5 Mile Run

Took an extra day off from running, so ran on Wednesday instead of Tueday. Mostly feeling better. Strong northwest wind, so tried to run a course up at the lake to avoid the wind, starting at the restaurant, running south and doing the tail, then up thru the woods and up the east side of the lake. Once out of the woods, the wind was pretty stiff. Headed back, did a little of the tail again to get distance, then back to the car. 5 miles in 51:23, average pace of 10:16, splits of 10:42, 10:25, 10:12, 10:09 and 9:53. Average heart rate of 156. Overall a decent run.

20 Miler ... well, sorta.

Plan was to run 20, but wasn't feeling well, tired and worn down. Walked 2 miles then started running, struggling to keep my pace below 11 min/mile. Ran from the restaurant, up and did the lower soccor field loop, with a pitstop, then up to the sailboat cove and down the otehr side of the lake, then out on the spur to the bridge, then back to the car. Had shotblocks during mile 8, and after mile 10 decided that I would slow to a 11:30 pace, then during mile 13 I just completely stopped running, I knew I was done for the day. 13 miles of running in 2:24:04, 11:04 pace, and 7 miles of walking. I guess I can say at least I covered the distance. Hopefully I'll start feeling better soon.

5 Mile Run

5 miles up at the lake 'with' the FFRC, though no one was running my pace. Did the upper lake loop, stopping at the soccor field bathroom, and running past the start point to round it out to 5 miles. 55:53 total time for a 11:10 pace. Splits of 11:31, 11:16, 11:21, 10:48 and 10:55. Average heart rate of 151. Took it easy, feeling a bit under the weather and have the 20 miler to do Sunday.

8 Mile Run

8 miles up at the lake, running a figure eight from the restaurant, starting north. Also added in a bit of the overpass and the tail to make it 8 miles. Ran fairly slow, 1:26:29 for a 10:48 overall pace. Splits of 10:52, 11:03, 10:36, 11:01, 10:44, 10:44, 10:47 and 10:38. Ran at 2 in the afternoon, so it was pretty decent out. Average heart rate was 158, faily high considering my pace.

5 Mile Treadmill Run

5 miles on a treadmill in Cedar Rapids. Don't really have any splits or such, ran mostly around a 10 minute mile pace. Dull, but had to be done.

Cold, Very Cold

Second Snowball Series run, half marathon, starting at Marathon Sports, going east on Olive, then north on Creve Coeur Mill Rd, then out on Waterworks Road a ways, backtracking around a bit, then finally heading back. Was it cold? Um… yes. 6F with 30mph+ winds. Nasty. I wore 2 pair of pants, 2 shirts and 2 jackets, 2 pair of socks and 2 hats. I did take off my outer jacket after a while, and the camelback froze up during the run. But... I got through it. I'm guessing a lot of people cut the course short, and even without cutting it short, the course was .1 mile short according to the garmin. Wasn't tired at the end of the run, just glad to be done. Splits were between 10:40 and 13:06, with 4 miles being in the 10s, 5 in the 11s, 3 in the 12s, and 1 in the 13s where I walked quite a bit near the half way point.

5 Mile Run

5 milles up at the lake with the FFRC. Ran with Mike, Bob, Debbie and a new member Rachael for the most part, but the last mile of the 4 he was running Mike and I slowed down a bit, then I ran 1 more mile after that with Debbie and Rachael. Decent run, was fairly comfortable out considering. 52:55 total time, 10:35 average pace, splits of 10:10, 10:33, 10:37, 11:30 and 10:03, average heart rate of 154.

8 Mile Run at Lake

8 miles up at the lake, fairly warm, snow and ice had mostly melted, but I avoided the tree areas because it seemed like that's where ice was. 1:26:57 total time, 10:52 average pace, splits of 10:52, 10:38, 10:52, 10:49, 10:58, 10:40, 10:43 and 10:23. Averagre heart rate was 152 and pretty steady with splits from 155 to 149.

5 Miler

5 miles up at the lake, cold and a bit icy/snowy, so took it slow. Splits of 11:39, 11:44, 11:53, 11:38 and 11:18, average heart rate of 153. Suppose to warm up a bit and rain tomorrow.

15 Mile Long Run

15 miles up at the lake, running a mostly double figure 8 course starting at the restaurant and going north from there. In the 50s out, but overcast and very windy from the south, for the most part the way I ran there wasn't too much head wind, just occasionally. Run went pretty good, I took 1 minute walk breaks every mile, had shot blocks at the end of the 6th and 12 mile (so slightly longer walk breaks there), and managed to keep my pace. Overall average was 10:45, my fastest mile was mile 4 at 1026, and my slowest mile was mile 14 at 10:53, so quite consisitent. Average heart rate was 157, with 3 of the miles being the high at 160. Legs and feet were getting pretty sore by the end. Walked 1 mile at the start and 2 miles at the end to stretch out the time. Weather for the week is looking really crappy, could be tough to get the runs in.

Fun On The Freeway 5K

5K "Fun On The Freeway" run on I-64 in St Louis. About 2000 people ran, so somewhat crowded, but with 5 lanes of freeway to run on, it was all right. Ran with Bob, who again said he was going to run 'slow' but then he ran somewhat fast anyway, heh. Couse had a decent uphill to start, then down, then back up, turn around, and then back to the start, so the finish was downhill. Splits of 9:35, 9:19, 9:06 and 1:03 for the final .12 miles, so 8:25 pace. Overall 29:05 time, 9:18 pace. Heart rate was 163. Wanted to run a little slower since I'm doing 15 miles yet today, but it wasn't too bad. In the 50s but windy, though the course was OK because the wind was from the south (cross wind) and a lot of the times it seemed like the sound walls was blocking the wind. 

5 Mile FFRC Run

5 miles up at the lake with the FFRC. Small crowd this morning, but most of the people that did show up were running a pace that worked well for me. New member Michael was there, and so I ran with him. He was planning on doing 4 miles, so we ran the upper loop, and then when he was done I double backed and ran another mile, then walked a mile to wrap it up while waiting for Judy. 52:34 total time, 156 average heart rate, splits of 10:38, 10:27, 10:57, 10:39 and 9:51. Stiff wind from the south, temps were not too bad but the wind made it feel a lot colder.

8 Mile Run

8 miles up at the lake, starting at about 6:20, so still fairly dark. Walked a mile at the start and at the end. Ran from the restaurant up past the sailboat cove and down to the woods, then returned the same direction. 1:22:22 total time, 10:17 pace, average heart rate of 155. Splits of 10:58, 10:26, 10:33, 10:20, 10:17, 10:03, 10:07 and 9:35. Took 1 minute walk breaks all miles but the last one. Overall a decent run.

5 Mile Run

5 miles up at the lake, running in the new Asics GT-2120s I picked up for 35 bucks. They feel a bit different, and I'll probably stick with short runs for them. Ran in the morning, was fairly cool out, but not too bad. Started at the restaurant and run up and past the sailboat cove and back, walked about a half mile before and after the run. Splits of 10:41, 10:37, 10:40, 10:30 and 10:10. Took 1 minute walk breaks all miles except the last one. Average heart rate of 153, so took it fairly easy.

16 Mile Run

16 miles up at the lake, mid to upper 20s out, a bit windy, but nothing really bad, sun came out for a bit later in the run. I walked 2 miles before starting to run, and then 3 miles in I needed a bathroom stop, which took 5 minutes that I stopped the timer for. I also stopped for a quick bathroom break 2 miles from finishing, and didn't stop the timer for that. Had 2 shot blocks during mile 6 and mile 12. Started at the restaurant, ran counter-clockwise doing the big loop, going on the lake side of the soccer fields, then out on the spur to the far side of the bridge, then back the same way, but instead of going thru the woods, ran along the underpass then back to the car. Then walked about 1.5 miles afterwards while drinking endurox and waiting for Judy. 16 miles in 2:53:23, average pace of 10:50, all miles but mile 6 (shot blocks, 11:14) and mile 14 (bathroom break 12:09) were between 10:04 and 10:56, so fairly consistent. Average heart rate was 155, with 160 and 162 for the final 2 miles. I was able to finish with a 10:04 mile, so I had a little gas left. Legs were pretty tired afterwards, and the usual soreness, but I made it. Need a day of rest, that's for sure.

15K Snowball Series Run

First run of the Snowball Series, this one ran in Queeny Park. Didn't see any FFRC members to run with so just ran on my own. Course had some very hilly stretches, 2 loops plus a little more, so the second loop I knew what to expect with the hills. I mostly took walk breaks up the hills, didn't want to push it too much with a 16 miler planned for tomorrow. Was cold, but not very windy - though the wind did pick up near the end. 9.32 miles in 1:34:48, 10:10 average pace, splits of 10:16, 10:16, 9:53, 10:27, 10:02, 10:25, 9:45, 10:19, 10:06 and 10:14 pace for the final bit. Average heart rate was 165, so I was pushing it a little more than I should have been, but it felt OK overall. Nice shirt and decent pants with the Snowball Series, should be fun.

5 Mile Cold Run

5 miles up at the lake, cold again. 49:17 overall time, 9:51 pace, splits of 10:19, 9:53, 9:54, 9:45 and 9:25. Ran up to the sailboat cove and back, finishing with running up the overpass hill and down. Average heart rate of 161, so a little higher than the other day, but was a little quicker too. OK run.

5 Mile Morning Run

5 miles up at the lake in the morning, another cold one, but not too bad. Walked about a half mile before and after, running up to the sailboat cove and back. 50:01 total time, 10:00 pace, splits of 10:24, 9:59, 10:22, 10:19 and 8:55. Average heart rate of 157. 

12 Miler

12 miles up at the lake, ran out on the spur with doubling back a mile, then up to near the sailboat cove, and then back to the restaurant. Walked about a mile before and after the running. Overall, OK but was a bit tired. 2:06:43 overall time, 10:33 pace, miles between 10:07 (final mile) and 10:56 (uphill over MO river). Average heart rate was 155. Was cold and windy, not much fun, but got it in.

