Race Week Fartleks

Today we met for fartleks on the 7 mile loop. It was another warm, humid morning, but should be the last one for awhile. A huge cold front is coming through tonight and we will have the coldest temps of the season so far. The timing is perfect for good conditions on Sunday for the Decker 20k. We were told to do 1 minute on, 1 minute off fartleks which was perfect.

I grouped up with Anne, Marcy and some other folks and we did a two mile warmup pretty slow. Once we took off it was a little difficult running in the dark. I hit a couple of rough spots, but managed to stay upright. Anne peeled off at the Pfluger bridge and then it was just Marcy and I until the Rock. We got some water and then got swallowed up in Jay's group for the remaining couple of miles. I did 8 strides at Auditorium Shores and headed out. I did some ab work a the gym and then a full stretch.

With tomorrow's pending crappy weather, it will probably be a rest day and I will run on Friday for 7-8 miles and Saturday for just 30 minutes for the pre-race run.

Stats - 6.88 miles/59:56/8:43 pace

Long Recovery Run

Today I got to RunTex at 5:45 for a recovery run. It was a nice morning...except for the warm temps and humidity that are soon on their way out. Emily was the only one who showed up and we ran together clockwise on the trail to the Congress bridge where she headed back to RunTex. I headed on to I-35 and headed back for a quick bowel adjustment and headed back out. I have been really stressed lately and just wanted to run. The extra two miles helped a lot. I wish I could have run more, but had to get to work. I hit the gym, did my leg weights, some abs, and did a light stretch.

Stats - 9.14 miles/1:22:24/9:01 pace

Mile Repeats at Zilker

Today I met the group for mile repeats at Zilker. It was balmy to say the least. These temperature swings are getting old! Anyway, most of the group was back from the various marathons, triathlons, and etc. we have been doing. It was nice to see everyone back. There are a few folks who are running marathons this weekend and next weekend so they are in taper mode. That seems so long ago for me.

As for the workout Gilbert said 3-5 repeats so I decided to run 4. I ran with Anne and Brad and did OK. I was about 15 seconds off my all time best average back in August, but I was consistent and had a great workout. I did the full stretch routine at the gym and was off to work.

Splits - 7:11, 6:58, 6:52, 6:52 - Average 6:58


Stats - 8.02 miles

LSR to Mountain Bonnell

Today we had another down week up to Mt. Bonnell and back. The weather was warm again with temps in the low 60s, but not too humid. We met at 6AM and headed out on the scenic loop. I was running with Brad and in between a couple of packs of folks I didn't really know. I had to stop for a break at the Rock and then thought I was chasing down Brad. It turns out he was waiting for me and I blasted out without him. He caught me near the Hula Hut. We stopped for water on Enfield and headed up into scenic. We stopped again for water at the cleaners and then it was up to Mt. Bonnell. I was going to bail on it, but thought what the hell and ran up it. I felt pretty good, but was definitely feeling all the beer and food I have been devouring over the past week. We headed back down Balcones and headed for home. There was one last water stop at O'Henry and then back onto the trail. We didn't really drop the hammer at the end, but got into the low 8:00s for the last few miles. I definitely felt a lot better during this run than last week. I think my body is finally getting back to normal. I did 6 strides and had to skip stretching to get home to see our guests off.

Stats - 13.47 miles/1:56:50/8:41 pace

800s at AHS

Since I missed yesterday's workout, I joined a few Gazelles for an early Thanksgiving Day workout. We jogged over to AHS, did our drills and headed out for some 800s. I think G said to do 4-8 depending on your race date. I've decided to shoot for OK City which is in late April so I only did 4.

Splits - 3:16, 3:28, 3:19, 3:12 - Average - 3:19

This wasn't my best workout ever, but it felt good to get out there and so some speed work.

Stats - 6.22 Miles

Hilly Run at Home

Today I missed the Gazelles early workout and went and ran by myself at home around 8AM. It was cool outside so I ran with long sleeves and gloves. Our Thanksgiving guests arrived really late so I didn't get to bed until after midnight. I headed north out of Circle C and made a left on Convict Hill where there is a pretty nice climb. Once I hit 4 miles I turned around and had to climb my way back up Escarpment to Slaughter where it levels off. It warmed up quickly so I ditched the gloves about half way. This was a nice little workout to get ready for Decker. I kept the pace pretty solid the whole way and felt really good.

