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.

Week Minus 15 - Distance

15.01 miles
8:33 moving pace (goal: 15 miles @8:45 pace)
Garmin Link

Finished out the year with an icy, tough run. Made my time and distance, but only by cheating a little and taking a breather for a couple of minutes after 13 miles. Had to step carefully in a lot of places along the path because of icy spots. Only had one scary moment slipping, but recovered. Saw one young woman running in shorts with two very bloody knees.

Mileage was 895 miles this year, down from 1,010 in 2009 and 1,158 in 2008. Hope I can reverse that trend this year. I do feel that I am in better shape regarding the chronic shinsplints than in past years.

In many ways 2010 was kind of a sophomore slump year after the high point of qualifying for Boston in fall 2009. Of the three major distance runs in Philly, I missed the Broad Street and the Philadelphia Distance Run, and didn't finish the Philadelphia Marathon. I also missed some crucial weeks of training, and failed to follow a program for marathon training. Goals for this year are to stay uninjured, to keep to a regular training schedule without a lot of time off, and of course, to stick to the training program for Boston, and finish under 3:30.

Week Minus 15 - Tempo

5 miles @7:45 pace (goal 5 @8:00)
Garmin Link
6.4 miles easy
Links here and here
(11.43 total)

Skipped the first and last "easy" miles of the seven-mile tempo run this morning before joining Paul and Matt, as they had moved up our meeting time by half an hour because of the impending snowstorm. More than made up those miles in our jog around town, and my run back home through heavy snowfall. We're supposed to get about a foot between today and tomorrow. Hope the river trail is going to be clear enough to do a 15-miler on Tuesday.

Week -15: Intervals

5 miles
4 X 800m @3:13
Actual times: 3:12, 3:19, 3:16, 3:14
Garmin Link

Track was closed today, so I ran down to the river path. Accidentally paused the Forerunner for the first quarter mile of the first 800m interval, so the time is approximate for that one. Weather was beautiful - mid-thirties and sunny, no wind. Not worried that I was a few seconds over target - intervals are always the hardest workout for me.

Week -16: Distance

13.13 miles
8:07 pace
Goal: 13 miles @8:30
Garmin Link

First week of training was finished yesterday with a 13-mile run. Had no trouble with 13 miles; started slow and splits were mostly negative. Last five miles were all under 8:00, and mile 13 was the fastest at 7:42, so I had plenty of energy, even without a Gu packet. Just had a peanut butter & jelly sandwich before the start. Was about 28 degrees when I started out, which is about 5 degrees warmer than it's been most mornings for the past week.

Did a five-mile slow jog around Center City with Paul on Saturday.

Rested, Tan and Ready - Marathon Training, Week 16

I've been hunkered down licking my wounds for about the last month since a terribly disappointing marathon performance on November 21st. I had a bad bout of nerves, which made it really hard to keep down the PB&J and quart of Gatorade that I forced down before the start of the race. I had to pull over and let it all out after only 6.5 miles (7:39 pace). I wish I could say that I got back in the race and at least jogged through the next 20 miles, but I felt so shaky and dispirited that I took the walk of shame off the course.

Since then I've been running only once or twice a week - mostly my weekly slow jog with buddy Paul. This week I've decided to get back in the saddle and get in shape for Boston in April. I didn't follow any program for the Philly marathon, and although I felt I was in as good shape as the previous year, the lack of a formal program contributed to my anxiety and pterodactyl-sized butterflies. This year I'm going to follow the Furman FIRST program to the letter. (That's the marathon program listed along the far right column of the blog.) As I successfully complete each workout, I will cross it off the list.

I also got out the bike trainer, which hasn't seen much use, and started doing 45-minute workouts on the non-running days. The FIRST program prescribes cross-training three times a week, which I ignored mostly the first time I did the program successfully in 2009.

I did the tempo run on Wednesday, and believe I made the times, although my Forerunner wasn't working and I had to use RunKeeper on the iPhone, which shut off two-thirds of the way through the run.

Today I'm back with the Forerunner, and did the Intervals run at the track. It consisted of three 1-mile intervals at 6:41, which I did successfully (link here). The third one was 6:25. Going to do the 13-miler on Sunday.

