Extra Baggage

I just walked in the door after a week in Kansas City for some work-related training. My first stop after getting hugs and kisses a-plenty was the bathroom scale. It looks like I brought home some extra baggage, about 10 lbs. worth. Could that be right? I think it actually IS right. I joked around with my classmates this week that I was consuming TWICE the calories I normally consume at home. Well, today's results now show that it wasn't a joke at all. If fact, it was more likely a very conservative estimate.

I HATE TRAVELING!!!

Back to work!!!

Burnin' Rubber in KC

Well, maybe "Burnin' Quads in KC" would be a more a propos title. I set out from the Hyatt last night for an easy 3-5 miles, just wanting to take it easy and explore a bit. Instead of running into the heart of downtown towards the Missouri River, I decided to stay to the south, near the hotel.

Through a quarter mile, I was feeling my oats, not having run since Saturday. Turning south onto Main St., a foreboding hill appeared suddenly before me. Part of me really wanted to just keep heading west and skip the hill but I was sort of trapped by the tangle of intersecting freeways and underpasses in that direction. So, my choice was to backtrack or take the hill. I took the hill.

Obviously, I slowed to a crawl as I trudged up the hill. Still, not an "old Vic" crawl but rather a steady, strong 14 minute/mile push. I looked for relief at each intersection, hoping that the sidestreets would provide a recovery, but at every light, the climb continued. It was like Main street was in the trough of a big drainage pipe.

I finally came to the crest of the hill and turned to the left, onto rolling neighborhood streets. It was a beautiful evening. The neighborhoods were decorated with a variety of flowering trees. Pink, white, even purple. In total, I think I climbed steadily for about 1 mile. My thighs definitely were spent. Still, I kept thinking that what comes up must come down. The route back to the hotel took me down a very short stretch of steep, steep downhill. Then, the rest of the trip back to the hotel was a lot more gentle of a slope than the uphill portions that had just torn my thighs up. I was glad because I didn't really feel like pounding down a long stretch of extreme downhill.

Total miles were just under 3 but it was a good workout. This evening, I think I'll do 3 or 4 easy on the treadmill at the hotel. There's really not any place to run around town that isn't very hilly and I need a recovery day.

Can't wait to get back to the flatlands of Houston.

"20 miles and I feel and look AWESOME!!!"

Before my readers jump for joy for me, you should know that the title of this post didn't come from me. They're from my good friend and inspiration, Reuben, who I ran into (not literally) this morning during my FUN 3 miler. Yes, that's right, 3 miles. Got a problem with that? :o)

Well, let me just get this out of the way because frankly, it's a relief to announce it to the world. The Pig is dead!!! I surrender. I'm not enjoying training for this marathon and I refuse to let my running become a chore. Plus, I don't want to be so wiped out when I return in May that I'm not ready and PUMPED to start training for the BIG SHOW next January. So, lesson learned. I seriously doubt I'll ever opt for a Spring marathon again. I have really missed racing and running with my friends this Spring. Hopefully, there's still time left to have some fun and enjoy getting back to basics. I still may travel to Cinci and do the half. I've already registered and bought my plane ticket. We'll see. I'd like to take hotel and food money and get me one of these:

Like I said, I had a lot of fun this morning. I only did 3 miles but it was a brisk 3. One loop plus change in 37:45, an average 12:35 pace. I pushed it a little but wasn't gasping so I'm qualifying this as an easy run. Well, maybe it was somewhere between easy and tempo. Either way, it was fun to see all the hot and sweaty peeps out there gettin' fit. Looking forward to running in KC this week. I'll be there for work. Later!!!

A Real Recovery Run

Easy 2 miles this morning at about 13:30 pace. The goal this morning was just to get some blood flowing to the legs and to get ready for some good training this week. The aches and pains leftover from Saturday are all but gone. It was a beautiful morning. Good to see Erin out there. Have a great day everyone!!!

Recovering nicely!!!

