On the Bike Again

Met up with the group for a Thursday evening run last night. A group of 6 headed down Kelly Drive to just passed the Strawberry Mansion bridge . From here we made a mad and idiotic dash across Kelly Drive (E. Mikes idea) and headed up the hill there into Farimount Park. The pace picked up a bit here and we cruised back to the Art Museum for 6.3 miles in 50 mintes. My legs felt great.

I think I may have finally gotten a handle on running slow on easy days and fast on hard days.

This was my last run for the month and gives me a total of 163 miles. A huge total for me in March and it actually is the 3rd most mileage I've logged for any month. I was kind of surprised by this when I looked back over my training but the only two months with more miles were the ones leading up to the marathon last fall. The good thing is that the mileage then really felt like training and now it just feels like me enjoying running.

In other big news I got my ass out on my bike today. I came down with a mysterious illness this morning that required me to call out of work. Luckily as soon as I got out of bed I was back to my old self and ready to enjoy a 72 degree day.

I spent a good chunk of the morning brickpointing my porch. I really thought it was going to be dreadful but I think just about anything done outside on the first 70 degree day of the year can be enjoyable. While doing this I saw several bikers cruising down my block and it got me itching to go for a ride. I bagged the remainder of my work with a promise to myself to finish it as soon as possible and got my bike out.

I was expecting the bike to need a decent tune-up but after a little oil here and some air there my bike was good to go. I haven't been mountain biking since about early July of last year and I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't want to kill my legs but I didn't want to be a bitch either so I figured I would stop when I hit a happy medium.

I really do love riding the trail of the Wissahickon. I think it has something to do with the struggle of the uphills paired with the reward of flying down the treacherous descents. I set out at a moderate pace I decided to take the trails out to Vallley Green. I fell in behind some other bikers moving at a decent pace and tailed them for a few miles to the turn around. I had really expected to be spent by this point but I felt great and decided to cross the creek for the return.

I pushed a little more on the way back, really building a good burn in my thighs. Damn it is fun flying down those hills just about out of of control and hoping a rock does fly into your shin. I did have one fall on a steep uphill, just couldn't keep my balance and my foot wouldn't unclip fast enough. Other than that it was a great ride. 10 miles in 1 hr. I definitely wasn't flying but even when I am in my best bike shape I don't do this loop much faster 55 minutes.

I don't plan on doing to much biking until after Broad Street but today was to nice to pass up.

Running with the Masses

Achey legs demanded a recovery run last night. I ran down Kelly drive for 7.5 miles in 60 minutes. The easy pace felt great and I love seeing people come out of the woodwork on these early spring evenings. It is such a contrast from late winter. I can easily count all of the people I pass during a run in February on my hands. Last night I would have needed both hands, both feet, and a good portion of the hairs on my head (which are slowly but surely dwindling).

I am also excited by the fact that 7.5 miles at 8 min pace is a recovery run. This time last year that would have not been the case.

Speedy Tuesdays

I've mentioned in a previous post that I wanted to return to those quick Tuesday nights runs that the group was running last spring. These speedy runs were usually led by LL or Stevus. A moderate pace to start, with the pace increasing as the run progressed. With 1-2 miles to go the pace usually accelerated to a point that I could not sustain and then it became a battle to try and stay as close to the leaders as possible until you collapsed in front of the Art Museum. Without realizing it at the time these runs functioned as tempo runs for me through most of the spring. It is much easier to do this type of run with others to urge and challenge you to keep up the pace.

So last night I decided try and get it going again. I didn't see any of the usual "speed" suspects pre-race so I knew I was on my own to push the pace. E-Mike and I started off with a 7:25 mile and I was feeling great so I started to pick it up. I was cruising through mile 2 when Jim came up behind me to join the pace. Mile 2 was 6:32 and he ran with me to the 2.2 mmile mark. I headed out to the 5 mile turn around and mile 3 came in @ 6:24. I fell off the pace a bit at mile 4 with a 6:34. I relaxed at the beginning of the final mile and then hammered it up the hill at the end to finish mile 5 in 6:17.

I was sweaty, out of breath and happy as hell when we finished. A couple of trips up and around the Art Museum steps and I was feeling great. I hope this continues.

It's Good to be Out There

A run up through Roxborough on a familiar convoluted route that totals exactly 8 miles. From the start it felt like it was going to be a good run, and it was. Despite a hard run on Sunday I felt very loose and quick .

