Forerunner 405 - 10 miles (644 total)

10.48
1:23:42
7:59 pace

First run with new toy - ran from home to the 095 trail marker at Fountain Drive. You can see it on the map here.

Merry Christmas - Halfway Point

Took today off - muscle soreness all over for some reason, and not a lot of sleep last night. Woke up at 7:00 to find Doug sitting on the bed next to us, patiently waiting to celebrate Christmas.

On the running front, Doug got a pair of Nike+ running shoes, which he wants to try out tomorrow. Doug and Barbara were overly generous and gave me the Garmin Forerunner 405. It's a very slick piece of equipment, that looks like sports watch, but has a built in GPS to record your runs. It connects wirelessly to the PC and maps your route, along with all the data you could ask for - pace, elevation, temp, wind speed, heart rate. It should resolve any worries I have about the accuracy of my distances with the Nike+. Barb, Doug, Mom and Bob also gave me some winter running gear which I'm looking forward to using.

Coincidentally, Christmas happens to be the exact halfway point between my birthdays. Happy to say that I'm 133 miles ahead of schedule, so am not worried about getting through bad weather, illness or injury that may happen over the winter.

Merry Christmas to Dad and Kathy, and any other family or friends who have endured these repetitive and obsessive running posts! I hope you had as happy and warm a holiday as we did here in Philadelphia.

Christmas Eve - 8 miles (633 total)

8.13 miles
1:07:25
8:17 pace

In the forties by 11:00 today, although this morning it was so icy that I wiped out on the bike when I hit the brick plaza in front of my work. Slid on my back several feet and got some applause and whoops from another guy picking his way over the ice.

Ran to the four mile point on the rec path, then all the way back by the same route plus a little extra. As usual for this point in the week, legs were hurting on the way out, so I kept the speed down. Will take Christmas off, and possibly won't run until Monday in New York City, since I've exceeded 20 miles for the week already.

Sunny, Cold - 7 miles (625 total)

7.21 miles
57:51
8:01 pace
26 degrees

Nice out today, despite the cold weather. Sunny and less windy than yesterday. I left behind one layer of shirt, and was very comfortable. Ended up extending the run a bit despite some pain in right leg - five miles is just not very satisfying at this point. Hope I did not ruin my chances for a run tomorrow.

First Winter Run - 6 miles (618 total)

6.07 miles
47:03
7:44 pace
22 degrees

It was 16 degrees when I got in to work at 7:00 this morning. Hard to believe that it was 65 a week ago. I wasn't sure if I should skip it today, but by 11:00 the thermometer had broken 20 and I decided to try.

Wore one short sleeve, and two long sleeve shirts, and long running pants, along with headband and gloves. The sun was out and it was quite nice except for the wind, which was particularly strong on the bridges crossing the river. I had to take off one of the long sleeve shirts at the halfway point. Pushed the pace slightly to keep under 8 minutes, but not too hard, since my shins still hurt after two days off.

Cold and Rainy - 10 miles (612 total)

10.56 miles
1:26:15
8:09 pace
35 degrees

Legs felt much better today than on Wednesday, but I took it easy and tried to keep the speed down and run carefully to avoid putting too much stress on them. Will have two days off, so hope to be in good shape on Monday.

Steady rain the entire way; was comfortable nonetheless until after I stopped, and had to walk a bit and wait around soaking wet for a sandwich. Was chilled quite a bit by the time I got back to the office. Wore some tights for the first time, with shorts, both long and short sleeve t-shirts, gloves and headband. By the time all this was soaked, was probably carrying a couple of extra pounds of water weight.

Call the Waaambulance - 5 miles (601 total)

5.69 miles
49:05
8:37 pace

The relatively fast run with Chris yesterday took a toll. Legs were super painful today, and I had to keep a slow pace. I may try to finish up my 20 minimum for the week tomorrow, or I might just eat some of my surplus and take a full four days off before next Monday.

Went back to the track, presumably a little easier on the legs there, and also I was worried about the Nike+ calibration. Looks like it is still pretty accurate - I gained only .06 mile after four miles on the track. That's 1.5%, and I expect that number shrinks to zero or so when running at my normal 7:30-8:00 pace. I'll leave it calibrated as is for now, then try it again in mid-January when the track reopens, and hopefully I'll be able to run at a more representative speed.

Summer Ends - 4 miles (596 total)

4.1 miles
30:26
7:24 pace
41 degrees

Got Chris to come out today for his first run in a couple of months. We just went down to the track. It was about 25 degrees cooler than yesterday. Snowing now, about two hours after we returned.

According to iPod we ran just over 4 miles. Chris counted laps and came up with a quarter mile less than that, so I'm hoping that my iPod is not grossly out of calibration. Tomorrow is the last day the track is open until 1/5/09, so I'll try to stop by and calibrate it. I did run one lane out from the quarter mile lane, but I would not expect that to pick up that much distance.

The pace always picks up a bit when running with Chris, so that was good; stopped after four miles to get back to work in time for a noon "meeting" - a group of us watching Battlestar Galactica every Tuesday over lunch. This job is nerd heaven.

Miami North - 6 miles (592 total)

5.77 miles
44:30
7:42 pace
65 degrees

Another mid-60s December day - sunny and breezy out. Ran out to the Art Museum parking lot again, but tried to cut some distance out of the beginning. Since I wasn't stopping for lunch on the way back, however, it still ended up a little farther than I was planning. Next time I won't backtrack to the beginning of the path, and I think that should be pretty close to 5 miles even.

Planning to do 4 or 5 days this week, but my legs were still achy even after the weekend off. We'll see how they feel tomorrow.

High Water - 5 miles (586 total)

5.57 miles
44:06
7:53 pace

Started my 5 mile routine today. Since I take a slightly different route back, and stop about half a mile from the office in order to pick up lunch, I may have to experiment with the route to bring it a little closer to 5 even. I took a bit more direct route than usual to drop to the rec path at Market Street, and turned around at 3 miles, at the far end of the Art Museum parking lot. Monday I think I'll turn around at the same place, but drop to the path at Chestnut Street instead. I think that will cut about .3 miles off the total.

After the heavy rains the past couple of days, the river was higher than I've ever seen it. One section of the path was completely underwater, and lots of trees and streetlights were standing in the river. There was a constant strean of large branches, logs and a couple of fallen trees floating downstream. I saw two footballs.

Legs were painful. Hope two days off is enough to do four or five days in a row next week.

Indian Summer - 10 miles (580 total)

10.42 miles
1:23:37
8:01 pace
66 degrees

Forty degrees warmer today than it was for Monday's run 48 hours ago. This might be the last opportunity to run in mid-60s weather until April. Wet and windy - would have been positively hot otherwise. Legs were a bit tender, so I tried to keep the speed down. Was aiming for about 8:00 and came pretty close.

I'm thinking about doing just 5 miles Friday, taking the weekend off, and then trying to run four or five 5-milers next week. I wonder if that would be harder or easier on my legs. It would be nice to get into the habit of running 5 times a week, then gradually increasing distance for each run until I'm doing 10-milers again. My hope would be to get to 50 miles/week by 6/26.

Winter Preview - 10 miles (570 total)

10.01 miles
1:15:20
7:31 pace
26 degrees

Much colder today - low twenties at 6:00 this morning biking in to work, and the thin running gloves were not warm enough on the bike. Almost decided to put off running until tomorrow, when it is going to break 50 degrees, but I already took the weekend off.

