Central Park Reservoir - 8 miles

In New York this weekend for the Matzevah (tombstone unveiling) for Barbara's late father Julian. His apartment finally sold and closed early this month, so we're staying in a hotel in midtown. There's a great view of the Empire State Building out our hotel window. Ran about a mile north to Central Park this morning. Weather was overcast, but temperature was perfect - probably high forties. Took the roadway around the park, but detoured when I got to the Central Park Reservoir. If you've ever seen the old movie Marathon Man with Dustin Hoffman, he does his training on the running path around the reservior. It's a gravel path about a mile and a half long. I did one and a half loops and returned up the west side of the park and back to the hotel to make 8.33 miles. Kept a respectable 7:47 pace, considering I had to stop for traffic a number of times between the hotel and the park.

Could feel the knee acting up a little during the first half of the run. Guess I will have to take a few weeks off to let it heal, but I wanted to finish out the month and to break 500 miles for the year to date, both of which I did today.

Did a few other runs in the past week which I didn't get around to blogging:

Thursday, April 28
Gang From Work 5.65 miles

Tuesday, April 26
First Summer Weather Run 7.16 miles @ 7:35/mile

Sunday, April 24
Home From Rittenhouse Square 2.28 miles
Jog With Paul 3.77 miles
Run to Paul's 3.01 miles

Boston Marathon 2011

Target: 26.2 miles @ 3:30:00 (8:00/mile)
Official: 26.2 miles @ 3:25:08 (7:50/mile)
Garmin: 26.42 miles @ 3:25:06 (7:45/mile)

Stats from the BAA race day results website:

Bib	Name	Age	M/F	City	St	Ctry	Ctz
10651	Warnock, Murray	47	M	Philadelphia	PA	USA
5k 10k 15k 20k Half 25k 30k 35k 40k 0:23:30 0:46:12 1:08:56 1:32:07 1:37:06 1:55:22 2:19:35 2:45:59 3:13:49 Finish: Pace Proj. Time Offl. Time Overall Gender Division 0:07:50 3:25:08 6257 5323 765

Started the day at 5:30. After I got dressed and walked out into the hall, there was Doug, standing in the dark, waiting to wish me a good race. What a great kid!

We are staying with bro-in-law Jeremy and his partner Geoff in Newton, MA - a pretty Victorian suburb about 4 miles from Boston center. Jeremy gave me a ride out to the race start in Hopkinton. Although we didn't have good directions, we found the dropoff with no problem. Had to wait about three hours before the race start, and it was cold! Temp was in the forties, but it was the heavy wind that really made it chilly. I had a sweatshirt, but was one of the very few people who didn't wear some sort of long pants to cover up before the race.

Did not have the nerves that afflicted me so badly at the Philly marathon. Ate 1.5 PB&J sandwiches and a quart of Gatorade. Sat in on a sports psychologist talk for about half an hour, and I think that helped keep positive thoughts.

Was happy and psyched once the race started at 10:20. Although the first mile was crowded, with a lot of jostling, we finished in under 8:00. The weather was beautiful - sunny, and the wind that was so frosty at the staging area was now at our backs. There was lots of downhill for the first half of the race, and after 13 miles, had averaged 7:21/mile. Fastest mile was the fourth at 7:08.

Was a little concerned with the pace, but did not feel like I was straining at all, and thought that the downhill would be balanced by uphill for the second half of the race. Was looking for Barb, Doug, Jeremy and Geoff, and saw them at mile 17. By this time was starting to feel tired - the uphills had just started, and it was great to hear their encouragement!

After mile 19, the hills began for real, and I realized that the fast pace had taken a toll, even though it had been downhill and felt effortless. Reached my limit during mile 21 and had to walk .3 miles to catch breath and finish a hill. That was the slowest mile - 9:48. Had to walk twice more briefly before the end of the race, and it was all I could do to keep at an 8:30 trot for the last three miles.

After crossing the finish line, was able to keep on my feet OK and grab a water bottle, but almost completely lost vision for a couple of minutes - everything went white, and could only see the outline of figures. Chris texted me with the official time, and I found a curb to sit on. Was overwhelmed by support and good wishes while still catching my breath - text messages from Chris, Raminder, Tony, Paul, Colette, Larry and Yancey and email from Mom, Dad and Bob. After half an hour of recovery and finding my way through the crowd, met up with the family.

Final time was 3:25:08 - 7:50/mile pace and halfway between my stated goal of 3:30 - Boston qualifying time for my age - and fantasy goal of beating 3:20, which would be about 7:35/mile. Knee didn't bother me at all during the race, although I could sure feel it afterward. Sent Dr. Sennett, Dr. Gay and PT Jeff O'Neil thank-you's after the race for their care.

We all went out for a seafood dinner - I had the lobster - after the race. Have a couple of black toenails, and it is painful going down stairs, but otherwise I'm in good shape.

Many thanks to all friends and family who were generous with support and indulgent listening to all my running talk. This was a much tougher race than the Philly marathon and I really could not have made it without your help.

