Training Time

After a few days of being under the weather, I had a chance to run again.  While the weather was cold, I was determined to run outside not because I could but because I wanted to try out my new Garmin trainer.  It is a cool tool and I look forward to fully utilizing it this coming year.  It definitely should be helpful in meeting my goals.  Anyways, it was below zero when I started my run so I didn't go for too long.  Still was able to do my run at a 7:42 clip.  

Treadmill this morning...completed run in 28 minutes.  While I wanted to run outside, the high winds and low temps were a little too daunting.  I believe the windchill was minus 20 this morning.

Headed outside at 5:15 this morning.  It was another very cold morning, but with minimal wind it wasn't that bad once I got going.  I am starting to get really comfortable with these middle distance runs which is very satisfying.  One month from today, I will be running my first race of the year, a 15K, my first ever.

The snow was falling this morning, so I had to take it slow outside.  The snow also caused problems for the Garmin so I didn't track my run with it this time.  Bummer...

Warmed up...did a 6:18 mile...three minute slow down....did a 6:32 mile....cool down.

All on the treadmill.  :-(

A relaxed run.  I felt a little crappy in the middle but was able to run through it.

I had a bit of a late start this morning, so I headed to the Y and the treadmill.  Did a quick three miles in 23:30.  Felt pretty good.  I really need to get to bed a little earlier so I can get up earlier.

Did a three mile hard run this morning.  It was a bit chilly, very dark and a little slippery.  Still managed to cover the distance in 20:07.  Made me feel good that the lack of speed workouts over the past few months hasn't slowed my 5K speed significantly.

Nice and easy run outside this morning.  Average pace was around 8:05.

The weather is slowly warming up which has made the early morning runs a little easier.  The roads are also a lot better with less snow and ice.  Anyways, I did an easy four miles this morning.  The legs were feeling pretty blah throughout.  I think the hard run on Tuesday is the major factor in that.  

First somewhat productive workout in over a week.  This cold really kicked my butt.  I would say I am back to roughly 85% of normal.  I completed the six miles on the treadmill in just under 48:00.  The last three miles were done in 7:30-7:45 pace.  Hopefully the lack of quality running won't be a long-term issue as I increase my mileage for the upcoming marathon.  First real test will be the 15K race on February 6.

Five easy on the treadmill over lunch.  I really hate the treadmill but I am still getting over my cold and the weather is brutal.  I think the temp is 8 degrees and the windchill is minus 15.  Hopefully, it will improve at least a little bit by the weekend so I can do my long run outside.

Ran on the treadmill after work.  I ran for 30 minutes and picked up the pace throughout.  Last mile was under 6:45.

With two inches of fresh snow on the ground, traction was not optimal.  As such, I just took it easy and put in the miles.

Man, this was an adventure.  I was working offsite today, so I thought I would stop by a different Y to change and then run outside.  Anyways, I got there after it was dark so I didn't feel comfortable running outside.  Not a big deal, I thought since I could try out the indoor track.  Yeah, it wasn't as nice as I initially thought.  The turns were a little too tight and by the time I had done ten laps my inside foot was hurting from the turns.  With a race in two days, I didn't like that so I stopped that and looked for a treadmill instead.  Ended up doing three miles on a hill course.  I really struggled with it.  Looking back I am sure that is due to my lack of fluid intake during the day.  I need to get better at monitoring that.

Four easy miles outside this morning.  Felt good going slow.  I have my first race of the year tomorrow.  With no taper and no experience at the distance it should be interesting.  Hopefully I will be able to average a 7:30 pace.

I woke up at 5am so that I would have some time to fuel up before the 8am start.  I ate a half a bagel with peanut butter plus a banana.  I hopped in my car at 6:20 and arrived at the race a little after 7:00.  This left me with an hour to pick up my race bib and "warm up."  It was a cold morning with temperatures around 15 but the wind made it feel ten times colder.  I am pretty sure the windchill was below zero when the race started.  With the cold temps and no off days beforehand, I wanted to just run a relaxed first half and then push it towards the end if all was going well.

The race was well organized but the weather definitely made things a bit more challenging.  There were over a thousand runners between the 5K and 15K so space to stay warm and stretch was difficult to come by.

