Finally a beautiful morning for a run, clear sky, cool, lower humidity, I was excited to get to the track for my weekly workout. The fact that I was looking forward to the workout is a big jump forward for me. The plan called for 4x1200 at 10K(6:00) pace with 200 recovery followed by 6x400 at 5K (5:47)pace with a 100 recovery. This workout would have scared me 6 weeks ago but now I didn’t think it was going to be so bad.

As usual the track was locked so I hopped the fence. A woman jogged up and asked how I got in there; I then helped her hop the fence. The workout went like this.

1200s: 4:28 (67), 4:30 (63), 4:27 (71), 4:29 (81).

400s: 86(47), 83(61), 80(67), 84(50), 90 (47)(accidentally ran the interval to long), 86 and done.

The third 400 was quick because I was interrupted by the guy who unlocks the gate to the track. He wasn’t happy I was on there.

“Why do you think you can run on the track this early?”

“Because the sign behind you reads Requires use during daylight hours so I thought it was open from dawn till dusk.”

“It opens at 7:30”

“Sorry”

And I was back on my way. Seriously they should post the hours. Obviously I hopped a locked fence but I assumed that whoever was supposed to unlock the gate was late. Also the sign reads use is required during daylight hours. To me that means someone must be using the track while the sun is up and I guess use is optional when the sun is down. Looks like this might be my last morning workout on the track because 7:30 is way too late for me to start.

On the brightside the workout went really well and I felt great all the way through. I do have a hard time running 100 recoveries. The turns are longer than 100 meters and the straights seem to short. I just ran until the time elapsed and then looked for a marker to accurately split the lap. 7.5 miles in 53 minutes

I am behind on posting and I wish I could say it was because Heather and I have a new baby boy but that hasn't happened yet. We still are nervously waiting.

I ran an easy 5 on Wednesday morning through the Wissahickon. Thursday was an unplanned DNR because a doctors visit with Heather turned into more than a visit but then ended up being nothing. Thursday another DNR because I put the run off over and over again, then suddenly it was 9:00 and I didn't feel like running.

Saturday morning was a planned 16 miler that didn't happen because of some heavy downpours. I instead ran a hilly 11+ miles with Wissahickon Wanderers. Not to fast but not slow. A wet and soggy run because of the humidity and the rain. I like running with these guys, they are about the most laid back group of people you'll meet. A hilly run that ended with a few crashes of thunder.

Sunday 16.8 miles on this route. Seebo and I headed out at 7:30 from the Art Museum and kept a fairly relaxed pace for most of the route. Despite the humidity we were both feeling good as we wrapped things up on Kelly drive and hit a 6:35 and 6:26 mile before easing up for the last mile in 7:10. Overall a great run that was a little further than I had planned. Running 11 hilly miles on Saturday and a fast finish 16 on Sunday means I must in at least half decent shape for 13.1 hard miles in a few weeks.

The World Championship 10K was held in Berlin last night. American Dathan Ritzenheim finished in 6th place in 27:22:28. 6th place may not sound great but considering the competition (including the great Bekele who won his 6th championship 10K in a row in 26:46:31) it was a great showing. The fourth fastest ever by an American and close to the American record. He ran the second 5K in 13:32. I can’t imagine be able to run that fast. LetsRun.com has decent write-up of the event here http://www.letsrun.com/2009/10k0817.php

I ran my own 10K on the track this morning. It was a workout with recoveries and I was a little off the American record at 41:50 but it was a great workout.

The plan was 2X [2x400@5:45 pace (100), 1200@6:00 pace (200), 2400@6:20 pace (800)]. Confusing but it means I run 2 laps at 5K pace, 3 laps at 10K pace and 6 laps at half marathon pace with some short recoveries and repeat.

I’ll refrain from writing all of the numbers down as I am sure nobody wants to read through them. I nailed every interval. I was really dialed into the paces and nearly every lap was just at or under the target pace. I felt great on the final 2400 at half marathon pace and pushed through the last lap in 84 seconds with still a little gas in the tank. I was very pleased, especially on a warm and humid morning. Today was the first time I felt that all this interval work is paying off. The heat and humidity sap your energy and I think mask any fitness gains I am making.