Some nights it really just feels great to be out there. The Strokes were blasting in my headphones and it was a perfect match for the mood of my run. 8 miles in 57 minutes. Faster than I was planning to run but sometimes it just goes that way.

Happy Trails

As planned I went out for a long trail run yesterday afternoon. I enetered the park at the top of my block and followed the upper trails to Valley Green Restaurant. I ran the uphills hard and the descents as fast as I could handle. I even managed to pass a few mountain bikers just before I reached my turn around. I do have an advantage over bikers on the uphills but they should be able to kick my ass on the downhills and flats.

I crossed the creek and headed back on the opposite side. I again stuck to the higher, hillier trails and pushed myself the entire way. It's very hard to judge pace and distance on the trails so I am not postive of my distance or pace. However, I am positive that it was a great workout and I am looking forward to a summer with a lot of runs through the park.

This run puts me at 42 miles for the week, my longest week yet this year. Also, at the end of March last year I was at 279.8 miles. I am already at 384 miles this year with 5 days left to go, I should easily break 400

Two Easy Runs

I haven't posted a in a few days so I have to catch up on two runs.

Thursday night I met up with the group for 8 miles in Fairmount Park. I ended up being the only guy running with 4 girls so I just cruised along and enjoyed the chatter. We ran a very easy pace around Georges Hill and back to the Art Museum. 8 miles in 66 minutes. After some quicker miles earlier in the week this really felt good. I love knowing that a little over a year ago 8:15 was a decent pace for me and now it is recovery pace.

Yesterday was a little over10 miles on Forbidden Drive. The weather was cool and damp, just how I like it. I was running with a friend and again it was a leisurely pace of about 8:30. We took the path up to the covered bridge and back. Coversation was good and the 90 minutes flew by.

After two conservative runs and a lot of sleep over the past couple days I can't wait to get out on the trails and really get in a tough workout today.

Tonight was an out and back on Kelly Drive for 7 miles which really seems to be turning into a popular distance for me lately. I decided to push it a bit and finished in just under 49 minutes which is, you guessed it, 7 minute pace. 7 here, 7 there, 7's are turning up everywhere. I wonder if this mean I have to run 17 miles this weekend... probably not.

I haven't steadily run this kind of pace by myself in a long while. It felt great. It's been a while since I have gotten home from a run and still been really out of breath when I walked in the house. Now that the spring is here I really wanted to get away from 8 minute pace for a majority of my runs and it looks like it is happening.

I do have this pain in front of my left heal that popped up yesterday. I felt good during the run but I can feel it stiffening up a bit now. Plantar maybe.

Track?

When I set out to run last night I was expecting to do an 7-10 mile loop out through Roxborough. The route takes me past Roxborough High Track and I usually just run on by but last night I decided to stop. I keep thinking about adding speed to my routine and last night I thought now was as good a time as ever. My legs felt fresh, I was feeliing quick that evenning and the track wasn't covered in walkers.

I really am a total foriegner to the track. I have read a few articles on it and also listen to others talk about it but I wasn't sure exactly what to do. So I picked a spot on the track as my start/finish line coming out of the last turn, I ran two warm up lap at about 2:00 minutes apiece and then took off for an 800. I just hit a pace which felt good and I figured I could keep up for 2 laps. First lap was about 85 seconds and the 800 was 2:50. Okay 2:50, so what does that mean? Fast, slow, or right where I want to be? It felt good, I could have kept going, I wasn't all out but I think that is the intervals are supposed to feel. It was about a half mile so the pace was pretty good. I have also heard people talk about this Yasso 800 thing and I know you relate your 800 pace in minutes to a marathon pace in hours so I figured it must be a good pace.

I ran a slow lap in 2:20 and then ran another 800 in 2:55. A little slower the the last and I really felt like I lost the speed on final half lap. I again ran a 2:20 cool down and then hit another 2:50. By this point I was feeling each lap a bit more but still alright. I decided to run one more 800 and then call it quits, for my first workout I didn't really want to push it, best to ease into this stuff I think. My third 800 was again in 2:50 so I was at least hitting them consitently. Two more cool down laps and I headed home for a total of 7.6 miles in 55 minutes.

Is this the pace I want to be running these things at?