It was a combined start with the two races splitting at roughly the second mile.  We got underway on time and the first mile felt easy so I was quite surprised to pass the marker at seven minutes flat.  I haven't run a mile that fast in anything longer than a 5K for several years.  That thought gave me a boost of confidence and tells me that the training is beginning to pay off.  With the 5K runners mixed in, I didn't have a good read on my overall position. After mile two the races split and the majority of the people around me were running the 5K.  I had a few people in front of me, so I just focused on them.  I managed to pick off five or six of them over the next six miles and didn't have anyone pass me which really felt great.  I tried to push the pace the last three miles since the wind was at my back and was able to finish strong.

Overall it was a great race.  I ended up fourth in my age group and average 7:09 per mile.  If I keep doing what I am doing, I should be able to break my half-marathon and marathon PR's later this spring.

Five easy miles on the treadmill over lunch.  Total time 42 minutes.

Ran at the Y over lunch again.  Five miles in just over 37 minutes.  Felt good except my left foot is giving me grief.  It is sore on the ball of the foot.  I may need to take a day off to rest it.  

Seven miles on the treadmill in sixty minutes this evening.  I always think about my form too much when I am on the treadmill.  This usually results in me doing some weird things with my feet or two.  Like tonight, I kept curling my left toes when I landed.  Needless to say this hurt but once I started it doing it, I needed to really concentrate to not do it.  

It was nice and sunny today so it felt really nice to get outside.  It was still chilly running into the wind but you definitely got a sense of spring when you ran with the wind.  I even took my gloves off for part of the run.  Goal today was to put in seven quality miles at marathon pace.  I am still getting a feel for what that pace really should be.  I was hoping to end up between 7:10 and 7:20 for an overall average pace.  My splits were:

7:12

7:09

7:16

7:07

7:22 - Ran into some icy spots

7:23 - Ran into some cross traffic

7:00 - finished strong

 Finished the run up with a quarter mile cool down.

This was my longest run in several years, so I was dreading it a little bit.  The biggest challenge was finding places to stop for water and refueling.  Overall it went pretty well.  I finished in under two hours so I was happy with the results.

I did some hill repeats this evening.  I started with a two mile warm-up and then did six mad dashes up a hill that was roughly 250 meters long and jogged back down.  Finished things off with a two mile cool down.  Overall it went pretty well.  Definitely could tell that it had been a while since I did some speed work.

Meant to do seven but had other commitments.  Nice and easy run outside after work.  The mild weather this week has been a nice change.

Treadmill over lunch.  I should have brought stuff to run outside it was perfect, 35 and sunny.  Maybe tomorrow will be similar weather wise then I can try again.

I remembered to grab the right clothes today.  I was able to get in some good miles over lunch.  The sun was shining brightly, the wind was calm and the temp was a balmy 35 degrees.

This was a really great run.  I didn't have high expectations at the start but I felt really comfortable with the pace after the first mile so I just went with it.  Surprisingly, my splits kept getting lower through the first four miles.  I finished up the run in 48:48 for a 6:56 average pace.  This was my first time running a sub seven minute pace for that long of a distance.  Hopefully I will be able to keep improving.  If I can, I should be able to set some strong PRs as the year goes on.

Around mile three I realized that I didn't give myself enough time to recover from eating.  I struggled mightily for a couple miles and even walked for a short stretch.  Fortunately, things improved reasonably quickly and I was able to finish the run.  

Headed to the Y over lunch today for a hill repeat workout on the treadmill.  Ended up doing a two mile warm up and cool down with eight quarter mile hill repeats in the middle.  Felt pretty good.  I probably could have gone at a quicker pace but I didn't want to die before the end.

Five easy miles on the treadmill this morning at the Y.

I headed over to the Y for an evening run.  Went at a very slow and relaxed pace.

My first outside run of the week.  It was really cold but I was not going to do another run on the treadmill this week.  Overall, the run went pretty well.

I just didn't feel it today.  The plan was to do six miles at marathon pace and I was really hoping to come close to the splits I put together last weekend.  Unfortunately, the legs were heavy and I was never able to really get comfortable.  My splits were all over the place but I got the run completed in a still respectable 44:34 for a 7:20 per mile average.

The weather definitely made this an interesting run.  The temps were in the mid-30s so very comfortable, but it was also windy and snowy.  I had to use my fingers as wipers on my glasses several times.  In a way, the weather kept my mind occupied somewhat so I wasn't focused on the long distance still left to cover.  Overall, the run went great.  I ran with a water bottle for the first time and it took the first couple of miles to get used to that. I also tired to simulate my race day fueling strategy.  I drank water every 2-3 miles and took a Gu gel every five miles.  My body responded well and no side effects were noted.  I finished the run with a strong 7:37 mile.  Overall running time was 2:07:16 for a 8:24 average pace.