Overall it's been a great summer for running but the past few weeks have been pretty brutal. Friday night I ran 3+ miles with Boomer in the Wissahickon. We were a half mile from home and Boomer decided he didn't want to run anymore so we walked it in with him dragging behind me. That was two runs in a row for Boomer and the picture below is what he did for the rest of the weekend.



Saturday I met Seebo at the AM for long run out to the Three Bears and back through West Fairmount Park. The sun was blazing at 7:45 and I was sweating from just walking up the hill to the AM, it was going to be a hot run. The pace was easy and the first several miles were enjoyable, catching up with Steve and not really thinking about the heat.

We hit the three bears and took them harder then we probably should have. By the time we got to City Ave I was beginning to feel cooked and wasn't looking forward to the 20 minutes of half marathon pace that we planned through the park. Seebo thought I would be pulling him through these fast miles but we switched roles and I was just trying to hang on in the heat. I called it quits at about 14 minutes and we took it in slow from there. 14.3 miles in 1:53. I needed a few minutes to sit in the shade and drank three bottles of water after the run. It knocked me out for the rest of the day.

I slept in this morning and delayed my run until the sun went down. A sweaty but easy 4+ miles around Chestnut Hill. I was surprisingly springy and really enjoyed the run. 33 minutes.

40 miles for the week.

Ryan Hall to run PDR. http://philadelphia.competitor.com/press/ryan-hall/#more-1014

At least I will now have rabbit. If I can just stay 23 minutes behind him I should PR.

Another Tuesday another speed workout. Unfortunately last night’s workout was in high heat and humidity which really took a toll. The plan called for 3 x 1.5 miles at 6:00 pace with 400m recovery. Challenging but doable. After a one mile warmup into the Wissahickon I ran the first rep in 8:55, recovered with an easy 2 minutes and then hard again. I wasn’t able to split the miles exactly because the 400 recovery put me between markers so I just hit the split and ran hard for 9 minutes and judged my pace by the intermediate splits. I think I was just about on target.

The second rep hurt a lot more than the first and I knew the last rep was iffy even with a longer, 3 minute, recovery. I made it 2/3 of a mile and at the crest of a small hill I had to take a 40 second walking breather. I started again and hit the last ½ mile in 2:55. I was spent and a little nauseous. I took a long break at the water fountain and ran the 2 miles home at an easy pace. Given the conditions I was happy with the workout.

I have found that I’ve been finishing my runs strongly without giving it much thought. I don’t even think about the hill at Rex Avenue and by the time I get back to my block I feel like I am cruising and itching for a few more miles despite the heat. 8 miles in 58 minutes.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/phys-ed-can-running-actually-help-your-knees/

10+ years and not a single knee problem, I knew all those running naysayers were wrong.

I really wanted to run a 5K per the plan on Saturday morning and I spent a while hunting around on the internet but the closest race I could find was in Wilmington, DE. 1 hour from my house and starting at 8:45 am. I bounced the idea around but decided to skip it.

I instead headed for 5 miles with a some hard stuff mixed in on a sunny and warm nut not humid Saturday afternoon. I ran an easy mile into the park and then hit 1 mile of trail hard. It felt good, I felt fast, I felt like I should have driven to Wilmington in the morning. Who knows if the way this mile felt on the trail would have translated into anything fast on the race but I was curious. I ended up running about 2.5 miles near 6:00 pace in a run of 5 miles in 35 minutes.

This morning I hoped to be running by 8:00 but it was pouring. I delayed till 9:00, it was still raining but not so hard and I headed out. I'll take the cool rainy morning over the 90 degree heat expected later in the day. No headphones, just me and my thoughts as I ran an extended Chestnut Hill loop.

My mind wandered to a new baby boy that should join Heather and I very soon. We have less then 2 weeks until the Aug 21st due date. Me a father. I still feel very much like a kid in many ways but I would imagine most people do. Could my father have felt much more adult when he had me at 27, I doubt it. I've found a spectacular birth to 5K plan on the internet that should have him racing by nine months. I just wonder if I can supplement breast milk with gatorade.

Wednesday night - 4 miles with 6 x 100 meters strides. My legs were tired and I didn’t have to much oomph.