Week Minus 1 - Last 2 Workouts

Wednesday - Intervals (7.48 miles)
Target: 10-20 min warmup; 6X400m @1:35 (400m RI); 10 min cooldown
Actual: 2 mile warmup; 6X400m @1:22 (400m RI); 2.5 mile cooldown

Thursday - Tempo (5.26 miles)
Target: 3 mile run: 1 mile easy, 2 miles @ 8:00/mile
Actual: 5 mile run: 1 mile easy, 2 miles @ 7:12/mile, 2 miles easy

Got the last two workouts in before the race. Would have preferred to do them earlier in the week, but didn't feel like going out in the rain and wind Monday & Tuesday.

Yesterday, I went out from work with Chris and Raminder, then took off on my own for the two tempo miles. Those were supposed to be at marathon pace, and I was trying to feel for a pace that felt slightly aggressive, but sustainable over a long period. The 7:12 I ended up with was probably faster than I'll want to go, but it was nice to feel that I have a little slack to play with. I have been warned that the first few miles of Boston are slightly downhill, and it is easy - especially with all the excitement and other runners - to start out too fast. So I'll have to keep an eye on that. It can be difficult to slow your pace, especially during a race.

Had my last session with the physical therapist Wednesday morning. He taught me some dynamic stretching exercises that he recommended for warming up for the race. He said that the current thinking is that static stretching immediately before a race can hurt your performance and that warming up is much more important for performance and avoiding injury.

Got a busy day ahead as I'll be off work next week for the Boston trip; after work have to get home to pack and prepare the house. We'll take the train up tomorrow morning, and spend the next three nights with Barbara's brother Jeremy outside of Boston. We'll spend Tuesday and Wednesday in central Boston and see the sights. Kathy, any recommendations? I want to see the stained glass atlas ceiling in the CS Mother Church, which we only saw from the outside last time we were there.

Have gotten emails and phone calls from friends and family in advance of the race. Thank you guys - Dad, Kathy, Hallie, Yancey - so much for your wonderful support. I'm feeling like I can go into this race relaxed and without nerves and just enjoy the fruits of all the training.

If you want to look up results on race day (Monday the 18th) before I've gotten around to posting, I imagine there will be a "results" link at the Boston Marathon website. My bib number is 10651. The race will start for my wave at 10:20a.m. EDT, so I hope to be finished by 1:50p.m.

Week Minus 2 - Distance (10 miles)

Target: 10 miles @ 8:00/mile
Actual: 10 miles @ 7:35/mile

This last double-digit run before the race is supposed to be at marathon pace. This program is for an 8:00 pace (or 3:30 total marathon time), but I've been trying to keep about :30/mile under all of the tempo and distance times. The goal is to train for a 3:20 marathon, and be satisfied with any time between 3:20 and 3:30. So I'll be satisfied with a 3:30, and very happy if I can break 3:25, and have bragging rights if I can break 3:21, which is my brother-in-law Joel's best time!

The run went fine, had only a banana beforehand, and did not feel low-energy. Mile 10 was the fastest at 7:14. One interesting thing about Boston is that there is a long uphill stretch from mile 19 to mile 21. That's a key stage of the race - the first marathon I ran, I wasn't 100% sure I would make it until after mile 20.

Week Minus 2 - Tempo (7 miles)

Target: 6 mile run: 2 miles easy, 3 miles @ 7:14/mile, 1 mile easy
Actual: 7.23 miles: 2 miles easy, 3 miles @ 6:32/mile, 2.23 miles easy

Good run with no knee pain until afterward. Really concentrated on speed for the three tempo miles - first one was 6:13. Weather was nice - bright sun and in the 40s, but windy. Had the wind to my back for the fast mile.

Week Minus 2 - Intervals (6.3 miles)

Target: 10-20 min warmup; 5X1000m @4:03 (400m RI); 10 min cooldown
Actual: 2 mile warmup; 5X1000m @3:45 (400m RI); walking cooldown (no mileage)

Have been feeling worn out lately, but managed to get all the sprints in before knee suddenly started having sharp pain when starting cooldown jog. It didn't hurt walking, so got back to the office and iced it. It's been OK since.

The intervals went well; managed to keep well under the target times without really max-ing out the effort. Mileage is going down this week; and next week are only two token short workouts before the marathon on the 18th.

Scenic Saturday Jog

6.42 miles

Paul and I jogged from his place down to the river path. It was a beautiful day, although only about 40 degrees, and lots of people were out on the path. Lots of crew boats out on the river - looked like there was going to be a regatta later. We jogged down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on the way back, and stopped to get these shots of the Civil War Sailors and Soldiers Memorial and the Swann Memorial Fountain. There is no water in the fountain yet, so I got to see some of the statuary close up. These sculptures were done by Alexander Sterling Calder, the father of Alexander Calder, modern sculptor and inventor of the mobile, and son of Alexander Milne Calder, who created the famous statue of William Penn that stands on top of City Hall.

