Week -14(2) - Tempo - 8 miles

8.38 miles (Garmin Link)
7:49 pace

Miles 2-6 average 7:22 (target 7:44)

Week -14(2) Speed Intervals

7.3 miles

Speed intervals:
1.5 mile warmup
1200M
1000M
800M
600M
400M
All with 200M RI
2.5 mile cooldown

I'm repeating week -14 after taking nearly two weeks off. Did the speed intervals this morning, but bungled the buttons on my Forerunner a couple of times and did not get good readings. I missed about half a mile when I accidentally hit the start(stop) button instead of the lap button starting the first interval. I ran about 2k farther than last time. This continues to be my toughest workout.

I've reset the progress-o-meter to monitor a new goal of 1200 miles for calendar year 2009. As you can see, I have about an 80-mile deficit to make up just to get on pace. If I can maintain 30-35 miles/week with this training schedule, and don't have a lot more downtime, maybe I can make the goal.

Easing Back into Business - 10 miles

10.01 miles (Garmin link)
1:25:29
8:32 pace

Didn't end up running in New York, except for a short (1.32 mile) run down the Hudson Greenway on 6/29. Legs were painful from the 18-miler a good part of the week, and the late hours and irregular meals during the film festival kept me from feeling like exercise. Am just now recovering a sleep schedule; very busy all week since returning around midnight Monday - up early every day and hard to get to bed when I would like.

So this morning, still felt groggy and just wanted to do ten miles without pushing it. Was slowed down by police barricades near the Art Museum; now I realize that they were probably setting up for Independence Day festivities. That is usually where the fireworks show is. Had to take West River Drive instead of the more pleasant Kelly Drive path.

Was disturbed by the return of shinsplints while in New York - but legs are only a little sore this evening. Plan on returning to the marathon training schedule Monday. Hope sleep schedule is back on track by then.

Weight was 159 today. I see it was 173 at the end of June 2008, so there's been some modest weight loss. 150 is about as low as I've ever been since college, but since developing more muscle mass in my legs over the past year I might not get that low again.

Week -14 - Long Run - 18 miles

Target: 17 miles @ 8:45 pace Garmin link
18.28 miles
2:37:40
8:37 pace

Yesterday I got up early after not enough sleep and decided to finish out the week in Philadelphia, rather than attempting a long run in unfamiliar territory. Took the old familiar loop, but did a U-turn at the 9.5 mark to squeeze 18 miles out of a 15-mile course (ending at the convenience store a mile from home to buy a Powerade). It wasn't hard to settle into a 8:35 pace and keep it more or less there. Only the last mile, which was on top of the target distance, was a little uncomfortable. I should have quit at 17, but the next long run is 20 miles, and I worry about being psyched out for it.

I'm now in a Starbucks in New York - here for the the NY Asian Film Festival. I'm grabbing Internet access when available, and haven't been successful uploading yesterday's run from the Forerunner yet. The bus I took here from Phila had wi-fi, and I thought I had uploaded it, but apparently it was not successful.[UPDATE - link now uploaded]

Today is a rest day, but I should be able to get some running in while in New York. I'm looking forward to exploring Central Park, and the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway path, which has an entrance ramp about a block from Julian's apartment and runs pretty much the length of Manhattan along the west side.

Week -14 - Tempo - 7 miles

7.74 miles Garmin Link
1:00:??
Miles 2-6: 7:35 pace, target 7:44 - 7:46 overall pace

Rain was pouring like crazy off and on this morning, but Chris and I finally decided to take our chances during a lull around 8:30, and it only rained lightly while we were out. I don't mind some rain, and it was cool, which was a nice change. We comfortably stayed ahead of the 7:44 target pace for the middle 5 miles of the run. I have been purposely keeping the first mile slow for these runs, and it seems to help keep the remainder of the run pain-free. I did not get the Forerunner shut off until several minutes after we stopped, but I do recall it reading exactly 1 hour at the finish with a 7:46 overall pace, even with the slow first mile.

Next run I will either do on my usual route on Saturday or in Central Park in New York on Sunday. I will be in New York for a week for the NY Asian Film Festival.

Week -14: Speed Intervals

10K (6.2 miles) Garmin Link

13 minute warm-up

1200M @ 4:43 (4:55 target)
1000M @ 4:10? (4:03 target)
 800M @ 3:18 (3:13 target)
 600M @ 2:20 (2:24 target)
 400M @ 1:27 (1:35 target)
(All with 200M RI)

16 minute cool-down

Started from work at 7:00, so it was cooler than lunchtime, but still muggy. Since the track is not open this early, I jogged down to the rec path and started the speed work there. I set the Forerunner to metric and used it to measure the distances. The interval setting does not handle variable distances, so I just hit the lap button between each section. I did miss the button after the second interval, so had to estimate the time based on subtracting the previous rest interval time.

