And Here We Are...

AJMac has already chronicled his achievements of this past year. Perhaps in a future post, I will do the same. For now, however, I just want to make a couple of points. It was February when we made the challenge, started this blog and began planning, training, and executing (with both success and non-success) to climb our "Pointe-du-Hoc". For AJMac, he made quick improvement and then had some disappointments. For NotsoflashGordon, he had some injury and some obstacles that held him back, only to return as AlotmoreflashGordon. And I, CGB, had slow and steady improvement, patience being elusive, as I constantly tried to catch AJMac.

What metaphors for so many situations in life! I have fallen in love with running because it mimics who we are, what we desire and what lies in the way before us. It is a chance to set goals that allow us to fail miserably and then rejoice when we succeed; and we take no one as collateral damage - we leave no bodies behind. It is just us and the road and our demons and our baggage. In the end, we learn how to think, how to plan, how to humble ourselves and how to persevere. In the end, we learn confidence.

That is what this has meant to me, this challenge and blog, and it has been most gratifying because of the chance to do it with two close friends. Now, it is December, and at least two of us have met our goal - and the same PR, in fact! The climb and improvement in the end became staggering; if only (here comes the next allegory) we had faith.

And so, here we are. 18:37, a chance to meet head-to-head, the Lord's birthday upon us and the anticipation of what lies ahead. The blog was set up in the beginning to be finite - December 31, 2008. Where will running take us as we move forward? Well, I suspect that when the time comes, we will lace up the running shoes, hit the road, and let the stride take us.

For now - congratulations to AJMac. Let's see what happens when we race together in a week or so. Let's try to get AlotmoreflashGordon below 19:00.

It's official

The official results are in from Saturday and they confirm that I actually did run 18:37, as hard as that is to believe. The road from 19:49 to 18:37 this year included seven five kilometer races, in four of which I set new post-high school personal records.

February 23: 19:49 (PR)
April 26: 19:12 (PR)
May 10: 19:51
September 1: 19:59
October 11: 19:16
December 6: 19:11 (PR)
December 13: 18:37 (PR)

Along the way, I ran more than 1000 miles this year, rode 1500 miles on the road bike, set a PR in the short-course duathlon (and won my age group), ran more than 40 interval sessions, and almost kept up with my friend Michael. On balance, I would say that this has been a pretty productive year. Thanks to Charles for the challenge and to both Charles and Gordon for the competition and encouragement.

What a Difference a Week Makes

One week ago today I ran 19:11 in the local Jingle Bell 5k. It was a huge disappointment. Eight months of training for a one-second improvement on my PR, and one more in a long line of failed attempts to beat nineteen minutes. I decided to take one more crack at it, since I've done the training, but I resigned myself to being a 19:11 runner.

This morning I ran the 5k race in the Wetumpka, Alabama 12k's of Christmas (and 5k too). The conditions wer nearly identical to last week's race conditions: 40 degrees and partly sunny at race time. This course was hillier than the one I ran last week and I had no one with whom to pace. Almost all of the good runners ran the 12k race. I was torched by an NCAA Div. 1 cross country runner, and the next closest runner was over 1/4 mile behind me by the 2 mile marker, so I was all alone, trying to pace with no frame of reference. I ran the first mile too fast (5:58) and the second mile way too slow (6:22), so when I passed the two-mile marker at 12:20, all by myself, with two (small) hills left to climb before the finish, I resigned myself to another near miss.

With my expectations adjusted downward, I concentrated on simply running the last 1.11 mile as evenly as I could and emptying the last fumes from my fuel tank right at the finish line. When the 3 mile marker came into sight I glanced at my watch. 16:27. That can't be right, I thought. Too focused on my stride, I didn't catch my time as I passed three miles, but as I made the last turn for the final 1/10 of a mile, I saw the NCAA runner still in the finishing chute. That doesn't look right, either. Then I dared not look at my watch, instead I concentrated on maintaining my form as I kicked down the stretch. The meagre crowd cheered me to the line, I punched the stop button, and looked down.

18:37. That's definitely not right. Yet the timekeeper yelled out the same number as I slowed to a stop. I had finished with a 5:40 final mile and a 37-second stretch kick. Not the smartest race I ever ran, but the fastest I have run since high school.

That's it. 18:37! That number sure does look familiar, don't it? That's a 34-second improvement in one week, and it gets this nineteen-minute monkey off my back. Now the stage is set for a head-to-head-to-head matchup against CGB and Alittlemoreflashgordon. We plan to race on Christmas week while I am visiting the Boston area. This will be the first time that all three of us have competed in the same race. Stay tuned...

19:11

It's actually worse than I thought. Eight months of training not for a three second advantage but for a one second pickup. The official results are out from last week's race, and I just lost 67% of my PR improvement.

Why?

This morning I ran intervals, 12 x 400 meters (jogging 300 meters between each to recover). I averaged just over 86 seconds per 400 meters. That's approximately a 5:45/mile pace. And I did that in rainy, humid, 69-degree weather.

This begs an obvious question. Somehow I am able to run fast during my speed workouts, and I am able to run consistently on my distance runs, but I can never put it all together on race day. Frustrating.

I plan to take another crack at 18:59 on Saturday in the Wetumpka 12 k's of Christmas (and 5k too). Needless to say, I will run the 5k race. I'll report back.

5k Race Times, 2008

February 23: 19:49 (PR)

April 26: 19:12 (PR)

May 10: 19:51

September 1: 19:59

October 11: 19:16

December 6: 19:11 (PR)

December 13: 18:37 (PR)

No cigar

I edged a little closer but that nineteen minute barrier has proven insuperable. All the speed work, all the miles, all the stretching, and lunges, and long rides on the road bike... none of it has made any difference. I raced in the local Jingle Bell 5k on Saturday, and again I came up short.

Early this year I made a lot of progress. I ran my training miles and my tempo runs and my intervals, and mixed in miles on the bike, and I got a lot faster. On February 23, shortly after accepting CGB's challenge, I ran a 19:47. I then started training for a duathlon, and actually spend more effort on the bike than I did on the run. And even though I wan't focusing on the 5k, I still managed to take 35 seconds off my 5k time in less than two months. In April I ran a 19:12. I thought then that 18:59 was well within reach. If I could lose 35 seconds in two months without doing much short-distance speed work, surely I would drop 13 seconds more in a few weeks once I turned my attention directly to the 5k.

Um, no.

In the last eight months I have run, run, run, run, and run some more. And I have put a lot of effort into getting faster, running intervals and strides at least once each week, always pushing myself just as hard as I should and taking the appropriate amount of time to recover. But on Saturday, after eight months more of diligent training, much of it rather intense, I ran a 19:09 (unofficial time, according to my watch; they have not yet posted the official results). Fort those of you without a calculator, that's a whopping three seconds faster than my 5k time in April. That's about a .0001 second improvement for every 12 (or even 16) x 400 training session, a .000001 second improvement for every time I laced up the running shoes, and about a .0000000000000001 second improvement for every mile I have run.

In short, all my efforts have availed me naught.

On the bright side, I won my age group and got my picture in the local paper... twice. In the first photo, I am the second guy from the left in the front row, the one looking at his watch to make sure it's working.

The caption read, "The best runners were in the front row at the start of Saturday's event." That's almost as gratifying as it is amusing.

And here I am at the finish (white shirt, grey shorts, black gloves), losing to a girl. (The girl, it turns out, is this year's Alabama high school cross country state champion).

Running with a pro

Happy Thanksgiving, all. I had intended to run a trail 5k this week while visiting friends in northern Indiana, but for reasons that would interest no one, it didn't work out. However, I have been running every day with my friend Michael, a former professional triathlete.

I feel pretty good about my training, but I have also been reminded why I am not a professional athlete. It's been a bit discouraging, actually. I am now the fastest I have been since high school, having run a 19:12 and a 19:16 this year. Michael hasn't trained in three years. Yet each day we have gone out for a 5 to 8 mile run, each day I have churned away as he lopes along easily beside me, and each day I have finished the run gasping and sore, a stitch in my side and my tongue covered in dry cotton, as he, without discernable effort or discomfort, has gone looking for food and drink. Fortunately, I earn a living doing something other than running.

I will race again on December 6 in the Montgomery Jingle Bell run. I am hopeful that the cool weather will keep my engine cool enough for 6:06's.

Another Week, Another 5K...

My goal this week was to run another 5K on Sunday, the Larry Robinson/Alex Milotis 5K, here in Andover. Knowing there would be hills (without knowing the course), I was sure to continue my training this week with not just speed work, but with some significant hills mised in, too. I was able to insert some floor exercises, as well; these were light considering I missed at least one and a half weeks of them.



Monday - 3 miles easy

Tuesday - 8 miles with fartleks and hills

Wednesday - 5 miles with fartleks and hills

Thursday - missed the day

Friday - 5.5 miles; 2 x 800, 2 x 400, 2 x 200 (@ 83 sec)

Saturday - 4 miles medium

Sunday - 5.5 miles including Larry Robinson/Alex Milotis 5K Race

TOTAL = 31 miles



On to the race. I had stated after I set a PR at 18:37 that I wanted to be able to hit under 18:50 in order to validate the my goal. The Larry Robinson/Alex Miliotis 5K was hillier than the course in which I set a PR. The wind was blowing quite a bit, too. I ran an 18:54, above my goal, but still under 19:00. The split times were weird and I think that the actual mile markers were slightly off. Apparently, I ran a 5:40 2nd mile and was not even winded, and then still had enough to run hard up the slight hill to the finish. At any rate, splits aside, goal aside, I am still under 19:00, and for that I am proud.

