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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Philadelphia is in the midst of a great stretch of weather. Nearly every day in the past two weeks has been 65-75 degrees, full sun, light winds, and low humidity. Perfect for running and I think I'm becoming spoiled.

I was out for 6 miles with Heather of Monday afternoon. When I run with Heather I tend to accidentally push the pace and she has to keep slowing me down. I have gotten good at staying about 1/2 step behind and letting her lead the speed. On Monday, she was the one pushing and I was the one holding on. My legs were tired after a fairly hard weekend and apparently Heather was feeling good. We did few miles at around 7:00 pace and although my legs were protesting I wasn't about to let her know so I just kept it up. 6 miles in 46 minutes

Wednesday afternoon, my class was cancelled and I took advantage of the evening off with a hard mountain bike ride. The exciting thing about this riding is that I see improvement every time I am out there. The hills get a little easier and I find myself making it over a log or two that had me dismounting in the past.

I took the trails all the way down to my old block, Sumac Street, and rode past my old house. The new owner, true his word, has gutted the entire building and is now building a rooftop deck, four stories up. The house sits atop a big hill and the views are going to be spectacular, I am a little jealous. 18 miles in 90 minutes.

I was lacking motivation Thursday night and picked up the new edition of runners world. To me, most of this magazine is filled with a lot of fluff. I guess there are plenty of tips for new runners but it doesn't really cater to people who have a little more experience. There are sometimes good articles about past races, or specific individuals. Amby Burfoot, a writer for the magazine, had an article recounting the race to his Boston Marathon win and the training leading up to it. This definitely motivates and got me out the door.

A trip on the trails up to Northwestern Avenue and then Forbidden drive back down to Valley Green. A quick stop at the water fountain and then I turned around to head back up to Rex Hill and the park exit. I have started timing my trips up Rex, which is almost exactly 0.5 miles long. Last night was 4:20, so I guess that is the time to beat right now, but I was tired and wasn't pushing so I don't think it will be to hard. A conservative 7 miles in 54 minutes.

Reluctant Sunday

It took a little mental convincing to get out the door this morning. Going to bed Saturday night I thought a longish run would be perfect, but my legs were sore from the race in the morning and the idea of 10 miles up and down Forbidden Drive just wasn't appealing. I delayed with breakfast, a couple cups of coffee and some Sunday morning TV.

Around 10:30 I laced em up and headed out. I started off easy and after a couple miles my legs found there rhythm and I was fully enjoying the run. All of the foreboding thoughts from earlier had quickly evaporated in the 70 degree temps and full sun. In fact I had a real snap to my step and the miles kept coming in around 7:15 pace. It was one of those runs where you try to slow down but it feels great keeping the pace up so you just go with it.

In the last few miles I began to feel a little fatigue, especially heading up Rex but overall a great run. Just under 13 miles in 95 minutes.

Clean Air 5K

This is possibly the furthest I've fallen behind on posting since I started this blog a couple years back. I also haven't been keeping up with my run-log. I realized how badly I was behind when I tried to log in this morning's race found I couldn't recall all the runs I had done over the last 10 days. Was that an 8 miler or 6 miler? Was Heather there?

The goal half-marathon kind of fell apart this spring and since that I just haven't been as... anal about running. I have definitely been getting out there but just not worrying about how fast, far and intensely I am running. This has translated into many 1 hour runs over the past couple weeks at whatever pace I am comfortable at, usually to fast to be called easy and to easy to be called hard.

I've also been out on my mountain bike a couple times and it is awesome. I kill myself on the uphills and fly on the downhills. Hitting jumps, stumps and keeping things just in control. My lungs hurt after ride on Thursday. That just doesn't happens on runs very often, somehow it is a different burn.

I think things may be like this for a while. Anywhere between 30-50 miles a week with a bike ride or two thrown in. Less structured, no stress running.

For second week in a row I signed up last second for a 5K. This time around it was the Race for Clean air on MLK. Chip timed, over 1000 runners, and what seems like perpetually good weather, a great race to really get into the spring season and perfectly placed two weeks before Broad Street. This was my third time running. The first in 19:01 in 2005 and the second in 18:21 in 2006. Both of these times are suspect due to a short course. It was discovered last year that the course was only a 4.9K. I think my times in 2005 and 6 were both run on that short course.

This year was a new certified course that was actually 5K. I thought I was in shape to run under 18:00 but I had a few harder runs last week along with a hard 90 minute bike ride on Thursday so I didn't feel 100%. I lined up next to Ryan and a couple other Philly Runners. The start is slightly downhill and light wind would be at our backs so I planned to go out fast and try to hold the rest of the way.

First mile went by in 5:31, just about where I wanted to be. There was large pack in front of me but I wasn't going to catch them so I just kept pushing and tried not lose any ground. Hit the turn around and then mile 2 in 5:48. About where I thought I would be but I was hoping for a little faster. At this point I know I am in the realm of my 17:43 PR, if the last mile goes well I could maybe perhaps have an outside chance.

It was not to be. A controlled slow down was what I expected at the start and it's what happened in the end. Mile 3 in 5:59. I was passed by two guys in the last mile which is always frustrating but they passed smartly, at a good clip and I couldn't answer. Finished in 17:56, good for 14th place. Didn't PR but I was still very happy with the race. It was only my second time under 18 minutes and it means that I am in good shape for Broad Street on May 4th. Beating my PR there of 59:41 seems very out of reach right now but it always seems that way at Broad Street.

Run the Rox 5K

A short easy run with Heather last night. It was a trip to "The Bridge" and back. The bridge is crosses the Wissahickon Creek down the path from Mt. Airy Avenue. This bridge was 3 miles from my old house and it is also 3 miles from my new place. So a run to the bridge is 6 miles. 54 minutes.


I received an e-mail on Friday about a 5K in Roxborough on Saturday morning called Run the Rox. The start is about 4 miles from my place and it fit perfectly into about an 11 mile run with the trip there and back. Got out the door around 8 for an easy 4 miles there.

It race was about as hilly as 5K course can be on the street. It started on a hill, then turns onto a long downhill, then you make a right onto a hill, turn around up a small hill, then downhill, then a small uphill, left, big uphill, right, downhill, left uphill and finish. Here is the course. Having run this area for several years I knew exactly what I was in for.

The first half was mostly downhill and the second half mostly uphill so I decided to start easy and save it for the second half. The race started with a lot of rabbits and I was in about 20th place after a 1/4 mile. Were on steep long downhill and I took it easy slowly passing runners that had started to quickly. I could see Tom Haxton, local speedster, way out in front and then a string of runners from the Philadelphia University Cross Country team.

There were no mile markers and I only glanced at my watch at the turnaround 1.5 miles in, 8:50. I was keeping a decent pace but not really killing myself. I passed a couple more runners on the return and found myself a long way by myself as we headed back up the long hill to the finish. I was slowly catching the guy in front of me but thought he was out of reach. I realized as we ran up the final uphill stretch that he had nothing left and I probably could have caught him had I pushed a little harder but by that point it was to late. I finished in just under 18:50. A decent time considering the course. I think I could have shaved about 10 secs off had been a little more motivated but I was happy with the time.

4 more miles home and I was done. A beautiful morning and a fun race.

Trail Addiciton

I think the trails in the Wissahickon are becoming an addiction but one that I surely don't mind. On Wednesday I was back in there on my bike looking to push myself a little harder than my first ride this season last week. The trails were dry and my legs were fresher making for a faster and longer ride. My improvement in running over the past few years seems to have carried into mountain biking. If my cardiovascular system has improved it makes sense that it would have an effect here too, maybe not as directly an improvement but still better.

In fact, I seemed to have less trouble pushing up some steep, more technical hills than I can remember in the past. It is strange but I feel like I am already on par with how I rode in the past after just two rides. 16 miles with about 10 of them on the trail.

On Thursday night I met Russ for a run through the park. Russ was a steady Philly Runner a couple years back and I haven't seen much of him since until bumping into him on a run in December. I found out that he also was moving to Chestnut Hill and would be looking for a running partner.

