2006 Recap - Happy New Year!

2006 was another really good running year for me. I didn't have any major injuries which was great. I did have some minor injuries that I had to deal with, but they didn't really cut into my mileage. I continue to train with Gilbert's Gazelles and G continues to challenge me and make the workouts interesting. I also trained with some really great folks who have have become good friends to add to my already awesome list of people I have met through running.

2006 Highlights

• I PR'd both of my marathons this year, Freescale and Chicago with 3:24:59 now my marathon PR. That time is 9:28 faster than I was sitting at this time last year.
• I had PRs in the mile, 12k, 10 miles, half marathon, 20 miles, and marathon
• I ran 1950.12 miles this year, up over 110 miles from last year. I averaged 162.51 miles a month and 37.5 miles a week.
• I ran in 15 races and won the Clydesdale division at the River City 10 Miler and the Bun Run 5k
• Average finish in the races I really raced (not just ran to run) was 12%; up 2% from last year.
• I did a search at www.marathonguide.com and was the fastest marathoner with the last name Varela in 2006

2007 Goals

• Stay healthy
• Run over 2000 miles
• Run two marathons and continue to try and reach 3:20
• Continue to enjoy running...don't focus too much on the BQ time
  
• Be more flexible with my workouts; get more balance with family and work
• Crack 20:00 in the 5k
• Continue to introduce my daughters to the joys of running
• Lift weights more and work on my core strength

I want to wish everyone a happy, safe, and prosperous new year. May your hopes and dreams for 2007 come true!!

Last Run of the Year

I snuck in a last minute run on New Year's Eve so I could cross 1950 miles for the year. I also figure if I do get festive tonight and blow off tomorrow's workout, I got my miles in. It was a cool, clear morning and I headed out around 8:30 from the house. I did 3.1 miles out and back and ended up running at a nice pace. I had two layers on top and got warm about half way through the run. I took off my top layer and continued my run. On the return trip I got cold and threw my top back on. It was a nice little run and it really loosened up my legs which were really stiff from yesterday's long run.

Stats - 6.2 Miles/50:34/8:09 Pace

Short Run to Mt. Bonnell

Today we met for a short run up to Mt. Bonnell. We headed out as one big mob and then broke out a bit once we got to the top of Mt. Bonnell. My legs weren't feeling so hot so I was lagging behind at the beggining. I had to stop for a hydration adjustment near the Hula Hut and then felt better as we headed to the scenic section. We skipped the water stop at the cleaners and headed up toward Mt. Bonnell. There was a river crossing the road so we had to tip toe through there. Jay was the first through there and took off. He was the first to the top. I felt pretty good through the mountain part and finished strong. We got water and powerade at the top and I ate my second CarbBoom. We headed down the back side in a different direction that Thon showed us. It was a little longer, less steep, and definitely less traffic. We made our way down Exposition to the last water stop at O'Henry and then the group really broke up. Jay went for the fast finish and some folks followed. We really strung out a lot. Brian and I stayed together until we got back. We were both just wanting to get the miles in after a great run last week. I did some strides when we got back and then headed back to the car. I decided to stretch at home since there wasn't a whole lot of dry space at RunTex to stretch.

Stats - 13.71 Miles/2:00:00/8:45
(My Garmin never synced with the satellite this AM so I got my mileage from Jay and running time from my watch)

Easy 7 at the Lake

Today was our last recovery run of the year. I met Jay and Rachel at the Rock. Brian went to RunTex so he met up with us on the north side of the trail as we headed east. We got into a really good discussion that can't be repeated in this forum, but it was very interesting and enjoyable. The miles flew by with the great company and discussion. I know I have said it before, but it is days like these that are more memorable than the races we train for. As we train for our various marathons, half marathons, and etc., it is the road to the races that are special. You have a support group and no matter what happens after the race, you have a deeper respect and sometimes a nice new relationship with those folks. You never look at them the same. It is very cool and a very special part of my life...thanks guys and gals!