A Weekend in the Park

Yesterday, for the third day in a row, I went for a trail run the Wissahickon. I was with a friend who has never been in the park and it was nice to show off one of best places to run in the city. We took out time over about 7.5 miles of trail in 64 minutes.

The highlight of the run was seeing Garrett Dutton, the man who puts the G in the group G. Love and Special sauce. A group from Philly that has a funky, bluesy, rap sound. We were headed across the creek and I saw a couple guys with some children on the bridge. As soon as I saw him I thougt "Is that G.Love?". I at first dismissed it as impossible but then had some second thoughts. He mentions a house in one of his songs "6525 Parkline Drive" which I have spotted on my commute to work. I realized that the house, which borders the park, is situated at an entrance right near this bridge. I didn't actually say anything to him but the more I ran and thought about it the more sure I am that it was him. I have been a fan of the group for years so it was pretty cool spotting him on a run.

I finished with 33 miles for the week. Not to bad considering it was a recovery week from the C-R. Hopefully I can add more miles and some speed to my routine this week.

You Never Know How Things Will Turn Out

I had an unplanned day off on Friday so I ditched the run on Thursday night in favor of a long trail run Friday afternoon. I headed out with high hopes for a great run on the trails of the Wissahickon. I don't get out on the trails much in the winter so I was really looking forward to it. The first few mile went fairly well but after that things just didn't feel right. Even at a slow pace I was struggling and I did something I don't often do on trail runs, stop and look around. If the running was going to suck I might as well enjoy the park and the day.

I struck off on some trails out into Chesnut Hill that, depsite running and biking for nearly 4 years in this park, I have never been on before. The exploring took my mind off just how badly the run was feeling. My legs felt ok before the run and I was well rested so I am chalking the bad run up to this cold that has been bothering me all week. I ended up putting in just over 10 miles, a few less than the 13 I was planning to do. I felt totally spent at the finish and really didn't feel myself for at least an hour after the run. I don't have bad runs to often but you sometimes can't tell where they are going to pop up.

This leads me to todays run. I was out till 4:30 in the morning last night, had 6 hours of fitfull sleep. I woke with a slight hang over and breakfast of coffee and toast. My mileage is lacking this week so I talked myself into a run during the morning. I really felt that after a horrible run yesterday and a long night the this run was going to be even worse. Surprisingly it wasn't bad at all. I was by no means flying but i really enjoyed the run and didn't feel to bad. I again hit the trails in the Wissahickon with no route or time in mind. I strung together several pieces of some of my favorite routes through the park and ended up with 7 miles in55 minutes. Not to shabby. I just need to put in at least 3 miles tomorrow to keep my mileage above 30 for the week. Sweet.

Just Get Out There

Last night was one of those runs that I really had to talk myself into. My calves are still sore, I have a cold, I walked out the door from work and the wind was whipping around, plenty of reasons to just relax at home and watch some TV. It was a battle in my head between sitting on my ass and getting another run in so I can at least hit 30 miles this week. Luckily the days are getting longer and some sunshine is a good motivator. I made sure not to sit down once I got home from work and made it out the door as quickly as I could.

I mapped out a 5 mile route through Manayunk with some easy hills. The first couple miles weren't so hot but after that I really felt fine. You can't make your mind up about how a run is going until your at least 15 minutes in. By the time I hit my turn around point I was keeping a steady pace and feeling much better. I made it home before the sun set (a first for this year) in 41 minutes. A slow pace but I sure wasn't pushing it during the run.

Almost every time a I think a run is going to go horribly I end up enjoying it. I try to keep that in my head for days like yesterday when my motivation is low and I really want to bail. Plus, I think a slow run really helped my legs out, they feel just about normal today. Hopefully I can put in 8-10 tonight, although it might turn into a late night run. It will be a good excuse for me to have some coffee late in the day.

I wasn't feeling to well yesterday. My legs were still fairly sore from the race and I have come down with a cold but sometimes a run is the best thing for these problems. So I joined the Tuesday night group for the run up and down Kelly drive. There was a good crowd for a blustery March night, and group of us quickly fell into an 8 minute pace on our way out to the 2.5 mile turn around. The wind that was fighting us on the way out was now at our backs and the pace picked up lead by E. Mike. 5 miles in 38:40, just the pcae I was looking for as a recovery run.

Today is my year anniversary with the Philly Runners. Joining was definitely the best thing I have done for my running since I started. Hopefully, like last spring, the Tuesday nights runs will take a turn to some speed with everybody dueling each other to the finish on the way back to the Art Museum.