Russ, Zeke, (his dog) and I ran around 6 miles in the park on some very hilly terrain. It was great to catch up and I look forward to more runs in the future. After our run I did a few more miles by myself. On the last hill out of the park my legs were aching, all the hills over the last few days were catching up with me. 9 miles in 75 minutes.

Trail Running with Boomer

Half the fun of running on the trails in the Wissahickon is trying to figure out how they all connect. I've read that the park contains 57 miles of trails but it only follows the creek for about 6 miles so this means there are little dirt paths running everywhere. I completed a little more of the overall trail map in my head last night on a 5 miler with my dog, Boomer.

Boomer has really become a great dog to run with. I don't think I'd take him anymore than about five-six miles at this point but he runs well. Keeping about five feet in front of me at all times and leading the way on the tight paths, never really straying. I think the higher speed keeps his mind focused and he isn't tempted by simple distractions such as horse manure, deer pee, and puddles of water. However, if we do cross another dog he can't resist running over and showing all of his attention.

5+ miles in 45 minutes.

Friday night, for the fist time in a very long time, I went for a mountain bike ride in the Wissahickon. I am not sure if I went at all last year. I pulled out my bike and was scared that it was going to be in bad shape. But after adding some air to the tires, adjusting the brakes slightly, and cleaning up the cables I was to go. The gears weren't prefect but the bike is 7 years old and has been ridden a few 1000 miles, I can't complain.

It felt good to be back in the saddle I was soon tearing downhill, until I came to a series of roots and rocks, then things quickly slowed down. It seems my skills and my balls have both decreased greatly since my biking heyday about 5 years ago. After a couple miles and several hills I was feeling more confident and loving it. I biked the exact route I ran earlier in the week.

10 miles in 60 minutes. (yes those hills really slow you down on the bike)

Saturday - Easy 6 miles with Heather in quickly fading light. Felt decent 52 minutes


Sunday - I ran down the length of Forbidden Drive to join Ryan and Deirdre somewhere along the paved path between Lincoln Drive and Ridge avenue. It was raining lightly and cool but once I was moving I really enjoyed. Once I got to the paved portion of the path I waited for my running partners to appear but sadly they never did. Perhaps they were turned off by the ran. I eventually started heading back after a mile or so hopped across the creek to run 3-4 miles on some trails.

About 11 miles in 82 minutes.

A great trail run last night in the Wissahockon. I've put together a 7 mile loop with a perfect mix (at least for me) of hills, singletrack, twists and turns. I wanted to run easy but I always have a hard time keeping things slow once I get going on these trails. It's more fun when you are running fast.

My legs are feeling it this morning, but a good kind of hurt. 8 miles in 60 minutes.

6 Days

I haven't posted since last Thursday so I have some catching up to do.

Thursday - Heather and I ran over to the Chestnut Hill track for a workout. When we arrived, there were 20-30 kids running the track in what looked to be a elementary-middle school track workout. The options were to either run over some kids and piss off the coaches or run somewhere else. We opted for the latter and headed over to Wolcott Hill for a workout.

I had done 8x30 second hill repeats my last time here. For no good reason I decided on 5x60 sec hill repeats. Nothing to exciting just banged them out. I can say that I feel more fluid and strong on the hill. These once a week workouts must be having an effect. 7.5 miles in 66 minutes

Friday - Easy run on trails and Forbidden Drive in the Wissahickon. 8 miles in 62 minutes

Saturday - I joined Deirdre and Steve for a long run. I had gotten up a little early and ate but just before we started the run my stomach was grumbling for some more food. Not a good way to start a 16 miler. A long loop out through Manayunk to the Belmont Hill and back through Farimount Park. I had come more for the company than for the miles and it was nice to hang out with Deirdre and Steve for a couple hours.

At Montgomery Avenue, they continued on to the Fire trail in Fairmount park and headed down to MLK for a trip to the Art Museum. I have to admit I was really dragging by this point and my pace slowly eroded the closer I got to the end. 15.5 miles in 2hr 5 min. I thought the average pace was faster than this but physics doesn't lie.

Sunday - 40 easy minutes in the pool. Haven't swam in a while and it felt good.

47 miles for the week

Monday - An Easy trail run with Heather on a damp and still evening. We found a few new trails and I really enjoyed the run. About 7 miles in 62 minutes.

Tuesday - I normally don't run after class on Tuesday but the weather was warm and I saw literally about 15 runners on my drive home so I couldn't resist. I went out the door just as it got dark for a loop around Chestnut Hill that included the 5 1/4 mile tempo run I have done over the past few weeks.

My legs felt fresh and fast and I had high hopes of squeezing some seconds off of the 32:25 tempo time I ran the past 2 attempts. I again passed by the roadside digital speedometer which lit up as it started tracking me. 9-10-9-10-9-10-11. I gave a little burst at the end to get 10 11 miles an hour.

I tried not to hold back much and by the second half of the run I felt like I was really cruising, eating up the road with each stride. It was great. However, as I crossed the imaginary finish line at Waterman street my watch read 32:25. The same exact time as my last two attempts. 5-1/4 miles over hills, streets, and traffic lights. Three different attempts, different weather conditions, feeling different before and during the workout, I managed to run the same exact time to the second. I am in no way boasting, I was hoping to shave 10 seconds off last night. It just seems odd. It will now be my mission to go sub 32:20 on this loop. 8.1 miles in 56 minutes.

I went to an expo in Center City for work yesterday and this afforded me a later start than normal. I took advantage by getting out the door early into a beautiful morning. Sun was rising, temps were up and it was an enjoyable run. The loop consisted of 2 miles in Chestnut Hill, followed by 4 miles along Forbidden Drive and then another 2.5 miles up the Germantown Hill and back to home. 8.5 miles in 66 minutes and a great start to the day.

Making Tempo Work

Mondays this winter have been my tempo runs and it was more of the same last night. The winter was mild but spring so far has been a little on the cool side. A bit of a tease but I'll take a long cool spring over a quick warmup to summer any time.

I knew all day that the workout was going to be tough. For whatever reason my legs were a little sore and I just had a feeling that it was not going to be so smooth. I was right. After a 1-1.5 mile warmup, I set out on a tempo loop around Chestnut Hill, the same that I had done a few weeks back. Slightly over 5 miles on a rolling course, including one traffic light and a lot of turns. Right from the start I didn't feel smooth and I was having a difficult time getting comfortable and sensing my pace. I made up my mind that no matter what, I was completing this loop at tempo effort, if that meant things went a little more slowly then the last time, so be it.

At 1/2 mile in I pass by the Springside School, a fancy grade school in the area. They have a speed sensor out front, the same you see out on the highway or busy roads which tell you how fast you are going in an effort to get you to slow down. This one was meant to keep cars going slow as the kids are getting out of school. I noticed just as I was passing that it was picking up my speed, 9 miles an hour. I literally laughed out loud when I saw that and it gave me a slight pick me up.

The remainder of the loop was tough to push through, my lungs seemed ok but my legs did not want to turn over the way I had hoped. I just kept going. As I approached the end of the loop I realized I was still going to put in a decent time. When I got home I further realized I had actually run the loop in the same exact, to the second, amount of time I had run it a few weeks back. Holy Shit. It was ugly and felt horribly slow but I still maintained my goal pace. That really made the whole thing worth it and definitely put a positive spin on a less than ideal workout.

8 miles in 54 minutes.

Frustration

At the start of 2008 I was thinking about what I wanted to do for a race this spring. I decided I wasn't going to have the time and more likely the drive to train for a marathon (Boston) over the winter. A good second option would be a 1/2 marathon. My PR for the distance is a little weak at 1:24 and if I could break 1:23:00 I could qualify for the NYC marathon in November. The training would be a little less intense and I wouldn't mentally flog myself for cutting short miles as school work piled up.

