National Marathon, Washington D.C.

I was laying in bed the evening before the race and I hear my phone buzz. “I’m gonna go out with you tmrrw” was what Seebo had texted, adding a little more to the positive vibe I had building for the race. It was marathon number 7, the lucky number, I had eaten a big Thai meal the night before with Heather, Ian and Nora, my pre-race meal before a great performance at Chicago and now I had a friend to run with for the beginning of the marathon. Things were going to be good.

In the morning I met an equally excited Ian in the lobby of our hotel and we hopped a ride on the metro to RFK stadium, the race start. It was cold, cold enough to frost the grass and freeze my feet as I anxiously paced around waiting for the sun to come up and the starting gun to fire. I at first was not able to find Seebo in the starting corral but as the announcer blasted “1 minute to race start” I eyed him a few rows ahead and sidled up.

The gun went off and we were on our way. The sun was rising, the wind was light and my hopes were high. We planned a slow first mile and at 7:37 it was even slower than I was shooting for but that was fine. I could see the dome of the Capitol building ahead with the Washington Monument poking behind, an up lifting sight early in the race. We cruised by the Capitol building and along the mall for the next couple miles, there was some decent downhill along this portion and it made the going easy. 2 - 6:50, 3 - 6:42, and 13:39 for miles 4 and 5.

By this point we had turned off the mall and were heading north into the uphill portion of the course that would take us through mile 8. I wasn’t feeling perfect but good. Seebo and I exchanged some complaints about how the hills were more than we expected but definitely manageable. Crowd support to this point had been non existent and that continued for almost the entire race with the exception of the guys from Howard University in mile 7 that had hip-hop music blasting and party going on. 6 – 6:54, 7- 6:57, 8 – 6:38.

I was behind schedule with the slow start and the early hills. I had planned for this looking at the course profile before the run but I was still itching to make up some ground on the downhill that had started at mile 8 and continued through 10. We were on our way back to RFK to drop off the half-marathoners and we took advantage of the grade to hit a couple quick miles with minimal added effort. 9 – 6:39, 10 – 6:30, 11 – 6:41, 12 - 6:40.

An uneventful race to this point, just how you want it but now things got interesting. I knew we were soon going to have to break off from the half-marathoners and I kept my eyes open for the break. There was a large highway sign reading “Marathoners Left - Halfmarathoners Right”. Seebo and I began easing to the left of the road and continued on. Mile 13 – 6:40.

Seebo and I were both looking for our turn away from the half marathon finish but it never materialized. Now we are running down the long chute to finish line and it is obvious something is wrong. I am scanning for white marathon bibs but none are to be found only the yellow half marathon bibs. Across the finish line I see a pile of people but no route on the left for us and the rest of the marathoners to run through. We cross the line and I brush off the guy trying to hang a half marathon finishers medal on me. I am screaming at anybody who will listen “Where is the full marathon?! Where is the full!!!!!!!!!” The first woman has no idea and I am in total panic mode. A few seconds later another volunteer tells us we missed the turn which is back up the finishing chute, and over the hill. Seebo and I retrace our steps back up the hill and then cut across a long grassy downhill to join the marathon again.

What the fuck. I was in shock that this had happened. I was pissed at myself for missing the turn and pissed at the race organizers for not making it more obvious. Seebo was trying to calm me down and keep me focused and it did work. The actual half split for the marathon went by in 1:31 something and I knew we had lost around 2 minutes. Damn.

I hit the gas a little and hoped I could make some time up. Mile 14 split 9:17. I was averaging 6:40’s and now I drop a 9:17 so I am guessing I threw 2:37 out the window with the bad turn. I am fuming, my mind is racing about what to do, I keep running and try to think things through. Do I shoot for 2:59 despite the lost time or count anything under a 3:02 on the marathon clock as a sub 3:00 marathon? I decided to run harder for a few miles and see how I felt. 15 – 6:36, 16 – 6:36, 17 -6:32.

My spirits were buoyed by these splits and through mile 18 I really thought I had a shot. Maybe I was in better shape than I imagined, maybe I could really run a 2:56 and that lost time was the impetus to push myself harder. Mile 18 – 7:04.

Whoa. What happened? I didn’t slow down, the mile must have been long. Mile 19 7:07. Here we go again, the slow horrible decline through the last 6 miles. I keep pushing and just hope it is a bad patch but I can feel in my legs that it probably is not. Mile 20 – 7:33. I was able to dig and push very hard to pull off a 7:02 for mile 21 but that was it. The remainder of the way was just trying to hold on and not let the decline get to bad. I won’t go through the detail but here are the splits, they can tell the story. 22 – 7:55, 23 – 8:32, 24 – 9:27, 25 – 10:16, 26 – 9:25, 0.2 1:51. Finished in 3:13:52 (or 3:11:XX when you subtract the mistake)

You train for these things in hopes of hitting your goals and as it starts to unravel on those long miles at the end you have plenty of time think through the reality that all the work you put in is not going to even get you across the line with a BQ. I finished angry, sad, upset. Heather met me not long after I crossed the line, she knows what the race meant to me and gave me a huge hug. I was feeling very emotional and needed a few minutes to calm down.

I eventually hobbled through the food line and met up with the support crew; Ian, Nora, Allison, Steve, Reba and soon Seebo who finished a few minutes behind me. So I didn’t hit my goal, but was all the training really a waste? No way. I was standing there with my beautiful (pregnant) wife Heather and six friends all because I have this damn running bug. For me this will always outweigh a bad marathon no matter how those last miles feel.

As usual this final week of taper before has me feeling completely out of shape to run a good race. I've only run twice, 5 on Tuesday and a 30 minutes this morning, this week. I am debating a short run (20-minutes) tomorrow morning if only for the little mental boost I will get from getting out there.

It is finally here and I am finding myself more nervous than I expected. I think it has to do with traveling to the race. When I race in Philly, that feeling of a big event just isn't there. Add to the travel meeting up with Ian and Seebo along with a few others makes it even more of an event. Rolling out of bed to run a marathon in Philly has it's merits but for me I think traveling to a race is better. Regardless of the way things turn out I know it will be a good weekend.

I can look back at many memories on this training cycle, some good some not so good. Morning runs in 15 degrees and snowing, fresh snow spoiling track workouts, making a few new friends on long runs, dragging my ass home on two long runs which ended horribly, surprising myself at the Frostbite Five Miler. Lets hope all these things add up to a memorable climax. The race report will be next.

Yesterday was a beautiful afternoon for a run and I grabbed Boomer for 5 mile loop into the Wissahickon. I must have been moving out because Boomer was dragging much more than usual when we reached the last mile and the long hill up Rex Avenue. Tongue lolling out of his mouth and panting at full speed as we moseyed up the hill enjoying the sunshine and a real feeling of spring in the air. Damn I can’t wait for the marathon.

It seems my blogging has tapered even more than my running.  Last week consisted of al 5 mile runs at varying paces except for Saturday when I joined Seebo and Steve K for 10+ miles around Fairmount Park.  It was great to catch up with Steve who I am sure despite his extended absence from running over the past year or more will still kick my ass down Broad Street in May.

My taper is going well, legs are bouncy and my energy is up.  I am normally in bed at this point but with the reduced mileage I'm just not as tired.   Hard to believe the race is only a few days away.  The weather forecast is tightening up and has honed in on a high in the upper 50's and partly sunny.   The low the evening before is 36.  This means we'll be running in the 40-50 range. For me that is perfect and if the weather holds it will be one more excuse I'll have to check off my list.  

My race day plan is to go out extremely easy in the first mile (7:10-7:20) and then ease into the pace until I am right around 6:45.    As always I'll try to break the race into bigger chunks to avoid worrying about the small variation from mile to mile.  For three miles the math is easy.  I want to hit 20:20.  That means 61 minutes for 9 miles and 2hr2min for 18 miles, simple to remember.  I can also look at 5 mile pieces in 34 minutes.  Both of those will get me in right around 2:58.   If I can just communicate this to my legs and lungs I should be fine.

I am ensconced in the marathon training doubt that occurs in the days leading up to the race. I feel slow - my legs are sore - my hamstrings are tight - my energy is low – there is no way I can keep this pace up for 26 miles. I’ve come to expect this creeping doubt and it really wouldn’t feel like a taper unless it was there. These thoughts are erroneous but yet I still can’t stop them from popping up. I can however, step back and look at them in the context of past marathons which enables me to at least keep them at a distance. I still have a very positive outlook on the race it is just amusing that these ideas always surface.