Another Bounce Back Week...

If you remember reading, I have recently hit a few stretches when something prevents me from a comprehensive, full week of training and then I bounce back with a good strong week. Mostly, the pressure of not losing the effects of the work put in is my overwhelming motivation. Thus, I knock out three speed work days, a long run of sorts, and a 6-day week. Well, the last two weeks followed this paradigm. Two weeks ago, I only got in a few days running. This past week:

Monday - 3 miles fast
Tuesday - 8 miles with fartleks
Wednesday - 4 miles medium
Thursday - 5 miles fartleks, including hills

Friday - 5 miles including 2 x 800, 3 x 400 (@ 83 sec)

Saturday - 13 miles, including hills

Sunday - rest

TOTAL = 38 miles

It is now important for me to have success and progress early this week - some floor exercises, speed, hills, and distance - so that I can taper to a potential 5K race this coming Sunday morning. If I do this race, it is the one that I target to confirm my previous time. I will keep you posted.

The delinquent post.

Firstly, congratulations to CGB. You're achievement truly sets you apart from the crowd. Also, I wouldn't worry about Marathon Man. If he didn't want or intend to be beaten, he should have stayed home. Now it's your turn, Mac.

As my posts are few and far-between as it is, and they are about to disappear once again for a spell, I'll try to make this as comprehensive as possible. I run four miles every day but Sunday. The first two miles are a warm-up run. The last two miles are timed at race pace. My current two-mile time is hanging around 13:10. If I'm feeling good when the four miles are over, I'll stay out for another two miles to cool off. Otherwise, I just run around the block a couple times.

In addition to running, I've also started quite a few speed drills on Monday, Wed, and Fri. They go as follows: 100m fartleks, 100m high knees run, 100m sideways run (for each side), and 100m lunges. This took me a while to get used to because I'd never trained with both a race-pace run and speed drills on the same day.

Every morning, I do 50 situps and 50 pushups, 2 min of leg lifts and 1 min of superman, and then eat breakfast. Every night, I do as many situps and pushups as I can before I get tired, then eat dinner. Consequently, breakfast and dinner are the best meals of the day.

On Sunday and Monday evenings, I play pick-up basketball.

Unless something happens during the week so that I don't get home until late at night, my schedule hasn't really varied too much from that. We'll see how it goes in the next couple months.

Training

Being in the middle of the semester, I have been very busy lately and have neglected posting my training numbers. Last week, which is summarized below, is roughly representative of what I have been doing lately. I have gone back to riding the bike 20 - 45 miles in lieu of long runs on the weekends, and mixing up medium-distance tempo runs and speed work during the week.

Sunday: ride 38 miles
Monday: rest
Tuesday: run 5m (including 6 strides)
Wednesday: run 4m
Thursday: run intervals, 7 x 700 meters (2:35 ave.), 350 meters (recovery)
Friday: run 5m
Saturday: run 3m

A New Goal that is the Same...

Last week, I wrote about how I ran a Wednesday night weekly 5K and ran it in 18:37. They just posted the results on Coolrunning.com and the actual name listed is "Mystic Runners Weekly 5K Fun Run". The night before the race, I ran 6 miles. I did not get a chance to get out the next night, but ran 5 miles on Friday during lunch, including the company 5K. I ran that in 19:18. My legs were tight and tired. I ran six miles on Saturday night and took Sunday off. Including my warm-up miles, I ran 22 miles and did no floor exercises.

With that week, I now realize that I need newly defined goals (two to be exact) that are geared to toward the same old thing - 1) I need to finish out my weeks smartly and strongly in order to finish out a strong year. I do not want to sacrifice the work and progress I have made, but rather, I want to build on it in 2009. 2) While still working hard, I want to ensure that I can duplicate my results from Wednesday night. I want another sub-19:00 5K, preferably, sub-18:50, to be confident that I did not just run under 19:00, but that I am a sub-19:00 runner.

And a note to Mac. Thank you for your encouragement. Now, it is your turn. Remember, this was never a competition, rather we let our competitive natures motivate us. With that, come and get me. I know you can - prove me right.

Congratulations!!!

Congrats to Charles for his achievement. If I remember correctly, Charles' 5k PR was in the low 19:30's when the year began, which means he took nearly a full minute off his time in just a few months. That's sick. And the facts that he was all alone, in front of the pack, most of the race and that this was not a target race mean that he can undoubtedly go faster, and will in the next few weeks when he has better competition. Ridiculous.

Well done, sir. We gaze upon your accomplishment and marvel.

Mission: Accomplished...

Tonight, I ran a local 5K. I planned on using it to gauge myself before signing up for a more popular 5K. The race tonight was called the Lord Wakefield Weekly 5K Fun Run. They run the same flat course every week - it is USATF measured at 3.1 miles (and confirmed by the Brunet 1997 Saab 900S method of measuring distances). It only cost $2; there are no frills, medals or food. Just come to run or race. Most important, the results are posted on Cool Running.

I did not know the course, but figured it can't be that hard since it is around a lake - keeping the lake directly to my left was most imperative. I did not know if there would be mile markers. I did not know anyone running that could have been a good pacing partner.

All of that to say that as we lined up at the start line, they announced the names and times of some of the runners in recent marathons and half-marathons. There was one male who ran a 3:09 marthon on Sunday. So, I figured, he could probably run a 19:00 5K - "I should stick with him", I thought to myself. And so, I did. He started smoothly and immediately worked into a quick pace. I asked him where 1 mile was and he pointed out spray paint on the ground. I tripped my watch. The shadows and the night sky made it hard to see the watch which left me thinking that it clocked over 6:20. Subsequently, I sped up slightly to make-up some time during mile 2. My watch had a lap of 5:57 on the second leg. I decided to keep up that pace for the final 1.1 miles.

At this point, I was ahead of the marathon man and running in first place. I approached an area where the course turns left. One problem loomed; there was a rather large triangle that essentially created two left turns to get to the same road. I did not know what to do. Turning my head and body backward I yelled out to the marathon man, "Left here!?" He replied, "No! Next Left". Another problem... I heard "next left" as "left, left!" Since I started to go straight, I corrected myself to make the first left; marathon man immediately corrected me, "No, straight! Next, left!" I corrected myself again, went straight, made the next left and tried to keep up the pace. After negotiating the complicated left turn, the marathon man yelled out, "Next right!" Again, I was very thankful.

[Just a moment to sympathize with marathon man. During the run tonight, I forgot that he ran a marathon on Sunday - this past Sunday! He was probably looking for an easy night and instead here comes some newbie running on his heals. Then, the rube (me) has the audacity to go ahead of him without knowing the course and yelling back, "Which way?" He and his aching body had to put up with a lot, no thanks to yours truly. So, I am sorry, marathon man. Truly I am.]

Anyway, I run through the final turns, pass the 3 mile indication that has been spray painted on the road and am surprised at how quickly the finish line came into view. Seeing it ahead, I pick my feet up only to realize that my speed may have been a little too quick too early and am only able to increase speed slightly. Still, I feel that I have plenty of time to cross the finish line.

The end result: my best 5K, yet - 18:37

18:37! My splits ended up being 6:00, 5:57, 6:40 (last 1.1). It turns out that my watch did not say 6:20+ after the first mile so, I was sped up slightly inorder to keep a similar pace for mile 2. At any rate, who cares? I just broke 19:00.

So, the challenge is to Mac - I know you can do it - and loads of encouragement go out to AlotmoreflashGordon. The speed work will work. Don't underestimate yourself. As for me, I am still going to run the other 5Ks that I have planned. I would like to build on that time and prove it not a fluke for the night. I am confident that I can break 19:00 again, but not so sure about 18:37, especially with any kind of hill mixed in. So, the challenge is still very present for me.

But for tonight and for the record - as of October 22, 2008, mission accomplished!

TaDa!!!!!

I'm back. (pause for the low, muffled groan of the reader.) Yes, after my long hiatus due to failure to remember the password for this blog post, I return to the literary forum properly and formally known as 'Eighteen Fifty Nine'. Alas, it would take quite a bit of time (more than you have, I'm sure) to explain what I've been up to for the last several months. However, suffice it so say that I have been training for this little friendly race against the clock.

There is no doubt that if I were to run a 5K tomorrow, my time would be nowhere near 19:12 or 19:16, and I'm positive that running 13 consecutive miles or completing a duathlon with a competitive time is out of the question for me right now. However, my training regimen has also taken quite a different shape over the last several months than it was originally. I've begun to approach the 3.1 miles from the speed side of things; only to be expected from a sprinter, I suppose. It's actually working, though. I've whittled my 1-mile time down to 6:30 and my 2-mile time down to 13:10. Obviously, at this pace, I'm not even close to breaking 19 minutes. However, it's a far proverbial cry from the 21 minutes at which I started.

This is not to say that I'll have a shot at breaking 19 minutes before the end of December. Although, I'll take what improvement I can. Basically, all I've done for the last couple months are a lot of plyometrics, some core exercises, push-ups, pull-ups, and running 4 miles at a time six days per week.