Great River Race

Ran the 10 Mile Great River Race in Alton. Was pretty chilly, but not very windy, so wasn't too bad. Ran with Bob and Jim from the FFRC. I asked Bob what pace he wanted to run, he said right around 10, so for the first 8 miles I ran around 9:40ish with Bob and Jim leading the way and me trying to keep them from running too fast. Course was out and back along the river. With about 3 miles to go, Jim left us and ran a bit faster, and with 2 miles to go Bob and I picked up the pace. We actually ended up catching Jim and Al near the end. Finishing time was 1:33:40, timing did not have the chip time for either Bob or I, so that's as close as 'chip' time as I have. 10.01 miles in 1:33:40, 9:21 pace, splits of 9:45, 9:21, 9:32, 9:34, 9:21, 9:23, 9:38, 9:15, 9:04 and 8:38. Average heart rate was 167, with the final two miles being 171 and 174, so fairly consistent the rest of the way. Overall the run felt pretty good, hopefully I didn't spend too much energy and the 12 miler tomorrow goes OK.

Turkey Day 5K

Chesterfiled Thanksgiving Day 5K, out at the Chesterfield Mall. Started and finished at the YMCA, basically ran around the mall. Hillier than I would have thought, nothing too steep, but some long climbs. Last mile was mostly downhill so was able to kick it in a bit. Ran with Bob from FFRC, he said he was going to go slow, but then seemed to always be a step ahead of me, heh. 3.09 miles by the garmin in 26:57, 8:43 pace, splits of 9:17, 8:49, 8:08 and 42 seconds for the final bit (7:45 pace). Heart rate was high, 169, with it at 178 for the final bit. Fun race, overall I was 715 out of 2279, for men I was 516 out of 1106, and for my age group I was 55 out of 107. Good for me (:

5 Mile Run

5 miles up at the lake, running from the restaurant up to the sailboat cove and back, with a run up the overpass hill and down at the end. Morning run, chilly out, but not too bad. 5 miles in 51:04, first mile was 10:37, then I had a 10:14, 10:16, 10:16 and 9:38, so started getting in a groove a bit. Average heart rate was 160. Decent run.

12 Mile Long Run

12 miles up at the lake, looping around in various directions to make the 12 miles. Also walked 2 miles before and nearly a mile afterwards to stretch out the time while Judy ran. Felt like I was dragging the whole time, didn't really feel like I got in much of a groove. All miles were between 10:13 and 10:37, so really consistent. Average heart rate was 158, and even that didn't change much, ranging from 157 to 162, with the 162 being the second mile. Ran in the afternoon, was nice out but right about 50 and a bit breezy, and near the end it became overcast and started feeling cooler. Not a great run but OK

5 Miler

5 miles up at the lake, running at about 10:30. Started at the restaurant, ran up to the sailboat cove and back, running up the overpass hill and down for the finish then walking in from there. Splits of 9:23, 9:19, 9:27, 9:27 and 9:10, so fairly consistent. Average heart rate was 163, though the last mile was 168. Good run.

8 Mile Afternoon Run

8 miles up at the lake, starting at the restaurant, running up past the sailboat cove on the inside and down to the overpass, just over 4 miles, then returning. Ran at about 4pm, so it was getting dark, and Judy was running a counter-clockwise lap. When I passed her on the way back, I started back tracking about .1 mile at a time so that we would be somewhat close to coming in at the same time. Ran on the outside part of the soccer field on the way back because it was a little lighter on that side. Good run, was nearly 60F out with a light breeze, but temp did start to drop when the sun went down. 8 miles in 1:14:31, 9:18 pace. Splits of 9:31, 9:13, 9:20, 9:20, 9:34, 9:27, 9:26 and 8:36. Was feeling good, could have ran harder. Average heart rate was a bit high, 166, but still not too bad. Day off tomorrow then 5 Friday morning.

Cold 5 Miler

5 miles up at the lake in the morning, cold - about 29F or so, starting at the restaurant, running up and past the sailboat cove, and back. Walked about .5 miles before and after the run. 47:52 total time, average pace of 9:34, splits of 10:03, 9:44, 9:32, 9:26 and 9:05. Took a while to get going. Average heart rate was 160.

10 Mile Long Run

10 miles up at the lake, ran in the afternoon and the temperature was in the 50s, sunny, but fairly windy. Started at the restaurant, ran up to the sailboat cove, down under the overpass, then back around to the sailboat cove, then down thru the woods, out on the tail, then back to the restaurant. Walked about a mile before and 2 miles or so afterwards to stretch out the time while Judy was finishing up. 1:39:33 total time, 9:57 pace, splits of 10:15, 10:09, 10:05, 10:24, 10:12, 9:59, 10:11, 9:35, 9:37 and 9:03. Was able to pick up the pace the last few miles without my heart rate going up too much. Average heart rate for the run was 163, with the last 3 miles being 165, 164 and 166. Was fairly tired by the end, but it felt like a pretty good run.

5 Mile Saturday Run

5 miles up at the lake running with the FFRC. Small crowd as temps were in the mid 30s, was a bit rainy, and very windy. Ran with a new member, Sherrie, who ran around my pace. The last mile was right into the wind so we slowed down there. Did the big loop, but walked the last .5 miles of it. 5 miles in 49:17, average pace of 9:51, splits of 9:20, 9:47, 9:56, 9:53 and 10:19. Average heart rate of 166. Didn't take any walk breaks, probably the reason my heart rate was a bit high. Overall a decent run though. Winter is coming.

6 Mile Run

6 miles up at the lake, walked a mile at the start, then starting at the restaurant I ran a big loop counter clockwise, with running the south tail. Judy was running either 5 miles or 6 miles, so I was planning on working in walking a mile at the end if I caught up with her and it was apparent she was running 6 miles. When I caught up with her, it was clear she was running 6, so I double backed to add a mile to the run. Finished my 6 miles just after passing Judy, and walked with her for a bit during her walking half mile, then walked in from there. 6 miles in 58:12 total time, 9:42 average pace. Splits of 10:22, 9:57, 9:49, 9:34, 9:26, 9:02, average heart rate of 160.

5 Mile Run

5 miles up at the lake, walking about a mile at the start, going to the sailboat cove and back. Needed to stop and use the bathroom, stopped the timer. Raining, cold, windy … bleh. 50:11 overall time, 10:02 pace, splits of 10:27, 10:07, 10:29, 10:07 and 8:58. Average heart rate of 158, though it was 167 for the final mile when I was running a bit faster. Feels like I'm getting my legs back.

8 Miler

8 miles up at the lake, was windy and cold (upper 30s), so tried to run in the trees or with the wind when ever possible. Ran from the restaurant to the sailboat cove on the inside trail, then down thru the woods and out to the apartments, then back thru the woods to the over pass, then back thru the woods and around to the restaurant. 8 miles in 1:20:34, average pace of 10:04, splits of 10:06, 10:01, 10:05, 10:00, 10:18, 10:06, 10:01 and 9:52. Took short walk/water breaks every mile but the last one. Average heart rate was 163, 167 for the final mile. Felt pretty good, was getting tired near the end but not too bad, could have ran a few more miles. Time to sort out a training schedule for Phoenix.

6 Miler

6 miles up at the lake with the fleet feet runners club. Was around 40F and windy. At the start was running with Bob and a few ladies and a new guy, Rafael. Bob's stomach was acting up, so he started walking and headed back to the start area, and the ladies slowed down a bit, so I was just running wth Rafael. Talked a bit, nice guy, and we had very similar pace, so it worked out well. One 'big' loop running on the inside of the soccor field stretch, then just a bit more to get to the 6 miles. Splits of 10:13, 10:03, 10:30, 9:57, 9:47 and 9:52. Average heart rate was 164, so all right there. Decent run, not sure if I'll run or walk tomorrow, we'll see how I feel in the morning.

Morning 5 Miler, Getting Colder

5 miles up at the lake, running out on the spur since construction is done. Walked about .3 miles at the start with Judy, then 2.5 miles out, then back, with turning around and running back up the overpass hill at the very end, then walking out to where Judy was and walking back in with her, so about a mile of walking at the end. 49:46 total time, 9:57 pace, splits of 10:11, 9:57, 9:53, 10:11 and 9:32, average heart rate of 164, though it was acting up at the start since it was cool out (about 45F, sunny but a little windy). Decent run, better than yesterday.

Back In The Groove

5 miles up at the lake, running out on the spur since construction is done. Walked about .2 miles at the start, then 2.5 miles out and back, with running back up the overpass for the ending, then walked about .7 miles back to the car and waited for Judy. Total time of 52:30, average pace of 10:30, splits of 10:18, 10:16, 10:30, 10:54 and 10:31, average heart rate of 167. In the 60s, but sprinkling a bit. Felt sluggish but it was good to get back out there.

St Louis Track Club Half Marathon

St Louis Track Club Half Marathon day - I was optimistic that despite the fact that I hadn't ran a single step since the Hartford Marathon, I would have a good race, with toughts of breaking 2 hours. Race start was at 8am, but there was a walkers start at 7am, and Judy was planning on mostly walking, so she got started at 7am. Race started at 8:05 and I knew after the first mile I was going to have trouble keeping a good pace. I felt pretty good overall, but my heart rate was high. First mile I ran in 9:40, with an average heart rate of 170. Second mile was 9:33 with an average of 179, and rthe third mile at 9:22 with a heart rate of 179. After that I started slowing down, running 10:46, 10:50, 11:16 (shot block mile), 10:21, 11:01, 11:00, a 1 minute nearly .1 mile to get back on the mile markers, and then a 11:52. About a quarter mile into mile 11, I caught up with Judy, and I figured I would just walk in with her from there. So overall 10.33 miles in 1:49:11, avg pace of 10:34, average heart rate of 175. Even though my heart rate was high, I didn't feel winded or that I was pushing too hard while running, it was a bit odd. Perhaps it was from the fact that I had so little sleep the weekend before due to the Gathering and eating/drinking too much... and still having a bit of a gathering hangover. Overall time for the 13.1 miles was 2:40:07, average pace of 12:14. Great weather for the Marathon, shame I didn't feel up to running hard (:

Hartford Marathon

Marathon day. Woke up bright and early around 4:30 AM, got dressed, ate a Cliff Bar and Banana, had a little time to relax, go to the bathroom, then we (Me, Judy, Justin and his girlfriend Lina, our designated driver) headed down to Hartford, which was about a 40 minute drive. We found a place to park and headed over to the starting area. The UPS trucks had not arrived yet, so we couldn't yet drop off our bags. It was cool out, but not too bad - upper 40s and no wind. The UPS trucks finally showed up and we got our bags dropped off, got in line for the port-a-johns and then headed over to the starting area. Justin did some stretching and then we got into the mass at the start. We found the 4:15 and 4:30 pace groups and stood around there and did light stretching and tried keeping warm before the start. 

