Running Well

It was a good week, full of good runs. Monday was a very easy 8 mile recovery run, but Tuesday I picked up the pace and mileage. I ran a quick 6 miles at lunch, then did my track workout to add another 8.5 miles after work. After a couple of warm-up miles, and 6 x 100 stride-outs, I ran 3 x 1 mile repeats at 5:42, 5:49, 5:42. Not my best but certainly getting back into the range. I knew I was pressing because the nausea at the end of each mile told me so.
On Wednesday I ran a night trail run with Paul R. and Dave P., sort of a test run to check out how I would handle the post sunset portion of the Burning River 100. I wore my Petzl LED headlamp and carried a small flashlight (actually the removable LED headlight from my bike.) What did I learn? Well, my headlamp does not give enough light by itself, so the hand held flashlight is good idea. The flashlight was actually more useful because the beam was lower and at a better angle to the ground to reveal rocks and tree roots. Also, even with the hand held, I found that you don't get nearly as much reaction time. I naturally shortened my stride to allow for this. Looking up in the trees for the blazes can be tricky because you cannot take your eyes of the ground in front of you for too long. I found that I had to slow to a walk at times to get my bearings. And, because of these issues, you pace is slower even though you may be working just as hard. You just cannot cover as much ground at night. What else...oh, bugs are more of a problem, starting at twilight and into the early night. Thanks to Paul for bringing some spray. It was a successful run, and I did become comfortable with night running. Dave and Paul made it lots of fun. (You get into some weird conversations at night on the trails.)
Thursday I worked an abbreviated tempo run, 8.5 miles total, but only 4 of those at pace, averaging about 6:40. Friday was a recovery 6 miler. On Saturday, a group of us ran the first part of the Buckeye Trail 50k course, from Oak Grove to Snowville Road. It was a good morning, and after running the out portion at a moderate pace, some of use really picked it up on the return. It turned out to be a more aggressive run than I had planned, but it felt good. After that, I was determined to make Sunday a slower run, especially with the race only a week away. OK, so that was the plan. As it worked out, I did 11.44 miles at 7:29 pace. Not exactly taking it slow and easy. Total miles for the week: 72.

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Based on advice from many running friends, I am going to try to run the BT50k this Saturday as a training run for the Burning River 100 Mile Run, rather than run it all out. Wyatt in particular has been very emphatic that I need to go into the BR100 as strong, and the BT50k on top of three marathons in two months, will take too much out of me.

A VERY Quiet Week

My running shoes were collecting dust most of this week. I did not run Monday through Friday, trying to let my left foot heal from whatever was causing it to swell. An MRI did not reveal a stress fracture, which was my biggest concern. I made a little video of the MRI, which moves through my foot from bottom to top. Have a look.

The doctor recommended a week of rest and ice to reduce the swelling. By the end of the week, the there was very little swelling, so I decided to give it a trial on the trails.
I got to Lock 29 a little early, so I could run a few miles without the group to see how it felt. That went well, so I joined the group and we frolicked through the forest for a few hours. With Steve G. off running with another group, Mark G. not around, and Paul R. out with an injury, Steve H. and I had to pick the course. It turned out to be a good run. My foot didn't complain much until the last few miles, which we ran much too fast (6:30 and 6:08.) A group of us went to breakfast at Yours Truly in Hudson, then I went home and tried to keep my foot iced for much of he rest of the day. I think that helped, because by the end of the day, there was virtually no swelling.
On Sunday morning, I decided to stay off the roads and on the trails, so I met-up with a group from VR that was doing a familiarization run for Buckeye Trail 5ok. We had a good run through from Jaite trailhead south on the BT to Initiation Hill (although I never heard it called that before) and back, about 17 miles. It was another beautiful, sunny, warm morning. I tried to pick it up for the last few miles but for the most part, we kept an easy pace.

With only two days of running, the total miles for the week was only 31. I did do some biking but I didn't really keep track of the mileage. Only 12 days until the Seattle Rock n Roll Marathon.

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My fellow blogger and all around very funny guy, Steve in a Speedo, is hosting a contest to win a $75 gift certificate from onlineshoes.com. Go to his blog for details.

19 Days Until Seattle

This was an uneventful week. I have been feeling the effects of the racing and training, so on the advice of some fellow runners, I took Wednesday off. It might have helped; I am not sure. Just to mix it up, I swapped my Thursday lunch road run for an evening trail run with the group from Vertical Runner. That was fun. It was a big group, probably 15 or more, and we did not exactly stay together because of the different levels of runners. On Saturday, I ran with the usual Lock 29 crew on a great morning. Sunday was the Solon run with the SERC crew. I did four slow miles before the group started at 8:00 AM, then the rest of the run averaged around 7:30 pace. Total miles for the week: 71.3 miles. Not where it should taking a day off kept me under 80 miles. Next week, I will begin tapering, so the miles will be reduced.

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Foot pain and swelling: About two weeks ago, I noticed soreness on the top of my left foot, right in the area of the third metatarsal. That is the long bone right in the middle. I continued to run because the pain was not too intense. It did not seem to be getting any worse, but also has not been getting any better. After the trail run on Thursday, I noticed that the slight swelling had become a bit more swelling. Again, the pain was not too bad, so I went for a slow Friday run with no real problems. The trail run in Saturday was more of a work-out for my foot. Toward the end of that run, the feeling was noticeably less comfortable. By Sunday morning, I did not feel too bad, so I went on my run as usual. After that one, in the shower I noticed the swelling had worsened, with some puffiness in my toes. By Sunday evening, I was having a little pain when walking, especially after sitting for a while, and the swelling had not gone down. I got an ice-pack and wrapped in around my foot. (I know...I probably should have been doing this from when I first noticed the swelling.) I have no idea if this will turn out to be nothing, but it definitely has moved beyond the 'ignore it and it will go away' stage.

Spring Makes Me Want to Run

Old brick road reclaimed by the woods near Peninsula, Ohio.

This is the best time of year for runners, or at least for this runner. Our northeast Ohio weather has completed the transformation from cold and gray, to warm and sunny. The spring mornings are often foggy, dewy, with a slight chill...invigorating. On early morning runs through the woods, you are enveloped in misty shades of green, like the image above. As the sun moves higher in the sky, it burns the fog away, and as the air becomes clear. These are the days when, if you are a trail runner, you cannot wait to lace'em up and hit the dirt.