Wednesday and Thursday Runs (18.5 miles)

Jog With Chris and Raminder
Garmin Link
7.27 miles
9:26 pace

Thursday 11-miler
Garmin Link
11.25 miles
7:45 pace

Went out with Chris and Raminder Wednesday not for training, but just to enjoy the company of a couple of friends on a beautiful fall day - the same reason I run with Paul on Saturdays. Of course, I also need every mile I can get if I want to have any chance of breaking 1000 this year.

Did a more strenuous run on Thursday - decent time, but still a bit concerned that I haven't taken the marathon training more seriously this year. Mileage has been pretty low until the past three months. Would feel better if I had at least one 20-miler under my belt. Sunday would be the last possible opportunity for that, but it would be at a risk that I wouldn't be at my best a week later for the Philly marathon. Legs are very sore today, so if they aren't better Sunday, I'll just rest - maybe do some cycling. That strategy has worked in the past. Last year I took off almost two weeks before the marathon.

Saturday and Tuesday Runs

Saturday, 10/6
11.38 miles (Run, Jog, Run)

Usual Saturday routine to run down to Paul's house, jog with him, then run home. Did a little shopping in the Italian Market for a lunch we're planning with some friends for next weekend.

Tuesday, 10/9
Garmin Link
11.11 miles
7:52 pace

Got out extra early - Doug was up at 4:30 to meet a study group before school for a Spanish test, so I left with him. Temp was 44 - cool, but not cool enough for gloves. Had a decent run, but hurt my healing right foot dodging a car on the way back to work.

Fast Ten Miles

Garmin Link
10.25 miles
7:36 pace

Got out at 6:30 this morning from work - 38 degrees. Made good time - after the first two miles, averaged under 7:30 for the rest of the run. Legs are feeling fine, and the foot problem from three weeks ago is about gone. If I can keep from overdoing it in the next two weeks I should be in decent shape for the marathon. I haven't trained as consistently as last year - didn't do a formal training schedule, but think I'm in just about as good physical condition and about the same weight.

Halloween 17-miler

Garmin Link
17.01 miles
7:51 pace

Didn't get out for a run until early afternoon - had to go to election training this morning, and fixed chili and greens for tonight's dinner. I'm working on the election board at our neighborhood polling place Tuesday.

Run went well - especially considering that I did a good bit of running yesterday. This was my longest run since last year's marathon, but I still would like to get a 20-miler in before the Philly Marathon on the 21st. Foot seems to be healing and had zero leg pain! I ran into a physical therapist friend last week who recommended new shoes, and that seems to have helped. Kept the pace pretty consistent - nearly all miles between 7:45 and 8:00. (I also notice that the average time for today's run was exactly the same as that of the two runs to South Philly and back yesterday.) Finished strong with mile 17 at 7:39. Would have liked to have done 20, but had to get home in time to set up tables for the Halloween block party at 4:00.

We had a fun but tiring Halloween. Some friends stopped by for chili, and we prepared a batch of 50 hot dogs for the party. Had everything cleared up and out of treats by 8:00. We had about 200 trick-or-treaters this year, which is a bit more than the past couple of years. Weather was nice, Phillies weren't playing, and it was a weekend, all of which helped the turnout, I'm sure.

Run, Jog, Run - 13 miles

Run to Paul's
Garmin Link
3.61 miles
7:51 pace

Jog With Paul
Garmin Link
5.02 miles

Home From Paul's
Garmin Link
4.5 miles
7:51 pace

Did my normal Saturday jog with Paul today, but ran there and back - not a long distance, but made a decent pace for running through the city. Traffic wasn't bad on a Saturday. Foot was not too bad. I tried a new pair of shoes on the advice of a friend who's a physical therapist. Would like to get in a long run tomorrow to finish off the month - still haven't done the traditional 20-mile run before the marathon. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.

Back on the Street - 8 miles

Garmin Link
8.02 miles
7:45 pace

That last run, as magic and in the zone as it was, was a really bad move. I ended up hurting my right foot, and it still isn't right. I did a couple of three-mile jogs with Paul the past two Saturdays, but otherwise haven't run at all until today. It really hasn't gotten much better, but I only have 3 and a half weeks until the marathon, so I've got to either keep up my fitness or fail trying.

Things will be alright if it doesn't get worse - although the foot was still hurting today, it wasn't enough to slow me up much - time was respectable - and did not seem to get worse during the course of the run.