Also, my calorie intake, I think, has doubled. Or at least, it seams like I'm eating a lot more. I don't even care any more what I eat, as long as it's edible. It could be a carrot stick or a bacon-double-cheeseburger............ (mmmm... bacon-double-cheeseburger). Sorry, 'got distracted there for a second. I've always had a pretty fast metabolism, but this is becoming ridiculous. I can't eat fast enough any more. I'm always hungry. I seldom used to eat mid-night snacks. Now, I frequent the fridge or cupboard at 11pm or 2 in the morning because my belly woke me up for breakfast a few hours too early.

Actually, it's late and I should get to bed so I can get up in time for my fourth meal. 'more about my running times and training later.

This Week is the Next Step...

I tired my legs out this past week, though I only ran 35 miles. I did quite a bit of speed work by mixing in fartleks, intervals, and hills, and then had time for some distance, too.

Tuesday - 10 miles - fartleks and hills
Wednesday - 5 miles - fartleks, while pushing a double stroller
Thursday - 8 miles - easy, while pushing a double stroller
Friday - 7 miles - fartleks and hills
Saturday - 5 miles including 800, 2 x 400, 4 x 200 (@ 86 second) while pushing a single stroller

I had fun and motivation during my intervals on Saturday. There were this pre-pubescent boys riding their bikes around the track and when they saw I was trying to run fast, they raced me. I beat them - every time.

Anyway, I rested today and tomorrow will put in a solid run with an easy stretch run on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I am going to try to run a 5K in Wakefield, MA. This race is held every week. I will use this a tune up to learn what things I should fix. Work is hosting a 5K fun run on Friday. I will race that to get a little more experience under my belt and then go for the gold at another race later in November (yet to be determined).

Thank you for checking in.

Crucial Week and I faltered...

Two weeks ago, after my half-marathon, I ran a light, easy week to rest my body. I had been running well, and a lot, and wanted to make sure I was fresh and healthy going into the final months. So, this past week was crucial to make sure I did not go stale.

I started out well:
Monday - 5 miles - fartleks
Tuesday - 8 miles - fartleks
Wednesday - 3 miles easy
Thursday - 4 miles - 800, 3 x 400, 4 x 200 at 87 sec pace
Friday - rest

Then, Saturday was going to be a long run and Sunday a medium paced stretch run. Instead, I woke-up late, had to take the kids to swim, then immediately to a birthday party; then off to homecoming; then babysitting while Cherish worked until almost 2200 (new job at J. Jill - no you may not use the employee discount). On Sunday, we woke up and started prepping for a day of hiking in Freeport, Maine.

As a result, I was not able to close out the week well. I went for a 10 mile run with fartleks tonight and my legs were heavy, tight and stale. This week will need to be very effective. I want to run a 5k next Wednesday to tune up for an upcoming race at the beginning of November.

As for Mac, he is in great shape and in a great position. He toasts my PR and I am not so confident that I would break the 19 minute barrier before him. If I do, it would be only because he waited too long. My advice to him is to find a race next week and try again. Perhaps Mac did not have 19 minute legs on October 11, but, without minimizing what this means, he only needs to drop a few seconds on each mile. A good weather day can make all the difference in the world. As much as I would love to be first, Mac, remember, I want you to get there. Go out and seize the moment! Realize your goal! You can do it. I know you can. So, go do it and run for your life!

19:16

This morning I ran in the Landmark Church Run for Life 5k. The field was fewer than 200 runners, and it was clear early on that the front would be rather thin. Five of us went out together at the front, finishing our first mile in 6:10. Then one guy dropped off the back, two guys shot out in front, and I found myself battling with a guy nearly twice my age for third place. We duked it out for the rest of the race. At mile 2 we were on the same pace in 12:20. I pulled away from him on a small hill about 1/4 mile from the finish, and placed third in 19:16.

I just didn't have it in me today to run 6:07's. No excuses, no regrets. I paced almost perfectly and left everything on the course, I just didn't have 19-minute legs today. I have one more race this year, the Jingle Bell 5k on December 6. That's my last shot.

Here are my 5k race times so far this year:
February: 19:47
April 26: 19:12
May 10: 19:51
September 1: 19:59
October 11: 19:16

I'm this close. Trouble is, CGB is right behind me. My money says the next 5k he races, he breaks the barrier.

Meanwhile, Notsoflash... (cue crickets).

Rest Week...

I have been running well lately, posting PRs in a relay and a half-marathon over the last two or three weeks. I am getting ready to put in shorter distance speed work. With that in mind, I decided to take this week off from training and put in some light road work.

Monday - rest
Tuesday - 3 miles medium
Wednesday - 4 miles easy
Thursday - 5 miles medium
Friday - 3 miles pushing a stroller, but easy pace
Saturday - 8-9 miles, pushing a stoller, but easy pace
TOTAL = 24 miles

This week will be full of speed, hard runs, distance and fartleks. I will target a 5K towards the end of the week. I will keep you all posted.

A New PR...

So, my goals were not exactly matched - I ran the final 5K of my half-marathon in 20:22 - but I was pretty pleased. I set a new personal record - 3 minutes and 15 seconds until my running shoes were water logged. Oh, I also ran my half-marathon over 4 mintues faster than my previous best. I came in at 1:31:29. Wee pee!!! Now, I am very, very, very tired.

(Did I really just write "Wee pee"?)

Another Test...

In five minutes, I leave for a half-marathon in Wilmington, MA. It is called... the Wilmington Half-Marathon - original. I have been putting in quite a bit of distance runs lately, which would seem contrary to the purpose of getting faster in the 5K. I should say, however, that I notice my legs and my engine are definitely stronger. I think this is strengthening the base on which my 18:59 will come this year. I do not want to lose site of the 5K, though, so today I will put together another test - I want 1:35 in the half-marathon. I would like to do that by putting in a 20:00 final 3.1. Realistically, I probably won't get it, but if I set the goal, and reach for it, then I should be able to approach it, right? We'll see...

In preparation, I have already run 33 miles this week, with a couple of off days.

Monday - 15 miles - 1:50
Tuesday - 5 miles - medium
Wednesday - 8.3 miles - fast - 0:58
Thursday - rest (worked too long of a day)
Friday - 5 miles - easy
Saturday - rest

So, what could be better - the Red Sox are going to the play-offs, the Phillies won the division, Penn State won convincingly last night over #22 Illinois and the Eagles should win their third game tonight against the Bears (hopefully). Seems like a good day to go racing... except for the constant down pour that has been flooding the streets for the last two days and is to continue through tomorrow morning.

Congrats to CGB

CGB is really putting on a training clinic. He's racking up the miles and layin' out the blistering times. The relay sounds like fun. 65 minutes for a very hilly 9.3 miles is very impressive. My 19:12 is in serious jeopardy once CGB turns his attention back to short speed work.

I continued to save my knees by cross-training last week, doing both my speed work and my distance work on the bike, running the middle-distance workouts, and mixing in a swim. As I get closer to my next race date, October 11, I'll need to get back on the track. But for another week or so, I'm enjoying the variation.

Sunday & Monday: rest (too busy)
Tuesday: swim 1/2 hour; run 5m
Wednesday: run 3m tempo
Thursday: ride intervals, 10 x 1/2 mile (26 mph), 1/2 mile (16 mph)
Friday: run 5m
Saturday: ride 32m

What a Relay!!!

Today, I ran the Fred Brown Lake Winnipesaukee Relay. It is the same one that I ran last year - 65 miles around the Lake - and I ran the same leg - 9.3 miles. I wanted to conquer the 350 foot climb at the beginning (over 0.5 miles) and the immediate descent - followed by more climbs and immediate descents. Last year, I ran it in 72 minutes and destroyed my legs. I did not get into a groove until after miles 3. This year, I made the climb with "relative ease" and sustained stride and momentum down each descent. The climbs were fluid and I felt great. I passed people one-by-one, a Bill Rodgers-type passed me, and drove my legs up the final ascent to the transition point passing one final competitor with a final sprint. I felt good and my legs were moving like I wanted more. My watch this year? 65 minutes. SWEET!!! It must have been all of those hill repeats over the last couple of weeks and a relatively light week this week serving as rest = 30 miles so far. I think I will sign-up and run a half-marathon next Sunday. Then, I will focus on speed intervals. After cheering for my teammates today, and having them cheer for me (all while hanging out of the moving van), hanging in good humor and with smelly bodies, and running with positive attitude and results (we won our division by 13 minutes), the best part of the day was, obviously, the shower.

Why Does a Great Week Have to End That Way?

For the last few weeks, I have been consistently getting good, quality runs in. I have been packing on the miles and getting faster and stronger. I have been recovering well and therefore, running well. It has been fun as evidenced by my desire to build each week. Enter last week.

My mother was visiting, so I had already projected that I would be in bed late and awake late; I would feel bad going out for runs while my mom was hanging at home; I would just easily find the whole week a good excuse to let the week drop. Instead of these things, I was up early everyday and got in good sold runs for the third or fourth consecutive week. I continued to run well, putting in good times, more miles and an impressive long-run:

Tuesday: 5 miles moderate
Wednesday: 4 miles fast
Thursday: 9 miles in 1:03
Friday: 3 miles easy
Saturday: 6 miles moderate
Sunday: 15 miles in 1:59 including 8 repeats up long and steep hill

However, just as things seem to continually go well, Donovan McNabb fumbles the ball late in the fourth quarter and the Cowboys score a touchdown to take the lead. Then, just when I think the Eagles can pull off the upset, anyway, McNabb decides he does not want to run for the first down leading to an impossible 4th down and the Cowboys win. This sucks. I need to go for a run and clear my head.