This was the first training week since several weeks before Boston, in which I hit 80 miles, 39 of those on Saturday and Sunday, and ran real tempo and speed work. I made it to the track on Tuesday and resumes speed work in earnest. Instead of 3 x 1 mile repeats, I did 1 mile at 5:49, then 4 x 400 at 1: 26, 1:25, 1:23, 1:20, then my last mile at 5:47. Not my fastest but starting to get my wheels back. On Friday, I did a short (7 mile) tempo run, but really pushed through the hills in and out of Glenwillow. I kept the pace in the 6:50 area, not where it should be but getting back into the range.
Saturday, I met up with a few runners to start an hour earlier, then continued our trail running with the 8:00 AM group, for a total of 15.7 miles. It was a nearly weather for running in the woods, yet my legs were feeling tired and sluggish. On Sunday, I ran 15.15 with the SERC group, mostly with E-speed and Kurt M. I had planned to do 20, but again my legs were heavy and I felt like I was working too hard for the pace we were keeping. E-speed convinced me to break it off and just go 15 miles. Later, around 3:00 in the afternoon, it was such a gorgeous, sunny day, I decided to tack on another 7+ miles. I was still not feeling bouncy, but not not hurting.

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I saw the following video on boingboing.  I don't know what to say about this, only that Damien Walters is amazing and if you start to watch this, you will not be able to stop.

Post Cleveland/Pre-Seattle/Blossom Time

This first part of the blog is the boring, training mileage summary. Feel free to skip this and go directly to the scintillating Blossom Time Race report below. Really. It's OK.
Since I have not talked much about my training miles in the last few posts, I though I had better summarize quickly. The week of the Cleveland marathon, I started with 10 miles on Monday, followed by 9 miles on Tuesday at the track with 2 miles at 6:30 pace. Wednesday and Thursday, I ran recovery pace 6.1 and 5.04. Friday and Saturday, my runs were simply intended to keep my legs moving, so I kept the mileage down to 4.3 and 3.5 respectively. With the marathon on Sunday, the total for the week was 64.5 miles.

With the Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon just 4 weeks away, it's unrealistic to think about taking a break after the Cleveland. I did give myself a light 4 mile Monday. On Tuesday, I was back at the track for some intervals. After a few miles of warm-up, I ran three 1 mile intervals at 5:59, 5:58, 5:54, with 400 yard recovery between and 2.5 miles of cool down. Wednesday was a recovery paced 6.2 miles, and Thursday just a little longer at 8.2 miles. On Friday, I rode my bike to and from work for a 21 mile round trip, and I did not run (first day off since I was sick in February.) Saturday was a great day in the woods. The weather was perfect and we had a reinvigorating 12.88 mile run. On Sunday, a warm sunny morning, I rode my bike to Chagrin Falls, ran the 5.25 mile Blossom Time Run, did a couple of miles of cool-down after, then rode my bike home. See below for the race report. On Memorial Day, I ran with a group from Vertical Runner. We did 11 pacey miles on the trails, starting and ending at Pine Lane.


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Blossom Time Run

This is one of the most competitive short races in Ohio. It draws the best from the area and beyond, and is always challenging. The course, flatly stated, is not flat. It is 5.25 hilly miles that can make you wonder why you paid money to put yourself through it. Coming out of the Cleveland Marathon, where I had run all out, I was probably not in prime racing shape, but I did not feel too bad either. Just to add to the challenge, I rode my bike rather than driving to Chagrin Falls. Again, probably not setting myself up for my best race, but it was such a beautiful, warm sunny morning, I wanted to ride. Honestly, even though I had not properly prepared for this race, I had thoughts of defending my age group victory from the prior year. I knew that the smart thing would be to run it as a speed-work training run, and forget about going all out for a win.
I arrived in town about 45 minutes before the start, and picked-up my bib at the check-in. There I bumped into MB, and any thoughts of an age group win were eliminated. He has a track background, and an excels at this distance. I have run track workouts and see his speed in 1 mile intervals. I talked with him for a minute, he congratulated me for the win in our age group at the Cleveland marathon, and I headed out to warm-up.
I met-up with Joe V. and we did some stride outs to get ready for the start. Joe said he was going to go out at a 6:26 pace, which sounded safe and conservative. I told him that I was thinking I should take it easy, with Cleveland only a week ago, and Seattle coming up, so I would run with him. Basically, I had resigned myself that I should stick to the training run plan, because the age group thing was not going to happen this year.
A couple of runners, in their race gear with bibs pinned on their shirts, played the national anthem on trumpets, then handed their instruments off and jumped into the start area. The gun sounded and we were off.
That was the last time I saw Joe, you remember, the guy I was going to run with, conservatively. The first mile has a moderate up hill, and I crossed the marker at 6:15, not burning fast, but faster than last year's pace. I could see MB around 100 yards ahead. I decided to see if I could keep him in sight. At mile two, the timer called out 12:18, so that was a 6:03 mile, and I was within 50 yards of Mike. I had a thought that if I could keep that close through mile 4, I might have a chance,...a slim chance but a chance.
Mile three was rough. The hills were getting to me and I was struggling to hold the pace. I was hurting. My breathing was strained. My heart was racing. My quads were throbbing. But I held on. The timer called out 18:23, so that was a 6:05 mile. Amazing considering the hills and the way I was feeling. And Mike was now only about 40 yards ahead.
Mile four had the last of the hills, and I was pumping hard. My turn-over was very fast, and I was trying to keep my form, but I was starting to lose it. I heard the tell-tale foot slapping, warning me that I was striding out too much, striking heel first. I adjusted, fixed my forward lean, got my center of gravity more forward, and felt the mid-foot strike return. Never the less, my legs were not happy with all the work I was making them do. I saw the four mile marker and heard the time..."24:20", a 5:57 mile. And Mike was about 50 yards ahead.
I knew that it was crazy to think I could catch him, but I was close enough that I had to give it everything I had.
As hard as I had run the first four miles, I needed more speed. I concentrated on faster turn-over, and stretching out my stride Fortunately, the course was flat from there to the finish, because I think one more hill would have done me in. I keep my feet moving as fast as possible, and pushed as hard as I can ever remember in any race at any time. That 1.25 miles seemed to go on forever. Finally, I saw the finish, and I saw Mike, still 50 yards ahead. I had not gained anything on him in that last mile. I knew at that instant that I could not catch him, but with the finish so close, I did not slow down, Now it was about getting the best time I could get. I ran the last quarter mile full out and crossed the finish at 31:50. I took a couple of steps, then doubled-over with the dry-heaves. The volunteer at the finish told me I had to keep moving...he said this to me while I was throwing-up. Have you ever tried to walk and throw-up at the same time? Don't.
Fortunately, the nausea passed quickly, and I felt better, walked around a bit, grabbed a water and a banana. I found Mike and congratulated him for a great race, and for kicking my ass. He was very gracious and congratulated me as well. I ran a few cool-down miles with Steve G., hung around for the awards ceremony, picked up my plaque for the hardest won 2nd place finish of my life. I had beaten my previous AG first place time on that course by 2 minutes, but this year, that was not good enough to win. Still, I can live with 2nd, knowing that I had improved substantially in the past year, and that I had put in an effort I could be proud of.

