Saturday Morning 'Run'

Ran with the Fleet Feet Running club, but mostly walked. Would occasionally run, and it felt a bit better than the other day, but still painful enough to slow me down. Felt like I needed to get out and do a bit of activity though, need to start focusing on losing some weight and getting some miles in for the Little Rock Marathon. 5.5 miles in 1:21:59, avg pace of 14:54, avg heart rate of 123. Was pretty cold out, but not windy.

Back, Sorta

First run back, and even with the time off, my right leg is still a bit sore. I'm guessing I pulled or have a slight tear in my calf muscle, but it's kinda hard to tell. Doesn't really hurt to walk around, but running is painful from landing to push off. 3 miles around the neighborhood at an easy pace. Walked some, wasn't too bad out weather wise. Going to be taking it easy for a while from the looks of it. 3 miles in 37:37, avg pace of 12:32, avg heart rate of 162.

Fleet Feet Runners Club

A few months back, Judy and I joined the Fleet Feet Runners Club, and they had their annual xmas dinner the past Saturday. Was fun meeting other runners, sharing stories and talking about upcoming events and runs. We plan on doing some of the Saturday morning runs with the group and seeing what other events they do. Should be fun and give us more reasons to run. We ate way too much cheese cake and chocolate cake, but it was hard to resist (:

Memphis Marathon 07

Memphis Marathon 2007 is done. I ended up coming down with a cold last week, so didn't run at all since last Saturday. On top of that, my right leg was still hurting a bit. More or less felt OK to walk, but if I jogged or ran, every time I landed it hurt some - not a ton, but some, and not really anything I could pinpoint, just more or less my whole leg hurt.

Friday we headed out for Memphis, getting going about 8am. We got to Memphis about 12:30 and went to Gus' Famous Fried Chicken for lunch. We then hit the expo (which seemed to have a lot less than last year) and then went to check in. We went to Bolla Pasta Cordova for Pasta, which was out east away from downtown, so no crowds. Then we headed back and got to bed early.

Woke up about 5:30am, weather couldn't be much better. Was about 43F out and clear. We got dressed and then took the Trolley downtown from the hotel. Got our bags checked at the finish line, and had time for final preparations. I went to the bathroom again, but my stomach was feeling a bit off - not sure if it was from the Chicken for lunch, the pasta for dinner, or just being under the weather all week, but it felt like it might be an issue. Judy and I got headed to the start line, I hung out with her in her corral until near start time, then headed up to where I would be. I thought about trying to run with the 4:15 people for a while, but with my leg feeling like it did, figured I'd just try to run at a 10 minute pace and see how it went.

Marathon started and the first few miles were crowded while things got into gear. First mile was 10:36, but then I ran a 9:33, 9:29, 10:27 (the Garmin flaked out, lost distance, hit lap at the mile marker to get back on track), 9:15, 9:27, 9:32, a short lap of 1:00 because the Garmin was off from the mile markers, 10:23 (had shot blocks), 9:30, 9:49, 9:59, 10:10 and 9:57. At the 10K mark, I was at 1:01:17, with a pace of 9:54. At the 13 mile mark, I was at 2:09:07, a pace of 9:56, and I wasn't feeling too bad overall, however, at this point I really needed to go to the bathroom, had felt that need for the last few miles but I had wanted to wait until after the half marathon split so there would most likely be no line. So right after mile 13, I hopped in an available port-a-potty. The break took a bit over 7 minutes total, and my official half marathon time was 2:19:27, pace of 10:39. I had a bit of trouble getting back in the groove after the bathroom break, and I was a bit mentally discouraged because the chances of hitting 4:22, or even 4:30 were pretty slim. Leg was still hurting, I was starting to get pretty tired, and mentally I just wasn't very into it.

But I kept at it, I started walking up hills and such. A few times I thought that I would walk a mile and then see how I felt, but after walking a few minutes, I would always feel like running again, so I just kept doing that. Splits for the second half were 10:20, 10:30, 11:02, 10:56, 11:01, 11:27, 11:48, 10:36, 11:11, 11:58, 11:34, 11:51, 11:17, and 2:59 for the last .2 miles or so (was a bit more, Garmin acted up at this point since I was getting into down town). Official splits were 3:32:52 at the 20 mile point (pace at 10:42). With a few miles to go, I knew it would be close to get under 4:45, and when I entered the baseball park for the finish and was running along the warning track, I could have really kicked it in and probably got under 4:45, but I would have had to pass a lady who was looking very happy to finish, and I didn't want to lessen her feeling at all by passing her, so I just stayed behind her. Ended up with a 4:45:17 overall, 10:54 pace. It was a PR, and all things considered, was a pretty good time. In my age group I finished 167th of 215. Somewhat interestingly, at the various splits I went from being 163rd at the 10K point, to 185th at the half marathon, to 176 at the 20 mile mark, to 167 overall. So even though my second half I was running slower and slower, everyone else was running even more slower, heh. The last few miles of a marathon always seem to be the same, you see the same people over and over, they may walk a bit and you'll pass them, then they'll pass you back when you're walking. Everyone knows the finish line is 'close' and you know that one way or another you'll make it. Race results here.

I got changed and entered into the post-race area and had some pizza, cookies, krispy creams, and such. I passed on the Coors Light beer, heh. I then got settled in to wait for Judy. She called with about a mile to go to let me know she was getting close. She came into the ball park and was running along the warning track to the finish line, coming in at 5:43:14, a job well done. We hung around a bit more while Judy got some food (they had just ran out of Pizza) and then we headed back to the hotel. We got showered and such, and then it was time to head to dinner. We went to The Bar-B-Q Shop down the road from the hotel, and had a great BBQ dinner. Headed back and just lounged the rest of the evening and went to bed pretty early.

There were some noisy neighbors at the hotel that woke us up around 3 or 4 in the morning. Some banging around, loud talking, etc, but that actually worked out well, because we got up and moved around a bit, I think it helped keep our legs from being stiff in the morning. Went back to bed for a few more hours of sleep, and then got up and checked out and on the road. There was an accident that stopped traffic for about a half hour in northern Arkansas, but we still managed to get to Lamberts at about 12:30 for lunch. Judy decided to get a salad there to go along with the rolls and pass arounds, and what came out was the largest salad I have ever seen - was downright silly. I of course overate ... hard not to do there, heh.

We stopped at the outlet mall that was in the same town as Lamberts real quick, and then back on the road. Got back home about 4:15, unloaded, lounged, and then it was bed time. Legs are pretty sore, my right leg will love the two weeks off I'm sure. I'll post photos when I get them organized.

Winding Down

Scheduled for 8 miles, decided to run 4.5 miles, then walk 4 miles while Judy ran 8. If she had gone her usual pace, we would have got done about the same time, but she was going a bit faster than usual, so she caught me with about 1.5 miles to go, so I ran with her the last 1.5 miles as well. Overall 8.5 miles in 1:43:00, 12 min/mile pace. Pace the first 4.5 miles was about 10:15, with the last half mile ran at 8:54 more to see how it felt than anything else. Overall while running things were not too sore, but my right calf is still hobbling me a bit. Most likely I will either skip the last few runs or I will walk them completely. At this point they're not going to help me be in better shape for the marathon and I should try to be as healthy as possible. If it feels like it does now, I'll be able to do the marathon, but it probably won't be very quick, and I'll be extra sore afterwards from running with an altered stride.

Queeny Park 5K

Turkey Tracks 5k in Queeny Park. $13 bucks and got a t-shirt and a long sleeve performance shirt, what a deal. 400 or so runners, kids, dogs, etc, ran on a trail, pretty tight quarters, especially at the start. My right calf muscle is still feeling a bit bad, but I was able to run near top speed without too much discomfort. 5K in 27:38, 8:55 pace. Splits of 9:53 (crowded start), 8:32, 8:53. Garmin registered as 3.03 miles (course had several turns and lots of trees). There was a massive 100ft 20 degree hill at about mile 2.5 ... ouch. I had to slow down going down the hills because my calf was sore and footing seemed not so great, but overall I was fairly happy with the run. Forgot to wear my heart monitor, so no idea on that. Results can be found here.

4 Mile Morning Run

Hobbling a bit more today, wasn't really bad, but was enough to slow me down. Took it easy, ran 4 miles then walked 2. 4 miles in 45:30, avg pace of 11:22, splits of 11:07, 11:10, 11:41 and 11:30. AHR of 148. Was about 60F when we started running, but the temp was dropping and by the time we were done it was about 50F. Suppose to be colder tomorrow.

Easy 5 Mile Run

Few days off, leg still felt a bit sore but didn't seem too bad at all, so I think it's 'better'. 5 miles, took it fairly easy, though AHR was a bit up, total time 50:22, avg pace of 10:04, AHR of 162. About 56F out this morning. Splits of 10:30, 9:58, 9:55, 9:59 and 9:58. I might take tomorrow off to rest up my legs a bit, or I might go ahead and do an easy run, not the speed workout that is listed. We'll see.

Last Long Run Before Memphis

Last long run before the Marathon. Was up *real* late last night with work, so felt a bit draggy out. Ran 16 miles, 8 miles southwest into a bit of a wind, then 8 miles back with a bit of a wind. Was fairly warm out, 50s at the start, 60s by the end. Ran a bit faster than I should have probably, and my right leg is still hurting a bit. 16 miles in 2:44:47, avg pace of 10:18, AHR of 159. Splits were between 10:06 and 10:30, though the garmin acted up a bit and lost some distance, so some of that is estimates. Going to not run until Tuesday to rest it up a bit.