Week Minus 3 - Distance (13 miles)

Target: 13 miles @ 8:00/mile
Actual: 13.02 miles @ 7:37/mile

After a couple of days of cold rain, and even some sleet this morning, it stopped long enough for a run at lunch time, I tried to push it just a little, to find my fastest sustainable pace for the marathon. Started at under 8:00 pace, and kept at about 7:40 for the first half. Sped up a bit for the second half. Last mile was fastest at 7:24. I think I should be able to sustain a 7:45 pace for Boston. That should buy me some slack for the uphill section of the race between miles 19 and 21. If I can finish with an overall 8:00/mile pace - 3 hours, 30 minutes - I will be satisfied.

Week Minus 3 - Tempo (6 miles)

Target: 6 mile run: 1 miles easy, 5 miles @7:29/mile
Actual: 6 mile run: 1 mile @8:04, 5 miles @6:37/mile

Went with Chris down to the track today. Running with him always seems to improve my performance; definitely went a little faster for the warmup mile than I would have done otherwise. Happy with the tempo portion of the run. I'll bet that's the fastest 5 miles I've ever done. Mile splits were all negative - faster each mile - from 6:55 down to 6:13 for the last mile. No knee pain at all!

Week Minus 3 - Intervals (9 miles)

Target: 10-20 min warmup; 8X800m @3:13 (1:30 RI); 10 min cooldown
Actual: 1.5 mile warmup; 8X800m @3:07 (400m RI); 1.5 mile cooldown

I misremembered the instructions for today's workout, and accidentally substituted a 400m walk for the 1:30 rest interval, which would have been more challenging. So as it was the workout wasn't very hard. Knee bothered me at a few points, but more when walking than running. Seeing the physical therapist again this afternoon.

Week Minus 4 - Distance (20 miles)

Target: 20 miles @8:15/mile
Actual: 20 miles @7:54/mile

Last 20-miler before the marathon and I'm happy to have it over with. Knee hurt at a few points during the run, but only briefly. It is plenty sore afterwards, but will have the weekend to heal up. Kept under 8:00 - if I can complete the marathon at this pace I'll be happy, but didn't feel like I had much energy left at 20 miles today. Ate a Gu packet at 1:11 and 1:56. For the race, I'll try to remember to eat one every 45 minutes.

Thinking positively, I've had six twenty milers in the last 13 weeks, and 4 of them have been below the 8:00 mark. That's much faster than I've trained in the past, and in theory I should be able to race faster than that. Got my bib # for Boston - 10651 - and race information packet today.

Week Minus 4 - Intervals

6.65 miles
Target: 10-20 min warmup; 10X400m @1:35 (400m RI); 10 min cooldown
Actual: 1.5 mile warmup; 10X400m @1:23 (400m RI); .5 mile cooldown

Was in a little bit of a rush today, trying to get this workout done during lunch. Made the target times pretty easily. The intervals workout has gone from being the toughest workout a couple of years ago to probably the easiest today. Of course, that might change when the weather gets warmer, or if I were jogging the rest intervals instead of walking them. As it was, I was able to keep the 10 400m interval times pretty consistent - between 1:19 and 1:26. The first was 1:19 and number ten was 1:20, so I don't think I lost a lot of energy.

Because I lost a day with the rain yesterday, think I'll skip the tempo run this week and just do the distance on Friday. That will be the last 20-miler before Boston, and the longest distance since injuring the knee, so it's important to my mental conditioning that I do well.

Week Minus 5 - Distance (13 miles)

Target: 15 miles @8:10/mile
Actual: 13 miles @7:56/mile

Got another Central Park run in this morning. Was feeling a little weak - my hours have been turned around this week with late movies, and I didn't sleep well last night - so was two miles shy of the 15-mile goal. I think the hills in the park were good training, though. They did seem a little easier than my last run here. I'm sure the slower pace was a big factor. Should have brought a Gu gel pack to help keep the energy up. Had some yogurt and blueberries before leaving, but some oatmeal or a PB&J would have probably been better fuel.

Later Barbara, Doug and I went to see "Million Dollar Quartet" on Broadway. Dad, you would have loved it.

Week Minus 5 - Tempo (11 miles)

11.09 miles
Target: 1 mile easy, 10 miles @ 8:00/mile
Actual: 1 mile @8:09, 10 miles @ 7:34/mile

Today was the first double-digit run since my knee flared up, and it went pretty well. After the first warm-up mile I tried to feel for a comfortable long-distance pace, which turned out to be about 7:45. Tried not to push it, but allowed myself to speed up a little after the halfway point. Had plenty of energy at the end - last mile was 7:05.

Buddy Tony, a veteran of many marathons and the Marine Corps, suggested that I photograph the kinesio taping that the physical therapist did so that I could reproduce it myself. The photo turned out scarier than it looks in real life.

I really think the taping helped. It gently pulls the kneecap out of the way of the IT band that connects underneath it. IT area still felt tender after the run, but it did not bother me during, and the pain bending the knee is much less. Can walk and go down stairs easily.