2 Weeks Since Boston - 2 Weeks Until Cleveland

Running two marathons thirty days apart is not ideal, but it is not all that unusual, especially among SERC runners.  Since Boston, I've been trying to balance my training between allowing myself to recover, and running enough so that I don't loose my fitness for the Cleveland marathon. I was fortunate to have come out of Boston without any significant injuries, just the usual post marathon tightness. I reread Pfitzinger, talked with fellow runners, and checked some of the on-line resources. None of these sources agree, but I decided to go with the recommendations from a couple of very accomplished runners in our club, Mark G. and Kam L.
Mark and Kam gave me very similar advice. Keep my miles up, but not fully to my pre-Boston peak, do speed-work but reduce the interval distance, start to taper for Cleveland about 10 days before the race. I have been following this as well as possible. (BTW, in my race report last week, I neglected to include a photo of the stylish Boston Marathon 2009 official runners shirt, so here it is.)

The day after Boston, Jeff Z., Steve Hawthorne , and I ran a moderately paced 6 miles along the banks of the Charles, and I added another mile around the back bay. Contrary to expectations, I did not feel too bad, but toward the end of the run, my quads wanted to take a break. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, I kept the runs in the 6 mile range, keeping a recovery pace. Saturday, I joined the group at Lock 29 for a sloppy 11 miles on the trails.  About half-way through, the mud sucked one of the shoes off my foot.  I was able to find, pull it out of the muck, and put it back on.  Squishy.  

On Sunday, I ran the 12 mile route with the SERC group, keeping the pace slightly under 8:00/min.  The next day, I ran two 6-mile recovery runs, one at lunch and one in the evening. Tuesday, I went to the high school for speed work, but there was a lacrosse game, so we were not allowed to use the track. Mark G. and I decided to run around Solon, so we did eight miles together. I added another 2 miles for an even 10. On Wednesday, I did 2 warm-up miles, followed by 6 miles at marathon pace...well...almost...for an average pace of 7:14. Thursday should have been a recovery pace day, but I felt good enough to do five of the miles around 7:00/min pace. Saturday was a good morning with the Lock 29 group. The trails were muddy, and we did 13.77 miles, but we kept a slow pace. Sunday, Steve Hawthorne and I ran an early, easy five miles at 8:00/min pace before joining the group . We did the first mile with the group at 7:57, but after that, we picked it up and ran the rest of the miles as follow: 7:27 7:12 6:55 6:52 7:52 7:10 7:13 7:12 7:52 6:56 6:03. Total for the week: 74 miles. My log for the last two weeks is below.

A Sighting of the Rare Tapirus Bostonus

Today, for the first time in a year, the reclusive Tippie Tapir has emerged from his home deep in the Cuyahoga Valley. Yes, it's that time again, time for my Boston taper. No more 80 or 90 mile weeks...this week was a reasonable 75 miles. Tippie arrives around the end of the first week of April every year to remind me to back off the mileage a little and let me legs recover from the tough winter training miles of the past four months.

It was another good week with the usual recovery runs on Monday and Thursday, plus an additional recovery day on Friday, just because. Tuesday, for the first time this year, we had a big group at the track. I was glad to have someone to push me a bit. I ran with Steve G. and Mike Boyer. I did 3 miles of warm-up and 6 x 100 yard stride outs, before we started our 1 mile repeats. My first mile was 5:39. I cannot remember when, if ever, I have run a mile under 5:40. I followed that with a 5:38 and another 5:38. Really. I check with Mike to confirm the times. It hurt and it felt great. Saturday, I ran a very wet and muddy 11 miles with the Lock 29 group. I must say I really love sloshing around in the muck. There is something in that mud that is very therapeutic. It is a miraculous stress-reducer...makes me glad to be alive. Sunday, I did 18 miles, with a slow few miles at the start, followed by a fast 15 miles, and a cool-down mile. Overall, the average pace was 7:30.

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The Boston Marathon will be run on Monday, April 20. I wil be running in the first wave, which starts at 10:00 AM. You can track my progress by logging on to the Boston Athletic Association website, and keying-in my bib number: 4438. My status will be updated every 5k.

It's Downhill to Boston from Here

My packet from the BAA arrived on Saturday.  See the number pick-up card above.  I have been so focused on the system project I've been on the go-live of the system project I've been on for 18 months, I have not had much chance to think about Boston.  We went live on Monday the 23rd, and so far all is well.  Suddenly, I can lift my head up and look around, and do you know what I see?  Boston in three weks.  

The past week was the last of the over 80 mile weeks in the Boston training plan.  Next week will still be in the upper seventy mile range, followed by a couple of taper weeks of mid-fifties and mid-forties.  I don't know what I'll do with all that extra time.  Maybe I'll take-up quilting.  

