Hiatus

im back -- after taking 3+ weeks off due to a nasty stomach bug that put me flat on my back. still deciding if im going to run the Napa valley marathon in March as part of a possible anniversary trip out to CA. Definitely got my sights on the Country Music Marathon in April.

Cautiously Optomistic

I'm feeling pretty good about the race this weekend. I went for a 2 mile run last night and barely broke a sweat at an 8:15 pace (even though it was 80 degrees). The legs feel good, and I think a goal time of 1:55 is very reachable. My plan is to click along the 1st half at 8:30 and pick it up to whatever i can after the split.

On another note, Liv is competing in her first Triathlon on Saturday! I'm so proud and excited for her. Way to go Liv, I'll be thinking about you the entire time I'm running!

Half & Half

So, i've already signed up for another Half Marathon. This one's here in town and appropriately named the "Music City Half". It's being held October 6th at 8 am. Is it a little bit crazy to run two Half Marathons in 2 weeks? Maybe. I guess I'll find out.

The Middle Half

Liv and I ran the inaugural Middle Half Marathon in Murfreesboro this past Saturday. We finished around 2 and a half hours. Although it was a little off our goal time, we crossed the finish line running strong. Way to go Liv! The race organizers did a great job on this one. Everything was well-run and the support was fantastic. I'm looking forward to running this again next year.

final stretch

The HalfMarathon is a week and a day away. Im really excited about running this one. This will be the longest run I've ever run *with* someone. Also, it's Olivia's first Half Marathon and her longest road race to date. She's gonna do awesome, i just know it.

So, today I'm running 3 or 4, and tomorrow Im running 10. Sunday is a rest day. Then it's a small taper Mon-Wed with no running on Thursday or Friday. I'm taking Friday off work, too! Hopefully, I learned my lesson from the last 2 Marathons and will actually take it easy and stay off my feet the day before the race.

running on empty

ran nearly 14 miles this morning. i forgot to eat before I left. totally bonked around mile 10. not fun. I did have a bottle of Spark with me, and think that just made me jittery due to nothing being in my stomach. note to self: can't burn fuel on an empty tank.

heat wave

it's been brutally hot this week. if i don't get out early to run, it ain't happening. I suppose i could always go indoors and run on the treadmill - but i just dont like it. My work office is (was) moving this week, and that made for a very hectic schedule. As such, i was in to work early and out of work late most of the week. I saw this as a unique opportunity in my training plan.

Instead of rushing to get the miles in during the week, i'd rest the legs and give a good long run a go on the weekend. That's exactly what i did. I woke up at 4 am today and set out on a 13 miler. It actually turned in to 14.5, though. The legs felt good and I was well-hydrated. No cramping and no bonking. Granted, it was a pretty slow pace and i was not about to set any records. Even still, i was sweating pretty good - I guess i can blame the temps that were still in the high 70s at 5 in the morning. Im planning on a 5 mile recovery run tomorrow.

so much for being on schedule

after celebrating a bit too much at Scott's birthday party Friday night, i was in no condition to attempt a long run on Saturday. Once the day got away from me it was too hot. The same thing almost happened on Sunday - except I forced myself to hit the pavement at 2:30 PM while the sun was scorching outside. The thermometer read 99, but it felt even hotter. I only got 3 miles in. Oh well - the push for 26 begins Tuesday.

clicking along

For the first time in a while, I got all the miles in this week on schedule. No doubling-up and no missed days. I even managed to bike 8 miles in there (stationary bike). The legs were feeling it, too. I was exhausted when i got home from work yesterday; I just wanted to go to sleep. So that's pretty much what I did. My body thanks me, I'm sure -- 'cause today I feel great.

The plan calls for 23 this week, but I might bump that to 25. Maintaining the "10 Percent Rule", I can go as high as 24.6. Then, the following week, I'll stick to the 26.

early start

its 5 am and you are lissss...ening to Los Angeles. Haha, just kidding. Had to put the Soul Coughing reference in there. It's actually 5:30 and I'm checking the weather and my proposed route before heading out on my 10-miler. Looks like i may be running in a little rain. No big deal - maybe it'll cool things down a bit. It's 80 degrees and muggy right now. No fun - i'll be sweating like a horse. I'm planning on running downtown and back, but that may change.

Gotta get an earl start cause of the Beer Festival today. So, Im running early, taking a nap, doing chores/cutting the yard and then I'll be ready to leave at 1pm. Should be fun.

Stair-stepping

So, one of the principle tenants of marathon training, or really ANY running program is that you counter "hard" with "easy". For example, hard workouts should be followed by easy runs. And, weeks with increased mileage should be followed by easy weeks -- or leveling-off. I failed to totally incorporate that into the Training Plan.

You see, I was trying to accomplish three things at once (in 12 weeks no less), which is a bit much to bite off. Instead of shooting for PRs at the 5k and 10k, I think we should just shoot for finishing strong and having fun. For the Half Marathon, I believe we ought to revise the goal to be "any time under 2 hrs" and finishing strong. These new goals will allow us to modify the training regimen to accommodate the stair-step approach to weekly mileage.

