Wrapping up the month of May with several, I know it is shocking, trail runs. One with Heather and a few by myself, all at a relatively easy pace. Looking over my log for the past month I realize that 7-10 mile runs are now the norm for me. In fact, I have to look way back to find anything under 5 miles. It's nice to just get out there for an hour and run. Luckily I've had the time to do that for all of May.
This afternoon I ran a little over 9 miles under always threatening and often raining skies. There were a few cracks of thunder and the air was thick with humidity. I was covered in sweat and drizzle by the end of the run. I split a 1/2 mile just before leaving the park and it came in at 6:35 pace. This was great, as it was at the end of a hilly 9 miles and I wasn't pushing to hard, it felt like marathon pace.
I was like a black hole for gnats this run. I found 16 dead guys on my face and chest when I got home. What fun. 70 minutes
For the month 177 miles which is a little over the average for the year and is beat only by February with 182 miles.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Memorial Day Weekend
A beautiful Memorial day weekend. Almost exactly how I would have ordered up the weather if I was the one pushing the buttons controlling such things. Sunny, 70's, light breeze, perfect for running and biking.
Friday night I couldn't get myself motivated to run. The thought of a few beers and some grilling to kick off the holiday weekend won over my easily coerced brain and I took the day off.
On Saturday I ran a 10.5 mile loop on the trails in the Wissahickon. It's funny, now only a couple days gone, I can barely remember the route I took. Hmmm. I have feeling a majority of the run was on Forbidden Drive at a nice easy pace as I recovered from the race the day before. A look at the log reminded me that I ran 4.5 mile with my dog Boomer. Dropped him off panting at home and went out for 6 more on Forbidden by myself. 10.5 miles in 80 minutes.
Sunday. Heather and I took an out of the ordinary bike ride all the way out to Valley Forge Park and back. I knew we were in for a long day from the start. It is a mostly down hill ride to the Schuylkill river trail from my place. Start on Forbidden Drive, a left at the top of the park. Down the long and winding hill that is Hart's Lane and your there, about 3 miles. The trail itself is totally flat save for a couple under passes.
Once we arrived at the park we grabbed some junk food from the visitor's center and made our way to a nice shady locale with a view of a gigantic field with hundred's of picnickers. We relaxed in the shade and popped treats for about an hour and took in a truly perfect day.
Wow! My ass was sore when I got back on the bike for the ride home. I am not used to sitting on the bike for more than an hour and that is mountain biking when I am out of the saddle 1/3 of the time anyhow. We both sucked it up and took a slightly easier pace on the way home. Heather surprised me with her resolve on the way back up that horrible Hart's Lane hill. We arrived back at the Wissahickon and again treated ourselves to ice cream cones and Gelati. 41 miles over much of the afternoon.
Monday. I told Heather as I was leaving the house for a run. "If I feel good I'm gonna be out for a while. If I feel bad I'll be back in under an hour" I felt great and ran for 1:42. It was the first run of the year that I would officially call hot. Not so hot that my shorts were dripping with sweat but enough to embolden me to take off my shirt. In 6 weeks this will be considered a cool day to run. Funny how quickly perceptions change.
I had no route in mind and just looped trails together eventually ending up at my old house. I turned around and looped more trails together to get home. Along the way I stopped at a few water fountains and took in the beautiful day and the ridiculously crowded park. A conservative 14 miles.
Friday night I couldn't get myself motivated to run. The thought of a few beers and some grilling to kick off the holiday weekend won over my easily coerced brain and I took the day off.
On Saturday I ran a 10.5 mile loop on the trails in the Wissahickon. It's funny, now only a couple days gone, I can barely remember the route I took. Hmmm. I have feeling a majority of the run was on Forbidden Drive at a nice easy pace as I recovered from the race the day before. A look at the log reminded me that I ran 4.5 mile with my dog Boomer. Dropped him off panting at home and went out for 6 more on Forbidden by myself. 10.5 miles in 80 minutes.