The nagging pain across my foot that brought me to a slow stroll yesterday at mile 16 seems to have subsided. Just the regular "day after" pain now. The whole family went out for a lovely stroll this evening which served as a nice recovery cross-training session for me. We walked about 1.5 miles in about 25 minutes. Just what the doctor ordered.

I ate well today. No overdoing it. Rang up about 2200 calories. One day at a time, right? So, same thing tomorrow. I hate the ups and downs but I'm really feeling motivated going into this week. The doubts from yesterday seem to have faded a little bit and I'm feeling that there still may be hope for the Pig. I just need to get my expectations for training under control. I need to understand that this isn't November in Houston, TX and the pre-marathon buzz that was so much fun is just not going to be there. I need to just enjoy this weather and figure out how to get through these last few solo long runs before May comes. Fortunately, this is a good week to regroup as it's a cutback week. So, basically, it 3 easy days, a semi-long run, and a 13-miler on Saturday. I can do this.

Thanks coach and Bessie for the encouragement today. And others, too. See you out there.

16 miles. Let HIM out!!!

My goal this morning for my 16 mile run was to work on managing my run. By that, I mean I wanted to plan and manage my breaks and account for them in my splits and work to keep the pace after the breaks while not worrying about "catching up." I wanted to keep my pace between 14:15 and 14:30.

I think I did a pretty good job and I'm pleased with the run overall. Towards the end, I got a severe pain across the top of my foot. I wonder if my shoe was too tight or something. It still hurts tonight. I'm hoping it will go away tonight while I sleep. Here are the splits. As you can see, except for the breaks and the last mile and a half where I had to walk to get to the car, I kept a pretty consistent pace.

Splits - 14:04 / 14:18 / 14:28 / 16:21(extended bathroom break at Post Oak Starbucks) / 15:21(water, stretching at Pilgrim's on San Felipe / 14:20 / 14:22 / 14:25 / 14:30 / 14:23 / 14:45(water) / 14:13 / 15:48(water, bathroom break at Starbuck's on Memorial) / 14:14 / 18:50 / 23:32

I'm really in a funk lately with the running. Actually, it's not the running, it's really just the marathon training. I'm just not excited about this one and frankly tired of worrying about it. Unfortunately and strangely, I didn't enjoy myself this morning at all. I don't know what it is. I'm just not into training for this race. I'm afraid that this is not a good attitude to have just 50 days out from a marathon but I'm just tired.

One of my new goals this year is to "let the runner out." I'm talking about the runner that I know is in me somewhere. I don't know how I'm going to tell when the runner comes out but I know one thing. I'll never see him while I still weigh 295 lbs. And I'm not going to be able to take off this weight if I don't have a positive attitude about my running or if it becomes a chore. Frankly, I'd like to forget about the Pig and just get back to enjoying running, doing some cross training, concentrating on my nutrition, and enjoying my Saturday's again, not spending the whole day in bed after hammering a long, long run.

I know I may feel differently in the morning but right not, I feel like getting back to basics. AND...I miss running and racing with my friends. I'm definitely more motivated when I'm running with friends. Guess I'm a social runner. :o) But these long solo runs and not training with anyone is bumming me out.

I hope this isn't too much of downer post. I'm really ok. I just have some things to think about.

A bad one

Some days you've got it. Some days you don't. I'm not going to sweat it. My 17-miler yesterday was not a good run. Don't know why. I felt good through about 12 miles but fell apart running back along Allen Parkway. I think I need to get reacclimated to the heat and the sun beating down on my head and shoulders.

One thing good that came out of the post 13 mile crash is I practiced a new strategy. Last January, when the urge to quit came, I stopped a lot. Yesterday, I decided when the going got tough to at least do 5/1's a la JulyBug. Rather than just stopping completely and bending over with my hands on my knees, like I wanted to do, I kept putting one foot in front of the other. And even though I was reduced to a jog, I didn't waste any time at a dead standstill.

