The Holidays

Generally, the the two weeks surrounding Christmas and New Years are not very active for me. Kind of lull in training but this year hasn't been so bad. Since my past last Wednesday I've had four decent workouts.

Friday I went to the gym for my first spin class. Heather and got there early lifted a few weights to pass the time and the got into the class. It was the Friday before Christmas and as expected the class was empty, only 6 people. I didn't really know what to expect and I don't ride my bike that often so my plan was to take it easy as not to be regretting it Saturday morning.

My plan was out the window 10 minutes in and I was huffing and puffing as I pretended to be pushing up a very steep hill. I kept my effort level fairly high, deciding that I might as well put in a good work out, which was evident by the puddle of sweat which quickly accumulated around the base of the bike. I was spent after 50 minutes when we hopped off the bike for some light stretching. Heather surprised me by suggesting we hop in the pool for a few laps to stretch, which we did. I surprised myself by actually completing a few flip-turns and getting a good rhythm going up and down the pool. 10-15 laps and we were done.

Saturday morning was the group run. Shanley, Kevin, Ben, new guy Eric, and a couple others kept together almost the entire way around the drives. The pace was generally in the 7:30-7:40 range. I expected to be sore from the spin class but I felt fine. However, towards the end on the uphill towards the museum I felt drained and I had no oomph to push my way up the hill.

It had been a while since I had seen Ben and I found out he also moved to NYC and was living somewhere in Hell's Kitchen in Manhattan. We now have Ian, Ben and Brian up in the big apple. Perhaps they can start a satellite Philly runners. 9.2 miles 70 minutes.

Christmas Eve - 8 easy miles with Heather in the Wissahickon. It was cool and brilliantly sunny. Heather wasn't feeling so hot so the pace stayed slow with a few walking breaks. By the end, I wasn't feeling so hot. I was searching for a port-a-potty that never materialized. We walked the last mile. 8 miles in 85 minutes. (Does that pace even count as a run? Maybe I should call it 7 miles in 65 minutes and knock out the walking portions)

Christmas - A long trail run, the first in a while. I ran the trails on the west side of the Wissahickon from home up to Valley Green. The up, down, jumping, turning, and twisting make these trails fly by and before I knew it was was 30 minutes in and wishing I didn't have to turn around. I felt great, hopped over to Forbidden Drive and pushed it the 3.5 miles home. A very conservative 8 miles in 62 minutes.

I am currently at work a was just forwarded pictures from the Jingle Bell 5K I ran a couple weeks back. Somebody got a shot of me crossing the finish line, with my Centocor Santa hat on clicking my watch. To me, I look a little to relaxed, I probably should have pushed it more over the last mile but I knew the guy in front of me was out of reach so I just cruised in.

Happy Holidays

Sky Blue Sky

I had a few things to take care of after work and I didn't end up running last night until almost 7:30. I hate getting out the door this late as I know I won't be eating dinner till nearly 9:00 and after that it will nearly be time to hit the bed. To say I was reluctant to head out the door would be an understatement. Not being able to find my gloves was almost all the excuse I needed but at the last second I found them and out the door I went.

Heather asked me before leaving "Where are you going?"... "I don't know."... "How long are running?"... "I don't know." I got to the sidewalk out front and decided to go right instead of left. I made my way out on a Roxborough Loop. Generally up Ridge Avenue without ever actually running on Ridge Avenue, just running across as I stick to quieter streets that parallel.

I felt good. It was cool but humid, my favortie running weather. This is a very neighborhood run and I was treated to 1000's of Christmas lights lining the route. I had Wilco's "Sky Blue Sky" on the iPod and I kind of lost myself in a great album. Before I knew I was just about home and the album had ended. 7 miles in 52 minutes.

A Swim and a Run

Up to the gym on Monday night for a swim. I walked into the pool area and all three lanes had two people. Two people is about the limit in a 25 meter pool so the only thing you can do is wait until someone decides to leave. I then noticed that there were 4 other people waiting to use the pool. Damn, I should have gone for a run... maybe I should just turn around now and retreat to my sneakers and the sidewalk, which never has a line.

I decided to wait it out and was rewarded when 3 of the guys waiting in line left and two pool slots quickly opened. I was soon in the pool and swimming easy laps. I am at the point now where I don't have to concentrate on my form and my mind can wander while I make my way up and down the pool.

10 easy laps and then 10, 50m intervals at 45 secs apiece with 30 second breaks. I used to break my ass to swim these in 50 seconds but now I just push hard to swim in 45. By no means fast but still fast for me. This was followed by about 8 more easy laps and in 30 minutes I was done. A good swim.

Tuesday night I went to the group. It was cold and fairly calm and I was feeling fast. My plan was an easyish first mile and then tempo pace for the last 4. There was a large group in attendance but it looked like I would be by myself for most of the run.

The first mile went by in 6:50 and I felt great. I slowly started to pick it up and was surprised to come through the second mile in 6:15. I kept pushing through the turn around and mile 3 in 6:00 flat. I had to double check my watch a couple times to be sure I read that right. I knew 6:00 pace was not going to last another two miles and I backed off a little for a 6:12 in mile 4. I backed off a little more and finished up with a 6:25 final mile.

A faster night than I expected and I hadn't pushed myself to hard. I cooled down with a few trips up and around the Art Museum steps, wishing I could put in a few more easy miles. 5 miles in 31:40.

Missing a Week

I am week behind on the blog and I guess it is time to catch up. I only made it to the three group runs this week for a whopping total of 20 miles. It's amazing how great each run feels when you are only doing a few week. If fitness is a bank account, I have been making little withdraws each week for these "feel good" runs on low mileage. I eventually have to put some miles back in the bank if I want to keep myself in close to the shape I am. However, along with the two runs were a 40 minute trip to the pool on Monday and hour in the gym today so it's a bit of a trade.

Tuesday - 5 mile group run in 35:00. As I said above, felt good. Started off around 7:20 pace and slowly increased things until the last mile which was somewhere around 6:20.

Thursday - Thursday Night. A quasi-group run that's had about 10-15 in and out members over the 2.5 years I have been with the Philly Runners. Always a little longer than Tuesday at 6-10 miles, usually a little faster overall but that can change based on the crowd, and always good conversation about topics all over the board. Ian, was a key part of the group that me other runners look forward to 8 miles in Fairmount Park each Thursday and this week was his last.

I think we sent him off in style with a fairly large group of about 9 people, and a nearly all out contest in the last mile down MLK, just as many Thursdays in the past have ended. A few beers and couple other Thursday Nighters at the bar afterwards capped things off nicely.

Saturday - The group loop around the drives with Gelman, Ian (yes this was the real last run... but it's just not the same as Thursday), and Craig. 7:20 for the first half and slowly increasing pace to about 6:30 for the second half. A brisk morning that started cold into the wind but warmed up when we had it at our backs. All told, 9 miles in 1:05.

And now a little bitching. I have been logging my runs in on the CoolRunning.com website since May of 2004. All those runs logged on an easy to use, searchable, graphable, website. This week, coolrunning has moved it's log onto the active.com website. Yes, the same site where you sign up for all of your races. It sucks. The functionality is just totality different from the old site and I have already run into problems on three occasions. I don't think I ever had a problem with the old log. I imagine they are just getting a few bugs worked out and it will run more smoothly in the future but I still don't like the setup. This leaves with an archived log that I most likely won't use anymore. I've switched over to Nike's free log. I checked it out in the past and almost made the move before but this Active.com switch has made it a much easier decision.

Jingle Bell 5K

A trip out to Malvern, PA Sunday morning for the Jingle Bell Run , 5K. The race benefits arthritis and the company I work for is a sponsor so we have a large turn out. The morning was cold and damp but luckily the rain held off, race conditions were good. I told myself I wasn't really going to race it but I found myself near the front and feeling good after a 1/4 mile so I just went with it.

I was in sixth place after the 1st mile in 5:45. I couldn't believe how good I was feeling. I passed one runner and fell in behind the number 4 guy. It was a beautiful course along rolling hills and I just relaxed and enjoyed the race. I came even with the guy ahead of me and we exchanged a few friendly words before I slowly started pulling ahead. Not trying to force it, just cruising along. Mile two in 5:45. At this point I am thinking about a sub 18:00 but I quickly realized why the first 1.5 miles felt so good, the second half of the course was generally uphill back to the start

I ran mile 3 in 6:05 and came across the line in 18:15 for 4th place, a decent race.

So now I am up to 6 runs in 3 weeks. I have also been going to the gym and there are a couple good swims mixed in there but I really need to get into a more regular running schedule again. So I am going to shoot for 35 miles/week with one speed workout. on the track or at tempo pace, and at least on run in the double digits.

Tuesday Night

For the first time in a long time I joined the group for a Tuesday night run. It was nice to catch up with a few friends. Most of the 5 mile out and back was run with Steve, new guy Rob, and Kevin. A nice run that was hampered by a stomach cramp caused by to many Clementines prior to the run. I am addicted to the sweet little citrus, and I look forward to their arrival in the produce section every year in the late fall. December has been colder than normal so far this year and we were treated to some light snow during the run that didn't amount to much but could be seen blowing along the street in the headlights of the passing cars. 5 miles in 36 minutes.

Mon - 6.5 easy miles with Heather in about 55 minutes. The weather was cool, calm... perfect

Tues- Off

Wed - A trip to the gym. I have to say that these trips to the gym just aren't that exciting. You are working out with 100 other people but somehow you are still totally by yourself. My plan is to get in, workout, stretch and get out in under 40 minutes. It has worked so far.

Thurs - A trip to Roxborough High School track. Lee has been hitting the track once a week and he sort of inspired me to get my ass out there again. I normally struggle on the track. I don't if it is that I try to run to fast or I just pick bad nights to go when I am not running at my best but I never look forward to go back. To hopefully avoid some of that I decided to run at a relatively reserved 6:00 minute pace for a 5 x 1000 workout with 200 recovery. This translates in to 3:45 per 1000m

And they went like this.