Sunday. Heather and I took an out of the ordinary bike ride all the way out to Valley Forge Park and back. I knew we were in for a long day from the start. It is a mostly down hill ride to the Schuylkill river trail from my place. Start on Forbidden Drive, a left at the top of the park. Down the long and winding hill that is Hart's Lane and your there, about 3 miles. The trail itself is totally flat save for a couple under passes.
Once we arrived at the park we grabbed some junk food from the visitor's center and made our way to a nice shady locale with a view of a gigantic field with hundred's of picnickers. We relaxed in the shade and popped treats for about an hour and took in a truly perfect day.
Wow! My ass was sore when I got back on the bike for the ride home. I am not used to sitting on the bike for more than an hour and that is mountain biking when I am out of the saddle 1/3 of the time anyhow. We both sucked it up and took a slightly easier pace on the way home. Heather surprised me with her resolve on the way back up that horrible Hart's Lane hill. We arrived back at the Wissahickon and again treated ourselves to ice cream cones and Gelati. 41 miles over much of the afternoon.
Monday. I told Heather as I was leaving the house for a run. "If I feel good I'm gonna be out for a while. If I feel bad I'll be back in under an hour" I felt great and ran for 1:42. It was the first run of the year that I would officially call hot. Not so hot that my shorts were dripping with sweat but enough to embolden me to take off my shirt. In 6 weeks this will be considered a cool day to run. Funny how quickly perceptions change.
I had no route in mind and just looped trails together eventually ending up at my old house. I turned around and looped more trails together to get home. Along the way I stopped at a few water fountains and took in the beautiful day and the ridiculously crowded park. A conservative 14 miles.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Yesterday evening was the last race in the May, Wissahickon Trail Series put on by the Wissahickon Wanderers. I've really been enjoying these race and I am a little sad that they are over.
From the start I could tell I wasn't going to race as well as last week so I was content to sit behind the leader, who also wasn't having his best day. The course twisted and turned up and over big boulders and down sketchy sodden slopes. After about 1 mile I was passed by some guy who quickly went on to take the lead. We emerged into a field with horse corrals and made our way around back of the stables on the freshly cut grass. The leader was steadily pulling away and I was fading further into third place.
The second half of the course was more familiar to me and I finally felt like I settled into a decent pace. I moved into second place with a little under a mile to go but I wasn't pushing to hard and neither was the guy I had passed. A heavy rain started just before I finished in 33:02. I guess the course was about 4.5 miles. Afterwards we were rewarded with a double rainbow and a few cookies made by one the runners. Definitely a good night.
Heather, Lee and I after finishing last weeks race.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
In-Laws and Running Logs
The in-law visit over a long weekend was a success despite the periods of rain that seemed to pop up everyday. I was also able to get a couple good runs and a swim in as well.
The whole family went for a nearly 7 mile walk up and down Forbidden Drive. Heather's folks were amazed that we had such a park in the middle of a huge city and I again counted myself lucky to live a couple blocks from the Wissahickon. After the walk I retraced a similar route by myself on a run. Generally easy pace and a mix of trails and Forbidden Drive. A little over 8 miles in a little over an hour. Felt great.
On Monday I ran another trail route through the park through periods of rain. Just a mile in I gave my left ankle a nasty twist. An initial sharp pain and brief walk and I seemed back to normal, I didn't even think about it the rest of the run. And a great run it was. Not real fast but a brisk pace. The pace I imagine Lydiard is talking about in his program when he says run comfortably hard. It was a run where you have the disconnect between what your legs are doing and what the lungs are doing. Sometimes you feel like your lungs are working harder than your pace but this time I felt like my legs were out-pacing my lungs. A good feeling to have.
After relaxing a bit when I got home the bottom of the foot I twisted tightened up and was causing some pain. I iced a couple times that evening and the following day it was still really tight. There were no runs but a lot of walking and it loosened up once I was on my feet for a while. A good sign.
On Wednesday the pain and stiffness were completely gone and my initial fears of a lasting injury evaporated. In fact, I made it out the door for close to 10 miles on Forbidden Drive with no foot pain before or after.