On Monday got an acceptance letter from the Boston Athletic Association re: the marathon! It is in April during Doug's spring break, so I think we'll make a family vacation out of it and see New England, or at least Boston.

Fast Run inside a Slow Run - 13 miles

Garmin Link
13.1 miles
7:58 pace overall; 7:25 pace miles 4 through 13

Started out on a 5-mile jog with Raminder and Susan Wednesday afternoon. Had taken four days off after a 56-mile week ending Friday. Legs were a little achy through the weekend, although I wouldn't say injured.

By the time we got to the turnaround point, at 2.5, I was feeling good and wanted to run a bit more, so I split off and increased pace. First split on my own, mile 4, was 7:27 - quite fast for me - but felt comfortable. Kept under 7:30 for the next 9 miles - two splits considerably faster - under 7:10. I think that was my fastest ten mile stretch since the 2009 Broad Street Run.

Hope that bodes well for the marathon next month.

Friday 10/8
Garmin Link
8.51 miles
8:01 pace

Realized that I forgot to blog Friday's morning run. Not very fast and unremarkable except that it broke 56 miles for the week, which I think might be a 7-day record for me. While I still have to manage some leg pain, I think my threshold for mileage has definitely increased in the past year. I just have to be careful to know when to pull back.
8:01 pace

I realize that I forgot to blog a run Friday morning before work

Two Runs - 17 miles

Garmin Link
11.08 miles
7:56 pace

Wasn't as chipper this morning as on Monday, but managed to get out and keep the pace under 8:00 for eleven miles. The temperature was perfect - low fifties - and although I could feel some discomfort in the shins, Monday's fast 15-miler did not bring on full-fledged shin splints as I had feared.

Lunchtime run With Raminder
Garmin Link
6.24 miles
9:38 pace

Relaxed lunchtime run with my old friend Raminder. She is one of three people in my office, along with me and Chris, who have been Mississippi residents. She is from India, but got her graduate degree at Ole Miss. Chris spent his elementary school years at a military base in Meridian, MS.

Fastest Fifteen

Garmin Link
15.01 miles
7:39 pace

Had an unexpectedly great run today! Got up at 4:30 hoping to get to work then be on the road by 6:00, but it was raining. Ended up waiting until after 11:00. Felt pretty good once I got going. No longer raining, but overcast and cool - mid 50's. Did just the west side of the East Falls loop, crossing over to the east side for about half a mile before retracing my steps back. The trail on the east side was so muddy Saturday, it wasn't going to be any better after this morning's rain. Kept surprising myself as the splits were very good, and running felt pretty easy. Maybe it was taking last week off. Fastest split was mile 13 at 7:16. Seven miles were under 7:35, which is pretty fast for me. I'm certain I've never done a 15-miler this fast. So this gives me some confidence for the marathon, which is about 7 weeks away - 11/21.

Saturday Run (12.5) and Jog (3 miles)

Garmin Link
12.52 miles
8:03 pace

Got out at 6:15 this morning (temp was about 50) and decided to do the East Falls loop before meeting Paul at 8:00 for our usual Saturday morning jog. Started out slow to gauge how the leg felt, and after the first three miles settled into a ~8:00 pace. Leg felt OK, and actually felt better after the run than before.

The river had flooded over the path in many places and I had to dodge and splash through some mud and debris. We'll see how the Nike Lunarlites do in the washer.

Jog with Paul
Garmin Link
3.28 miles
9:40 pace

Made it up to Paul's door at 7:58 - lucky timing after 12.5 miles. We did a little less than our usual 3.5-4 miles since Paul had an errand to run at the Barnes & Noble. We met Marie for lunch at the Italian Market - shared a couple of delicious panini sandwiches. I got some Italian loaves from Sarcone's Bakery and sausage and pancetta from D'Angelo Bros Meats.

Thursday Jog at Work - 5 miles

Took most of last week off as right shin had a sharp pain. Tested the waters Thursday with a lunchtime jog with Raminder, Susan and Steve. Didn't have the Forerunner, but I think Raminder and I were doing about a 9:00 pace. Injury felt OK after the first mile or so. Wasn't able to try again on Friday because of torrential rains. (I neglected to clear the storm drain in the back yard, so was up at 4:00am Friday bailing about 45 gallons of water from the basement.)