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I spent Monday through Friday in Atlanta on business, which provided challenges to my Boston prep.  I had to find a way to work running into a busy schedule, and find places to run.  I asked around and was directed to a small local park, with a 1.33 mile path around the perimiter.  The course was about half paved and half trail.  There were some hills, which at least made it more interesting.  On Monday, after work and before dinner, I did what was supposed to be a recovery run, but I was so keyed-up after day one of our system go-live, I ran it about a minute per mile faster than I should have.   Tuesday was interesting.  I found a track around a football field for my mile repeats.  I did 3 warm-up miles, followed by 6 x 100 yard stride-outs, then 2 mile repeats, both at 5:48.  I skipped the third mile knowing that I would try to do a very aggressive tempo run the next day.  Wedensday, after a 1-mile warm-up at 7:30, I ran 10 miles at 6:40.  It was about as fast as I have done two miles in...well...a long, long time.

By Thursday, with work going well, I was able to slow down for a 10 mile recovery run at a more reasonable pace.  Friday was a travel day, but when I got back to Cleveland, I ran 6 miles.   I was so happy to be back on the trails on Saturday morning.  13.4 miles of running through the woods will make you gald to be alive.  On Sunday, I ran my last 20+ miler before Boston.  I could not get my butt in gear for the first six miles, which I ran alone before the group started.  After that, I managed a 7:20 pace for the remaining 16 miles.  The total for the week was 82 miles.

A Good Week of Running

There has been a gradual but definite change in the weather from bitter cold, gray winter to occasionally sunny, tolerably cold early Spring. Runs are no longer battles against the elements. I can actually focus on the run, not the weather. The result has been one of the best weeks of running I can recall.
It started off with what is by now a routine recovery Monday, 6 miles in the morning and 4 in the evening. Tuesday was a nice day, and the track workout went very well. I ran 3 miles of warm-up, followed by 6 x 100 stride-outs which I ran very hard, then 2 x 1 mile repeats, both at 5:48/min pace. Yes, I normally do 3 of these, but I had a reason to stop at 2. I had it in mind to do a serious tempo run the next day.
Wednesday, I ran a 15 mile tempo at a 6:49/min pace. This was on the advice of both Kam L. and Mark G. The course was mostly flat, but the final mile had a 249 foot ascent, perfect place to put that.
Thursday was a light 8 mile recovery. Friday was such a beautiful sunny day, if only 38 degrees, that I decided to do 12 miles along the canal. It was a great stress reduced. Saturday, was another cold but otherwise pleasant day. I ran 17 miles starting at Lock 29 with Dave P. and Paul R., and joined by Patrick F. and Derek B. Sunday, after very little sleep, I ran 22.3 miles at 7:51/min pace. I did six early miles, then ran 15 miles with a group of SERC runners, then tagged another 1.3 miles on running home.

The total for the week was 93.2 miles.

5 Weeks to Boston...St. Malachi 5 Miler...and Finally a Nice SUNday

Today was the most beautiful day of 2009, so far, and, I hope, a harbinger of more beautiful days to come. I ran 21 miles, had breakfast with my fellow SERCies , bicycled 8 miles, got the lawn mower running, sat on the patio in the sun with a beer and listened to the Indians (baseball) game on the radio, had a fantastic lamb chops/Brussels sprouts/Au Gratin potatoes/acorn squash dinner, and had a gateau aux pomme dessert (think hybrid apple pie and cake).

AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Here is the dinner which we ate on the patio, just like it was really Spring already.

Another 85 mile week, but this time with some REAL speed work, not the dubious, treadmill variety of speed work. Monday was a 10 mile recovery day. Tuesday was the first track workout of 2009. It wasn't a perfect day for it, still a bit cold, but it was great to be running on the track again. After 3 warm-up miles at about 8:00/min pace, I did 6 x100 stride-outs, then 3x1 mile repeats with 400 recoveries. The first mile was much too fast, 5:48, and I paid the price on the next two, 6:00 and 5:58. Still, averaging under 6:00/min pace for my first track speed work buoyed my confidence. Wednesday was a slower (8:00/min) recovery 10 miles. I decided to forgo the Thursday tempo run, doing 10 easy miles, since I was planning to run St. Malachi 5 mile on Saturday. Pfitzinger called for a Friday morning 6 miler and afternoon 4 miler, but the weather was so good, I did 6.75 miles in the evening at 7:03/min pace. After the run, Sue made a Middle Eastern rice with turkey, black beans, chick peas, and tumeric.

It was great, and I had more the next day.

On Saturday, I arrived early for the race. I met up with Connie G. and a couple of her buddies, and we ran five miles before the race, trying to follow the course but deviating a bit.
We got caught behind the Columbus Road lift bridge,
which raised when we tried to cross it, and had to wait about five minutes for it to come back down. The weather was cold, but thankfully there was no snow or cold rain as we have had many times for this race. There were a dozen SERC runners there, a good turn-out. I met-up with e-speed, Lou, Daisy and Beth and her lovely mom Cheryl, and a few other SERC runners before the start of the race. The starter sounded and we were off in a huge mass.

The start of this race is always dicey, with about 1500 runners sprinting about 200 yards of downhill followed by a 90 degree left turn at the bottom. Luckily, it went off without problems. I was running hard from the start, as evidenced by my first mile time of 5:38. That is the fastest I have run a mile in...well... I don't know but probably 30 years. Had this been the 29th annual St. Malachi ONE Mile Race, I would have been in great shape. The fact that there were four more miles before the finish factored heavily into my decision to back-off on the throttle. I ran the next three miles at around 6:06. My Garmin says I ran the last mile at 5:53, but either the race distance was slightly long, or there was another problem, because my official finishing time was 30:09. Regardless, I am happy to have a new PR for that distance, holding a 6:02/min pace. All of the SERC runners did well, and needless to say we walked away with the usual SERC truckload of awards. I tagged on a few more miles after to get to 13 total for the day.

Sunday...what more can I say about this? I've been waiting since sometime last October for a day of this quality. I ran 21 miles in the morning, at a pace that by my best estimate was around 7:50/min. (The Garmin was in my car, where I absent-mindedly left it. My car moved exactly 0.00 miles over that time, at a 0.00/min pace.) Despite the race on Saturday, I felt great and was quite fresh at the end of the long run on Sunday. Afterward, at the bagel shop (D & R Bagels), we presented the owner with a framed photo of our club with a nice dedication thanking him for allowing a bunch of sweaty, noisy, possibly smelly runners to congregate in his shop each Sunday.

SERC runners present a very nice photo of...well...SERC runners, to the D & R Bagel Shop owner.