On another note. I had been using the Nike online running log since the Coolrunning.com log went kaput in mid-December. Well guess what, Nike's is having problems now too. Instead of waiting for these problems to resolve , I transferred all of my runs to this spectacular spreadsheet I found online. It tracks all runs, totals everything for the Week, Month, Year, and lifetime. It also keeps 3o day and 7 day averages for mileage.
With this tool I can see that I didn't break 200 miles for any single month this year but I was averaging over 200 miles/30days in late February and early March. You can also put in a mileage goal for the year and it will show you how far off you are from hitting that goal. I popped in 2000 miles for the year and yesterday I was 2.8 miles short of my goal. Today I am 8.3 miles short, looks like I need to put in a few miles tonight.
The whole family went for a nearly 7 mile walk up and down Forbidden Drive. Heather's folks were amazed that we had such a park in the middle of a huge city and I again counted myself lucky to live a couple blocks from the Wissahickon. After the walk I retraced a similar route by myself on a run. Generally easy pace and a mix of trails and Forbidden Drive. A little over 8 miles in a little over an hour. Felt great.
On Monday I ran another trail route through the park through periods of rain. Just a mile in I gave my left ankle a nasty twist. An initial sharp pain and brief walk and I seemed back to normal, I didn't even think about it the rest of the run. And a great run it was. Not real fast but a brisk pace. The pace I imagine Lydiard is talking about in his program when he says run comfortably hard. It was a run where you have the disconnect between what your legs are doing and what the lungs are doing. Sometimes you feel like your lungs are working harder than your pace but this time I felt like my legs were out-pacing my lungs. A good feeling to have.
After relaxing a bit when I got home the bottom of the foot I twisted tightened up and was causing some pain. I iced a couple times that evening and the following day it was still really tight. There were no runs but a lot of walking and it loosened up once I was on my feet for a while. A good sign.
On Wednesday the pain and stiffness were completely gone and my initial fears of a lasting injury evaporated. In fact, I made it out the door for close to 10 miles on Forbidden Drive with no foot pain before or after.
On another note. I had been using the Nike online running log since the Coolrunning.com log went kaput in mid-December. Well guess what, Nike's is having problems now too. Instead of waiting for these problems to resolve , I transferred all of my runs to this spectacular spreadsheet I found online. It tracks all runs, totals everything for the Week, Month, Year, and lifetime. It also keeps 3o day and 7 day averages for mileage.
With this tool I can see that I didn't break 200 miles for any single month this year but I was averaging over 200 miles/30days in late February and early March. You can also put in a mileage goal for the year and it will show you how far off you are from hitting that goal. I popped in 2000 miles for the year and yesterday I was 2.8 miles short of my goal. Today I am 8.3 miles short, looks like I need to put in a few miles tonight.
Friday, May 16, 2008
It hasn't been the best week for running so far and with Heather's parents in town this weekend through Wednesday the remainder of the week probably won't be much better.
I had a final Monday evening so that was a DNR.
Tuesday I took a jog to Northwest avenue and Forbidden Drive to meet Lee. We ran a 6.5 mile loop through the park. Total for the evening a little over 10 miles in 1:20.
Wednesday - DNR
Thursday was my second Wanderers trail race. Heather and I ran to the start with an easy 2 mile warmup. I saw some trail markings along our way that indicated Buck Hill, the biggest hill in the park, was on the route. This was going to be tougher than last week.
There was about 25 runners that headed off across the creek at the start, directly into a big hill where Matt and I pulled ahead. Matt and I ran neck and neck for a while, chatting between breaths, almost as if we were out for a run and not in a race. A few larger hills and then a long downhill back to Forbidden Drive. I was feeling good and decided to press the pace along this stretch. I knew I had about 1.5 miles until the turn up Buck Hill so I wanted to run hard but save some for the hill. I pulled ahead and was really cruising. I split a 1/2 mile at 5:30 pace. I know this split is short but it still indicated around 5:45 and I felt totally in control.