Caesar Rodney

I picked up Jenn and Martia on a rainy Sunday morning and we headed down to Wilmington for the half marathon. I don't mind running in light rain but I was really hoping it didn't turn into a steady, heavy rain. Luckily just before the gun the rain abated and we only had to deal with the puddles that were left on the course.

I started out to quickly which really seems to be the norm for me as of late. The first mile went by in exactly 6:00 minutes and although it felt great I knew it wasn't near a pace I was going to be able to sustain. The second mile was 6:15 and the third 6:30, this was the pace I was hoping to hold during the race. The beginning miles went by rather quickly, I didn't feel great, I didn't feel bad just kind of pounded them out. I had looked at the hill profile for the course on Saturday night and I knew I had some hills coming so I tried not to push to hard and just bided my time.

I went through the 5 mile split in 31:40, only 20 seconds slower than a 5 mile race that I had done a few weeks prior, I felt much better than I did at the end of that so this was a good sign. The hills began after this and they weren't too steep but long and my pace dropped off to upper 6's with one mile at 7:00. It was at this point I saw Ian stretching out an achey achilles that has been bothering him lately. He joined me for a mile or so and then slowed down a bit when we hit another hill.

Once you crest the hills you hit this long out and back between miles 8-11. I definitely wasn't in peak form at this point. I kept up about 6:45 pace and just made sure not to drop back from the guy that was in front of me. I wasn't feeling to great and I hoped that it was just a bit of a low point in the race. I saw Seebo and a couple other I knew on their return trip and then made the loop for the return myself. On the way back I saw many PR's and this, along with passing the 10 mile mark, really bouyed my spirits.

On the trip back you head down all the hills you just ran up. Ian came up from behind me around mile 10 and was nice enough to act as a rabbit for me for the remainder of the race, hanging a few feet ahead and silently urging me to pick up the pace. It definitely helped, I was able to add what little speed I could. I pounded down the hills as quickly as possible and tried to mentally prep myself for the hill I knew was coming at the finish. When I turned the corner and saw the hill to end the race I thought, "This doesn't look as bad as everybody makes it out to be". Looks can be decieving. It was hard as hell heading up those last few blocks. I pushed as hard as I could and crossed the finish in 1:26:42 gun time and 1:26:18 chip time. A 6 minute PR!!!. I was definitely excited, I had raced well on a fairly difficult course.

This race was validating for me. I ran a quick 10 miler at Broad Street last year but I haven't run a decent race over 6 miles since. This race was on par with that Broad Street run and has really lifted my motivation as we head into the spring season.

Congrats to all the Philly runners, I know there was a few PR's out there.

Warm Weather

I had originally planned to run 9 miles with a few guys from the group on a Fairmount park loop but then decided against it. These longer runs have become much more routine as of late but I still think 9 miles is a little to much a few days out from a half marathon. I opted for 5 miles at a moderate pace close to home.

Suddenly very warm weather has moved into the Philly area. Last night at 6:00 when I headed out for my run it was 60 degrees and a little bit humid. It was great to walk out the door in shorts and shortsleeves without a chill. I went out on what I call the Domino Diner loop which consists of weaving through Manayunk until I gut to Umbria street. Follow Umbria to the Domino Diner and then do everything in reverse. It's just over 5 miles and usually contains a few hills, nothing to difficult but not to easy either. Today it was 5.2 miles in 38 minutes for exactly a 7:30 pace. It felt good.

A Short Splinter

I am in a mini taper for the half mary this weekend so I decided to only do the normal 5 miles with the group instead of heading out for 9 miles with the "splinter group". However, after some coercion from a few members of the splinter group I was soon on my way over Spring Garden and behind the zoo. We were off to do 9 miles which I didn't real want to do after the 7 miles yesterday. Also, my heart was set on some cold beers and warm food at the Bishop's Collar after the run. Craig was running with us and he also wanted to head out after the run so together we pulled off from the group at Belmont Ave and headed back to the Art Museum in time to meet up with everybody who had done the out and back on Kelly Drive.

A little over 5 miles in 42 minutes, another slow and relaxing run. There were a few faces I haven't seen in a long while out at the run and I hope this is a sign that the spring will bring a lot of people back out.