3:39, 3:40, 3:39, 3:40, 3:35.

A little fast than I was shooting for but I felt great, never struggling and fully recovered after the 200, I even cut down the recovery to 100m for the last repeat with an 80 second final lap. In fact the workout has me looking forward to going back. 8 miles total in 58 minutes

Post Marathon

I always love the first few weeks after running a marathon. No schedules, no paces, no target mileage. I run how often, fast, and far as I feel like. A little lazy - take the day off, feeling fast - pick it up, bored - turn around after a couple miles. It's also like a new beginning, like finishing the school year and having the summer stretched out in front of you before starting classes again in the fall. I might be busy at work, in school, or with life in general but for now that "get out there and run" voice in my head is just a murmur.

I vowed to take a week off after the marathon and you'd think that would be easy but with beautiful late fall weather and autumn foliage lighting up the park it was harder than I imagined. I kept myself content by taking Boomer, our 3 month old puppy, on long walks through the park to get my fix.

Today was the first day back out for a run and it felt good right from the start. As far as my legs are concerned the marathon is a distant memory. I almost want to hurt more. If I really raced as hard as I could, shouldn't I still be feeling it? Maybe, but I kept telling myself in those last 5 miles last Sunday that I didn't want to look back and think I could have pushed more, so give it all you got. In the last two I definitely let off the gas a little but by then the battle was lost. No point.

Anyhow, 4 miles up to Valley Green in Wissahickon Park in a surprisingly fast 27 minutes. From there I hopped over the creek for slower trip back on the trails. It was a quintessential late November day, low sun in the sky, temps in the upper 40's, and dry. In my opinion just perfect for running. Leaves blanketed the trails, concealing the small roots and rocks, making things a bit more treacherous. I hopped from rock to rock and tried to avoid the unusually large number of people who I think were out to get a peep at the fall foliage but had missed the peak by 4 or 5 days.

About 8 miles in exactly 60 minutes.

Philadelphia Marathon

Things started off just like any normal long run morning, only a bit earlier. I got up at 5:00, ate my usual 3 pieces of toast with jam, a banana, glass of OJ, and a coffee. After gathering everything I needed I hopped in the car and took a spin down I-76, parked on Sedgley and strolled up the hill to the Art Museum. A quick stop at the port-o-john and it was off to the race start. With only 15 minutes remaining until the gun there were surprisingly few people up front and I was able to get as close to the line as I wanted, a few folks back.

I happened to line up next to a guy, Justine, who was also looking to run a 2:58 and we decided to race together. The plan was to make things even as possible the entire way. If there was any gas left in the tank on the return Kelly Drive trip I’d try to pick it up then. We all tried to stay warm in the breeze and low 40 degree temperature. It was cold before the start but weather was just about perfect for me. Warm enough that I can run in shorts but cold enough that I don’t sweat too much. The horn sounded and we were off.

Mile 1-5 Settling In. 7:05, 6:46, 6:40, 6:48, 6:42.

The early miles were just as they should be, uneventful. I took my time and tried to ease into the pace. Along Columbus Blvd we pick up another runner, John, who also was shooting for a 2:58. An initial stomach cramped eased up by mile 3 and I was feeling good and enjoying the race.

Miles 6-10. Through the Park 6:47, 6:43, 6:51, 6:39, 7:00

I was ready for the uphill along Chestnut and 34th street, it went by easily enough and my splits stayed fairly even. The mile that included Lansdowne was slow, but I was happy with a 7:00, it meant I didn’t push to hard but didn’t slack either. Our group was still together and as far as I know we were all feeling good. The course through park was different then years past, there was no longer a trip past the Japanese Tea House. Instead, a loop in front of MLK, a loop around the fields where all the football games are held in the fall, and then down Black Road onto MLK.

10-15 Lemon Hill? 6:54, 6:48, 6:39, 6:39, 6:48.

Once we hit MLK I hit a little rough patch. The two miles along MLK didn’t feel great but it quickly passed as we approached the crowds at the Art Museum. Along the stretch we picked up a few more runners and now had a loose group of about 6-7 guys running the same pace. It gave me the opportunity to tuck behind someone in the wind and also allowed me to relax a little with pace keeping and just go with the flow. Along here I was also informed that the course had changed to compensate for losing a mile or so in the park. We would be taking a trip up Lemon Hill.

An unexpected change but I knew that hill well and I was feeling decent so I didn’t worry about it. It’s an interesting twist on your trip up Kelly Drive.

I passed the half in 1:29, right on track. Down the hill past the Art Museum, right turn on Sedgely, soft left towards Lemon Hill then we wrapped around the back and down onto Kelly Drive at Boathouse Row.

16-20 Feeling Strong 6:44, 6:44, 6:37, 6:45, 6:47

Damn I felt good going up Kelly Drive, well good for being at mile 16 in the marathon. I felt in total control, as if I was holding myself back. There was a large pack ahead that acted as a rabbit for me, I eventually caught them right before going up the overpass and down into Manayunk. Mentally I was psyched; maybe I could pick it up in the last few miles and have a great trip back down Kelly Drive.

I felt the “hills” on Main Street in Manayunk, and although my pace didn’t fall off during the stretch it was taking a lot more effort to maintain. Still, I was confident and really thought I had a decent chance of breaking 3 hours.

22– 26.2 The Wheels Fall Off 6:48, 7:09, 7:39, 8:26, 9:09, 10:43 for the last 1.2.

We left Manayunk and now were on the return trip down Kelly Drive. I passed the 21-mile marker with 2:22:20 on my watch. This left me with 37:40 to run 5.2 miles. This number made me happy. It was easy math, just keep the pace below 7:00 and I would cross that line with a 2:5X:XX. In fact, sub 7:15 pace would have done it. 7:15 is easy on any normal day, I only had to hold it for 5.2 miles along a stretch of road that I was more than familiar with.

Then suddenly I was slowing down, I was being passed, my legs were just were not going as fast as they were before. Mile 22 7:09. SHIT! Pick it up John. Pick it the fuck up! Do not let things fall apart on Kelly Drive! 3:00 hours is there waiting for you, now go get it!

No matter how much I tried to coerce myself it just wasn’t happening, I just kept slowing down. Many times I tried to match pace with somebody who passed, trying to hold on, but after 100 meters I would fade. God I was pissed off. Mile 23 in 7:39 and now I had 22:38 to run the last 3.2, I gave it one more shot… um no. Mile 24, 9:09. 9:09! In three miles I had gone from feeling good, to feeling like this. I focused on finishing strong but I knew I wasn’t a pretty sight. I had kind of an upper body lean going on that I just couldn’t right.

Around Boathouse Row I accepted defeat and tried to bring it in with a smile on my face. I passed several Philly Runners on the final hill and it definitely cheered me up. Crossed the finish line 3:05:25. Saw a friend from work, hobbled around for a while, ate, got some warm clothes on, walked back to my car and chatted with a few Philly Runners along the way and that was it.

So what happened? Weather was perfect, I wasn’t dehydrated, I had eaten plenty in the few days prior, and I think I ran a fairly smart race based on my goal time. I was however lacking in training. I knew it hadn’t been the best training cycle and that showed up in an ugly way in the last 5 miles. I looked at the mileage in the three months leading up to my last three marathons.

Chicago Fall 2006, 785 miles
Boston Spring 2007, 740 miles
Philly Fall 2007, 635 miles.

To race a marathon well I know I need consistent 60-70 mile weeks and it just didn’t happen this time. I was hoping I’d be able to pull of a good race despite the training but it’s hard to do that in the marathon. It will definitely reveal any flaws.

It’s strange I thought I would have been much more disappointed but somehow it isn’t really bothering me that much. I tried to pull off a race I don’t think I was prepared for and it didn’t happen.

So now it is time to relax. I am going to try and enjoy the Holidays to the fullest and worry about running in January.

Almost There

Mon - 5+ miles. I was going to take it real easy but felt good so I picked it up for a mile or so and it blew by. Feeling great.

Tues - Off

Wed - 4 easy mile through Manayunk.

Just a few days until the marathon and I am feeling good. Normally, in the week before the marathon, my mind is dominated with thoughts of race day. This year not as much. Maybe it is because I don't have to travel and can just roll out of bed Sunday morning or possible its that I am distracted with other things. In any case I'll just put it all out there on race day and see what happens.

Fri - easy 6 with Heather in about 50 minutes.

Sat - I joined the Philly Runners group for a Saturday morning run for the first time in a long time and was presently surprised to see Ian in attendance, fresh off of his 2:42 PR in New York. Ian and I caught up for a few miles before he wisely decided to cut the run short of the 8.4 mile loop and head back after about 2.5 miles.

I continued on with a pack of 4 other Philly Runners. The pace at the start was about 7:05-7:10 and this continued to the top of the loop and across Falls Bridge. It felt very easy, like I could have gone all day and I decided to give marathon pace a whirl for the remaining 4 miles down Kelly Drive. I was shooting for 6:45 to 6:50 pace. First mile 6:38, second mile 6:42, third mile 6:50. I cut the 4th mile off at halfway in 3:20 to make a pit stop before wrapping things up. It felt good and the pace came easily, if anything I think I am going to have really concentrate to hold myself back in the first half of the marathon. That is a good situation to be.

9 miles in 1:02.

7 miles last night with a little over 2 1/4 @ tempo pace. I warmed up for a couple with Heather and then sped up. First mile in 6:08 and I was holding myself back. I went about a minute past the mile split and turned around. I was on 6:00 pace through 3/4 of the second measured mile and decided to push it for the last 1/4 finishing in 5:51. It felt good, like I could have easily run 7 miles if I slowed it down to 6:15-6:20 pace.

Maybe I am taking this taper thing a little to seriously.

Mon - Off

Tues - Off

Wed - 5 miles in the morning out and back on Kelly Drive. I felt like I was shot out of a cannon for the first 1/4 mile, which is very odd for a morning run. After that things slowed down and I fell into a more leisurely 7:45 pace. Things felt tight and not to smooth.