Did six quarter mile hill repeats on the treadmill.

Nice early morning run around town.  It was great to be outside just before dawn with birds chirping....definitely feels like spring is getting near.

Decided to do a tempo run this morning.  Did the first mile in 7:44 and then picked it up for the next three: 7:12, 7:01, and 6:57.  Dropped the pace back to 7:45 for the final cool down.

Nice and easy this morning.

Marathon pace run early this morning.  Felt pretty good despite the cold weather.

What a great day.  It was a balmy 45 with lots of sun and no wind.  I did the first couple of miles with my son biking next to me and the next four miles with my daughter biking next to me.  I finished up the run with seven miles on my own.  I was hoping to get to 16 miles overall but my inner body just wasn't cooperating towards the end.  Oh well, it was still great to be outside for two hours on such a nice day.

I did a hill workout this morning.  Started with a two mile warm-up and then did eight hill repeats.  Finished things off with a three mile cool down.

Nice and easy run this morning.  Average pace was 8:11 per mile.  Legs were really heavy after the hill workout yesterday.

It was quite foggy this morning, but still nice and warm.  I was able to get in nine nice and easy miles this morning.  

Did a really short warm and cool down.  In between, I planned to do six marathon pace miles but ended up feeling pretty good, so I pushed the pace for three of the miles.  Overall time for the run was 45 minutes.

It was a calm and clear morning.  The weather must have put an extra bounce in my step because I held back and still averaged a 7:43 pace.  Hopefully, it won't hurt me on my long-run tomorrow, my first 20 miler in six plus years.

The spring forward time change made for a short night...I was up at 5:00am so I could get this run in before 9am.  I checked the weather and noticed that it was going to be quite windy, so I took the "easy" route and drove to a starting point that would allow me to run with the wind for most of my run.  I started my run at 6:20am and finished up at 8:50am.  I didn't quite make it to 20 miles but my legs still felt pretty good.  I carried water with me and stopped every other mile for small sips and had a Gu after mile six and twelve.  Average pace for the run was 8:21. 

It was a cool, clear morning with the temperature right at 30.  I did not get a great night of sleep so I decided to just start my day early.  Today was another hill workout day.  I started with a two mile warm up.  Completed 10 hill repeats.  Really focused on form and less on speed.  It seemed to work because my mile splits were lower than the previous times I did hill repeats.  I was wiped out by the end and the legs are a little sore.

Another clear and cool morning.  I decided to try a new pair of shoes today and they fit great.  As you can see from my shoe list, I really like the Brooks Adrenaline 9.

Anyways, I took it nice and easy today.  I was surprised by the pace but I was comfortable throughout.  I checked my heart rate info later and it confirmed that I was running just under 80% of max heart rate which I believe is a good area to be in.

It sounds like today is going to be the last unseasonably warm day for awhile so I took advantage and did a little extra mileage this morning.  I was up early again and the weather was cool and clear.  I avoided looking at my watch and just ran based on feel.  The results were pretty good.  The HR was a little higher than I was hoping for, but I never really felt uncomfortable.

Another beautiful morning to run outside.  Did five easy miles around town.  Each mile was just a little faster than the one before.  Felt pretty good throughout.

With sunny skies, it was easy to run outside today.  My average pace was 7:43 which is a little fast for an easy run, but did feel easy so I guess that works.

Another great weather day...I went for this run right around noon so the sun was shining brightly.  It was great.  Today, I mixed things up and went for a tempo run.  Started off with two easy miles that averaged 7:58 pace, then did four hard miles and finished things off with a slow cool down.  Below are my times for the four hard miles.

 Mile 1:  7:14

 Mile 2:  7:06

Mile 3:  6:50

Mile 4:  6:26

I was really happy to hit that pace after three hard miles and five overall.  Granted I didn't have much in the tank after that, but it still felt good.

This is the first week of my training program with some speed work.

Today was six repeats of two minutes hard followed by one minute easy.

I started my run with a two mile warm up and finished with a 2.5 mile

cool down. Each repeat was between 5:58 and 6:12 pace. I struggled

towards the end, so I probably did the first ones too fast or it could

be because of the chilly weather this morning.  Still pleased with the overall effort.