Training has gone fairly well over the winter and if I have a good race I think I could sneak in a 1:22:xx. My 10K a few weeks back predicts a 1:22:00 so I am not pulling these numbers out of thin air. My only problem is finding a race. My only criteria is late March through April and within a 100 or so miles from my house. At first it was going to be Nashville in late April, which coincided with a visit to Heather's sister who lives there. That trip fell through. Then I started to thinking about the Runner's World Half Marathon. Full. Next popped up the Brooklyn half Marathon on April 26th.

Perfect. Heather has a 3 day weekend. Also, my friend Ian not only lives in Brooklyn but invited people to join him while he raced it. It is a fast, flat course and was also put on by NYRR, the same folks that run the NYC marathon so I wouldn't even have to prove my race time. On Monday I was booking a room in Brooklyn for that weekend and double checked the race date.... they moved it to May 3rd. WTF. Some complaint from Brooklyn residents and now it is a weekend later. A weekend that doesn't work as well. A weekend that also happens to have the Philly Broad Street Run. A weekend that throws a wrench into my plans.

So now everything is up in the air. If I don't race by May 3rd my time won't count for NYC 2008 and there doesn't seem to be another that fits the bill. I've had this ambiguous race date somewhere in the future all winter long and it has been driving me nuts. Now it is spring and I still don't have a definitive answer. I'll keep you posted.

Anyhow, my runs.

Friday. 5 easy miles on Forbidden Drive with my dog Boomer. Untimed and enjoyable. A little cool but calm and sunny. Probably around 8:15 pace.

Saturday, 13 not so easy miles on Forbidden Drive. Ran these a little faster than I would have liked and even with the huge Rex Hill which I extended all the way to Germantown Ave for a total of 9:00 minutes steady uphill, I still managed to average 7:25 pace for the run.

Sunday (Easter). I had a surprising 48 miles already under my belt for the week so I decided to take it off.

Head for Zee Hills

A cool, extremely blustery evening yesterday. I got out the door around 6:15 for 8-10 miles with some hills. After a 20 minute warm-up, in which I really wasn't feeling to smooth but good enough, I came to the bottom of the hill where Wolcott Street meets Valley Green Drive. From now on I'll just refer to it as "Wolcott Hill". My last time here I ran 7 repeats from the electric pole to the 805 mailbox post in 30 seconds, this time I was shooting for 8.

The first one was more difficult than I remember and came in at exactly 30 secs. The second one was a little easier and after that I just hammered them out. Like I said, they are not extremely difficult but I definitely felt like I had put in a workout after 8 reps in 16 minutes. Each repeat was 29-30 secs.

The fun thing about working out in this location is that after you complete the set you then have to run up a 1/2 mile long hill. This hill goes slowly but after that I settled into a comfortable pace and continued on my loop. I wish I could say the rest of the run was uneventful but I started to feel a little distress in my lower abdomen with about 3 miles to go. My rational mind was telling me to heed the warning signs and cut the run short. Just a simple left turn and I could be home in 6 minutes. My runners mind was telling me that I had to complete this loop or else I would burn in the fires of hell for being a wuss. (This is what I get for guzzling 10 oz of strong coffee before the run. I must learn from these errors and not repeat them in the future.)

I of course made the wrong decision and continued on my way thinking "How bad could it get, I am nearly done?" A mile later I as forced to walk. These walking breaks increased in regularity until I was forced to stroll the last 1/4 mile home. It wasn't a fun stroll.

9 miles in 72 minutes.

Spring Rain

Tuesday night was a DNR. I was to lazy to get out of bed in the morning and I arrived home from class at 8:00 pm on a cold rainy evening. My stomach was growling and who was I to protest so I decided to take a day off.

Wednesday morning I was again to lazy to get out of bed and when I arrived home from school at 7:00 it was still raining but this time it was a warm spring rain. The kind that you can run through in shorts and shortsleeves, the kind I don't mind. Heather had the same idea and joined me for a run.

To be truthful I really felt like running alone. The plan was to get home, get right back out, bang out an 8 mile loop in a about an hour and just get things over with as quickly as I could. But I couldn't really protest when Heather asked, especially on a rainy evening and Heather doesn't really know the loop very well. So instead of 7:30 pace, it 9:00 pace. My legs were thanking me but my mind was itching to pick things up.

7.2 miles in 65 minutes.

The good thing is that the run left my legs fresh for a harder workout and few extra miles tonight.

Back to Work

I'm back from an absolutely fantastic trip to Spain. Heather and followed Rick Steve's guide book for a majority of the trip and it rarely led us wrong. We jumped from city to city, saw the sites, drank spanish wine, and ate tapas. The weather was great and we even managed to get a run in Seville, on what is their equivalent of Kelly Drive. I might have some pictures up on the blog in the future but it is more likely that I will never get around to posting them. For now I am just trying to work back into the routine of a busy life.

We arrived home Sunday afternoon around 4:30 pm and Heather and I were running by 5:15 on Forbidden Drive. 6 Easy miles in 48 minutes.

Last night I decided to jump right back into things and set out on a tempo run. 2.5 mile warmup on Forbidden Drive to Northwestern Avenue and then 3.5 - 4 miles somewhere around 6:15-6:20 pace. This tempo workout didn't go as smoothly as my last couple which seemed less like workout and more like fun. After miles of walking last week my legs were a little shocked to be moving this quickly and they let me know it. The last couple miles miles home were vey slow. 8.8 miles in 1:03

Back on the Trail

I was a tech geek slacker Wednesday evening. I picked up an iPhone on my way home from work and got so involved with activating, adding music, adding contacts, and generally checking the thing out, that I ate up all the time I had for running. had it been sunny and 55 degrees I think I would have run regardless of my new toy but it was 35 and windy so I just stayed home.

I made up for the missed run last night with a hard trip on the trails in the Wissahickon. The route and the run intensity materialized as things progressed as i wasn't sure how I was going to feel at the start. How I felt was great.

After a couple quick miles on the flat and wide Forbidden Drive I made the decision to turn up a trail hill in the park, the kind of hill that would make me wish I hadn't made that decision by the time I reached the top. I've been reluctant to run hard on the trails because of a nagging ankle pain that has left me feeling a little unstable on the rolling, rocky, root covered paths that dominate the Wissahickon.

Things were fine last night and as the run progressed my confidence grew. I was soon pushing up and down the hills, around sharp turns, and leaping fallen trees. God I love this. I hit a kind of runners high halfway through and this carried me through the rest of the run, past the Valley Green Inn, up and out of the park and through Chestnut Hill. I was feeling so good that the last 1/4 mile practically turned into a sprint. A conservative 9.5 miles in 74 minutes.

This evening I leave for a week trip to southern Spain. My running shoes are taking up some of the precious space in my backpack so I hope to get at least a couple runs in but if I don't that is ok too.

A taste of spring the past couples days with temps in the upper 50's and 60's. I took advantage Monday night, 6 easy miles with Heather into the Wissahickon. Very easy paced recovery run. 6 miles in 55 minutes.

Tuesday morning it was still in the lower 50's and I went out the door in shorts and short sleeves. Judging by the way my legs felt went I stepped out of bed I thought was going to be tough run. Strangely, I felt decent right from the start. Still some lingering soreness but my stride was smooth. 5 miles in 38 minutes.

Northeast Road Runners 10K

It hasn't been the best week as far as mileage is concerned. I knew school work was eventually going to catch up and steal a couple runs and this week it forced me to miss two. This was convenient as it turned into a taper for the race today and produced some decent results. I won't complain.

After a Saturday off from running, I was raring to go for the race this morning. Heather was eager to join, a pleasant surprise from most weekend mornings. Heather usually likes to run later in the day. We took a ride down to Lloyd hall for the race. It was a cool sunny morning but not freezing, a fairly stiff breeze was coming down Kelly drive, especially as we passed boathouse row. Par for the course on this road.

Seebo said he might join me and it was nice to see him and Reba not longer after we arrived. We warmed up with a couple easy miles and with Seebo I sort of planned a race strategy. Keep the pace very close to 6:00 on the way out and then give it everything I had with the tailwind on the way back. The goal was to try and get below 37:00, which is around 5:57 pace.