Race started at 8:09, so a little late but pretty reasonable. It was crowded at the start, and the first mile was 10:28 as Justin and I tried to find our pace. Things started thinning out and we hit our groove, having miles of 9:25, 9:57, 9:27, 9:34, 10:18, 10:03, 9:19 and 9:38.

During the 10th mile Justin's calf muscle started tightening up, and he had to stop and stretch a bit and I jumped in a port-a-john real quick, so that mile was 11:48. We got going again, but Justin was struggling. It was going to be a long day. Justin thought that if we walked a mile, he might be able to work out his calf tightness, so we planned on walking after the half way point. Mile 11, 12 and 13 came in at 11:10, 11:24 and about 14 minutes with stops as Justin stretched. We walked a mile, but then when it was time to run again, Justin didn't have it in him. 

Justin wasn't feeling very good, and we flagged down one of the bike medics. The bike medic said that he looked dehydrated, and they checked his blood pressure, which was low. They told him to get more fluids, but didn't tell him to stop. So off we went, still shuffling along. Justin got more fluid in him and he started feeling a little better, but his calf was still tight, but we just kept plugging away. Justin just kept saying "Must... get... medal", heh. Walking miles were generally between 14 minute miles and 18 minute miles. When Justin needed to stretch, I would usually walk ahead a bit then walk back.

We got to mile 25, and Justin figured he could finish 'strong' ... or at least stronger. 25th mile was 13:35, we then stopped at the mile 26 flag for a quick photo, and then ran the last .2 miles at a 10:27 pace. Total time was 5:59:47, pace of 13:44. I covered 26.94 miles according to the garmin, some of the extra being the usual garmin error, and some of it being the walking ahead and back when Justin stretched. 

Waited at the finish for Judy to come in. I thought she might pass us as we slowed, but she slowed too, coming in about 15 minutes later. Things were starting to be taken down at the finish by the time Judy came in, and there wasn't really any post food still out, so we just headed back to the car then back to Justin an Lina's house. 

I was somewhat disappointed that I wasn't able to run the whole race, but it was good to see Justin finish, and it's still a marathon (:

Final Pre-Marathon Run

3.1 miles up at the lake in the evening, walking about a half mile before and after. Was getting dark near the end of the run, but not too bad. Easy run, 3.1 miles in 30:22, average pace of 9:47, splits of 9:48, 9:55, 9:40 and 9:23 pace for the final .1 mile. Average heart rate of 153. Keeping loose for the marathon.

More Tapering

3.1 miles up at the lake, with about .5 miles walking before and after. About a mile in I needed to go to the bathroom, which took a few minutes, and I stopped the timer. I did a few strides during the run, including kicking it in for the final .1 mile. Splits of 10:12, 10:05, 9:13 and 0:35 for the final .1 mile which is a 5:49 pace, nearly at full speed. Average heart rate was 152.

Tapering Down

3.1 miles up at the lake, walked about a half mile before and after, running out on the spur. Took it fairly easy. 30:27 total time, avg pace of 9:49, splits of 9:47, 10:05, 9:38 and a 9:28 pace for the final .1 miles. Average heart rate was 155, taking it easy getting rested up for the marathon.

Saturday 8 Mile Run

Ran up at the lake with the FFRC, big crowd this morning and ran with Bob. I told him I was going to be running a bit slower, which he agreed to, then he kept me going a bit faster than I wanted to, but not too bad and it felt comfortable. About 50F and foggy out, but felt pretty good. Did the figure eight plus the tail end running to the swimming pool and back. 8 miles in 1:14:46, average pace of 9:20, splits of 9:08, 9:15, 8:56, 9:46, 9:43, 9:31, 9:27 and 8:57. Average heart rate was 161, with the 6th and 8th miles having an average of 166, but still not too bad. Felt like a pace I could maintain for quite some time.

Zippy 3 Miler

Feeling fresh this morning, and with the cool air (about 45F) I figured I'd try a speedy 3.1 mile run. After walking about .5 miles I ran the soccer field loop counter clockwise, then a little bit more back to the car. 3.1 miles in 25:17, average pace of 8:09, Average heart rate was 170, but the garmin was a bit flakey until I was sweating jumping around to 194 and such during my first 1/2 mile of running. Splits of 8:18, 8:03, 8:05 and 0:49 for the last .1 mile for a pace of 8:17. Record 5K. Time to take it easy until Marathon in 9 days.

Easy 5 Miler

5 miles up at the lake, running from the restaurant to a bit past the sailboat cove and back. Walked about 1/2 mile before and after the run. Cool out and took it easy, but the heart rate monitor was acting up a bit at the very start, jumping all the way up to 211 for a bit. Took a water/walk break every mile but the final mile, splits of 10:09, 10:04, 10:12, 10:07 and 9:48. Average heart rate was 154, though more like 151, mile averages were 162, 151, 150, 151 and 154. Was right about 50F out, so wore pants and long sleeves so I wouldn't be cold.

3 Mile Easy Run

3.1 miles up at the lake, starting at the restaurant, heading up towards the sailboat cove on the inside trail, but returning back where the outside trail met back up and headed back. Total time of 30:53, avg pace of 9:57, splits of 10:05, 10:03 and 9:45, then 9:56 pace for the last .1 mile. Heart rate was 151 for the run, was taking it easy. Will probalby do a faster 3.1 mile run on Thursday to keep 'sharp', might go for a record but we'll see how I feel. 

10 Mile Easy Run - Taper Time!!!

10 miles up at the lake, starting at the restaurant, then heading up to the sailboat cove on the inside part, around the lake then across to the loop on the outside of the soccer fields and back to the sailboat cove, then around the lake and down the wooded trail, then back to the restaurant. I walked a mile to start the run, heading south towards the pool on Bookbinder, and started running from there, then I walked a mile at the end as well. 1:41:58 for the 10 miles of running, 10:11 average pace, splits of 10:26, 10:28, 10:17, 10:19, 9:59, 10:12, 10:15, 10:21, 10:17 and 9:19. Took a water/walk break every mile but mile 5 (forgot) and the last mile. Average heart rate was 153, with all miles excpet the first and last between 150 and 155, the final mile I pushed the pace a little and it was starting to get warm out, and my heart rate average was 160, so a little higher.

5 Miler

5 miles at the lake 'with' the FFRC, though no one was running my pace this morning so it was a solo run, glad I brought the shuffle just in case. Took it easy, 50:09 total time for a 10:01 pace, splits of 10:25, 10:09, 9:59, 10:02 and 9:32. Took walk/water breaks every mile excpet for the last one. Heart rate was 151, so good easy run.

8 Mile Run With Record Mile

8 miles up at the lake, starting at the restaurant and then heading out on the spur. Turned around and headed back at the Page Extension parking lot, and decided that I felt pretty good and with the downhill of the Missouri River bridge, I figured I'd go for a record mile. Was running hard but didn't feel like I was overdoing it, ended up with a 7:30 mile - so new record by 14 seconds. After that I was a bit pooped and sorta coasted in, heart rate stayed a little high after the record mile, but it was getting warmer out too. Temp started at about 65F, was about 75F when I finished. 8 miles in 1:18:16, average pace of 9:47, average heart rate of 162 (175 for the record mile), splits of 10:13, 10:03, 10:01, 10:25, 7:30, 9:50, 10:14 and 9:57. Day off tomorrow then running 5 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday.

5 Mile Morning Run

5 miles up at the lake, starting at the restaurant, heading up and doing the upper lake loop counter clockwise, then headed back. The flooding of the trails is over so no issues. Took it fairly easy and it was cool out, probably 60F or so. Splits of 10:03, 9:59, 9:58, 9:54 and 8:57 for an average pace of 9:46. Average heart rate was 156, and even on the last sub 9:00 mile it was 158, which is pretty good.

Last Long Run Before Taper

Last long run before tapering, and it was to be 18 miles, but I pooped out and got in 16 miles of running and 2 miles of walking. Average pace for the running was 10:37, which isn't too bad, aveage heart rate was 156. Was doing ok keeping my miles between 10:06 and 10:37 for the first 13 miles, then the 14th mile I walked a little extra while I had some shot blocks, and then when it was time to run again, I just didn't have the oomph to do it. Walked/Ran mile 15 and 16 then decided it would be best to just walk the last 2 miles rather than over do it. 11:39, 11:42 and 11:45 for the last 3 miles. Average heart rate for a mile was never in the 160s, so that's one good thing. Glad to be tapering

St Charles Run

6 miles in St Charles on the 'old' course with the FFRC. Ran with Rita and Joy - had Bruce with us for the first half on the way out, but then he was running 10 so he kept going and we headed back. A fairly easy pace, they took a few walk breaks so overall a comfortable run. Pleasant out. Splits of 10:16, 10:36, 10:56, 10:53, 10:40 and 10:30, overall pace of 10:38, average heart rate of 155.

Speedy Eight Miler

8 miles up at the lake, again starting at the swimming pool. Figured I'd run past the restaurant, take the inner loop and get to the Sailboat Cove. The trial ended up being flooded north of the east/west road in the soccer field loop, so I doubled back and took the east/west road across to the other side, then figured I'd run towards the Sailboat Cove as far as I needed. But then that part of the trail was flooded at what would be the northeast corner of the lake, so I headed back. Was going to be short on distance so I decided to run on the trail that runs under the page extension and then north on the other side of the lake, but then that part was flooded as well. I then ran on the inside loop a little to try to get enough distance in, then I headed back towards the car. Distance worked out pretty good, had to run just past the car. Even with all the turn arounds, I ended up with a record 8 mile run. Total time was 1:13:15, average time of 9:09. Splits were 9:34, 8:59, 9:03, 9:01, 8:58, 9:11, 9:03 and 9:23. Was getting tired at the end, and it was actually fairly warm, in the low 70s out. Heart rate was high, average of 171 with the last two mile splits of 176 and 177. Overall a good run, most likely my last 'hard' run before the marathon.

Easy Five Miler

5 miles up at the lake. Because of construction we started at the swimming pool off of Bookbinder and ran from there, I did an out and back passing the restaurant and then heading in the inner loop to 2.5 miles then returning. Was fairly consistent, legs felt a bit heavy but not too bad, was nice and cool out, upper 50s. 47:05 total time, average pace of 9:25, splits of 9:38, 9:22, 9:31, 9:14 and 9:17. Average heart rate was 163.