First Race of 2009...New Magic Slippers...Miles and Miles

We've had this brand-new 2009 for 2 month, and hadn't even taken it for a little street race, until yesterday.  Finally, the Mill Creek Distance Classic 1/2 Marathon in Youngstown gave me the first opportunity to open it up and see what it would do.  The conditions were not ideal, too cold with steady rain which did not stop until around mile 10.   I'll provide a full race report within the next few days, but here is a teaser.  I committed a rookie mistake, which definitely cost me some time, and almost ruined the whole day.   Watch this space for details.

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The week was a good one.   I had a passing thought, which I quickly dismissed, about easing back on the throttle a bit in preparation for the half-marathon at the end of the week.  No, best to train right through Youngstown, since that was not really a target race.  Good news...the weather moderated and allowed for some fun running.  It was still cold, mostly, but the snow was gone, mostly.   Monday, I did an easy 10 miles at recovery pace.  Tuesday was a respectable speed day with the following numbers

• 2 miles @ 8:00
  
• 3 x 1 mile repeats @ 6:00 with .25 mile recovery
  
• 3.25 miles @7:53
  

Wednesday, I was feeling good enough for 12 miles at 7:53 pace, but I should have done more.  Thursday, I picked-up the pace to 6:59 for a nice 8 mile tempo run.   Friday, 10 miles at recovery pace.  On Saturday, we had a muddy, mucky, cold 12.5 mile run through the woods.  It was our first real muddy trail run of the year and it felt like it.  On Sunday, I ran the Mill Creek Half-Marathon at a 6:58 pace.  Photos and race report to follow soon.  I did a few warm-up miles before the race, for a total of 78 miles for the week.  

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Last Tuesday, I picked up my new pair of Nike LunarTrainers.  You probably know that I love the Lunar Racers, which, after my 3:07 in Chicago,  I dubbed the 'magic slippers'.    I bought the LunarTrainers, a slightly heavier but by no means heavy, training version of the racers.  They have a more traditional upper, and more cushioning, but basically have the fit and feel of the racers.  I have put about 50 miles on them so far.  They did not disappoint.   I ran the Mill Creek Half-Marathon in them, but you'll have to wait for the race report to learn how that went.

Pining for Boston, Spring, Warm Sun on my Face...

How badly has this winter in Cleveland affected me?  Forget the physical pain, how much have all those miles in artic conditions warped my psyche, impaired my judgement?  Here is a simple incident to illustrate.  This Sunday morning, I awoke knowing I needed to do about 22 miles, and be home by 10:00 AM, so I got an early start.  I had not checked the weather the day before, so I had no idea what to expect.  To my surprise and delight, it was a beautiful morning.  I dressed and left the house just as the sun was rising.  As I ran, I witnessed the cloudless sky morph from stunning Floridian pink and turquoise to deep blue.  I though to myself several times, "What a gorgeous morning...what a perfect morning for  running."  

It was 16 degrees.

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February marks three consecutive months over 300 miles.  That, my running friends will understand, is my tribute to the great respect I have for Boston.  I was humbled by that course last year, specifically after cresting Heartbreak Hill around mile 21, looking at my time, and naively thinking, "I can finish around 3:10, maybe under, no problem."  Idiot.  I finished at 3:16:55.  You see, what I failed to consider at that moment of exhaustion-induced addle brained stupidity, was that I had nothing left in the bank.  I had spent it all to get there, and I had hell to pay for the last five miles.  This year, I've been putting miles and miles and miles into my account all winter.  I know better than to think that this will guarantee a good time in Boston, but not doing it will guarantee it will not be a good time.  Again this year, I plan to run strong through the hills of Newton.  Unlike last year, I plan to have something in reserve when the hills are behind me.  As my friend Wayne Vereb likes to say, "After Heartbreak, Boston's very runnable."  Wayne is a funny guy. 

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Training Miles Review for the Week and Month

Total for the week: 87 miles

Total for the month of February: 300 miles

Intervals:  On Tuesday the 24th, I ran 9 miles total, with 3 x 1 mile intervals at 6:00 minute pace

Long Run: On Sunday March 1st, I ran 21.5 miles at 7:39 pace.

Winter Hits Me with a Sucker Punch

I've been sick. This is my excuse for why I did not write a blog entry last week. Sicker than a dog; too sick to blog. I'll cover the last two weeks here.
The week of the 9th through the 15th was a great week, with my total at 84 miles. We got a break in the weather for a few days, and Tuesday was so nice I ran in just shorts and a t-shirt. Even though the weather reverted to winter mode for the rest of the week, the little break helped lift my spirits. It didn't last. On Saturday, I felt the cold that I had been fighting off begin to take hold. By the time I finished 22 miler on Sunday, at a very good pace thanks to Paul R., E-speed, and Dave P., I felt like crap.

By Sunday evening, the fight was lost and I was in the full throws of a raging upper respiratory infection.

I did not run at all on Monday, and went to sleep as soon as I finished dinner. On Tuesday, I didn't feel any better, but I wanted to try to run. I blame the illness for my bad judgment. I did six miles in the morning and another four in the evening. For the last three of those miles, I mostly just looked for a place to lie down and die. My schedule for the week was:

• Get to work between 5:30 and 6:00 AM
  
• Come home around 6:00 PM
  
• Eat dinner
  
• Go directly to bed (usually by 7:00 PM or earlier)
  

I thought I would never feel good again, but then, at precisely 3:20 PM on Thursday (I noticed the time on my taskbar clock), I began to feel better. Only very slightly better, but there it was. I tried to run a little on Friday, grinding-out 6 slow, uncomfortable, head-throbbing miles on the treadmill. On Saturday morning, I felt better than I had in a week, and so I went to Lock 29 to run the trails with the group. The trails were snow-covered and the footing was dicey, but that didn't matter much since we bush-whacked most of the morning. For the first time in my experience running with this group, we actually briefly lost our bearings. It turned out to be a little mini-adventure involving a stealthy passage through a Boy Scout camping area, crossing a snow and ice covered dam that was only 18 inches wide, and of course, lots of bush-whacking. Two and a half hours trudging through the snow in the woods wasn't what I had in mind to help my recovery, but I think it actually helped. I came through it feeling better than when I started.

