Easy and Then Hard

8.06 miles, 1:03:30, 7:53 pace, Max HR = 163, Avg HR = 145
40 minutes stationary bike immediately afterwards

I started out on an easy recovery run around Rice, and then someone passed me at about 4.5 miles. I seldom get passed while running at rice (Memorial Park is a different story altogether.) Now common sense says to allow myself to recover and let Mr. Speedy go on about his own business, but I had a racehorse reaction and bolted after I was passed. I suppose I should be less competitive with external forces in regards to running. The battle is within, and I'll only be disappointed if I compare myself against other runners because there will always be someone better than me. What can I say? . . . I guess I'm not that mature. Incidentally, I didn't pass him before he quit running.

8:41, 8:11, 8:14, 8:11, 7:39, 7:34, 7:33, 7:13

Kenyan Way Speed #11 - 10x800 with 1MR

AM:1 mile warm up, 10x800 (goal of 3:10) with 1 minute rest, Max HR = 183
PM: 40 easy minutes on exercise bike, Max HR = 123, Avg HR = 94

1 - 3:12, 1:00 rest
2 - 3:11 (this measured a bit long), 1:00 rest
3 - 3:11 (this measured a bit long), 1:00 rest
4 - 3:03, 1:03 rest
5 - 3:10, 1:01 rest
6 - 3:06, 1:00 rest
7 - 3:06, 1:00 rest
8 - 3:08, 1:02 rest
9 - 3:08, 0:59 rest
10 - 3:06

Average 800 = 3:08

I was really intimidated by this workout because of the lack of rest between reps, and the number of reps. I wasn't sure I could do it in my goal time of 3:10. After about seven I was really dragging, and considered cutting it off at eight, and coasting the final two. But I told myself that under almost any circumstances I can do "one more" in my goal time, even if I had to do it at an outright sprint. So at seven, I really only had to struggle with two more (eight and nine). So I did the two more, and then completed the tenth by sheer determination. I was exhausted after finishing, but my heart rate dropped down pretty quickly. My legs were tired at work, but I felt only a bit of fatigue by the end of the day.

This workout is a modified version of Yasso 800s, which I wrote about in a previous blog entry two months ago. Cory also has a blog entry about Yasso 800s. The modification is in the rest . . . Sean had us rest only 1 minute (immobile) whereas the Yasso 800s have you jog your recovery in the same time it took to run the 800. I asked Sean about his modification, and he said he thinks a longer rest is too easy. He can be a slave driver like that.

My stationary bike ride in the evening after work was probably a waste of time. My heart rate barely climbed, but I wasn't in the mood to crank up the resistance. If it did do any good, it was simply because I kept my legs moving at 90 RPM which hopefully helped to flush out the waste products within the muscles generated by my speed workout this morning. I'm going to run tomorrow morning and take Friday off in preparation for my 15 mile race on Saturday.

Apartment Gym

35 minutes on stationary bike warmup, 5 miles @ 8:00, 1 mile @ 7:00, 5 minutes stationary bike warmdown.

Notes:

I don't like the stationary bike at all. I find that my perceived effort on the bike is much higher than running when the heart rates are the same. In other words, 150 BPM on a bike is MUCH harder to me than running a pace which causes 150 BPM.

It was a good idea to hit the bike, though, since I can still slightly feel my Saturday run.

No incline on run today.

I have an important speed workout tomorrow, which I'll do at the morning, so I had to fight the urge to haul on the treadmill.

Aborted Run

2.53 miles, 24:33, 9:42 Pace, Max HR = 146, Avg HR = 125

I skipped running yesterday -- not so much because I was sore and needed the rest from my 24 mile jaunt (which I was), but because I decided to be a tourist in Birmingham, and then fly back to Houston.

The rest was appreciated, though, because the big toe on my left foot started to hurt on Sunday. I had visions of a nagging injury caused by my tough 24, so I favored it the whole day on Sunday hoping it would get better. The curious thing is that it took a whole day to start hurting -- I felt absolutely no pain at all on Saturday. Julie's nursing capabilities convinced me that it was just some swelling, and an extra strenth dose of NSAIDs knocked it out.

I didn't wake up early enough to run on Monday morning, and I had a family obligation on Monday night. So I had to squeeze in my run after a large mexican dinner and an exploding belly late on Monday night. I wanted to get in three miles and then 20 minutes of hills. Unfortunately I barely got a mile before I started to feel the urge to use the restroom pretty badly. At mile 2.5 I don't think I could have taken another stride without my need to go to the restroom becoming past tense, if you follow me. So I walked it home and called it a night.

Sweet Home Alabama

24.02 miles, 3:11:00, 7:57 pace, Max HR = 155, Avg HR = 145

The Olympic Marathon Trials were held this weekend in New York City. The event was overshadowed by the death of Ryan Shay a mere 5 ½ miles into the race. I couldn’t possibly compose anything that would do Mr. Shay any justice, so let me be brief and say that I pray that the Shay family finds peace.

I ponder life and death rather frequently. Have I earned my life? Have I increased the utility in this world? Why haven’t I done a better job? If I am remembered for one quality (good or bad), what will it be?


Today’s run was a tough 24 miles through Birmingham, Alabama. This is the longest run I will complete prior to the marathon. I have a 22 mile run scheduled for Nov 17, and nothing else exceeds 16 miles until after I run my marathons.

My goal today was to complete the run with an eight minute pace. The toughest, most intimidating part of this run was the unknown. I didn’t know what to expect regarding hills, running surface, turns, route, weather, hydration stations, lighting, etc. And I ran by myself starting at 5:13 AM, almost two hours before the 7:08 sunrise time.

I chose my route based on the advice of a Danny, a running coach associated with the local running store called Track Shak. Danny runs a C25K program (couch to five kilometer) in Birmingham, and can be reached at Danny@rununiversity.com. Just like the name implies, the goal is to transform people from a fitness level of TV watcher extraordinaire to complete a goal race of a 5k. I get really excited about couch to 5k programs, because that’s essentially what I did back in March when I started with Power in Motion. As I said, Danny gave me some advice on the route. But I ended up missing half of the route because it was too dark to follow and I thought I was at the end of the trail.

Overall I conquered 2,142 feet of elevation. That doesn’t mean I peaked 2,142 feet higher than I started, it just means the sum of all of my inclines equaled 2,142 feet. I could try to explain it, but it’s easier to understand by looking at the picture below. It shows elevation in green, and the corresponding heart rate in red. It’s interesting to see how my heart rate climbed ever time I hit a hill.



The steepest I had to climb was 13.3% grade, and the steepest I declined was 16.1%. Overall my average grade was 3.4%. I tackled most of the hills early in the run, and paid for it in terms of fatigue from about mile eighteen onward. To be honest, I have no idea if those numbers are impressive or just plain average for the rest of the runners out there. But it’s flat in Houston, and by way of comparison my other long runs have all averaged well under a 1% grade.

You might notice that my heart rate fluctuated in the high range at the very beginning of the run. I’ve seen this happen over the past few weeks, and I’ve been attributing it to faulty readings of the heart rate monitor. I assumed it was time to change the battery or something. But after hearing about Ryan Shay, I started to think I should try to confirm whether or not the initial high readings were realistic or not. It could be some sort of psychosomatic response to initial exercise stimuli. It’s only started happening recently, but I’ve recently ramped up my training so I hypothesized that maybe there is a correlation.

But I think I figured out that none of that is the case, and that the sky isn’t falling. The weather has also changed recently, which means I’m sweating less and later into the run. The heart rate monitor works off of electrical impulses of the heart, and needs a good “connection” to my chest in order to work. Water or sweat provides that connection. During the summer the simple act of stepping outside produced a layer of sweat sufficient to make good contact. But now that it’s colder I’m not forming that layer of sweat until after a quarter of a mile or so, and my heart rate monitor is generating initially erratic readings. I’m going to prove this theory by making sure the heart rate monitor contacts are wet at the beginning of all future runs, and checking to see if the erratic readings continue.

The “gold standard” of physicals for endurance athletes, if there is indeed one, would be the stress test. Doctors measure your heart beat and respiration while placing you under increasing levels of stress on a treadmill until your maximum heart rate is achieved. In certain cases heart defects are found, and the athlete is treated and educated. The bottom line is that endurance running is not for everyone, and that it can actually harm your health if you have preexisting heart disease.

Some more notes about this run:
* High for the run: 7:30 last mile, and knowing I can run a 3:30 marathon
* Low for the run: .02 miles I ran at the end (it was difficult to stand and I had ability to make lateral movement) and frozen hands (45 degrees warrants gloves)
* Ugly but painless blister on outside of little toe on right foot.
* Breakfast = bananna, southwest airlines peanuts package, half a blueberry bagel
* water => few fountains on trail, so I averaged about 5-6 miles between water stops.
* nutrition => ate two clif shot blocks, but I could barely get them out of the zipper pocket of my shorts because my hands were numb.
* people finally started showing up during the last hour of my run, but it was lonely and quiet for quite some time.

