Last Lunchtime Run? - 12.3 miles

10.15 plus 2.15 miles (Garmin links here and here)
1:22:59, 17:xx
8:10, 8:18 pace

Was going to try to break that 12 mile barrier today, and aimed for 13, which would be the Falls Bridge loop from work without the Girard Avenue shortcut past the zoo. Was doing pretty well until about the ten mile mark, which was on the long treeless stretch along the West River Drive before it crosses the river back to the Art Museum. Stopped at 10 miles, then walked across the bridge, just like last weekend. Ran another 2 miles to get back to work.

Although I don't like stopping, I don't feel too bad about it. This makes 34 miles for the week, which is a lot for me. The weather felt hot and sticky, although when I checked weather.com, it said only 75 degrees and 72% humidity, which is not terrible. I think it is time to move my running to the mornings before work.

Will take the weekend off and do some swimming, and start the FIRST training program with some track work at Franklin Field on Monday. I think the track work won't be too bad to do at lunch until it gets really hot. Not sure if the track is open early.

Suffering Optional - 11.32 miles

11.32 miles (Garmin link)
1:31:39
8:05 pace

Went out with few expectations yesterday; Chris couldn't run, so I did not set a distance goal. Kept a comfortable pace, which was around 8:10 for most of the run. I'm thinking more and more about why the longer (>12 miles) distances are so daunting for me. I think it is largely a mental thing; a combination of performance anxiety and giving in to overthinking my physical state.

One thing that Huraki Murakami said in What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is, "Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional." It's not an original insight, but it can be very useful. When running for miles it is easy to let my mind get fixated on some aspect of discomfort until it is blown out of proportion. During this run, whenever I started thinking about fatigue or pain, I tried to stop myself and take a real, objective inventory of how I was feeling. When I do this, I am almost always surprised to find that I am actually feeling pretty fresh, wind is sustainable, discomfort is generally at a pretty low level.

I went out close to Hunting Park, the 5.75 mark - calculating that 11.15 would put me at 1,055 miles. I've noticed that I usually start to speed up, or at least increase my effort level past the sustainable point, for the last 3 or so miles. Tried to hold that back today, and concentrate maintaining good form instead. I suspect that I sometimes get sloppy trying to go all out the last few miles and cause extra wear and tear on my legs.

Summer Will Be Tough - 11 miles

10.01 plus 1.01 (Garmin links here and here)
1:21:28, 7:17
8:08, 7:17 pace

Was trying to get a long run done sometime this weekend, but it turned out to be harder than I would have liked. Started from home Saturday morning, but gave up after a mile and a half - legs were very tight and not loosening up even at a slow pace. Felt like I was hurting them. Swam 2K on Saturday and again on Sunday, and tried again for a long run this morning. Had my eyes on a 16-miler, which would have been my furthest by half a mile.

Weather was a little warmer than I would have liked, and very humid - 98% when I left the house. Biked down to the path at Chestnut Street. Planned to do the loop route to the 8 mile point then double back. Lost my resolve about a quarter mile after turning around at the halfway point, and decided to just do the simple loop. Stopped at 10 miles, then ran the final mile at a faster pace (7:17) back to the bike. Think I have mental difficulty keeping on track after the 10-12 mile point. Maybe some dehydration is kicking in at that point, and carrying water would help.

Finding Sustainable Pace - 7 miles (1,031 total)

6.76 miles (Garmin link)
53:06
7:51 pace

Ran with Chris today, and he set the pace just a little faster than Monday's run. It is interesting how a relatively small change in pace can affect my ability to sustain. We turned around at about 3.5, and I had to slow the pace substantially at the 6 mile mark as we left the rec path - I was about spent. Monday I still had energy at the 12-mile mark and was running only about :10/mile or less slower for most of the run. There are other variables, too, but it seems that once I hit a pace where I'm starting to suck air or straining, it depletes my energy pretty quickly. But I do think runs like today's will help my to push my comfort pace a little faster.

Graduation Day - 12 miles (1024 total)

12.32 mile (Garmin link)
1:38:01
7:57 pace

Wanted to avoid the congestion on campus caused by graduation today, so took my old route to 38th and Market before heading west down to the rec path. Feeling a bit more well-rested today so was able to make better time and go a little farther than on Friday. I'm learning that being rested make a huge difference in my perception of energy expended. I also tried focusing on leading with my trunk and letting my legs follow, and keeping my legs relaxed.

LSD Run - 12 miles (1,012 total)

12.01 miles (Garmin link)
1:43:01
8:35 pace

Long Slow Distance run today - the FIRST marathon training schedule will have one of these every week - varying from 13 to 20 miles, beginning at marathon target pace plus 30 seconds (8:30 for me). I wasn't quite there today; had to stop at 11.25 miles and walk a while before picking it up again for the last 3/4 mile. Weather seemed hot and sticky, but it was really only in the low 70's. Guess I'm just not acclimated yet. Won't run again till Monday, unless Doug wants to, but must spend some time going over the ChiRunning material this weekend.