Week Minus 5 - Intervals

7.53 miles
Target: 10-20 min warmup; 3X1600m @6:41 (400m RI); 10 min cooldown
Actual: 2 mile warmup; 3X1600m @6:13 (400m RI); 2 mile cooldown

Intervals workout Monday at Franklin Field. Although I was a bit tired after the weekend trip and less sleep than I'm used to - Daylight Savings Time didn't help - managed to do a decent time on the mile intervals. Beat the target by close to 30 seconds/mile.

Later had a more intense physical therapy session. He taught me some new exercises for muscles around hips, butt and back, and two days later I'm still sore. He also put some kinesio tape on the knee to nudge apart some of the things that are causing irritation. It seemed to help right away, as I was tender after the run earlier. Can keep the tape on for a few days, so will try it out for an 11-miler today.

Week Minus 6 - Tempo (6 miles in Central Park)

Target: 6 mile run: 1 mile easy, 5 miles @ 7:29/mile
Actual: 6.01 miles @ 7:28/mile
Garmin Link

In all the years we've been making the short trip to New York City to visit Barbara's father, I've never managed to do a run in Central Park. Julian passed away a year ago, and now that his apartment recently sold, we are spending this weekend and next in New York before the closing.

This weekend I am seeing a yakuza (Japanese mafia) film series at the Japan Society, which is midtown near the UN building. It might be a very sober evening there tonight, after the disastrous earthquake in Japan today.

I had heard that Central Park is an excellent place to run, and it lived up to expectations. Was planning to run the perimeter of the park, but when I got to Columbus Circle, about a mile in, saw some joggers on an interior road, and set out after them.

The park is surprisingly hilly, which is something you don't get in Philly, so it made for a good workout. Hit six miles near the Museum of Natural History.

No pain at all in the knee! God bless Dr. Sennett and cortisone. If all is well, might try a distance run in the park Sunday morning.

The Knee

Had an MRI done Monday and saw the doc Tuesday. All the MRI pictures were on the computer in the examining room and I got to go through them while waiting. There were about 25 shots with an impressive amount of detail. Almost like black and white photos. Didn't get to keep a copy, but they looked pretty much like the picture at left, but in very sharp detail. The horizontal cross-sections looked exactly like a ham hock. Dr. Sennet confirmed that my problem was just inflammation of the IT band and not a stress fracture, and gave me a rather painful shot of cortisone. The next day was quite painful, much less so yesterday, and today I'm hoping to run again. Keeping up with the physical therapy and stretching, which I'm starting to actually enjoy. Doctor seemed confident that Boston was still a very realistic goal and asked me to send him an email after I finish!

Week Minus 6 - Intervals (8 miles)

8.11 miles
Intervals:

Distance   Target   Actual
1000m      4:08     3:42
2000m      8:26     7:44
1000m      4:08     3:48
1000m      4:08     3:45

Beautiful day for getting back on schedule - temperature in the high 40s with a brilliant blue sky. Ran down to Franklin Field and warmed up for two miles before starting the intervals. Made good time - beat all target times significantly. While I could feel some pain in the knee the whole time, it wasn't bad, and did not get worse during the workout. After the intervals I stopped and went through about 10 minutes worth of stretching routine, then cooled down for a couple of miles. Iced up after returning to the office. Have MRI appointment in a couple of hours, and seeing physical therapist and doctor tomorrow. I think the doctor is going to give me a cortisone shot.

Took this photo between intervals. The building shown is Weightman Hall, where the sports medicine clinic is, and where both the doctor and physical therapist are located. The radiology department is in the hospital right across the street, so I'm lucky that it is all so convenient.

Recreation Runs

Taking it easy while knee is recovering, but did manage to do a couple of recreation runs - slow runs of four or five miles - with friends. Friday Chris, Raminder and I went down to the Schuylkill river path and did a little over five miles. The weather was beautiful. Saturday Paul and I jogged from his place to the summit of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which connects Philadelphia to Camden, NJ over the Delaware River. I had never been over the bridge on foot before. There is a pedestrian path about 20 or 30 feet above the roadway, so it is very scenic and pleasant - the traffic isn't rushing right by you. The bridge is nearly two miles across (9,650 feet, or 1.8 miles) so it might be a good place to train for hills. Outside of a few places in Fairmount Park, there aren't that many places to run hills around here.

Going to try a regular sprint workout at the track today. Been icing and doing the stretches assigned by the physical therapist faithfully. Getting MRI tonight and seeing both the physical therapist and the doctor tomorrow. As long as the MRI shows no stress fracture, I think the doc is going to give me a cortisone shot, which he thinks will take the inflammation right down. I am anxious to get back on track with the regular training schedule - already lost three weeks.

Sidelined

It's been nearly three weeks since my last post. The knee problem came back with a vengeance on that last 20-miler, and did not go away as quickly as I had hoped. With a schedule to keep, I decided to see a sports doctor. He says - barring a stress fracture - he's going to get me to the marathon. He thinks it is irritation of the IT band, that runs from the outside of the knee up to the hip. Won't get an MRI to eliminate the stress fracture possibility until next week, but in the mean time, I've gotten a little running in. Did a six-miler at about an 8:00 pace with Chris on Friday, but it left me so that I couldn't finish a mile jogging with Paul on Saturday. Didn't try again until yesterday, and was able to do 3 miles at a 7:19 pace with little pain. Saw the physical therapist today - he pulled and twisted, and taught me a bunch of stretching exercises. Immediately after, I did four miles at the track at a 7:01 pace and felt very little pain except at the 1.5 mile point. Will do my stretches again tonight and tomorrow morning and if still in no pain will do a 5 or 6-miler at a slower pace tomorrow.

