Long Run with William

14.38 miles, 2:29:20, 10:23 pace, still cant find HR monitor

I joined Stephanie's group today for a shortened version of their long run. My route inclued Memorial Park, River Oaks and Buffalo Bayou. It was an enjoyable run.

I tagged along with William the whole way and found out a lot about him. I'm not sure why it's so easy to bond during a run. Perhaps it's because the physical effort strips us down closer to our underlying being by distracting us from the mental effort we typically expend building psychological walls isolating us from strangers. Perhaps it's simply the shared experience and lifestyles that prompts us to open up to people "like us". Or perhaps the non-runner would say that a long run is so boring that eventually you have to talk about something!

William is an old fashioned family man with several college-aged kids. I was intrigued by his stint as a lawyer in the Clinton administration and by his involvement in the Buffalo Bayou Board. He gives back to the community and still lives in the neighborhood where he grew up, Houston's Third Ward. William is a good guy, and I walked away inspired by our time together.

Incidentally, I ran through the third ward few times when I lived near Hermann Park, and I really enjoyed those runs. One time when I ended up at TSU I decided on a plan for a "college run." One day in the fall I plan to run through the campuses of:
St. Thomas University
Rice University
Texas Southern University
the University of Houston and
the University of Houston-Downtown

I'm sure there are others I can add to the list and still keep it at no more than a 22-24 mile run. Does anyone know of any other campuses I could add to the list?

today's splits:
8:49, 8:28, 8:20, 9:04, 9:09, 9:37, 9:22, 9:27, 9:28, 9:26, 10:00, 10:37, 11:16, 8:32 for .86 (9:55 pace)

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TDLY - Rest, no blog entry.

Stephanie's Wedding Run

7.29 miles, 1:01:43 moving, 8:27 pace, Max HR = 147, Avg HR = 125, 40% Z3, 54% Z2, three breaks for nine minutes total

I ran with Stephanie's group today, although Stephanie, Cory and I cut it short from the thirteen the rest of the group had planned. I have a long run scheduled for tomorrow -- my first run with the Tornados, so I didn't want to pile up the miles today. I'll probably need every bit of my energy to keep up with them.

As you may recall, Stephanie was my coach with Power in Motion, and will therefore always be my coach. She introduced me to the Jack Daniels Running Calculator (no! not the liquor, the Ph.D.) This is a scientific method of training which defines your runs as "Easy", "Marathon Pace", "Threshold Pace", "Interval Pace" and "Repetition Pace". By running the proper percentage of your mileage at the proper paces, Jack Daniels theorizes that you strike the right balance between maximizing conditioning and minimizing injury. It's based on heart rate, so you can probably guess that I dig it. But I digress since I wanted to tell you a bit about Stephanie.

The reason why I ran with Stephanie is because today is her wedding day. She wanted to get in a few miles before her big day got out of hand, which makes a lot of sense to me. I can remember my wedding day. My best man, Paul, chauffeured me to Louie's for breakfast, and then to Christ the King for the ceremony. My groomsmen accompanied me, and it was a nice feeling to be surrounded by trusted friends to relax and reflect. I'm sure if I had been a runner at that time that I would have pounded out a few miles.

Of everything that I've ever achieved in my entire life, my marriage is the most important to me. It is my most valuable possession. It hasn't always been easy, and it requires work, but it's the kind of work that you want to do. I tend to go overboard with running analogies, but the work I put into training is very similar to the work I put into marriage. I love to do it and I always want to do more in order to get better.

And, as a wedding is the birth of a marriage, I was honored to be invited to hang out with the bride -- my coach.

So, best wishes Stephanie! May you simultaneously find happiness, shelter, adventure, comfort, growth, and peace in your marriage.

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TDLY - 5/25/07 - Memorial Park Trails, 3.22 miles, 35:08, 10:54 pace, 10% Z5, 86% Z4. I remember this run vividly. Audrey, a Power in Motion coach, invited me to join her, her husband, and the rest of her personal group for a run on the Memorial park trails. At the time I thought my Garmin was mis-reporting my speed because of the dense tree coverage, but looking back I think it was just that hard on me. Check out that heart rate! Cory and I did core exercises for the first time together after this run, and I ran him through the routine that we did at Kenyan Way. Blog Entry.

Will's Hills 15 - Miles and W's

Warm Up, 1x2M followed by 6 laps of hills, Warm Down

Today's workout was one of the toughest I've done in a long time. 2x1M at near top speed, followed immediately by six 0.3M laps, each with three hills. My heart rate got elevated pretty quickly and stayed that way. Over the 33 minute workout (which doesn't include the warm up), my heart rate averaged 82% of my max (157 BPM).