Felt pretty good - pace felt just moderate, but it turned out to be about as fast as I've ever run a ten miler. Wore my Nike headband/ear warmer for the first time, but took off the gloves at the halfway mark. Was marginally comfortable with my light, long sleeve EMS shirt over a cotton tee.

Glad I decided to run; now I won't be scared the next time it's in the twenties. It doesn't get much colder than this in Philadelphia. I think there are usually only a handful of days when it doesn't make it into the mid 20s. Back when I had the bike commute to East Falls, I would take the bus whenever it was below 20 degrees. I can probably get away with making that my running test as well.

Strawberry Mansion - 11 miles (560 total)

11.43 miles
1:27:46
7:40 pace

Feeling pretty good today - as usual, the only part that feels stressed is my lower legs. Did not feel the need to hold back the pace. After 2 miles, thought I felt a sharp pebble in my shoe, so paused to take it out - was actually an old rusty safety pin sticking through the sole. Another quarter inch and I might be looking at tetanus shots.

Went just past the Strawberry Mansion Bridge; a few hundred yards farther than last time. It might have been smart to do a shorter run today, and save some wear and tear for a longer run Sunday, but gave in to the temptation to break the 560-mile mark.

Might do a short run with Chris on Sunday instead - he has been letting his ankle heal for about six weeks, but has been doing some hardcore biking on the weekends.

Comeback Trail - 11 miles (548 total)

10.98 miles
1:26:07
7:50 pace

The strange followup to Sunday's run was that I have been unusually sore ever since. The kind of deep muscle soreness (as opposed to other aches and pains) that you might get after squatting all day weeding or otherwise using unfamiliar muscles. I guess that's a result of running in the cold and wet after being sick and eating very little for a few days.

Feeling a bit better today, and set the Nike+ for eight miles, since I wasn't sure how I would feel once I started. It is the first nice sunny day in a while, but colder - about 39F when I started. Tried out my new gloves for the first 3 miles.

Kept the speed down - resisted the urge to push - but went a bit farther and turned around at the St. Joseph's Prep Boathouse at exactly 6 miles. Finished up in front of Franklin Field, but would have run a few more yards if I had realized how close I was to 11 miles even. Was also relieved to see that the old pace is back and that the speed setback Sunday wasn't permanent.

Rainy and Tired - 10 miles (537 total)

10.01 miles
1:25:43
8:33 pace

After being sick all weekend, took a run in the rain today. Felt like I was going fast, but was disappointed to see my time. Time for a nap now.

Preemptive Turkey Burning - 10 miles (527 total)

10.28 miles
1:20:09
7:47 pace

Ran the usual route, but out a little farther, to the John B. Kelly statue just past the regatta viewing stands on the river rec path. Made good time; weather was windy but sunny, in the 40's.

Will do my next run Friday up in Rhinebeck. Maybe I'll take some pictures.

Back on the Road - 9 miles (517 total)

9.19 miles
1:13:02
7:56 pace

Training again after a 1-week break. Legs were getting to the point where I was afraid of forming shin splints. Pain went away pretty thoroughly after about 5 days, and I hope the rest allowed me to consolidate some gains. I last took a break back in August, and came back much stronger afterward.

Good run today, although the usual 9 mile route only seemed to take me about 8.5 today, and I had to run some extra. Pace felt good, although it felt a bit faster than what I actually clocked. Hope I can keep 9 miles as my standard weekday run now and try to work from 15 to 20 on the weekends.

Halfway - 15 miles (508 total)

15.00 miles
2:00:07
8:00 pace

Did the East Falls loop from home, ending up at 38th and Spruce. Nice day for running for a change, although it was blustery at times. Temp in the high 40s. Lots of groups out running on the path - maybe people preparing for the Philly Marathon next weekend. I have to say that I'm both disappointed and relieved that the marathon did not work out for me this year. I don't think I'm quite prepared to do it the way I would like. The last mile of today's run was tough - imagine if I still had 11.2 left to do.

Happy to have broken the 500-mile mark today, about a month early. I may take a week off since my legs have been bothering me. Don't want to end up with shin splints again that could put me out of business for a month or more.

Wet, Gray and Rainy - 9 miles (493 total)

9.22 miles
1:13:07
7:55 pace

Took yesterday off - partly because I got busy and partly because my legs were hurting. So when it started raining mid-morning today, I didn't feel like I could put it off again. Once I got used to it, the rain wasn't bad. Kept me cool, at least. Tried out my new long running pants. Started to feel tired after 6 miles, but it didn't get any worse after that. Soaked to the skin by the end, but had a full change of clothes in the office. Legs are aching afterwards. Might be able to ice up after a 2:00 meeting.

Faster - 9 miles (484 total)

9.01 miles
1:08:25
7:35 pace

Did the same run out to Fountain Drive on the river path as last Thursday, but lengthened it a bit by running up to 38th street then out to Market. Circled Franklin Field at the end in order to make an even 9 miles. Tried to go a little faster today, especially the last couple of miles. Beautiful day; temp in the high 40s.

Rainy Loop Plus - 16 miles (475 total)

16.35 miles
2:13:53
8:11 pace

Started from home just as it began raining. Rained steadily through the whole run. It wasn't bad, though; not cold and it made me feel like a hardcore runner. ;-) Took an easy pace since my legs have been bothering me, and resisted the temptation to go full out for the last mile.

Went down to the rec path at Market Street, then back to the start of the path and out to Falls Bridge, back on West River Drive to the start of the path, up Market, Chestnut, Walnut and Spruce to Hamilton Walk, and hit 15 at the VA Hospital. Went down Woodland and took the loop around USP and Clark Park and finished outside the Green Line Cafe and the Farmer's Market at 43rd and Baltimore. (The links will give you a tour of our immediate neighborhood!) Had a Gu packet at about 9.5, and think that really helped avoid fatigue. Did not feel particularly worn out at the finish - think I could have done 20 without too much strain.

Work to Fountain Drive - 8 miles (458 total)

8.19 miles
1:06:35
8:07 pace

Legs have been hurting since the 15-miler Sunday, so took an extra day off.

Today I felt like I was running at a medium pace, but it was actually a bit slower than Sunday's, when I was trying to keep it slow. Weather was damp and very gray, but not cold. Didn't get a lot of sleep election night, or the night before, so that might have slowed me down.

Will aim for 12 on Saturday to make my minimum of 20 for the week.

Regent Square to Falls Bridge - 15 miles (450 total)

15.01 miles
2:00:12
8:00 pace

Afternoon run today, after pancakes, pollworker training, and Doug's baseball game - undefeated after 10 games in the fall league!

Was feeling a bit tender after yesterday's race, so took it slow; increased speed a little on the way back. This is only the second time I've attempted the East Falls loop from home - the first time I stopped at 13 miles and walked home from the rec path. Today I hit 15 miles a couple of blocks from home at just about exactly 2 hours.

Will have 2 days off, since Barbara and I are serving on the election board on Tuesday and working at our neighborhood polling place.

Penn Homecoming 2-mile Race (435 total)

2 miles
13:01
6:31 pace

Barb, Doug and I all ran. I was really proud of Doug. He finished in 8:09; 7:45 at the one mile mark. Barbara looked good finishing - fastest I think I've ever seen her go. And to top it off, I took first place!

The crowd seemed to be about half students or young alums and half older folks like myself. After the race, a cop came up to congratulate me and said, "Score one for us old guys!"

Route was from College Green straight up Locust Street to between 44th and 45th, then back. I was in 3rd place most of the first mile, then passed one guy near the turnaround, and the lead guy at about 1.5.