Wrapping Things Up

This morning, the final long run of Philly marathon training. 17.6 miles starting with a trip up Wissahickon Park followed by a loop through Montgomery County and then a winding route through Chesnut Hill to home. The first 6 miles were flat but after that it was all rolling. The only large hills were Germantown Avenue from Northwest to Sunset ave. A long uphill that never gets to steep but keeps a steady incline that makes you work for the top. At the end was long dowhill on Shurs Lane from Ridge avenue to Main Street.

The longer this run went the better I felt. Towards the end I really wanted to drop the pace and see what I could do over the last few miles but I held back. I was content with the fact that I was feeling the urge to accelerate, I'll hopefully save any bursts of speed for the marathon. 17.6 miles in 2:10.

Start Spreading The News....

A good run last night. I took a loop out the Art Museum plus 1 mile and then a couple up and own the Art Museum steps. My pace was locked in more by what me legs wanted than me really focusing on it, every mile came in bewteen 7:18 and 7:25. Things felt very smooth and easy. 11.4 miles in 1:22.

This weekend is the Olympics Trials and the New York City Marathon. I am excited for both. A show-down in central park for a trip to the Olympics between just about every top male american runner on Saturday. On Sunday, the NYC marathon where a few friends will be racing. Best of luck to Ian and Craig and all the other Philly Runners that are racing. If you'd like to read about Ian's marathon PR please follow this link IAN'S PR and there should be a race report sometime next week.

Sun - 6 easy miles with Heather in the Wissahickon. 48 minutes

Mon- 8 miles on Kelly Drive. I threw in 6 sets of strides and my legs felt good. 61 minutes

Tues - Off

Wed - I planned on running 12 miles with tempo but got started later than I wanted to and decided to push that longer workout to Thursday. I got a mile in and was really cruising along and feeling good. If I just pushed it a little more I'd be at tempo pace so I decided to mix 3-4 miles tempo into a shorter 6 mile run.

First mile 6:20. I began to struggle after the first mile and was getting pissed off about it until I got to the 1/2 mile split, 2:52. Hmm, no wonder why I am struggling. I took a short 30 second breather at a slow pace and than back up to tempo for a total of somewhere between 3.5 - 4 miles at around 6:15 pace.

As opposed to many tempo runs this fall I wasn't praying for it to be over, I kept pushing back the endpoint because I was feeling so good.
6.2 miles in 41 minutes.

In the past week my running has really taken a 180, my legs feel 100% better. This improvement coincides with a switch back to my normal running shoes, Asics Gel Nimbus, from those I've been wearing just over the last few moths, Saucony Grid Trigon. Can a pair of sneakers really make that much of a difference? Perhaps, or maybe it is all just in my head, either way I don't really care. I am just happy that things seem back on track and I am looking forward to the marathon.

Hitting a High Note.

Fri - DNR This wasn't a scheduled day off but I had several excuses. Raining, school work, sore calves, 21 miles planned for Saturday morning. I brushed off the run and actually didn't feel to bad about it.

Sat - Still raining as I set out for 21 miles. The plan was to run 5 easy miles, meet Dierdre in the Wissahickon and then run 15-16 more miles with her. It was warm for a late October morning and that made the rain almost enjoyable. The first 5 miles went easily and I was looking forward to meeting Deirdre and running a good workout. We ran the length of Forbidden Drive, which had some eerily cool pockets of cool air when the trails was lower and closer to the rain swollen creek.

The rain would turn heavy and then abate at regular intervals but I was kind of enjoying it. When we got to the top of the park Deirdre decided to turn around and save her long run for Sunday morning. I continued on into Montgomery County for a long loop before tackling the hill on Germantown Avenue leading into Chestnut Hill. After a couple more miles I ended up back in the Park where I jumped on a couple miles of trails, I was 15 miles in and feeling good.

I eventually crossed the creek and got back on Forbidden Drive. I had about 4 miles to go and decided to see what marathon pace felt like, that is if I could get to marathon pace. I turned up the pace and felt fairly good but I really didn't think I'd be knocking off the 6:45 miles I was hoping for. First 1/2 mile split was 6:11 pace. Whoa. I know the spilt is slightly short but I was still well under 6:45 pace. 1st mile 6:28, second mile 6:30, last 1/2 mile 6:15. Obviously something must be working right to hit those splits after 17 miles.

I cooled down for the last couple miles with a little more confidence for a sub 3:00 performance in a few weeks. I don't plan to taper much this week considering I just have not been putting in a ton of miles. I'll save the taper for the final two weeks.

Sun - An easy 6 with Heather on a much cooler and drier fall afternoon.

Fast... Finally

After all that talk in the last post I went out and had a great run tonight. A route into Chestnut Hill and after 6 miles I picked the pace up to what felt like tempo. It was rainy and cool and I was thouroughly soaked. The portion I ran at tempo pace was fairly hilly and I just tried to keep a consistent effort.

I wasn't sure how fast or far I was going at tempo I just concentrated on getting to an intersection on my route that I figured was about 3 miles away. I felt fast and smooth, along the way I picked an intersection and hit the split button, around 6:10 later I hit the split at another intersection and continued on for a little longer.

I got home and mapped it out. I had run 3.7 miles at tempo pace and that distance I split was a mile on the nose. And now that I am thinking about, that mile included a little slow down at stop sign to let two cars go. I didn't have to slow much but it may have added a few seconds. I am guessing I averaged about 6:15 pace for that portion.

The only negative note was more stomach issues. It seems that any run over 10 miles and I have problems. I have a few ideas for what might be causing it and I'll make a few changes to see what happens. I obviously don't want this problem when I am running 26.2
For the run it was 13.7 miles in 1:37.

I can't believe it but there are only 3 1/2 weeks until the Philly marathon. Where did all that training time go? Building up to Chicago last year was just week after week of decent mileage and good workouts. It got very monotonous and tiring but it also made me feel like I was ready to tackle the marathon and drive it right into the ground. I felt faster, fitter, and ready.

No so much this fall. My training has been more of a start/stop affair with to many stops. I got started a few weeks late, I lost over a week getting married, I lost two weekends due to other issues and here I am with just over 3 weeks to go and feeling unprepared. I haven't had those surprisingly easy and fast workout that often occur in training. My tempo runs have gone poorly, and many of my easy runs haven't felt great either. All of this and I really haven't been logging that many miles. 50-60 /week, with a couple weeks much less than that, instead of my normal 60-70

Where does this all leave me? I don't know. I can for sure say that I am not to confident. Despite the lower mileage over the past couple weeks, my legs haven't felt good. I have been having intestinal issues on many runs when in the past they were a rare occurrence. My motivation has also been lacking. I find myself kind of dreading the mid-week 14 mile workout. I had thoughts of just not doing the marathon.

Today things feel better. My legs feel fast and ready to go. I am looking forward to 15 miler tonight and I think it is going to go well. Hopefully I can carry this feeling into the final couple weeks of training and ride it right through my taper into the marathon.

Regardless of the way the next couple weeks go I am going to line up on Nov 18th shooting for a sub 3:00 marathon. The original goal of 2:55 and 6:40 pace seems like a real stretch right now. I think I will be better off going a little more conservatively in the first half, maybe 1:29, and than hopefully pick it up slightly and negative split.

The runs:

Sun - A very easy 4.5 miles in 38 minutes
Mon- 6+ miles through Roxborough in 48:00. This run felt decent.
Tues - Off
Tonight - 15 miles through chestnut hill.

As planned I met Deirdre for 18 miles on Saturday morning, we were joind by Erin and Iris. Erin was running and Iris was riding in the stroller. I haven't seen Erin since she had Iris about 1 year ago. She looked great and was running great as well.

After 4 miles Erin turned around and Deirdre and I headed on into Mt. Airy and through the Wissahickon Park. The pace stayed easy and I felt decent. However, around mile 12 intestinal distress reared it's ugly head and the pace slowly started to drop off. Deirdre was understanding and we even traded a few tales about the subject. The same conversation with a coworker would be odd but with Deirdre on the run it was fine.

We altered the route so I might have better chance at passing a port-a-john but it wasn't until we were nearly finished, on MLK, that I was able to make a pit-stop. I was running 8:20's before the stop and 7:20 after. 18.2 miles in 2:23.

Thanks Deirdre

My runs have not gone to well over the past couple weeks. Two attempts at tempo runs, today and last week, have gone miserably. Just 2-3 miles into tempo pace and I am spent. With a couple exceptions of a long run over the weekend, and 12 miler last Friday, I wouldn't call any other of the runs good. In fact this week they have all just been bad. Sore legs, lack of energy, and just a general feeling that I don't want to run.

So all this is going through my head 6 miles into my 10 mile run tonight. This sucks, my running sucks, whine whine whine

I bump into Deirdre just past boat house row, we stop to chat and she conveniently asks how my run is going. I'll try to recreate the conversation here. There may be a few exaggerations below but this is the general idea.

Me: High Deirdre

De: High John, How is your running going

Me: WAAAH, and WAAHH.... WAH

De: Really tell me more

Me: Wah

De: Oh that has happened to me in the past

Me: Wah WAAAAH Wah

De: I have had horrible runs leading up to marathons but the race has gone just fine. You have a month left don't sweat it, take a couple days off

Me: Yeah but...... Wah

De: I had the big toe on my right foot amputated days before my Olympic trials marathon a few years back, and had a great race.

Me: Your right, I gotta relax and just deal with a bad patch, take it kind of easy over the weekend

De: I am glad you stopped crying

Me: I'll meet you for an easy 18 Saturday morning

De: Sounds good, see ya.

The whole conversation really brightened my mood. The 4 miles home were the best miles I've had all week. Deirdre was in the right place at the right time and I don't think she had any idea how the short conversation helped. I'll have to tell her on that 18 miler this weekend.