This morning I took a nice easy run outside.  It was another nice one to be running outside at sunrise.  I was hoping to get in ten miles but finished just a little short.  Oh well, it still went well and I averaged 7:50 pace.  I will be taking it easy the next two days and then I have a half-marathon on Saturday. 

Another early morning run.  The temperature was still pretty nice at 35 degrees but there was a bit of breeze that made it a little brisk at times.  Still another good run although the legs were a little heavy.  Tomorrow will be a short run of four miles and then the half-marathon will be on Saturday.  I am feeling pretty confident that I will run a PR and hopefully my pace will be in-line with what I ran the 15K in last month.

Brrr...winter made a comeback last night which made it quite chilly on the run this morning.  I kept the pace slow and the mileage short due to tomorrow's race.  Hopefully it will go well.

I haven't had time to write my full thoughts on this yet, but here is the short version.

 I had a great race.  The course was short by a 1/3 of a mile.  If this was a true half-marathon my time would have been close to 1:33:00 which is still a seven minute PR.  YIPPEE!!!

Course was brutal with three tough climbs and one really steep decline that killed the hamstrings.  The last five miles were also directly into a 10-15mph wind.  Despite all that I ran a negative split and even managed to run the last two plus miles in under 6:50 pace.

We are in for some warm yet windy weather this week.  I am looking forward to the opportunity to run in shorts and possibly a T-shirt.  Anyways, this morning was a nice easy run with clear skies and no wind.  My legs were still a little sore from the half-marathon on Saturday, but they loosened up as I went along.  This was a good way to start the work week.

I found out last week that one of my co-workers husbands is a runner, so we met up for the first time this morning to run.  Josh is definitely a notch above where I am at.  He was willing to go my speed but the adrenaline of actually running with someone must have got to me.  We did some solid miles with an average pace of 7:27 for the whole run.  That is about 30 seconds faster than I was initially planning on doing this run.  I felt comfortable for the most part, but it was catching up with me by the end.  I will have to take it slower tomorrow that is for sure.  Still it was great to have someone to talk to to pass the miles.

I tried to take it easy today after the hard run yesterday.  I never felt comfortable the whole time.  My legs were heavy at the start, my breathing was erratic, and my hip flexors were hurting in the middle.  I still ran a decent pace and actually tried to slow down a couple times since I wanted to take it easy.  Physically it was not a great run, but my heart rate was really low which is good.  The weather was also nice this morning with temps in the low 40s.

I wanted to run longer this morning, but I woke up late.  I have taken it pretty easy the last two days, so I will likely just go a little longer tomorrow to make up the mileage from today.

It was another nice morning for a run, although the wind was considerably stronger today.  I did an easy warm up mile then did five miles at marathon pace.  I backed off the pace for the remainder of the run.  Overall, I am feeling rather blah this week.  I am not sure if it is because of the race last weekend or something else.  I think I will try to get to bed early tonight and see if some extra sleep helps.

I ran right before lunch with the kids.  I pushed one in the jogger stroller and a second biked with me for the first mile and a half.  For the remainder, I had my eldest bike with me.  It was a bit windy and cool today, so I wasn't too motivated.  I also have a twenty mile run tomorrow, so I took it real slow.

The wind was really whipping this morning during my run.  Needless to say this was a tough long run.  I made things twice as hard by running a loop course, so my mind was constantly in a state of "are we done yet."  Oh well, I made it and the legs feel reasonably well, so I really cannot complain too much.

Happy Easter Everyone!!

This was going to be a nice easy run, but it started raining half-way through so I pushed the pace just to get done.  My legs responded better than I expected as they were still a bit heavy from the long run on Sunday plus all the playing and walking we did the past few days on vacation.

A very consistent run tonight in the rain and wind.  All mile splits were between 7:52 and 7:58.  

A nice hard run with Josh.  It is always easier to push the pace when you are running with someone else especially when that person is faster.

Just an easy run around town to keep the legs loose.  I am anxious for my first 5K of the year tomorrow.  Hopefully a PR is in the cards as well.

I finally ran a sub 20 minute 5K!!!

This was obviously a great race for me.  I arrived about forty minutes before the race started.  I got my bib and then did a warm up over the first half-mile of the course and I felt very comfortable and ready. The weather was a very pleasant 45 at the start of the race and the sun was shining brightly.  This race takes place at the local minor league baseball stadium.