Afterwards we stopped by Pottruck Gym and got complimentary smoothies. Beautiful day - would have liked to have stayed on campus for the Homecoming game, but had to get Doug to his guitar lesson.

Fountain Drive - 8 miles (433 total)

8.15 (plus .5)
1:01:41
7:33 pace

Lunchtime run; sunny, 45 degrees. Medium fast pace, tried to maintain a long stride. Legs were still a little achy along the insides of the shins. Will pay close attention to this and try to avoid full blown shin splints again.

Ran an additional .5 miles at the track calibrating the Nike+. (It was off by about .5 miles for the 25k.)

Checkup yesterday - 170 lbs (practically unchanged from 173 on 6/28.) Blood pressure 175/115; heart rate 48 bpm. Would like to lose ten or fifteen pounds, but other than that feel in best shape of my life.

25k - 15.5 miles (425 total)

15.53
2:04:03
8:01 pace

Was a bit apprehensive about this run - longest yet - and probably took the first half a little too slow. The route started at boathouse row, went out to Falls Bridge, then back down West River Drive to the halfway point, then back along the same route. The time was 1:02 at the halfway point, so I expected to do a little better than I did. Sped up quite a bit for the last quarter, and was running almost at a sprint for the last mile. Tried a Gu gel packet at about mile 10, and think that, combined with the slower pace, kept me feeling strong to the end.

Track - 6 + 1 miles (409 total)

6.11 miles
45:51
7:29 pace

This morning Scott reminded me about a 25k race on Sunday. I've been kind of tired and achy and was thinking about scaling back for a couple of weeks, but I would like to take advantage of this opportunity - and collect another t-shirt - so I signed up.

Northeast Roadrunners 25K Marathon Tuneup

Went to the track at lunchtime, figuring that would be a little easier on the legs. I was aiming for at least four miles, to make 20 for the week, but ended up doing six at a fairly brisk pace, then another mile at about the same pace to re-calibrate the Nike+. Looks like I've been about 2% off - my first mile read 1.02, and six miles was 6.11. Hopefully, the re-calibration will keep me honest now, but my actual pace has probably been 5 or 10 seconds slower than I thought. The calibration seems to be sensitive to pace - I think it was more accurate at slower speeds, but has gone a little out of whack as my pace increased over the past six weeks or so.

Will try to get some extra sleep tonight, take it easy tomorrow, and we'll see how the 25k goes on Sunday. Not aiming to break any speed records.

Windy Eight - (402 total)

8.29 miles
1:07:18
8:06 pace

Chilly, sunny, very windy - temps in the 40s for the first time for a mid-day run. Ran from work to trail marker 95 at Fountain Green, with my usual backtrack from Chestnut street to the beginning of the trail. Took it easy, legs still kind of tender after pushing the speed on Monday. Was thinking about running Friday and Sunday, but will probably take an extra rest day and just do a long run Saturday.

Happy to break 400 miles before the 4 month-mark on the 25th. From here on in, I'm going to try to make at least 100 miles each month.

Little Faster - 8 miles (394 total)

8.01 miles
59:23
7:24 pace

Posting this a day late. That's the danger of running at lunch - things can be so busy that you either can't get away to run in the first place, or don't have time afterwards to cool out and record the details.

I spent the weekend trying to get mentally psyched to attempt the Philadelphia Marathon on November 23, but when I went to the site Monday morning, saw that it was already sold out both for the marathon and half marathon. I'm pretty sure it was not sold out last week. When you snooze, you lose, I guess. Although I'm somewhat disappointed, I'm also a little relieved, since I'm not sure I'm quite ready. If I'm not ready a year from now, I probably never will be.

Ran 8 miles about as fast as I could. Fastest pace yet, I'm pretty sure. I think I will do another 6 or 8 tomorrow, then try a long run - 14 or 16 - on the weekend.

Mid-day Long Run

11.65 miles
1:31:45
7:52 pace

Chris is taking some time off until his ankle heals. So, on my own my times have been a bit slower. My pace usually seems to be faster on the return than for the first half.

Rather than run in the dark and cold this morning, I started work before 7, then took a long lunch for my run. Gorgeous mid-fifties fall day. Set iPod for 6 miles, but wanted to do more if I felt like it. Ended up turning around a little past the 6-mile mark, and finished feeling strong.

I'm hoping to do 14 miles on Sunday to make 400, then next week start a new program. My buddy Tony, who ran many marathons before having to quit a couple of years ago, recommended Hal Higdon's marathon training guide. I might take the last 6 weeks of one of his programs, and aim to run the Philadelphia marathon on November 29.

It remains to be seen if my current physical condition will be a good match for that point in the program. I will be running shorter and more varied distances, which is probably a good thing, but will be running more consecutive days than I am used to. So we'll see. I have until November 14 before I have to make a final decision on the marathon.

Change of Pace - 10.5 miles (374 total)

10.53 miles
1:27:08
8:16 pace

Was feeling a bit tired this morning in general, although aches and pains were at a minimum after taking two days off. The main reason for the extra day off was my right foot, but that did not bother me at all today.

Left from work and took the river path out 5.25, then back to 38th and Spruce via Market Street. Noticed a lot of guys my age and older out this morning - more than I remember seeing. I wonder if these are the guys who I will see running through the winter.

Ate a big dense slice of homemade whole wheat bread with peanut butter before the run, which is heavier than my usual banana, and tanked up on water before leaving the office. I think this made it a little harder to breath and slowed me down a bit; I never got a good pace going. It is hard to believe that this would have been a fast pace a couple of months ago.

Accidental Distance Record - 15 miles (364 total)

15.00 miles
1:56:10
7:44 pace

Was aiming this morning to do no more than 11.2 miles, which would break 30 miles for this week and put me at 360 total. Starting from home, I set the iPod for 12 miles and figured that I would turn around at 6, then stop at the Wawa near home for Gatorade and coffee right at 11.2.

As sometimes happens though, I was feeling so well at the halfway mark that I decided to go a bit further. Turned around at Hunting Park Avenue, almost within sight of the East Falls Bridge, about 7.1 miles. As I approached 12 miles returning to the beginning of the path, was feeling well enough that I turned around and made it back to the Art Museum - 12.75, then back to the turnaround, and hit 14 miles just at the Chestnut Street ramp. Hit 15 miles at 36th and Locust Walk, about two blocks short of the Wawa.

That was enough. Although it was a good run, I was nauseous at the end, for the first time since the Broad Street Run last spring. I think 400 miles is within reach by 10/26, which would be a nice even number for my four-month point.

TGIF - 6.5 miles (349 total)

6.57 miles
50:23
7:39 pace

This really is the best time of year for running. 55 degrees when we started, and that seems to be perfect. Chris and I were both feeling a bit achey - his ankle and my foot, so we kept this run on the short side. I broke 20 miles for the week, which is just over what I need for my schedule. So anything I run this weekend will be gravy, or I could take the weekend off to see if it improves the foot situation.

Two in a Row - 6 miles (342 total)

6.33 miles
49:24
7:47 pace

Wanted to get three runs in during the work week, and since I'm relatively injury-free, tried another run this morning. I swore off consecutive days since we returned from Utah in August, and I think it was a good rule while I was trying to heal, but eventually I'd like to be able to run five or six days a week.

Chris and I started out this morning only about 15 hours after finishing our last run, and I could feel yesterday's run in my feet. Still, it was a nice cool morning, about 45 degrees, and we had a good run. A little shorter and slower than yesterday. Planning to run 5-7 miles on Friday, then 11-12 on Sunday. If so, this will make 30 miles for the 4th week in a row.