Stats - 7.02 Miles/1:03:53/9:06

1200s at AHS

Today we met for another track workout. I thought we were doing mile repeats at Zilker so I was a little disappointed in another track workout. The turn really mess with my back. We did a casual jog over to the track and did our drills. None of my normal group was there so I joined Jay's group for the repeats. G said to do 6 and that was my plan. I got through 3 of them and got pulled aside by G and Petr to look at my back. Petr showed me the weakness in my core that is causing my back to collapse. He did some tweaks and loosened my back. I was able to knock 12 seconds off my next repeat and then 25 seconds off of my last one. He told me to start my ab strengthening from scratch so that it doesn't aggravate my back. I need to get in to see him after the first of the year to get it fixed for good.

Repeats - 5:27.42, 5:17.06, 5:19.5, 5:07.08, 4:54.01 - Average 5:12.9

Stats - 8.71 Miles

Easy 7 with Jay

Today I took advantage of being off work for the week and met Jay at the Rock for an easy 7 miles. We were able to wait until 7 to start which meant more sleep and being able to run in the sunlight. It was a beautiful, clear, crisp morning and the trail was pretty barren for a Tuesday morning. We went clockwise on the trail and were able to do a lot of catching up. Jay was the first running buddy I met in Austin and we have been good friends ever since. We rarely get to run one on one so this was a cool day. We chatted the entire way and really enjoyed ourselves. These types of runs are few and far between so it was really nice. I had to head off to hit the outlet malls for some post Christmas shopping...why I don't know.

Stats - 7.02 miles/1:03:37/9:03 pace

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! I was able to get out of the house for a quick 5 miles after opening presents and before making breakfast. I always like running on Christmas day. The day was beautiful and I really enjoyed being out there. There weren't too many walkers or runners this morning, but I was able to wish a few folks Merry Christmas along the way.

Christmas at our house went well this year. We put a limit on things and everyone seemed very happy with their surprises. Santa was good to the girls but didn't spoil them. We spent the afternoon at my cousin Andy's house where we enjoyed "Tur-duk-en." It is a cajun dish that takes the breast and legs of a turky wrapped around dirty rice, duck, and chick breast. It looked messy, but it tasted pretty good. We had a good time and it was nice to be with family today.

Stats - 5.02 miles/41:05/8:11 pace

20 Miles on the New Course

Today we met at AHS to run the last portion of the new ATT marathon course. This was the third time I have run portions of the course and today I really enjoyed it. We started out with Marcy, Brian, Jan, and Brad. We picked up some other folks and dropped them along the way. There was water placed about every 4 miles with a couple of deviations, but overall great support by Kenny Hill. The mid portion of the course is mostly uphill, but once you get to the midway point, you start to get some nice downhills. It will be interesting to see how the first 8-9 miles add on the hills before we get to the point we jumped in today.

Marcy, Brian, and me stuck together all the way to the end and ended up running the last couple of miles pretty quick with an 8:05 and a 7:36 for the last two miles. I stuck around for the stretching session and then headed home.

Stats - 20 miles/2:56:09/8:48 pace

Lonesome 7

Today I went down to the lake for an easy 7 and was the only one there. No one committed, but I thought someone might show up. I guess the holidays are pulling folks away. The weather changed again and now it is cold again. I didn't feel like getting out of bed, but since I slept in on Tuesday I had to get out there. I did the loop counterclockwise and it was kind of peaceful running by myself. I didn't hit any traffic until the Pfluger bridge and ran into Margaret at the Rock when I stopped for water. I finished up and headed to the gym where I did my leg exercises, abs, and stretched.

Stats - //

1000s at AHS

Today we met for 1000s at AHS. I took yesterday off to fend off my cedar fever and a bad cold. I slept in which really helped. I feel a lot better today. The weather is still very warm and humid. I jogged over with the group and we met Marcy along the way. We did our drills and then G said he wanted 5-8 repeats. I ran with Cindy and Bonnie again. They run almost perfect splits every repeat. I did 5 repeats with them and was going to call it a day, but decided to run one last one with Jay. We did 3 200s after that and it seemed to loosen up my hip a lot.