My secrets, revealed!

Drats! CGB uncovered my secret weight loss program. The fact is that since moving to Alabama I've had no difficulty keeping the weight off. It's not because I'm in great shape; the ubiquitous fried and sugary foods have seen to it that I maintain a fluffy cushion around my middle. I keep the weight off because I am perpetually dehydrated. And my dehydration is not for lack of fluid intake. I spend as much time consuming water and salty foods and I do engaging in all my other activities combined. Yet somehow all that water ends up in my clothes. When I undress in the evenings I can squeeze enough water out of my clothes to refill Lake Powell, and still there is enough left to replenish a couple dozen acres of the Sahara Desert.

Cross training the last couple weeks, as I have mixed in the laps in the pool and miles on the bike (including for speedwork) and I accepted an invitation to play basketball with some former students.

Sunday, Aug. 30: 5k tempo (20:55)
Monday: 5k race (19:59)
Tuesday: ride intervals, 10 x 1/2 mile, 1/2 mile
Wednesday: run 5m
Thursday: run 5m
Saturday: ride 32m

Tuesday: swim 1/2 hour; run 5m
Wednesday: basketball
Thursday: run 5m
Friday: run intervals, 4 x 400 (88 sec. ave.), 300
Saturday: run 4m

Great Weight Loss Program...

On Saturday, I went for a long run (planned 13 miles) at around 1:45 in the afternoon. What was I thinking? The temperature was 80°C and the humidity was ~100%. It felt like I was running through a swimming pool or a bathtub, only there were no rubber duckies floating in the air. It was so humid and hot, that my sweat left a trail on the ground. It was a good thing I didn't rob a house; the cops would have been able to stop by the Dunkin' Donuts (or Starbucks - it is Andover), then still be able to follow the trail because the moisture in the air would have prevented any attempt at evaporation. Believe me, I am not exaggerating; every step felt like I just put my feet down in a puddle after a torrential down pour. (I know, I know. Disgusting, but I never claimed to be a romantic). At any rate, it was so hard and slow, that I cut it short and ran only 12 miles. On the plus side - I lost 7-8 lbs. only to drink from the garden hose to replenish the fluids.

Here are that stats for last week:

Monday - 5 miles moderate
Tuesday - 4 miles moderate
Wednesday - 8.3 miles in 57:27 (the last 3.2 miles in 20:17)
Thursday - 4 miles fast
Friday - rest
Saturday - 12 miles
Sunday - 6 miles easy-moderate
TOTAL = 39 miles

It was a good week. I would love to say that I am ready to build on that this week, but my mom will be visiting all week, so no guarantee. I will keep you posted.

Keep Up the Good Work...

Well, 80°C, humid weather is not easy to run in. It seems like AJMac is keeping in shape and setting up for a productive 6 weeks. Seems like the perfect training schedule. Keep up the good work.

In Massachusetts, the weather has not been so oppressive, very beautiful in fact, and so I have been taking advantage of it. Last week I posted some big numbers without really doing speed work (that will come later):

Monday - 4 miles moderate
Tuesday - 3.5 miles hard
Wednesday - 10 miles fast = 71 minutes flat - this includes the final 2.5 miles in 15:45 (6:18 pace)
Thursday - 5 miles moderate
Friday - rest
Saturday - 12.5 miles moderate = 1:32 - this includes the final 3.4 miles in 22:45 (6:41 pace is not bad for the end of a 12 mile run.
Total = 35 miles

Oh, by the way, I biked into work and home every day last week, so my legs were not super fresh. I am trying to keep up the good work this week (minus the biking - time to take the oldest to school every day) and even improve on my last numbers. I want to be able to start out a race at 6:20 pace, improve to 6:15 over mile two and then book it home, leaving it all out on the course, by averaging a 5:50 pace over the next 1.1 miles.

19:59

When I awoke this morning at 5:00 AM to start loosening for the race, the temperature was already 80 degrees. And with the cloud bands from Hurricane Gustav passing overhead, it was wicked humid. It got muggier from there. The course incorporated nearly every hill in downtown Montgomery, just to slow things down a little more. So I am pleased with my 19:59 time and my 4th-place finish.

Given the conditions, I paced myself perfectly. My first mile was 6:25, my second mile was 6:25, and my average overall pace was 6:26.

Now I know what I need to do. I have six weeks before my next race, which I plan to target. By then the air should be cooler, if not drier. It won't be my last chance in 2008 to break nineteen minutes, but why wait until the last minute?

Another storm comin'

Unless Gustav turns north at the last minute, I'll probably get to run my 5k race in the morning. It was a light week by design. Tomorrow morning I should get an accurate sense of how slow I have become this summer. But I want to give myself the opportunity to surprise myself.

Sunday: run 4m
Tuesday: run 4m
Wednesday: fartleks
Saturday: run 4m

Natural disappointment

Growing up in New England, I was always a little jealous of people who lived in climatologically interesting places. The closest we ever had to a natural disaster was the blizzard. And in Maine we were pretty adept at snow removal, so a blizzard had to be a real doozy to count as an event. Anything less than five feet in 24 hours was insufficient to force a school cancellation, let alone make the national news. Four and a half feet was just enough to break my back shovelling the driveway and not nearly enough to prevent the plows from clearing the road before the school bus arrived. Boe-ring.

By contrast, the South routinely had exciting weather events, which we always watched on television with rapt attention. Hurricanes. Tornadoes. The sorts of cataclysms that launch the careers of aspiring television journalists. Try to imagine Dan Rather in 1961 catching the eye of CBS execs by reporting from the snow-covered rocks of Portland, Maine in January. There's a reason that many Americans think that Maine is a Canadian province: hurricanes make good television and blizzards do not.

Now I live in a very climatologically interesting place: Alabama. So it was with no small anticipation that I awaited the arrival of Hurricane Fay last week, my first noteworthy weather event. Then Fay was downgraded to a tropical storm, changed directions seven times, and stalled out over Florida, which took some of the excitement out of it. But when I saw the pictures of eels and 'gators swimming in the streets of the Sunshine State, I became eager all over again. Violent winds, torrential rains, storm surge, and dangerous animals? I'm all about that!

Fay arrived Saturday and of course I celebrated by lacing up the running shoes and heading out to tour the carnage. I was sorely disappointed. No children suspended horizontally from street signs. No local TV reporters channelling their inner Dan Rathers, buffeted by rapacious gusts. No one paddling around the streets in canoes. Not one alligator.

But there was plenty of rain. So all was not lost. Like most amateur endurance athletes -- runners, cyclists, rhythmic gymnasts -- I am both vain and deluded about my own physique. I'll take any excuse to run shirtless through the streets with rain pouring over my flabby midsection, imagining that I resemble one of those athletes portrayed on the cover of Outside Magazine, making his way across the Australian outback with nothing but a compass, a water bottle, and a tattered pair of running shorts. Fortunately, everyone else had the good sense to stay inside, so I had no spectators.

I have Tropical Depression Fay to thank for that brilliant moment.

My stats from last week.
Sunday: ride 22m
Monday: rest
Tuesday: run 7m
Wednesday: 12 x short hill
Thursday: run 5m
Friday: 12 x 400 meters
Saturday: run 4m shirtless in a mild tropical depression; lunges 20 minutes

Ah, Lunges!

AJMac reminded me that I could always do lunges to help strengthen the legs. I forget these things, which is why we have this blog. Soon, we are entering September and then we will need to definitely crank up the effort; so this comes with good timing. I also could do the exercise where it looks like I am skipping, but I am really propelling myself high in the air. What are those called?

At any rate, I definitely had a productive week = 34 miles:

Monday - 5 miles hard
Tuesday - 3 miles hard
Wednesday - 8 miles - 1 hour 0 minutes,
Thursday - 3 miles easy (not to mention biking into work and home again)
Friday - rest
Saturday - 10 miles - 1 hour 16 minutes
Sunday - 5 miles medium

I also had time to ponder over my running philosophy. Some time soon I will write about it, but only if AJMac doesn't laugh at me. I am feeling more in shape and my 10 mile and 8 mile runs this past week felt efficient. That is good. I need the miles and the confidence to strengthen my legs, the hills to gain some speed and the cardio to build my engine.

I was watching the Olympic men's marathon and they described the winner (from Kenya) as having the perfect marathoner's body, "small frame and large engine, just like a stock car - efficient cardio and only 112 pounds". 112 pounds! Well, I thought I was like a "stock" car, but different meaning. No wonder my marathon is 1.5 hours longer than theirs. I guess I can kiss the 2012 London games good-bye. Maybe the 2010 Nathan's Fourth of July Coney Island HotDog Challenge is within reach. I should start training.

Speed work

Congrats to CGB for his 19:42 5k tempo run Tuesday. He's obviously in good shape to make another run at 19 minutes. In light of my 20:47 5k tempo on Friday afternoon, I have more work to do. My next 5k race will be on Labor Day. It will be helpful to know how much speed I have lost since my 19:12 race in April.

What I have lost in speed I have gained in endurance. Riding the bike around New England and running on trails above 9300 feet in Colorado was very good for the cardio-vascular system. Now I just need to get my legs to move. To that end, the last two weeks have been all about speed work and leg strengthening.