I'm satisfied with the times, on average faster than the target. I did have to walk the last three rest intervals to recover. Speed day is the shortest day on the running schedule, but it is the most challenging for me. I think that is typical of older runners. Judging from what I've read, we tend to be better at endurance than speed.

Week -15 - Long Run - 15 miles

15.01 miles Garmin link
2:09:01
8:36 pace (8:45 target)

Was tired this morning and did not much feel like a long run. But I want to stick to this program, so hit the road anyway. It was on the slow side, but still within the program target pace of 8:45. I ran around the Pharmacy School campus and Clark Park before setting off down 45th street, adding a couple of miles at the beginning of the route, so was close to the 15 mile target at the end of the rec path, where I hit 13 last week.

Hot and sticky, especially when the sun came out. It has been raining all week, and there is a lot of humidity in the air. Since it seemed to work so well last week, I downed a Gu pack at about 7 miles, but did not get the same sustained energy between 8 and 13 that powered last week's run.

It probably was not the best thing physically to run 18 miles instead of 13 last week, but mentally it will make next week's 17-miler possible. Today I was wiped out at 15, and without last week's 18-miler under my belt, next weeks run would be daunting.

Yesterday was the first sunny evening all week so I got to the pool and swam 2000 meters. I did 2000 after dark last Monday, too, making the bare minimum cross training this week.

Week -15 - Tempo - 7 miles

(This is the second week of a 16-week marathon training program, so "week -15".)

7.00 miles Garmin link
54:53
7:50 pace

This run was supposed to be an easy mile at the beginning and end, with 5 miles @ 8:00 in the middle. Chris ran too, and we easily exceeded that goal - Chris even suggested putting on the gas for mile 6, which we did in 7:12.

Very glad we went in the morning. It was already 70 degrees and 89% humidity. Felt good to finish! I hope it isn't this humid for the long run on Saturday - that tends to take the starch out of me.

Week 15 - Intervals - 6 miles

5.81 miles Garmin Link

- 2 miles warm-up
- 4 X 800M @ 3:13 (target) with 2 minute rest interval
(actual: 3:17, 3:17, 3:13, 3:06 = 3:13 average)
- 1.5 miles cool-down

Jogged down to Franklin Field for some speed work today, although with the Forerunner, I could do this on the rec path just about as well. It's pretty funny that my intervals averaged right on target (3:13:25) since I could not see the time at all; just guessing, running at about 85 or 90 percent. It's also a bit surprising that the last two intervals were faster than the first. They were certainly more painful.

Legs were in pretty good shape, considering Saturday's run - just a bit achy at first. I was only supposed to do a 1 mile warm-up, but wanted to get them good and loose before bringing the speed. That seemed to work; by the first interval there was no pain at all.

FIRST Long Run - 18 miles

18.01 miles (target 13 @ 8:30) (Garmin link)
2:30:38
8:21/mile pace

Today's FIRST training goal was 13 miles at an 8:30 pace. Started from home, taking it easy. I've had some difficulty with the longer runs lately, so tried not to exceed the 8:30 target pace to begin with. Got down to the start of the rec path at 2.35, then continued on, and did the loop in the reverse of my usual direction. That way I would hit the place where I've had to stop a number of times on the first half of the run. Hit the 8 mile mark after crossing the Falls Bridge and was feeling very good, so I picked up the pace, and did the next 5 miles at 8:08/mile. Hit thirteen back at the start of the path. Was still feeling well enough that I decided to turn around, and ran two more miles, then returned, making 17. Left the path towards home and reached the bike store at 18. After stopping to shop for some allen wrenches, I started to run the last mile and a half home, but after a few steps, realized that 18 was enough for today. Legs were feeling beat up, and I want to be OK for speed work on Monday.

It feels good to have a new distance record, and to have broken the 15 mile mark for the first time since my previous longest run, 15.5 miles back in October. Now I can breathe a little easier about the next two long Saturday runs, which will be "only" 15 and 17.

FIRST Tempo Run - 7.12 miles

Garmin Link
2 miles easy,
2 miles @ 7:14 target (7:03 actual)
2 miles easy
1 bonus mile easy

7.12 total
57:32
8:05/mile average pace

Took the long way at an easy 8:30 pace to hit the rec path at about the 2 mile mark, then sped up to exceed the target pace of 7:14 for two miles (6:56, 7:09). Turned around and resumed an 8:30 pace for the final two miles. Walked for five minutes and stopped at the bike store to pick up some inner tubes, then jogged the final mile back to work.