Saturday Jog With Paul - 3.5 miles

Garmin Link
3.54 miles

Met buddy Paul for our regular easy Saturday jog. Legs were still painful - the old shin splint-type problem.... Took Sunday off instead of running the 20-miler that I was hoping to do (and was fearful of). Will try an early run Monday and see how they feel. Want to get two or three 20-milers under my belt in the next two months before the marathon.

Two Runs Today - 13 miles

Morning Run:
Garmin Link
8.65 miles
7:56 pace

Went a little further and a little faster than yesterday, despite the temp (69 degrees) and humidity edging up into slightly uncomfortable territory.

Lunch Jog With Work Buddies:
Garmin Link
5.04 miles
8:36 pace

Started out with Chris, Raminder and Susan, but Chris and I eased ahead after about a mile and a half, and gradually increased speed - mile 4 was 7:45. Temp was in the low 80s, but we were distracted by conversation - a real benefit of running with a partner.

Keeping Up - 8.5 miles

Garmin Link
8.51 miles
7:59 pace

Right leg was still hurting this morning, but settled down after the first half mile or so. Was still tired - I think it's the change of seasons - but just managed to keep an 8:00 pace. It's supposed to break 90 degrees today, but it was still about 66 degrees when I ran this morning.

Tired Monday - 8 miles

Garmin Link
8.09 miles
8:12 pace

Got out early this morning, although I wasn't feeling great - still a bit tired and headachey, and legs are hurting again. Took it easy, which wasn't hard to do. Temp was a pleasant 63 degrees. It really is probably just as well that I didn't race yesterday.

Jog With Paul - 7 miles

Run to Paul's:
Garmin Link
3.5 miles
7:49 pace

Jog with Paul
Garmin Link
3.76 miles

Well, I discovered on Friday that I wasn't registered for the half-marathon. I don't know what happened - registered for the marathon in November on the same night, so maybe I got the confirmation emails confused. I almost got a friend of a friend with an injury to let me run in his place, but he changed his mind and decided to run after all. (I just checked his time, and it looks like he walked it.)

Anyway, I'm disappointed to have missed the race, but maybe it is just as well. I had a cold this weekend and wasn't feeling that well. Did do my regular jog with Paul on Saturday, and met up with our friend Marie afterward at the Italian Market. I must have messed up my legs on Thursday, because they were still hurting Saturday.

Redemption! - 8 miles

Garmin Link
8.03 miles
7:41 pace

Missed the jog with Chris, Raminder and Susan because of a noon meeting, but went out myself at 1:00. Felt much better than yesterday - even with a little leg pain - and kept a good pace throughout. Each mile was well under 8:00, and the last four were all in the 7:30's. Of course I'll have to do this faster and longer on Sunday to beat last year's time, but races always seem to go better than training runs. I guess it's the adrenaline and all of the other runners pacing you. Tony is aiming for about the same time I am - between 1:35 and 1:40 - so maybe we'll run into each other. Actually, anything under 1:40 will be an achievement at this point, and I won't be disappointed with anything in the low 1:40's.

Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday Runs

Friday, 9/10
Garmin Link
8.51 miles
8:03 pace

Saturday - jog with Paul
Garmin Link
7.03 miles

Monday - Back at Work
Garmin Link
8.03 miles
7:52 pace

Tuesday - Hurting and Tired
Garmin Link
7.03 miles
8:19 pace

Running has been up and down this past week, and I haven't kept blog posts up to date. Had some good runs in the 8-mile/8:00 pace range, but the every day running schedule seemed to take its toll yesterday, and I had to cut my lunchtime run short because I was just too tired. Will do a slow jog with some work buddies today, maybe a last serious run tomorrow if legs aren't hurting, then take Friday off, and jog a couple of miles with Paul on Saturday. The race is Sunday. Hoping to hit 1:40, which would be about two minutes off last year's time. If I can get into a groove of about 7:30/mile, I could possibly beat last year's time - not likely. I haven't been running at that pace, but sometimes odd things happen on race day.

14 Degrees Cooler! - 8 miles

Garmin Link
8.01
7:57 pace

62 degrees at 6:30 this morning, plus a nice breeze. Had a blister on my big toe, so took it a bit easier for the first couple of miles, but had negative splits from mile four on to finish up under 8:00/mile. Fall can't come fast enough for me - the cooler weather makes running a whole different experience.