Lewis and Clark 'Marathon'

Lewis and Clark 'Marathon'. Judy and I got up about 5am, got dressed, went to the bathroom, got everything ready, checked the radar - and saw that t was going to be one rainy day. We headed out about 5:30 to Riverport to park, and it wasn't raining *too* bad at this time, but once we got to Riverport - it was raining *hard*. Someone posted a video from the parking lot pre-race here. 

I venture out of the car to drop off my post race bag, and am immediately soaked, and that's with a pancho on and with an umbrella. The parking lot has areas where the water is already 3 or 4 inches deep. Get back to the car and wait. About 6:15, Judy and I hop out to use the bathroom, then hop back in. Then at about 6:45 we get out so we can line up for the race start. We stand there with everyone else for about 30 minutes waiting for things to start, apparently there was some delay with getting the traffic control in place and such - most likely because of the rain. But we finally get going.

 It's still raining hard and the wind is brutal. Doing a slow run and taking a lot of walk breaks anytime I'm into the wind, figuring I should save my energy, it's going to be a long day. Right after mile 2 - I have to use the bathroom, again, which takes about 5 or 6 minutes. Guess I didn't go enough before heading out. I get back going and there's a little out and back where the 'out' is with the wind, and I get in a zipping 9:39 mile with the wind carrying me, but then it was back into the wind. Still trudging along. At the 370 bridge over the Missouri, I take my planned 1 mile walk break, and then get back to running on the downhill side of the bridge. At the bottom of the hill we start heading south towards downtown St Charles. This is wrong, we should have headed north at this point, and sure enough, pretty soon I hear people saying that the race has been rerouted and will be a 10 mile run.

So I jog back in to the finish, get my 'finishers' medal and call Judy to see where she's at. She'll be finished in about 15-20 minutes and after she gets in, we get a little food and talk to Debbie (one of the race organizers) a little. She said that the north part of the course got flooded, with the volunteers at the aid station being stranded by the flood waters. The Katy Trail - which the second half would have been ran on, and downed trees on the course because of the wind. It was disappointing, but certainly memorable. So we head back to the car via the shuttle bus, and we're glad we showed up early - the parking lot that people would have parked in who got there later than us is flooded with a few feet of water and cars with water to the top of the wheels. Even though we only ran 10 miles, we still went to Sam's Steakhouse where we ate more than we should have, but it was very tasty.

Overall an ok run - slow for a 10 miler, but I didn't know it was going to be 10 miles, heh. Splits were all over the place, 11:32, 11:08, 19:00 (bathroom break), 9:39, 11:00, 11:34, 13:45, 12:15, 11:01, 10:55. Total official time was 2:02:53 for a 12:17 pace. I'll be back next year!!!

5 Mile Zippy Run

5 miles up at the lake, starting at the restaurant and heading up to the sailboat cove and back. Decided to push it a little, but not too much. 44:45 total time for a pace of 8:57, 20 seconds off my 5 mile record, but heart rate was 162 while during the record 5 mile run my average heart rate was 169, so much better. Splits of 9:38, 8:49, 9:10 (included a water/walk break), 8:52 and 8:14. Heart rate for the final mile was 169, so was pushing it there, but wasn't running all out. 3 mile run or walk Thursday or Friday and the the marathon this weekend. Legs are feeling good.

3.1 Mile Morning Run

3.1 miles up at the lake, starting at the restaurant and out on the spur, mostly to see what sort of progress has been made with the construction. Cool out and a comfortable run, total time 30:27, splits of 10:06, 9:51, 9:30 and a 9:49 pace for the last .1 mile. AHR was 157, though the garmin acted up a bit during the first mile and was jumping all over the place. Fun to run in cooler weather again.

Going Long

18 miles on the Katy Trail, starting at the Page Extension parking lot and running southwest 9 miles before returning. Also walked 2 miles before and after the 18 mile run to stretch out the time. Total running time of 3:07:51, average pace of 10:26, average heart rate of 157, though it was creeping up a little at the end with averages of 160, 163, 163 and 162 to finish up. All miles were between 10:15 and 10:44, so consistent run. Had shot blocks during mile 7 and mile 14, and ducked into the woods real quick during mile 9, but didn't stop the timer. 9 miles from Page Extension Parking lot southwest does get past Hwy 40, but the Weldon Springs trailhead is still farther away, not sure just how much farther. Overall a decent run, can tell that my legs were extra tired with the running Friday and Saturday, but it could have been worse. Weather was nice, temperature in the 60s with sprinkles to start with and overcast for most of the run. Next weekend, Marathon time (:

5 Mile Run

5 miles up at the lake with the FFRC. With all the rain I didn't do the big loop, but cut across before going into the woods, then ran south before turning around and returning along the inner loop. Walked about a half mile after the 5 miles. Did a decent job not running too fast, keeping it around a 10:00 pace, with splits of 10:13, 10:05, 10:07, 10:13 and 9:34 for an average pace of 10:02 and a total time of 50:14. Cool and really foggy at the start, but started clearing up by the time we were done. Forgot to wear the heart monitor. 18 miles tomorrow, should be 'fun'. 

10 Mile Morning Run

10 mile tempo run up at the lake. Was cool out, about 60F with a bit of a breeze and mist/drizzle for the run. Headed out from the house at about 6am while it was still dark, but it got lighter pretty quick into the run. Ran from the restaurant up to the sailboat cove on the inside trail, then around the lake and looped around on the soccor field trail and past the sailboat cove again. With all the recent rain, the lake was really high, and I wasn't sure how the unpaved trail would be, so I decided to double back and return the way I started, going past the sailboat cove again then taking the inside trail back to the restaurant. Pretty good run overall, took water/walk breaks every 2 miles, was able to keep my pace steady and felt pretty good at the end. 1:34:35 total time, 9:27 avg pace, 160 AHR. Splits of 9:43, 9:37, 9:13, 9:42, 9:23, 9:35, 9:25, 9:33, 9:16 and 9:04. Heart rate crept up a bit at the end, but with the cooler temperature not really that much - 164 for the final mile. Running tomorrow and Sunday - going to be dragging by the end of the 18 miler Sunday I think.

5 Mile Morning Run

5 miles up at the lake, MUGGY! Was in the mid 70s but humidity had to be near 100%. It had rained earlier but was not running while we were up there, looked like it could at any time though. Walked aobut a half mile before and after the run, starting at the restaurant and going up to and past the sailboat cove along the inside trail, then returning. Took a walk break at the end of mile 1, at the half way point, then one at the end of mile 4. Splits of 10:21, 9:49, 10:16, 10:15 and 9:32. Average heart rate was 157. Felt all right, would like to have felt fresher seeing that I took 2 days off from running.

16 Mile Long Run

16 mile long run on the Katy Trail. Judy was running 16 as well, so I dropped her off at the Creve Coeur Lake restaurant parking lot so she could get a bit of an early start, then headed over and parked in the Page extension parking lot. I walked about 1.5 miles out and back on the bridge before heading down and running SW for 8 miles then returning. Overall a good run, the sunny stretch around Greens Bottom got a bit hot on the way back with not a cloud in the sky and temperatures getting near 80 at the time. Was able to stick to 1 water/walk break every mile. 16 miles in 2:47:12, average pace of 10:26, splits between 10:10 and 10:44, so a very consistent run. Average heart rate was 158, though the last 2 miles were 166 and 167 as I struggled to keep the pace under 11:00. Walked for about a mile or so after the run while waiting for Judy. Happy with the run, would like to see cooler weather though.

6 Mile Saturday Run

6 miles up at the lake with FFRC, starting at the sailboat cove, doing a big loop, then tacking on just a bit to round it out to 6 miles. A bit faster than I wanted to run, but the group I was running with slowly picked up the pace and I just stuck with them rather than fall behind. Overall a decent run, 55:59 for a 9:19 average pace, splits of 9:44, 9:15, 9:15, 9:08, 9:09 and 9:25. Average heart rate was 162, but it was creeping up during the run with an average of 167 for te last mile.

10 Mile Tempo Run

10 miles up at the lake, starting at the restaurant, going up to the upper loop and running that along the soccer field, then doing the big loop plus the small tail at the south end, worked out to be 10 miles. 1:37:07 total time, avg pace of 9:42, splits of 9:43, 9:11, 9:30, 10:02, 10:16 (had issue with shuffle, and to switch over to the touch), 9:33, 9:57, 9:36, 9:55 and 9:20. Felt pretty good at the end, could have kept going at the pace I was at. I took wak breaks at the 2 and 4 mile point, then every mile after that, it was in the low 70s so it was warmer than I expected it to be. Heart rate was a bit high, average of 164, with mile averages after the first warm up mile from 163 to 168 (4th mile).

5 Miles With Record Mile Run

5 miles up at the lake, starting at the restaurant and going up to the sailboat cove and then back. I walked about a half mile before and a bit at the end. Total time of 46:03 for an average of 9:12, with splits of 10:10 warm up mile, 9:17, 9:27, 9:24 and the final mile I decided to kick it in and go for a record mile - barely getting it by 1 second at 7:44. Average heart rate of 161, with it progressing up with mile averages of 148, 158, 161, 165 and 175. Last mile was tough, but I made it.

16 Miler

16 miles on the Katy Trail, starting at the Page Extension parking lot and running southwest 8 miles, then returning. Walked about 2 miles afterwards while waiting for Judy to finish up. Was a bit muggy, but not quite as bad as Saturday. About 74F at the starting time of 7:15, about 80F when done. There was a bit of a breeze from the north that helped a little on the way back. Fairly consistent run, wth the first 11 miles being between 10:11 and 10:44, with the 10:44 being a shot block mile. Mile 12 was another shot block mile at 11:03, then I ran 10:39, 11:03, 11:28 and 11:07 to finish. The last 3 miles had several walk breaks as I was getting tired, warm, and my heart rate was creeping up. Average heart rate for the whole run was 158, but I was pushing 170 a number of times late in the race.
16 miles in a total of 2:50:35, for an average pace of 10:39, another 16er planned for next week.

