Thursday quality workout

Training: 7.56 miles, 6 mile tempo pace @ 8:11/mile, 1:06:31

I love working to accomplish something hard to do. I also dread and doubt whether I will be able to do it until it is done. I knew this morning's tempo workout was going to be hard. I had a scheduled 8 mile run - one mile warmup, six mile tempo at 7:31/mile pace, and one mile cooldown. I have gotten out of the habit of running fast. Six miles at that pace is really hard for me right now. I've run faster for longer before, but I am out of practice.

I deliberately struck out slow and hit mile one in about 10 minutes. At that point I started my tempo. I did the first mile of the tempo on pace about 7:28, the next mile in 7:35 with a walk break, 8:45 was the next mile because I was beat and that's where I had to climb my big hill twice. Mile 4 was in 7:56, followed by another in 7:57, the last mile came in 8:24. I cooled down and went home to stretch.

As I was midway through the last tempo mile I was listening to a Tupac song. I don't think I often draw inspiration from Pac, but he happened to say "even in the dark of night, you know there's a brighter day" and it struck me that I started this arduous run with the stars shining and no sunshine on the horizon and am finishing as the dawn broke. I had to struggle through the hard beginning miles of a high velocity run in the dark not know if I could, but I kept running until the break-a-dawn and achieved my goals. I know, sappy, but I can draw inspiration from anything when I've only got 1.5 miles to go before I rest.

Blah, blah, blah... g'nite

Wednesday easy pace run (7 miles @ 8:43 per)

Today's run: 7 miles in 1:01:09

As I write this there is a hostage negotiation going on in downtown Silver Spring at the Discovery Channel building. One of my neighbors works there, I used to hang out down there in my teenage years and I really hope that it ends peacefully. The media is salivating over having something exciting to do - its really weird.

I got today and was famished. I had to take a gel before even leaving the house or I wouldn't have had energy to complete the run. I've been tired. I tried to stay awake to watch the Daily Show last night but I am officially going to DVR it from now on because I have to get some rest. Being tired at work just won't do.

Tomorrow is my dreaded "quality run" day. I've got to run 8 miles in the morning, 6 miles at my tempo pace of 7:31/mile. Maybe my recollection is flawed, but this would've been easy in March, April or May. I really need a running log program that would allow me to query, "when was the last time I ran 6 miles at or around a 7:31/mile pace?" I guess I could write it.

Daily run logging has resumed... August reflection

Today's run: 7 miles @ 8:34/mile in 1:00:08, outdoors - elevation 234 ft

Rolling, rolling, rolling... I am rolling along toward my goal marathon of the year - the Marine Corps Marathon. I put in 160 miles in August, my highest mileage month of this year (maybe ever). I've tracked my heart rate and my efficiency at 150 beats per minute is presently at around 8:45/mile pace when run at my 7 mile baseline.

Tomorrow begins September. The mileage will continue to rise. Probably to 200 or more miles. I hope to watch the heart rate bpm drop. I still need to know how to analyze this heart rate data, but I do use the info on the run. When I feel I need a break, I break until my heart rate is in the 120s range.

My painful right knee is occasionally bugging me, but it isn't hurting me like an injury. I bought new shoes and know that I should never let so many miles go by in a pair of shoes without replacing them. Well, more to come.

Getting ready to race

I am still plugging away at this running thing. August marked my second year training at running distance races. I am happy that my first running injury suffered this June has not completely sabotaged my Fall marathon plans, but my hopes for an early Boston qualifier is almost assuredly off. I gave myself 3 years to run a Boston qualifying race. For me, on the cusp of age 35 that means that I must run 3:15:59 to qualify. That's averaging 7:28/mile for 26.2 miles.

What makes me think I can get to Boston soon? I ran a 5K race in May in 21:06 with a fever. I ran the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in 1:12:57 without gasping, which is an average pace of 7:17/mile. I think that if I didn't injure myself running 50 miles/week I would've been able to post the sub-20 minute 5K and 1:30 half marathon I'd feel gives me the best indicator of my 3:15 potential.

What do I need now? Speed. I will have to ask myself to race 10K every three weeks until MCM to break 3:30. I want to put up at least 2 sub-45 minute 10K (my best race time is 46:21). There are 11 weeks to go until the Marine Corp Marathon. It is time to put up or cruise to the finish line. I prefer to race.

Back in the saddle once again

I am running again. I don't know if my knee is right just yet, but I am running. I did 2 miles on Monday to test things out and 3 yesterday to get back in the swing of things. Today, I played basketball and won two games of one-on-one and a game of 21 and had no problem playing above the rim, so I know that P90X is working (plyometrics, baby).

I am wearing a knee brace during every physical activity (except swimming). It is a bit uncomfortable, but keeps my knee from yelling at me so I'll wear it. I am also swimming more than ever before. I can only go 50 meters at a time, but I rack up some reps while the kids are in swim practice. Breath control in swimming is serious business.

P90X has put a few pounds on me, but I think that 190 lbs looks good on me. It funny how I used to think I couldn't get down to 192 and now I have to put on weight to get to 190.

The Summer's good. Life is good. I just celebrated my eleven year anniversary with a beautiful wife and happy, healthy, and awesome children. I couldn't be happier.

One more week to go

I have been "resting" my knee for more than two weeks now. One run in almost a month. The runner's knee scare had me see an orthopedist who had recommended I perform inner quad strengthening exercises since he suspected the reason to be a muscle imbalance pulling my patella off center. I've been doing these straight leg quad contractions 50 reps twice a day for a week now and have been given instruction to test out running again in a week. I have a knee brace to use when I do, but it will feel good to get back out and run again. I gotta train again and revise the plan to fit a new time goal.

MCM Training - Week 2 (5/31 - 6/6)

A hard head makes for soft tissue damage. I ran only once this past week, on Monday for four miles. The previous week left me with an acute pain in my right outer knee so I decided to rest by not running. Instead I began the P90X program.

P90X is not the ideal way to rest, but it did not stress my knee (even the plyometrics) like running did. I did get a good cardio workout doing the PlyometricsX and I am getting some much needed strength training and stretching via Yoga X. I am even doing the dieting, which has caused me to cook some pretty tasty meals that I would have otherwise not done.

I plan on doing some light running in the mornings next week and plan on keeping the P90X thing going. I will restart marathon training in late June or the beginning of July with a different 16 week training plan for MCM. I am going to scale back my marathon goal at MCM to 3:25:00. We'll see...