12/25 - 12/31 Running

Here is a quick recap of my running for the last week of December.

12/25 - Merry Christmas
After seeing what Santa brought the girls and the opening of the presents, Carla and I headed out for an easy stroll on Christmas morning. There is something about Christmas air that is fresher, cleaner and more special than other days. It was a nice run with my beautiful wife!

Stats - 4.55 miles/49:20/10:50 pace

12/27 - First Austin Marathon Long Run
I know it has only been two weeks since the Dallas debacle, but I decided to run the full 20 miles with the Austin group today. I ran with Brian, Randy, and a three other ladies that I haven't met before. I know one of them, Beth, is running the Austin marathon. The conditions were just like Dallas, (warm, humid, windy) so I struggled all morning. My diet has been poor, and I wasn't hydrated correctly for this effort. I also forgot my Garmin so I was just running with my Timex which was a bit unnerving for me. I survived the 20.55 miles, but was totally spent and felt like garbage the rest of the day.

Stats - 20.55 miles/3:04:43/8:59 pace

12/30
I took an extra day off on Monday to paint and re-arrange my home office. It turned out great thanks to Carla! This morning I met Rachel and Brian for a loop on the Lady Bird Lake Trail. We had a nice run and I feel really good. I have been doing more core work including planks and some exercises to keep my back loose. Hopefully this will help keep my back from being a factor as I train for the Austin Marthon.

Stats - 6.88 miles/1:02:35/9:05 pace

12/31
Today I met a small group for the first ever Austin Loop the Lake for Marathon Kids. There were 9 of us that made a small contribution to Marathon Kids. It is a great program that both of my daughters have participated in. I think it is an annual New Year's Eve Day event so I look forward to running this every year. We did 7 miles and had a great time with our discussions.

Stats - 6.91 miles/1:02:25/9:02 pace

Christmas Eve Run With Friends

This morning I was able to meet some of my running friends for a 7 miler around Lady Bird Lake. We had a nice cruise and then some of us headed over to Maudie's for breakfast. We ran into Gilbert at Auditorium Shores and we all got a nice hug from him. I am very grateful for all of my running buds so it was nice to see them right before Christmas. We are all truly blessed to be runners and to have each other!

Merry Christmas!!

Stats - 6.81 miles/1:02:24/9:09 pace

Easy Run at Home

The cold weather came back today so I had to head out when it was 30 degrees with a strong north wind. I am so over wind right now. I hate it! Anyway I did a couple of loops in Circle C and called it a day. I was happy to get back inside and get warm. My legs feel good, but my right foot is bothering me. It is that Plantars feel I had before the marathon.

Stats - 5.1 miles/46:36/9:08 pace

Post Race Recovery Week 1 - 12/15 - 12/21/08

I took it really easy this week and had some fun at a couple of holiday parties. By Tuesday I was itching to redeem myself and not waste the work that I have done this past summer and fall. I am considering running the Austin marathon this year. Those that know me know I am not a fan of the race given its hilly course and because we used to have an awesome course prior to 2007. For now no concrete decisions, but I am leaning towards running it this year.

As for this week, I took Monday, Tuesday, and Friday off. On Wednesday and Saturday I ran with Carla to help her get ready for the 3M Half Marathon Relay. On Thursday I did 45 minutes on the elliptical trainer and did some weights for my upper body. Today I hit the gym where I ran on the treadmill, did some ab work, and stretched. One of the things I can do between now and a potential mid-February race is work on my core. I am going to take advantage of that time.

Wednesday Stats - 4.58 miles/52:35/11:29 pace

Friday Stats - 3.11 miles/35:09/11:18 pace

Sunday Stats - 5.3 miles/46:00

2008 Dallas White Rock Marathon

Well, another marathon, another crappy weather day for me, and another non BQ run. In fact today was my worst marathon finish ever. We awoke to temps in the mid 60s and high humidity with a huge wind (25MPH sustained, gusts up to 40MPH from the south). We were watching the TV and it said 42 degrees in the corner of the window. I was thinking another miracle, but it wasn't to be. We joined the group of Gazelles in the lobby around 6:45 and headed off to the starting line. I had on my MP3 player of pre-race tunes and was actually unfazed by the weather. The first sign of bad things to come was seeing the big, heavy, metal finish line barriers blown over on our way in. I took off my warm warmup pants, put on some Body Glide and checked my bag. We hit the potties and then got in the starting corral. I had on my potty bag and Gatorade bottle, but didn't add too much to it. The pre race stuff was cool with two fighter jets doing a fly over.

The gun went off and we took off. Rachel, Brian and I were in contact for the first 5 or 6 miles and then Rachel dropped off. I ran with Brian until we hit the lake around mile 10 and he got a bit ahead of me. I was still on 3:30 pace still so no biggie. I could tell I was working too hard even without my heart rate monitor on.