The bullhorn went off and after a little shuffling, Seebo and a young guy pulled ahead and I was running next to a 4th guy. Mile 1 in 5:53. A little fast for pushing through the wind but I felt good. Between miles 1-2 I pulled solidly into third, Seebo and young guy getting further ahead, 4th guy dropping back. A no mans land position I kept the rest of the race. Mile 2 in 6:01

Mile 3 6:03. More wind and I am getting a little nervous that 37:00 may be slipping away.

I split out the 0.2 miles in the middle of the race to line up the mile splits for the return in 75 seconds and now I am heading home, praying that the tailwind can perform miracles. It does.

Although I don't feel like I have increased the pace, mile 4, with two miles to go, passes in 5:55. Now I have 11min and 50 seconds to run the final two miles and try break 37:00. I am really pushing now and keeping an eye on 1/4 splits that racing on the Kelly Drive bike path affords me. Mile 5, 5:53.

Now I am fairly confident I have it. If only I can keep this ragged, ugly, gasping trot going for one more mile. The 1/4 miles splits let me know it's working and I cross the line somewhere around 36:52, final mile 5:48. I was happy. A huge PR. (mostly due to the fact that I haven't raced the distance since the fall of 2005). Heather also finished well, 6th place female in 46:23.

The last mile was the fastest and for me, in a race of this distance, that doesn't often happen. Usually it turns into more of a hold on as long as I can but today, I feel I raced smart and hit my time. The race also lets me know that I have a good gauge of my fitness and with some more work through the spring I should be able to nail a sub 1:23 to qualify for NYC marathon. Now I just have to find a half marathon in mid to late April.

For the week. 38 miles.

It's been a busy week. With mid-terms and a vacation approaching in the next couple weeks I have been devoting more of my time to school and other items. This means I need little more focus to get in my runs.

Wednesday night I got home from class around 7:45 and laced them up to head out for 8 miles around 8:15. I really don't like running this late. This usually means I get home from the run, shower, quickly put something together to eat and then it is time for bed. However, I was in the mood to run and it went well although probably a little to fast.

8.1 miles in 59 minutes. This translates to about 7:15-7:20 pace. Still technically classified as an easy run but a little fast for my liking. My calves were fairly tight the entire run but other than that I felt good.

Thursday - I got up early to get into work so I could get out early and go to school for a review session for a test next week. I again didn't get home until after 7:00 and this time I just didn't have it in me to go for a run when I got home. I was hungry and truthfully I just felt like sitting on my ass for a little while with dinner and a couple beers.

I planned to get out for a run this morning, saw the 18 degree temps at 5:50 this morning and decided to get in the shower instead of into my running shoes. It'll have to wait until this evening.

As soon as I hit the split button to end the tempo portion of my run last night I knew it had been a great workout. I ran close to the same route I did two weeks ago for a tempo run but this time around I felt stronger, more in control and definitely faster. I again ran by feel, but sometimes you just know when everything is falling into place. I couldn't wait to get home measure the route.

Just as last time I warmed up for a little over mile. Unlike the last time I made a mental note of my starting point and hit the split button on my watch. I sped up and tried to run at a controlled pace that was somewhere around 6:25. The tempo portion is mostly rolling with one major downhill followed immediately by a big uphill (similar in incline but slightly longer than St. Georges in Fairmont Park) about 1.5 miles in. I was hurting a bit at the top of the hill so I slowed the pace to take a slight breather. Continued on my route across Germantown ave into East Chestnut Hill and the turning north at Crittenden Ave. The turn over of my legs was telling me that I was moving along well and that my pace was increasing. My lungs were telling me to give it more gas but I continued to hold back.

I felt great, like I could have kept this pace up for 10 more miles. The time was flying by and with 10 minutes remaining to reach my 32 minute tempo goal I pushed the pace a little more. Finished up 5.2 miles in 32:26 for an average pace of 6:15. Faster than a couple weeks back when I ran somewhere around 6:25 pace. It was also easier this time around and the run got faster as it went. If I would have added another mile I am sure the average pace would have dropped slightly. So, overall, a great workout.

Tuesday monring. An easy run around Chestnut Hill. 5.2 miles in 40 minutes.

This Sunday I plan on running the Northeast Road Runners 10K which starts at LLoyd Hall. I haven't run a 10K since November 2005 and my PR at the distance is a little weak at 38:43. If I am running like I ran last night I think I have a good shot at going 37 minutes. That will be my goal.

Pinehurst

Heather and I took a trip to Pinehurst this past weekend to visit her grandparents, who at 90 years old are getting along just fine. It seems we picked a great weekend to go as Old Man Winter has finally reared his ugly head in Philadelphia and our plane just barely got of in a small snowstorm on Friday morning that left about 3 inches of the white stuff. If we were headed north I don't think the plane would have left the ground.

I knew Pinehurst had something to do with the game of golf and I quickly saw why as we rolled into town. There are something like 20 golf courses in the this small town, and the local economy revolves around the game and the players that travel there for a little slice of golfers paradise. The town consists of a labyrinth of winding roads hemmed in by tall southern pines which had me completely turned around any time we took a drive, a walk, a run, or a bike ride. The maze made for some pretty trips.

On Friday afternoon we took quick run around town and Heather pointed out some places she remembered from her long summer vacations spent here as a kid, visiting the grand parents and along with her siblings, having some fun around town. After 30 minutes of easy running we stopped in front of some Historic hotel and "borrowed" a couple of their complimentary cruiser bikes for the weekend.

We also took a run on Saturday afternoon under a beautiful sunny blue sky and lower 60 degree temps. The first 30 minutes I ran with Heather past one golf hole after another until we reached Pinehurst Lake. From here we split and I ran another hour or so on the rolling hills around the lake. The sun was nearly set when I got back. 12.2 miles in 96 minutes.

Sunday I delayed running until we returned to Philly and at 8:00 pm I got out the door for 4 easy miles on quickly freezing snow melt that had me cautiously running around the roads in Chestnut Hill. 30 minutes.

The Week

Mon - 11.5 w 5x1mile
Tues - 5.6 easy
Wed - 5.7 easy
Thurs - 10.2 w/ 7 hils @ 30 sec
Fri - 3.5 very easy
Sat - A conservative 12.2
Sun - 3.8 easy

52 total and over all a good week.

Bouncing Up the Hills

My legs had none of the molasses feeling left from yesterday morning and I bounced out the door just before sunset for 10 miles and a few hills. I planned to add two repeats to my hill workout from last Thursday for a total of seven.

A 20 minute warmup and I was ready for a quick workout. Seven, 30 sec hill repeats at about 5K pace followed by a very very slow trip back down the hill. I found a slightly better hill than last week and went to work. These reps are short enough that just as you are starting to hurt you are about to finish. I started each trip at the "Watch for Children" telephone pole and finished them at the 805 mailbox pole. 29-31 secs for each repat and I was done. This hill is perfect, steep but not to steep, much longer than the 30 seconds I did tonight so I can add on if I'd like, and only one car passed me in 20 minutes.

I continued on my run for another 50 minutes and I still had a lot of spring left in my step when I wrapped things up. A conservative 10.2 miles in 79 minutes.

I don't want to jinx my progress but over the past few weeks, and really over most of 2008, I've really enjoyed running. I've felt great on 90% of my runs as I've slowly upped the mileage. No major aches and pains, no sore calves that usually plague me, workouts that go as planned and an overall eagerness to run. What a change from the fall when nothing seemed to be going right in running and many other areas in life. Perhaps the difficulty in life spilled into my running. I would think one could effect the other, even if I wasn't concious of it. Just some thoughts that were going through my head as I finished up my run tonight.

Recovering With the Dog

Heather has run with the dog on a couple occasions through the Wissahickon Park and swears he is great on the run I was doubtful and thought it more likely that he was constantly stopping to "smell the roses" as they say, messing up my rhythm and generally frustrating me. I figured an easy run would be the best place to start.