Morning Run at Lake

A 'big' loop up at the lake with the FFRC, running with Bob and Sue. Warm and very humid out and Bob was going a touch slower so it felt ok. Was going to do 6 miles, but after making it all the way around, didn't feel like going any farther. 5.5 miles in 53.56, avg pace of 9:50, splits of 9:28, 9:55, 10:04, 9:46, 9:54 and 4:46 for the final .48 miles. Average Heart Rate was 162, but it was 165, 168 and 166 for the final miles. Took a few short water/walk breaks, probably 30 seconds each. Overall an OK run, would have been better if it was cooler out

8 Mile Tempo Run

8 miles up at the lake, another tempo run - holding the pace right around 9:30. Took 3 water/walk breaks at the mile 2, 4 and 6 points. Fairly consistent run, but my legs are rather tired after running 4 of the last 5 days. Will be nice to have 2 days good, that's for sure. 1:15:53 total time for an average pace of 9:29, splits of 9:58, 9:24, 9:34, 9:31, 9:31, 9:31, 9:24 and 8:56. Cool out, temp around 67F, but was a bit humid. Average heart rate was 160, though it crept up a bit at the end, with the final mile average being 166. Overall a decent run, 21 seconds slower than last weeks 8 miler.

5 Mile Easy Run

5 miles up at the lake, running from the restaurant to the sailboat cove and back. Took it fairly easy, was in the lower 60s and very foggy out. 48:35 total time, average pace of 9:43, splits of 10:02, 9:36, 9:50, 9:39 and 9:25. Took a 1 minute walk break during mile 3 when I turned around. Average heart rate of 155, with a 160 average for the last mile.

14 Miler

14 miles on the Katy Trail, starting at the Page Extension parking lot, going south 2.5 miles, then returning and going north 4.5 miles, and then coming back to the start. Wasn't pushing it, but wanted to maintain a good pace the whole way. Cool at the start, but the sun was out so it started feeling warm when not in the shade, but wasn't too bad. 2:24:19 total time, average pace of 10:18, average heart rate of 158, though the average for the last mile was 165 as I was getting tired. Splits of 10:41, 10:15, 10:07, 10:07, 10:26 (shot blocks mile), 9:58, 10:27, 10:10, 10:12, 10:49 (shot blocks again), 10:29, 10:15, 10:01 and 10:15. Worn out by the end, but didn't feel too bad. Left heel/achilles was a bit sore, will need to watch it so it doesn't get worse.

6 Mile Morning Run

6 miles up at the lake, running with the FFRC. Sue was running my pace, so I stuck with her most of the way. One big loop plus a bit more to round it out to 6 miles. 58:26 total time, 9:44 average pace, splits of 9:46, 9:43, 9:40, 9:44, 9:46 and 9:46 - so very consistent. Average heart rate of 160. Cooler weather and a slightly slower pace made this run feel much easier than last Saturday's run, I should be ready for tomorrow. First run in the new shoes.

8 Mile Run

8 mile tempo run up at the lake. Judy was biking while I was running, so I didn't walk quite as much before and after as I sometimes do. With the cooler weather, I figured I would get back to running my midweek longer runs as a tempo run, with a target of running about a 9:30 pace. 8 miles in 1:15:32, avg pace of 9:26, splits of 10:04, 9:33, 9:14, 9:27, 9:23, 9:29, 8:59 and 9:20. I was getting tired by the end, but not too bad, was able to maintain the pace more or less. Average heart rate was 164, with mile averages of 153, 163, 164, 167, 166, 168, 167 and 167 so fairly consistent there as well. Took quick walk breaks right before the 2, 4 and 6 mile points. Overall run felt good. Record 8 miler.

5 Mile Cool Run

Cool out and felt pretty fresh, so pushed it a bit this morning. Ran up at the lake while Judy biked. 5 miles in 46:35, average pace of 9:19, splits of 9:48, 9:29, 9:41 (1 minute walk/water break), 9:16 and then kicked it in a bit for the last mile and run 8:20. I was planning on pushing it harder the last mile, but after a bit of running fast I looked down at the garmin and was shocked to see I had only ran .2 miles, so I had to slow down a bit, heh. Average heart rate of 164, with a 173 average for the last mile. Felt pretty good, at time when I was running fast it felt like I was getting pulled along by momentum. Day off tomorrow, then 8 on Thursday. Fastest 5 mile run in nearly a year.

14 Tough Miles

Ugh, not a very good run. Not sure if it was not getting enough sleep or if it was pushing it Saturday, or if the warm and sun got to me over time, but I ran out of gas hard. Started from the restaurant, went counter-clockwise for a loop (add the little tail to the apartments) for 6 miles. This went pretty good. I had forgotten to take off my glasses, so I returned to the car and put my glasses away, had some shot blocks, walked a bit, and got going again. I then headed out on the spur towards the Page Extension parking lot. The 4 miles out went so so, while in the final mile out on the bridge I had my other shot blocks and walked for a bit. On the way back, running 'down' the bridge went all right, but after that, I was just completely beat. Walked and ran occasionally the final 3 miles.Hopefully next week goes better, I'll take it easier Saturday and get more sleep, and if needed start my run earlier. 14 miles in 2:45:52, avg pace of 11:50, splits of 10:15, 10:33, 10:26, 10:31, 10:48, 10:43, 14:13 (shot blocks, stop at car, and quite a bit of walking), 11;00, 11:08, 13:26 (shot blocks and quite a bit of walking), 11:03, 13:53, 13:50 and 13:56. Average heart rate for the run was 157, but all the walking brought that down a bit. All but the first two 'running' miles were over 160. Day off tomorrow, then back at it Tuesday.

6 Mile Saturday Run

6 miles up at the lake, with Bob and Rick from the FFRC. They were running a bit faster than I wanted to, and only took 2 very short walk/water breaks, but I stuck with them. 55:45 total time for a 9:17 average pace, average heart rate was 166. Splits of 9:23, 9:23, 9:27, 9:14, 8:58 and 9:18. Did the big loop starting at the sailboat cove, then added on just a bit at the end to round it out to 6 miles. Overall felt good, hopefully pushing it today doesn't hurt me tomorrow though.

8 Mile Morning Run

Cooler out this morning, around 70F and not as humid. Ran up at the lake, with plans of doing my 'usual' 8 mile course, but about 3 miles in I was feeling like I might not be able to finish the run before going to the bathroom, even though I had gone before running. At mile 4, I knew I wouldn't make it, so I headed back to the Sailboat Cove bathroom, which would be at the mile 6 point. I started needing to take walk breaks because things felt a bit dangerous, and then at the 5.5 mile point I just figured I should walk to the bathroom. After this, I headed back to the car. 8 miles running in 1:22:24, avg pace of 10:18, average heart rate of 156. Splits of 10:42, 10:34, 10:21, 10:07, 10:24, 10:37, 10:16 and 9:19. I thought about pushing it more the final mile, but figured I should save my energy. Average heart rate for the final mile was 162, which was fairly low for that pace. Hope the weather stays this way, much more enjoyable running.

5 Mile Run

5 miles this morning up at the lake, was 81F out at 6am with high humidty, but there was a bit of a breeze, so it didn't feel as bad as I expected it to. Took it fairly easy and had a walk break at the end of every mile except for the last. Total time of 52:23, avg pace of 10:28, splits of 10:52, 10:29, 10:32, 10:35 and 9:53. Average heart rate for the run was 161, with 166 avg for the last mile. Overall felt pretty good, 8 miles planned for Thursday morning.

Hot and Muggy

Whew, what a muggy morning. 72F out when we started, but with near 100% humidity. Ran out at the Katy Trail in St Charles. I ran 2 miles, then met up with some of the FFRC people, and ran with Ray for about 7 miles, and then ran 3 more miles. By the end I was really dragging. 12 miles in 2:14:09, avg pace of 11:10, splits of 11:15, 10:15, 10:06, 10:35, 10:31, 10:44, 11:02, 11:17, 11:57, 12:00, 11:57 and 12:27. The last few miles I was walking as much as I was running. Tough run, but made it through. Hopefully things start to cool off a bit.

5 Mile Morning Run

5 miles up at the lake, doing the 'big' loop but going on the lake side of the meadows loop. The north bridge was getting chained off in anticipation of the weekend boat races, so I got thru just as they were closing it up, but woudn't have been able to come back that way. The big look is around 5.6 miles or so, so with my half mile walk before, I made it around in my 5 miles and then walked a bit afterwards while waiting for Judy. Very foggy out, about 71F, so quite sweaty. Decent time, 49:27 for the 5 miles, 9:53 pace, 163 average heart rate. I took only one walk break half way thru instead of every mile and felt ok. Recently I feel like my running has gotten a bit lazy, might have to pick up the pace a bit. Splits of 10:00, 9:50, 9:58, 9:46 and 9:51, so fairly consistent. 12 miles planned for tomorrow.

8 Mile Lake Run

8 miles up at the lake, doing the same course as last time. Despite going before running, two miles in I needed to make a stop at the Sailboat Cove, stopped the garmin for that. Run was a bit better after that. Was a bit sluggish and felt heavy, and it was muggy out. Total time of 1:24:03, avp pace of 10:30, splits of 11:11, 10:15, 10:42, 10:35, 10:34, 10:23, 10:21 and 9:59. Took a walk break at the end of every mile excpet the last one. AHR was 158, though for the final mile it was 164, but still pretty good.

5 Mile Monday Morning Run

5 miles up at the lake, starting at the restaurant and going up to the sailboat cove and then back. Was by myself so I didn't need walk before or after (though I walked about a quarter mile at the end). Wanted to run about a 10 min/mile pace, and did so. 5 miles in 49:42, avg pace of 9:56, splits of 10:32, 9:52, 9:46, 10:00 and 9:30. Walked a minute every mile at the end except for the final mile. Heart rate average was 163, a bit high but not too bad.

Bix7

Bix7 in Davenport, IA, fun race. There were about 12K runners/walkers or so, with 10,565 finishers. Course is known for it's big hill at the start, and with it's out and back course that means running down the same hill near the finish. We got up early and headed down to the start area, getting there plenty early and hanging out until the start. The start was packed, hard to get in stride, but then shortly hit the hill anyway, and rather than weave around people and wear myself out, I walked up the hill. Then it was downhill for a while, but still the road was quite crowded so I couldn't really pick up the pace as much as I thought I would. The course then went uphill again for a bit, then back down as it got close to the river, then we turned around and came back. Shortly after the mile 6 mark, the course headed down the hill and I was able to kick it in a bit and let gravity get my going. The final turn and on to the finish line. 7 miles in an official 1:13:13 for a pace of 10:27. Splits of 11:42, 9:24, 11:01, 10:41, 10:58, 10:29 and 8:43. I walked up a lot of the hills. It was warm out but not as bad as it could have been (start was about 70F, finish upper 70s). Average heart rate was 160. Post race was crowded but there was no shortage of junk food - a mountain of twinkees and other similiar items. Waited for Judy to finish, then headed back to the car and then to the hotel. Showered and got on the road to the Amanas for lunch and then homeward. Was fun, will most likely do it again.