Two weeks ago:
Monday: run 5m
Tuesday: run 4m
Wednesday: run 5.5m
Thursday: 4 x 700 meters (2:34 ave.), 350 meters
Saturday: 12 x 400 meters (88 sec. ave.)

Last week:
Monday: run 6m
Tuesday: run 4m; lunges 20 mins.
Wednesday: run 5.5m
Thursday: 4 x 700 (2:33), 350
Friday: hot, humid 5k tempo (20:47); lunges 20 mins.
Saturday: 10 x 400 (87 sec.)

From Colorado to Sea Level to the Olympics...

Not that I am in or even at the Olympics, but they are on and they are taking up all of my time. Even the kids are into the Olympics. They were in the pool at grandmom and grandpa's house and they were "playing Olympics". Thankfully, Mrs. CGB was there to referee the events.

It has been a while since I posted. Since then, I have returned from my excursion to Colorado and Summit County. It was so beautiful. Some time in Rocky Mountain National Park opened my eyes to God's great glory, when my head was shutting down - not quite acclimated on day one. On my second day, we hiked up to 14,265 ft. on Mt. Quandary and I have never seen anything so surreal in my whole life. Here take a look:

AJMac really enjoyed the views and even got to stand out "over the world".

And just so you believe that I was there:

Now, I have been hard at work back at sea level. Sea level is fine, but after spending days at two or more miles above sea level, such low altitude seems pointless. The only advantage seems to be swimming in the ocean and that is too cold to do. No wonder there was a lady in Boulder, CO with a T-shirt that read, "Sea level is for sissies".

Well, this sissy, has been biking to work most days (it helps that my car was in the shop for a full week). I have been placing runs in strategically and feeling pretty good. I have to get back to doing speed work (my last session was early June), but I was encouraged by a 5K on Tuesday night. I ran it in 19:42. Also, I should state that Mrs. CGB and I are doing the South Beach diet in order to get a little healthier. I actually feel a little more in shape. Dieting, biking and running ought to do that, you know. Now, I need to translate the lost weight into a faster 5K time.

At sea level

Back in Alabama now and back on a regular running routine (more on which later). The month of June was all about the bike, and I logged several hundred miles riding around the south coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The month of July was all about the trail running shoes, and I spent enough time at 9300 feet and above to build a decent stock of red blood cells.

As I mentioned in a previous post, CGB joined me in Colorado. We ran a couple of times and ascended Quandary Peak, 14,265 feet high:

Here's CGB coming down the mountain, with a crowd going up (it was busy day):

Mrs. Mac and Baby Mac hiked with me every day around Summit County.

Now I have a daily diet of flat, low Alabama. Speed work, anyone?

Trading altitude for mugginess

I have passed the last two weeks at our place in Colorado. The daily routine has almost invariably included a morning hike with Mrs. Mac, carrying Baby Mac on my back, then a 4-6 mile trail run in the evening before supper. Though the bike did not make the trip west this year (Baby Mac won the coin toss), and I still have done no speed work since mid-May, I am logging a lot of base miles on foot. That should give me something to build on when I start interval training again in a month or so.

This trip also included a visit with CGB, who joined me in an ascent up Quandary Peak:

CGB did the hike after having been in Colorado for only 36 hours. He was nowhere near acclimated, and he handled the challenge with aplomb. He didn't throw up and he refrained from cursing at me on the 40% grade on the last mile below the summit.

I now go from 9300 feet above sea level to zero; I will spend next week at a conference in Palm Beach. But I am trading altitude and dry air for heat and humidity. As between the two, I feel a lot better at altitude. So I won't be setting any land speed records any time soon.

17.5 Hours and Counting...

In 17.5 hours, I will be on a plane toward Colorado. I am currently packing and getting ready to go. I have a good backpack, some proper gear and clothes, my journal and John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High" in my head. This is going to be great. Now, I know that this is a running blog, so to accommodate the purpose - this week I have biked in to work all but one day and have done some running. AJMac ensures that we will be doing some trail running in Colorado - how exciting is that! Well, back to work. I will be in bed late tonight and I have to wake up early to run and get to work before my flight. I will post all about Colorado - if I return, that is (even though my wife doesn't think so, that was meant to be funny).

9000 Feet in my Mind...

AJMac is at 9000 feet. I am at 100 feet (or somewhere around there); but, I am at 9000 feet in my mind. I am so excited to see AJMac, Mrs. AJMac, little AJMac and NotsoFlashGordon in Colorado. I know that the altitude is going to kill me, but I am so freaking psyched - it isn't even funny - WOOO HOOO!!!! I fly in four days. I have laundry to do, packing to organize, sleep to catch and more miles to run prior to my flight. AJMac guarantees we will do several trail runs and see God's country from above. So, in preparation, I have put in a solid week of running and will strive to continue. My legs need to be strong, my lungs and heart need to be efficient and I need to not embarass myself on the trails. With that, let me chronicle what I have done this past week:

Tuesday: 6.5 miles of medium running
Wednesday: 6.5 miles (1 x 1200, 1 x 800, 1 x 400, 1 x 200, 6 x 100S)
Thursday: 4.5 miles of medium running
Friday: 4.5 miles (6 LS, 4 x 100S)
Saturday: 10 miles (pushing a double stroller - yes, there were some stops involved)
Sunday: Rest (did you read about the double stroller?)

I also started up the floor workout again late in the week, with two days of pushups (3 sets) and situps (2 sets).

I have been trying to get to bed earlier this past week so that I can have a more productive day. I am used to crashing at the end of a day and struggling through the night only to get to bed later than I would like and wake up tired. This week, it is about getting to bed early in order to be more productive in the morning. That means... good night...

P.S. I have been reading over previous blogs and am utterly embarassed and deeply apologetic for my poor grammar, sentence structure and general use of punctuation. George W. and I are jump starting a new dialect, apparently.

9000 Feet

I am here in Summit County, waiting for CGB and Notsoflash to arrive. Ran one of my favorite trails today, feeling the altitude and the exhileration. Life is good... and dry.

And a Trip to the Rockies?

As you know, if you have been reading the blog, I have been very sporadic in my running over the last several weeks since the first weekend in June. Now it is hot and humid and the last two days, I went out for a run. My legs are very heavy, my breathing is very limited and labored and next week, I am supposed to go hiking in the Rockies - over two miles above sea level? Perhaps my wife's fear of me dying on a mountain is more founded than I thought.

Happy 4th of July...

I just wanted to check in on a couple of things, including wishing everyone a happy 4th of July! In fact, just tonight, I dropped off a BBQ grill to some friends to celebrate the 4th. The lady of that house is new to America and it is her first independance day. Gotta have a BBQ for that!

As you all know, I have been having a devil of a time keeping some consistency in my running schedule. This week has been better than previous, but I still need to finish it out. By my projections, I should be able to put in ~40 miles and two good speed days. The key, though, is getting up early enough to do it - we are travelling to Philly this weekend and so I am not certain I will have the ability to get up and hit the roads before the "morning" birds (the kids) start their ignitions.

I am still trying to bike into work and home. It is only 5 miles each way, but it keeps my aerobic activity going and still works the legs (at least I am convinced it does). The small seat hurts my tush, though, and I am not a fan of that.

I am glad to have seen AJMac submit a new post, but sad to have heard that his (and his family's) vacation has been "shortened" by sickness. I am glad they are feeling better and look forward to seeing them in Colorado in 2 weeks.

So, it was 232 years ago that the revolutionary's demonstrated why this land would later become the greatest nation in the history of the world. They had shown backbone in their fight and vision in their actions. It is my sincerest prayer that we have the same backbone and vision in our daily lives. God Bless America, land of the free and home of the brave! Happy Independance Day and may God bless you!

Amen!

At the end of the earth

I am currently at my in-laws' summer house, which does not have internet access. That's my excuse for my silence. Though I have not been as diligent about running as CGB, I have some activities to report.

The first half of the month began with a drive (with Mrs. AJMac and Baby Mac) from Alabama to Maine to see family, which preceded the Mother of All Head Colds. The MoAHC then turned into a sinus infection, ear infection, and bronchitis (the trifecta!) and kept me from anything marginally strenuous for more than two weeks.

For the last two and a half weeks, I have been focusing on the bike, riding about 120 miles each week and running 8-12. I am looking forward, however, to running with CGB and Notsoflash on the trails behind our place in Colorado in two weeks. 9000 feet is a long way above sea level.

Accountability Check...

WHERE ARE YOU GUYS????? Injured or not, resting or running, you guys can still post so we know what is going on. Don't make me call you both out by name !

The Corporate Challenge...

Well, my running is still sporadic. It is one of those "seasons" in the running season that seems to rear its ugly head every year. Usually, it happens to me at the beginning of the season. When I was running well and often earlier, I thought I had finally avoided the dreaded season. Well, I guess I can still beat it if I put some good days together and let them snow ball.

On Thursday evening, I am running in the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge - Boston. It is 14,000 runners squeezing down one side of Commonwealth Avenue so that they can all fit coming back on the other side of Commonwealth Avenue. It is fun, though, because of the amounts of people, you see co-workers, and the company pays - dinner, too. All of that helps to minimize the effect of "cuddling" under the Massachusetts Avenue overpass (part of the route), which is approximately 20 feet wide, with 1,000 of your closest and stinkiest friends. I am most concerned about this because I am one of the stinkiest, I am sure. And as a God-fearing Christian, I must be concerned for my fellow man. So, how can I subject them to such pain and suffering? Did I mention that the company pays for the race - and dinner, too?