So what, exactly, am I talking about? Here it is: Instead of increasing mileage each week, we increase by no more than 10% every *other* week. During weeks where we're not making a push, that mileage can drop-off by no more than 10% of the previous amount - unless specifically resting for some reason. This is what I did for my 1st Marathon, and that worked. Why mess with success, right? Here is a link: NEW TRAINING PLAN

Richland Creek

I set out to run my 8-9 miles this morning - but it turned into 11. I ran up to the Richland Creek Greenway, and I was happy to see the extension has been completed! The Greenway runs along the west side of the McCabe Golf Course and along the beautiful Richland Creek. I gotta say - the Greenway program is one of the things I really think this town is doing right. I love running from greenway to greenway -- pretty soon you'll be able to run clear across the city! I found a picture on Flickr, but it doesn't do it justice. Im gonna have to go back and take some of my own. Anyway, I didnt set out to run more than 9, but it just happened. Glad to say that I finished strong -- before the heat of the day got to me. Now, I just gotta get 4.5 miles in tomorrow to get my 24 for the week.

playing catch-up

Again, I fell behind and had to cram some workouts to get almost caught-up. I took Mon, Tues and Wed off. I ran twice on Thursday. The morning run was awesome -- I ran up this big hill in Green Hills and caught a great pre-dawn view. The afternoon run was brutal. Of the 3 scheduled intervals, I could only complete 1! It was 95 degrees and the sun was zapping me good. I managed to eek out a 6:59 pace at 800 m and realized that was enough. So i took it slow after that and got in about 3 and a half miles. The shower never felt so good after that.

2-a-days

Back when I was training for the Detroit Marathon, I would often workout twice a day. I'd run in the mornings, then bike and lift weights in the evenings. Sometimes, I'd run during both workouts. I don't know how I ever did that.

I decided to take Saturday off due to some mile fatigue in my calves. Consequently, I'd have to give the ol' 2-a-day a go on Sunday. So, after a nice walk with Mende and Lana, I tackled the 7-miler. Then i took a nap. I got up and worked in the yard for a few hours then scrubbed the bathrooms (they really needed it). Then, I set out on the 3 mile recovery run. It went okay, I guess. But boy - i sure was tired. I propped my legs up on pillows as I slept last night. I feel better this morning. Ahh, the joys of training...

hitting stride

It may be too early to declare, but I'm going to do it anyway: I think I'm back in the swing of things. What do I mean? I'm in "training mode", not just run-a-few-times-a-week mode. The 5 mile w/ intervals went well yesterday. I nailed the first (+2 sec), overshot the second (-10 sec) and tightened up the third (-5 sec). Follow the link in the training log for details.

It's official - I've signed up Olivia and myself for the Murfreesboro Half Marathon on Sept 22nd. Hopefully, the Padgetts will be up here by then.

Mr. Slowski

Went out for a quick run today. As I left the house, I thought "I felt great". So, about 3 or 4 minutes into the run, i decided to turn it on and run at a pretty hard pace. I felt like I was really moving. I figured that I was at least touching my 5k goal pace (7:04). When I got home, I immediately mapped out the run (i have never run that particular route before) and did the math to figure my pace. 8 minute mile. I was very...underwhelmed. How'd I get this slow? I guess it's been a while and I've lost more than a step or two. But, it is only week 1. I'll do this again in a week and see if there's any difference. Until then, I'm in no hurry (quite literally).

Make A New Plan, Stan

So, I'm back on the training stick again. I've even made a plan and everything! This time the goals are 4-fold.

The first, and most important/exciting/appealing is training "with" someone: my sister, Olivia. I say "with" because we're actually 700 miles apart, but we're working from the same training plan. I've never had a training partner before, and I'm looking forward to sharing the push/pull of the regimen -- especially when it becomes a real grind down the stretch.

The remaining goals are all time-based and would represent PRs in each distance. For the 5k, we're shooting for sub-22 min, which is a 7:04 pace. The 10k is at a 7:45 pace and the time is 48 minutes. Finally, for the Half Marathon, we're targeting sub-1:55 at a 8:45 pace. Considering previous marks and current fitness levels, these goals are a "reach", but not insurmountable.

For each distance, I've identified a race here in Mid TN. 5K will be the "I Run For The Party" race on August 25th. This is the 3rd annual race. I've run the previous 2 races, and they're always a lot of fun. Folks get dressed up in costumes, and there's a great after-race party. For the 10K, it'll be the Franklin Classic on Sept 3rd. This event has been going on for quite some time, and I've never actually participated. It's about time! For the 13.1 mile challenge, we'll participate in the inaugural Murfreesboro Half Marathon. This race fills a middle-distance voind during the fall in the midstate and should be quite popular.

So, I'm almost finished with week 1 of the new training program and I am pretty beat. The weather has been hot and muggy lately and I haven't been hydrating as well as I need to. Consequently, the runs have been more like death-marches. I've forgotten that I need to fuel properly, stretch regularly, and get enough sleep. That is, until just recently. I realize that in a couple short weeks, I'll be able to poke out 4-5 milers without much thought. Just right now, it's a challenge.

slumpin

mileage still sub-20. been busy with the baby preparation, but i hate to fall on that as an excuse. shooting for 22 this week.

rainy day,...rain all day

Need to get out there and run, but the skies have opened up. Still working on getting my mileage back to the 30 range. Haven't done that since the MCM.