I went out for an easy five miles on Friday evening. The ice dance continues but things have improved somewhat. 42 minutes.

Saturday morning was another long run with Cassi and Luke. Jenny, Sebastian and one other girl joined us as well. It's great to get that many people out for a long run in the middle of the winter. We ran last week's long loop in the opposite direction with a few alterations. The group yo-yo'd apart a few times before Sebastian and the other girl dropped off for a shorter run. That left four of us to finish the second half of the run which included a trip up the Bloody Nipple.

The pace stayed in the upper 7:00s the entire way. I felt good through the finish and was itching to pick things up but couldn't leave Luke behind, he was having a tough go of it. I've been there before and I know how someone talking to you about anything but running can take your mind off how bad you feel. i.e. Ian and Seebo when I feel like crap at the end of the long run. I at least tried to do that and I think it helped.

I got an ice cream headache from the wind on the way back to my car. It made me glad we avoided the river drives on the run. That would have been hell. About 19 miles in 2:30.

My foot turned out just fine after a couple days break. When I am in a rhythm of running nearly everyday I hate taking even a couple days off but we had a little snow over the past two days so one of them definitely would have been a DNR anyhow. I was on track to beat my best single month total mileage of 286 set in September of 2006 but missing the last two days makes that impossible. I'll at least come close. The fact that I was going to challenge that record means training is good.

Chestnut Hill is like an ice skating rink. The temp barely broke freezing today leaving a patina of water on top of the ice. I was frustrated within one block and the thought of doing this for 12 miles seemed unlikely. I wasn't about to take another day off so I decided to find some clearer main roads and hopefully hit some asphalt. I eventually locked into a 2.2 mile circuit with three little out and backs on dry roads. At first I thought it was going to be hell but once I resigned myself to the fact that this was going to be run for the evening it wasn't so bad.

I didn't split the first loop but the second came in at 15:43, 3rd in 15:21 and 4th in 14:10. A progression run that never really got down to tempo range. I felt a little out of sync the entire run and was glad at least to throw some speed in there. I'll call it 12 miles in 1:32.

I can't wait for this ice to get out of here. "Weather Alert" for next week. It looks like we're in for a huge nor'easter Monday evening through Tuesday, a real Yankee screamer. Right now the forecast is snow further inland and we'll just got pounded with some cold rain. I hope that's true. There may be snow from Georgia up through Canada from this one.

I went out for four easy miles with Boomer yesterday. I decided to hop the trails in the Wissahickon and midway down a long hill I gave my left foot a nasty twist. It hurt at first but subsided and I didn’t notice it the rest of the run. It tightened up in the evening and this morning it was hurting enough to make me skip my run today. It is on the outside in the middle of my left foot.

The good news is that there is no obvious swelling and it seems to loosen up and feel better when I walk on it for a few minutes. It’s also not sore to the touch. I definitely subscribe to the ounce of prevention is a pound of cure when it comes to running injuries so I’ll lay off it and see how it feels tomorrow. A day or two off isn’t going to kill me, there is snow falling anyhow. The frustrating part is that I’ve twisted my ankle countless times running these trails and it often seems severe at the time of the twist but turns into nothing the next day. Hopefully this turns into nothing in two or three days.

The number of miles I run is directly proportional to the number of Utz sourdough hard pretzels I eat. I am currently up to a barrel every two weeks.

5+ miles today in 40 minutes. I bounced right back from the run yesterday and my legs had some pep. I took it easy and made a brief appearance on the trails in Wissahickon. In the summer I don't get off the trails, in the winter I never I see them.

There is snow in the forecast... not once but twice this week. I hope the forecasts are wrong.

Heather has been battling plantar fasciitis for a couple months and yesterday evening was her first run since November. I joined her for an easy 4 miles around CH. Luckily she felt good the whole way.

This morning I joined a couple new people down at the Art Museum for a long run. WE connected on the Philly Runners message board and the plan was a 17 mile loop out and over the Belmont Hills. Both Cassi and Luke are new to the area and enjoyed a little break from the monotonous drives along the river. Cassi was training for her 4th Boston Marathon and Luke is training for the Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach. He’s hoping for a BQ.

I am always a little apprehensive running with new people as you don’t know their personality yet you know that your going to be running with them for two and half hours. If you end up with a nut it could make a real long run. These concerns are always unfounded as most runners are very down to earth people and have things in common. This was definitely the case this morning, the constant conversation made it feel like a shorter run.

Pace was generally in the upper 7s and it felt good. The last couple miles along MLK drifted into the low 7s, it reminded of the old Thursday night runs and I wanted to push things harder. I Finished feeling the best yet this training cycle for a long run. What a difference from last week.