Turned up the hill and slowed things way down. This hill gets longer with every turn. I was really crawling by the top and glanced back to see Matt about 20 seconds behind. After the hill it took a while to get back up to speed. I focused on staying relaxed and staying out of reach. Twists and turns through this area but not many hills. Then, a street crossing, a hill, a creek crossing and then back on the street for another hill. I crested the hill and Matt was at bottom. I knew the remainder of the course was a very long steady downhill and then 3/4 mile on Forbidden Drive. I was worried the entire way about being caught but now I could relax slightly and just push to the finish. Around 5 miles in just under 36 minutes.
Whew. That one hurt. Heather came in surprisingly fast not long after me. We cooled down a bit and then a light run home. We were both content to walk up Rex Hill and back to our house.
I had a final Monday evening so that was a DNR.
Tuesday I took a jog to Northwest avenue and Forbidden Drive to meet Lee. We ran a 6.5 mile loop through the park. Total for the evening a little over 10 miles in 1:20.
Wednesday - DNR
Thursday was my second Wanderers trail race. Heather and I ran to the start with an easy 2 mile warmup. I saw some trail markings along our way that indicated Buck Hill, the biggest hill in the park, was on the route. This was going to be tougher than last week.
There was about 25 runners that headed off across the creek at the start, directly into a big hill where Matt and I pulled ahead. Matt and I ran neck and neck for a while, chatting between breaths, almost as if we were out for a run and not in a race. A few larger hills and then a long downhill back to Forbidden Drive. I was feeling good and decided to press the pace along this stretch. I knew I had about 1.5 miles until the turn up Buck Hill so I wanted to run hard but save some for the hill. I pulled ahead and was really cruising. I split a 1/2 mile at 5:30 pace. I know this split is short but it still indicated around 5:45 and I felt totally in control.
Turned up the hill and slowed things way down. This hill gets longer with every turn. I was really crawling by the top and glanced back to see Matt about 20 seconds behind. After the hill it took a while to get back up to speed. I focused on staying relaxed and staying out of reach. Twists and turns through this area but not many hills. Then, a street crossing, a hill, a creek crossing and then back on the street for another hill. I crested the hill and Matt was at bottom. I knew the remainder of the course was a very long steady downhill and then 3/4 mile on Forbidden Drive. I was worried the entire way about being caught but now I could relax slightly and just push to the finish. Around 5 miles in just under 36 minutes.
Whew. That one hurt. Heather came in surprisingly fast not long after me. We cooled down a bit and then a light run home. We were both content to walk up Rex Hill and back to our house.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Long Weekend
A fairly boring weekend at the Wesner household. Heather was working call both Friday and Sunday meaning she would be gone the entire day and night, staying at the hospital. I have a final on Monday(which I just gone done studying for) so I spent most of the weekend in the house studying. The only really nice breaks were long runs through the park, so I made them count.
Friday.:
Sometimes running feels like chore and this is exactly how it felt Friday evening. I knew I should run but my mind was see-sawing between cooking a large dinner for myself, sitting down in front of the TV while I feigned studying with a book on my lap or getting out the door for an hour+ in the park. After downpours all day the rain had abated, I knew it was going to be muddy but at least I wouldn't get drenched. I finally talked myself out the door.
After a mile I felt good, had settled in, my iPod was playing a good mix and I was enjoying the run. What really got me out the door was the chance to explore a new portion of the park that I learned about from some trail runners on the Thursday night race. I made the 2 mile trip to this section of the park and quickly got lost in huge area of the park that I hadn't really known about. It's called the Andorra Natural Area.
The sodden earth sucked at my feet as I twisted and turned, over hill and dale, past giant Beech trees and into deer filled meadows. This had felt like a chore 30 minutes ago? As promised, this section of the park was great for running. Spent a long time in there trying to figure things out and finally made it home about 66 minutes later. I only passed 5 other people, all runners, on the entire trip and that wasn't until the end of the run 8+ miles.
Saturday.