Thurs - 6 Easy miles with Heather. This has become a routine easy run for me. 48 minutes, a little faster than Heather's normal pace

Fri - I was looking for 11-12 miles with a few at marathon pace. Took a trip up to the edge of Chestnut Hill and then into Wissahickon Park. After a couple more miles I sped up to marathon pace, and the first mile went by in 6:40, right and felt good. Second mile 6:35, 3rd mile 6:30 and 4th mile 6:30. It's amazing how much better I felt than a couple days back when I was attempting a tempo run. The pace came easily and I didn't really feel winded after slowing down. This defintiely brightened my mood. You can't let one bad workout ruin your outlook, just have to move on.

Sat - Breakout 5K

I decided not race this one and run with Heather. It's decent race with a route that doesn't set foot on MLK or Kelly Drive, a good break from the norm. Instead it winds around the neighborhood of Fairmount and through the grounds of Girard College. The weather was crisp, clear, and calm, perfect for a race.

In the first mile we reeled a few people in and we were holding steady. Heather was racing well and I don't think the pace dropped off at all. We went through the two mile split somewhere around 13:40 and as we exited Girard College Heather started to pick-up the pace. There was one girl ahead and in the last turn Heather was able to pass her and really pick up the pace to finish in 20:36, good for 3rd place female. A great race.

Sun - Long Run

Another beautiful morning, this is the way that fall runs are supposed to be. I met Ian in front of the Art Museum and we headed out on a course that incorporated some of the Philly marathon route, Fairmount Park, and into East Falls. Then, a loop across Wissahickon Park on Henry Avenue and Walnut Lane before a mile in Mt. Airy. I was feeling pretty good and really enjoying the run.

After dipping into Wissahickon Park for a couple miles we ended up on Kelly Drive for the final 5 back to the Art Museum. The pace was between 7:15 and 7:30 on the way down Kelly and I think this was true for the entire run. I gratefully grabbed a much needed Gatorade from Ian at the finish and he continued on for a couple more to reach 3 hours. For me, 21 miles in 2:35.

A good run. I was tired but finished strong and had a surprising amount of energy the rest of the day. Both good signs.

65 miles for the week, and now over 1800 for the year. In the first half of 2007 I was a few hundred miles up on my 2006 totals. Since that point my 2006 running ghost has slowly been catching my 2007 totals. At this point, 2006 John is only 60 miles back but 2006 John is a week away from the Chicago Marathon and now I still have 5 weeks to go till Phill. All this means I should beat last years total. A trend that has been ongoing for several years now and it's nice to continue.

A tough run last night. My goal was 15 miles with 5 at tempo pace. I felt decent the first couple miles on Kelly Drive and was looking forward to a good workout. After about 20 minutes of warmup, I sped up to the high end of my tempo pace, 6:20. The first mile felt good, the second mile I was beginning to struggle and I called it short when I got to Lloyd hall at 2.5 miles. From there I ran easy pace down the path extension to the looping turn around.

I stopped at the turn around to stretch and to tell you the truth, had there been a way out of running home from there I would have taken it. I felt like crap and did not want to run back. I delayed as long as possible and began again at a leisurely pace. Surprisingly I was feeling and better decided to ramp it up to tempo pace when I got near Girard Bridge. I felt like I was moving along well but the first ¼ mile split indicated 6:50 pace, WTF. I pushed the pace down to 6:20 but it was a struggle and I only kept it up for 1.5 miles. I passed Devon along this stretch and it looked like he wanted to chat but I was afraid any stop would kill my momentum so I just yelled hello as I went by.

The last few miles home were a struggle even at 8:00 pace. I just couldn’t wait to be done with it. 12.4 miles in 1:32.

When a workout goes this poorly it leaves you searching for a reason. The best I can guess is dehydration. I drank two huge glasses of water when I got home before hopping on the scale. 149lbs. That’s an obvious sign that my tank was very low. Also, I had a run like this a few weeks back and it looks like it was the same cause. More water.

Fall Changes

This fall has definitely not been the best for marathon training. I knew this heading into training but with less than 6 weeks remaining I feel I need to play catch up. I have missed a couple key tempo and longs runs so I adjusted my training program to include two 20+ milers instead of just one and changed some of the track workouts to tempo runs.

In fact I’ve kind of thrown the entire training program out the window and I am just sticking to what has worked for me in the past, specifically Chicago last year. One decent tempo each week, hillier 12-15 milers midweek, and long runs on the weekend with 1-2 with a faster finish.

This renewed plan, coupled with a change to cooler weather had me excited to get out the door late last night for an easy run after a long day. It promptly starting raining but I didn’t really mind and enjoyed 6+ miles winding through Manayunk. 47 minutes.

I have good bit of catching up to do in this blog but sadly it is because of some horrible news.

Friday afternoon Heather found out that her older brother Peter had suddenly died at a faculty meeting that morning. Peter was a teacher in the Arts departments at Southern Georgia University 40 miles west of Savannah. Needless to say this was a horrible shock to Heather, her family and her brother Peter’s family. He was survived by his wife M.C. and his beautiful 11-year-old daughter Olivia.

We headed down to his home in the small town of Metter, GA along with the rest of her family and friends. It was a sad weekend.

Peter was 36. The college held a beautiful ceremony for him Monday afternoon and the turn out showed just how much Peter was loved and respected by his family, friends, students and colleagues. At times it was heart wrenching and other times humorous but overall it was a wonderful tribute to a great guy. My heart and thoughts go out to Heather and her family in such a horrible time.

The whole event makes me think about my family and friends and just how much I take for granted that they will always be there. I hope to learn from this tragedy and make a few changes.

A Long Morning

Mon - 6 easy miles with Heather in Wissahickon Park. The cool crisp air, and slightly golden leaves made it feel like Autumn to me for the first time this year.

Tues- Off

Wed - The schedule called for 15 easy miles and due to other obligations I knew I wasn't going to be able to run after work so I got stuck running it before work. My longest morning run to date is 8 miles, so this was definite jump for me. Strangely it is a lot easier for me to sleep in and miss a 5 miler than 15, so I was right up when the alarm went off and out the door at 5:00 am. This is par for the course for many runners but getting my ass out the door at 5 am to run felt like a tiny accomplishment.

I was hoping to step out into a cool fall morning, but was greeted with a humid not so fall like morning. I set out for Chestnut hill on a route I ran many times training for Boston over the winter. A fairly uneventful run, in the dark just about the entire way. I passed a couple other early morning runners. Runners are much more likely to wave or nod to each other in the morning than in the afternoon. Why is that? Some bond that getting out there in the morning creates?

Josh Rouse's, "Subtitulo", and The Killers "Hot Fuss" on my iPod carried me through almost the entire run and before you know I was back home with the sun starting to shed some light on the horizon. The route was a little shorter than I rememberd, 14 miles in 1:43.

Parkway 5K

Before I get to the race just a note about the rest of the weekend.

Fri - 8+ miles in 62 minutes. Easy pace on tired legs up and down Kelly drive. It was a run that ended better than it began.

Sat - 15.3 miles in 2 hours flat. I met Ian, Deidre, Devon, Jaime, and Jeff at the Art museum to run a 15 mile route that Ian suggested. All of us except for Ian and Jeff were dragging a little at the start and quickly fell behind the leaders. I was content with a slower pace and enjoyed the beautiful weather and nice conversation that you can only have when running with friends for a couple hours.

Sun - The Parkway 5K.

Last year our team won a dinner for 10 at the Four Seasons Hotel. This year we were going to to need the competition to be extra soft, like a down pillow. Our team just never really came together due to injuries and people out of town. Ryan managed to scrape a full team together, just before the start, by grabbing "some guy" who would be our fifth. Sadly, the race officials weren't able to get all of the results together this morning so we won't know if we actually won anything until later.

Anyhow the race. I lined up right in the front so I'd be in the clear at the start and not caught in the pack like last year. In the first 1/2 mile I don't think my legs realized what was going on, I just felt like it took me a while to get up to speed. However, the first mile went by in 5:47, just about on schedule and I felt decent.

I continued up MLK passing a few people and holding pace. At the turn around I was running alone but there was a pack of 4 guys up ahead so I made an effort to try and catch them. By the time I got there that pack had stretched out and I only caught one guy. Mile 2 went by in 5:46.

On my way back up to the parkway I was able to pass one more guy. I like this race in that it goes from parkway to MLK and back to the parkway. I can concentrate on each section separately and it makes the race seem shorter and I can better manage my pace.

Back on the parkway again and at this point I knew a PR and the guy in front of me were both out of reach. I think I held back a bit because of it. With 200 meters to the finish I realize I am getting passed and the guy is really blowing by me. I tried to answer but I couldn't match the pace and he easily took the lead.

I finished in 18:03, for 21st place. I was happy with the time, I definitely wasn't in PR condition. Looking at the early results I think I finished 2nd in my age group and should be up for one of the great prizes that this race is known for but I won't know for sure until they get the official results up.

58 miles for the week and just over 200 miles for the month. Not to bad considering the time off.

My legs are still strangely sore after a day off but I still a had tempo run in mind as I set out with Heather for an easy 6 miles before going off on my own for 6 more.

The "Fairmount Rapist" or whatever you want to call him will surely have me running a lot more miles with Heather especially since the days are getting shorter. We did an easy 6 miles out and back in the Wissahickon after which I continued onto Kelly Drive.

I was feeling quick. Sometimes you can kind of just tell it will be a good night after you get a few miles in, despite the fact that things were a little sore before starting. I couldn't split the first mile but I eased into a decent pace that felt about right, maybe a little slow. Half way through the second mile I was able to get my pace, 6:10. I was feeling great and the pace was quicker that expected.

Mile 1 - unsplit but probably around 6:15
Mile 2 - 6:10
Mile 3 - 6:13
Mile 4 - 6:10

Hot Damn! That put me in a good mood. To hit those splits after a 6 mile warm up on a warm and humid night was just what I needed to gain some confidence after a little while off.

