Long Run to Mt. Bonnell

This morning I headed out with Brian and the Boston peeps out scenic up to Mt. Bonnell. The morning was cooler than normal which was nice, but it was a bit windy. My legs were heavy since I had a full week of running plus my exercises on Thursday. We started out ahead of the pack, but they passed us near the Hula Hut and we chased them the rest of the way. We got water at Exposition and then at the top of Mt. Bonnell. I haven't been up that way in a long time so that wasn't too much fun. We decided to go down Balcones on the way back and then headed back. We hit O'Henry and the Rock on the way home for more water. I did 6 strides at the finish and had to head out to pick up Caroline. It wasn't the best run, but I got the miles in and feel good.

Stats - 13.5 miles/2:00:36/8:56 pace
AHR - 133
MHR - 162

Easy Run and Exercises

Today I ran at home and did my easy 4 mile out and back route. I was focusing on my form and turnover and trying to keep right around an 8:30 pace. When I got home I did my T/Th home exercises and stretched. Tomorrow was going to be my long run, but plans changed and it is now a day off. I am feeling tired so that's a good thing. Saturday is about a 12 mile run and then another rest day on Sunday.

Stats - 4.09 miles/34:40/8:28 pace
AHR - 132
MHR - 148

Ladder Workout at AHS

Today I met the group for a modified ladder workout with the Boston folks. It was a really long workout for them, but G shortened it for the folks just coming back. He said we need to keep our strength for the month of May when he plans to beat, I mean strengthen us before we begin our full on Chicago training.

I jogged over with Brian and it was great to see him after his honeymoon. Once we got to the track we did our drills and then I headed out in a pack with Brad, Brian, Marty, and a new guy named Chris. The workout was 1x2000, 1xmile, 1x1000, and 2x400. We did the entire workout pretty relaxed and had a good time along the way.

Splits -
2000 - 9:34
Mile - 7:51
1000 - 4:25
400 - 1:37
400 - 1:32

I jogged back with the guys and headed home for some ab work and stretching. Another good workout!

Stats - 7.9 miles
AHR - 122
MHR - 166

Easy Run and Exercises at Home

I hit the roads of Circle C today for my recovery run. I am learning all the different routes through Circle C and it is a lot of fun to come up with new routes to get to my time and mileage goals. Today I did a big loop of the neighborhood to come up with just a bit over 6 miles. The only bad stretch was running on Highway 45 south of the neighborhood. The cars fly on that road and the shoulder rotates from left to right for the little stretch you have to negotiate it.

After reading a Runner's World article about number of steps in a minute I was testing mine. The article said that 180 was optimal and I kept coming up with between 168 and 170. 10-12 steps a minute ads up to a lot of distance in the marathon. I need to re-read the article to see what I need to do to get to 180.

I did my home exercises again today including lunges, squats, abs, pushups, fly on the ball, and calf raises.

Stats - 6.02 miles/50:46/8:26 pace
AHR - 134
MHR - 149

Mile Repeats at Home

I have been having major sleep issues for the past couple of weeks and last night was brutal. I think I fell asleep at around 4AM and the alarm went off at 5 for my workout. Needless to say I slammed the alarm clock and went back to sleep. I dropped the girls off and then headed out to set up my own mile repeats course. I did about a mile and a half warmup where I staked out my course on LaCrosse and then started out. The mile was a half mile out and back up a decent incline. Going up was a bit rough, but coming down was nice. I ended up doing 4 repeats and pushed myself pretty hard. I did about a 3/4 mile cool down and headed home.

Splits - 7:16/6:57/6:58/7:00 - 7:03 average

Stats - 6.7 Miles
AHR - 147
MHR - 169

LSR with the Boston Ladies

Carla and I were up late at the rodeo last night so I slept in and joined the Boston ladies on their last really long run before Boston. The course for them was up Exposition to 35th, up Shoal Creek and then the old marathon route to 183. The time was nice, but it was already warm when we started and the sun was shining bright. G arranged for water along the course which was great and we were off. I was really enjoying the run although there was a lot more people traffic on the trail and lots of car traffic on the roads. I didn't mind the people on the trail, but Austin drivers need to be more aware of runners. I had to really watch every car I encountered because there were a few times on the road where cars just pulled out in front of us. It was great to hear about the Boston folks' plans for the trip and it only added fuel to my desire to get my last 4 minutes in Chicago and run Boston next year.