Humid Morning Run - 8 miles

Garmin Link
8.02 miles
8:00 pace

It was kind of a tough run this morning, even after six days off. I had some stomach trouble Saturday, and might have still been a little weak. But even with the uncomfortable temp and humidity (76 degrees, 75% by 6:00am), managed to make my target pace. But it was a struggle to keep going after the fifth mile. I would like to do a last long run (>13 miles) this weekend before the half-marathon on the 19th. Hope I'm up to it.

Heat Slowing me Down - 8 miles

Garmin Link
8.02 miles
8:15 pace
76 degrees at 6:30am

Had to force myself to get out and run today - not sure what opportunity I'll have over the weekend, so want to get those miles in now. High temps are back in the mid-90's this week, and it was 76 by the time I started out at about 6:30 from work. Took the speed easy, but it was still a struggle and the last mile was about all I could do. Fastest split was mile 6 at 8:05.

Hot Weather Returns - 5 miles plus 4 miles

Monday lunchtime:
Garmin Link
5.01 miles
7:54 pace

Early Tuesday:
Garmin Link
4.05 miles
7:53 pace

Wanted to get a run in Monday, but was a bit stiff in the morning from the 15-miler on Sunday. By lunchtime I was feeling better, and decided to try an 8-miler at lunch. I wasn't counting on the weather however, which after a couple of relatively mild weeks, was up to about 90 by lunchtime. At the four-mile turnaround point I was feeling the heat, and decided to stop after five. Still kept the pace under 8:00.

This morning I got out first thing, before the heat of the day, and decided to make up the lost miles from yesterday. Had a 7:30 meeting at work, so didn't have much time, but got four miles in, running a two-mile loop around home. Couldn't quite get under an 8:00 pace until the last mile, which at 7:19 brought the average down to my target.

Would like to do eight-milers tomorrow and Thursday, but with the temp forecast for 97 degrees today, it might not cool down that much tonight.

Signed up for the Philly Marathon (11/21/10) yesterday.

Fast Fifteen and Jog with Paul

Jog with Paul Saturday:
Garmin Link
3.79 miles

Fifteen on Sunday:
Garmin Link
15.01 miles
7:59 pace

Had a nice jog and chat with Paul Saturday in Center City. It was a beautiful Saturday morning with low humidity. The most pleasant of our Saturday jogs yet.

This morning I decided to do another distance run, so left the house at 6:30 aiming for 15 miles. Felt a little stiff pain, so started with a slow pace, but gradually sped up until mile 8 was under 8:00. Continued fast enough to bring the average pace for the entire run just barely under 8:00. Mile 13 was fastest at 7:23. I'm at 112 miles for August, which is the most in one month this year by about 15 miles. Maybe I can squeeze in another 8 tomorrow to make 120.

500 Miles!

Jog with Doug Wednesday
Garmin Link
4.03 miles

Friday 8-miler
Garmin Link
8.27 miles
7:53 pace

Broke 500 miles for the year today (about six weeks behind schedule). Got up at 5:00 and had a really enjoyable run from home down to the rec path, Art Museum and boathouse row. Was hurting a bit yesterday, so started slow, but every mile past 3 was under 8:00. Last mile was fastest at 7:12. Temp was about 65, and that seems so much more pleasant than the lower 70's. I'm feeling good about the PDR in a couple of weeks (half-marathon) and I'm thinking that I actually have a chance at beating last year's time. If I can keep calm out the gate, and keep to a 7:30 pace throughout, that would just beat last year's 1:38.

Wednesday, Doug and I took a jog after work. He was all over the place - nearly sprinting, getting winded, slowing down - and going through this cycle every mile or so. It was kind of inadvertent fartleks.

Getting Faster... 8 miles

Garmin Link
8.16 miles
7:35 moving pace

Had a good run after work. We had a freak cool day today - high was only 70. It was overcast and misty. The splits were great, each mile a bit faster than the next, from 8:01 to 7:14 for the last mile. Had a little bit of leg pain at the beginning, so might take a day off tomorrow - supposed to rain all morning anyway. Looks like I'll break 100 miles this month for the first time this year.

Saturday and Monday Runs

Jog with Paul:
Garmin Link
7.45 miles

Monday Morning:
Garmin Link
8.2 miles
7:56 pace

Saturday I ran 3.5 miles down to Paul's new condo in South Philly and joined him for a leisurely four-mile jog. The weather was beautiful and we passed through some scenic neighborhoods in the older parts of town.

