Much Better (Detroit 07, Week 13 Day 4)

Long Run: 20Miles @ 8:53
Planned: 20Miles @ 9:00

I cant begin to say how much better I feel after this run. This was the first time I have every ran 20 miles under 9:00 without stopping or walking. This was my primary goal. I have run further in the past but not without walking.

I have been having such a hard time with the wall, for the last month. Today I pouched right through the Wall, and was able to run the last mile at at respectable 8:30, up hill. This week my entire goal was just not to walk, even if my pace dropped. Luckily since I had already decided to relax my pace back down to 9:00 for this run I was able to do this entire run without ever drooping behind my goal time.

I am going to treat this run as a kind of dress rehearsal for the marathon. I have officially decided to make my goal pace 9:00 instead of 8:30. This should allow me to keep on track and not burn out. And will still give me a planed finish time of 3:55, which will officially make me a Sub 4hour runner. Helping me secure better starting location in future races.

I don't know how much of the success of this run was due to my new shoes, but I can tell you for sure that they did not hurt the run at all. I think I my have found the right marathon running shoes. I will reserve final judgment until I have done a few weeks on them, but with 32 miles in them this week I am feeling pretty positive.

No Chart today since I had to restart my run at around 7 miles due to audiobook problems. And I ended up recording two. one 7 and one 13. Both were pretty accurate. But would just be confusing if I posted them.

Next week starts my taper. The hard part of training is over, lets just hope it was enough.

New Shoes (Detroit 2007, Week 13 Day 2 & 3)

Wendsday (Day 2)
Pace Run: 6Miles @ 8:21
Planned: Tempo 6Miles - 4Miles @ 7:25

Since last week was kind of a unexpectedly bad time, I was a bit concerned about doing my speed work. So I decided to make some tweaks to this weeks schedule. So I replaced my speedwork with my Thursday Pace Run. And decided to do a EZ run Thursday.

I have been concerned that I need some more padded shoes. After doing some research I decided to try the Nike Air Pegasus. They are a nice neutral shoe, with more padding. Ironical they cost 10 bucks less then the Air Moires that I have been running in.

Thursday (Day 4)
EZ Run: 6Miles @ 8:34
Planned: 6Miles @ 8:30

This run went fine, the new shoes seam to be working out well. I am mostly trying to make sure that I am stretching, and letting my legs relax. Sunday's 20 Milers is about the only thing on my mind.

A bit Better (Detroit 07, Week 13 Day 1)

EZ Run: 4miles @ 8:27
Planned: 4miles @ 8:45

I was worried about my run this morning, so for once I took some time to stretch before I went out. (Note... Well Da..) And it went much better. I did however run to fast. This I think is one of the underlying problems I have had with this training cycle.

Now that I think on it I think doing my pace runs at 8:30 my have been a mistake. The point of EZ runs is to build stamina without straining your body. I have only been doing one a week, instead of the 2 recommended by smart coach, and that one I have on average ran 15 seconds faster then I was supposed to.

Oh well, today I feel OK, so I am going to continue on as planned. But next time I will have alto to think about before I lock myself into a schedule.

Choppy Waters (Detroit 07, Week 12 Day 3 & 4)

EZ Run: 6.09 miles @ 8:36
Planned: 6 miles @ 8:50

Apparently Finlay signing up for the Marathon was a invitation to trouble. This run went fine but left me feeling some pain in my knees, and with very stiff legs. I am not sure what this is but it certainly is not "Recovery".

Long Run: 10 Miles @ 8:46
Planned: 10 Miles @ 8:50

My legs did not really recover after my Thursday run, and I ween out on Sunday surprisingly stiff for a "Recovery" Week. I was in a funk the entire run, and my pace continued to drop thought. I would not have been under my planned pace if I had to took a break at 9miles and booked it the final miles (7:35).

I am still not sure what my problem was this week. But I am a bit concerned. I may have over ran the last 3 weeks, all of which ended with 20+ runs. If this is the case I may be in trouble.

Smooth Sailing (Detroit 07, Week 12 Day 3)

EZ Run: 8miles @ 8:45
Planned: 8miles @ 8:50

As I had hoped this run was uneventful. I am feeling a bit more sour then I was expecting, considering this is a recovery week, but over all things went well. Next week may be different but for the moment I cant complain.