Fall Afternoon - 7 miles (336 total)

7.32 miles
54:56
7:29 pace

Met Chris at work at 7:00 this morning, but he forgot his shoes. Not a tragedy, since the temp was 43 degrees, and I was happy to wait until the afternoon after Jane dropped off the shoes.

So we ended up going out on a fantastic, sunny fall day about 20 degrees warmer than it was this morning. We went out to Girard Street train bridge, dropping to the bike path at Chestnut street, which has a ramp instead of stairs and adds a quarter mile or so to the run.

Chris pushed our pace a bit as usual, and I was pleased with the near-record time. We're going to try again tomorrow a.m. - I've been feeling good enough to experiment with some consecutive-day running. Will have to break down and get some cooler weather gear soon. If I'm smart I'll do it before I need it.

Playing it Safe - 12 miles (328 total)

12.27 miles
1:36:53
7:53 pace

Was a bit apprehensive about running this morning. Although I've been feeling great, the aborted 15-mile run last week was unpleasant. My physical and mental tanks just ran dry at 13 miles. Today was undecided if I should play it safe with 10-11 miles or try a little further.

Since Chris was biking today, I left directly from home at 6:30, and decided to take the river path about 6 miles, double back and end the run at the Wawa (a PA version of 7-11) half a mile from home. That way I could extend the run a little if I felt good at the 6 mile mark. Ended up going about .5 farther - to the Strawberry Mansion bridge, about a mile short of the East Falls bridge, where we would normally cross the river.

Beautiful weather, sunny by the end of the run, and made it home in plenty of time to take Doug to baseball at 9:00.

Nice Weather - 6 miles (316 total)

6.3 miles
48:25
7:40 pace

Weather was perfect for running this morning, about 55 degrees and sunny at 7:30 when Chris met me at work. I think the fall is the best time for running in Philadelphia, and I'm going to try to get ahead of schedule between now and Thanksgiving. It may be harder to get out and run regularly in January and February.

We started out a bit faster than usual, and ended a bit slower, but still ended up with a 7:40 pace. I continue to be incredulous with how our times have improved in the run up to the PDR. I think I lost some weight over the past month and that probably helped - all my pants are baggy now. Hope we can maintain and continue to improve.

Heron - 11 miles (310 total)

11.18 miles
1:31:09
8:09 pace

Originally planned to run 6 miles this morning, but Chris was home with a sick kid, and I am taking a few days off, so decided to go a little farther.

Saw a big heron in a marshy section of water between the Art Museum and Boathouse Row. It must have been about three feet tall and was very picturesque. Wish I had taken my phone and gotten a photo.

Will rest for a couple of days and run again on Thursday or Friday. Legs and left foot were starting to get achey again today after all the long runs, so this break is coming at a good time.

Wet 13 Miles (298 total)

13.01 miles (plus .69)
1:45:07
8:04 pace

Tried to do 15 miles this morning, doing the normal East Falls loop, but starting and ending at my front door. Only managed to make 13 before giving in to exhaustion, then tried again as I took the walk of shame home, but only added another 7 tenths.

15 miles would have broken 300 total, so I guess that won't happen until Monday. I think if Chris had been running we would have made the 15; it's a little easier to give up when you're on your own.

On the positive side, even though I thought I was running a slower pace, it ended up being 8:04, which would have been a record for me less than a month ago. It think the PDR might have ratcheted up my internal pace-setter. This was also a record week for both distance and speed - 43 miles, with an average pace right around 8:00.

Speed Run - 6 miles (285 total)

6.01 miles
44:44
7:26 pace

I'm thinking about breaking new ground Saturday and trying a 14-15 mile run, so decided to do something shorter and faster today. (Plus I was late starting and in a hurry.)

Ran at a pace that felt a bit faster than what I did for the PDR, but the final according to my Nike+ was only a few seconds faster per mile. (Nike+ had me at 7:30 for PDR; 7:26 today.) I should mention that the Nike+ had me at 13.25 miles and about 40 seconds faster for the PDR than the official time, which is what I posted. The mileage difference seems within the margin of error, but I'm a bit puzzled by the time difference.

Recovery Run - 10.25 miles (279 total)

1:25:35
8:20 pace

I must still be excited about the PDR, because I started out planning to do seven miles, if I wasn't hurting too much anywhere. Legs did ache a bit in the beginning, but got better after a few miles. Weather was about perfect - this is the best time of year in Philly.

Decided to go an extra couple of miles since I was feeling good, and ended up turning around just after the boat race reviewing stands on Kelly Drive. Broke 100 miles for this month (8/26-9/25) and still have one more run left.

Here's another article from yesterday's Inquirer about the race.

2008 Philadelphia Distance Run

13.1 Miles
1:40:00
7:38 pace

Beautiful day for a race. Sunny and in the 60's the whole way. Felt really strong into the 12th mile, and spent by the end. The splits on the PDR website showed that I got faster as the race went on, and that's what it felt like. A little achey at the beginning, as usual, but no pain at all after about the 5 mile mark.

I'm really happy with the time - last year I ran 2:02:38 - a 9:22 pace. This may be a hard one to beat next year. After the race Chris and I talked about possibly doing the marathon along with Scott next year. I think that will require a different kind of training.

Legs still feel good 3 hours after the race. Hope to be able to run again on Tuesday.

Carb-loading at Ralph's - 1.5 (255 total)

Scott organized a pre-race dinner tonight at Ralph's Restaurant in the Italian Market section of South Philadelphia. That's Scott in the center of the picture, with Chris to his right and Scott's friends Karen and Jeanette. Karen is a high school friend of Scott's and she and her sister Jeanette have run 3 marathons together. They were in Utah for a 50k in July. We'll all be running tomorrow.

We all had pasta - I had mine with mussels and "red gravy" which is South Philly for tomato sauce. Delicious and filling. I don't know if carb-loading is really helpful or just a myth, but it makes a great excuse for a satisfying meal. This is the first time I've been to Ralph's; they claim to be the oldest restaurant in Philadelphia under the original family management. Afterwards, I was glad to have the bike ride back home.

This morning Doug and I went down to the river path to time him in the mile run. He wants to try out for football in high school next year and needs to be able to run a mile in under 8 minutes. We did a couple of quarter miles to calibrate his Nike+, then did a mile in 7:30. I wasn't able to keep up with him at a couple of points!

Quarter Complete - 8 miles (254 total)

8.09 miles
1:06:49
8:14 pace

Finally, the cool fall weather is here. I think it should last at least through the race on Sunday. Chris and I left the office about 7:15. Chris had a sharp pain in his thigh after about a half mile, so we stopped briefly and did some more stretching. After that we took the rest of the run at a slightly more leisurely pace than usual, but ended up running a bit longer than our usual pre-work run.

I was happy with the pace - my calf didn't hurt at all, though I could certainly feel it when I stretched after the run. I think I should be able to run the race at this pace for about ten miles, then try to increase the pace for the last three.

Broke 250 miles today - one quarter of the way there.

Inquirer PDR Article

Article in today's Philadelphia Inquirer about the Philadelphia Distance Run with profiles of some of the "typical" runners.

Long Jog - 8.5 miles (246 total)

8.54 miles
1:13:29
8:36/mile pace

Ran by myself this morning, trying to be very conscious of my healing calf. Kept the speed down to where it did not feel like I was straining it. Since I was going slower than Chris and I usually run together, decided to go a little farther. This is probably closer to the pace I will run for the race Sunday. Much cooler and less humid this morning, and that made a huge difference in the comfort level.