The Tigers took on Alabama today, and won after converting a late Alabama turnover into seven points. I'm happy to have witnessed this victory firsthand, but I can't help but be a little perturbed that the Tigers continue in their normal mode of committing penalties and dropping passes. Let's hope we can correct some of these mistakes over the next couple of weeks before we have to face Arkansas on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Geaux Tigers!

8:07, 7:57, 7:33, 7:36, 7:51, 7:55 (46:59 for first 6 miles)
7:46, 7:48, 8:08, 8:15, 8:03, 8:05 (48:05 for second 6 miles)
8:00, 8:04, 8:03, 7:51, 7:52, 7:59 (47:50 for third 6 miles)
7:42, 8:18, 8:31, 8:03, 7:36, 7:30 (47:40 for fourth 6 miles)

No Race Today

5.46 miles, 42:05, 7:42 pace, Avg HR = 145, Max HR = 178

I worked too late to run the 5k race at Rice. Much of the work I do is daily/weekly/monthly reporting and analysis. All of my other positions were mostly project oriented which allowed me to schedule my work hours around my schedule to some extent. But I don't have that degree of freedom in my current role. It's a bit frustrating to know that every month end, month beginning, and the 4-8 times each month that I close the books I will have little opportunity to get out of the office at an early hour, despite the fact that I could show up at 4AM that morning to make up the time. But to counter that, it can be a rush to know that the information I generate is time sensitive and critical. I like my job and I love being a part of such a great team. I'm just a little sad that I wasn't able to run the 5k today.

I planned on making this my breakout 5k time. I think I've come far enough and I'm in good enough shape to crack 20 minutes, and it would have been nice to do that on my "home territory" where I run 75+% of my miles. The course was allegedly challenging, with many turns, but I heard it would be attracting top talent which would have pushed me even further. It would have been a fun race with strategy and sheer willpower coming into play.

As for my quest for a 20 minute 5k, perhaps it's for the best that I didn't attempt it today at Rice. I always had in mind that I'd do it at the Turkey Trot in Baton Rouge in front of my family. They wouldn't care if I didn't do it, but I'd be upset if I came up short for that one. That's the motivation I'll use when I'm out of gas and want to stop my kick during the last mile of that race.

When I first started running I had one goal -- breaking 20 minutes. Shortly thereafter I added a sub 45 minute 5k at the New Orleans Crescent City Classic (in order to win a poster). And quite a few months later I added this marathon nonsense into the mix. But I've never forgotten my first goal to break 20 minutes. When my willpower is low, or I'm feeling particularly spent during a run, I'll focus on the number 20 (and sometimes even say it out loud) for motivation.

Nevertheless, when I got home I changed into my running clothes and made the best out of the rest of the day. Julie rode alongside of me on her bicycle, and we chatted about our day and our house search, which was very nice. I started out for an easy run but decided to gradually pick up the pace. Since I didn't get to race today, I opened up the throttle for the last four minutes and ran a 6:01 pace to stretch out the legs. It wasn't quite my race kick, but at least I impressed Julie as she struggled to keep up on the bicycle.

Tomorrow I'm carbohydrate loading and resting for my 24 mile long run Birmingham, AL run on Saturday. I think it might be hilly and chilly! It should be fun.

8:40, 7:55, 7:53, 7:38, 7:12, 2:44 for .45 miles (6:04 pace)

Kenyan Way Speed #10 - Progressive Miles

6.78 miles, 50:03, 7:22 pace, Avg HR = 151, Max HR = 171
The goal today was to run 50-60 minutes progressively increasing the pace and ending up at 10k pace. I managed to do that and remain in good shape for my race tomorrow since I didn't push the pace too much in the beginning. I also kept it to 50 minutes instead of pushing myself too far for another ten minutes.

I'm thinking that I'll probably run on Saturday morning in Birmingham, AL after all. I sent a few unsolicited emails to people in the Birmingham Track Club asking for advice about routes with hydration and minimal traffic. I wasn't really surprised to find out that a couple people responded and offered some great advice. Runners seem to have a connection, as I've seen in the past, and welcome strangers. So now I'm excited to tackle my 24 mile long run on the rolling hills of Alabama. A big thanks to those who took time to respond!

8:09, 7:58, 7:30, 7:21, 7:16, 6:39, 5:02 for .77 miles (6:32 pace)

Rest of the Week

8.05 miles, 1:04:10, 7:58 pace, Avg HR = 135, Max HR = 152

Rest is an important part of training, and I'm struggling with a decision about what to do and when to rest over the next four days. Events I'd like to complete: Kenyan Way speed work on Wednesday, Rice 5k race on Thursday, 24 mile long run on Friday, Rest on Saturday in Birmingham. The problem is that three consecutive days of hard running (speed, race, long run) is probably too much to tackle without risking excessive fatigue or even injury. I will probably delay my long run until Saturday, but that means running in completely unfamiliar territory for 24 miles.

Today's run was nice. I started out at about 8:30 and ended up averaging about 8:00 miles, concentrating on an energy-conserving stride by maintaining fast turnover, and only slightly raising my feet off of the ground.

8:35, 7:56, 8:07, 8:12, 7:38, 7:55, 7:57, 7:39

Miller Outdoor Theatre Hills

4.33 miles at a 8:26 pace, 1.32 miles of hills, 5 minutes rest, 1.33 miles of hills

There isn't much to report here, with the exception that my legs were a bit sore from yesterday's race. That's why I took an extended warmup. The first set of hills were a bit trying, but the second go-round seemed easier and I ran it at a faster pace. As usual, I ran it up fast and down easy.

The Miller Outdoor Theatre is located in Hermann Park, and offers dozens of free events throughout the year ranging from dancing, concerts, plays, and children's events. The outdoor theatre has covered seating and an amiptheatre-style hill for blankets and lawn chairs. Julie and I have been out there a few times with a bottle of wine, a block of cheese and some other snacks. It's a nice time, and it makes me appreciate the amenities a large city can offer.

The hill is structured as a gentle incline away from the stage which comes to a crest after about 75 yards, followed by a sharp dropoff. My course and pace was fast up the sharp dropoff, easy down the slight incline, fast back up the slight incline, and finally easy down the sharp dropoff. I did ten laps, took five minutes to rest, and did ten more laps. Afterwards I walked the half mile home because I was wiped out. All in all this was a good workout.

The Unbeaten Streak Continues - Chalmette Track Club 23rd Annual 10 mi.\5K Race

10.23 miles, 1:09:30, 6:48 pace

Julie continued her unbeaten streak today by winning the women's overall 5k race in Chalmette, Louisiana today. She's a robot mowing down the competition! She won the past three races she's entered. Check out the post-race photograph:



From left to right:
me (2nd in 10 mile race for male, 30-34)
Julie (1st female overall in 5k)
Dave (3rd in 10 mile race for male, 30-34)
Roy (1st place in his age group for 10 mile race for male)

The course was almost a quarter of a mile longer than 10 miles, but despite that I still managed to finish under my goal time of 70 minutes. The race was a blast, and the Chalmette Track Club is to be commended for a job well done. I'll do my best to attend their events in the future.

Some notes:
1) The weather was beautiful, but the wind was just a touch challenging.
2) The race field was small, and after only 50 yards I had settled into my finishing position -- 6th overall. I ran most of the race alone, and finished about 1:45 behind my nearest competitor and maybe 3-5 minutes in front of the next challenger, the women's overall winner.
3) I managed to fight the urge to take off at an unsustainable pace early on, and ran my fastest miles at the end.
4) The $15 entry fee included a nice long sleeve t-shirt, and a lunch consisting of hamburgers and beer.
5) I'd like to give a shout-out to Roy's daughter, who recently ran a 19:35 5k at her school's cross country meet!

6:55, 6:52, 7:01, 7:03, 6:54, 6:46, 6:39, 6:42, 6:40, 6:34, 1:20 for .22 miles (6:03 pace)

Hurry Up!

4.04 Miles, 30:48, 7:37 pace, Avg HR = 142, Max HR = 157

The drive from Houston to Baton Rouge took a little bit longer than normal thanks to a stop in the Houston Heights looking for places to live, and an automobile accident on I-10. So I was pressed for time and could only squeeze in a 30 minute run before a rehearsal dinner in New Orleans.

I ran in White Oak Landing, a well-to-do subdivision in Baton Rouge. It's apparently a buyer's market in the real estate industry in Baton Rouge, because several houses are up for sale in White Oak Landing. I had to chuckle when I passed by a beautiful, newer 4 bedroom 4 1/2 bath house for sale at the same price as some of the 3 br 2 ba 1920s houses in the Heights in Houston. I guess it's all about location, location, location.

7:54, 7:47, 7:38, 7:06, 0:21 for .05

Running After Dark

7.5 Miles on Treadmill, 1:00:00, 8:00 pace, 2% incline

I got home late after looking at a couple of houses after work. I didn't want to run around Rice in the dark since I stubbed my toe and rolled my ankle last time I ran after dark. So I hit the dreaded treadmill and watched the Virginia Tech collapse against Boston College.