Week Minus 9 - Distance (20 miles)

20.02 miles
Garmin Link
Target: 18 miles @ 8:30/mile
Actual: 20 miles @ 7:57/mile

Got my fifth Friday 20-miler in a row done, but it might not have been such a good idea. Left knee has been hurting ever since, and it looks like I'll have to take a few more days off. Did my usual route; Chris came along for about 5 miles, then I continued on the river path and turned around after 10. Knee didn't really start hurting until after mile 15, and there wasn't much I could do about it then short of walking back. Been icing it since - couldn't run with Paul on Saturday. I think this is an IT band problem so I've read up on some stretching exercises, and I'm going to be better about warming up.

On the positive side, I'm really glad to have had a stretch of 20-milers over the past five weeks. Three of the five, including this one, were at or under the Boston qualifying pace, which is a good sign, as long as the knee recovers soon. There are eight weeks left of the 16-week program, and nine weeks until Boston, so maybe it is a good time to take a break, then be more careful for the second half of the training.

Week Minus 9 - Tempo (10 miles)

10.16 miles (7:39/mile overall pace)
Garmin Link
Target: 2 miles easy, 3 miles @ 7:14/mile, 1 mile easy
Actual: 2 miles easy, 3 miles @ 6:41/mile, 5 miles easy

Skipped my first workout of the program Monday. Got out on the street, but after about a quarter mile my left knee was hurting. Probably could have run through it, but decided it would be wiser to skip the workout and give it a chance to heal properly. I was paying the price for overdoing the the Friday workout last week.

Felt much better on Wednesday. After the two-mile warmup to get down to the river trail, was able to keep a good pace of 6:41 average for the three tempo miles. Turned around and did the five miles back all within a few seconds of 8:00 pace. Had to stop at the post office and stand in line for 15 minutes with about a mile to go, so was a bit stiff for the last mile.

A few hours later Doug and I went out, grabbed some good burgers and saw a sneak preview of Cedar Rapids. I think he enjoyed it a lot, but after a lot of walking in the cold, standing in line for nearly and hour, and two hours sitting in the theater, the knee was really throbbing on the way home. Feels better this morning - hope it will be OK for the 18-20 miler tomorrow.

Week Minus 10 - Distance (20 miles)

20.12 miles
Garmin Link
Target: 13 miles @ 8:15 pace
Actual: 20 miles @ 7:36 pace

Got this picture of my running buddies at work - Team SOMIS - just before leaving for the run this afternoon. That's me, Raminder, Chris, and Susan. Chris went with me; Raminder and Susan had gone out earlier.

Chris and I started out relatively slow, then sped up after two miles. Chris turned back at 4.5 and I continued along the trail, crossed the Falls Bridge, and turned around at 7.5 as there were some treacherously icy spots on the west side. Passed the 13 mile point back at the start of the path, then turned around again for a few miles so that I would end up twenty. Had originally planned to do only 15 - the two warmup miles, plus the 13 for training, but succumbed to the temptation to overdo it again. I figure that the more 20-milers under my belt before Boston the more confident I'll be.

This was my fastest 20-miler ever - by quite a bit, I think. Even the 2009 Philly marathon pace was only 7:50-something. If I can maintain this pace in Boston, I will be thrilled. Probably my challenge will be to keep from starting at an unsustainable pace. In a race situation, full of adrenalin and surrounded by fast runners, it can be hard to hold back.

Left knee was aching badly afterward; I iced it and took some ibuprofen, and now a couple of hours later it seems fine.

Week Minus 10 - Tempo - 11 miles

11.14 miles
Garmin Link
Target: 1 mile easy, 6 miles @ 7:44/mile, 1 mile easy
Actual: 2 miles easy, 6 miles @ 7:10/mile, 3 miles easy

It was icy and sprinkling early this morning, but the forecast half inch of rain never materialized and by lunch it was foggy with not rain. Decided to take my chances with the river path rather than run 8-10 miles at the track, which is a little tedious. The trail was in pretty good condition for the most part, very wet with a few stretches of ice and packed snow.

I've been aiming to do the tempo and distance runs at 30 seconds/mile below target, so exceeded that goal by a few seconds. Friday's distance run will only be 13 miles (will probably do 15 as that is the distance of the loop out to East Falls from work) but I'll try to pick up the pace to below 8:00/mile.

Week Minus 10 - Intervals - 10 miles

10.13 miles
Garmin Link
Target: 10-20 min warmup; 6X800m @3:13 (1:30 RI); 10 min cooldown
Actual: 2.25 mile warmup; 7X800m @2:55 (1:30 RI); 4 mile cooldown

Sunny and high 20's when I went down to the track at Franklin Field at lunchtime. Got a little confused about the number of reps I had done, so ended up with seven 800m intervals instead of six. Even so, kept the average time below 3:00. Still no pain(!) and closed out the month with 211 miles - a new record for me.