5 Mile Run

Overcast morning, sprinked very lightly for a bit, but the rain held off. 5 miles up at the lake, starting at the restaurant, going up the sailboat cove on the inside loop and a bit past, then returning. Took it fairly easy, avg heart rate was 157 overall, with mile averages of 151, 156, 159, 160 and 160. Legs felt a bit heavy, probably from 3 days in a row of running. 5 miles in 50:10, avg pace of 10:02, splits of 10:27, 10:08, 9:57, 10:01 and 9:36. Day of rest tomorrow, and then Bix7 on Saturday.

8 Mile Run

Another nice cool morning, 69F when we left the house. Ran up at the lake, starting at the restaurant, going up to the Sailboat cove on the inside loop, then down through the woods and out to the pool, then back through the woods, then back along the middle connector. 8 miles in 1:23:42, avg pace of 10:27, splits of 10:53, 10:39, 10:36, 10:36, 10:32, 10:19, 10:24 and 9:39. Average heart rate was 155, with all miles at or below 157 except the last one where I ran a bit faster and it was 161, still pretty low. Felt good out, had a bit of spring in my step. Wish every morning could feel like that. Took walk breaks at the end of every mile except for the final mile, and walked about a half mile at the start and end.

Much Better

Ahhh, so much better out this morning. It had rained overnight, and was overcast, but the rain was done for the morning run, about 72F out. Ran up at the lake, starting at the restaurant and going up the inside loop to the sailboat cove and a bit farther, then back. Walked about a half mile at the start and the end. 5 miles in 50:50, avg pace of 10:10, splits of 10:41, 10:07, 10:16, 10:02 and 9:42. Took walk breaks at the end of every mile except the last. Average heart rate of 158, with an average of 162 for the last mile, so overall pretty good. Good to see that my slowness and high heart rate on recent runs was because of the heat and not loss of conditioning.

12 Mile Hot Run

Whew, HOT. Got started a bit after 7, it was already 80 out with high humidity and not a cloud in sight. I took about 3 walk breaks every mile, so it was slow going. Legs felt fine at the end, but I was pretty beat overall. Stayed hydrated for the run, so all was well.  Ran mostly in the wooded area up at the lake to take advantage of the shade as much as possible. 12 miles in 2:21:29, avg pace of 11:47, splits of 11:03, 10:49, 11:04, 11:09, 11:59, 11:36, 12:18, 11:52, 11:56, 12:12, 12:52 and 12:35. Average heart rate was 162 overall, but that was kept down by all the walk breaks, when running it was getting over 170 frequently. Will need to get up earlier for the longer runs coming up.

4 Mile Run

4 miles up at the lake, 'with' the FFRC. Only a few people showed up because there was the No Boundries 5K today as well, but there were a ton of runners out as the Fleet Feet half and full marathon training groups were up there for a long run. 78F out and sprinking, so killer humidity. Overall an ok run, took it easy, 42:14 overall time for a 10:33 pace. Splits of 10:54, 10:42, 10:33 and 10:04. Avg heart rate of 157. Took walk break near the end of every mile expect the last one. 12 miles tomorrow.

6 Mile Run

6 miles up at the lake, starting at the restaurant and running up to the soccor fields on the inside loop, then past the sailboat cove parking lot, and around to the other side before returning on the same course. Felt sluggish and my heart rate was a bit high, around 75F but with fairly high humidity. Total time of 1:03:38, avg pace of 10:36, splits of 10:53, 10:30, 10:38, 10:27, 10:50 and 10:18. Took a 1 minute walk break every mile except the last mile. Average heart rate of 164, mile averages of 154, 163, 165, 167, 169 and 169. Overall an OK run, just felt slooooow.

4 Mile Neighborhood Run

4 miles around the neighborhood, felt warmer than 76F, and humity wasn't insane, but I was just slow, hot and my heart rate was high. Sun was out strong, so perhaps that was some of it. 4 miles in 42:09, avg pace of 10:32, splits of 10:32, 10:25, 10:36 and 10:35. Took a 1 minute walk break in all miles but the first one. Heart rate was 166 overall, with mile averages of 155, 165, 170 and 172. Will need to get running earlier tomorrow morning to make sure to get it in before it gets warm.

8 Mile Morning Run

8 miles up at the lake, starting at the restaurant and doing a big loop, plus running to the pool at the south end, and running up to the circle and back at the end to get in the distance. Started off a bit slow, but then hit my stride, though legs were just a bit tired. 1:20:11 total time, 10:01 pace, splits of 10:54, 9:43, 9:52, 10:03, 10:01, 10:14, 9:54 and 9:29. Took a 1 minute walk break all miles excpet for first and last. Average heart rate of 159, with the final mile average being 166, so not pushing it too much even then. Was about 70F out, sunny, a light breeze, felt pretty good. A few days off though I might walk Friday and/or Sunday. We'll see.

Morning 3 Mile Run

3.1 miles around the neighborhood, overcast in in the low 70s, so felt all right out, still a bit muggy. 32:00 overall time, 10:19 avg pace, splits of 10:41, 10:08, 10:05 and 1:04 for the last .1 mile for a 10:37 pace. AHR was 155, mile averages of 146, 157, 163 and 164. Tomorrow will make 4 days of running in a row, not sure the last time I've done that, if ever, we'll see how the legs hold up.

5 Miles In The Rain

5 miles around the neighborhood. Judy wasn't running today, and I got up late, so I figured I'd save time by not going up to the lake. Was raining most of the time, but was near 80 so when it wasn't raining it felt uncomfortable. 5 miles in 52:29, 10;29 overall pace, splits of 10:34, 10:06, 10:35, 10:44 and 10:27. AHR of 157 with mile averages of 147, 156, 159, 161 and 162, so fairly low there.

3 Mile Easy Neighborhood Run

Running at 8am and already feeling quite muggy out. Temp was 80F, dewpoint 70F, so farily high humidity. 3.1 miles arund the neighborhood in 31:37, avg pace of 10:11, splits of 10:32, 10:07, 10:05 and 0:52 for the last .1 miles. Heart rate was 158, with mile averages of 149, 160 and 164 (168 over last bit) ... max was 168. Legs felt a little tired from the half marathon, but wasn't too bad.

Joker's Wild Half Marathon

Joker's Wild Half Marathon this morning. Was suppose to start at 6am, but they piddled around and didn't get things started until 6:25, boo to them. Race went pretty good, but I didn't push it much. Ended up with a 2:12:17 time (unofficial for the 13.07 distance according to the garmin. AHR was 164, which is low considering it was starting to get warm, but like I said, I took it fairly easy. Took walk breaks about every mile while walking up hills, and there were hills. A big one going up Dorsett, and a smaller one near the end of the loop. Since it was a double loop course, hit them twice. I took my Shot Blocks break the second time around on Dorsett, during my 9th mile.

Splits were as follows, 9:53, 10:11, 10:05, 9:05, 9:35, 10:11, 9:51, 10:18, a 0:53 split to try to get the garmin back to matching the markers, though it reality I just hit a marker that seemed to be off, 10:54 (shot blocks mile), 10:12, 10:07, 10:03 and a final lap of 10:53 for just short of a mile. The final mile included a decent hill coming up to Westport Plaza that I walked up for about 4 minutes or so, but I was walking briskly then kicked in the pace when I got running after this. Overall happy with how I ran. Post race, I waited for Judy, then we got yummy pancakes, and then stopped by and saw who was left of the FFRC at St Louis Bread Company to say high and give an on the spot race report.

Prerace, I give it a C (chip pickup the morning of the race? no timer at start so no chip time? nearly a half hour late on the start?), race support I'll give a B (a bit thin on volunteers but they did fine), course I'll give a C (dull area, double loop), postrace I give an A- (they had towels, but ran out before Judy and I finished, which would have been nice on a sweaty day). With the price, seems like the prerace should be handled better, but other than that, pretty good. Weather was very nice, but was starting to get warm near the end, if only they would have started on time... heh. I'll edit with official results when they're posted.

Plan on running the miles this next week, but taking it fairly easy.

Edit: Results, Overall 236 of 340, 150 of 185 Men, 28 of 34 Age Group (35-39). Yes, I'm still slow, heh.

O'Fallon Firecracker 5K

Ran the O'Fallon Firecracker 5K this morning. Been a while since I ran 'fast', so thought I would push it a little. Several FFRC members were there, and I started off running with Vicky and Bob. Vicky was going a bit fast for me and after the first mile at 8:17, I slowed down a bit, as did Bob. Second mile was 8:37 and Bob passed me around this time, and I more or less ran right behind him the rest of the way. 3rd mile was 8:38 and then the final .13 miles on the Garmin was in 1:10 (though I didn't hit the stop right away) which was a 8:57 pace. Garmin time was 26:42, official time was 26:29 for an overall pace of 8:31. Average Heart Rate was 171, with mile averages of 164, 174 and 175, with 177 over the last bit. I finished 23 of 51 for my 30-39 age group, 113 of 195 men, and 162 out of 369 overall. Was my best 5K time and wasn't pushing it 100%.

3 Miles

3.1 miles up at the lake, starting at the restaurant and heading towards the sailboat cove, along the inside loop by the lake. 30:12 total time, avg pace of 9:44, splits of 10:10, 9:45 and 9:26, with a 8:11 pace for the final .1 miles. I've clearly lost a bit of my 'speed', because the 8:11 wasn't a pace I could have kept for long. Average heart rate of 158, so a bit lower, which is good. Even over the final .1 miles the avg was just 171, which is pretty good.

5 Mile Morning Run

5 miles up at the lake, idea being that we had more time today than tomorrow, so got in the longer run today. Got going a bit late, about 9:30, and the sun was out and strong, temp wasn't too high, but it felt pretty warm. Run from the Restaurant to the Sailboat cove by the soccor fields, then on the way back took the inside loop closer to the lake which is more shady. Didn't run with water, so just after 3 miles I was at the sailboat cove restrooms, so stopped and drank from the fountain for about a minute, left the timer running. 49:16 total time, 9:51 avg pace, splits of 9:41, 9:21, 9:34, 10:37 and 10:01, avg heart rate of 167, though it was 171 for mile 3 and 5. Overall a decent run.