6 Mile Easy Run

Easy run this morning, 6 miles up at the lake, 59:26 total time, avg pace of 9:54, AHR of 155. Splits of 10:35, 10:08, 10:04, 9:25, 9:37 and 9:35. Cool out (about 40F) and very windy, head wind on the way out, tail wind on the way back.Right leg is still hurting - I iced it a bit afterwards, felt better for a while.

10 Mile Tempo Run

Tempo run out at the lake. Was in the 50s again, but rather windy. Was loking to run 9:30 splits, held pretty close to that, running 10:05 warm up, then 9:29, 9:30, 9:31, 9:33, 9:35, 9:38, 9:21, 9:30 and 9:29. Overall pace of 9:34, AHR of 160. I felt like I was pushing it more, but my HR wasn't too bad. Right leg is a bit sore, feels a bit like shin splints, might have been pushing it too much lately.

7 Mile Run

Nice out, in the 50s, but legs were tired. Got running about 7am up at the lake, running 7 miles in 1:07:59, avg pace of 9:42, AHR of 160. Splits of 10:14, 9:49, 9:54, 9:49, 9:35, 9:37 and 9:58.

St Louis Half Marathon

28th Annual St Louis Half Marathon, starting in Clayton, running to and around Forest Park, then back. Very nice weather out, was around 55F at the start, partly cloudy, a bit of a breeze, around 65F at the finish time. 13.15 miles according to the Garmin in 2:02:14, bettered my best half marathon by over 10 minutes. Felt good most of the run, course was fairly hilly but I guess I can tolerate hills for a half marathon, didn't feel too bad by the end. I was pushing it a bit, with my overall AHR being 168, last 4 miles were 171, 169, 173 and 174, with 175 over the last .15 miles. I felt like I could push it more, but didn't want to over do it with Memphis coming up in 20 days. Splits were 9:48, 9:12, 8:51, 9:11, 9:07, 9:57 (gu mile), 8:50, 9:26, 9:12, 8:56, 9:50 (shot bloks mile), 9:17, 9:15 and 8:27 pace for the last bit. Course can be found here - Garmin pace of 9:17, official pace of 9:20. Results here.

6 Mile Hill Run

Decent out, 44F, so didn't need the warm hat or gloves. Ran up at the lake while Judy ran, did the over and back on the overpass 5 times, total of 6 miles, splits of 10:39, 10:07, 10:11, 10:10, 10:10 and 8:56. AHR of 162, max of 177 during the last mile where I was near top speed for a bit. 2 days of rest before the half marathon this weekend, not sure how hilly the course will be, which may affect my time but I'm shooting for 2:11.

7 Miler

Going to be colder Wednesday, so figured I would run today instead of tomorrow. Run up at the lake while Judy ran, going 3.5 miles out on the spur and back. 7 miles in 1:09:36, avg pace of 9:56, splits of 10:01, 9:49, 10:09, 9:55, 9:46, 9:52 and 10:02. Had a bit of a headwind on the way out, but not too bad, 36F out. AHR of 157, so took it fairly easy.

5 Mile Easy Run

With Daylight Savings Time over, I got up a bit earlier and out the door. Was all right out, 50F at 6:30am. Felt a bit slow, but not too bad, took it fairly easy overall but pushed myself just enough to get under 10 min/mile average. 5 miles in 49:41, avg pace of 9:56, splits of 10:28, 9:47, 10:03, 9:48 and 9:33, AHR of 157. A bit of a 'step back' week so I need to try to remember to take it easy.

20 Miler

Got up and out the door a bit late, about 10:30 and started running shortly before 11, so the temp was pretty nice, sunny, and didn't get too warm durning the run. Judy was going to be running her 18 miles, so I stretched out my run a bit, running 20 and walking 2. The garmin was not keeping a good signal for some reason, so a few of the miles were a bit long. Overall not a bad run, but by the end I was getting really tired. All miles were between 10:05 and 10:59, though the last 4 were 10:42, 10:41, 10:59 and 10:52. 20 miles in 3:30:58, avg pace of 10:32. 11 miles out, 9 miles back, then walked two miles. Seems like the walking a bit at the end keeps away the really sore legs, they don't feel too bad. I am planning an 18 mile run in 2 weeks, but I might cut that down to 16 instead.

Another Cold One

Another cold one, 36F, so had to bundle up a bit. Ran up at the lake with Judy, so decided to get in some hills by going up the overpass and back. Half mile to the start of the overpass, half mile to get up and over, then turned around and came back to where the overpass started - then back and forth. 5 of the mile back and forths over and back the overpass, plus a half mile from the lakehouse and back, for a total of 6 miles in 59:45, avg pace of 9:57, AHR of 159. Splits of 10:56, 10:03, 9:50, 9:37, 9:41 and 9:36. With the cold weather coming, it looks like my warm up miles are going to be slower and slower, but I guess that's why they call it warm up (:

Record Mile

Warmer this morning, 49F so was able to run in shorts and one shirt, started with a warm up mile of 10:20, then miles of 9:32, 9:29, 9:28, 9:28, then kicked it in for a record mile of 7:45, then 9:49 and a cool down mile of 10:00. 8 miles in 9:29 overall, 161 AHR (174 AHR for my record mile). The 7:45 mile I was dying at the end.

Foggy Run

Brr! 34F out, but at least no wind. Got running right around sunrise up at the lake, but running towards the river, it got foggy - REALLY foggy… 20ft visibility foggy.The fog seemed to have slowed me down, because once I got out of the fog on the way back to the car, I felt lighter and I ran a bit faster - not sure if it was psychological, or if it was actually something about the fog slowing me down, perhaps a bit of both. Stomach was giving me some trouble as well, even though I had gone before my run. 6 miles in 59:58, splits of 10:42, 9:44, 9:47, 10:01, 10:31 and 9:11, AHR of 156. Had brief walks several times while my stomach and such settled.

16 Mile Run

16 miles from the lake to the Page Extension spur, then southwest on the Katy Trail, then back. Nice out but a bit windy, felt pretty good though. Ran a bit faster than I probably should have, pretty tired now. 2:42:33 overall time, 10:09 avg pace, 161 AHR. Slowest mile was 10:58 which included have 2 gus while walking up the hill from the Katy Trail to the Page Extension parking lot. Other than that, miles were between 9:30 and 10:32, with the last 4 miles being 9:37, 9:56, 9:56 and 9:30. I had a water break every two miles where I would walk about 1 minute, and had cliff shots at the 6 mile point and gu at the 12 mile point. About 60F out, feel like a nap, heh.

6 Mile Neighborhood Run

6 mile run around the neighborhood. Was about 50F out and sprinkling. Not too bad, but I got pretty soaked by the end of it. 59:32 total time, 9:55 avg pace, splits of 10:29, 9:50, 9:48, 9:48 and 9:44. Tried taking it easy, but also didn't want to be out there any longer than I needed to be. AHR of 162. Plan on running 16 tomorrow, hopefully the weather is nice.

'Speed' Workout

First 'speed' workout. Cool (48F) and windy out. Ran 4 x 1 mile intervals with 1/2 mile recovery and a 1 mile warm up/cool down. Overall 8 miles in 1:17:15, avg pace of 9:39, splits of 10:22 (warm up), 8:58, 5:16 (.5 miles), 9:01, 5:19 (.5 miles), 8:57, 5:26 (.5 miles), 8:46, 5:24 (.5 miles) and 9:39 cool down mile. Was tougher than I expected it to be to run those 'fast' miles, but I did run yesterday, it's cooler out so I am bunded up a bit, so various things might have been slowing me down a bit. Running 6 miles tomorrow.

Getting Brisk!

Felt a bit sluggish out there, not sure why. Was cooler and windy out, so had to bungle up a bit, but not too much. Sign of things to come I guess. 6 miles up at the lake in 59:47, splits of 10:09, 9:52, 10:02, 9:49, 10:03 and 9:50. AHR of 162. Got a speed workout tomorrow, hopefully I feel more 'fresh' for that.

Sunday 16 Miler

Originally I was going to run 12 miles, but Judy was running a half marathon thing out on the Katy Trail, so I figured I'd try to run about 3 hours so I wouldn't be waiting around for her much. Run went well, 8 miles southwest on the Katy Trail from downtown St Charles, and then back. Wing was gusty, and it was fairly dry out, warm, but not too bad, in the 70s. Garmin acted up just a bit during the second mile, making it about 1.1 miles instead of 1 mile. Other than that mile, miles were between 10:17 and 10:57, so fairly consistent. AHR was 158, so even that was pretty good. First mile was a bit painful getting going - had the MWG in Chicago Thursday - Saturday, so the lack of sleep and the bad eating and drinking made for one tired morning, but overall the run felt pretty good.

Thursday Morning Run

Neighborhood run, was a bit warmer out than it has been, around 68F. 5 miles in 49:03, avg pace of 9:48, splits of 10:01, 9:43, 9:37, 9:48 and 9:52. AHR of 163. One of these days I'll actually slow down on my 'easy' runs.