Sunday morning, I felt even better than Saturday, and I put in an early 3.5 miles before joining the SERC group in Solon, I ran the 15 mile route, running much of it was E-speed, including the last six or seven. I got my 20 plus for the day, and managed to average a 7:53 pace. Given the circumstances, I was satisfied.
After I got home, Sue made pancakes with fresh blueberries. I ate my pancakes and watched Liverpool - Man City play one of the most exciting 1 - 1 draws I have ever seen. If any of you were lucky enough to have seen the last 25 minutes, you know what I mean.

Summary - Week of 2/2 through 2/8/09

I'll forgo the narrative describing each daily run.  You could reread last week's summary, as we are in that part of the winter where each bleak week seems just like the last.  You can see the daily mileage in the table to the right.   The total for the week was 81 miles. As has been my pattern, I cam up about 4 miles short of the Pfitzinger's recommended mileage.   Disappointing.  I should have gone longer on Friday and Sunday.   About the only interesting I have to add is that I've started real tempo and interval speed work again.  I ran 3 x 1 mile on Tuesday at 6:00/min pace. I ran 5 miles at a 6:31/pace on Thursday.   Since these were on the treadmill, I have my doubts about the accuracy of the pace.  I expect that when I get the chance to run these on the track, I'll find it will be more difficult. 

On Sunday, after our run, a small group of us from SERC participated in a yoga session.  The instructor, knowing we are a group of runner, geared the session to positions that would be most helpful for us.  I warned everyone going in that I was simply there to provide comic relief.  I am slightly less flexible that a slab of marble.  I was surprised and relieved to find that we did not do anything too challenging.  It was relaxing, and I did feel the stretching was beneficial.  I could have done without the "...find your inner self..." narration that the instructor provided, but I basically tuned him out.  

Goodbye January...See You Again in 2010

Weekly Summary
The last week of January was not much different from the preceding three.   We did got a short reprieve from the arctic temperatures, but the snow continued to fall.   Monday, I did 6 miles in the morning and four miles in the evening,  on the treadmill at recovery pace (around 8:00/min.-mile.)   On Tuesday, I did my first mile intervals since November of 2008, and really, those were not quality miles.  My last really good mile intervals were probably in September.  So, I was not expecting much, but surprisingly, I did 3 miles, each at 6:00/min. pace, with 400 recovery after each.  Wednesday was pure treadmill torture...15 miles in the early morning.  I kept a reasonable pace, averaging 7:45/min., and I switched several times between the television and my MP3's.  The only good thing about that run was the relief I felt when it was over.  Thursday was another 6/4 mile double at recovery pace, nothing particularly noteworthy.  On Friday, I got a nice 7.5 morning miles on the streets of Solon.   The roads were alternately icy and slushy, but my screw shoes proved reliable if not speedy (7:53/min.) 

Saturday at Lock 29, I arrived early and tested the trails, but they were terrible.  Even the tow path, looked like this.

I wanted to run, but the trails would barely allow more than a fast hiking pace.  So, it turned into basically another road run, this time 12.5 miles.   Sunday was the most beautiful morning we have had in months.  It was already 32 degrees when I left the house before 7:00 AM.  I ran my early miles alone, then 12 with the group, then added about 1.5 to get me over 21 miles.  Maybe it was the warm weather, or the clear roads, but I averaged 7:43 pace, even though my first 6 miles were over 8:00/min.  I really picked up the pace, particularly on the Hawthorne Parkway hill.   Total miles for the week: 82.1

January Summary

This was the worst January I can remember for consistently bitter cold and snow that would not stop.  The conditions made quality runs very difficult to manage, and forced me to rely on the treadmill far to much.  I got my long runs in, including a couple of 20 milers, but they were not pleasant and at times, truly uncomfortable.  January will do that to you.  Now that it's gone, and February has started so promisingly, I admit that I am satisfied with the miles I was able to run.   My total from the month was 325 miles, which is 5 miles higher than my previous highest total month, December.  I cannot remember ever looking forward to February so much.  I've started to get some quality speed work back into my schedule.  If February's weather allows, I'd like to get a good tempo run in at least once a week, and not on the treadmill.   

More Frolicking in the Flurries

Thank you, northeast Ohio, for another stimulating, invigorating week of winter weather.   I guess I shouldn't complain.  For the first time in more than two weeks, the high broke above freezing.  Actually, both Thursday and Friday managed to crack that mark.  Not warm enough to melt any significant amount of the snow, just enough to make it slushy and wet, so I could run with soggy feet.   And of course, the balmy break lasted only two days.  Imaging how happy I was when the temperatures dropped back down into the teens on Saturday, then below zero on Sunday.   

The training week started inauspiciously, with only 6 slow miles on Monday.  Work schedule, achy legs, painful knee,...pick from these excuses for why I didn't run more.   My work schedule was against me again on Tuesday, but I planned better and did 7 miles very early at 7:30/min. 

pace, and another 7 miles after work at 6:53/min pace, for 14 total treadmill miles.   Wednesday, I could not run in the morning due to work again, and had to work through lunch, so that left only a small window of opportunity at the end of the day.  I did eleven miles, again on the treadmill, but slower than Tuesday.   More treadmill on Thursday, with an 8 miler in the morning at 6:53/min. and 5 miles in the evening at 7:30/pace.   Friday was a nice day and I had an opportunity to go for a ten miler.  I thought I was moving at a good pace, but when I checked, it was only an average of 7:48/min.  For the second consecutive Saturday, the conditions on the trails were such that we decided to run from Peninsula on the roads.  It started to snow, and the road conditions got very slippery, so we might have been better off on the trails.  We ran 12.39 miles at about an 8:00/min. pace.  The photo above was taken at the end of that run.  On Sunday morning, I woke up around five, knowing I needed to get in some solid early miles to come close to Pfitzinger's 22 mile target for the day.  The thermometer said 0 degrees.   Undiscouraged (hahahahahaha), I had a light breakfast, put on my gear, and headed out.  I got about 8 miles in before I caught up with the SERC group in Solon.  I ran 12 miles with the group, mostly with Eileen, then tacked on another 1.1 to get to 21.1...close enough to 22 on a very cold morning.   Total for the week: 87.5 miles, about 5 miles short of Pfitzinger's plan.  