There is a lesson to be learned based on that game: the race isn't over until you cross the finish line. The pursuer gains momentum by seeing their opponent slack off a bit. I personally enjoy running past people during the final mile of the race. In effect, that's what happened during this football game.

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

Toeing through the Wind

4.17 Miles, 1 of which was hills

I’m still feeling a bit fatigued from the weekend, so I skipped the morning KW hill session in lieu of a recovery jog and my own hill session at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. The there mile warm-up jog was interesting for two reasons.

1) I found myself going faster than I expected, and then slower than I expected, given the effort expended. It didn’t take me long to figure out the culprit: the wind. Very stiff winds and a corresponding drop in temperature reminded me of the potential conditions for the Dallas marathon. I can’t say it was nice. Running into the wind took more out of me than running with the wind gave back. I’ll have to be mentally prepared for similar conditions in Dallas.

2) I’ve had a bit of a tweak on one of my right toes ever since Saturday. I’ve experienced this before, but it went away quickly. I think it has to do with one toe curling under the other. But it’s not a blister like you would probably guess; it’s more like a funny feeling in the joint. It feels almost as though my toe is being gently pulled out of socket. It doesn’t hurt, but I’m going to take care of this quickly in an attempt to stem off any negative development

I cut my hill session short because my legs were wiped out. 10 minutes total – quickly up one steep hill and slowly down a shallow, followed by quickly up the shallow and slowly down the steep.

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

Kenyan Way Long Run #5 - Back with the Group

22.15 miles, 2:55:24, 7:55 pace, Avg HR = 144 (zone 3.6), Max HR = 162

I've been out of town or otherwise occupied during the last several weekends and couldn't run with the Kenyan Way group for my long runs. In fact I was supposed to leave Friday night for Baton Rouge and skip yet another KW group run, but the thought of running 22 miles alone intimidated me enough to delay my drive to Baton Rouge so I could run with KW.

I picked up about 6.5 miles with an informal, early group at 5AM, and met up with the official group at their 6AM start. The KW long runs are geared for the Houston marathon training distances, and those of us running other marathons often have longer or shorter runs scheduled. The group that shows up early usually needs to pick up a few extra miles, which was the case for me.

I wanted to run my long run between 8:00 and 8:15 per mile, and the early group was a little slow for my taste (8:46 pace). I made the decision to meet up with the 3 hour marathon training group in order to make up time. I figured I'd stick with them as long as I could, and then re-join my normal spot with the 3:15 pace group. I surprised myself and ended up sticking it out with the 3 hour group the whole time. It was obvious to me that I was outclassed, but they offered great encouragement and told me to come back and run with them going forward.

Highlights:
1) Mostly Negative Splits
2) Overall 7:55 pace includes water stops (adjusted "moving" pace = 7:53)
3) Last 6 miles run at 7:08 pace
4) Ran Ahead of the group for the last three miles (7:04 pace)
5) My legs were really tired, but otherwise pain-free at the end of the run
6) This is my longest run EVER!

Why I was able to turn in such a strong performance:
1) The weather was great (59 degrees)
2) Running with a group that's faster than you makes you faster (and the inverse might also be true)
3) I wanted to test myself to see if an 8:00 pace was a reasonable goal for a marathon, so I ran harder than normal

Other important notes (important to me, probably not to important to you)
1) I REALLY stuffed myself with Mediterranean food (mostly carbohydrates) for lunch on Friday, and ate a normal portion of spaghetti and tomato sauce for dinner.
2) I hydrated really well all Friday
3) I ate a tablespoon of peanut butter and drank about 16 ounces of Accelerade for breakfast
4) I ate three strawberry Clif Shot Blocks during the run (about every 6 miles) when my stomach felt empty
5) I drank only water during the run . . . about four ounces every 3 miles. My post-race weigh-in was about 4 pounds lighter than my pre-run weight, so I need to drink a bit more water to minimize that differential.

Afterwards Julie drove me to Baton Rouge (so I could sleep along the way) for the LSU versus Auburn game. It was a really exciting game, which I've come to expect when those two titans clash. I sat in the student section, and by "sat" I mean "stood the whole game." This was after walking around campus all day to tailgate. For future reference I'll try to arrange some more down time after long runs. But if the LSU Tigers could go 12 rounds against the Auburn, then I wasn't going to let them down by sitting while everyone else offered their support by standing.

LSU won 30-24 on a touchdown pass that left one second on the clock. Geaux Tigers!

9:11, 8:41, 8:26, 8:05, 7:51,
8:56, 8:18, 7:55, 8:38, 7:54,
8:25, 7:53, 8:18, 7:33, 8:06,
7:39, 7:26, 7:08, 7:04, 6:57,
7:08, 7:08

Kenyan Way Speed #8 -- Joint Logic

Morning Speed Work-
200's with 1:30 target:
1:28 (90SR) 1:30 (75SR) 1:26 (60SR) 1:28 (45SR) 1:24 (30SR) 1:27 (15SR) 1:23
not too bad -- probably should have run this a bit faster

Evening Easy Run-
6.78 miles, 53:38, 7:54 pace, Avg HR = 144, Max HR = 154

A little over a month ago I posted about my belief that there are four parts to conditioning for running. A) Muscles, B) Joints, C) Cardiothoracic, and D) Psyche.

In that post I elaborated on the fourth item, psyche, and left you with the cliffhanger promise that I'd discuss the others in the future. Welcome to the future.

I'd like to give you my non-medical, non-researched, first-hand understanding of joint conditioning in this second session of conditioning for running. I didn't want to do any research for this post because I don't want to give myself (and especially not you) the idea that I am qualified to administer medical advice. Your doctor should do that. My advice is worth exactly how much it costs -- nothing.

Every cell in the human body needs oxygen and nutrients in order to live and function. Most tissue in the body is quite vascular, meaning that an ample supply of blood has easy access to individual cells via a network of capillaries. But intuitively we know that ligaments and tendons just aren't that way. If it doesn't gross you out, think about the texture of ligaments and tendons the next time you take a bite into a roasted chicken leg. These connective tissues get their oxygen and nutrient supply somewhat like a sponge. Fluid works its way in as they expand, and out again as they contract. So movement is a critical element to healthy ligaments and tendons.

Joints are defined as the intersection of two bones, and are held together by ligaments (except for the fixed joints of the skull). The movement of a joint is caused by the contraction and relaxation of muscles, which are attached to bones by tendons. So tendons and ligaments, for the sake of this article, are the critical components to which I refer when I speak of joint conditioning.

I hear plenty of people say that they can't run because they injured their knee years ago and that ended their running career. I'm generally skeptical about that diagnosis, even though I keep it to myself, because it doesn't make sense to me. Joints need to be conditioned just as muscles need to be conditioned in order to run. It's like saying I'm never going to use my arm again if I have a muscle tear in my bicep. To reiterate, moving the joint expands and compresses the connective tissue, which delivers nutrients and increases flexibility, strength and functionality of your joints.

I had some knee pain when I first started running. But I listened to my body and rested when necessary and pushed forward when appropriate. My joints didn't get better by sitting on the couch. Pretty soon I didn't have any joint pain at all. And that brings us to today, and the reason why I wanted to discuss this topic. On the home stretch of my easy run this evening I stepped on a curb in the dark and tweaked my ankle a bit. Uneven surfaces are a major hazard of night running. It hurt pretty bad at that moment, so I stopped immediately and walked the mile back home. For a few anxious moments I thought about the impact that an injury would have on my training and how injury has sidelined some of my friends. Luckily for me the pain was temporary and disipated to the point that I can barely feel anything at all right now . . . a few hours later. I'll probably be fully recovered tomorrow.

I feel confident that my running has conditioned and strengthened my joints, and that I weathered this slight ankle twist because of my level of physical activity. Had I taken that misstep prior to running, it might have bothered me for a week or two. But I think the ligaments in my ankles are healthier, stronger, and more flexible thanks to running. Think of it as a rubber band that either dry-rots becuse it's never stretched, or maintains its elasticity because it's used regularly and oiled by the touch of your skin.

To extend this train of thought a bit further, increased flexibility is essential to quality of life. I hope when I'm 70/80/90 that I can still move around without pain. And I firmly believe that frequent impact exercise increases my chances for full, pain-free mobility in my advanced years, despite the beliefs of non-runners who profess that running deteriorates the body.

If you know of any inaccuracies listed above, please let me know. Thanks in advance.

Evening Splits
8:22, 7:59, 7:57, 7:45, 7:48, 7:52, 5:59 for .76 miles (7:52 pace)

Kenyan Way Hills #6

Appx 3 miles of constant hill running. No watch, no split, no heart rate.

This was my first time back to KW for hills in quite some time. I took it easy, mainly beacuse I ran 20 on Friday and a fast 10 on Sunday, so my legs were a bit tired. But overall the joints felt great.