Frankly, I wish I was in Cincinatti, training in 30 degree temps on the hills and the course that I'm going to be doing the marathon on, getting familiar with the terrain and feeling a little more comfortable about the course. We are planning a tour of the course on Saturday. A driving tour of course. :o)

I'm not real confident in my fitness right now and have a lot of doubts about the marathon. Only this time, I know that's normal. I think my one shot at a stellar race is to be about 12-15 lbs lighter by the time the gun sounds. So, I'm really goign to be concentrating on my calories and nutrition between now and May 6. Hopefully, that will give me the edge I need to PR.

LET HIM OUT!!!

Working on one of my 2007 goals, I carved another notch in my spring volunteer schedule providing CPR/AED support for this morning's Bayou City Classic. The great thing about working these races is that is doesn't seem like work at all. If fact, it's a blast!!!

I got up in the wee hours and made my way downtown, WAY ahead of schedule. I had time to stop for a coffee and made it downtown to our meeting place just in time to see the sun rise on the foggy Houston skyline. It was a beautiful morning. After Dr. Bob issued our gear, I made it over to the start to talk trash with the Striders and check out the way cool centipede costumes. I'm still trying to figure out what Steeeve, Steve, James, Lou, John, Chris, and some others were supposed to be. They were painted head to toe with non-sweat-proof body paint. Some were blue. Some were red. Some were yellow (I think). I think they were supposed to be some kind of candy. Looked like Dots to me. Pony and Barb and company put together a dog sled centipede and were making the most interesting noises. The all looked cute. My favorite (sorry guys) was the snakes on planes centipede featuring Lee, Andrea, and Dusty among others. Oh, and I got to bring 2 of the snakes home for the kids to play with.

On the course, I had a blast, oh, I mean I worked hard. I was so glad to see my running buddy, Jo, making her spring debut after taking a break from the cold weather. She sure hasn't lost a step and ran a great race. Steve Schroeder looked shockingly fast!!! It looked like there was some serious talent out for this one with the winner coming in 31:21. It looks like everyone had a great day, and smiles, trash talking, food, and fun were in no short supply at the post-race festivities.

I had a chance to talk some to David and Jenny who were out riding and taking pictures. We were talking about running and David said something that I've really been thinking about. We were talking about improving as a runner and I was dreaming out loud about a sub-4 hour marathon one day many years from now. We mentioned what incredible progress SteveB had made and I wondered if I would ever reach the kind of potential that SteveB has reached and is still surpassing. David said something that I've really been thinking about. He said, "Vic, there's a runner in there and all you need to do is LET HIM OUT!!!" I think David's just come up with my theme for 2008. If there is a runner in here somewhere, I want to do whatever I can to LET HIM OUT!!! So, look out 2008, I'm coming out!!! Woah, hope no one takes that wrong.

LET HIM OUT!!!

Working on one of my 2007 goals, I carved another notch in my spring volunteer schedule providing CPR/AED support for this morning's Bayou City Classic. The great thing about working these races is that is doesn't seem like work at all. If fact, it's a blast!!!

I got up in the wee hours and made my way downtown, WAY ahead of schedule. I had time to stop for a coffee and made it downtown to our meeting place just in time to see the sun rise on the foggy Houston skyline. It was a beautiful morning. After Dr. Bob issued our gear, I made it over to the start to talk trash with the Striders and check out the way cool centipede costumes. I'm still trying to figure out what Steeeve, Steve, James, Lou, John, Chris, and some others were supposed to be. They were painted head to toe with non-sweat-proof body paint. Some were blue. Some were red. Some were yellow (I think). I think they were supposed to be some kind of candy. Looked like Dots to me. Pony and Barb and company put together a dog sled centipede and were making the most interesting noises. The all looked cute. My favorite (sorry guys) was the snakes on planes centipede featuring Lee, Andrea, and Dusty among others. Oh, and I got to bring 2 of the snakes home for the kids to play with.