Splits - 4:14.0, 4:09.0, 4:07.5, 4:11.0, 4:14.0, 4:18.2 - Average 4:12

These times were a bit slower than my times in September...about a month before Chicago by about 6 seconds average. I did 8 back then with a fast time of 3:48.

I hit the gym on the way to work and did some abs and the full stretch routine.

Stats - 9.2 miles

2/8 Pace Run on the Trail

Today was a scheduled pace run. I met Marcy at 5:30 so I could get back for a 7AM conference call. We thought the plan was to do a 2/8 so we started out on the dam loop headed east for a two mile warmup and then the 8 mile pace run. The folks that started later only had to do a 3/5 run, but oh well. We covered the two miles in 19:48/9:54 pace which was good. I am still feeling the effects of too much food and beverages this weekend so I didn't know what to expect when we took off for the pace part. I've gained a few lbs and felt like I was carrying a kid in front of me. We took off and just ran how we felt. I promised Marcy I would stick with her and that wasn't a problem at all. I was having some issues keeping up with her. The first few miles were in the low 8:00 range and we dropped into the high 7:00 range after the mid way point. We stopped at the Rock for some water and Marcy decided to do the rest as a cool down. I was thinking the same thing, but looked at my watch and had 17 minutes to get back to my car and on the phone. I took off and did the last two miles in the 7:40 range. The run was definitely off my summer times, but I am not anywhere near the shape I was in now.

I did some light stretching during my call and that was it. I felt a lot better after the run and my legs felt good except for the nagging hip thing, but that seems to be going away.

Stats - 10.19 miles
8 Mile pace run - 1:04:19/8:02 pace

Easy 4 Miles

Sundays are usually a day off for me, but since I took my day off on Saturday, I thought I would go out for a few miles. The annual Circle C Christmas party was a rough one for me Friday night and I was in major pain all day yesterday. We rode the Austin Steam Train out of Cedar Park to Burnet yesterday afternoon and it was a really nice experience. I would highly recommend it. Just avoid eating at the Highlander when you get to Burnet. The food was OK, but the service really sucked.

I wanted to get out and get a sweat going today in preparation for tomorrow's pace run. I slept in and headed out around 9AM. I did my usual out and back and felt better on the back half of the run.

Stats - 4.04 miles/34:38/8:35 pace

LSR in the Fog

This week I ran my long run a day early and was lucky enough to have Marcy and Jay join me. The weather was really weird this AM. The temps were in the 50s, but it was really humid and foggy out there. We took off at 5:45 from RunTex and headed east on the trail. Marcy had already run from RunTex Lake Austin so she was 2+ miles into the run when she joined us. The east side of I-35 was really dark due to the fog and you couldn't see any of the downtown buildings. We stopped for water at the Holly Power Plant and headed on. Once we got to the other side of I-35 the sun started rising so we could see a bit better. We got passed by the bomb run folks who blew by us. We got water at the Rock and then headed up the trail that runs parallel to MoPac up to Exposition. From there we headed across to Lake Austin Blvd and down to Veterans where Marcy finished. Jay and I got water at the Rock and then headed back to Auditorium Shores. We did 6 strides and called it a day. I headed to the gym, did a light stretch, and then off to the office. It is nice to get the weekly LSR over with early for possibly a couple of days off. I am feeling a little beat up, but it is probably just due to running hard yesterday and then longer today.

Stats - 14.21 Miles/2:06:45/8:55 pace

Running Again

After two days off I was able to get out this morning for a moderate type run. I planned to skip the recovery run on Tuesday due to a very early meeting, but due to that meeting and the following dinner I didn't get home until after 10PM and was exhausted. I slept in so I could be alert for another all day meeting yesterday. Today I got up at 5:30 and was out the door a little before 6:00. The weather was perfect with only a slight breeze and temps in the low 50s. I headed south on Escarpment all the way to William Cannon and back. I felt pretty good although I have eaten way too much in the past couple of days and could feel it. There is something going on in my left hip so I have to watch it. I am doing my 14 mile long run a day early tomorrow with Jay and Marcy mostly on the trail so that should help the hip out a bit. I think I messed it up at Wilke, but I am going to put it out of my mind.

