats at 2:46/repeat on treadmill set to 1.0 incline.  Including quarter mile easy job after each repeat and half mile cool-down, I ran 4 Miles Total.

Total:  15 Miles, mostly easy stuff with a couple of fast intervals on the treadmill. 

Wesley

8 Miles in 56:00 on treadmill set to 1.0 incline.  Today's run included the following:  

2 Miles Easy at 7:30/mile;

3 Miles at 6:58/mile;

1 Mile at 6:40;

1 Mile at 6:18; and

1 Mile at 6:58.

Wesley 

8 Miles in 57:00 in my neighborhood on a warm, but nice, morning in Little Rock. 

Pace was 7:08/mile, but in actuality, I only ran the last three miles hard; also included 8-10 striders on the downhill portions of this run. 

Wesley

5 Miles in my neighborhood on a nice morning (75 degrees) in Little Rock.  4 Miles Easy and 1 Mile at 6:10.  Pretty tough out there today, however, because my right knee continues to get sore when I push my mileage above 40-45 (just hit 60 for the week).  

Everyone have a great holiday weekend.  

Wesley 

Because everyone from Little Rock has to run the Firecracker Fast 5K at some point in their lives, I figured why not this morning.  After hitting 60 total miles for the first time last week, I took Sunday off in anticipation of being a late entry in this race.  Registered at 6:30 am for the 7:30 am start.  Ran the race course in reverse (mostly uphill) for a 3-mile warm-up with two quarter-mile striders during the third mile.    

Not a lot to say about this race, or the insanely fast downhill course, other than that the field is loaded with current and former college athletes looking for a downhill PR and a shot at the $1,000 prize money.  I ran 17:51 (5:45 pace) and finished 39th.  And they don't even give age group awards, though I finished 5/49.  The top 100 overall finishers do receive a pretty cool "firecracker" trophy, though.  My son loved it.  

One more interesting note about this race...Bill Rodger and Frank Shorter came to Little Rock and ran in 1989 (15:24, 15:52).  Good stuff.  

Speaking of firecrackers, my son and I just got back from the fireworks stand where we stocked up on sparklers, fountains, and anything else that I rationalized as being safe enough for an impromptu fireworks show with my three and one year old this evening.  

Everyone have a safe and happy 4th.  

Wesley 

9 Miles Easy at 7:30/mile followed by 3 Miles at 6:40/mile and 1 Mile of slow jogging to cool down; actually ramped it up for a half-mile in 3:15 (6:30) to close out the workout.

13.5 Miles Total. 

Wesley

2 Miles Easy followed by 4 Miles at 6:40/mile and 2 Miles at 6:31/mile on the treadmill.  

Actually felt pretty good this evening after an extremely long afternoon at work.  

Wesley 

4 Miles Easy (7:30/mile) followed by 4 Miles at 6:58/mile on treadmill set to 1.0.  

Wesley 

7 Miles on some awesome trails with my brother en route to a breakfast joint for one of the better breakfasts I've had in a long-time...western omelette, hot cakes, and grits.  We dominated.  

Great morning.  

Wesley 

4 Miles Easy before ramping it up for 8 Miles at 6:53/mile in 90 degree heat; 2-mile easy jog to cool down for 14 Miles Total.  Caught a second wind today, and I needed it.  

Wesley 

3 Easy Miles of jogging with my brother, including a couple of striders, during a nice walk/jog hike on an absolutely perfect day.  

I should run trails more often.   

Wesley 

3 Miles at 6:30/mile before backing it down for a final mile at 7:15.  I didn't have much time over lunch today, so I knocked out a short and hot one outside, with the thermostat flirting with 102 degrees and 50% humidity.  

Wesley 

What a strange week...my wife and kids are in Valencia, Spain visiting her Grandmother, I just mowed my yard in the dark (out of necessity given my work schedule lately), and it's the 7th inning of the MLB All-Star Game (DVR'd), and the freaking National League is actually managing to hold the lead (a good thing, but I'm surprised; 2 wins in a row for the National League may cause the sky to fall...after the seven games prior to last year going to the American League).  

