Tempo Run

This morning I did a 7 mile run with the middle 3.5 miles (roughly) at tempo pace. It was a real informal workout. I did the first mile in 7:30, then maintained that effort for about a half mile. I then increased my pace gradually over the next half mile. I came through the second mile in 6:58. The next two miles were good, and then I hit a big hill on River Road which broke my stride. I ended up running that mile in 6:56. I ran another 1/4 mile or so at tempo pace then slowed when I got to the RR junction and jogged up Maple Ave as my cooldown. It certainly wasn't my best workout of this cycle, but I didn't get much sleep last night and at least I got my legs turning over again. I will get another hard run in this week when I go running with Justin.

Easy Run

This morning I did a real easy 7 miles out around Case Hill Road. My legs were a bit tight, and my left achilles tendon was a tad sore. Everything seemed to come around a couple miles into this. It was a nice easy run to start the week. Tomorrow I am going to do a tempo run.

Shake Out

Well, this morning I did an easy 5+ over Airport Hill. My legs were a little stiff, but not too bad. Definitely thought they would be worse. I had a little bit of pain in my left foot, but I am currently soaking that in epsom salts and confident that it will be back to 100% by Tuesday when I run again. I am so excited to start scaling back! Finally, after months of hard work it is time to start resting up for the big day. I never thought it would get here...I closed my final hard week of training with 71+ miles. The interesting thing is that the 7 day period from Sunday 3/21 through Saturday 3/27 I put in a total of 82 miles. However, my training schedule goes Monday through Sunday which is why I have 71. Regardless, I feel great and I am extremely excited for the next few weeks.

Marathon Simulation Run

Today Mark Chase and I went to Boston and I ran my 5th and final 20+ miler of this cycle with the Miles for Miracles team. It was a very cold start to the run, and there was no way to drop any gear. Therefore, I decided to dress light, in anticipation of the weather warming about an hour into the run. Ultimately, I was happy that I did this, but initially I was quite miserable. My goal was to run 75 minutes for the first 10 miles, 70 minutes for the second 10 miles, and then gut out the 21st mile. Everything seemed to come together quite nicely yesterday. I went through 10 in 73 minutes, the second 10 in 66 minutes and the final mile I snuck in just under 7:00. Total time was 2:29:08 which represented a 7:01 overall pace for the 21 miles. It was a great opportunity to see the first part of the course and become familiar with it. I felt really strong and definitely had more gas in the tank. It was a fitting end to a good trainng cycle. Now, an easy 5 to shake my legs out tomorrow and the taper begins on Monday. Halleluiah!

Easy Run

Justin and I did a nice 6+ miles this morning. The weather was kinda raw and nasty, but it doesn't really matter when you have good company. We ended up running 7:00 pace for the run, but it felt pretty comfortable and we held conversation the whole way. My final 20+ miler tomorrow before backing off the mileage.

Medium Long Run

Today I did a really nice 14 miler. I ran at a comfortable pace and rocked out to tunes the whole time. I had a little ankle pain, but nothing debilitating. It was such a nice morning for a run. This was the last mid-week 14 miler. It will be nice to finally wind down for this race.

Wednesday Double

I did an easy 6.5 this morning out to Lowe's and back to the base of Bible Hill. My legs felt pretty good, but I am suffering from some pretty significant chaffing on my inner thighs. Kinda felt like someone lit my leg hair on fire! I am going to do another easy 6 tonight, probably on the superhighway. Tomorrow I am going to get my ass kicked by Justin Montgomery again, this time for 14 miles.

Part deux of the double took me out the superhighway into Kellyville. Another easy 6 miler. Legs still feel pretty good. I rocked a new pair of shoes this afternoon. I forgot how comfy new sneaks are. I had way too many miles on the old pair. These will take me right through the marathon and into the first part of my summer training program. Tomorrow morning will be interesting...

The Final Push

Well, it is the final week of hard training. I was starting to wonder if this week would ever get here. I am so thrilled to be less than a month away from this race and to have the taper so close. Today's workout was a bit odd. I wanted to run about 10 miles and I wanted to get a few harder miles in. I decided on doing a 10 mile run at marathon pace in North Walpole along Cold River Road. The weather was cold and raw, with a constant steady blowing rain the entire time. My first two miles were 7:00 on the button. After that, things got a bit dicey. I ended up running the last 8 miles in 6:34 pace, which put me at 1:06:41 for the 10 miles. I did a nice leisurely 2 mile cool-down jog at the end. I was super excited with this. One of my earlier goals in this training cycle was to do a 10 mile tempo run by the end. Well, here it is.

Sunday Long Run

The plan for today was to do an easy 16 miles. I had a ridiculously busy night at work last night and I didn't get to bed until late. I set the alarm clock for 6:00, and when it started beeping I knew I was in trouble. I had an upset stomach and I could barely peel my eyelids open. Joel met me an hour later, but I was so slow moving that it took me until 7:30 before I was "ready" to start running. I never really felt better all morning, just varying degrees of bad. I ran super easy for the duration of the route, but I really started to suffer during my trip over Jarvis Hill. My legs were junk from the race, my stomach was upset and I was exhausted. I plodded my way back home, ate a little food and went right back to sleep for a few hours. Time to rest up before my final week of hard training before the taper!