These thoughts were racing around my head yesterday on a loop through the Wissahickon. My hamstrings did still feel tight but are much better this morning. For no reason I decided to run marathon pace for a mile in the park. I came in a little slow at 6:50 but it felt easy. It doesn’t really mean much anyhow. 5+ miles in 41 minutes.

The extra daylight from DST allows me to take it into the park on my evening runs and that is just what I did last night. The hamstring all the way up on my right leg is tight and sore making me glad that I am tapering because I wouldn’t run hard on it. I’m not really sure why it is sore. My mileage is down and I don’t remember a sudden event on any of the runs. I told Heather I blame it on the extra stretching I did on Saturday’s long run. She rolled her eyes.

In any case it is no big woop, I’ve had the same problem in the past and it passes with easy runs. In fact, yesterday’s run seemed to loosen it up and it feels better today. 5+ miles in 40 minutes.

I’ve been keeping an eye on the weather forecast for the race, seeing how it changes as we approach the big day. This is what I’ve seen so far. First number is the low the evening before and second number is the high the day of the race. It’s funny to see the changes.

28:47, 38:61, 33:52, 36:56, and today the forecast is 43:54. The temperatures vary but the partly sunny forecast persists. We’ll see what race day brings.

The weather has taken an extreme turn to warmth in the last few days and I welcoming it with open arms. The snow quickly melted away and 50-60 degrees temps are in its place. The runs I am about to describe all took place in shorts, t-shirt, and no gloves and at no point in any of the runs was I regretting the decision to wear so little.

Friday I took Boomer out for an easy 3 miles and then went out myself to put in some tempo miles. I had been running 5+ mile tempo runs in just over 30 minutes so I figured a 24 minute tempo run would be considered a taper. I ran a rolling course with no net elevation change in 23:51. When I got home it mapped out to just under 3.9 miles. Roughly 6:10 pace. I think I ran a little to hard but a good workout. 8.8 miles in 62 minutes.

Saturday. An afternoon run in the park. Heather and I drove to the top of the park. She ran for 6 miles and I ran for 8. A very muddy run that left my entire backside splattered. The park was teeming with people on the first really warm Saturday we have had in a few months. Nobody seemed to mind the mud. 8 miles 61 minutes.

Sunday. My last greater than 10 mile run until the marathon. Seebo and I met at the Art Museum at 9:30 and went out for a 15 mile loop that included the Belmont Hills. The pace stayed easy which was good because I wasn't feeling very fast. Seebo and I chatted the entire way and I barely glanced at my watch. Suddenly we were 1:45 in with a couple miles to go. 15 miles almost felt like short run. 15.7 miles in 2:09.

And with that I shut the doors of my barn and hope that I have enough hay in there to keep me going for 3 hours at 6:48 pace.

Another 18 degree morning but the sun is at full blast this time of year so it quickly warms things up. It took more mental coaxing then normal to get me out of bed and I nearly bagged the run. As usual I was glad I got out the door after 10 minutes of running. All easy miles on an improvised loop around CH. I downloaded a new live album featuring Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Rollins. The be-bop and the rising sun made for a energizing run. 5.8 miles 45 minutes.

It’s been all easy runs since my long run on Saturday.

Sunday was a short recovery run that felt like a recovery run. As expected my legs were beat up, not in an injured way but in a fatigued way. I decided to shelf the shoes I used for the long run until marathon day and start a new pair. I am not normally into good luck charms or anything like that but maybe I can rekindle some of the good mojo that came with Saturday’s run when I lace them up on race day. Plus those sneakers have just over 100 miles on them, broken in but not broken up. 4.2 miles 36 minutes.

Monday the East coast got hit with a late season snowstorm. It made my decision to take the day off even easier. March snows are usually known for their brevity as teh days that follow warm up and melt everything away. Unfortunately that was not the case this time and the weather since the storm has felt more like mid January than early March with temps in 20’s or lower.

Tuesdays’ freezing morning temps made me push off the run until the evening. I wanted to run eight but after the first four miles with Heather I was cold and not in the mood for four more so I called it a day. It is funny how quickly the realization that you are tapering can sap some of your determination. 4.4 miles in 41 minutes.

I didn’t have the option to push my run this morning because of a midterm in the evening so I bundled up and went out. It was cold but thankfully the lack of wind took out the bite. I download a podcast about running called Phedippidations. From a single listen I found that it is performed, produced and distributed by some runner from New England named Steve who thought it would be a good idea. So here I am running, listening to a guy named Steve talk about tapering for a marathon while he is running. I swear our breathing fell into unison at a few points. It’s mix of running info, running inspiration and descriptions of his runs. Probably not something I’ll listen to on every run but it did get me more serious about tapering properly.
7.2 cold, snowy, icy miles in 56 minutes. I can’t wait for the 60 degree weather they are forecasting for the weekend.

Yesterday was a mock marathon. I woke up 2 hours before my long run, ate more than I normally would, prepped more than normal bringing two gels and stashing some water along the route and got ready for 22 miles.

I met Seebo, Luke, Jenny and Cassi, in front of the Art Museum at 8:00 for a long loop almost all the way my house and back to the Art Museum. 22 miles had me a little nervous, you want things to go well on the last really long run before taper. Luckily they did. The pace bounced above and below 8 minute miles the entire way. We made a couple water stops, I popped my gels as planned and just took a nice long run with some friends.

We landed back on Kelly Drive with four miles to go and I was feeling great. I thought about accelerating to marathon pace for the last four but my goal was 3 hours of running and it would just force me to run more distance. I did pick up the pace in the last mile, slowly accelerating until I was at tempo by pace in the last 100 meters. I didn’t even feel the normal ache that sets in as soon as you stop a run that long.

My watch read 2:56 so after chatting for a while with Seebo I ran the 0.5 miles back to my car, this even felt good. 23 miles in 3:03.

I headed for the track this morning not really sure of how the workout was going to go due to the race this past Saturday. My legs as usual were initially tight but after warming up for three miles I felt decent.

Chestnut Hill Academy track is supposed to open at dawn but there was still a lock on the gate so I hopped the fence hoping that whoever came to unlock the gate wouldn’t take offense. I was aiming for another pyramid workout 400, 800, 1200, 1200, 800, 400 with 400 recoveries in between all intervals. My goal was to get my average 400 pace around 1:25. So…

400 - 1:24 (the gate opener offered a smile and a wave)
800 - 2:50
1200 – 4:16. During this interval I had an urgent need to “take care of business”. What a horrible way to break up a work out, I was aggravated and stormed off to the facilities that are luckily very close.

This however really threw off my entire workout, I realized I was running short of time (a real inconvenience during morning workouts) and hurried back to run a another half hearted 800 in 2:48. And that was it.

I took it easy on the two miles back to my house. A total of 7.8 miles in 58 minutes for the run. Definitely a flubbed workout, but looking at these splits it wasn’t all bad. I felt good (much better than two weeks ago) and I think a total of 3200 meters counts as an interval workout. Another positive note is that I think I was recovering more quickly, it was hard to tell having a busted workout but after the 800s I felt quickly ready to go again.

I took Monday off and also skipped Tuesday morning trying to avoid the cold and wind. Each morning that it’s 18 and windy I keep hoping it will be the last. I am renewing my hope that Tuesday will be the last. We are almost in March.

I ran yesterday evening on a loop that eventually dropped me on some trails in the Wissahickon and these trails eventually put me on Forbidden Drive. I’ve been feeling like I’m a little out of touch with marathon pace so I decided to run a few miles at pace and see what happened. My goal was 6:45. They went in 6:42, 6:36, 6:36. A little fast but that is better than a little slow. 9.6 miles in 71 minutes.

This morning I took the dog out for a few miles. We ran across the golf course and suddenly I realized Boomer was no longer running beside me, a dog had come up behind us and grabbed his attention. I am very proud to say that after repeated attempts Boomer actually listened to my command and he came back to me. It required me yelling his name at nearly the top of lungs but it’s a start.

I dropped the dog off after 30 minutes and continued on my own for 25 more. Somewhere around 6.5 miles.