I ran with the ladies for the first 7.5 miles which took me to Shoal Creek and Hancock. I said my goodbyes and headed back after a quick pit stop in a port a potty. Coming back by myself wasn't fun at all. I started to get tired, the temps were warming more and I just wanted to be done. I picked up the pace on the second half of the run which helped me get back quicker. I was in the 8:14 - 8:25 range for miles 8-15. When I got back I did 8 strides and then headed home. It was really weird to be finishing after noon and I don't plan on making a habit of it.

Stats - 15.01 miles/2:10:20/8:41 pace

Easy 5 in the Hood

Today my legs were feeling it so I did an easy 5 through the streets of the neighborhood. I am enjoying running at home on the off days from the Gazelles. It really breaks up the "work" aspect of marathon training.

I did my second day of at home exercises today. Squats, lunges, pushups, abs, flys on the ball, and calf raises on the stairs.

Stats - 5.21 miles/45:20/8:42 pace

More 1000s

Today we did more 1000s, but this time at the high school. I ran with the Boston/OK City ladies and had a really good workout. My times were a little slower than on Monday, but I ran one additional repeat. We did 6x200 after to work on our form. G didn't yell at me too much so I must have been doing something right.

Splits - 4:27, 4:21, 4:28, 4:27, 4:08 - 4:22 average

Stats - 9.74 Miles
AHR - 127
MHR - 170

Recovery in the Hood

Today I waited until about 8AM to head out. The early daylight savings time keeps it dark until after the kids go to school. My legs felt really crappy this morning and I almost didn't head out, but I am glad I did. I felt better after about a mile and extended my run by about 10 minutes over my planned 45 minutes. I hit the Circle C trail for about 2 miles and then headed to the east side of circle for some downhill and uphill. I felt really good at the end of the run.

When I got home I did 3 sets of squats with the dumb bells, calf raises on the stairs, abs, and some push ups...I really need to find a gym.

Stats - 6.31 Miles/54:15/8:25 pace
AHR - 134
MHR - 153

Back to the Speedwork - 1000s at Zilker

After exactly a month of easy running I headed back to the Gazelles to begin my preparation for the Indy Half Marathon. It was brutal getting up so early, but I will get used to it. The weather was a little warm and muggy. I got to RunTex and Jay was the only one there. We gathered up 4 more people and headed over to Zilker Park. We did our drills and then G got there. He said to do 5 repeats and try and pick up the speed as we went along. We all took off together on the first one and it was me, Jay, and Anthony finishing together. My legs felt like crud. We jogged across the field and headed off for the next one which for me was slower. The next one was about the same and G told us to pick it up for the last two repeats. The 4th one was about 20 seconds faster and I could feel it. The last one I really felt like I was working hard and knocked another 5 seconds off. I could definitely tell I haven't been running too hard since the ATT marathon.

Splits - 4:25, 4:29, 4:25, 4:09, 4:05

We got on the trail where the Zilker Railroad hits the north side of the park and headed home. It was a good first workout, but I am feeling it this afternoon...just a bit tired. I am also going back to charting my heart rate so I can measure my "getting back into shape" progress.

Stats - 8 Miles
AHR - 128
MHR - 169

Long Run - Happy St. Patrick's Day

This morning I met Alex, Rich, Jan and Brad for a combo long run. We wanted to run the Cap 10K course and then add some mileage after to get to around 12-13 miles. A little cool front blew through so it was in the high 40s. I had on a long sleeve shirt, but didn't need anything else. We are starting to get into our spring weather which is 70s-80s and in the 60s and humid in the AM. We headed up Congress and ran a really slow first mile. We kind of separated from Jan and Brad along 15th, but regrouped for some potty breaks on Enfield and MoPac. Jan and Brad split off from us at RunTex Lake Austin and we headed onto the Scenic Loop. We were still going pretty slow. My legs were tired and Alex was still feeling the after effects of rehearsal night for his sister's wedding. We were hurting for water since we were at almost 6 miles and found some near the Hula Hut. We finished the scenic part and headed back on Pecos. We hit another water stop at O'Henry and headed home. It was the longest I've run since the marathon and I was pooped. I haven't been sleeping well so I think that was part of it. The group was already stretching so I headed home.

Stats - 12.55 miles/1:54:08/9:05

Run in the Hood

Since I missed some running earlier in the week I wanted to get out and run on my usual day off. I figured 5 miles would do the trick so I headed east and through that part of the neighborhood. It was a nice change that I can't normally do due to the school traffic. I have been running with my iPOD and love it. I ended up picking up the pace along the way and felt pretty good. My left calf felt a little weird. I think I messed it up during my futile attempt at some speed during my 7 mile run.