He was no problem right from the start. My easy pace is just between a fast trot and a run for him and he switched back and forth as we made our way towards the Chestnut Hill golf course a few blocks away. I thought that the macadam might damage his paws and it would be better to hit the soft grass of the course. I would normally would be reluctant to run here at night, afraid of ankle turning sticks and divots but the moon was nearly full and it illuminated everything clearly. I almost felt like we were in the spotlight.

A few long lap around the course and we headed for home. He never even tired, leading me the entire the way with his ears tucked in and his head and tail held high. I dropped him off at home for a total of 20 minutes with Boomer. I went back out and ran another 25 b y myself. 5.6 miles in 45 minutes. My legs felt good but after the workout yesterday I took it light.

This morning I got out just as the sun was touching the sky with light. I was lucky enough to catch the moon setting on the opposite side of the sky, nearly full, and quickly getting engulfed by clouds at the horizon. It made for a beautiful sight and I was glad I was running at 6:00 am.

The first couple miles I felt fine but quickly my legs started to feel dead. They weren't sort just felt like they didn't want to turn over. I slowed it down and spun a path through the Wissahickon that included a very long and unfriendly hill at the end. 5.7 miles in 46 minutes. Maybe it took a couple days for that track workout to catch up with me.

Track # 1

I took advantage of the warm beautiful weather this morning and headed over to the Chestnut Hill Academy track for a workout. A nice 1/4 mile rubber track very similar to the one at Roxborough High school that I used to run. The only big difference is that it isn't lit but in a month or so the sun will take care of that problem, at least for 6 months or so.

I am no pro on the track so I wasn't exactly sure what to do. I figured longer repeats this early in the year would be better than the shorter sharpening workouts called for as you approach a target race. (Or so I have read on a number of running websites I peruse). I settled on a challenging 5 x 1 mile workout. My goal was to keep each mile under 6 minutes. if they were all 5:59 I'd be happy.

There were a few walkers and joggers on the track but nobody running intervals. I was glad to see everybody staying away from the inside lane. Here's how things went down.

Mile 1 - 5:50. Woah, this was going to be a breeze.
400 recovery in 1:58
Mile 2 - 5:56. Okay so maybe this wasn't going to be as easy as I thought.
600 recovery in 2:53
Mile 3 - 5:56. Now I was working and wondering if I was going to be able to pull off 2 more.
600 recover in 3:45 (I stopped to retire and stretch for a few)
Mile 4 - 5:58. Really pushing towards the end but I knew I could pull off one more.
800 recovery in 4:14
Mile 5 - 5:58. Done.

3 Mile cooldown for 11.5 miles in 83 minutes. I was very happy, a good workout and I felt recovered when I got home. I learned to take it a little slow on the first lap or two and save some for the last couple. It's better to start slightly slow rather than fade in the last lap.

Presidents Day

Ahh Presidents Day. Every year I forget that I have off and somewhere around Feb 10th I realize, "We have next Monday?" The most low-key of three day weekends, time to sleep in, fart around the house and catch up on my blog. It is especially nice when your wife doesn't have the holiday and you get to quietly sneak in the fact that you are off a few times the day before.

A good weekend for running. Saturday was again a long run and the group has been expanding. A few few weeks with just Seebo and I. Last week with Seebo, Ryan and I. This week Ryan, Steve, Megan, Deirdre, Rebecca and I. Having folks to run with really makes me look forward to 16 miles.

We met with the PR group but once the run started we went the opposite direction from the rest of the group, down Kelly Drive. Up to East Fairmount Park, down Ridge, through Manayunk and up the Belmont (Three Bears) Hills. This past fall I can remember cruising up these hills with Ian, chatting away, and before I knew it they were done. This past Saturday wasn't such a breeze, my lungs were handling things just fine but my legs took a little coaxing to keep up the pace. After the hills a winding trip through West Fairmount that included St Georges Hill, and the Fire Road.

I have had a pesky ankle pain over the past couple months, just a slight twinge on the outside of my right ankle. It is stiff in the morning but loosens up fairly quickly and doesn't really bother me running on the roads. The trails are a different story. I love trail running and feel I am fairly decent at it but with this ankle I am wary. It has a tendency to turn with a quick jolt of pain. It is almost as if I don't realize I am on uneven ground until a millisecond to late for me to recovery without a twist. On the Fire Road Saturday I hit it fairly hard and my stomach dropped. Images of a limp back to the Art Museum flashed through my head. But, The pain dissipated quickly and I didn't think of it the rest of the run. It hasn't been any worse for wear since.

16.3 miles in 2hr and 12 min.

Sunday, a late afternoon run in warming temps. I opted for a long sleeve shirt but would have been fine in shortsleeves. A ridiculously muddy trip up and down Forbidden Drive that left my calves covered in mud. I kept the pace very easy and really enjoyed the run. I was surprised that 56 minutes had gone by when I got back to my house. 7 miles.

54 miles for the week with a tempo run, a short hill workout and hilly long run. If I keep this up I'll be in good shape for...... Whatever the hell I am racing this spring. Right now I am leaning towards a half-marathon. Perhaps the Nashville Rock and Roll half in late April. If I can break 1:23 I would not only PR by well over a minute but would qualify for New York this Fall. I haven't run a great half marathon in the past few year and a 1:22 seems like a good goal. In fact a 1:21 might be doable if things come togther just right.

Valentines Week

A busy week at work and with Valentines Day left me little time to post on this blog but luckily there was enough time to run.

After a 1.5 months of mostly easy runs I am trying to inject some speed at least once a week. I am not usually consistent with this but I am going to try and turn that around the next couple of months. I started Monday with a sort of tempo run.

My goal was not to nail my tempo range which is predicted somewhere between 6:10 and 6:20 but to get the pace somewhere between marathon and tempo pace, around 6:30. Without the 1/4 mile marks of Kelly Drive, I was forced to run totally by effort on the rolling hills around Chestnut Hill. The more workouts I run without a pace guide the more I realize that this is the way I should do speed work, by feel.

So I set off at an easy pace and after about 10-12 minutes I started to pick things up. I made the mistake of not mentally marking my starting point and time so I'd at least be able to calculate the pace after mapping the run, but I have an approximation.

Got going to what seemed about 6:30 pace and I felt great. Cold clear night, light winds, and not much traffic. I was panting on the uphills, and recovering well on the downhills. In between I was working just hard enough that things were still comfortable. Having run this Chestnut Hill loop several times in the past few weeks I had an idea of how far I was going so I tried to run at least 5 miles at this pace. I ran past my envisioned endpoint just to make sure I got my distance and also because I felt good.

I ended up at 7.8 miles with 5 - 5.5 miles somewhere between 6:20 - 6:30 pace. I was very happy with the effort.

Tuesday - Bad weather and sleeping in forced me to DNR

Wednesday evening- 7.5 easy miles with Heather on the Chestnut Hill Loop. Usually Heather is the one dragging me out the door on nights I don't feel like running, I am always grateful 2 miles into the run. This time it was me dragging Heather out the door and she was happy I did.

Thursday evening - 10.5 miles in 77 minutes. I had a few hill repeats in mind for this run and I found a decent spot 20 minutes into the run. An old road that looks as if it functioned as a driveway at some point in the past but now is closed off. The paving is starting to go but it was good enough for my purposes. 30 very hard seconds of running to the top and an easy 60 secs to get back down. 5 repeats and I was on my way again. Not a killer workout but I have read that just 5-10 short repeats on a steep hill and can have a large benefit. Why not give it a shot?

Friday morning - A slow run into the sunrise. 5.2 miles in 43:00 minutes.

Short -Long -Short

I ran my first real "long run" of the year sandwiched between to very short runs this weekend.

On Friday evening Heather and I ran into the Wissahickon Park in the quickly fading daylight. At 5:30 it is still bright enough to run in the park but you better on your way out or your going to get caught in the dark. The time between sunup and sundown begins to quickly lengthen this time of year. Something to look forward to as you come out of the winter.