Disappointment

10.05 miles, 1:11:31, 7:07 pace, Avg HR = 159, Max HR = 170

Congratulations to the Wildcats of Kentucky who defeated my #1 Fightin' Tigers in triple overtime on Saturday evening.

I'm disappointed that we lost, but we lost to a formidable opponent who earned a top ten ranking. I'm disappointed because our quest for a another national championship is, at best, derailed, and more likely over. I'm disappointed because we continue to commit the same mistakes since the first game of the season: dropped passes, needless penalties, overthrown passes. But it's my amateur opinion that the reason why we lost this game isn't because of the mistakes, but because we failed to respect our opponent. I'm disappointed that we had a feeling of invincibility.

But failure and disappointment is a part of life. And if it's handled properly, it can be a very positive motivator. I had a good run today . . . much better than when I ran the same distance on September 29. That didn't happen by accident. I spent the two weeks between those runs feeling poorly about the quality of my running and my lack of progress. I channeled that disappointment into motivation to beat my previous time. As a result I decreased my mile pace over the ten mile distance from 7:25 to 7:07. It's possible that a small portion of that improvement is in actual conditioning, but more likely that the improvement resulted primarily from within my mind.

I hope and expect the Tigers will channel their own disappointment into a victory next Saturday against the other tigers in the SEC -- Auburn.

I chose to run 10 miles for another reason as well. There were two 10 mile races in the Houston area this weekend, and many of my Kenyan Way cohorts ran one of those two races. I was on the fence about racing, but decided not to do so mainly because I didn't want to pay the entry fee and "race" on tired legs. So I ran my own 10 miler, which I will compare to the two races when results are available. (It's not fair to the competitors for me to compare my time to theirs, but I hope they understand my need to compare.)

Ten for Texas (Woodlands) -- I would have placed 51st overall and 3rd in my 30-34 age group(1112 finishers). Two ladies would have finished ahead of me by a couple of seconds.

United Space Alliance 10 Miler -- I would have placed 11th in my age group.

7:14, 7:00, 7:05, 7:04, 7:08,
7:08, 7:12, 7:14, 7:07, 7:07

Twenty Plus Two Univeristies

20.09 Miles, 2:42:57, 8:06 pace, Avg HR = 141, Max HR = 159

After last week's 18 mile miserable experience, I can't say that I was too excited about tackling 20 miles. And once again I failed to make adequate plans for a long run:
1) I decided to run my long run on a Friday (instead of the scheduled Saturday) at the late hour of about 9PM on Thursday night. I'm toying with running a 10 mile race on Sunday, and I didn't want to run a long run on Saturday and a race on Sunday.
2) Based on the late decision to run my long run today, I didn't carbo load or hyper-hydrate.
3) 20 is still my longest run, so I didn't really give myself enough time to wrap my mind around the task. This shouldn't be important, but it is for me.

But I turned in a good effort, and felt great doing it. I finished strong (last three miles at a 7:35 pace) as compared to last week's collapse. Overall I'm excited because I think I could have tacked on an additional 6 miles TODAY and completed a marathon at an 8:15 pace.

I ran without a route in mind, which is a good thing from a variety perspective. I found Texas Southern University and ran around their track for a mile or two. I took my first water stop there at mile 10. While I was running I had the idea of running at three universities in one run. TSU being one, of course, and Rice being my last leg. My middle leg was supposed to be the University of Houston, but I gave up on finding it after running into two dead end streets. After looking at my route online it turns out I was very close. After giving up on U of H I headed for Hermann Park and Rice and had my second and third water break at mile 15.25 and 16.5. So only three water stops in 20 miles . . . that's running an unplanned route can be a bit troublesome.

Two final notes: I stopped my watch for 1 minute and 24 seconds during the run on my first water break, bringing my overall pace to 8:10 including breaks. My MP3 player died on me at about mile 13, but I was zoned in at that point and it didn't bother me.

8:15, 8:22, 8:16, 8:18, 8:11, 8:16, 8:27, 8:23, 7:57, 8:09,
8:19, 7:57, 8:04, 8:05, 8:08, 8:14, 8:19, 7:38, 7:38, 7:31

The Threshold of Motivation

6 miles, 41:12, 6:52 pace (not including a 5 minute rest after mile 3)

I’m in a good mood today. I’m not sure if it is because:
A) the early morning run released some endorphins
B) I’m off tomorrow (9/80)
C) the weather turned colder and it finally feels like fall.
D) the Fightin’ Tigahs of LSU are the kings of the gridiron according to all major polls
E) some combination of the above.

The truth is that I’ve been struggling with my motivation to train over the past few weeks, and I was really nervous about this run because threshold runs are mentally and physically tough for me. As I might have previously mentioned, threshold runs are performed at the edge of your ability to run long distances. If you run any faster and you’re running an “interval” pace then you will tire out too quickly to reap benefits. If you run any slower, you fail to gain the physiological benefit of raising your lactate threshold which allows you to increase the distance/speed of your run before your body overloads on lactic acid and requires you to slow down. In that one run-on sentence I told you everything I know about the science.

So today’s workout target was three miles at a 6:51-7:01 pace, 5 minutes rest, and another three miles at a 6:51-7:01 pace. I thought I’d struggle to complete this workout -- and I did -- but I still turned in a solid performance with a first rep pace of 6:52 and a second half pace of 6:51. I ran 76% of the first rep in heart rate zone 4 (with the balance in zone 3), and 81% of the second rep in zone 4, with the balance in zone 5.

I’ve been struggling with motivation because of a perceived plateau in performance, and a growing, ever-present feeling of fatigue. I’ve been piling on the miles, but sleeping less and not eating or hydrating as well. So it makes sense that it’s been harder to do the same work. But perhaps the real reason why I’m in such a good mood today is because today’s run pushed through that self-imposed ceiling. I ran faster (over the distance) than I’ve been able to achieve before, and I think/hope that my motivation problems are in the past.

Recovery Run on Monday, and Faster Run on Tuesday

Monday:
3.04 miles, 25:46, 8:28 pace, Avg HR = 132, Max HR = 140 (ran with Julie)

My legs were sore (particularly the muscles around my hips) so I took an easy lap around Memorial Park.

Tuesday:
7.03 miles, 52:07, 7:24 pace, Avg HR = 154, Max HR = 168

I haven't run "fast" in a long time (since my 10 mile marathon pace run), so I wanted to see what I could do. I've been very tired over the past few weeks, so I was happy that I could maintain this pace over seven miles.

18 Miles Torture Run

18.08 miles, 2:40:11, 8:51 pace, Avg HR = 147, Max HR = 155

This was a miserable run. I guess I knew it would be bad since I only had four hours of sleep and didn't eat/drink/sleep well over the past week. But it was good to complete my longest run to date. The main saving grace during this run was the fact that Julie rode the bike beside me the whole way, and offered encouragement and gatorade the whole way. She also dangled the carrot with about 3 miles left . . . a post-run Jamba Juice smoothie.

8:32, 7:57, 8:11, 8:19, 8:05, 8:03, 8:10, 8:21, 8:14, 8:26,
(this is where it got really difficult to continue)
8:50, 9:12, 9:45, 9:21, 9:37, 10:03, 10:23, 10:07

This is really bad compared to my 16 mile run a few weeks ago when I finshed the last two miles at a 7:45 pace and could have gone another two easily.

Geaux Tigers (oh yea, and Bahama wrap-up)

Congratulations to the LSU Football team for knocking off an impressive Florida team. It took every ounce of strength, preparation and willpower to overcome the Gators. I am inspired by their performance, and will endeavor to train according to the example they set.

While I was on vacation my desire to run waned slightly, and my desire to blog completely disappeared. I'll use this entry as a brief summary of my walks and runs during the week.

9/30 - 6.86 mile walk through downtown
10/2 - 7.12 miles, 1:00:55, 8:33 pace, Avg HR = 143, Max HR = 160, 3.32 mile walk
10/3 - 7.36 miles, 1:01:11, 8:18 pace, Avg HR = 145, Max HR = 162
10/4 - 5.03 miles, 45:02, 8:57 pace, Avg HR = 139, Max HR = 161
10/6 - 5.45 miles, 50:32, 9:16 pace, Avg HR = 135, Max HR = 166

Notes: It was very hilly where I stayed, and it wasn't very condusive to running because there weren't many sidewalks and there were no water fountains. To compound matters, the Bahamas keeps the British driving system (left side of road). Thankfully they are extremely mindful of Americans, and I never had any trouble despite frequently running out into streets without looking the correct direction. Julie and I stayed on Paradise Island, which is connected to Nassau by two approximately half-mile long bridges. The bulk of my workout (and hill work) was on those bridges. I don't know how tall they are, but a quarter mile uphill stretch is quite a challenge for these untrained legs. On one run I did three laps of the bridges (over on one bridge, and back on the other).