10 Miles

10 miles up at the lake, running 2 miles, then taking a bathroom break, then running 8 miles with the FFRC, though no one was running my pace. Total running time of 1:41:48, avg pace of 10:10, splits of 10:27, 10:12, 10:06, 10:02, 10:05, 10:13, 10:25, 10:16, 10:18 and 9:40, so fairly consistent. AHR of 162, max of 172, so pretty steady there too. Overall decent run, should be ready for the half marathon next weekend. When we headed out the temp was 78F at 6:20am which had me worried, but it was overcast and breezy, so it didn't warm up any while running, so it felt comfortable.

3 Miles Around the Neighborhood

3.1 miles around the neighborhood, in the 70s so things felt better. Ate at Stir Crazy last night and my stomach feels a bit off, but wasn't a real issue during the run. I ran without looking at the Garmin, so ran what I felt was a comfortable pace. Ended up with 3.1 miles in 31:22, 10:06 pace, splits of 10:17, 9:59, 9:59 and last .1 miles at 10:52 as I started to coast in. AHR was 160, mile averages of 151, 161 and 166, max of 172, avg of 170 for the last .1. Overall felt pretty good.

3 Mile Neighborhood Run

3.1 miles around the neighborhood, in the 70s so things felt better. Ate at Stir Crazy last night and my stomach feels a bit off, but wasn't a real issue during the run. I ran without looking at the Garmin, so ran what I felt was a comfortable pace. Ended up with 3.1 miles in 31:22, 10:06 pace, splits of 10:17, 9:59, 9:59 and last .1 miles at 10:52 as I started to coast in. AHR was 160, mile averages of 151, 161 and 166, max of 172, avg of 170 for the last .1. Overall felt pretty good.

5 Mile Hot Run

Afternoon run, HOT out, 90F at the start, cooling to 87F when we got home, but humidity didn't feel too bad. Ran up at the lake, starting at the lower lot and going counter clockwise, then returning so I could run in the shady part as much as possible. Walked half mile before and after to stretch out the time a bit. First 3 miles were all right, 10:07, 10:27 and 10:52 with typical scheduled walk breaks. But my heart rate kept getting over 175, so for mile 4 and 5 I basically alternated running/walking, heart rate would get over 175, I'd walk for a minute, then run a bit, etc. 11:36 and 11:17 for the final two miles, overall pace of 10:52, AHR of 168, but max of 179, and not a very smooth run with all the walking. Might need to rethink the afternoon Wednesday run idea, bleh.

3 Mile Morning Run

3 mile run up at the lake, starting at the restaurant and heading up past the soccor fields and back, didn't feel like running on the spur since the construction would be going on. Steady run, decent pace, heart rate wasn't too bad. 3.1 miles in 30:49, avg pace of 9:56, splits of 10:01, 9:53, 9:55 and 0:59 for the last .1 mile (9:49 pace). AHR of 162, crept up to 170 by the end. Nice out.

Ice Cream!!!

FFRC Ice Cream Run, we met at Fritz's in St Charles, ran a loop course. I stuck behind Bob for the first mile, but when Jane took a walk break, I figured it would be a good idea to do the same. Took a total of 3 walk breaks and ran all right, splits of 9:32, 10:13, 11:35 and 1:25 for the last .13 miles. Two runs in the same day, my legs were a bit stiff at the start but I felt pretty good after a bit. AHR of 161, which was pretty good with the early evening low 80ish weather.

6 Mile Run In St Charles

Running a touch slower, heart rate was lower. I ran with the FFRC in St Charles on the 'old' route that I didn't know, so had to keep an eye out for when people were turning and such. Run went all right, was overall heart rate was lower, which is good. Course was hilly and ended up running the second half with Jane from the running group, who was taking walk breaks on the hills and such, so pace was a bit slower the last half. Splits of 10:20, 10:42, 10:15, 11:00, 10:53 and 11:57.

3 Miles In The Rain

In the low 60s and lightly raining, and took it a bit easier as well, so run felt a bit better. 3.1 miles in 32:52, avg pace of 10:35, splits of 10:57, 10:27, 10:28 and a 9:27 pace for the last .1 mile. AHR of 158, with mile averages of 153, 160, 161 and 167 for the last bit. Run felt all right.

5 Mile Evening Run

Ran in the afternoon, was about 83F out, little wind, sunny, felt like fairly low humidity, but clearly my body isn't use to running in plus 80 weather. Started off OK, but by mile 2 my heart rate was pushing 170 and it kept creeping up. Had to take 2 walk breaks the 4th mile and 3 walk breaks the 5th mile as my hear rate hit 180. Overall pace wasn't too bad, but if I'm going to get faster, I'm going to have to push myself to do so, which might be tough during the summer. 5 miles in 51:39, pace of 10:19, splits of 10:05, 10:00, 10:11, 10:27 and 10:54. AHR of 170, with mile averages of 160, 168, 172, 173 and 175. Running Friday morning, so should be cooler then.

Back At It

Well, after 3 weeks off, back to running. Body must be a bit worn down from the 2 week vacation to Yellowstone, even though my legs felt pretty good, my heart rate was way high for the pace I was running. 3.1 miles in 31:38, avg pace of 11:11, ahr of 168, with splits of 10:29, 10:03 and 10:06, with a pace of 9:32 for the last .1 miles. HR went from 155 the first mile, to 171, then 177. Ran up at the lake, was 65F out, but felt warmer and quite muggy, sun was out too. Hopefully my conditioning comes back quickly.

Madison Marathon

Madison Marathon is in the books. Judy and I headed up Friday night, staying in Rochelle IL and then driving the rest of the way Saturday morning, heading to the expo when we got into town. Goody bag was rather blah, but the tech 'finishers' marathon shirt was very nice, the best I've seen for a freebie. We then headed downtown and ate at Tutto Pasta, which was quite good. After that, we walked around the capitol a bit then headed out to our hotel that was on the north east side of town. Lounged for a bit, then went for an early dinner at Uno's Chicago Grill. Back to the hotel room, went to bed fairly early.

Got up at 4:30 Sunday morning, headed down to the parking at the finish area at Alliant Energy Center, then took the shuttle to the start line right at the capitol. At 7:10 the race started, there were 1192 official finishers, so the start wasn't too crowded. The half marathoners started 15 minutes later, but ran a different course that followed the marathon course at times. The first marathon/half-marathon course split was around 2 miles in, which means that the very fast half-marathoners caught up with the back of the back of the marathoners. The course mixed it up, running on business streets, bike trails, residential areas, parks, along the many lakes, and thru the University of Wisconsin Arboretum. There were many hills, but nothing too major, about as hilly as the St Louis Marathon I would guess, perhaps a bit more. Finish was back at the Alliant Energy Center. Post race food was rather sparse, but my stomach was a bit queasy so I didn't really want much food at the time anyway. I then changed and waited for Judy to finish.

Race went pretty good. I started off a bit fast, passing the 4:30 pace setters and the 4:15 pace setters in the first mile or two. First 6 miles were 8:52, 9:16, 9:27, 9:39, 9:21 and 9:28, with a 10k split of 56:25. I had my first shot block break during mile 7 and had a split of 10:03, followed by 9:50, 9:51, 9:37, 9:56, 9:35 and 9:33. Somewhere around mile 11 the 9:15 group passed me, but I was able to stay right behind them for a few more miles, hitting the half marathon split at 2:06:26, for a 9:39 pace. I had a few minutes 'banked' for my 4:22 goal, but I was also getting rather tired, and my stomach was quite iffy. I knew if I stopped to go to the bathroom, my motivation would be shot and I would probably end up with another 4:45 or so marathon, so I figured I'd just stick it out. I had some gu during mile 14 and had a 10:28 mile, followed by a 1:16 lap to get back in sync with the mile markers (was about .13 miles off at this point, so about normal). Next miles were ran at 10;56, 10:59, 10:02 and 11:09, with the 11:09 being another shot block mile. The 18 mile split, which was around the corner from the 18 mile marker they had set up was at 2:59:59, so I was just under the 10 minute mile pace, but knew I wouldn't be able to keep it up. With 8 miles to go, if I ran an 11:00 pace I would hit 4:30, so I figured I could do that. Miles 19-21 were ran at 10:14, 10:30 and 10:42. I then had my last shot blocks and walked for a while, so mile 22 was a 12:15 mile. If I could keep at a 11:00 pace, I could still make 4:30. Final miles were 10:47, 10:54, 10:53 and 10:54. I found that I could still run at a 10:00 pace or a bit faster, but just needed more walk breaks, taking 3, 4, 5 ... 6 ... short breaks every mile, keeping an eye on my lap pace so that I could hit the 11:00 miles. I didn't see the 26 mile marker, knew the finish was near (could hear it) but couldn't see it until we rounded the last corner. I picked up the pace a bit and finished the last .25 miles in 2:24:16, a 9:29 pace. Total official time was 4:29:01, Garmin distance was 26:38, so not much off. Average heart rate was 165, and other than my last little run where it hit 174, my max was 171, so pretty good there. Weather was nice, with temps starting in the 50s, finish was about 70, mostly overcast and a bit breezy.

After waiting for Judy to finish with a 5:46:53 time, we thought about hitting the Brat Fest that was going on right near the finish, but it just didn't sound too good, and we would have had to walk AWAY from the car, heh. So we decided to just head back to the hotel and shower and rest for a bit before going to an early dinner. We headed to Smoky Jon's BBQ, which was quite good. We got too much food but managed to make our way thru it. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at Perkins and got some dessert. Early to bed, then got up in the morning and headed back to St Louis. Legs were shot, but overall I wasn't too sore. Another one in the books!

Speedy 3 Miles

Run felt much better this morning, 3 miles around the neighborhood. Forgot to wear the heart monitor but took my pulse at the end and it was right around 170, so I'm guessing the average for the run would have been in the upper 160s, pushing it a bit, but it felt fairly comfortable. Good to see that whatever I did have I'm now over and I'm feeling 'fresh'. Total time of 27:26, pace of 9:08, splits of 9:13, 9:11 and 9:01. I may walk this evening or tomorrow morning, just to stay loose.