I started the race closer to the front than I normally do but was still a good six rows back from the front.  I don't really like getting much closer to the front than that in fear that I will go out too quick.  Anyways, the race starts out with a slight uphill and winds through the stadium parking lot for the first quarter mile and then connects with a trail that leads to a nearby college.  The trail goes over a major highway so there is a short but steep up and down right around the half mile mark.  Besides heading back over that highway, the course is basically flat.  I went through mile one in 6:13 and was a little concerned that I went out too fast.  I was pretty much on cruise control for mile two.  There were quite a few sharp turns throughout this mile as we wound our way around the college campus.  I finished up mile two in 6:19.  I was really starting to feel it at this point but was still able to gain on the runners in front of me.  Mile three had fewer turns but that return trip over the highway hit me hard.  I finished mile three in 6:28.  The last tenth is run on the warning track of the baseball field, so I kicked it as hard as I could and did the last stretch in 54 seconds which equates to a 5:46 mile pace.  I was exhausted at the finish line but was able to recover pretty quickly by eating some of the post race food and drinking some water.  Two of my kids did the fun run that followed the 5K.  They really enjoy just being out there and getting a t-shirt and medal for finishing.  The added bonus for this race is a free ticket to a baseball game.

After the kids were done with their races, I decided I would run the roughly ten miles home.  Despite the hard race, the longer run felt really good.  I now have five weeks to my first marathon in seven years, so that will be my sole focus. 

My calves were really sore this morning, but they loosened up nicely as I ran.  I treated this as a recovery run after the hard race yesterday.  It was a beautiful morning so it was nice to look around and listen to the birds.

I wanted to get a few more miles in this morning but I woke up late. I might try to do my first double run later today.  Anyways, I just took it easy again today.

This was a nice little run around town this morning.  The weather was beautiful and it was nice to watch the sun rise as I ran.  I felt stronger as the run went along and was able to maintain a per mile pace of 7:45 throughout.

It was a gorgeous morning to run with the temps in the 50s and clear skies.  I felt pretty good so I dropped the pace to roughly marathon pace.  It felt comfortable throughout, so I am starting to feel confident that I might be able to run the marathon in four weeks at around a 7:30 pace.

Another easy run this morning.  I felt really good throughout but held back in order to conserve energy for my long run tomorrow.  It sounds like it will be a beautiful weekend weather wise, so I am going to get my running done early, so I can spend the rest of the day with the family.

I woke up at 4:45am this morning so I could eat a bagel and banana before heading to De Pere for the weekly training run for the Green Bay Marathon.  I had not gone before so I didn't really know what to expect.  There was a good-sized crowd and we started the 16.5 mile run at 7am.  I wasn't feeling all that great at the beginning even though the pace was really slow for me.  After the first couple of miles I got in a rhythm and felt a little better.  I hung out with a couple other runners for this portion and ran these miles around 8:15 for the most part.  At mile seven, I stopped for water and took a Gu.  This seemed to give me a boost as I started to feel stronger.  I decided I wanted to push the pace a little bit to see if I could get my average pace under 8 by the end of the run.  I usually struggle to run faster if I start out slow, but that was not the case today.  I logged some really strong miles after that and even put in an extra mile and a half.  Overall it turned out to be a good run and another confidence booster.  It has been roughly three hours since I finished up the run and while I am tired and could use a nap I do not have any significant soreness in my legs.  Below are my mile splits.

Mile 1 - 8:46
Mile 2 - 8:25
Mile 3 - 8:13
Mile 4 - 8:14
Mile 5 - 8:23
Mile 6 - 8:17
Mile 7 - 8:10
Mile 8 - 8:16
Mile 9 - 7:57
Mile 10 - 7:50
Mile 11 - 7:34
Mile 12 - 7:24
Mile 13 - 7:29
Mile 14 - 7:31
Mile 15 - 7:23
Mile 16 - 7:23
Mile 17 - 7:23
Mile 18 - 7:16

A calm and beautiful morning to just run.  I was able to get in some nice easy miles this morning and now I am following the Boston Marathon online.  A great way to start the week.

