Same Thing, Different Day

I did another TM run at the health club. Nothing special, I had to cut the run short because of the holes I felt being burned in my back from people waiting to use the treadmills. If you have been a health club you know what I mean regarding time limits on the machines.
Totals: 35:00+ 5 miles

Kobe is a Baby...

I decided to run on the treadmills at the health club and it turned out to be a good decision on my part. Early this morning I had talked to a couple of people who ran outside and said it was "ok" but a lot of cross traffic. On the treadmill I could be brainless and just put one foot in front of the other and not worry about traffic. I did have to contend with Kobe being played over and over on ESPN's sports center crying about the need for him to be traded. I feel sorry for any team that has to deal with his cry-baby attitude. For the record I give the guy a shitload of credit for being good basketball player, he's just complains too much. Back on the running topic, I felt pretty good considering I sat around most of yesterday. My legs have seemed to recovery for the most part from Sunday's long effort. A good day for a treadmill run.

Totals: 8.8 miles around an hour with W/U and W/D. (I did a few miles at 6:15 pace to test the legs and all went well.)

Day Off for Travel

The title is self explanatory...12 hour day traveling to New Orleans for ACSM conference. No running today
Totals: 0

A Bit of Recovery

A nice day for an easy recovery run in Rock Hill trails. I waited until the afternoon to allow as much time off my legs for recovery and the run felt really well. Since the trails are wood chip they make for an excellent place for recovery runs. I run slow and really take the hills nice and easy and keep short fast strides as I go up. Off to New Orleans tomorrow A.M. It should be interesting as far as running goes.
Totals: about 35 minutes 4.5 miles

Weeks Review

This week went pretty well after running the pace 1/2 marathon pace run. The whole week my quads felt a bit beat up, but I was able to run everyday. I was a bit nervous going into my long effort but it turned out pretty good given the conditions for the day.
Weeks Totals: 72 miles
Years Totals: 1099 miles

One Last Test Down the Shore

This run needed to get into the schedule but I wasn't planning on doing it until next weekend. The problem with that weekend was getting too close to the race date. I did the longer pace run last weekend at the 1/2 marathon so I was curious how my legs would feel. I did this same workout last year a week earlier in the schedule and had a near perfect day. Today would not be repeated as "near perfect". I got all my gear ready and started to drive "up the shore" ie: the marathon course. I couldn't believe it! Yesterday's prevailing wind was out of the NE, and this morning it was out of the S/SE. Just about the worst conditions for Grandma's course. I am stubborn and didn't want to change the running direction so I continued and dropped two bottles with gel and drove to the two mile mark. After a quick stretch I started for downtown Duluth and my first mile was 6:25. A bit quick but after repeating this several times I decided to stay relaxed and run 6:30's. My fluids and gels went down well, had a few bad miles with the wind gusts, and had a few good one's, but in the end I ran 24 miles! I reviewed last years journal and found I had ran today's workout 6.5 minutes quicker. My right Achilles was a bit sore from time to time but no real discomforts to make me stop. My quads were not as fluid as I had hoped but given the two hard weekends in a row I will assume they will recover this week. As long as I can keep things loose over the next three weeks I think my chances of a decent race are pretty good. Today's run helped boost my confidence but as many of you know, nothing is guaranteed in the marathon.
Totals: 2:35:39 24 miles (closed with 6:15, 6:12, 6:15)

Muddy Day

I ran my easy run in Hartley trails this morning and had to deal with a little mud issue. It wouldn't be a problem but the mountain bikes don't respect the trails and ride them when they are wet. Lots of ruts. I did the perimeter trails and some inside SHT trails to make up my hour. My legs feel better than yesterday but my Achilles are still pretty rough.
Totals: about and Hour, ~ 7.5 miles

Legs of Lead

It was a beautiful morning in Duluth but a bit chilly (40F). My legs never got loose and felt heavy and not fluid. I tried to do some easy striders to maybe help loosen them up but that didn't work. My highlight of the run was the second-hand reefer smoke someone blew towards me as I was running up Chester Bowl trails. (mind you this is at 6:30 am).
Totals: 1:12:37 ~11 miles