This morning I took my usual route from work down to the rec path. There were police and rescue workers all over, and a police boat and divers out on the river. Later, I saw online that an elderly man had drowned. The morning was nice otherwise, with the temp finally dipping into the upper sixties. Kept the overall pace under 8:00, which makes it feel like a success, and had enough energy to finish with my fastest mile, at 7:35.

Morning Run With Doug - 4 miles

Garmin Link
4 miles

Got Doug up at 6:00 yesterday for a run. We were aiming for six, but he could only handle four. We did about an 8:30 pace for the first three. Doug hasn't run in a few weeks, so he wasn't as strong as he's been in the past. I think next time I'll make sure he eats a little something - his energy was low. It was a nice morning though, and we had a pleasant walk back home.

Monday Morning Run - 8 miles

Garmin Link
8.02 miles
7:48 moving pace

My positive streak is continuing - had a good, relatively fast run this morning, despite high humidity and running 13 miles yesterday. The best part was having no leg pain whatsoever - though a few hours later I'm a bit stiff. Managed to keep an aggressive pace - at least relative to the past couple of months. All splits after the first two miles were under 7:50.

Now I'm thinking that I might do the Boston Marathon after all. Don't know if I'll ever manage to qualify again, so 2011 could be my one and only chance. The dates work well - it falls on the first day of Doug's spring break. Barbara's brother Jeremy lives in Boston and has a friend who lives along the route and throws a party every year. So maybe we could make a New England vacation week.

Half-Marathon Test Run - 13.1 miles

Garmin Link
13.11 miles
8:08 pace

Continuing to gain confidence and am getting closer to the distances and speed I had a few months ago. This was my longest run since March 28, and now I feel that I can sign up for next month's Philly Distance Run (this year called the ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon) without a lot of anxiety. I probably won't beat last year's time of 1:38 - but probably won't end up on a stretcher like last year, either.

Valley Forge Bike Ride - 47 miles

Garmin Link

Tony and Chris are doing the Livestrong 100-mile race next weekend. Tony's going to borrow Doug's old Trek road bike, so we decided to give it a test ride early yesterday before work. Chris and Tony left from the western suburbs, about 6 miles from here, at 5:00 and we got Tony set up on the Trek and left my house about 5:30. I forgot to start the GPS until about a mile from home.

We had a really great ride. I took Dad's beautiful old Vitus. This is the first time I've done this ride at a good pace in a couple of years, and I was amazed at how easy the few steep parts were compared to how I remember them from past rides. I think the running has paid off. Fastest mile was 2:53 or 20mph. We stopped briefly at Valley Forge park before turning back. Tony liked riding the Trek, and now wants to get a road bike. We had a lot of fun, and I hope we can make it a regular thing. Made it into work by 9:10.

Eight Under Eight

Garmin Link
8.02 miles
7:53 pace

Started a run yesterday morning, but stopped after about a hundred yards because I felt the beginnings of some impact pain in my legs. Decided to take a day off rather than push through. Today the legs were better, and although I felt like I was taking it easy, was still able to keep the pace under 8:00. Went a little farther down the path this time and broke eight miles. I think there is a real mental component to running distance, and once your confidence is gone, it can be very unpleasant to keep moving. I feel good that I'm improving on distance now, and may be ready to start another marathon training program by the time the weather starts to cool in another month.

Another 7-Miler

Garmin Link
7.01 miles
7:44 pace

A little worse conditions this morning - 78 degrees and 80% humidity at 6:45 - but managed to make a little better pace than yesterday. Maybe I'm getting acclimated to the summer weather. It feels good to be back under 8:00 for a couple of consecutive runs. No leg pain. May slow it down a bit tomorrow, especially if legs start to feel uncomfortable.

Humid Monday Morning - 7 miles

Garmin Link
7.01 miles
7:52 pace

Muggy (76%) but not too hot (74 degrees) when I left about 7:30 this morning from work. After four days off was able to keep a pretty good pace and ended up on the good side of my 8:00 benchmark for the first time in a while. Considering the misery of the humidity, I feel pretty happy with the time. I won't expect to match that time the rest of the week, if I'm running every day - unless the weather gets better.