I headed out with Josh at 5am this morning. There was no wind again so

it was a great day to run. We ran towards the High School and

then back. We ran some really solid miles in the middle and then slowed

down slightly towards the end. It wasn't an overly challenging run but

the legs were heavy at times and I got a side stitch that came and went

from mile seven till the end.  Now I am going to take it easy for three days and then on Saturday do my final 20+ mile training run.  Then I will have just three weeks till the marathon.

Another early morning run...my left ankle was bothering me a little bit but I don't think it is anything significant.  My guess is that I did something funky during my up tempo run yesterday.  I am not worried about it at this point.

Ugh, this was not a very enjoyable run.  The legs were out of it, my stomach was upset and my mind was elsewhere.  At least I was able to get some miles in.  I really need to focus on hydrating today so that the long run tomorrow goes better than this.

Ahh, I am so glad I was able to get three miles of actual running in

today. My left ankle still hurt but the pain became less noticeable as

I ran. I iced it afterwards and it is feeling ok right now. As for the

actual running, I definitely could tell that I hadn't run for nine

days, but I was able to get through it fairly easily.

Second day back running.  Ankle/foot is still uncomfortable when running but is feeling a lot better than last week.  

I was surprised by my pace on this run. I tried a few different things

in the first mile to get my ankle to feel better and picking up the

pace made things much better. The ankle is a little sore right now but

no stinging pain.

It was a rainy and windy morning, so it wasn't all that much fun.  Still it is the last long run before next week's marathon.

Nice start to marathon week.  I took Ethan in the jogger stroller since he was awake.  It was a very pleasant morning to run easy.

Ahhh...now the top of my foot hurts.  My wife is beginning to think there is a more significant meaning behind all the problems I have been having the past three weeks.  Not really sure what to think about that, but I guess I should just relax a bit.  I am going to take tomorrow off and then get one last good run in before the marathon.

I ran on the treadmill over lunch.  My foot felt really good for once, so after a mile warm up I did a few quarter mile pickups at marathon pace.  The pace felt pretty comfortable, so I am feeling a little more comfortable that I didn't sacrifice much of my training work by taking it really easy the past couple of weeks.  The true test though will be in just a few days. Lots of ice the next two days and I should be good to go.

Last run before the marathon on Sunday.

It was a terrific day for a race.  I was really nervous heading into this race due to the injury problems I have been fighting the past three weeks.  Fortunately, everything felt pretty good throughout and I managed to PR by over 18 minutes.  That feels really good and gives me the drive to keep training because without the reduced training I think I could have finished stronger.  Now I just need to find that next race.  Below are more details of the race.

 I was up at 3:45 to eat some breakfast and then headed to the race with my buddy Josh at 5:15.  We arrived in Green Bay at 6:00.  That gave us an hour to hang out and get ready.  It was a combined start with the half-marathon so I didn't get very close to the front for the start.  For the most part, I don't mind this as it makes it very easy to be conservative and not start too fast.  I felt really good through the first half and hit the half-way point in 1:40 and change.  Unfortunately, I couldn't hold the 7:40 per mile pace over the second half.  Most of the miles were in the 7:50 to 8:00 range so at least I was consistent.  The wheels fell off around mile 23 as I just felt really dehydrated and my legs were tightening up.  Mile 24 was at 9:22 and Mile 25 was at 10:04.  I pulled it back together after that and finished reasonably strong as the last mile includes a lap around Lambeau Field which was a really cool experience to be that close to the "Frozen Tundra."

Overall, I am happy with the results but at the same time I find myself wondering what if the last three weeks had gone as smoothly as the first part of the training.  I guess I will just have to find out next time.

It is hard to believe it has been two weeks since the marathon already and today was my first day of running since then.  My left foot has been bothering me since the marathon and each time I attempted to run the pain was pretty severe.  With no races in the immediate future, I figured it was well worth it to just take it easy and keep up my fitness as much as possible with biking.  Anyways, I have been pretty much pain free for three days so I thought I would give running a try.  It was pretty short but just pounding the pavement felt good.  I had a little discomfort while I was running but it wasn't painful so to speak.  I will likely just bike tomorrow and then try five miles on Wednesday.  I am scheduled to meet with a doc on Friday just to give myself some piece of mind if nothing else.

A nice easy run this morning before work.  Ethan was up early, so I pushed him in the jogging stroller for this run around town.  My foot is still feeling really good, so I am likely going to try running tomorrow as well to see if back to back days of running causing any issues.