Stats - 8 miles/1:03:34/7:56 pace

Treadmill Run

Last night I stayed in downtown Phoenix so no running outside this AM. I was out with customers and had another rich dinner along with too much wine. I headed to the hotel gym where I had the place to myself for a boring run on the treadmill. My goal was about 5 miles, but once I got warm I decided to run a little further and get a 50 minute run in.

Stats - 5.75 miles/50:00.

Run in Phoenix

I am out here on travel and ran in my folks neighborhood in Phoenix. It was nice and cool in the AM, but the dryness is really hard to get used to. I did an out and back to get rid of the beers I drank yesterday. I have eaten really poorly the last two days and can feel it. I did a nice little tempo run this morning and felt pretty good.

Stats - 5.01 Miles/39:30/7:53 pace

Long Run on New ATT Course

Today we did our long run along pieces of the new ATT marathon course. I was hoping for a new course that I could possible run a BQ at, but this definitely isn't it. I was very disappointed after the run and now need to rethink my plans for the rest of the long season.

As for the run we headed up Lake Austin fromRunTex and up Exposition to Exposition and over Mopac on 35th street. My Garmin died around the 7 mile mark so I was just running with the group. We did some zigging and zagging on the north end of the course and up around 51st street and Red River. We finally headed south and I was pretty much exhausted by then. Some folks took off and I ran with Jan and Brad until we hit the Congress bridge. There was a parade going on so we watched some of it before heading back to RunTex. Overall not one of my best runs, but I got the miles in and enjoyed myself.

Stats - 16.5 Miles/2:33:30/9:18 pace

Easy Run at Home

I am changing up my schedule to spread out my rest days and to help Carla with the traffic she faces on Mopac on Thursday mornings. I am now taking a rest days on Thursday and Sundays and running 5-7 miles easy on Friday. I will see how it works as we build mileage, but I think I will be fine.

Today had to be the coldest morning of the season so far. Our outside thermometer said low 30s so I wore tights, gloves, two layers on top and a snow hat. It may have been overkill, but I wanted to be warm for the short run. I headed out around 6:30AM on my usual 4 mile out and back, but added an additional stretch to get to almost 5.5 miles. It was a nice run...just me and my thoughts. I think I need one of those a week to clear my head. This week was rough at work where we had some layoffs and I gained yet again another new manager. My new assignment will allow me to spend a lot more time in Austin and a lot let BS to deal with on a day to day basis to I am very happy with it.

Stats -

Back with the Gazelles

Today was my official first day back with the Gazelles. We headed over to Zilker to run 2000s around the soccer fields. Anne was back so it was nice to see her. There were only a few faces I recognized. The group sure has changed a lot from last year. The weather was getting colder as a front blew through and very windy. G was gone so Kenny said 3-4 repeats. I didn't want to push it the first time out, so I went with 3. I ran with Anne, Mike, and a few other folks. As usual, the first one was kind of slow and then I picked up the last two. My averages for the 3 were down by 15 seconds from the ones we did in October two weeks before the race. I felt good with no pain or anything so it was a good day.

Repeats - 8:38, 8:17, 8:19 - Average 8:25

Stats -

Wonderful Running Day

Today was one of those days where you really enjoy running. After a day of rest at a confidence boosting Motive on Sunday, I got to RunTex at 6:45 to run with my first coach, and good friend, John Gallagher and his wife Susan. They own a great running store in Salem, OR called Gallagher Fitness Resources. They are in town for a running store owner conference this week. They were a little late which was great so they could meet Gilbert. It was nice to talk to both of the two most influential people in my short running career at the same time. I took off with John and Susan going clockwise and we ran into a few of my peeps along the way. We had a great visit and they peeled off near the second boat docks by the hotel. It was great to see them and hear that things are going great for them in Salem. I continued on with my 7 mile loop and ran into Gilbert at I-35 and Riverside. I decided to turn around and run with him back to the first street bridge. It is very rare to get one on one time with Gilbert...especially while running. He is trying to get over a bad cold and was going slow. We spent the time catching up and reliving Chicago. It was a great few miles. I got to the bridge and headed back to the car thinking this was a great day. I got to run with two of my coaches, one on one, and in the same day...very awesome and inspiring for me. I needed a running boost and got it on Sunday at Motive, yesterday while talking to a really good, Secret friend, and today from John and Gilbert.