Opposite Day - 8.3 miles (237 total)

8.28 miles
1:07:26
8:08 min/mile

Chris and I met near the office at 7:00 this morning and did our normal river loop, but looped in the opposite direction in order to take the Sweetbriar cutoff back to where we started. We ended up walking two or three miles back, but the walking is probably a good thing.

I'm glad we quit running at 8 miles - calf was starting to hurt, and had to slow down significantly after 6. Did not want to wait for my leg to completely fail before quitting. Humidity was awful; in the 90's according to weather.com. The photo above is from last Sunday, but the weather was similarly hazy today.

I guess I'll do one or two 6 or 7-milers before the PDR next Sunday. This was not a confidence-building run, unfortunately, although I am glad that the pace that feels most comfortable now seems to be close to 8 min/mile - big improvement over a year ago.

I'm hoping that we get some fall weather for next week. It's supposed to hit 91 today, and the humidity is still at 75% now at 11:00am.

Back on Track - 7 miles (229 total)

7.05 miles
56:34 min
8:01 min/mi

Didn't know what to expect this morning. Called Chris last night and said I was going to try, but didn't know whether it would be a full run or more likely just a mile or so. I wanted to pay attention to what my calf was doing and not irritate it or worse, have a repeat of Saturday.

I could feel it from the start, but it did not seem to get worse, and by about mile 5 was feeling better than the start. After we climbed the 2 flights of stairs to get back to street level at about 6.5 it was hurting, but not bad enough to cut short the last half mile. It tightened up a lot a few minutes after stopping, and I am trying to keep it stretched while cooling down. I'll give it some ice.

So far, so good. Depending on how it feels, might try a longer run on Saturday - last chance for a double-digit run before the PDR on the 21st.

Calf Heart Attack?

Ended up with a very sore muscle about the size of a banana on the inside of my right calf. Iced it a couple of times Saturday, and massaged it with a tennis ball. Doug and I did a 15-mile bike ride Sunday, and it was less sore; today felt more tight than sore. I've been trying to stretch and massage it gently.

Did some reading on the web, and think it might have been a muscle spasm or a minor pull or tear. Up to this point I haven't had any problems with my calves or achilles. Also never had an injury that happened so suddenly and really stopped me cold in the middle of a run. A couple of articles about calf problems used the term calf heart attack and that describes the feeling perfectly.

The consensus seems to be RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and a week of rest, followed by some careful jogging. I may wait until Friday and try an easy run, bailing if it seems to act up at all.

Injury - 3.7 miles (222 total)

Met Chris at 36th and Spruce and headed to the River trail. My right calf felt sore to start out with, about an inch or two above the achilles tendon. We were about 3.5 miles along West River Drive when I felt a pop and couldn't run any farther. Tried to stretch it out, but it would relax, then suddenly tighten up again. Limped back past the Philadelphia Zoo and through Mantua. Chris walked back with me - I feel bad for messing up his run too.

Will ice it and rest today and see what happens.

New Land Speed Record! - 7 miles (218 total)

Started from Presbyterian Hospital at 39th and Market after seeing B off for a procedure early this morning. Ran through town and picked up the river trail at Chestnut Street. Backtracked to the turnaround and then took the trail north to just past Fountain Drive (4.25 miles). Ran back to the turnaround and hit 7 miles ascending the ramp to Chestnut. Would have gone 8 miles, but heard a clang outside 30th Street Station and thought I had dropped my car keys, so ended the run at 7 and a third (with an even 8:00/mile pace!)

This was a record time for me (in the post-40 era) for any distance over a mile - previous record was a 5-miler at the track at an 8:06 pace. For the past few runs I've tested my current abilities for both distance and speed, and will now try to pull back a little before the PDR on 9/21. Don't want to risk an injury before then.

(B's surgery went smoothly; spent time with her at the hospital after the run.)

Schuylkill Loop from Philly Art Museum - 11 miles - (211 total)

Running on my own this morning, thought I would take advantage of the 3-day weekend and do another longer run. Originally planned to do a shorter version of the usual loop along the Schuylkill River to the Falls Bridge, starting and ending at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Was a bit achey starting the run - left the house a little later than planned, and since I was warmed up from the bike ride to the museum, did not stretch as much as I should have. Otherwise was feeling good. By the time I made it back to the Art Museum (8.4 miles) was feeling strong enough to continue on to the turnaround point (9.6) and then back to the museum. Hit 11 miles at the parking area behind the museum. Still had some strength at the end - last two miles were under 8:00.

Beautiful day, sunny and less humid. Lots of cyclists and runners out. Tried to get Doug to come out with me on his bike, because I thought West River Drive would be closed to traffic as it is on weekends. It wasn't closed off, so maybe it's just as well that Doug slept in.

Schuylkill Loop with Reuben and Chris - 11 miles - (200 total)

Very humid this morning; biking in to Taney Field, the top half of the Philly skyline was covered by clouds and mist. The three of us started at Taney, but got to the train tracks just in time for a long (and fragrant) garbage train to block our path. We ran alongside the tracks about half a mile until the train passed, then crossed over and vaulted a four foot wall to get to the path.

The run was fine - no major aches and pains, and this pace, which was out of reach for this distance just a month ago, was quite comfortable. Chris and I kept up a conversation the whole time. When we got to the south end of the path, Nike+ read about 10.6 miles, although since we had a bit of a detour due to the train, I can't really compare it to Chris' reading last weekend. When Chris dropped off at 10.75, my reading was about .3 miles ahead of his. After calibrating yesterday, I am comfortable going with my slightly more generous numbers.

Chris suggested upping our weekday runs to 7 miles next week, which I am happy to do - love to rack up those miles. I will run on my own Monday. Thinking about doing an abbreviated river loop starting at the Art Museum. That's about 9 miles.

Broke the 200 mile mark! Nice way to end the month.

Calibration - 1 mile (189 total)

Went to the track at Franklin Field this afternoon and calibrated the Nike+ before tomorrow's 11-miler. Happy to say that it appeared to be very close to begin with. I was no more than a couple of yards off at the .75 mile mark. Last weekend we clocked the loop from Taney Field to the southernmost end of the rec trail at 10.44 miles using Chris' Nike+. It will be interesting to see tomorrow what my freshly calibrated gadget says it is.

Digital Dilemma - 6 miles (188 total)

So Chris and I had another great run this morning - same 6-mile course as Tuesday, plus today we seemed to catch all the green lights, kept a good pace, nice weather, etc. We are both using Nike+, but at the end of the run we had divergent distances and times. I got 6.28 miles in 50:51, while he got only 6.03 miles in 51:14.

I've never calibrated my Nike+, but ran many miles with it at the track, and I know that it was quite accurate for last year's PDR, and the Broad Street Run this spring. But an 8:05 pace (using my numbers) is a bit hard to believe, so I'll go with Chris' numbers - at least until I have a chance to calibrate my Nike+ at the track.

Girard St. Train Bridge - 6 miles (182 total)

Got a new iPod Nano a couple of weeks ago, and used it with the Nike+ for the first time today. This is one of the 3rd generation Nanos and the larger display is easier to read while running than the old one was.

Very happy with today's run - first with Chris at 7:00am from work. Ran our usual route, but a little farther, to the train bridge just past Girard Street. This time works well; we were back in the office at about 8:15. Kept up a good pace - the Nike+ graph is practically flat, except where we had to go down the flights of stairs to the river path.

Wore my Shox and did not feel any blisters forming this time. Legs hurt a little, but considering that we did a relatively fast 11-miler two days ago, I feel that they are getting better, not worse.