These runs were less spectacular than I'd like them to be as far as distance and time. But I was on vacation, so I allowed myself to take it a bit easier. Plus, I seemed to be constantly dehydrated between the tropical drinks and Kalik beer. With water costing $4 per bottle, and beer costing only $3 . . . well, you do the math.

10 Mile Marathon Pace Run

10.07 miles, 1:14:43, 7:25 pace, Avg HR = 153, Max HR = 164

I woke up early to get this run in before my flight out. I'm spending a week in the Bahamas.

If the situation presents itself, I like to visit new places by foot. That being said, I walked along the beach from the Nassau airport to downtown Nassau in lieu of taking a cab.

9.28 miles, 2:41:36, 17:24 pace, Avg HR = 67, Max HR = 118

9/80 Friday Run

7.25 miles, 1:00:08, 8:18 pace, Avg HR=145, Max HR=161

After a good night's rest I hit the road for an hour. I didn't want to get too crazy with my speed because I have a 10 mile "marathon pace" run tomorrow.

8:57, 8:15, 8:49, 8:24, 7:47, 7:56, 8:07, 2:04 (8:16 pace)

Another Rest Day

As I mentioned yesterday, I decided to take today off. I work a 9/80 schedule, which means I work 80 hours over 9 days, and get every other Friday off. I haven't been able to get away from work on my past few Fridays, but I'll be able to take off tomorrow.

Fridays are my normally scheduled rest days for running, but since I didn't run on Monday or Thursday, I'll probably hit the trail tomorrow. I think Sean wants us to take Friday off so we'll be up for our long runs. But we're only running 10 miles on Saturday (I never thought I'd say "only ten") after long runs of 16, 15 and 14. In other words, I think I'll be ok to go for a run tomorrow after I sleep in late.

The real news of the day was an "emergency" email I got saying that the Houston Marathon is now 90% full, and expected to be full by the end of the week. So, I signed up for my second marathon before I even ran my first. Wish me luck!

Kenyan Way Speed #7 -- What Goes Up Must Go Down

1600, 1MR, 1600, 5MR, 800, 1MR, 800, 1MR, 800, 1MR, 800
(or 2x1600 w/1MR, 5MR, 4x800 w/1MR)

It is easy to get spoiled with increasing success at the early stage of any activity when improvement can be seen each time. Start-up companies that see 100% growth year-over-year are impressive, but are they still growing (or turning a profit) at year 3,5,10? Excitement surrounds the latest, greatest pharmaceutical drug as it flies through subsequent rounds of early clinical trials, but will it ever be medically or commercially viable? And more to the point, setting new PRs (personal records) and hitting faster training splits each time out is encouraging, but does the exponential improvement continue forever? The answer is, of course, "no".

Today was one of those down days for me, after several weeks of continuous improvement. I'm trying to take this setback in stride and use it as motivation in my training, but I really failed today in my speed workout.

Goal for miles = 6:30, 1 minute rest, 6:30, 5 minutes rest
Actual = 6:23, 1:02 rest, 6:49 (already starting to fade), 5:01 rest

Goal for 800s = 3:00, 1 minute rest between
Actual = 3:34, 1:06 rest, 3:56, 1:00 rest, 4:09, 0:58 rest, 3:56

So I only hit my desired pace in one out of six segments. But the bigger story is that I felt absolutely drained for each of the 800s. My legs were tired, my heart rate was high, and my shirt was completely soaked with perspiration. In a word, I felt defeated.

I'm not sure why today was such a bad day. It could be due to the heavy workout on Saturday and Sunday (but it's not uncommon for me to do that). It could be the lack of sleep (although I'm used to that lately). It could be my diet (I've been slipping a tad in my endeavor to eat fresh, healthy foods, but I tend to slip about every third week so this isn't exactly new either).

Whatever the cause, I'm going to take tomorrow off to recouperate, refocus my efforts and make October a strong training month. I'm going to do my core exercises at least three times each week, and I'm going to make a point of getting enough rest and not missing the Kenyan Way hill and speed sessions. The marathon is right around the corner!


On an altogether different note, I am a great fan of public transportation. I walk to the train station and take the light rail to and from work every day. And today I took the bus to and from Memorial Park for Kenyan Way. It's a nice change of pace to take the bus to my destination, even if it's not always fast or practical.

Tuesday Rice Run

6.05 miles, 48:15, 7:58 pace, Avg HR = 149, Max HR = 164

After a long weekend without enough rest, and a moderately hard workout on Sunday night, I didn't manage to get up early enough to do the Kenyan Way hill session yesterday. Work kept me late, so I couldn't do the workout in the evening either. I guess it's all for the best, since I could use the rest day.

I usually don't have a pace or distance in mind when I run my Tuesday and Thursday runs because they are supposed to be run at a leisurely pace. I usually try to listen to my body and do an extra lap or pick up the pace if I'm feeling well, or back down if I'm not up to it. That being said, I pushed this one a bit harder than normal because I didn't run yesterday. It ended up being suprisingly difficult, and not typical of my Tuesday efforts. After a couple of miles I knew I was going to keep this one short and only make one lap around Rice.

8:05, 7:47, 8:03, 8:05, 8:00, 7:55

Yesterday's Recap and Today's Tri

Yesterday:
9:07, 8:37, 8:37, 8:44, 8:51, 8:32, 8:13, 7:58, 7:49, 7:45, 7:22, 7:28, 7:39, 7:40, 7:34, 7:05
Avg pace = 8:03, Pace including water breaks = 8:20, Avg HR = 141, Max HR = 161 (84%)

I ran each of the last nine miles at less than 8 minutes. I'm still wary of determining a marathon goal because I'm intimidated by the distance and I haven't even proved to myself that I can finish 26.2 without walking. But as I stretch out the amount of time where I can maintain 8 minute miles, I'm gaining confidence that I can run an 8 minute pace the whole way for a 3:30 marathon.

Do you recall from yesterday when I mentioned the dog walker? I saw him at mile 10.3. Avg pace through 10.3 = 8:47, Avg pace after 10.3 = 7:35

This graph shows my half-mile times, which were mostly run as negative splits.



OK, I've analyzed that to death. On the opposite end of the analyzing spectrum is what I did today after I drove back from Baton Rouge. I wanted to go for a swim and then a stationary bike ride in the workout room of the apartment complex afterwards. While on the bike I decided to tack on a 3 mile run on the treadmill at the end. I don't use my watch during swimming because of waterproofing issues, and I can't use it inside because it needs a clear line of sight to the satellites in order for any of the GPS functionality to work. As a result I don't really have any data to analyze.

30 minutes swim
1 hour bike
23 minutes running (3 miles, 7:40 pace)

Some comments on each:
Swim -- I was a sub par (40th-50th percentile) competitive swimmer in high school. I wasn't good then, and I'm really bad now. Today I had to to opt for the breast stroke most of the time because I struggled with breathing while doing the Australian Crawl. The one bright spot is that I can still swim underwater for 25 meters without taking a breath. Yes, it's childish, but you have to do something to take the boredom out of swimming.
Bike -- I'm too chicken to bike on streets because of the people out there who drive like me. And the only thing remotely fun about biking in place is being able to watch television. Today's choice was Sunday Night Football. Unfortunately the Cowboys took the Bears to the woodshed. I felt like I was working my butt off, but my heart rate stayed remarkably low. Obviously I'm not much of a cyclist either. I think my swimming and biking ended up being the equilivent of what walking is to running. In other words, I don't think I got much out of it from a fitness perspective.
Run -- I forgot to adjust the incline, but I wasn't out there to set any records so I'm not too concerned. I picked it up the last half mile to about a 5:15 pace. That's probably not the smartest thing to do, but my legs felt fine and I would have quite immediately if I felt anything funny.

Easy 16 Miles

I don't know about you, but "Easy" and "16 Miles" aren't supposed to go together.

"Easy" is pressing the snooze at 4:50AM when the alarm clock goes off. Or turning the alarm off altogether. Or pulling it out of the wall and tossing it out of the window.

"Easy" is leisurely rolling out of bed at noon with your only plans being to make it to campus in time to tailgate for the LSU/South Carolina football game.

"Easy" is a drive over to Louies for a breakfast Hamburger and hashbrowns.

"Easy" is . . . well, easy. My sixteen miles was not.

Despite that, I had a promising long run today -- the longest I've ever run from a distance and time perspective. Julie and I kicked it off at the Baton Rouge beach around 5:30. She accompanied me for a lap of both lakes (appx 6.5 miles) and I finished up with another lap of both, followed with a lap of the larger lake.

I didn't have a goal pace in mind, but I was running against the clock since I had a busy day. Julie and I wanted to catch her cousin's cross country meet at 9:30. Kyle is a strong runner for LSU's cross country and track team. LSU destroyed the competition and Kyle finished the hilly 8K course in an incredible 28:51 (5:48 pace), placing 19th overall. Kyle is an honor roll student, an Eagle Scout, and obviously a gifted athlete. We are all proud of his accomplishments and look forward to his continued success on and off the course.