A cold rain greeted me this morning on my long run. Thankfully it was light and it ended a few miles in. I took a loop down to Manayunk past my old house and then back up to Chestnut Hill on Forbidden Drive. On the first step I could feel my left calf tighten up but I shook it out a bit and took it real easy on the first couple miles until it loosened up. My legs were tired from the race but still felt strong, if that makes any sense.

Forbidden Drive didn't look icy but it definitely was slippery. Almost like a muddy ice that was hard to see and kept me on my toes. I expected my energy to wane as the run progressed but it just never happened. In fact, I decided to take the long hill up Germantown Avenue from Northwestern Avenue at the end of my run. I wasn't pushing up the hill but kept a consistent pace.

16.2 uneventful miles in 2:04.

Frostbite Five Miler

This morning Heather and I drove 15 minutes out to Ambler to run the Ambler Area Running Club's Frostbite Five Miler. This race wends its way around Ambler on a moderately hilly course. There is always a good turnout and I bet the field was about 800 this morning. The weather lived up to the race name with temps in the mid 20's and stiff breeze that chilled me on my 2 mile warmup.

I really didn't know how fast I could run the race. I decided that due to the hilly course which I was familiar with from running once in the past a time under 30:30 would be decent and anything under 30:00 would be awesome. My last 5 mile race was on a flat course on Thanksgiving and I ran something like a 30:30 so beating that on a hilly course would be ok.

I didn't feel so great on the warmup but as soon as the gun went off I felt great. I've gotten much better at controlling my pace in the first mile and I let the rabbits jump out ahead of me. I accidentally deleted all of my splits so they will all be close estimates.

Mile 1 ~5:55. Faster than I expected and I was really feeling good, maybe it was going to be a good day. I was making in effort to slowly pass people by running up behind them, tucking in to avoid the wind and then passing on the downhills.

Mile 2 ~5:57. A little slower but the course was rolling and I was still feeling good. Maybe I could get under 30:00.

Mile 3 ~5:58 I always hate the middle mile in a race. I felt like the pace was dropping off but when I got to the split I realized things were good. The crowd had thinned to just a few guys ahead of me and I concentrated on holding pace. I worked with one guy for a mile or so trying to break the wind for each other. The wind was never horrible but enough to make a difference when you were behind someone.

Mile 4 - 5:58 Sweet. I knew I had sub 30:00 in the bag, but by how much? The one memory I had of the race from a couple years back was that the biggest hill was in the last mile. I kept pushing and saved a just a bit for that hill.

Mile 5 - 5:57 The hill sucked but once you crest it is all downhill to the finish. On the last 100 meter straightaway I heard some footsteps creeping up behind me and I was able to dig for just a little more to hold my position.

Finish time by my watch was 29:44. Awesome! I didn't think that even my best performance was going to give me that time. I ran nearly 9 miles last night I figured those miles were going to suck some energy out of me but I guess not. That time on a hilly, cold and windy course means that I could probably shave about 10 seconds off in ideal conditions. It also means that I am much better shape then my doubtful mind had imagined.

It is amazing how 30 minutes can change your outlook on things. I have much more confidence that I can nail my goal in the marathon one month from today.

Friday 8.5 miles in 1:07

Saturday 9 miles in 1:02 with the warmup and cooldown.

It was light enough for my first morning run into the Wissahickon today. There was a heavy fog in the park making for an eerie setting in the soft dawn light. The trails were sodden but my legs weren’t and I bounced along the cushiony route enjoying the relatively warm morning temps.
I’ve taken to often listening to “Marketplace” podcasts on my morning runs and for some reason the drone of financial news didn’t fit the surroundings so I quickly moved on to some music.

I again got out the door later than I intended and my planned 70 minute run was shortened to 50 minutes. For the first time in a while I was wishing I had the full 70 minutes. 6.5 miles.

I’m back, tanner, happier and well rested after a short trip. Heather and I relaxed on the beach, snorkeled, went sailing, and slept anywhere from 8-10 hours each night. I didn’t log a mile but I didn’t really care.

Before we flew out on Friday morning I was able to squeeze in 5 easy miles, I felt slow and sluggish.

We got home at 9:00 last night and I made a point to get out for a ½ hour just to get back into it. When I was getting into my running clothes I smelled like the beach I had rolled off of seven hours before, it made me sad. Somehow getting out the door last night for a short run (3.6 miles in 28 minutes) made getting up this morning for a longer run much easier.

I missed a long run over the weekend and at least 30 miles of running so I wanted to get a workout done this morning. I jumped into a tempo workout after a 1.5-mile warmup and ran the next 5.2 somewhat hilly miles at what I believed was tempo pace, which turned out to be 6:20 pace when I got home. I was definitely working but felt fairly comfortable until the last ½ mile. I was hoping for a slightly faster average pace but overall it was good workout.

I heard the wind howling while lying in bed this morning and I thought that I might freeze my ass off but then I looked at the thermometer… 56. Wind chill wouldn’t be a problem this morning. It would be another run in shorts.

My legs were peppy this morning but I wanted to stick to my idea of taking a break so I only let the pace drift down to marathon range somewhere in the middle of the run. I was treated to an almost biblical sunrise with thick clouds painted dark umber, violet and pink by the rising sun as they raced across the sky. Just as I was finishing I could see the edge of the sun break the horizon. What a great way to start the day. 5.8 miles in 43 minutes.
No posting until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week when I’ll hopefully be a lot tanner and ready to wrap this marathon thing up.

Easy run on a beautifully warm morning. I was out in shorts and shortsleeves at 6:00 am, I can't wait until this is a regular occurrence. I listened to a the new Ida Maria album and just strolled around the neighborhood. 4.7 miles in 40 minutes. Legs were tired but felt better as the run progressed.

Confidence in my running has been lacking over the past week or so. The marathon is a approaching and in my mind my workouts aren't going well. Add to that the missed race on Saturday and in it's place a horrible long run. My legs were beat up after that and I still ran a little to hard and a little to far the following day. Then today I headed to the track. I knew I wasn't fully recovered from the long run over the weekend but I had the time this evening and decided to go to the track anyway. Of course the workout didn't well. It paled in comparison to an identical workout I did six weeks back.

When I got home from the track I logged in my run and and compared it to previous workouts and it wasn't so fast. I then began to compare my training in the days leading up to the track workouts. It was obvious why this workout went bad compared to other workouts. It was also obvious that my training has been going really well and my shortsited memory has me worked up for no good reason. I haven't gotten to the track as much as I would like for a few reasons but there is plenty of speedwork sprinkled into my running over the past 10 weeks. The mileage has been decent and there are more then enough good workouts to go with the bad. I am just focusing on the bad.

It's funny how your mind can get to you. This marathon means more than the last couple. I want to nail this three hour thing. I think about it every day. At Boston it didn't matter. I went for it but it was Boston and I didn't really care. At Philly in 2007 I knew my training wasn't adequate and I would have been pulling a rabbit out of the hat. This time I don't want any excuses. Just me, my training, and 26.2 miles of roads around D.C.

After reviewing my training I came back to reality. Today's workout was not a total calamity and overall things are good. I think I just need a little break from the routine and recharge for the final 5 week push to the race. There are three good weeks of traning to go before taper and I just have to relax and get things done. I do that and I'll know I've set my self up to hit my goal.

The good news is that I have a break coming up this weekend, a five day trip to St. Thomas. I should only miss three days of running and that is if I don't run down there. I'll bring the running shoes and maybe put in a couple easy 5-7 milers but that will be it. If I don't run, I'm not going to sweat it.

The workout, just to log it..
2.4 mile warmup then the following intervals with 400 recovery in two minute range.
400 - 1:23
800 - 2:50
1200 - 4:20
1200 - 4:26
800 - 3:00
400 - 1:23

I picked up the newest edition of Running Times magazine last night and read through it while a positively awful Grammy’s played in the background. There was an article detailing the benefits of adding drills to increase your running performance. It even quoted data from actual scientific studies using highly trained runners and separating them into two groups; one performing these drill workouts and the other following the normal running routine. They saw something like a 4% increase in running economy in the athletes performing the drills. That translates into chopping 7 minutes of your race time if you’re a three hour marathoner.