Two days of running in a row and the foot is feeling pretty good.  I pushed the pace a bit (7:33) and by the end I was feeling a little discomfort but still a positive run.  I will take tomorrow off and see the doctor.  Unless something major comes up, I plan to do a longer run on Saturday.

It was a great morning to run.  I did two warm up miles and then pushed it for a mile and then relaxed for the remainder.  It felt really good to push it and run a sum seven minute mile.  It has been a while since I have done that.

I spent the weekend at my parent's place in MN for a wedding.  I managed to get a nice long run in while I was there.

A nice evening run with my son in the jogger stroller.

A nice relaxing run this morning.  

A really slow run this morning. According to most training plans, this

is the pace I should be doing most of my runs at since this allowed me

to keep my heart rate in that 60-70% of max range. Not really sure how

I feel about running this pace on a consistent basis.

I was not feeling good during this morning run. A look at my heart rate

during this run says it all. At this pace, I should not be averaging

162 and peaking at 177. My guess is that I was dehydrated from

yesterday's spin class. A short night of sleep due to watching the

Lakers-Celtics game likely contributed as well. I am going to do my

best to load up on fluids today so that tomorrow's long run goes better.

This was my first run over 10 miles in over a month.  To make things a little easier on my body, I headed out to the Friendship Trail which is a dirt and limestone path.  It started out really well with relatively cool temperatures and a head wind.  Unfortunately, I did an out and back and totally overlooked the possibility that the return trip would be warmer and have little wind.  Needless to say, I struggled on the second half but still finished with a solid pace.

Wow, what a difference from Wisconsin.  I am traveling for work this week and was anxious to run somewhere new.  I was not disappointed.  It is pretty tough to find significant hills in Neenah, but Hazleton is all hills.  I ran over six miles and I don't think I ran farther than a block of flat ground.  I am guessing my legs will be pretty sore tomorrow.

I did a ladder interval workout in Pennsylvania this morning.  I was hoping to do this on a track but it was locked when I showed up.  Instead I just tracked the intervals with my Garmin.  Intervals were 400, 800, 1200, 800, 400.  Pretty warm morning so the last couple were a struggle.

Ran with the double jogger stroller just so the older kids could ride their bikes faster.

A slow and relaxed 10K around town.  Weather was really humid this afternoon.

Took it easy due to the warm weather once again.

Ran in the morning which meant cooler temps.  Still rather muggy.  Had to cut the run short due to some GI issues.

Cooler temps rolled into the area finally, so I did a tempo run this morning that went really well.  The four up-tempo miles were negative split - 7:33, 7:21, 7:11, and 6:50.

A beautiful morning for a nice and relaxed 10K around town.

A nice easy run since I have a race tomorrow.  I did a few pickups during mile three just to get the heart rate up and get the blood flowing.

I arrived at the race site early to register and get a good warm up in.  I accomplished all that but noticed it was already warming up quickly.  We got started right at 8am.  Unfortunately. we started running the course backwards and after three quarters of a mile the leaders and race officials finally figured it out.  Instead of letting us keep going on the backwards route, they made everyone stop and called for a restart.  This was a complete mess as some people didn't want to do that so they just headed out on the course the correct way, others just left all together and still others just kept going.  Anyways, we restarted at 8:30.  By then it was really warm and I had not had any fluids for over an hour.  Needless to say, I crashed big time.  The first three miles were fine and I was happy with the splits of 6:54, 7:00 and 7:05.  The last three were the complete opposite with splits of 7:30, 7:42 and 7:34.  At the finish, I passed some people that I am pretty sure didn't start with the restart but yet they went through the chute and were credited with the clock time.  Needless to say, I really have no idea how I did in comparison to others.  I doubt I will do this race again because of this which is sad since it is for a good cause.

My six year old wanted to go for a run so after dinner we jogged/walked a mile.  It is really cool how excited she is to get out and exercise.  After all the kids were in bed I put in another 4.5 miles.

Another run with Kenzie.

I wanted to get in a longer run since I didn't get much in yesterday.

A nice late evening run.  I took it pretty easy and just enjoyed the sunset while I ran.

After running late in the day yesterday, I wasn't expecting much from my run this morning.  Fortunately, I felt really good, so I went with it and pushed the pace and ran each mile a little faster than the one before.

It was a great morning for a long tempo run.  I met up with Josh at 5am and off we went.  I am still a little sore from my trail run on Sunday, but running with someone else always makes running easier. Today was no exception.  I took it easy until we met up and then we just fell into a semi-comfortable pace for the next nine miles.  I finished things up with a slower half-mile by myself.