Measured distance from JFK bridge to the end of the path - .37 miles. Adjusted Sunday's distance to reflect the extra .74 miles.

11-Mile Loop (175 total)

Met Chris at Taney Field at 7:00 this morning and ran the loop. As mentioned in the previous post, the iPod wouldn't recognize the Nike+ for some reason, but fortunately Chris had his. We ran the Falls Bridge loop back to the turnaround for 10.44 miles, then I backtracked to the JFK bridge and back to conservatively make 11.

Felt great for this run! Knees only bothered me for the first mile or so. We started at a medium pace, and I felt like we picked up speed for the second half. Felt strong at the end. The Philadelphia Distance Run is 4 weeks from today, and I feel in good shape for it. Might not match my Broad Street Run pace of 8:11, but I think cutting a full minute from my 2007 PDR pace (9:21) is a realistic goal.

Bookkeeping Note

Decided to abandon my attempt to keep this diary in synch with Nike+. I've missed a couple of runs with the Nike+ for one reason or another, and tried to keep the diary in synch by rounding down runs to the nearest mile, then allowing the bits and pieces to accumulate on the Nike+ side. Today was the last straw though. Was about to start an 11 mile run, and couldn't get the iPod to recognize the Nike+ receiver. So, I've put all my runs into a spreadsheet on Google docs, and replaced the old Nike+ graphic that used to appear at the top right with the Progress-O-Meter - some calculations from the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is here. (The accumulated rounding, plus a run with Doug that I did not count for the diary, have bumped my mileage by about 6.)

I'll still use the Nike+ to keep track of my mileage for each run - it is a useful and fun device - but this diary will now be my "official" mileage count.

Before Work - 5 miles (158 total)

5.41 miles
47:13
8:43 min/mi

Came in to work a little early this morning, then ran with Chris about 8:20. Weather was a bit warmer and more humid than Wednesday, but still nothing like running at noon. Forgot ibuprofen again this morning and knees hurt the whole time. But maybe I ran a little more carefully because of it. Iced right knee afterward. Was hoping to do a loop run (9-11 miles) on Sunday, but may just do a fiver instead.

Schuylkill Navy - 5 miles (153 total)

5.4 miles
44:33
8:14 min/mi

Chris and I had incompatible meeting schedules today, so decided to run our usual route from the office to boathouse row and back first thing this morning and return to the office by 9:30. What a great decision! The weather had cooled off last night, and was probably in the mid-60's. It was a very pleasant and beautiful run. We continue to shave more time off. This is close to a record time for me, especially considering that it was a city course and we had some stops for traffic, crossing streets and going up and down stairs.

I enjoy running with Chris. It is a stretch to keep up with him on the first half and I think I help him maintain the pace for the second half, so hopefully we both benefit.

Right knee pain was present, but did not limit my stride. Was throbbing afterwards, and I iced it.

Back at Franklin Field - 5.3 miles (148 total)

5.31 mi
47:09
8:52 min/mi
87 degrees, 34% humidity

Back on home turf. Chris couldn't run, so I decided to visit Franklin Field. It is monotonous, but a little faster than the river trail, and probably a bit easier on the legs. It is quite hot down in the stadium at midday, however. Was trying for 7, but stopped after the usual 5 and change. Forgot my ibuprofen; had pain in right knee and left upper shin. Wore another brand new pair of shoes (Nike Air Structure Triax 10+) & found them more comfortable than the "Shox", which re-blistered me on Saturday. Will continue to try to break in the Shox on shorter runs, since they should be the best-cushioning shoes.

Little Mountain Summit - 9 miles, 1100 vert. ft. (143 total)

9.28 miles
1:27:53
9:27 min/mi

Went from Mom's house up Emigration Canyon Road to Little Mountain Summit, 6,350 ft. Above is a photo from near the summit taken yesterday when I biked up. Temperature was perfect - below 60, and lots more bikes and runners out than cars. Took it easy - only intended to do 6 miles, but when I reached the turnaround point, the summit was too tempting. My last chance in Salt Lake. Very pleasant run!

Limpy - 3 miles (134 total)

Last chance to run till Thursday. Huffed and puffed uphill for 1.5 and winced and limped on the way back down. Should have just waited till Thursday, I guess....

Wasatch Bike Ride II - 17.2 miles, 1700 vertical feet

Took an extended version of yesterday's ride, going up the canyon to the dead end, and then back all the way to the mouth of the canyon, where the Hogle Zoo is. Took this photo with my phone on the way down.

Borrowed Jackson's GPS, so I could see the altitude a little more accurately. (I've updated yesterday's numbers.) It turns out that the high point is 6,650 feet, and the zoo is at 4,950. So I climbed about 1700 feet today, but only about 1400 yesterday.

Blister is getting better, but still very tender. May try a run tomorrow, since we're leaving on a hiking trip Monday morning. It might be smarter to not attempt a run at all until after the backpacking trip. Knees are still a bit achy.

Wasatch Mtn Bike Ride - 12.2 miles, 1700 1400 vertical feet

Since achy knees and blisters are keeping me out of running shape for the moment, I decided to take another bike ride up and down the canyon while the kids were out seeing Wall-E.

Went the same route Doug and I did on Wednesday, but continued up to the end of the road. Then I turned around and went past Mom's house another mile or two. According to Google Maps, [updated with GPS] the elevation went from 5100 5250 to 6800 6650 feet.

Swam 1 mile yesterday.

[Click "View Larger Map" to see the route]


View Larger Map

Emigration Canyon - 5 miles (131 total)

This was a slow run, just 1.25 miles uphill from my Mother's house and back with Doug. Then I turned around and did it again by myself, this time going a quarter of a mile farther.

Doug did great, especially considering that this was all hill, and elevation is about 5,000 feet higher than home. We also cycled 5 or 6 miles up the canyon and back this morning.

My legs and feet are beat. I've got to take a couple of days off in a row and let these blisters heal. Knees are also getting painful. Will probably wait until Saturday to run again. If Doug wants to run before then, maybe I'll pace him on the bike!

Bad Luck - 5.4 miles (126 total)

Distance: 5.42 miles
Pace: 9:12
86 degrees, 33% humidity

Running was probably a bad idea today. Legs still gimpy; painful blister on each foot. Went with Chris anyway - will be traveling all day tomorrow and thought some exercise would be good.

Run was slow and painful, not terribly hot, but hot enough. Then, at the end of the run, discovered that my iPod didn't register. Must have accidentally paused it at the beginning of the run. Got the time and distance from Chris. And I just got my iPod miles synched with blog miles yesterday!

Next run from my Mom's house, along Emigration Canyon in Utah, at about 5 thousand feet.

Doug Starts Training - 2.5 miles - (121 total)

After I got back from my long run, Doug was interested in starting some running himself, so we went out and did a couple of easy miles on the USP/Clark Park route. We ran pretty slowly, but Doug did great. He says he wants to start running every day. If he does, he'll easily be able to do a 9 or 10-miler at the pace we did this morning in a few months.

His face did get quite blotchy by the time we finished. That happens to him sometimes after a lot of heat or exertion. Here's a pic with Jackie taken shortly after our run.

(You can get Doug's own story at his new blog.)

[I'm not adding this run to the total in order to help bring the diary total back in line with the Nike+ total in the graph on the right. I've lost about 5 Nike+ miles since this project started. This will bring me within a mile of consistency.]