Heather and I headed out with a manic dog attempting to tire him out and get ourselves a run in the process. We took trails into some uncharted territory and my mental map of the park was expanded even further. It was slow going with a few walking breaks. A lazy Saturday afternoon run. I'd say we ran a total of 8 miles but we were out there for over 90 minutes exploring. It was fun.
Sunday.
Another solo run. Headed again to the Andorra Natural Area and then looped down to the race course from Thursday. I was able to follow the quickly disintegrating flour markings for the course, and this time I completed the entire loop. I was out there a little longer than I had planned and I quickly went from feeling great to feeling like I just wanted to get the hell home. 12+ miles in 1:33
A good week overall, 7 days running, 53 miles.
Friday.:
Sometimes running feels like chore and this is exactly how it felt Friday evening. I knew I should run but my mind was see-sawing between cooking a large dinner for myself, sitting down in front of the TV while I feigned studying with a book on my lap or getting out the door for an hour+ in the park. After downpours all day the rain had abated, I knew it was going to be muddy but at least I wouldn't get drenched. I finally talked myself out the door.
After a mile I felt good, had settled in, my iPod was playing a good mix and I was enjoying the run. What really got me out the door was the chance to explore a new portion of the park that I learned about from some trail runners on the Thursday night race. I made the 2 mile trip to this section of the park and quickly got lost in huge area of the park that I hadn't really known about. It's called the Andorra Natural Area.
The sodden earth sucked at my feet as I twisted and turned, over hill and dale, past giant Beech trees and into deer filled meadows. This had felt like a chore 30 minutes ago? As promised, this section of the park was great for running. Spent a long time in there trying to figure things out and finally made it home about 66 minutes later. I only passed 5 other people, all runners, on the entire trip and that wasn't until the end of the run 8+ miles.
Saturday.
Heather and I headed out with a manic dog attempting to tire him out and get ourselves a run in the process. We took trails into some uncharted territory and my mental map of the park was expanded even further. It was slow going with a few walking breaks. A lazy Saturday afternoon run. I'd say we ran a total of 8 miles but we were out there for over 90 minutes exploring. It was fun.
Sunday.
Another solo run. Headed again to the Andorra Natural Area and then looped down to the race course from Thursday. I was able to follow the quickly disintegrating flour markings for the course, and this time I completed the entire loop. I was out there a little longer than I had planned and I quickly went from feeling great to feeling like I just wanted to get the hell home. 12+ miles in 1:33
A good week overall, 7 days running, 53 miles.
Friday, May 09, 2008
I plodded my way around 10 miles of trails in the Wissahickon on Wednesday evening. I saw 3 horses, 15 mountain bikers and 6 squirrels. I tried to keep the pace reserved, especially on the uphills and just let the miles slowly pile up. I also pieced together a little bit more of the Wissahickon Trail puzzle.
On Thursday I joined the Wissahickon Wanderers for the second of their five Thursday trail races in May. A crowd of about 30 people headed out on somewhat shorter than I was hoping for 3 mile course. I heard rumors before we started that a good portion of the race would be on ill-defined (meaning nonexistent) trails so the leaders would really have to keep their eyes peeled.
The race started on an uphill and when we reached the top I was in second. The leader (Matt) and I exchanged places a few times along the course. Not because we surged past each other but because the person in front would miss a turn, the person in second would see it and yell to the leader to turn around. The person in second then became the person in first. It was all in good fun and nobody was really killing themselves to take this one.
We lost the course, found the course, and then lost the course again on the trail blazing portion of the run. Due to these mishaps I am fairly sure we cut about 1/4 mile off of the course. In the last 1/2 mile we were again on some trails where I could pick up some speed so I took off and was able to come in first place. I have raced Matt, who came in second, in the past and I am fairly he was taking it easy.
It was fun and I'll definitely be back out next week... hoping for a longer course.