My new entrance to the park, Rex Avenue, is a 1/2 mile long hill that starts off paved and quickly deteriorates into a cobble of stones, roots and leaves. It makes for an easy trip into the park and burning thighs and calves on the way out. I like it. 4.6 miles in 40 minutes.

On Saturday I joined the Philly Runners group and specifically Seebo for a long run. Things started off a little faster than expected at 7:25 pace up MLK but it felt great and we had a good group moving along. At Falls Bridge Seebo, Ryan, and I broke from the pack and took a spin up the Blooddy Nipple to retrace the route through Fairmount Park that Seebo and I made a couple weeks back. It's great to run with Seebo but it was nice to add Ryan to the mix for a long run, the more the merrier. My legs felt tired by mile 8 but strangely they didn't get any worse the rest of the way.

Ryan and I split from Seebo in West Philly and continued back to the AM. 16 miles in 2 hr 4 min. I consider any run of 16 more miles an official long run so that made Saturday my first of the year and it definitely went well.

On Sunday I again pushed of my run off until the end of the day and this paid for it with much colder and windier weather. It was warm in the morning when I took the dog for a walk but windy and 30 degrees when Heather and I headed out for a loop in the Wissahickon around 4:30. It actually felt kind of nice and I was dressed appropriately so I didn't mind. A few easy miles on very hill trails. My legs had totally forgotten about the 16 miles the day before and felt fresh and eager to push the pace. That of course wouldn't have been wise but I had Heather there to keep me in check. 4.8 miles in 43 minutes.

For the week: 52 miles in 7 runs. I was somewhat surprised by the weekly total, I didn't feel like I had run much this week.

A busy week and I am little behind on logging the runs in. Tues-Wed-Thurs, all easy runs and all runs on some portion of the loop that I ran on Monday. This loop is definitely going to be my mianstay, at least until the days get longer and I can venture into the Wissahickon Park in the evenings.

Tuesday - A very early and very busy day. I was finally able to get a run in a little after 8:00. I kept things short and easy, a little under 5 miles in 35 minutes. Uneventful run but nice.

Wednesday - Made it out the door for a morning run. Another easy run at the exact same pace as Tuesday night just a little further. 5.1 miles in 38 minutes.

Two very short runs but as I posted earlier this week, I think keeping things going day in and day out, even if for just a few miles, can go a long way towards making me a better runner.

Thursday - I received a text message in the afternoon from Chem Steve about getting together for a run in the evening. It sounded like a great idea. Last winter I was running 2-3 times a week with members of the Philly Runners group but this year, things have changed and it has been weeks since I've done a weekday run with anyone from the group.

We ran, talked, caught up on life. The 8 miles flew by even though it turns out we were running at a very liesurely 8:20 pace. I had to double check the time and distance a few times but it seems that is what we were running. I definitely miss the Thursday evening runs with the group. It was something I looked forward to all day at work. It was great to get a little of that back even if was a very reduced grooup.

8.3 miles in 70 minutes.

Running Around

I was shotting for an hour run last night and figured a trip around the perimeter of Chestnut Hill would fit the bill. I put together a couple of routes I am familiar with from running through the area in the past and came up with this in my head as I started on the run. A mostly quiet rolling route along the low traffic streets tracing the fringes of the Wissahickon park.

There was also a short trip across Stenton Avenue into Montgomery County. I thought I might explore this area a little further but the tight streets and waning light made me think twice and I shortly turned back towards the sidewalks of Philadelphia.

Not surprisingly I felt good due to my 4 days off. There was at first a little soreness from the all the lifting and stair climbing the past few days but after that was smooth sailing. I kept the pace easy and really enjoyed the run on a cool (but still unseasonably warm) night. 8, 1/4 miles in 62 minutes.

A post to report the fact that I haven't run a step since Wedenesday, except for up and down endless flights of stairs in moving. I just didn't realize how all consuming a move would be. It's been years since I've last moved and I assumed the fact that we hired movers would make the process a breeze. I was wrong. There literally just wasn't a chance to lace em up and head out. Add to that the fact that the weather (except for Friday) has been beautiful and you can understand my frustration. Although, I probably could have snuck in a run yesterday before the Super Bowl but at that point I was thinking I'm already in the hole, why not get to the party a little earlier and enjoy it.

So I've been knocked out of the rythym I had worked into over the past few weeks with my running. I realize more now how you really do get into a groove, where things are clicking and the runs come, day in and day out. I am definitely a person of routine and the new house, new set-up, and skewed scheduled has thrown me off, my job this week is to get back on. Of course, missing a run this morning was not a good start but I that leaves plenty of room for improvement.

Kenyan Speed

I left work with the goal of runing 10+ miles yesterday evening but when I got home, I started to waffle on the idea. It was windy, it was going to be cold... why not go to the nice warm gym for a long swim. I started to pack up gym bag and put on my bathing suit. The whole time thinking about mileage for the week and when was I going to have time to make up this run, especially because I am moving this weekend. I unpacked my bag, took off my bathing suit and laced up my sneakers. If I have the chance I'd rather get the miles out of the way early in the week when I have the chance. You never know what can happen later in the week to make you miss a run.

I was glad I ran. For one, it wasn't as near as windy and cold as I had imagined and two, it was a great workout. I'd read couple articles about progression runs that Kenyan runners are fond of. They start very slowly in the 9+ pace range and slowly but surely speed things up over the course of 10-15 miles until they are better than 5K pace by the end. The article went on to explain how they don't measure their pace but rather they try to find that sweet spot where speed and aerobic respiration are at their peak. A tempo run without looking at your watch.

I am no Kenyan but the idea for the workout sounded good. My plan for the for the run was an abbreviated version of the above. Start kind of slow but build up to a fast pace more quickly and just adjust based on how I felt, not by what my watch was telling me. I headed for the Art Museum and after 1.5 miles of fairly easy running I began to speed things up. I have to admit I did split the miles just to gauge my speed, not for adjustments, I also didn't glance at the 1/4 and 1/2 mile splits, something I normally can't resist on tempo run.

Mile 1 - 6:49 A slight stomach cramp, so I slowed down and it passed, so I picked it back up.

Mile 2 - 6:23 This was generally into a headwind and I was surprised at how quickly it went.

Mile 3 - 6:13 I now had a tail wind but it still didn't feel like a tempo run, just running hard and totally comfortable

Mile 4 - 5:52 The last mile uphill to the Art Museum. I think that is my fastest non-race mile to date and I didn't really feel like I killed myself to get it. Just kept the pressure on as I was going up the hill and that was the time.

Needless to say I was very happy with the workout. It's funny how three little number, 5:52, can really brighten your mood and give you a better understanding of your fitness. I ran the return trip at much easier pace, my legs were tired but I felt good. 10.8 miles in 78 minutes.

Running Easy

I again ran a Roxborough loop this morning and along the way in Manayunk I was joined by Lee. Having someone to meet for a run in the morning is a huge motivator to get out of bed. It was cloudy and the sun took a little longer to brighten the sky than yesterday but the temps were a few degrees higher and there was less wind.

Overall it was good run to add on to a string of very good runs. This is the best my legs have felt in a while. Most likely because every run is an easy run. On only a few occasions in the last 6 weeks have I dipped below 7:20 pace. It reminds me of the winter of 2005 when I ran nearly every run at or around 8:00 pace but still had a 61 minute Broad Street run in the spring, a 4 minute PR. I don't expect to have a huge fitness gain running an easy 50 miles a week but it will be a good base for faster run that are sure to come later in February and March.

A Great Weekend

I can happily say that I have to log four workouts from Friday night to Monday morning. So here goes.

Friday - I got home from work late and had some things to do around the house before I could think about a workout. I probably would have bagged it but I had mentioned in this blog just that morning that I wanted to break 22 consecutive days of exercise and I wasn't going to ruin the first chance I could.