Gentle Loop - 11 miles (121 total)

77 degrees, humidity 71%



Met Scott and Chris at Taney field at 6:30 this morning to run our usual loop to Falls Bridge and back along the river. Very muggy and drizzly for the first half, but the light rain was welcome. We ran at a very slow pace, which was probably the best thing possible for my legs short of not running at all. Scott dropped off as planned at about 9.25 miles, and Chris and I sped up for the last couple of miles.

This was a confidence builder after my last "loop" when I had to stop after 7 miles. Whether it was the slower pace or the new Shox shoes, my legs felt pretty good afterwards. The shoes did give me two quarter-size blisters just behind the balls of both feet. The sole insert doesn't make a perfect fit inside the shoes, maybe because of the Springbak inserts underneath them, and a little gap between the sole and the side of the shoe caused the problem. I hope this will work itself out as the shoes are broken in. I have to decide whether or not to bring these as my only running shoes to Utah.

Character-Building - 5 miles (110 total)

Distance: 5.35
Time: 45:54
Pace: 8:34 min/mi
88 degrees; humidity 46%

Ran the same course with Chris as the past few runs, but our pace is steadily improving. This felt to me equivalent to about an 8:10 pace at the track. It was a stretch to keep it up in the heat.

Took yesterday off because legs were still aching - felt like shin splints might be returning on left leg; right leg hurts when I lift foot off the ground. New shoes coming tomorrow or Monday. An trying a pair of Nike Shox ("ultimate cushioning" ) and will see if that is easier on my legs.

Hopefully I'll be able to handle a 10+ miler over the weekend, possibly with Chris and Scott.

Saved a turtle! - 5 miles - (105 total)

Distance: 5.42 mi
Time: 47:23
Pace: 8:44 min/mi
83 degrees, 46% humidity

Did no running over the weekend - still trying to heal up from last Wednesday's double runs. Developed extreme tenderness at the top of the bone just under the inside of right knee. Being careful about this because I think this is the same thing that stopped my running the last time I was trying to get serious 8 years ago. Swam a mile on Saturday.

Chris and I did our usual course through campus and to the river trail at Walnut Street. Ran into Doug going the opposite way through campus heading to lunch from his tennis camp.

Soon after we got on the rec path, Chris noticed a little painted turtle on the hot asphalt - about 4 inches long. He grabbed it and dropped it back into the river - about 25 yards or so.

Century of Progress! - 5 miles (100 total)

Distance: 5.25 mi
Time: 46:24
Pace: 8:49 min/mi
85 degrees, 37% humidity

Despite continued soreness from my ill-advised Wednesday two-fer, wanted to try to get to 100 miles today - the last day of my first month.

We ran through campus and across the river at Walnut street and down to the Schuylkill path to the 2.75 mile point (boathouse row), then back to Franklin Field to make 5.25. Was disappointed in the overall time - felt faster than that. Was sucking a little more air than usual in the beginning, and was in pain until about halfway.

Will probably take all weekend off to heal as much as possible by Monday.

Bonus Run - 6.5 miles - (95 total)

Distance: 6.51 mi
Time: 1:00:22
Pace: 9:16 min/mi
78 degrees, humidity 78%

Since I didn't get my full run in at lunch today, decided to make up a few miles after work. Trying to make 100 miles by Friday - my 1 month mark - so ended up doing a few extra miles, though at a relatively slow pace. Now will only have to run 5 on Friday - hope I didn't mess up my legs too much to do it.

Ran the USP/Clark Park course, and got rained on pretty heavily on the second lap. Looks like this is the highest humidity run to date.

Not so hot - 5.5 mi (88.5 total)

5.5 miles
48 minutes
86 degrees, 59% humidity

Went running with Chris at lunch. We went down to the river path, past the Art Museum and boathouse row to just past the Girard Street bridge, then back to Walnut Street. Hot and sticky, but blessedly overcast - so glad we didn't do this yesterday when it was ten degrees hotter. Chris hasn't been running regularly, so he had to really gut out the last mile.

I realized about 1.2 miles into the run that my iPod had paused the run after the first few steps, so I got cheated out of a Nike+ mile.

Overheated - 10 miles (7 plus 3) - 83 Total

7.16 mi
1:03:28
8:51 min/mi


3.01 mi
28:10
9:21 min/mi


Hot and sticky already when I started out shortly after 7:00 this morning. Was hoping to do 12 - the 11-mile loop from Taney ballpark to the Falls Bridge and back, plus backtracking another mile. Ended up pooping out right after mile 7. Walked about 3/4 of a mile, then started up again, and staggered through the final 3 miles. Not my best effort.

One weird thing - if you look at the graph, you notice a huge dropoff at mile 4, exactly like the last time I did this, on July 4th. It looks just like I stopped for a break at that point, but it is a flat unremarkable stretch of road. I wonder if there is some sort of electrical disturbance there that interferes with the iPod. Will pay close attention next time.

Short and Hot - 3.5 miles - (73 total)

Distance: 3.51 mi
Time: 31:02
Pace: 8:49 min/mi
91 degrees; 46% humidity

Short token run today. Legs were still aching on stairs but not bad otherwise. Took it slow.... First run over 90 degrees this season. HOT at the track! Will try for a long run tomorrow or Sunday.

Early Run - 8 miles - (69.5 total)

Distance: 8.01 miles
Time: 1:11:28
Pace: 8:55 min/mile
69 degrees, 73% humidity

Got up at 5:00 to run this morning, and the relatively cool weather made the run much easier. Ran the 1.25 mile loop around Clark Park and USP, which I know is always slow, but was still disappointed with the final time. There is a lot of gradual up and downhill, plus 7 city streets to cross on each loop - I guess that's what holds the time back.

This 7.5 to 8 mile distance is feeling more comfortable. This might be a better idea than 5 miles for my standard distance; it would allow me to take a day off between each run. If it continues to feel comfortable, I think I'll try it for a while. Will aim for another 7.5 on Friday, then maybe an 11-miler along the Schuylkill on Sunday.

Legs felt good after the first mile, and now, 2 hours later I feel very nice and relaxed waiting for the 2nd day of our Usability Conference to start, with my juice and coffee.

Today is the end of my third week. So far, so good. I am 15% ahead of my goal, with no debilitating shin splints or other injuries. I will have to pay attention to the leg pain I do have & make sure it doesn't get to the point that it knocks me off schedule for a week or two.

Bertha Arrives - 7.5 miles - (61.5 Total)

Distance: 7.5 miles
Time: 1:05:20
Pace: 8:42 min/mi
77 degrees; 58% humidity

Biked to work in the rain at 6:00am as hurricane Bertha skirted by. Weather had cleared up by noon, however, so I was able to run on schedule, and in fact it was a bit cooler than usual, and overcast, which makes the track more tolerable. I think this is the longest distance I've done at Franklin Field.

Our department is hosting a conference tomorrow and Wednesday, so I'm not sure how much opportunity I'll have to run during the day.

Swam two miles (3600 yards) over the weekend.

No Nike+! - 4 miles (54 Total)

4 miles
87 degrees, 32% humidity

I wasn't planning to run today, but my buddy Chris asked, and I decided to go with him at lunch. Unfortunately, I left my Nike+ sensor at home, so this run will not be recorded or counted for Nike+ goals & challenges. I hate when that happens.

Was hot and sunny at the track and we only ran 4 miles. It is nice having some company - think this is the first run with someone else since the challenge started.

Tony gave me some Tiger Balm to try on my legs when he noticed me limping a little after returning from the run. At least I smell a little better now!