A Little Sporadic...

After my race on May 30, I ended up taking the week off - my mom was visiting and I had a lot of work. So, last week, I went back to speed work, but only got four days in:

Tuesday - 6.5 miles (2 x 1 mile, 1 x 1200, 1 x 800, 1 x 400, 6 x 100 strides)
Wednesday - 5 miles moderate
Thursday - 5.5 miles (4 x 200, 4 lactate sessions, 4 x 100 strides)
Sunday - 8 miles

I should be running tonight, but instead I am going to watch the Celtics in Game 6. Speaking of which, I should have let Cherish write this...

Tonight's Race...

So, I ran the town 5K this evening - the Andover Days 5K. I have run this race every year since its inception and absolutely love it. It is a challenging course, with a big reward - increasing elevation for the first two miles and then a fast finish (the first part of mile 3 is down hill). My splits were off what I would need for a 19:00 race, but that was to be expected. The are as follows

Mile 1 - 6:32
Mile 2 - 6:23
Mile 3 and 0.1 - 6:33
Official finishing time - 19:29

This is a personal record and I even won my age group! I am so excited about this. Plus, I vindicated last week's poor showing. But why is it that on the same night that I set a PR, AJMac sits on his couch and gets a second better on his PR? What am I doing wrong?

Tonight, I met a gentlemen who has always wanted to beat 20:00 minutes. His official time tonight was 19:00. We should use that story as motivation.

A second faster without lifting a foot

I haven't raced in three weeks. I haven't even been running very much, as I have been busy grading exams, doing end-of-the-semester stuff, and getting sick. Nevertheless, without even so much as registering for a race, I managed to shave a full second off my post-high school PR. The official results for the Vaughn Forest 5k were posted (here). Apparently my official time was 19:12, a second faster than the time on my wrist watch.

This is the way to shave off seconds: sit around doing nothing and watch one's races get faster as time goes on. At this rate, I'll have run a 19-minute 5k by the end of November without running another race.

Upcoming Race and Belated Reflection...

Tomorrow night I have the town 5K race. I am very excited for it, because I run it every year. It has a steady, but slight climb for the first mile, then a couple of quick bursts up minor hills and then a fast finish. So, in preparation, I went out this week and ran some speed intervals on Tuesday morning, and then on Wednesday morning I ran a time trial. To be honest, I do not know if this was the smartest thing to do, but after warming up for ~1.5 miles (including a few 100m strides) and some stretching, I ran the course as if it were a race. My stop watch as I crossed the "finish line" said 19:35. This reminds me that during the week leading up to my last race, when I ran 6 miles, I decided to "race" 3.1 miles of it. My watch clocked 19:37. So, I know that I can do better than 20:21. I need to do it, though, and that means starting with the right preparation leading up to the race. So, after my light and easy stretch run of 3 miles, I will wake up with a goal of a hearty carbed breakfast, a light lunch, plenty of water until about 3 or 4 PM and then timely arrival at the race. The warm up will be my key. This will be an important race because it will tell me, if I run the best race that I can, how far away I am for the elusive 19 minute 5K. I will let you know how it went...

Not to Make Excuses...

As you know, I had a race on Tuesday, May 20, to gauge the progress of my training. I will get to that in a moment. First I want to document my stats for the week leading up to the training.

Monday: 2 x 1200, 1 x 800, 1 x 400, 1 x 200, 6 x 100 strides (total of ~7 miles including warm up and warm down)
Tuesday: 6 miles
Wednesday: 4 x 200, 4 lactate sessions, 4 x 200, 4 x 100 strides (total of about 6 miles including warm up and warm down
Thursday: 7 miles including hills (learned on that run that my employee was most likely handing in her resignation)
Friday: 3 miles easy, stretch run
Saturday: Should have run 11 miles, but did not run at all
Sunday: Should have run 6 miles, but did not run at all

Then on Monday, I should have had an easy, stretch run since I did not do any leg strengthening distance over the weekend, but I did not. So, I let three days go by with nothing. Enter Tuesday. Let me preface this by saying that I have been absolutely swamped and I do not like to make excuses. Can you see where this is going already?

I ended up working late on Tuesday. That is fine, and admittedly, I already knew at the beginning of the day that I would end up working past 5-5:30. I just needed to be gone by 6:15 so that I could show up at the 7:00 race ready and warming up by 6:45. Naturally, I did not leave work until 6:30 - did I mention that it takes 20 minutes to get to the 7:00 race? To add to the stress of the evening, I decided to change in the car as I drove. During the drive, because I had no true red lights without another car pulling up right next to mine, I was brave enough to only change my shirt.

Knowing that I was already behind schedule when I approached the race site, I pulled in front of the bar where registration was occurring and temporarily parked in the most convenient parking space. I ran in and was told to go to the far back of the building to register. As I snaked my way through the traditionally tight New England hallways, I came upon a woman working the registration table. I have registered for many races and on that night, I was expecting it to be just as fluid and efficient as before. Instead, she preceded to explain all of the process to me. Apparently, I was racing in a series and needed to know the impact to the races that followed. So, after the short conversation that took me to 6:55 (for those with time deficiencies, the race was at 7:00), I ran out to my car to move it to an appropriate parking space - oh, I forgot to tell you something special about that "convenient parking space" (or was I avoiding it?)... I parked in a handicap space. Yes, you guessed it, I was getting a ticket when I ran out to the car. The officer was nice, but lectured me (and rightly so). I did not get the $300 ticket. Thank, the Lord.

I moved the car. I pulled around to the back of the bar which was supposed to be close to the race start. At this point, I would say the time was 6:58. Several runners were performing their warm-ups past the car and I still needed to change into my shorts. At the first sign of freedom from the would-be voyeurs, I quickly pulled on my running underwear and shorts (yes, you heard correctly - I was bu**-naked in the car). I jumped out of the car to run down the street, around the corner, around the next corner, and down the street to the starting line. I was running hard to get there so it is very difficult to call it a warm-up. Also, it was probably a little less than a 1/4 mile. I got to the back of the crowd and started to pin my number on. I was in the middle of the second pin, when the gun blew and I had not stretched. So, I started to trot, finishing the second pin and doing the third. I always use four pins and it was not until after I almost tripped to decide not to try the fourth pin.

I realized at this point that everyone was out in front of me and I needed to make up time. So, I ran hard estimating that I traversed the first mile in just under 6:00. Remember that I did not have the proper warm-up. I would also like to emphasize that I had to estimate distance. There were no mile markers. After running hard for the first mile, I could feel myself starting to slow down. I felt like I had been running for close to 3 miles, though I knew that could not be right when I asked another runner "how much further?" His reply, "just 1/2 mile". Great I thought, so I pushed harder. Well, it turns out that the 1/2 mile so generously declared, was at least 3/4 mile. As I approached the finish line, my legs would not go faster and I came across in a "blistering" 20:21.

Well, I have another race this weekend, Friday night. I am hoping that it is a better gauge of my efforts. Though just incase it does not go well, I should say up front that work kept me from running at all since last Tuesday's race until this morning.

I tried so desparately not to convey any excuses. I should tell you, though, that on Tuesday, I forgot to wear shoes.

Stats and all that

The week, recapped.

Sunday: ride fast 22m
Tuesday: run 5m
Wednesday: run 6m
Thursday: run 5k tempo
Friday: run 4m tempo
Saturday: ride 45m

Another Week...

This past week was light. Mostly because I travelled to western Mass over the weekend and was not able to fit in the running with Mother's Day. Otherwise, I did speed work with easy runs in between. The first day of speed work was really tough. Some days you just don't have it - maybe I warmed up to quickly, or did not stretch enough. Perhaps my body just did not have the energy. Either way, I kept with it, running 7.5 miles with extensive "speedwork" making up the most of it. I felt much more spry on the second day of speedwork.

Monday: 3.5 miles easy, stretch run
Wednesday: 7.5 miles (2 x 1200, 1 x 800, 1 x 400, 1 x 200, 6 x 100m strides)
Thursday: 7.0 miles with 5 hills including a 1 mile long monster hill
Friday: 6.0 miles (4 x 400, 4 lactate sessions, 4 x 200, 6 x 100m strides)

I want to run a baseline 5K next week, but want to get a good strong week in, first. I will target a Lowell 5K on Tuesday evening. My goal is to try to maintain a strong race pace so that I can work on my endurance and speed in the final mile.

Speaking of endurance, this week, in addition to my training, I will be participating in the BayState Bike Week, where we are trying to replace driving miles with biking miles in our commute. Though it is only 10 miles each day, it will work my heart and my legs (biking is hard - how does AJMac do it?). I will be very tired by the end of the week. So, I will look forward to a rest on Monday and then a race on Tuesday.

Just a word to my friend AJMac. 19:51 is still productive. Be not discouraged; be not dismayed. You may not have met your goal this week, but there is the next week or the next time. And you are right, the weather is out of your control. Remember, your lungs and legs are now stronger for it.

Last week's training stats

I plan to back off the speed work for a while, take a break from race preparation, and just accumulate base miles for the next few weeks. My stats follow, from the final week pre-target race.