Stats - 5.14 miles/42:37/8:17 pace

Home at Last

I got to run at home this morning which was awesome! No treadmills, elliptical trainers, or strange roads. My sleep patterns are all FUBAR due to the time change from California so I didn't sleep so well. I gut up a little later than usual and headed out for a 7 miler. I ran the first 4 miles at about an 8:25 pace and then picked it up for two miles to see what I had in the tank. There wasn't much. It think it is a combination of being tired and poor diet over the last week. Anyway it was a good run and I am very happy to be home.

Stats - 7 Miles/57:21/8:11 pace

Week of Travel Recap - 3/7 - 3/14

I got into Austin last night after a week of traveling for an entire week. I spent 4 days in Phoenix for The Little Gym and to see my family and 3 days in the Bay area for my new job. My workouts weren't the best and I ate really well at my Mom's house so it wasn't the best week health wise, but it is my last week away from the Gazelles, so what the hell. Below is what I did while I was gone.

• 3/7 - 6.01 Miles/47:01/7:49 pace - at home
• 3/9 - 3.06 miles on the treadmill and 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer
• 3/10 - 9.01 miles on a pretty nice trail along "Skunk Creek" near my folks house. It is too damn dry in Arizona. I could never run a marathon there.
• 3/12 - 5.1 Miles on the treadmill
• 3/13 - 45 minutes on the elliptical trainer

I guess it wasn't too bad for two different hotels and my Mom's house!

Good Friends

I am in Phoenix for a few days for our business and to visit my family. Last night I was able to hook up with my best friend Dan. I say best friend because we have been friends since the 4th grade. That's 33 years! Friends come and go through your life, but we have been close since way back then. We may go weeks or months without talking, but I always know he is there for me and he knows that I am there for him. We have been lucky to be able to see eachother at least once a year for the past few years which is awesome. We can have a great time doing anything. Last night we just hung out at pizza place and drank some beers. We can laugh about old times, talk about our families, and just have a good time. We may be in our 40s, but our hearts and minds are still back in our teens when we were carefree and just having a good time. We didn't realize or appreciate it back then, but those were some pretty special times that will be in our memories forever.

Anyway, thanks Dan...for being my friend and a very special part of my life!

Moderate 7 Miles

Today I headed out for a 7 mile run north on Escarpment and back. This is a really nice course for getting some hill practice since it is a climb toward the HEB and then downhill all the way to Convict Hill which is halfway mark. Once you turn around you climb all the way up to HEB where it kind of levels off. I usually pick up the pace on the way back which is fun. I had a really strong run and felt really good. Tomorrow will be some more strides on the soccer fields and then I am traveling for a week so my running will be kind of erratic. It is a good time to step back before I return to the Gazelles on the 19th.

Stats - 7 miles/56:32/8:04 pace

More Strides at the Soccer Fields

Today I went out for some more strides on the soccer fields. I did the 2 mile warmup and did 5 laps around the fields with strides up and down the long sides and a jog on the short sides. I finished with one hard lap around the fields. I finished the loop through the soccer park and then headed home. I stretched and did some ab work.

Stats - 6.02 miles/48:09/8:00 pace

10 Miles on the Trail

Today I met a small group of folks for 10 miles on the trail. I joined Jay, Brian, Brad, Bonnie, Alex, and a couple of other folks who were there...don't know who they were, but they ran with us. The topic of the day was Brian's wedding later in the evening. A friend made him some signs to wear on the run. We stopped for water at the softball fields and then at the Rock. I was able to visit wit Bonnie which was nice since we trained together for ATT, but never really talked much. We ended with some strides and then on to stretching.

Afterwards a group of us went for breakfast to send Brian off. It was a great time with great friends!

Stats - 10.17 miles/1:28:50/8:44 pace

Birthday Run

Today is my 42nd birthday and my 6th birthday as a runner. I always enjoy running on my birthday and think I have only missed it one time. Running reminds me that I am still going strong. Today I did about a two mile warm up and then did some long strides at the soccer fields. I ran up one side jogged across and then down the other side. I ended up doing 10 strides and 5 total laps around the field. I finished running around the soccer park and then back to the house. This was my first attempt at speed works since the marathon. It was nice to get some rapid turnover going.

Stats - 6.03 miles/49:50/8:16 pace