Shamrock Shuffle

Today I did the Shamrock Shuffle 5K in Lebanon and it was an absolutely beautiful day for a run. I did a nice easy 3 mile warm-up and thought I had it timed just right so that I wouldn't be standing around for too long after. Well, the race was unexpectedly huge and they delayed the start about 10 minutes. My goal was to run about 5:45 pace.

At the gun I settled into a nice early rhythym somewhere in the top 15. By the mile mark I had moved into the the top 10, and came through in 5:43. The second mile goes through a neighborhood then cuts onto Pumping Station Road where the course ultimately turns around before heading back to the Lebanon Green. There is one small hill during the second mile and I went through in 5:53 (11:36 total). I knew my pace had slowed a little, but I was still close to my goal and I was hoping that I would be able to make up the time in the last 1/2 mile which is gradually downhill. The first half of the third mile though has a couple hills, the last one being a bit more significant. By this point I was holding steadily in 7th place. When I got to the top of the final hill I was running alone and dealing with a pretty significant headwind. I did what I could, but it wasn't enough. I ended up running the last mile in about 6:00, and finished in 18:19.

All told, I am happy with how this worked out. I haven't really done anything to prepare for a 5K in terms of short, fast speedwork. I am pretty confident that I can tune this up into a 17:30 by the end of summer. A nice easy 3.5 mile cooldown after gave me 9.6 on the day.

Easy Run

Today I did an easy 6 miles at just over 7:30 pace to shake my legs out before tomorrow's race. I am pretty pumped for this 5K. Ideally, I would like to get in about 9 miles tomorrow on the day. If that happens I will be happy. As for the race, I would like to hold about a 5:45 pace or better which would represent a 17:49. I am pumped. Hopefully a good night sleep and a hearty breakfast will do a runner good!

Hard 9

I ran this morning with Justin Montgomery, and he is super fast. We did a 9 mile loop that went out Sugar River Drive and came back on the rail trail. I was guessing that we would run something like 7:00 pace. Nope. We ran an overall pace of 6:44. Started at 7:17 for the first mile and then went below 7:00 for the rest of the splits. We held conversation most of the way. I am sure Justin could have talked the whole time. We did the last mile in 6:20 and I was pretty much at lactate threshold. A good workout for me, and easy 9 for him.

Easy Double

Today I ran twice. Finally got a couple workouts in during the same day. I forgot how much I love double sessions. This morning my plan was to run an easy 10 after yesterdays 10 mile progression run. However, because of time constraints and the desire to help Sara with the kids, I elected to cut some mileage and run again later in the afternoon. I put in a super easy 6.3 this morning, and then a steady 4.25 this afternoon. I am planning on running with Justin Montgomery tomorrow morning...that should be interesting. I wore my orthotics this morning and I already developed a blister on my left arch. God bless running...if it isn't one thing, it's something else!

Its a Beautiful Day

I took the children to North Walpole today and they hung out with the Tetu clan. Hilary very graciously offered to watch them so I could go running. I did the same run today that Brad did about 10 days ago. Out to the Cold River and along the dirt road to the Alstead Town Line. It is a 10 mile O/B. Amazing run. I ran just under 7:30 pace to the turn around and then downshifted into marathon pace plus. My sixth mile was 7:01 (MP), then I hit 6:46, 6:27, 6:45, and 6:49. The last two miles would have been a lot faster but I was running directly into a headwind that was blowing at least 20 MPH. Hard to get going when you are being pushed backwards like that. It was definitely better than a 6:30 effort though. I will take it. A wonderful start to my week.

Catching Back Up

My dilligence to this blog has been lackluster at best. The last few weeks of training have been ho hum. I have been dealing with a number of nagging injuries, none of which have sidelined me, but all of which have really put a damper on my mood. I have done my best to keep the intensity and volume as high as I can without crossing that dreaded line and becoming totally injured and unable to run.

I was excited about my workout went on Wednesday after I got out of work I missed my workout on Thursday for two reasons, I was running daddy daycare all day and I was just plain lazy. I could have taken the boys downstairs and run on the mill but I wasn't into it. Friday my motivation returned when I finally got a few seconds to breathe with my mother coming to watch both boys. I got in an awesom 14 miles which I was very pleased with. Saturday brought a really easy 6 mile recovery run with Brad and Sunday was my 4th 20+ miler of this training cycle. That run went very well pace-wise. The weather was terrible with high winds, rain and sleet throughout the duration of the run. My hamstrings and calves were very tight, but nothing debilitating. I was surprised at how quickly I bounced back after that one. Truth-be-told, I was ready to run again on Monday but I took the day completely off to help things heal.