6 Mile Tempo Run

Did a tempo run this morning, 4 miles @9:40 with 1 mile warmup/cooldown on the agenda. Ran a bit faster, but it was cool and comfortable out. 6 miles in 57:06 overall, 9:31 pace, splits of 10:14 (warmup), 9:25, 9:24, 9:19, 8:57 and 9:44 (a bit of a cool down). AHR was 165 overall. Was in the low 50s, felt pretty good.

Monday 5 mile run

5 miles around the neighborhood, ran a bit faster than I meant to, but it was fairly comfortable. For my 'easy' runs I should be closer to 11 min/mile than 10 min/mile, but sometimes it seems just easier to run a bit faster. 5 miles in 47:57, 9:35 avg pace, splits of 9:36, 9:41, 9:30, 9:31 and 9:36. Was about 60F out, mostly overcast. AHR of 164.

Back at It

Well, Judy and I signed up for the Memphis Marathon December 1st, so figured I'd get out and loosen the legs up a bit. Ran up at the Creve Coeur Lake, 6 miles in 59:37, avg pace of 9:56, splits of 10:14, 9:53, 10:29 (had a phone call), 9:35, 9:41 and 9:43. Felt all right, was nice and cool out which helped. Got my training schedule planned out for until Memphis. Looks to be the same course as last year, so it shouldn't be too bad - with luck I can get my 4:22 marathon then - it better not be freakin' 80 degrees out! (:

I Survived Chicago 07

Chicago Marathon day - one for the books, to say the least. Got up at about 4:30, took a run up and down the street real quick, then got ready to head downtown. BC was nice enough to drop us off at the train station, and we took the blue line downtown, then walked to the start area. Got our bags checked and whatnot, then joined into the mass o people waiting for the start. It was already in the 70s with insane humidity. I had brought a bottle of water to drink from so I wouldn't have to stop at the first aid station. The race began, and we started our slow march to the starting line. About 16 minutes later, we finally crossed the starting line.

The first few miles it was tough getting in a groove because things were so crowded. Things started getting a bit less packed, and when I reached the first aid station, it was so crowded that I was glad I brought along my water. I took a few gulps and kept on going. I was a bit off my 10 min/mile pace, but not much. About 6 miles in, my heart rate was already over 170 and I knew that my 4:22 goal was not going to be hit. I started slowing down and walking more at the water stations, and then walking other times too. I thought that perhaps I could still hit a PR... then I thought perhaps I'd break 5 hours. Then by the half way point, so many people were walking that it was tough to run, and about that time I decided I would mix running and walking the rest of the way.

Around mile 20 I started hearing 'the race is cancelled, stop running and start walking' comments, first from a few police officers, and then eventually by some race people with bullhorns. They said we could take public transportation back to the finish line, or we could walk back. So I mostly walked back, jogging occasionally. I eventually made it in 5:34:30. My splits were 5k 32:21, 10k 1:05:03, 15k 1:40:28, 20K 2:19:49, 13.1 miles at 2:27:19, 25K 2:57:13, 30K 3:42:49, 35K 4:27:31, 40K 5:14:47.

Judy was farther back and got diverted between mile 16 and 17 back to the start line, so she got 'done' before I did. We're looking at running Memphis at the start of December so she can complete her first Marathon.

Last Run before Chicago

Last run before the marathon, headed out a bit fast, but not too bad. Wasn't pushing it much, run felt pretty good overall. 3.1 miles in 28:29, avg pace of 9:11, splits of 9:03, 9:11, 9:29 and last .1 in :45 for a 7:27 pace. Plan on walking Friday and then it's off to Chicago.

5K tapering run

5K around the neighborhood, took it easy, and did not look at the garmin during the run, so just ran whatever pace I was running. 3.1 miles in 30:39, 9:50 pace, AHR of 159, splits of 10:21, 9:42, 9:30 and last 1/10th at a 9:09 pace.

8 Miler

Tapering down, Judy was running 8, so I decided to run 8 and walk 2. We got heading out the door late, and the sun was out in full force, it was in the 80s by the time we were done. I was trying to maintain my 'marathon' pace when running, so it was a bit fast considering the temperature. Hopefully the temps next weekend are pleasant. 8 miles running in 1:17:40, avg pace of 9:42, AHR of 166, splits of 9:38, 9:54, 9:51, 9:33, 9:52, 9:38, 9:36 and 9:34. Walking miles were 14:51 and 14:25, giving a total time of 1:46:58 and a pace of 10:41. Easy week coming up, then Chicago here we come.

5K Neighborhood Run

65F out, sunny, felt nice. 5K around the neighborhood, was running faster than I had intended to, but felt pretty comfortable. Overall 3.12 miles in 27:51, 8:55 avg pace, splits of 9:12, 8:53 and 8:52, last .12 miles in 0:52, a 7:04 pace, sped up to near top speed over the last bit. AHR of 164 for the run. 8 or 10 miles this weekend - gotta love tapering.

5 mile speedy run

Cool out, ran up at the lake, 5 miles while Judy ran 4... tapering down to the marathon. Felt pretty fresh so pushed it a bit - 5 miles in 44:25, 8:53 pace, fastest mile was 7:55 (4th mile) ... could have probably ran a 10K (6.2 miles) at that pace, didn't feel like I was pushing too hard. Splits of 9:37, 9:09, 8:58, 7:55 and 8:44. AHR of 169. AHR for the 7:55 mile was 177. Overall felt pretty good.

Tapering Monday 5K

5K around the neighborhood, fairly easy pace, legs are still a bit tired. Keep thinking my legs will feel more fresh but I guess it'll happen next week, heh. Splits of 10:41, 10:02, 10:09 and 1:00 for the final .1 miles, AHR of 155. Day off tomorrow.

14 Mile Taper

14 miles today, tapering down for the Chicago Marathon. Judy was running 12 today, so 14 miles plus a mile walking would be about the same amount of time. 2:25:37 time, avg pace of 10:24, AHR of 159. I pushed it during mile 13 and ran a 9:20, slowed down after that but my HR stayed up. All but 3 miles in the 10s, 3 miles in the 9s. Overall a decent run, legs still feel a bit tired, but with the continued cutback coming up should start feeling more fresh.

Neighborhood 5 Mile Run

Ran 5 miles around the neighborhood. Still feeling a bit slow, but my time was ok. About 68F out so fairly comfortable too. Hope the nice weather sticks around a few more weeks. Total time of 49:16, avg pace of 9:51, splits of 10:01, 10:05, 9:35, 9:43 and 9:51. AHR of 159, typical run.

7 Mile Morning Run

Went up to the lake with Judy, she was running 5, so I ran 7 rather than 8 so we'd finish at about the same time. It was a bit of a struggle running at a 10 min/mile pace, legs are still a bit tired, and it was 70F and humid out, made it a bit harder to breathe. Not *too* bad overall though. 7 miles in 1:08:46, avg pace of 9:49, AHR of 157, splits of 10:04, 9:54, 9:58, 9:58, 9:46, 9:56 and 9:07. Not sure if I'll run Thursday or Friday, we'll see.

Tired Legs

5 miles around the neighborhood - feeling the effects of the Marathon Sunday, felt like I was dragging myself around, hard to keep the 10 min/mile pace. Not *too* sore though, so that's good. 5 miles in 49:59, splits of 10:19, 9:58, 10:02, 9:53 and 9:45. AHR of 162 for the run. Hopefully tomorrow's run will feel a bit better.

Lewis and Clark Marathon

Lewis and Clark Marathon this morning. Went to bed early but tossed and turned for a while, had to get up at 4am so that I could loosen up, go to the bathroom and get to the starting line. They wanted us there at 5:45, we got there shortly after that. At 6:15 we got in line for the bathrooms, and we were ready to go at the 6:45 starting time. But things were delayed a bit and things got going right at 7am instead. Was planning on walking the 7th, 13th, 18th and 22nd mile, stuck to that plan more or less, hitting the lap to kick off a new lap for each walking time. I was planning on running closer to a 11 min/mile pace, but every time I checked my pace I was closer to 10 min/mile pace, but my heart rate (when the monitor was working) was below 160 so I wasn't too concerned. Ended up running 22.2 miles (22.74 according to the garmin) in 3:52:02, while walking 4 miles in 56:57, avg running pace of 10:27, avg walking pace of 14:14, total time of 4:48:56, 11:02 overall pace. Best mile was 9:36, avg heart rate while running was 156. Best Marathon by 3.5 minutes... with walking 4 of the miles, heh. Right now I feel pretty good, worn out, but not excessively so. I plan on running Tuesday, so we'll see how I feel then.

4 Miles

A bit of a taper this week leading up to the Lewis and Clark Marathon this weekend. I need to stick with my plan of walking 4 or 5 miles of it so I don't trash my legs… gotta be fresh for Chicago (: Ran up at the lake this morning, Judy was running 3, and I didn't want to have to push it too much to try to sqeeze in 5, so figured 4 was good enough. Warm up mile of 9:57, felt good do decided to go for a 'record' mile... thinking I might be able to get it under 8 minutes, but managed an 8:12, felt pretty good, then ran a 9:45 (which felt like an easy jog, hehe) and a 9:43. Overall pace of 9:24, avg heart rate of 162, max heart rate of 180 during the 8:12 mile. Marathon on Sunday, looking forward to it.