Oh, and I did Finlay officially sign up for the Marathon today, can't back out now.

Robert Jorden, I will miss you on my long runs.

Sunday, the 16th or September 2007, James Oliver Rigney Jr., known to fans of his work as Robert Jordan, Passed away.

I know that this seems to have nothing to do with running, but it fact I dose. I have been running for a bit less then two years, I have run 1800 or so miles. I would not be surprised if at least 800 of those miles were run while listening to "The wheal of time" books, by Robert Jordan.

Many fans fantasy literature had problems with his work, saying it was two long, or two complicated. But these are the things that make the Wheal of Time a master Peace. About once a year I find my self starting the 11 book sires, and by the time I have finished I am so engrossed in the world he has created that It is seeping into my dreams. I don't know if any other writer will ever have the fortitude, or pull with the publishers to ever write anything of that scope again.

Sadly the wheel of time was left unfinished, He was trying to wrap things up in a final volume. Perhaps between his copious notes, and what progress he was able to make on book 12, the publishers will be able to have some one finish up. I hope they do. But I for one will always wonder what other stores could have been told.

The closest I ever came to Robert Jorden was in a elevator at Dragon*Con, in 2005. I did not say anything because I did not want to be just another fanboy, but now I wish I had. Just for the record, I will say what I should have then. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.

Short Winded (Detroit 07, Week 12 Day 1)

EZ Run: 6miles @ 8:41
Planned: 6miles @ 8:50

I realize that my post have been getting log winded, and rambling. Today I will be brief, the run went fine. At the end I was hardly even sweating. This week is recovery so with luck this will be the case for the rest of the week.

Ups and Downs (Detroit 2007, Week 11 Day 4)

Long Run: 20miles @ 8:54
planned: 20miles @ 8:50

Ups and downs, that pretty much describes this run to a tee. I was not feeling to to positive as I hit the road. But I managed to get out and moving while it was still cool. But after the first few miles I was feeling better. I decided to go on a new new route, I hit my first hill around 3.5 miles in, but since I was fresh I did not notice it to much. At mile 6.5 I hit a much bigger one. This one I defiantly noticed. But still I was above my pace.

Around mile 9 I was sure that this was going to be my best 20 miler yet. I knew that I was going to be able to finish without stopping. I was quite proud of myself for downing GU, and washing it down without stopping, or even losing time.

I continued to feel well, until around mile 11 when I hit yet another big hill, I felt seconds slipping away as I climbed it, and when I got to the top I decided I would book it down the other size. The crazy thing was, that I thought I was booking it but apparently I did speed up much at all. This is the point where I started to realize that I was losing a my momentum.

At the Half Marathon mark, I found myself overwhelmed with the urge to walk. It was only for a few minutes. I took off for another 3 miles, around mile 16 I hit the wall for real. I walked another 400m or so, and downed my last GU. With that I began the last 4 miles. Despite my best efforts I found myself walking after each of the remaining miles.

After I walked again at the end of mile 18, I decided to give what ever I had left up in the last mile. I walked around for a few minutes, stretched. Restarted my watch and hit it. Somehow I manage to finish the last mile in 7:21. This brought my average back up to a respectable 8:54.

The thing I want to know is this, If I had the energy to do a 7:21 mile after 19 miles. How come I could not manage to continue at a casual 9:00 or so with out taking walk brakes. I only have one more 20mile run before the race, and my only goal is to finish it without walking.

Chafing sucks (Detroit 07, Week 11 Day 3)

Pace Run: 7miles @ 8:28
Planned: 7miles @ 8:30

After chocking on my speedwork on Thursday, I was not in to good of a mode. So on my way home I stopped to buy some new running gear, to lift my spirits. I got some new shorts and a shirt, as well as a new stick of Body Glide. This was because last weeks long run had given me quite the friction burn, in some sensitive places.

However I got started on my run a bit later then I had planned, I tried out my new shorts, and shirt, but forgot the Body Glide I realized this about 2 miles into my 7 miles. Needless to say I got to spend the rest of the day walking like a cowboy freshly of the range. Hopefully I will be recovered by Sunday. I can tell you what I wont be forgetting before I leave for that run.

Aside from all that the run went fine. I don't seam to have any problems with 8:30 in relatively short distances. I don't however, know how this would have gone had it been 17 miles instead of 7.