The author, a 25 year runner, had incorporated these drills into his running routine and said they cured many of the niggling ailments he was experiencing as he got older and made him feel fitter and stronger as a runner then ever before.

Of course there is always the next best new workout in running, the fad of the times. But I have been reading and seeing a lot about these drills over the past couple years, especially in use by elites and I think it would be worth while to add to my training. Probably not something I would jump into when only 6 weeks out from the marathon but maybe after that.

This morning didn’t include any drills, just 5+ easy miles on tired legs. 33 degrees made it much easier to get out the door than morning runs over the last few weeks. Maybe it is good that I eased into a morning running routine over a cold winter. It will make mornings in the spring a joy. 5.6 miles in 48 minutes.

I have some other very good news. Heather is 13 weeks pregnant with our first baby. She is due on August 25th. Up to this point everything is going very well and we are both excited and looking forward to a new baby. I'll find out if it is a boy or girl in another 5-7 weeks.

I knew the Wissahickon was going to be sloppy today due to all of the ice melt but it was even worse than expected.  I ran 10 extremely muddy miles from Rex down to Lincoln Drive and back.  Today was the warmest day since November and I was out in shorts and shortsleeves.  I didn't even need the gloves today.   My legs were fatigued from yesterday but nothing was actually sore.  I started at a very easy pace but after 5 miles I was under 7:30 pace.   The park was a nice change of scenery from CH loop.  10 miles in 1:16.

I was excited to race this morning and jumped out of bed when the alarm went off at 7:00.  As usual I spent to much time farting around on the computer and was in a rush to get out the door by 8:00.  I hastily scrawled the directions to the race start on a orange post-it and headed out the door.  

I followed the directions exactly and was surprised to find that there was nothing resembling a sneaker store when I got to the end.  Just a residential neighborhood and industrial park building turned church.  Shit.   Did I copy them wrong?  Did I read them wrong?  I drove loops around the area, not wanting to get to far from the main road in order not to get lost.  I stopped in a 7-11, no help, Wawa - no help.   Wait there is a runner, I bet he is warming up for the race.  I hit the blinkers, block traffic and ask him if knows where Athletes Closet Running Store - No help.   

At this point it is 9:10, 20 minutes to race start and I still have no idea where the start is.  I am yelling at myself for being such a fool for not bringing my phone and copying the directions incorrectly.  I could do nothing but get back on the highway and head home.   This mistake threw off my entire day and I was aggravated for hours afterward.   I realized the error when I got home.  I had searched for Athletes Closet on Google.  Directions popped up and I wrote them down.  I didn't realize that the directions were to the zip code of the store, not actually to the store and I was a couple miles off.

I didn't get out the door for a long run until 2:00 and I decided to push myself to make up for missing the race.  This ended up being a bad idea.  I ran a hilly loop out over Harts Lane and down the river to Manayunk.  I charged all the hills and ran the first 10 miles at an average of 7:00 pace.   I ran the next 5 mostly uphill miles from Manayunk back to CH at 6:55 pace.   I was killing myself to keep up the pace and for the last 2.5 miles I just had to hang on to get home.  I felt like I was finishing a marathon.   

I was spent and couldn't eat much when I got home.  I showered and fell asleep on the couch for 2 hours, not a normal occurrence for me.  I can't decide if I should be happy that I ran a hard workout for the long run or be concerned because the average pace of the long run was 7:15 and I felt like I had killed myself.  I have run 7:20 pace in the past for a long run and felt great.

17.5 miles in 2:07.

The coldest run of the winter (so far and hopefully overall) this morning. My thermometer read 10 degrees. Normally this would cause me to roll over in bed and push the run off until this evening but I won’t have time this evening so it was either get up or DNR. I bundled up and headed out.

The first 1.5 miles on my loop are into the wind. It is nice knowing that once I get through that the rest will be relatively warm. So I dealt with a numb face for 10 minutes and then enjoyed the rest of the run. Mostly easy pace with some strides thrown in when the street conditions allowed. 8.1 miles in 63 minutes.

I am racing a 5K this weekend all the way out in West Chester. It will be my first race in a few months and I am not sure what to expect. I have been logging a lot of miles but I missed several hard speed workouts due to the snow. This race will be a good test to see where I’m at. If the race is flat, calm and snow free I hope to get under 18:00 minutes. If I run a 17:59 I’ll be happy, if I run a 17:50 I’l. be ecstatic, if I run a PR, 17:44 or better I will kiss the street. If it is hilly than all bets are off.

The weathermen predicted 2-4 inches of snow so I wasn’t surprised to find nearly 8 inches when I stepped out the door this morning. The streets were more than passable and with the reduced early morning traffic it was much better than the icy runs I’ve had over the past couple weeks. The trees were heavily laden with pillows of new fallen snow and set against a backdrop of a colorful sunrise all making for a perfect morning run. And to think I almost decided to skip it as I lay in warm bed.

There is an energy that only a snowstorm can create and I was greeted with many waves and hellos by people shoveling their walks before they headed off to work, or maybe stayed home from work. If it weren’t for me having to go to work I think I would have extended this easy run for another half hour. 7.2 miles in 61 minutes.

There was a fresh coating of snow on my street this morning, which means the track is covered, which means the snow foiled another track workout. The snow cover wasn’t enough to prevent a tempo run so I decided to on that instead.

I built into the pace after a mile and a half warm up and stayed within tempo range for about another 5 miles. I did not measure the pace at any point but I think I was in the low 6:00s when the conditions allowed. Many of the uphills were coated in snow, which meant slower going, but still about the same workout. I finished with an easy mile and feeling good. 8.1 miles in 58 minutes.

I look at Sunday and Monday runs as a way to recover and get ready for the week. Two very easy days in a row makes me feel like I can hit harder workouts during the week. Now if only the weather would cooperate so I can actually run hard for an extended period of time or even jump on the track.

My legs felt good this morning despite the aches that I felt when I first got out of bed. The morning was warm and calm, perfect for running. The Super Bowl left me a little more tired than normal but a brightening horizon lifted my mood. The sun is getting up earlier and earlier a sure sign of impending spring. The groundhog had different ideas this morning and I believe him when he forecasts 6 more weeks of winter.

I had the time and the drive to run a little over an hour but unfortunately my stomach forced me stop after only 4+ miles. 35 minutes.

The sun is shining and temps are in the upper 40's. The weather isn't out of place in the beginning of February but compared with the weather we have been having it feels like spring. Heather and I took advantage by running a loop around CH. Roofs were dripping, gutters were splashing and Boomer got soaking wet from top to bottom. The pace remained solidly in the 9-10 range but I didn't mind. Apparently, being 12 weeks pregnant can really make you run much slower.

About 6.5 miles in 1 hour.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

17.7 miles in 2:18.

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

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

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

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

12.5 miles in 1:37

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

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

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

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

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

10.3 miles in 1:19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Catching up on a couple runs over the weekend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Forced Treadmilling

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Still reporting from Washington. The cold weather broke and temps are getting into the 40's melting snow and even giving us some peeks at the sun on occasion. Here's how things went down:


Saturday 3.5 miles in 31 minutes. A poorly planned coffee just before the run forced me to cut this one short


Sunday 5 miles in 40 minutes just before sunset.


Monday I had big block of time and was finally able to get my long run in. Monday is not a normal long run day but on vacation it works just fine. Heather helped me map out a route in the area and I was set with a rolling 20 miles. Maybe a tad ambitious for the mileage I have been running lately but I thought if I took it slow it would be fine.

So that is just what I did, took it slow and kept my eyes open for oncoming cars and the landscape. With all of the cloud cover there are no glorious views to report but it was a relaxing run, if that makes any sense. Around mile 15 I was starting to hurt and the lack of water wasn't helping any. It never got horrible but I was glad to wrap things up. 20.8 miles in 2:44

Tuesday - DNR. I chide myself for not getting up early and running therefore missing my only chance to run before dark and breaking a little streak I had going. Oh well.

Wednesday. Heather and I drove to Banbridge island about 20 minutes from her parents house and directly across the Puget Sound from Seattle. We were doing a little house hunting and found a few prospect houses and open lots where we could build our own house. Afterwards Heather went for a swim at the local high school/swim club and I laced them up for 8 rolling miles out and back across the width of the island. My legs had a lot of pep in them but I held back. 8 miles in 64 minutes.