Jog With Paul - 4.75 miles

Drove to my pal Paul's this morning instead of running - biking was out of the question - since I was feeling the long run yesterday. Had to dig the car out, but 15 minutes of shoveling got me clear. The streets in South Philly were still pretty dicey - could feel the car slipping along the tire ruts. As we started our jog, it was clear that conditions had deteriorated since yesterday. It was in the 20's and all the slush and melt from yesterday had frozen and made the shoveled sidewalks and visible asphalt on the streets more icy than the packed snow. Had one scary slide stepping onto the street near Logan Circle, but kept upright.

After the jog, did some shopping at the Italian Market. Bought some beef and vegetables for a stew I'll make Monday. Since I had the car, picked up takeout from Barbara's favorite Mexican restaurant, Tacqueria Veracruzano. A little guilt-free eating is one benefit of running.

Week Minus 11 - Distance (21 miles)

Target: 20 miles @ 8:45/mile
Actual: 21.06 miles @ 8:20/mile
Garmin Link

Left work with old running buddy Chris (at right) early this afternoon. We didn't know what conditions would be like on the river path after Wednesday night's 16-18 inches of wet, heavy snow. The first 3 miles of path (until about the 5-mile mark of the run) weren't too bad, mostly well-packed snow that didn't provide great traction, but wasn't slippery either - very bumpy and lumpy, like running on a mountain trail. Chris turned back at 4.5 - where we stopped briefly for the picture.

It got much worse for miles 6 and 7 - loose, wet, ankle deep snow. Mile 7 split was the slowest at 9:24. After crossing the Falls Bridge over to west side of the river, the condition of the trail was much better, so I stayed on that side instead of turning around at the halfway point. U-turned at mile 11.25 for 3 miles, to add 6 miles to the 15-mile loop and ended up near 21 approaching work.

Made up a lot of time on the second half of the run and was very happy with the 8:20 average pace considering the sloggy conditions and slow splits in the first half. Will break 200 miles for January jogging with Paul tomorrow - that blows away my previous monthly record of 123 miles in April 2008.

Week Minus 11 - Tempo (12 miles)

12.1 miles
Garmin Link
Target: 6 mile run: 1 mile easy, 5 miles @ 7:29/mile
Actual: 12 mile run: 2 miles easy, 5 miles @ 7:15 pace, 5 miles easy

We had about two inches of snow this morning, with 6 to 10 more expected overnight. Photo at left is the view from my office window about 7:00 this morning while the snow was falling. It let up about lunch time, so I took off for the river path. Started the tempo pace once I got down there, after two miles. The first mile and a half was a slog - the snow was heavy and wet; it was kind of like running through sand. First tempo mile split was 7:30. Once I got past the Philadelphia Museum of Art (below, view from the rear) and onto Boathouse Row, the path was more clear, with about half an inch of slush. Times for tempo splits 2-4 were in the 7-teens and the fifth mile was 7:01. If it had been dry, I think I could have averaged close to 7:00, but who knows. Really hope the path is clear for another 20-miler on Friday.

Week Minus 11 - Intervals (10.5 miles)

10.54 miles
Garmin Link
Target: 10-20 min warmup; 2X1200m @4:55 (2 min RI); 4X800m @3:13 (2 min RI); 10 min cooldown
Actual: 3.5 mile warmup; 2X1200m @4:53 (2 min RI); 4X800 @3:03 (2 min RI); 3 mile cooldown

16 degrees F at 11:30 when I left the office for the track at Franklin Field, up from the single digits when I came in to work on my bike at 6:15 this morning. That is cold for Philly, but with the sun out and no wind, it really wasn't bad as long as I kept moving and kept hands and ears covered.

Kept my interval averages under target, although the first 1200m was 5:08 - 13 seconds slow - so I had to make up for it with the second. The 800m intervals were all good - in fact, the second two were faster than the first two. This is why I like winter training. I guarantee this would not be so much fun if it were August instead of January. I know that because I last did this workout on August 4, 2009 with significantly slower times (5:01 for the 1200m and 3:14 for the 800m).

Jog With Paul - 9 miles

9.28 miles
Jog to Paul's 2.81
Jog Around Town 3.41
Jog Home 3.06

14 degrees F when I left for Paul's. Wore a cap, heavier gloves and a zip up hoodie sweatshirt on top of my normal cold-weather clothes. The hoodie was too much and I had to take it off after the first mile. Otherwise, it was fine - no wind. We cut our normal run a little short and stopped at a coffee shop for a while. By the time I left for home it was about 20 degrees. A little stiff and sore from yesterday's run, but think with a rest day tomorrow I'll be OK for Monday.