Nice Weather

Cool and clear out, 57F. Nice run around the neighborhood, typical run. 5 miles in 48:36, avg pace of 9:43, ahr of 158. Splits of 9:50, 9:47, 9:57, 9:34 and 9:26. Took it fairly easy but not too easy. Might run Friday instead of tomorrow since Lewis and Clark marathon is on the Sunday.

5 Mile Speedy Run

Got going fairly early, 66F or so out, humidty wasn't too bad. Felt pretty fresh so decided to push it a bit, running 5 miles in 45:35, avg pace of 9:07, Splits of 9:51, 9:03, 9:16, 8:46 and 8:38. Avg Heart Rate of 164, with last mile avg of 172. Will probably avoid running hard until after the Chicago Marathon.

15 Mile Weekend Run

Humid out and about 75F. Got running about 7:30 out from the Page Extension parking lot on the Katy Trail running southwest 7.5 miles then turning around and coming back. Sweated buckets and buckets.10:41 pace, best mile of 10:28, avg heart rate of 161. All miles under 11 minutes. Garmin acted up during mile 14 where I ran about 1.12 miles instead of the indicated 1 mile, so my last 'mile' was .88 miles. Good run, the humidity made it feel harder than it was, legs feel good.

5 Mile Morning Run

5 miles around the neighborhood, got up early but it was raining so waited until about 8:30 to run after it had stopped. Was about 73F but very humid. Run was ok - Judy and I went and ate Mexican rather late last night so my stomach wasn't in the best shape, but I made it thru. 49:57 time, 9:59 pace, splits of 10:14, 10:28, 10:08, 10:03 and 9:02. Avg heart rate of 156 for the run (166 for the last mile when I was pushing it). Day of rest tomorrow, then 12 or 14 miles on Saturday.

10 Mile Speedy Run

Speedy run, was wanting to keep it under 10 min mile for as long as I could for the 10 mile run, and managed to keep at it. 10 miles in 1:37:25, avg pace of 9:44, avg heart rate of 164, max heart rate of 178. Started off with a warm up mile of 10:44, then had splits of 9:45, 9:48, 9:45, 9:45, 9:59 (gu mile), 9:42, 9:41, 9:27 and 8:44. Run felt pretty good overall. Fastest 10 mile run by about 4 minutes, woo!

5 Mile Neighborhood Run

Got going a bit after 10am, which was a mistake, temps over 80F, very sunny out, but not too humid. Ran 5 miles around the neighborhood, taking it fairly easy. 53:35 time, 10:43 avg pace, 155 avg heart rate, 168 max heart rate. Splits of 11:13, 10:44, 10:48, 10:36 and 10:10. Day off tomorrow and then 8 miles Wednesday. Going to try to do a 'marathon pace' run Wednesday (10 min/mile pace) so we'll see how well I can hit that.

Looooooong Run

Longest training run this cycle, not counting the Lewis and Clark Marathon anyway. Judy was running 20, so I decided to try out my 'run for 4 miles, walk for 1 mile' strategy that I'll be using for the Lewis and Clark Marathon, running 20 miles and walking an additional 4 miles. Very nice weather out today, sunny, cool, not humid. We got out to the Page Extension Katy Trail parking lot and got running a bit before 6:30. I headed southwest 7 miles, returned, then ran northeast about 5.25 miles past downtown St Charles, then returned, stoppinng and walking the final .5 miles. Judy got done about the same time I did, so that part worked well. With the walking, I did 24 miles in 4:37:26, average pace of 11:33. Taking out the walking, I did 20 miles in 3:37:52, avg pace of 10:53, avg heart rate of 155, max heart rate of 174. Mile splits were between 10:37 and 11:26, with 15 of the miles being 11:00 or faster. The last mile was my slowest, I was starting to run out of gas. Overall a good run, pretty sore, but not too bad currently, we'll see how I feel tomorrow though.

5 Miles

Ran 5 miles this morning around the neighborhood, getting going shortly before 8am, it was about 75F out but pretty humid. Run went all right, felt tired most of the way though. 50:06 for a 10:01 pace, splits of 9:56, 9:46, 10:05, 10:16 and 10:00. AHR was 160. Day off tomorrow and then Saturday I'm running 18, possibly 20, gotta figure that out for sure, trying to coordinate as best I can with Judy's 20 mile run.

Tough Run

8 miles, got up late, had some work to do, so got out the door about 9 and decided to just run around the neighborhood, which means quite a few hills. It was about 80F when I headed out, 85F when I got back, and the sun was beating down. Started pretty good, kept slowing down though. 8 miles in 1:27:58, avg pace of 10:59, avg heart rate of 166. Splits of 10:21, 10:31, 10:08, 10:53, 11:16, 11:37, 11:23 and 11:45. 5 miles tomorrow, I'll be sure to get out the door earlier.

Nice Morning

Nice 70F out this morning, so pushed it a bit more than I have been for my neighborhood runs. The hills slow me down a bit, but still managed to do 5 miles in 48:23, avg pace of 9:40, avg heart rate of 162, splits of 10:00, 9:52, 9:58, 9:54 and 8:36. The 8:36 was just a few seconds off my fastest mile, but was the fastest I've ran in months. Think I'm going to do my 8 miler on Wednesday rather than Tuesday.

16 Mile Run

Headed out to the Page Extension parking lot and got running about 7am with Judy, she was running 14 miles, I was running 16. Headed southwest, and after the first mile I knew I was going to need to stop at the Green's Bottom parking lot to use the bathroom, so took about a 6 minute break there with the clock stopped. After that it was fairly smooth sailing. Since Chicago is going to have water stops at about 1.5 mile intervals, I tried drinking water and walking a bit every 1.5 miles rather than every mile - for the most part it worked out. 16 miles in 2:53:28, avg pace of 10:50, avg heart rate of 158. Splits between 11:04 and 10:32. Was getting pretty tired at the end, sun was out and it was feeling warmer, but overall the run went well.

5 Mile Thursday Morning Run

Muggy out this morning, ran at about 7am, 5 miles around the neighborhood, 51:29 time, 10:17 avg pace, avg heart rate of 163. Splits of 10:00, 10:17, 10:37, 10:46 and 9:44.

Tuesday 8 Miler

Got up early and headed out for my morning run, covering 8 miles in 1:19:57 up at the lake going out on the Page Extension spur and back, avg pace of 9:59, avg heart rate of 164. Splits of 10:44, 10:23, 10:14, 10:05, 9:57, 9:42, 9:32 and 9:16, negative splits. I pushed it the last mile to get under 1h20min so my pace would be just under 10 min/mile for the run. I walked about a minute most every mile and had a gu at the start of mile 5 but was able to 'make up' the time and still have an under 10 minute mile. At mile 7 I considered pushing it to see if I could get a record mile since that mile is flat or a bit downhill, but decided it wasn't worth it.

Monday Morning Run

Ran 5 miles this morning around the neighborhood. I changed my course just a bit thinking that it would add a little to the run, but ended up having to run past the house anyway, so I'll have to tweak the course a bit more to get it to work out just right. Felt a bit slow this morning, 5 miles in 52:52, 10:34 pace, average heart rate of 161. Splits of 10:08, 10:44, 10:52, 10:48 and 10:19. It started sprinkling on me the second half of the run, which felt nice because it was around 80 and humid. 8 miles tomorrow.

14 Mile Run

Ran 14 miles this morning, getting up early and heading to the Page Extension parking lot of the Katy Trail. Started by running southwest past the Greens Bottom parking lot, then returning to the Page Extension parking lot, then across to the Creve Coeur Lake, then headed home. Judy is running 18 miles today, so we both started together at the parking lot, but she was going to be out there about 2 more hours than me so figured it would work well to run home. Took it a bit easier this run, 14 miles in 2:33:19, 10:57 pace, avg heart rate of 154, walked a bit most every mile and walked a bit more at the 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 points when I had Gu Gel or GuO2. Splits as follows, 10:44, 11:00, 10:54, 11:14, 10:52, 10:51, 10:31, 10:53, 10:56, 10:50, 11:08, 10:46, 11:27 and 11:09. Legs are tired, but not too bad. Resting tomorrow, then I'm going to try to hit my planned Monday, Tuesday, Thursday running days next week.

Friday 5 Miles

Got up and ran 5 miles, getting started shortly before 7am, so it wasn't too bad out. 5 miles in 50:02, avg pace of 10:00, splits of 10:08, 9:33, 10:33, 10:07 and 9:38, average heart rate of 161. Planning on 14 miles tomorrow, hopefully that goes well.

6.5 miles

Was wanting to run Wednesday, but with Warped Tour Tuesday, by the time we got home from dinner it was 10pm so didn't get to sleep very early, and with the heat on Wednesday, by the time I got out of bed it was already over 80 and on it's way to the high of one-oh-freakin-five (another record). So NO running Wednesday, but I got up early today and headed up to the lake with Judy. She was running 5 miles, so I was planning on running 1h10minutes, which ended up being 6.5 miles. Total time was 1:06:28, avg pace of 10:13, avg heart rate of 166, splits of 10:39, 10:13, 9:59, 10:01, 9:44, 10:45 and 5.04 for the last .5 miles (10:07 pace). I walked a bit during the last mile and half mile, but not much. Decent feeling run, wasn't too tired by the end. 5 miles planned for tomorrow, then 14 on Saturday.