Sunday: ride 32m
Monday: run 5m
Wednesday AM: 4 x 700 meters (2:41 ave.)
Wednesday PM: ride time trial
Thursday: run 4m
Friday: run 5k
Saturday: race 5k (19:51)

Out of my control

Certain things are within a runner's control. You train hard, disciplining yourself to run even on days when you don't want to lace up the shoes. You eat well. Before a race you sleep as much as you can. You wash the laundry so that you won't have to wear that rancid pair of shorts in which you ran 7 miles in 92 degree heat on Wednesday.

Other things are not at all within the runner's control. That little old lady in the Buick who cuts in front of you? Let it go. Do the math. Her car weighs 1500 pounds. You weigh... well, a lot less, even if you did eat three Krispy Kreme donuts at the faculty meeting yesterday morning.

Ahem.

The weather is one of those things out of the runner's control. So when I awoke Saturday morning brimming with hope for a 19-minute 5k and stepped outside to find air so think I need a pocket knife to pry my way across the threshold, there was nothing to do but race anyway.

How muggy was it? We didn't run five kilometers so much as we waded five kilometers. My finishing time, 19:51, was a huge disappointment, especially after running a 19:13 just two weeks earlier. But I finished in third place overall. That's how muggy it was. Everyone was slow. The whole race was run in instant replay, with John Madden drawing lines all over the course and inanimate objects suspended in mid-air as little children looked on with perpetual, unchanging boredom engraved on their little faces.

So, the nineteen minute five kay lives to fight another day. And I keep chasing.

Good Strong Week, Finally...

As I promised, here are my stats for this week. I logged 37 miles, but just as important, if not more important, I have worked in speed, hills and endurance. Now, if I can keep this up and build my mileage, I should see some real results. The plan is to try to build on the past week in the upcoming days. Hopefully, I can do this by duplicating the following effort and working in an extra easy, stretch run. Then, if all goes to plan this week, the next week I will run a local 5K in the evening as a baseline race. Note that all intervals are done at 6:00 pace (equivalent to 90 seconds/400 meters). I need to increase the speed in order to work down to 19:00, but there is time to build that strength and speed.

Tuesday: 8.5 miles including 2 x 1200, 2 x 800, 2 x 400, 2 x 200 and 6 x 100 strides
Wednesday: 4 miles easy, stretch run, including one big hill
Thursday: 7.5 miles including 2 x 800, 4 x 400, 4 x 200 and 6 x 100 strides
Saturday: 6 mile medium tempo run (pushing one of the kids)
Sunday: 11 miles good pressing pace (not sure of time) including four long hills

Scary Things...

I will have this week's stats to post once I have finished my week. It depends on if I get out for today. But I wanted to post about two scary things. One is me (more on that later). The other is the fact that this blog started just over two months ago, when AJMac was at 19:46 (not sure if that is accurate) and is now at 19:13. Admittedly, I did not expect that he would drop so quickly. I was, and am now even more so, certain that AJMac would get 18:59; but, to know he is 14 seconds away shocked NotsoFlashGordon and me to the core. I am not certain of NotsoflashGordon's reaction, but it got me thinking terrible thoughts - is AJMac going to crush me? Am I too out of shape to make a serious run at this thing? Is AJMac going to jump ship and joining the blog "Seventeen Fifty Nine" because we are not good enough? I guess the real feeling though, when I reflect properly, is pride. I am so proud that he is at 19:13, because in spite of wanting to be the first to the goal, I realized that the Army rangers did not just want one soldier to climb the cliff. Keep up the good work. I am cheering you on, AJMac. NotsoflashGordon and I are on our way, don't worry.

The other scary thing, as I mentioned at the top, is me. Specifically, on Thursday night, I ran up to the local prep school, Philips Academy Andover, to run on the track at night. There were no lights, just the stars, the track and me... and a petit woman walking around the track. She saw me running around the track towards her. All of the sudden her walk turned into a trot. I was doing speed work and so I was coming on fast. It was hard to see, but as she turned the corner and the distant lights from the main campus defined her sillouette, I could see she was faster than a cheetah. I couldn't catch her (in the figurative sense), but I am convinced she thought I was trying (in the literal sense). Apparently, she ran straight off the track and home. I think the dust is just now settling.

Preparing for the next attempt at the summit

My target 5k is one week away. One more week of pain, then perhaps a 19-minute 5k... or perhaps several more weeks of pain.

I have two weeks worth of training stats to post, since I didn't post any last week. A bad stomach bug sidelined me earlier this week, but I got mostly back on track... and lost some weight, which is helpful.

The Homer Simpson equipment check: Running shoes? Check. Sweat bands? Check. Nipple tape? Check, check, and check. Ready to run.

(Last week)
Sunday: ride 32m
Monday: run intervals -- 6 x 400 meters; then run 2m tempo
Wednesday: ride time trial
Thursday: run 5m
Friday: run 4m
Saturday: race 5k (19:13)

(This week)
Sunday through Tuesday: sick
Wednesday: run 6.5m
Thursday: run 4k tempo
Friday: run intervals -- 12 x 400 meters (87 sec. ave.)
Saturday: ride 42m

19:13

I raced in the Vaughn Forest Fitness Challenge 5k this morning. I had intended to use it as a tune-up for my target race on May 10, but when the gun went off the competitive juices flowed. I ran the first two miles in 6:05 each, slightly too fast. I paid for it in the last mile, but still managed to finish second in my age group.

More significantly, my time was 19:13. If my math is correct, that means I've taken 34 seconds off my 5k time this year and am now a mere 14 seconds from that elusive nineteen-minute race. Perhaps with some intensive speed work in the next couple of weeks, I can pull this off before the month of May has ended.

My next assault on the summit is May 10 in a race that will take place in my own neighborhood. It's a point of pride to defend one's own turf. Plus, Mrs. AJMac will be racing, and I can't let her beat me.

Improvement

I raced in the local time trials again Wednesday evening. Still couldn't catch the guys on the time trial bikes, but I improved my time and got a good speedwork in. The lungs, they burn!

My line:

Post-du training stats

No rest for the (slow and) weary. My next target race is a 5k on May 10 and I am determined to get within striking distance of 19 minutes, at least below 19:30. I'll be d----d if CGB or Notsoflash is going to beat me to 18:59.

The weekly recitation of self-inflicted, irrational, sadistic, arduous, emotionally-unbalanced training sessions follows, so that the guys can hold me accountable. Or so that I can read this a year from now and wonder, "What the @&#$% was I thinking?"

Sunday: stopped to whistle
Monday: run 5m recovery
Wednesday AM: run intervals, 8 x 400 meters (87 sec. ave.), 300 (recoveries)
Wednesday PM: time trial on the bike
Thursday: run 5m
Friday: run intervals, 12 x 400 (88 sec.), 300
Saturday: ride 40m

Its Been a While...

Let me start by apologizing for not posting in a couple of weeks. I have been having trouble breaking 20 miles per week for the last few weeks and I was ashamed to post. There... I completely recognize that I avoided a core element of this blog - letting myself be held accountable. I will be better about posting regularly so that AJMac and NotsoflashGordon can ride me to better performance and trust that we are in this together.

This week was better:

Monday - 4 miles tempo
Tuesday - 9 miles (11 x 400 @ 6:00 pace, 6 x 100 strides)
Wednesday - didn't get out
Thursday - 8 miles (more on this below)
Friday - Cherish had surgery on her knee

Saturday and Sunday are planned out so that I can put in a 10 mile run and a 6 mile easy run. If I complete those days, then my week will total 37 miles - a vast improvement over the weeks past. This is important, because this first quarter of 2008 had just as many cookies as miles. Which is sometimes okay with me; but it is making it hard to get to race fitness... really hard... like chocolate chip oatmeal raisin hard.

For those wondering, Cherish is okay. She had arthroscopic knee surgery and is starting to feel better from the anesthesia. The recovery should be short and hopefully this will help her feel better on a daily basis. There was some tearing inside and the doctor assures me that it is all fixed. Thank you for asking.

So, yesterday, Thursday, I ran 8 miles. I meant to turn the run into a bunch of fartleks. So, I ran out 4 miles at a good stretching pace (33 minutes - not fast and dangerous for starting out, but not debilitating either). When I turned around, I started my fartleks. I basically wanted a bunch of 200 meter fartleks and soon realized that I just turned the second half into one giant 4 mile fartlek. By the end of the run, I finished the 8 miles in 59 minutes. That means that the second 4 miles took 26 minutes = 6.5 minute pace, mostly going up hill. There is still a large gap to the 18:59, but that run yesterday was promising - without being at a race fitness level, I am 38 seconds better than last years best 5K race time and only 12 seconds away from being sub 19 minutes. I feel good about approaching my PR (19:36) in several weeks and putting myself into position to make a serious leap.

Now, it is time to congratulate AJMac! What a duathalon race he put in! AJMac won his age division, demonstrated a great level of fitness, is primed for dropping his 5K pace rapidly, made us all proud and looked freaking good while doing it (did you see his photos - Oh Behave!). I think I speak for all of us when I say that he is an inspiration and a bar set high for NotsoflashGordon and I. Congratulations, AJMac! Keep up the good work... it is definitely paying off.

And now for a "thank you" to the rabid dogs chasing AJMac. Keep it up boys! Your making him go faster.