17.7 miles in 2:18.

I set out just before sunset for a 12.5 mile run around Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy. As promised the temps were in the upper thirties and it felt great. After a couple weeks of running in the low 20’s this felt like a heat wave.

I mapped a route that covered much more of Mt. Airy and took me through areas I’ve never run through. This required me to remember turn by turn instructions, Allens to Bryan, Bryan to Mt Pleasant, Mt Pleasant to…. and so on until I got back to Wayne Avenue and familiar turf. A little more traffic than I would have liked but a decent loop and one I hope to explore a little further as it gains familiarity.

I pushed the pace for four miles in the middle of the run, just hoping I was near marathon pace but really having no idea how fast I was going. I think it was to fast.

I grabbed Boomer to run the last three miles and hopefully tire him out for the evening. The dog was bouncing off the walls when I got home from work. It worked.

12.5 miles in 1:37

I was looking at the calendar this morning and realized that the marathon is less than two months away. The race no longer seems like something way off in the future, it’s more tangible and truthfully I am starting to get excited. My training to this point has been very consistent and for me I think that is the biggest factor in determining how I’ll perform… at least I think it is. Consistent means getting out there 6-7 days a week and putting in at least 60 miles. For the last 6 weeks I’ve met that criteria and many weeks prior to that I was solidly in the upper 40’s to mid 50’s for mileage.

On top of that I am feeling good. My legs are holding up very well and my determination is still there. I just have to stay focused for another 7 weeks until taper. I hope to also fit in a couple shorter (5-20K) races prior to the marathon but races are few and far between in the dead of winter so I’ll have to make an effort to get that done.

Last night an easy 6.5 miles in 52 minutes. The weather is still to cold to really melt any of the snow but that is supposed to change today. I’m looking forward to a longish run in the upper 30’s this evening.

The track was a no go last night because of the snow but I was still itching to put in a harder workout. On the way home from work I saw how some of the streets on my loop were clear and some were snow covered. I decided to run some “snow intervals”. Run hard when the street or sidewalk was clear and run easy when things were snow covered.

After a mile warmup, anywhere I saw a stretch of black top I hit the gas. Sometimes it was three quarters of a mile and sometimes it was 50 yards but I pushed as hard as I could for the distance. It ended up being a great workout, not exactly like running intervals on the track but effective. I mapped the route out when I got home and conservatively estimated 3 miles of faster section, much further than it seemed like during the run.

10.3 miles in 1:19

A surprise three inches of snow made for a slow but picturesque run yesterday evening. I was able to get out the door at 4:30 and ran most of the miles before it was completely dark. It was an easy run and the snow made everything even slower. 7.5 miles in 64 minutes.

I retreated to my running lair in the basement this morning to avoid the snow and the 16 degrees temps. My plan called for a track workout today but the snow made that impossible. I thought intervals at 6:00 minute pace on the treadmill would be a decent substitution. During my warm-up the treadmill suddenly lurched to a stop at 10 minutes. I nearly ran into the control panel. I spent a minute trying to get it started again and found a small switch that had been tripped. I assume it was a fuse. I reset it and got back to work but minutes later it happened again.

I thought about bundling up and heading outside to complete the run but I just couldn’t wrap my head around that. I wanted to put in 10 miles and I wasn’t going to have enough time to get that done. I decided to put off the run until this evening. Conditions won’t be much better but I won’t have to rush a run on snow covered streets. Do I count the 14 minutes I ran this morning? I don’t think it counts.

A miserable cold long run this afternoon. I thought the hilly route I planned would be challenging but it had me cursing myself in the last few miles. I thought about cutting it short but I'm glad I didn't. 20 miles in 2:38.

The first few miles of yesterdays run were a slow jog. My calves have been really tight this week and I was hoping to loosen them up. After three miles the pace started to drop towards marathon pace and I carried this though the next 7 miles. I’m not sure how fast I was running but I’d guess in the 6:50 range. There was one extended stretch into the wind that was really uncomfortable but other than that I was warm.
11.8 miles in 1:26.

This morning was the coldest run of the year so far, 19 degrees on my thermometer when I headed out the door. I was slightly overdressed with three shirts and long pants on. Despite the breeze I had a sweaty patina by mile 3. The only part of me that really got cold were the toes on my left foot. I find it odd that it only effected one foot. I guess I'll need to put on the wool socks for the colder mornings forecasted tomorrow and Friday. 6 miles in 49 minutes.