On the course, I had a blast, oh, I mean I worked hard. I was so glad to see my running buddy, Jo, making her spring debut after taking a break from the cold weather. She sure hasn't lost a step and ran a great race. Steve Schroeder looked shockingly fast!!! It looked like there was some serious talent out for this one with the winner coming in 31:21. It looks like everyone had a great day, and smiles, trash talking, food, and fun were in no short supply at the post-race festivities.

I had a chance to talk some to David and Jenny who were out riding and taking pictures. We were talking about running and David said something that I've really been thinking about. We were talking about improving as a runner and I was dreaming out loud about a sub-4 hour marathon one day many years from now. We mentioned what incredible progress SteveB had made and I wondered if I would ever reach the kind of potential that SteveB has reached and is still surpassing. David said something that I've really been thinking about. He said, "Vic, there's a runner in there and all you need to do is LET HIM OUT!!!" I think David's just come up with my theme for 2008. If there is a runner in here somewhere, I want to do whatever I can to LET HIM OUT!!! So, look out 2008, I'm coming out!!! Woah, hope no one takes that wrong.

What's going on with ME?

This morning's 8-miler left me dumbfounded. I don't quite know what to think. What's gotten into me? I just don't know.

First of all let me clarify the graphic from yesterday's post. It may look hilly but it was by no means hilly in the tru sense of the word. Be sure to look at the scale on the side. Also, realize the the whole 3 miles was compressed to fit the X-axis so it looks more drastic than it really was. Plus, the accuracy of the Garmin on such a gentle slope is questionable. The only meaningful part of that graphic is that it sort of shows where the incline starts and how far it lasts until it levels off. That's all.

Now, on to this morning's run. Well, for the first time in a long time, I awoke with some motivation. No snooze. Up on the first alarm. I had a quick breakfast and headed out. I had 8 miles on the schedule for this morning and the weather was B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. I figured since I ran pretty hard last night that this would just be an easy, mid-long run at my LSD effort. After stretching, I took off and felt pretty good, pretty strong. I had an awesome run! Not a lot to say so I'll let the stats speak for themselves.

Total distance - 8.0 miles
Total time - 1:42:01
Splits - 13:47 / 13:22 / 12:48 / 12:34 / 12:33 / 12:25 / 12:37 / 11:52
Avg. pace - 12:45

That last mile was for you, coach. Very manly, huh?

So, this run has me perplexed. I just wonder why, after several weeks of slacking, lack of motivation, sore ankles, not feeling like getting up in the morning, putting on a few extra pounds, do I all of a sudden feel like a million bucks? It's like I'M BACK!!! What made the difference?

Is it possible that I'm just NOW starting to feel my oats after the marathon? Could it really take 7 weeks to recover from that beating? I wonder. Regardless, I'm feeling good and back it full training mode. No more hard running this week until Saturday's 17-miler. I'll sneak in an easy 4 miler tomorrow and maybe a 60-90 minute run on Thursday.

Piddly little 3 miles and a new fun route

The times I've run in my neighborhood, I've usually made things a little more complicated than they needed to be. I'm always making a turn and then doubling back or tacking on a loop around one of the lakes. That's fine and dandy if I'm out on an adventure and not really concerned with getting back home to wash clothes, eat supper, help the kids with homework, visit with DW, etc. Tonight, I needed something straightforward. Just a simple, Memorial Park-like loop that I could run and just get 'er done.

I think in running this route tonight that I may have stumbled on a pretty good workout and that I'll be running this a lot. The "fun" part of the loop comes at about the 1.75 mile point, just as I'm getting warmed up. The street starts this gentle incline that continues for a little under half a mile. It's nothing drastic but right at the end, maybe the last 300 yards or so, the grade increases just a bit and then levels off at the cul-de-sac. Makes for a nice little mini-tempo/hill leg and makes for a well-deserved cooldown that last mile. Here's a graphic of the elevation.