Alas, I ran 8 Miles on the treadmill in 58 minutes late this afternoon before weed-eating and mowing for 1.5 hours; 4 Miles at 7:30/mile and 4 Miles a little closer to MP at 6:58/mile. Felt fine, physically.  Mentally, I'm all over the board.  I miss my beautiful wife and babies.   

Wesley 

8 Miles Easy, including 8 striders during the latter half of the run, on a steamy morning of 83 degrees in Little Rock.

Wesley 

7 Miles Easy, 75 degrees with light rain coming down.  

Wesley 

Visiting family in beautiful Benicasim, Spain, just outside of Valencia on the Mediteranean.  After 18 hours of travel, I was very excited to see my beautiful wife, Isabel, and children, Max and Sophie.  This will probably be a light running week, focused on short to moderate, enjoyable and scenic runs along the coast.  For example, I ran 7-8 Miles this morning along the boardwalk, then out of town, climbing for a couple of pretty tough miles before reaching a beautiful point overlooking the sea.  Hard to beat this kind of run, and I look forward to repeating it a few times over the course of the next week. 

No GPS.  No pace concerns.  Just soaking it in. 

Wesley

Repeated yesterday´s 7-8 miler along the boardwalk, then climbing uphill for 2-3 miles to a beautiful point overlooking the Mediteranean in Benicasim, Spain. 

Wesley 

6 Miles en la playa en Benicasim.  Barefoot and easy along the hard-packed sand close to the water´s edge.  Pressed a little harder on Mile 6 for a 7:15-7:30 to finish strong. 

Wesley

So, my wife´s Granmother, Wita, has been holding out on me...

Yesterday afternoon over a glass of vino tinto, she tells me about camino verde, a trail system just outside of Benicassim that weaves through the mountainous coast, past medieval, Spanish remnants, offering some amazing views of the Mediterranean Sea along the way. 

I ran approximately 9 Miles, in 63 minutes, for a 7:00/mile pace.  Got up and out the door early this morning, and the cool weather, sunrise, and beautiful imagery made this run one to remember. 

Looking forward to a day at the beach with the family. 

Wesley

Yesterday´s morning run was too good to only do once...

9 Miles at MP or faster on a beautiful morning in Benicasim, Spain.  About 1.5 Miles from apartment to trailhead for Camino Verde, and once there, I ran the a 10K out-and-back along the trail in 40 minutes.  1.5 Miles a little slower back along the boardwalk to the apartment, but overall, I ran strong today and very much enjoyed myself. 

Wesley 

At approximately the 4km mark on the out-and-back 10k trail (Camino Verde) I´ve run a couple times here in Benicasim, I took a detour and hike-jogged up the side of a cliff on a rocky, single track trail with switch backs all the way up for about a mile.  It was a lot of fun , and the continued, unseasonably cool mornings have made all of my runs over the last week even more enjoyable. 

Picked up the pace for 2 Miles at 6:30/mile after descending and returning to the Camino Verde for a very satisfying 8 Miles.

Pleased to hit 40 Miles for the week given the amount of pastries, paella, mojitos, amstel, and vino I´ve consumed the last few days. 

Kids continue to have a blast. 

On a final note, I would be remiss if I did not express how blessed (and just damn lucky) I feel today to be celebrating my 6th Anniversary.  My lovely wife, Isabel, is the best thing that ever happened to me, and she and our babies make my life a joy every single day, whether we´re lounging on the beach in Spain or simply watching TV back home in Arkansas.  If you see this, babe, Happy Anniversary.  I love you.    

Wesley     

8 Miles Easy, including the 10k out-and-back loop along the Camino Verde in Benicasim, Spain.  Rather than running back to my family´s apartment, I met my wife, kids, and in-laws on the beach for a final day of fun in the sun (great weather today after a couple unseasonably cool and overcast days).  Heading to Valencia tomorrow for a couple days before flying back home to Little Rock early on the 27th. 