And that wraps up the year. I went from training hard in the winter for a half marathon that never materialized to marathon training in the summer that was cut short when I decided to opt out. The end of July, August and beginning of September were lost miles. I have a huge blank right in the middle of my running log. In the fall I started logging 30-45 mile weeks again and my running really took focus in Mid-November with a late winter 2009 marathon on the calendar.

The races that standout for me are the NERRC 10K in the spring where I PR'd going under 37 minutes for the first time. I feel that is right up there in the top 3 performances for me. Another highlight was PDR. I didn't kill the race but I loved running it none the less. I think it got me back in touch with why I get out there to run nearly every day.

Happy New Year!

I'm out in Washington with Heather's family for Christmas and the New Year. They got hit with about 8 inches of snow before we arrived (somewhat rare for this area) but the larger roads were clear enough that I could squeeze to the side when the infrequent car passes.

The conditions have narrowed my running route options so I can't be to choosy. Two very similar loops yesterday and today. Yesterday I ran three hard repeats of a long hill on the route. Today my legs were constantly reminding me of the repeats. I had to run through some heavy snow and windy conditions but the temps were barely at freezing and it wasn't to bad. Yesterday 8.4 mile in 67 minutes. Today 8.2 miles in 67 minutes.

Surprisingly, there is rain in the forecast for the entire weekend. I'll do my best to get in a 16-18 mile run at some point.

Here is the article I mentioned in yesterday's post about habits of the elites. http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=15247&PageNum=1

I thought it was a good read.

Heather and I exchanged Christmas gifts last night and I now have an iPod Nano to replace my broken four-year-old classic iPod. The Nano’s small size makes it perfect for running in the winter, I can just drop it into my glove and then pull my hand up into my jacket sleeve to keep me warm. Heather also got me the Nike+ which works with your iPod to tell you your pace, and distance. I think there is bunch of software on their website to analyze your workouts in a million different ways too.

I‘ve always been more of a watch and sneakers type runner who doesn’t really want any other high tech gadgets to go along with my runs. The more stuff you have the more you have to get together before you can head out the door. So I am a little unsure if I’m going to like this new attachment to my runs. God knows I already spend enough time running, planning to run, recovering from a run, showering after running, logging my running, g-mapping my running and blogging about my running. Do I need to add another layer of analysis and time to the whole thing?

Last night I didn’t get out until 8:00. I took Boomer for an easy 4 miles, dropped him off and headed out for 3 more. 7 miles in 59 minutes. It felt a little faster than that but it is what it is.

This morning my thermometer read 17 degrees my first sub 20 run of the year. I’ll still take this temp over 80 humid. The morning was completely clear and even at 6:15 I could see a faint light on the horizon. Now that I am in more a morning running routine I really enjoy running into the sunrise.

This was sort of a tempo run. The first couple miles were probably around 8:00 pace and then I began to pick things up. I was probably in tempo range for about 3 miles and under marathon pace for a total of 5 miles. I finished with an easy mile. 8.2 miles 58 minutes.

For whatever reason I am having an easier time mixing in the speed during this marathon build up. My legs are protesting a little less even though I am running on sneakers that are over the hill. I’ve now been to 5 different shoe stores that are either out of my size 9 Asics Gel Cumulus or don’t carry them. It’s frustrating. I know I should just order online but I just want to have them in my hands so I instead try another store. I’m running out of options and may just order them today.

Last week I read an article in Running Times magazine about habits of the pro-runners as seen by a sportswriter over the years. There were 5 habits:

1. A Large difference between easy and fast pace
2. Runs start slowly and build into the pace.
3. Perform drills in addition to running
4. Vigorous warm-ups before races
5. and the last one I forget.

For the first habit the writer described an easy morning run with a couple Kenyans. They went out for a 10K loop and it took something like 45 minutes. The writer was itching to go faster and the Kenyans were content to just plod along. In the afternoon they ran a tempo workout on the same loop, this time it took 31 minutes and the writer got dropped at the start. For habit #2 he describes another run with Kenyan women. At the a start he was having a hard time going so slowly, within a couple miles he realized he was running at his normal pace, then he was pushing, then he got dropped.

I have the bad habit of running my easy runs in the 7:15 – 7:30 pace range (to fast) and also starting things off too quickly. Glancing at my watch at the first mile split and pushing harder because I started off to slowly, even though it is an easy run. I’ve known that I should slow down on my easy runs and I’ve tried in the past but for whatever reason it really stuck after reading this article and I’ve put into practice, at least for last week. I’m going to try and keep it up through the winter.

So onto weekend of running.

I couldn’t get out of bed on Friday morning to run. When I left work Friday eveningit was 33 degrees and pouring, about the worst running weather possible. Luckily the rain stopped around 6:30 and I got out for a few easy miles with Boomer. 3.2 miles in 27 minutes.

Saturday I was going to meet Deirdre and Seebo at the AM for long run. I initially got Deirdre to change the start time from 9:30 to 8:30 and lost Seebo who couldn’t make it that early. On Saturday morning I realized that I wouldn’t be able to do even the 8:30 run. So I backed out and pretty much ruined the group run for Seebo and Deirdre. Sorry.

I instead ran from home on a long hilly loop over Harts Lane, down River Road, then up over Shawmont Hill. I cut through Manayunk and then over Walnut Lane Bridge, through Mt. Airy and home. It was cold but I was comfortable. The pace started very easy and I slowly sped up through the run. I pushed myself up the hills and tried to run around marathon pace for most of the last five miles. It was a great workout. 17 miles in 2:04.

On Saturday night an ice, sleet, snowstorm made for messy, slippery conditions on Sunday morning. I pushed off my run until 3:30. The sun was now out and the ice-coated trees were melting creating tiny rain showers under every tree. The light from the setting sun also glistened off the ice making the trees sparkle. It made for a scenic run. There were a number of icy patches on the street, which had me running like an old man with a short sliding gait. I nearly went down at one point when some ice caught me by surprise. 7.5 miles in 6 minutes.

For the week, 60 miles in 7 workouts including a fast finish run, a track workout, and a somewhat hard long run. A great week of training.

Over the holidays I travel out to Seattle to visit the in-laws. I am going to make every effort to get all my runs in out there. I’ve heard that they got hit with a foot of snow and I’m hoping a lot of that will melt before we get there.

The track near my house is not lit so I thought a workout there was going to be difficult. Last night I decided to swing by the track and see what was doing, if it didn’t look good I’d continue on for a hill workout. Luckily the street and school lights provide just enough illumination so you can see what your doing. Only the back corner was a little sketchy but after a couple times around it was fine.

I took the long way there so my warm-up was nearly 4 miles. I felt light and bouncy and was excited to get to work. My track workouts are sporadic at best so I‘m always a little out of sorts, unsure of pacing and what workout to do. For no reason at all I decided to do a pyramid type workout starting at 400m building to 1600m and then coming back down with 400 recoveries between each interval. Instead of aiming for a goal pace I decided to just do what felt natural.

400 – 1:32 slooow, maybe I hadn’t realized I was on the track or something. I chalked it up as a warm-up lap.

800-2:53 that was in the range that I expected. I was pushing but not to hard.

1200 – 4:22. Right on track, I was in the groove and the 400 recovery after this interval felt just right.

1600- 5:47 Faster than expected and I felt like I had held back slightly in the last two laps. My recovery lap was slow at 2:18 but not horribly slow and surprisingly I wasn’t dreading the way back down.

1200-4:18 Faster than the first.

800-2:50 keeping up the trend.

400-1:17- I let it loose on the final lap, close to all out.

Thinking back I’d say this was the best track workout I’ve had to date. It might not necessarily be the fastest but I beat my expectations and I felt strong the whole way through. The interval portions totaled 6400m so that definitely makes it the largest volume I’ve done in one workout and it didn’t feel that way. I’m definitely going to stick to this workout my next time out.

I felt energized on the 1.5 miles back to my house. 11.7 miles in 1:24

This morning was a very easy loop around CH. The sky was clear and I caught the beginning of a beautiful sunrise. Cold, damp and misty, I felt like I was in the northwest. Ryan Adams was the perfect musical backdrop for the run. 6 miles in 50 minutes.