First 10 mile splits -
8:15, 7:56, 7:50, 7:53, 8:06, 8:01, 8:02, 7:41, 7:46, 8:02

I kept plugging away around the west side of the lake, but I was getting tired and started dropping some time. On the bridge on the north side of the lake (mile 12) I got passed by the 3:30 pace group. They passed me like I was standing still which was very disheartening, but I kept going. Once I turned south into the wind I knew it was over for a BQ run, but I kept going. Mile 14 was a bear and as I entered mile 15 I saw Rachel's family along with some cheering Gazelles. I decided to pull over and think briefly about another DNF. I have to say that my Chicago 2007 DNF still bothers me so I decided to wait for Rachel to catch up and see what her plans were. When she came by I jumped back in and decided to finish with her. I didn't want another DNF on my marathon resume and I wanted to be a role model for my girls and not quit. We did a lot of run walk into the wind around the lake which was brutal. The support was really great and we had a good time despite the conditions.

Mile 11-19 splits -
8:15
8:14
8:25
9:21
17:05 (rest break waiting for Rachel) :)
9:53
10:18
12:41
10:37

We finally got off the lake and thought we were out of the wind. The Hooter's water stop was great :) and the men dressed as Dolly Partons were hilarious. The guy with the halter and hairy beer belly was the topper in that area. Once got up the hill and into the last neighborhoods we went right into the wind again which really sucked. I reverted back to my Galloway days with run walk and we were doing some 5/1 and 4/1 to get us to the finish. Once we got onto the finishing straight I think we ran faster, but who knows. I just wanted to be done with the damn thing and get a beer.

Mile 20-26 Splits
12:09, 11:07, 10:33, 11:29, 11:37, 11:15, 10:22

Official Time: 4:18:43/9:52 pace

I crossed the line, got my space blanket, which I didn't need and headed for some water. I was not feeling good at all. I was seeing "snow" and felt like I was going to pass out. I grabbed my bag, and just sat down on my space blanket for a bit to get it together. I felt better, but as soon as I stood up it came back again so I sat back down. I was finally able to get some water and drink my Endurox. That did the trick. I couldn't believe how much salt was on my body. It looked like I went to the beach and rolled in the sand. We found Jay and started walking back to the hotel. My legs didn't feel too bad, but me feet were really sore. I have never spent that much time on my feet and my longest training run this season was in the 3:35 range. I have a new appreciation for those folks that run 4:30 - 5:30 marathons.

Once we got cleaned up Jay and I piled in the truck with Amy and Brian for some post race pizza. We killed off a huge pie. We dropped off Amy at the airport and headed to our hotel in Las Colinas for the Cowboys game. Once we unloaded all of our crap we headed back toward Texas Stadium where we waited awhile to park and then hooked up with my cousin and some of his friends. I had a few beers there and headed into the old stadium. We had a great time at the game.

Overall the weekend was a blast…other than the race. I am very grateful for the all the support I have to pursue this crazy hobby. My family takes the brunt of my training and I love them so much for letting me do this. All my friends and coach Gilbert are awesome. I had a bad day, but live to try again. A lady from Austin, Erin Lahr, lost her life during the race. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family.

Saturday Marathon Update

I am in Dallas resting in my room. Jay and I drove up yesterday afternoon. We had a nice dinner with Rachel and her family at a seafood place and a great night's sleep. This morning we did an easy run so we could see the last couple of miles of the course and the finish line. The last two miles are very nice for a finish since they are mostly downhill. I was able to visualize my finish for tomorrow...3:2x:XX!!!

We headed out for some bagels after the run. The weather is not the best. It looks like strong southerly winds with temps ranging from 59-69 during the time that we will be running. I like colder, but this is definitely not the crappy weather we had in Chicago last year.

Stats - 3.65 miles/35:29/9:43 pace

Easy Run

I headed out this AM for a very easy run around the neighborhood. It was really cold again today, but not too bad. The weather in Dallas is not looking ideal, but not as warm as Chicago last year. I just haven't had any luck lately with any of my marathons, but I will be fine. My goal pace is 20 seconds per mile slower than than my past few BQ attempts so hopefully that will offset the higher temps, wind, and humidity that is forecast. I know that I am not going to fold this race no matter what happens. I have had a great season and I am mentally strong. It's my turn!

Stats - 3.06 miles/27:24/8:57 pace

Easy Run and Strides

We had a freak snow last night after a day in which the high was 81 degrees. It was really cold and windy this morning. I headed out to the soccer fields to do my 20 minutes of diagonals. When I got there the fields were in terrible shape and my shoes quickly became caked with mud. After scraping them a few times I stopped the diagonals and did strides up and down the side of the field that had some actual grass on it. Overall I did diagonals/strides for about 15 minutes and then headed home. I got my last massage this AM and feel really good. All systems are go and we are all just hoping for some better news from the weather Gods.