So, here are the stats
Total distance - 3.0 miles
Total time - 39:11 Splits - 13:17 / 12:35 / 13:17
Average pace - 13:04

I'm feeling pretty good, especially considering the ~16 miler on Saturday. Actually, I FEEL GREAT!!! I only did 3 tonight because I'm planning on 8 in the morning. Which brings me to goodnight!!!

Oh, now I remember...

It's all coming back to me now. Spending Saturday afternoon in bed because I can't walk. Being so hungry I could eat a horse. Cramps. Aches. Pains. It's the Saturday long run, now showing at a theater near you.

I finally got that 15 miler in that I was supposed to do last weekend. Actually, it was 15.75 which comes awful close to 16 in some people's log books. I got a very civilized start at around 8 am. I wanted to start a lot earlier but for some reason my alarm clock was on PM and not AM. At least I was rested.

All went well. I did a modified River Oaks plus GRB route, then back the long way to the tennis center. The modification to the River Oaks leg took me down a couple of wrong turns. It was nice though. What a beautiful part of Houston. The lawns and flowers were in peak shape and the homes are so beautiful. I'm kind of glad I got lost a bit. I saw some areas I'd never seen before. The deeper you get into River Oaks, the more beautiful and BIG the homes seem to get. Oh, and the GRB leg wasnt' quite to GRB. I turned around at the Sabine bridge after a drink and a Gu.

I made it to Shepard and Kirby feeling GREAT!!! I decided on the out that I would take a little different approach to the hills than I usually do. I'm usually shuffling up even the slightest incline, maintaining my effort to the top. Today, I attacked those hills. No, not a sprint but just a strong push up, maintaining my pace all the way. It really felt good but I ended up paying for it during miles 14-15.

Another familiar feeling that I havent' experienced since January 14th was the urge to just quit. I was really feeling it by the time I got to the Memorial loop. I resisted the urge to run the short leg back to the tennis center and headed on around the long way, sticking to the plan. I'm glad I did. I've cut too many runs short since January and it was a good feeling to finish one.

Here are the stats:
Total distance - 15.75 miles
Total time - 3:47:52
Splits - 14:26 / 14:06 / 13:47 / 14:37 / 14:24 / 14:22 / 14:25 / 14:23 / 13:56 / 14:17 / 13:43 / 15:20 / 15:04 / 14:50 / 15:12 / 10:52 (15:00 pace)
Average pace - 14:29

I also did something different on my splits and recording my time. I usually stop my Garmin when I stop for water or stop for a stretch or to use the bathroom. Today, I just let it run. I think that's more in line with an actual race and also keeps things real. I know coach bragged in a comment a couple of weeks ago about my sub-14 average pace for 14 miles but that actually was a bit misleading since I stopped the Garmin at every break. I need to keep it more real so that I know what to expect come race day (if that makes sense).

Get lost!!

When things get a little tough, when motivation is hard to come by, GET LOST!!! Well, that's what I did not long after my previous post below. I decided to do some stretching, put on my shoes, and just head out the front door to run. No plan, no goal. Just run!

I frankly didn't know if I was going to do 5 or 15 miles. I'm on call this weekend so I just took my beeper and my cell phone and took off. I ran through uncharted parts of Fairfield, often running into dead ends and having to backtrack. The weather was warm and my low mileage this week had me feeling good. I ran for about 3 miles and then decided I'd run to the Athletic Center for some weight training. Another mile and I arrived at the AC for some chest and shoulder work. After about 30 minutes of working out, I cooled off with a mile run back to the house.

I really had a blast today. It felt good to just run and it felt even better to not worry about how far I was from home or how long it was going to take me to get back. It's definitely a good feeling to know that I could run for 10, 11, 13+ miles, no problem. I remember the days when I'd be "afraid" to venture too far out for fear I'd struggle to make the return trip. The confidence I have feels good.