5 miler

Was planning on running Monday morning, but a storm rolled thru overnight and was up quite a bit and didn't get much sleep, so ended up not running, so headed out for a run this morning instead. Was going to go up to the lake, but then on the way up, there was a fire truck blocking the road and stop lights were without power, so Judy and I went to a park that is near the lake and ran to the lake instead, which worked pretty good. Judy was running 4 miles, and I was planning on 5, which worked out well time wise. 5 miles in 51:06, avg pace of 10:13, avg heart rate of 163, splits of 10:07, 10:34, 10:11, 10:21 and 9:50. Got the run in before it got too hot out, high ended up being 103 (a record).

12 miler

First long run since running a half marathon on 7/7/07, 12 miles. Judy was going to be running 12 miles as well, so we got up early to try to beat the heat a bit, ran out on the Katy Trail, starting in St Charles, running southwest 6 miles and then back. Went pretty good - 12 miles in 2:09:27, splits of 10:42, 10:49, 10:39, 10:23, 10:39 (first gu), 10:17, 10:49, 10:23, 10:48, 11:42 (second gu and a bit of walking), 10:14, and finished with a 11:57, sorta coasted in to cool off a bit. Avg Heart Rate for the run was 168, crept up thru the run as the temp went up. After cooling off a bit, I walked about 1.5 miles while waiting for Judy to get back to the car, seemed to actually help a bit with keeping my legs from hurting and such, they feel pretty good. Onward!

Cooler Run

Got running about 7am this morning and it was about 75F out... might not sound much lower than the 80F it has been in the morning, but it sure felt better. 3.1 miles around the neighborhood, was able to run constantly with no breaks. Splits of 9:47, 9:16, 9:52 and :50 for the last .1 mile (8:14 pace). Average heart rate of 168 for the run. 12 miles planned for tomorrow morning.

5 miles

Was wanting to get going earlier, but by the time I was heading out, it was nearly 8am and again the temp was already over 80F. I walked a bit in every mile, but not much, mostly to try to get my heart rate down a bit because it kept getting into the high 170s. 5.00 miles in 52:24, avg pace of 10:28, splits of 10:20, 10:19, 10:39, 10:41 and 10:23. Avg heart rate was 170, with it being 177 and 178 for the final two miles. Cooler weather can't come too soon. Got my training schedule planned out to the Chicago Marathon. We'll see how well I can stick to it, but right now running is a bit of a chore, I could use a month off (:

Back To Running

After nearly a month away from running, got a 3.1 mile run in this morning. Ran around the neighborhood, but even at 8am it was over 80F and high humidity, so rather uncomfortable. Needed to walk a bit up a hill during the 3rd mile, and my heart rate was hitting 181 occasionally, so would slow down when that happened. 3.10 miles in 32:02, avg pace of 10:19, splits of 10:06, 10:03, 10:55 and :57 for the final .10 (9:10 pace. Avg heart rate of 167.

Ragbrai Review

Well, my first Ragbrai was quite a bit of fun. I need to work on my riding technique, pedaling with a more consistent force. I would push up the hills then take it easy down the hills, and it took it's toll, my legs were far more tired by the end of things than they would have been if I had rode with a more consistent effort. The week of riding got my legs almost (but not quite) as tired as they were after I had ran the St Louis marathon. The week of rest will feel very good. The ol' Schwinn Le Tour held up, and I didn't get a flat along the way. I'll need to look about getting different bike shoes or some padded inserts, the bottom of my foot got very sore as I rode. Camping was all right, I packed too much stuff, will need to make a list of things I needed and things I didn't need. The food was great. We got lucky and the weather wasn't *too* hot, but I think if it is hotter, you'd just need to get up eariler and ride more in the morning, resting more in the afternoon. It would have been nice to ride with a bigger group because the three of us rarely rode together, meeting up in the next town or such. Cell Phone coverage was quite spotty, so a better plan about meeting up would have been a good idea. I'll do it again some day, but probably not next year. For the week, 497.77 miles in 33:35:36 of riding, 14.8mph, 28662 calories burned biking. 3 pork chops from Mr Pork Chop, 3 Farm Boys breakfast burritos, 10 Chris Cakes pancakes one morning, a couple dozen Clif Bars, two bottles of crown (between Marc and I), several pieces of apple pie, and gobs of other food.

Saturday to Bellevue

Last day, good thing cause my legs were dead at this point. Got going about 6:10 today, heading thru Worthington, Cascade, Garryowen, Bernard, La Motte and arriving in Bellevue at about 11:45 to dip my tire into the Mississippi river. 58.53 miles in 3:45:16, avg speed of 15.6mph, best mile of 25.8mph, hit a top speed of 34.7mph down one of the hills. Day was the hilliest, but it still wasn't too bad overall. Got most of riding in before it was too warm out, but the sun still felt hot. Rode back to Cedar Rapids, showered, and then headed up to Cedar Point for a Jonsey's Tenderloin. After that it was back to St Louis.

Friday to Dyersville

Days are getting shorter, with today being only 59 miles. A storm had passed thru the area overnight, and some of the route around Dundee was thru a state park that was hilly with curves, and they decided to cut that part out, which reduced the mileage from around 65 miles to the 59. We got going shortly before 7am, going thru Winthrop, Lamont, Dundee, Manchester, Earlville and then getting to Dyersville at about 1:45. 3:44:17 of riding time, avg speed of 15.8mph, best mile of 21.1mph. Day was cooler, and the wind had shifted to the north, but it was still humid and the sun was hot once it came out in the afternoon. We went to a spagetti dinner at the Catholic church, sat around for a bit, then went into town to check out a few bars. Fun evening.

Thursday to Independence

Got going about 6:40 today, traveling thru Denver, Klinger, Dunkerton, Fairbank, Otterville and arriving at Independence at about 2:30. 63.3 miles of riding in 4:33:50, avg speed of 13.9mph, wind was from the south again so quite a bit of the riding was into the wind. Best mile was at 21.2mph. Ride felt all right, but legs were getting pretty worn out by this time. We grilled out Thursday night, riding up to the local Fairway and getting some steaks for the grill.

Wednesday to Cedar Falls

Got the Garmin set up to do auto stop below 3.5mph, which worked well with Ragbrai. Got going at about 7am, riding 68.09 miles in 4:20:04, avg speed of 15.7mph, best mile at 21.9mph, got in about 3:10pm. Rode thru Aredale, Dumont, Kesley, Aplington and Stout. We were camped at the Unidome at the UNI campus, and after showering headed up to The Hill and ate at Sub City. Walked thru campus on the way back, met up with some friends from High School (Todd Montgomery and Brad Jacobson) who had rode that day and were there for the outdoor concert. Talked with them then made it back to the tent.

Tuesday to Hampton

Rode thru Dakota City, Thor, Eagle Grove, Clarion, Cornelia and Alexander before arriving in Hampton. Total of 71.18 miles in 4:48:21, avg speed of 14.8mph, best mile of 22.6mph, we left shortly after 7am, getting into Hampton about 3pm. We stayed over at James' cousin's house, which meant we get to use a real bathroom to shower in, and sleep in a real bed. Was quite the luxury (: We went down to downtown but the food vendors just didn't look all that appetizing and we ended up eating at Hardees. Stayed up a bit chatting and such, but then got a good night of sleep before getting going the next morning.

Monday to Humboldt

Rode from Spencer to Humboldt, including the Karras Loop to have my first 100 mile ride. Distance was 100.74 miles including some riding around in Humboldt to get over the 100 mile mark according to the Garmin, and total time was 7:01:36, avg speed of 14.3mph, best mile was 22.0mph (north riding with a tail wind). We left shortly after 6:30 and got into Humboldt at about 5:45. The Karras Loop was quite a bit thinner on riders, but the stop over city there (Albert City) was fun and had some great homemade Ice Cream. Rode thru Dickens, Gillet Grove, Webb, Marathon, Laurens, Albert City, Havelock, Rolfe, Bradgate and Rutland, arriving in Humboldt around 5:45 pm. There was a pretty stiff wind from the south which was annoying, but it wasn't too warm out. In Humboldt we rode to Pizza Hut and had dinner there, you know you're hungry when you consider Pizza Hut tasty!

Sunday to Spencer

First day of riding, heading out of town at about 6:45 it was amazing the number of bikes on the road, I was expecting a lot, but I wasn't really ready for just how many riders there were. Rolling thru towns always meant slowing to a stop and walking thru and seeing a bit of the town. We rode thru George, Ashton, Melvin, Hartley, Moneta and the arrived in Spencer at about 2:45. 76.97 miles in a total Garmin time of 5:22:10, avg speed of 14.3mph, best mile of 21.0mph. Good first day of riding.

Ragbrai, Saturday in Rock Rapids

Got up early Saturday morning, James showed up and Marc (Wang) and I headed off to Bellevue to park the car and catch the shuttle bus to Rock Rapids. We missed our turn and had to come into Bellevue a different way, and were a bit rushed - by the time we got to the bus there were limited seating options, and we took some seats in the back. Not the most comfortable, but not too terribly bad. We got into Rock Rapids, set up our tents and then rolled into town to check get some food and to go dip our tires in the Rock River.