Jogging... 5 miles - (50 Total)

5% to goal!
Temp 83, humidity 41%
Distance: 5.05 miles
Time: 44:58
Pace: 8:53 min/mi

Was feeling a bit stiff today, but wanted to run anyway, so made the conscious decision to slow down and sacrifice some speed for getting my miles in without injury. Hopefully, I will acclimate to 20+ miles/week (from 5-15 previously) and before long start improving my speed without risking injury.

Slowing Down... 7 miles - (45 total)

Distance: 7.01 mi
Time: 1:03:38
Pace: 9:04 min/mi
Temp 82; humidity 66%

Legs were still tender today, so the plan was to slow down and avoid aggravating them. When I got to the track, it was closed for the Nike+ "Human Race" 10k. I had looked into doing this, but did not see any local opportunity - looked like the closest was New York City. Too bad - might have been fun.

So I continued down Walnut Street to the Schuylkill River path, and ran to the 3.5 mile mark and back. Managed to keep the speed at about a 9:00 pace; hope I didn't overdo the distance. Was hot & muggy, but overcast and breezy by the river, which made it tolerable.

This is the end of two weeks into the challenge, and I am 5 miles ahead of the 20/week pace. So far the biggest problem has been to hold back from speeding up. I think I am most comfortable at about a 7:30 pace or a little faster, but that seems to cause my legs problems. Will just have to give it time. A year ago I was running at about a 9:20 pace - at least 30 seconds slower than my average now. When I'm 60 I should be really fast!

5-mile Personal Best! - (38 total)

80 degrees; humidity 74%
Distance: 5.00 miles
Time: 40:39
Pace: 8:06 min/mi

Went out between thunderstorms at about 1:00 today. Very humid, and hot when the sun broke through periodically. Legs felt pretty good, and I decided to push it and run a bit faster. This is my best time for 5 miles. I think the splits for the first 3 miles will be pretty good; slowed down for the last two.

A downpour started the minute I finished, and was soaked by the time I picked up lunch and got back to the office. Felt good!

Legs are aching already - haven't had the opportunity to ice down at work. Hope I will be in shape to run tomorrow. Would like to run tomorrow and Wednesday, then take two days off and run another 10-12 miler on Saturday. Would love to get into the habit of doing the long runs once a week.

Swam a mile yesterday.

Independence Day - 11 miles! (33 Total)

Distance: 11.0 miles
Time: 1:35:50
Pace: 8:42 min/mile
Overcast, mid-70s, humid


Got up not particularly early, walked the dog, biked down to Taney Field at Mark Ward Park at about 8:30. This is just over the South Street Bridge, and is the field where Doug's Taney League baseball team was based. I got used to using this as a starting point when Doug had practices here. It is about a half mile from the start of the Schuylkill River rec path. I did the "loop" - along the path and back across the Schuylkill at the Museum of Art and along West River Drive to the Falls Bridge, then across to the east side of the river along Kelly Drive. Back to the start of the rec path, then backtracked 2/10ths of a mile to make 11.

Legs were hurting, but felt more comfortable at about mile 4. Did the last 2 miles at an 8-minute pace. I think my pace and distance were actually a bit better than what was recorded, because my Nike+ graph shows a huge dropoff between mile 3 and 5 (down to an 11:51 pace!) when I felt that if anything I sped up a little at that point. I had estimated that this would be closer to 12 miles. Guess I can confirm that on future runs. Maybe there was some Nike+ malfunction. This is the longest run I've done since the PDR last September, and the longest ever by myself.

After the run, went home, picked up Doug and spent the rest of the day at the pool, swimming and eating hot dogs and hamburgers at the 4th of July celebration. Did a mile in the lap pool at about 5:00 and we came home about 7:30. Probably did 5-6 miles on the bike between the round trips to Taney and the pool. Think I will sleep well tonight!

Day 6 - 5 miles (22 Total)

Temp: 68, humidity 81%
Pace: 9:20

Got up at 5:00 and ran around the perimeter of Clark Park and USP. That loop is 1.25 miles, but crosses Woodland Avenue and Chester Avenue twice, so is a bit slow. I was also hobbling a bit from pain. Now that I've completed the 20-mile goal for the week, I might take two days off and do a 10-11 mile run Friday morning.

Day 5 - 5.4 Miles (Total: 17)

Temp: 82; humidity 59%
Pace: 8:19

Franklin Field - hot, humid and sunny. Ran an extra 4 tenths to bring mileage to an even 17 to date. Upper and lower shins a bit tender, but was careful about stretching before and after. Hopefully they won't get worse during the week. Tentative plan is to run Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and a 10-miler on Friday. (Tuesdays we watch Battlestar Galactica at lunch.) Might be better to get up early tomorrow and run then, or after work, and have Thursday to rest.

Day 3: Triathlon! 2.5 miles (Total: 11.6)

Temp: 87; Humidity 59%
Pace: 8:58
Weight: 173

Took the Vitus out for a ride this morning with Susan and Chris from work. We started at Clark Park near my house, and went into Fairmount Park via West River Drive, past the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Boathouse Row, across the Falls Bridge and up Forbidden Drive to the Valley Green Inn. It is a very scenic ride along Wissahickon Creek and past a Revolutionary War battlefield. All told about 18-20 miles round trip. We took it pretty easy; Chris had his 5-year-old daughter Ava in a bike seat, and Forbidden Drive is hilly and unpaved. Talked to Chris about possible running the 11-mile loop to Falls Bridge on the morning of the 4th next Friday.

Afterwards, my legs were warmed up and didn't seem sore at all. Took a short run around noon - very easy around Clark Park and the University of the Sciences near home. Wanted to make up the mile I missed yesterday, while not trying not to aggravate the wear and tear on my legs this week.

Went to the pool and swam 1 mile (1800 yards.)

Think I will take tomorrow off and try to be healed up and rested for Monday.

Day 2: 4.1 Miles (Total: 9.1)

Temp: 91; 45% humidity
Time: 34:36
Pace: 8:25
Route: Franklin Field

Against my better judgment, decided finish my running schedule for the calendar week, and although I didn't quite do my scheduled 5 miles, my pace was much better than yesterday, especially considering the heat.

The sharp leg pains from this morning had subsided somewhat by noon (thanks, ibuprofen). I stretched and warmed up more than usual. I think I will have to learn to build more stretching and warming up into my routine. Stretched after running as well.

Now two days off from running. Last Saturday I swam two miles, so maybe this week I can do three over the weekend.

Day 1 - 5 miles

Not an auspicious start. Franklin Field. Slow (8:56 pace), but not as slow as I was doing a year ago. Was in pain with a cramped stride until about the fourth mile. Temp was 85 and muggy, but thankfully overcast.

Very painful this morning getting out of bed. Instead of the shin splints on the lower inside shin that has been my main problem for the past year, the current problem area seems to be the larger muscle that meets the shinbone from the inside of the leg a couple of inches below the knee. Left leg is worse.

Don't think I will be able to run today, but if I can heal up over the weekend, can still make 20 miles this week by running Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Mile Zero

Today is my 45th birthday, and my goal is to run 500 miles by Christmas and 1000 before my next birthday.

I have been running regularly for about a year, with very little mileage from mid-September through December. My total mileage in the past year is only about 300. Been averaging about 10 miles/week since January.

I figure I'll have to keep it at 20 miles/week from here on. Will be a stretch - did 19 miles last week and am on track for 20 this (calendar) week.

On the good side, the shin splints that have bothered me pretty much constantly for the past year, and really cut down both my speed and mileage, seem to have finally gone away. I recently started using Springbak inserts - maybe that did the trick.