Stats - 7.52 miles/1:02:45/8:20 pace

Return of Wilke

Today was the workout at Wilke Mountain. I haven't been in months so I was kind of excited to get over there. The morning had a little chill and a lot of humidity. I wore a t-shirt with long sleeves over it and was burning up by the time we got to Wilke. We did our drills and were off for 7 uphill, 3 backward, and 3 sprints. The road was kind of wet so I had to be very careful during the repeats. I was breathing hard at the top, but overall felt pretty good. I jogged back with Marcy and Jan and headed to the gym. I did a quick stretch and felt some pain in my left upper leg/hip area. Hopefully it's just a tweak.

My schedule is a little weird this week due to work and a Christmas party on Friday. Tomorrow is a forced day off due to a all day meeting that starts early and I have to do my long run on Friday AM so I can have a few beverages on Friday night. Flexibility...

Stats - 8.57 miles

Long Day of Running...Literally!

Today my running day started at 5:45AM and ended around 7:00PM. I had a break in between, but it was another fun day. I started out this AM for an 18.5 miler on the new marathon course and ended my running day by running The Trail of Lights 5k with the family.

For the long training run, I ran with many of the Chicago peeps and we had a really good time. There was lots of good conversation and laughs. For me the run was a lot better than the last time we did parts of the new course. I am now sold on running this race in February. It won't be a BQ effort, but I am going to run it and determine goal pace after the 20 miler in January.

As for this run we headed south on Congress and cut around the school for the deaf and back up First Ave. I think we cut out a loop that is on the real course and started north. Once we got across MoPac we started to run into the Rogue folks and it was good we did. They had the course painted on the road so we were able to follow the arrows and not get lost. I had to stop for some load balancing at a gas station as we crossed Burnet. I ate my Carboom at around mile 4, 10 and then around 15. The water stops were kind of staggered weird but no biggie. I picked it up over the last three miles with Marcy and Brian. Mile 16 was 8:30, 17 - 8:41, 18 - 7:38, and the last .55 miles at 7:37 pace.

After we got back to RunTex we jogged over to Auditorium Shores and did some strides. I went and put on some warm clothes and joined the group for the stretching. Some of us went to Las Manitas for a late breakfast. I feasted on Chorizo with eggs and a bowl of Pozole.

Stats - 18.55 Miles/2:47:42/9:02 pace
AHR - 134
MHR - 156

Trail of Lights 5k

The whole family ran the 5k this evening. We got there too early but it was a good thing since there was a huge traffic jam. Evil was spinning tunes dressed as Santa Claus. We ran into Lisa and her family before the race. As it got closer to race time, it was a total zoo out there. I guess many folks paid to walk and see the lights a day early, but the start was really unsafe with walkers, dogs, and strollers all up front combined with people trying to really race. We split the girls with Carla taking Emma and me with Caroline. Caroline and I were shooting for a new PR for her after her debut race last month. The course was pretty cool since we train on most of it. It was a combination of the 2000M repeat loop and the mile repeat loop with some time on Barton Springs under MoPac. The gun went off and I was holding Caroline's hand as we tried to run. We had a couple of start and stops, but got through unscathed. We were pushing pretty good and ran a first mile of 10:38. The second mile was all of the Christmas lights and Caroline was a bit tired by then. We started taking some walk breaks in that section. The crowds were a little thinner by then, but still crowded. Mile two was slower at 11:56 and she was really getting tired. We kept going with more walk breaks. We had to climb the back of the mile repeat hill and it was really dark in there. We were really careful due to the rough road. Once we got to the bottom we hit the 3 mile sign and slowed to 12:43. We climbed the last hill on the run so we could break 37 minutes. We crossed in 36:40/11:47 pace, and were both happy to finish on the run. Caroline was a trooper again and did really well. Carla and Emma had a good run and enjoyed themselves. The run was nice, but I doubt if we will do it in the future. We can do some smaller 5ks in the future and walk The Trail of Lights at Christmas time.