I woke up to heavy rain hitting the skylight and thought about bagging this morning's run. I'm glad I didn't. By the time I got out the door the rain had slowed to a light misting and the heavy held off during my 6 mile loop around CH. My legs felt good but I took it easy. 50 minutes.

I wrapped last week with a 14 miler on Friday night, and two easy 5 milers on Saturday and Sunday.

I was dreading the longish run Friday night and the first half lived up to my dread. My left headphone finally bit the dust about 8 minutes into the run and at the very beginning of my favorite solo on the Kind of Blue Album. For the remainder of the run John Coltrane sounded like he was playing in the far corner of gymnasium.

I didn't feel like I had any kind of rhythm and decided that I better shoot for a long out and back because any loop run would tempt me to cut it short. I decided to run to my old house and back. At least 12-13 miles and then I could add one or two on. An hour into the run everything started to click and the pace began to drop until I was in marathon pace range. I kept this going for the last 4-5 miles and felt great. 14 miles in 1:40.

Saturday an easy, early 5 miles with Boomer in the Park, 40 minutes. Sunday an easy late run by myself around CH 5 miles 40 minutes. 45 miles for the week. I was looking for 55 miles but with finals last week and a trip to NYC last weekend I am happy that I could get to 45.

This morning I was out and running only 9 hours after I finished Sunday evening's run. No headphones to distract me, I had my thoughts and my running to keep me company. I decided to do a progression run and started off things very easy as I slowly warmed up. At about 3 miles I'd say I was at my normal pace, by 5 miles I was at fast normal, then marathon pace, then tempo pace, and for the last bit I was sub 5K. I left 1/2 mile for cool down. 8.8 miles in 64 minutes.

Things are going well.

Cold drizzle greeted me as I stepped off my porch this morning. Really it wasn't even a drizzle but a cold mist that quickly coated my face and clothes. I tucked my iPhone into my glove and hoped that the heavier stuff would hold off until I could finish the 7.5 miles. I found my mind drifiting to no place in particular this morning as my eyes focused on shine of the streelights off the wet road in front of me. It wasn't until I was nearly finished that I felt warmed up and into the run. 7.5 miles in 58 minutes.

The cold weather broke yesterday and by the time I got out for a run in the evening it was 50 degrees. Perfect running weather. The last few runs have found me fighting with my headphones trying to get the left ear to work. After tapping, smacking, bending and cursing I have been able to get things working again. These headphones have logged many miles with over the past three years and I am past due for a new pair.

I planned on a tempo run but during the 1.5 mile warm up I wasn't feeling to fast, I knew I was going to be pushing to get through this one. I tried to ease into the speed and after a mile I was feeling decent. That is until I hit the hill that is in the middle of my tempo stretch. It knocked the wind out of my sails and left me hanging on and yelling at myself to get in at least 30 minutes. Luckily a good song came on during the final stretch and was able to keep things going until that ended. The tempo portion was 4.9 miles in 32 minutes. Ugh! 6:30 pace, not very tempo in my book but I'm glad I was able to get it done. That time will get quicker as training progresses.

The total run was 10 miles in 71 minutes. Not the best run I've had lately but it's done.

This morning was even warmer and I took slow loop around Chestnut Hill in the drizzle and into a muted sunrise. 4.2 miles in 33 minutes.

I just finished a cold night run to wrap up the week. With the wind howling and temps in the mid-20s I feared a frigid run but the wind wasn't as bad as expected and the run went well.

Running has been a great outlet for stress over the past few weeks. While my mind mulls things over it is almost like I can drive the anger, frustration, and pain through my legs and right into the road.

For the week:
54 miles in 6 workouts.

Two good runs to report:

Friday night after work I headed out for an 8.5 mile loop around CH. Mile goal was to finish in an hour so I had to hustle. Started with an easy 1.5 miles and the surged for about 1 mile, slow again for 1 mile and surged again. I felt great and was having a hard time holding back on the easy portions, just tons of pep in my legs. I ran the final 2.5 at tempo pace and finished in 58 minutes. After almost a year I'm picking up the nooks and crannies of this loop, every bump, hill and house getting burned into my memory. I also know many of the distances between points in the run which allow me to gauge how fast I'm going.

This morning I met Lee at the top of Forbidden Drive for a long loop on a cold but calm morning. I ran a very similar loop with Seebo and Deirdre in the opposite direction several weeks back. This run was very similar to that, easy pace and almost relaxing. My legs were fresher than expected and felt like I had finished an 8 mile run rather than 15 miles run when we stopped. 15.6 miles in 2:05.

A cool morning run around CH. An easy pace while the Beatles "Abbey Road" album kept me company. My Iphone insists on playing every album in shuffle mode so Abbey Road, which has several songs that blend one right into the next, had a very disjointed feel. 6.5 miles in 50 minutes.

The Thanksgiving weekend and a busy work/school schedule has me way behind on blogging. Luckily it didn't interfere with my running.

I travelled to Nashville for Thanksgiving weekend and got in some great runs while I was down there.

A long run on Saturday that had me looping streets together and trying not to get lost. Luckily I found a road that went on for several miles and I stayed on that for an out and back that included several detours into sub-divisions to get the miles up. Mostly rolling hills and an easy pace. Towards the end I pushed it to tempo pace for some short bursts and also took advantage of some hill by charging up them on tired legs. It all made for a good workout. 15.8 miles in 1:59

That run was followed by and easy 8 on Sunday and an easy 5 on Monday. My legs were dead so I was content to plod along in the 8:00 pace range.

For the week I overshot my goal and ran 56 miles. For the month of November I got in 196 miles. The longest of the year, that is until we get through December I hope.

Tuesday was a DNR due to work, school, and sick wife that needed a little TLC in the evening.

This morning I got up extra early to squeeze in 10 miles. After a 1.5 mile warmup I pushed the pace to what I thought the marathon would be. This was all done by feel so I have no idea if I was accurate but it felt right. Maybe in the 6:45-6:50 range. I took the long loop around Chesnut Hill, this only gets me 8.5 so I had to tack on some extra miles at the end by runing up and down a few blocks. 10.3 miles in 1:14.

Turkey Trot - 5 Miler

I've never run a Turkey Trot before but when I found out there was one starting just 2 miles from my house I couldn't pass it up. I was hoping for a solid effort that would provide a good gauge of my fitness.

I ran an easy 2.5 miles to the start. The morning was cool and calm with temps right below 40 degrees, great racing weather. The race was bigger than expected with I'd guess over 200 and I quickly signed up in a well organized registration area. There was a band of high school guys rocking the whole area and it made for a good pre-race atmosphere They played a lot of Red Hot Chili Peppers and they weren't to bad in a garagey sort of way. I am sure all of the neighbors loved it.

The start was very abrupt and I quickly found myself about 20 people from the front. I expected to reel in 10 or so within a 1/2 mile but I was surprised that there were only a couple that went out to fast. I settled in at about a mile and made it my mission to try and pass the five or so guys that were shooting range. I deleted my splits but I think the mile markers were inaccurate anyway so they are irrelevant. It felt like steady effort and I think I paced things well.

By 3.5 miles I was able to pick off four of the guys ahead but the last guy remained tantalizingly out of reach. I'd gain on him and then he'd pull away, never really getting closer than about 20 yards. It gave me something to focus and forced me to keep pace over the last miles which finished with an uphill right before the line. 30:37

I was slightly disappointed with my time. I predicted a 30:28 in my last post and really believed I was going to hit that or maybe a little faster. I guess I am being a little neurotic about 9 seconds but that is the way runners are right? In any case it lets me know where I am at and helps me decide realistic workout paces for marathon training. In the running calculators my finish time lines up very closely with the 5K I ran several weeks back and the Philly half-marathon. All these races predict around a 2:58-3:00 marathon. If the past is any indicator I know I want to be in 2:50-2:55 shape to have a good chance at breaking 3:00 hours. I have some work to do over the next 3 months.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Slow and steady this morning. I mixed up my normal route with a couple twists and turns and one road I haven't run down yet. I don't know if I have officially run every block in Chestnut Hill yet but I know I'm getting close.

I'm stuck in a morning routine that allows me only 45 minutes or so to run before work. That works for few days a week but I need to push that to 60-90 minutes to get some longer runs in mid-week. This morning was 6.4 miles in 50 minutes. I caught a beautiful sunrise just before I wrapped things up.