I ran an easy 6+ Monday night in 52 minutes. I attempted to calibrate my Nike+ iPod attachment but when I arrived at the Chestnut Hill Academy track a very friendly security guard who was closing things up kicked me off. The track is only open sun up to sun down due to a lack of lights. I’ll either have to go earlier when it is open or go later when the guard is gone and I can hop the small fence.

In the morning I hate that running forces me out of bed before 6:00 but at 6:30 with the sun coming up and 4 miles under my belt I am always happy I got up. It was a beautiful sunrise this morning and at 6:30 I was just beginning the tempo portion of my workout. My goal was to run tempo for 35 minutes and then figure out the distance when I got home.

After a 20 minute warm up I hit the gas at Springfield and Pocono Street, I followed my normal CH loop down to Valley Green Ave and then up Springfield Street to Germantown. 20 minutes done and I felt like I was putting in a good workout although I knew things weren’t moving along as quickly as I wanted. I was hoping for sub 6:20 pace and I didn’t think I was there. I don’t know if it was because of the early morning, or tired legs (this really isn’t an excuse as my legs felt great in the warm up) but I couldn’t get things going like I’d hoped.
I finished the 35 minutes at Chestnut Hill Ave and Navajo St and took the final portion home at a very easy pace. When I mapped things out I had covered 5.5 miles in 35:09, which translates into 6:27 pace. Not great but it is a rolling loop and for me 35 minutes is a fairly long tempo workout. I’ll keep to the same time in the future and see if I can push the distance further. All in all I was happy with the workout. 9.9 miles in 71 minutes.

Catching up on a couple runs over the weekend.

Friday night I went out for an easy run with Boomer. I was looking to run 3 with the dog and 5 with my iPod. I took Boomer off the leash when we stepped on the golf course but instead of following me he darted in the opposite direction. He was his manic “Oh My God another dog” mode. Any of the good behavior, such as listening to my commands, is out the windows and Boomer looks like he is going to explode with excitement.

Unfortunately he was after two old Golden Retrievers being walked by an elderly woman. One was post surgery and the poor lady was just trying to protect her dogs from Boomer’s errant sniffing. I was forced to chase him back and forth between the two retrievers trying to get him on the leash, all the time apologizing to this woman. I felt like Rocky chasing the chicken. The whole thing frustrates me to no end.

I finally grabbed him and headed off. I scolded him for a quarter mile and he retreated a couple feet behind me the rest of the way. After dropping him off I went off on my own for 5 miles. The I felt like picking things up and threw in a mile under marathon pace. Feeling great. 9 miles in 65 minutes.

Saturday was a long run with Seebo. I’ve had nothing but solitary runs for the last month and it was great to run together. We took a long route through Fairmount Park, Belmont Hills and West Philly. I was lost at 8 miles and just followed Seebo the rest of the way. The pace was very easy and it was a relaxing run. At the finish it was the best I’ve felt at the end of a long run so far this training cycle. 17.7 miles in 2:26.

Sunday I attempted a short run but there was a thin, barely visible, sheet of ice on many streets. After 5 minutes I decided to bag the run and turned it around to walk home. I probably could have run a few slow miles but I think I was just looking for an excuse.
10 weeks to go until the marathon.

I grabbed the dog and set out for 5 easy miles last night. It was cold and windy but the nice thing about running around the neighborhood is that your never in strong wind for to long. I think back to winter runs on Kelly Drive that seemed like endless miles in the wind. Why did I subject myself to that?

Boomer and I took a shortcut across the golf course on the way out and the way back. I can take Boomer off the leash on the course to run free in large loops with his nose to the ground. He dashes off circles, waits, runs back and repeats, over and over again. On the way out it was twilight and I could barely see him in the distance. On the way back it was a nearly full moon and he was just as hidden.

After I dropped him off at home I went back out to get the days total to 6 miles in 49 minutes. Actually running my easy runs at an easy pace has made all the difference in this marathon build up. I don't think my legs have ever felt this good, it's almost like cheating. I am knocking on wood as write this. I know how quickly things can turn south so I am enjoying it while I can.

Forced Treadmilling

With a cold hard rain forecasted this morning I decided to sleep in and take my chances with an evening track workout. Unfortunately is was still cold (34) and still raining when I got home from work. I can't think of anything worse than running in heavy rain when the temps are near freezing so I instead pulled out the old treadmill.

My parents originally bought this treadmill sometime around 1997. When I first dabbled in running I took this treadmill for a spin in my parents basement. I moved out and left the treadmill behind. My friend eventually bought the treadmill from my folks and moved it into his apt. A couple years later that friend moved in with me and brought his treadmill, which I used a few times in a couple years. He moved out, left the treadmill and I brought it with me when I moved here. So, now it is mine.