Training Week Review - 2009 Race Schedule

Weekly Review
After ignoring the pain in my right knee for more than a month, I finally decided to give it a rest. The pain is in the lower inside, in the area of the medial collateral ligaments. Mark G. suggested that it might be due to all the running in snow and ice. The slipping and bad footing put more laterial stress on the knee, and I may have strained these ligaments.

I did not run on Monday and Tuesday. This seemed to help, or at least I felt less pain when going up and down stairs. On Wednesday, I did a very easy six miles, and although the pain was still there, it was less intense. Thursday, I felt the need to test my knee, and I was anxious about not getting enough miles in, so I did 14 miles on the treadmill, 6 miles in the morning and 8 miles in the evening.

The pain was tolerable and certainly didn't feel any worse than it had before. This was encouraging since I did 8 of the miles at a 6:50/min pace. On Friday, I did another 8 miles.

Saturday at Lock 29 was...ummm...chilly. Despite the temperature (-10F), about 10 runners showed up. I had slathered my face with Vaseline, put on two pairs of gloves, and we were off. After the first few miles, it actually wasn't all that uncomfortable. We did about 11 miles, all on the roads. My knee was not giving me too much grief when I got up on Sunday, so I did 18.3 miles, 12 miles with the group, with an average of 8:00/min pace. The weather was warm, in the 20's, but it started to snow and the footing was slippery, especially on the Hawthorne Parkway hill. Wyatt and I ran this together, commiserating about being unable to get any traction. I really wished I had been wearing my screw shoes. I had started out wearing them, but when I saw that the roads were OK, I circled back home and swapped them for my road shoes. Half-way through the run, I realized that I should have stayed with the screw shoes.

Despite taking a mini-break on Monday and Tuesday, my total for the week was 57 miles. This isn't close to what it should have been, but I think the benefit to my knee will allow me to resume my high-mileage training.

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Major Races for 2009
Listed below are the major races I plan to run in 2009. Of course, I will also run lots of smaller races as well, like the Mill Creek Half-Marathon, St. Malachi, Blossom Time in Chagrin Falls, etc.

• Boston Marathon - April 20

I will try to take about 10 minutes off my my 3:16:57 last year.

• Cleveland Marathon May 17

No goal for this one yet. With Boston a month before and Seattle a month later, I'll wait until the last minute to decide how I want to run Cleveland.

• Seattle Marathon - June 27

I'm really excited to run the Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon. Sue and I will make a vacation of it, spending a week visiting our son and his girlfriend, and enjoying Seattle.

• Buckeye Trail 50k - July 18

I was fighting cramps for the last 10 miles of this one in 2008, and I had a terrible time. My goal is sub-5 hours.

• Burning River 100 Mile - Aug 1

My goal is cross the finish line. After that, if I am in good enough condition to think about a time, 25 hours would be great.

• Punxsutawney 50k - September 12

Last year, I had a great time in Punxsy. The people there do a great job organizing this race, and the course is really challenging. I want to run this again, if the residual effects of the Burning River don't stop me.

• NYC Marathon - November 1

Not yet open for registration, but I hope to get in. I want to have the experience of running this.

Winter: It's On

For most of my adult life, I have seen the treadmill as an invention of Satan.  That was until this week. Training for Boston through the Cleveland winter had something to do with it.    I recognized that I was nearly killing myself running outdoors everyday, regardless of the conditions. Further, it was effecting the quality of my runs. Don't misunderstand. I still believe that slogging through the snow and ice makes for an excellent workout, but the quality of the running suffers, and your form can get very sloppy. I still believe that Satan invented the treadmill, but now I realize that he's probably a hell of a runner. 

So...I ran 10 miles on the treadmill on Monday, 6 miles in the morning, and 4 miles in the evening. The weather was perfect...70 degrees, no precipitation, no wind. On Tuesday, I did an early morning 10 miler on the streets of Independence. The occasional patches of ice keep my attention focused on the surface in front of me. It was dark, and I wore my headlamp, but it did not throw enough light to make the ice easy to spot.   I managed to stay upright for the whole run, but there were a few close calls.  On Wednesday, the plan called for 14 miles, and my schedule at work was not going to give me much of an opportunity. I hit the treadmill in the evening and got my 14 miles done. I tried to break-up the boredom by listening to my music and watching television. Both of those helped stave off the inevitable tedium for a while. The last hour was tough. When the display flipped to '14.0 Miles', I hit the 'Stop' button so hard, I thought I broke it. After that, I made sure that my Thursday and Friday runs were outside.
The weather turned ugly on Friday afternoon, and the snow fell through the night. On Saturday morning, I arrived at about 7:55 but the roads were awful. By 8:20, there were still only a few runners, we had to delay the start for about 20 minutes while we waited for more runners to arrive. Finally, at about 8:30 we started. I assumed that, since we got such a late start, and since the conditions were so bad, we would probably only cover about 10 miles rather than our usual 12. I also assumed that with all of the snow and bad footing, we would back off on the pace. So...we did 14.4 miles at the fastest pace I have ever recorded on one of our Saturday runs. Sure. Why not?

Runners mulling around the LOCK 29 parking lot, waiting for the late-comers.

Heading off for a run in the great white wilderness.

On Sunday morning, my legs were really feeling the effects of the last month and a half. My knees, specifically my right knee, did not want me to go down the stairs, let alone head out for an 18 mile run. I made some coffee, tried to loosen up, got changed, and headed out at around 7:00 AM. I ran very uncomfortably and slowly for the first few miles. At 8:00 AM, I joined the SERC group. Unlike last week, this week I avoided the temptation to run with the 7:00/min-mile group. My intention was a long slow run at around 8:00/min-mile pace and I was able to stick to it. Fortunately, Paul R. joined me about three miles after the SERC group started, and we ran the next 10 miles together.  I completed 17.3 miles.  The total for the week was 78 miles, not quite Pfitzinger's recommended 84.  