Thursday morning – 5.5 miles around Chestnut Hill. It was nice to get out early as the temps were in the upper 60s and the run was enjoyable. The plan called for 4 miles at half marathon pace which at first seemed impossible the way my legs were feeling but I hit the gas after the first mile and settled in. I just tried to run by feel and not push too hard. There obviously are no mile markers on the street so I just ran for 25+ minutes which if I ran at my goal pace of 6:20 would give me four miles. I stopped the tempo portion after 25:17, feeling like I was in good control and could actually run the pace for a half marathon on more rested legs. It turned out to be 3.9 miles and 6:25 pace, a little off my goal but altogether encouraging given the way I felt, it was a rolling course and I completed the workout before 7:00 am on tired legs.

My legs are now started to feel beat up and have been tight all day especially my right calf. Tomorrow is an off day and Saturday calls for a 5K. I can’t find one in the area. The closest one I did see was in Asbury Park, NJ. I actually though about taking a trip up there with Heather to check the place out and run the race but I am doubting it will happen. I’ll either bag it or try to run a hard 5K on my own which really will be no approximation of a race.

On a sad note, a young woman was killed by a falling tree limb in the Wissahickon Park on Wednesday evening. Apparently it was a 30 foot limb and had fallen from a tree 50 feet above. Oddly it was a calm evening. I saw a lot of police activity in the park that night and was hoping it was nothing bad, unfortunately it was. What a freak accident. The police say she was wearing an iPod which was still playing when they found her and it is likely she never knew what happened because the limb broke her neck. This is my second encounter with a falling limb hurting someone and makes me even more nervous about running in there on a windy day or in a storm. My thoughts definitely go out to the family.

Heading to bed on Monday night I was sure I would run in the morning to beat the heat. I slept in, didn’t run and pushed it off to the afternoon. When I got home it was 90 degrees and humid so I pushed it off until 7:30 hoping that the few degrees drop in temp would turn an unbearable workout into doable. I got wrapped up making an au gratin potatoes recipe that promised to devour 2.5 pounds of the tomato explosion from our garden and wasn’t able to get out the door until 8:00. The track closes at dark and I was afraid I wasn’t going to get the workout in.

The plan was Fatigue Fighter Intervals, the plan reads "Combine speed and pace intervals nearly back to back, very short recoveries, to work on maintaining pace and staying relaxed as you gradually tire. Yes there challenging. 2 x [400 SI (100), 1200 CI (200), 2000 PI]”. For me this meant 400s in 87 secs the 1200 in 4:30 and the 2000 in 7:55. Just reading this workout on the calendar I felt it was going to be impossible but when I actually starting running it, things weren’t so bad. It went like this.

400 - 84 (47)
400 – 83 (52)
1200 – 4:25 (66)
2000 – 7:51 (2:04) there was no guidance so I ran a 400 recovery here with a quick stop for water.
400 - 87 (60)
400 – 85 (50)
800 – 2:59 (79) somehow I ran only an 800 here instead of 1200. I didn’t even realize until I got home that it was short. A definite lapse.
2000 – 7:51 and done.

It was very close to dark when I finished, some light on the horizon but not enough to read my watch by. I was ready to plead for a few a extra laps at the end if I had to, luckily I got in the workout before they closed. I was pleased to really nail the workout. I would say the second set felt very similar to the first.

I devoured some the potatoes au gratin when I got home. It was good but next time I’ll use more cheese.

Wow, is raining out there. I was hammered with rain halfway through my planned 14 miles today. Forbidden Drive was temporarily changed to Forbidden Creek. The plan called for a fast finish which means I have to run the final 15 minutes at 10k K pace. When I first read that it didn't sound to bad but while running I realized it meant 2.5 at nearly 6:00 pace after already having run 11.5. It suddenly sounded impossible.

I got to the 10.3 mile mark in 1:16 and the lightning started, somehow the rain increased and it was time for me to ratchet it down to 6:00 pace. Sure. I hit the first somewhat downhill half mile in 2:54, this was not sustainable. The mile went by in 6:08 and then I literally stopped and said "Fuck it." I continued on at an easier pace for the remainder of the run. The lightning became so intense that I was getting scared and ducked under a pavilion with about 7 other runners. Who else would be out in this?

It seemed to let up and I decided to cut the run a mile short while I was still alive and get the hell home. It was the right decision as the lightning is insane right now, enough to make nervous. 13 mile in 1:36.

I also ran an easy 6+ miles with some strides yesterday in 45.