A little rest tomorrow and maybe a little yard work. Then, I plan to go long on Monday evening. If I count my planned long run on Monday with this week's miles, that still puts me at 26 miles for the week, 2 more than last week. I guess the point is that I'm not as far off track with my training as I thought. Steady as she goes!!!

Disappointing week

I thought this week that posting my workout plan for the week on Monday like Barbara does would help keep me accountable. Well, yes, I am accountable. Everyone knew my plan and now everyone knows that I totally blew off my miles this week. And, this week, 11 weeks out from my marathon, is not the time to get complacent.

Marathon training, for me, takes a lot of energy, not just the physical energy of a weekly running schedule but a mental and spiritual energy as well. This week, and frankly since the second week of January, the mental and spiritual energy hasn't been there for me, at least where running is concerned. I wonder if I used it all up last fall. One difference presently is that some good things are happening at work and I'm really in a groove with my job. Instead of thinking every waking moment about my workouts and running goals, like last fall, I find myself engrossed in my work, thinking about the discussions from the day and what's going on tomorrow. We're in the middle of a big conversion at work and we're dealing with deadlines, politics, keeping everyone informed. Preparing for this go-live is kind of like preparing for a marathon. And this go-live is more than 12 months away. Anyway, needless to say, I'm a bit preoccupied with work.

So, no questions about how to make up for this week. I've learned those lessons. I know that missing my 15 miler this week is probably the only thing that hurt me but I'm not going to try to make it up. Actuallly, I could try to get it in Monday evening and not be that far off track. I think that would be better than skipping it altogether. Next week is a cutback week so I could get my 15 miler in on Monday and then be left with and easy 11 miler for my long run next weekend. Maybe I can make it work. The thing I'm worried about more is my motivation. I've got to find it again. I will!

This week on Run4YourLife

Last week's planned 37 mile week turned into a 24 mile week for a lot of silly reasons. Still, it wasn't a bad week. I had a great sub-13 m/mi 7 miler on Tuesday and a very decent long run on Saturday that I'm very pleased with. Plus, 24 is still my highest weekly mileage since the marathon so I still feel like I'm going forward. The exra rest on Wednesday and Thursday did me good I think as I was feeling just a bit dinged up.

I started this week in good fashion this morning with an easy 3 miler at Memorial Park. The weather continues to be perfect and I banged out 3 at average 13:50 pace. I classify this as a recovery run so nothing too hard. I really felt in the groove just as I was nearing mile 3. I looked at my watch and realized that it was getting late. Again, I got a late start. I'm getting way too civilized! So, I unashamedly gave that 4th mile back to the running gods, never to be seen again.

The plan for the rest of the week calls for some major, early AM incivility.

Monday - 3 mile recovery run
Tuesday - 7 miles easy (crack of dawn due to evening obligations)
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - 7 miles easy
Friday - 15 mile LSD (so crack of dawn it could almost be counted with Thursday's miles)
Saturday - Rest or cross
Sunday - 4 miles recovery
Total miles for week ending 2/25 - 36 miles

Friday is going to be very uncivilized, trying to get 15 miles in before work starts at 8 am. I'm on call this weekend so I don't want to gamble on trying to get my long run in on Saturday or Sunday morning. It'll take me between 3:30 and 3:45 so that means I need to start around 3 am. Crap, that's just stupid. It's the only thing I don't like about my job, being on call. I may be able to have someone cover for me until 9 or 10 so that I don't have to start my run so early. We'll see.

Perfect Day

Yesterday (Saturday), was absolutely THE perfect day of for running so far in 2007. Not only was the weather perfect but and awesome group of Striders were out in force to lay some sole through Bear Creek park.

My schedule called for 14 easy miles. So, I was going to start around 5:30 or 5:45 and do the Big Bear Creek route with an extra lap around the soccer fields and finish ~about~ the time the rest of the Striders were completing 11. My start was a little TOO civilized though with a 7:45 arrival and the prospect of timing my finish with the Striders pretty much out the door.