Stats - 5.02 miles/47:33

Happy Holidays

Here is a fun video I created using some pictures of my family.

Happy Holidays!

Easy Run at Home

Today I met Wish for a short run through the neighborhood and a loop around the park. The goal was for an easy 30-45 minutes. We had a good run in unusually warm weather and no falls today! My legs felt good and my knee didn't bother me. My wrist feels better and my psyche is more positive as well.

Tomorrow is my last running until Saturday. I plan on some diagonals a the soccer fields and a brief warm up and cool down.

Stats - 4.46 miles/40:58/9:11 pace

1x4k At Zilker

Today we did our last pace work with a short workout at Zilker. The weather was warm and humid...definitely not what I want for Sunday! We jogged over and then did 1x4000 which is two laps around the soccer fields. Brian and I cruised along and hit our goal almost perfectly. The workout was great until I fell down on the way back. I tripped on something and cut up my knee and sprained my wrist. I am happy it wasn't worse, but this is the last thing I needed as I head into race week.

1x4k stats - 2.38 miles/19:03/7:59 pace
AHR - 144
MHR - 157

Overall mileage - 5.2 miles

Weekend Running Activities

Saturday - Last Long Run

Today was our last "long" run for the Dallas Marathon. We did a reverse Scenic route with the finish up the hill to get ready for the hill at mile 19 in Dallas. This run is always kind of like a graduation run for us and does give us a sense of accomplishment. While the race is still a week away, we have done all the work to get us to the starting line and had an incredible journey getting there.

Stats - 11.28 miles/1:38:27/8:43 pace
AHR - 134
MHR - 156

Sunday - Worked the Water Stop at the Decker Half Marathon

Emma and I joined some other Gazelles to work the Gazelle water stop at Decker. This is the first time since I moved to Austin that I haven't participated at Decker and I missed a good day. The weather was perfect! As for the water stop, I didn't realize how much work that goes into one of these. I have a new appreciation for the water stop workers and will definitely throw out more thank yous along the way next weekend in Dallas. Emma enjoyed herself and it was fun to do something with her that is also my passion.

Cross Training

I iced my foot yesterday and it felt better this morning. There is still something there so I went conservative today. I skipped the 45 minute run and did 45 minutes on the elliptical trainer. I did some stretching afterward and feel good. I iced when I got home and plan on continuing through the my rest day tomorrow.

I have been eating better this week and my morning weight was in range so I am feeling better on that front. I just have to be good for another week. The weather forecast is looking cold so that is good. Just keep the heat and humidity away.

Taper on folks!

800s at AHS

Today we met for our final "speed" session. We ran 6x800 at AHS. It was a sparse crowd, Brian, Jay, and Monique. G was there to provide some support and motivation. My right foot is still bothering me, but it felt OK through the workout. I need to really baby it until next Sunday. I may take an additional day off or two next week if necessary and run on soft surfaces.

As for the workout, we did our drills and then 5 repeats counter-clockwise and then G had us run the last one clockwise. That one felt very weird, but was our fastest of the day.

I did some stretching at RunTex afterward with Jay and called it a day.

Splits - 3:36, 3:36, 3:29, 3:26, 3:27, 3:24
Average - 3:30 (Perfect!)

Miles - 7.23 miles

Easy Run at the Gym

I had another great massage after my workout yesterday which helped heal a lot of my little bugs, but my right foot is doing something weird. I decided to run on the treadmill at the gym just to make sure I don't make it worse. The goal was to run for 45 minutes, do some abs, and then stretch. I felt good on the run and my foot hasn't bothered me all day so a good day.

We have one more medium effort workout tomorrow with 800s on the track and that is pretty much it. I am not a good taper person. I usually run too much the last two weeks so I am making sure I cut back on my mileage appropriately. It's time for the legs to rest and body to heal.

Stats - 5.3 miles/46:00/8:41 pace

Long Ladder Workout on the Trail

Today we did a new workout for marathoners closing in on race day. It consisted of 20 minute warmup, 20 minutes at MGP, 2x10 minutes at half marathon pace, 3x5 minutes at 10k pace, and 10x1 minutes at 5k pace. Jay sent me a script for my Garmin so I was able to track our efforts. Brian, Rachel, and I attempted the workout, but didn't adhere to the goal paces so well. Overall we were probably at our 8:00 MGP so it was a good day

Fartlek Splits -

Part 1 - 20 minutes/2.45 miles/8:09 pace
Part 2 - 10 minutes/1.24 miles/8:03 pace
Part 3 - 5 minutes/.62 miles/8:03 pace
Part 4 - 5 minutes/.66 miles/7:34 pace
Part 5 - 5 minutes/.64 miles/7:52 pace

4x1:00 Fartleks - 7:35, 7:34, 7:20, 7:24 (cut short for a 1 mile cool down)

Stats - 10.17 miles/1:28:23/8:41 pace
AHR - 143
MHR - 154