Dragging

Got hit with a stomach flu/mild food poisoning or something Monday night/Tuesday, so didn't run Tuesday as I planned, and the run this morning (Wednesday) was harder than I thought it would be. Dragging big time, but managed to make the 3 miles, had to take a few walk breaks, my pace was a bit slow, and my heart rate was high for the pace. 3 miles in 30:39, avg pace of 10:13, splits of 9:58, 10:03 and 10:37.

8 Mile - Tapering Down

8 miles up at the lake with the FFRC, ran with the 'old' guys, but as usual they were going a touch faster than my comfortable pace. 1:16:32 overall, 9:34 pace, splits of 9:19, 9:20, 9:15, 9:59, 10;48 (waited for Ray to catch back up after a bathroom break, probably stood around for a minute), 9:28, 9:11 and 9:09. Even with the minute or so break, it was a record for an 8 mile run. Heart Rate was 163, with it creeping up at the end, 165, 167 and 167 for the final miles, though max for the run was 173, so not too bad. Felt pretty good, now to take it easy until the Marathon.

3 Mile Easy Run

Easy run in the morning up at the lake, out and back on the spur, with a short walk before and after to add some time. 3 miles running in 29:56, 9:58 pace, splits of 10:10, 9:56 and 9:50, AHR of 158, so a fairly easy run. 8 miles planned for tomorrow morning, planning on sticking to around 10 minute miles.

5 Mile Pace Run

5 mile run up at the lake - walking about a half mile before and after. Ran a bit faster than planned, but it felt fairly easy. It was about 70 out and sunny, so I was getting a bit warm as I got into it. Heart rate crept up , starting at 159 for the first mile, and getting up to 165 the last mile, overall average was 161. Splits of 9:29, 9:35, 9:38, 9:33 and 9:26, overall pace of 9:32. 3 miles planned for Friday morning.

3 Mile Neighborhood Run

3 mile run - was raining hard in the morning, so decided to run right before lunch. 28:04 time, 9:21 overall pace, splits of 9:30, 9:15 and 9:17 around the neighborhood, so a few more hills. AHR was 159 with 150, 162 and 164 for the individual mile averages. Overall, a comfortable run.

Sunday 12 mile run

Tapering down, so 12 mile long run. Woke up and it was raining and insanely windy. Decided not to run so went back to bed. In the afternoon, things started clearing off a bit - the rain was over, but it was still fairly windy, so we drove up to the Page extension parking lot and ran on the Katy Trail, going northeast past downtown St Charles and back. I walked a mile before and a mile after as well. Total time was 2:01:15, avg pace of 10:06, AHR of 157, so fairly easy run. I was wearing pants and long sleeves, so at time it felt warm, but I was glad with what I wore when the wind kicked in. Splits of 9:58, 10:07, 10:11, 10:09, 10:11, 10:10, 10:09, 10:12, 10:11, 10:04, 10:08 and 9:41. Took 1 minute walk breaks all miles but first and last, so was running at a consistent pace. Heart rate stayed fairly consistent throughout the run, with the max being 164. Glad we were able to get the run in.

Saturday 4 Mile Run

4 miles with Bob and Ray from the FFRC, running a steady slightly under 10 minutes pace. Ended up being 9:38 overall, splits of 9:36, 9:37, 9:38 and 9:42. AHR was 160, so fairly easy run. 12 miles tomorrow.

6 Mile Tempo Run

6 miles up at the lake, was running more with the mindset of keeping my heart around 160-165 than a particular pace. Pace ended up being a bit fast, 9:17 overall, with splits of 9:33, 9:14, 9:14, 9:14, 9:16 and 9:10, overall time of 55:43, AHR of 164. Legs were oddly sore, but felt better by the end of the run. Cool out, 58F, overcast, breeze from the north, but not too much of one. Originally was going to run Wednesday but it was raining the whole day, so ended up running Thursday evening instead. Day off tomorrow, so should be all right.

4 Miler

Easy run in the morning up at the lake, out and back on the spur, with a .4 mile walk before/after. No walk breaks, heart rate stayed low (max was 161, avg was 155), cool but comfortable morning, little wind. Splits of 10:23, 10:14, 10:16 and 10:21. Ah, taper!

18 Miler

18 miles, starting at the soccer field, running out on the spur, up to St Charles and back. Walked 2 miles before and 2 miles after to extend the time so I would get done about the same time as Judy. Consistent run, starting temp was about 44F, about 68F at the end, no wind at the start, light south wind later on. Heart rate slowly progressed up, but overall was pretty good. All miles between 10:17 and 10:56, including gu/shot block miles. 1st, 6th, 11th, 15th and then last two miles were over 10:30, all others under 10:30, with the 6th, 11th and 15th being gu/shot block miles. Wasn't too sore/tired at the end, better than last week anyway. Overall a good run.

5 Mile Speedy Run

5 miles up at the lake 'with' the FFRC, though no one was running my pace. Felt like I was taking it fairly easy until the last mile, when I decided to kick it in a bit. Overall time of 46:50, avg pace of 9:22, splits of 9:44, 9:29, 9:30, 9:26 and 8:39. AHR overall was 164, though it was acting a bit funky the first mile - for the final mile it was 167, which isn't too bad for pushing it. Was windy and in the low 50s, so a bit brisk. 18 miles tomorrow.

10 Mile Tempo Run

10 mile 'pace' run, well, that was the plan anyway. Run out on the spur then down to the Katy trail, then SW, out 5.2 miles before returning, walked the last .4 miles back to the car. 1:43:31 running time for a 10:21 pace, started off decent, 10:05, 9:55, 9:57, 10:09, 9:59, but then started getting tired, with a 10:25 followed by a 11:15 (shot block mile), 10:21, 10:40 and 10:40. I was getting rather dead,  but I made it. Was warm out, about 80F at the start, but a brisk wind from the south, which meant a headwind on the way back - at least it kept me cooler. Two days off then running Saturday, then final long run on Sunday. Last run in my orange Glycerin 5s, retirement time.

Five Mile Run

5 mile morning run up at the lake, going out 2.7 miles and then back, walked about .8 miles afterwards while waiting for Judy. 48:53 for an overall pace of 9:46, splits of 10:04, 9:44, 9:46, 9;41 and 9:37. Cool out, but no wind. AHR of 161.

Sixteen Miler

16 miles, out and back starting at the lake and going out to the Katy Trail, then up to downtown St Charles before returning. Judy ran at the same time, so I walked two miles before starting, and two miles after finishing as well. Was really beat on the way back. Total time of 2:49:42 for a pace of 10:36, AHR of 160. Splits of 10:26, 10:19, 10:29, 10:04, 10:17, 10:26, 10:27, 10:20, 10:34, 10:25, 10:29, 10:47, 11:32 (shot blocks and up the Page parking lot hill, walked about 3 minutes), 10:47, 10:55 and a final mile of 11:18. At the start I was doing walk breaks about every other mile, the second half I was doing them every mile, with two walk breaks in the final mile when I was getting really tired. Next week is an 18 miler, then it's finally taper time.

Five Mile Run

5 miles up at the lake, running with the running club, though it was a small crowd and no one was running my pace. 49:16 total time, 9:51 avg pace, splits of 10:04, 9:50, 9:54, 9:48, and 9:38. For the first time in quite some time I didn't take any walk breaks, so run was a bit different in that reguard. Felt pretty good, I sitll have a bit of sniffles, hopefully the 16 miler tomorrow feels pretty good.

Seven Miler

7 miles up at the lake, warm up mile then 6 miles at pace, then instead of a cool down mile of jogging I walked, so that mile is not included in the averages. Splits of 10:16, 9:37, 9:45, 9:47, 9:45, 9:41 and 9:46, overall pace of 9:48, AHR of 160. Was running out of gas at the end, but overall an OK run considering how I felt. A bit tired, feel a bit sick too, hopefully I feel better by the weekend.

5 Miles

5 miles up at the lake, running out on the spur, quite warm out, 79.9F when I left the house, not much wind, not crazy humidity, but it had rained eariler in the day so it wasn't dry either. Didn't wear the heart monitor so tried to keep it fairly slow. Splits of 10:50, 10:19, 10:28, 10:21, 10:24, overall pace of 10:28. Was dragging quite a bit, still tired from ECG, but needed to get the run in.

Charlottesville Half Marathon

Charlottesville Half Marathon - ran with Blackbeard, Eyesore and Bullseye, very nice weather, but very tough course, up and down, up and down. Ran the whole way with Blackbeard, Eyesore started off faster but we passed him at some point when he was going to the bathroom and slowing down, and Bullseye had an 'emergency' bathroom stop and didn't ever catch back up, though he almost did. Splits for me were 10:47 (lots of uphill and of course fairly congested start), 10:02, 10:21, 9:51, 9:26, 10:47 (very steep and fairly long hill), 9:55, 9:45, 10:12, 10:13, 10:07, 9:52, 8:44 (down hill, BB was itching to go even faster), and 35 seconds for the final .07 miles (first marathon or half marathon where the garmin had less distance than 'official'). Really was a great time, but don't know if I'll do a half marathon during a gathering again, throws things off just a bit. Overall time was 2:10:43, pace of 9:59.

4 Mile Run

Ran up at the lake with Eyesore since he was in town for the East Coast Gathering road trip. He started off a bit fast before I reeled him in a bit, but overall a good run - was quite windy but pretty nice out. 4 miles in 38:55 total time, splits of 9:34, 9:39, 9:48 and 9:52, AHR of 164.

8 Miles

8 mile pace run up at the lake, out on the spur and back. Easy but somewhat quick first mile at 9:47, followed by  9:35, 9:41, 9:46, 9:45, 9:38, 9:45 then a cool down mile of 10:10, for a total time of 1:18:11 and a avg pace of 9:46. AHR was 165.

4 Mile Walk

Didn't want to end up running 5 days in a row, so figured I would walk four rather than run four, mostly to get some exercise in. Walked while I was getting an oil change, so that worked out well. 4 miles in 59:29, so a brisk walk, all miles between 14:38 and 15:08, walked down Dorsett to the post office, then back up Dorsett to near Lindburg, then back to CarX.

Going Long

Ran up at the lake, very windy, fairly chilly too - two out and backs, starting at the soccer fields. Slowly clicked off the miles, all miles gbetween 10:05 and 11:10, with only one mile over 11:00. Avg pace of 10:32, by the end I was getting fairly tired and it was getting tough to keep up my pace. AHR was 160, so fairly low.