My accomplishments at the LSU lakes were several planes below the meet today, but I did manage to conquer some small adversity and "win" my own competition. First of all I concentrated on hydration since I've been running my long runs in a dehydrated state. I didn't get a dry mouth at all. By the time my mouth gets dry, I've already lost between 1.5 and 3 pounds of water through sweat and respiration. "Several research studies since the 1930s have observed that adults and children replace only 34 to 87 percent of the water lost as sweat, by drinking during exercise or labor in hot environments. The resulting dehydration is due to the fact that thirst is not perceived until a 1 to 2 percent body weight loss occurs. Interindividual differences, resulting in great voluntary dehydration in some individuals, have caused them to be named reluctant drinkers." I am a "reluctant" drinker, but today I drank early and often, and still managed to minimize the time spent at water breaks.

The result was obvious to me. I didn't fade at the later miles like I did last week, and in fact my last two miles were the fastest two I ran. I don't have any split or heart rate information because I haven't downloaded my watch yet, but here is what I remember from looking at real-time information during the run.

Mile 1-6 -- appx 8:30-8:40 pace
Mile 7-14 -- appx 8:00 pace
Mile 15-16 -- appx 7:45 pace

Overall pace appx 8:04. (I'll post more accurate time later.)

One other short comment: At about 10.3 miles I exchanged hellos with an older gentleman walking a dog. He told me "good pace", and for whatever reason, that made my run. At that moment I grinned from ear-to-ear, and his comment pushed me for the rest of the run. I won't use the word "easy", but it was certainly "easier" after getting that complement from a stranger. So thank you Mr. Dog Walker, I appreciate the encouragement.

One other note: I saw a friend (twice) toward the end of my run. Kevin's sister, Joanna, was looking strong during her run today. It's always nice to see friends while running.

One Hour

7.11 miles, 1:00:06, 8:27 pace, Avg HR = 137, Max HR = 157

I picked it up over the last two miles so I would be near the train station at the end of the hour run. I met Julie at BW3 in midtown after the run for some boneless wings and a beer. I'm such a sucker for the spicy garlic that I'm a stockholder.

8:59, 8:50, 9:04, 8:50, 8:48, 7:29, 7:17

The Watch

5.61 Miles, 38:40, 6:54 pace, Avg HR = 162, Max HR = 170

I used a function on my watch today that I seldom use . . . the virtual partner. But I'll digress a bit and explain the watch first.

First of all my wife is usually right, especially when I don't really want her to be right. She believes that my running took off when I purchased my Garmin 305, whereas I believe it has more to do with the joy of running, blah, blah. She's probably more right than I am, yet again.

You see, I'm an engineer at heart, and I like electronic gizmos and data analysis. The watch satiates those needs. It has a GPS, so I can track distance, pace, speed, number of laps, and any combination of those aspects over any interval of the run. After downloading the data to my computer, I can compare that run to any of the other runs I've ever done while wearing the watch. I can also overlay the route onto google maps or even google earth. But like an infomercial, there's still more! It interfaces with a heart rate strap so I can monitor my heart rate zones and beats per minute both during and after the run. And it has on-screen mapping, so I can use it to return to my starting point if I get lost during a run.

And if you call right now, I'll give you more functions! The aspect I used today is called a virtual partner, which you can program to pace you. It shows a stick-figure graphic of your competitor and tells you in real-time how far ahead (or behind) you are to "him". (My watch is male, but yours can be female if you want it to be.) So, in addition to being a cool electronic gadget which provides plenty of numbers to crunch, it also strikes a chord with my competitive nature -- which brings us to today's run. I missed Kenyan Way this morning (too tired) and this evening (work), but I did the workout at Memorial Park by myself. The goal was a 5 mile threshold run at a 6:51-7:01 pace. I had my doubts about completing at that pace, but I thought I'd stick it out for as long as I could before I had to slow down. I programmed my virtual partner to run at a 7 minute pace, and I wanted to keep him in sight as long as I could. So I started out a little quick to build up a lead on him which I expected to evaporate around mile three. In reality my competitive streak took over and I wasn't about to let him beat me. I worked my lead up to 400 feet by the end of the run, and finished the five miles 37 seconds before he did.

6:40, 6:58, 6:51, 6:54, 7:00, 4:17 (.61 miles for 7:01 pace)

Three Loops Around Memorial

9.06 miles, 1:11:03, 7:50 pace, Avg HR = 152, Max HR = 176

If you would have told me one month ago that I'd be posting those splits over those distances, I wouldn't have believed you. But as sure as Memorial Park is a good place to run, it's a great place for a dose of humility. At that pace I was passed by several people, many of which I'll never be able to beat regardless of how hard or long I train. But beating everyone isn't my goal, so I don't let that bother me.

Julie joined me for the first lap, and we went to Mission Burrito afterwards for the best burrito in town.

(Negative splits almost the whole way)
8:29, 8:20, 8:07, 7:48, 7:41, 7:41, 7:32, 7:33, 7:27

Kenyan Way Hills #5 - 20 straight minutes

5.23 Miles, 46:21, Max HR = 171

The benefit to running hills is that you get the workout of a low-weight, high rep weightlifting workout, coupled with interval sprints. But since you're sprinting uphill, the impact on your legs is reduced since your legs don't have to come completely back down. Does that makes sense?

I read an article in the latest Runner's World that you should sprint at full speed up the hills for ten seconds, and walk down for recovery. This coincided with Sean's instructions for the day. In an unusual twist, we ran for 20 straight minutes as opposed to two 10 minute workouts with five minutes rest.

3.03 miles warmup
2.20 miles hills
Laps (two hills, up full speed, walk down, recovery jog after second hill)
1:57, 2:02, 1:59, 2:03, 2:11, 2:11, 2:11, 2:13, 2:09, 1:53

Champ

5k, 23:40.5, 7:38 min/mile pace, Avg HR = 159, Max HR = 179

My race went well, given the earlier long run that day and the fact that I got a bad cramp right before the first mile marker. I pushed through it and used it as practice, knowing it will be more painful at miles 22-26 of the marathon, and considered that a small victory.

The real story is that my wife finished first place in her age division! Her official time was 23:23.4 and she placed fifth among all women runners. I am extremely proud of her!

quarter mile splits:
1:57 (7:48 pace) - thought I'd keep up with Julie, quickly found out otherwise
1:53 (7:32)
1:53 (7:32)
2:11 (8:44) - cramp, ouch!
2:09 (8:36)
1:56 (7:44) - cramp gone, still treating this like an easy jog
1:53 (7:32) - decided to push the pace to see what would happen
1:53 (7:32) - tried runner's world method of drinking water during race
1:50 (7:20)
1:45 (7:00) - saw a friend and got a spring in my step
1:52 (7:28)
1:49 (7:16) - finishing push
0:40 (.1 mile, 6:40 pace) - outsprinted a few people

Weekend Long Run -- 14 miles from Memorial to Home

14.05 miles, 1:56:21, 8:16 Pace, Avg HR = 145, Max HR = 157

I sometimes wonder if I'm crazy. Then I realize, "yes, of course I'm crazy!" Why else would I get up at 3:50 AM after a long week of work in order to run a 14 mile long run starting at 4:30 AM?

The reason is because I wanted to run a 5k race at 8AM with the rest of my Dynegy Running Club compatriots, and I had to get up that early in order to finish my scheduled long run in time. And yes, running a 5k after a long run is yet another example of how crazy I must be.

I ran this almost exclusively alone, after veering off from the Houston Fit group about two miles into the run. I was encouraged by the performance because I purposely minimized water breaks and the time spent during those breaks in order to simulate race conditions. My pace, including breaks, was 8:23.

But if I learned anything, it's that I'm not ready for the big time yet, because I had a hard time with miles 12 and 13. I can't imagine doing the 21 that my friends Tracy and Greg ran with Houston fit.

8:06
7:59
7:59
9:25 for 1.13 (8:20 pace) (hit lap button accidentally)
8:06
8:06
8:20
8:34
8:17
8:25
8:30
8:42
8:33
7:19 for .92 (7:57 pace)

Run Slow to Run Fast

6.78 miles, 55:02, 8:07 pace, Avg HR = 146, Max HR = 163

This was an easy run after the past two days of hard running. I heard a Kenyan Way coach say you have to run slow so you can run fast, which is a concise way to say that running too fast too often will wear your body down and you can't perform at your peak.

I picked up the pace at the end when Beyonce's Irreplaceable came across the MP3 player. Yes, I listen to her and it happens to be one of my favorite running songs. It's about 175-180 beats per minute, so it's easy to maintain a steady cadence in the optimal range while listening to the song.