Surprisingly Fast

Except for a couple races this year most of my runs have been run at a relatively moderate pace of 7:45-8:15. I have been holding back a bit and just enjoying the easy miles with the PR group and by myself. Last night my legs were feeling very fresh and I thought I might just pick up the pace a bit.

I headed out the door with no real route in mind just knowing I wanted to run over 6 miles. I headed down the block over Manayunk Ave, hopped on Terrace St and headed up the hill, left on Pechin and around Roxborough highschool, and cut through Gorgas park onto Ridge Avenue. I then wound my way down to Henry Avenue and ended up at Philadelphia University running around the camput a bit. I ran down School House Lane to Ridge and then back to my house.

I really enjoyed the run. For some reason I have a lot more fun when I don't have any route planned and I just go where the mood strikes me. I ended up with just over 7 miles at a 7:03 pace, much fast than I had expected. It felt more like 7:30's to me so I guess that is a good sign.

I made it out to join the 8:15 long run group for the first time in a long while. In my head if I am not directly training for a marathon there is no reason I should be running at 8:15 on Saturday morning. In reality the miles I put in over the winter and through the spring will help me in a fall marathon so I am technically "in training". So I was in front of the Art Museum with Steve and Jim freezing our asses off waiting for Seebo, Kev, and Erin to arrive. They cam running around the bend and we headed on our way up Kelly drive.

There was a biting wind all the way up the drive that really made the 32 degree temp much worse than it really is. A few miles in I was warmed up and the wind didn't seem so bad. We made it up through Manayunk and crossed the Green Lane Bridge for a little jaunt over the hills of Belmont. Steve led the way at even and not to strenuous pace that felt really good. When we reached Ford Road, Seebo headed out to West Philly and Steve, Jim and I headed for Fairmount park.

We crossed Chamounix and did a little loop around Greenland to add a half mile or so. This sent us back to the very beginning of Chamounix and I have decided that I reallly don't like running all the way down this road. It is long, boring and dead flat. We all commented on how we really weren't feeling to well when we reached Belmont Mansion Drive. However, a trip down the hill and view of the city skyline quicklly brightened everybody's spirits and the rest of the run through Fairtmount Park and behind the zoo went pretty well.

In total it was 14.5 miles in 1hr58min. Not to bad a pace for a long run and my first run over 14 miles for the year. I felt good at the end and was happy to get in a long run before the Half Mary next weekend. I might have to make more of these 8:15 runs, it's great having run 14 miles before 10:30.

A Good Thursday Group

I was just about to go to the gym last night and decided to take a glance at the Philly Runners message board to see if there was any plans for a dreary Thursday run. A good group had planned a run so I got my ass in gear to get to the Art Museum to make the start. Alex, Jenn, Marita, Jim, Bear made a good sized group for a crappy night.

We headed out Spring Garden and behind the zoo eventually arriving at the top of S. Georges hill and then headed back. We kept an even 8:00 pace and made sure to hit Lemon Hill on the way back to Kelly drive. I am still a little bit sore from the race on Sunday but I should be fine by the weekend.

I'm only at 16 miles so far this week due to taking Monday and Tuesday off. I guess I should run a little longer on Saturday morning to make up the miles but I am not sure if a long run will effect my performance at the half marathon the followoing weekend. It's not really a goal race so I think I'll put in the miles. I haven't done any run over 12 miles since the marathon in November.

Achey Ankles and Legs

theThe very uneven footing and roller coaster course of the Ugly Mudder was not to kind to my lower legs. They actually weren't to bad the day follwoing the race but I went skiing that night and the following day, Tuesday, they hurt. It was to the point that it was effecting my gait, especially after I had been sitting for a while. I decided to take another rest day on Tuesday to avoid any problems.

I went out last night a little tentatively because of some lingering pain but everything went fine. I felt good by a mile into the run and my legs feel great this morning. It was a little jaunt down Kelly Drive out to the Climbing Rock and back. A total of 8 miles in 66 minutes. Definitely not a blistering pace but I guess you could have considered it a recovery run.

It's odd that I really feel like I have been a slacker in my running lately. I ran 40 miles last week and should break 35 this week, which is right where I want to be but I have only run 2 days out of the last six. I guess as long as those weekly mileages stay above 35 I'll be happy. Perhaps since we have hit March I should be aiming for over 40 miles a week. I have the Caesar Rodney Half-Marathon on March 12th. I'll head above 40 miles after that and hopefully start working in some good speed work.