Shorts and Tee

A rarity for Duluth this morning. I ran in a tee and shorts as it was 60F when starting my run, but it was horribly humid.(it felt like 80F) It sounds like I'm complaining, I'm not, as I enjoy the simplicity of just putting on shoes, shorts, tee and out the door you go! Today I planned on getting an easy hour as a general aerobic run. I got a massage on my left calf last night, it helped tons, and I hope to get my right worked on tonight. The run took me out to Martin road, Elk street, and Vermilion to the house. Legs felt Good.
Totals: 1:00:28, 9 miles

I Beat the Bed Demons

When my alarm clock went off this morning I was almost certain that today was going to be an unscheduled day off. I was lying there pissed off, sick of having sore Achilles and calves and really didn't want to deal with limping down the stairs. For some reason, I sat up and peeked out the window and it looked like a decent morning. My hobble downstairs wasn't as bad as past mornings but still noticeable. A quick change and out the door I went...SLOWLY. After five minutes all seemed OK and I decided at that moment I would do a 20, 20 , 20 workout. Twenty minute warm up, twenty minutes LT pace, and at least twenty minutes warm down. My legs felt pretty fresh, but my wind was a bit "lacking" on the LT segment. Looking back it has been quite some time since I did a true LT workout. Out and back on West skyline, 60F, no wind, and Humid.
Totals: 1:06:13 ~10+ miles

Make That Two in a Row

I decided to take another day of easy recovery running and get my legs feeling better before running longer again. Most everything loosened up after one mile but now my left Achilles and calf are abit sore. (this is getting real old!) Easy Piggly Wiggly (yes, Duluth still has one) loop and back to the house. No rain, hooray!
Totals: 46:28 6.5 miles

Who Likes Monday Anyway?

My alarm clock went off this morning and all I could hear was thunder and rain pelting the window. Not the motivation someone needs after a weekend of long runs and feeling tight and sore in bed. I got up anyway and headed for the basement to get ready for my easy 5 miler that awaited me. The rain slowed to a drizzle but I couldn't manage the strength to go out the door and get wet, after all it was 38 F. I made a cup of coffee and read the sections of Sunday's paper I didn't read yesterday. Kari, Lucas and I did manage to run after work and had a decent run. My left calf/Achilles was a bit tight, but felt much better after the run. I am having a difficult time finding a massage therapist that doesn't have a full schedule. My legs feel pretty good going into tomorrow, I just need to stretch my calves and get them loose.
Totals: 30+ minutes 4 miles

Weeks Review

Another consistent week in the books. I feel like I am simply running out of time for the marathon. I know I have two and half weeks of beneficial training left but that isn't enough when you lost seven weeks in a building phase of marathon training. Having said that, I do feel like I have done pretty well with the time I have had to work with. I will do one more long run and several medium distance runs and a few lactate workouts. After sleeping on yesterdays workout, I do believe I got a lot out of it. I was able to run on Sunday and not feel too beat up and I got a sense of running when the conditions were not ideal, as they may be on June 16th. Overall, I am pretty happy with my fitness level thus far. I will do what I can on June 16th, hopefully not get injured in the process, recover, and have one hell of a fun summer and fall racing some shorter distances!

Weeks Total: 68.5 miles in six days.
Years Total: 1027 miles

We Had Snow This Morning!