Week Minus 12 - Distance - 20 miles

Target: 18 miles @8:45/mile
Actual: 20.02 miles @8:00/mile
Garmin Link

Conditions weren't great for running today - although it was mostly sunny and the temperature was near 30F, it was quite windy, which made it feel much cooler. The half-inch or so of snow that fell last night had melted and re-frozen in many places, and I wasn't able to start the run until about 4:00, which meant that the last hour was in full darkness.

For the first time, I decided it was wise to wear a cap, and kept gloves on for the entire run. Started from home, but otherwise ran the same route as last week, turning around at 10.25. Last 11 miles were all below 8:06, and 16, 17 and 18-mile splits were below 7:30. Slowed down a bit for the last two miles, when I left the trail and was dodging traffic and pedestrians on the city streets, but even the last mile was a respectable 7:42. Feel great about this run, since the conditions were tougher than last week and I managed a better time. I'm thinking that it's not out of the question at this point to aim for a 7:30 pace for Boston, with the goal of breaking 3:20 - the qualifying time for men 40-44. It just depends on whether this is a plateau, or I continue to improve.

Week Minus 12 - Intervals - 10 miles

Target: 10-20 min warmup; 3X1600m @6:41 (1 min RI); 10 min cooldown
Actual: 3 mile warmup; 3X1600m @6:20 (1 min RI); 4 mile cooldown
Garmin Link

Jogged down to the track at Franklin Field and started the 1-mile intervals after a 3-mile warmup. Left knee and calf were bothering me on the way down, but stopped hurting about 1.5 miles into the warmup. Paused the Forerunner after each sprint and estimated the 1-minute RI by counting 60 breaths. I think that was pretty close. Interval times were 6:13, 6:22 and 6:25. Was a tough workout for me, but the 6:20 average was well under the target time of 6:41. I'm definitely in better shape than the last time I did this workout - July 27, 2009. Times that day were 6:18, 6:20 and 7:21 (my notes say that I could barely get through the third mile.) Of course, the temperature probably has a lot to do with. I would rather run in 30-degree weather than at 80-degrees any time.

Week Minus 12 - Tempo - 12.5 miles

Target: 6 mile run: 2 miles easy, 3 miles @7:14/mile, 1 mile easy
Actual: 12.53 miles: 3 miles easy, 3 miles @6:41/mile, 6.53 easy - 8:00/mile overall
Garmin Link

Decided to do tempo run today since the track was closed for the King holiday. Also put in some extra miles since the weather looks dicey Tuesday-Thursday - snow, rain and ice - and don't want to get behind if I miss a run. Started the 3-mile tempo portion of the run at the three mile mark after getting down to the Schuylkill River Trail and made good time. Average was 6:41 (33 seconds below target) with the third mile fastest at 6:33. Cooled off for an additional half mile before turning back at the Strawberry Mansion Bridge. Ended the run at a Wawa convenience store to get some Gatorade and walked home. Overcast and mid-twenties (F) with no wind - very comfortable as long as I was moving.

Jogging With Paul - 7.65 miles (101 total)

Garmin Link I
Garmin Link II

Broke 100 miles for the month and year today - on track for a record month in terms of mileage, and maybe pace too. Was just a little stiff and sore heading down to South Philly this morning, but nothing serious. Met Paul at his place and we did our loop through South Philly, Old City, Chinatown, past Independence Hall, Reading Terminal Market, City Hall, down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Logan Circle and through Rittenhouse Square, past Pennsylvania Hospital, then down to the Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church. We should lead a tour group!

Week Minus 13 - Distance - 21 miles

Target: 20 miles @ 9:00/mile
Actual: 21.03 miles @ 8:09/mile
Garmin Link

Was just a little apprehensive about this run. It was my first 20-miler since the Philly Marathon in November 2009. But the training has been going well, and I was pretty confident. Conditions were good, given the snow. When Chris and I started out, it was 29 degrees and sunny. We did have a pretty good head wind on the way out, which kept it chilly. Chris turned around at 4.35 miles, but his company made the distance seem much shorter. I crossed the Falls Bridge and turned around at 10.3 and retraced my steps back. The trail was in great condition - a little wet in places, but very little ice or snow to worry about. Had to take a short emergency port-a-potty break at mile 9 - was very grateful it was there. Didn't lose energy on the way back - 5 of the last 6 miles were under 8:00, and mile 21 was the fastest split at 7:47. Am very happy to have broken this 20-mile barrier; there are four more 20-milers in the next twelve weeks, the next two weeks from now.

Week Minus 13 - Tempo - 9.5 miles

Target: 6 mile run: 1 mile easy, 4 miles @7:29/mile, 1 mile easy
Actual: 9.51 miles: 2 miles easy, 4 miles @7:09 avg, 3.51 miles easy
Garmin Link

We had about 4 inches of snow Tuesday night, and I had doubts that the Schuylkill River path would be runnable, but the track was closed, so I made my way down to the river. To my happy surprise, the path had been cleared, and was only covered by a light layer of snow where the wind had blown it. The temperature had stayed in the 20s all day, so there was almost no ice. All in all, it was an enjoyable run. Still feeling strong, no sign of shinsplints, and my left knee - that's been painful recently - wasn't even hurting. Tempo run seems to be my best workout - was 20 seconds/mile faster than target pace.