So At 8:30 I headed out to L.A Fitness for a dip. I ended up completing what is by far the best pool workout I've done. 1.25 miles in 42 minutes. I find that if I set my watch on a 1 minute repeating countdown it motivates me to keep pushing. At an easy pace I can complete a full lap in 50-60 seconds, so I try to get as far as I can into the next lap before I hear the beep indicating a minute. After 15 laps I was 3/4 of a lap ahead. I also worked in 6 - 50 meter repeats, I was gasping for air by the end.

Saturday - I joined the group run at the Art Museum. I knew Seebo had been somewhat regularly attending these runs and I was hoping to run with him. He showed up at the last second and we were soon headed up MLK. After a somewhat brisk 4 miles up to Falls Bridge we turned for the Bloody Nipple and without us really trying, the pace picked up. We huffed and puffed up the steepest section of the hill and kept things going to Monument Road after it flattened out. We weren't pushing hard, just keeping things moving.

Seebo has run this length for time on many occasions and he was surprised by his time check at the top. Apparently we were moving along pretty well. This inspired him and I to run the next portion of his circuit to Belmont Mansion at a faster clip. With a few hundred meters to go things really picked up. It was great to do somewhat of a speed workout with Seebo. I have run with him numerous times but it has just about always been at long run pace.

The rest of the run was at an easy pace across Strawberry Mansion and back to the AM. I continued with Seebo across Spring Garden and over to Market where we split ways. I wanted to run over 14 miles and I figured breaking 1:50 would definitely get me over that mark so I looped around a little on the way back to my car. 15 miles in 1:52. Longest run so far this year.

Sunday - An easy 6 miles with Heather on Forbidden Drive. My legs felt better than expected. 52 minutes.

52 miles of running and a long trip in the pool. If I can string together several more weeks like this I'll be in great shape for the spring.

Monday - Another attempt at morning running and this time I got up. I ran a Roxborough loop in quickly brightening skies. Morning runs are great for that fact. Instead of running into the darkening night you get to anticipate the sunrise. Mentally it brightens your mood. I think it was just about officially up when I got back to my house at 7:00. 6.2 miles in 50 minutes. I felt that I had run faster than this but the map and my watch don't lie.

An easy five miles last night through Manayunk. I set out on a 4 mile loop that at one time I ran fairly often and added a bunch of twists and turns to get over 40 minutes. An uneventful run other than that it puts me at seven days of exercise in a row, something that hasn't happend in months. My longest to date has been 22 days last winter, I am going to try an improve on that. 5.5 miles in 42 minutes.

I hate startling people as I run by. It's always in the evening on a particularly desolate stretch of road (yes there are some desolate stretches in a crowded city). Somebody walking, lost in their thoughts or maybe lost in their headphones and at then all of a sudden there I am, directly behind them and running. A jump, perhaps a quickly stifled yelp, and I'm by but now the walkers heart rate matches mine.

I've become adept at warning of my approach before actually yelling "On your right!" I drag my feet a little more, cut over into a pile of leaves and rustle as much as possible, maybe a cough or two. It seems that even if I can subconsciously alert someone that I am passing by the startle just isn't as bad. It worked last night as I crossed a bridge over the Cresheim Creek into Chestnut Hill. I was treated with a smile as I went by instead of yell.

It was another easy run on a rolling route through the city. It was cold but not to cold and I felt great. I added a few twists and turns onto a 9.2 mile route I ran last week to push the total over 10 miles. I stopped my watch at a bathroom break 33 minutes into the run and unfortunately I forgot to restart it. But I know I left the house at 5:00 and I got back at 6:19 so I'll call it 10.3 miles 80 minutes.

Another good run last night. I had class so I didn't get out on the road until after 7:30 but by then the rain had ended and the weather was great for running. I headed out on a Roxborough loop at an easy pace. The temp was quickly dropping and I was soon watching the street for signs of ice. A few slick spots but nothing bad.

I was feeling better as the run progressed and would have liked to add a couple more miles but it was getting late and I can save those extra miles for a run tonight when I have more time. 7.25 miles in 54 minutes. This pace was just under 7:30, a little faster than I expected based on how I felt.

25 cold, clear and still for the run last night. If there isn't any wind, a 25 degree run is perfectly comfortable and that was the way I felt as Heather and I rolled down Kelly Drive towards the John Kelly statue. That was where we bumped into English Mike who was on his return trip from the Art Museum for home. We ran a couple miles with him and then continued on to Manayunk.

Heather headed up Ridge Avenue to our house and I continued on Main street to Shurs lane to add a just a little more. This run felt great from start to finish. 7.7 miles, untimed because I forgot my watch but I am guessing slightly over an hour.

A Small Week

I'm watching a great NFC championship game. 20-20 in the 4th, you can't beat that. Let's go Brett.

Saturday - I was planning on a 6 mile trail run but I cut the trail portion short after 3.5 miles and ended running only 42 minutes. With all the twists and turns it was tough route to measure and I really couldn't tell how fast I was but it was definitely a reserved pace. So I'll call it 5.2 miles. Just didn't feel to good during this one.

Sunday - whew the winter is in full effect all of a sudden. Temps never got out of the 20's all day. As is my Sunday morning routine I pushed off the morning run and decided to run later in the day. Errands, packing for the move, football games, and several other excuses found me sitting on the couch at 6:00 pm having not run a mile. The thought of heading out into a 19 degree windy night for a run wasn't appealing and I decided to go to the climate controlled gym for a swim.

Couldn't find my rhythm in the pool at first but I didn't way to get out of the pool after only 20 minutes without feeling like a slacker. I just kept going, mixing in some faster laps and soon was gliding along. Swimming is such a different workout from a run, almost totally an upper body thing.

I pushed things to 40 laps which is officially my furthest swim at 1.25 miles in about 40 minutes. Woo hoo. I now only felt slightly like a slacker for not running.

The week. A measly 19.6 miles in 3 runs plus a long swim. Not a great week but considering the nasty cold it's OK.

Feeling Better

I was feeling good enough by Friday night to head out for a run. Running 9.5 miles has curative properties right? At least that is what I tell myself. "It'll probably make me feel better... spike the old immune system... get the blood flowing.. clear out my head and lungs." I ran this route out to the edge of Chestnut Hill.

I could feel the head cold from the start but I kept the pace easy and started feeling better, just as I had imagined. Temps in the low 40's and barely a breeze, good running weather. I did have a little intestinal distress towards the end of the run but other than that it went well. I have stomach problems much more often then in the past. It used to a be a problem once every few months. Now it is more like once a week. I am at a lose for an explanation.

9.3 miles in 72 minutes.

Can't Outrun a Cold

After wrapping up 5 easy miles in 39 minutes on Tuesday night I was feeling so good that I thought I had beat the head cold that had been building all day. The cold had other ideas on Wednesday morning and it knocked me on my ass. So no run Wednesday and there won't be a run today. Looks like it will be an unplanned down week. It seems I lose a good part of one week every winter due to a cold.

Looking back at my last post I realize that mentioned getting up Monday morning to run. It didn't happen, not because I couldn't get myself out of bed but because on Sunday night I didn't even plan on running this morning. The weather was bad, I ran hard Sunday night, and I can feel a cold coming on so I decided not to.

So, this weekend.

Friday night was a trip to the pool where Heather and I put in about a mile. Heather has the ability to count every lap and never lose track doing the workout. I don't. Soon after I start I've lost count... was that # 8 or # 9??? I decided to stop worrying about and just swim for a time period. Friday night was 30 minutes.

Saturday I joined fellow bloggers Seebo and Tom for a trip through West Philly and Delaware County. I was looking forward to the run Friday evening. It was break from the drives and onto routes I've never run before, it was also a chance to run with Seebo and meet Tom, a runner in the area close to my age but a good bit faster.