Monday and Wednesday Runs

Garmin Link
4.00 miles
8:02 pace

Garmin Link
6 miles
~8:15 pace

Took a break from work Monday afternoon and tried to do six miles. Although I kept a decent pace - close to 8:00/mile - was worn out by four miles and walked home.

Wish I had gotten a run in Tuesday, but between a busy day at work, groceries, cooking and dishes it was 8:30 before I finished up, and all I wanted was a shower and bed.

Had some trouble sleeping last night so was at work at 4:30. Decided on a run at 5:30 and it was already 76 degrees and humid. Something misfired with the Forerunner, and by the time I hit the path I could tell that I was off two tenths of a mile on this familiar route. Looking at the map, I can see that something was messed up for the first part of the run. Sometimes I have trouble getting a good signal where I like to start the run - lots of trees and buildings on either side.

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday Runs

Wednesday
3.01 miles
Garmin Link
8:21 pace

Thursday
5.05 miles
Garmin Link
8:17 pace

Friday
7.15 miles
Garmin Link
8:04 pace

Keeping up with my new daily run schedule. Today was 7 in a row. I've been running close to home, but today I got into work around 5:30 and ran my old route down to the rec path. The weather was cooler and I think this is just a faster run. I was almost back to my 8:00 benchmark pace today. Did 36 miles for the week starting Sunday, which is respectable, and legs are in pretty good shape. I'll take at least one day off this weekend.

Mid-Morning Hooky - 5 miles

RunKeeper Link
5.39 miles

After the 11 total miles yesterday, did not do my early morning run. Was a bit tired and wanted to be careful. Did bring some shoes & running clothes with me to work, and when my laptop was being upgraded for about an hour, decided to seize the opportunity and get a run in. The weather is much better than last week - low 80's and much less humid.

Did a similar run to yesterday's, and since I left the ForeRunner at home, used RunKeeper on the iPhone for similar GPS functions. Could feel a little pain in the legs, but not much. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.

Lunchtime with Susan and Lauren - 6 miles

Garmin Link
5.73 miles

Since the weather has cooled off a bit - low 80's this morning instead of low 90's - Susan suggested a lunchtime run. Since I knew this would be pretty slow, and I'm way behind in mileage, I decided to join Susan and Lauren, who works in another office in our building. It's always nice to get out with other people, and the weather was nice, and we even managed to work up a sweat. This is the first day I've broken 11 miles - or 10 miles, for that matter - in months.

I hope I won't regret taking a second run when I get up tomorrow, but these slow jogs seem to be pretty easy on the legs.

Cooler and Stronger - 5 miles

Garmin Link
5.42 miles
8:19 pace

70 degrees at 5:00 this morning, and a little less humid. Felt stronger from the beginning, although calves were tight, and had to stretch some before starting out. Maybe the spaghetti dinner Barb made last night had something to do with it. Did feel some shin splint type pain, so will have to keep an eye on that. Pace was about the same as usual on this route, although I maintained negative splits and mile five was 8:05.

Would like to move up to 5 miles/day, but will have to be careful that the shin splints don't start up again.

Sunday Morning Sidewalks - 4 miles

Garmin Link
4.26 miles
8:21 pace

Another 4-mile morning run with negative splits, from 8:52 to 8:01. And once again dripping pools of sweat by the end. My game plan now is to keep up 20-25 miles/week through August, then start upping the mileage once the humidity breaks. Registration for the 2011 Boston Marathon doesn't even open until September 18, so I have at least that long to decide if that is a possibility. Don't know what the chances are of ever qualifying again, so this year might be my only opportunity to run it.

Jog With Paul - 4 miles

Garmin Link
3.73 miles

Met Paul at his house and took our usual easy jog through the eastern edge of Philadelphia and the west toward the Art Museum. Took yesterday off since I felt some tenderness in the shins, but didn't feel it at all today. Think I'll be in good shape to do another four-miler tomorrow. I think it broke 100 degrees today, but we were early enough (8:00) to beat the worst of it.

Faster After Work - 3 miles

Garmin Link
2.72 miles
7:59 pace

Took a short run downtown after work today, and easily beat my morning times - in fact was quite surprised since it didn't feel like any more effort. Maybe I'm loosened up a bit after the workday, and have a little more energy in my body from lunch.