On Thursday I joined the Wissahickon Wanderers for the second of their five Thursday trail races in May. A crowd of about 30 people headed out on somewhat shorter than I was hoping for 3 mile course. I heard rumors before we started that a good portion of the race would be on ill-defined (meaning nonexistent) trails so the leaders would really have to keep their eyes peeled.
The race started on an uphill and when we reached the top I was in second. The leader (Matt) and I exchanged places a few times along the course. Not because we surged past each other but because the person in front would miss a turn, the person in second would see it and yell to the leader to turn around. The person in second then became the person in first. It was all in good fun and nobody was really killing themselves to take this one.
We lost the course, found the course, and then lost the course again on the trail blazing portion of the run. Due to these mishaps I am fairly sure we cut about 1/4 mile off of the course. In the last 1/2 mile we were again on some trails where I could pick up some speed so I took off and was able to come in first place. I have raced Matt, who came in second, in the past and I am fairly he was taking it easy.
It was fun and I'll definitely be back out next week... hoping for a longer course.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Running Thoughts
Broad Street really got my running juices flowing. So later that day I stopped by Borders and picked up the latest addition of Running Times. Whenever you are lacking motivation to run, pick up one of these magazines. The articles about training and about how the pros train just get your mind going about what you could do and how fast you are going to become. Suddenly 70 miles a week for the next 10 weeks doesn't seem so daunting. Getting up at 5:00 in the morning to run seems like it should be a piece of cake. Running in the full heat and humidity of a Philly summer... bring it on.
It would be nice if I could put this frame of mind on hold, maybe as drink or as spray and use it when that alarm goes off at 5:30 in the morning, or when heading out the door for a 12 miler just doesn't seem like a good idea, or when it is 90 and humid and no matter how many times you tell yourself it is so much cooler running in the Wissahickon Park, it just doesn't help.
My mind has been wandering to the fall and if there are any races out there for me. For some reason I am reluctant to commit to a marathon but I know I won't train properly if I don't have a goal. Part of me wants to just set the Philly Distance run as a goal and if training and that race go well then just pick a marathon in late October and go for it. The other half of me is wondering why I am being such a bitch and just not committing to a marathon in the fall. Make the time to train during school in the fall and make it work.
I'll kick this around in my head over the next few weeks but in the meantime I am just going to shoot for a lot of easy miles in the park. Maybe race a few times.
This week..
Monday - Recovery run with Heather. 4-5 miles untimed but at a very very easy pace.
Tuesday - just under 8 miles in 61 minutes. My legs, especially my quads, were still sore from Broad Street but today I feel good.
It would be nice if I could put this frame of mind on hold, maybe as drink or as spray and use it when that alarm goes off at 5:30 in the morning, or when heading out the door for a 12 miler just doesn't seem like a good idea, or when it is 90 and humid and no matter how many times you tell yourself it is so much cooler running in the Wissahickon Park, it just doesn't help.
My mind has been wandering to the fall and if there are any races out there for me. For some reason I am reluctant to commit to a marathon but I know I won't train properly if I don't have a goal. Part of me wants to just set the Philly Distance run as a goal and if training and that race go well then just pick a marathon in late October and go for it. The other half of me is wondering why I am being such a bitch and just not committing to a marathon in the fall. Make the time to train during school in the fall and make it work.
I'll kick this around in my head over the next few weeks but in the meantime I am just going to shoot for a lot of easy miles in the park. Maybe race a few times.
This week..
Monday - Recovery run with Heather. 4-5 miles untimed but at a very very easy pace.
Tuesday - just under 8 miles in 61 minutes. My legs, especially my quads, were still sore from Broad Street but today I feel good.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Broad Street
My Broad Street story starts 15 hours before the gun, at a party in Collegeville PA on Saturday night. I attended a Chili Cookoff party. This included cooking my own chili and trying everyone elses when I got there, 12 in all. I had gut full of chili, a few beers, and a couple slices of apple pie when I went to bed. I joked during the party that this meal wasn't exactly carbo loading and I was going to pay for it tomorrow. I did.
