W10d2

Rested Monday. I was sooo sore from a double header softball game Sunday evening. I never thought softball was a tough sport, but all of that sprinting around bases reallyade me sore. I now have a huge atrawberr on my knee from a slide into second also.
Today was a track workout, did the regular 3 mile warm up the to the track for 4, 1 mile repeats with 400m recovery. My times 535, 545, 553, 550. Certainly improving.

w9,d7. Test #1

So I thought it would be a good idea to have a little pop quiz for myself to see where I am as far as my training and the sustainability of a 700-705 pace. I decided to do a 15 mile MGP run to see what is would feel like and observe how I felt at mile 15 to estimate if I had another 11 in me. Truth be told, the only way to really find out is to actually run the last 11, but no need for that now.
During the 15 miles the fastest mile was 655 and the slowest was 721. Total distance 15.5, avg pace 7:03, and I felt pretty good at the end. During this run I took 1 Gel and had one water stop at mile 6.
Their are a couple qualifying facts about this run though. The conditions were perfect. 63 deg, overcast, and the route was relatively flat. But it was a test and the conditions are supposed to be ideal for a test.
Grade B+.
I hit the paces I wanted to for the most part but had some instances of pushing it at times and had to reel myself back in to a sustainable pace.
Miles for the week 50.

W9d6

Easy 10.
This was a very touristy 10 miles. The route included Fenway, commonwealth ave, public garden, Boston common, and of course the Charles river. Avg pace was 730 and I was between 710 and 655 the last 5 without any discomfort.
When I run I am usually in two different places,720-730 pace or pushing it around 645 pace. So today,I decided to try to stay in a MGP range(700-710) for the last 5 miles.
The result of today's run and this week of training is that my goal of running a BQ in October is simply too broad and very attainable especially since I am going to be training consistently and getting much faster while running with GBTC. I would simply be selling myself short if I trained this much and as hard as we plan to in the fall and not go for it in October.
So, my new goal is to run under 3hrs in October.

W9d6

I rested on Friday and skipped today's morning LR. I may go for 10
this evening.
With the day free we decided to get a Zip car and drive out to the
blue hills reservation. Of course we brought the weenies with us. They
and we had a blast. I sooo wanted to run while there, but I still
enjoyed the leisure hiking.

w9d4

Today was a planned 10 miler. I have a pretty good out and back route I like for the 10 mile runs. It is 4 to a park where the cross country course will be and then I kind of roam around the park for a mile or so.
View route: http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/ma/boston/517124602663325612

Distance 10 Pace 735.

Part II

The evidence....

These pics are for you Damon.... Enjoy. I took the camera especially for you as the iphone pics I have kinda suck.
I have some others i'll post in another page.

w9d3

easy five. well not that easy but it was five for sure. had some nice hills and a good pace for the last 2 miles.

And of course, after playing in the rain and mud a bath is in order.

W9,d2

Oh the agony of a track workout. The kind of pain that puts you to the point of near death and just let's you hang out there to see what it feels like, then it asks you if you want some more. Of course, I say yes, I would like some more.
Today was 3 miles up 3 miles down. In between was 3 sets 300 m, 1600m. This is the kind of workout that gets one fast and speed on top of endurance can be lots of fun come race time. I am still not with the pack nut I am noticing my mile splits a bit faster this week first mile was 536(too fast) and the second and third were 555 558.

Total miles this work out. We'ill call it a 10 mile day.

Sweet little Devil!

Cooper has to be the sweetest dog on earth. He loves to smuggle and is
always down for a nap on the couch. That is unless he has a ball that
he thinks I should be throwing for him. I don't think he knows it is
raining outside! He hates inclimate weather, unless he is chasing a
ball in the inclimate weather. How can you say no to that face! Well,
I'm off to the park to throw the ball in the rain.

W9d1

Unplanned. Some days it is harder than others to get in the run, or you may skip the run or not get in all of the expected miles. This is usually a let down for me when this happens. Today however this is not the case. I felt good all day but just de used to not run. I am feeling quite good about where I am with my training and taking off today can only help in the long term. That said, one day off is great but 2 days off in a row would be a disaster. The strategy is to allow this unplanned day of rest to rebound into a monster week 9. We'll see.

w8d7

Finished the week with an easy 11 with a couple of the GBTC'ers. I was a little concerned about this mornings run as I finished my LF at 7pm last night and began the recovery run at 9am. I was clearly not completely revocered when I began the run. But after a few miles I began to feel better, but by mile 10 I was finished. Not sure if I am going to go for a 70 is next week or go for a high quality fast 50-60 mile week. TBD.