Week Minus 13 - Intervals

15.2 miles

Goal:              Actual 1           Actual 2
10-20 min warmup   4.29 mile warmup   1.4 mile warmup
5X1000m @4:03      2X1000m @4:02 avg  5X1000m @3:54 avg
(400m RI)          (400m RI - walk)   (400m RI - walk)
10 min cooldown    .1 mile cooldown   3.79 mile cooldown

Garmin Link I
Garmin Link II

Ended up doing my interval workout twice today - or at least 1.4 times. Went down to the track with Raminder at lunch and we got involved in a long discussion while we ran the warmup that only left me time to do the first two reps before we had to get back for a meeting. After work I tried again - but the track was closed. Ran down to the river path, and used the Forerunner to keep track of the distance on a long, straight stretch of path. I actually got better times in the afternoon, and was comfortably under the goal time for all the reps but one.

Looks like it will snow again 3-5 inches Tuesday night and into Wednesday, so I'm glad I got the extra miles in today. Don't know whether the conditions will permit my tempo run Wednesday.

Snowy Jog to South Philly - 6.5 miles

6.57 miles

Snow again today. only supposed to be about 2-4 inches, but it was coming down pretty heavily when I left - late - to meet Paul in South Philly. There was about a fresh inch on the ground, so I took it slow across the South Street bridge and downtown. Left knee was hurting a bit, and was generally stiff after yesterday. Paul and I had some coffee, and only ran about a mile together through the snow before stopping for more coffee. Stayed to chat with Paul's visiting nephews, Matt and Will, before jogging back home and shoveling. Stopped by the Farmer's Market at Clark Park - where I took this picture of the Dickens statue - and got some apples and acorn squash. Plan to take it easy tomorrow, and do my tempo run on Monday.

Week Minus 14 - Distance

Target: 17 miles @8:45 pace
Actual: 17.2 miles @8:19 pace
Garmin Link

It snowed about half an inch this morning, but cleared up by noon. By the time Chris and I got on the road at 1:30 it was pretty nice out - about 30 degrees and sunny. Chris ran with me about 4.5 miles, then turned back - his first run in a few months, though he's a serious biker. The river path was mostly clear until I crossed over to the west side where it is shady. Had to run through the snow for about 2 miles, but it wasn't slippery and didn't slow me down too much. Turned around at 8.6 and retraced my steps back. Kept the pace at around 8:20 for most of the run, with four or five miles at right around 8:00. That is a relatively relaxed pace, but by the time I got back to work, was ready to stop. Ate Gu packs at 6 and 12 miles.

Week Minus 14 - Intervals

7.77 miles

Target                Actual
10-20 min warmup      2 mile warmup
1200m @4:55           1200m @4:47
1000m @4:03           1000m @3:55
 800m @3:13            800m @2:59 (plus 200m @:48)
 600m @2:24            600m @2:19
 400m @1:35            400m @1:30
(all with 200m RI)    (walked the 200m RI's)
10 min cooldown       2.52 mile cooldown

Garmin Link
Good interval workout today - and I don't say that often. Intervals have been the least fun and most painful workout for me, at least up to this point. The track at Franklin Field is closed until next week, so I went down to the Schuylkill river path and used the Forerunner to measure the distance. Only got confused once - when I finished the 800m leg, I was unsure as to whether I had really run 800 or 600, so I sprinted another 200 (an extra 200 as it turns out.)

Was happy to beat all the target times by at least a few seconds. Today wasn't nearly as painful as I remember this workout being in the past. Cool weather helps a lot. I remember running this same workout on a spring morning when the temp could have been in the 70's, and it was miserable. I also walked the rest intervals, which might have been cheating a little.

Week Minus 14 - Tempo

Goal: 7 mile run: 1 mile easy, 5 miles @7:44/mile, 1 mile easy
Actual: 8.13 miles: 1.4 mile easy, 5 miles @7:07/mile, 1.73 mile easy
Garmin Link

Jogged down to the river path with three friends from the office; Susan, Raminder and Jana. Then took off on my own and did the 5 tempo miles at 7:07 pace, a good bit faster than the goal of 7:45. Jogged on my own back to the office.

After Friday's marginal performance for the 15-mile run, it felt really good to nail this one with lots of time to spare. Just hope I left enough energy for the interval workout on Wednesday. Weather was low 30's, sunny, with some wind. Didn't bother with gloves or ear cover and it was fine.

Jog With Paul - 8 miles

8.01 miles
Garmin Link

New Year's Day jog with Paul - this was Paul's longest run in a few years, and his introduction to the river path along Kelly Drive. We started in South Philly, went out Kelly Drive to the 4-mile point, then back past the Art Museum and down the Parkway and Arch Street to historic Christ Church at 2nd and Market Street, where Benjamin Franklin is buried.

The weather was right at freezing, so although pleasant, there was a lot of wet black ice on the river path and we had to be vigilant and pick our way carefully through a few points. These slow jogs are outside my training program, but it was a nice relaxing way to kick off the new year.