I tried to keep up with Will on the first mile split, and clocked a 5:40, Avg HR = 134, Max HR = 171. After a five minute, .58 mile recovery jog, I turned the second mile split in at 5:57, but a Avg HR = 170 and Max HR = 180. The significant decrease in speed was disappointing, particularly because I was clearly working harder based on my heart rate. But then again it's the first intensive cardio exercise I've done in several weeks, so it was to be expected that my endurance isn't there.

Coach Ted from Power in Motion was there today. We seem to keep step-in-step, despite the fact that he is twenty years older than me. I blew me away when he told me he was more than fifty – I had him pegged for low forties. He's a phenomenal runner with tons of experience. Not only that, but he's an all around nice guy.

Today he stressed the importance of the rest period between intervals. I tend to get caught up trying to maintain a high heart rate, but I need to listen more closely to him so I can hit the intervals harder by taking the breaks easier.

He offered some great advice about my Achilles as well, which I originally dismissed because I thought it couldn't be true. He said I might have an underdeveloped calf muscle which caused the Achilles strain. My right leg doesn't look underdeveloped, and I leap up hills thanks to my strong calves, so I assumed he was wrong. But after I thought about it a bit more, I realized that my left calf is stronger and the imbalance could very well have been my problem. I'm not sure why it developed that way, but I suspect it's because my right leg is about an inch shorter than the left. I really need to listen to Coach Ted when he's giving me advice. He knows what he's talking about.

I haven't had any trouble with my leg, despite ramping up the miles this week – 36.5 since the marathon, with somewhere around 15-20 scheduled for this weekend. The miles haven't been as fast as I was running a month ago, but it's twenty degrees warmer.

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TDLY - May 23, 2007 - Kenyan Way, sixteen 30 second sprints. Tough workout -- don't dismiss it until you try it.Blog Entry.

Kenyan Way Speed #9 -- Dynegy Running Club

warm up, 4 miles threshold, warm down, 27:23, 6:48 pace, Avg. HR = 160, Max HR = 168

I took a day off yesterday because I was busy after work and didn't plan far enough in advance to do my workout in the morning. With my marathon only a few weeks away, I can't afford to make to many lapses like that again.

But it's not that big of a deal because today was a good workout. After a mile warm up I ran four miles at a pace equivalent to my race pace on Sunday. Yes, I said "race". It sort of took me by surprise. I'm going to New Orleans this weekend for a wedding, and I emailed Dave to see if he wanted to run 10 with me on Saturday. He suggested a 10 mile race on Sunday instead.

During today's warm up I ran into a friend from work, Shon, and we ran most of my workout together. Shon is the head of the Dynegy Running Club (DRC). Employees and contractors of Dynegy can pay a minimal membership fee, and in return we receive a running singlet and our entry fees paid for select races over the course of the year. Since I joined the club, Dynegy has sponsored three or four of my races. And because of that, I like to joke that I'm a semi-professional runner. (I'll let you know if that Dynegy shoe contract comes to fruition.)

Shon volunteers his time to scout out and organize Dynegy's participation in races, send motivational emails and keep us abreast of Houston running developments. But most of all Shon provides tremendous support to DRC members. He always has a positive word to share with me about my progress. I've found that runners are a very supportive group, and my fellow members of the Dynegy Running Club are no exception. I'm a proud member of the DRC, and my membership is part of the reason why I enjoy running. So thanks to Shon and the other members of the crew. I'll see you guys on Thursday at the Rice 5k!

6:49, 6:56, 6:45, 6:43

Cory's St. George Marathon

4.06 miles, 37:28, 9:13 pace, Avg HR = 127, Max HR = 135, 2 water stops deducted from time

It's my intention to dedicate an occasional post to profile people who inspire me, like the entry on Kevin a few weeks ago. Today’s profile is about Cory Birt, a friend and running companion I met at Power In Motion in March of this year.

First and foremost, kudos to Cory for completing his first marathon, the St. George Marathon, on Saturday, October 6, 2007! His time was an incredible 3:40:18, which placed him at 1430th overall out of 5155 finishers.

Cory trained with absolute dedication, rarely, if ever, cutting a workout short or deviating from his schedule. This can be traced to his intense work ethic, no doubt cultivated early in life while working on his family's farm. He scheduled his workouts around the demands of his job, which peaked just as his marathon training peaked. And being a great example of a father and husband, he always dedicated time to his family, his first priority. So, between his family, work, and training, Cory must have left precious little time for himself. I hope he's repaying that debt now by taking it easy for at least a few weeks.