As usual I made it to the start just in time. Heather and I stepped off the subway with 15 minutes till the gun. I dropped off my gear bag, fought through hordes of people to hop behind a wall and pee and then ran to the front of the crowd to get as close to the starting line as I could. I was able to get right up front with the "fast crowd". Saw Seebo, Steve, Deirdre and a couple guys from my work, said hello and we were off.
I wanted to go out easy and mile one was 6:02, a little faster than expected but it's nearly all downhill and par for the course. My stomach wasn't exactly settled but my legs and lungs were firing on all cylinders. By mile two I was feeling better, 6:06. The first five miles just flew by. 6:07, 6:11, 6:05. I cruised through the half in 30:33 and I was feeling great. My plan was to pick it up and try to run a negative split. I was also thinking about sub 60 at this point. It would mean running 5:54 or better for the last 5 miles but it seemed on the edge of possible.
This was also when my stomach started to act up. Mile 6 in 5:59 but I was forced to put on the breaks due to my distress. Mile 7, 6:21. Now I'm angry, knowing I can run harder but fearing the repercussions if I do. I just tried to keep pushing it without going to far. Mile 8 6:32. Mile 9 6:37. At this point I would call my running comfortable, relaxed almost like I was out enjoying a run instead of in the last couple of a race.
As I cruised through the final mile and approached the finish the announcer said, "#687 (my number), you look to good" Meaning that I hadn't really been giving it my all and he was right. I just couldn't push the pace. Mile 10 in 6:28 for a total of 62:36. Nearly 3 minutes off of last year's PR performance and I think my 3rd fastest overall. This was my sixth year at this race and the first time I didn't PR.
I was aggravated after finishing but it passed. I was due for a less than stellar Broad Street and overall it really wasn't that bad of a race. I enjoyed it start to finish. It was also great to be able to run that time and not really feel like I had raced. Almost like a nice long workout. There is always next year.
As usual I made it to the start just in time. Heather and I stepped off the subway with 15 minutes till the gun. I dropped off my gear bag, fought through hordes of people to hop behind a wall and pee and then ran to the front of the crowd to get as close to the starting line as I could. I was able to get right up front with the "fast crowd". Saw Seebo, Steve, Deirdre and a couple guys from my work, said hello and we were off.
I wanted to go out easy and mile one was 6:02, a little faster than expected but it's nearly all downhill and par for the course. My stomach wasn't exactly settled but my legs and lungs were firing on all cylinders. By mile two I was feeling better, 6:06. The first five miles just flew by. 6:07, 6:11, 6:05. I cruised through the half in 30:33 and I was feeling great. My plan was to pick it up and try to run a negative split. I was also thinking about sub 60 at this point. It would mean running 5:54 or better for the last 5 miles but it seemed on the edge of possible.
This was also when my stomach started to act up. Mile 6 in 5:59 but I was forced to put on the breaks due to my distress. Mile 7, 6:21. Now I'm angry, knowing I can run harder but fearing the repercussions if I do. I just tried to keep pushing it without going to far. Mile 8 6:32. Mile 9 6:37. At this point I would call my running comfortable, relaxed almost like I was out enjoying a run instead of in the last couple of a race.
As I cruised through the final mile and approached the finish the announcer said, "#687 (my number), you look to good" Meaning that I hadn't really been giving it my all and he was right. I just couldn't push the pace. Mile 10 in 6:28 for a total of 62:36. Nearly 3 minutes off of last year's PR performance and I think my 3rd fastest overall. This was my sixth year at this race and the first time I didn't PR.
I was aggravated after finishing but it passed. I was due for a less than stellar Broad Street and overall it really wasn't that bad of a race. I enjoyed it start to finish. It was also great to be able to run that time and not really feel like I had raced. Almost like a nice long workout. There is always next year.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
For the 0-3 people that might regularly read this blog, I'm sure you've noticed a sharp decline in the number of posts. The frequency has gone from about 4 times/week to about 1/week. With no large race on the horizon (except for Broad Street this weekend but that is more of standing race every year rather than something I really build towards) and no focused workouts during the week I just don't have the motivation to log on and post. I ran 6 miles.., I ran 7 miles... , I ran 10 miles... I biked 18 miles...