Hour Ride

Hour ride this evening, mostly to keep loose and burn any extra calories off. 17.37 miles in 1:00:51, avg speed of 17.1mph, best mile of 19.9mph, avg heart rate of 154. Trying to adjust the back gears so that it will reliably get to both the highest and lowest gears, seems like it's just not wanting to do both no matter how much I fiddle with it. Overall a good ride though, plan on doing the same tomorrow.

Weekend Walking

While in Cedar Rapids over the weekend, walked 1 hour both Saturday and Sunday morning with Judy to try to burn off a few calories and such. Saturday, walked 1:03:45, 3.48 miles, avg pace of 18:20. Sunday, walked 1:01:40, 3.5 miles, avg pace of 17:17. Plan on getting some light riding in this week but other than that, resting up for Ragbrai.

40 miles

Rode in the early evening, getting in 39.86 miles in 2:22:34, avg speed of 16.78mph, best mile was 20.8mph, avg heart rate for the ride was 148. Seemed breezy out, but must not have been riding in a headwind all that much, cause out and back was about the same speed. My fastest avg speed for a ride, so guess the new tires and whatnot is helping some. Weekend off from riding.

Windy!

Windy out, but in the low 80s and not very bad humidity. Same ride as yesterday, but got tired of peddling into the wind, so only made 3 trips back and forth. 23.51 miles in 1:29:53, avg speed of 15.7 mph, best mile was 22.2mph, avg heart rate of 149. Plan on making up the half hour by biking 2.5 hours tomorrow, hope the wind settles down.

Back On The Bike

Two hour bike ride from the lake to the Page Extension parking lot by the Katy Trail (including the hill there) and back 4x times. 32.52 miles in 1:59:04, avg speed of 16.4mph, best mile of 19.7mph, avg heart rate of 153. Overall felt pretty good, I'm guessing the new rims and tires helped out a bit. Need to adjust the front bag a bit to get it in a comfortable position. The back tire has a bit of 'hop' to it, apparently finding decent 27" tires is just not so easy anymore, and you get what you pay for. They're better than what I had... I have a few more rides planned to see how everything feels overall.

Joker's Wild Half Marathon

Well, back from the Joker's Wild Half Marathon that was ran at the Creve Coeur Lake about 3 miles from my house, hard to pass up. SOMEBODY PLEASE SHOOT ME IF I DO NOT PASS THIS UP NEXT YEAR!!! Heh, a July half marathon in St Louis is NOT a good idea (: With the rest I got in this week, I was actually feeling pretty good, and for the first half (the course was done as a double loop) I was cruising along, right about 1:03 for the first 6.5 miles (a 9:50 pace or so). But then the second loop, I started slowing down. From about mile 9 to mile 12.6 we were on the Page Extension spur that goes out and hooks up to the Katy Trail, and there's not a tree in sight along that, and so the sun was just beating down. I have my garmin set up so that it beeps if my heart rate hits 181, and it kept going off, so every time it did, I would walk a bit. So the last 4 miles I had quite a bit of walking. Unofficial time posted at the race was 2:15:00.1 ... bah (: Splits from my garmin were 10:10, 9:06, 9:19, 9:34, 9:47, 9:56, 10:16, 10:21, 10:42, 10:27, 10:51, 11:20, 11:23 and 1:35 for the last .17 miles (9:20 pace, I tried to finish strong). I actually felt like I could run more the last few miles than I did, but my heart rate was just a wee bit too high. Avg Heart Rate for the race was 172. Overall I'm happy with my time even though I didn't better my Hospital Hill time, if it had been overcast or about 10 degrees cooler, I think I could have kept up my earlier pace. Done running until after Ragbrai, legs will be happy about that.

Happy 4th!

Thought with a few days rest, the run this morning would go a bit better, but legs were tired, it was near 80F with high humidity, and never felt like I was getting in the groove. Not a bad run though, and now two days off before the half marathon. 8 miles in 1:26:18, avg pace of 10:47, splits of 10:44, 10:39, 10:32, 11:09, 11:03, 10:56, 10:45 and 10:25.

Rest Time

Well, bike is in the shop, so no riding for me ... going to run Wednesday, then have a few days rest before the half marathon on Saturday. Ah..... rest!

Looooooong Bike Ride

Well, got going out the door right around 6:30am, getting rolling around 6:40am. The plan was to bike from the house to the lake, then out to the Katy Trail, then WAY out on the Katy Trail, then head back and meet Judy around 1pm in Defiance and go to lunch either in town there, or on the way to Costco. Was nice out, first stop was in Matson about 25 miles out, at about the 1h35m point. Second stop was in Marthasville, about 2h37m into the ride, 41.8 miles. At about 60 miles into the ride, I turned around to start heading back - a bit too far for meeting Judy at 1pm because I was starting to slow down and there was a bit of a wind heading back. I stopped in Treloar for my third break and called Judy to let her know I'd be 10-15 minutes late, then got going again. Shortly after the 5 hour point, around 78 miles into the ride, I had a spoke break on my back wheel, causing the wheel to wobble significantly. I released the rear brake so it wouldn't rub, and it seemed like things weren't too bad, and I was more or less in the middle of nowhere, so I decided to keep going. The wind was picking up, and the wheel was rubbing a bit on the frame, so I was slowing down even more - and I was getting really tired. I was going to be about 10 minutes late from the late time I had told Judy, so instead I stopped in Matson rather than Defiance, and called Judy and had her come the 2 miles to pick me up. I really was tired enough I didn't feel like going on - heh. 95.56 miles in 6:16:07, avg speed of 15.2mph (was about 15.8mph when I turned around, so last third was quite a bit slower), best mile was near the start at 17.5mph. AHR for the ride was 146. The Garmin says I burned 5138 calories, which I ate at Culvers for lunch afterwards (two double cheeseburgers, heh - so a good start on refuling anyway). I'm beat. Bike will be going to the shop Monday, so no riding for me. Image of my ride here.

Two Hour Morning Ride

Two hour bike ride while Judy ran. I was planning on biking 4 hours, but I just couldn't drag myself out of bed. 70F out, overcast, looked like it might rain, but it held off. Biked from the lake, out to the Katy Trail, then SW getting 15.75 miles then turning around. On the way back I stopped at HWY 40 and had a Clif Bar. Avg Heart Rate of 142. Still planning on 6 hours tomorrow. If we can have this weather next Saturday for the Half Marathon, I'll be one happy camper!

Two Hour Morning Ride

Two hour bike ride while Judy ran. I was planning on biking 4 hours, but I just couldn't drag myself out of bed. 70F out, overcast, looked like it might rain, but it held off. Biked from the lake, out to the Katy Trail, then SW getting 15.75 miles then turning around. On the way back I stopped at HWY 40 and had a Clif Bar. Avg Heart Rate of 142. Still planning on 6 hours tomorrow. If we can have this weather next Saturday for the Half Marathon, I'll be one happy camper!

10 Mile Evening Run

The weatherman yesterday made it sound like storms would be rolling thru early in the day, and it would be cooler and drying later on, so figured I would run in the evening, which would allow me to sleep in. It threatened rain more or less all day with a shower here and there, and at 5:30ish I headed out with the plan to run 12 miles, and of course it looked like rain. Headed out from the lake towards the Katy Trail, then down to the Katy Trail and SW for a bit, getting 5 miles out before turning around. I figured if I felt decent when I got back to the Lake, I'd get in another mile to make it 12. About 2 miles out it started sprinkling, and the last half mile or so it was raining, so decided to cut it at 10 miles. Used the walk a bit every mile plan that has been working well recently, so walked a bit every mile but the first one and last one. 10 miles in 1:45:06, avg pace of 10:30, best mile of 9:52. Splits of 10:28, 10:37, 10:29, 10:35, 10:39, 10:39, 10:46, 10:32, 10:25 and had a bit of gas left for a 9:52 final mile in the rain. Day of rest tomorrow - thank god, heh.

27 Miles

Biked this morning while Judy ran, did the out and back from the lake to the Katy Trail on the spur, including the hill at the Page Extension parking lot. Total of 27 miles in 1:42:28, avg speed of 15.8mph, best mile of 19.1mph, average heart rate of 141. Was a bit windy out, but not too bad. 78F but very humid, so was sweating pretty good. Running tomorrow is the plan, I'll need to try to get going early to avoid the heat.

Tuesday Evening Ride

Ride in the evening, was warm and humid out with a brisk wind from the south. Started at the lake and headed to the Katy Trail then southwest like I have been. Was planning on going to Defiance, but it really looked like it was going to start raining, so about 16 miles out I turned around. Managed to not get rained on, so when I got back to the lake, I went around the larger lake once before heading back to the parking lot. 35.61 miles in 2:20:43, 15.2mph average, best mile was 19.8mph early on with a tail wind, took it fairly easy, AHR of 139.

10 Miles

Got out the door right around 8am, was about 76F out, light breeze, a bit muggy and a hot sun. When I got back it was just over 80F but I was sweating buckets and buckets. I used the same strategy I have been, walking a bit every mile, seems to help without slowing me down much, and in the marathons/half-marathons I do this to some degree anyway with having to walk while drinking water, so I guess it makes some sense. Anyway, 10 miles in 1:51:26, avg pace of 11:08 avg heart rate of 160, splits of 11:04, 10:54, 10:53, 10:52, 10:44, 11:14, 11:13, 10:54, 11:54 and 11:38. I was getting pretty tired at the end, and the last two miles are hilly as well, so that was slowing me down too. Planning on biking Tuesday and Wednesday, then running again Thursday. Tired legs.