MPW 77

W8d6

I almost missed this LR. Had I been in Texas I would have had to wait till Sunday morning. I slept in and their was no way I was going at 10 when I was finally ready to get going. However since the high today was 70 and it was over cast I had no problem going at 4. So I packedy 2 gels 4 thermolytes and I was off. This run we t great considering it was a solo.
Total miles 21 pace 735. DONE....

W8d5

...and on the 5th day he rested.

w8,d4

Today's plan was to get in 14-15 miles. I started out planning to do a five mile loop that ended at Jamaica Pond, where their is a water fountain. This ended up being about 5.5 but no biggie. Then continued on to start the final 10 that was to include hills and some more easy comfortable running. I managed to get in the next five with relative ease and ended at the same water fountain. I finished the run just kind of wandering around to get in the extra miles with the plan of adding the Parker Hill ave hill as part of the last mile. This hill just kicks my ass every time I run it with out fail. It is just a beast but it will only make me better so I have to take advantage of it.

Total miles 14.8 avg pace 750.

W8d3

Today was a clear and kind of warm day in Boston. Temp was 70, 65 in the shade. . But great for a lunch time run.the plan was to do 10 an just run based on feel. I wore the Garmin but didn't spend much time liking at it since I had a pretty good idea about the distances. Need with an avg pace of 721. Miles 6 and 7 were 645 and 630. I started mile10 at the bottom of franklin hill ave which is a delightful .45 mile climb that had me weezing like an obese chain smoker when I got to the top but it is a great hill. That was the hilight of the run for sure.

w8d2

3 mile warm up. Today's options were track workout or an 8 mile run. I opted for the latter. I kind or wanted to do the track but I'm not there yet. So we did 8 which started at 720 and progressed to 715 and ended with a 645. Felt pretty good.
Today's miles = 11.1

w8d1

Day the beginning again. I am planning to stay in the 70-75 neighbor hood for 2-3 weeks before making another increase. Today I was hoping for 10 but between my 1.5 to meet the group for 6 that was supposed to be 7 and the 1.5 back home I only ended up with 9. a rather brisk 9 at that. It seems their is always a closer in every group. Somehow that comfortable 715-720 pace ended up 645 for a mile before a couple of us peeled off and let them have that pace.
Tomorrow is another track workout. More of that suffering the coach was refering to.

405

Just got the once dead 405 back from Garmin and we are back in action. I was on month 11 of the 12 month waranty when she passed.

w7d7

Finished the week with a trail run at the Blue Hills Reservation with GBTC. Of the Hundreds of miles of trails there we covered 13.2 of them and was I glad to see the finish of this run. I was toast as we hit a final climb at mile 12.5. The legs are certainly getting the work needed for a good base.
Final avg pace was about 755.
MPW 76.1

W7d6

Ran 2.8 mles to the marathon sports store. Did 10.5 with the group, avg pace 7.20. Added another 5.5 on the way home.
Total miles. 19.5

W7,d5

Ran 2 miles to yoga class. Did yoga for an hour, kicked my ass. Ran 2 miles very easy back home.

W7d3

10.2 miles, 1 hr 12 min 15 sec....I love this weather. I guess it is a compromise for the miserable winters.

W7d3

6.8 miles nice and easy. I was pretty tired still from yesterday.I should have run in the morning because I felt fine in the morning but as the day web on the legs felt drained. I am hoping a good yoga session will help.

BFF's

W7, d2

First date with GBTC. Met at a track in Cambridge. A rep from puma was there showing off some shoes so we didn't get the 7 pm sharp start. I expected. We began with 3.5 miles warmup. Then to the track for 3*1 mile with 1 lap recovery job between. We were split into two groups "fast group" and "slow group". I was in the latter as expected and the slowest person in the slow group. My splits were 541,600 and 558. It hurt. As the coach told me at the beginni g of the workout, " if you are going to workout with these guys youbare going to have to endure some pain for a while. I was cool with being at the back of the pack because I finished the workout. Their were 2 guys that pulled out in the middle of the second mile then jumped back in for the last one.
So the slow group ran 530-550 for their 1 mile splits. The fast group ran 430-500. Give it a month and I expect to be in the middle of the slow group.
Total miles- 7.5

W7,d1

Started the day with a 4.4 mile run, pace 705.
Met the marahon sports group for a rum at 630. Ran 2 there, did 7 with the group with a crazy 3 mile close that made me hurt real bad, avg pace for the 6.8 7.13. The 6.8 included the newton hills again. I guess it is good practice. And ran 1.5 back home.
Miles today 14.9

W6,d7

Ran for an hour. Miles for the week 40.5. That ain't going to cut it.