A slow 10 miles on some tired legs from my house to the Art Museum and back. I hit consistent 7:45-7:50 miles the entire way. Nothing of note except for a lot of gnats. I thought I had seen the last of them this year but after choking on a coulpe clouds I realized I was wrong.

My legs feel much better this morning than they did going into the run last night. That's a good sign.

And Now I'm Married

That title is a line from a White Stripes song but I can't exactly remember what the next line is, the tune however is now firmly implanted in my head. Looks like I know what I will listening to on my run tonight.

But yes I am married and I couldn't be happier. It was a beautiful ceremony in Seattle on Sept 15th. Luckily all of the problems and worries about attendees, and schedule, and this and that, worked themselves out and things went quite smoothly.

It was a smallish wedding with about 45 people in attendance to watch a very brief ceremony featuring Heather and I trying to keep our composure while the Judge read through the wording we had picked. In my nervousness I tried to kiss Heather a little before the judge gave the go ahead, which was greeted with a big laugh from the crowd. Seconds later it was over and Heather and I were walking out.

We honeymooned on the big island in Hawaii. It included a lot of snorkeling, eating, driving, and getting chased by angry Hawaiians. I reached my highest and lowest elevations in one trip. A 25 foot dive while snorkeling and 13,796 feet at the top of Mauna Kea. For me this was the highlight of the trip because we got to see the array of large telescopes that are scattered around the top of the mountain. Including Keck 1 & 2, the largest telescopes on the planet.

One thing the honeymoon didn't include was running. I was able to turn off the desire to run like a switch and enjoyed the laziness. I did get a few runs in while in Seattle. Early morning trips up and down the edge of the Puget Sound. Things were cool and misty, just about exactly what I would picture Seattle was like in the morning.

The first run was an 8 miler with an undetermined amount of miles at a faster pace that I think was around tempo pace. The second run was just under two hours and I am guessing about 16 miles. After that was 9 days of absolutely no running.

Pfitzinger has some guidelines in his book about time off during training. "Less than 10 days off with more than 8 weeks till the race - continue with the plan and don't adjust goal time" I fit in that category so I jumped right back into the schedule yesterday. 15 miles with 12 @ marathon pace. This translates into 6:40 pace for me.

I had a head cold but felt OK and figured I'd be able to complete most of the workout, if not all of it. I felt great in the first few easy miles and then picked up the pace. Again I was feeling good and was dead on for the pace at the mile markers. However, after a few miles the time off and the cold caught up with me and I was soon struggling. I decided to slow it down and just get the miles in.

It was rough, my lungs felt small and my hip was aching. I even took a couple walking breaks, not because I was totally dying but because I didn't want to push myself anymore than I had to on the way back. 15 miles in 1:58

Today my legs feel kinda like I raced a 10K. Muscles are a little sore but luckily there is no pain in my hip that was bothering me yesterday. In hindsight the run was a little ambitious with a cold after 9 days off and I should have gone out easy from the start and maybe cut it short a couple miles. I am not going to read into the bad run to much, I'll just continue with the plan.

A Swim and Run

The Pete Pfitzinger schedule calls for a day off or a cross training Sunday. I slept in for the first time in weeks, which only lasted until 8:15 when I woke up but I forced myself to stay in bed till 9:00. I wasn't planning on any workout but after sitting on the couch for 3 hours to watch the Eagles game I was ansty. So I went to LA fitness to swim. 1250M all at a very relaxed pace, the laps felt better the longer I went.

Today, Pete asked me to a double with 6 in the morning and 4 in the evening. I usually have a very hard time getting up for a morning run if I am not meeting someone else but for some reason with the run on a schedule I felt I had more of a reason to get up.

So out of bed at 5:15 it was and into a dark and very very humid morning. I had been looking forward to a cool morning run but it was not to be. Instead it was another sweatfest, out and back on Kelly drive for 5 miles. I'll be looking forward to more of the same this evening.

I have bene noticing that I haven't had a lot of the aches and pains that usually come along with marathon traning. In the past I was always feeling a tight calf, sore hamstring or achey achilles. It is still early but this time around there hasn't been any of that, my legs feel tired to be sure but nothing feels pulled or tight just fatigued. I am thinking that more experienced legs and well scheduled recovery days in Pfitzingers plan are helping me out.

Fri - 8 miles with 10x100m strides 60 minutes. I took the miles slowly in prep for a long run on Saturday. This workout is all over Pfitzinger's traning program. It's a good thing I like it.

Sat. 21.5 miles in 2:40.

Another warm and humid long run morning, hopefully the last one of the summer. I met Ian, Deirdre, Jim, Emily and E-mike at 7:00 am. We were running a route that covered a majority of the Philly Marathon course.

The group remained togther for the first few miles and then Ian, Deirdre and I started to pull away. Deirdre slowed down at 34th street and it was just Ian and I for the last 13 miles. I was sweating horribly but seeemed to be dealing with it much better than I had two weeks ago. When we were finally able split a mile on MLK I was surprised to find we were cruising along at 6:55 pace, I couldn't beleive it. It felt easy.

We passed in front of the Art Museum and stopped at Ian's bike where he had stashed some Gatorade. Feeling good, we headed out for 7 more miles on Kelly Drive to finish things up. It was my first run over 20 miles this training cycle and it went well, especially considering the weather.

For the week, 68 miles in 6 workouts.

Last night was an 11 mile run that I just wasn't looking forward to. I would have been content to sit on the couch with a couple beers and the remote. However, I had commited to meeting Deirdre and Ian in front of the Art Museum and instead of sitting down when I got home from work, I just kept myself in motion and was right back out the door.

Of course after a couple miles with Deirdre I was in the swing of things and soon it was 6:30, and we were back in front of the Art Museum with 3 miles down. Deirdre headed home and I fell in step with Ian for a trip around "The Loop".

Ian was running tempo so he warmed up with me for a few miles and then started his workout. I kept going at a steady 7:10 - 7:20 pace and 4 miles later Ian was running back to join me, his workout complete. We finished in front of the Art museum. 11.5 miles in 1:25.

Feeling Fresh

My legs seemed to shake off the workout I did on Monday and I felt fresh and ready to go for 14 miles last night. I took the same exact route as my Saturday 14 miler. Run to the top of Wissahickon Park then add 1 mile on Andorra road before heading back into the park for home.

I did the first 4 with Heather, who was in a speedy mood and we arrived at Valley Green much more quickly than we normally would when running togther. She turned around and I continued on at a somewhat quicker pace. I felt great, loose and focused with good form. The miles ticked off at around 7:10 pace and before I knew it I was turning around.

The sun was setting and the air was quickly getting cool. When the breeze was right there was almost a slight chill in the air. This had me looking forward to the falling leaves and cool temps of October and Novemeber. The last couple miles became a race to beat the daylight out of the park, I barely won. 14 miles in 1:43.

Tough Tempo

I wrapped up last week with 4 easy miles on Sunday morning. A couple more than the training planned called for but the extra miles were all easy.

Monday is the start of "Week 11" which turns up the mileage and the speed work.

My goal today was 10 miles with 5 at 15K - half marathon Pace. This translates into 6:08-6:18 pace when I look at race calculators. A tempo run that is not supposed to be broken up into intervals. Start off at the easier end of the pace and try to work my way down with each mile, or so I thought.

My first mistake was a common one for me, pushing off a morning run until later in the day. I was all set to get up at 7:30, get out the door at 8:00 and be home by 9:30 looking for some breakfast. I snoozed till 8:00, laid in bed till 8:30, made a pancake breakfast at 9:00 and digested that with a couple cups of coffee until 11:00, when I finally got out the door. It had warmed up considerably since 8:00 and in the full sun on Kelly drive I was quickly uncomfortable. I should have stuck to the shade of the park.

I warmed up with a couple easy miles, I was cruising along at 7:15 pace and it felt very easy. I had high hopes for a good work out. Got to Strawberry Mansion bridge, clicked the split and I was off. The first mile in 6:13, right on track but I was pushing a little more than I would have liked. Mile 2 in 6:15 and at this point I knew there was no way I was making it 5 miles without stopping. Ran another 1/2 mile to Lloyd Hall in 3:12 and stopped for some water, things weren't going so well.

After a water stop, up to the Art Museum, stretch, and then back to Lloyd Hall were I set out to run the second half of the 5 miles at a slightly slower pace. Mile 1, 6:26, then I stopped. 1/4 mile recovery and the last mile in 6:20. 4.5 miles total at tempo and I was cooked. The last two miles back to my house were a struggle.

Obviously not what I was looking for but the way I was feeling I was glad that I toughed most of it out. So what went wrong?

My legs were plenty rested. Based on workouts and races in the past couple months, I think the pace I set out for is correct. However, at noon on an 85 degree day I should have adjusted the pace accordingly, maybe 10 secs a mile less. I think the second factor was dehydration. I was 147 lbs when I got home, a lot less than then my normal weight, which is currently around 155. I went into this workout a little low and it only got worse as I went along.

Of course I could be wrong about all of this and I just can't handle the pace. I'll find out next week.

Wed - 6.5 easy miles with Heather on the trails in the Wissahickon. 58 minutes.

Thurs - 10.5 not so easy miles on the trails in the Wissahickon. This one started slowly, my legs took a couple miles to wake up, but then everything fell into place. I took a hilly route that had me dripping with sweat as I sucked down some water at Valley Green. I waved hi to a few Wissahickon Wanderers that were gathering for their Thursday evening runs and then took it to Buck Hill.

I've mentioned the torture of this hill before in this blog. I took it slow from the start and it only felt like tempo pace by the time I reached the top. The toughest thing about this hill is that you can't ever see more than 10-20 yards ahead. With every turn you expect to see the crest but the steep hill just continues.

On the way back home I passed a mountain biker on a unicycle. A little unicycle with big fat mountain bike tire. He was ascending a tricky hill and it looked like a cross between biking and pogo sticking as he bounced and pedaled his way to the top. I mentioned that he was crazy and wished him luck as I passed by. Suddenly I was wondering what going downhill on that thing would be like... 10.5+ miles in 80 minutes.