Wednesday & Thursday Runs - 2 @4 miles

Wednesday Garmin Link
4.14 miles
8:10 pace

Thursday Garmin Link
4.42 miles
8:40 pace

Woke up extra-early Wednesday, & was out the door by 4:45. Although I felt some leg pain for the first mile, was able to move faster than I have in a while. Mile four was 7:42.

Today, by contrast, had a hard time getting out of bed & out of the house, and kept a slow pace - just forcing myself to get the miles in. Leg pain was gone, however. Began using a brand new pair of Nike Lunarswifts on Monday, and maybe those are helping. By the fourth mile was feeling much better, and could have kept going, but had to get ready for work.

Not So Hot - 4 miles

Garmin Link
4.17 miles
8:24 pace

It was a noticeably cooler 73 degrees when I hit the road at about 6:00 this morning, although still very humid. Was slightly more comfortable, but only a few seconds/mile faster. Both days had almost identical negative splits with mile 4 about 30 seconds faster than mile 1.

Swampy Morning Run - 4 miles

Garmin Link
4.01 miles
8:27 pace

When the clock radio went off at 5:30 this morning the announcer was saying, "...and in Philadelphia, it is 81 degrees." Not only that, but it was sticky humid. By the time I finished a measly four miles, I was literally dripping sweat. Don't know whether it is the heat or the three weeks I took off, but running has been really hard - even though my runs have been short and pace is slow. This was my first morning run in a while, and I couldn't work up the appetite to eat a banana beforehand - that probably contributed to low energy.

Hot & Muggy - 3 miles

Garmin Link
3.38 miles

Ran downtown from home after work. Meant to make it at least four miles, but threw in the towel after reaching three. Will probably do no more than three milers Friday and Saturday, then a bit longer Sunday.

Rainy Run - 5 miles

Garmin Link
4.83 miles

It was raining hard again this afternoon, but slowed down to a drizzle in time for me to get a run in around the park. Didn't much feel like running, but I'm trying to make it a daily habit, like brushing teeth. The Forerunner doesn't do well with moisture - it sets off the touch-control bezel. Wasn't able to shut it off at the end of the run because it was so confused, but I think my overall pace was about 8:45. Pretty slow, but it is a hilly course and lots of traffic-y streets to cross. Felt like I was moving fastest on the fourth and fifth miles.

Woodlands Trail - 4 miles

Garmin Link
4.28 miles
87 degrees, 70% humidity
8:34 pace

Another hot run after work - this time I went over to Woodland Cemetery. It was an old 18th century estate that was turned into a rural cemetery in the 1840's. The old house is still there and Washington, Jefferson and Franklin were all supposed to have been guests at various times. There are paved trails throughout the cemetery, but I found a little running path worn around the perimeter. It's just over a mile around.

When Barbara got home, we did another mile and a half together around the park to make exactly six miles for the day.

Run in the Heat - 4 miles

Garmin Link
4.11 miles
8:14 pace

Took a short run after work today. That's not a great time to run this time of year, but I won't be able to start morning runs for a couple of days. Just ran around the park and USP campus. Felt like I was moving at a decent pace, or at least expending some energy, but had to push a bit after the first mile split was only 8:40. Gradually sped up until the fourth mile was 7:50. Was whipped by the time I stopped; the heat just doesn't agree with me.

Downtown Sunday Run - 4 miles

Garmin Link
4.27 miles

Met my friend Paul in South Philly for a short run mid-morning. It's the first time I've run in about three weeks, and it felt good to get back on the road. It's asking for trouble running so late in the morning in July, but the weather was cooler and less humid than we've had for a few weeks.

I locked my bike about a mile from Paul's house then maintained an 8:00 pace through city streets before we started out together. We kept a pretty relaxed pace, just jogging and talking.

Afterwards Paul gave me a tour of the new loft condo he's buying at 12th & Fitzwater where I locked my bike. That is one of my favorite food neighborhoods. It's got the Italian Market, plus tons of inexpensive ethnic food - Italian restaurants and hoagie shops (famous Pat's and Geno's steaks are a few blocks away), lots of Vietnamese and in the last 10 years lots of Mexican. Anyone who visits me in Philly ends up making a few trips to this neighborhood.

I think I'm going to try running every day in the morning - just 3-4 miles to start out. Will run in the pm on Monday and Tuesday because I already have early morning meetings scheduled.