9:02 for first 1.06 miles (8:31 pace)
8:07
8:18
8:07
7:58
8:06
5:24 for last .72 miles (7:30 pace)

Kenyan Way Speed #6 - 1,3/4, 1/2, 1/4

Warm-up, 1 mile, 3/4 mile, 1/2 mile, 1/4 mile with 3 minutes rest between
Goal times: 6:09-6:15, 4:30-4:36, 2:56-3:00, 1:24-1:26
Actual times: 5:57 with 5:12 rest, 4:46 with 2:48 rest, 3:03 with 2:51 rest, 1:17
Max HR = 178

That's difficult to read, but basically I went out too fast on my mile and paid for it with an extended rest and a slower than targeted 3/4 and 1/2 mile. I recouped by the end and ran a pretty fast 1/4 mile. It's difficult to maintain the target pace for two reasons: 1) It's hard to remember what the targets are when you're doing your best to put one foot in front of the other and 2) I'm not good at knowing what pace I'm running while I'm actually running it.

But overall I'm happy with the run because I finished it, and because I had a strong mile time. I've thought about my post claiming I could run a 5:45 mile, and wondered if I'm just overestimating my ability. But 5:57 isn't too far away, and I wasn't running all-out in order to save something for the rest of my speed work. I still think I can do it under the right conditions.

During a break between runs I saw the Power in Motion group running an Indian run. (Strangely enough, the only hyperlink I could find for Indian run was from the urban dictionary.) After my Kenyan Way workout I went to meet up with the PIM group for some hellos. I was very pleased to see Stephanie and Joe continuing to dedicate their time sharing their passion with new runners. If not for them I'd almost certainly be 35 pounds heavier and watching television this very moment instead of writing a blog entry about running.

As an aside, if you felt any connection with my post regarding different mindsets at different paces, you might be interested in an article I ran across in the latest copy of Runner's World. If you have a moment to read the article ("Use Your Mind to Reach Your Running Goals"), it describes the idea I tried to present, but with more eloquence and scientific integrity. They described the two mindsets as "association" (tuning in) and "disassociation" (tuning out). But they extended the concept to training and racing strategies instead of just pace, like I described.

I am 100% positive that I'll never come up with a unique concept related to running. Individuals before me have already exhausted the spectrum of ideas about running, including everything from Zen Running to hard core Ironman training. Those people are better runners than me, though they may be faster or slower, because they've literally been down that road. But I still get enjoyment out of documenting my epiphanies, although they are old news to many, because it highlights and enhances the experience for me. Right now my running is like seeing snow for the first time, or the first day of school, or when you learned how to drive. Those kinds of memories are almost universal among us. But rather than toss them aside as mundane details, we hold onto them and take time to re-live those moments throughout our lives. Putting my experiences on "paper" is a way to help me expound on the raw thoughts that pop into my head about running and to document them for my future consumption. And if by some slim chance it's entertaining or even minutely motivating to you, then it's more than I could ever hope to accomplish.

Mind over Matter

Treadmill: 8 miles, 1:03:50, 7:59 pace, 1.5% incline, Avg HR = 144, Max HR = 150

Based on my experience, I believe there are four parts to conditioning for running. A) Muscles, B) Joints, C) Cardiothoracic, and D) Psyche.

I am going to touch on all four of those areas at some point, but today I will discus the psyche. Running is no different than most difficult tasks in life. No amount of physical preparation can substitute for the right frame of mind. Unbelievable things can happen if you have confidence in yourself and condition your mind to believe that success is attainable.

When I first started running six months ago I almost lost the battle in my mind. Even though my body was physically able to complete a slow three mile run, my mind was stretched to the limit and I doubted my ability to keep moving. Thanks to the support and encouragement of my wife, coupled with my innate stubbornness, I stuck with it and the second week was much easier. I didn't suddenly become "fit" in one week, but I did gain confidence by knowing that I could do it.

I recall an old childhood joke about a boy who thinks he can eat a whole watermelon, but says he has to run home for a few minutes before he can make the bet. After ten minutes he comes back, makes his wager and eats the entire watermelon. His friend pays up, and asks him why he had to go home first. The watermelon eater says that he didn't know if he could eat the whole thing, so he had to go home and find out by eating one first.

There are times in life that we are presented with challenges that exceed the limitations of our training. It's up to the psyche to bridge that gap between the end of our experience and the task in front of us. Dallas White Rock Marathon is that task for me. I'll never run 26.2 miles during training. And even if I did, I'd never run it at race pace. The first time I push myself to those limits will be on game day. It's just not feasible for me to eat my practice watermelon, figuratively speaking, because the additional wear and tear on the body would physically set me back and ultimately impair my performance.

Running long runs, hitting goals for speed sessions, attacking the hills -- all of these are designed as much for the mind as the body. Over the past two weeks I've started to gain the confidence that I can do a good job in Dallas. I think the critical step was my 15 mile run, and my ability to maintain several sub-8 minute miles. But equally as important is the lesson I learned that first week of running--that I'm able to fight through the mental barriers attempting to hold me back. I'm physically not there yet, buy my psyche is where it needs to be to succeed.

---

8:00, 8:04, 8:01, 7:57, 7:55, 7:58, 7:58, 7:57

It was great to run today since I took two unscheduled days off on Sunday (travelling and recouping) and Monday (worked late). I toyed with tacking on an additional two miles to make up for some lost time, but I noticed my IT band tightening up and I remembered all of the good advice that I've read and heard about not trying to making up the mileage from a missed day. I don't want to risk an injury, so I saved it for another day. Tomorrow's speed session should be quite a challenge.

Totals for Saturday's Long Run(s)

Run 1 = 8.56 Miles, 1:10:34, 8:14 Pace, Avg HR = 143, Max HR = 151
(8 minute break between runs)
Run 2 = 6.44 Miles, 50:20, 7:48 Pace, Avg HR = 151, Max HR = 171

Overall
15.0 Miles, 2:00:54, 8:03 pace


I'm happy with the effort, but some critical questions remain:
1) Will I be able to maintain that pace (and hopefully a bit faster) over 3.5 hours?
2) Will I be able to maintain that pace without stopping my watch for water breaks like I do on these training runs?

Thankfully I don't need to answer those questions right now. I have exactly 90 days until the White Rock Marathon, and I have a lot of opportunity to build endurance before then.

Weekly Totals and Upcoming Schedule

Last 7 days = 44 miles, 5 days of running

Monday - Hills with Kenyan Way

Tuesday - Easy Run, about an hour

Wednesday - Speed Work with Kenyan Way

Thursday - Easy Run, about an hour or an hour and a half

Friday - Rest (might hit bike or pool)

Saturday - Long Run (distance and pace TBD)

A Whirlwind Weekend

First some housekeeping notes:

1) Congratulations to Kevin for completing the CajunMan Triathlon in an impressive 2 hours and 56 seconds (unofficial time.)
2) A grand thank-you to the Fighting Tigers of LSU for putting on quite a show on Saturday night in Death Valley against Virginia Tech (48-7). The first home game of the year is always exciting, but throw in a top-ten opponent and an 8:15 PM kickoff, and the stage was set for a party. It was one of the best days I've had in quite some time.

As scheduled, I took a rest day on Friday and physically prepared for my fourteen mile long run on Saturday morning. Friday's lunch and dinner included a carbohydrate load, and I did my best to drink water all day long so I wouldn't suffer from hydration issues like I did on Thursday.

The mental preparation was more difficult. My major obstacles were distance, sleep and logistics. Distance -- I haven't run this far before, so I had some self-doubt about completing it in strong form. Sleep -- this week has been horrendous on my sleep, but the problems would compound since I would be arriving in Baton Rouge after midnight and running less than six hours later. Logistics -- I wanted to join the Varsity Sports tempo run at 7:30 AM, but I had to figure out a way to get in about 8 miles beforehand since they were only scheduled for 6.6.

I was pleased with my run. I ran about 8.5 at about 8:15, took an 8 minute break, and ran about 6.4 at about 7:49 with the Varsity Sports group. The Varsity group had a "pickup" scheduled to get the heart rate going, but I thought I responded well by posting a 7:14 mile somewhere in the middle of the run. Running faster splits at the end of a long run is supposed to simulate the fatigue that sets in at longer distances.

That being said, it took a lot out of me . . . probably too much . . . so I didn't do anything at all today. There is a muscle in my left leg that's particularly sore, so I wanted to give it a break. But after watching Kevin's swim/bike/run, I thought of hitting the exercise bike after my trip back to Houston. Sunday night football put an end to that idea.

Motionbased is down again. I wish this wasn't a recurring theme, but the price is right (free) so I'll limit my complaints. Regardless, I post more exact times/distances when they get their act together.

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!

--
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

Kenyan Way Speed #5 - 8x400 w/ 90 SR

8x400 w/ 30 SR means I ran 400 meters eight times, with a 90 second rest between reps.

Goal time:
1:30

My times:
1:31, 1:23, 1:22, 1:22, 1:22, 1:23, 1:21, 1:17

Max HR = 176

I showed up at Memorial Park today for my 400s, and I found two guys from my long run training group at the staring line. We had the same target in mind (1:30), so I asked if I could draft off of them. Little did I know my rabbit friends were feeling good that day. I followed right behind them through the first seven, and they told me to bring it home on the last leg. A combination of inexperience setting pace and the pressure of leading these veteran marathoners led me to an "out of spec" last 400 of 1:17. This equates to approximately a 5:10/mi pace.