For cross-training, last night I went to the pool after dark and swam 2000 meters in 45 minutes before they closed. I could feel Monday's intervals in my legs. But by today's run there was very little soreness left. Now I plan to take two days off running - will do more swimming Thursday and Friday - before a 13-miler Saturday morning.

FIRST Training: Day 1 - 6 miles

Garmin link
- 2 mile warm-up
- 3 X 1 mile @6:41 target; 1 minute rest interval

     mile 1:  6:04
     mile 2:  6:25
     mile 3:  6:59
     (average 6:29)

- 1 mile cool-down

Today is exactly five months before the NYC Marathon, with the Philadelphia Marathon three weeks later. I am starting the 16-week FIRST marathon training program, with target paces and distances specially designed to get the 45 to 49-year old gentleman to Boston next April. It consists of only three running workouts a week; one day of speed intervals, a tempo run, and a long run (13-20 miles). In addition it advises cross-training another two or three days a week. I swam 3000M yesterday, so got a little x-training in early.

This was the first time I used the Forerunner for an interval run, and it worked great, except that I could not see my times until afterward. So I was running blind - could not tell whether or not I was hitting the 6:41 target. As it turns out, I ran the first mile way too fast and the third mile about 20 seconds too slow. But the average (6:29) was comfortably faster than the target.

The speed work was tough, but that's not too surprising since I haven't focused on it before. I'm looking forward to the tempo run on Wednesday, but am apprehensive about the long runs. The first 20-miler is at the fourth week!

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.]

Ready for Broad Street - 11 miles (954 total)

11.27 miles (Garmin Link)
1:30:27
8:01 pace

After Monday's ignominy, I really felt in need of a confidence-builder today. Fortunately, the weather cooperated, and was overcast and in the mid-50's - more than 30 degrees cooler than Monday! Chris and I started out together while we chatted and I kept half a mind on form. At 3.5 he turned back. I decided to continue on and turned around at 5.5, a couple of hundred yards past Strawberry Mansion Bridge. At this point, I was concentrating on form, relaxing, letting my core lead, and legs just relax and go along for the ride. Pushed the pace a bit at 8 miles, with the idea of beating last year's Broad Street time at 10 miles. Hit 10 at 1:19:23, which I think is almost two minutes faster than last year's time. Mile 10 split was 7:11!

Took it easy the last mile back to work. Now I have 20+ miles for the week, and can just do some easy jogging with Doug between now and the race Sunday.

Twilight Jog with Doug and Barb - 4 miles (942 total)

4.02 miles (Garmin link)
37.01
9:12 pace

All three of us went out to the park as the sun was going down and the air was starting to cool. Doug and I went one direction and Barbara took off in the other so she could run at her own pace. This way we also got to exchange high fives as we passed each other every half mile or so. Doug peeled off at 3.1, and I increased the pace for the last mile.

This slower run was another chance to concentrate on form. I remembered one more piece of advice - pivot hips slightly around the axis of the spine - and that made it that much easier to relax the legs and arms and let them follow me leaning forward. By the end of the run I felt I was just starting to pull the pieces together. However, I was starting to feel a little of the shin splints coming back by the end. Hopefully a rest day tomorrow will take care of that.

Too Hot to Trot - 7.5 miles (938 total)

6.08 miles (Garmin link)
48:29
8:00 pace

1.5 miles
13:32
9:01 pace

Started out with Chris today with the bright idea to get a last long run in before the Broad street run on Sunday. I was hoping to do the 11-mile river loop at an 8-minute pace, then take it relatively easy the rest of the week. The plan might have worked out had the weather been cooler. As it was, I had to stop after 6 miles, walk for a while, then run another mile and a half. We are in our third day of high-eighties, low nineties heat, and that seemed to make a huge difference. At least we were keeping a good pace - miles 3 through 6 were all under 8 minutes each.

I was also trying out some of the form advice from Chi Running. Keeping a good posture, lower abdominals holding back straight, legs relaxed - not pushing off with balls of feet, but instead leaning from the ankles and letting gravity move me forward. A lot to be mindful of until it becomes habit. It did seem to allow me to go faster with less effort, and I have had less leg pain. (I've also been doing more slow jogging with Doug, and that could be helping too.)

Doug's First Four-miler - (931 total)

4.00 miles (Garmin link)
38:32
9:38 pace

Felt like the first day of summer today - it's now 85 degrees and muggy at 6:30pm. Our highs have been more in the fifties than sixties up till today.

Doug and I left the house about 9:00 this morning and biked down to the river path. Penn Relays runners and spectators were everywhere on the way down, converging on Franklin Field. We parked below Chestnut Street and ran out 2 miles - to the Girard Street bridge - and back. The warmer weather was tough on Doug, and we had to slow down to a trot to make it through mile 3. He took the last half mile at a full run, and again, I had trouble accelerating to keep up with him.