A nice easy run while pushing Ethan in the jogger stroller.

Today's run was similar to yesterday's.  I was up early but so was Ethan.  I placed him in the jogger stroller and off we went.

Just a nice easy long run around Menasha.

What a great way to start the week.  I was up early this morning and got in a great, relaxing run.  I am off to Pennsylvania for a few days and hopefully I will be able to find some neat places to run while I am out there.

A nice evening run.

I had fun getting lost on the trails in Lebanon.

Negative split tempo run.

Ugh, a treadmill run.

A muggy morning run with Josh.  We both struggled to push it.

Early morning run at South Hills Park in Pennsylvania.

Evening on the Rails to Trails from Colebrook to Mt. Gretna.

Ran on the treadmill at the hotel.

Since we were able to get all of our work done yesterday, I had the opportunity to check out a local race before heading back home to Wisconsin.  I had found this race online and really only choose it because it was a 10K which is a distance where I really want to post a good time.  I arrived at the race site and 7:30 to get registered and had close to two hours to wait to start the race.  This was a unique race in the sense that had a chase format with the oldest runners starting first and the younger runners going last.  The overall spread between the first runner and last runner was thirty minutes.  I started 29 minutes after the first person.

As for the race, it was an extremely difficult trail course.  There were a little over two hundred runners and most of them started before me.  There were six guys in my age group so it was nice to know who your age group competition was.  Anyways, we started off on the entrance road for the park.  This part was all downhill with probably 150 feet of drop over the first quarter mile.  After that, we headed onto the trails where there were lots of rocks and roots to deal with not to mention trying to pass slower runners who started ahead.  It was an up and down course with lots of elevation changes.  I fell behind four of my fellow age groupers at the start as I am not an aggressive downhill runner.  I managed to catch up with all of them on the first climb, but probably put too much effort into accomplishing that as I was huffing and puffing after the first two miles.  I settled down after the first water stop and got into a rhythm.  I settled into second in my age group at mile two and stayed there while the course continued to be mostly uphill.  Once it shifted to a downhill, I was passed by a fellow-age grouper.  We traded off an on the rest of the race.  He would take the lead on the downhills and I would catch him on the uphills.  Fortunately, the course ended with an uphill finish, so I was able to catch and pass him and finish second in my age group.  I felt really strong at the end, so I probably left a little time on the table but I was still happy with the result.  

It was rainy outside so I ran on the treadmill.

Great run around Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

Boring treadmill run.

Finally a sunny day. Since I am scheduled to head home this evening, I

took the opportunity to skip out of work a little early so I could run

before heading to the airport. The nice weather must have given me a

little extra boost because I was flying throughout this run. It felt

great to put the pedal to the metal.

I took it nice and easy this morning. It was just a terrific weather

day. It is hard to believe it is the middle of October yet the temps

are still in the 70s.

I was up at five this morning and headed out for a nice run before the sun came up.

I took it nice and easy this morning. I really tried to enjoy the

peacefulness of the early morning. It is amazing after a year of

consistent running how easy five miles feels now.

A great run at 5am with Josh. We did our normal loop and we both felt a

lot stronger than the last time we ran together.The toughest part was

not being able to see the ground all the time due to the darkness. I

managed to not fall on my face, so I guess that is good.

I gave my Brooks Racer ST4s a test run this morning. I took it pretty

easy partly because of the hard run yesterday and because of the new

shoes. I decided to get a pair of these just to try a lighter shoe for

races. This run went well and I am not feeling any soreness so I think I

will put them to the test for the 5K I am running this weekend.

Hopefully the lighter shoes will help me get to the finish line just a

little quicker.

I was really distracted on this run so the miles went by quickly. It

was also quite chilly this morning. It definitely felt like fall.

A relaxed and controlled run. I wanted to just get in a few miles

before tomorrow's 5K. Added a few strides at the end to get the heart

rate up.

I am really happy with that time, a 19 second PR. It is great to see

that the consistent running is paying off with faster times. This is a

unique race with runners starting at intervals based on age. They gave

medals to the first 30 finishes and I managed to squeak into the tail

end at 28th. I also won the big door prize which consisted of 14

different October Fest themed beers from various local and national

breweries. The kids were pretty excited that I won something.