Of course I can't run that fast for an entire mile, but I think it is within reason that I can hit 5:15 at some point in the future. I MIGHT be able to run a 5:30 mile right now, and I'm positive I can run a 5:45 mile now even though I haven't attempted the feat.

I've been told that speed matters for marathons, but I can't figure out the connection. It seems that endurance carries you 26 miles and perhaps speed will carry you the remaining .2 miles. But I believe what I'm being told because it comes from dozens of people with hundreds of marathons under their collective belts. For an argument in the speed category, check out this post about Yasso 800s from Cory. I first heard about Yasso 800s from Cory, and read some more about in this article from Runner's World.

The goal of the Yassos is to run 10x800m at the fastest pace you can maintain. Whatever that time is, multiply it by 60 and you get your marathon time. So a 3 minute and 30 second 800 m equates to a 3 hour and 30 minute marathon. I should try to do that workout some time in the future to get an idea of a good marathon goal.

Neighborhood Run in Lieu of Kenyan Way Hills

6.65 Miles, 55:02, 8:16 pace, Avg HR = 141, Max HR = 155

A combination of the rain and Labor Day all but cancelled Kenyan Way today, so naturally Julie and I went for some ice cream instead. If you're ever in Houston (or Austin), you should visit Amy's Ice Cream. Hank's Ice Cream is a very close second in my book.

After a cup of Maple Sugar Bourbon Walnut I was on my way to run an errand of sorts. I took a leisurely bike ride to drop off Julie's bicycle at MD Anderson so she can be a bit more mobile during her lunch breaks. After I locked up the bike I ran from the hospital down Holcombe Boulevard with no particular route in mind. These aimless jaunts can be liberating, as it gives me a chance to view my neighborhood at a slower pace than the breakneck speed that I normally drive.

I ended up on what is conventionally considered the "wrong side of the tracks", but you could have fooled me based on the pocket of really nice houses I found along Macgregor. If anyone has a few hundred thousand dollars extra to swing my direction, I certainly wouldn't mind living in that neighborhood.

I didn't intend to run so far, but that's the unintended consequence of not mapping out a route beforehand. I didn't get "lost", but I certainly didn't have a good concept between what would be a four mile run versus what would be a six mile run. All in all it was a great experience, though, because I felt great the entire run as evidenced by my low heart rate. But I need to keep a close eye on my calves, because they are sore after 25 miles in three days.

I feel compelled to discuss another casual observation that I never would have understood before I started running. There is a physiological and psychological gulf between the 8:16 pace I ran today and the sub-8 pace I ran yesterday. Taking an extra half minute to complete each mile frees my mind to observe my surroundings, contemplate current events in my life, and reflect upon how well things are for me. At faster paces my mind narrows to animal instincts of survival and competition. Both mentalities have their place in our lives . . . in proper doses.

My selfless wife offered to drive back to Houston today while I read a book about the life of George Sheehan. The name of the book was Did I Win?: A Farewell to George Sheehan. Although I wouldn't necessarily recommend this particular book ABOUT Dr. Sheehan, I'm certainly excited about reading some of the books he wrote. Dr. Sheehan was an early adopter of distance running, and wrote extensively on the subject of understanding your body, mind and soul through running. Perhaps he would have been proud of my elementary revelation today regarding the different mindsets at different paces.

8:43, 8:26, 8:22, 8:14, 8:16, 8:01, 4:54 (7:54 pace)

Totals for the Week

This week's total is 36 miles, including the 7.4 miles I ran on the treadmill on Tuesday. As you probably guessed, my GPS watch doesn't register movement when I'm stationary. I need a foot pod adapter for that functionality.

Updated Times for Club South Run

8.34 miles, 1:06:06, 7:56 pace, Avg HR = 135, Max HR = 162

 

1/2 miles splits:

 

4:22

4:07 (8:29)

3:55

3:53 (7:48)

3:59

3:50 (7:49)

4:03

3:55 (7:58)

3:53

3:53 (7:46)

3:51

4:23 (8:14)

4:36

3:16 (7:52)

3:59

3:51 (7:50)

2:20 (6:51 pace)

Run with Baton Rouge Club South Runners

8.34 miles, 1:06:13, 7:56 Pace (approximates**)

Typically I've been using Sundays as a very easy day to recover from my long runs on Saturday. But today, being in Baton Rouge, I decided to join the Club South Runners for their regularly scheduled Sunday Run. I had no idea what the distance or pace would be, but I was ready for a long-ish run since I felt great. I showed up at the tiger cage at 6:45 AM hoping the website was accurate and that I wouldn't be the only runner there.

I need to take a slight detour at this point to discuss the phrase "tiger cage" for those of you who never lived in Baton Rouge. The tiger cage is the official residence of Mike the Tiger, the mascot of LSU. It's nestled between Death Valley (the football stadium) and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (the basketball arena). Unfortunately Mike V passed away in May, and we are currently without a live mascot. But excitement currently pervades the city as its newest resident, Roscoe, moved into the tiger cage yesterday. If all goes well, he will be initiated as Mike VI in a matter of days.

That being said, the tiger cage has been the meeting spot for this group of runners for quite a few years. It was lagniappe for me that I got an early morning, semi-private audience with Roscoe. Thousands will visit him over the Labor Day weekend.

The run was great. The weather relented (appx 75), the group was very receptive to a new face (me), and the course was beautiful (LSU Lakes). We stared out on a warm-up pace, but quickly ramped up to sub 8 minute speed. I wasn't surprised by the speed, based on the appearance of my fellow runners. I was the youngest in the group, which ranged up to 62 years old. But a curious paradox exists among runners, in that the older guys often run the fastest. This doesn't necessarily apply at an elite level, but among recreational runners the older guys tend to do quite well because running is usually a lifelong endeavor for them.

Julie and her sister have always told me that the Baton Rouge running community is a closely-knit yet welcoming group, and today's experience certainly confirmed that. I'm hoping to do my Saturday long run with them next week since I'll be in BR yet again for LSU's home opener against Virginia Tech.

**Motionbased, the Garmin website I used to upload my runs, is currently down, so I'll post the quantitative data later.

Kenyan Way Long Run #4 - Progressive 10 Miles

9.91 miles, 1:18:37, 7:55 Pace, Avg HR = 143, Max HR = 171

The mission today was an out and back 10 mile progressive run, meaning that each mile is supposed to be run progressively faster. It's not too hard to do over three or four or five miles, but anything over that and it gets difficult to maintain the effort. For the most part I was successful today. Check out the route at http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1274958.

The course runs through River Oaks which must be one of the nicest neighborhoods in the United States. I used my weekly joke about half way through the run and pointed to a very large house and told my surrounding running partners that I was going to call it a day since my house was right there. It's not that funny, but I can't get enough of it. Pretty soon I'm going to have to switch groups so I have a fresh audience.

I had my doubts about keeping up with the group this week. Even though I'm in pretty good shape, almost all 20 of the runners in the 3:15 marathon pace group are better athletes than me, and all are more experienced. So it came as no surprise when I started to slip back about 20 feet at mile six. I spotted the water stop ahead, and I figured I could catch up and try to stick it out with them as long as possible. We started out together after the 30 second break, and I started to slip again around mile 7.5. But then I noticed I passed the pacer for the group, and I asked him if he was going to go ahead and level off the pace for the remainder of the run. He jokingly told me it was every man for himself, and he was in survival mode for the rest of the run. I had a choice to make about trying to keep up with the bulk of the group, or running with the pacer. I think I made the right choice and pushed ahead.

One by one I passed people in my group until there were only four ahead of me. I ended up passing one other runner and finished about 10 seconds behind the leader in fourth place. I know it wasn't a race, and I know that competition is supposed to be within yourself, but as a new runner I like to compare myself to my peers in order to monitor my progress. As you may recall from an earlier post, just two weeks ago I couldn't keep up with this group, and this week I finished among the top.

Splits:
10:10, 8:57, 8:22, 8:26, 7:59, 7:20, 7:04, 7:03, 6:50, 6:26 for .91 (7:04 pace)

I wanted to run that last mile faster, but it started raining and the last leg is through puddles, grass and mud, so it wasn't in the cards today. I recouped quickly, and even contemplated another three miles once I got home, but I'm taking a road trip today and decided to forgo the additional miles.

26% Heart Rate Zone 2, 42% zone 3, 30% zone 4. I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't hit zone 5 and I wanted to run a blazingly fast last mile, but it's probably for the best that I didn't try anything crazy in the rain/mud. There's always another run.

I'm ready for some longer runs (12-18 miles) to see if I can maintain an 8:00 pace. I'll dedicate another post to my marathon "goal" time, but as a reference 8:00 minute miles = 3:30 marathon.