Rec path was crowded - the usual warm weather Saturday runners were joined by packs of Relay runners from all over the East. Saw runners from Duke and many different high schools.

Penn Relays (Slow us Down) - 6 miles (927 total)

6.01 miles (Garmin link)
48:28
8:04 pace

Ran with Chris today. Had to run through crowds of high school and college runners to get through campus and down to the path, which slowed our first mile down to 9:20. This is Penn Relays weekend, and campus will be crowded until next week. After that we started with an 8-minute pace, and ran a bit faster every mile (follow the link for the splits.)

Wednesday I made some small adjustments to how I work my legs after flipping through Chi Running. (Basically, trying to relax everything below the knee - let the ankles follow through, dont push off with toes or balls of feet.) Today I had some new muscle soreness in my legs, but much reduced leg pain (shin splint and joint type pain.) I'm knocking on wood, and hoping that making some refinements to my form is helping.

Warm and beautiful - think it is supposed to reach the 80's tomorrow!

Training With Doug - 3 miles (921 total)

3.35 miles (Garmin link)
29:16
8:44 pace

Another jog after work with Doug. He was a little sore from yesterday, but we started slow, and will take two days off before trying four miles on Saturday after a bike ride. Doug really sped up the last half mile - I had some trouble accelerating to keep up with him!

Slowing Down - 7 miles (918 total)

7.65 miles (Garmin link)
1:03
8:15 pace

Ran with Chris at lunch today. My legs were feeling tender, and I was not able to keep up the pace like Monday. But we went a little farther. I was feeling pretty rickety by the end. Hope I can do another slow three miles with Doug after work.

Got ChiRunning from Amazon yesterday on Hallie's friend's recommendation. It looks very interesting - thumbed through it last night. Lots of technical advice about posture, stance, etc. Will dig into it tonight before bed.

Run for the Border (with Doug) - 3 miles (910 total)

3.31 miles (Garmin link)
28:46
8:42 pace

Doug's training run; three times around the park, then, since Barbara is working late tonight, a few more blocks to our favorite Mexican takeout place, MexiCali for burritos.

For Doug, the plan is to do another three-miler tomorrow, then bike down to the rec path Saturday and try for four.

Next Year in Boston - 6 miles (907 total)

6.41 miles (Garmin link)
48:33
7:34 pace

While sitting through our 90-minute developers' meeting this morning, Scott was getting updates on his iPhone on his friend Jay's progress in the Boston Marathon. Not long after the meeting, Scott got the finish time - 2:56; a 6:46/mile pace!

While I won't get close to a time like that in this lifetime, I still have a slim hope of qualifying for Boston next year. I would have to do under 3:30 (8:00/mile pace) in either the NYC or Philadelphia marathons. According to the charts in the FIRST book, my 1:40 finish in the half-marathon last year should theoretically translate to a 3:30 marathon. Of course I don't know if I could still do a 1:40 half either - might have just been a good day.

Today was one of those days that makes me feel still in the running, however. Chris came out, and I think we both felt strong. After an 8:29 first mile, all the rest of the splits were under 7:37. We got faster each mile. I might have gone a few miles farther, but am planning to do another 3 miles with Doug after work.

Clean Air Council 5K - 3.1 miles (900 total)

3.16 miles (Garmin link)
22:25
7:06 pace

Doug:
3.15 miles
25:17
8:00 pace

Gorgeous spring day - Doug and I biked down to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for the race. That's Doug stretching with the Museum in the background.

We both got off to a slow start - we were near the back, and it took a while to work through the scrum. According to the results, there were about 700 runners. Saw my old friend Raymond - who started me running again two years ago - near the front of the returning runners. I think he got 2nd in his age group. I was in 9th place for the older guys.

Very proud of Doug. He wants to keep running, and to increase his distance. I'm thinking we'll work on the training schedule Raymond recommended for the Philadelphia Distance Run 2 years ago. It starts with 3X3 mile runs/week, which we just did, and slowly builds from there. There's another 5K race on May 10th in which we might be able to run on the Penn Med team.

Broke 900 today!

Finally Spring? - 9 miles (897 total)

9.02 miles (Garmin Link)
1:12:01
7:59 pace

Got Chris out for a run for the first time since December. He has been concentrating on some pretty challenging biking on the weekends. Chris kept a little faster pace than I've been running, and after we parted ways at the 3 mile point, I tried to keep it up. I think this is my first long run so far in 2009 under an 8:00 pace.

It was beautiful down on the river after two solid days of rain - temp closing in on 60. Lots of people on the path, even on a weekday.

The run felt good, but it is sobering to think that my goal is to be able to run this pace for three times the distance by November. Hmmmm....