Time trialing in 'Bama

I competed in my first time trial here in Montgomery on Wednesday evening. I had run intervals in the morning, so my legs weren't exactly fresh, but I still managed to average 23.17 mph over the 5.6 mile course. So I was pleased with myself. Until I saw the final results.

How good was the competition? My 14:30 finishing time was 13th out of 28 riders. Yes, the middle of the pack. Granted, most of the folks (not all guys, I'm ashamed to say) who beat me had time trial bikes, while I was riding my road bike with an aero bar. But still...

'Bama has cyclists. These guys are good.

Stats coming tomorrow. A preview: one duathlon, a couple of rides, and a lot of running intervals and tempos. I'm beat.

More race pics

Running past lot of expensive bikes in the transition zone:

On the bike:

Finishing:

Taper week

Last week I was tapering, so the numbers are a little smaller.


Sunday: run 6m
Monday: run 4m
Wednesday: ride 30m
Thursday: run 3.5
Saturday: run 4


Pre-race, waiting in the starting chute with the rest of the Middle-Aged Guy wave:

Done the du

Back from the Whistlestop Duathlon. Missed my target time by one minute, six seconds. I finished in 1:31:06, which was fast enough to win my age group. Though a fussy Baby AJMac prevented me from sticking around to claim my prize, I left with one of the coolest-looking t-shirts I've ever received at a race.

The runs were slow. My 4k splits were 18:24 and 18:50. Obviously, I should have done more speed work. However, I almost made up for it on the bike, cruising along on a very hilly and slightly windy course.

Some amazing athletes there, including several pros. That storm you hear behind you on the bike course? That's a guy on a ten-pound bike with an aero helmet going 26 mph uphill using the big chain ring. He's creating his own weather systems and generating enough energy to light Memphis.

I might have come in a few seconds faster were it not for the pickup driver who ran me off the road less than a mile before the last transition. I guess he got tired of passing cyclists and I was the closest one, so he took out his frustration on me. After pushing me out of the travel lane and to a complete stop, he blocked me out, driving slowly until I rode around behind him and attempted to pass on his left, then speeding up to prevent me from doing so. Fortunately, three very helpful police officers happened to be standing nearby and put an end to madness, forcing him to stop and letting me go on my way.

Last week's stats and today's race pictures (thanks to Mrs. AJMac) forthcoming. Now it's time to turn my attention back to the 5k. Judging from my running splits today, I have a lot of speed work in my future.

Notsoflash and CGB haven't posted in a while. What's up guys?

One week away

A week from tomorrow I'll be laying it on the line in Birmingham. The bike got a bath and lube today, after some interval and transition work in light rain made it a little grungy. My skin-tight, near-indecent racing suit is laid out and my Yankz! laces are in my running shoes. All I have left to do is rest up and try not to overthink things.

My stats this week follow.

Sunday: ride a very windy 32m
Monday AM: run 2.9m tempo
Monday PM: run intervals -- 6 x 700, 350
Wednesday AM: run 4.7m
Wednesday PM: run intervals -- 6 x 700, 350
Thursday: run 4m
Friday: run 5m
Saturday: ride intervals -- 5 x 1/2m, 1/2m; then straight into 4 bricks -- 4 x ride 1.2m, run 1k.

CGB and notsoflash no doubt have a major head start on me toward our ultimate goal. However, I intend to focus exlusively on the 5k after the duathlon is over next weekend.

Update...

This past week was looking bad until I was able to salvage some good running days. These included a fast 3.1K, though untimed, another hard 5 mile run, 8 miles on a very windy day (by the way, why is it that meteorologists can predict the direction of the wind, including changes of direction, every day and still manage to forget to highlight that, "though the winds will be blowing in from the south, at precisely 2:33 in the afternoon tomorrow, the winds will eerily shift to blow from the north just in enough time for the last 4 miles of Charles' run; at which point winds will return to blow from the south bringing in the warm air - just after Charles' run), and then another 5 mile easy run. It is this week that needs to be the final tune up prior to shifting gears into steady speed for consecutive weeks - 6 precisely. One final note, I may have the weather playing games with me, but at least I don't have dogs chasing me down. In fact, I passed a pitt bull on my run and it just looked at me. I am not bragging, and certainly not in spite of AJMac's recent and frequent brushes with death, but I should say... nah, nah, nah, nah (with tough sticking out and hands wide against my ears like a ten point buck - I will probably now get mauled on my next run).

Training binge

I am in the middle of an eight-day training binge between a demanding time at work earlier this week and my taper period, which I will start next week, leading up to the Whistlestop Duathlon. I am trying to cram in as many miles as possible to make up for lost time. And my legs are feeling the consequences.

My stats this week:
Sunday: lunges, 15 minutes
Wednesday: run 6.5m
Thursday: run 4.7m
Friday: ride 45m
Saturday morning: transition practice ("bricks") -- 8 x ride 1.2m, run 1k (a/k/a, 8 x "Why are my legs not moving?")
Saturday afternoon: lunges, 15 mins.

A new record for dogs eluded

On my training ride yesterday I outran nine dogs in five separate Dog Related Incidents (DRI). That's got to be some kind of record both for DRI's and for total number of dogs. The ride was 45 miles long, so maybe I get the award for miles per DRI.

Shortly after I moved here, before I knew any better, I called animal control on a group of chocolate labs who reside in a yard I pass on one of my favorites rides in this area. The dogs chase me every time I ride by. But they don't just chase me, they hunt me. They lie in wait in their yard, and as I approach, they run not toward me but rather toward the spot on the road where they are most likely to catch me. That's right: they take the angle.

After a particularly harrowing DRI at this location, I complained to the county animal control officer. He never called back, so I phoned him to follow up. Perturbed, he assured me that he had driven by the house and seen no dogs. Driven by! He didn't even pretend to have made the slightest effort to investigate. But his claim wasn't credible in the first place. Those dogs are always there, scheming chaos and destruction.

I got the message. The law is not on my side. I have search in vain in the Alabama constitution for a right to send one's unleashed dogs rushing hell-bent onto the highway ahead of (not after) cyclists, but have found no textual support for such a right. It must be one of thos penumbral emanations, like the right to have an abortion, or to share rap music out of one's car window.

Since then I have armed myself with pepper spray. Until a couple weeks ago I hadn't actually used the pepper spray because I always managed to outrun everything that chased me. But recently I decided to teach the chocolate labs a lesson. As I approached their house I deliberately slowed down to let the ring leader come alongside. Predictably taking the angle, he intercepted me about 70 yards down the road from the house. As he came even with my chain ring, I planted a solid shot of pepper spray right on his nose.

Who knew chocolate labs have disc brakes? That dog stopped so fast, it was enough to make one doubt the law of inertia.

And yet yesterday, just a couple of weeks later, he was right back at it. As I rode by, my nemesis was carefully calculating vectors as he sprinted for a spot ahead of me on the road. He hadn't learned.

I don't intend ever to stop and explain the correlation.

Spring is here! almost.

Tuesday's weather was exactly what my body had been waiting for for the last two months. During the day the temperature had creeped into the 60's at times. At night it was still temperate, with an absolutely clear sky, moderately humid, and on a Tuesday night, there was noone out driving. Perfect. When I left the house around 8:30, I had been planning on a longish run, maybe 8 - 10 miles; see what my ankle and my lungs were up to. As I ran down 1A though, I felt great and decided to try another 5K race pace. I came back to the house after 21' 51". That's still a far cry from 18' 59", but a 7'17" split is enough inspiration to last me, ohhh.... I'd say at least through next week. Slowly, but surely, I'll get there. It's just that, unfortunately for me, this is a race that does go to the swift, and the strong.

The rest of the week was uneventful, and it snowed yesterday.

Monday: 4.7 miles easy
Tuesday: The best running day I've had in a long, long time.
Wednesday: 6.5 miles easy
Thursday: 4.7 miles
Friday: 4.7 miles
Saturday: nothing yet, I slept in.

Holy Week.

I envy AJMAC and CGB who both have recently had warmer climates in which to run and perhaps even frolic in the warm Florida surf as they may sometimes be so inclined. Good for them. I had the rare opportunity to speak with them both in person during the same day today. In fact, all three of us were in the same state at the same time, but alas, unable to run together. Oh well.

Two weeks ago I rolled my ankle playing basketball. Last week I ran again after a week-long, orthopedic-related running hiatus. Hence, today I have some numbers for you. Surprisingly, the ankle felt OK last week, though a bit stiff. Also, despite the fact that I still look like Quasimoto when I run anything longer than four miles, I'm feeling a lot better when I run. I mean, it's not so much 'work' as it is 'not something that I despise' any more. I'm getting there again. But I digress. The numbers... (and these are not nearly as impressive as those of either of my teammates, but it's the best I got right now.)

Monday: ski a tad with kin in Maine and 3 mile easy run
Tuesday: 4.7 mile tempo run (that may seem like an odd distance, but it's a loop by my house. It's also exactly 1.5 5K's.)
Wednesday: absolutely nothing! we'll blame it on the ankle.
Thursday: 6 mile easy run
Friday: 4.7 mile tempo run
Saturday: 3.1 miles race pace (which at this point, on a semi-bum ankle is evidently only around 7:40. Not proud to say it.)

The ladder-type running schedule seems to work pretty well for me and I think I'll stick with it for now. At some point when my ankle is 100% again, I'm going to start some interval training and some hill workouts and work them in twice a week. But not yet.