Tomorrow I'm going to head down to the top of Forbidden Drive for a Turkey Trot. It is a 5 mile trip down to the Valley Green Restaurant and back. I looked up results from previous years and it is a small field but there is some competition that should help me push things. It is a most flat course, I'll be happy if I can get under 31:00. I'm predicting a 30:28.

Action News meteorologist Brian Murphy told me not to worry about the rain this morning because it would be light and I shouldn't even need an umbrella. He was right. After a few sprinkles in the first mile the remaining 5.3 were rain free.

Felt like pushing it a little this morning and after a slow first mile I was able to bring the average pace down below 7:00. 6.3 miles in 44 minutes flat. I'm glad I didn't bring my umbrella.

Once you get past how bad it sucks, running in the morning really is a great way to start the day. Another loop around Chestnut Hill, nearly the same loop I've run every morning with variations at the end to give me the mileage for the day. This is usually more dictated by time rather than how many miles I really want to run.

I'm beginning to see the same things every morning: Hello to the lady walking the two mean little dogs, Hello barking black poodle that seems especially excited see me every time I go by, and there is that guy with the big white car who always has his windows down and flashers on as he drives down the road.

6 miles in 44 minutes.

15+ miles is officially a long run for me and I put my first one in the books today since July12th. Finally having a marathon on the horizon really has me excited for running and I enjoyed all 2 hours out there in the freezing cold today. Even the trip up that damn Rex hill was not as bad as normal.

I ran the first 5 with Boomer who, I found out today, loves to eat snow and reminded me of that every time we passed by a patch clinging to life shadows of the park. I made the trip all the way out the park and back home to drop him off. At this point I had 40 minutes knocked out of my 2 hour goal for the day. A quick drink and I was back out the door and onto the trails in the Wissahickon.

The park in the winter is lonely compared to the summer, the trees are bare, people are rare, and the winds howls through the trees. I had my iPod to keep me company as I stuck to the lower trails all the way down to Lincoln Drive. From here I took Forbidden drive home and expected a slow slog up through the park into the biting wind. I caught a glimpse of a runner way ahead in a bright glowing fluorescent green and I made it my mission to pass him before we got to Valley green. This kept my mind and legs occupied as I tried to keep the pace just fast enough and succeeded in passing him as we approached the water fountain.

I kept the momentum going for the last 2 miles up and out of the park. I had to take a detour around my block at the end to get in the full two hours. A conservative 15.5 miles.

That makes 42 miles for the week, a total I have hit for the past three weeks. I feel good and I think it is time to push things into the 50s next week.

"I"m bad ass, if I run in this shit" This was going through my head on the way home from class yesterday evening as the temperature dropped and the snow picked up, I was trying to talk myself into running in this sloppy weather instead of plopping down on the couch for a late dinner. Had I not been signed up for the marathon in March my ass would have been on the couch but instead I quickly changed and headed out.

The weather only got worse as the run progressed but after a few miles the liquid on my face changed from melting snow to sweat, I was warmed up and enjoying the run. In fact, it is fun in an odd sort of way to run on a night like this, it gives you that "If I can get out here to run now I can get out here any time" kind of feeling. That carried me through7.5 very damp and cold miles.

Hopefully this fall weather isn't a prelude to what the winter is going to be like, only much colder and more snow. But if it is, I'm not to worried about, I'm bad ass.

This morning made yesterday feel relatively warm and it took an extra half mile to get comfortable out there. I thought about pulling out the long pants but I'm glad I didn't as I was just fine in my running shorts. 20 degrees might be the "pants threshold".

The same loop as yesterday with a small addition that added a large downhill and uphill. There was a nice sping in my step and for the first time in quite a while I was surprised by pace after mapping the run out at home. 7 miles in 51 minutes.

The head cold I mentioned in my last post is now lodged in my chest and is only slowly departing. I felt it yesterday morning and it was the only excuse I needed to justify skipping the run and getting an extra hour of sleep. I slightly made up for it with a brief run yesterday evening with Boomer. I had about 30 minutes to spare and I squeezed 3+ miles in 25 minutes. I was feeling great and wishing I could have gone for another 30 or more.

This morning I was able to get out of bed although it was slightly later than I was shooting for. For the fist time this year I would really classify the run as "cold" as it was about 30 degrees and there was a stiff wind for the first mile or so. It'll take a while to get back into a cold running routine, as of now I am still trying to remember what clothes I need to wear for a morning like today. Shorts, shortsleeves and light running jacket did the trick.

This one started slow but got faster the entire way. The last 0.5 mile is slightly uphill and I was really pushing by the time I finished. 5.5 miles in 39 minutes.

I've wanted to become more regular with this blog but I didn't do a good job of that over the past 10 days. So let's catch up.

Last weekend I had two solid runs. First was a loop run with the Philly runners. I went hoping to have group to push the pace a bit. I got it in new to PR runners John and Austin. The pace hung right around 7:00 dipping under for miles than it was over. 11.6 miles in 1:25. On Sunday I joined Seebo and Ian to catch up on life, talk about a future marathon and enjoy an easy run. All things went as planned. 10 miles in 1:24.

On Monday I woke up with a nasty cold that felt as if it was going to really knock me out for a while. I fell asleep curled up on the couch at 7:30 on Monday night and thought my running prospects for the week were bleak. On Tuesday morning however, it felt like nothing more than a head cold. Tues-Thurs was a mix of morning and evening runs between 3.5 and 7.5 miles, covering all areas of my "easy" range.

I partied a little harder than I wanted on Friday night, slept in, woke up late with a headache and pushed off an early running commitment to the late afternoon. 8 miles in 61 minutes. I finished just before dark.

Sunday. A cold a blustery afternoon reminding me that winter was quickly approaching and it really is time to pull out the winter running clothes. A couple blogs on my weather geek website are predicting the coldest December in 20 years. The running half of me hates this idea but the other half of me is looking forward to it. 13.5 miles in 1:42. Felt good.

During the week I also signed up for the National Marathon in Washington D.C. on March 21st. Seebo, Ian and I are all in. Hopefully a few more will jump on the bandwagon through the winter. I am optimistic for a good marathon. The key will be getting out in the morning to run. If the last two weeks are any indication, it might go as planned.

A quick bounce in my step took me around Chestnut Hill this morning. Four attempts to run in the morning this week resulted in four morning runs, I just need to keep this going as the weather gets colder and the mornings get darker. Cold was not a problem this morning as I was sweating in shorts and shortsleeves. 6.5 miles in 48 minutes.

This morning was a little warmer and a little wetter than the previous two. I spaced out for the first couple miles but came around and finished things a with some pep. 4.5 miles in 34 minutes.

Getting out of bed early to put on your shoes and run is difficult. Getting out of bed to sit down with a cup of coffee, browse the Internet for 15 minutes and then put on your shoes to run is just a little bit easier. At least that is my conclusion from the last two days.

This morning was nearly the twin of yesterday morning, 50 degrees, calm and overcast. I took a slightly longer loop around Chestnut Hill and saw some long lines at the polling sites. People were lined up at 6:30, a half hour before the polls opened.

I really felt good during this run and it showed as my average pace was 7:23, the quickest easy run I've had since mid-October. The nice thing about morning running is that you really can't go fast out of the gates because everything is a little stiff. It forces you to ease into the run. This one ended much faster than it started. 6.1 miles in exactly 45 minutes.

I took an extended "Phillies Hiatus" from running last week. So Mon-Fri were DNRs. I happily watched the World Series every night, drank far to many beers, and generally was a sloth for the week. My hard work paid off with a Phillies WS win!!!!!!! I made it down to an extremely packed Phillies Parade on Friday afternoon and then a Haloween party on Friday night where the celebration continued.

By Saturday I finally had that all out of my system and got out in the afternoon for an easy 6 miles in the Wissahickon. 48 minutes.

Sunday I had the single most exciting training run of my life although nothing of note really happened with my running.

I was putting in another easy run and had just gotten to the top of Forbidden Drive onto Northwest Avenue. My plan was to go up to Germantown ave but that didn't happen. I heard a screech of tires in the distance and in a cloud of tire smoke I saw a minivan smash into a car waiting for the light at Germantown Avenue. That initially was shocking but then the driver hopped out and starting running across Germantown Avenue into the park. This was immediately followed by three cops pulling up behind the accident. This guy was obviously on the run from something and the cops had not seen him run into the park.