Saturday - It was a morning that makes up for all the hot sweaty days over the summer. Cool, dry, sunny, breezy, just about perfect for a 20 miler but of course I am on a recovery week and the plan only called for 14.

Into the Wissahickon yet again on a trip to the top and a little beyond to get in all the miles. Tom Haxton, a local speedster, passed me on what must have been a very easy run because he was only slowly pulling away and was in my sights for a couple miles. I was tempted pick up the pace and try to start a conversation just to get a feel for what his training was like and pass some time. My iPod was in the middle of a good block of songs and decided to keep the pace a little slower. A good run from start to finish. 1hr 45 minutes.

This week wraps up the month of August. A great month from a running perspective. 230 miles, marathon training is finally on track and going well, a mile PR, and some confidence going into the next phase of training which looks to be quite challenging.

It's funny how quickly a 12 mile run can change from my longest run of the week to an easier run on a Tuesday night during a week when the mileage drops. That is however exactly what Tuesday night was. I ran a little over 5 miles to the start of the group run.

E-Mike was there and looking to do 4 miles at about 7:30 pace. That fit right into my workout so I offered to pace him through 3.5 miles before I turned around for home. Nothing to exciting, just putting in miles. 12+ miles in 92 minutes.

On Wednesday night Heather and ran a trail loop through the Wissahickon. I went out with an easy 5 miles in mind but Heather talekd me into a few more, somewhere between 6.5 and 7. It was all at a very easy pace in 58 minutes.

Into the wissahickon park last night for another stride workout. 8 miles with 10x100m strides. The last time I ran this workout I ran hard for 45 sec intervals but I realize that this a little to long if I am running at mile pace and cut back to 35-40 second intervals this time around.

After 1.5 mile warm up I hit the split, run hard for a time, wait for the lap on my watch to read 3:00 and then hit the split again and repeat. 8 miles is almost the perfect distance to run this workout. The intervals fit nicely into 5 miles and it left me 1.5 miles to finish up at the end. It also makes the time pass quickly as you are always anticipating the next interval.

8+ miles in 60 minutes.

Long Hot Weekend

Friday night I took an easy recovery run with Heather in the Wissahickon. It was warm and horribly humid. At these humidity levels the sweat refuses to evaporate and even after only 5 easy miles it's dripping from your shirt. My legs felt decent and I knew they would be ready for the a long run on Saturday morning, I was just worried about the weather.

I think Saturday morning was even worse, there was condensation on my storm windows and my front door, two things I haven't seen before. It was going to be rough. Ian mapped out a route that is similar to my last couple long runs with a bit more distance added at the far end. I stashed some water around the midway point and met Ian, Seebo, Deirdre and Craig in front of the Art Museum.

After a mile I was wiping sweat from my brow and all of our shirts were soon soaked through with sweat. Despite this, the run was going well, we had a good group and the pace was just right. We made our way down the Belmont hills and eventually all the way up the face of the first big hill which Ian has dubbed the "Bad Tipper". After a little direction from a girl walking her dog we found the first turn into new running territory which happened to be directly in front of our faces.

A long downhill and than a steep uphill which I believe has overtaken the Bad Tipper as the worst hill in the area. It needs a name and I am willing to hear other options but my gut feeling right now is the "Fuck YOU Hill!" hill. At this point point the group was stringing out and yo-yoing back together as the road went up and down towards the river.

A quick pit-stop for some water and then another hill. This hill didn't seem so bad but after mapping it out I realize that it was actually the worst hill of the day. It was made more difficult by a wrong turn that I talked everyone into making, but which also mercifully cut a couple miles off of the route.

At this point I was starting to drag as was everyone else it seemed. Despite the water I was carrying and drinking the entire way I was getting dehydrated. Ian and Seebo were pulling ahead, I was trying to keep up with Deirdre, a task that was getting more difficult with each mile, and Craig was hanging on the back.

It all became a slow grind towards the Art Museum and we couldn't get there fast enough. Misery does love company and Deidre and I pushed on as quickly as we could both grateful that we had the other to keep us going. At one point I told Deidre that we need to talk about something happy to take our minds off of things and she said "I can't". I shut up and just focused on finishing.

18.5 miles in 2 hours and 36 minutes. That translates to 8:10 pace, my slowest and most difficult long run in a couple years. I was happy to see Craig finishing up behind us and then Ian came up the hill a couple minutes later. We discussed how much the run sucked but how we were better for it and then all headed home.

I always keep an eye on my weight pre and post run. When I got on the scale at home I was down 7 lbs but this was after drinking nearly 180 ounces of water/OJ both during and after the run. It is no wonder the run felt like it did.

On Sunday Heather and I were again running the Wissahickon. 3 miles on Forbidden Drive and 3.5 on some trails. 6.5 miles in 56 minutes. My legs felt good.

60.4 miles for the week in 6 runs.

Next week is scheduled as a recovery week and is only 52 miles with a long run of 14.

I was nervous about my planned 14 miles last night. I ran 10 on Tuesday and the track meet on Wednesday night, I had a feeling that my legs weren't really going to be up for the mileage. The plan was to run down to the Art Museum and meet the Thursday night group, run back towards my house with them and then Deirdre and I would continue into Roxborough and home while the rest of the group turned around.

I took the first 5 miles to the Art Museum at an easy pace but felt fairly good. The miles were going by more quickly than expected. At the Art Museum were Devon, Ian, Seebo and Deirdre. We set off back the way I had come and Seebo took off on a tempo workout, Ian turned around after 15 minutes on post workout cooldown and that left Devon, Deidre and I to take it up Kelly Drive. I felt surprisingly good and before I knew Deirdre and I were back where I had started.

I passed my street and continued on down Main Street to Green Lane where we made a right up a horrible hill. We took it at pace that was just fast enough to be considering "running" and I took a right at the top and back to home, Deirdre continued on.

13.3 miles in 1:37.

Wanderers Track Meet

First I'd like to get down the beginning of the week.

Mon - Off

Tues - scheduled to be my tempo day but with the track meet moved from Tuesday to Wednesday it forced me to change the week up. For no reason at all I thought 10 easy miles would fit in well.

I put in 4.5 miles before the Tuesday night group run on a loop through University City and back top the Art Museum. I then joined the group for 5 miles and ran most of the way with Jim. I didn't feel great on the run, making me happy that the track meet had been postponed a day due to rain. 9.5 miles or so in 75 minutes.

Wednesday - Track Meet

The weather was almost perfect, overcast, mid 60's and almost no wind. This was my second year at this race and I again planned on running the 1 mile race and the 5000 meters. They are the first and last individual races of the evening and it gives you time to cool off and warm up in between. Heather had signed up for the 1 mile and 3000, giving her only one race in between.

The turnout was similar to last year minus a few Philly Runner folks that were missed. Kevin Forde was there to defend his mile title and a few guys in their early 20's that looked like good competition or perhaps out of my league.

Last year I was disappointed with a 5:23 mile. I went out a little to slowly and couldn't catch up in the end. This year I planned a faster attack at the start and then try to hold on.

I was able to warm up with about 1.5 miles before the race and was loose and ready to go as we lined up. I took off at the start and was quickly in third place in a field of about 10 guys. I knew Kevin Forde was behind me so I let him pass me on the inside and dropped into 4th place on the first straightaway. I thought if I could keep myself within about 5-8 seconds of Kevin in the first lap I would be in good shape.

I came through lap one in in around 69 seconds, I didn't realize it at the time but that pace was completely over my head, somewhere in the neighborhood of a 4:40 mile. I found out after the race that Kevin had also gone through the first lap to quickly due to a rabbit up front who eventually finished in 4:29.

So the remaining three laps I just tried to keep pushing as hard as I could. I didn't split the laps and I am not sure of the times but I think it became a controlled slow down. I remained in third the entire time and didn't want to glance back, I knew Kevin G was back there somewhere and probably gaining due to my fast start and slowing pace, so I just kept running as hard as I could. In the final lap I felt like I gave a kick but at that point I don't think it was much. I finished in 5:12, 11 seconds faster than last year. I was pleased with my race this time around, it's amazing how much 11 seconds can change your outlook.

I think Heather ran a 6:08 in her mile and somewhere around 12:15 for the 3000. Both of which she was very happy with.

In the 5000 meters I didn't all out race, I used it as a tempo run. There were a few guys that were shooting for a 19:20, which was right in my tempo range so I told them I'd go out at that pace and try to keep it nice and even.

At the gun two other runners jumped into the lead and continued to pull away. I was in third along with 3 others. We were together for a couple laps at 6:15 pace. Two guys eventually started to fade and this left me and one other guy running consistent 90 sec laps for the next two miles or so.

I realized I'd be able to beat last years time of 19:00 if I just increased the pace a little and over the last three laps I did. I finished in 18:54 for third place. 6:05 pace, which is right at the bottom of my tempo range.

Afterwards there was food and even a few beers that went down well on the cool misty night. 7.5 miles.

Week One Done

The lingering effects of a long run usually show up the following morning on my first few steps out of bed. This morning however, there were none of the usual aches. I obviously took this as a good sign. It's either because I haven't really gotten into the heart of training so the miles haven't had a chance to pile up and really have the effect or the slower pace yesterday made things easier on my body.

So with not so tired legs I set out in the rain this afternoon for 10 miles in the Wissahickon. I actually had to hold myself back at a few points and made sure I kept it easy. It was 65 degrees and the rain was fairly heavy. I got a little lost in my thoughts and the miles ticked off as I shook of the mental cobwebs from to many beers at a party last night. I passed Chris, the fastest guy in our a little running club, he was cruising in the other direction at a pace that would have left me panting. 10 miles in 64 minutes.

For the week 55.2 miles in 5 runs and 1000M in the pool.

Except for a missed run on Friday I am very happy with the week. The important runs went very well and I am feeling good.