No turning back

I am officially registered for my Fall marathon. Bay State Marathon. No turning back now. If you heard the bay state marathon sucks or it has bad conditions please DON'T tell me about it. I just looked at the 2008 results for my age groupn20-29. Of the 10 males the slowest was 258.

Saw this place after dinner this evening. Not sure if i'll try the BBQ
but I thought their window was cool.

w6,d6

Ran 2.1 miles to the marathon sports store in Brookline for an 830 start. Kind of late to start but I guess we don't have heat to worry about yet. I still would have preferred to begin earlier especially since it was light and good vosibility by 5 am. I woke up at 430 and I could tell the sun was coming up. Anyway people began rolling in at 830 840 and I found out their was one person going 16 and he said his pace was 9 - 845. So I decided to tn with the guys going 10 since they looked like they would run a decent pace. We began at a fair pace seemed like 715ish but after about 2 miles we reached the the first hill and things got Interesting. The pace clearly picked up and didn't slow down after we topped the first hill. It was obvious they were only running 10 but I figured I would just go with the flow. By this point our group of 6 was a group of 4 and one guy was asking how long we planned to hold the pace. I wasn't sure and the guy responsible for the pace just kind of laughed. So we made it what I guess was half way and made 2 rights and began heading back. I wasn't sure of the route so I was kind of forced into the pace. On the way back we ran up the heartbreak hills which is where myself and the guy who asked about the pace let the other two go. We ended up finishing the 10.3 mles in 1hr14 min, no stops no water. At the end of the run I found out the pacer used to run with the german national team so I didn't feel so bad. He did look tired when we found them at the end of the run. They finished 1.5 min ahead of us. Made my 2.1 mile run home and called it a day.

Total distance- 14.5 miles. Time 1hr46min.

W6,d5

No run again today. well, I took the pupa for a 2 miler this morning
but that doesn't count. We arrived at our apt this morning and
unpacked all day.
I'm planning to meet a running group from the marathon sports running
store for 20 in the morning.

w6,d4

Finally arrived inMA. We are staying an hour outside of Boston in Auburn and driving in in the morilnng to unpack. Auburn, I was uncertan about this town. As a person who eu a and travels I base the greatness of a town on it's runner friendlyness, which is why I was not enjoying running in burleson. I was actually dreading the run. Every day. The last two days really sucked due to their lack of running. Today however was a gift. I think Auburn was designed by the running gods. The side walks are made of asphalt, need I saw more. When we pulled into the town I thought I noticed that the section of side walk n front of our hotel was asphalt but I thought that was just a section. But to my amazement the asphalt ran for miles. The town had good hills and the temp was 58 deg. I may get up early just to get in another run in this place before we leave. Total run 53 minutes, could have gone much more . Dist unsure. Still mucousy hopefully this goes away soon.

W6,d3

Day 2 and the weenies are still chillin!
Drove 12 hrs to PA. Rained all day. Arrived raining and the temp as
65. No way I'm running today.

W6,d2

Koda enjoys the new smells that come thru the ac vent as we travel. We drove 11 hrs to Dickson TN today. Driving that long is quite exhausting. I ran 3 miles on the treadmill. Tomorrow we lea e early for Jessica's gram's house in Indiana PA.

w6,d1

Ahh a new week is among us. This morning I woke up with the feeeling that I had a golf ball in the back of my throat. Thankfully it wasn't a golf ball, but unfortunately it was a huge ball of mucous. Then I noticed the sore throat, and here we have our first hurdle of the marathon training and the main reason I don't like children. I don't mind small babies, they are cute and can't walk or talk, but kids over 1.5 and under 14 I can do without. So, I've been staying at my mother in law's house for the past week and a half and 4 days ago she baby sat someone's 3 yr old kid who brought over his bacteria infested body to the house and shared it with everyone else. :/( Hopefully this little illness doesn't progress into much.
So I didn't run this morning and let the day go on to see how I felt. Things got a bit better after some drugs. Then I decided to go for an evening run. I ran 5.2 miles then 2.2 miles at a tempo pace.
distance 7.4, pace not sure I think the 405 has some problems hopefully not serious. I am going to contact GARMIN to see if they have some advice.

Tomorrow we leave Texas for our 3 day trip to Boston. First stop Dickson,TN.