Not that noteworthy really, just something I do as a regular part of my day at this point. It almost seems like blogging about my ride into work. (Got in the car around 7:00, I got caught at the light on Bethlehem Pike, and I heard an interesting story on NPR about Fire Ants in Mississippi, Oh yeah, Howard Stern had some naked chick in the studio).
So I think posting will become something I do when a run was especially interesting or if I jump into in race. Or if I just feel like writing something about my workouts over the past couple weeks. I am sure the urge and the will to train for a marathon is going to pop up again, if not for this fall, maybe for Boston next year. I still have a qualifying time from Philly in Fall 2007 that will count for Boston 2009, we'll see how things go.
In past week I had a beautiful long run with Ryan, Steve K and Deirdre. It started on some light trails in the Wissahickon for 4 miles or so. Then another 6 miles on Forbidden Drive. The last 4.5 miles were by myself up Forbidden Drive and home. About 14.5 miles in just under 2 hours. Definitely a long one for me and I was feeling it in the last few miles but a great run over all.
I also found it funny and ironic that on Monday evening I decided to skip running to avoid getting wet in the heavy rain and instead went to the pool where I submerged myself in water for 45 minutes.
As for Broad Street this weekend. My time from last year, 59:41, seems unbeatable at this point, save a miracle. The race came at the end of two great marathon buildups in the fall for Chicago and over the winter for Boston. I had a ton of miles under my belt through 8 months of training for those marathons and we also had perfect racing weather. So instead of trying to run a 59:35 I am going to shoot for a negative split.
I could dog the first half of the race and then takeoff but that would be like cheating. Instead I will try to run the first half in 31:00-32:00 (goal of 6:15 pace) and hopefully pick it up slightly from there, through south Philly and to the finish. I love this race and I am excited for Sunday. Heather will be running, a few people from work, several cousins and of course a ton of Philly Runners. I'd be happy and lucky to run this race every year for the next 40.
See you all at the starting line.
Not that noteworthy really, just something I do as a regular part of my day at this point. It almost seems like blogging about my ride into work. (Got in the car around 7:00, I got caught at the light on Bethlehem Pike, and I heard an interesting story on NPR about Fire Ants in Mississippi, Oh yeah, Howard Stern had some naked chick in the studio).
So I think posting will become something I do when a run was especially interesting or if I jump into in race. Or if I just feel like writing something about my workouts over the past couple weeks. I am sure the urge and the will to train for a marathon is going to pop up again, if not for this fall, maybe for Boston next year. I still have a qualifying time from Philly in Fall 2007 that will count for Boston 2009, we'll see how things go.
In past week I had a beautiful long run with Ryan, Steve K and Deirdre. It started on some light trails in the Wissahickon for 4 miles or so. Then another 6 miles on Forbidden Drive. The last 4.5 miles were by myself up Forbidden Drive and home. About 14.5 miles in just under 2 hours. Definitely a long one for me and I was feeling it in the last few miles but a great run over all.
I also found it funny and ironic that on Monday evening I decided to skip running to avoid getting wet in the heavy rain and instead went to the pool where I submerged myself in water for 45 minutes.
As for Broad Street this weekend. My time from last year, 59:41, seems unbeatable at this point, save a miracle. The race came at the end of two great marathon buildups in the fall for Chicago and over the winter for Boston. I had a ton of miles under my belt through 8 months of training for those marathons and we also had perfect racing weather. So instead of trying to run a 59:35 I am going to shoot for a negative split.
I could dog the first half of the race and then takeoff but that would be like cheating. Instead I will try to run the first half in 31:00-32:00 (goal of 6:15 pace) and hopefully pick it up slightly from there, through south Philly and to the finish. I love this race and I am excited for Sunday. Heather will be running, a few people from work, several cousins and of course a ton of Philly Runners. I'd be happy and lucky to run this race every year for the next 40.
See you all at the starting line.
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