Wesley

4 Miles Easy, 6 Miles at 6:58/mile, and 2 Miles Easy, on treadmill set to 1.0; 12 Miles Total after three days off, two of which were spent traveling back home to Little Rock after a wonderful vacation with my wife, children, and in-laws in Spain.

Wesley

10.5 Miles on treadmill set to 1.0 incline, including:

7 Miles at 7:30/mile;

1 Mile at 6:58

1 Mile at 6:40; and

2X.5 Mile repeats at sub-6:00 pace with .5 Mile rest between repeats; and

.5 Mile cool-down.

Wesley

10 Miles at 7:15/mile on a steamy mid-morning run along Hwy. 171 near my parents' home in Hot Springs, Arkansas; actually felt pretty descent considering it was my third consecutive day of 10+ Miles, which is a little more than I've been running lately. 

Did I mention it was hot?

Wesley

5.5 mile trail run and hike in Lake Catherine State Park with my brother, Luke, who was in Arkansas with his family to celebrate his son's first birthday.  After an early afternoon shower in Hot Springs, the woods were like a sauna, but despite the heat and humidity, we had a great run and afternoon, generally, with an ice chest of cold beverages waiting for us in my Dad's truck when we made it back to the trail head.  

Wesley 

The treamill I used today (my usual and preferred Matrix treadmill was covered up) was really cranky and I couldn't get it off a -3.0 decline.  Because I only had an hour, and every other freaking treadmill was being used, I simply hammered out 9.5 Miles progressing from a 6:30 pace (2 Miles) to a 6:15 pace (2 Miles) to a 6:00 pace (5.5 Miles).  If I had had time, I would have kept going, because the dowhill treadmill running suited me just fine.  I powered through the miles with only a single, short bio/water break after Mile 4. 

Wesley

5 Miles Easy while pushing my son and daughter in the 2-seater, "BOB" stroller.  Stopped for a few minutes around Mile 3 to feed the ducks (and fish) at a pond in our neighborhood.

Despite the 7:30 pm start, it was still well over 90 degrees.  As such, today's run was a little tougher than I expected or wanted, but the kids and I had a blast.

Good times after a long day at work.  It's so refreshing to see my kids smile and enjoy the simple things in life.  

Wesley 

8 Miles on treadmill set to 1.0, including the following: 

4 Miles at 7:30/mile

2 Miles at 6:58/mile; and

2 Miles at 6:40/mile.   

Felt good today.  

Wesley 

After a Paul Dean Buffet (think grease), a couple hours of very conservative card-playing at the Casino, and about as much sleep as could be expected for a quick, one-night guy trip to Tunica, Mississippi, I hit an old highway in the Mississippi Delta for 8 Miles at 7:04/mile.  I worked four moderate to fast striders into the latter half of the run; also swam a few laps in the hotel pool to cool-down after the run.  

Fun night with my friends.  Good run in God's Country.  

Wesley 

My afternoon plans for a long, hot run were cut short when, out of nowhere, a thunderstorm rolled through and settled over West Little Rock for the better part of 2 hours.  I ended up running right at 7 Miles at 7:34/mile, an easy pace, but pretty tough given the 100+ degree heat and stiff humidity.  And goodness knows I finished fast after seeing that first streak of lightning, which was much too close for comfort.  

Taking advantage of the afternoon with my kids.  We're heading to the "Jump Zone" shortly.  I love the place.  

Wesley 

13 Miles on the treamill set to 1.0, including the following: 

4 Miles at 7:30/mile (warm-up);

4 Miles at 7:13/mile;

3 Miles at 6:58/mile; and

2 Miles at 7:45/mile (cool-down), including two striders. 

Legs pretty fatigued today; looking forward to either a day-off or a VERY easy run tomorrow. 

Wesley

4.5 Miles Easy on the treadmill; enjoyed SportsCenter on a much-needed rest day.  

Wesley