I knew I would at least get to see the Strider pack out on the course and talk a little trash, even if it was just for a brief, passing moment. But much to my surprise and luck, Bill drove up very civilized, like me. For Bill, it wasn't laziness or wanting to sleep later. He actually thought for some strange reson that the Striders were starting at 8, not at 7. I say lucky for me because Speedy "Bill" Gonzalez was more than happy to run easy, providing me a rare running partner for my long run.

I had a great run. The weather was perfect and Bill and I talked trash for the better part of 2 and a half hours. When we ran into the Strider pack, there were reports that the back side of the park was flooded so Bill and I decided to finish our loop in Bear Creek, head back to the parking lot for 2 minutes of recovery and trash talking with the Striders, then 2.5 out Cullen and back, and repeat the Bear Creek loop. I felt good the entire run. My splits were all over the place but I stopped a few times for water. After those breaks, I felt good and always seemed to restart a little faster than when I stopped.

Here are the stats:
Total distance - 14 miles
Total time - 3:15:21
Splits - 14:10 / 13:50 / 13:52 / 14:23 / 14:02 / 13:45 / 13:31 / 13:54 / 14:22 / 14:09 / 13:28 / 13:46 / 14:15 / 13:48
Average pace - 13:57

This ended up being a bit faster than expected but the temps made for an easier effort. If I'm remembering right, this 14 miles sure came a lot easier than the last time I attempted that distance. Actually, looking back just now at my logs, yesterday was my FIRST attempt at the 14 mile distance. Last Fall, I jumped from 13 to the 25K with a 10 miler in between. My pace for the 25K was 14:05 and that put me down for a couple of days. The day after this 14 miles, I'm actually feeling like going out before supper for an easy 3. Well, it's progress. I sure like looking back at my logs and blog and seeing where I've been. That's fun.

Decisions, decisions...

I know I promised that this week was all about the miles and no quality stuff. But last night was too perfect and I was feeling mighty frisky so I had to make a decision. Do I follow Hal's program and do my regular mid-week, medium-long run at an easy LSD effort? Or, do I do a shorter, speed workout and get some quality in this week? Medium-long run or speed work? Oh, the decisions that must be made.

Not being able to decide, I did a medium-long tempo run. The best of both worlds. 7 miles at ~10K effort. Man, did that feel good! Here are the stats:

Venue - Memorial Park loop
Total distance - 7.0 miles
Total time - 1:29:14
Splits - 12:51 / 13:08 / 12:55 / 12:39 / 12:45 / 12:30 / 12:23
Average pace - 12:45

Despite the quick(er) splits and the intention to kick it up a few notches, I was conversational the entire run. I was huffing a bit that last mile but finished strong, not gasping and bent over like a mile time trial or anything like that. It was just a good, hard run.

I had the good fortune of seeing Steve out there a couple of times. Glad Steve decided to come out. After the run, we made our way over to Bubba's for another well-attended Strider's meeting. When I say well-attended, I mean we pretty much filled every chair in the joint. A good time was had by all and the HRM lecture was just dandy. At the meeting, Steeeve announced that the Strider's are funding this nice, little project to install mile markers along the Terry Hershey trails. I say little project facetiously. It's actually thousands of dollars that the Striders are contributing to give back to the running community. The money for the project was raised from hosting the RRCA national convention last year. I'm so proud of my club and proud to be a Houston Strider.

37 turns to 36 early

Well, my planned 37 mile week has already turned into a 36 mile weeks with cutting my 4 miler short yesterday. It was the day after a long run and I didn't want to push a recovery run past 45 minutes so 3 it was.

I was one of just 3 or 4 runners out braving the rain to get our daily dose. I did about 14:20 pace through the puddles and very soft trail. Overall, a good run. Looking forward to the Strider's meeting tonght at Bubba's. I'm gonna try to get out of here around 4 to get my 7 in before the meeting.