Tom and I had no idea where we were going so we just followed Seebo along a 10 mile loop that took us past the 400 yr old Sycamore that Seebo often mentions, it was was impressive as he's suggested. The weather was beautiful, the pace stayed easy and I enjoyed. Before I knew it we were wrapping up and I was wishing we still had a few more to go. 10 miles in 80 minutes

Instead I hurried home, showered and hustled up to Chestnut Hill with Heather to sign the lease on a small house that Heather and I will be renting, starting Feb 1st. We had an interested buyer for our current house and we decided to sell it it while the deal was good. So we move from a 2000 sq ft house with a big back and side yard to a 950 sq ft row home (or what is now commonly refereed to as a townhome because it sounds much nicer) with a small backyard. It is however a nice little place that cuts my work commute in half to about 15 minutes. It is also within walking distance to a number of stores and a nice park for the dog. Heather and I didn't have near enough stuff to fill our old house anyhow and I think this one will work well.

In keeping with the theme of this blog: How will this move effect my running? I'll be further from the Art Museum and group runs but I'll definitely still get down there for long runs, although maybe not as frequently for Tuesday nights. The Wissahickon Park was 1/2 block from my old home and now it will be more like 1/2 mile. Still close and it will give me chance to explore the upper portion of the park a little more. I won't be able to easily hop on Kelly Drive for evening runs in the winter. A route I often complain about because I run there so much but, it is lit, there are no intersections, and it is plowed when it snows. I think I'll miss the convenience of having it so close but it is still only a 15 minute drive away. I'm looking forward to the move.

Back to running. Sunday afternoon I took a trip up to Valley Green on Forbidden Drive. I ran hard because it felt good and I wanted to be out of the park before it got dark. The first 4 miles went by in 26 minutes, somewhere between tempo and marathon pace. The return trip was a little longer and I finished up the 8 miles in 54, for my quickest run in over a month.

For the week, just over 42 miles in 5 workouts and a swim. It continues the trend of increasing mileage, although very slightly.

Waking Thoughts

Heather dragged me out the door last night despite my whining about being hungry and we took a trip out and back on Kelly Drive. I'm getting tired of Kelly Drive. However, Heather likes it so that is where we ended up. We took a trip to the John Kelly Statue, famed Philadelphian rower, and the reason they call it Kelly Drive. Pace was in the 8:30 range and we finished about 6.5 miles in 52 minutes.

My best bedtime intentions have been thwarted all week by my mind tricks in the early morning. Heather gets up at 5:45 and you would think that I'd be able to drag myself out of bed at the same time to head for a run but it just isn't working. Every morning I am able to run through a list of excuses to stay under the covers. Its raining... I'll have plenty of time this evening to run... I can tell by the way my legs are feeling that it is going to be a bad run. (As if the way my legs feel during a mental check in bed has any relation to how they would feel after a mile warm-up). I was hoping to run at least three mornings a week. I figured that I'd often end up running or swimming with Heather in the evening anyhow and I'd pull a double a couple times a week.

I hope writing about it will add a little mental weight to the "Get out of bed!" side of the scale and on Monday, I'll actually be able to get up.

Roxborough Loop

Seven miles last night on the Roxborough Loop. The weather is still warm and I was again able to run in shorts and short sleeves. I know this weather can't last forever but I hope we see more of it. I am beginning to like this loop more and more. It's through mostly residential neighborhoods and has many rolling, and a few more serious hills along the way. Plus a lot of twists and turns to keep things interesting. Feeling good. 7 miles in 52 minutes.

I Got My New Shoes On

I decided to take Monday off. I felt decent but I had run a lot of miles from Thursday through Sunday and figured I'd take a day off.

Last night I slipped on some fancy new racing flats that Heather got me for Christmas. I was not planning on racing any miles but I wanted to give them a spin to see how they felt. I've tried a few different pairs of racing flats and have yet to find a pair that I like. These however, felt good and perhaps they were giving me a boost because I was trying to keep things around 7:30 but every mile came in at 7:16-17. I'm sure it wasn't actually the shores but just that I felt good.

I timed my arrival to the group run almost perfectly and they started running about a minute after I arrived. I fell into pace with a new guy who I have run with before but I can't remember his name. He's a triathlete that is pretty good at running as we were having a conversation at 7:00 pace. We were joined by a few more guys as we approached the turn around and I was wishing I could return to the Art Museum with the group instead of continuing home.

I did continue on, slipping my headphones back over my ears and continuing the CD I am currently addicted to, Sky Blue Sky by Wilco. Almost 11 miles in 1:19.

I'm in the Mood...

...to run. Something I haven't felt in a while, just the urge to get out there and run some longer miles. Nothing forced, or because I feel like I need to. Miles just because it feels good to run.

I solicited a long running partner for Saturday morning and realized my options have dwindled to two people, Seebo and Steve K. Two great people to run with but still only two. I got one taker and met Seebo at the group run after putting in a little over three miles. Seebo had a Bloody Nipple Route in mind and it sounded good to me. This run really cruised by and I felt more like we were hanging out than actually putting in miles. The pace stayed in the mid 7 range and after finishing I felt great. 13.4 miles in 1hr 42min. My longest run since the marathon.

Sunday, Heather and I ran about 6 miles in a damp but fairly warm for the winter, Wissahickon Park. I was feeling good and decided to continue on for around 4 more miles through Manayunk, getting in a couple hills. The pace was easy with Heather and I tried to keep things around 7:30 after that. 9.7 miles in 1hr 19min.

I broke 40 miles for the first time since early November. I hope to build on that in teh coming weeks.

Morning Repeat

This morning was almost a mirror of yesterday with slightly less wind. I got out the door at exactly the same time, 6:10, and again ran the 6.5 miles in 48 minutes. The sun is just starting to brighten the horizon when I get home and I think it will be cool to see it getting brighter as the weeks go on. Of course I will have to continue to run in the mornings for this to become reality.

My thoughts have turned to spring racing and trying to decide what I am training for. It's nice to run just for the sake of staying in shape but a goal race makes getting out there in the cold much easier. I am leaning now towards a half marathon sometime in April as a goal race. I am going to miss the Caesar Rodney Half marathon in March because of vacation so I was thinking something a little further out and a lot flatter.

I am hoping that a good half marathon may qualify me for the NYC marathon and allow me to bypass the lottery system. However, I am not sure what the qualifying time is in 2008. Last year it was a 1:23 but in 2005 it was a 1:21. The first is definitely a possibility the latter may be doable but much more difficult. I assume they vary it from year to year but I couldn't find any info about 2008. We'll see.

Happy New Year

I have a lot to catch up on from my last post. Heather and I travelled out to her parents, west of Seattle, for the New Years, for two rainy, and two beautifully sunny days. No matter how much the sun shines there in the winter it always seems damp. Although her parents are only about 25 miles from Seattle, they average nearly 20 more inches a year of rain and this December had been especially wet. I was told we were very lucky to catch a full day of sun.

Heather and I took advantage by getting in a longish run. She planned a scenic route for me which included a good dose of hills. It was sunny, but humid, and in the upper 30's. I started off on a mile long hill and I was soon blowing plumes of smoke as I pushed towards the top. The first half of the run was not too exciting and I was mostly surrounded by large pine trees, small farms and homes.

After cresting an especially steep hill I was treated to the scenery which Heather had promised. It was one of those times when the run, view, music, and your feeling come perfectly together and give you a moment that you'll remember for a long while. God it felt good to be out there. The second half of the run was generally downhill and I floated the rest of the way back to town. 11.5 miles in 1hr 28min

There were a couple shorter runs out there that were just as beautiful. I also hit the gym and went for a family trip to go rock climbing. Heather's family is very competitive and it was fun to smack talk about our climbing ability, knowing that none of us really had any.

For the year, 2162 miles. 62 more than 2006. The beginning of 2007 started off with a ton of miles compared to the previous year and then things leveled off and I finished off with just a few more.

For 2008 I am again making an attempt to put in more morning runs. My first chance was Wednesday morning and it didn't happen. Winter 1, Wesner 0.

I garnered a little more resolve after reading Seebo's post about the realities of morning runs in the winter and was able to get my ass out of bed at 5:45 this morning despite the 17 degree temperature and the freezing wind. I think the cold motivated me, if I can run when it is like this I should be able to run on those calm 25 degree mornings. An easy 6.5 miles in 48 minutes.