5 Hours

Well, went for a Ragbrai like ride today, riding for 5:01:05 hours of bike time, 76.37 miles. Was pretty worn out by the end but not too bad, and we'll see how my 10 mile run goes tomorrow morning. I got going from the Lake about 7am, heading out to the Katy Trail and then SW. It was looking like rain was rolling in, so I decided to head back to the lake and just ride around there. After a loop there I headed back out towards the Katy trail and things were looking better so I figurd I'd just ride SW to see how it went. I got sprinked on a bit, but nothing major, and a bit of the trail was wet from rain, but again, nothing too bad. Rode out to about mile marker 68 (past Augusta, so farther than I had previously been), then headed back. I stopped for a few minutes on the way out at HWY 40 and had GuO2 and a Clif Bar (about 2 hours into the ride), then on the way back I stopped at Defiance and had a banana and a Clif Bar (about 3:40 into the ride). Happy with the ride, I am planning on a 6 hour ride next weekend, but we'll see if weather cooperates and how I'm doing time wise as well. Avg Speed was 15.2, max speed for a mile was 20.7, AHR was 144.

40 Mile Ride

Rode 40.62 miles this morning, 2:37:36 of riding time. Started in St Charles, headed southwest on the Katy Trail getting to Defiance, took a break, then headed back. Was biking while Judy was running, and had a bit of a head wind on the way out, averaging about 15mph, then a tail wind on the way back, averaging 16mph. Overall average was 15.5mph, AHR of 142, so took it fairly easy. Planning on a 5 hour or so ride tomorrow, we'll see how that goes.

Friday Morning Run

Got going just before 9, sunny out, so already getting warm, and it showed. I decided to not wait to start walking a bit, and so every mile walked some. The amount I needed to walk kept increasing with having to walk about half the last mile. Legs didn't feel tired, just was getting way too warm and my heart rate was hitting 170 which probably isn't a good idea when it's that warm. So 10 miles in 1:57:54, avg pace of 11:47. Best mile was the first mile (even though I felt like I was taking it easy, but I didn't walk that mile) at 10:31. Splits from there were 10:52, 11:24, 11:57, 12:09, 11:51, 11:52, 12:09, 12:26 and 12:37. I am going to have to get up earlier for these runs, that's for sure. I don't feel as warn out as Tuesday, so spreading out the walking must have paid off.

Thursday Evening Ride

Biked for 2 1/2 hours this evening. My 'usual' route - starting at the lake, out on the spur to the Katy Trail, then southwest on the Katy trail, making it to Defiance and back. 40.93 miles in 2:30:01, avg speed of 16.4mph, best mile of 18.5mph, avg heart rate of 159, though I think I need new batteries, it was jumpin all over the place. Plan on running tomorrow morning.

1.5 Hours In The Morning

Judy was running 6 miles, so I rode for about an hour and a half while she ran up at the Lake. Back and forth on the spur from the lake to the Katy trail, including the hill on both ends. 23.42 miles in 1:25:36, 16.4mph average, 20.3mph for my best mile. AHR of 147, so not pushing it much. Was nice and cool out, I should get out the door at 6am more often for my runs, heh. Biking tomorrow evening, then running Friday - or that's the plan anyway.

10 Melting Miles

10 miles this morning. Started out OK but got very warm, I was sure it was in the 80s, but when I got home it was only 76F, but it had to have been humid, I was drenched. Took a while to cool off too. Had to walk a number of times later in the run. Overall 10 miles in 1:55:39, pace of 11:34. Splits were 10:30, 10:55, 11:02, 11:30, 11:14, 11:16, 12:03, 12:11, 12:39 and 12:15. Hopefully my 12 miler later this week goes better, I'll need to get up earlier though (:

4 Miles in Sultan, WA on Saturday

Went out to Seattle for work meeting and such, while out there stayed with my friend James in Sultan, WA (about an hour from downtown Seattle to the northeast). Saturday morning got up and ran up to the local high school, then did a mile around the track there, then ran back, covering 4 miles in 40:13. I was pressed for time or I would have tried to run more. First run since injuring my ankle, and it felt fine. For the mile around the track I pushed it, wanting to get a 'record' mile, but fell a bit short (8:42 - record is 8:32). Day off today, running or biking tomorrow. Dragging a bit from the travel.

40.8 Miles

Biked in the evening, getting in 40.85 miles in 2:28:37, going from the lake out to the Katy Trail and then southwest to Defiance then back. Was pushing it pretty good - average speed was 16.49mph, best mile was 20.4mph, avg heart rate was 155. Was near 90 out, but the Katy Trail has a lot of trees and is pretty shady, so it didn't feel all that bad. The ride felt good, legs felt good. Off to Seattle for the weekend, I think I'll try to get in a run Saturday morning, but we'll see.

24 Miles In The Morning

Well, Judy was needing to run 6 miles today, so I figured I would bike while she ran. Was going to take her about an hour and a half, so I rode back and forth from the lake to the Katy Trail, including the hill up and down at the Page extension parking lot (2nd gear steep, about 80ft climb). 3 round trips, 23.61 miles, 1:29:02, avg speed of 15.9mph, best mile 19.2mph, avg heart rate of 143. For a change I made it back to the car before Judy and got the bike loaded while waiting, so timing worked out well. I'll bike a bit extra tomorrow evening.

Back On The Bike

Rode for 2 hours, started at the lake, out to the Katy Trail, then southwest on the Katy Trail, then back. 31.0 miles on the Garmin in 2:03:13, avg of 15.1 mph, best mile 19.4 mph, avg heart rate was 143. Around mile 11 the Garmin lost signal for about a mile, and when it finally did get the signal back, it had lost about half a mile of distance, so it was more like 31.5 miles biked, and about 15.3mph average. Ankle felt not too bad, but I think I'll be biking the rest of the week, no running for me just yet. Could probably use a break anyway (:

Day Off

Ankle is still sore and about all I could do was hobble around the yard to mow it, most likely I won't be doing anything tomorrow either from the looks of it. I could use the rest anyway, but I'll need to watch what I eat, don't want to gain a quick 5 pounds (:

Saturday Bike Ride

Rode for about 2 1/2 hours while Judy ran. 36 miles in 2:21:57, avg speed of 15.2mph, best mile was 17.0mph, not much wind out today. Rode from the Lake, over to the Katy Trail, then soutwest 18 miles out. Then headed back, but went to meet Judy in downtown St Charles rather than heading back to the Lake - it was more or less the same distance. Decent ride, avg heart rate was a nice low 140. Not sure if I'll be able to ride tomorrow though, we trimmed the back bushes when we got home, and I stepped up on one of the rail road ties that makes up the short retaining wall along the back of the bushes, and it gave way, and hit my right leg just above the inside ankle, cutting it but also making it swell up and feel like I twisted it. Right now it hurts to walk, so we'll see how it feels tomorrow and if I can bike.

Cooler Weather

Storms rolled thru last night (though we didn't seem to get much if any rain) and so it was much cooler out, about 70F. 10 miles in 1:53:00, avg pace of 11:18. Felt like I was dragging along, I wasn't tired but my legs were. Steady run though, splits of 11:05, 11:14, 11:26, 11:20, 11:38, 11:08, 11:17 (walked while having gu), 11:05, 11:16, 11:27 (walked a bit up a hill). Avg heart rate was 154, and the highest avg for a mile was 158, so moderate run. Hopefully the weather is nice for my bike rides this weekend.

First Ride With Shoes and Pedals

First bike ride with my new shoes and pedals, the shoes came in Thursday and I went and picked them up and rode with them that evening. Took me a while to get the hang of clipping in, and I'm not too gracious uncliping yet, but the do seem to help. Going up hills and into the wind was easier. Biked 30.48 miles in 2:00:01, avg speed of 15.2mph, avg heart rate of 147, fastest mile was 20.1mph. It was warm (about 90) and a 20MPH+ wind. I was on the way 'out' on the Katy trail and I thought it was going to start raining - so I headed back and biked on the paved part along the page extension for the most part. The rain ended up not coming in until over night. Got a month or so to get use to the shoes and pedals, by Ragbrai I should be adjusted I'm sure.

I'm Melting!!!

Had a call this morning and couldn't get the run in before that, so out I went after the call at 11am. Two hours later when I got home it was 84F out. Sun was hot. I ran on the east part of the loop up at the lake because it's more shady - but it's also near a ridge and the Garmin really acted up with it, losing about .1 or .2 miles on the way out, and .2 to .3 miles on the way back, so more like 10.3 to 10.5 miles ran. Time was 2:02:33, second half I was pooped. I weighed myself before heading out, 186.0, after showering I weighed 182.0, and that was with drinking about 50oz of water during the run. Avg heart rate was 165. Splits were as follows - 11:10, 10:53, 10:55, 12:26 (long mile - Garmin issues), 11:14, 12:06 (walked while gu'n), 15:01 (garmin REALLY messed up but I did walk some too), 11:58, 13:54 (about a minute stopped at a red light, but also some walking), 12:52 (some more walking). I think I will bike tomorrow, and then run again Friday (EARLY! heh)

Change of Plans

Tweaked my back a bit yesterday getting the bike out of my car, so going to take the day off today and run tomorrow instead. Legs can probably use the rest anyway.