Rainy 5K with Doug - 3.1 miles (888 total)

3.1 miles (Garmin link)
27:24
8:50 pace

Undaunted by the rain and cold, Doug and I did another training run for Saturday's 5k. Doug was much improved from Monday, and beat that time by over a minute. I think on Saturday he will bust this record as well! As on Monday, we left from home and ran three times around the park, plus a detour to make 5k exactly.

I'm aiming for a 9 mile run tomorrow, to make 900 on Saturday.

5K with Doug - 3.1 miles (885 total)

3.1 miles (Garmin link)
28:32
9:12 pace

Practiced with Doug for the Clean Air Council 5k this weekend. Doing this race was Doug's idea after he saw a flyer for it lying around the house. Today was the longest run he has done to date, and I was proud of him. We took it easy for the first two miles, then did the last in 8:53. We plan to do another run together Wednesday before the race on Saturday.

No Forerunner - 8 miles (882 total)

8 miles
1:08
8:30 pace (estimated)

No space-age gadgets today since I left the Forerunner at work. Based on time and landmarks I did 8-8.5 miles - from home out 43rd to Market, then down to the path at Chestnut, backtrack to the start of the path, then out around the parking lot in back of the Art Museum at the 34 minute mark. Then the same route home, plus a couple of blocks extra to make 68 minutes. Confident I was doing at least an 8:30 pace, since I think the distance was more like 8.5.

Beautiful spring day, low fifties, with lots of runners and cyclists on the path. I can still feel the right shin a little bit, so I'm paying attention to that. Hoping to do two more 8-milers this week, then break 900 miles with a 5k race with Doug on Saturday.

Testing the Waters - 6 miles (874 total)

6.06 miles (Garmin link)
50:56
8:24 pace

April 2, 2009:
6.5 miles (Garmin link)
56:28
8:41 pace

The Kangoo Jumps had been my last hope to take some of the wear and tear off my legs and allow them to heal up. It wasn't very successful. The following day I had bad brand new pain in my left achilles, quite sore thighs (maybe from the weight of the boots) and C-shaped blister about the diameter of the bottom of a can of soda on my ankle. I think I was not getting a lot of compression, and will adjust the springs if I use them again.

I tried another run two days after the Kangoo run, and scrubbed it after about half a block. Decided to take some significant time off and let everything heal, hopefully once and for all.

After 17 days, I did a 6.5 mile run around the neighborhood a week ago and didn't bother to blog it. Was still having some shin-splinty pain in one leg, so did not run again until today. Today was near painless, although I tired out after six miles - possibly because I only ate a banana for breakfast. But shorter mileage might be a good idea for a while - and maybe I'll get out again over the weekend.

Kangoo Jump - 10.5 miles (861 total)

10.53 miles (Garmin Connect)
1:26:02
8:10 pace

To the amusement of my friends in the office, the Kangoo Jumps arrived on Friday. (I did not spend $300 bucks on them. Easily found a brand new pair on eBay under $60 delivered.) I had to try them out a little in the office. They do seem to cushion your impact quite a bit, but they are funny looking, and put you 6-8 inches off the ground. Left them in the office over the weekend.

Was quite sore all weekend, and my left knee was bothering me quite a bit for the first time. Almost took today off, but thought this might be a good test for the kangoos. Managed to strap them to my bike and rode down to the path at Chestnut Street - did not want to have to wear these crazy things through traffic.

Started out aiming for 4 or 5 miles, but ended up doing the whole loop plus a little extra to make 10.5. The kangoos were uncomfortable the first mile and the last mile, but not too bad in between. It required more effort to keep the pace up, and the extra weight was noticeable, but I was able to maintain a longer, runner's stride - something that normally causes too much pounding on my legs. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. If wearing these one or two runs a week allows my legs to recover better, it will be a worthwhile experiment.

Friday the 13th - 8 miles (851 total)

8.07 miles (Garmin Connect)
1:07:22
8:21 pace

Shorter and slower run today - from work out to the 91 marker just before the Girard Avenue bridge - since legs were hurting from the two long runs earlier in the week. Just wanted to break 30 miles for the week and 50 for the month. Colder today - mid 30s - but sunny and nice.

I've been reading this book that Barbara got me for Christmas. It recommends only 3 runs a week (1X speed work at the track, 1X faster paced medium length run, 1X long slower run) mixed in with at least two days of cross-training (biking, swimming.) That's similar to what Dad has recommended for a long time, and might be easier on my body. I might start with this method mid-April when I should be within 100 miles of my target.

Adjusted Loop - 11 miles (843 total)

11.35 miles (Garmin Connect)
1:33:03
8:11 pace

Same route as Monday, except that I went straight down to the rec path at Chestnut Street instead of running through town to join the path at the Art Museum. This added about a quarter mile. On the way home, I cut up Powelton to 38th, which made it a true loop - no ground covered twice. Felt very good considering the long run Monday; pace felt a bit faster than it actually turned out to be. If my legs hold up, might try this again on Friday, but in the opposite direction.