Looking ahead, I have a bit of a step-back week. I am probably going to do 10 on Tuesday, 10 on Wednesday, 8 on Thursday, 6 on Friday, 7 on Saturday and 14 on Sunday giving me a total of 55 miles for the week. I will probably sneak some hard running in on Wednesday and I am doing a 5K race on Saturday morning.

Pace Run

Today I ran 10 miles on the treadmill when I got out of work. The first mile was relatively easy and I used it to gradually get up to my marathon pace. After I hit mile 1, I ran the next 5 miles at 7:03 pace. I then increased each mile after that as follows: 6:58, 6:53, 6:49, 6:40. It was a great pace workout and I felt awesome. I had some minor issues with the treadmill, but it was related to my arm swing. I am so happy that I got this done. I am probably going to have to run on the mill again tomorrow night after work. I may be able to see the outdoors on Friday when I do my 14 miler.

Easy Run

Today I did 6 miles on the treadmill. I was watching both kids at the time and I was super crunched for time. I ended up barely squeezing the run in while they sat there and watched cartoons on PBS. Luckily, the baby was so mezmorized by the treadmill that he didn't fuss the entire time. It was a decent start to the week, but I wish I had more time to get in a few more miles.

Sunday Long Run

Today I did 20.4 miles at an overall pace of 7:18 mpm. I was very pleased with how this run developed. I ran down Maple Ave to River Road up to Stage Road and then south on Route 12 to Brad and Hillary's house in North Walpole. Once I got onto Rt. 12 I kept most of my splits under a 7:10 pace. I felt really strong the entire way and I had a lot more to give at the end. This was one of my best runs I have had during this training cycle. I didn't think that I would like running on such a busy road, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found a really nice rhythm around 8 miles and held strong to the very end. As the day progressed my legs got a bit sore, but altogether, not too bad. A very good day to cap off a good week.

Easy Run

This morning I did a real easy 5 miler to shake my legs out and loosen up before tomorrow's 21 miler. I felt real good considering that yesterday's 14 miler drained me. Rest, recover and reload before tomorrow morning. I am thinking about doing a flat-out mile around the track at the end of the 21 miles to see what I have left in the tank. More to report on that later...

Medium Long Run

This morning I did 14 lovely miles through West Claremont at just under 8:00 pc. This is one of my favorite routes for a medium-long run. The only problem is that the end of it is incredibly challenging. I end up going up Old Church Road and then up Buena Vista/Clifton and through the neighborhood until I get back home. It is completely uphill the last mile and with 13 miles before it can be a tad daunting. My only problem today was that I was super dehydrated. All I drank yesterday was coffee and I hadn't touched water in about 16 hours before I set out on this run. I was perfect for 11 miles, but after the Old Church Road hill I started to have a tough go of it. I was dreaming of ice cold gatorade the whole way back. My legs got super stiff, I got cramps and I was just plain miserable. That, coupled with the uphill last mile made this a not so fun end to the run. Oh well, it's done. Tomorrow I will do a quick shake-out run then a 21 miler on Sunday.

Easy Run

Today I did a real easy 6 miles to loosen my legs up for tomorrow's medium long run. I didn't have much soreness after Tuesday's tempo run, but it has all set in today. I woke up this morning and had some pretty heavy legs. The run kinda broke things up and I feel better now that it is over.

Easy 10

Today I did a nice 10 mile loop at a comfortable pace (7:27 mpm). Overall, a great run and I am very happy with it. I had physical therapy after and I am starting to feel a lot better. The shin finally feels like it is starting to heel. 45 more days until this race. An easy 6 tomorrow and then 14 on Friday, most of which will be done at marathon pace.

Unplanned Tempo Run

Ths afternoon I did 8.6 miles, the first 5 of which was at 6:25 pace. It was an unplanned tempo run, and I felt amazing during the hard running. I went out Washington Street, up dump hill then cut onto the rail trail at RPM motors. I ran relatively easy on the way back. Overall pace for the 8.6 miles was 7:00 mpm. I am going to do a nice easy 10 tomorrow.

Wrap up

Well, it was a lousy week of training. After my appointment at physical therapy on Wednesday, I decided to take a few more days off to let my body heal. Friday was supposed to be my return to running, then a long run on Saturday and a double on Sunday. Didn't happen. I didn't get out Friday for a number of reasons, Saturday's 20 miler got scrapped and I did 11 with Brandon, Brad and Joel through W. Unity. Sunday's double got thown out the window when I missed Friday. Ok, so here we are. I had a really awful week of mileage, but my body has had some time to heal. I have one month left until I start my taper for this race. It looks like I am going to alter my training plan slightly and do long tempo runs on Wednesday, 14 milers on Fridays with eight or ten miles of that at marathon pace and 21 milers on Sunday. Overall, the mileage will still be somewhere in the low to mid 60 mpw range, and I am still shooting for a marathon around 3:05 or so.