Medium Run

Today I got up at 5:45 and ran at home. The weather was a little colder and windier today witha a front coming in this AM. I had long sleeves, no hat and headed out. I was hoping to do my 7 mile out and back course north out of the neighborhood, but spent too much time reading and got out the door late. I ended up doing 6 miles at a moderate pace. Tomorrow is a day off, then 18-20 on Saturday plus the Trail of Lights 5k with the family on Saturday evening.

I am still noodling my marathoning options and am going to keep my mileage up for a potential run at ATT. It definitely won't be an attack on a BQ, but another marathon under my belt and a potential opportunity to pace Jay for a PR. I have just gotten to the point of enjoying running again after Chicago and mentally I am not ready for a BQ attempt. I will most likely train over the summer for another big fall marathon effort. For some reason it is easier for me to train harder and stay more focused that time of the year. There are too many distractions in the fall with the holidays and etc.

Stats - 6.04 Miles/50:34/8:22 pace

600/400 Repeats at AHS

Today we met for repeats at AHS. The temps were about 20 degrees warmer than yesterday which was nice. I don't like being really cold, but enjoy the mid 50s for training. The workout today was to run a 600, jog a 200, run a 400 and then active rest for 2 minutes. G wanted 5 sets and I stuck to that number instead of slacking like I have lately. I started out with some fast guys and they left me. For the second repeats I jumped back with some ladies, Bonnie, Norma and Cindy. Cindy trained with us over the summer, but I just met Bonnie and Norma today. They were really good at pacing and we had come consistent times for the 2nd and 3rd repeats. We picked up the pace a bit for each of the last two, but it didn't feel like it. G yelled at me a few times about my left foot. I guess it tends to flop a bit so I need to concentrate more.

It was a good workout and I felt good afterward. I jogged back with Jay and we were able to catch up a bit. I got back to RunTex and visited more with Jay and Brian and it was off to the gym for a light stretch and some ab work.

Repeats -
2:35.0, 1:47.0
2:36.8, 1:45.7
2:35.5, 1:41.8
2:31.8, 1:36.1
2:23.3, 1:33.4

Stats - 8.01 Miles

Recovery Run

Today was one of those mornings where I just wanted to blow off my run and sleep in. It was another cold night in Austin and I was snug in my bed when the alarm went off. I decided to get up and meet some folks who wanted to brave the cold for a recovery run. Jan, Brad, Marcy, Emily and Brian were out there so I felt better. I bundled up and actually had too much no this AM. Since it was in the 80s last week I still haven't gotten used to the cold weather yet.

As for the the actual run we headed counter clockwise on the trail at a pretty slow pace. It felt good to me since my legs were just warming up slowly. Once we hit the north side of the trail folks started talking a little more. Jan and I lagged behind a bit, but didn't care. We caught the group at the Pfluger bridge and again a the Rock for water stops. A couple of folks took off after the Rock, but 4 of us casually finished the loop. The sunrise was glorious and the combination of perfect sunrise and the moon still shining was amazing. We were all in awe as we crossed the MoPac foot bridge. This is why I got up! I did 4 strides and headed off to the gym.

I actually had some left over energy so I did my leg exercises, some arm stuff, abs and the full stretch routine. I need to get more diligent with all this stuff, but I am enjoying not being so rigid about my running. My new mantra is Boston by 2010 when I turn 45 and if it happens sooner; icing on the cake!

Stats - 6.95 miles/1:05:52/9:29 pace

2006 Decker Challenge (20k)

Today was the 2006 version of the Decker Challenge. This race and 3M are my two favorites here in Austin so I was very much looking to run the race today. I am still getting back into things so my expectations weren't so great. A PR would be nice, but I planned on just running how I felt...what a concept.