I rearranged the basement to get the thing out, dusted the screen off, setup a cooling fan and got to work. I decided on a treadmill workout that I read about in Running Times. 90 secs at marathon pace at a 6% incline, 60 sec recovery jog, 60 sec at marathon pace at 7% incline, 2 minute recovery jog. Repeat 6-10 times. I chose 10 repeats.

After warming up for 20 minutes I started the workout with the intervals at 6:35 pace. After the fifth interval I increased the speed by 0.1 mph for each subsequent interval. On the 10th interval I maxed it out at 10mph. Overall the workout was a little easier than I expected but the last interval really made me work. I finished things off with a 10 minute cooldown. 12 miles in 1:26.

I never would have guessed that I could put in 12 miles on the treadmill but here I am writing about. I think a 12 mile easy run would have been torture but I spent so much time clicking my watch and changing the speed and incline that it wasn't totally horrible.

Chestnut Hill is getting old. You would think that a 10 day break from running the same loop around the neighborhood would break the monotony but it only served to increase it. The park on one side and poor suburban running with tight dark roads on two other sides hems in the neighborhood. This leaves me with only Mt.Airy as an escape but on any run under 8 miles that really isn’t feasible so I’ll have to map some new routes through CH to break things up.

Last night I ran a slight variation of my standard loop. The night was cool and calm, ideal for running. I fell into an easy pace and turned my music up. In the past it was often a challenge to keep my easy runs slower, around 8:00 pace, but with some practice it is now routine enough that I would call it my default speed. That is exactly what I’d hoped to do. 6.4 miles in 51 minutes.

My internal clock is still living on the west coast making it a challenge to fall asleep before midnight and even harder to wake up this morning at 5:45. I promised myself not to fall out of the morning running routine in the New Year so I dragged my butt out of bed. I also want to get out of the coffee before running routine to leave me more time on the roads before I have to leave for work.
This morning I was able to get out the door by 6:00 leaving me plenty of time to run an easy 8 miles. Things started out as more of a shuffle than a run but as I warmed up my legs found their way and I felt good. I tossed in 3 striders over the last 1.5 miles just to mix things up. 8 miles in 63 minutes.

Finally back home from Washington. I always feel a little let down after the holidays. The break from work is over, it’s early January and now we have nearly 3 months of winter to look forward too. I do have the marathon out there on the first day of spring as my carrot to carry me through the dark and cold months.

Heather and I got home around 5:30 on Saturday evening and by 6:30 I was back out the door getting reacquainted with Chestnut Hill. The night was clear and calm, I was feeling good and itching to pick things up but I kept things easy. I knew I had a fast finish long run planned for Sunday and I was trying to save my legs for that. 7.3 miles in 59 minutes.

I was feeling jet lagged on Sunday morning and decided to have a big breakfast before heading out in the afternoon for my long run. I ran through Chestnut Hill, Mt Airy and then into Manayunk where I took some very steep downhill onto Main Street. I then made my way to into the Wissahickon Park.

Once I hit Forbidden Drive I sped things up to marathon pace. The first mile went by in 7:00, a little slow. The next 4 miles went by somewhere between 6:30 and 6:50. It is difficult to gauge an accurate pace using the poorly spaced markers in the park. The goal of this run was to challenge myself on tired legs and regardless of the actual pace I definitely did that. I was feeling slightly nauseous when I finished the fast portion of my run at the top of Forbidden Drive. I turned around and ran the final two miles very slowly home. My legs were tired. 16.8 miles in 2:04.
I have been running on new sneakers for the past two weeks. I made the change not because I thought it would make a difference but because that I couldn’t find my Gel-Cumulus and I was tired of looking. I picked up Asics Gel Landreth per the running store owner’s recommendation. I was initially apprehensive but they really have made a difference. The calf problems I normally have at higher mileage completely went away. I hope it keeps up.

I am sitting at the computer calculating my pace for a tempo run this afternoon. I don't have my running log with me so I want to get down the numbers while everything is in my head.

Here is the route. I ran a 10 minute warm-up and then pick things up to tempo pace. The first mile or so was flat and then it was uphill for nearly two miles. The incline changed from nearly flat to fairly steep along the way. This was followed by a short steep downhill and then another mostly flat mile. Tempo 4.9 miles in 29:52. Whoa. 6:07 pace for nearly 5 miles with a huge hill in the middle. I remeasured several times just to be sure. This beats the 5 mile race I did on Thanksgiving and although I was hurting by the end of the workout it definitely wasn't like I had finished a race. I am excited about the workout to say the least.

I retraced the route back for 11.8 miles in 1:23.