If it wasn't for Cory, I probably never would have considered training for a marathon. After I got hooked on running at Power in Motion, I came up with two goals. I wanted to break 20 minutes for a 5k, and I wanted to finish in the top 500 in the Crescent City Classic so I could earn a poster. At that point I didn't think I could run a marathon, I didn't want to try, and I don't think I even thought about it. But as Cory and I compared notes about our running progress, I began to think that a marathon was something that I could and should do.

I've followed Cory's lead on several other fronts as well. His blog inspired me to start this blog. I think we have the same purpose in mind . . . not so much to attract readership, but to preserve a moment in time to share with an older version of ourselves, and our heirs in the future. God willing, I will be an old man some day. Hopefully I can show this blog to my grandchildren and they can catch a glimpse of me in my physical prime. And in an ideal world, perhaps it could provide a minute amount of inspiration and help them tackle their fears/problems/goals/etc.

I also owe Cory for all of the mental preparation he's provided. I can talk to veteran marathon runners all day long, but ultimately they've forgotten at least a small aspect of what it's like to train for and run their first marathon. But Cory knows and understands, and I appreciate him letting me pick his brain and use him as a sounding board.

So once again, congratulations to Cory, and best wishes on your next goal.


I ran with Cory this weekend the morning after the LSU game. He drove into Baton Rouge with his son to check out the LSU/Auburn clash because I promised him a hard-fought, close game, and that's just what we saw. Since he was in Baton Rouge, I really wanted to show him the running route around the LSU Lakes. Since my legs were still pretty sore, I opted for the 4 mile big lake instead of the entire 7 mile route around both lakes. The weather was great and the scenery was fantastic. I almost called it quits after the first quarter mile because of my legs, and I probably would have if Cory wasn't there, but after we got moving everything worked out for the best.

9:42, 9:06, 8:57, 8:47

Kelvin's Upcoming Tri

9.1 miles, 1:16:38, 8:25 pace, Avg HR = 154, Max HR = 169

I’d like to call a bit of attention to a friend. His name is Kevin Smith, also known as Kelvin, and he is a runner. Kevin was the president of my fraternity at LSU, and by all accounts he is a natural leader. In addition to his leadership qualities, he’s a good person. He’s the kind of man you want your sons to be and your daughters to marry. He inspires you to be a better person.

I ran the best race of my short running career with Kevin at my side, on 4/28/2007. Courir de Festival is an annual 5K associated with Festival International in Lafayette. The festival celebrates Louisiana’s Cajun Culture, as well as other cultures across the world. Kevin got off to an early lead, but was in sight as I crossed the first mile marker at 7:07. I think I probably caught up to him at about mile 1.75, and he offered a hearty “hello”. I thought it would be a quick hello/goodbye, but Kevin picked up his pace and stuck by my side the rest of the way.

We hit mile 2 at about 14:42 (7:40), and cranked up the speed a bit at mile 2.5. At this point I was thinking that I could drop Kevin with a strong kick at the end. Kevin carries a couple more pounds around than I do, so I was confident I could get some separation during the home stretch. The only question was when I would begin my kick. Kevin suggested the church, and I returned with an affirmative grunt, if indeed I was able to respond at all. We completed mile 3 with a time of 22:10 (7:28) and the footrace began.

Much to my surprise, I couldn't shake Kevin. But he didn't know that I was saving another gear for the last 50 yards. What I didn't know is that he had one also, and out-kicked me at the end by less than a half second. My time: 23:04.8; His time: 23:04.4.

At the time this race was my PR (personal record), and I exceeded my goal by almost a minute. I consider this my best race because I performed at a level higher than I ever expected. I was able to overcome the urge to succumb to the pain and slow down, and I left everything on the course. My heart rate averaged 162 (85%) and I set the mark for my highest heart rate ever recorded at 191. I ran 66% of the race in zone 5, which is 90+% of the max heart rate. Kevin pushed me to excel through his words and by example, just as he always has.

Kevin is running the Cajun Man Triathlon in Lafayette, LA on Sunday, September 9, and Julie and I will be there to cheer him on. Good luck, Kevin!

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Today's run was one of the toughest runs I've ever done, despite the relatively easy pace. The temperature was higher than normal, but I think my problem was dehydration. I slowed dramatically with about 2.5 miles to go, and couldn't pick the pace back up. I started cramping back at the apartment, so I rehydrated and took a vitamin. I'll make sure that doesn't happen again.

8:40, 8:15, 8:10, 8:13, 8:16, 8:26, 8:28, 8:32, 9:02