Last Week and Month of 2009 Summary

Weekly Summary
About every fifth week, the plan calls for a 'lighter mileage' week. So the week of Monday 12/29 through Sunday 1/4, dropped back down to 70 miles. My legs did notice the difference.
Monday: 10 miles in the early morning on the roads of Independence. Mostly hilly, at 8:02 min/mile pace.
Tuesday: Only 6 miles, also around Independence, at a more reasonable 7:33 pace.
Wedensday: The annual SERC New Years Eve run. I forgot to turn on my Garmin, so I am calling this 13 hilly miles through some real crap weather (snow and wind). I don't know the pace I kept, but I promise you I kicked it into another gear after making the turn at the half. I tried to keep Steve G. in sight, but with visibility almost nil at times, I could not always do that. I did wear my screw shoes, which helped with what was otherwise slippery footing. It was a tough morning, but thankfully Rich prepared a feast of a breakfast and I ate enough to get me through 2009.
Thursday: A nice, slow 7.12 miles recovery run.
Friday: A slow 6 miles (hardly worth the effort to get changed) in Independence.
Saturday: A fun 12 miles with the Lock 29 group, on a reasonably nice morning in January. I ran the last mile and a half at sub 6:30 pace with Marc A's sister Marissa (?).
Sunday: I ran a few warm-up miles alone, then 12 miles with the group at a pace that was a bit faster than I had intended. Here are the splits by mile: 7.34, 7.27, 7.13, 7.12, 7.06, 7.07, 7.24, 6.55, 7.20, 7.30, 7.31, 7.03, 7.11.

Monthly Summary
December was a good month of training. I tracked reasonably close to Pfitzinger's plan, although as I have said, it is not my intention to follow it religiously. I got a couple of twenty-milers in, and my weekly total were all in the 70's and 80's. The total for the month was 320 miles, which is the highest I have ever recorded. My legs are feeling tired and tight, and I have some knee pain (right knee, inside and low), and getting loose in the morning takes longer than it used to, but otherwise I surprisingly good.

2008 Did Not Suck

From the first part of 2008, I was struggling to train for Boston while dealing with injuries.   The weather was terrible, and every mile was an effort.   Anyone reading my blog then was treated to a stream of complaints about the pain in my knee and the crap weather.   The pain got so bad that I started to doubt that I would be able to run Boston at all.   You may remember this helpful illustration.    

Just in time for Boston, the SERC singlets arrived.  Very cool.  I wore this in Boston and got a few 'Go Cleveland' shouts.  I managed a PR time of 3:16:55.  

I thought I was hurting before Boston, but I was really hurting after.  The next day, I went for a slow five mile run.  I could not loosen-up my tight legs, and I said that I probably looked like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons trying to run. 

Under the circumstances, I could not train for Cleveland, which was less than a month later.  My longest run in that time was 15 miles, so I went into the race with low expectations.  I surprised myself with a PR of 3:15:01, but the last six miles of that race were as bad a time as I've ever had running.  Thanks to Marc A. for running with me from about mile 21 to the end.  

The weekend after the Cleveland Marathon, I won my age group in the Blossom Time 5.25 mile race in Chagrin Falls.  That felt very good because I've run this race for the last three years, and each time I just missed winning an award.  Also in May, I bought myself a bike, a Specialized Sequia.  I made it a habit to ride to work a couple of times a week.  I've been holding to that, although it is now in storage for the winter. 

In June, while running along the Ohio canal tow path with my friend Andy R. in May, a couple of senior citizens got very flirty with us. Thanks ladies.  Andy and I really picked up the pace after that. 

Also in June, while trying to prepare for the Buckeye Trail 50k, we had some very wet weather.  The trails were muddy, which was the point of this map.

On a very warm day in July, I ran my first ultra-marathon, the Buckeye Trail 50k.  I learned that serious muscle cramps with more than 10 miles to go will really ruin your day.   That race did not go as well as I had hoped, and I resolved to try another 50k as soon as possible.

I resumed training and for the month of August, I tried to put in as many miles on the trails as possible.   Fortunately, the weather was cooperative, and in fact, I really loved my time in the woods.  This is a photo of a brick road that was being reclaimed by the forest. 

In September, I erased the disappointment of the BT50k by running well at the Punxsutawney 50k, finishing in 4:59.   We (SERC) took the team prize as well, and we each were awarded a free pair of Montrail shoes.   This is a photo of me at the top of a hill called 'Yellow Bus'. 

After Punxsy, I was surprised by the reaction of some non-runners who could not understand why I was so happy with a 4 hour and 59 minute time in a 31 mile race.  After all, they said, I ran a marathon (26.2 miles) in 3 hours and 15 minutes.  So, I created the following graphical comparison of the Boston Marathon and the Punxsutawney 50k to help them understand.

I did dare take my foot off the pedal after Punxsy, with the Chicago Marathon coming righ up.  I finished my training, and when that last week before the race finally arrived, I had a well-deserved taper.  You'll remember my taper mascot, Tippy Tapir.

I went into Chicago feeling better than I had in Boston or Cleveland.  I was thinking seriously about a 3:10 marathon.  I started to have my doubts when the terperatures rose steadily to over 80 degrees.  Thankfully, I felt great and ran a strong 3:07:58 race.  

After Chicago, the marathon season was over for me, but I continued to keep my training miles up.   I did make a last minute decision to run the Cleveland Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving.  It was a great day.  My friend John and my sis-in-law Lisa both decided to make it their first races ever, and they did very well.  I had my best 5 mile time ever, 30:37, which is a 6:07 pace, and won my age group.  

Early in December, I decided to try to follow Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning plan, December became the highest mileage month I have ever recorded.  The weather was typically bad at times, but that's the fun of training through the winter in Cleveland.   The morning of the annual SERC New Years Eve run, a nasty storm blew in.  We're hardcore runners and the run went off as scheduled.  Here's a photo from right after I finished.  That's not the normal amount of white in my beard, it's encased in ice.  

I have many people to thanks for all the help I received in 2008.  It was a breakthrough running year for me.  I PR'd in three consecutive marathons, and ran my first two ultras as well.  With all of the distance work, I still managed to win my age group in some shorter races, and have my best ever 5 mile time.  Sue, thanks for your understanding and support, although I know that you think I am insane.  Huge thanks to all of my equally insane SERC friends.  It is a simple statement of fact to say that I would not have accomplished any of this without their help, support, advice, and encouragement.  And a special thanks to each of you who read and comment on my blog.  You give me the motivation I need to keep writing and working to make this fun to read.  Thanks, everyone.