I am rejoining the group tomorrow and will be running ATT in February.

Stats - 1:04:49/7.57 miles/8:34 pace

2006 Motive Half Marathon

Today was the annual Motive Half Marathon. This is one of my favorite races here in Austin. I love the distance and the course is very challenging. I wish my body was in better shape so I could have actually raced the race, but I really spent myself in Chicago and my back is still hurting. Driving up to the course I still wasn't sure I was going to do the run. I got there about 6:15 and headed over to the start area. I ran into Alex and Jay and then headed over to the Gazelle tent where we joined all the newbies for a two mile warmup. We headed out and ran the last mile of the course which is a sneaky uphill. My back felt pretty good after we warmed up so I decided to run. I hit the potty on the way back and headed to my car to change and get rid of my warm clothes. It was pretty cold this morning so I went with t-shirt with the sleeves off type shirt and gloves. I hung out near the start and found Brian and Amy. I guess Marcy decided not to run after all.

It seemed like we waited a long time after the national anthem. I guess we went off about 10 minutes late. We were pretty far back so it was weird to have to pass a bunch of folks at the start and our first mile was really slow. Amy left Brian and me after the first mile and we just ran how we felt and enjoyed the race. The run down Jollyville was nice and downhill. We headed into the neighborhood and the downhill leading to the start of the climb. I really focused on my form the whole way which really helped my back.

Mile 1-5 splits - 8:57, 8:25, 8:30, 8:42, 8:41

We headed up the hills which seem to shrink more each year. I remember the first year I ran Motive and that mountain was just this brutal thing. Now that I am a Gazelle, even an injured Gazelle, I was passing people left and right all through the hills. It was an awesome feeling. I love hills! I hate Wilke and Meriden, but I love hills. Anyway we got through that part and at about mile 8 we got back onto the flat and were heading back toward the Motive campus.

Mile 6-10 splits - 8:41, 8:37, 8:39, 8:21, 8:21

I checked my watch at mile 10 and decided I wanted to break 1:50 which meant I had to pick it up a bit. The last section wasn't too bad, but there were a couple of gradual uphill sections which when I run this race hard are a real bear. Today the last two miles were the fastest of the day. I got through mile 11 and decided to kick it in just to see what I had. After Wednesday's disaster run I wanted a little something for my confidence and got it with those miles. I missed 1:50 by 3 seconds, but had a really fun run running with Brian almost the whole way and just enjoying the beautiful morning and race.

Mile 11-13.1 - 8:08, 7:40, 7:22, :53 (6:24 pace for the last .1)

I crossed the line and grabbed some gatorade. I waited for Brian to come in and then I went and changed. I hung out at the Gazelle tent and was able to chat with some of my running buds. Special props to Jay who ran a half marathon PR on a tough course. He has finally gotten rid of his Galloway blood and is having an awesome season.

So for the back update...it was stiff this afternoon, but doesn't hurt nearly as bad as it did on Wednesday after my 7 miles on the trail. I will take it day by day and probably crosstrain or rest even more this week. I don't plan on returning full time to the group until this is cleared up. I may hit a workout here and there, but want to remain flexible.

Stats - 1:50:03/(8:24 pace)
NOTE: I think I ran a negative split, but will have to calculate and update the post)

Easy 30 Minutes

Today was our usual pre-race day easy run. My back was feeling better after a couple of days rest so I joined the group for the easy run on the trail. I was able to sleep in for the late start which was nice after helping host Emma's birthday party. There is nothing like a group of 4th graders for an evening to tire you out. A cool front came through so it was breezy and kind of cold. I was able to visit with Marcy and Brian on the run and we were all planning on running Motive really slow. I got back and did some strides before heading to Caroline's game.