Count this as a skip. (Detroit 07, Week 11 Day 2)

Speed work: 2 Miles - 1 @ 7:24
Planned: 7 Miles - 5 @ 7:30

This morning I got up feeling Sully, and late, I decided to force myself down to the treadmill and get my speedwork done.

I made it 2 miles. One mile warm up at 11:00 and one mile at my tempo pace at 7:24. The entire time I just wanted to stop. Since I have allot going on at work I wanted to get in at a decent hour, and I realized I was not going to make it if I continued the entire 7 miles. So I just called it.

I realize that this is a bad sign. Once again I am more convinced that I am over shooting again. The only thing worse then unrealistic goals. Is posting them on the Internet.

I'm going to go work and moan and do do my pace run tomorrow. And see.

Not so bad (Detroit 07, Week 11 Day 1)

EZ Run: 4.31 Miles @ 8:38
Planned: 4Miles @ 8:50

Well, by the end of my run Sunday I was convinced that I would not be able to run for a week. I was convinced that I was going to be in at least as bad shape as I was after LA.

But to my surprise This morning I was feeling fine. For the first half mile or so I was a bit stiff, but by the time I hit mile one things had loosened up, I found myself ahead of pace. Since I was still feeling good, so I let myself continue to run a bit faster then planned. By the time I finessed I was was quite a bit ahead.

I am still convinced that I need re-think my goals. But I will wait to see how next weeks long run goes.

So Not Ready... (Detroit Week 10)

OK, So like has been very busy this week so I have not been updating my running blog. So I am just going to do it in on fell swoop.

Wednesday:
EZ Run: 4 Miles @ 8:44
Planned: 4 Miles @ 8:50

Because of Dragon*Con I was not feeling up to running on Tuesday, so I moved my EZ run to Wednesday. All went well, as a matter of fact it went very easily, making me feel a bit less bad about missing the last 2 days of week 9.

Thursday:
Speedwork: 8miles - 4miles @ 6:58
Planned: 8miles - 4miles @ 7:00

I ran this on the treadmill, and it went pretty well, the last mile at speed was quite hard, but I did not feel unnaturally tired afterword. Over all was pretty happy with it.

Friday:
Pace Run: 4miles @ 8:27
Planned: 4miles @ 8:30

Once more I hit the treadmill for this run, mostly because it is getting light later. And I needed to get to work early. This also went well. I finished feeling quite positive.

Sunday:
Long Run: 22.5 Miles @ 9:04 (I think)
Planned: 24 Miles @ 8:50

This run brought me back to reality, and brought about the realization that I far from ready for the marathon. I still have 6 weeks, but half of that is taper.

This run was particulary anoying because, When I had my wife drop me off 24 miles from the house (So I could run back home), I found out my Garmin was not working. So I had to trust my Nike+iPod. This went ok but I am pritty sure it was quite a bit off. The entire run was more like 24.5 miles. But I walked around 1.5 to 2 miles. I am pritty sure I ran to fast for the first 10 miles

What I realized today was that I need change my way of thinking, about running. I realize now that I need to one of two things. Either, I need to either get more serous about training, or get back to enjoying running for itself. This had brought me to a few realizations, In short I am going to relax a bit. More on that later.

Dragon*Con Detour (Detroit 07, Week 9 Day 2)

EZ Run: 6miles @ 8:44
Planned: 6miles @ 8:55
Weight: Don't remember.

I am writing this 5 days, late, and after missing day 3, and 4 of week nine.

Thursday, right after my morning run I got in my car and drove 700 miles to Atlanta, for Dragon*Con. For the few normal people who know me, Dragon*Con is the worlds biggest Sci-Fi Fantasy/ fan convention. It takes place in Atlanta Georgia and pretty much takes over the down town district. I have been going as a guest for the last 3 years, doing panels on working in the video game industry, and art & technology. It is quite fun, but is not really the best place to hit the road for a 10 mile run.

I did bring my shoes, and had planned on running on the hotel treadmill, but that lasted about as long as it took for me to do my first panel. The good thing is that I know I was going to have a hard time running while at the convention, this was one of the reasons I moved my recovery week back one, Hopefully the missing 16 miles will not bring my progress to a halt.

I'm going to try and get back on scheduler now, and will be doing my first week 10 run later today.

Needless to say, the 5 days of convention and driving did not help my diet much either.