Thursday was recovery and I took an easy 5 miles with Heather in the Wissahickon. Uneventful. I was worried that the workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday would leave my legs totally dead but things were good. 42 minutes.

Friday I really didn't know what to do. My schedule called for 11 miles but that was supposed to be followed by 5 easy miles on Saturday and I knew I was going to be running 18 not so easy miles on Saturday. I was off from work so I thought I could get 5-6 miles in early and then go for a swim in the evening. I should have known better and run as soon as I woke up but I kept pushing the run off, busy with stuff around the house. Before I knew it Heather was home and we were headed for the pool.

I swam about 1000M in a horribly over chlorinated pool. The nasty chlorine taste was in my mouth for an hour afterwards and it was accompanied by itchy skin even after a shower. Sadly I found out that the pool would only be open for one more week. The pool schedule revolves around the public school year and the students will be going back soon, so pools close. The weather would easily support another month but the lap swimmers get no love from the city. So now it's back to the tiny L.A. Fitness pool or no swimming at all.

Saturday I was shooting for a 2hr 15 min run and thought 18 miles would do the trick. There were several other Philly runners, Craig, Devon, Steve, and Deidre up for the distance so we had a good group leaving the Art Museum at 8:00am. We ran a route very similar to last week with a couple extra miles tacked on at the far end.

These extra miles turned out to be low traffic, heavily shaded, rolling hills in Lower Merion just outside of Philly. There are more than a few dollars floating around this community and the highly manicured homes made for scenic running. In fact, I think I might make a b-line for this area on a few more long runs this year. The hills are a good workout and the unfamiliar area makes the time pass quickly.

I felt good although not as good as last week. At about mile 12 or 13 I was slowed by some intestinal distress that continued in waves for the remainder of the run. I wasn't dying but it made things quite uncomfortable and I thought about cutting the run short. Devon and Craig slowed down with me and the conversation kept my mind of off the problems and had me going all the way back to the Art Museum. 18+ miles in 2:24.

The pace was slower than last week but just what I was looking for. A less strenuous long run should leave me in better shape for workouts during the week.

Last night called for 14 miles at easy pace. A trip to the top of Wissahickon Park and back to my house is a little over 13 and I figured that would be good enough. I ran the first 5.5 miles with Heather at about 8:00 pace. Heather turned around and I continued for to the end. I picked up the pace to around 7:20-7:30.

I felt good, better than I expected. 13+ miles in 1:42

Marathon Training

It is finally the official start of marathon training for Philly in November. I planned an early July start but due to several reasons it wasn't a great July for mileage or training. I am jumping in at week 14 of an 18 week program. The first week looks a little daunting but I should be able to manage the mileage despite missing the first 4 weeks of build-up.

The plan looks like this for teh first few weeks.

M- Rest or XT
T- some type of speed
W- moderate long
T- recovery
F - Moderately long but usually less than Wend
S - Recovery
Sun - Long run. (I'll probably juggle the schedule at the end of the week as I normally do my long runs on Saturday.)

I took Monday off as planned. I hope to swim as XT on Monday but not this week.

Tuesday was 9 miles with 10 x 100m strides. I've never gone out for a stride workout so I looked up what to do.

A 30-45 second pickup at 5K to mile pace then slow back to easy pace. A long recovery and repeat. The recovery can be as long as needed because you don't want to go anerobic. The workout is meant help with form and get your body used to the mechanics of a faster pace.

I headed out on Forbidden Drive and ran my first stride after about 20 easy minutes. 40 secs fast, slow down to easy, 2-4 minute recovery and repeat. I think I ran the first few a little to fast but I was soon right on pace. It wasn't the easiest workout but not as tough as a tempo or track workout.

My hamstrings were a little tight towards the end and after finishing but it was a good workout.

9+ miles in 66 minutes.

Friday evening I followed the same exact route I had done with Lee on Thursday morning only this time I was running with Heather. An easy 5 miles in 42 minutes.

Saturday morning I met the group for a trip around the drives. We had a group of about 6 people cruising at 7:30 pace. I could tell from the start that it wasn't going to be the best run and it wasn't. After two easy days I expected a good run but I was dragging on the way down Kelly Drive. I felt tight and out of sync, making the 7:30 pace uncomfortable. 8.5 miles in 64 minutes.

Afterwards I stretched and couldn't even reach my toes. That is never a good thing and somewhat explains the bad run.


Sunday morning I had a long run planned with Ian and Devon. On this run I felt good from the start it carried all the way through the run. Ian planned a route that would take us over Girard Avenue and to Belmont Ave. We followed Belomont all the way across City Ave and took the Belmont Hills in reverse. They are much easier in this direction, almost to much downhill. We followed Belmont to I-76 and made a left up a steep 1/2 mile hill that had me panting at the top despite the slow pace.

We followed a couple roads and eventually ended up back at the bottom of the Belmont Hills in the hard direction. Ian and I didn't pay to much attention to the hills as we chatted and before I knew we were over all three. We crossed City ave again and the pace picked up a little as we made a left on Ford Road destined for the Strawberry Mansion Bridge and East Fairmount Park.

A few loops in the park, Lemon Hill, and back to LLoyd Hall were I tacked on extra 10 minutes to reach 2 hours. I was tired by the end but not exhausted. Overall I felt good and was very happy with the first official long run of marathon training. I was also pleasantly surprised to see the distance after mapping it out. 16.6 miles in 2 hours. 7:14 pace on a fairly tough run.

This gives me 48 miles for the week plus 1000M in the pool.

Tired Legs

My morning running plans did not work (meaning I couldn't get my ass out of bed) on Tuesday and I decided to wait until the sun went down to run. I took an easy route through Roxborough at a very relaxed pace. It was humid and hot but the slow going made things bearable. My legs were still very much remembering the race on Saturday. 5.8 miles in 47 minutes.

My mind was up for some speed on Wednesday night and my legs were forced to come along despite their whining. Heather and I took a very slow run over to Roxborough Track for a few intervals. My plan was to run 3x1 mile at 6:20 pace with as much recovery as I wanted in between. 6:20 is the high end of tempo pace, I wasn't looking for a real interval workout just trying to wake my legs up.

It was horribly humid and hot even though the sun had set. I took off on the first mile and miscalculated thinking I needed to run 80 second laps. I expected the pace to feel harder than normal but not this hard. After two laps and 2:45 on my watch I realized my error and slowed down to a more manageable pace and finished the first mile in 6:02.

400 recovery and then ran the second interval in 6:12, felt decent despite sore legs. 200 recovery and then a 6:18. The second two miles came more easily than I expected and gave me confidence that I'd be able to sustain 6:10 pace on tempo runs of 3-5 miles. Total 7+ miles in 58 minutes.

This morning I got up to meet Lee for 5 easy miles in the Wissahickon. Didn't feel great but after a couple miles things loosened up. 5+ miles in 41 minutes.

I went for a swim this evening and really loosened things up. In fact when they closed the pool at 6:45 I was wishing I could have stayed longer. Soreness is still there but it has been dulled a little.

I am going to try and get up tomorrow morning and put in some miles before things really heat up, it's supposed to be a scorcher with full humidity to boot. I think posting my morning running plans in the blog will be just enough motivation to get out of bed tomorrow. We'll see.

River to Sea Relay

7 competitors (3 river-women and 4 sea-men)set out from Delaware river in Milford, New Jersey to conquer the 92 mile course to Manasquan and the Atlantic Ocean. It was hot, sunny and humid, some would call it stifling but everyone performed better than expected.

We arrived at the start with little time to spare, grabbed our numbers, hit the bathrooms, laid down some ground rules and suddenly Lee was on his way running the first leg of the course. You'd think 92 miles would drag, that the day would seem forever long, especially when your waiting for someone to run a 9 mile leg but this really isn't the case. You are constantly in motion, supporting the current runner every couple miles, moving the next runner into position, and running.

Lee nailed his first leg and Devon followed with 8 solid miles in leg #2. By now the competition and the temps were heating up. Shanley passed a few on the 3rd leg and Ian took the baton for leg 4, "The Beast". Somehow he finished it in an insane 49 minutes and then it was my turn for leg 5.

A somewhat hilly leg with limited shade and a lot of sweat. It was 6.5 miles and I was hoping to finish in under 42 minutes. I didn't want to go all out because I would be running later in the day so I tried to keep things around tempo pace. My stomach cramped early, I think because of to much water before starting, but it eased up after a few miles and I fell into a groove. It's tough to race in the full heat of day and by mile 4 I was really praying for the finish, just counting down the minutes.

There are no mile markers so your never sure of your exact position or pace. I felt like I was on target for sub 42 but with about 1/2 mile to go I could see the end of the leg I was going to miss 42, but not by much. I tagged Heather's hand somewhere around 42:20 and she was on her way. I felt like I raced hard but not all out, just about the effort I was looking for.

The next several hours were incredibly hot and I could see it in the pain on the runners faces. It was the hottest portion of the day and the shade was limited. People were walking, and struggling to get through. I was proud of my teammates for running well in such miserable conditions. We really did pull together with great support which enabled everybody to run their best in the conditions.

I was up again for the second to last leg of the day, 8 miles to the shore town of Manasquan. It was tougher than I expected and after an initial quick mile my pace started to fall off. Miles 2 through 4 were really a struggle and I was just trying to maintain pace. My team was there to support me nearly every mile and half until I reached a more secluded trail for the last 3 mile of the leg.

I concentrated on my form, breathing and passing the guy in front of me in the last 3 miles. There was shade and things were cooler but I was still struggling. The final 1.5 miles were marked in 1/4 mile intervals and I could see that my pace was almost exactly 7:00. I was hoping for better but it wasn't in the cards. In the last 1/4 mile I was able to pass one more runner and hand-off again to Heather who wrapped up the race with 2.5 miles to the beach.

We finished at 7:14 pm, 10 hours and 24 minutes after we started, and sub 7:00 pace for the race. A truly great showing for our team and better than I think any of us expected. We were the 6th mixed team to finish. We took a dip in the ocean and then headed back to Ian's friends house for a great meal, a few beers, and then bed.