Stats - 3.09 Miles/29:35/9:35 pace

Rest Days

My back was killing me last night and this AM so I got in to see my chiropractor. He did some twisting and popping and my back still feels sore, but the pressure I was feeling in my lower back is gone. He said something shifted forward and was causing weakness in my quads. He did this new thing to me with the assistance of another doctor and it was like the shifted my lower back into the correct position, forward to back. It was awesome. It was instant relief. He said a few rest days wouldn't hurt so I am going to rest until the run on Sunday and if it feels weird may just take on a support role for the race. It will be a race time decision.

My doc said I need to strengthen my lower abs and continue to ice it...that is what I will do. It is amazing how the back can mess up everything below. I definitely need to get rid of this injury before moving forward.

Mid Day Run

We had some issues with our fire alarms last night so we were woke up at 2, 3 and 4 by the damn alarm. After the last false alarm, I changed the alarm from 5 to 6:30 and blew off the fartleks...it's the kind of thing you can do when you are recovering! I headed for my second day of jury duty and ran at lunch time at the lake. I drove to the Rock and changed there. I headed out clockwise on the trail. It was already 84 degrees at noon so I got warm pretty quickly. I wanted to run the 7 miles at 8:00 pace to get a little bit of a harder workout in. I found after a few miles that my heart rate had raced into the 160s and I felt like I was working too hard. I got around to Auditorium shores where I rested a bit and got some water. I waited for my HR to get into the 120s before I took off again. I restarted and got to Stevie Ray Vaughn where I ran into Lisa. She was working with her training group she coaches so we chatted for a bit and I was off again. It was here that I really started to feel bad. My heart got into the high 160s, I couldn't catch my breath and actually had to walk. I really slowed down and walked a couple of time. I don't if it was the lack of sleep, my back, the heat or a combination of all three. I was also pretty stressed about the trial since we found a person guilty and sentenced them to three years in prison. Maybe it wasn't a good day to run, but I really wanted to clear my head.

Anyway, I went ahead and signed up for Motive and hope I feel better on Sunday for an organized training run.

Stats - 7.01 Miles/57:43/8:14 pace
AHR - 155
MHR - 168

Recovery Run

Today I met a few Chicago folks for a 7 mile recovery run at the lake. I took Monday off after running Sunday since my back is still sore. We had a nice run going counter clockwise around the lake. We stopped for water at the Rock and then headed off. The group kind of fast finished on me, but I didn't keep up with them and finished a little bit behind. I am still not feeling right so I didn't push it. I did a couple of strides and headed out since I had to be in court for my first day of jury by 9AM.

Stats - 7.24 Miles/1:04:37/8:55 pace
AHR - 131
MHR - 168

Race for the Cure 2006

Today I ran the slowest 5k of my short running career, but it was the most fun 5k I have ever run. I ran it with my 7 year old daughter Caroline who was a late substitute for my 9 year old daughter Emma. We arrived at the shuttle station just before 7AM and headed toward the lake. The bus dropped us off near the half mile mark on the trail and we walked over to RunTex to pick up Caroline's chip. She insisted on being timed because it was her first 5k and she wanted to have a time for her first race. We hit a pit stop and then got in the timed corral. I was trying to get us in the back of the corral, but a bunch of people showed up late and we were about 3/4 of the way back.

We observed the National Anthem, they sent the wheel chair racers and we were off. I tried to protect her from the idiots that lined up in the back and kamikazi their way to the front. We got across the bridge and over to Congress where we took our first walk break. We headed up Congress and covered the first mile in just over 11 minutes. I was surprised at how fast we covered it. I was thinking 15 minute miles. We ran and walked up Congress and around the Capitol. Caroline grabbed water at a couple of stops and kept going strong. We finally climbed up the hill to Guadalupe and make the nice decent to the finish line. We slowed over the last couple of miles, but at the 2 mile mark I realized we might break 40 minutes. Caroline was hanging in there, but I knew she was tired. She kept saying her hip was hurting, but it was a side stitch. We finally got onto the First Street bridge and she was still hanging tough. We took our last walk break up to the last corner and then I told her we had to finish running. We held hands and crossed the finish together with arms raised in 37:11. She ran her first 5k a little over 7 minutes slower than my first 5k five years ago which is totally awesome.