At Scott's suggestion, I finally figured out how to set the Forerunner to record mile splits, so you can see mile by mile times if you click on the "Splits" button at the Garmin link.

East Falls Loop - 11 miles (831 total)

10.95 miles (Garmin link)
1:30:43
8:17 pace

Tried the shortest route possible from work out to the East Falls bridge and back. Ran through the Penn and Drexel campuses and the Powelton Village neighborhood and across the Spring Garden Street bridge to the Art Museum. At this point I met up with my usual route on the rec path (but at 1.7 miles instead of 3.0) and got to the Falls Bridge at 5.9. Crossed the river and returned to work via West River Drive, and the Sweetbriar cutoff near the Philadelphia Zoo (9.0 miles).

This route is a bit slower going because a lot of it is on surface streets, and there are some less than pedestrian-friendly spots where you sometimes have to wait for traffic. You could do more of it on the rec path, but I think that would add about 2 miles to the distance. Still, it always feels like an accomplishment to do the "loop".

Loaded data to Garmin Connect, now that it is supporting Macintosh. Managed to upload good data for Thursday's 12-miler as well as today's.

March Thaw - 12 miles (820 total)

12.00 miles (Garmin link)
1:38:33
8:13 pace

Sun was out and a bit warmer Thursday, so took a longer run after three days off. Have found that if I start from right outside the John Morgan Building and hit both 38th Street and Market Street before descending to the path at Chestnut Street, I usually hit the following landmarks at almost exactly these points:

2.00 - Beginning of Schuylkill rec path (backtrack from Chestnut)
3.00 - Circle in path at detour to West River Drive
3.50 - "Start" mark in front of Boathouse Row
6.00 - Strawberry Mansion Bridge

Beautiful weather - low 40s, and it will get warmer through the weekend - up to 67 on Sunday!

Took the readings above from my Forerunner. Had some trouble uploading the data to Motionbased. It had me running from here directly across the Atlantic to the Russian/Mongolian border and arriving in May, 2027 (an extremely slow pace, as it turns out.)

UPDATE: Managed to upload the data and provide a link via Garmin Connect.

Beating the Snow - 8.5 miles (808 total)

8.5 miles (+/-.25) (Motionbased link)
1:13
8:30 pace

Decided to run today ahead of schedule because of a big snowstorm expected overnight. I'll be lucky if the streets are clear enough to run again by Wednesday. Took it slow; wanted to get 8 miles in and take it easy on the legs. Ran from home out nearly to the Girard Street Bridge, then back to work, where I stopped to use the bathroom. Forerunner wasn't fully charged and it conked out at the 7 mile mark, just as I reached the end of the rec trail on the way home. This route is so familiar now that I am pretty confident in the 8.5 mile estimate.

800 Miles, Just Barely - 6 miles

5.73 miles (Motionbased link)
44:08
7:42 pace

This week has been a struggle for some reason. I think I started too fast today, knowing that I only had to do 5 and half to reach my goal for the week. Did the same route as Wednesday, but by four miles was feeling like throwing in the towel. As soon as I had safely passed my goal for the week (and month) I stopped and walked the last three quarter mile back to work.

Hard to believe that a month ago I was routinely doing twice this distance without much trouble. Hopefully this is just a phase that will pass, and not old age suddenly descending. On the bright side, even after slowing down for the second half, this is the fastest pace I've maintained in quite a while.

6 Miles, 7 Bridges (794 total)

6.61 miles (Motionbased link)
52:26
7:56 pace

Was tired and feeling a little under the weather today, but forced myself to go out anyway. The weather was nice - sunny and close to 40. Weather might reach 60 by Friday. Right calf throbbing by the end of the run. It doesn't seem tender any particular place, just generally painful. Ran to the circular parking lot behind the Museum of Art. Noticed for the first time that the route from the start of the rec path to the Art Museum goes underneath seven Schuylkill bridges. Funny that in all this time I had never thought to count them. Trying to keep the pace under 8:00.

Plodding - 7 miles (787 total)

7.46 miles (Motionbased link)
1:04:36
8:39 pace

Slow run, quite windy, and made the mistake of eating a big bowl of black bean soup with cheese and crackers about two hours before. Did not feel like running, but wanted to get seven miles in so that I wouldn't feel pressured to do longer runs later in the week. Went out to the Stone Age statue on Kelly Drive (which, until I looked it up just now, I always assumed was Sacajawea.)