Mile One Thousand - 7 miles (1,000.26 total)

7.78 miles (Garmin link)
1:01:07
7:51 pace

Chris and I ran the usual route this afternoon - aiming to just break my 1K mark. Feeling a bit less tired than Monday; we ended up going farther at the same pace. Nice weather; just starting to get warm but still with a cool breeze. More rain coming for the weekend.

Glad to have passed this milestone. I don't know if I would have kept running with the same regularity if not for the goal. I'll have to think about a new goal now. Maybe I'll see what my mileage has been so far for 2009 and come up with a goal for the calendar year. Would 1,500 miles be doable?

On second thought, it might be best to pay less attention to overall mileage, and instead concentrate on marathon training. I would like to complete in at least the Philly marathon next fall - New York if I can get in, and if things go really well, Boston next April.

Fast 6 with Chris - 992 Total

6.01 miles (Garmin link)
47.01
7:49 pace

Ran with Chris today, which made it easy to keep the pace below 8:00. I do have to be careful to keep concentrating on my form - posture, leaning from ankle, relaxing lower legs - shin splints are threatening to come back. Weather in 60's but lightly overcast, so not too hot.

Run for the Cure - 5k (986 total)

3.12 (Garmin link)
22:46
7:17 pace

Barbara, Doug and I biked down to the Art Museum for the Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure 5k this morning. Sunny and beautiful, although very windy. It was a huge event with lots of walkers and slower runners, so we weren't able to really start running until half a mile in. Even then, it takes me a mile or so to get to speed. Mile splits were:
8:15
7:02
6:45

Doug's pace was 8:19 - he was slowed down at the beginning too - and Barbara came in a few minutes later. This was her first race.

Run, Interrupted - 8 miles (983 total)

6.1, 2.01 miles (Garmin links here and here)
48:00, 15:41
7:52, 7:49 pace
76 degrees, 45% humidity

Started out hoping to do 9 miles in under an 8:00 minute pace, but could feel that I was more tired than Wednesday, plus feeling the relative warm temp and humidity. The rec path was crowded with people, preparing for a regatta - so had to do a lot of dodging and running off path. Turned around at 4.5 and stopped at 6, when I returned to the Art Museum. Crossed back over the Spring Garden Street Bridge, then resumed running. It was very hard to get the pace back under 8:00 for the first mile of part 2, but then seemed to get a second wind to make up a second mile to finish the run.

This brings me to 28 for the week, plus possibly another 3 tonight with Doug and Barbara. We are running a 5k race on Sunday - first race for all three of us together since the alumni race last fall.

Falls Bridge Loop - 11 miles (975 total)

11.00 miles (Garmin link)
1:26:32
7:51 pace

Looped down the rec path to Falls Bridge, then back on West River Drive to the cutoff by the Philadelphia Zoo, and back to campus through Powelton Village. Managed to keep a pretty consistent pace - all mile splits but two were within 10 seconds of 7:50. That was a little harder to do during the first mile and last 2 due to running on city streets and having to dodge or pause for traffic.

I am almost finished reading Chi Running, but have yet to actually do most of the exercises. They mostly consist of doing some yoga or tai chi style poses, while trying to develop a "body sense", or memory, of each one, so that you can adapt your running form to incorporate them. There are also a lot of warm up and loosening exercises that I can try to add into my routine.

Happy with my time - tried to remember to remain relaxed throughout, and only pushed a little at the end to keep the pace under 8:00. This approach has worked pretty well to avoid shin splints for the past several weeks.

Broad Street - Best Race Ever! - 10 miles (964 total)

10.03 miles (Garmin link)
1:12:04 (1:12:00 chip time)
7:11 pace

Rainy this morning - threw on an old sweatshirt and caught the trolley instead of biking. Made it out to Broad and Olney in 35 minutes. Rain let up, and left perfect running weather - mid-50's and overcast. Had about 45 minutes to stretch and warm up. Much easier getting out the gate this year. For the first time, runners were assigned corrals, and start times were staggered. With 26,900 runners, this made the first mile much faster than last year's - 7:07.

Tried to concentrate on form and keeping sustainable respiration and effort level. Each split surprised me - it was not difficult to keep a consistent 7:10-20, which was faster than I had planned. Easily surpassed my goal time of 1:15 (7:30 pace) and beat last year's time by nearly 10 minutes. Mile 10 was the fastest at 6:49.

Chris and I finished within a minute of each other. We must have been yards apart through most of the race, but I didn't see him till after the finish. My old running mentor Raymond finished a minute ahead of me. Talked to old colleague Alan before and after the race - he beat his target 6:30 pace substantially and had a finish time of 1:02. Scott ran, but I didn't run into him. Saw a few other acquaintances along the way. Looked up at one point and saw Governor Rendell cheering us on - he was right in there with the rest of the hoi polloi.

Now, three hours after the end of the race, I feel no indication of injury. Hoping to be no more than a little sore tomorrow.

[Photo from Broad and Wharton in South Philly at about mile 7 courtesy of my buddy Tony Robertson, who was there to see his son Cole, 15, do his first 10-miler in 1:35! I'm the guy in the center with the horizontal red stripe across his back.]