We got some water and went and got a yogurt smoothie after the race then we walked back to the shuttle station and headed to Trudy's for some breakfast. It was a wonderful morning spent with my little girl. She made me very proud today...as usual!

Stats - 3.1 miles/37:11/11:55 pace

Back to the Long Run

Today I joined the ATT folks for a 13 miler. The weather was perfect with temps near 50 and no wind. I jumped in with Jay and crew and had a really enjoyable run. I was able to talk with Jay, Rich, Rachel, and Jennifer along the way. We ran at a really nice pace up Exposition across 35th, up Jackson, south on Bull Creek and over to Shoal Creek for some water. We then headed back across 38th and back down Exposition. I hung with Rich and Jay until about the Rock on the way back and then they took off. I told Rich I was going for a slow finish and that is exactly what I did. I felt good, but got tired the last 3 miles. My legs didn't have any pain at all, but my back tightened up which is getting really old.

I ran all the way back to RunTex to get to Caroline's soccer game. When I got to the field I was really stiff, but jogged over and loosened up a bit. I did some stretching at the game and at home and felt good. I am going to continue icing my back and hopefully that and another chiropractor appointment this week will help it out. I think I hurt it sitting around for a week. It doesn't hurt when I stand, but the sitting isn't fun.

Tomorrow I am jogging/walking the Race for the Cure with Caroline and probably taking Monday off. I may jump in with the Gazelles for Fartleks on Wednesday in preparation for Motive. After a solid 13 miles today, I am going to run Motive unless something is hurting tomorrow.

Stats - 13 miles/1:55:44/8:54 pace
AHR - 140
MHR - 161
(My heart rate is still a bit elevated on average, but only by about 6-7 BPM so I am still in recovery mode.)

Another 4 at Home

Today was another day of easy running at home. I am enjoying sleeping late and running after I drop the kids off. My damn Garmin turned on when I synced last night and I didn't notice it so when I went to turn it on, it was dead. I put on my Timex and headed out on my 4 mile out and back course. I wanted to go further, but decided to stick with my plan of 16 miles at home plus 10-12 miles on Saturday. The run was nice on a cool, crisp, windy morning. I actually had to wear long sleeves for a change. We are having some great autumn weather for a change. I ran how I felt and didn't worry about the pace. My legs felt great after the run. My back felt good when I woke up, but it is hurting now with a dull pain. I have been icing it and doing some back raises to strenghten it. I think I just need to rest it and avoid ab and back exercises until the pain goes away.

Stats - 4.06 miles/33:23/8:13 pace

Moderate 4 at Home

Today I slept until 6:15 and then headed out for another 4 miler. The weather changed again and it was a bit windy with temps in the low 50s...very nice. We had a fun Halloween last night and I ate too much candy...but chocolate is a rare treat in our house so I took advantage of the many choices!

I had my back worked on yesterday and it felt a lot better this morning. It is still sore and I have to ice it when I get a chance, but the doc thinks it will be fine. My legs felt awesome today with no kinks at all. I was cruising along at between 8:03 and 8:13 miles for the 4 miles. I didn't want to pick it up any more than that. I read an article about reverse tapering to get back into things so that is my plan on getting back. I ran about 30 miles two weeks before the race and will end up with about that same mileage this week. Next week I can jump up to 35-40 and be good to go with a return to the Gazelles on Monday the 13th. One more week of easy running at home will be nice, plus I am stuck with jury duty next week so who knows how that will affect my training.

Tomorrow will be another 4 miler at home, rest Friday, 12-14 on Saturday, and an easy walk/jog Race for the Cure with Caroline on Sunday. Emma chose a slumber birthday party over the race...I think I would have too!

Stats - 4.06 miles/33:13/8:11 pace
AHR - 143
MHR - 160