Feelin' Fine

When the feet hit the floor this morning, they felt like a million bucks. I'm really glad I did those 9 yesterday.

I finished the week a little short of goal with only 15 total miles. Still, it was a cutback week and I had a good long run so I think I'm in good shape. I'll be moving my schedule back a day as Sunday mornings are going away. We're going to start going to church on Sunday mornings instead of Saturday nights. Guess that won't be a problem until the Fall races come around again. It's nice to go to a church that has 15 services every weekend so we can be flexible.

So, the plan this week:
Monday - 4 miles
Tuesday - 7 miles
Wednesday - 4 miles
Thursday - Rest
Friday - 7 miles at MP
Saturday - 14 miles easy peazy
Sunday - cross training

I've really given myself 2 options on the Saturday long run. The schedule I'm following says 14 but I've got no problem with 11 or 12 if I ain't feeling it. The acutal schedule ramps up pretty quickly on the long runs and includes two 20-mile runs before taper. I've got the option to smooth that out a bit and work up more gradually to a single 20-mile run, 3 weeks out. Keeping it flexible.

By the way, with this week's schedule, including the 14-miler, I'll be at 37 miles by week's end, a new weekly distance record. Ambitious, huh? So, the focus this week is on just doing the miles. No kickers. No manly 11-minute miles at the end of my easy runs. Maybe a few strides here and there. :o) Marathon recovery is OVER!!! Let's get it on.

It's official

Well, it's official! I'm declaring officially that I've gained weight. No, this isn't just day to day fluctuations. This is a bonifide, real-life weight gain. It's not too drastic of a gain, maybe 3-5 pounds but IT STOPS HERE!!! I know the reasons for the gain. It's nothing magical, nothing emotional, nothing but the simple fact that I've been consuming more calories than I'm burning. So, I'm putting an end to this right now. TODAY!!! Anyone doubt me? I wouldn't bet against me if I were you. :o)

Despite several things working against me this morning, I had a delightfully fanfriggintastic 9-miler this morning. First of all, the mexican food we ate after church last night, around 9 pm, was still sitting in my stomach like a ton of bricks. Then, I woke up this morning with the sniffles and some congestion and contemplated staying in bed. Fortunately, something inside me said, "Get your big butt out of bed."

Since the Wallow, I've had this nagging pain in my ankle. Not the bad ankle, the good ankle. And guess what. It's the same area where I had problems with the other ankle for so long. Still, this is different. The pain's not always there and it doesn't hurt when I run, only when I'm stretching. When I got to Terry Hershey park this morning, I started my stretching routine and had a horrific flashback as the pain in the side of my ankle (it's actually the peroneus longus/brevis) was back, this time on my one, good ankle. I acutally got in my car, started the ignition and drove off. I got to Hwy 6 and said, "Screw it!", made a u-turn and headed BACK to the park. I finished stretching and took off.

Good news! The ankle felt fine and the weather was PERFECT!!! I had made the right decision. I ran west from the gazebo to Hwy 6. This is normally my 10 mile route so I turned around at the water fountain just short of Hwy. 6. Then to Kirkwood and back home. Lots of friendly faces. I stopped short of Dairy Ashford for hugs from Barb and Nancy. It was just a perfect morning. The further into the run, the stronger I felt. I played around a lot, running over on the grass, picking up the pace on occasion going up a hill, stopping for water, taking in the sights. I took one detour between Dairy Ashford and Kirwood, running up on top on what I call the jeep trail, then back on the path on the way home.

Here are the stats:
Total distance - 9.12 miles
Splits (inclulde water breaks) - 14:34 / 14:49 / 14:12 / 14:01 / 14:18 / 14:27 / 14:10 / 14:10 / 13:31
short cooldown - the last .12 miles - 1:46 (14:45 pace)
Average pace - 14:16

On the way home, I spotted the Shepards' vehicle at Starbucks and indulged in some awesome Strider trash talking. Overall, a great morning.