I made a quick right back into the park and starting running through some fields after this guy. He was far off but I was quickly gaining and then thought "What the hell am I going to do if I catch him?". I decided to get a quick look at where he was headed and then try and grab a cop. I caught up with a cop that was sitting at the top of Forbidden Drive and told him where the guy was. He jumped out of the car and we set off down Forbidden Drive. Some walkers said they had seen him splash out of the creek, up the embankment, over the guard fence, across Forbidden Drive and clamber up the steep hill above us. I glanced up and found him near the top, exhausted, picking his way through the rocks and trees. The cop and some other guy with a gun, who I am assuming was off-duty, headed off after him. I couldn't see much but I heard them yelling at him to lay down and then silence. I assumed he was caught.

I continue on my run down Forbidden Drive, I get to the Bells Mill street crossing and here comes the same guy back down the hill. He had somehow eluded his pursuers and now was only feet away from me. I dialed 911, and the guy ducked behind a large boulder. I told them where he was and after getting switched around a bit on the phone they finally got someone on the line that new the area. By this time more cops had pulled up and were searching but the guy had escaped. I was pissed that I hadn't seen where he went, he was nowhere to be found. I did a little more running in the area to try and spot him but no luck. I still don't know what he was running for but I sure as hell hope they got him. 7 miles in 55 minutes, with some unexpected sprints.

Monday - got up and out before work for an easy 4.3 miles. Overcast and cool, great running weather. 33 minutes.

I am many days behind on blogging but sadly there were only three runs in there.

Sunday - a longish run with Seebo and Deidre. Click over to Seebo's blog for a good recount of the run. I'll just say a beautiful fall morning, good company, and some very cooperative legs left me feeling great at the end of this run. I was even able to scrounge up enough loose change in my car to stop for a coffee on the way home. 14.3 miles in 1:56

Monday - No run. I would have liked to get out for a few to loosen up some tight legs but I spent most of the evening studying.

Tuesday - An easy loop around Chestnut Hill. In my mind I was going faster but when I measured things out, the 8+ pace told my mind what my legs already knew; I was hurting from a 5K and a 14+ miler over the weekend. I just haven't been putting in the mileage to bounce right back from that.

Wednesday - Late class and no run.

Thursday - A long loop around Chestnut Hill. Back to the same route I followed on many runs last fall/winter/spring. Feels good to be back. My calves were extremely tight for much of the run, enought to make me stop and stretch. Surprisingly they felt better as things progressed and I had a brisk pace going in the last few miles. 7.5 miles in 56 minutes.

I am offically making my seventh attempt to become a morning run. I figure this is kind of like quitting smoking. It might not work on the first several attempts but eventually it is bound to work. Right? I'll start right after the Phillies win the World Series. The 8:30 game times make it difficult to get out of the bed to run.

Eastern Pen. Breakout 5K

I was shivering in my shorts while filling out the race registration. It was going to be a cool blustery race. The perfect temp for me to be running, but cold when your standing around waiting to race. Heather and I bumped into Steve G. and for the second race in a row I chatted with Steve before the race began.

My goal was to take the first mile hard but hold back a little and try to pick it up during the race. After the the initial rabbits dropped of I was in 4th place. #1 and #2 were quickly pulling away and definitely out of reach. The guy ahead of me was running about the pace I was aiming for so I just stayed behind and bided my time. Mile 1, 5:44. Seemed to fast for how good I was feeling and I decided that it was short, I'm not sure if it really was. The second mile of this race brings you into the campus of Girard College. We looped around and mile 2 passed in 6:07. That seemed about right.

I still had some gas in the tank and decided to make my move passed the guy ahead of me. I made sure to pass as quickly as I could sustain and I was lucky that he didn't answer. From here I just wanted to finish as hard as I could and I was thinking maybe, just maybe, sub 18:00. Down Corinthian Street and around Eastern State Penitentiary. I was giving it all I had but sub 18:00 was just a little to fast for me and I finished in 18:10. A decent time and a bit faster than I had predicted for myself before the start. A good race. More than 25 seconds off my PR but with the low mileage over the past several months, I'll take it.

I cheered Heather through the finish and she finished in third as well, just a few seconds off of last years time.

Late evening easy 4+ miles with Heather last night. We took the "Chestnut Hill Loop" at a very easy pace. The weather was quickly changing and I think the run ended 5 degrees cooler than it started. 4.2 miles in 38 minutes.

I start most runs by wondering what I want to listen to on my iPod. Five years ago this search would start in front my CD rack but now it begins with the twirl of a little wheel. Once in a while I have an album in mind, sometimes I search until something strikes my fancy and other times I'll try to find an album that matches my mood. Slow and mellow or fast and loud. Today it was Pisces Iscariot by the Smashing Pumpkins, I have not listened to this one in a while. This album came out in 1994 and brought me right back to my freshman year of college. I realized I could actually remember where and when I bought the CD. It pulled out many other memories as well.

The run started slow and a little stiff but after 4 miles things smoothed out and I settled into a nice pace. I think Philly is in the last burst of warmth before the cooler weather really takes hold and I built up a good almost summer like sweat by the end of the run. 7 miles in some unknown time because I forgot to restart my watch at 37 minutes.

I got 6 miles in with Heather on Thursday evening. All at a very easy pace with a nice stroll up Rex to finish things off. That hill has turned into a thing of dread for both Heather and I on many runs. Knowing you have half mile hill at at the finish when you aren't feeling to hot can make things tough. I try never to walk (at least when I am running by myself) but it still happens once in a while.

Saturday, I was a bit hungover from a long night of watching the Phillies and hanging out with some friends from work. I thought I had cleared my system by about 3:00 but the run told me otherwise. What's funny is that I didn't feel to bad until I stopped, then some slight nausea would sneak in and my headache would pop up. Of course the only solution was to keep moving and try to run over any hikers that got in my way. Unfortunately a couple kids got lost over the side on some narrow sections. Luckily there is water at the bottom and I think they were fine. 9+ miles in 71 minutes.

Sunday I was feeling much better and the weather was just perfect, not a cloud in the sky. I started the run with Heather and then off on my own after 4 miles. The fall foliage offered some sneak peaks and it looks like it might be a good year. After 5 miles on Forbidden Drive I hit the high trails. I kept the pace in the easy range and explored a few branches of the trails that I usually run by. I found a couple interesting little side jaunts but nothing to exciting. Around 11 miles in 87 minutes.

Last night I had 40 minutes to run between school and the start of the presidential debate and I made the most of it. It was an ideal evening with the temp about 55 and nearly no wind. I had a general loop route around Chestnut Hill in mind, along the way I constantly adjusted it in my mind to get me back to my door in exactly 40 minutes. My legs were itching to pick things up so I made it somewhat of a progression run and finished the last leg down my block at 400M pace. 5.8 miles in 40:27.

Heather and I got out the door late for a few miles. It was a tough evening in the Wesner household and it felt good to get out the door, run a few with Heather and talk. The more you run the more you realize that running has a lot more uses then just keeping you fit. 3 miles in 28:48

My unwillingness to get out of bed in the morning is putting a damper on the mileage totals. I end having to squeeze in evening runs and rushing my workout. It is an event filled weekend which only allowed me to squeeze in a 5 miler on Friday night in about 38 minutes.

Saturday was a DNF due to a family function.

Sunday was one of the best runs of the year and not because of the run but because of when the run occured. It just happened to start directly after the Phillies beat the Brewers to advance to NLCS. Go Phils!

The run was a hilly hard trip starting with the hill behind the Indian Statue and rolled the rest of the way. I finished with 1.5 fast miles on Forbidden Drive and I felt like I could have kept up the fast pace for a few more miles but had to get home. 8+ miles in 62 minutes.

Waning Daylight

A quick 6-7 miles in the Wissahickon this evening, I only have a few weeks remaining in the park, soon the early sunset will kick me out of the park and back onto the roads. I'll have to save the trails for Saturdays and Sundays. Tonight I ran 3 miles out on some of my favorite trails and the 3 miles back on Forbidden Drive. Not to hard and not to easy. 48 minutes.