Eight by Eight - 8 miles (780 total)

8.12 miles (Motionbased link)
1:03:32
7:49 pace

Goal today was eight miles at an 8-minute pace, and I made it, but had to speed up considerably for the second half of the run. Was slowed down by heavy wind, but it was sunny and pleasant, even with the temp in the upper 20s.

Almost decided to pull the plug on running today when my right leg was hurting climbing the steps to the office this morning, but decided to do at least a few miles. By 11:00, and with the help of some ibuprofen, the leg felt much better. Won't run again till Monday. Now I have a week to do the remaining 20 miles to make 800 by the end of the month.

Filled out the application for the New York City Marathon this morning. It is on 11/1, three weeks before the Philadelphia Marathon on 11/22. Getting a spot in NYC is not a sure thing; your application goes into a lottery. If I do have the opportunity, I would like to do the New York Marathon carefully, just to get one under my belt, then do the Philly Marathon for speed and try to qualify for Boston - although that is looking less and less likely. In my age class, I would have to keep an 8:00 pace. That looked within reach when I did the half-marathon at a 7:38 pace, but my improvement has leveled off since then. Still could happen though.

Windy and Wet - 9 miles (772 total)

9.25 miles (MotionBased link)
1:15:53
8:12 pace

Rough run today - windy, blustery, rainy; temp in upper 30's. Legs were hurting more than Monday - about a 6 on my imaginary 10-point scale. Felt like I was breathing harder even while going noticeably more slow, but could not speed up much. Some days are just more difficult than others.

I think I've reached a plateau in terms of distance and speed. Haven't made any real progress in a couple of months, and in fact have slowed down. Hopefully my leg issues will resolve themselves before long and I'll be able to make some improvement in the spring. Once I pass the 1000-mile mark I will feel more free to vary the training and not focus so much on racking up the miles.

Presidents' Day - 10 miles (763 total)

10.26 miles (link)
1:21:25
7:56 pace

Took a vacation day and stayed home with Doug. Ran from home down to about a hundred yards past the rock climbing spot in the photo. (Took the photo from a web site) Cooler - in the 30s, I think - but the sun is starting to warm up. Legs hurt at about a 3 or 4 out of 10.

Three Quarters There - 9 miles (752 total)

9.25 miles (link)
1:16:00
8:12 pace

Windy, overcast, temp in the low 40s. I think this is the highest mileage week in a couple of months. Very happy to exceed my goal of 25 miles, and to cross the 750 milestone. Leg hurt only about the same as yesterday, which was a relief, because it was aching bad last night. (I picked up Doug at school after his 8th grade dance, and Jacky, who gets nervous around kids, slipped off her leash. I had to chase her down for a couple of blocks, and my leg was throbbing the rest of the night.)

Will take the weekend off, and hope to do about the same distance for the next two weeks to break 800 by the end of February.

63 Degrees - 9 miles (743 total)

9.02 miles (link)
1:12:44
8:03 pace

Another beautiful, unseasonably warm day. Lots of people running, strolling and biking on the rec path. Right leg was hurting, but loosened up after the third mile. Was warm enough to work up a pretty good sweat even in shorts and t-shirt.

Sunny run to Fountain Drive - 9 miles (734 total)

8.92 miles (link)
1:10:56
7:56 pace

First run in a week. Last week was pretty messy with snow and ice that all melted in a beautiful 60 degree day yesterday.

Legs were not completely pain-free after a week off, but not too bad. I'm hoping to do 3 8-milers this week and for each of the next 3 weeks to break 800 by the end of the month.

Beautiful weather today, though not as warm as yesterday - at around 50 degrees I'm not complaining at all.

Warm for a Change - 11 miles (725 total)

11.46 miles (link)
1:31:43
8:00 pace

Sunny and low 50s today - an unexpected surprise to start February, which I think is usually the worst weather month for Philadelphia. If we get a good snowfall, it is usually in February, and often we will have ice and hard frozen slush on the ground for most of the month.

Leg was not hurting walking today, but found that once I started running it was still sore. Might wait till Thursday to run again, then strictly keep myself to 8.5 miles, so that I can get 20 for the week, but still give the leg an opportunity to heal.

A Little Icy - 11 miles (714 total)

11.35 miles (link)
1:33:36
8:14 pace

Yesterday was too slushy and rainy to run safely, but today was sunny and the sidewalks were mostly dry. The path was in pretty good shape except for a few shady parts near bridges, and the very end of the path, where it had not been cleared and was frozen solid slush. Had to tiptoe through a number of places, but had no mishaps.

Legs were feeling better after the extra day off, and I had to cut some of the meandering out of the run in order to keep on the clear pavement, so I went a bit farther today - turning around just past the Strawberry Mansion bridge where I hit 5.75. Ordinarily that would be six miles from work, assuming I take the long way down to the path. I will take 3 days off most likely, then try to get three runs in next week if the weather cooperates. I think January has been the lowest mileage month since August. But I figured that January and February would be tough.