I'm pretty sure that for me, today was the latest in the year that I actually saw snow coming down. Big flakes too, not just the little specs of styrofoam snow. Good thing nothing accumulated on the ground. Today's run was not "planned", I was just going to do what my legs would let me after a harder workout yesterday. One thing for sure, it was going to be slow and in the woods on trails. I picked up a running buddy that lives on the other side of Hartley and off we went on some trails along SHT, Amity, Hawks, SHT and eventually through Hartley and home. I started feeling much better after one hour of easy running. The only true source of discomfort was the left low calf that was cramping in the later miles of yesterday's workout. Since I was not planning on running this long I didn't carry any fluids and may have gotten slightly dehydrated. I made up for it when I got home. Overall, a pretty good run.
Totals: 1:46:21 ~13.5 miles

The Humble Pie was Served This Morning

Today was calling for a longer effort with at least 12 miles at marathon goal pace. The half marathon seemed like a perfect fit for the schedule. The Jim McIntire 1/2 marathon was this morning and was not an easy effort by any means. The temperature was near perfect but there was a pretty good wind coming out of the North/Northeast which made for some tough miles. I started just a bit quick with a 5:43 first mile, but soon set into the pace I wanted.(5:55-6:00) The wind was at the 9.5 mile mark and made for the 10th and 11th miles to be slow. I closed in 5:53 and 5:50. This wasn't a race for me, but I was a bit surprised how difficult 6:00's felt. I needed them to feel like walking in the park smelling roses. Not the case. The conditions were far from perfect, the course is hilly, and I ate somewhat questionable pasta last night. These are the excuses I am grasping with all my might, and hoping that June 16th will be on my side, as I have a lot of work to do and only 3 beneficial weeks left to the big race. On an up note, my Achilles felt great, but my left calf had a bit of cramping in the late miles.

Totals: 1:18:31, 13.1 miles (3rd overall, 1st in age) Miles for the day: 16.5 miles.

Nice and Easy

This morning I did a easy relaxed trail run in Harley Park. A lot of small loops to and from the Nature Center. My legs felt pretty good, my Achilles felt pretty good, and I had the chance to do some really good stretches along the run. I am feeling pretty good going into tomorrows run, providing the rain can wait for a few hours in the morning and let us run.
Totals: 32:21 4.5 miles on trails.

What's that Beeping?

I managed to snooze my alarm this morning for almost half and hour. The alarm wasn't doing its job until then. Once I was awake my body felt alright. My right Achilles is more sore than my left these days so I took a few extra minutes and stretched lightly before setting off on my run. Today's schedule called for 13 to 15 with a step down pace at the end. The morning was excellent for running but once I got going I didn't feel too energetic. My legs didn't feel very good, quite heavy, and not very fluid. The other bad thing was I started the run hungry. As I approached an hour I had a few good miles and I was able to mark off a mile.(6:19) I had ran a few miles at this pace and finished the run about the same pace. Today at work I loaded the carbs and will continue to do so tomorrow as well. New shoes today...Brooks Racer ST 2. I think that they will be a good shoe for the marathon. I will get the chance to use them on Saturday.
Totals: 1:27:21, 13 miles

We Need the Rain, But....

I don't like starting a run in the rain, but sometimes you have to. As I was heading out the door most of the rain stopped and just a mist was coming down on and off through my run. Ran up through Kenwood, Arlington, Orange street, and Skyline home. Most body parts felt good. I ended up running a pretty quick pace. Striders are feeling better too. Still some discomfort in the right Achilles at the start of my run.
Totals: 1:10:54 ~11 miles

Grey Morning...

This morning was a bit more grey than most of the past few weeks. I was pleasantly surprised to feel my legs were very rested given the day off yesterday. Most of my runs this weeks are going to be of medium distance at best. My longer run will be incorporated into the 1/2 marathon on Saturday. As for this morning, I did one of my east routes with hills, and some added striders towards the end. A good run!
On a side note, our PC is "shitting the bed" aka. going to crash! It made a horrific noise of humming and actually felt like it was vibrating last night. I am in the process of backing up all our important files, music, photo's etc... If I don't post some day I will be back as soon as we have computer access.

Totals: 1:05:40 ~10 miles

Zippo

I wasn't planning a day off, but this morning was one of those days where I just couldn't get my carcass out of bed. I wanted to do a light run this afternoon but had to deal with the golf-ball sized hail that pummeled my car.
Totals: 0 miles