Back To Biking

2 hour bike ride this morning. Had quite the head wind going out, and was taking it fairly easy. 29 miles in 1:58:14, Avg Speed of 14.7mph, best mile was with a tail wind on the way back, 20.4mph. AHR of 137. Planning on running tomorrow and Wednesday, and then bike Thursday, but I might mix that up, we'll see how I feel. Legs are still a bit tired from the half marathon.

Hospital Hill Half Marathon

Well, Saturday morning was the Hospital Hill Run in Kansas City. Got up about 5am, got dressed, had a Clif Bar for breakfast and some water and headed to Crown Plaza where the start was. Went to the bathroom at the Mall there and then made it to the starting line. Nice morning, in the 60s, overcast, not much wind and a chance of rain - but didn't look like if it did rain it would be much.

Race started at 7am, and went well. There were several pretty good sized hills, but the biking must be helping with leg strength because they didn't slow me down too much. Ran the first half mile or so with Judy and then picked up the pace. In the first mile the Garmin flaked out around the buildings and added about .6 miles to my run real fast. I hit the new lap button at the mile one marker and after that it had the usual 1% addition to miles that is seems to have, so the 12.1 miles registered as 12.18 on the Garmin, not too bad. It took me a while to get in a groove, but once I did, I was making good time. I passed the 2:15 pace setter and thought that if I could have a few good miles, I could stay ahead of him even if I slowed at th end. At an aid station around mile 11 I heard someone say 'go 2:15ers!' and when I looked over my shoulder, there the guy was. I walked for a bit to drink my water, then got going again, passing him and staying ahead of him to the finish. Official time was 2:12:35, pace was 10:08. Splits were as follows, approx 11:13 (garmin issues), 10:41, 9:35, 9:25, 10:10, 10:15, 10:07, 9:55, 9:43, 9:35, 10:48, 10:15, 9:22 and 1:25 for the final .18 miles (8:04 pace, finishing strong). I walked while drinking water and gatorade and I think I walked up one or possibly two hills for a bit, but only for a bit. My average heart rate was 168 for the half marathon, quite high, but I never felt winded or that I couldn't continue, in fact at the finish I felt I could run several more miles. The last 4 miles my AHR was 171, 171, 172 and 173, with a AHR of 177 over the last .18 miles.

I then went and got our bag from the car, went to the bathroom, had a banana and some recovery drink, then went back to the finish line and waited for Judy. She came in at 2:47:22, pace of 12:47, which was better than she expected. We then got some snacks. We asked a few of the volunteers where the pancakes were, and they didn't know ... so we asked one of the non-volunteers and he pointed us to a big tent. Mmmmmmm, pancakes! They were smalish ones (about 6" diameter) but the guy cookin' them was entertaining and flippin' them all over the place, heh. I ended up having 7 of them, they were very good.

Headed back to our friends house that we were staying at (Thanks Patro!), showered, relaxed for a bit, then got going. We hit Gates' BBQ on the way out of town, very tasty, and I managed not to overeat too much, heh. Drive back was fairly easy, relaxed and went to bed.

Overall, fun run - well organized for the most part, expo was more or less non-existant though. Great pancakes - too bad there was no cold or even cool water at the finish. Since it's nearby, I expect on running it again sometime.

KC Bound

Off to KC to run in the Hospital Hill Half Marathon. Hope it's not too hilly (:

Two Hour Evening Ride

Had the alarm set for early this morning, but it was wet and rainy out, so figured I could just ride tomorrow. But then it got better during the day, and at 6ish I decided I could get the ride in, so headed out. Rode 15.2 miles out - but it was really about 15.8 miles out because of losing sync and what not. Stopped and had a Clif Bar and was swarmed by mosquitos, so got going quicker than I had wanted to. Headed back and hit 31 miles as I got back to the car, so 15.8 miles on the way back. 31 miles in 2:02:15, Avg Speed of 15.2mph, best mile was 20.6mph with a tail wind, AHR of 146. Two days off now before the Hospital Hill Half Marathon on Saturday, time to rest up.

Not Even June Yet

Not even June yet, and when I got out the door shortly after 8am it was already 76F and muggy - when I got back around 10am it was 85F. Needless to say I wasn't ready for that, and it showed. Only got in 8 miles instead of 10, had to walk up several hills. 8 miles in 1:31:25, avg pace of 11:25, splits of 10:41, 10:46, 10:57, 11:15, 11:56, 11:28, 12:28 and 11:51. AHR of 162, even with the walking. Last run before the Hospital Hill Run in Kansas City this coming weekend.

Two Hours

Two hour bike ride today, starting from the Lake, going across to the Katy Trail, then south, turning around after 15.3 miles. Fairly nice out and with the holiday there were a ton of people out, especially around the lake. Took it fairly easy for the most part. Trail was no softer than prerain yesterday. 30.62 miles in 2:02:00, avg speed of 15.1mph, best mile 19.2mph with a tail wind. Worst mile was 13.9mph, so not too bad. AHR for the ride was 142.

Cats and Dogs!

Ride started off well - beginning at the Lake and heading over to the Katy Trail, then south west, making it to Augusta about 27.8 miles out. Stopped, had my GuO2, a Cliff Bar, then headed back. Shortly after HWY 40, it started getting real windy then started to rain. Then it started to pour. I was soaked and a mess since the trail is not paved. Decided to have Judy come meet me at the Greens Bottom trail stop, which is 7 miles from the Lake, so I ended up making 48.56 miles, avg speed of 15.2, best mile was 17.4mph while on the paved spur to the Katy Trail. Riding in the rain wasn't *too* bad, but I had one newly fallen tree on the trail that I had to lift my bike over, and wasn't sure if the storm was passing or just beginning. AHR of 146 for the ride.

2 1/2 Hour Bike Ride

Went up to the Katy Trail, starting at the Page Extension and heading Southwest 19 miles, turned around and headed back. Judy was run/walking while I did this, and about 15 minutes before I would have got back to the car, she called me and said he was running late, so I decided to stretch my ride out to 40 miles. So total of 40 miles in 2:35:19, avg speed of 15.5mph, fastest mile was 16.5mph, AHR of 153. It had rained overnight and some of the Katy Trail was a bit soft, which made the going a bit slower, but there was little wind for a change. Had a Bananna Nut Bread Cliff Bar at the half way point, those things are TASTY!!!

Long Freakin' Way

When I started running longer distances, I would plot out the course I took into gmaps-pedometer or such so I could 'see' it on a map and think to myself 'wow that's a long ways', it was a cool feeling.

With biking, that feeling is magnified. I went on a 3 1/2 hour bike ride last weekend, and when I got back, I brought my 52 mile ride up in Ascent (Mac only software but very snazzy) and took this screen shot. That's a long freakin way, out and back.

Enjoying my day off from training... ahhhhh.

One Hour Bike Ride

well, I was planning on riding for two hours, but there was a stiff wind from the southeast, about 20mph, and I just got tired fighting it, so packed it in after about an hour. 16.24 miles in 1:02:00, avg speed of 15.7mph, best mile was 20.4mph. Had several miles below 15mph while going into the wind. AHR of 140, so took it fairly easy.

Hello!

with Dave not renewing the NonRunnersMarathon website, I was in need of somewhere to post my exercise activities. So I figured a blog might make sense. Cheers

St Louis Marathon 2007

Well, did not go as well as I had hoped, but I did finish, and I did better my Memphis time (barely). Got up at 4am, ran around the block, ate some breakfast, went to the bathroom and headed down. It was a brisk 35F out in the morning, so needed to dress more warmly than I had wanted to. 4:52:37, average pace of 11:10, AHR of 162, was 1436 of 1854 finishers, 1031 of 1241 men. Course was hilly hilly and wore me out. Splits of 12:19, 10:02, 10:40, 10:25, 10:00, 10:11, 10:24, 10:26, 9:50, 10:33, 10:16, 11:52 and 10:10 for the first half, with a 2:20:20 half marathon split. 10:47, 11:02, 11:23, 10:42, 12:00, 11:01, 12:10, 12:04, 10:19, 12:40, 11:16, 12:25, 12:02 and 5:27 for the final .49 miles on the garmin. Slowed quite a bit the second half, with around a 2:32:17 second half.

Austin Half Marathon 2007

Well, the snow hit Tuesday morning, and it was fairly crappy the rest of the week, so did not get to run anymore until the Austin half marathon on Sunday. On top of that, got a bit of a cold which did not help matters. I was wanting to run a 10 min/mile pace for the half marathon, but the course was a lot hillier than I expected, and with not feeling 100% I just did not feel like pushing it too much. Around mile 12 or so there was one last big hill that I decided to walk up, I was pretty pooped at that point. My time was 2:18:19, 10:34 pace, so not too much slower. Splits of 11:11, 10:21, 10:39, 9:41, 9:33, 9:22, 10:20, 10:16, 10:17, 10:26, 10:38, 11:05 and 11:25 (forgot to stop the garmin for the last split), AHR of 170. I was 3029 of 5136 finishers, 1599 of 2128 men.