Healing Up? 10 miles (702 total)

10.68 miles (link)
1:26:18
8:04 pace

Took the long way down to the path (1.93), then out almost to the St. Joe's boathouse (5.6). Hit 9.13 back at the beginning of the path, then took a more direct way back to campus and ended up at 36th and Spruce at 10.68.

Felt better than I have in a while; good enough to pick up the pace after 7 miles. This mid-20's temperature is not bad at all. With no wind it was perfectly comfortable. Pace is a little slower than what I was doing before the first of the year. Hope to get through this latest bout of leg pain and pick up the pace again, and/or do some longer runs again.

Fountain Drive - 8.6 miles (692 total)

8.59 miles (link)
1:09:40
8:06 pace

Perfect running day; mid-forties and sunny with no wind. Could not enjoy it, though, since my right leg was aching badly. Wanted to quit at about mile 3, but kept it up mile by mile after that. Went nearly the same route as Wednesday, but about half a mile farther down the path. Had originally planned to do 10-11 miles today.

Shox Blisters - 7 miles (683 total)

7.34 miles
58:57
8:01 pace

Somehow this felt like the first real, unremarkable regular run in several weeks. Temp was cold but sunny, about 23 degrees when I left, but not uncomfortable with long sleeves, gloves and earband. Since the recent round of trouble with my legs, I realized that my current shoes had passed the 500-mile mark. Hardly seems possible; I still think of them as "new."

So today I went back to the Nike Shox that I bought back in August, but have used probably only 25 or so miles. I now remember the reason that I used them so little - they give me blisters. I have another pair of nearly new Nikes at home, so maybe I'll trade them off and see if I can either break in the Shox or toughen up my feet.

The Schuylkill was frozen completely across nearly the whole way, and covered in places by snow. The path was mainly clear and dry, but I did not trust the ramp down to the path from Market Street, so took it gingerly. I always remember those signs out west that say "BRIDGE FREEZES BEFORE ROAD."

Testing Leg - 5 miles (676 total)

Stopped by work (because that's where all my running gear was) and ran out to the Art Museum and back. I still don't have the hang of the Forerunner, since none of the readings made sense (3.5 hours, .43 miles, 8:35 pace). I seem to have trouble uploading the data, too.

My right leg had been bothering me since the last run, so I took all last week off. The weather has been cold - not higher than about 25 until yesterday. Today in the thirties. Some light snow and ice on the ground. Leg was a little tender after the run - ankle, knee, and inside of shin. Will probably wait till Wednesday before trying again. Time to study the Forerunner manual and figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Recuperative Run - 10 miles (671 total)

9.81 miles
1:26:55
8:51 pace

Helped put together sets for Doug's school play this morning, then came in to work. After an hour or so, seeing all my running gear stashed here in the office, decided I needed a run, although still feeling sore and sluggish. The Forerunner was at home, but had the Nike+. Once on the road, decided I would try to do the shortest possible East Falls bridge loop. So went down 34th street past the Philadelphia Zoo, then down West River Drive to the East Falls Bridge (hit 5 miles at the bridge) and back on the familiar Kelly Drive path. Crossed back over the Spring Garden Bridge at the Art Museum instead of continuing on to the end of the path, so cut about 1.5 miles from the return trip.

Jogged slowly - trying to avoid aggravating leg pain. Stopped at about 7.2 for a mile or so, then again at Presbyterian Hospital on the way back to the office. If I had run the whole way, think it would have been 11-11.5 miles. If my legs would ever stop hurting, my goal would be to be able to do this route 4 or 5 times a week at a 7:30-8:00 pace. Was limping and and taking it gingerly today, but usually the only barrier to being able to do this is leg pain.

Making up Time - 11 miles (661 total)

11.01 miles
1:29:17
8:07 pace

Ran out just about to the St Joe's boathouse (5.55 on Forerunner) and back. Quite windy, but not too cold. Still a bit sore from Tuesday.

Had some trouble transmitting the data to Motionbased; I think because I did not stop the run correctly, but instead just stopped a "lap". The route on the link looks correct, but the mileage, speed, time and elevation are obviously all screwed up. The lap time on the watch itself is correct (above).

Forerunner vs. Nike+ - 6 miles (650 total)

6.15 miles
45:00
7:19 pace
(as recorded by the Forerunner)

Distance on Nike+ was 6.12, so at least on this run, the Nike+ was within few steps of the Forerunner.

Had to hurry today to make a "meeting" (Battlestar Galactica), so ran 6 instead of 10, but at a faster pace than usual. Even after 10 days off, I was disappointed to have some pain in my right shin after the run. Iced it right up for about half an hour.

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.