I had an easy 6 miles in mind last night and luckily so did Ian for the Thursday night run. I got to the meeting point a couple minutes late and hustled down Kelly Drive to catch Ian and Kevin G at Lloyd Hall waiting for the light to cross.

We kept the pace easy on a 6 mile loop that passed several water fountains which would help us beat the expected heat. It turned out not as hot as expected but we still hit couple fountains. 6 miles in 43 minutes.

Tomorrow is the River to Sea Relay with my team River Women and Sea men. I am excited a little nervous about racing in the full heat of day across the state of New Jersey. Definitely looking forward to it.

A Good Workout

I was very undecided about last night's run. How many miles? How fast? Trail or path? I ended up on a very familiar route, Forbidden Drive to Valley Green and back.

It was hot but not horribly humid keeping the temps manageable. I started things off around 7:30 pace and slowly increased as I moved along. I reached Valley Green in 29 minutes. If I am not pressing the pace and I get to Valley Green in under 30 minutes than I am having a good day.

I sucked down some water at the fountain and stretched. Should I take the trails on the way back? Stick to Forbidden Drive? Steal a bike and ride home? I was feeling good and slightly fast, despite the heat, and I decided to run Forbidden drive home with a couple mile intervals thrown in.

First mile in 6:10 and it felt good, not rushed, like I could have kept it up for a few more miles. I rested for a half mile and then hit it again. Only the first half of this mile was measured and it went by in 3:08, I kept running until my watch read 6:30 for what was probably a little more than a mile.

I ran easy the last 1/2 mile or so back towards my house. A majority of my runs in the Wissahickon Park start and end on a large old set of steps. It consists of 100 steps made from slabs of granite, bordered by a heavily painted, dark green railings. I was in the habit of finishing my workouts by running up these steps but in the past year I'd stopped. This summer I made a pact with myself to always run the steps after my workouts.

Last night I ran up the hill to the base of my steps and stopped my watch, forgetting my rule. Two seconds later I said, "Oh damn", started my watch and ran up the steps. 8 miles in 57 minutes.

I haven't run fast in a few weeks and this workout was a good way to get back in that groove. It wasn't especially hard but it left me feeling like I wanted more. The best run I've had in the past month.

I joined the Philly runners for a few mile last night. After a mile warm up I joined the group and we headed out on Kelly Drive. The pace was in the 7:30 range for the first couple but increased to about 7:00 as we passed the John Kelly Statue. I quickly realized that I was the only one to actually pass the statue and I was alone for the remainder of the run. I went out past the normal turnaround for 5.5 miles with the group. For the evening 6.5 miles in 47 minutes.

My foot was a little stiff to start but quickly got loose and I didn't really think about it the rest of the run. It also felt fine afterwards. I don't want to count my chickens before they're hatched but my foot seems back to normal. I was scared that this might be a long-term injury but I think it is just one of the normal aches and pains that come with running.

I registered for a class this fall that is on Tuesday night, 4:30 - 7:30. This means there will be no Tuesday night runs through the fall. In the past I have used the group runs for tempo but that won't be an option this year. I'll miss it.

Catching Up

As planned I took most of last week off from running. Instead I became Lee's unofficial Ironman training partner and joined him for a few workouts.

Monday - Off

Tuesday - In the pool for nearly a mile. It was wet, cool, there was a lot of water around and I continued to go back and forth for about an 45 minutes. Swimming always makes me feel great the rest of the evening.

Wednesday - Off

Thursday - 22 Miles on the bike with Lee. We did a looping route through Fairmount Park before heading down the bloody nipple and then down MLK and back home on Kelly Drive.

Friday - Another trip to the pool with more of the same. I did work in some 100m repeats, something I couldn't have dreamed of doing a couple months ago. They kick your ass but break up the monotony of swimming and they make the slower laps feel that much easier.


Saturday - My foot started feeling better and getting loose on Thursday. I continued icing and as planned went for my first run on Saturday. I was at my parents place in New Jersey, I decided to do a few loops of their housing development and stay close to home to make for an easy walk if I needed to stop.

Each loop took around 6:30 and I am guessing that they were about 0.85 miles. 4 loops = 3.4 miles in 26 minutes. It was hot and there was no shade so I was sweating horribly but my foot felt decent. Tight but no pain. I iced it after a shower and stayed optimistic.

Sunday - I made a stop and Philly Runner and picked up a new pair of sneakers, Saucony Riders, or something like that. They are supposed to have a little more arch support as compared to my Asics. After running in one type of sneaker for so long I was nervous about switching but change can be good.

In the evening I went out for 5 miles in the Wissahickon on Forbidden Drive. The new shoes felt different but good and I tacked on an extra 3/4 miles at the end of the run. 5.75 in 43 minutes.

My foot feels decent this morning. I stay a little light on the miles this week in prep for the River to Sea Relay this week but hopefully I can work right into marathon training starting next week.

Plantar What?

Using the powers of the Internet I have turned myself into a doctor, specifically a podiatrist and made a preliminary diagnosis of my problem, Plantar Fasciitis.
Of course I've only had the problem for a few days and I may be jumping conclusions, worrying to much, whining, or all three but it can't hurt to take precautions and try and find out what is going wrong before it gets worse.

If you take a look at the right-most foot image and notice the area with the 42%. That is just about exactly where my pain is and it radiates slightly down the 14% band down the arch.

A couple of my symptoms match with other aspects of the problem: The fact that it is especially tight and tender in the morning and that I have gained an obscene amount of weight over the past couple months. OK maybe that isn't true. The other symptoms I've read are a little vague and they may or may not match what I am feeling.

The good news is that it is reversible, the bad news is that it can takes months to get back to normal. To help I can purchase running shoes with a little arch support as opposed to my normal neutral cushion. I'll take a spin to an actual running store for a little advice on what to wear. This is a very common running injury and they probably have a few good ideas and options. I can also ice it (as I am doing as I write this) and perform a few stretches that are supposed to give some benefit. Other than that I think I will avoid running until at least Saturday unless I see some marked improvement.

I swam about a mile last night in the Jim Kelly Pool. It was fairly uneventful, just putting in laps.

Absolutely no improvement with my foot, if anything it is worse this morning.

Back from Seattle and sitting at my desk, a place I really don't feel like being this morning.
Heather and I went out there for her brother's wedding and it went well despite the weather which was cloudy, cool, and mostly rainy. It was exacty how the east coast pictures Seattle but Heather swears that this weather is not typical for July, in fact it was one of the rainiest July weekends they have had. I am suspicous.

I didn't get in as much running as I would have liked. I snuck in 9-10 miles through the Wissahickon before we left Thurdsay evening. I ran a 5 mile loop near her parents house on Friday and Sunday. The loop has one killer hill in the first 2 miles and the remainder rolls along through the evergreens. I took the loop at much harder pace on the second go round and really pounded out the last 2 miles trying to get under 35 minutes.

Everything seemed fine Sunday night but when we got to the airport on Monday morning I had a tender spot on my right heel, just in front of the ball of my foot on the left side. I didn't think much of it and had forgotten about it after flying for 6 hour but it was back as soon as we walked off of the plane.

I scrapped the run I was going to do last night but this morning it was exactly the same, a sharp pain when I rest my weight on it and it aches for a while after I walk on it. Right now I definitly cannot run on it so I will take tonight off too. I plan on icing it this evening and seeing how it feels tomorrow.

I have a bad feeling about it, the pain isn't bad but it just feels different that aches I've had in the past. I hope I am wrong, it's not the best way to start the first week of marathon training.

Tuesday, 5 mile group run in 33 minutes, a little faster then I expected especially in the heat but it went well. Ian and I had an interesting incident that he recounts very well here. I had a slightly different take on it during the ride home. Ian is right, running isn't supposed to be divisive, but when somebody is a big ass(figuratively but by coincidence in this case also literally) that is the way it goes.

I got home from work on Wednesday night and wolfed down a huge sandwich that Heather brought home for me. It was sitting like a weight in my stomach and I thought that a run was off the table for the evening. I'd just take Wednesday off instead of Thursday. However, as the evening rolled on I was itching for a run and by 9:00 I was out the door.

A short trip through Manayunk in extremely humid conditions. I was still digesting during the run which made things a little uncomfortable. I tried to find streets I'd never been on before but after 6 years in the area, even in a extremely dense area, that is becoming more and more difficult. 4+ miles in 30 minutes.

This evening I am headed to Seattle with Heather for her brothers wedding. I should get a run in early this afternoon before we leave and then I'll see what I can squeeze in out there. The weather should be in the mid 70's and just about perfect for running. Hopefully I can log decent number of miles.

I was looking to put in a few heat adjusted tempo miles last night. However at the start of the run my legs felt dead and achy. As I entered the trails in the Wissahickon Park I was already playing the mental game of planning routes to chop a couple miles off of my planned 10.

I kept the pace easy and hoped my legs would wake up, which they did after a few miles. I still took a pass on the tempo and was content to run the trails to a little above Valley Green and then back on Forbidden Drive. It's always nicer to end a run stronger than you started.

10 miles in 75 minutes.

Back into the pool on Friday night. For this trip I was joined by Heather and Jenn, who due to injury hasn't been able to run with us but she can definitely swim. Heather and Jenn worked on some sets in one lane while I just cruised along in mine. I lost count of the laps but I think I hit a mile. I felt like I really made some progress with my form and pace.

The pool is great cross training and I look to make this a weekly occurrence all summer long.

Saturday morning I hit Wissahickon Park and ran the length of Forbidden drive. At the top of the park I made a left on Andorra Road and followed for a mile before turning around. The weather was decent for a July morning and I felt great most of the way. 15 miles in 1:55

I should get out the door for a late run tonight. With that included, the week, 45.3 miles running and a mile in the pool. That's three weeks in a row of 40-45 miles and a few swims, I'm feeling good and excited about the official start of marathon training on July 22nd.