I got to the race site early and sat in the car for awhile. I headed off for some load balancing and then met the group in the fairgrounds annex building. I headed off with Brian, Brad, Jan and Lisa for our warm up run where we did about 2 miles. I got back and did some additional load balancing and headed to the car to strip down to shorts and two layers on top...long sleeves and singlet on top.

I lined up with about 10 minutes to go and joined a pretty good size group of Gazelles. I planned on trying to stay with Brad for the race. There was a group sing of the National Anthem and the gun went off. We headed out onto the new course, which was awesome by the way, and out the south end of the complex. We headed north onto Decker lane where the damn wind hit us head on. Ever since Chicago, the wind really pisses me off and screws with me mentally. I would rather run up a huge hill than run into the wind. The first few miles were pretty slow due to the wind and I couldn't get in a good rhythm for some reason. I felt a little cloddy, but fought through it.

Mile 1 -5 Splits - 7:31, 7:54, 7:56, 7:54, 7:52

Once we made the turn heading east I felt a lot better and worked on picking up the pace. I picked it up and got into a good rhythm for miles 6-11 which included some nice climbs and the dirt road part. Once we headed west the wind was at our faces again so mile 12 was a bit slower. Once I climbed into the complex and saw the mile 12 sign, I picked it up again so I could pick off some folks. I passed Pete and Paul on the way in and Paul yelled at me to "pass that guy" just like Gilbert does. It woke the guy up and we raced to the line. I think we tied, but it was fun to drag race the last few yards. I ended up about 1:50 off my PR, but was happy with the race. I really enjoyed the run and had some good splits for the back half of the race. I ended up with a negative split which was nice.

Mile 6 - Finish Splits - 7:35, 7:21, 7:21, 7:32, 7:42, 7:37, 7:54, 3:13 (7:16 pace)

Stats - 20K/1:35:19/7:40 pace

Easy Pre Race Run

Today I slept in and did my pre race run at home. I did a little loop that took me around to the girl's school and back. It was still cold outside, but not as bad as yesterday. I got too warm with what I had on. I am so used to running in warm weather that this cold stuff is messing me up. I ate too much yesterday and had a bag of popcorn at the movies last night so I was a bit sluggish. I ran at a pretty slow pace instead of rushing through it, did 4 strides, and called it a morning.

Evening
This evening was Caroline's first reconciliation. For you non Catholics, that means it is the first time she goes to confession. The cereomony was really nice and Caroline was brave to go talk to Father Ed. She freaked a bit, but we calmed her and their talk went well. Seeing her be brave caused me to actually go to confession for the first time since I made my first reconcilation when I was 9. As you can guess there has been a whole lot of "water" under the bridge since then. I went to the private confessional with Father Bob, who is my favorite at the UCC. He was very nice to me given my huge gap between confessions and even laughed when I brought up my time lag and compared it to Burt Reynolds 1978 movie "The End." It was a really nice evening.

Stats - 3.12 miles/27:28/8:48 pace

Cold AM Run at Home

Yesterday was a planned day off which was timed perfectly with our freezing, rainy, windy weather. It was a huge change from 80 degrees and humid on Wednesday. Today it was about 28-30 degrees at our house when I ventured out for a recovery run at 7AM. It was clear and crisp with a light wind. I put on tights, two layers on top with a snow hat and sunglasses. I headed out of the 'hood and south on Escarpment about 3.5 miles and turned around. I was going to go for the extra mile climb up Convict Hill road, but decided to pass with Decker on Sunday. There was a bit of traffic on the roads which isn't usually too bad, but there were a couple of F-Tards that weren't watching. It was a good reminder that I have to be very vigilant with cars around. I had a really good run and it was a great way to kick off Friday.

I am enjoying my new day off schedule doing them on Thursday and Sundays now. It gives my body a break after 3 days and two days instead of 4 and 1. Tomorrow brings an easy 30 minutes at home, some Christmas shopping with the girls, and then Decker on Sunday. My only goal for Decker is to run faster than last year.

Stats - 7.01 miles/57:53/8:15 pace